A new lawsuit doesn't exactly paint Eugene Melnyk in the best light.
The Ottawa Senators owner and his club are the targets of a court filing by former chief marketing officer Peter O'Leary, who argues that his termination was a breach of contract and that Melnyk both verbally and electronically abused team executives, according to Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen.
Melnyk allegedly "at times used profanity and leveled insults at executive team members, including constantly calling into question their competency. Mr. Melnyk sent abusive emails to the executive team and frequently threatened to dismiss them."
O'Leary was fired in December 2016 after more than two years with the organization.
The Senators owner and his holdings group, Capital Sports, have filed a notice to defend, with Melnyk declining comment to Scanlan via email.
The allegations have not yet been tested in court.
A slow and steady rebuild has begun to take shape in Raleigh, where general manager Ron Francis has collected youth through lost seasons to construct his current club.
That patience has started to pay off. The Hurricanes are currently riding a 13-game point streak (9-0-4), a late surge that has lifted Carolina within four points of the playoff picture after spending most of the season near the bottom rung.
Now in his third year of stewardship, the Hurricanes have improved each season under Francis. After finishing with 71 points in 2014-15, Carolina jumped to 86 points a year ago and is on pace to pass that number this season, at 84 points with six games remaining.
The Hurricanes faithful are hoping for the playoffs after seven seasons on the outside looking in. Carolina's last postseason trip came in 2009, its only such appearance since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.
While the March charge may not be enough for a last-minute ticket to the postseason dance - the Hurricanes are chasing two teams for two spots, the Bruins and Lightning - it's the first step toward building a better tomorrow.
The Hurricanes are realizing the fruits of their labor, having slowly built through the draft. A budget team, Carolina's success is born at the draft table, where the club has hit home runs outside of the opening round in recent seasons:
Player
Draft Year
Round/Pick
Games
Points
Justin Faulk
2010
2/37
395
190
Victor Rask
2011
2/42
236
124
Jaccob Slavin
2012
4/120
139
53
Brett Pesce
2013
3/66
145
34
Sebastian Aho
2015
2/35
76
47
That's not to overlook the success Carolina's had with early picks either, selecting Jeff Skinner (seventh overall) in 2010, Elias Lindholm (fifth overall) in 2013, and defenseman Noah Hanifin, the No. 5 pick in 2015.
The Hurricanes have turned over the reins to many of these picks this season, particularly on the blue line, where 22-year-old Slavin leads the team in ice time by taking in more than 23 minutes a night. It's a defensive corps where, at 25 years old, Faulk is the elder statesman.
A similar movement is just around the corner for the forward ranks as the Hurricanes integrate their next wave of offensive talent. That process began with Aho, and the second phase isn't far off with Julien Gauthier, Nicolas Roy, and Janne Kuokkanen, among others.
All will play key roles for the Hurricanes in the coming years as Carolina continues its charge back into the league's elite.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, March 31 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
LW Marcus Johansson (45K) and D Kevin Shattenkirk (46K), Capitals (at Coyotes): Washington's big guns are all on the pricey side, but in a plum matchup against Arizona, which allows the second-most goals and shots per game, its secondary stars should thrive. Johansson is on a four-game point streak (one goal, seven assists), while power-play specialist Shattenkirk has seven assists and 16 shots over his last five games.
C Patrik Berglund (42K) and D Alex Pietrangelo (46K), Blues (at Avalanche): There's no better matchup than one against Colorado, which has allowed at least four goals in seven straight games. Vladimir Tarasenko and co. are extravagantly-priced, but the affordable Berglund has been in fine form, with three goals and two assists in his last five games. Pietrangelo has four points and 16 shots in that span.
C John Tavares (97K) and LW Josh Bailey (50K), Islanders (vs. Devils): Tavares is almost prohibitively expensive, but is hard to look past considering the success he's had with Bailey and Anders Lee (56K), both of whom are left wingers in Squad Up. The trio has managed a 55.74 Corsi For percentage in over 550 minutes together, and Devils netminder Keith Kinkaid allowed six goals in his lone start against the Islanders this season.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Sergei Bobrovsky (86K), Blue Jackets (at Blackhawks): A road matchup in Chicago is tough, but Bobrovsky has been playing too well to ignore, especially at such a friendly price. He's won nine of 10 starts in March, with a 0.99 GAA and a .971 save percentage. His teammates will be playing on back-to-back nights, but Bobrovsky was rested Thursday in Carolina.
BARGAIN - Aaron Dell (75K), Sharks (at Flames): Dell has lost his last three starts during the Sharks' ongoing swoon, but he still boasts a 10-6-1 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .928 save percentage through 18 appearances. He looks to be the safest selection from the assortment of minimum-priced netminders.
