from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Steve Yzerman’s silence on the Detroit Red Wings coaching front would seem to favor Jeff Blashill, but hold off on placing any bets.

Yzerman is as deliberate and patient as they come; when he was named general manager in April 2019, he announced he wanted to spend his first year observing. He held off on naming a captain, made low-key signings to patch the lineup and set about steering the rebuild in the direction he deemed fit.

That included keeping Blashill on as coach, honoring the two-year extension Blashill had signed 17 days before Yzerman’s return....

Yzerman is not at the point where he’s looking for a coach who can guide the Wings to the Stanley Cup. The Wings need someone who can develop players, as Blashill has done with Larkin, Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek, Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen and more.

But maybe Yzerman wants a fresh voice. When he left the Wings’ front office in 2010 to accept the Tampa Bay Lightning GM position, Yzerman hired Guy Boucher for his first NHL head coaching job. Yzerman fired Boucher on March 24, 2013, and, the next day, announced the promotion of Jon Cooper. Yzerman had hired Cooper to coach the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in 2010.

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THREE HARD LAPS

* J.T. Compher scored the first hat trick of his NHL career and Philipp Grubauerturned aside all 18 shots he faced as the Avalanche, who improved to 15-0-1 in their last 16 games at Ball Arena, clinched home-ice advantage for the First Round where they will face either the Wild or Blues. If Colorado defeats Los Angeles in any fashion tonight, it will claim the Presidents’ Trophy and Honda West Division crown while simultaneously finalizing the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket.

* Marc-Andre Fleury (36 GP) and Robin Lehner (19 GP) combined to win the William M. Jennings Trophy as the Golden Knights allowed a League-low 124 goals against this season, four fewer than the Islanders (128).

* Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had multiple points again as the Oilers defeated the Canadiens in their penultimate game of the regular season. Edmonton contests its finale versus Vancouver on Saturday before facing Winnipeg in the First Round.

from Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News,

Patrick Marleau was given a special gift by the NHL Players’ Association before the Sharks played the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday at SAP Center.

At the request of Gordie Howe’s family, the NHLPA presented Marleau with the stick used by Howe in his 1,767th and final NHL game on April 6, 1980.

The stick had been on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and will be replaced by a stick used by Marleau on April 19 when he played in his 1,768th career game and broke Howe’s all-time record.

The Sharks also presented Marleau with a custom painting by Lucasfilm and Disney Master Artist Kevin-John, which is of him and Howe.

continued

Below, a tweet the Sharks sent out which includes a picture of the stick. You can also see it within the article.

via Sportsnet,

Sam Cosentino joins Hockey Central to discuss his top-10 NHL Prospect list where Owen Power tops the list.

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

Vancouver Canucks coach Travis Green, marooned on an expiring contract without an extension for next season, broke his silence Tuesday on his employment status but only to explain that he is a better coach now than when he came to the National Hockey League team four years ago.

“I think every year has its own challenges,” Green told reporters before the Canucks, freshly eliminated from the playoff race, crashed 5-0 to the Winnipeg Jets. “We came into the season and you're always hoping for good things. It hasn't gone the way we wanted. But you learn from everything. I think every year you coach you have an opportunity to improve as a coach, and I know over the years in Vancouver, I've improved every year and become a better coach every season. And this year is no different.

“When you go through challenges and you go through adversity, sometimes you grow even more in those situations than when you're having success. And when I look back at the season ... I know I'll be able to look back and say, 'You know, I'm a much better coach today than I was coming into this season.'”

And, yet, here we are.

After inheriting a 29th-place, 69-point team in 2017 and taking it three years later into the playoff bubble last summer where the Canucks had their first post-season success since 2011, Green and his entire staff of assistants are about to become coaching free agents.

There are a lot of ways to judge a coach besides wins and losses, and Green’s teams have opened him to criticism even as they improved until this season.

read on

That's thinking outside the box.

Video starts with the segment of Art Regner and Helene St. James,

added 11:31am,

added 11:32am,

NYR release is below.

from TSN,

This year’s prospect class is shaping up to be a boon for teams looking for blueline help, with defencemen holding down the top four spots on the latest edition of TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s rankings ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft, scheduled for July 23.

Owen Power, the towering 6-foot-5-1/2, 213-pound Michigan Wolverines defenceman, is Button’s top prospect available after scoring three goals and 16 points in 26 games at the NCAA level. And his talents will be showcased again later this month as he'll play for Team Canada at the IIHF Men's World Hockey Championship in Latvia.

“Power’s combination of skills is unique,” Button said of the left-shot defenceman. “He’s got superb hockey sense, very good skill and superior size.”

Barrie Colts defenceman Brandt Clarke, who spent this season with HC Nove Zamky in the top Slovakian professional league while the Ontario Hockey League was on pause during the pandemic, comes in second in Button’s rankings.

Clarke, a right-shot defenceman who is 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, helped Canada win gold at the under-18 men's hockey championship in Frisco, Texas with two goals and seven points in seven games.

“Clarke brings a skill set that includes creativity, boldness and confidence,” Button said. “His game combines elements of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns.”

