NHL Horoscopes Week 17: Previewing a playoff Mercury Retrograde

By Marisa IngemiMay 4, 2021, 12:00 PM EDT

NBC Sports

There’s only so much time left this season so it’s time to have a talk about the upcoming Mercury Retrograde.

The season began with a Retrograde in Aquarius and it will begin its postseason in a Retrograde in Gemini. There are three Mercury Retrogrades this year and they are all in Air signs. Take that as you will.

Anyways as always expect mayhem. The season is coming to a close.

Stat Leaders

Connor McDavid: 91 points, 60 assists (Capricorn)
Auston Matthews: 39 goals (Virgo)
Max Domi: 73 PIM (Pisces)
Andrei Vasilevskiy: .929 Save % (Cancer)

EAST DIVISION

• Boston Bruins: Highest concentration in Taurus

Leo captain Patrice Bergeron just keeps producing.

Horoscope: The Bruins clinched, all is right in their little Taurus world.

Do: Defensive depth Don’t: Step off the gas

• Buffalo Sabres: Highest concentration in Sagittarius

Virgo goalie Michael Houser won in his NHL debut.

Horoscope: The Sabres had a nice story for once, good for them.

Do: Finish with a good attitude Don’t: Bad vibes

• Washington Capitals: Highest concentration in Taurus/Virgo

Gemini Tom Wilson might be getting a call from the league.

Horoscope: Taurus season has treated the Capitals relatively well, but they have room to push before the season ends.

Do: Safety Don’t: Bad tweets

• New York Rangers: Highest concentration in Aquarius

The Rangers were officially eliminated on Monday.

Horoscope: Well that’s one less Aquarius team.

Do: Figure things out with David Quinn Don’t: Forget to address needs.

• New York Islanders: Highest concentration in Aquarius

Taurus goalie Semyon Varlamov had his shutout streak snapped.

Horoscope: Imagine if they could just score with consistency.

Do: Scoring Don’t: Finish in fourth

• New Jersey Devils: Highest concentration in Scorpio/Sagittarius

The season is nearly over, mercifully.

Horoscope: It’s a limp to the finish line.

Do: Positive finish Don’t: Discourage young guys

• Philadelphia Flyers: Highest concentration in Taurus

Leo goalie Carter Hart is done for the rest of the season.

Horoscope: (Narrator voice) Taurus season was not what they needed.

Do: Something to build on Don’t: Horrible finish x3

• Pittsburgh Penguins: Highest concentration in Leo/Taurus

Leo Sidney Crosby is getting hot heading into the playoffs.

Horoscope: The Penguins just keep surging. Taurus season looks good on them.

Do: Offensive burst Don’t: Road struggles

Push for the Playoffs: Bruins, Penguins battle for East Division seeding — Getty Images

CENTRAL DIVISION

• Detroit Red Wings: Highest concentration in Aquarius

It’s just Aquarius enough that the Red Wings seem to have an offseason plan.

Horoscope: The ultimate spoilers can keep throwing a wrench into things.

Do: Draft prep Don’t: Forgot the power play x2

[Your 2020-21 NHL on NBC TV schedule]

• Tampa Bay Lightning: Highest concentration in Gemini

The Lightning still have a shot at claiming home ice.

Horoscope: It feels like the incoming Gemini season could be a boost for the Lightning.

Do: Comebacks Don’t: Get shut out by the Red Wings

• Florida Panthers: Highest concentration in Virgo

Taurus goalie Spencer Knight has won his first four NHL games.

Horoscope: Florida has continued to not go away.

Do: Hot finish into the playoffs Don’t: Lack defensive chemistry

• Carolina Hurricanes: Highest concentration in Cancer/Aries

Leo Sebastian Aho netted a hat trick on Monday night.

Horoscope: Carolina has a chance to wrap up the top seed in the Central this week.

Do: Stay surging Don’t: Too much

• Nashville Predators: Highest concentration in Gemini

Gemini defenseman Roman Josi netted an overtime winner on Monday.

Horoscope: The Gemini Predators appear to be a playoff team to reckon with after all.

Do: Clinch Don’t: Lose bad games

• Dallas Stars: Highest concentration in Gemini and Cancer

Aquarius Tyler Seguin made his season debut on Monday night with a goal.

Horoscope: The Stars might be playing their way out of a playoff spot and not the other way around.

