Maple Leafs Closing In On Craig Berube For Head Coach Vacancy
The Maple Leafs are now “far down the road” of naming Craig Berube their next head coach, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Friday.
Berube, who won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2018-19 after taking over as their interim coach midseason, was fired partway through his sixth season at the helm in mid-December. The Blues went 13-14-1 under Berube in the early stages of the season but rallied to finish 30-19-5 under Drew Bannister, whom they recently signed to a two-year deal to remain as head coach. However, they missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
In two stops behind NHL benches with the Blues and Flyers, the 55-year-old has a career regular-season record of 281-190-72 (.584) and a 27-31 (.466) record. Outside of St. Louis’ 2019 championship, he guided them to only one other series win, a 4-2 victory over the Wild in the first round in 2022.
Berube has been viewed as the favorite for Toronto’s vacancy seemingly within hours of when they fired Sheldon Keefe last week. The Leafs also reportedly interviewed former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan, and Friedman confirmed today that they also spoke to 2018 Jack Adams Award winner Gerard Gallant in the past few days.
He was also in rather advanced talks with the Senators a few weeks ago, but Ottawa ended up doling out a four-year deal for former Canucks coach and Devils interim bench boss Travis Green instead. Berube has also interviewed for the Devils‘ and Jets‘ openings, but they’ll now need to look elsewhere.
Friedman’s report implies that Toronto won’t be waiting around to see if the Hurricanes decide to part with Rod Brind’Amour, as suggested this morning. Brind’Amour, whose Carolina team was just eliminated in six games in the second round by the Rangers, is not signed for next season.
Berube’s main task will be helping the Leafs overcome their recent playoff scoring woes in hopes of a deep playoff run. The franchise has made the postseason in eight straight years, tied for the longest active streak in the NHL, but has only one series win, coming in 2023 over the Lightning. They averaged just 1.92 goals per game in this year’s first-round loss to the Bruins and were similarly held to 1.90 goals per game by the Panthers in the second round last season.
Injury Notes: Hintz, Marchand, Trenin
The Stars will be without first-line center Roope Hintz again as they try to dispatch the Avalanche in Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed (via Corey Masisak of The Denver Post). He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and DeBoer is “hopeful” he could play in a Game 7 or Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, depending on the result of tonight’s contest.
While he’s been centering the team’s de facto first line between Jason Robertson and a rotation of Joe Pavelski and rookie Logan Stankoven on his right wing, he hasn’t been their best center in terms of production or ice time. That honor goes to sophomore sensation Wyatt Johnston, who’s exploded for seven goals and 11 points in 12 games while averaging over 20 minutes per game. Hintz has still been serviceable, logging two goals and four assists in 11 games, but his lines have struggled to control possession quality. That’s not a huge issue on a Stars team that boasts the deepest attack in the West, however. The 27-year-old had 30 goals and 65 points in 80 games in the regular season after recording over a point per game last year.
Other updates as the second round nears its end:
- Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains a game-time decision for tonight’s Game 6 against the Panthers but seems to be trending upward, per head coach Jim Montgomery (per The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan). He’s missed the past two contests after sustaining an upper-body hit on a hit from Florida center Sam Bennett, which the Bruins managed to split with the Cats to stay alive. They head into Game 6 after an impressive road win to reduce Florida’s series lead to 3-2 with a chance to tie at home. Despite the multi-game absence, Marchand is still tied with Jake DeBrusk for the Bruins lead in playoff scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games.
- Avalanche winger Yakov Trenin will not play in Game 6 against Dallas after sustaining an upper-body injury on Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar said (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). He’s been given a day-to-day designation and hasn’t been ruled out for a potential Game 7 should Colorado win its second straight game tonight. Line rushes at this morning’s practice confirmed that veteran pivot Chris Wagner is likely to replace Trenin as the team’s fourth-line center as they try to draw the series even at three games apiece. Trenin, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent and has one goal in 10 playoff games after being picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline.
Todd McLellan Has Interviewed With Devils, Jets
In addition to previous connections with the Kraken and Maple Leafs, Todd McLellan has now also interviewed with the Devils and Jets for their head coaching vacancies, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.
He’s not viewed as the clear front-runner for any of the four jobs he’s in consideration for, but interest is growing in his services as the number of league-wide openings dwindles. He’s viewed as the Maple Leafs’ backup option to Craig Berube (and potentially Rod Brind’Amour), while the Devils appear to be zeroing in on Sheldon Keefe as their preferred candidate. McLellan is the only external candidate firmly linked to Seattle’s vacancy thus far, and he’s the second to interview for the Winnipeg vacancy after Berube earlier this week.
