Five Key Stories: 5/6/24 – 5/12/24
With the offseason underway for most teams, the annual coaching carousel is now in full swing. Several teams made moves behind the bench which is among the news recapped in our key stories.
Coaching Positions Filled: A pair of coaches got good news in recent days. The Blues decided they liked how they finished the season so they rewarded Drew Bannister by removing the interim tag and signing their bench boss to a two-year deal. He helped lead St. Louis to a 30-19-5 record after taking over from Craig Berube back in December and will now get the chance to lead the team through what’s expected to be somewhat of a retooling process.
Meanwhile, Travis Green didn’t wait to see if he was going to have his interim tag removed by New Jersey. Having been granted permission to talk to other teams despite being in consideration to stay with the Devils, Green found a new home as he was named as the new bench boss for the Senators, inking a four-year contract. This will be the third team that Green will run having held down the top job having spent parts of five seasons with Vancouver while replacing Lindy Ruff for the stretch run this season. The Sens made another decision of note off the ice as well, electing not to forfeit their first-round pick this year from the penalty assessed in the vetoed Evgenii Dadonov deal two years ago. They’ll have to give up either their 2025 or 2026 first-rounder now.
Coaching Positions Opened: While two vacancies were filled behind the bench, two more opened up. The Jets are now on the lookout for a new head coach after Rick Bowness announced his retirement. The 69-year-old had contemplated retiring after being let go by Dallas in 2022 but decided to give it one more go with Winnipeg. The Jets made the playoffs in both seasons that Bowness was at the helm but they were ousted in the first round each time.
The other opening is in Toronto after Sheldon Keefe was let go after five years with the franchise. The Maple Leafs had plenty of regular season success with Keefe behind the bench; his .665 points percentage is third-best among all active coaches. However, the team hasn’t had much playoff success during that time as they won just one series and were ousted in the opening round by Boston.
IIHF Issues Sanctions: Given that Ivan Fedotov and CSKA Moscow defied the IIHF’s ruling early in the season that Fedotov’s contract with Philadelphia was valid and not theirs, sanctions were expected. Those sanctions were announced over the weekend. Fedotov has been suspended from international play for the next three seasons while also receiving a six-month suspension if he was to leave the NHL to play for an international club. (He does have a new two-year deal with the Flyers being next season so this one shouldn’t be a concern.) Meanwhile, CSKA will be banned from making any international transfers for a two-year period beginning on August 11th while being assessed a fine of $1MM Swiss Francs.
Bridge For Reichel: After a tough season, it was a foregone conclusion that the Blackhawks wouldn’t work out a long-term deal with Lukas Reichel but rather a bridge pact. They wasted little time getting that done as the two sides agreed to a two-year, $2.4MM contract. The deal is slightly back loaded as he’ll be owed a $1.3MM qualifying offer in 2026. A first-round pick in 2020 (17th overall), expectations were high for the winger after Reichel put up 15 points in 23 games with Chicago in 2022-23. However, he struggled in his first taste of extended NHL action, notching just 16 points in 65 contests. Despite that, they’ll still be counting on him to be an important part of their future plans.
Losing Leads To A Win: This season was an ugly one for the Sharks who allowed the most goals in the NHL by a considerable margin and scored the second-fewest, leading them to a 32nd-place finish and one of their worst seasons in franchise history. However, they were rewarded for their ‘efforts’ as they were able to win the draft lottery, giving them the first-overall pick, one that’s expected to be used on Macklin Celebrini. They also won the first two draws for the second pick but since they already had the top pick, they had to redraw until another team won that one. The winner of the second draw was Chicago, the one team who had fewer goals than the Sharks this season. Those two teams had the top odds going in and the draft order wound up being unchanged by the lottery for the first time since 2010.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offseason Checklist: Seattle Kraken
The offseason has arrived for three-quarters of the NHL for teams that either missed the playoffs or were eliminated in the first round. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Seattle.
