2019 NHL Draft Lottery Results
The ping pong balls have been drawn and the first 15 picks of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft are set. The league conducted its annual Draft Lottery tonight and the big winners were the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils, with an 11.5% chance of winning the No. 1 overall selection, did just that and astoundingly will have their pick of the class for the second time in three years. New Jersey won the draft lottery in 2017 and selected Nico Hischier and will have the chance to add another elite talent this year. This continues the almost comical lottery luck that has followed Taylor Hall in his career, moving from Edmonton to New Jersey. The Rangers held a 7.8% chance of moving up to the second overall pick and in this specific draft class were very lucky as well, as their consolation prize will be the second of two elite players at the top of the draft board. This will also be the first time in the modern draft era that New York selects within the first three picks. The Blackhawks may have a more difficult choice facing them at No. 3, but aren’t complaining after jumping from No. 12 into the top three, a move that had just a 3% chance of happening. Chicago has been a dynastic franchise this decade and will look to return to greatness by adding one of the draft’s top talents. Altogether, these three teams all moving up in this order was a result that had just a 0.027% chance of occurring.
Following the lottery results, the odds for which were set by the final league standings for non-playoff teams, the first half of the first round will play out as follows:
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Rangers
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa Senators)
- Los Angeles Kings
- Detroit Red Wings
- Buffalo Sabres
- Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Minnesota Wild
- Florida Panthers
- Arizona Coyotes
- Montreal Canadiens
The biggest loser of the night has to be the Colorado Avalanche, who fall out of the top three spots despite having a 49.4% chance of winning at least one of the those picks. This is the second time in just three years that Colorado has entered the lottery with the best odds at No. 1, only see three teams win the lottery and pass them up. In 2017, it was again the Devils who stole their top pick. After swindling the Ottawa Senators, it seemed the Avs were destined to cash in, but instead end up with the worst-case scenario. The Los Angeles Kings also have to be unhappy with the results, as the team slides from their second-to-last finish to the fifth overall pick. The Kings desperately could have used an injection of elite young talent next season and may not end up with an immediate contributor at No. 5. While they didn’t have the best of odds, the Vancouver Canucks are undoubtedly still disappointed in missing out on an opportunity to pair Jack Hughes with older brother Quinn Hughes, the team’s first-round pick in 2018 who already made a splash in his first few pro games down the stretch, or to at least make a top-three selection in front of the home crowd.
The younger Hughes, who was actually in attendance at tonight’s lottery event, has of course long been considered the likely top pick this spring and should start getting used to the idea of playing in New Jersey. The U.S. National Team center is considered a high-end play-maker already and turned down a scholarship to the University of Michigan earlier this season, knowing that he could be an impact player immediately in the NHL. As for the fit with the Devils, Hischier has already climbed atop the depth chart at center, but New Jersey will soon be able to boast amazing youth and depth down the middle with the addition of Hughes. Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko has pressured Hughes to be the top pick this year, but many still see him as a close second. The Rangers won’t mind, as Kakko is an extraordinary offensive talent who will score goals and throw his body around right away in the NHL. Kakko could become a major star in the New York market with his flashy goal-scoring ability and will certainly have the opportunity to play a major role right away. At third overall, there are many options for the Blackhawks, but the early expectation based on organizational depth would be a skilled forward like Vasili Podkolzin or Alex Turcotte. Chicago already has several promising young defensemen in the pipeline and can now add an elite forward to their growing young core of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, and Brendan Perlini. Now relegated to the No. 4 pick, the Avalanche will still undoubtedly get a strong player, just as they did two years ago with Cale Makar, if not an immediate contributor in the top remaining prospect on their board. A player like big Canadian center Dylan Cozens would fit in nicely with what Colorado is building.
Now that the order is set, the next step is the draft itself. Everyone may have their projections, but only the day of will reveal the actual futures of these teams and players. This year’s draft is set to take place in Vancouver beginning on June 21st, a day that New Jersey, New York, and Chicago are now much more excited for. Stay tuned.
