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Claude Julien

Claude Julien To Vegas Unlikely

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You can make the argument that Claude Julien is the best active head coach in the NHL or that he may even be one of the best of all-time. However, there is little argument that he is the best coach without a team right now. Yet, the only team in the NHL without a coach is unlikely to pursue him. In a report this morning by Jason Pothier of The Sin Bin, it was revealed that Julien might be too expensive for the league’s newest franchise.

Pothier notes that, following Mike Babcock’s $6.25M yearly deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the bar has been raised for NHL coaches’ salaries. Given Julien’s pedigree and history of success as the head coach of the Boston Bruins, his next deal could easily be in the $4-6MM range. When Pothier approached Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley with that estimate, the reaction was not exactly positive. “That’s probably a lot for us”, Foley admitted, “all the people we have in this organization keep their egos in check they are about winning hockey games or making a successful business.” Foley’s remarks paint a pretty clear picture of an organization that needs to put the team before the individual while they get situated. While Julien is not at all a selfish coach, he is an established winner who is likely interested in joining a contender rather than an upstart. Foley continued in describing his ideal coach, saying “it’s best for us if we can find a coach that can carry us from day one. The expansion draft, amateur draft, opening night, to five or six years when we’re real contenders… I’d just say we want a guy that’s gong to be with us for the long haul. Someone who is a players coach, that’s what (GM George McPhee) is looking for… and an owner’s coach too.”

While one potential landing spot can be crossed off the list, Julien will not go without a job for long. The Florida Panthers have already asked for permission to speak with him, and if the New York Islanders miss the playoffs under Doug Weight, they may not be far behind. Other jobs will inevitably open up before the start of the 2017-18 season as well. As for Vegas, they still have recently-fired coaches like Gerard Gallant and Jack Capuano to look at, as well as several former NHL coaches, up-and-coming junior and college coaches, and even some dark horse candidates like Ralph Krueger. 

Friedman’s Latest: Julien, Ducks, Bolts, Avalanche, Vrbata

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet published his latest “30 Thoughts” column and like always it’s worth a read in its entirety. However, here’s a brief roundup of some of the column’s highlights.

  • Friedman reiterates what many others in the industry have said on Claude Julien, suggesting he “will be unemployed as long as he wants to be unemployed.” Julien of course joined Ken Hitchcock as former Stanley Cup winning head coaches now on the unemployment line this week when Boston decided to pull the plug after a nearly 10-year run behind the Bruins bench. Ultimately, while Julien’s tenure was mostly successful, Friedman argues that the relationship between the coach and ownership was never strong. While the Blues had already established a succession plan in anticipation of Hitchcock’s retirement at the end of the season, there are still three jobs potentially available to Julien – Vegas, New York Islanders and Florida. All three should be expected to show interest in hiring Julien to run their respective clubs. Additionally, with Julien available, it’s at least plausible other teams who may not be 100% sold on their current bench boss might reach out to the veteran head coach to gauge his interest in leading their program.
  • Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman, the GM’s of Colorado and Tampa Bay respectively, both attended a recent Anaheim game, leading the scribe to conclude they were there to scout some of the Ducks defenders. Anaheim is blessed with excellent blue line talent, both at the NHL and minor league levels, and it’s been suggested the team could flip a defender to add scoring help up front. Of course Colorado and Tampa Bay each need defensemen but as Friedman notes, the two GM’s may have different preferences. Friedman writes that the Avalanche are looking for young blue liners with term remaining on their contracts while the Lightning need a more established, top-four presence. Speculatively, Colorado may prefer either Brandon Montour or Shea Theodore, two rookies with loads of upside, while Cam Fowler could represent an ideal fit for the Lightning, assuming they can find a way to make the cap hit work. It’s not clear to Friedman who the Ducks might be interested in from either potential trade partner.
  • Good news for any team that might have designs on acquiring veteran winger Radim Vrbata from the Arizona Coyotes. Vrbata’s one-year deal with Arizona contains a $500K bonus if the winger reaches either 20 goals or 40 points. With 35 points in 51 games, Vrbata is closing in on that bonus. His deal also provides for up to $1.25MM based on his team’s playoff success. Friedman had originally reported that Arizona would not be able to retain any bonus money not already earned by the player, meaning any team looking to trade for him would be on the hook for a significant chunk of change potentially. With the salary cap likely to remain flat next season, any interested suitor for Vrbata might be unwilling to chance assuming the balance of his contract since any bonuses earned would apply to next season’s salary cap. However Friedman provides an update and based on his understanding, if, for example, the Coyotes agree to retain 50% of Vrbata’s contract, that would apply not only to his remaining salary but also to any unearned bonuses as well. This is welcome news for any team tight against the cap ceiling and looking for scoring help on the wing as Vrbata now remains an intriguing option.

