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Snapshots: Coyotes, Penguins, Canucks

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After the recent public referendum on a potential new arena for the Arizona Coyotes fell short last Tuesday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont pitched the team to relocate its services to the American Northeast. Connecticut has not seen a professional team since the Hartford Whalers, who held a place in the NHL from 1979-1997, before moving to Raleigh, NC before the start of the 1997-98 season.

In an interview, Lamont said, “This is a great hockey state and a great hockey town,” Lamont said. “It’s evidenced by the passion we have for the Whalers going back years — still one of the best selling jerseys. I think we can guarantee them a very strong market right here, and a government that’s ready to come and be their partner.”

To throw cold water on the idea that the Coyotes may be relocating after the recent disappointment of not receiving a stadium, the CEO of the team, Xavier A. Gutierrez, confirmed to Arizona fans that the team is not for sale. For the time being, Arizona will continue its stay at Mullett Arena, originally home of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Other snapshots:

  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins have finished their second round of interviews for their opening at General Manager. LeBrun indicates that Eric Tulsky, Dan MacKinnon, Steve Greeley, and Jason Karmanos have all had interviews up to this point. Although Kyle Dubas has indicated that it was Toronto Maple Leafs or bust for his future, the opening for General Manager of the Penguins may prove enticing as the offseason progresses. As far as potential candidates go, Tulsky and Dubas both show a much different trajectory for the Penguins organization, as both possess extensive knowledge of the analytical side of hockey.
  • In an interview with Swedish writer, Ronnie Ronnkvist, General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Patrik Allvin, states that the team is looking to add help at center and the blue line for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season. As Allvin states that the Canucks are looking for potential fits for their third-line center role, Lars Eller, Evan Rodrigues, and Nick Bjugstad all seem like ideal candidates.

Examining Some Remaining CHL Free Agent Options

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College free agency has come and gone and the focus has since shifted to CHL free agency.   Across the three Canadian leagues, there are quite a few players looking to turn a strong season into a professional contract that are no longer eligible to be drafted.  Some have already signed but here is a look at some that are still looking to land deals that could garner some interest in the weeks ahead.

G Brett Brochu, London (OHL): He’s the only player on this list with AHL experience as the 20-year-old got into a game on a tryout with Pittsburgh’s AHL team in 2020-21.  Brochu has been a three-year starter with the Knights, typically one of the strongest major junior programs while he made Canada’s World Junior roster for the summer tournament last year.  Teams looking to add pro-ready depth could look his way.

D Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Saskatoon (WHL): Across his first three major junior seasons, the 21-year-old wasn’t much of an offensive producer, collecting 45 points total.  He matched that total in 2021-22 and then this season, found another gear entirely, notching 65 points in as many games, good for a tie for seventh league-wide amongst defensemen which should get him on the radar.

D Logan Dowhaniuk, Moose Jaw (WHL): Mobility matters in the pros and while skating is an issue for some of the players on this list, it isn’t for Dowhaniuk.  The 20-year-old doesn’t have high-end offensive stats but is a steady two-way defender and fared relatively well in the playoffs for the second straight year which should boost his profile.

F James Hardie, Mississauga (OHL): The 21-year-old has played in three seasons, averaging more than a point per game in each of them and had an impressive showing in the playoffs this year.  He has a strong offensive skill set but he’s a bit on the smaller side at 5’11.  It’s possible that he gets an entry-level deal but teams will also be offering up AHL contracts to Hardie as well.  He signed a tryout agreement in the ECHL with Buffalo’s affiliate but remains a free agent.

F Ivan Ivan (Cape Breton, QMJHL): Ivan didn’t have a great start to his year with an underwhelming summer World Junior performance but the 20-year-old took a big step forward offensively this season, finishing tenth in the league in scoring.  A capable defensive forward, the offensive improvement should help him generate some NHL interest.

