A stellar sophomore season from Matt Boldy wasn't enough to earn a pat on the back from Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin heading into the summer.
"In talking to a guy like Boldy, his style of play in the playoffs doesn't … He's got to change certain things in his game," Guerin told The Athletic's Michael Russo. "It is a different game in the playoffs. It's just different.
"And I think a lot of people get frustrated with that in hockey, but I think it's one of the things that makes hockey great is that it is a whole different ballgame. You look at the goals that are scored, they're hard goals. There's not a lot of pretty goals, and you've just got to get your nose dirty. For him, that's something that he's got to work on."
Boldy tallied 31 goals and 32 assists in 81 games during the regular season, but he was held scoreless with three helpers in six playoff contests before the Wild were eliminated by the Dallas Stars.
"Still not good enough," the 22-year-old answered when asked to compare this postseason to last year's. "To be honest, I don't think I played well. That's my opinion. It just wasn't what it needed to be, and obviously it sucks. It's not what you want to have happen, feeling like you let teammates down and stuff like that. But it's another thing to learn from, and we don't want to let it happen again."
Boldy recorded one goal and zero helpers in six games during the 2022 playoffs after producing 39 points in 47 contests as a rookie.
The 6-foot-2 winger was selected 12th overall by Minnesota at the 2019 NHL Draft. He signed a seven-year, $49-million extension in January that will make him the Wild's third-highest-paid player next season.
Snoop Dogg wants fans to know his interest in purchasing the Ottawa Senators is completely genuine, fo shizzle.
"This ain't no joke or no gimmick. Or an image or likeness play. This is a real ownership play," he told The Athletic's Ian Mendes. "And Snoop will put his foot in the town."
The highly popular rapper and entertainer is part of a bid fronted by Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks to buy the Sens, he confirmed Monday.
But why the Senators? Why Ottawa?
"I love the city. Every time I've come through the city, they've rolled out the red carpet for me. The fans, the city. Everyone. It's been nothing but love," Snoop said. "When you go around the world as much as I have, there are certain places that stick out in your heart. Everywhere I go in Canada, it's always been love, but there's something about Ottawa. And the opportunity for the team to be bought? It's impeccable timing right now."
Snoop's hockey fandom is well-documented. He famously wore a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey in the music video for his breakthrough 1994 single "Gin and Juice," and the Long Beach, California, native has served as an occasional guest broadcaster for Los Angeles Kings games. He says he even went to go watch Kings games in the '80s when they were led by Marcel Dionne.
The 51-year-old says his role in an ownership group would be primarily as a community activist, and he'd come to Ottawa at least six times a year - 10 if the Sens make the playoffs. But he also said that he wants to grow the game at the grassroots level.
"I've always wanted to do something in hockey with kids," Snoop told Mendes. "Because I never had hockey offered to me as a kid."
Snoop also believes he could play an important role to help better market the game's biggest stars.
"They don't know how to market," he said. "Like McDavid, he's the No. 1 hockey player in the world. Why doesn't he have commercials everywhere?"
Snoop isn't the only celebrity interested in purchasing the Senators, though. Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds has joined forces with the Remington Group, which is reportedly preparing a $1-billion offer. There are at least five other interested parties, too.
The Winnipeg Jets forward didn't appreciatehead coach Rick Bowness' comments to the media following the club's elimination from the playoffs Thursday.
"I thought Rick had an opportunity to address us as a team. Now we have to answer that question, right? He could've been honest with us. We could've had those discussions behind closed doors," Wheeler said Saturday, per Sportsnet. "I didn't agree with how he handled himself after the game."
Bowness said Thursday that he was "disappointed and disgusted" after the club lost Game 5 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
On Saturday, he said he regrets using the word "disgusted."
"One of my many faults is I'm too emotional and wear my heart on my sleeve," Bowness added, per the Winnipeg News' Mike McIntyre.
Wheeler clarified that Bowness did express his disappointment with the team after Game 5's second period,but the veteran said he wished the coach didn't publicly air his grievances.
The 6-foot-5 winger has been with the franchise for 13 seasons. Wheeler was acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins in 2011 while the club was still in Atlanta as the Thrashers, making him a Day 1 Jet.
