Snapshots: Torrey, Quinn, Predators
The hockey world is saddened today, as it learned of the passing of Bill Torrey. A legendary executive, Torrey was the architect of the New York Islanders dynasty and first GM of the Florida Panthers. Not only was he an outstanding general manager and president, but he was beloved by nearly the entire hockey community. A outpouring of grief has come from former players, media and executives, all sharing their favorite stories and memories.
At PHR, as with the rest of the hockey world, we extend our condolences to the Torrey family and friends. He was 83.
- David Quinn, coach of Boston University, has been rumored as a potential candidate for several NHL vacancies including that of the New York Rangers. Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that though he hasn’t told the Rangers, Quinn has indicated to friends that he’ll return to BU next season. Quinn is also set to coach Team USA at the World Juniors next year, something he obviously wouldn’t be able to do should he take an NHL job.
- The Nashville Predators look like they’ll shake up their lineup for Game 4, inserting Yannick Weber and Scott Hartnell. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that Alexei Emelin and Kevin Fiala were both on the ice late doing extra work, and appear to be coming out for the matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. The Predators are down 2-1 in the series and need to find a way to steal a game in Winnipeg to even the series, or face elimination on home ice Saturday night.
Snapshots: Boucher, Ferguson Jr., Lindholm
Senators head coach Guy Boucher is set to meet with GM Pierre Dorion and assistant GM Randy Lee on Monday, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. This is a follow-up to an exit meeting where management challenged Boucher to come up with some new ideas following a season that saw Ottawa finish 30th overall.
Speaking at the Draft Lottery on Saturday night, Dorion acknowledged to Garrioch that following the meeting, they will go through Boucher’s plan and make a decision over the coming weeks to determine whether or not he will remain as the Senators’ bench boss for next season. Boucher has one year remaining on his contract after being hired back in May of 2016.
Elsewhere around the league:
- While there hasn’t been much talk lately regarding Carolina’s vacant GM post, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes have a shortlist of four candidates for the position and Bruins executive John Ferguson Jr. is on that list. The former Toronto GM has been with Boston for the last two years and also spent time in San Jose but last worked as a general manager back in 2007-08. With their victory in the Draft Lottery, it will be interesting to see if that position becomes more attractive to candidates in the weeks to come.
- The Canucks were linked to Swedish free agent center Par Lindholm earlier this week but at the Draft Lottery, GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) that while they did scout him, they will not be the team to sign him. The 26-year-old ranked fourth in the SHL in scoring this past season with 47 points (18-29-47) in 49 games and also suited up for Sweden in the Olympics.
Snapshots: Johnson, Dubinsky, Blackhawks, Pettersson, Mittelstadt
Two long-time veterans seem to be on the outside looking in this offseason as the Columbus Blue Jackets as both defenseman Jack Johnson and center Brandon Dubinsky struggled last season and saw little to no playing time in the playoff. Johnson didn’t play in any of the Blue Jackets playoff games against Washington, even though they lost four in a row. Dubinsky ranked 10th among forwards in average ice time and only played 4:09 in the final playoff game.
While the team is highly unlikely to bring back Johnson as he is an unrestricted free agent and Columbus is overloaded in solid blueliners, Dubinsky is another situation, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required). The 32-year-old still has three years remaining on the six-year deal he signed in 2014 at $5.85MM AAV. He is the third-highest paid player on the team behind goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panerin. Portzline writes that with his drop in production this year (16 points compared to 41 in 2016-17), the veteran has no trade value and a buyout at this stage isn’t worth it. That means the team is stuck with him and only a renewed effort by Dubinsky could regain him his old role.
- The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes the Chicago Blackhawks, who will pick eighth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, the highest they’ve drafted since they chose Patrick Kane with the first overall pick in 2007, might be looking for the most NHL ready player when they pick. “You never know,” head coach Joel Quenneville said after the season ended. “You can’t discount that. They say that there’s a lot of good players in this year’s draft. Getting a player at the number is going to be a good opportunity for our scouts, there’s some excitement in that area.”