F Connor McClennon, Winnipeg (WHL): A former Flyers prospect, the 20-year-old had his second straight 40-plus-goal season in the Western league, an impressive accomplishment.  It was also his fourth straight season of over a point per game while he plays with a bit of an edge.  The catch?  He stands 5’8 which will scare some teams off but it’s hard to argue with that type of consistent production.

F Owen Pederson, Winnipeg (WHL): Last year, Pederson had a standout playoff performance and he was able to carry that over into a strong overage season that saw him reach the 30-goal mark for the first time.  At 6’3, he has pro size and has shown an ability to score around the net.  That type of profile tends to draw interest from teams and that should be the case here as well.

D Ben Zloty, Winnipeg (WHL): Last season, Zloty was tied for fifth in scoring among WHL blueliners, averaging just over a point per game.  This year, the 21-year-old found new gears, eventually leading all rearguards in scoring with 81 points in 64 contests.  He’s a bit on the smaller side for a defender at 6’0 but that type of production from the back end should have some teams inquiring about an AHL deal at a minimum.

There will also be more players entering free agency on June 1st as CHL-drafted players from 2021 that don’t sign with the team that picked them and are too old to re-enter the draft will also hit the open market at that time.  We’ll find out in less than two weeks who those players will be.

East Notes: Ostlund, Rangers, Blue Jackets

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It appears that Sabres prospect Noah Ostlund has determined where he’ll play next season.  Johan Svensson of SportExpressen reports that the center will play with Vaxjo of the SHL in 2023-24 with a formal announcement expected in the next few days.  Ostlund was a first-round pick by Buffalo last year (16th overall) and spent the season with Djurgardens of the second-tier Allsvenskan, collecting 26 points in 37 games.  Ostlund is currently with AHL Rochester but isn’t expected to play during the rest of their Calder Cup run.  He has already signed his entry-level contract but if he plays next season in Sweden, his contract will slide a year and still have three years remaining after 2023-24.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Arthur Staple of The Athletic provides (subscription link) an update on the Rangers’ coaching search, noting that veterans Peter Laviolette and Mike Babcock both had their interviews this week. Staple suggests that Kraken assistant Jay Leach could also be on their radar but was unable to confirm if New York has reached out to get permission to interview him.  There are presently six teams looking for a new bench boss around the NHL so once one of the preferred candidates comes off the board, other teams might be looking to finalize their hires soon after.
  • Finding a head coach isn’t the only thing that the Blue Jackets have to do with their staff as the goaltending coach position is also open. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch puts forth a trio of names that could be in the mix for that role, including Michael Lawrence who is a goalie coach in Switzerland and worked with Elvis Merzlikins for two seasons.  Merzlikins struggled considerably this season but with four years left on his contract, getting him back on track is of paramount importance if Columbus is going to find a way to get back into the playoff picture.

PHR Mailbag: Devils, Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Wild, Wright, Robertson, Thunderbirds, Top Pick

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include New Jersey’s goaltending situation, Jason Robertson’s quiet start to the playoffs, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back later on as due to the volume of questions submitted, we’ll be running two more mailbags between now and next weekend.

SpeakOfTheDevils: What do the Devils do at the goalie position this summer? Obviously, Bernier retires, Blackwood isn’t qualified, do we run a Vanecek/Schmid platoon or trade Vanecek for someone like Saros or Hellebuyck?

First, I’ll agree with you on the first two.  Jonathan Bernier has been out for over a year and a half so he clearly isn’t returning.  I still think Mackenzie Blackwood can be a good NHL goalie but after being relegated to third-string status for the playoffs plus his $3.36MM qualifying offer, he’s not coming back either.

I’ll start my answer to your question with another question.  Do the Devils think they can re-sign both Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier?  Neither are goaltenders obviously but they’re going to have an impact on what does – or doesn’t – happen between the pipes.

