How will the Ottawa Senators fill the void left by Josh Norris’ injury? Did the viral video from the Arizona Coyotes visitor locker room at Mullett Arena tell the whole story? Have some teams already decided to buy or sell? Insiders bring you that and more.
Ottawa Senators head coach DJ Smith isn’t sure star forward Josh Norris can return at all this season after suffering a shoulder injury. What are Ottawa’s plans to fill the void?
Darren Dreger: Well, there is no easy solution, obviously. So when you lose a piece as important as Josh Norris, that’s going to be covered by the committee. They know that Shane Pinto is more or less ready to slip into this place. They’re not going to overwhelm him there. They have Derick Brassard, so you have the experience and presence of the veteran center. They also have other parts. Mark Kastelic, who just signed an extension, maybe he can make his way there and the same for Dylan Gambrell, and they also have Ridly Greig, who is developing well. So up front they feel like they’re fine. Defensively, that was a bigger concern this season, but collectively that blue line did well. They like Travis Hamonic as a fit there. General manager Pierre Dorion says Erik Brannstrom is playing the best hockey of his life and they got Jacob Bernard-Docker, who is also struggling in the American Hockey League. So less state of emergency in the nation’s capital when it comes to adding important pieces.
What’s the whole story behind the temporary visitor locker room at the Arizona Coyotes’ new arena?
Chris Johnson: I would say maybe it’s just about not believing everything you see on the internet because this video was taken at the very beginning of the construction of the temporary visitors hall at Mullet Arena. Someone who knows what’s going on there told me that’s about one percent of the construction that will finally be finished before Friday when the Winnipeg Jets move in for game one there as a visiting team and so I don’t think it’s anywhere close to any worries. There are NHL and NHLPA officials on hand to make sure everything is up to standard and it certainly seems like one of those we call has gotten a little ahead of us because I believe that it will look like a normal locker room under unusual conditions.
Drager: In terms of the bigger arena, the new build update. Both the National Hockey League and the Arizona Coyotes are optimistic that the Tempe City Council will have final approval so the Arizona Coyotes can actually move forward with their new construction. There is a presentation board meeting on November 22, but November 29 is the big board meeting. And that’s where the board should vote, approving the Coyotes to move forward with their new build.
Have the San Jose Sharks decided whether to buy or sell this year?
Pierre LeBrun: Well, what I would say to you, Gino, is that in talking to other teams in the league, the Sharks have made it known that they are ready to listen to just about any player on their roster, to possibly leaving Tomas Hertl, who just signed an eight-year extension last year. Listen, Mike Grier is the new GM, he didn’t take long to make some significant changes last summer either and that’s where he’s going to have to get creative. Brent Burns only had three teams he could be traded to last summer. He actually waived going to Carolina which was not on the three teams. The Sharks payroll and roster currently have a group of guys, led by the likes of Erik Karlsson, with full no-move clauses it will be difficult for Mike Grier to embrace the kind of change he wants. , but that is his intention over the next two years.
After Hockey Hall of Famer Börje Salming went public with his battle with ALS, some other big names in Swedish hockey have taken up the fight against the disease.
Johnstone: Perhaps call it the happy turn of a difficult situation and in this case it is Nicklas Lidstrom who has pledged to participate in the new foundation that Börje Salming is launching to support ALS research. Lidstrom is a seven-time Norris Trophy winner, but he grew up looking up to Salming, who was his childhood hero. The two met recently in Sweden where Lidstrom agreed to participate in this foundation to help raise more funds for a good cause and I suspect we are getting closer. [to] the hockey hall of fame [induction celebration, Nov. 11-14 in Toronto] in the coming weeks you will hear more people from the hockey world volunteering to support Börje Salming.
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