What a difference a year can make. After the Kraken surprised many by making it to the second round in their second season of existence, expectations were relatively high coming into this season. However, they weren’t able to sustain that success and instead of building on it, they missed the playoffs altogether. As a result, GM Ron Francis will have a busy few months ahead of him. Here’s what should be on his to-do list this summer.
Hire A Head Coach
Despite his previously-signed contract extension not beginning until July, Francis decided to make a change behind the bench, firing Dave Hakstol after three seasons with the team. The Kraken played to a 107-112-27 record under Hakstol’s tutelage, a record that’s relatively respectable considering they were an expansion franchise but their playoff run in 2022-23 accelerated the expectations and they clearly came up short, warranting the change in Francis’ mind.
Seattle has a pair of assistants who could make a real case for the role. Dave Lowry has some experience running an NHL bench having taken over from Paul Maurice in Winnipeg midway through the 2021-22 season after Maurice unexpectedly resigned. Meanwhile, Jay Leach has worked his way up through the coaching ranks and is someone who has been speculated to have had some head coaching interviews in the past. It feels like a matter of time before he gets a chance whether it’s filling this vacancy or going somewhere else.
Alternatively, they could also look to their farm team which is run by former NHL bench boss Dan Bylsma. He has run Coachella Valley the past two seasons, leading them to the Calder Cup Final last season while the team posted a .715 points percentage in both years. Bylsma has head coaching experience at the top level with Detroit and Buffalo but hasn’t run an NHL bench since the 2016-17 campaign.
It would appear that Francis is looking for someone who can help this group get back to the playoffs over kicking off any sort of rebuild. Accordingly, it stands to reason that if they look outside the organization for a new head coach, they’ll look for someone with experience. Among the options currently available are Craig Berube, Dean Evason, Todd McLellan, Sheldon Keefe, and Jay Woodcroft.
Seattle technically doesn’t have to have a head coach in place by the start of free agency but if the new bench boss will have any sort of input on who the team pursues in the summer, they’ll want that hire in place well before July 1st.
Re-Sign Beniers
Heading into the season, it looked like Matthew Beniers was in a strong position to secure a long-term agreement and cement himself as their franchise fixture up front. While that could still happen, his performance in his sophomore campaign has made that long-term deal a bit less certain.
Beniers burned the first year of his contract late in the 2021-22 campaign when he impressed with nine points in ten games. He didn’t produce quite as high of a point-per-game rate last season but still managed 57 points in 80 regular season games, earning him the Calder Trophy. He then followed it up with seven points in 14 contests, not a bad result for his first taste of playoff action. Based on that, expectations were high heading into his second full season.
This season, Beniers was Seattle’s top center fairly regularly and the results were mixed. He got off to a particularly slow start, notching just five goals in the first 39 games (spanning October to December) and while he picked up the pace after that, he still managed just ten in the final 40 contests. For someone who was expected to push closer to the 25-goal, 70-point mark, it’s safe to say he underachieved.
Has he shown enough to get a max-term (or close to it) contract, one that would likely carry an AAV in the $8MM range? Or would one (or both) of the two sides prefer a shorter-term bridge deal to allow for more evaluation time? This feels like the more probable outcome at this point.
So, what would that bridge deal cost? The three-year, $17.25MM contract that Anaheim gave Trevor Zegras last summer stands out as a viable comparable. Zegras’ numbers at the end of his entry-level deal were a bit better but with the salary cap set to jump up by around $4MM, that should balance out the lower production. It’s worth noting that like Zegras had last year, Beniers has five years of team control remaining so Seattle can comfortably go with a three-year bridge deal without running the risk of their key middleman filing for arbitration and walking himself straight to UFA eligibility. These contracts can sometimes take until right up to training camp so it’s possible this won’t be resolved for a while yet.
Add Scoring Help
In 2022-23, Seattle was sixth in the league in goals scored. The offense-by-committee approach worked with the end result being a group that was more impressive than the sum of its parts. However, it’s not always easy to have success with that route and even with bringing back the majority of the same group, things didn’t go as well this season. Instead, they dropped 72 goals and slipped to 29th in total goals scored.