- Previously rumored, but Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson and backup goaltender Anders Nilsson have each made the preliminary roster for Sweden for the World Championships this summer in Denmark. Pettersson, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, who had the best season ever for a 18-year-old rookie in the SHL, is expected to compete for a roster spot with the Canucks in training camp.
- There were a few surprises Saturday when the U.S. released their preliminary roster for the World Championships this summer when Buffalo Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt wasn’t on the roster. The Buffalo News’ John Vogl reports that Mittelstadt didn’t make the roster due to the fact that he’s battling a groin injury, although general manager Jason Botterill said it wasn’t serious. “It’s a groin, but it shouldn’t be anything more than a couple weeks,” Botterill said. “But obviously with the tournament starting next week, it just didn’t make any sense for him to go over there.”
Snapshots: Chayka, Zito, Aucoin
Despite another disappointing season for the Arizona Coyotes, GM John Chayka still has his job. However, he knows that the stakes have been raised and the upcoming NHL Draft will be an another important step toward making something of this long-term rebuild in Arizona. With the NHL Draft Lottery fast approaching, Chayka spoke with AZ Central’s Richard Morin about his options at the top of the draft. The ‘Yotes will pick somewhere in the top six selections on June 22, but like any GM, Chayka has an eye on that top pick. Chayka believes, as most do, that Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will be the first player selected and, if it’s Arizona making the pick, believe he would make the roster out of camp and contribute immediately. As for the other top-six players, Chayka sounds prepared to take the top player on their draft board, regardless of position. However, if the Coyotes don’t land the top pick, Chayka admits that he will consider offers for the team’s top pick. Arizona traded their #7 overall pick last year, so a repeat would be surprising, but Chayka says that they will be “as prepared as possible” for potential offers.
- The Minnesota Wild need to make a decision on a GM before they make any decisions at the draft. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Wild brought in another candidate to fill that vacancy on Thursday, speaking with Columbus Blue Jackets Assistant GM Bill Zito. Zito was a finalist for the Buffalo Sabres’ GM job last summer and is currently putting together the Team USA squad for the upcoming World Championships. Many people consider Zito to be one of the top GM candidates in hockey right now. However, the Wild already interviewed Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton, who is considered the favorite for the position.
- At 39 years old, Keith Aucoin is closer in age to some GM’s than some fellow players, but has continued to be a game-changing force while playing for EHC Munchen in Germany, the champions of the DEL. Aucoin has decided to go out on top, as the team announced that he has retired from pro hockey (link in German). North American fans will remember Aucoin as one of the most accomplished AHL players of all time, whose career featured nine seasons of NHL action with five teams, but more notably seven AHL All-Star appearances, and AHL MVP Award, and two Calder Cups. Aucoin is not only one of the most recognizable minor leagues of this century, he also is easily the best pro player to ever come out of Division III college hockey as an alumnus of Norwich University. EHC Munchen adds that Aucoin is headed back to the United States and don’t be surprised to see the accomplished veteran in the coaching ranks sooner rather than later.
Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Pilut, Matthews
TSN has released a special top-15 ranking prior to tomorrow’s draft lottery, and Rasmus Dahlin remains the unanimous choice for first overall. Beyond that, the trio of forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk fill out 2-4 while four other defenseman land in the top ten.
There will undoubtedly be plenty of debate in the coming months, but one thing seems certain. Whoever wins the draft lottery tomorrow night will have Dahlin in their lineup come October. That may seem premature, but scouts seem to agree that he’ll be an impact player from day one. Make sure to tune in between the first and second periods of the Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks tomorrow night.
- John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports on rumors that Lawrence Pilut has signed with the Buffalo Sabres, adding that a deal can’t be officially announced until the defenseman finishes his stint with the Swedish national team. Pilut, 22, registered 38 points for HV71 in the SHL this season, leading all defensemen. Undersized but talented, he would add some skill to a defense corps in Buffalo that has had trouble moving the puck in recent years.
- Though there had been some rumors about a potential rift between Mike Babcock and Auston Matthews, both parties denied any problems when asked today during their season-ending media availability. Both men are obviously disappointed by the results of Wednesday’s game 7 against the Boston Bruins, but made it clear that nothing had changed in their relationship.
