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Philadelphia Flyers Working On Contract With Ivan Fedotov

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One of the more interesting notes from Chuck Fletcher’s media availability this morning (apart from the confirmation that Mike Yeo will not return as head coach) is that the Philadelphia Flyers are working on a contract with Ivan Fedotov and expect to agree to terms in the near future. The general manager explained that it is complicated because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but is confident they will ultimately be able to work out a contract and bring him to North America for next season.

Fedotov, 25, was a seventh-round pick of the Flyers way back in 2015 and has been slowly developing into one of the best netminders in Russia ever since. This season he was the starter at the Olympics, posting a .943 save percentage in six games and winning a silver medal, and then returned to CSKA Moscow to take his club all the way to a Gagarin Cup championship. Fedotov had an eye-popping .937 save percentage in 22 playoff appearances, allowing a goals-against-average of just 1.85.

It was at the Olympics when Fedotov suggested to reporters that he was planning on coming to North America next season, and it appears as though there could be an NHL spot waiting for him when he arrives. Fletcher indicated that the big netminder will compete for the backup NHL role, should he be signed.

Standing 6’8″, you likely aren’t going to find a goaltender that fills the net as much as Fedotov, but it’s not just his frame that has allowed him to reach a high level. His overall play has steadily improved over the last several years, as he was brought along through the junior and minor leagues. Now a real option for an NHL team, the Flyers could be getting a ton of value out of a late-round pick that happened well before this management regime was installed.

Four Players Avoid Suspension, Earn Fines

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The first night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a wild one, with penalties, fights, and dangerous plays happening all across the league. Kyle Clifford will have a hearing later today for his transgression, but four other players have avoided suspensions entirely. Jared Spurgeon, Wayne Simmonds, Pat Maroon, and Corey Perry have all earned fines for their respective incidents, with the Minnesota Wild captain’s punishment especially notable, given his importance to his team.

Simmonds, Maroon, and Perry were all involved in the same incident, a scrum and subsequent fights that occurred when the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning was already decided on the scoreboard. All three earned misconducts, and have now been fined for unsportsmanlike conduct. Simmonds and Maroon will both be required to pay $2,250, while Perry faces a $2,500 fine. All three are the maximum allowable under the CBA and are based on their respective salaries.

Spurgeon meanwhile appeared much more in danger of a suspension, given how his incident was perceived. He has been fined $5,000–again the maximum allowable under the CBA–for his cross-check on the ankle of St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich. The on-ice officials handed out a two-minute minor penalty late in the third period for the play, which was an obvious outburst of frustration as the Wild lost 4-0.

Given how important he is for the Wild, a fine is the absolute best outcome the team could have hoped for. He will, however, be under increased scrutiny for the rest of the playoffs.

Philadelphia Flyers Will Not Retain Mike Yeo As Head Coach

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10:00 am: At his media availability, Fletcher confirmed that Yeo will not be head coach next season. They will continue to speak with him over the next few weeks to determine if there is another place in the organization, though he is expected to interview for other positions around the league.

8:30 am: The Philadelphia Flyers are another one of the teams in the NHL with an interim coach after they fired Alain Vigneault partway through the year. Mike Yeo, who took over, has a long history with general manager Chuck Fletcher, dating back to their days together with the Minnesota Wild. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be helping him in this case. Kevin Weekes of ESPN tweeted last night that the Flyers are expected to move on from Yeo, and Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed it this morning.

It certainly makes sense to bring in a new coaching staff, given the struggles of the Flyers this season. It’s not like things turned around after Yeo took over. In his 60 games behind the bench, the team went 17-36-7, finishing last in the Metropolitan Division and 29th in the league. They were 31st in goals for, 27th in goals against, 27th in penalty killing, and dead last on the powerplay. It was a brutal year to be a Philadelphia fan, and retaining Yeo–at least as head coach–never seemed to make much sense.

One might ask if Fletcher himself is in the crosshairs, though Flyers brass has made it clear that they will continue to back the front office executive for the time being. The general manager will meet with the media today to break down the season and discuss what changes will be made this offseason.

Yeo, meanwhile, will have to look for another job unless he is brought back as an assistant under the new head coach. Throughout his career, he has been given head coaching opportunities only to squander them with poor performances after some early success. In Minnesota, he helped the team to a 100-point season in 2014-15, and then was out partway through the next year. With the St. Louis Blues, he took the team to the second round and then somehow managed to miss the playoffs in 2018, even with a 44-32-6 record.

There is some evidence that he can be a successful head coach at the NHL level, but it obviously didn’t come in Philadelphia this season. His name will likely be included in some other coaching searches, though where he eventually ends up obviously still remains to be decided.

Aaron Ekblad To Return For Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers kick off their first-round series against the Washington Capitals this evening, and it’s nothing but good news at the morning skate. Head coach Andrew Brunette confirmed to reporters including Katie Gaus of BALLY Sports that Aaron Ekblad will make his long-awaited return to the lineup tonight. Mason Marchment will also be in the lineup after missing the last game of the regular season.

