Bruins’ Wagner, Miller Could Miss Stanley Cup Final
Even with a 10-day rest, the Boston Bruins injury situation doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. While reports about veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara seem good, the news about Chris Wagner and Kevan Miller weren’t nearly as impressive. According to Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, both players will not be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals and could miss the entire series:
We’ve got some time to evaluate where guys will be. I don’t expect [Miller] to be ready to play. I’ll be really surprised if [Wagner] will be ready to play, but we’ll see where that goes.
Miller, who hasn’t played a game in the playoffs yet and hasn’t appeared in any game since Apr. 4 with a knee injury, suffered a setback while trying to get back. The team had been hoping to bring him back for the Stanley Cup Finals against either the St. Louis Blues or the San Jose Sharks. While Miller has been with the team the entire way, trying to get back on the ice, Wagner’s situation is even worse. The forward suffered an injury to his right arm after blocking a shot from Carolina Hurricanes’ Justin Faulk‘s in Game 3 of their series and was immediately transported back to Boston. Sweeney added he’d be surprised if Wagner returns for the finals. The team will likely have to lean more on each of their replacements as both Connor Clifton and Noel Acciari have played well in their absence.
The news, however, for Chara was better as Sweeney said he expects Chara to be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but the team intends to monitor his progress over the layoff.
2019 Memorial Cup Preview
The biggest event in junior hockey begins tonight, as the year-end Memorial Cup Tournament opens in Halifax, Nova Scotia. For a refresher, the champions of the three Canadian Hockey League member leagues – the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League – and a rotating host team square off in a round-robin tournament each year to determine Canadian junior hockey’s premier team. Each of the four contenders play one another once, after which the standings allow for a semi-final and final round. The action begins tonight and continues through the week, with the playoff rounds scheduled for May 24th and 26th. As for the competitors, the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) play host to the Guelph Storm (OHL), Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL), and Prince Albert Raiders (WHL). Below is a summary of each team’s season and top players for those interested in following the action over the next ten days:
Halifax Mooseheads (49-15-4)
This year’s host team was nearly a league champion themselves. The Moosheads fell to the Huskies in six games in the QMJHL Final, but will have a second chance against the team at least once in the Memorial tournament. Halifax is led by 20-year-old undrafted center Samuel Asselin, whose 86 points led the team and were a top-ten finish in the league, but all eyes will instead be on his young, draft-eligible line mate. Raphael Lavoie, who has had an up-and-down season, picked a good time to be on the up. With the NHL Draft a month away, Lavoie caught fire in the QMJHL playoffs. The 6’4″ right wing recorded 32 points in 23 postseason games, almost half of his 73 regular season points, which was far-and-away the most on the Mooseheads and second-best in the league. Most draft rankings and mock drafts have Lavoie falling somewhere in the middle ten picks of the upcoming first round and the Memorial Cup is his final chance to prove he should go earlier instead of later. The big winger plays a physically dominant game that often looks effortless, but he can also flip a switch and show off stellar skill. Also up front for Halifax are are a pair of recent Anaheim Ducks second-round selections, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Antoine Morand, and New York Islanders’ sixth-round sleeper pick Arnaud Durandeau. Leading the defense is the daunting pair of top Detroit Red Wings blue line prospect Jared McIsaac and promising 2020-eligible rearguard Justin Barron, a likely first-round pick next year. The Mooseheads are as strong in the top-six and on the top pair as any team in this tournament, but it is in their depth that they could fall short. However, there is always the chance that goaltender Alexis Gravel, the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2018 sixth-rounder, could steal a game if the skaters fall short. Gravel finished in the top five in both save percentage and goals against average among QMJHL starters this season.
