Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Guy Boucher

Eastern Notes: Tkachuk, Formenton, Nylander, Carrick, Bobrovsky, Knight

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Ottawa Senators were always planning on bringing in a group of young talent to join their NHL team this year and when Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher said that his forwards were set to start the year, Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas tweets that means that forwards Brady Tkachuk and Alex Formenton made the team.

While neither player’s appearance on the roster is much of a surprise, the team has been impressed with Tkachuk’s offensive and physical play as well as the impressive speed that Formenton adds. Tkachuk, the team’s fourth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, and Formenton, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, both are expected to take on significant roles for a team that many feel could finish at the bottom of the league this season. Formenton made the team out of training camp last year, but appeared in just one game before being returned to his junior team.

  • The Hurricanes were among the teams to inquire regarding the availability of Maple Leafs winger William Nylander, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link).  However, Toronto GM Kyle Dubas informed them (and other seekers) that they have no intention of dealing the restricted free agent.  LeBrun also suggested that an offer sheet for the 22-year-old is quite unlikely given Toronto’s cap space for 2018-19 and the fact that a lot of the teams that could afford him and have the requisite picks to surrender are far from postseason locks; they probably won’t want to risk potentially losing a lottery pick.
  • The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reports that Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said that he will know his roster by tonight, with final cuts coming tomorrow. One person who has an uncertain future with Toronto is defenseman Connor Carrick, who according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton, is facing an uphill battle to making the team. When asked if he’s spoken to Babcock, Carrick’s responded: “We haven’t talked much. I’m not sure there’s a ton to talk about.”
  • Brian Hedger of NHL.com asked Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who could be a potential unrestricted free agent next season, whether it is easy to keep the business and hockey sides separate. His answer: “Yeah, well, we’ll see. I’m a human too. I’ve developed some skills, some mental skills, some technical skills, so I’m a human … it is what it is.” The 29-year-old Bobrovsky is believed to be asking for a contract equal or surpassing the eight-year, $84MM deal that Montreal handed to Carey Price last offseason. Negotiations haven’t gotten very far.
  • Despite an impressive preseason, veteran AHL’er Corban Knight will not make the Philadelphia Flyers’ opening day roster after all after the team announced that Knight will miss the next three weeks with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old forward has played in 291 AHL contests over his career, compared to just 29 NHL games and was one of the last players fighting for a roster spot before being injured.

Zack Smith, 17 Others Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by 5 Comments

A substantial group of players again went untouched on the waiver wire yesterday, as there remains just one claim so far this season. Today, a new set of names become briefly available on their way down to the AHL. According to The Athletic’s James Mirtle, these 18 players have been placed on waivers by their respective teams today, highlighted by Ottawa’s longest-tenured player:

F Anton Blidh (Boston)
F Colby Cave (Boston)
D Jake Chelios (Detroit)
F Hudson Fasching (Arizona)
F Byron Froese (Montreal)
D Cody Goloubef (Boston)
F Ryan Haggerty (Pittsburgh)
D Brett Lernout (Montreal)
F Nick Lappin (New Jersey)
F Michael McCarron (Montreal)
F Mark McNeill (Boston)
D Robbie Russo (Arizona)
G Harri Sateri (Detroit)
F Hunter Shinkaruk (Montreal)
F Zack Smith (Ottawa)
F Jordan Szwarz (Boston)
F Chris Terry (Detroit)
D Rinat Valiev (Montreal)

Obviously, Smith is the star of this group and easily the biggest name to hit the wire so far this year. The decision to placed the veteran forward, a career Senator entering his eleventh season, on waivers is a curious one. Admittedly, Smith did not play well last season; beyond only recording 19 points in 68 games, he logged a brutal -32 rating, saw a drop-off in face-off success, and struggled in many possession metrics. Nevertheless, he remained a favorite of head coach Guy Boucher and saw a career high in ice time. After losing the likes of Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman this summer, Smith – while not the strongest player – was one of the few loyal locker room leaders left in Ottawa. There has already been a negative response, as Matt Duchene called the move “a kick in the balls” for the locker room, according to TSN’s Brent Wallace. For some reason, the team has decided to move on, one way or another. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Senators have been shopping Smith for some time and had trade interest, but were not able to come to an agreement with any of the teams not included on Smith’s limited list per his modified No-Trade Clause. Now, they will either lose him for nothing in return or have the ability to bury him in the minors if he clears. Such a demotion would clear $1.025MM in cap space of his $3.25MM salary. It is important to note when considering any potential claims, that Smith is signed for three more years, making his inclusion on waivers even more surprising.

