Team USA Announces 2025 World Championship Roster
Team USA has announced the first 18 players on their World Championship roster. The lineup contains all three goaltenders, six of seven defensemen, and nine of 13 forwards. The roster is led by American stars like Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, and Brady Skjei. That trio will look to take a mixed group of experience to Team USA’s first gold medal appearance since 1960.
The American roster notably features top young players like Frank Nazar, Mason Lohrei, Cutter Gauthier, Logan Cooley, Jackson LaCombe, and Matty Beniers. Beniers offers the most experience on the Men’s Team, having joined USA at the 2021 World Championship and 2022 Winter Olympics. He scored two points in each tournament. Team USA will also continue their trend of bringing collegiate goaltending by adding Los Angeles Kings prospect Hampton Slukynsky to the roster. Slukynsky led the Fargo Force to a USHL championship last season, then won Western Michigan’s starting role and carried the school to their first NCAA National Championship as a freshman this season.
Team USA will still need to add four forwards and one defenseman. The World Championship will run from May 9th to May 25th in Herning, Denmark – giving the Americans a chance to add some more firepower after playoff exits. Jeff Kealty is serving as USA’s general manager, while San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky heads a coaching staff that also features Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Mike Vellucci, Chciago Blackhawks assistant Kevin Dean, and Michigan State University head coach Adam Nightingale.
The current roster is as follows:
F Tage Thompson (Sabres)
F Drew O’Connor (Canucks)
F Frank Nazar (Blackhawks)
F Michael McCarron (Predators)
F Clayton Keller (Hockey Club)
F Cutter Gauther (Ducks)
F Conor Garland (Canucks)
F Logan Cooley (Hockey Club)
F Matty Beniers (Kraken)
D Alex Vlasic (Blackhawks)
D Brady Skjei (Predators)
D Andrew Peeke (Bruins)
D Mason Lohrei (Bruins)
D Jackson LaCombe (Ducks)
D Michael Kesselring (Hockey Club)
G Joey Daccord (Kraken)
G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
G Hampton Slukynsky (Kings)
Kate Madigan To Interview For Islanders GM Vacancy
The Islanders will interview Devils assistant general manager Kate Madigan as part of their search to replace Lou Lamoriello at the helm of the front office, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports.
Madigan, the daughter of former Islanders scout Jim Madigan, has been in the Devils’ front office since the 2017-18 season. Initially hired as an analyst, New Jersey promoted Madigan to their director of professional scouting in 2019 and again to executive director of hockey operations in 2020. After two years in that role, they made her the sixth woman to serve as an assistant general manager in NHL history in the 2022 offseason.
She’s now spent three seasons in that role, working alongside Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, and could become the first woman to serve as GM of an NHL club on Long Island. She’s the first candidate to be firmly linked to the vacancy since the Isles announced Tuesday they wouldn’t be renewing Lamoriello’s contract. Since Lamoriello was also the team’s president of hockey operations, minority owner John Collins is the one overseeing the search for a new top hockey decision-maker.
Madigan is likely to face plenty of competition for the role. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet identified Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin and former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen as potential candidates on Wednesday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, although it’s not yet clear if they will be involved in the interview process. If they also opt to hire a separate president of hockey operations – a likely outcome if they choose a first-time NHL GM like Madigan – Friedman speculated that Ken Holland and Eddie Olczyk could be options there.
New York Rangers Agree To Multi-Year Extension With Chris Drury
The New York Rangers are sticking with the current leader of their front office. The Rangers announced a multi-year extension with General Manager Chris Drury.
In the announcement, MSG Sports Executive Chairman and CEO James Dolan wrote, “I am pleased that Chris will continue to lead the Rangers hockey operations in his role as President and General Manager. Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic, and a tireless pursuit of excellence. While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success.”
Despite working for New York’s front office since the 2015-16 season, Drury has spent the last four seasons as the team’s General Manager. Although he cannot be fully credited, the Rangers have appeared in two Eastern Conference Finals under Drury, additionally winning the President’s Trophy last season.
Beginning with the draft, Drury has made three selections in the first round, with his first being Brennan Othmann from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds in 2021. Othmann has yet to break out at the NHL level, but has been extremely successful with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Drury’s most impressive selection came two years later, when the Rangers selected Gabriel Perreault with the 23rd overall pick. After an incredible two-year run with Boston College, Perreault projects to be a quality top-six forward for years to come in New York.
