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Darryl Sutter

Anaheim Ducks Sign Poturalski, Pietila; Add Sutter To Staff

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The Anaheim Ducks were totally quiet on July 1st, the only team in the league not to formally sign any players. They’ve made up for it this afternoon, confirming one expected signing, announcing another, and adding a legendary coach to their organization. The Ducks announced that they have signed forwards Andrew Poturalski and Blake Pietila to matching one-year, two-way $700K contracts, while also naming Darryl Sutter as an adivsor to the coaching staff.

Poturalski, 25, was named the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs this year after recording a league-high 23 points in 18 playoff games en route to a championship for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Poturalski was also one of the top regular season scorers, netting 70 points in 72 games. Yet, the University of New Hampshire product did not see any NHL time with the Carolina Hurricanes this season and was expected to depart in search of better opportunity. Anaheim is a team collecting affordable depth options up front and Poturalski could emerge as a regular player for the team.

Pietila, 26, comes from the opposite situation in New Jersey. The Devils were forced to use Pietila, as well as a number of his AHL teammates, frequently last season, but the former Michigan Tech standout did little with the opportunity. In fact, Pietila has just four points in 38 career NHL games. However, he did set a career high in AHL production this past season, recording 46 points in 50 games with the Binghamton Devils. The Ducks hope he can continue to be a near point-per-game player in the minors with the potential to put up offense in the NHL.

Sutter, 60, needs little introduction. A veteran of close to 1,300 games behind the bench, Sutter is a former rival of Anaheim’s as the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach of the Los Angeles Kings, not to mention past stops in Calgary, San Jose, and Chicago as well. Working as an adivsor to Dallas Eakins and his staff, Sutter is one of the wisest minds in hockey and will be a major asset for the Ducks.

Darryl Sutter Announces Retirement From Coaching

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He hasn’t been behind the bench for an NHL game in over a year, and now Darryl Sutter has decided he won’t be coming back. The Stanley Cup champion from a legendary hockey family has hung up his clipboard, and exchanged his suit and tie for a more comfortable life on his Alberta farm. According to Eric Francis of Sportsnet, Sutter won’t be considered for the new vacancy in Washington, and has decided to spend his days with his family instead of the grind of an NHL schedule.

Sutter, 59, won two Stanley Cups as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, a role he was relieved of last summer when the organization brought in new management. Many have speculated about his return, and his name has been linked to almost every coaching vacancy in the last year. His physical, defensive teams set a model in the Western Conference that has been replicated—to varying degrees of success—by almost the entire league at one point or another, and his hilariously low-key and tight lipped media appearances were always entertaining regardless of how the team was doing on the ice.

It’s important to note that he’s taken several years away from hockey in between jobs before, and with coaching nothing ever seems final. As the years go on there will likely be rumors about him coming out of retirement, but for now the plan seems to be set for Sutter. He’ll end his NHL coaching career with a 634-467-83 record with 101 ties, putting him 14th on the all-time list for coaching wins.

Pacific Notes: Subban, Heed, Martin, Henrique, Dowd

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Many people in Boston had already written off goaltender Malcolm Subban, who never seemed able to earn himself a place with the Boston Bruins, minus 62 minutes of time over the course of his career. That was one reason the team placed the 23-year-old netminder on waivers to start the season. However, few expected Subban to thrive after he was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights. In fact, Subban has done more than that. He might just be the team’s goaltender of the future.

Even NBC Sports Joe Haggerty admits that he may have misjudged the goaltender as well. Subban took his performance to a new level Friday when he saved 41 shots and staved off six penalty shots in leading Vegas to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Even despite missing time earlier this year with an injury, Subban now has a 7-2 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .924 save percentage. 

