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Rangers Given Permission To Interview John Hynes

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Already a day after his removal as the head coach of the Nashville Predators, John Hynes has plenty of interest from teams around the NHL. Per Mollie Walker of the New York Post, it appears that the New York Rangers have been given permission to interview Hynes for their head coaching vacancy.

The Rangers have already been heavily linked to Peter Laviolette, but with another veteran head coach now on the open market, it is only natural that the Rangers continue to do their due diligence. Having been a head coach in the NHL for the last nine seasons, Hynes fits the mold of an established coach that the Rangers appear to be after in their search.

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Edmonton Oilers Acquire; Sign Jayden Grubbe

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3:07 PM: Shortly thereafter, the Oilers announced that Grubbe has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the organization. The deal will run until the end of the 2025-26 NHL season. The contract will also carry an AAV of $925K in the NHL, and an AAV of $80K in the AHL.

12:04 PM: With tomorrow’s deadline approaching for many expiring draft rights, a few last-minute dealings may be made. The Edmonton Oilers have done just that, acquiring Jayden Grubbe from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick. If not signed by tomorrow evening, Grubbe’s rights would no longer belong to the Oilers.

The fact that they made this trade suggests that an entry-level contract will soon follow, though it has not yet been announced. Grubbe, 20, was a third-round pick of the Rangers in 2021 but still hasn’t taken the jump to elite production in the junior level, despite his NHL size.

In 2021-22 he had just 14 goals and 35 points in 68 games, and while this year was better—18 goals and 67 points in 64 games—it may still not have been enough to make the Rangers interested in offering him a deal.

That, or perhaps the Alberta native didn’t see a future for himself in the Rangers organization. He’ll now get a chance to sign closer to home, and start his professional career with the Oilers minor league system.

Standing 6’3″, Grubbe has shown some flashes, but has a long way to go before making an impact at the NHL level. The fact that the Rangers landed a fifth-round pick for him is rather impressive, given how close they were to losing him for nothing.

From the Oilers perspective, this may have been their best chance at landing the young forward. Should Grubbe’s rights expire, he could re-enter the draft. If they were willing to spend a fifth (or higher) on him anyway, it makes sense to do the deal ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.

Latest On Pending Rangers UFAs

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Mark 2023 down as a formative offseason for the New York Rangers, who are looking to stamp out any doubts next season after a disappointing First Round exit against the New Jersey Devils. While they’re already looking for a new head coach after firing Gerard Gallant, general manager Chris Drury has some offseason player personnel decisions to make, too, after going all in at this year’s trade deadline.

In his latest column for The Athletic, Arthur Staple listed forwards Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, as well as defenseman Niko Mikkola, as the least likely returnees to the Rangers roster in 2023-24. All pending unrestricted free agents, they’ll likely be too rich for the Rangers’ blood, at least in terms of what they’ll offer to the team over the life of their next contracts.

As Staple concurs, Kane’s health is an obvious question mark moving forward, and Mikkola’s cap hit on his next deal will price the Rangers out of what they can afford for a depth defenseman, especially when offensive acumen from the blueline is an area of need on the third pair. Tarasenko is likely a pure cap casualty, with a strong showing down the stretch boosting his value on the open market.

Rangers Meeting With Peter Laviolette Again

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  • The Calgary Flames have contacted former New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant, who will be part of an extensive interview process as they look to replace the outgoing Darryl Sutter. Gallant has had great success in all his head coaching roles but has never made it through a third season with the same team.
  • The Rangers are expected to meet with Peter Laviolette again today as they look to replace Gallant. Hynes has also been linked to the New York job, suggesting they’ll go with another experienced name after parting ways with Gallant earlier this month.

Peter Laviolette Linked To New York Rangers Coaching Vacancy

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The New York Rangers could be the first team of the 2023 offseason to fill a vacant head coaching position. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, well-tenured NHL bench boss Peter Laviolette is becoming the consensus pick to take over behind the Rangers bench, with a potential announcement coming next week.

Out of all the teams looking for a new head coach this offseason, the Rangers’ search has been the shortest. The team announced they’d parted ways with second-year coach Gerard Gallant on May 6.

If hired, the Rangers would be the sixth stop on Laviolette’s coaching tour. He ranks third among active coaches for seasons spent as a head coach (21), tied with current Philadelphia Flyers bench boss John Tortorella.

Laviolette, 58, himself became a free agent this summer, mutually parting ways with the Washington Capitals after three seasons as their head coach. His contract was set to expire regardless on June 30.

Undoubtedly, Laviolette is one of the most coveted options on the market. He’s got multiple deep playoff runs under his belt, and at first glance, he seems like an ideally experienced candidate to handle the New York market and lead the team into its first Stanley Cup Final since 2014.

But if you’re met with exasperation from Rangers fans when bringing up the connection, it is justified. The team’s largest issues over the past few seasons have been developing the talent they drafted to lead their retool, instead leading on their veteran stars (and goaltending) to take them to the next level.

Filip Chytil seems to be growing well into a high-end third-line center, but Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko weren’t able to reach their peak effectiveness under two previous coaches in New York. Other top ten picks, namely Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov, ended their Rangers careers as merely a blip in the stat book and now reside outside the organization.

Is Laviolette the right candidate to fix that issue and utilize the most out of depth players? The jury’s out on that one. His two previous franchises, the Capitals and Nashville Predators, are currently stagnant in their development. Nashville’s future only recently brightened thanks to a series of shrewd moves over the past few months from outgoing general manager David Poile.