Slava Voynov Suspended For Entire 2019-20 Season
The NHL has finally made a decision regarding Slava Voynov. The defenseman has been suspended for the entire 2019-20 season and playoffs, while his eligibility will be restored on July 1, 2020 assuming “good behavior.” Voynov had applied for reinstatement after he previously received an indefinite ban from the league following his 2014 arrest for domestic violence. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has released this statement:
I have determined that Player Slava Voynov engaged in acts of domestic violence directed at his wife. Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved, is necessary and consistent with the NHL’s strongly-held policy that it cannot and will not tolerate this and similar types of conduct, particularly as directed at a spouse, domestic partner or family member.
While Voynov had already been suspended for years, the important thing to note out of this decision is that he now has the right to appeal the decision with a neutral arbitrator. The NHLPA is reviewing the decision currently and could file an appeal on the behalf of Voynov.
In 2014, Voynov was arrested following a domestic violence incident and spent nearly two months in jail after pleading no contest. He was suspended indefinitely by the league and returned to Russia to play in the KHL, where he suited up for three years with St. Petersburg SKA. Last summer he petitioned the court to have his conviction dismissed, and started the process for reinstatement to the NHL.
As Bettman stated today, the incident revolved around Voynov and his wife, Marta Varlamova. That incident has been detailed and examined countless times since the arrest—perhaps most thoroughly by The Athletic’s Katie Strang (subscription required) last June—and will certainly bring about plenty more media speculation now that his name is back in the news.
It is important to note that Voynov’s NHL rights still belong to the Los Angeles Kings, the team he was playing for when he was first suspended. The team gave a statement to LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen, indicating that they are still reviewing the decision themselves and that it would be premature to comment at this point.
Joel Quenneville Hired By Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have hired the biggest name on the coaching market, bringing in Joel Quenneville to take over from the recently fired Bob Boughner. Panthers GM Dale Tallon has a long history with Quenneville from their days together with the Chicago Blackhawks, and released a lengthy statement about the hiring.
Joel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion head coach who will be a transformative leader for the Florida Panthers franchise. We’ve seized the opportunity to add one of the most successful head coaches in hockey history and we’re thrilled that Joel has agreed to take on the challenge of leading our promising young team. I’ve worked with Joel previously and have seen firsthand how his passion for the game, head coaching experience and leadership can impact an organization. Joel will accelerate our growth into a club that qualifies for the playoffs consistently and competes every year toward our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Quenneville’s contract is a five-year deal worth more than $6MM per season depending on his bonuses. Quenneville had been making $6MM with the Blackhawks. This new deal will put him right back near the top of the heap in terms of coaching salary, a huge commitment from a franchise that is obviously sick of missing the playoffs.
Bringing in Quenneville is the first move of what should be a very exciting summer for the Panthers organization, as the team moved out quite a bit of salary at the deadline in order to be active players in free agency. Already there have been rumors of Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin being the top targets, and Quenneville’s familiarity with the Russian sniper can only help that chase. Florida has several top players already like Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad, but weren’t able to find much consistency under Boughner.
In Quenneville, they will now bring in one of the most successful—and consistent—coaches of all-time. In fact, the 2017-18 season is currently the only year that Quenneville has finished with a losing record, even coaching the Blackhawks to a .500 record (6-6-3) in the 15 games before being fired this year. Overall he will join Florida with a career .609 winning percentage and more wins than any coach not named Scotty Bowman. Three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks solidifies him as one of the greatest, and will get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame at some point regardless of what this next chapter brings.
Buffalo Sabres Fire Head Coach Phil Housley
Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill announced that the Sabres have fired head coach Phil Housley after two years behind the bench. The head coach went 58-84-22 in those two years and struggled to inspire a young team with a tremendous amount of talent.
Housley, who was hired without any coaching experience, often struggled to adjust his system to his team and seemed to be lacking in his post-game messages to the team. The team especially struggled in goals allowed as they were outscored 546-419 this season, allowing an average of 3.33 goals per game, which ranked 30th in the league. It’s a far cry from where the team stood in November this past season when the Sabres had the best record in the NHL and eventually plummeted to sixth overall in the Atlantic Division with a 33-39-10 overall record. Regardless, many people felt that Housley was likely to be given another year, but the team really struggled down the stretch as they lost 16 of 17 games to finish the season before winning their last two games of the season.