But it might not have been that way. Wheeler, who inked a five-year $41.25-million extension with Winnipeg in September 2018, said he wouldn't have agreed to the pact if the club hadn't succeeded in 2017-18 when it made it to the Western Conference Final before falling to the Golden Knights.
"If 2018 didn't happen, I wouldn't have re-signed here," Wheeler said, according to Postmedia's Scott Billeck.
Wheeler, the Jets' highest-paid player with an $8.25-million cap hit, is set to enter the final year of his contract. If this is it for him in Winnipeg, he said he can accept that he left everything on the ice.
"I gave it everything I had, and I hope that's good enough," Wheeler said, per TSN's Jon Lu. "There wasn't a day I took off. I guess that's the best you can do."
Wheeler served as Winnipeg's captain for six seasons before he was stripped of his "C" after the club hired Bowness prior to the 2022-23 campaign.
And the veteran core clearly isn't keen on any sort of rebuild.
"I'm not interested in a rebuild," Hellebuyck said. "I just want to compete. … I enjoyed myself more in five (playoff) games than I did all year. It's like a high you gotta chase. You can't replicate that anywhere else except in the playoffs."
The Winnipeg Jets have boasted an immensely talented core for the last seven-plus years, but aside from a trip to the 2018 Western Conference Final, they've failed to accomplish much. And after squeaking into the 2023 playoffs as the Western Conference's No. 8 seed before getting bounced by the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, the club needs to clarify its direction this offseason.
With several key players set to become unrestricted free agents after the 2023-24 campaign, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, de facto owner Mark Chipman, and the rest of the club's front office needs to ask themselves a serious question: Is this core worth keeping together? The answer should be no.
Even a new coach this season in Rick Bowness couldn't get much more out of the Jets, offering further evidence that this roster simply isn't good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup. Sure, injuries hindered Winnipeg in the playoffs - Josh Morrissey went down in Game 3, Mark Scheifele got hurt in Game 4, and Nikolaj Ehlers didn't suit up until Game 5. But this team isn't young enough to believe that it could be good enough to win a Cup in a few years. The Jets aren't just a couple moves away.
Should Cheveldayoff himself be under scrutiny? He's held his GM title since the franchise relocated from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011. Given his strong history of amateur scouting and asset management, he deserves to remain in charge of the club's hockey operations - as long as he's willing to shake things up.
A change behind the bench would be sensible, though. Bowness was visibly "disappointed and disgusted" after the Jets were eliminated from the postseason Thursday. And while Bowness is a good defensive-minded coach, the 68-year-old is best suited to lead a team in win-now mode. He might not be interested in guiding a club that's set for a rebuild, and a mutual agreement to part ways would be logical.
Because whether you call it a rebuild, a retool, or a transition period, the Jets need an overhaul. They need to get worse before they can become better.
Of those seven players, Dubois is the only sensible long-term extension candidate given his age, but he reportedly told the club he plans to test free agency in 2024.
Scheifele is due for a major raise from his current $6.125-million cap hit, but a lucrative long-term extension for him carries ample risk. After all, he's entering the back nine of his career and he was moved from center to wing late in the season because of his defensive struggles.
Hellebuyck is still a world-class goaltender, but he's also in line for a sizable raise from his current $6.16-million cap hit. And if history tells us anything, it's that pricey long-term deals for goalies in their 30s don't seem to age well (see Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky). Hellebuyck's consistency warrants a similarly lucrative contract - likely six years, $8 million per season at the very minimum.
Wheeler, Niederreiter, Dillon, or DeMelo likely don't require anything too rich to retain their services, but signing aging role players to extensions makes no sense if you don't keep the core players. Furthermore, would they even want to come back if the core players are traded away?
If the Jets' front office enters the offseason thinking the team can compete for a Cup in 2024, it will lead to one of the following outcomes:
The Jets put themselves on track for the playoffs again, making it tough to sell the fan base on trading players on expiring contracts as the deadline approaches. Following another early playoff exit, Winnipeg loses its key UFAs without recouping any assets.
The Jets are in line to miss the playoffs as the deadline approaches, but the combination of the time crunch and the difficulty of making multiple big midseason moves in a hard-cap league means they fail to get full value for the pending UFAs.
The Jets extend their core, locking in several more years of mediocrity with no end in sight.
Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / Getty
Cheveldayoff should be aggressively working the phones to find suitors for his upcoming UFAs. All seven of those players should be traded between now and the 2024 deadline. The more that can be shipped out this offseason, the better. Dubois, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck, in particular, would net massive hauls on the trade market.
