Coaching Notes: Baumgartner, Vegas, Quinn
Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun is reporting that Nolan Baumgartner is expected to join the newly-hired Travis Green behind the Vancouver bench. Baumgartner was an assistant coach of Green’s in Utica, and is the epitome of a professional hockey journeyman. Playing for seven different NHL franchises, but only getting into 143 games, Baumgartner is considered a solid coaching prospect that has a good insight for the game. This will be his first opportunity behind an NHL bench.
The Canucks will announce their new staff tomorrow afternoon, and will begin to work on their roster for next season. As MacIntyre writes, Green and the new staff will be expected to just develop the younger players coming up for the immediate future, with no pressure to compete for the playoffs right away. If the Canucks do in fact stay the course with a rebuild, Green will try to slowly shepherd the team back towards a competitive culture during his four-year contract.
- Gerard Gallant won’t start his assistant coach search until after he’s done his work at the World Championships, but he already has an initial list of names to potentially join him on the Vegas bench. Though he’s set to help Jon Cooper coach Team Canada at the Worlds, he hopes to have the search completed in about six weeks. “When it’s a good job, a lot of people want the job,” he told Dan Marrazza of NHL.com who also reports that GM George McPhee and AGM Kelly McCrimmon will have to sign off on his staff.
- Among the many staffing notes in Elliotte Friedman’s latest “30 Thoughts” column for Sportsnet, is one about David Quinn and the potential job in Buffalo. Obviously, Quinn—who currently coaches at Boston University—would be a solid fit with a young team looking to take the next step but it is his connection to Jack Eichel that now makes it a bit awkward. The report that Eichel wouldn’t sign an extension with Dan Byslma as coach was thoroughly dismissed by both sides, but it did precede Bylsma’s firing by just a day. The optics of Eichel being a “coach-killer” would get pumped up even further if the replacement was his old college coach, even if the report was incorrect. Terry Pegula likely doesn’t want to pour any more gasoline on that Eichel fire, after working so hard to put it out immediately.
Snapshots: McCarron, Golden Knights, Zito
The Montreal Canadiens have sent Michael McCarron back to the AHL to play in the IceCaps playoff run. The young forward had 19 points in 32 games in the AHL this season, but spent the better part of the year either on the Canadiens’ fourth line or in the press box. After being selected in the first round (25th overall) in 2013, McCarron has yet to make a real impact at the NHL level. His size and goal scoring ability has been on display at the lower levels, but will need to find more consistency to play a regular role in Montreal next year.
For now, he’ll join St. John’s for their playoff series with the Syracuse Crunch, currently tied at a game apiece. The two teams are back at it Wednesday night as they look for a first round victory and a step closer to the Calder Cup. McCarron should give the IceCaps a big boost up front, joining other young forwards like Charles Hudon and Nikita Scherbak.
- Vegas Golden Knights’ head coach Gerard Gallant believes that his squad will be more talented than either of the Columbus Blue Jackets or Minnesota Wild when they entered the league, telling NHL.com that they will have a better chance at getting “a few more high-end players”. While it’s true that the Golden Knights don’t have to battle with another team in the upcoming expansion draft, the Wild were lucky enough to get Marian Gaborik third overall in their first entry draft, something that Vegas will need to emulate should they want to compete in their first few years. The Golden Knights will have the most important day to-date for their franchise on Saturday when the league holds the Draft Lottery. Vegas currently holds a 10.3% chance to select first overall, and will almost assuredly be drafting somewhere in the top-5.
- John Vogl of The Buffalo News reports that Blue Jackets’ assistant General Manger Bill Zito should be considered a candidate for the vacant GM role in Buffalo. Vogl has compiled a list of names that should be considered with many likely interviewing for the job. It includes current assistants Zito, Tom Fitzgerald (Devils), Jason Botterill (Penguins), Chris Drury (Rangers) and Norm Maciver (Chicago). It will be interesting to see if Terry Pegula and the Buffalo organization do hire someone who hasn’t held a GM position before, as he stated in a recent press conference that experience was one of the things they would prioritize in the search.