Do: Push to the finish Don’t: Collapse

• Chicago Blackhawks: Heaviest concentration in Aries

The late season schedule has not been Chicago’s friend.

Horoscope: They weren’t supposed to contend for a playoff spot anyways, but kudos for pushing for it.

Do: Young guys develop Don’t: Ignore needs this offseason

• Columbus Blue Jackets: Heaviest concentration in Cancer

Gemini Emil Bemström picked up a hat trick on Monday.

Horoscope: Countdown to the season ending.

Do: Try to have a positive ending Don’t: Any of this

Red Wings Lightning Stream — Gett Images

WEST DIVISION

• Minnesota Wild: Highest concentration in Virgo and Cancer

Taurus Kirill Kaprizov is at it again.

Horoscope: It’s hard not to be excited about this Wild team. What they did against Vegas on Monday night was incredible and they can’t lose at home.

Do: Kaprizov for Calder Don’t: Stop fighting for home ice

• St. Louis Blues: Highest concentration in Cancer and Aries

The Blues still lead the race for the fourth seed.

Horoscope: They’re 6-3-1 in their last 10 and have turned things around to likely make the postseason.

Do: Any scoring Don’t: Giant slump again

• Arizona Coyotes: Highest concentration in Leo

Bad time to slump.

Horoscope: The Leo Coyotes have dropped six of their last 10 games, which isn’t a good time for it.

Do: Offense Don’t: Slump instead of making the playoffs

• San Jose Sharks: Highest concentration in Aries

The Sharks are going out with a whimper.

Horoscope: It’s tough to say a team that wasn’t expect to make a run has blown a chance at making the playoffs, but that’s how weak the bottom of the West has been.

Do: Regroup for next season Don’t: Dwell

• Vegas Golden Knights: Highest concentration in Leo

Capricorn Jonathan Marchessault has gotten hot.

Horoscope: The Knights just have to hope they don’t run into Minnesota in the playoffs.

Do: Fleury records Don’t: Play Minnesota

• Anaheim Ducks: Heaviest concentration in Aquarius

Much like Columbus, Anaheim is wishing away the end of the season.

Horoscope: Anaheim needs to move on to next season.

Do: Game plan Don’t: Bad contracts

• Los Angeles Kings: Highest concentration in Libra

Next year? Get some scoring help.

Horoscope: Virgo Cal Petersen is a goalie to build from, at least.

Do: Goaltending Don’t: Limp to the finish

• Colorado Avalanche: Highest concentration in Scorpio

Taurus Devan Dubnyk stepped up when they needed him to.

Horoscope: Colorado took a rare loss on Monday night but is still in the driver’s seat.

Do: Dominate Don’t: Too much too soon

NORTH DIVISION

• Vancouver Canucks: Heaviest concentration in Cancer and Libra

The Canucks have lost five in a row.

Horoscope: They just need to get to the offseason.

Do: Be safe Don’t: Stress about the end

• Calgary Flames: Heaviest concentration in Pisces

Should be eliminated sometime this week.

Horoscope: Now 10 points out of the playoff race, they start playing kind of well.

Do: Move on Don’t: Neglect finding scoring

• Edmonton Oilers: Heaviest concentration in Cancer and Libra

Capricorn Connor McDavid, at it again.

Horoscope: The Oilers clinched on Monday night and now get to look forward to losing to the Leafs in the playoffs.

Do: McDavid highlight goals Don’t: Fall to third

• Winnipeg Jets: Heaviest concentration in Aries

Not a good time to lose seven in a row.

Horoscope: Talk about backing into the playoffs. Brutal stretch for the Jets could cost them the third seed.

Do: Win just a little Don’t: Defensive woes

• Ottawa Senators: Heaviest concentration in Pisces

The Chaos mode Senators are ending on a strong note.

Horoscope: Seven wins in their last 10 games and they might not even finish in last.

Do: Take the good vibes Don’t: Relax the pace

• Montreal Canadiens: Heaviest concentration in Leo and Taurus

Capricorn Cole Caufield has arrived.

Horoscope: Don’t look now but the Habs could end up in that third seed.

Do: Cole Caufield overtime goals Don’t: Late collapse

• Toronto Maple Leafs: Heaviest concentration in Gemini

Virgo Auston Matthews keeps on scoring.

Horoscope: Maybe Matthews ends up with the Hart, maybe not, let’s debate it online for three months.

Do: Beat the teams chasing you Don’t: Nonsense

—

Marisa Ingemi is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop her a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Ingemi.

