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Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Ian Scott To Entry-Level Contract

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You can’t really have a better start to the season than Ian Scott. The junior goaltender is off to a record-setting start with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, has a chance to represent Canada at the World Junior Championship, and has now signed his first professional contract. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced the signing of a three-year entry-level contract with Scott, who they selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft.

It’s hard to argue that Scott hasn’t done enough to earn this contract, given that he is currently 23-2-1 for the Raiders with a .943 save percentage. The 19-year old goaltender got to experience the professional level with the Toronto Marlies last season, joining them on an amateur tryout throughout their Calder Cup run and soaking up tips from Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard. The 6’3″ netminder returned to junior and has taken a gigantic step forward, improving from an .897 save percentage—his career high to that point with the Raiders.

Like all young goaltenders, there is no way to know if Scott is going to ever make it to the NHL. There are several huge steps he’ll have to take before that’s ever a possibility. Still, he’s done everything asked of him since being picked 110th overall and should join the Marlies after his junior season ends. It’s unclear when exactly that will be though, as the powerhouse Raiders are Memorial Cup contenders to be sure this season.

Snapshots: Entry Draft, Pietrangelo, Tarasenko

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As teams start to fall out of the playoff race and accept their fate for the 2018-19 season, fan interest in the upcoming draft class increases. While everyone knows about sensational forward Jack Hughes and his incredible offensive upside, the rest of the group of incoming talents gets far less media coverage. Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino today gives us a look at his top-31 rankings at this point, and there is plenty of talent to discuss.

While Hughes, Kaapo Kakko and Dylan Cozens find themselves near the top of the list once again (though this time with Vasily Podkolzin taking over the third spot), the most interesting name may just be Brett Leason. Twice undrafted, the 19-year old Leason may very well find himself on the top line for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship given his explosion this season. Now standing 6’4″, Leeson is the prototypical late bloomer and has recorded 28 goals and 64 points in just 31 games for the record-setting Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. It will be fascinating to see if a team decides he’s worth a first-round pick this time around, after missing out on him the last two Junes.

  • Fans all around the league have been drooling over the idea of Alex Pietrangelo being on the trade market since Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet mentioned his name earlier this month, but it’s still hard to imagine the St. Louis Blues selling their captain at this point. Even so, Pietrangelo is mentioned again in Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column, as the scribe speculates that the defenseman was involved in trade talks surrounding William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Friedman doesn’t posit that Pietrangelo will get dealt this season, but does end with this summary: “the fact Pietrangelo’s name got out there indicates the Blues are willing to do it.”
  • Speaking of the Blues willingness, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic clarified some things in a response to a Twitter question, explaining that though GM Doug Armstrong hasn’t put up a proverbial for sale sign, other clubs are “under the impression that [he] would consider trading anyone, including [Vladimir] Tarasenko.” Trading Tarasenko would seem like madness to many, but just today Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) indicated that “all bets are probably off” for the Blues and that you likely can’t rule out anything at this point. St. Louis sits 28th in the NHL and have scored just 82 goals in 29 games.

Braden Holtby Out, Capitals To Dress Emergency Backup

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In an unexpected twist, the Washington Capitals – on the road in Winnipeg to face the Jets tonight – will be without starting goaltender Braden Holtby. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan was the first to report that Holtby had been ruled out and that backup Pheonix Copley would get the start, with an emergency backup suiting up for the Caps. TSN’s Brian Munz adds that it is an upper-body injury for Holtby, although it remains unclear how and when the injury occurred and to what extent.

Washington will put their trust in Copley for a second game in a row, as the 26-year-old gets set to make just his eighth career NHL appearance. Copley won the Capitals’ backup job by default in training camp, but has performed up to expectations thus far. In five games, he has three wins, a .904 save percentage, and a 2.91 goals against average. However, Copley faces a tough test, going up against the talented Jets after facing the Minnesota Wild just last night.

Regardless of how Copley performs this evening, it’s fair to say that he will stay in net barring an injury. The Capitals will dress local emergency backup Gavin McHale as their second-string option tonight, reports Caps radio host Ben Raby. McHale is the goaltending coach for the women’s hockey team at the nearby University of Manitoba. The 31-year-old is a Manitoba alumni himself and played two seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Lethbridge Hurricanes. Even at a hulking 6’7″, Washington is unlikely to stick McHale in the net unless there are extremely extenuating circumstances.

Meanwhile, the concern for the Capitals is far beyond just one result and no one will blame them for dropping tonight’s match-up in Winnipeg, as they were underdogs even with Holtby in net. Instead, the focus is on the starter and his injury moving forward. Perhaps more than any team in the NHL this season, Washington can ill-afford a long-term injury to their starting goaltender. Khushudyan indicates that the injury is not serious and Holtby is considered “day-to-day”, but the ailment is enough that he could not even dress as the backup tonight. We will likely know more in the coming days.

