Vancouver Canucks To Hire Travis Green As Next Head Coach
The Vancouver Canucks have hired Travis Green to become their next head coach. The deal extends through the next four seasons. The team fired Willie Desjardins earlier this month after another disappointing season, and have looked internally for their next bench boss. Green had been coaching the Canucks’ AHL affiliate Utica Comets for the past four seasons, turning in a winning record in each of them.
Green played 970 games in the NHL for six different teams, scoring 455 points including a career-high 70 in 1995-96. A three-time 20-goal scorer, he was celebrated more for his checking ability and faceoff acumen than offensive game. His first coaching opportunity came with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, which he led to a championship after taking over as head coach midway through the 2012-13 season.
He’ll now take the reins of a team looking to get younger and start a real rebuild, despite still having some money tied up in several aging players. At the trade deadline, the Canucks started accumulating assets, dealing off Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows for prospects. They’ll now look forward to this Saturday where they’ll find out which slot they will be drafting in come June. Regardless of where they fall at the top of the draft, they’ll be adding another blue chip prospect to go along with Olli Juolevi from last year’s draft.
Bob McKenzie of TSN was the first to report the deal on Twitter, while Dan Murphy of Sportsnet reports it will be for four years.
Los Angeles Kings Will Not Buy Marian Gaborik Out Of Current Contract
With four years left on his current contract and rumors swirling that he was on the trade block at the deadline, Marian Gaborik was an early candidate for a possible buyout to help the Los Angeles Kings cap situation—until today. In a press conference to introduce new head coach John Stevens, GM Rob Blake announced (via Helene Elliott of the LA Times) that Gaborik will not be bought out this summer. Instead, Blake explained that Gaborik had been playing hurt and has already undergone a procedure to fix whatever ailment was keeping him from being 100%.
While the injury may have been causing his struggles this year, the fact remains that Gaborik is now coming off back-to-back seasons with less than 25 points. The 35-year old has looked slow relative to his peers for two seasons, and it looks like the three-time 40-goal scorer is a thing of the (distant) past. At $4.875MM per season, he isn’t coming anywhere close to the production expected.
Because Gaborik’s deal is front-loaded, a buyout becomes more and more unattractive as the years go on. As the actual salary decreases, so does the amount of cap-hit you can save by buying him out, making it almost pointless. Next summer would be the last chance to really get any valuable relief out of a buyout, meaning Gaborik likely will be expected to play out the contract and try to provide at least some value to the Kings. The team made a similar decision last summer with regards to Dustin Brown, who remains a buyout candidate this summer to free up some space.
Blake and the Kings need to sort out their finances before next summer when the conversation will turn to a possible extension for Drew Doughty. Under control for two more seasons, the reigning Norris winner will need a Brent Burns-like extension in 2019 and the team will have to be able to sell him on their ability to compete in the near future. With both Brown and Gaborik on the books until 2022 and 2021 respectively, the team may need to look at a cap-eating team like Arizona or the newly constructed Vegas team for some relief.
New York Islanders Sign Dennis Seidenberg
The New York Islanders have signed Dennis Seidenberg to a one-year contract through 2017-18. The 35-year old defenseman was to become an unrestricted free agent once again this summer. The deal will pay Seidenberg $1.25MM, a slight raise over the $1MM he earned this season.
After being bought out by the Boston Bruins last summer, Seidenberg struggled to find any potential contracts until the World Cup. By showing he could still compete at the highest level playing with Team Europe, he earned a one-year deal with the Islanders and actually had somewhat of a renaissance early in the year. Scoring eight points in his first twelve games, he unfortunately broke his jaw in mid-November and would never quite get back to the same level of play. Still, he scored 22 points in 73 games for the Isles—his highest total since 2011-12—and was a team-high +25 (for what it’s worth). That kind of production for such a low cost is a good deal for anyone, as the Bruins actually paid him more to not play on their team this season.
It is interesting to note that Seidenberg will now fill the Islanders’ defense requirement for the expansion draft should they head into the June event with changes on their blueline. While currently the team must protect Johnny Boychuk due to a no-movement clause, they would only have two remaining protection slots (should they decide to go the 7-3-1 route) for some combination of Nick Leddy, Travis Hamonic, Calvin de Haan, Ryan Pulock and Thomas Hickey. That doesn’t seem like a perfect situation, and inking Seidenberg may be a signal that the Islanders are preparing for life without one or two of their current or upcoming defensemen.
A possible move of one of them is even more likely due to the cap-crunch the Islanders find themselves in, already with over $70MM committed to next season. With a new contract due for de Haan, and at least some tweaking needed in the forward group—which could come in the form of a promotion for top prospect Michael Dal Colle—the Islanders will be very tight to the cap all summer. Boychuk’s $6MM hit that doesn’t expire until the end of 2022 is the tough one, as he’ll start next season at 33.
