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Ilya Kovalchuk Changes Agency, Discussing NHL Future

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The ongoing saga of Ilya Kovalchuk took another twist yesterday, when Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the Russian winger had joined CAA Hockey and agent J.P. Barry. Barry, according to Dreger, is already in discussions with various clubs interested in signing Kovalchuk as he tries to make a return to the NHL. Kovalchuk has repeatedly stated his desire to return, and is now an unrestricted free agent. He can’t officially sign any contract until July 1st, but nothing prevents him from coming to terms with a team prior to that date.

Though Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweeted that he expects Kovalchuk to get a contract filled with performance bonuses, that may not be possible. While Kovalchuk is now 35 years old and could qualify for performance bonuses, he’d have to sign just a one-year deal to be eligible for any incentives. That doesn’t seem likely at this point, especially if there are several teams interested in bringing him back from the KHL.

The former Atlanta Thrashers draft pick has been playing in the KHL for the last five seasons, and had previously been represented by Jay Grossman. After winning the Gagarin Cup with SKA St. Petersburg in 2016-17, he followed it up with a gold medal (and MVP) at the Olympics and a league-leading 63 points in 53 games in the KHL. There’s no doubt that Kovalchuk still has something left in the tank, but after so many years away from the NHL some doubt whether he can be a real difference maker.

If he can’t, teams have to consider the possibility of him leaving for Russia once again. Now that he’s a 35+ player, Kovalchuk’s cap hit would be applied to the team’s salary cap regardless of whether he retired from the NHL or not. A multi-year contract could then be dangerous for a club that is already dealing with a precarious financial position, especially one that doesn’t include performance bonuses. So far we haven’t gotten much on where Kovalchuk could be headed, other than his statements last summer about preferring New York or Florida. While last year negotiations had to run through the New Jersey Devils, this time around Kovalchuk is a clear free agent able to sign with whichever team he chooses.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Max Domi Linked To Pittsburgh Penguins

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In this week’s 31 Thoughts Podcast with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the two hosts enter into discussion over Arizona Coyotes forward Max Domi and where his future may lie. Domi has been involved in trade speculation for more than a year, and after his second consecutive season with fewer than 10 goals, that isn’t expected to end anytime soon. Friedman links Domi to the Pittsburgh Penguins this time around:

One of the things that I heard just around the Cup Final is that I think the Penguins have interest in him. There was a point last year where I thought he was going to get traded. His name was out there. I believe there are teams with interest, I believe Montreal for example had some interest in Max Domi. I think Pittsburgh is going through some changes, and Domi is one of the guys they’re really interested in. 

The venerable insider goes on to note that Penguins’ owner Mario Lemieux and Tie Domi, Max’ father, are close friends. Though that doesn’t signify anything specific, the fact that Marek admits he’s also heard rumblings about the young Coyotes forward likely points to at least passing interest from Pittsburgh.

Domi, 23, was selected 12th-overall in 2013 but hasn’t become the true top line player many expected him to be. With 45 points in 2017-18 he’s clearly not a negative on the Coyotes roster, but after being a huge goal scoring threat in junior and notching 18 as a rookie he was expected to put up bigger totals as he progressed. That progression has taken him all the way to restricted free agency this summer, where he’ll have a very interesting case to negotiate with the Coyotes.

This season new head coach Rick Tocchet made the decision to move Domi back to center part way through the year, a position he hadn’t played since his first year of junior. Though he found mixed success at the position and eventually was moved back to the wing, the fact that he now has some added versatility to his resume could bring even more suitors out of the bushes. Teams like Pittsburgh may want to take a look at the young forward in the middle, especially if he can continue to be defensively responsible and distribute to his linemates. It’s important to note though that 18 of Domi’s 45 points came in his final 20 games as he was lining up on the wing.

If the Coyotes want to move onto the next wave of forwards, led by Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome, perhaps Domi is a name that they’d be willing to move out. Bringing back some more veteran talent to help the team win in the short term would go along with the moves that Arizona made last offseason, when they acquired Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jason Demers.

