The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: David Pagnotta on NCAA Free Agents, NHL Expansion, and more

Starting point is 00:00:01 First of all, let's start with something juicy. Atlanta, Houston, I believe, are destinations A and destinations B. Expansion on the horizon, De Paniota. Yeah, look, it's no surprise that, you know, with NBA going the expansion with regards to Las Vegas and Seattle and going through that process. MLB talking about expansion as well. No surprise, really, that the NHL is going to get back on this train. And this has been something in the works for a while. I explained it earlier this week.

Starting point is 00:00:36 They're not going to go through an official and formal expansion process because that's going out and finding people that might be interested in the league and groups and markets and all that. They know what their options are. You just list two of them, Atlanta and Houston. So once the ducks are in a row, then they will start to move those closer to the goal line. But, you know, look, Atlanta's building their facility now. They're building their entertainment district with Vernon Krause's group.

Starting point is 00:01:05 All indications are that's the one that's ahead of the curve and ready to go once that is near completion. And at that point, they'll explore the expansion process on that end. Again, the league knows what their options are over there in Atlanta. They know they have options in Houston. Sounds like a couple. And they know they have interested parties in other markets as well. So to go through a formal process isn't necessary. They're just going to sit back, wait.

Starting point is 00:01:30 and when somebody's ready to cough up two plus billion dollars, it might be a lot more than that, they're going to sit back and say, all right, now we'll take that call. It feels more like three now, doesn't it? That's, oh, 2B, that was the price five minutes ago, but now, now we're looking at 3B. Right. Thank you very much.

Starting point is 00:01:48 Yeah, exactly. No, I think you're right on. I mean, look, with Carolina putting their valuation at $2.66 billion and selling 12.5 percent, Before that was going on, at the start of the season, Vegas started the process to look for 10%, look to sell 10% of their club. At the time, it was 200 million.

Starting point is 00:02:09 I'm not sure where that's gone. I don't know if there's already been an agreement in place. But if there isn't, I've got to imagine that 200 million is going closer to 300 million to have a $3 billion dollar valuation on Vegas's franchise. If Carolina is looking at 2.6, Vegas is at least three. So for an expansion side, yeah, you're definitely, looking in that two to three range could certainly be closer to three year ago was one point five right like that yeah the way that the league is is is is is on the incline is tremendously impressive

Starting point is 00:02:41 and then you've got you make the argument well okay well the NBA is looking for seven to ten billion for their franchise um to go at least three on the NHL side is not out of whack by any stretch um a couple of the hot buttons i want to get to uh i want to get to Anton Soliav here in in in a couple of seconds, but just a quick, I don't know if you have a strong thought or feeling on a couple of the hot button issues from the week that was around the NHL. The Jack Hughes rake stepping, I want my puck back, and then the subsequent damage control that was done all. And Pat Brisson was on chicklets trying to straighten things out of what my client was trying to say is. And I understand it. Like I look at that one personally, Dave, and say, you know, Jack Hughes, whether it's GTHL or

Starting point is 00:03:25 or NHL has always grown up with, you score a goal, you get the puck, you get it, and there's tape on, and your trainer writes down what the significance of it is. Like, that's just the environment that he's grown up in, and he doesn't or didn't, obviously, know that that is not player property, that that is property of the double IHF slash IOC,

Starting point is 00:03:45 an arrangement with the Hockey Hall of Fame, and that's where it is going to nest, and that is where it is going to stay. Do you have a thought? Like, was this the big issue? issue that it should have been because this was an issue that sort of dominated headlines this week after the interview with Greg Wischinski at ESPN or was it just a tiny little mistake made by a player who's just growing up thinking you score a goalie big goal you get the puck

Starting point is 00:04:14 yeah yeah I think it was more of that I think it's been blown a little bit out of proportion I get it you know you scored the goal you want the puck you hit the home run you want the ball you know, kind of thing. I get it. I understand that. Now you hit the home run, you may have to pay for the ball, but at least you can get the ball.

Starting point is 00:04:33 You know, in this regard, it's not like it's going to go anywhere. It's not like he's not going to know where it is. You know, it's going to be in the Hall of Fame for however long. You know, I think Sid's golden goal is still there. So, yeah. So, I mean, it's there.

Starting point is 00:04:49 I'm sure they can make arrangements after the fact for him to have it, you know, well down the line. But I think it was just, yeah, look, this is what I'm used to. I score my first goal. I get the puck. I do this. I get the puck.

Starting point is 00:05:00 So on and so on. And I think the way it was worded, you know, he may have wanted to do that a little bit differently. But we want authenticity from these guys. And when we don't get it the way we want it, we bitch and complain about it. So, you know, you got to take both, you got to kind of take both sides if you want that, that realness from some of these guys sometimes. You know, I try to remind people. people, this isn't the first time that this has happened. I mean, I know in Canada we like to point, well, Sidney Crosby had no problems

Starting point is 00:05:40 surrendering his puck and his gloves and his stick and his helmet or whatever to the Hockey Hall of Fame for the Golden Goal in 2010. Forgetting that, you know, we might have had like the OG big puck drama with 1972 in the Summit Series series and Pat Stapleton taking the Summit series puck game eight, Luznicki Ice Palace, and then denying that he ever had it until video appeared if him actually fishing it out of the nets. And then he sheepishly said, oh, yeah, I have it, but I just, you know, I was on the pond and I just fired it into a snowbank.