Expansion Notes: Bieksa, Sutter
The Anaheim Ducks have taken a 3-0 lead in the playoff series with the Calgary Flames, mostly due to the success of its defense (although perhaps not in the first 30 minutes of last night’s game. Los Angeles Times’ writer Helene Elliott praises the play of veteran defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who she says put in one of his best performances of the season.
However, while the 35-year-old blueliner has been playing well leading a young, talented defensive corps, there continue to be issues on how the Ducks will handle their offseason protection list in June.
Bieksa has a no movement clause, which will force the Ducks to use one of their four defensive spots on the veteran. The team already has a bunch of young blueliners who they must protect or potentially lose to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Even with the team using the 4-4-1 option in the draft (four forwards, four defensemen and a goalie), the team is likely to protect Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler.
However, because of Bieksa’s no movement clause, they would be forced to expose several young defenders, including Josh Manson. The Ducks may be ready to move on from him next year, but that no movement clause, as well as his $5.0MM cap hit will definitely stand in their way, unless the team can convince him to waive that.
Will Anaheim be able to convince Bieksa to waive his no-trade clause? His recent playoff success might only complicate matters, but no one in Anaheim is complaining at the moment as the Ducks look towards a sweep of the Flames tomorrow in Game 4 in Calgary.
- The Vancouver Canucks have a similar issue about what to do with center Brandon Sutter, their veteran center. Many feel that Sutter has been a disappointment after a season in which he scored just 17 goals and 17 assists after signing a five-year deal in the offseason. That $4.375MM cap hit over the next four seasons makes many in Vancouver believe that they need to expose the high-priced center in the expansion draft or possibly trade him if that doesn’t work. Fansided Alex Hoegler suggests that the team should consider holding on to him, despite his disappointing first season. Sutter may not be proving to be a top-line center, however, but at age 28, he should be able to provide many 15-20 goals over the next four seasons and provide depth to a young team.
Editor’s Note: This article originally listed Brandon Montour as eligible for expansion. This is incorrect, as his 14 games in the AHL in 2014-15 were played under an amateur tryout and thus do not count towards his professional experience.
Gerard Gallant Officially Named Head Coach Of Vegas Golden Knights
The press conference was set for noon, but the Vegas Golden Knights just couldn’t wait. They’ve announced Gerard Gallant as the first head coach in the history of the franchise. The team has been rumored for weeks to be considering Gallant, after his premature exit from the Florida Panthers organization earlier this year. In the press release, General Manager George McPhee explains the decision. 
We are proud to announce Gerard as the first head coach in Vegas Golden Knights history. He is an experienced head coach, has had success at multiple levels and has a great reputation amongst the players who have played for him.
We undertook a very detailed due diligence process over the last several months and canvassed a number of qualified head coaching candidates to ensure we found the best coach for our group. And we believe we have found that coach in Gerard.
We look forward to working with him to build a team that our fans and our community are proud to support.
One of the most well-respected coaches in the league, Gallant’s firing was taken as a personal attack against the coaching fraternity after he had been a Jack Adams finalist the year prior. He has experience at the head coaching level with both Columbus and Florida, while he also served as an assistant for the Islanders and Canadiens. Perhaps his most success came with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL where he won back-to-back league championships and took home the Memorial Cup in 2011. That team actually included several potential targets for the Golden Knights this summer, like Stanislav Galiev (who was drafted by McPhee), Eric Gelinas, Tomas Jurco and Simon Despres (should he return to health).
With Ken Hitchcock set to return to Dallas after a brief retirement, it was reported that Gallant, Jack Capuano and perhaps Dale Hunter were considered for the Vegas opening. The team has gotten their man now, and definitely found a big presence to shepherd their team into the league. There will be many young players on the squad next season, and he’ll need to let them grow naturally in what will likely be a difficult first year.