As a note—speculative as it might be—Tocchet’s close relationship with Phil Kessel has been widely reported, and with the news recently of the Penguins potentially considering a trade for the enigmatic forward, a fit could be found in Arizona. Kessel of course holds a list of just eight teams he can be traded to, and no discussions have been reported between the two sides. If the Penguins are interested in Domi though, they’ll have to pay a steep price. Whether he’s a perfect fit in Arizona or not, he still holds quite a bit of value to the Coyotes.

Todd Nelson, Mike Van Ryn Join NHL Coaching Staffs

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Two top AHL coaches are leaving for the NHL, as reports have surfaced from Sean Shapiro and Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that Todd Nelson and Mike Van Ryn will be joining the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues respectively. Nelson had been the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings’ affiliate in Grand Rapids, while Van Ryn was the head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners, affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes.

Nelson took over from Jeff Blashill as head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2015, and led them to an AHL Calder Cup championship in his second season. Though the Griffins took a slight step backwards this season, they still posted their third straight 40+ win season under Nelson and made the playoffs. Knocked out by a tough Manitoba Moose squad in a five games, they’ll have to look for a new leader behind the bench to try and overcome their playoff disappointment.

Van Ryn, 39, finished his playing career in 2009 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and quickly moved into the coaching ranks. Spending time in both the OHL and AHL, he was given the head coaching job in Tucson last summer after previously serving as director of player development. Once a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Van Ryn tallied quite a few successful seasons in the NHL before having his playing days cut short by injuries. Joining the Blues is the next step in a coaching career that seems destined for an NHL head coaching job eventually.

Latest On Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes

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Last week Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet piqued quite a bit of interest with his inclusion of the Vancouver Canucks as a “stealth team” for Noah Hanifin, and this morning he was asked about his thoughts on the subject. Hanifin is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer but had previously been considered off limits thanks to his high draft pedigree and solid young career. Friedman’s comments though—as relayed by Sportsnet 650’s Rick Dhaliwal on Twitter—bring up the idea that a big package has been thrown around to try and pull the defenseman away from the Carolina Hurricanes:

I believe that the Canucks have shown interest in Hanifin, and I believe that whatever they’ve talked about the Hurricanes haven’t discounted it. 

Look, I know this is going to go bananas. I’m just going to say this is my guess. My guess is it involves the seventh overall pick, but I don’t know that for sure.

Obviously these statements leave plenty of room for speculation and shouldn’t be taken as a new report, but Friedman’s continued belief that the two have had discussions only raises new questions on the availability of Hanifin in the first place. Since new ownership took over the Hurricanes have been clear about their desire to make changes to the club before next season and could see their 21-year old defenseman as their best trade chip. Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk have also had their names floated in trade rumors, though nothing concrete has surfaced yet.

For Vancouver, targeting Hanifin makes a lot of sense. The team is building a young core around players like Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, but needs to put together an effective blue line to experience any real success. With top prospect Olli Juolevi still yet to make his debut, and young players like Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher already getting expensive through restricted free agency, landing another top-4 option with plenty of club control could improve them dramatically.

Speculating about what the package would be is a fool’s errand at this point, as Friedman can’t even definitively report that the two have had negotiations. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on as the Hurricanes approach the June 22nd draft holding the second-overall pick and plenty of trade currency. It could be a very interesting few days for GM Don Waddell, as he looks to make his mark on the Hurricanes.

Snapshots: Voynov, Van Ryn, Gronborg, Oilers Top Pick

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Defenseman Slava Voynov remains interested in trying to return to the NHL.  Speaking with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged that Voynov’s representation “is interested in understanding the parameters under which he’d be allowed to rejoin the league” but that since the NHL is of the belief that there are still some legal hurdles to be cleared before he could do so, they would have no further comment on his situation.

Voynov has spent the past three seasons with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL after his contract with the Kings was terminated following him pleading no contest to a charge stemming from a domestic dispute.  His KHL deal is now up and his court-ordered probation expires in July so it appears that the 28-year-old will attempt to try to latch on with another NHL team for next season.

