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Bob McKenzie

Edmonton Officially Hires Paul Coffey As Skills Development Coach

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Sunday: Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that the Edmonton Oilers have officially hired Coffey as their Skills Development Coach. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug adds that the hiring of Coffey is not meant to be a quick fix to save the Oilers season or fix their special teams play. Rather the hiring is more about the long-term development of young talent, particularly on defense.

Saturday: It looks like the Edmonton Oilers are looking into digging into the 1980’s well as TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Oilers are talking to Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey to return to the organization. While the details of the role that Coffey might play within the Oilers franchise is sketchy, McKenzie suggests the team could be looking to add him to head coach Todd McLellan’s staff.

McKenzie adds that once an agreement is in place, issues like what role he will play and the degree of Coffey’s involvement will be “a work in progress.” The 56-year-old Coffey finished his career having played in 1,409 games with 396 goals and 1,531 points. A three-time Norris Trophy winner, Coffey played seven years in Edmonton before moving on to play with several other teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins before retiring after the 2000-01 season.

He has little coaching experience as he only coached one year in the Ontario Junior Hockey League for the Pickering Panthers, a team he co-owns. However, many have suggested he might be valuable working with defensemen and could be a good fit in Edmonton with their defensive struggles.

Morning Notes: Trade Bait, Golden Knights, Hurricanes

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TSN’s Frank Seravalli released his updated “trade bait” board, and the name at the top once again is Buffalo’s Evander Kane. Kane was recently involved in a minor altercation at Sabres practice, and has a reported price tag of a first-round pick, prospect and conditional draft pick based on him re-signing with the acquiring team. Though Kane’s deal seems inevitable at this point, several other names on the list are interesting.

Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman appears fourth on the list, and fellow TSN insider Bob McKenzie believes a deal of the scoring forward is “more likely than not” at this point. Seravalli maintains that even though the Vegas Golden Knights are winning, James Neal remains a possible trade candidate, while Patrick Maroon seems like an easy rental piece after the Edmonton Oilers’ struggles this year.

  • The US Army has filed a notice of opposition against the Golden Knights trademark, according to Chris Creamer of Sportslogos.net. Creamer has been all over this story since the beginning, noting that both the Army and the College of Saint Rose who each use the Golden Knights name, had filed extensions when the first trademark opposition deadline came about. Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated gives us the Vegas hockey team’s response, in which they “strongly dispute” the idea that there is any confusion between the army parachute team and the NHL club.
  • The sale of a majority stake in the Carolina Hurricanes to new owner Thomas Dundon will close today according to Luke DeCock and Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Dundon will be purchasing just over 51% of the club, with an option to buy the rest after three years from now-minority owner Peter Karmanos. While it’s not clear how exactly the deal will impact the team on the ice, it should provide some extra stability to the executive level.

Toronto Maple Leafs May Avoid Defense Rentals

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of things going for them this season. Goaltender Frederik Andersen is in the midst of his best season in the NHL, with a .922 save percentage and leading the NHL in games played, shots faced, saves and minutes. The offense, led by the trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner has been effective, if a little inconsistent at times. Morgan Rielly has come into his own as a bonafide top pairing option, and Ron Hainsey has been more than they could have expected, turning in quality minutes at even strength and leading the league in short-handed ice time.

Beyond that top pairing though, there remains questions on whether or not the Maple Leafs blueline is good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup. Jake Gardiner has seemingly taken a step backwards this season, and Nikita Zaitsev is still out for some time with a foot injury. Many have speculated that the Maple Leafs would eventually enter the market for rental defensemen, linking them to players like Erik Gudbranson, Ian Cole and Mike Green among others.

Recently though, the Maple Leafs promoted young defensive prospect Travis Dermott and tonight he’ll move up in the lineup and skate alongside Gardiner on the team’s second pairing. That gives them another option going forward, and perhaps enough depth to sit tight as the trade deadline approaches. Bob McKenzie was asked about how Toronto feels about their defense corps today on TSN radio, and he reiterated something he’s been saying all season:

I said it before and I’ll say it again. There is a part of me that believes that the Leafs are relatively content, in the absence of something coming up that absolutely makes sense and is the perfect fit…

…I would be really surprised if the Leafs picked up a defenseman on an expiring contract–I guess they could–for future considerations. I think they’re probably in an ideal world looking at something longer term, and as I said those are difficult to come up with. Maybe, what you see is what you get.

