Toronto Notes: Keefe, Dubas, Draft, Greening
While winning a Calder Cup championship historically bodes well for that AHL head coach, so far it doesn’t look like it will help Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe with getting an NHL gig.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that no NHL team has requested permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with Keefe. The 37-year-old highly-touted coach was on many teams list earlier this offseason when there were many coaching lists. He was rumored to have been on the candidate list for job openings in Dallas and the New York Rangers. However, most of the NHL coaching vacancies were already filled before his team finished their playoff run.
Now there are only two current NHL head coaching positions remaining and the Washington Capitals are technically already set as the team is expected to either re-sign Barry Trotz, who is a free agent, or promote assistant coach Todd Reirden. That leaves the New York Islanders, which seems like a good fit with former Maple Leafs Lou Lamoriello now in charge in New York. However, Lamoriello is well-known for keeping things to himself.
Keefe posted a 150-63-15 record in three seasons with the Toronto Marlies with two all-star appearances and two 54-win seasons in that span. Nine NHL coaches currently sport AHL titles, so it’s likely Keefe will get that opportunity at some point, but whether it will be this year might be another question.
- Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said the team has made no definitive decisions on their unrestricted free agents, which include James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov amongst others, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. The scribe reports that Dubas is still in touch with their agents, but speculates that it sounds like nothing is in the works. Dubas also said that he expects that the success of the Marlies will have an effect on their outlook on free agency as many of those players will be in the mix for next year’s Maple Leafs’ roster.
- While the perception is that Dubas has a draft history of trading down, the GM said he is more than willing to consider moving up in this draft, especially with all the assets the team has, according to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel. “I think if there is an opportunity for us to add players that can help our team, we have the capital in draft choices to be able to do so,” Dubas said.
- TSN’s Kristen Shilton reports that Colin Greening has chosen to re-sign with the Toronto Marlies as he has signed a one-year deal with the AHL franchise. The alternate captain of the Calder Cup champions opted to return to the team after posting 16 goals this season as a veteran presence for the team. After playing in 286 NHL games throughout his career, he has accepted his role as a veteran leader for the minor league franchise. He played a critical role in the Marlies’ playoff run, putting up four goals and nine points.
Capitals Have Not Made Contract Offer To Barry Trotz
The Washington Capitals, defending Stanley Cup champions, would like to bring back the man who led them to the promised land, head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz was in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent along with the players when the new league year begins. It is common sense for Washington to want him back, but has nonetheless been reported by several sources as well. Yet, the Caps have a funny way of showing their loyalty to Trotz; Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that the team has yet to extend a contract offer to their coach.
Trotz, 55, has long been expected to be a free agent this summer. Despite a immensely successful career by a wins standard, Trotz had often been criticized for not being able to get the job done in the postseason. That excuse is out the door now, after the Capitals secured their first Cup title in franchise history last week. As a result, rumors of Trotz’ free agency were also supposed to be thrown away. It seemed like a sure thing that GM Brian MacLellan and the Caps would want to retain his services. However, an offer has yet to be made and Shannon adds that the two sides do not have any meetings schedule to negotiate an extension.
This could simply be the pre-occupied champions dragging their feet or focusing all of their attention to catching up on draft and free agency preparations. Of course, it could be something else entirely. It’s possible that Trotz, now a championship coach, is intrigued with the possibility of other positions. Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders are known to be eyeing Trotz for their current vacancy, while it has also been rumored that at least one team with a head coach has considered hiring Trotz regardless if he was to become available. Trotz has reportedly had some preliminary contract talks with the Capitals already and it could be that the recent title and his improved free agent status has raised the price tag beyond what Washington is comfortable paying. This very real possibility is only supported further by the idea that the team had been grooming assistant Todd Reirden to take over. Anticipating the expiration of Trotz’ contract and, after years of letdowns, not expecting their miraculous Stanley Cup run, the Capitals were reportedly comfortable with handing the job off to Reirden. Of course, the situation has changed greatly, but if the price is too high to retain Trotz, Washington would not panic, but could simply stick with their original plan.
The odds still favor an extension for Trotz. He is fresh off of a title with the Capitals, knows and trusts his players and staff, and understands that his best chance at another Cup is likely to stay in Washington. However, Shannon’s report that – with days remaining on his contract – Trotz does not have an extension offer nor any scheduled meetings to discuss a new deal, raises questions. The lure of more money and a new challenge could be enticing Trotz and his asking price could be scaring off the Capitals. Only time will tell, but suddenly the idea of one of the winningest coaches in NHL history hitting the free agent market is back in the realm of possibility.
