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Archives for July 2022

Arizona Coyotes Hire John Madden

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The Arizona Coyotes have added another coach to the mix, hiring John Madden as an assistant for Andre Tourigny’s staff. The team’s general manager Bill Armstrong released a statement on the move:

We are very pleased to add John to André Tourigny’s coaching staff. John is an experienced coach and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. He’s a proven winner who had a very good NHL career as a defensive specialist. I’m confident that he will be able to help our penalty-killing unit and he will be a great addition to our staff.

Madden, 49, has been with the San Jose Sharks the last two seasons but parted ways along with the rest of the staff when the team gave general manager Mike Grier the choice of the next coach. Before that, Madden served as head coach of the Cleveland Monsters for three seasons and as an assistant with the Florida Panthers.

That’s where his playing career ended as well, with Madden hanging up his skates in 2012 after more than 1,000 total games in the NHL. That includes 141 playoff contests, which, as Armstrong notes, resulted in three Stanley Cup championships. He is a Selke Trophy winner, having taken home the trophy in just his second year in the league, after a long grind to get to that level.

Undrafted, Madden played four years at the University of Michigan and two years in the minor leagues (where he was an absolute superstar) before playing his first full NHL season at the age of 26. For a team that is trying to build a program from the ground up, an experience like that can only help the young talent that will need to fight and claw for ice time.

Edmonton Oilers Hire Mark Stuart

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After John Buccigross of ESPN broke the story in the morning, the Edmonton Oilers officially announced the hiring of Mark Stuart as an assistant coach.

The veteran defenseman will join Jay Woodcroft’s staff after previously serving under his brother, Todd Woodcroft, at the University of Vermont in 2020-21. This season, he was an assistant with Colorado College, making this quite the jump for the former NHL regular. Stuart played in 673 regular season games during a long career, suiting up for the Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers, and Winnipeg Jets during that time. His career ended after one year overseas in 2018, but he hasn’t been relaxing much in retirement.

In 2018-19 he re-joined the Jets organization to help the Manitoba Moose, and then went to school to finish his college degree. Coaching since then, he’ll now be back on an NHL bench (or at least behind it) for the upcoming season.

He joins Glen Gulutzan and Dave Manson as assistants with the Oilers, who also announced today that skating coach David Pelletier will return for 2022-23.

Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With Henry Bowlby

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Minor league forward Henry Bowlby has landed another NHL contract, agreeing to terms with the Florida Panthers on a one-year, two-way deal. Bowlby was a restricted free agent and did not file for salary arbitration. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $90K.

Bowlby, 25, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard in 2020, and quickly showed that there may have been some underutilized offensive talent in the winger. In his short run with the Syracuse Crunch in 2020-21 (when the Florida teams shared an AHL affiliate), he scored eight goals and 14 points in 23 games. This year, those numbers dipped a bit but he still managed to put up 12 goals and 28 points in 64 games for the Charlotte Checkers.

For a player who never scored more than eight goals or 16 points in any of his three college seasons, but still managed to land an entry-level contract, it’s been a strong first impression at the professional level. Now, if he’s to ever push for an NHL job, he’ll have to take another step forward and prove he can be a reliable, two-way force for the Checkers this season. Still waiver-exempt, he’ll be headed for the AHL to start the year.

New Jersey Devils Extend Jonas Siegenthaler

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Betting that he’ll continue his impressive development, the New Jersey Devils have signed Jonas Siegenthaler to a five-year contract extension, which kicks in for the 2023-24 season. The deal comes with an average annual value of $3.4MM and will carry the following payments:

  • 2023-24: $4.25MM
  • 2024-25: $4.0MM
  • 2025-26: $3.2MM
  • 2026-27: $3.0MM
  • 2027-28: $2.55MM

It cost the Devils just a third-round pick to land the young defenseman last year, when the Washington Capitals were running into a roster crunch and couldn’t keep everyone around. Almost from the moment he arrived in New Jersey, Siegenthaler seemed like a perfect fit and immediately started producing improved results in bigger minutes.

Now 25, the Swiss defender was a second-round pick of the Capitals in 2015 and had played just 97 NHL games before the trade. This year, he suited up 70 times for the Devils and averaged more than 20 minutes a night, becoming arguably the team’s most reliable defensive option. While it’s unlikely Siegenthaler will ever put up the kind of point totals that Damon Severson or Dougie Hamilton are known for, locking in a top-four defenseman for $3.4MM through his entire prime is tidy work from general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

After acquiring John Marino earlier this summer, it now gives the team three defenders locked into long-term contracts through at least 2026-27, plus plenty of young talent coming through the system. Simon Nemec, Luke Hughes, and Shakir Mukhamadullin make up a trio of defensive prospects that is difficult to match and could give the Devils a huge advantage in the years to come.

