Rick Dudley Will Not Join The Sabres
- Veteran executive Rick Dudley is looking for a new team after parting ways with Carolina at the beginning of the month and while the logical fit seemed like the Sabres, John Wawrow of the Associated Press reports (Twitter link) that the 71-year-old will not be joining Buffalo. Dudley has been the Senior VP of Hockey Operations with his last two teams in Carolina and Montreal and should have little trouble finding a new organization over the coming months.
Poll: Who Is Most Deserving Of The No. 1 Pick?
We asked and you voted and the Pittsburgh Penguins are the team that readers least want to see win the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by means of a second draft lottery. The Penguins were closely followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers and unsurprisingly these are three teams loaded with star power who finished in the top-five among teams in the qualifying round. Yet, the Carolina Hurricanes, who hold the second best record among qualifying round teams, gained just 1% of the vote, while the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, the worst teams to qualify from each conference, finished fourth and fifth respectively in voting. This begs the question: who do you think is most deserving of the top pick?
Obviously, with the NHL Draft Lottery playing out as it did with each of the league’s bottom seven teams missing out on the top slot, the most deserving teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, or Buffalo Sabres won’t be an option for No. 1 this year. Instead, it will be one of the to-be-determined playoff teams out of the 16 who will play in a “knockout round” to open the expanded 24-team playoff field. All of these teams finished above .500 this season, so a good team will only get better in the form of Alexis Lafreniere, the elite talent at the top of the draft board. All eight losers of the qualifying round will have even odds in a second running of the lottery, but which franchise is most deserving of this boost?
The NHL has no shortage of teams with a history of losing, but the Florida Panthers have a strong argument for the title of unluckiest. Florida, who entered the league in 1993, has just 18 playoff wins in franchise history. A dozen of those wins came in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996, in which they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche. The remaining six wins have come in just four playoff series over the past 22 season, none of which have been won by the Cats. This series win drought is the longest current streak in the NHL. The team has also struggled with attendance over the years, due both to location and performance. The Panthers finished just 29th in capacity attendance this season and could use a young star player to draw more fans. The current Florida roster is not without talent but is strapped for cap space and set to lose some strong players in free agency. An affordable entry level deal for a top pick would go a long way to keep the Panthers competitive in the Atlantic Division.
The Winnipeg Jets have improved since moving from Atlanta, but the team’s legacy is still one of failure. The Thrashers franchise, which has since become the second iteration of the Jets, entered the league in 1999. In 19 seasons, the club has qualified for the playoffs just four times and has won only 11 games and two series. Like the Panthers, the bulk of those wins came in just one postseason as the Jets won nine games in 2017-18. Unlike Florida, they have never appeared in a Stanley Cup Final. The Jets playoff fortunes have increased since leaving Atlanta, where they failed to win a single postseason game in more than a decade. The club may be able to figure out how to get to their first Cup Final without luck, but playing in a remote city with a passionate but small fan base limits the Jets financially and they could definitely use an affordable superstar like Lafreniere, even though the roster already contains a number of strong young players.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have an identical 11-20 playoff record to the Thrashers/Jets and seeing as how they entered the league one year later in 2000, it would seem they have been slightly more successful. Additionally, all of those wins have come within the past six seasons and the team has qualified in each of the past three years. However, the Blue Jackets have the unfortunate distinction of never coming close to a Stanley Cup in a way that no other NHL team can claim. Columbus has won just one playoff series – just last year in fact – in their existence, the fewest in NHL history, and in that season was eliminated ten wins short of a title, the furthest distance that any team can claim is their best. Columbus also lost three of their best players from the team that finally won a series last season. The Blue Jackets may be improving, but their fans have seen less playoff success than any team in the NHL and their roster is not one that seem likely to produce a Stanley Cup any time soon. Lafreniere would be a boost to the franchise the likes of which have never been seen.
The Blue Jackets’ partners in the 2000 Expansion class, the Minnesota Wild presented a return to the State of Hockey for the NHL and have always had the benefit of immense fan support. Yet, the Wild have struggled to give their fans much to truly root for. While their 26 playoff wins since they entered the league is far better than some of their peers, Minnesota has never made it to the Stanley Cup Final and were swept out of their lone Western Conference Final appearance, which came back in 2002-03. Minnesota has largely been a one-and-done team, winning just four playoff series in their existence. Regular season success can only get you so far and it would be good for the team and the league for Minnesota to see some more results in the postseason. The timing could not be better to land Lafreniere either; the Wild snapped a six-season playoff appearance streak last year and their roster is one of the oldest in the league. The team could desperately use a young centerpiece.
