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Nick Schmaltz Dealing With Sore Neck, Questionable For Sunday

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Igor Shesterkin’s late scratch against Carolina today after being ruled unfit to play came as a surprise to many.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s believed to be an injury and not related to a positive COVID-19 test.  He notes that the injury was likely either suffered at practice on Friday or during their tune-up game against the Islanders on Wednesday.  Speaking with reporters postgame, head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link) that he’s unsure if Shesterkin will be available on Monday for the second game of the series.

Meanwhile, winger Jesper Fast left the game after the first shift after taking a hit from former Rangers teammate Brady Skjei.  There’s no word yet on how long he may be out for.

Other news and notes from around the league:

  • Blackhawks interim president Danny Wirtz confirmed to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that GM Stan Bowman has a multi-year contract. There were unconfirmed reports last summer that he had signed a new deal but there was no announcement by the team.  Wirtz declined to indicate how long Bowman’s contract runs and didn’t provide a timeline for when the team may hire a replacement for former president John McDonough.
  • Bruins winger Ondrej Kase has joined the team in Toronto, notes Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston. He missed all of training camp after being deemed unfit to participate and he will not suit up in the opening game of the round robin against Philadelphia.  Considering how long it has been since he last skated, he’ll likely need several full practices before being given the green light to suit up.
  • Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz is dealing with a sore neck from the hit he took from Ryan Reaves in Thursday’s exhibition game, mentions Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that his availability for Sunday’s opener against Nashville is unknown.  Despite the shortened season, Schmaltz set a career high in assists this season with 34 while leading the team in scoring with 45 points.

Snapshots: Markstrom, Chayka, Hockey East

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One of the more talked-about free agent negotiations this season has been between the Vancouver Canucks and starting goalie Jacob Markstrom, who has been stellar in net this season. Markstrom had a career-best season this year, recording a .918 save percentage and 2.75 GAA. As he heads toward free agency, the Canucks have prioritized keeping him in Vancouver if at all possible. The two sides have been talking throughout the league pause and GM Jim Benning even noted that they spoke again on Tuesday. However, Benning told NHL.com that all negotiations will be put on hold until after the playoffs. “We’re going to get something figured out for him,” Benning said with confidence, but added “We both decided let’s just wait until after the playoffs are done.” How long that postseason run might last remains to be seen. The No. 7 seed out West, the Canucks are set to face the No. 10-seed Minnesota Wild in the qualifying round next week. If they emerge victorious, talks with Markstrom will stay on the back burner for a while longer, but if the Canucks fall to the Wild, they could approach talks very soon. Perhaps they will even be armed with the No. 1 overall pick to help make their case for a long-term extension.

  • As the John Chayka saga continues to unravel, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post has confirmed previous reports that Chayka was interested in a move from the Arizona Coyotes to the New Jersey Devils. It doesn’t end there though. Kussoy writes that Chayka lied to ‘Yotes ownership about having an interview with the Devils ownership, who also own the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and are a suitor for the MLB’s New York Mets. While this was not a GM position with the Devils, which Arizona had previously denied another NHL team from interviewing Chayka for, he was nevertheless deceptive about his intentions. According to Kussoy, this left his relationship with owner Alex Meruelo “irrevocably damaged” and led to the swift separation between the two sides.
  • Over in the college game, the Hockey East Conference offered some hope for NCAA fans yesterday. The historic hockey conference announced their intention to have a 2020-21 season for both men and women. Due to the convenient geography of the New England-based conference, teams will play conference-heavy schedules that will limit travel and, as a result, potential COVID-19 exposure. As many of their member institutions have seen their primary athletic conferences cancel or postpone fall sports, while other hockey schools – like those Ivy League members of the ECAC – have had all fall competition canceled, Hockey East hopes to start in the fall. They have yet to announce schedules and may delay the start of the season and play a shortened campaign, but college hockey seems to be returning next season after the Coronavirus pandemic ended the season in the midst of conference tournaments and before an NCAA champion could be crowned. The hope is that other conferences can also find a way to follow in the footsteps of Hockey East.

Morning Notes: Chayka, Coaches Poll, SKA

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The wild John Chayka situation in Arizona continues, with more details emerging daily. This time it’s from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, who confirms the previous speculation that it was the New Jersey Devils ownership group that offered Chayka a position. Josh Harris and David Blitzer also own the Philadelphia 76ers, Crystal Palace FC, and are potential contenders to purchase the New York Mets.

As Wyshynski and other reporters have explained, the situation is expected to be dealt with by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at some point before Chayka takes a new position.