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from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

It’s not whether he is going to be traded in the off-season. That much is certain following his end-of-year comments of a “disconnect” between him and the team regarding his health. Rather, it’s whether the Buffalo Sabres can get enough value for him to make a deal worth pursuing.

After the miserable year he and the team have had — two goals and 18 points in 21 games before a neck injury ended his season — it’s a question that isn’t necessarily easy to answer.

Sabres fans might consider Eichel a superstar, or at the very least a top-10 centre. And with a $10-million cap hit, he is certainly being paid like one. But the 24-year-old hasn’t exactly produced at a superstar level during his six years in the league.

Nor would he even crack the top-10 when it comes to goals and points among NHL centres.

Prior to this year, 23 players had produced more offence than Eichel since he entered the league in 2015-16. Among centres, he ranks 15th in goals and 14th in points. He has never scored 40 goals. He has never put up 90 points. Only twice has he even finished the season with a point per game. And just once has he ranked among the top-10 in scoring, when he tied Jonathan Huberdeau with 82 points in 2019-20.

read on

THREE HARD LAPS

* A Jets victory on Tuesday locked in the Scotia North Division’s First Round matchups for the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Toronto squaring off with Montreal and Edmonton going head-to-head with Winnipeg.

* The Capitals benefited from a last-second goal in regulation to defeat the Bruins ahead of their First Round series, which begins on Saturday.

* The Presidents’ Trophy race takes center stage tonight, with the Golden Knights, Avalanche and Maple Leafs all in contention for the honor.

Jack Eichel hasn't officially asked for a trade, it certainly sounds like the star centre would welcome a change of scenery. The TSN Hockey Insiders get you up to date on potential landing spots for Eichel. As well, with the offseason looming who are the top available free agents? All that and more in this edition of Insider Trading.

Watch and read the transcript at TSN.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

The wait continues around Little Caesars Arena.

The regular season ended Saturday for the Red Wings, but a decision regarding the future of coach Jeff Blashill has yet to be announced.

Tuesday came and went with no word from general manager Steve Yzerman regarding a decision as to whether Blashill will return for a seventh season.

The delay is a mild surprise.

Yzerman said during his news conference after the trade deadline in March that he would meet with Blashill quickly after the season.

Maybe the two have met, but an announcement on Blashill’s future still hasn’t made public, leading to more speculation and guessing regarding Blashill’s job security with the Wings.

The lack of news surrounding Blashill comes at a time while other NHL teams already have made decisions.

continued (paid monthly subscription)

from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

The Carolina Hurricanes know that tune, but they haven’t exactly been in rhythm with Hamilton’s camp over the past number of months on a contract extension, which is why the soon-to-be 28-year-old has emerged as the No. 1 free agent available ahead of the Frenzy.

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told the DFO Rundown Podcast in late March that the two sides agreed to put off talks until after the season. Sources on both sides indicate there is a significant gap between what Carolina appear willing to pay and what Hamilton’s camp believes is market value.

To that end, it makes little sense for the Hurricanes to even re-sign Hamilton at the moment, with July’s Expansion Draft looming. Protecting the pending free agent Hamilton would mean the Hurricanes would also have to expose defenceman Jake Bean.

The Expansion Draft is just one complicating factor, ahead of a third consecutive off-season with the same $81.5 million salary cap due to COVID-19, that makes 2021 one of the largest and most intriguing free agent classes ever.

For the first time ever, TSN Hockey’s Top 30 Free Agents includes a coach in Rick Tocchet. The Arizona Coyotes and Tocchet announced their decision to part ways this week and Tocchet is expected to receive interest from multiple teams, including some that may opt for a coaching change specifically because the three-time Stanley Cup winner (once as Penguins player, twice as Penguins assistant coach) is up for grabs. Tocchet, 57, did more this season with less than almost any other coach in the league in Arizona.

It also includes an intriguing Group VI free agent in Arizona's Michael Bunting, who some teams think may be this season's Carter Verhaeghe or Jonathan Marchessault.

more with a list...

What a save, huge save, 2nd effort, etc.

A little over 2 minutes long and from a CBJ game on April 27th.

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he will take his time, which makes sense because his hire might be determined by personnel choices. Seth Jones said Monday, “I really have to take a step back and think about what I want.”

That’s the biggest question facing the franchise. Columbus has let him know a huge payday awaits, and likely the captaincy, too. Opposing players said the strain of the season, both on-ice and off, noticeably weighed on Jones, so taking time away isn’t a bad idea. The Blue Jackets also want clarity on Zach Werenski, eligible for an extension two years from unrestricted free agency. If both commit, the path is clear. If not, do you rebuild or deal for immediate help?

- Chris Drury is pretty popular. Not sure what he’s going to do with his front office, but there’s a lot of interest in working for him, and, by extension, the Rangers.

- The Boston-Washington kicks off the playoffs on Saturday night. Canadian teams are expected to begin next Wednesday. It might just be me, but do the North Division playoff teams need to wait for Calgary and Vancouver? I can see Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg annoyed at waiting and getting a tougher schedule.