There’s only so much cap space to go around and a lot of what they have is going to have to go to those two, probably somewhere around $18MM, give or take.  If those two sign and they have big contracts on the books already in Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Dougie Hamilton, can they afford another big one?  Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck aren’t on contracts at that level yet but will be soon enough and I’m not sure it’s justifiable to make a move for one of them without being prepared to pay up for their next, much more expensive, deal.

Right now, I think New Jersey’s intention is to re-sign both wingers and that will more or less force their hand into going cheap between the pipes with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid so that’s what I’ll go with as an answer.  But if talks with one of them fall through and they wind up getting moved, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were to take a run at a goaltending upgrade.

PyramidHeadcrab: What’s the long-term plan for the Arizona Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets?

Arizona has become a dumping ground for bad contracts, and they trade away every quality asset they develop. They’re playing in an OHL-sized arena and icing a team that has no chance of competing. Are they built to serve other teams? I don’t see the goal here.

Columbus has flirted with the playoffs and hosted some genuine star talent at points, but they seem to be cursed with injuries and mediocre depth/prospects. Does Columbus ever pull it all together and reliably compete, or do they simply continue to exist in perpetual suffering?

This is certainly a topical question with the arena proposal for the Coyotes getting voted down earlier this week (and it was particularly timely as it came before the news broke).  Franchise-wise, I do think the team is going to take a serious look at trying to find a Plan B that works in the desert over the next eight-to-ten months.  If nothing presents itself, then relocation could very well be on the table with a new owner in place.

But as you noted in your follow-up comment, you were looking at more of the on-ice element for both teams.  For Arizona, they’ve made it clear that they haven’t had much desire to win for the last several years and based on GM Bill Armstrong’s comments earlier about where they are in that process, probably a few more.  I don’t think they’re concerned about not having an overly competitive team; their goal is competing a few years from now with a bunch of promising prospects growing together into a sustainable contender.  Taking on injured players allows them to keep net payroll costs down (they’re paying considerably less than the AAV after insurance) which is particularly important playing in the arena they’re currently in.  There’s an end game for this, it just won’t be seen for a little while longer.

As for Columbus, I’m not particularly bullish on their future.  I get that landing Johnny Gaudreau resulted in them trying to expedite things but clearly, it didn’t work.  They’re going to get a high-end talent with the third pick next month at least and they have some quality youngsters headlined by David Jiricek and Kent Johnson.  With them, Gaudreau, and Patrik Laine, there’s a good foundation.  But unless their new head coach can elevate their play to another level, this feels like a franchise whose peak might be a second-round exit or two.  That’s not terrible but while I wouldn’t necessarily say they’ll be perpetually suffering, I don’t see them getting over the proverbial hump anytime soon.

Zakis: What youngsters make the Wild opening day roster next year and what kind of impact do you think they can make? To piggyback on a comment, what is the role of a POHO? More focused on the on-ice product or business side? Thanks as always.

Let’s start with Brock Faber.  He didn’t look out of place in the playoffs and with Mathew Dumba and John Klingberg heading for unrestricted free agency in July, there should be a spot in the lineup for him.  Next season, I don’t think he’s going to make a huge impact right away but I could see his ATOI getting into the 16-18-minute range which would be a solid rookie year.

Up front, I think Marco Rossi breaks camp at least with Minnesota.  Now with basically two full AHL seasons under his belt, they need to get a feel for where he is development-wise.  If he winds up back on the fourth line eventually, then they can send him back down but I suspect he’ll get a look.  His impact might wind up being negligible, however.

I see the Wild being a team that could be active in free agency in September.  There are always free agent bargains to be had at that point and they might bring in a veteran or two that could push someone like Samuel Walker or Adam Beckman back to Iowa to start.  If you want a dark horse forward to break camp, I’ll throw out Caedan Bankier.  If they go young on the fourth line, his defensive game is good enough to stick while providing some offensive upside.  A good camp could have him in the mix.

