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Chicago Blackhawks Fire Joel Quenneville

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In a shocking turn of events, the Chicago Blackhawks have fired head coach Joel Quenneville just a month into the season. Quenneville had been the bench boss in Chicago since October 16th, 2008, and had won more than 500 games with the club including three Stanley Cups. The team has also fired assistant coaches Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson. Jeremy Colliton, who had been coaching with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, has been promoted to NHL head coach alongside Barry Smith who will make the jump to NHL assistant.

Quenneville, 60, is one of a handful of coaches who could be considered the greatest—or at least most successful—in the history of the NHL. His 890 regular season wins trail only the legendary Scotty Bowman, while his .609 winning percentage is third among coaches with over 1,000 games behind the bench. Even his three championships, won in 2010, 2013 and 2015 are the benchmark for coaches in the salary cap era. Since becoming a head coach during the 1996-97 season, his teams have reached the playoffs 18 times, missing just twice including last season.

The struggles of the Blackhawks in recent years to return to the Stanley Cup Finals has forced several issues between Quenneville and the front office into the spotlight, including the firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen in late April of 2017. After being swept out of the first round of the playoffs, GM Stan Bowman surprised Quenneville by firing Kitchen suddenly. The two had worked together for years, and Quenneville was “upset” at the decision. Even before that, Bowman and Quenneville had clashed about the appearance of Smith, then director of player personnel, at team practices. Smith has now been chosen to fill in on the bench with Colliton as an assistant.

The outgoing Quenneville still has another season on his current contract that will pay him $6MM, but shouldn’t be out of work long if the Blackhawks allow him to pursue other opportunities. Teams that have been internally assessing their own coaching staffs have even more reason to make a move now, and would likely only have to pay out a portion of the remaining deal. Chicago could technically block him from working somewhere else, but would save money by allowing another team to pay some of his contract. There are no longer any compensatory draft picks for situations like this.

Colliton, 33, will become the youngest head coach in the league after taking over from Quenneville. Originally selected in the second round by the New York Islanders, Colliton played 57 NHL games before heading over to Sweden to try and continue his career. While dealing with post-concussion symptoms he announced his retirement only to join the Mora IK coaching staff. He coached the IceHogs to a 40-28-8 record last season (his first) in the AHL, and took them all the way to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Still, for all the acclaim Colliton has received as a young coach, he has a lot of work to do. Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, Cam Ward and Chris Kunitz are all older than the incoming coach, and Brent Seabrook is a former teammate of his from the World Junior Championship. While that doesn’t mean he can’t control or command them, it does point to at least one of the reasons why the roster has struggled recently. The Blackhawks are 6-6-3 this season but have lost five straight games, and have a huge amount of their cap tied up in their aging core. Seabrook and Keith, once the faces of a dynamic defensive unit, are both shadows of their former selves and still signed through at least the 2022-23 season. Captain Jonathan Toews has had a nice bounce back season so far, but is now on the wrong side of 30 with another four years at $10.5MM on his deal.

There is talent and youth on the roster, but it will be a tough ask for Colliton—like it was for Quenneville—to turn this group into a playoff team right away. Perhaps more changes are on their way for the Blackhawks, including potential transactions to rid themselves of some of the heftier contracts. The team is headed in a new, fresh direction, and would likely want a more flexible balance sheet to work with going forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith Unlikely To Face Supplemental Discipline

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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith had a short night against the Calgary Flames last night. The veteran logged just 37 second of ice time, as he was ejected from the game on just his second shift, less than three minutes into the first period of the game. Keith was guilty of a boarding call on Flames rookie forward Dillon Dube, when he smashed Dube head-first into the end boards (video). Keith was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct, ending his night before it had really begun.

However, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus hears that no additional discipline is coming for Keith. Seeing as Keith was ejected so early into the game, the misconduct operated more or less like a one-game suspension. Lazerus calls this already a “significant penalty for what was a borderline hit”. Lazerus is not wrong; the hit looks bad, but also isn’t a typical “between the numbers” boarding call. Dube was hit with force, but more from the side and with some sense of where Keith was coming from. A game misconduct is a debatable response to such an incident.

