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Tuscon Roadrunners Promote Steve Potvin

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The Tucson Roadrunners will have a new head coach this season after Jay Varady took a position with the Detroit Red Wings, but it won’t be an unfamiliar face. Steve Potvin, who has been with the club since 2017, has been promoted to head coach for the 2022-23 season.

This will actually be his second stint as head coach of the club, after serving in the same role for 2020-21 when Varady was with the Arizona Coyotes. Last season, when Varady moved back down the organizational depth chart, Potvin was given the role of associate head coach, and was still intimately involved in decision making.

Bill Armstrong, Coyotes general manager, released the following statement:

Steve is a very good coach who has great familiarity with our players in Tucson. He has done a tremendous job developing our prospects the past six seasons and we are thrilled to name him as our head coach with the Roadrunners.

Developing young players is now an extremely important part of the puzzle for Armstrong and the Coyotes front office, as they move through another rebuild by stripping the NHL roster of talent. A lot of those premium prospects haven’t reached the AHL level yet, however, meaning it not necessarily this season that is so crucial.

Still, building a “culture of winning” in the minor leagues is considered extremely important for player development these days, meaning Potvin will be tasked with getting the Roadrunners back to their previous level. The team did not qualify for the postseason this year and finished 13-20-3 in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, after leading the Pacific Division in 2019-20 when the year was shut down. Potvin has been a part of both sides of those results, and he’ll try to move the needle back toward success in the coming season.

University Of Denver Extends David Carle

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If you were wondering which college coach would make the jump to the NHL ranks next, it doesn’t look like it will be David Carle. The University of Denver head coach has signed an extension through the 2026-27 season after winning his second national championship (first as head coach) earlier this year.

There’s little doubt that he’ll eventually get there and no rush for the 32-year-old Carle, who already has a decade of coaching experience under his belt. His playing career was ended just before the 2008 draft when he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, taking any chance of an NHL future off the table. Despite that diagnosis, he was still picked 203rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who would acquire his brother Matt Carle just a few days later.

Instead of giving up on hockey, he became a student assistant coach at DU the following year, and after two years as an assistant with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, he was back as a full-time assistant in Denver in 2014. Given the head coaching role in 2018, he has led the program to a 86-43-13 recorder, ecently won Coach of the Year honors, and was the fourth-youngest head coach in history to take home the national championship.

With such an early start, there’s a good chance that if he wants to, Carle will be able to pursue an NHL coaching career at some point down the road. But that won’t be for a while yet, after agreeing to a long-term partnership with the school that gave him his first chance.

Derek Stepan Signs Professional Tryout

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The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing Derek Stepan back but not on an NHL contract (yet). According to CapFriendly, the veteran forward has agreed to a professional tryout with the Hurricanes, where he spent last season.

Stepan is still only 32, but now has 12 full seasons and more than 800 regular season games under his belt. The 2008 second-round pick quickly made it to the NHL with the New York Rangers and was a dynamic two-way center from day one, scoring 21 goals and 45 points as a rookie. While his production has declined in recent years, he was still rather effective for the Hurricanes this season. Despite averaging fewer than 11 minutes a night, he scored nine goals and 19 points in 58 games, while offering an outstanding 56% faceoff rate, easily the best of his career.

None of those points came on the powerplay, and even in his limited minutes the team didn’t shelter Stepan with easy deployment.  With that in mind, it was surprising to see him passed over when free agency started, as there’s obviously still some value in the veteran forward even after so many years.

Still, perhaps he wants to give Carolina every chance to sign him, and since the team is currently over the cap ceiling they have an agreement worked out for down the road. Once the season begins (or in the days just prior), the Hurricanes can place Max Pacioretty on long-term injured reserve to free up some cap flexibility and then ink Stepan to a new deal.

We’ve seen similar things happen in the past, though there is no guarantee it happens in this case. A camp invitation at least will allow Stepan to show the league that he’s healthy and ready to go for his 13th season, wherever that may be.

Jared Wright Commits To University Of Denver

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The University of Denver is getting another interesting prospect for the upcoming season, as Los Angeles Kings draft pick Jared Wright has committed to the program. Wright will leave the Omaha Lancers of the USHL after just one season, and start his college career, where he can continue to develop at one of the top hockey development programs in the country.

