Mackenzie Blackwood Still Expected To Play Before Season Ends
The New Jersey Devils need a goalie. The team has received an .883 save percentage this season, better than only the Seattle Kraken’s .881. Currently, they’re rolling with a tandem of Andrew Hammond and Jon Gillies that have 94 NHL games between them, despite being 34 and 28 years old respectively. Earlier this month, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet put it clearly on the 32 Thoughts podcast:
They’re going to have to find a goalie. They’re really going to have to find a goalie. What the Devils are selling to their fans, and some of their players, and they’ve said it publicly to the media is: ‘our underlying numbers say we’re a better team. We just can’t stop the puck.’ Well you can’t keep coming with that narrative.
Friedman goes on to note that Mackenzie Blackwood‘s injuries this season have been an important part of the disappointing season that has taken place. The young netminder was on Team Canada’s long list for the Olympics at the start of the season and looked like the obvious choice long-term in the Devils’ net. The Sportsnet insider goes on to explain that maybe it is time for a fresh start somewhere else, though that would certainly not solve the issues in New Jersey moving forward.
That’s what makes the last few games of the season so interesting for the Devils, and Blackwood in particular. Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including Mike Morreale of NHL.com again today that the plan is still to get Blackwood back into a few games before the end of the year. New Jersey has just six games left including tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, and has Blackwood still listed as day-to-day, though he did appear at the optional morning skate today.
Is there a chance that the Blackwood-Jonathan Bernier tandem return for 2022-23? Sure, as they are both signed through next season before being scheduled for free agency in the summer (RFA status for the former). But there will also be a strong desire to take a big step forward for the Devils next season, given how well some players have performed. Jesper Bratt recorded his 70th point of the season a few days ago, Nico Hischier has a career-high with 58 points, and Jack Hughes (when healthy) has looked every bit the first-overall pick. The team can’t be let down by bad goaltending again, not while they’re investing so much into free agents like Dougie Hamilton to try and contend for the playoffs.
While both Nico Daws and Akira Schmid saw NHL action and look like promising prospects, it’s hard to trust a pair of 21-year-olds who recorded .893 and .833 save percentages. Gillies and Hammond haven’t done much better, and are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year.
So while games at the end of a bad season rarely mean much of anything, Blackwood’s return would be significant.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Morning Notes: Strome, Coaches, Matthews
The Chicago Blackhawks have lots of decisions to make this summer as general manager Kyle Davidson continues his tear down and rebuild of the struggling organization. One of the biggest–outside of the obvious Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane question–is what to do with Dylan Strome. The 25-year-old is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent and has taken off in the last half of the season, setting a new career-high in goals with 21 and playing more than 20 minutes in 17 of his last 21 games.
That doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back, though, as Mark Lazerus of The Athletic writes today. Lazerus notes that team sources are “lukewarm at best” about bringing Strome back, a player that the organization tried to trade for well over a year at one point. Perhaps Strome’s run on the top line will help bring that trade to fruition, though the uncertainty of his arbitration award certainly makes it more complicated.
- Meanwhile, the coach that brought Strome back from the dead this season is also facing an uncertain future. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes today, it is “no slam dunk” that Derek King returns as head coach of the Blackhawks next season, despite some success since he took over on an interim basis. King was brought up from the Rockford IceHogs and is in his first stint as a coach in the NHL. Davidson told LeBrun that the team will address the coaching situation in the offseason, the same answer many managers gave him when he was looking at all of the expiring deals around the league. While names like Jay Woodcroft and Andrew Brunette seem like obvious extensions, things aren’t so clear in places like Winnipeg and Philadelphia, where success hasn’t followed the midseason changes.
- Auston Matthews is closing in on a return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, after joining the main group for morning skate today. The Maple Leafs will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a potential preview of the first round, and would obviously like to have their superstar in the lineup, but he’ll miss a third straight game with an undisclosed injury. Matthews has some history of his own to chase, as he tries to become just the third player since the 2004-05 lockout to score 60 goals. Only Alex Ovechkin (65 in 2007-08) and Steven Stamkos (60 in 2011-12) have accomplished that feat, and the big Toronto center needs just two more to hit the mark.