Unless Dermott immediately makes an impact for the team, it’s likely that the Maple Leafs will continue to be questioned on their defensive ability. But at this point in the season they’re already 11 points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings for third place in the Atlantic, and appear destined for a playoff spot with little trouble. Whether they’ll be able to win once they get there is still unclear, but with the quick-strike offense and several blooming stars up front it would be an uneasy matchup for any team in the Eastern Conference.

Next Steps For Jaromir Jagr & The Calgary Flames

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Speculation over Jaromir Jagr’s future has been running rampant for the last few days, with thoughts that he may retire in the face of his latest injury and season-long struggles to fit into the Calgary Flames system. Bob McKenzie of TSN chimed in on Twitter, explaining that it has been long believed that the two sides have an “understanding” that if their marriage wasn’t working they’d mutually terminate the one-year deal Jagr signed at the beginning of October.

Jaromir JagrMcKenzie quickly points out that nothing is imminent for Jagr, but that it could become clear over the next few days one way or the other. An interesting consideration though, is the upcoming Olympic Games. If Jagr feels he can be healthy enough to contribute for the Czech squad, but isn’t fitting in well in Calgary, perhaps a termination to allow him to participate in his sixth Olympics would be a good solution for both sides.

Jagr has seven points this season for Calgary, and has received just over 13 minutes of ice time on average when he is in the lineup. That’s a huge drop-off for a player who has only once averaged fewer than 17 in a season, and still believes that he can contribute.

One thing to remember about any potential Olympic participation, is that the tournament ends just a day before the deadline to be on an NHL roster for the playoffs. That means Jagr could—and one must stress that this is all hypothetical—terminate his contract with the Flames, head to the Olympics, and then re-sign with an NHL team for another chance at a Stanley Cup. Either way, it’s a story to watch over the next few days and weeks as we get closer and closer to the Games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jonathan Marchessault Signs Six-Year Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights have locked up one of their key offensive contributors, announcing that Jonathan Marchessault has signed a six-year extension worth an average of $5MM per season. Marchessault is one of the best values in the league this season (and last), earning just $750K in the second of a two-year deal. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the year-by-year salary for the new extension:

  • 2018-19: $7.0MM
  • 2019-20: $6.0MM
  • 2020-21: $5.0MM
  • 2021-22: $5.0MM
  • 2022-23: $3.5MM
  • 2023-24: $3.5MM

The contract also contains a modified no-trade clause, per Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

Jonathan MarchessaultMarchessault came over from Florida at the expansion draft as the price paid for taking on Reilly Smith and his own long extension. Smith was about to start a five-year, $25MM deal that had been signed before Dale Tallon regained control of the Panthers, and was jettisoned to Vegas in exchange for allowing the Golden Knights to select Marchessault. It’s turned into one of the biggest parts of the Vegas success this season, as the pair rank first and third in team scoring on the second-best club in the NHL.

Amazingly, it’s not really a breakout for Marchessault this season. Last year, the diminutive forward was given a full-time role in Florida and ended up with 30 goals and 51 points. At his low price point, it was a complete shock when the Panthers allowed him to be selected, even if he was a pending unrestricted free agent.

The undrafted forward had to work hard and patiently wait for a chance to prove himself in the NHL, and will now be rewarded with a huge contract extension. The $5MM price tag, that buys out solely UFA years, is a relative steal if he keeps producing the way he has the last season and a half. Players like Mike Hoffman, Tyler Johnson, and Derick Brassard are on similar deals and are arguably less important to their respective clubs.

Marchessault also represents the first real big ticket long-term commitment by the Golden Knights. Smith and Brayden McNabb are the only other two players on the roster under contract past 2019-20, and McNabb’s extension is for only $2.5MM per season. Vegas was very conscious of taking mostly expiring contracts in the draft, that they could potentially sell off at the deadline. While the selling plan may have changed somewhat given their immediate success, they’re now poised to pick and choose the players they want as key contributors going forward.

Even with this extension, the Golden Knights will have close to $40MM in cap room next season when the ceiling climbs to somewhere between $78-82MM. We’ve discussed how they can use this cap space as a weapon in trade negotiations before, but now with the success they’ve found they could go a step further. Vegas could be a big player in free agency this summer, or save some room for the pending “Superclass” of UFAs in 2019.

