Devils’ Fitzgerald, Penguins’ Guerin Also Out Of Carolina GM Search
New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon probably did not expect this process to be so hard. After Los Angles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa joined Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton in dropping out of the running to be the next Hurricanes GM early yesterday, two more names are off the list. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to a potential candidate, New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, and found that he too had pulled out of the search. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun hears Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin also declined to get involved in the process.
Fitzgerald, 49, had a long NHL career, lasting from 1988 to 2006, and then joined the Penguins front office in 2007. He has been the AGM of the Devils since 2015. The experienced hockey mind comes from a strong hockey bloodline and has two sons, Ryan and Casey, with NHL potential. There are many reasons why Fitzgerald would be a strong hire and he certainly seems to have a GM title in his future, but it won’t be with Carolina. Fitzgerald simply told Friedman “This is nothing against Tom Dundon. I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me.” Guerin, 47, is in a similar boat. LeBrun states that he too felt the timing was wrong. Guerin himself was a successful NHLer for nearly 20 years and has been with the Penguins organization since 2009, having been promoted to AGM in 2014. Many see Guerin as the heir apparent to 69-year-old Pens GM Jim Rutherford.
These continued rejections have changed Dundon’s frame of mind for his hunt for Ron Francis‘ replacement. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports this morning that the team is “shifting gears” and will wait until the off-season to continue their search. LeBrun speculated that this may change the “timing is wrong” feeling from some of these candidates. However, of the three remaining names on the short list reported by Friedman, only one – Buffalo’s Steve Greeley – is currently employed by an NHL team other than Carolina, while the other two candidates are ‘Canes Assistant GM Mike Vellucci and former Canucks executive Laurence Gilman. More than anything, the pause could be Dundon re-thinking the whole situation. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth process so far for the NHL’s newest owner.
Another Candidate Withdraws From Carolina GM Search
Los Angeles Kings’ AGM Mike Futa removed himself from contention for the Carolina Hurricanes GM job recently, and now another leading candidate is pulling out. According to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton has withdrawn as well.
Friedman now lists Tom Fitzgerald, Laurence Gilman, Steve Greeley and Mike Vellucci as the known candidates, though there could still be others.
The Hurricanes are searching for a new GM after moving Ron Francis into a different position, and owner Thomas Dundon has made it clear the incoming executive will answer directly to him. He and Francis apparently didn’t have similar styles, leading to the move and subsequent search. Obviously Dundon is looking for something very particular, but with two very qualified candidates now pulling out (for one reason or another) the search could become more difficult.
The NHL Entry Draft is just a few months away, and the Hurricanes have some huge negotiations to go through with players like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Though there are experienced executives like Don Wadell still in the front office, every day that passes gives the new GM less time to prepare for the offseason. The Hurricanes meanwhile are 3-8-2 in their last 13 and have fallen out of the playoff race.
Calle Jarnkrok Out Rest Of Regular Season With Upper-Body Injury
The Nashville Predators have announced that Calle Jarnkrok will be out for the rest of the regular season, after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game. The release does not include any details on a potential playoff return, or a timeline on his recovery. According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, Jarnkrok was seen with his right arm in a sling after the game.
Jarnkrok, 26, has been one of the most versatile players for the Predators all season long. After being a depth center for the team in his first few seasons, Jarnkrok has moved back and forth to the wing whenever the Predators have needed him to, and it has resulted in a career-high 35 points and a +20 rating. He logs more short-handed ice time than any other forward for the Predators, and has even contributed on the powerplay whenever asked.
Though the Predators loaded up down the middle this season by adding Kyle Turris and Mike Fisher, and acquired Ryan Hartman at the deadline to give them another young weapon, losing Jarnkrok will hurt. Nashville looks like the top contender for the Stanley Cup as they head towards the playoffs, but even with their impressive depth can’t take too many hits like this. We’ll see how their lineup shakes out after dealing with the loss, and who steps into the important penalty killing role down the stretch.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Western Notes: Yeo, Bouwmeester, Nugent-Hopkins, Tolvanen, Kamenev, Bernier
While they’ve hardly been eliminated from the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues are definitely having a disappointing season. With that in mind, the St. Louis Blues are likely to make some changes this offseason. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes in a mailbag column that one change that shouldn’t happen is a coaching change. While the coach always must be held accountable for his actions, the scribe writes that it’s too early to push all the team’s failings on head coach Mike Yeo, who has only been with the team a little more than a year. Many of the leadership and chemistry issues that the team has were already there before Yeo got there.
