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Mark Stone Activated From Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Vegas Golden Knights will have their captain in the lineup for game one. Mark Stone has been officially activated from long-term injured reserve and will play against the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night. Stone told the media that he “feels really good and really confident” and is excited to return after such a long period away.

The 30-year-old winger last played on January 12, leaving the game after just four shifts as his back injury flared up. He underwent surgery a few weeks later, his second procedure in less than a year. Limited to just 43 games this season, he scored 17 goals and 38 points while still providing excellent defensive production. The Golden Knights were 28-13-2 with Stone in the lineup, and will now move into the postseason with their two-way leader back on the ice.

While there is no doubt that Stone has dealt with serious back issues the last few seasons, some will still point to the timing of his return as a problem with the league’s cap structure. The Golden Knights could not have activated him in the regular season, even if he was healthy enough to return, after using a large chunk of his LTIR relief. He can return without issue in the playoffs, with no cap ceiling, to try and help Vegas advance.

Now the question is whether he can be effective right away. Even though Winnipeg is a significant underdog, plenty of talented players could swing the series (Connor Hellebuyck, most notably). Vegas will need their best effort from puck drop, and it remains to be seen whether Stone can return to his usual level after such a long absence.

Mitch Love Wins AHL Coach Of The Year

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For the second year in a row, Mitch Love has won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding coach. The Calgary Wranglers bench boss led his team to a 51-17-4 record, blending a dynamic offensive attack with a smothering defensive structure. He is just the third coach to win the award in consecutive seasons (Bill Dineen and Robbie Ftorek are the others).

Overall, Love has a 96-33-11 record through his first two years behind an AHL bench. His meteoric rise through the ranks included just three years as head coach of the Saskatoon Blades before jumping to the AHL level, and now puts him on a trajectory toward NHL duties in the near future. With uncertainty surrounding the future of the Flames, though, it’s unclear if that will eventually come in Calgary. When the NHL squad parted ways with general manager Brad Treliving recently, reports indicated that head coach Darryl Sutter’s job was safe.

As teams around the league search for new candidates in the coming years, you can bet that Love’s name will start to surface. Two incredible years in the AHL may not be a very long track record, but it is an impressive one. He is the first coach in league history to win the award in his first two seasons.

During his playing career, Love was a prototypical “tough guy,” racking up penalty minutes without any real offensive impact. In 278 regular season AHL games, he scored just six goals but registered 808 penalty minutes. Before that, he was one of the most feared competitors in the WHL, once recording more than 300 PIM in a single season.

While the performance of Dustin Wolf as the AHL’s most outstanding goaltender has certainly helped through his first two years, the relationship is symbiotic. Love’s system has taken a lot of stress off his netminders, as there is almost always someone in the face of an attacking player as soon as they get the puck. With the top seed secured, the Wranglers will wait to see who they play in the Pacific Division semifinals.

East Injury Notes: Jeannot, McLeod, Foligno

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Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said today that forward Tanner Jeannot is progressing quicker than expected in his recovery from a leg injury and could suit up sometime during their First Round series. He listed Jeannot’s status as day-to-day and confirmed he will not play in Game 1 against Toronto tomorrow, although he did practice this morning.

Jeannot missed the last three games of the regular season after sustaining the injury in an April 6 game against the New York Islanders. The 25-year-old has struggled offensively with Tampa since he was acquired for a massive haul ahead of the trade deadline, recording a goal and three assists in 20 games. The Lightning are hoping Jeannot’s aggressive style of play can make more of an impact in the postseason when he returns to playing health.

  • New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod is available for Game 1 against the New York Rangers tomorrow, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed. McLeod missed the Devils’ 81st game of the season with an undisclosed injury and was scratched for their final game. The 25-year-old, who had 26 points in 80 games this season, is expected to make his playoff debut Tuesday.
  • While the availability of some other Boston Bruins players is uncertain, head coach Jim Montgomery said there’s a “strong possibility” Nick Foligno returns to the lineup tonight after a months-long absence. Foligno missed the last 22 regular-season games with a lower-body injury, but his return from long-term injured reserve gives the Bruins an additional 62 games of playoff experience to inject into their lineup. He notched one assist in seven playoff games with Boston last year.

