As the Stanley Cup Playoffs field narrows down to eight, I thought it would be a good time to check in on our Seattle Expansion Draft projections for the teams that are still alive. Projecting who will be exposed and taken in the July draft can be a fool’s errand at times, but this should give Kraken fans another element of enjoyment for these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Expansion Draft projection framework
To help manage expectations and add context to the projections, I put together a framework to help guide the conversation.
Projection category:
Protected: Players being projected as being protected by their current team.
Watchlist: Players that are shortlisted for the Seattle Kraken, should they be made available.
Unprotected: Players that are eligible for the Expansion Draft but are unlikely to be protected or picked by Seattle. I have filtered these players out of any projection tables.
Projection Confidence Level:
The Projection Confidence Level is subjective and is an illustration of how confident I am in the Projection Category. For example, Matt Barzal is a lock to be protected and has a projection category of “Protected” and a Projection Confidence Level of 100%. For another example, I am confident that Morgan Geekie will be high on the Seattle Kraken’s watchlist so I gave him a 75% confidence level as a “watchlist” player.
There is also a scenario where some very good players are pending Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA). The Kraken have an exclusive 48-hour window where they can negotiate with these pending UFAs to agree to terms on a possible contract extension. If they can agree to a deal, the Kraken will draft these players off their respective teams. This will be extremely rare in the Expansion Draft, and as such, I am only giving a 10% confidence level for any pending UFAs of note.
All year long it seemed as if Ron Francis and crew would have the pick of two former Tri-City Americans with Jake Bean and Morgan Geekie as likely exposure candidates. It recently became clear, though, that Dougie Hamilton is unlikely to sign an extension with the Hurricanes before the Expansion Draft. This will open a protection spot for Jake Bean. Geekie should still be exposed and looks like the target here.
There is also a chance the Kraken want a bit more experience with their roster and target Brady Skjei on defense or Jesper Fast as a wing. Geekie has yet to play in a playoff game this season but is a likely candidate to step in if there are any injuries to the forwards.
Tampa Bay Lightning Expansion Draft Projections
One way or another, the Tampa Bay Lightning will have plenty of options for the Kraken to choose from. The Lightning are also one of the more complex teams to project for the Expansion Draft. On Saturday, I was forecasting they would want to protect former first-round draft pick, Cal Foote, and go with the 4-4-1 format vs the 7-3-1 format. On Monday, I changed my mind and now feel they will put a higher value on Ondrej Palat, thus forcing them back to the 7-3-1 format. The final two forward slots are interchangeable with most of the forwards on the watchlist. Even Ross Colton seems to be having a breakout year and could end up protected.
To add to the complexity of predicting the Lightning’s approach to the Expansion Draft, Tampa needs to move money off its roster to be salary cap compliant for next season and is primed for a side deal. When the Expansion Draft is complete, I expect Seattle to grab at least three assets from Tampa. I predict at least one of Killorn, Gourde, or Palat to be part of the Expansion Draft. Additionally, the Bolts will want to move Tyler Johnson’s salary and what better place than Seattle to make that happen? They will need to move a prospect or some future draft picks for the Seattle Kraken to consider taking on Johnson’s $5 million salary.
Boston Bruins Expansion Draft Projections
The Bruins are another complex team to evaluate for the Expansion Draft. Of the forwards, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson has been playing in Sweden all season, and Ondrej Kase was forecasted as protected at the beginning of the season but has not played since January due to injury. Meanwhile, Trent Frederic and Zach Senyshyn are just breaking into the NHL which makes their evaluation challenging. On defense, Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Lauzon do not have the offensive upside of a Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes, but they could be stable defenders in the NHL for many years. These are good options from Boston, but they all have some level of risk.
It is worth calling out that Taylor Hall is a pending UFA and most people predict him to re-sign with the Bruins. If this happens, it will more than likely occur after the Expansion Draft and will not be a contributing factor in Boston’s protection list.
New York Islanders Expansion Draft Projections
The New York Islanders will probably approach the Expansion Draft as an opportunity to shed some salary by exposing and then encouraging Seattle to select a high salary player. On the surface, it looks like the last forward protected spot will come down to Kieffer Bellows or Josh Bailey. But would anyone be surprised if general manager Lou Lamoriello exposes Jordan Eberle or Brock Nelson to bait Seattle into taking one of those players and their cap hit? I do not expect it, but I also know that Lamoriello can be unpredictable.