The Sharks are the only other team with an opening (aside from McLellan’s former employer), but they don’t have any documented interest in bringing back McLellan for his second stint behind the bench. His first crack at being an NHL head coach was in San Jose, compiling an exceptional 311-163-66 (.637) regular season record but failing to advance to a Stanley Cup Final. The Sharks’ only Finals appearance in franchise history came the year after McLellan was let go.
McLellan, fired by the Kings midseason, led them to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since a five-year run between 2010 and 2014 that resulted in two Stanley Cups. He had the Kings off to a torrid 13-3-3 start by American Thanksgiving, but a 10-12-7 stretch between then and the All-Star break convinced L.A. to pull the plug and replace him with interim head coach Jim Hiller.
In 1,144 career games coached with the Kings, Oilers and Sharks, McLellan has a 598-412-134 (.581) record, ranking 24th on the all-time wins list. Despite that, his playoff record is below .500 (42-46).
Along with Berube and McLellan, the Jets are also considering associate coach Scott Arniel for an internal promotion. He stepped behind the bench during the now-retired Rick Bowness‘ two leaves of absence this season.
Hurricanes Not Expected To Re-Sign Brett Pesce, Martin Necas
The Hurricanes will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason by any measure. After getting bounced in the second round by the Rangers, not only is the future of head coach Rod Brind’Amour in question, but they have multiple pending unrestricted free agents that would be among the top 20 names on the market should they not be re-signed before July 1.
One of them is blue-liner Brett Pesce, whose season ended in Game 2 of the first round against the Islanders after sustaining a lower-body injury. The top-four staple in Raleigh for nearly a decade could very well have played his last game for the Canes, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Friday’s edition of “32 Thoughts”:
“Pesce didn’t seem likely. They kinda told him what they were willing to do last year,” Friedman said. “I think it was in the (five years, $5MM AAV) range. It didn’t work. I don’t know that it’s changed.”
Early into the extension-eligible period for their 2024 UFAs, reports indicated the Hurricanes weren’t close to extensions with any of them aside from franchise center Sebastian Aho, who inked the richest contract in franchise history last July. That included Pesce, who most expected Carolina to trade before the season to avoid letting him walk for nothing. He was even allowed to discuss extensions with other teams last summer, but Friedman confirmed during training camp that he’d been taken off the trade block by general manager Don Waddell.
It wasn’t the wisest decision for Pesce, who’s coming off arguably his worst campaign since his rookie season. His 0.19 points per game were a career-low, his 20:17 average per game was the lowest since 2015-16, and his possession metrics checked in right around the team average in both shot attempts and expected goals.
After a lengthy run of being one of the better two-way defenders in the league, though, he’s still likely in line to earn a slightly richer deal than what Carolina is offering him. Evolving Hockey projects him to land a six-year deal on the open market with a roughly $5.5MM cap hit.
Friedman also believes that forward Martin Nečas, now a restricted free agent after completing a two-year, $6MM bridge deal, could have his signing rights traded this summer, saying he doesn’t think Carolina will do “what Nečas wants to do.” The Hurricanes are expected to prioritize re-signing trade deadline pickup Jake Guentzel, the best left wing available on the pending UFA market. He also notes that Seth Jarvis, an RFA like Necas, has surpassed him on the depth chart internally and is more of a financial priority long-term.
Nečas is eligible for salary arbitration this summer, so they may need to execute a sign-and-trade or allow him to negotiate with other clubs. Opening the possibility for Nečas to force an acquiring team to arbitration could lower his trade value.
The 2017 12th-overall pick took a considerable step back this season, posting 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games after recording a career-high 71 in 82 last season. The Czech winger hasn’t historically been a positive possession force on a deep Hurricanes forward group, either, although he was good in playoff action this year with four goals and five assists in 11 games.
Any team acquiring Nečas would only be able to sign him to a seven-year deal if they wanted to go for the maximum term since he was on Carolina’s reserve list at the trade deadline, although it could be an eight-year deal via a sign-and-trade. Evolving Hockey projects that as the most likely outcome with a $7.5MM cap hit.
Devils Re-Sign Kurtis MacDermid For Three Years
The Devils have filled their enforcer role for the foreseeable future, re-signing winger/defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to a three-year, $3.45MM contract on Friday. The deal carries a $1.15MM cap hit and is paid out entirely in base salary, earning him $1.25MM in 2024-25, $1.2MM in 2025-26 and $1MM in 2026-27. PuckPedia adds that $250K next season and $200K from his 2025-26 salary will come in the form of signing bonuses.