The next name on their internal list is likely William Karlsson, their goal leader and pending RFA. Karlsson is earning just $1MM this season, and is another player deserved of a huge raise before next season. Just like Marchessault, Vegas has been good to him.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report that the contract was close.

Team Canada’s First Cuts Include Cody Glass

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweets that Vegas Golden Knights center Cody Glass has been cut from Canada’s World Junior team, along with Detroit Red Wings prospect Dennis Cholowski and Vancouver’s Kole Lind. Glass’ departure is somewhat of a surprise, if social media reactions are any indication. While they weren’t the only cuts today, they were two that certainly caught a lot of analysts off guard.

TSN projected Glass to be on the final roster back in August so the move is worthy of a double take. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler tweets that Glass and Lind are second and third respectively in scoring for the WHL. Though the talent is hardly lacking for Canada, cutting two prominent scorers will get some attention. In addition to the aforementioned players, forward Jonathan Ang, and defenseman Logan Stanley were both cut loose.

To recap:

Canada Cuts:

F Cody Glass (Vegas Golden Knights)
F Kole Lind (Vancouver Canucks)
F Jonathan Ang (Florida Panthers)
D Dennis Cholowski (Detroit Red Wings)
D Logan Stanley (Winnipeg Jets)
G Samuel Harvey (2018 Draft Eligible)

 

More Interest In Petr Mrazek; Detroit Could Retain Salary

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After hearing that there were at least some passing glances out of Edmonton for Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek, Craig Custance of The Athletic reports that there are still teams with “lukewarm” interest in pending RFA goaltender. Bob McKenzie of TSN adds that Detroit could be willing to retain salary in any Mrazek trade, in order to get the best deal.

Peter MrazekAs we discussed when hearing about the initial interest in Mrazek, his $4MM cap hit is an expensive add for any team, and essentially makes him an unrestricted free agent unless he shows something spectacular down the stretch. The $4.15MM qualifying offer that he’d need to remain under team control doesn’t look like it will be extended, regardless of which team he ends up on.

Custance has been told the likely price is either a third-round pick, or a second if the Red Wings were to retain a full 50% of Mrazek’s salary this season. That seems like a reasonable asset to spend on a goaltender that was once seen as an up-and-comer, but they’d need to see him “showcased” as Custance puts it. Mrazek has just an .888 save percentage this season, and hasn’t won a game for the Red Wings in more than a month.

Still, as we discussed in the linked article above, the goaltending market isn’t overflowing with talent at the moment and Mrazek still does have that intriguing past. In 2015-16 he posted a .921 save percentage in 54 appearances, a number most teams would take for their starter let alone a backup.

Remember that Detroit is right up against the cap, so retaining any salary is a tricky proposition. While moving Mrazek out of town would clear some room, they wouldn’t really be able to take any bodies back unless they made near the league minimum. Remember that they’ll need to pay someone to back up Jimmy Howard, even if that is Jared Coreau’s $612K cap hit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis Blues Looking For Top-Six Forward

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In the most recent edition of Insider Trading on TSN, insider Bob McKenzie mentioned the St. Louis Blues as a team interested in the Buffalo Sabres Evander Kane. Pierre LeBrun picked up where his colleague left off, further stating that the Blues have a real interest in adding a top-six forward at some point, in order to round out their lineup. That interest was apparent even before they lost Jaden Schwartz long-term.

Evander KaneIf they are going after Kane, they’ll have to fight off several other teams—McKenzie mentions San Jose, Anaheim and Calgary in particular—and meet a steep (and rising) price from the Sabres. It’s been previously reported that the Sabres are after a package starting at the Andrew Ladd or Martin Hanzal level, but it could go even higher than that should several teams get involved in a bidding war.

St. Louis has been dealt some serious blows to their forward group this season even before Schwartz’ injury, losing Robby Fabbri and Zach Sanford long-term before the year even began. Another forward would lengthen out the lineup considerably, and improve an already impressive team. One of the interesting things about St. Louis is that they aren’t limited to just rental players as they have quite a bit of money coming off the books at the end of the year. While they’d surely like to keep Paul Stastny around, he may be able to find more money and longer term on the open market as one of the best centers available. Losing his $7.5MM cap hit clears quite a bit of room, leaving St. Louis with close to $20MM in cap space depending on where the ceiling eventually lands.