The group of Canadiens could also offer some appeal, particularly the 23-year-old power forward McCarron. Although the 2013 first-round pick has not lived up to expectations yet, he has the one thing you can’t teach and that is size. At 6’6″, 230-lbs., McCarron has the frame to do some damage at his spot on the right wing if put in the right system with the right line mates. It hasn’t happened yet in Montreal, but some other team may be willing to take a shot. Veteran grinder Froese, who played in 48 games with the Habs last year, could also get a passing glance, while trade recent Montreal trade acquisitions Shinkaruk and Valiev are somewhat intriguing albeit not likely to be claimed.

Team in search of young, affordable fourth line help could look at the Bruins’ Blidh and Cave, although such a move is unlikely. The same goes for Haggerty, whose placement on waivers comes as surprise, given that no contract has of yet been announced with Pittsburgh for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin.

Prospect Notes: 2019 Draft, Tkachuk, Formenton

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The 2019 NHL Draft Lottery is already shaping up to be a franchise-changing event, given the consensus building over Jack Hughes as the best overall player available. Bob McKenzie of TSN released his Pre-Season Draft Rankings, and noted that ten out of ten scouts he polled have Hughes in the top spot. That’s a kind of dominance reserved the last few seasons for players like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Rasmus Dahlin, and should indicate a tremendous future for the young center.

Hughes is an outstanding talent, but remember that all fifteen teams that miss the playoffs will have a chance to win the lottery and select first overall. While those teams who finish at the bottom—or those who own another team’s pick—have the best chance, Hughes could find himself in any number of cities when training camp begins next year.

  • The Ottawa Senators may have risked a shot at Hughes by hanging onto their 2018 fourth-overall draft pick, but they’re quite happy with the progress Brady Tkachuk has already shown. Tkachuk seems poised for an immediate role with the Senators, and Luke Fox of Sportsnet dives into what makes the young forward tick. Head coach Guy Boucher admits that Tkachuk has been impressive through the first part of training camp, but wouldn’t go so far as to guarantee his spot on the opening night roster. If the Senators are to be competitive this season they may just need a spark from young players like Tkachuk to turn things around.
  • Speaking of Ottawa prospects, Alex Formenton has also drawn the eye of his head coach in recent days. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Boucher compared Formenton’s speed to that of superstar Connor McDavid today as the Senators prepare for their first exhibition game. The 19-year old speedster played one game for Ottawa last season and two games for Belleville at the end of the year, but would be heading back to the London Knights of the OHL if he fails to crack the Senators roster this fall. Already armed with some NHL-level attributes, Formenton would likely be a leader on the Canadian World Junior squad if allowed to attend the tournament in a few months.

Atlantic Notes: Krug, Zaitsev, Formenton

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Throughout the offseason, there have been lots of rumors surrounding the Boston Bruins, including many names that had been bandied about, including their top defenseman Torey Krug, whose name came up on several occasions while Boston was looking for a top-six winger. It wasn’t that they wanted to get rid of him, but logically, Krug would have made the most sense to move with the emergence of Charlie McAvoy. The crowded defense probably could survive without him and with his cap hit of $5.25MM AAV, the team could use the cap relief. Not to mention the fact that he’s posted 110 points over the course of the last two seasons.

In the end, the team never moved Krug or even came that close to moving him. Regardless, Krug laughed off the trade rumors, according to Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports.

“I don’t really see anybody doing my job here. I just have to make sure I show up every day and do the job the best that I can,” said Krug, who remained behind in Boston while rehabbing a fractured ankle as the bulk of the team trains in China. “You can’t really worry about too many things that people are saying. You go back to that famous line that it’s the nature of the business. So I’m still here and ready to do my job.”

