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Noah Hanifin

Pacific Notes: Neal, Montour, Brickley, Reaves

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The Calgary Flames have been extremely active this offseason after last year’s second-half collapse. The team went out and traded defenseman Dougie Hamilton for a pair of younger talents in Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. They also added center depth with the addition of Derek Ryan. However, the key addition was the signing of veteran goal scorer James Neal.

The Athletic’s Kent Wilson (subscription required) looks into the five-year contract that Neal received, which was worth $28.75MM. At 31 years old, the Flames are taking a big risk that the deal will eventually drag the team’s salary cap situation down when he no longer is productive. However, with the Vegas Golden Knights as well as other teams moving up the Pacific Division race, Calgary feels that a goal scorer who has tallied at least 20 goals for the past 10 seasons is worth the risk as well as the fact that Neal has a history of making the players around him better.

  • Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray told season ticket holders today that he is flying to Toronto for defenseman Brandon Montour’s arbitration hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday. However, Murray said he is interested in locking up his 24-year-old blueliner to a bridge deal before that, if possible. The two sides gave up on a long-term extension and are hoping to come to an agreement before the hearing. Montour is an interesting case as he has only played for one and a half seasons for Anaheim, but already has arbitration rights, which makes this a more challenging deal to get completed.
  • The Los Angeles Kings will be in desperate need for blueline depth this season and they have high hopes in Minnesota State University-Mankato star Daniel Brickley. The Athletic’s Josh Cooper (subscription required) writes that the 23-year-old defenseman has taken an unusual route to get to the NHL, but might be heavily needed this coming year with no veterans signed for depth purposes. He signed with the Kings in March and with his size (6-foot-3, 203 pounds) and abilities (95 mph shot), he has a good chance to make the team, which is quite possible as the team is known for taking talent and inserting it into their lineup immediately. Last season, the Kings placed forward Alex Iafallo on the first line for a large chunk of the season.
  • Ken Boehlke of the SinBin writes that enforcer Ryan Reaves, who procured a two-year, $5.55MM deal, played a great game of poker with the Vegas Golden Knights this offseason when the team gave him three years of money, but with only a two-year term. While the deal gives Vegas more flexibility with just a two-year term and the fact that they have extra money after not acquiring Erik Karlsson and Bobby Ryan in a big offseason trade, the move doesn’t look so bad, but Reaves made the most out of his situation. He was evidently offered a one or two year deal after the season, but Reaves believed he could garner a three or four year deal. A team offered the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder a three year deal and Vegas general manager George McPhee offered equal value, but refused to go past two years, eventually adding the third year in money, but not in term. Regardless, it was a well-played hand by Reaves.

The Case For A Tristan Jarry Offer Sheet

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The art of the offer sheet is all but dead in the NHL. As The Athletic’s Craig Custance writes, there have only been eight offer sheets in the salary cap era, all but one have been matched, and none have been signed since 2013. It remains a shadowy threat for every GM looking to lock up his young restricted free agents, but at this point is more myth than reality. Custance even conducted a poll of nine GM’s that implied a feeling across the league that no offer sheets are coming this off-season. Even with attractive targets like the cap-strapped Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin, the Calgary Flames’ newly-acquired Noah Hanifin, and a key piece of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ young core, William Nylander, none of the GM’s could see a realistic spot where making an offer would be worth the effort as the team would always be able to match.

What about thinking outside the box and not looking at the top targets but at the team most unlikely to match? The Pittsburgh Penguins are not getting any sympathy from teams around the league. Winners of two of the last three Stanley Cups, a playoff team every year since 2007, and home to the best player in the league, the Penguins have had a great run and it’s unlikely to end any time soon. While many teams fear the backlash associated with poaching young players through offer sheets, Pittsburgh is perhaps the only team in the league that could come under attack and no one else would mind. The Penguins have also put themselves in a position that makes them easy prey. CapFriendly currently estimates that the team has just $745K in cap space heading into next season. Even if Jimmy Hayes fails to break camp or Zach Aston-Reese is sent down – the only foreseeable options, the Pens are still left with no more than $1.5MM in space and will need room to maneuver during the season.

