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Elliotte Friedman

Ryan Kesler’s 2018-19 Season Still Up In The Air

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Among the biggest disappointments in the Anaheim Ducks season was Ryan Kesler, who battled through injury to return midway through the year only to be a shadow of his former self. In 44 games, Kesler registered just 14 points and averaged his lowest time on ice in more than a decade. He was visibly not the same shutdown two-way center of the past, and he registered just two assists and six shots on goal as the Ducks were swept out of the first round. Now, in the latest 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the possibility of Kesler missing the entire 2018-19 season is brought up.

Kesler underwent hip surgery last summer in an attempt to solve a chronic issue, but Friedman now reports that he’ll undergo “aggressive rehab and treatment” this time around to try and get back on the ice. There is a chance that he sits out the entire season and tries to return in 2019-20, when he’ll be 35 years old. He still has four years on his contract that carries a $6.88MM cap hit, meaning it’s unlikely he’ll retire either way. But now there is a chance that he could spend all of next season on LTIR should the rehab not work as hoped.

While Friedman doesn’t go into what kind of odds there are of Kesler missing the season, just the fact that he won’t be back at full strength should drastically change the Ducks’ offseason plans. With him in the picture the team has some of the best center depth in the league, with Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique and Rickard Rakell all able to play the position. Without him, things start to deteriorate down the middle for the Ducks. Antoine Vermette, who also dealt with injuries this season but is an effective bottom-six center when healthy is an unrestricted free agent this summer, as is Derek Grant who emerged as a capable option with 24 points this season.

The Ducks face an offseason where they already had to rethink the structure of their forward group, and with the news on Kesler that becomes even more integral. As Corey Perry continues to slow down as he and Getzlaf enter their mid-thirties, the team will be looking to the next generation of forwards to start carrying more of the load. Perhaps free agency is another place they can attract some support, but there isn’t a ton of cap space left. Brandon Montour, Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase all need new deals as they head into restricted free agency, and an extension for John Gibson is right around the corner. It’s not clear how the Ducks will improve their squad for 2018-19, but there is a clear need for something to happen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Goaltender Interference Decisions Staying In Toronto’s Situation Room

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The NHL and NHLPA’s Competition Committee met today in New York, and as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet report, much of their decisions will be to maintain the status quo. Though new chest protectors for goaltenders will be implemented finally, the committee will suggest that goaltender interference reviews will stay in the Toronto Situation Room for next season. LeBrun also mentions that there was plenty of discussion about Rule 48—hits to the head—but doesn’t suggest any potential decisions one way or the other.

Interference calls were a point of huge contention this year, as referees on the ice routinely made a decision that confused coaches and players. The lack of any real consistency was the complaint of most, who just wanted to clearly know what constituted interference on a goal. That debate settled down a bit after the league made an in-season decision to put the power into the hands of those in Toronto, who hired a select group retired officials to be on hand every night.

Hits to the head looks like it will be the next battlefield for the NHL, though it’s unclear who is fighting on which side. Obviously players as a whole would like to see their members suffer fewer concussions, but there doesn’t seem to be a real thirst to reduce the amount of physical play in the league. Owners on the other hand could be forgiven if they want their biggest assets (players) protected, but also don’t want to remove any excitement from the game. It’s not hard to understand why then they would have long discussions but few decisions on the rule, with it likely coming down to a stricter hand by the Department of Player Safety next season. Already we’ve seen the DoPS release videos trying to explain their decision making process more thoroughly, and that should only continue into next season.

Mark Hunter Leaves Toronto Maple Leafs

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After Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the news last night that Mark Hunter was not at the Memorial Cup as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, many believed the writing was on the wall. Today, the team announced that they and Hunter had mutually parted ways, leaving his role as assistant GM vacant for the moment. New GM Kyle Dubas has now lost two experienced executives in recent days, after Lou Lamoriello began working for the New York Islanders.

Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that while Hunter is now free from his duties for the Maple Leafs, he will not be permitted to work for another team until after the upcoming draft and free agency period. With several years remaining on his current contract, the Maple Leafs will stop him only from giving another team an advantage this year, as he is likely intimate with their plans and draft board at this point.

Hunter was passed over recently for the GM job, one that he made clear to President Brendan Shanahan that he wanted. The long-time OHL executive and coach is a top scout and has helped the Maple Leafs find several mid to late-round players that will contribute in the NHL. For now he’ll have to sit out the 2018 draft, but there’s little doubt that interest will quickly surface from around the league.

