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. Next up is the month of November, one that was highlighted by some coaching changes around the league.
Fabbri To Detroit: After once again having a minimal role with St. Louis, the Blues decided to give Robby Fabbri a chance elsewhere, sending him to Detroit in exchange for Jacob de la Rose. The change of scenery has worked wonders for Fabbri who has picked up nine goals and nine assists in 25 games since the trade while logging over 17 minutes a night and giving his career quite the shot in the arm in the process. Meanwhile, de la Rose has played a regular role on the fourth line in St. Louis but hasn’t had anywhere near the same offensive impact as he has scored just once in 24 games with his new team.
Kovalchuk Removed From Kings Lineup: Ilya Kovalchuk’s tenure with Los Angeles took another turn for the bizarre when the team informed him following a game in Montreal that they would no longer be playing him but that he was still welcome to practice with the team. He had gotten off to a decent start offensively with nine points in 17 games but the Kings preferred to give other players an extended look. They took a similar approach near the end of last season but were prepared to play this one out over a much longer period of time.
Coaching Change In Toronto: With the Maple Leafs sputtering out of the gate, the team decided to make a change behind the bench, firing Mike Babcock while installing Sheldon Keefe as their new bench boss. Babcock still has three more seasons on his record-breaking eight-year, $50MM contract he signed with them so he’ll still be collecting for a while (or at least until he catches on with another team down the road). Keefe’s promotion from the Marlies of the AHL has provided instant dividends as the team is 15-4-1 since the change. For comparison, they had gotten off to a 9-10-4 start to the season under Babcock. As a result, they’ve gone from being out of a playoff spot to second in the Atlantic Division.
Extensions In Boston: The Bruins reached an agreement on extensions with Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner. Coyle was acquired from Minnesota last season and has become an important secondary piece for Boston with the ability to shift between center and the wing. He received a five-year deal with a $5.25MM AAV, a sizable jump over his current $3.2MM cap hit. As for Wagner, his physicality has been a big factor on their fourth line and as a result, he was rewarded with a three-year deal at a $1.35MM AAV, a $100K raise on his current deal.
Peters Out In Calgary: Following claims of abuse and inappropriate racial slurs against former players, the Flames placed head coach Bill Peters on leave while investigating the situation. In the end, Peters opted to tender his resignation which was accepted. Geoff Ward has taken over on an interim basis. What happened with Peters as well as Babcock (as some stories came out regarding some questionable motivational tactics) helped form the basis of discussion at the Board of Governors meetings as the league works with its stakeholders to form a new Code of Conduct.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.