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Nashville Predators Hire Dan Lambert

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The Nashville Predators have hired Dan Lambert as an assistant coach, adding him to Peter Laviolette’s group for the 2019-20 season. Lambert spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, where he amassed a record of 81-46-13. Predators GM David Poile had this to say about his new coach:

Dan is an experienced, passionate coach and will nicely round out our coaching staff in 2019-20 and beyond. Having enjoyed a lengthy career as a player and now a coach, he has had success at every level running the power play, and we look forward to adding his knowledge and insight in this area to the organization.

Lambert, 49, was named to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence last month and was set to serve as head coach for the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. It’s not clear if he’ll still take on that role, but it goes to show just how he is perceived as an up-and-coming coach in the hockey world. Finishing a long professional career in 2009, he jumped right onto the bench of the Kelowna Rockets as an assistant, only to take over as head coach a few years later and win a WHL Championship. He jumped to the NHL after that with the Buffalo Sabres, and took over as head coach of the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 2016-17.

As a player, Lambert put up huge point totals in his career including a 102-point season in the WHL and an 87-point season in the IHL. As a coach with the Rockets, he helped develop NHL defensemen like Damon Severson, Madison Bowey, Josh Morrissey, and Tyson Barrie. That’s the exact type of development he’ll likely be asked to accomplish in Nashville, where the team already has an incredible defense corps but also a player like Dante Fabbro who the organization expects big things of. Lambert is also known as a powerplay specialist, something the Predators have struggled with for some time.

Florida Panthers Announce Full Coaching Staff

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The Florida Panthers will have a new group behind the bench next season, led by legendary coach Joel Quenneville. Beside him will be some familiar faces, as the team announced today that Mike Kitchen, Andrew Brunette and Derek MacKenzie will serve as assistants in 2019-20. Robb Tallas will continue as Panthers goaltending coach.

This group is a bit of old and new for Quenneville, as he brings back long-time assistant Kitchen who worked with him both in St. Louis and Chicago, while also adding two newcomers to the coaching world.

Brunette, 45, spent several years in the Minnesota Wild organization after retirement, filling various roles including coach for a very short period. His stint in Florida though will represent his real first test as he tries to transition fully into the coaching circuit. A veteran player with more than 1,100 games of NHL experience, Brunette played for Quenneville on more than one occasion and developed a friendship that has lasted since his retirement. Quenneville called him a “bright, young hockey mind” in the press release today.

MacKenzie meanwhile will move directly into coaching after retiring just this year. The 37-year old served as captain of the Panthers for several years before finally giving up the “C” to Aleksander Barkov this season, due to an injury that would end his career. He played just a single game for Florida in 2018-19, and will finish with 611 in his career. Still, MacKenzie has long been ticketed for the bench. The veteran forward has been lauded for his leadership abilities throughout his career and can help young players as they transition from top scorers in junior to role players in the NHL, as he did so many years ago.

Los Angeles Kings Contemplating Buying Out Dion Phaneuf

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With a rebuild on the horizon, the Los Angeles Kings must find a way to open up roster space as well as salary cap room to take their next step under new head coach Todd McLellan. One potential contract that has come under scrutiny recently is that of Dion Phaneuf. In fact, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said late Saturday night that the Kings are considering buying out the veteran defenseman:

Other options that the L.A. Kings have is buying out Dion Phaneuf. He’s got two years left at $12 million. That would get him $8 million over the next four years and a chance to get back into unrestricted free agency on July 1.

Phaneuf signed a seven-year, $49MM contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013, but the 34-year-old saw his play take a huge drop this season as he played in 67 games with just one goal and six points for the year. He received the first healthy scratch of his career in February and saw his ATOI drop from almost 20 minutes per game to 15. At $7MM per year for another two years, the team might be ready to move on from the veteran. While the team would see significant cap relief this year with a buyout as their cap hit would only be $2.92MM, the team would still have a considerable hit at $5.42MM next season as well as a $1.42MM in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The Kings have a number of veterans on their blue line, including Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort, although there has been talk that L.A. may opt to move Martinez as he is likely the team’s top trade chip if they want to upgrade their team. On top of that, the Kings may be ready to give some of its younger players more significant minutes this coming season. The team has a number of interesting players who could be ready, including Sean Walker, Paul Ladue, Kurtis MacDermid, Matt Roy, Kale Clague, former college stars Daniel Brickley and Michael Anderson, as well as recently acquired Sean Durzi, who dominated at the Memorial Cup last week.

 

 

Ducks Expected To Interview Scott Sandelin For Head Coaching Position

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While many people believed that the Anaheim Ducks head coach position would automatically go to their AHL coach, Dallas Eakins, once the San Diego Gulls were eliminated, general manager Bob Murray has made it clear that he intends to interview a number of candidates for the job. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Murray is interested in interviewing Eakins, New York Islanders’ assistant coach Lane Lambert, Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent, and Dallas Stars assistant coach Todd Nelson.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds another name to the list as he reports that the Ducks also plan to interview University of Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin for the job as well. Sandelin, who has taken his team to the National Championship Game three straight times and has won the NCAA title in two straight seasons, might be open to leaving Minnesota-Duluth after this run of success.

