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Snapshots: Brind’Amour, Provorov, Brodziak

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With the departure of head coach Bill Peters who exercised his opt-out clause and left the team, the Carolina Hurricanes will have to start looking for a head coach along with a new general manager. However, former captain and now assistant coach Rod Brind’Amour has said that he would like the job, according to Chip Alexander of The News & Observer.

Alexander says that Brind’Amour is not publically campaigning for the job, but believes after eight years as an assistant coach, he’s ready to become an NHL head coach.

“If you never try, you’ll never know,” Brind’Amour said Saturday. “The reason for saying ‘why not?’ is I’ve been doing it for eight years and I really believe I can help out one way or the other and see if I can put us over the hump. I don’t think as an assistant I’m going to get any better or learn any more. So now’s the time. … They’re going to find the best guy to do it and if it’s me, that’s great, and if not I understand. But I felt like I could at least step up and see if it could happen.”

Alexander says that Hurricanes’ new owner Tom Dundon likes Brind’Amour, including his work ethic, hockey sense and his ability to relate both to players and management.

  • Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall would not give a medical update on defenseman Ivan Provorov, who was injured Friday when he collided with Pittsburgh’s Brian Dumoulin and crashed into thte boards late in the game. It looked as if he injured his shoulder, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. Provorov’s availability for Game 6 is essential if the Flyers want to force a Game 7. He was critical in shutting down Sidney Crosby by playing a career high 30:07 of playing time Friday and was a key member of the penalty kill. The scribe writes the good news is that Provorov was not wearing a sling on his way to the team bus after the game, but Hextall, who is very secretive likely won’t reveal his status until right before the game.
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that veteran forward Kyle Brodziak’s time with the St. Louis Blues could likely be over. With the influx of multiple prospects and with a likely shakeup of the current roster, the 34-year-old veteran could easily find himself on the open market. With the potential additions of some of their top prospects such as Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Samuel Blais and the possible return of Robby Fabbri, the team is likely to move on from some of their veterans, including Brodziak and veteran Scottie Upshall, who was in the same boat a year ago, but was brought back when injuries mounted.

Coaching Notes: Peters, Quinn, Stars

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As soon as former Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters resigned from his position with Carolina this morning, hockey pundits around the continent proclaimed him the leading candidate for the open Calgary Flames job. While no one has yet made any sort of concrete connection between Peters and the Flames, there is nearly universal agreement that he is the top option. The Athletic’s Rick Carpinello has taken it one step further. The New York Rangers beat writer states that Peters was never an option for the Rangers, as his deal with Calgary is “done”. It seems a deal could be imminent between the two sides. While on it’s face, Peters’ hire in Calgary could be a good fit, as he is a widely-respected coach who has always carried high expectations, the parallels between the underachieving Flames and underachieving Hurricanes is cause for some alarm.

  • If Peters won’t be the next head coach in New York, who will be? For a while, the top candidate has seemed to be Boston University head coach David Quinn. Quinn’s Terriers have been have made the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, most recently winning the Hockey East Tournament this season to sneak in and make it to the Northeast Regional final. During this time, Quinn has coached more top NHL prospects than any other bench boss in college hockey. The rebuilding Rangers could greatly use Quinn’s talent for working with young players. USA Hockey has recognized that ability as well, today naming Quinn the head coach of the 2019 U.S. World Junior team. Some Rangers fans have worried that this appointment could remove Quinn from the running for New York’s new head coach, but the New York Post’s Larry Brooks says not so fast. Per Brooks, Quinn’s role as Team USA coach won’t hurt what Brooks calls his “strong candidacy”. In fact, Brooks calls Quinn the exact “developmental coach” that owner James Dolan is seeking and ensures that everything would work out if Quinn was offered the job.
  • While Carolina, Calgary, and New York make waves in the coaching pool, the vacancy in Dallas has received little attention. That hasn’t surprised SportsDay’s Mike Heika, who says that GM Jim Nill will be patient with his decision on Ken Hitchcock’s replacement. Heika states that Nill has a long list of candidates, including many former Stars coaches. That could be a benefit for Dallas, an organization with ties to Glen Gulutzan, Dave Tippett, and Willie Desjardins, or could be a hindrance if the team doesn’t want to recycle a former coach again as they did with Hitchcock. Alternatives include hiring displaced Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, offering a promotion to several AHL head coaches, or even poaching Craig Berube from the division rival St. Louis Blues, according to Heika. Nill will take his time in sorting out the candidates, only setting a deadline of the NHL Draft in late June for the hire.