While Rutherford does admit it’s disturbing that Yeo’s last coaching stint with the Minnesota Wild had many of the same issues, Yeo deserves more time to right the ship, which might require some personnel changes on the ice as many players are not pulling their weight.
One other issue is the team has struggled with key injuries to key players. The team failed to find an offensive replacement when Robby Fabbri or Jaden Schwartz were injured. In fact in 20 games without Schwartz, the team was 9-10-1.
- In the same piece, Rutherford writes that while many people would like the team to buyout players who are struggling in St. Louis like Patrik Berglund, Jake Allen and Alex Steen, that won’t happen this offseason. All of their contracts would be too expensive to buyout. Berglund’s buyout cost would be $9.7MM, Allen’s would be $9MM and Steen’s contract would cost them $10.6MM. The most likely buyout candidate might be defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who would only cost the team $3.6MM and would count just $1.8MM against the cap for the next two years.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have activated center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve Saturday. The 24-year-old has been out since Jan. 13 with a rib injury. While the former first overall pick will not be rejoining a team headed for the playoffs, he might bring up his own value with a good end of the season. Nugent-Hopkins could be a legitimate trade candidate this offseason. He was having a solid season in which he had 16 goals and 31 points in 46 games. With teams being desperate for centers and the Oilers having quite a few of them, they might find a taker for him.
- The Eeli Tolvanen countdown continues as the Nashville Predators are awaiting their top prospect after his KHL team wraps up their season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that Tolvanen’s team, Jokerit, opened their first-round playoff series Saturday with a double-overtime loss. The earliest possible day for Jokerit to be eliminated would be this Wednesday. If so, Tolvanen could join Nashville for their remainder of the season and the playoffs if they feel he can contribute. Of course, the Predators are loaded with depth since the trade deadline after acquiring Ryan Hartman and signing Mike Fisher.
- Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Vladislav Kamenev, who has been out with a broken arm since November after being injured in his first game for the Avalanche, has been cleared and might be assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the next couple of days for a conditioning assignment, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. Kamenev, who was acquired on Nov. 6 in the three-team trade between Colorado, Ottawa and Nashville involving Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene, was injured while playing in his first game with Colorado. A key prospect included in the Avalanche’s haul for moving Duchene, Kamenev has played just 14 AHL games this year, having totaled three goals and nine assists. His return is just another talented player ready to step into the Avalanche’s lineup.
- Chambers also mentioned in the same tweet that goalie Jonathan Bernier has also been cleared after suffering a concussion on Feb. 16. The Avalanche added that he was a full participant in practice Saturday and is expected to be activated soon.
Trade Deadline Recap: Western Conference
After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Western Conference:
Deadline Day
Winnipeg Jets receive:
F Paul Stastny
St. Louis Blues receive:
F Erik Foley
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick
Vegas Golden Knights receive:
F Tomas Tatar
Detroit Red Wings receive:
2018 first-round pick
2019 second-round pick
2021 third-round pick
Nashville Predators receive:
F Ryan Hartman
2018 fifth-round pick
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
F Victor Ejdsell
2018 first-round pick
2018 fourth-round pick
San Jose Sharks receive:
F Evander Kane
Buffalo Sabres receive:
F Danny O’Regan
Conditional 2019 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Vegas Golden Knights receive:
D Philip Holm
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Brendan Leipsic
Winnipeg Jets receive:
D Joe Morrow
Montreal Canadiens receive:
2018 fourth-round pick
Calgary Flames receive:
F Nick Shore
Ottawa Senators receive:
2019 seventh-round pick
Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference
After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:
Deadline Day
Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller
New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole
Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick
New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon
Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick
Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris
Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg
Nashville, Arizona Make Four-Player Minor League Deal
Another late trade has come through, as the Arizona Coyotes continue to focus on strengthening their farm team, the Tuscon Roadrunners, who currently sit atop their division with an eye on the Calder Cup this season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vignan relays that the Nashville Predators have sent Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Trevor Murphy to Arizona for Tyler Gaudet and John Ramage.