Whether he’ll take one of those other NHL jobs is unclear, as there is always a chance that he returns to the London Knights organization where he owns the team with his brother Dale Hunter. The Knights are one of the richest, most successful teams in the CHL and have routinely put powerhouse lineups on the ice.

Hunter could also end up in New York with Lamoriello, after working well together for several years. Lamoriello recently left a senior advisor role with the Maple Leafs, and though it’s not clear exactly what his title will be with the Islanders, he will be in charge of their entire hockey operations department.

For the Maple Leafs, this leaves Dubas with several big holes to fill on his staff. He already likely had to replace himself as GM of the Toronto Marlies, and now will need to bring in another new assistant GM to help the scouting side.

Lou Lamoriello Will Be Hired By New York Islanders

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Though the rumors have been floating around for some time, Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required) now confirms that Lou Lamoriello will be hired by the New York Islanders to run their hockey operations. Lamoriello was recently removed from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM position when his contract expired, and immediately linked to the Islanders as a potential destination. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Lamoriello has also already spoken with John Tavares as a representative of the Islanders.

It’s still not clear how the front office will be structured for the Islanders, as current GM Garth Snow still has several years on a contract that is unlikely to be bought out. Instead of firing their long time executive, Snow may take on a different role while Lamoriello is given the keys to the franchise. Chris Lamoriello, Lou’s son, is already in the front office as an assistant GM.

The Islanders have one of the biggest summer’s in franchise history coming up, with Tavares likely determining the direction the team takes over the next several years. If he were to re-sign, the team would be dedicated to competing for the Stanley Cup over the next few years as he remains at his top performance. If he instead spurns the only team he’s ever played for and hits the free agent market, the team could instead look to rebuild around rookie sensation Mathew Barzal and open a large window of contention a few years down the road. Barzal is an exceptional talent in his own right, but without Tavares the team doesn’t look good enough to really contend as currently constructed.

There’s also the fact that the team is expecting their new arena to be ready for the 2021-22 season, a year that the franchise will want to make as successful as possible as they try to reinvigorate their fan base. The Belmont Park location has other hurdles in its way (including a potential NHL work stoppage), but having Tavares in the fold would certainly make the team feel more comfortable as they head into their next era.

Lamoriello is technically under contract as a senior advisor for the Maple Leafs, but there was little doubt that President Brendan Shanahan would let him move on if he found another opportunity. In a similar situation to his exit from New Jersey a few years ago, it didn’t take long for another organization to come calling.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Saku Maenalanen

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Friday: The Hurricanes have officially announced the signing.  The deal comes with an $832,500 salary in the NHL. New GM Don Waddell had this to say about his newest prospect:

Saku is a big, strong winger who can really skate. Our scouting staff has been tracking this player for a long time. He had options when it came to where he would start his NHL career, and we’re pleased he has chosen Carolina.

Thursday: According to a Finnish news source (and seemingly confirmed by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet), the Carolina Hurricanes have signed Saku Maenalanen to an entry-level contract. Maenalanen is currently playing for Finland at the World Championships, after a breakout season with Karpat. The 23-year old would be limited to a one-year entry-level contract due to his age.

Maenalanen was originally selected in the fifth round by the Nashville Predators in 2013, but never signed with the club and eventually became an unrestricted free agent. Some time developing in Finland did him well, as he scored 46 points in 59 games this season as one of the top offensive players in the entire league. That was followed by a solid postseason that concluded with a third Liiga championship for the young player. The performance on the biggest stage isn’t surprising, as many will remember his seven-goal performance at the 2014 World Juniors, where he won gold playing on a line with fellow Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen.

That familiarity may come in handy if Maenalanen cracks the Carolina roster, as he likely would be used in an offensive role in the NHL. The 6’4″ winger has great hands around the net and can find weak spots in the defensive coverage. There’s no guarantee that he’ll jump right to the NHL, but his solid performance at the current Worlds is only helping his case.

Will Jeff Skinner Be The First Big Move Of The New Hurricanes Administration?

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After a league-worst ninth straight season without making the playoffs, changes were always going to be coming to the Carolina Hurricanes this off-season. Already, big moves have been made by new owner Tom Dundon, as he replaced Ron Francis as GM with Don Waddell and Bill Peters as head coach with Rod Brind’Amour. The team also brought in Rick Dudley as Sr. VP of Hockey Operations. Now, this realigned front office must decide how to proceed with structuring the roster in a way that can end their postseason drought.