Snapshots: Lottery, Hischier, Brown, Bruins
The NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for this Saturday, but it won’t happen all at once. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, picks 4-15 are set to be revealed between 6:30-7:00pm CT, while the last three will be unveiled during the first intermission of the Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks game.
Remember that three teams are picked in the draft lottery, and can potentially move up all the way from 15th to 1st. The full odds have the Buffalo Sabres as the most likely to select first overall, and the Florida Panthers the least likely. Though the first pick will get the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin, there are still exceptional players available in the next few slots.
- Nico Hischier played all season with a left wrist/hand injury according to the New Jersey Devils, who announced that he would not need surgery but won’t be heading to Denmark to take part in the World Championships. Both Hischier and Pavel Zacha were invited, but will be nursing injuries for the next two to four weeks. The pair of young forwards are integral to the Devils progression from playoff surprise to Stanley Cup hopeful, and will be expected to take on an even heavier load in 2018-19.
- Speaking of injuries, Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings had shoulder surgery today but is expected to be ready for the regular season according to Jonathan Davis of NHL Network. Brown was one of the many Kings players shut out in the postseason, assisting on just one of the team’s three goals in their first round series. The 33-year old nevertheless had an outstanding bounce back campaign that saw him record 28 goals and 61 points (a career-high) in 81 games. The physical forward is under contract for another four seasons, but has turned himself from a buyout candidate to an important piece for the Kings once again.
- When the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, it meant that the conditional fifth-round pick that they sent to Chicago for Tommy Wingels was converted into a fourth-round selection in 2019. That’s a small price to pay for success in the postseason, but will help Chicago (if only slightly) restock their cupboards even more.
Snapshots: Penguins, Wild, Candella
The Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Washington Capitals in round two once again, but will open the series without two key forwards. Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin have both already been ruled out for game 1, with the latter not even making the trip to Washington with the team.
This is the exact reason that the Penguins went out and added players like Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan during the year, strengthening their squad down the middle for inevitable playoff injuries. Malkin’s absence is especially lucky for the Capitals, who he has dominated throughout his career. In 40 regular season games against Washington Malkin has 18 goals and 57 points, and has registered 19 points in 20 career playoff games between the two.
- The Minnesota Wild are looking for a new GM, but it’s not one to start a rebuild. With that in mind, Chad Graff of The Athletic (subscription required) examined the potential candidates for the job, even naming a favorite in Paul Fenton. The Nashville Predators assistant GM has been linked to several head jobs over the last few years, and according to Graff even interviewed for the Minnesota job before Fletcher was originally hired.
- The Vancouver Canucks will likely not sign Cole Candella to an entry-level contract according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130. The 20-year old defenseman was selected in the fifth round two years ago, but could end up re-entering the draft should he go unsigned by June 1st. Though he led the Sudbury Wolves blue line in scoring this season with 33 points, he’ll have to look for his next opportunity elsewhere.
Snapshots: Round Two And World Championships
The NHL is expected to wait on the result of Game Seven tomorrow night between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs before announcing a full schedule for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, they have at least put an end to the wait on the dates and times of the series openers. No one is more relieved than the Vegas Golden Knights, who have already been inactive for a week after sweeping the Los Angeles Kings. The Knights will host the San Jose Sharks, also fresh off a sweep of the Anaheim Ducks, at 10 PM ET on Thursday, April 26th. The second round will kick off earlier that evening with the third-straight postseason collision between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. With their Metropolitan Division rivals out of the way, that series will get underway in Washington at 7 PM ET on Thursday. Friday night, the 27th, will feature the much-anticipated match-up between the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets, the top two teams in the NHL in the regular season. That series starts in Nashville at 8 PM ET on Friday. Finally, the Tampa Bay Lightning await the winner of Bruins-Maple Leafs and the decision also affects when their second round begins on Saturday, the 28th. If the Bruins win on Wednesday night, they’ll travel to Tampa for a 3 PM ET puck drop, but if the Leafs pull off the comeback and take the series, they’ll take the ice against the Lightning later in the day at 8 PM ET. Stay tuned for more Round Two schedule updates in the next 36 hours or so.
