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Maple Leafs Notes: Babcock, Matthews

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Mike Babcock knows how to say the right thing. And it’s something Maple Leaf fans should love to hear.  Speaking with the National Post’s Kevin Mitchell, Babcock touched on a number of issues, but there’s one in particular that Leafs fans should love.  In regards to cementing his legacy should he indeed turn Toronto around, Babcock had this to say:

“It’s not if. It’s when. The second thing I’d say is yes — the Leafs opportunity is a big, big challenge. But we’re going to make it happen. It’s a great city, an unbelievable hockey market. And now we have to get the hockey team back to its rightful place.”

He wasn’t done either. Babcock expounded on the difficult position he undertook. and took another sunny, yet realistic approach:

“You’ve got to fix it quick, right? It’s painful. So you’ve got to get up every day, the sun gets up, and you get on with it — getting better, and doing your job. It’s different, depending on which team you’re with, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”

The unbridled “can-do” attitude that Babcock coaches by has propelled his career in both Anaheim and Detroit. Back in 2003, then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim general manager Bryan Murray said this about the team–an underdog guided by Babcock–as they marched to a Stanley Cup Final in impressive fashion:

“This team, great credit to Mike Babcock, has been able to focus on the task at hand since the playoffs began. Our philosophy has been: Win a series, go out for a beer and celebrate, by all means, but be ready for work the next day.”

And in Detroit, Babcock guided the Red Wings to a conference finals appearance in 2007, a Stanley Cup in 2008, and narrowly missed another Cup in 2009 when the Wings lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to Pittsburgh. The standing ovation he received when he came back as the bench boss of the Maple Leafs was well deserved. It was during his introductory press conference after being named the Wings coach, though, where he set the tone early:

“I believe in leadership. I believe in being the best in the world at what I do.”

Past results indicate that he is one of the best in the world–if not the best–at it. If his words are any guide to what can be accomplished, Leaf fans should be excited. Don’t be fooled–the rebuilding plan will still take time. But with Babcock in charge, a quicker return to greatness shouldn’t be dismissed.

In other Leafs news:

  • The Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran writes that Auston Matthews is excited to “get things rolling” with the Leafs. Matthews has relocated to Toronto, and “slimmed down suitcases” as he prepares for the future with Toronto. Many believe the 18-year-old to be the savior in the Leafs’ revival, and he’s honing his skills at the next level quickly. Matthews is slated to make his Toronto debut not in a Leafs jersey, but donning the colors of North America for the World Cup of Hockey. Regardless of who it’s for, Matthews is “excited” to be in Toronto, and it can surely be said a legion of Leafs fans are excited to have him there as well.

San Jose Goalie Conundrum

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San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones was excellent last year. In his first season as a full-time NHL starter, Jones won 37 games and posted a .918 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average en route to a Western Conference championship. On Sharks off nights, San Jose was still home to a star goalie as Jones’ expected backup in 2016-17, former North Dakota Fighting Sioux standout Aaron Dell, was also great in his first full-time AHL season with the San Jose Barracuda. Dell had a .922 save percentage and 2.42 GAA, earning himself a two-year, $1.25MM contract extension this off-season. So where is the problem? Unfortunately for the Sharks, the problems abound with this duo going into the new season.

