There was a bit of panic among the New York Islanders’ fans when the team entered the training camp without Mathew Barzal. The 23-year-old star forward and the Islanders haven’t agreed to a new deal up to that point, and it seemed like the two sides are ready for a long contract standoff.

However, that won’t be the case as Barzal, who was a restricted free agent this offseason, agreed to a new deal with the franchise over the weekend.

According to the Islanders’ announcement, Barzal inked a three-year commitment that will keep him with the organization through the 2022/23 NHL season. He is set to earn $7 million annually and $21 million overall.

After taking care of the business stuff, Barzal joined Islanders for his first practices ahead of the new season and received a warm welcome from his teammates.

“He’s the cornerstone of our team here a little bit,” said Islanders’ captain Anders Lee. “He’s one of those guys that can really change the game on a dime.”

Barzal emerged as Islanders’ biggest offensive weapon last year, finishing the regular season with 19 goals and 41 assists for a team-leading 60 points. He added 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) in the playoffs, helping the franchise to Eastern Conference Finals.

Mathew Barzal made his NHL debut in 2017/18, delivering a spectacular 85-points season that got him the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. Barzal then went on to make consecutive All-Star selections in the next two seasons.

The post Mathew Barzal Staying with New York Islanders, Agrees to a New Deal appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

The 2020 Stanley Cup winners Tampa Bay Lightning will have to kick off the new NHL campaign without their star winger Nikita Kucherov. According to the team’s general manager Julien BriseBrois, Kucherov is set to undergo hip surgery and will be out for the entire regular season.

Still, the Lightning hope that Kucherov will manage to recover in time to help the team make another Stanley Cup run if they make the playoffs. The 27-year-old player was a key contributor for Tampa last postseason, contributing with seven goals and 27 assists for team-leading 34 points despite a nagging groin injury.

“Nobody loves playing hockey more than Nikita Kucherov,” said BriseBrois. “I know how hard he’ll work to get back as soon as possible.”

Considering that Nikita Kucherov’s injury is considered long-term, his $9.5 million salary won’t count against Tampa Bay Lightning’s salary cap. The team was more than $7 million over the cap, but with this relief, they will stay cap-compliant and won’t be forced to trade any of their players.

 Kucherov has been one of the league’s best players in recent years, making two NHL First All-Star Team selections and receiving three consecutive All-Star nods. He was especially dominant in 2018/19, finishing the season with 128 points and receiving Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

Thorough his seven-season in NHL, Kucherov played 515 games and has 547 points (221 goals and 326 assists) to show for.     

The post Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov Set to Miss the 2020/21 Season appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

NY Rangers are keeping center Ryan Strome for a couple more seasons. According to multiple reports, Rangers and Strome avoided arbitration, scheduled for Thursday morning, and agreed to a two-year deal.

Strome, who is coming off a career-best season in 2019/20, will reportedly earn $9 million with his new deal.

The news comes after it appeared that the two sides are well off in their evaluations. After contributing with 59 points (18 goals and 41 assists) in 70 games last season, Strome asked for a 1-year deal worth $5.7 million. Rangers countered with $3.6 million for 2020/21.

Eventually, both parties decided to have one more attempt to avoid an arbitration decision and managed to hammer out a deal that saw them meeting halfway. The agreement should work well for everyone included as Rangers keep a reliable option at the center while Strome remains in a system that suits his skills.

Prior to joining Rangers in the early 2018/19 NHL season, Ryan Strome also suited up for Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders. He has 491 career NHL games with 95 goals and 159 assists for a total of 254 points. 

The post Rangers Ink Ryan Strome to a 2-Year, $9 Million Contract appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Defenseman Trevor Daley announced on Monday that he is ending his NHL career after playing 16 seasons in the league. But this doesn’t mean he’s walking away from hockey completely.

Shortly after retiring, Daley took on a role with Pittsburgh Penguins’ front office, where he will serve in multiple roles. The 37-year-old player is expected to have a role in player evaluations on all levels while also making contributions to the coaching staff.

