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Flyers add Reirden, assistant video coach to Tocchet's coaching staff

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Flyers add Reirden, assistant video coach to Tocchet's coaching staff originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers have found their third assistant coach.

The club added Todd Reirden to its staff Friday, along with assistant video coach Dylan Crawford.

Reirden was last on the Penguins’ staff in 2023-24 as an associate coach. He’s a former defenseman who has a Stanley Cup ring from his time as an associate coach with the 2017-18 Capitals.

Rick Tocchet’s bench will feature Reirden, Yogi Svejkovsky and Jay Varady.

“I’m happy to have rounded out my coaching staff by bringing Todd and Dylan on board,” Tocchet said in a statement released by the team. “Todd’s extensive experience across all levels of coaching, as well as his success throughout his career, will play a pivotal role in all facets of our game.

“Dylan adds another level to our video team in an area that is rapidly expanding and becoming more critical in the outcome of games and the way teams prepare.”

Reirden, who turns 54 years old next Wednesday, appears to be the Flyers’ Brad Shaw replacement. Reirden oversaw Washington’s defense before he was hired as the team’s head coach the offseason after it won the Stanley Cup. In two seasons as the Capitals’ bench boss, Reirden went 89-46-16, but had a pair of first-round playoff exits.

In addition to overseeing the Flyers’ defensemen, Shaw also coached the penalty kill. It’s uncertain who will now be in charge of the Flyers’ PK.

Svejkovsky coached the Canucks’ power play in 2024-25 under Tocchet, so running the man advantage could be his role with the Flyers. As for the Flyers’ penalty kill, we’ll see if that’s the job for Varady or Reirden.

At his last stop, Reirden coached Pittsburgh’s power play, which struggled in his final season. The Penguins had the NHL’s third-worst man advantage in 2023-24 at 15.3 percent. In May 2024, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review detailed Reirden’s four seasons (and second stint) with Pittsburgh.

In his four seasons working with Washington’s defensemen, the Capitals surrendered the league’s second-fewest goals per game at 2.45. Defenseman John Carlson was an All-Star in both of Reirden’s seasons as a head coach.

Crawford, 35, was a video coach on Tocchet’s staff in Vancouver.

ECHL, Hockey News

Steelheads To Host NHL Pre-Season Game

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NHL pre-season hockey is coming to Boise, Idaho.

The Idaho Steelheads, in conjunction with the Idaho Central Arena, will host an NHL pre-season game between the LA Kings and Utah Mammoth Sep. 30 at 7 Pm inside the Idaho Central Arena.

“We are extremely excited to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the Treasure Valley for the second time in the last four years,” Eric Trapp, President of Idaho Sports Properties, said in a statement. “With the success we have had hosting NHL events in downtown Boise, it was a goal of ours to host another game after seeing how well it was received back in 2022.”

This will be the third NHL preseason game and fourth NHL event hosted in Downtown Boise. The Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes met on Oct. 8, 2022 most recently. The LA Kings and San Jose Sharks met for an exhibition game on Sep. 24, 1997 prior to the inaugural Steelheads season, and it was the third event hosted in the history of the Idaho Central Arena. The Steelheads also hosted the Dallas Stars Training Camp in Sept. 2018, which included an intra-squad scrimmage on the final day.

"Bringing NHL hockey back to Boise is an incredible opportunity, and we couldn’t be more excited," said LA Kings President Luc Robitaille. "This preseason game is a chance for us to share the speed, skill, and energy of Kings hockey, with a passionate and growing fan base in Idaho. We’re proud to help showcase the game in new communities and look forward to creating a memorable experience for everyone in Boise.”

Steelheads Season Ticket Holders will have the first right to reserve their seats for the NHL Preseason Game with a presale on Jul. 15 and the deadline on Aug. 1. Information regarding tickets for the general public will be announced on a later date.

Photo Courtesy of the Idaho Steelheads

Hockey News

Raiders Announce Roster For Annual Softball Battle Against Golden Knights

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<i><b>Jack Eichel will captain a team of Golden Knights against a team represented by the Las Vegas Raiders in the annual Battle For Vegas charity softball event.</b></i>

LAS VEGAS -- With the NHL season officially in the books, Golden Knights fans will certainly have their eyes set on the upcoming draft.

Locally, they're also anticipating the annual Battle for Las Vegas charity softball game that pits members of the Knights against members representing the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jack Eichel, who recently finished fifth in the voting for the Hart Trophy, will captain the Golden Knights.

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is the captain of the Raiders and friends.

Now in its sixth year, the star-studded charity softball event is scheduled for July 12 at 8 p.m. at Las Vegas Ballpark at Downtown Summerlin.