Snapshots: Byron, Team Canada, Perbix
Paul Byron can’t catch a break. The veteran forward has been limited to just 26 games this season due to injury. While many of these absences came while Byron was recovering from hip surgery, he has continued to be in and out of the lineup ever since he returned. The Montreal Canadiens announced that he was returning to the lineup on Tuesday night – but the return was short-lived. Less than two periods into the game, the Habs revealed that Byron has left the game and would not return due to a lower-body injury. Its unclear if this is another new injury or a reoccurrence of his hip issue. Either way, with just five games remaining in a lost season, it might be time for Montreal to simply shut Byron down for the year. Byron has one year remaining on his contract and will be back with the Canadiens in 2022-23 if he isn’t traded or bought out.
- The Canadian entry into the upcoming IIHF World Championship may look very familiar to the fans of a Canadian NHL team. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that Senators head coach D.J. Smith, who will be an assistant for Team Canada, has recruited several of his star players to join the tournament. If healthy, Drake Batherson, Connor Brown, and Thomas Chabot will suit up for Canada. Health is a question though; Chabot is currently on the injured reserve with a fractured hand and Batherson and Brown have both missed time due to injury this season and may not rush to play extra games if those issues flare up.
- Another notable name has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Defenseman Jack Perbix, an Anaheim Ducks fourth-round pick in 2018, is leaving the University of Minnesota. Most would have expected that if Perbix was leaving the Gophers, it would be for the NHL. Older brother Nick Perbix, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, signed his entry level contract last month after four years at St. Cloud State University. Rather than follow suit, Jack will instead stay in college for his senior year but will don a different jersey and have a different name on his degree.
Claude Julien To Lead Team Canada At World Championship
4:30pm: The coaching staff has now been officially announced by Hockey Canada, along with the management staff consisting of Shane Doan, Rick Nash, and Scott Salmond. Doan and Nash won gold together at the event as players in 2007 and competed several other times together over the years.
10:40am: One way to get your name back into NHL coaching circles is to lead at an international tournament, and that appears to be the plan for Claude Julien. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Julien will be named head coach of Team Canada for the upcoming IIHF World Championship, while Claire Hanna of TSN adds that D.J. Smith will be an assistant. The staff will be rounded out by Andre Tourigny, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
Julien, 61, was also the head coach of the recent Olympic squad for Hockey Canada, though he did miss part of the tournament due to an injury of his own. The veteran coach has been the bench boss of three different NHL organizations, leading the Montreal Canadiens on multiple occasions, most recently in the 2020-21 season. He was fired partway through that year, and has been on the sidelines since, waiting for another opportunity.
He’ll be joined by Smith, the head coach of the Ottawa Senators, and Tourigny, the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes. Both have some experience coaching at international events, with Tourigny assisting at last year’s World Championship that saw Canada win gold.
You can expect several players from the Coyotes and Senators to be involved, when the tournament gets underway next month. Connor Brown led last year’s event in scoring with 16 points in 10 games and would be a lock if he chooses to attend. Jack McBain of the Coyotes played at the recent Olympics under Julien and could be another option, while Drake Batherson could be a lead figure.
The event begins for Team Canada on May 13 with a preliminary round game against Germany.
West Notes: Gaudreau, Hynes, Perunovich
The Flames are facing an interesting cap crunch for next season. Matthew Tkachuk is owed a $9MM qualifying offer, Andrew Mangiapane’s 31 goals plus arbitration eligibility has him looking at a sizable raise, and top scorer Johnny Gaudreau is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen tried to peg where Gaudreau’s price tag should be on his next deal, suggesting an $8.5MM AAV could be the right fit for him and Calgary which would represent a $1.75MM jump on his current cap hit. The 28-year-old is in the middle of a career year that sees him with 101 points in 74 games but with only mild salary cap increases coming over the next couple of seasons, it’s possible that it limits Gaudreau’s leverage if he tries to aim closer to the $10MM mark.
More from the West:
- Discussions on a new contract for Predators head coach John Hynes won’t begin until the season is over, reports Adam Vingan of The Athletic (subscription link). Nashville has played to an 89-61-8 record since he took over partway through the 2019-20 season so there’s little reason to think a coaching change is on the horizon. The Preds have a team option for next season which would likely be exercised if the two sides are unable to reach an agreement on a longer-term deal.
- Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich has resumed skating, relays Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The youngster underwent wrist surgery in early March and is expected to be re-evaluated at the eight-week mark. We’re still a little more than two weeks away from that point so he’s still a long way from being cleared to return to the lineup for the playoffs. In 19 games this season, the rookie has six assists while averaging 15:27 of ice time per contest.