Jordan Kyrou Assigned To Chicago Wolves For AHL Playoffs

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Jordan Kyrou has turned into one of the most intriguing prospects in the league, and now his season will continue after the St. Louis Blues assigned him to the Chicago Wolves for the remainder of the season. Kyrou’s Sarnia Sting were eliminated from the OHL playoffs on Sunday, but he’ll get a chance to keep playing as the Wolves are headed to the AHL playoffs. He should feel right at home after playing one game for the Wolves last spring.

Kyrou had another outstanding season, recording 109 points in just 56 games while taking home a gold medal with the Canadian World Junior team. He led the Canadians with 10 points in the tournament, something he’s getting used to recently. The 19-year old is an outstanding offensive player, capable of creating consistent opportunities off the rush for himself and teammates. His skating ability is near unparalleled in the junior ranks, and will likely allow him to find immediate success at the professional level.

Chicago isn’t technically the Blues’ affiliate, instead partnered with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, but still has a strong relationship with St. Louis. Kyrou will be playing under Golden Knights’ coaching staffs, and will be heading to a different AHL organization next season. That is of course if he doesn’t make the NHL out of training camp, something that isn’t entirely out of the question.

Snapshots: Panik, Kaspick, Islanders

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Arizona Coyotes forward Richard Panik was arrested for trespassing on April 8th, reports ABC15 in Arizona. Panik reportedly refused to leave the entrance of a nightclub called Bevvy in Scottsdale, and was booked for criminal trespass. He was later released with a criminal citation.

Panik, acquired by the Coyotes during the season from the Chicago Blackhawks, is under contract for one more season at $2.8MM. He seemed to fit in well with the Coyotes system, recording 19 points in 35 games. The 27-year old’s future in Arizona will likely not be affected by the incident, though it is something to keep an eye on.

  • Tanner Kaspick has been assigned to the Manitoba Moose for the remainder of the season, allowing the St. Louis Blues prospect to keep playing despite his CHL team’s recent elimination. The Blues don’t have a primary AHL affiliate this season, meaning Kaspick had to be loaned to the Moose and will be under the purview of their coaching staff. The Moose are headed into the playoffs as one of the better teams in the AHL, but could use another talented player like Kaspick. The former Brandon Wheat Kings captain had 64 points in 60 games split between two teams this season.
  • According to a report from Chris Botta of SportsNet New York, the New York Islanders are looking to add a “top executive” to the hockey operations department that could work as a general manager under current President Garth Snow. While Botta lists Julian BriseBois (Tampa Bay Lightning), Paul Fenton (Nashville Predators) and Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey Devils) as possible candidates, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that they have not yet contacted the Devils to speak with the latter.

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Matchups

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Yesterday, the AHL season came to a close and 16 teams advanced to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Though it’s not exactly like a Stanley Cup pursuit, the AHL playoffs are a battleground created specifically to test the mettle of young players, while providing a chance for glory to veterans who may not get another opportunity in the NHL.

Below are the eight matchups, with some interesting storylines to watch in each one:

All times CST

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) vs Providence Bruins (Boston)

Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 3 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV

While the Flyers and Bruins do battle in their respective NHL playoff series, their AHL affiliates will take each other on in the first round. Phil Varone, fresh off winning league MVP, will try to lead the Phantoms all the way to the Calder Cup finals. He’ll have to go through the previous MVP to do it, as Kenny Agostino heads a diverse Bruins attack.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina)

Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  WBS  @  CHA
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 5:00PM  |  WBS  @  CHA
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  CHA  @  WBS
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  CHA  @  WBS
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 2:05PM  |  CHA  @  WBS

Daniel Sprong was the top scorer for the WBS Penguins this season, recording 65 points in 65 games. That kind of production is excellent from anyone, but Sprong is in just his first full season of professional hockey and looks poised to make the jump to the NHL before long. Charlotte has their own talented offensive piece though in Lucas Wallmark, who had 55 points in just 45 AHL contests between NHL call-ups.

Toronto Marlies (Toronto) vs Utica Comets (Vancouver)

Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  UTI  @  TOR
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  UTI  @  TOR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TOR  @  UTI
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TOR  @  UTI
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  UTI  @  TOR

Toronto had the best goaltending in the league en route to a historically dominant season, but if there was a team that could match them in net it would be Utica. Thatcher Demko put up a .922 save percentage as the absolute MVP of a relatively average Comets team, and could end up stealing a series if the Marlies aren’t careful.

Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo)

Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RCH  @  SYR
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RCH  @  SYR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SYR  @  RCH
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SYR  @  RCH
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RCH  @  SYR

Though the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have much fun this season, but their affiliate is headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years. If the Sabres want to build a different culture for their organization and expose their young players to the idea of winning, having Rochester go deep in the playoffs is the first start. They’ll have to topple one of the league’s best teams to do it, as Syracuse is still loaded with future NHL talent.

