Coaching Notes: Tocchet, Green, Brind’Amour
It seems that Rick Tocchet‘s days as the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes could be numbered. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that there is growing speculation that Tocchet and the ‘Yotes will part ways this off-season. Tocchet’s contract expires at the end of the season and Dreger does not believe that it will be extended. If not for the NHL’s expanded playoff structure last season, Tocchet would have failed to make the playoffs in each of his four seasons as the bench boss in Arizona. The team was statistically eliminated from contention this season with last night’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings, marking the end of what at one time looked like a promising playoff push. However, this is the third consecutive season that the ‘Yotes have remained in the playoff picture until the very end of the season. Last year, it earned them a play-in series berth which the team turned into an upset win over the Nashville Predators and a first-round match-up with the Colorado Avalanche. Considering that Tocchet took over a team that finished last in the Pacific Division in his first season, three years of fringe contention and a play-in series win is far from failure for the veteran coach. Dreger does not definitively state that the separation is a unilateral decision by Arizona and it could be that this is an amicable breakup coming between Tocchet and the team. A highly-regarded assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins before joining the Coyotes, Tocchet should have no problem finding a job this summer and it could be that both sides equally want a fresh start.
- Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green is still waiting for his contract extension. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that a resolution is expected to come before the end of the season – which for the Canucks is still almost two weeks away – but he adds that there has not been any change to the status quo of late. Green, like Tocchet, took over a struggling team in 2017-18 and has improved the group, including finishing third in the Pacific Division last season and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. While the current campaign has not gone as planned, with Vancouver on the verge of statistical elimination even with a number of games in hand on their North Division competitors, the organization is happy with Green and LeBrun notes that there continues to be mutual interest in a new multi-year deal. With that said, Green is among the bottom-third of coaches in terms of compensation and is seeking a raise, but LeBrun reports that the Canucks have not improved their offer recently. If the two sides truly want to get a deal done before the end of the regular season, they need to get to work.
- Rod Brind’Amour is another coach who is awaiting a contract extension and there is little doubt that the leader of the President’s Trophy favorites will get a new, long-term deal. However, Dreger notes that the Hurricanes want to get the new deal done before the postseason, which leaves little time to work out the details. Brind’Amour has previously stated that he wants all of his fellow coaches and support staff to also have new deals finalized before he inks his own deal, so the Carolina Hurricanes have a number of negotiations to complete over the next week or two.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 05/06/21
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Valtteri Puustinen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have inked a very interesting prospect, signing Valtteri Puustinen to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 campaign and keeps Puustinen from becoming an unrestricted free agent next month. Penguins assistant GM Patrik Allvin released a short statement on his newest player:
Valtteri is a skilled forward with a great shot who utilizes his speed to play the style of game that we want to play here in Pittsburgh. He’s really matured as a player over the last couple of years playing with HPK and the Finnish national team, which is really exciting for us.
You wouldn’t expect Puustinen to be a seventh-round pick if you’d watched him this season, racking up goals and points for HPK in Finland’s Liiga. The 21-year-old scored 21 goals in 51 games, good enough for eighth in the league. That performance followed his breakout 2019-20 campaign when he scored 40 points in 54 games, a number he topped by one this time around.
If there is anything that will continue to hold Puustinen back it’s his size, as he comes in at just 5’9″. That has become less of a concern in recent seasons but there’s no overlooking the fact that he will be outmatched physically at the NHL level. If he’s to make it, he’ll likely have to first prove that his strong offensive awareness can lead to production at the AHL level.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/06/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list so far:
Calgary – Josh Leivo
Colorado – Devan Dubnyk
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: None
No new players hit the list, but Kuznetsov remains out for the Capitals. This is his third day in the protocol and certainly makes his status for tomorrow’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers uncertain. Still, this can be considered something of a win for the NHL as they try to get as close to clear as possible before the playoffs begin.
*denotes new addition
Snapshots: Kempny, Dach, Danforth
The Washington Capitals have sent Michal Kempny to the AHL Hershey Bears on a long-term injury conditioning stint, suggesting that the defenseman is closing in on a return. In October, Kempny underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon suffered in offseason training and was given a six to eight-month recovery timeline. He has been skating with the Capitals for the last little while, but it was still unclear if he would actually play this season.
A conditioning stint would indicate that the 30-year-old Kempny may actually be able to play for Washington, at least once the playoffs start. The team does not have the cap space to activate him from LTIR right now, but that issue would go away in the postseason when the salary cap ceiling is lifted. Where he fits into the lineup at this point isn’t clear, especially coming off such a long injury, but adding depth at the position for the playoffs is never a bad thing.
- Speaking of coming off a long injury, Chicago Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach won’t play again this season after reaggravating the problem in his wrist. Dach “continues to have some post-operative discomfort” according to team physician Dr. Michael Terry and he will be held out the final three games of the year. The 20-year old forward didn’t make his season debut until March 27, but that was much earlier than his initial timeline suggested. The team didn’t hold him back, letting Dach play more than 20 minutes in each of his first two games of the year. While there’s no guarantee this situation could have been avoided, it is a frustrating end to a disappointing season for the young forward. After scoring 23 points in 64 games as a rookie, Dach will finish this year with two goals and 10 points in 18 games.
- Interested in seeing what all the fuss is about with new Columbus Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth? Tune into the IIHF World Championship later this month, where Danforth is expected to represent Canada according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. The undrafted 28-year-old signed his first NHL deal just a few days ago after three dominant seasons overseas. Danforth recorded 23 goals and 55 games in the KHL and will get to test his skills alongside some other NHL players at the tournament.
