Tempe Set To Discuss Coyotes Arena Plan Next Month
There could be some potential clarity coming on the post-Arizona State University living situation for the Arizona Coyotes. The City Council of Tempe, AZ is set to discuss the team’s proposed arena and entertainment district plan in a June 2 meeting, according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan.
Earlier this year, the Coyotes closed on a multi-year agreement to play their home games at the new multipurpose arena at ASU. With the capacity at this arena expected to be under 5,000 fans, it’s painstakingly obvious that this isn’t a long-term solution. The team, however, still doesn’t have a solid future after the agreement with the school ends.
Enter Tempe, where the Coyotes have been trying to forge a home for years. The entire point of the ASU agreement is to hopefully build a relationship with the Tempe community, demonstrating to the city that the struggling team is worth housing.
The team is locked into ASU for three seasons with the option for a fourth. If the team wants to ensure they’ll be able to stay in the desert at the end of that deal, time is starting to tick on the Coyotes to get the city of Tempe to approve an arena deal.
Seattle Kraken Close To Signing Samuel Bucek
The Seattle Kraken look to continue to build their prospect pool this offseason, and not just through the draft. The Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker reports that the team is close to signing Slovakian winger Samuel Bucek to a contract.
Undrafted, the 23-year-old Bucek stands at 6’3″, 205 lbs. Playing for HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga, he led the entire league in goals (41) and points (64) in 50 games. The highlight on a team that includes 2022 draft-eligibles Simon Nemec and Adam Sykora, Bucek wouldn’t be coming to North America for the first time. In an effort to improve his development and get more playing time, Bucek played in 52 games with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in 2016-17, scoring 33 points. He also played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
Bucek uses his larger frame to play a strong net-front game, generating a lot of offense from tips and deflections. Bucek will likely challenge for a large role with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in their inaugural season.
Mark Giordano Signs Extension With Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed an extremely team-friendly extension with defenseman Mark Giordano, paying him $800,000 per season for two years.
Toronto acquired Giordano, the 2019 Norris Trophy winner, at the 2022 Trade Deadline from the Seattle Kraken. The first captain in Kraken history had new life breathed into his game upon joining Toronto. While he saw more limited ice time, the ageing defenseman showed that he could get back to his elite game given less pressure and minutes. Averaging under 20 minutes per game in Toronto for the first time since 2009, Giordano had a very respectable 12 points in 20 regular-season games. He added on two assists in seven playoff games.
While broken up in the playoffs, he and Timothy Liljegren looked absolutely spectacular for Toronto post-deadline. With similar play styles, Giordano seemed to be the appropriate mentor for the young Liljegren. It’s hard to imagine that they won’t see some more time together in 2022-23.
The 50+ point seasons of yore certainly aren’t in the cards for Giordano moving forward. However, he’s shown the ability over the past few seasons to maintain his defensive game even as his point totals fall. He’s still much more valuable than a standard seventh defenseman, immediately making his contract a steal. If he’s able to maintain that level of defensive play or even just limit its decline, this becomes an extremely valuable signing to add defensive depth on the left side while Rasmus Sandin continues to develop his game.
Giordano was also the recipient of the 2020 Mark Messier Leadership Award, evidencing his long-standing reputation of being a strong voice in the room. Over 1024 career games, the 6’1″ / 200 lb defenseman has 151 goals, 393 assists, and 544 points.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the deal.
Looking At The Impending Vegas Cap Crunch
To say the 2021-22 season was a gigantic disappointment for the Vegas Golden Knights would also be a massive understatement. After mortgaging a large part of their future to acquire superstar center Jack Eichel, albeit for the long term, the team missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and fired head coach Peter DeBoer earlier this week.
Now, general manager Kelly McCrimmon has an arduous offseason to retool the roster and find a new head coach. Both will need significant attention, however, the Knights are already entering free agency with the pressing need to shed cap space. With a roster size of 23, the team is already in a salary deficit of about $500,000, even with the small cap increase to $82.5MM next year (CapFriendly).