In fact, Siegenthaler seems like a perfect match for Nemec moving forward, balancing out the Slovak’s tendency to rove around the ice with a more stable defensive presence. Hughes, meanwhile could be paired with Hamilton or Marino when he gets to New Jersey, giving the team an impressive blueline within just a few seasons.

The question now will be what happens to Severson and Ryan Graves, who are both heading into the last year of their respective contracts and scheduled for unrestricted free agency next summer.

Huberdeau, Weegar Open To Long-Term Extensions

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It was a big shock for Jonathan Huberdeau, when he found out that he had been traded to the Calgary Flames after only knowing one organization through his first ten years in the league. The 29-year-old is heading into his final year under contract and could get his chance to go anywhere he wants, should he decide Calgary isn’t for him. But yesterday, when meeting with the media, Huberdeau explained that he is certainly open to the idea of an extension:

I’m open to staying in Calgary for a long time…I leave it to the GM and my agent, and they already started talking about it. We’ll see what’s going to happen.

He wasn’t the only one to express a willingness to extend. MacKenzie Weegar, the other big piece in the deal that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, is also heading into his final year under contract. He told the media that he is “very open” to signing a long-term deal, and explained his excitement about getting started with his new team.

The worry for many Flames fans when they saw the return was whether these two players would be around more than a few months, given their contract situations. After watching Johnny Gaudreau leave in free agency without getting anything in return, the Flames won’t be able to do the same with Huberdeau and Weegar. If they aren’t going to re-sign, flipping them somewhere else before the end of the season will be critical.

Of course, extensions won’t come cheap. Huberdeau has been one of the top playmakers in the league for years now and is coming off a 115-point season. That’s the same total as Gaudreau, who landed a seven-year, $68.25MM deal on the open market this year. The two are essentially the same age, though Huberdeau will be reaching unrestricted free agency a year later thanks to the six-year, $35.4MM contract he signed in 2016. That has been one of the best bargains in the league for a while now, as he has posted four straight years of better than point-per-game production.

Weegar too, while not quite at the same level as his teammate, will be a sought-after commodity should he hit the open market. The 28-year-old has worked his way up from the seventh round in 2013 to become a true top-pairing defenseman, even if there are a few frustrating moments where his high-risk play backfires. This season, he recorded 44 points in 80 games, logged more than 23 minutes a night, and added 179 hits (and 156 blocks). He can be used in all situations, is right-handed, and won’t turn 29 until January.

The worry now for Calgary, even if they are both willing to sign extensions, will be whether it is actually worth it. The team would be buying out exclusively UFA years for both, likely agreeing to contracts that take them well into their mid-thirties at huge price points. The team has plenty of cap space after the exits of Gaudreau and Tkachuk–more than $36MM projected for 2023-24–but could be locking themselves into a pair of declining assets, depending on what the deals look like.

So it is good to hear that both players are open to extensions but for Calgary fans, it is still an anxious time, not knowing what kind of deals might be on the horizon.

More to come…

Sasha Chmelevski Signs In KHL

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The San Jose Sharks no longer have to worry about negotiations with Sasha Chmelevski but it’s not because they’ve reached an agreement. Instead, the restricted free agent has signed a contract with Ufa Salavat Yulaev in the KHL, according to his agent Dan Milstein.

Because they gave him a qualifying offer this summer, the Sharks will retain Chmelevski’s rights for the time being, though it is unclear what his plans are moving forward. The 23-year-old forward played in 19 NHL games this season scoring eight points in the process and was a strong performer at the minor league level.

Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2017 draft, making it to the NHL was already an impressive feat. Now, with a handful of games under his belt, he’ll pursue a bigger opportunity elsewhere.

The Sharks will hold Chmelevski’s rights until his 27th birthday, which is still almost four years away. Whether he returns in that time or gets another chance with them at the NHL level, remains to be seen.

Snapshots: Sharks Coach, Tavares, Top Prospects

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As their rebuild continues, the San Jose Sharks unexpectedly had to address a gaping hole in that of their GM position after former GM Doug Wilson stepped down. The organization took its time to find the perfect candidate, eventually hiring former Sharks player Mike Grier. The team was also tasked with finding another head coach after they fired previous head coach Bob Boughner. Like the GM position, the Sharks have taken their time to find their newest hire.

