Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Coaches

Anaheim Ducks Expected To Name Dallas Eakins Their Next Head Coach

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Anaheim Ducks look like they have finally made a decision on their head coaching job as Dallas Eakins looks to be the “last man standing” and, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli the Ducks intend to formally announce him as head coach some time next week. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford adds that he expects the announcement to be made Monday or Tuesday.

Eakins, who has been coaching the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks AHL affiliate, for the last four years, has always been the lead candidate for the job. However, Anaheim general manager Bob Murray chose to undergo an extensive search for their head coach. That search had already been delayed since Eakins had taken the Gulls to the AHL conference finals, before eventually being eliminated by the Chicago Wolves. However, the extended interviewing process delayed things even further. He finished with a 154-95-15 record over those four years with San Diego and worked with many of the team’s young players, making him a solid candidate to lead the team’s rebuilding project. He does have some NHL experience as the 52-year-old coached the Edmonton Oilers, but didn’t last long as he was fired after 18 months and a 36-63-14 record.

The team interviewed a number of candidates including New York Islanders Lane Lambert, Dallas Stars assistants Todd Nelson and Rick Bowness, Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent as well as University of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin. However, one by one, the candidates were told they were out of the running, with Eakins and Sandelin the last two coaching candidates standing. Sandelin recently signed an extention with UMD, but that wouldn’t have stopped him from taking the Ducks job.

Anaheim is coming off a disappointing season that saw them not make the playoffs, finishing 35-37-10 and forced Randy Carlyle out of a job at midseason with many pointing the team’s lack of effort throughout the year. General manager Bob Murray took over the reigns himself for the rest of the year in hopes of getting a better understanding of what the team would need this offseason.

 

 

Pacific Notes: Donskoi, Eakins, Phaneuf, McDavid

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks and general manager Doug Wilson have a lot on their plate this offseason as they have a number of key free agents they must deal with, including Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. One name that is often forgotten is free agent forward Joonas Donskoi, who has been a solid contributor as a middle-six forward the last few years.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that it looks like Donskoi is leaning towards going onto the open market to see what offers he might receive and could wait to see if a team comes calling when the interview period opens on June 23. Donskoi could receive quite a bit of attention as he has scored 14 goals in each of his last two seasons and had 37 points this year. While that’s hardly amazing numbers, the speedy wing is a good defender and could provide value for a lesser price tag, considering he only made $1.9MM last year.

  • While it looks like the Anaheim Ducks are moving rather slowly in naming their head coach, it looks like there are only two candidates remaining in the race in Dallas Eakins and University of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Eakins remains the favorite, but the team is doing quite a bit of research on him, including interviewing some of the veterans on his AHL squad.
  • Jordan Samuels-Thomas of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that with Dion Phaneuf being bought out, the most likely destination for the veteran blueliner would be a young team that’s several years away from truly competing. The scribe writes that the decline in the 34-year-old’s play would likely have playoff teams looking elsewhere for veteran depth, but Phaneuf’s leadership and his ability to mentor young players would make him more valuable to a lottery team. On top of that Phaneuf could help team’s penalty killing and can provide a physical presence a young team might lack.
  • At a gathering for 500 season ticket holders, Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland said he has already met with star center Connor McDavid twice in the last 10 days, including visiting him as he was working out, according to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Journal. He reports that McDavid is doing well and is expected to ready for the start of training camp. The 22-year-old suffered a small PCL tear in his knee on the final game of the regular season, but the injury didn’t require surgery.