  • The San Jose Sharks have announced they have activated defenseman Tim Heed off of injured reserve and have sent veteran defender Paul Martin to San Jose on a conditioning assignment with the Barracudas of the AHL. Heed was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 2 after suffering an upper-body injury in a game against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 25. As for Martin, he is closing in on being ready after aggravating an ankle injury on Oct. 10, and has been on injured reserve since. At 36 years old, Martin will make his first-ever appearance in an AHL game as he went directly from the University of Minnesota to the NHL back in 2003. He has played
  • Scott Billeck of NBC Sports writes that while it’s still early, so far the Anaheim Ducks look like they made a great deal in acquiring center Adam Henrique from New Jersey for defenseman Sami Vatanen. Since the Ducks have been without without center Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks top line of Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry have struggled without Getzlaf, but Henrique’s addition has changed everything as he has fit in well with those two immediately. So far Henrique has three goals and six points in five games with Anaheim, while he had four goals in 24 games with New Jersey. In fact, the 27-year-old had just one goal in his previous 14 with the Devils. If he can keep this up, he could return to his 30-goal ways back in 2015-16.
  • JD Burke of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Vancouver Canucks acquisition of Nic Dowd is an underrated one in which he breaks down the success of the 27-year-old center who arrived in a quiet trade from the Los Angeles Kings. According to Burke, Dowd’s presence on the ice, mostly due to his ability to keep offensive players from getting off shots, had given the Kings their second-most lopsided ratio of shot attempts when he is on the ice at even strength last year. While those numbers could be inflated due to previous coach Darryl Sutter’s style of play, he could be a big addition to the Canucks. He had six goals and 16 assists last year in 70 games, but has had just one assist this year in 16 contests.

Pacific Notes: Shore, Lewis, Shipachyov, DeMelo, Boeser

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A change of coaches in Los Angeles has turned two defensive-first players under former coach Darryl Sutter into new scoring options under new head coach John Stevens. Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis have been showing off some of their offensive skills so far this season, which including a highlight reel pass and shoot goal from Shore to Lewis in Thursday’s victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The shift to Stevens’ offensive focused system was picked up quickly by the two forwards, according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times. While the 25-year-old Shore only has one goal and two assists so far in 10 games, it’s still an improvement on last year’s six goals and 17 points that he had in 70 games. As for Lewis, the long-time King has never had more than 25 points in a season in all his years, but he might break that number this year as he already has four goals and three assists in 10 games. Both were at one time in their minor league careers considered to have some offensive talent and they feel they can show more.

“I think we’ve really put a focus on scoring more and offensive zone play,” Lewis said. “Obviously the new system we’re playing, I think starting off with Shoresy and [Kyle Clifford], we grasped it right away. I think that helps and it helps create more.”

  • With Vegas Golden Knights’ Vadim Shipachyov filing voluntary retirement paperwork rather than having his contract terminated, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels tweets that Vegas will still retain Shipachyov’s NHL rights until the veteran turns 35 years of age. Many believe, however, that the 30-year-old center has no interest in returning to the NHL.
  • Staying with the Golden Knights, the team picked up their ninth win of the season today, tying the 1980-81 expansion Winnipeg Jets, according to the Vegas Golden Knights. The team is just one win away from tying the inaugural Ottawa Senators.
  • Paul Gackle of The Mercury News writes that with the injury to veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks defenseman Dylan DeMelo will be given the opportunity to prove he belongs. After playing in the first two games of the season, the 24-year-old defenseman lost his job to Tim Heed and Joakim Ryan and has been a healthy scratch for the last 10 games. Now, the prospect who had already played 70 games with San Jose before the season even started, gets a second chance to prove he belongs.
  • Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Sun writes that the Vancouver Canucks have been working on their power play and have now moved rookie Brock Boeser to the left of the face circle on their first team in hopes to take advantage of his release. The move is supposed to unleash the talents of the highly-touted prospect who has two goals and seven assists so far this year in nine games.

Riley Sutter Climbing Draft Boards

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2017 may not be over just yet, but it’s no secret that executives and scouts across the NHL are already eyeing the 2018 draft class. Among the early contenders to be worthy of a first round pick is a familiar name: Sutter. The latest in the long line of family royalty is 18-year-old Riley Sutter, a right wing for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and very likely a top pick this June.

Riley Sutter is the son of Ron Sutter, who likely has him beat in terms of draft position. Ron was the fourth overall pick in 1982 by the Philadelphia Flyers, whom he played with for nine seasons to begin his 1000+ game NHL career. Ron’s twin brother, Riley’s uncle, Rich Sutter was famously selected six slot behind his brother in 1982, tenth overall by the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Riley’s other uncles include Brian Sutter, the long-time captain of the St. Louis Blues drafted in the second round in 1976, Duane Sutter, the 17th overall pick in 1979, Brent Sutter, the 17th overall pick a year later and arguably the best of the Sutter brothers with over 800 points in his 17-year career (and a former NHL coach to boot), and, of course, the most relevant of the Sutters right now, recently relieved Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter, who also played 400+ NHL games. Then there’s the next generation of Sutters, Riley’s cousins, highlighted by Vancouver Canucks center and 2007 11th overall pick Brandon Sutter, Brent’s son. Cousins Shaun Sutter, Brett Sutter, Brody Sutter, and Lukas Sutter were all additionally drafted into the NHL, but have not come close to the success of their fathers and uncles or even Brandon. Riley hopes to end the streak of underwhelming Sutter’s once he is drafted this June.

