Coaching Notes: Peters, Quinn, Stars
As soon as former Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters resigned from his position with Carolina this morning, hockey pundits around the continent proclaimed him the leading candidate for the open Calgary Flames job. While no one has yet made any sort of concrete connection between Peters and the Flames, there is nearly universal agreement that he is the top option. The Athletic’s Rick Carpinello has taken it one step further. The New York Rangers beat writer states that Peters was never an option for the Rangers, as his deal with Calgary is “done”. It seems a deal could be imminent between the two sides. While on it’s face, Peters’ hire in Calgary could be a good fit, as he is a widely-respected coach who has always carried high expectations, the parallels between the underachieving Flames and underachieving Hurricanes is cause for some alarm.
- If Peters won’t be the next head coach in New York, who will be? For a while, the top candidate has seemed to be Boston University head coach David Quinn. Quinn’s Terriers have been have made the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, most recently winning the Hockey East Tournament this season to sneak in and make it to the Northeast Regional final. During this time, Quinn has coached more top NHL prospects than any other bench boss in college hockey. The rebuilding Rangers could greatly use Quinn’s talent for working with young players. USA Hockey has recognized that ability as well, today naming Quinn the head coach of the 2019 U.S. World Junior team. Some Rangers fans have worried that this appointment could remove Quinn from the running for New York’s new head coach, but the New York Post’s Larry Brooks says not so fast. Per Brooks, Quinn’s role as Team USA coach won’t hurt what Brooks calls his “strong candidacy”. In fact, Brooks calls Quinn the exact “developmental coach” that owner James Dolan is seeking and ensures that everything would work out if Quinn was offered the job.
- While Carolina, Calgary, and New York make waves in the coaching pool, the vacancy in Dallas has received little attention. That hasn’t surprised SportsDay’s Mike Heika, who says that GM Jim Nill will be patient with his decision on Ken Hitchcock‘s replacement. Heika states that Nill has a long list of candidates, including many former Stars coaches. That could be a benefit for Dallas, an organization with ties to Glen Gulutzan, Dave Tippett, and Willie Desjardins, or could be a hindrance if the team doesn’t want to recycle a former coach again as they did with Hitchcock. Alternatives include hiring displaced Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, offering a promotion to several AHL head coaches, or even poaching Craig Berube from the division rival St. Louis Blues, according to Heika. Nill will take his time in sorting out the candidates, only setting a deadline of the NHL Draft in late June for the hire.
Stars Expected To Start Head Coach Interviews Next Month
The Stars don’t appear to be in a hurry to find a replacement for Ken Hitchcock behind the bench. GM Jim Nill told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that he plans to pare down his list of candidates in the coming weeks and then begin interviewing his short list in May. That would appear to take them out of the running for Carolina bench boss Bill Peters, whose opt-out in his contract expires on Friday.
Nill acknowledged that he won’t necessarily be looking for a veteran behind the bench which would be a change of direction from his recent hires (Hitchcock and Lindy Ruff). He’s open to bringing in someone without any NHL experience although he was quick to admit that some of the people he’d like to speak with are still in their respective postseasons. It sounds like the Stars are casting a wide net to find their new bench boss but that means it may be a while before they find the right fit.
Poll: What Should The Stars Do With Jason Spezza?
To say that the 2017-18 season didn’t go well for the Dallas Stars would be an understatement. Buoyed by a deep attack and the addition of Ben Bishop between the pipes, they were a trendy pick to have a long postseason run but instead, they’re on the outside looking in at the playoffs and on the market for a new head coach for the second straight year.
Leading the list of underachievers was center Jason Spezza. He was expected to lead their second line, even with the addition of Martin Hanzal (who spent more than half the season on injured reserve due to a litany of injuries). They had even tinkered with the idea of having him spend some time on the wing to ensure he’d still see lots of ice time in scoring situations.