The original Winnipeg Jets, who moved to Phoenix and became the Arizona Coyotes in 1996, also deserve inclusion among teams who could use some luck. The Coyotes franchise is the oldest to have never appeared in a Stanley Cup Final, dating back to the Jets’ birth in 1979-80. In that time, they have just 41 playoff wins overall have qualified for the postseason just three times in the past 16 years. They have one of the longest active postseason droughts in the NHL, dating back seven years. The team also has the very unfortunate distinction of having the highest cap payroll in the league this season while placing just 28th in capacity percentage attendance. While star players have been a part of the franchise from time to time throughout its history, the current roster is lacking a young superstar, which is exactly what they need to increase fan interest as well as affordably improve their roster. Lafreniere would be the perfect fit.
As for other teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the longest active Stanley Cup drought at 51 years and are second only two Florida with a playoff series win drought of 14 years, so while they have a young, loaded roster, they may still deserve some sympathy. Similarly, while the Montreal Canadiens are the winningest team in NHL history and don’t need any more titles just yet, they are technically the worst team in the qualifying round and could desperately use the boost, as maintaining relevancy in the 21st century has proved difficult for the once-great franchise. The Vancouver Canucks are the oldest team never to have won the Stanley Cup and got painfully close with a Game Seven loss in the 2011 Final and have not won a series ever since. The Nashville Predators have also never won the Stanley Cup, but have gotten close. Like several other teams, sustained success in Nashville would have a beneficial affect on grassroots hockey. Finally, the New York Islanders are a strong team this year and have staying power in the Metropolitan Division, but their glory days of the 80’s are long gone and they have not made a Cup Final appearance in 35 seasons. Lafreniere landing in the New York market could also be great exposure for the game.
What do you think? Which team is most deserving of the No. 1 pick?
Who Is Most Deserving Of The No. 1 Pick?
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Other (CAL, CAR, CHI, EDM, NYR, PIT) 16% (402)
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Montreal Canadiens 15% (367)
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Winnipeg Jets 14% (352)
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Minnesota Wild 13% (320)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 9% (237)
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Arizona Coyotes 8% (206)
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Vancouver Canucks 8% (188)
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New York Islanders 6% (151)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 5% (136)
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Florida Panthers 4% (100)
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Nashville Predators 2% (39)
Total votes: 2,498
Buffalo's Unwillingness To Offer Lawrence Pilut A One-Way Deal Helped Push Him Overseas
- Lawrence Pilut surprised many when he opted to sign a two-year deal in the KHL over re-signing with the Sabres. It turns out the main issue wasn’t his role with the team but rather the money as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that the team wasn’t willing to offer him a one-way contract until after the deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk was agreed upon. Pilut only played 13 games with Buffalo this season after suiting up 33 times with the big club during his rookie campaign which is likely why their preference was to give him another two-way pact. Buffalo will retain his NHL rights by tendering him a qualifying offer this offseason.
East Notes: Sabres Draft Pick, Kreider, Haley, Devils
The Buffalo Sabres have been drafting in the lottery for their ninth straight season, having been held out of the playoffs for that entire stretch of time. Fan frustration has been at an all-time high and new massive firings throughout the organizations hasn’t helped much. However, the team does have a number of options with the No. 8 overall pick in a deep upcoming draft.
The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington feels that there is only one option to get the Sabres over the hump and back into the playoffs — trade the pick.
The scribe makes it clear that developing prospects takes time, often two years for a solid prospect, which is what they would be getting. Even then, you aren’t expected to get that much out of that player’s third year anyway. With that type of timetable and frustration of the team’s lack of success increasing, trading the pick for a ready-now talent would make quite a bit of sense. With the expected belief that the top 10 or 11 picks are expected to be top-level players at some point, the pick would be quite valuable to teams looking to rebuild. After all, who knows how long Jack Eichel will want to continue the team’s losing ways.
- The New York Rangers are expected to get back two forwards to their team for the upcoming 24-team tournament as Newsday’s Colin Stephenson writes that forwards Chris Kreider and Micheal Haley are both healthy and ready to return to action next month. Kreider broke his foot on Feb. 28, not long after signing a new seven-year, $45.5MM contract. He has been skating in small groups for the last few weeks at their training facility in Greenburgh. Haley, who had surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle, is also expected to join the team for the tournament. He has been out since early February.