So what does the youngest Sutter bring to the table? The 6’2″, 201-lb. forward has a power forward frame and began to find his scoring touch last season with 39 points, including 20 goals, in 67 games for the Silvertips. Early in 2017-18, that pace has picked up. Sutter has 13 points, again the majority of which are goals, in his first 16 games. A physical game at his age is attractive enough, but the scoring touch and quick skating he has displayed, as well as the undeniable intangibles of being from hockey royalty, have boosted Sutter up draft boards. In the latest rankings from International Scouting Services, Sutter is up all the way to 16th, helped out by his early results (as well as a severe lack of right wings at the top of the class). If he can keep his scoring up, Riley very well could be the latest Sutter to be a first round pick and may even be able to push to become the second highest-drafted family member, behind his own father, if he can crack the top ten in June.

Kings Looking To Shift Course

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After missing the playoffs two seasons in a row, the L.A. Kings have fallen pretty hard from grace. After winning the cup twice in three years, it’s been one bad story after another for the team from Hollywood. Dustin Brown was stripped of the captaincy and relegated to bottom-six duties, not long after former key contributor Mike Richards found himself terminated due to a combination of on-ice, off-ice, and salary issues. Matt Greene had to be bought out entirely. Marian Gaborik is 35, signed for four more seasons, and just put together two underwhelming performances back-t0-back. The defense has gotten more top-heavy, and after losing Brayden McNabb to Vegas in the expansion draft, is set to lose another valuable piece. The head coach who earned the franchise its two rings was fired and a re-tread coach from Philadelphia will get his opportunity in 2017-18.

In an article with the L.A. Times written by Helene Elliotts, GM Rob Blake details the change in philosophy the Kings will need to adopt if they are going to find success in the near future. Ultimately, he wants to predicate the team’s identity more on speed, while staying true to their defensive style. Los Angeles has played a heavy, physical, stifling game to get their championships, and it appears that Blake is shifting away from that mantra next season. He isolated the “core” of the team as Anze Kopitar, Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, and Jonathan Quick. It might be drawn from his sentiment thatt other, more expendable pieces that may be available if the Kings continue to merely tread water.

Los Angeles did make a decent bargain-bin signing in Mike Cammalleri, who was sunk by a capsized New Jersey Devils squad last season. The potential for him to rebound and be productive is quite high, but it may not be nearly enough. The Kings beat out only Philadelphia, Colorado, New Jersey and Vancouver in terms of fewest goals scored. Carter and Pearson were the only twenty-goal scorers on the team. Guaranteed offense is an absolute need, and although former coach Darryl Sutter’s systems were a component of the struggles, the team needs more reliable production. Their defense is still the team’s greatest organizational strength, but it does strike some as odd that a player like McNabb wasn’t shuffled elsewhere for scoring help rather than being sacrificed for nothing to expansion.

If the Kings decide at this late stage to go the free agency route, their options are solid if a bit older. If speed is the determinant factor, that may seem to rule out the likes of Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla, while leaving the possibility of a Thomas Vanek signing open. More likely, however, the Blake and the Kings will need to probe the trade market. From there, the team will likely need to surrender future assets if they hope to receive solid scoring in a returning package. The team could take a lot of offensive pressure off of Kopitar (who himself is more of a two-way player) if they could swing a trade for a solid center. Matt Duchene is likely out of their price range, and Alex Galchenyuk’s value just skyrocketed. The bottom-six wingers are dreadfully lacking in experience, so an upgrade to the third line couldn’t hurt. Cap space is tight, however, as the team will only have over $5.5 MM after re-signing RFAs Nick Shore and Kevin Gravel. It may take outside-the-box thinking to bring the Kings back into contender status, but Blake seems primed to make moves, albeit on his own timeline.

Snapshots: OHL Lawsuit, Sutter, Alzner

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In the second piece of legal hockey news today, an Ontario judge has certified the former players’ lawsuit against the OHL as class action. Rick Westhead of TSN provides the specifics on the news, explaining that it now makes every player who played in the OHL from 2012 to the present an automatic plaintiff in the lawsuit, though they can opt-out if they so choose.

