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Archives for April 2017

Morning Notes: Gallant, Dallas, Carlson, Polak

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When the Dallas Stars snatched up Ken Hitchcock this morning just days after firing Lindy Ruff, it took away one of the veteran options the Vegas Golden Knights could have considered for their head coaching job. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that with the Dallas vacancy filled, Gerard Gallant should be considered a front-runner for the Golden Knights job.

Gallant was fired from the Florida Panthers early in the year to the dismay of much of the hockey world, a decision that seems regrettable now that Tom Rowe has also been relieved of his duties in the sunshine state. Gallant has been considered an excellent head coach for years, though his actual record isn’t awe-inspiring. In the three years he’s made it through a full season, he’s only taken his team to the playoffs once and holds a career 152-140 record in the regular season.

  • The Dallas staff will have an entirely different look next year, as the entire coaching staff save Curt Fraser have been let go according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports. Even Fraser could be let go, but will have a discussion with Hitchcock in the next few days. The former Atlanta Thrashers head coach, Fraser has been with the Stars for five seasons, longer even than Ruff.
  • John Carlson was back at Washington Capitals practice today and skating on the top unit with Karl Alzner according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He was previously listed as probable for the game, but as Khurshudyan puts it now “he’s playing, y’all”.
  • The Maple Leafs on the other hand, first-round opponents of the Capitals, had Roman Polak back at practice today after leaving their final game with a lower-body injury. Perhaps more importantly though, rookie defender Nikita Zaitsev was absent once again. Zaitsev took a hard hit from Nick Foligno and was diagnosed with an upper-body injury.

New York Islanders Remove Interim Status From Doug Weight

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The New York Islanders have decided the strong finish to the season is enough to keep Doug Weight around for the immediate future, removing the interim status and announcing him as the full-time head coach going forward. When Weight took over from Jack Capuano midway through the season, the Islanders were just 17-17-8, a far cry from their 100 point season of the year prior. With Weight at the helm, they finished 41-29-12 and missed the playoffs by just a single point even with a John Tavares injury in the final week. Doug Weight

Weight, a long-time NHLer who finished his career with the Islanders, had 1033 career points in 1238 games and was a playmaking machine, once recording 79 assists in a season. His leadership will be welcomed for a team that has a superstar in his prime that is just a year away from free agency.

For Tavares, providing stability behind the bench and a home for the team are likely important factors in assessing his future with the club. Bob McKenzie of TSN thinks that the team is getting closer to a deal with the Belmont Park arena plans that were put in place months ago. Building a brand new arena for the Islanders would look attractive to any free agent, including one that would be heralded as the savior of a franchise should he stick around for the majority of his career. With an extension allowed to be announced no earlier than July 1st of this year, getting Weight locked in and a new building on the books would be a nice position of strength for New York.

Weight will look to drag the Islanders back to the postseason in 2017-18, after encouraging performances from their young core. Josh Bailey, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson all put up career-highs in points this season and will look to continue that success next year. Andrew Ladd, the big free agent signing of the offseason, started horribly but turned around his year with 15 of his 23 goals during Weight’s tenure.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Updates: Blackhawks, Methot, Stastny

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The Blackhawks will be without defenseman Michal Rozsival when the puck drops on their series opener against Nashville on Thursday as they announced that the blueliner underwent surgery today to repair facial fractures sustained against the Ducks last week.  The veteran was a depth player for Chicago for most of the season, getting into 22 games while averaging 15:30 per night in ice time.  There is no timetable for his potential return but the team noted he’s expected to make a full recovery.  Forward Andrew Desjardins, who also was injured against Anaheim, remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Chicago will get a boost up front against the Predators as center Artem Anisimov will return to the lineup after missing the last month with a leg injury, notes CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers.  He had been skating for the last week as he worked himself back into game shape.  Anisimov is expected to rejoin wingers Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane inside their top six forward group.