Perhaps more likely, Lamoriello could expose Semyon Varlamov to move his $5 million cap hit since it appears that Ilya Sorokin is the goalie of the future for the Islanders. Sorokin is exempt from the Expansion Draft and does not require protection.
Tomorrow I will cover the other three teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that are participating in the Expansion Draft next month (remember, Vegas is exempt). I hope this gives you another reason to enjoy these games as we get closer and closer to the Expansion Draft.
The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is all but wrapped up, with just one series still underway. It has been a doozy of an opening foray into the postseason, with everything you could possibly want from goalie duels (what most fans are obviously seeking) to high-scoring affairs. And for those of us in Seattle, it is impossible not to daydream about the fact that the Kraken could very well be participating in this tournament just one year from now.
Seattle Kraken news
While you’re attending said playoffs next season, it’s totally within the realm of possibility that you’ll work up an appetite while screaming your face off, drinking your $12 Coors Lights (we don’t actually know the prices of beers, but we assume they will be high), and relentlessly swinging your Tentacle Towel (patent pending) around your head. Well, fear not for hunger, because the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena announced a few of their food vendors this week, and the options are going to be pretty legit.
Introducing The Climate Collective, where we believe food should be genuine, delicious, innovative, and invite all #SeaKraken fans and guests to take a seat #UnderOurRoof.
Who doesn’t want some Din Tai Fung soup dumplings at intermission?
AHL arena groundbreaking set for June 2
It feels like it has been a long time since we’ve had any update on arena construction for the Kraken’s top minor-league affiliate in Palm Springs. There has finally been some publicly visible progress this week, as Oak View Group has planned a groundbreaking ceremony for Wednesday, June 2.
The Coachella Valley Arena is expected to cost $277 million and will have a capacity of up to 11,700, depending on the event.
Fitzhugh brings the… “heat”
Friend of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast and broadcaster for the Seattle Kraken, Everett Fitzhugh, threw out the first pitch at the Mariners game on Friday. Word around the campfire is he bounced it in low, but we won’t hold it against him.
Being a Wild fan is a sad and lonely place. Minnesota was ousted in classic first-round fashion Friday after an exciting series with the Vegas Golden Knights that went to a Game 7. Even I can see, though, that the hockey world has been clamoring for a Vegas-versus-Colorado matchup, and even I can admit that it has the makings for an all-time series. T-Mobile Arena in Vegas will also be back to 100% capacity, so prepare to have your face rocked off.
The other series matchups that have been set also have potential to provide incessant thrills. Top divisional seed Carolina takes on the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Bruins will take on the Islanders, who have surprised once again. In the North, Winnipeg will face the winner of Toronto and Montreal, set to play Game 6 at 4:30 P.M. Pacific on Saturday and Game 7 (if necessary) on Monday.
All three U.S.-based series will get underway this weekend, with Boston and New York kicking things off at 5 P.M. Pacific on Saturday.
Gretzky signs on with Turner
It had been rumored for a while that Wayne Gretzky was considering joining one of the two new national rightsholders’ broadcast teams. The Great One did officially sign on this week as a studio analyst for a reported $3 million per season with Turner Sports after ESPN had also courted him. Gretzky had apparently been serving as vice chairman of the Edmonton Oilers (which few in the hockey world knew) and has stepped down from that role to accept the deal.
We at SOH are excited to see such an important voice in the hockey world coming back to the forefront, but we also wonder how engaging Gretzky will be. At the end of the day, we want the national coverage to bring enthusiasm, energy, and fun to the intermission shows, and those aren’t personality traits that immediately jump out when you listen to Gretzky speak. Still, he’s the best player of all time, and he’s done everything one can possibly do in the sport, so he should at least have some great insight.
Craig Morgan also reported that Darren Pang and Keith Jones have signed on with Turner. Holy jumpin’!
Also hearing that Turner has signed Darren Pang & Keith Jones. Heck of a team assembled at Turner. https://t.co/MRbEyYSo7E
There’s something exhilarating about donning the sweater of a visiting team and loudly cheering for them while in hostile territory. I’m not the “get drunk and fight people because their fandom doesn’t perfectly align with mine” type, but I am the “get drunk and talk a little smack to those around me without pushing too hard because I don’t want to get beaten up” type.
But how can you be that person if the visiting building has an asinine policy in place that doesn’t allow you to wear your team’s gear to the game?
