Pacific Notes: Carrier, Pettersson, Oilers
Golden Knights winger William Carrier did not accompany the team to Winnipeg and, accordingly, won’t play until at least Game Five of their series, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Sun (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has missed the last seven weeks with a lower-body injury but has started skating again, albeit in a non-contact jersey. Carrier had 16 goals and 133 hits in 56 games this season, giving them some impressive depth scoring inside their bottom six while his style of play fits in well in the postseason. Head coach Bruce Cassidy hasn’t yet ruled out Carrier returning in this series so it’s possible that he gets the green light to return next week.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- Canucks center Elias Pettersson is hoping to play at the World Championship next month but is still working through the insurance process, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. The 24-year-old had a career year this season, picking up 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games, putting him tenth in the NHL in scoring. Pettersson has one year left on his deal and will be eligible to sign an extension in July but as he’s in this situation, his agent Pat Brisson indicated that disability insurance needs to be secured for Pettersson to play in the event.
- The Oilers are expected to announce their ‘Black Ace’ recalls on Sunday, suggests Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). AHL Bakersfield was eliminated from the playoffs last night by Abbotsford. As a result, Edmonton can recall as many players as they want with forward Dylan Holloway likely to be the headliner. With Mattias Janmark out of the lineup, it’s possible that Holloway could get into their series against Los Angeles at some point.
Kings Sign Erik Portillo To Entry-Level Deal
After they acquired his rights from Buffalo, it was only a matter of time before the Kings signed prospect Erik Portillo. That move has now come as the team announced that they’ve signed the goaltender to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal, which begins this season, carries an AAV of $875K.
Los Angeles acquired the 22-year-old from the Sabres in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick at the trade deadline after Portillo indicated to Buffalo that he wasn’t planning to sign with them. He had a 25-11-2 record with a 3.00 GAA and a .908 SV% in 38 games with Michigan this season, helping to lead them to a spot in the Frozen Four. Those numbers were actually a step back from his first two college campaigns as his time at that level concluded with a 2.49 GAA and a .918 SV% in 87 appearances over three seasons.
After Michigan was eliminated in the tournament earlier this month, he signed a tryout agreement with AHL Ontario. However, he didn’t see any game action and the Reign were eliminated by Colorado in the first round last night. In order for Portillo to be eligible to play in the playoffs, he needed to have his AHL tryout converted into an NHL deal which has now occurred.
Portillo is likely earmarked for the Reign again next season where it’s possible that he teams up with Cal Petersen if the Kings run him through waivers again. If that happens, Ontario’s goalie tandem will be two players who were originally picked by Buffalo, went to college, and ultimately chose not to sign with the Sabres; Portillo was a 2019 third-rounder while Petersen was a 2013 fifth-round selection.
Wild Fire Most Of AHL Coaching Staff
The Wild will have close to a new coaching staff at the AHL level next season as they announced that the contracts of head coach Tim Army and assistants Nate DiCasmirro and Nolan Yonkman will not be renewed for next season.
Iowa had a 34-27-11 record this season but they were quickly eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs, dropping their best-of-three series against Rockford (Chicago) in two straight games. Top prospects Marco Rossi (51 points in 53 games) and Jesper Wallstedt (.908 SV% in 38 contests) both had good seasons but their improvement evidently wasn’t enough to keep the coaching staff intact.
Army has led Iowa for the past five seasons but they haven’t had a lot of postseason success in that stretch, winning just one series back in 2019. The 59-year-old also has some NHL coaching experience having spent six years as an assistant with Colorado which could help get him some interest elsewhere this summer.
As for DiCasmirro, he was in his second season as an assistant with the team, his first full-time coaching role after a long playing career that ended in 2019. He also served as an assistant for Austria at the most recent World Juniors. Yonkman, meanwhile, was also in his second season with the team in what was his first full-time coaching role since returning in 2019.
This will be GM Bill Guerin’s first opportunity to hire an AHL head coach as Army had completed his first season before Guerin took over running Minnesota in 2019. The only coach believed to be returning is goaltending coach Richard Bachman. Iowa joins Grand Rapids (Detroit), Henderson (Vegas), and San Diego (Anaheim) as teams looking for a new head coach at the AHL level.
Michael Russo of The Athletic was the first to report that the coaching changes were being made.