- There has been plenty of chatter around the coaching situation in New Jersey and while the Devils should be in no rush to hire a new head coach with the start of the 2020-21 season potentially not starting for six months, The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) writes in his most recent mailbag that he wouldn’t be surprised if New Jersey hires a coach sooner than later. One reason for that is there are many voices suggesting that the seven non-playoff teams might get a chance to potentially play in a mini-tournament before the start of the 2020-21 season, and New Jersey would want their coach in place before any potential team gathering.
Draft Notes: Ottawa, Buffalo, New Jersey, Backup Plan
Last night’s NHL Draft Lottery did little for most of the seven teams that did not qualify for the postseason. A to-be-determined playoff team won the No. 1 pick, the Los Angeles Kings were the lone true beneficiary among the seven, moving up to No. 2, and the Ottawa Senators hold the No. 3 pick. This may seem like a win for Ottawa, but the team actually held the second and third picks prior to the lottery, giving them the best odds to win the first overall pick and a chance at having two top-three picks. Instead, they ended up with No. 3 and No. 5. The Senators will be just the fifth team in NHL history to hold two top-five picks, but it is still seen as a poor result by many fans. However, for those wondering if the team would react to their lottery results by moving one of their two picks, that is not in the plans. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch relays from Sens GM Pierre Dorion that he may listen to offers for the selections but is “99.9% sure” that he will keep the picks. Ottawa may not be able to land prize prospect Alexis Lafreniere, nor can they select both Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle, the two forwards competing to go No. 2, but they are guaranteed one of those two and will still land another elite player in a deep draft class.
- The Buffalo Sabres had the least lottery odds of the seven non-playoff teams and ended up sliding from No. 7 to No. 8 with a playoff team winning the first overall pick. In a deep draft class, the Sabres will still get a great player with the eighth pick and The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski details their potential options. The one that sticks out most is OHL star center Marco Rossi, who has an interesting tie to the team. While Buffalo recently moved on from a large number of their hockey operations staff and their minor league coaches, among others, head coach Ralph Kreuger is still at the helm and will likely have a say in draft decisions given that the hockey operations staff will largely be made up of new names by the time draft day occurs. If Kreuger does get to weigh in, Rossi could be his preferred target if available. Kreuger coached the Swiss national team for more than a decade until 2010, but Lysowski notes that he still maintains contact with the programs from which Rossi came. Additionally, Kreuger coached Rossi’s father, Michael Rossi, in Austria in the early 90’s. The slick, play-making forward may not make it to Buffalo at No. 8, but if he does he would very likely be the pick.
- The New Jersey Devils landed pick No. 7 last night, but also own the first-round picks of the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks. Conditions limit either of those picks from belonging to New Jersey if they were to become No. 1 overall, so they will both be later on in the first round. As a result, they could become expendable if the right deal was on the table. Interim GM Tom Fitzgerald stated on a conference call following the lottery that he would consider trading one of the picks if the opportunity arose. New Jersey is already considered a wild card in this draft given their depth in talented forwards and a draft class defined by depth in this area, so the team might be targeting top defenseman Jamie Drysdale or top goalie Yaroslav Askarov at No. 7 and then one first-round forward might be enough if they can improve the NHL roster by moving the other pick.
- What happens to the Phase 2 Draft Lottery if the league does not resume play? TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that it would be the same as if all of the lower seeds in the knockout round were to lose. The even-odds (12.5% apiece) lottery would still place among the teams that finished 8-15 in inverse points percentage this season: Montreal, Chicago, Arizona, Minnesota, Winnipeg, New York Rangers, Florida, and Columbus.
Snapshots: Hub Decision, Climate Pledge Arena, Sabres Front Office Changes
It’s an exciting day in the hockey world for a couple of reasons. The NHL draft lottery will be held tonight, where we’ll find out which franchise will win the right to draft Alexis Lafreniere. We also expect the final announcement about hub cities to come today. The latest paints a close race between Edmonton and Toronto for the Canadian location. Toronto appears to have the edge, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. The final call could drop any minute now. In the meantime, let’s see what else is going on around the hockeysphere…
- There’s still no word on what the Seattle hockey franchise will use for a mascot, but Amazon secured the naming rights to the arena. The heretofore unnamed new home of Seattle hockey will be known as Climate Pledge Arena, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Amazon’s bold new initiative aims to make Climate Pledge “the first arena in the world to earn net zero carbon certification by the International Living Future Institute.” In part inspired by Billie Eilish’s efforts to rid arenas on her tour of plastic waste, the arena will break new ground in eco-efforts for sporting arena. The green initiative includes programs that will source food locally, use 100% electric power, and make the ice from rainwater captured from the roof. The rainwater will be stored in an underground tank, and there may even be ways for the community to get involved. The 18,100 seat arena will also serve as the home arena for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.
