New York Islanders Hire Doug Houda, Brian Wiseman
The day of hirings continues, this time with the New York Islanders introducing two new assistant coaches. Brian Wiseman and Doug Houda will join Lane Lambert‘s staff for the upcoming season, coming over from the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers respectively.
Wiseman, 50, served for three years with the Oilers after nearly a decade with the University of Michigan, and now joins the new Islanders coaching staff that needed to be built from the ground up. With Lambert taking over from the dismissed Barry Trotz, the team is going in a very different direction following their poor performance this season.
It’s Houda that will draw many headlines though, given his connection with the organization. The long-time NHL defenseman played parts of two seasons with the team in the late nineties, racking up 13 points and 146 penalty minutes in 101 games. He served on the Detroit bench for the last six seasons and previously spend more than a decade with the Boston Bruins.
Given the fact that this will be Lambert’s first NHL head coaching gig, he’ll have to rely heavily on his two new assistants in the early going. Adding someone like Houda, that not only comes with a long history in the league but some familiarity–the two were teammates way back in 1985-86–will certainly help.
Toronto Maple Leafs Make Front Office Changes
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced several changes to the front office, starting with the promotions of Hayley Wickenheiser, Ryan Hardy, and Darryl Metcalf to assistant general manager. The team has also added Curtis Sanford as goaltending coach, following the departure of Steve Briere to the Seattle Kraken.
The team has broken out the positions by department, with incumbent Brandon Pridham continuing his role as the “primary” AGM and Laurence Gilman now serving as governor and senior vice president of the Toronto Marlies, the team’s AHL affiliate.
Wickenheiser (Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser to be exact) is now the assistant general manager, player development, and will continue her work with the development staff at all levels. Arguably the greatest player in the history of women’s hockey, she joined the club in 2018 while still finishing her medical residency and was promoted to senior director of player development in 2021. She becomes the fourth woman this summer to be named an NHL AGM, following Cammie Granato and Emilie Castonguay in Vancouver, and Meghan Hunter in Chicago.
Hardy, meanwhile, continues to skyrocket up the hockey organizational charts, now an AGM in the NHL just a few seasons after first serving as an amateur scout with the Boston Bruins. The architect of a powerhouse program for the Chicago Steel of the USHL, Hardy was snatched up by the Maple Leafs in 2021 and put in charge of the team’s minor league operations. That’s still the department he will lead now, overseeing the team’s three-tiered development system, with the Marlies and Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL.
Metcalf is the longest-tenured member of the trio, having worked with the Maple Leafs’ analytics department since 2014. He too has been rising the ranks since, last promoted to special assistant to the general manager in 2018. His title will be AGM, hockey research and development, allowing him to continue the work he has done with analytics.
Sandford meanwhile is coming into something of a mystery situation, given the Maple Leafs’ current goaltending issues. Jack Campbell appears ready to hit the open market in a few days, Petr Mrazek‘s struggles this year have led many to speculate that he will not be part of the team next season, and the pipeline doesn’t appear to have a true NHL starter in it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Philadelphia Flyers Hire Brad Shaw
After the news was broken previously by his former club, Brad Shaw has now been officially introduced as an associate coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. New head coach John Tortorella is getting the band back together, having previously worked together with the Columbus Blue Jackets as recently as 2020-21. He released a statement on his new addition:
The familiarity in working closely with Brad in the past and knowing his approach to the game will be a big benefit to our club. Brad’s experience both as a former defenseman and the many years in the coaching ranks has allowed him to implement a style which make his teams hard to play against while allowing players to thrive in their role.
Shaw, who played nearly 400 games in the NHL, mostly with the Hartford Whalers and expansion Ottawa Senators, has previous experience working as an associate coach under a Jack Adams winner. During Ken Hitchcock’s run as head coach of the St. Louis Blues, Shaw rose from assistant to associate, taking on more responsibilities as his experience grew. He even has a bit of experience as a head coach in the NHL, leading the New York Islanders for 40 games in 2005-06 after Steve Stirling was shown the door.
In Philadelphia, he’ll try to fix a defensive unit that was in shambles this season, despite several highly-paid talents. Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, Travis Sanheim, and Ryan Ellis all carry cap hits of at least $4.675MM (though the latter may not be ready for the season), and must be better this time around if the team has any chance of reaching the postseason.
New York Rangers Extend Julien Gauthier
It’s certainly not the free agent news fans were hoping for in New York, but the Rangers have finished at least one negotiation. Julien Gauthier has signed a new one-year contract extension for the 2022-23 season, avoiding restricted free agency this summer. CapFriendly reported earlier that the deal is worth $800K.
