Stars Notes: Tocchet, Savard, Hintz
While the Rick Bowness era in Dallas officially came to a close two days ago, it could have ended far sooner. On the 32 Thoughts segment of last night’s Sportsnet broadcast of the Avalanche-Blues game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Dallas Stars “considered a coaching change” around the All-Star break, and had “zeroed in on” former Arizona Coyotes head coach and current TNT analyst Rick Tocchet as their next bench boss. Friedman states that the two parties could not come to terms on a deal at the time, but speculates that he could be a name the team circles back to for their current vacancy.
Tocchet, 58, last coached the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21 and has most recently been working as an analyst for Turner Sports’ NHL coverage, primarily on TNT. Tocchet also coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons from 2008-09 and 2009-10. Tocchet’s results as a head coach are mixed, with his teams only making the playoffs once, in the unique bubble situation of the 2019-20 season. But with those mixed results comes the two Stanley Cup rings Tocchet won as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and there are many coaches who have difficult early tenures only to finally figure things out in a second or third job. While Tocchet never played for the Stars during his illustrious 1144-game NHL career, it seems that he may end up there as their next head coach.
Now, for some other notes regarding the Dallas Stars:
- Another former player is, like Tocchet, on the Stars’ radar for their vacant head coaching job. Marc Savard, the rookie head coach of the Windsor Spitfires who now has his team in the semifinals of the OHL playoffs, is “on Dallas’ radar,” per Marek. Savard’s Spitfires posted a 44-17-7 record this season, and his connection to prized prospect Wyatt Johnston, who tore the OHL apart this season to the tune of 124 points, could prove useful should he choose to pursue the job.
- The Stars’ offseason is a crucial one for reasons beyond just their coaching search. Star forward Jason Robertson and goaltender Jake Oettinger, the team’s playoff hero, are out of contract and are eligible for restricted free agency. The direction the team goes in terms of their extensions could dictate what the Stars are able to do in terms of adding other players. Another crucial Star, Roope Hintz, is not out of a contract but eligible for an extension thanks to there only being one season left on his current deal. Per Marek, the Stars want to get an extension “done early” and lock up Hintz along with their other core players. Given Hintz’s play these past two seasons, the Stars’ reported desire to extend him now seems wise, because his price is likely only going up as he gets more productive seasons under his belt.
St. Louis Blues Recall Charlie Lindgren
With starter Jordan Binnington out for the foreseeable future, the St. Louis Blues have made a move to solidify their backup goalie position behind new starter Ville Husso. The Blues announced today that Charlie Lindgren has been recalled from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds on an emergency basis. The Thunderbirds are still in the mix in the Calder Cup playoffs, and will likely have to turn to goal-scoring goalie Joel Hofer in Lindgren’s absence.
While St. Louis would undoubtedly prefer to have Binnington healthy, there are few teams that can boast the goaltending depth that the Blues’ organization has. Lindgren, 28, has had a brilliant season so far. His work in the AHL, a 24-7-1 record and a .925 save percentage, has been superb. His brief time in the NHL has also gone extremely well, and he has a .958 save percentage and a 1.22 goals-against-average in five games played.
Lindgren is expected to back up Husso, who is set to take the starters’ crease that he occupied for much of the regular season. While this scenario is admittedly unlikely, should Husso struggle as he did early in the playoffs, it’s definitely possible that Lindgren could see game action. Should that happen, Lindgren will have a massive opportunity to showcase the talent he’s flashed this season on one of hockey’s biggest stages.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Olivier Nadeau
The Buffalo Sabres have announced today that they have signed forward Olivier Nadeau to a three-year entry-level contract. Nadeau was the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft.
Nadeau, 19, has been playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL for the past three seasons. He followed up a rookie campaign where he only posted 23 points in 58 games by nearly doubling his point total, scoring 45 points in 34 games in 2020-21. That form made him a top-100 pick at the 2021 draft, and he has followed up that success with a strong 2021-22 campaign. He had 35 goals and 78 points in 65 games this season to go along with six points in six playoff games. Nadeau’s size and skill combination make him an intriguing prospect, although some worry about his skating and overall speed.