Injury Notes: MacEachern, Bruins, Flyers
The regular season is over for Mackenzie MacEachern, but fortunately his Blues are planning to play well beyond then. The team announced today that MacEachern has been placed on the Long-Term Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury. The LTIR placement requires that MacEachern sit for ten games and the Blues have just eight games left on the regular season slate. The 27-year-old forward did his best to stay off the shelf; after missing the past three games, MacEachern was back at practice today but was forced to leave early, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The cap-strapped Blues had little choice but to add MacEachern to the LTIR and recall forward Dakota Joshua from AHL Springfield on an emergency basis. The swap actually adds the superior player to the roster, as Joshua has more games played, average time on ice, goals, points, plus/minus and more with the Blues this season.
- It took injuries to David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo, and Linus Ullmark to send the Boston Bruins into their first three-game losing streak of the season, the final team in the NHL to fall in three straight this year. As the team looks to right the ship on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’re hoping that improved health could help. Grzelcyk was back in the lineup on Thursday night and defense partner could be the next to return, reports beat writer Eric Russo. Carlo was back at practice on Friday and there is optimism that he can return tomorrow from an undisclosed injury. Ullmark, who left Thursday’s game after the first period, did not practice and could be dealing with a concussion, but for now is considered day-to-day. Pastrnak and Lindholm skated by themselves on Friday and there is still no timetable for their return. While there is something to be said for being bit by the injury bug before the postseason, especially for a Boston team that has been decimated in the playoffs in recent years, this rough patch is potentially costing the Bruins their shot at divisional playoff berth as opposed to a wild card spot.
- The Philadelphia Flyers had no update on injured defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen today, as it is looking increasingly likely that his season is over. Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays that head coach Mike Yeo does not expect Ristolainen to return “any time soon” from an upper-body injury. There was also no update on Cam York, who is out with a lower-body injury and considered day-to-day. There is slightly more optimism surrounding Cam Atkinson, who is also out with a lower-body ailment. Atkinson won’t play on Saturday at Buffalo, but could suit up on Sunday for the second game of the home-and-home with the Sabres.
Canucks Notes: Boudreau, Horvat, Karlsson
Bruce Boudreau’s future in Vancouver has been a frequent talking point in recent weeks with the Canucks holding a team option on his contract for next season and a different management group in place since the bench boss was hired. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports in the latest Insider Trading segment that there’s a strong chance the 67-year-old will be retained. He certainly has earned another opportunity with the team posting a 29-13-8 record since he took over to at least have an outside shot at making the playoffs. However, a final decision won’t come until after the season the team does a full organizational review so it will be a few more weeks at least before anything is made official on that front.
More from Vancouver:
- While center Bo Horvat left Thursday’s victory against Arizona after taking a shot off his leg, Boudreau told reporters including Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston that the decision to keep him out of the game was precautionary with Vancouver holding a lead at the time. However, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre adds (Twitter link) that the captain isn’t expected to play in their next game on Monday and is listed as out day-to-day.
- Canucks prospect forward Linus Karlsson will be joining the Swedish National Team in preparation for the upcoming World Championships, notes Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link). The 2018 third-rounder impressed in his first SHL season, tallying 26 goals and 20 assists in 52 games. He has to sign his entry-level deal by June 1st or Vancouver will lose his rights. Worth noting is that Karlsson is already under contract with Skelleftea for next season but that wouldn’t prevent him from signing an NHL contract.
USA Hockey Announces 2022 World Championship Coaching Staff
The IIHF World Championship will begin next month in Finland, and former New York Rangers head coach David Quinn is set to lead the U.S. squad. Today, his staff has been announced, with Jeff Blashill of the Detroit Red Wings, Don Granato of the Buffalo Sabres, and Mike Hastings from Minnesota State University joining as assistants.
Blashill, head coach of the Red Wings for the last seven years, was actually head coach of the men’s national team at three previous World Championships. He also has experience with USA Hockey at the U18 and U20 levels and stops in both the AHL and NCAA. Several players that he is familiar with, including most prominently Dylan Larkin, could be in play for the U.S. at the event, as the Red Wings are set to miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
Granato, who took over as the head coach of the Sabres last season, has received many accolades for his work turning the team around. While they won’t reach the playoffs this year, huge developmental steps have been taken from several players. One of those is Tage Thompson, who could play a significant role if selected for the U.S. squad, along with several of his Sabres teammates.
