New York Islanders Change Name Of AHL Affiliate
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are dead; now is the time of the Bridgeport Islanders. The New York Islanders announced today that they have changed the name of their AHL affiliate to better link the two franchises. The Bridgeport Islanders will have a new logo and retain the blue and orange organizational colors. New York AGM Chris Lamoriello released a statement on the change:
Having the Islanders name associated with Bridgeport, creates a stronger tie between the NHL team and the top development team. Every time a player puts on the Bridgeport uniform, he will be putting on the identical uniform the NHL team wears, except for the new logo.
In 2004, the NHL team bought the AHL club and the two now hold the fifth-longest affiliation in AHL history. Bridgeport was unsuccessful in the shortened minor league season this year, going just 8-14-2 in 24 games. In the team’s 20-year history, it has not been able to take home a Calder Cup championship, though did make it to the finals in their inaugural season. They last made the AHL playoffs in 2018-19.
Nominees Announced For 2021 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2021.
Past winners of the award include Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014), and Josh Harding (2013).
Below are the nominees from each team:
Anaheim Ducks – David Backes
Arizona Coyotes – Phil Kessel
Boston Bruins – Kevan Miller
Buffalo Sabres – Dustin Tokarski
Calgary Flames – Milan Lucic
Carolina Hurricanes – Jordan Staal
Chicago Blackhawks – Andrew Shaw
Colorado Avalanche – Valeri Nichushkin
Columbus Blue Jackets – Zac Dalpe
Dallas Stars – Roope Hintz
Detroit Red Wings – Danny DeKeyser
Edmonton Oilers – Mike Smith
Florida Panthers – Chris Driedger
Los Angeles Kings – Matt Roy
Minnesota Wild – Matt Dumba
Montreal Canadiens – Corey Perry
Nashville Predators – Pekka Rinne
New Jersey Devils – Scott Wedgewood
New York Islanders – Casey Cizikas
New York Rangers – Colin Blackwell
Ottawa Senators – Nick Paul
Philadelphia Flyers – Oskar Lindblom
Pittsburgh Penguins – Casey DeSmith
San Jose Sharks – Patrick Marleau
St. Louis Blues – Vladimir Tarasenko
Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Stamkos
Toronto Maple Leafs – Jack Campbell
Vancouver Canucks – Tyler Motte
Vegas Golden Knights – Marc-Andre Fleury
Washington Capitals – Zdeno Chara
Winnipeg Jets – Eric Comrie
Three finalists and the winner will be named at a later date.
Jack Capuano Named Team USA Head Coach
The IIHF World Championship will begin in less than two weeks and the U.S. team now has a head coach. National team GM Chris Drury announced today that Jack Capuano will lead the squad, with Nate Leaman and Adam Nightingale serving as assistants. Kevin Reiter will be the goaltending coach and Mike King the video coach for the event, which opens May 21 in Riga, Latvia.
Drury released a short statement:
We’re extremely fortunate to have an outstanding coaching staff, led by Jack Capuano. Their involvement with USA Hockey in various ways over the course of time and combined international experience will be of great benefit as we head into the tournament.
The choice of coach had a little more intrigued tied to it this year because Drury was only just named the president and GM of the New York Rangers. Current Rangers head coach David Quinn has two years left on his contract, but there has been a near-constant call for his firing by many fans as the team missed the playoffs this season. It’s not clear if Drury would consider any of the names announced today, but it does give them another chance to work closely together.
Capuano, 54, has been working as an associate coach with the Ottawa Senators the last two seasons and has experience with Team USA from the 2017 World Championship and World Cup. He served as head coach with the New York Islanders for several seasons between 2011-2016 but has yet to get another chance to lead at that level. The tournament will serve as a nice resume point for Capuano.
Leaman meanwhile is one of the most intriguing coaching prospects in the game right now, serving as head coach at Providence College the last decade and taking the U.S. World Juniors to gold this year. If he ever wanted to leave college hockey there is no doubt a job would be waiting for him at the NHL level, but to this point he has no experience at that level.
Rasmus Ristolainen Open To Trade
It’s been another trying year for the Buffalo Sabres, losing their coach and finishing dead last in the NHL. You can forgive a veteran player not wanting to go through that again, which makes Rasmus Ristolainen‘s comments to reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic and Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News today not much of a surprise:
I’m open for all the ideas. Right now, it’s hard. Obviously the season just ended so, yeah, I’m frustrated and I’m pissed and it sucks. So I told him I’m open for all the scenarios: staying or if he trades me, I’m fine with that too.
For me, I can’t go for another rebuild or wait multiple years. For me. I mean, we have to get to playoffs next year. For me, it’s either here or then somewhere else.
