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GM Quotes: Sakic, Rutherford, Benning

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Although many will blame goaltending performance for the Colorado Avalanche loss in the Western Conference semifinals, GM Joe Sakic is not so quick to blame his netminders, Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz. Both goaltenders were injured in the seven-game series against the Dallas Stars, leaving Michael Hutchinson to fend for himself. Grubauer also missed time due to injury in the regular season and many felt his play was affected. Overall, the pair played well this year and both are signed through at least next season at a valuable rate. While many have speculated, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, that the club could still use their considerable cap space to bring in a new starting goalie for next year, Sakic says otherwise. Speaking with Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Sakic offered support for his tandem and stated that he does not plan to bring in another keeper for next season:

They both had good years. Unfortunately, they both got hurt at the wrong time, but neither of those injuries are injuries you have to worry about. Train hard in the summer and make sure it doesn’t happen again. You can’t predict injuries, but no, they both had good stretches and we expect that next year.

Sakic revealed that Francouz was already dealing with an injury when he replaced the injured Grubauer in the postseason and tried to battle through the pain as long as he could. Fortunately, he stated that both goalies – and in fact all injured Avs – are expected to be back at full strength for next season. As a result, Sakic does not anticipate chasing a new goalie on the free agent or trade markets, as he is content with his duo’s performance, blaming only the poor timing of their injuries.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford made yet another major trade on Friday, his second already since his team was eliminated in the qualifying round, when he dealt Nick Bjugstad to the Minnesota Wild in a salary cap dump. Talking to The Athletic’s Josh Yohe about a deal that on paper seemed to net Pittsburgh little in return – a conditional seventh-round pick and only half of Bjugstad’s 2020-21 cap hit ($2.05MM) – Rutherford made it clear that he is simply doing what he can to create enough cap space as to allow the Penguins to be active in free agency:

Well, I’d really like to be able to get there, to be at the point where we can do something in free agency, but we aren’t there yet… I want to be able to be active on that day, but it’s going to be difficult to get to that point… You’ve got to realize that teams don’t know how much money they’ll be making next season and moving forward. Plus, teams all thought the salary cap for next season was going to be anywhere between $3 million and $6 million higher than what it is. So, everyone is in a pretty difficult situation, and that includes us… First things first, we need to get to a point where we are comfortable that we’ll be compliant with the cap. We’ll see what happens between then and now.

  • If there has been any one theme to Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning’s comments all season long, it has been that he would like to keep as many of his current players on the team as possible, including his pending unrestricted free agents. While much of that focus has been on a trio of top players in Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Toffoli, Benning has thrown his support behind role players as well. The latest name that Benning hopes to squeeze back on the roster next season is Josh Leivo, who lost much of his season to a fractured knee cap but was working his way back into game shape when the Canucks were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals. Benning knows what Leivo can do when healthy and in an interview with TSN Radio 1040 he stated that he hopes to give him another chance in Vancouver:

He played well for us. We haven’t ruled out re-signing him… He’s a big body, shoots the puck well, is a smart player… His rehab has gone well… he’ll be ready to play next year for us.

Minnesota Wild Acquire Nick Bjugstad

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8:00pm CT: The terms of this trade have now been revealed by Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and certainly seem to tilt the favor even more toward Minnesota. First, the Penguins will retain half of Bjugstad’s salary this year, the final season of a six-year, $24.6MM deal. As a result, Pittsburgh will only dump $2.05MM in cap salary while the Wild get a full year of Bjugstad at a bargain price. Second, the Penguins will only receive the conditional seventh-round pick if Bjugstad plays in at least 70 games or scores at least 35 points this season. Otherwise, the team does not receive any return. If this trade is indication, shedding salary this off-season is going to be easier said than done.

7:00pm CT: Nick Bjugstad, one of the most well-regarded prospects to come out of the Minnesota high school ranks this century, is headed home. The Minnesota Wild announced that they have acquired the 28-year-old center from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In what is all but a salary cap dump, the Penguins only received a conditional 2021 seventh-round draft pick.

Bjugstad is a polarizing player, but certainly one worth risking a late pick and one year of term on. Named Mr. Hockey in 2010 as the best player in Minnesota high school, Bjugstad went on to be drafted in the first round by the Florida Panthers later that year. After starring for the of Minnesota for three years, Bjugstad joined Florida and  immediately became a contributor. He recorded 38 points as a rookie, even garnering Calder Trophy votes, and totaled 191 points in 394 games with the Panthers over parts of seven seasons. While these were solid numbers, they weren’t exactly what Florida was hoping for from one of their core players. In 2018-19, Bjugtad was traded alongside Jared McCann to the Penguins for Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, and three draft picks. His time in Pittsburgh has been forgettable, marred by injury and inconsistency that left him with just 16 points in 45 games to show for a season and a half.

