Coyotes Future, Tavares Tax Situation, Smith Joins LA, and more

Some light reading for you this Thursday!

• The future of the Arizona Coyotes is very much up in the air right now. Elliotte Friedman was telling Jeff Marek that there could be news soon about the current ownership group, and it may not be good for them. It seems the NHL might be buying the team from the owners, in which case, Salt Lake City would seemingly be the obvious choice for relocation given the strong interest from Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith. The Coyotes Twitter account is saying they're committed to solutions in Arizona, but it's not looking good for the Coyotes.
• John Tavares is reportedly in a dispute with the Canada Revenue Agency about the percentage of taxes he owes on his signing bonus. It's interesting that the CRA is bringing this up years later, and clearly, there is some misunderstanding on one side about what the actual rule is. This could affect players signing bonuses for Canadian teams, but quite frankly, I'm less worried about the effect on sports franchises compared to how we operate society—one where millionaires and billionaires should be paying their fair share.
• DJ Smith has quickly landed on his feet as he was hired in Los Angeles as an assistant coach with the Kings under new head coach Jim Hiller. Todd McLellan was fired last week after a long skid, which ended up helping out DJ. Although it didn't work out here, I'm rooting for him elsewhere.
• The 2025 Winter Classic will feature...you'll never believe who...the Chicago Blackhawks! Incredible. Wrigley Field will be a two-time host, as they play the St. Louis Blues. A very original matchup we've got, with the Blackhawks playing in their fifth Winter Classic—they're still looking for their first win though.
• NHL.com released their projected rosters for the 2025 Four Nations Faceoff, with Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland being featured. The USA feature should be released today, and as of now, no Senators are on the predictions.
• The Edmonton Oilers winning streak is finally over. They were one win away from tying the record of 17 straight wins, but the Vegas Golden Knights were up to the task on Tuesday night, as they beat Edmonton 3-1. It's still tied for the second-longest streak of all-time, incredibly impressive.
• The NHL randomly decided to be more lenient when it comes to calculating what constitutes an official "hit," and because of that, the entire league saw a big shift upwards. Garnet Hathaway added a whopping 43 hits overnight, and the ramifications for fantasy hockey and betting are fascinating. Michael Russo of The Athletic anaylzes the entire situation.
• Harman Dayal of The Athletic takes a look at how all 32 first lines compare to each other, and which ones are the best. It's a great read, and the Senators aren't amazing but aren't near the bottom, either.
• Brenden Dillon was suspended 3 games for his check to the head of Noel Acciari. It was more than deserving, as it was an avoidable hit.
• The Senators put out a phenomenal video of the Sens Skills competition through the point of view of Gavin Giroux with a GoPro. It's a must-watch.