The Central Division has been my favorite to watch this season.
We have everyone’s favorite band of jerks (Carolina Hurricanes) on the verge of breaking through as legitimate Stanley Cup Champion contenders.
We have the established juggernaut (Tampa Bay Lightning) that has a potential trump card up its sleeve in Nikita Kucherov, who is expected to return for Game 1 after a core muscle injury.
We have the upstart surprise team (Florida Panthers) that could potentially play spoiler to the two aforementioned squads.
We also have the Nashville Predators.
Here’s how the two matchups stack up and some players to watch for.
No. 1 Carolina (36-12-8) vs. No. 4 Nashville (31-23-2)
Jokes aside about Nashville, the Predators quickly pivoted after a horrendous start to the season and outlasted the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff runner-up Dallas Stars for the fourth and final playoff spot in the division.
The Predators are 20-7-1 since an 11-16-1 start to the season, which prompted many to wonder if Nashville would execute a fire sale at the deadline. A big reason for that is young Finnish goalie Juuse Saros, who is rocking a .939 save percentage since March.
Unfortunately for Nashville, Carolina is equipped with all the makings of a buzzsaw.
The ‘Canes are third in the NHL in Corsi for and first in xG. Carolina’s top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Teuvo Teravainen has been highly effective when all three are healthy and are humming at full strength — the trio boasts a 59 percent expected goals rate on 5-on-5 when together, according to Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic.
Oh yeah, and buckle up for Dougie Hamilton versus Roman Josi. That will be a fun matchup of star defensemen.
No. 2 Florida (37-14-5) vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay (36-17-3)
This is, without a doubt, my most anticipated first-round matchup of the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Panthers are high-octane and tough to play against due to their high possession style and four really solid lines. Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov are superstars up front, MacKenzie Weegar has developed into a bonafide top-pair blue liner, and goaltender Chris Driedger has been a feel-good story in net.
But, how many games will Driedger get to the start? Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been as good as the 26-year-old netminder — Bobrovsky’s .906 save percentage is underwhelming compared to Driedger’s .927 clip this season, but it’s presumed he will have the net to begin the series out of deference to his experience (and his rather inflated contract).
How long a leash Bobrovsky has for the Lightning series will be something to monitor, especially if he stinks in Game 1. Additionally, will Florida head coach Joel Quenneville have the stones to start promising rookie Spencer Knight if both aren’t up to the task? The former Boston College goaltender has been solid in limited action this season.
The Panthers are 5-2-1 against the Lightning this season, including two convincing wins in which Florida outscored Tampa 9-1 in the final two games of the season.
But Tampa’s regular season has been hard to gauge, as Kucherov and Steven Stamkos have both returned to practice and should be ready to go for Game 1, adding even more firepower to a potent lineup (and power play). It’s unclear how much either will be able to contribute after their long absences.
Additionally, with hockey’s best goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa will be hard to topple, but Florida has enough firepower to make this interesting.
Giddy up.
Seattle Kraken Watch List
*Player key (Position, Stats — GP-G-A-P for skaters, GP, GAA, SV% for goalies)
Carolina
Brady Skjei (D, 52-3-7-10)
A popular choice to be taken by Seattle, especially with Hadyn Fluery sent to Anaheim, the 27-year-old blue liner is worth keeping a keen eye on.
Jake Bean (D, 42-1-11-12)
With Dougie Hamilton set for unrestricted free agency, there’s a very good chance Bean, 22, is protected. But just in case, keep an eye out on the former Tri-City American anyway.
Geekie, another former Tri-City Americans star, might not draw into many games early on, but the young forward is of great interest to Seattle.
Alex Nedeljkovic (G, 23, 1.90, .932)
In the case Nedeljkovic isn’t protected by Carolina (if he’s lights out in the playoffs, it’s unlikely), keep tabs on the young netminder from Parma, Ohio.
Petr Mrazek (G, 12. 2.06, .923)
It’s unclear how much Mrazek will play, but the pending unrestricted free agent should be monitored closely by Kraken fans.
Tampa Bay
Yanni Gourde (F, 56-17-19-36)
The productive 29-year-old forward is certainly worth keeping an eye on, despite the lengthy contract that nets him just over $5.1 million average annual value (AAV) through 2024-25.
Mathieu Joseph (F, 56-12-7-19)
Joseph is Seattle’s likely choice if they want a young forward from Tampa, even though the 24-year-old will likely be a bit player for this Lightning team in the playoffs.
Alex Killorn (F, 56-15-18-33)
The veteran forward still has some gas left in the tank at just 31 years old and is a key member of Tampa’s lineup.
Ondrej Palat (F, 55-15-31-46)
We’ll see if Palat returns to a line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, an effective trio during the Lightning’s 2020 Stanley Cup run, since Kucherov is back. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old winger would be a plug-and-play pick for the Kraken.
Ryan McDonagh (D, 50-4-8-12)
The plug-and-play pick from Tampa on defense. McDonagh’s $6.75 million AAV contract through 2025-26 is a potential holdup, considering there is a glut of attractive choices from Tampa.
Tyler Johnson (F, 55-8-14-22)
Johnson, a Spokane, Washington native, might be the pick via side deal, as the Lightning have been trying to shed Johnson and his lofty $5 million AAV contract through 2023-24 since the end of last season.
Cal Foote (D, 35-1-2-3)
It’s unclear if Foote, the eldest son of former NHLer Adam Foote, will be protected or not, but in case he’s not, the 22-year-old worth keep tabs on.
Florida
Radko Gudas (D, 54-2-9-11)
The former Everett Silvertip, nicknamed “The Butcher,” brings a physical element to Florida’s blue line, and could be the pick is Seattle is seeking that type of player.
Alexander Wennberg (F, 56-17-12-29)
Wennberg, an unrestricted free agent, has been a key cog in Florida this season as a two-way center and is worth monitoring.
