Metro Notes: Strome, Flyers, Hanus
It was obvious to anyone watching the Eastern Conference Final that New York Rangers forward Ryan Strome wasn’t playing fully healthy. During his end-of-season availability today, Strome revealed that he had suffered a pelvic injury midway through the regular season and managed it all the way through the rest of the season and playoffs.
What’s unclear at this point is whether surgery will be required or not. It’s bad timing for Strome, who could hit unrestricted free agency on July 13 if he’s not re-signed by the Rangers. Strome did express his interest in re-signing today, but it’s anyone’s guess whether or not that will come to fruition. With the bevy of Rangers prospects finally starting to emerge through the cracks, the team will have to make space for those kids somewhere. It seems logical from an organizational perspective that Strome wouldn’t be retained, especially with the acquisition of Andrew Copp.
- The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco refutes the reports that the Philadelphia Flyers have narrowed down their coaching search. He does go so far as to say that the three rumored finalists of Barry Trotz, John Tortorella, and Peter DeBoer are still under consideration, but he makes the distinction that the Flyers have just two or three names remaining on their coaching search list. Whether or not an outsider to those three ends up with the job remains to be seen.
- The ‘Baby Penguins’ made some news today, as AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton announced the signing of defenseman Clay Hanus from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks for 2022-23. The Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate will add some solid defensive depth, as Hanus exploded for 74 points in 68 games this year. He’ll look to continue his development as an undrafted free agent with WBS and hopefully receive an NHL deal from Pittsburgh at some point down the road.
Snapshots: Colorado Injuries, Florida Coaches, Kelly Cup, Toporowski
As Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports, Colorado Avalanches forwards Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano both skated this morning, while Andre Burakovsky simply had a maintenance day (link). Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar also spoke with the media today, including Chambers, telling them that both Kadri and Cogliano were not yet ruled out for Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, which is set to get underway Wednesday night in Denver (link).
Cogliano was able to play in all four games of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, and even played 11:54 in Game Four, his highest mark of these playoffs. Though not one of Colorado’s star players, Cogliano brings with him leadership and plenty of playoff success, a key asset to have in a Stanley Cup Final with many players who have never been in this position before. Kadri, on the other hand, is a key 200-foot player for the Avalanche who was lost just 37 seconds into Game Three of the conference finals where he was boarded, and injured, by Edmonton’s Evander Kane. On Monday, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Kadri had surgery to repair his thumb which was injured during the Kane hit and was unlikely to return in the playoffs. Kadri’s status still has not changed, but today’s comments from Bednar do provide some hope that perhaps the star center will return to the lineup during the series.
- Earlier today, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes tweeted out a video, reporting that the Florida Panthers had relieved assistant coaches Derek MacKenzie and Ulf Samuelsson of their duties. Weekes adds that assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu is still with the club, as is goaltending coach Robb Tallas. Additionally, Weekes says that there have been no contract talks or additional updates on Tallas or head coach and Jack Adams Award finalist Andrew Brunette. Weekes has reported several breaking stories this season, however it is important to note that the moves have not been confirmed yet by the Panthers, who still include MacKenzie and Samuelsson as coaches on their site.
- While the NHL and AHL continue to battle for a league champion, the ECHL has crowned their own, with the Florida Everblades winning the 2022 Kelly Cup last night. The Eastern Conference Champion Everblades defeated the Western Conference Champions, the Toledo Walleye, in the finals to secure the title. The Playoffs MVP was awarded to former University of North Dakota star goaltender Cam Johnson. Johnson has played parts of four seasons with the Everblades, as well as parts of three AHL seasons, including time with the Binghamton Devils and the Cleveland Monsters.
- The Providence Bruins, the AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, have made an early offseason signing, bringing in forward Luke Toporowski on a two-year AHL contract, reports NHL.com’s Mark Divver. The 21-year-old Toporowski is a skilled forward who has produced offense every step of the way. Toporowski began his junior career in 2017-18 with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, where he would spend three seasons before moving to the USHL, playing with the Sioux Falls Stampede for a majority of the 2020-21 campaign before heading back to the WHL. In 2021-22, the forward had 63 points in just 49 games spread between the Spokane Chiefs and the Kamloops Blazers. Divver adds that Toporowski is likely to join the Boston Bruins in development camp this summer too.