Sandelin, who played 25 games in the NHL over the course of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and the Minnesota North Stars, has spent 19 seasons as head coach of Minnesota-Duluth, compiling a 369-310-87 record. He was recently named the head coach of Team USA for the 2020 U-20 World Junior Championships. However, that didn’t stop David Quinn from still accepting an NHL offer from the New York Rangers last off-season and Sandelin would be no different.

Philadelphia Flyers Expected To Be Aggressive This Offseason

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After a disappointing 2018-19 season, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in a situation in which they have many pieces that could make them a playoff team, but not enough to actually take that next step. The franchise, who many thought would be a playoff contender last year, instead struggled out of the gate, before both general manager Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol lost their jobs and the team limped to a disappointing finish.

The Flyers, now under the control of new general manager Chuck Fletcher, are ready to make their next move and upgrade their team for a playoff run, according to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. The team has $33.4MM in cap space available to them and, while they do have some restricted free agents they must sign (including Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim), they still should have quite a bit of cap space to make key moves. Rumors also suggest the team may be willing to move defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere in the right deal to add more scoring and a second-line center. Fletcher tells Kimelman that, one way or another, the team will be aggressive this summer:

I think we’re going to be very aggressive in the trade and free agent markets in the sense of looking into every possible situation that can help us. The unfortunate part is the vast majority of things you look into don’t work out. … So we’re going to be very aggressive in trying to fill the holes we feel we have. I don’t know if I can say we’ll be able to fill all of them.

However, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi added today that the team would be willing to move their first-round pick, if it means filling all of those holes, and that Fletcher has already been listening to offers. “If we can get a good player at the right stage of his career and with some term left on his contract, we’d certainly look at it,” Fletcher said, while adding that if they don’t get the right offer, they’d be happy to keep the pick.

If the team cannot pull off a big trade, Fletcher has said the team would be more than willing to bring in veteran players on short-term deals. The other option would be to allow some of their top young prospects to earn their way into the lineup a little quicker than originally anticipated. The team does have a number of interesting prospects, including forwards Morgan Frost, Isaac Ratcliffe, and Joel Farabee, who will all be turning pro this season. Fletcher feels that this depth of young talent could be ready to make a difference this year, if necessary:

[The young players] certainly could be [roster options]. I think the odds would be against them making our team coming out of camp. But I don’t like cutting players before training camp. I say that because I think our expectation is we’ll find a player or two to come in. For 20-year-old kids, in Farabee’s case 19, to get some playing time in the [American Hockey League] is always a preferable option. But if they come in and they earn it, and there’s been players every year that seem to do it around the league, then certainly we won’t hold them back.

Florida Panthers Intend To Upgrade Their Defense

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Although there is plenty of conversation when it comes to the Florida Panthers and new head coach Joel Quenneville trying to bring aboard top free agents like goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Artemi Panarin, there hasn’t been nearly as much attention put to Quenneville’s other task, which is to fix the Panthers’ defense. While there could be quite a bit of personnel changes, The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) writes that one thing that is certain is that the team is going to be looking for a new top-four defenseman.

Last season, the Panthers had one of the worst defenses in the league after allowing 273 goals, the fourth highest total in the league. The team also led the league in turnovers. Four goaltenders took the ice for Florida as well and all four, including starter Roberto Luongo finished with a GAA over 3.00, while James Reimer finished with the best save percentage of the bunch at .900. Even if the sloppy puck movement and poor goaltending can be remedied by other additions, much of the team’s success will rely on Quenneville putting in a new defensive system, as he has historically run a more simplified style that forces defensemen to play a stricter and tighter game and be less involved in the offense. GM Dale Tallon commented on the benefits to Quenneville’s defensive style:

We had a lot of bad habits and have a lot of things we need to change. Team defense is important, and the forwards have to buy into that as well. That’s something I think Q will definitely address. There are going to be changes made, that is for sure.

Beyond just strategic changes, Florida will need to boost their defensive personnel. The team has three top-four defensemen under contract long-term in Aaron Ekblad (six years at $7.5MM), Mike Matheson (seven years at $4.9MM) and Keith Yandle (four years at $6.35MM). All three are pretty much untradeable even if the team wanted to move them. However, the final spot in the top four is up for grabs. Mark Pysyk has failed to show he can be an effective fit in that role and now enters the final year of his contract at $2.73MM, making him an intriguing trade chip. RFA’s MacKenzie Weegar and Ian McCoshen are also unlikely to be top-four candidates. As such, the team will be forced to either look to sign a defenseman off the free agent market or could try to pull off a trade to strengthen their blue line. Tallon will likely seek a more defensive-minded veteran to fit Quenneville’s scheme.

 

Toronto, Los Angeles Discussed Patrick Marleau Trade

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Even while the Stanley Cup Final is still happening, this time of year brings plenty of interesting trade speculation. Today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweeted that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings have discussed a potential Patrick Marleau trade, though they haven’t been able to find a fit yet. Marleau has a full no-movement clause and can decide his future, though LeBrun points out the connection he has to new Kings head coach Todd McLellan from their days in San Jose.