The lawsuit could apparently cost the league as much as $30MM, something that according to the league would “bring on the even of destruction for the players.” Similar lawsuits are being brought before the courts for both the WHL and QMJHL, with the decision on whether the WHL case will be certified as class action coming down within the next month.

  • Darryl Sutter isn’t done just yet, as he told Gary Lawless of TSN. The former Los Angeles Kings coach who was fired earlier this month will be “picky” about his next situation, but won’t rule out heading to a re-building squad. Sutter has coached over 1200 games in the NHL and won two Stanley Cups, giving credence to the idea that he can be picky and wait for the perfect opportunity.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have signed Nathan Noel to a three-year entry-level deal. Noel, 19, played this season for the Saint John’s Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, scoring 50 points in 52 games. Turning 20 in June, Noel will likely head to the AHL next season and try to continue his development for the Rockford IceHogs.
  • Karl Alzner won’t be available again tonight for the Washington Capitals, his fifth straight game out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. As Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes, Alzner had skated in 599 consecutive games before missing game 3 against the Maple Leafs, and is an important part of the Capitals defense. Alzner is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Capitals will have a tough time affording him while also giving raises to their many RFAs, meaning this is likely his last run with the team for a while. Even though he may not get another chance to play in the postseason with the Capitals, he makes his team-first attitude clear: “I’d sit out the rest of the playoffs if we can win the Cup.”

John Stevens Hired As L.A. Kings’ Coach

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John Stevens has officially been hired as the new coach for the Los Angeles Kings per Helene Elliott, filling the void left by the firing of Darryl Sutter. In a hiring that is neither shocking nor particularly adventurous, Stevens will move up from his previous position of associate coach to head coach for Los Angeles. In the wake of another disappointing season for the team in which they missed the playoffs, both GM Dean Lombardi and Coach Sutter were quickly fired. Both had been crucial to the success of the franchise, landing the team its first two Stanley Cups in 2011-12 and 2013-14. Kings’ ownership had apparently not interviewed anyone other than Stevens for the gig, although they had talked to a potential assistant in Jim Montgomery.

Stevens boasts a solid, if uninspiring, overall record of 122-111-34 in the NHL. His previous head coaching experience with the Flyers left murmurs of discontent following his departure, which only grew more pronounced as that squad then challenged for a Stanley Cup, seemingly reinvigorated by his firing. However, he now has his successful assistant tenure to add to his Calder Cup winning resume. There is a lot to be said for familiarity, and when Los Angeles takes the ice this fall, it will do so without the practically iconic Sutter behind the bench, and also likely an overhauled player roster. For those leaders who still remain from the championship squads, a familiar face behind the bench in a new era full of uncertainty may provide some semblance of comfort.

Under Sutter, the Kings were a dominant puck possession force, but despite their successes, often struggled to find consistent offensive production.  They finished 8th, 3rd, 4th, and 6th in the four seasons before this one in Corsi For %, a solid indicator of puck possession and time spent applying offensive pressure. Yet, they finished 22nd this season, netting only 126 goals, good for a terrible 26th in the league. Jeff Carter was the only forward to break the 60 point mark, and some of the defensemen had horrendous plus-minus and Corsi showings (Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin). The team looked sluggish for long stretches of time, and the squad often lacked killer instinct. Injuries certainly didn’t help their cause, but the strong play of Peter Budaj in relief for Jonathan Quick cannot be easily scapegoated for the team’s collective failures.

Stevens will need to prove early that he is capable of changing the mindset of this Kings’ team. They have arguably been too complacent in the past two seasons with low-scoring affairs and being on the playoff bubble. Ownership is hoping his positive attitude and strong existing relationships with players will enable him to have success when the Kings start anew in October.

Snapshots: Krejci, Stevens, Stastny

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Boston’s David Krejci suffered an injury after a knee-on-knee collision with Ottawa’s Chris Wideman. He will not return to the game. There was no call on the ice, although the play easily could have drawn an infraction. The play can be viewed here. Krejci could not put much weight on his leg and looked pained as he left the ice. The Bruin had just returned from a previous, unrelated injury, and was slotted in as the 2nd line center between wingers Drew Stafford and David Backes. Krejci had tallied 54 points in the full 82 games this past season. His team is fighting to stave off elimination at the hands of the Senators, trailing 3-1 in the series. Regardless of the result of the game, there is the possibility for review for Wideman by the Department of Player Safety, especially in light of an equally scary Kadri-on-Ovechkin hit just minutes earlier in the other contest.

