The Calgary Flames’ rough start has not pushed Ryan Huska onto the hot seat, even with the club stumbling out of the gate. According to Darren Dreger, the coach’s job security is not the issue in Calgary right now.
In Los Angeles, the Kings are dealing with a different kind of frustration. Their problems are showing up in goal and on offense, and Pierre LeBrun said there is no simple answer. Goaltending has become a talking point, but the bigger concern internally appears to be the way the offseason unfolded.
“They’d love to get into the Larkin trade conversation, but Los Angeles is not on the list of teams under consideration by Larkin. They batted the idea around of free agent Patrik Laine, but I’m not sure they’re going to end up going there. But it’s an idea.
They really need Kevin Fiala back. He may start practicing with the team over the next couple of weeks.”
The Flyers, meanwhile, are trying to sort through a different kind of roster puzzle. After an 0-6-3 start, they’ve strung together two straight wins despite a wave of injuries, and now they may have a wing logjam once everyone gets healthy. Trevor Zegras has reportedly looked better on the wing alongside Christian Dvorak.
There had been reporting last week that Philadelphia might ask Travis Konecny about his future if the season went sideways. Now, the feeling is that the Flyers could make that approach even if the team keeps winning. Konecny, 29, has six years left on his deal after this season at an $8.75 million cap hit, and sources say there has been interest in him since last year’s trade deadline.
Owen Tippett is another name to watch. Sources say teams have shown more interest in Tippett than Konecny in the past.
Tippett is 27, carries a $6.2 million cap hit, and has a 10-team no-trade. If he were to loosen that protection, teams would likely line up with more interest in Konecny than Tippett.
A source said Philadelphia could explore moving more than one winger in order to bring in a top-six forward. The Flyers also like Seattle’s Matty Beniers, though there’s no sign the Kraken are willing to move him. The Kraken do like Tyson Foester, but a source said that would be a non-starter for the Flyers, who may instead prefer Tippett plus a center prospect such as Jett Luchanko.
On defense, Oliver Bonk’s play and maybe eventually Hunter McDonald could create another question for Cam York’s role with the team. His name is starting to come up as someone who could potentially be available. York is 25 and has three years left after this season on a $5.15 million cap hit.
As for Rasmus Ristolainen, he has been available for the right price for the past three seasons, and it seems unlikely he’ll be extending with the Flyers after this season.
In Other News...
Kraken Escape A Brutal Home Letdown With One Timely Boost
Brandon Montours return gave Seattle a much-needed lift after a lengthy absence, and the defenseman made an immediate impact in his first game back from a lower-body injury. He scored for the Kraken in regulation as Seattle built a 3-0 cushion against Detroit, joining goals from Mackie Samoskevich and Ryker Evans in what looked like a comfortable home night for a team trying to steady itself.
Instead, the game turned into a stress test in the final stretch, with Detroit storming back to force overtime after scoring three times in the third period. The Kraken avoided a costly collapse only by surviving the shootout, where Freddy Gaudreau and Bobby McMann delivered the winning markers and gave Seattle a result that felt a lot safer on the scoreboard than it did for most of the night. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Blow Big Lead Then Somehow Escape With Two Points
Seattle looked ready to cruise after building a 3-0 lead through two periods, with the kind of control that usually lets a home team breathe easy late. Instead, Detroit clawed all the way back in the third period, forcing the Kraken to spend the rest of the night trying to salvage a game that had clearly gotten away from them.
They did just enough to do it, surviving regulation and overtime before finally getting the extra point in the shootout. It was a messy finish to a game that should have been far simpler, but for Seattle the end result still mattered most as it left the building with two points after nearly letting one slip through its hands. [Read more 🡒]