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Detroit Red Wings Extend Taro Hirose

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The Detroit Red Wings have reached an agreement with Taro Hirose on a two-year contract extension, keeping him in the organization and away from unrestricted free agency. The financial details of the deal have not yet been released.

Hirose, 25, would have qualified as a Group VI UFA this summer, after playing just 57 games to this point in his NHL career. Just 15 of those came this season but the young forward showed just how dangerous he could be at the minor league level.

In 59 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, Hirose had 15 goals and 53 points. He’ll likely spend a good chunk of this new contract in the minor leagues as well, though he’ll have to clear waivers in order to do it.

A highly sought-after undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Michigan State University, Hirose has 20 points in his 57-game NHL career to this point, suggesting that there actually is some upside at that level if he ever gets a more prolonged opportunity. If not, he still represents a strong injury replacement for short-term stints, as he can step into a top-six or powerplay role if necessary.

There’s also always a chance that he catches the eye of the new coaching staff, with Jeff Blashill not returning. That battle will happen in training camp now that the contract negotiations are complete.

Update On Barry Trotz

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5:14 pm: Chicago Blackhawks beat writer Jay Zawaski reports that the Blackhawks are one of the teams that have inquired about Trotz’s services. However, the team isn’t too optimistic about their chances of landing the free-agent coach, noting that they don’t expect him to want to lead a rebuild. If that’s true, it’s obviously unlikely that he would seriously consider heading to Philadelphia as well.

1:06 pm: One of the hottest free agents in the NHL right now is head coach Barry Trotz, who parted ways with the New York Islanders earlier this month. Trotz had already been linked to the Winnipeg Jets, and recently rumors had emerged that he would interview for the Philadelphia Flyers job on Friday.

It doesn’t appear as though those rumors are true, though Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now tweets that Trotz will meet with Philadelphia brass “soon.” Notably, they weren’t the only teams to reach out, as Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports that six to seven teams have already contacted the Trotz camp. Kypreos adds that teams believe the price tag will be in the $6MM range, more than the $4MM he was earning per year with the Islanders. Trotz had one year remaining on his deal when he was relieved of his duties.

Of course, the Flyers are also paying Alain Vigneault $5MM/year through the 2023-24 season, meaning committing to Trotz as well would be an incredibly expensive proposition. When team chairman Dave Scott said that he was giving general manager Chuck Fletcher a “blank check” to fix the group, most expected that to mean spending big on free agent players; perhaps it will also mean on a head coach.

Trotz is one of many experienced bench bosses on the market, and was something of a surprise addition after taking the Islanders to two consecutive Conference Finals, before missing the playoffs this season. Since winning the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, he has generally been regarded as one of the most effective coaches in the league.

Steven Santini Assigned To AHL

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With the Springfield Thunderbirds about to start their next Calder Cup playoff series on Sunday, Steven Santini has been assigned back to the AHL.

The St. Louis Blues defenseman played just three minutes in his one NHL playoff appearance this season, game four against the Minnesota Wild. That was just five shifts as the team tried to get through some injuries on defense and ended up dressing an extra body.

Now, Santini can go back to Springfield where he spent most of the season, and help them try to get past the Charlotte Checkers, a team the Thunderbirds have been battling all season long. The two clubs finished with the exact same winning percentage in the Atlantic Division, but Springfield lost the tiebreaker, meaning home ice advantage goes to Charlotte. Because it’s a five-game series, that means things actually start off in Springfield on Sunday afternoon.

Santini, 27, had 24 points in 66 games for Springfield this season and is signed through next year on a two-way contract with the Blues.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The first round is complete and many teams are facing significant questions about their future. How do you bounce back from another first-round exit? Which managers and coaches are now on the hot seat? What will happen to those deadline rentals that were unable to provide any postseason push? The offseason is right around the corner and things are starting to get exciting.

With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR Mailbag. Last time, it was split into two parts. The first included a discussion about Ryan Ellis’ future in Philadelphia, Evander Kane’s ongoing grievance with the Sharks, and touched on a potential Kevin Fiala offer sheet. The second looked at Filip Forsberg’s pending free agency, the mess that the Golden Knights find themselves in, and some buyout candidates for this summer.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend and we will try to answer as many questions as possible.

Rick Bowness Will Not Return As Dallas Stars Coach

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The Dallas Stars are the latest team to be on the hunt for a new head coach. They have officially announced that Rick Bowness, along with assistants Derek Laxdal, John Stevens, and Todd Nelson will not be back next season. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News confirms goaltending coach Jeff Reese, video coach Kelly Forbes, and assistant video coach Matt Rodell will remain in their positions.

Bowness released a statement explaining the mutual parting:

After careful consideration with my wife Judy, we feel it’s best to step away and allow the organization the opportunity to pursue a different direction at the head coaching position. I’d like to thank all the passionate fans and the dedicated staff for their support and hard work in my time here. It has been an honor for me, and my family, to represent the Stars and the city of Dallas.

The 67-year-old coach has been behind an NHL bench more than any other coach in history, first becoming an assistant in 1984 with the Winnipeg Jets. His near 40-year coaching career in the NHL included stops in Winnipeg, Boston, Ottawa, New York, Phoenix, Vancouver, Tampa Bay, and Dallas, while also taking him through Sherbrooke, Moncton, and Maine in the AHL.

While his statement doesn’t confirm retirement, it does mean his time with Dallas is over, and the Stars will need to immediately begin the search for a new head coach.

