Philadelphia Flyers Sign Emil Andrae
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Emil Andrae to a three-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2023-24 season, according to a team release Monday.
The Flyers did not announce the financial specifics of the contract. However, they did note that Andrae is on an amateur tryout with their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, for the remainder of the season. There, Andrae has recorded two assists in two games, building on what’s been a successful 2022-23 campaign for the young defender.
Andrae, 21, who hails from Västervik, Sweden, played tough minutes for HV71 in the SHL this season, back in Sweden’s top league after a one-year demotion to the second-tier Allsvenskan. In 51 games, Andrae recorded six goals, 20 assists, and a -3 rating, sitting tied for fourth in scoring on the team.
Drafted 54th overall in 2020, Andrae stood out at the 2022 World Junior Championship, captaining Team Sweden and recording four goals and eight points in seven games en route to a bronze medal and an All-Star Team nod. The main knock against Andrae is his smaller stature, standing at 5-foot-9 and 176 pounds, but he plays with the confidence and strength of a bulkier player.
He has the playing mentality that Flyers head coach John Tortorella is known to appreciate and reward. Although he likely requires a bit more development time before he’s ready for a full-time NHL role, Andrae could be one of the key blueliners on next year’s Phantoms team. The possibility remains that Andrae could be loaned back to HV71 next season if he doesn’t make the NHL squad, especially considering he has one season remaining on his contract there. The transfer agreement between the two leagues allows the Flyers to buy Andrae out of his contract in Sweden.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Scott, Potential GMs/Coaches
The NHL announced its Three Stars of the Week for March 20 through March 26, with Viktor Arvidsson of the Los Angeles Kings earning the top spot. Arvidsson led the league with five goals and two assists, scoring in each of the three games he played. His performance helped the Kings extend their point streak to a franchise-record 12 games as they rocket up the Pacific Division standings.
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki was named the Second Star after tallying eight points in three games. Suzuki’s four-point effort in an 8-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets was his first career four-point outing. The Third Star went to Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who posted a 2-0-0 record, a 0.96 goals-against average, and a .972 save percentage. Gustavsson’s 47-save performance in a 2-1 win of the New Jersey Devils was a career-high. The Wild have earned points in 12 of Gustavsson’s past 13 starts dating back to February 11. His excellence in goal for the Wild has helped them continue to climb the Central Division standings without the services of Kirill Kaprizov.
More from around the league this morning:
- Dave Scott, the chairman and former CEO of the Philadelphia Flyers’ ownership group, Comcast-Spectacor, will be retiring from his positive effective April 17th. Comcast-Spectacor announced the news Monday, ending Scott’s 30-year time at the helm of Philadelphia’s ownership. Dan Hilferty, who was recently appointed as CEO of the company, will take over as chairman and assume both of Scott’s former roles, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
- ESPN’s Emily Kaplan compiled a list of the top candidates for potential coaching and general manager vacancies, with a lot of familiar names near the tops of both lists. Former Florida Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette, Toronto Maple Leafs assistant Spencer Carbery, and Seattle Kraken assistant Jay Leach made Kaplan’s “ready right now” tier for coaching vacancies, while former Sabres general manager Jason Botterill, Flyers interim GM Daniel Briere, and Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche made the “ready right now” tier for GM vacancies.
Penguins Notes: Jarry, Petry, Bonino
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry‘s current absence is related to a new lower-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed to reporters on Monday. The injury is not an aggravation of Jarry’s previous lower-body injury, which cost him seven games in January.
Jarry was healthy enough to dress as the backup for Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals but has not played since last Wednesday. Casey DeSmith stopped 31 of 34 shots against Washington on Saturday to guide the team to a much-needed 4-3 win. Jarry’s injury troubles have been countered by DeSmith’s strong play in the month of March, recording a .921 save percentage in seven appearances to help keep the Penguins in playoff position. In contrast, Jarry’s save percentage has dipped to .908 on the season as he continues to battle injuries.
