QUESTION ISLAND, AUSSIE GAMES, EUROTRIP, AND MORE

TORONTO, ON — A giant sigh could be heard across Long Island after the New York Islanders announced on Monday that star Mathew Barzal is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

The initial word is “week-to-week,” and sources have told me that could be as much as eight weeks. The good news? I’m told Barzal doesn’t require surgery.

With Barzal likely done for most or all of the remaining regular-season, and the Islanders in a giant battle for a playoff spot – the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are three points back with five games and four games in hand, respectively – the hill to climb just got that much higher.

Now, the immediate debate is what do the Islanders do?

The guys in the room and on the bench will continue to focus on playing for the playoffs. But how they perform over the next 11 days could change GM Lou Lamoriello’s mindset.

The Islanders have five games left, including tonight’s tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins, until the March 3 trade deadline. The Penguins sit in the final wildcard spot on the East following Florida’s win today. Defenceman Scott Mayfield and goaltender Semyon Varlamov are each in the final year of their contracts and can become unrestricted free agents July 1. They’d both attract interest if they are made available.

Mayfield comes with a $1.45 million salary cap hit, and if, for argument’s sake, the Islanders retain some of his remaining contract, could a team in need of a reliable, defensive upgrade (Edmonton? Calgary?) cough up at least a second-round draft pick for his services? Depending on how the marketplace plays out, that price could even go up.

Some teams have also expressed various levels of interest in centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is out of action with an upper-body injury for roughly another week.

Pageau, 30, has three more years left on his contract after this season and comes with a $4.5 million cap hit. He also owns a 16-team no-trade list as part of his contract. One of the teams believed to have poked around on him this season is the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lamoriello doesn’t want to hit the panic button, surely. But these next five games should help dictate what he does by March 3 at 3pm ET.

If the team falls out of the race without its best player, can the Isles recoup some assets and focus on a quick retool to compete for a championship in 2023-24? We’ll find out in 11 days.

AUSTRALIA GAMES IN JEOPARDY?

As I first reported on Oct. 19, 2022, the NHL has been planning to put on games in Australia as early as the 2023-24 season with the expectation the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings would head overseas in the fall.

Multiple sources told me on Monday, however, this project has taken an unexpected turn and the games may not take place at all.

An official announcement was expected to be made this week, with a three-year plan put in place that includes options should the NHL need to postpone future years. Members of the Bruins and Kings were scheduled to head over to Melbourne for the announcement, but those plans have been pushed.

The games, should this get off the ground, will take place in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena, the main venue for the Australian Open, and boasts a retractable roof with a capacity believed to be around 15,000 for hockey.

The Bruins, a team in the mix from the start, as I noted back in October, would take on the Kings in two pre-season games. It is possible for regular-season games to occur in 2024-25.

I’m told the surgery needed to host NHL games at Rod Laver is extensive and the cost to set up the ice sheet alone hovers around $500,000. Effectively, they will be building an outdoor rink like a Winter Classic or Stadium Series game.

One potential wrinkle is the 2023 Australian Football League Grand Final is scheduled for Sept. 30, and there is some concern about going up against this major event around the same time.

There is already plenty of local buzz surrounding NHL games next season and a formal announcement will surely heighten things, as the NHL attempts to expand its reach in a relatively untapped market that already has a solid hockey presence. But whatever has put a pause in play here is concerning for the event organizers.

We’ll be keeping tabs on this as things continue to play out.

EUROTRIP STILL ON

With pre-season games in Melbourne currently in limbo, the NHL will continue to host regular-season games in Europe this fall as part of its 2023-24 schedule.

It is unclear when the NHL will make an announcement on next season’s Global Series games returning to Europe, as details (and teams) are still being firmed up, but I can confirm at least two regular-season games will take place in Sweden, as I wrote about in October, with the potential for two more games in another country.

We’ve been a big supporter of the games in Europe, having covered the Global Series each season since they’ve gone to that part of the planet, and have recognized the growth of the NHL in those markets.

With new European sponsors and television deals, it’s no wonder the NHL continues its efforts to expand its game in these markets. The games this fall will be just as exciting, I’d anticipate.

FUTURE STADUM SERIES GAMES

The Stadium Series game in Raleigh over the weekend was a big hit. We certainly enjoyed the experience, and the local market ate it up with a giant spoon. Chalk this one up as another success for the NHL.

Where do future games lie?

Well, I’ve got some not-so-great news for the folks in Florida, as I’ve been told a Stadium Series game in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium between the Lightning and Panthers will not take place in 2023-24, contrary to reports.

This does not mean a game in a future season is off the table, but some hiccups will prevent one from occurring next season.

Steve Mayer, the NHL’s Chief Content Officer and the man behind all of these outdoor extravaganzas, jumped on our show, The Hot Stove, on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Saturday and confirmed there will be a Stadium Series game next season, on top of the Heritage Classic in Edmonton and the Winter Classic in Seattle, but indicated a decision on location has not been made.

There has been talk about Columbus hosting a game at Ohio Stadium for years, but league sources have told me that is not in the cards for the foreseeable future. The League would like to put a game there at some point, and NHL officials have visited the venue multiple times, but there are amenity improvements that would be required before serious consideration can be made.

ALL-STAR 2025?

With Toronto hosting the 2024 NHL All-Star Game and all the festivities that come along with it, there has been plenty of speculation over where the game will be in 2025.

The NHL is still taking bids for its future All-Star Games and NHL Drafts, and no decisions have been made, to this point. There was chatter the Islanders would be in line to host an ASG in either 2025 or 2026, but I’m told that’s not the case and that is more likely to occur after 2026.

It sounds like markets like Detroit, Edmonton and Seattle may be the frontrunners to host an upcoming All-Star Game after Toronto or an NHL Draft after this summer’s event in Nashville.

TIP-INS

• Many around the NHL still believe the Kings are in the thick of things in the Jakob Chychrun race. We’ll see where things go, but with the Bruins presumably focused on Vladislav Gavrikov, unless another team comes out of the woodwork – some have suggested St. Louis and Columbus – LA remains in the lead.

• Patrick Kane Week? A decision, one way or another, is expected this week. I believe the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes are four clubs (im)patiently waiting for an answer.

• Word is Timo Meier’s injury is not serious, but he won’t play Monday. New Jersey wants him, that’s no secret. Can they get to the finish line this week, well ahead of the deadline?

• Seattle has been looking for a centre, from the sounds of things. They poked around on Jonathan Toews.

• As I reported two weeks ago and we reiterated again today, teams have asked the Blues about Colton Parayko and Torey Krug. Both have full no-trade clauses. I’m curious to see if whether will waive if the Blues find a deal that piques their interest.