As for the role of a President of Hockey Operations (or POHO), it varies from team to team.  Some are really involved in the day-to-day operations to the point where they could have the final say on strategy and personnel moves with the GM then going out and executing them.  Some teams don’t have a President of Hockey Operations, they just have a President (Minnesota is one of those with Matt Majka).  Some have a POHO on paper but in reality, they’re not overly involved with on-ice elements.  In those instances, they’re heavily involved in business strategy, marketing, and revenue growth.

aka.nda: Been wondering about Shane Wright’s next few seasons. Would a trade scenario be unconscionable? If not, what is his value like? Who would be a good fit and why?

It would be a bit of a shock to see a fourth-overall pick traded one year later but I suppose it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility.  For it to happen, Seattle would need to be convinced that he’s not going to pan out as they hoped a year ago which frankly, would be a particularly aggressive conclusion to draw for someone who has less than 30 games of professional experience under his belt.  GM Ron Francis is patient and this would be the opposite of that.  The other element required here would be another team would need to feel the other way, that he is still a high-quality center prospect.  That one is easier to see happening as I’m sure plenty of teams would want to get their hands on him.

From a trade value perspective, I’d peg it somewhere around what the tenth pick would fetch in a trade.  Last year wasn’t the deepest of drafts and his post-draft year wasn’t great (though it wasn’t bad either, by any stretch) so I think his value would be down slightly relative to a year ago.  From the fit side of things, anyone who needs a young center would be a fit on paper.  That’s a lot of teams.

I’m trying to think of a scenario that could make Francis pull the trigger and this is the best I could come up with.  A team makes a promising young center that’s 21 or 22 and either already in the NHL (or should be next season) available.  That player doesn’t fit the trading team’s timeline as they’re in a rebuild but Wright does.  I’m not sure there’s a team in a rebuild right now with someone that age with that much control and upside that could be made available in this scenario.  But that’s my guess on what it would take for them to move Wright that quickly.

jacl: What the hell is going on with Jason Robertson? This is two years in a row he has disappeared in the playoffs.

As much as Robertson has struggled to score, he still sat second on the Stars in points heading into the start of their series against Vegas at just under a point per game.  That’s not terrible.  I’d suggest that he has been better this year than 2022, his first taste of postseason action so that’s a step in the right direction, if nothing else.

It’s a simple answer but sometimes, it takes players a while to adapt to the different way that playoff hockey is played.  In particular, smaller offensive players can deal with some challenges with the tighter checking and greater physicality; look no further than Dallas’ first-round opponent in Minnesota who didn’t get a lot from Kirill Kaprizov that series.  Robertson enters this series with 19 playoff games under his belt which isn’t a whole lot.  There’s still a lot of time for him to figure out the nuances of playoff hockey, not just this year but beyond.  But it looks like it’s going to take him a bit longer to play at his regular season level in the postseason.

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Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Senators, Caufield

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While Maple Leafs winger William Nylander was expected to play for Sweden at the World Championship, Dagens Nyheter’s Malin Fransson reports that this is no longer the case.  Instead, the Swedish Federation has opted to lock in its roster as is.  The team has registered 21 skaters for the tournament, one below the maximum of 22.  That slot will now be held free for a possible injury replacement over trying to bring Nylander in during round-robin play, a move that would have given them a big boost.  The tourney will come to an end next Sunday.

More from the Atlantic:

  • A pair of former NHLers have gotten in on the bidding for the Senators. In an interview with Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, former Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey indicated that he along with Anson Carter and Grant Fuhr are all part of the bid led by Neko Sparks.  A total of four groups put forth a bid for the franchise with Garrioch suggesting that bids led by Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer and the Kimels, who once were partners in the Penguins, might be the ones that the NHL has at the top of their preferred list.
  • Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette wonders if Canadiens winger Cole Caufield might prefer to sign a bridge deal this summer and then try to cash in on a richer long-term agreement a couple of years down the road. The 22-year-old tied for the Montreal lead in goals this season with 26 despite missing 36 games due to shoulder surgery.  Caufield will be a restricted free agent this summer but only has 123 career regular season appearances under his belt so if he thinks he can get a 40-goal campaign under his belt in the next couple of years, taking a bridge agreement might be better off financially for him in the long run.