More notes from Sullivan on the status of his injured players today:
- Defenseman Jeff Petry‘s availability for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings remains uncertain. Sullivan announced that Petry’s status will be a game-time decision after the 35-year-old blueliner has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury. Petry himself told reporters that today’s practice was “a step forward,” but wouldn’t comment on his status for Tuesday.
- Center Nick Bonino skated before practice on Monday, according to Sullivan. Acquired at the trade deadline, Bonino played just three games back in a Penguins uniform before a kidney laceration landed him on long-term injured reserve. It’s a good sign for the veteran center’s long-term health that a return to the ice seems to be a nearing possibility.
Columbus Blue Jackets Issue Injury Updates
In what’s becoming a tired refrain, the Columbus Blue Jackets have issued multiple injury updates after a blowout loss over the weekend. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson‘s season is over with a separated shoulder, while defenseman Nick Blankenburg is week-to-week with an ankle injury and could also be done for the year. Winger Mathieu Olivier may have also played his last game this season, as he’s out two to four weeks with a lower leg bone bruise. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
For Gudbranson, the injury ends a rocky first campaign in Columbus after signing a four-year, $4MM average annual value contract in the offseason. The 31-year-old had 13 points in 70 games, seeing his defensive play regress back to some of the worst metrics in the league after a brief spike last season with the Calgary Flames.
Blankenburg has also struggled with injuries most of the year, but the 24-year-old rookie has played well. Some doubted Blankenburg’s NHL viability after signing with Columbus as a free agent out of college to end last season. Still, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound defender finished the year with 14 points in 36 games without being a complete defensive liability on a struggling team.
In his first season in Columbus, Olivier has set career highs in every offensive category, playing in 66 games and registering five goals and 15 points. The 26-year-old hard-nosed winger had found a consistent home on the team’s fourth line.
Without Merzlikins in the fold for the next few games, Columbus is down to minor-league veterans Michael Hutchinson and Jon Gillies as their netminders for the next few games.
St. Louis Blues Reassign Joel Hofer
The St. Louis Blues have returned goaltender Joel Hofer to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, according to a team release Monday.
Per the team, this was a planned transaction in order for Springfield to have Hofer in the fold as the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs begin. Springfield, which currently sits fourth in the Atlantic Division, has nine games remaining on their regular-season schedule.
Hofer earned an extended look in the big leagues after an impressive performance during an emergency recall earlier in the month, necessitated by a two-game suspension for starter Jordan Binnington. The 2018 fourth-round pick recorded a .915 save percentage in five appearances, going 3-0-1.
His status as a quickly-rising prospect was bolstered by last year’s playoff run in Springfield, where he helped guide them to the Calder Cup Final with a .934 save percentage in 10 playoff games. His hot play has continued this season, posting a .920 save percentage and four shutouts in 40 games with Springfield.
With backup Thomas Greiss slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, expect Hofer to take over the backup role full-time starting next year.
East Injury Notes: Sabres, Bastian, Aho, Joseph
The Buffalo Sabres are all but out of the playoff race after a tough stretch of games, and life won’t get any easier for them down the stretch run. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports Tage Thompson is absent from morning skate, as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury that caused him to miss much of the team’s win last Friday against the New Jersey Devils. In response, Lukas Rousek has been added to the Sabres roster for the second time in three days on an emergency loan, per CapFriendly.
In more positive news for the Sabres, Lysowski also notes forward Vinnie Hinostroza has returned to the team after a personal absence that kept him out of the team’s last two games. Hinostroza had been a healthy scratch for the two games prior, meaning he’s not played in over a week. Left winger Jordan Greenway, who remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, also rejoined the team at practice. He has just one goal in eight games and a -5 rating since the Sabres acquired him on deadline day.
Other injury notes from around the Eastern Conference this morning:
- Per New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein, winger Nathan Bastian is on the ice for morning skate for the first time since March 12. Bastian has missed just over two weeks since suffering an upper-body injury in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, his second lengthy injury-related absence this season. He missed nearly two months with an upper-body injury between Thanksgiving and mid-January, limiting him to 39 games on the season. When in the lineup, he’s been effective in a fourth-line role, recording 12 points and forming a solid unit with Miles Wood and Michael McLeod.