Around the league, there are still vacancies in Vancouver, Florida and Los Angeles after each has let their coach go since the end of the year. With Gallant now off the board, perhaps some of these teams will make their final decision. Darryl Sutter, Willie Desjardins and Jack Capuano remain jobless, and will have to battle younger coaches for the openings.
Gallant will now have time to work with McPhee and AGM Kelly McCrimmon to finalize a plan for the upcoming expansion draft, deciding what kind of team they plan on putting together for the first season of Vegas hockey. One thing is for sure, whichever players they do select will know who’s boss.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Gerard Gallant Expected To Be Named Vegas’ Head Coach
Per Sportsnet, the Vegas Golden Knights are set to name Gerard Gallant the first head coach in team history. Gallant was recently the head coach of the Florida Panthers, a post he was fired from back in November. Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Steve Carp wrote a piece indicating Gallant as the choice while Dreger tweeted confirmation later. Though Vegas owner Bill Foley would not confirm Gallant as the next head coach, he did say that the press conference will take place Thursday.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted earlier in the day that Gallant was in the mix in Dallas, which eventually went to Ken Hitchcock, who is now in his second go around with the Stars. Gallant brings an impressive resume to Vegas, a team that will have one of the better competitive advantages in comparison to other NHL expansion teams, thanks to parity within the league. Gallant led Florida to a division title and the organization’s best finish in regular season history before being abruptly fired by then-general manager Tom Rowe in November.
Tomorrow’s press conference is set for noon.
Vegas Notes: Bill Foley, Team Identity, Coaching Decision
“It’s all just about the show.” These are the words of owner Bill Foley regarding his newly minted Vegas Golden Knights. In his afternoon interview on FoxSports 1340 AM Las Vegas, Bill Foley discussed the team’s inception and his vision for growing the game on the Strip. Citing the legend of Excalibur, the practically giddy owner proposed his grand broadcasting plans, and outlined his overall vision for the Vegas startup.
Team Identity:
“We want a team of speed, agility, and finesse.” The league has definitely shifted in this general direction, especially since the Pittsburgh Penguins blitzed their way to a Stanley Cup last season. The difference between a Penguins team and a future Knights team, obviously will be determined by the large gap in top-tier offensive talent.
“We are going to build from the net out.” From Foley’s commentary, we should expect a low-scoring squad for the first couple years of inception. Although Foley aims to make the playoffs in 3 years, a large part of his relative success will be determined by the quality of goaltending he will be able to acquire. Will he merely be satisfied with a Calvin Pickard? The safe bet is that he will attempt to acquire a veteran with NHL seasons under his belt. Would Marc-Andre Fleury be available in a simple transaction? Ben Bishop, considering his backup status on the LA Kings? There are many avenues for GM George McPhee to explore.
Expansion Draft:
“We hope to…put a bunch of picks in our pocket.” Foley described quite clearly his intention to manipulate and maneuver his way into procuring draft picks from other squads worried about losing players. He seems to be quite content settling on stockpiling picks and creating a backlog of prospects. His commentary here may indicate a flurry of activity on the part of his management team and other groups, trying to protect their players under the limited protection options of 7 Forwards, 3 Defensemen, 1 Goalie, or 8 Skaters and 1 Goalie.
Coaching:
“Flexible…someone I can work with. We need someone who is a players’ coach.” The Vegas owner stated that he definitely wants a coach without an old-school mentality. He’s looking for a coach who will be able to maintain focus and passion in his squad regardless of overall record, and the inevitable struggles a new franchise will face. Perhaps Gerard Gallant would fit this role, although there are plenty of options in the coaching arena these days.
Community:
Vegas intends to have half-hour pre-game shows before each game, one-hour post-game shows, and an hour-long hockey devoted call-in show on weekdays, complete with interviews and analysis. Foley also revealed a deeper partnership with Fox Sports, radio coverage on Lotus, and a Spanish broadcast on ESPN Deportes. Foley also mentioned interest in the creation of more ice rinks in the area to support youth hockey, specifically two sheets of ice in Henderson. He stated his optimism of the Vegas passion for hockey after the successful ticket drive, and stated his desire to create a lasting foundation of interest.