New Jersey acquired MacDermid, 30, via trade from the Avalanche on March 1, sending Colorado the signing rights to center prospect Zakhar Bardakov and the Predators’ seventh-round pick, 215th overall, in this year’s draft. He played in 16 games for the Devils down the stretch, lining up at forward for all of them, contributing an assist while racking up 50 PIMs during his short stint in the Garden State.
He’ll now have the opportunity to add many more over the next three seasons. MacDermid first broke into the league with the Kings in 2017-18, over five years after they initially signed him as an undrafted free agent out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack.
He’s remained in the league as a seventh defenseman/13th forward ever since and hasn’t been assigned to the minors since the 2018-19 campaign. In 265 career games, the 6’5″ heavyweight has 11 goals, 31 points, a -24 rating and 368 PIMs with Colorado, Los Angeles and New Jersey.
MacDermid was also briefly a member of the Kraken, who selected him from the Kings in the 2021 expansion draft. He remained a member of the organization for all of six days before they flipped him to the Avs for a 2023 fourth-round pick (later flipped to the Sharks for Jaycob Megna, used to select defenseman Luca Cagnoni). He was on the roster for Colorado’s Stanley Cup win in 2022 but didn’t suit up in any playoff games after making a career-high 58 regular season appearances.
Today’s extension is the richest deal MacDermid has earned in his NHL career, beating out the two-year, $1.975MM extension he signed with the Avalanche in 2022. It’s his first three-year deal since his entry-level contract. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Maple Leafs Among Teams Monitoring Rod Brind’Amour’s Availability
After blowing a 3-1 third-period lead and being eliminated in Round 2 at the hands of the Rangers last night, there’s now an immediate focus on what the Hurricanes opt to do with pending free-agent coach Rod Brind’Amour. Among other teams, expect the Maple Leafs to delay their head coaching decision until gaining clarity into whether he’ll hit the market, reports Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
The Hurricanes had offered Brind’Amour an extension earlier in the season, but a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger before the second round indicated the team rescinded it. His report seemed to spur some momentum between the two sides, as within 24 hours, Dreger issued a follow-up saying talks between Brind’Amour and Carolina ownership had advanced.
However, no deal has been made for either Brind’Amour or his assistants. Losing in such a dramatic fashion could very well influence the Canes to turn elsewhere.
Toronto, meanwhile, is on the hunt for a new head coach on the heels of a similarly familiar playoff disappointment. They fired five-year veteran Sheldon Keefe last week and have already interviewed former Blues coach Craig Berube and ex-Kings bench boss Todd McLellan for the vacancy, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Berube is widely viewed as their preferred candidate, but they’re not the only team heavily considering him – the Jets interviewed him for their vacancy this week. If they wait too long to see if Carolina decides to part ways with Brind’Amour, Berube may not be available as a Plan B.
Outside of Toronto and Winnipeg, the Devils, Kings, Kraken and Sharks still need to fill coaching vacancies. New Jersey (link) and Seattle (link) appear to be in the final stages of their searches, while the Sharks’ cast net is a tad wider. But all three would likely have interest in Brind’Amour if he became available, especially the Devils and Kraken, who have playoff aspirations next season.
Brind’Amour has made the playoffs in all six years behind the Hurricanes bench and won the Jack Adams Award in 2021, overseeing perhaps the best possession team in the NHL over that time. However, the Hurricanes haven’t won a game past the second round in his tenure. They were swept by the Bruins (2019) and Panthers (2023) in their two Eastern Conference Finals appearances under their 2006 Stanley Cup-winning captain to date.
Overall, Brind’Amour has a 278-130-44 (.664) regular season record and a 38-35 (.521) playoff mark as Carolina’s head coach.
Islanders Sign Maxim Tsyplakov To Entry-Level Contract
May 17, 7:48 a.m.: It’s actually the maximum $950K entry-level cap hit for Tsyplakov, per CapFriendly. He’ll earn a base salary of $885K and a $95K signing bonus, plus up to $1MM in potential performance bonuses. If assigned to the minors, he’ll earn an $82.5K salary.
May 16, 2:07 p.m.: Tsyplakov’s deal will carry a $925K cap hit, Sears reports.
May 16, 1:50 p.m.: This summer’s top international free agent is off the board early. The Islanders will be Maxim Tsyplakov‘s NHL home next season, announcing Thursday that they’ve signed him to a one-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Tspylakov, 25, was drawing interest from the majority of the league. However, the Islanders weren’t one of the teams specifically linked to the Russian forward. As recently as this week, it was expected the Canadiens would make a strong pitch for his services. The Maple Leafs were also connected to Tsyplakov during the season.