Calgary Flames, Brad Treliving Agree To Part Ways

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The Calgary Flames and general manager Brad Treliving have mutually agreed to part ways upon the conclusion of his contract this season, the team announced Monday. Calgary has promoted Don Maloney to president of hockey operations, and he will serve as the interim general manager.

Interestingly enough, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Darryl Sutter’s job as head coach appears to be safe. Seravalli said it’s “fair to say” that Sutter’s continuation in his role influenced whether Calgary would re-sign Treliving.

Treliving had been with the Flames for nine years, during which he led the team to five playoff appearances. With the team massively underachieving this season after a transformational offseason, though, it was decided mutually that a new direction for both Treliving and the Flames was the right choice.

Maloney has been serving as senior vice president of hockey operations with the Flames for the past five seasons. He has previous GM experience in the NHL with the Coyotes, serving in that role from 2007 to 2016.

Calgary says Maloney’s appointment to the role is not permanent, and the interviewing process to find a new general manager will begin immediately.

For the Flames, it’s a chance to start a whole new regime on and off the ice, save for Sutter momentarily. With former core pieces Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan, and others gone by the wayside, along with noncommital answers on their future from Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm, there’s a chance for even more significant roster turnover in the near future.

Treliving is a very well-respected person in NHL front office circles, and, despite a disappointing end to his lengthy tenure in Calgary, should have no trouble finding another NHL role soon. Calgary Sports and Entertainment CEO and president John Bean gave a statement on Treliving’s departure:

It’s a difficult day when you must part ways with a quality colleague and friend. We are grateful of Brad’s contributions over the past nine years and wish him every success in his future, both personally and professionally. But for our fans and our business, we need to move forward, and we are confident with Don’s experience that we will find the right General Manager to build on Brad’s work and lead our team to the Stanley Cup.

AHL Shuffle: 04/17/23

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With the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning in under 12 hours, teams will begin to add some extra help to their rosters from the minors to have players on hand in case of injury. While some teams won’t make mass recalls of depth players (or “black aces”) until their affiliates are eliminated from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, the disappearance of the salary cap in the playoffs still offers teams the option to make smaller moves. We’ll keep track of today’s transactions right here.

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled forward Zac Dalpe from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and netminder Evan Fitzpatrick from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. Richards notes that Dalpe will return to Charlotte tomorrow for the Checkers’ playoff series, so he’s up momentarily to serve as an extra forward in case something goes awry for Florida pre-game. Fitzpatrick, who had strong numbers in limited ECHL action this season, will essentially serve as the team’s emergency goalie while on the active roster.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the Minnesota Wild are expected to recall Hunter Jones to serve as their third goalie, leaving both Jesper Wallstedt and Zane McIntyre stored in the minors for their AHL affiliate’s playoff run. Jones, a 2019 second-round pick of the Wild, posted a .905 save percentage and one shutout in 38 games with the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders this season.
  • The Nashville Predators sent major reinforcements to the Milwaukee Admirals today, re-assigning seven players, per a team release. After seeing NHL opportunities near the end of the season, the team has returned forwards Luke Evangelista, Michael McCarron, Mark Jankowski, Zach Sanford, Kiefer Sherwood, Philip Tomasino, and defenseman Spencer Stastney to the minors. Milwaukee, who finished second in the AHL’s Central Division, increases their status as a serious contender for the Calder Cup with these additions.
  • Netminder Brandon Bussi is back up with the Boston Bruins, also to serve as the team’s emergency netminder for tonight’s Game 1 against the Florida Panthers. Bussi, 24, has seen multiple recalls in recent days but has yet to play a minute of NHL action. He’ll head back to AHL Providence eventually as the presumptive starter for their playoff games.
  • In a similar fashion to many others, the Carolina Hurricanes brought up goalie Pyotr Kochetkov from the now-eliminated Chicago Wolves today. For the time being, he’ll serve as the third-string netminder behind Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, although Kochetkov has put up the best numbers of any Hurricanes goalie this season in limited action.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Oskari Salminen as their extra goaltender, while assigning Dmitri Kuzmin from the Flint Firebirds to the Manitoba Moose. Kuzmin’s OHL season ended last week with a seven-game loss to the Saginaw Spirits, and given he turns 20 in a few days, his junior career is over. The 2021 third-round defenseman scored 14 goals and 59 points in 65 games this season and will be an interesting prospect to watch as he transitions to the professional level.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Ottawa Senators Will Not Re-Sign Cam Talbot

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The Ottawa Senators will not re-sign pending unrestricted free agent goalie Cam Talbot, general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters today.