  • The Los Angeles Kings are reportedly close to an agreement to hire John Stevens as their new head coach. As noted by colleague Gavin Lee earlier this month, his son, captain of Northwestern (also John Stevens), has drawn interest from management. Stevens (the senior) started out his head coaching career with 6 seasons for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, culminating in a Calder Cup win in 2004-05 – a season which drew lots of interest due to the NHL lockout of that year. Stevens was promoted to head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers after the following season, serving until he was fired midway through the 2009-10 campaign. Following his firing, that Flyers team then went on to make the Finals after just barely making the post-season under Peter Laviolette. Stevens earned two Stanley Cup rings as assistant coach to Darryl Sutter during the Kings’ championship runs of 2012 and 2014, after his brief (4-game) stint as interim coach for the franchise. Stevens is known for his endearing “players’ coach” personality and rapport with developing younger players. He has an all-time record of 122-111-34 as a head NHL bench boss.
  • Help is apparently on the way for the St. Louis Blues, who still hold a commanding 3-1 lead in their series with the Minnesota Wild. Both Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera look probable to return to competition in Game 5. Stastny has been out of action since he took a shot from a teammate off the foot a month ago. Lehtera has been out with an apparent illness since April 8th. Stastny potted 40 points in his limited 66 games this season, while Lehtera was less impressive with 22 in 64 games. Both centers will provide depth up the middle for St. Louis, and assistance on faceoffs. Considering how proficient Jake Allen has been so far these playoffs, their contributions on the defensive side of the puck will only make Minnesota’s offensive efforts even tougher. Both players posted average Corsi For just above the mid-line 50%, but each boasts a wealth of playoff experience that is difficult to replace this time of year. Stastny’s post-season consistency in particular should inspire confidence in his ability to contribute to his squad. Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford are expected to sit out.

*The original post had incorrectly cited Dennis Wideman as the offender*

Kings Fire Head Coach Darryl Sutter And GM Dean Lombardi

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In a massive overhaul of their front office, Los Angeles Kings ownership group AEG announced that head coach Darryl Sutter and General Manager Dean Lombardi have been relieved of their positions. A pair of former players and current executives have been promoted with Luc Robitaille named President and Rob Blake named the new General Manager and Vice President. The duo will oversee all of hockey operations which now includes finding a new coach. The Kings will hold an official press conference tomorrow to introduce Robitaille and Blake in their new capacities.

The sweeping changes come after a disappointing season that saw the perennial contenders miss the playoffs entirely. Despite a long-term injury to starting goalie Jonathan Quick, it was instead the offense that struggled for much of the season. Anemic at times, the offense finished 24th in the league with 2.4 goals per game behind poor production from Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, and Dustin Brown and a step backward in development for Tyler Toffoli. Much of the blame for the goal-scoring struggles fell on Sutter’s dated style and slow-paced structure and Lomdardi’s inability to add scoring via trade. Lombardi likely sealed his fate with a strange deadline deal to acquire Tampa Bay Lightning starting goaltender Ben Bishop in exchange for expectation-shattering veteran backup Peter Budaj and other pieces just as Quick had finally gotten healthy. The move did little to help the Kings down the stretch, whereas those same pieces or others could have been used to acquire a scorer instead. Los Angeles finished in tenth in the Western Conference, eight points behind the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames for a playoff berth.

AEG CEO Dan Beckerman called the move “an extremely difficult decision… made with an enormous amount of consideration”, but in the end they felt that it was the best for the team. Beckerman expressed his gratitude to both Sutter and Lombardi in the company’s statement, as the pair did build and operate a Kings team that won two Stanley Cups in a five-year span, but simply felt it was time to move on. Sutter joins a growing list of highly decorated  veteran coaches available on the open market, but only time will tell if his old-school style is appealing to one of the teams in the hunt for a new bench boss. Sutter is a Hall of Famer, but his NHL future is currently in doubt. Lombardi meanwhile is not long removed from being considered a top team builder in the NHL. Lombardi built a winner in L.A., but simply forgot to keep building. Nevertheless, he will find a job in a front office sooner rather than later. The new team of Robitaille and Blake have their work cut out for them this off-season, as the Kings faces a difficult Expansion Draft scenario, likely a middling first-round pick unable to contribute next season, several contracts that should be shed if possible, and, of course, a desperate need for scoring help up front.

 

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