Penguins confirmed the hire on their social media.

Trevor Daley is well familiar with the Penguins’ organization, having played two seasons with the franchise in 2015/16 and 2016/17. In both of these seasons, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup while Daley played an important role in anchoring their dominant defense.

“In addition to being a Stanley Cup champion with us, he left us with a great impression due to his professional demeanor and quiet leadership qualities,” said Pittsburgh’s general manager Jim Rutherford in a statement while adding that these traits and willingness to learn make Daley the perfect addition to their front office.

Daley also suited up for Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings. He has 1,058 NHL career games in which he contributed with 89 goals and 220 assists for a total of 309 points.

The post Defenseman Trevor Daley Retires from NHL, Join Penguins’ Front Office Shortly After appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Joe Thornton will return to NHL for his 23rd season in 2020/21, but not in the San Jose Sharks’ uniform. Instead, the legendary center will play for Toronto Maple Leafs.

Maple Leafs announced on Friday that they signed Thornton to a one-year deal worth $700,000.

Thornton won’t join Maple Leafs right away, and is expected to play in Switzerland with HC Davos until the new NHL season kicks off. This will be Thornton’s third stint in Europe, as he also suited up for Davos during lockdown seasons in 2004/05 and 2012/13.

“It will be a lot of fun to play for HC Davos again in the championship,” said Thornton, confirming the news. “The boys and I have been training together all summer, and I am very happy to be fighting serious battles for the HCD again.”

Joe Thornton previously played 15 years with San Jose Sharks and publicly stated that he would like to return to the franchise for another run next season. But San Jose took time with deciding whether to make that commitment, allowing Toronto to swoop in and secure the 41-year-old player’s signature.

Thornton played 70 games with the Sharks this past season, scoring seven goals and adding 24 assists.

The post Sharks Legend Joe Thornton Joins Toronto Maple Leafs on a 1-Year Deal appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

There was a bit of panic among the New York Islanders’ fans when the team entered the training camp without Mathew Barzal. The 23-year-old star forward and the Islanders haven’t agreed to a new deal up to that point, and it seemed like the two sides are ready for a long contract standoff.

However, that won’t be the case as Barzal, who was a restricted free agent this offseason, agreed to a new deal with the franchise over the weekend.

According to the Islanders’ announcement, Barzal inked a three-year commitment that will keep him with the organization through the 2022/23 NHL season. He is set to earn $7 million annually and $21 million overall.

After taking care of the business stuff, Barzal joined Islanders for his first practices ahead of the new season and received a warm welcome from his teammates.

“He’s the cornerstone of our team here a little bit,” said Islanders’ captain Anders Lee. “He’s one of those guys that can really change the game on a dime.”

Barzal emerged as Islanders’ biggest offensive weapon last year, finishing the regular season with 19 goals and 41 assists for a team-leading 60 points. He added 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) in the playoffs, helping the franchise to Eastern Conference Finals.

Mathew Barzal made his NHL debut in 2017/18, delivering a spectacular 85-points season that got him the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. Barzal then went on to make consecutive All-Star selections in the next two seasons.

The post Mathew Barzal Staying with New York Islanders, Agrees to a New Deal appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

The 2020 Stanley Cup winners Tampa Bay Lightning will have to kick off the new NHL campaign without their star winger Nikita Kucherov. According to the team’s general manager Julien BriseBrois, Kucherov is set to undergo hip surgery and will be out for the entire regular season.

Still, the Lightning hope that Kucherov will manage to recover in time to help the team make another Stanley Cup run if they make the playoffs. The 27-year-old player was a key contributor for Tampa last postseason, contributing with seven goals and 27 assists for team-leading 34 points despite a nagging groin injury.

“Nobody loves playing hockey more than Nikita Kucherov,” said BriseBrois. “I know how hard he’ll work to get back as soon as possible.”