Gauthier, 24, still hasn’t achieved much at the NHL level but did play in 49 games for the Rangers this season. The 2016 first-round pick has just 18 points in 96 career games, not quite what the Carolina Hurricanes had in mind when he was selected 21st overall or what the Rangers believed they were getting in a 2020 trade.
A mix of size and speed that is difficult to find, Gauthier possesses many of the attributes needed to have success at the NHL level. It just hasn’t been put together to this point, though he might get a regular chance to change that this season. With so many Rangers forwards scheduled for unrestricted free agency–Andrew Copp, Greg McKegg, Tyler Motte, Kevin Rooney, Ryan Strome, and Frank Vatrano are all without contracts–there could very well be room for Gauthier in the bottom six.
Even if the team moves to try and extend some of those names, they’ll need inexpensive options at the bottom of the roster. There’s also a notable difference in Gauthier’s status this year: he is no longer waiver-exempt. That means if the team wants to send him to the minor leagues, all 31 other teams would have a chance to claim him and keep him in the NHL.
Seattle Kraken Hire Steve Briere
During the 2021-22 season there was no team with a worse save percentage than the Seattle Kraken. The team has made a move to try and address that though not with an on-ice change. Instead, the team has hired goaltending coach Steve Briere, who had previously parted ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Briere, 45, has spent the last seven seasons with Toronto, working most notably with Frederik Andersen during his time there. A disciple of famously successful goalie coach Mitch Korn, who is currently with the New York Islanders, Briere had an up-and-down tenure with the Maple Leafs, his first role in the NHL.
Notably, he goes to a situation in Seattle that should be relatively comfortable. Head coach Dave Hakstol worked alongside Briere in Toronto for a time, serving as an assistant on Mike Babcock’s staff. The two obviously have a good enough relationship to continue it with the Kraken, where they’ll try to improve on that .880 save percentage from year one.
Among the reasons why the Kraken didn’t perform up to many expectations was the goaltending issue, as a career-.920 netminder Philipp Grubauer posted a brutal .889 save percentage, and backup Chris Driedger failed to do much better. The system, the defense, or bad luck could be partly to blame but there is also a good amount of responsibility to be heaped on the goaltenders themselves, and the coaching staff that was tasked with preparing them.
Briere will try to change that next season, after a dreadful first campaign in Seattle.
Gatineau Olympiques Acquire Olivier Nadeau
While the NHL Draft is still a few days away, the 2022 QMJHL Draft is underway tonight. There’s some big action on the trade floor as well, as the Gatineau Olympiques have acquired Buffalo Sabres forward prospect, Olivier Nadeau, from the QMJHL champion Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for this year’s 14th overall pick, a 2023 first-round selection, a 2023 second-round selection, and 2005-born defense prospect Thomas Hebert.
Nadeau, Buffalo’s 97th overall selection in 2021, led Shawinigan in regular-season scoring with 78 points in 65 games. While he finished ahead of teammates like Edmonton’s Xavier Bourgault and Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque, they both played in considerably fewer games and had higher playoff point totals.
That doesn’t discount Nadeau’s role on the team, though. Serving as an alternate captain, Nadeau is a powerful, versatile forward who knows how to use his 6′ 2″ frame. A smart and skilled passer, Nadeau boasts solid middle-six upside and is a good transitional talent. In what will be his last year of juniors, Nadeau will get a chance to shine on Gatineau, who suffered a first-round playoff loss this year.
Latest on Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk
There’s a significant sense around the league that teams are rushing to get their salary cap situations cleared up before the start of free agency next week. Moves like the Tampa Bay Lightning trading Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators for spare change and the Minnesota Wild moving early on a Kevin Fiala deal are evidence of that.
Now, another team is joining that list of really trying to make headlines in the near future. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports that the Calgary Flames are making “every effort” now not only to re-sign top pending unrestricted free agent forward Johnny Gaudreau but also restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk.
While most of the public talk has centered around Gaudreau’s status, it makes sense that general manager Brad Treliving would want to get these deals done in a short window. Playing on the same line, Gaudreau and Tkachuk helped propel each other to career seasons. The Flames are likely hoping that keeping the two together will keep their level of play from declining after this season.
Finances are also a huge part of this equation too, though. Gaudreau and Tkachuk are surely bound to take up a gigantic chunk of Calgary’s offseason spending limit, likely at least $16MM of it. With a long list of other players to re-sign and/or spots to fill via free agency, Calgary needs a clear picture of how much cash they’ll be able to devote to players like Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington while still fielding a cap-compliant squad.
