For today’s news and rumours post I am discussing how the coaching position has from the end of the season where there were 11 coaches who’s deals were about to expire and how we have gotten to 6 confirmed coaching vacancies.
So to begin, this year as I said before had 11 coaches have their deals expire and these were as follows:
Dallas Eakins: Anaheim
Derek King: Chicago
Rick Bowness: Dallas
Jeff Blashill: Detroit
Jay Woodcroft: Edmonton
Andrew Brunette: Florida
Martin St.Louis: Montreal
John Hynes: Nashville
Mike Yeo: Philadelphia
Bruce Boudreau: Vancouver
Dave Lowry: Winnipeg
So to start there have been four of these coaches who have found a way to be back with there existing teams next year.
Now first is in Montreal as Martin St.Louis took over for Dominic Ducharme who was fired on February 10th and did quite a good job. After the change it seemed as the team loosened up and played much better hockey, especially the younger guys like Caufield and while they had a losing record of 14-19-4 with St.Louis at the helm, the Canadiens liked what he did enough to give him a three year contract extension. Now I feel this was the right move and while I have doubts the Canadiens will make the playoffs at all in the next three years, I think given the fact St.Louis is a former player, he will be able to help all the young players in that organization regain all of their confidence and while I don’t think playoffs are in the happening anytime soon in Montreal, I think that this team will make major strides with St.Louis at head coach.
Next to Nashville where the Predators once again made the playoffs and even though they once again existed in the first round, John Hynes played a big role in the Preds making it to the playoffs and while it sounds like the Predators could have picked up the 1 year option on Hynes contract, they instead have agreed to a new 2 year contract extension to keep Hynes at the helm of the Predators. Hynes has been able to get the Predators to the playoffs in both of the last two years when it seemed like they might miss but the Predators haven’t been able to get out of the first round yet under Hynes. I think that given how well the top players were able to play this season under Hynes that this 2 year contract is a great signing, although I do wonder if they will be able to get out of the first round with Hynes at the helm, but you can bet they will play good hockey and always be in the conversation for making the playoffs.
And the other two were not exactly contract extension but picking up options in the current coaches contracts as Eakins in Anaheim and Boudreau in Vancouver both had their 1 year options picked up by the Ducks and Canucks respectively and will return for at least next year with their teams. In Anaheim Dallas Eakins has done a fantastic job in my opinion in helping getting the younger guys more playing time and we saw that payoff this year with the great seasons from guys like Terry, Zegras, Milano and Drysdale. Now I really don’t think the Ducks can make the playoffs next year after all of their subtractions, but if they can show some kind of improvement from this year and maybe challenge for a playoff spot longer then they did this year then I wouldn’t be surprised if Eakins gets a new deal next year because I just think he brings out the best in all of the young players. As for Vancouver the Canucks made leaps and bound after Boudreau took over as head coach. After a pretty sucky start under Travis Green where they went 8-15-2, they would fire him and hire Boudreau who took a team that almost everyone was ruling out of even having a chance of making the playoffs and got them to only a mere 5 points back of a playoff spot for some major improvements. Now after slow starts guys like Horvat, Boeser and Pettersson played way better under Boudreau and Miller who only had 23 points in 25 games under Green exploded for 76 points in 55 games and I was quite surprised that Boudreau only had the 1 year option and not a multi year deal but I still think he is the best coach for the Canucks and if the Canucks continue to keep up this level of production into next year I have no doubt that the Canucks will extend Boudreau next year.
