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Vegas GM McPhee Has Had A Hand In Building Both Stanley Cup Teams

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While much of the attention to this year’s Stanley Cup will go towards the players, especially Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Vegas Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury, much of the spotlight should be shining on the Golden Knights’ general manager, George McPhee. The GM, who also worked as the general manager from 1997 to 2014 of the Washington Capitals, has had a hand in more than 75 percent of the players that will be on the ice on Monday.

McPhee is already responsible for putting together the Golden Knights roster from Fleury to William Karlsson to Jon Marchessault, to the often criticized deadline moves of acquiring Tomas Tatar and Ryan Reaves, both who have scored critical goals in the postseason. According to NBC Sports Tarik El-Bashir, not only has he had a hand in every player the Golden Knights have on their roster from Day 1, McPhee also is responsible for 13 of the team’s 25 players on their roster who have played in this year’s playoffs.

As the Capitals general manager, McPhee was responsible for drafting Alex Ovechkin (first overall in 2004), Nicklas Backstrom (fourth overall in 2006), Jay Beagle (signed as a free agent in 2008), John Carlson (24th overall in 2008), Braden Holtby (93rd overall in 2008), Dmitry Orlov (55th overall in 2009), Evgeny Kuznetsov (26th overall in 2010), Philipp Grubauer (112th in 2010), Travis Boyd (177th overall in 2011), Tom Wilson (16th overall in 2012), Chandler Stephenson (77th overall, 2012), Christian Djoos (195th in 2012), and Andre Burakovsky (23rd overall, 2013).

McPhee also has a close relationship with Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan. They played junior hockey together, were teammates at Bowling Green and worked together in Washington for 14 years, making this a very strange Stanley Cup Finals.

“It’s kind of a weird experience. We’ve been texting back-and-forth how strange it feels,” said McLellan on facing Vegas GM George McPhee.

Teams Worrying John Tavares Could Stay With Islanders

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The addition of Lou Lamoriello to the New York Islanders has quickly changed the free agency landscape. Suddenly, teams that have been drooling over the chance to sign star center John Tavares are beginning to question whether it’s just a dream.

Tavares, who is by far the top-rated unrestricted free agent in this summer’s free agent class, is coming off one of his strongest seasons in his career as he posted 37 goals and 84 points in a full 82-game season despite the team’s struggles throughout the season, which resulted in not making the playoffs for a second straight year. His best season came in 2014-15 when he had 38 goals and 86 points, so the 27-year-old is at the top of his game.

Regardless, he has refrained from signing or even mentioning signing an extension during the season and has said he would like to test the free agent market. Between the team’s troubles of finding a permanent home (their new arena is still years away) and the team’s inability to provide a stable winning environment, many people believe that Tavares, known to be a very loyal player, was ready to move on.

The Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons writes that several teams, however, are already getting the impression that Tavares might re-sign with Lamoriello and the Islanders before free agency even starts on July 1. The Tavares camp isn’t acting like they will be free agents, according to Simmons, with the phrase “if” as in “if we’re available.” To make matters worse for these teams, Lamoriello is known for two key facts — credibility and silence. Lamoriello has a history of winning, which Tavares would appreciate and he also doesn’t tip his hand, so no one really knows what he is doing behind the scenes.

It should be noted that rarely does a franchise free agent ever change hands. Steven Stamkos did not leave Tampa Bay after many believed he was. The Sedin twins never left Vancouver. Regardless, the addition of Lamoriello into the free agent mix will only make things more interesting on July 1.

 

Snapshots: Canadiens’ Center Search, Huska, Carrier

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With the Montreal Canadiens looking to fill their holes at the center position this offseason and little immediate value at that position with their No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft, Montreal could find themselves looking long and hard to find a quality center to fit into their lineup this offseason. Assuming they don’t get star John Tavares to bite on July 1, the team might have no choice but to make a deal for a center to fill their need.

