The Buffalo Sabres have fired head coach Ralph Krueger amid their 12-game losing streak, the team announced Wednesday.
Don Granato has been named the club's interim bench boss, according to The Athletic's John Vogl.
General manager Kevyn Adams said he'll immediately begin a thorough search for a permanent coach.
"There will be lots of people that I will speak to," Adams said. "What I don't want to do is rush into anything. ... This is about getting it right."
Krueger was hired before the 2019-20 campaign. He had logged one prior season of NHL head coaching experience with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012-13, and the 51-year-old worked as director and chairman of the EPL's Southampton during his gap between hockey roles.
There's one more season left on his contract, and the Sabres owe him $3.75 million, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Krueger was the Sabres' fifth head coach since 2013. Buffalo was expected to make significant strides this campaign after landing Taylor Hall - whom Krueger coached in Edmonton - and Eric Staal in the offseason.
The Sabres have fallen far short of those expectations, and they sit dead last in the NHL while on the verge of extending their playoff drought to 10 seasons.
"You name it, we need to do it better," Adams said.
The tightly-contested clash between division foes featured two hits - one by each team - causing injuries, but referees only deemed Brandon Tanev's blow illegal.
The Penguins forward received a five-minute major and was ejected in the second period for the following hit on Bruins blue-liner Jarred Tinordi.
Tinordi's hit on Evgeni Malkin in the opening frame went uncalled by refs.
"I hope as players we get some clarity on what's a good hit and what's not," Crosby said postgame, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's tough to really gauge when you're out there. I know it's fast, but right now, it's really hard to know what is, in fact, clean and what's not. And when you're out there playing, it's important to know that."
Both Tinordi and Malkin left the game with injuries. There's been no update on either player's status, but Crosby made it clear he hopes the Bruins defender isn't seriously hurt.
"I don't think he (Tanev) had any intent there," Crosby said. "I hope Tinordi's OK. He went in pretty awkward. But I don't think there was any intent. I thought he hit him clean. He hit him timely as far as the puck being there. (Tinordi) did go in awkwardly, so you never like to see that. But I didn't think it warranted a five-minute (major penalty)."
Boston won the game 2-1. The Bruins sit in fourth place and trail the Penguins by three points in the East Division with two games in hand.
New York Islanders captain Anders Lee will undergo surgery this week and miss the rest of the season, general manager Lou Lamoriello announced Wednesday.
The forward suffered the torn ACL in a game against the New Jersey Devils last week. He was in visible pain on the ice after getting tangled up with Devils forward Pavel Zacha.
#Isles Anders Lee crawling on the ice in intense pain as he gets tripped up with a #NJDevils player. Not a good sight for Islanders fans 👀 pic.twitter.com/2qBGnatL0k
The 30-year-old leads the Islanders with 12 goals this season and also accumulated seven assists in 27 games. The Islanders currently sit in second place in the East Division.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas outlined his trade deadline plans during a midseason press conference Tuesday, stating that his team is in the market for a forward - preferably a rental.
It's important to remember the Maple Leafs have limited cap flexibility - CapFriendly projects them to have just $130,527 of space at the deadline. More can always be created by moving a player off the active roster or through complicated cap gymnastics, but it's clear they're up against it.
Toronto will probably require the other team to retain salary in a trade - likely the maximum 50% - or the Leafs will have to move out money. Forward Alexander Kerfoot and his $3.5-million cap hit would be the most sensible odd man out in such a scenario.
Additionally, any player coming from an American team to Toronto must quarantine for 14 days before joining the club. The Leafs have just two games this week and two next week, so Dubas could be looking to strike as soon as possible even though the deadline isn't until April 12.
Below, we explore five rentals Toronto could consider.
Note: All stats are as of Tuesday
Nick Foligno, Blue Jackets
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
Age: 33 Position: LW/RW/C Cap hit: $5.5M
Foligno has a 10-team no-trade list
Foligno brings the exact type of postseason ruggedness that helped the Columbus Blue Jackets eliminate the Maple Leafs last season. The veteran isn't the most skilled player, but he's a ferocious competitor who'd add a ton of character and grit to the club's bottom nine.
Foligno ranked seventh in hits (212) among all forwards in 2019-20, and his 75 hits this season would lead the Maple Leafs by a significant margin. The Blue Jackets captain can also still chip in on the scoresheet as he's tallied five goals and 12 points through 30 games.
In addition, Foligno brings positional flexibility. Though he's primarily a winger, Foligno ranks third on the Blue Jackets in faceoff wins and is capable of logging minutes up the middle. He's also been a reliable penalty killer who'd give the Leafs' 22nd-ranked unit another option as they look to improve in that department.
Taylor Hall, Sabres
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Age: 29 Position: LW Cap hit: $8M
Hall has a full no-movement clause
Hall's season has been a complete disaster. He's collected just two goals and 14 assists in 27 games for the last-place Sabres. Don't be fooled by his poor numbers, though - the speedy winger can still play.
The former Hart Trophy winner has been victimized by some poor puck luck, converting on just 2.8% of his shots after entering the season as a career 10.4% shooter. He still drives play at a high rate, posting a 55% Corsi For percentage and a 54.1% expected goals for percentage at five-on-five. His individual scoring chances are right in line with his career rates, too.
Landing Hall would require Buffalo to retain 50% of his salary and Kerfoot going the other way, but it could be worth it if Dubas is willing to go all-in. Hall is one of the few impact players available, and he can possibly be had below market value.
