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Snapshots: Lehner, Hurricanes, Development Camp

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In a piece from Vegas Hockey Now, Dan Kingerski raises an interesting question about the future between the pipes for the Vegas Golden Knights next season. Although it would be more financially feasible for the Golden Knights to retain Robin Lehner on LTIR, Kingerski asserts that Vegas may be better off buying out Lehner’s contract this summer.

The main point behind his reasoning is that with netminder Adin Hill eventually hitting the unrestricted free-agent market this offseason, having the cap space this summer to retain Hill may be Lehner’s undoing in Vegas. If the Golden Knights were to buy out the remaining 2-year, $10MM remaining on Lehner’s contract, Vegas would be hit with a $750K cap penalty next season, $2.25MM the following year, and $1.75 the next two years.

Obviously, the injury concerns surrounding Lehner are well known, as he missed the entirety of the 2022-23 regular season, and remains out during the Golden Knight’s playoff run. In his two full seasons in Vegas (subtracting the three regular-season games he played during the 2019-20 season following his trade from the Chicago Blackhawks), Lehner has posted a 36-21-4 record in 63 games played, garnering a .909 SV% and a 2.66 GAA.

Unfortunately, although the win record and GAA have both been positive for Lehner, the SV% has left a lot to be desired. On the other hand, Hill has been well above average since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks in late August of last year. In 27 games played for the Golden Knights this year, Hill posted a 16-7-1 record, accruing a .915 SV% and a 2.45 GAA. As both he, Jonathan Quick, and Laurent Brossoit enter unrestricted free agency this year, the potential Western Conference champions will have difficult choices to make in net this offseason.

Other snapshots:

  • In an opinion piece from Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet, a hypothetical question is raised as to whether or not the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets would make an ideal trade fit this offseason. With plenty of buzz surrounding the potential rebuild of the Jets this summer, Wiebe questions whether Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck could be potential acquisitions for the Hurricanes. Both players will be pending unrestricted free agents after next season, and both players fit organizational needs at the moment. Martin Necas being the only true top-six center in the organization, and both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta becoming UFA’s this summer, the Hurricanes could look to poach the Jets for resources.
  • Mark Divver of the NHL reports that both Eric Parker and Ben Wozney from Bowling Green State University have received development camp invites from the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken, respectively. Parker appeared in eight games for Bowling Green, scoring one goal and three assists, as Wozney scored two goals and 13 assists over 36 games for the Falcons.

Latest On Calgary GM & Coaching Search

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Although it is widely expected throughout the league that Craig Conroy will become the next General Manager of the Calgary Flames, Elliotte Friedman thinks there may be two other individuals that will join the Flames’ front office. Speaking during the second intermission of the Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights game on Sportsnet, Friedman shares that there is an expectation that both Dave Nonis and Jarome Iginla will be holding executive positions in Calgary by early next week.

Nonis was notably one of the external candidates that the Flames interviewed in their search for a General Manager, and it appears that the team may have found a different position for him. Throughout his work in the front office at the NHL level, Nonis has spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently, the Anaheim Ducks.

In Vancouver, in a span from 1998-2008, Nonis held positions such as General Manager, Director of Hockey Operations, and the Vice President of Hockey Operations. After a very short stay in Anaheim working as an Advisor to the team during the 2008-09 season, Nonis would make the move to Toronto, working as the team’s Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations as well as General Manager, being replaced after the 2014-15 season by Lou Lamoriello and, later, Kyle Dubas.

Ever since his ouster by the Maple Leafs, Nonis immediately began working as a Scout and as a Consultant for the Ducks, before making the transition to become the team’s Assistant General Manager before the 2019-20 season, working in the same capacity since.

In Iginla, there is no introduction that would fully encompass what he meant to the city of Calgary. Beginning his career for the Flames during the 1996-97 NHL season, Iginla would go on to play 1219 games wearing the flaming “C”, and score over 1000 points for the Flames alone. Being the longest-serving captain in team history, Iginla would lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final during the 2004 NHL playoffs, as well as earn two Maurice Richard Trophies during his tenure in Calgary.