While Botterill and the Sabres are expected to make an extensive search for a new head coach, the team also will give serious consideration to their AHL coach, Rochester Americans head coach Chris Taylor. Other names already mentioned in association with the opening are Alain Vigneault and Todd Richards. Once the team hires a new coach, the Sabres will have had six coaches over the past seven years.
With multiple coaches having been fired during the season and the firing of Florida’s Bob Boughner this morning, there are now eight coaching positions open this offseason.
Florida Panthers Fire Head Coach Bob Boughner
The Florida Panthers wasted no time in making major moves at the start of their premature off-season. The team has announced that head coach Bob Boughner has been relieved of his duties. Boughner just finished his second season as the coach of the Panthers, his first NHL head coaching position. Assistant coach Paul McFarland has also been fired.
The team release from GM Dale Tallon read as follows:
We made a tough decision today and have relieved Bob Boughner of his duties as head coach. We didn’t meet expectations this season and share responsibility for that fact. After careful evaluation, we have determined that this is a necessary first step for our young team and we will seek to identify a transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree to lead our team going forward. We’re grateful to Bob, Paul, and their families for their hard work and their dedication to the Panthers organization and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Boughner’s departure should not come as any great surprise. As a first-time NHL head coach, Boughner was on a short leash from the start. After a slow beginning to his tenure, the Panthers were one of the best teams in the NHL down the stretch last season, but just narrowly missed the playoffs nonetheless. The expectation was that the team would ride that streak right into the new campaign, but 2018-19 did not go as planned. The team could never quite keep things together long enough to stick around the playoff picture. It was a disappointing finish for a team with high expectations.
If the Panthers were a rebuilding club, perhaps two finishes just outside the top-16 would have been enough for Boughner to keep his job. However, Florida is a deep, talented team with many players in the primes of their careers. Especially up front, the Cats had enough talent that they should have rivaled nearly any team in the league. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau each cracked 90 points this season, while Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov reached 70. The Panthers were the first squad this season to have five 20-goal scorers, finished ninth as a team in goals for per game, and their power play – led by McFarland – was second only tot the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. Where Boughner and his staff clearly fell short was in preventing goals to the same extent they scored them. The Panthers were 28th in the league in goals against per game, allowing ten goals on average over a three-game stretch. Ironically, that did not come from allowing too many shots or struggling on the penalty kill, as Florida largely succeeded in both areas. Instead, Boughner’s scheme seemed to allow for too many high-danger chances and put his defensemen and struggling goaltenders in tough situations.
Admittedly, it’s not all Boughner’s fault. Roberto Luongo, 40, and James Reimer, 31, were a tired and injury-prone duo from the start that made keeping pucks out of the net a difficult task. The defense corps also lacked difference makers behind Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad, as Mike Matheson took a step back and others on the blue line were overexposed. However, as a former standout defenseman himself, the expectation was likely that Boughner could adjust to his personnel and do a better job of defending against goals. Given the individual talent of many of his forwards, the team could have survived with a more conservative style. However, that move was never made and it likely cost Boughner his job.
As for the next bench boss in Florida, the team’s desire for a “transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree” is likely a not-so-subtle plea to former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville. Quenneville is the best free agent coach available and really the only name that fits that description. He also shares a history with Tallon. Additionally, the Panthers are expected to pursue both Columbus Blue Jackets stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky this summer and know Quenneville could be the key to bringing in former Blackhawk Panarin and his best friend. Quenneville has been linked to other teams around the NHL, but while other vacancies have since been filled by interim coaches who will receive further consideration, the job is open right now in Florida and Quenneville could be tempted to take it.
