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Maple Leafs Fire Assistant Coach Guy Boucher

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Guy Boucher’s time behind the bench in Toronto will be short-lived.  The team announced today (Twitter link) that the assistant coach will not return to the team next season.

Boucher had been out of coaching since 2019 before GM Brad Treliving hired him last July to serve as an assistant for the Maple Leafs.  More specifically, they were eyeing him to fill the void created when Spencer Carbery left the team to become the head coach in Washington.

With the firepower that Toronto has, there were high hopes that Boucher could help turn what was already one of the top power play units into an even better one.  Instead, the team suffered a bit in that regard during the season, dropping from second-best to seventh while their success rate dropped a little more than two percent to 23.95% overall.  Things were even worse in the playoffs when they scored just once in 21 opportunities against Boston, playing a big role in their first-round exit.

Boucher has parts of six years of head coaching experience at the NHL level, spending parts of three years each with Tampa Bay and Ottawa.  His teams played to a record of 191-186-46 overall.

It has been a busy few weeks for Treliving and the Maple Leafs when it comes to their coaching staff.  Craig Berube took over as head coach following the dismissal of Sheldon Keefe at the end of the first round.  Meanwhile, Lane Lambert was hired as an associate coach earlier this month, taking the place of Dean Chynoweth who was let go.  Manny Malhotra was also an assistant last year but has since been hired as AHL Abbotsford’s head coach.  Now, they have a second vacancy to fill with Boucher leaving the team.  As things stand, Mike van Ryn will be the only assistant from last season to remain on Berube’s staff.

Blues Have Potentially Made Brandon Saad Available

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As Blues GM Doug Armstrong looks to shake up his roster, it appears one player who could be in play is Brandon Saad.  Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that there are rumblings that St. Louis has made the veteran available.

The 31-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the Blues after inking a five-year, $22.5MM contract back in 2021.  After a strong first year with them which saw him put up 24 goals and 25 assists in 78 games, Saad took a step back in 2022-23, seeing those numbers drop to 19 and 18 in 71 appearances respectively despite a small uptick in ice time.  That had him in some trade speculation last summer although coming off a down year, nothing came to fruition.

It’s a slightly different situation this time around.  Saad bounced back with 26 goals this past season while playing in all 82 games for the first time since 2017-18.  On the surface, it might seem strange that St. Louis would be open to the possibility of moving him after that productive of a season, especially being a team that finished in the bottom ten league-wide in goals scored.  However, it’s also fair to say that his trade value should be a lot higher now than it was a year ago which has to also be taken into consideration.

It’s worth noting that Saad is one of many Blues players to have some form of no-trade protection in their contracts.  In this case, Saad has a full no-trade clause so even if Armstrong finds a trade to his liking, it could be vetoed as Torey Krug did last summer when he scuttled a trade to Philadelphia.

With free agency on the horizon, several pending UFA wingers will be seeking long-term agreements in what could be the busiest market over the last few years.  If a team doesn’t want to make that type of commitment to someone but wants to add to their top-six winger group, someone like Saad could be an intriguing fallback plan, making him someone to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Shesterkin, Marner, Senators

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Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is extension-eligible this summer as he’ll be entering the final year of his contract in July.  It’s well-known he’s in line for a sizable raise from his current $5.667MM AAV; Mollie Walker of the New York Post posits that it’s possible the 28-year-old doubles that amount.  She pegs $10.5MM as the likely floor for discussions, an AAV that would match Montreal’s Carey Price for the all-time record price tag for a goalie.  Considering that deal was signed back in 2017, the equivalent cap percentage today would be $12.32MM so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Shesterkin’s camp come in around that number for their initial ask.  He posted a 2.58 GAA and a .912 SV% in 55 starts during the regular season but was quite strong in the playoffs, improving those numbers to 2.34 and .936 respectively in 16 starts.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • While Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner has been a speculative trade candidate following their opening-round playoff exit, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reported on his latest SDPN podcast (video link) that the team has not fully committed to the idea of trying to move him just yet. The 27-year-old had another productive regular season that saw him record 85 points in 69 games but struggled in the playoffs, notching just a goal and two assists in their seven-game loss to Boston.  He’s entering the final year of his contract, one that carries a $10.903MM cap charge although it’s worth noting that with a full no-move clause, it’s Marner that will ultimately decide his next destination or even if there will be a next destination in the coming months.
  • With their NHL coaching staff now finalized, the Senators are turning their focus to AHL Belleville, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Head coach David Bell’s contract is set to expire at the end of the month although discussions on a new agreement are now underway.  GM Steve Staios indicated that he hopes to get things finalized for their farm team within the next few days.

