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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Michal Kempny To One Year Extension

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Michal Kempny to a one-year extension, the team announced this morning. The Czech defenseman scored 2G and 6A in 50 games for the Blackhawks last season. According to CapFriendly the deal is a one-year, one-way extension for $900K.

The Blackhawks signed Kempny from the KHL last season, but relegated him to the press box after acquiring Johnny Oduya at the NHL Trade Deadline. The Blackhawks are no stranger to defensive depth, and this signing should shore up a blue line that could lose the aforementioned Oduya and pending UFA Brian Campbell.

The 26 year-old defenseman is known for his speed and puck-possession skills. His 56.3 CF% led the team and furthers the Blackhawks focus on controlling the play. With Chicago ever-struggling with the salary cap, it needs to hit on some of these depth signings with potential high upside to compensate.

Patric Hornqvist Out Tonight

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have scratched forward Patric Hornqvist right before tonight’s Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Ottawa Senators. Hornqvist took the warmup skate and participated in line rushes, but did not make the final roster. Fellow Swede Carl Hagelin will replace him in the lineup.

Hornqvist missed practice on Sunday and did not take part in this morning’s skate, reports the NHL’s Dan Rosen. The Penguins are going to miss his production. He has 4G and 3A in 13 playoff games so far, and adds valuable scoring depth to an offensive-minded team.

Hagelin will have to step up his production if he wants to keep a roster spot. He currently has 1G and 0A in five playoff games, and averaging only 11 minutes a night. He took a step back this season, scoring only 6G and 16A in 61 regular season this year. The Penguins will look to tie the series at one apiece tonight, and will need to be firing on all cylinders.

Capitals GM Undertaking “Thorough Review”

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The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reported today that Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan is undergoing a “thorough review” of the entire organization after yet another second-round playoff exit. Most importantly is that Barry Trotz’s tenure with the club could be in jeopardy.

Like the last two decades of Capitals teams (h/t reader Daniel Sumerlin for pointing this out), Trotz has never made it past the second round. And with the Capitals championship window slow closing, MacLellan may want to bring in new blood. Trotz will be entering his final year of a four-year contract, and whether he receives an extension will dictate how much confidence the club has in Trotz leading the team to a Finals berth.

Most notably, however, is that Trotz was never MacLellan’s guy. Both were hired by Owner Ted Leonsis and President Dick Patrick around the same time. MacLellan may want the opportunity to bring in his own coach before making drastic roster moves.

Even if Trotz remains, he’ll no doubt be on a short leash like Claude Julien and Ken Hitchcock this year. MacLellan may hold off on a coaching change given the dearth of options right now, but may make a move next season if a quality candidate arises.

 

New York Islanders Offseason Update

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The New York Islanders have two main concerns this offseason: re-signing captain and current face of the franchise John Tavares, and finding a stable home. Today’s updates address both those issues.

  • Newsday’s Arthur Staple says that the Islanders will probably offer Tavares eight years and around $10MM a year. This is a no-brainer for the team, who can offer Tavares one more year than any other team as long as Tavares remains an Islander. The money also makes sense. Tavares is a franchise player in the prime of his career, and will most likely garner contracts comparable to Jonathan Toews and Anze Kopitar.
  • What may temper expectations, however, is that Tavares underwent surgery on his right hand last month, Staple reports. The surgery addressed a lingering problem that plagued Tavares during the season, but should not impede his offseason. Tavares will take the cast off next week with plenty of time to spare.
  • The Islanders received official notice from its landlords Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment—who run the Barclays Center—opening the licensing agreement negotiating window. If no deal is reached, either side can choose to maintain the status quo or opt out of the deal. According to Newsday’s Jim Baumbach and Robert Brodsky, who reported the story, the Isles could leave as early as next season, or Barclays could force them out after the 2018-19 season.

Dan Bylsma Becomes NHL Network Analyst

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Eighteen days after being fired by the Buffalo Sabres, former head coach Dan Bylsma finds himself once again under the spotlight. This time, however, it’s as an analyst on the NHL network, reports the Buffalo News’s Mike Harrington. Bylsma starts tomorrow night on NHL Tonight with former players Mike Johnson, Kevin Weekes, and Mike Rupp.

This is not Bylsma first go-around on television. When the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Bylsma in June 2014, he quickly joined the NHL network as an analyst during the on-going Stanley Cup Finals. Bylsma finds himself in good company as he won’t be the first former coach to use a TV job to parlay his next head coaching gig. Both Barry Melrose and Paul Maurice regained NHL coaching employment after a TV stint.

NHL Network viewers should get used to seeing Bylsma on air. Only the Florida Panthers have an available head coaching gig—aside from Buffalo of course—but there has been no indication that they are interested. Rather, the Panthers have interviewed other candidates, including former Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien. With a 252-117-32 career record, Bylsms will find work, though it’ll most likely be after some team’s midseason collapse.