- New York Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho has returned to skating this morning, according to a report from Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Aho has missed three games with an upper-body injury sustained on March 18 against the San Jose Sharks. The 2017 fifth-round pick is enjoying a breakout season, recording 21 points in 66 games in a depth role while helping keep the team competitive in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
- Winger Mathieu Joseph will be a game-time decision for the Ottawa Senators tonight, says Bruce Garrioch of TSN and the Ottawa Sun. Joseph last played on March 12, leaving a game against the Calgary Flames after just a handful of shifts with a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old has scored three goals and added 14 assists in 47 games for the Sens this year, averaging 14:05 per game.
Florida Panthers Extend Zac Dalpe
The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with veteran forward Zac Dalpe on a two-year, two-way contract extension, the team announced Monday morning. CapFriendly reports Dalpe will earn the league minimum $775,000 each season, with $400,000 in minors salary in 2023-24 and $350,000 in 2024-25. He’s guaranteed $400,000 in the second year of the deal.
The extension keeps him a Panther until the summer of 2025 when he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. Dalpe, 33, has suited up in 14 NHL games for Florida this season, his highest total since he played 21 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2014-15.
A 2008 second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, Dalpe has never carved out a lengthy full-time NHL career. He’s become one of the most recognizable names in the minors, however, and he’s become one of the highest-scoring players in Charlotte Checkers history, given they are Florida’s current AHL affiliate and the former affiliate of the Hurricanes.
Dalpe has been Charlotte’s captain for the past two seasons, and he’ll likely hold that title for the duration of his contract. With 14 AHL seasons and nearly 500 games under his belt, Dalpe is a valuable presence to developing Panthers making their way through Charlotte.
In the big leagues this season, Dalpe has scored two goals and two assists. He’s added 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points in 41 games with Charlotte, sitting among the team’s points-per-game leaders.
General manager Bill Zito gave the following statement on Dalpe’s extension:
Zac is a natural leader and his impact on our franchise is felt on and off the ice. A high-character athlete and relentlessly competitive forward, we are grateful for his continued dedication to our organization.
Five Key Stories: 3/20/23 – 3/26/23
The final full week of March has come to an end. With most transactions being on hold until the offseason, the injury situation around the league dominates the key stories.
Pettersson To LTIR: The Penguins will be without one of their top four defensemen for the stretch run with Marcus Pettersson being placed on LTIR with a lower-body injury. It has been a bit of a resurgent season for the 26-year-old as he has upped his playing time by nearly five minutes per night while improving on his point total; his 24 points are one behind his career high. His absence certainly hurts Pittsburgh as they look to hold onto a Wild Card spot. However, the placement also alleviates their salary cap situation, putting them in a spot where they will be able to afford some recalls over the final few weeks without having to worry about having to play short a player while waiting for approval for a cap-exempt recall.
Carlson Returns: On the opposite side of the injury front, the Capitals welcomed back defenseman John Carlson. Washington’s top blueliner missed more than three months with an upper-body injury that Carlson himself later confirmed was a small skull fracture above his right ear and a severed temporal artery. While this isn’t going to help lead Washington to the postseason, it’s certainly a positive sign that he’s able to return. Carlson definitely came back in style, picking up two points in his first game back.
Bednar Signs Extension: Jared Bednar won’t be leaving Colorado’s bench anytime soon after the team signed him to a three-year contract extension. That deal won’t kick in until 2024-25 as the bench boss already had another year on his deal after this one. He earned himself quite a raise as CapFriendly notes that Bednar’s salary will jump from $2.25MM per season on this contract to $4.75MM on the new one. The raise and extra job security are certainly well-deserved. He helped lead the Avs to the Stanley Cup last season and the team has compiled a 282-191-52 record over seven seasons under his tutelage, good for a .587 points percentage. Bednar is second in franchise history in games coached (behind Michel Bergeron going back to their Quebec days) but will take over the all-time record early in the first year of this new contract.
