Insider Trading: Matthews’ absence could continue into weekend
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TSN’s Hockey Insiders discuss Auston Matthews’ injury, Connor Hellebuyck fuelling discussion on goalie interference, CBA issues raised by NHL GMs ahead of their meeting, a CHL rule change happening Thursday and the latest from Team Canada’s management as they continue their roster building for the 4 Nations.
James Duthie: No Auston Matthews for the Toronto Maple Leafs against Boston. It doesn't sound too serious, CJ, but likely to extend for a least a few days?
Chris Johnston: Yeah, I think certainly with the Leafs having back-to-backs [on] Friday and Saturday, that in addition to missing Tuesday's game against Boston, wouldn't be surprising to see Auston Matthews miss a little bit more time. You're right when you say there's not a lot of concern, I don't get the sense there's any big picture alarms going off here. And really how we got here, is Auston Matthews missed a little bit of time during training camp and I believe he's been managing this, to some degree, throughout the season, hasn't been 100 per cent. Obviously, wanted to get off to a good start during the year. He's been pushing through it, but after a busy week, last week three games in four days, over the weekend a decision was made to just shut him down, give his body a little bit of time to rest here. I think we'll see him sooner than later, but will probably miss more than the one game.
Duthie: Connor Hellebuyck, like a lot of us, is confused about goaltender interference rulings. Does his complaint lead to more discussion, Dregs?
Darren Dreger: I would say that's fair, James. And don't forget, you got the upcoming NHL General Managers meetings, and we know that there's been discussion over the last day and a half inside the offices of the National Hockey League Players' Association. I know they've been in communication with Connor Hellebuyck. Look, I mean goalie interference is often debatable, but it always seems to generate noise. And there's certainly been a buzz around the National Hockey League since this happened on Sunday night. The PA is not going to comment on the conversations that they're having with Connor Hellebuyck, but he has made it abundantly clear publically that he is reconsidering his position with the competition committee, so something to keep an eye on.
Duthie: You mentioned those GM meetings that come right out of Hall of Fame weekend...CBA talk. What topics are at the forefront, Pierre?
LeBrun: Well, listen there's many. CBA talks are expected to start sometime after the New Year, between the NHLPA and NHL, but what's happening in the interim, is at that GM meeting, Bill Daly, Deputy Commissioner, is expected to summarize all the feedback that he got from GMs in the last numbers of weeks and months about things the GMs would like to see addressed in the next CBA. Some of these seem more like tweaks, like maybe tweaking salary arbitration, walkaway rights and salary arb. Revising the compensation chart for offer sheets, but the one that certainly catches my eye, one of the GMs recommending revisiting term limits on contracts. You may remember this was the hill that the league was willing to die on in the 2012 lockout when they wanted to limit contracts to less than eight years. They ended up at eight years with the PA. I will say this, and I think Dregs and CJ agree, I don't feel right now that neither side, the PA or the league, want to have a big war in this round of CBA talks. I really think they want this to be a smooth negotiation. We shall see, but the GMs have their say here next week.
Dreger: You're right, Pierre. And moving forward to the end of the week, I can tell you that the NCAA is finally going to close the door on a rule change. Division 1 council will meet this Thursday and Friday, and it is expected there will be a vote and officially they will lift the ban on the Canadian Hockey League. That's going to obviously impact the CHL, but also USport. I'm told that NCAA coaches are currently canvassing, they're certainly scouting and they're approaching player agents or approaching players directly in both the CHL and in USport. Both those leagues have tons of questions. This won't be implemented until next August, but the resolution should come as early as Thursday.
Duthie: Back to those GM meetings, you're going to have one big room with all of them Pierre, and might there be a little side room booked for Team Canada's management?
LeBrun: There sure will be. Both on Tuesday and Wednesday. Team Canada's management group will meet next week and why not? They're all in town anyway and it will be the first face-to-face meeting for the entire management group since the start of the NHL season. We're talking Don Sweeney, the GM, the Olympic GM Doug Armstrong, Scott Salmond from Hockey Canada as well as Julien Brisebois, Jim Nill and Kyle Dubas. And what's going to come out of there, in chatting with Don Sweeney this week, is that they expect to really pare down, their master list. They might come out of there with less than 30 names left on their list. And, of course, they have until Dec. 2 to get down to 23, so those final bubble players decisions are coming into focus here.