While the Knights fans await the announcement of Eichel's roster, the Raiders announced their roster on Thursday.

The roster for Team Bowers includes current Las Vegas Raiders players Jack Bech, AJ Cole, Daniel Carlson, Thayer Munford Jr., Eric Stokes, Aidan O’Connell, Jeremy Chinn, Sincere McCormick and former Raiders tight end Darren Waller.

The event, which gives fans the chance to watch their favorite local athletes compete for Las Vegas’ ultimate bragging rights, will open with a Home Run Derby one hour before the opening pitch of the softball game.

The night will conclude with a postgame fireworks display.

Proceeds from the event are directed to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, which will then make donations to selected beneficiaries that include: Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE, Make-A-Wish Nevada, Best Buddies and Assisting Lives in Las Vegas.

The initial event launched in 2019 and to date has raised more than $1 million for deserving nonprofits.

Hockey News

Canadiens: A Big Name Interested In Montreal

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According to TSN collaborator Bruce Garrioch, right winger Claude Giroux could be interested in signing with the Montreal Canadiens when he hits free agency on July 1. It’s not that the Tricolore would be his first choice, though. The 37-year-old would like to sign a contract extension with the Ottawa Senators, but some believe the two sides are at a stalemate.

Talks are continuing to see if the gap can be bridged, and the Sens have made a one-year offer for an over-35 contract. Garrioch also reports that league executives have estimated Giroux could hope for a $3 million base salary with achievable bonus targets that could see him earn between $4.5 million and $5 million.

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Giroux’s family is well settled in Ottawa, and that’s a big part of the reason why he would like to stay put, and probably why he would be interested in signing with Montreal if a deal can’t be reached, given geographical proximity. ‘

Throughout his 18-season career, the 5-foot-11, 188-pound forward has played 1,263 games and accumulated 1,116 points. Since joining the Senators, his production has steadily declined, dropping from 79 points to 64 and then 50 this past season.

The veteran has spent most of the season playing in Ottawa’s top-six alongside the likes of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. Fellow veteran David Perron still has one year to go on his contract with the Ontario outfit, meaning there’s already an experienced player on the roster.

While there’s no denying that Giroux has been a force in the NHL and is still a talented player, I struggle to see why the Canadiens would feel the need to make him an offer. Montreal is in dire need of a top-six center and a right-shot defenseman. Of course, the Habs have lost their most experienced player with David Savard’s retirement, but Brendan Gallagher is already 33 years old, and Mike Matheson is 31; they’re both fairly experienced. Giroux has been to one Stanley Cup Final, just like Gallagher.

I expect that the only way Kent Hughes could make him an offer is if he fails to find what he needs on the trade market or in free agency. This is somewhat similar to when Danny Briere said he would like to sign with the Canadiens towards the end of his career; however, this didn’t exactly go well. He played 69 games in Montreal, putting up 25 points, and found himself playing on the fourth line at times.

Photo credit:  Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

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How The Dallas Stars' Cap Space Looks After Re-Signing Matt Duchene

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The Dallas Stars re-signed center Matt Duchene to a four-year contract on Thursday.

Duchene's new contract runs through the 2028-29 campaign with an average annual value of $4.5 million. The 34-year-old was a pending UFA after playing the past two seasons with the Stars on one-year, $3-million contracts.

“We are thrilled to have Matt back with our organization,” Stars GM Jim Nill said in a press release. “As our team’s leading scorer last season, he helped to solidify our forward group while also providing invaluable leadership off the ice and in the community. The fit with Matt and our team has been seamless from the start, and we’re looking forward to continuing to pursue our shared goal of bringing a championship to Dallas.”

With this new contract, eight players on the Stars have higher cap hits than Duchene does for next season, but none had more points than his 82 in 82 games in 2024-25. He also ranked third on the team in goals, with 30. Those were his best totals since his career-high 43 goals and 86 points with the Nashville Predators in 2021-22. Duchene's 52 assists this past season, however, set a new high.

While Nill took care of getting Duchene under contract, the Stars now have some difficult decisions to make.

They have a projected $455,094 of cap space for next season, according to PuckPedia, but they still have six pending UFAs and two pending RFAs.

Among the UFAs are longtime captain Jamie Benn and trade deadline acquisition Mikael Granlund.

Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

Benn, 35, finished an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million annually. While he had 78 points in 82 games in 2022-23, his point totals decreased to 60 in 2023-24 and 49 this past season. He also averaged 15:18 of ice time.

In the playoffs, Benn had a goal and two assists for three points in 18 games while logging a minus-11 rating and 13:06 of ice time.