Yet, a couple factors do work against Lazerus’ claims. First, Dube did not return to the game and may have suffered a lasting head injury. Second, the last time Keith was in trouble, the league got it wrong. At the tail end of the 2015-16 season, Keith was suspended for the final five regular season games and first postseason game for the Blackhawks after a violent slash to the face of Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle. Intentional, dangerous, and not unprecedented – Keith had a similar slashing incident with the Los Angeles Kings’ Jeff Carter in the 2013 playoffs – Keith somehow escaped with just six games when Boston Bruins defenseman Marty McSorley received a season-long suspension for his notorious slash back in 2000. The league was simply far too lenient in their response and the suspension was universally panned. This would be a chance to make up for that mistake which, even three years later, is still fresh. At the end of the day, Keith is probably safe, but the NHL Department of Player Safety will certainly take a look and has fair reason to tack on a fine or suspension.

Central Notes: Landeskog, Rinne, Schmaltz

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Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog has made quite a name for himself as he currently is tied for the NHL lead in goals scored with 11. That’s quite a feat for a player, who has averaged 20 goals a season for the past seven seasons, a number he could surpass before Thanksgiving. Regardless, Landeskog says most of his success comes from a combination of playing with the top line of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, as well as his growing skills and confidence on the ice, according to Sean Keeler of the Denver Post.

“It’s just a combination of luck and hard work and confidence, and being in the right place at the right time,” Landeskog said. “I think, right now, I don’t think there’s a reason maybe other than our line’s played really well and has been able to create some scoring chances. Together with those two guys, yeah, I’ve been able to put some in the back of the net.”

While Landeskog’s game could easily drop back to earth at any time, many feel that the 25-year-old, a former second-overall pick back in 2011, may just have finally found his game.

“I think he’s worked on (his shooting), he’s worked on his touch around the net,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s getting into those areas more, and he’s coming up with rebounds and loose pucks. And part of that is his teammates being able to move the puck into those areas on a more consistent basis.”

  • The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that one potential problem that could come with Pekka Rinne’s new two-year extension that he signed earlier today would be that there could be some expansion ramifications for the Nashville Predators. The scribe notes that since Rinne will have the same no-movement clause in his next contract, the Predators could be forced to protect Rinne and have to expose Juuse Saros to the Seattle expansion franchise in a couple of years. However, Rinne could opt to waive the no-movement clause as well and allow himself to be taken by Seattle like Marc-Andre Fleury did in Pittsburgh. Regardless, it’s too early to speculate, especially since the Seattle team hasn’t been formally approved.
  • After being scratched Thursday night, Chicago Blackhawks center Nick Schmaltz feels that he has learned his lesson after picking up just one assist in the last five games, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus. “I don’t think I was playing as good as I can — especially in Vancouver, I didn’t think I had a very good game,” said Schmaltz. “Take it as a learning lesson and move on from it and make sure that I’m playing to stick in the lineup every night.”

Minor Transactions: 10/31/18

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It’s Halloween and the NHL has just a single game on tap, as the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Vancouver Canucks this evening. As teams hand out tricks or treats to their fringe roster players, we’ll be right here to keep track of all the movement.

  • Ville Husso has been returned to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues, after Jake Allen rejoined the team at practice. Allen’s injury is apparently not as serious as originally feared, meaning Husso can go back to starting for the San Antonio Rampage for now. The 23-year old goaltender is still waiting for his first shot at the NHL, but has to clean up his game at the AHL level first.
  • Colby Cave, who was up on emergency conditions for the Boston Bruins, has been returned to the AHL. Cave, who played three games for the Bruins last season, is a hugely important forward for the AHL’s Providence Bruins, but was only brought up as insurance for some of the banged up NHL players. He’ll likely see some game action with Boston later on this season, but for now will return and try to extend his excellent start to the year.
  • The Minnesota Wild have reassigned Matt Read to the AHL, after seeing him play just five games in the NHL. The veteran forward will be used as an extra man this season and bounce up and down, clearing waivers when required.
  • Wade Megan has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, while Joe Hicketts is on his way back to the Grand Rapids Griffins. This is Megan’s first recall of the season after clearing waivers just before the end of training camp. The 28-year old forward has four points in eight games with the Griffins, and will be looking to play just his fifth career NHL game if he can get into the Detroit lineup.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Austin Wagner and Sean Walker back to the Ontario Reign, partly as a cap-saving move. The Kings find themselves pressed right up against the cap ceiling given their current roster, and are trying to save space by sending players down on short term assignments. The team will likely recall a forward before tomorrow’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, though since they’re in a long homestand could use the proximity of Ontario to their advantage and remain at a roster of 21 for as long as possible.
  • The New York Islanders have recalled Christopher Gibson under emergency conditions as Robin Lehner is dealing with a minor injury. Sending Tom Kuhnhackl down to the minor leagues in his place could mean that Cal Clutterbuck is ready to return, but for now the focus is on the goaltending position and how long Lehner will be out. Coach Barry Trotz didn’t believe it was a serious injury, but with Lehner playing so well to start the season it’s tough to see him taken off the ice at all.
  • Aaron Ness has been recalled by the Washington Capitals, while Travis Boyd has been sent down on a long-term injury conditioning loan. With Brooks Orpik dealing with a minor injury, Ness will serve as insurance for any pregame injuries.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from Charlotte of the AHL.  The 22-year-old played in four games with the Checkers while on loan from Carolina and while he may once again be the odd man out on their back end to start, he’ll at least be in better game shape when called upon.