While some of those players may be sent to AHL Henderson when the team is fully healthy, the team needs to make a decision on RFAs Nicolas Roy, Brett Howden, Keegan Kolesar, and Nicolas Hague, who have all been extremely valuable to the team in their depth roles. It’s clear that unless the Knights somehow make a move to acquire significant long-term injury relief (Shea Weber?), the team needs to move on from a decent chunk of cash to be comfortable under the cap in 2022-23.
Obviously, the choice that jumps off the page is forward Evgenii Dadonov. Signed just through next season at $5MM, the veteran forward was already involved in a trade intended to dump his salary but was reversed due to his limited no-trade clause. He did hit the 20-goal mark again this year and could do so again if given good support. It’s a low-risk acquisition for teams looking for scoring depth, especially with his contract expiring at the end of the year. However, Vegas has absolutely no leverage in this situation given the failed trade in March. If that incident didn’t happen, the Knights could probably have made a decent deal involving Dadonov this offseason. They’ll likely still be able to make a trade, but it won’t involve much benefit for the team other than cap space.
Another potential option is William Karlsson. Given his offensive upside and defensive acumen, teams would probably like to have a top-six centerman under a $6MM cap hit. With the Eichel acquisition and solid play from the cheaper Chandler Stephenson, there is no longer a pressing need for Karlsson in the lineup. He had a very tough season putting pucks in the net, though, and his 40-goal 2017-18 campaign seems like decades ago for him now. He’s scored just 15, 14, and 12 goals in the past three years, and while he still puts up points, he’s signed through 2027. It would clear a tad more cap space than Dadonov, though, and the wing is more a position of need for the Knights. Yet, the relationship between Dadonov and the Knights must be considered. If the relationship is irreparably severed, the team might have no choice. That’s not to say they still couldn’t entertain the idea of moving Karlsson, however.
Lastly, there’s backup netminder Laurent Brossoit and his $2.3MM cap hit. He’s almost surely gone considering the incredibly strong play of youngster Logan Thompson down the stretch. It’s not much cap relief, though, and the team likely needs a little more wiggle room to adjust the roster as desired.
East Notes: Point, Boyle, Goodrow
It looks like the Battle of Florida will be missing one of its biggest stars, at least for Game 1. After falling awkwardly in their Game 7 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point is doubtful for Game 1 of their Second Round series against the Florida Panthers, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Cooper notes that Point’s availability remains day-to-day, however.
Point’s injury didn’t look good, to say the least. Toe-picking along the wall with not much time remaining in the first period, Point’s leg went into the boards and he immediately winced in pain, grabbing his right leg near his hip. Point attempted to return for a shift in the second period and did not return after, although he did stay on the bench. The Leafs did a decent job of limiting Point in that series, holding him to just four points in seven games (and a -6 rating), although he did score the overtime winner in Game 6 to tie the series. Nonetheless, he remains an extremely important piece for the Lightning if they hope to get past their Presidents’ Trophy-winning Floridian counterparts and keep the three-peat dream alive.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that veteran forward Brian Boyle underwent successful knee surgery today with an expected recovery time of six weeks. Boyle was injured in the team’s Game 6 loss to the New York Rangers. The 37-year-old was a pleasant surprise this season for Pittsburgh, notching 21 points in 66 games and two assists in six playoff games. The cancer survivor signed a PTO with the Penguins during training camp after not playing professionally in 2020-21 and carved out a regular spot in the lineup. It remains to be seen whether Boyle will return to the NHL next season.
- Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow won’t be available for Games 1 and 2 of their Second Round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but he still has a chance to return from injury during the series according to head coach Gerard Gallant. Goodrow was injured in Game 1 against the Penguins and hasn’t played since. He remains week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.
Jesper Wallstedt Signs Entry-Level Deal With Minnesota
12:46 pm: The Wild have made Wallstedt’s signing official. The contract will begin for the 2022-23 season.