 

McKenzie’s Latest: Coaching Vacancies, Coyotes Rentals

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In a series of tweets after appearing on NBCSN, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that both the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will likely seek permission from the Boston Bruins to interview Claude Julien for their coaching vacancies. Though Julien is just couple of days removed from the job in Boston, many people feel like he’ll immediately bounce back and helm one of the open teams.

McKenzie adds that the New York Islanders, who fired Jack Capuano last month will not talk to Julien about their vacancy, instead happy with Doug Weight for the time being. Julien would be an interesting option for the Golden Knights, who have made it known that they want a big name for their first coach. Ken Hitchcock and Gerard Gallant are also available, though McKenzie reported this week that Hitchcock is currently just enjoying his time off.

Julien has been the coach of the Bruins since 2007-08, and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2011. After back to back seasons out of the playoffs, and an up and down 2016-17 the team decided to move on. He’s been to the playoffs in 9 of his 14 seasons (though some have been partial) and is generally regarded as one of the best coaches in the league.

McKenzie also responded to a report that three Arizona Coyotes officials (including GM John Chayka) are in attendance at tonight’s Chicago Blackhawks-Minnesota Wild game saying that the Coyotes are trying to market their rentals. A matchup between two Western Conference contenders would be a great place to do that, though Chicago GM Stan Bowman has said multiple times that they will likely be very quiet at the deadline do to cap issues.

The Coyotes have a number of expiring contracts, including Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Michael Stone. Several of those if not all, are likely to move before the deadline. Stone is an interesting case though, as his relative youth (26) could still fit in with the rebuild of the Coyotes. His health is a concern, as is the inconsistent play this season but he should still command a hefty price on the free agent market and would be a solid addition for many teams around the league at deadline time.

Snapshots: Stars, Oilers, Bruins, Capitals

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After winning the Central Division in 2015-16, the Dallas Stars were expected to once again lead the way this season. Unfortunately for the Stars, that has not been the case.

Stars GM Jim Nill told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun that “it’s been a frustrating season.”

The Stars have been playing catchup all season, as Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin missed all or most of the World Cup, then Mattias Janmark and Ales Hemsky were lost for the year before the season was two weeks old, and then the team couldn’t outscore poor goaltending to make up the ground.

After a 109-point season last year, the Stars are now 21-23-10 for 52 points in 54 games. They’re seven points behind Calgary for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. The team’s play isn’t exactly helping their cause, either. The Stars have lost three in a row, and could be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline.

Nill hasn’t officially decided whether or not to go for it this year, saying they’re “taking it game-by-game.” The Stars could do themselves a big favor by acquiring a big-name goaltender like Ben Bishop or Marc-Andre Fleury before the deadline and hoping for a hot streak. But if the losing streak continues, then pending UFAs like Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, and Patrick Eaves could find themselves in new jerseys next month.

  • One team that could have interest in Sharp is the Edmonton Oilers. TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke about the Oilers’ deadline plans on That’s Hockey, and said while there’s no desperation, GM Peter Chiarelli would like to add a depth center for the playoff run. Sharp is a skilled veteran who has three Stanley Cups, who has played center before and is right-handed. That would fill two needs for Edmonton.
  • For the time being, Dreger believes the Oilers are comfortable with their defense. They’ll get Darnell Nurse back from injury in early March, which will serve as a solid addition to their defensive depth. However, a move could be made with either expansion draft-eligible Brandon Davidson or pending-UFA Kris Russell.
  • The fallout continues in Boston. The Bruins were criticized, not only for firing Claude Julien, but for the timing. Firing a coach while the Super Bowl parade happens across town is the sports equivalent of the Friday night news dump in politics. After the move was announced, the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy called the firing disgraceful, among other adjectives, and questioned if the Bruins management thinks their fans and media are stupid. Now, Bruins reporter Jimmy Murphy tweeted that the timing of the press conference was not the work of the team’s PR department; it was ordered from “above.” Murphy also reported that the struggling Bruins are in danger of losing two major sponsors, and that the press conference timing did not help.
  • The Washington Capitals are currently five points ahead of anyone else in the NHL, and their 22-5-1 home record is clearly one of the big reasons. Rob Carlin of CSN reported a ridiculous stat; in their last eight home games, the Capitals have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 42-6. That includes a 6-0 victory and four 5-0 wins.