While they have some young players due for new contracts, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see them pursue a player that can help them now and in the future. If Ottawa does end up selling some of their assets, a player like Mike Hoffman may be an option for the Blues even with a hefty contract. They certainly will be a team to watch over the next few months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Brenden Dillon Suspended One Game For Slashing

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Wednesday: Dillon indeed has been suspended for one game for the slash. As the video explanation notes:

It is important to note that this is not a slash delivered as part of a hockey play. Dillon is not attempting to alert an opponent to his presence, or to make a defensive play on a player with the puck. This is simply a frustrated player delivering a retaliatory and forceful slash to a vulnerable area of an opponent’s body.

Tuesday: TSN’s Bob McKenzie predicted it this morning and now it has come to fruition: San Jose Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety this evening regarding his actions in last night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The incident is question was a slash by Dillon on the Caps’ Madison Bowey late in the contest.

With just five seconds remaining in the game, a 4-1 Washington win, Dillon hit Bowey with a two-handed slash. The action earned him a five-minute major and game misconduct – serious albeit meaningless penalties with nearly no time left. Should Dillon receive a suspension, that could very well play a role in the decision. However, the overall intensity of the game could play in his favor. It was a chippy affair throughout, including a questionable hit by Joe Thornton on T.J. Oshie and even a roughing penalty for Bowey in response to Dillon’s slash. An outburst at the end of a combative game may not be seen as an individual attack by Dillon that warrants a suspension. It also helps Dillon’s case that Patrick Kane was just recently given only a fine for a similar two-handed chop.

While the Sharks await word on whether they will lose Dillon to suspension or not, they’ll need a contingency plan. San Jose has worked hard to climb back into playoff position in the Pacific Division and don’t want to drop one or more of their upcoming games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, and Minnesota Wild because they couldn’t properly replace Dillon, given the recent injury to frequent backup Tim Heed. A strong defensive rearguard and a left shot, Dillon has been regularly skating alongside Brent Burns one the top pair this season, especially with Paul Martin sidelined. While the easy fix, should he miss time, would simply be to move Marc-Edouard Vlasic up a pair, but that could leave the bottom four too weak. Instead, moving Joakim Ryan up to the top pair and/or calling up young Jeremy Roy could be the solution.

Snapshots: Hakstol, Svechnikov, Backup Goaltenders

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The Philadelphia Flyers have now lost 10 games in a row, and find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. With just eight wins and 23 points on the year, they sit only ahead of Buffalo and Arizona in the overall standings and are nearly at a breaking point in terms of playoff contention. Despite all that the team is not considering a coaching change, as Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. GM Ron Hextall told Carchidi that Dave Hakstol would be coaching for the rest of the season “and beyond,” ending any speculation that he may be on the chopping block.

This is Hakstol’s third season as head coach of the Flyers, and after getting knocked out in the first round in 2015-16 the team missed the playoffs entirely last year. They were lucky enough to move up in the draft lottery and get the chance to draft Nolan Patrick, but have once again been a disappointing team this year. Brian Elliott, brought in to try and stabilize the goaltending situation has been less than what was hoped for and the team has scored just 70 goals all season. Whatever Hextall says, heat from the Philadelphia fan base will continue if they can’t turn their streak around soon.

  • As the World Junior tournament approaches—Canada and the USA will release their potential rosters over the next couple of days—Andrei Svechnikov is about to get back onto the ice. A potential first-overall pick in 2018, Svechnikov has missed the last six weeks with a hand injury. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that he’s expected back in the Barrie Colts lineup on Friday, and will almost certainly be named to the Russian roster soon after that. Team Russia released a list of players that will compete for the final roster, but only included those playing in Russia at the moment. Those skating in North America will still be added over the next week.
  • The Edmonton Oilers are actively looking for a backup goaltender according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, and the scribe details potential options around the league. With Cam Talbot on the shelf for at least two more weeks and Laurent Brossoit struggling in the starting role, the Oilers could be forced to make a move or watch their playoff chances slip away. Chad Johnson, a player who the Buffalo Sabres have already received interest in, tops the list and could be an option for the Oilers over the next few days. There’s no guarantee he’d be an upgrade though, as Johnson has struggled this season in his return to Buffalo.

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