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Snapshots: McCarron, Golden Knights, Zito

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The Montreal Canadiens have sent Michael McCarron back to the AHL to play in the IceCaps playoff run. The young forward had 19 points in 32 games in the AHL this season, but spent the better part of the year either on the Canadiens’ fourth line or in the press box. After being selected in the first round (25th overall) in 2013, McCarron has yet to make a real impact at the NHL level. His size and goal scoring ability has been on display at the lower levels, but will need to find more consistency to play a regular role in Montreal next year.

For now, he’ll join St. John’s for their playoff series with the Syracuse Crunch, currently tied at a game apiece. The two teams are back at it Wednesday night as they look for a first round victory and a step closer to the Calder Cup. McCarron should give the IceCaps a big boost up front, joining other young forwards like Charles Hudon and Nikita Scherbak.

  • Vegas Golden Knights’ head coach Gerard Gallant believes that his squad will be more talented than either of the Columbus Blue Jackets or Minnesota Wild when they entered the league, telling NHL.com that they will have a better chance at getting “a few more high-end players”. While it’s true that the Golden Knights don’t have to battle with another team in the upcoming expansion draft, the Wild were lucky enough to get Marian Gaborik third overall in their first entry draft, something that Vegas will need to emulate should they want to compete in their first few years. The Golden Knights will have the most important day to-date for their franchise on Saturday when the league holds the Draft Lottery. Vegas currently holds a 10.3% chance to select first overall, and will almost assuredly be drafting somewhere in the top-5.
  • John Vogl of The Buffalo News reports that Blue Jackets’ assistant General Manger Bill Zito should be considered a candidate for the vacant GM role in Buffalo. Vogl has compiled a list of names that should be considered with many likely interviewing for the job. It includes current assistants Zito, Tom Fitzgerald (Devils), Jason Botterill (Penguins), Chris Drury (Rangers) and Norm Maciver (Chicago). It will be interesting to see if Terry Pegula and the Buffalo organization do hire someone who hasn’t held a GM position before, as he stated in a recent press conference that experience was one of the things they would prioritize in the search.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Stevens, Hayes, Lady Byng Finalists

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Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson revealed to reporters, including ESPN’s Joe McDonald (Twitter link), that he played through the entire first round of the playoffs with two hairline fractures in his right foot.  He added that he was receiving regular injections to help deal with the pain and that he’s hopeful that it will be back to normal by Thursday.

Despite the injury, Karlsson logged a heavy workload for Ottawa in their first round victory over Boston.  He led the team (and the league) in ice time with an average of 30:23 per game while his six assists lead all defensemen in the postseason.  He will undoubtedly be a focal point of their attack as the Sens get set to take on the Rangers in the second round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Kings named John Stevens their new head coach today. Helene Elliott of the LA Times reports that the bench boss will receive a three year contract and that there may be options involved as well.  Stevens will now turn to hiring assistants to replace himself and Davis Payne who was let go along with Darryl Sutter at the end of the season.
  • Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe suggests that it’s likely that right winger Jimmy Hayes has played his last game in a Bruins uniform. However, given his disastrous campaign, one where he recorded just five points in 58 games and his $2.6MM contract for next season, it’s unlikely that the team will be able to trade him or that Vegas will take him in expansion.  As a result, he notes that he’s a strong candidate for a buyout.  Doing so would cost Boston a cap charge of roughly $867K for the next two seasons.
  • The NHL announced the finalists for the Lady Byng Award, given to the player who best combines sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and ability. The top three in the voting are Johnny Gaudreau of the Flames, Mikael Granlund from Minnesota, and Vladimir Tarasenko of St. Louis.  The winner will be announced on June 21st during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Prospect Snapshots: Vesalainen, Kopacka, Nosek

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Finland’s Kristian Vesalainen was named the MVP of the 2017 U18 IIHF Ice Hockey World Champions today despite the team’s 4-2 loss to Team USA in the gold medal game today . The 17-year-old forward is considered to be a first-round target in the upcoming 2017 NHL Draft and his stock could be rising after he scored six goals and 13 points in the tournament. NHL.com has him rated the seventh-ranked European skater in the draft.

Versalainen was also named the Best Forward in the Directorate Awards along with fellow countryman Miro Heiskanen for Best Defenseman and Russia’s Maxim Zhukov as the Best Goaltender. The United States had three players voted to the Media All-Star team, including goalie lan St. Cyr, defenseman Maxwell Gidon and forward Sean Dhooghe. Vesalainen, Heiskanen and Russian forward Ivan Chekhovich rounded out the voting.