Snapshots: Islanders, Gudlevskis, Lucic, Canadiens
The New York Islanders have made a coaching move, but not the anticipated one. Still lacking a head coach for his team, Lou Lamoriello has nevertheless made another change to the coaching staff, firing assistant Greg Cronin. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple confirmed the move, but added that no other coaching decisions have been made yet at the NHL or AHL level. Staple also had nothing to say about any of the motivations behind Cronin’s departure. Ironically, if Lamoriello was to tab Boston Bruins’ assistant Jay Pandolfo as his head coach, the Boston native Cronin would be an easy fix to replace him.
- The Islanders have struggled in net for too long and need to make a change at goalie. That all but rules out recycling any of their unrestricted free agent goaltenders. Jaroslav Halak, Christopher Gibson, and Kristers Gudlevskis are all set to hit the open market and of the three, Gudlevskis faces the lowest chances of finding employment again in the NHL. Once a highly-regarded prospect for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Gudlevskis play in the AHL simply never reached an elite level that would have warranted an extended look at the highest level. This past season, he performed poorly and was handily outplayed by Gibson. As such, he may not have many opportunities in North America next season. It is no surprise then that Latvian news outlet OlyBet reports that Gudlevksis has had preliminary talks with Dinamo Riga, the KHL team in his native country. Gudlevskis was brought up in the Riga junior ranks and even appeared in two games with the big league team before coming overseas. Gudlevskis has never returned to Europe since and his preference would likely be to stay in the NHL, but it would be a natural fit with Dinamo if the offers don’t come from NHL teams this summer.
- In today’s edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger have set the record straight about the trade market for Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic. It was previously believed that the Oilers were shopping Lucic in hopes of ridding themselves of his contract, but in speaking with several team executives, LeBrun and Dreger feel that is not the case. Instead, they have heard that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is seeking hockey trades rather than cap dump trades for Lucic. This would indicate that it is Lucic who has requested the trade and Edmonton is simply trying to oblige him.
- One team rumored to be in on Lucic is actually out, according to LeBrun. The Montreal Canadiens, who pursued the power forward and former Bruins enforcer vigorously when he initially hit free agency, were speculated to again be interested in acquiring Lucic. The Habs could use some size up front and Lucic shared a strong rapport with coach Claude Julien when the pair were in Boston. However, LeBrun states that they are definitively “out” on Lucic.
Washington Capitals Will Try To Bring Back Barry Trotz
Heading into the playoffs, there was a lot of talk of how Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz could be one of the biggest names on the free agent market this summer. Trotz is in the final year of his career with the Capitals, and has notoriously failed in the postseason despite excellent regular season records. Well, Trotz and the Capitals are failures no more in the playoffs after securing their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, and GM Brian MacLellan today told media including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press that the team will try to get an extension done with their head coach. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com adds that Trotz wants to come back and has already begun talking about a new contract.
Trotz, 55, already sits fifth on the all-time wins list among NHL coaches, but had a history of coming up short in the playoffs. While he still has a 55-58 record in the postseason, the Stanley Cup victory ensures that he’ll go down as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport when he decides to retire. Should he come back with the Capitals—or anyone else for that matter—next season, he’ll likely pass Al Arbour for fourth on the wins list and would pull close to Ken Hitchcock with another 50-win season. That expertise though would make him highly sought after on the open market, to the point where other teams may fire the incumbent to get him behind the bench.
The most interesting destination of course would be the New York Islanders, who recently fired head coach Doug Weight after just a single season on the job. While the New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes have already hired their replacements, several other coaches will enter the year on the hot seat. Trotz could be a potential replacement for any one of them, but only if the Capitals let him become a free agent this summer. While it sounds like they’ll try their best to extend him, you never know how negotiations will go. Should Trotz demand a contract similar to the ones given to Mike Babcock in Toronto or Joel Quenneville in Chicago, perhaps the Capitals decide that money could be better spent elsewhere.
After all, it wasn’t so long ago that the team was considering moving on from Trotz. Many believed that had he failed to accomplish the feat of winning a Stanley Cup this season—even if that meant losing game seven of the finals—he would not be returning to the team next year. Perhaps that will still happen, or Trotz will welcome a new challenge in a new city.
Eastern Notes: Matthews, Werenski, Skinner
After Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews changed agencies last week, the Maple Leafs are suddenly wondering what that means for them? After a turbulent offseason so far with their star player, which includes a poor playoff showing, two meetings with head coach Mike Babcock and an impending extension either this summer of next, there are suddenly more questions than ever, according to Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons.
