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Snapshots: Reynolds, Andersen, Vegas Goalies

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Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch is reporting this morning that actor Ryan Reynolds has officially pulled himself out of the running to own a stake in the Ottawa Senators, per sources. Reynolds, who had aligned himself with Canadian developer Chris Bratty and the Remington Group, intended not to join other bids at the beginning of the sale process and has held true to his initial position, despite offers from groups still in the running to join their bids.

Garrioch also reports that Michael Andlauer, a minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens and one of the four bidders remaining under consideration to purchase the team, remains “confident” he’ll be the party anointed by the team and the league as Ottawa’s next owner. Two other bids were also receiving “serious consideration,” per Garrioch, but one name notably not mentioned was Neko Sparks, the Los Angeles-based investor whose bid includes backing from Snoop Dogg and the Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg First Nations group.

  • After he was given the night off for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, thanks to Game 1 stretching well into the fourth overtime period, the Carolina Hurricanes are returning to Frederik Andersen tonight, per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, to help them climb out of a 2-0 series hole against the Florida Panthers. His .936 save percentage leads all netminders in the playoffs, but unfortunately, the only goalie who’s played better than he, Sergei Bobrovsky, is in the opposing crease.
  • Laurent Brossoit and Logan Thompson will remain out of the Vegas Golden Knights goalie rotation for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Final, as head coach Bruce Cassidy today confirmed they won’t travel with the team to Dallas. While Brossoit wasn’t expected to play at all in this series, Thompson is working his way back from a lower-body injury that’s cost him the last few months and was potentially an option for the team. Adin Hill, who now boasts a .930 save percentage in seven playoff appearances, will continue in the starter’s net for Vegas.

Snapshots: Vladar, Rangers, Brodzinski

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Back in October, the Flames signed goaltender Daniel Vladar to a two-year contract extension, suggesting their intention for him to be part of the plans in goal for a little while longer.  However, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson wonders if the 25-year-old might be better off being a trade option for Calgary this summer.  With AHL MVP Dustin Wolf waiting in the wings while being on a contract that’s nearly $1.4MM cheaper, it’s possible that the Flames could be better served by moving Vladar and getting some much-needed cap space; they currently are pegged to have just $1.25MM in cap room this summer, per CapFriendly, with several roster spots needing to be filled.  Vladar posted a 2.87 GAA with a .894 SV% in 27 appearances this season and if he was to be made available, Calgary could have a few teams inquiring about his services.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Mollie Walker of the New York Post examines some low-cost goaltending options for the Rangers this summer, including a possible reunion with Jaroslav Halak. The 38-year-old posted a 2.72 GAA with a .903 SV% in 25 games this season and Walker suggests that there’s mutual interest in a return.  However, with cap space being at a premium next season, Halak would almost certainly have to take a pay cut from the $1.5MM in guaranteed money he had in 2022-23.
  • Flyers prospect Bryce Brodzinski will return for his fifth and final NCAA season with Minnesota, the Golden Gophers announced. The 22-year-old forward was a seventh-round pick by Philadelphia back in 2019 (196th overall) and had 19 goals and 12 assists in 40 games this season.  Had he not opted to stay in school, the Flyers would have lost his rights if he was unsigned by August 15th.  Instead, they’ll hold his rights one season longer.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Penguins, Canucks

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After the recent public referendum on a potential new arena for the Arizona Coyotes fell short last Tuesday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont pitched the team to relocate its services to the American Northeast. Connecticut has not seen a professional team since the Hartford Whalers, who held a place in the NHL from 1979-1997, before moving to Raleigh, NC before the start of the 1997-98 season.

In an interview, Lamont said, “This is a great hockey state and a great hockey town,” Lamont said. “It’s evidenced by the passion we have for the Whalers going back years — still one of the best selling jerseys. I think we can guarantee them a very strong market right here, and a government that’s ready to come and be their partner.”

To throw cold water on the idea that the Coyotes may be relocating after the recent disappointment of not receiving a stadium, the CEO of the team, Xavier A. Gutierrez, confirmed to Arizona fans that the team is not for sale. For the time being, Arizona will continue its stay at Mullett Arena, originally home of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Other snapshots:

  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins have finished their second round of interviews for their opening at General Manager. LeBrun indicates that Eric Tulsky, Dan MacKinnon, Steve Greeley, and Jason Karmanos have all had interviews up to this point. Although Kyle Dubas has indicated that it was Toronto Maple Leafs or bust for his future, the opening for General Manager of the Penguins may prove enticing as the offseason progresses. As far as potential candidates go, Tulsky and Dubas both show a much different trajectory for the Penguins organization, as both possess extensive knowledge of the analytical side of hockey.
  • In an interview with Swedish writer, Ronnie Ronnkvist, General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Patrik Allvin, states that the team is looking to add help at center and the blue line for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season. As Allvin states that the Canucks are looking for potential fits for their third-line center role, Lars Eller, Evan Rodrigues, and Nick Bjugstad all seem like ideal candidates.