Regardless of the exact makeup of Nadeau’s prospect profile, it’s clear that Nadeau helps contribute to the Sabres’ prospect pool being among the league’s best. The team recently signed a second-rounder from the 2021 draft, Aleksandr Kisakov, and should have more prospect signings to finalize as the offseason continues.
Jordan Binnington Suffers Knee Injury
11:47 AM: Blues head coach Craig Berube has confirmed that Binnington will be out for the rest of the team’s series against the Avalanche.
9:26 AM: Last night’s contest between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues proved to be a costly one for both sides. The Avalanche lost defenseman Samuel Girard for the rest of the playoffs to a broken sternum, and per reports, the Blues have lost starting goaltender Jordan Binnington for what could end up being several weeks. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports that “good sources” say that Binnington suffered a “possible knee sprain” and could be out for “multiple weeks.”
Binnington suffered his knee injury in the first period of yesterday’s game thanks to a collision with his teammate, Calle Rosen, as well as Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri. With just over 13 minutes left to play in the first period, Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen fired a shot off Binnington, which left a rebound at the top of the crease. Kadri went to pursue the rebound, and Rosen battled him to prevent that scoring chance. As a result of Kadri’s attempt at the loose puck and Rosen’s presence in the same area, Kadri and Rosen both slammed into Binnington. Binnington initially attempted to warm up for a return to action under the watchful eye of a team trainer, but he seemingly aggravated the injury, which necessitated his exit in favor of backup Ville Husso.
Naturally, the play has been controversial, especially so thanks to Kadri’s disciplinary history. After the game, Blues coach Craig Berube was asked about the incident and gave a simple answer: “Look at Kadri’s reputation, that’s all I have to say.” Despite that general sentiment from many on the Blues’ side, it does not seem as though Kadri will face any repercussions from the league for the incident. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest reports that the NHL Department of Player Safety is “not expected” to issue any reaction to the incident.
The loss of Binnington comes as a major blow to the Blues’ hopes against the Avalanche. While Binnington’s inconsistent play saw him lose the starter’s crease to Husso in the regular season, he has taken it back with his play in the playoffs. Binnington has a 4-0-1 record and a .949 save percentage in these playoffs, numbers that are significantly better than Husso’s 1-3-0, .891 marks. St. Louis is now down 2-1 in their series, so with Binnington now injured the Blues will need Husso’s regular-season form to re-emerge if they want to have any hope of continuing their season.
Stars Notes: Klingberg, Bowness, Injuries
As things currently stand, Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg is arguably the best defenseman set to be available in this summer’s free agent market. But according to Klingberg, he hopes he doesn’t get there. In today’s season-ending meeting with the media, Klingberg, who has been the subject of many trade rumors in the past, emphasized his desire to remain in Dallas, saying:
At the end of the day, I always want to stay here. We’ve been trying to find different ways to get it done. Year length, money-wise, just trying to get something we’re both happy with.
The factors that could potentially block a Klingberg return are the ones he mentioned, the cost and length of his extension. On May 7th, Stars GM Jim Nill said that he would love to keep Klingberg. But it may not be possible given the team’s cap situation and the other offers Klingberg could receive on the open market. The Stars already have Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Ryan Suter under contract for at least the next three seasons, and with extensions for Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Denis Gurianov, and Roope Hintz to consider over the next two offseasons, it’s difficult to imagine that the Stars will be able to match the kinds of offers Klingberg could receive from elsewhere. So, despite the mutual interest in a return that was communicated today, it looks as though some serious creativity will be required if Klingberg is to remain with the only NHL team he has ever known.