Yet, Bjugstad is healed and expected to be fully healthy for the start of the 2020-21 season for Minnesota. No one will blame Pittsburgh for dumping Bjugstad’s $4.1MM cap hit (and $5.25MM salary) as they face a stiff cap crunch, but the Wild could easily wind up with the better side of this deal if Bjugstad can return to form back at home in the Twin Cities and produce 40-50 points as he has several times before. As the Wild look to replace the experience and two-way ability of Mikko Koivu down the middle this season – and quite possibly Eric Staal next season – Bjugstad is a prime candidate. At 6’6″ and 215 lbs., Bjugstad is a menacing presence on the ice and has the proven ability to take the puck with both brute force and finesse. After a pair of down seasons, Bjugstad may not be the most exciting name, but he could be primed for a major comeback this year with the Wild and could potentially earn himself a long-term extension with his hometown team in the process.

 

Pittsburgh Penguins Name J.D. Forrest As AHL Head Coach

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As the internal coaching carousel for the Pittsburgh Penguins continues, they have again opted to promote one of their own. Following the dismissal of Mike Sullivan’s entire staff- Sergei Gonchar, Jacques Martin, and Mark Recchi – the Penguins brought back Todd Reirden following his dismissal as head coach of the Washington Capitals and promoted AHL head coach Mike Vellucci. In need of a new head coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to replace Vellucci, the club announced today that assistant J.D. Forrest has been promoted to head coach. The team’s release also revealed that Assistant GM Jason Karmanos has been named the GM for the AHL Penguins. The new WBS GM had this to say about his new head coach:

J.D. has done an excellent job in his four seasons as an assistant coach in Wilkes-Barre, consistently demonstrating a strong ability to develop the young defensemen in our system. His familiarity with the organization, our prospects and the style of hockey we want to play, together with his work ethic and team-first approach, gives us confidence that he will excel in his new role as head coach.

Forrest, 39, has been with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since the 2016-17 season, focusing on the team’s defensemen and the penalty kill. Prior to joining the Penguins, he was the head coach of Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian U-20 league and before that an inter assistant coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Forrest was a product of the USNTDP himself before playing four seasons at Boston College and nine pro seasons in the U.S., Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany. A well-traveled player and coach, especially fotr his young age, Forrest brings a broad array of experience to his first head coaching position at the pro level and could have a bright future ahead of him.

Edmonton Discussed Matt Murray With Pittsburgh

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The Edmonton Oilers could have an opening in net alongside Mikko Koskinen for next season if they decide against bringing back Mike Smith, and they’re at least poking around the league to see what the price tag is on some other options. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Oilers spoke with the Pittsburgh Penguins regarding Matt Murray, who is quite publicly on the block after Tristan Jarry took over as the starter this season. According to LeBrun, the asking price was too high for Edmonton (he suggests it could have been a first-round pick) and they haven’t entirely ruled out bringing back Smith.

Murray, 26, is available after Penguins GM Jim Rutherford was clear about his need to trade one of his goalies. The two-time Stanley Cup winner’s name will likely come up connected to every franchise looking for an upgrade in net until he’s dealt, given how many boxes he ticks. Relatively young? Check. History of success? Check. Team control but not locked into a long-term contract? Check.

A restricted free agent this offseason, Murray could potentially opt for arbitration and force his way to UFA status in 2021, but there is obviously also an opportunity to work out a multi-year deal for any acquiring team.  The 6’4″ netminder posted a dreadful .899 save percentage during the regular season but has been much better in years past, plus has a sparkling .921 in 51 postseason appearances. There are goalies who go their whole career without getting into 50 playoff games, but Murray won his second Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins just a few days after his 23rd birthday.

With so many goaltenders set to move around the league this fall, it could benefit a team like Edmonton to wait and see who is left out in the cold. The team doesn’t have a lot of cap space to spend and are already paying Koskinen $4.5MM in each of the next two years. With excellent tandem names like Anton Khudobin, Thomas Greiss, or even Corey Crawford on the market, paying up for Murray at this point—especially if it costs a first-round pick—would likely be a mistake.

Snapshots: Penguins, Hinote, NCAA

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have already made one trade to add a fresh face to their forward group, but more changes are coming before the start of next season. Josh Yohe of The Athletic breaks down the latest from the team, including a report that the Penguins have “soured” on Jared McCann’s ability to fill the third-line center role. McCann “is a player the Penguins are willing to move” according to Yohe, who also details several other situations including goaltending and defense.

