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Vegas Notes: Bill Foley, Team Identity, Coaching Decision

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“It’s all just about the show.” These are the words of owner Bill Foley regarding his newly minted Vegas Golden Knights. In his afternoon interview on FoxSports 1340 AM Las Vegas, Bill Foley discussed the team’s inception and his vision for growing the game on the Strip.  Citing the legend of Excalibur, the practically giddy owner proposed his grand broadcasting plans, and outlined his overall vision for the Vegas startup.

Team Identity:

“We want a team of speed, agility, and finesse.” The league has definitely shifted in this general direction, especially since the Pittsburgh Penguins blitzed their way to a Stanley Cup last season. The difference between a Penguins team and a future Knights team, obviously will be determined  by the large gap in top-tier offensive talent.

“We are going to build from the net out.” From Foley’s commentary, we should expect a low-scoring squad for the first couple years of inception. Although Foley aims to make the playoffs in 3 years, a large part of his relative success will be determined by the quality of goaltending he will be able to acquire. Will he merely be satisfied with a Calvin Pickard? The safe bet is that he will attempt to acquire a veteran with NHL seasons under his belt. Would Marc-Andre Fleury be available in a simple transaction? Ben Bishop, considering his backup status on the LA Kings? There are many avenues for GM George McPhee to explore.

Expansion Draft:

“We hope to…put a bunch of picks in our pocket.” Foley described quite clearly his intention to manipulate and maneuver his way into procuring draft picks from other squads worried about losing players. He seems to be quite content settling on stockpiling picks and creating a backlog of prospects. His commentary here may indicate a flurry of activity on the part of his management team and other groups, trying to protect their players under the limited protection options of 7 Forwards, 3 Defensemen, 1 Goalie, or 8 Skaters and 1 Goalie.

Coaching:

“Flexible…someone I can work with. We need someone who is a players’ coach.” The Vegas owner stated that he definitely wants a coach without an old-school mentality. He’s looking for a coach who will be able to maintain focus and passion in his squad regardless of overall record, and the inevitable struggles a new franchise will face. Perhaps Gerard Gallant would fit this role, although there are plenty of options in the coaching arena these days.

Community:

Vegas intends to have half-hour pre-game shows before each game, one-hour post-game shows, and an hour-long hockey devoted call-in show on weekdays, complete with interviews and analysis. Foley also revealed a deeper partnership with Fox Sports, radio coverage on Lotus, and a Spanish broadcast on ESPN Deportes. Foley also mentioned interest in the creation of more ice rinks in the area to support youth hockey, specifically two sheets of ice in Henderson. He stated his optimism of the Vegas passion for hockey after the successful ticket drive, and stated his desire to create a lasting foundation of interest.

Kings Fire Head Coach Darryl Sutter And GM Dean Lombardi

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In a massive overhaul of their front office, Los Angeles Kings ownership group AEG announced that head coach Darryl Sutter and General Manager Dean Lombardi have been relieved of their positions. A pair of former players and current executives have been promoted with Luc Robitaille named President and Rob Blake named the new General Manager and Vice President. The duo will oversee all of hockey operations which now includes finding a new coach. The Kings will hold an official press conference tomorrow to introduce Robitaille and Blake in their new capacities.

The sweeping changes come after a disappointing season that saw the perennial contenders miss the playoffs entirely. Despite a long-term injury to starting goalie Jonathan Quick, it was instead the offense that struggled for much of the season. Anemic at times, the offense finished 24th in the league with 2.4 goals per game behind poor production from Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, and Dustin Brown and a step backward in development for Tyler Toffoli. Much of the blame for the goal-scoring struggles fell on Sutter’s dated style and slow-paced structure and Lomdardi’s inability to add scoring via trade. Lombardi likely sealed his fate with a strange deadline deal to acquire Tampa Bay Lightning starting goaltender Ben Bishop in exchange for expectation-shattering veteran backup Peter Budaj and other pieces just as Quick had finally gotten healthy. The move did little to help the Kings down the stretch, whereas those same pieces or others could have been used to acquire a scorer instead. Los Angeles finished in tenth in the Western Conference, eight points behind the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames for a playoff berth.