Pittsburgh has just one restricted free agent left to re-sign: 23-year-old goaltender Tristan Jarry. Jarry has not been considered an offer sheet threat for a couple of reasons. The first is simply that he has yet to prove that he is a true NHL-caliber goalie. Jarry was a star at the junior level with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings and was drafted in the second round by the Penguins in 2013. His first two pro seasons were spent entirely in the AHL, expect for one spot start in Pittsburgh, and he made the transition look easy, posting strong numbers through 78 combined games. Last season was a deviation from that smooth upward trajectory. The departure of Marc-Andre Fleury left Jarry as the primary backup to starter Matt Murray and the NHL level proved to be a little more difficult. Jarry had an up-and-down season with streaks of both good and bad play. He also struggled when he was returned to the AHL in favor of Casey DeSmith or briefly Antti Niemi. However, at the end of the season Jarry’s line of a .908 save percentage, 2.77 goals against average, and .609 quality start percentage in 26 NHL appearance was more than respectable for his first year in the bigs. Has he proven without a doubt that he can be an NHL regular or reliable backup? No, but the potential is there.

The other reason that Jarry would seem to be a strange offer sheet target is that he is waiver-exempt. Jarry is too young and inexperienced to have lost his waiver protection. This means that a team could hypothetically offer far above market value and multiple years and the Penguins could simply match it and stash Jarry in the minors without a second thought. The only problem is that Pittsburgh especially could not leave Jarry in the AHL for a whole season, nevertheless multiple. Since Murray became a fixture in net for the Penguins in 2015-16, he has made 111 appearances in three seasons with no more than 49 games in any year. In that same time, the Penguins have used six other goaltenders. Excluding Fleury, who was the starter in Murray’s first season and split time with him the following year, Jarry, DeSmith, Niemi, Mike Condon and Jeff Zatkoff have had to make 59 appearances over the past three years – more than half of Murray’s games played. Pittsburgh’s injury-prone starter clearly needs multiple quality options behind him until he can prove himself over a full season. DeSmith, who admittedly outplayed fellow rookie Jarry last season but in 12 fewer starts, may struggle to even backup Murray this season, nevertheless replace him for short stretches with untested minor league journeyman John Muse – the only other Penguins goalie – as the backup. The Penguins need a third-string goalie who costs as close the minimum against the cap as possible. If Jarry was to sign an offer sheet for even $1.5MM AAV, Pittsburgh would struggle to move that contract back and forth or keep him on the roster all year long. A team with ample cap space and a well-off ownership group could easily improve on that offer as well. Only moving out salary or injured reserve space would conceivably allow the Penguins to keep Jarry at that price or more.

At the end of the day, an offer with just the right amount of salary and term would be hard for the Penguins to match in their current state. Sure, they could simply sign a proven veteran free agent to a minimum deal and move on, but losing a promising young netminder would be a blow. On the other side of the table, it would only cost a team at most a third-round pick – the compensation for any deal with an AAV under $2.03MM – to land a young, high-ceiling goalie who is still waiver-exempt. If Jarry excels at the NHL level, they made a great deal; if he struggles, he can be sent to the AHL risk-free for further development and may still turn out be a great deal. The rest of the league would hardly mind seeing Pittsburgh and wheeler-dealer GM Jim Rutherford baffled by an offer sheet as well. It seems to be a win-win. Will it happen?

Calgary Flames Sign Morgan Klimchuk To One-Year Deal

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The Calgary Flames announced they have signed restricted free agent Morgan Klimchuk to a one-year, two-way deal with a $700K AAV.

Klimchuk, the team’s 2013 first-round pick, has played in just one NHL game, but been able to post solid numbers while he’s been developing his game with the Stockton Heat the last few years. The 23-year-old has put up two 19-goal seasons in the AHL. With Calgary adding several forwards to their team this offseason, including James Neal, Elias Lindholm, Derek Ryan, Alan Quine and Austin Czarnik, Klimchuk, a Calgary native, is not likely to break camp with the Flames and is likely to return to Stockton for another season.