9:33 am: With all the uncertainty around the Minnesota Wild’s goaltending situation for next season, it looks like fans could get a chance to see the team’s future in goal in North America in 2022-23. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports Monday morning that the Wild are close to signing 2021 first-round selection Jesper Wallstedt to his three-year, entry-level contract.
Wallstedt alluded to the move himself with an Instagram post, thanking his Swedish club, Lulea HF, for the four seasons he spent there but said it was time to take the next step in his career. Lulea lost the SHL championship series to Farjestad, scoring just one goal in the final two games as Farjestad rebounded to take the series in seven games.
The 19-year-old native of Vasteras, Sweden, was widely regarded as the top goaltending prospect in the 2021 draft. Some public boards went so far as to rank him as one of the top 10 prospects available. However, a small late-season dip in his play combined with a stellar run in the WHL playoffs from the Edmonton Oil Kings’ Sebastian Cossa led to Wallstedt being the second goalie off the board at 20th overall. The pick originally belonged to the Edmonton Oilers, but the Wild made a draft-day trade to move up two spots from 22nd overall, surrendering the 90th overall pick (Luca Munzenberger) to the Oilers in return as well.
Wallstedt improved significantly on his numbers from last season this year. After a rough end to the 2020-21 season in Lulea and a subpar pair of playoff games, Wallstedt rebounded to post a 12-10-0 record, .918 save percentage, 1.98 goals-against average, and three shutouts in 22 games with Lulea this season. While the more experienced Joel Lassinantti got the starting role in the playoffs for Lulea, he played only nine more games than Wallstedt in the regular season.
That’s all to say that Wallstedt is still one of the best goalie prospects in the world, and this is significant news for the Wild organization. He’s a smooth, aggressive, and confident netminder with great vision. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to suggest that Wallstedt challenges for the backup spot in training camp in September, but how the Wild approach their second goaltender alongside Cam Talbot remains to be seen.
Johnny Beecher Signs Entry-Level Deal With Bruins
Matt Porter of The Boston Globe reports that the Boston Bruins have signed prospect Johnny Beecher to his three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry a cap hit of $925,000.
Beecher, Boston’s 30th overall selection in 2019, was on an AHL tryout with the Providence Bruins after he opted to turn pro. Beecher had just finished his junior season with the University of Michigan, and he tallied five points in nine regular-season games (as well as an assist in two playoff games) down the stretch for Providence.
The New York-born forward had a rough go of things during his college career, as he never hit the 10-goal mark in a single season and never scored more than the 16 points he had his freshman year. The versatile forward does have a large frame at 6’3″ and 209 lbs, but he’ll need to improve his offensive awareness in order to make a meaningful NHL impact with the Bruins.
The contract will take him through to 2024-25.
Vegas Golden Knights Fire Peter DeBoer
6:07 pm: Per the Golden Knights, assistant coaches Ryan Craig and Misha Donskov will remain on the team’s staff for next season. Goaltending Coach Mike Rosati has not been let go, but will interview with the new coaching staff once they are hired (link).
2:33 PM: As reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, two Golden Knights assistant coaches, Steve Spott and Ryan McGill, have also been let go by the team.
11:02 AM: The Vegas Golden Knights announced Monday morning that the team has fired head coach Peter DeBoer.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon will meet with the media at 3:00 p.m. CT to address the firing. He said the following in a statement today:
After lengthy discussions over the last two weeks, we believe that a new coach will put us in the best position to succeed next season.
DeBoer was appointed as the Golden Knights’ head coach midway through 2019-20 after the team fired Gerard Gallant due to a sluggish start. Through his two-and-a-half seasons in Vegas, DeBoer guided the team to a 98-50-12 record in 160 games (.650 points percentage). DeBoer had one year remaining on his contract, paying him $3.25MM.
