We’ve already seen one major announcement this week with the Kings making it official, announcing the promotion of John Stevens from Associate Coach to their head coach. Before we look forward any further, here’s a look back at the top stories from the week that was.
1) Sabres Clean House – Just a day after reports surfaced that Sabres center Jack Eichel might not be willing to sign an extension (he’s signed through 2017-18) if Dan Bylsma was still the head coach, owner Terry Pegula decided to change things up, firing both Bylsma as well as GM Tim Murray. The search has begun for a replacement GM with Pegula suggesting he will be looking for someone with previous experience in that role. One name that has quickly surfaced is former Kings GM Dean Lombardi though Pegula diffused the report that Lombardi had already been interviewed for the role.
2) Canucks Lose Two – The Canucks lost a pair of blueliners in a matter of hours. Most notable among the two was Nikita Tryamkin, who inked a two year deal with Yekaterinburg of the KHL, the Russian team he had played for before crossing the pond to play in Vancouver. GM Jim Benning confirmed that the team had offered the 22 year old a two year extension and that Tryamkin’s decision to go back home was also family related. Fellow defender Philip Larsen, who was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, also signed a two year contract in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev.
3) Vegas Roster To Be Named At NHL Awards – The NHL Awards typically get their own day in the spotlight in June after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final but this year they’re likely to be overshadowed after the league announced that the inaugural Golden Knights roster will be announced during the awards show. That means that the roster will not be announced publicly until Wednesday, June 21st. The award show is being held Las Vegas for the eighth straight year but this edition will undoubtedly carry a lot more interest across the league.
4) Former Linesman Henderson Suing Wideman, Flames – Former NHL linesman Don Henderson has yet to work a game since suffering a concussion in an incident with Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman back in late January of 2016. This past week, he filed a $10.25MM lawsuit against Wideman and the team, citing that the Flames are vicariously liable for Wideman’s conduct. The league initially suspended Wideman for 20 games but that was cut in half by an arbitrator (who was subsequently fired by the league) and was upheld in New York court last month.
5) Rangers Sign Bereglazov – One of the more intriguing overseas free agents is off the market after the Rangers officially inked KHL defenseman Alexei Bereglazov to a two year entry level contract. The deal carries a cap hit of $925K and also has $850K in potential bonuses in each season and also contains a European Assignment Clause, per CapFriendly. While New York already has seven blueliners under contract for next season, there’s a strong chance that Bereglazov will make a strong case for a roster spot in training camp.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.