Snapshots: Sullivan, Lomberg, Hainsey, Martinsen Lilleberg

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There has been some speculation recently that a possible chain reaction of hirings could eventually result in Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan being let go and moving behind the bench for the Rangers.  However, the bench boss poured cold water on that idea, telling Mollie Walker of the New York Post that he is “here for the long haul” with Pittsburgh.  Sullivan has four years left on his contract with Pittsburgh and is expected to have some sort of say in who the team brings in to fill out their front office after dismissing GM Ron Hextall and Brian Burke at the end of the regular season.  Accordingly, it stands to reason that he’ll be behind the bench when the puck drops on the 2023-24 campaign in October.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Panthers winger Ryan Lomberg was a full participant at practice today, notes George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 28-year-old suffered an upper-body injury partway through the first round against Boston and missed the entire second round versus Toronto.  Head coach Paul Maurice indicated after practice today that his full team is available for the series opener tomorrow in Carolina so it appears that Lomberg will be back after missing the last eight games.
  • Ron Hainsey is moving up the ranks at the NHLPA as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli relays (Twitter link) that the long-time NHL blueliner is now their Assistant Executive Director. Hainsey, who played 17 seasons in the league with eight different teams, played a significant role in the search new Executive Director Marty Walsh and he has been rewarded for those efforts with a promotion.
  • Coyotes prospect Emil Martinsen Lilleberg is on the move as Vaxjo of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Coyotes (107th overall) back in 2021 and had three goals and eight assists in 46 games with IK Oskarshamn and is currently playing in his third straight World Championship with Norway.  Drafted as a 20-year-old, Arizona only has Martinsen Lilleberg’s draft rights until June 1st so it appears that they will not be signing him based on this new agreement in Sweden.

Snapshots: Tempe Arena Vote, Lilja, Korshkov

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Today is the day Arizona Coyotes fans have been nervously waiting for. In Tempe, it’s the final day to cast a vote in the local referendum, which determines whether the team can move forward with its plan for a new arena and entertainment district in the city, as NHL insider Frank Seravalli outlines in his latest for Daily Faceoff.

While an already high turnout thanks to lots of mail-in ballots have the Coyotes optimistic about a ’yes’ result, Seravalli says it’s anything but a sure thing. Seravalli relayed reports from NHL sources that political opposition groups outspent the Coyotes massively on advertising ahead of the election, while the Coyotes management (including general manager Bill Armstrong) has been actively soliciting votes door-to-door in the community.

Results could be announced as soon as 10 p.m. CT tonight, with a ’no’ vote effectively killing the Coyotes’ future in the state. Further hurdles still need to be cleared in order for the project to move forward if Tempe voters opt to approve the project, such as ongoing legal battles with the City of Phoenix, but regardless, it’s a transformative night for the NHL and its most maligned franchise.

More from around the hockey world today:

  • Per reports out of Russia, former Columbus Blue Jackets winger Jakob Lilja could be extending his stay overseas — this time with the NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta. The 29-year-old Swedish winger played in 37 games with Columbus in 2019-20, his only season in North America to date, recording five points. Since then, he’s had three relatively successful seasons in the KHL with Barys Nur-Sultan (now Barys Astana) and Dynamo Moskva, but he’ll have a bit more ice time available to him in Switzerland. Ambrì-Piotta’s roster for next season already includes former NHLers Tim Heed and Filip Chlapik, as well as Arizona Coyotes center prospect Manix Landry.
  • 2016 second-round pick Egor Korshkov has been dealt in the KHL, heading to Amur Khabarovsk after three seasons with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect never panned out, only playing one full season in the AHL, but he did score one goal in his only NHL appearance in the 2019-20 season. His player rights have since been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and, later, the Florida Panthers, where he remains on their reserve list should he ever choose to return to the NHL. Now 26, Korshkov had just four goals in 40 KHL games last season.