Arthur Staple was first to break the deal on Twitter, and also provided the financial details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
John Stevens Hired As L.A. Kings’ Coach
John Stevens has officially been hired as the new coach for the Los Angeles Kings per Helene Elliott, filling the void left by the firing of Darryl Sutter. In a hiring that is neither shocking nor particularly adventurous, Stevens will move up from his previous position of associate coach to head coach for Los Angeles. In the wake of another disappointing season for the team in which they missed the playoffs, both GM Dean Lombardi and Coach Sutter were quickly fired. Both had been crucial to the success of the franchise, landing the team its first two Stanley Cups in 2011-12 and 2013-14. Kings’ ownership had apparently not interviewed anyone other than Stevens for the gig, although they had talked to a potential assistant in Jim Montgomery.
Stevens boasts a solid, if uninspiring, overall record of 122-111-34 in the NHL. His previous head coaching experience with the Flyers left murmurs of discontent following his departure, which only grew more pronounced as that squad then challenged for a Stanley Cup, seemingly reinvigorated by his firing. However, he now has his successful assistant tenure to add to his Calder Cup winning resume. There is a lot to be said for familiarity, and when Los Angeles takes the ice this fall, it will do so without the practically iconic Sutter behind the bench, and also likely an overhauled player roster. For those leaders who still remain from the championship squads, a familiar face behind the bench in a new era full of uncertainty may provide some semblance of comfort.
Under Sutter, the Kings were a dominant puck possession force, but despite their successes, often struggled to find consistent offensive production. They finished 8th, 3rd, 4th, and 6th in the four seasons before this one in Corsi For %, a solid indicator of puck possession and time spent applying offensive pressure. Yet, they finished 22nd this season, netting only 126 goals, good for a terrible 26th in the league. Jeff Carter was the only forward to break the 60 point mark, and some of the defensemen had horrendous plus-minus and Corsi showings (Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin). The team looked sluggish for long stretches of time, and the squad often lacked killer instinct. Injuries certainly didn’t help their cause, but the strong play of Peter Budaj in relief for Jonathan Quick cannot be easily scapegoated for the team’s collective failures.
Stevens will need to prove early that he is capable of changing the mindset of this Kings’ team. They have arguably been too complacent in the past two seasons with low-scoring affairs and being on the playoff bubble. Ownership is hoping his positive attitude and strong existing relationships with players will enable him to have success when the Kings start anew in October.
Eric Staal Injured, Taken To Hospital
The Wild announced (via Twitter) that center Eric Staal has been taken to hospital after being tripped up by Blues goaltender Jake Allen in the second period of their Game Five this afternoon. The team did note that he is alert and stable and is going for further observation.
After the hit, Staal went sliding head first into the boards and was down for several minutes before being helped off the ice by team trainers. Chris Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that Staal seemed dazed when speaking with teammates and also required a great deal of assistance to get to their dressing room.
In Staal’s absence, Minnesota shifted Erik Haula into his spot centering wingers Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter. After finishing second in team scoring this season with 65 points, Staal has one assist so far this postseason.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Klas Dahlbeck To One-Year Deal
The Carolina Hurricanes work quickly. The team has announced a one-year extension for Klas Dahlbeck, which will pay him $850K for next season. Dahlbeck was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and would have been eligible for arbitration.
Dahlbeck’s new deal comes as just a slight raise from this season when he earned $750K, and extends his partnership with the Hurricanes after they claimed him off waivers just before the beginning of the season. Dahlbeck ended up playing in 43 games for Carolina, though he averaged just under 14 minutes a game.
With Carolina’s glut of young defenders, Dahlbeck provides a nice depth option and fulfills the expansion requirement we recently discussed. To this point, Carolina would have had to expose Justin Faulk as he was the only defender who met the required amount of games played and had a contract through next season. Dahlbeck will now be that expansion fodder, though he’s unlikely to be claimed.
Instead, he’ll likely come back as an option for a team that is looking to move out a defender to upgrade their forward position. Rumored to be involved in the Matt Duchene sweepstakes at the deadline, their interest in several high-priced forwards will return this summer. Dahlbeck at least provides a fall back option for the bottom pairing if they move on from one of their younger players and don’t think Haydn Fleury is ready for the NHL.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Jonathan Dahlen To Three-Year Contract
The Vancouver Canucks have locked up one of the prizes of this year’s trade deadline, inking Jonathan Dahlen to a three-year entry-level deal. Dahlen was the prospect the Canucks received from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alex Burrows. The deal will obviously begin in 2017-18, and the Canucks include that he will be at training camp in the fall.
The 19-year old Dahlen is a supremely talented stickhandler who put up 44 points in 45 games this year for Timra’s Allsvenskan team, the level just below the Swedish Hockey League. His name might be familiar to fans who remember his father Ulf Dahlen, who played almost 1000 games in the NHL and scored 655 points (the 15th most from a Swedish-born player). The younger Dahlen wasn’t drafted quite as high as his father—who went seventh-overall to the Rangers in 1985—but was the Senators’ second pick last summer at #42 overall.