Now there are three coaches who haven’t had a decision been made yet on whether they will remain head coach or if they will be let go. Derek King in Chicago, Jay Woodcroft in Edmonton and Andrew Brunette in Florida who were all interim head coaches after Florida, Edmonton and Chicago all fired their head coaches mid season. Now for Edmonton I think they will most likely resign Woodcroft give the fact that after he came in the Oilers went 21-9-8 to finish out the regular season and then help take the Oilers past the first two rounds of the playoffs until they hit the brick wall that is Colorado. I think that in a year or two with Woodcroft at the helm the Oilers could get to the Stanley cup and after seeing how well the team did after the coaching change I just think that it would be a mistake to not bring back Woodcroft even with other good coaches out there. Now before the playoffs I would have said Brunette would be back but maybe not now. Brunette did quite well after Quenneville resigned as the Panthers head coach, going 51-18-6 in the regular season and leading Florida to the president trophy and past the Capitals for their first series win in 26 seasons but after a sweep at the hands of their state rivals and the eventual eastern Confrence winners, there seems to be a lot of doubt as to whether he would come back or not. I personally believe that the Panthers would do great if they re-signed Brunette and allowed him to remain coach of the Panthers but I think that with the amount of quality coaches out there right now, I would definitely not be shocked if they went out and got someone new. As for King in Chicago he did a bit better then Colliton did earlier in the season as he had a 27-33-10 record as the Coach of the Blackhawks but with the Blackhawks entering a rebuild I would suspect that while King will definitely be considered, that the Blackhawks will go a new direction and hire someone else.
Meanwhile the other four coaches who had their contracts expiring ended up not being back as Blashill in Detroit, Bowness in Dallas, Yeo in Philadelphia and Lowry in Winnipeg where all informed they weren’t going to be back and have started looking elsewhere for new head coaches. For Blashill the Red Wings started off well and there was a point where I thought the Red Wings could have caught the Bruins and make the playoffs but after a atrocious second half of the season and a final record of 32-40-10 I think that moving on from Blashill was the right move. With Detroit looking to take the next step in their rebuild I think that going to get a new voice for the locker room was the smart thing to do and if they can get someone who meshes well with Larkin, Raymond and Seider and who can help their young core start to make big strides I think it would definitely go a long way. Now for Bowness in Dallas he lead them to a cup final in the bubble and back to the playoffs this year where they were a goal away from a 2RD appearance and while he has done a fantastic job in Dallas, he only wanted a 1 year job as head coach and the Stars wanted someone for longer so they decided to go separate ways. I think for Dallas, signing a coach who can keep up the good defensive play that Dallas has had over the past few years but be able to make the offense click on all cylinders would make the Stars a better team in my opinion. As for Lowry and Yeo, they were both interims as Lowry went 26-22-6 after Maurice resigned and Yeo went 17-36-7 as the head coach of Philadelphia following Vigneault being fired. For Lowry he did have a winning record as head coach but didn’t do much better then what Maurice had done earlier in the season and I think not bringing him back was probably the smart move by Winnipeg. I think for the next head coach the Jets should find someone who can be a leader in the locker room sort of like Maurice was, as he was one of the most well respected coaches in the league, but someone who could also bring out the best of their D-Corp and if they do that I have no doubt Winnipeg could be back in the playoff conversation. As for Philadelphia the fact that Yeo didn’t do at all well as head coach of Philadelphia as Vigneault had before him says to me that not bringing him back was the right move, and as for their next head coach I would say they need someone who can get the best out of every player on a night in and night out bases and who can get Philadelphia to compete every night would make the best fit for Philly.