Ottawa acquired Talbot in an off-season trade with the Minnesota Wild, parting with breakout star Filip Gustavsson in return. He played in 36 games during a tough, injury-plagued season in Ottawa, posting a 17-14-2 record with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. With his play dipping and his age climbing, the team has opted not to keep him on board for another season.

Dorion said that contract negotiations with Talbot were never close, telling reporters the team was only prepared to offer a one-year extension. Talbot had requested a two-year contract, which Dorion didn’t offer.

With Talbot out of the picture, the Senators will be looking to add a new goaltender to their roster to supplement a hopefully healthy Anton Forsberg and the promising Mads Sogaard. Dorion also said Ottawa will likely explore another goaltender trade in the offseason.

Ottawa’s team save percentage of .895 last season was 20th in the league in 2022-23, a number lessened by injuries at times to both Forsberg and Talbot. To make a playoff appearance next season, goaltending consistency will need to be an area of improvement.

PHR Playoff Primer: Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild

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With the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs just a few days away, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We continue our look with the Central Division matchup between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.

For the second time in their history, these two franchises linked at the hip will face each other in a first-round matchup. After losing in six games to the Stars in 2016, the shorthanded Wild are once again tasked with attempting to knock out the team that preceded them in the hockey capital of the United States.

Dallas has enjoyed their first 100-point season since defeating the Wild in 2016, while the Wild maintained their grip on a divisional playoff spot despite the absence of Kirill Kaprizov for much of the season’s last few weeks. Now likely without another important piece in Joel Eriksson Ek to start the series, though, Minnesota will need to continue their next-player-up mentality to avoid their seventh straight first-round loss.

Regular Season Performance

Dallas: 47-21-14, 108 points, +67 goal differential
Minnesota: 46-25-11, 103 points, +21 goal differential

Head-To-Head

December 4, 2022: Minnesota 6, Dallas 5 (SO)
December 29, 2022: Dallas 4, Minnesota 1
February 8, 2023: Minnesota 1, Dallas 4
February 17, 2023: Dallas 1, Minnesota 2 (SO)

Season series tied 2-2

Team Storylines

These two teams present an interesting matchup for an unusual reason: each team’s two biggest strengths may just cancel each other out.

Jason Robertson’s season needs no introduction. Not only did his 109 points finish tied for sixth in the NHL, but they also blew past Mike Modano’s Dallas single-season record of 93, set back in 1993-94, the team’s first year in Texas.

Unfortunately, he’s matched up against Kaprizov, who nabbed the Calder Trophy away from Robertson in 2021. Despite missing 15 games, Kaprizov potted 40 goals for a second straight season and played over 21 minutes per game.

Where Dallas pulls away in this matchup, at least on offense, is their center depth, especially with Eriksson Ek’s injury concerns. While the Wild cornerstone center is progressing faster than anticipated in his return from a lower-body injury, Dallas’ lineup down the middle of Roope Hintz, Max Domi (or Tyler Seguin), rookie Wyatt Johnston, and potential Selke contender Radek Faksa could prove tough matchups for Minnesota’s lacking center core.

The x-factor in Eriksson Ek’s absence will undoubtedly be Ryan Hartman, who’s still a top-six player but not the 34-goal scorer we saw last season. After putting up five assists in six playoff games against St. Louis last season, they’ll need similar playoff production from him between Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello to round out their depth.

Both teams also boast some of the best young goalies in the league, but they carry different degrees of certainty. Dallas knows what they’re getting in the postseason with 24-year-old Jake Oettinger, who nearly had one of the most incredible series steals in NHL history against Calgary last year with a .954 save percentage in a seven-game loss.