Unfortunately, Drury’s tenure as General Manager becomes checkered when analyzing his trade history. Drury is credited with trading away Brett Howden, Pavel Buchnevich, and Nils Lundkvist, while failing to bring back anything of legitimate value in those deals. Still, Drury can be aggressive on the trade market when he needs to be, acquiring Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and J.T. Miller while being able to move the heavy contract of defenseman Jacob Trouba.
He’s been a toss-up when it comes to perusing the free agent market. Drury signed Barclay Goodrow and Patrik Nemeth to burdensome contracts, but also locked up Igor Shesterkin, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, and Alexis Lafreniere to long-term deals.
Still, like it is for all of the Original Six organizations, the proof is in the pudding. Although some teams may feel content with two Conference Final appearances in three years, the Rangers faithful are still hungry for their first Stanley Cup banner in 31 years. Despite agreeing to a multi-year extension with the Rangers, the pressure to perform shouldn’t escape Drury.
Cal Clutterbuck Announces Retirement
Longtime agitator Cal Clutterbuck, who spent 17 years in the NHL, has confirmed the end of his playing career. Clutterbuck published a reel on Instagram today announcing his retirement after going unsigned for the 2024-25 season.
“After 17 years, it’s time to hang up the skates,” Clutterbuck wrote. “I’m beyond grateful for every teammate, coach, fan, and moment along the way. Hockey gave me everything — a purpose, a brotherhood, and a lifetime of memories.”
“To Matt and Casey — it was an honor to go to war with you night in and night out. What we built together means more than words can say. And to the Islanders faithful — your passion, loyalty, and love made Long Island home. Thank you all. On to the next chapter.”
Matt and Casey, of course, refer to longtime linemates Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas on Long Island. The trio has essentially served as the Islanders’ fourth line ever since they acquired Clutterbuck from the Wild in 2013, aside from Martin’s two-year stint with the Maple Leafs from 2016 to 2018. One of the more recognizable and feared checking units of the millennium, Clutterbuck certainly played his part. He retires as the league’s all-time hits leader with 4,029, 93 ahead of the second-place Martin.
While Clutterbuck will be most remembered for his time in Nassau County, his NHL career began as a third-round pick by the Wild in 2006, after he dominated junior hockey with 68 points and 139 penalty minutes in 66 games with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He returned to Oshawa the following year, but thanks to his November birthday, was able to spend the 2007-08 season in the AHL with Minnesota’s affiliate, the Houston Aeros. He didn’t make much of a splash offensively in his first taste of pro hockey, perhaps a sign of things to come, but still managed to make his NHL debut across a pair of early-season contests.
Despite only managing 24 points in 73 AHL games out of the gate, the Wild liked Clutterbuck’s physicality enough to make him a bottom-six fixture as a 21-year-old in the 2008-09 campaign. His 11-goal, 356-hit rookie season meant he never touched minor-league ice again aside from a conditioning stint in 2019-20. A few years into his Minnesota tenure, Clutterbuck looked like he might be able to stick as a true top-nine power forward when he scored 19 goals and 34 points in the 2010-11 campaign while averaging nearly 16 minutes per night, but those numbers would stand as career-highs. Clutterbuck only hit double-digit goals in a season three more times.
Nonetheless, Clutterbuck still carved out a bottom-six niche and played 1,064 games – 718 of which came after the Isles acquired him for then-struggling top-five pick Nino Niederreiter in the 2013 offseason. Niederreiter blossomed into a legitimate two-way top-six winger in Minnesota. Still, Clutterbuck stuck around far longer with his new team, even earning a five-year, $17.5MM extension from the club in 2016, despite his relatively minimal offensive impact.
An alternate captain in New York for the last decade of his career, Clutterbuck retires at 12th on the Isles’ all-time games played list in the regular season. He also added 11-7–18 and 340 hits in 76 games across seven playoff appearances on the Island. The Ontario native recorded a 143-150–293 scoring line with a -19 rating and 698 PIMs in 1,064 career games. All of us at PHR wish Clutterbuck the best in the next phase of his hockey career.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.
Panthers Activate Matthew Tkachuk From LTIR
April 22: As expected, Tkachuk is off LTIR ahead of tonight’s Game 1. He’s officially a game-time decision.