Snapshots: Landeskog, Reinbacher, Agents

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Outside of the playoffs, one of the major questions in the hockey world is if we will ever see the return of Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. On May 10th, Landeskog opted to receive a cartilage transplant on his right knee, which will likely sideline him for the entirety of the 2023-24 NHL season.

This will mark two straight years that Landeskog will fail to play a game in the NHL, and serious doubts are being raised about his ability to return to the ice following this surgery. Talking to doctors and experts about the surgery, Bennett Sousa of The Denver Post says the jury is still out on that specific question.

Dr. Rachel Frank, a team physician for the MLS Colorado Rapids team, said, “We’ve seen this done before in patients and athletes at all levels, including the high school, the collegiate and the professional athlete. But at the elite level, it’s a bit less predictable because, quite frankly, it’s not as common.” Although the surgery has been quite successful in the past, Frank was quick to point out that the surgery is typically given for quality-of-life scenarios, not returning to their original form in athletics.

The only other major athlete to receive the surgery in recent memory would be Chicago Bulls guard, Lonzo Ball. In March of 2023, Ball opted to receive the surgery and has yet to make his return to the court at this time, missing the entirety of the 2022-23 NBA season. Due to the lack of comparables in the world of sports, Landeskog’s future in hockey is still up in the air.

Other snapshots:

  • In their loss against Team Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, Team Austria received even more negative news during the game, as top draft prospect David Reinbacher would not return to the game (Tweet Link). Receiving a hip check from Washington Capitals’ defenseman Rasmus Sandin, Reinbacher left the game with a lower-body injury. Clocking in at 20th overall on the draft board by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Reinbacher scored three goals and 19 assists playing for EHC Kloten of the National League this season.
  • Although not pressing news, an interesting factoid was provided by PuckPedia today, as they announced that two agents have now crossed over the $1B mark in active contracts, as both Craig Oster of Newport Sports and Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey have crossed the threshold. Oster represents NHL talent such as Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Matthew Tkachuk, while Brisson represents players such as Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and John Tavares.

Snapshots: Brossoit, Maggio, Marchment

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Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal gave some updates from the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy, this afternoon, mentioning that injured goaltender Laurent Brossoit will remain out for Game Five. Brossoit has been out since the team’s victory in Game Three during their second-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.

Although averaging some very solid numbers in limited regular season games this year, Brossoit has left a lot to be desired for Vegas so far in this year’s playoffs. In eight games played, he does have a very good record at 5-2-0 but is also carrying a .894 SV% and a GAA of 3.18. Working out well for the Golden Knights up to this point, it is hard to imagine overall success as the team gets deeper into the playoffs with those numbers.

Picking up for Brossoit after leaving Game Three early was netminder Adin Hill. Playing for nearly the last 50 minutes of Game Three, Hill stopped 24 of 24 shots, helping his team take the lead in the series. Unfortunately in Game Four, Hill did not impress as much, giving up four goals on 33 shots. With veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick still at their disposal, the Golden Knights will surely be looking for more consistent goaltending as they look to take back the series lead against the Oilers in Game Five.

Other snapshots:

  • The OHL announced today that New York Islanders prospect, Matthew Maggio, has been awarded the Red Tilson Trophy, given annually to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. Earlier this month, the Islanders signed their 142nd overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft to an entry-level contract. Although his team, the Windsor Spitfires, was eliminated in the first round by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL playoffs, Maggio had an unbelievable season nonetheless. In 66 games played, the young forward scored 54 goals and 57 assists, helping his team secure first place in the Western Conference.
  • Missing last night’s Game Five victory against the Seattle Kraken, Dallas Stars’ forward Mason Marchment will be available for Game Six according to Joey Hayden of Dallas Morning News. Although the team played well in his absence, Marchment would be a welcomed return as the Stars look to move on to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2019-20 season. In 10 games played so far in this year’s playoffs, Marchment has scored three goals and provided two assists.

Snapshots: Heiskanen, Raanta, Bertuzzi

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Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen was involved in a scary play in last night’s Game 3 loss to the Seattle Kraken, taking a puck to the face in a bad spot. In some positive news, though, head coach Peter DeBoer spoke to reporters, including The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf, today and offered an update on Heiskanen’s condition, labeling him day-to-day.

“He’s here with the group. Obviously a pretty bad cut,” DeBoer said. “I would call him day to day. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. 24 hours makes a big difference with those types of things.” Fortunately, DeBoer also clarified Heiskanen is not in concussion protocol. It’s great news for Dallas, who needs to rebound after getting dominated by the Kraken last night, although goaltending is mostly to blame. The 23-year-old Heiskanen has seven assists in nine playoff games, tied for third on the team in postseason points.