AEG CEO Dan Beckerman called the move “an extremely difficult decision… made with an enormous amount of consideration”, but in the end they felt that it was the best for the team. Beckerman expressed his gratitude to both Sutter and Lombardi in the company’s statement, as the pair did build and operate a Kings team that won two Stanley Cups in a five-year span, but simply felt it was time to move on. Sutter joins a growing list of highly decorated  veteran coaches available on the open market, but only time will tell if his old-school style is appealing to one of the teams in the hunt for a new bench boss. Sutter is a Hall of Famer, but his NHL future is currently in doubt. Lombardi meanwhile is not long removed from being considered a top team builder in the NHL. Lombardi built a winner in L.A., but simply forgot to keep building. Nevertheless, he will find a job in a front office sooner rather than later. The new team of Robitaille and Blake have their work cut out for them this off-season, as the Kings faces a difficult Expansion Draft scenario, likely a middling first-round pick unable to contribute next season, several contracts that should be shed if possible, and, of course, a desperate need for scoring help up front.

 

Saturday Snapshots: Tkachuk, Stamkos, Stone

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Given his pedigree, it should come as little surprise that one of Matthew Tkachuk’s strengths is his advanced hockey sense. His father, Keith Tkachuk of course, played 18 seasons in the NHL and scored 538 career regular season goals. As Darren Haynes writes on his Flames From 80 Feet Above blog, the younger Tkachuk displays hockey awareness on par with that of a 10-year veteran as opposed to that of a 19-year-old rookie.

Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan certainly agrees with the sentiment, praising the young power forward’s “gamesmanship, his hockey sense (and) his ice awareness.” Haynes describes a subtle play made by the rookie in a recent win over Dallas in which Tkachuk touched the puck with a high stick and knew if he was the first to touch it that the officials would blow the play dead. Instead, Tkachuk tracked the puck into the offensive zone and waited for a Stars player to play the puck. Adam Cracknell did just that and Tkachuk picked his pocket and moved the puck to Mark Giordano whose shot deflected off of Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis and into the net.

Tkachuk has tallied 13 goals and 46 points in 67 games this season which represents excellent production for any rookie, much less one just 19 years old and in his first professional campaign. Yet beyond his offensive output, it may be the little things Tkachuk brings to the table that makes him such a valuable contributor to a team that appears poised to make the playoffs.

Elsewhere in the NHL on this Saturday:

  • Steven Stamkos, out since November with a knee injury, returned to the ice as a full participant at the Lightning’s Friday practice. While that has to be considered a positive sign in his lengthy recovery, Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Stamkos’ return is still not “imminent.” The Lightning, who have surprisingly managed to resurface in the playoff race despite a trade deadline selloff of goalie Ben Bishop along with forwards Brian Boyle and Valtteri Filppula, would certainly welcome a healthy Stamkos with open arms but at this point it appears they’ll have to manage without their captain for a little while longer.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Mark Stone, who has missed the last week with a lower-body injury, is still considered week-to-week and according to head coach Guy Boucher hasn’t skated while recovering from the leg issue, reports Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. Stone, a terrific forechecker, has tallied 22 goals and 50 points in 63 games this season and is an important cog up front for the Senators. While the loss of Stone certainly stings, his absence has been mitigated somewhat by trade deadline acquisitions Alexandre Burrows and Viktor Stalberg, who have combined for six goals and nine points in the eight games since coming to Canada’s capital. Ottawa, at this point safely in possession of a postseason slot, will continue to look for production from the newest Sens as they work to secure a playoff berth.