April 17: The Panthers will have all their injured players in the lineup for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Lightning, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters today (via George Richards of Florida Hockey Now). As such, star winger Matthew Tkachuk will come off long-term injured reserve in the next few days before Florida begins their Stanley Cup defense on Sunday or Monday.
Tkachuk, 27, will return to the Panthers’ lineup after a two-month absence. He missed the final 25 regular-season games due to a groin injury he sustained while playing for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The news is far from unexpected. Maurice said earlier this week that Tkachuk would return to practice with the team after skating on his own. He wouldn’t commit to Tkachuk being available for Game 1 but said his return would be early in the first round in a worst-case scenario. Now, it looks like he’ll be available as soon as the Cats hit the ice for the fourth Battle of Florida in the last five years. Maurice adds that Tkachuk won’t skate during Florida’s practice tomorrow but will do so Monday, indicating that’s when Game 1 will take place (via Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post).
Florida underwhelmed without Tkachuk down the stretch, posting a 13-11-1 record and a plus-two goal differential coming out of the 4 Nations break. That was enough to keep them in the playoff race, but not enough to keep them atop the Atlantic Division, where they were tracking to finish for a good portion of the season. Instead, they were lapped by the Maple Leafs and Lightning and lost home-ice advantage in their matchup with the latter. Of course, Tkachuk wasn’t the only player missing for an extended stretch. Trade deadline pickup Brad Marchand and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov each missed more than four games at a time, and top right-shot defenseman Aaron Ekblad hasn’t been available since early March while serving a 20-game suspension for consuming a performance-enhancing substance. Of course, that discipline will keep him out for the first two games of the first round.
Before the injury, Tkachuk clinched his fourth consecutive season above a point per game. The 6’2″, 202-lb pot-stirrer posted 22-35–57 in 52 regular-season contests, leading the Panthers in points (1.10) and shot attempts (6.08) per game. Only one Florida skater shot at a higher rate than Tkachuk’s 14.1% – that was Sam Reinhart at 18.3%.
A minus-three rating indicates a poor defensive outing for Tkachuk at face value, but that’s not the case. He continued to boast elite two-way impacts, logging a 59.9 CF% and 58.6 xGF% at even strength. The former ranked second on the team behind Aleksander Barkov.
Of course, the two-time All-Star has been instrumental in Florida’s back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances. He’s scored 17-29–46 with a +12 rating in 44 postseason games as a Panther, ranking fourth in the NHL in playoff scoring over the last two seasons. They’ll look for a repeat performance, presumably in a familiar second-line role at even strength with Sam Bennett and ex-rival Marchand on his opposite wing, to help them get over the first-round hump against a highly formidable Tampa squad in their quest for a repeat.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro-Imagn Images.
Islanders Part Ways With Lou Lamoriello
The Islanders will not renew general manager Lou Lamoriello’s contract, the team announced Tuesday. Minority owner John Collins will lead the search for a new GM on Long Island.
It’s not clear who will handle interim GM duties for the Isles if they don’t have a new GM in place by the draft. For now, Chris Lamoriello (Lou’s son) and Steve Pellegrini remain in their roles as assistant general managers and will presumably handle any minor moves or re-signings until a new top hockey operations decision-maker is appointed.
One of the longest-serving and most accomplished executives in league history, Lamoriello’s tenure with the Islanders ends after seven seasons. They brought him in during the 2018 offseason after his contract to serve as GM of the Maple Leafs expired, initially just as president of hockey operations. He quickly fired then-GM Garth Snow and appointed himself in the role.
The early stages of Lamoriello’s time at the helm were an unequivocal success. He poached head coach Barry Trotz from the reigning Stanley Cup champion Capitals, a decision that immediately helped put the Isles back in the postseason after missing out for two years. Trotz won Coach of the Year honors in 2018-19 as the Islanders rattled off 48 wins, their most in a season since winning 50 games in 1983-84, and swept the Penguins in the first round. While they didn’t advance to the Conference Finals, they would do so in 2020 and 2021, taking the eventual Stanley Cup champion Lightning to six and seven games, respectively.
In the four seasons that followed, the Islanders have won just three playoff games, including two first-round losses to the Hurricanes (2023, 2024). They finished with a .500 record this season and missed the playoffs, failing to secure more wins than regulation losses for the first time in Lamoriello’s tenure. They’ve also now failed to win at least 40 games in back-to-back 82-game seasons since 2010-11 and 2011-12.