The deal appears to suit both teams well, as Murphy appears to be the prize for Arizona, enjoying a great year with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, while Gaudet and Ramage have NHL experience that could prove useful to Nashville the rest of the way if injuries occur.
Ryan Hartman Traded To Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have indeed acquired Ryan Hartman from the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Blackhawks will receive a 2018 first-round pick, a 2018 fourth-round pick and prospect Victor Ejdsell. Nashville will also receive a 2018 fifth-round pick along with Hartman.
Hartman got off to a flying start to his season, collecting six points in his first two games. However, he has tailed off offensively since then, tallying just 19 since then in 55 contests. On the season, he has eight goals and 17 assists while averaging 12:48 of ice time per game.
The gritty winger was Chicago’s first-round pick (30th overall) back in 2013 and is in his second full season in the NHL. He has spent some time at center this year and while the Predators are well-stocked at that position, that type of versatility was certainly attractive to them.
Hartman carries a cap hit of just $863K this season and does not have any bonuses in his entry-level contract. He will be a restricted free agent in July but will not have arbitration eligibility.
In terms of a return for Chicago, the Blackhawks will be happy with the package received. Though Nashville’s first pick will come late in the round, it’s still a strong asset to play with and help accelerate the Chicago re-tool. It gives the Blackhawks another shot to select a top prospect, or another piece to use in an offseason trade.
Ejdsell though could be the most interesting piece in the deal. After spending quite a bit of time wooing him last summer, the Predators signed the big winger to an entry-level contract but allowed him to stay in Sweden for another year. He made them look like geniuses, as he jumped to the SHL and has recorded 30 points in 47 games. The 6’4″ winger is a strong goal-scoring threat that can contribute in several different ways in the offensive zone, and could jump right to the NHL level next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Mike Fisher Ends Retirement, Officially Signs With Nashville
2/26: The Predators have officially announced the signing.
2/25: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Predators will announce a one-year, $1MM deal with Fisher tomorrow. The pro-rated deal will only cost Nashville around $225K to bring back their former captain for one last run at the Stanley Cup. Fisher has been working out with the team since the initial report last month and no doubt will be ready to go when he gets his first chance to again take the ice.
1/31: In probably the most surprising turn of the season, Mike Fisher is set to come out of retirement and sign with the Nashville Predators for the remainder of the season.
Fisher hung up his skates in August after deliberating for much of the offseason, calling it the “hardest decision” he’d ever had to make. The 37-year old center captained the Predators all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, after a successful regular season which saw him record 18 goals and 42 points. The Predators have brought in both Nick Bonino and Kyle Turris since then to try and fill out their center depth, and adding Fisher now will make them an impressive group.
Just recently, Predators’ GM David Poile admitted to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he would like to make an addition up front, though a big splash didn’t seem likely. With Fisher back in the fold, the Nashville forward group can be matched up with anyone in the league, at least when healthy.
There is no exact timeline yet on when Fisher will be ready for game action, but his contract must be signed and added to the roster before the February 26th deadline in order to be eligible for the playoffs. Depending on how well he’s kept himself in shape since retiring, it could be even sooner than that. No financial details have been released yet, but the contract is expected to only be for the rest of 2017-18.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Predators Add Depth In Minor Move With Sharks
The Nashville Predators announced they have made a minor deal as they acquired forward Brandon Bollig and goaltender Troy Grosenick from the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
It’s the second move for the Predators today, who earlier traded away forward Pontus Aberg in a three-team deal, that netted them a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
Bollig, a 31-year-old veteran, hasn’t played a game for the Sharks this season. The winger has played the past two years in the AHL and likely is being brought aboard to increase the depth on the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate. With the Barracuda, Bollig has eight goals and two assists in 45 games this year with 68 penalty minutes.
Grosenick also will provide the team some depth on the goaltending depth chart. The 28-year-old has served as an emergency backup this year for the Sharks, but has never appeared in a game. He currently has a 2.98 GAA with the Barracuda in 20 appearances.