Brawndo

Granato can return if He has two negative tests as He is asymptomatic

Your First Test Wednesday through Friday

The Matt Ellis of Temporary Head Coaches is running practice, Matt Ellis

Looks like the Sabres might play on Wednesday

POWER HAT TRICK

Power with a Goal

I believe the league is planning no games prior to Saturday

Somewhere Torts is having a stroke right now

From Friedman While Santa was delivering goodies across the globe, the NHL and NHLPA formalized some CBA exemptions designed to give teams COVID roster relief. Here are the highlights… GOALTENDERS: Teams will be allowed to add an additional goalie when two regulars are not available. This is in place for the rest of the season EMERGENCY CAP EXEMPTION: From here on in, teams in danger of dressing fewer than two goalies, six defencemen or 12 forwards for a game will be able to make emergency recalls. The cap hit of any such player cannot exceed $1-million. TAXI SQUADS: These are in-place until the All-Star Break, for now. Teams don’t have to use them; maximum of six players; no one can be on it more than 20 days. There are some eligibility requirements. You can’t be on it if you're on an NHL roster as of Dec. 22 (with the exception of emergency recall); are waiver-exempt; were on the NHL roster for at least 75 per cent of the regular-season days or played in 16 of a team’s last 20 games through Dec. 22 (goalies who dressed but did not play is counted as having “played”). Taxi squad players can practice and travel with the NHL team. Compensation is AHL-level pay with a stipend of $500 (US) each day they are on it. The schedule is on pause until at least Tuesday. Players returned to their NHL home bases on Sunday for testing and the option of their first post-Christmas practice. Keep an eye on the Sportsnet Twitter feed as teams announce COVID protocol updates. Buffalo, for example, cancelled practice and its media availabilities. Other item to keep an eye on: What happens to the schedule? What changes will there be, and could Canadian teams have some home games moved later in the season to protect revenue? Lots to be determined.

That and the millions in revenue the NHL if the Winter Classic is canceled

The Sabres have canceled practice and media availability for today

The NHL needs to protect the Winter Classic as it needs the revenue generated from it per Friedman

Friedman mentioned this once. That the GM and HC each get to pick one Asst Coach and they usually mutually agree on the Third. Botterill picked Granato, Krueger Steve Smith. Bales stayed by mutual decision

I believe His NHL Deal will prevent Him from going

The prevailing thought is JJP was going to be loaned to Germany for either the WJCs or the Olympics, with the latter being the players preference.

The Best the NHLPA could hope for is An IOC Decision to postpone the games until 2023

Friedman reported that the Canadian Government is a minimum of Six Months Away from approving that. 10. However, there is growing opposition to frequent testing, instead searching for alternatives. When Steve Yzerman talks, people listen. “Our players are testing positive with very little symptoms, if any symptoms at all,” he said last weekend. “I don’t see it as a threat to their health at this point. So, I think you might take it a step further and question why are we even testing for guys that have no symptoms….The players ultimately want to play. None have come to us and said, ‘We should shut this down.’ If they feel that way, they haven’t expressed that to us. They’ve been very acceptive of the protocols. Whether they like them or not is irrelevant. They’ve been willing to do them. I think they just want to play and get through this.” Again, I don’t desire to put percentages or numbers on how many feel that way, but it’s not insignificant. There are many players and teams who feel very strongly testing should be reduced, except in symptomatic cases. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck expressed his frustration for the second time in several days, calling the pause, “a little overkill…You see leagues like the NFL, who are adapting and, I think, doing things right.” St. Louis captain Ryan O’Reilly and teammate Torey Krug publicly added to the group. There’s a major difference between the NFL, the NBA and the NHL. That is, of course, Canada. 11. To a man/woman, every source I spoke to over the last five days said they are well aware testing only symptomatic players (even if vaccinated) is a non-starter with Canada. “We’re six months away from even beginning that discussion,” one doctor said. But the NFL and NBA moving in that direction means there will be a push for the NHL to explore similar opportunities. “Let’s say Colorado plays Dallas,” one player said. “Do we need to test for that if no symptoms? Could we have a system where you only test if you are symptomatic or for a week prior to going into Canada?” This will not be an easy issue to manage. 12. One Canadian team exec’s reaction to that suggestion: “Thank you for the competitive disadvantage

There is a significant segment of the NYS, even in WNY who do not agree with giving a Billionaire NFL/NHL Team Owner hundreds of millions if not a billion dollars for a new stadium that will be used 10-15 times a year. It’s potentially a bad look if while asking for this amount of money, they turn around sell Their other franchise at a potential profit of 400-500 Million while negotiating the deal. I could see them selling half of franchise and giving control of the day to day operations to the new owner while the Pegulas concentrate on the Bills.