  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have signed 2016 fourth-round pick Jack Kopacka to a three-year entry-level contract today. The 19-year-old wing led his team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League with 30 goals this year. He also added 19 assists for 49 points. The 93rd overall pick in this past draft finished with 50 goals in two plus seasons with his OHL team. Kopacka is the second player from his team to sign an NHL deal today as Tampa Bay signed his teammate Boris Katchouk earlier today.
  • Detroit Red Wings Tomas Nosek continues his success in the AHL this year and, according to Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James, is beginning to show that he belongs in the Red Wings lineup next season. The 24-year-old forward scored the overtime goal in the Grand Rapids Griffins Game 1 playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals and has taken his game up a level from a year ago. Nosek played 11 games for the Red Wings this season, scoring one goal, but since this is his third season in the AHL, he will no longer by waiver exempt, so Detroit may have to look at him more closely.

Snapshots: Shaw, Flames, Blackhawks

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Facing elimination for the first time this spring, the Montreal Canadiens didn’t need any additional adversity heading into Saturday night’s game. Unfortunately, they’re going to have some.

Forward Andrew Shaw was not at practice and will not be in the lineup for Game 6, according to coach Claude Julien via John Lu of TSN. The team announced he is dealing with an upper-body injury, and is considered day-to-day. Based on this morning’s skate, the Canadiens will dress the following lines tonight:

Max Pacioretty – Phillip Danault – Alexander Radulov
Artturi Lehkonen – Tomas Plekanec – Brendan Gallagher
Alex Galchenyuk – Brian Flynn – Paul Byron
Dwight King – Steve Ott – Michael McCarron

Andrei Markov – Shea Weber
Alexei Emelin – Jeff Petry
Brandon Davidson – Jordie Benn

Carey Price

Shaw has struggled so far in this series. He’s currently pointless, with a -2 rating, seven PIM, and is just 31% in the face-off circle. After scoring 29 points in 68 games in the regular season with a 54% success rate in the dot, it begs the question of how long Shaw has been dealing with this injury. Despite his struggles, he would be a valuable addition should the Canadiens force a seventh game; Shaw has played in three game sevens with the Chicago Blackhawks (2-1 record). He had 35 points in 67 playoff games as a Blackhawk.

  • Over in Calgary, the team packed their bags on Friday. Several notable names are pending free agents, and most of them spoke with the media and expressed a desire to return, per Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun. Count Kris Versteeg, Michael Stone, Chad Johnson, Brian Elliott, and Deryk Engelland as interested in staying in Alberta; Dennis Wideman was not there on Friday, a day after being named in a $10.25MM lawsuit. Wideman played just four games down the stretch and none in the playoffs. He won’t be back. Versteeg and Stone both expressed strong interest in returning; both have family in the area. Somewhat more surprising was Elliott, who many believe will not return after his disastrous playoffs (0-3, .880 SV%, 3.89 GAA in four games).
  • As I covered this morning, the Blackhawks cleaned out their lockers today. Since then, a few players have spoken to the media. Per a series of tweets from Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune, defenseman Brian Campbell said he would rather retire than sign elsewhere, Trevor van Riemsdyk also hopes to back in Chicago, but isn’t sure what will happen at the expansion draft, and Richard Panik is unsure of his value heading into negotiations and will not play at the World Championships. Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin will be joining USA and Russia, respectively.

Snapshots: Krejci, Stevens, Stastny

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Boston’s David Krejci suffered an injury after a knee-on-knee collision with Ottawa’s Chris Wideman. He will not return to the game. There was no call on the ice, although the play easily could have drawn an infraction. The play can be viewed here. Krejci could not put much weight on his leg and looked pained as he left the ice. The Bruin had just returned from a previous, unrelated injury, and was slotted in as the 2nd line center between wingers Drew Stafford and David Backes. Krejci had tallied 54 points in the full 82 games this past season. His team is fighting to stave off elimination at the hands of the Senators, trailing 3-1 in the series. Regardless of the result of the game, there is the possibility for review for Wideman by the Department of Player Safety, especially in light of an equally scary Kadri-on-Ovechkin hit just minutes earlier in the other contest.