Suffice it to say, none of that turned out as planned. He posted just 26 points (8-18-26) in 78 games; his 0.33 points per game average was by far the lowest of his career. Accordingly, his ice time also plummeted by more than three minutes per game to just 13:00. The only time he averaged less than that was his rookie campaign back in 2002-03. In other words, not a whole lot went well for him.
Spezza will be entering the final year of his contract next season but he carries a hefty price tag at $7.5MM in both cap hit and salary. They certainly didn’t receive good value on that deal this year and as a result, he is an early speculative candidate for a buyout in June. Doing so would cost them $2.5MM against the salary cap for the next two years.
If that was to happen, Dallas would free up an additional $5MM in cap space to work with this offseason and with the team having over $57MM committed to just 13 players for next year per CapFriendly (a total that includes Spezza), they could certainly use the extra flexibility. However, that extra $2.5MM on the books for 2019-20 may make things a bit trickier as they try to get a new deal in place for top center Tyler Seguin who is eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2018-19 campaign.
Of course, this isn’t the only option for the Stars. They could opt to keep Spezza in the fold and hope that 2017-18 was an outlier and with a new coach behind the bench, maybe he reverts to his form from recent seasons. Regardless of how much he struggled, his body of work over 15 years in the NHL suggests that he is certainly capable of playing better next season.
Alternatively, they could look to trade Spezza and retain on the contract. They would be able to hold back up to 50% ($3.75MM) and while that would lessen their potential savings next year on a buyout, there wouldn’t be any carryover to 2019-20 either. If Dallas looks to go that route, it’s worth noting that Spezza has a ten-team no-trade list.
Which route is the best for the Stars to take when it comes to Spezza? Should they keep him and let him play out his deal, try to trade him with some retention on his contract, or buy him out in the summer? Have your say by voting in the poll below.
What Should The Stars Do With Jason Spezza?
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Trade him with retention on his contract 38% (222)
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Keep him and hope he rebounds next season 32% (188)
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Buy him out 30% (172)
Total votes: 582
Mobile users, click here to vote.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AHL Calder Cup Playoff Matchups
Yesterday, the AHL season came to a close and 16 teams advanced to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Though it’s not exactly like a Stanley Cup pursuit, the AHL playoffs are a battleground created specifically to test the mettle of young players, while providing a chance for glory to veterans who may not get another opportunity in the NHL.
Below are the eight matchups, with some interesting storylines to watch in each one:
All times CST
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) vs Providence Bruins (Boston)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 3 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
While the Flyers and Bruins do battle in their respective NHL playoff series, their AHL affiliates will take each other on in the first round. Phil Varone, fresh off winning league MVP, will try to lead the Phantoms all the way to the Calder Cup finals. He’ll have to go through the previous MVP to do it, as Kenny Agostino heads a diverse Bruins attack.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 5:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 2:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Daniel Sprong was the top scorer for the WBS Penguins this season, recording 65 points in 65 games. That kind of production is excellent from anyone, but Sprong is in just his first full season of professional hockey and looks poised to make the jump to the NHL before long. Charlotte has their own talented offensive piece though in Lucas Wallmark, who had 55 points in just 45 AHL contests between NHL call-ups.
Toronto Marlies (Toronto) vs Utica Comets (Vancouver)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Toronto had the best goaltending in the league en route to a historically dominant season, but if there was a team that could match them in net it would be Utica. Thatcher Demko put up a .922 save percentage as the absolute MVP of a relatively average Comets team, and could end up stealing a series if the Marlies aren’t careful.
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Though the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have much fun this season, but their affiliate is headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years. If the Sabres want to build a different culture for their organization and expose their young players to the idea of winning, having Rochester go deep in the playoffs is the first start. They’ll have to topple one of the league’s best teams to do it, as Syracuse is still loaded with future NHL talent.
Chicago Wolves (Vegas) vs Rockford IceHogs (Chicago)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 4 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
You could call this this All-Chicago series, as Blackhawks prospects will take on the Wolves in a series that spans only about 75 miles. Though technically the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Wolves still house several players from the St. Louis Blues including Beau Bennett, who put up 57 points in 60 games this year.