Matthews switched from CAA to Orr Hockey Group, leaving behind super-agent Pat Brisson, who the Toronto franchise has had a great relationship with. While most franchises wouldn’t bat an eye when a player changes agencies, Matthews situation is different. Among those questions is whether the 20-year-old plans to stay loyal to the franchise. There have been plenty of questions raised about his rocky relationship with Babcock, which forced the coach to make two trips to Arizona to see Matthews this offseason. There are still questions about his future role as captain of the team and of course, how much money will his extension eventually get him? Will he demand the same money as Connor McDavid‘s eight year, $100MM deal?
- Brian Hedger of NHL.com interviewed Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about the shoulder injury and subsequent surgery that defenseman Zach Werenski went through this season. Evidently, Werenski suffered the shoulder injury on Oct. 30 and played through the pain all season. The 20-year-old blueliner played with a brace that seriously affected his movement all season and affected his season significantly. “When your arm moves, like, this much, it’s pretty hard, battling for loose pucks in the corner,” Kekalainen said. “It affects everything, and he didn’t ever complain or use it as an excuse. He just kept playing through it and playing through it, and now he’ll be healthy for next year.” Despite the injury, Werenski still had a career high 16 goals, although his total points dropped by 10 from his rookie campaign. After undergoing surgery in early May, Werenski is expected to be ready for the regular season, but could miss all or part of training camp.
- While there has been quite a bit of speculation surrounding Carolina Hurricanes winger Jeff Skinner this offseason already, don’t expect a trade too quickly, according to The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. General manager Don Waddell said neither Skinner, nor his agent Don Meehan, has been asked to waive Skinner’s no-movement clause, nor have they been asked to tell them what team he would be willing to accept a trade to. Skinner, who is entering his final year of his six-year, $34.4MM deal he signed back in 2012 with a no-movement clause that kicked in last season, has tallied 204 goals for Carolina in eight seasons, but hasn’t taken them to the playoffs yet.
Trotz Will Have Leverage Against Capitals In Contract Negotiations
Barry Trotz couldn’t be in a better position for a free agent.
The 2018-19 Stanley Cup Champion-winning coach accomplished that feat on an expiring contract and now becomes that rare free agent coach who should cash in on his success. While Trotz has said that he “absolutely” sees a future for himself in Washington next season after the team won the Stanley Cup on Thursday, he suddenly has all the power.
The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required) writes that Trotz is in rare company for a head coach as few great coaches hit the open market. Not only has he fared so well, but Washington was likely expected to move on from Trotz had the team been knocked out of the first round against the Blue Jackets. In fact, Custance writes that he was assigned to cover Game 3 of Washington’s first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Had the team lost in Columbus, he would have written a story about the end of Trotz’ tenure in Washington. It was believed that Trotz’ contract would not be renewed and the team had a plan to hire assistant coach Todd Reirden, who had one more year on his deal, as the new head coach. The fact that both Trotz and long-time assistant coach Lane Lambert were on their final year of their contract, only made the rumor seem more realistic.
If anything, that will only give Trotz more power to negotiate a new deal. In 2015, Mike Babcock was in a similar situation as Detroit, San Jose, Toronto and Buffalo all were bidding on bringing Babcock aboard. However, Trotz’s situation has some differences. There aren’t many openings for Trotz to choose from now as most teams have found their head coach. In fact there is just one coaching opening remaining (besides the Capitals) — the New York Islanders. Would Trotz consider leaving Washington to join up with Lou Lamoriello?
Custance writes that Trotz’ salary will not likely compare to Babcock’s eight-year, $50MM contract he signed with Toronto. However, he believes that at a minimum, Trotz should be able to make $4MM per year and if the Islanders really want the veteran coach, maybe higher.
Regardless, Trotz is likely to take a few days to enjoy the moment before he begins negotiating. Will he be negotiating with one team or two?
Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars
Free agency is now a little 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. Here is a breakdown of Dallas’ free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Mattias Janmark — No one was sure how Janmark would respond after missing the 2016-17 season with a knee injury, but the 25-year-old took that next step in his development with a solid season for the Stars this season. No longer hampered by a degenerative knee condition, Janmark put up 19 goals and 34 points this season and found himself on the team’s second line by the end of the season.
The question is what is the young forward worth after a bounce-back season? A quality two-way forward, he has forced his way up the lineup this year, often playing big units for a struggling offense. However, with the season he’s had, don’t be shocked if Janmark has some leverage going into negotiations this summer.
F Devin Shore — Considered to be a key piece for the Stars youth movement, Shore had a solid season as a bottom-line forward as he saw his ice time increase by over a minute between the last two years. The 23-year-old put up 11 goals and 32 points last year, but also had 125 shots and 71 hits on the year. The only down side about Shore’s season is his minus-30 plus-minus ratio, way down from a year ago on a team that was better offensively this season.