Frank Vatrano (F, 56-18-8-26)
Vatrano is still in his prime, has been productive this season, and perhaps most importantly, is on a team-friendly contract.
Markus Nutivaara (D, 30-0-10-10)
The big, Finnish stay-at-home defenseman is still relatively young at 26. Expect him to play a third-pairing role for the Panthers against Tampa Bay.
Sam Bennett (F, 10-6-9-15)
Bennett was a trendy choice to be taken out of Calgary, and very well could be the choice in Florida, especially with how he’s played recently — the 24-year-old posted nine points in the final five games of the regular season.
Chris Driedger (G, 23, 2.07, .927)
Last but not least on Florida is the Panthers’ surprise goaltender. Driedger, a pending unrestricted free agent, might be behind Bobrovsky on the depth chart to begin the series, but there’s a good chance he plays plenty against Tampa.
Nashville
Matt Duchene (F, 34-6-7-13)
Duchene has been disappointing this season, but he’s a big name that could be available as a pending unrestricted free agent.
Ryan Johansen (F, 48-7-15-22)
Similarly to Duchene, Johansen is a veteran center that’s available via unrestricted free agency, if the Kraken decide to pursue that route.
Colton Sissons (F, 54-8-7-15)
The 27-year-old forward has been marginally productive this season, but he’s been a 30-point player in the past.
Rocco Grimaldi (40-10-3-13)
A small winger at 5-foot-6 that’s been a steady bottom-six contributor for Nashville this year.
Yakov Trenin (F, 45-5-6-11)
The young Russian forward isn’t playing a big role for Nashville, but he’s a good one to watch.
In the end, the two teams sitting atop the Honda West Division were the teams we all expected to be there heading into these playoffs. But most of us did not predict that the divisional title would come down to the final game of the season. The race was so tight that Vegas Golden Knights netminder Robin Lehner was publicly rooting for the LA Kings against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
Lehner’s support was too little, too late, however, as the Avs overwhelmed the inferior Kings and rolled to a 5-1 victory, a Presidents’ Trophy, and a divisional title with 82 points. The Golden Knights also finished with 82 points, but Colorado had more regulation wins on the season to break the tie.
So the divisional field is set. Avalanche versus Blues, Golden Knights versus Wild.
Let’s do this.
Colorado Avalanche versus St. Louis Blues
GAME
DATE/LOCATION
TIME
TV
Game 1
Monday, May 17 in Colorado
7 p.m. PT
NBCSN
Game 2
Wednesday, May 19 in Colorado
7:30 p.m. PT
CNBC
Game 3
Friday, May 21 in St. Louis
6:30 p.m. PT
USA
Game 4
Sunday, May 23 in St. Louis
Time TBD
TV TBD
Game 5
Tuesday, May 25 in Colorado (if necessary)
Time TBD
TV TBD
Game 6
Thursday, May 27 in St. Louis (if necessary)
Time TBD
TV TBD
Game 7
Saturday, May 29 in Colorado (if necessary)
Time TBD
TV TBD
Can the Avs stay relatively healthy this time?
Thursday’s win over the Kings was a nice microcosm of how Colorado can play when it is on top of its game. The Avs move the puck with so much zest and creativity that their opponents end up looking two steps behind trying to defend.
Widely considered a Stanley Cup contender last season as well, the Avalanche bowed out in the second round with a Game 7 loss to the Dallas Stars. Contributing to the defeat was a whole host of injuries that hit the team at the same time, with Gabriel Landeskog, Erik Johnson, Joonas Donskoi, Matt Calvert, and goalies Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Fracouz missing at least a portion of the series.
This year, the Avs skate into the postseason with their star players mostly healthy. The one exception is Brandon Saad, who is dealing with a lower body injury and may miss the start of the playoffs.
Goaltending is again a bit of a question mark, at least at the beginning of the postseason. With Francouz missing the entire regular season, the Avs acquired Devan Dubnyk at the trade deadline to shore up its backup situation, but he is currently on Covid protocol and will not be able to return until at least Tuesday. He also hasn’t been great this season in general. Dubnyk’s absence should be moot, though, as Grubauer is good to go and has had an outstanding season, winning 30 games with a 1.95 goals against average and .922 save percentage.
Assuming they stay relatively healthy, it’s Stanley Cup or bust for this Colorado team which is just oozing with offensive talent both up front and on the blue line.
Kraken fans should keep an eye on Ryan Graves, Tyson Jost, and Devon Toews, as at least one of those three should be exposed in the Expansion Draft.
The Avalanche have won five out of eight contests against the Blues.
But it would be foolish to assume St. Louis will go quietly into the night. Remember, it has only been two seasons since head coach Craig Berube took this club from dead last in the league on New Year’s Day to Stanley Cup champions in June.
There has been a decent amount of roster turnover, with Alex Steen and Jay Bouwmeester retiring and Alex Pietrangelo departing to Vegas in free agency. But the bulk of the team remains in tact, with Mike Hoffman and Torey Krug being added in free agency to help fill the holes left by the departures.
The real star of that 2018-19 Cup run was goalie Jordan Binnington, who burst onto the scene and carried St. Louis all the way through to the promised land. Binnington, now armed with a six-year whopper of a contract worth $36 million, appears ready to go back to work in the postseason. He hasn’t had that great of a season, but he has gone 6-0-3 in his last nine starts. If Binnington falters, Ville Husso has shown flashes of brilliance lately and is fresh off a 31-save shutout of Minnesota on Wednesday.
It was largely a three-team division during the regular season, with the Blues sneaking in as the best of the rest, but little was expected of them in 2018-19 as well and look what happened then.
The Blues have gotten stellar seasons out of captain Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron, who are each north of 50 points on the year.
St. Louis has also dealt with a lot of injuries, though, and has several key players out right now. Vladimir Tarasenko, who has had a very tough ride over the last couple seasons with serious shoulder issues, is now day-to-day with a lower body injury. Vince Dunn and Colton Parayko are also day-to-day, while Oskar Sundqvist is out for the year with a knee injury.
