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John Stevens

Snapshots: Karlsson, Stevens, Hayes, Lady Byng Finalists

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Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson revealed to reporters, including ESPN’s Joe McDonald (Twitter link), that he played through the entire first round of the playoffs with two hairline fractures in his right foot.  He added that he was receiving regular injections to help deal with the pain and that he’s hopeful that it will be back to normal by Thursday.

Despite the injury, Karlsson logged a heavy workload for Ottawa in their first round victory over Boston.  He led the team (and the league) in ice time with an average of 30:23 per game while his six assists lead all defensemen in the postseason.  He will undoubtedly be a focal point of their attack as the Sens get set to take on the Rangers in the second round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Kings named John Stevens their new head coach today. Helene Elliott of the LA Times reports that the bench boss will receive a three year contract and that there may be options involved as well.  Stevens will now turn to hiring assistants to replace himself and Davis Payne who was let go along with Darryl Sutter at the end of the season.
  • Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe suggests that it’s likely that right winger Jimmy Hayes has played his last game in a Bruins uniform. However, given his disastrous campaign, one where he recorded just five points in 58 games and his $2.6MM contract for next season, it’s unlikely that the team will be able to trade him or that Vegas will take him in expansion.  As a result, he notes that he’s a strong candidate for a buyout.  Doing so would cost Boston a cap charge of roughly $867K for the next two seasons.
  • The NHL announced the finalists for the Lady Byng Award, given to the player who best combines sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and ability. The top three in the voting are Johnny Gaudreau of the Flames, Mikael Granlund from Minnesota, and Vladimir Tarasenko of St. Louis.  The winner will be announced on June 21st during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

John Stevens Hired As L.A. Kings’ Coach

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John Stevens has officially been hired as the new coach for the Los Angeles Kings per Helene Elliott, filling the void left by the firing of Darryl Sutter. In a hiring that is neither shocking nor particularly adventurous, Stevens will move up from his previous position of associate coach to head coach for Los Angeles. In the wake of another disappointing season for the team in which they missed the playoffs, both GM Dean Lombardi and Coach Sutter were quickly fired. Both had been crucial to the success of the franchise, landing the team its first two Stanley Cups in 2011-12 and 2013-14. Kings’ ownership had apparently not interviewed anyone other than Stevens for the gig, although they had talked to a potential assistant in Jim Montgomery.

Stevens boasts a solid, if uninspiring, overall record of 122-111-34 in the NHL. His previous head coaching experience with the Flyers left murmurs of discontent following his departure, which only grew more pronounced as that squad then challenged for a Stanley Cup, seemingly reinvigorated by his firing. However, he now has his successful assistant tenure to add to his Calder Cup winning resume. There is a lot to be said for familiarity, and when Los Angeles takes the ice this fall, it will do so without the practically iconic Sutter behind the bench, and also likely an overhauled player roster. For those leaders who still remain from the championship squads, a familiar face behind the bench in a new era full of uncertainty may provide some semblance of comfort.

Under Sutter, the Kings were a dominant puck possession force, but despite their successes, often struggled to find consistent offensive production.  They finished 8th, 3rd, 4th, and 6th in the four seasons before this one in Corsi For %, a solid indicator of puck possession and time spent applying offensive pressure. Yet, they finished 22nd this season, netting only 126 goals, good for a terrible 26th in the league. Jeff Carter was the only forward to break the 60 point mark, and some of the defensemen had horrendous plus-minus and Corsi showings (Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin). The team looked sluggish for long stretches of time, and the squad often lacked killer instinct. Injuries certainly didn’t help their cause, but the strong play of Peter Budaj in relief for Jonathan Quick cannot be easily scapegoated for the team’s collective failures.

Stevens will need to prove early that he is capable of changing the mindset of this Kings’ team. They have arguably been too complacent in the past two seasons with low-scoring affairs and being on the playoff bubble. Ownership is hoping his positive attitude and strong existing relationships with players will enable him to have success when the Kings start anew in October.

Snapshots: Krejci, Stevens, Stastny

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Boston’s David Krejci suffered an injury after a knee-on-knee collision with Ottawa’s Chris Wideman. He will not return to the game. There was no call on the ice, although the play easily could have drawn an infraction. The play can be viewed here. Krejci could not put much weight on his leg and looked pained as he left the ice. The Bruin had just returned from a previous, unrelated injury, and was slotted in as the 2nd line center between wingers Drew Stafford and David Backes. Krejci had tallied 54 points in the full 82 games this past season. His team is fighting to stave off elimination at the hands of the Senators, trailing 3-1 in the series. Regardless of the result of the game, there is the possibility for review for Wideman by the Department of Player Safety, especially in light of an equally scary Kadri-on-Ovechkin hit just minutes earlier in the other contest.

  • The Los Angeles Kings are reportedly close to an agreement to hire John Stevens as their new head coach. As noted by colleague Gavin Lee earlier this month, his son, captain of Northwestern (also John Stevens), has drawn interest from management. Stevens (the senior) started out his head coaching career with 6 seasons for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, culminating in a Calder Cup win in 2004-05 – a season which drew lots of interest due to the NHL lockout of that year. Stevens was promoted to head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers after the following season, serving until he was fired midway through the 2009-10 campaign. Following his firing, that Flyers team then went on to make the Finals after just barely making the post-season under Peter Laviolette. Stevens earned two Stanley Cup rings as assistant coach to Darryl Sutter during the Kings’ championship runs of 2012 and 2014, after his brief (4-game) stint as interim coach for the franchise. Stevens is known for his endearing “players’ coach” personality and rapport with developing younger players. He has an all-time record of 122-111-34 as a head NHL bench boss.
  • Help is apparently on the way for the St. Louis Blues, who still hold a commanding 3-1 lead in their series with the Minnesota Wild. Both Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera look probable to return to competition in Game 5. Stastny has been out of action since he took a shot from a teammate off the foot a month ago. Lehtera has been out with an apparent illness since April 8th. Stastny potted 40 points in his limited 66 games this season, while Lehtera was less impressive with 22 in 64 games. Both centers will provide depth up the middle for St. Louis, and assistance on faceoffs. Considering how proficient Jake Allen has been so far these playoffs, their contributions on the defensive side of the puck will only make Minnesota’s offensive efforts even tougher. Both players posted average Corsi For just above the mid-line 50%, but each boasts a wealth of playoff experience that is difficult to replace this time of year. Stastny’s post-season consistency in particular should inspire confidence in his ability to contribute to his squad. Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford are expected to sit out.

*The original post had incorrectly cited Dennis Wideman as the offender*

Snapshots: Stevens, Koppanen, Seguin

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The Los Angeles Kings are apparently only looking at John Stevens currently for their head coaching position, reports both Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger of TSN. Stevens, as some may remember, coached the Philadelphia Flyers for parts of four seasons from 2006-2009 where he had a record of 120-110-34 and took the team to the playoffs for two seasons. His resume includes a Calder Cup championship, and he has been part of the Kings organization now for seven years.

It doesn’t mean that Stevens has the job, or that he even will be retained as an assistant, but the new Kings’ GM Rob Blake wants to exhaust internal options before looking outside the organization. Stevens definitely has the qualifications, but it may come down to just needing a new voice in the room. The new management team will likely decide before long, so that whoever it is can be part of the offseason discussions prior to the expansion and entry drafts.

  • The Boston Bruins have signed Joona Koppanen to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Finnish forward was rumored to have turned down NCAA offers last week and was set to “turn pro”. Now it’s clear that meant with the Bruins, as the contract will kick in for the 2017-18 season. The 19-year old could now come over and join the AHL Bruins for next season, developing his game further from the excellent season he had in the Finnish junior league. With 54 points in just 38 games, it was clear Koppanen needed a greater challenge next season. A fifth-round pick of the Bruins in 2016, the 6’5″ Koppanen has the size to enter the professional ranks right away.
  • At a press conference to introduce Ken Hitchcock this morning, one of the first things the new Dallas Stars’ head coach said was that he expects Tyler Seguin to return to center and play “in all situations”. That will include some penalty kill time as Hitchcock intends to turn Seguin into the dominant center the Bruins had hoped for when they picked him second overall. Already an offensive dynamo, Seguin told Mark Stepneski of NHL.com that the idea of playing all over the ice “makes him giddy”. It should, if it can turn him into a dynamic two-way player. Hitchcock is known for riding his stars hard when they play poorly defensively, even if they are succeeding at the offensive end. Perhaps he’s exactly the coach Seguin needs to turn him into the MVP-type player that he clearly has the talent to be.

Jake Bischoff Signs Two-Year Deal With New York Islanders

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After announcing the amateur tryouts for Matt Gaudreau and John Stevens earlier today, the New York Islanders have also signed Jake Bischoff to a two-year, entry-level contract. While the team did not reveal whether the deal was for this year or next, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports that Bischoff will sign an ATO for the remainder of the season and report to Bridgeport.

The 22-year old Bischoff was the Islanders’ seventh round pick in 2012, and was voted the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season at the University of Minnesota. A rock on the blueline for the Gophers this season, Bischoff registered 32 points in 38 games and served as an alternate captain for the second year. His excellent two-way game has developed even further this year, as he continues to look more and more like a future NHL defenseman.

While the Islanders try to make the playoffs in the NHL, the Sound Tigers are desperately trying to catch either Hershey or Providence for a spot in the AHL postseason. Bischoff will help them try to do that, but a five point spread with nine games remaining will be a very difficult task.

Los Angeles Kings Interested In Northeastern’s John Stevens

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It would be a rough family dinner table if they weren’t, but Jon Rosen of FOX Sports is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings have been “kicking the tires” on college free agent John Stevens out of Northeastern. The forward is the son of current Kings associate head coach John Stevens (confused yet?), and brother of St. Louis Blues draft choice Nolan Stevens.

The elder sibling, John spent this season as Northeastern’s captain and scored 28 points in 25 games. The pair were often linemates of Zach Aston-Reese, the top free agent that signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this week and led the country in scoring. John doesn’t have the same upside as his younger brother, but should be considered a legitimate prospect in his own right. After playing four solid seasons at Northeastern, he will definitely get a chance to play professional hockey somewhere, with the NHL not an impossible goal some day.

Rosen believes that there are other teams interested in him, though obviously his father likely has an inside track with him. There should be some news this weekend, on whether he’ll sign a professional contract right away or get an amateur tryout for the rest of the season with the Ontario Reign. If they do lock him up, they’ll be getting a hard nosed center that can protect the puck down low and create some room for more talented linemates. He’ll rarely dazzle you with creativity or speed, but would fit in well on an AHL squad looking for some two-way talent.

College Notes: Hayden, Aston-Reese, Stevens

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The Blackhawks announced that have signed center John Hayden to a two year, entry level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Hayden was Chicago’s third round pick (74th overall) back in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The 22 year old posted career highs across the board offensively this year at Yale in his senior season.  In 33 games with the Bulldogs, he had 21 goals and 13 assists.

Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Hayden is expected to report to the Blackhawks right away and will burn the first of the two years this season.  That will allow him to get out of the entry level system and into restricted free agency in the 2018 offseason.  Had Hayden waited until August to sign, he could have opted for unrestricted free agency and it’s likely that he was able to use that as leverage to play the first year of the deal now.  As Hayden was a draft pick and not a free agent signing, he is eligible to participate in the postseason, adds Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times via Twitter.

Other news from around the college market:

  • With Northeastern Universty being eliminated by Boston University yesterday in the college playoffs, the focus will quickly shift to undrafted forward Zach Aston-Reese. The 22 year old is widely perceived as the top college free agent available this year and it was reported earlier this week that as many as 15 teams are expected to be interested in his services.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Senators, Oilers, Canucks, and Penguins are among the teams that are expected to go after the forward.  It’s worth noting that Aston-Reese attended Edmonton’s summer development camp while he was teammates with defenseman Matt Benning, who the Oilers signed in the offseason.  Given all of the expected interest, Aston-Reese should be able to land a contract that will allow him to play between now and the end of the season like Hayden did.
  • Friedman adds via Twitter that Northeastern center John Stevens is expected to draw some interest on the open market as well. The senior played in just 25 games this season and passed the point per game mark for the first time with five goals and 23 assists.  Stevens is the son of Kings’ associate coach John Stevens.

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