- Meanwhile, the “consolation playoffs”, the IIHF World Championships, will begin in Denmark on May 4th and teams continue to add talent from those NHL teams who have been eliminated from the postseason. Insider Juha Hiitela adds another name to the list, confirming that Minnesota Wild forward Mikael Granlund will suit up for Finland at the tournament. Granlund scored at the highest clip of his career in 2017-18, recording 67 points in 77 games, including a career-high 46 assists. He added another three points in Minnesota’s first round playoff series versus Winnipeg, but the Wild were outmatched by the Jets and fell in five games. Now, Granlund will have a chance to return to the World Championships, where last he scored 12 points in 10 games to lead Finland to a second-place finish.
- However, Hiitela adds that New Jersey Devils top defenseman Sami Vatanen will not be joining Granlund in Denmark. Per Hiitela, Vatanen suffered a concussion in the Devils opening series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This adds some clarity to the recent situation in which Vatanen missed most of Game Four and all of the deciding Game Five with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Just as he was missed by New Jersey, he’ll be missed by Finland at the World Championships. This would have been the first appearance at the tournament for the five-year NHL veteran.
Snapshots: Kinkaid, Jets, Malkin
He won’t be facing any Taylor Hall shots, but Keith Kinkaid of the New Jersey Devils is headed to the World Championships for Team USA. Kinkaid started six games in the 2016 tournament, but struggled to find any consistency and his team failed to medal. This time around, things are a little bit different in his career.
Kinkaid essentially took the net from Cory Schneider this season, registering a .913 save percentage in 41 games and showing that he could have what it takes to be a starting goaltender in the NHL. It came at a good time, as the 28-year old goaltender is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st, but could hold out to hit free agency in 2019. Though he struggled in the postseason allowing nine goals on 46 shots, his body of work over a relatively short career is impressive enough to put him among the candidates for a long-term deal on the open market. A good performance at the Worlds would only add to that resume.
- The Winnipeg Jets happily welcomed Toby Enstrom and Nikolaj Ehlers back to the ice today without their previous non-contact sweaters, meaning a return for the beginning of the second round seems possible. Ehlers played in just four games in the opening series, while Enstrom has yet to suit up in the postseason. According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, Enstrom took his normal place beside Dustin Byfuglien in practice, while Ehlers was alongside Paul Stastny on the second line. Though nothing is official yet, the Jets are expected to kick off their second round series against the Nashville Predators on Friday night.
- Evgeni Malkin was spotted by The Athletic’s Josh Yohe today, who noted that though there were no apparent casts, the superstar forward was walking with a “hint of a limp.” Malkin didn’t play in Game 6 of the first round, but is apparently “day to day” according to head coach Mike Sullivan. Getting Malkin back soon is imperative for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they prepare for another second round matchup with the Washington Capitals.
Snapshots: Sweden, Voynov, Yawney
Sweden released their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Championships, and it is loaded with NHL talent. John Klingberg, Adam Larsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Erik Gustafsson, Adrian Kempe, Mikael Backlund, Johan Larsson, Mattias Janmark, Lias Andersson, Jacob de La Rose, Magnus Paajarvi and Mika Zibanejad will all be heading to the tournament for the Swedes.
Though obviously this group is missing some of their top options like Erik Karlsson and Henrik Zetterberg, it will also have some very interesting young players filling the gaps. Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Erik Brannstrom will be among the defense corps, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver expects Elias Pettersson will be added soon.
- There have been some conflicting reports on Slava Voynov‘s potential return to the NHL, but Arthur Staple of The Athletic can make one thing very clear. The New York Islanders have not reached out to anyone connected to the former NHL player, and have “zero interest” in bringing him aboard. Whether or not any team will actually sign the 28-year old defenseman is still unclear.
- The Anaheim Ducks will not bring back assistant coach Trent Yawney next season, choosing not to renew his contract. Yawney has been with the Ducks organization for seven seasons, first as head coach of their AHL affiliate (Syracuse, then Norfolk) and the last four seasons as an assistant to Bruce Boudreau and Randy Carlyle in the NHL.