Reaction to Los Angeles Kings’ Coaching Changes

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The Los Angeles Kings fired head coach John Stevens and assistant coach Don Nachbaur Sunday and brought in two national team coaches in Willie Desjardins (Canada) and Marco Sturm (Germany). The Kings hope that the pair will be able to try and fix the mess surrounding the 4-8-1 franchise that had high expectations going into the season. Here are some reactions from the Kings as well as the journalists around the situation:

  • TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Kings had already made their decision to fire Stevens after their 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, as many wondered why the team opted to relieve the coach of his duties after the team picked up a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday.
  • McKenzie adds that the interim tag suggests that if Desjardins and Sturm fare well behind the bench this year, the interim tag could be removed. However, if the team cannot turn the team completely around, the Kings will conduct a formal and extensive search for a new head coach after this season.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger writes that Sturm would be a prime candidate for the Kings’ coaching job next year after years of solid coaching on the international level.
  • Los Angeles Times’ Helene Elliott reports that Stevens was well aware that his job security was in jeopardy and was always both classy and accommodating. He admitted last week that being on the hot seat was part of his job.
  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon writes that one of the biggest problems for Kings management was a real belief that the team had lost its passion. The team believes that Desjardins, Sturm and Dave Lowry who remains from the old regime can bring that passion back to the team. “We’re going to create a desire for these players to play well here,” general manager Rob Blake said (via Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke).
  • Fox Sports Patrick O’Neal writes that Blake said a “complete level” of Kings needs to improve, suggesting that the GM isn’t happy with any player or any member within the organization at the moment.
  • For those looking for more information on Desjardins, The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek (subscription required) wrote a in-depth piece on the coach before the Olympics in February when he was head coach of Team Canada, including how he got the job there in the first place. “I saw Willie’s teams play a lot last year scouting for Montreal,” said Sean Burke the general manager of the men’s Olympic team. “I was always impressed with how much he got out of his players. I looked at the group we were putting together and thought, ‘well that’s what we’re going to need here.’ We’re going to have a group, where the coach needs to get the most out of the guys – and there’s even more of that element to that in an Olympic event than there would be in an 82-game NHL season. If he can get it out of the NHL guys for 82 games, he can sure get it out of the guys during the Olympics.”
  • The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) notes that Desjardins was a top candidate to take the Dallas Stars job in April which eventually went to Jim Montgomery. However, Shapiro also profiled the coach before Dallas had made its final decision. The profile includes his resume as well as a breakdown of his coaching style.
  • The Associated Press’ Steven Whyno reminds fans that Sturm coached the German National team to the silver medal at the Olympics, a team that surprised many and almost slipped past Team Russia for the gold.
  • FlamesNation reporter Ryan Pike reports that Nachbaur is considered to be a very respected coach with extensive WHL experience, but he hasn’t been able to translate those coaching talents to the NHL.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes that Desjardins had a tough assignment as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks which started in the 2014-15 season. The scribe writes that Vancouver didn’t have enough talent to be successful, but his coaching style at Medicine Hat in the WHL showed that he likes up-tempo teams that push play up the ice.
  • Sirius XM’s Nick Alberga writes that if Desjardins and Sturm don’t make a significant impact on the team, the next domino would likely be the team making trades to break up the team.

 

Los Angeles Kings Fire Coach John Stevens

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The Los Angeles Kings announced that general manager Rob Blake has relieved coach John Stevens of his duties. The Kings have made Willie Desjardins as the interim coach for the rest of the season.

“This is a critical time in our season and our results to date have fallen well below our expectations. With that in mind, this was a difficult decision but one we feel was necessary,” said Blake. “We have a great deal of respect and appreciation for John’s time with our organization. He was a key part of our past success, and we have tremendous gratitude for his many contributions.”

Despite picking up a 4-1 victory Saturday over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the victory didn’t do anything to allow Stevens to keep his job as the team remained 4-8-1 in the team’s first 13 games, giving them the worst record in league with the Florida Panthers the only other team that has nine points (although they have played two less games). Stevens, in just his second year as head coach of the team, took the team to the playoffs last year as the fourth-seed in the Pacific Division, but were swept in the first-round of the playoffs as the Vegas Golden Knights exposed their lack of speed.

Los Angeles responded by adding 35-year-old Ilya Kovalchuk through free agency this offseason and was expected to make a renewed run for a Stanley Cup title with the likes 30-somethings Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty (he’s actually just 28), Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Trevor Lewis, Nate Thompson, Dion Phaneuf and Alec Martinez. The team was expecting some of their young players to step up, but players such as Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson have struggled under Stevens’ tenure and haven’t developed into the goal scorers that everyone had hoped for. The team also has been without Quick, their star goaltender, for much of the season and there is no word on how much time he might miss with his most recent injury. Throw in the lack of development of some of their prospects and the team was heading down the wrong path with many of their veterans under contract for three of four more years.

