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Landeskog gives heartbreaking interview after announcing he’s done for the year

Zuma Press

The Colorado Avalanche have announced that captain Gabriel Landeskog will be out for the entire 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to a knee injury.

Landeskog, of course, has missed the entire regular season with the same injury.

“We’ve explored just about every option at this point,” Landeskog said to Avs reporter Peter Baugh earlier today. “I thought I was going to be ready to go the second half of this season. … Moving forward we continue to explore options, but I felt like this was the decision I had to make at this point.”

The 30 year old winger led the Avs to a Stanley Cup championship last summer, but won’t be around this Spring/Summer to help with the repeat effort. In last year’s post-season the gritty winger put up 11 goals and 22 points in 27 post-season games. More than that though, he was the team’s heart and soul player, doing whatever was needed to ensure victory. It may be a lazy comparison given their nationality, but Landeskog is very much like a B Level Peter Forsberg. Equally adept defensively as he is offensively and with a surprising mean streak underneath it all. Both men were fierce competitors who put their entire being into representing the Avalanche. To say that this is a tough break for the Avs is the understatement of the season.

If you’re an Avs fan, this has to be concerning news. Landeskog is 30 years old, has missed an entire season and post-season with a knee injury and is just one season into a massive eight year deal that pays him $7 million per season. That’s… that’s a risky contract. Obviously, we wish the best for Landeskog in his health but things aren’t looking so great at the moment from a salary cap and roster management perspective.

Add in the fact that the Avs didn’t weaponize Landeskog’s full salary cap relief at the trade deadline and things look even more bleak. Joe Sakic and GM Chris MacFarland could have acquired a replacement on the trade market, say someone like Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bertuzzi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrick Kane or Bo Horvat. Instead, they rolled the dice that Landeskog would be healthy enough to return and revitalize their lineup. Today’s news confirms that that won’t be happening and that the team will be forced to move forward with the group they have. How you feeling, Avs fans? 

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NHL rivals reportedly trying to poach Kyle Dubas

NHL.com

Right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs and general manager Kyle Dubas are preparing to do anything and everything in order to finally break through and win their first postseason series since 2004. Should they fail in that endeavor, there will almost certainly be major changes in the organization, and that could potentially include Dubas losing the gig as Leafs GM that he’s held since 2018.

Meanwhile, there’s another NHL franchise who could be preparing to undergo serious front office changes, and that would be the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have missed the postseason for the first time in 16 years thanks to an up and down campaign marred by inconsistent play and maddening frustrations. If the Penguins were to part ways with general manager Ron Hextall and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke, Dubas could be an enticing hire. 

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Toews scores in his last game with the Blackhawks!

Chicago Blackhawks

UPDATE: Ladies and gentlemen, he’s done it!

On the big stage this evening in his final game with the Chicago Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews has scored a goal!

Check it out:

Read below for our report from earlier today on Toews and the Blackhawks’ decision to walk away from him this upcoming offseason.

Tonight Jonathan Toews plays his final game for the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Blackhawks’ GM Kyle Davidson issued a statement through the team earlier today, indicating that the team will NOT re-sign Toews as a free agent this upcoming offseason and that tonight will represent the end for Toews in Chicago.

Just prior to puck drop tonight, the Blackhawks faithful paid tribute to Toews with a touching, emotional round of applause.

Check it out:

The last one. What a run.

So… what’s next?

More insight from Blackhawks insider Mark Lazerus:

But TSN insider Pierre LeBrun states that Toews has not made a decision yet on whether he plans to continue his NHL career next summer.

Honestly… could you blame the guy if he just packed up and retired for good? He’s given his heart and soul to the Blackhawks for nearly two decades and has accomplished nearly every thing there is to accomplish in the sport. He’s a true champion and will go down in history as one of the best Blackhawks in history, with a real argument that he is THE best Blackhawk in history.

He’s a three time Stanley Cup champion, a two time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most respected players of his generation. His body is failing him and he has nothing to prove to anyone in the hockey world. Take a bow, Jonny… you’ve done well.

Last week though in conversation with Lazerus, Toews let it be known that he’d love to get the chance to play for a Stanley Cup contender one more time.

“There’s no doubt I’d love to know what that feels like again, to play hockey on the biggest stage and enjoy the spotlight and have an entire city on your back,” he said. “When you’re going through something real with your teammates, where you’re pushing through a lot and working through things together and figuring out how to reach the peak of the hockey world together. Nothing replaces that. You always kind of long for that experience.”

– Jonathan Toews

It sounds to me like there’s still a little fire in the belly there…

It makes me wonder if he might be interested in another spin around the sun with his good buddy Patrick Kane, now of the New York Rangers. Kane, of course, is a pending unrestricted free agent himself so his future is unclear as well.

“He’s a legend. I mean, he turned that franchise around. It’s pretty impressive what he’s done with his career, but just for that city … Great with the fans, great with the people. He was a guy that led our team so he’s a legend,” said Kane earlier today when told about the news.