Writers, Analysts React To Claude Julien’s Firing

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As the news sunk in around the NHL that Claude Julien was relieved of his duties, many have weighed in around the league. The general consensus from many is that Julien’s firing was done at the absolute wrong time, and seemed to be a way to soften the blow of the dismissal. Here are some thoughts from writers around the hockey world.

  • The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy used a number of descriptors to label the firing: cowardly, disrespectful, disgraceful, and embarrassing. While Shaughnessy realizes that Julien’s time was up in Boston, it’s how they fired the coach that irritates him. He openly challenges Boston management, wondering if they believe backers and reporters are stupid when choosing to fire him during the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots’ parade.
  • Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski reports that Boston management was “roasted” by reporters for its decision to sack Julien during the parade. Though Wyshynski writes that general manager Don Sweeney defended his decision to fire Julien, it was met with skepticism and noted that the timing was specific to “dull” the firing. He also lists Sweeney’s litany of excuses for the firing, while picking apart several of those very reasons.
  • Boston.com’s Eric Wilbur believes it was time for Julien to go, but like other writers, felt the timing was horribly planned. Wilbur also adds his own adjectives much like Shaughnessy, saying that Julien leaves a franchise just as dysfunctional as when he arrived. Specifically, Wilbur calls them gutless, disrespectful, and exploitable. Wilbur does concede, however, that it was time for Julien to go. He adds that it now remains to be seen if those who defend Julien will be vindicated for their belief that the bench boss was hampered by a weakened roster. Should the bottom fall out, Sweeney will probably find himself on the bread line next.

Latest From Insider Trading: Coaches, Jets, Canucks

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The all-star reporter panel at TSN comprised of Darren Dreger, Bob McKenzie and Pierre LeBrun took to the air again today with their latest segment of Insider Trading. They touched on both Claude Julien and Ken Hitchcock, two of the big coaching names that have been fired recently, saying both will likely wait until the summer to take another job. McKenzie said that Hitchcock would consider a move to a long-term situation if he finds a fit, but wouldn’t “come out of the bullpen” so to speak.

It will be interesting to see what this means for the Vegas club, which now has a very established list of coaches to try to bring in if they choose to go that way. It’s been said before that Vegas likely wants a big presence for their first coach to try and make a splash in the market, and it’s not clear if Julien, Hitchcock or even Gerard Gallant would fit that mold.

  • LeBrun insisted again that the Chicago Blackhawks sound like they’ll be very quiet at the deadline this year because of their cap issues. As much as Stan Bowman keeps saying that the Hawks won’t make another bold move at the deadline, it’s hard to believe that they won’t try to make at least a slight upgrade for another run. They still need help on the wing and remember that they do have three extra (albeit late round) draft picks for this season in hand.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are falling out of the picture after a successful middle stretch of the season, and will now start to field questions for their top players. McKenzie relates that even though GM Jim Benning said prior to the season that he would not ask any players to waive their no-trade clauses, he now admits that he would got to them with options if teams were calling on them. Goaltender Ryan Miller and forward Alex Burrows were mentioned specifically, but remember that Alex Edler and Brandon Sutter also have NTCs and would bring back solid returns in trade should the Canucks decide to completely tear it down.
  • After the Jets got some terrible news on the defensive front with Tyler Myers undergoing another surgery, Dreger says they’ll be hard pressed to find a replacement. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff had already been looking around for some depth on the blueline, and now has even more problems to try and fix. It will be interesting to see where the Jets are in another two weeks and whether they need to add to try and make a deep playoff push or sell off some expiring assets.
  • LeBrun does also mention the past reports that the Ottawa Senators kicked the tires on both Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, but says that it didn’t get very far. Ottawa isn’t willing to part with the kind of package that the Avalanche are currently asking for, though would be open to negotiation should it fall. Both Avalanche forwards seem like tough bets to move in-season, but if the team is committed to shaking up the core, Ottawa could come back to the table in the summer.

Bruins Fire Claude Julien

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Claude Julien, in his 10th season as the bench boss of the Boston Bruins, has been relieved of his duties, the team announced this morning. He will be replaced in the interim by his assistant, Bruce Cassidy.