FADE - Henrik Lundqvist (112K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): Since returning from injury, Lundqvist has allowed five goals in each of his first two games back, on the road against Anaheim and San Jose. He'll have the comforts of playing at home against the scuffling Penguins, but his salary makes him difficult to back.
CONTRARIAN- Jaroslav Halak (113K), Islanders (vs. Devils): In his first start since being recalled from the AHL, Halak made 37 saves in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh last Friday. Another win looks like a solid bet, given that the Devils have lost six of their last seven games and score the second-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes.
Bargain Plays
RW Brock Boeser (25K), Canucks (vs. Kings): Joining the Canucks following the conclusion of his college career at the University of North Dakota, Boeser has two goals and nine shots over his first three professional games. He's seeing time on Vancouver's top power play unit, helping his appeal against a stingy Kings team that allows the fourth-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes.
C Tanner Kero (25K), Blackhawks (vs. Blue Jackets): Chicago's lines seem to constantly change, but Kero is currently centering a high-powered line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. He recorded a goal, an assist, and five shots in Chicago's most recent game. The matchup with the aforementioned Bobrovsky looks difficult, but Kero's salary lessens the risk involved.
LW Conor Sheary (32K), Penguins (at Rangers): Pittsburgh's in a bit of a skid, having lost four straight games (two via shootout), scoring a total of seven goals in that span. Sheary had an assist and nine shots in that stretch, but he remains nearly a point-per-game player who skates alongside Sidney Crosby at even strength. It's easy to envision a breakout, given the aforementioned Lundqvist's shaky form.
Top Fades
LW Tanner Pearson (54K), Kings (at Canucks): Pearson has the second-most goals (23) and the third-most points (42) on the Kings, but he's in a run of bad shooting luck, having found the net twice on 38 shots in March. Considering how often Los Angeles struggles to score, it's hard to reconcile Pearson's price tag.
RW Patrick Kane (85K), Blackhawks (vs. Blue Jackets): Only a multi-point effort will justify Kane's salary, something that doesn't seem likely given Bobrovsky's recent play. Columbus isn't airtight defensively; the team allows the fifth-most scoring chances and the sixth-most expected goals per 60 minutes, but it's hard to imagine Chicago running wild.
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (45K), Coyotes (vs. Capitals): Arizona has played a whopping 15 games in March, with Ekman-Larsson getting on the score sheet in just three of them. He's still a threat on the power play, but considering the Coyotes have scored exactly one goal in each of their last four games and will face the league's stingiest defensive team, Ekman-Larsson is best avoided.
Contrarian Options
RW Sven Andrighetto (25K), Avalanche (vs. Blues): Not much has gone right for the Avalanche this season, but a bright spot has been trade deadline acquisition Andrighetto. The former Canadien has recorded a point in nine of 13 games with his new club, and enters Friday on a two game multi-point streak. Colorado may not score more than a goal or two, but Andrighetto should find a way to get involved.
C Mika Zibanejad (54K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): Center is a position that never lacks marquee names, so someone like Zibanejad may fly under the radar. The former Senator has tallied nine points in March and is currently enjoying top power play unit duties on top of his second line role. Pittsburgh allows the fourth-most expected goals per 60 minutes, and has coughed up 15 regulation goals in their four-game losing streak.
LW Brandon Saad (50K), Blue Jackets (at Blackhawks): Saad fired seven shots on goal but failed to score in his only other meeting with Chicago this season. Though his shots are down this season, his assists are up, and he ranks as Columbus' third-best forward in terms of Corsi For percentage. The revenge game narrative is in play as Saad faces his former club.
The one-year deal is for the current season, after which Vecchione will be a restricted free agent and the Flyers will retain his rights, according to Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post.
"I think he's what's wrong with the league these days," the veteran said. "I think there's no accountability anymore. You can run around and take headshots at our captain and just turtle and the refs save your life. I'm getting out at the right time because I liked the game when you had to be a man and look at yourself in the mirror. So that's my honest opinion of that guy. I don't have any respect for him. I think he's a pretty good defenseman but I don't like the way he plays."
Emelin delivered a high hit on Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie midway through the second period. Thornton immediately went after the Canadiens blue-liner, who fell to the ice before a full-out melee ensued.
Emelin was given a minor penalty for elbowing, and Thornton received an offsetting call for roughing.
Thornton, 39, said his beef with Emelin goes back a decade.
"I don't mind people playing hard, but I've seen him with a lot of cheap shit in the last 10 years," he told Godin.
"I don't mind battling, but I've seen him headhunt a lot of guys and never ever answer for it. Say what you will about me, (but) I've always taken my beating like a man when I had to. I didn't back down from John Scott when they signed him in Buffalo and I didn't back down from (Georges) Laraque (when) they signed him (in Montreal). I can look at myself in the mirror. I'm not sure that idiot can."
