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Marcus Hogberg Will Not Be Qualified

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The Ottawa Senators will be moving on from backup goaltender Marcus Hogberg, as GM Pierre Dorion explained today. The team has already informed Hogberg of their decision to not qualify him this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent.

It certainly makes some sense that the Senators would be moving on, almost regardless of Hogberg’s play. The team has seemingly found its goaltender of the future in Filip Gustavsson, who posted a .933 save percentage in nine games down the stretch and still have Matt Murray locked up for the next three seasons at a $6.25MM cap hit. Add in the re-signed Anton Forsberg and a recovering Joey Daccord and the goalie room in Ottawa is already quite full.

Still, perhaps there is more to unlock in the 26-year-old Hogberg. Selected 78th overall in the 2013 draft, the 6’5″ behemoth was a star in Sweden, posting a .931 save percentage in his final season for Linkoping HC. That 2016-17 season was followed by a trip to North America, where things haven’t quite clicked to this point.

In 42 NHL appearances, Hogberg has just an .894 save percentage and seemed to often lose his net when moving out to cut down an angle. Professional shooters were beating him too often at the NHL level, but there have been more bouts of confidence and success at the minor leagues. Perhaps another team will believe they can tweak some things and get an NHL goaltender out of Hogberg, but it won’t be in Ottawa.

Ottawa Senators Extend Artem Zub

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The Ottawa Senators have locked up one of their pending free agents, signing Artem Zub to a two-year contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.5MM. Senators GM Pierre Dorion was doing a media availability when Zub’s agent Dan Milstein broke the news, and explained that the Russian defenseman “brought stability” to the team’s blueline this season.

Zub, 25, scored 14 points in his first NHL season, but it was his calm defensive play that stood out. An Olympic gold medalist that had played five full seasons in the KHL before signing with the Senators, Zub quickly became one of the team’s most important players. Though his season-long average ice time sits at just 18:23, that number doesn’t represent how much responsibility he had by the end of the season. In his last five games, Zub averaged more than 23 minutes a night.

Coming off his entry-level contract, Zub was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. This two-year deal will help Ottawa avoid that, but does leave the 25-year-old as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. At that point, if his play continues, the team will likely have to pay a lot more than $2.5MM per season for his services.

For now, he can continue to be a stabilizing presence in the middle of their defensive group for a reasonable price.

Brian Leetch Resigns From Hockey Ops Role With Rangers

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At least one member of the New York Rangers front office is seemingly not happy with all of the major changes made in the past two weeks. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports that Hall of Famer Brian Leetch has resigned from his advisor role with the hockey operations department in New York. The move comes on the heels of President John Davidson, GM Jeff Gorton, and head coach David Quinn and his staff all being fired in recent days.

Leetch, like Drury, is a famous former Ranger, although the two never played together. Leetch’s storied NHL career began with 17 years manning the blue line for the club before final short stops in Toronto and Boston. Leetch retired in 2006, but re-entered the scene in 2017 by taking this role with New York. He has spent the past four seasons working with the Rangers’ prospects in a development role while consulting on the NHL Draft and other elements of hockey ops.

However, after spending that time working closely with several names who are now gone, Leetch seems to have decided to move on as well. He may not be the last either. Many have criticized the Rangers for removing their front office leadership and coaching staff, many of whom had not spent much time in those roles, following a season in which the team finished with the best record of any non-playoff team while facing an all-divisional schedule against arguably the deepest and most talented division in the East. It stands to reason that there are some within the organization who agree with that sentiment, and it feels as though Leetch is among them.

Latest On Flyers’ Nolan Patrick

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When Nolan Patrick was drafted second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017, a lot was expected of the former WHL phenom. Patrick got off to a solid, if unspectacular start to his pro career, logging 61 points in 145 games through his first two seasons. However, Patrick missed the entire 2019-20 season due to migraines suffered as a result of multiple concussions. Patrick returned to action this season and was fortunately able to play in 52 of the Flyers’ 56 games, but his production fell off immensely to just nine points and he posted a team-worst -30 rating. Entering another off-season in which he will be a restricted free agent, there is some uncertainty about Patrick’s future.

Unsurprisingly, Patrick is looking to make a change. Before that can happen on the ice, it will come with his representation. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Patrick has switched agencies. His third agent in three years is now Rich Evans of Point West, who will be tasked with trying to earn Patrick a raise on his current underwhelming deal. The top pick initially signed an entry-level deal worth up to $3.575MM in bonuses, but after missing last season he was forced to settle for a one-year, $874K pact as an RFA last summer. Even though his performance this season was far below expectations, Patrick hopes that his ability to stay on the ice will lead to some sort of bump in pay.

Perhaps more of a surprise is that Seravalli also reports that Patrick and his new agent will also re-evaluate his fit in Philadelphia. Seravalli believes that Patrick’s camp may be looking for a fresh start elsewhere. His stock has fallen so far since the Flyers’ used their highest pick since James van Riemsdyk a decade earlier that Patrick may be looking to escape that negative spotlight for a team who would appreciate his arrival.

Of course, the Flyers have only ever stated that they continue to support Patrick and can still see his immense future potential. Seravalli believes that the team would like to see how Patrick fares next season with a fully healthy off-season and a fresh start at training camp. However, if contract negotiations go south or Patrick asks for a trade, the Flyers may have no choice but to move on. The NHL Expansion Draft could also play a role, as Patrick needs to be protected from the Seattle Kraken, but in Philadelphia’s deep forward corps that involves exposing another valuable player. If Patrick isn’t part of their future, the Flyers could go in another direction at the draft. There is still a lot to be determined this summer about the next steps for Patrick and his team, a storyline that could be intriguing in a unique and fast-paced off-season.

