NHL Talking Points: Kessel, Kane’s contract, Stanley Cup Final and more

NHL Talking Points is a weekly column highlighting 10 stories that have been circulating around the league. This week, we take a look at Phil Kessel rumors, Evander Kane’s contract, the Stanley Cup Final and more.

The past week has seen wide-ranging narratives occupy the talk circuit of the hockey world. The Washington Capitals advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, several contracts have been signed and trade rumors continue to form the basis of headlines.

Let’s take a look at 10 stories that have been circulating around the National Hockey League.

1. The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially parted ways with former assistant general manager Mark Hunter.

The news was announced in the early hours of Tuesday, May 22, but should not have been a surprise to fans of the organization. Hunter, 55, was named the team’s director of player personnel in October 2014 and became an assistant general manager — along with Kyle Dubas — in July 2015.

When Dubas was promoted to the general manager role on May 11, 2018, many speculated on the future of Hunter, who likely saw himself as the rightful candidate for the job. Head coach Mike Babcock even articulated his hope that both Hunter and former general manager Lou Lamoriello could stay on board for the years to come. Nevertheless, each respective administrator has opted for a future outside of Toronto.

With Dubas’ recent hirings, fans of the Maple Leafs are left with a clearer understanding of who will oversee the next stage of the Shanaplan. The only question, therefore, is one that shall likely go unanswered. Were these departures part of the club’s overarching agenda?

2. Is Phil Kessel being shopped?

To some, this is nothing short of a rumor. To others, it’s a legitimate possibility.

Elliotte Friedman is one such individual that agrees with the latter prospect. In an appearance on Oilers Now, the Sportsnet insider had this to say:

"I think with Pittsburgh it’s — they look at it like, you know, ‘We are in it as long as Crosby and Malkin are in their primes.’ . . . It’s a long thing with Kessel because you always worry about what’s gonna be said. Obviously if you look at Kessel, he played five years in Boston, he played five years in Toronto, he’s just done three in Pittsburgh . . . You battle with Kessel. You could tell at the end of last year that Sullivan and Kessel were getting tired of each other, and I could see Pittsburgh just saying, ‘Look, is this money we can spend better elsewhere?’ $6.8 million. So it’s not going to be easy, but I do think there will be interest."

3. The San Jose Sharks have signed Evander Kane to a seven-year deal.

The hockey world knew that the Sharks would be looking to add to their offense over the course of the offseason. The answer to the question of who the team would turn to in their search for scoring prowess arrived early when Kane — acquired by the Sharks at the trade deadline — signed a seven-year deal worth $49 million, thus turning away from an opportunity to test the open market. Details of the contract were outlined by TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun.

4. Antti Niemi shall return to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs’ backup netminder has signed a one-year contract valued at $950,000. In a conference call, Niemi went on to claim that his decision to stay with the Canadiens was not necessarily “about getting the most money,” but alternatively reflected the general degree of comfort that he has enjoyed when playing in Montreal.

5. Ryan Kesler’s 2018-19 season is in jeopardy. 

The veteran center’s looming hip problems are posing a threat to his ability to compete in the Anaheim Ducks’ upcoming campaign. Last summer, Kesler had hip surgery to clear away bone fragments, which caused him to miss 37 games of the 2017-18 season.

He’s not reported to be considering retirement just yet, so expect more news throughout the months to come.

6. The Vancouver Canucks have signed Swedish prospect Elias Pettersson.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning announced that Pettersson — a known center and right winger — had accepted a three-year, entry-level contract. He went on to offer high praise for the young forward:

"Elias is a talented offensive player with tremendous vision and skill. . . . Like most Canucks fans, we watched with excitement the incredible season he had in Sweden. This is an important offseason of training and development for Elias and we expect him to be ready to challenge for a roster spot in training camp.”"

7. The Dallas Stars’ new head coach, Jim Montgomery, was also on the New York Rangers’ radar.

In fact, Jeff Cox has reported that the Rangers went as far as to offer Montgomery a sufficiently larger portion of money in order to direct the former coach of the Denver Pioneers away from a job in Dallas.

Nevertheless, the Rangers should be pleased with their new commander-in-chief, David Quinn, who has had formidable coaching experience at Boston University.

8. The New York Islanders are reportedly going all-out in their pursuit of John Tavares.

The Isles’ captain is set to become the league’s most wanted unrestricted free agent on July 1, but Lou Lamoriello — recently appointed head of the team’s hockey operations — is a man on a mission. According to Friedman, Lamoriello represented the Islanders in a meeting with Tavares geared toward discussing the possibility of a future with the franchise:

"It says to me that the Islanders were worried Tavares was going to leave and needed a new approach to get back in the game. No guarantees, but he is definitely listening. Getting anything out of Lamoriello is like trying to rob an impenetrable safe, but word is that the team will take a run at Ilya Kovalchuk and has let it be known it will upgrade in goal."

9. To the dismay of many a hockey fan, Patrik Laine has shaved his much beloved — or despised — beard.

The Winnipeg Jets’ elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs ultimately incited Laine to remove his notorious chin curtains. That said, the superstar forward has opted to sport a ‘stache.

10. The Vegas Golden Knights will face the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final.

It’s a matchup that nobody could have predicted, as the team with the best inaugural season of all-time shall take on the team that had the worst inaugural season in NHL history. Here are seven fun facts about the 2017-18 Stanley Cup Final (each of which is meant to represent a game in the upcoming series).

• Braden Holtby ended the Eastern Conference Final with two shutouts in a row. Heading into Game 1, he has not allowed a goal for 159 minutes of play.
• Alexander Ovechkin is set to become the first Russian player to captain an NHL team to the Stanley Cup Final.
• The Golden Knights have surrendered less goals and have lost fewer games than both the Philadelphia Flyers and Maple Leafs over the course of the 2017-18 postseason. Philadelphia and Toronto were eliminated in six and seven games, respectively.
• In his 19th season as a commander-in-chief, Barry Trotz shall coach the Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final. It’ll be his first appearance in a series of this nature. No other head coach in the history of the sport made his Stanley Cup debut later in his career.
• According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, the hockey stick that Ryan Reaves utilized to net the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final is on its way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Brian MacLellan, GM of the Capitals, and George McPhee, GM of the Golden Knights, have some interesting history. Not only did they go to high school with one another, but they were also teammates on the Guelph Platers (a Junior A hockey team).
• Las Vegas has changed its iconic sign. Note the not-so-subtle lack of capital letters.

Next: One free agent every NHL team should sign this offseason

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