Starting point is 00:06:09 Like, that's a, like, if there's a puck that belongs in the Hall of Fame, certainly Jacks does, Crosby's does as well. But the 1972 puck should probably be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. And Pat Stapleton, God rest of soul, stole it. And then bluntly, you know, probably lied about where the puck was and it never got to the, to the Hockey Hall of Fame. So it's not as if Canadians as much as we want to put ourselves on. a pedestal here are bereft from having our own can we please have the puck drama i don't know

Starting point is 00:06:39 right yeah no exactly we're not we're not all all innocent in all that certainly um but uh again it was just like he spoke his mind um again probably if if he had more time to think about it probably worded it a little bit differently forget about sure getting coached by PR or or the agent but uh just in general would have probably just, you know, chose his words a little bit, a little bit differently. But again, I think it's, I think it's been blown a little bit out of proportion because I understand his side of it. But, you know, it is kind of what is he.

Starting point is 00:07:18 If he wants it, again, I'm sure he'll be able to get it down the road. Like Sid can probably have his. I don't think, I mean, I'm sure he'd want it. But at the same time, he understands, you know, where things are at. I think that's kind of what Jack meant. But, you know, it's not what he said. said, but probably way bad. I'm guessing that the NHL Department of Player Safety and George Peros was pretty happy

Starting point is 00:07:38 that this became a headline maker because it kind of took their headline off the map coming out of the general manager's meetings and the process and McDavid's comments and the radical good has hit on Austin Matthews and needing things to change. I kind of looked at this one and said, just give it time and this, you know, this fire will turn into a contained fire and then we'll burn out. And here we are heading into another weekend. Has this story now fizzled? For now.

Starting point is 00:08:12 Yeah, for now. I think this will be something that gets brought up a little bit later on again. But for the time being, you're right. I mean, this Jack situation took some headlines away from Department of Player Safety. It took a little bit away from, and it didn't give, I think, the GM meetings, scurfuffles enough tension. with respect to headshots, with respect to gold tenor interference

Starting point is 00:08:36 and things like that. You know, the Department of Player's Safety obviously kind of surpass that a little bit, but then this buck thing kind of took over. But I do anticipate, look, when Connor McDavid speaks up about something, especially this magnitude, it's going to garner attention. And it doesn't mean it's just going to get swept

Starting point is 00:08:56 on the rug for the time being. It'll be maybe just pocketed for now. But this is going to be something that I've got to imagine they're going to discuss in the offseason with respect to how to move forward, not just with some of the rules that are in place, but how they go about suspensions, how they go about the process and things of that nature, because there's obviously a little bit of a disconnect between what the Department of Player Safety feels is accurate versus what some of the players around the league feel is as well.

Starting point is 00:09:24 Is the NHL about to get taller? We have, you know, Tyler Myers and Matt Remke, Matt Rempe and Soder Blom, etc. is it about to get even bigger what is happening with Anton Salaia first round draft pick New Jersey Devils 2024 currently playing in the KHL. And his contract expires at the end of the season in the K. They're in the playoffs right now. I think that starts in a few days over there. But the plan is for him to sign his entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils and then come on over to our side of the pond. Now, not easy. It's not an easy process. There are a lot of hoops and all that to go through the visa process in order to come over.

Starting point is 00:10:10 It's going to take a little bit of time. So depending on how long their season goes, that'll dictate how long this visa process is going to kind of play out. Now, my understanding is the goal for the devil for the player in his camp is to be on this side of the pond in time for development camp at the end of June after the NHL draft. end of June, early July. So that's kind of the target to bring him over, sign, go through that, those steps in order to come over to North America, and then be part of Dev's, the Devils Dev camp, excuse me, once the draft passes.

Starting point is 00:10:45 But that's the timeline. Every indication is he will be signing with the Devils. It's just a matter of his season having to end. And then after he signed, just how long it'll take for him to get over here. Okay, college free agent season, very much upon us. I really do wonder as many about T.J. Hughes of Michigan, who is that kind of rare player that you get as the quote-unquote free player coming out of college.

Starting point is 00:11:10 You don't have to pay a price other than the entry-level deal. And with Hughes, unlike a lot of other college players, you're getting offense, which is rare. We should point out too. But there's also Owen Michaels, et cetera, from Western Michigan. What is the latest for as far as that landscape goes, Dave? Well, with a few of them. There are a lot of teams that are looking to make obviously those types of additions.

Starting point is 00:11:36 And when you've got, you know, certainly a shallow draft pool or prospect pool, sometimes that's a bit of a sell-off for some of these, you know, college prospect free agents, where the competition is going to be a little bit less, which would suggest the pathway to the NHL is a little bit more vibrant, a little quicker. Obviously, no guarantees you've got to play. You've got to, you know, you've got to work at it. but, you know, just kind of looking at that. There are multiple teams, several teams that would love to get their hands on, on T.J.

Starting point is 00:12:07 And go from there. Obviously, sign him and then bring him into camp and so on and so on, or have him start the season. But a lot of interest, you know, in the player, I believe, you know, Toronto's always been a team that's kind of been looking around the college ranks for some time. And this is a team with a pretty shallow prospect pool. So there's certainly one of the teams that I've heard kind of poking around

Starting point is 00:12:30 at some of the college free agents. But I would imagine others within that category kind of fit that, would potentially fit that bill for him or for some of the others that are looking to take the next steps in their careers. All right. Excellent stuff, as always. Always enjoy Fridays with you, my friend.

Starting point is 00:12:46 Enjoy your weekend, and we will touch base again next week. You got it, buddy. See ya.

The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: David Pagnotta on NCAA Free Agents, NHL Expansion, and more

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