Desjardins, who has 20+ years of coaching experience, has been acting as Team Canada’s men’ head coach, including leading the team in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Korea. He served as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks for three seasons between 2014 and 2017, compiling a disappointing 109-110-27 record. He also led Team Canada to gold at the Spengler Cup in December of 2017. Desjardins also served eight years as head coach in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers where he won two championships in eight seasons there.

The team also released fired assistant coach Don Nachbaur from his duties, who served as the team’s assistant since last season. The team has brought in current German National Team coach and former Kings player Marco Sturm. The team did retain assistant coach Dave Lowry.

One has to wonder what Stevens chances will be to get another head coaching position. He served as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers between 2006 through 2009, reaching the Eastern Conference finals once and a second playoff appearance. He has a combined record of 171-148-43.

Helene Elliott was the first to report the coaching change.

 

Brandon Hagel Signs Entry-Level Contract With Chicago Blackhawks

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After seeing his exclusive negotiating rights expire when the Buffalo Sabres failed to sign him, Brandon Hagel returned to the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as an unrestricted free agent. He hadn’t earned a professional contract, and instead is now playing as an overager for the Rebels and finding great success. Today, the Chicago Blackhawks rewarded that success by signing Hagel to a three-year entry-level contract. He’ll remain with the Rebels for the remainder of the season.

Hagel, 20, has 12 goals and 28 points in just 15 games for the Rebels and is one of the most dangerous offensive players in the entire WHL. Though that comes partly because of his age and experience, he has put up solid results in the past and isn’t an overwhelming physical presence. Instead, he’s using his quick decision making and play below the hash marks to create chances for himself and teammates.

Red Deer is off to a great start in the WHL at 10-4-1, and have their eyes on a potential Memorial Cup berth if they can get through the playoffs. They’ll need Hagel at his best to pull something like that off, and the Blackhawks would love to see him contribute to a victorious team. You can bet whenever the Rebels are eliminated, Hagel will join the Rockford IceHogs for a few games. The first season of his deal will be burned this year either way.

Detroit Red Wings Not Worrying About 10-Game Limit

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In the NHL, players under the age of 20 that are on their entry-level contracts can play up to nine games without burning the first year of their deals. Until they do this they’re also not considered one of the contracts counting towards a team’s 50-contract limit, and can be sent back to the CHL if they were drafted out of the Canadian junior ranks. All of that applies to Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen, giving the team a decision to make as he approaches the 10-game mark. The Red Wings could send Rasmussen away and save a year of his entry-level deal, but according to several reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive, they don’t seem all that worried about the threshold.

Instead, Khan tweets that the Red Wings are “likely to keep Rasmussen long term” though that doesn’t necessarily mean the entire season. As has been pointed out in previous years, some front offices are much more concerned with the 40-game threshold which takes a player a year closer to free agency. Rasmussen hasn’t been playing a ton for the Red Wings, but a regular shift even lower in an NHL lineup may do him more good developmentally than another season in the WHL with players much smaller and less physically mature. Rasmussen is already listed at 6’6″ 221-lbs, and though he has never really dominated offensively at the junior level he’s shown that he won’t get pushed around in the NHL.

The Red Wings are working towards the future, and Rasmussen is a huge part of that plan. The team selected the hulking center ninth overall in 2017, and need him to become a core member of their forward group. With other players like Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno picked in the most recent draft, and the likes of Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha already in place, the Red Wings could quickly become a dangerous group up front. Development is key in that idea though, and they’ve decided at least for now that it’s better to keep Rasmussen around than to send him away.

Los Angeles Kings Send Jaret Anderson-Dolan Back To Junior

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The Los Angeles Kings have decided that burning a year of Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s entry-level contract isn’t worth it at the moment, and have instead sent him back to the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL for the remainder of the season. Anderson-Dolan had played five games so far with the Kings, recording his first NHL point and getting a taste of what life is like in professional hockey. He’ll now return to the junior ranks and likely compete for a spot on Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship. Los Angeles has recalled Sean Walker from the AHL to fill the roster spot.

Even though it may feel that way to him, this isn’t a critique of Anderson-Dolan’s play. The 19-year old forward was actually quite impressive in his short stint, limited as it was. The Kings have decided that averaging just over 11 minutes per night isn’t the optimal development strategy, and if they weren’t about to give him a boost in ice time, sending him back to Spokane was the only other option. Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times tweets that Kings head coach John Stevens didn’t want Anderson-Dolan sticking around in a losing culture, and noted that he’ll be the leader for his WHL team. The Kings are 2-5-1 through their first eight games, and currently have the second worst goal differential in the entire league.