Playoff Puzzle: Western Goaltending Experience

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Corey Crawford must feel like an old man these days. When the Chicago Blackhawks goaltender looks around at the creases of his main rivals in the Western Conference, one thing is constant: inexperience. He knows it well, from when he took on the Vancouver Canucks in 2011 as a rookie. At the other end of the rink was a 31-year old Roberto Luongo, who had already been through three playoff runs and was about to win the Jennings trophy for dominating in the regular season.

Crawford and the Hawks would lose in seven games, but it was an important step towards their cup win in 2013 when he would post a .932 save percentage—still the best mark of his career. It’s not easy to backstop a team to the Stanley Cup, even if you do have an excellent group in front of you. Just ask Martin Jones, who actually played his best hockey last year in the Finals against Pittsburgh, despite losing. It took a while for him to really find his groove and even then it wasn’t enough.

So when Crawford sees the standings and notices a trend among the biggest contenders, it might make him even more confident heading into this year’s tournament. Perhaps even if he is a bit older, that experience will pay off in the toughest two months of any sport.

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Lightning Notes: Yzerman, Callahan, Stamkos

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It was a successful trade deadline for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who moved Valtteri Filppula, Brian Boyle and Ben Bishop out of town to create cap space for this season and beyond. The team finds themselves just three points back of a playoff spot after Nikita Kucherov’s disgusting shootout winner, and is right in the thick of the race as the season comes into its final stretch.

Just because the deadline is over though, doesn’t mean Steve Yzerman can relax. He still has quite a bit of work ahead of him to sort out the cap issues the Lightning will face this summer reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. With Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson all needing big raises (that are getting bigger as the playoffs get closer), the team will likely have to move out even more salary at some point. Smith points to the Nashville Predators as a natural trading partner for the team, and that they scouted each other heavily leading up to the deadline.

  • Ryan Callahan may miss the rest of the season, but there is optimism he’ll be ready for next year. The latest hip procedure was not to repair a labrum tear like originally reported, but just to clean up a scar tissue issue that was impacting his movement. Smith quotes Bryan Kelly, the surgeon who performed both operations: “There’s no reason to think [players who go through this procedure] couldn’t go back to play.” Callahan has three years remaining on his current contract at $5.8MM per season.
  • Though Smith’s article is enlightening on many subjects, he drops a bombshell in the notes at the bottom. Smith “would not be stunned” to see Steven Stamkos back at practice with the team this week. Stamkos has been out since the middle of November, but has recently returned to the ice for his own workouts. The idea that he would be back at practice with his teammates would be a huge step towards his recovery, and makes the Lightning a team to watch down the stretch. Even without one of the greatest goal scorers in the league they’ve climbed their way back into the playoff picture, imagine what they can do when their captain returns.

Friedman’s Latest: Deadline Dealing

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In his latest 30 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gets into some of the details of trade deadline day. It’s a wonderful read as always, from one of the most connected men in hockey.

  • Friedman reports that there was a lot of interest in Detroit Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan before they ultimately decided to keep him. Sheahan has zero goals this season and has been part of the problem in Detroit, but could be part of the solution too. The former-first round pick still has excellent upside and could be a huge part of a Red Wing rebuild. With another year on his current deal and a restricted free agent afterwards, Detroit wasn’t pressured to move him now.
  • The Boston Bruins were in on both Radim Vrbata and Dmitry Kulikov before eventually settling for just Drew Stafford on deadline day. Arizona essentially dug in their heels at a certain asking price—Friedman thinks a second-round pick—and were happy to keep him.
  • The Calgary Flames are mentioned in association with both Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury, though obviously both never materialized. The situation in Calgary is an interesting one, as Brian Elliott has turned around his play recently and muddled the situation once again for this summer. If they think it was just a comfort thing, perhaps they will look to get back into a contract negotiation with the 31-year old netminder.
  • Friedman also touches on Kelly Hrudey’s rant about the way trade deadline coverage has evolved, making note of a player who texted him upset about potentially being involved in a deal. In the Maple Leafs game last night, the broadcast crew also touched on how it looked as though James van Riemsdyk had a piano lifted from his back after two weeks of constant rumor. As Greg Millen of Sportsnet put it after a particularly good shift from van Riemsdyk: “If you don’t think it affects these players, you’re wrong.”