The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required) writes that there are two legitimate possibilities for the Canadiens on the trade market, including Ryan O’Reilly of the Buffalo Sabres and Elias Lindholm of the Carolina Hurricanes. The scribe writes that after recent end-0f-the-season comments he made about being more accepting of losing, O’Reilly is trying to force his way out of Buffalo and might be a perfect fit in Montreal. While he would likely make a better No. 2 center, O’Reilly is very talented and the team might be able to package together a combination of picks and young forwards to take on O’Reilly’s contract of $7.5MM over the next five years. The 27-year-old still put up some of the best numbers in his career this year with 24 goals and 61 points.

With the Carolina Hurricanes open for business, Lindholm might be a player the Canadiens take a chance on. The restricted free agent has had a promising start to his career, but also an inconsistent one, but likely would get a big payday after a 16-goal, 44-point season. If Carolina would like to avoid handing Lindholm a big contract, Montreal might be able to step in and give them an alternative as a combination of Lindholm and Jonathan Drouin would give them a solid young core up the middle for years.

  • Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun writes that the Calgary Flames are on the verge of announcing their assistant coaches that will aid new head coach Bill Peters this season after the team let assistants Paul Jerrard and Dave Cameron go when they fired Glen Gulutzan on April 17. While he didn’t have any specifics other than the announcement will come some time next week, Francis did speculate that the team might be leaning towards promoting Stockton Heat head coach Ryan Huska.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights are likely to get one of their players back from injury for the Stanley Cup Finals as William Carrier practiced today in a non-contact jersey, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. In fact, Schoen writes that head coach Gerard Gallant announced that he expects Carrier to be available for the Stanley Cup Finals. Carrier didn’t play in the Western Conference Finals due to an undisclosed injury has been a key member of the team’s fourth line.

Vancouver’s Pettersson Should Be A Canuck Immediately

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Now that the Vancouver Canucks have their 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson locked up to a maximum-level entry-level contract, the next question about the talented young forward will be when will the Canucks see him playing with the team?

With talk of him possibly being loaned back to the SHL for another season to a potential start with the Utica Comets in the AHL to adjust to the North American game, to immediately throwing the 19-year-old into the fire with the Canucks, there are multiple options.

One of the biggest obstacles is the fractured left thumb that Pettersson sustained while playing in the IIHF World Championships. According to Mike Halford of The Athletic (subscription required), Pettersson has already underwent a surgical procedure and will have his wrist in a cast for the next three to four weeks. Then the team must decide whether it is willing to put him out for the team’s annual summer prospect camp in the first week of July and then the Young Stars Classic in Pentiction in September.

Regardless, Halford writes whether he plays in either of those events or not, he expects that Pettersson will still be in a Canucks uniform at the start of the season, writing that while Vancouver general manager Jim Benning didn’t guarantee that Pettersson would be on the opening-day roster, he came awfully close.

“We’ll see where he’s at when he comes to training camp,” Benning explained. “We had Brock Boeser step in and be a big part of our team last year, and I think [Pettersson] can come in next year and step in. With the Sedins not playing, we’re going to have openings on the power play and we need offensive skill players, and I think he’s going to be one of those guys that can fill that need for us.”

The team also intends to start Pettersson at the right wing position before eventually moving him to center. That switch to center could last anywhere from two to three months to even his entire rookie season.

“Up the middle he gets more puck touches, and he can handle the puck [and use] his vision of the ice to make plays,” said Benning. “At some point he’s going to play centre for us.”

The scribe adds that rumor has it that Pettersson could be slated on a line next season with center Bo Horvat and rookie winger Jonathan Dahlen, a fellow countryman and former Swedish teammate. In fact, don’t be surprised if Pettersson ends up on the power play as well. With the loss of both Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin, the team will have multiple holes in their power play lineup and it is believed that Pettersson will likely take over Henrik’s spot on the half wall, his preferred spot.

“[Pettersson’s] got a great release on his shot,” Benning said. “On the power play, if we have him on one side and Brock on the other, we’ve got two real good shooters. I think he’s going to step in and make the adjustment and be successful.”

Capitals’ Barry Trotz Likely To Cash In On Big Pay Day

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Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz might be the ultimate free agent. With many thinking early on that the Capitals planned to move on from their long-time coach after this season, Trotz instead has bet on himself and taken the Capitals for a long playoff ride, taking a once dejected and weakened Washington team this season and leading them to a surprising Stanley Cup Finals berth.

