Morning Notes: Oilers Coaching, Hurricanes, Rangers
Elliotte Friedman provided more insight into the Edmonton Oilers’ coaching decision in the most recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, explaining that team CEO Jeff Jackson had been a very big fan of Kris Knoblauch for a while. Friedman also added that the Oilers wanted to make this decision sooner rather than later, in an effort to get the team going for the mid-season, referencing teams like the 2019 St. Louis Blues.
This provides a little more clarity to a coaching decision that came suddenly, albeit not surprisingly. The Oilers are off to an abysmal start to the season, currently ranked second-to-last in the league with a 3-9-1 record. They sit one win ahead of the San Jose Sharks, who have gone 2-12-1 through their first 15 games. They’ll now lean on a rookie NHL head coach in Knoblauch, who most recently led the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack to a 35-26-11 record and a Round 2 playoff loss last season. Knoblauch won two OHL championships in seven years coaching in the league. The first came with a Kootenay Ice team led by Brayden McNabb, Matt Fraser, and Max Reinhart. The second came with the talented 2016-17 Erie Otters roster, which featured Alex Debrincat, Dylan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, and Warren Foegele. Knoblauch also coached Connor McDavid during his three years in juniors – a fact that Friedman said didn’t necessarily weigh into his new role in Edmonton, as the team were fans of Knoblauch separate from that connection.
With the confidence of leadership behind him, Knoblauch could be poised to do something special with an Oilers roster that many expected to shine this season.
More notes from around the league:
- The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned Vasiliy Ponomarev, Domenick Fensore, Griffin Mendel, and Ronan Seeley to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Each player had been playing elsewhere to start the season, as Chicago officially opted to disconnect themselves from the Hurricanes earlier in the year. But the Wolves currently find them second-to-last in the AHL, repping a 2-6-1 record, and are now in need of reinforcements from their former NHL affiliate. The latter three assignees have started the early season in the ECHL and are earning a promotion with the move to Chicago.
- The New York Rangers have assigned Louis Domingue and Connor Mackey to the AHL lineup. Both players have bounced back and forth between the major and minor leagues, with both getting assigned to the minors on November 10th, recalled on the 11th, and now reassigned on the 13th.
Rangers Recall Three Players, Jonathan Quick Day-To-Day
Nov. 10: The Rangers returned all three players to AHL Hartford on Friday morning, a team announcement states. If Shesterkin and Quick won’t be ready to return for Sunday’s game against the Blue Jackets, expect this transaction to be reversed over the weekend.
Nov. 8: The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Louis Domingue, goaltender Dylan Garand and defenseman Connor Mackey from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, according to a team release Wednesday afternoon. Consequentially, backup goaltender Jonathan Quick is now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post.
New York is now without both halves of its usual one-two punch in net, as starter Igor Shesterkin remains sidelined on a day-to-day basis with an undisclosed injury. The Rangers are “being cautious” in his return and won’t rush him back to the lineup, per Walker.
Shesterkin, 27, has not played since stopping 26 of 27 shots against the Carolina Hurricanes last Thursday. The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner has been slightly more average than we’re used to seeing this year, posting a .913 SV% and 2.36 GAA through eight starts.
The Rangers must hope Quick’s absence doesn’t last for more than a game or two, either. Expectations were low for the 37-year-old Stanley Cup champion after he signed a one-year deal worth $825K in free agency, but he’s excelled thus far, posting a 3-0-1 record, .936 SV%, 1.77 GAA, and one shutout through five appearances in a Rangers sweater.
As a result of Quick’s injury, one of Domingue or Garand will make his Rangers debut Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Domingue cleared waivers to begin the season but has been papered up and down twice over the past week to serve as Quick’s backup for the team’s last two contests. The 31-year-old has eight years and 142 games of NHL experience to his name but hasn’t started more than ten games in a season since 2019-20 with the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks and didn’t see any NHL starts with the Rangers last season, spending the entire season with Hartford.
