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Wednesday 20 June 2018
Salary-cap increase makes for 'more fun' NHL offseason

By STEPHEN WHYNO who's just 28. the 35-year-old winger
AP Hockey Writer More immediate decisions who's looking to return to
Thanks, Vegas. await the Islanders and the NHL after five seasons
The Stanley Cup Final run Capitals. New York could in the Kontinental Hockey
of the expansion Golden make a move to re-sign Ta- League.
Knights contributed to vares before he can begin Former Los Angeles Kings
what is expected to be a speaking with other teams defenseman Slava Voynov,
healthy increase for the sal- on Monday, and recently who won an Olympic gold
ary cap, giving NHL teams hired president of hockey medal with Kovalchuk, is
more freedom to make operations Lou Lamoriello back in the U.S. and could
deals. With elite center has to hire a new coach. be on the way to return-
John Tavares, top defense- The Islanders might've got- ing. Voynov was convicted
man John Carlson and a ten a fortunate bounce of domestic abuse and is
strong group of free agents when Barry Trotz resigned suspended indefinitely by
available soon, the ceiling from his job with Washing- the NHL, which makes it un-
for player spending will rise ton less than two weeks af- clear how a team will pave
to between $78 and $82 ter lifting the Cup. Re-sign- the way for him to play.
million from $75 million. ing Tavares and hiring a re- "Right now he's a suspend-
"The higher the better," said placement for fired coach ed player, and until any-
Brian MacLellan, whose Doug Weight go hand-in- thing changes there, I don't
Washington Capitals won hand. think we're in a position
the Stanley Cup. "It makes If it doesn't work out and to comment any further,"
it a lot more fun." Tavares hits the open mar- Kings GM Rob Blake said. "A
Gentlemen, open your ket, a contract with an an- lot of this has to take place
wallets — players like Tava- nual salary approaching between him, his agent
res, Carlson and forwards Connor McDavid's $12.5 and the National Hockey
James van Riemsdyk and million isn't out of the ques- League."
Paul Stastny won't come tion. Nashville GM David Dozens of current free
cheap. Poile said cap situations put agents don't know where
With GMs meeting Thurs- In this Nov. 2, 2017, file photo, New York Islanders center John five or six teams in position they'll be playing next sea-
Tavares (91) skates with the puck during the second period
day in Dallas ahead of this of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, in for top-end free agents — son. Beyond Tavares, Carl-
weekend's draft, trade talk Washington. and knock about half the son is the most in-demand
is percolating before free Associated Press league out of the running. pending free agent after
agency opens July 1. Ot- "We all have different com- leading all defensemen in
tawa has already traded Senators are willing to trade solved that issue by acquir- mitments already of con- regular-season and play-
winger Mike Hoffman, and the Norris Trophy-winning ing Mikkel Boedker from the tracts," Poile said. "Some off points. Carlson plans to
Buffalo center Ryan O'Reilly, defenseman with one year San Jose Sharks for Hoff- teams have a lot of room. have his day with the Stan-
Pittsburgh forward Phil Kes- remaining on his contract. man in the first major trade Some teams don't have ley Cup in Washington, but
sel, Montreal captain Max GM Pierre Dorion seemed of the offseason. very much room." because of the uncertainty
Pacioretty and Washington to be in a tough spot after San Jose flipped Hoffman Big-revenue teams with of the offseason, there's no
backup goaltender Philipp it was revealed last week to Florida soon thereaf- money to spend include guarantee he'll be there
Grubauer could all be on that Karlsson's wife had ter, freeing up salary-cap the retooling New York this fall. "We'll see what hap-
the move. filed an order of protection space to pursue Tavares or Rangers and the rising To- pens," Carlson said. "I love it
Ottawa captain Erik Karls- against Hoffman's girlfriend, Russian standout Ilya Kov- ronto Maple Leafs. The here and all that, I want to
son is the star who will go Monika Caryk, alleging ha- alchuk. The Panthers got a Rangers are among several stay here, but there's more
to the highest bidder if the rassment and bullying. He 20-goal scorer in Hoffman, teams linked to Kovalchuk, to it than that."q

Winger Mike Hoffman traded

twice, lands with Panthers

The Sharks sent forward res and Ilya Kovalchuk. reasoning for trading Hoff-
Mikkel Boedker, defensive The Senators were eager man. "Today's trade show-
prospect Julius Bergman to deal Hoffman amid a cases our determination to
and a 2020 sixth-round pick dispute between him and strengthen the future of the
to the Senators for Hoff- his fiancee and team cap- team by improving chem-
man, defensive prospect tain Karlsson and his wife. istry, leadership and char-
Cody Donaghey and a Melinda Karlsson recently acter in the locker room
In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo, Ottawa Senators' Mike Hoffman
(68) waits for a face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes during 2020 fifth-round pick. They filed an order of protection and on the ice," Dorion
the first period of an NHL hockey game, in Raleigh, N.C. then dealt Hoffman and a against Hoffman's fiancee said. "We are confident it is
Associated Press 2018 seventh-round pick to alleging harassment and a step in the right direction
the Panthers for 2018 fourth- cyberbullying in the form for the long-term success of
By STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Erik Karlsson and his wife. and fifth-round picks and of hundreds of derogatory this organization."
Hockey Writer The Senators sent Hoffman a 2019 second-round pick online messages aimed The Senators may still trade
The Ottawa Senators trad- to the San Jose Sharks, who in a move that clears sig- at her and her husband, Karlsson, who can be a free
ed winger Mike Hoffman then dealt him to the Florida nificant cap space for San whose first child, a boy, was agent at the end of next
on Tuesday, hoping to Panthers. All told, the two Jose to use in an offseason stillborn in March. season, but shipping Hoff-
solve an ugly off-ice issue transactions involved four that includes potential free Ottawa general manager man solves one immediate
involving star defenseman players and six draft picks. agent forwards John Tava- Pierre Dorion didn't hide his problem. q