College Signings: As NCAA teams are being eliminated, there has been an uptick in college prospects signing. The bulk of those have been players signing with their own teams but a few teams have turned to the free agent market. The Blue Jackets signed center Hunter McKown out of Colorado College and he has already made his NHL debut, getting into a pair of games while picking up an assist. Meanwhile, the Jets added forward Parker Ford out of Providence College while the Canucks agreed to terms with center Max Sasson. Their contracts will begin next season, allowing them to report to the minors for the rest of 2022-23.
More Injuries: There were quite a few other injuries of note around the league this week. Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort will miss the rest of the regular season due a lower-body injury. He won’t require surgery. Boston could now transfer him to LTIR to open up some cap flexibility for recalls down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Senators will be missing defenseman Jakub Chychrun for a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury of his own which will make their late playoff push a little harder. Up front, Canadiens winger Josh Anderson is out for the season with a high ankle sprain while the Blue Jackets won’t have Patrik Laine for two-to-four weeks because of a triceps strain. Columbus had been testing Laine down the middle before the injury.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Talbot, Toews, Reilly, Lalonde
The Senators should be getting some help between the pipes soon as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Cam Talbot is expected to return to the lineup sometime this week. He has been out for the last three weeks due to an oblique muscle injury. The 35-year-old has a 2.85 GAA and a .905 SV% in 32 games this season, numbers that aren’t the greatest but at the moment, Ottawa is trying to hang in the race for a Wild Card spot in the East with rookies Mads Sogaard and Dylan Ferguson. Accordingly, getting Talbot back should give them a boost for the final few games.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has been out for nearly two months due to symptoms from long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome but hasn’t given up on returning this season. To that end, head coach Luke Richardson told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the center has been skating in an effort to get back before the end of the campaign. There was a recent report that Toews may be considering retirement and if that’s true, that could be fueling his desire to get back for the final few games.
- Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly suffered a serious injury in the minors today, one that saw him knocked unconscious and stretchered off the ice. Fortunately, AHL Providence announced after the game (Twitter link) that he is alert, conscious, and able to walk around. The veteran has spent the bulk of the year in the minors but is likely to be a Black Ace recall at some point in Boston’s playoff run.
- The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve reassigned goaltender Nolan Lalonde from OHL Erie to AHL Cleveland. The 19-year-old signed with Columbus as an undrafted free agent in October but had a tough year in junior, posting a 4.09 GAA along with a .868 SV% in 41 games with the Otters. With Jon Gillies being recalled today and Daniil Tarasov being injured in Cleveland’s game today, Lalonde could have a path to make his pro debut fairly soon.
PHR Mailbag: Rossi, Predictions, Summer Trade Candidates, Playoffs, Ducks, Three-Team Trades, Kings
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the upcoming playoffs, Anaheim’s coaching situation, injuries in Los Angeles, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch to see if it appears in next weekend’s mailbag.
Zakis: Why hasn’t the Wild brought Rossi back up? They could use scoring and are always searching for centers.
When Minnesota made the decision to send Marco Rossi down to AHL Iowa in late November, the idea was that they wanted to give him some consistent playing time in an offensive role. The move has proven to be a good one as he’s hovering around the point-per-game mark which is a small improvement over last season. On merit, he has certainly earned another look.
Here’s the thing. Could they have used him when the roster was basically thinned out which was the case up until a couple of games ago? Sure. However, even with the injuries, they never got to the point of qualifying for an emergency recall. Now that we’re after the trade deadline, the dreaded four-recall rule is in effect which basically means that teams are limited to four non-emergency recalls until their affiliates’ season is done (including playoffs).
Because they had enough bodies to avoid emergency recall status, they’d have had to have burned one of those recalls to bring Rossi up. And now, with most of the forwards back to being healthy (aside from Kirill Kaprizov), there wouldn’t really be any room for Rossi in the lineup, at least in a role that is optimal for his development and Minnesota’s success. (Playing him eight minutes on the fourth line isn’t doing anyone any good.) Is it worth burning one of those recalls and disrupting his momentum for a short-term stint? It appears GM Bill Guerin felt the answer was no.