With Tkachuk’s value through the roof after his 40-goal, 100-point season and Gaudreau likely able to net eight figures on the open market, Treliving faces his toughest challenge yet as GM in Calgary in order to keep this year’s Pacific Division champions at the top of the Western Conference.
Evening Notes: Sharks GM, Fleury, Paliafito
When Doug Wilson stepped away from his post as GM of the San Jose Sharks nearly three months ago, many assumed the organization would take its time in finding a new GM, but may not have expected the process to take three months. One reason the team may be waiting would be to find a candidate similar to Wilson, one who the organization was able to rely on for nearly 20 years, icing a competitive team almost every season of his tenure. Another would be their trust in interim GM Joe Will, an experienced executive who could guide the front office as it prepares for the upcoming offseason.
But, the decision may not have to wait much longer, writes The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. According to LeBrun, an announcement on the new GM is expected to come as soon as tomorrow, and the belief is that the Sharks will name Mike Grier as the club’s next General Manager, though LeBrun adds that this has not been confirmed by anyone in the Sharks organization. Grier was among the many people thought to be interviewing for the coveted position and like Wilson is also a former Sharks player. After hanging up his skates, Grier has been rising up the ranks behind the scenes, with a GM position seemingly a fit at some point.
- LeBrun also wrote earlier on the weekend’s offseason rumblings, including the status of star goaltender and soon to be free agent Marc-Andre Fleury. The veteran and his wife were to meet with agent Allan Walsh today in Montreal to discuss the plan with regards to his upcoming free agency, with Fleury’s current team, the Minnesota Wild, in the mix. In addition to the Wild, LeBrun speculates that the Toronto Maple Leafs could be suitors for Fleury, pointing to the goaltender’s willingness to head to Toronto at the trade deadline this year before the supposed trade fell apart. LeBrun adds that Fleury will be able to be as picky as he wishes, and could look at a number of contenders, listing the Colorado Avalanche as an intriguing possibility as well, though he adds Colorado would like to keep incumbent goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that scout Jim Paliafito, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was hired by the New York Islanders. Paliafito, Friedman writes, is known for his expertise with the European free agent market. One of the most notable free agents Paliafito helped the Maple Leafs recruit was undrafted forward Ilya Mikheyev, who scored 21 goals in just 53 games for Toronto this season.
Free Agent Focus: Columbus Blue Jackets
Free agency is now less than two weeks away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Key Restricted Free Agents:
F Emil Bemstrom – A fourth-round pick in 2017, Bemstrom had a strong debut in 2019-20, putting up 10 goals and 10 assists in 56 games for Columbus seeing just over 12 minutes a night of ice time. However, after his debut, he was limited to just 20 games in 2020-21, where he tallied only five points and didn’t fair much better this season, having 11 points in 41 games. Concerning as the bit of regression is for Bemstrom, he does have two things on his side: Columbus’ transitioning period as they search for talent to move forward with, and age, at just 23-years old. Because of those factors, Bemstrom is a likely candidate to be brought back into the fold with the Blue Jackets and have a chance to prove himself, but it may not be for much more, or even as much as, the $925K AAV he had on the ELC that is set to expire.
F Patrik Laine – The Blue Jackets don’t have too much in the way of free agents this offseason, but they do have one of the most discussed RFAs of the summer in Laine. After Laine held out in the summer of 2019 and was eventually traded from the Winnipeg Jets, Columbus fans might fret about their team’s ability to get a deal done with the winger, but not to worry, as The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports, the two sides are speaking regularly and amicably with the goal of a long-term extension for the Finnish sniper in mind. Having concluded a one-year, $7.5MM contract that saw Laine become a point-per-game player for the first time in his career, albeit in just 56 games, the 24-year-old is due for a raise, especially if the Blue Jackets would like to keep him around for the long haul. Fortunately for Columbus, the question seems to be “how much” and not “can it happen?” A long-term extension with Laine would, most importantly, provide the retooling franchise with a cornerstone player for it’s next build locked in at a guaranteed rate for years to come, making future decisions easier and more predictable.
D Adam Boqvist – One of the more exciting prospects in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Boqvist was selected eighth-overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and was later traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets as one of the centerpieces of the Seth Jones trade. Though Boqvist has certainly not been bad in his young career, he has yet to reach the heights projected for him by many. His most complete season to date came in 2021-22, where the defenseman had 11 goals and 11 assists in 52 games. Still, as his been the story for much of his professional career, Boqvist missed significant time with injury. There’s no question the Swede will return to Columbus and aim to be a significant contributor if healthy, but he won’t see the massive extension given to fellow 2018 selection Quinn Hughes or the one due to Noah Dobson.