Early on, the one name that has been floated around is homegrown winger Jeff Skinner. Skinner, 25, is one of the longest tenured and most consistently productive players on the Hurricanes. A supremely skilled forward, the former Calder Trophy winner has a knack for finding the back of the net and is a lethal weapon on the power play. Skinner has cracked 50 points four times in his career and has been improving in his defensive play and possession ability as his career has progressed. The fact that Skinner has been so successful on a team that has not once made the playoffs in his eight-year career tends to show that he could be even better surrounded by superior talent as well. The Los Angeles Kings were rumored to be looking into Skinner earlier this month, but now it appears that he has quite a few more suitors. In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says that the number of teams making calls on Skinner is growing. There seems to be ample interest in the skilled scorer and the Hurricanes will certainly entertain offers for the impending 2019 free agent.

However, is this really the right move for the new Carolina administration to make to begin their reconstruction? Skinner undoubtedly is one of their most valuable players, but one has to question the purpose of trading him at this point in time. The Hurricanes have one of the best young defensive corps in all of hockey are are almost overflowing with talented blue liners. Meanwhile, their offense is composed of mostly complementary players, many of whom are playing higher up in the lineup than they would on most other NHL teams. What the ’Canes need more than anything is a star forward, preferably a center, to lead the offense and bring the forward group together in a cohesive unit. A top center like this is almost certainly not going to be the return on a deal for Skinner’s expiring contract. Where they may land such a player is in dealing away one of their top defenseman. Skinner may be more valuable to the Hurricanes this season, and may even consider an extension, if the Hurricanes are able to add that top player that the team is greatly in need of. They could always trade Skinner in-season if they are unable to make a deal this off-season. If instead they choose to move Skinner right now for what would most likely be picks and prospects, it could only further impair their offense and would likely lead to a tenth-straight season without playoff hockey. For the Hurricanes’ sake, let’s hope Waddell and company carefully consider any deal related to Skinner this summer.

Latest On Ilya Kovalchuk

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One name that will grace the free agent market this summer and could be seen as a game-changer for some teams is Ilya Kovalchuk, as he returns from the KHL. Though now 35, some believe he still has what it takes to be an impact player in the NHL and could be one of the top free agents left come July 1st. It has been reported that Kovalchuk would prefer to play on the east coast in a place like New York or Florida, but there are no shortage of teams all over the league who could use a goal-scoring winger. One of those is the Edmonton Oilers, who have struggled to find enough talent to surround Connor McDavid.

That’s why it’s interesting that Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes in his latest column that the Oilers checked in on Kovalchuk. Friedman notes that “it won’t happen” and Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED adds that he believes the Oilers never even pursued the Russian winger. Edmonton will need to look elsewhere for their offensive upgrade, though it’s not clear where exactly it will come from.

For Kovalchuk, it’s unclear what his market will really be. Though it’s true that teams do need scoring wingers, he comes with more baggage than the average free agent. Not only does his history—”retiring” from the New Jersey Devils in the midst of a long-term contract to return to the KHL—stand against him with some front offices, but he also qualifies as a 35+ player this offseason. That means that a team would be held culpable for his cap hit regardless of any similar retirement decisions in the future, a risky prospect in the tight salary structures of many contenders. The Rangers, assumed the most appealing destination to Kovalchuk, are entering a mini-rebuild and may not want to spend money on an aging star. They have admitted their focus is on young players, and signing Kovalchuk for anything but big minutes and powerplay time is unlikely.

So, we’ll have to wait and see what kind of market emerges for the Russian sniper. It will likely be easier to count the teams interested than those who are not, though you can now place the Oilers firmly in the latter category.

Coaching Notes: Gulutzan, Clark, Smith

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In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, he breaks down the situations of several coaches—both employed and unemployed—around the league. One of those he touches on is Glen Gulutzan, who Friedman says received offers to become an assistant coach in both Edmonton and Buffalo.

There’s no indication that Gulutzan has made a decision yet, but with teams offering him roles as an assistant or head coach in the AHL, it seems unlikely that he’ll remain unemployed very long. The former Calgary Flames head coach was fired after a disappointing season, in which the club missed the playoffs entirely.

