Dean Lombardi won't be the next general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, and apparently, it won't be Chris Pronger either.
Team president Paul Holmgren said Tuesday that Lombardi is not interested in filling the GM vacancy, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lombardi guided the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 and currently serves as senior adviser with the Flyers.
Former Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger isn't a candidate for the job, a source told Carchidi. Pronger's spent the past two seasons as senior adviser with the Florida Panthers.
In the second edition of theScore's Calder Trophy Power Rankings, we spotlight four newcomers to the list, all of whom are still chasing down the runaway favorite out in Vancouver. You can read October's rankings here.
5. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Montreal Canadiens
Francois Lacasse / National Hockey League / Getty
Playing center as an 18-year-old in the NHL is no easy feat, and Kotkaniemi's already established himself as a future pillar for hockey's most storied franchise.
His production (12 points in 24 games) isn't setting any records, but he's only averaging 13 minutes per night. It's clear he's comfortable making plays at the highest level, and his hockey sense routinely creates positive results for his teammates. What's more, Kotkaniemi's five-on-five Corsi For percentage (55.89) ranks fifth on the Canadiens. It'll be intriguing to see if he's rewarded with an increased role as the Habs' surprising season progresses.
4. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Glenn James / National Hockey League / Getty
Heiskanen is full steam ahead in his rookie season, leading all freshman skaters by averaging 22:46 per contest - a mark that also ranks third on the Stars.
John Klingberg's injury has elevated Heiskanen's role to top-pairing duties, and the 19-year-old hardly looks out of place. He's notched 10 points in 24 contests and ranks third among all rookies with 47 shots on goal.
Heiskanen possess both the speed and the skating ability to jump into the rush and then seamlessly get back on defense. It's only a matter of time until he blossoms into one of the league's top blue-liners.
3. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / Getty
Although Buffalo has impressed as a team overall, Dahlin's contributions to the red-hot Sabres can't go unnoticed.
The 2018 No. 1 overall pick is tied for second in rookie scoring with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) through 24 games, and regularly displays his generational instincts with dazzling rushes, passes, and scoring chances. Dahlin is also one of two Sabres defensemen on the positive side of the team's shot share at five-on-five (51.89 percent), and he has a plus-5 plus-minus rating.
His start may be quieter than initially expected, but Dahlin is living up to the hype in his first taste of NHL action.
2. Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / Getty
Tkachuk might've surpassed Elias Pettersson in these rankings if it weren't for a nine-game injury absence, but the No. 2 spot will have to suffice for now.
In only 13 contests, Tkachuk ranks second among Calder candidates with seven tallies, adding six assists in the process. He plays a likable, hard-nosed style that leads to plenty of goals from in tight, and his early presence is making Ottawa's decision to forfeit their 2019 first-round pick in favor of drafting Tkachuk look more justifiable each game.
He's got quite a personality, too:
Tkachuk on Thursday’s fight: “I just thought it was a high hit...and especially on my landlord (Mark Stone). That’s me paying rent”
Simply put, it's Pettersson's trophy to lose at this point.
His pace has slowed down a touch over the course of a road-heavy schedule and a return from injury, but Pettersson still leads all rookies with 13 goals and 21 points through his first 20 games. He's also already become a top-level power-play threat, registering eight points so far on Vancouver's 17th-ranked power play.
The Canucks may be stuck in a rut, but Pettersson's contributions alone are worth the price of admission as he continues to make his mark as a freshman superstar.
Greeley is in his second season with the Sabres after spending two years as assistant director of player personnel with the New York Rangers. The 38-year-old was considered for the Carolina Hurricanes' GM opening earlier this year before the job went to Don Waddell.
The Flyers haven't asked the Sabres for permission to talk to Greeley yet, according to Seravalli.
Initial reports indicated Philadelphia is also considering former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher and former Hurricanes GM Ron Francis.
Francis served as director of hockey operations for the Carolina Hurricanes starting in 2011 before becoming the team's general manager in 2014. His contract was terminated this past April.
During his tenure in Carolina, Francis oversaw several draft-day steals including Jaccob Slavin (fourth round, 2012), Brett Pesce (third round, 2013), and Sebastian Aho (second round, 2015).
Fletcher, the son of legendary NHL executive Cliff Fletcher, was the general manager of the Minnesota Wild for nearly a decade from 2009 until his dismissal in April.
He too has a fairly successful draft history, but his most notable move was signing Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to identical 13-year, $98-million contracts on July 4, 2012.