Atlantic Notes: Krejci, Ekblad, Fabbri
Speaking with reporters including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald after Friday’s victory, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery indicated that center David Krejci is 50/50 to play in Sunday’s fourth contest against the Panthers. Krejci is dealing with an upper-body injury, meaning that Boston played last night without their top two middlemen with Patrice Bergeron not expected to make his series debut until Wednesday. Krejci was an important secondary scorer for Boston this season with 16 goals and 40 assists, a solid return to the NHL after spending last season in Czechia and his return would certainly help a thinned-out center group. However, he did not take part in today’s morning skate with a final answer on his availability not expected until tomorrow; he’s officially listed as questionable.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- After leaving last night’s game early with an injury, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad took part in an optional skate this morning, relays George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). Notably, he wasn’t wearing a no-contact sweater which suggests that he’ll be good to go on Sunday although he’s officially listed as a game-time decision. Ekblad had a down year by his standards but still picked up 38 points in 71 games while logging over 23 minutes a night and is a key part of Florida’s back end.
- Although Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri missed the final six weeks of the season after undergoing another knee surgery, he told MLive’s Ansar Khan that he would have been able to return had Detroit made the playoffs. This latest procedure was more of a cleanup instead of a full ACL reconstruction which means that the 27-year-old will have a full offseason to train and be ready for training camp in the fall. Fabbri was limited to just 28 games this season but did fairly well when he was in the lineup, picking up seven goals and nine assists.
Panthers Recall Lucas Carlsson
After Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left last night’s loss to Boston early with an injury, they’ve opted to bring up some extra depth on the back end. Florida has recalled blueliner Lucas Carlsson from Charlotte of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 25-year-old spent the majority of this season with the Checkers and was one of the top-scoring defensemen in the minors, collecting 20 goals and 34 assists in 61 games. That helped earn him a spot on the second All-Star team. For context, his career goal total in the AHL heading into this season was 18 in 143 contests. He’s off to a nice start to the playoffs as well, picking up four points in three games in their first-round victory over Lehigh Valley.
However, despite how well Carlsson performed in the minors, it didn’t translate into much NHL time as he played just twice for Florida this season. By comparison, he suited up in 40 contests for the Panthers last year, a career-high.
Even if Ekblad isn’t able to play, there’s a chance that Carlsson won’t be the one taking his place in the lineup. The Panthers also have Casey Fitzgerald and rookie Michael Benning on the active roster and one of them could get the nod as well. But if they’re looking for someone to play on the power play especially, Carlsson could be an interesting addition to the lineup with how things have gone for him this season in Charlotte.
Lightning Notes: Hedman, Cernak, Eyssimont, Cirelli
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is classified as a game-time decision for tonight’s third game against Toronto, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran, who took part in line rushes with Nick Perbix in the morning skate, will take the pregame skate, a step he was unable to do in Thursday’s second game. While his production was down sharply this season, he still managed 49 points in 76 games while logging nearly 24 minutes a night and he would certainly be a significant boost to a back end that struggled considerably on Thursday night.
More from Tampa Bay:
- Encina also notes that blueliner Erik Cernak isn’t expected to return tonight. He was injured in the opening game of the series after taking a hit to the head from Michael Bunting, a play that earned the winger a three-game suspension. Cernak did not take part in the morning skate. The 25-year-old averaged nearly three hits per game this season while chipping in with 14 points in 70 games. Notably, Cernak also led all Lightning blueliners in shorthanded playing time per game.
- While they won’t get Cernak back, Encina relays that the Lightning will have the option of putting forward Mikey Eyssimont back in the lineup. The 25-year-old suffered a head injury in the series opener. Eyssimont has been a regular most nights on Tampa Bay’s fourth line but with Tanner Jeannot returning on Thursday, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll be suiting up even after being cleared to return.
- TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie mentions (Twitter link) that center Anthony Cirelli took part in the morning skate today, a sign that he should be able to suit up tonight. He took a hit from Auston Matthews late in the third in Game Two but it appears it won’t keep him out of action.
Offseason Checklist: Anaheim Ducks
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs. It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. First up is a look at Anaheim.
After a 2021-22 campaign where things didn’t go well, there was hope that the Ducks would take a step forward with their young core continuing to improve. While some of those players did show improvement, it didn’t lead to much success on the ice with some changes already happening. Here’s a look at what’s on the horizon for Anaheim this summer beyond what’s expected to be an exciting draft lottery for them next month with the top odds in the proceedings.
Hire New Coaches
It didn’t take long after the regular season for the Ducks to part ways with Dallas Eakins, a move that many anticipated with the way the year went and the fact his contract came to an end. Anaheim allowed 4.09 goals per game this season, the highest goals-allowed average since the mid-90s which played a big role in them finishing last. That dropped Eakins’ record with Anaheim to 100-147-44 over four seasons which helped lead to the coaching change.