For the Wild, Filip Gustavsson, also 24, finished near the top of NHL leaderboards with a .931 save percentage and 2.10 goals-against average, albeit with only 37 starts compared to Oettinger’s 61. That’s because the battle-tested Marc-Andre Fleury remains an option for Minnesota after recording a .906 save percentage and a 2-3 record in five games against St. Louis last season.

Both teams boast stingy defenses, although Dallas’ actual results this season overpower that of Minnesota’s reputation. That’s not to discredit how well the Wild limited chances against this season — however, Dallas finished second in the NHL in expected goals against, per MoneyPuck, behind only the Carolina Hurricanes. If Dallas can impose their system against an already somewhat goal-starved Wild team, it could be another early exit for Minnesota.

Prediction

The Minnesota Wild are a good hockey team with distinct strengths. However, the Stars don’t provide an advantageous stylistic matchup for Minnesota’s first series win in eight years.

Dallas has had a better season at both ends of the puck and boasts the goalie with stronger recent playoff experience and more stamina as a starter. None of this includes the track record of first-year head coach Peter DeBoer, notorious for making deep playoff runs in his first seasons with a team.

Both teams play structured games, though, and it shouldn’t be a quick out for the Wild by any means. Dallas has the necessary advantages to pull out a series win, though, as they look to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in four years.

The prediction: Dallas wins in six games.

Five Key Stories: 4/10/23 – 4/16/23

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The regular season has come to an end and as is often the case, there was plenty of notable news around the NHL which is recapped in our key stories.

Pittsburgh Shakes Up Front Office: After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006, changes are coming in Pittsburgh as the team fired GM Ron Hextall, assistant GM Chris Pryor, and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke.  Hextall and Burke hadn’t been at the helm for long with their tenures lasting a little over 26 months in total.  However, the Penguins haven’t had much on-ice success over that stretch and many of their moves made over the past year haven’t worked out as intended.  Whoever takes over for Hextall will be tasked with navigating a tough salary cap situation to try to get Pittsburgh back into the postseason as it’s hard to see them entering a rebuild with as many core veterans locked up as they have.

Five For Gaudreau: It’s safe to say that Wild center Frederick Gaudreau has been a late bloomer.  He only became a truly full-fledged regular last season at the age of 28 but has quickly become a reliable secondary part of Minnesota’s attack.  He was rewarded for his efforts with a five-year, $10.5MM extension that begins next season, a deal that more than doubles his career earnings thus far and gives him some long-term stability for the first time.  Gaudreau set a new career high in goals with 19 this season while picking up 38 points, six shy of his benchmark from a year ago.  On top of that, the 29-year-old led all Minnesota forwards in shorthanded ice time.  If he continues to play at this level, this contract should become a team-friendly one fairly quickly.

Landeskog Won’t Return: Throughout the year, the recovery timeline for Gabriel Landeskog’s knee injury kept getting pushed back but there remained optimism that he’d be back for the playoffs.  That won’t be the case, however, as he has been ruled out for the entire postseason.  In the end, instead of missing 12 weeks after undergoing surgery in October, he’ll wind up missing at least 12 months assuming he’s cleared to return for the start of 2023-24.  While Colorado won the Central Division, Landeskog’s absence will certainly be felt as they look to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.  Last season, the veteran had 59 points in 51 games in the regular season before adding 22 more in 20 playoff contests.

Coaching Changes: As is often the case when the season ends, coaching changes have started around the league.  First, on Friday, the Ducks announced that they won’t renew the contract of Dallas Eakins.  He spent four seasons behind the bench in Anaheim but they managed just 100 wins over that stretch in 291 games.  Then, the Capitals revealed that they and Peter Laviolette had mutually agreed to part ways.  Laviolette was at the helm for three seasons with the team posting a 115-78-27 record along the way.  He will likely come up as an option for the other openings this spring.  Then, on Saturday, the Blue Jackets parted ways with Brad Larsen after just two years.  Columbus underachieved under his tutelage, posting a record of just 62-86-16.  All three teams will now begin their searches for their new bench bosses.

