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Peter Laviolette

East Notes: Bruins, Reaves, Laviolette

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Last week, we covered the potential developments regarding a path forward in terms of severance between the Boston Bruins and prospect Mitchell Miller. Today, the Bruins released a statement announcing an independent review of their player vetting process, led by former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The Bruins signed Miller early this month despite public knowledge that Miller was convicted of extreme allegations of bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. The conviction was serious enough to cause the Arizona Coyotes to rescind his rights after selecting him in the 2020 NHL Draft, yet the Bruins still proceeded to sign him as a free agent. Boston has pledged to release the results of the investigation upon completion.

  • Ryan Reaves has been a rare sight in the New York Rangers lineup in recent weeks, appearing in just one of the past five games as a frequent healthy scratch. The imposing veteran winger spoke to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks today, saying that he had a “very brief” conversation with the coaching staff about his dwindling role. Reaves has no points in 12 games and has played just 8:27 per game, and opting to waive him and assign him to the minors would save valuable trade deadline cap space for the Rangers.
  • The Washington Capitals are getting head coach Peter Laviolette back behind the bench tonight against the Florida Panthers, according to the team. Laviolette had spent the past four days in COVID protocol, with assistant Kevin McCarthy temporarily taking over coaching duties. Washington split a home-and-home series with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Laviolette’s absence.

Peter Laviolette Enters COVID Protocol

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While we aren’t dealing with long quarantine lists or vast schedule changes, every once in a while hockey fans are reminded of how the last two seasons played out. Today, Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette has been placed in the COVID protocol, meaning he will not be behind the bench tonight or Sunday. In his place, assistant coach Kevin McCarthy will serve as interim head coach.

Laviolette passed Alain Vigneault for eighth on the all-time wins list earlier this season and is currently tied with him in total games coached at 1,363. Should he make it through this full season with Washington, the veteran coach will climb the all-time board, passing names like Mike Keenan, Pat Quinn, and Ron Wilson.

McCarthy, meanwhile, will finally get a chance – short as it is – to be a head coach in the league. The former NHL defenseman has been an assistant in the league for decades, going back to the Hartford Whalers in 1992. He’s been Laviolette’s right-hand man for a long (long) time, and certainly won’t be overwhelmed by the moment.

The Capitals take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in both games of a home-and-home.

Injury Notes: Chychrun, Brossoit, Cernak, Laviolette

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As last season’s Jakob Chychrun trade speculation was reaching its peak just as the trade deadline approached, the air was seemingly sucked out of the trade rumors when Chychrun went down in a game against the Boston Bruins on March 12th. After the injury, perhaps without the offer they were looking for to deal the defenseman, the Arizona Coyotes hung onto Chychrun. Many thought he would then be dealt at the NHL Draft this summer, but that and the rest of the offseason had come and gone and Chychrun was still a member of the Coyotes. Several games into this season, the hockey world is awaiting Chychrun’s return from injury, many believing trade talks will once again heat up when the defenseman returns and shows he is fully healthy.

When exactly Chychrun would be returning had remained a mystery, but with the defenseman joining the team on their Canadian road trip, his return seemed fairly imminent. That may not be true though, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Instead, says Morgan, Chychrun will not play on this road trip, which concludes with a game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Chychrun won’t return for “a bit” Morgan adds, and is considered week-to-week.

  • When the news broke that Robin Lehner would miss the entire 2022-23 season, the Vegas Golden Knights goaltending situation, and ultimately their season, was heavily doubted. Thus far, the 4-1-0 Golden Knights have received more than solid goaltending from rookie Logan Thompson and the recently acquired Adin Hill, and that is without veteran netminder Laurent Brossoit, who is still recovering from injury. A return timetable for Brossoit was unclear heading into the season, though not expected to be long-term. His return is still unclear though, says the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster. Brossoit has not been cleared for any contact, but is progressing well and will be re-evaluated on November 1st, Webster reports.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play tonight when the Lightning take on the New York Islanders at home, the team says. Cernak has played in all five of Tampa’s games thus far.
  • Washington Capitals Head Coach Peter Laviolette will be behind the bench for tonight’s game, confirms Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. The Washington bench boss had been a game-time decision with a non-COVID illness. The Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings at home tonight.

