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West Notes: Golden Knights, Stars’ Injuries, Coyotes’ Changes, Samberg

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The Vegas Golden Knights seem to be a team that is being mentioned in multiple rumors for many pending unrestricted free agents despite having little to no cap room to speak of. The most recent one has the Golden Knights ready to pounce on St. Louis Blues star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who currently isn’t expected to re-sign with St. Louis.

David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal confirms that the Golden Knights are ready to go after the right-shot defenseman, who finished fourth in the Norris Trophy voting this year, assuming he reaches free agency on Oct. 9 and the team will deal with the salary cap juggling after that. Much of the reasoning comes from owner Bill Foley’s will to win and spend to the cap ceiling, while other teams are trying to refrain from that.

Of course, if Pietrangelo does opt to return to St. Louis or chooses another destination, the scribe notes there are other options for the team to upgrade on defense in free agency, including a pair of blueliners who spent time playing for head coach Peter DeBoer in San Jose, Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo.

  • ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the five Dallas Stars’ players who were “unfit to play” for Game 5 are still unfit as of Sunday. Ben Bishop, Roope Hintz, Radek Faksa, Stephen Johns and Blake Comeau are all expected to miss Game 6 on Monday. A new player to monitor, however, will be defenseman Andrej Sekera, who is considered to be a game-time decision, according to NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Sekera missed half of the first period and all of the second period after blocking a shot during Game 5 Saturday. He did return for the third period, but forced himself to play through the pain.
  • Coyotes beat reporter Craig Morgan reports that the scouting cleanout in Arizona is continuing. The team, who recently fired scouting director Lindsay Hofford and assistant to the GM Jake Goldberg, has removed two more names in the front office. Phil McRae, director of North American Amateur Scouting and Mat Milbury, an amateur scout, are both no longer with the team.
  • Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Winnipeg Jets defensive prospect Dylan Samberg’s ability to make the NHL squad out of training camp next season could be critical to the team’s playoff chances. Samberg, the 6-foot-4 defenseman out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, is believed to be close to NHL ready, but might need more seasoning in the AHL. However, with just four defenseman under contract and little cap room to maneuver with, the scribe believes that the quicker that Samberg can get acclimated to the NHL pace could be critical for the team. While there is little worry about this defensive game, there are questions on how well his offense will translate over.

Snapshots: Palm Springs, Boughner, Engelland

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When the Seattle Kraken enter the league for the 2021-22 season, they likely won’t have a primary AHL affiliate yet. That’s because the new Palm Springs franchise announced today that instead of a downtown arena they will now be building a location in the Coachella Valley which is scheduled to be ready for the 2022-23 season. For 2021-22, since the team will not have the full complement of minor leaguers, the most likely scenario will be finding places for them elsewhere.

The unnamed AHL franchise will play in a privately funded building owned by the Oak View Group and The H.N. & Frances C. Berger Foundation. Construction is set to break ground in 2021 and it will be a 10,000-plus seat venue.

  • The San Jose Sharks are expected to remove the interim tag from head coach Bob Boughner in the coming days, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Boughner led the Sharks to just a 14-20-3 record after replacing Peter DeBoer this season, but has a strong history with the front office from his multiple stints as an assistant coach. Boughner has plenty of experience behind the bench, having coached the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL for years and spending two seasons as head coach of the Florida Panthers.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon didn’t have a lot of answers regarding the goaltending situation for his team this summer and whether they would bring back Robin Lehner on a multi-year contract, but did shed some light on a different trade deadline discussion. Deryk Engelland, who has been a leader in Vegas since the franchise first joined the league, was offered a deal at the deadline to go to a team that wanted him. Engelland declined the opportunity, even though his lineup spot had disappeared and he wouldn’t be suiting up in the playoffs. McCrimmon told reporters including Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com that Engelland felt the Golden Knights had a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup and he accepted his role down the stretch. The 38-year-old defenseman played in 49 regular season games and is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Free Agent Focus: Vegas Golden Knights

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With free agency now less than a month away, many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Vegas has most of their core under contract already but a few veterans will be in need of new deals.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Chandler Stephenson – He was acquired midseason in what amounted to a salary cap dump by Washington and the fit has been terrific.  The 26-year-old wound up with 22 points in 41 games with the Golden Knights, an impressive partial-season performance considering his previous career high in scoring was 16 points.  He has been a regular for them this postseason as well, averaging nearly 16 minutes per night.  Stephenson looked like someone that might be a candidate to not be tendered a qualifying offer at the beginning of the year despite his $1.05MM price tag but now, he should be part of their future plans although salary arbitration eligibility looms large.

