Snapshots: Bouchard, King, Canucks
Evan Bouchard has been named OHL Defenseman of the Year, receiving the Max Kaminsky Trophy for 2018-19. Bouchard put up 53 points in 45 games for the London Knights, captaining the squad after returning from a brief stint in the NHL. Selected tenth overall last June, Bouchard played seven games for the Edmonton Oilers at the beginning of the season and recorded his first NHL goal in the process. The 19-year old then returned to the OHL where he routinely logged close to 30 minutes in ice time for the Knights and was a dominant player in the playoffs, recording another 21 points in just 11 games. He is now
Finished his junior career now, it seems likely that Bouchard will spend the 2019-20 season with the Oilers as a full-time member of their defense. The Oakville, Ontario native is an elite puck mover and has excellent offensive instincts. Jumping into rushes or getting pucks through traffic, Bouchard is one of the most dynamic goal-scoring threats in among junior defenseman and will try to carry over that production to the NHL level. Any doubt that he’ll be able to might have been pushed aside when he recorded three points in his AHL debut earlier this week.
- The Rockford IceHogs have removed the interim tag from Derek King‘s job title, making him the head coach moving forward. King took over when Jeremy Colliton was promoted to the NHL and finished with a 29-28-7 record behind the bench. The team has also given assistant coach Anders Sorensen a multi-year extension, providing some stability for the AHL organization.
- Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet provides updates on several Vancouver Canucks prospects, tweeting that Linus Karlsson, Kristoffer Gunnarsson, Artyom Manukyan and Toni Utunen are all expected to stay overseas for next season. As Dhaliwal subsequently points out, Gunnarsson’s exclusive draft rights expire on June 1st of this season meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent if the Canucks don’t get him under contract. The 22-year old defenseman was a fifth round pick in 2017, but has just two points in his 124-game SHL career.
Snapshots: Messier, Granato, Blake
Ahead of Game Seven between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, this year’s finalists for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award were announced by NBC Sports, including ‘Canes captain and “Mr. Game Seven” himself, Justin Williams. Williams joins Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and Nashville Predators forward and former Philadelphia Flyers fan favorite Wayne Simmonds as the three players being considered for the honor. An award unlike any other in sports, these finalists are determined by input from fans, team officials, and league executive alike, but the winner is ultimately determined by Mark Messier himself. Messier, considered one of the best leaders in league history, chooses the candidate “who best exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice”. The list of past winners of the award, dating back to its origins in 2007, include some of the most recognizable leaders in the game, many of whom remain active, such as Sidney Crosby, Zdeno Chara, Jonathan Toews, and Shea Weber. Williams, Giordano, and Simmonds are all great candidates to join their ranks.
- The Chicago Blackhawks and assistant coach Don Granato have “mutually agreed” to part ways. Granato was hired by Joel Quenneville in 2017, but does not appear to have been a fit for Jeremy Colliton‘s staff. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus writes that Granato specifically worked with younger players as a go-between for Quenneville, but that role was redundant under the younger Colliton. Granato has been coaching since the early 90’s and should be able to find a new gig in no time. In fact, he very likely has an open invitation to return to the University of Wisconsin to coach under brother Tony Granato with a Badgers squad that has their eye on a National Championship next season.
- Speaking of the college ranks, the University of North Dakota received an intriguing commitment today in the form of a legacy player. 15-year-old Jackson Blake, son of long-time NHLer and former Fighting Sioux standout Jason Blake, announced that he would be following in his father’s footsteps by joining the program – in 2022. Blake currently plays for powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary’s and finished the season in second on the U-15 team in per-game scoring with 24 points in 27 games. As one would imagine about a young teenager, Blake is still small at 5’5″; however if he reaches or exceed’s his dad’s 5’10” frame, Blake should be more than capable of making an impact at the college level down the road.
Snapshots: Fielder, Babcock, Hurricanes
The expansion Seattle franchise doesn’t yet have a single player, but they do have a team award. The management group announced today that the organization will hand out a Guyle Fielder Award every season to the “player that embodies the sportsmanship and leadership of one of Seattle’s greatest hockey legends.” If you don’t recognize Fielder’s name, you’re not alone, as his story is one of the most overlooked in hockey history.
Fielder stands as the fourth-leading scorer in professional hockey history, recording 1,929 points over a long career spent mostly in the minor leagues. In fact, he didn’t register a single one of those points in his 15 NHL games, but routinely led the Western Hockey League—not the junior league it is today, but a minor professional one—in scoring. He played for the Seattle Bombers, Americans and Totems over his career and is a legend in the area for any hockey fan old enough to remember.
