Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Avalanche Rumors

Ottawa Senators Still Expected To Use Fourth-Overall Pick

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Since trading Mike Hoffman earlier this week and reportedly re-entering talks on captain Erik Karlsson, speculation has swirled up again around the Ottawa Senators and the fourth-overall pick. The Senators of course owe either this year or next year’s first-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for their acquisition of Matt Duchene earlier this year, and without Hoffman and Karlsson in the lineup many believe they’d be better to try for the first-overall selection a year from now. That pick could potentially be Jack Hughes, who is being regarded as a potential franchise-changing player at center, something the team may not be able to get at #4 this season.

That’s not to say they can’t get an excellent player where they sit this year, with more reports coming out that Filip Zadina may drop past the Montreal Canadiens and fall into Ottawa’s lap. Zadina is an excellent offensive prospect, capable of scoring from nearly anywhere on the ice. The team is also not guaranteed to finish anywhere near the bottom of the league next season, and even if they do could drop out of the top-3 with three bad results in the draft lottery. With that knowledge, the team is still planning on using the pick this season according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, meaning Colorado will acquire their 2019 first-round pick. Things can change right up until the moment they make the selection, meaning the Avalanche need to be ready, but all signs are pointing to GM Pierre Dorion selecting a player this Friday.

The Senators are in rough shape at the moment, dealing with off-ice incidents revolving around players and management, all while trying to prepare for an upcoming contract negotiation with Karlsson. The superstar defenseman has just one year left on his current contract, and is eligible for an extension on July 1st. While Dorion has been clear with the fact that he will make Karlsson’s camp an offer, there is growing speculation around whether the captain will even want to stay with the team long-term. If they can’t come to an agreement quickly, the Senators will have to see what the market is for him in trade, or risk losing him for nothing at the end of what could be another season outside of the playoff picture.

Zadina, Brady Tkachuk or whoever the team selects at fourth-overall will surely be an excellent player in the league and that isn’t something to throw away so easily. Even though Hughes is an attractive idea, the fact is that even the last place team has a relatively low chance of selecting first-overall. There’s also still a core of players like Mark Stone, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Thomas Chabot that will do everything they can to keep Ottawa out of the basement of the league, which could result in a much later draft pick in 2019. It’s not an easy situation for the Senators, but Dorion clearly believed that Duchene would help the team reach the playoffs again and the whole argument would be moot. Now he’s got an extremely difficult decision on his hands, one that could play out poorly no matter what he does.

Simon Despres Wants A Second Chance At NHL

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Simon Despres was once an up-and-coming defenseman in the NHL. A first-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2009, Despres played a key depth role for the Penguins from 2011 to 2015. Although Despres was limited offensively, even in the AHL, he proved himself to be a very dependable presence in his own end. Annually a positive player with strong possession numbers, Despres eventually worked himself into a full-time role with the Penguins in 2014-15. In that season, he also showed off an improved physical game and a superior puck-moving ability. However, it was also in that season that Despres was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, a deadline deal that sent veteran Ben Lovejoy to Pittsburgh. Despres continued to play well for the Ducks down the stretch and was perhaps at the peak of his NHL career in the postseason that year with a dominant stretch. Yet, the rest of Despres’ tenure in Anaheim would not go as well.

In 2015-16, just four games into the regular season, Despres took a hard check to the head from the Colorado Avalanche’s Tyson Barrie. Despres would miss the next 42 games of the regular season and never truly returned to form in the campaign. Despres suited up for Anaheim for the opening game of the 2016-17 season, but concussion symptoms limited him to just that one appearance for the year. Despres was bought out by the Ducks at the end of the season and, at age 25, was considering retirement. Instead, Despres decided to continue his career overseas. Able to finally leave his concussions in the past, Despres had a strong season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL this year. Now, he wants back in the NHL.

