Snapshots: Conditional Picks, Tocchet, Thunderbirds
The final series of the playoffs gets underway tonight with Edmonton taking on Florida. The events and outcome of the Stanley Cup Final will also affect the draft order in the next three years. As CapFriendly notes (Twitter link), the following four late-season trades will be finalized based on whoever wins this series:
Ducks/Oilers: The 2025 fifth-round pick that went to Anaheim in the Adam Henrique trade will upgrade to a 2025 4th round pick if Edmonton wins.
Sabres/Panthers: The 2024 seventh-rounder acquired by Buffalo for Kyle Okposo will upgrade to a 2024 fifth-round pick if Florida wins. (Florida would also incur a $500K cap penalty next season in this scenario as that is payable to Okposo if they win.)
Senators/Panthers: The 2024 fourth-round pick that Ottawa received for Vladimir Tarasenko will become a 2026 third-rounder if Florida wins the series.
Penguins/Panthers: The 2025 seventh-round pick Pittsburgh acquired for Magnus Hellberg will convey if Hellberg plays in two games this round. Hellberg is on Florida’s active roster as a Black Ace recall but has yet to play this postseason.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is heading into the final guaranteed season of his contract next season though there is a team option for 2025-26 as well. The bench boss told reporters including Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that there have yet to be any discussions about a contract extension, nor is he concerned about that. Tocchet led Vancouver to a surprising first-place finish in the Pacific Division with 109 points, helping him earn the Jack Adams Award last month.
- The AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds (affiliate of the Blues) announced that they’ve hired long-time NHL blueliner Jaroslav Modry and AHL veteran Chad Wiseman as their new assistant coaches. Modry spent the last three seasons coaching in his native Czechia while Wiseman had been coaching with OHL Guelph since 2018-19. They join NHL veteran Steve Konowalchuk on a new-look coaching staff.
Pacific Notes: Oilers GM, Perry, Myers, Blueger
Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Edmonton Oilers may need to go through the NHL entry draft with an interim general manager if they don’t extend current GM Ken Holland. If Holland does move on, the Oilers wouldn’t have enough time to conduct a search before the draft later this month and might need to lean heavily on their scouting staff to get them through a busy time of year.
Holland has not signed an extension in Edmonton despite having the team in the Stanley Cup Finals and would be highly sought after if he hits the open market given his resume with both the Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings. Holland has won three Stanley Cups as a general manager and a fourth as assistant general manager and goaltending coach. All four Stanley Cups victories came with the Red Wings.
In other Pacific Division notes:
- Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry is set to collect an additional $50K in performance bonuses after the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals last night (as per Puck Pedia). Perry’s bonus brings Edmonton’s final penalty for overages this season to $3.55MM which will be added to their cap for next season. The 39-year-old reached another milestone last night becoming the first player in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Finals with five different teams, including four times in the last five seasons.
- David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period writes that the talk of a Tyler Myers extension with the Vancouver Canucks might be a bit premature as the two sides have just started talking about extending their deal. Pagnotta notes that both the Canucks and Myers have an interest in getting an extension done, but the talk surrounding a new contract is “noise” at this point. Myers is coming off his most productive season in Vancouver and reportedly lives in nearby Kelowna during the summer which is certainly part of his desire to stay in British Columbia.
- Pagnotta adds that the Canucks have interest in bringing back forward Teddy Blueger. The 29-year-old had one of the most productive seasons of his career with Vancouver, posting six goals and 22 assists in 68 games tying his career-high in points with 28. The Riga, Latvia native signed a one-year $1.9MM contract with Vancouver on July 1st, 2023, and provided good value to the Canucks that extended well beyond his offensive contributions. Pagnotta notes that the Canucks plan to circle back to Blueger later in the month, which makes sense given the quality and quantity of pending free agents the team will have to deal with over the next month.
Poll: Who Will Win The Stanley Cup Final?
After a pair of conference championship-clinching games over the weekend, the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is set. The Oilers will play the Panthers in Sunrise, Florida, for Game 1 on Saturday night.