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) vs Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 4 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
If you think the Winnipeg Jets are good, just wait until the next wave of talent comes up from Manitoba. Sami Niku was named the league’s top defenseman, while Mason Appleton earned Rookie of the Year honors. Both will be on full display when they take on the reigning Calder Cup Champion Griffins.
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona) vs San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Like the Americans, the Roadrunners will try to make up for their NHL parent team’s failures this season. The Coyotes minor league team got a huge boost when Dylan Strome was returned, perhaps for the last time in his professional career. Strome is expected to make the jump to the NHL next season, and could put a stamp on what has been a solid year with a long playoff run.
Texas Stars (Dallas) vs Ontario Reign (Los Angeles)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 2 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 3 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 2:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 4 – Tue. Apr 24, 2018 – 6:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
If the Los Angeles Kings bow out quickly enough we could see the Reign get a boost for their playoff chances, as Michael Amadio, Paul Ladue, Jonny Brodzinski and Oscar Fantenberg are all eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Kings could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow night, meaning the Reign could welcome back several key names for Game 1.
Dallas Stars Have Many Options To Replace Head Coach
It’s only been 24 hours since Dallas head coach Ken Hitchcock announced his retirement, but what coach might replace him has been a popular topic as multiple names have come up. While the job may not have the flashiness of the New York Rangers opening, the new head coach of the Dallas Stars will get an opportunity to work with top forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn as well as the talent of top defenseman John Klingberg and goaltender Ben Bishop. In fact, one could make the case the Stars might be the best team not to make the playoffs (outside of the New York Islanders).
While the Stars only got a one year out of Hitchcock, SportsDay’s Mike Heika writes general manager Jim Nill believes he laid the groundwork for the team’s younger players to learn how to win in the NHL.
“I think Ken Hitchcock did some great things, and I don’t want that to go unknown,” Nill said. “There was a lot of growth here. I think what Ken Hitchcock has done in one year, the wealth of knowledge, how to play the game the right way … for our young kids to understand what it takes to win, I think that’s a big influence of Ken Hitchcock, and I think our next staff coming in is going to be rewarded because of the groundwork he did.”
Heika is quick to point out that a top candidate to replace the 66-year-old coach could be former New York Rangers’ coach Alain Vigneault. The 57-year-old coach, who was let go last week after a disappointing season in New York was a top candidate for the Stars’ job in 2013 when they hired Lindy Ruff. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan (in a three-person panel along with Greg Wyshynski and Chris Peters) suggests the Stars may not want to pay Vigneault’s high price tag.
However, one thing that stands out by comments made by Nill that he wants to “let the younger generation of coaches take over,” suggesting the team might look to avoid going after a veteran coach after going in that direction for their last two coaches. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that Nill’s comments Friday suggest the team will be looking for a coach that emphasizes speed.
“We’ll go through that,” Nill said. “Are they a good fit for our team? Do they play fast? What’s their style? That’s always the interesting part. A lot of times you think you know them but you don’t (until the interview).”
Wyshynski believes that AHL Toronto Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe might be an appropriate candidate, although the Rangers are supposedly already targeting the up-and-coming coach, while Kaplan suggests that AHL Manitoba Moose’s Pascal Vincent, the AHL Coach of the Year, might also be a good candidate. Peters also suggests the team make a splash for University of Denver’s coach Jim Montgomery as a perfect coach that can create a firm identity and culture, which the franchise has lacked recently. Shapiro suggests that AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins coach Todd Nelson might be a good candidate as he has a history with Nill in Grand Rapids.
Other mentioned candidates include Jack Capuano, Dave Cameron, Dave Tippett, Geoff Ward, Tim Hunter, Benoit Groulx, Swedish National Team coach Rickard Gronberg. Heika even throws the name of the Carolina Hurricane’s head coach Bill Peters as a dark-horse candidate, whose status remains up in the air. Internal options such as Curt Fraser and Stu Barnes as well as Texas Stars’ AHL coach Derek Laxdal.