Penguins name former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas as director of hockey operations

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 2:21 PM EDT

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Kyle Dubas wanted to take a breath and take a break after being fired as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Then the Pittsburgh Penguins called.

The break ended shortly thereafter.

Dubas joined the Penguins as the team’s president of hockey operations, less than two weeks after a somewhat ugly exit from Toronto following a second-round playoff loss to Florida.

The 37-year-old Dubas goes from one type of hockey crucible to another. In Toronto, he was tasked with helping the Maple Leafs emerge from two decades of postseason futility. In Pittsburgh, his mission will be to prop open the Stanley Cup window for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang a little longer.

All three are 35 or older and haven’t won a playoff series since 2018. Yet Dubas believes strongly the issue isn’t the age of the franchise’s core but deficiencies elsewhere on the roster. Dubas replaces Brian Burke, who was fired along with general manager Ron Hextall in April after the Penguins failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

“I heard a lot of people that were highly skeptical of the team’s ability to contend here and the way I view it, if the people want to bet against (Crosby, Letang and Malkin) they can go ahead and do so,” Dubas said. “But I’m going to bet on them and go with them here. I think it is a group that’s capable of contending to win a championship.”

Crosby and Malkin were excellent for much of last season and Letang showed remarkable resiliency while dealing with multiple setbacks, including a stroke and the death of his father. Yet save for a 14-2-2 stretch in November and December, the Penguins struggled to find consistency and ultimately stumbled down the stretch to snap the longest active playoff streak in major North American Sports.

While the Penguins do have $20 million in cap space and the 14th overall pick in this month’s NHL draft, significant changes or upgrades could be difficult in the short term.

Dubas inherits a team that was the oldest in the NHL last season and is littered with question marks, particularly in goal and the forward group outside of Crosby, Malkin and Jake Guentzel.

Two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry will become a free agent this summer and was beset by injuries over the second half of the season. Forward Jason Zucker, who served as the emotional sparkplug for long stretches, is also scheduled to hit the open market and may have priced himself out of town.

Pittsburgh also has several aging players with full or partial no-movement clauses, including 38-year-old forward Jeff Carter, 30-year-old Bryan Rust and 35-year-old defenseman Jeff Petry.

“I think that those are obviously very real situations, everyone knows that they exist,” Dubas said. “To me the effect on it … is what we can add in terms of depth pieces? What we can add in terms of younger players? That’ll be the real key.”

Dubas does plan to hire a general manager to fill the vacancy created when Hextall was let go after a short but largely unfruitful tenure. Dubas will serve as the GM on an interim basis until early July.

Dubas comes to Pittsburgh after nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, including the last five as general manager. Toronto won a postseason series for the first time since 2004 this spring before falling to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference semifinals in five games.

Shortly after the Maple Leafs’ playoff exit, Dubas said that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to remain in Toronto. His contract was set to expire on June 30, but team president Kyle Shanahan opted to pre-emptively fire Dubas instead. Toronto hired former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving as Dubas’ replacement.

Dubas helped build the Maple Leafs into a regular-season power during his tenure. Toronto set single-season records for wins and points, and went 221-109-42 in his tenure. Dubas also didn’t shy away from big moves – he fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Babcock in November 2019 and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe – but struggled to find the right mix in the playoffs until this spring.

In the end, advancing beyond the first round for the first time since 2004 wasn’t enough for Dubas to remain in Toronto.

He joked he was maybe a little “too honest” during his season-ending press conference with the Maple Leafs when he expressed reservations about returning. Shanahan’s abrupt decision to move on came as a bit of a surprise, and Dubas planned to take some time to hit the reset button before looking for another job.

Yet the Penguins – who’d already been given clearance by the Maple Leafs to interview Dubas – provided a compelling reason to speed up the timetable. Dubas’ due diligence included speaking to Crosby and longtime coach Mike Sullivan to take the pulse of a leadership group that remains firmly in place.

Dubas called them “some of the best competitors” in hockey. Competitors that have – for one reason or another – been unable to recapture the magic of their runs to back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Time is running out for Crosby to put his name on the Cup for a fourth time in a career that will almost certainly end in the Hall of Fame. Dubas knows he’ll be judged in part on whether he can make that happen. After taking more than six weeks of searching before landing on Dubas, Fenway Sports Group Chairman Tom Werner believes Dubas is up to the challenge.