  • The Los Angeles Kings are reportedly close to an agreement to hire John Stevens as their new head coach. As noted by colleague Gavin Lee earlier this month, his son, captain of Northwestern (also John Stevens), has drawn interest from management. Stevens (the senior) started out his head coaching career with 6 seasons for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, culminating in a Calder Cup win in 2004-05 – a season which drew lots of interest due to the NHL lockout of that year. Stevens was promoted to head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers after the following season, serving until he was fired midway through the 2009-10 campaign. Following his firing, that Flyers team then went on to make the Finals after just barely making the post-season under Peter Laviolette. Stevens earned two Stanley Cup rings as assistant coach to Darryl Sutter during the Kings’ championship runs of 2012 and 2014, after his brief (4-game) stint as interim coach for the franchise. Stevens is known for his endearing “players’ coach” personality and rapport with developing younger players. He has an all-time record of 122-111-34 as a head NHL bench boss.
  • Help is apparently on the way for the St. Louis Blues, who still hold a commanding 3-1 lead in their series with the Minnesota Wild. Both Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera look probable to return to competition in Game 5. Stastny has been out of action since he took a shot from a teammate off the foot a month ago. Lehtera has been out with an apparent illness since April 8th. Stastny potted 40 points in his limited 66 games this season, while Lehtera was less impressive with 22 in 64 games. Both centers will provide depth up the middle for St. Louis, and assistance on faceoffs. Considering how proficient Jake Allen has been so far these playoffs, their contributions on the defensive side of the puck will only make Minnesota’s offensive efforts even tougher. Both players posted average Corsi For just above the mid-line 50%, but each boasts a wealth of playoff experience that is difficult to replace this time of year. Stastny’s post-season consistency in particular should inspire confidence in his ability to contribute to his squad. Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford are expected to sit out.

*The original post had incorrectly cited Dennis Wideman as the offender*

Snapshots: Bunnaman, Backman, Stone

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Connor Bunnaman to an entry-level deal after his big season for the Kitchener Rangers. The fourth-round pick from last summer scored 37 goals in 64 games and showed off his potential as a power forward.

Now just 19, Bunnaman will have to return to the OHL next year should he not make the Flyers out of camp. After leading a pretty loaded Rangers team in goals, the Flyers hope he’ll push his offensive boundaries even further next season.

  • Mattias Backman will not be playing for the Hershey Bears in the AHL playoffs. He’s left the team, and as Sean Shapiro tweets he’s headed back to Sweden and is “pretty much done” as a Dallas Stars prospect. Backman was loaned at the deadline from Texas to Hershey, but will now return to the SHL where he had such success. Just 24-years old, there is still a chance he’ll return to the NHL some day, but for now shouldn’t be counted on as part of the Stars’ future.
  • Like Kris Versteeg earlier today, Michael Stone told Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet that he thinks Calgary is a really good fit, and would be open to re-signing there. While no player is going to chew out his team on their way to free agency, Stone is right when he says it’s a good fit. He slid nicely into their defensive group after being acquired prior to the deadline, and with Dennis Wideman coming off the books could easily fit there on a longer term. With Calgary needing goaltending above all else, inking Stone to an extension before he becomes an unrestricted free agent would free their plates for the real task at hand.

Snapshots: Sabres, Montgomery, Gillies, Henderson

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When the Buffalo Sabres fired both head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray this morning, they effectively cleaned house and set themselves up to start all over again from the top down. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet now reports that it wasn’t just those two that were shown the door, but also Director of Pro Scouting Rob Murphy and Director of Amateur Scouting Greg Royce. It’s very surprising that these two would be let go so close to both the entry and expansion drafts, as whoever comes in will have to rely entirely on the scouts themselves to work through the process.

Perhaps Buffalo has a plan in place already, as both Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News and Chuck Gormley each have heard the name Norm MacIver in consideration for the position. Don’t count the Blackhawks’ assistant GM as hired yet, but he has long been thought of as a future GM in the league and would be a solid hire for the Sabres. For now, Sabres’ owner Terry Pegula will address the media tomorrow to explain all of the decisions, and likely give some insight as to where the team goes from here.

  • Jim Montgomery will interview for the vacant Florida Panthers position according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The college coach who led the University of Denver to victory over UMD in the NCAA Championship game, will meet with the Panthers in the next 7-10 days to see if there is a fit. Chambers says that Montgomery leaving could prompt several players to leave the school early and turn pro, as they committed to working with him and not whoever would follow in the position. Earlier this month it was reported that Henrik Borgstrom will return for his sophomore season, but he could easily follow Montgomery to Florida should he choose. The 19-year old was a first round pick of the Panthers last summer.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Jon Gillies back to the Stockton Heat for their playoff series after he watched the Anaheim Ducks defeat his NHL club. Gillies was serving as the emergency goaltender in Calgary and will now return to Stockton where he played the majority of the year. The Heat also signed Tyler Parsons to an amateur tryout today, meaning the goaltending situation in Stockton is quite full. Gillies will likely get the lion’s share of the starts in the postseason.
  • In a story that just won’t go away, Don Henderson—the linesman injured by a blindside Dennis Wideman hit last season—has filed a $10.25MM lawsuit against Wideman and the Flames organization, according to Rick Westhead of TSN. Henderson has never returned to the league, and according to Westhead is now claiming he “has suffered a limitation of activities and loss of enjoyment of life” and a long list of medical symptoms from this incident.