Ken Hitchcock Announces Retirement From Coaching
Dallas Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock has announced his retirement from coaching. As Elliotte Friedman explained in his most recent 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Hitchcock had signed just a one-year deal in Dallas with the intention to move into a consulting role. Still, some believed that he wouldn’t really give up the bench, especially after the disappointment of this season. In a letter announcing it, Hitchcock says thank you to everyone who has been a part of his career:
The game of hockey has been my entire life and I could never repay what the game did for me and all the wonderful people I got to meet in my career. I would like to thank everyone for their friendship and support over the years. I have contemplated this since our last game and I came to the conclusion that now is the right time to step away and let the younger generation of coaches take over.
Hitchcock will go down as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the NHL, ranking fourth all-time in games coached and third in wins. He won a Stanley Cup with the Stars during his first tenure in 1999, only to take them back to the Finals a year later. This season though wasn’t exactly a sunset to ride out on.
The Stars loaded up in the offseason, bringing in players like Alexander Radulov and Ben Bishop, only to struggle for large chunks of the season and eventually miss the playoffs entirely. Though several players took steps forward in their development under Hitchcock, the Stars couldn’t find much consistency and would lose 12 of their final 17 games to fall out of the running.
Now a search begins for the Stars, who will need to find a new coach in time for the 2018-19 season. Since this was not a quick decision, the team has likely at least somewhat planned for their future and has a list of candidates in mind. The team does have quite a bit of experience among their assistants, including Curt Fraser who has head coaching experience with the Atlanta Thrashers, Stu Barnes with long ties to the Dallas organization as both a player and assistant, and Rick Wilson who replaced Hitchcock as interim coach of the Stars in the 2001-02 season.
Minor League Notes: Niku, Elie, Oilers
Sami Niku‘s season is just getting better, as today the AHL announced that he has been named the league’s top defenseman for the 2017-18 season. Niku had already been named to the All-Rookie and First All-Star Team, after recording 53 points in 73 games. His first year of professional hockey in North America couldn’t have gone any better—unless of course the Manitoba Moose win the Calder Cup—as he even scored his first NHL goal in the one game he played for the Winnipeg Jets.
Niku was selected in the seventh round three years ago, and is now the youngest player to ever take home top defenseman honors in the AHL. After playing well at every level so far, you can pencil him into a roster spot with the Jets in the coming years. That’s another hit for their draft and development systems, that have started to churn out NHL talent at a ridiculous rate.
- Remi Elie has been sent back to the AHL for the Texas Stars playoff run, after a successful rookie campaign with the Dallas Stars. Elie recorded 14 points in 72 games, and will now get a chance to show off in the minor leagues. Never an elite scoring talent, Elie will nevertheless be an offensive weapon for Texas, who are currently staring at a first round series with the Tucson Roadrunners. The second-round pick from 2013 won’t be waiver exempt again next season, meaning this might be his last chance to really contribute in the minor leagues for the Dallas organization.
- Similarly, the Edmonton Oilers have sent both Ethan Bear and Keegan Lowe back to the AHL to help the Bakersfield Condors in their last few matchups. Bear got into 18 games with the Oilers down the stretch, and could be a potential option for the team next season when they are looking for puck-moving right-handed defensmen. For now, both will focus on improving their play in the last few games of the AHL season and putting in an offseason of training.
Early Notes: Hanzal, Grundstrom, Larsson
Martin Hanzal was part of a big Dallas Stars offseason that was supposed to vault them back to the playoffs. Along with Alexander Radulov, Marc Methot and Ben Bishop, the team had strengthened their core and were ready to take on the Western Conference. Unfortunately that didn’t happen with the team missing the playoffs entirely, and some may point to Hanzal’s struggles as a big reason why. The 31-year old center played 38 games and recorded just 10 points, dealing with injury basically the entire season.
In Sean Shapiro’s new piece for The Athletic (subscription required) he goes deep into how a serious back injury affected Hanzal’s play, and how he’s hoping to be ready for the start of the 2018-19 season. The surgery came with a six to nine month recovery timeline, that puts him on track from anywhere between training camp and a good chunk of the way into the season. As Shapiro puts it, Hanzal is “cautiously optimistic” about a return to form, something that would be a huge boost since the Stars still owe him $9MM over the next two seasons.
- Carl Grundstrom is on his way back to the Toronto Marlies for another playoff run, as the young Swedish forward was re-assigned from Frolunda today by the Maple Leafs. Grundstrom, a second-round pick in 2016, played six games for the Marlies last spring before heading back to Sweden for one more year. The 20-year old is expected to come to North America full-time in 2018-19, where he could even challenge for a place on the Maple Leafs in training camp. Grundstrom once again showed off his ability to score goals this year, notching 17 in 35 games for his club team.
- Another Swede, Johan Larsson, isn’t as excited about his future in North America. The Buffalo Sabres forward spoke to Swedish reporter Sven Gustafsson and explained that he is tired of the situation, and will wait to see what the team has in store for him. Larsson is under contract for another season, but with personnel changes expected in Buffalo after another season at the bottom of the standings, his future for the team is far from secure. Larsson hasn’t turned into the two-way, middle-six center many had hoped he would become, scoring just four goals and 17 points this season.
2018 NHL Draft Lottery Odds
The regular season is over and for the first time in NHL history there are 15 teams on the outside of the playoff picture. For those squads and their fans, it’s a long wait for anything positive to come, with the 2018 NHL Entry Draft more than ten weeks away, scheduled for June 18th, and the start of free agency another two weeks after that. However, the odds for this year’s NHL Draft Lottery are now set and teams can at least look forward to the ping pong balls being drawn at the end of the month, on Saturday, April 28th. With the teams in the running now set, here are the odds for the #1 overall pick in this years draft:
31st – Buffalo Sabres: 18.5%
30th – Ottawa Senators: 13.5%
29th – Arizona Coyotes: 11.5%
28th – Montreal Canadiens: 9.5%
27th – Detroit Red Wings: 8.5%
26th – Vancouver Canucks: 7.5%
25th – Chicago Blackhawks: 6.5%
24th – New York Rangers: 6.0%
23rd – Edmonton Oilers: 5.0%
22nd – New York Islanders: 3.5%
21st – Carolina Hurricanes: 3.0%
20th – New York Islanders (from Calgary Flames): 2.5%
19th – Dallas Stars: 2.0%
18th – Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis Blues (top-ten option)): 1.5%
17th – Florida Panthers: 1.0%
If you are a fan of one of these teams, you can entertain yourself for the next few weeks with this Lottery Simulator from Tankathon.com.
Dallas Stars Sign Tony Calderone To Entry-Level Contract
Monday: The team has officially announced the signing, confirming that it will be a two-year contract that starts in 2018-19. Calderone will join the Texas Stars on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the season.
Sunday: Mere hours after the Edmonton Oilers signed University of Michigan forward Cooper Marody to his entry-level deal, a Wolverines teammate has joined him in inking his own first pro deal. The Dallas Stars have signed forward Tony Calderone to an ELC, Calderone revealed on Instagram. The Stars have yet to confirm the deal and no term or financial details have been disclosed, but judging by Calderone’s photo, it’s safe to say the deal is done.
Calderone, 23, was a four-year starter in Ann Arbor for the Michigan Wolverines, but really took off in his senior season. Skating on the top line with Marody and Dexter Dancs – a line that shut down Northeastern’s “best line in college hockey” featuring Hobey Baker finalists Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura in the Northeast Regional – Calderone recorded 45 points in 40 games this season. Calderone was second on the Wolverines in points, behind only Marody, and his 25 goals paced the team by a wide margin.
The Michigan captain meets an immediate need to the Stars organization. Dallas is sorely lacking in right shot forwards, both at AHL level and in the pipeline. Barring the results of the draft, Calderone could very easily be the Stars’ top right wing prospect heading into next season. The well-rounded forward brings a smart, capable game and may even push for a spot in Dallas early on in his first pro campaign.