Coyotes Sign Nick Schmaltz To Seven-Year Extension
Nick Schmaltz only played in 17 games for the Arizona Coyotes this season, following a November trade from the Chicago Blackhawks and prior to a season-ending lower-body injury. However, the 14 points he recorded in those 17 games certainly made an impression on the ‘Yotes front office. The team has signed the young center to a long-term extension, reports The Athletic’s Craig Morgan. The Coyotes have confirmed the signing. Morgan adds that the breakdown of the deal, which carries a $5.85MM AAV and is considerably backloaded, is as follows:
2019-20: $2.5MM base salary, $500K signing bonus
2020-21: $3MM base salary
2021-22: $5MM base salary, $1MM signing bonus
2022-23: $4.5MM base salary
2023-24: $7.5MM base salary
2024-25: $6.95MM base salary, $1.5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $7MM base salary, $1.5MM signing bonus
The deal also carries a ten-team no-trade clause in the final three years.
Schmaltz, 23, has three years of NHL experience to his credit already, but was working on a breakout campaign after the move to Arizona. A first-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2014 out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Schmaltz starred for the University of North Dakota for two years before turning pro. His rookie year was split between the NHL and AHL, but he still manged to record 28 points in 61 games. However, it was his sophomore season when Schmaltz began turning heads. He compiled 52 points in 78 games for Chicago, playing much of the season as the team’s second-line center. Yet, the team still decided to move on from Schmaltz even after another strong start this season, swapping him for young Coyotes forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini. The Blackhawks likely have no regrets about the deal, but Arizona is happy to have a new core forward, as evidenced by the extension. Schmaltz had 25 points in 40 games prior to his injury, but if he had continued his scoring pace after landing in the desert, Schmaltz would have been a 60-point player this season.
The Coyotes certainly hope that the young pivot can rebound from his injury and get back to that scoring trajectory next season. Arizona is pushing for a playoff spot this season, but is still a ways away from being a true contender. Schmaltz’ continued development will play a major role in the team’s ongoing pursuit of consistent success. A poised play-maker, Schmaltz has the potential to grow into the team’s No. 1 center and power play quarterback. That is certainly the expectation, as the extension makes Schmaltz the team’s third-highest paid player heading into next season. GM John Chayka said of Schmaltz that “Nick is a highly skilled, creative, young center with extremely high upside. Getting Nick signed to a long-term extension is another positive step towards building a sustainable contender here in the Valley.” Even if Schmaltz never exceeds the 50-60 point range, this is still a good signing for the Coyotes, who needed another trusted forward and now have one for the next seven years in the intelligent and confident center. The only concern with the term will be if nagging injuries slow Schmaltz down over the course of the contract.
For his part, Schmaltz is not worried about injuries and is only looking forward to the years ahead of him in Arizona. The team press release quoted Schmaltz as saying “I’m very excited to sign a long-term contract with the Coyotes. We have a great core of young, talented players in Arizona and I’m looking forward to coming back healthy next season and contributing for many years to come. We have a very bright future here and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” That is exactly what ‘Yotes fans want to hear from a player that is now in for the long-haul, expected to be a star and leader for years to come.
Bruins Sign Zdeno Chara To A One-Year Extension
Zdeno Chara will be sticking around with the Bruins for a little while longer. The team announced that they have inked their captain to a one-year contract extension. The deal will carry a base salary of $2MM with the opportunity to earn another $1.75MM in performance bonuses. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Chara will receive $1.25MM for playing in ten games, $250K if Boston makes the playoffs, and $250K if they win the Stanley Cup in 2020.
The 42-year-old is currently in his 21st NHL season (the 11th with Boston) and while he is no longer the high-end top pairing anchor he once was, he has still proven himself to be a valuable member of their back end. This season, Chara has played in 55 games, collecting just 11 points but is still averaging nearly 21 minutes a night, third-most among Bruins rearguards.
In his career, Chara has played in 1,478 games between the Islanders, Senators, and Bruins which ranks fourth among all active players. His next goal will be the 200th of his career and will make him just the 22nd defenseman all-time to reach that plateau.
The deal actually represents a sizable pay cut from his current contract which carries a $5MM base salary with the same bonus structure as this new pact. While his offense has tailed off, this type of contract is certainly fair value for a mid-tier defender which is probably the best role for Chara at this stage of his career.