Hastings meanwhile is the lone assistant from outside of the NHL, coming to the Worlds after leading his Minnesota State Mavericks all the way to the national championship game this year. Hastings has been with the program for a decade and helped turn it into one of the most dominant teams in the NCAA, posting winning percentages above .800 in each of the last three years. Nathan Smith, the Mavericks standout who recently debuted with the Arizona Coyotes seems a likely candidate for the team if they so choose, after his outstanding junior season. Dryden McKay, winner of the Hobey Baker and a Mavericks legend, could also be in the mix, depending on the team’s goaltending situation.
The tournament begins on May 13 in Tampere and Helsinki.
Anaheim Ducks Expected To Retain Dallas Eakins
At the end of this season, the three-year contract that Dallas Eakins signed as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks in 2019 will expire. With the team now under new management after hiring general manager Pat Verbeek earlier this year, some questioned whether Eakins would be retained. Elliott Teaford of the OC Register reports that the team is expected to retain Eakins for at least one more season, with Verbeek set to clarify the situation this week. The Athletic has also reported that the Ducks coach will be back in 2022-23, and notes that the original deal may have contained an option for a fourth year.
Eakins, 55, has been with the Ducks organization since 2015, first serving as head coach of the San Diego Gulls for four seasons before taking over behind the Anaheim bench in 2019. During his time at the NHL level, the team has had middling results, though the development of players like Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and especially Troy Terry has been celebrated.
Once a rising star in the coaching ranks, expected to have a long, successful career, Eakins’ first chance behind the bench of an NHL team didn’t go well. In 2013 he was hired as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, a team loaded with young talent that included the 25-and-under group of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, David Perron, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sam Gagner, Justin Schultz, Nail Yakupov, and Jeff Petry. Things almost immediately went south, and after missing the playoffs badly in his first year, Eakins was dismissed just 31 games into his second season with the Oilers.
Again, though, he showed he could get outstanding results at the AHL level, taking the Gulls to the playoffs three times and winning four total playoff rounds. When Randy Carlyle was fired by the Ducks in 2019, Eakins became an obvious choice to replace him after paying his dues at the minor league level. Still, the organization took its time and interviewed several other candidates before eventually handing him the job.
Now, after some early success this season, the Ducks once again find themselves well below .500 and outside the playoff picture. They sold off several key players at the deadline and will lose captain Ryan Getzlaf at the end of the year to retirement. There should be a ton of pressure on Eakins and the team to take another step forward next season, especially if his contract is only extended by one year.
Snapshots: Bowness, Power, Wheeler, LaCombe
Earlier this month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that Stars head coach Rick Bowness had a team option for next season on his contract. However, in his latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Friedman clarified that this is not the case; instead, his contract is simply expiring following this season. Dallas finds itself right in the thick of the battle for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference and how they fare on that front will likely go a long way in shaping what direction the team wants to go. That said, Bowness is 67 so there is a chance that he may not want to continue on in a top role anyway. With no team option on his deal, there’s a real possibility that whatever direction they go winds up being a mutual decision.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- While Owen Power wasn’t in the lineup for the Sabres, the team plans to have the 2021 top pick make his NHL debut on Tuesday on Tuesday against Toronto, notes Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. That will allow the defenseman to get a full practice in with the team instead of going directly from Michigan to Buffalo’s lineup. Power suggested he might get an opportunity to see some time on his off-side over their final few games as they will evaluate his ability to play on the right.
- Jets winger Blake Wheeler won’t play in tonight’s game in Ottawa and is listed as doubtful for tomorrow in Montreal due to his upper-body injury, relays Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The captain has been quite productive since the start of February, collecting 34 points in 30 games and his absence certainly isn’t helping Winnipeg’s quickly-decreasing chances of getting into the final playoff spot in the West.
- While the Ducks signed a key college prospect today when they inked Blake McLaughin, another of their NCAA prospects is still deciding whether he should turn pro or stay in school. Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that defenseman Jackson LaCombe will likely need a few more days to decide if he’s going to return for his senior season with Minnesota. The 21-year-old was a second-round pick of Anaheim back in 2019 (39th overall) and had 30 points in 39 games with the Golden Gophers this season.