Dater’s Daily: Adios Jack Johnson, John Shannon Says Kadri An Islander “Very Soon”

A good Wednesday to all. I’ve been in kinda sorta vacation mode the past week. Currently on Cape Cod, a place I lived in the 1980s. Already had the requisite clam chowder at Capt’n Parker’s, some lobstah and kayaked in the Bass River. But let’s do some hockey notes anyway, starting with news on Jack Johnson:

• JJ is now a Blackhawk, signing a one-year, $950,000 deal, according to NBC’s Charlie Roumeliotis.
• My understanding is that the Avalanche wanted Johnson back, but with management still not having the Nazem Kadri situation settled, Johnson simply took another offer and got tired of waiting.
• Jack Johnson, more than anything, wants to play – and the Blackhawks give him a much better opportunity to do that. He would have loved to come back to the Avalanche, but he didn’t want to just be a seventh guy, sitting in the press box many nights as a healthy scratch. The Avalanche’s top six is pretty much set in stone, and the team still has guys like Kurtis MacDermid and Brad Hunt around on D. So, there just didn’t seem to be a spot for JJ anymore.
• He did a great job in his one year here, getting his first Stanley Cup ring in the process.
• John Shannon, who has been on my podcast a couple of times and a good reporter, said on the “Sekeres and Price” podcast in Vancouver that Nazem Kadri will officially become a New York Islander “very soon.”
• Of course, we’ve been hearing this kind of thing for multiple weeks now.
• Calgary’s Jonathan Huberdeau will donate his brain for scientific research (Calgary Hockey Now)
• Let’s hope that’s not for a good, long time.
• NHL announced its Covid policy for the coming season (Hockey News).
• What should the Washington Capitals be expecting from Dylan Strome?
• Montreal Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens have also been talking to the Islanders about forward Anthony Beauvillier.
• Could the Vegas Golden Knights pry veteran goalie Semyon Varlamov out from the New York Islanders?