Flyers trade Pride-night boycott defenseman Provorov in 3-team deal

Associated PressJun 6, 2023, 10:12 PM EDT

Dennis Schneidler/USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers have traded Ivan Provorov, sending away the defenseman who boycotted the team’s Pride night as part of a three-team trade that included the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings.

The seventh overall pick of the 2015 draft, the 26-year-old Provorov lands in Columbus and is set to enter the fifth season of a $40.5 million, six-year contract. He was the centerpiece Tuesday of the first major move under new Flyers’ leadership.

There were plenty of moving parts in the three-team deal.

— Philadelphia traded Provorov and forward Hayden Hodgson to Los Angeles in exchange for goalie Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defenseman Helge Grans and the Kings’ 2024 second-round pick. The Kings lost in the first round of the playoffs.

— Columbus acquired defenseman Kevin Connauton from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick (22nd overall) and a conditional second-round pick in either the 2024 or 2025 NHL Draft. Columbus acquired Provorov from Los Angeles in exchange for Connauton.

The Flyers already hold the No. 7 pick in this season’s draft and now also have the 23rd pick as they start accumulating key assets for long-range success in what is expected to be a deep draft.

Flyers general manager Danny Briere had said no player was untouchable after the Flyers missed the playoffs for the third straight season and went to work with the Stanley Cup Final still underway. The Flyers named broadcaster Keith Jones team president last month and he is still working the Final for TNT. But it’s clear the overdue rebuild is underway for a franchise that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in 48 years.

“We felt that the picks and the direction that we wanted to go in, it was really enticing, very exciting,” Briere said. “We have a chance to really start building the team the way we wanted. The right way.”

Briere said the Flyers are “open for business” this summer and that included potentially listening to offers for No. 1 goalie Carter Hart. Coach John Tortorella, Briere and Jones have all tempered offseason expectations for any fan looking for a quick fix. The trio all insist the Flyers have a cohesive plan for the future.

Provorov had 65 goals and 217 points in 532 career games with the Flyers. The Russian was widely criticized in January when he cited his Russian Orthodox religion as the reason he did not participate in pregame warmups when the Flyers wore Pride-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape.

“I respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov said after the game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.”

Now, he’s traded during Pride month.

Briere said the backlash over Pride night had nothing to do with trading Provorov.

The Blue Jackets, who missed the playoffs this season, were ready to take a flier on a defenseman seemingly with many productive years ahead.

“Improving our blue line has been a priority for us and acquiring Ivan gives us an established left-shot defenseman who is still a young player with his best seasons in front of him,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “He immediately improves our group on defense as he is durable, has great skill, skates well, is an excellent passer with an accurate shot and can effectively play at both ends of the ice.”

Provorov said at the end of the season he wasn’t necessarily happy the Flyers planned to rebuild but understood the decision. Briere declined to say if Provorov wanted out of Philadelphia.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the most positive news you can hear, but there’s a bright future here, and there’s a lot of great players that can keep growing,” Provorov said in April. “Obviously, it depends on how quick everybody gets better and how quickly the team game gets better. I think that’s what determines the length of the rebuild.”

Turns out, the potential success out of the haul the Flyers got for Provorov just may determine the length of the rebuild.

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.

Kyle Dubas out as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs after 5 seasons

Associated PressMay 19, 2023, 3:20 PM EDT

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TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for a new general manager after the team announced that it had decided to part ways with Kyle Dubas.

Toronto won a playoff series this year for the first time in nearly two decades. The Maple Leafs eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning before losing to the underdog Florida Panthers in a disappointing second-round showing.

Dubas’ contract was scheduled to expire June 30.

“I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as general manager,” Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. “Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistently pushed to make our team better season over season.”

Shanahan was scheduled to address the media at Scotiabank Arena.

An emotional Dubas, 37, said he wasn’t sure if he would continue on as GM, citing the stress on his young family.

Dubas joined the Leafs in 2014 as an assistant GM at age 28. He managed the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup title in 2018.

He took over as Toronto general manager from Lou Lamoriello in May 2018 as part of a succession plan under Shanahan’s direction.