His firing comes after the Golden Knights missed the playoffs this season for the first time in franchise history, dropping a series of key games down the stretch with a 4-2-4 record in their final 10 games. Some will be quick to defend DeBoer as the team suffered a laundry list of injuries to star players throughout the season, including captain Mark Stone, sniper Max Pacioretty, defenseman Alec Martinez, and starting netminder Robin Lehner.
However, while the Golden Knights still managed to generate chances offensively despite the injuries to key scorers, defense and special teams were where the team struggled the most this season. The team finished below league average on both the power play and penalty kill, and stellar play at the end of the season from youngster Logan Thompson in goal helped cover up some of the defensive shortcomings the team had developed throughout the year.
Vegas will need to do more than to just find a new bench boss for next season, though. The team is already in the red in terms of salary cap space, boasting a projected cap hit of $83.1MM for 2022-3. The team won’t be able to re-sign any pending UFAs to NHL deals (which include Reilly Smith and Mattias Janmark) and will likely need to shed another contract in order to become cap-compliant and reallocate a small amount of money in free agency. Moving forward, the team will need to count on a healthy and productive trio of Jack Eichel, Pacioretty, and Stone to avoid another disappointing season.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report.
2022 Masterton Trophy Finalists Announced
The NHL continues to release finalists this week for their major awards. Today, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli revealed the three finalists for the 2022 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, as voted on by the PHWA. New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, and Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes were named for the award.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded “to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Each NHL team is able to put forth a nominee for the award, and voting members then select nominees from that list.
Chara earned his nomination after returning to the league for his 24th (and likely final) NHL season. The 45-year-old defenseman suited up for 72 games with the New York Islanders this season, his most games in a season since he played 73 in 2017-18. Finishing with two goals, 12 assists, and 14 points, Chara gave his best to the Islanders team that originally drafted him back in 1996. Those 14 points were actually the most he registered in a season as an Islander — he spent four seasons with the team from 1997-2001, recording a previous high of 11 points in 1999-00.
Price, the future Hall-of-Fame goaltender, battled back to play five games at the end of this season after being sidelined for the majority of the season with a knee injury and spending time in the NHLPA Player Assistance program. With the injury severe enough to cause uncertainty surrounding the future of his playing career, Price obviously did all he could in order to try and return to the crease after carrying his team to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
Hayes would be the second Flyer to win the trophy in as many years if victorious. Oskar Lindblom won the trophy last year after battling back from cancer diagnosis and treatment. Hayes played not only through injuries that limited him to just 48 games, but also dealt with the sudden news of his brother and former NHLer, Jimmy Hayes, passing away just prior to the season. Kevin still managed 31 points this season on a weak Flyers team despite the adversity.
New York Islanders Name Lane Lambert Head Coach
The New York Islanders announced today that the team named Lane Lambert as their head coach, succeeding the previously fired Barry Trotz.
Lambert is an internal promotion, having served as an associate coach with the team since the 2018-19 season. Lambert’s led a long career as both a player and coach, also serving as an assistant coach under Trotz for both the Nashville Predators (2011-2014) and Washington Capitals (2014-2018). Lambert’s last experience as a head coach came with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals from 2007-2011.
Lambert actually took over as the team’s head coach for a few games midseason while Trotz was away from the team on a personal leave of absence. He’s the uncle of top 2022 draft prospect Brad Lambert. He becomes the 18th person to coach the Islanders and the fourth in the past 10 years.
Under Lambert, the Islanders look to return to their winning ways after missing the playoffs by 16 points this season. The team had advanced to the Eastern Conference Final in the previous two seasons. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said the following today regarding his hiring:
I had the opportunity to work with Lane over the past four years, which includes spending time with him on a one-on-one basis when he served as the interim Head Coach this past season. In my opinion, he is the right person to coach this team.
Lambert was a candidate of interest for many teams around the league for head coaching roles. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported today that Lambert was a candidate for the Arizona Coyotes’ coaching vacancy last season before the team decided to opt for Andre Tourigny.
It’s a large cloud moved off the Islanders’ offseason, as they’re able to move forward into the draft and free agency with their situation settled behind the bench.