Snapshots: Holland, Gretzky, Ehrhoff
Ansar Khan of MLive reported today that Ken Holland will return as general manager for the Detroit Red Wings next season. Though no formal announcement has been made regarding Holland’s expiring contract, Khan seems convinced that he will be the one leading the Red Wings in 2018-19. He also suggests that Jeff Blashill could also return as head coach, despite a relatively disappointing season that has the Red Wings just five points out of last in the NHL.
Bringing Holland back would likely mean a new contract, and one that could take his name out of consideration for the job in a potential Seattle franchise. Though Holland has never indicated or even spoken about an interest in joining the expansion organization, there has been some chatter about his name as a leading candidate, especially one that the league would welcome. Detroit has some very interesting decisions to come this summer and down the road, as they try to navigate a rebuild for the first time in decades.
- Wayne Gretzky will be a household name in China if he isn’t already, that’s what Darren Dreger of TSN makes it sound like on the latest iteration of Insider Trading. Dreger reports that Gretzky will soon sign a deal to put his branding on everything from arenas to equipment in China as the country encourages more and more children to take up the sport. Gretzky is obviously still one of the most well-known names in hockey worldwide, and could still have a huge impact in the growth of the sport.
- Christian Ehrhoff has officially retired from professional hockey, but as John Vogl of the Buffalo News points out he’ll still be getting a paycheck from the Buffalo Sabres for some time. Ehrhoff, bought out in 2014 just three seasons into a ten-year contract, will remain on the Buffalo payroll through 2027-28. That’s another ten years from now, not bad for a player who only suited up 192 times for the Sabres over three seasons.
Minor Transactions: 03/27/18
Just a handful of games remain in the NHL regular season, and teams are beginning to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Yesterday, the New York Islanders were knocked out of the race after their loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers. It’s been a tough season for the Islanders, who expected to be in the race in the last season of John Tavares‘ current contract. Now all Islanders eyes turn to the offseason and what their captain will decide to do.
While the Islanders wait out the last few games, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here. Check back throughout the day to stay up to date on all the comings and goings.
- The Winnipeg Jets have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minor leagues, likely meaning he’s healthy enough to get back into game action. The Jets still have three goaltenders on their NHL roster, with Steve Mason still working his way back from a knee injury and Eric Comrie serving as backup.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have re-assigned Matthew Highmore to the minor leagues, despite playing 14 minutes last night. The young forward has two goals in his 13 games this season, but with the solid debut of Victor Ejdsell, perhaps there isn’t enough room to give him the ice time the team wants. Highmore has 35 points in the AHL this season in his first year of professional hockey.
- Last night the Detroit Red Wings recalled Joe Hicketts from the minor leagues, giving the 21-year old another chance in the big leagues. Hicketts played one game for the Red Wings earlier this year, but has spent most of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent Justin Bailey back to the minor leagues, as they prepare for Casey Mittelstadt‘s debut on Thursday night. Bailey has played in just 12 games with the Sabres this season, recording four points in the process.
- Alexandar Georgiev is on his way back to the minor leagues, as Henrik Lundqvist is heading back into the net. GM Jeff Gorton told media this was always the plan when they had two healthy goaltenders in the NHL, and meant nothing against Georgiev’s play in his short stint. The 22-year old goaltender has a .918 save percentage in ten NHL games so far, and has put himself into contention for the full-time backup role next year.
GM Notes: Holland, Dorion, Bergevin
The Detroit Red Wings were officially eliminated from postseason contention recently, but the majority of their fans had already given up on this season some time ago. Even before it started, the Red Wings looked to be in a tough spot as they transition from the old guard to the first steps of a rebuild. They’ve done well to add draft picks over the last two years, but one question still remained. Who would be leading them down these uncharted waters, and towards the next successful Red Wings team?
Many fans have expressed a desire for change at the top, and GM Ken Holland‘s contract is up at the end of the season. Whether that means there will be a new voice steering the ship is still unclear, but Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) provides a wealth of insight into how the organization and other executives around the league see the situation. Answers range from an expected extension to a trip to Seattle for the long-time Detroit GM, but it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out where he’ll be next year.
- Pierre Dorion, another GM on the edge of a potential rebuild and a fan mutiny, provided some answers on his plans for the Ottawa Senators offseason to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Dorion confirmed that on July 1st they will indeed offer an extension to Erik Karlsson, though he didn’t give any indication what that offer may look like. He also admitted that the front office will evaluate the coaching staff, including Guy Boucher, after the season and decide what the future will look like behind the bench. The Senators had an extremely disappointing season after coming just a goal shy of the Stanley Cup finals in 2017, and have faced several media firestorms over comments by everyone from Kyle Turris to owner Eugene Melnyk.