- Though there may be some Toronto Maple Leafs fans hoping Mike Babcock would find his way somewhere else today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic cleared up some confusion about the head coach’s contract. Babcock does not have an out clause in his contract as some had speculated, and “remains as committed as he’s always been” to leading the Maple Leafs. The team was eliminated by the Boston Bruins last night for the third time in six years, and still haven’t progressed past the first round since 2004. Babcock has four seasons left on the massive eight-year, $50MM contract that he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2015.
- The Carolina Hurricanes didn’t hold a morning skate today as they prepare for Game Seven against the Washington Capitals, so there wasn’t a chance for Andrei Svechnikov or Micheal Ferland to get back on the ice. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that he isn’t sure whether Svechnikov will be ready to play tonight, but Ferland will probably not suit up in the do-or-die elimination game. The Hurricanes will rely on their captain Justin Williams, who has often been dubbed “Mr. Game 7” for his heroics in these situations, but has also been one of the team’s best players through the first part of the series. If the Hurricanes win it would mean that all four wild card teams have advanced to the second round, showing just how wide open the Stanley Cup playoffs really are.
Snapshots: Kings, Checkers, Hornqvist
In 2017-18, the Los Angeles Kings finished with 98 points, were a playoff team and had both a Norris Trophy and Hart Trophy finalist (and Selke winner) on their roster. Dustin Brown had found his edge again and recorded a 60-point season, while Jonathan Quick took home the Jennings Trophy as the goaltender for the team with the lowest goals against average in the NHL. Then, it all came crashing down. The club finished 30th in the NHL in 2018-19, fired their coach and traded away several assets. Things looked grim.
As Todd McLellan comes in to try and turn the team around, he spoke with Mark Spector of Sportsnet and was clear that it won’t be a quick process. The Kings aren’t expecting to be back competing for the Stanley Cup next season, and are just “at the beginning of the process.” The question now becomes what happens with the other veteran assets on Los Angeles, as names like Brown, Quick, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter aren’t getting any younger. If “it’s not going to be an overnight thing” as McLellan says, where does that leave the aging stars?
- The Charlotte Checkers will be without two key defenders for their next game, as both Trevor Carrick and Bobby Sanguinetti have been given suspensions. While Sanguinetti will serve just a single game for a check to the head, Carrick is out for three games after leaving the bench to join an on-ice altercation. The Checkers are tied 1-1 in their first-round series against the Providence Bruins, and will need to find a way to win without two of their veteran blue liners.
- Patric Hornqvist will suit up for Sweden at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, continuing his season after a disappointing exit with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hornqvist joins a squad that needed some help up front, and could very well find himself skating beside rookie sensation Elias Pettersson. The 32-year old winger won a gold medal with Sweden last year, scoring two goals in five games. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that teammate Marcus Pettersson will be an alternate for the Swedish squad.
Snapshots: Svechnikov, Hischier, Lack
It appears as though the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going to rush back one of their young stars, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. that Andrei Svechnikov is “doubtful” for tomorrow’s game. The Hurricanes are on the brink of elimination, but with Svechnikov such an integral part of their future and dealing with such a serious injury, the team simply can’t push him back too fast. With the Washington Capitals losing T.J. Oshie for the rest of the series (if not the playoffs), both teams will be short-handed in game six.
- While Switzerland isn’t a traditional hockey powerhouse, they have performed as well as anyone at recent international events. The Swiss are coming off a silver medal finish at last season’s IIHF World Championship, and will add a top name to the squad for this season. The New Jersey Devils today announced that Nico Hischier will be suiting up for his country in next month’s tournament, adding a dangerous offensive player to a group that is always extremely disciplined in their own end.
- One of Hischier’s former Devils teammates may be leaving the NHL. Swedish news source Hockeypuls reports that veteran goaltender Eddie Lack is in talks to return to his native Sweden to play for Leksands IF of the SHL. The 31-year-old is an impending free agent who did not make an NHL appearance this season and was limited by injuries to just six AHL starts with pedestrian results. While Lack has played in close to 150 NHL games, he has not been a regular contributor for two years and has not put up standout numbers for another two years before that. It’s time for Lack to move on with his career, and Leksands is reportedly excited to bring him in. The team was just promoted back to the SHL and acquiring an experience netminder could help them avoid being relegated right back to the Allsvenskan. Lack played for the organization for three years prior to jumping to North America and would be welcomed back with open arms.
Snapshots: Gagarin Cup, Sorokin, Carr
The 2019 Gagarin Cup belongs to CSKA Moscow after finishing off their sweep of Avangard today. The club was a powerhouse all season as usual, but finally won their first championship after getting to the final in three of the last four years. Former NHL forward Mikhail Grigorenko led the way with 13 goals and 21 points in the playoffs for CSKA, while Cody Franson did his best for Avangard with 17 points to lead all defenders.
With the KHL season now officially over, we’ll start to see more and more rumors pop up about the next wave of Russian talent heading to North America. Contracts technically go through the end of April, but even players on CSKA will now be able to negotiate their future in the NHL if they so choose.