The Bruins have struggled this season on the ice, compiling a 26 – 23 – 8 record through 55 games. They are currently one point behind Philadelphia for the second wild card slot in the Eastern Conference and are tied with Toronto for third in the Atlantic Division, though the latter has four games in hand on the Bruins.

Julien ends his Bean Town tenure with a record of 419 – 246 – 94, qualifying for the postseason seven times in his nine full campaigns with the team and leading the club to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. He captured the Jack Adams trophy as the league’s top coach following the 2008-09 season. Julien spent 2 1/2 seasons behind the bench in Montreal, and famously led the 2006-07 New Jersey Devils to a 47 – 24 – 8 record through 79 games before being fired by the team and being replaced by Lou Lamiorello with three games left in the season.

Cassidy spent five seasons as the head coach of the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate. He is in his first campaign as an assistant in Boston. Previously he was the head coach of the Washington Capitals from 2002-04.

The firing is certain to generate plenty of criticism as it’s widely believed the team has achieved the results expected based on the quality of the roster. Many of the team’s top players, including team captain Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Backes and David Krejci are all on the wrong side of 30. The team has also received underwhelming play from their backup goaltenders, with Anton Khudobin, Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban combining for just one win in 11 starts with all three posting GAA’s comfortably above three.

Julien is the fourth head coach to lose his job during the 2016-17 season, joining Ken Hitchcock, Jack Capuano and Gerard Gallant on the unemployment line. He immediately becomes one of the top available coaching candidates and it’s likely he will be receive consideration for any of the job openings available.

Latest From Garrioch: Julien, Doan, Coyotes, Shattenkirk, Duchene

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While many are wondering if the Bruins will opt to replace Claude Julien as head coach, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that team owner Jeremy Jacobs has played a big role in keeping him around.  On the flip side, he notes that team president Cam Neely wouldn’t mind a change being made.  Julien is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and is in his tenth season behind Boston’s bench.  The Bruins currently find themselves in a playoff spot but they sit just one point ahead of Toronto who have five games in hand so it likely won’t be long before they’re on the outside looking in.

Garrioch also covered several league-wide topics in his Insider Trading column.  Here are some of the highlights although the full column is worth a read:

  • While it’s far from a guarantee that Arizona right winger Shane Doan decides to agree to a deal, it sounds like he may be staying in the Pacific Division if he does move as he would prefer to not have to go too far. Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles are believed to have interest in the 40 year old.  After a 28 goal 2015-16 campaign, Doan’s offensive production has slowed down considerably this year as he has just five goals and 12 assists in 51 games.  Accordingly, he would be a bottom six forward if he does eventually agree to a move.
  • While it’s well-known that the asking price for Coyotes center Martin Hanzal is quite high, GM John Chayka has also put a very high price tag on some of their other rental players including right winger Radim Vrbata, center Ryan White, and defenseman Michael Stone. As of yet, no one’s willing to meet the prices and it’s worth remembering that the playoff bonuses in Vrbata’s contract will be absorbed by whoever acquires him which should affect his value.  Stone’s likely to fetch a decent return as one of the better rental blueliners but the price for White, a fourth line center, shouldn’t be too high.
  • One team in the Eastern Conference received permission over the last two weeks to talk to St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk regarding a contract extension. However, that deal fell through.  It has been suggested over the past few weeks that it’s much more likely that Shattenkirk will have to be dealt as a rental and not in a sign-and-trade deal which would undoubtedly yield a better return for the Blues.
  • The Lightning are among the teams to express an interest in Matt Duchene. Given who they have to re-sign this summer (including forwards Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat), it seems difficult to imagine that they’d be able to keep them and add Duchene’s $6MM cap hit although it’s also possible that one of those players could be of interest to Colorado GM Joe Sakic in a possible deal.

Atlantic Division Snapshots: Marchand, Julien, Toronto

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Brad Marchand has avoided a suspension for his “dangerous trip” of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall in a recent game between the two clubs, the NHL Department of Player Safety has announced. Instead the pesky forward was assessed a $10,000 fine, the maximum allowed under terms of the CBA.

Given his history with the DoPS – he’s been suspended four times overall in his career and on three separate occasions since the start of the 2014-15 campaign – it seemed likely Marchand would be suspended. However, the fact Kronwall showed no apparent ill-effects from the incident may have saved the Bruins leading scorer from that outcome. Ultimately, not losing Marchand for any length is certainly great news for a Boston club fighting desperately for a postseason berth.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • In an ESPN Insider piece (subscription required), Rob Vollman makes an argument utilizing analytics for the Boston Bruins to refrain from terminating embattled head coach Claude Julien. Vollman compares the season-to-date performance of Boston to that of the New York Islanders, who dismissed head coach Jack Capuano recently. On the surface, the two are quite similar but an analysis of shot-based metrics reveal a different outcome. The Bruins have the league’s best shot attempt differential with a plus-488 while the Islanders were a minus-293 at the time of Capuano’s firing. He also compares the career accomplishments of the two coaches, and again Julien holds a decided advantage. Ultimately Vollman concludes it would be foolish to let Julien go. While the scribe makes a compelling case, it is known every coach has a shelf life and Julien is in his 10th season as the head man in Boston. If Bruins management concludes the bench boss has lost his team, or that his message simply isn’t getting through anymore, it may be best to move on.
  • Craig Custance, also of ESPN, believes the time is now for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team’s management to add experienced talent to take advantage of the young guns currently on ELC’s. Custance compares the current Leafs roster with that of the 2007-08 Chicago Blackhawks. That happened to be the year both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane debuted in the NHL. As Custance points out, even with the two talented young superstars leading the way, it wasn’t until Chicago added Brian Campbell (2008) and Marian Hossa (2009) did the team ultimately develop into a Stanley Cup contender. He maintains that the addition of Campbell helped turn the team’s defense corps into a quicker, more efficient puck-moving unit. Hossa, Custance adds, showed the team’s young stars how important it is to play smart, two-way hockey. The scribe suggests the Leafs should pursue a similar strategy and while there may be no player available comparable to Hossa, Kevin Shattenkirk could certainly fill the role for Toronto that Campbell did for Chicago. Shattenkirk might well be available via trade, though unless Toronto was able to ink the mobile defender to a contract extension, it would qualify as a risk to sacrifice the assets necessary to convince St. Louis to strike a deal.

5 Key Stories: 1/16/2017 – 1/22/2017

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As millions of American anxiously await to find out who will represent their respective conferences in Super Bowl LI, don’t forget to check in on all of the recent news and rumors involving the NFL on our sister site, Pro Football Rumors.

The action is starting to pick up in the NHL, though it’s still relatively quiet compared to what we expect next month. Here is a roundup of the five key stories from the week ending on 1/22/2017.

Islanders Dismiss Capuano – Sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the New York Islanders relieved head coach Jack Capuano of his duties this week and inserted AGM Doug Weight into the position on an interim basis. Capuano spent parts of seven campaigns behind the Islanders bench and guided the club to the second-round of the playoffs for the first time in more than two decades just last season.

Claude Julien’s Job in Jeopardy? – With rumors circulating as to the job security of longtime bench boss Claude Julien, the Boston Bruins called a press conference to address the situation. While nothing definitive came out of it, the belief is that Julien will maintain his position at least through the season, barring a major late-season collapse.

Clarke MacArthur Will Not Play This Season – Veteran winger Clarke MacArthur, who has yet to appear in a game this season after suffering a concussion during training camp, has not progressed enough in his recovery and a return has been ruled out by Ottawa team doctors. This will represent what is essentially a second consecutive lost season for MacArthur, who only suited up for four contests a year ago due to yet another concussion. It’s also quite possible this is the end of the line for the 10-year veteran.

Hawks Interested In Tatar, Nyquist – In search of a top-six winger to slot next to Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks have reportedly expressed interest in Detroit forwards Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar. The report contradicts the notion that the club would restrict its pursuit to rentals or players on ELC’s. The Hawks have a number of rather large commitments already on their books for 2017-18 but apparently they would still be willing to take on a player with control beyond the current campaign. Nyquist has two seasons left on his deal with an AAV of $4.75MM while Tatar will be a RFA this summer and likely in position for a raise on his $2.75MM cap charge.

Winnipeg Recalls Ondrej Pavelec – Desperate for consistently competent play between the pipes, the Winnipeg Jets recalled deposed started Ondrej Pavelec from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The Jets decided had waived the veteran net minder just prior to the beginning of the campaign and assigned him to the minors when he went unclaimed. Now the team is hopeful he can provide the Jets with quality play and bolster their pursuit of a playoff berth.

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