Since his retirement from the NHL after the 2016-17 season, Iginla has been coaching his son, Tij Iginla, for the Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 program. Adamant on coaching his son full-time before his return to the NHL, Tij was recently selected ninth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL Prospects Draft.

As far as coaching updates, Friedman reports that Travis Green and Alex Tanguay are available options for Calgary moving forward. Travis Green was most recently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, having been fired midway through the 2021-22 season. Other than Vancouver, Green had spent time as head coach of the Utica Comets (Vancouver) in the AHL, and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.

Tanguay, who has never held a head coaching position in his career, would be a homecoming of sorts for the NHL veteran. Currently serving as the Assistant Coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Tanguay spent five years in Calgary during his NHL career (being on the same line as Iginla), scoring 284 points in 342 games. Whatever choice the team ultimately makes behind the bench for the upcoming season, Calgary will certainly have some interesting names to choose from.

Anaheim, Washington Interested In Brad Shaw

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A little under a year ago to the date, the Philadelphia Flyers announced the hiring of Brad Shaw as an associate coach for the 2022-23 NHL season. Shaw had spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks, and also served as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets during the tenure of John Tortorella from 2016-2021.

Before joining the Blue Jackets in 2016, Shaw spent a decade as an assistant/associate coach with the St.Louis Blues, serving primarily under legendary bench boss, Ken Hitchcock. As several teams are now looking for new head coaches for the 2023-24 season, Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reports that Shaw has received interest from both the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals.

Aside from the veteran head coaching candidates available such as Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant, and Darryl Sutter, Shaw would represent a rookie head coach in the NHL (although serving a couple of months as New York Islanders interim head coach in 2005-06). The fact that Shaw has made it this far into interviews, especially for foundational and important times for both of these organizations, shows the respect that he has earned throughout the NHL.

However, Shaw serving under Tortorella and Hitchcock for so many years may have influenced him to be much more of a chalkboard coach, something that many NHL organizations have moved past in recent years. If Shaw is able to be flexible and adapt to the new era of NHL hockey, he should have plenty of interest in his services.

Poll: Who Will Be The Next GM of The Toronto Maple Leafs?

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In a day of fundamental changes for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team said goodbye to Kyle Dubas and the majority of their AHL coaching staff. As the Maple Leafs look to make changes at the helm of their front office, many questions still remain as to who will fill the role going forward.

This summer, Toronto has ten unrestricted free agents to make a decision on, as well as possible extensions for forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Aside from those two, Calle Jarnkrok and Morgan Rielly are the only players signed on the roster beyond the 2024-25 NHL season.

For the future of the Maple Leafs front office, there are several potential external candidates that jump off the page as possible solutions including, Doug Armstrong, Brad Treliving, Stan Bowman, and George McPhee. Treliving is the only General Manager throughout this group to not win a Stanley Cup throughout his tenure.

As far as internal candidates go, Brandon Pridham seems to be the only remaining option for the Maple Leafs going forward, as Assistant to the General Manager, Jason Spezza, resigned from the organization yesterday. Pridham has been the Assistant General Manager since the 2018-19 season; however, also served under Spezza’s previous role from 2014-2018.

As one of the NHL’s Original Six franchises, Toronto is looking to claim its first Stanley Cup since the 1966-67 season, the longest drought in the NHL. With a roster including John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Matthews, Rielly, and Nylander, who will be the General Manager of the team going forward?

Snapshots: Coyotes, Penguins, Canucks

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After the recent public referendum on a potential new arena for the Arizona Coyotes fell short last Tuesday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont pitched the team to relocate its services to the American Northeast. Connecticut has not seen a professional team since the Hartford Whalers, who held a place in the NHL from 1979-1997, before moving to Raleigh, NC before the start of the 1997-98 season.

In an interview, Lamont said, “This is a great hockey state and a great hockey town,” Lamont said. “It’s evidenced by the passion we have for the Whalers going back years — still one of the best selling jerseys. I think we can guarantee them a very strong market right here, and a government that’s ready to come and be their partner.”