Now, for some other notes regarding the Stars:
- Stars head coach Rick Bowness coached this season on an expiring contract, a deal that has now ended thanks to the Stars’ defeat at the hands of the Calgary Flames. Per Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News, Bowness stated today that he would prefer a one-year contract at this stage of his career and that he may consider retirement if that’s the path he chooses to go down. Nill did praise Bowness’ work today, emphasizing that Bowness has “done a good job” in this 98-point campaign. He did also say, though, that they will need to “reassess everything.” So with both Bowness and Nill’s comments in mind, it’s certainly possible that the Stars join the multitude of teams seeking a new head coach this offseason.
- On exit days across the NHL, it is common for the numerous injuries a team’s players have been playing through to be revealed publicly for the first time. The Stars’ end-of-season press conferences were no different, and we learned today of a multitude of ailments that Stars players were battling during the season. As relayed by Saad Yousuf of The Athletic, Tyler Seguin fractured his foot in Game One of the series, Hintz strained his oblique in Game Six, and Luke Glendening had a concussion and both knee and groin issues that would have kept him out on a week-to-week basis. While it’s certain that all three players would rather be taking on the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night, one small benefit of the Stars’ loss is that they now get to begin the recovery process in earnest.
Update On Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang
Earlier today Evgeni Malkin addressed his pending unrestricted free agency and future with the Pittsburgh Penguins, stating that he hopes to retire in Pittsburgh. For that to be possible, he must ink a contract extension with the only team he has ever known. Malkin, 35, has remained consistently productive as he has aged (42 points in 41 games this season) but has also struggled to remain in the lineup on a regular basis. So, his importance to the franchise and his strong production square up against the declining reliability of his health to make his upcoming contract situation an especially intriguing one.
Just as Malkin’s contract is expiring, so is the contract of another Penguins franchise icon: Kris Letang. Letang, who is also 35, is coming off a season where he posted a career-high in points (68) and managed to stay in the lineup for 78 games, his most since the 2017-18 season. With Malkin and Letang both up for new contracts, the Penguins’ front office (and new ownership group) has a fork-in-the-road opportunity to change the direction of the franchise.
Rob Rossi of The Athletic reported yesterday that the Penguins had offered Malkin and Letang matching three-year, $15MM extensions, offers that “did not sit well” with Sidney Crosby. While that is certainly a major development, if true, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet added some context to the situation in his recent 32 Thoughts blog. Friedman supported Rossi’s reporting on the Penguins offering Malkin a three-year term on his extension, stating that the team has symmetry with the three years left on Sidney Crosby’s contract in mind. He also reported that Malkin’s camp and the Penguins were “far, far apart” on the actual dollar value of the extension, a separation that could make Malkin’s return more challenging.
As for Letang, Friedman reported that his offer was larger than the one mentioned in Rossi’s report. Friedman says that the “last he heard” was that Letang was offered a four-year contract carrying an average annual value just “a bit less” than his current AAV of $7.25MM. Given the annual values of contracts other high-end defensemen have received (Seth Jones, Darnell Nurse, and Dougie Hamilton, as comparables, got at least $9MM AAV on deals with significantly more term) it’s an open question as to whether that reported offer will be sufficient to retain Letang’s services.
Letang did say, per Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that his “main goal” is to stay in Pittsburgh, so perhaps he will not enter the market eyeing a deal comparable to those other elite defensemen. But one does have to keep in mind that this very well could be Letang’s last chance at a massive contract, due to his age. At the very least, it seems from Friedman’s reporting that while the Penguins are apparently undertaking an earnest effort to retain their two franchise legends, there are still obstacles in the way.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Edmonton Oilers Recall Seven Players
The Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs on Friday, and as a result, the Oilers became free to call up players without fear of their absences negatively impacting their affiliate team. Today, the Oilers announced that they have called up seven players from the Condors, a group that will form the team’s “Black Aces,” or players who practice, travel, and remain ready for their NHL teams but typically do not see game action. Those seven players are:
- Stuart Skinner
- Philip Broberg
- Markus Niemelainen
- Dmitri Samorukov
- Dylan Holloway
- Seth Griffith
- Brad Malone
Perhaps the most significant name there is the goaltender, Skinner. In the unfortunate and unlikely circumstance that the Oilers’ starting goaltender, Mike Smith, gets injured or is otherwise unable to play, it’s possible that coach Jay Woodcroft could prefer to start Skinner over backup Mikko Koskinen, given their respective performances in the regular season. Koskinen played in 45 games this regular season and had a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against-average. Skinner, on the other hand, posted a .913 save percentage this year, albeit in only 13 games of work at the NHL level.