As is typically the case in a situation like this, GM Pat Verbeek is faced with two options. The first is to look for a first-time coach with an eye on being more development-focused to take the team through the rest of their rebuild and perhaps beyond. The other is looking for more of a win-now option to try to coax shorter-term success. That type of hire would need to coincide with the team becoming bigger spenders in free agency this summer which doesn’t seem likely. A first-time or relatively inexperienced bench boss seems like the probable outcome here.
Meanwhile, an NHL head coach isn’t the only vacancy they’ll be looking to fill as for the second straight season, Verbeek will be searching for an AHL bench boss while it’s the third time in a row the franchise has been seeking one. A year ago, he fired Joel Bouchard who had been on the job for just a single season while Roy Sommer opted to retire after one season with the team. They’ll certainly be hoping that the third time will be the charm on that front.
Sign Key RFAs
Anaheim finished this season near the bottom in spending among all NHL teams. That probably won’t be the case in 2023-24 as they have three key restricted free agents to deal with this summer in winger Troy Terry, center Trevor Zegras, and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.
Terry is an example of a bridge contract going as well as possible. Three years ago, he had a total of 81 games under his belt with all of 28 points. Now, he has established himself over the last two seasons as a reliable key scorer, reaching the 60-point mark in each of them, giving him a much better platform to his first year of arbitration eligibility. There aren’t a lot of comparables for players that were role players for a few seasons before emerging as top-line threats but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Terry’s next deal wind up above the $7MM mark on a long-term agreement that buys out several UFA seasons. He won’t be on a heavily team-friendly contract anymore.
As for Zegras, he has positioned himself to try to bypass the bridge deal altogether. While he has had plenty of highlight-worthy plays, he isn’t just good at those as he has also emerged as a legitimate top-six center. Zegras has surpassed the 60-point mark in back-to-back years as well while playing the more premium position down the middle. We’ve seen post-ELC centers around his point total signing around the $8MM mark over the last couple of years so it stands to reason that a long-term deal for Zegras should be near that point as well. Notably, he still has five RFA years remaining; most players coming off their entry-level agreements typically have four years left.
While Zegras should avoid a bridge agreement, the same can’t be said about Drysdale. Injuries limited the 21-year-old to just eight games this season and his rookie campaign saw him suit up just 24 times. Accordingly, he doesn’t even have a year and a half of NHL contests under his belt which would make a long-term agreement that much more difficult. Drysdale figures to be a key cog in Anaheim’s future plans but more time is needed to see how he’s going to develop. A short-term second agreement makes sense all around and he, too, has five RFA years remaining.
Qualify Or Cut
A couple of years ago, it looked like winger Max Comtois was going to be a big part of Anaheim’s future. He was coming off a 33-point season in 55 games, showing signs of becoming a capable power forward along the way. Even so, then-GM Bob Murray opted for caution, giving him a two-year bridge deal.
It’s safe to say that decision worked out for Anaheim as the 24-year-old has struggled considerably since then. This season, Comtois potted just nine goals and ten assists in 64 games with his playing time dipping to a career low while also spending time as a healthy scratch.
Accordingly, at a time when he was supposed to be cementing his case for a long-term agreement, his performance has called into question his future with the team. Comtois is owed a qualifying offer of $2.45MM this summer. Two years ago, it would have seemed unthinkable that the Ducks might want to consider not tendering it but now, it’s something Verbeek will have to consider.
It was previously reported that Comtois was available at the trade deadline with there not being much interest at the time so on the surface, a non-tender might make sense. But is it worth giving him one last look with the hopes that a new coach can help him return to the form of 2021-22 and avoid the potential of him taking that step in another uniform? They have a couple of months to make that choice.
Goalie Decision
The future of John Gibson has been in question for the last few seasons. Here’s a player who was signed to be Anaheim’s long-term franchise goaltender but since that deal kicked in, things just haven’t gone very well for him and while playing for a rebuilding franchise doesn’t help, Gibson has certainly struggled as well.
Over the four years that he has played on this deal, Gibson has a 3.32 GAA and a SV% of .902. He also has led the league in losses in three of those four seasons. Suffice it to say, he hasn’t provided a great return on his $6.4MM AAV. On top of that, the 29-year-old has four years left on that agreement.
Generally speaking, an underachieving player with four years left on his deal wouldn’t have much value on the trade market but are there teams convinced that in a different system and working with a different goalie coach, they can turn him around? It’s possible, especially in a year when the free agent market isn’t exactly booming with plentiful high-end options.
