This is the designated buyout period for contracts in the NHL. So, from Friday until June 30 at 5 p.m., clubs in the league can decide to buy out all the contracts they want, in order to create a little more space under the salary cap, or maybe just for fun. A year ago, seven players were victims of this measure, Colin White (Ottawa), Michael Del Zotto (Ottawa), Brett Connolly (Chicago), Henrik Borgstrom (Chicago), Janne Kuokkanen (New Jersey), Oskar Lindblom (Philadelphia), as well as Rudolfs Balcers (San Jose).
It is on this date that the various NHL trophies will be awarded, in another ceremony that does not promise to be memorable at all, this time in Nashville. The finalists for the various trophies, from the Hart to the Selke via the Norris, have all already been announced, and among the candidates, we especially retain the nominations for the Selke, awarded to the best defensive forward. Because the name of Patrice Bergeron is once again on this list, and if ever the Quebec player were the big winner, he would also collect the sixth Selke trophy of his impressive career. Obviously, we will have understood that there is no Canadian player among the nominees, all categories combined.
This date marks the start of the annual NHL Draft, which this year will take place at the same location as the trophy presentation, in Nashville. There is absolutely no suspense as to the identity of the first choice, but for the rest? The bets are off, as they say in Vegas. In the meantime, we will be treated to miles of analysis and commentary from several “experts” who have never seen these prospects play in person in their entire lives. Likewise, we’re also really looking forward to June 29, since that date will be the last day of the draft, and because we can already debate who among all these prospects who have never played a single game in the NHL , is already a flop.
It’s the return of the “normal” years in the NHL, after the pandemic that we know. This means that, as was the case before, the opening of the market to free agents will take place this year in this spirit of normality and also on the usual date, which is July 1, a great day of tradition. where you can help a friend move while listening attentively to the specials that are on the air from 6 a.m. This year, among the big names that will lead to wild speculation, and also to contracts that a team will end up regretting one day, we find Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Killorn or Max Domi. We will tell each other, it will not be a great vintage.
The day the NHL Arbitration Hearing Period begins. Often teams and players end up coming to a conclusion before they have to go in front of a referee; last year, for example, the Calgary Flames demanded arbitration with Matthew Tkachuk, before finally trading him to the Florida Panthers. In all, only one NHL player has earned a contract this way in the summer of 2022, forward Yakov Trenin, who was signed by the Nashville Predators to a two-year deal after explaining himself to a referee.