  • Kristen Shilton of TSN writes that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Nikita Zaitsev took it hard last season when he struggled after returning from injury last season. The 26-year-old was coming off an impressive rookie season in which he four goals and 36 points, but after breaking his foot, while blocking a shot on Dec. 15, his season took a turn for the worse. He came back after missing 17 games, but never was the same. “[You’re] not confident in yourself,” Zaitsev said on Saturday, reflecting on his return during Toronto’s training camp session at Gale Centre Arena. “Missing six weeks, it was [really hard]. It’s not an excuse, though. I started the season really good and I was confident in every minute what I did on the ice. After [getting hurt] I just couldn’t keep myself on the same level.” He hopes that now, finally healthy, he should be able to bounce back next season.
  • The Ottawa Senators might be heading for a full-blown rebuild, but that’s just fine for 19-year-old Alex Formenton, who has impressed the coaching staff after a couple days of training camp, according to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. The 2017 second-rounder made the team as an 18-year-old out of training camp last season, but was sent back after playing just two games before being sent back to his junior team. However, it’s his speed that has really impressed the staff this year as he has been already teamed with Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel in practice. “He makes a few guys look like cones out there,” Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher said of Formenton, who scored during Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage. “It’s not the guys’ fault. It’s just that he’s so impressive. If you give this guy a bit of room and you didn’t gap up well, goodbye. A few of our older guys are finding that out.”

Poll: Who Will Be The First Coach Fired In 2018-19?

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Not a single NHL head coach was fired during the 2017-18 season, though several changes have been made since. Barry Trotz and Bill Peters resigned their positions in Washington and Carolina, and were each hired to replace the outgoing bench bosses in New York and Calgary. Those two were Doug Weight and Glen Gulutzan, who both failed to get their teams to the playoffs in year two of their coaching history (Weight replaced Jack Capuano partway through the 2016-17 season). Assistant coaches moved up the ladder in Washington and Carolina, while the NCAA ranks were mined for new openings for the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. Jim Montgomery and David Quinn took over for Ken Hitchcock and Alain Vingeault respectively, bringing new ideas and fresh faces to the NHL coaching circuit.

It’s not new for coaches to be fired in the offseason, but seeing no one sent packing during the year is a very rare occurrence. It was the first time it had happened since 1966-67, meaning the likelihood of it happening again in 2018-19 seems very low. So then, who will be the first to feel the seat burning underneath him? The last time we asked a question like this the readers correctly guessed that Vingeault was on his way out, but also listed Claude Julien in Montreal, Jeff Blashill in Detroit and Rick Tocchet in Arizona as possibilities.

Who will be the first coach fired in 2018-19? Will it happen at all? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain why in the comment section.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Entire Ottawa Senators Coaching Staff Will Return

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Though there had been some speculation that Guy Boucher would potentially be let go from the Ottawa Senators, GM Pierre Dorion confirmed on TSN 1200 that the entire coaching staff would be back for the 2018-19 season.

Boucher and the Senators fell from the Eastern Conference finals in 2017 to one of the worst teams in the league this season, finishing 30th overall with a 28-43-11 record. They struggled in basically every aspect of the game, and even dropped out of the top three spots in the recent draft lottery. Those struggles came despite trading several future assets for Matt Duchene, including a first-round pick for next season (or this one, if they decide to give up the 4th overall selection).

It also comes during a time when there is a decision to be made over superstar and captain Erik Karlsson’s future, and whether or not the team can afford a huge extension going forward. Though Boucher normally runs a very defensive system, he has freed up Karlsson at times to play his offensive game.

Still, this might be the last chance for Boucher and his coaching staff. If they fail to produce a winner again this season there seems little doubt that they would be the first out the door, especially if the team holds on to Karlsson but can’t get an extension worked out this summer. Letting him walk in free agency in a losing season is unacceptable, meaning Boucher will have quite the hot seat in 2018-19.