He’s been the better netminder out of himself and Garand with the Wolf Pack this season, posting a .934 SV% and a 3-1-0 record in four appearances. Garand, a 2020 fourth-round pick, has also played well, recording a .914 SV%, 2.63 GAA and 3-1-1 record in five games. The 21-year-old is in his second pro season after winning CHL Goaltender of the Year honors with the Kamloops Blazers in 2021-22.
This is the third recall for Mackey, 27, this month after the defender cleared waivers during the preseason. He’s yet to appear in a game for the Rangers and will likely serve as a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the Wild.
Mackey made 30 NHL appearances for the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes last season, recording three goals and seven points. He earned a relatively lucrative two-way contract with the Rangers last summer, paying him $775K in the NHL and $400K in the AHL. In seven games with the Wolf Pack this year, he’s notched two points, a +8 rating, and racked up 17 penalty minutes.
New York Rangers Assign Three Players To AHL
4:18 PM: The Rangers announce that all three players have been recalled from Hartford.
9:15 AM: The New York Rangers have reassigned three players to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack: forward Jonny Brodzinski, defenseman Connor Mackey, and goaltender Louis Domingue. The trio of players were recalled on November 3rd for the team’s eventual shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Brodzinski filled in as the team’s third-line center with Filip Chytil injured and veteran Barclay Goodrow away from the team to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Mackey was recalled to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman due to the Adam Fox injury, and Domingue was recalled in order to back up Jonathan Quick, due to an injury to starter Igor Shesterkin.
Now the three players have been returned to Hartford with just Brodzinski managing to skate in an NHL game. These reassignments are of significant consequence for the Wolf Pack, who rely on Brodzinski as their captain and offensive engine. (he has six goals, 11 points in seven games) Mackey plays a top-four role in Hartford while Domingue splits starts with prospect Dylan Garand.
For the Rangers, the return of Brodzinski to the minors indicates that, at the very least, Goodrow is ready to return to the lineup. Chytil could still take some time to recover from his injury, though it’s not expected to keep him out long-term.
As for the situation in net, Domingue’s reassignment indicates that Shesterkin could be ready to at least take up backup duties for the Rangers’ next game, which is Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Beyond the lineup implications, these reassignments have an impact on the Rangers’ salary cap situation. USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano reports that these reassignments mean that the Rangers no longer have to dip into their pool of newly available cap space (due to placing Fox on LTIR) and as a result, the team is now able to accrue cap space.
New York Rangers Recall Louis Domingue, Connor Mackey
In preparation for the team’s game tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild, the New York Rangers announce they have recalled goaltender Louis Domingue and defenseman Connor Mackey from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. In the same announcement, the team also noted that forward Barclay Goodrow would not be in the lineup, as he and his wife are preparing for the imminent birth of their son.
After spending a season in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Domingue joined the Rangers on a two-year, $1.55MM contract back in the summer of 2022. Last season, spending all year with their AHL affiliate in Hartford, Domingue did well with a 22-12-8 record, posting a .911 SV% and a 2.51 GAA. With sufficient goaltending depth at the NHL level, Domingue will likely only be on the team for tomorrow’s game, before continuing his season in the minor leagues.
Mackey, on the other hand, is in his first season with the Rangers organization, signing a one-year, $775K contract this summer after being traded from the Calgary Flames to the Arizona Coyotes at last season’s trade deadline. He’s been a solid addition to the Wolf Pack this season, scoring one goal and one assist in seven games while also holding a +8 rating.
The team shouldn’t miss Goodrow too much for a single game, as he has yet to score a point in 10 games so far this year, typically playing on the team’s fourth line next to Nick Bonino and Jimmy Vesey. The team is currently on a six-game winning streak and sits alone at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
Metro Notes: Bowman, Rangers, Lindberg
This morning, Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, reports that there may be some mutual interest between front office executive Stan Bowman and the Pittsburgh Penguins. On April 14th, the Penguins fired President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and General Manager Ron Hextall after a disappointing season.
Bowman, who recently resigned as President of Hockey Operations with the Chicago Blackhawks after the 2021-22 season, has some serious connection to the Penguins organization. His father, legendary coach Scotty Bowman, coached the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory during the 1991-92 season.
