Mike Babcock will resurface in the NHL next season, as the Columbus Blue Jackets intend to hire him as their new head coach, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The Jackets won't finalize the move until after June 30, when Babcock's contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires, adds LeBrun. The Leafs still owe him what's left of that deal.
Toronto fired the now-60-year-old in November 2019 amid a losing streak and allegations of a toxic work environment. The Leafs replaced him by promoting Sheldon Keefe, who remains in the role.
Babcock guided the Leafs to four playoff berths but no series wins during his tenure. The club went 173-133-45 in four-plus campaigns with him at the helm. Before that, Babcock led the Detroit Red Wings for 10 seasons, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2008. He spent his first two years as a head coach with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who advanced to the Cup Final in his first season with the team.
The Ontario-born bench boss who grew up in Saskatchewan is the only head coach in the "Triple Gold Club," having won the Cup, the World Championship, and first place in an Olympic tournament. He claimed gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2010 and 2014.
However, he's also been accused of mistreating players. Not long after Babcock's firing in 2019, Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner confirmed reports that the bench boss forced him to rank his teammates by their work ethic during his rookie season and then shared the list with the team.
Shortly after that revelation, former Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios said Babcock verbally assaulted teammate Johan Franzen during the 2011-12 playoffs, causing the forward to have a nervous breakdown. Franzen called Babcock "the worst person I have ever met."
The University of Saskatchewan hired Babcock in February 2021 to coach its men's hockey program for two seasons. However, he resigned in August 2022 and said he was retiring from coaching.
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is excited to exchange ideas with new team president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and find a way to bring the club back to contention.
The two are in agreement that Pittsburgh is a threat as long as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang make up the core of the franchise. However, they're aware the superstar trio needs help lower in the lineup after the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
"In particular, just the Penguins and looking at our group and the personnel that we have, how we set our group up for success," Sullivan said, per NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "How do we surround our core with what it needs to have success? I'm sure we'll have a lot more discussions moving forward now that Kyle is officially on board and part of our organization. Those are conversations that I really look forward to."
Crosby (93) and Malkin (83) were Pittsburgh's top two producers this past season, while Letang paced the club in average ice time (24:51) at 35 years old. However, Sullivan believes the issue is the Penguins' team speed, not them being led by three aging legends.
"When you look at the identity of the Penguins and how this team has had success, certainly in my time here, but more importantly, with our core group of players, I think speed has always been an important element," Sullivan said. "I think speed is part of the evolution of the game. When you look at the teams that are having success in the league, none of them are slow."
Sullivan guided the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, but the club has advanced past the first round only once since. Pittsburgh missed the postseason by a single point in 2022-23, leading to the firings of former president Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall.
Dubas was brought in to replace Burke after nine years in the Toronto Maple Leafs' front office, but the Penguins haven't yet named a new GM. Dubas will fill the role on an interim basis in the meantime.
Matthew Tkachuk acknowledged the Florida Panthers' difficult path to the Stanley Cup Final ahead of Saturday's Game 1 clash against the Vegas Golden Knights.
"For us to knock off this juggernaut in Vegas, it would probably be the hardest road to the Stanley Cup in history," Tkachuk said, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "So that's our goal, to knock off this team and see if we can make history."
The Panthers snuck into the playoffs as the second wild-card team in the Eastern Conference by one point. In the opening round, Florida stunned a Boston Bruins team that broke the NHL record for regular-season points. The Panthers then made quick work of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round before sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final.
Boston was the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Carolina was No. 2, and Toronto was No. 4, making the trio of teams the most difficult path possible for the Panthers. Up next: the No. 1 seed out of the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights.
Should Florida knock off Vegas in the final, the Panthers would become the third team to beat four 100-point clubs on the road to a Stanley Cup victory, joining the 2007 Anaheim Ducks and 2015 Chicago Blackhawks. Florida would be the first to accomplish the feat without being a 100-point team itself.
"A lot of talk has been made about us, and our path, and the eight-seed, and limping in and all that, which is completely understandable," Tkachuk added. "It motivates us, I guess, to a certain extent."
