Las Vegas GM Rumored To Be George McPhee
Numerous reports suggest that George McPhee will be the first ever GM for the expansion Las Vegas NHL team. The current Special Advisor to New York Islanders GM Garth Snow was the Washington Capitals GM for 17 years from ’97-’98 to ’13-’14.
As we reported earlier, McPhee represents the experienced choice. He was Vice President of Hockey Operations with the Vancouver Canucks from ’92-’94 before taking the Capitals GM job. He then led Washington to its first and only Stanley Cup Finals appearance, alongside seven top finishes in the team’s division. He’s helmed the Capitals through two successful eras punctuated by a rebuilding period in the early 2000’s. McPhee will have a lot on his plate in the coming weeks. Not only does he have to start building up a prospect pool from scratch, but he has to oversee the hiring of scouts, assistants, coaches, and support staff.
The unnamed Las Vegas Team’s decision to choose the experienced candidate is wise. As Ken Campbell of the Hockey News writes, six out of the last nine expansion teams chose an experienced GM (Minnesota, Nashville, San Jose, Anaheim, Florida, and Tampa Bay), and the three that did not (Columbus, Atlanta, and Ottawa) fared significantly worse out of the gate. Most notably was Ottawa’s Mel Bridgeman, who chose ineligible players three consecutive times during the Senators’ expansion draft.
Western Conference Notes: Schmaltz, Subban, Larsson
Evidently the new Las Vegas expansion team is wasting little time getting up and running. As we mentioned yesterday, the newest entry in the Western Conference was closing in on naming the first GM in franchise history. Today we learned a press conference has indeed been scheduled for tomorrow at 1 pm PST where club owner Bill Foley is expected to announce his choice. Speculation, and that’s all it is at this point, is that George McPhee, formerly the longtime GM of the Washington Capitals and currently serving as an adviser with the Islanders under Garth Snow, will be named Las Vegas’ inaugural GM.
More from the wild, wild West:
- Chicago GM Stan Bowman deserves a lot of credit for maintaining the Hawks presence as a Stanley Cup contender despite annual salary dumps, including this summer’s trades of Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw. His ability to constantly juggle his roster while remaining cap compliant is due to the constant infusion of affordable young talent the organization continues to find and develop. Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun Times profiles several youngsters who aim to make the Hawks roster for the 2016-17 season.
- Addressing questions from the reader mailbag, Adam Vingan of the Tennessean speculates how the Predators will employ shiny new toy, P.K. Subban. Like many, I thought the Predators got the better end of the Subban-for-Shea Weber trade. Subban is an electrifying talent still in his prime at 27 while Weber would seem to be on the downside as he approaches his 31st birthday. Plus with another decade remaining on Weber’s contract with a cap hit in excess of $7.8MM per, the Canadiens took on a healthy amount of risk on the back end of his deal.
- From the same mailbag, Vingan also deals with the same tough choices every NHL GM will have to face between now and the expansion draft; namely which quality NHL player or players will they leave exposed. The league certainly went out of its way to ensure Las Vegas will be able to add legitimate talent and a lot of teams will be in the unenviable position of allowing a good player to leave for nothing.
- The Subban deal wasn’t the only blockbuster trade completed this summer and it may not even by the one most panned by critics. Nearly every pundit thought the Devils pilfered LW Taylor Hall from Edmonton with Adam Larsson the return going to the Oilers. But it may not be as bad as it seems. Bottom line is GM Peter Chiarelli absolutely needed to upgrade his defense corps and likely didn’t have a lot of palatable options with which to do so. Plenty of young, RFA defensemen have been rumored to possibly be available via trade but exactly none have been moved to date despite the abundant need for quality blueliners around the league. Plus, unlike those RFA’s who would need new contracts with salaries inflating, Larsson comes at the beginning of a freshly inked deal that pays him a shade over $4.1MM on average for the next five seasons. That cost control has value. Fact is, Chiarelli might have made the best deal possible at the time, even if it ends up being a net negative in the long run.