It’s been four seasons and four playoff appearances for the Golden Knights, who are once again legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. With a platoon of top-tier netminders in Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury and heaps of talent throughout the lineup, Vegas is a well-oiled machine.
Still, there have been some odd bumps in the road this season, as general manager Kelly McCrimmon has played fast and loose with the salary cap, and it has come back to bite him. On Monday, Vegas could only dress 15 skaters because of the cap crunch and a few untimely injuries. That game was against Colorado, and a win would have clinched the Presidents’ Trophy and division for Vegas. Instead, the Golden Knights lost that night and ultimately frittered away that title chance.
The other consequence of the cap mismanagement for Vegas is that it has found itself in a tougher matchup. The Wild have surprisingly had the better of the Golden Knights, going 5-1-2 in eight meetings. Meanwhile, Vegas dominated St. Louis with a 6-1-1 record, so a first-place finish would have delivered a preferable opponent for the opening round.
Nonetheless, there’s a lot to like about Vegas’ chances. The VGK’s are so well balanced up front, with production coming from each of their top three lines. Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty have had incredible seasons, though Pacioretty has been dealing with an upper body injury, so we will see how that plays out in the playoffs. Meanwhile former Seattle Thunderbird Shea Theodore is emerging as one of the best offensive defensemen in the league.
Other than Theodore and fellow former Thunderbird Keegan Kolesar, there’s nothing to see here on the Seattle front, as Vegas is exempt from the Expansion Draft.
Wild have surprised all year
Minnesota was not really on the national radar coming into the season, but that quickly changed when fans started to learn the name Kirill Kaprizov. The 23-year-old rookie exploded out of the gate and has not looked back, notching 27 goals and 24 assists on the season and quickly playing himself into the “best player in franchise history” conversation. The budding Russian superstar is truly something special to watch.
There’s been a real changing of the guard for the Wild over the past couple seasons. Out went the likes of Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and Devan Dubnyk, and in came Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, Mats Zuccarello, and Cam Talbot.
General manager Billy Guerin, hired to replace the ousted Paul Fenton in August, 2019, was not responsible for all those moves, but he has made it clear that what players have done in the past no longer guarantees them a spot on the team. Coach Dean Evason has also done a masterful job at pushing buttons and eliminating similar assumptions about playing time, even going so far as to scratch Zach Parise and his $7.5 million cap hit several times this season. Parise very well could be in the press box for most or all of these playoffs.
The Wild also have a solid platoon of goalies in Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen, who have made the timely saves that so often alluded this team in the past. The Achilles heel for Minnesota is center depth, because there simply is none.
The Wild are remarkably healthy heading into the postseason, though they skittered to a disappointing finish to the regular season after clinching a playoff spot.
Seattle Kraken fans should keep tabs on Talbot, Carson Soucy, Marco Sturm, and Marcus Foligno who will all likely be exposed, as well as longer shots Jordan Greenway and Matt Dumba.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are back, and the MassMutual East Division opens this weekend with a couple of enticing matchups as the Boston Bruins face the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the New York Islanders.
It starts Saturday with a fun matchup between two veteran teams with opposite strengths, and Sunday we get to see if the Penguins are truly back. This is just the beginning so prepare your couch for heavy use as we watch it all play out over the next month and a half.
Here’s a look at the first round matchups for the MassMutual East Division:
New York Islanders (4) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (1)
The Matchup – Two years ago these teams met in another first-round matchup that resulted in a sweep by the Islanders. The Penguins come into this series hot, winners of three in a row and eight of the past 10. It’s not the same for New York, which started the season strong but has trailed off down the stretch and limped into the playoffs.
Pittsburgh had a resurgent season of sorts and after two early postseason exits in a row will have some pressure to go further this time around. Offensively, Crosby has been what you’d expect him to be and will be the focus again. The Penguins overcame some injuries this season but got Malkin back in the fold near the end of the season and are firing on all cylinders while scoring the most goals in the division and second-most in the NHL.
New York held onto top spot in the division at one point, but it’s been a struggle for coach Barry Trotz and his troops. To try and add some offensive punch, the Islanders picked up Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri from New Jersey. The two longtime Devils have not provided said punch, however, and have combined for just three goals.
The Penguins have the league’s fourth-best power play, which sets up a strength-on-strength situation in this matchup as the Islanders are sixth on the kill. Conversely, the Islanders are near the bottom of the stack in power-play rankings while the Penguins have struggled to consistently kill off penalties.
Wild Cards
While the trade with the Devils didn’t pan out as the Islanders had hoped, they have been getting contributions from rookie Oliver Wahlstrom who potted 12 goals and 21 points in 44 games. He could end up being a factor providing some much-needed secondary scoring for the offensively challenged Islanders.
The Penguins added Jeff Carter at the deadline and the veteran has been hot, potting nine goals. He adds more options for the already stacked Penguins attack.
Both clubs have some options for the Seattle Kraken to track in preparation of July’s Expansion Draft. Pittsburgh will have choices to make between protecting quality depth forwards Teddy Blueger, Jared McCann, or Brandon Tanev. The Islanders have some cap issues that could expose guys like Leddy, Bailey, Michael Dal Colle, or potentially rookie Keiffer Bellows.
Who’s going to win this?
In one corner the Penguins have one of the top offensive attacks in the NHL, and they’ll be facing one of the stingiest teams in the Islanders. This will come down to who can impose their will more. Trotz will try to slow things down for the Islanders to hinder Crosby and company. In the end, the Penguins have too much firepower resulting in a Pittsburgh win in six games.
Washington ended the season tied with Pittsburgh but lost out on the division title because of a tiebreaker. Both are veteran-laden teams that still have pieces from their most recent Stanley Cup triumphs, so there won’t be an experience edge for anyone. Storylines abound in this series as Boston legend Zdeno Chara returns to face the Bruins as a Capital.
