NHL Talking Points: Dubas’ confidence, Karlsson saga, Yakupov out, more

NHL Talking Points is a weekly column where we highlight 10 stories that have been circulating around the league. This week, we take a look at Kyle Dubas’ networking, the Erik Karlsson saga, Nail Yakupov’s departure from the NHL and more.

The past week has seen a wide range of events occupy the talk circuit of the National Hockey League. Kyle Dubas spoke publicly about the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs, rumors regarding Erik Karlsson were in full swing and Nail Yakupov announced his departure from the NHL.

Let’s have a look at 10 stories that have been making headlines across the hockey world.

1. Robin Lehner signed a deal with the New York Islanders.

The news was made public when the franchise announced that Lehner, 26, had signed on for a one-year contract. He is set to make $1.5 million over the course of the upcoming season.

The move should not come as a surprise to hockey fans. Having enjoyed moderate to reasonable success in previous seasons as a member of the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres, respectively, Lehner’s most recent campaign was marked by a quality of inconstancy, as the netminder posted an unfavorable record (14 W, 26 L, 9 OTL, 3 SO, 3.01 GAA and .908 SV%).

“You finish 31st, you have to make some difficult choices,” GM Jason Botterill stated back on June 22. “We have informed Robin that he’s not coming back next year. . . . I know Robin is passionate about the City of Buffalo, passionate about this organization. But we felt we had to make some adjustments, and that was one of them.”

Hopefully a change of winds prompts a rebound for the books — winning ways, that is, for both goaltender and organization alike.

2. To the dismay of many, there is interest Slava Voynov.

On July 2, the two-time Stanley Cup winner was afforded dismissal of a misdemeanor domestic abuse conviction.

Why is this significant? As per David Katzner of Puck Prose, the move “could clear a path for his return to the NHL. What comes next is a hearing in front of Gary Bettman and the NHL where he will officially request reinstatement.”

The upcoming weeks have the potential to serve as a sad time in the hockey world. Katie Strang of The Athletic recently authored a piece that fleshes out the implications of offering Voynov a deal. You can read the entirety of her thought-provoking article here.

The following excerpt is telling of the seriousness with which she conducts her craft:

"A team must also consider what sort of message signing Voynov will send to its fans…. Some may interpret the message to mean that what allegedly happened in 2014 can be overlooked, if only for a needed right-handed shot and an upgrade to the team’s blueline."

3. James Neal signed a deal with the Calgary Flames.

The 30-year-old winger is set to make $28.75 million over the course of 5 seasons in Alberta. Having previously played for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, Neal has solidified his reputation as a timely goal scorer, netting 263 goals and 499 points in 11 NHL seasons. He has also played in three all-star games over the past six years.

4. Alex Burrows has announced his retirement.

The 37-year-old forward played in 913 NHL games, during which he netted 205 goals and 204 assists. He shall join the AHL’s Laval Rocket as an assistant coach.

Tributes to the winger have been flowing through online media since the news was made public. One of the league’s ultimate underdogs, Burrows’ story is surely one for the books.

5. Nail Yakupov is off to the KHL.

The former first overall pick in the 2012 Draft has signed a deal with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, thus spelling the end of his NHL career. He closes his North American book of hockey with 350 appearances, 62 goals and 136 points, and was the highest drafted Muslim player in the history of the sport.

6. Joe Thornton has signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks.

On his 39th birthday, “Jumbo Joe” was awarded a deal — the likes of which had been teased since May of this year. The talented center shall make $5 million over the course of a season, during which he’ll hope to provide strong two-way stability on a line piloted by Evander Kane.

As per Dan Rosen of NHL.com, Thornton has already expressed his excitement about the upcoming season. He missed much of the 2017-18 campaign as a result of an injury wherein he injured his ACL and MCL.

Speaking about the possibility of working with Kane, Thornton had this to offer:

"I think he’s figured out the game now and now he’s ready to explode. . . . Hopefully I get a chance to play with him this year because I think being a passer I think it sets up pretty good for playing with each other."

7. Tyler Bozak penned a touching piece in which he thanked his fans in Toronto.

The 32-year-old center, a fan favorite in the 6ix, was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs for nine years. During this time, he amassed 136 goals and 365 points, and was the face of the franchise during some of the lowest points in recent history.

You can read the entirety of his heartwarming article here. Maple Leafs fans will surely remember his time in Toronto fondly.

8. Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has vowed to keep his core set of players together.

The signing of John Tavares has prompted widespread speculation from hockey pundits about the future of the Maple Leafs’ core. As such, Dubas has already had to answer for his decision to sign the veteran center.

Asked by Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek of Sportsnet about the prospect of keeping Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares together, Dubas boldly declared, “We can, and we will.” He went on to suggest that a plan was in place:

"I always think that when a player is going to make a commitment of any length, particularly when they’re signing up long-term, that we need to sit with the player and make sure that they player knows where we’re going as a program and what our vision and our plans are so those are discussions that I’ll have with each of the individual players that are due extensions here or are due contracts for next season. . . . It might go a little bit slower than some people would like but that would be on me to continue to be patient with it and make sure that these guys are not just signing because it’s a long-term contract and it’s obviously a nice pay increase for them, but they want to be here as part of the long-term, they know where we’re going and they’re a full part of that rather than sign a deal and then a year later wonder what the vision is for the program and whether they want to be part of it."

9. James van Riemsdyk initially couldn’t sign with the Philadelphia Flyers due to a broken printer.

Last week, it was announced that van Riemsdyk, 29, would return to the Flyers — the very organization that had drafted him second overall back in 2007. This time, however, his signing came with a catch — GM Ron Hextall claimed that the veteran winger’s process was delayed due to a faulty printer.

According to a report from NHL.com, Philadelphia’s GM stated: “It’s not official. . . . We announced that we’d agreed. [Van Riemsdyk has] got some printer problem.”

Said JVR: “Took a little bit of time. . . . But [I] finally have it done, which is nice.”

10. The Erik Karlsson saga remains in full swing.

On Thursday night, speculation ran rampant that Karlsson, 28, was all but set to join Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nevertheless, initial reports of a move were quickly refuted by a host of pundits, with Friedman claiming that conflicting accounts had been publicized without any confirmation of an actual deal.

As it stands, Karlsson’s future remains up in the air. The Bolts are still a staple of the ongoing narrative, but other clubs have not yet been rendered out of the picture.

Rumors, however, are not stopping Karlsson from enjoying his summer. He recently attended a Bryan Adams concert (which saw the famous singer pay tribute to the Senators’ beloved captain), as well as the wedding of former teammate Marc Methot.

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NEXT: 5 best fits for Erik Karlsson in NHL free agency

Stay posted for updates on the Karlsson saga. It promises to be one of the most important stories of the summer.