“He’s had an amazing career. I really hope he enjoys tonight … & puts on a show for the fans because he gave a lot of people a lot of great memories.”

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Multiple Flames players could be moving on!

Fox News

To say that the 2022-23 National Hockey League season was a difficult one for the Calgary Flames would be a major understatement. 

Fresh off their first postseason victory since their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004, the Flames underwent a series of massive changes last summer, starting with the stunning departure of Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Additionally, they traded All-Star forward Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, while also bringing aboard 2022 Stanley Cup winning forward Nazem Kadri. 

However, the entire team fell short of the expectations that they entered the campaign with. Huberdeau experienced a stunning drop-off in production as he struggled to adapt to the defensive playing system of hard-nosed head coach Darryl Sutter, while Kadri also saw a noticeable decline on the stat sheet. Goaltender Jakub Markstrom, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season, failed to come close to a repeat performance this year. This all along with other factors combined to result in Calgary missing the playoffs, sending them into an uncertain offseason. 

And right now, we’re already seeing reports that there could be several players eventually on the move. Forward Elias Lindholm, who saw his point production drop by nearly 20 points from last season, didn’t exactly sound committed to staying in Calgary beyond 2024. 

“I’ve got one more year and that’s all I can say,” he explained.

Meanwhile, forward Mikael Backlund admitted that this past season was the most difficult of his career, and like Lindholm, didn’t commit to staying a member of the Flames for the long haul. 

“Definitely the hardest season I’ve played emotionally and mentally,” he said. “We never met the expectations.”

“We’ll see what happens,” he said of signing long term. “The year we had, I’m 34 years old. I wanna win the Stanley Cup.”

Buckle up, Flames fans! 

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Red Wings voice frustration over missing postseason

Yahoo Sports

The 2022-23 season for the Detroit Red Wings officially came to a close last night in frustrating fashion, as they were unable to score a single goal in what was a 5-0 setback against the Tampa Bay Lightning. And what was looming after two straight blowout losses to the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators last month became official last week – the Red Wings aren’t a playoff team yet. 

This now makes seven straight seasons on the outside looking in at the postseason after a record breaking 25 year streak. For captain Dylan Larkin, who has only played in five career postseason games that took place in his rookie season, the frustration of facing another early summer was especially palpable.

“It’s very disappointing,” Larkin said following Detroit’s 5-0 loss to the Lightning in their regular season finale. “It’s been very difficult since the trade deadline, emotionally, physically. We traded away a lot of guys, guys played through injuries. We wanted to get back to .500 and finish on a good note and it didn’t happen. The message was there, it’s been there — there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in this locker room, and I think hopefully — I say it every year, but hopefully we’re not in this position much longer.”

Detroit briefly occupied the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference after a thrilling Western road swing that saw them win four of five, followed by another victory at home over the New York Rangers. But things really began to fall apart after Detroit dominated the Lightning at home on February 25 but lost, firing 45 shots on goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy but failing to light the lamp. Detroit then was physically dominated by the Senators, dropping two in a row by a combined score of 12-3.

It was then that general manager Steve Yzerman decided to do what he had planned on doing all along and sell off assets at the Trade Deadline. You may remember that it was Larkin who fought back tears while speaking publicly immediately after the Red Wings traded his longtime teammate and friend Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins. The Red Wings also traded forward Oskar Sundqvist to the Minnesota Wild, dealt defenseman Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks, and Jakub Vrana to the St. Louis Blues. 

“It’s really hard if you’re missing key players, motors I want to even say, in the lineup,” sophomore defenseman Moritz Seider said. “It’s very disappointing. I think we all had higher expectations for that game, we wanted to be a .500 team, and we didn’t achieve that. I think frustration, a little bit of sadness, will be on the way back on the plane for sure. But other than that I think we can be very proud of ourselves, took big strides this year in almost every category. There’s a lot of positives to think back on.”

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Patrice Bergeron sounds off on his future

Boston.com

The Bruins certainly are fortunate to have longtime forward Patrice Bergeron still with them, as he played a big role in Boston having rewritten the NHL record book with their 65 victory campaign in the 2022-23 season. 

He reportedly mulled retirement during the summer, only to pivot and sign a one year contract, which many speculate could be his final deal in the NHL. At the age of 37, Bergeron certainly isn’t getting any younger, and should Boston do what is expected by nearly all fans and pundits and earn their first Stanley Cup victory since 2011, he could elect to ride off into the sunset along with fellow veteran David Krejci. 

It certainly sounded as though Bergeron was contemplating calling it a career earlier this week when his Bruins were taking on his hometown Montreal Canadiens in his home province of Quebec.

“As you get older, you realize there’s less games ahead of you than behind and you want to enjoy and appreciate every moment and every situation,” he said. “Being back in my home province, I have some family members here tonight. It’s very special.”

Bergeron tallied 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) over the 78 games that he appeared in this year. He and the rest of his Bruins teammates are gearing up to face the Florida Panthers in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that begin next week. 