  • Craig Custance and Michael Russo of The Athletic published their coaches poll today, with some interesting results. The NHL coaches that were asked feel as though the Pittsburgh Penguins are the team that most benefited from the break, while others pointed out Nathan MacKinnon’s ability to carry his team to the Stanley Cup. The entire poll provides good insight into how those intimately involved feel about the return to play tournament.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have their sights set on the ultimate prize this summer, but their prospect pipeline continues to be an interesting subject of conversation. Vasily Podkolzin, selected tenth overall last year, isn’t even signed by the team yet but could be a difference-maker in the future. Unfortunately, Rick Dhaliwal of TSN reports that Podkolzin’s team, SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, has temporarily shut down training camp due to COVID-19 concerns. Podkolzin has not tested positive.

Peter Chiarelli Linked To Arizona Coyotes

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Though the Arizona Coyotes are still reeling from the sudden departure of GM John Chayka on the eve of the postseason, this hasn’t stopped the speculation of what could be next for the front office. Steve Sullivan has been named interim GM for the time being, but the team may look at other options as well. One such possibility that has been mentioned by two separate sources is former Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli.

Scott Burnside of The Athletic writes that he has heard from others that Chiarelli remains a trusted name in NHL circles and one that league officials would like to help find a new home. Arizona, perhaps the team that the league has assisted most through the years, would seemingly be a good pairing. Oilers beat writer Jim Matheson adds to the theory, stating that this is not the first he has heard Chiarelli linked to the Coyotes. Matheson applauds the promotion of Sullivan but does not rule out Chiarelli joining the front office in some capacity. While many consider Chiarelli’s tenure in Edmonton to be a disaster, he did create a Stanley Cup winner in Boston and still has plenty of supporters.

However, it’s unlikely that current Coyotes star Taylor Hall is among Chiarelli’s fans. The impending free agent was traded away from Edmonton, a city and team he enjoyed playing for, by Chiarelli. If Arizona thinks they have a chance to sign Hall this off-season, Chiarelli could be a problem. His hiring would likely indicate that Hall is not in the team’s future plans. Given the team’s tight salary cap space, this is a strong possibility anyhow. There’s also the chance that if consulted Chiarelli would opt against signing Hall long-term anyway. After all, the return that Chiarelli got for trading Hall from Edmonton to New Jersey would imply that he doesn’t highly value the player.

More On John Chayka, Arizona Coyotes

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One of the biggest stories in the hockey world over the weekend was the abrupt end to John Chayka’s tenure with the Arizona Coyotes. After several years as general manager and president of hockey operations, which included a recent contract extension, Chayka terminated his deal and walked away from the club. The team promoted assistant GM Steve Sullivan to interim GM for the time being, but there are still plenty of questions as to why the relationship soured so quickly.

Today, some new information came out about what exactly happened and what is next for the former Coyotes executive. First of all, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reported that the rumors of Chayka heading to the Buffalo Sabres are “inaccurate.”  Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that he thinks it could be the New Jersey Devils, or at least the ownership group that also runs the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and Crystal Palace of the English Premier League. Friedman notes that the position is “a major position in an organization that owns teams in more than one sport” but that he doesn’t know exactly what it would be.

The real story may take some time to come out, but in the meantime, Friedman also reports that he believes the offer made to Taylor Hall from Arizona ownership—the first inkling of a problem between Chayka and the rest of the organization—was five years at $7.25MM per season. With so much confusion surrounding the Coyotes now, Hall’s pending free agency has become even more interesting. The playoffs could obviously be a perfect place for the former MVP to show he deserves a lot more than that, though with a flat salary cap it may be difficult for him to find a full market.

For now, the Coyotes will have to operate without a full-time GM as they navigate the 24-team postseason. As they prepare for 2020-21, Sullivan will be given “every opportunity” to show he deserves the job.

Arizona Coyotes To Name Steve Sullivan Interim General Manager

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Within minutes of rumors that Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka had terminated his contract with the team 48 hours ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the team will name Steve Sullivan their interim general manager.

The club released a statement:

John Chayka has quit as the General Manager and President of Hockey Operations of the Arizona Coyotes. The Club is disappointed in his actions and his timing as the Coyotes prepare to enter the NHL’s hub city of Edmonton, where the team will begin post-season play for the first time since 2012. Chayka has chosen to quit on a strong and competitive team, a dedicated staff, and the Arizona Coyotes fans, the greatest fans in the NHL. The Club is moving forward and has named Steve Sullivan as Interim General Manager. He has the full support of the entire organization including team ownership, executive leadership, players, and coaches. The Club will have no further comment on the matter, as the Club remains focused on the opportunity to pursue a Stanley Cup.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Chayka had informed the Coyotes Friday that he was terminating his contract with his team. This comes shortly after reports that Chayka was given permission six weeks ago to talk to another potential employer about a job opportunity during the pandemic. Since then, Chayka has cleared out his office and was omitted from a key dinner between ownership and pending unrestricted free agent Taylor Hall, suggesting the rift. Chayka had either three or four years remaining on his contract, via different sources.

