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Pacific Notes: Donskoi, Eakins, Phaneuf, McDavid

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The San Jose Sharks and general manager Doug Wilson have a lot on their plate this offseason as they have a number of key free agents they must deal with, including Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. One name that is often forgotten is free agent forward Joonas Donskoi, who has been a solid contributor as a middle-six forward the last few years.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that it looks like Donskoi is leaning towards going onto the open market to see what offers he might receive and could wait to see if a team comes calling when the interview period opens on June 23. Donskoi could receive quite a bit of attention as he has scored 14 goals in each of his last two seasons and had 37 points this year. While that’s hardly amazing numbers, the speedy wing is a good defender and could provide value for a lesser price tag, considering he only made $1.9MM last year.

  • While it looks like the Anaheim Ducks are moving rather slowly in naming their head coach, it looks like there are only two candidates remaining in the race in Dallas Eakins and University of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Eakins remains the favorite, but the team is doing quite a bit of research on him, including interviewing some of the veterans on his AHL squad.
  • Jordan Samuels-Thomas of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that with Dion Phaneuf being bought out, the most likely destination for the veteran blueliner would be a young team that’s several years away from truly competing. The scribe writes that the decline in the 34-year-old’s play would likely have playoff teams looking elsewhere for veteran depth, but Phaneuf’s leadership and his ability to mentor young players would make him more valuable to a lottery team. On top of that Phaneuf could help team’s penalty killing and can provide a physical presence a young team might lack.
  • At a gathering for 500 season ticket holders, Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland said he has already met with star center Connor McDavid twice in the last 10 days, including visiting him as he was working out, according to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Journal. He reports that McDavid is doing well and is expected to ready for the start of training camp. The 22-year-old suffered a small PCL tear in his knee on the final game of the regular season, but the injury didn’t require surgery.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Sharks, Avalanche

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GM Jarmo Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets knew what they were getting into when they held on to top impending free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovksy, despite substantial hints that both planned to depart, and then went out and added another valued UFA in Matt Duchene at the NHL Trade Deadline. Columbus went all in, and while they didn’t win or even reach the Stanley Cup, they did succeed in winning the franchise’s first ever playoff round. Now, as they get set to potentially watch several star player walk away as free agents, Kekalainen and company are going to either squeeze every last drop out of those UFA’s or at least won’t make it any easier for them to jump to rival teams. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Blue Jackets have declined to give Panarin and Bobrovksy permission to talk to other teams about a sign-and-trade possibility. They have also kept the price of acquiring their negotiating rights high; LeBrun speculates the team is asking for a second-round pick. As the June 23rd UFA negotiation period approaches, and not long after it the start of free agency on July 1st, it seems Panarin and Bobrovsky are likely to remain Blue Jackets until the very last minute, unless a team ponies up. As for Duchene, the Blue Jackets remain interested in re-signing him, so similar rumors haven’t started yet, but don’t expect the deadline addition to be treated any differently if it comes to that.

  • Columbus has likely lost hope of re-signing their top free agents, but San Jose is still holding out when it comes to Erik Karlsson. Karlsson is set to be the top defenseman on the market, but the Sharks would like him to skip that opportunity in favor of remaining with the team. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz writes that the two sides continue to work on an extension, with terms rumored to be close to the eight-year, $88MM contract signed by Drew Doughty of the rival Los Angeles Kings. Barring a trade in the coming weeks, only San Jose can offer Karlsson that eighth year, which may be even more valuable to the veteran defenseman given his recurring injury issues this season. Kurz agrees that the market may have cooled for Karlsson, so a long-term offer from the Sharks will very likely be the best deal he gets. This makes his decision less about salary and more about whether San Jose is where Karlsson wants to potentially spend the rest of his career.
  • Misinformation is very common in draft and free agency season, so it should come as little surprise that one Denver source says the Avalanche are interested in drafting defenseman Bowen Byram just days after another said they weren’t. Byram is undoubtedly the best defenseman in the draft class, so no team with the chance to draft him is going to totally ignore him. The WHL product could go as early as No. 3 to the Chicago Blackhawks, but likely won’t get any farther than No. 6 to the Detroit Red Wings. Colorado falls squarely in the middle there at fourth overall and will surely consider Byram. But if Mike Chambers of The Denver Post is to be believed, the Avs will take the “best player available” route with their first of two first-round picks and would select Byram if he’s there. We won’t know for sure how it all plays out for just over one more week.