Las Vegas Narrows GM Search To Two Candidates
The NHL’s newest expansion team has narrowed its GM search down to two candidates, says owner Bill Foley in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The unnamed Las Vegas team hopes to finalize their decision within a few days.
Whoever takes the GM position will face numerous unique challenges as a product of the expansion process. The new GM will have to run the expansion draft, build a prospect pool from scratch, and balance prudent long-reaching moves with a new fanbase’s desire to see a winning product. The ideal candidate would be experienced and able to quickly hire support and scouting staff.
Foley interviewed seven candidates in his search. Two people thought to have the inside track, however, were not even considered. Panthers President of Hockey Operations (and former Panthers and Blackhawks GM) Dale Tallon told reporters he wasn’t even interviewed. Same goes for Chicago Blackhawks Assistant GM Norm MacIvor.
Possible candidates for the position include former Washington Capitals GM George McPhee, former Arizona Coyotes GM Don Maloney, and current Montreal Canadiens Assistant GM Scott Mellanby. McPhee helmed the Capitals for 17 years, making to the finals in his first season and remaining competitive for most of his tenure. Maloney was let go this off-season in a surprising move for the Coyotes, but knows the market well and kept things afloat during the almost-constant relocation rumors. Finally, Mellanby played with Foley’s hockey advisor Murray Craven during his career, and is rumored to be a leading candidate for the position.
Pacific Division Notes: Puljujärvi, Lindholm, Vegas GM
Edmonton Oilers fourth overall pick RW Jesse Puljujärvi is not taking part in the on-ice portion of the team’s rookie camp in Jasper, AB, after undergoing knee surgery following the U-18 World Championships. Puljujärvi expects to be “good to go” in a month, meaning he’ll be ready for training camp in September.
More from the Pacific Division:
- The Anaheim Ducks did not take part in the madness that was the opening of free agency, but still have some serious work to do this summer. Number one defenceman Hampus Lindholm and third line center Rickard Rakell still need to be signed. Lindholm will be looking for a long-term deal over a more team-friendly bridge contract, but the Ducks will want to get him under contract before another team decides to offer-sheet him. While there hasn’t been an offer sheet since the bizarre Ryan O’Reilly situation between Colorado and Calgary in February 2012, the Ducks won’t want to risk exposing their number one defenceman to an expensive offer sheet, which they would almost certainly match despite being a budget team.
- The Las Vegas expansion franchise wants to name a General Manager before the end of the month, according to a report on NHL.com. Owner Bill Foley said he’d like the team to come up with three to five candidates to interview, and the team is working with the NHL to properly contact teams about potential candidates. Foley also revealed that the team’s nickname and color scheme will be unveiled in the fall.
NHL Award Recipients
The NHL Awards were given out tonight in Las Vegas, with a little bit extra fanfare due to the upcoming expansion team. Here is the full list of winners, with the top two runners-up in each category:
Calder Trophy (top rookie)
Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player as voted by the players)
General Manager of the Year
- Jim Rutherford
- Brian McClellen
- Jim Nill
Masterton Trophy (perseverance and dedication to hockey)
- Jaromir Jagr
- Mats Zucarello
- Pascal Dupuis
Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award
Norris Trophy (top defenceman)
Selke Trophy (forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game)
Jack Adams Award (top head coach)
- Barry Trotz
- Gerard Gallant
- Lindy Ruff
Lady Byng Trophy (player best combining sportsmanship and ability)
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)
Hart Trophy (most valuable player to his team)
Congratulations to all the winners, and the teams who employ them.
Las Vegas Officially Awarded NHL Team
Just hours before the NHL Awards held in Las Vegas, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that Las Vegas would indeed be the recipient of an NHL team for the start of the 2017-2018 season. Bettman indicated that the Board of Governors unanimously approved the league’s expansion. Bill Foley was named the principal owner of the new franchise. Foley indicated that the team has not settled on a nickname but speculation is that the Black Knights will be the chosen name.