It doesn’t appear to be a rushed or out-of-left-field signing, though. Islanders European scout Jim Paliafito has been talking to Tsypalakov’s camp as far back as February, reports Ethan Sears of the New York Post. Sears adds the Islanders weren’t the only New York team with interest – the Rangers were also in talks with Tsyplakov as well as Montreal and Toronto.
The 6’3″ winger has spent parts of seven seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Spartak Moscow but was an extremely late bloomer. Tsyplakov, a Moscow native, didn’t even lock down a top-six role until this season.
It was a defining campaign for Tsyplakov, though, one that made him the top international UFA on the market with months to go in the season. The gifted sniper served as an alternate captain for Spartak and scored 31 goals in 65 games, ranking fourth in the KHL in goals and second on his team behind former Canucks and Sharks winger Nikolay Goldobin.
As he’s such a late bloomer, though, there will be rightful concerns about how well his offense can translate to North America, especially with no previous experience on this side of the Pacific. His season ended somewhat unceremoniously as well, limited to two goals and two assists in 11 postseason games as Spartak was dispatched by eventual champion Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the second round of the Gagarin Cup Playoffs.
Tsyplakov had also only recorded double-digit goal totals in a KHL season once before, scoring 10 times in 63 games last season. The Islanders will hope his size helps translate his scoring success last season to the NHL somewhat, although he really shouldn’t be counted upon for more than 20-30 points next year if he makes the team out of camp.
With so much interest elsewhere, it’s hard to imagine Tsyplakov accepting an assignment to AHL Bridgeport if he doesn’t crack the opening night roster. In that event, expect him to end up on the trade block or on waivers for a mutual contract termination to head back to Russia or get a shot from another NHL team.
Tsyplakov’s signing continues an active offseason already for the Isles, who have scoured the international market. They picked up Swedish goalie Marcus Högberg to serve as improved depth behind Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov next season, and they’re also expected to bring over Swiss defenseman Andrea Glauser from the National League.
Lightning Sign Mitchell Chaffee To Two-Year Extension
The Lightning have re-signed winger Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year contract, per a team announcement Thursday. The deal, his first one-way pact, carries a cap hit of $800K and a total value of $1.6MM.
Chaffee, 26, landed with the Lightning last summer on a one-year, two-way contract with a $350K guarantee after reaching Group 6 unrestricted free agency. An undrafted free agent signing by the Wild in 2020, Chaffee made his NHL debut in Minnesota in 2021-22 but played just two games with the club, instead spending most of his time on assignment to AHL Iowa.
The Michigan native had set himself up as a top-six minor-league contributor early on, totaling 23 goals and 39 points in 49 games by his second professional season. But a torn ACL in his right knee ended his 2022-23 campaign after seven points in 10 games, after which the Wild opted not to bring him back and let him walk to free agency.
Healthy once again, Chaffee began the season on assignment to AHL Syracuse after clearing waivers and was solid on a middling offensive club, recording 12 goals and 26 points in 36 contests. He was recalled twice on brief stints in December and January but remained on the NHL roster for the rest of the regular season and playoffs after a Feb. 5 recall. In 30 games with the Bolts, primarily stepping in for the injured Tanner Jeannot, the 6’1″ winger had four goals in seven points while averaging 11:17 per contest. He struggled to get the puck on net, averaging less than one shot on goal per game but was a skilled finisher and shot nearly 15%.
Possession numbers weren’t particularly kind to Chaffee, who posted a below-average 47.4 CF% and 41.1 xGF% at even strength, per Hockey Reference. He did manage to stay out of the box, though, taking just two minor penalties
He’ll be in consideration for an opening-night roster spot next season, but ideally, he serves as their 12th or 13th forward option. He didn’t display enough offensive talent to elevate into a top-nine role long-term, and his poor relative possession numbers, despite seeing even offensive and defensive usage at even strength, don’t paint the best picture of him as a third-line checking threat.
After re-upping Chaffee, the Lightning have $11.79MM in projected cap space next season with a roster size of 17, per CapFriendly. A good chunk of that will go toward attempting to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos and avoiding losing him after 16 years and nearly 1,100 games with the club. Chaffee was set to become a Group 6 UFA yet again this summer if not extended.
Snapshots: NCAA Rule Changes, Marchessault, Pettersen
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Committee wants to give on-ice officials more discretion in disciplining checking from behind and head contact penalties and has put forth an official proposal for a rules adjustment, per an announcement from the organization Thursday. The proposed changes must still be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which meets next on June 6.