Boston’s top line of Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Marchand continue to be among the best in the league and the Capitals will need Chara and Brenden Dillon to stand tall on the back end. The Bruins rely on the big three for scoring – they scored 72 of Boston’s 168 goals this year – but that might not be enough. Players such as David Krejci and Craig Smith need to find a way to score. In goal, Rask is playing in what could be his last season in Boston and that will be motivation for one more kick at the can.
Washington has been consistent all season and appears to have overcome an injury scare to Ovechkin late in the season. The Russian star can still fire the puck, and while the Bruins have one of the best defenses in the NHL, nothing seems to stop Ovechkin. One of the top goal-scoring teams, the Capitals have depth scoring and outside of their top players, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Tom Wilson can pick up the slack scoring wise.
Both teams are good on special teams, which should be a wash. But in any playoff matchup, discipline is key.
Wild Cards
Boston won the trade deadline’s biggest chip by landing Taylor Hall from Buffalo. Since joining the Bruins he’s been good with 14 points in 16 games. The Bruins struggled to score consistently prior to Hall arriving, and he could be the key to closing the gap with Washington. Vanecek has been a revelation for the Capitals this year, but he is unproven. The rookie has never played in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, and he’ll need to rise to the occasion to beat the Bruins in this matchup.
Kraken watch
Seattle could end up getting some key players at the Expansion Draft out of this playoff matchup. For Boston, they may end up exposing players such as Nick Ritchie up front or defenders Jeremy Lauzon or Connor Clifton. Washington is an interesting team to watch for the Kraken. Vanacek could be an option in goal but has played so well that Washington could end up protecting him and exposing Ilya Samsonov instead.
Who’s going to win this?
The Bruins are the defensively oriented team while the Capitals scored all the goals this season. It’s always a fun playoff matchup when strengths are at odds. Boston needs to find secondary scoring and could get it from Hall. Will he be enough to push the Bruins past the rookie Vanacek and into the second round? Yes, Boston in six.
The Sound Of Hockey Podcast welcomes another AWESOME guest this week in Robert Kron, the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Seattle Kraken. As a long-time veteran of the NHL, Kron has a very interesting story from his playing career, and his post-playing career has been equally fascinating. Hear all about it plus some insider information about his approach to scouting in this fantastic interview.
Also on this week’s episode, the guys discuss this week’s Kraken news, last week’s NY Ranger circus, Torts’ dismissal from Columbus, and Jack Eichel’s frustrations in Buffalo.
Bits this week include Sound Of Hockey’s Three Stars.
Segments include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week. Oh, and the guys also work in a Let’s Get Quizzical with Robert Kron.
The Sound Of Hockey Podcast welcomes another AWESOME guest this week in Robert Kron, the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Seattle Kraken. As a long-time veteran of the NHL, Kron has a very interesting story from his playing career, and his post-playing career has been equally fascinating. Hear all about it plus some insider information about his approach to scouting in this fantastic interview.
Also on this week’s episode, the guys discuss this week’s Kraken news, last week’s NY Ranger circus, Torts’ dismissal from Columbus, and Jack Eichel’s frustrations in Buffalo.
Bits this week include Sound Of Hockey’s Three Stars.
Segments include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week. Oh, and the guys also work in a Let’s Get Quizzical with Robert Kron.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs start this weekend in the NHL, and it will be the last time that the Seattle Kraken will be mere spectators for it. In the future it will be easy to choose what to root for in the playoffs. But what about this year?
Maybe it’s your last go-around with the NHL team that you have rooted for prior to the existence of the Kraken. Maybe you have a favorite player who’s making one final run in his career.
There is plenty to root for in the playoffs and we have chosen a few items to help point in you in a rooting direction. This is by no means a list of demands.
You’re free to root for whatever or whomever you want. We have somewhat open minds. This is a list for those not sure. Should you root for Vegas in these playoffs? No, no you shouldn’t, and we explain why in our list below.
What are you going to be rooting for during the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Root for plastic rats in Florida
It was back in 1996 when Florida Panthers forward Scott Mellanby one-timed a rat that had snuck into the home locker room. The legend of Mellanby’s ‘rat trick’ – he went out and scored twice with the rat stick – grew and soon Florida fans would flood the ice with plastic rats whenever a Panther scored.
It was great.
The Panthers, in their third year of existence, made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final that year. Obviously, they were powered by the toy rats. The Panthers have their best team since then as they prepare to face Tampa Bay in the first round, and it’s time to bring the rats back.
Sure, in 1996 the NHL put a stop to it by threatening to enforce delay of game rules against the Panthers for the rats, but that was a long time ago. Surely, we can get a couple of games’ worth of rats before the NHL reacts. Bring them back!
Root for the Panthers-Lightning series to be contentious
For the first time ever, the two Florida-based teams are facing off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and we are rooting for it to get intense. Hockey in Florida has never quite taken hold as the NHL hoped but the potential is there.
The Lightning have had more success as a franchise, but a hard-fought, nasty series here could help explode the sport. Playoffs help grow rivalries and a knock-down seven-game series in this matchup will help create some must-see Florida hatred. They played each other at the end of the regular season, and it was chippy so let’s root for that to continue into the playoffs.
Root for a Connor McDavid-Auston Matthews battle
If Toronto avoids a first-round meltdown – and what are the odds of that? – the Maple Leafs and Oilers are slotted to meet in the second round, and it would be glorious. It would lead to two of the best players in the world facing off for a shot to advance to the Conference Finals. The popcorn is being popped now.
A series like this won’t get the attention it deserves in the U.S. because, well, reasons, but it could bring Canada to a halt. McDavid turned in a season for the ages with 104 points in 55 games and Matthews’ bid for 50 goals came up just short at 41 – still amazing. This would be the Gretzky-Lemieux playoff series we never got to see, and we could get it in HD television.
