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Blues Remove Interim Tag From Drew Bannister

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The Blues have removed the interim tag from head coach Drew Bannister, signing him to a two-year extension Tuesday to make him the 27th permanent bench boss in franchise history. The deal keeps Bannister in St. Louis through the 2025-26 season and brings the number of coaching vacancies down to six, a number that’s expected to drop further this week with the Senators close to hiring Travis Green.

Bannister, 50, guided the Blues to a strong 30-19-5 record after they dismissed 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube on Dec. 12. After the team started 13-14-1 under Berube, Bannister got them to 92 points on the season, finishing ninth in the Western Conference and 16th in the league overall.

The former NHL defenseman has been in the Blues organization since 2018, serving as head coach and associate head coach of their AHL affiliates for parts of six seasons before his December promotion. He began his coaching career in England while still active as a player, serving as a player-assistant for the Elite Ice Hockey League’s Hull Stingrays in 2010-11 and a player-coach for Scotland’s Braehead Clan the following season.

After hanging up his skates in the summer of 2012, Bannister returned to North America, where he immediately resumed his coaching career as an assistant with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. Bannister held that role for three seasons before earning his first shot as a head coach, still in the OHL, with the Soo Greyhounds. In 2017-18, his final season with the club, the Greyhounds dominated the league with a 55-7-6 record, led by a 112-point campaign from future Flyers center Morgan Frost, earning him both CHL and OHL Coach of the Year honors. The Blues didn’t waste any time poaching him out of the junior ranks, appointing him head coach of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage shortly thereafter.

The Blues are a team in transition with a rapidly aging defense corps, but they still aim to be competitive. They showed they could do that under Bannister and would have made the playoffs this season with his record had they been in the Eastern Conference. Even if there were more experienced candidates on the market this summer, it’s hard to argue with actual results – something Bannister delivered with his four months at the helm to close the season.

Blackhawks Likely To Explore Center Market

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While the Blackhawks aren’t planning on becoming full-fledged buyers as soon as next season, it’s clear general manager Kyle Davidson wants to take some measured steps to ease out of their rebuild after coming up with their worst record of the post-Original Six era in 2023-24. That will include adding a second-line center to give some added depth and relieve rising sophomore Connor Bedard of some pressure, Scott Powers of The Athletic said Tuesday.

Entering this season, the Blackhawks hoped 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel could assume the role. The German forward took a major step forward in his development in 2022-23, impressing with 20 goals and 51 points in 55 games with AHL Rockford and a strong showing in 23 NHL games (seven goals, 15 points, 16:22 ATOI).

But without much help around him, Reichel struggled with a full-time major league role and was even demoted back to Rockford for a stretch in February and March. He finished the campaign with only five goals, 16 points and a -29 rating in 65 games while averaging just over 14 minutes, and he was shifted back to left wing early on after going 43.4% in the faceoff dot.

That led to 28-year-old Jason Dickinson getting most of the reps as Chicago’s second-line center this season. The 2013 first-round pick of the Stars performed admirably in the process, having a career year with 22 goals, 35 points, and decidedly above-average possession metrics while averaging 16:34 per game.

Dickinson also took over 1,000 faceoffs for the first time and won exactly 50%, also a career-high. It earned him a two-year, $8.5MM extension in Chicago midway through the season, but he’s more suited for a third-line role on a competitive club.

Outside of Dickinson and Bedard, who tied for the team lead in goals, the Blackhawks were abysmal offensively. Second- and third-place scorers Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev were no doubt buoyed by being Bedard’s linemates for most of the season, as the likely Calder Trophy winner still managed to churn out 61 points in 68 games on a severely undermanned group while missing time with a broken jaw.

The Hawks’ 2.17 goals per game were the worst in the league, ever so slightly behind the last-place Sharks. Getting back to the 70-80 point range, a reasonable goal for the Hawks next season, will require more forward depth.

Chicago holds 13 picks in the first two rounds over the next three years, but they’re still too early in their rebuild to start parting with assets for established talent. That could come as soon as next summer if everything goes right in 2024-25, but for now, that leaves the unrestricted free agent market as Davidson’s main option to add a pivot.

