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Penguins Notes: Prospects, Injuries, Rebuild

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Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas had an eventful locker-room cleanout, sharing plenty of news, updates, and plans with the media following the end of the season. Most exciting of the bunch was Dubas’ support of the team’s young prospects, sharing that he expects forwards Brayden Yager, Vasili Ponomarev, and Sam Poulin; defenseman Owen Pickering; and goaltender Joel Blomqvist to each compete for NHL roles next season, shares Rob Rossi of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Penguins fans will hope that their GM is right as he alludes to young talents holding onto lineup roles. Pittsburgh carried the oldest roster in the NHL this season, with an average age of 29.78 per EliteProspects.

They’ll certainly get plenty of talent in the names Dubas mentioned. Both Yager and Pickering spent the season in the WHL. Yager had a career year, scoring 35 goals and 95 points and adding five points in five World Juniors games. Pickering also recorded career-high scoring – though not with as much of a jump as Yager – netting 46 points in 59 games to top his 45-point season last year. Meanwhile, Blomqvist served as the starter for the Wilkes-Barre/Scanton Penguins, recording a dazzling .921 save percentage in 44 games.

Other notes from Pittsburgh’s cleanout:

  • Dubas also shared that legacy defenseman Kris Letang will be getting a second opinion on if he needs surgery this summer to address an undisclosed injury, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review. Rorabaugh also mentioned that Matthew Nieto suffered another injury following his surgery in January, and will seek a second opinion on if surgery or rehab is the next step. Emil Bemstrom is also hurt, finishing the season with a concussion. Nothing was made about these injuries being alarming, though Penguins fans will want to keep a close eye on Letang’s recovery. The future Hall-of-Famer appeared in all 82 games this season, but reportedly played through injury down the stretch.
  • Dubas hinted at an interesting approach in his press conference, saying that the Penguins wanted to approach their rebuild similar to how the Los Angeles Kings have approached theirs, per The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (Twitter link). The Kings have managed a fairly quick rebuild – if this year’s postseason berth signifies success – while maintaining key veterans like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Penguins will approach things similarly, looking to build around their long-time core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Letang. The Kings were aggressive in the open market, acquiring Phillip Danault, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kevin Fiala, and Vladislav Gavrikov. One has to think Michael Bunting and Erik Karlsson represent two of these impactful additions, though Pittsburgh will need to continue addding if they want to claw back into the postseason.

Avalanche Sign Sean Behrens To Entry-Level Contract

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed University of Denver defenseman Sean Behrens to his entry-level contract (Twitter link). It’s a three-year deal, set to begin in the 2024-25 season. Behrens will finish this season on an amateur try-out with the Colorado Eagles, who play their final two regular-season games this weekend.

Behrens is coming off a National Championship win with the University of Denver, where he’s spent the last three seasons. He’s earned a prominent role with the Pioneers, ranking third on the team’s blue line in scoring this season with 31 points in 44 games and rotating into top-pair minutes. The performance brought Behrens’ collegiate totals up to 81 points in 112 games – making him Denver’s third-highest scoring defender since 2016, behind Ian Mitchell and Mike Benning.

Colorado drafted Behrens in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, following an impressive, yet contentious, couple of seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Behrens served an incredibly important role with the NTDP, operating on his off-hand next to Luke Hughes for much of his U18 season. And while he performed well, some scouts remained bearish given his small stature.

Behrens has directly addressed those concerns in college, putting on mass and adding a substantial amount of grit, strength, and defensive awareness to his game. Those improvements are maybe best quantified by his team-leading 70 blocked shots this season. He’s become a defender that can make an big play in all three zones – whether it be through nifty dangling, an impressive pass, or a big hit. Behrens will certainly face plenty of challenges as he looks to maintain that physicality into the pro scene, but he could find a fast track to success in an Avalanche system that’s brought up similarly undersized talents in Samuel Girard and Tyson Barrie.

Front Office Notes: Bannister, Dubas, Hynes

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The St. Louis Blues have come to a list of finalists for their vacant head coach position, and Drew Bannister is reportedly among the bunch, shares Chris Pinkert of NHL.com. Bannister is St. Louis’ most recent coach, getting promoted from the AHL following Craig Berube’s dismissal in December.