It’s going to be weird without many late-night games, as Vegas is only Pacific time-zone team in the post-season.

many more Thoughts, including Jack Eicher...

NHL players advise us on their favorite nicknames.

from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

If you're the rookie GM of the 31st-place club trying to look good in front of ownership, it's probably a pretty easy sell that you're going to build your team around Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jack Quinn, Mattias Samuelsson, Arttu Ruotsalainen, a re-signed Ullmark and whoever you draft in the top three in July.

As bad a day as Monday felt like, go read the previous paragraph again. It makes things look less dark. And that's before you add whatever players or picks they might get in any deals for Eichel, Reinhart or Ristolainen.

Maybe that's what they should do. The veterans didn't seem to go out of their way to throw any olive branches on Monday to Don Granato. Frankly, it doesn't look like they give a damn who the coach of this team is going forward. It's not like they perform for anybody who's been behind the bench here at all in recent years, their odd love for Ralph Krueger notwithstanding.

Remember, this franchise has won exactly nothing with those three guys. It hasn't played a single playoff game with a No. 8 pick in 2013 and guys taken No. 2 the two following years. Nobody can argue this trio hasn't given a lot over nearly 1,400 combined NHL games between the three of them. It hasn't meant a thing.

more

So to start to evaluate where Eichel could be traded, we asked The Athletic’s NHL staff to evaluate their team’s level of interest in Eichel and what they could offer in a package.

Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings have the cap space, draft capital and farm system to put together a highly competitive offer for Eichel, who is a high-end No. 1 NHL center with elite scoring. That’s the kind of piece the Red Wings sorely need, and he fits their age range. But the cost to acquire him would be high, perhaps prohibitively so. The Sabres could reasonably ask for top defense prospect Moritz Seider, plus a high-lineup current NHLer and Detroit’s top 10 pick, at which point the Red Wings wouldn’t be much closer to contending than they are today. And Eichel wouldn’t likely be any happier, either. Yzerman should do his due diligence, but it’s not a great fit between two rebuilding teams. -Max Bultman

more (paid) teams...

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

What “very quickly" means to one person is not necessarily reflected in another person’s meaning.

The Detroit Red Wings’ season has been over since an overtime loss Saturday night in Columbus, and general manager Steve Yzerman still hasn’t shown his hand regarding Jeff Blashill’s coaching future. Last month, Yzerman said he’d sit down with Blashill “very quickly” after the season ended, but it has been two days and counting since the final horn.

Yzerman’s comments April 12 indicated he already knew what he was going to do: Extend Blashill’s contract, inform him his time with the organization is over — or perhaps tell Blashill there’ll be a new coach coming in, and offer him a different position, such as scouting.

continued

from Bill Dow at the Detroit Free Press,

As part of his series on former Detroit sports figures, Bill Dow caught up with former Detroit Red Wings coach and hockey legend Scotty Bowman....

Bowman on coaching players:

“When you go to a new team, it takes a while to get to know everybody. Some players, you cater to more than others. Some players have to be pushed and prodded and some you have to be quiet with. Some players you can’t get on them or they’ll pack it up.

"I never tried to sugar coat it with the players and I think they wanted you to be honest with them. You have to tell them what is truthful and what is not. But when it’s all said and done, to get the most out of the good players they needed someone to be pushing them and that’s how they got into the NHL.”

more ($$$)

THREE HARD LAPS

* Some matchups and seeds are still to be determined, but the field is set for the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Canadiens clinched the 16th and final berth on Monday.

* Both matchups in the MassMutual East Division First Round were confirmed – the Panthers also clinched the No. 2 seed in the Discover Central Division.

* Tonight’s two-game slate features the Capitals and Bruins contesting their season finale before meeting in the 2021 First Round, while the Jets look to earn one point and clinch the No. 3 seed in the Scotia North Division.

NEW YORK (May 10, 2021) – The National Hockey League today announced the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round series between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals will begin on Saturday, May 15 at 7:15 p.m. ET in Washington. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series between the MassMutual East Division rivals will be broadcast on NBC in the United States and on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada. The complete 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round schedule will be announced in the coming days.

Leo Komarov.

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

I don’t believe the Rangers have any intention of replacing Mika Zibanejad with Jack Eichel next season. It is possible they could add Eichel, whose relationship with the Sabres represents a case study of next-level dysfunction, but no one should make that assumption, either.

The Blueshirts need to import a veteran leader with a track record of NHL team success. There was a reason, former GM Neil Smith said back in the day, that he traded for Oilers and not Sharks. Not only hasn’t one player on the roster won the Stanley Cup, Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba (once as a Jet) are the only guys who have even played in the conference finals.

Eichel, coming off a herniated disk and other assorted ailments, has never played in a playoff game in his six years in the league. Is that necessarily on the 24-year-old team captain? Of course not, but neither does he check the box about veteran leadership or having a successful team résumé.

The Rangers also need a player for their top-six who will set a physical tone and force the opposition to back off. Would Eichel do that?

continued