Vegas Golden Knights Might Already Have Deals In Place

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The newest NHL franchise gained official standing in the league yesterday and with it the power to sign free agents, make deals and move draft picks. They likely were already talking to teams about possible expansion draft scenarios, and one former GM who has been through a similar situation thinks they’ve already agreed to a handful of moves. Doug McLean on Sportsnet radio today was talking about the Vegas Golden Knights and said that he thinks the team has already locked up at least part of their roster.

I would bet dollars to donuts on this. Their number one goaltender is done. Guaranteed that.

That’s the one position that I’m sure, you’ll have that locked up. Maybe it’s not signed or whatever the legality is, because George [McPhee] would go by the book. I think that position is done.

While McLean doesn’t sound like he has a source that’s telling him that the Golden Knights have completed a deal, he does have plenty of experience in this area. He was the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets when they and the Minnesota Wild went through the expansion process in 2000. He later says that he had at least half a dozen deals done by the draft, and it was more difficult then because two teams were coming in at the same time.

McLean has an idea of who that goaltender might be, and it’s not Ben Bishop. Many have wondered whether the Golden Knights will go after Bishop on the free agent market, as his deal expires this summer. The former Vezina runner-up is now with the Los Angeles Kings as they try to make the playoffs. Ben Bishop

The panel—which includes Nick Kypreos and Jeff Marek—also ponder the idea that Eric Fehr is destined for Vegas as well, and that Lou Lamoriello may have acquired him with a deal already agreed to with McPhee. Fehr did play for McPhee for many years in Washington and could be part of a leadership group in what will be a rag-tag bunch of players in the Golden Knights’ first season. The expansion team will need to come to the cap floor, and players with one or two years remaining with a moderate cap hit might be solid targets to get them there in the first season.

While there isn’t—and likely won’t be—any proof that the Golden Knights have made deals before the expansion draft, it’s something to think about if you’re still wondering why your favorite team did one thing or another at the trade deadline. There are often explanations behind the scenes, and with the varying rules that go along with the draft different scenarios can arise that aren’t clear at the moment.

One that was posed in one of our recent live chats, is the idea that a team would keep a pending unrestricted free agent as bait for Vegas, since if they sign them in the window before the expansion draft, they won’t select a player from that team’s roster. Bishop was the example used, but perhaps there have been discussions about Radim Vrbata heading to Las Vegas when the season is done, protecting the Coyotes from any selection. In any case, one should not dismiss McLean’s opinion on the matter so quickly, as he’s one of a handful of people in the world who have been in a similar situation in the past.

Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Pacific Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the upstart Pacific Division:

Winners

Anaheim Ducks:

The Ducks had one real need at the deadline and that was another top six winger. By getting ahead of the market and making the deal for Eaves earlier this week, Anaheim was already a winner at the deadline. The conditional second-rounder, which can become a first, is a steep price. However, given that Eaves is having a career year, the market value had yet to be set, and the Ducks desperation had grown due to the Antoine Vermette suspension, they were right to swing a deal when they had the chance. It was a quiet deadline day in Anaheim, but this is still a team that could make a lot of noise down the stretch.

Arizona Coyotes:

The Coyotes messed up by not trading Radim Vrbata (and might have been able to get more for Stone), but put that aside and what they were able to get from the Minnesota Wild is pretty extraordinary. The team wanted to re-sign Hanzal, but when talks fell apart, it became a foregone conclusion that he would be moved. Yet, that inevitability never drove the prices down and the Wild ended up offering an amazing deal for the career Coyote. The Avalanche should take note because this is how you work the trade deadline as one the league’s worst teams. In exchange for impending free agents who were not coming back in Hanzal and Stone, Arizona ends up with five picks and two prospects (assuming, as it often does, that “future considerations” means nothing) and the team has suffered almost no loss. If GM John Chayka has decided to deal Vrbata, he likely would have added another pair of good picks to that mix, but as it stands, the Coyotes still did pretty well.