The Pioneers won last year’s National Championship and have a shot at repeating (especially if John Bucigross of ESPN is to be believed). Wright, 19, was picked in the sixth round by the Kings after going undrafted in his first year of eligibility, and had 34 points in 59 games for Omaha last season. An excellent skater, the 6’1″ winger’s style is well-suited to college hockey, and heading to Denver is likely the best chance he has of playing NHL games down the road.

Los Angeles meanwhile will have to wait and watch his development patiently, with the deadline to sign him now way down the road. Wright is joining a team loaded with other NHL draft picks, including quite a few second-round selections that will draw most of the focus. The college route has turned into one of the best paths a late-round player can take, giving them ample time to develop at their own pace against fully-grown opponents.

Latest On Michael DiPietro

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The Vancouver Canucks recently gave young netminder Michael DiPietro and his agent Darren Ferris permission to seek a trade, and Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that one source believes that there is interest and a deal that “could make sense” for the Canucks.

DiPietro, 23, was a third-round pick of the Canucks in 2017 and quickly became a top goaltending prospect, despite his relatively small stature. He was included as the third goaltender for Canada at the 2018 World Championship before ever playing professional hockey and earned his first NHL minutes while still playing in the OHL as an emergency call-up.

It was his performance at the 2019 World Juniors that vaulted him to “goaltender of the future” status though, as Canucks fans got to see him dominate to the tune of a .952 save percentage. He would join the AHL affiliate the following year and put up decent numbers, but now a few years later and his path to NHL relevance is basically completely blocked.

With Thatcher Demko entrenched as the Vancouver starter, Spencer Martin signed to a cheap deal as the backup, and Collin Delia in place as a viable third-string option, it’s hard to see DiPietro ever getting the net for the Canucks. Thus the trade request and search, though general manager Patrik Allvin is not under much pressure to make a deal.

Not only is he under contract for the upcoming season but DiPietro is also still waiver-exempt this year, meaning he can be sent down without issue. It’s a tough spot for a netminder who hasn’t quite taken the step forward that many expected, and posted just a .901 save percentage in 34 appearances for Abbotsford last season. There is obviously potential there but at this point in the summer, most teams already have their NHL and AHL tandems in place. Expending an asset to acquire DiPietro might seem unnecessary, when he may well go unqualified by the Canucks next summer, if he’s still with the organization.

Latest On Tyler Motte

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One of the most interesting names to still be available this far into free agency is Tyler Motte, the bottom-six wrecking ball that has made a name for himself over the past few years. According to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, Motte has drawn interest from five to six teams, but “financials still need to be worked out.”

Motte, 27, brought back a fourth-round pick for the Vancouver Canucks at last season’s deadline when the New York Rangers loaded up for a playoff run. Despite not having a lot of offensive upside, the fast, physical forward has always been an interesting package for teams in the league. In fact, his trade this season was the third of his career, despite having fewer than 300 games of experience to this point.

Originally selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, Motte was eventually included in the deal that saw Artemi Panarin shipped to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was then moved again the following year in a deal for Thomas Vanek, a trade that brought him his best NHL opportunity to this point.

In Vancouver, Motte became a regular, setting career-highs with nine goals and 16 points in the 2018-19 season, before really making an impact in the 2020 bubble playoffs. With 61 hits and four goals in 17 postseason games, he seemed like the perfect bottom-six option for a contender who wanted some jump and energy on their checking lines.

Now, as he entered unrestricted free agency for the first time, he sits unsigned midway through August. Coming off a two-year, $2.45MM contract with the Canucks it seems likely that Motte was looking for a raise on the $1.225MM cap hit he has carried. Whether he lands that raise now, after teams have used up most of their cap space, remains to be seen.

Minor Transactions: 08/15/22

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The dog days of summer are upon us, with even AHL rosters pretty much filled up. Training camp is right around the corner and the hot stove is about as cool as ever. Still, there are some daily transactions around the hockey world that are worth detailing.