And despite the fact that Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said Friday that Trotz’ contract extension will not be addressed until the end of the season, Trotz looks to be in a great position to get a big raise from the $1.5MM that the 55-year-old coach is making this season, according to The Washington Times’ Matthew Paras.

The team had a two-year window which ended last season after two straight playoff losses to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. With the window closed, the team lost multiple players in the offseason as defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner along with winger Justin Williams all walked in free agency. The team even traded winger Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils to free up cap room and then lost defenseman Nate Schmidt to the Vegas Golden Knights. Yet, the Capitals have made an unlikely Stanley Cup run and now have a chance to win the title under Trotz’ direction.

“He’s probably going to benefit from this too,” MacLellan said. “It’s not all not good for him. I think he’s done a good job managing it. To come in this year with so many questions — not from my point of view, the lineup questions were that big a deal — but just the emotional state of our team coming in to start the year and how to handle that, I think he’s done an outstanding job.”

Trotz admits that he’s made changes, including being more loose and relaxed during the playoffs and has made some key strategic moves that seems to have motivated the team, including the key decision to turn the goaltending reigns back to Braden Holtby in the playoffs after initially taking his starting job away. Another key decision was when the coach scratched a struggling Andre Burakovsky and then re-inserting him into the lineup where he notched two goals in Game 7 against Tampa Bay.

Trotz said he isn’t worried about his contract status and didn’t have much to say when asked what he would do if he wasn’t brought back.

“I’ll move on. So be it,” Trotz said.

 

Nikita Kucherov Not Likely To Get Extension Immediately

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The Tampa Bay Lightning’s season is over and now the team must shift its focus for next season. And while the Lightning have a t0-do list for the upcoming season, don’t expect Nikita Kucherov’s extension to be among the top priorities for the team, writes The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required).

Kucherov is in the last year of the bridge deal he signed in 2016 as a restricted free agent and will receive $4.77MM next year before reaching restricted free agency once again. The difference in the next negotiations is that the 24-year-old forward will have arbitration rights, giving him the leverage to potentially double his salary. An arbitrator could very likely side with a player who just put up 39 goals and tallied 100 points this season and reached the all-star game for the second time in his career.

However, Kucherov’s agent Dan Milstein says there haven’t been any talks of a new extension and he doesn’t expect any to start until after the 2018-19 season starts. After all, Kucherov isn’t going anywhere. Even with arbitration rights, Kucherov will be staying in Tampa Bay, but the Lightning will spend as much time as it can evaluating the play of Kucherov.

“He wants to stay in Tampa — he doesn’t want to go anywhere,” Milstein told The Athletic. “Worst-case, it’s arbitration, they’re not going to lose him. Both sides want him to be in Tampa.”

One possible reason is the way Kucherov struggled in the playoffs, especially in the final series before the Lightning were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Finals. The lack of scoring from Kucherov and linemate Steven Stamkos were a major issue. While he put up solid 2018 playoff numbers (17 points in 17 games), most of those offensive numbers came in their first-round series against the New Jersey Devils as he scored five goals and five assists in five games. However, from that point on Kucherov struggled, managing just two goals in the next 12 games. He also admitted that he was not dealing with an injury in the playoffs.

“Definitely you want to score goals,” Kucherov said. “Sometimes, it just doesn’t happen, doesn’t go your way.”

Perhaps the lack of an extension will be a motivating factor for Kucherov. He is expected to take a 10-day trip to Russia (half the length of last year) before returning to Tampa Bay to begin training for next season.

CHL Announces Top Players Awards for 2017-18

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The CHL announced their top player awards Saturday with Alex Barre-Boulet garnering the Sportsnet Player of the Year Award. The 21-year-old who played for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL, tallied 53 goals and 116 points to capture the award, beating out Everett Silvertips goaltender Carter Hart and the Sarnia Stings forward Jordan Kyrou. The 5-foot-9 Barre-Boulet, who went undrafted, signed an entry level contract in March with the Tampa Bay Lightning and will likely report to their AHL franchise next year.

