The biggest name on the board in Winnipeg is now sitting on the sidelines. Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended by the Jets after failing to report to training camp, turning an already messy situation into something official.
Hellebuyck had confirmed in late August that he asked for a trade and said that stance had not changed, adding that he believed moving on was the best path for him and his family. Winnipeg acknowledged the request, but no trade has come together.
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is set to speak Thursday morning, and that could bring more clarity to where the Jets go next.
Boston, meanwhile, is trying to lock in one of its key forwards before things get any closer to the finish line. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the club is still talking with Pavel Zacha’s camp about a long-term extension.
Zacha is in the final year of his deal and is one of only two forwards in Boston’s top six without contract security beyond this season. He just turned in the best offensive year of his career, posting 30 goals and 65 points in 78 games, while also chipping in 21 points on the power play.
With Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt also in the mix down the middle, Boston sees the extension as part of rounding out its center depth. Sweeney put it plainly: “We know his importance to our hockey club.
We’d like to have him come back so we continue to talk. He’s a big part of our organization and our commitment to winning.
Hopefully we find a landing spot.”
Carolina has its own contract issue to sort through, and it’s keeping Alexander Nikishin away from camp. The Hurricanes confirmed the 24-year-old restricted free agent will not report because he still doesn’t have a contract.
Nikishin has reportedly asked for a trade, but despite offseason talk that Carolina might move him, nothing got done. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said the team loves the player but has to keep moving forward, and his absence opens the door for other defensemen to get looks while the situation stays unresolved.
Detroit’s situation around Dylan Larkin has taken another twist as well. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said Larkin suffered an upper-body injury while training and won’t be ready when camp opens.
The Red Wings still don’t have a return timeline. “It’s going to take him a little bit of time to get back from it, and when we have a better timeline of when he will be back and available, we’ll let everybody know,” Horcoff said.
That only adds to the uncertainty after Larkin requested a trade and the team removed his captaincy. Horcoff, who was announced as interim GM on Tuesday, said he has full authority over all hockey operations, including any potential Larkin trade.
Ryan Reaves also made news by announcing his retirement from professional hockey on Instagram. The 39-year-old finishes with 962 NHL games, 66 goals and 140 points, plus 3,225 hits, which ranks sixth all-time.
He became one of only six players to reach 3,000 hits since the stat started being tracked and also logged 96 NHL fights, according to HockeyFights. Reaves played for the St.
Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Just Made A Captain Decision That Says Everything
Jordan Staals latest deal keeps one of the Hurricanes defining figures in place after a season that only added to his rsum. Carolina has extended its captain for another year, rewarding a player who has been a steady, physical presence for this team across 16 seasons and who now arrives with a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in hand after being named postseason MVP.
The move says as much about the Hurricanes view of their room as it does about Staal himself. He is still central to how they want to play, and the contract gives the organization another season of that leadership and reliability while leaving the long view just a little hazier, since Staal will be 39 by the time it runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Face A Blue-Line Problem At The Worst Time
Alexander Nikishins arrival in Carolina has taken an unexpected turn just as training camp opens, with the Hurricanes announcing that the restricted free agent defenseman will not take part because his contract remains unresolved. For a team trying to build off its Stanley Cup run, the situation adds another layer of uncertainty to a blue line that had already been under close watch this offseason.
Reports have indicated Nikishin asked for a trade after the run to the Final, and the Hurricanes have been gauging the market while preparing for the possibility that he does not come back. Carolina has also added Mike Reilly and Pierre-Olivier Joseph as depth insurance, a clear sign the club has been bracing for this possibility even as one of its more intriguing defense questions remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Staal Is Back But Hurricanes Still Have One Big Deal Left
Jordan Staal is staying put for another season, and for Carolina that matters beyond just keeping a familiar face in the room. Around the league, teams are moving early on younger players before new collective bargaining agreement rules take effect, with the Ducks, Devils and Capitals all handing out notable extensions of their own. The Hurricanes joined that wave by locking up Staal on a short-term deal, preserving a veteran center who still anchors a team trying to stay in the thick of the East.
The bigger question now is how Carolina handles the next layer of its business, because Staals agreement was only one piece of a busier stretch of contract planning. The deals being signed now are carrying cap hits, bonus structures and other details that will matter once the new rules arrive, and the Hurricanes still have another significant decision ahead as they map out the roster under that changing landscape. [Read more 🡒]