- In his latest 31 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman mentions that Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin received a vote of confidence from ownership for the second time this season. If that means Bergevin is sticking around to fix what went wrong this season, the response in Montreal will likely be very divided. There are many fans who believe the organization should go in a different direction with their front office, but if Bergevin does indeed remain this summer could be quite interesting. Never one to shy away from a big trade, the Canadiens have to do something to take advantage of the best years of Carey Price and Shea Weber, and are still starved for the first-line center they’ve been looking for for years. Friedman mentions that Martin Lapointe, currently the Director of Player Development, could assume a larger role going forward.
Minor Transactions: 03/23/18
While you get ready for some big matchups around the league tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here. Keep checking back throughout the day to stay up to date on your favorite team.
- Libor Sulak is coming over from Europe to join the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Czech free agent defenseman signed with Detroit last spring, but spent this season playing in Finland where he recorded 32 points in 42 games. The 24-year old will test his skills at the AHL level down the stretch, and battle for a spot with the Red Wings next year.
- Because it’s another day that ends in “Y”, Tim Heed has been recalled once again by the San Jose Sharks. Heed has been bouncing up and down constantly for the last few weeks, but hasn’t played since February 25th.
- Filip Gustavsson has been officially added to the Belleville Senators roster as expected, after paperwork was filed to bring him to North America. The young goaltender was the big addition at the trade deadline for the Ottawa Senators, who believe he can be an NHL goaltender (not so far) down the road.
- Brad Malone is back up with the Edmonton Oilers under emergency conditions, rejoining the team after just sending him down yesterday. The 28-year old forward likely never left the club, and was just part of a paper transaction for the game last night.
- With Marc-Andre Fleury back in the Vegas crease, Oscar Dansk has been returned to the Chicago Wolves. Dansk has played just four games for the Golden Knights this year, but carries a .946 save percentage and even recorded a shutout. The 24-year old goaltender will likely be the first call should Malcolm Subban or Fleury experience an injury in the postseason.
- Samuel Blais has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues, as the team tries to make one last push towards the playoffs. Blais has 35 points in 35 games for the San Antonio Rampage this season, and three points during his short time in the NHL.
- With Dominik Simon healthy enough to resume playing, the Pittsburgh Penguins have sent his interim roster spot replacement, Josh Jooris, back to the AHL. Jooris, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline, has yet to record a point with the Pens in four games.
Mike Green To Undergo Spinal Surgery, Out For The Season
- The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Mike Green will undergo surgery on his cervical spine and will be out for the rest of the season. This ends what has been a rough campaign for the pending unrestricted free agent whose health concerns played a big role in him not being dealt by Detroit at the trade deadline. Green wraps up his 2017-18 season with 33 points (8-25-33) in 66 games. GM Ken Holland told Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News (Twitter link) that the procedure is scheduled for April 5th and carries a two-month timeframe for recovery.
Ken Holland Not Worried About His Future, Will Meet With Ownership After The Season
Regardless of whether or not he is back with Detroit next season, GM Ken Holland intends to be working in the NHL and isn’t presently concerned with his contractual situation, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Holland’s contract is up following the season and St. James notes that he is expected to meet with owner Christopher Ilitch shortly after the season comes to an end to discuss his future with the team. It’s possible that the 62-year-old could stay on in his current role but the Red Wings may prefer to do what the Devils tried to do with Lou Lamoriello a few years ago and move him into a president/advisory position. If they do make a change in general managers, Kris Draper, a long-time Detroit player and current assistant to Holland, would appear to be a candidate to take over.
Frans Nielsen (Concussion) Returns To Practice
- Red Wings center Frans Nielsen returned to practice today for the first time as he continues to progress through concussion protocol, notes Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. His injury was sustained back on Tuesday against Boston. Head coach Jeff Blashill ruled out a potential Monday return but is hopeful that the 33-year-old will be able to return to action at some point in their four-game Western road trip that runs through next Sunday.
Snapshots: General Manager Hot Seat, Cholowski, Cullen
With many teams starting to see the writing on the wall that their season is coming to a close sooner than they had intended, the next question that comes about is whether the team has any intentions of making changes to their staff. After a look at possible changes to the coaching ranks, the next question would likely turn to which general managers are on the hot seat. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) takes a look at 10 candidates who could find themselves without a job this offseason.
Mirtle quickly addresses the obvious ones, including Detroit’s Ken Holland and Toronto’s Lou Lamoriello, both who have been rumored to either be on their way out or moved to a different role within the organization. However, Mirtle also admits that both could easily stay in their present roles too.
The next stage of general managers that are most likely on the hot seat include Peter Chiarelli of Edmonton, the New York Islanders Garth Snow and Montreal’s Marc Bergevin, while other general managers might be given more time to prove to the organization that their plan works. Colorado’s Joe Sakic, Arizona’s John Chayka, Minnesota’s Chuck Fletcher and Columbus’ Jarmo Kekalainen are all likely to be on short leashes due to their inability of taking their teams to a new level.
- Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that while 2017 first-round pick Michael Rasmussen might make the Detroit Red Wings team next season, the real prospect to keep an eye on will be 2016 first-round pick Dennis Cholowski, whose having a stellar year with both the Prince George Cougars and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The 20-year-old blueliner is in his final year of junior and has 14 goals and 50 assists this year. St. James writes that while Rasmussen must make the Red Wings roster out of training camp to stick, Cholowski could play with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL and get a midseason callup if he can’t break into the Red Wings lineup.
- StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan writes that the NHL Players Association released a players poll this week and for the question of which player would make great coach after they retire. Minnesota’s Matt Cullen won the poll. He received 4.5 percent of the votes, yet Cullen hasn’t decided if that’s the avenue he plans to go down. “I’ve never really put a lot of thought into it, to be honest,” Cullen said. “I guess I’ve had a lot of experience, and I’ve been through a lot through a long career, I guess. Truthfully, I’ve never thought a lot about it. I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I’m done playing.”
Snapshots: Coaching Changes, Marchand Fine, McDonagh Debut
Buried in the news of Ron Francis being replaced as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes was the fact that it was the first major personnel decision of the 2017-18 season. It’s March, well beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and there has been just one general manager fired (but promoted) and still no coaches. It’s rare to see so much inactivity, but it can likely be linked to the fact that the league’s worst teams – Arizona, Buffalo, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal – all have first- or second-year coaches: Rick Tocchet, Phil Housley, Guy Boucher, Travis Green, and Claude Julien respectively. Unsurprisingly, USA Today’s Kevin Allen lists the head coaches of four of the next five worst teams as being on the hot seat as the end of the season approaches. That includes the Edmonton Oilers’ Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings’ Jeff Blashill, the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters. The most obvious inclusion on this list is Peters, who has an owner looking to make changes and soon a new GM, and has also struggled to get the most out of his talented roster. Quenneville would be the biggest news, should he be removed, as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, since 2008, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The last name on the list who doesn’t quite fit the pattern is the Washington Capitals’ Barry Trotz. Trotz has yet to be offered a contract extension and his future could depend on the Caps’ playoff success this season. However, as Allen states, Trotz would be the prime coaching candidate this summer if he isn’t retained by Washington. As of right now, all of these coaches are safe, but things could change quickly with the season coming to a close. In the meantime, if you would like to apply for the open Hurricanes GM position, here you go.
- One thing that there has been plenty of in the league this season has been punishment handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, as the league has focused on cracking down on certain penalties. A player who has gained plenty of attention, fair or not, has been Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand has finally spoken out after his most recent hit, a $2,000 fine for diving. Marchand spoke to the media, saying things like “it’s a small amount of money”, “it’s a joke”, “it’s pretty stupid” and “I don’t care about this.” He did go a step further though, adding “how are they (Player Safety) to tell …they go from being players to management and running the league pretty quickly and forget how to play the game.” While Marchand doesn’t seem to care much about a very minor fine, he is making a point that any fine for diving, the most subjective call in the game, is somewhat unreasonable, especially when the call comes from those who were not even present at the game.
- While the Bruins are continuing to win behind three straight game-winners from Marchand, their rivals in the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy race, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to win as well. They’ll get even better starting tonight, as their huge trade deadline acquisition, Ryan McDonagh, is set to make his debut with the team tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper told beat writer Bryan Burns that McDonagh is ready to go, after dealing with an upper-body injury for more than a month. McDonagh’s addition to the Bolts blue line makes them a scary team for anyone to go up against and that includes the Bruins, who play Tampa three more times this season and could very well meet them in the second round of the playoffs.
Detroit Red Wings Officially Recall Evgeny Svechnikov
Though there were reports the move was in the work yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have officially recalled Evgeny Svechnikov from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. Svechnikov will fill in for Frans Nielsen while the veteran deals with an injury suffered at the hands of David Backes on Tuesday night.
Selected 19th-overall in 2015, Svechnikov has just two NHL games under his belt and has struggled through inconsistency for much of this season. After scoring 51 points as a rookie and taking home the Calder Cup as AHL Champion last season, the 21-year old forward has just 22 points in 52 games this year. He has played better of late, and will now get an opportunity to show that his game is NHL ready and prove he deserves a spot on the Red Wings in 2018-19.
Svechnikov of course is the older brother of Andrei Svechnikov, a top prospect in the upcoming draft. The younger forward has dominated the OHL this season and could go as high as second overall in June. Interestingly, Detroit looks like they’ll have a good shot at selecting that high if they keep up their play of late. The Red Wings have lost four straight and sit 24th in the league. If they win one of the lottery spots, it will be very intriguing to see if they reunite the brothers.