With the contract, the Bruins now have five of their top seven defenders locked up for next season with a total cap hit of $13.9MM guaranteed (not including the likely $1.25MM for Chara playing in ten games or Dennis Seidenberg’s buyout cost of $1.167MM). That amount will go up considerably this summer with youngsters Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo slated to be restricted free agents. Even so, Boston should be able to bring back their entire defense corps for next season, one that has been quite effective as their 186 goals allowed is the third fewest in the NHL.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mark Stone Signs Eight-Year Extension With Vegas Golden Knights
The wait is over Vegas Golden Knights fans. Mark Stone has officially signed his eight-year, $76MM extension. The deal carries a $9.5MM average annual value and includes a full no-movement clause. CapFriendly has the full salary breakdown:
- 2019-20: $3MM salary + $9MM signing bonus
- 2020-21: $1MM salary + $7MM signing bonus
- 2021-22: $7MM salary + $5MM signing bonus
- 2022-23: $1MM salary + $7MM signing bonus
- 2023-24: $6MM salary + $5MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $6MM salary + $5MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $3MM salary + $5MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $1MM salary + $5MM signing bonus
Stone, 26, was acquired by the Golden Knights at the trade deadline from the Ottawa Senators for a package that included prospect Erik Brannstrom, and has had an immediate impact on the ice. Though he has recorded just two points in five games, the Golden Knights are undefeated and have not allowed a goal against with Stone on the ice. That’s part of his appeal, given his ability as one of the very best defensive forwards in the entire NHL. Stone has also attempted 34 shots in those five games, with 18 of them hitting the net but failing to go in. Stone had scored on nearly 20% of his shots while with the Senators, meaning it’s just a matter of time before he gets his first goal as a Golden Knight.
Even with his incredible two-way appeal, this contract is certainly an expensive one for the Golden Knights. The club is just in their sophomore season in the NHL, but already has more than $82MM in cap space committed to the 2019-20 season. That includes just 17 players, meaning there will have to be changes coming in Vegas even if the cap ceiling increases substantially as it is expected to. Along with Stone’s extension, the Golden Knights will see Marc-Andre Fleury, Nate Schmidt, Alex Tuch and Max Pacioretty all receive huge raises next season.
The huge amount of the contract paid out in signing bonuses is an important factor. Not only will Stone receive the equivalent of lockout protection by receiving most of his total in bonuses in both 2020-21 and 2022-23 (possible work stoppage seasons), but paying out his salary in huge chunks is something the Ottawa Senators likely weren’t able to offer. The Senators apparently tried tirelessly to work out a contract extension with Stone before trading him, but the team has never been able to agree to this sort of payment structure in the past.
A no-movement clause is also included in the deal, which is something teams are wary to hand out at the moment. With the Seattle expansion draft coming up, NMCs drastically reduce a team’s flexibility given that they must be protected. Vegas however doesn’t have to worry about that factor, given they will not be participating in the expansion fee or draft process. While several teams likely would have been willing to offer a no-movement clause to a player of Stone’s caliber, Vegas can do so without hesitation.
Stone’s will now be tied (for the moment) for the 12th-highest cap hit in the NHL next season, and puts him behind only Patrick Kane ($10.5MM) and Alex Ovechkin ($9.54MM) in terms of wingers. Nikita Kucherov and Jamie Benn also come in at $9.5MM. That puts a lot of pressure on him to continue producing, something that isn’t guaranteed even with his outstanding reputation around the league. His 64 points this season actually represents a career high, tying him with his total from 2014-15. While he’s obviously going to break that total given the month remaining in the season, the fact that he secured a contract like this without ever producing 65 points or 30 goals in a single season is impressive and speaks to just how valuable the Golden Knights believe him to be in other areas.
It’s not just on the ice that Stone has impressed. There was speculation in Ottawa that the winger would likely be the team’s next captain if he re-signed, and new teammates have already raved about how Stone stepped into a leadership role in Vegas right away. He’ll be asked to bring that and a lot more for the next eight years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Ducks, Jakob Silfverberg In Agreement On Five-Year Extension
March 2nd: With the arrival of March and the end to the “tagging” limitations on teams, the Anaheim Ducks have made their extension of Silfverberg official. As expected, it is a five-year deal through the 2023-24 season, the team announced. CapFriendly adds that the contract is worth a total of $26.25MM, evenly distributed in salary across the five seasons for an AAV of $5.25MM, as initially suggested by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. CapFriendly also reports that the contract has limited trade protection in the form of a 12-team no-trade list that lasts through the end of the deal. Following the deadline trade of defenseman Brandon Montour and now the official signing of Silfverberg, the Ducks are committed to approximately $73.63MM in salary for 17 non-waiver eligible players next season. Anaheim will have their work cut out for them in filling out the remaining six spots on the roster for next season while working under a salary cap expected to land around $82MM.