Moving On: At this point, it remains unclear whether Jonathan Toews will play next season; there has been some recent speculation that he might retire.  However, if he does come back for a 16th NHL campaign, it won’t be with Chicago as the team announced that they will not be re-signing the 34-year-old.  Toews, who scored in his final game with the Blackhawks, winds up his time with the franchise with 883 points in 1,067 games plus a trio of Stanley Cup titles.  All in all, Chicago did quite well selecting him third overall back in 2006.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mikael Backlund Unsure About Signing Extension With Flames

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Mikael Backlund has been a fixture in Calgary’s lineup for well over a decade as the center has suited up in over 900 games for them over parts of 15 seasons.  Along the way, it has widely been expected that the 34-year-old would be someone who sticks with the Flames for his entire career.  However, speaking with reporters recently (video link), Backlund expressed some hesitance in committing to signing another deal with them this summer:

I’ve been here for a long time and I love Calgary, I love this organization.  But the year that we had, I’m 34 years old and I want to win the Stanley Cup and I … I don’t know this summer what’s going to happen, if they even offer me anything. I might want to see what this group can do before I make a decision.

It’s worth noting that Backlund has one more year remaining on his deal, a pact that carries a $5.35MM AAV and a 21-team no-trade clause so in the short term, he probably isn’t going anywhere.

Interestingly, in a season where not a lot went right for Calgary, things certainly went well for Backlund as he potted 19 goals and 37 assists while playing all 82 games, setting new career highs in assists and points in the process.  The Flames were in the bottom half of the league offensively but while others struggled, Backlund did quite well.  So much so, in fact, that he could be in line to command a similar price tag to his current deal on an extension, a scenario that wouldn’t have been realistic even a year ago.

It’s telling that Backlund hinted at wanting to see what happens with this group before deciding on if he wants to remain with the only NHL organization he has ever played for.  Things haven’t gone well for Calgary in the past year with Johnny Gaudreau leaving in free agency and Matthew Tkachuk indicating he wouldn’t sign a long-term agreement after the playoffs last season.  Their acquisitions in that swap – winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar – both underachieved.  They entered this season as a speculative contender and finished outside the playoffs altogether.

When things don’t go as planned, players understandably aren’t as openly enthusiastic about the prospect of sticking around; Elias Lindholm, in the same contractual situation as Backlund, was even less committal (video link) about his future.

We’ll see what happens.  I have one more year and I’m gonna look at it that way. I have one more year, and that’s all I can say.

That type of response from Lindholm isn’t entirely surprising given that he’s likely heading for a max-term agreement on his next contract so it’s understandable that he might want to see what the market brings in 2024.  But for Backlund, a player who many thought would be a ‘forever Flame’, to be hesitant about an early extension is a sign of how much they’ve fallen over the past year and indicative of the team needing a busy summer to restore some faith in its direction.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Golden Knights Notes: Hill, Thompson, Recalls

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Having successfully gotten through his conditioning stint earlier this month, Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill confirmed to reporters today (video link) that he has fully recovered and is available to dress for Tuesday’s series opener against Winnipeg.  He has been out for more than a month with a lower-body injury and posted the lowest GAA on the team at 2.45 while contributing a .915 SV%.  However, at this time, Hill isn’t sure if he’ll be dressing for Game One with Laurent Brossoit set to get the start against his former team.  Either Hill or trade deadline acquisition Jonathan Quick will serve as the backup.

More from Vegas:

  • Goaltender Logan Thompson has not yet resumed skating, relays Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The 26-year-old, who was the starter for most of the season and also posted a .915 SV%, has played just once in the last two months.  At this point, it seems safe to suggest that he won’t be available to play in the first round at a minimum and with three other healthy netminders, even if he is cleared later on and Vegas moves on, it’s hardly a guarantee that he’ll be in uniform when the time comes.
  • With AHL Henderson’s season now over and the Silver Knights not playoff-bound, the Golden Knights have made two recalls, per CapFriendly (Twitter links) as defenseman Kaedan Korczak and Brayden Pachal are back up with Vegas. Both players picked up two assists in ten NHL contests this season.  Korczak also collected 14 points in 50 games with Henderson while Pachal collected 15 in 55 appearances.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see other players recalled in the near future to comprise their ‘Black Aces’ group.
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