Root for a Maple Leafs loss in Conference Finals
The Toronto Maple Leafs are Canada’s team. At least that’s what the Toronto media and fans would have you believe. We’ve all enjoyed their consistent first-round exits despite a roster full of star players. It’s been fun, but the script needs to be juiced up as the story is becoming stale.
Wouldn’t it be better if they made it all the way to the Conference Finals only to lose a horrible, gut-wrenching Game 7 debacle? We like the schadenfreude that the Maple Leafs provide, and it will be extra tasty if it comes one step away from the Cup Final. Queue the distraught Mitch Marner meme now.
Root for more thrill from Kirill
Minnesota rookie Kirill Kaprizov burst onto the scene this year and was so good that he made the Minnesota Wild interesting. They used to be a bore, but now you can root for the Wild as they suddenly play exciting hockey. At the center of it is Kaprizov, who will easily win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. More Kirill, which comes with a run of sorts, will make the playoffs that much more entertaining.
The Vegas Golden Knights were a great story when they shocked their way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, their first year. Since that early run, they’ve continued to be one of the top teams in the NHL and last year made a second appearance in a conference finals series. All that success has placed near-impossible pressure and expectations on the Kraken for their first season. Enough already. We get it, but now it’s time to root against Vegas in the playoffs. Let’s calm things down a beat.
Root for the Northwest to represent
As always, there are a number of players with Northwest connections in the playoffs. That makes it easy to root for their teams throughout all the playoff series. Some have better chances than others and while this list isn’t exhaustive, let’s all root for guys who are on contending teams like Washington’s T.J. Oshie (Mount Vernon native) and Brenden Dillon (Seattle Thunderbirds), Tampa’s Tyler Johnson (Spokane Chiefs), New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds), Florida’s Radko Gudas (Everett Silvertips), and Vegas’ Shea Theodore (Seattle Thunderbirds) and Keegan Kolesar (Seattle Thunderbirds).
Root for the playoffs to end quickly
Normally, we want the Stanley Cup Playoffs to last forever, but this year let’s root for them to end quickly. The playoffs are what is standing between us and the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft in July. No, shorter series won’t push up the Draft date but once the playoffs end, all attention will turn to Seattle. Turns out, we’re narcissists so let’s root for these playoffs to go by in a blink so we can continue to speculate on coaches and potential players that the Kraken will be adding.
It was only a matter of time. From the moment the Seattle Kraken officially became the NHL’s 32nd team almost two weeks ago, we knew this news was on the horizon. Now the Kraken have signed their first player in franchise history, agreeing to a three-year entry-level deal with 21-year-old center Luke Henman.
Henman has played the last four full seasons (plus a portion of 2016-17) with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he has also served as captain the last two years. He has put up impressive numbers in that league, and during his captaincy has been better than a point-per-game player.
Henman was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft but did not get signed, becoming an unrestricted free agent. He wasn’t a particularly big guy when he was drafted — Francis referred to him as “slight” when he addressed the media on Wednesday — but Henman has since filled out a bit and is now officially listed at 172 pounds.
Regardless of if he ever cracks the NHL roster for the Kraken, Henman will always be remembered as the franchise’s first player. As such, the team needed a guy with the pedigree to handle the additional spotlight that goes with that distinction.
“I’m a pretty passionate guy about hockey,” Henman, who comes across as affable and polished, said Wednesday. “You know, there’s a few morals that I live by. Being a hockey player is just to compete hard every day and be a good teammate and be a likeable person. If you can do that, good things will happen.”
Francis also shared that additional weight was placed on finding the right guy to shoulder the extra attention.
“I think that’s important in all our players. We’ve done it in the past when I’ve worked with other organizations, and to me character is a big part of who you want in your organization,” Francis said. “It’s always easy when things are going well, but when things are tough, it’s the guys with character that are able to pull you out of those tough situations. The fact that he was a captain for a couple years, and his leadership skills sort of bear that out, there’s no doubt that was a big part of our decision making.”
Henman highlights
Henman, a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native, notched a few beauties in his junior career.
The QMJHL also put out a pretty great video in March centering on Henman’s game-day routine. In it, Henman’s Armada teammates and coaches speak very highly of him as both a player and as a human being.
This is only a first step for Seattle, but it’s an important one. Francis and his scouting staff needed to get not just the right player, but the right person to be remembered as the first-ever Kraken.
Early indications are that the team has nailed it with Henman.
The Armada are in the midst of a five-game quarterfinal playoff series with the Victoriaville Tigres and currently trail 2-1. The remaining games of the series can be watched via the Canadian Hockey League’s streaming service, CHL TV.
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.
While general manager Ron Francis tries hard to keep his coaching search under wraps, it’s very likely that his top choices to become the Seattle Kraken’s first head coach are still under contract somewhere else.
Back in November, Kraken ownership reportedly gave the front office permission to hire a coach whenever it felt ready. Last month Francis said he expects a decision by the end of the second quarter and is patiently waiting to see in “the next month or two” who will be available (coaches looking for work, on expiring contracts or “other situations that may be looking to make a change,” i.e., soon to be fired). Clearly, if Francis’ first choice had already been available, the Kraken would have hired him by now.
Another quality that’s not necessary, but will certainly help, is Francis’ close ties and familiarity with coaching candidates. After playing 23 seasons in the NHL and working another 13 years in NHL front offices, Francis has accumulated quite a lengthy list of connections.
Just look at some Kraken hockey operations personnel, for example. Assistant GM Ricky Olczyk and pro scout Mark Hunter worked for the Hurricanes when Francis held front office roles in Carolina. Assistant GM Jason Botterill worked alongside Francis on Hockey Canada’s management team for the 2019 World Ice Hockey Championship. Director of player personnel Robert Kron, director of amateur scouting Norm Maciver and pro scout Stu Barnes were NHL teammates with Francis. Pro scout Jon Goodwin was Francis’ junior hockey teammate on the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds.
