Calgary Flames To Relocate AHL Affiliate
While the headlines surrounding the Calgary Flames are all about their Battle of Alberta playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, the organization does have some major unrelated news as well. The American Hockey League announced today that its Board of Governors has approved the relocation of the Flames’ affiliate, the Stockton Heat, from Stockton, California to Calgary. The league’s official announcement read as follows:
American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson announced that the AHL Board of Governors, convening last week for its Spring Meeting, has approved the relocation of the franchise owned by the Calgary Flames from Stockton, Calif., to Calgary, Alta., beginning with the 2022-23 season.
Details relating to the transfer are in progress and the AHL and the Flames will provide more information when finalized. Division alignment for the 2022-23 AHL season, which will begin October 14, will also be finalized at a later date.
There is no word on yet on where the Flames’ affiliate will be playing in Calgary, but this move comes as part of a larger trend towards moving AHL affiliates closer to their NHL parent clubs. The Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks are all teams that have moved their AHL affiliates closer to their home markets in the past.
The Canucks example is particularly relevant for the Flames because of the success of their move from an established AHL market in Utica, New York to Abbotsford, British Columbia. Patrick Williams of TheAHL.com notes that the success of the Canucks’ move to Abbotsford gives confidence that the Flames’ move will prove a success. Because optimizing for easier travel and smaller travel costs is so important for the health of minor league sports, the fact that the success of the Canucks and their move can serve as a blueprint for the Flames’ move is no small factor. At the very least, this relocation will make it so the logistical challenge of the Flames calling up AHL-ers on short notice will be significantly reduced.
Snapshots: Trotz, Devils Draft, Senators Draft
Barry Trotz is the hottest name on the coaching market right now. The Winnipeg Jets have already interviewed him, and we previously covered that the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers have interest in Trotz as well. Along with those teams, you can add two more organizations into the mix. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Trotz’s list of suitors is “expected to include” the Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings.
Both Vegas and Detroit recently fired their coaches, though that’s about where the similarities end between the two franchises. The Golden Knights are an organization with sky-high aspirations and a roster equipped for long playoff runs. The Red Wings, on the other hand, are just beginning to emerge from a rebuild and have a roster with some young stars such as Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond but also enough flaws to keep them from being widely seen as a true contender. With these two teams now in the chase for Trotz, it seems that he will have the pick of the litter when it comes to where he will work next. As one of the most widely respected individuals in hockey, Trotz’s choice will likely say a lot about the direction of the franchise he chooses and be a reason for optimism for that team’s fanbase.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- We previously covered when Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald publicly communicated a willingness to deal his team’s top draft pick for an impact player, but many have wondered if that willingness still exists since the Devils won the second pick in the draft. According to Friedman, the Devils “will still consider” the possibility of moving the pick. Friedman reports that the Devils are in the process of “firming up a list of players they would consider moving the pick for.” One player who many have speculated will be on that list is Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala. Fiala will be 26 at the start of next season and fits the Devils’ competitive timeline. He also is coming off an extremely productive 85-point season, and the Wild are going to be hard-pressed to find the cap space to keep him. It’s a natural fit for each side, and it seems from Friedman’s reporting that it’s the kind of situation the Devils will ponder as the calendar turns to June.
- Another GM has also communicated a willingness to move a top-ten pick for an impact player: the Ottawa Senators. Per Friedman, the Senators, who pick seventh-overall, are also curious about the possibility of using that pick to acquire a player more immediately able to help their team win. Friedman reports that the Senators “want someone with term,” and speculates that there should be a “wider range” of possibilities at the seventh pick compared to the second. The Senators have a strong prospect pool but finished 26th in the standings, so GM Pierre Dorion’s interest in exchanging his premium draft pick for more proven assets is definitely reasonable.
Milan Lucic Not Expected To Receive Supplementary Discipline
When Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic received a match penalty last night for colliding with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith, it came with an automatic review from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. It appears as though there will be nothing more to come from the incident, as Emily Kaplan of ESPN tweets that there will not be supplementary discipline from the league.
The 15 minutes of penalties that Lucic was officially credited with were nearly twice as many as he actually played last night, as the veteran forward has been pushed down into a very limited role so far in the series. In three games he has yet to record a shot on net against his former team and now has racked up 21 penalty minutes in the second-round series.
Smith, meanwhile, was forced from the game by concussion spotters but returned a few minutes later to wild applause from the Rogers Place crowd. The Oilers managed to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead, with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evander Kane once again leading the way offensively.