Tkachuk has taken the postseason by storm. He's tallied three overtime winners - including two in the conference final, as well as the series-clinching goal in the dying seconds of Game 4 - and is second in playoff scoring with 21 points in 16 games.
The Stanley Cup Final begins Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.
Mantha is under contract for one more season at $5.7 million before hitting unrestricted free agency. His hefty price tag may force the Capitals to add a sweetener to a potential deal, Seravalli reports.
The Capitals have an estimated $7.3 million in cap space leading into next season with only 17 players signed, per Cap Friendly. Roster changes are expected after the club missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14.
Washington acquired Mantha from the Detroit Red Wings in a blockbuster deal prior to the 2021 trade deadline. The Capitals moved Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, and a first- and second-round pick to land Mantha, who hasn't found his stride in D.C.
The 28-year-old has only appeared in 118 games across parts of three seasons, notching 24 goals and 34 assists while averaging fewer than 15 minutes per contest.
Mantha was a first-round pick of the Red Wings in 2013. His best NHL campaign came in 2018-19 when he bagged 25 goals and 23 assists in 67 appearances.
It's a podcast-exclusive version of Mailbag Friday as Sat and Bik answer your questions about the future of Tanner Pearson, where Jett Woo fits, and much more!
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The Vegas Golden Knights are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history and the first since their dream debut season in 2017-18.
After making tidy work of the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars, only the Florida Panthers stand in the way of the Golden Knights completing owner Bill Foley's prophetic prediction of winning a Stanley Cup within six years of entering the league.
Vegas has been arguably the league's most aggressive team in the trade market since entering the fold, and its bold strategy is on the precipice of paying the ultimate dividends. Here's a breakdown of how president George McPhee and general manager Kelly McCrimmon built Sin City's Stanley Cup-caliber roster.
Method
Players
Expansion draft
4
Homegrown
3
Trade
13
Free agency
7
Waivers
1
Expansion draft
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
William Carrier (Sabres): Carrier wasn't the flashiest pick in the Golden Knights' expansion draft, but the 2013 second-rounder has been a staple in Vegas' bottom six since arriving. He flourished this past regular season with career highs in goals (16), points (25), and average ice time (12:35).
William Karlsson (Blue Jackets): One of the original "Golden Misfits" that helped form Vegas' identity, Karlsson is one of the club's most recognizable names. He's never replicated the magic of his 40-goal debut season with the club but remains a steady two-way presence down the middle for the Golden Knights.
Jonathan Marchessault (Panthers): Marchessault was one of the Panthers' cast-offs in their infamous bungling of the 2017 expansion draft, and its safe to assume the winger will have revenge on his mind when he faces his former team with a championship on the line. Marchessault has bagged 20 or more goals in five of six years with the Golden Knights and is in the midst of a stellar playoff run with 17 points in 17 games.
Brayden McNabb (Kings): McNabb doesn't grab headlines among a deep Vegas D-corps, but he's a reliable top-four presence that proves his worth with physicality and shot-blocking. He's logged at least 19 minutes per game each season since becoming a Golden Knight.
Homegrown
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Nicolas Hague (June 23, 2017): The Golden Knights have traded away many of their high-profile draft picks, but Hague has stuck around and blossomed into a dependable contributor on the back end. The 24-year-old appeared in a career-high 81 regular-season games in 2022-23.
Paul Cotter (June 22, 2018): Cotter hasn't played in the playoffs but made his mark as a depth option in the regular season with 13 goals in 55 games.
Pavel Dorofeyev (June 21, 2019): The 22-year-old Russian has primarily been an AHLer this season but is on the roster as a long-shot option to play in the final. Dorofeyev has only played 20 career NHL games.
Trade
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Reilly Smith (June 21, 2017): Smith wasn't an expansion draft pick but joined the Golden Knights the same night via trade from Florida in exchange for a fourth-round selection. The veteran winger has gone on to record 286 points in 399 regular-season games with the Golden Knights, while the Panthers can only look back on their protected list with regret.
Shea Theodore (June 21, 2017): The Anaheim Ducks had an overflow of quality defensemen when the Golden Knights entered the league and opted to sacrifice Theodore to their new Pacific Division rivals in order to keep Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen on top of their three officially protected blue-liners. Theodore has grown into the best of the bunch and is an integral piece of Vegas' core. He's finished top-10 in Norris Trophy voting twice and has posted 40-plus points each of the past four seasons.