Mikael Granlund, Predators
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Age: 29 Position: RW/C Cap hit: $3.75M
Granlund carries the highest upside on this list outside of Hall. The Finnish forward hasn't fit in Nashville and a change of scenery could be beneficial. Granlund is capable of playing both center and wing and would provide the Leafs with multiple different looks in their top six due to his ability as both a playmaker and scorer.
He's also proven to be reliable at both ends of the ice. Granlund ranked in the upper percentiles last season in valuable offensive and defensive metrics such as shot creation and zone exits, respectively.
The 29-year-old has averaged a career-high 2:19 of ice time on the penalty kill this season and his offensive bona fides would also make him a valuable addition on the power play.
Tanner Pearson, Canucks
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Age: 28 Position: LW Cap hit: $3.75M
Pearson isn't the sexiest option on this list, but he could be the most sensible. We saw how the 14-day quarantine affected Pierre-Luc Dubois earlier this season, but any sort of post-isolation fatigue/rust wouldn't be a concern with Pearson since he plays in Canada.
He's registered just 11 points in 32 games but he's been a consistent offensive producer in his career, averaging 20 goals per season over the past four years. His underlying numbers aren't very strong - 48.5% expected goals for percentage - but he and primary linemate Bo Horvat generally draw tough assignments and start more shifts in the defensive zone.
Pearson would be versatile enough to play on any of Toronto's top three lines and likely wouldn't cost much if Vancouver sells. Plus, he has valuable playoff experience, winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
Kyle Palmieri, Devils
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Age: 30 Position: RW/LW Cap hit: $4.65M
Palmieri has an eight-team no-trade list
It's been a difficult year for Palmieri and the Devils. The New York native was among several on the club who spent time in COVID-19 protocol this season, and he's struggled to find his rhythm amid a contract year. He has just four goals through 24 outings, but a career-worst 6.8% shooting percentage suggests he's had some tough luck.
Palmieri's larger body of work tells a different story from 2021. The 5-foot-11 winger averaged 26 goals per season over his previous five campaigns, and his elite shot would be a welcome addition to a loaded Leafs arsenal.
The veteran winger has never had the luxury of playing alongside talents as elite as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, or John Tavares, and his offensive ceiling while surrounded by those players is worth exploring.
The play occurred during the second period, and Tinordi was later ruled out for the game. Tanev, who scored earlier in the contest, was visibly upset with the call.
Brandon Tanev given a major penalty and a game misconduct for this hit on Jarred Tinordi. Penalty upheld after review. Tanev livid with the call. pic.twitter.com/XwWUg51mHu
Tanev ranked fourth in the NHL in hits (123) entering Tuesday's outing. The 6-foot winger has never received supplemental discipline through 291 career games.
The Bruins claimed Tinordi off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Feb. 27. He's averaged 17:47 of ice time over seven games with Boston.
Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin passed Phil Esposito to claim sole possession of sixth place on the NHL's all-time goals list Tuesday night against the New York Islanders.
Rank
Player
Goals
GP
1
Wayne Gretzky
894
1487
2
Gordie Howe
801
1767
3
Jaromir Jagr
766
1733
4
Brett Hull
741
1269
5
Marcel Dionne
731
1348
6
Alex Ovechkin
718
1177
7
Phil Esposito
717
1282
The legendary Esposito offered his congratulations to Ovechkin.
And now a message from the great Phil Esposito for Alex Ovechkin on taking over sixth place on the all-time goals list!#ALLCAPS | #Gr8pic.twitter.com/8NydChJFE8
Fleury reportedly became available for trade after the Vegas Golden Knights re-signed fellow goaltender Robin Lehner to a five-year, $25-million contract.
"That’s one of the reasons we decided to buy out Jack Johnson," Rutherford told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "I was trying to clear money for Marc."
Rutherford admitted he even broke one of the unwritten rules of NHL GMs and contacted the Golden Knights about his availability while Vegas was still in the playoffs.
"I did what I never do and will never do again if I work again," Rutherford said. "I called a general manager (Kelly McCrimmon) during their playoff series (against Dallas). I said, 'If you’re moving Marc, you make sure you call me. I want him.'"
Rutherford said talks were never deeply involved due to the cap gymnastics of such a deal (Fleury's AAV is $7 million, and both Pittsburgh and Vegas are up against the cap). That didn't stop the 72-year-old from making a big push for the netminder, though.
"I was serious. Very serious," he said. "Very willing to give a lot to get him, too. What I think is a lot and what the other team thinks is a lot may be two different things. I wasn’t looking at it as them giving him away. I was certainly willing to pay the price to get him back. I tried."
Fleury, 36, is aging like fine wine, sporting a .936 save percentage and 1.77 goals-against average in 20 contests this season.
The Penguins ended up trading Matt Murray to the Ottawa Senators and re-signing Tristan Jarry to a three-year, $10.5-million contract.
Rutherford, who resigned from his post in January, made plenty of big moves during his time in Pittsburgh, but he said sending Fleury to Vegas "was the hardest thing I ever had to do as a manager."
Fleury waived his no-movement clause prior to the 2017 expansion draft, where he was taken by Vegas. The Golden Knights also received a second-round pick from the Pens for taking the goaltender.
Fleury won three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh and is the franchise's all-time leader in wins.