McCann, 24, would likely have huge market appeal if made available, given his versatility and relatively solid regular season in Pittsburgh. The forward, who can play both center and wing, scored 14 goals and 35 points in 66 games but ended up scratched in the playoffs. One thing to remember for any acquiring team, McCann is a restricted free agent in need of a new contract and would be joining his fourth NHL organization before the age of 25.

  • Craig Custance of The Athletic reports that Dan Hinote will be an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators this season, though there has been no official hiring announcement from the team as of this writing. Hinote, who spent nine seasons in the NHL as a depth forward, has worked with the US National Team Development Program the last two seasons and previously was with the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. The Predators, and specifically GM David Poile, are known for their connection to the USNTDP as seen with their recent hiring of head coach John Hynes.
  • Speaking of amateur hockey in the United States, the college season is expected to be officially delayed in the coming days according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, but optimism is apparently building that a 2020-21 season will be held at some point. Corey Pronman of The Athletic has also heard that a late-November start is the hope for college hockey.

Oilers Have Inquired About Matt Murray

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The Oilers are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Penguins goalie Matt Murray, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  They have a vacancy to fill between the pipes with Mike Smith slated to become an unrestricted free agent.  However, with the limited cap space they have and several RFAs in need of new deals including winger Andreas Athanasiou and defensemen Matt Benning and Ethan Bear, they probably won’t be able to afford the salary that Murray, an RFA himself, will likely command in the coming months.  Instead, they will probably have to shop at the cheaper end of the goalie market to find Mikko Koskinen’s partner for next season.

Penguins Re-Sign Juuso Riikola

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The Penguins have kept one of their depth defensemen in the fold as they announced that they’ve signed Juuso Riikola to a two-year contract.  The deal carries an AAV of $1.15MM, a small increase on the $850K he received this season and takes him into unrestricted free agency at its expiration.  GM Jim Rutherford released the following statement about the move:

When he is on his game, Juuso has shown the ability to be a solid contributor for our team. We feel he is going to take the next step forward in his development.

The 26-year-old played in 36 games for the Penguins this season.  He was mostly in a reserve role but was called into action when injuries arose.  When Pittsburgh had several forwards go down, he wound up suiting up as a winger for four of those games.  Overall, he had a goal and six assists on the season along with 74 hits while averaging just shy of 14 minutes per night.

Riikola, who came to Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent in 2018, could have a chance at earning more of a regular role next season.  Rutherford confirmed this week that Justin Schultz will not be returning which will free up a spot on the depth chart.  However, Riikola may have to get used to playing his off-side as he will remain behind lefties in Brian Dumoulin and Marcus Pettersson while veteran Jack Johnson also is in the mix.  If Riikola can adapt to playing on the right side, he might very well be able to take that next step forward in his development.  Otherwise, he may be reprising his role as a seventh defender heading into next season.

Pittsburgh now has roughly $8MM in cap space for next season with both of their goalies and multiple forwards (highlighted by Jared McCann) in need of new contracts.

Latest On Frederik Andersen

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have now gone another year without winning a playoff series (this time not even getting out of the qualification round) and there are changes coming to the roster. Kasperi Kapanen has already been shipped out of town to the Pittsburgh Penguins for cap space and a draft pick, but more names are swirling in the rumor mill already.

One of those names is starting goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has been already been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Continuing that story, Friedman was on the radio this morning and explained what he knew about the situation:

The most concrete information I can give you is that since the rumors really got going, I think Kyle Dubas has reached out to Frederik Andersen and spoken to him twice, just to kind of fill him in on what’s happening. From what I understand, [Dubas] has told [Andersen] ’we are not shopping you, but we are getting asked about you. And there are teams that have interest in you.’ 

Where those conversations have gone from there, I can’t tell you. But I know that’s the general tone of the message.

Friedman goes on to say that he doesn’t beleive the Maple Leafs will make a move “just for the sake of making a move.”

There has certainly been a lot of smoke around the veteran goaltender the last few weeks, though it’s not clear exactly how the Maple Leafs will deal with the situation just yet. The most important factor in Andersen’s situation, perhaps other than his struggles during the 2019-20 regular season, is his contract status. Signed only through 2020-21, he would need a new deal from the Maple Leafs if he is to be their starter moving forward. The fact that he will turn 31 next month and just had the worst season of his career doesn’t help his case to sign a long-term deal, but it’s not like Toronto has an in-house option ready to replace him.

In terms of their depth chart, the Maple Leafs did acquire Jack Campbell from the Los Angeles Kings earlier this year, but he has never appeared in more than 31 games in a season. The team locked him up with a two-year extension, but it’s hard to see them handing the keys to him for the majority of the games next year. Joseph Woll and Ian Scott are both interesting prospects but neither one appears to be ready for the NHL, leaving free agency and trade the only options to find an upgrade in net should they move on from Andersen.

