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Vancouver Canucks Announce Hockey Ops Changes

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The Vancouver Canucks have announced several changes to the hockey operations department, as general manager Patrik Allvin continues to overhaul the front office. Ryan Johnson has been promoted to assistant to the general manager, but retains his status as GM of the Abbotsford Canucks. Scott Young will now be director of player personnel, while Frank Golden has joined as a college free agent scout.

The big addition that will grab headlines is Dale Tallon, who is joining the organization as a senior advisor and professional scout. Notably, he is returning to where it all began, as Tallon was the Canucks’ very first draft selection, second overall in 1970. The 71-year-old executive has several decades of experience in high-leverage front office roles, including most recently as general manager of the Florida Panthers.

Johnson, who continues to rise up the organizational depth chart, has been praised at length by Allvin and team president Jim Rutherford at every chance for his work with the AHL squad and other duties. A clear candidate to become an NHL general manager at some point in the future, he’ll take on this new role that works “closely with Allvin on all hockey-related matters.”

Young is coming over from the Penguins, where he worked with Allvin and Rutherford previously as the director of player development. He has extensive international experience, having played in three Olympics and coached in the past two for Team USA. Young also hoisted the Stanley Cup twice during his long playing career, which spanned more than 1,100 games at the NHL level.

The organization continues to expand and change the front office, as they look to turn the page on the last group and start a new chapter of Canucks success.

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Tallon, OHL, Crotty

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While scouting opportunities have been rather limited so far, preparations for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft must go on.  Accordingly, the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau released its Players to Watch list with 341 prospects listed in total.  A total of 31 players were ranked as ‘A’ (first round) grades with the rest checking in at ‘B’ (second or third round) or ‘C’ (fourth round and beyond).

While Alexis Lafreniere was the widely-anticipated top pick heading into last season, there isn’t a consensus number one choice just yet.  Defensemen Owen Power (Michigan, NCAA), Luke Hughes (US NDTP), and Brandt Clarke (Barrie, OHL) along with centers Aatu Raty (Karpat, SM-liiga) and Kent Johnson (Michigan, NCAA) plus winger Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, WHL) are all among those who figure to be within the top-10 with some contending for the top spot.

More from around the hockey world:

  • It appears that former Florida GM Dale Tallon may not be out of a job for long. Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the 70-year-old has emerged as a candidate to join the front office in Pittsburgh.  The Penguins made a move yesterday with the firing of Jason Karmanos and it’s possible that they could turn to Tallon to take his place, albeit likely in a role other than assistant GM.
  • The OHL is expected to announce their revised plans to start the 2020-21 season on Wednesday. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the league is now targeting a February 4th start date with training camps beginning on January 25th.  With the regular season needing to be extended well past its usual March finish date, Dreger also notes that a reduced playoff field of eight teams is expected to be announced as well.  This is a significant difference compared to the other major junior leagues as the QMJHL has already started their season (though most divisions have been shut down temporarily) and the WHL is targeting January 8th to get things underway.
  • Cameron Crotty’s professional career was supposed to begin in Arizona’s system but he’ll have a detour in Norway first instead. Sparta Sarpsborg of the Eliteserien announced that they’ve added the defenseman on a loan agreement although he has yet to make it over there so it will be a little while before he debuts.  The 21-year-old opted to turn pro with the Coyotes after spending three years at Boston University where Crotty had 10 goals and 17 over that span.

Bruins Executive John Ferguson Jr. Interviewed For Florida Panthers GM

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With the 2020 NHL Draft scheduled for just over a month from now on October 9-10 and an abbreviated (read: frenzied) off-season beginning soon after, the Florida Panthers are still without anyone at the helm. The club fired general manager Dale Tallon back on August 10 after a decade on the job. At the time, the club stated that a search for his replacement had already begun. Yet, it has been all quiet out of Sunrise in the weeks since.

With the clock ticking, there has finally been some development in the story. On Monday, it was reported that at least three people had interviewed for the GM vacancy: St. Louis Blues Assistant GM Bill Armstrong, Montreal Canadiens scout Sean Burke, and NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes. There have been other names associated with the opening as well, but no one else had been confirmed to have been interviewed.