Snapshots: Flyers Head Coach Search, Sharks GM Search, Point, Kannok-Leipert
According to Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, the Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly narrowed down their list of candidates for their vacant Head Coach position (link). It appears the finalists for the position include, but may not be limited to, John Tortorella and Barry Trotz. The Flyers recently held their second interview of Torotrella in Philadelphia and have since told other candidates that they are no longer in the running for the position. In addition to Tortorella and Trotz, the Flyers have also interviewed the likes of Mike Velucci, Rick Tocchet, Jim Montgomery, Jeff Blashill, David Quinn, and likely others who have not been named. It’s unclear if any of these are also finalists in addition to Tortorella or Trotz.
Seeing the Flyers narrow their field is an interesting development for the coaching market as a whole, as more positions, and candidates, have opened up as time has gone on, but few of those positions have been filled. Philadelphia making a decision, depending on when that decision comes and who is selected, could serve to get the ball rolling for the rest of the league. Philadelphia has struggled in recent seasons, culminating in trading franchise forward Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers in March, however the organization has shown an unwillingness to commit to a true rebuild. Hiring either of Tortorella or Trotz would certainly help the organization get back to its winning ways, even as the team’s roster experiences some transition in personnel.
- From one high-profile search to another, it appears the San Jose Sharks are also planning to narrow their list of candidates for their vacant General Manager position this week, says The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. It’s unclear who exactly would be on the Sharks’ shortlist, though LeBrun says the organization has had lengthy interviews of 4 to 6 hours each with a dozen candidates. The organization made clear after former GM Doug Wilson stepped down that they would take their time finding his replacement. Much like the Flyers, the organization has shown they are not interested in a lengthy rebuild and would like to find a GM who shares that vision (link).
- After earlier reports that Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point could be a game-time decision for tonight’s Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals, it appears he is now considered doubtful, says Seravalli. Though it would be disappointing for Tampa to again be without one of their best players, Seravalli does add that Point is very likely to play in Tampa’s next game, whether that be in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, or in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, depending on the result of tonight’s game. Point was injured during Game Seven of Tampa Bay’s first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and has not played since. As crucial as Point has been to Tampa Bay’s recent playoff success, the team has managed to go 8-2 since he went down, including the game against Toronto, losing only the first two games of the conference final.
- The Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, announced they have signed defenseman Alex Kannok-Leipert to a one-year contract extension that covers the 2022-23 season. Originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in 2018, Kannok-Leipert spent five years with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, where he was team captain for two seasons before turning pro and signing with Abbotsford ahead of the 2021-22 season. The defenseman had a solid rookie campaign in the AHL, putting up five points to go with a plus-5 rating in 41 games. An interesting note on Kannok-Leipert is though a Regina, Saskatchewan native, he was born in Thailand and is the first Thailand-born player in AHL history and the first to be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft.
Minor Transactions: 06/09/22
Only three teams remain in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which means that the rest of the league (and their development affiliates in the AHL) are focused on preparing their rosters for next season. There’s been a lot of movement on the AHL front today, and those transactions will be tracked here.
- The Hartford Wolf Pack announced today that the team’s agreed to terms with forward Cristiano DiGiacinto on a one-year AHL contract. The 1996-born Canadian forward is a former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, but the team let his exclusive signing rights expire after they selected him in the sixth round in 2014. After a four-year junior career with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and a four-year collegiate career in Canada with Acadia University, DiGiacinto turned pro last season with Hartford and notched six goals, seven assists, and 13 points in 47 games. The 26-year-old will look to turn out an increase in numbers next season to potentially earn an NHL contract from Hartford’s parent club, the New York Rangers.