More from around the hockey world:

  • The Blues are expected to add Mike Van Ryn to their coaching staff, reports Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). He has spent the last two seasons with the Coyotes, serving as a development coach in 2016-17 and head coach of their AHL affiliate in Tucson this past season.  The 39-year-old is no stranger to the St. Louis organization as he spent parts of three years with the team at the start of his career, playing in 69 total games with the Blues.
  • A trio of teams have expressed an interest in Swedish coach Rikard Gronborg, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The Rangers are among those squads but Brooks suggests his addition to their staff is a long-shot.  The Sabres and Hurricanes are the others with interest.  The 49-year-old Gronborg has been involved with Sweden’s national team programs at the junior and senior levels since 2006 and served as the bench boss for their entries into the Olympics and World Championships this year.
  • While Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli suggested following the season that they could move their first-round pick (tenth overall), Oilers radio analyst and team employee Bob Stauffer suggested via Twitter that moving that selection for short-term help isn’t a likely outcome.  David Staples of the Edmonton Journal adds that it’s becoming more and more apparent that Chiarelli isn’t willing to move that pick.  He noted at the end of the season that there are several defensemen that he likes and there’s a good chance a quality defender will be available if they stand pat.

Offseason Keys: Anaheim Ducks

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With just two teams still playing, the rest have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Anaheim Ducks.

Following an appearance in the Western Conference Final in 2016-17, the Ducks headed into the season looking to take that next step forward.  Instead, they wound up taking several in the wrong direction and were swept in the opening round by San Jose.  While GM Bob Murray decides whether or not it’s time to shake up the core of their roster, here are some of their other keys to their summer.

Bridge Or Long-Term Deal For Montour

A strong showing last postseason for defenseman Brandon Montour set the stage for him to become a key part of Anaheim’s back end.  He did just that while working his way into a lot more ice time down the stretch; he played at least 20:58 in his final 28 games (including the playoffs).  Montour also took advantage of the extra ice time to post an impressive 32 points.

With his entry-level deal now finished, the 24-year-old heads into the offseason in a good place.  He’s eligible for arbitration and if he goes to a hearing, he’ll have a strong case.

What makes this a bit more intriguing is that 2017-18 was Montour’s only full NHL season.  He played quite well but has he shown enough over 107 career regular season games and 21 postseason contests to warrant a new long-term deal that covers the rest of his RFA years plus some UFA ones?  Or, is a short-term pact the better way to go?

While Anaheim has several other restricted free agents to re-sign (including wingers Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase), they should have enough room under the cap that their situation won’t force them to go with a bridge deal.  Montour projects to be a key cog on their back end for years to come but with such little of an NHL track record under his belt, it’s going to be an interesting call to make for Murray.

Extension Talks

Last summer, the Ducks acted early and signed defenseman Cam Fowler to an extension as soon as he was eligible.  They’ll have to decide whether or not to do so with a trio of notable players entering the final year of their respective contracts.

Goaltender John Gibson didn’t have the best of playoffs but he had a very strong regular season and was among the league leaders in games played, wins, and save percentage.  He has emerged as a legitimate starting netminder and he will be seeking a significant raise on his current $2.3MM AAV.  There isn’t anyone at the minor league level that is set to push for playing time so it’s clear that Gibson is their guy for the long haul.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to get an early extension done.

Center Adam Henrique made a big impact after being acquired from the Devils for defenseman Sami Vatanen and with Ryan Kesler’s availability for next year in doubt already, Henrique is going to be counted on as a key cog once again.  That should have him in line for a nice raise on his $4MM AAV (though it’s worth noting he’s set to earn $5.5MM in salary next year).  Anaheim already has $15.5MM per year tied up through 2020-21 in their top two pivots but they may want to add another big chunk to that in the form of a new deal for Henrique.

Then there’s winger Jakob Silfverberg.  The key part of the Bobby Ryan trade took a small step backwards in 2017-18, posting 40 points in 77 games after picking up 49 in 79 contests the year before.  He has basically cemented himself as someone that’s going to be around that 40-point plateau each season and while he’s more of a secondary player, that type of consistency will be rewarded on the open market if he makes it there next July.  His current cap hit is $3.75MM and it will take a pretty big raise to get him to forego free agency.  Of these three players, he’s probably the least likely to sign an early extension.

Rebuild The Fourth Line

In the final game of the postseason, Anaheim’s fourth line was Derek Grant down the middle flanked by wingers Jason Chimera and J.T. Brown with center Antoine Vermette as a reserve forward.  All four of those players are slated to become unrestricted free agents and it’s doubtful that all of them will be back.