 

PHR Originals: Weekend Edition

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Alongside breaking NHL news, ProHockeyRumors staff pen original and engaging work. This weekend brought pieces on individual teams’ expansion draft issues, offseason considerations, and free agency. In case you missed them, here are the top five original pieces published this weekend:

Blue Jackets Must Convince Hartnell to Waive NMC
The Columbus Blue Jackets had an excellent season spurred by the exciting play of several young forwards. The team faces a potential setback, however, if they lose one of those young players to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL expansion draft this summer. The biggest obstacle preventing the Blue Jackets from protecting all their young prospects is aging veteran forward Scott Hartnell. Hartnell has a No-Movement Cause, and the expansion draft rules require that any player with a NMC must be protected in the draft. That means that Columbus must protect Hartnell over one of its more promising younger players. The Blue Jackets can solve this issue by convincing Hartnell to waive his NMC.

Read more

Injury Updates: Shaw, Steen, Cogliano

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Injury notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Helene Elliott of the LA Times reports that the Anaheim Ducks will be without forward Logan Shaw tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. The Ducks say that Shaw is out with a lower-body injury. Shaw is without a point in his nine playoff games so far, averaging 9:30min a game. The undrafted forward misses this morning’s morning skate, as reported by CBS Sports, but his absence was not confirmed until just before puck drop.
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat writer Jeremy Rutherford reported that forward Alexander Steen broke his foot in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, yet continued to play through the injury. The injury became too much for Steen, however, and he had to sit out Games 5 and 6. Despite the injury, Steen scored 3G and 4A to place second in Blues playoff scoring this season. The Blues may still be playing had Steen not suffered the injury, but the playoffs are a war of attrition, and most teams end up losing a key player for stretches at a time.
  • Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano took a hard elbow from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba early in the first period tonight. Cogliano received some brief medical attention after bleeding all over the ice, raising concerns that he may have suffered a serious injury. Despite the blood, however, Cogliano returned mere minutes later, and his iron man streak—currently at 786 games—remains intact. Not only did Cogliano return, but he managed to get into a fight with Edmonton’s Drake Caggiula.

Lightning Allow Assistant GM Pat Verbeek To Speak To Other Teams

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Tampa Bay Lightning have given Assistant GM Pat Verbeek permission to talk with other clubs. Verbeek has been the Lightning’s AGM for six years now but faces little prospects of internal promotion working under the much-revered Steve Yzerman.

Verbeek was hired by Tampa Bay after scouting for the Detroit Red Wings under Ken Holland. He’s worked under Yzerman and will be a hot commodity for those teams looking to loot from the Yzerman management tree.

If Verbeek were to accept a full GM role, his only option would the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres cleaned house last week, firing both GM Tim Murray and Coach Dan Bylsma after a disappointing 2016-17 campaign. He will have some competition, however, as the Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis reports that Calgary Flames Assistant GM Craig Conroy interviewed for the vacant Buffalo GM position as well. Conroy’s interview is in addition to the six candidates already reported to be interviewing for the position.

It is also possible that he takes another assistant role, but with more chances for upward mobility. The Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, and Winnipeg Jets could present future GM opportunities for Verbeek in the upcoming season.

Hart Trophy Finalists Announced

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The NHL’s Hart Trophy finalists were released today and include Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, and Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid.

The names surprise no one as all three were expected finalists. Crosby and McDavid were one and two in NHL scoring, and Bobrovsky led the league in GAA and SV% amongst starting NHL goaltenders.

Bobrovsky, as noted by the Blue Jackets’ Public Relations team, is the first MVP finalist in Blue Jackers history. He posted a .931 SV% and a 2.06 GAA in 63 games. He was considered Columbus’s best player in a surprising season for the Metropolitan Division team. He’s also a finalist for the NHL’s Vezina Trophy awarded to the league’s best goaltender.

Sidney Crosby finished tied for 2nd in league scoring with 44G and 45A in 75 games. He tied Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane in points with 89, but did it in seven fewer games. Crosby has already locked up the Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy for most goals this season. Crosby has been a Hart Trophy finalist six times, and won the award in 2007 and 2014

Connor McDavid led the NHL in scoring with 30G and 70A in 82 games. He led a Edmonton Oilers squad to its first playoff birth since 2006 in only his second pro season. This season he won the Art Ross Trophy for most points in the NHL.

Notable absences—thought to have finished fourth and lower—include Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, and Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand.

Flames Sign GM Brad Treliving To Multi-Year Contract

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The Calgary Flames announced via Twitter this afternoon that they have signed General Manager Brad Treliving to a multi-year extension. No specifics about term or salary yet, but PHR will update as soon as more details become available. Treliving has been Calgary’s GM since April 2014.

Treliving’s future in Calgary grew muddied this offseason when he finished the season without a contract. The Flames bowed out of the 2016-17 playoffs without winning a game, creating question marks as to whether the team moves in a different direction.

Treliving was not afraid to make splashes in the trade market. Last offseason he traded for starting goaltender Brian Elliott and the offseason prior he acquired young defensman Dougie Hamilton.

The Buffalo Sabres will now cross off another candidate in the team’s GM search. It was speculated that had Calgary not signed Treliving that Buffalo would go after him.

 

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