Deen’s Daily: Altitude+; Johansen Grievance; Doughty Injured

The announcement of the Altitude+ streaming service on Thursday was a long time coming. It’s been five years since the partnership between Comcast and Altitude expired, and neither side held back in fighting this thing since then.

And they still don’t have a deal.

But the new streaming service, which Altitude TV said they hope to have ready for the Avs’ first regional game on Oct. 12, sparks a new era. It’s a sign that the TV network is finally moving forward with where most people are as consumers. This was always what made the most sense. It’s just a matter of executing it properly and ensuring the app is up to par with other streaming services. If that’s all fine, I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again: This is a home run for Avalanche fans.

Albeit for many, it’s hard to regain that trust and loyalty towards the TV Network.

I was genuinely curious about the pricing when the service was first announced. It seemed like $19.95/month was a touch too expensive. So I decided to dig in and see what other teams are offering. By my count, 24 of the 25 U.S. markets offer some sort of unbundled streaming option. And of those 24 teams, the Altitide+ pricing is basically middle-of-the-pack. I was surprised to learn some teams offer more expensive services. But others, seven teams to be exact, offer a FREE over-the-air service to their local market.

The Avs will have that for 20 games, which is also a nice touch.

Around The NHL

Philadelphia Hockey Now: Ryan Johansen and his falling out with the Flyers are back in the new again. The NHLPA has officially filed a grievance on his behalf.

The Flyers terminated Johansen’s contract last month, which was acquired from the Avalanche on a March 6 trade. Johansen, who played in each of the Avs’ 63 games — and took part in morning skate just before the deal was announced, did not play a game for Philadelphia.

When the Flyers acquired him, they put him on waivers to send him down to the AHL. Johansen and his representatives responded by announcing that the centerman was injured and could not be sent down. The Flyers used this injury to terminate the contract, saying that his ability to dress for the Avs and not share any information about the injury until after he was sent down was grounds for termination.

We’ll see how this all plays out. But, it is worth noting that Johansen’s contract termination clears up $4 million in cap space for the Nashville Predators leading up to the trade deadline. That was the portion they had retained before the deal with the Avs in June 2023.

That might be a problem for other Central Division teams if Preds GM Barry Trotz finds a way to make good use of that cap space.

Buffalo Hockey Now: Rasmus Dahlin was named captain of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. It’s pretty crazy that the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 is already 24 years old.

Dahlin is entering the first year of a lucrative contract, which carries an AAV of $11 million.

Los Angeles Kings: Veteran blueliner Drew Doughty was injured in a collision against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sep. 25. The initial fear was a long-term injury and recovery. But it sounds like L.A. may have avoided the worst-case scenario. If all is well, Doughty might return before December.

Missing him for even a month is not ideal. But it’s better than what was initially expected following the injury.

Some "optimistic" news on Kings D Drew Doughty:

Hearing results of further imaging confirms @frank_seravalli report of fractured ankle but expectation is no further damage — Achilles was a concern. Should get certainty later today.

— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) September 27, 2024