Ekblad, 26, may very well have been in the conversation for the Norris Trophy had he played the entire season. The 2014 first-overall pick put together the best offensive year of his career, scoring 15 goals and 57 points in just 61 games. Those numbers came in nearly 25 minutes a night, as he looked completely recovered from the head and neck injuries that had really hampered his career in years past.

Unfortunately, on his first shift of a game against the Anaheim Ducks in mid-March, Ekblad collided with teammate Aleksander Barkov and was forced to leave with a lower-body injury. He did not return, meaning his chase of 20 goals and a point-per-game season will have to wait.

Now, after more than a month on the shelf, he’ll return just in time for the Panthers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kyle Clifford To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Kyle Clifford missed nearly the entire game last night for the Toronto Maple Leafs after earning a misconduct early in the first period, and he’ll have to sit even longer. The Department of Player Safety has announced that Clifford will have a hearing today for boarding Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton.

After delivering a hit in the corner, Clifford raced up the ice and hit Colton, late, directly from behind, into the boards. While the Tampa Bay forward did not appear to suffer a serious injury, the on-ice officials gave Clifford a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. Toronto managed to climb their way out of the whole that the veteran forward put them in, but now will have to likely use a different look on the fourth line in game two.

Notably, just a few games ago Clifford was involved in another incident that included the Lightning. On April 22 he was handed a fine for his high-stick on Corey Perry during a scrum. That recent history, despite being of a different nature, will likely factor into the punishment for Clifford.

The Maple Leafs do have several other options for the lineup, though none bring the same kind of physicality as the 31-year-old winger. Even more, head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke glowingly after the game about how much Clifford adds defensively to that group, noting that the line has been the best when it includes him.

Dylan Larkin Undergoes Core Muscle Surgery

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May 3: Larkin explained today that the surgery has been a success, and that he looks forward to a full summer of training ahead of camp in the fall.

April 18: The Detroit Red Wings will be without captain Dylan Larkin for the rest of the season after he underwent core muscle surgery today. The successful procedure was carried out in McLaren Hospital in Michigan, and Larkin is now facing a recovery timeline of eight to ten weeks.

It was a noticeable step in the right direction for Larkin and the Red Wings this season, even though they are set to miss the playoffs once again. The team was buoyed by the arrival of several impactful rookies, while the captain himself rebounded from a terrible 2020-21 season. Larkin recorded his second 30+ goal season by scoring 31 times in 71 games, and was on pace to set setting a new career-high in points.

Now facing a serious recovery, it will be interesting to see whether this summer brings an extension for the 25-year-old center. Larkin is only signed through the 2022-23 season and will be eligible for an extension in July, though there is at least some concern over whether that is truly the plan of general manager Steve Yzerman and the rest of the Red Wings brass.

Detroit has basically no long-term commitments at this point, with Robby Fabbri the only player in the entire organization signed to a one-way contract or 2024-25. While Larkin seems an obvious choice to break that trend and sign a big extension, the team could have different plans for the future. Should he sign, it would likely be quite a hefty contract for the 15th overall pick from 2014. Larkin has 358 points in 504 career games, but has only reached the playoffs on one occasion–way back in 2016. With Tyler Bertuzzi, Pius Suter, Oskar Sundqvist, and Alex Nedeljkovic also scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2023, there could still be some drastic changes to the core group as they look to move into the next era of competitiveness.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Viktor Arvidsson Will Not Play In Game One Against The Edmonton Oilers

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Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson will miss Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers tonight with an undisclosed injury, says The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (link). The news is surprising, as just this morning, Kings Head Coach Todd McLellan said there was a good chance Arvidsson would play tonight.

What exactly the nature of Arvidsson’s injury is remains unclear, however he did miss the Kings’ final regular season game on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. The forward did play on Wednesday, recording a normal-for-him 16:53 of time-on-ice in the game, but has not been able to play since. This isn’t Arvidsson’s first injury this season, missing time in early March with a lower-body injury.

Going without Arvidsson will be a challenge for the Kings tonight, as he ranked fourth on the team in points this season with 49 while playing in only 66 games. A well-rounded group, the Kings should be able to draw on the rest of their roster to make up for what they have lost in Arvidsson. Los Angeles acquired the 29-year-old in July in exchange for a second and third round draft pick.

Latest On Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

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After the Winnipeg Jets announced a three-year extension with their long-time General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff this morning, Cheveldayoff spoke to the media to address the state of the Jets, including the status of of star forward Mark Scheifele. Cheveldayoff clarified that Scheifele has not asked for a trade, but mentioned that he was yet to have his exit interview with the forward and would be doing that later today, hoping to find some clarity (link). Recall yesterday, Scheifele himself spoke to the media, who questioned him on his future in Winnipeg. Scheifele reiterated his desire to stay in Winnipeg, but cautioned “I just have to know where this team is going and what the direction is.”

It’s not clear yet if Cheveldayoff and Scheifele did meet today, and if so, what the result of their conversation was, but the idea of the Jets trading their first ever draft pick is nothing short of noteworthy, and an intriguing proposal at that. The way Scheifele’s comments have been worded would make it sound as though he is set to become a UFA, however he is signed through 2023-24 at a very reasonable $6.125MM per season. Though Winnipeg is under no obligation to trade Scheifele if he does not see eye-to-eye with their future plans, if he does decide to move on from the team, it might be in their best interest to try to trade him with two seasons left on a very team-friendly contract than to see how the next two seasons play out.