Some fans will remember another collision between Lucic and a goaltender that did not result in a suspension, though the two incidents came in very different on-ice situations.
The two teams will be back at it Thursday night.
Morning Notes: Start Times, Audette, Gretsky
The NHL has officially announced start times for each of the game fives, including Thursday night’s Carolina-New York and Edmonton-Calgary matchups. Those will go at 7:00 pm ET and 9:30 pm ET respectively, as Calgary and New York try to even their series. The Tampa Bay Lightning meanwhile have a chance to finish things off tonight on the second half of a back-to-back against the Florida Panthers.
More from around the hockey world:
- KHL club Vityaz Podolsk has announced the signing of former AHL star Daniel Audette, a surprising move given the exodus of foreign players from the league since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Audette played part of last season with the club but ended his year with 18 games for Orebro HK in the SHL. He’ll now go back to the KHL for next season, where he has already proven he can be a difference-maker. In 45 games last season, the 26-year-old forward scored 17 goals and 39 points, continuing his trend of posting strong offensive numbers at every stop. Originally selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2014 draft, he never did play a game in the NHL.
- “Gretsky Signs In KHL” could have been a headline today, as Amur Khabarovsk announced the signing of Vyacheslav Gretsky to a tryout contract. The 25-year-old forward is obviously of no relation to the Gretzky that North American fans are more familiar with (Brent, that is), but did experience a breakout campaign in Belarus last season. The 6’5″ forward had 19 goals and 35 points in 53 games, earning him another chance to play in the KHL.
Brandon Hagel Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine
The Tampa Bay Lightning will still have Brandon Hagel in the lineup when they try to complete the sweep of the Florida Panthers this evening. The young forward avoided suspension and received a $3,750 fine from the Department of Player Safety for his hit on Eetu Luostarinen. The fine is the maximum allowable under the current CBA.
Hagel, 23, was originally given a major penalty for boarding but had it reduced to a two-minute minor after an official review. The incident occurred partway through the first period, as he delivered a cross-check to Luostarinen’s back a few feet from the boards, sending him headfirst into the corner. Luostarinen did end up returning later in the period and played nearly 14 minutes in the game.
One of the prized trade deadline acquisitions, Hagel has represented some secondary scoring and depth for the Lightning these playoffs, recording four points in ten games so far. While he is averaging just 13:25 of ice time, the young forward–who is signed at a very reasonable $1.5MM per season through 2023-24–has already shown signs of being able to play higher in the lineup next year when the team is forced to see other veteran names depart.
On this occasion, he may have taken his feisty play over the line but will escape without having to miss a game and pay nothing more than a nearly insignificant fine.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Filip Roos
The Chicago Blackhawks have finally landed their European target, signing Filip Roos to a two-year contract. The entry-level deal will carry an average annual value of $925K, and extends through the 2024-25 season. General manager Kyle Davidson released a statement:
Filip is a big body who possesses strong skating abilities for his size. That’s a combination of traits that teams across the league are always searching for. Filip played valuable minutes in Sweden’s top league this season and he will strengthen our pool of defensive prospects.
Roos was first linked to the Blackhawks in April when he was about to start his SHL playoffs. Unfortunately, he and the rest of Skelleftea AIK were eliminated rather quickly, with Roos recording just one point in six postseason appearances. While that followed his lack of offensive production from the regular season, when he scored just six points in 50 games, there is actually some upside at that side of the ice left untapped.
The 6’4″ undrafted defenseman performed quite well in the Swedish second league a year ago, adding 28 points in 52 games. His size and, perhaps most notably, excellent skating ability, make him an interesting prospect for the rebuilding Blackhawks. There will likely be plenty of playing time available in Chicago the next few years, and one way to quickly turn around an organization’s fortunes is by finding hidden gems in the undrafted market.
Still, given how little experience Roos has at the SHL level–this was his first season there–asking him to step directly into the NHL is likely out of the question. He’ll likely take some time to develop, either at the AHL level or back in Sweden for the 2022-23 campaign, where he is still under contract. He’ll have to be offered back because of the recently-signed transfer agreement, though only if he fails to make the Blackhawks. Even then, there are ways to get him to the AHL and into the Chicago development system, though that likely won’t be decided for some time.
Five Key Stories: 5/16/22 – 5/22/22
While the second round of the playoffs is in full flight, the biggest news came off the ice in a week filled with plenty of coaching headlines which dominate the key stories.
