Peter Laviolette Linked To New York Rangers Coaching Vacancy
The New York Rangers could be the first team of the 2023 offseason to fill a vacant head coaching position. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, well-tenured NHL bench boss Peter Laviolette is becoming the consensus pick to take over behind the Rangers bench, with a potential announcement coming next week.
Out of all the teams looking for a new head coach this offseason, the Rangers’ search has been the shortest. The team announced they’d parted ways with second-year coach Gerard Gallant on May 6.
If hired, the Rangers would be the sixth stop on Laviolette’s coaching tour. He ranks third among active coaches for seasons spent as a head coach (21), tied with current Philadelphia Flyers bench boss John Tortorella.
Laviolette, 58, himself became a free agent this summer, mutually parting ways with the Washington Capitals after three seasons as their head coach. His contract was set to expire regardless on June 30.
Undoubtedly, Laviolette is one of the most coveted options on the market. He’s got multiple deep playoff runs under his belt, and at first glance, he seems like an ideally experienced candidate to handle the New York market and lead the team into its first Stanley Cup Final since 2014.
But if you’re met with exasperation from Rangers fans when bringing up the connection, it is justified. The team’s largest issues over the past few seasons have been developing the talent they drafted to lead their retool, instead leading on their veteran stars (and goaltending) to take them to the next level.
Filip Chytil seems to be growing well into a high-end third-line center, but Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko weren’t able to reach their peak effectiveness under two previous coaches in New York. Other top ten picks, namely Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov, ended their Rangers careers as merely a blip in the stat book and now reside outside the organization.
Is Laviolette the right candidate to fix that issue and utilize the most out of depth players? The jury’s out on that one. His two previous franchises, the Capitals and Nashville Predators, are currently stagnant in their development. Nashville’s future only recently brightened thanks to a series of shrewd moves over the past few months from outgoing general manager David Poile.
There is one thing on Laviolette’s résumé that puts him ahead of a more developmental candidate or potentially an internal promotion from the team’s AHL staff in Hartford: three conference championships, all with different teams. Considering he hasn’t reached the Cup Final since 2017 with Nashville, Laviolette does seem due for another chance at Stanley after appearances in 2006 (a win with Carolina) and 2010 (a loss with Philadelphia).
Minor Transactions: 05/26/23
The Stanley Cup Final is just days away, meaning the NHL news cycle is likely to take a brief pause until a champion is awarded and the focus turns solely to the upcoming draft and free agency. This morning has been a busy one for overseas moves, however, as teams try to get some last bit of business wrapped up before the weekend.
- American defender Ben Blood continues his wide-ranging European career, signing a one-year contract with the DEL’s Löwen Frankfurt. In the past five years, the former Ottawa Senators prospect has played for four different teams across Great Britain, Finland, and Austria. Now 34 years old, the hulking 6-foot-4 defender takes his services to Germany for the first time after recording five points and 39 penalty minutes in 32 games with the Liiga’s Pelicans last season.
- Austrian World Juniors cult hero netminder Sebastian Wraneschitz is returning to his home country, signing a one-year deal with his hometown Vienna Capitals of the ICEHL. Wraneschitz, 21, played for Vienna in the 2020-21 season but opted to head to North America to play juniors in 2021-22. He settled in, playing 18 games with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, but injuries limited him to just three appearances there in 2022-23.
- The Liiga’s Luuko has signed a pair of formerly NHL-contracted players to one-year deals: defenseman Josh Brook and forward Brayden Burke. Brook, a former second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, spent the 2022-23 season on an AHL contract with the Calgary Wranglers but played just 13 games. The 23-year-old will now look to revive his career overseas. Burke, 26, amassed 202 games of AHL experience across six seasons between the Tuscon Roadrunners, Ontario Reign, Milwaukee Admirals, and Manitoba Moose.
- Heading back to the DEL, the Nürnberg Ice Tigers have inked 27-year-old forward Charlie Gerard to a one-year deal. Playing with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, Gerard finished top 10 in league scoring in 2022-23 after spending most of 2021-22 up in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This will be Gerard’s first experience overseas.