Even Ehlers, Neal Pionk, Nate Schmidt (all 2025 UFAs), and Kyle Connor (2026 UFA) should be available for the right price. Ehlers, Pionk, and Connor are conceivably parts of the future since they're all 27 or younger, but it's hard to imagine they'd be eager to re-sign to be part of a retool. Nobody from the current team should be completely off the table except the true youngsters like 21-year-old Cole Perfetti.
Given all the draft picks, prospects, and young players the Jets could get in all these trades, turning things around in a few years' time isn't out of the question given the Jets' track record of drafting and player development under Cheveldayoff. They've got a solid prospect pool with players like Chaz Lucius, Rutger McGroarty, Brad Lambert, and Ville Heinola already in the system.
The Jets have always had difficulty luring free agents to frigid Winnipeg, so homegrown talent is the organization's only hope of building a winner. Cheveldayoff has done it once before, too; Scheifele, Ehlers, Connor, and Hellebuyck were all Jets draft picks. It's unfortunate that this current group was never able to get over the hump, but that happens in sports.
While it may be bittersweet to say goodbye to an era of Jets hockey that was once so promising, it's by far the best direction for the franchise.
The Remington Group, led by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and real estate mogul Christopher Bratty, is prepared to bid $1 billion to purchase the Ottawa Senators, sources told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.
New York-based bank Galatioto Sports Partners, which was hired by the family of Eugene Melnyk to sell the franchise, has set a May 15 deadline for offers.
Reynolds and Bratty are expected to commit to building a new rink close to downtown Ottawa that'll be surrounded by an entertainment district.
The Senators currently play at the Canadian Tire Centre, which opened in 1996 and is located in Kanata - more than a 20-minute drive from the city's downtown.
The Remington Group, which is primarily based out of Markham, Ontario, is reportedly just one of seven groups to have met with chief financial officer Erin Crowe, president of business operations Anthony LeBlanc, and general manager Pierre Dorion.
The others include Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, who recently made a $6-billion bid to purchase the NFL's Washington Commanders; Hamilton Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer; Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, who recently sold their share in the Pittsburgh Penguins; and Vivek Ranadive, who owns the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
Reynolds was born and raised in Vancouver, but he lived in the Ottawa neighborhood of Vanier for a period during his childhood. He has a street named after him in the city after he made a donation to the Ottawa Food Bank early in the pandemic.
The "Deadpool" star has experience in sports ownership. Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney own Welsh football club Wrexham AFC, which has been extremely successful under their watch.
The Senators were given a $655-million valuation by Sportico when they were first set to go up for sale in November. Forbes valued the club at $800 million in December.
The Sens are currently owned by Anna and Olivia Melnyk. They inherited the franchise as part of the estate left to them by their father, Eugene, after he died in March 2022.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a chance to exorcise their playoff demons on Thursday, but grizzled veteran Ryan O'Reilly knows it'll be no walk in the park.
"They're going to throw everything they have at us," O'Reilly said of the opposing Tampa Bay Lightning, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "By no means is this series over."
The Leafs lead the series 3-1 after a pair of dramatic overtime victories in Games 3 and 4. O'Reilly has played a critical role throughout, tallying two goals and five assists in four contests. The 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner will be heavily relied upon again on Thursday when the Leafs have a chance to win their first playoff series since 2004.
But a 3-1 series lead is no guarantee for a Round 1 victory. After all, the Leafs blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round two years ago against a heavy underdog Montreal Canadiens club. And while the Leafs were the betting favorite against Tampa Bay, this is largely the same Lightning team that's been to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last three years.
"We've got a lot of experience to lean back on (staving off elimination)," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, per Postmedia's Lance Hornby. "But it's a different year. The Leafs will have a say in this."
After recording a hat trick in Game 2's blowout win, captain John Tavares has been shut down, failing to record a point in the last two contests. But he's taking a business-as-usual approach to Game 5.
"Just try as best as you can to approach it like every other game," Tavares told Yahoo Sports' Arun Srinivasan. "Obviously, you're aware of the circumstances and where we're at. You just try to be in the moment of getting up, having a good morning."