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Brian Burke issues statement after being fired by Penguins

NHL.com

The Pittsburgh Penguins decided to go full scorched earth mode earlier this morning, parting ways with general manager Ron Hextall, assistant general manager Chris Pryor, and president of hockey operations Brian Burke after the franchise missed the postseason for the first time since 2006. 

Burke himself took to social media shortly after the decision was announced to offer his thoughts, and he kept it classy by expressing his gratitude for being able to work with the Penguins organization as well as wishing them the best in the future.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked in this passionate sports town,” he said. “Thank you to FSG, Mario Lemieux, David Morehouse, management and coaches, and especially to our great group of players. Best of luck to the Penguins and their incredible fan base in the future.”

Burke was named president of hockey operations for the Penguins in February of 2021 after the resignation of Jim Rutherford. 

“But you get to work for the Pittsburgh Penguins, man. You’re talking, this is Cadillac class here. This is not your run-of-the-mill team. This is not your run-of-the-mill ownership,” he said upon his hire. “I’m so excited to move to Pittsburgh. It’s one of the great sports towns on the planet. It’s the best sports town in America, for me.” 

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St. Louis Blues fire multiple coaches

STL Today

It was an up and down season for the St. Louis Blues, who made the difficult decisions to move on from franchise cornerstones Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, both of whom played key roles in bringing the Gateway City their first ever Stanley Cup championship in 2019. 

They officially missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011, and not surprisingly, they’re already making personnel changes. Minutes ago, it was announced by the team that their coaching staff for next season will be looking very different, as assistant coaches Mike Van Ryan as well as Craig MacTavish were given their walking papers. 

Right now, it appears as though head coach Craig Berube and assistant Steve Ott are safe for the time being. The same holds true for Goaltending Coach David Alexander, Video Coach Darryl Seward and Video Coordinator Elliott Mondou.

Van Ryn, who played for the Blues over the course of his NHL career, had been an assistant for the last five seasons and helped the team to the Stanley Cup in 2019. Meanwhile, MacTavish was coming off his first year behind the bench as an assistant with the Blues. After an extensive playing career that included several Stanley Cup wins with the Edmonton Oilers, MacTavish served as their head coach and later a team executive. 

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Anaheim Ducks announce Dallas Eakins’ fate

NHL.com

The Anaheim Ducks officially clinched the unfortunate distinction as the National Hockey League’s worst team for the 2022-23 regular season schedule last night with their loss at Honda Center to the crosstown rival Los Angeles Kings. Of course, there’s a bit of a silver lining in that they now have the highest odds to be able to land the first overall selection in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft.

But even if they do get the chance to draft phenom forward Connor Bedard, it won’t be Dallas Eakins coaching him. Minutes ago, the Ducks announced that Eakins, who has served as the team’s head coach since the summer of 2019, will not be retained for next season. The news was first reported by NHL Insider Elliott Friedman, and then confirmed by the Ducks organization. 

Eakins took over as head coach for the Ducks in the summer of 2019 after having spent four years behind the bench of their American Hockey League affiliate San Diego Gulls. He had also previously served as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. 

“We thank Dallas for his eight years with the organization as head coach of both the Ducks and Gulls,” said Ducks owner Henry Samueli. “Susan and I are especially proud of his commitment to the community in both Anaheim and San Diego, which included countless charitable initiatives. We know Dallas will succeed in his future endeavors, as character people often do.”

“This was a very difficult decision, one that comes after careful and considerable deliberation,” said Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek. “At the end of the day, I simply feel that a fresh perspective and new voice will be beneficial for the team. Dallas has handled himself with class and character through a difficult season, and we wish him the best in the future.”

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Just in: Penguins clean out entire front office!

Pittsburgh Hockey Now

It was a major disappointment for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, having finished on the outside looking in on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 16 years. It was thought that there would be serious consequences for the failure, and now those consequences have come home to roost.

Minutes ago, it was announced that the Penguins have cleaned house when it comes to their front office staff. General manager Ron Hextall, president of hockey operations Brian Burke, and assistant general manager Chris Pryor have all been shown the door with the following announcement: 

“The Penguins have relieved President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke, General Manager Ron Hextall, and Assistant General Manager, Chris Pryor of their duties, it was announced today by Fenway Sports Group.”

The Penguins have also released the following update: 

“During this transition, managerial duties of hockey operations will be shared among Director of Hockey Ops, Alec Schall, WBS General Manager/Manager of Hockey Operations, Erik Heasley and Hockey Ops Analyst, Andy Saucier. Coach Sullivan will also assist during the transition. The search for new hockey operations leadership will begin immediately.”

John Henry and Tom Werner of The Fenway Sports Group released the following statement: 

“We are grateful to Brian, Ron, and Chris for their contributions to the organization over the past two seasons, but we feel that the team will benefit from new hockey operations leadership. While this season has been disappointing, we believe in our core group of players and the goal of contending for the Stanley Cup has not changed.”

Get ready for a rollercoaster offseason of changes, Penguins fans!