Regarding examples of “clear violations” of the anti-head contact rule, officials would be required to supplement a five-minute major penalty with either a game misconduct or disqualification. Under previous rules, officials may have assessed a standalone five-minute major for head contact, but that option will disappear. Instances of head contact that officials deem to be inadvertent or otherwise legal may still be assessed as minor penalties.
Officials will also now have all penalty options available for checking from behind infractions, opening up a more extended use of minor penalties in response to collisions where the player on the receiving end of the hit turns or changes position just prior to contact. Other proposed rule changes include modifying the NCAA’s definition of playing the puck with a high stick to match NHL rules (above shoulder height as compared to the NCAA’s current 4 feet rule) and mandated shootouts after five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime for regular-season play across all conferences.
Other news and notes from around hockey:
- If Jonathan Marchessault is able to re-sign with the Golden Knights, don’t expect it to be on a huge discount. In a mailbag Thursday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal says Vegas is prepared to dole out a raise on his current $5MM cap hit to get him to stay. They’ll need to make some significant roster moves to accommodate him, though, as the Golden Knights have less than $1MM in projected cap space next season with a roster size of 20. Moving the final season of injured goaltender Robin Lehner‘s $5MM cap hit to long-term injured reserve will give them some much-needed flexibility, but they’ll still likely need to move out one contract to keep their 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner around. Evolving Hockey projects a Marchessault extension in Vegas to come in at roughly $7.2MM per season for four years.
- Norway has added Stars prospect Mathias Emilio Pettersen to its roster for the 2024 World Championship, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis reports. Pettersen, 24, was drafted by the Flames in the sixth round of the 2018 draft and spent parts of four seasons playing for their AHL affiliate before being dealt to Dallas in a minor-league swap just before this year’s trade deadline. The 5’11” forward closed out the season on a high note, notching eight points in 12 regular-season games for AHL Texas and adding five points in seven playoff games. This marks his second appearance at the Worlds and his first since 2021 when he had a goal and a -2 rating in six games. He’s a pending restricted free agent and is eligible for arbitration this summer.
Injury Notes: Marchand, Pesce, Kreider, Trenin
Things are trending toward Bruins captain Brad Marchand returning to the lineup as they try and force a Game 7 against the Panthers on Friday night. He practiced with the team today and skated with the first power play unit, reports The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, indicating head coach Jim Montgomery is preparing for him to be available. Montgomery later told reporters that Marchand remains day-to-day, but his status could change tomorrow (via NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson).
Marchand missed Games 4 and 5 after Panthers center Sam Bennett laid out a controversial hit in Game 3, causing him to sustain an upper-body injury. The 35-year-old has been Boston’s best skater in these playoffs, tying for the team lead with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games. He hasn’t taken a minor penalty in the Florida series, only being assessed a 10-minute misconduct for his role in a third-period Game 2 melee after Brandon Montour scored shorthanded to put the Cats up 6-1.
The B’s dropped Game 4 without their captain but managed to escape Florida with a 2-1 win in Game 5 to keep their season alive. The Bruins are now 2-2 in potential elimination games this postseason after dropping Games 5 and 6 against the Maple Leafs in the first round despite taking a 3-1 series lead.
Other injury updates as we rapidly near the Conference Finals:
- The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Brett Pesce as they try and stave off elimination for a third straight game against the Rangers tonight, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed (via Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal). He’s ramped up practicing with the team as he tries to return from a lower-body injury, but he’ll miss his ninth straight contest. Pesce hasn’t played since sustaining the injury midway through Game 2 of Carolina’s first-round win over the Islanders. The pending unrestricted free agent averaged 20:17 per game in the regular season, his lowest usage since his rookie season in 2015-16 while posting three goals and 13 points in 70 games.
- Rangers winger Chris Kreider was absent from practice yesterday due to maintenance, but it appears the team was underselling whatever’s going on. He confirmed to reporters he’ll play in Game 6, but likely isn’t 100 percent. Earlier this morning, he was downgraded to probable/uncertain for Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters (including USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano). Kreider did return to practice with the team at today’s morning skate, though, something Laviolette called “a real positive.” He had two goals and two assists in Games 1 through 3 against Carolina but has been held without a point in their Game 4 and 5 losses.
- Avalanche checking forward Yakov Trenin is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s Game 5 win over the Stars prematurely, Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reported mid-game. Picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline, Trenin has one goal in 10 postseason games thus far and has played a smaller role than expected, averaging 10:36 per game. He’s also struggled in the faceoff dot while serving as their fourth-line pivot, winning only 43.6% of his draws. If he’s unable to play in Game 6 on Friday, expect veteran Chris Wagner to draw into the lineup. Wagner’s lone appearance came in their Game 1 overtime win over Dallas last week, logging 8:28 of ice time.