Brandon Hagel Signs Entry-Level Contract With Chicago Blackhawks

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After seeing his exclusive negotiating rights expire when the Buffalo Sabres failed to sign him, Brandon Hagel returned to the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as an unrestricted free agent. He hadn’t earned a professional contract, and instead is now playing as an overager for the Rebels and finding great success. Today, the Chicago Blackhawks rewarded that success by signing Hagel to a three-year entry-level contract. He’ll remain with the Rebels for the remainder of the season.

Hagel, 20, has 12 goals and 28 points in just 15 games for the Rebels and is one of the most dangerous offensive players in the entire WHL. Though that comes partly because of his age and experience, he has put up solid results in the past and isn’t an overwhelming physical presence. Instead, he’s using his quick decision making and play below the hash marks to create chances for himself and teammates.

Red Deer is off to a great start in the WHL at 10-4-1, and have their eyes on a potential Memorial Cup berth if they can get through the playoffs. They’ll need Hagel at his best to pull something like that off, and the Blackhawks would love to see him contribute to a victorious team. You can bet whenever the Rebels are eliminated, Hagel will join the Rockford IceHogs for a few games. The first season of his deal will be burned this year either way.

Central Notes: Laine, Vesalainen, Dickinson, Fortin

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Despite winger Patrik Laine finding himself on the fourth line for a second straight game, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice came to his player’s defense today. The 20-year-old Laine has just one even-strength point so far this season, prompting Maurice to swap Mathieu Perreault with Laine on Friday in their 2-1 win over Detroit. The move had few ramifications towards Laine’s numbers as he still managed to play 17:08 throughout the game. Yet the coach was quick to defend him.

“He’s 20,” Maurice said (via TSN’s Mark Masters). “He’s going to keep getting better…We need him to continue. He’s 20 & just learning the game.”

Maurice said the main goal of making the switch between Laine and Perrault was that Perrault was “buzzing” and he wanted to give the veteran a bigger role, pointing out that the power play (with Laine) was still “outstanding.”

  • Sticking with Jets, the Winnipeg Sun’s Ted Wyman reports that the recall of Tucker Poolman is expected to be the last roster move before the team travels to Finland for their two-game global series with the Florida Panthers. That means that 19-year-old Finn Kristian Vesalainen, the team’s 2017 first-rounder, won’t be going on the trip then as he remains with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. He has four assists in two games there, but still hasn’t been brought back to Winnipeg.
  • Mark Stepneski of NHL.com writes that Dallas Stars winger Jason Dickinson has seen his confidence soar in the last week and is starting to show that he can provide some of that secondary scoring the team desperately needs. The team has gotten 15 of its 19 goals this season from four players, including Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. However, Dickinson showed some impressive play last Tuesday, although all he got out of it was an assist. However, he followed that up Thursday with a two goal, three-point night, showing he can put up numbers. “I think it’s been building since training camp,” head coach Jim Montgomery said. “For a player to start to gain confidence in this league, it’s not easy. We thought he had a really good training camp and then the season started with a bit of inconsistency, but you’re starting to see it build.”
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield writes that Chicago Blackhawks forward Alexandre Fortin is starting to find his place on the Blackhawks’ roster. The 21-year-old has two goals and an assist over the past four games, and while head coach Joel Quenneville keeps changing lines on him, but the coach likes Fortin’s speed a little more than his defensive deficiencies. “(Defense) is a work in progress, but it’s been a good start for him,” Quenneville said. “It’s been a positive beginning because his speed has definitely been a big factor.”