The Oilers are obviously hoping that they won’t have to make such a choice, but now with Skinner and some top prospects such as Broberg, Holloway, and Samorukov in the fold, they have some more options in case this version of the Battle of Alberta proves to be especially violent.
Wild Notes: Goaltending, Johansson, Free Agency
The Minnesota Wild look set to begin an offseason where major decisions will have to be made. One of the biggest question marks for this Wild offseason has been their goaltending situation, with much discussion devoted to the feasibility of a Cam Talbot–Marc-Andre Fleury tandem for next season. But yesterday, Fleury spoke on that possibility, stating that a return to Minnesota would be “very appealing,” and it seems that Wild GM Bill Guerin agrees with that sentiment. He was very straightforward when addressing the goaltending, saying that they “want both back,” and that the team “likes both goalies.”
While the Wild’s precarious salary cap situation thanks to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts will likely be the determining factor in whether or not a reunion actually comes to fruition, it’s clear that all parties involved are interested in getting it done. Playoffs aside, both Fleury and Talbot were great this season, combining for a 41-14-4 record, leading the Wild to one of their most impressive regular seasons in franchise history. It remains to be seen if a Fleury-Talbot tandem can be sustainable for an entire playoff run, of course, but it seems given today’s comments that they will likely get another chance to prove it can work.
Now, for some other notes regarding the Wild:
- The Wild have a decision to make regarding defenseman Filip Johansson, the team’s first-round pick from the 2018 draft. The team can either sign Johansson to an entry-level contract before July 1st or see their exclusive rights to sign him expire. Johansson, 22, has been getting regular minutes for SHL club Frolunda HC for the past two seasons, and just five months ago signed a two-year extension to stay there. What makes this choice interesting is the fact that the Wild stand to gain a second-round pick, 56th overall, as compensation should they choose not to sign him. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that “they’re not” signing Johansson, meaning the team has chosen the pick over the prospect.
- As previously mentioned, the cost of the Suter and Parise buyouts will cast a shadow on everything the Wild plan on doing this summer. Naturally, the team’s approach to free agency would also be altered, and today Guerin shed some light on his strategy regarding this summer’s open market. Guerin said: “Honestly, we’re pretty set. I don’t know how active we’ll be in the free-agent market.” So, with Kevin Fiala a potential cap casualty, it seems Wild fans should not expect Guerin to target any major free agents when the market opens.
Snapshots: Stone, Fleury, Beaulieu
Today has been a big day for news surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights, with coach Pete DeBoer being relieved of his duties this morning. That run of news now continues thanks to GM Kelly McCrimmon’s press conference today, where he revealed that captain Mark Stone, who battled injuries all year, would “most likely” be undergoing back surgery this offseason. McCrimmon did note that they expect Stone to be ready for training camp this fall, but this is nonetheless unwelcome news for a team looking to rebound from the most disappointing season in the history of their young franchise.
Stone, who just turned 30, struggled to stay healthy this season and only managed to get into 37 games. Stone’s back injury bothered him all season, leading to his placement on long-term injured reserve in early February. Stone did eventually return from LTIR in order to help the Golden Knights in their ultimately unsuccessful playoff push, but it now seems likely that his late-season activation from LTIR was more about trying to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive than it was about Stone’s back being fully recovered. If the cap-strapped Golden Knights have any hope of returning to contention next season, getting their captain back to 100% health should be a top priority, and it seems that they have elected a back surgery as the best way for Stone to get there.