First, there is the reliability of Jones to worry about. Although he has given the Sharks no reason to worry about him, nor did his time as a backup with the Los Angeles Kings raise any red flags, Jones is swimming through dangerous waters in 2016-17. The dreaded sophomore slump has not been kind to goalies in Jones’ position. Even though he was not technically a rookie last season, it was his first year as an NHL starter. In the past, goalies who have shined bright in their first season as the number one man in net have often faltered the next season. The most recent example is Steve Mason. The former Columbus goalie, who started for the Blue Jackets right out of junior hockey, was outstanding in his first year. His .916 save percentage, 2.29 GAA, and league-leading 10 shutouts earned him the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2008-09. In 2009-10? Mason’s GAA blew up to 3.06, while his save percentage fell to .901. Mason went 20-26-9 that season, after posting a 33-20-7 line the year before. Even worse than having just one bad sophomore slump year, Mason’s struggles in Columbus continued until he was finally traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012-13. But surely a Calder-winning goalie having the wheels fall off is just an anomaly, right? Not so much; it happened just a few seasons before Mason. This time, it was Boston Bruins rookie sensation Andrew Raycroft. After a few seasons as a backup to the less-than-stellar likes of Byron Dafoe, Steve Shields, and John Grahame, Bruins fans were ecstatic when Raycroft took the reins in 2003-04 and put up a .926 save percentage and 2.05 GAA. Then it all fell apart. Following the lockout year, Raycroft started the 2005-06 season off as a hero and ended it as a disgraced third string. He had a miserable .879 save percentage and .371 GAA, which gave the Bruins more than enough reason to hand the starting job to Tim Thomas. They took it a step further in the off-season, dealing Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Tuukka Rask. In 2006-07, Raycroft allowed a league-high 205 goals as the Leafs net minder, and would never work as a starting goalie in the NHL again. You can of course make the argument that Martin Jones is simply a better goalie than Raycroft, but is he better than the aforementioned Rask? Probably not. (Rask is second all-time in save percentage) Even Rask encountered this problem though. After a few seasons as a backup, Rask played so well in 2009-10 that he forced a share of the starting job with the fan-favorite Thomas. Rask played in 45 games to Thomas’ 43, and in those appearances he had an impeccable .931 save percentage and 1.97 GAA, both of which led the league. Rask finished fourth in Calder voting and seventh in Vezina voting and there was a general assumption that the team was his. Entering his first year as the presumptive starter, Rask struggled. He had only a .918 save percentage and 2.67 GAA for the season, as Thomas took back the starting job early on and led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup. Yet another case study: former Penguins goalie J-S Aubin. Aubin’s numbers in his final year as a backup and first year as a starter in Pittsburgh are very comparable to Jones’ past two seasons. In Aubin’s next season, he had a gruesome .890 save percentage and 3.13 GAA.

Such a drastic collapse like Aubin’s or Raycroft’s may not happen to Martin Jones, but it could. He could also just see his stats fall to pedestrian levels like Rask or Mason. Either way, the Sharks are not prepared. If Jones’ numbers fall off, they do not have the goalie depth they need. As good as Dell was last season, he would be a 27-year-old rookie who has bounced around the ECHL and AHL for the past four years. The Sharks claim to have faith in their backup, but their actions betrayed their words when they kept the struggling Alex Stalock as the backup last season, until it reached a breaking point and they decided to trade for James Reimer. Though Dell has the experience, he has not proven himself at the NHL, nor has he dominated in the minors like he did in college. If he was to be eased into the NHL, he might gradually find success. However, if Jones hits a sophomore slump and Dell is thrust into high pressure situations, he is likely to fail.

In house, there are no solutions to the Sharks goaltending problem. If Jones struggles they need a reliable veteran backup who can handle a workload and important starts. If Jones doesn’t struggle, they could still use a reliable veteran backup. After playing in 65 regular season games and 24 playoff games in 2015-16, Jones is deserving of some more off-days this season. Dell simply may not be good enough to make all of the starts needed of him. Right now, Dell is “penciled in” as the backup, but unless the Sharks can make a big trade or savvy signing, it may as well be permanent marker. Troy Grosenick, a Union College grad who backed up Dell with the Barracuda in 2015-16, has a brutal .894 save percentage and 3.16 GAA in 28 AHL games last year and is not even a consideration at this point. Mantas Armalis, a 24-year-old Lithuanian goalie who the Sharks signed this off-season from Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League, has upside, but is hardly ready for any NHL action this year.

That leaves the Sharks one choice to solve their goalie issues: acquisition. Whether it is signing a goalie to a short-term deal or PTO before training camp starts, or waiting for a goalie market to develop once the season begins, San Jose will have to make a move or else stand by their risky Jones-Dell tandem. Veterans available as of right now include Karri Ramo, Anders Lindback, Ray Emery,  and Michael Leighton, while some younger, but riskier options like Joni Ortio and Kevin Poulin could also be had. Of all of these, Calgary castoffs Ramo and Ortio represent the best options. Although neither had a strong 2015-16 campaign, they did make a significant number of starts and are used to facing NHL, and even Western Conference, competition. Both goalies are prime candidates to soon bolt overseas though, and a signing would need to happen soon for the Sharks. If they miss out, or simply don’t trust any of the available free agents, they face a more difficult task in finding a trade. San Jose is projected to have less than $1MM in cap space at the start of the season, meaning that acquiring an expensive backup on the trading block like the Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard or either of Dallas’ disappointing tandem of Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen would have to involve significant salary leaving the Sharks. More affordable targets like Michael Hutchinson, J-F Berube, Mike Condon, or Curtis McElhinney could be the solution, but only if they are available at the right price. There is no easy answer for this scenario, and it may go unsolved as a result, and that is why San Jose certainly has a goalie conundrum on their hands.