This will give Anaheim the opportunity to really reshape their bottom trio.  They could give youngsters like Troy Terry and 2016 first-round picks Sam Steel and Max Jones a chance to play right away and add some speed and scoring touch to that unit.  Of course, doing so would limit their penalty killing options so as tempting as this may seem on paper, it’s an unlikely scenario.

The more realistic expectation is that they will try to bring back one or two of their existing group (Grant in particular), add one or two new faces in free agency, and then give the younger players a look at training camp.  The fourth line has been an area that Murray has frequently tried to tinker with the last couple of years but this will be a chance to really build the trio from scratch so that in-season moves to bolster it shouldn’t be necessary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Prospect Notes: Coyotes, QMJHL, Team USA

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The NHL Scouting Combine is currently underway, and the Arizona Coyotes are busy interviewing potential draft picks. Team reporter Dave Vest writes that the Coyotes will interview approximately 80 of the 104 players at the combine over the next few days, trying to get an idea of their personal character before heading to the draft on June 22nd. GM John Chayka explained why those interviews are so important:

The Combine is a great opportunity to gather more information on the players of interest. It’s an enjoyable experience to meet the players that have been scouted all year and get to know them better as a person. Drafting character players is important to our organization and is definitely a part of the decision-making process.

That character will come into play when the Coyotes make the fifth selection at this year’s draft, and try to add some more blue chip talent to their prospect pool. With Dylan Strome finally looking like he’s ready to make an impact at the NHL level and Clayton Keller already dominating, there are good times ahead in Arizona. If they’re able to add a player like Quinn Hughes, Oliver Wahlstrom or Adam Boqvist with the fifth-overall selection, those times could come even quicker.

  • Jeff Marek of Sportsnet was keeping an eye on some CHL trades today, as he reports that Cedric Pare (Boston), Mitchell Balmas, Antoine Morand (Anaheim) and Jordan Maher are all on the move in the QMJHL. It’s been a busy few days for Morand, who won the Memorial Cup with Acadie-Bathurst on Sunday and signed his first professional contract with the Ducks earlier today. He’s heading to Halifax along with Maher, meaning he’ll get another chance to play in the Memorial Cup regardless of his performance next year. Halifax will be the host of the 2019 tournament, and are loading up on older talent to make sure they are ready for the competition.
  • Now that David Quinn has taken the New York Rangers head coaching job, USA Hockey needed to find another head coach for the 2019 National Junior Team. Mike Hastings has been hired for the job, after previously serving as an assistant for the program. Hastings is the head coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato, and has guided that program to six straight winning seasons. He’ll be tasked with trying to get the team back to the gold medal game, after ending up with bronze this year.

Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Trevor Carrick

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The Carolina Hurricanes have brought back one of their best minor league players, re-signing Trevor Carrick to a one-year two-way contract worth $700K in the NHL. Carrick was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. In the release, new GM Don Waddell explained that Carrick might not be a minor league player for long:

Trevor had another solid season in the AHL and continued to be a steady leader for the Checkers. We expect to have a competitive training camp, and he will be among the players who have opportunities to step up and earn time on the NHL level.

Selected in the fourth round in 2012, the 23-year old Carrick has become an outstanding puck-moving threat for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Posting seasons of 32, 42 and 44 points in his three seasons not affected by injury, the left-handed defenseman has earned a bit of attention from the NHL club. In three career NHL games, Carrick has zero points, but he could push for a bigger role if the Hurricanes trade some of their defensive depth this summer.

If not, Carrick will likely find himself in another leadership role on the Checkers. He wore an “A” as an alternate captain the last two seasons and if his future lies in the AHL long-term he may end up as captain one day. Luckily for the Hurricanes, Carrick was born on July 4th and won’t qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2020.

Vegas Asked For Tom Wilson, Philipp Grubauer In Exchange For Nate Schmidt

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When the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals were confirmed as the two teams headed to the Stanley Cup Finals, the story line shifted to focus on various topics. George McPhee and his impact on both organizations, Marc-Andre Fleury coming back to haunt his old rivals, and Nate Schmidt facing the team who left him unprotected in the expansion draft. Recently, we learned that Capitals’ GM Brian MacLellan had tried to immediately get Schmidt back, but that McPhee had made the ask just too expensive. Today we learn exactly what that ask was, as Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports that Vegas asked for Tom Wilson and Philipp Grubauer, knowing Washington couldn’t accept.