Free Agent Focus: New York Rangers

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  The Rangers have a lot of options when it comes to the upcoming free agency period, but don’t have as much to concern themselves with when it comes to their own free agents. New York does have a few restricted free agents they must worry about, but few players to concern themselves among unrestricted free agents.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Pavel Buchnevich — The Rangers must be thrilled with the continued improvements of their 24-year-old forward, who has continually taken his game up a notch in all three years, scoring eight goals as a rookie, 14 goals last season and moving into a permanent top-six role in 2018-19 with a 21-goal campaign. That number was more impressive considering he only played 64 games due to a broken thumb and some issues with head coach David Quinn, although he eventually developed a solid relationship with the coach. His 15:10 ATOI was lower than a number of lesser forwards as he ranked ninth in that area among forwards, but should increase significantly next season. Now that his entry-level deal is up, New York must pay him significantly more than the $925K he was previously making. However, with his development, it’s more likely the team will seek a bridge deal in hopes that his progress continues to improve.

F Brendan Lemieux — The Rangers didn’t get a lot of time to evaluate Lemieux, who the team acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Kevin Hayes trade. While not a key piece to the deal, New York hoped that the 23-year-old would give them a key bottom-six winger for a number of years as he had proved to be an agitator in his 53 games played in Winnipeg. Lemieux started his tenure in New York off well as he provided that grit the team needed, but after averaging 7:25 of ATOI with the Jets, his minutes jumped to 12:50 with the Rangers, and he quickly wore down, suggesting he lacked conditioning. In 19 games, he accumulated six points, 64 penalty minutes and two misconducts, which is a lot of penalties. Regardless, it’s likely the Rangers will seek a short-term deal so that Lemieux can prove himself.

D Neal Pionk — After showing off impressive skills in a trial during the 2017-18 season, the 23-year-old blueliner didn’t fare as well in his first full season with the Rangers. Pionk finished the season with six goals and 26 points but also saw his plus/minus drop to minus-16, but found himself in Quinn’s doghouse quite often in the second half of the season and was often a healthy scratch as he tallied just one point and seven points in his final 37 games. With a number of young defenseman close to ready for a regular NHL role, general manager Jeff Gorton will have to decide whether Pionk should stay with the defense or whether the team should move on from him. Expect him to get a short-term or even more likely a one-year deal on a “prove it” contract.

Other RFAs: D Julius Bergman, D Chris Bigras, D Fredrik Claesson, D Anthony DeAngelo, G Brandon Halverson, F Vinni Lettieri, G Chris Nell

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D John Gilmour — Yes, Gilmour, who played a total of five games for the Rangers this past year, is the team’s top unrestricted free agent. The Group 6 free agent played 28 games during the 2017-18 season, but found himself playing a full season for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL where he dominated, scoring 20 goals and 54 points and was named to the AHL All-Star team. However, he has been passed over on the prospect chart by Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek and doesn’t seem to be a major part of the team’s long-range plans although he could be a cheap 6/7th defensive option for the Rangers if they want a low-cost option.

Other UFAs: F Connor Brickley, D Rob O’Gara, G Dustin Tokarski

Projected Cap Space: With a little less than $64MM in commitments for next season (per CapFriendly), the team has room to make changes, but it’s unlikely the team will make any long-term commitments in house this offseason. The team is far more likely to go with multiple short-term deals and focus on fast-tracking their rebuilding efforts as they will likely attempt to bring in a top free agent to supplement its young players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Edmonton Oilers Extend AHL Coach Jay Woodcroft

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Though there have been many changes since Ken Holland took over as Edmonton Oilers GM, one won’t be happening behind the minor league bench. The organization announced today that Jay Woodcroft has signed a three-year extension to remain head coach of the Bakersfield Condors.

Woodcroft took the Condors to a level that they had never seen before, setting a franchise record with 42 wins and getting to the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time. The group also completed an incredible 17-game winning streak in early 2019, tying the second longest streak in AHL history. Despite a long career as an assistant in the NHL, this was Woodcroft’s first head coaching job at the professional level.

Holland is familiar with Woodcroft from his days in Detroit, where he started his coaching career as a video assistant after retiring as a player in 2005. Todd McLellan was on that staff, and is someone Woodcroft has basically followed around the league since, spending more than a decade as his assistant in San Jose and Edmonton. That led to some speculation that he might be heading to Los Angeles to rejoin him, but after experiencing so much success with the Condors and being a positive influence on the development of Edmonton’s young players, it makes sense for Holland and the Oilers to keep him around.