Nathan MacKinnon wasn't pleased with the referees for missing a crucial tripping penalty during the Colorado Avalanche's Game 5 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
MacKinnon was hauled down by Kraken defenseman Will Borgen while the game was tied 1-1 in the second period, but no call was made. Incensed, MacKinnon slammed his stick against the glass and, as a result, was late getting to the bench for a change. J.T. Compher was then late to cover his man, allowing Kraken rookie Tye Kartye to score the go-ahead goal in his NHL debut.
"I get 5 feet on a guy, and he takes my feet out," MacKinnon said after Colorado's 3-2 defeat, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "I don't know what to do. It's not 1975. I feel like that's a trip."
Despite disagreeing with the call, MacKinnon admitted he has to remain more composed in such a situation.
"I've got to keep my cool there better," MacKinnon said. "I can't get upset. It's on me there."
It's easy to understand why frustration may be building for the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Avalanche entered Round 1 as heavy favorites against the NHL's newest franchise, but they now find themselves on the brink of elimination, trailing the series 3-2.
MacKinnon and Co. are being pushed to their limits, as the star center played a game-high 27:01 in the regulation defeat yet still produced a goal and an assist. But it's a clear sign that if the Avs are going down, head coach Jared Bednar will do so with his best players logging heavy minutes.
"Do we get to a point where (MacKinnon) runs out of gas? Maybe," Bednar said. "But we're facing elimination. We'll play him 30 if we have to."
Game 6 is set for Friday, when the Avalanche will get Cale Makar back from his one-game suspension.
Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele won't play in his team's do-or-die Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday due to an upper-body injury suffered in Game 4, head coach Rick Bowness announced, per TSN's John Lu.
Bowness added that the main issue with Scheifele's injury is his limited range of motion. However, he's not yet ruled out for Game 6 if the Jets can extend the series, which they currently trail 3-1.
Scheifele played just 1:40 in Game 4 before departing after a shot attempt on the power play.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 25, 2023
But earlier in the contest, he crashed hard into the boards after getting tripped by Vegas goalie Laurent Brossoit.
A massively blown tripping call against Brossoit on Mark Scheifele. Took out another key piece to the jets, i'm at a point where i despise my hometown team. #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/z6GEW2P8Oq
Scheifele led the Jets with a career-high 42 goals during the regular season.
The Jets are already without top blue-liner Josh Morrissey, who was ruled out for the remainder of the series after getting hurt in Game 3. Winger Nikolaj Ehlers has yet to play this postseason, but he's a game-time decision for Game 5.
Following a three-game suspension, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting will be a healthy scratch for Thursday's Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Wednesday.
"It's not an easy decision," Keefe said, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke. "The message was he'll get back in, just not tomorrow."
Bunting received a three-game ban from the NHL's Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of Erik Cernak during Toronto's Game 1 loss. The Leafs have reeled off three straight victories in his absence.
"We're comfortable with the group that’s won three games in a row," Keefe added.
During Wednesday's practice, the Leafs rolled out the same line combinations the club used to finish Game 4's overtime win.
LW
C
RW
Calle Jarnkrok
Auston Matthews
William Nylander
Matthew Knies
John Tavares
Mitch Marner
Alexander Kerfoot
Ryan O'Reilly
Noel Acciari
Zach Aston-Reese
David Kampf
Sam Lafferty
Bunting finished fifth on the Leafs in goals (23) and points (49) in 82 games during the regular season. But rookie Matthew Knies has carved out a top-six role for himself in Bunting's absence.
"My job is to be a good teammate in all aspects," Bunting said. "That's what I'm going to keep doing, and I'll wait for my number to be called."
Bunting is no stranger to waiting for his opportunity. After all, it took until last season, his age-26 campaign, before he became a full-time NHLer.
"I've gone through adversity my whole life, and I made it here," he said. "So, it's just another day for me."
Bunting has proven to be a solid third wheel on Toronto's top line over the last couple of campaigns, but his effectiveness has waned the further he's been pushed down the lineup. Over the last two seasons, his five-on-five expected goals share is 47.36% when he's not playing on lines centered by Auston Matthews or John Tavares, per Natural Stat Trick. For comparison, he's posted a 61.07% xGF% with Matthews, and a 52.49% share with Tavares.
The Scarborough, Ontario, native is a pending unrestricted free agent after inking a two-year deal worth $950,000 annually with the Leafs in 2021.