- The Buffalo Sabres continued the reshaping of their front office. About half of the scouting department was let go last week, but one of the remaining scouts, Jeremiah Crowe, was promoted yesterday to Director of Pro Scouting, per NHL.com’s Chris Ryndak. Crowe has been a scout for the Sabres for the past three years. Director of Analytics Jason Nightingale has also taken on the responsibilities of the Assistant Director of Scouting.
Jaden Schwartz Could Be A Good Comparable For Sam Reinhart
One of the big items on new Sabres GM Kevyn Adams’ list this offseason will be Sam Reinhart’s case. The pending restricted free agent has wrapped up his bridge contract and in doing so, he showed that his 50-point campaign in 2017-18 was no fluke. Now just two years away from UFA eligibility, a long-term contract is going to be what both sides are likely looking for.
With that in mind, NHL.com’s Dan Rosen took a stab at trying to figure out what a good comparable would be. He suggested Blues winger Jaden Schwartz, whose cap percentage at the time the deal was signed would translate to a roughly $6MM price tag today and next season with the Upper Limit expected to remain around the $81.5MM mark. Buffalo has a plethora of players to sign still for next year but as a fixture in their top six, the Sabres shouldn’t have many qualms about signing Reinhart to a contract around that price tag.
Jason Botterill's Departure Could Make Brandon Montour Available
- Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour could be a casualty of Buffalo’s recent front office changes, suggests Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. He was brought in by now-former GM Jason Botterill but he didn’t seem to mesh with head coach Ralph Krueger who only played him 19:30 per night this year, his lowest full-season ATOI of his career. The pending restricted free agent struggled this season offensively as well with just 18 points in 54 games and with the person who acquired him now gone, it’s certainly reasonable to think that he’ll be a trade candidate this offseason.
Chris Thorburn Officially Retires From NHL
It’s been more than two years since Chris Thorburn played meaningful minutes in an NHL game, but the veteran forward is officially hanging up his skates, per Sean O’Leary of The Score. The NHLPA sent along their congratulations to Thorburn via Twitter.
Thorburn, 37, got to go out in style, winning the Stanley Cup in his second year with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford chronicled Thorburn’s final season when he spent most of the year mentoring younger players for the Blues’ AHL affiliate. The longtime enforcer appeared in 50 games for the Blues in 2017-2018 for 7:02 ATOI as a 34-year-old, finishing the year with seven points.
The veteran winger was never an All-Star, topping out usage-wise with 13:48 ATOI during the Thrashers final season in Atlanta (2010-2011). He nonetheless carved out a role as a professional skater for 14 seasons. After Buffalo made him the 50th overall selection of the 2001 entry draft, Thorburn suited up for the Sabres, Penguins, Thrashers/Jets, and Blues, totalling 53 goals and 134 points.
Chris Taylor Had A Verbal Extension Agreed On Before Firing
Canucks winger Micheal Ferland has resumed skating as he continues to work his way back from concussion issues, reports Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered a concussion back on October 30th where he missed a little more than a month. He tried to come back in December but was shut down in his second game. He made a second comeback attempt in February but was pulled from his first game on a conditioning assignment as the symptoms came back once again.
At that time, he was ruled out for the season but with play not resuming until into the summer, there’s now a possibility that Ferland could return while having the benefit of a full training camp to show that he has indeed recovered. If healthy, he can make a difference in the bottom six for the Canucks, bringing them a physical presence with some offensive upside after recording at least 40 points in each of the previous two seasons.
Elsewhere around the league:
- People with diabetes are at a higher risk if they contract COVID-19 and accordingly, some have wondered if NHL players in that situation would opt out of playing. However, com’s Dan Rosen relays that Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko is expected to play in their play-in round series against Carolina while Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports the same for Wild winger Luke Kunin who is expected to suit up against Vancouver.
- Now-fired AHL Rochester head coach Chris Taylor actually had a two-year extension verbally agreed to before getting let go among Buffalo’s big shakeup earlier this week, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest 31 Thoughts column. Ownership opted to hold up the deal which had been negotiated with ex-GM Jason Botterill and will now not honor it. The rationale for Taylor’s departure (which included his assistant coaches) was attributed to how the team wants to run the Amerks. In recent years, they’ve relied on veterans but it appears that they will shift towards a younger team with a higher emphasis on prospect development.