Coaching Notes: Nelson, Snowden, Bales

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Anaheim Ducks are still without a head coach for the 2019-20 season, but we now know a little bit more about the search. Scott Sandelin interviewed for the job last week but instead took a long-term extension with his Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, and now The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required) is reporting that Todd Nelson will also be staying in his current job. Nelson is no longer in the running for the Ducks’ role, though Stephens actually includes a note about Sandelin not necessarily being completely out of the picture, even though it looks that way.

The final candidates now seem to be New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert (UPDATE: Stephens is now reporting that Lambert is also no longer a candidate) and San Diego Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins, though Rick Bowness also may remain in the running. Eakins, the presumptive favorite after the Ducks fired Randy Carlyle, last coached in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 but has compiled an impressive 154-95-23 record through four years with San Diego.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs minor league system has found a ton of success over the last few years, including a Kelly Cup championship this season for the Newfoundland Growlers. The Growlers only entered the ECHL this season, but went all the way and took home the title in their inaugural season. Why not then reward the man who led them there? The Maple Leafs today announced a two-year extension for head coach John Snowden, who took over for Ryane Clowe during the season when he was forced to resign due to medical issues.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes will start a search for a new goaltending coach after Mike Bales resigned his position with the team. Bales had been with the organization for two seasons, but is now being linked to the Buffalo Sabres by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. That would make sense, given that Bales served as goalie coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins while Buffalo GM Jason Botterill was still working there. The 47-year old Bales had a long professional playing career, including 23 appearances in the NHL.

Canucks Notes: Free Agency Targets, Edler, Eriksson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Vancouver GM Jim Benning continues to be honest and open with the media this off-season about the direction of the team and his plans moving forward. In a media session yesterday, the veteran executive spoke on a number of topics, including the positions he will try to fill in free agency. Per NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley, Benning was happy to reveal who he may target:

Going forward now, if we are going to add through free agency, we want to try to add top-four defensemen or top-six forwards, so I think our needs in that way have changed. I haven’t been shy about stating that we would like to improve our defense. There are different avenues to try to do that, so we’re looking at all those avenues.

The “change” that Benning is referring to is in contrast to last off-season, when the Canucks spent on bottom-six depth in free agency, targeting Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, and Tim Schaller. This year, the names that the team will seek will be more high-profile. Up front, Vancouver has already been linked to Marcus Johansson, while British Columbia-native Brett Connolly will also likely be in consideration. On the back end, Jake Gardiner is known to be a free agent target, although Benning’s comments make it seem as though the Canucks could also scour the trade market for a top-four defenseman as well. One way or another, it seems this summer will be more exciting than the last for Vancouver.

  • That “top-four target” could also come internally, as Benning acknowledges that the team is still working through contract talks with long-time stalwart Alex Edler. Edler is an impending free agent and asked not to be traded at the trade deadline this past season in hopes of an extension with Vancouver. Months later, a deal has not yet been signed. It appears that term and trade protection appear to be the sticking points, especially as the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft looms. Edler would like protection from a possible Seattle selection, but Benning and the Canucks would rather use one of their limited slots on a key young piece. Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre relays some honest words from Benning on the subject:

I think it’s fair to say we don’t have the appetite to do that. We had to do that last time with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. But we’re going to have some good young players that we need to protect or we’ll lose them.

  • Edler could be gone if talks don’t improve, and so could another veteran, Loui Eriksson. Benning spoke to Eriksson’s comments to a Swedish newspaper earlier this off-season, when he stated that he did not trust or get along with head coach Travis Green. Benning said that he has plans to talk with Eriksson soon, but that those comments are a true cause for concern and a trade could be a real possibility. This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Eriksson trade rumors, with many linking him to the Edmonton Oilers and former head coach Dave Tippett in a possible swap for fellow expensive and under-performing forward Milan Lucic. However, Benning’s comments would imply that a trade could happen even if it isn’t with Edmonton. The team may have trouble finding a taker for the remaining three years and $6MM AAV on Eriksson’s contract, but if it’s a matter of team chemistry, the team may have to do whatever it takes to move the seasoned winger.