  • 2010 first-round pick Brandon Gormley is sticking around in the KHL, after signing with HK Sochi for the upcoming season. While he played just 58 games at the NHL level, Gormley has been a strong contributor in the minor leagues and Europe.
  • Sam Anas has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hershey Bears, giving the team one of the most dynamic offensive players in the minor leagues. Anas, 29, has never played in an NHL game but had 64 points in 75 games last season for the Springfield Thunderbirds and now has 284 points in his AHL career.
  • Pat Nagle is heading back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, signing a one-year AHL contract for next season. The 34-year-old veteran goaltender had a .904 save percentage in 22 games with the team in 2021-22.
  • The Edmonton Oilers opted not to sign prospect Filip Engaras today, per CapFriendly, losing his exclusive signing rights, but he’s remaining in the organization. He’s signed to a two-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, beginning this season.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Morning Notes: McCoshen, Huberdeau, Rangers

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Ian McCoshen has struggled to find his way back to the NHL in recent years and will now try his hand in Europe. The 27-year-old defenseman has signed with Assat of the Finnish Liiga for the upcoming season, after spending last year with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Selected 31st overall in 2013 and having made it to the NHL quickly after his career at Boston College came to an end, McCoshen played just 60 games with the Florida Panthers before bouncing around the minor leagues the last few seasons. The 6’3″ defenseman was only ever able to record seven points at the highest level, with his physicality not enough to keep him in the NHL. His name will be one to keep an eye on next summer, at least for open AHL opportunities.

  • New Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau has pledged his brain to science after death, following Ben Lovejoy’s lead from 2017 as the first active NHL player to do it. As Rick Westhead of TSN reports, Huberdeau is joining a group that includes former astronaut Marc Garneau, former Harvard captain (and granddaughter of NHL legend George Armstrong) Kalley Armstrong, and more than 170 Canadian Armed Forces members in the pledge, which will allow their brains to be studied for post-concussion effects and other injuries.
  • The New York Rangers have added two more people to their scouting staff, naming Garth Joy the associate director of player personnel and director of player scouting, and Andy Schneider the director of North American amateur scouting. Joy, notably, has been with the Colorado Avalanche for more than two decades mostly as a pro scout but will be getting quite the title increase as he moves to the Rangers. He was with the Avalanche when Chris Drury, now the general manager of the Rangers, was playing (and winning the 1999 Calder Trophy and 2001 Stanley Cup).

Colton Sceviour Signs In Switzerland

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After more than 500 games in the NHL, Colton Sceviour is headed overseas. The veteran forward has signed a one-year contract with SC Bern of the Swiss National League, ending his time in North America for now.

Sceviour, 33, found himself back in the minor leagues last season for the first time in nearly a decade, playing 22 games for the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate. He added 35 appearances for Edmonton as well but failed to suit up in a single playoff game and will now try his luck in Switzerland.

Probably underrated for most of his career, Sceviour was a solid bottom-six contributor for many years with the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers. In 535 regular season games, he tallied 66 goals and 156 points, while contributing in all situations. A useful penalty-killer, he racked up nine short-handed points over the years, and rarely took penalties of his own.

At 33, it isn’t out of the question that Sceviour will make a return at some point but it also isn’t very likely. His NHL career may be over, though another stint in the AHL may happen eventually.

Yevgeni Kashnikov Signs In KHL

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The San Jose Sharks will have to wait to see Yevgeni Kashnikov in North America again. The 2021 draft pick has signed a two-year contract with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL, ending his time in the QMJHL.

Kashnikov, selected 199th overall last year, was already an overage prospect who will turn 20 in December. He recorded 13 goals and 32 points in 62 games for the Gatineau Olympiques last season, playing both defense and forward. His 6’6″ frame and love of physical hockey made him a feared opponent (especially at the junior level), as Jacob Mathieu found out in March, when the two dropped the gloves.

With his return to Russia, Kashnikov’s exclusive draft rights will now be held indefinitely, meaning the Sharks can wait and see if he turns into something worthy of an NHL contract. For a seventh-round pick that is nothing more than a lottery ticket, this is actually sort of a beneficial thing for the team. Had he stayed in North America, Kashnikov’s rights would have expired next June as a player drafted out of the CHL.

Now, he’ll get to use that size in the KHL and see if he can develop a bit more, while the Olympiques gain another import slot to fill. Marcel Marcel, who they selected 42nd overall in this year’s import draft, arrived yesterday.

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