Speaking with Jean-Francois Tremblay of La Presse in his native Quebec, Despres states that money is not an issue and that he will do what it takes to get back into the league. He says that he will visit with teams this summer or attend camp on a tryout basis if that is what it takes. He even says he would be open to an AHL contract as a first step, specifically noting that he would not hesitate to accept an offer from the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens affiliate in his hometown that did not exist when he was in the NHL. Despres goes on to describe how he has changed his diet and lifestyle to get healthier and has even trained in martial arts in an effort to learn how to avoid bad hits and further concussions. He also describes how his time in the KHL has improved his skating and puck possession. It seems Despres has done all he can to work his way back from a potentially career-ending injury and now feels ready for a return. Now all he can do is wait for a team to give him a second chance.

Top Contenders For Paul Stastny Emerging

at CDT | by 4 Comments

If and when John Tavares re-signs with the New York Islanders this off-season, there will be a lot of teams left in need of a center with few options to turn to. The trade route is an option, although a costly one when searching for a top-six pivot. Not many teams are openly shopping their top centers either. The draft is no help in a class largely devoid of pro-ready talent down the middle. The restricted free agent offer sheet has all but gone extinct. For those teams in need of center help, this leaves the free agent market as the most realistic choice and, behind Tavares, pickings are slim. Tyler Bozak, Riley Nash, and Derek Ryan are all top-five scorers among free agent centers despite all being two-way focused forwards best suited for third-line roles. Joe Thornton, Valtteri Filppula, and Tomas Plekanec are all well past their primes and their recent production proves it. There are simply very few good options.

For these reasons, it is no surprise that teams are already lining up for the services of Paul Stastny. Easily the top UFA center behind Tavares, Stastny is coming off a 53-point season with St. Louis and Winnipeg. Add in a dominant 15-point postseason with the Jets, and Stastny has greatly improved his stock heading into the open market. Both an offensive threat and a defensively responsible player, Stastny is a complete, two-way player. He is also a twelve-year veteran who dismissed talks of being past his prime this season and seems capable of high-end play over the course of another long-term contract.

In fact, the 2017-18 season was Stastny’s best offensively since his early days with the Colorado Avalanche. Ironically, the Avs reportedly would like to see if he still has that 70-point potential he showed as a younger player in Denver. Both Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland and BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater believe that Colorado is the leader in the chase for Stastny. As a team with which he has chemistry, as well as a young, exciting roster in need of a leader, it would be easy to see why a return to the Avalanche could be appealing to Stastny. Strickland also names the Winnipeg Jets as a top suitor. After acquiring Stastny at the deadline and seeing him fit in so well down the stretch and in the playoffs, it is no wonder that they would like to retain him. However, the Jets are inundated with valuable restricted free agents in need of extensions and may run out of the cap flexibility needed to compete for one of the market’s biggest names. Dater hears that the Montreal Canadiens, one of the more desperate center-needy teams in the league, is also in the hunt for Stastny. The Canadiens would be able to keep up with any bid the Avalanche could make and it would likely come down to which team Stastny feels is the best fit.

While these three teams are surely not the exclusive list of contenders, they are three teams that are logical fits for Stastny. Two teams that whose absences are noteworthy though are the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, the Blues traded away Stastny and when they had him it wasn’t enough to be a true Stanley Cup contender. However, a healthy St. Louis team would have been much more competitive this season and one of the holes they now need to fill to return to that place is at center. Bringing back Stastny is an idea that no one would dismiss, yet Strickland – a Blues beat writer – makes no mention of them. The Hurricanes, like the Canadiens, are simply a team in drastic need of a top center. While Stastny may not put them over the top, he would be yet another piece to a roster that has the potential to turn things around next year. Carolina also has near limitless cap space to contend for the rising price of Stastny’s services. At the end of the day, Strickland states that Stastny just wants to go somewhere where he will have a “chance to win”. Winnipeg and Colorado fit the bill, while Montreal, St. Louis, and Carolina may not. Others are sure to enter the fray too in a free agency market that may end up being defined by the choice made by Paul Stastny.

Avalanche Prepared To Pick Fourth If Senators Fold

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The first fireworks of the upcoming NHL Draft may show up at pick #4. When the Ottawa Senators acquired Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche, part of the substantial package was a top-ten protected 2018 first-round pick. The terms of the deal afforded the Senators a choice between trading this year’s pick or next year’s pick to Colorado if the pick landed within the top ten spots. Finishing the season with the second-worst record in the league, Ottawa was obviously locked in to the top ten. Even after bad luck dropped them to fourth overall in the NHL Draft Lottery, GM Pierre Dorion confirmed that they would hold on to the pick this year and defer to the 2019 first-rounder.