After several playoff runs that ultimately did not yield a Stanley Cup, the Jets found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture for the first time since 2016-17 (excluding a loss in the 2020 Qualifying Round), and appear poised to make a few significant moves this offseason. The organization did find itself making changes already this season, with former Head Coach Paul Maurice stepping aside from his duties in December, and longtime Jets forward Andrew Copp being traded to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline.

Though changes are expected, the nature of that approach is up in the air, which appears to be Scheifele’s primary concern. On one hand, the Jets have had a successful run since the start of the 2017-18 season and have a roster full of stars including Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Morrissey, and former Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. They also have a promising group of young players and prospects, headlined by Cole Perfetti, Ville Heinola, and Chaz Lucius. There appears to be plenty of reason to continue this build while making some tweaks to get the group back on track next season.

On the other hand, this Jets core struggled this season and lost Copp. Wheeler, the team’s captain, will be 36 on opening night, Dubois is a RFA this offseason, and Scheifele and Hellebuyck are set to become UFAs after the 2023-24 season. With Connor and Morrissey signed long-term, and the team having a couple of assets in Scheifele and Hellebuyck that they can turn into draft picks and prospects to add to their already existing stockpile, a rebuild, whether quick or drawn out, could be a realistic option without completely ignoring the prime of Connor and Morrissey’s careers.

Turning the attention back to Scheifele, the interest in him should be expected to be nearly league-wide. Considering Scheifele’s affordable cap-hit for two more years and his year-to-year production, any team looking to improve right now would be in on him. Scheifele does have a modified no-trade clause, which permits him to submit a list of 10 teams he cannot be traded to, but that should still leave Winnipeg with an expansive market from which they can draw bids on their star player, maximizing their return.

Ultimately, the direction the franchise chooses to take could dictate what happens not only with Scheifele, but with some of their other stars. With the playoffs only beginning tonight, they will have a good two-and-a-half months to discuss their intentions and decide how they want to proceed.

Injury Notes: Saros, Andersen, Bunting

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The Nashville Predators already had an incredibly daunting task ahead of them when they drew the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, but now it might seem an impossible task. Head coach John Hynes told reporters including Adam Vingan of The Athletic that Juuse Saros, injured in the last week of the season, will miss at least the first two games of the series. Saros is on the trip but it is not yet clear when he will be back for the Predators.

In his absence, Hynes explained that they are still discussing whether to start David Rittich or Connor Ingram in game one. A decision that might be easy for most teams that have a regular backup, the Predators are in a sort of a unique situation. No other team relied on their starter more heavily than Nashville, who had Saros start 67 games this season. Rittich posted an .886 save percentage in 17 appearances, while Ingram had a .879 in three. The series starts tomorrow night.

  • Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports that Carolina Hurricanes starter Frederik Andersen has a sprained knee, though there is no structural damage. She believes it is highly unlikely that the primary Jennings winner will be ready for game two. Antti Raanta will get the start tonight, though with his own history of injuries the team has brought along an extra goaltender. Jack LaFontaine has been recalled from the minor leagues, and will likely serve as the emergency backup tonight. Unlike the regular season, where each venue hosts an EBUG that can end up dressing for either team, in the playoffs teams can carry their own.
  • It appears as though the Edmonton Oilers will have Darnell Nurse in the lineup tonight, despite him not actually confirming it at his press availability. Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug of TSN discuss the situation, noting that while the top defenseman is technically a game-time decision, they both believe he’ll be available this evening. Nurse hasn’t played since April 22, when he left early against the Colorado Avalanche. As they have many times in the second half, the Oilers could dress seven defensemen, especially if Nurse is still not at 100 percent.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Raivis Ansons

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It’s been a very complicated few days for Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Raivis Ansons. On Friday, he was handed a one-game suspension for a high stick, meaning he missed the last game of the regular season in his final year of QMJHL hockey. Today, he was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins. He will remain with the Saint John Seadogs through their QMJHL playoff and Memorial Cup run.

Ansons, 20, has been great for the Sea Dogs after a midseason trade brought him over from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The Latvian winger had 12 goals and 36 points in 37 games down the stretch, adding his usual level of physicality to every puck battle. Ansons isn’t a brilliant offensive piece, but his size, strength and skating make him an interesting NHL prospect all the same, even if it will be a limited ceiling for the young forward.

An entry-level contract was the next step toward that ultimate goal, though there is still plenty of work to be done. Selected 149th overall in 2020, he’ll be eligible for the AHL next season, where he’ll try to test himself with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. While his game may translate quickly, the grind and improved defense of that level will be a good indicator of whether he has enough upside to carve out a bottom-six role with Pittsburgh in the future.

For now, the Sea Dogs are not only trying to win a QMJHL championship, but as the host city, they’ll also get an automatic bid to the Memorial Cup. Those high-pressure matchups will certainly be a strong opportunity for growth, as he continues on an encouraging development path.

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