F Nick Cousins – He started off the season with Montreal after being non-tendered by the Coyotes last summer and was used from anywhere between the second and fourth lines.  However, his role has been a bit more limited since joining the Golden Knights where he has largely been deployed in their bottom six and is currently on the outside looking in at a spot in the lineup.  A $1MM qualifying offer doesn’t seem like much but he was non-tendered to avoid arbitration last year and it’s possible that it happens again here.

Other RFAs: F Reid Duke, F Keegan Kolesar, D Brett Lernout, F Gage Quinney, D Jimmy Schuldt

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

G Robin Lehner – This appears to be a situation where ‘if there’s smoke, there’s probably fire’ when it comes to a new deal.  Multiple reports have him closing in on a long-term pact with Vegas with a price tag around his current $5MM mark but he has denied that a contract is done.  Lehner wasn’t able to get a long-term contract last summer despite his strong season with the Islanders but he played well with Chicago before being brought in as insurance for Marc-Andre Fleury.  However, he has outperformed Fleury and taken over the starting job in the process.  That has him well-positioned to earn the contract security he has been coveting, whether it’s in Vegas or elsewhere.

F Tomas Nosek – He isn’t going to win any scoring titles but the 28-year-old has been consistent over his three seasons with Vegas, collecting 15, 17, and 15 points over that span while playing multiple positions and contributing defensively.  He’s best deployed in a limited role which offsets some of his versatility but he should be able to garner some interest on the open market if he doesn’t stay with Vegas.  He made $1MM this season and his next contract should come in around that rate as well.

D Deryk Engelland – While his role this season was lower than his other two, the 38-year-old still managed to hold his own in 47 games while bringing plenty of physicality.  However, it wasn’t enough to play a regular role in the playoffs as he has suited up just seven times so far.  Nevertheless, there is still a spot for Engelland as a sixth or seventh defenseman on a team if he wants to play beyond this year.  He signed for a league minimum base salary to stay with Vegas last summer (though he has hit the majority of his $800K in potential bonuses) and he’ll need to do so again if he wants to remain with them for a fourth year.

Other UFAs: W Curtis McKenzie, D Jaycob Megna, D Jon Merrill, G Garret Sparks, F Valentin Zykov

Projected Cap Space

At the moment, Vegas has roughly $76.5MM committed to 18 players for next season, per CapFriendly.  That amount doesn’t include a $571K bonus overage penalty which could actually increase slightly as one of Engelland’s bonuses is $25K per playoff round won.  That doesn’t leave them room to re-sign Lehner and fill out the rest of their roster so there is some work to be done still.

Speculatively speaking, if Lehner re-signs, Marc-Andre Fleury’s days with the team will likely be numbered.  However, with a $7MM cap hit for two more years, it’s all but a guarantee that Vegas will have to retain a good chunk of that to move him.  However, if they can do that without taking a contract in return, it might be enough to keep Lehner around and round out the roster although they’ll be right at the $81.5MM Upper Limit once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Robin Lehner Nearing Long-Term Extension With Vegas Golden Knights

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When word emerged earlier today that  Robin Lehner and the Vegas Golden Knights had come to terms on a five-year, $25MM contract extension, the goaltender was quick to squash the rumors. Lehner said “it’s not true” and called the rumors “annoying” when speaking to the media – “I’m here to win a Cup, not discuss this stuff.” It seemed at the time that maybe the reports were truly erroneous.

The only issue with Lehner’s vehement dismissal of the contract terms though is that reliable sources have since come forward to corroborate the extension rumors. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, who knows the Knights as well as anyone, writes that Vegas does plan to extend Lehner and those talks have indeed begun. While he echoes Lehner’s comment that “nothing is finalized”, Granger stops short of dismissing the possibility that the two sides could be close to a resolution. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski goes on step further, reporting that there is in fact a handshake agreement in place between the Golden Knights and Lehner on a new deal. He also believes that the five-year term and $25MM price tag are accurate.

Should the purported extension come to fruition, it will be a win-win for both sides. Despite playing at an elite level for the past three seasons, Lehner has only landed one-year contracts and is playing on his fourth different team in that span. His goal has always been to find a long-term home and his fit with Vegas has been obvious. At a $5MM AAV, this deal may not be at the top of Lehner’s potential market value, but it would provide him with security and a the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup each year. As for the Knights, goaltending was not considered a major area of need when the team acquired Lehner at the trade deadline as the intended backup to Marc-Andre Fleury, but it would have become an issue down the road as the 35-year-old Fleury neared the end of his contract with his play continuing to slip. Once an extension with Lehner is finalized, Vegas will have merely solved their problem in net before it had a chance to occur. Of course, Fleury’s days with the team are now numbered as Vegas cannot afford to keep both goalies, even at a very fair price for Lehner. With limited cap space this off-season, the Golden Knights will have to move their veteran keeper and officially hand the starting job to Lehner.