It was the first NHL gig of Bannister’s coaching career and he made good work with it, leading the Blues to a surging 30-19-5 record. He brought the best out of the team’s special teams – improving the power-play from 8.4% to 23.2%, and the penalty-kill from 78.5% to 79.4%. But the push wasn’t enough to get St. Louis over a sub-.500 start to the year, with the team ultimately falling six points outside of a playoff spot.

Bannister previously served as the head coach for the Springfield Thunderbirds, St. Louis’ AHL affiliate. He found plenty of success in the minors, leading the Thunderbirds to two playoff appearances and even making the 2022 Calder Cup Final. That track record, and his early NHL success, could be enough to land Bannister an assistant coaching job on the Blues bench, even if he does miss out on the head role.

St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong shared with the media that the team will have a coach before June’s NHL Draft and that their list of candidates has been whittled to a, “very, very small number”. It will be just a little longer before a decision, though, with Armstrong adding that the team is still waiting on some candidates to finish their season.

Other notes from NHL management:

  • Kyle Dubas has been named an associate general manager for Team Canada’s World Championship roster (Twitter link). It will be the first time that Dubas has worked with Team Canada in his six-year career as an NHL GM. The decision was made by Team Canada’s general manager, Rick Nash, with input from Scott Salmond, Doug Armstrong, and Ryan Getzlaf. It’s an exciting announcement that, among many things, could show Canada’s focus on advanced statistics, as they bring in one of the most analytic-savvy GMs in the NHL.
  • Team USA general manager Bill Guerin has named John Hynes as the head coach for the World Championship (Twitter link). It’s Guerin’s second time recruiting Hynes this season, having also hired him into the head coaching role for the Minnesota Wild after the team fired Dean Evason. The duo will look to maintain their momentum with Team USA, after the Wild ranked as a top-15 team in record, goals-for, and goals-against under Hynes’ reign.

Penguins Place Ryan Shea On Waivers, Assign Three

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April 19: Shea has cleared waivers and can head to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per CapFriendly.

April 18: The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman Ryan Shea on waivers (Twitter link). It’s his second time on waivers this season, after passing through unclaimed in December. The Penguins also assigned Valtteri Puustinen, Radim Zohorna, and Jack St. Ivany to the minor leagues (Twitter link).

Shea has served as one of many rotating through Pittsburgh’s seventh defenseman role, ultimately slotting into 31 games. He recorded just one point – an April 4th goal – in those appearances this season, though he did manage six points in 22 AHL games.

Shea made his NHL debut earlier this year, joining the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent last summer. It was the first move of Shea’s young career, after spending his first three pro seasons with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Shea was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks but went on to sign with the Dallas Stars after going unsigned by the Blackhawks. He managed 66 points in 163 games with the Texas Stars.

These assignments come after the Penguins’ 2023-24 season ended with no playoff berth. Shea will, if he clears waivers, join the trio of assignees as reinforcements to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are bound for a strong playoff spot of their own, currently ranked third in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

Longtime Devils Scout Glen Dirk Passes Away At Age 85

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Legendary New Jersey Devils scout Glen Dirk has passed away at age 85 (Web link). Dirk dedicated much of his life to scouting, serving over 40 years in scout roles between the WHL and NHL. He’s most well known for being the scout to recommend Scott Niedermayer to the New Jersey Devils ahead of their third-overall selection of him in 1991. That recommendation earned Dirk a role with the Devils three years later, and he’s served with the team ever since – even filling out an amateur scouting role this season.

Success followed Dirk wherever he went. He played a key role in building a Kamloops Blazers squad that would win both the 1992 and 1994 Memorial Cup. His championship-winning traditions quickly transferred to the NHL, with Dirk’s first season with the Devils being their 1995 Stanley Cup-winning season. He’d go on to play a role in the 2000 and 2003 Cup wins, as well as the 2001 and 2012 runner-up seasons.

Dirk was attributed with much more than just the Nidermayer find, serving as an advocate for Scott Gomez in 1998 and recruiting Travis Zajac during his BCHL years. In fact, it was Dirk’s guidance that allowed the Devils to so confidently draft out of Western Canada in the early-2000’s. Those decisions would ultimately land them Gomez, Zajac, Deryk Engelland, and plenty more impactful NHL talent.

