Mike Babcock Expected To Be Named Blue Jackets Head Coach
It was expected by now that the Blue Jackets would officially have their head coach in place by now. However, earlier today, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported (Twitter link) that the delay isn’t tied to their own deliberations but rather that something and/or someone was holding up the process.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the someone in question is Mike Babcock and the something pertains to his old contract in Toronto. Dreger reports that Babcock is expected to become the new bench boss in Columbus but the hold-up in making the move official is due to his former deal with the Maple Leafs which doesn’t expire until the end of June. Speculatively, based on this, it would seem like the Blue Jackets are waiting for the final month of his eight-year, $50MM contract from back in 2015 to end so that they won’t have to be responsible for paying for part of that. (Babcock will receive that money no matter what, either all from Toronto or partially from Columbus with the Maple Leafs covering the difference.)
Babcock last coached in the NHL back in the 2019-20 campaign before being let go by Toronto after a sluggish 9-10-4 start to their season. His tenure in Toronto wasn’t the greatest overall but it came on the heels of a successful ten-year run behind the bench in Detroit, anchored by a Stanley Cup title in 2008. Overall, the 60-year-old has a 700-418-183 record over parts of 17 seasons between Anaheim, Detroit, and Toronto but word surfaced following his departure from the Maple Leafs about a toxic playing environment with both the Red Wings and Maple Leafs. Internationally, he is the only member of the ‘Triple Gold’ club among coaches (Olympics, World Championships, and a Stanley Cup).
Babcock was briefly behind the bench again in 2021-22, working with the University of Saskatchewan on a volunteer basis, receiving a two-year deal. However, he stepped aside last summer, indicating at the time that he was retiring from coaching although he could change his mind if the right situation came up. It appears that he feels the Blue Jackets are the right situation.
Columbus was active last summer, making a big splash on the free agent market in Johnny Gaudreau while working out a multi-year deal with Patrik Laine to give their attack a strong one-two punch. However, it didn’t materialize in the form of victories as the Blue Jackets finished dead last in the Eastern Conference with just 59 points, a sizable drop from the 81 they had the year before. That resulted in Brad Larsen being let go at the end of the season.
Babcock will now be tasked with trying to turn things around in Columbus, a team that has some quality youngsters in the organization already while they’re set to add another with the third-overall pick later this month, a selection that could yield the future top center they’ve long been seeking. It’s a surprising turn of events for someone who hadn’t really been considered much in recent years for NHL coaching opportunities but if he’s able to get the Blue Jackets back into the playoff mix relatively quickly, he’ll have a chance at finishing his coaching career on a better note than it would have ended otherwise.
Assuming this hire is made official – though it might take a few more weeks – there are now three remaining head coaching vacancies in the NHL – the Ducks, Flames, and Rangers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pittsburgh Penguins Name Kyle Dubas President Of Hockey Operations
The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas as their next president of hockey operations, the team said Thursday morning. The search will continue for a new GM after firing Ron Hextall at the end of the season.
Dubas succeeds the outgoing Brian Burke, the first person Pittsburgh had named to a president of hockey ops position in their front office in franchise history. According to the team, Dubas’ role will be to “oversee all aspects of the Penguins hockey operations department, including establishing the strategic vision and philosophy for the franchise.”
Pittsburgh fired both Hextall and Burke after one of the more dysfunctional seasons in recent memory for Pittsburgh, which ended a league-high 16-season playoff streak.
After nine seasons as GM and assistant GM in Toronto, Dubas will no longer be tasked with making player personnel decisions. He’ll essentially oversee whoever Pittsburgh hires for the GM role, guiding/mentoring them to construct a roster aligning with Dubas’ team vision.
To put it simply: Dubas will decide how to get the Penguins out of their aging, mediocre state. Pittsburgh’s pending GM hire’s performance will determine how effectively it happens.
Speculation continues about who that hire might be. Current reporting indicates a two-person race between Seattle Kraken assistant GM Jason Botterill and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic also said Thursday morning that Pittsburgh had informed Dallas Stars front office member Stephen Greeley he was out of the running for the still-vacant GM role.