The storyline for Florida is clear – avenge last season’s defeat. Unlike last year, when they upset their way to the Final to meet with the Golden Knights, the Panthers have home-ice advantage after a 110-point regular season and an Atlantic Division title.
They’ve brought a deeper roster back to the dance compared to last year’s squad, but perhaps more importantly, they’ve brought a healthier contingent (for now). Top-four stalwarts Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour played through shoulder injuries for most of last year’s playoffs (as well as a foot injury for Ekblad), but there’s no indication any key players are playing through major ailments this time around.
Florida also comes back with the knowledge of what not to do. Last year’s series against Vegas wasn’t particularly close – they were outscored 26-12 in a five-game loss and allowed five or more goals in all three road games. That’ll be an important learning experience as they try to overcome their existing 1-8 franchise record in Stanley Cup Final games, including a sweep at the hands of the Avalanche in 1996.
For the second year in a row, Matthew Tkachuk leads the Cats in playoff scoring. He hasn’t scored goals at the torrid pace he did in 2023, but his 14 assists and 19 points in 17 games are the most on the team. Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are also producing at a point per game through 17 contests, and top pending unrestricted free agent Sam Reinhart is second on the team in goals behind Verhaeghe with eight.
And while he hasn’t been quite as dominant as last year’s Cinderella run, future Hall of Fame candidate Sergei Bobrovsky gives Florida an unquestionable advantage between the pipes. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is again putting together an above-average postseason showing for the Cats, logging a .908 SV%, 2.20 GAA, and one shutout with a 12-5 record. He’s been the only goalie to take the ice for the Panthers through three rounds and has stopped 1.3 goals above average, continuing to undo the narrative created by his past postseason collapses with the Blue Jackets and Flyers.
Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner is coming off the best game of his life, stopping 34 of 35 shots last night in Edmonton to send his team to their first Final in 18 years, but is that enough to give him the benefit of the doubt? He’s certainly entering the championship series on a hot streak, putting up a .923 SV% in six games against the Stars, but his numbers on the whole this postseason (.897 SV%, -3.1 GSAA) are still inferior.
As they did against Dallas, the Oilers will need their generational stars to erase their major depth-scoring disadvantage. Their big three of Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are truly putting together the runs of legends, with Bouchard’s 27 points and +14 rating in 18 games from the blue line likely putting him in the Conn Smythe conversation.
Like in the regular season, McDavid isn’t scoring goals at a breakneck pace, but his raucous 26 assists in 18 games give him 31 points and the league lead in playoff scoring. That’s not to discount his ability to put the puck in the net, which he universally reminded everyone of with a highlight-reel goal to open the scoring in last night’s Game 6 win (video link).
So, with the matchups set and the entire week to file your official predictions away, who do you think will finish the season with the Stanley Cup lifted over their heads? Tell us in the poll below, and discuss in the comments.
Who Will Win The 2024 Stanley Cup?
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Florida Panthers 65% (863)
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Edmonton Oilers 35% (458)
Total votes: 1,321
Mobile users, click here to vote!
Featured images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Afternoon Notes: Jeannot, Parekh, Bourque
Winger Tanner Jeannot is once again facing trade rumors, as the Tampa Bay Lightning look to clear enough cap space for a serviceable off-season. The team is facing the loss of their franchise player Steven Stamkos with just $5MM in cap space – not nearly enough to afford the services of the future Hall-of-Famer. That could push them to try and move Jeannot’s $2.665MM cap hit, though Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times shares that there’s been no legitimate discussions of a move just yet. Though Encina did speak to the idea being a tantalizing one for the Lightning, with many teams around the league still interested in acquiring Jeannot.
The Lightning acquired Jeannot from the Nashville Predators ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, sending the Music City defenseman Callan Foote, the picks that turned into Dylan MacKinnon (2023 third-round, 83rd-overall), Jayson Shaugabay (2023 fourth-round, 115th-overall), and Kevin Bicker (2023 fifth-round, 147th-overall), as well as a second-round pick in 2024 and a first-round pick in 2025 in return. Nashville traded the Shaugabay pick back to Tampa four months later, in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick, and moved the Bicker pick to the Detroit Red Wings to move up in the 2023 second-round.