Granlund, 33, had five goals and 10 points in the playoffs while averaging 17:27 of ice time. He also had 21 points in 31 games after the Stars acquired him and Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks in February. Dallas sent a first-round pick and third-rounder in the 2025 draft, but the Stars lost to the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in the Western Conference final.

Granlund had a four-year contract with a $5-million cap hit. Overall, in 2024-25, Granlund had 22 goals and 66 points in 83 games.

The Stars' other pending UFAs are Evgenii Dadonov, Colin Blackwell, Ceci and Brendan Smith. Their RFAs are Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist.

Three massive contracts kick in for the Stars next season.

Dallas signed starting goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year contract extension with an $8.25-million cap hit last October. At the trade deadline, they re-signed 22-year-old Wyatt Johnston to a five-year deal worth $8.4 million per season.

Also at the trade deadline, the Stars pulled off a blockbuster by acquiring right winger Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes and signing the 28-year-old to an eight-year contract with a $12-million cap hit.

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Those massive signings don't leave enough room for the team to bring back everyone. That's led to speculation about who might not come back or what cost-cutting moves the Stars could make. That includes potentially trading their second-top scorer, Jason Robertson, or buying out the contract of Matt Dumba.

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Seven NHL Buyout Candidates: Will The Leafs Buy Out Reaves' Contract?

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The 2024-25 season is over as the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup again. However, there is still plenty of work ahead for all 32 GMs as the buyout window opens on Friday.

The buyout window will remain open until June 30, according to PuckPedia.

Last season, six players were bought out of their contracts. One of those six was defenseman Nate Schmidt, who won the Cup with the Panthers on Tuesday. 

Here are seven potential buyout candidates for the remainder of the month.

Pierre Engvall, LW, New York Islanders

Newly appointed GM of the New York Islanders, Mathieu Darche, has a decision to make on Pierre Engvall’s contract. Two years ago, former Isles GM Lou Lamoriello signed Engvall to a whopping seven-year contract at $3 million per year.

The term of his contract doesn’t match his offensive production and value. This past season, the left winger played 62 games, scoring eight goals and 15 points. In addition, he averaged 11:49 of ice time for the Islanders, one of the lowest averages among the team’s forwards. He cleared waivers twice as well.

TJ Brodie, D, Chicago Blackhawks

After three straight years of finishing last in the Central Division, GM Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks are under pressure to show some progress. Buying out defenseman TJ Brodie is an option for the team.

Brodie, 35, is going into the last year of his two-year contract that gives him $3.75 million per season. He played 54 games and didn’t play after March 1. In addition, he averaged the least amount of ice time in his 15-year career at 15:38 per game.

Philipp Grubauer, G, Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken’s Philipp Grubauer is in a similar situation to Jack Campbell after the Edmonton Oilers bought out his contract last off-season.

Grubauer, 33, posted a career-worst 3.49 goals-against average and .875 save percentage. It got to the point where he was sent down to the AHL in February and played seven games for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Grubauer has two more years left on his contract while he earns $5.9 million per year.

Ryan Reaves (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

Ryan Reaves, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Ryan Reaves, 38, has cemented himself as one of the most respected enforcers in the modern game, but he is regressing.

He had just one fight in the regular season, a tilt with Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets. In his 15-year career, he never went an entire season with just one fight, according to hockeyfights.com. He also averaged 7:48 of ice time and had two assists in 35 games.

Around the trade deadline, he was sent down to the  AHL's Toronto Marlies for cap reasons. A buyout for Reaves might be the way for the Leafs to shave off some more money.

Matt Dumba, D, Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars defenseman Matt Dumba is a candidate for a buyout because the team could use any salary cap space they can get. The 30-year-old D-man is going into the last year of his contract, worth $3.75 million. He had a goal and 10 points in 63 games, and he didn’t play in the playoffs.

Captain Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund are pending UFAs that they could lose on July 1. There have also been rumors that GM Jim Nill could look to trade Jason Robertson to clear even more cap space.

Justin Holl, D, Detroit Red Wings

Justin Holl is another right-shot defenseman going into the final year of his contract. The Detroit Red Wings signed him to a three-year deal at a $3.4-million cap hit in the 2023 off-season.

Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs in nine years, and GM Steve Yzerman needs to make some tough decisions. Buying out Holl would free cap space and a spot on the Red Wings’ blueline, an area where they struggled lately. For the past two seasons, the Wings are 26th in goals against.

David Kampf, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Buying out Kampf is another cost-cutting option for the Leafs.

Kampf is a solid bottom-six center who can kill penalties and win faceoffs. However, he earns $2.4 million for the next two seasons. The Leafs also acquired Scott Laughton at the trade deadline, who took Kampf’s spot on the roster during the playoffs.

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