Latest news with #ElliotteFriedman
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nick Robertson, Maple Leafs Avoid Arbitration With $1.825M One-Year Contract Agreement
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Nick Robertson have reportedly reached a settlement ahead of their arbitration case that was scheduled for Sunday. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, both sides agreed to a contract with a $1.825 million average annual value. The Leafs confirmed it is a one-yeal deal. When a player elects for salary arbitration, the team can choose whether it would be a one or two-year deal, except in the case when the second year eats into the eligibility of unrestricted fee agency. Toronto could have opted for two years in Robertson's case. According to it's a one-year deal, which reduced the available cap space on Toronto's books to $1,107,222 based on a roster of 24 players. Robertson was the last of the 11 player-elected salary arbitration cases in the NHL to be settled, thereby avoiding a hearing. On Friday, Friedman reported that the Leafs submitted comparables with an ask of $2.25 million while the team came in with $1.2 million. Had the case not been settled ahead of the hearing, an arbitrator would have had the final say on Robertson's compensation for the 2025-26 season. Toronto Maple Leafs News and Community Toronto Maple Leafs news, video, analysis and community on The Hockey News Follow all Leafs news at The deal gives Robertson a massive $950,000 raise from his 2024-25 salary. The player signed a one-year, $875,000 deal in September after a summer that included a trade request away from Toronto. 'He's Gone Through Some Stuff Here': Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Excited to Have Nick Robertson Back A new coach and a clean slate await Nick Robertson who reports to Maple Leafs training camp next week. Robertson established career highs in goals (15) and games (69) last season but was limited to just three of Toronto's 13 playoff games due to lineup decisions. With star forward Mitch Marner departing the Leafs for the Vegas Golden Knights this summer, players like Robertson will be counted on to fill the void Marner leaves behind on a by-committee basis. Drafted by the Leafs in the second round (53rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Robertson has 32 goals and 24 assists in 156 career games spread over five seasons. (Top image credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) Maple Leafs Risk Major Mistake If Nick Robertson Isn't Signed Or Traded Before Arbitration It should come as no surprise that Nick Robertson's pending player-elected arbitration case is the last of all cases this offseason to reach a conclusion. After all, Robertson's tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs has undeniably been complicated. Drafted by the Maple Leafs in the second round (53rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, his six years in Toronto have been filled with more downs than ups. Maple Leafs Forward Nick Robertson Files For Salary Arbitration, Timeline, Reasons And What's Next? For the first time in his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nick Robertson has leverage. The forward filed for salary arbitration on Saturday, which allows a third party to decide his compensation for the upcoming season. 'The Puzzle Has Got To Come Into Play': Maple Leafs Not Rushing Contracts Of RFAs Nick Robertson And Pontus Holmberg While the talk of the town might be whether the Toronto Maple Leafs can sign John Tavares before July 1 rolls around, you cannot forget about their younger restricted free agents.
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Forget About Crosby
In a surprise mid-summer edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman discussed one topic that has been written and talked about a lot this offseason: the fate of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. For many Montreal Canadiens fans, it would be logical for Crosby to want out of Pittsburgh and to entertain a move to the Habs, since they were his childhood team, but according to the insider, that's not happening, at least this summer.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Draft reportedly to remain decentralized
The 2025 NHL draft has sparked controversy amongst the NHL fandom in regards to its poor reception. The NHL GMs are voting right now on the future of the league's draft as a result. It appears they will be sticking with the de-centralized format for now per insider Elliotte Friedman. Unless the vote sees a last minute change, this will be bad news if confirmed for the majority of NHL fans who preferred it centralized. The new for 2025 draft format proved to be massively unpopular for how long and tedious it was. The 1st Round took over 5 hours long due to all the extra interviews and celebrity speeches that were added in an attempt to spice up the show and provide entertainment. Advertisement There is the old adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it." The NHL draft for years was among the most popular events on the league's calendar. The iconic moment of players in the first round walking up to the stage and shaking hands with their chosen organization's team personnel was always a highlight. Who could forget that first picture taken of each player with their new team? This year it didn't mean the same with it being virtual for the owners and managers not on site. The whole point of the change was to make the draft flow better and it did anything but. Hopefully the future de-centralized drafts will see improvement and attempt to mimic the same magic of the old drafts. It will be interesting to see how long this format lasts depending on its future progression.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elliotte Friedman Debunks 'Fake' Nazem Kadri-Maple Leafs Trade Quotes