More injury news from around the NHL:

  • Senators defenseman Marc Methot is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday’s series opener against Boston, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun notes. Head coach Guy Boucher calls Methot’s situation the only one he’ll have to make a decision on and that they could still opt to rest him up for a few more days.  The blueliner has missed the last nine games with a lacerated finger suffered after being slashed by Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby on March 23rd.
  • The Blues will likely be without center Paul Stastny when they open up their series against Minnesota tomorrow night, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He suffered a broken foot back on March 21st against Colorado and has been out of the lineup since then.  It’s expected that Ivan Barbashev will open up the series in his place on the top line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.
  • Bruins centers David Krejci and Dominic Moore missed practice today and while the team is hopeful that both will be ready to take on Ottawa tomorrow, head coach Bruce Cassidy told CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty that it’s not a guarantee that either will be available.  He noted that both players are going through “maintenance work” at the moment.  Krejci’s absence in particular is noteworthy as this is the second straight practice he missed.  Not only has he been Boston’s top postseason scorer in two of their last four playoff appearances, he also led the NHL in playoff points in those two years.

Coaching Notes: Stars, Maurice, Kings

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The Stars didn’t waste any time making a coaching change when the season came to an end as they let Lindy Ruff go on Sunday and GM Jim Nill admitted to 1310 AM in Dallas that he did give consideration to making an in-season change before ultimately deciding against it (transcription via the Dallas Morning News):

“He (Ruff) deserved a chance to try to get this team into the playoffs. I’m not a big guy into making changes during the season unless there’s really something that’s standing out.  There were no names out there, and I get back to I think Lindy deserved the chance to try and get this team in the playoffs.”

Ruff had a 165-122-41 record over his four seasons in Dallas and he now finds himself among the most experienced coaches on the market; he has been behind an NHL bench as a head coach every season since 1997-98.  As for Nill, he noted back when Ruff was let go that the search for his replacement had already started and that he could move quickly to hire someone.

Other coaching notes from around the league:

  • While some wondered if Jets head coach Paul Maurice would be among those let go throughout the NHL on Monday, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told reporters, including Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, that Maurice has his full support heading into next season. However, no talks regarding a potential contract extension have happened yet as the bench boss heads into the final year of his current deal.  For his part, Maurice noted that he is “completely comfortable” heading into next season without an extension as he has been in that situation several times over the years.
  • The Kings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve relieved assistant coach Davis Payne of his duties.  Earlier in the day, general manager Rob Blake stated he had ha not yet decided whether or not the team would retain Payne or John Stevens, notes Helene Elliott of the LA Times. Payne had been with the Kings since 2012-13 under former head coach Darryl Sutter.  He has some experience as an NHL head coach having spent time behind the bench with St. Louis for parts of three seasons.

East Notes: Tatar, Stephenson, Sparks, Lindgren

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Ken Holland has a lot of work cut out for him this summer, even if he did get a vote of confidence from the Red Wings owner today. With a team struggling to get anything going during the season, he broke some more bad news today at their final presser of the year. According to Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News, Holland said that Tomas Tatar will be out 4-6 months following shoulder surgery, putting training camp and the start of the season in jeopardy.

Tatar had 46 points this season and his third straight twenty-goal campaign, but couldn’t help the Red Wings continue their playoff streak. The 26-year old is one of the more interesting names to follow in the summer, as he is a restricted free agent and may be one of the best chips the Red Wings have in a potential rebuild. His injury doesn’t help that, as teams will be wary of acquiring a player who needs that much rehab. He made just $2.75MM this season, but will command a heft raise after three straight 45+ point seasons.

  • The Washington Capitals have sent Chandler Stephenson down to the Hershey Bears, as they finalize their roster before the first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Stephenson suited up for just four games this season, and has yet to find a way to crack into the Capitals lineup on a full-time basis. The 22-year old center has 38 points in 71 games this season in the AHL, but is still waiting for his first NHL point.
  • The Maple Leafs sent Garret Sparks back to the minors as Frederik Andersen returned to practice and is expected to play game 1 on Thursday. Sparks never did get a chance to start a game for the Maple Leafs this season, despite an excellent season in the AHL. His .926 save percentage was among the minor league leaders, and bodes well for his chances at a backup position this summer. Curtis McElhinney, the Maple Leafs current backup, is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Leafs also dipped into their unsigned prospect pool, signing Jesper Lindgren to an amateur tryout after his season ended with MODO of the Swedish junior league. Lindgren is another small defender who has offensive upside, as he showed with 24 points in 50 games this season.