While Hart fell short of winning the Player of the Year award, he didn’t walk away without one as the Philadelphia Flyers prospect won the Vaughn Goaltending of the Year award for the second time. The 19-year-old who starred for Team Canada at the World Juniors as well, blew the competition away with a 1.60 GAA in 41 games and putting up an impressive .947 save percentage. He beat out Windsor Spitfires Michael DiPietro and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies’ Samuel Harvey.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up another award as prospect Nicolas Hague won the Superstore Defenseman of the Year award. The second-round pick in 2017 from the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads totaled 35 goals and 78 points in 67 games last season. He beat out Moose Jaw Warriors Kale Clague and Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s Olivier Galipeau.

Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts won the Sherwin Williams Top Prospect Award as the Barrie Colts winger put up 40 goals in his rookie year in the OHL. Svenchikov is considered by many to be the second player to come off the board in the 2018 NHL Draft. He beat out Spokane Chiefs defenseman Ty Smith and Halifax Mooseheads Filip Zadina.

Here is a list of all the CHL award winners:

Player of the Year: Alex Barre-Boulet
Defenseman of the Year: Nicolas Hague
Goaltender of the Year: Carter Hart
Rookie of the Year: Alex Lafreniere
Coach of the Year: Drew Bannister
Scholastic Player of the Year: Alexandre Alain
Humanitarian of the Year: Garrett McFadden
Sportsman of the Year: Aleksi Heponiemi
Top Scorer: Jayden Halbegwachs
Top Prospect of Year: Andrei Svechnikov

Poll: Should Pittsburgh Have Traded For Derick Brassard?

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With the Eastern Conference Finals set to continue on Monday between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning, one team that hasn’t been sitting around for the last couple of years is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Entering the playoffs red-hot after a key trade deadline acquistion, many people thought that the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins might make their third-straight trip to the Stanley Cup. Instead, they were ousted by the Capitals, who are fighting for their life.

The Penguins felt they hit the jackpot after making a big three-way trade between the Ottawa Senators and the Vegas Golden Knights to acquire that second-line center they desperately needed in Derick Brassard. While he seemed to be a good fit early during the final part of the regular season when he put up eight points in 14 games, Brassard suffered through an undisclosed “difficult injury,” near the end of the season and struggled throughout the playoffs. He managed just one goal and four points in 12 playoff games.

“I don’t know if we ever got there, to the comfort level where we know he’s capable of being the player he is,” said head coach Mike Sullivan following the season.

In exchange for Brassard, the Penguins gave up quite a bit to the Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights, including defenseman Ian Cole (who was subsequently flipped to Columbus), goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson, enforcer Ryan Reaves, a 2018 first-round pick, a 2019 third-round pick and the Vancouver Canucks’ 2018 fourth-round pick.

Cole fit in nicely with Columbus and became a key piece to the Blue Jackets’ defensive core and his gritty play and leadership may have been missed from the Penguins lineup, although defenseman Chad Ruhwedel did a solid job replacing him. While many won’t miss Reaves, his size and leadership also may have been underestimated as he eventually was a key figure in the Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff run, scoring the game-winning goal to clinch the team’s first trip to the Stanley Cup. And while the Penguins are overloaded in prospects, Gustavsson finished his season, came over to the U.S. and already on the Senators’ AHL roster getting valuable playing time.

That doesn’t include the picks that the Penguins have given up, not including the fact that Pittsburgh will have drafted in the first round just once in the past six years (and Kasperi Kapanen was traded not long after to Toronto).

On a positive note, the Penguins have one more year to show that Brassard was worth the haul they gave up. He still has one more year at $3MM (after Vegas retained some of his salary) suggesting he’s on a very affordable contract.

So, did the Penguins make the right decision in trading for Brassard?