Red Wings Not Planning Buyouts, Hoping To Re-Sign Kronwall, Witkowski

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Detroit may have a new GM, but that doesn’t mean they’re looking to clean house. Quite the opposite in fact, according to Steve Yzerman. The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan relays the news that the Red Wings are not planning to buy out any of their current players this off-season. For a roster with plenty of unwieldy contracts, that comes as a surprise. But that’s not all -Kulfan adds that the team also hopes to re-sign 38-year-old defenseman Niklas Kronwall and versatile depth piece Luke Witkowski.

The Red Wings are heading into the off-season with a projected $13.7MM in cap space and no key players in need of new contracts. That gives Yzerman and company some wiggle room to bring back a couple impending free agents and also spend on the market. Yet, the team could have opened up even more room, to drastically improve a roster that finished eight games under .500, by not extending any free agents and buying out expensive players with little production, such as Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley, Darren Helm, or even a bigger move like Justin Abdelkader or Danny DeKeyser. Instead, it seems the whole team will return, barring a trade, as Yzerman does not plan to utilize a buyout.

On top of that, Yzerman also hopes to bring back two players that fans may not have expected. Kronwall was still productive last season, leading all Red Wings defensemen with 27 points. Yet, the aging veteran has also clearly lost a step and many assumed he would move on amidst what was expected to be a youth movement in Detroit. Not so fast, as Yzerman would like to have the respected defender back. In fact, it’s Kronwall who is still undecided about whether or not to continue his career. As for Witkowski, the defenseman – and occasional forward – played in only 34 games this year and recorded just two points. His versatility is valuable, but his production leaves a lot to be desired. Yet, the team is in talks to bring him back as well.

One player who has not had extension talks with Detroit yet: Thomas Vanek. Vanek’s 36 points were good enough for sixth on the Red Wings this season, but the team may be looking to add a better, younger free agent forward rather than re-signing the 35-year-old. Vanek has bounced around the league in recent years, playing for four different teams including two stints with Detroit, so the veteran may not be up for another move. Vanek’s market bears watching this summer as the interest level, both player and team, will be intriguing.

Draft Notes: Knight, Caufield, Oilers

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There have been just two goaltenders selected in the first round over the last five drafts, and none higher than 22nd overall. That’s where Ilya Samsonov went to the Washington Capitals in 2015, with Jake Oettinger following two years later at No. 26. Spencer Knight is set to break that mark this season as arguably the highest touted goaltending prospect since Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2012. Knight is drawing plenty of interest, and Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider tweeted today that the Kings are high on the American goaltender.

The Kings are one of five teams with two first round picks this year, but their second selection—22nd overall—may be too late to grab Knight. It’s also very unlikely that they use the fifth-overall pick on him, meaning if they are set on bringing him into the organization they would likely need to make a trade of some sort.

  • There hasn’t been a bigger draft riser of late than USNTDP sniper Cole Caufield, and his name was mentioned today by Matt Larkin of The Hockey News in an informal Q&A on Twitter. Larkin suggested that if the Kings really wanted to make a bold move in the draft they could snap up Caufield at No. 5, though he believes they are more likely to go with someone else. Caufield had 72 goals all told over this year of hockey, breaking records basically wherever he went. The 5’7″ forward is going to bring excitement wherever he ends up, and could very well be off the board higher than many believed just a few months ago.
  • The Edmonton Oilers know they have to start hitting on their high picks, and with the eighth selection this season the pressure is on for new GM Ken Holland. He spoke to reporters at the scouting combine in Buffalo, explaining that there are arguments for both defense and forward where he’ll pick. Perhaps in the most telling line however, Holland noted that “there’s some good defensemen there, but there’s some really good forwards.” The only defenseman consistently ranked above the eighth spot is Bowen Byram, who is usually followed by a run of forwards sometimes ten names long.

Edmonton Oilers Extend AHL Coach Jay Woodcroft

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Though there have been many changes since Ken Holland took over as Edmonton Oilers GM, one won’t be happening behind the minor league bench. The organization announced today that Jay Woodcroft has signed a three-year extension to remain head coach of the Bakersfield Condors.