Offseason Checklist: Buffalo Sabres

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The offseason has arrived for all but the four teams that still have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup.  It’s time to examine what those eliminated squads will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Buffalo.

It has been quite a while since the Sabres made it to the playoffs (the last time they did was in 2011) but optimism is justifiably on the increase in Buffalo.  Several youngsters are starting to grab hold of key spots in the lineup which sparked an impressive second-half run that kept them close to the postseason until the very end.  Accordingly, a lot of their to-do list this offseason revolves around adding to and extending their core, not flipping players for prospects and draft picks.  The time for rebuilding is pretty much over.

Look At Adding A Veteran Starter

Between Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Sabres have a pair of young promising prospects who could form a quality tandem before too long.  While it’s quite possible that those two could be the duo next season, that would carry some risk as the pair have 52 career NHL starts combined.  If this was another rebuilding year, perhaps playing both of them would carry some merit but it’s fair to suggest that there will be an expectation of them playing past the 82-game mark next season.

Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Kevyn Adams look at what’s out there in terms of trade or free agent options.  Anaheim’s John Gibson has been in trade speculation for a while and although Buffalo might not like the four years remaining on his contract, a change of scenery could get him back to being an above-average goaltender.  That would certainly give them a boost in the short term although it’d create a scenario where one of Luukkonen or Levi would likely need to be moved at some point if not as a part of that swap.

If Winnipeg winds up starting a rebuild and moving Connor Hellebuyck, he’d be particularly intriguing, even as a one-year rental.  He’d give the Sabres a significant boost and if the two youngsters weren’t in the swap, they could still try them as a cost-controllable tandem as soon as 2024-25.

In free agency, it’d be surprising to see them take a run at someone like Tristan Jarry.  However, veteran Semyon Varlamov would be a short-term upgrade, allowing Levi to spend some time with AHL Rochester while giving them an upgrade on what they got from veterans Craig Anderson (now retired) and Eric Comrie (still signed for one more year).

Buffalo is in decent shape here in the sense that they don’t necessarily have to make a move.  If they think Levi is ready to be a full-time NHL regular, there could be some upside to going with their top prospects although the risk is certainly higher as well.  But if they can bring in an upgrade, even if it’s just another shorter-term stopgap, it could certainly give them a lift for next season.

Extension Talks

The Sabres will have two prominent defensemen entering the final year of their respective deals and will thus be eligible for contract extensions as soon as July 1st.  Both players are in vastly different situations.

Rasmus Dahlin didn’t quite live up to the hype of being a franchise defenseman over his first three seasons.  There were flashes of dominance but he certainly had more than his fair share of struggles as well.  However, he showed some improvement once Don Granato took over down the stretch in 2020-21, doing well enough for the two sides to agree on a three-year bridge deal that summer.

Since then, Dahlin has certainly become Buffalo’s franchise blueliner.  He has been one of the top two-way rearguards in the league over the last couple of seasons and at 23, it’s fair to say that there is still room for improvement.  His qualifying offer next summer is $7.2MM but that’s not really relevant as there’s a very good chance that Dahlin will become the next NHL blueliner making $10MM or more on a long-term deal.

Then there’s Owen Power.  Like Dahlin, he was a first-overall selection but he’s still at just the beginning of his career having played his first full NHL campaign just this season.  However, by burning the first year with an eight-game appearance in 2021-22, he’s not far away from a new deal.  Have the Sabres seen enough to do a long-term contract now?  That’s far from a guarantee, nor is it that his camp would be willing to sign a long-term deal just 87 games into his NHL career.  Accordingly, while Adams will likely at least explore what the framework of an agreement might look like, this one might not get done this summer.