While playoff success didn’t follow Dubas much in Toronto, he did create and fine-tune a roster capable of contending for a championship. He oversaw three of the five best regular seasons in franchise history by points percentage (2019, 2022, 2023) and was at the helm when Toronto won their first playoff series in nearly two decades, defeating the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Dubas gave the following statement on joining the Penguins:
On behalf of my family, we are thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and all of the incredible people across Fenway Sports Group. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that lies ahead of me. The ownership group, FSG leadership and the Penguins staff on the ground in Pittsburgh have been absolutely outstanding. Everyone has demonstrated a clear commitment to building a best-in-class hockey operation. The rich history of winning and the competitiveness of the coaching staff and players were evident in each conversation I had about this position. The opportunity to work with such passionate and committed people, as well as the established character and leadership of the long-standing core group of talented players, gives me great enthusiasm for the challenge at hand. Our family has been made to feel extremely comfortable throughout this process and we are excited to now call Pittsburgh our home.
The outgoing Toronto GM said last month he would likely stay in Toronto or not work in the league next year, taking time to be with his family. That changed when Toronto president Brendan Shanahan made Dubas’ decision for him, letting him go with his contract with Toronto expiring this offseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Toronto Maple Leafs Hire Brad Treliving
The rather short courting period is over, and Brad Treliving is now officially the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The move was announced today with a statement from team president Brendan Shanahan:
I’m very pleased to welcome Brad into the Maple Leafs organization. Brad brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience as a general manager and hockey executive in Calgary, Arizona and beyond. He has earned tremendous respect amongst his peers throughout his years in the NHL and has built excellent relationships at all levels within the game. We are confident that Brad’s leadership and strategic vision will elevate the Maple Leafs in our continued pursuit of a championship.
Treliving replaces the outgoing Kyle Dubas, fired by the Maple Leafs just before his contract expired this summer. The former Calgary GM released his own statement on the new role:
I am very excited and honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs as general manager. I would like to thank Brendan, MLSE and its Board for their support throughout this process. I’m thrilled to join an Original Six team and recognize how much the Maple Leafs mean to this community. This is a very exciting day for my family and I.
The team will introduce Treliving to the media tomorrow morning, but he immediately takes over as the 18th GM in club history, and has a huge list of important items to get to this summer. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are both eligible to sign extensions on July 1, as they enter their last seasons under contract before unrestricted free agency. Ten other roster regulars are pending UFAs, including names like Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting who should have plenty of interest on the open market.
There’s also the issue of coaching, as he inherits Sheldon Keefe after another disappointing playoff exit, but without upstart assistant Spencer Carbery who took a position with the Washington Capitals. Reports have emerged today that Keefe may not actually be on the chopping block, though that has been said many times just before a dismissal is made.
Looming over all of that is a growing sentiment (at least among fans) that the core group of Maple Leafs is not built for playoff success. Matthews, Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares cost the team nearly $40MM against the cap every year but have won just a single second-round game in their time with the Maple Leafs. A no-movement clause kicks in for Marner this offseason, and even more money would have to be shelled out to retain Matthews and Nylander.
It could be a dramatic few weeks in Toronto, though Treliving should be used to that. He’s the GM that had to watch two 100-point players walk out the door last offseason, when Johnny Gaudreau left for Columbus, and Matthew Tkachuk essentially forced a trade to Florida. Many praised the manager for making the best of a bad situation by landing Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, but Calgary took a noticeable step back while Tkachuk has just led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final.
If another massive trade is on the horizon for Treliving, Maple Leafs fans will have to hope he’s on the right side of it this time.
Nashville Predators Expected To Fire John Hynes, Hire Andrew Brunette
The Nashville Predators are making an unexpected change behind the bench. Per an initial report from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Nashville has let go head coach John Hynes with a year left on his deal and is hiring former Florida Panthers interim head coach and current New Jersey Devils assistant Andrew Brunette.
Hynes was given a two-year extension from the Predators just over a calendar year ago. After selling at the trade deadline, Nashville went on a 12-9-2 run and nearly squeaked into the playoffs despite key injuries, finishing just three points outside and 10th in the Western Conference.
That, combined with the delayed timing into the offseason (Washington has already created and filled their head coaching vacancy after a weeks-long search), makes this a piece of news with very peculiar timing.
With Barry Trotz set to become the second general manager in franchise history this offseason, he evidently felt a change was necessary behind the bench. In doing so, he brings in a player he coached as a member of the Predators early on in the team’s lifespan – incidentally, Brunette scored the first regular-season goal in Nashville history.