For Kings fans, it will be hard to see Anderson-Dolan leave in the midst of such a poor start to the season by the team, but there are brighter days on the horizon. The young forward is part of a prospect group that should be making a substantial impact before long, alongside names like Gabe Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Kale Clague and Akil Thomas. The World Juniors could be filled with Kings prospects this year, and give fans something to cheer for during what is looking like a down year.

Eastern Notes: Aho, Rasmussen, Bruins Offense, Blue Jackets’ Defense

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One player the Carolina Hurricanes are keeping a close eye on is William Nylander. While the Hurricanes wouldn’t mind acquiring the restricted free agent if Toronto opts to move him, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) writes that the Hurricanes are also keeping a close eye on whether the team even signs him as Nylander’s contract (assuming he signs) could have a huge effect on one of their own players — Sebastian Aho.

Aho’s entry-level deal runs out after this year and with the way the 21-year-old has developed, could command a high price from Carolina this offseason. With Carolina well known to be frugal when it comes to handing out long-term deals, Aho is a must. The forward has started strong this season, scoring four goals and eight assists in the team’s first seven games, suggesting he could have another breakout season after scoring 29 goals a season ago. Regardless, Nylander’s contract could be a significant comparable for Carolina in the coming weeks or months. If Nylander’s holdout is successful, it could cost the Hurricanes quite a bit as well.

  • In a mailbag series, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Detroit Red Wings are still discussing what to do with rookie forward Michael Rasmussen. The 19-year-old either has to stay with the team or be returned to juniors, but Rasmussen has struggled so far in transitioning to the NHL. He has just one assist in six games and has seen his ice time dip to just 9:56 on Thursday against Tampa Bay. The scribe writes that the team would prefer not to return him to the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, but Rasmussen only has three more games to prove himself to management, before they have to make a decision. If Rasmussen reaches 10 NHL games, he burns his first year of his entry-level deal.
  • In a mailbag of his own, NBC Sports Joe Haggerty writes that the Boston Bruins are in need of another quality top-six player and believes the Bruins should look to make a trade. He suggests the team should be open to moving one of their young talents as part of any package, including Anders Bjork, Danton Heinen, Ryan Donato or even Matt Grzelcyk to make a deal happen. The scribe also believes that the team needs to move David Backes from the second line into their bottom-six.
  • With Seth Jones close to returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ lineup, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that head coach John Tortorella has already said that Jones will return to the top defensive line opposite of Zach Werenski. The coach also admitted that he loves the combination of Marcus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray as the team’s second pairing. Which means that David Savard will move out of the team’s top-four.

Jordin Tootoo Announces Retirement

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Long-time NHL grinder Jordin Tootoo is set to be honored tonight by his junior team, the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, and again by the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow. Well, the 35-year-old got the weekend’s festivities off to a hot start this evening by officially announcing his retirement from pro hockey. The veteran of 723 NHL games missed all of last season due to injury and had not signed with any team this off-season. He now sets his sights on a new venture.

Tootoo, a long-time Nashville Predator, was selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NHL Draft. A two-way standout with the Wheat Kings and a member of Canada’s World Juniors team, Tootoo entered the league with high expectations. Although he never quite developed into a scoring threat at the NHL level, Tootoo made a living doing the dirty work: forechecking, winning battles along the boards, fighting for space in front of the net, and of course fighting. Tootoo’s hard work kept him in Nashville for eight years. In his final season with the team, his hard work earned him a career-high 13 minutes of ice time per night, which he turned into a career-best 30 points. That off-season, Tootoo signed with the Detroit Red Wings. He would suit up for two seasons apiece with Detroit and the New Jersey Devils before closing out his career in 2016-17 with the Chicago Blackhawks. In fact, Tootoo earned an extension from Chicago that would have played out last year, had it not been for an upper-body that kept him out all season. At the end of a 13-year NHL career, Tootoo totaled 65 goals, 96 assists, and over 1000 penalty minutes.

However, it is not Tootoo’s statistics that most will remember him for. It won’t even be his grit, his loyalty, or his work ethic. Instead, Tootoo will always be known for the impact he had on the indigenous populations of Canada. The first native Inuk to play in the NHL, Tootoo has devoted his career to advancing the game of hockey for indigenous peoples. It is an effort that has earned him respect and recognition across the league, even with a team he never played for – the Oilers – honoring his work. Tootoo will now turn his full attention to the mission that means so much to him. Tootoo has already done so much, but just as the hard-working veteran played on the ice, there is always more to do.

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