Free Agent Profile: Jakub Nakladal

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Jakub Nakladal entered this off-season as a relative unknown among hockey fans (and maybe even some teams), but was considered by some to be a dark horse candidate for this summer’s best value signing. A 28-year-old rookie with the Calgary Flames in 2015-16, the 6’2″, 212 lb. Czech native played in only 27 games last season. In his brief showing, he played about 14 minutes per game and managed to record two goals and three assists.

At first glance, the numbers are nothing to get too excited about. A closer look reveals otherwise though; Nakladal was actually a very capable and productive player for the Flames. The “HERO chart” below displays that not only was he an outstanding possession player by Corsi standards, who created offense and made his team mates better, but he was also a solid  defensive presence. In fact, by statistical standards, Nakaladal played as well as an average top-four defenseman last season. If you don’t trust the numbers, trust the people. A good measure of a free agent’s ability and value is how much the fan base wants him back. Social media will tell you that Flames fans would very much like to see Nakladal return to Calgary, though the team’s depth makes that unlikely. If the fans who watched him play believe he is worth having, he likely is. Other fans have caught on as well. As the market has slowed to a crawl in these last few weeks and the list of available names continues to shrink, Nakladal’s name has resurfaced as seemingly every fan’s top PTO target.

Story 1

Regardless, Nakladal remains unsigned. Perhaps his 27 games were not enough for other NHL teams to get a good read on him. It’s also possible that his strong possession statistics could be perceived as skewed because of too few minutes. Maybe yet another reason is that executives are simply not clamoring to acquire a player who could be 30 before he plays in 100 NHL games. For some reason or another, the market for Nakladal’s services has not formed yet. With only so many names remaining, it seems like a matter of time though.

Potential Suitors

It is very unlikely that Nakladal will be handed a top-four position, or even a top-six gig at this point. Few teams are still looking to make additions with training camp right around the corner. However, his market value is clearly low and his ceiling appears to be high, making the risk to teams still looking around for talent very low. At the very least, he is a capable player who could be a reliable seventh or eighth defenseman with enough upside to crack the starting lineup or who could also be a valuable AHL stash. An added benefit is that he is also a right-handed shot. Teams looking to balance their defensive depth or who simply lack depth and are willing to take a shot on a skilled player, should be taking a long look at Nakladal as the summer winds down. The Boston Bruins, for example, have three right-handed defensemen with NHL experience in Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, and veteran Adam McQuaid, but only Kevan Miller managed to stay in the starting lineup throughout the 2015-16 season. The New Jersey Devils have also been speculated to be looking for a right-handed shot, after trading away Adam Larsson left only Damon Severson and new addition Ben Lovejoy as righties on the line. Add the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, and Vancouver Canucks to a list of teams that could be helped and certainly not hurt by adding an affordable puck-moving defenseman, and Nakladal’s availability seems even stranger.

Expected Contract

The calendar flips to September tomorrow, and contracts at this point in the off-season are impossible to predict. Who would’ve guessed that Boston would sign Dominic Moore to a guaranteed deal yesterday with six proven centers already on the roster? Nevertheless, deals do get done, even as the summer draws to a close. Much like the situation with James Wisniewski (if he’s healthy) in Tampa Bay, some lucky team might have the chance to strike gold by extending a Professional Tryout Offer to Nakladal. Considering the possibility that Nakladal has yet to really reach his potential, given what limited play time he saw last year, an even better move might be to just sign him to a short, cheap contract and ensure that no one else can take him off your hands. Whether signed off of a PTO or guaranteed right away, Nakladal should end up on an NHL roster to the tune of $800K or so. Unless they have a lot of faith in young stud Brandon Carlo or really want to play both McQuaid and K. Miller every night, bet on the Bruins, who have cap space and roster space, to make another move and take a chance on Nakladal in 2016-17.

Front Office Promotions In Dallas

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The Dallas Stars today announced the promotions of three key front office members. Les Jackson was named Senior Advisor to General Manager Jim Nill, while Scott White and Mark Janko will fill Jackson’s former role and serve as Nill’s right hand men, having each been named Assistant General Manager.