Snapshots: Boucher, Ferguson Jr., Lindholm

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Senators head coach Guy Boucher is set to meet with GM Pierre Dorion and assistant GM Randy Lee on Monday, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  This is a follow-up to an exit meeting where management challenged Boucher to come up with some new ideas following a season that saw Ottawa finish 30th overall.

Speaking at the Draft Lottery on Saturday night, Dorion acknowledged to Garrioch that following the meeting, they will go through Boucher’s plan and make a decision over the coming weeks to determine whether or not he will remain as the Senators’ bench boss for next season.  Boucher has one year remaining on his contract after being hired back in May of 2016.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While there hasn’t been much talk lately regarding Carolina’s vacant GM post, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes have a shortlist of four candidates for the position and Bruins executive John Ferguson Jr. is on that list. The former Toronto GM has been with Boston for the last two years and also spent time in San Jose but last worked as a general manager back in 2007-08.  With their victory in the Draft Lottery, it will be interesting to see if that position becomes more attractive to candidates in the weeks to come.
  • The Canucks were linked to Swedish free agent center Par Lindholm earlier this week but at the Draft Lottery, GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) that while they did scout him, they will not be the team to sign him. The 26-year-old ranked fourth in the SHL in scoring this past season with 47 points (18-29-47) in 49 games and also suited up for Sweden in the Olympics.

Atlantic Notes: Bergevin & Canadiens, Boucher, Okposo

at CDT | by 4 Comments

While the Montreal Canadiens season didn’t go as planned, the team must now figure out what went wrong as general manager Marc Bergevin attempts to right the ship after a disappointing season. To that point, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette hands out grades for the Montreal Canadiens disappointing season. As can be expected there were more D’s and F’s than top marks, starting with the performance of Bergevin, who received an F for multiple questionable moves, including his “first come, first served” contract offers to winger Alexander Radulov and long-time Canadien Andrei Markov, in which both opted to leave and the team failed to find replacements for either.

The scribe was quick to throw a D towards most of the team’s star players, including goaltender Carey Price, whose eight-year, $84MM extension begins next season. While the team’s defense wasn’t there to support him, he’s supposed to be the team’s best player and he wasn’t even close after putting up a 3.11 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 49 games. Bad grades followed to Alex Galchenyuk, Jonathan Drouin, Jordie Benn, Max Pacioretty and the scouting department for thinking that Karl Alzner was worth a five year, 23MM contract in the offseason.

  • Ottawa Senators’ Guy Boucher’s status as coach has not been decided yet as general manager Pierre Dorion is focused on scouting before evaluating the coaching staff. However, if the head coach loses his job, much of that might have to do with the team’s practice schedule or lack thereof, according to Chris Stevenson of The Athletic (subscription required). After Dorion was critical of Boucher’s option to often rest his players, rather than practice, the scribe looked into some of the reasons why the coach opted to rest his players, pointing to special events like the trip to Sweden, the outdoor game and multiple team functions as well as the Senators were tied for the most back-to-back games this year with 19. Add in a 17-day span in which they did not play at home in December and the team had a exhausting schedule. However, the lack of practices didn’t help a squad who truly struggled this year under the head coach.
  • Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that despite Buffalo Sabres’ Kyle Okposo’s poor season, the one positive is that a year ago, he had just been released from the neuro-intensive care unit and wasn’t even sure if he would play hockey again. With little time to train last summer, Okposo put up just 15 goals this season, his lowest since the strike shortened 2012-13 season. With five years remaining on his seven-year, $42MM deal he signed two years ago, the 29-year-0ld believes that he will get himself into elite shape this summer as he is finally healthy and ready to show the Sabres that the deal wasn’t a mistake.

Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Boucher, Ristolainen, Zetterberg, Bertuzzi

at CDT | by 5 Comments

There is just one game remaining on the NHL regular season schedule and the league schedulers picked a good one as the Boston Bruins will host the Florida Panthers today in the lone game. While many people thought the game would have significant meaning for the Panthers (Philadelphia’s victory Saturday officially eliminated Florida from the playoffs), it instead has an effect on Boston.