The signing leaves the Flames with eight more restricted free agent contracts to deal with, including Lindholm, Mark Jankowski, Garnet Hathaway, Noah Hanifin, Brett Kulak, David Rittich, Hunter Shinkaruk and Jon Gillies.

Hurricanes Notes: Free Agents, Darling, Skinner, Tavares

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The Carolina Hurricanes have already made some noise this off-season, acquiring Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox from the Calgary Flames for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, but what else the team plans to do this summer remains a mystery. In speaking with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, GM Don Waddell indicates that they may simply stick with the status quo for now. Waddell confirmed that the team is not pursuing contracts with pending unrestricted free agents Cam Ward, Derek Ryan, and Lee Stempniak and expect all three to hit the open market on July 1st. Ward, the Hurricane’s long-time goalie, is rumored to be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks, while Ryan is expected to re-join former Carolina coach Bill Peters and his recently-traded teammates in Calgary. Stempniak’s name has not drawn much attention so far this off-season, as the veteran struggled in 2017-18 with nine points in 37 games. Waddell did not discuss recently non-qualified free agent forward Joakim Nordstrom, likely implying that they are moving on from him as well. Waddell also did not offer any updates on negotiations with restricted free agents Trevor van Riemsdyk, Lucas Wallmark, and Valentin Zykov.

  • Waddell did state that the team has no plans to move goalie Scott Darling and are committed to having him on the roster moving forward. The 29-year-old struggled in his first year with Carolina after signing a long-term contract last summer, but the team hopes that his second season as a starter will go smoother. However, Carolina is looking to add a goalie in free agency and have spoken to upwards of six candidates already. The question remains what type of goalie they are looking to bring in. A starter to compete with Darling could look like Robin Lehner, Kari Lehtonen, or Jaroslav Halak, while a steady backup could be Ondrej Pavelec, Chad Johnson, or a reunion with Anton Khudobin.
  • As of now, there is no imminent trade involving forward Jeff Skinner. Skinner’s name has been one of the hottest on the rumor mill and many speculated that the Los Angeles Kings signing Ilya Kovalchuk could be the domino that would lead Skinner to being dealt to a team that missed out on the sharp-shooting veteran. Instead, Waddell says that talks with other teams have been ongoing and they have seen some good offers, but haven’t been “comfortable” with accepting any of them. One has to wonder that if they could pull off a trade as big as the one during draft weekend but aren’t comfortable with “good” offers for Skinner, if they are even looking to trade the talented winger at all.
  • For any ’Canes fans out there still holding out hope that Carolina was a secret seventh team in on the John Tavares sweepstakes, Waddell confirmed that he has had no contact whatsoever with Tavares’ camp. The Hurricanes do have more than enough cap space to add a Tavares though, so perhaps Waddell will be active in free agency after all, but focused on other big names.

Pacific Notes: Flames, Lindholm, Oilers, Hughes

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The Calgary Flames did more than just swap some players earlier today when they traded Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox in exchange for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. The team finally made the changes it had said it would after a dismal second half of the season. Despite starting a solid 25-16-4 through Jan. 14, the team instead fell apart, putting up a 13-23-6 second half in which the team looked disinterested and forced the Flames to make changes.

The Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis suggests that this is just the beginning of changes for Calgary and suggests that moving Hamilton was the start of it. The scribe reports that Hamilton’s apathy was an issue in the clubhouse, so just moving on from him is a positive step in fixing the Flames’ issues. The Flames also rid themselves of Fox, currently playing for Harvard University and who was unlikely to sign with Calgary as they are deep in blueline prospects. Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson interviewed Flames GM Brad Treliving, who added that Ferland’s unrestricted free agent status next season was a key reason the team moved him. “Michael is a warrior and has one year left on his contract and will be a UFA. That always comes into consideration,” Treliving said.