Is this group going to struggle that much moving forward? Probably not and they’ll be hoping that a new coach will help improve things on that front. However, it’s also unrealistic to think that this core can go back to pushing to be in the top five in goals scored league-wide; the realistic outcome is somewhere in between. But that’s still a pretty big divergence in terms of range.
As a result, it would make a lot of sense for Seattle to pursue some scoring help this summer. They’re not in a bad situation cap-wise with around $23MM in cap room, per CapFriendly. Yes, a new deal for Beniers (and for Eeli Tolvanen who is arbitration-eligible and should be eyeing a fair-sized raise on the $1.45MM he made this year) will cut into that but they’ll still have ample space to pursue an upgrade or two beyond potentially adding someone like Shane Wright into the lineup full-time.
While some teams might want to pursue their upgrades via the trade route, it would make more sense for Seattle to look at free agency. Their prospect pool is still relatively thin, understandably so considering they’ve only been around for three years. With that in mind, trading from that pool isn’t as desirable as trying to sign a player outright on the open market, even if they have to pay a bit of a premium to do so.
Look Into Goalie Market
When Seattle made its expansion picks, their goaltending wasn’t looking too shabby. Vitek Vanecek had some upside, Chris Driedger was coming off his breakout year, and Joey Daccord was a third-stringer with some upside. After flipping Vanecek for a second-round pick and signing then-Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer, it looked like a real strength on paper.
Of course, things haven’t quite gone as planned. Driedger struggled in his first season with the team and has been injured or in the minors since then. Meanwhile, Grubauer hasn’t come close to living up to his $5.9MM per season deal, one that still has three more years left on it. Daccord had a breakout showing this year but is he a sure-fire number one goalie moving forward or did a lot go right this season and he’s a potential regression candidate?
Given the potential uncertainty, Francis would be wise to at least examine what’s out there in the goalie market this summer. With all the speculation surrounding some veteran underachieving netminders, it feels like this could be a year that we see some change of scenery trades, swapping one underperformer for another in the hopes that a new team, a new system, and a new goalie coach will do the trick. There are some of those around the same price point as Grubauer with multiple years left so perhaps there is an opportunity to try to shake things up there.
Failing that, Driedger is set to hit the open market this summer and will be in search of a full-time NHL backup job so it’s unlikely he returns to AHL Coachella Valley. The Firebirds have a pair of youngsters signed for next season in Niklas Kokko and Victor Ostman but neither of them will be NHL-ready for a while. Accordingly, at a minimum, the Kraken should be on the hunt for a veteran third-stringer to give them some more NHL-ready support if injuries strike or someone falters.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kraken Re-Assign Ty Nelson To AHL
In recent weeks, Seattle has been busy sending several of their top prospects to the minors to keep them skating while Coachella Valley is in the playoffs. The latest to do so is Ty Nelson as he has been assigned to the Firebirds, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 20-year-old was a third-round pick two years ago, going 68th overall. Since then, he has been one of the top-scoring blueliners in the OHL. In 2022-23, Nelson finished third in points among all OHL rearguards, collecting 24 goals and 52 assists in 67 games with North Bay before adding 25 points in 20 playoff contests.
This season, Nelson’s numbers dipped a bit but he was still close to the point-per-game mark. He notched 16 goals and 36 helpers for the Battalion in 54 regular season games and chipped in 14 points in 16 postseason contests before being eliminated by Oshawa earlier in the week. Nelson also suited up for Canada at the World Juniors, picking up three assists in five games.
Nelson signed his entry-level deal last May and since he didn’t play in ten games with the Kraken, that contract will slide and will still have three years left on it heading into next season.
Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery
The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA
Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ‘Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ‘The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.
Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-
Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.
Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-
Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.
Eric ‘EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-
Eric ‘EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.
Snapshots: Henrique, Pesce, Utah
The Edmonton Oilers will be without centerman Adam Henrique in Game 3 due to an undisclosed injury, reports Tony Brar of Oilers TV (Twitter link). Henrique missed Game 1 of the series with a lower-body injury. And while he returned for Game 2, he played in just 11 minutes of ice time, limited by the injury that will now hold him out of action.