It’s been said we’re all linked to everyone else by six degrees of separation. But if you want the plumb NHL job as the Seattle Kraken franchise’s first head coach, good luck if you’re more than one degree removed from Francis.
Unfortunately for the Kraken, these notable Francis connections won’t be available: Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, Edmonton Oilers coach Dave Tippett, Washington Capitals coach Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers coach Alain Vigneault and Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason.
Inasmuch as it would be refreshing to hire a new face instead of the usual suspects who end up being recycled around the league, Seattle will need a seasoned coach who can command respect and get results from a veteran-laden lineup. Comments by Francis back this up, and it would take an incredible audition and interview for a coach without NHL head coaching experience to blow away the Kraken.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday, and it would be nice to get the new coach involved on player assessments well ahead of the July 21 Expansion Draft. So here’s a rundown of the Kraken’s coaching candidates, divided into three groups: Francis connections, backup plans and longshots. NHL head coaching records are in parentheses.
Friends of Francis
Rod Brind’Amour (120-66-20 in three seasons with Carolina)
Brind’Amour coached the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference finals in 2019, the conference semifinals in 2020 and first place in the Central Division this year. Carolina’s 80 points are tied with Vegas for most in the NHL through Tuesday night. He is the first Hurricanes coach to make three consecutive playoffs and is a front-runner for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year. Yet, Carolina has bewilderingly dragged out negotiations on a contract extension and might lose him after this season.
Recent reports have the two sides getting closer to an agreement, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has said Brind’Amour won’t re-sign unless his coaching and training staff also get new deals. But the longer these negotiations take, the chances increase for the Kraken to swoop in and land the best man for their job.
Brind’Amour was Francis’ teammate on the Hurricanes from 2000-01 to 2003-04 and succeeded Francis as Carolina’s captain. He was also an assistant coach for Carolina when Francis held various front office roles, including GM and director of hockey operations.
John Stevens (171-148-43 in seven seasons with Philadelphia and Los Angeles)
In his second season as head coach, Stevens took the Flyers to the 2008 Eastern Conference finals but hasn’t won a playoff round since.
As an assistant coach in L.A., Stevens helped the Kings win two Cups and became a highly sought-after head coaching candidate. After the Kings fired him from his head coaching duties early in the 2018-19 season, Stevens has been an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars for the past two seasons.
Stevens helped the Stars reach the Cup Finals last season, but they missed the playoffs this year. He’s been in charge of the forwards and the team’s 5-on-5 offense, which ranks 21st in the NHL with 101 goals.
Stevens was a member of the 1990-91 Hartford Whalers along with Francis.
Todd Nelson (17-25-9 in one season with Edmonton)
Nelson played only three NHL games, but one of them was alongside Francis on the 1991-92 Penguins.
After playing many years in the minor leagues, Nelson paid his dues coaching in the American Hockey League and United Hockey League. Nelson served as a head coach for eight seasons in the AHL, winning the Calder Cup championship in 2017 with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
His only NHL head coaching job was on an interim basis for the Oilers after Dallas Eakins was fired 31 games into the 2014-15 season.
Nelson just completed his third season as an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars where he works on the power play with fellow assistant Derek Laxdal. The Stars’ power play ranks fifth in the NHL (23.6 percent) this season.
Rick Tocchet (178-200-60 in six seasons with Tampa Bay and Arizona)
Tocchet was a formidable power forward in his playing days but hasn’t had close to the same success behind the bench. His only playoff appearance came during last year’s pandemic bubble where the Coyotes lost in five games to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round (though they beat the Nashville Predators in the play-in round).
Arizona dumped Tocchet on Sunday after four seasons. His reputation for what Friedman describes as “one of the best around at handling players that are not easy to reach” could get the attention of his former teammate on the 1992 Stanley Cup champions. Francis and Tocchet played together on the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1991-92 to 1993-94 and in juniors with The Soo.
Paul Maurice (761-670-125 – and 99 ties – in 23 seasons with Hartford/Carolina, Toronto and Winnipeg)
Winnipeg was cruising nicely through most of this season, but a recent slump that had the Jets losing nine out of their past 11 games raises questions about Maurice’s job security. A quick playoff exit against the potent Edmonton Oilers just might bring an end to Maurice’s eight-season run in Winnipeg.
Among active NHL coaches, only Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper has been in his current job longer than Maurice. Fair or not, the shelf life of hockey coaches doesn’t last very long.
Maurice is well-respected around the league, has his players’ backs, and won’t have to wait long for a new job if he hits the market. He coached Carolina when Francis returned to play for the Hurricanes/Whalers organization from 1998-99 to 2003-04.
Francis and Vellucci were teammates on Hartford in 1987-88, and Vellucci served as assistant GM and director of player development in Francis’ front office with the Hurricanes from 2014 to 2017.
Plan B coaching options
Gerard Gallant (270-216-51 – and four ties – in nine seasons with Columbus, Florida and Vegas)
Gallant is high atop most everyone’s Kraken coaching list after he took the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season.
Knowing how to squeeze the most out of a first-year expansion team is invaluable. But he’s been unemployed for a little more than a year. If the Kraken really valued and wanted Gallant, they could have landed him by now. Being perceived by some as unwelcoming toward analytics doesn’t help his case with the progressive-minded Kraken either.
Mike Babcock (700-418-164 – and 19 ties – in 17 seasons with Anaheim, Detroit and Toronto)
Winning a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings and two Olympic gold medals with Canada speak for themselves. But Babcock’s history of mind games and questionable treatment of some players can’t be brushed aside. That and the $5.875 million per year he’s being paid to not coach the Maple Leafs through 2022-23 will likely be tough obstacles to overcome.
Travis Green (123-130-31 in four seasons with Vancouver)
Green’s Canucks improved every season until a sudden regression had them miss the playoffs this year. Vancouver’s surprising run to the 2020 Western Conference semifinals was probably more indicative of Green’s abilities than this year’s COVID-19 train wreck. Green’s contract ends after this season, and the Canucks’ baffling indecisiveness in re-signing him could end up sending a rising coaching star to Seattle.