  • Sticking with the Flames, Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg reports that Lindholm is likely to be given a much bigger role than he had in Carolina as he is expected to start the season on the team’s first line playing the wing alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The former fifth-overall pick in 2013 has put up solid numbers, but hasn’t had a breakout season yet. He finished last season with 16 goals and 44 points. Lindholm, who is a restricted free agent, along with Hanifin, both need to be signed as they rejected initial offers from Carolina, which prompted the trade.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Darnell Nurse, Ryan Strome and Anton Slepyshev. Not offering them a qualifying offer would allow them to become unrestricted free agents. Nurse was one of the few bright spots on Edmonton’s defense. He had a career year, averaging 22:15 of ice time and scored six goals and had 26 assists on the year. Strome, who came over from the New York Islanders last offseason, had a quiet year with his new team, putting up 13 goals and 34 points, while Slepyshev continued in his struggles to break out in the NHL as he potted just six goals in 50 games played. All three, however, still are considered promising players. The only restricted free agent who was not mentioned as receiving a qualifying offer was Iiro Pakarinen, who has already signed a deal to return to the KHL next season.
  • Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Sun writes that there is belief around the Canucks that defenseman Quinn Hughes, the team’s first-round pick in the draft, might be ready to contribute to the Canucks immediately. The scribe writes that general manager Jim Benning feels that Hughes is close to ready now. “I just look at that world championship and he was playing against NHL players,” Benning said. “He didn’t look out of place at all. He’s never going to run guys over but he has a good stick. He understands angles.” Hughes, who might be the best skater to come out of this draft, is the perfect compliment to coach Travis Green’s system, according to Botchford.

Carolina Hurricanes Trade Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin To Calgary Flames

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The Carolina Hurricanes have made their first big trade, reportedly sending Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and Adam Fox. The deal was officially announced on the draft floor.

Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer tweets that both Hanifin and Lindholm had recently rejected contract offers from the Hurricanes, as both are scheduled to be restricted free agents this summer. Both will be reunited with Bill Peters, who resigned as coach of the Hurricanes earlier this spring to take a job in Calgary. They also will change the look of the Flames significantly, adding some more young talent to a team that already had Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk leading the way.

It’s not the first time Hamilton has been involved in a blockbuster deal. The pick that was used to select him by the Boston Bruins was one sent to them by the Toronto Maple Leafs for Phil Kessel, and Hamilton himself was dealt to Calgary just a few years later. He’ll be on his third team already despite just turning 25 last week, and could represent the best individual player in the deal. He’s coming off a 17-goal campaign with the Flames, and will bring another exceptional defender to the Hurricanes.

Ferland and Fox too can’t be overlooked. The former has proven that he can handle playing alongside star talent, sliding in beside Monahan and Gaudreau for large stints. That resulted in a 21-goal season in 2017-18, while bringing his normal physical style to the ice. Fox is a top defensive prospect in his own right that is headed back to Harvard for his junior season, but could jump directly to the NHL after his NCAA season. He’ll join some other impressive defense prospects in Carolina, including Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean.

Speculation immediately exploded around Justin Faulk, another right-handed puck-moving defenseman that now appears redundant for the Hurricanes. With Hamilton in the fold, Faulk could be moved in the next few days to bring in even more talent up front or in goal for Carolina. Faulk has just one season left on his current contract, and according to Bob McKenzie of TSN has a no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1st.

Western Notes: Canucks Defense, Blues, Voynov

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The Vancouver Canucks will have two big holes on offense with the losses of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Having been with the club since 1999, the Sedins have always been a source of offense and even though their skills had begun to deteriorate over the past few years, the two still combined for 105 points this past year at age 37. However, offense may not be the Canucks’ biggest need this season as the team has its biggest troubles on their blueline and might need to focus on that this offseason, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.

The team has a lot of question marks about the blueline with only Erik Gudbranson locked up for any length of time (three years at $4MM AAV). Top defenseman Alexander Edler is on his last season with the team and is already 32. With the team considering possibly trading veteran Chris Tanev who one of their biggest trade chips, there is little to look forward to on defense.