Dallas Cleans House: While the Stars made the playoffs and gave Calgary all they could handle in the first round, there will be plenty of changes behind the bench. Rick Bowness decided to step down while the team also dismissed assistant coaches Derek Laxdal, John Stevens, and Todd Nelson. Bowness had been the head coach in Dallas since taking over partway through the 2019-20 season, his first NHL head coaching role in more than 15 years. The Stars did relatively well under his watch with an 89-62-25 record while they reached the Stanley Cup Final in the bubble. Although he’s 67, it’s expected that Bowness will be looking into other coaching opportunities around the league.
Lambert Promoted: Part of the rationale for the Islanders firing Barry Trotz was that GM Lou Lamoriello wanted a new voice guiding the team. He didn’t need to go outside the organization to find that new voice as he instead promoted associate coach Lane Lambert to serve as their new bench boss. It will be Lambert’s first opportunity as an NHL head coach and his first time as a head coach at any level since 2011 when he was last in charge with AHL Milwaukee. Lambert had worked with Trotz since 2011 but will now get the opportunity to implement his own systems and will be tasked with getting New York back into the playoff picture.
Six Years For Rust: The Penguins have several prominent pending unrestricted free agents and they were able to get a deal worked out with one of them as they inked winger Bryan Rust to a six-year, $30.75MM contract. The 30-year-old has become a key part of Pittsburgh’s attack over the past three seasons, scoring at least 22 goals per year in that stretch. In 2021-22, he had the best output of his eight-year career, recording 58 points in just 60 games during the regular season while averaging over a point per game (eight in seven contests) during the playoffs. The $5.125MM AAV is certainly a team-friendly one although Rust still nearly doubles his career earnings to date with this deal. GM Ron Hextall still has some work to do with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Rickard Rakell among their remaining pending UFAs.
DeBoer Out: If there are two things we’ve learned about Vegas in their brief tenure in the NHL, it’s that they’re not particularly patient nor are they afraid to take big swings. In that spirit, they opted to make a coaching change, firing head coach Peter DeBoer along with assistants Steve Spott and Ryan McGill. DeBoer was with the team for 160 regular season games with the Golden Knights going 98-50-12 in that span while reaching the final four twice. However, they missed the playoffs this season which was enough of a reason for GM Kelly McCrimmon to pull the trigger on a change. They’ve now gone through two veteran head coaches in their first five years of existence with inaugural bench boss Gerard Gallant getting let go in his third season.
Sticking Around: The Maple Leafs have done well in recent years to get some veterans to sign for deals that are well below their market value to allow them to build as strong a roster as possible. They were able to accomplish that once again, inking defenseman Mark Giordano to a two-year contract worth just $800K per season. The 38-year-old came over from Seattle just before the trade deadline and helped to stabilize Toronto’s back end. While he was unlikely to command the $6.75MM AAV he made on his soon-to-expire deal, it’s certainly quite clear that he left a lot of money on the table to try to win with his hometown team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offseason Checklist: Ottawa Senators
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t playoff-bound plus some that were eliminated early in the playoffs. It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Ottawa.
Before last season, Senators GM Pierre Dorion declared the rebuild over. The team went on to post a weaker points percentage and finished seventh in the Atlantic Division after finishing sixth in the North the year before. Nevertheless, they’re still on the right path towards trying to get back into the playoff picture and their checklist follows that mindset with a mixture of retaining their current core and trying to add to it.
Shore Up Goaltending
One area that hasn’t been pretty the last couple of years is between the pipes. Anton Forsberg exceeded expectations as a waiver claim and did well enough to earn himself a three-year extension just before the trade deadline. After him, however, there are question marks; even Forsberg is somewhat of a question with just 104 games under his belt.
Matt Murray has struggled mightily in his two seasons with Ottawa, posting a 3.23 GAA and a SV% of just .899 over that stretch. He suffered a concussion back in early March, the third documented one of his career already after having two in quick succession with Pittsburgh. At this point, it’s hard to rely on him to provide much even though he has two years left on his contract at a $6.25MM AAV, one that’s effectively untradeable.
Their other in-house option is Filip Gustavsson. Once viewed as a key goalie prospect of Ottawa’s future, he has underwhelmed in his limited NHL action so far. He is waiver-eligible next season so he’s likely to be on the roster although relying on him would also be risky.