- Former New York Rangers forward prospect Jake Elmer is heading to Denmark, signing a one-year contract with the Odense Bulldogs of the Metal Ligaen. Elmer failed to stick in the AHL after a strong overage showing in juniors, which led to an NHL contract from the Rangers after going undrafted. The 24-year-old played six ECHL games this season before heading overseas, finishing out the year with HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga.
More to come…
Oskari Laaksonen Signs Two-Year Deal In SHL
Dallas Stars pending restricted free agent defender Oskari Laaksonen has signed with the SHL’s Luleå HF for the next two seasons, keeping him overseas through 2025.
The 23-year-old arrives in Luleå after two-and-a-half seasons in the AHL. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the 89th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Dallas acquired Laaksonen in a minor trade in December 2022.
There’s still some untapped potential in Laaksonen, who posted 34 points in 71 games with the Rochester Americans in 2021-22 before becoming a healthy scratch as the postseason began. In Texas this season, Laaksonen registered eight points in 29 games, adding three points in six playoff contests.
Dallas can retain Laaksonen’s NHL rights upon the expiration of his SHL deal if they issue a qualifying offer next month.
Before his time in the AHL, the Finnish defenseman amassed four seasons of pro experience in the Finnish Liiga with the Ilves and Pelicans clubs. Notably, Laaksonen was also a part of the Finnish national team that clinched the IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship title in the 2018-19 season.
Luleå general manager Stefan Nilsson expressed his excitement about Laaksonen’s acquisition in a translated statement:
It feels great with Laaksonen, who we feel is a skilled two-way defender who will be able to help the team. In addition to having a solid defensive game, he is also a good skater who likes to participate in the offensive game. In addition, he is a right-handed shooter, which we don’t have too many of.
Laaksonen also spoke on his decision to move overseas:
It feels great to move to Luleå and take on a new challenge together with Luleå Hockey in the SHL. Before I decided to sign, I spoke to Juhani Tyrväinen, because I have played with his brother before, and he had nothing but good things to say about both the association and the team, so it was an easy decision to make.
Sampo Ranta Signs In Sweden
Pending Colorado Avalanche restricted free agent forward Sampo Ranta has signed a two-year contract with the newly-promoted MoDo Hockey of the SHL, as announced by the team Thursday.
Colorado can still issue a qualifying offer to Ranta, which would keep him on the organization’s reserve list when his SHL deal expires in 2025. The Avalanche would maintain his rights at that point if he wanted to make an NHL return.
The 22-year-old Finn was a third-round selection of the Avalanche in 2018, but his promising collegiate numbers haven’t yet translated to the pro level. Over the past two-and-a-half seasons with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, Ranta has registered 22 goals and 43 points in 110 games. It’s not awful, but after a point-per-game junior campaign with the University of Minnesota in 2020-21, the organization was expecting a bit more.
Ranta did get multiple NHL looks, accumulating 16 regular-season games and two playoff games, but he failed to register a single point. For an Avalanche team that relies heavily on its top-six forward group, there weren’t many ice time opportunities for Ranta even when in the NHL lineup.
It’s likely why he’s opted to head overseas to a hungry MoDo team looking to stay in Sweden’s top league after earning promotion from the Allsvenskan this past season. He’ll have plenty of opportunity there and should be among the team’s scoring leaders at season’s end.
Born in Naantali, Finland, this will be Ranta’s first time playing in a European league since junior action with the Red Bull Hockey Academy in Austria in 2015-16.
NHLPA Investigating Kyle Dubas’ Relationship With Agent
The NHLPA confirmed to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli today that it’s conducting a review of the relationship between former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and his agent, Chris Armstrong of Wasserman Sports. The review is focused on whether there has been a violation of the Certified Agent regulations that govern agent activity.
The NHLPA Certified Agent regulations explicitly prohibit agents from representing or providing services to any officer or employee of an NHL team. Currently, Armstrong is not an NHL-certified agent and, therefore, not subject to discipline by the NHLPA.
However, this investigation seeks to determine whether agents working for the same agency but in a different division or arm of the firm are also prohibited from representing hockey executives on the other side of the table. Wasserman Sports represents approximately 10 percent of the NHL’s total player pool, including high-profile stars such as Toronto’s own Auston Matthews.