Goaltending Notes: Lehner, Lundqvist, Free Agency

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Robin Lehner has shutout another opponent, blanking the Dallas Stars last night to even the Western Conference Finals at a game apiece. That was Lehner’s fourth shutout of the postseason, raising his overall save percentage to .924 and lowering his goals-against-average to a measly 1.84. The big trade acquisition has been outstanding for the Golden Knights since arriving, which makes it easy to see why the team is trying to keep him around long-term.

Jesse Granger of The Athletic writes that talks have already begun between the Golden Knights and Lehner on a long-term extension, though it’s not clear exactly what price tag a new contract would come with. A move of that nature however would likely spell the end of Marc-Andre Fleury’s time in Vegas, if only because it would be too expensive to keep them both on the roster. Fleury, who has also performed well in his lessened role this postseason, has two more years on his contract at a $7MM cap hit and holds a 10-team no-trade clause.

  • Another legendary goaltender may be getting pushed out this offseason, as Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic writes that Henrik Lundqvist’s career with the New York Rangers is coming to an end as the team “must buy him out and they know it.” Lundqvist has just a single year left on his contract but has been passed by two different young goaltenders in New York. A buyout would save the Rangers just $3MM of his $8.5MM cap hit in 2020-21 and force a $1.5MM penalty onto the books for 2021-22.
  • If Lehner re-signs with the Golden Knights, and the Vancouver Canucks manage to bring back Jacob Markstrom as they indicated yesterday, the free agent pool for goaltenders suddenly doesn’t look quite as impressive. Sure, there are still plenty of names available like Thomas Greiss, Anton Khudobin, and Cam Talbot, but if Markstrom and Lehner both re-up with their current teams it is going to leave Braden Holtby as the only UFA starter that isn’t already in his mid-thirties. That can only help Holtby’s market, but it also could lead more teams to consider the trade route with options like Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen both potentially on the market.

Snapshots: Simmonds, Crawford, Wheat Kings

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Wayne Simmonds wasn’t effective this season. In 61 games with the New Jersey Devils he scored just eight goals and then was traded for a conditional fifth-round pick to a team that had no real shot at the playoffs. Simmonds ended the year with a single assist in seven games with the Buffalo Sabres, meaning his final tally was eight goals and 25 points on the season. That was his worst year since 2008-09 when he was a rookie, but he still feels like he can contribute somewhere next season. Speaking to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Simmonds responded directly to the speculation that he could return to his hometown of Toronto:

So of course it’s crossed my mind. I know they’re in a bit of a salary cap situation and things of that nature, but you know I’m open to everything, Toronto’s got a great core of players and I think that’s definitely a team where I could go in and make an impact right away. It’s up to the teams. Whoever wants to choose me, I’ll be waiting. I’ll definitely be ready to go.

The Maple Leafs brought back hometown boy Jason Spezza this season on a league-minimum deal and may not have a lot more than that to offer to Simmonds, if the match were to be made. Even after clearing Kasperi Kapanen’s contract off the books, the Maple Leafs still have close to $74MM committed to just 16 players for 2020-21.

  • Corey Crawford isn’t the youngest goaltender among those headed to unrestricted free agency, but he still may be one of the best. The 35-year-old bounced back from some concussion issues to record a .917 save percentage in 40 appearances this season, the exact number his career percentage sits at over nearly 500 games. He’s played each of those contests with the Chicago Blackhawks and the team is discussing a new deal with him to return. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Blackhawks have offered Crawford a one-year contract around $3.5MM already.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon is no longer the owner of the Brandon Wheat Kings, a team he’s been affiliated with since 1988. McCrimmon has sold the WHL team to the J&G Group of Companies, ending a long, successful era that also included stints serving as head coach and GM of the team he owned. Fans of the Wheat Kings shouldn’t have any fear of relocation after the sale, however, as new owner Jared Jacobson was born and raised in Brandon and is a huge part of the city’s business community. McCrimmon will also be remaining with the organization as an alternate governor.

Ryan Reaves Receives One-Game Suspension

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The Golden Knights will indeed be without winger Ryan Reaves for their series-opening game against Dallas on Sunday as the league announced that he has received a one-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Canucks forward Tyler Motte on Friday night.  The video from the Department of Player Safety explaining their decision can be found here.