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Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Atlantic Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the neck-and-neck Atlantic Division:

Winners

Boston Bruins:

GM Don Sweeney did not want a repeat of 2016, when he gave up second, third, fourth, and fifth-round picks for Lee Stempniak and John-Michael Liles, only for the team to miss the playoffs. In 2017, he succeeded in bringing in a reliable depth player and goal-scorer, Stafford, without having to pay the price of a top pick or any of Boston’s numerous high-end prospects. Sweeney deserves credit for not panicking when his divisional rivals all began making multiple moves, holding to his word of not overpaying and eventually getting a last-minute deal done at a bargain price for a good player.

Detroit Red Wings:

As hard as it is to imagine, the Red Wings are going to miss the playoffs and were in a complete fire sale at the deadline. For as long as it has been since they were in such a position, the team did pretty well. GM Ken Holland may have been able to get a better deal for Vanek earlier in the season, but getting two high picks for Smith and anything at all for Ott was nice maneuvering. The Red Wings in essence added five picks for four players that were unlikely to be on the team in 2017-18 anyway. Could they have dealt Riley Sheahan and Drew Miller too? Possibly, but they did enough as is.

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Trade Candidates: Valtteri Filppula

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With the trade deadline now just days away, we’re wrapping up our profiles of several players whose names are still on the trade block and are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been busy, dealing Ben Bishop to Los Angeles, and Brian Boyle to Toronto. Another couple names keep popping up and one of those is center Valtteri Filppula, a player who can offer a playoff team depth down the middle.

Contract

Filppula signed with the Bolts before the 2013-14 season, a five-year, $25MM deal. With two years left on that deal, Filppula and the Lightning have a chance to help one another. The deal includes a no-trade clause which Filppula would have to waive, but should it be to the right team, general manager Steve Yzerman could make a deal to ease the financial strain on his team.

2016-17

Filppula is a defty centerman, known for creating plays and less for scoring goals. He’s only had two 20-goal seasons–once in Detroit and Tampa Bay. But he creates offense and is responsible in his own end, making him a valuable player come playoff time. This season, Filppula has already eclipsed his point total for last year, recording 34 in 59 games this year. He’s currently fifth on the team in points, and valuable in the faceoff circle.

Season Stats

59 GP: 7 goals, 27 assists, 34 points, +1 rating, 17:30 ATOI

January 17, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Valtteri Filppula (51) moves into position against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Suitors

It’s going to take some creativity on Yzerman’s part to make this trade happen. Less than 24 hours from the deadline, Filppula’s name has been tagged in a number of scenarios, with Bob McKenzie tweeting that of the 13 teams listed on his no trade clause. It makes McKenzie’s tweet that much more interesting since one of the blocked teams could potentially work it out. The Florida Panthers, who have surged lately, could absorb the hit for another season and it would provide more depth. The Toronto Maple Leafs would be another option, reuniting Filppula with Mike Babcock, who he was a Stanley Cup with in 2008. Filppula’s playoff experience, and strong performances during those playoff runs, would make him valuable to a team looking to get that necessary bump in depth. If Tampa is willing to absorb even a little bit of salary, the Edmonton Oilers, or the Nashville Predators could be destinations. Even the New York Islanders, who are knocking on the door, could swing a deal with the right financial plan. The Oilers look less likely, however, after swinging a deal to acquire David Desharnais.

Likelihood Of A Trade

The challenge for Yzerman is getting Filppula to waive his no-trade as well as massaging a deal that doesn’t financially cripple a team. Retaining only half of the deal for an extra season would help, but still require more work as Yzerman has a number of moves to make in the offseason. Shedding the contract would be helpful for Yzerman and the Bolts while Filppula would help a team during a playoff run.

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