Many of the true second-line options on the market, such as Sean Monahan, have expressed their desire to play with a contender. They likely won’t be able to land a major upgrade on Dickinson, but someone like Rangers pending UFA Jack Roslovic could fit the bill as a more offensively-inclined option.

Davidson has the cap space to target more highly-touted options like Matt Duchene, Elias Lindholm and Chandler Stephenson, but there are immediate questions about whether any of them would be willing to jump into a rebuilding roster, even if it seems last season was the low point. Max Domi could also be a reasonable option to return for his second stint with the club after he led them in scoring in 2022-23 with 49 points in 60 games.

Evening Notes: Blackhawks, Utah, Reichel

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Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks will return to Milwaukee for another pre-season game at the Fiserv Forum. The Blackhawks will take on the St. Louis Blues on October 5th, 2024, two years after Chicago first played at the home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Two years ago, the preseason game in Milwaukee sold out in just minutes and brought in over 15000 fans to watch the Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild. This time around the Blackhawks are hoping for more of the same from the passionate fanbase. The city of Milwaukee is currently home to the Milwaukee Admirals, who are the AHL affiliate for the NHL’s Nashville Predators and averaged over 6K fans a game this season.

In other evening notes:

  • TSN Insider Chris Johnston is reporting that Utah has plans to build a brand-new practice arena that will house two or more NHL-standard ice rinks. The team hopes that the new building will be completed prior to the 2025-26 season, and it will also be the team’s official office. The building will also be used for recreation activities as well as youth and amateur hockey. The team is currently in the process of finding a temporary training and practice facility for next season.
  • Former Winnipeg Jets forward Kristian Reichel has signed a three-year contract in Germany to play with Adler Mannheim (according to Derek O’Brien of The Hockey News). The move means that the 25-year-old will be leaving the Jets organization after spending the past six seasons with the team, primarily as a member of the Manitoba Moose. Reichel just completed his best professional season in the AHL, having registered 23 goals and 19 assists in 70 games. The son of Robert Reichel was undrafted but worked his way through the minors and eventually signed an ELC with the Jets in 2020 and made his NHL debut in 2021-22. He played in 15 NHL games over parts of two seasons, tallying a goal and two assists.

Eastern Notes: Forbort, Devils, Maple Leafs

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort returned tonight for Boston taking Kevin Shattenkirk’s spot in the lineup. The 32-year-old Forbort was recalled two weeks ago from an LTI conditioning loan in which he played two AHL games and hasn’t played an NHL game since March 2nd due to an undisclosed injury.

The Duluth, Minnesota native posted four assists in 35 games with the Bruins this season, his third year with the team since signing a three-year deal as an unrestricted free agent in July 2021. The former first-round pick won’t put up much offense from the backend but will add a physical element for the Bruins, something that they are sure to need when they take on the Florida Panthers in the second round.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Jonathan Bailey of New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that the New Jersey Devils had detailed talks with former Stanley Cup champion head coach Craig Berube regarding the Devil’s head coaching vacancy. The 58-year-old Berube won the Stanley Cup with the Blues during his first season behind the bench in 2019 and was fired this past December after a 13-14-1 to start the season. He previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons before an extended run in the AHL. The Devils also reportedly engaged in conversations with former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that the Maple Leafs Sports And Entertainment President Keith Pelley, Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, and general manager Brad Treliving will now speak with the media on Friday instead of Thursday. While the scheduling change is a minor time and date change, it is sure to create additional speculation about what the Maple Leafs will do this summer. The Maple Leafs have won just a single playoff series since Shanahan took over the team back in April 2014, and have had three different general managers and two head coaches during that time. There is no indication as to what will be said during Friday’s press conference, but speculation is sure to heat up over the next 72 hours.