Dahlen won the “Golden Cage” award this season, given to the top junior player in the league. It wasn’t a surprise, as he finished tied for fourth in total league scoring and easily paced the U20 players. Dahlen was teammates with Elias Pettersson, who is expected to go in the first round of this year’s draft, perhaps even in the top 10. Even though he’s been playing against men, Dahlen is likely ticketed for the AHL next season where he can continue to develop. Listed at 5’11” 176-lbs, he’ll need to adjust quickly to the more physical game in North America.
New York Rangers Sign Alexei Bereglazov
As rumored, the New York Rangers have signed KHL defenseman Alexei Bereglazov. Bereglazov had recently confirmed that he would be heading to North America after this season, and the Rangers have long been linked—originally by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The (just turned) 23-year old defender will add another piece to the Rangers blueline and may step into the spotlight as soon as next year. His age means the entry-level deal can only be for two years, and it is likely that the deal starts next season since he would have to pass through waivers to be eligible for these playoffs.
Bereglazov is left-handed, but spend much of this season playing the right side for Magnitogorsk and could continue there for the Rangers. The big blueliner broke out somewhat this season, recording 19 points in 60 games, the most by a defender 24 years or under. His offensive upside is the big selling point, though he still struggles at times moving the puck quickly out of his own end. With the size 6’4″ to step into the NHL right away, he’ll likely break camp with the team and be given a chance to start 2017-18.
It is an interesting situation the Rangers find themselves in on defence, with Marc Staal and Dan Girardi still signed long-term but not performing well enough to deserve the $10MM+ hit their combined salaries cause on the cap. With the team seemingly wanting to go after Kevin Shattenkirk, and perhaps even re-sign Brendan Smith after his successful stint with the team, there isn’t enough money or ice time to go around. While Vegas could potentially pluck one of their problems away in the expansion draft—if they can get one of them to waive their NMC—it isn’t very likely. Instead, they may have to consider the very unattractive buyout option for at least one.
In any case, the Rangers have added some solid depth for nothing but an entry-level contract, bringing Bereglazov over away from the KHL. If he can have even a portion of the success that Nikita Zaitsev showed in Toronto this year, they’ve bought themselves another asset. At the very least, this shows the continued willingness of Russian-born KHLers to leave the league for the NHL, despite its recent Olympic decision. The pipeline continues to go both ways.
Buffalo Sabres Fire Tim Murray And Dan Bylsma
The Buffalo Sabres have relieved both GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma of their duties. This comes just a day after a report that Jack Eichel would not sign an extension with the team if Bylsma remained, though both Eichel and his agent both vehemently denied it. Murray had signed a multi-year extension in October, but after another failed season has now been shown the door. A quote from Sabres’ owner Terry Pegula explains the decision:
After reviewing the past season and looking at the future of our organization, Kim and I have decided to relieve General Manager Tim Murray and Head Coach Dan Bylsma of their duties. We want to thank Tim and Dan for their hard work and efforts that they have put in during their tenures with the club. We wish them luck. We have begun the process to fill these positions immediately.
Though Eichel admitted that he would work with Bylsma and wanted to stay in Buffalo for a long time, the fact remains that since he took over before the 2015-16 season, the Sabres have gone 68-73-33 and missed the playoffs in both years. Murray has an even longer resume of futility since being hired in January of 2014. Though he did acquire Eichel in the draft, he has also made some questionable decisions when it comes to transactions, including the big deal for Kyle Okposo last summer, and dealing for both Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane who, while good players, have not reached the heights expected of them.
The Sabres will now start a search for a new GM, and some will immediately point to the jobless Dean Lombardi who was just pushed out of Los Angeles as a prime candidate. While the team may go for someone with less experience, Lombardi does come with a successful history and two Stanley Cup Championships. As Buffalo and Western New York fans can attest to, is entirely impossible to predict where the Pegulas will look to fill the vacancy. For the head coaching position, there are several experienced names like Darryl Sutter and Willie Desjardins available, or college coaches like David Quinn (Boston University) and Jim Montgomery (Denver).
New Jersey Devils Sign Yaroslav Dyblenko To Two-Year Contract
After the KHL took two defensemen back from the NHL this morning, the New Jersey Devils have stolen one back. The team announced that it has signed Yaroslav Dyblenko to a two-year entry-level contract. The financials of the deal were not released, but it is the longest deal possible for a player of Dyblenko’s age.
The 23-year old defenseman has played the last four years full-time in the KHL—with part-time duty before that—and logged just over 17 minutes of ice time in the most recent season. He’s never put up very impressive offensive numbers, recording just 39 points across 180 KHL games. The Devils must see something more in him, as he’ll now join their organization and try to crack the lineup next season.
Despite the NHL’s decision not to go to the Olympics, it doesn’t seem as though the Russian league will be able to keep much of their talent from leaving to play in North America. Vladimir Sobotka returned after terminating his contract early, and immediately signed a three-year extension with the St. Louis Blues. While some players like Tryamkin may decide to return, it will still be a two-way street with talent heading both ways. The Devils are one of the first to dip their toes into the KHL free agent pool, but there will be several more announcements throughout the next few weeks as the Gagarin Cup playoffs have come to an end.