- The winners couldn’t have gotten there without New York Islanders draft pick Ilya Sorokin, who was named playoff MVP. The 23-year old goaltender stopped 36 of 38 shots in the final game giving him a .947 save percentage for the playoffs. The incredible young netminder recorded five shutouts during his 20-game Cup run, showing once again why he is considered one of the best goaltenders currently outside of the NHL. Sorokin’s contract with CSKA extends through 2019-20, and at this point it is not clear when he plans on coming over to North America, if at all.
- Speaking of outstanding performances from outside of the NHL, Daniel Carr was named AHL MVP today and will receive the Les Cunningham Award. Carr played just 52 games this season for the Chicago Wolves but was an absolutely dominant presence during them. The 27-year old forward recorded 71 points, putting him third in league scoring despite playing 20 fewer games than his contemporaries. Carr is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and can sign with the team of his choosing, likely looking for another chance at the NHL. The undrafted forward has 35 points in 100 career NHL games.
Snapshots: Lady Byng, Seattle, Carolina
The NHL has announced the three finalists to be this year’s recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy, which is awarded to the player “who best combines sportsmanship and a high standard of playing ability. The Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov, the Calgary Flames’ Sean Monahan, and the St. Louis Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly are up for the title this year. The Lady Byng is a divisive award; some appreciate the intent behind the trophy while others criticize the criteria used to determine its contenders. The Lady Byng is notoriously hard to win for defensemen and has never been won by a goalie, which begs the question of why players at those positions cannot display elite sportsmanship. The award has more or less been whittled down to a measure of penalty minutes versus ice time and production for forwards, whether that is the fair determination or not. By that standard, the three finalists are strong selections. O’Reilly is a previous winner, taking home the trophy in 2013-14, was a finalist last year, and has received votes in seven of the past eight seasons. O’Reilly, who is also a Selke Trophy finalist, is an elite defensive forward, but served just 12 minutes in the penalty box this season through all 82 regular season games. It is his eighth straight season of 12 PIM or less. Barkov, also a strong two-way player, is a Lady Byng finalist for the second straight year and registered a career-low eight penalty minutes on the year while leading all Panthers forwards in points and ice time. Monahan comes in at 12 PIM of his own to go along with a strong season in all three zones as the first-line center for the Western Conference’s top seed. The winner could be any of these three.
- NHL.com’s Andrew Eide relays news out of Seattle that the refurbished Seattle Center Arena is set to be open by June of 2021. The Seattle expansion franchise ownership group is hard at work rebuilding the former Key Arena, but today have revealed the first timeline of when the facility may be open to the public. While Seattle will not begin play until later on that year at the start of the 2021-22 season, the early accessibility could open some interesting doors to the NHL. Eide writes that the league could consider hosting the Expansion Draft itself or even the NHL Entry Draft at the new home of Seattle’s team if the building is indeed up and running by the expected date. The project is still in the “demolition phase”, as all but the roof of the building is being torn apart and rebuilt, so it’s still too early to know whether the timeline will allow for any league events in the summer prior to Seattle’s inaugural season, but such a possibility would be an exciting start for the new team and fan base.
- Speaking of arenas, Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that the Carolina Hurricanes listed an attendance of 19,202 for Game Four of their first round series with the Washington Capitals. That mark is a new franchise high for the Hurricanes, who have seen a re-surge-ence in their fan base this season. Both Carolina’s play and their fan interaction have reignited local interest, which is great news for the team and area hockey. The Canes are just two years removed from ranking dead last in the NHL in attendance with 11,776 on average. While they only ranked 28th of 31 this year, their average attendance was up over 20% from 2016-17 to 14,322. Their attendance on Thursday night, if compared with averages around the league, would have ranked fifth, just behind Toronto and ahead of the likes of Detroit and Minnesota. Hockey is alive and well in Carolina right now and hopefully that continues.
Snapshots: Sandelin, Maclean, Wilder
Fresh off his third straight National Championship Game appearance and second straight NCAA title, University of Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin has been handed another prominent coaching position and deservedly so. NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports that Sandelin has been named the head coach of the USA Hockey entry into the 2020 U-20 World Junior Championships. Team USA, which has medaled in each of the past four World Juniors, has often been led by an NCAA coach, including Sandelin himself back in 2005. In this past tournament, in which the team finished with the silver medal, Sandelin served as an assistant to Mike Hastings, his in-state rival from Minnesota State University, but a change is in order. USA Hockey, led by GM John Vanbiesbrouck, have made the move to Sandelin, who has a clear track record of winning in recent years. Sandelin was excited to accept the position, stating:
The World Junior Championship is one of the greatest hockey tournaments on the calendar each year and it’s an honor to represent our country as head coach. Last year, we fell just short of our goal, so to have the opportunity to come back and get another chance at helping our country win a gold medal is exciting. The expectation for the United States in this tournament is to contend for gold and I’m excited to begin the process towards continuing the success those before us have established.
