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Afternoon News: Capitals, Howden, Maple Leafs

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Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic wrote a piece today that highlighted the nine forwards he believes would fit what the Washington Capitals are looking for this offseason. El-Bashir begins the piece by shining a light on the salary cap crunch that will leave the Capitals with around $5MM in cap space this summer. That leaves Washington with precious little space to work with, however El-Bashir quickly points out that Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha are both trade options that are finding their names on a lot of trade boards.

El-Bashir feels that Washington won’t target players over 30 given their age and Washington’s precarious cap situation. He lists Tyler Bertuzzi, Connor Brown, Andreas Athanasiou, Ivan Barbashev, Michael Bunting, J.T. Compher, Max Domi, Pierre Engvall, and Evan Rodrigues as the likely targets for Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan. Washington has an extensive group of forwards signed to contracts for next season but have a glaring hole on the right wing. Given the cost and the need I would likely put current Capitals forward Connor Brown near the top of the list. Brown was acquired from the Ottawa Senators for a second round pick last summer but only dressed in four games before suffering a season ending ACL injury in his right knee.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Jesse Granger of The Athletic is reporting that Brett Howden of the Vegas Golden Knights was on the ice for the team’s morning skate ahead of their game 4 matchup against the Dallas Stars. Granger reported yesterday that the 25-year-old center had tweaked a lower body injury in game 2 and tried to play through it but couldn’t. Howden missed game 3 and given that he’s seen a lot of time in Vegas’ top-6 as of late, his return would be a welcome boost if he can dress tonight. Howden had a pedestrian regular season with 13 points in 54 games, however in these playoffs he has three goals and three assists in 14 games. Vegas has a chance to sweep Dallas this evening.
  • Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star wrote an opinion piece today about why former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving checks so many of the boxes that Brendan Shanahan and the Toronto Maple Leafs would be looking to tick. McGran highlights Treliving’s experience in Calgary working in a collaborative environment with former president of hockey ops Brian Burke. Toronto’s future general manager would be tied to Shanahan as well as the board of MLSE, it is a job that is different from some other NHL clubs, however Treliving has worked within a similar structure. McGran also cites Treliving’s penchant for having the guts to make bold moves, Treliving spent last summer overhauling the Calgary Flames out of necessity by trading Matthew Tkachuk to Florida for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar as well as signing Nazem Kadri as a free agent.

Coaching Notes: Gallant, Roy, Blue Jackets

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While four teams remain battling for the Stanley Cup, many teams have turned their attention to the offseason and are working behind the scenes to fill out their managerial and coaching vacancies. One team with a high profile opening behind the bench is the Calgary Flames. Darryl Sutter won the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year in 2022 but was fired by the team earlier this month.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN on Insider Trading, a prominent name that could end up in Calgary is Gerard Gallant. He was recently let go by the New York Rangers following a 107 point season, and is one of the most experienced coaches available on the open market. Gallant also has experience working with a couple of key players in Calgary, as he was the head coach in Florida when Jonathan Huberdeau and Mac Weegar played there. Both players struggled to play their best hockey in their first season in Calgary and could be reinvigorated with Gallant behind the bench. Dreger mentions the Flames will look at internal candidates, such as Mitch Love who is the head coach of the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, but Gallant remains one of the top candidates for the Flames job.

  • Also on Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports Patrick Roy could be looking to take another swing at an NHL head coaching job. Roy is the head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL and just won a league title on the weekend. He will be behind their bench at the upcoming Memorial Cup which begins Friday, but LeBrun mentions he recently changed agents and NHL teams have already reached out to gauge interest in having Roy return to an NHL bench. LeBrun mentions the openings with the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals as jobs that would interest Roy but we will see how things shake out in the coming weeks.
  • Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports the Columbus Blue Jackets are not searching in the bargain bin for their next head coach. The team fired Brad Larsen after finishing 31st in the league this past season. Hedger reports the team is prepared to spend what it takes to land a new coach. He mentions the team is willing to hand out an annual salary of $4MM for the right bench boss but the number would be dependent on the candidate. One potential candidate can be found in house as Hedger also mentions Pascal Vincent is in the running for one, or more, NHL coaching vacancies suggesting a few teams are looking at the Blue Jackets assistant coach.

Calgary Flames Name Craig Conroy General Manager

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May 23: Calgary has made the hire official, also adding Dave Nonis as the team’s senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager. The team has also retitled the roles of Chris Snow and Brad Pascall, who were previously assistant general managers. Per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, the team has given extensions to both Snow and Pascall while expanding their roles.

May 21: TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting the Calgary Flames are expected to name Craig Conroy their next general manager, promoting him from the assistant role he’s held since 2014.

Conroy succeeds Brad Treliving, who the Flames mutually parted ways with last month after a disappointing season. Dreger notes that the team’s management overhaul, also accented by firing head coach Darryl Sutter, likely isn’t over. More hires are expected to be announced in Calgary’s front office later next week.

