Adam Proteau discusses the Ottawa Senators extending Jake Sanderson and the rumored extension for Rasmus Dahlin, Doug Wilson joining the Penguins and an outdoor collegiate hockey game happening in December.
Jake SandersonWelcome back to Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which your humble writer breaks down a few different hockey topics in smaller bursts. Let’s get straight to it:
A pair of young NHL defensemen could both sign lucrative contract extensions this week. In Ottawa, the Senators locked up young blueliner Jake Sanderson to an eight-year extension worth $8.05 million annually. In Buffalo, the Sabres could be on target to sign star D-man Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year, $10.5-million-per-season extension, according to the After the Whistle podcast, although that hasn't been officially announced yet.
Both players are crucial components of their team’s blueprint for success, so it isn’t a matter of either extension being a surprise if Dahlin's deal gets done as well. And it’s difficult to envision either the Sabres or Sens having buyer’s remorse with Dahlin or Sanderson. Their competitive peak remains a ways off, and that’s going to make their new salaries stand out as very cost-effective deals.
We’re likely to see other blueliners top the paydays that Sanderson and potentially Dahlin will receive – Avalanche superstar Cale Makar will earn $9 million in each of the next four seasons, but after that, he’ll almost assuredly be the top-earning D-man in the league. But anytime you can get a young player to agree to a deal that stretches to the maximum of eight years, you have to do it. Dahlin’s fellow star defenseman in Buffalo, Owen Power, probably will sign a similar contract when his entry-level deal expires at the end of this coming season, but the sooner he does re-up, the better it will be for the team.
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced this week that longtime San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson would be coming aboard as senior advisor of hockey operations. There had been rumors Wilson wanted to get back in action for months now, and he's got a well-earned reputation as a solid team-builder, so this is a good move for Dubas & Co.
Wilson is a respected hockey architect who has always taken a patient approach to constructing a team, but given how the clock is ticking on Pittsburgh’s core four of elite talent, Wilson’s philosophies will be tested.
Still, with Dubas announcing he’d be taking the NHL GM job on as well as president of hockey operations this season, another voice for management was going to be coming sooner or later. It’s a huge challenge just to hold one of the two jobs Dubas now holds in Pittsburgh, so with Wilson aboard, Dubas will have a savvy sounding board to bounce ideas off of.
Wilson isn’t going to replace Dubas as GM, but he will have some input – along with the newly hired Jason Spezza – in Dubas’ decisions. You have to give Dubas credit for surrounding himself with smart people, and the Penguins’ long-term future will be brighter because of moves like this one.
Finally, while the upcoming Heritage Classic outdoor game in Edmonton got a lot of press this week, a different outdoor game – taking place between American collegiate teams Appalachian State and Kutztown University in December – was announced in late July.
We give lots of time and attention to the NHL outdoor games, but smaller games like this one can leave a notable footprint at the grassroots level. Any outdoor games in the U.S. are going to be a challenge because of the tentative weather plans, but we applaud the two American schools for coming together to support a showdown that will appeal to young kids in the area, as well as new and current hockey fans who will be enthralled by the rare setting for a game.
Hockey is an easy sell in Canada, but elsewhere, you have to lure in certain demographics with a fresh and new concept. That’s what bringing back outdoor games is for the sport, and there will be memories to cherish because of the risks the two colleges took with this game.