Of course, this year may be the best chance to do that given the glut of goaltenders available. Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom and Braden Holtby are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while other names like Matt Murray (a former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound, where Dubas cut his teeth in the OHL) and Alexander Georgiev could be available in trade.

If the Maple Leafs are looking for a substantial return in an Andersen trade, it might not be out there. The St. Louis Blues recently had to settle for a third-round pick in a trade for Jake Allen, despite a pretty comparable situation. Andersen is almost a year older than Allen and costs a little more against the cap next season, but both are scheduled to reach free agency in 2021. Allen lost is starting gig in St. Louis last year, but had a much better statistical season than Andersen in 2019-20. While an argument can certainly be made about the defense corps each goaltender is playing behind, it’s hard to see a considerable package coming back to the Maple Leafs in a trade.

There is one more interesting twist in his value however, and that is the fact that $4MM of Andersen’s $5MM cap hit will be paid in a signing bonus this season. That means an acquiring team would only need to pony up $1MM for the year, something that might be very interesting in a depressed financial climate. Andersen also holds a partial no-trade clause, with which he can block moves to ten teams around the league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Arizona Coyotes GM Search

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The Arizona Coyotes are currently working through the first part of their offseason with Steve Sullivan serving as interim GM, after their public breakup with John Chayka earlier in the summer. While they’ve made pitches to Taylor Hall in the meantime and have sent several prospects overseas to continue their development, it will be difficult to navigate the true offseason after the Stanley Cup is awarded without someone in place (though, the Coyotes don’t have a draft pick until the fourth round this season, after being penalized by the league). Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports that a new name has been added to the list of candidates; Jason Karmanos an assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins was interviewed on Thursday.

Karmanos, as you may surmise from his name, is the son of former Carolina Panthers majority owner Peter Karmanos. He served as an AGM and vice president of hockey operations in Carolina for fifteen years before following Jim Rutherford to Pittsburgh. Prior to his career as an executive, Karmanos was also a good player for Harvard University, even suiting up for Team USA at the 1994 World Juniors. Speaking of Harvard, there is an obvious connection there with the Coyotes, as new team president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez is also a grad of the prestigious school.

Already there was some speculation that the Penguins could look to bring back former GM Jason Botterill, after his firing from the Buffalo Sabres. Rutherford did bring back a familiar face in Todd Reirden recently, sparking thought that Botterill could make his return to the front office as well. Should Karmanos leave, there would be an obvious opening.

Still, it’s not clear where the Coyotes are leaning in their search. The team simply can’t stay away from controversy as they try to build up their image under new ownership and were unceremoniously eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. Arizona collapsed in games four and five, losing 7-1 in both matches.

Now without a first-round draft pick until 202 and more than half the roster scheduled for unrestricted free agency before the 2021-22 season, sweeping changes could be made in Arizona under new management. Even beyond Hall, who is a UFA this fall, Derek Stepan, Michael Grabner, Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, Jordan Oesterle, and Antti Raanta are all heading into their final years under contract. That’s a lot of decisions to be made by whoever takes over, though it also does provide an opportunity.

The team has just five players signed long-term, and though at least one of those names has been in the trade rumor mill—captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson—they represent a relatively young core that can still be built around. Top prospects Victor Soderstrom and Barrett Hayton represent real blue-chip talents that can be given full-time roles as well, should the new manager commit to a youth movement.

Austin Lemieux Retires From Hockey

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Austin Lemieux won’t be following in his famous father’s footsteps, at least not exactly. The son of all-time NHL great and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and a forward for Arizona State University, Lemieux did not appear on the Sun Devils’ 2020-21 roster when it was released Thursday. College Hockey News’ Greg Cameron reports that this is because Lemieux is no longer with the team. He has reportedly decided to retire from hockey.

Lemieux, 24, was never drafted into the NHL but was still considered a pro prospect due to his large frame and high hockey IQ. Lemieux earned a scholarship to Arizona State and joined the program in 2017. After redshirting for his first season, Lemieux helped the team to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 2018-19 with 13 points in 31 games. He followed that up with 14 points in 35 games this season for a Sun Devils squad that very likely would have made the tournament again if it had not been canceled. Although these are not remarkable numbers for Lemieux, he was a key piece of the ASU team. In several appearances at Pittsburgh Penguins development camp, he was also considered a standout participant.

For whatever reason, Lemieux has decided – with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining – to hang up his skates and abandon his NHL dreams. However, he is not done with his aspirations of being a pro athlete like his dad. Cameron writes that Lemieux plans to pursue a career in professional golf. While he did not play collegiately at Arizona State, Lemieux was a very successful amateur golfer while growing up in Pennsylvania and it appears that he now plans to re-focus his efforts onto golf as his sport of choice.

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