Keegan Kolesar (June 24, 2017): Kolesar was acquired for a second-round pick after a promising junior career, and he established himself as a regular NHLer in 2021-22. He's not one to light up the scoresheet, but he's trusted in his fourth-line role and is a constant physical threat.
Mark Stone (Feb. 25, 2019): Prying Stone from the Ottawa Senators five deadlines ago is one of the defining transactions of Vegas' free-wheeling tenure as Western Conference contenders and changed the trajectory of the franchise. He soon signed an eight-year, $76-million extension, was later named captain, and despite injuries in recent seasons, has been one of the Golden Knights' most productive players.
Nicolas Roy (June 27, 2019): Roy was added from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Erik Haula and now anchors Vegas' sturdy fourth line. He managed a modest 30 points this past season but was trusted enough by Golden Knights brass to earn a five-year, $15-million extension in 2022.
Chandler Stephenson (Dec. 2, 2019): Stephenson was a member of the Washington Capitals club that broke Vegas' heart in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, but the Golden Knights have got their money's worth from the Saskatchewan native since adding him for only a fifth-round pick. He's evolved into the club's second-line center and has posted back-to-back 60-plus point seasons after never eclipsing 26 in D.C.
Alec Martinez (Feb. 19, 2020): The two-time Cup winner with the Los Angeles Kings is deployed on Vegas' top pairing and is a rock in the defensive zone. Martinez, 35, led the league in blocks with 244 this season and ranks second among all playoff skaters this spring with 44.
Brett Howden (July 17, 2021): Howden was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016 but has had trouble finding consistency at the NHL level. The 25-year-old has been a quality contributor in these playoffs, though, recording six points and a game-winning goal through three rounds.
Jack Eichel (Nov. 4, 2021): Of all Vegas' blockbusters over recent years, the Eichel deal takes the cake. After months of speculation regarding the superstar's health and potential suitors, the Golden Knights won the sweepstakes and landed the elite top-line pivot they always craved. The Buffalo Sabres are certainly happy with the package they landed for the formerly disgruntled Eichel, but Vegas is four wins from being slam-dunk winners of one of the biggest trades in recent memory.
Adin Hill (Aug. 29, 2022): Who would have thought when the Golden Knights sent a fourth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for a career backup netminder that they'd be landing their starter for the Stanley Cup Final? A slew of injuries between the pipes has thrust Hill into the spotlight, and he's been up to the task so far with a .937 save percentage in 11 playoff appearances.
Ivan Barbashev (Feb. 26, 2023): The Golden Knights dipped into the rental market to land Barbashev for AHLer Zach Dean before March's deadline, and what a deal it's turned out to be. Barbashev notched 16 points in the regular season and ranks third on the team in playoff scoring with six goals and nine assists.
Teddy Blueger (March 1, 2023): Blueger was brought in from the Pittsburgh Penguins for some added center depth but hasn't made much of an impact in his new environment. The Latvian has only played in six games during the Golden Knights' run to the final.
Jonathan Quick (March 2, 2023): With so much uncertainty between the pipes, Vegas added Quick before the deadline for some added security. The two-time Cup winner looked decent in nine regular-season games but hasn't made a playoff appearance yet.
Free agency
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Logan Thompson (July 13, 2020): A collection of lengthy injury stints derailed Thompson's breakout campaign in which it appeared he had a stranglehold on Vegas' starting goaltending gig. The undrafted 26-year-old posted a .915 clip in 37 appearances and even made the All-Star Game, but he hasn't played since March 23.
Alex Pietrangelo (Oct. 12, 2020): The Golden Knights landed 2020's biggest free agent on a monster seven-year, $61.6-million contract, and while it made Vegas' perennially tight salary cap situation even tighter, the financial strain looks well worth it nearly three years later. Pietrangelo remains an elite top-pairing defender and matched a personal best with 54 points this season.
Laurent Brossoit (July 28, 2021): Brossoit began the playoffs as Vegas' starter, but a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the Oilers series looks to have ended his year. The 30-year-old had a strong regular season, failing to lose in regulation in 11 appearances while recording a .927 save percentage.
