Thursday’s Dump & Chase: Extensions

‘Welcome to the NHL’ provides inside look at top prospects at 2023 Draft

The award-winning “Welcome to the NHL,” produced by NHL Productions, returns with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the top prospects in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft™ in Nashville. The show will premiere on Friday, July 21, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and at 7 p.m. ET on NHL Network in the U.S. Sport…

NHL.com

It’s almost always fun to see the NHL taking steps to market players, not just jerseys.

NHL Power Rankings: Which teams are on the rise at the mid-summer mark?

Though we have yet to see a Matthew Tkachuk-level trade this off-season, some big names have switched sweaters in the past month or so. Ryan Dixon takes a look at where each team stands at the mid-summer point.

| July 19, 2023, 12:06 PMSportsnet

I think I agree with Sportsnet’s assessment of where the Preds are (the mushy middle, again). You?

NHL salary arbitration hearings to begin Thursday

NHL salary arbitration hearings are scheduled to begin Thursday.

NHL.com

Salary arbitrations begin today. (Sadly, I believe the offer sheet chaos window has closed.)

Will the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup again? The cases for, against a repeat

Going back-to-back is difficult but not impossible, as the Lightning recently showed. Here are the reasons why the Knights will accomplish the feat — and why they won’t.

Kristen ShiltonESPN

Please no.

Laine ‘open’ to playing center with Blue Jackets this season

Patrik Laine’s experiment at center for the Columbus Blue Jackets may have come to a premature end last season, but he’s willing to give it another shot, or do whatever else new coach Mike Babcock has planned for him.

NHL.com

Center isn’t an obvious position for Laine, but he did have a couple of good games there last season.

Galchenyuk to enter program, apologizes to cops

Alex Galchenyuk is entering the NHL and NHLPA’s player assistance program after being arrested last week, sources told ESPN, and has apologized to police for his “deeply disrespectful and despicable behavior.”

Emily KaplanESPN

Well, I hope Galchenyuk is able to get help from the player assistance program.

NHLPA head Marty Walsh says 2026 Olympics are a ‘focus’ early in tenure

NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh is purportedly making an NHL return to the Olympic Games a high priority.

| July 19, 2023, 1:31 PMSportsnet

This is probably the least surprising news imaginable. The players have been wanting to go back to the Olympics for years. Good luck!

NHL: ‘No consideration’ of in-season tournament

The NHL is not looking to add an in-season tournament like the one the NBA unveiled earlier this month.

Greg WyshynskiESPN

In the meantime, the NHL is not looking to compromise.

Hakstol signs contract to remain Kraken coach through 2025-26

Dave Hakstol signed a contract to remain coach of the Seattle Kraken through at least the 2025-26 season on Wednesday.

NHL.com

I can’t think of Dave Hakstol without remembering the time he gave the Preds a free goal.

Pick your player: Which star would you build a women’s hockey team around?

Emily SadlerConnected

Personally, I’m really excited to see where Alina Müller lands and what she can do with similarly-skilled teammates. I don’t know that I’d necessarily build a team around her (I’d probably start with a goalie, because goalies, or one of the iconic forwards for brand recognition), but that might be my mistake.