Jackson, whose time with the organization extends all the way back to their North Stars days, will move to more of a “big picture” role in his new position, working closely with the GM and overseeing much of the team’s operations. A veteran of 29 years with the Stars, there is perhaps no one who understands the ins and outs of the team more than Jackson.

White has more than earned his promotion, having worked as both the Director of Hockey Operations in Dallas for the past three years and as the General Manager of the AHL-affiliate Texas Stars as well. Having led both teams to success – a Calder Cup championship for Texas in 2o14 and a Central Division title for Dallas in 2016 – White will now get the chance to work directly with Nill and have his input heard on all manners of player evaluation and acquisition.

Janko, the former Director of Hockey Administration for the Stars, has been working in Dallas for the past 17 seasons, with the last eight spent in operations. He will continue to play a major role in negotiations and communications, but will see his responsibilities expand even further in his new position as Assistant GM.

 

 

Jets Name Captains For 2016-17

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The Winnipeg Jets announced today that their new trio of captains for the upcoming season will feature Blake Wheeler wearing the “C” and Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien donning the “A”’s as alternates. Wheeler steps in for long-time captain Andrew Ladd (who wished him well), who was traded at the deadline last season to the Chicago Blackhawks and then signed a long-term deal with the New York Islanders this off-season. Wheeler had previously served as an alternate captain to Ladd along side Mark Stuart. Those two roles will now be taken over by the young Scheifele and defensive stalwart Byfuglien.

After finishing in last place in the Central division in 2015–16, the Winnipeg Jets are very much in a rebuild. The promotion to captain of Wheeler and naming of Scheifle as alternate are further evidence of this movement. With 2016 second overall pick Patrick Laine now in the fold, as well as other young contributors, the youth revolution is in full effect for the Jets, and their two top young scorers will be leading the way.

Wheeler, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins with Stuart in 2011 for Rich Peverley, has since been the top offensive catalyst in Winnipeg and was a predictable choice for captain. With at least 25 goals and 60 points in each of the last three seasons, Wheeler has cemented himself as the most reliable and productive forward on the Jets. His tenure as a offensive leader on the team will now transform into a role as a locker room leader on the team as well. Byfuglien too is a long-time team member; his first year with the organization was their last season as the Atlanta Thrashers. As the leader of the defensive core and one of the best scoring defenseman in the NHL, it makes sense for the bruising blue liner to take on a bigger leadership role on the team. Scheifele may be the only surprise naming at just 23 years old, but his label as a face of the franchise after being drafted 7th overall in 2011, his development into a top NHL prospect, and his steady increase in scoring over his first few years makes him a natural fit in a leadership role moving forward with a young team.

Perhaps the only surprise omission from a captaincy role is that of Bryan Little. A career member of the Trashers/Jets and a consistent contributor year in and year out, Little being left out of the leadership heirarchy is strange. However, with a drop off in points in 2015-16 and a contract year approaching in 2017-18, it is possible that this is a sign of things to come for Little.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Schmaltz, Motte, Rantanen, Tuch

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Young talent on ELC’s are often the life blood of successful organizations. With the cost for elite players approaching free agency rising to $8MM or more annually – think Sidney Crosby, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Toews, etc. – teams need to constantly have young NHL-ready talent ready to plug in to replace veterans who are allowed to walk because they simply cost too much to fit under the salary cap.

On that note, we continue our series on rookies who both have a great chance to make their team at some point this year and the talent to make a significant impact. Today we move into the Western Conference’s Central Division.

Nick Schmaltz (Chicago) – Every year the Blackhawks find themselves precariously close to the salary cap ceiling and with significant holes on their roster. With roughly $49MM tied up in just eight players – four forwards, three defensemen and a goalie – Chicago has committed much of its salary cap space to their star players and have left precious little room with which to flesh out the rest of its roster. Every summer it seems the team is forced to move quality players due to cap reasons. Last year the team dealt Brandon Saad, who as a pending RFA was set to become quite expensive. This summer Chicago packaged talented young forward Teuvo Teravainen with Bryan Bickell to entice Carolina to take on the final season of the latter’s bloated contract. The downside of Chicago’s cap crunch is obvious; the upside though is that it gives young players like Schmaltz a great opportunity to make the Blackhawks and contribute right away.

Schmaltz was the Hawks first-round pick in the 2014 draft, 20th overall. He’s played the last two seasons at the University of North Dakota and was better than a point-per-game player in 2015-16. The loss of Teravainen along with the free agent departure of Andrew Ladd leaves two large vacancies on the Blackhawks roster and Schmaltz will be given every opportunity to fill one. With plenty of scoring talent around him, Schmaltz could produce solid offensive numbers right out of the gate.