It’s not as if Lamoriello’s successor is walking into a five-alarm fire on the Island, but there’s much work to do this summer. Chief among a long list of to-dos is a new contract for No. 1 defenseman Noah Dobson, who’s an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer. Most of their other defenders don’t have deals for next season – only Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, and Ryan Pulock are signed for 2025-26 among rearguards who ended the year on the active roster. There has been reported progress on a contract extension for their top pending UFA, Kyle Palmieri, but it’s unclear how the GM change will affect talks there.
One thing is clear – the Islanders’ new GM will come from outside the organization. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports the Islanders won’t be making any coaching changes or hockey operations staff alterations until the new hire is in place. They’ll have a say in determining the future of head coach Patrick Roy, his staff, and the rest of the front office.
Lamoriello was already the oldest-serving NHL GM in history at age 82. Whether it’s the end of the road for him after a 38-year run in NHL front offices with New Jersey, Toronto, and New York remains to be seen. It’s almost certainly his last GM role, but a senior advisor role somewhere may be of interest.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
NHL Releases First Round Schedule
This article will be updated as further start times are announced.
After the Canadiens clinched the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference yesterday, the playoff field is set ahead of tonight’s final regular-season games. The league has thus announced the full first-round schedule (via David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). Games are listed in Central Time, along with US broadcast details:
Saturday, April 19
Blues vs. Jets, Game 1: 5 p.m. on TNT, truTV and Max
Avalanche vs. Stars, Game 1: 7:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV and Max
Sunday, April 20
Devils vs. Hurricanes, Game 1: 2 p.m. on ESPN
Senators vs. Maple Leafs, Game 1: 6 p.m. on ESPN2
Wild vs. Golden Knights, Game 1: 9 p.m. on ESPN
Monday, April 21
Canadiens vs. Capitals, Game 1: 6 p.m. on ESPN
Blues vs. Jets, Game 2: 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Avalanche vs. Stars, Game 2: 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Oilers vs. Kings, Game 1: 9 p.m. on ESPN2
Tuesday, April 22
Devils vs. Hurricanes, Game 2: 5 p.m. on ESPN
Senators vs. Maple Leafs, Game 2: 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Panthers vs. Lightning, Game 1: 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
Wild vs. Golden Knights, Game 2: 10 p.m. on ESPN
Wednesday, April 23
Canadiens vs. Capitals, Game 2: 6 p.m. on ESPN
Stars vs. Avalanche, Game 3: 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Oilers vs. Kings, Game 2: 9 p.m. on TBS and Max
Thursday, April 24
Panthers vs. Lightning, Game 2: 5:30 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Maple Leafs vs. Senators, Game 3: 6 p.m. on ESPN2
Golden Knights vs. Wild, Game 3: 8 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Jets vs. Blues, Game 3: 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Friday, April 25
Capitals vs. Canadiens, Game 3: 6 p.m. on TNT, truTV and Max
Hurricanes vs. Devils, Game 3: 7 p.m. on TBS and Max
Kings vs. Oilers, Game 3: 9 p.m. on TNT, truTV and Max
Saturday, April 26
Lightning vs. Panthers, Game 3: 12 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Golden Knights vs. Wild, Game 4: 3 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Maple Leafs vs. Senators, Game 4: 6 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Stars vs. Avalanche, Game 4: 8:30 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Sunday, April 27
Jets vs. Blues, Game 4: 12 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Hurricanes vs. Devils, Game 4: 2:30 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Capitals vs. Canadiens, Game 4: 5:30 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Kings vs. Oilers, Game 4: 8:30 p.m. on TBS, truTV and Max
Monday, April 28
Lightning vs. Panthers, Game 4: 6 p.m. on ESPN
Avalanche vs. Stars, Game 5: 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Tuesday, April 29
*Senators vs. Maple Leafs, Game 5: TBD
*Devils vs. Hurricanes, Game 5: TBD
*Wild vs. Golden Knights, Game 5: TBD
*Oilers vs. Kings, Game 5: TBD
Wednesday, April 30
*Panthers vs. Lightning, Game 5: TBD
*Canadiens vs. Capitals, Game 5: TBD
*Blues vs. Jets, Game 5: TBD
Thursday, May 1
*Maple Leafs vs. Senators, Game 6: TBD
*Stars vs. Avalanche, Game 6: TBD
*Golden Knights vs. Wild, Game 6: TBD
*Kings vs. Oilers, Game 6: TBD
Friday, May 2
*Lightning vs. Panthers, Game 6: TBD
*Capitals vs. Canadiens, Game 6: TBD
*Hurricanes vs. Devils, Game 6: TBD
*Jets vs. Blues, Game 6: TBD
Saturday, May 3
*Senators vs. Maple Leafs, Game 7: TBD
*Avalanche vs. Stars, Game 7: TBD
*Wild vs. Golden Knights, Game 7: TBD
*Oilers vs. Kings, Game 7: TBD
Sunday, May 4
*Panthers vs. Lightning, Game 7: TBD
*Canadiens vs. Capitals, Game 7: TBD
*Devils vs. Hurricanes, Game 7: TBD
*Blues vs. Jets, Game 7: TBD
*if necessary
Kraken Name Jason Botterill GM
April 22: The Kraken confirmed Tuesday they’ve elevated Francis to president of hockey operations and named Botterill executive vice president and general manager.