Ristolainen has now been in Buffalo for eight seasons but has yet to step foot on the ice of an NHL playoff game. He has seen six different coaches behind the bench since his debut in 2013, but none of them were able to get the team to even a .500 record. The 26-year-old defenseman has been a big part of those losses, averaging nearly 24 minutes a night throughout his Buffalo career, only to post an eye-popping -163 rating in 542 games. While +/- has its obvious flaws, Ristolainen has also posted poor possession numbers throughout his career and is likely playing a bigger role than he is truly capable of.
That is part of the problem in Buffalo, as the team hasn’t been able to truly build out the depth of the program even while selecting at the top of the draft. The chatter surrounding captain Jack Eichel continues to increase, while first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin also experienced regression this season, posting just 23 points in 56 games.
As painful as it will be, the Sabres may need to try a rebuild again, moving out veterans like Ristolainen who don’t have much term left. The right-handed defenseman is signed through next season at a $5.4MM cap hit but is scheduled for free agency in the summer of 2022. Sam Reinhart, who is also one season away from UFA status, doesn’t even have a contract for next year yet. He told reporters that he doesn’t want to go through a rebuild either and hasn’t thought about his next contract yet. Reinhart is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this offseason.
GM Kevyn Adams has a busy summer in front of him, deciding which direction to take the Sabres for 2021-22.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
John Tortorella Not Returning To Columbus Next Season
Sunday: The Columbus Blue Jackets have made it official. Both Kekalainen and Tortorella released statements today.
From Kekalainen:
“Torts and I have had numerous discussions throughout the season, and we have agreed that the time is right for both he and the club to go different ways,” said Kekalainen (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti). “He is a great coach and his accomplishments with our club over the past six seasons speak for themselves. He has played an integral role in our success since his arrival, and we are extremely grateful for his passion and commitment to the Blue Jackets and our city. He was the right coach at the right time and helped us establish a standard that we will carry forward.”
From Tortorella:
“After discussion and consideration of the future direction of the team, Jarmo and I have come to a mutual agreement to part ways,” said Tortorella (via The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline). “I’d like to thank the Columbus Blue Jackets organization for the opportunity to coach this team and live in the great Columbus area. It has been a privilege to work with the players, coaches and hockey operations staff, which is one of the best in the League. Also, I want to thank the CBJ fans and the community for the support they’ve given the team and for the work of the CBJ family in support of the community. My family and I have loved living and working in the area. We have made life-long friends here, so we do feel considerable sadness, which is to be expected, when something so meaningful comes to an end. This is a great hockey community and I wish everyone here great success moving forward. Thank you again.”
Saturday: The Columbus Blue Jackets season has ended and so has John Tortorella‘s tenure as head coach. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Tortorella, whose contract expires at the end of this season, will not return for 2021-22.
Portzline adds that “all indications suggest” that the veteran coach wants to continue running a bench in the NHL, meaning there is suddenly a very experienced option on the market. Tortorella sits 12th on the all-time list for NHL games coached with 1,383. One more full season would put him into the top eight, passing Mike Keenan (1,386), Pat Quinn (1,400), Ron Wilson (1,401), and Dick Irvin (1,449). He has won the Jack Adams award twice, one of only four coaches to win it with two different teams.
It’s been six full seasons in Columbus, taking over in 2015-16 and leading the team to the postseason four times. This year has been very different though, with the Blue Jackets winning just 18 of 56 games and finishing behind the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings. It’s been a season full of headlines, with Pierre-Luc Dubois forcing his way out of Columbus, while Tortorella clashed with newcomers Patrik Laine and Max Domi. Big changes appear imminent for the Blue Jackets, who already sold off Nick Foligno and David Savard at the deadline, among others.
Though it has been clear for a while that Tortorella likely wasn’t being brought back, there has still been no official announcement from the team. Whenever it comes, there will be plenty of accolades heaped on Tortorella’s time in Columbus. His numbers for the organization dwarf the likes of Ken Hitchcock, Todd Richards and Dave King, the only three other coaches who have been behind the bench for at least 200 Columbus games. Tortorella’s time finishes with 447 games coached and a 227-166-54 record. He has been the coach in 31 of the team’s 41 postseason appearances.
Edmonton Oilers Making Progress On Adam Larsson Extension
When the news came down in 2016 that Adam Larsson had been traded straight up for Taylor Hall, many mocked the Edmonton Oilers for the return they received from the New Jersey Devils. After all, Larsson had a career-high of 24 points in a season and didn’t seem like a true top-pairing option.
Part of the reason the Oilers targeted Larsson though, other than his handedness, was his contract. He had signed a six-year, $25MM deal with the Devils in 2015 that meant he would carry just a $4.16MM cap hit through this season. Hall was more expensive at $6MM per season and, now five years later, has played for four different teams.
The deal looks a little more even now that Larsson has established himself as the Oilers’ best shutdown defenseman and will look even better if they can manage to sign him to a reasonable extension. On Hockey Night In Canada this evening, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Oilers and Larsson have been in negotiations since before the trade deadline and have made good progress on an extension. Friedman expects the deal to come in around four years in length.