The Leafs experienced unprecedented regular-season success under Dubas – viewed as a young, bright hockey mind with a forward-thinking approach to analytics – over his five years in charge.

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.

The Leafs lost to Boston in seven games in 2019 and fell to Columbus in the 2020 pandemic-necessitated qualifying round. The team blew a 3-1 lead against Montreal in a disastrous 2021 collapse before showing promise in a tight, seven-game loss to Tampa in 2022 that set the stage for last month’s breakthrough.

Dubas offered unwavering support to Toronto’s so-called “Core Four” of offensive talent consisting of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.

“As a person, he’s been unbelievable throughout my whole time here,” Marner said of Dubas after the Leafs were eliminated by Florida. “Definitely a special person to have around. He cares a lot for his players and his staff.

“Something that we’re all pretty lucky to have.”

Kyle Dubas unsure if he will remain as Maple Leafs GM

Associated PressMay 16, 2023, 2:04 PM EDT

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TORONTO — Kyle Dubas has made plenty of high-profile moves in his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

From big-money signings to blockbuster trades to firing a Stanley Cup-winning coach, he’s been at the center of the action since being elevated to the general manager’s role five years ago.

His next decision will have a major impact on both himself and the direction of the organization.

Dubas said as the team reflected on its second-round playoff exit that he needs time to figure out if he even wants to continue as GM with his contract set to expire at the end of June.

“It requires me to have a full family discussion,” Dubas, his voice shaking with emotion, said at an afternoon press conference. “My family is a hugely important part of what I do. For me to commit to anything without having a fuller understanding of what this year took (out of) them … it’s probably unfair for me to answer where I’m at.

“We haven’t been able to have those full discussions yet, but it was a very hard year on them.”

Dubas added he won’t be leaving the Maple Leafs to join another club ahead of next season.

“I definitely don’t have it in me to go anywhere else,” Dubas said. “It’ll either be here or it’ll be taking time to recalibrate (and) reflect on the seasons here. But you won’t see me next week pop up elsewhere.”

The Maple Leafs won a playoff series for the first time since 2004 when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round before falling to the Florida Panthers in a disappointing five-game setback that sullied a breakthrough nearly two decades in the making.

“I think the world of Kyle,” Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “He’s a world-class GM. I’m not in charge of what happens with his contract. But everything he did was in the team’s best interest.

“The players are the ones that were on the ice.”

If he stays, Dubas said he’d look at any changes to the roster – including the nucleus of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander that he’s staunchly backed at every turn – that gives Toronto a better opportunity at success.

“I would take nothing off the table,” he said. “Everything would have to be considered.”

Dubas took questions alone this year on a breakup day that moved at a glacial pace after sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with team president Brendan Shanahan last spring following a fourth consecutive opening-round disappointment. Shanahan was nowhere to be seen this time, but the team indicated he would be available “in the coming days.”

“I’m responsible,” Dubas said when asked if anything should be read into the absence of his boss. “The decisions made on trades, on roster, on everything – they’re on me. I feel like I should sit and take responsibility for them.”

Dubas’ decision – whether it’s up to him or Shanahan – is one of many facing the Leafs in what could be a tumultuous summer.

Matthews and Nylander are both entering the final year of their contracts and can sign extensions as of July 1. Matthews and Marner – the latter’s deal runs two more seasons – both will have their no-movement clauses activated the same day. Nylander will possess a no-trade list of 10 teams.

Tavares, meanwhile, will be 33 years old and will counting $11 million against the salary cap next season.

“I love it here,” the Leafs captain, who signed in free agency in 2018 as Dubas’ first move, said when asked about waiving his no-movement clause. “I made a commitment here for seven years, to be a Leaf, and I want to be here.”

It’s no secret that Matthews, who indicated he’d like to stay in Toronto and wants to ink an extension this summer, and Dubas have a good relationship off the ice.

“Built a really good culture here,” said last season’s Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP. “Expectations don’t get met or you fall short, people point the finger.

“But my experience with Kyle has been a real positive one.”

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe has been attached to Dubas for the last decade, and his future with the organization could also be tied to what happens with the GM.