Chicago Wolves (Vegas) vs Rockford IceHogs (Chicago)

Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RFD  @  CHI
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  CHI  @  RFD
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RFD  @  CHI
Game 4 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  CHI  @  RFD
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RFD  @  CHI

You could call this this All-Chicago series, as Blackhawks prospects will take on the Wolves in a series that spans only about 75 miles. Though technically the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Wolves still house several players from the St. Louis Blues including Beau Bennett, who put up 57 points in 60 games this year.

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) vs Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)

Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 1:00PM  |  GR  @  MB
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 1:00PM  |  GR  @  MB
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  MB  @  GR
Game 4 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  MB  @  GR
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  MB  @  GR

If you think the Winnipeg Jets are good, just wait until the next wave of talent comes up from Manitoba. Sami Niku was named the league’s top defenseman, while Mason Appleton earned Rookie of the Year honors. Both will be on full display when they take on the reigning Calder Cup Champion Griffins.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona) vs San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)

Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TUC  @  SJ
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TUC  @  SJ
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SJ  @  TUC
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SJ  @  TUC
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SJ  @  TUC

Like the Americans, the Roadrunners will try to make up for their NHL parent team’s failures this season. The Coyotes minor league team got a huge boost when Dylan Strome was returned, perhaps for the last time in his professional career. Strome is expected to make the jump to the NHL next season, and could put a stamp on what has been a solid year with a long playoff run.

Texas Stars (Dallas) vs Ontario Reign (Los Angeles) 

Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  ONT  @  TEX
Game 2 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  ONT  @  TEX
Game 3 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 2:00PM  |  TEX  @  ONT
Game 4 – Tue. Apr 24, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TEX  @  ONT
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  ONT  @  TEX

If the Los Angeles Kings bow out quickly enough we could see the Reign get a boost for their playoff chances, as Michael Amadio, Paul Ladue, Jonny Brodzinski and Oscar Fantenberg are all eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Kings could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow night, meaning the Reign could welcome back several key names for Game 1.

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Ty Rattie

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It’s easy to forget that non-playoff teams are still hard at work behind the scenes, but the Edmonton Oilers have thrown their name into the postseason news cycle this evening. The team announced that they have re-signed forward Ty Rattie to a one-year contract extension worth $800K. Rattie was an impending unrestricted free agent, having signed a one-year deal with Edmonton last off-season.

Rattie must be relieved to have his contract situation wrapped up and to be returning to Edmonton next season. The 2016-17 experience was not an easy one for Rattie; the swift-skating right winger played in four games with the St. Louis Blues early in the season, was waived and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes in January, was waived again a month later after just five games in Raleigh, and claimed back by the Blues who buried him in the AHL for the remainder of the season. Rattie was then not given a qualifying offer last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Rattie settled for a one-year, two-way deal with the Oilers, but made the most of it, scoring a career-high nine points in 14 games while also earning an AHL All-Star nod, finishing with 43 points in 53 games.

This extension will represent a substantial raise over his last deal with the Oilers. After an impressive campaign at both levels, the 25-year-old looks primed to fight for a full-time role in Edmonton next season. While he is likely happy to be back with the team that gave him the best chance to succeed thus far in his young pro career, Rattie – and the Oilers – must have known that he could have drawn some interest on the open market as well. Instead, there was clearly mutual interest in maintaining the status quo.

Blues Notes: Allen, Edmundson, Trade Targets, Fabbri

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While fans would like to see the St. Louis Blues move on from starting goaltender Jake Allen, that’s not likely to happen, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon in a reader chat. The main reason Allen isn’t going anywhere is that there are no better goaltenders available in free agency and via trade this offseason. The team’s best bet is to make sure they lock up backup Carter Hutton and use that combination for one more season.

Allen’s play has declined after a strong start. In fact, his numbers have steadily declined over the last four years, putting up a 2.28 GAA in 2014-15, followed with a 2.35 GAA in 2015-16, a 2.42 GAA in 2016-17 and a 2.75 GAA this season. Gordon also points out that the answer to the team’s goalie issues is more likely to arrive in 2019-20 when Ville Husso arrives as he is most likely going to stay in the AHL for one more season developing his skills and serving as a third-string goaltender for the Blues. Husso had a 2.42 GAA and a .922 save percentage in 38 games with the San Antonio Rampage.