- Forward Riley McKay and defenseman Cliff Watson are returning to the Rockford IceHogs on one-year AHL contracts, while the team also added goalie Mitchell Weeks on a two-year AHL deal. The 23-year-old McKay spent the majority of the 2021-22 season with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel but did earn a callup to four AHL games with Rockford. The 6’0″, 203-pound enforcer tallied up nearly 200 penalty minutes in those ECHL games and will reprise a similar role in the organization. Watson, now a professional veteran, was the captain of the Fuel last season but earned a 20-game AHL callup, notching four assists. The 2001-born Weeks went undrafted after a pair of mediocre seasons with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves but impressed in a brief professional appearance last season, putting up a .923 save percentage in three playoff games with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. He’ll try and continue that upward trajectory in Rockford.
- Evan Fitzpatrick is staying in the Florida Panthers organization after the team signed him to a one-year AHL contract. Coming from the Charlotte Checkers, Fitzpatrick signed an NHL deal with Florida last season with the team having too few goalies under NHL contract. The former second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues will look to lock down a solid AHL role after being demoted to the ECHL with the crease in Charlotte too crowded in 2021-22.
Cleveland Monsters Promote Trent Vogelhuber
The youngest head coach in the AHL is now Trent Vogelhuber after he was officially promoted by the Columbus Blue Jackets today as head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, their minor league affiliate.
Vogelhuber, 33, has served as an assistant with the club for the last four seasons and won a Calder Cup with the team in 2016 (then the Lake Erie Monsters). Drafted 211th overall in 2007, the Ohio native spent parts of seven seasons in the AHL before retiring in 2018.
Blue Jackets director of player personnel Chris Clark released the following statement:
We are thrilled to name Trent Vogelhuber as the next head coach of the Cleveland Monsters. Trent has done a terrific job as an assistant coach over the past four years, including leading the bench at times during this past season, and has earned this opportunity. He is extremely bright, hard-working and passionate about the game and we believe he will succeed in both developing our young players and putting a winning team on the ice for the passionate fans in Cleveland.
Getting to the head coach level already is a strong indicator that Vogelhuber will eventually be manning an NHL bench in some fashion, though that’s something for down the road. For now, his focus will be building on the work of veteran coach Mike Eaves, who stepped away from the club in April after three seasons behind the bench of the Monsters.
Dallas Stars Sign Alexander Petrovic
5:30 PM: The Dallas Stars have now officially announced the signing.
4:00 PM: While the Dallas Stars are currently searching for the franchise’s next head coach, that hasn’t stopped their front office from conducting some offseason business as well. With big negotiations for Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger set to come, the team has decided to take care of some smaller business first. Earlier today, the team signed pending restricted free agent Denis Gurianov, and now CapFriendly reports that the team is re-signing an important AHL defenseman: Alexander Petrovic.
Per CapFriendly, the team has signed Petrovic to a one-year, two-way deal carrying a $750k salary at the NHL level and a $350k AHL salary, which represents a $25k raise from what the Stars paid Petrovic at the AHL level last year. Petrovic, 30, is a veteran of 263 NHL games, and while he has never quite lived up to some of the potential he flashed as a Florida Panther, he has become a reliable AHL defenseman. Petrovic got into 71 games for the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, and notched 19 points. His defensive game was his calling card and the Stars found his leadership and experience value as well, represented by the fact that he served as one of the team’s alternate captains.
While we don’t know if we’ll see Petrovic skate in another NHL game, we do know that the stability his prominent role in Texas provides will likely give him the best chance to return to the NHL in the future. There’s always room for solid defensemen on NHL rosters, so this signing provides Petrovic with an opportunity for next year to prove that he belongs back in the league he’s spent much of his career playing in.
Josef Korenar Signs In Czechia
The Arizona Coyotes won’t have Josef Korenar as an option in net next season, as the young netminder has signed a two-year contract with HC Sparta in Czechia. The team will still be able to retain his rights with a qualifying offer, but won’t see him on this side of the ocean for a while.
Korenar, 24, was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with a second-round pick in exchange for Adin Hill and a seventh last summer, after he had made his underwhelming NHL debut in the 2020-21 season. This year he saw some time with the Coyotes as well, appearing in two games and stopping 32 of 35 shots he faced for a .914 save percentage.