Guelph Storm (40-18-10)
No one expected Guelph to be here. The Storm, who entered the playoffs with the eighth-best record in the OHL, were down 3-0 in their second-round series against the division rival London Knights and managed to mount a four-win comeback to advance. They then fell behind by two games against both the Saginaw Spirit in the third round and Ottawa 67’s in the OHL Final to win it all. This team is nothing if not resilient and will be a tough out in this tournament. While Arizona Coyotes’ forward prospect Nate Schnarr enjoyed an excellent season, leading Guelph with 102 points and finishing in the OHL’s top-ten in points and assists, there is little argument that he is still the best forward for the Storm. Acquired in January, Montreal Canadiens top prospect Nick Suzuki has been superhuman since arriving in Guelph. The talented forward recorded 49 points in 29 games to close out the regular season and then another 42 points in 24 playoff games en route to a championship. Suzuki might be the most dangerous player in the Memorial Cup tournament, which is a major boost for the Storm. He’s not alone though; Suzuki and Schnarr lead a forward corps that includes NHL-bound power forwards Isaac Ratcliffe of the Philadelphia Flyers, MacKenzie Entwistle of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Liam Hawel of the Dallas Stars. The defense is also stout behind mainstays Dmitri Samorukov of the Edmonton Oilers and draft-eligible Owen Lalonde and trade additions Markus Phillips and Sean Durzi the Los Angeles Kings. Guelph would be the favorites to win the Memorial Cup if it wasn’t for their goaltending issues. If Anthony Popovich can find his game and that weakness goes away, the Storm are in good shape. The OHL is traditionally the strongest of the three CHL leagues, which is evidenced by the depth of talent that Guelph, the eighth-best OHL squad in the regular season, has versus the best teams of the QMJHL and WHL.
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (59-8-1)
Rouyn-Noranda’s regular season mirrored that of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team was dominant from beginning to end and won the QMJHL regular season title by a whopping 12 points and finished with a goal differential of +182. Fortunately for them, the similarities ended in the postseason. The Huskies continued to roll all the way to the league championship. Leading the way, regular season and postseason, has been league scoring title-winner Peter Abbandonato. Abbandonato, 21, recorded 111 points this season and tacked on another 27 in the postseason. An undrafted prospect, Abbandonato has not let the lack of NHL commitment slow him down as he has been near-impossible to stop all season. He also has a deep supporting cast, including talented first-time draft-eligible prospect Alex Beaucage, and over-agers Raphael Harvey-Pinard and Felix Bibeau, as well as Boston Bruins draft pick Jakub Lauko and Montreal Canadiens signee Joel Teasdale. Trade acquisition Noah Dobson, the twelfth overall pick last year by the New York Islanders, has also had a massive impact for the team both defensively and offensively. Dobson is arguably the best player in the tournament and could be the x-factor for the Huskies. The story of Rouyn-Noranda’s season to this point though has been the stellar goalie tandem of Samuel Harvey and San Jose Sharks pick Zachary Emond, both of whom posted a save percentage of better than .925 and a goals against average below 2.10 in the regular season. Harvey, who started 20 of 21 playoff games, put up even better numbers when it mattered most. If the 21-year-old net minder keeps up that level of play, the Huskies will be hard to beat.