Yes, Tampa Bay still had its controversial rule in place, introduced in 2015, that forbade opposing fans from wearing team gear in premium seating areas.
A Florida Panthers fan posted a video of himself and his 11-year-old son being approached by team security during the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and in the conversation one of the security officers goes so far as to threaten to bring in the Tampa Police Department.
Having visiting fans in your building is part of sports, and it adds to the intensity of an important game. What a ridiculous idea this was in the first place. Good riddance.
Robert Morris removing Men’s and Women’s Division I hockey programs
“Robert Morris University announced today it will no longer field NCAA Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey teams as part of a series of strategic initiatives intended to position the university to be amongst the most agile and professionally focused schools in the nation as it prepares for its upcoming 100th anniversary.”
Man, what an opening to a statement about eliminating a sports program that has helped hundreds of young men and women achieve their dreams.
We always root for hockey to succeed at every level and in every market. We also fully understand that universities have budgets, and hockey isn’t always the highest priority within those budgets (especially after a year like the one we’ve just experienced). But delivering such devastating news under the guise of a centennial celebration feature is quite the groin kick for current and former players, coaches, and staff of the program.
A petition to save Colonials Hockey gathered more than 16,000 signatures, but this sounds like a done deal, at least for now.
Around the boards
After a very scary incident last week involving the face of John Tavares and the knee of Corey Perry, the Toronto captain was back on the ice Thursday.
No matter who you are rooting for tonight, we can all agree that it’s AWESOME to see @91Tavares back on the ice today! ❤️pic.twitter.com/rbv491GzCH
There’s another Kraken in the neighborhood, as the Lake Cowichan Kraken are set to join the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League as its tenth franchise. Nobody tell the Kraken Bar & Lounge.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
With the playoffs in full swing, the guys are in a good mood this week, and they are willing to make completely speculative guesses at a few items. Will they be right? Tune in every week for the next few months to find out! Oh, and on this Sound Of Hockey Podcast the guys welcome an awesome guest this week in Ben Guerrero, Director, Media Relations for the Seattle Kraken!
Ben previously worked for the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals and has some great stories to share from those days. It’s a fun and informative chat with Ben that gives a peek behind the curtain for hockey fans.
This week, you’ll also get a fair amount of Kraken potential head coach discussion, as well as general NHL Playoff banter and – as always – plenty of chuckles along the way.
Segments include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
Are you starting an NHL franchise from scratch? If so, one of the top priorities you’ll need is a defenseman who can move the puck, man the power play, and create offense. The 2021 NHL Draft is littered with such defensemen which is good for the Seattle Kraken, who it turns out are starting an NHL team from scratch. Hailing from Sweden, Simon Edvinsson is such a defenseman who just may be on the Kraken radar during July’s draft.
Seattle will know exactly where it will be selecting in the draft after the lottery on June 2. No matter where their lotto balls fall, they do know that they’ll land somewhere between picks one and five.
There is no consensus top pick in this draft class, nor is there agreement on who the top five picks are going to be. The Kraken have some offensive options to choose from along with a strong class of defensemen.
Edvinsson may be the top blueliner available and is a player to watch.
Simon Edvinsson by the numbers
Edvinsson, 18, is listed at six-foot-five inches tall and 207 pounds which means he’s already NHL sized.
Last season he played for a number of teams, including a 10-game stint with Frolunda in the SHL, Sweden’s top professional league. He also was the top defenseman for Sweden at the U18 World Championships in Texas where Sweden won a bronze medal. In seven games there, he scored a goal while adding four assists.
As is most of this draft class, Edvinsson is all over the map as far as where he’s ranked. Among the various online draft-heads, he shows up as low as ninth and as high as second in the various lists. That puts him in the crosshairs for the Kraken to select Edvinsson.
The pros at NHL Central Scouting have Edvinsson ranked as the second-best international player in their final rankings.
Simon Edvinsson the player
When you look at Edvinsson’s traditional numbers, they don’t jump off the page at you. At no point in any of the leagues he competed in was he a big scorer.
So, why is he considered a top-of-the-draft prospect and a guy who can fill that need for an offensive defenseman?
“The thing about Edvinsson is that whoever is drafting him is drafting the potential,” prospect guru Chris Peters says on his Hockey Sense site. “He’s still pretty raw, hasn’t really figured out how to use his size yet and certainly hasn’t learned how to take charge. I think he’s going to get there with time and development.”
Scouts love his size and the way he skates.