Now three coaches have also been fired on top of the eleven that had their contracts expire, and that was Peter DeBoer in Vegas, Bruce Cassidy in Boston and Barry Trotz in NYI. Now first for DeBoer as he has not done a bad job in Vegas by any means as he took the Knights to two consecutive Confrence final appearances before the Golden Knights missed the playoffs this year and I think the two factors that went into firing him were the fact that there are big name coaches again this offseason and that the relationship between him and Lehner was getting tedious so moving on from him was probably a overreaction in my opinion but might turn out to be a really smart move. Now I feel that getting a coach who can help this team once again dominate the offensive side of the game while helping the Golden Knights keep their defensive ways and help ment the relationship with Lehner would go a long way for these Golden Knights. Now for Cassidy, the Bruins sort of surprised everyone because of how late they fired him as that firing was very recent, but after six years of leading the Bruins to the playoffs (all 6 years as Bruins head coach) and a Stanley Cup Final, it seems that the Bruins want to try to go in a new direction. Now in the next head coach I feel that the Bruins will look for someone who is willing to give the younger players a chance as the I foresee a youth movement for Boston over the next few years and getting someone who can work with the younger players would help this team in the long run for sure. And lastly is the Islanders as they fired Trotz and I don’t think that missing the playoffs was entirely the reason they fired him as he hasn’t played the younger players quite enough (especially Barzal) and the offense has not been to good even though the defence had excelled over the years and I think that it was just time to move on. Now the Islanders are the only one of the three who fired their head coach that already has their head coach as Lane Lambert who was a assistant coach to Trotz was given the head coach job of the Islanders. He brings some quality’s of Trotz as it seems he can probably keep the defence as good as it has been over the past few years but he should be able to get some of the younger guys (especially Barzal) more playing time and I think can get that offense going more then Trotz could and given he was a great assistant coach and knows the Islanders organization already it just made sense to have him be the head coach.
So this is how the coaching carousel has developed and if I had to make a prediction for each of the remaining 6 coaching position they would be as followed
Boston: Marc Savard: has connection to Boston as he used to play there and I think would be a fantastic fit going forward.
Dallas: Peter DeBoer: would help the Stars a lot especially on the offensive and I think he would be the coach to take Dallas to the next level.
Detroit: Rich Tocchet: I believe could work well with the younger players and help take the Red Wings to the next level.
Philadelphia: John Tortorella: I believe is the stern voice needed in that Flyers locker room and would help the Flyers be competitive every night.
Vegas: Bruce Cassidy: the biggest name they could get their hands on, as we saw how he helped make Boston a formidable force and I feel he could do the same in Vegas.
Winnipeg: Barry Trotz: the Jets need someone who is more defensive minded and Trotz not only has connections to Winnipeg as that is where he is from but always builds teams that can make it to the playoffs and go on deep runs and I just think that he would be the best fit for Winnipeg.
Trade season has begun in the NHL as we saw the first trade of the offseason over the weekend.
Dallas Buffalo
Ben Bishop LTIR Future Considerations
2022 7RD pick
Analysis: this isn’t a big or significant trade but it is a trade. The Sabres use the vast amount of cap space that they have right now and use it to their advantage. Now the Bishop contract which only has 1 year left, is on the shelf because Bishops career has ended and while for the time being this will just help the Sabres get to the cap, if the Sabres actually end up getting close to the cap which is very unlikely, then they could move Bishop to LTIR but at least for now it will go a long way in helping them get to the cap floor for the upcoming year. Now while it’s not much the Sabres get a 7RD pick in the upcoming draft for their troubles and while it is probably nothing, you never know and it will help their draft capital for the upcoming draft. As for Dallas this gets them out of the LTIR space and gives them more money that they can use for this offseason as they have a couple big time RFA’s and could look to add a few other pieces so giving up a late round pick to get rid of a LTIR contract was a smart move by Nill. Now I think the trade works for each team as it helps the Sabres get closer to the cap floor and gives Dallas more cap flexibility, but by no means are either of these teams done as we are just starting the wheeling and dealing.
And here is a list of all signings for the NHL from JUN 3rd to JUN 12th.
Pacific
Seattle
Center, Left Winger Ville Petman who was a undrafted free agent signed a 2 year entry level contract with the Seattle Kraken that caries a AAV of $.885 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season. Petman has a breakout year in Liiga and I would guess that he probably goes to either the AHL or back to Liiga next season.
Vancouver
Center Nils Åman who was a 6RD pick in the 2020 draft by the Colorado Avalanche signed his 2 year entry level contract with the Canucks and it caries a AAV of $.885 Thousand dollars per year and will kick in the 22-23 season. Åman didn’t get a contract offer by Colorado but was able to sign with Vancouver and after a pretty decent season in the SHL I would expect him to return there for next season.