However, that was back in April and things change. It seems more likely than ever that Erik Karlsson and/or Mike Hoffman will be traded away from Ottawa this off-season and that doesn’t bode well for a Duchene extension either. There also continue to be frustrations over the management of owner Eugene Melnyk and the fiscal future of the organization. Ottawa seems far from a free agent destination right now and no closer to turning around one of the worst records in the NHL. The initial Stanley Cup odds for next season reflect this, as the Senators at 100/1 odds are alone in last place. It’s understandable for public relations purposes that the Sens keep this year’s #4, both to add an exciting new prospect and to all but confirm to fans that the outlook for next season is better this season. It may not be the smart move though.

There is a trio of top prospects in the draft this year: defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forwards Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina. After that, there is no consensus on the next-best player. In fact, the fourth overall pick more or less marks the beginning of a lesser tier of prospects; not exactly a power position in 2018. Next year, the Senators are almost certainly going to miss the playoffs and will be a lottery team with a chance to land in the top three with a lucky draw. According to odds makers, they are also the favorite to finish 31st, which would give them the best odds at the first overall pick – highly-touted franchise center Jack Hughes – and would mean that they could fall no farther than fourth again. There is risk in giving up a pick as high as #4 this year, but there is also substantial risk in not giving it away, blowing up the roster, and simply hoping for a better finish next year. The pain that the organization and the fans would feel about losing #1 after another brutal season would be far worse than giving up a non-consensus top player at #4 this year. The mounting pressure of that very real possibility could force the Senators to give in and surrender the 2018 pick.

The Avalanche know this and are remaining vigilant. The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers caught up with Colorado Director of Scouting Alan Hepple, who says the team knows what direction they would go in if they wind up with #4 this year after all. Per Chambers, the Senators can wait all the way until they are on the clock to make the pick to instead complete the trade this year. Hepple doesn’t think that will be the case, but the Avs are prepared in case it is. They certainly wouldn’t mind the spot, as the team nabbed defensive phenom Cale Makar in that same draft slot last year and would be happy to make a repeat performance. With their own pick at #16, Hepple says that the team will simply take the best player available, regardless of position, but at #4 they have identified a more pressing organizational need, as they did with the UMass puck-mover Makar last year.

If the first three picks go as expected and Ottawa isn’t thrilled by the next-best name on their draft board, they could crumble under the pressure of the potential repercussions: losing a higher pick next year. It could pay off or it could be a mistake in hindsight; there is no way to tell with a lot riding on the decision. However, if they do, Colorado is ready to jump in. It’s not the most likely outcome, but it remains a possibility, and an intriguing one, as draft day approaches.

Avalanche Interested In Re-Signing Jonathan Bernier

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Avalanche have held discussions with Pat Brisson, the agent for goaltender Jonathan Bernier, regarding a contract extension for the netminder, reports BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater.  He’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next month.

The 29-year-old just completed his first season in Colorado where he split the net with veteran Semyon Varlamov.  He played in 37 games, posting a 19-13-3 record with a 2.85 GAA and a .913 SV%.  He had an opportunity to take on the starting job in the playoffs with Varlamov being injured but he wound getting hurt himself, suffering a lower-body injury in Game Four of their first round series against Nashville.

Bernier made $2.75MM this past season and should be in line to receive a similar amount on his next deal.  Backup goaltenders who can handle a larger workload have seen their value increase around the league in recent years as teams put more emphasis on keeping their starters fresh.  There are a couple of teams that could view him as a potential starter (or a 1B goalie) as well in the Sabres and Islanders and Dater notes that Bernier would prefer to go to a situation where he can be the number one.  However, Varlamov is set to enter the final year of his contract so the starting job with the Avs could be available as soon as a year from now if he’s willing to be patient.