Hurricanes Sign Charles-Alexis Legault To ELC

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault to a three-year entry-level contract (via CapFriendly). The Hurricanes selected Legault with their 2023 fifth-round pick and he went on to lead the NCAA in plus/minus with a +36 while tallying nine goals and 15 assists in 39 games. Legault’s numbers were a massive improvement from his freshman season when he posted just two goals and seven assists in 40 games and were a big reason his Quinnipiac team won the NCAA Championship this season.

The 20-year-old will receive $775K in 2024-25, $832,500 in 2025-26 and $855K, in 2026-27 if he plays in the NHL, and his AHL salary would be $82,500 (per season) for all three years. He will also receive a $285,000 signing bonus spread out in three increments of $95K to be distributed each year of the contract.

The Hurricanes have done tremendous work over the last decade finding defensemen in the later rounds of the NHL entry draft and developing them into stars. Brett Pesce was a third-round pick (66th overall) while Jaccob Slavin was selected in the fourth round (120th overall). More recently Scott Morrow was selected in the second round and looks to be on his way to becoming the next great blueliner for the Hurricanes. If Carolina’s defensive development continues, Legault could pair up with Morrow soon as the Hurricanes might find themselves losing several defensemen to free agency over the next two summers.

Kings Notes: Blake, Dubois, Hiller

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Rob Blake will reportedly remain as the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings (according to Mayors Manor). Blake has been the Kings general manager since April 2017 and has steered the club through a lengthy rebuild that has resulted in three straight playoff appearances.

While making the postseason out of rebuild is a good first step for a team, the Kings have lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers in all three playoff showings and have yet to take the next step to get into the upper echelon of Western Conference contenders. While Blake has built a talented core around older veterans Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, the team has seen their point total drop from 104 points a year ago to just 99 points this season.

Blake has several big decisions to make this summer, including what to do with failed trade acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois who had a disastrous first season in Los Angeles. Blake told the media today that the team will not buyout Dubois, putting to rest a rumor that has been talked about widely in the media.

In other Los Angeles Kings notes:

  • Speaking of Dubois, the 25-year-old will reportedly suit up for Team Canada at the World Championships (according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). The Ste-Agathe-Des-Monts, Quebec native flopped in his first season with the Kings after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last summer and promptly signed an 8-year, $68-million contract. Dubois posted just 16 goals and 24 assists in 82 regular season games and then tallied a single goal in five playoff games as he struggled with discipline and posted 20 PIMs. Dubois blamed himself for his poor play this season and said he will do whatever it takes to have a better season in 2024-25. The World’s will give Dubois a chance to end his season on a strong note as he looks to improve over the summer and get back to the 60-point pace he displayed in the two seasons before the trade to Los Angeles.
  • The Kings are also reportedly discussing what they will do with the head coaching position for next season and a decision is expected in the next few weeks (via Mayors Manor). Jim Hiller took over as interim head coach on February 2nd and led the Kings to playoffs once again, however, his 1-3-1 system was scrutinized heavily by people surrounding the team and moving away from that type of system is being discussed by the management group. Hiller served as a Kings assistant coach for two seasons before taking over behind the bench and finished the year with a 21-12-1 record.

Atlantic Notes: Giles, Marner, Bertuzzi

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The Florida Panthers have added forward Patrick Giles to their playoff roster after recalling seven other players earlier today. Giles will effectively serve as one of the Panthers’ black aces and will practice with the team throughout their current playoff run. Giles recently completed his third season in the AHL with Florida’s AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers and will join many of his teammates in Florida.

Giles was an undrafted free agent signing out of college after spending four seasons with Boston College. The 24-year-old hasn’t produced much offensively at any level dating back to his junior days. This season with the Checkers, Giles posted 13 goals and 10 assists in 66 games in what was his best offensive season at any level in the past decade.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

  • NHL Insider Chris Johnston tweeted today that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner remains insistent that his desire is to remain a member of the Maple Leafs long-term. Much has been made of Marner’s play in the recent playoff losses, but the 27-year-old remains one of the top point producers in the league. The chatter around Marner is likely to heat up as Toronto is coming off another disappointing playoff exit, and his situation is further complicated by his contract status. Marner has one year left on his current deal at a cap hit of $10.9MM and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. The Markham, Ontario native had a bit of a down year this season, failing to hit 90 points for the first time in three seasons.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News tweeted today that Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi told reporters that he would be open to extending his contract with Toronto beyond this season. Bertuzzi is an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year $5.5MM deal with the Maple Leafs last July. Bertuzzi hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth time in his career but likely didn’t have the season he was hoping for despite playing a career-high 80 games. The 29-year-old tallied 21 goals and 22 assists with Toronto and should receive a multi-year contract this summer after settling for a one-year deal in his first trip through free agency.