Elliotte Friedman Debunks 'Fake' Nazem Kadri-Maple Leafs Trade Quotes originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Nazem Kadri's name keeps surfacing in connection with the Toronto Maple Leafs should the Calgary Flames eventually entertain a trade of their top-line center. Advertisement According to Elliotte Friedman, much of that chatter isn't just speculative — it's fictional, and "fake quotes" were attributed to him. Speaking on Sunday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Friedman forcefully denied a wave of fabricated quotes circulating online that wrongly tied him to the supposed availability of Kadri for trade. 'The one thing I do want to say is, I don't think I've ever been around something where there were more fake quotes attributed to me in the last week than Nazem Kadri,' Friedman said. 'I don't know what's going on with people out there." Advertisement Friedman explained he was surprised by the messages he received during the past few days, with people asking him about things he had supposedly said. The insider revealed that he personally had to inform the teams about the fabricated nature of those quotes. "People were sending me these quotes I'd said about Kadri," Friedman said. "I actually had to send them to the teams and say, 'Guys, I know you're gonna get calls about this — I didn't say this stuff.'' Calgary Flames center Nazem KadriSergei Belski-Imagn Images Friedman clarified that while teams have inquired about Kadri in the past, the Flames have shown no interest in moving him and certainly are not interested in trading him this summer. Advertisement 'I just think with Kadri, the Flames have been asked about him before," Friedman said. "They have him for term. Unless he comes to them and says, 'I don't think it's working here. I want to go somewhere to compete ... or they absolutely get their socks blown off to the point they go to him and say, 'We want to do this,' I don't think that's happening. I don't think the Flames are really in a hurry to trade Nazem Kadri right now. Not after he had such a fantastic season for them.' Kadri is coming off a 35-goal, 67-point season and remains under contract at $7 million per year through 2029. Related: Flames' Nazem Kadri Gives Honest Update on Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scott Morrow ‘going to be really good player' with Rangers, but there's catch: NHL insider
Perhaps the most under-the-radar part of the recent K'Andre Miller trade is that the New York Rangers were able to acquire Scott Morrow, on top of a pair of premium draft picks, from the Carolina Hurricanes. Most of the focus here — and rightfully so — has been on Miller, the 25-year-old top-four defenseman getting traded within the Metropolitan Division, and then signing an eight-year, $60 million contract with the Hurricanes. After that, there's been plenty of talk about the Rangers landing a conditional first-round pick along with a second-rounder in the loaded 2026 draft. Advertisement But no one should overlook the other key part of this trade. Morrow was considered to be Carolina's top prospect in many circles and should turn into a solid puck-moving defenseman in New York's top six sooner rather than later. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is among those who believe the Rangers got themselves a nice player in Morrow. But he also did sound a cautionary note about the 22-year-old's readiness for big-game duty in the NHL. 'I'm not surprised [the Hurricanes] traded Morrow, they've got a lot of D,' Friedman stated on his 32 Thoughts podcast. 'He's young, he's talented, he's going to be a really good player. He wasn't ready for what they do right now. They have a lot of defensemen back there so I'm not surprised they made that deal.' The catch Friedman referred to was Morrow's five-game opportunity in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past spring. With Jalen Chatfield sidelined by injury, Morrow was pressed into duty for the entirety of the Eastern Conference Final, a five-game series loss to the Florida Panthers. As the Rangers are well aware, that's tough sledding for even the most experienced of players, and specifically defensemen in this case. Morrow had a difficult time of it, with the Hurricanes outscored 5-0 at 5v5 with him on the ice. However, the underlying numbers weren't terrible. Carolina had an expected goals share of 55.76 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, and out-chanced Florida 23-16 with the rookie out there. Advertisement Of course all of that comes with a grain of salt. Typically, Hurricanes players have solid impressive underlying metrics, based on the team's play style. The eye test against the Panthers wasn't so pretty. Related: Get to know newest Rangers prospect Scott Morrow after trade with Hurricanes Scott Morrow underrated trade acquisition by Rangers David Kirouac-Imagn Images Nonetheless, the Rangers have themselves a really promising defenseman prospect in their fold now. After starring collegiately for three years at UMASS, Morrow had 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 52 games with Chicago of the American Hockey League last season. He didn't look out of place when called up by the Hurricanes; Morrow had six points (one goal, five assists) in 14 NHL games late last season. Advertisement Morrow's got good size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and an above-average skill set offensively. His defensive game remains a work in progress. But if he can handle third-pair minutes defensively, Morrow would give the Rangers a really good option as puck-moving defenseman behind Adam Fox, both at even strength and on the power play. If Morrow proves himself ready to go on the right side in training camp, the Rangers could move Braden Schneider to his off (left) side to help form a shutdown second pair with Will Borgen. This trade will largely be deemed a success or failure for each side based on Miller's growth and play. He's the best player in this trade right now — barring New York landing a stud or two with those two picks in next year's draft. 'The Hurricanes were willing to take a bet the Rangers weren't,' Friedman explained. 'The Rangers weren't willing to go long term with Miller. They were only willing to go, I think, a couple of years. Obviously, Carolina was not afraid of that. We'll see how that works long term. Who made the right bet?' Advertisement That's the biggest question right now. But don't discount Morrow being able to tip the scales in New York's favor when it's all said and done. Related Headlines