NHL Releases Official Draft Lottery Odds

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The NHL has released the official odds for the upcoming draft lottery, which determines the order in which each team outside the playoffs will select in this year’s entry draft. The Colorado Avalanche lead the way with an 18% chance of winning, while the Vegas Golden Knights will be given the same odds as the third worst team this season, the Arizona Coyotes at 10.3%. The lottery will be held in Toronto on April 29th. The full odds are as follows:

Colorado Avalanche: 18%
Vancouver Canucks: 12.1%
Vegas Golden Knights: 10.3%
Arizona Coyotes: 10.3%
New Jersey Devils: 8.5%
Buffalo Sabres: 7.6%
Detroit Red Wings: 6.7%
Dallas Stars: 5.8%
Florida Panthers: 5.4%
Los Angeles Kings: 4.5%
Carolina Hurricanes: 3.2%
Winnipeg Jets: 2.7%
Philadelphia Flyers: 2.2%
Tampa Bay Lightning: 1.8%
New York Islanders: 0.9%

In the draft lottery, three teams actually “win”, and have the chance to move up from their finishing position. This means teams currently slotted 1-12 can only move a possible three spots down in the order, and only if teams behind them are selected. Last season, the Maple Leafs were selected first and retained their top spot, though the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets hopped from fourth and sixth to third and second respectively. Vancouver, who had the third highest odds, dropped to fifth overall.

One will also remember the lottery that gave the Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid, despite the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes both having worse records. It wasn’t the first time Edmonton won a draft lottery, but it looks like it will be the last for at least the next few years, as they’re in the playoffs and will pick in the back half of the first round for the first time since 2005-06.

This year, the top prize is Nolan Patrick who retained his crown as the top rated skater in today’s final release of the NHL Central Scouting rankings. Though he’s not McDavid, every team on this list will be hoping to win the lottery and have the chance of drafting a future #1 center.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet was the first to tweet out the full odds, though TSN and HockeyViz.com had correct unofficial numbers over a month ago. 

Snapshots: Team Canada, Luongo, Rozsival, Oilers

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After Team USA announced that Jeff Blashill will lead their World Championship team earlier today, Team Canada responded by releasing their coaching staff as well. Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning will lead the squad, while Gerard Gallant, Dave Hakstol (Philadelphia) and Dave King will be the assistants.

Cooper, like Blashill, has never been the head coach of an international squad, though he was an assistant for Team North America at last fall’s World Cup. His Lightning were devastated by injuries this season and still only missed the playoffs by one point, making him an interesting candidate for the Jack Adams trophy for coach of the year—though very unlikely to win it. He’s proven his ability at every level, winning both a USHL and AHL championship before taking the Lightning to the finals two years ago.

  • Roberto Luongo is worried about his hip being a chronic issue, reports Henry Fialkov of the Sun Sentinal. The soon to be hall of fame goaltender played just 40 games this season, the lowest total of his entire career (not including the lockout shortened 2012-13 season). While he’s “confident” he’ll return to his elite performance, it will be hard for a 38-year old with a bad hip to get back to a .920+ save percentage. James Reimer will be relied on even more heavily next season, after putting up a solid year.
  • Michal Rozsival underwent surgery to repair facial fractures sustained when he was punched by Nick Ritchie earlier this month. Ritchie earned a two-game suspension for the punch, as it was delivered when Rozsival wasn’t ready and couldn’t defend himself. While there was no timetable given, expect the 38-year old to miss at least the first few rounds of the playoffs. He should make a full recovery.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have signed Evan Campbell and Evan Polei to amateur tryouts with the Bakersfield Condors. Campbell has just graduated from the UMass-Lowell where he scored just five points in his senior season. It’s been back to back disappointing campaigns for the fifth-round winger, but he still garnered enough attention to deserve a look at the AHL. Polei on the other hand played well as an overager in the WHL with Red Deer, putting up 62 points in 69 games. An undrafted winger, Polei plays a physical game and can provide some size and strength even at the professional level. Bakersfield has just three games to try and make up three points and catch the Stockton Heat for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

Prospect Notes: Bjork, Reddekopp, Anderson-Dolan

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As the Boston Bruins welcome one NCAA signing to the NHL today—Charlie McAvoy will pair up with Zdeno Chara for the Bruins’ playoff opener tomorrow night—they’re still working on getting another into the fold at all. Joe Haggerty of CSNNE reports that the team is negotiating with Anders Bjork, the top player from the University of Notre Dame, to try and convince him to turn pro.