If the Bruins win, they will jump over the Tampa Bay Lightning as the top seed of the Eastern Conference and get home ice advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs. A win of any kind would give them a matchup with the New Jersey Devils. A loss will pit the Bruins against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team they have struggled with this year. The only known matchup in the Eastern Conference are the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“Let’s face it, we were trying to find our own game and get to where we thought we were at the start of the year, which was definitely a playoff team,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy via NBC Sports Joe Haggerty. “We just didn’t know where we would fit, and the way Tampa got out of the gate, and Toronto for that matter, it was going to be an uphill battle. But here we are. We’re in a position to take it, and that’s a credit to the guys. We’ve worked hard to get here. This wasn’t by accident. We didn’t back in.”

  • The Ottawa Senators, who ended up finishing in 30th place this season, must make a decision on their coaching situation. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Guy Boucher is in a strange situation as he did everything right a year ago at this time and has done little right since. The team’s defense and special teams were atrocious this year and need to get fixed. The question is, will it be Boucher or another coach? Garrioch says that even if Boucher survives, expect changes to the staff as last year is considered unacceptable.
  • Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that the Buffalo Sabres need to make sweeping changes to avoid another dismal season next year, but unfortunately, the team has a lot of contracts with term which will be hard to move, so the team will need to be creative in trades. The defense has six players already under contract and few top-four players, citing that Rasmus Ristolainen is considered their No. 1 defenseman and he is no where even close to that. He will have four more years on his contract at $5.4MM AAV and has shown little improvement and isn’t the leader they hoped he would be.
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg must decide whether he wants to keep playing. The 38-year-old still has three years left of the 12-year contract he signed in 2009 at $6.083MM AAV, but back then it was assumed players wouldn’t play the entire contract out. He’s logged over 1,000 and if he chooses to retire, the Red Wings would save $6MM in cap space if the team is able to place him on long-term injured reserve. St. James adds, however, that the veteran might want to come back for one more year as he is just 42 points away from reaching 1,000 points.
  • St. James also tweets that the Red Wings have decided not to send forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL for their playoff run. They believe Bertuzzi has done enough at the AHL level and want him to hit the gym and get stronger with a full offseason of workouts.

GM Notes: Holland, Dorion, Bergevin

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings were officially eliminated from postseason contention recently, but the majority of their fans had already given up on this season some time ago. Even before it started, the Red Wings looked to be in a tough spot as they transition from the old guard to the first steps of a rebuild. They’ve done well to add draft picks over the last two years, but one question still remained. Who would be leading them down these uncharted waters, and towards the next successful Red Wings team?

Many fans have expressed a desire for change at the top, and GM Ken Holland’s contract is up at the end of the season. Whether that means there will be a new voice steering the ship is still unclear, but Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) provides a wealth of insight into how the organization and other executives around the league see the situation. Answers range from an expected extension to a trip to Seattle for the long-time Detroit GM, but it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out where he’ll be next year.

  • Pierre Dorion, another GM on the edge of a potential rebuild and a fan mutiny, provided some answers on his plans for the Ottawa Senators offseason to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Dorion confirmed that on July 1st they will indeed offer an extension to Erik Karlsson, though he didn’t give any indication what that offer may look like. He also admitted that the front office will evaluate the coaching staff, including Guy Boucher, after the season and decide what the future will look like behind the bench. The Senators had an extremely disappointing season after coming just a goal shy of the Stanley Cup finals in 2017, and have faced several media firestorms over comments by everyone from Kyle Turris to owner Eugene Melnyk.
  • In his latest 31 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman mentions that Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin received a vote of confidence from ownership for the second time this season. If that means Bergevin is sticking around to fix what went wrong this season, the response in Montreal will likely be very divided. There are many fans who believe the organization should go in a different direction with their front office, but if Bergevin does indeed remain this summer could be quite interesting. Never one to shy away from a big trade, the Canadiens have to do something to take advantage of the best years of Carey Price and Shea Weber, and are still starved for the first-line center they’ve been looking for for years. Friedman mentions that Martin Lapointe, currently the Director of Player Development, could assume a larger role going forward.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top