Indeed, Wilson was a first-round power forward that was still expected to come into his own after some disappointing point totals his first few seasons in the league. That came true this year, as he found a spot alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, recording 14 goals and 35 points before being a key player for the Capitals in the first three rounds. Though he’s been embroiled in disciplinary incidents since day one of the playoffs, his physical style has been critical for Washington as thy battled Columbus, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

Grubauer was coming off another excellent season as the backup to Braden Holtby, and was clearly heading towards a starting gig in the NHL. The 26-year old goaltender even stole Holtby’s job at the end of this season and start of the playoffs, though he would relinquish it after a pair of weak starts. Grubauer was instrumental in getting the team to another Metropolitan Division crown, registering a .923 save percentage in a career-high 35 appearances this season.

Part of the decision to let Schmidt go in the first place may have been financial. He, like Grubauer was a restricted free agent last summer, and though he would eventually sign a relatively inexpensive two-year $4.45MM deal with the Golden Knights, he’s now scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season. With the Caps struggling to fit everyone under the salary cap as it is, handing a big contract to Schmidt next summer may have seemed daunting, especially as they try to re-sign John Carlson in the next few weeks. Interestingly now, after signing Grubauer for just one year, both he and Wilson are restricted free agents once again and will need substantial raises to play next season.

Most of the other examples of teams giving up two assets in the expansion draft to protect just one haven’t worked out well. Erik Haula and Alex Tuch both found success in Vegas after being used to protect Mathew Dumba and others in Minnesota, while Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have dominated as a big part of the top line. William Karlsson, the league’s breakout superstar, was sent along with a first-round pick in order to protect Josh Anderson and have Vegas select David Clarkson’s contract. Perhaps the Capitals did well to hold on to their assets and watch just one player walk out the door.

That player has been quite the story for Vegas though, as Schmidt has developed into a top-pairing option for the team. He logged 21 minutes in the opener, and was matched against the Washington first line for much of the game. Should the Golden Knights come out of this series triumphant, it will be due in no small part to the selection of Schmidt, and perhaps the Capitals’ refusal of a simple trade offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Should The Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Phil Kessel?

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There’s no love lost between Phil Kessel and Mike Sullivan, according to a new column by Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required). Yohe reveals specific incidents between the enigmatic superstar and his head coach over the last few years that has created a sort of divide between the two, but makes sure to state that there is no rush to send Kessel packing. The 30-year old forward has never been a coach’s dream player, doing things his own way most of the time. His own way resulted in a career-high 92 points this season, and even with just a single goal in the postseason he still registered nine points in 12 games.

Despite all the success that Kessel has had in Pittsburgh, Yohe explains how he feels about the situation at the end of his piece:

…if this relationship is beyond repair, a trade should be explored. From what I’ve been told, the Penguins aren’t actively seeking a trade involving Kessel, but they’re willing to listen if anyone makes an offer. 

This is about a great coach and a star player. Ultimately just how much the coach can tolerate will tell this story’s conclusion because Sullivan will get what he wants.

Kessel is a star in the NHL and has been for a long time. With 741 points in 914 regular season games, he’s still one of the game’s most dangerous offensive machines. Able to score one-on-one, or use his speed and quickness to create space for teammates, he hasn’t registered a season with fewer than 20 goals or 52 points in more than a decade. His contract, expensive as it was when the Toronto Maple Leafs signed him in 2013, is fairly reasonable these days. The Maple Leafs are retaining $1.2MM per season, and the actual salary drops starting next season, and throughout the final four years. Despite his apparent reputation, he would be a desirable asset for many teams.

But, isn’t he that still for the Penguins? This is a team still in a win-now mode with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin entering their thirties, close to the end of their prime. In a few seasons there may be talk of a rebuild, but not right now. Many believed they had a real shot at a third consecutive Stanley Cup this season, and after his near point-per-game performances in each of the last two postseasons who wouldn’t want Kessel to stick around?

Perhaps the answer is only Sullivan, but what do you think? Cast your vote below, and jump into the comments section to explain why you think the Penguins should or shouldn’t consider moving Kessel.

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