Considering that Nikita Kucherov’s injury is considered long-term, his $9.5 million salary won’t count against Tampa Bay Lightning’s salary cap. The team was more than $7 million over the cap, but with this relief, they will stay cap-compliant and won’t be forced to trade any of their players.

 Kucherov has been one of the league’s best players in recent years, making two NHL First All-Star Team selections and receiving three consecutive All-Star nods. He was especially dominant in 2018/19, finishing the season with 128 points and receiving Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

Thorough his seven-season in NHL, Kucherov played 515 games and has 547 points (221 goals and 326 assists) to show for.     

The post Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov Set to Miss the 2020/21 Season appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

NY Rangers are keeping center Ryan Strome for a couple more seasons. According to multiple reports, Rangers and Strome avoided arbitration, scheduled for Thursday morning, and agreed to a two-year deal.

Strome, who is coming off a career-best season in 2019/20, will reportedly earn $9 million with his new deal.

The news comes after it appeared that the two sides are well off in their evaluations. After contributing with 59 points (18 goals and 41 assists) in 70 games last season, Strome asked for a 1-year deal worth $5.7 million. Rangers countered with $3.6 million for 2020/21.

Eventually, both parties decided to have one more attempt to avoid an arbitration decision and managed to hammer out a deal that saw them meeting halfway. The agreement should work well for everyone included as Rangers keep a reliable option at the center while Strome remains in a system that suits his skills.

Prior to joining Rangers in the early 2018/19 NHL season, Ryan Strome also suited up for Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders. He has 491 career NHL games with 95 goals and 159 assists for a total of 254 points. 

The post Rangers Ink Ryan Strome to a 2-Year, $9 Million Contract appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Defenseman Trevor Daley announced on Monday that he is ending his NHL career after playing 16 seasons in the league. But this doesn’t mean he’s walking away from hockey completely.

Shortly after retiring, Daley took on a role with Pittsburgh Penguins’ front office, where he will serve in multiple roles. The 37-year-old player is expected to have a role in player evaluations on all levels while also making contributions to the coaching staff.

Penguins confirmed the hire on their social media.

Trevor Daley is well familiar with the Penguins’ organization, having played two seasons with the franchise in 2015/16 and 2016/17. In both of these seasons, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup while Daley played an important role in anchoring their dominant defense.

“In addition to being a Stanley Cup champion with us, he left us with a great impression due to his professional demeanor and quiet leadership qualities,” said Pittsburgh’s general manager Jim Rutherford in a statement while adding that these traits and willingness to learn make Daley the perfect addition to their front office.

Daley also suited up for Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings. He has 1,058 NHL career games in which he contributed with 89 goals and 220 assists for a total of 309 points.

The post Defenseman Trevor Daley Retires from NHL, Join Penguins’ Front Office Shortly After appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Joe Thornton will return to NHL for his 23rd season in 2020/21, but not in the San Jose Sharks’ uniform. Instead, the legendary center will play for Toronto Maple Leafs.

Maple Leafs announced on Friday that they signed Thornton to a one-year deal worth $700,000.

Thornton won’t join Maple Leafs right away, and is expected to play in Switzerland with HC Davos until the new NHL season kicks off. This will be Thornton’s third stint in Europe, as he also suited up for Davos during lockdown seasons in 2004/05 and 2012/13.

“It will be a lot of fun to play for HC Davos again in the championship,” said Thornton, confirming the news. “The boys and I have been training together all summer, and I am very happy to be fighting serious battles for the HCD again.”

Joe Thornton previously played 15 years with San Jose Sharks and publicly stated that he would like to return to the franchise for another run next season. But San Jose took time with deciding whether to make that commitment, allowing Toronto to swoop in and secure the 41-year-old player’s signature.

Thornton played 70 games with the Sharks this past season, scoring seven goals and adding 24 assists.

The post Sharks Legend Joe Thornton Joins Toronto Maple Leafs on a 1-Year Deal appeared first on toppoptoday.com.