Flyers Sign Rodrigo Abols

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The Flyers have added some depth up front as the team announced today that they’ve signed Rodrigo Abols to a one-year contract.  It’s a two-way agreement that will pay the league minimum salary of $775K in the NHL; the AHL portion of the agreement was not disclosed.

The 28-year-old was originally drafted in the seventh round by Vancouver back in 2016 but never signed with them.  However, after a strong showing in Sweden, he inked a two-year deal with Florida back in 2019 to return to North America.  However, he wound up being back on loan to SHL Orebro in the second year of that agreement, eventually reaching an agreement on a contract termination in early 2021.

Since then, Abols has exclusively played in Sweden, spending two more years in Orebro before moving to Rogle for the 2023-24 campaign.  The change of scenery didn’t help his offensive numbers during the regular season as he went from 19 goals and 22 assists the year before to 14 and 12, respectively this season.  However, he was much more impactful in the playoffs, notching five goals and seven helpers in 15 contests to finish second in SHL playoff scoring (to Jere Innala who signed with Colorado earlier this week).  It’s fair to suggest Abols’ playoff performance got him back on the NHL radar.

Abols will likely be given a chance to push for a spot at the bottom of Philadelphia’s depth chart in training camp although the likelier outcome is that he starts with AHL Lehigh Valley (pending waiver clearance) and tries to play his way into an NHL recall from there for his first taste of action at the top level.  It’s worth noting that he had two years left on his deal with Rogle so if he winds up with an extended stint in the minors and things aren’t going well, it’s quite possible that he could ask for a termination again and return to Sweden.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Oliver Kapanen To ELC

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Oliver Kapanen to a three-year, entry-level contract that will run through the 2026-27 season. Kapanen was the Canadiens’ second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft (64th overall) and is the cousin of current NHLer Kasperi Kapanen, and the nephew of former NHLer Sami Kapanen.

Kapanen spent last season with KalPa Kuopio in the Liiga where he registered 14 goals and 20 assists in 51 games. The 20-year-old had a very successful playoff run to finish off his season, tying for the points lead with seven goals and seven assists in 13 games. The Timrå, Sweden native was also a member of Finland’s 2024 IIHF World Championship team, leading the team with six goals in eight games.

Kapanen could be given a look at Canadiens training camp this fall and might even be good enough for a role in the team’s bottom six, most likely on the fourth line. However, given how little Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis has played his fourth line, it might not be best for Kapanen’s development.

He is signed with Timrå of the SHL for the 2024-25 season and with the team’s lack of forward depth, it might be the best option for Kapanen going forward as he will get consistent ice time to fuel his development. Kapanen projects to be a top-9 center for the Canadiens in the future, but likely won’t develop into the top-line center that the team has coveted for years.

Free Agent Focus: Nashville Predators

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Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Predators.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan – The 24-year-old played just one game with the Predators this season after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. The Calgary, Alberta native played 31 games total, posting just a goal and three assists. A former second-round pick in 2017, Anderson-Dolan was thought to be a player who could develop into a bottom-six scoring option, but to this point in his career, his game hasn’t translated well to the NHL. His size is an issue as he does get overpowered by stronger defensemen, and he isn’t a great passer by NHL standards. However, he brings energy, can shoot the puck, and is a good forechecker. Given his lack of NHL success, it’s possible that Nashville may elect not to issue Anderson-Dolan a qualifying offer.

Other RFAs:  F Egor Afanasyev, RW Wade Allison, D Marc Del Gaizo, G Gustavs Grigals, D Spencer Stastney, D Adam Wilsby, F Liam Foudy, C Juuso Parssinen, F Philip Tomasino

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Anthony Beauvillier – Beauvillier picked a bad time to have the worst offensive season of his career as the 27-year-old registered just five goals and 12 assists while being traded twice during the season and three times in the last 18 months. The former first-round pick looked as though he’d developed into a reliable secondary scorer in the middle six, but his numbers fell off a cliff last season. Beauvillier is a good shooter, brings good energy, and isn’t afraid to get dirty, he’ll find an NHL job next season, but he will be looking at a significant pay cut from the $4.15MM he made last season.