Coaching Notes: Laviolette, Green, Keenan

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There are currently four NHL head coaches in the final seasons of their contracts.  Avoiding the ‘lame duck’ situation is something teams try to do and on that note, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported on the latest TSN Insider Trading segment that extension discussions are believed to be underway between the Capitals and bench boss Peter Laviolette.  The 57-year-old is in his third season behind the bench in Washington with the team playing to a .636 points percentage in his 140 games at the helm.  With GM Brian MacLellan admitting to LeBrun in a piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that a rebuild is basically off the table with their commitment to their veteran core, it makes sense that they’d want to keep Laviolette, whose reputation is that he’s a win-now coach, in the fold.

Other coaching news from around the hockey world:

  • One name who didn’t get much attention for coaching vacancies this summer was former Vancouver head coach Travis Green. As TSN’s Darren Dreger noted in that Insider Trading segment, Green wanted to recharge before putting his name out there for openings.  That recharge has now happened and he’ll do some consulting for Switzerland’s national team this season while waiting for his next coaching opportunity at the NHL level to present itself.
  • Long-time NHL head coach Mike Keenan is heading behind the bench again. Or, more specifically, he will be coaching again in a few years as the 72-year-old confirmed to the Associated Press that he has been named Italy’s head coach for the 2026 Olympics which will be held in Italy.  Keenan was an NHL bench boss for 20 years, last running things in Calgary in 2008-09.  His last coaching opportunity was in the KHL back in 2017 with Kunlun.  Interestingly, the Italian vacancy was created recently when their head coach was hired away by Kunlun earlier this year.

Capitals Notes: Goaltending, Wilson, Laviolette

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Today was exit day for the Washington Capitals, and as part of that, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan spoke with the media. The biggest revelation coming from his media appearance regards the team’s goaltending situation, as he shed some light on how the team views their current tandem of goaltenders and what strategy they will take towards the position in the offseason. MacLellan said, as relayed by Samantha Pell of The Washington Post, that the team’s “top priority” regarding their goaltending is to acquire a veteran netminder. MacLellan also added that it’s “possible” that both of the team’s current goalies, Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek, (who are each eligible to become restricted free agents with arbitration rights) return next season, but that the priority is to add a veteran to the team.

Both Samsonov and Vanecek, who are 25 and 26 years old, respectively, had seasons to forget. For Vanecek, his regular season was solid (42 games played at a .908 save percentage) but he unraveled in the playoffs, not even making it to the end of game two before being pulled for Samsonov. Samsonov, on the flip side, had a poor regular season, posting only an .896 save percentage in 44 games. Although he did better in the playoffs (.912 in five games) he still failed to make the saves required for the Capitals to defeat the Florida Panthers. By virtue of both goalies needing a new contract, this offseason the Capitals are afforded the financial flexibility to choose a new direction in net. The Capitals intend on remaining competitive during the remaining years of Alex Ovechkin’s career, and MacLellan’s statements make it clear that the organization deems a veteran goaltender necessary to give their captain a chance at winning a second Stanley Cup. If their prior courtship of Marc-Andre Fleury is any indication, it seems MacLellan and the Capitals will be going fishing for a major addition to their crease this offseason.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Capitals:

  • Tom Wilson, one of the Capitals’ most important forwards, did not play very much in their short playoff run. He scored a goal but suffered a knee injury that MacLellan today said would have cost him the entirety of the Capitals’ playoff run, should they have made it into the next few rounds. Per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, the team will make a decision in the next few days on whether Wilson needs surgery. Even with a potential surgery in mind, MacLellan did express optimism that Wilson would be ready to play by the start of next season. The Capitals rely on Wilson’s goal-scoring and physicality to win games, so if they want to hit the ground running for next season’s campaign getting Wilson back to full health will be a major priority for the team.
  • This season marks coach Peter Laviolette’s second behind the bench in Washington, and his combined 80-41-17 record over those two seasons is reflective of how well he has done in getting the most out of the Capitals’ players.  But despite that regular-season success, the Capitals have bowed out in the first round in both years of his tenure, and as a result, with Laviolette set to enter the final season of his contract, MacLellan was asked about Laviolette’s future in Washington. Per Gulitti, MacLellan made the point that he wanted to keep conversations regarding Laviolette’s contract situation private, but was complimentary about his coach’s work during this regular season and playoffs. While some more frustrated Capitals fans may want to see a change behind the bench after two straight early playoff exits, it seems that the organization has full faith in Laviolette being the right coach to bring the Capitals their second Stanley Cup.

Injury Notes: Klingberg, Senators, Dowd

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It looks like the Dallas Stars will receive a huge boost for their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night in the form of a healthy John Klingberg. Head coach Rick Bowness said Sunday morning that Klingberg “should” return, but that the team won’t have full confirmation until tomorrow. The 29-year-old defenseman was injured in the team’s season opener and missed the succeeding four games, playing just 10:21 before suffering a lower-body injury. He’ll look to provide a boost with his offensive instincts to a team that’s scored just ten goals through their first five games.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • There’s some updates on the injury front in Ottawa, as TSN reports goalie Matt Murray has been moved to injured reserve with a neck injury after being run into by the Rangers’ Chris Kreider on Saturday afternoon. He’ll miss at least the next ten days. It also appears center Shane Pinto will be out for a shorter term than expected, as head coach D.J. Smith he’s only expected to be absent for a week or two. A prompt return would be a good break for both him and the team, as Pinto had begun to impress in a top-six role.
  • Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette says the status of Nic Dowd for the team’s one-game road trip to Ottawa on Monday night is in question. Dowd is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He played in all of the team’s overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, so even if he does miss that contest, it doesn’t appear he’ll be out for any sort of term. The native of Huntsville, Alabama has one goal in five games this season.

Michael Peca Hired By Washington Capitals

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The Washington Capitals have added a fresh face to the organization, hiring Michael Peca as a player development coach. Peca is expected to work primarily with the players on Washington’s taxi squad this season.

If you remember the Buffalo Sabres team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 (only to lose to the toe of Brett Hull), you remember Peca. A whirlwind of offensive talent, defensive responsibility and devastating open-ice hits, Peca made the most of his relatively small frame.

In 864 career games he recorded 465 points, including a career-high 60 with the New York Islanders in 2001-02. He won his second Selke Trophy that season while playing under Peter Laviolette, who happens to be the Capitals head coach. If Peca can instill any of that defensive responsibility—he finished in the top-five of Selke voting for seven straight seasons—in the Capitals depth players, he’ll be a valuable coaching asset.

Several Capitals Players Expected To Miss Four Games

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1:40pm: Samantha Pell of the Washington Post reports that Samsonov tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday night. It triggered a contact tracing probe, which confirmed that the four Russian players spent time together in a Pittsburgh hotel room where they “watched sports and played video games.” According to Pell, the NHL is not expected to postpone Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

12:25pm: The four Washington Capitals players that were placed on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list yesterday, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov, are now in quarantine. All four are expected to miss at least the next four games, according to head coach Peter Laviolette, who spoke with reporters including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. Laviolette also explained that there was a positive virus case among the Capitals players, which led to contact tracing. The team was also fined $100,000 for the protocol breach yesterday.

Though there will be plenty of debate over how the players were punished for gathering in a hotel room, the fact is the Capitals will now have to navigate the next part of the schedule without several key players. The team is set to welcome in the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders for two games each over the next week, all matches expected to take place without the foursome. That certainly puts a lot of pressure on someone like Vitek Vanecek, the team’s backup goaltender, who has just two NHL appearances under his belt. Craig Anderson has been recalled from the taxi squad to join him in net for the time being.