“Our philosophy is giving Kyle and his associates the best possible resources to win,” Werner said. “Kyle’s been very articulate today about his path to success … we’re very confident that Kyle will execute the plan he’s articulated to us.”

Seattle Kraken sign GM Ron Francis to 3-year extension through 2026-27 season

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:55 AM EDT

Getty Images

SEATTLE — Ron Francis was initially approached about extending his stay as the general manager of the Seattle Kraken back in the winter, but putting finality to the decision took longer than expected.

The Kraken kept winning and pushed what was mostly a formality to a secondary need until after Seattle’s unexpected playoff run finally ended.

“At that point it was kind of verbally done, just kind of a few little small details. And then we get into the playoffs and busy and it kind of got put on the back burner and I didn’t want it to be a distraction with the team and where they were at,” Francis said.

That finality came when the Kraken announced Francis had signed a three-year extension through the 2026-27 season. Francis originally signed a five-year deal when he became the first GM in franchise history back in 2019 and the new contract will kick in starting with the 2024-25 season.

“I’ll never forget the day that he said, ‘Yes, I’m ready to do this,’” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said. “But today is another great day for our fans because not only did he come and build, he is going to stay here and continue to build this franchise.”

Seattle reached the second round of the NHL playoffs in its second year of existence, following a challenging first year where it underachieved and was among the worst teams in the league.

But Francis navigated through that difficult first season and helped land the pieces that turned Seattle into a playoff team in the second year without mortgaging future opportunities or putting the Kraken into challenging salary cap situations.

“He has been the leader that’s gotten us to where we are today. And he is the leader to take us to the next level,” Seattle co-owner Samantha Holloway said.

Seattle is the second stop for Francis as an executive after spending seven seasons in the front office of the Carolina Hurricanes. Francis started as director of hockey operations before becoming the general manager in 2014. Francis was let go by the Hurricanes after the 2018 season.

Seattle jumped at the chance to bring the Hall of Fame player in to lead the front office. Seattle’s expansion season was a major underachievement with the Kraken going 27-49-6 and finishing last in the Pacific Division with 60 points. But Francis was able to move veteran players to stockpile draft picks and left enough salary cap room to make some key moves entering the second season.

Seattle signed free agent forward Andre Burakovksy, traded for winger Oliver Bjorkstrand and inserted rookie Matty Beniers into the lineup on Seattle’s top line from the first day of the season. The results on the ice couldn’t be argued. Seattle went 46-28-8 and reached 100 points, knocked off defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Dallas in seven games in the conference semifinals.

“It’s been a real team effort. I’m sitting up here today and they’re saying good things about me, but it’s a much bigger picture than just me,” Francis said. “I’m excited to be here for a few more years and hopefully everybody’s opinion doesn’t change, but we’re going to stick to the plan and continue building it the right way so we can be a great franchise for multiple years.”

Francis also stuck with coach Dave Hakstol after that difficult first season. He may be the next in line for a contract extension from the team after a season where he was recognized as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for top coach in the league.

Maple Leafs hire Brad Treliving as team’s new general manager

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO — Brad Treliving has a new job.

And the Maple Leafs have a new plan.

Treliving was hired as Toronto’s general manager less than two weeks after firing Kyle Dubas.

The 53-year-old Treliving left the Calgary Flames in April following nine seasons that included five playoff appearances and two 100-point seasons.

“Brad brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience as a general manager and hockey executive in Calgary, Arizona and beyond,” Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. “He has earned tremendous respect amongst his peers throughout his years in the NHL and has built excellent relationships at all levels within the game.”

Treliving joins the Leafs at a crucial juncture in the wake of Shanahan’s stunning dismissal of Dubas on May 19.

The Original Six franchise, whose Stanley Cup drought stands at 56 years, won a playoff series for the first time in nearly two decades with a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning this spring, but then lost to the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers in five games.

Dubas, who had been Toronto’s GM since 2018 and didn’t have a contract beyond June 30, suggested at an end of season news conference May 15 he wasn’t sure he wanted to remain in the role – at least in part because of the stress on his young family.

A roller coaster five days followed, with Shanahan ultimately firing the 37-year-old Dubas despite previously wanting to keep his GM, and the now-unemployed executive eventually indicating to his boss he wished to stay.