If that’s the case, is the time right for Verbeek and the Ducks to explore a move? Would Gibson himself be open to a move? With the way things are currently trending, it’s definitely a possibility. His value likely isn’t super high with his recent struggles and the remaining term on his contract but if a decent swap presents itself, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them make a move.
If that happens, Anaheim will have to look to add a veteran replacement, either as part of the trade or in a separate acquisition or signing. Lukas Dostal is viewed as their goalie of the future but has just 23 NHL appearances under his belt. Gibson was supposed to be his playing partner for a while to allow Dostal to get acclimated to being a full-time NHL player and if he’s no longer going to be part of the equation, they’ll need another veteran to fill that role, even in a summer where Verbeek will be looking to add young core pieces.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Central Notes: Brown, Ehlers, Meyers
When St. Louis picked up Logan Brown in 2021, the hope was that a change of scenery could help get the 2016 first-round pick going. However, he has managed just six goals in 69 games since the swap and has been a frequent healthy scratch. Accordingly, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Blues will even bother tendering the 25-year-old a qualifying offer this summer. He’s arbitration-eligible and while his offensive numbers aren’t great, he could still ask for a bit more than the minimum in a hearing which might be more than they can realistically afford with a likely tight salary cap situation coming in 2023-24.
More from the Central:
- The Jets are hopeful that winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be available for today’s third game against Vegas, relays Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun. Ehlers, who last weekend declared that he expected to be ready to start the playoffs, hasn’t suited up in the first two games of the series. He’d be a welcome addition to Winnipeg’s lineup as, when healthy, Ehlers was certainly productive this season, collecting 38 points in 45 games despite averaging a career-low 15:39 per contest.
- The Avalanche have recalled center Ben Meyers from AHL Colorado, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 24-year-old played in Tuesday’s series opener against Seattle but didn’t suit up two nights later, resulting in his assignment to the Eagles, one that turned out to be a very quick one. Meyers played in 39 games with the Avs this season, picking up four goals but was much more productive in the minors with 24 points in 30 games.
East Notes: Andersen, Zamula, Lightning
While the Hurricanes didn’t have goaltender Frederik Andersen available to them in last night’s overtime victory, he might not miss much more time. Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News and Observer notes that the veteran skated today, suggesting he could be available to dress as early as Friday’s contest. Andersen actually led Carolina in starts this season with 33 while posting a 2.48 GAA and a .903 SV% but it seems likely that he’ll need to wait a little longer to make his playoff debut with the Hurricanes as with Antti Raanta winning both starts so far in their series against the Islanders, it’s safe to say the net will still be his even if Andersen is ready to return.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- The Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley announced that defenseman Yegor Zamula underwent successful shoulder surgery back on April 10th, ending his season. While the 23-year-old won’t be able to play in Lehigh Valley’s playoff run, he will be ready to participate in training camp in September. Zamula played in 14 games with Philadelphia this season, picking up four assists in 14 games while chipping in with a goal and 18 helpers in 44 contests with the Phantoms.
- While they weren’t in uniform tonight, the Lightning have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers and winger Alex Barre-Boulet from AHL Syracuse, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The pair were listed on the roster report as healthy scratches. With Syracuse not playing in the first round of the playoffs in the minors, it’s possible that the two players will stay up with Tampa Bay for a few days. Myers played in 11 games this season with the Lightning while Barre-Boulet suited up just once.
Dmytro Timashov Looking To Return To North America
A year and a half ago, Dmytro Timashov terminated his contract with the Islanders and decided to return home to play with Brynas in Sweden. However, with that deal now over, the winger told Hockey Sverige’s Mans Karlsson that he’s looking to return to North America next season and that there has been some interest.
The 26-year-old had a decent season with Brynas of the SHL this year, picking up 10 goals and 23 assists in 52 games, allowing him to lead the team in scoring. However, they weren’t able to stay in the top division and instead were relegated to the second-tier Allsvenskan for the first time in 63 years, resulting in several players, like Timashov, looking for new places to play next season.
Timashov does have 45 career NHL appearances under his belt, all but one of those coming in 2019-20 when he split time between Toronto and Detroit. Since that time, he has played in just 23 contests at the AHL level but spent three full years in the minors prior to his NHL debut.
Timashov declined to mention if the interest he has received is a one-way or a two-way offer. However, given that he cleared waivers just a couple of years ago and hasn’t lit it up since then, it’s likely that the expressions of interest so far have been of the latter variety. Perhaps the time is now right for Timashov to return with the hopes that he could at least earn himself a recall or two next season. With his last NHL deal being terminated, he’s free to sign at any time if he receives an offer he likes.