Yesterday, Ovechkin released an apology that read:

I regret my choice to spend time together with my teammates in our hotel room and away from the locker room areas. I will learn from this experience.

To be clear, it has not been revealed who (if any) on the team tested positive. The four players were added to the CPRA list and will be unable to practice with the team until they are cleared by the league’s protocols.

Snapshots: Bedard, Seattle, McCarthy

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Move over Alexis, a new Canadian prospect is here. Connor Bedard, the first player to be granted exceptional status in the WHL, suited up for HV71 in the Swedish under-20 league today. Bedard only turned 15 a few months ago and was picked by the Regina Pats first overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, but is getting his first taste of play this season overseas.

The incredibly shifty, talented forward from Vancouver is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft but is already wowing scouts all over the world. His development is obviously extremely important, but a move like this to play overseas only highlights how difficult this season could be for many other prospects that are waiting on their WHL and OHL schedules to begin. Not everyone is Bedard, receiving a prime opportunity to play with a strong European organization.

  • The Seattle Kraken have hired seven new people for their organization, including former NHL forward Gary Roberts, who will receive the title of sports science and performance consultant. The other names, which include Michael Booi, Nate Brookreson, Jeff Camelio, and Tim Ohashi all seem to be strong hires with long successful resumes of their own. Roberts though will get the headlines, thanks to his yearly offseason strength and conditioning work with players like Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid. Roberts of course is a former teammate of Kraken GM Ron Francis in both Carolina and Toronto.
  • The Washington Capitals have hired Kevin McCarthy as an assistant coach, joining Peter Laviolette’s new staff. McCarthy will work with the team’s defensemen and has worked with Laviolette for years, in Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He joins a staff that also includes Scott Arniel, Blaine Forsythe and Scott Murray.

Peter Laviolette Hired By Washington Capitals

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The Washington Capitals wanted an experienced head coach to lead them next season, and they’ll have it. The team has announced the hiring of Peter Laviolette, who will take over the bench from Todd Reirden who was let go earlier this summer. Laviolette has signed a three-year contract worth just under $15MM total according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, which will include the full $2.5MM he was still owed by the Nashville Predators.

Capitals GM Brian MacLellan released a statement on his new coach:

Peter is a successful NHL head coach who has won a Stanley Cup and brings a wealth of experience to our team. We feel he is a great communicator who will motivate our players to play with passion, structure and discipline, while helping our young players reach their potential. In addition, he is a high-character individual who is highly respected for his coaching pedigree, all of which make him the ideal person to lead our team to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Laviolette, 55, has been a head coach in the NHL for two decades, recording a 637-425-25-123 record in his 1,210 regular season games. Those 1,200 games put him 20th on the all-time list and he has taken his club to the Stanley Cup Finals three times, winning in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Capitals had shown interest in other experienced names like Gerard Gallant and Mike Babcock, but will move forward with a coach that had a .616 winning percentage at his last stop but still got fired after a mediocre start to 2019-20. Laviolette and the Predators were 19-15-7 when they made the move to hire John Hynes, leaving him looking for another opportunity.

Reirden, the Capitals outgoing coach, has already found work with his old team the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant. That experiment didn’t work out nearly as well as the Capitals hoped when they let Barry Trotz leave months after winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, only to hand the reins to a rookie head coach. Reirden lasted just two seasons behind the bench while Trotz is now in the Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Islanders.

Hiring Laviolette will serve as an attempt to fix that mistake, but the Capitals core is now two years older and Alex Ovechkin is heading into the final year of his deal. There are certainly young exciting players in Washington like goaltending phenom Ilya Samsonov, but the last two years seem like wasted opportunities for this group now that they’ve paid up for an experienced head coach after all.

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