The Golden Knights will get a major boost in the lineup on Sunday when Brett Howden returns after missing close to two months.
Howden is one of the more versatile players on the team's roster and can play center or wing and slot on any line from the fourth to the first.
Howden participated with teammates on Saturday during an optional practice and skated on the wing at the team’s morning skate Sunday with Pavel Dorofeyev on the other side and Mitch Marner in the middle.
"We did a lot of work here getting myself ready to be as ready as possible for what we have coming up. ... I know it’s a crazy schedule coming up but that’s how it’s been all year. I’m excited to get right back into it," Howden told the media on Saturday.
Expected lines, based on Sunday’s morning skate:
Barbashev-Eichel-Bowman
Howden-Marner-Dorofeyev
Saad-Hertl-Kolesar
Smith-Dowd-Sissons
Theodore-McNabb
Hanifin-Korczak
Lauzon-Andersson
Hill
Schmid
To move or not to move. That is, was, and will be the question.
One of the big topics this week surrounds No-Movement Clauses in the contracts of NHL players and whether there should be more, less, or none at all.
A number of players, most notably St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko and now Utah Mammoth D MacKenzie Weegar, had their business aired out in the media as they deliberated over whether to waive their NMC's or stay put.
Parayko chose to stay with the Blues while Weegar gave the Calgary Flames the go ahead to execute the trade.
Don’t blame the messengers. The media that cover the NHL had the information correct and properly presented it.
Don’t blame the players. These clauses are negotiated in good faith and the player has the right to waive or not and the reasons why are specious. It’s their choice. Full stop.
Don’t blames the GMs. Things change. Contracts are negotiated in the context of a team’s place in the hockey atmosphere at one moment in time but fortunes change.
There is talk now that the NHL should limit these clauses or remove them altogether. Good luck. Players and agents won’t want any changes to this portion of the CBA.
We will be talking about no moves and no trades etc., this time next year and on and on.
Contract Clauses
Movement clauses are negotiated by the player and require the player to waive them. Only players that are 27 or older or have 7 accrued seasons are eligible for No Trade or No Movement clauses.
No Trade Clause (NTC)
NTC means the player cannot be traded without approval.
No Movement Clause (NMC)
No Movement means the player cannot be waived, assigned to minors, or traded without approval. This also means they cannot be exposed in an Expansion Draft and must be protected. Players with an NMC can still be bought out, however they are not placed on waivers prior to the buyout.
Modified NTC or NMC
Modified No Trade or No Move Clause limits the # of teams and time period when the clause is in effect.
Better for Buffalo: Growing up in Ontario in the 1970’s, the Buffalo Sabres were a force led by The French Connection. They couldn’t get over the hump in the Adams Division which housed powerhouse teams in Montreal and Boston. But the Sabres were relevant and fun to watch and built up one of the NHL’s best fanbases. Buffalo had good teams throughout the 80s, 90s and 2000s before hitting the skids from 2012 forward missing the playoffs in 13 straight seasons. That appears to be changing before our very eyes and the joy is back in Western New York. It’s great to see for the fans and from this perspective the NHL is better when Buffalo matters.
Roll the Bones: The Columbus Blue Jackets woke up Sunday sitting two points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus has gone 13-2-2 since Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason behind the bench. Bowness is one of the most beloved people in the sport and the players in Ohio have responded to his direct and open style. Bowness has a way of telling his truth to the players but having them understand he cares about them as individuals and a group. It’s a nice and rare touch. Columbus has averaged around four goals per game while allowing 2.67 per game since early February. That’s a winning formula.
Shark Bite: Islanders forward Mathew Barzal took a run at San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini on Saturday night and the Sharks superstar didn’t want to discuss it after the game. But his coach, Ryan Warsofsky, let the local media know they had better get used to it: “If we’re going to play in the playoffs, that’s what it’s going to be like,” said Warsofsky, who led the Chicago Wolves to a Calder Cup in the AHL. “We gotta get comfortable being a little uncomfortable at times. That’s what the game is.”