Watching his tape, the potential is there and like a lot of draft-eligible players, the development is still to come.
Simon Edvinsson, #3, LHD playing for Frölunda. 17 year old, a top prospect for the 2021 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/HxVnb1659z
He has good vision and ability to set up his teammates. The clip below is at even strength, but watching it you get a sense of what he would look like manning the power play for the Kraken.
While he shows the ability to work the point on the power play, Edvinsson is an excellent skater, especially for a guy his size. He has speed and can be dangerous on the rush, as seen in this clip where he moves the puck from deep in his own end all the way to the attacking zone where he finds an open teammate.
Simon Edvinsson (2021) played his first Allsvenskan game yesterday and picked up this beautiful assist after carrying the puck all the way up the ice #NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/lDW6Tx2b8D
Finally, in this clip, he gets the puck, gets his head up, and makes a smart and accurate lob pass that sets up a dangerous scoring chance for a teammate.
#Allsvenskan: Pretty good start to Simon Edvinsson's (#9 Black) game today as Vasteras takes on Karlskoga. This is a gutsy lob but he times it perfectly. Wasn't used on either special teams and sat for a long stretch but he's been physical; passes have been crisp and on the tape pic.twitter.com/DKtxXiDwCY
— The Draft Analyst (@TheDraftAnalyst) March 5, 2021
Will the Kraken take Simon Edvinsson at the NHL Draft?
It’s impossible to say where Edvinsson sits on the Kraken internal draft board. They won’t be leaking that information, but it’s safe to say he’s on the radar for an early selection.
He is a player who will need more development, so don’t expect him to be a player that moves straight to the NHL in year one. More likely he’ll play back in Sweden this upcoming season to further work on his consistency and explosiveness.
There are other impressive defensive prospects in this draft, including Michigan’s Owen Power and Brandt Clarke from the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Edvinsson is in that grouping and it may come down to how Kraken head scout Robert Kron and general manager Ron Francis rate the potential to come.
With the playoffs in full swing, the guys are in a good mood this week, and they are willing to make completely speculative guesses at a few items. Will they be right? Tune in every week for the next few months to find out!
Oh, and the guys welcome an awesome guest this week in Ben Guerrero, Director, Media Relations for the Seattle Kraken! Ben previously worked for the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals, and has some great stories to share from those days. It’s a fun and informative chat with Ben that gives a peek behind the curtain for hockey fans.
This week, you’ll also get a fair amount of Kraken potential head coach discussion, as well as a good deal of general NHL Playoff banter and – as always – plenty of chuckles along the way.
Segments include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
The San Diego Gulls were eliminated by the Bakersfield Condors Monday night in the AHL’s Pacific Division playoffs thanks to a 2-1 overtime decision. Head coach Kevin Dineen’s club had a strong year, finishing first within the division in points but officially in third place due to points-earned percentage – a sign of this strange Covid hockey season. With Dineen’s season over, could he be a stealth candidate to become the first head coach of the Seattle Kraken?
Seattle general manager Ron Francis has remained tight-lipped on who he is considering, only to offer that the Kraken are in no hurry and would likely not hire anyone until they have a better understanding of how the field looks.
Most of the contenders being speculated about would have to get fired, or were just fired, or ‘agreed to part ways’ – which is the nice way of being fired. So, why not go with someone who is coming off successful seasons, like Dineen?
Francis has said over and over that he prefers a coach who has prior NHL experience to join the Kraken in year one. Dineen checks that box and many others, and he could end up in the mix to be the first head coach for the Kraken.
Kevin Dineen’s coaching path
Dineen, 57, is most known for his time as an NHL player, appearing in 1,188 games between the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored 355 goals over his career before retiring in 2003.
It didn’t take him long to get back into hockey, as he was hired as the head coach of the AHL’s Portland Pirates in 2005. Portland was the affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks and Dineen would spend six successful seasons guiding the future Ducks.
During his tenure, he never suffered a losing season and won 45-plus games in four of his six seasons. That got the NHL’s attention, and in 2011 the Florida Panthers brought him in as head coach. His first NHL season was a good one as the Panthers won 38 games and won a division title for the first time in a decade.
They lost in the first round, however, and would struggle the following season. Dineen would be let go 16 games into his third season, ending his NHL stint with a 53-62-28 record. After Florida, Dineen took a job leading Canada’s women’s national team and would lead them to a gold medal during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Kevin Dineen has been the head coach of the San Diego Gulls since 2019. Photo credit: San Diego Gulls
Later that season he found himself back behind an NHL bench, as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks. He would spend the next five seasons with the Blackhawks, picking up a Stanley Cup ring in 2015.