- Paul Maclean is heading back behind the bench. The Jack Adams Award-winning former NHL coach is expected to be named the head coach and general manager of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Sportsnet reports. Maclean, a native of nearby Antigonish, Nova Scotia, will replace Marc-Andre Dumont in both roles, after he was fired today following the team’s playoff exit. Maclean last coached in 2016-17 as an assistant for the Anaheim Ducks, but spent four seasons as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators, including his Jack Adams campaign in 2012-13, and had previous stops as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings and a prior stint with the “Mighty Ducks” as well. His addition is a major boost for Cape Breton, a club without much of a winning history. The Screaming Eagles are still looking for their first QMJHL Final appearance since joining the league in 1997 and hope that Maclean can take them there and potentially win them a title.
- It’s going to be an embarrassment of riches in net for the Boston College Eagles for the next few years. Despite losing star keeper Joseph Woll to the pros, the Eagles were already set to add Spencer Knight out of the U.S. National Team Development Program as their new starter next season. Knight is considered a generational talent in goal and expected to be first-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft. However, the Eagles also landed a 2020 commitment today from Henry Wilder, recently tabbed by NHL Central Scouting at the No. 14 draft-eligible goalie in North America. While that ranking doesn’t necessarily mean that Wilder will be drafted, it is a distinct possibility. Either way, BC will undoubtedly have one of the top young tandems in all college hockey, if not all of amateur hockey, in two years time. If Knight lives up to his billing in the NCAA, he is unlikely to last four years with the Eagles, but Wilder is now an excellent fallback plan. The athletic young netminder just finished a strong season at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and will have one more year of development under his belt before arriving at BC to form a formidable duo with Knight.
Snapshots: Makar, Minnesota, Turcotte
Cale Makar scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game last night for the Colorado Avalanche, with it eventually becoming the game-winning tally in a 6-2 victory. While the fans in Colorado may feel like giving him the Conn Smythe already, the accountants of the team may have something to say about that. CapFriendly tweets out the interesting performance bonus structure of Makar’s deal, which includes a $25,000 bonus for playing in five playoff games, a $107,500 bonus for playing in his tenth playoff game, and a $787,500 bonus for winning the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.
Obviously Makar winning a trophy like that is incredibly far-fetched, but it does just add another layer to his outstanding debut. The young defenseman is expected to take on a substantial role with the team next season and doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Nathan MacKinnon even told reporters today (video via Altitude Sports Radio) that the 20-year old was calling for the puck on the play that resulted in his first career goal.
- The Minnesota Wild have announced a new 10-year extension on their lease of the Xcel Energy Center, which will now extend through 2035. The team did not find much success on the ice this season, but is still a thriving organization in one of the best hockey markets in the world and will now have some extra stability moving forward. The arena opened back in 2000 when NHL hockey returned to Minnesota in the form of the expansion Wild, and has housed them ever since.
- Alex Turcotte has been added to Team USA for the upcoming U18 World Championship, set to kick off later this week in Sweden. The 18-year old forward is expected to be a top draft selection this June, ranking fourth on the final Central Scouting rankings among North American players. Turcotte was dealing with an injury recently but looks like he’ll be able to take part in the tournament that is often a final showcase for draft-eligible prospects.
Snapshots: Kane, Bruins, Thornton
USA Hockey has announced their captain for the upcoming IIHF World Championship and it will once again be Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane. Kane served as captain of the team last year when they took home a bronze, and has competed several times internationally.
The club is expected to release their preliminary roster later this week, but it appears as though they will be one of the favorites again. The American squad will also feature Kane’s teammate Alex DeBrincat, along with others like James van Riemsdyk and Quinn Hughes. The group will be led by Jeff Blashill behind the bench, and play their first official game on May 10th against Slovakia.
- When the dust settled on game two between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, it appeared as though both teams would lose players for their next matchup. Nazem Kadri is expected to be given a long suspension for his cross-check to the face of Jake Debrusk, but the Bruins forward was back on the ice today at practice and is expected to play tonight. The same can be said about Torey Krug, who will take part in the game despite looking severely injured after taking a big hit from Jake Muzzin. Kadri meanwhile is having his in-person hearing in New York with the league.
- After Kadri’s hearing the league will also be looking at Joe Thornton‘s hit from the San Jose Sharks-Vegas Golden Knights game according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Thornton made considerable contact with Tomas Nosek‘s head, and received a two minute minor penalty for it. It’s not clear if the hit will rise to the level of supplemental discipline, as the Department of Player Safety has not yet announced a hearing for Thornton. UPDATE 1:15pm: The league has announced a hearing for Thornton. It will happen today.