This is not a trio of goaltenders that will inspire a lot of confidence for a team with playoff aspirations. Finding a capable second goaltender to partner with Forsberg would give them a big lift. It’ll be easier said than done with Murray on the books and Gustavsson’s trade value not exactly at its peak but Dorion would be wise to try to bring in an upgrade between the pipes.
Flip The Switch
Regardless of whether or not they’re able to shore up the goaltending, Dorion needs to start focusing on some win-now moves. They’re not going to go from being near the basement to a contender right away but the time has come to start shopping for veterans that are going to help the process of turning things around.
Up front, that means looking for a top-six winger. Ottawa’s front line appears to be set with Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson flanking Joshua Norris. However, with Tim Stutzle anchoring the second line, his options on the wing aren’t anywhere near as strong and have been a collection of youngsters looking to establish themselves in the NHL or a veteran like Connor Brown who has been more of a two-way player than a consistent offensive threat. Bringing in a quality scoring winger would elevate Stutzle’s play and really give the Senators a second line that’s capable of producing with consistency.
There’s also work that needs to be done on the back end beyond non-tendering Victor Mete and parting with Michael Del Zotto. Travis Hamonic was brought in to try to stabilize a back end that bleeds shots allowed (more than 33 per game after allowing just over 32 per game the year before) but while he’s a stable veteran, that alone isn’t going to change their fortunes. A full season from Jake Sanderson probably doesn’t hurt but another impact defender would make a big difference.
Ottawa doesn’t yet have $60MM in commitments for next season and while that will change once they re-sign their restricted free agents, they will have ample room to try to add. If they opt to buy out Colin White (at a cap charge of $3.75MM total spread out over six seasons), they’ll have nearly $4MM extra to work with this summer as well.
Re-Sign Norris
Last summer, it was Tkachuk that was in line for a big contract coming off his entry-level deal. This year, it’s Norris. The 23-year-old had a breakout campaign, leading Ottawa in goals with 35 while finishing third in points with 55. Dorion’s preference has been to sign long-term contracts off expiring entry-level pacts as he did for Tkachuk, Batherson, and Thomas Chabot so he’s likely going to want to do the same here.
One of the challenges that both sides will here is Norris’ shorter track record. His first season was just three games and he has only 125 career NHL appearances under his belt, the equivalent of a year and a half. That isn’t a big sample size to go off of and he doesn’t have arbitration eligibility so this has the potential to be a particularly drawn-out negotiation. If Ottawa wants to skip the bridge contract and look for a long-term pact, Norris’ camp is likely to point to Nick Suzuki’s contract in Montreal (eight years, $7.875MM AAV) which would also stay within their salary structure as it would check in a little below Tkachuk and Chabot.
Extension Talks
Speaking of long-term contracts handed out to players coming off of their entry-level contracts, Ottawa could be in that situation next summer with Stutzle’s deal coming to an end. After a stronger sophomore year, Dorion will likely want to kick the tires on what an extension now might cost, knowing that a stronger platform season would result in a higher asking price the following year. It’s likely to fall in the range of Tkachuk, Chabot, and probably Norris in terms of the AAV.
Ottawa also has a pair of intriguing players that will be unrestricted next summer and thus eligible for extension talks at the start of the new league year in mid-July. Brown has been a solid performer since coming over from Toronto but is his role likelier to stay where it is now or do they envision him being more of a third-liner down the road? The answer to that will go a long way in determining whether or not discussions of a new deal make sense.
The other UFA of note in 2023 is defenseman Artem Zub. His numbers don’t jump off the page (22 points in 81 games) but he logged over 21 minutes a night and is a right-shot defender that will hit the open market in 2023 at the age of 27. In other words, there is going to be a lot of interest if he gets to that point. Dorion moved quickly to extend Zub when his entry-level contract ended and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him try to get an early extension done again. If so, his teammate Nikita Zaitsev’s contract ($4.5MM AAV) is a possible comparable.
For the last few seasons, the Senators have been near the bottom in spending on the cap. As their young core matures and other veterans are added or brought in to deepen the roster, that’s going to change fast. The more certainty they can get on the spending front, the better which is why being proactive on the contract discussion front should be a priority for Dorion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Salary figures courtesy of CapFriendly.
PHR Mailbag: Devils, Trotz, Maple Leafs, Predators, Predictions, Penguins, Quenneville
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Barry Trotz’s market, Toronto’s early playoff exit, what’s next for Nashville, and much more. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.