There is one thing on Laviolette’s résumé that puts him ahead of a more developmental candidate or potentially an internal promotion from the team’s AHL staff in Hartford: three conference championships, all with different teams. Considering he hasn’t reached the Cup Final since 2017 with Nashville, Laviolette does seem due for another chance at Stanley after appearances in 2006 (a win with Carolina) and 2010 (a loss with Philadelphia).

Lauri Pajuniemi Signs In Sweden

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  • Pending Rangers RFA Lauri Pajuniemi has decided to try his hand in the SHL as he has joined Malmo on a one-year contract, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old winger had a good sophomore year with AHL Hartford, notching 19 goals (fourth-most on the team) and 38 points (sixth-most) in 68 games while chipping in with six points in nine playoff appearances.  However, Pajuniemi didn’t receive a recall at any point during the regular season.  New York can retain his rights through 2027 by still tendering him a qualifying offer next month.

Snapshots: Söderberg, Mock Draft, Stadium Series

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The most transformative offseason in PHF history continued this morning, with the Connecticut Whale making a big splash in the goalie market. Goalie Emma Söderberg, a finalist for the 2022-23 IIHF Female Player of the Year award, has signed a two-year contract with the team, per an announcement Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Swede was among NCAA leaders this past season, recording a .938 save percentage and 12 shutouts in 33 appearances with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She also shined for Sweden at the Women’s World Championship, posting a .924 save percentage and a 2-3-0 record in five appearances. It’s a shrewd acquisition for Connecticut, which has finished in the league’s top three in the past three seasons. Söderberg’s services will help them remain in contention as they still seek to earn their first Isobel Cup.

Söderberg also represented Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

  • Two of the top public scouts around, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman, have released a second two-round mock ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. While the first two selections are apparent, Wheeler has the Columbus Blue Jackets using their third overall pick on American center Will Smith, letting the consensus no. 1 European forward, Leo Carlsson, slip to the San Jose Sharks at fourth overall. The best overseas forward based on talent alone is Russian winger Matvei Michkov, but the geopolitical climate and his well-reported contract situation (he’s obligated to his Russian team through 2026) lower his draft position. Pronman has Michkov falling to the Washington Capitals at eighth overall.
  • Next season’s Stadium Series game could actually be two, says The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. Per his report, the 2024 edition will entail back-to-back days in February at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, first between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, followed by a New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers matchup. If confirmed, it will be the second outdoor appearance for the Devils and Islanders, the fifth for the Rangers, and the sixth for the Flyers.

Vitali Kravtsov Signs In Russia

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11:30 am: Kravtsov has officially signed in the KHL, per his now-former agent Dan Milstein. Kravtsov has switched representation as part of the deal.

9:55 am: Reports out of Russia this morning indicate Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov could sign a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL this offseason.

If the report comes to fruition, it’s very likely the end of the road in the NHL for the 6-foot-3 winger. Selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers, a tumultuous tenure there ended when the Rangers dealt him to Vancouver for William Lockwood and a seventh-round pick on February 25.

Things didn’t go well in a brief stint with Vancouver for Kravtsov either, recording just a goal and an assist in 16 games, and he wasn’t able to earn an uptick in ice time. Now 23, Kravtsov has managed to get into just 64 NHL games in parts of three seasons, notching six goals and 12 points almost exclusively in a bottom-six role.

It’s a return to a familiar place for Kravtsov, as Chelyabinsk has been his home for his entire development track in Russia. Prior to 2022-23, he’d spent at least a portion of every season in the organization dating back to 2014-15, either pre-draft or on loan after signing his entry-level contract with New York.

Chelyabinsk hopes they’re getting the version of Kravtsov that posted 13 points in 19 KHL games on loan in 2021-22, and he’s able to at least pan out as a top-six fixture in the KHL.

List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup

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After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.

Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.

There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.

Anaheim Ducks

C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)

Arizona Coyotes

RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)

Boston Bruins

none

Buffalo Sabres

RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)

Calgary Flames

LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)

Colorado Avalanche

none

Columbus Blue Jackets

LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)

Dallas Stars

C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

none

Edmonton Oilers

none

Florida Panthers

LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)

Los Angeles Kings

none

Minnesota Wild

C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)

Montreal Canadiens

C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)

Nashville Predators

LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)

New Jersey Devils

RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)

New York Islanders

LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)

New York Rangers

LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)

Ottawa Senators

none

Philadelphia Flyers

LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)

Pittsburgh Penguins

none

San Jose Sharks

none

Seattle Kraken

C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)

St. Louis Blues

C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)

Tampa Bay Lightning

none

Toronto Maple Leafs

C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)

Vancouver Canucks

C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)

Vegas Golden Knights

C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)

Washington Capitals

C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)

Winnipeg Jets

C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)

If Rangers Want To Keep Halak, A Pay Cut Is Likely

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  • Mollie Walker of the New York Post examines some low-cost goaltending options for the Rangers this summer, including a possible reunion with Jaroslav Halak. The 38-year-old posted a 2.72 GAA with a .903 SV% in 25 games this season and Walker suggests that there’s mutual interest in a return.  However, with cap space being at a premium next season, Halak would almost certainly have to take a pay cut from the $1.5MM in guaranteed money he had in 2022-23.

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