February 20th: The Ducks and winger Jakob Silfverberg are in agreement in principle on a five-year contract extension, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (subscription required). That said, don’t expect an announcement to be done right away as Anaheim is still dealing with tagging issues. Teams get a 10% increase in their tagging room on March 1st and they will use that wiggle room in order to get the deal done so the deal won’t be made official for another week and a half.
Silfverberg is currently making $3.75MM and is set to earn a nice raise as the new deal will carry an AAV of slightly over $5MM per season with a ten-team no-trade clause, per Eric Stephens and Josh Cooper, also of The Athletic. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pegs (Twitter link) the cap hit to come in around $5.25MM.
While his point total is down this season, he actually is on pace for a career high in goals and he has long been viewed as a quality two-way player. An AAV of roughly $5MM is in line with what quality second-line wingers are getting and he’ll only be 33 at the end of the deal so there shouldn’t be too much concern about him slowing down significantly.
However, this contract only exacerbates Anaheim’s salary cap concerns beyond this season. While the Upper Limit is expected to go up by a few million, it doesn’t appear as if they’ll have enough to fill out the rest of their roster and remain in cap compliance for next season.
With that in mind, expect GM Bob Murray to try to push to clear out some contracts for next season as the top priority for the summer. They tried to make a move to help in that regard by placing winger Patrick Eaves on waivers (who has a $3.15MM cap hit) but he passed through unclaimed. All of a sudden, he looks like a potential buyout candidate this summer which would free up $2MM in cap space for next year (but add $1MM to the books in 2020-21).
Dating back to last summer, Murray stated his preference was to get Silfverberg locked up. This has been accomplished, but there is still plenty of work to be done to get this team cap compliant for 2019-20.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ottawa Senators Fire Guy Boucher
The Ottawa Senators have made another major move in their continuing rebuild, this time firing head coach Guy Boucher. Assistant coach Marc Crawford will take over in the interim as the team begins its search for a new head coach. GM Pierre Dorion had this to say in a press release:
I want to thank Guy for his three years of service. He is a good person and has been an excellent representative of the Senators. At this point, however, we need a different set of coaching and leadership skills to guide our team through this rebuild. In the interim, Marc will bring a different perspective along with a wealth of head coaching experience.
This move comes almost immediately after Dorion told Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that the team would wait until the end of the season to evaluate Boucher’s future. Apparently Senators management changed their mind and made the move now to ensure different habits would be instilled over the last few weeks of the season. To that end, former Senators player Chris Kelly has been added to the coaching staff.
Boucher’s tenure in Ottawa comes to an end a few weeks before his three-year contract expired, and he’ll finish with a 94-108-26 record. His time in Ottawa went similar to his previous job in Tampa Bay, where he led the Lightning to an outstanding first season before struggling in years two and three. The Senators went 44-28-10 in 2016-17 before almost making it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but fell apart last season and have been a disaster this year.
The team announced their coaching search and explained what they are looking for in their next bench boss, with development and growth listed at the very top. Dorion did admit that Crawford would be considered for the full-time job, though it sounds more like the team is looking outside of the organization for their new head coach. Crawford of course has plenty of experience in the role, previously coaching the Quebec Nordiques, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars while also taking the Colorado Avalanche all the way to a Stanley Cup championship in 1996.
It’s not surprising that Boucher was not retained, but the timing of this move is certainly curious. The team has not performed well all season but Dorion spoke about their recent play as something that sparked this decision. Part of that play is obviously because of the lack of skill after jettisoning Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel, but Dorion must have seen something else that he did not want creeping into the dressing room.