The Anaheim Ducks and a possible second-line center concern
Patrick Present of The Hockey News: The Anaheim Ducks have $40.5 million in projected salary cap space, but pending RFAs Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger will eat into that.
The second-line center position became an issue for the Ducks in the second half of the season and into the playoffs. The hope was that Mason McTavish and his six-year, $7 million per extension would fill that role, but that was not the case. He had 19 points in their first 26 games after missing half of training camp, but was a healthy scratch for two second-round playoff games and was down to 12:25 in TOI. McTavish struggled defensively under coach Joel Quenneville.
Can he reclaim the second-line center position or will the Ducks look elsewhere? Do they shift him to the wing? His trade value may still be good, so they could look to move him.
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Mikael Granlund filled in as the 2C, but that is not his ideal role. Prospect Roger McQueen could be their long-term solution, but at 20 and being a rookie, that may be a bit to much for next season.
The Vancouver Canucks coaching search may only be in-house
Sportsnet 650: Frank Seravalli, on the Halford & Brough, on the Vancouver Canucks coaching search, and that they may not be talking to anyone else outside of the organization. Signs point to Manny Malhotra, but not sure what is holding things up.
Jason Brough: “It’s everything you know, everything you’ve got on the Canucks coaching situation, as it pertains to Mandy Malhotra, and I guess anything or anyone else that might be involved.”
Seravalli: “I think the best way to explain it is that the Vancouver search, such as it is, I don’t know how deep it is. There hasn’t been much noise from it, and I think part of the reason for that is, I don’t have any evidence that they’ve talked to anyone else outside of their own internal candidate at this point in time.”
Mike Halford: “So, is it just a negotiation that’s going on right now with Manny Malhotra?”
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Seravalli: “I don’t, that part isn’t clear. I mean, I can’t imagine that the negotiation takes five days or six days to do. I don’t know what their thought process is, where things stand, what the vision is. Is part of it, Manny Malhotra filling out his staff, as you know, a clean slate and bench. I mean, there’s probably lots of layers to it, but I can’t imagine that the negotiation part of it is what’s holding this up.
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