The Ducks would bring Dineen back in 2019 to head up their new AHL franchise in San Diego. With the Gulls the past two seasons, he’s done well with two winning campaigns and a 56-36-1-8 record.
Having local ties isn’t the top credential to becoming the first Kraken coach, but it doesn’t hurt. Dineen is very connected, not only to Ron Francis – the two played together in Hartford and Carolina – but to the city as well.
Dineen’s father, Bill Dineen, played for the Seattle Totems from 1964-1969 and Kevin spent his early years living in Queen Anne. Bill would later coach Kevin with the Flyers, but before that he was an amateur scout with the Hartford Whalers.
Francis has shown no hesitation in bringing in people he knows to the Kraken organization. He had worked previously with assistant general manager Ricky Olzyk and head of scouting Robert Kron. He played with Dineen and there is a familiarity with the family.
Could that be a deciding factor when considering coaches?
Dineen also had his games called by Kraken television play-by-play broadcaster John Forslund.
Why would Dineen make a good coach for the Kraken?
Dineen checks off a lot of the boxes that Francis and the Kraken are going to be looking for in a head coach.
First off, he has NHL experience. His two years in Florida were a mixed bag with his second season not as fruitful as the first. That second season the Panthers suffered a number of injuries and were not able to overcome that adversity in a season shortened by labor issues. After those lessons, he continued to learn on the bench in Chicago under Quenneville, one of the best coaches in the league.
Every other year he’s been a head coach was a success with zero losing records. Dineen has been able to coach competitive teams at every level.
His AHL record is impressive. And that bodes well for the coach of an expansion team that will rely on young players and a roaster pulled together in the mash-up that the Expansion Draft will produce. Dineen is known for his deft work with young players to help them develop into NHLers.
In the AHL, rosters are constantly revolving and despite that turnover, Dineen’s clubs win hockey games, which is the bottom line. This past season’s Gulls roster had 21 players who were new to San Diego and the Ducks franchise. That sounds a lot like how an expansion team will look.
Will Kevin Dineen be the guy the Kraken turn to? We will have to wait and see, but he has the credentials and track record that make him a true contender. He may not be the big name in the room right now but might end up being the best name and ultimately, the first head coach of the Kraken.
Hockey is made for rivalries. Nothing gets the blood boiling of players or fans more than a hated team skating into the arena. The Seattle Kraken don’t have any true rivals, yet. There is the close proximity to the Vancouver Canucks that opens up the possibility for a heated divisional opponent there, but the teams will have to play the games before we truly know if there’s bad blood.
Rivals are born in the playoffs as a hotly contested series breeds dislike.
When the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league, it was assumed there would be a natural rivalry with Los Angeles, or even Arizona. But after three years of playoff matchups, disdain quickly brewed for the San Jose Sharks, and boy do those teams hate each other now.
While it’s fun to poke Vancouver leading up to October, what about the rest of the Pacific Division? Which one of those teams will clash with the Kraken? What do we really know about these teams?
We are going to take a look at the Pacific Division team by team and get to know their history, their vibe, and where they’ve been to better get to know the Seattle Kraken rivals. First up, the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks have the potential to form a healthy, and tasty, rivalry with the Kraken. Seattle is no stranger to Bay Area hatred, just ask the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. You also have the Seattle Mariners and, well, nobody hates the Mariners so that’s not a good comparison.
Here is a first look at the San Jose Sharks, a potential Seattle Kraken rival
Established: 1991
Nickname history: A fan vote originally suggested the name ‘Blades’ but ownership preferred the runner up ‘Sharks’
Logo tidbit: The triangle on the Sharks logo is said to represent the ‘Red Triangle,’ an area in the Pacific Ocean known for its large shark population.
First season: 1991-1992 finished with a 17-58-5 record
AHL affiliation: San Jose Barracuda
ECHL affiliation: None
2020-2021 record: 21-28-7
Stanley Cup Final appearances: One, 2016, lost to Pittsburgh Penguins
Presidents’ Trophy: One (2008-2009)
Division titles: 6
All time leading scorer: Patrick Marleau – 1,102 points
In my world, nothing beats overtime hockey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and without a rooting interest in this year’s Playoffs, I can enjoy it without having heart palpitations. This year’s Playoffs kicked off with three straight overtime games and last night the hockey gods treated us with two more overtime games. For this week’s Data Dump Saturday, I am going to look at how this Playoff season is tracking in various categories to previous years.