It appears though that the search is over, based on a series of Tweets from the Sharks, which in effect announced that the team will name its new head coach tomorrow at 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET. The team did not formally announce who it is that they are hiring to fill the position, but several sources indicated late last week that the Sharks were “zeroing in on” David Quinn, formerly the head coach of the New York Rangers. Quinn, who was let go after the shortened 2020-21 season, spent three seasons as the bench boss in Manhattan, his only three as a head coach in the NHL, compiling a record of 96-87-25 for a Rangers team that was working its way out of a rebuild. If it is in fact Quinn that gets the job, he will be placed in a rather similar situation to what he had with the Rangers: bring the team through and out of the rebuild.

  • Working with very limited cap space, the Toronto Maple Leafs have done their best to improve this offseason, changing out their entire goaltending duo for a new one and adding a few pieces, most notably headlined by winger Calle Jarnkrok, who signed a four-year deal with Toronto in free agency. To improve further, Toronto will have to look in-house for certain players to step up and one of those is captain John Tavares. In a recent interview, the veteran center told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that he has spent this summer training with Maple Leafs development staff, working to be a quicker skater. As Tavares said, “For me, obviously just trying to be a little quicker, a little lighter on my feet. I think that’s really important.” Tavares’ skating has certainly never been revered as his best asset, however the soon-to-be 32-year-old will need to at the least maintain his skating ability to continue to produce at the elite level that is expected of him and his $11MM cap hit that he carries for three more seasons.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released the latest edition of the NHL’s Top 50 prospects, now incorporating players from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft into the list (subscription required). Interestingly, number one overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky comes in at number ten on the list, behind fellow 2022 draftees Matthew Savoie (No. 9), Logan Cooley (No. 5), Simon Nemec (No. 4), and Shane Wright (No. 3). The list might be most appealing to fans of the New Jersey Devils, who have Nemec as well as Alexander Holtz (No. 17) and Luke Hughes (No. 2). Taking the top spot on Wheeler’s list was last year’s number one overall pick, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power.

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

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Very few players have had as much discussion surrounding them this offseason than Pierre-Luc Dubois. Even after accepting the one-year, $6MM qualifying-offer the Winnipeg Jets made him, the discussion around Dubois has not quieted down. Recently, The Athletic’s Murat Ates and Arpon Basu had a chance to sit down with Dubois and discuss where he lies with his contract, rumors of a trade request, and his status as an impending UFA in the summer of 2024 (subscription required).

Notably, when asked about his decision to accept the qualifying-offer and his plans for free agency in two years, Dubois explained that this one-year contract at the $6MM rate was what he and his agent, Pat Brisson, believed to be the best fit for him at this point in his career. When asked specifically about his willingness to sign long-term in Winnipeg, the Jets star said that was something to be decided at the conclusion of his current contract.

On attending the draft in Montreal with the expectation that he would be traded to the Montreal Canadiens that night, as reported by Radio-Canada Sports’ Martin Leclerc and confirmed by The Athletic, which has since been walked-back, Dubois contended that he did so because his bank had invited him and he lived close to the area. Lastly, Dubois made it clear that he did not request a trade from the Jets, telling Ates and Basu “If I wanted out, I would have asked for a trade. I didn’t ask for a trade.”

Sitting down for the interview with The Athletic shows Dubois is intent on tidying up what could be seen as a divisive and difficult situation. Regardless of what he and his representatives do and don’t want, the forward is obligated to spend the next two years in Winnipeg if the Jets choose, so keeping the situation as amicable as possible, even if he does not have his heart in Winnipeg would be wise. Dubois’ answers were also rather to the point and not very elaborative, not necessarily clearing all that much up on the situation, outside of making his formal position clear.

Still, the decision to make his position clear, and his views, taken as true, represent a move in good faith to put speculation to bed. With a contract in place, Dubois and the Jets can focus on the season ahead as the team tries to rebound from a disappointing 2021-22 that saw them finish sixth in the Central Division. On top of helping Winnipeg succeed, Dubois will also have the opportunity to build on his 28 goal, 32 assist campaign and build value towards his next contract, as well as his looming free agency. For now, it appears the Dubois rumors will quiet down as the 24-year-old appears intent on going into next season as a cornerstone member of the Jets.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Ryan Dzingel

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The Carolina Hurricanes have added to their depth with an experienced NHL veteran, signing forward Ryan Dzingel to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2022-23 season, the team announced. The deal will pay Dzingel $750K at the NHL level and $150K in the minors, guaranteeing $200K. This will mark the veteran’s second stint with the Hurricanes, spending parts of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons in Carolina. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell had this to say on the signing:

“We are obviously familiar with Ryan from his previous time in Carolina. He is a skilled player who can provide an offensive boost to our forward group, and we are excited to have him back in the organization.”