Prince Albert Raiders (54-10-4)
The Raiders were just as, if not more dominant in the WHL as the Huskies were in the QMJHL, winning the regular season title by 11 points and recording a goal differential of +151, more than 50% better than the next-best team. Yet, Prince Albert accomplished such a campaign without much game-breaking talent, perhaps why they came within an overtime goal away from losing in the WHL Final to the Vancouver Giants. The Raiders have good players, but on paper they pale in comparison to the other three competing teams. That doesn’t erase what they have already accomplished this season, but it could put them at a disadvantage in inter-league play. Leading the Raiders is a player whose name hockey fans will know before the NHL Draft, if they don’t already. 20-year-old forward Brett Leason is a once-in-a-generation late bloomer who was passed over in two drafts already before breaking out this season. His play has caught seemingly everyone’s eye, as he earned a spot on Team Canada’s World Junior team earlier this year and is considered by some to be a first-round pick possibility in June. Leason’s numbers back up the hype; not only is he 6’4″ and over 200 lbs., but the power forward scored 36 goals and totaled 89 points in just 55 games this year. He then added 25 more points in 22 postseason games. Leason is a force in the offensive end – shooting, passing, possessing, and forechecking – and will be one of the tougher players to match up with in the tournament. Right beside Leason all season long has been San Jose Sharks selection Noah Gregor, who finished just one point behind Leason but still within the WHL’s top ten scorers. Cole Fonstad, property of the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators free agent addition Parker Kelly, and another intriguing draft prospect, Alexei Protas, also play key roles up front for Prince Albert. Outside of WHL plus/minus leader Brayden Pachal, the Raiders are pretty thin on the blue line, but star goalie Ian Scott hasn’t let it affect him. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ keeper of the future has been phenomenal this season, posting a sub-2.00 goals against average and .932 save percentage in the regular season and replicating those numbers in the postseason. Gravel and Harvey may be able to steal a game in the Memorial Cup, but a hot Scott could steal the whole tournament.
Don Sweeney Named A Finalist For GM Of The Year
While some teams have opted to make bigger moves, Sweeney opted to primarily supplement Boston’s depth, a decision that has certainly helped out. Jaroslav Halak‘s addition allowed them to rest up Tuukka Rask a bit more and they’ve been rewarded for that so far in the playoffs while late-season pickups Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson have made an impact as well. The Bruins finished third overall during the regular season and could punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final later tonight which certainly helped sway some votes in his favor.
Goalie Notes: Binnington, Carolina, Edmonton
Jordan Binnington has been a revelation for the St. Louis Blues this season. A 25-year-old rookie who didn’t make his first NHL start until January, Binnington somehow managed to record 24 wins, a .927 save percentage, and a league-leading 1.89 GAA this season and has led the Blues to the Western Conference Final thus far in these playoffs. Binnington will be 26 before next season and has just 33 career appearances, yet he is a Calder Trophy candidate and undeniably St. Louis’ MVP in this amazing turnaround season. So how do you compensate a season like this? The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin wondered the same thing and explored three comparable contracts that the Blues may explore this off-season. The first belongs to a player with many similarities to Binnington, NHL journeyman Andrew Hammond. Hammond’s breakout season with the Ottawa Senators in 2015 was even more impressive than Binnington’s, that is until he lost his job to a healthy Craig Anderson in the postseason. A 26-year-old “prospect” with only 24 NHL appearances to his name, Hammond received just $1.35MM per year over three years from the Senators following his big season. However, Larkin points out that Hammond was not expected to be the starter in Ottawa, whereas Binnington is undoubtedly going to begin next season ahead of Jake Allen on the Blues’ depth chart. He also notes that Binnington has arbitration rights this season and no reasonable arbitrator would be convinced that Binnington is worth an equivalent contract to Hammond’s, which would only be about a $1.5MM AAV. On the other end of the spectrum, Larkin uses Winnipeg Jets’ starter Connor Hellebuyck as an example. Hellebuyck, another older prospect out of UMass – Lowell, Hellebuyck joined the Jets in 2015-16 at age 22 as the backup, struggled the next year as the part-time starter, and then had a breakout campaign last year in the final season of his entry-level contract. Winnipeg responded with a six-year deal worth more than $6MM annually for Hellebuyck. However, by the time he signed his extension, Hellebuyck had played in 149 games over three seasons, a much larger sample size than Binnington’s. He was also younger and entered the NHL with far great expectations compared to Binnington’s relative obscurity through a long AHL career. Thus, Hellebuyck also fails to be a convincing comparison for Binnington. Larkin finally settles on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matt Murray. Murray also came out of nowhere as a rookie, albeit a 21-year-old rookie, to start 13 games down the stretch and then lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup behind a stellar postseason. Despite Murray’s lack of NHL experience, the Penguins had seen enough to reward their young keeper with a three-year extension worth $3.75MM per year. While Binnington is significantly older and a less heralded prospect, he has a larger sample size and slightly better regular season numbers than Murray, making the deal a fair comparison. Under the current salary cap, which is likely to increase this summer, Murray’s deal would equate to about a $4.25MM AAV for Binnington. So what should Blues fans expect in a Binnington extension? The safe bet is somewhere between three and four years at $4-4.5MM per year, but a Stanley Cup title could still push that value even higher for the breakout keeper.