Oilers Recall Eight Players

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May 6: Forward Xavier Bourgault has also been added to the Oilers’ playoff roster, the team said Monday. Bourgault, 21, was the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 draft. He’s yet to make his NHL debut and struggled in his sophomore season with Bakersfield, limited to eight goals and 20 points in 55 games. He has one year remaining on his entry-level contract

May 4: After bringing up goaltender Jack Campbell and defenseman Philip Broberg earlier, the Oilers have finalized the rest of their ‘Black Ace’ recalls.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forwards Adam Erne, Raphael Lavoie, and Lane Pederson, defensemen Philip Kemp, Cam Dineen, and Ben Gleason, and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue from AHL Bakersfield.

Among the forwards, Erne played the most with Edmonton this season, getting into 24 games but was limited to just two points and less than eight minutes a night of ice time but did average nearly three hits per game.  The 29-year-old didn’t light it up with the Condors either, recording six goals and six helpers in 36 minor league appearances.  However, if the Oilers decide they want some extra physicality on the fourth line here and there, the pending UFA could get into the lineup.

Lavoie cleared waivers at the end of training camp but that didn’t deter him.  Instead, the 23-year-old had his best AHL campaign, notching 28 goals and 22 assists in 68 games while also making his first seven NHL appearances.  That should have him in the mix for a roster spot with Edmonton against next season although it would be surprising to see him get into the lineup now.

Pederson, meanwhile, failed to make an NHL appearance for the first time since 2019-20.  He did, however, have a strong year with Bakersfield, collecting 22 goals and 30 helpers in 66 contests.  He’s under contract for one more year at the league minimum on a one-way deal.

As for the blueliners, only Kemp saw NHL action this season, making his first (and only) appearance at the top level.  The 25-year-old played in 64 games with the Condors this year, recording a pair of goals and 13 assists.  He’s signed through next season on a two-way contract.

Dineen has the most NHL experience among the blueliners brought up today, having gotten into 34 games with Arizona back in 2021-22.  He had his first full year in Bakersfield this season after being acquired last year, picking up five goals and 20 assists in 58 games.  The 25-year-old will be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency for the second straight year this summer.

Gleason’s last taste of NHL action came back in 2018-19 in his first professional season back when he was with Dallas.  Since then, the 26-year-old has been one of the more consistent offensive producers from the back end in the AHL and this year was no exception as he put up 10 goals and 22 assists in 62 appearances.  His contract converts to a one-way agreement next season for the league minimum.

Rodrigue was expected to split time with Calvin Pickard this season with Bakersfield but those plans changed with Campbell struggling and Pickard taking over as the backup in Edmonton.  Still, the 23-year-old posted a 2.73 GAA with a .916 SV% in 37 games with the Condors this season, earning himself a one-year extension along the way.

Most, if not all of these players won’t see any action during the rest of Edmonton’s postseason action but will be staying ready in case injuries warrant them suiting up.

Minor Transactions: 05/06/24

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Unrestricted free agency is still a handful of weeks away on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, but the offseason transfer period is well underway for teams in European professional leagues. This action often results in former NHLers heading overseas, changing hands, or terminating contracts in hopes of landing another NHL or AHL deal. As those moves come in, we’re keeping track of some notable names. Here are today’s minor moves:

  • Former Blackhawks and Ducks center Dennis Rasmussen has landed some security in the twilight of his career, inking a three-year deal to join Växjö Lakers HC of the Swedish Hockey League. The 33-year-old was a Växjö mainstay from 2011 to 2014 before signing with Chicago as an undrafted free agent, where he went on to score eight goals and 17 points in 112 games across the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Rasmussen signed with the Ducks in the summer of 2017, posting just a goal and four points in 27 games before being demoted to the minors and eventually mutually terminating his contract, paving the way for him to finish 2017-18 back in Växjö. He’s bounced around Europe since, spending three years with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk as well as HC Davos of the Swiss National League, where he spent the last three years. The big-bodied two-way center is still an effective depth scorer, potting seven goals and 28 points in 46 games for Davos last year.
  • A tough stretch continues for veteran winger Richard Pánik, who’s struggled to find stability since falling out of an NHL job with the Islanders two seasons ago. The 33-year-old has played for six clubs over the past three seasons, and it’ll be a seventh in four years if he wants to keep his career alive. HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga announced Monday that Pánik won’t be returning to the club after posting 14 points in 29 combined regular-season and playoff games to end the season. Pánik began the season in the Extraliga with HC Oceláři Třinec, whom the Lightning drafted him from in the second round in 2009, but was traded to Pardubice in January. The 6’2″ Slovak winger will carry over 500 games and nearly 200 points of NHL experience to wherever he lands next.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Devils Sign Jakub Malek To Entry-Level Deal

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1:03 p.m.: New Jersey plans to loan Málek back to Ilves for the 2024-25 season, reports the Daily Sentinel’s Ben Birnell.

12:29 p.m.: The Devils have signed goaltender Jakub Málek to a two-year, entry-level deal, per a club announcement Monday.

Málek, 22, was the Devils’ lone fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft, going off the board at 100th overall. The 6’4″, 190-lb netminder just wrapped up his fourth season spent primarily in the professional ranks, the last two of which have come in Finland with the Liiga’s Ilves.

In 27 appearances last season, Málek was strong with a 2.32 GAA, .915 SV%, two shutouts and a 16-4-5 record. He started three playoff contests for Ilves as well, posting a 1.87 GAA and .910 SV% as they were upset in five games in the quarterfinals by seventh-place KalPa after finishing with a 33-13-7-7 record in the regular season, second in the Liiga.

In his rookie campaign with Ilves last season, Málek posted a 9-7-4 record in 22 appearances with a .903 SV%, 2.15 GAA and two shutouts. The Czech netminder had spent his entire career in his home country up to that point, getting nearly all of his professional experience with VHK Vsetín in the 1. liga, Czechia’s second-tier pro league behind the Extraliga.

He made his debut there as a 16-year-old all the way back in 2018-19, accumulating a 2.13 GAA, .923 SV%, four shutouts and a 30-16-0 record in 47 appearances across four seasons. In 2021-22, his final season with Vsetín before making the jump to tougher competition in Finland, he was named to the 1. liga’s year-end All-Star Team, as well as taking home Best Goaltender and Best Junior Player honors.

Málek has flown under the radar when discussing Devils prospects, but his overall showing overseas against professional competition has been promising. He outperformed 32-year-old Jonas Gunnarsson in the Ilves crease this season and worked his way into a 1A role, suggesting he should be ready to face AHL action in Utica immediately upon arriving in North America.

New Jersey’s goaltending depth will be in flux this summer as the team looks to find an above-average starter on the trade market, but Málek’s signing indicates that their two pending UFAs at the minor-league level, Erik Källgren and Keith Kinkaid, won’t be back. Even so, it will be a crowded crease in Utica and in ECHL Adirondack. The Devils are expected to retain trade deadline pickup Jake Allen as a backup to their new addition, which still leaves Tyler Brennan, Nico Daws, Isaac Poulter and Akira Schmid under NHL contract at the minor-league levels. Daws or Schmid will likely be moved out in an eventual trade for a starter, though, likely leaving Málek and either Brennan or Poulter manning Utica’s crease with one odd man out starting games for Adirondack.

Málek will be a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2026. He’ll remain waiver-exempt for the life of his ELC unless he plays more than 60 NHL games. He was under contract with Ilves next season, one which the Devils have evidently bought him out of.

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