Treliving is the third GM – joining Dubas and Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello – hired in Toronto by Shanahan, whose so-called “Shanaplan” aimed at getting the storied franchise back on its feet when he came on board in 2014 has seen unparalleled regular-season success, but just that one series victory in eight attempts.

“I’m thrilled to join an Original Six team and recognize how much the Maple Leafs mean to this community,” Treliving said. “This is a very exciting day for my family and I.”

Treliving has a lot to deal with as he settles into his new office at Scotiabank Arena.

Treliving, who served in the Phoenix Coyotes’ front office for seven seasons before arriving in Calgary, will have to decide the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe, while stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander can sign contract extensions as of July 1.

Matthews and Mitch Marner have full no-movement clauses ready to kick in the same day. Nylander will have a 10-team list.

The NHL draft is also set for the end of June in Nashville, Tennessee, while the Leafs have 12 roster players primed to hit free agency at noon EDT on July 1.

The Flames, who missed the playoffs this season, won the Pacific Division in 2021-22 under Treliving before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

Johnny Gaudreau then stunned the organization by leaving Calgary for the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency last summer. Fellow star forward Matthew Tkachuk added another wrinkle by informing the team he didn’t plan to re-sign.

Treliving subsequently dealt the winger to Florida as part of a package that included forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar heading to southern Alberta.

Huberdeau then signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Flames that kicks in next season.

Tkachuk, a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate as playoff MVP, and the Panthers open the Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Despite the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, the Flames looked like contenders ahead of the 2022-23 season.

The acquisition of Huberdeau and the signing of center Nazem Kadri was expected to fill the void left by Gaudreau and Tkachuk, but the mix wasn’t right for a group led by hard-nosed coach Darryl Sutter.

Huberdeau and Kadri finished well off their career-high points totals of the previous season – the former went from 115 with Florida to 55 in Calgary – while subpar goaltending was an issue much of the season.

Treliving now turns his attention to Toronto.

Just like last summer, he has lots of work to do.

Nashville Predators hire Andrew Brunette after firing John Hynes

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 10:54 AM EDT

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE, Tenn.– The coaching shuffle in Nashville is complete, with Andrew Brunette officially hired as the Predators coach a little over 12 hours after the team announced that John Hynes was fired.

The moves are the first being made by incoming general manager Barry Trotz and come about six weeks after the Predators missed the playoffs.

The 49-year-old Brunette spent the past season as a New Jersey Devils associate coach under Lindy Ruff and has previous head-coaching experience.

He was promoted to interim coach of the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 season and oversaw a team that set franchise records for wins (58) and points (122) in claiming the Presidents’ Trophy before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Brunette finished second in the Jack Adams Award voting for the NHL’s coach of the year.

He becomes just the fourth coach in the history of a Predators franchise and returns to Nashville, where Brunette played for the Trotz-coached team during its inaugural season in 1998-99. Their relationship goes back to 1993-94, when Brunette played under Trotz, who was head coach of the Washington Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine.

“I feel like this is coming full circle for my career – from pulling on the jersey for the first time 25 years ago to returning now to take care of some unfinished business,” Brunette said in a statement. “It has been awesome to see how this city and its fanbase have grown since I played here and I look forward to continuing the legacy and the culture behind the bench that Barry cultivated that inaugural season.”

Trotz, meantime, has an eye on building on the Predators’ youth and offensively skilled players as he takes over as GM for David Poile, who is retiring at the end of June after 26 years overseeing the franchise.

“We want to become more of an offensive team and Andrew specializes on that side of the ice – he lived it as a player, and he coaches it as a coach, Trotz said. “He is as good of an offensive teacher and power-play coach as there is in the game today. He will be great with our young players, and I know, because of his background as a player, he will connect well with our top, skilled players.”

In Florida, Brunette coached a Panthers team that led the NHL with 337 goals and had the league’s fourth-best power-play unit.

The Predators missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and the first under Hynes, who took over as coach during the 2019-20 season after Peter Laviolette was fired.

Brunette, who is from Sudbury, Ontario, spent 16 seasons playing in the NHL, ending with a one-year stint with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12. He finished with 268 goals and 733 points in 1,110 career games split among six teams, including two separate stints in Minnesota. Brunette is one of 25 players selected in the seventh round or later to appear in more than 1,000 NHL games.

Upon his retirement, Brunette spent seven seasons with the Wild in various off-ice roles, including assistant coach and assistant GM, before being hired by the Panthers as an assistant coach in 2019-2020.