To throw cold water on the idea that the Coyotes may be relocating after the recent disappointment of not receiving a stadium, the CEO of the team, Xavier A. Gutierrez, confirmed to Arizona fans that the team is not for sale. For the time being, Arizona will continue its stay at Mullett Arena, originally home of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Other snapshots:

  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins have finished their second round of interviews for their opening at General Manager. LeBrun indicates that Eric Tulsky, Dan MacKinnon, Steve Greeley, and Jason Karmanos have all had interviews up to this point. Although Kyle Dubas has indicated that it was Toronto Maple Leafs or bust for his future, the opening for General Manager of the Penguins may prove enticing as the offseason progresses. As far as potential candidates go, Tulsky and Dubas both show a much different trajectory for the Penguins organization, as both possess extensive knowledge of the analytical side of hockey.
  • In an interview with Swedish writer, Ronnie Ronnkvist, General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Patrik Allvin, states that the team is looking to add help at center and the blue line for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season. As Allvin states that the Canucks are looking for potential fits for their third-line center role, Lars Eller, Evan Rodrigues, and Nick Bjugstad all seem like ideal candidates.

Jani Hakanpaa To Miss Game One

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As the Western Conference Finals begin this evening, the Dallas Stars will be out a defenseman, as Tracey Myers of the NHL reports that Jani Hakanpaa will miss Game One, and Colin Miller will take his place in the lineup. Hakanpaa has not played since Game Six against the Seattle Kraken, and may still be out with the lower-body injury that hampered him during that semifinal series.

This will be the third game that Hakanpaa has missed for the Stars so far this playoffs but has proven to be a serviceable defenseman when he has played. In 11 games in this postseason, Hakanpaa has scored one goal and one assist, averaging nearly 21 minutes a night in the process.

Miller, who will be replacing Hakanpaa in the lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights, managed to play in five games for Dallas when they took on the Kraken. In their previous series, Miller added one assist, averaging just over 15 minutes a game.

The Stars’ ability to replace a player in their lineup with seemingly a similar caliber player is a testament to the depth that this team has put together. With currently eight defensemen on their playoff roster, Dallas has built up a formidable blueline staff and is a major reason for their progression in this year’s playoffs.

Latest On Flames GM Search

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As the Toronto Maple Leafs have thoroughly stolen the headlines today, another Canadian team is looking to make some front-office news. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the Calgary Flames are close to hiring a new General Manager.

Yesterday evening, it was reported that Craig Conroy was considered to be a strong internal candidate to replace Brad Treliving as General Manager in Calgary, and Seravalli points out that he may be the odds-on favorite. Conroy has been a longtime favorite for the Flames, playing nine seasons for the team, and becoming the team captain shortly before Jarome Iginla took the mantle in 2003.

Since retiring in 2011, Conroy was immediately hired on as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and quickly became Assistant General Manager before the 2014-15 season. For seemingly being a part of the Flames organization all of his adult life, there is no question as to why Conroy is the favorite to become the new General Manager in Calgary.

Aside from Conroy, Seravalli also mentioned a list of external candidates that have had in-person interviews in the past week, including David Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin. All three external candidates have considerable experience at the helm of the front office in the NHL.

Another interesting note Seravalli shared is that the Flames have changed their approach in regard to Treliving’s future. In previous reports, the Pittsburgh Penguins had previously been denied access to interview Treliving, per the terms of his past extension.

Now, Seravalli reports that Calgary will no longer prohibit Treliving from interviewing with interested parties. In light of the news coming from the Maple Leafs today, Treliving immediately comes to mind as a potential solution to the new vacuum created in Toronto.

Jason Spezza Resigns From Maple Leafs

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Parting ways with Kyle Dubas this afternoon, and showing their AHL coaching staff the door, major changes are expected to the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer. As many have been suggesting, Jason Spezza was considered to be a strong internal option to replace Dubas as General Manager of the Maple Leafs.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN not only threw cold water on that theory but extinguished the flame completely. He reports that shortly before President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan, took the podium today to speak to the media, Spezza resigned as Special Assistant to the General Manager in Toronto.