- According to Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour says there is a “pretty good chance” he goes back to Curtis McElhinney in net for an elimination Game Four against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. McElhinney has played well this postseason in relief of Petr Mrazek, including in Game Three. McElhinney made 29 saves and allowed just two goals on Tuesday night after Mrazek surrendered ten goals combined in Games One and Two. At this point, McElhinney does seem to give the Hurricanes the best chance to win against Boston, but is there more at stake here? Whether McElhinney or Mrazek are in net, the odds of Carolina winning Game Four are slim and the chances they win four in a row to advance are much, much worse. When the ‘Canes are inevitably eliminated, they face a reality of both Mrazek and McElhinney being unrestricted free agents. If forced to choose between the two, one would certainly think that the team would prefer to bring back Mrazek, who outplayed McElhinney this season – and is nine years younger. However, they take the risk in going back to McElhinney, who lost nevertheless in Game Three, that Mrazek no longer feels like the top option in Carolina and looks for other opportunities on the open market. After a strong season, the Hurricanes can’t afford a downgrade in net, so unless they are open to spending more on a free agent upgrade to Mrazek – a Robin Lehner or Semyon Varlamov for example – they’ll need to be careful with how the approach his confidence as this playoff run winds down.
- Is new Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland happy to enter next season with Mikko Koskinen and (Group 6 free agent) Anthony Stolarz in net? If not, he could have a hard time attracting free agents and might instead look to his old team for help. Steve Yzerman may also want to bring in fresh blood in Detroit, but the Red Wings are locked in to Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier next season to the tune of $7MM. The ink is still drying on Howard’s extension with the team and his loyalty likely lies more with the city of Detroit than with Holland. After a nice season, it would be a surprise for Howard to be dealt away. However, Yzerman will likely be willing to move the disappointing Bernier and Holland would seemingly be interested. After all, it was Holland who signed the journeyman to a three-year, $9MM contract just last summer. He very well may feel that Bernier can still live up to that contract, even after a poor first season with the Red Wings. It would not come as much of a surprise if Bernier outperforms Koskinen next season, so if Holland can re-acquire the veteran net minder on the cheap, it could make sense for the Oilers.
Snapshots: Monarchs, Myers, Wagner
The Manchester Monarchs are no more. The ECHL team announced today that they would be ceasing operations after 18 seasons, meaning the Los Angeles Kings no longer have an affiliate in the league. According to Jon Rosen the Kings are expected to share an ECHL affiliate with another NHL team, though it is not yet clear who that will be.
The Monarchs franchise was actually founded in 1993 as the Huntington Blizzard, and have gone by several other names over the years including the Ontario Reign—the two minor league affiliates swapped in 2015, keeping a professional team that had been there since 2001 in the city. During their four-year run as the Monarchs in the ECHL, the team made the Kelly Cup playoffs every season and advanced to the third round in 2017. Several NHL players have spent time with the team, including 2018-19 rookies Jayce Hawryluk, Josh Brown and Jacob Middleton.
- Team Canada is now without Brandon Montour for the rest of the IIHF World Championship, so were desperately trying to find a defenseman who could be added in the final roster spot. That defenseman is Philippe Myers, who today was added from the Philadelphia Flyers. Myers finally made his NHL debut this season and will now get the chance to represent his country on the world stage.
- The Boston Bruins have received huge contributions from depth forwards like Chris Wagner in the postseason, but will have to find another source for the time being. Wagner has returned to Boston for further tests on his injured arm, one that was seen in a sling after he blocked a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes and was forced to exit game three. The Bruins will insert Noel Acciari into the lineup for game four in Carolina. If Wagner does not return in these playoffs he’ll end the postseason with an impressive 44 hits in 12 games while contributing two goals.