Tyler Motte  (Chicago) – If Schmaltz is likely to earn one open forward spot for the Hawks, Motte may well have the inside track on the second one. Like Schmaltz, Motte has gone the NCAA route, skating three seasons with the University of Michigan before turning pro. Motte, a 2013 fourth-rounder, had a terrific junior campaign in 2015-16, recording 32 goals and 56 points in 38 games for the Wolverines.

After turning pro, Motte saw action in a total of eight AHL contests with the Rockford IceHogs – five in the regular season and three more in the playoffs – scoring four goals and seven points. Motte, a C/LW by trade, has an excellent opportunity to earn a top-six role and could see plenty of ice time on a line with Toews or Patrick Kane. Currently, the Hawks list Artemi Panarin, last year’s Calder Trophy winner as the league’s top rookie, as a top-six LW. Joining him on the left side is Richard Panik – 25 goals in 181 career NHL games – and Andrew Desjardins – career high of eight goals in 2015-16. The shallow relatively depth on the port side should allow Motte a quality chance to make the team in a scoring line role.

Mikko Rantanen (Colorado) – The Avalanche used the 10th overall selection on the Finnish winger in the 2015 draft. Rantanen, just 19, offers a rare combination of NHL power forward size at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, along with top-shelf offensive skill. He made his MHL debut in 2015-16, going scoreless in nine games and recording a -7 plus-minus rating.

While plus-minus is generally considered a misleading stat, Rantanen’s -7 in just nine games does suggest the youngster could use more work in his own zone. That being said, many young players need to improve on the defensive end of the game and Rantanen is no different. Rantanen did have an excellent debut in the AHL, suiting up for 52 games with the San Antonio Rampage and contributing 60 points. It’s likely Rantanen sees significant action with the Avalanche this year as the talent is simply too hard to ignore.

Alex Tuch  (Minnesota) – The Wild wouldn’t appear to have too many openings up front based on their team depth chart but if a talented player such as Tuch impresses at camp, he could force his way onto the roster sooner rather than later. Additionally, while Jordan Schroeder is currently listed as the team’s 4th line LW, the team did waive the four-year veteran this summer prior to re-signing him to a one-year, two-way deal. Waiving Schroeder was a curious move, and it’s been speculated it was done to reinforce the team’s position that the arbitration-eligible forward wasn’t worthy of a one-way deal. Given those circumstances, if Tuch proves to be the better player in camp, the Wild could easily find a spot for him.

Tuch has played the past two seasons in the NCAA with Boston College, appearing in 77 games with the Eagles and netting 32 goals along with 30 helpers. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he would certainly add an imposing figure to the Wild’s forward ranks. Tuch is known as a physical player, not afraid to stand up for his teammates. He’s  also a willing and able fore-checker and a solid skater. PHR has previously mentioned Tuch as a potential breakout rookie who could suit up for the Wild as soon as this season.

(All depth charts provided by Roster Resource) 

 

Jets Expected To Name Wheeler Captain

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced a press conference to take place at 1pm EST, according to a tweet from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, where it is expected they will name F Blake Wheeler as the team’s next captain. The Jets dealt former team captain Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks at last year’s trade deadline and played the rest of the campaign without naming a replacement. Wheeler, along with D Mark Stuart, were both assistants with the club last season.

Wheeler has spent five-plus seasons as a member of the Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise following a 2011 trade deadline deal with Boston. The speedy forward has been a consistent point-producer since joining the franchise, tallying a total of 123 goals and 207 assists in 394 games. Over the last three seasons, Wheeler has scored 26, 26 and 28 goals, respectively.

Wheeler was originally the fifth overall selection in the 2004 entry draft, chosen by the then Phoenix Coyotes. After playing three seasons at the University of Minnesota, Wheeler turned pro and exercised his right to become a free agent should he not agree to terms by July 1, 2008. Ultimately, a deal could not be reached with the Coyotes and Boston was able to swoop in and secure Wheeler’s services. At that time, the rules governing college free agents were quite different than they are today.

Blackhawks Notes: Toews, Season Expectations, Depth

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The Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus answers a number of fan questions and starts with potential linemates for Jonathan Toews. Lazerus opines that Richard Panik will most likely start on the right wing while youngsters Nick Schmaltz, Vinnie Hinostroza, or Tyler Motte could end up on the top line as well. Lazerus reports that the Hawks will most likely put Marian Hossa with Marcus Kruger on the third line. Breaking up the dominant Artemi Panarin–Artem Anisimov–Patrick Kane line would be senseless.