  • Gordon also says that general manager Doug Armstrong said that defenseman Joel Edmundson shouldn’t expect a big payday this offseason. The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent this year, but the team is unlikely to give Edmudson a long-term offer at this point and might have to fight for a quality contract through arbitration this year. Edmundson, who made $1.05MM this season should get a raise, but the team has already handed out sizeable deals to Alex Pietrangelo (two years remaining at $6.5MM) and Colton Parayko (four years left at $5.5MM) and still must pay veteran Jay Bouwmeester one more year at $5.4MM. One year from now, however, the team could lock Edmundson up. He keeps improving, putting up a career high seven goals this year.
  • Gordon writes that Armstrong has said he wants to add a top-six forward, preferably a center to the team this offseason. With the free-agent market heavy in wingers, the Blues might have to consider a trade, suggesting the team should attempt to pry Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from Edmonton or Ryan O’Reilly from Buffalo. While the Oilers have stated they will not move Nugent-Hopkins, O’Reilly might be a different story in Buffalo.
  • While Gordon writes that there is no news on prospect Robby Fabbri, who missed the season after tearing his ACL twice in the same knee, there is plenty of concern. Because of his injuries, there is plenty of concern of whether he will ever turn out to be the prospect they hoped he would be.

Armstrong: Having Winnipeg's First Rounder Could Allow Them To Be Active In Trade Talks

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  • The Blues’ addition of Winnipeg’s first-round pick at the trade deadline will allow them to be active in the trade market this summer, GM Doug Armstrong revealed to Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, among other reporters. That was the centerpiece of the Paul Stastny trade and its inclusion was particularly noteworthy since as things stand, St. Louis won’t have their own first-rounder to work with.  (If the Blues win one of the top-three selections in the Draft Lottery, they can defer transferring the pick until next year.)

St. Louis Blues Expected To Be Active On Trade Market

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The St. Louis Blues lost out on the playoffs on the very final day of the regular season, losing to Colorado in what was essentially a play-in game. That came after the team decided to trade away Paul Stastny at the deadline, instead of bringing in some help for a team that was struggling at the time. Though that criticism has to be leveled at the front office, they now sit in a position to prepare even more for next season.

In today’s 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he notes that the expectation is that the Blues will be an “aggressive trade partner” this summer. He’s not the only one who has heard that, as Lou Korac of NHL.com also tweeted yesterday that the team has made it clear they will be “active” in the offseason. Quoting GM Doug Armstrong, Korac added that acquiring the first round pick in return for Stastny “allows [the Blues] to get back in the trade market.”

That first round pick of course could replace the outgoing selection that they used to acquire Brayden Schenn at the draft last year, though it is top-10 protected should they win one of the lottery selections. The team’s potential trade assets don’t end there.

With a glut of young forward prospects, St. Louis could easily be one of the most interesting teams to watch this summer. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Klim Kostin, Tage Thompson, Erik Foley and others could all be legitimate key pieces to dangle in trade, meaning an overhaul could be completed if they decide that 2018-19 is the year they want to “go for it.”

There is also a school of thought that would send them in the opposite direction, and rely on those young players to fill the gap after trading off some current NHL assets. Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka had disappointing seasons, while Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson and Robert Bortuzzo are all entering the final year before unrestricted free agency. The team could be just as “active” selling off pieces to backfill with their young prospects, and could potentially be a better team even in the short term.

Whatever the Blues do, it’s clear that Armstrong won’t sit on his hands this summer. The team is too talented, and has too many star players right in their prime to just wait around and hope for better results. While the goaltending issue is a decision that has to be made quickly, the rest of the roster isn’t far behind.

Vladimir Tarasenko To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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Wednesday: Tarasenko’s surgery was successful, and he will be re-evaluated at the beginning of training camp in September.

Tuesday: The St. Louis Blues were conducting season-ending media availability today, when Vladimir Tarasenko revealed that he has a dislocated shoulder and will undergo surgery tomorrow. The 26-year old sniper was forced out of the playoff deciding game against the Colorado Avalanche, and couldn’t help his team climb back and try to secure a postseason berth. Tarasenko expects to be ready for the start of the 2018-19 season.

The Blues’ superstar forward scored 33 goals this season, his fourth straight campaign with at least that many. Armed with one of the most dangerous shots in the league, his offense wasn’t enough to carry St. Louis into the playoffs. Tarasenko still has five years on his contract at $7.5MM, but could actually be a relative bargain for that amount as he heads into his late-twenties. With the salary cap going up and long-term deals becoming the norm for players coming out of their entry-level contracts, the Blues can be sure that they have a superstar locked in for a reasonable rate.

The team will have to look for an answer next season, as for much of this year they looked like one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. A February swoon that included a seven-game losing streak would eventually come back to bite them, as they would miss the playoffs by just a single point.

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