The Canadiens and Panthers will renew hostilities April 3 in Sunrise.
With few playoff spots remaining as the regular season winds down, this week's "On the Fly" roundtable focuses on teams outside the postseason picture that have a solid chance of recovering and making the dance next year.
Florida Panthers
Josh Gold-Smith: The Panthers had so many things go right for them last season and over the summer that it appeared they'd have no problem taking a step forward in 2016-17. That obviously didn't happen, as injuries to their top two scorers, their best defenseman, and their veteran starter in goal helped derail a club that enjoyed its best season in franchise history one year ago.
Still, there will be reasons for optimism in Sunrise as they look to start fresh next fall. Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Roberto Luongo likely won't all suffer significant injuries again, and if the aging Luongo does get hurt once more, James Reimer has proven to be a more than capable starter when he's not getting banged up himself.
Florida has its core locked up long term, and it remains a promising group that was in the playoff mix earlier this season before all of the injuries and a controversial coaching change.
Panthers management shouldn't overreact to this disappointing campaign. This club is talented enough to get right back in the postseason next spring.
Winnipeg Jets
Navin Vaswani: I say it every year around this time: Imagine Winnipeg had a goalie.
Poor play at the position has torpedoed yet another Jets season, and this one feels more painful because Mark Scheifele exploded, Patrik Laine scored all those goals, and Blake Wheeler was, well, Blake Wheeler.
The Jets are a damn talented squad, with five players hitting the 50-point mark on the season. If Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault are healthy, they make it seven. Only problem is, none of those guys play goal.
Only the Avalanche have allowed more goals than the Jets this season, and at this point, Colorado's barely an NHL team. Allowing 3.15 goals a game, the Jets rank 28th in the league. Also 28th, their 76.7 percent penalty-killing rate. Simply not good enough.
Here's what the Jets have been dealing with in the crease since returning to Winnipeg.
Season
SV%
Rank
Playoffs
2016-17*
.898
28th
No
2015-16
.903
T-26th
No
2014-15
.913
T-10th
Yes
2013-14
.907
T-22nd
No
2012-13
.901
T-21st
No
2011-12
.902
25th
No
*2016-17 stats don't include Thursday's action
This isn't hard to figure out: The one year the Jets had some NHL-caliber goaltending, they made the playoffs.
Ben Bishop and Ryan Miller are free agents this summer. Hell, even Jonathan Bernier looks like a great option at this point. The Jets will land one of the three in free agency to stop the insanity, and playoff hockey will return to Winnipeg in 2018.
Philadelphia Flyers
Sean O'Leary: It feels like an eternity ago that the Flyers were being mentioned in the same breath as their Metropolitan Division competitors, but that was the case after Philadelphia won 10 consecutive games in December.
Much has changed since - the Flyers have dropped off dramatically, holding onto slim postseason hopes as they sit four points back of a wild-card position.
While the second half of the season has been a huge disappointment in the City of Brotherly Love, the Flyers still own the tools to contend in the future. Captain Claude Giroux admitted offseason hip surgery has hurt his game, and Philly still boasts two of the most underrated producers in the NHL in Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds.
During Ron Hextall's tenure as general manager, the Flyers have drafted well - namely Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov, who have already emerged as key pieces on the roster. Bolstering the blue line and making an improvement in goal are necessities for Hextall in the offseason, but the Flyers could be closer to a return to the postseason than you may think.
Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff race, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.
All the action comes from the East, where three playoff positions remain up for grabs, and six teams saw decent swings Thursday night.
Even a victory wasn't enough for the Tampa Bay Lightning to make up ground in the playoff chase, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins - both ahead of Tampa Bay - picking up wins. The Lightning now sit three points out of the playoff picture, with just six games remaining.
Little changed in the opposite conference, where three playoff seeds also need to be locked down. The Los Angeles Kings, the lone outside team still in the mix, sit 10 points back of the next club, the Nashville Predators, who lost Thursday night:
"After 18 seasons, I am pleased to announce that I will be retiring from the National Hockey League, having played my last game with the New Jersey Devils," Elias said in a statement.
"For the past few months, I have weighed this decision both physically and mentally. I am happy to say this provides me and my family with closure."
The Devils also announced Friday that they will retire Elias' No. 26 next season. He'll be the fifth player in franchise history to earn that honor, joining Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko.
Elias goes out as the club's all-time leader in goals (408), assists (617), points (1,025), game-winning goals (80), and hat tricks (eight).
The 40-year-old was part of two Stanley Cup championship squads, in 2000 and 2003.
Elias also won three bronze medals representing the Czech Republic - two at the world championships and one at the Olympics in 2006.