D Tyson Barrie – Barrie was a consistent healthy scratch last season in Nashville and voiced his displeasure at one point. He could be a good option for a team looking for some offense from the backend without a massive financial commitment. Barrie remains a good power play producer, and isn’t the worst defender in his own zone, although he does struggle to contain his opponents if he loses position. Barrie is just one year removed from posting 55 points in 85 games and will likely receive a one-year NHL contract for next season with the hopes that he bounces back to form.

D Alexandre Carrier – Carrier will be an interesting player to watch in free agency as he doesn’t have a long NHL track record, but he has been effective and could be a good second-pairing defenseman for a team. He is quick, has good gap control, and can keep plays alive in the offensive zone with smart pinches, and strong side-to-side work on the blue line. He isn’t afraid to push back in the defensive zone and doesn’t get overpowered by opposing forwards. The 27-year-old made $2.5MM last season on a one-year deal and is due a healthy raise on a multi-year deal.

G Kevin Lankinen – Lankinen is capable of playing like a starting goaltender in short stretches but lacks the consistency of a full-time NHL starter. He has good size but doesn’t play big and has a pretty average skill set. His 4.1 goals saved above expected (as per Money Puck) was pretty solid work in 24 games, although it represented a drop off from the 8.6 goals saved above expected he posted in 2022-23. With Predators star prospect Yaroslav Askarov ready to make the jump to the NHL, it looks as though Lankinen will be looking for a new NHL home. Given the weak goalie market, the 29-year-old should be able to find a multi-year deal with an AAV in the range of $2MM to $2.5MM.

F Jason Zucker – Zucker was in a very different position last summer when he signed a one-year deal worth $5.3MM. Zucker was coming off a 27-goal season and had been healthy for the first time in a while. A multi-year deal never materialized for the 32-year-old, and he opted to bet on himself with the shorter term. Unfortunately, the bet didn’t pay off as Zucker struggled to 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 games and was traded to Nashville at the deadline for a sixth-round pick. Zucker can still skate and isn’t afraid to get physical, he will fetch a multi-year deal, but it will likely come in under $4MM annually.

Other UFAs: G Troy Grosenick. D Jordan Gross, D Roland McKeown, F Kiefer Sherwood, C Jasper Weatherby

Projected Cap Space

The Predators have almost $12MM of dead cap space to contend with due to buyouts and retained salary. Despite this albatross on the books, the Predators still have plenty of room under the salary cap to shape their roster this summer. Nashville has nearly $26.4MM in space to make improvements and re-sign any pending free agents. The Predators are well-positioned to make a splash this summer and might opt to bolster their offense on the trade market. The team could also pursue top players in free agency as they aren’t limited by short-term cap issues. The Predators will need to find a direction with star netminder Juuse Saros and might need to tread lightly when handing out long-term deals if they want to have cap space to re-sign Saros long-term.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

West Notes: Zadorov, O’Connor, Jets

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Defenseman Nikita Zadorov is one of several notable pending unrestricted free agents in Vancouver.  It appears that they’re going to make one last push to try to sign him as CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports (Twitter link) the Canucks are preparing to tender the blueliner a final offer soon.  Vancouver acquired the 29-year-old back in November and while he didn’t light it up following the move (14 points in 54 games), Zadorov had a big showing in the playoffs that has certainly bolstered his value.  He picked up four goals and four assists in 13 games while averaging nearly four and a half hits per game in just over 20 minutes a night.  Dhaliwal adds that some think he could get six years at $6MM per season if he gets to the open market.  It would be surprising to see the Canucks go that high with who else needs to be signed but they’ll make one last attempt to try to bridge the gap.