However, Colorado already has someone who has their eyes on being the backup next season in Pavel Francouz, who signed a one-year, one-way contract last month.  He is, however, waiver-exempt so he could be sent to the minors as insurance if they do reach an agreement with Bernier,

Meanwhile, Dater reports that there have been no talks regarding a new deal for pending UFA winger Blake Comeau.  The 32-year-old finished seventh on the team in scoring with 34 points in 79 games but GM Joe Sakic is on record saying that Colorado could wind up getting even younger in 2018-19 which may make Comeau too old to keep around.

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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 Colorado’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Matthew Nieto — The 25-year-old, who was picked up off of waivers from the San Jose Sharks has found a home in Colorado after the team rewarded him a year ago with a $1MM contract as a restricted free agent, posting a career high in goals with 15 and forcing his way to some second-line action. Primarily used as a fourth-line defensive option, Nieto has started to show his potential.

One key to Nieto’s success has been getting regular playing time. After playing in a career-low 59 games between two teams last year, he got into 74 games and averaged almost 15 minutes a game. Now with his game improving and the potential to earn a second or third-line role with the team next year, Nieto looks to get a raise from his deal a year ago.

D Patrik Nemeth — After years of not being able to find a full-time role with the Dallas Stars, Nemeth, like Nieto, seems to have found a home with the Avalanche. The 26-year-old blueliner was claimed off waivers at the beginning of the season and immediately made an impact on the Avalanche’s defense. Often teamed with Tyson Barrie on the first line, Nemeth has developed into a solid shutdown defender, although he doesn’t provide much offense (3 goals, 15 points in 68 games). After signing at $945K last season, Nemeth should get himself a significant raise as well.

Other RFA’s: D Mason Geersten, F Felix Girard, D Jesse Graham, D Ryan Graves, G Spencer Martin, F Reid Petryk, D Duncan Siemens, F Nail Yakupov.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: G Jonathan Bernier — The Avalanche goaltending combination of Semyon Varlamov and Bernier was just OK, but the combination was good enough to vault the team to the playoff for the first time in years. Bernier, who finished the season with a 19-13-3 record with a 2.85 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 37 starts, had moments where he dazzled, including a stretch of nine consecutive wins between Dec. 31 and Jan. 22. Due to a Varlamov injury, Bernier was forced to start in all playoff games and struggled against a good Nashville team, allowing 14 goals in four games as well as being pulled once.

The team must decide whether Bernier is the answer to their goaltending problems as the team needs a backup who can fill in long-term for the injury-prone Varlamov. The team could opt to look at a Carter Hutton, but that might cost the team too much, while the team’s top goaltending prospects are still a year or two away, although the team could turn to streaky UFA Andrew Hammond, who performed well in the playoffs against Nashville in three appearances.

F Blake Comeau — The 32-year-old veteran continues to produce in a bottom-line role for the Avalanche and after another solid season which puts him at 13 goals and 34 points, Comeau is another key veteran who provides a young Colorado team with that leadership the team needs. He has had quite an effect on players like Nieto and J.T. Compher and after finishing up a three-year, $7.2MM deal at $2.4MM AAV, he may want a similar deal to finish out his career.

Other UFA’s: G Joe Cannata, F Joe Colborne, F Rocco Grimaldi, G Andrew Hammond, F Trent Vogelhuber.

Projected Cap Space: With more than $22MM in cap space to work with, depending where the upper limit lands. That should give the team the possibility of going after a free agent or two, but with the team still developing its team through youth, Colorado hasn’t been a major talking point, yet anyway, for unrestricted free agents. However, the idea of the team going after James van Riemsdyk and placing him next to Nathan MacKinnon wouldn’t be a bad look either.

Regardless, the team also must use some of that cap space toward possible extension as the team may want to lock up promising star Mikko Rantanen as soon as possible, which he can do on July 1.

Offseason Keys: Colorado Avalanche

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With just two teams still playing, the rest have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Colorado Avalanche.

If it wasn’t for Vegas, Colorado could have easily wound up being the talk of the league.  After a horrific 2016-17 season and the early trade of Matt Duchene, virtually no one thought they’d be heard from as a competitive team let alone a playoff squad.  However, they picked up their play considerably following the trade and worked their way into the postseason to end their year on a high note.  Now, GM Joe Sakic faces the decision of whether or not to try to escalate things or keep the same approach.  Here are some of their keys for the summer regardless of which route they take.