Marleau, 39, saw his production decline severely this season, posting his lowest goal total since he was an 18-year old rookie in 1997-98. Those 16 tallies and 37 points were a disappointing result for the legendary forward, who continued his iron man streak and has now completed ten straight seasons without missing a game. Still, he is looked to as an important leader for the Maple Leafs and has been leaned on by head coach Mike Babcock in important situations. His defensive responsibility is still there, and the Maple Leafs have even used him at center sporadically when necessary.

Even with all that however, a trip to the west coast certainly wouldn’t be about improving the Kings roster for next season. Los Angeles is in the early stages of a rebuild, and would likely only entertain the idea of a Marleau trade if it meant they could either rid themselves of a bad contract or acquire some additional assets. The veteran forward has just one year remaining on his contract and is owed just $1.25MM after his signing bonus is paid out on July 1, but still carries a $6.25MM cap hit for the 2019-20 season. That’s exactly the reason the Maple Leafs are exploring a trade, given their impending cap crunch.

The Kings and Maple Leafs have been trading partners recently, as the two hooked up on a swap revolving around Jake Muzzin earlier this season. That saw Toronto hand over their first-round pick along with two highly touted prospects, helping along the Los Angeles rebuild. Perhaps there is more to be discussed, but we’ll have to wait to see if Marleau is even willing to waive his no-movement clause at all.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Willie Desjardins Returns To WHL

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It’s a homecoming for Willie Desjardins today, as the Medicine Hat Tigers announced that he will return as head coach and GM of the WHL franchise. Desjardins coached the Tigers from 2002-10 before taking his first coaching role in the NHL. His most recent NHL opportunity, coaching the Los Angeles Kings down the stretch, did not result in another position with the team after they instead turned to Todd McLellan this offseason.

Despite his stint in Vancouver not going very well, Desjardins is an accomplished coach. The 62-year old has won championships at the WHL and AHL level, along with medals at the World Juniors and Olympics. Unfortunately that didn’t carry over to the NHL, but there is little doubt that he can bring some stability and success back to the Tigers organization.

Latest On Anaheim Ducks Coaching Search

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The Anaheim Ducks still don’t have a head coach for the 2019-20 season, even as the NHL Entry Draft is now just a few weeks away. The combine is already underway, meaning whoever does take the reins of the team next season won’t get to be part of the prospect interview process. While that obviously isn’t a devastating problem, it is somewhat uncommon, as seen by the several other vacancies that have been filled in recent weeks.

In a column today by Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required) the top candidates for the job are examined, with special emphasis put on San Diego Gulls coach Dallas Eakins, and why he hasn’t yet been given the job despite many around the league expecting it to go to him since Randy Carlyle was fired mid-season. Stephens lists New York Islanders assistant coach Lane Lambert, Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent and Dallas Stars assistant Todd Nelson as other candidates that have been mentioned recently.

Bob McKenzie of TSN has also heard Nelson’s name, and reports that he will be interviewed this week for the job. It wouldn’t be the first time that Nelson has taken a job once ticketed for Eakins, as he was the coach that eventually took over when Eakins was fired in Edmonton back in 2014. Also of interest is another tweet from McKenzie, who suggests that there may be a job for former Los Angeles Kings head coach John Stevens in Dallas on Jim Montgomery’s staff. If Nelson does leave, that would provide an option for the Stars to replace him with.

The Ducks are coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 35-37-10. The core that led them to so many playoff runs is getting older—to the point where speculation of a Corey Perry buyout isn’t unreasonable—but there is help coming through the pipeline in the form of several top forward prospects. The job isn’t a full rebuild, but it also needs someone who can develop the next wave of talent quickly.

San Jose Sharks Hire Bob Boughner

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Bob Boughner wasn’t out of a job long. The former Florida Panthers head coach has landed on his feet in San Jose, where the Sharks today announced his hiring as an assistant coach. Boughner was hired out of San Jose in the first place to take the job in Florida, meaning this should be a seamless transition back onto Peter DeBoer’s staff. His replacement at that time was Rob Zettler, who will now not be returning to the Sharks’ staff in 2019-20.

A former NHL defenseman that played in 630 regular season games, Boughner was a hugely successful coach with the Windsor Spitfires after retirement, leading the team to consecutive championships before taking his first NHL coaching position in Columbus for the 2010-11 season. Those Windsor teams were powerhouses led by Taylor Hall, Ryan Ellis, Cam Fowler, Adam Henrique and others, but Boughner was credited for building a program that those talented youngsters could thrive in. When he eventually left Windsor a second time for San Jose, he was tasked with getting the most out of Brent Burns, something that may have helped him get the job in Florida given their young developing core.

Though it didn’t work out for Boughner with the Panthers, he’ll return to and organization that he is extremely familiar with to continue his coaching career. It will be interesting to see how the assignments are divided though, as the Sharks shuffled the coaching responsibilities in December and put Steve Spott—who seems to be remaining in San Jose—in charge of the defense.

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