Jeannot scored just four points in his 20 games with Tampa after the trade, though that didn’t dissuade their faith in him, with the Lightning signing Jenanot to a two-year, $5.3MM contract last summer – a deal that avoided the arbitration hearing Jeannot filed for. The rough-and-tumble winger wasn’t able to rekindle his spark on the new deal, though, scoring just 14 points in 55 games this season. He added 75 penalty minutes and a -10 – and tallied just one assist in four postseason games.
There’s still reported interest in Jeannot around the league despite his lacking scoring. Teams like the Calgary Flames have been looped into trade rumors, though Encina emphasized that a trade isn’t likely Plan A. Tampa will need to get a hefty return in any Jeannot trade, if only to hedge their losses from a costly 2023 move.
Other notes from around the league:
- Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh has won the CHL’s Defenseman of the Year Award, beating out Memorial Cup Finals competition Sam Dickinson. Parekh was dazzling this season, posting a position-leading 33 goals and 96 points in just 66 games this season. He’s just the second OHL defenseman to top 95 points since 2000, joining Ryan Ellis’ 100-point season in 2010-11. But while Ellis was already an NHL draftee, Parekh is headed into his first year of eligibility in the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s seen as one of the top defensemen in the class and should rival a top 10 selection.
- The Dallas Stars are swapping talented young forwards, with Ty Dellandrea stepping out of the Game 6 lineup in favor of Mavrik Bourque, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Bourque won the AHL’s ‘Les Cunningham’ MVP Award this season after posting 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games this season. Bourque formed a dynamic duo with Stars standout Logan Stankoven in the first half of the season. Dallas will look to use that pairing as their X-factor, as they face elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.
Oilers Hire Kalle Larson Into Senior Development Role
- The Edmonton Oilers have hired Kalle Larsson as their ‘Senior Director of Player Development’. He will be responsible for overseeing and managing the development of Oilers’ prospects. Larsson moves to the NHL after spending 11 years with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, where he served as both general manager and President of Hockey Operations at various points. Larson built Dubuque into one of the league’s most consistently successful lineups, including supporting them to a championship appearance this season – though Dubuque lost to the nearly flawless Fargo Force, who finished the regular season with just 10 regulation losses. Larsson will now move into the NHL, once again focused on developing young players into playoff-winning talents.
Oilers Extend ECHL Partnership
- The Edmonton Oilers have extended their ECHL affiliate with the Fort Wayne Komets according to an announcement from the organization. The partnership between the two teams began just before the 2022-23 season, and Assistant General Manager Keith Gretzky was quoted as saying, “Our players have also relished their time in the city of Fort Wayne. They have received first-class treatment during their time there and we truly believe that the Komets and their fans make them the premier organization in the ECHL“. In the two years as Edmonton’s ECHL affiliate, the Komets have won 69 games in total, qualifying for the Kelly Cup playoffs during the 2022-23 ECHL season.
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Oilers’ Troy Stecher Out For Season With Ankle Injury, Requires Surgery
While Oilers defenseman Troy Stecher hasn’t played in the postseason, it was widely assumed he’s been a healthy scratch. That isn’t the case, as Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 reports he’s out with an ankle injury and will require offseason surgery.
Stecher, 30, has sparingly practiced with the team since last dressing in their regular-season finale against the Avalanche over a month ago. The Oilers downgraded from a fourth-round pick to a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire him from the Coyotes at the trade deadline for added injury insurance on the blue line.
Unfortunately, he won’t get a chance to play in his first playoff contest since 2022 with the Kings. The Vancouver-area native had two assists and a +4 rating in seven games with Edmonton after the trade while averaging 16 minutes per game, proving he would have been a reliable option to insert into the playoff lineup if necessary.
It’s not good timing for offseason surgery for Stecher, who’s a pending unrestricted free agent after completing the $1.1MM deal he signed last summer. If he’s able to land another NHL deal and build on his 494-game career, he likely won’t sign until closer to training camps after rehabbing from his procedure – unless the Oilers opt to bring him back next season and re-sign him before July 1.