Dallas To Add John Stevens To Coaching Staff

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Dallas Stars and head coach Jim Montgomery are making a major addition, and free agency hasn’t even started. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Dallas is set to hire former Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens as an assistant on Montgomery’s staff. Stevens was considered one of the top available coaches this off-season and will be a major addition for the Stars.

It should not come as much of a surprise that Montgomery and Stevens are back together. As Friedman notes, the pair have a considerable shared history. Both Montgomery and Stevens played together on the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms in the late 90’s during what would be the final years of Stevens’ playing career due to a career-ending injury. Stevens would then become an assistant coach during Montgomery’s final year with the team. As Montgomery himself later transitioned into coaching, he led the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints as head coach and general manager for several years, during which time he would recruit and coach John Stevens Jr., who currently plays for the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Of course, the two friends also coached against each other early this past season as well, as Montgomery’s Stars defeated Stevens’ Kings 4-2 in late October in one of Stevens’ final games at the helm.

Stevens’ stint as the head coach in L.A. was arguably cut short too early. In his first full season of duty in 2017-18, the Kings went 45-29-8 and made the playoffs, before a disappointing sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. The team then started last season off 4-8-1, after which Stevens was fired and replaced with Willie Desjardins, who himself has now been replaced by Todd McLellan. Stevens still maintained a winning record as head coach of the Kings and holds the same distinction as an NHL head coach overall, despite finishing just below .500 in aggregate over parts of four seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2006 to 2010. Stevens has a strong grasp on defense and has often led teams that play a safe, conservative game, even if that doesn’t always lead to the offense needed to win games. Combined with Mongtomery’s eye for offense and the Stars’ substantial talent, Stevens has the chance to be a major difference-maker in Dallas and it is not a stretch to say he could be an NHL head coach again someday if things go well in this next stop.

Edmonton Oilers Would Have To Add “Sweetener” In Lucic-Eriksson Swap

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Although there has been talk of a potential trade between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks about swapping the bad contracts of Milan Lucic and Loui Eriksson for several weeks, a new report by TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests on TSN’s Insider Trading that the deal could be a good fit for both teams, but if Edmonton wants to make the deal, they would have to add a “sweetener.”

The belief is that because Lucic has four years remaining on his deal at $6MM AAV, the Oilers would have to give up something as Eriksson’s deal has only three years remaining at $6MM himself. According to Edmonton Journal’s David Staples, both players could be amenable to a potential trade considering that Lucic holds a no-movement clause, while Eriksson has a no-trade clause. However, Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that nothing has been presented to either player and while the discussion of this trade has been discussed in the media for weeks, trade talks are quite premature.

Lucic is from Vancouver and played his junior years there but there is no guarantee he would waive his no-movement clause. Eriksson, on the other hand, is easier to project as he knows Oilers’ new coach, Dave Tippett, who he played for in Dallas for three years and had success under him. And considering that Eriksson has had issues with Vancouver coach Travis Green, his no-trade clause likely wouldn’t be an issue.

However, Staples disagrees that Edmonton should have to add a sweetner, pointing out that Lucic still has value as a fourth-line option who is a tough guy that can fight and score a little. He’s only 31 and still has value in the league. Throw in the fact that Vancouver is loaded with young talent and few threatening players who can protect those players like Elias Pettersson, who took a number of cheap shots over the course of the season would be quite valuable to the Canucks.

Eriksson, on the other hand, is already 34 years old and isn’t an option as a fourth-line player as he lacks toughness and hasn’t produced much offense over the past three years (32 goals total). There has to be questions whether Eriksson can truly help Edmonton at all, making the trade questionable at best. Staples adds that at best, he might be a below-average third-line winger who can kill penalties, but is that really helping Edmonton? Regardless, unless one of those players can find a way to find their old selves, it’s unlikely either can truly help either franchise.