Add A Top-Four Defenceman

The defense has been an area of need for Colorado for a while now.  They’ve been active on the waiver wire the last couple of years to try to upgrade the third pairing and the overall depth and while that has improved things a little bit, those improvements are only incremental at best.

Erik Johnson gives the Avs a legitimate top pairing player while Tyson Barrie, though he can have his struggles in his own end, is one of the more dangerous offensive threats from the blueline.  Things start to fall off after that, however.  Samuel Girard should progress into a top-four player down the road but he’s only 20 while Nikita Zadorov has shown flashes of dominance but hasn’t really become a consistent top-four option.  2017 second-rounder Conor Timmins will turn pro in 2018-19 and could become a key player down the road but he won’t immediately crack the top four.  With due respect to those players, that unit could use some help if it wants to take that next step forward.

Sakic has stated that he could see the team getting younger next season and if that is indeed the plan, that may take them out of free agency.  Colorado has several young forwards in the system and if they don’t want to get an older player on the open market, the time is right to look into trading one or two of those and getting another core defender that they can build around for the foreseeable future.

Extension Talks For Rantanen

Winger Mikko Rantanen’s first full NHL season back in 2016-17 was decent but many felt he had another level to get to.  He more than proved his supporters right this past season as he jumped from 38 points up to 84, ranking him tied for 16th overall in the league.  In doing so, he has solidified himself as a long-term fixture on the top line.

As the 21-year-old gets set to enter the final year of his contract as of July 1st, the Avalanche can begin to work on a contract extension with him.  In particular, if they believe that Rantanen will produce at a similar level, they’d be wise to try to get something done now as another 80+ point season will really drive up the price in the summer of 2019.

What will be interesting here is if Sakic tries to use Nathan MacKinnon’s contract as the benchmark that Rantanen can’t go past.  MacKinnon is viewed as Colorado’s franchise player and has a $6.3MM cap hit.  However, the Upper Limit of the salary cap will be a fair bit higher this summer than it was two years ago which is something that will come into play.  If they intend to keep a Rantanen extension at a rate under MacKinnon’s, they may not be able to go with a maximum-term deal and instead sign one that doesn’t buy out as many UFA-eligible seasons.

With there being another season left on Rantanen’s deal, this is something that doesn’t have to be resolved for another year.  Given the sizable jump in points from his rookie to sophomore campaign, an extension for him will be a little trickier to navigate.  Of the top young players that can sign early extensions starting next month, Rantanen’s case will be one of the more interesting ones to follow.

Add Goalie Depth

With the addition of Jonathan Bernier in free agency last summer, Colorado had an above average backup that could step in if Semyon Varlamov struggled or was injured.  Combined, the duo did well enough to help lead the Avs to the postseason before both went down and Andrew Hammond, who was included in the Duchene deal to help offset salary, was forced to start the final two playoff games.

Both Bernier and Hammond are set to become unrestricted free agents next month but it appears the Avalanche intend to go in another direction as they signed KHL netminder Pavel Francouz earlier this summer.  Even if they view the 28-year-old as Varlamov’s backup, they still would be wise to add some insurance.

Spencer Martin is a restricted free agent and should be part of the picture in the minors but given the uncertainty surrounding Francouz and how he’ll adapt to the NHL level, he’s not an ideal third-stringer.  Someone with more of a proven track record in the NHL would certainly be beneficial and fortunately for Colorado, there are some players like that available (including Hammond).  It certainly won’t register as an exciting move if they do indeed sign a goalie like this but it would certainly be a beneficial move.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Draft Picks Expire

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players—the same total as last year—will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2018 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. Adam Mascherin is the highest picked player among those who will be headed back into the draft, selected 38th overall by the Florida Panthers two years ago. Below is the full list of players:

Anaheim Ducks:

F Tyler Soy (7th round, 2016)

Arizona Coyotes:

F Anton Karlsson (3rd round, 2014)
D David Westlund (6th round, 2014)

Buffalo Sabres:

D Vojtech Budik (5th round, 2016)
F Brandon Hagel (6th round, 2016)
D Austin Osmanski (7th round, 2016)

