NHL Thread Because There Isn't An NHL Thread

Zdeno Chara may be looking to finish his storied career where it all started: on Long Island.

The New York Islanders and the 44-year-old defenseman agreed to a one-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

The terms of the deal weren't disclosed.


Chara was originally a third-round pick of the Islanders back in 1996. He played four seasons with the club before he was shipped to the Ottawa Senators in the deal that brought Alexei Yashin to Long Island.

He even found his old Islanders jerseys for the momentous occasion:

The 6-foot-9 blue-liner spent this past season with the Washington Capitals, where he tallied 10 points in 55 contests while logging 18:19 per game.

Chara's offensive production has dried up in his 40s, but he was still a solid defender in 2020-21.

cropped_Screenshot_2021-09-18_12.16.27_PM.jpg
Evolving-Hockey.com
Under head coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders' system is predicated on strong defensive play, so on paper, Chara's arrival could be a perfect match. He projects to skate on the second or third pairing with either Scott Mayfield or Noah Dobson.
 
Zdeno Chara may be looking to finish his storied career where it all started: on Long Island.

The New York Islanders and the 44-year-old defenseman agreed to a one-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

The terms of the deal weren't disclosed.


Chara was originally a third-round pick of the Islanders back in 1996. He played four seasons with the club before he was shipped to the Ottawa Senators in the deal that brought Alexei Yashin to Long Island.

He even found his old Islanders jerseys for the momentous occasion:

The 6-foot-9 blue-liner spent this past season with the Washington Capitals, where he tallied 10 points in 55 contests while logging 18:19 per game.

Chara's offensive production has dried up in his 40s, but he was still a solid defender in 2020-21.

cropped_Screenshot_2021-09-18_12.16.27_PM.jpg
Evolving-Hockey.com
Under head coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders' system is predicated on strong defensive play, so on paper, Chara's arrival could be a perfect match. He projects to skate on the second or third pairing with either Scott Mayfield or Noah Dobson.
Are they still paying Yashin or is that done by now ?
 
The Edmonton Oilers re-signed restricted free-agent forward Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year contract worth $1.175 million, the team announced Saturday.

Yamamoto showed great promise in 2019-20, racking up 26 points in 27 games. However, he took a step backward this past season, tallying just eight goals and 13 assists in 52 contests.

The 5-foot-8 winger projects to skate in Edmonton's top-six forward group, likely alongside Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.


The Oilers selected Yamamoto 22nd overall in the 2017 draft.
 
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Sabres captain Jack Eichel will travel to Buffalo for his pre-training camp physical this week amid questions of whether he’ll be cleared to play, and his future with the team in limbo, a person with direct knowledge of the player’s plans told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because discussions between Eichel and the Sabres have been private. The Sabres are conducting their player physicals on Wednesday, a day before opening training camp.

Eichel has been sidelined since March with a herniated disk sustained in a game against the New York Islanders. The injury has created a widening rift between the player and the team over how it should be treated in what has become an offseason-long standoff.


Eichel favors having artificial disk replacement surgery. The Sabres are against him having the procedure because it has never been performed on an NHL player.

Should Eichel fail his physical, the Sabres would be left with the option of placing him on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve because the injury is hockey related. Had Eichel elected to not report for camp, the Sabres would have had the option to suspend the player.

The difference of opinion over how to treat the injury led to Eichel questioning whether he wants to continue playing for Buffalo.

The Sabres have been actively shopping the face of their franchise for much of the summer, but have yet to attract what they deem to be a fair offer.

General manager Kevyn Adams in July said he wouldn’t consider it a distraction if the captain was still on the roster once training camp opened.

“I’m worried about doing what’s right for the Buffalo Sabres,” Adams said. “That’s why I take the emotion out of it, look at what’s best for us moving forward. And if there’s something that makes sense, we’ll do it.”

The 24-year-old Eichel has five years left on an eight-year, $80 million contract and features a no-trade clause which kicks in next summer.

Eichel switched agents last month and is now represented by Creative Artists Agency’s Pat Brisson, who represents numerous high-profile NHL players.

The change came a month after Eichel’s former agents, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli released a statement intended to place pressure on the Sabres in a bid to spur a trade. They wrote the “process is not working,” and contradicted Adams by saying the team went against its own medical staff’s recommendation in approving Eichel having artificial disk replacement surgery.

___

More AP NHL: NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
 
The Ottawa Senators signed forward Tyler Ennis to a professional tryout contract ahead of training camp, the team announced Sunday.

Ennis suited up for the Senators during the 2019-20 campaign after inking a one-year, $800,000 deal. He registered 33 points across 61 games in Ottawa before being shipped to the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline that season.

"Tyler played well here in Ottawa in 2019-20. He has considerable NHL experience and someone we'll look forward to evaluating as camp gets underway," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "The PTO represents a good opportunity for both him and for us."


The 31-year-old posted nine points over 30 contests with the Oilers last year while seeing his ice time dip to just over 12 minutes per game, its lowest mark since the 2017-18 campaign.

Ennis spent his first eight years in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres. He's also enjoyed brief stints with the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs during his career.

He's produced 322 points across 643 career contests.
 
The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed forward Nolan Patrick to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.2 million, the team announced Sunday.

Vegas acquired Patrick from the Nashville Predators in a three-team trade in July, sending forward Cody Glass to the Predators in exchange for the 23-year-old.

The Philadelphia Flyers selected Patrick second overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He missed the entire 2019-20 campaign due to a migraine disorder.


Patrick has scored 30 goals and added 40 assists across 197 career games.
 
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