Woodcroft took the Condors to a level that they had never seen before, setting a franchise record with 42 wins and getting to the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time. The group also completed an incredible 17-game winning streak in early 2019, tying the second longest streak in AHL history. Despite a long career as an assistant in the NHL, this was Woodcroft’s first head coaching job at the professional level.

Holland is familiar with Woodcroft from his days in Detroit, where he started his coaching career as a video assistant after retiring as a player in 2005. Todd McLellan was on that staff, and is someone Woodcroft has basically followed around the league since, spending more than a decade as his assistant in San Jose and Edmonton. That led to some speculation that he might be heading to Los Angeles to rejoin him, but after experiencing so much success with the Condors and being a positive influence on the development of Edmonton’s young players, it makes sense for Holland and the Oilers to keep him around.

Competition Committee Submits Rules Recommendations

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The NHL and NHLPA released a joint statement this evening outlining the changes recommended by the Competition Committee, which wrapped meetings today. The players’ side, led by NHLPA Special Assistant Mathieu Schneider, included Ron Hainsey, Connor Hellebuyck, Connor McDavid, John Tavares, and James van Riemsdyk. The league side, led by NHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Opertations Colin Campbell, included Craig Leipold, David Poile, Ken Holland, Doug Wilson, and Steve Yzerman. Together, the group came up with some intriguing ideas for consideration.

The most notable suggestion, as well as the most expected one, was expanded access to video review and coach’s challenges. Few details were disclosed as to the specifics of expanded review, other than allowing referees to use video review to review calls on the ice. However, after a postseason in which incorrect calls has drawn so much media scrutiny, it’s fair to assume that changes are coming to review procedures to help remedy that situation.

Another suggested rule change bound to draw some attention is a change to the the tie-breaking procedures used to determine final regular season rankings. While the joint release did not outline the proposed changes, Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman believes that the preference of the Competition Committee is to use simply regulation wins rather than “ROT”, regulation and overtime wins, as the primary tie-breaker. If adopted, this rule change could very well see more teams looking to end games in regular time as opposed to playing for overtime, especially late in the season in a tight playoff race.

Other suggestions included changes to face-off locations based on icing, pucks out of bounds, power plays, intentionally knocking the net over, and goalies unnecessarily freezing the puck, as well as a rule that would require players to leave the ice if their helmet is knocked off during play.

These rules suggestions still need to be approved by both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHLPA’s Executive Board, and many of the proposed changes will require more detailed presentations, as well as considerable discussion. After suggestions are adopted, the language will be formalized and they will officially be indoctrinated into the NHL rule book. Stay tuned for further updates on these possible rule changes when these governing bodies meet later this summer.

Oilers Notes: Gretzky, Hawkey, Samorukov

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The Edmonton Oilers have decided to retain Keith Gretzky despite not giving him the job as general manager. The team announced today that Gretzky will remain with the organization as an assistant GM, taking over control of the Bakersfield Condors. Gretzky served as interim GM for the Oilers when Peter Chiarelli was fired, and was a finalist for the job before it eventually went to Ken Holland.

Gretzky, 52, has been with the Oilers since 2016 when he came over from the Boston Bruins, but has long been a respected scout in the NHL. His plan is likely still in place for the upcoming draft, given Holland’s relative inexperience with the Edmonton organization, though it will obviously be tweaked by the former Detroit boss. More notes on the Oilers:

  • Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that the Oilers won’t sign Hayden Hawkey given their numurous goaltending prospects already in the system. Hawkey was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens last summer in exchange for a fifth-round pick, but returned to Providence College for his senior season. The 24-year old posted a .921 save percentage for Providence this season and will become an unrestricted free agent in August. The Oilers, with Shane Starrett, Dylan Wells and Stuart Skinner already under contract, likely didn’t have a place for Hawkey to play next season and thus not much to offer him in terms of opportunity.
  • Matheson also tweets that the Oilers are excited about third-round pick Dmitri Samorukov, and quotes Gretzky who believes that the young defenseman will be on a second pair in the NHL one day. Still just 19, Samorukov had an incredible playoffs with the Guelph Storm of the OHL, recording 28 points in 24 games and being a driving force in their Memorial Cup run. The team signed Samorukov to his entry-level deal way back in 2017, but it slid twice and will now run through the 2021-22 season.