Bruce Boudreau (567-302-115 in 14 seasons with Washington, Anaheim and Minnesota)
In his favor, the longtime coach has never had a losing season in the NHL and worked with Kraken director of hockey strategy and research Alex Mandrycky in Minnesota. Boudreau hasn’t won a playoff round since 2015, however.
We’ll have to see if the Kraken want Boudreau.
Claude Julien (667-445-152 – and 10 ties – in 19 seasons with Montreal, New Jersey and Boston)
Julien won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 and took them to the Cup Final again in 2013. But he hasn’t won a playoff round since 2014 and an emergency heart procedure caused Julien, 61, to miss part of the Canadiens’ 2020 postseason. Montreal fired him 18 games into this season after he couldn’t pull the team out of an early slump.
Rikard Gronborg
If the Kraken really like to do things differently, then hiring Gronborg would fit that model perfectly. The former national team coach for Sweden just completed his two-year deal with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League and reportedly has designs on landing an NHL job. New Jersey pursued him last year before hiring Lindy Ruff, and we can expect Gronborg’s name to be linked to more NHL coaching rumors.
Gronborg, who was an assistant coach for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs in 2004-05, has won two World Championships and 16 medals for Sweden. It’s only a matter of time before he becomes the third European to coach in the NHL.
David Quinn (96-87-25 in three seasons with the New York Rangers)
Fresh off being fired Wednesday by the Rangers, Quinn should land a second chance somewhere after MSG chairman James Dolan got impatient with the team’s rebuild. Quinn’s background in college hockey (Boston University) sets him up better to work with younger players.
Longshots to be Kraken coach
John Tortorella (673-541-132 – and 37 ties – in 20 seasons with Tampa Bay, New York Rangers, Vancouver and Columbus)
Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning and has had impressive results nearly everywhere he’s coached. But his old-school style and abrasiveness wouldn’t be a good fit in a new market. The Kraken coach needs to be on board for selling hockey to new fans, and Torts’ frequent condescending or curt responses to questions from the media won’t help.
Kirk Muller (80-80-27 in three seasons with Carolina)
In one of his first moves as Hurricanes GM in 2014, Francis fired Muller after he missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. Have assistant and associate coaching gigs with St. Louis and Montreal since then made Muller better suited to lead an NHL team?
Dave Hakstol (134-101-42 in four seasons with Philadelphia)
Since he was fired by the Flyers, Hakstol has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with Toronto. He oversees penalty killing, which ranks 26th (79.9 percent) in the NHL. He never got out of the first round in two playoff appearances with the Flyers, but the former University of North Dakota coach could get another shot at a head coaching job in the NHL.
Hakstol and Francis worked together on Team Canada when Hakstol was an assistant for Alain Vigneault’s coaching staff at the 2019 World Championships.
Samuelsson first left the Kraken to become head coach of Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League in 2019-20. He previously coached MODO in Sweden for two seasons and was 39-29-8 as head coach of the Charlotte Checkers, Carolina’s AHL farm team, in 2016-17 when Francis was Hurricanes GM.
Francis has obviously aided Samuelsson’s coaching aspirations, but can the Kraken GM objectively determine if Samuelsson is ready to be an NHL head coach?
Jim Wilkie is a longtime Northwest journalist, former NHL editor and NHL Insider writer for ESPN.com, onetime GSHL All-Star, and SJHA hockey dad. Follow him on Twitter @jimwilkie.
The Seattle Kraken are going to select T.J. Oshie from the Washington Capitals in July’s Expansion Draft. At least that’s what media and message board punditocracy seem to have already determined.
It’s a presumption that makes sense on the surface.
Oshie has been a great NHLer for over 800 games, and his accomplishments are cemented in hockey fans’ memories. He’s an Olympic hero for his shootout antics during the 2014 games, he won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals and drank beer through his shirt. Just this past week he recorded an emotional hat trick, days after his beloved father passed away.
Simply put, he’s got cache.
Oh, and he also has a Northwest connection. In case you weren’t aware, Oshie grew up in Snohomish County before moving to Minnesota as a teenager to find more competitive hockey. Of course, if he’s exposed by the Capitals, the Kraken will select him for that local angle, right? Imagine the jersey sales and marketing opportuities.
But should they? What matters more, his local connection or his production on the ice? While Oshie being selected in the Expansion Draft would make for a nice story, the Kraken want to win.
Will selecting Oshie in the Draft help the Kraken market the team?
Oshie returning to his hometown would be a great narrative. The local kid leaves home as a teenager, achieves great success before returning home to lead the new NHL club in its infancy. It’s got a feel-good Disney movie written all over it.
The Kraken really don’t need help marketing the team, though.
They’ve sold out all their season tickets, built a waiting list of 60,000 people, and merchandise has been flying off the shelf – and that’s without jerseys being available.
Further, while the local hockey fans – of which there are plenty – are aware of who Oshie is and where he came from, the casual sports fan may not. If you randomly polled ten local Seattle sports fans, ones who don’t follow hockey but will root for all the hometown teams, how many will know Oshie’s name? Four? Three?
Still, his selection would be a story, one that every local and national hockey writer will write about in the post-draft excitement. The local news will produce features and Oshie will make the rounds on the local sports radio stations – stations that have mostly ignored the NHL to date.
That exposure will capture those six or seven casual sports fans who didn’t previously know him. They will relate to Oshie, connect with him, and it will help cement the Kraken into the local sports scene – plus, he’s already a Seahawks fan.
Is being a local product worth the Kraken taking T.J. Oshie at the Expansion Draft?
So, there is a benefit to having a local guy come back, but still, what about the production on the ice? After all, winning is the ultimate marketing tool. Nothing will excite the city better than putting out a competitive product early into the Kraken history.