Larsson’s career-high is still 24 points, set in the 2014-15 season with New Jersey, but he has been a very important part of the Oilers this year. The 28-year-old trails only Josh Archibald for the team lead in hits, is far and away the team leader in blocked shots, and averages more than two minutes on Edmonton’s 11th-ranked penalty kill every night. He’s still not a true top-pairing, all-situations defenseman, but an extension makes sense for both sides.
The Oilers also have Tyson Barrie to think about this summer, but are saving some money on Kris Russell‘s extension, which brings his cap hit from $4MM to just $1.25MM next season. With a deal for Larsson on the horizon, the team will have to spend carefully on the margins if they want to bring both Barrie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Seeking Writers For Pro Hockey Rumors
Like many other small businesses, the last year has been especially difficult for the Trade Rumors family. At the start of 2020, we were looking to hire several new writers as we expanded coverage and ramped up some new features. When the sports world came to a sudden halt, so did our search. Now, as things start to get back to some level of normalcy, we’re going to once again make a call for new writers.
PHR is looking to add multiple part-time contributors with strong evening and weekend availability. There also may be an opportunity for some daytime shifts. The position pays on an hourly basis.
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NHL teams, with no discernible bias.
- Knowledge of the salary cap, CBA, and transaction-related concepts.
- At least some college education.
- Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both strongly preferred.
- Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is strongly preferred.
- Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
- Ability to follow the site’s style and tone.
- Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance creating quick copy with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
- Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and an RSS feed reader such as Feedly. In general, you must be able to multi-task.
- Flexibility. You must be available to work on short notice.
If you’re interested, email prohockeyrumorshelp@
We understand that many of those who read this have applied in the past. If you have previously submitted an application for PHR and are still interested, please submit it again. Many will apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to every applicant.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/08/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:
Calgary – TBA
Colorado – Devan Dubnyk
Edmonton – TBA
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov
Winnipeg – TBA
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: None
Kuznetsov remains in the protocol for the Capitals, meaning he won’t be available tonight against the Flyers in the team’s 55th game. The team will use Craig Anderson in the net as Ilya Samsonov also remains out. The netminder doesn’t need to be listed here because he is technically on the taxi squad, but the capitals confirmed yesterday he was also in the protocol.
*denotes new addition
Max McCormick Clears Waivers
Saturday: As expected given the lack of upside to making a claim, McCormick has safely cleared waivers, reports Hurricanes beat writer Michael Smith. The Central Division leaders will get some cap relief in the final days of the regular season while retaining the depth forward for their playoff run.
Friday: You don’t often see players placed on waivers after the trade deadline, as roster limits are lifted and teams can carry everyone they need. In today’s cap world though, there are sometimes situations that require a team to move a player down even after the deadline has passed. That’s what has happened with the Carolina Hurricanes today, who have placed Max McCormick on waivers to create some roster flexibility.
As CapFriendly points out, the rules for waiver claims after the deadline are slightly adjusted, meaning McCormick could not play for a team that claims him. If someone did claim him, it would essentially end his season, which doesn’t benefit his new team very much. Still, there is at least a slight possibility that a team would claim McCormick simply to remove him as an option for the Hurricanes as they head into the postseason. An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, there would be no real risk other than upsetting a fellow management team.
It’s a tough spot for McCormick, 29, who has played in ten games this season for Carolina. The former Ottawa Senators forward has two goals in those appearances, spending more time on the taxi squad than on any active roster.
Brendan Leipsic Re-Signs In KHL
Former NHL forward Brendan Leipsic will be staying in the KHL moving forward, after signing a two-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Leipsic’s rights were actually traded from CSKA Moscow where he played this season for the rights to Los Angeles Kings forward Lias Andersson, who happens to be a restricted free agent this summer. CSKA will likely try to convince Andersson to leave the NHL and head to Russia in the offseason when his contract in Los Angeles expires.
Leipsic meanwhile is staying after scoring 32 points in 58 games this season, his first overseas. The 26-year-old forward saw his last NHL contract terminated by the Washington Capitals in May 2020 after several screenshots were leaked from his social media account. At the time, the NHL issued a statement condemning “misogynistic and reprehensible remarks” that Leipsic and Jack Rodewald made in a private group chat. Both players ended up taking contracts overseas, with Rodewald signing in the Czech Extraliga for 2020-21.
Originally selected in the third round by the Nashville Predators, Leipsic’s NHL career isn’t necessarily over, but it would certainly be a difficult public relations move for any team to sign him at this point. The fact that he had just 11 points in 61 games during the 2019-20 season with the Capitals would suggest he’s not valuable enough to take the risk, meaning he might be limited to KHL contracts from here on out.