Jared McIsaac To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Detroit Red Wings won’t have top prospect Jared McIsaac fighting for a spot on the blue line this training camp. McIsaac will undergo shoulder surgery today in Detroit and will be out for five to six months. McIsaac apparently played injured for much of the season, still helping the Halifax Mooseheads all the way to the QMJHL final and Memorial Cup as host city.

McIsaac, 19, was the 36th-overall pick in last year’s draft and returned to Halifax this season to continue his junior career. The left-handed defensemen ended up with 62 points in 53 regular season games, while also suiting up for Canada at the World Junior tournament. Despite dealing with this shoulder injury through the second half of the season, McIsaac still recorded 16 points in 22 playoff contests and was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team.

Interestingly, this injury may actually give Detroit some extra options with their young defenseman. Originally, it was likely that McIsaac would have had to go back to the CHL for another full season given he is not eligible to play in the AHL at this point. That would have been despite him showing quite clearly that he can dominate that league, and is likely ready for the next step. Now, the team can potentially allow him to rehab and then send him to the World Juniors again (if selected and ready) before giving him a short conditioning stint in the minor leagues. In short, there is now no rush to send him back to Halifax right away—something that the Mooseheads certainly won’t be excited about.

Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi

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An early morning report that Jesse Puljujarvi was headed to the KHL has been shot down by his agent, with Markus Lehto speaking to several reporters including Mark Spector of Sportsnet and saying that the NHL is still the top priority. Puljujarvi will be a restricted free agent this summer and needs a new deal, but hasn’t exactly thrived in his first few seasons in the Edmonton Oilers organization. That’s exactly why trade speculation is now bubbling to the surface once again, with Lehto even telling Spector that “maybe it is best for [the] team too.” Darren Dreger of TSN has also heard trade chatter around Puljujarvi from his sources.

Puljujarvi, 21, only has 37 points in 139 NHL games since he was selected fourth overall in 2016, and hasn’t even spent much time in the minor leagues to continue his development. The big winger was actually expected to go third in the draft before Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen shocked the room with his selection of Pierre-Luc Dubois. In a timely piece, Scott Wheeler of the Athletic examined the 2016 draft today and put Puljujarvi 19th in his re-draft.

Still, the Oilers have an entirely new regime in town after GM Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett were brought in to change things. Perhaps those fresh eyes have new plans for the young forward, and can start to pull the best out of him at the NHL level. All of that will be dependent on a new contract however, one that will require a negotiation neither side expected when he was first selected. While Auston Matthews enjoys his massive deal and Patrik Laine and Matthew Tkachuk prepare to sign theirs, Puljujarvi will have to ink something that allows him to prove he is an NHL-caliber player before ever cashing in on the type of money high picks usually receive.

Pavel Datsyuk Signs In KHL

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There will be no NHL return for Pavel Datsyuk. The veteran Detroit Red Wings forward has officially signed with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, his hometown team in the KHL.

This was always the most likely outcome, even if the 40-year old center had left the door slightly open by mentioning that the Red Wings would be the only team he would return for. It didn’t make a lot of sense for Detroit to bring him back during a short rebuild, especially as they try to establish their next franchise player in Dylan Larkin. Dastyuk, while still effective in the KHL, may have been more of a distraction than anything for the Red Wings this season.

Still, playing another year in his hometown is a nice capstone to an incredible career. Datsyuk was originally selected in the sixth round of the 1998 draft, and wouldn’t make his presence felt in Detroit for another few years. Once he hit the NHL scene however there was no stopping him, as the incredible two-way forward recorded 918 points in 953 regular season games while taking home three Selke trophies as the league’s top defensive forward and leading the Red Wings to two Stanley Cups. As he got older, he returned to Russia to be closer to his family and continued his outstanding production, posting 147 points in 166 KHL contests and taking home the Gagarin Cup in 2017. There is very little that Datsyuk hasn’t accomplished, especially after finally winning an Olympic gold medal last spring as captain of the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

It seems extremely unlikely that Datsyuk will consider an NHL return now, meaning the 2015-16 season will be his last in North America.

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