Overtime games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
As the chart shows, this year we have seen an above average number of overtime games through the first 22 games with eight. It is important to call out that the NHL categorizes last year’s play-in round as playoff games and for the purposes of this post, they are also categorized as playoff games.
Average goal differential
A playoff season with more overtime games is naturally going to have a lower goal differential compared a to playoff season with less overtime games so the lower goal differential this season should be expected.
Empty net goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Historical goal differential might be a bit misleading considering the trend of pulling the goalie earlier in the third period to get an extra attacker when a team is down. By the down team pulling their goalie earlier provides more opportunity, i.e. time, for the team that’s up to score and thereby increase the differential.
Here is a look at the empty net goals scored in the first 22 games.
This increase of empty net goals will contribute to a higher goal differential that might mislead to show that games are not as close as they really were. Game analytics support pulling goalies earlier leading to overtime games and thereby improving a team’s chances of winning. For more on this I would suggest you check out the great work by Meghan Hall on pulling goalies.
Summary
Between the quantity of overtime games and the smaller goal differential, it appears there is a parity across the teams. The divisional playoff format might explain some of this parity. Traditionally, the best regular season team in the conference plays the lowest qualifying team in the conference, a one seed vs eight seed. The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoff format has the one seed playing the four seed inside the division. Mathematically this will create match ups of teams of closer ability. However, with a regular season schedule that was made up of exclusively divisional opponents, it is difficult to draw any conclusions from this format, but it makes you wonder if we should see this division playoff structure in the future.
For now, let’s just root for more overtimes and hope for some game sevens.
Sometimes, hockey fans just need to express their feelings, especially during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. I am a hockey fan. I am a long-suffering Minnesota Wild fan. Currently, my feelings are injured. If you happened to watch Game 3 of the Minnesota/Vegas series on Thursday, you understand that being a Wild fan really is a miserable state of being. After Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead and dominated the first period, then appeared to take a three-goal lead, it felt like it was going to be smooth sailing. But wait! There’s an offside challenge! And it’s successful!
Boom. Back to 2-0.
Vegas predictably owned every inch of the ice the rest of the way, and Minnesota lost 5-2 while getting outshot 40-16 in total.
Sometimes I think I’m cursed as a sports fan. Sometimes I think I’m ready to throw 100 percent of my fandom behind the Seattle Kraken. Sometimes I think that me being a fan of the Kraken is actually the worst thing that could happen to that brand-new franchise that frankly does not deserve this brand of constant sports-induced agony.
Anyway, if you haven’t yet gathered, playoff hockey is here, and it’s been electric, with the highest of highs for some (Avalanche fans, Hurricanes fans, etc.) and the lowest of lows for others (Wild fans, Blues fans, et al).
Seattle Kraken news
After the big announcement last week that Seattle had signed its first ever player in Blainville-Boisbriand Armada center, Luke Henman, this was a much quieter week on the Kraken front.
Instead, we had just a couple of very small tidbits. The team unveiled some more details about its plans for youth programming at the new Kraken Training Center, and also announced a Covid vaccination pop-up at the Kraken Team Store at Chandler’s Cove on Tuesday, May 25. Get a shot and get 25% off on Kraken gear! How about that?
We are also happy to share that Seattle had a pretty good troll job on the Canucks this week, after that franchise continued its downward spiral into the abyss.
for everyone asking, yes, we are accepting applications for new fans. 😏
With the first round no deeper than Game 3 in any one individual series, it really does feel like we’ve already seen it all at this point. Goalie duels, back-and-forth affairs, overtime thrillers, you name it, we’ve already seen it. One can only hope that this riveting band of hockey continues as we move forward, and if history is any indicator… It will.
Imagine not being an NHL hockey fan during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Scary moment in Toronto
The hockey world held its collective breath on Thursday when Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares got hit in the neutral zone in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens, then fell awkwardly into Corey Perry’s knee. The video was downright scary, as medical staff rushed onto the ice and supported Tavares’s head while he went in and out of consciousness.
Tavares was eventually carried off on a stretcher and gave a thumbs up.
Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe told media on Thursday night that Tavares was conscious and communicating and his test results were coming back “clear.”