Is Oshie’s production worthy of an Expansion pick from the Kraken?
Oshie will turn 35 two months into the upcoming season, but his play has not shown any decline at this stage of his career. In 53 games with Washington this season he’s scored 22 goals with 43 points.
Those numbers are on pace with the bulk of his career.
He can still shoot, and this year’s 20.8 percent shooting percentage is the second highest in his career, coming off a 19 percent mark the season prior. Throughout his time in the NHL he’s averaged just over two shots per game and is at that pace this year as well, showing no drop-off.
Oshie has only had one NHL season where his Corsi-For percentage was under 50 – this year he’s at 52 percent – and his expected goal (xG%) percentage this year is also 52, which is an increase from last season. Not only is he still driving possession but he’s creating chances for the Capitals.
Those are all great five-on-five numbers, but the Capitals use Oshie quite a bit on the power play, and that’s where he’s really come through. With Washington this year, he’s scored 13 power-play goals for a total of 17 points with the man advantage.
His salary is high, with four years left of a $5.7 million contract that would have the Kraken on the hook until he’s 39 if they were to select him at the Expansion Draft. That amount may be reasonable now, but will it in four years?
If they like the local angle, defenseman Brenden Dillon may also be available. He’s younger, cheaper, still productive, and his time as captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds was more recent. It’s not clear if he’s ever drunk beer through a jersey or t-shirt but Dillon would be a solid top-four defenseman for the Kraken.
Seattle could also consider a young goalie from Washington. Vitek Vanecek, 25, burst onto the scene as a rookie this year and is worth a look. He will likely be exposed (we think Ilya Samsonov gets protected, but if it’s the other way around, then Samsonov is also worth considering), and while he does not have a long NHL track record, Vanecek would be a promising young goalie that the Kraken could groom for the future.
In the end, the Kraken do not have to select Oshie. They have options when it comes to the Capitals, but Oshie will certainly be in the mix. While he is aging, he is still producing at a high level and would instantly become a fan favorite for the way he plays the game and carries himself off the ice.
General manager Ron Francis will weigh all the Oshie factors and have to decide if the salary is worth his age. The prospect is enticing and there is a strong chance that Oshie will be in Kraken colors this fall. If that does come to fruition, it will be because he can and will produce on the ice.
Last week, James Mirtle of The Athleticmentioned that Chris Driedger is a goalie of interest for the Seattle Kraken. Mirtle is hardly the first person to mention Driedger’s name in the same sentence with the Kraken, but he was the first to reference “sources.” Driedger is having a good season as a platooning goalie for the Florida Panthers and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. This makes him an interesting candidate to be one of the inaugural season goalies for the Kraken.
My concern is Driedger has only seen limited action in the NHL and based on the small sample size, we might not have enough games to assess his long-term capabilities. When I think of older goalies with a small sample size, I immediately think of Scott Darling as a cautionary tale. Darling’s first 20-game season came when he was 26 years old.
Darling had two good seasons in Chicago as a platooning goalie over the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. He then signed a lucrative four-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes where he struggled mightily and played just 51 games over the next two seasons. His contract was eventually bought out after the second year of the contract. Worth noting, Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis was the one who signed Darling, and there’s no question that this deal has lived on in his memory.
For this week’s data dump, I want to look at how Driedger stacks up to comparable goalies that entered the league around the same age as he is now.
Sizing up Chris Driedger
Chris Driedger will be turning 27 years old next week with 37 career NHL games under his belt. This year he has played 22 games with a .923 save percentage, 2.17 goals against average, and a record of 13-6-3. Last year he split time between the NHL and AHL, and when playing with the big club performed well in his 12 NHL games. Driedger also played one game in each of 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17 but remained in the minors for 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Goalie comparables
A goalie’s lifespan in the NHL is relatively short (that’s a post for another day). As such, coming into the league at 25+ years old is late in a goalie’s career. For the purpose of finding a sample of older goalies that entered the league late, I am going to isolate all netminders who were at least 25 years old at the start of their first season where they played at least 20 NHL games.
There were 33 goalies that fit this profile. Driedger has the highest career save percentage of the group, but that could be a bit misleading considering a lot of these players went on to create larger sample sizes and are either further along in their careers or are already out of the league. Naturally, goalie skill and therefore save percentage declines toward the end of a career.
Trends over time
Now that we have our comp list, let us try to visualize the trends of these goalies’ careers. First, we look at how many goalies would continue playing at least one game in the NHL after their first 20-game season.
Three goalies played 20+ NHL games in their first season and then none the very next season.
To put a finer point on it, let us look at the number of goalies that played at least 10 games in the subsequent seasons of the 33 comparable players.
The drop between year one and two does not seem material, but the drop in year three is significant. Only 36% of the 33 players would play 10 more NHL games just three seasons later. Given this information, any deal you sign with a goalie from this age group should have a limited term of under three years.
Adding save percentage
We will now add save percentage into the mix to see how well these goalies performed in the games played.
Now we can start to paint a picture of who was/is successful following their first season of 20 games or more. For some of the players that are still active, we may not have enough service time to get a true determination of whether they have been successful following their first 20-game season.
I went ahead and bucketed all 33 players into four categories:
Success
Ok
Cautionary tale
Too early to tell
This was completely subjective and was based on how many seasons the goalies played a minimum of 10 games, the number of games they played, and their save percentage.
Here is the count of goalies in each category.
If you strip out the “Too early to tell” group, only five out of the remaining 22 goalies were a success. More succinctly, only 23% of the goalies in this category are determined to be successful.
This analysis still lacks statistical context and goalie scout insights. The broader point is that with only 37 NHL games in his career, Driedger’s long-term success is not a slam dunk for Seattle and the team should proceed with caution, should they draft and sign him to a longer-term deal.
Let me know your thoughts. How would you predict Chris Driedger’s viability on being a No. 1 starter in the league?