Determine Olofsson’s Future

Victor Olofsson has been a productive winger for Buffalo, notching at least 20 goals in three of the last four seasons.  However, for the bulk of those four campaigns, it would be fair to say that he has seemingly been on thin ice with the team.  He only received a bridge deal after his entry-level contract and then last year, basically signed a second one, one that gave him a nice raise to $4.75MM but only locked him up for one extra year of team control, 2023-24.

Even with setting a new benchmark for goals this season with 28, Olofsson found himself a healthy scratch at times while being on the fourth line at others, hardly the ideal spot for a player like him.

With back-to-back short-term contracts, the team has punted making a decision on Olofsson’s long-term future in Buffalo but it’s getting to be time to make that decision.  It’s not that they can’t go into next season with him in his walk year but more that they shouldn’t.  With more than 260 career games under his belt, the Sabres know what he can and can’t bring to the table.

Is what he can do worth keeping around?  If so, then they can start to work on an extension.  If not, the time might be right to try to move him before free agency before teams set their opening rosters.  With his cap hit, it would be a swap of players needing a change of scenery, perhaps the newcomer might be a better fit for the roster if they decide to move on from Olofsson.

Add An Impact Defenseman

Even with Dahlin and Power on the roster plus Mattias Samuelsson whose seven-year deal kicks in next season, there’s a definite need to upgrade the back end.  In particular, the right side of the blueline as those three are all left-shot blueliners, leaving Henri Jokiharju as the top option among right-shot rearguards.

Adding one more capable right-shot defender to the mix would nicely round out a back end that still has room for internal improvement as well.  Those players aren’t the easiest to trade for but with the Sabres having ample cap room in a summer when few teams can say that, that will give them an option to try to take advantage of another team’s cap challenges to try to fill that spot.

Alternatively, there are a couple of free agent options that would fit the bill as well in Damon Severson and Mathew Dumba.  Both players are capable of logging 20 or more minutes a night and have shown an ability to produce offensively in the past though both are coming off quieter-than-expected years.  Both are 28 so they will likely command a long-term deal but at the moment, Samuelsson is Buffalo’s only defenseman signed beyond 2023-24; some stability at that position probably wouldn’t hurt.

There was a significant gap between the defenseman that was fourth in ATOI this season (Jokiharju, 21:01) and fifth (Kale Clague, 15:06).  Balancing things out, especially with Samuelsson and Jokiharju having a recent history of injuries, should be high on the priority list, especially with no one else in their system that’s ready to make the jump and play a key role on an NHL roster in the near future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Robbie Russo And Joseph Gambardella Sign With AHL Utica

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Defenseman Robbie Russo and forward Joseph Gambardella were on two-way deals with the Devils this season and were slated to hit the open market this summer.  However, they’ll remain with New Jersey’s farm team in Utica next season as the Comets announced that they’ve signed Gambardella to a two-year contract and Russo to a one-year pact.

Gambardella spent the last two seasons on a two-way deal with New Jersey but didn’t see any NHL action despite being relatively productive with the Comets.  The 29-year-old had 35 points in 59 AHL contests this season, his second-highest AHL point total.  His benchmark was 48 set with Bakersfield back in 2018-19 which is also the only campaign that Gambardella saw NHL action, picking up three assists in 15 contests with Edmonton.

As for Russo, he also is wrapping up a two-year, two-way deal with the Devils.  The 30-year-old picked up 28 points in 72 games during the regular season while adding four helpers in six playoff contests but wasn’t able to earn a recall.  He last saw NHL action back in 2016-17 with Detroit but is a veteran of 500 AHL appearances and should continue to be a mentor to New Jersey’s young blueline prospects.

Both players will technically remain NHL unrestricted free agents once the market opens up in July but it’s quite unlikely that they’ll receive an NHL contract.  Instead, they’ll remain in the minors and hope to have their agreements converted at some point next season if injuries arise while New Jersey will have a couple of open contract slots that could be filled by someone else this summer.

