The Winnipeg Jets – or the Manitoba Moose or whatever the former Atlanta Thrashers will be called by True North Sports & Entertainment – are back in business after 15 years in the hockey wilderness. Not a local story – except that the local hockey team will be playing three games against the Jets/Moose next season in Winnipeg. That’s because for one year at least the NHL is going to keep Winnipeg’s team in the Southeast Division. With a new CBA upcoming and a team in Phoenix still in dire financial trouble – and maybe one on Long Island, too, if arena renovation plans there don’t pass this summer – there could be more changes coming to a league that had managed some stability since its final round of expansion in 2000 (Minnesota, Columbus).
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman insists that his league hates, hates, hates to move teams. And, to be fair, it has managed to keep floundering franchises in Ottawa, Buffalo and Pittsburgh remain in their home cities in recent years and seen each stabilize. But we’ll see if he can keep that promise in the coming years. Kansas City has a vacant new arena in need of a tenant. Baltimore has tentative plans to build a new barn. Quebec City is hoping to do the same. There will be no shortage of options for teams hemorrhaging money who want to flee their current location.
A Caps spokesman referred all comment to the NHL about Winnipeg’s big day. Local reporters wanted to get an official take on the extra travel Washington will have on its plate next season – though, truth be told, it’s all of 500 extra miles to Winnipeg than it is to Sunrise, Fla., home of Washington’s Southeast Division rival, the Florida Panthers. One year probably won’t kill anyone and the Jets/Moose have far more to complain about when it comes to travel issues.
In other Caps news, the Russian newspaper Sovetsky Sport published an article claiming top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov has signed a one-year contract extension with his club team in the KHL, Traktor Chelyabinsk. Kuznetsov drew praise from scouts, coaches and front office executives around the sport for his play at the prestigious World Juniors tournament in January. He helped Russia to the gold medal at that event. Kuznetsov, still just 18, had 17 goals and 15 assists in the KHL last season – numbers that compare favorably to Russian stars Alex Ovechkin (13 goals, 10 assists) and Evgeni Malkin (12 goals, 20 assists) at the same age.
But during his pre-draft interview with the Caps last spring Kuznetsov and his camp told Washington they thought he needed two more years to develop in the KHL. Washington general manager George McPhee and his staff did not object and selected him anyway, No. 26 overall in the 2010 draft – though they have always kept the door open if Kuznetsov changed his mind and wanted to sign a standard three-year NHL entry-level contract.
Remember, the team allowed Nicklas Backstrom to do the same thing after he was selected fourth overall in the 2006 draft. Backstrom would turn 19 early that next season, but choose to play in the Swedish Elite League instead of coming to North America. Within 12 months he was a fixture in the Caps lineup. Kuznetsov, meanwhile, underwent successful shoulder surgery in April, but will not participate in Washington’s rookie development camp next month, according to a Caps spokesman.
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