Goalie Notes: Rask, Binnington, Colorado
Up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final behind a pair of convincing wins, the Boston Bruins have their eye on a second Stanley Cup title this decade and have the appearance of the team to beat right now. Tuukka Rask has been the Bruins’ best player so far this postseason and maybe the best player altogether. That is the growing consensus anyway, as Rask has emerged as the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy should Boston go all the way. Entering the third round of the playoffs, Vegas odds makers gave the Bruins keeper the best chances to be named playoff MVP after an incredible first two rounds. Two games later, he’s continued his strong play and those odds are only improving. Granted, Cup-winning goalies tend to be given strong consideration for the Conn Smythe every year, as reflected by St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington, San Jose’s Martin Jones, and Carolina’s Petr Mrazek filling spots two, four, and five respectively in the current odds as well. However, it’s more than that when it comes to Rask’s current level of play, as a quick look at the numbers will show that has truly been the best player in these playoffs so far. In 921 minutes, almost an hour more than Binnington in second, Rask not only leads all goalies in time on ice, but also tops all starters in wins and save percentage and is second in goals against average. Ruling out relief appearances by Dallas’ Anton Khudobin and Nashville’s Juuse Saros and two starts from Carolina’s Curtis McElhinney, Rask’s .937 save percentage is the best so far this postseason and, were it not for the New York Islanders’ Robin Lehner, Rask’s 2.02 GAA would also be tops. In fact, the Bruins allowed two late goals in Game Two against the Hurricanes after sitting back on a 6-0 lead, without which Rask would lead all categories and would hold a sub-2.00 GAA.
Rask has often faced unfair criticism during his time in Boston for lacking a “clutch” factor, despite winning a Vezina Trophy and leading the team to the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. In fact, while Rask may not get much recognition, he is quietly one of the better goaltenders in NHL history on paper and has been even better in the postseason. Rask’s career playoff save percentage currently sits at .927, ranked seventh all-time and fourth among active goalies, while his 2.21 GAA is 14th in the modern era and again fourth among active goalies. Compared to his career regular season .921 save percentage and 2.28 GAA, Rask is better in the playoffs, yet his regular season numbers rank third and fourth all-time behind only the likes of Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, and Martin Brodeur. Rask is certainly due more respect than he tends to get and if he continues this impeccable playoff run, he should get it in the form of the Conn Smythe Trophy.
- Ranked second in the Conn Smythe odds and second among the four remaining starters in time on ice and goals against average, Binnington has continued to be the surprise performance fueling the Blues amazing turnaround season. A 25-year-old rookie who forced himself into Calder Trophy consideration with a stunning second half, Binnington recorded 24 wins, a .927 save percentage, and a league-leading 1.89 GAA this season. Yet, his numbers have tailed off in the postseason, although it’s been enough to get St. Louis through to the Western Conference Final. Is there more to Binnington’s slight struggles than just tougher competition in the playoffs? TSN’s Frank Seravalli writes that it’s hard to ignore the similarities between Binnington’s season and that of Andrew Hammond in 2015, when the “Hamburglar” took the league by storm. Hammond also arrived on the NHL stage late in his career and without much initial fanfare. He posted even better numbers in his rookie year than Binnington did his year and led the Ottawa Senators to the postseason, stealing starts from Craig Anderson along the way. However, he faltered in the playoffs and was replaced by Anderson mid-way through a first-round exit. Hammond put up pedestrian numbers as the Senators’ backup the next season before completely falling off the map. Could the same fate await Binnington? Already Binnington has bested Hammond’s season by continuing to play well in the playoffs, but how he’ll perform next year remains a mystery. In speaking with Blues coaches and players, Seravall notes that no one is worried that Binnington will fizzle out, this year or next. St. Louis fans just have to hope they are right, especially if the team opts to enter next season with the same tandem of Binnington and the inconsistent Jake Allen.