Per Seravalli, several NHL-certified agents have expressed their belief that Dubas’ relationship with Armstrong is a clear violation of the regulations and have called for an investigation by the NHLPA.
Jeff Jackson, Wasserman’s hockey executive vice president, stated to Seravalli that he was unaware of any pending review by the NHLPA but expressed willingness to address any questions the association may have regarding the matter.
Dubas, a former certified player agent himself, would have been well aware of the regulations governing agents prior to entering into a relationship with Armstrong. Now a free agent after being let go by the Maple Leafs ahead of his contract expiring this summer, he’s been heavily linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins general manager opening in recent days.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Vsevolod Komarov
The Buffalo Sabres have signed 2022 fifth-round pick Vsevolod Komarov to a three-year, entry-level contract, per his agent, Dan Milstein.
Buffalo selected the promising two-way defender with the 134th overall selection, a pick they acquired from the New Jersey Devils as compensation for taking on the last season of defenseman Will Butcher‘s contract in 2021-22. The Sabres officially announced the signing just minutes after Milstein did, and PuckPedia reports the deal carries an $865,000 cap hit.
Komarov, 19, is headed to this year’s Memorial Cup after capturing the 2023 QMJHL championship with his Québec Remparts, which boast one of the best two-way defense corps in the entire CHL. He was a big part of that this season, and his +38 rating tied for first among defensemen on the team.
A right-handed defender, Komarov has good size at 6-foot-2 and possesses a strong shot, something that’s impressed the Sabres’ director of player development, Adam Mair.
When we saw him at rookie camp and development camp, we sort of thought that he was primarily a defender. Which he is, and he’s an excellent one. He’s big, he’s long, he’s competitive, and strong in front of the net. But he’s started to add some offense to his game in Quebec. They have a good team and he’s a big part of what they’re creating. He’s been put on the power play. He’s taken a big step this year in terms of his puck play and his offensive contributions.
In 2022-23, Komarov tallied 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 62 games with the Remparts. He added a goal and seven assists in 18 playoff games.
Komarov’s signing marks another step forward for the Sabres’ 2022 draft class, which is yielding very promising. He becomes the fifth member of the draft class to sign an entry-level contract, joining forwards Matthew Savoie, Noah Östlund, Jiri Kulich, and Viktor Neuchev.
Evgenii Dadonov Out For Game 4
The Dallas Stars will officially be without winger Evgenii Dadonov as they try to stave off a sweep tonight, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed to reporters.
Luckily, the team will avoid a third absence tonight in addition to Dadonov and suspended captain Jamie Benn. Joe Pavelski was also absent from this morning’s skate, but DeBoer said it was for maintenance reasons only.
Yesterday, DeBoer said Dadonov’s status for tonight’s Game 4 was doubtful. Dadonov left Dallas’ Game 3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights after colliding with teammate Roope Hintz. He sustained a lower-body injury on the play.
Without Dadonov in the fold, it’s expected both Joel Kiviranta and Fredrik Olofsson will draw into the lineup as the team also deals with Benn’s absence. It would be Olofsson’s playoff debut, so it’s a possibility defenseman Colin Miller draws into the lineup instead, and the Stars only ice 11 forwards.
Dadonov has been as effective as hoped for since Dallas acquired him from the Montreal Canadiens late in the season. The 34-year-old veteran has 10 points in 16 games, tied for sixth on the team in scoring with defenseman Miro Heiskanen. He also notched 15 points in 23 regular-season games down the stretch with Dallas.
Ottawa Senators Sign Nikolas Matinpalo To ELC
The Ottawa Senators have made a free-agent addition to their defensive lineup, announcing the signing of Finnish defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo to a one-year, entry-level contract. Per PuckPedia, Matinpalo’s deal carries a $855,000 cap hit which includes $800,000 base salary and an $85,000 signing bonus. He’ll earn a salary of $80,000 while in the minors.
During the 2022-23 season, Matinpalo recorded 16 points, including seven goals and nine assists, in 51 regular-season games with Ässät of the Finnish Liiga. Those were all career-highs for Matinpalo, 24, as he’s emerged as a highly-valued shutdown defender in Finnish circles.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition in a statement:
Nikolas’ signing represents a good depth addition for us on defense. He took a big step this past season in improving his overall game in a short period of time. He has size, reach, and an active stick. He’s also a very good puck mover who competes and plays with urgency, which has helped him become a reliable defender.