Brunette does bring a varied experience to the Nashville bench, beginning his administrative career with the Minnesota Wild after retirement in 2012. With Minnesota, he served in four different roles (special assistant to the GM, assistant GM, assistant coach, and director of player personnel) in just seven seasons before joining the Panthers as an assistant coach.
He became the team’s interim head coach in October 2021 after Joel Quenneville resigned in response to the investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks’ mishandling of 2010 sexual assault allegations against then-video coach Brad Aldrich. His coaching performance down the stretch earned him a President’s Trophy and a nomination for the Jack Adams Award, but the interim tag was never removed, and Florida instead hired Paul Maurice the following offseason.
Brunette found a home for 2022-23 as an associate coach on the New Jersey Devils’ bench, largely entrusted with running the team’s power play, which ranked 13th in the league during the regular season. In February, Brunette was charged with driving under the influence while in South Florida during the league’s All-Star break.
He inherits a Nashville roster that, while imperfect, still boasts a mix of star power (Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Juuse Saros) and a healthy number of young players on the rise. Brunette’s hiring seems like a targeted move to try and generate more offense out of the team’s current core.
The decision puts Hynes in a tough spot, as many teams are already well down the road in their coaching searches and weren’t expecting him to become available. However, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple notes that Hynes could be a contender for the New York Rangers head coaching job, replacing the outgoing Gerard Gallant.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Washington Capitals Name Spencer Carbery Head Coach
10:30 am: Washington has confirmed Carbery’s hiring, making the news official.
9:06 am: The Washington Capitals are expected to hire Spencer Carbery as their next head coach, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Tuesday morning. Carbery was reported as Washington’s preferred candidate for the role as soon as early last week.
Per Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic, Washington is bringing in Carbery on a four-year contract, a hefty agreement for a first-time NHL head coach.
Washington entered the head coaching market a month and a half ago after the team announced they’d mutually agreed to part ways with veteran bench boss Peter Laviolette. Last week, El-Bashir listed Tampa Bay Lightning assistant Jeff Halpern, Philadelphia Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw, Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson, and free agent Bruce Boudreau as names also linked to Washington’s vacancy.
Carbery, who re-joins the Capitals organization after two years with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach under Sheldon Keefe, is now entrusted with keeping the Capitals competitive during a transitional period. They aim to retool during the twilight years of captain Alex Ovechkin‘s Hall of Fame career.
The 41-year-old Carbery has spent most of his coaching career within the Capitals organization since retiring as a player with their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, in 2010 He spent just one season as an assistant on the Stingrays bench before being promoted to head coach and director of hockey operations, a role he held for five seasons, winning an ECHL’s John Brophy Award for Coach of the Year along the way.
Carbery then took a quick detour, heading to junior hockey to serve as the head coach of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit for just one season before returning to minor pro as an assistant with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. In 2018-19, he returned to the Capitals, named the head coach of their AHL affiliate in Hershey (also winning Coach of the Year honors there). He then departed for Toronto in the 2021 offseason.
In Toronto, Carbery’s main responsibility was handling the power play – one that clicked at 26.6% over the past two seasons, trailing only the Edmonton Oilers. If you’re looking for a coach to help guide Ovechkin to the NHL’s all-time goals record, look no further.
Needless to say, that’s not his only qualification for the role in Washington. Carbery’s familiarity with the organization’s developing players, at least those who have been in Hershey since 2021, make him an attractive fit for a team looking to better utilize its younger talent.
It’s certainly a significant change in style from Laviolette, evidencing Washington’s organizational desire to place more emphasis on developing talent in-house. Competitive cores are rarely built solely through trades and free agency, and for Washington to have any hope of nearing Stanley Cup contention again during Ovechkin’s career, they’ll need the help of drafted and developed talents.
Calgary Flames Name Craig Conroy General Manager
May 23: Calgary has made the hire official, also adding Dave Nonis as the team’s senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager. The team has also retitled the roles of Chris Snow and Brad Pascall, who were previously assistant general managers. Per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, the team has given extensions to both Snow and Pascall while expanding their roles.
May 21: TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting the Calgary Flames are expected to name Craig Conroy their next general manager, promoting him from the assistant role he’s held since 2014.