Dirk was a native of Loon Lake, Saskatchewan, and became an icon of hockey in Western Canada. He served a total of 29 seasons with the Devils, in addition to roles with the Washington Capitals, Kamloops Blazers, the Regina Pats, and the Spokane Chiefs. He is survived in legacy by the many scouts he mentored, and in kin by his two daughters and their families. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to the Dirk family and the New Jersey Devils fanbase.

Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen Undergoes Triceps Surgery

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has undergone surgery to repair a ruptured triceps tendon. He’s expected to have a three-month recovery period and be fully ready for the start of 2024 training camp (Twitter link). Ristolainen has been out since February 10th with the injury, moving to injured reserve on February 26th.

Ristolainen appeared in just 31 games this season, recording one goal, four points, and eight penalty minutes. This season marked the fewest games and tied for the fewest points, of his NHL career, rivaling his rookie season when he totaled four points in 34 games. It’s an unfortunate step backwards after Ristolainen scored 20 points in 74 games last season, his highest point totals since the 2019-20 season.

Ristolainen’s injury opened a lineup spot that Philadelphia never found a perfect fill-in for. They cycled between a list of defenders as the end of the season approached, awarding Ronald Attard, Louis Belpedio, Adam Ginning, and Emil Andrae NHL ice time in their search. It was ultimately Attard and Belpedio that received the most action, each appearing in 12 games. Belpedio managed four points, split evenly, while Attard recorded two assists.

The Flyers now get an early relief from that lineup decision, missing out on the playoffs after a disappointing 4-9-3 end to their season. Ristolainen’s $5.1MM cap hit will earn him an NHL role next season, though Attard and Belpedio could add extended pressure to his bottom-of-the-lineup role.

Sale Of Arizona Coyotes Formally Approved By Board Of Governors

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The sale of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah has been formally approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link). The vote received unanimous support from the board, shares The Athletic’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). The NHL has promptly released their first statement on this transition (Web link).

This news brings a quiet end to the long-running saga surrounding the Coyotes search for a home in Arizona. The team has been pushing to build a new arena since their lease ended at Gila River Arena at the end of the 2021-22 season. They searched through many options, ultimately settling on building and sharing a small, 5,000-seat arena with Arizona State University’s hockey teams. The Coyotes played their first game at Mullett Arena in front of a sold-out crowd on October 28, 2022. They’ve since maxed out their attendance in nearly every game since, though the devotion from the fans wasn’t enough to will the team to a new rink. The ownership group, led by Alex Meruelo, ultimately couldn’t find a new parcel of land to build a full-size rink before their timer ran out. After a lot of back-and-forth between the Coyotes ownership and the NHL, it was ultimately decided that the Coyotes will relocate to Salt Lake City for the 2024-25 season.

The decision to relocate has come with a lot of contingencies for Meruelo and the Coyotes brand. Most notably, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski shares that a return to Arizona wouldn’t require approval from the Board of Governors (Twitter link). Meruelo could instead get his team back quickly by building a full-size arena, with NHL Deputy Commissioner telling Wyshynski, “[Meruelo] has already been approved as an NHL owner.” The Coyotes will continue forward as an “inactive” franchise while Meruelo continues searching for a new home.

The disbandment of the Coyotes has been devastating to fans that have supported the impossible – hockey in the desert – for the past 28 years. Arizona only once averaged below 12,000 attendees prior to their move to Mullett – and it wasn’t by much, averaging 11,989 attendees in the 2009-10 season. But they rebounded well, even averaging 14,606 fans throughout the 2019-20 season. The devotion of Coyotes fans was never once in doubt – a passion made clear by the community’s rallying to support the Coyotes’ last home game on Wednesday, April 17th. Watch parties across Arizona came together to witness one more Coyotes win – a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the same score as their first game as a franchise. The emotions of the evening were captured beautifully by a five-minute sign-off from broadcaster Todd Walsh, who’s covered the team since their 1996 move (Twitter link).