D Nick Blankenburg, D Gabriel Carlsson, F Trey Fix-Wolansky, F Kevin Stenlund
Key Unrestricted Free Agents:
The Blue Jackets are in an interesting position, with no significant UFAs to deal with this offseason. Of the names listed below, only Harrington and Berube played in the NHL this year, each only playing in a handful of games. Those two as well as Sikura could be candidates to be re-signed as depth for the NHL club and to round out the Cleveland Monsters AHL lineup, with Gerbe and Rinaldo not having played since the 2020-21 season. Johnson is an intriguing name, having been serviceable in 20 games in the AHL this season, he was phenomenal for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, helping the team win the Kelly Cup.
Despite the lack of key UFAs, Columbus could look ahead to a pair of UFAs to-be in forward Gustav Nyquist and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who will both hit the market in 2023. It’s unclear what the plan for these two is in Columbus, however Nyquist has continued to produce the steady offensive output that helped him sign his current four-year, $22MM contract, while Gavrikov has established himself as a defensive backbone on the team’s blueline.
F Nathan Gerbe, F Zac Rinaldo, F Tyler Sikura, D Scott Harrington, G Jean-Francois Berube, G Cam Johnson
Projected Cap Space:
The Blue Jackets will enter this offseason with just over $19.5MM in available cap space, plenty to return all expiring contracts if they wish. Though it’s plenty, Laine’s extension, which should include an AAV higher than the $7.5MM he made in 2021-22, will take up a significant portion of that space. It’s likely the club will look at some additions to help round out the roster and perhaps help if the team is more competitive than expected, but it appears the organization will take the time to evaluate its talent and give as much time and experience as possible to younger players they want to build around, like Boqvist and forwards Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. One of the brightest spots for the organization is, once a long-term deal with Laine is complete, the team will still have a comfortable amount of cap space to work with, while having all of their experienced building-blocks, including Laine, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Zach Werenski, and Elvis Merzlikins, already signed long-term.
Jake DeBrusk Rescinds Trade Request
After initially requesting a trade from the Boston Bruins back in November, forward Jake DeBrusk has rescinded that request, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. According to Rishaug, DeBrusks’s agent, Rick Valette and Bruins GM Don Sweeney spoke some time last week, Valette informing the Bruins that DeBrusk rescinded the request and would be happy to remain a member of the Bruins organization going forward. Rishaug adds that while DeBrusk could technically still be moved this offseason, it would be unlikely to happen at this point.
The news on DeBrusk is interesting, but perhaps not shocking, considering the sequence of events following the trade request last fall. Recall at the time, that DeBrusk had been dealing with being a healthy scratch, having just three goals and three assists in 17 games prior to the request. The 2015 first-round pick of the Bruins had a solid start to his career, putting up 120 points in 203 career games heading into 2020-21. That season, which included a myriad of unusual on and off ice changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, caused many players to struggle, including DeBrusk, who had just five goals and nine assists in 41 games. But, those struggles continued into the start of the 2021-22 season, causing the Bruins to sit DeBrusk, and DeBrusk to ask for a trade in return.
It’s not clear how close the team ever came to moving the winger, but he did continue to play when asked, as was his contractual obligation, and in turn, he began to produce. Over the next 60 games after the request, DeBrusk would score an impressive 22 goals to go with 14 assists, finishing the season with 25 goals and 17 assists in 77 games. The strong performance would continue into the postseason, where he had a pair of goals and a pair of assists in Boston’s seven-game first-round loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
A return to form, and regular minutes in the lineup, as well as a trade deadline that came and went with DeBrusk not only still in Boston but with an extension in-hand, made it seem less and less likely that DeBrusk would want to leave the organization, however the request was apparently never rescinded until recently. Interestingly, between the end of the season and last week, the Bruins have had several key headlines that included the firing of Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who was replaced late last week with Jim Montgomery, an extension with Sweeney, Patrice Bergeron’s apparent desire to return to the team next season, and several key injuries that have given increased importance to the rest of the team. Ultimately, DeBrusk and Valette have not publicly given an explanation on the change.
The extension DeBrusk signed on trade deadline day runs for two-years at $4MM per season, depositing him on the UFA market after the 2024 season. Hip surgery to Brad Marchand is expected to keep the superstar forward out of the lineup for several months to start next season, and as such, could serve to elevate DeBrusk’s role, with Boston needing to find offense on the wing from another outlet for the time being. Such an opportunity may not be enough on its own to convince DeBrusk to want to be in Boston, but is an attractive opportunity to build value ahead of his trip to the UFA market in a couple of years.