Conroy succeeds Brad Treliving, who the Flames mutually parted ways with last month after a disappointing season. Dreger notes that the team’s management overhaul, also accented by firing head coach Darryl Sutter, likely isn’t over. More hires are expected to be announced in Calgary’s front office later next week.
While Conroy may not have been the most experienced hire available for Calgary (he has no previous general managing experience), there are few who’ve been around the Flames organization longer than him. Not only has he spent the past 13 seasons in the Flames’ front office in some capacity, but he also played nine seasons in Calgary dating back to a 2001 trade deadline move.
It’s a straightforward choice for Calgary, who are looking to live up to the expectations they set for themselves after completely rehauling their roster last summer. Swapping Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar while also adding Nazem Kadri flamed out, with most of their additions having extremely disappointing seasons under Sutter.
The hope remains that some new blood in the front office and behind the bench, along with an organizational shift more willing to give opportunities to the team’s younger players, should pay short-term dividends and return the Flames to a consistent playoff status in the Pacific Division.
Conroy won’t have that busy of an offseason with just five free agents on the NHL roster (all unrestricted depth players), but many core pieces like Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and Chris Tanev are expiring in 2024 and become eligible for extensions on July 1.
Earlier this week, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Dave Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin were also being considered for the job alongside Conroy.
Kyle Dubas Will Not Return As Toronto GM
Kyle Dubas will not return as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs next season, team president Brendan Shanahan announced today.
Dubas, who has been with the Maple Leafs since 2014, served as an assistant general manager before being promoted to the role of general manager in May 2018, replacing Lou Lamoriello. Under his leadership, the team has yet to miss the postseason but has won just one game past the First Round, coming in this year’s 4-1 Second Round loss to the Florida Panthers.
Per the announcement from the Leafs, this was not necessarily a mutual decision. The team’s statement clarified that it was Toronto’s decision to part ways with Dubas ahead of his contract expiring on June 30.
Shanahan expressed gratitude to Dubas for his near-decade of work with the Leafs organization:
I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as General Manager. Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistently pushed to make our team better season over season. We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward.
Dubas’ immediate future in the NHL remains very uncertain. He stated on Monday that he would either continue with the Maple Leafs or take time away from the league to spend with family.
Regardless, there is bound to be considerable interest from other teams when or if he decides to pursue another general manager position in the future. Dubas’ reputation as a progressive thinker, his analytical approach (which he had wavered from slightly in recent seasons), and a good recent history of high-value draft picks make him an attractive candidate for any franchise looking for a fresh perspective.
Dubas headed up one of the most formative periods in Maple Leafs history, signing multiple significant contracts with the team’s top players. None, however, have faced more scrutiny than his free agent acquisition of captain John Tavares in 2018 to a seven-year, $77MM contract, one a large sect of fans have determined an overpayment for his services.
The news means someone new will be behind the helm to deal with potential contract extensions for Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who are both unrestricted free agents in 2024 and are eligible for extensions beginning July 1 of this year. The Leafs have a pair of internal candidates, assistant general manager Brandon Pridham and special assistant to the general manager Jason Spezza, who immediately jump out as potential replacements.
While it seems like the team’s curse of playoff failures may never end, the reality is Dubas’ successor is inheriting a team with many years left in a contention window if they play their cards right. A solid prospect base and some potential financial flexibility, especially if the next GM does trade one of the team’s ‘Core Four’ of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Mitch Marner, still have Toronto in solid positioning.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the news.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Arizona Coyotes Expected To Remain In Tempe For 2023-24
The Arizona Coyotes are not expected to relocate ahead of the 2023-24 season, NHL deputy commissioner told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski today. The team’s long-term future remains undecided after Tempe voters failed to approve the team’s plan for a new arena and entertainment district in the city.
However, the tone surrounding the future of the team in Arizona seems more optimistic this afternoon than immediately after the Coyotes (and NHL) learned the results of the Tempe arena vote last night. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo reaffirmed today the team’s preferred course of action is to stay in Arizona, while PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports “there is still a path forward for the Coyotes in Arizona.”
The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta adds the NHL remains in line with Coyotes ownership, preferring to keep the team in place, although the league is still open to considering relocation.
It’s unclear what that path is, nor is it apparent what’s changed in the last 24 hours to constitute the revived confidence of a long-term fix for the Coyotes’ off-ice issues. Still, it’s a sigh-of-relief moment for Coyotes fans and players, who were understandably devastated by last night’s news.
