A quiet contract wrinkle in the NHL could end up carrying real weight, and it comes at a time when two familiar names in St. Louis and Detroit are also giving fans plenty to watch.
The league has confirmed that no-move and no-trade clauses can include custom limits, opening the door for teams and players to build in conditions that narrow the protection. That means a club can hand out the clause, but still shape how far it actually goes. One example: if a player requests a trade, the protection could disappear.
The Athletic reported that deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the flexibility when asked about it. As quoted in the report: “Yes, that would be freely negotiable as between Player and Club.” The NHL would still need to approve the wording through its central registry before a contract is validated, but the language itself does not have to be written into the collective bargaining agreement.
That kind of arrangement matters because teams have often been stuck with very little leverage when a player with full protection wants out, especially when that player controls the list of acceptable destinations.
In St. Louis, a situation that could have turned messy instead has been settled. Robert Thomas and the Blues have cleared the air after talks with incoming general manager Alexander Steen, and Thomas has reaffirmed his commitment to the team and its long-term plan.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic quoted Thomas this week as saying: “I feel that a large part of the leadership here is dedicated to building something special, whether that’s now or in a few years. This has answered quite a few of the questions, ‘Do you see me in this plan?’
and ‘How long might this project take?’ We sat down to discuss several details that are important to us.
Many of them are shared. We agreed to move forward together.”
Thomas is entering the fourth year of his eight-year, $65 million contract, and he had reportedly been looking for clarity on where the organization was headed. For now, that uncertainty has been addressed, and the trade chatter tied to his name this offseason has cooled.
Detroit, though, may be headed for a longer wait. NHL analyst John Shannon said the Red Wings’ search for their next general manager could drag into September, which would be later than many expected.
The team has been without a permanent GM since July 15, when Steve Yzerman moved into a senior advisor role while still handling day-to-day duties on an interim basis. Detroit appears determined to take its time and find the right fit, even if that slows down some important offseason decisions. Among those decisions is a Dylan Larkin trade.
For now, Yzerman’s presence gives the organization some short-term stability. But the longer the search goes on, the more uncertainty hangs over who is actually steering the biggest roster calls in Detroit.
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Todd McLellan has already pointed to one area where Raymond can keep climbing, saying he wants the winger to increase his shot volume next season and turn more of that skill into scoring. For Detroit, the bigger picture is less about one ranking than the broader question of where Raymond belongs among the leagues better young wingers and whether DeBrincats production was overlooked when the list came together. [Read more 🡒]