Pavel Buchnevich Suspended One Game
The Department of Player Safety has decided that New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich will have to sit out, giving him a one-game suspension today after his high stick on Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha. The incident occurred last night in the brawling rematch between the two clubs and earned Buchnevich a five-minute major and game misconduct. As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that while we agree that Buchnevich’s actions are defensive in nature, players are not excused from following league rules because of the actions of their opponent. While Mantha’s actions may have been provacative, Buchnevich is not permitted to respond to that provacation with a reckless and forceful strike directly to the face of an opponent.
As the league notes, Buchnevich has never been suspended or fined in his 300-game NHL career. Mantha also did not suffer a serious injury on the play. Both of those things would have factored into the decision to hand out the one-game suspension.
The Rangers of course will not be happy with this decision, given how publicly they called out DoPS head George Parros earlier this week for his decision to not suspend Washington forward Tom Wilson. The team called that a “horrifying act of violence” that went basically unpunished (Wilson did receive a $5,000 fine for his punch on Buchnevich). At his introductory press conference today, new Rangers president and GM Chris Drury said he expected Buchnevich to be gone for the rest of the season. The Rangers have two games left, meaning he could actually play in the season finale against Boston on Saturday.
Canucks, Devils To Relocate AHL Teams
May 6: The AHL Board of Governors has approved the relocations to Abbotsford and Utica, from Utica and Binghamton respectively. The new divisional alignment will be announced at a later date, but Vancouver will be using Abbotsford and New Jersey using Utica for the 2021-22 season.
In addition, Utica and New Jersey have announced a new ten-year affiliation agreement. The organization will remain the Utica Comets, but jersey designs and colors will be revealed later in the year.
May 4: Amidst speculation that their current AHL affiliate in Utica will become New Jersey’s affiliate next season, Vancouver has found a new home for their prospects. The Canucks announced today that they will move their AHL squad to Abbotsford for next year, pending approval from the AHL’s Board of Governors on Thursday. Team owner Francesco Aquilini released the following statement:
With momentum starting to build, we are pleased to confirm our goal to bring our AHL franchise and Canucks prospects home to the City of Abbotsford. The move would bring significant opportunities for both our team and the community and it would begin a new chapter, bringing Canucks hockey to even more fans throughout the Lower Mainland.
Vancouver intends to operate the team out of the Abbotsford Centre which hosted Calgary’s AHL team from 2009 through 2014 after previously playing in Moline, Illinois. Travel was a concern as they were the westernmost city in the league and eventually, Calgary opted to head to New York.
Interestingly enough, the Canucks are taking the opposite approach, leaving New York to go to Abbotsford. Clearly, the fact that they’ll be able to have their AHL prospects in the same province is certainly ideal from a development standpoint but travel shouldn’t be as significant of a concern now with there now being an entire Pacific Division. At first glance, it would seem likely that Abbotsford would join that group, making it an eight-team division for next season with Palm Springs set to join that group for 2022-23.
Mikko Rantanen Fined For Diving/Embellishment
The NHL has issued a $2,000 fine to Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen for diving/embellishment, meaning that he has been flagged twice this season for the act. The league issued a warning following the first such incident, which occurred on March 23 against the Arizona Coyotes. The second happened on April 30 against the San Jose Sharks–an incident which resulted in a tripping penalty for Mario Ferraro–triggering the fine.
For Rule 64, the supplementary discipline is on a graduated scale that also includes fines for a head coach:
While Jared Bednar is certainly not going to bench a player like Rantanen, costing the coach money is never a good idea. The league will be keeping a close eye on the Colorado star and his teammates for the rest of the season. Coach fines start kicking in after four are issued to either one player or a club collectively.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/06/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
West Division
- Hunter Jones has been sent back to the AHL by the Minnesota Wild, moving him off the taxi squad. Jones has an .871 save percentage in 15 appearances for the Iowa Wild this season, his first in professional hockey.
- The San Jose Sharks have completed a long list of transactions, recalling Joel Kellman, Alexei Melnichuk, and Brinson Pasichnuk to the taxi squad. Fredrik Handemark, Nicolas Meloche, Jacob Middleton, and Zachary Sawchenko have all been returned to the AHL to make room.
North Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Frederik Andersen to the AHL on a conditioning loan, where he is expected to play half a game for the Toronto Marlies. Meanwhile, they’ve returned Mac Hollowell to the AHL while recalling Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to the taxi squad.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have completed their usual goalie swap, sending Kevin Boyle to the AHL and recalling Kaden Fulcher to the taxi squad. The team has bounced the two back and forth for the last several weeks.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Nolan Foote, Colton White, and Tyce Thompson from the AHL, with the latter going straight to the active roster. The other two will join the taxi squad for the time being.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minnesota Wild Sign Daemon Hunt, Ryan O’Rourke
The Minnesota Wild have inked a pair of draft picks, signing Daemon Hunt and Ryan O’Rourke to three-year entry-level contracts. The deals are for the 2021-22 season, but both young players will see those contracts slide unless they manage to crack the Minnesota roster.
Both of the young players got their first taste of professional hockey this season, suiting up for the Iowa Wild of the AHL. O’Rourke has spent the whole season there as the OHL never resumed, recording seven points in 28 games. The 18-year-old defenseman was selected 39th overall in 2020 after a strong pair of seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and will likely return to the Soo for the 2021-22 season.
Hunt meanwhile had a taste with Iowa before returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors for the shortened WHL campaign but is now back in the AHL on an amateur tryout. The 18-year-old defenseman had 18 points in 23 games for Moose Jaw this year, showing some nice offensive growth. Hunt was selected 65th overall, Minnesota’s fourth pick of the 2020 draft.
With Marco Rossi‘s career still somewhat uncertain thanks to medical complications, Hunt and O’Rourke could become even more important pieces of Minnesota’s 2020 draft class. Both will likely return to the CHL next season to continue their development, but now have NHL deals to celebrate.