More from the West:

  • While Mikko Rantanen is the most prominent member of the Avalanche who is eligible for a contract extension this summer, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now examines the other forward of note who can sign a new deal in July, winger Logan O’Connor. The 27-year-old was in the midst of a career year with 13 goals and 12 assists in 57 games before undergoing hip surgery just before the trade deadline.  Considering he is also a quality penalty killer, Rawal posits that O’Connor could push past the $4MM mark on the open market in 2025.  That would certainly be a substantial improvement on the $1.05MM cap charge he’s set to carry in the third and final year of his contract next season.
  • Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun suggests that Eric Comrie could be a good fit for Winnipeg’s backup goalie vacancy. He had some success with them before departing for Buffalo two years ago while goaltending coach Wade Flaherty, who worked with him previously, is still on the staff.  Perhaps more notably, a deal for Comrie should check in at or close to the $775K minimum salary, giving them more room to work with as they look to retain or replace some of their pending free agents.  Laurent Brossoit had a strong showing as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup in 2023-24 but is expected to be too expensive for the Jets to retain this summer.

Radim Simek Signs In Czech League

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It has been quite a fall lately for Radim Simek who wound up not seeing any NHL action this season.  Instead of testing the open market to see what might be out there for him, he has instead elected to return home as Liberec in the Czech Extraliga announced that they’ve inked the defenseman to a three-year contract.

The 31-year-old had originally played in Liberec’s system before coming to North America for the 2018-19 campaign.  Simek established himself as a regular when healthy in his first couple of years in San Jose.  Then-GM Doug Wilson had seen enough to reward him with a four-year, $9MM deal with the hopes that he’d continue to improve and be able to play more regularly.

Unfortunately for the Sharks, neither of those things happened.  He failed to average even 15 minutes a game over the first three years of that deal while he battled more injury trouble and found himself a frequent healthy scratch at times.

That resulted in a change of plans for this past season.  San Jose elected to put him on waivers in training camp and assigned him to the AHL’s Barracuda.  He played in 40 games with them, recording 16 points before being moved to Detroit at the trade deadline as a salary offset in the Klim Kostin trade.  The Red Wings opted to keep Simek in the minors where he got into nine regular season games for the Griffins plus eight playoff contests, collecting three assists in that span.

Simek leaves North America with 209 career NHL games under his belt, all coming over parts of five seasons with San Jose.  In that span, he had seven goals and 22 assists along with 256 blocks and 419 hits.  Considering he’ll be 34 when this contract ends, there’s a good chance this is the end of the road at the NHL level for Simek but as an undrafted player, he still had a pretty good run.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Kakko, Blue Jackets

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It’s well-known that the Devils are looking to upgrade between the pipes this summer.  However, as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (video link), that’s hardly the only thing on their wish list.  In addition to searching for a starting goalie, Seravalli relays that New Jersey is also looking for a top-six forward, a bottom-six forward, a top-four defenseman, and a bottom-four blueliner.  That’s a particularly long wish list and is one that they’ll be hard-pressed to fit within their remaining cap room.  Per CapFriendly, they have a little under $20MM in space to work with but a fair-sized chunk of that will go to pending RFA Dawson Mercer.  Accordingly, while GM Tom Fitzgerald is hoping to add that many pieces this summer, he might have to settle for a bit less unless there’s a cost-cutting move coming somewhere.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While the Rangers and Kaapo Kakko agreed to a one-year, $2.4MM deal on Thursday, that might not be enough to quell any trade speculation. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), it’s possible that this was done to provide more certainty to interested teams as to what his cap charge will be for next season without having to worry about salary arbitration.  Kakko is coming off a down year that saw him record just 13 goals and six assists in 61 games, hardly the type of production New York was hoping for from the second-overall pick in 2019.
  • New Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has some work to do to reshape Columbus this offseason. To that end, he told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that he is telling teams that “for the right price, everything is in play”.  He has been fielding calls inquiring about the fourth overall selection in a couple of weeks although it would be surprising to see them most that pick.  Meanwhile, it certainly looks like Patrik Laine could be on the move in the coming weeks and other veterans could also go as Waddell puts his stamp on the team.  After another last-place finish in the Metropolitan, it could be another busy summer in Columbus.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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We’re just a few games away from this year’s Stanley Cup champion being crowned and less than a month away from the draft and free agency. As such, the draft and trade rumor cycle is shifting into high gear. That makes it a great time for the next edition of our mailbag.

Last time, our mailbag was split into three parts. Among other topics, the first covered the likelihood of a Sean Monahan extension in Winnipeg, the second dealt with some Mitch Marner trade speculation, and the last looked over some potential bargain options on the UFA market.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below.  The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

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