Chayka also released a statement of his own (via’s AZ Coyote Insider Craig Morgan):

“The past four years have been the most enjoyable of my life. In Arizona, I became a husband and a father, while working as hard as possible to make the Coyotes a Stanley Cup contender. I love our players, coaches, staff and fans and I very much wish I could be with the team in Edmonton. Sadly, the situation created by ownership made that an impossibility. That’s all I intend to say on this matter for now. A fuller, more detailed explanation may be necessary in the near future. Until then, I wish the Coyotes good luck in Edmonton, and thank every member of Our Pack for the support shown to Kathryn, our daughter and myself over the years. Also, I want to congratulate Steve Sullivan as he steps into a new role. We’ve worked side-by-side for years. He is a great person and a terrific hockey mind.”

Sullivan has been with the Coyotes’ franchise since September of 2014 and was holding the assistant general manager position since May of 2017. He has been the GM of the Tuscon Roadrunners, the team’s AHL franchise and has been overseeing the Coyotes’ amateur player development staff. The 46-year-old is a former player, who appeared in 1,011 career games with six different teams, including the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Coyotes. While there is no guarantee that Arizona doesn’t do an extensive search after the 24-team tournament is completed, Friedman notes that he wouldn’t be surprised if he got a long look as the permanent GM.

It should be noted that the news of Chayka’s departure from the team and Sullivan’s promotion come on the heels of the team leaving today for Edmonton to participate in the upcoming tournament playoffs.

Latest On John Chayka’s Situation In Arizona

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Sunday: LeBrun reports that he’s heard from a league source that Chayka terminated his contract with the Coyotes 48 hours ago. However, there has been no confirmation from the team.

Saturday: Friedman provided an update on the situation, reporting that the issue stems from a job opportunity that they allowed Chayka to pursue.  It wasn’t a lateral move either.  Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider clarifies (Twitter link) that the job opportunity wasn’t with another NHL team either but instead another professional opportunity.  At one point, Friedman noted that a transition period was discussed which would see Chayka stay on through the end of the season was discussed although those talks fell apart.  As things stand, Chayka is still the GM in title but does not appear to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the team.

Friday: Earlier this week, it was reported that the Coyotes held a meeting with pending UFA Taylor Hall.  On the surface, that’s not a big deal as they’d naturally want to touch base with someone they paid a fair bit to get and would like to keep.  However, the fact that GM John Chayka was not involved (or even aware) of the meeting certainly raised some eyebrows.  President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez headlined Arizona’s representation at that meeting.

It appears that this isn’t a one-off situation.  A source indicated to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that Chayka’s office has been cleaned out while earlier in the day, Friedman noted that Chayka’s presence on the 52-person roster (including players and staff) wasn’t guaranteed.  While a general manager being with the team isn’t a must-have proposition, most are expected to join their teams in the bubble.  Friedman also added that other stories have come out about conversations with agents that haven’t involved Chayka.

Earlier this season, word came out that the Coyotes had been caught working out draft-eligible players with punishment still pending from the league.  Friedman mentions that Chayka’s mysterious absence has nothing to do with that.

Chayka has been at the helm in Arizona since 2016 and received a contract extension back in November even though he had a year and a half left on his deal at the time so to see questions about his future at this time comes as somewhat of a surprise.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that Chayka has three years left on his deal, meaning the extension was for two years even though it wasn’t announced at the time.

While the Coyotes haven’t had a lot of success under Chayka’s tenure (they’ve missed the playoffs in his three seasons with this year’s placement to be determined), he has assembled a decent core group with their defense and goaltending being among the stronger groups in the league.  However, it appears as if there’s some sort of chasm between him and ownership with both Friedman and LeBrun suggesting the two sides could be heading for a divorce.  That would be quite the turn of events considering the recent public vote of confidence but it seems like things are heading in that direction.

Could John Chayka Be Headed To Buffalo?

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Plenty has been written about the status of Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka over the last couple of days. NHL writers Elliotte Friedman and Pierre LeBrun both indicated that the Coyotes and Chayka could be headed for a divorce despite three years remaining on Chayka’s contract. The belief is that Chayka was given permission to speak to another “professional opportunity,” six weeks ago. However, with a new owner and new management in place in Arizona, it’s not surprising if the team might prefer to bring in its own GM.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston has another theory, however. The scribe wonders whether that opportunity might have been with the Buffalo Sabres as the franchise fired their general manager six weeks ago and is currently operating with a skeleton executive office staff. Granted, the GM position is currently filled by newly-hired Kevyn Adams. However, the Sabres’ ownership, the Pegulas, own quite a bit more than just the Sabres. They own the Buffalo Bills, the Rochester Americans, the ice rink and a hotel nearby. He could be a candidate to run the whole entertainment combination. Buffalo, a team who has struggled with both success on the ice and struggles to generate much income on their own, might need someone who has had some success in that area, although the Coyotes haven’t necessarily shown that success on the ice as of yet.

Chayka was a candidate for Buffalo’s GM position three years ago before the team opted to go with Jason Botterill. However, the Coyotes refused to allow the Sabres the opportunity to interview him for the position. Throw in the fact that Chayka is a native of Buffalo, having grown up 40 minutes from there in Jordan Station and the dots do connect to a possible opportunity for Chayka if the Coyotes eventually let him out of his contract.

John Chayka Not Part Of Taylor Hall Meeting, Inclusion On Bubble Roster Uncertain

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With Seattle revealing their team name on Thursday, the next big decision they have will be who becomes their inaugural head coach.  According to TSN’s Darren Dreger on the latest Insider Trading, the Kraken aren’t close to making a choice on that front and will wait until the conclusion of the upcoming playoffs at a minimum before doing so.  That will allow them to get a sense for any other candidates that may become available depending on how things go.  In the meantime, they have several veterans that they can do their due diligence on.  Dreger singled out Gerard Gallant who would be a logical choice given how he performed in a similar situation with Vegas in their inaugural season.  He mentions that Gallant is in the mix but considering how early in the process they still are, he’s far from an early contender.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • Earlier this week, the Oilers loaned defenseman Theodor Lennstrom to Frolunda but there was no word on whether or not it would be a full-season loan of a short-term one. GM Ken Holland confirmed to Postmedia’s Jim Matheson that it is indeed the latter and that the Swedish team is aware that Edmonton will want the 25-year-old back when the 2020-21 season is set to get underway.  Lennstrom is likely AHL-bound to start the season to get acclimated to the smaller North American rinks but could be a recall option at some point.
  • The recent meeting between Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez and pending UFA winger Taylor Hall raised some eyebrows considering GM John Chayka wasn’t present. However, Kent Somers and Richard Morin of The Arizona Republic note that a low-ball offer was tendered to Hall at the meeting, suggesting that Gutierrez is running point on any negotiations at this juncture.  That would be an odd approach to take given that the GM has had little trouble getting their core players to agree to long-term extensions throughout his tenure in Arizona.
  • Even odder is that there are questions as to whether or not Chayka will be a part of Arizona’s 52-person roster in the bubble, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). While it’s ultimately expected he will be, the fact that it’s uncertain plus him being taken out of talks with Hall for the time being is something to certainly keep an eye on.

Morning Notes: Hall, KHL, Romanov

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The Arizona Coyotes and Taylor Hall have re-engaged in contract talks, according to Craig Custance of The Athletic, but with an interesting twist. Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez is “running point” on the talks instead of GM John Chayka, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Chayka was not even present at a recent dinner meeting between the team and their star forward.

Hall’s agent Darren Ferris told Friedman that the plan is still to wait until the end of the season to begin any negotiations. The 28-year old former Hart Trophy winner had 52 points in 65 games when the season was ended early and will be one of the biggest names in free agency should he reach it in October.

  • Avangard Omsk has withdrawn from a KHL preseason tournament after 20 positive COVID-19 tests from players and staff. According to an Associated Press report, GM Alexei Volkov explained that most are not experiencing “obvious symptoms.” Omsk is coached by former NHL bench boss Bob Hartley and has several former NHL names on the roster including Reid Boucher, Corban Knight, Jiri Sekac, and Alexei Emelin. The identity of the players who have tested positive was not revealed.
  • Alexander Romanov, who will burn the first season of his entry-level contract without playing for the Montreal Canadiens, will also not be getting a chance to take part in the Phase 3 training camp. The Russian defenseman will report directly to Toronto and serve his quarantine there before joining the team. The Canadiens hope to get Romanov acclimated to teammates and the organization this summer before he competes for a roster spot next season.

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