Jets Recall Brad Lambert, Three Others Ahead Of Season Finale

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It seems the Winnipeg Jets are preparing for a relaxing end to the season, recalling four minor leaguers ahead of their season-finale tonight against the Vancouver Canucks (Twitter link). The transaction includes AHL All-Star forward Brad Lambert, as well as forwards Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford, and goaltender Collin Delia.

Each player is expected to slot into the lineup, with a long list of Jets taking the night off per TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). Lu reports that Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and Brenden Dillon will all sit out on Thursday. Of note, Delia is expected to back-up Laurent Brossoit.

This means that top prospect Lambert is poised to make his NHL debut, lining up next to Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo at the team’s Thursday practice. Lambert has been a highly acclaimed prospect for much of his life, notably taking his talents overseas at a young age to grow up in a Finnish youth hockey program, rather than staying in Canada. The plan worked out for him, resulting in 99 games in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, before Lambert returned to the WHL, where he led the Seattle Thunderbirds to the 2023 Memorial Cup Finals. Winnipeg drafted him 30th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft – taking advantage of concerns about his consistency pushing him down the draft board. That’s something the Jets are certainly laughing about now, as Lambert managed a team-leading 20 goals and 54 points in 63 AHL games this season – his rookie AHL season.

This move will also provide Ford and Chibrikov with their NHL debuts. Both AHL rookies have lived up to their acclaim this season, with Ford potting 17 goals and 29 points in 70 games and Chibrikov recording 17 goals and 46 points in 69 games. Chibrikov, who the Jets selected in the 2021 second-round, is in his first season in North America, after growing up through the Russian hockey ranks. Meanwhile, Ford is an undrafted free agent who signed with the Jets last Spring after three years at Providence College.

Morning Notes: Cozens, NHL Awards, Gauthier

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Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens will play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championships. The 23-year-old last played for Team Canada two years ago at the World Championship and was second in team scoring with seven goals and six assists in 10 games.

Cozens had a disappointing run during his fourth NHL season as he and the Sabres missed the playoffs once again, extending the second-longest playoff drought in North American pro sports. The Whitehorse, Yukon native saw his point total decrease by 21 as he dropped to just 18 goals and 29 assists in 79 games this year after posting career highs during the 2022-23 season with 31 goals and 37 assists in 81 games. Despite his disappointing campaign, Cozens is still hoping to end the 2023-24 season on a high note with Canada. He cited the chase for a gold medal as his main reason for electing to extend his season and play in the tournament.

In other morning notes:

  • TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the NHL does plan to hold an NHL Awards ceremony in the coming months and is currently looking to secure a venue for the show. The league hasn’t finalized any of the details at this time and remains in talks with several locations. Currently, the NHL hopes to hold the show on June 27th in Las Vegas which would be the eve of the NHL Entry Draft.
  • Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier will make his NHL debut tonight in the Ducks season finale against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hobey Baker finalist signed his three-year entry-level contract earlier in the week and will make his debut in Las Vegas. Gauthier was acquired by the Ducks earlier this season in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick and figures to be a massive part of Anaheim’s forward group going forward.  No word yet on where he will play in the Ducks lineup.

2024 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

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Today, the NHL announced the 32 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Each team submitted their nominee; they are as follows:

Anaheim Ducks: Cam Fowler
Arizona Coyotes: Nick Bjugstad
Boston Bruins: Linus Ullmark
Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch
Calgary Flames: Andrew Mangiapane
Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin
Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy
Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar
Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski
Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger
Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin
Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse
Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala
Minnesota Wild: Marc-Andre Fleury
Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki
Nashville Predators: Roman Josi
New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes
New York Islanders: Anders Lee
New York Rangers: Jacob Trouba
Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia Flyers: Scott Laughton
Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust
San Jose Sharks: Luke Kunin
Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz
St. Louis Blues: Brayden Schenn
Tampa Bay Lightning: Nick Paul
Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews
Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes
Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey

Unlike most awards which are voted on by the players or media, the winner of this award is selected by a committee consisting of Commissioner Gary Bettman and former winners of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award, one that was awarded from 1997-98 through 2016-17.

Last year’s winner was Calgary’s Mikael Backlund.  The winner for this season will be revealed in late June.

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