Now for some other bits of news from across the NHL:
- The goaltending situation of the Minnesota Wild has been a major storyline surrounding the team ever since they acquired the legendary Marc-Andre Fleury at the deadline. It was a move that would end up costing the incumbent number-one goaltender, Cam Talbot, his chance to be the team’s unquestioned starter come playoff time, and There has been much speculation devoted to whether or not the Wild could manage to return that tandem for next season. Today Fleury spoke to the media and clarified his thoughts on the matter. Fleury said, per Michael Russo of The Athletic, that a return to the Wild would be “very appealing,” but that he will test free agency to at the very least see what his options are. Fleury went 9-2 in his 11 regular-season appearances with the Wild, and although he eventually ceded the crease to Talbot by the end of the Wild’s first-round loss to the St. Louis Blues, it’s clear that he was a good fit in Minnesota. Whether or not he continues that arrangement will be a storyline to watch going forward, as his comments do indicate clear interest in a return.
- While this will give no solace to Pittsburgh Penguins fans still reeling from the team’s season-ending overtime loss to the New York Rangers, their team failing to advance in the playoffs does have one (very small) benefit. As CapFriendly notes, because of the Penguins’ elimination, they will retain the 2022 seventh-round pick they surrendered to the Winnipeg Jets as part of their trade for defenseman Nathan Beaulieu at the deadline. Beaulieu was acquired with the intention of being a reserve defenseman for the playoffs, and although he did end up activated from LTIR during the playoffs he did not skate in any games. For the Jets, this outcome is likely their favored one as had the Rangers lost to the Penguins, the Jets would lose their chance at landing a first-rounder as part of the Andrew Copp trade.
Injury Notes: Arvidsson, Dumba, Doughty
Kings general manager Rob Blake met with the media today following his team’s elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday, and in his press conference, per Lisa Dillman of The Athletic, he revealed that winger Viktor Arvidsson suffered a herniated disc and will undergo treatment to recover from the injury on Tuesday. Arvidsson did not play in the playoffs due to the injury, and Blake noted that Arvidsson was set to play until his injury re-aggravated in a practice just before the playoffs were set to begin.
Recovery is expected to take three to five months, per Blake, meaning that it’s possible that Arvidsson is not going to be ready for the start of the Kings’ regular season if his recovery is on the slower side. This news is unfortunate for the Kings, as Arvidsson has proven to be one of the Kings’ most important wingers. Despite only playing in 66 games, Arvidsson ranked fourth on the Kings in scoring, potting 20 goals and 49 points. The Kings’ inability to score doomed them in the final game of their series against the Oilers, so if they have any intention of going on another run to the playoffs next season, getting Arvidsson healthy and up to speed will be essential.
Now, for other notes regarding injuries across the NHL:
- Add Matt Dumba to the list of players who were playing through injuries during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Per Minnesota Wild Radio Network’s Kevin Falness, Dumba was playing through a punctured lung and a broken rib. It’s difficult to imagine what weathering the intensity of playoff hockey would be like under any circumstances, let alone with those two injuries, so Dumba’s performance in these playoffs is extremely impressive given the context of his injuries, even though he ultimately could not lead the Wild to victory.
- As part of the Kings’ meetings with the media today, Drew Doughty spoke on his situation and the injuries that limited him to only 39 games played (and zero playoff games) this season. Doughty said, as relayed by The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein, that it was a wrist tendon injury that kept him from playing, and that he may have actually been able to return this season if the Kings had made it as far as the Western Conference Finals. Doughty notes that he “feels great” and should be ready for the beginning of next season. Given how well Doughty had been playing before his injury, this news has to be encouraging for the Kings as they seek to continue their rise back to the top of the NHL.