The trouble was more in the minor leagues, where Korenar was shelled behind a bad Tucson Roadrunners team and even saw a bit of time in the ECHL. With Karel Vejmelka‘s emergence in the Arizona crease, it seemed likely that the undrafted Korenar would eventually take his talents somewhere else.
In this case, it is back home, where he’s played sparingly since his junior years. The Sharks signed him in 2017 after a strong season with the Lincoln Stars, and he’s played nearly 100 AHL games in the years since. While his rights will be held with a qualifying offer, this may be the last we see of Korenar in the Coyotes organization, as they will expire when he turns 27, just a year after this new contract is complete.
Zachary Bolduc Assigned To AHL
With the Quebec Remparts eliminated a few days ago, Zachary Bolduc is now free to get a taste of the professional ranks. The St. Louis Blues prospect has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, who are in the midst of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Laval Rocket.
Bolduc, 19, was the 17th overall pick in last year’s draft and emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the QMJHL this season. He finished tied for second in league scoring with 55 goals, 22 ahead of his nearest teammate. His 99 points also put him near the very top of the list, and he continued it into the playoffs with strong performances through three rounds.
Given he only turned 19 in February, Bolduc is another one of those top prospects that will face a difficult challenge next fall. It’s either the NHL or junior for him as he will not be eligible to play full-time in the AHL, meaning this action with Springfield will be his only taste of the minor leagues for quite a while.
The Thunderbirds will play game three of their series tomorrow night, and it remains to be seen whether Bolduc will actually get into any game action at this most important juncture.
Luke Cavallin Signs AHL Contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs have obviously decided on a very specific development path for goaltenders. Like Keith Petruzzelli and Dryden McKay before him, Luke Cavallin has signed a two-year AHL contract with the organization, following his outstanding season for the Flint Firebirds.
Cavallin, 21, was an undrafted overage prospect playing in the OHL this season, where he posted a 36-14-4 record and a .910 save percentage. A few days ago, he was ousted from the third round of the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion, his team failing to score a goal in the deciding game seven after losing game six in overtime. In 19 playoff appearances, Cavallin registered a .929 save percentage.
If he is a late bloomer, he’ll now have the time and resources to continue his path through professional hockey with this two-year minor league contract. The young netminder will likely start in the ECHL given how many goaltenders are now in the Maple Leafs system, giving him the chance to play for the Newfoundland Growlers in 2022-23.
For Toronto, finding a long-term solution in net has been extremely difficult. Jack Campbell, the team’s starter this year, is a pending free agent and could be headed to the open market next month. Taking swings with these young netminders could potentially pay off, but there is still lots for Cavallin to improve on before he makes a mark in the NHL.
Coaching Notes: Newcomers, Aubin, Trotz
There are a ton of veteran head coaches on the market this summer but for some teams, hiring a new face might be more appealing. Not only does it usually come at a much lower cost, but some of the up-and-coming options may also look even more attractive after their recent success in the minor leagues, junior ranks, or as assistants.
Today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic examined some of the younger or more inexperienced options that could be available this summer, including names like Derek Lalonde, Jeff Halpern, and Spencer Carbery, all currently serving as NHL assistants. It’s quite an extensive list and includes some outside-the-box suggestions, including someone like Jukka Jalonen, head coach of the Finnish national team. Jalonen recently took Finland to gold at both the Olympics and World Championship and has a long history of success on the international stage.
- Another option from overseas not on LeBrun’s list is Serge Aubin, who got a shoutout in Elliotte Friedman’s latest for Sportsnet. The former NHL forward has been coaching in Germany for the past three seasons, and before that was leading benches in Switzerland and Austria. Friedman writes that Aubin could be getting attention for an AHL coaching role at the moment.
- Like every coaching discussion right now, things always work their way back to Barry Trotz and his impending decision on where to go next. Friedman suggests that the whole carousel might be being held up by the veteran coach but also notes that the Winnipeg Jets are “very very serious” about Trotz and may not have even done any detailed interviews with other candidates to this point. The Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vegas Golden Knights are the other teams currently linked to Trotz, as the hockey world waits on his decision.