Starting as Director of Hockey Operations with the Blackhawks ahead of the 2005-06 season, Bowman was at the head of all decision-making beginning in the 2009-10 season, when he was named General Manager in Chicago. Under his tenure, the Blackhawks would go on to win three Stanley Cups, and would routinely put on a master class in retooling his roster to stay competitive in the salary cap era.
The major sticking point with not just the Penguins, but any team beginning a relationship with Bowman, is the involvement he had in hiding information about the former video coach Brad Aldrich’s alleged sexual abuse of former player Kyle Beach. The lead investigator at the time, Reid Schar, reported that Bowman’s failure to report the abuse likely led to further abuse of the player.
Other Metro notes:
- As their season came to an end on Monday night, the New York Rangers have assigned Jonny Brodzinski, Jake Leschyshyn, Libor Hajek, and Louis Domingue to their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. Because their services are no longer needed for the year in the NHL, these four will undoubtedly help Hartford compete for the Calder Cup. As things stand currently, Hartford is one win away from knocking out the Providence Bruins, shortly after knocking out the Springfield Thunderbirds in the first round.
- Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports that Penguins prospect Filip Lindberg has signed a contract with TPS of the Finnish Liiga. Lindberg was originally drafted by Pittsburgh at 197th overall in the 2019 NHL draft. Dealing with injuries the last couple of years playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Lindberg finished this year with a 6-11-1 record, posting a .896 SV% and a 3.13 GAA.
Jaroslav Halak, Louis Domingue Sign With New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have found their backup. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports the team has signed veteran Jaroslav Halak to serve as the backup to Igor Shesterkin. According to CapFriendly, the deal is worth $1.55MM, which includes a $1.25MM base, a $250K signing bonus, and $50K in performance bonuses for wins and save-percentage (link). The deal also carries a full no-movement clause.
The team also announced the acquisition of Louis Domingue to be their third-string netminder on a two-year contract. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports it’s a $775,000 cap hit for Domingue, with him earning $750,000 in 2022-23 and $800,000 in 2023-24.
The two deals reinforce the importance of goaltending depth and its place in this year’s offseason market. Halak would represent one of the league’s best true backup goaltenders and Domingue one of the league’s best third-string goaltenders, which is great for the Rangers, but more interesting considering the starter is current Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin. Despite having one of the best goaltenders in the world, the Rangers have committed $2.32MM to their goaltending today, while fighting the salary cap, and one might still consider these to be under-the-radar compared to other goaltender deals this offseason.
Halak will be returning to New York, where he spent four seasons as a member of the New York Islanders, this time playing for the bitter crosstown rivals. The 37-year-old spent this past season as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, suiting up for 17 games where he posted a .903 save-percentage and 2.94 goals-against average.
Domingue is an interesting addition for the Rangers, the goaltender nearly eliminating the team himself back in the first round of this year’s playoffs. Having played just two regular seasons games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Domingue suited up for six playoffs games following injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, winning three of them, with the team ultimately losing in seven games to New York after Jarry returned for game seven. Now, the Rangers will have a chance to experience having Domingue on their side of the ice.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Dustin Tokarski
The Pittsburgh Penguins have effectively moved on from the legend of Louis Domingue, signing former Buffalo Sabre Dustin Tokarski to serve as their third-string netminder. The contract is a one-year, one-way deal worth $775,000.
Tokarski, 32, has spent most of his professional career as a quality third goalie and should be able to handle that role successfully in Pittsburgh. Tokarski is actually coming off of perhaps the most successful tenure of his career, as he’s played in more NHL games in Buffalo than on any other stop in his career. Tokarski, taking advantage of an unsettled situation in net in Buffalo, played 29 games in 2021-22, posting an .899 save percentage. That’s not an elite number, there were games where Tokarski certainly looked like an NHL goalie.
This will be Tokarski’s second tour of duty with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, the team he played with in 2019-20. He had a .924 save percentage in 18 games there, and that memory was likely fresh in the Wilkes-Barre Scranton management’s mind when they made this deal. In all likelihood, Tokarski will take the role of starting goalie for the Penguins’ AHL affiliate and be able to provide competent backup goaltending in case he’s needed in Pittsburgh.