Now you can add one more name to the list. New England hockey insider Mark Divver reports that Boston Bruins Executive Director of Player Personnel John Ferguson Jr. has interviewed for the position.  An executive for the Bruins since 2016, including serving as the GM of the AHL’s Providence Bruins, Ferguson is probably best remembered as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2003-2008. Among many moves, Ferguson was responsible for drafting and trading Tuukka Rask, acquiring veteran Hall of Famers Ron Francis and Brian Leetch, and signing core defensemen Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe to long-term extensions.

While the Bruins likely wouldn’t be thrilled with a top executive heading to a division rival, Ferguson would be a great hire for the Panthers if they choose to go in that direction. Since Ferguson’s hire, the Bruins have been one of the league’s most elite, with the third-most regular season wins and second-most postseason wins over his four seasons. Florida has one playoff win and the 21st most regular season wins in that time span. The Panthers also have not won a playoff series since 1996, the worst drought in the NHL. The second-worst drought? The Maple Leafs, who have not taken a series since Ferguson left the organization. Ferguson has experience and has contributed to several winning NHL clubs, making him a good fit for a Panthers team in need of a turnaround and some prolonged success.

Florida Panthers Part Ways With GM Dale Tallon

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Aug 10: The Panthers have officially parted ways with Tallon, announcing that a search for their next GM has begun. In a short statement, owner Vinnie Viola explained what Tallon has meant for the club and why they were now moving on:

For the last decade, Dale raised the team’s profile, attracted key players to South Florida and brought character and class to our franchise. When we purchased the Panthers in 2013, we did so with a singular goal–to win a Stanley Cup. We have not seen our efforts come to fruition. We will now begin an organizational search for the next general manager.

Aug 7: The Florida Panthers were very unlikely to have made the playoffs this season under the standard format and few gave them a chance of an upset over the stout defense of the New York Islanders in the qualifying round. Yet, the organization is still not taking their elimination earlier today lightly. Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland reports that the hammer is set to drop on long-time executive Dale Tallon. The team is expected to move on from their GM shortly.

Tallon, hired as GM in Florida in 2010, had previously served in the same role with the Chicago Blackhawks and had a hand in the team’s Stanley Cup win the season prior to his departure. Tallon served as GM for the Panthers until 2016, when he was elevated to President of Hockey Operations. He then resumed GM duties as well in 2018. Having been around for a decade, Tallon’s influence can be found in every corner of the roster, even in long-time homegrown stars Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad, who were all drafted by Tallon.

However, Tallon’s mistakes have also made a lasting impression on the roster. This past off-season in particular, Tallon gambled with the Panthers’ salary cap space, spending big on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, forward Brett Connolly, and defenseman Anton Stralman. It is hard to argue that any of the three have lived up to expectations in yet another disappointing season for the franchise, which has not won a playoff series since 1996. Yet, they are all multi-year deals and will continue to impact the team for seasons still to come. With little cap space heading into this off-season, top scorers like Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov could prove difficult to re-sign and the club could take another step backward next season. Other lasting mistakes have included a botched Expansion Draft strategy that saw the team give away Reilly Smith in order to ensure Jonathan Marchessault was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, only to see both become reliable top-six forwards, not getting enough for forward Vincent Trocheck from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline this year, and simply flip-flopping on their organizational strategy too frequently.

In finding Tallon’s replacement, the Panthers need to find someone with a long-term outlook on the position and a concrete plan on how they will rebuild the club. Having made just three playoff appearances in the past ten years, Florida fans will likely be happy to miss the postseason for another year or two if it means sustained success down the road. That could start with some lottery luck in the form of the No. 1 overall pick and Alexis Lafreniere. Maximizing their four picks in the first three rounds one way or another will also be imperative for the new GM in his first draft. Finding a way to shed some dead weight salary and to add much-needed depth at all positions will also be key.

Not all of Tallon’s tenure in Florida has been bad – including the aforementioned homegrown standouts and a pair of division titles – but at the end of the day the Panthers have had no postseason success and they have their work cut out for them to change that any time soon. Tallon’s replacement will have plenty of work to do to undo some of the GM’s mistakes and to reverse the curse on the Florida franchise.