  • Ian Clark, the goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets, will leave the team at the end of June. His contract is expiring and will move on to new challenges, leaving Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo without their coach next season. No word on who will be replacing him, though Clark believes that “sooner or later, teams will have a director of player personnel and a director of goaltending.”
  • One interesting connection that Friedman makes regarding the New York Rangers’ vacancy, is that of D.J. Smith. The Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach has a history with Rangers’ Special Assistant Adam Graves, and has been considered for various jobs in the past. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs have recently promoted Kyle Dubas to GM, where he could have an impact on coaching hires over the next few months.

Carolina Hires Rod Brind’Amour, Removes Interim Tag From Don Waddell

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No longer are the Carolina Hurricanes without a coach or GM. The team has announced the hiring of Rod Brind’Amour as their next head coach, a decision that won’t come as a surprise to anyone. Brind’Amour will come in as Bill Peters’ replacement, after Peters exercised an out clause last month to join the Calgary Flames. The team has also announced that Don Waddell, who had been operating as interim GM, will now be the team’s official President and GM. Waddell had this to say about his newest head coach:

Rod is the greatest leader in the history of this franchise, and has earned the opportunity to take charge of our locker room. We spoke to a number of candidates for this position, but our conversations with staff and players consistently returned to the same person. Rod’s fresh ideas, ability to motivate and understanding of what it takes to bring a championship to Raleigh will help our young team take the next step toward competing to bring the Cup back to North Carolina.

Brind’Amour, who received a three-year contract, is a legendary playing figure for the Hurricanes, suiting up in 694 games for the franchise over 10 years, and lifting their first Stanley Cup as captain in 2006. Just a year after retirement he joined the club as an assistant coach, a role he has held since 2011. Now transitioning to head coach will be a daunting task, especially as he has been critiqued in the past for a middling powerplay unit and lackluster forward group.

If Brind’Amour is going to find success in Carolina, he’ll need an improved offensive attack and for Waddell to finally find the team a reliable goaltender. Scott Darling is under contract for three more seasons, but will need a huge bounce back to even get to average goaltending. His .888 save percentage was unacceptable, and one of the main reasons the Hurricanes failed to reach the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.

Waddell had already been serving as interim GM, but will now take over fully in the role moving forward. That comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer notes that Waddell had already said he did not want to be considered for the role. Perhaps he had a change of heart, or perhaps the search is taking too long and the team wanted some stability throughout the draft and free agency. Any new GM coming in would be hard pressed to set up an entire offseason strategy over the next month. Waddell, who had already been with the team (though not in this capacity), is familiar with the organization’s strengths and weaknesses.

The team also recently brought in Rick Dudley to be Waddell’s right-hand man, a duo that had previously been together with the Atlanta Thrashers. The new front office will have plenty of work to do over the next few months, as they try to bring the team back to the playoffs. Jeff Skinner is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, while Noah Hanifin needs a new contract before next season as he comes off his entry-level deal.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer both reported the hiring would be announced soon.  Alexander also reported the term of the contract.

Injury Notes: Backes, Thornton, Backstrom

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While the Boston Bruins fight to try and stay alive in their second round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning (the tea m is down 2-1 in Game 5 as of this writing), they’ll have to do it without the help of David Backes. He won’t return to the game today after a collision with Tampa’s J.T. Miller.

Though the series is certainly important, Backes’ long-term health is a bigger concern. The veteran forward went down holding his head, and immediately left the ice with help from players and the training staff. As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet points out, Backes has already had two publicly known concussions in his career, including one last season while with the Bruins. The 34-year old forward has three years remaining on his current contract with the Bruins, and registered 33 points this season.

  • Though there was hope that Joe Thornton could return to the San Jose Sharks lineup tonight, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that won’t be happening. Head coach Peter DeBoer has already ruled Thornton out, meaning the Sharks will need to stave of elimination without the help of one of their top forwards. The veteran center played in just 47 games for the Sharks this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent again this summer. He could have played his last game with San Jose should they be unable to win against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight in Game 6 of their series.
  • The Washington Capitals don’t expect to be in the same situation, as head coach Barry Trotz explained today. Despite suffering an upper-body injury, the team expects Nicklas Backstrom to play in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Andre Burakovsky still isn’t travelling with the team, but having Backstrom in the lineup gives the Capitals their best chance at finally eliminating the Penguins and moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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