- After the Colorado Avalanche signed 22-year-old Adam Werner to his entry-level contract today, they now have two goalies under contract for next season, and that’s it. Fortunately, one of those two is starter Philipp Grubauer, who came on strong in the second half of the season and in the postseason. He looks like a solid starter moving forward, but the Avs have many decisions to make behind him before next season. Werner should be no higher than fourth on the depth chart next year, so he’s not the solution as Grubauer’s backup by any means. Spencer Martin, 23, is a restricted free agent who should be back with the team. However, Martin struggled in the AHL this season and has yet to assert himself as a true NHL option through four pro seasons. Current backup Semyon Varlamov is a free agent who seemingly remains on good terms with the Avalanche, but is coming off a contract worth $5.9MM annually and may not be willing to take less than Grubauer’s $3.33MM on his next deal. This would seem to put this year’s third-stringer, Pavel Francouz, in a promising situation. The 28-year-old KHL import had a strong first season in North America, earning AHL All-Star recognition and making two impressive NHL appearances. Francouz initially signed with Colorado before Grubauer was acquired last summer and expected to compete for NHL time more than he did. Perhaps this could be his opportunity to win a full-time backup job next season. If the Avalanche feel Francouz and Martin are not adequate depth behind Gruabauer, Brian Elliott, Anders Nilsson, and Curtis McElhinney are among the affordable backup options available in free agency.
Bruins To Loan Emil Johansson To Sweden
May 13th: While the Bruins have yet to officially recognize the deal, there is no longer any doubt that Johansson will not be playing in North America next year and, as it turns out, not for a while after that either. HV71 have announced that they have signed Johansson to a three-year contract, bringing back the homegrown product. The team’s general manager, Johan Hult, spoke glowingly about Johansson in the press release, applauding his balanced game, skating ability, and “incredible hunger”. These traits are part of the reason why Johansson joined the Bruins so quickly after being a seventh-round pick and the team will be sorry to lose him as a young depth option, especially for up to three years or longer. It is possible that the Bruins have already agreed to waive and terminate Johannsson, valuing his roster spot against the 50-contract limit more than loaning and retaining his rights. Either way, the 23-year-old will become an afterthought for the Bruins.
May 10th: There is a logjam on defense in Boston, but it came in handy this season. Over the course of the regular season, the Bruins used 11 different defensemen as injuries ravaged the blue line all year long. The team’s defensive leader in games played, Brandon Carlo, still missed ten games, while players who began the season as AHL afterthoughts, such as Connor Clifton and Jeremy Lauzon, suited up for double-digit games. It was a group effort that helped the team stay afloat through adversity and certainly contributed to the Bruins currently being one of just four teams left alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is all to say that any defenseman under contract with Boston this season who didn’t see NHL action should be re-considering his place in the organizational depth chart moving forward.
That appears to be exactly what Emil Johansson has done. Johansson, 23, was a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Bruins who impressed at the top level in Sweden and was deemed ready for pro hockey in North America sooner than expected. This season, his second full year with the Bruins organization, Johansson led all defensemen for AHL Providence in games played this season with 65, while recording ten points. Yet, he did not earn a chance to escape the minor league level. His odds are no better next season; the Bruins currently have the same top seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts through next year and Johansson would additionally be no higher than fifth among call-up options behind Clifton, Lauzon, and recent first-round picks Urho Vaakanainen, and Jakub Zboril. Johansson’s entry-level contract, which still has one year remaining, contains a European Assignment Clause, which he is reportedly expected to use in light of this situation. Henrik Leman of Swedish hockey source Rakapuckar writes that Johansson and the Bruins have a mutual agreement that he will play for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League next season.