After taking over during the 2019-20 season, Bowness took Dallas all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and had an overall regular season record of 89-62-25 in parts of three seasons. The team was defeated in seven games in the first round this year.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN broke the news on Twitter. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Joonas Korpisalo

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After a bad year and a serious surgery, Joonas Korpisalo isn’t going anywhere. The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed the pending free agent goaltender to a one-year contract extension for the 2022-23 season. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal is worth $1.3MM.

Korpisalo, 28, underwent hip surgery in early April, ending his season after just 22 appearances. Those games also went poorly, with the netminder posting an .877 save percentage and a whopping 4.15 goals-against average. That followed a 2020-21 season that also ended with disastrous numbers, making the extension surprising at this juncture.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement to explain:

Joonas has been a consummate pro during his Blue Jackets career and just two years ago was coming off a season in which he was selected to play in the All-Star Game and had a record-setting performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His 2021-22 season was derailed by injury, but we fully believe he will return to form, and are happy that he will continue to be a part of our team.

Still, the Blue Jackets already have their starter Elvis Merzlikins in place, and Korpisalo is taking a serious pay cut on this new contract. He made $3.4MM this season and carried a cap hit of $2.8MM, meaning he’ll cost the team a relatively small amount. With Daniil Tarasov also a pending restricted free agent and Jet Greaves not ready for the NHL, the team did need a second netminder.

Whether he can come back from injury and establish himself as a legitimate option in the NHL again remains to be seen. Four of Korpisalo’s seven seasons in the NHL have finished with a save percentage under .900, and the big netminder has a career number of .902. The team has continued to show plenty of trust in him but has rarely been rewarded, with his best season coming way back in 2015-16 when he posted a .920 save percentage as a rookie.

Of course, there was also that performance in the 2020 bubble playoffs that showed just how much potential there is in the 6’3″ frame. Korpisalo posted a .941 over nine games, including an 85-save performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a game that went to a fifth overtime period. If that’s the goaltender they’re signing, $1.3MM will be a huge bargain. If not, this could be his last chance in Columbus.

Morning Notes: Nylander, Sweden, Dubois

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The Swedish national team is getting a nice boost for the rest of the World Championship, as Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander will join for the event. Nylander last appeared at the tournament in 2019, where he scored an incredible 18 points in eight games, two years after being named MVP in his first appearance.

Nylander is coming off his best season in the NHL. In 81 games, he racked up 34 goals and 80 points, both career highs, and was a point-per-game player in the team’s first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite all that, his name continues to surface in trade speculation as the Maple Leafs have been unable to find any semblance of postseason success with this group.

  • There’s going to be an interesting development in Swedish women’s hockey for next season, as the SDHL’s second tier will introduce a pilot program allowing certain body checks. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN details the new rules, which are based on a study that suggests with increased physical play, the players have actually increased their on-ice awareness, resulting in fewer concussions. In international play, body checking continues to be banned in the women’s game.
  • One of the more interesting names to watch at the Worlds right now is Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is playing for Canada despite not having an NHL contract for next season. If his hope was to show off a little bit more before a contract negotiation, it’s going well, as he is tied for the tournament lead with four goals and leads Canada with six points. Dubois, 23, is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer and will be due a qualifying offer of $6MM just for the Jets to retain his rights.

2022 King Clancy Finalists Announced

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After revealing the 32 nominees earlier this month, the NHL has announced the finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.

The selection committee, a group of senior NHL executives led by Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, applies the following criteria to determine a winner:

  • Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
  • Investment of time and resources
  • Commitment to a particular cause or community
  • Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
  • Creativity of programming
  • Use of influence; engagement of others

The finalists this year are Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks, Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers, and P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils.

In reality, all of this year’s nominees deserve recognition for their efforts, and picking a single winner doesn’t change the impact that each player has. Like usual, the award will have a new winner this year, as none of the three have taken it home previously. There has only ever been one player to be awarded the King Clancy multiple times; Henrik Sedin won it in 2016 on his own, and split it with his brother Daniel Sedin in 2018.

Subban has been a finalist three times previously, including each of the past two seasons. Other active winners include Patrice Bergeron, Nick Foligno, Jason Zucker, and Matt Dumba. You can read more about each of their community efforts here.

San Jose Sharks Sign Mitchell Russell

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The San Jose Sharks have added another prospect, signing Mitchell Russell to a three-year, entry-level contract. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Sharks general manager Joe Will released a short statement on the free agent forward:

Mitchell is a character player and leader on the ice with good production that helps his team win. He has a strong pedigree as a skater who was selected in the first round of the OHL Draft.

Russell, 21, played his overage season with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion this year, and scored 41 goals and 88 points in 64 games. More impressive has been his playoff run, where he’s been basically unstoppable with 11 goals and 22 points in nine games, as the Battalion walked through Ottawa and Kingston without issue.

The interesting part about signing players like this is that Russell can move directly into the AHL next season and make an impact on the organization. Undrafted, his strong play is enough to land an entry-level contract, as the Sharks obviously saw something they like.

It will be a challenge for Russell to bring that production over to the professional ranks, but he’ll certainly have a coach that knows what it means to make an impact without big offensive totals. John McCarthy, named San Jose Barracuda head coach this week, was a seventh-round pick that had to find different ways to contribute in order to maintain his long playing career.

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