Coaching Notes: Hitchcock, Montgomery, Hunter
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest “30 Thoughts” column for Sportsnet, the venerable hockey insider goes into all the coaching movement around the NHL and lends his opinions and insight onto some of the still unresolved situations. In Dallas, where the team is set to announce the hiring of Ken Hitchcock tomorrow, Friedman notes that it will be a one-year deal—as is Hitchcock’s preference—with a possible transition into consulting thereafter.
Hitchcock isn’t really an answer long-term for any franchise, as at 65 he’s dabbled with the idea of retirement lately. The idea of him sticking around in a system and being just one phone call away from taking over would be a difficult one to accept for the new coach if they do go in a different direction a year from now. It’s hard to coach in the NHL, and much more so when the team has a legend sitting in the press box “consulting” on whether you’re doing a good job.
- Friedman again mentions Jim Montgomery from the University of Denver, who is likely on a list of candidates for the Florida Panthers job. Dallas Eakins and Phil Housley are other names to watch, with all three looking like they’ll deserve a shot (or a second shot in Eakins’ case) sooner than later.
- Dale Hunter is one of the people that the Vegas Golden Knights have reached out to, though he declined the opportunity to return to the NHL. Hunter quit his job with the Washington Capitals back in 2012 to return to London, where he and his brother Mark Hunter—who works as an assistant GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs—own one of the top franchises in the OHL.
- Sabres’ GM Tim Murray met with the media today to discuss the underwhelming 2016-17 season, and reiterated that he doesn’t intend to fire Dan Bylsma as head coach. According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, Murray puts this season on himself. He will have to work to better the roster, not just lay it all at the feet of his coach after another disappointing season.
- While not a coach, Mike Futa of the Los Angeles Kings has been promoted to assistant GM. Futa has been with the club for a decade as a VP of Hockey Operations and Director of Player Personnel. He’ll work with the new management team made up of Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille to try and bring the Kings back to the playoffs in a short turnaround.
Morning Notes: Gallant, Dallas, Carlson, Polak
When the Dallas Stars snatched up Ken Hitchcock this morning just days after firing Lindy Ruff, it took away one of the veteran options the Vegas Golden Knights could have considered for their head coaching job. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that with the Dallas vacancy filled, Gerard Gallant should be considered a front-runner for the Golden Knights job.
Gallant was fired from the Florida Panthers early in the year to the dismay of much of the hockey world, a decision that seems regrettable now that Tom Rowe has also been relieved of his duties in the sunshine state. Gallant has been considered an excellent head coach for years, though his actual record isn’t awe-inspiring. In the three years he’s made it through a full season, he’s only taken his team to the playoffs once and holds a career 152-140 record in the regular season.
- The Dallas staff will have an entirely different look next year, as the entire coaching staff save Curt Fraser have been let go according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports. Even Fraser could be let go, but will have a discussion with Hitchcock in the next few days. The former Atlanta Thrashers head coach, Fraser has been with the Stars for five seasons, longer even than Ruff.
- John Carlson was back at Washington Capitals practice today and skating on the top unit with Karl Alzner according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He was previously listed as probable for the game, but as Khurshudyan puts it now “he’s playing, y’all”.
- The Maple Leafs on the other hand, first-round opponents of the Capitals, had Roman Polak back at practice today after leaving their final game with a lower-body injury. Perhaps more importantly though, rookie defender Nikita Zaitsev was absent once again. Zaitsev took a hard hit from Nick Foligno and was diagnosed with an upper-body injury.
