The first big news in what seems like forever concerning the Coyotes: The Sabres asked the Coyotes for permission to speak with GM John Chayka about their vacant GM position.
This is interesting because Chayka is known for being "an analytics guy" and for being 17 and the only NHL GM to have starred in his own blockbuster movie:
It is nice to see the Sabres thinking outside the box here, because NHL teams essentially pick from a group of 40 ex-players when choosing their GM, even though common sense would suggest that that leaves about a million better candidates un-considered.
Chayka had a good first year with the Coyotes, but clearly there are ownership situations and things like having his coach be his boss that are pretty stupid, and professionally, the Buffalo situation is probably appealing to him.
Unfortunately, for the Sabres, it's a no-go.
RE Sabres' reported interest in Coyotes GM John Chayka: He's under contract next 4 yrs. Source: AZ wouldn't grant permission to speak to him
A nice thought by the Sabres, but now they'll probably just hire Don Maloney, Adam Foote or Lonny Bohonos.
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The Jack Adams award was announced last night and Babcock, Tortorella and McLellan were nominated.
This has to be the stupidest award there is. Tortorella is suddenly a genius because Sergei Bobrovsky had a Hart Trophy season? Give me a ________ ______ _______ break you _________ _______s.
Todd McLellan? Whatever. ("Hey here's an idea let's reward a guy for turning Leon Draisaitl into a winger").
I only bring this up because the best coach in hockey got completely ripped off here.
Question: which garbage team with a terrible roster made the Playoffs and won a series and may find themselves winning even more serieses?
The Ottawa Senators. The team that saw the mess the Leafs were in and said "Hey give us Phaneuf's contract," and the same team that every sane person thought would be 29th or 30th - due to their bad roster, bad contracts and terrible GM.
So this team hires a coach who devises a system of rigid defense. He gets his team playing so well defensively that Mike Condon (yeah, that Mike Condon) got five shut-outs in 40 games.
Erik Karlsson is good. But the other five guys are: Methot, Cici, Phaneuf, Wideman and some guy called Ben Harpur (apparently he hated the ex-PM so much he changed his name to non-sense; I'll give him that). That is not good.
That is, probably, the worst defense corps in the entire NHL.
The addition of Alzner, Hunwick, Orpik or Polak would improve it.
And Guy Boucher makes it work.
The guy is a total Gandalf.
How good is Guy Boucher's system?
He took a team that started Mike _____ Condon for 40 games, and they allowed only 14 more goals than the team that started Carey Price for most of their games.
That's right, the guy who turned Condon into Price (essentially) doesn't get a coach of the year nomination?
The fact that the Senators made the Playoffs should get Guy Boucher into the Hall of Fame.
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