Bettman confirmed many details as well. Namely, all teams will lose one player in the NHL Expansion Draft. Las Vegas will be a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and this will give the conference 15 teams while the Eastern Conference boasts 16 teams. Yahoo Sports linked the official press release from the NHL while James Mirtle linked the NHL’s official rules regarding expansion teams.
The other interesting tidbit of information was the board deferring a decision on Quebec City and their chances at acquiring an NHL franchise. Pierre Dion, Quebecor President and CEO, spoke as well regarding the opportunity for future expansion. Dion, during the press conference, indicated that the priority is to bring the Nordiques back to Quebec City, and that the passion remains for hockey.
Snapshots: Las Vegas, Johansson, Ladd, Okposo
The hockey world was abuzz with the confirmation that Las Vegas will in fact be the benefactor of expansion, making it the first of the big four sports in the city. According to Associated Press writer Greg Beacham, the fact that the team is bid out by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment lends credence to the thought that the nickname will in fact be the Black Knights. Beacham also points out that despite the financial woes seen in Arizona, the NHL is confident that hockey can flourish in the southwest.
Other news around hockey:
- Marcus Johansson and the Washington Capitals appear ready to battle over money reports Chuck Gormley at CSN Mid Atlantic. Johansson had another stellar season for the Capitals, registering 46 points in the regular season and adding 7 more in the playoffs. But Gormley writes that it might not be enough for Capitals GM Brian MacLellan, who believes a hometown discount won’t happen. Gormley also points out that Johansson is a valuable commodity, playing both wings and center for head coach Barry Trotz. Johansson isn’t the only one up for a contract, as defenseman Dmitry Orlov, and forwards Tom Wilson, and Michael Latta headline the restricted free agents the Capitals must re-sign.
- ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun penned that unrestricted free agent forward Andrew Ladd is most likely moving on from the Chicago Blackhawks. The 30-year-old winger was dealt to the Blackhawks in February but knew the Hawks had salary cap restrictions. While Ladd provided a spike in production, scoring 8 goals and 12 points in his return to Chicago, the Blackhawks were bounced by the Blues in 7 games in the first round of the playoffs. Ladd notched a goal and an assist in the seven games. LeBrun writes that Ladd is looking to join a contender, and is also considering his family’s wishes on where he goes next.
- LeBrun also reported that New York Islanders forward Kyle Okposo is all but headed to free agency. The 28-year-old winger was a major contributor with 64 points (22-42) and will be a hot commodity once the window opens for free agents. LeBrun points out that Okposo’s age and scoring acumen are the main reasons teams will chase after him in July.
Las Vegas To Be Added As An Expansion Team
The NHL is reportedly set to announce that Las Vegas will be added as an expansion team according to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. It’s expected that the decision will be made official following the NHL’s Board of Governors Meeting on June 22nd.
Las Vegas has long been thought of as a likely expansion candidate. Prospective owner Bill Foley spearheaded a season ticket deposit campaign last year, collecting over 13,200 deposits in advance of submitted their expansion application in July.
Also aiding in their application was the recent completion of the T-Mobile Arena, a $350MM facility completed earlier this year. Las Vegas is also the largest US market without a major professional sports franchise and it is believed that the NHL was intrigued by the idea of being the first league in that market.
The expected expansion fee is believed to be $500MM and the earliest a team would start would be the 2017-18 campaign. More information on that will likely be available following the Board of Governors meeting next week.
Information has already leaked about the rules for the expansion draft. Our Gavin Lee broke down the eligibility rules last weekend.
Quebec, the other prospective franchise that participated in the expansion application process, is not expected to be awarded a franchise at this time. However, as they have an NHL-ready arena in the Videotron Centre, they will certainly come up in terms of future expansion or relocation discussion.