Alzner signed a five-year, $23.125-million contract with the Canadiens on July 1, 2017. Shea Weber could make his season debut Tuesday, so a roster spot and cap room needed to be cleared.
The 30-year-old blue-liner has been in and out of the lineup this season, picking up one assist in eight games. Last season he tallied 12 points in 82 contests for the Habs.
Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing five moves you should make. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.
Drop Ilya Kovalchuk
Team: Kings Position: LW/RW Ownership: 68 percent
Kovalchuk played just 6:20 in the Los Angeles Kings' 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night due to what bench boss Willie Desjardins said was a coach's decision. Here's a look at Kovalchuk's numbers before and after John Stevens' firing:
Stat
Stevens
Desjardins
GP
13
10
G
4
1
A
7
2
P
11
3
S
33
16
ATOI
19:11
15:15
Kovalchuk had three points in Desjardins' debut but has been held off the scoresheet since. Drop him now, as his lack of production and Green Jacket-caliber plus/minus rating (-13) is detrimental to your lineup.
Scoop up Shea Weber
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Team: Canadiens Position: D Ownership: 57 percent
Weber could return to the Montreal Canadiens' lineup Tuesday against the Hurricanes. He hasn't played in over 11 months due to foot and knee injuries, so it's possible it takes him some time to get back up to speed.
However, Weber's biggest weapon, his shot, shouldn't be impacted by his ailments, and he'll likely get every chance to unleash his howitzer on a 30th-ranked power play that could desperately use a trigger man.
If Weber is sitting on the waiver wire, he needs to be added, but until we see how he performs after missing nearly a year, it's not worth giving up any trade assets in order to acquire him.
Take a flier on Dylan Strome in deeper/keeper leagues
Team: Blackhawks Position: C Ownership: 3 percent
Strome was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks along with Brendan Perlini in exchange for Nick Schmaltz on Sunday night. The former third overall pick has failed to make any impact whatsoever at the NHL level, tallying 16 points in 48 career games.
A change of scenery isn't going to solve Strome's lack of foot speed, so expectations should be tempered. However, the highly skilled center wasn't exactly given a fair shake in the desert, as he was routinely stuck on the Arizona Coyotes' fourth line.
It appears Strome will be given a chance to center Chicago's second line, reuniting him with his former Erie Otters linemate Alex DeBrincat. Strome needs to be surrounded by quickness, and it's possible that he and DeBrincat could regain the chemistry that made them one of the OHL's most prolific duos from 2014-15 to 2016-17.
Strome isn't worth adding in standard 10- or 12-team leagues - at least not yet - but he's worth picking up in leagues with 14-plus users or keeper leagues.
Add Alex Tuch
David Becker / National Hockey League / Getty
Team: Golden Knights Position: RW Ownership: 32 percent
Tuch has 17 points in as many games this season, but his hot start hasn't caught on with fantasy users, as he's owned in less than one-third of leagues. He's been especially hot of late, picking up five points in his last three contests, forming great chemistry with linemate Max Pacioretty along the way.
The Golden Knights only have three games this week, but all of their opponents (Blackhawks, Oilers, Vancouver Canucks) struggle mightily to keep the puck out of the net.
Watson netted a hat trick on Sunday, and while he isn't known for his offensive production, he could continue to provide modest contributions while skating on the club's first line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen.
Moreover, Watson excels in leagues that include hits, blocks, and PIMs, so any time he can find the back of the net is a bonus. He has six points in as many games since returning from suspension.
The Philadelphia Flyers fired executive vice president and general manager Ron Hextall on Monday, the team announced.
Flyers president Paul Holmgren cited philosophical differences as the main reason for the decision.
"We thank Ron for his many significant contributions, but it has become clear that we no longer share the same philosophical approach concerning the direction of the team," Holmgren said in a statement. "... We feel it's in the organization's best interests to make a change, effective immediately. I have already begun a process to identify and select our next general manager."
The Flyers sit fourth-last in the Eastern Conference and have allowed the third-most goals against in the league.
Hextall, a former netminder, was unable to address the club's goaltending woes. Brian Elliott (14 games), Calvin Pickard (11 games), Anthony Stolarz, Alex Lyon, and Michal Neuvirth (one game apiece) have combined for an .887 save percentage and a 3.35 goals-against average this season.
Hextall remained loyal to head coach Dave Hakstol, despite "Fire Hakstol!" chants last season and the team's poor start to the 2018-19 campaign.
Hextall had been Flyers GM since May 7, 2014. Philadelphia made the playoffs twice during his tenure but the team was ousted in the first round each time.