Grigori Denisenko Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Florida Panthers will be bringing over one of their top prospects, agreeing to terms with Grigori Denisenko on a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward spent the last two seasons in the KHL, playing for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. Panthers GM Dale Tallon released a short statement on the agreement:

Grigori is an exciting, dynamic and highly skilled young forward who has been a top player on the international stage and served as captain of Team Russia at the World Juniors. We are thrilled for his bright future with the Panthers for years to come.

There are few prospects with more upside than the 19-year old Denisenko, who recorded 12 points in 38 games this season in the KHL. The teenage forward led Russia in scoring at the World Juniors for the second consecutive year, captaining them to a silver medal in the process (they won bronze in his first go-round).

Along with his immense skill, is his willingness to engage physically when necessary, making him a well-rounded fit for several different roles at the next level. He’s not a power forward by any means—Denisenko stands just 5’11” 180-lbs—but he also isn’t just a perimeter player.

Selected 15th overall in 2018, you can bet the Panthers front office and coaching staff are excited to finally get their hands on Denisenko in order to start him on their own development program. He joins quite a talented group of prospect forwards, including other high-end talents like Owen Tippett and Henrik Borgstrom.

Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With John Ludvig

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The Florida Panthers have reached a deal with one of their 2019 draft picks, agreeing to terms with defenseman John Ludvig on a three-year entry-level contract. Ludvig plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL and just finished an incredible season as captain. Panthers GM Dale Tallon released a statement on his newest prospect:

John had an outstanding season for Portland in the Western Hockey League and was among the league’s top defensemen. He is a talented defenseman who possesses great compete, physicality and character. We are excited for John’s continued development and look forward to his future in the Panthers organization.

For a player who was picked in the third round, you can’t expect a much better post-draft season than the one Ludvig just completed. After scoring just 25 points in his first two WHL seasons combined, the 19-year old defenseman exploded offensively this year and finished third among all defensemen with 62 points. Add in the level of physicality that Ludvig showed in his own end and the leadership skills he possesses and it’s easy to see why the Winterhawks sat at a league-leading 45-11-7 record at the time of the WHL cancelation.

Ludvig actually went undrafted in his first year of eligibility, meaning he’ll turn 20 this summer and is eligible for the AHL next season. Whether he will be assigned to the minor leagues or return to the CHL isn’t clear, but you can bet that the front office will keep a close eye on him as a potential impact player for the Panthers.

Alec Rauhauser Signs With Florida Panthers

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Just moments after announcing they had signed Max Gildon, the Florida Panthers added another prospect. This time it’s Alec Rauhauser that has agreed to terms with the team on a one-year two-way contract. Unlike Gildon, who was a third-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft, Rauhauser went undrafted entirely and was an unrestricted free agent. He recently finished his senior season at Bowling Green University. where he served as captain. Panthers GM Dale Tallon explained why the team went after Rauhauser:

Over four seasons at Bowling Green, Alec has proven himself to be among the best at his position at the collegiate level. He is a skilled two-way defenseman who is a leader both on and off the ice. We are excited to have him join the Panthers organization.

Just like in Gildon’s case, the Florida depth chart likely looks appealing to a player like Rauhauser who is trying to finally make the jump to professional hockey. Though the 25-year old may not have quite the same upside, it’s hard to argue with another 6’3″ defenseman that scored 122 points in 159 college games. Rauhauser was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a senior, making the conference first or second All-Star team in each of his final three years at Bowling Green.

The Panthers were looking at ways of shaking up their defensive group all season, with various names hitting the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline. If the front office decides to make a change in the offseason, you can bet names like Gildon and Rauhauser will come in handy, whether logging NHL or AHL minutes.

Florida Panthers Looking To Add Veteran Defense

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The Florida Panthers dressed seven defensemen against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night—though the hat-tricking Mark Pysyk should probably start thinking of changing to the wing full-time after that performance—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still looking to add on the back end. Dale Tallon spoke to Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com and explained he’s looking for another defenseman for a very specific role:

I’d like to acquire a veteran D if I could to play with [Aaron] Ekblad and settle things down a bit back there. We need to be more consistent on the blue line.

