NHL rumblings: Expansion not on BOG agenda, Stamkos-Devils interest, Sherwood suitors, more – The Athletic
The NHL’s Board of Governors meeting is coming Monday and Tuesday in Colorado Springs, which makes potential league expansion a natural curiosity. The annual December assembly of the league’s 32 owners is where expansion has been announced in the past — when in fact there is expansion to be announced.
A league source told The Athletic this week, though, that expansion is not expected to be on the Board of Governors agenda. Will a group from Atlanta, Houston or any other potential expansion city be on hand to speak with the owners’ executive committee? A league source responded, “No.”
So, it would appear no expansion news is coming, though commissioner Gary Bettman has surprised us in the past, like when he announced the Vegas ticket drive at the BOG meeting in December 2014 despite it not being on the official agenda.
Bettman will also sometimes update owners on markets’ expressions of interest. It wouldn’t surprise me if that happened. But officially, the word “expansion” is nowhere to be found on the agenda.
According to other league sources, here are some items that are on the agenda sent out this week:
The CBA and league economics: The transition to the new collective bargaining agreement is mostly happening next September, but some items have already taken effect this season. I would imagine the league will want to talk to governors about how some of these changes are going, notably further explaining how the playoff salary cap will work this spring.
Hockey operations and player safety: It’s the norm for governors to get a presentation from hockey ops and the department of player safety at this meeting.
Olympics update: Did you hear there are issues with the arena in Milan? Yikes. That will undoubtedly be the headliner during the update to owners.
World Cup of Hockey: I would imagine the league might have an update on cities bidding for the February 2028 event. The league previously said it would start to make decisions on the winning bid cities this coming February.
Junior and college hockey landscape in North America (and report on USHL): There’s been a seismic shift in the grassroots hockey world. Of note, the new CBA calls for each AHL team to be able to roster one 19-year-old player starting next season, but there are still discussions to be had on how exactly that will work. The NHL-CHL agreement has four more years on it, but it can be reopened on the 19-year-old rule prior to June 30 this year. Lots of NHL teams still have questions about this.
Betting integrity and security: I reported after the general managers meeting in Toronto on Nov. 11 that Jared Maples, senior executive VP and chief security officer for the NHL, spoke to GMs in the meeting in the wake of the NBA and MLB gambling scandals (and the NHL’s own investigation into Arthur Kaliyev of the Ottawa Senators). Maples reminded GMs about the need to be careful about injury information and careful with the rules. But I wonder what further elements of this discussion will be in store for governors in Colorado Springs.
U.S. media rights: The NHL’s U.S. TV deal with ESPN and TNT runs through the 2027-28 season. I’m not sure what form this update from the league will take, but it will no doubt have the interest of governors.
Keep an eye on Stamkos-Devils
There is no guarantee Steven Stamkos goes anywhere this season. He’s got two more years on his deal after this season at an $8 million average annual value, and the veteran forward has a full no-move clause. But the Nashville Predators, as previously reported, would definitely listen to calls on him.
My understanding is that the New Jersey Devils have discussed his name internally, among many other trade targets, of course. The Devils were also among the suitors for Stamkos when he was a free agent in 2024. So there’s a bit of history there. It’s something to keep an eye on as we get closer to the March 6 trade deadline.
Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood is generating a lot of trade interest. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
Lots of interest in Sherwood
More than a week after the Vancouver Canucks let teams know they were ready to listen on their pending unrestricted free agents, they’re getting lots of interest on Kiefer Sherwood, as one would expect given his cheap $1.5 million cap hit, solid production and style of play.
The Minnesota Wild are among the teams that have shown interest. The Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars have also kicked tires. Given their injuries, the Boston Bruins would make sense, but I’m told the Bruins haven’t engaged yet. An obvious connection to make is the Philadelphia Flyers, former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet’s team, but I’m told they haven’t talked to Vancouver at this point. They feel pretty stacked a wing and don’t see a fit.
I think some teams would also entertain signing Sherwood to an extension as part of the trade, which could increase the trade value.
The Canucks don’t want to rush into anything unless they get an offer they’re very excited about. But the calls are coming, that’s for sure.
Senators checking in with sellers
I don’t think there’s anything imminent, but it’s fair to say the Ottawa Senators have made sure to do their due diligence with teams that have indicated they’re ready to listen on players. But, as TSN colleague Darren Dreger said in a Sens intermission panel last Friday, I would also downplay the narrative that’s out there that Ottawa is ready to take a big swing. It’s probably more about trying to hit more singles, as GM Steve Staios has been able to do with other solid moves over the past year.
If there’s a way to upgrade his top six or top nine between now and March 6, I think Staios would act on it, though. He’s getting a read on who’s available and the price tag.
Clarity on trade deadline, playoff salary cap
Teams are still figuring out how the new CBA rules regarding a playoff salary cap and long-term injured reserve will work, and what it means for them looking ahead to the March 6 trade deadline.
For example, one scenario teams have raised: What if there’s a key player who’s 50-50 to be able to return at some point during the playoffs? Can a team go ahead and use the player’s full cap hit, given the uncertainty, and then just make sure they’re playoff cap compliant on game day come the playoffs?
No, they can’t, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly clarified this week when asked about that specific scenario. The only way a team can use “full value” for an injured player is if it is prepared to rule the player out for the balance of the season, including the playoffs, Daly said.
In other words, if a team is keeping the window open for a player to return in the playoffs, it can’t get full cap relief at the trade deadline. It can only use the league average cap hit of $3.6 million for relief as allowed by the LTIR rule.
It’s not ideal, but the league and NHL Players’ Association had to figure out a way to make the playoff cap and the LTIR system work together at the trade deadline.