That isn’t the case on offense. The team might have lost the Sedins, but they have a group of prospects who are ready or close to ready to move into the lineup, including Elias Pettersson, Adam Gaudette, Kole Lind, Jonathan Dahlen and Nikolay Goldobin. However, defensive prospects are few and far between in Vancouver. The team has high hopes that 2015 fifth-overall pick Olli Juolevi might be ready to take on a major role with Vancouver next season. Taken ahead of both Mikhail Sergachev and Charlie McAvoy that year, the team has high expectations for him. The team also has the seventh overall pick in this year’s defensive-heavy draft, which should bring aboard another top defenseman to help the team out, although there is talk of the team moving that pick for a more developed pro-prospect instead, such as the rumors of the team wanting to acquire Carolina’s Noah Hanifin.

One possibility that MacIntyre suggests is instead of Hanifin would be to go out and trade for Colorado’s Tyson Barrie, who could find himself on the trade market with the team’s influx of youth on the blueline.

  • After a recent report in which St. Louis Blues general manager spoke about how the team wants to acquire a top center this offseason, St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon writes that offers for John Tavares are likely unrealistic, the free agent pool is few and likely to become too high-priced and prospect Robert Thomas would be better off starting as a third-line center to get his feet wet. Despite that, he writes there are several potential trade options for the team if they really wants a realistic option for a second-line center. He suggests that both Tampa Bay Lightning’s Tyler Johnson and Montreal Canadiens’ Alex Galchenyuk would make for good options, especially the latter as Montreal is in need of defense, which St. Louis has plenty of.
  • Former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov, who has expressed interest in returning to the NHL after his contract with the Kings was terminated after pleading no contest to a charge stemming from a domestic dispute, supposedly had gained permission to cross the border to the U.S., according to KHL insider Aivis Kalnins, and look for a job in the NHL this offseason. While he is still looking for work in the NHL, NHL.com’s Igor Eronko reports that Voynov received that permission more than a year ago and traveled to the U.S. last summer. No word on whether any team is considering the former King, who played four seasons for them and the past three with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. Eronko adds that July 2 is the first day that Voynov can apply for a U.S. work visa.

Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes

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Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Carolina’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Elias Lindholm – The Hurricanes weren’t able to find much success in terms of wins and losses in 2017-18, and much of that had to do with some inconsistency from nearly every position. One of the only players that has been able to find some of that consistency through his first few years in the league is Lindholm, who went about another 40-point season with solid contributions in the faceoff circle and the penalty kill. If the team were to acquire a real first-line center Lindholm would likely be pushed down in the lineup, but he’s proven that he can be an impact player that doesn’t hurt you at either end of the ice.

He’s coming off a two-year $5.4MM contract that he signed in 2015, and should get a healthy raise after recording 89 points in 153 games. Where that number lands isn’t exactly clear, but one could look at teammate Victor Rask’s six-year $24MM deal as a point of comparison. Rask was also 23 at the time of that contract, though he didn’t have nearly as much NHL experience as Lindholm heads into this summer with.

D Noah Hanifin – The bigger question mark among Carolina restricted free agents is Hanifin, who could either be locked up long-term or shipped out of town. The rumor mill has swirled around the 21-year old defenseman for the past year, mostly because of the Hurricanes’ depth on defense. Hanifin would generate a ton of interest around the league and bring in a big package for the Hurricanes, but could be more useful stepping into a bigger role on the team next year and beyond. While it’s clear that Carolina will move at least one of their defenders, that could Justin Faulk with Hanifin instead being signed to a long-term deal.

No one can really get a read on owner Tom Dundon and GM Don Waddell, but there are clearly changes coming in Carolina. Hanifin will be an interesting measuring stick to see just how far the new executive group wants to go in shaking up the core of the team.