While Leman’s article translates to the word “release”, it is far more likely than Boston will instead loan the young defenseman to the SHL rather than terminate his contract. Especially when the team can retain Johansson’s NHL rights in perpetuity by merely making him a qualifying offer next summer, it would be a surprise to see them instead outright release him. As for next year, Leman reports that interest has been high around Johansson and he has agreed to sign with HV71 over the likes of Frolunda HC and the Vaxjo Lakers. Of course, Johansson came up through the HV71 ranks, so the decision is not much of a surprise. Johansson played two full SHL seasons with the team before making the jump to North America, recording 27 points in 99 total games, and it will likely be a seamless transition to return to their ranks. If he excels overseas, the Bruins will likely keep the door open to a return. Despite their considerable depth in talented young defensemen, Boston has to prepare for life after Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and Kevan Miller, all of whom could be gone after next season. Johansson could still wind up as a possible solution down the road.
Snapshots: Mrazek, Olofsson, Panthers
When the Eastern Conference Final resumes on Tuesday, the Carolina Hurricanes may have a different starting goaltender. NHL.com’s Shawn P. Roarke relays that Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour would not commit to starting Petr Mrazek again in Game Three. The Boston Bruins have scored 11 goals in the first two games of the series, all but one of which were attributed to Mrazek. He had only allowed allowed on goal in his previous two games and only 20 total in nine playoff games this season before arriving in Boston. Clearly, the Bruins have him figured out right now and it may be time for Carolina to give Curtis McElhinney a shot. Brind’amour approached Mrazek about coming out of Game Two, but the 27-year-old keeper wanted to stick it out, a right that the coach said he had earned. However, as Mrazek’s play did not improve as the game went on, he has likely lost that right to determine when he plays. McElhinney, who turns 36 next week, may have tread on the tired but is well-rested after making only three appearances so far in the playoffs. In those game, he has been stellar as well, posting a .947 save percentage and 1.56 GAA. If the Hurricanes are to win four of their next five games to come back and beat Boston, they’ll need some magic and Mrazek appears to be all out. Perhaps McElhinney has been saving some up for the first postseason run of his 12-year NHL career.
- Chicago Blackhawks prospect Fredrik Olofsson is heading home to Sweden. Olofsson, who made his pro debut last month with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, has signed with MODO of the Swedish Hockey League, according to Swedish news source Kvalls Posten. This could be the end of Olofsson’s days in North American hockey, as he wraps up a solid NCAA career only to immediately bolt. Olofsson was a fourth-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2014 and played four seasons at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, leading the team in scoring in his senior season. The 22-year-old forward played in a pair of games with the Blackhawks’ affiliate, but has not been offered an NHL contract. He will thus become a free agent in August when his NHL rights expire, but doesn’t seem optimistic about his market. Interestingly, while Olofsson has represented Sweden on the international stage, he has never played competitively in his home country. Olofsson played his midget, junior, and college hockey in the U.S., but is now finally ready to return home.
- The Florida Panthers are expected to be major players on the free agent market this summer, with much of the speculated centered on their interest in top free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. While goaltending was certainly an issue this season and Bobrovksy would help immensely, defense was also a major concern and wouldn’t be addressed by grabbing only those two. Unsurprisingly, GM Dale Tallon tells The Athletic’s George Richards that a top-four right-handed defenseman is also on his wish list this summer. However, cap space is going to be tight for the Panthers and top righties like Erik Karlsson and Tyler Myers are likely out of their price range. Richards lists Anton Stralman and Adam McQuaid as right-side free agent options, while Ben Lovejoy, Dan Girardi, and Roman Polak would be other possibilities. If those aren’t impressive enough to be considered a top-four solution, Florida could be an intriguing trade partner for the Winnipeg Jets or Ottawa Senators for Jacob Trouba and Cody Ceci respectively.