The hit occurred late in the second period and Reaves received a major and a match penalty for the hit which was reviewed and upheld by officials.  Vancouver was unable to score with the critical man advantage and ultimately fell 3-0.

With Reaves out of the lineup, Nick Cousins will likely take his place for Game One against the Stars.  He had been scratched when Tomas Nosek returned on Friday night.  He has five assists in 14 games so far this postseason while Reaves has four helpers in 15 contests.

Ryan Reaves To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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While the Golden Knights will be kicking off their Western Conference Final series against Dallas on Sunday night, they may be doing so without one of their wingers as the Department of Player Safety announced that Ryan Reaves will have a hearing today following an illegal check to the head of Vancouver’s Tyler Motte on Friday night.

The incident, which can be seen here, occurred late in the second period and Reaves received a major and a match penalty for the hit and officials upheld the call following video replay.  The match penalty triggered the automatic hearing from the league as it carries an automatic suspension pending review.

While Reaves has been a physical player throughout his 10-year NHL career, he has only been suspended once before in 2016 when he received a three-game ban for boarding in 2016 while with St. Louis.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the early expectation is that Reaves will receive at least a one-game suspension for this incident.

Henderson Silver Knights Hire Manny Viveiros

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The Henderson Silver Knights have decided on who will be the team’s first coach, hiring Manny Viveiros today. The former NHL defenseman has played and coached all over the world, but last served as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL in 2019-20. Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon released a statement on the hiring:

Whether it’s been on the ice, behind the bench or in the front office, Manny Viveiros has been a part of the game at every level. In our search for the Silver Knights Head Coach, we were looking for someone who could not only lead a winning team to the Calder Cup Championship but could set a positive example for our prospects. We’re confident Manny is up for the task and are excited to see his impact on our organization.

Viveiros, 54, was an NHL assistant with the Edmonton Oilers in 2018-19, but otherwise has spent most of his career overseas in Austria and Germany. In fact, Viveiros was the Austrian head coach at the Olympics in 2014 after spending more than a decade playing in the country.

The Silver Knights will be heading into their very first season after relocation from San Antonio, but when exactly that campaign begins isn’t clear. Whenever it does, it’ll be Viveiros behind the bench when they drop the puck for hockey in the desert.

Pacific Notes: Fleury, Myers, Smith

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The Vegas Golden Knights goaltending controversy could get more interesting in the coming hours. After netting his team a 3-0 shutout last night against Vancouver, Robin Lehner would seem like a solid candidate to start again tonight for Game 4 of their series. However, Lehner is 1-7-1 in his career on second nights when he plays both ends of a back-to-back series. That could allow the opportunity for veteran Marc-Andre Fleury to get the start tonight.

In fact, NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that there is an internal belief that Fleury will get the nod against Vancouver in Game 4. However, Vegas coach Pete DeBoer refused to confirm that belief:

“I’m not going to confirm any lineup decisions we’ve made,” said DeBoer (via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen). “You’ll see tonight. We’ve got a plan, and we’re going to continue on the path that we know is the right one for our group.”

However, considering that DeBoer and Vegas management has continued to claim that it is a 1 and 1a situation, a Lehner start would likely negate that stand. Fleury, on the other hand, has appeared in just two appearances so far in the playoffs. If he does start tonight, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger notes it will be his first appearance in 14 days, his second game in 23 days and his third game in 174 days.

An official word isn’t likely until just before gametime.

  • Speaking about unknowns, TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers was skating today, although there is no word on whether the blueliner is available for Game 4 tonight against the Golden Knights. Myers, out with a shoulder injury since Aug. 14, wasn’t expected to be ready until later this week, according to The Province’s Patrick Johnston, who added that the two-day break after this game could benefit him. However, Dhaliwal suggests there is a possibility that he could be ready tonight depending on how he responds to treatment. Again, he will be a game-time decision.
  • In an interview with The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman (subscription required), Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland admitted the Oilers will keep with a tandem goaltending situation. However, he also added that while he was pleased with the team’s goaltending for much of the season, he still needs time to assess whether they will make any changes, especially since veteran Mike Smith is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins adds that Smith is likely to be re-signed by the Oilers if Holland can find a way to upgrade Mikko Koskinen and his $4.5MM contract. If the team can unload Koskinen, that could improve Smith’s chances of staying in Edmonton. Otherwise, the team would likely look to let Smith walk and hope to find an upgrade in net after that.

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