So here’s a thread to discuss whatever’s happening in the NHL before the season starts.

Let's start off with some great decisions:

Tony DeAngelo will start camp on the left side alongside Jacob Trouba, per Coach Quinn.

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 3, 2021

As much as I hate to say this (because it will lead to even more ridiculous Armchair GM teams) PLD definitely wants out of Columbus.

#CBJ coach John Tortorella says Pierre-Luc Dubois’ desire for a trade will be handled similarly, in one respect, to how Bobrovsky / Panarin played out two seasons ago. They’ll confront it as a group and deal with it out in the open, he said.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 3, 2021

#CBJ Pierre-Luc Dubois on the potential of his desire for a “change of scenery” becoming a distraction: pic.twitter.com/aywSXwZYGf

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 3, 2021

So, left of center then... https://t.co/I7tLRfZODA

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 3, 2021

Also, I definitely don’t think PLD will get moved anytime soon, especially with how hard it is to make trades right now. A Jacob Trouba sort of situation is probably the most-likely scenario.

You mean where they hold him captive until he's 27 and can go to UFA?

Lol. I mean they keep him for a 1.5 to 2 years before they can get an offer they like for him. Or I guess even keep him for 3 years until he’s a year out from UFA and trade him like the Jets did with Trouba.

Oh okay. Lmao

Well Dubois wants out and doesn’t hide it, Barzal and Rolsovic are holding out, Deangelo with Trouba, Thornton with Matthews and Marner lol, Vesey with Nylander and Tavares, Hyman on leafs third line. I think that’s everything that I know

Edit: Borgstrom staying in Europe, might holdout

any news on saarela? i know the panthers were hopeful he would come back but ive seen no signs of him coming back. one of the 8 rfas unsigned.

Aleksi Saarela valitsi Rauman Lukon NHL:n sijasta – "Haluan olla osa tätä tarinaa” https://t.co/ljbjXUeuEb

— Iltalehti (@iltalehti_fi) January 2, 2021

The google translate of this headline makes it sound like he’s not coming back.

I’m told Nolan Patrick will practice today. That would mean he had to pass his physical yesterday. #Flyers

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) January 4, 2021

Well today hasn’t been great for news.

Dallas had 6 players test positive, their season will be delayed at least 6 days.

Columbus has 17 players held out of practice for COVID related reasons.

Corey Crawford takes a leave of absence to deal with personal matters.



First of all I hope for the best for Corey.

As for the positive tests, this is not great. It’s terrible that one (or more) person in the organization could help ruin the season for the entire team. I really hope that Max Domi specifically is ok (because of his type 1 diabetes) and that whoever is responsible for this is punished accordingly. And man, am I glad that the habs don’t have to play in the USA this year.

Man, I really wish Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t from Quebec right now.

And now:

pretty serious punishment imo pic.twitter.com/lESXlMWu5f

— katie (@dameofscones) January 9, 2021

It seems like this would punish Shesterkin & Georgiev more than anyone.

Are you suggesting that whoever brought the virus into the Stars locker room should be punished? You realize that it's illegal to punish people for getting sick, right? Unless that person deliberately infected another person. And obviously that's not what happened. And why are you glad that the Habs don't have to play in the US? Canada's death rate is much higher than the US's death rate, per Johns Hopkins. And Quebec has the highest death rate and infection rate in all of Canada. Their Covid death rate is more than double that of the US, per Covid-19 Canada. All despite far greater population density in the US.

Les Canadiens ont soumis aujourd'hui les neuf joueurs suivants au ballottage de la LNH:The Canadiens placed nine players on NHL waivers today:B. BaddockA. BelzileJ. BlandisiL. DauphinJ. WealN. JuulsenG. OlofssonX. OuelletC. Lindgren

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 10, 2021

*please don’t claim Juulsen, please don’t claim Juulsen* 🤞

Also the fact that there’s no Frolík or Perry here is a bad omen for Evans. Although at least 1 person is going to have to be put on waivers tomorrow.

If a player/staff member’s carelessness is responsible for negative consequences for the entire team they should absolutely be punished. If whoever contracted the virus first was not at fault, and it was due to the carelessness of people outside of the organization, then there’s obviously nothing that Stars/Blue Jackets management can do about it.

I’m glad the habs are in Canada because we have a government that actually cares about preventing people from getting sick. Now the general populous has its fair share of idiots, but at least the government and teams have regulations to keep the idiots at bay. Unlike places like Texas, where they’re actually thinking about letting fans in the building. The habs won’t have to worry about the ineptitude of the organization that they’re playing against.

And by death rate, do you mean mortality rate for people with COVID or deaths per capita? Because if it’s mortality rate, that has nothing to do with how the virus is spreading, but instead just has something to do with the health of the people who contract the virus.

Things are rough all over. Let's just agree that hopefully what happened in Dallas is the worst that happens anywhere across the league this season and there are no major outbreaks in Canada or in the US. And that players and staff take every possible precaution to keep everyone as safe as possible.

NJD have just re-signed Jesper Bratt. Reportedly for 2 years with an AAV of $2.75M. Finally!

Hold him captive? When he signed his first NHL contract, he knew the NHL and the NHLPA agreement. Has has wait play 7 NHL for UFA. PLD didn't have to sign his Columbus contract last week. He could have signed for virtually any team world wide.

So what exactly is his problem? Does he just not like Torts or does he want out of Columbus? Or both? Maybe he thinks his offensive numbers are being deflated from a defense-first system?

Ok but now he wants out. He signed his contract for trade value. By hold him captive I meant what Winnipeg did with Trouba. He wanted a trade and they wouldn’t facilitate

He was probably told pre Covid by agent that he was going to get a long term contract at 7.5m, The Covid came, flat cap and virtually players are taking a haircut. Gee I bet Hall was offered 9m X 8 years, maybe more by Arizona, but he didn't sign in January then Covid. So then Hall settled to play for teams of his dreams (joking) the Sabres 8m X 1

But I think your scenario is correct about his situation is correct.