Eastern Notes: Chabot, Vrana, Maenalanen, Maatta
The Ottawa Senators may have benefited long-term from trading off its expected big-name free agents at the trade deadline, but the franchise must still answer to its fans. With a number of young players on their roster, the team must prove to their fan base that it has no intention of just trading away all of their players once their contracts come up. There are rumblings that suggest the Senators are ready to commit to one such player, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his “31 Thoughts” column that the Senators are going to attempt to lock up defensive cornerstone Thomas Chabot to a long-term extension. Chabot, who broke out with a big season in his sophomore year with 14 goals and 55 points in 70 games, would be the ideal signing for the organization to prove to its fans that they intend to compete in the future.
Friedman also writes that owner Eugene Melnyk has been humbled by his lack of success in finding a President of Hockey Operations with top candidates showing no interest to the point of refusing to even meet with the team. The hope is that Melnyk will now find a way to please the fans by rewarding one of their young players. Chabot is the most likely fit as he will be eligible for an extension on July 1 as he is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. Perhaps the move will also turn around the team’s presidential search.
- NBC Sports Brian McNally writes that while the team was thrilled that 23-year-old Jakub Vrana put up 24 goals and finally broke out as a consistent top-six winger, the team now has to pay for him. Vrana, who becomes a restricted free agent this summer, could look to sign a long-term deal as a young piece to a veteran team or opt to sign a bridge deal that could take him towards unrestricted free agency in a few years. Of course, Vrana struggled in the playoffs which could count against him, as he didn’t register a point during the team’s seven-game series to the Carolina Hurricanes. We’ll have some decisions to make,” general manager Brian MacLellan said. “We’ll find out which direction we’re going on Vrana with a term deal or a bridge deal. Some of it is money decisions. Some of it’s we need to make a couple changes.”
- The Carolina Hurricanes are ready for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals with the Boston Bruins and while there will be no lineup changes, News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes that the team still hopes that forward Saku Maenalanen, who has been out since Apr. 28 after having surgery on his hand, could return to the team soon as he practiced with the team Saturday in a non-contact jersey. The surgery was expected him to miss 10 to 14 days, which has already passed. While he’s tallied just one assist throughout the playoffs, the 6-foot-4 winger had given the team a physical element that it needed. The team hopes he might return later in this series
- Jonathan Bombulie of TribLive writes that while it will be Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford job to move out some defensemen, figuring out which defensemen to move could be more challenging that most might think. Looking at Olli Maatta, who is coming off a poor season, the scribe writes that while he struggled when on the ice with bottom-line centers like Derick Brassard, but was more even-keel when Evgeni Malkin was on the ice, while he was solid when playing with Sidney Crosby, suggesting that the problem may not totally fall on the team’s defense.
Ottawa Senators To Interview Dallas Assistant Rick Bowness
The Ottawa Senators continue their search for a head coach as the team has asked and received permission to interview Dallas Stars assistant coach and former Ottawa head coach Rick Bowness, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. He is the sixth coach to receive an interview with the Senators.
Bowness, the Senators first-ever head coach, coached Ottawa in between 1992 and 1995, finished his tenure with the Senators with a 39-178-18 record, although expectations weren’t as great back then considering that expansion franchises didn’t get the same advantages that the Vegas Golden Knights have received and soon-to-be Seattle franchise will receive. Bowness has been the head coach of several struggling franchises over the years, including coaching the original Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes, with an overall coaching record of 123-289-48 record. His last coaching gig was a 20-game stint with the Coyotes back in 2004 as the team’s interim coach after the team fired Bob Francis.
However, while his head coaching record may not be stellar, Bowness has made a name for himself as a top assistant coach, who helped the Vancouver Canucks in their glory years from 2006 to 2013, including one trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. He then moved over to work with Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the next five years before joining the Jim Montgomery and the Dallas Stars last summer, helping the Stars reach the second-round of the playoffs this year.
Bowness, 64, will be the sixth coach interviewed as the Senators have already interviewed Marc Crawford, Troy Mann, Jacques Martin, D.J. Smith and Nate Leaman. McKenzie added that there is no hurry for Ottawa to hire a head coach as he could see the team waiting until the end of the month before hiring a coach.