April 21: It turns out that relieving head coach Dan Bylsma of his duties isn’t the only notable change coming for the Kraken today. E.J. Hradek of the NHL Network was the first to report (Twitter link) that assistant GM Jason Botterill will be appointed as the team’s new general manager. Meanwhile, Arthur Staple of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that current GM Ron Francis will now serve as the team’s president.
This will be Botterill’s second opportunity to serve as an NHL GM. He spent three years running the Sabres before being let go in 2020 where he was quickly scooped up by Seattle a year before the Kraken officially joined the league. He also spent several years working in Pittsburgh’s front office, primarily as an assistant GM so he was certainly one of the more experienced managerial options around the league.
Over his three years in Buffalo, the Sabres struggled, missing the playoffs in all three seasons. They did, however, draft relatively well during Botterill’s tenure, landing Rasmus Dahlin first overall in 2018, Dylan Cozens seventh overall a year later, and starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the second round in 2017. Other NHLers drafted by Buffalo under Botterill include Casey Mittelstadt, Jacob Bryson, and Mattias Samuelsson.
Botterill’s trade history showed that he wasn’t hesitant to make a big swing. Among the notable trades he swung was moving Evander Kane to San Jose for Danny O’Regan and a pair of draft picks. He also dealt Ryan O’Reilly to St. Louis for a package that included Vladimir Sobotka, Patrik Berglund, and Tage Thompson, along with a pair of draft picks; while Thompson has panned out well, the rest of the trade package hasn’t performed as well. He also acquired Jeff Skinner from Carolina before signing him to an eight-year, $72MM extension that Buffalo exercised a buyout on last summer.
With his track record from before, Botterill had come up as a speculative candidate for GM openings in recent years and if another one became available this spring, he likely would have been considered for the role with that franchise. With this move, Seattle gets in front of that hypothetical, ensuring that the Francis-Botterill duo will remain in place, just with different roles than before.
As for Francis, he had been at the helm of the Kraken since 2019 as he was also hired before the team officially joined the NHL. It was his second role running a team as he also had a four-year stint as GM in Carolina among his many different roles with the Hurricanes. Knowing for being a patient manager, Francis initially brought that same approach to Seattle, opting for what looked like a slower build than Vegas had when they joined the league last decade.
But a 100-point effort in the franchise’s second season increased expectations. A step back the following season saw the team make a coaching change before handing out two of the biggest contracts in free agency as they looked to get back to playoff contention sooner than later. Instead, the Kraken scuffled more this season, resulting in not just a coaching overhaul but a front office one as well.
During his time with Seattle, Francis brought in leading scorer Jared McCann and top blueliner Vince Dunn through the expansion draft while drafting a pair of young centers with high first-round picks in Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright so his fingerprints will be felt on this franchise for many more years to come. Now, it will be Botterill handling more of the day-to-day operations as the Kraken try to get back to the playoffs next season.
Kraken Fire Dan Bylsma
It was a tough year for the Kraken this season as they were among the worst teams in the Western Conference. As a result, they have made a coaching change as the team announced that they have dismissed head coach Dan Bylsma after just one year with them. No replacement will be named right away and a full coaching search will take place.