Snapshots: Foster, Aho, Rantanen

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One of the legendary moments from the 2017-18 season aside from the Vegas Golden Knights setting a new standard for expansion franchises, and Alex Ovechkin finally hoisting the cup above his head (and, alternately hoisting his head above the cup), was made on an otherwise unexceptional night in Chicago. With their regular goaltenders injured, the Chicago Blackhawks started minor league netminder Collin Delia for the first time in his career. Everything was set up for a normal debut by a budding prospect, but went awry in the third period.

In came Scott Foster, emergency goaltender extraordinaire, signed to an amateur tryout deal in order to fill in. Foster entered with 14 minutes remaining in the third period and made seven stops to secure the win for the Blackhawks. The former Western Michigan University backup goaltender became an instant folk hero in his local recreational league, and now has even more to tell his friends when they gather at the pub. The Blackhawks announced that Foster will serve as the third goaltender at optional skates this season, continuing to add more pages to the brief chapter of his NHL life.

  • There’s not much about the Carolina Hurricanes attack that doesn’t run through Sebastian Aho, the third-year forward with 14 points in his first nine games. Aho recorded 65 last season to lead the Hurricanes, and after Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm were jettisoned this summer there’s little reason to think he won’t lead them for years to come. That’s what owner Tom Dundon believes, and what he told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required). Dundon was effusive in his praise of Aho’s game, and all but guaranteed that the Finnish forward would be in Carolina for a long time: “He’s going to play here. This is where he’s going to play. We’ll figure it out.” Aho is in the final season of his entry-level contract, and will be looking for a huge raise on his next deal. Custance suggests that the 21-year old is watching the William Nylander negotiation closely, as it could be a direct comparable for his own next summer.
  • Speaking of big second contracts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that Mike Liut, the agent for both Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine, likes to wait until after his clients’ third season to sign their next big deal, instead of looking for an early extension. He’s done that with Vladimir Tarasenko, Rasmus Ristolainen and Leon Draisaitl, and Friedman implies that a similar path might be taken by Rantanen and Laine. The former is off to an incredible start in Colorado, while Laine is bound to take off at any moment.

Anton Forsberg Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Forsberg has cleared waivers, and will be assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. Luke Johnson will be recalled in his place. Chicago will get to keep their goaltending depth for now, as Crawford looks to continue his triumphant return to the ice.

Monday: The Chicago Blackhawks needed to make a move of some sort after Corey Crawford returned to the crease recently with no ill effects, and today have placed goaltender Anton Forsberg on waivers.

Forsberg, 25, was acquired as part of the return for Artemi Panarin in the summer of 2017, and ended up playing 35 games with the Blackhawks last season. His .908 save percentage in those games actually went down as the best NHL season of his career, but that’s not saying much given he’d only played ten games while with the Columbus Blue Jackets. This year, Forsberg hasn’t been used at all after dropping down to third on the depth chart following the free agent signing of Cam Ward. Despite Ward’s ineffectiveness so far, his experience and price tag will keep him in the NHL for now. The veteran goaltender was signed for $3MM, and admitting that mistake by putting Ward on waivers this early never seemed like a possibility.

That means it had to be Forsberg, who now very well could end up on another team around the NHL. Though the claiming club would have to keep him on the NHL roster, there are several situations where they might believe he’s an upgrade over their incumbent backup. 24 NHL goaltenders have a save percentage under .900 so far this season, including backups like Mike Condon, Calvin Pickard, Malcolm Subban, Pheonix Copley, Alex Stalock and Antti Niemi. While none of those situations scream for a waiver claim, teams may be willing to take a chance on the seventh-round draft pick. Forsberg does have a lengthy history of success in the minor leagues, and has the size teams look for in NHL goaltenders.

Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman Anticipated Artemi Panarin Free Agency Dilemma

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Pending a change of heart, forward Artemi Panarin is likely to become one of the most hotly pursued NHL free agents in recent memory on July 1st, 2019, with a sweepstakes potentially rivaling even that of John Tavares’ last year. His current team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, have done their best to convince Panarin not to test the free agent waters and instead sign an extension, but thus far it seems like a highly unlikely outcome. As a result, Columbus is saddled with the difficult choice this season of whether to hold on to Panarin for a run at the Stanley Cup and risk losing him for nothing or trade the talented winger for a hefty return while also damaging the team’s title hopes.

However, that dilemma could have instead belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks. Panarin was only traded to Columbus in the 2017 off-season. The Russian dynamo was originally signed by and played his first two NHL seasons in Chicago. However, the Blackhawks decided to deal Panarin away, opting instead to bring back Brandon Saad from the Blue Jackets, as well as young goaltender Anton Forsberg and a mid-round pick. By any metric, it is difficult to say that the Blackhawks won that trade, as Chicago missed the playoffs last season amid a very disappointing campaign for Saad, while Panarin was one of the league’s top scorers for a Columbus squad that performed well all season long. Yet, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman may have had more than just the trade return in mind when he dealt Panarin to the Blue Jackets.

Speaking with TSN, Bowman claims that he foresaw the “tough spot” that Columbus and colleague Jarmo Kekalainen are in right now with Panarin. The young forward made such an immediate impact when coming to the NHL, that Bowman expected he would test the free agent market as soon as possible, saying ” I saw that coming as a challenge.” This clearly was a major factor that contributed to Chicago’s surprising willingness to trade Panarin. For his part, Bowman does acknowledge that Saad has to play better and has been more than a little disappointing thus far in his second stint with the Blackhawks. Continued poor performance from Saad would make this trade a complete loss, even if Panarin does bolt from Columbus. However, Bowman still stands behind his decision to acquire a talented forward signed long-term at a $6MM cap hit in Saad rather than take his chances with Panarin, who felt was destined to depart in free agency.

Central Notes: Dano, Kamenev, Blackhawks, Bouwmeester

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It’s been six days since winger Marko Dano was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche and the 23-year-old forward finally got an opportunity to practice with the team Sunday, but no one is quite sure when he may make his Avalanche debut, but it could come as early as Monday, according to NHL.com’s Callie Parmele.

Dano already has some familiarity with the team, especially with head coach Jared Bednar and assistant coach Nolan Pratt, who both were on the Springfield Falcons coaching staff during the 2013-14 season when Dano made his North American debut in the AHL for the team’s final 10 games. Bednar was promoted to head coach the following year where he had even more time with Dano.

“We had a good run in Springfield, and it’s always good when you know the coach,” Dano said of his relationship with Bednar. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time, and I am excited to work with him and I appreciate the chance they have given to me.”

  • Still with the Avalanche, the team likes what it sees in Vladislav Kamenev, who received the most ice time of his career on Thursday when he skated 12:36 against the New Jersey Devils. Although he hasn’t turned that extra time into offense (he has no points in five games this season), he is building trust in his head coach. “We feel like from watching him work in practice in that area, we can give him those minutes,” Bednar said Friday. “We trust him with those minutes. He’s done a nice job in the games so far. I think he’s getting better and better as he feels more comfortable and feels like he belongs, which is normal. I just want him to keep pushing himself and try and be a difference maker every night.”
  • While Chicago Blackhawks Stan Bowman hardly can admit victory in his offseason trade a year ago when he traded Artemi Panarin to Columbus for Brandon Saad and Anton Forsberg, he knew that the Panarin’s contract situation would be a problem for the Blackhawks too had they chosen to hold onto him, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription required), who analyzes who won last year’s trade. Saad has struggled in his return to Chicago and is struggling on the bottom-six, while Forsberg hasn’t fared any better in net for the team, but Bowman knew there were going to be problems with Panarin, who has shown little to no interest in signing an extension in Columbus and has put the team in a tough position as he plays out the final year of his contract while they are trying to compete for a playoff spot. “They’re in a tough spot now,” Bowman told The Athletic on Saturday night. “What do you do with him? I saw that coming as a challenge.”
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that considering how well the St. Louis Blues defense played on Saturday, he doubts whether the team will put defenseman Jay Bouwmeester back on the ice for Monday’s game against Winnipeg. The veteran was scratched for the first time in his career Saturday as his play hasn’t been up to his usual standards. The Blues put forth one of the best games of the season, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1.

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