M34: With a pretty strong young core and some team-friendly veteran contracts with plenty of room to spare, which UFA goalie does NJ pursue? Kuemper? Fleury?
Non-tendered: Another one regarding the Devils — It appears as if they have the assets and cap space to acquire an elite goaltender, which many believe is their biggest need. Is the notion of needing an elite goaltender done? The Oilers are primed to go deep and look at all the goalie problems they’ve had. Carolina is a revolving door of consonants between the pipes. How many elite goalies are there, really? Vasy, Shesterkin, Bob?
I’d prefer the Devils to shore up the netminder for 7+ years to come, but I’m not sure Kuemper, Gibson, or Husso are the ones. Who do the Devils look to to improve the goalie situation and what do they with all their assets?
I had a similar question in a mailbag last month so I won’t dig too deep into who they go after. But I think the Devils are going to have a hard time making themselves attractive to veterans like Darcy Kuemper and Marc-Andre Fleury. Kuemper is on a top team with a chance for a long playoff run. To turn around and go to a team that has consistently been out of the playoffs for a while would be surprising. As for Fleury, he’s near the end of his career. He wants to win or play where he’s comfortable. I don’t think New Jersey fits either situation.
The UFA I think they go after is Ville Husso. They have the cap space to go higher on the AAV than most teams will so why not go for some upside? There’s some risk but if they offset that with a capable 1B option (I suggested a trade for Boston’s Linus Ullmark in that previous mailbag assuming he’s willing to waive his no-move protection), the risk would be mitigated to an extent. That would give them a capable tandem with a big of upside and some certainty; Ullmark is signed for three years and Husso will probably get that long or more. Some stability between the pipes certainly wouldn’t hurt. I also don’t think they’d need to part with any significant asset to get Ullmark from the Bruins.
Now to circle back to the question that’s sort of sandwiched by what New Jersey should do. You make a good point in that there are few elite goalies in the league and of the three you suggested, I wouldn’t put Sergei Bobrovsky in that category. (If you want a darkhorse candidate for who’s in net for New Jersey next year, it’s him in a cap dump from Florida if they can get him to waive his no-move clause.) Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin are definitely in there and Juuse Saros has a chance to get into that group. But in terms of elite, that’s about it.
Teams are beginning to embrace the platoon option more and more now which makes sense if they don’t have an elite or at least a higher-end starter. It’s more cost-efficient and is a better hedge against in-season injuries. New Jersey has tried to go that way the last couple of years and will likely stay on that path moving forward.
Johnny Z: NJ hinted at trading #2 OA. Do you think it could be offered for a player such as Fiala or Willie Nylander?
The speculation about New Jersey’s openness to move their first-round pick came before the Draft Lottery when their pick sat fifth and could drop as low as seventh. Things have changed since then with them winning the second draw, giving them the second pick. Now, they have a chance to get a core piece in the draft, either a winger like Juraj Slafkovsky or a defenseman like Simon Nemec or David Jiricek (assuming Montreal takes Shane Wright). That jump of a few spots really changes the outlook. If you can get a long-term core piece that should be NHL-ready fairly soon, they’re probably going to be better off keeping the pick.
For me, to even consider trading the pick, I’d want someone either signed or under team control for at least four years, someone that’s going to be part of their long-term core. William Nylander has two years left on his contract and with how contentious his last contract talks went, there’s little reason to think he’d sign an early extension so there would be a risk to acquiring him in such a move. It’s possible they could work out a long-term agreement with Kevin Fiala as part of a deal but if management thinks Slafkovsky can produce at a similar level, why not keep the pick and take him instead?
Never say never but there’s a reason teams very seldom trade top picks, let alone trading out of the draft entirely. They’ll certainly listen to what’s out there but I’d be surprised if that trend changes with the Devils this summer.
2012 orioles: What are the most realistic destinations for Trotz?
Player free agency doesn’t happen for a couple more months but coaching free agency just got a whole lot more interesting when Lou Lamoriello made Barry Trotz available. He’s probably going to wind up with a raise on the $4MM that he was getting with New York (and is still owed until he finds a new team) and plenty of job security in the form of a long-term deal.
In terms of who is a realistic fit for him, Vegas is the first team that comes to mind. They’ve set the bar high and Trotz is a coach that has plenty of pedigree and a good playoff track record. Both of those appeal to an organization like the Golden Knights. And if the Golden Knights are worried about how things went down with Robin Lehner down the stretch, what better move could they make by bringing in his coach from his best NHL season (2018-19)? He’s a splashy hire and would give them a boost while they have the willingness to spend big to get him. I’d handicap them as the top contender as a result.
Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher believes the core of his team is still good enough to contend and will go into this offseason with an eye on a quick turnaround. Trotz is the type of coach that could them back to the playoffs so they’ll be in the mix. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has talked about wanting more defensive structure so they’ll kick the tires as well although Jim Montgomery still feels like the best fit to me. With Rick Bowness stepping down in Dallas, I’m sure they’ll also have interest although I’m not sure ownership will want to pay what it will cost to bring Trotz in.
The big wild card here is Winnipeg. Trotz is a Winnipeg native and the chance to coach his hometown team has to be appealing. They’re in a similar situation as Philadelphia in that they have a roster that underachieved but could plausibly get back in the hunt with the right coach. Speculatively on my part, if Trotz has interest in being a GM down the road, could he sign on as coach for a few years and then potentially move into the front office with Kevin Cheveldayoff moving up to team president (assuming he’s still around by then)? The Jets probably won’t be able to offer top dollar though.
Basically, every team with an opening is going to at least call. It wouldn’t surprise me if a team or two that doesn’t have an opening quietly interviews Trotz anyway. But right now, Vegas seems like the most realistic landing spot with Philadelphia and Winnipeg being in that next tier of options.
Y2KAK: When do the Maple Leafs win a first-round series? 2023? 2025? 2040?
Put me in the crew that thinks this core can still get there soon. They played a solid series against Tampa Bay and the final game was basically a coin flip. They didn’t get over the hump but this was far from choking away the series victories they could (and frankly, should) have had in the past. As a result, I wouldn’t drastically shake things up this summer if I were the Leafs.
If that’s the course that GM Kyle Dubas pursues, then it’s quite possible they get over that hump next year. Boston may take a step back depending on what happens with their captain, Florida’s roster won’t be as strong as it is now, and Tampa Bay is going to be squeezed by the cap as well.
Nothing is a guarantee and the questions are going to linger throughout the summer and into next season, as they should. But I’m pretty confident that this core is going to get through a round if it stays together. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that happened next season.
ckw: With the questionable coaching from Hynes and moves by Poile, where do you think the Preds go from here? Two forty-goal scorers, a record season by Josi and a Vezina-caliber goalie in Saros, and an arguable Calder trophy finalist they still could barely squeak into the playoffs.
A commonly-used phrase in sports is when a team is ‘spinning its wheels’. That’s a sentiment that I think applies pretty well to Nashville.
First things first, I was quite impressed with their season as I didn’t think they’d come close to making the playoffs. Even though they went out quickly, the fact they even got there surprised me with the moves they made over the summer.
But here’s the thing. The Predators are good enough to hang around the edge of the playoff mix. But how much more upside does their core group have? It’s probably not much, certainly not enough to catapult them into contender status. But they’re also not in a spot where they can really embrace a rebuild as some of their bigger contracts (Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen) aren’t easy to move. If Filip Forsberg re-signs, he’ll be in that salary tier as well.
With the two-year extension given to Hynes, it’s a signal that they’re going to stay on this path for the time being. So where do they go from here? If Forsberg sticks around, they’re probably bringing a very similar team back to the one that finished this season unless they get the green light to spend closer to the cap ceiling which could allow them to add a player or two. That will have them either just in the playoffs or just out which is basically where they’ve been the last three years. They’re in that mushy middle and don’t appear to be changing course. From a sports perspective, they’re spinning their wheels.
Seattle Kraken Close To Signing Samuel Bucek
The Seattle Kraken look to continue to build their prospect pool this offseason, and not just through the draft. The Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker reports that the team is close to signing Slovakian winger Samuel Bucek to a contract.
Undrafted, the 23-year-old Bucek stands at 6’3″, 205 lbs. Playing for HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga, he led the entire league in goals (41) and points (64) in 50 games. The highlight on a team that includes 2022 draft-eligibles Simon Nemec and Adam Sykora, Bucek wouldn’t be coming to North America for the first time. In an effort to improve his development and get more playing time, Bucek played in 52 games with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in 2016-17, scoring 33 points. He also played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
Bucek uses his larger frame to play a strong net-front game, generating a lot of offense from tips and deflections. Bucek will likely challenge for a large role with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in their inaugural season.