The Duke: Dear Crystal Ball: please provide the fortunes for Nicholas Robertson, Alexander Holtz, Luke Hughes, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. BONUS BOUNTY: Who are the Final 4 and who wins the Stanley Cup? Kind regards.
Robertson: Things haven’t gone well for him in the pros, have they? He has lost a lot of development time due to injuries, that’s for sure. Robertson feels like the type of player that probably best fits in on an offensive third line that can move up when injuries arise or if he has chemistry with a specific center. Despite how long he has been out, he can still be an important part of Toronto’s group, especially as a cost-controlled player that should be able to produce as long as he can stay healthy.
Holtz: It hasn’t been a great start for Holtz to his career in North America. He has done well in the minors but it has yet to translate to much NHL success. On the other hand, he’s only 21, leaving plenty of time for development. I still think he will be a top-six forward down the road. I wouldn’t be shocked if he became a top liner still for that matter.
Hughes: The presence of Dougie Hamilton will limit Hughes’ offensive output, at least early on. With Hamilton logging big minutes including some power play time, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Hughes around the 30-35-point mark early on. Long term, 50+ points should be achievable on an annual basis which would have him in the top 20 league-wide. I’m not sure he’ll see 25 minutes a night like a typical number one defenseman but Hughes should produce like one.
Luukkonen: It has been a bit of an up-and-down first extended taste of NHL action, hasn’t it? I’m not sure he’s the goalie of the future for Buffalo but he’s a goalie of the future for Buffalo. In an era that is becoming more reliant on platoons, Luukkonen should be able to fill one of those spots as long as he can wean down the erratic performances and become more consistent. If he and Devon Levi can cover anywhere between 35-50 games each per season, they’ll be thrilled.
Bonus: I think I had the Stars and Bruins as the Cup Final matchup in the last mailbag and I’ll stick with that prediction for now with Boston winning. As for the other two conference finalists? I think the Rangers come out of the Metropolitan and one of Edmonton’s goalies gets on a hot streak to get the Oilers out of the Pacific.
baji kimran: I know you don’t own a crystal ball, but what do you think are the chances the following three centers who will be on expiring contracts next year get traded before the end of next year or hit the open market next summer?
- Elias Lindholm. Calgary may not want to head toward a rebuild, especially with that awful Huberdeau contract, but if they struggle to compete, it may make sense to move him.
- Auston Matthews. The Leafs have until July 1st to extend him or his no-movement clause kicks in and it will be harder to move him if he isn’t willing to pursue an extension. When he does sign, it will be the largest deal ever and the Leafs are also faced with trying to keep Nylander, who will also be on an expiring contract. Some think Matthews wants to go to Arizona, but if they can’t pass the vote to build a new arena, that won’t be a wise move. In that instance, L.A. becomes the favorite.
- Anze Kopitar. Kopitar still plays at a high level, but with the Kings locked into Danault for three more years and their probable desire to sign Roy, Kempe, Byfield, and Lizotte to extensions, Kopitar could become an odd man out, especially if Matthews were to land in L.A.
Wait, I’m confused now. Didn’t I just have a crystal ball a moment ago? Where did it go? Oh well, onto the questions.
1) I expect the Flames to take a real run at re-signing Lindholm this summer. If they can’t get something done, I think the odds of him being moved are quite high, think in the 75% range. I think Calgary has shown this season that their core as constructed isn’t good enough to contend. They’re better than they’re playing but even a different coach isn’t going to vault them into contender status. Maybe there’s a bump to get them into a playoff spot but that’s not the same as a contender. If they need to change up the core, the logical place to start from is a player who, in this scenario, doesn’t want to re-sign. Yes, they could keep Lindholm and look to move him in-season which is why that percentage isn’t even higher. But if that’s the route that they take, they’re probably running it back. I just can’t see them doing that.