 

Robert Thomas To Return To Blues’ Lineup For Game Six

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Standout rookie Robert Thomas last suited up for the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final, as an injury has forced him to watch from the sidelines as his team bounced back from a loss to start the series to go up 3-2 heading back home for Game Six. Now, it seems Thomas will finally get to return to action tonight as the team tries to take home the franchises’s first Cup title. Thomas told the media, including Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland, after the team’s morning skate that he will play for the Blues in Game Six against the Boston Bruins. Head coach Craig Berube then confirmed his return tonight.

Strickland had noted that Thomas was a full participant on the ice this morning, albeit in a limited session, which was a positive step toward a potential return. But Thomas stated that it was actually at practice yesterday that he passed the final hurdles needed to be cleared for a return to the lineup. Although Thomas was the recipient of a highly publicized heavy hit from the Bruins’ Torey Krug in Game One, this injury was unrelated and is speculated to have originated in the Western Conference Final. For what it’s worth, Thomas told the media that he had no issue with Krug’s hit and is not focused on it in his return.

Thomas, 19, played in 70 games for the Blues in the regular season and finished ninth on the team in scoring with 33 points. The 2017 first-round pick will certainly provide an offensive boost for St. Louis tonight. The one concern though is that he will actually be filling the roster spot of suspended fourth-liner Ivan Barbashev, whose physicality Thomas won’t be able to replicate. The Stanley Cup Final has been more of a war of attrition than a shootout and the Blues have succeeded based on their physicality rather than their offense, so it will be interesting to see if they can get the win playing with more skill and less grit in Game Six. For their part, the Bruins are also looking to boost speed rather than physicality, returning to the standard six defenseman and adding Karson Kuhlman to the lineup up front rather than David Backes, per head coach Bruce Cassidy. 

Playoff Notes: Thomas, Tarasenko, Chara, Wagner, Grzelcyk

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The St. Louis Blues will be without forward Ivan Barbashev on Sunday for Game 6 after being suspended one game for an illegal check to the head against Boston’s Marcus Johansson in Game 5. However, the St. Louis Blues may get a break, as there is a solid chance that rookie Robert Thomas may be ready to replace Barbashev in the lineup.

Thomas, who hasn’t played since Game 1 due to a wrist injury, was on the ice for a full practice Saturday with no limitations and St. Louis Blues interim coach Craig Berube later declared Thomas as a game-time decision for Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac. The 19-year-old forward did participate in practices between Games 3 and 4, but was only a partial participant and spent most of his time on the ice working separately from the rest of the team. However, that wasn’t the case Saturday, according to teammate Pat Maroon: “He’s been working hard to get back in the lineup, so we’ll see tomorrow if he plays. Obviously, it’s always good to see the kid out there skating around. He’s been just itching to get back out there with the guys, so it’s good to see him out there.”

  • NHL.com’s Tracey Myers adds that the St. Louis Blues expect star forward Vladimir Tarasenko to play on Sunday despite missing practice on Saturday after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child on Friday. It was unlikely that Tarasenko would have missed a critical Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final; he has been a key to the team’s offensive success with 16 points in 24 playoff games.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara spoke to the press for the first being hit in the jaw with the puck in Game 4. Although he looked uncomfortable speaking, Chara said he was fine and has no limitations when it comes to playing in Game 6 on Sunday. Chara did play in Game 5, although he only skated 16:42 and the Bruins felt the need to dress seven defensemen. Chara refused to answer when asked whether his jaw was broken.
  • Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also revealed that the team is expecting to be without Chris Wagner and Matt Grzelcyk for Game 6. Wagner, who hasn’t played since May 14 with an upper-body injury, is doubtful to play on Sunday, but is a possibility if Boston can force a Game 7. Grzelcyk has not yet been medically cleared to play after sustaining a concussion during Game 2.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top