New York Rangers To Interview Gerard Gallant

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After firing head coach David Quinn on Wednesday, the New York Rangers and new GM Chris Drury are wasting no time in their search for a replacement. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the club has already received permission to interview one of the biggest names on the coaching market. Gerard Gallant will get the first crack at interviewing for the head coach vacancy in the Big Apple.

The Vegas Golden Knights have approved of the interview, having fired Gallant from his role as head coach last January with term on his contract – to much surprise. The former Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers bench boss is a Jack Adams Award recipient with a .550 points percentage in his nine years as a head coach. He took the expansion Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season and then back to the playoffs the following year. Gallant has never made it through three years with any of his clubs, but has nevertheless established himself as an a valued name in the NHL coaching world. If Gallant doesn’t land the New York job, he will surely have interest elsewhere, particularly from the newest expansion team in the Seattle Kraken.

The timing of this interview does have some reasoning behind it. While Gallant may indeed be the Rangers’ top candidate, the rush to interview him has more to do with his upcoming plans. Gallant is getting ready to coach Team Canada at the World Championships, which begin on May 21. Gallant will actually depart for Riga, Latvia this weekend, according to Dreger, so the Rangers wanted to touch base with him before he left and his focus was elsewhere. Of course, Drury will be very keyed into the World Championships himself as the GM of Team USA. A strong outing for Gallant leading a Canadian roster that won’t have the typical amount of talent against Drury’s American squad could be what pushes Gallant to the top of the Rangers’ shortlist to be their next head coach.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/13/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Devan Dubnyk
St. Louis – Jake Walman
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

Kuznetsov and his teammate Ilya Samsonov remain in the protocol, meaning they will have at most one day of practice before their first-round series against the Bruins opens on Saturday. The 28-year-old center is a big part of the team but hasn’t played since May 1, first for disciplinary reasons and then after showing up on the COVID protocol. It’s unclear when Kuznetsov will be inserted into the Capitals lineup, or even when he will be allowed to practice with the team.

*denotes new addition

Brad Shaw Not Returning To Columbus Blue Jackets

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It’s not just John Tortorella leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets coaching staff. The team announced today that assistant Brad Shaw will not return in 2021-22. No other coaching decisions have been made.

Shaw, 57, has been coaching professionally since his retirement from the NHL in 1999. He served as the head coach of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL for three seasons before joining the New York Islanders in 2005, where he quickly took over from the fired Steve Stirling. While he wasn’t given the permanent job with the Islanders following that season, he became a staple at the NHL level, serving as an assistant/associate coach with the St. Louis Blues for nearly a decade. Shaw joined the Blue Jackets’ staff in 2016 in Tortorella’s first full season and will leave the organization at the same time.

With his departure, it adds another potential head coaching name to the market this summer. In 2019, after the Blue Jackets swept the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, Shaw told Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun that he would like to be a head coach at the NHL again, but wasn’t focused on it. His name has been brought up over the last few seasons as a potential candidate, but it is unclear if he will be pursuing the current vacancies around the league.

For Columbus, there are still assistants leftover from the Tortorella group, but perhaps their fate won’t be decided until a new head coach is brought in.

Reece Newkirk Signs With New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with Reece Newkirk on a three-year entry-level contract, now that his WHL season has come to an end. Newkirk spent this season with the Portland Winterhawks.

Selected 147th overall in 2019, Newkirk will likely be ticketed for the minor leagues to begin his professional career next season. In 24 games with the Winterhawks this year, the 5’11” forward ended up with 27 points, tied with first-round pick Seth Jarvis for third on the team.

The Islanders needed to sign Newkirk before the end of the month to avoid losing him to unrestricted free agency, but there’s certainly reason to believe he can be a good depth player for the organization. While reaching the NHL is still a lofty goal, he’s been a point-per-game player in the WHL over the last three seasons and will try to take that production to the AHL next year.

Patrick Marleau Could Play Next Season

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Earlier this season, Patrick Marleau became the NHL’s all-time leader in games played. After playing in last night’s season finale, the record now sits at 1,779. The ageless wonder hasn’t missed a game in over a decade as he chased down that record, even if his playing time in those games diminished.

Last night, Marleau was presented with a stick from Gordie Howe’s final game. He saluted the crowd in San Jose, an emotional moment for many as the season came to a close. If you assumed, like many others, that was likely it for the 41-year-old forward, you might be mistaken.

Speaking to reporters including Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News, Marleau didn’t sound ready to retire, saying he’s “looking forward to a rebound season next year.”

Of course, there is another games played record within his reach. Though Howe was the leader for regular season games, Marleau still sits 18 games behind Mark Messier for the combined record of regular season and playoffs. He would obviously break that record with another full season and would become the only man to ever suit up 2,000 times in the NHL.

If Marleau is to return, he’ll need a new contract. He signed a one-year, $700K deal before this season, but would actually be due a raise even though his play didn’t warrant one. The NHL minimum increases to $750K next year.

In 56 games, Marleau recorded just four goals and nine points, easily the worst season of his 23-year career. He did admit to reporters that he was dealing with a high ankle sprain and a groin injury by the end of the season, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to provide much offense even if fully healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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