Snapshots: Schmaltz, Gaunce, Emelin

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The St. Louis Blues have sent Jordan Schmaltz back to the AHL to join the Chicago Wolves for their playoff run. With Robert Bortuzzo firmly in the lineup, there was no room for Schmaltz as the Blues continue their series against the Minnesota Wild. Instead, he’ll return to the AHL where he has dominated this season, scoring 25 points in 42 games.

Drafted in the first round in 2012, Schmaltz played exceptionally well at the University of North Dakota before making an impact as an AHL rookie last year. With another solid season and his NHL debut under his belt, he’ll be a leading candidate for a full-time job with the Blues next season. He’ll be entering the final year of his entry-level deal, and could sign an extension as soon as July 1st.

  • The Vancouver Canucks’ Brendan Gaunce will have surgery to repair his shoulder and begin rehab to try and be ready for next season. Apparently he and the medical staff had been trying to avoid surgery, but have no other choice after his “response to treatment.” Gaunce played 57 games for the Canucks this season, recording just five points. He still hasn’t shown that high-end potential that was so apparent in junior, but is still just 23 years old and can still improve his game.
  • The Montreal Canadiens are expected to insert Alexei Emelin into their lineup for Game 5 against the New York Rangers, though he is technically a game-time decision. The injured defenseman has yet to play in the series, but will add another element of toughness to a group that has been pushed around physically by the normally smaller Rangers team. With 203 hits in the series, New York easily paces the entire NHL playoffs. Emelin, as Canadiens head coach Claude Julien told TSN’s John Lu, will make you keep your head up when he’s on the ice.

Snapshots: Draisaitl, Myers, Puljujarvi

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Leon Draisaitl will indeed receive a hearing with the Department of Player Safety today after his spear on Chris Tierney last night. The Edmonton Oilers forward was given a five minute major and game misconduct, but will likely face supplementary discipline.

The hearing itself doesn’t neccesarily mean a suspension, as Draisaitl could be given just a fine. Brad Marchand was recently suspended two games for his spear on Jake Dotchin, though he has a lengthy history with the DoPs while Draisaitl has none. After the Sharks tied the series up with a 7-0 thumping last night, it would be a big blow should the Oilers lose their young forward for any length of time.

  • According to Dave Issac of the Courier-Post the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will bring Phillipe Myers aboard for their playoff run, after his Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs yesterday. The undrafted Myers was signed to an entry-level deal in 2015, and has since developed into an excellent prospect. His play at both ends of the rink was on display at the most recent World Junior tournament, where he scored three points in four games before suffering an injury.
  • Ryan Rishaug of TSN throws cold water on the Jesse Puljujarvi ideas, as he tweets it is “highly unlikely” the fourth-overall pick will see time in the Oilers-Sharks series. Puljujarvi’s season with the Bakersfield Condors came to an end with no playoff berth, and many had hoped he would join the Oilers for a few games to show off his talents. If the Oilers advance however, don’t count him out. Injuries in the playoffs are common, and he isn’t very far down the depth chart for replacements.

Snapshots: Boedker, Kane, Point

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Mikkel Boedker will be a healthy scratch again for the San Jose Sharks tonight according to Kevin Kurz of NBC, marking the third time this season. He was put in the press box back in January because of his consistency, and sat out game 3 of this series on Sunday night.

Boedker was signed to a four-year, $16MM deal on July 1st last summer, and hasn’t come close to living up to it at this point. His 26 points were the lowest total he’s registered since 2011-12 when he was just 22, and are almost exactly half of the 51 he recorded last season. He may be an early candidate for a buyout at some point, if he can’t return to the solid 40+ point player he looked like in Arizona. The Sharks have several raises to hand out to their young RFAs over the next few years, and may need an extra couple of million to fit them all in.

  • Evander Kane put up his best season offensively since 2011-12, and with it has regained some of his trade value according to Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Hockey Beat. There were constant rumors last year about his availability, but now the Sabres could likely get a real asset in trade. That is, unless they want to extend the young power forward, as he has just one season left on his current deal. At just 25-years old, Kane will be talked about a lot this summer and next season should he stay in Buffalo. If they do hold on to him, he would likely be one of the top prizes at next year’s trade deadline, whether the Sabres are involved in a playoff hunt or not.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning weren’t expecting the breakout of Brayden Point, but as Bryan Burns of NHL.com writes, they’ll take it. His emergence as a top-six center is crucial to the Lightning’s immediate future, due to the exceptionally low cap-hit he’ll cause the next two seasons. For a team that will be hard-pressed to fit in new deals for Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin even with the great work they did at the trade deadline, Point’s cheap contract will come in handy. He may even make Johnson expendable, and give the Lightning another impressive trade chip this summer.

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