2019 has been a very busy year throughout the hockey world. There have been several big trades and free agent signings (including a record-setting contract), plenty of changes behind the bench, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. We’ll now look at May, which not only saw the start of the Stanley Cup Finals, but plenty of movement around the league.
Holland, Tippett Take Over In Edmonton: After years of frustration and pain, the Edmonton Oilers introduced a new leadership group in the form of GM Ken Holland and then head coach Dave Tippett to usher in a new era of success. While they got off to a hot start and looked like a completely different team, the Oilers have recently reverted to their losing ways and now sit fifth in the Pacific Division and 2-7-1 in their last ten games. While Holland explained it would take some time to rebuild the team, they’re in danger of wasting another year of Connor McDavid on an uninspiring roster.
Kesler Has Surgery, Likely Ending Career: Battling through immense pain for the entire 2018-19 season, Ryan Kesler got on the ice for 60 games and made it to the 1,000-game threshold for his career. In early May that pain was relieved after undergoing hip surgery, though it likely ended his time as a professional hockey player. Kesler will be remembered as a two-way wizard that won the Selke Trophy in 2011 while a member of the Vancouver Canucks and scored 573 points in 1,001 career regular season games—even if opposing fans still hate him.
Davidson Returns To Broadway: While the departures of Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene stole all the headlines in Columbus this season, another important member of the Blue Jackets organization left a few months earlier. John Davidson left his position as President of Hockey Operations with Columbus to take his dream job with the New York Rangers, who would also ultimately land Panarin in free agency. Davidson, one of the most respected executives in the entire hockey world, was only returning to the place he called home for so many years as a player and broadcaster.
Rangers Rebuild Takes Another Step: Davidson likely would have taken a job in New York regardless of where their team sat in a rebuild, but just a few weeks before he was officially announced, an injection of talent had occurred. The team agreed to terms with two top Russian prospects in Vitali Kravtsov and Igor Shesterkin, while also convincing the newly acquired Adam Fox to leave Harvard and turn pro. While Kravtsov has had a tumultuous first season in North Ameria, Shesterkin is busy dominating the AHL level with a .932 save percentage in 21 appearances. His 1.98 goals against average leads the league, creating even more questions about the New York goaltending situation moving forward.
Come Mr. D.J.: After rumors swirled about a potential return to the NHL for Patrick Roy, the Ottawa Senators instead hired rookie head coach D.J. Smith to lead their team. Smith left the rival Toronto Maple Leafs’ bench after another first-round exit to take the reins of the Senators, where he has instilled a workman-like attitude and started to move the team in the right direction. Ottawa currently sits at 16-18-4 on the season and are no longer the laughing stock of the Eastern Conference, thanks in big part to the structure Smith has created.
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