The Canadiens came away with a surprising 2-1 victory to open the NHL Playoffs, thanks to a spectacular goal by Paul Byron.
With the NHL Playoffs in full swing, people tend to forget there’s another world-class tournament that happens around this time, in which the best of the rest all get together to try to prove that they are good at hockey, despite not being able to carry their respective NHL teams. Yes, the IIHF World Championship starts on Friday in Riga, Latvia.
What’s most interesting about this tournament, though, is that it often gives some top prospects an opportunity to compete against professional players on a big stage. This year is no different as draft-eligible forward Matty Beniers will suit up for Team USA, while his Michigan teammate Owen Power and Winnipeg Jets prospect Cole Perfetti will play for Canada.
Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro will also be there, sporting one hell of a look.
Canada gets underway Friday against Latvia at 10:15AM Pacific. Team USA will start against Finland on Saturday at 6:15AM Pacific. Most of the interesting matchups throughout the tournament will be on NHL Network.
Everett Silvertips part with GM
The Everett Silvertips announced on Thursday that they would not extend the contract of general manager Garry Davidson.
Here’s SOH’s resident Silvertips expert, Josh Horton, with his thoughts on the matter:
Also, Garry was such a pro. I don’t think I heard anyone say a bad word about him while I was on the Tips beat. Amazing person to work with from my perspective and it’s going to be weird thinking of him not at the helm in Everett.
The Silvertips and Davidson have been synonymous with one another, and Everett’s success as an organization is very much thanks to Davidson’s efforts over the years.
Around the boards
Speaking of hockey executives named Davidson (I just couldn’t resist that segue), the Blue Jackets hired John Davidson as president of hockey operations and alternate governor. Davidson was canned by the Rangers on May 5 in the midst of the Great Tom Wilson Fiasco of 2021. He had previously worked for the CBJ’s in the same role up until 2019, when he left to join the Rangers. Davidson re-kindles his connection with Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who also signed an extension with Columbus through the 2024-25 season.
Team USA legend Meghan Duggan was hired by the New Jersey Devils as a player development manager this week. Duggan, 33, has seven IIHF World Championship gold medals, two Olympic silvers, and one Olympic gold.
After a cross-up behind the net between Ilya Samsonov and Justin Schultz led the Capitals to a double-overtime loss to the Bruins in Game 3, Alex Ovechkin let (presumably) Samsonov have it. In times like these, it is important to remember that it is never the goalie’s fault.
Bad boys
Nazem Kadri has been offered an in-person hearing from the NHL after nearly taking Justin Faulk’s head off in Colorado’s Game 2 win over the Blues on Wednesday.
And speaking of the Great Tom Wilson Fiasco of 2021, I was texting with a Colorado fan about the Kadri hit on Thursday. He made a fair point that it’s hard to justify suspending for a split-second, blink-of-an-eye play like this when Wilson nearly smashing two players’ heads through the ice only earned him a $5,000 fine a couple weeks ago.
But the thing is, the NHL has absolutely set a precedent that it does not want this type of hit happening on its watch. Since the Department of Player Safety was established in 2011, it has been very consistent in always suspending for these Raffi-Torres-Matt-Cooke-lookin’-a$$ hits.
Kadri will absolutely miss a couple games for this one.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Every NHL Stanley Cup Playoff season I enjoy digging into rosters to see how teams compare across relatively basic demographic information such as nationality, age, and acquisition type. As they say, sharing is caring. (Note: data sources are a combination of capfriendly.com and various statistical reports out of NHL.com.)
Average age across Stanley Cup Playoff rosters
Stanley Cup rosters by nationality
The league is roughly 45% Canadian, but variance across certain teams can be profound. Here is the breakdown of nationality by team.
How the players were acquired
This is a fun view on how these teams were built.
An interesting callout for Vegas is that Nicolas Hague is the first draft pick to make an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Golden Knights. This is his fourth season since being drafted and should be a good example on setting expectations for Seattle Kraken NHL Entry Draft picks in July.
Salary cap by playoff team
Technically there is no such thing as a salary cap in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but this year playoff salaries are getting a bit more discussion. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning brought back Nikita Kucherov from long-term injured reserve just in time for the playoffs, pushing the team way over the limit of what would be the cap. But again, there is no salary cap for the playoffs.
I hope this gives you a little more insight into the teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. If you have questions about the data or some additional angles you would like me to consider, let me know in the comments section.