Central
Dallas
Left Winger Matej Blumel who was a 4RD pick in the 2019 draft by the Edmonton Oilers signed his 2 year entry level contract with the Stars and it caries a AAV of $.925 Thousand dollars per year and will kick in the 22-23 season. He had a decent season in Czechia and got notice by Dallas who signed him but I would suspect that he goes back to Czechia
Right Defender Alex Petrovic and the Dallas Stars have agreed to a 1 year contract extension that will have a AAV of $.750 Thousand dollar cap hit over the next year at the NHL level and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season. Petrovic played the entire previous season in the AHL where he had a decent year and while he is a good depth piece that can be called up if needed, I don’t expect him to be a regular NHL player next year.
The Dallas Stars and Winger Dennis Gurianov have agreed to a 1 year contract extension that will career a AAV of $2.9 Million dollars per year and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season. Gurianov is a streaky player who can play well at times and not so well at others, but had a pretty good year this season as he hit a career in points with 31 and had played pretty well on a line with Seguin. I thought he would have gotten a longer extension but this will be a good opportunity for Gurianov to prove he can be a consistent player.
Nashville
Winger Markus Nurmi who was a 6RD pick in the 2016 draft by the Ottawa Senators signed his 1 year entry level contract with the Predators and it caries a AAV of $.845 Thousand dollars per year and will kick in the 22-23 season. After a great year in Liiga he finally get a contract but I would guess he plays back in Liiga next year.
Atlantic
Boston
Right Defender Kai Wissmann who was a undrafted free agent signed a 1 year entry level contract with the Boston Bruins that caries a AAV of $.825 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season. After a very productive year in the DEL for a defensemen, I think he may eventually be a NHL player but for now I would guess he goes back to the DEL for next season.
Detroit
Center, Right Winger Elmer Soderblom who was a 6RD pick in the 2019 draft by the Detroit Red Wings signed his 3 year entry level contract with the Red Wings and it caries a AAV of $.878 Thousand dollars per year and will kick in the 22-23 season. Soderblom had a outstanding season in the SHL this year and it wouldn’t shock me if he made it to the NHL in a couple years but I would say that he probably heads back to the SHL for next year.
Florida
Left Defender Calle Sjalin who was a 5RD pick in the 2017 draft by the New York Rangers signed his 2 year entry level contract with the Panthers and it caries a AAV of $.855 Thousand dollars per year and will kick in the 22-23 season. I would say that he could maybe have a NHL future as maybe a 3rd pair defender but for next year he will probably play in the SHL where he had a pretty good season.
Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens and Chris Wideman have agreed to terms on a 2 year contract extension that caries a AAV of $.763 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season. Wideman had a pretty good season with the Canadiens in his first year back in the NHL putting up 4 goals and 27 points in 64 games this season but even though he is now signed for a couple of years, I am not sure if he will play all of that time in the NHL with the Canadiens trying to get younger on the blueline but he is a serviceable defensemen when called upon.
Metro
Columbus
Center, Right Winger Jack Roslovic and the Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to a 2 year contract that caries a AAV of $4 Million dollars per year and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season. Roslovic has done a pretty good job since coming to Columbus as he had a a amazing 34 points in 48 games last year and a career high 22 goals and 45 points in 81 games this season. Now I think that $4 Million is probably a little rich as I would have signed him closer to $3 Million, but it is only for 2 years and he can be a really good middle 6 forward with Columbus.
New York R
Vitali Kravtsov and the New York Rangers have agreed 1 year contract extension that caries a AAV of $.850 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will begin in the 22-23 season. Kravtsov didn’t play in the NHL this season due to the fact that he was frustrated with the fact he never made the opening night lineup and asked to be traded while he went to play on the KHL, and I am not sure if he would still want to play in New York or if he would still like to be traded but I think he could be a decent middle six forward in the NHL.
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