Connor Brown is expected to step back into the lineup in Henrique’s absence. Brown has played in one game this postseason, though he failed to change his stat line in any way. He’s coming off an incredibly slow season, scoring just 12 points in 71 games despite being recruited to play on Connor McDavid‘s wing. It was a far, far step down from the 39 points Brown posted in 64 games during the 2021-22 season – though a torn ACL limited his 2022-23 to just four games. He’ll likely step right into Henrique’s role as the team’s third-line left-winger, though Brown may not be the choice for Henrique’s limited role on special teams. Those minutes could be fed to someone like Warren Foegele, who brings a bit more grit and energy and has similarly operated on the fringe of special teams.
Other notes from around the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce returned to the team’s practice on Sunday but remains doubtful for the lineup, head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer (Twitter link). Pesce has been out since April 22nd, battling with a lower-body injury suffered midgame. He was ruled as out indefinitely at the time, and while no direct timetable has been provided, his upgrade to doubtful is an encouraging sign of progress. Pesce played in 70 games this season, recording a career-low 13 points. He’s added one assist in two postseason games. Pesce’s return would likely bump Tony DeAngelo out of the lineup, with DeAngelo boasting just two points in his seven playoff games so far.
- Utah is beginning to fill out their front office, with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting that agent Chris Armstrong could be a candidate for a senior management role with the club (Twitter link). Armstrong has ties throughout the hockey world, representing Kyle Dubas in his negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs and advising Utah owner Ryan Smith throughout the buying process, Seravalli adds. Armstrong is currently the Senior Vice President at Wasserman Media Group LLC, where he supports the representation of top NHL clients including Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Zach Werenski. He also represents star golfer Tony Finau.
Ivan Fedotov Suspended From International Play For 3 Years
The International Ice Hockey Federation has levied sanctions against Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov, KHL club CSKA Moskva, and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation for disregarding Fedotov’s 2022 entry-level contract, shares Jonathan Bailey of Philadelphia Hockey Now. Fedotov signed the deal in May of 2022, attempting to join the Flyers ahead of the 2022-23 season. But he was detained by Russian authorities when trying to leave the country, and forced to serve one calendar year of military service. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that this service came on an aircraft carrier in the Murmansk region, far from the front lines.
He went on to sign a two-year KHL contract with CSKA this season, warranting the sanctions. The official punishments, per an IIHF statement, are as follows:
- Ivan Fedotov is suspended from playing in any IIHF competitions, including the Olympic Games, for the next three years.
- Ivan Fedotov will receive a six-month suspension from playing at the club level, should he leave the Flyers to play for an international club.
- CSKA will be banned from making international transfers for two years, beginning on August 11, 2024 and ending on August 10, 2026.
- The Russian Ice Hockey Federation has been assessed a fine of $1MM Swiss Francs.
In search of any silver lining, Fedotov can at least be happy with his closing performance in Russia. He recorded 21 wins and a .914 save percentage across 44 games, adding a .916 in five postseason appearances. CSKA terminated his deal following the end of the season, allowing him to move to Philadelphia one year early. Fedotov made that move just before the end of the Flyers season, slotting into the first three NHL games of his career and saving 43 of the 53 shots he faced.
Fedotov stamped his spot in Russian hockey during the 2021-22 season, leading CSKA to the Gagarin Cup and Team Russia to a Silver Medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He posted dazzling stats throughout, setting a .919 save percentage in 26 KHL games and a .943 in six Olympic appearances. While a future Russian Olympics roster would likely turn towards NHL stars Andrei Vasilevskiy or Igor Shesterkin, Fedotov would undoubtedly be on the shortlist of final options.
Morning Notes: Kirk, Chytil, Drouin
Gritty forward Liam Kirk has agreed to a deal with the Eisbären Berlin of the DEL, Germany’s top league, as announced by the team. The deal continues his journey around Europe, with Kirk playing in Czechia and Finland in each of the last two seasons, following a two-year career in North American pros. The Arizona Coyotes selected Kirk in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft, making him the third Englishman to be selected in the draft.