2) Technically, Toronto can only extend Matthews on July 1st which happens to coincide with the trade protection. While they’re not supposed to negotiate before then, we all know that rule isn’t exactly followed. I expect the Maple Leafs will hand Matthews the richest contract in NHL history sometime this offseason, at least from an AAV perspective; it might not be a max term. Does that force Nylander out? Probably, but with John Tavares’ deal only being one year longer than Matthews’, they’re not going to willingly run the risk of losing two high-end middlemen. If Matthews wants to stay, they’ll get something done. If he wants to wait and see what happens in 2023-24, I think they’ll still hold onto him. I’ll go with a 5% chance that he’s moved which is basically the scenario of him saying I won’t re-sign so trade me to where I want to go.
3) My first thought was that they wouldn’t want to trade a franchise legend. My second was they just traded one last month so that first thought might not hold up. But I don’t think there’s much of a desire to move him. He has one year left after this season which lines up with Matthews so in your scenario of Matthews signing in Los Angeles, they’d probably just let Kopitar walk at the same time. Of the potential extensions, they’d all kick in after Kopitar’s deal is up so they don’t need to trade him to free up room for those contracts. I can’t say 0% odds here with what happened with Quick so I’ll go with a 1% chance he’s traded.
Breakaway: 1). Who do you predict will be the four wild card teams?
2). Which one of those four teams can make some “noise” in the playoffs?
3). Who, if anyone, can knock the Bruins out of the playoffs?
1) In the East, I expect the Penguins will find a way to back their way in. The Islanders are fragile but I think they’ll just stay ahead of the Panthers. Out West, the Jets seem like a safe bet for one of the spots; they’ll be in tough to move up in the Central with everyone else having games in hand. It’d be funny if the Predators got in after selling but I don’t think they will and instead, the Kraken will get the other spot.
2) I’ll go with the Islanders here. Ilya Sorokin is capable of stealing some games on his own and they already play lower-scoring games that the playoffs often bring. It might not be a run like they had in 2020-21 when they nearly beat Tampa Bay to make the Stanley Cup Final but they could surprise. Connor Hellebuyck could do the same but Winnipeg has been too erratic lately to count on.
3) The Maple Leafs match up fairly well and if that winds up being a second-round matchup, it wouldn’t shock me if they won. In the Metro, both the Rangers and Hurricanes would have a chance to win a series. Boston is still the prohibitive favorite, no doubt, but any of those teams could knock them out before the Final without it necessarily being too surprising.
JustPete: The Anaheim Ducks are mired in a multi-season “rebuild”. Frankly, they are difficult to watch. Their offensive efforts are seemingly limited to the dump and chase as they cannot skate or pass the puck into the offensive zone. They play an awful zone defense that often leaves a defender open in the slot. While they have flashes of skilled play, it is mostly haphazard play without speed or organization.
They have a “core” of good skill players – who don’t work together.
My question is whether it is time for a coaching change. I cannot fathom how they can play this badly. They look like a rudderless ship meandering through the rink.
I do expect there to be a coaching change in Anaheim. From the moment that Pat Verbeek took over as GM, I expected Dallas Eakins would be let go on the day following the end of the 2022-23 regular season.
We saw at the AHL level that he wasted little time shaking up the staff in San Diego even with Joel Bouchard having term left on his deal. However, there’s a big difference between AHL coach money and NHL coach money. For a season that Anaheim wasn’t expected to go anywhere, paying for two coaches on a team that’s not a cap spender didn’t make economic sense. But Eakins is in the final year of his contract so I think they’ve elected to play out this season and then simply not renew his deal, thereby paving the way for a new coach later this spring.
The Ducks have a decent young foundation to work with plus some promising offensive-minded prospects on the horizon. Accordingly, I expect their next bench boss to be someone that wants to play more up-tempo with an emphasis on player development in the short term. Verbeek has been around long enough going back to his time as an assistant GM to have a good idea of the type of coach he’ll want and a list of candidates that could fit the bill.