NHL Releases Official Draft Lottery Odds
The NHL has released the official odds for the upcoming draft lottery, which determines the order in which each team outside the playoffs will select in this year’s entry draft. The Colorado Avalanche lead the way with an 18% chance of winning, while the Vegas Golden Knights will be given the same odds as the third worst team this season, the Arizona Coyotes at 10.3%. The lottery will be held in Toronto on April 29th. The full odds are as follows:
Colorado Avalanche: 18%
Vancouver Canucks: 12.1%
Vegas Golden Knights: 10.3%
Arizona Coyotes: 10.3%
New Jersey Devils: 8.5%
Buffalo Sabres: 7.6%
Detroit Red Wings: 6.7%
Dallas Stars: 5.8%
Florida Panthers: 5.4%
Los Angeles Kings: 4.5%
Carolina Hurricanes: 3.2%
Winnipeg Jets: 2.7%
Philadelphia Flyers: 2.2%
Tampa Bay Lightning: 1.8%
New York Islanders: 0.9%
In the draft lottery, three teams actually “win”, and have the chance to move up from their finishing position. This means teams currently slotted 1-12 can only move a possible three spots down in the order, and only if teams behind them are selected. Last season, the Maple Leafs were selected first and retained their top spot, though the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets hopped from fourth and sixth to third and second respectively. Vancouver, who had the third highest odds, dropped to fifth overall.
One will also remember the lottery that gave the Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid, despite the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes both having worse records. It wasn’t the first time Edmonton won a draft lottery, but it looks like it will be the last for at least the next few years, as they’re in the playoffs and will pick in the back half of the first round for the first time since 2005-06.
This year, the top prize is Nolan Patrick who retained his crown as the top rated skater in today’s final release of the NHL Central Scouting rankings. Though he’s not McDavid, every team on this list will be hoping to win the lottery and have the chance of drafting a future #1 center.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet was the first to tweet out the full odds, though TSN and HockeyViz.com had correct unofficial numbers over a month ago.
Snapshots: Lyubimov, Beck, Devils, Foligno
Since the Olympic decision came down, details have continued to come out about Russian-born players and their desire (and pressure) to play in the Games anyway. We heard from Nikita Zaitsev on the matter yesterday, saying that it hasn’t changed his plans on staying in North America, but now one Flyers’ forward isn’t so clear. Roman Lyubimov, the former CSKA Moscow winger who signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia this summer and has suited up for 46 games told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that it will be a “tough decision” whether or not to return to the KHL next year.
Zaitsev of course has a huge contract extension waiting for him, while Lyubimov has been a healthy scratch for much of the year. The 24-year old forward likely isn’t sure of his place in the NHL after struggling this year and sometimes only seeing five minutes of ice time. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of the year, and if there isn’t a clear role for him in Philadelphia, it may just not fit for him anymore.
- Taylor Beck has been recalled by the New York Rangers for the first time since being acquired at the trade deadline. The 25-year old forward is having a huge year at the AHL level, with 63 points in 54 games. He’ll likely draw into the lineup as the Rangers give some key players the night off heading into the playoffs.
- The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand have sent both Steven Santini and Luke Gazdic back down to the Albany Devils as they prepare for the Calder Cup playoffs. The AHL Devils are in third place in the North division but haven’t actually locked up a spot just yet as Utica and St. John’s are right on their tail. With just five games remaining for the team before the end of the regular season, both Santini and Gazdic will help their chances of making it into the postseason.
- Marcus Foligno‘s season is over, according to John Vogl of the Buffalo News. The forward has been given a 7-10 day timeline on his knee injury, which will take him through the end of the year. Foligno set a career high in goals with 13 and has found a niche as a fast, physical presence in the league. His 279 hits rank fifth in the league and second among forwards behind only Matt Martin of the Maple Leafs. A restricted free agent in the summer, he’ll be looking for a slight raise over the $2.25MM he earned this season, and could earn a long-term deal if he agrees to a sub-$3MM salary.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have sent their only player to the Chicago Wolves on a professional tryout, as Reid Duke starts his journey into pro hockey. The Wolves have been long rumored as the future affiliate of the Golden Knights, and though this doesn’t guarantee that it is another hint that there is already a handshake deal in place. Duke should get used to his surroundings, as he’ll have a tough time cracking the NHL roster next year even if his name is already in the history books.