Kirk was drafted out of the EIHL, England’s top league, but moved to the OHL in the season following his draft. He appeared in 110 games across two years with the Peterborough Petes, recording 47 goals and 97 points. Kirk returned to the EIHL after the OHL canceled their 2020-21 season and once again performed well on home turf. With a strong training camp to boot, Kirk earned his entry-level contract with the Coyotes ahead of the 2021-22 season. But Kirk suffered a season-ending knee injury just eight games (and three points) into the season. He’d return for one AHL game and 15 ECHL games in 2022-23 but moved to Finland midway through the year. His contract was terminated ahead of the 2023-24 season, giving Kirk full reign to pursue a European career.
That’s the path Kirk is continuing with this move, although his production could warrant the attention of North American pros in the future. He scored 19 goals and 30 points in 52 games in the Czechia Extraliga this season, ranking fourth on his team in goals in his first year in central Europe. He now moves to an Eisbären Berlin team coming off their 10th DEL Championship. Berlin is also home to former NHLer Zach Boychuk, as well as former NHL prospects Yannick Velilleux, Frederik Tiffels, Ben Finkelstein, and Ty Ronning.
Other notes from around the league:
- New York Rangers centerman Filip Chytil is feeling better after missing Game 4 with illness. He is hoping to be an option in Game 5, head coach Peter Laviolette tells NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link). Chytil recently returned from a long absence with a concussion, with Game 3 marking his first game since November. Jonny Brodzinski filled in for Chytil on Saturday, with two faceoff wins marking the only change to his stat line. Chytil will look to add to his 13 points in 31 career postseason appearances with a strong Game 5, likely slotting abck into his third-line role should he be cleared.
- There is reportedly a chance that Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin is healthy enough to play in Game 4, shares Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now (Twitter link). Drouin suffered a lower-body injury in the final game of Colorado’s regular season. He returned to practices partway through last week but still had no timetable for a return, outside of a hope that he’d be ready at some point in the second round. It seems that time is drawing close – tremendous news for an Avalanche offense that’s given Drouin plenty of platform to thrive. He scored a career-high 56 points through 79 games this season, including 19 goals. It was a statement year after Drouin seemingly flatlined with the Montreal Canadiens. He’ll look to reignite the flame in Colorado’s push for the Stanley Cup – his first playoff appearance since 2020.
Bruins’ Brad Marchand To Miss Game 4
The Boston Bruins will be without captain Brad Marchand for Game 4, after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 3, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Marchand left Game 3 early after awkwardly colliding with the boards following a hit from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett. There has been no indication of exactly what injury Marchand is bearing or how long it may hold him out. Game 4 will be Marchand’s first time missing a postseason game since 2019 when he missed four games of Boston’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
This is devastating news for a Bruins team currently down 2-1 against the Florida Panthers. Marchand has been Boston’s best forward this postseason, with 10 points through 10 games. He’s averaging over 18 minutes of ice time a game and playing on both the penalty kill and power-play, giving the Bruins a hole in nearly every system ahead of Game 4. Patching up special teams will be the top concern for coach Jim Montgomery, with Boston currently boasting the second-worst power-play and third-worst penalty-kill of any remaining teams. This could be a chance for Morgan Geekie to continue carving out a prominent role, after earning reps on the second line and second power-play unit. Geekie already has three goals and four points through 10 games this postseason.
Marchand’s absence will also make room for Danton Heinen, who’s been cleared to return after missing the team’s last five games with an undisclosed injury, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). Heinen served a third-line role during Boston’s first five postseason games, netting one assist. He’s coming off a 36-point season, the most he’s scored since his rookie year in 2017-18. If Heinen suffers any sort of set back, Jesper Boqvist would be next to step in. Boqvist has one assist through eight appearances of his own this postseason.