While Conroy may not have been the most experienced hire available for Calgary (he has no previous general managing experience), there are few who’ve been around the Flames organization longer than him. Not only has he spent the past 13 seasons in the Flames’ front office in some capacity, but he also played nine seasons in Calgary dating back to a 2001 trade deadline move.

It’s a straightforward choice for Calgary, who are looking to live up to the expectations they set for themselves after completely rehauling their roster last summer. Swapping Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar while also adding Nazem Kadri flamed out, with most of their additions having extremely disappointing seasons under Sutter.

The hope remains that some new blood in the front office and behind the bench, along with an organizational shift more willing to give opportunities to the team’s younger players, should pay short-term dividends and return the Flames to a consistent playoff status in the Pacific Division.

Conroy won’t have that busy of an offseason with just five free agents on the NHL roster (all unrestricted depth players), but many core pieces like Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and Chris Tanev are expiring in 2024 and become eligible for extensions on July 1.

Earlier this week, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Dave Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin were also being considered for the job alongside Conroy.

Calgary Flames Head Coaching Search Expected To Begin

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  • With their upper management set in stone, expect the Calgary Flames’ focus to immediately shift to hiring a new head coach, says TSN’s Darren Dreger. The Flames haven’t seen their name pop up in coaching rumors as much as other teams on the market, but their focus, up until last weekend, was restricted to naming their next general manager. Now that the hires of Craig Conroy and Dave Nonis are expected to be made official today, Calgary’s name will start coming up in connection to potential coaching candidates.

Evening Notes: Huska, Senators, Seitz

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Darren Haynes of The Canadian Press tweeted today that he wonders if new Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy might consider current assistant coach Ryan Huska for the role of their new head coach. Huska has been coaching since 2002-03 and has spent the past five years in Calgary as an assistant. The 47-year-old Huska has been a head coach in the WHL and the AHL and has coached several members of the Flames current squad.

The Cranbrook, British Columbia native had an interesting career as a player having won three Memorial Cups with the Kamloops Blazers dynasty in 1992, 1994, and 1995. He was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1993 and five years later dressed in the only NHL game he would ever play, taking eight shifts for 5:51 in total ice time. Should Huska be named the head coach in Calgary he would become the 22nd head coach in Flames franchise history.

In other evening notes:

  • Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that there has been a lot of moving parts in the Neko Sparks bid for ownership of the Ottawa Senators. Garrioch speculates that the group could be facing an imminent deadline as they have recently brought in more investors and have apparently been pushing hard the past 48 hours to find more investors to get involved. The group has brought on Canadians Arlene Dickerson and Robert Herjavec who are both wealthy investors as well as television personalities on the hit Canadian television series Dragon’s Den.
  • The Hockey News is reporting that the PHF continues to attract talent to the league as they’ve announced new signings today. The Metropolitan Riveters made a big splash as they have brought in Yale alumnus Emma Seitz. The New York native is the back-to-back ECAC Defender of the Year and was an All-American. The 23-year-old defenseman also put up offense in her time at Yale, posting 11 goals and 11 assists in 30 games this past season. Over the course of four years in the NCAA, Seitz put up 86 career points in 127 career games.

List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup

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After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.

Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.

There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.

Anaheim Ducks

C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)

Arizona Coyotes

RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)

Boston Bruins

none

Buffalo Sabres

RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)

Calgary Flames

LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)

Colorado Avalanche

none

Columbus Blue Jackets

LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)

Dallas Stars

C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

none

Edmonton Oilers

none

Florida Panthers

LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)

Los Angeles Kings

none

Minnesota Wild

C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)

Montreal Canadiens

C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)

Nashville Predators

LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)

New Jersey Devils

RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)

New York Islanders

LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)

New York Rangers

LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)

Ottawa Senators

none

Philadelphia Flyers

LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)

Pittsburgh Penguins

none

San Jose Sharks

none

Seattle Kraken

C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)

St. Louis Blues

C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)

Tampa Bay Lightning

none

Toronto Maple Leafs

C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)

Vancouver Canucks

C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)

Vegas Golden Knights

C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)

Washington Capitals

C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)

Winnipeg Jets

C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)

Should Flames Shop Dan Vladar This Summer?

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Back in October, the Flames signed goaltender Daniel Vladar to a two-year contract extension, suggesting their intention for him to be part of the plans in goal for a little while longer.  However, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson wonders if the 25-year-old might be better off being a trade option for Calgary this summer.  With AHL MVP Dustin Wolf waiting in the wings while being on a contract that’s nearly $1.4MM cheaper, it’s possible that the Flames could be better served by moving Vladar and getting some much-needed cap space; they currently are pegged to have just $1.25MM in cap room this summer, per CapFriendly, with several roster spots needing to be filled.  Vladar posted a 2.87 GAA with a .894 SV% in 27 appearances this season and if he was to be made available, Calgary could have a few teams inquiring about his services.

Latest On Calgary GM & Coaching Search

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Although it is widely expected throughout the league that Craig Conroy will become the next General Manager of the Calgary Flames, Elliotte Friedman thinks there may be two other individuals that will join the Flames’ front office. Speaking during the second intermission of the Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights game on Sportsnet, Friedman shares that there is an expectation that both Dave Nonis and Jarome Iginla will be holding executive positions in Calgary by early next week.