On-ice for Arizona, stability for next season this early in the process of finding a new long-term plan is great news. With a home confirmed, at least for next season, general manager Bill Armstrong should have a much easier time re-signing any pending free agents he chooses and potentially attracting free agents outside the organization looking for more playing time. The team is still years away from having a competitive core, but a small step forward should be expected next season as their young talent continues to develop.
Gabriel Landeskog Unlikely To Play Next Season
The Colorado Avalanche announced today that captain Gabriel Landeskog will undergo a cartilage transplant in his right knee, likely causing him to miss the entire 2023-24 season.
This is a devastating blow for the Avalanche, who hoped to have their leader back on the ice for the upcoming season. Landeskog missed the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign due to a previous knee injury dating back to the season prior when Landeskog and his Avalanche lifted the Stanley Cup.
Colorado felt Landeskog’s absence deeply this season. Combined with other rashes of injuries, Colorado was plagued with inconsistency but seemed to get hot at the right time going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Without Landeskog (and eventually Valeri Nichushkin) in the fold, though, the Avalanche’s depth couldn’t keep up, and they were eliminated by the Seattle Kraken in a seven-game First Round series.
The decision to undergo a cartilage transplant is a serious one, and it’s clear that Landeskog and the Avalanche are taking a cautious approach to his recovery. The procedure is a substitute for a joint replacement, involving a lab process where biopsied cartilage is allowed to grow and multiply before being inserted into the knee.
Despite the on-ice setback for Colorado, the team now knows Landeskog’s $7MM cap hit can remain on long-term injured reserve next season, giving them ample breathing room to make needed additions to their forward corps.
Off the ice, the focus now shifts to Landeskog’s long-term health in a personal sense, not just on the ice. Chronic knee pain is evidently becoming a serious issue in Landeskog’s life, and the team is inarguably making the right choice by supporting procedures such as this that prioritize Landeskog’s long-term comfort.
At this point in his career, Landeskog has skated in 738 regular-season and 69 playoff games, all with Colorado. He recorded 22 points in 20 games and a league-leading +15 rating en route to 2022’s Stanley Cup win and has amassed 248 goals and 571 points in his regular-season career.
Chicago Blackhawks Win 2023 NHL Draft Lottery
One of the most highly anticipated nights on the NHL calendar has finally arrived as the annual NHL Draft Lottery was held to determine which team would have the honor of selecting first and second overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. The 16 teams that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs all had a chance to win the lottery, though teams can only move up a maximum of ten slots, so the bottom 11 teams in the NHL standings all had a chance of landing the top draft pick.
The results are now in and the Chicago Blackhawks have won the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. They had the third best odds entering the night, but jumped ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets to win the top pick. The Ducks won the second overall pick and will now step to the podium second at the draft after entering the lottery with the best odds at winning the first overall pick. The Blue Jackets had the second best odds of winning the lottery, but have dropped to third overall.
The now official order of the first 16 picks in the 2023 NHL Draft will go as follows:
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Anaheim Ducks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- San Jose Sharks
- Montreal Canadiens
- Arizona Coyotes
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Washington Capitals
- Detroit Red Wings
- St. Louis Blues
- Vancouver Canucks
- Arizona Coyotes (via Ottawa Senators)
- Buffalo Sabres
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Nashville Predators
- Calgary Flames
The prize for winning the first overall pick is a big one this season. Connor Bedard is slated to go with the top selection at the 2023 NHL Draft and he promises to be an exceptional NHL player.
Bedard will not turn 18 years old until July, but he did lead the WHL in goals, assists and points this past season. He scored 71 goals, 72 assists and 143 points in just 57 games. He was away from the team for a few weeks around Christmas to suit up at the World Juniors where he brought his world-class skills to the biggest stage yet. He was named MVP of the tournament after scoring nine goals and 23 points in just seven games, helping Canada claim a gold medal.
Adam Fantilli is likely to be the second player off the board at the draft, but he is an exceptional consolation prize. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey during his freshman season. Fantilli scored 30 goals and 65 points in just 36 NCAA contests, showing he is ready to take the next step to the NHL immediately after being drafted.
The 2023 NHL Draft will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on June 28.