Jani Hakanpaa To Miss Game One

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As the Western Conference Finals begin this evening, the Dallas Stars will be out a defenseman, as Tracey Myers of the NHL reports that Jani Hakanpaa will miss Game One, and Colin Miller will take his place in the lineup. Hakanpaa has not played since Game Six against the Seattle Kraken, and may still be out with the lower-body injury that hampered him during that semifinal series.

This will be the third game that Hakanpaa has missed for the Stars so far this playoffs but has proven to be a serviceable defenseman when he has played. In 11 games in this postseason, Hakanpaa has scored one goal and one assist, averaging nearly 21 minutes a night in the process.

Miller, who will be replacing Hakanpaa in the lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights, managed to play in five games for Dallas when they took on the Kraken. In their previous series, Miller added one assist, averaging just over 15 minutes a game.

The Stars’ ability to replace a player in their lineup with seemingly a similar caliber player is a testament to the depth that this team has put together. With currently eight defensemen on their playoff roster, Dallas has built up a formidable blueline staff and is a major reason for their progression in this year’s playoffs.

Latest On Flames GM Search

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As the Toronto Maple Leafs have thoroughly stolen the headlines today, another Canadian team is looking to make some front-office news. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the Calgary Flames are close to hiring a new General Manager.

Yesterday evening, it was reported that Craig Conroy was considered to be a strong internal candidate to replace Brad Treliving as General Manager in Calgary, and Seravalli points out that he may be the odds-on favorite. Conroy has been a longtime favorite for the Flames, playing nine seasons for the team, and becoming the team captain shortly before Jarome Iginla took the mantle in 2003.

Since retiring in 2011, Conroy was immediately hired on as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and quickly became Assistant General Manager before the 2014-15 season. For seemingly being a part of the Flames organization all of his adult life, there is no question as to why Conroy is the favorite to become the new General Manager in Calgary.

Aside from Conroy, Seravalli also mentioned a list of external candidates that have had in-person interviews in the past week, including David Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin. All three external candidates have considerable experience at the helm of the front office in the NHL.

Another interesting note Seravalli shared is that the Flames have changed their approach in regard to Treliving’s future. In previous reports, the Pittsburgh Penguins had previously been denied access to interview Treliving, per the terms of his past extension.

Now, Seravalli reports that Calgary will no longer prohibit Treliving from interviewing with interested parties. In light of the news coming from the Maple Leafs today, Treliving immediately comes to mind as a potential solution to the new vacuum created in Toronto.

Jason Spezza Resigns From Maple Leafs

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Parting ways with Kyle Dubas this afternoon, and showing their AHL coaching staff the door, major changes are expected to the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer. As many have been suggesting, Jason Spezza was considered to be a strong internal option to replace Dubas as General Manager of the Maple Leafs.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN not only threw cold water on that theory but extinguished the flame completely. He reports that shortly before President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan, took the podium today to speak to the media, Spezza resigned as Special Assistant to the General Manager in Toronto.

After retiring from the Maple Leafs at the end of last season, Spezza took the job as Special Assistant to the General Manager on May 29, 2022. With only Brandon Pridham remaining as a possible internal candidate to replace Dubas as Maple Leafs’ General Manager, this news will be a significant blow to Toronto’s front office.

As Toronto enters what appears to be a transitional period, there will be a significant debate on what this news means for the Maple Leafs moving forward. Although it appears that the front office might be crumbling in Toronto, there is reason for optimism.

Many of the individuals leaving the Maple Leafs organization today have been around for quite some time. Dubas has been in the front office since the 2014-15 season, Spezza since the 2019-20 season (including his time as a player), and Greg Moore since the 2019-20 season, as well.

Being a team that is in dire need of a cultural change, Toronto may have been destined to seek an outside voice no matter what. However, even though there will be light at the end of the tunnel for this franchise, the holes needing to be filled are beginning to pile up for the Maple Leafs this summer.

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