Other RFA’s: F Jason Dickinson, G Philippe Desrosiers, F Remi Elie, D Dillon Heatherington, D Stephen Johns, F Gemel Smith, F Cole Ully.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Greg Pateryn — Despite a career so far serving as a team’s seventh defensemen, Pateryn found a full-time role with Dallas in 2017-18. The 27-year-old blueliner found his way into the Stars packed defensive lineup and earned the key role as a shutdown defender alongside Dan Hamhuis and often led the team in minutes played. While just posting 13 points in 73 games, Pateryn was quite invaluable and likely can get a big raise as an unrestricted free agent next season.
However, would Dallas consider bringing him back? A favorite of Ken Hitchcock doesn’t necessarily mean that Jim Montgomery would be willing to give him the same role. On top of that, Dallas has more young defenders than ever with John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Johns, Julius Honka and the addition of last year’s first-round pick Miro Heiskanen. Is there a full-time role for Pateryn or would he be better off looking for a bigger role elsewhere?
Other RFA’s: D Andrew Bodnarchuk, F Brian Flynn, D Dan Hamhuis, G Kari Lehtonen, G Mike McKenna, F Curtis McKenzie, D Andrew O’Brien, D Brent Regner, F Antoine Roussel, D Reece Scarlett.
Projected Cap Space: With $17.6MM in available cap space (not including the possibility of the cap increasing), the Stars have some cap space and few major commitments to their own free agents. After wading deep into the free agent market a year ago when they signed Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal, which had mixed results, the team could consider making another run at another forward as that is where the team needs the most depth.
Of course, the Stars top priority will be to extend star Tyler Seguin this offseason, which will have a huge impact on the team’s future. However, the team could use a quality winger such as James van Riemsdyk, James Neal or David Perron on their second line, which the team needs to rebuild for the coming season.
Snapshots: Fleury, Trotz, Lucic
Among the many players that are eligible to sign contract extensions next month is Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He wasted little time making his preference known, telling reporters, including Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun, that he’s hoping to stick around beyond next season:
“Vegas has given me this opportunity to do what I love, and I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. Hopefully I can finish my career here.”
The 33-year-old will enter the final year of his contract in 2018-19 with a $5.75MM cap charge. His first season with the Golden Knights was certainly a memorable one as he posted a 2.24 GAA and a .927 SV% in 46 regular season games while putting up identical numbers in 20 postseason starts. If he can put up comparable numbers next season, Fleury may be lining himself up for a nice raise on his next deal.
Elsewhere around the league:
- There has been plenty of discussion surrounding Capitals head coach Barry Trotz who is without a contract for next season. Speaking following their win on Thursday, GM Brian MacLellan stated that Trotz wanted to be back, then he would be back. Trotz told reporters, including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, that he “absolutely” sees a future for himself in Washington. He plans to take a couple of days to enjoy the Stanley Cup victory and then start discussing a new deal. One team that will certainly be keeping an eye on how talks go is the Islanders who now have a head coaching vacancy of their own to fill.
- Following a report from Thursday that suggested that the Oilers were looking to move on from winger Milan Lucic, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal believes that there may be a taker for him around the league, even if it does require some sort of inducement to get someone to take the 30-year-old. He points out that there are always teams who value size and grit and the success of Washington’s Tom Wilson in the postseason certainly shows that there is still a place for those types of players in the league. If a trade involving Lucic was to happen, it seems reasonable to think that it would occur after July 1st as he is due a $3.5MM signing bonus on that date.
Washington Capitals Win 2018 Stanley Cup Championship
For the first time in 44 years, the Washington Capitals are Stanley Cup champions. The 1974 expansion team won the first title in franchise history with a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five. The long-suffering fan base that has seen more President’s Trophies than Conference Championships in the team’s history can finally breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate their team getting over the hump. The Stanley Cup belongs to the Capitals in 2018.
Leading the charge for Washington in the postseason and in the deciding game was of course Alex Ovechkin. The franchise leader in scoring fittingly led the team in playoff goal scoring and set the franchise record for goals in a playoff by notching his 15th en route to a win the first title in franchise history. Evgeny Kuznetsov led the team with 32 points in the postseason, adding an assist in Game Five and leading all forwards in ice time. Lars Eller potted the game-winning goal mid-way through the third period to cap off an excellent postseason in which he took his game to the next level and was a clutch presence for the Capitals. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the play of goaltender Braden Holtby, who won back the starter’s job early in the postseason after a tough regular season and went on to make brilliant save after brilliant save these past month, especially in the Final. Not to be forgotten are key contributors like long-time Capitals Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Jay Beagle, T.J. Oshie, Matt Niskanen, and Brooks Orpik among others. Head coach Barry Trotz should also be commended for his excellent work and on a career that, like his superstar forward, has always lacked one thing: a title. Not anymore, as Trotz and the Caps are champs.
However, this win is also about the players that came before this team who have long waited for a title to come to Washington. Peter Bondra, Mike Gartner, Dale Hunter, Olaf Kolzig and others can all enjoy what this team has accomplished and what the last four decades have led to.
The achievements of George McPhee, Gerard Gallant, and Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team in their inaugural season, cannot possibly be overstated. Yet, this franchise has a bright future and is unlikely to have a long wait for their own title. Washington fans had waited long enough. After 44 years, the Washington Capitals are champs and D.C. is a title town once again after 26 years.
Poll: New York Islanders’ Next Head Coach
When Lou Lamoriello cleaned house this week, firing Islanders GM Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight, it became very clear that the legendary executive was in total control in New York and has a plan to turn the franchise around. That plan now includes hiring a new head coach, which is admittedly more difficult to do at this point in the off-season, but there will still be plenty of willing applicants for the job. However, Lamoriello will turn 76 this year and this is almost surely his last hurrah as the architect of a franchise. As such, the candidates for the Isles’ head coaching vacancy will be limited. Lamoriello seems unlikely to hire a first-time head coach or a more out-of-the-box option. He is likely looking at experienced, veteran coaches and those that the knows and trusts. Here are some of the names who could be considered as the the next head coach of the Islanders:
Barry Trotz: It has already been revealed that the Isles have interest in Trotz if he becomes a free agent after the Stanley Cup Final. The veteran coach does not have a contract in place with the Washington Capitals for next season and could decide to move on, either for more money or a new challenge after potentially winning the Cup. It seems more likely that Trotz returns to the Caps, but Lamoriello would work quickly to lock him up if he chooses otherwise.
Alain Vigneault: Could Vigneault remain in New York after all? The former New York Rangers coach has extensive NHL experience and an all-around good track record of winning with several franchises. He would be a safe pick for Lamoriello as a wise and innovative mind behind the bench. The only knock on Vigneault, like many older coaches, is that he has the reputation of struggling with younger players. There are certainly some promising young athletes on the Islanders’ roster, but one would think that Lamoriello is leaning toward taking the team in a more veteran-centric route anyway.
Brent Sutter: A hiring that would go a long way with lifelong Islanders fans, the former New York captain brings nearly 20 years of NHL playing experience and another five seasons as an NHL head coach to the table. Sutter hasn’t been a coach in the NHL since his time with the Calgary Flames from 2009 to 2012, but in the meantime has been the coach and GM of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. An experienced hockey mind in many ways, Sutter is more than qualified for the job. Add in that Sutter’s most successful seasons as an NHL head coach were with Lamoriello’s Devils and he may in fact be a top candidate. He could even boost his value further if he can bring in brother Darryl Sutter as an assistant.
Sheldon Keefe: Keefe’s name has been a popular one on the coaching market for more than a year now. The head coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Keefe is currently competing for a Calder Cup to add to an already impressive minor league resume. Although the 37-year-old lacks NHL coaching experience, he knows Lamoriello through the Maple Leafs and perhaps no one has a better idea of his coaching ability than the former Toronto GM.
Jay Pandolfo: A Boston Bruins assistant and a long-time Devil during Lamoriello’s reign in New Jersey, Pandolfo is well-regarded among coaches and players. Recently a finalist for one of the biggest jobs in college hockey at Boston University, Pandolfo is searching for more responsibility, as he did as a player and locker room leader with the Devils. Lamoriello may be the man to give it to him. If Pandolfo can convince Anton Khudobin, one of the top goalies in a weak market, to follow him, that only helps his case.
John Madden: The current coach of the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and a former assistant with the Florida Panthers, Madden was also once a two-way star with Lamoriello’s Devils as well and has an innate understanding of balanced play. Madden hasn’t had noteworthy success as a coach just yet, but seems destined to be a successful NHL coach someday. It would be easy to see Lamoriello trying to get to Madden before his stock rises.
Scott Stevens: It’s unknown if Stevens is open to returning to coaching after resigning from his role as an assistant with the Minnesota Wild in 2017 to take a TV job and spend more time with his family. If he is, Lamoriello could certainly kick the tires on his former star defenseman in New Jersey. Stevens served as an assistant with the Devils for three years prior to moving on to Minnesota and brings a greater understanding of the defensive aspects of the game than perhaps anyone else on this list.
So, who will Lamoriello choose to lead the Islanders into a brighter future?