Lazerus’ early season prediction about the Blackhawks 2016-17 season isn’t exactly what Hawks fans are used to. While he doesn’t dog the organization, he is extremely realistic in his assessment.  He answered two questions regarding expectations, and with both, Lazerus preached caution. Though he indicates their championship window is still very wide open, he also points out what many others have: the Central Division has a number of very good teams and the Blackhawks’ forward depth is suspect. Lazerus calls the team “very good, albeit flawed.” Lazerus encourages fans to “temper their expectations,” while also stating that they should not “write off the season just yet.” Lazerus adds that the Blackhawks forward depth is a result of the salary cap, and a situation that many Hawk fans should be used to for seasons to come. Then again, Blackhawk fans have been watching their team mitigate through cap issues since 2010.

In other Hawks notes:

  • The Hockey Writers’ David Tews writes that the Blackhawks’ attempts at replenishing depth have resulted in missed opportunities. Much like Lazerus wrote, Tews believes the Hawks’ roster holes–specifically left wing–could come back to hurt the Hawks as the season progresses. Tews is also high on Motte and Schmaltz, similar to Lazerus, but feels opportunities were missed if Chicago didn’t try to grab Brandon Pirri or Jiri Hudler at discounts.

Snapshots: Player Agent, Marlies, Kings Goaltending

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News and notes from around the NHL:

  • NHL Player Agent Steve Bartlett spoke to WGR 550 in Buffalo today on how the NHL is now a buyer’s market when it comes to free agents. Bartlett points out that the GMs hold all the cards and predicts that more players will be forced to sign professional tryouts instead of deals between now and the start of training camp. Bartlett has represented Ryan Callahan and Thomas Vanek, and nearly became the NHLPA head in the 1990s.
  • The Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs, bolstered its defensive corps by signing NCAA grad Jonathan Jutzi. The Tavistock, ON native put up 5G and 10A in 41 games with the Minnesota State University—Mantako last year. The Maple Leafs’ defense is anybody’s game this year, and Jutzi has a chance to log key minutes in the AHL as players get called up.
  • Kings goaltending development coach Dusty Imoo spoke to Sheng Peng of Today’s Slapshot on recent Kings’ goalie acquisitions Jack Campbell and Tom McCollum. Both goalies were highly-touted prospects who failed to live up to expectation, but Imoo is confident that he can work with the goalies to rediscover their talent. Imoo is credited with turning aroud Peter Budaj’s season last year in the AHL. The veteran Slovak goalie struggled early before winning the AHL’s top goaltender award.

‘Yotes Notes: Front Office, Prospects, Braid

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The Arizona Coyotes have had a busy offseason, between hiring the youngest GM in NHL history, the first full-time female coach and using their cap-space to build a great young pool of players. Today, they announced that they’d done some more hiring, this time to beef up their scouting staff. The team has brought on Jim Hammett, Rick Beckfeld and Sergei Kuznetsov as amateur scouts, Brett Stewart as a development coach, Brad Rossen as Director of Statistical Science and Al Ambrosia as the Hockey Operations Coordinator.

Other news from the desert:

  • ESPN released their annual top 120 prospect rankings (subscription needed), and the Coyotes fared very well coming in with four players in the top 40 and nine players in total. Dylan Strome and Clayton Keller led the list at #4 and #6 respectively, while Jakob Chychrun and Lawson Crouse, both acquired through the use of cap space, came in at #32 and #37. Solid drafting, combined with a shrewd use of every advantage has led the Coyotes to have one of the best young crops in the league, and this list even excludes players like Max Domi and Anthony Duclair.
  • After all the fanfare that has surrounded the hiring of Dawn Braid as the first full-time female coach in the NHL, she’s quick to heap praise on other people. In a piece by Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated today, Braid admits it’s “a little bit overwhelming”, and quickly lists other skating coaches Barbara Underhill (Toronto) and Tracy Tutton (Colorado) as deserved of the same praise. It was her father who had pushed her into helping hockey teams, and Braid continues to remember why she started: “It’s the opportunity to honor my father again. Every day I teach or I coach or I consult I think about him. It is part of what drives me on the ice to do what I do. He’s always in the back of my head.”

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