Joel Quenneville Remains Ineligible Despite NHL Interest
Joel Quenneville will remain ineligible from coaching in the NHL, despite multiple clubs looking into the veteran signal-caller, shares David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Quenneville stepped down from the Florida Panthers on October 28, 2021, amid the Blackhawks sexual assault scandal. The news ended Quenneville’s 27-year career in the league – a tour that took him through long stretches with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks. He won three Stanley Cups along the way, leading a prolific Chicago core that featured Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Corey Crawford.
A long list of teams are currently in the process of reconsidering their coaching staff, with five teams currently without a bench leader for next season. That includes the New Jersey Devils, whose coaching vacancy represents one of the highest ceilings in the league per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The long list of mingling teams also means a long list of strong candidates – with former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe becoming the most recent coach to hit free agency. He’s now competing with a wide array of talents, from the development focus of coaches like Jay Woodcroft and Dave Hakstol to postseason and even Stanley Cup precedent through Gerard Gallant, Todd McLellan, and Craig Berube.
Teams will try to find an edge any way they can, especially when hiring for a role as pivotal as head coach. Because of that, this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen teams check the pulse of Quenneville’s eligibility. He’ll remain away from the league but still well-represented in the record books, boasting the second-most wins and fifth-most games coached of any coach in NHL history.
Evening Notes: Chytil, Myers, Ryan, Holm
New York Rangers centerman Filip Chytil stepped back out of the lineup for Saturday’s Game 4 due to what the team described as an illness, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette previously dubbed Chytil as a “game-time decision”, per Mollie Walker of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Chytil made his long-anticipated return from a concussion during Game 3, marking his first time in the lineup since November. He recorded one shot and one hit and 12 minutes of ice time, looking well-adjusted to the pace of play after such a long absence. Laviolette shared that Chytil wasn’t experiencing any injury-related issues Game 3 and that his absence came after he woke up not feeling well on Saturday morning.
Jonny Brodzinski stepped into the lineup in Chytil’s absence, taking on a role previously occupied by Matt Rempe – though both wingers skated during pre-game warmups. Brodzinski has just one Stanely Cup Playoff appearance entering Game 3, having appeared in a First Round loss with the Rangers in the 2022 postseason. He scored a career-high 19 points this season, adding 25 points in 16 AHL games, giving him plenty of momentum coming into Saturday’s decisive matchup. Chytil’s status, and thus the security of Brodzinski’s lineup spot, seems to be up in the air as the Rangers look to break the barrier into the Third Round.
Other notes from around the league:
- Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is questionable for Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers due to an undisclosed injury, shares TSN’s Farhan Lalji (Twitter link). Myers has held a big role for the Canucks throughout the playoffs, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time through seven appearances, though he’s still searching for his first point of the Spring. Lalji mentions that Noah Juulsen would likely be the favorite should Vancouver need to fill in for Myers, though the squad also brought up six defenders as part of a large group of black aces recalled on Friday. The Canucks will need to stay stout on defense, currently tied 1-1 with the Oilers after a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday.
- There will be no Department of Player Safety discipline for Oilers forward Derek Ryan, following a spear to Vancouver’s Nils Hoglander’s nether region, shares Vancouver-based reporter Irfaan Gaffar (Twitter link). Both Ryan and Hoglander were assessed minor penalties on the player – Ryan being booked for slashing and Hoglander for interference. Ryan has appeared in four playoff games this year, recording one assist and averaging 8:26 in tice time as Edmonton’s fourth-line centerman. He should maintain that role headed into Game 3.
- The Colorado Avalanche’s goaltending room continues to dwindle, with Arvid Holm agreeing to a three-year contract with the SHL’s Rögle BK. Holm spent the year searching for ice time in Colorado’s minor league system – recording six wins and an .887 save percentage in 12 AHL games and two wins and a .907 in four ECHL games. It was his third season in the AHL, with Holm’s .911 save percentage in 35 games last season representing his best year. He’ll now return to the SHL, where he totaled 55 career games prior to his move to North America. Holm will join a Rögle lineup that just went on a fantastic playoff run, largely thanks to strong performances by Christoffer Rifalk. Rifalk has been Rögle’s starter for the last five seasons and should hang onto the role ahead of Holm next season.