Stecher’s absence leaves 22-year-old Philip Broberg as the top option to enter the lineup if Edmonton loses a defenseman to injury or suspension. The 6’3″, 200-lb Swede was the eighth overall pick in 2019 and spent most of the season on assignment to AHL Bakersfield, where he excelled with 38 points and a +11 rating in 49 contests. He’s made 10 postseason appearances for the Oilers across their 2022 and 2023 runs but averaged just 6:31 per game.
Adam Henrique Expected To Return For Game 3
Jason Gregor of Daily Faceoff is reporting that Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique will return for Game 3 tonight from a suspected ankle injury when the Oilers take on the Dallas Stars. The 34-year-old has missed eight straight games and hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Vancouver Canucks back on May 10th.
Henrique was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks (with 50% retained salary) at the trade deadline along with Sam Carrick in exchange for a first-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025. The Tampa Bay Lightning were also involved in the trade retaining 25% of Henrique’s cap hit and sending a seventh-round draft pick in 2024 as well as netminder Ty Taylor back to the Oilers in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2026.
If the Oilers get Henrique back into the lineup it will allow the team to shift some of their depth forwards into more suitable roles as Ryan McLeod could shift over to the wing and Derek Ryan could fall back to the fourth line.
Henrique hasn’t matched his offensive numbers from earlier in the season with Anaheim but isn’t playing in the same offensive capacity and has seen his average ice-time drop by almost three minutes per game. It’s fair to wonder if his injury was a nagging issue since he hasn’t been nearly as effective in the playoffs as he has just a goal and an assist in six games, both of which came in the first game of the playoffs. Henrique has also seen his CF% drop five percent lower than it was in the regular season.
Oilers Notes: Henrique, Lineup Changes, Perry
The Edmonton Oilers may be without center Adam Henrique for an eighth straight game which means they could be limited in their ability to change up their third-line on offense. Earlier today, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reported that Henrique is “very close” and could return in either Game 3 or Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
It is becoming more dire by the day for Edmonton to get Henrique back into the lineup even though the Oilers find themselves in a tied series against the Dallas Stars. Throughout the playoffs, Edmonton’s third line of Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, and Ryan McLeod has combined for four points while producing a rating of -17 between the trio. The line has not aided the Oilers’ ability to win games up to this point even though it boasts one of the best combinations of foot speed.
Getting Henrique back into the lineup would allow Edmonton to bump McLeod to the wing and move Ryan down the fourth line which should balance the offense. Before succumbing to an undisclosed injury, Henrique scored six goals and nine points in 22 games for the Oilers after being acquired at the trade deadline and put up another two points in six postseason contests.
Other Oilers notes:
- Outside of getting Henrique back into the lineup, Caleb Kerney of The Hockey News wrote this morning that Edmonton should consider making a few other tweaks. Kerney argues that if Henrique cannot return in time for Game 3, the Oilers should move depth forward Sam Gagner into the fourth-line center position instead of Sam Carrick. Despite Carrick sporting better defensive awareness than Gagner, the former’s speed and creativity may give Edmonton’s offense a much-needed jolt.
- Off the ice, PuckPedia confirmed this morning that if the Oilers win the Conference Finals against the Stars, they will need to pay Corey Perry a $50K performance bonus. Since Perry has already played at least 50% of Edmonton’s potential games through the first three rounds of the playoffs, Perry has already hit the first qualifier for the bonus. If the Oilers end up having to pay the bonus to Perry, they will add on to an already league-leading overage penalty for next season at $3.55MM.
Adam Henrique Misses A Seventh Straight Game With Injury
- Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique sat out of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals after being named a game-time decision and taking warmups with the team, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Henrique has now missed Edmonton’s last seven games with an ankle injury. He continues to be replaced by Sam Carrick and Connor Brown, the latter scoring Edmonton’s first goal of Game 2. Henrique appears to be nearing a return to the lineup, though it’s becoming less clear who will step out to make way.