Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday night the NHL is targeting a Jan. 1 start for next season.
That declaration came after recent talks between the league and NHL Players’ Association. The new date is a month after the tentative Dec. 1 start.
“It was just over a week ago that we celebrated the successful completion of our 2019-20 return to play with the crowning of the Tampa Bay Lightning as Stanley Cup champions,” Bettman said. “Based upon what we have learned and what we know and what we still don’t know, I can say that we are now focused on a Jan. 1 start for next season.”
That could mean kicking things off with the Winter Classic that has become a staple of New Year’s Day. The Minnesota Wild are scheduled to host the St. Louis Blues in that game at Target Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Twins.
The estimated start for training camps will be announced at a later date. NHL teams are expected to get camps of at least two weeks, just as they did before the expanded playoffs over the summer.
Free agency opens Friday, with the NHL looking to speed through the offseason while planning to play in 2021.
DRAFT: The New York Rangers selected Canadian forward Alexis Lafreniere with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft on Tuesday night.
Lafreniere was the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s top-ranked North American skater. He becomes the first Canadian to go No. 1 since Connor McDavid was chosen by Edmonton in 2015.
The Los Angeles Kings then selected Ontario Hockey League center Quinton Byfield with the second pick. The 6-foot-4 Byfield, whose father moved to Canada from Jamaica, became the highest drafted Black player.
OILERS: Edmonton star Connor McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19. McDavid, a 23-year-old forward, is self-quarantining at home and experiencing mild symptoms, according to the Oilers.
“He will continue to be monitored and will follow all associated health protocols,” the team said Monday night in a statement.
McDavid, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, is widely considered the best player in the NHL. The captain of the Oilers had 34 goals and 63 assists in 64 games during the pandemic-shortened season.
The NHL made it through its postseason in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton without one positive test in August and September. McDavid’s Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the postseason in Edmonton in early August.
The league did have players test positive before the postseason. The NHL said 30 players tested positive during voluntary training in Phase 2 of its return-to-play plan earlier in the summer, while another 13 had the virus outside the Phase 2 protocol. Two more positive tests were reported during training camp, which was considered Phase 3.
BUYOUTS: NHL teams continue to clear salary cap space with free agency coming up later this week.
Detroit placed forward Justin Abdelkader on unconditional waivers Tuesday for the purpose of buying out his contract. Montreal did the same with defenseman Karl Alzner, who had been relegated to the minors for much of last season.
Abdelkader had three years remaining on his contract at a salary cap hit of $4.25 million. His buyout will span six years for Detroit. Alzner’s buyout is four years since he had two years left at a $4.625 million cap hit.
Pittsburgh defenseman Jack Johnson cleared unconditional waivers, allowing the team to buy out the remainder of his contract. Johnson’s buyout will also last six years since he had three years left on his contract. Once they clear, Abdelkader and Alzner will join Johnson, New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, Arizona Coyotes winger Michael Grabner and Ottawa Senators winger Bobby Ryan as players bought out this offseason. They immediately become free agents.
The free agent market opens at noon Friday. The salary cap remains flat at $81.5 million for at least the 2020-21 and ’21-22 seasons.
CAPITALS: Washington re-signed Brenden Dillon to a $15.6 million, four-year contract Tuesday, an announcement that came minutes after saying Michal Kempny would miss six to eight months following surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. Dillon will count $3.9 million against the salary cap through the 2023-24 season.
Like Kempny in 2018 when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup, Dillon fit in seamlessly after they acquired him at the trade deadline. As much as they are up against the flat, $81.5 million salary cap, the Capitals could use long-term injury relief with Kempny to keep Dillon.
It’s unclear when the 2020-21 season will start, though Commissioner Gary Bettman said on NHL Network that Jan. 1 was the new target date. Kempny’s recovery would take him out through at least March. The 30-year-old was injured during training in his native Czech Republic. After being a part of the Cup-winning team, Kempny missed the 2019 playoffs and start of last season with a torn left hamstring.
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