Other RFAs: F Phillip Di Giuseppe, F Joakim Nordstrom, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, F Andrew Poturalski, F Sergey Tolchinsky, F Greg McKegg, D Tyler Ganly, D Keegan Kanzig, F Lucas Wallmark, F Valentin Zykov

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Derek Ryan – Though Carolina needs some center help, it looks as though Ryan is destined for free agency as the team prepares to promote Martin Necas to the big club next season. Ryan, 31, has been a sneakily-good player since making his NHL debut at the age of 29 two years ago. With 38 points in 80 games this season and solid faceoff and possession statistics, there will be interest from around the league in the professional journeyman.

Heading to a new team is nothing new for Ryan, but he’ll likely be looking for a multi-year deal that can keep him in one place for a few seasons. After re-signing with the Hurricanes for just under $1.43MM last summer, there could be a hefty raise in order this time around. Ryan heads to free agency in a relatively weak center market, as after John Tavares and perhaps Joe Thornton, options get thin very quickly.

Other UFAs: F Lee Stempniak, G Cam Ward, D Dennis Robertson, D Jake Chelios, G Jeremy Smith, D Philip Samuelsson, D Brenden Kichton

Projected Cap Space: The Hurricanes have never been an upper-limit team, and head into this summer with more than $30MM in cap space depending on where the ceiling lands. While that should afford them the opportunity to be big players in free agency, it really comes down to how much Dundon is willing to spend in his first offseason. The team has previously worked under an internal budget that has limited big free agent splashes, but with a new owner in the mix the Hurricanes are something of a wildcard.

Their restricted free agents should take up a big chunk of that cap room, but there is certainly enough to go around if they decide to wheel and deal. They’d have to pitch any incoming free agents on a new Carolina organization, but with up-and-coming players and a veteran leader in Justin Williams on the roster, perhaps they could draw the attention of some of this summer’s biggest names.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Metro Notes: Grubauer, Trotz, Alzner, Hurricanes

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Although he eventually gave the starter’s job back to Braden Holtby this postseason, Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer has more than proven himself to be a top option in 2017-18. The 26-year-old won over the leading role in net late in the regular season for the Caps and finished with a .923 save percentage and 2.35 GAA; both marks were substantially better than Holtby’s for the year albeit in 35 appearances versus 54 for Holtby. Entering restricted free agency this summer, Grubauer has shown the potential to be a starter in the NHL and will use that to cash in on his next contract. As such, that contract likely won’t be with Washington. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that there is already considerable trade interest across the league in Grubauer, as the cap-strapped Capitals cannot afford an expensive backup goalie, especially since they hope to re-sign one of the top names on the free agent market in defenseman John Carlson. According to LeBrun, the leading suitors thus far, for obvious reasons, have been the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams have underwhelming veteran starters heading to free agency – Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward – with the disappointing backups that lost their jobs now slated to return to starting in Thomas Greiss and Scott Darling respectively. Grubauer would likely be an upgrade to either and at the very least would create some competition in net. LeBrun doubts that those two teams will be the only major contenders for Grubauer this off-season, citing that interest may increase once Washington wraps up the Stanley Cup final. It is also fair to be skeptical of the Capitals trading him within the division if they truly believe in his ability. Don’t rule out a Martin Jones scenario wherein the San Jose Sharks acquired Jones from the Los Angeles Kings through the Boston Bruins a few years back, much to the chagrin of the division rival Kings. One way or another, it seems likely that Grubauer’s time in Washington is over. At least it appears he could end his stay with a title.

