We will have NHL hockey in 2021!*

*probably. 

Reports from all over the insider's web indicate that the NHL and the Union have agreed not to fiddle with the financial aspect of the return to play. This was always going to be the major potential roadblock. Players, unsurprisingly, want what they negotiated in the CBA. It's fair, even if a global pandemic has robbed owners of massive revenue streams. 

Get the pops on ice. Grab some snacks and circle January 13th on your calendar. 

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I may be crazy, but I think we see the Penguins reassert themselves as a Cup contender in the condensed 2021 season. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom which would indicate that the Pens are on the downslide. The on-ice product has been less consistent from the days of back-to-back championships. However, the club has been a clean 100-point club for the last three seasons.

Last year, they did so on the back of some serious production from key members.

Evgeni Malkin led the league in points-per-60 minutes (3.46). His 1.35 points-per-game put him on pace for a ridiculous 110-point season. That matches exactly what Nate MacKinnon produced in what many believed was a Hart Trophy-calibre campaign. Tristan Jarry stole the starting gig and was tied for third in even-strength save percentage (.929). As a club, they were a top-10 team in Corsi. They were top-10 in penalty-killing efficiency.

They did this while Sidney Crosby missed nearly 20 games. Jake Guentzel missed 30. They had Jason Zucker for just 15 total contests.

We can assume that Malkin will not be on God-mode when Crosby is healthy, but he's still a very real 100-point pace threat even at his age. Ditto for Sid. Guentzel is one of the most devastating finishers in the game. If you want decent betting odds, throwing some coin on him to take the Rocket is a wise option.

I like the addition of Kasperi Kapanen to insert more speed into the top six. John Marino is sneaky good and only getting better. Ditto for Jarry. Kris Letang – when healthy, can still pop with the best of them.

I think there will be some opportunities for players to hit juicy numbers and drive this team to near the top of the Eastern standings. Or I'm way off, the older players will struggle with the condensed schedule, suffer injuries and Pittsburgh will fall out of the playoff picture. Who the hell knows right now? 

**

Sticking in Pennsylvania, the Flyers have inked a major part of their blueline. 

Philippe Myers is a player who I've had my eye on for some time. It's not too often you see a 6'5, fleet-footed defender slip through the draft and land a deal as a UFA. That's exactly what the 23-year-old did. 

In his rookie season last year, he saw his minutes ratchet up to the 20-minute mark in the 16 return to play summer games. His production was muted, but you could see the flashes at times. For multicat leagues, his two hits and one block per game weren't too shabby either.

Moving forward, I think we see the reigns continue to be eased on this horse. He's the best right-handed defender on the team – no offense to Justin Braun. Look for he and Travis Sanheim to be the team's top pairing – facing all the hard matchups. That won't do wonders for his production as PP time will continue to be difficult to carve out. But it should lend itself to more peripheral cats being filled.

If we're speaking real-life, I love the deal length and cost. I think Myers has the upside to a legitimate asset for a long time in Philadelphia. 

**

I really like the chances of Nikita Gusev going off next season. It’s a lot to cross the Atlantic and learn to play in the NHL after being accustomed to the way the game is played in Russia. The pace. The intensity. The media scrutiny. It’s no easy feat even for a weathered 27-year-old rookie like Gusev.

However, but the end of the season, it appeared he was getting it. He finished his first NHL campaign with 11 points in the final 10 contests. He’ll be working (most likely) with a fourth-year popping, Nico Hischier. I like that potential.

**

When thinking about how juicy the Minnesota Wild’s forward corps may be in the very near future, don’t forget about Matt Boldy. Yes, we may very well see Marco Rossi centring Kevin Fiala and Kirill Kaprizov this year. Something that definitely excites me, but the Wild also have a serious winger coming up a year behind in Boldy.

The 19-year-old departed for the USA’s WJC camp leading the NCAA in points-per-game with eight through four games. He’s one of these players who can be a chameleon for your lineup. Need a passer on the line with finishers? He can do that. Need a finisher with a pass-first pivot? He can bury with the best of them.

It’s easy to forget about him a bit as he had an icy icy start to his collegiate career in 2019-20 recording just two points in his first 14 games. But since then, he has 32 points in 24 games. That is quite good.

He’ll be leaving school at the end of this season and I imagine he’ll be able to step right into the NHL. Get him on your radar if you haven’t already.

**

Oh, so many players (and coaches) no longer available to participate in the upcoming World Junior Championships. The list just keeps on growing. On Tuesday we found out that Sweden has now lost: 

William Eklund, 2021

William Wallinder, Detroit

Karl Henriksson, NYR

Albin Grewe, Detroit

Tomas Moten, Coach

That's a top centre, a top-four defender, two mid-six wings and the head coach. Ouch. At this rate, the Swedes are in a tenuous spot to even participate. Reports are that the event could go on even if teams pull out. But it would suck to see a medalist squad like Sweden not be there.

Tobias Ancicka, Nino Kinder, Lukas Reichel (CHI) are out for Germany. Drew Commesso (CHI), Robert Mastrosimone (DET), and Alex Vlasic (CHI) are out for the Yankees.

Canada lost a few themselves

We're in a spot now where many people are questioning whether the tournament should even go on. I shared some thoughts on Twitter in the thread below

Teams are supposed to enter the Canadian bubble this weekend. All we can do is hope that the case counts don't snowball. This tournament is a massive TV revenue-generating mechanism, but also a unique and finite opportunity for these young men. For a player like 19-year-old, Marco Rossi, who hasn’t had a chance to represent Austrian in the top tier for this event,  will have lost the chance to shine and compete against the very best of his age group if the tournament goes under. 

It's a tough pill to swallow. 

However, at the end of the day, health and safety should come first. If they do end up cancelling or postponing the event, just try and take it well. I know Christmas will be different this year and having the WJC to help normalize it would be great. But if it can't be, we'll survive to see it again in 2022. 

**

Yikes. 

Things need to change. Amends need to be made.

**

@Hockey_Robinson