Calgary Flames:

D Adam Ollas Mattsson (6th round, 2014)

Carolina Hurricanes: 

C Hudson Elynuik (3rd round, 2016)
D Noah Carroll (6th round, 2016)

Chicago Blackhawks:

D Andreas Soderberg (5th round, 2014)

Colorado Avalanche:

G Maximilian Pajpach (6th round, 2014)

Dallas Stars:

D Miro Karjalainen (5th round, 2014)

Detroit Red Wings:

D Jordan Sambrook (5th round, 2016)
F Julius Vahatalo (6th round, 2014)

Florida Panthers:

G Hugo Fagerblom (7th round, 2014)
C Adam Mascherin (2nd round, 2016)

Los Angeles Kings:

D Jacob Friend (7th round, 2016)

Minnesota Wild:

D Pontus Sjalin (6th round, 2014)
D Brayden Chizen (7th round, 2016)

New Jersey Devils:

G Evan Cormier (4th round, 2016)

Philadelphia Flyers:

C Anthony Salinitri (6th round, 2016)

Pittsburgh Penguins:

D Connor Hall (3rd round, 2016)

San Jose Sharks:

D Mark Shoemaker (6th round, 2016)

Tampa Bay Lightning:

C Christopher Paquette (5th round, 2016)

Toronto Maple Leafs:

D Keaton Middleton (4th rond, 2016)
F J.J. Piccinich (4th round, 2014)
D Nicolas Mattinen (6th round, 2016)

Vancouver Canucks:

D Cole Candella (5th round, 2016)
F Jakob Stukel (6th round, 2016)
C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 2016)

Washington Capitals:

F Kevin Elgestal (7th round, 2014)
D Dmitri Zaitsev (7th round, 2016)

Winnipeg Jets:

C Jordan Stallard (5th round, 2016)

Nail Yakupov Parts Ways With Agent Igor Larionov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • In advance of his next trip through free agency, Avalanche winger Nail Yakupov has parted ways with agent Igor Larionov, reports Igor Eronko of Sport-Express (Twitter link). While the 24-year-old came to Colorado as an unrestricted free agent, the team can still control his rights with a qualifying offer just shy of $920K next month although he will have arbitration eligibility.  Yakupov suited up in 58 games with the Avs this past season, recording nine goals and seven assists.

Bob Hartley Hired By KHL’s Avangard Omsk

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Veteran coach Bob Hartley is headed back to the professional ranks. European hockey insider Igor Eronko reports that Hartley has been hired by Avangard Omsk of the KHL. This marks his first pro head coaching job since he was fired by the Calgary Flames back in 2016.

Hartley has had a highly successful coaching career and brings an immense amount of pedigree to Omsk. After working his way up through the QMJHL and AHL, Hartley was given his first NHL head coaching gig by the Colorado Avalanche in 1998. In his first four seasons with the Avs, Hartley guided the team to four straight conference finals and a Stanley Cup championship in 2001. When Hartley was fired mid-season by Colorado in 2002-03, he was hired almost immediately by the Atlanta Thrashers, where he coached for parts of six seasons. Hartley was out of the NHL for just one season – during which he won the NLA championship with the ZSC Lions – before he returned as the head coach of the Calgary Flames in 2012. Hartley won the 2015 Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the league for his work reinvigorating the Flames. Altogether, Hartley has a .568 winning percentage in the NHL and has reached the postseason six times.

For the past two years, Hartley has been working for the Latvian national team. He was the head coach for each of their past two World Championship entries and also consulted on their junior program. In this most recent World Championships, Latvia surprised many with a 3-1-1-2 record and seventh-place finish. Hartley’s coaching was back in the eye of the mainstream media and it is no surprise that he has landed a new job as a result. With Avangard, Hartley will take over a roster that has some good pieces, including a very solid defense, but is quite far from being a true contender. If he is able to turn the team around and improve on a twelfth-place finish last year without any further additions to the roster, it will be yet another impressive addition to his coaching resume. Don’t be surprised to see Hartley back in the conversation for an NHL job in the near future if he finds success during his KHL tenure.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top