Ekblad skated beside Mike Matheson for most of last night, who has become something of an enigma since signing his eight-year, $39MM contract in 2017. Once seen as a core piece that would eventually become a leader on the team, Matheson’s minutes have been drastically reduced this season. In fact, over his last five games the 25-year old has averaged just over 15 minutes a night, a far cry from the 22:19 he averaged last season.

If Matheson isn’t the answer next to Ekblad, it’s hard to imagine exactly who would be. Tallon’s search for a defenseman will be limited by the salary cap, given the team is already using long-term injured reserve space provided by Chris Driedger’s injury. Moving money out might be the only way to really upgrade on the back end, which certainly raises more questions.

The Panthers have three players on relatively expensive contracts that will become unrestricted free agents this summer in Pysyk ($2.73MM cap hit), Mike Hoffman ($5.19MM) and Evgenii Dadonov ($4.0MM), but each come with various levels of value to the club. The fact that Tallon suggested a “steadying influence” at forward might also be on the wish list only complicates things.

It would be hard to blame the Panthers for making a big splash though now that they find themselves in a playoff position. The franchise has almost no success since they entered the league in 1993, making the playoffs only five times in 25 seasons. They haven’t won a playoff round since their Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996, making this current opportunity seem like a dominant performance.

The Panthers are tied for third in the Atlantic Division with the Maple Leafs, but have two games in hand and an extra regulation win.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Florida Panthers Hire Roberto Luongo

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Retirement won’t last long for Roberto Luongo. The Florida Panthers have officially announced the hiring of Luongo as special advisor to the general manager, bringing him back into the organization. GM Dale Tallon explained how much the former goaltender means to the Panthers:

I’ve had the honor and privilege to work with Roberto during his time playing for the Panthers and am proud to welcome him to our franchise’s hockey operations staff. Roberto always approached every game with an unmatched work ethic and we are confident he will take to this new role with the same passion. A cornerstone player in our franchise’s history, we are thrilled that ’Lu’ will have a hand in shaping our franchise’s future.

Luongo retired from the NHL this offseason after a long, long career. He played more games in net than any player in league history other than Martin Brodeur, and ranks third in wins only behind Brodeur and Patrick Roy. Regarded as one of the league’s best netminders for nearly that entire period, he nevertheless only got to play in 70 total playoff games, reaching the Stanley Cup Final just once when he was with the Vancouver Canucks.

In March, the Panthers are set to retire Luongo’s sweater number.

Poll: Which GM Will Be Fired Next?

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Despite missing the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Vancouver Canucks decided to extend GM Jim Benning today. The reasons for that are complicated—and obviously do not hinge entirely on his postseason record—just as they were when the Minnesota Wild made the decision to fire Paul Fenton just 14 months into his tenure with the team. The inner workings of an NHL front office are almost never made public (unless there is an intrepid reporter like Michael Russo of The Athletic who gets the incredible story), and it is hard to see why some decisions are made.

Still, even the most casual fan can see the seat of specific executives and coaches heating up. When the Edmonton Oilers decided to move on from Peter Chiarelli during another disappointing season, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. On the other hand, it was easy to see why the Carolina Hurricanes recently locked up Don Waddell after he interviewed for another job.

Looking around the league, who is next? Which GM will be let go, either this year or next summer?

It might be easy to look at the teams that have struggled recently, but many of them have replaced their top hockey operations executive over the last few seasons. The Oilers brought in Ken Holland to change the culture in Edmonton, while Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings to bring a new voice to a stagnant team. Florida has gone through quite a bit of turmoil in the front office since their ownership changed but Dale Tallon now seems to be entrenched as a veteran leader.

There are others though that may not be so lucky. The Ottawa Senators are heading in a new direction after shedding their previous core, but if the young talent doesn’t develop as hoped Pierre Dorion could be held responsible. John Chayka was the youngest GM in history when he took over the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, but they still haven’t made the playoffs under his watch and now have new ownership of their own. Jason Botterill was expected to have success in Buffalo after finding so much of it in Pittsburgh, but the Sabres haven’t been able to build a full roster around Jack Eichel despite some outstanding individual players.

Nothing is certain when it comes to front offices however. Cast your vote below and explain just why you think they’ll be the first to go!

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*We’ve used Kelly McCrimmon as the Vegas GM, though he won’t officially take that title from George McPhee until September

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