More from around the NHL today:

  • Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta returned to the ice for practice today after missing Games 2 and 3 of the team’s Second Round series against the New Jersey Devils with an illness. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reported that Raanta participated in the team’s practice, along with current starter Frederik Andersen and third-string netminder Pyotr Kochetkov. Raanta played the first five games of the postseason for Carolina, helping them jump out a 3-2 series lead against the New York Islanders in Round One before Andersen came in to clinch the series.
  • Tyler Bertuzzi’s agent, Todd Reynolds, has not had any talks with the Boston Bruins regarding his client’s future, according to a tweet from Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. In a text message, Reynolds stated that Bertuzzi was “very positive” about his time with the Bruins and would be open to staying, although the stress of cap implications for the Bruins makes it seem unlikely. Bertuzzi tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with 10 points in seven games in their First Round loss to the Florida Panthers.

Snapshots: Edler, Norway, Malgin, Fiala

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Speaking with reporters including Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider at their end-of-season media scrums, Kings defenseman Alexander Edler indicated that he’s not yet sure if he’ll try to return for an 18th NHL season.  The 37-year-old played in 64 games this season (including his 1,000th career contest) but was limited to under 15 minutes per night for the first time since his rookie year back in 2006-07.  While Edler acknowledged that he feels healthy (he was often rested on back-to-backs this season), he admitted that it might take a while for him to decide if he’s going to continue playing or not.  Edler played on a league minimum contract this season with some performance bonuses but will likely need to accept closer to a straight minimum deal if he does want to play in 2023-24.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • With the World Championship fast approaching, Norway was the latest country to reveal its roster for the event. As expected, it doesn’t feature much in the way of NHL content with Blue Jackets prospect Ole Julian Bjorgvik Holm being the only player on an NHL deal.  Winger Andreas Martinsen, who played 152 games with Colorado, Montreal, and Chicago over a four-year NHL career, is also on the roster.  The tournament gets underway on Friday.
  • Avalanche winger Denis Malgin is expected to be a late addition to Switzerland’s roster for the Worlds, according to a report from Watson News. The 26-year-old did well after coming over in a midseason swap, picking up 11 goals in 42 games despite averaging just 10:32 per night.  Notably, Malgin does not have a contract for next season; it’s typically rare for a pending free agent to play in this event.
  • Also from that report, it will be another week before a decision is made on whether Kings winger Kevin Fiala will participate in the event. The 26-year-old missed the first three games of the playoffs with a lower-body injury and it appears that Los Angeles wants to see how Fiala’s recovery goes over the next few days before deciding on allowing him to participate.

Snapshots: Hofer, Middleton, Senators, Korpisalo

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After revealing their initial roster yesterday for the upcoming World Championship, Hockey Canada announced (Twitter link) that Blues goaltender Joel Hofer and Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton have been added to the roster.  Hofer spent most of the season with AHL Springfield but didn’t look out of place in six games with St. Louis where he posted a .905 SV%.  He’s expected to be the backup for the Blues next season and will compete for playing time in this event with Buffalo’s Devon Levi and Montreal’s Samuel Montembeault.

As for Middleton, the 27-year-old played in 79 games for the Wild this season, picking up 15 points and 155 blocks while logging over 19 minutes a night, all career bests.  He also picked up a pair of assists and 24 blocked shots in Minnesota’s opening-round exit to Dallas.  It will be his first time representing Canada internationally.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Another celebrity has joined in on the bidding for the Senators as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that The Weeknd has joined the Kimel bid, one of the seven groups believed to still be in the race for the team. This comes on the heels of Snoop Dogg partnering up with Neko Sparks’ bid in recent days while Ryan Reynolds and the Remington Group are known to be putting together a competitive bid.  The rough deadline for final offers is the middle of May.
  • When he met with the media earlier this week including Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider, Kings goaltender Joonas Korpisalo indicated that there hasn’t been much in the way of discussions on a possible contract extension. The 29-year-old was quite impressive for Los Angeles down the stretch, posting a 2.13 GAA with a .921 SV% in 11 games, helping him earn the starting role for the playoffs.  Korpisalo is finishing a one-year, $1.3MM deal that was signed on the heels of an injury-riddled season but now, he’ll enter the open market as one of the top netminders available which could more than triple that rate on his next contract.

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