“Kyle and I have a lot of history,” Keefe said. “I believe in a lot of things he’s done here to put us in a position to succeed. I have tremendous amount of respect for Kyle … in terms of what happens from here, it’s out of my control.”

There are plenty of other questions that need answering in Toronto. Veteran center Ryan O’Reilly – acquired from the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline as part of the Maple Leafs’ big swing – is an unrestricted free agent. The same goes for forwards Michael Bunting, Alexander Kerfoot, Noel Acciari and David Kampf, along with defensemen Luke Schenn and Justin Holl.

Marner, who grew up a Leafs fan just north of the city and was asked about the possibility of getting traded before Dubas spoke, said he hopes to remain.

“I’ve been very fortunate to play for this team,” he said. “I want to continue to play for this team and hope I get to play for this team. It’s all I ever dreamed of as a kid.

“Hopefully I get to continue that honor.”

Once there’s clarity on Dubas, the rest of the Maple Leafs’ summer will start to come into focus.

Cousins scores in OT to send Panthers into Eastern Conference final after 3-2 win over Maple Leafs

Associated PressMay 13, 2023, 12:26 AM EDT

Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO — Nick Cousins scored at 15:32 of overtime and Sergei Bobrovsky made 50 saves as the Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series on Friday to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist to help the Panthers build a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs, who had advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 19 years when they beat Tampa Bay in the first round. Rookie goalie Joseph Woll had 41 saves in his first home playoff start.

In the extra period, Cousins buried his second goal of the playoffs off the rush short-side on Woll to send the Panthers to the conference finals for the first time since 1996.

Florida – the team with the fewest points to qualify for the postseason – won all three games in Toronto and improved to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs after also upsetting the record-setting Boston Bruins. The Panthers will next face the Carolina Hurricanes, who also beat the New Jersey Devils in five games.

Woll was coming off a 24-save effort in a Game 4 win that avoided the sweep.

The Maple Leafs now face an uncertain offseason despite its breakthrough against the Lightning. General manager Kyle Dubas doesn’t have a contract beyond June 30, while there have also been rumblings about the future of coach Sheldon Keefe. Nylander and Auston Matthews both have one year remaining on their contracts and can sign extensions as of July 1, while fellow star forward Mitch Marner’s no-movement clause kicks in the same day.

Toronto’s high-powered offense – including the so-called “Core Four” of Matthews, Nylander, Marner and John Tavares – scored just three times in the series for a team that totaled just 14 goals over its final seven playoff games, including a paltry 10 against the Panthers.

The Maple Leafs finished the post-season 1-5 at home.

Florida went up 1-0 on a power play at 3:31 of the opening period when Ekblad blasted a one-timer for his first on a shot that handcuffed Woll after the goalie made a flurry of early stops.

The Maple Leafs pushed back and had a couple of terrific chances on a pair of man advantages, but couldn’t solve Bobrovsky.

Verhaeghe then got his fifth on a one-timer of his own with 3:42 left in the first after Toronto defenseman Timothy Liljegren fumbled the puck at his blue line to make it 2-0.

Rielly’s point shot made its way through a crowd in front at 7:50 of the second for his fourth to cut the Panthers’ lead in half.

Toronto appeared to tie things with 2:49 remaining in the period when Rielly looked to have pushed the puck over the line in close off the rush. The call on the ice of no goal stood following a long video review – the officials deemed the play dead prior to the puck crossing the line – which prompted some fans to litter the ice with drinks, water bottles and rally towels.

Marner hit the post on a shot that took a deflection shortly after play resumed.

Nylander tied it with 4:37 left in the third as he took a pass from Tavares in stride and beat Bobrovsky from a tight angle upstairs. It was his fourth goal of the postseason to spark wild celebrations inside a frothing Scotiabank Arena – and the chaotic street party outside in Maple Leaf Square.

However, the Maple Leafs couldn’t get another goal.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Friday marked exactly 17 years since Panthers coach Paul Maurice was named to the same post with the Maple Leafs. He lasted two seasons in Toronto before getting fired following the 2007-08 campaign.

HART NOD

Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk was announced as one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP shortly before the game. The other nominees are Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Bruins forward David Pastrnak.