  • A more surprising name who could also end his stay in D.C. with a Stanley Cup is head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz still does not have a contract for next season and LeBrun reports that the team has not had any talks with their bench boss during the postseason so as to remain focused. As a result, Trotz is able to consider his options once the season comes to an end. Assuming the Capitals extend an offer to their coach, who has always been a title away from being considered one of the best in the game, Trotz could simply choose to stay and defend his championship with a team that won’t change much this off-season. However, he could opt for more money or a new challenge with another franchise. Again, LeBrun adds that the Islanders are rumored to be in the running. After firing Doug Weight on Tuesday, the Isles are the only team in the league that currently has a vacancy at head coach and Lou Lamoriello could be intrigued by adding a proven winner to lead the team he is trying to turn around. If the offer was overwhelming, the Capitals may be content to give the job to assistant Todd Reirden, who LeBrun notes has long been considered the heir apparent. Only time will tell what Trotz’ decision is, but LeBrun reports that he and agent Gil Scott will meet to map out their plans as soon as the season ends.
  • One player upset at missing out on the Capitals’ current cap run is former defenseman Karl Alzner. Alzner, who was drafted by Washington with the 5th overall pick in 2007 and played nine seasons with the team, departed in free agency last summer, joining the Montreal Canadiens to the tune of five years and $23MM. While the contract was enticing for the stay-at-home defender, his desire to win was also one of the main reasons he left after repeated playoff collapses by the Caps. This makes the cruel irony of this season that much worse, as Washington seems poised to win its first ever Stanley Cup title while Alzner’s first year in Montreal was nothing short of a disaster by both individual and team performance standards. Unsurprisingly, when Alzner spoke on 960 The Fan in Calgary today he said he was “super jealous”. He goes on to say that he will be excited for his good friends on the team if they lift the Cup later in the series, but it’s hard to believe that Alzner won’t feel discouraged by the championship win as well. Unfortunately, a player who wanted so badly to win missed out by one season and chose to sign with a team that is quite far away from being a legitimate contender.
  • There has been a lot made already about the new administration in Carolina and the changes coming to the Hurricanes, but it seems unlikely that the news will stop anytime soon. LeBrun confirmed that new GM Don Waddell has been taking a lot of calls on his players and that a major move could be imminent. LeBrun says that scoring winger Jeff Skinner is the most likely to move and that a trade could be made in the next week or so. The price on Skinner is currently a first-round pick and prospect, which LeBrun says has soured some teams, but without pressure to make a deal, Waddell can hold on his asking prices and let the suitors budge. The same goes for his efforts to deal a defenseman. The Hurricanes are bursting at the seems with talented defenders, but that doesn’t mean that they have to make a trade. Instead, Waddell seems more likely to wait until he gets blown away by an offer, likely for veteran leader Justin Faulk or promising RFA Noah Hanifin, before he pulls the trigger. LeBrun also speculates that Elias Lindholm, another restricted free agent, could become available later this summer if the two sides can’t work out a long-term extension.

Latest On Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes

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Last week Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet piqued quite a bit of interest with his inclusion of the Vancouver Canucks as a “stealth team” for Noah Hanifin, and this morning he was asked about his thoughts on the subject. Hanifin is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer but had previously been considered off limits thanks to his high draft pedigree and solid young career. Friedman’s comments though—as relayed by Sportsnet 650’s Rick Dhaliwal on Twitter—bring up the idea that a big package has been thrown around to try and pull the defenseman away from the Carolina Hurricanes:

I believe that the Canucks have shown interest in Hanifin, and I believe that whatever they’ve talked about the Hurricanes haven’t discounted it. 

Look, I know this is going to go bananas. I’m just going to say this is my guess. My guess is it involves the seventh overall pick, but I don’t know that for sure.

Obviously these statements leave plenty of room for speculation and shouldn’t be taken as a new report, but Friedman’s continued belief that the two have had discussions only raises new questions on the availability of Hanifin in the first place. Since new ownership took over the Hurricanes have been clear about their desire to make changes to the club before next season and could see their 21-year old defenseman as their best trade chip. Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk have also had their names floated in trade rumors, though nothing concrete has surfaced yet.

For Vancouver, targeting Hanifin makes a lot of sense. The team is building a young core around players like Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, but needs to put together an effective blue line to experience any real success. With top prospect Olli Juolevi still yet to make his debut, and young players like Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher already getting expensive through restricted free agency, landing another top-4 option with plenty of club control could improve them dramatically.

Speculating about what the package would be is a fool’s errand at this point, as Friedman can’t even definitively report that the two have had negotiations. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on as the Hurricanes approach the June 22nd draft holding the second-overall pick and plenty of trade currency. It could be a very interesting few days for GM Don Waddell, as he looks to make his mark on the Hurricanes.

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