Born in Espoo, Finland, Matinpalo entered the international stage this year, representing his country for the first time at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship. In seven games played thus far, he has recorded three points, including one goal and two assists, helping Finland advance to the quarterfinals.
Matinpalo is the second undrafted free agent signing out of Europe for the Senators this offseason. The team signed 26-year-old Czech forward Jiří Smejkal earlier this month.
A right-shot defender, Matinpalo will be competing with younger names like Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson to crack Ottawa’s roster next year. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound defender certainly has a size advantage over both of them, but it remains to be seen whether Matinpalo can be proficient enough offensively to avoid becoming a liability at the NHL level.
Dallas Stars Recall Mavrik Bourque, Rhett Gardner
The Dallas Stars announced the recall of two forwards from the AHL’s Texas Stars this morning: Mavrik Bourque and Rhett Gardner.
Additional depth is needed on the team’s roster, especially among forwards, after a two-game suspension for captain Jamie Benn and a potential injury to Evgenii Dadonov could knock them to just 12 healthy forwards available to play. With the AHL Stars’ season ending a few days ago after losing to the Milwaukee Admirals in the Central Division Final, Bourque and Gardner were initially slated to be “Black Aces” for the NHL club. Now, if the Stars face more injury issues today or manage to extend their season, these two may be thrust into unexpected playing time.
Bourque, a 21-year-old out of Plessisville, Quebec, continued a solid first pro season in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He contributed one goal and four points in eight playoff games, finishing tied for tenth on the team in playoff scoring. His offensive abilities were evident as he tallied an assist in his AHL postseason debut and recorded points in three consecutive games in the series loss against the Admirals.
Throughout his first full professional season, Bourque exhibited strong potential with 47 points in 70 regular-season games, ranking ninth among AHL rookies. He ranked fourth on the AHL Stars in goals and fifth in points, a strong showing after Dallas selected him 30th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Gardner, 27, led the Texas Stars in postseason scoring with eight points in eight games. His offensive consistency was evident as he notched points in six of the eight playoff games, including a five-game point streak to kick off the Calder Cup Playoffs. This was Gardner’s first season since turning pro in 2018-19 that he didn’t see any NHL action.
Gardner posted 10 goals and 40 points in 71 regular-season games from Texas, a solid offensive rebound after a poor showing on the scoresheet last season. The 2016 fourth-round pick has become a solid two-way forward at the minor-league level and remains high on Dallas’ list of call-up options.
Jamie Benn Suspended For Two Games
The NHL Department of Player Safety has handed down a two-game suspension to Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn as a result of a cross-check to the neck of Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone early into last night’s Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
As mentioned in our coverage earlier this morning of the news of Benn’s hearing, the initial play resulted in a major penalty and game misconduct for Benn.
In a video statement, NHL Player Safety described the play as Stone pursuing the puck through the neutral zone and appearing ready to engage with Benn. However, as Stone closed in, Benn made a decision that would ultimately lead to his suspension.
Benn chipped the puck up the wall, attempting to maneuver around Stone and gain the offensive zone. In the process, though, Stone was sent crashing to the ice. Seizing the opportunity, Benn then proceeded to deliver a forceful cross-check to Stone’s head and neck area.
Player Safety emphasized that Benn was in complete control of the play and deliberately chose to execute the dangerous cross-check on a prone player. Their decision to suspend Benn stems from their assessment of the incident as an unnecessarily dangerous act carried out with sufficient intent and force to warrant supplemental discipline.
It should be noted that Benn has a history of fines, having been fined four times over the course of his 1,030-game NHL career. This is his first offense to elevate to the level of suspension, however.
The suspension will see Jamie Benn sidelined for the Stars’ next two playoff or regular season games, meaning if the Stars are eliminated in tomorrow’s Game 4, Benn’s suspension will carry over to the first game of the 2023-24 season.
It’s a large loss for Dallas, who will need two straight wins to extend their season to the point where Benn can return. His 11 points in 16 games are tied for fourth on the team in scoring, and his 33 goals and 78 points in the regular season were his highest total since 2017-18.