This decision means that Seattle will have three head coaches in as many years. Last spring, Dave Hakstol was let go after serving as the bench boss for the first three seasons in franchise history. Two of those resulted in missed playoff appearances but in between those was an impressive 2022-23 season that saw them record 100 points and make it to the second round of the postseason before losing in seven games to Dallas.
After seeing their point total drop by 19 last season, now-former GM Ron Francis opted to make a change, promoting Bylsma who had been serving as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, a team that made the championship final in each of his first two seasons behind the bench. The hope was that he’d be able to turn things around and get them back into playoff contention.
However, that didn’t happen. While they went from being one of the worst offensive teams in the league the year before to one that finished in the middle of the pack this season, the Kraken also saw their defensive play and goaltending take steps back, offsetting the offensive improvement. In the end, they actually had five fewer points than in 2023-24 while finishing seventh in the Pacific Division and clearly, Francis has decided to shake things up again.
This was Bylsma’s third stint running an NHL bench but his first in quite a while. He spent six years behind the bench with Pittsburgh, winning a Stanley Cup in his first one back in 2009. But after the Penguins failed to make it past the second round in four of the next five years, he was let go in 2014. However, it didn’t take long for him to land another chance as the Sabres hired him in 2015. That tenure was much shorter, however, as he was fired after just two seasons with them after a pair of sub-.500 seasons. Now, this latest opportunity was even shorter, lasting just one year and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll get a fourth shot at running an NHL team or if his ceiling moving forward might be best suited as an assistant coach, a role he has held previously with the Red Wings and Islanders.
Francis was particularly active in free agency last summer, handing out two of the biggest contracts to defenseman Brandon Montour (seven years, $50MM) and center Chandler Stephenson (seven years, $43.75MM). With more than $21MM in cap space to work with this summer, per PuckPedia, and only a pair of impact RFAs to try to re-sign (Kaapo Kakko and Ryker Evans), new GM Jason Botterill will be well-positioned to be a big shopper in free agency. But before then, they’ll be shopping around for a new bench boss. Seattle joins the Ducks and Rangers as teams who have recently let go of their head coaches and will be conducting a full search for a replacement while other teams will evaluate the interim coaches they finished the season with against other options available.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported that Bylsma was being let go.
Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.
Avalanche Activate Gabriel Landeskog From Long-Term Injured Reserve
April 21: Contrary to what Bednar said, the official announcement has come. Landeskog has been activated from long-term injured reserve and is expected to make his return to NHL ice in tonight’s Game 2 of their first-round series against Dallas after sitting out Game 1, the team announced.
April 18: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is available to step onto NHL ice for the first time in nearly three years during their first-round series against the Stars, head coach Jared Bednar said today (via Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports). There’s unlikely to be an official announcement before they activate him from long-term injured reserve, Bednar said, but he’s an option for Game 1 tomorrow night.
Landeskog rejoined the NHL squad for practice earlier this week following a two-game conditioning stint in the AHL, his first game action since June 2022. He posted a goal and assist in the first minor-league action of his 12-year pro career stateside. Playing on back-to-back nights was an especially noteworthy accomplishment for Landeskog, whose multiple right knee surgeries have kept him sidelined since Colorado’s Stanley Cup win in 2022.
Whether he’s in the Game 1 lineup remains to be seen. Landeskog skated with the Avs’ projected scratches at practice for the second session in a row, so it’s not looking overly likely, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports relays. Aside from Landeskog, Bednar told reporters today that defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Josh Manson will be available and will slot in on the third and second pairings, respectively. Manson will need to come off long-term injured reserve before tomorrow night.
Their availability gives the Avalanche a fully healthy complement of players for the first time this season. Considering Landeskog’s injury, it’ll be the first time the Avs can say that since Game 3 of their second-round series against the Blues in 2022. Samuel Girard sustained a broken sternum in that game and did not play for the remainder of the postseason.
It’s impossible to put expectations on Landeskog’s on-ice impact after such a long absence, but it’s worth pointing out he remained one of Colorado’s best players in their Cup win despite not playing on a fully healthy knee. He finished fourth on the team in playoff scoring with 11-11–22 in 20 games and co-led the club with a +15 rating. He’s nearly at a point per game over his postseason career, which spans 67 games across six trips.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports.