Monday’s LNN: More Coming and Goings, Best Contracts, Hockey Canada’s Plan

Welcome back for the Monday edition of Links, News, and Notes. The hockey world is very much in the sleepy stages of summer, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some news-worthy happenings to discuss:

• There has been a lot of noise recently surrounding Pierre-Luc Dubois supposedly requesting a trade, with a strong preference for playing for the Montreal Canadiens. However, after accepting his one-year qualifying offer from the Jets, Dubois met with the Media day and declared he had not requested a trade. Call me skeptical.
• Speaking of trades, the Flames’ ability to sign MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau is one of the most important factors in evaluating how they did in the Matthew Tkachuk trade. So far, both of the former Panthers are saying the right things but with just a year from unrestricted free agency it would be hard to envision them committing so soon.
• Tkachuk gave an interview to explain his decision to Eric Francis of Sportsnet. The Coles Notes’ version of Tkachuk’s side of things is that this sounds like a move he was planning as far back as when he signed his bridge deal three years ago.
• Over at the Athletic, friend of the site Dom Luszczyszyn has a list of the ten best value contracts in the NHL. Some of the names at the top may surprise. Tomorrow comes the less fun version: the ten worst value contracts.
• Patrik Laine’s new contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t make Dom’s list, but the high scoring winger’s new four year deal does seem to suggest he’ll be with the club for a while to come.
• With a new round of parliamentary hearings into the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal set to begin tomorrow, the organization released an “Action Plan”. There is some welcome language about education, but any accountability for anyone at all, let alone those who oversee the organization, is missing. The sauce, as they say, is extremely weak.
• The following item contains discussion, sometimes graphic, of sexual assault. Please be warned of this before following any of the links provided: In addition to the 2018 incident, Halifax Police have now opened an investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving the 2003 Canadian Junior team. Several members of the team have denied any involvement and have said they welcome an investigation. The details of the incident in question are shocking and graphic.