Should the Penguins have traded for Derick Brassard?
Yes. The Penguins had to go for it as their window is closing. 54.94% (662 votes)
No. They gave up too much for a 30-year-old center. 45.06% (543 votes)
Total Votes: 1,205

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Western Notes: Pettersson, Fabbri, Blues, Skinner

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The Vancouver Canucks top prospect Elias Pettersson received a gold medal today at the IIHF World Championships. While the 19-year-old center did not  play after fracturing his thumb last week in a game against finals opponent Switzerland, there is also no word on whether he intends to sign his entry-level deal with the Canucks either, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal said he believes that Pettersson has yet to make up his mind about whether he wants to sign with Vancouver or stay another year in the SHL and play another year for Vaxjo. There is no timetable when the 2017 fifth-overall pick will make his decision.

  • In a mailbag edition, St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon writes that the best option for both the St. Louis Blues and restricted free agent Robby Fabbri is a one-year deal. Fabbri who hasn’t played a game since Feb. 4, 2017, is recovering from a torn ACL injury and had to undergo surgery a second time in training camp this year when he reinjured the same knee. Gordon writes with his value at an all-time low, as many players have trouble coming back from double surgery to the same knee, so both teams would want a one-year deal, including Fabbri who would want to prove to everyone he’s healthy if he wants to cash in on a lucrative contract.
  • Sticking with the Blues, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that the St. Louis Blues continue to shop some of worst contracts in hopes of clearing some cap space, including Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and goaltender Jake Allen, although it’s unlikely they would be able to move any of those contracts. The 29-year-old Berglund has a $3.85MM AAV deal for another four years. Sobotka has two more years at $3.5MM AAV, while Allen has three more years at $4.35MM.
  • The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) evaluates the play of Edmonton Oilers goaltending prospect Stuart Skinner, who has been a solid prospect, but had a really good stretch after he was traded to the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. The 2017 third-rounder posted a .932 postseason save percentage in 26 games, leading Swift Current to the WHL title. Is he the goalie of the future for the Oilers? Mitchell compares the prospect to other top goaltending prospects, but still admits its too early to know how good he could be. Regardless, the Oilers have something to look forward to in the future.

 

Eastern Notes: Callahan, Burke, Mascherin

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After undergoing two hip surgeries a year ago, veteran forward Ryan Callahan has been a key player for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. While his defensive skills and penalty killing have been critical for the Lightning, he also contributed a goal and an assist Saturday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. What’s amazing, writes The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required), is that Callahan admits that he thought he would need season-ending surgery back in December when he suffered a serious shoulder injury.

The 33-year-old collided with Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson in a Dec. 14 against the Arizona Coyotes in which the two players got tangled and Callahan’s shoulder vaulted into the boards. He lost three weeks of his season, rehabbing the injury, but returned in early January. Despite re-injuring the shoulder in March, he has not let up and continues to throw his body around for the Lightning in the playoffs.

“There’s no question the last three years have been tough for me,” Callahan said. “I think, for me, I appreciate this even more, especially being in the league for 12 years now too. You realize you don’t get this chance and this opportunity very often. I appreciate it and I realize how hard it is to win. And I’m trying to take advantage of it.”

  • Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette writes that Montreal Canadiens scout Sean Burke, who served as co-general manager with Martin Brodeur, for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships this week, has no idea what his next step will be. Burke, who has served as a scout for Canadiens’ head coach Marc Bergevin, said he might like to return as a scout, but will wait to see if he gets a better offer. “(Marc) Bergevin has been great with me in allowing me to do both roles and gain experience here as well. So we’ll see what’s down the road, but like everybody in this business you’re looking to get better and I’ve been fortunate to work with great people,” Burke said.
  • In his most recent podcast, TSN’s Bob McKenzie talks about Florida Panthers prospect Adam Mascherin, who says he will not sign with the team and has indicated he wants to re-enter the 2018 draft. The Panthers’ 2016 second-round pick claims to have been treated poorly by the Panthers and claims to not have been offered an entry-level deal. McKenzie says the Panthers have offered him an entry-level deal, a lucrative one that compares to that of the one that the Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat signed. He chose not to sign, because he “wasn’t feeling the love.” McKenzie adds that Mascherin is playing a dangerous game if he re-enters the draft as most players who re-enter get drafted lower and get lesser contracts.

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