When Dzingel is on, he can absolutely provide an offensive boost, one that is not just depth but true secondary scoring, having tallied as many as 26 goals in a season as a member of the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets. Since his trade out of Ottawa however, Dzingel has been unable to replicate his success, failing to score more than eight goals in a season since. The forward was eventually traded back to Ottawa in February of 2021 and signed with the Arizona Coyotes last summer. Looking to add to their scoring depth, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Dzingel this season, but lost him on waivers to the San Jose Sharks, where Dzingel would finish this season.

With the signing, Carolina figures to have a low-risk, but certainly high-reward option that they can swing between the NHL and AHL and slot up and down the lineup when he does play. The Hurricanes had recently been rumored to be looking at additional pieces and had even been connected to Nino Niederreiter, who had hit the market after parts of four seasons with the Hurricanes. Though Dzingel does not provide the same caliber of offensive Niederreiter does, if he can return to the player he was for Ottawa from 2016 to 2019, he could pose a similar threat. Either way, Dzingel’s two-way contract is far more cost-controlled than the two-year, $4MM AAV contract Niederreiter signed with the Nashville Predators.

Snapshots: Slafkovsky, Tarasenko, Oil Kings

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From the moment the Montreal Canadiens took Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick at the draft earlier this month, there has been significant speculation on where Slafkovksy would be playing the 2022-23 season. Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov indicated in his post-draft media availability that Slafkovsky had “learned all he could” from playing in the Finnish Liiga, and when one looks at the first-year landing spots of previous number-one picks it doesn’t take long to see a trend. Typically, a number-one pick will make their team’s opening-night roster, and 2021 number-one pick Owen Power’s choice to begin 2021-22 with the University of Michigan was a rare break to that trend. So, with that history in mind, many have assumed that Slafkovsky would be playing for Montreal in October.

But it isn’t that simple. Slafkovsky’s so-so production in Liiga has left many wondering if a stint in the AHL or another lower league would be preferable for his development, and some have hoped that Slafkovsky could continue his string of strong performances for the Slovak national team at this summer’s upcoming World Junior Championships. It doesn’t look like that’ll be happening, though, and where Slafkovsky will be spending 2022-23 is becoming more and more clear. Today, Slafkovsky told Tomas Prokop of Dennik Sport that his “main goal” is to play in the NHL in the fall and that he would, as a result, not participate in the World Juniors. The Canadiens have room on the left wing next to their budding stars in Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, so it’s likely that Juraj will spend the rest of the summer preparing to earn a shot on their line to open the season.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko made headlines in the summer of 2021 when he reportedly requested a trade from the St. Louis Blues. At the time, Tarasenko’s health was still very much a contentious topic and it looked as though his NHL future was cloudy at best. After a 2021-22 resurgence that saw him author the most productive season of his career, Tarasenko looks to be in St. Louis to stay, despite recent rumblings. There were those who supposed that Tarasenko would be included in any of the Blues’ offers to the Calgary Flames for Matthew Tkachuk, but that wasn’t the case. According to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, the Blues never asked Tarasenko to waive his no-trade protection to be traded to the Flames. This report is likely an indication that the Blues have Tarasenko in their plans for next season, and his production could be increasingly important to their success thanks to the departure of David Perron.
  • The WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings have a new head coach. The team announced today that Luke Pierce was named their fifth head coach in modern history. Pierce, 38, has been an assistant for the Oil Kings for three regular seasons, stretching from 2018-19 to 2021-22. Pierce has prior WHL head coaching experience, as he was the head coach of the then-Kootenay Ice for two seasons from 2015-16 through 2016-17. His time at the helm of the rebuilding Ice didn’t go well, and he had just 26 wins in 144 games. Pierce will be in a better spot in Edmonton, though, as they just won the WHL title and had an extremely successful 50-14-4 record in the 2021-22 regular season. He takes over for Brad Lauer, who left to become an assistant coach on Rick Bowness’ Winnipeg Jets staff.

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