While it has long been rumored that Bjork would leave school following this season, Haggerty points out that he has strong ties to the school through his family and there is still a chance he could return for his senior year, especially after the dream run the team went on in the NCAA tournament. The fifth-round pick had 52 points in 32 games and would be a contender for the Hobey Baker should he return next season.

  • Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider reports that Chaz Reddekopp will join the Ontario Reign on an amateur tryout. The WHL defender just completed his fourth season with the Victoria Royals where he scored 43 points in 51 games. We recently included Reddekopp on the list of unsigned draft picks set to become free agents should they not be signed by June 1st, meaning this is likely a tryout to see if the Kings want to sign him to an entry-level contract. Drafted in the seventh round, Reddekopp was outstanding for the Royals this year and has the size to be a solid player in the professional ranks.
  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News profiles several young players in his latest column, including Jaret Anderson-Dolan of the Spokane Chiefs. The 17-year old Anderson-Dolan was just ranked at #21 among North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting final draft rankings, a huge leap from his spot at #40 at mid-season. Kennedy is especially high on him, as he writes that Anderson-Dolan is a “smart, 200-foot player who works hard and has more offense to unlock.” The center had 76 points in 72 games this season, playing mostly with fellow top draft prospect Kailer Yamamoto. As Kennedy points out, the pair will likely both be back next season for the Chiefs, and will look to put up even better numbers.

Snapshots: Holland, Blashill, Dallas

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The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century, and with it many fans were calling for the head of GM Ken Holland. While his recent history doesn’t sparkle with shrewd moves, the team feels as though he’s still the man to lead them back to the promised land. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that Christopher Illitch—son of the late Mike Illitch, who owned the Red Wings from 1982 through his death earlier this year—still has “100% confidence” in Holland and still thinks he’s the man to bring another championship to Detroit.

While votes of confidence from owners don’t always mean anything, it does seem that Holland is safe in Detroit. Illitch also said that head coach Jeff Blashill’s tenure with the team would be up to Holland, who later said that Blashill would return as coach. The Red Wings will go into the summer with several question marks on their roster, including what to do in net and on the blue line. With Petr Mrazek not running away with the starting job like the Red Wings had hoped, they again have a controversy over what to do with Jimmy Howard and his $5.29MM cap hit.

  • For now, Blashill will be heading to the World Championships where he will coach Team USA. In fact, the coach will be taking Howard with him according to Ansar Khan of MLive. Blashill was an assistant coach for Team USA at the World Juniors in 2009, but has not since represented his country on the international stage. The tournament begins for Team USA on May 5th in Germany when they will take on the host country.
  • Both Darren Dreger of TSN and Mark Spector of Sportsnet believe that the Dallas Stars will be moving quickly on their next head coach, perhaps even hiring him by the end of the week. Spector believes that Ken Hitchcock, a former Stars coach who was fired by the St. Louis Blues midway through this season, is one of the finalists, while Dreger names Gerard Gallant and Willie Desjardins as other top candidates. For what it’s worth, Craig Custance of ESPN guessed this morning that it would be Hitchcock. The 65-year old Hitchcock has 781 career coaching wins, putting him behind only Scotty Bowman, Joel Quennville and Al Arbour all-time.

Playoff Notes: Leafs, Dansk, Pacioretty

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were back on the ice today to prepare for their Thursday night matchup against the Washington Capitals, and as expected had Frederik Andersen in the net. What they didn’t have, was many defenders in front of him as both Roman Polak and Nikita Zaitsev—who suffered injuries in the final game of the season against Columbus—were absent. Tyler Bozak and Nikita Soshnikov were also both nowhere to be seen, though Bozak is still expected to play.

It’s not clear if the two defenders are actually out or just staying off the ice, as the Maple Leafs have not made a call-up from the minors to replace them. Instead, Josh Leivo was skating as the sixth defender; something that will definitely not be in the plans for game 1. For a team that faced almost no injury controversy during the season, the past few weeks have been a trying period with multiple head injuries for Andersen and now two key defenders out. They’ll need all hands on deck if they want to beat the President’s Trophy winning Capitals.

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