Casey DeSmith Undergoes Surgery
Louis Domingue, come on down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that Casey DeSmith will miss the rest of the playoffs following core muscle surgery this morning. With Tristan Jarry still out with his own injury, the Penguins crease belongs to Domingue for the time being.
It’s a brutal outcome for DeSmith, who had played brilliantly in his playoff debut before being removed partway through the second overtime period of game one. His season will end having stopped 48 of 51 shots to that point, and leave the Penguins desperately short on NHL-level goaltenders.
Jarry, who has yet to even return to the ice following his late-season injury, is the only other goaltender in the organization that even has NHL experience. Alex D’Orio, the current backup, has just 34 appearances above the ECHL level and posted an .894 save percentage for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. Filip Lindberg, the other goaltender signed to an NHL deal, hasn’t played since November because of his own injury and has just seven professional appearances.
Incredibly, that leaves Domingue as the only option the team has despite playing in just two NHL games during the regular season. After his outstanding performance to close out game one, the New York Rangers managed to slip five past him last night to even the series. It now becomes a huge ask of a career backup to step into the spotlight and carry the team through the first round.
For DeSmith, it’s more than just missing the playoffs. As a pending unrestricted free agent, this was going to be an opportunity to showcase his skills as a potential starter–or at least a tandem starter–and secure a raise on the open market. He had played well during the regular season, posting a .914 save percentage in 26 appearances, and looked to have the net all to himself until Jarry returns down the road. Now he enters the open market with an uncertain future, coming off a surgery that often has lingering effects on performance even after being medically cleared to play.
The Penguins are back in action tomorrow night.
DeSmith, Rakell Not Expected To Play Game Two
It’s Louis Domingue time now. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not expected to have Casey DeSmith or Rickard Rakell in the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Domingue is expected to get the start with minor league netminder Alex D’Orio serving as the backup.
While the broadcast originally speculated that DeSmith had exited game one in overtime due to a cramping issue, reports have surfaced since that that was not the case. Seravalli lists it as a groin injury for the Penguins netminder, who was already the second-string option with Tristan Jarry rehabbing a broken foot. Pittsburgh is now down to Domingue and D’Orio as the only healthy goaltenders in the organization (at least ones signed to NHL contracts).
Of course, Domingue does have a lot of experience at the NHL level. The 30-year-old has appeared in 142 regular season games and holds a .905 career save percentage. Amazingly his two postseason appearances have both been in relief, and both resulted in him stopping every puck he faced. A career 1.000 playoff save percentage will be in jeopardy when he takes the net this evening, trying to put the Penguins way out in front of the series.
Rakell’s absence meanwhile is a disappointing one, after he found such a nice fit down the stretch. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks, Rakell had 13 points in 19 games in the regular season. He lasted just four shifts before a hit from Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren caused him to leave with what appeared to be a concussion. He has been listed as day-to-day along with DeSmith.
Injury Updates: Wood, Smith, Domingue, Kase
Positive news on the New Jersey Devils injury front, as head coach Lindy Ruff said this morning that he hopes forward Miles Wood can return to the lineup sometime in the next seven to ten days (link). It has been a rough stretch for the Devils and for Wood, the Devils sitting in last place in the Metropolitan and Wood not having played a game yet this season due to injury. While Wood certainly won’t turn the season around in New Jersey, his grit and speed could certainly spark the team’s young core as they try to end the season on a positive note heading into 2022-23.
- The Hurricanes could be close to getting defenseman Brendan Smith back in the lineup (link). Smith had not played since suffering an injury in a game against Pittsburgh on February 20th. Adding Smith back into the lineup would certainly be a welcomed defensive depth addition for the Hurricanes.
- Goaltender Louis Domingue is back at practice for the Penguins today (link). Domingue has only played one game this season for Pittsburgh, a win on January 15th in San Jose, and has been working his way back from a foot injury. It still remains unclear what the timetable is for the goaltender.
- Yesterday evening, the Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Ondrej Kase on injured reserve. Kase has not played since Toronto’s 10-7 win over the Detroit Red Wings on February 26th. While Toronto has plenty of quality depth, losing Kase, who has 23 points in 44 games this season, is still a tough blow.