After retiring from the Maple Leafs at the end of last season, Spezza took the job as Special Assistant to the General Manager on May 29, 2022. With only Brandon Pridham remaining as a possible internal candidate to replace Dubas as Maple Leafs’ General Manager, this news will be a significant blow to Toronto’s front office.

As Toronto enters what appears to be a transitional period, there will be a significant debate on what this news means for the Maple Leafs moving forward. Although it appears that the front office might be crumbling in Toronto, there is reason for optimism.

Many of the individuals leaving the Maple Leafs organization today have been around for quite some time. Dubas has been in the front office since the 2014-15 season, Spezza since the 2019-20 season (including his time as a player), and Greg Moore since the 2019-20 season, as well.

Being a team that is in dire need of a cultural change, Toronto may have been destined to seek an outside voice no matter what. However, even though there will be light at the end of the tunnel for this franchise, the holes needing to be filled are beginning to pile up for the Maple Leafs this summer.

Toronto Marlies Part Ways With Coaching Staff

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As the hockey world continues to digest the news that Kyle Dubas will no longer be at the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs, their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, also announced some executive changes as well. Coming shortly after the Dubas news, the Marlies announced that they would not renew the contract of their head coach, Greg Moore, or assistant coaches, A.J. MacLean and John Snowden, as well.

After Sheldon Keefe made the move to the NHL during the 2019-20 season, Moore immediately took over behind the bench for the Marlies. In his first season, the Marlies finished with a 29-27-3-2 record, much worse than they had performed in the previous year under Keefe. The team did not improve much in the shortened 2020-21 season, going 16-17-0-2.

Although not making the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, Moore helped the Marlies to their first winning record under his watch, finishing 37-30-4-1, which put them in sixth place in the stacked North Division. This year, the Marlies were finally able to put it all together, finishing 42-24-4-2, which put them squarely in first place in their division. The team made it all the way to the North Division Finals, losing to the Rochester Americans (Buffalo) in three games.

Due to the team’s incremental progression during Moore’s four-year span behind the bench, it would be a smart bet to expect Moore behind the bench of another team next season. Although the AHL season has not reached its end to this point, the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit), Henderson Silver Knights (Vegas), and the Iowa Wild (Minnesota) all find themselves without a head coach for the 2023-24 season.

Coupled with the ouster of Dubas, this news seems to point to a new generation of Maple Leafs’ hockey. The team now has ten players set for unrestricted free agency this July, and will also need to make a decision on extensions for both Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Whatever the future holds for this organization, it is apparent that Toronto is set for a major shakeup this summer.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Nikita Novikov To Entry-Level Contract

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5:12 PM: The contract will run until the 2025-26 NHL season, paying Novikov $867.5K in the NHL, and $80K in the AHL. Due to the signing bonus of $92.5K each year, the AAV under the contract will be $925K each season (Tweet Link).

3:29 PM: In a busy morning out of the NHL’s Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres have joined the newswire, announcing they have signed defenseman Nikita Novikov to an entry-level contract. Novikov recently wrapped up his second season with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva.

The Sabres originally drafted Novikov at 188th overall during the 2021 NHL Draft. Although drafted comparatively low to other top prospects around the league, the main reason for his fall was doubts as to whether he would ever sign in the NHL. Playing in 94 games in Russia’s top professional league, he ranks fourth all-time in games played for players that have yet to turn 20 years old.

In the KHL, Novikov’s bread and butter was almost solely on the defensive side of the puck, adding a gritty style of play to the back end, a factor that many teams are looking for out of their defenseman. Buffalo’s Director of Player Development, Adam Mair, was quoted saying, “He’s big, he’s smart with the puck, and he has a very gritty style to his play. When you watch the playoffs now, especially in the Cup Final, you see that – defensemen who are big and mean around the net, they’re hard to get through.”

As the Sabres look to improve to the point of returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs, adding players like Novikov should considerably help the ailments that held them back this season. Part of the problem rests on the shoulders of their goaltending, but the team in front of them played a part too, as Buffalo finished 26th in the NHL in GA/G this year. Although their goal-scoring ability was able to keep the team afloat seemingly to the very end of the playoff race, don’t expect this to be the last move the Sabres make in an effort to keep the puck out of their net.

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