Brayden Pachal (Sept. 20, 2021): Pachal is on the playoff roster but has only taken the ice once this spring. The undrafted blue-liner has 12 NHL games to his credit.
Ben Hutton (Oct. 28, 2021): Another depth blue-liner, Hutton's usage has dropped significantly since signing a two-year deal with the Golden Knights. He played 58 regular-season games last season compared to 31 this year and has only cracked the lineup twice in the playoffs.
Phil Kessel (August 24, 2022): The NHL's all-time ironman hasn't played since Game 3 of the first round, meaning the writing is likely on the wall for the one-year deal Kessel signed with the Golden Knights and perhaps even for his career. The 35-year-old produced 36 points this season, the second-lowest total of his accomplished 17-year tenure in the NHL.
Waivers
Michael Amadio (Oct. 30, 2021): Amadio was claimed from the Toronto Maple Leafs early last season and had a career year with 16 goals for Vegas in 2022-23. The 27-year-old has added three tallies in the playoffs, including an overtime winner in Round 1.
I am expecting a close and competitive series here - one that starts with a Golden Knights win.
The Golden Knights have been impressive through three rounds. They haven't just beaten their opponents; they've dismantled them.
At five-on-five, the Golden Knights have scored 3.42 goals per 60 minutes. No other playoff team has cleared three. The Panthers aren't even close to that number, scoring 2.15 per 60.
Scoring goals isn't as much of a priority if you never allow them. To Florida's credit, it's done a great job in that regard. Solid defensive play coupled with lights-out performances from Sergei Bobrovsky has resulted in opponents scoring only 1.71 goals per 60. That equates to a net of 0.44 per 60.
The problem for Florida is Vegas has done an even better job of keeping the puck out, allowing only 1.64 goals per 60. Vegas' net is 1.78 per 60 minutes, a significantly better margin than Florida's.
What I love about the Golden Knights is they've won more decisively and sustainably. Their expected goal share is better than 4% higher, and they've done a better job of preventing chances.
Adin Hill has been great, for sure, but they haven't asked as much of him as the Panthers have of Bobrovsky. Sooner or later, one would think the latter will slow down under such a difficult workload.
The Golden Knights are 6-3 at home these playoffs and have outscored opponents by 10 at full strength.
Look for them to flex their muscles in that area - and use home ice to their advantage - in a series-opening win.
Bet: Golden Knights (-130)
Jonathan Marchessault over 3.5 shots (+120)
Marchessault is the Golden Knights' top shooting weapon. He leads the team in shots on target, scoring chances, and expected goals through three rounds.
In some categories - such as chances, where Marchessault leads by 15 - the gap between Marchessault and the next closest teammate is rather significant.
I expect Marchessault to pick up where he left off in the opening game of this series. His line should get more advantageous matchups on home ice, with Mark Stone's unit taking on the toughest minutes.
It's also worth noting Marchessault skates on the top power play, and the Panthers are one of the more undisciplined teams in the league. He should get plenty of opportunities on the man advantage.
As a cherry on top, there's the revenge factor. The Panthers didn't protect Marchessault in the 2017 expansion draft, electing to send him and Reilly Smith to Vegas to protect others.
Now he can stick it to his old team and make them pay for that decision on the biggest stage.
Aleksander Barkov over 2.5 shots (-105)
Barkov is generally someone I prefer backing on home ice. However, he's worthy of an exception here.
If you remove Game 3 of the Hurricanes series - Barkov only played three minutes due to injury - he has gone over his total in six of the past nine playoff games. That's despite facing strong shot-suppression teams in the Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Hurricanes.
Believe it or not, the Golden Knights are the worst opponent he has faced in terms of preventing shots - at least during the regular season. They give up a healthy chunk of them to the center position, too.
Much like the Hurricanes, the Golden Knights are a team that can be exposed by powerful, talented opposing forwards who fight their way to the dirty areas of the ice. Barkov fits the bill, which is probably why he's mustered five shots on goal in three of the past four against Vegas.
Expect his shot-generating success to continue in Game 1.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