Nonis was notably one of the external candidates that the Flames interviewed in their search for a General Manager, and it appears that the team may have found a different position for him. Throughout his work in the front office at the NHL level, Nonis has spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently, the Anaheim Ducks.

In Vancouver, in a span from 1998-2008, Nonis held positions such as General Manager, Director of Hockey Operations, and the Vice President of Hockey Operations. After a very short stay in Anaheim working as an Advisor to the team during the 2008-09 season, Nonis would make the move to Toronto, working as the team’s Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations as well as General Manager, being replaced after the 2014-15 season by Lou Lamoriello and, later, Kyle Dubas.

Ever since his ouster by the Maple Leafs, Nonis immediately began working as a Scout and as a Consultant for the Ducks, before making the transition to become the team’s Assistant General Manager before the 2019-20 season, working in the same capacity since.

In Iginla, there is no introduction that would fully encompass what he meant to the city of Calgary. Beginning his career for the Flames during the 1996-97 NHL season, Iginla would go on to play 1219 games wearing the flaming “C”, and score over 1000 points for the Flames alone. Being the longest-serving captain in team history, Iginla would lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final during the 2004 NHL playoffs, as well as earn two Maurice Richard Trophies during his tenure in Calgary.

Since his retirement from the NHL after the 2016-17 season, Iginla has been coaching his son, Tij Iginla, for the Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 program. Adamant on coaching his son full-time before his return to the NHL, Tij was recently selected ninth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL Prospects Draft.

As far as coaching updates, Friedman reports that Travis Green and Alex Tanguay are available options for Calgary moving forward. Travis Green was most recently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, having been fired midway through the 2021-22 season. Other than Vancouver, Green had spent time as head coach of the Utica Comets (Vancouver) in the AHL, and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.

Tanguay, who has never held a head coaching position in his career, would be a homecoming of sorts for the NHL veteran. Currently serving as the Assistant Coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Tanguay spent five years in Calgary during his NHL career (being on the same line as Iginla), scoring 284 points in 342 games. Whatever choice the team ultimately makes behind the bench for the upcoming season, Calgary will certainly have some interesting names to choose from.

Latest On Flames GM Search

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As the Toronto Maple Leafs have thoroughly stolen the headlines today, another Canadian team is looking to make some front-office news. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the Calgary Flames are close to hiring a new General Manager.

Yesterday evening, it was reported that Craig Conroy was considered to be a strong internal candidate to replace Brad Treliving as General Manager in Calgary, and Seravalli points out that he may be the odds-on favorite. Conroy has been a longtime favorite for the Flames, playing nine seasons for the team, and becoming the team captain shortly before Jarome Iginla took the mantle in 2003.

Since retiring in 2011, Conroy was immediately hired on as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and quickly became Assistant General Manager before the 2014-15 season. For seemingly being a part of the Flames organization all of his adult life, there is no question as to why Conroy is the favorite to become the new General Manager in Calgary.

Aside from Conroy, Seravalli also mentioned a list of external candidates that have had in-person interviews in the past week, including David Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin. All three external candidates have considerable experience at the helm of the front office in the NHL.

Another interesting note Seravalli shared is that the Flames have changed their approach in regard to Treliving’s future. In previous reports, the Pittsburgh Penguins had previously been denied access to interview Treliving, per the terms of his past extension.

Now, Seravalli reports that Calgary will no longer prohibit Treliving from interviewing with interested parties. In light of the news coming from the Maple Leafs today, Treliving immediately comes to mind as a potential solution to the new vacuum created in Toronto.

Calgary Flames Linked To Craig Conroy For GM Role

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As Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli noted on Sportsnet 960 today, the Calgary Flames could be considering an organizational veteran to fill their vacant general manager role. Longtime assistant general manager and former team captain Craig Conroy could be in line for a promotion after the team parted ways with Brad Treliving last month.

I don’t know that there’s a front-runner. But if I were gambling and you gave me a list of names, and I do like to gamble, I would say my money would be on Craig Conroy.

With a history of strong leadership and a deep understanding of the Flames organization, Conroy emerges as a viable candidate to guide the team toward success. Having served as an assistant general manager since 2014 and a special assistant for four seasons prior, Conroy has demonstrated his commitment and dedication to the franchise, contributing significantly to player development, scouting, and day-to-day operations. His extensive experience, combined with his passion for the Flames, makes him an appealing choice for the top management position and would better position the Flames on draft day with a familiar face at the helm.

On the ice, Conroy played in 507 games with Calgary over parts of nine seasons, recording 97 goals, 211 assists, and 308 points, earning a Selke nomination in a career-best 2001-02 season.

With the firing of head coach Darryl Sutter reportedly influenced in part by exit interviews from players, it’s evident the Flames remain committed to making it work with their current core and will try to get the most out of what they have. Hiring an internal candidate would certainly align with that philosophy.

Seravalli also reported the Flames are nearing the end of their search, regardless if Conroy earns the seat or not, saying they want to have Treliving’s successor in place next week.

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