NHL Pacific

The Seattle Kraken announced Tuesday they are hiring Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach for their minor league affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds, making her the first full-time female assistant in AHL history.

Campbell spoke with ESPN's Emily Kaplan about the landmark accomplishment:

"I always had a belief as a young girl, playing boys' hockey until I was 17, that I was equal and capable too. I've never focused on my gender. Growing up, I never dreamed of coaching, because I didn't see it and therefore didn't know what that path looked like. But for young athletes now, it's so important to have that visibility for them to understand they can literally be anything they want. Some of the guys I will be coaching, their daughters can now watch them have a female coach. And that opens up the conversation, which can inspire young girls for something they might not have seen as possible."

Campbell, who spent last season as an assistant and skills coach for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany and served as an assistant for Germany in the men's IIHF World Championship, is taking on the highest-profile coaching job ever held by a woman in men's professional hockey in North America.

While Emily Engel-Natzke became the first full-time female coaching staff member in the NHL last week when the Washington Capitals promoted her to video coordinator, there has never been a full-time female assistant coach at the NHL level.

Longtime NHL head coach Dan Bylsma, who was named the Firebirds' head coach for their inaugural season in 2022-23, reached out to Campbell about the job after hearing "rave reviews" about her work.

Bylsma chose Campbell for his staff after speaking with her and coming away impressed, and he discussed the historic hiring with ESPN:

"Obviously this is significant and it's important Jessica is getting this opportunity. But more importantly, I wanted a coaching staff that had a ton of passion for the players, a willingness to put in the work with them, and a plan to help them develop, because our job is developing players for the Seattle Kraken. We just wanted that person, and Jessica was the person who best exemplified that. It's what she's all about."

The 30-year-old Campbell is from Rocanville, Saskatchewan. She played as a forward collegiately at Cornell, professionally in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and for Canada internationally.

Campbell was part of the Canadian team that won a silver medal at the 2015 world championship in Sweden. She also won a gold medal and a silver medal in the under-18 world championship.

She transitioned into coaching after ending her playing career and founded JC Powerskating, training multiple NHL players.

Campbell is joining a brand-new organization, as the Firebirds will begin play next season and the Kraken entered the NHL as an expansion team for the 2021-22 campaign.

Given that the AHL is one step below the NHL, Campbell will have a significant hand in preparing up-and-coming players to become contributors for the Kraken.

If the Edmonton Oilers are unable to re-sign Evander Kane this summer, they have a pretty solid backup plan.

Edmonton is interested in free-agent forward Claude Giroux, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, who wrote that the Oilers "have internally discussed the merits of trying to sign" him.

Giroux is coming off an eight-year, $66.2 million deal that had an annual cap hit of $8.275 million. It's unclear what type of deal he's looking for this summer, but the Oilers should be able to make him an intriguing offer with $7.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly.

The 34-year-old began the 2021-22 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers before being traded to the Florida Panthers at the March deadline in exchange for Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick.

In 75 regular-season games, Giroux tallied 21 goals and 44 assists for 65 points. Just three of those goals came in his 18-game stint in Florida, though he added three goals and five assists for eight points in 10 playoff games with the Panthers.

LeBrun reported that the Panthers and Giroux are interested in striking a deal for him to return to South Florida, but the team has just $3 million in cap space this summer, per CapFriendly, which likely isn't enough to retain the veteran forward.

In addition, the Panthers have a number of other free agents to sign this summer, including Ben Chiarot and Mason Marchment.

That said, Giroux can play both center and left wing, which makes him one of the more intriguing free agents on the market. The Oilers could opt to put him on the top line alongside Connor McDavid or the second line alongside Leon Draisaitl.

In addition, Edmonton could opt to use Giroux as its third-line center, which would give the team an incredible amount of depth down the middle of the ice.

Giroux spent the first 14 and a half seasons of his career in Philadelphia, which selected him in the first round of the 2006 NHL draft. He earned one All-Star selection and tallied 291 goals and 609 assists for 900 points in 1,000 games with the franchise.

The Flyers ultimately decided to trade Giroux because he wanted an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, and that likely wasn't going to be possible in Philadelphia as the franchise is in a retooling period.

In addition to the Oilers, LeBrun listed the Senators as a "team to watch" for Giroux because he and his family spend their summers in Ottawa, However, he noted "the allure of wanting to win a Cup ASAP would be the sticking point on that one even though it’s a young and talented team that’s on the rise. But maybe the Sens' pitch, if Ottawa decides to dive in on Giroux, wins him over."

The San Jose Sharks fired head coach Bob Boughner on Friday after three straight playoff-less seasons.

Assistant coaches John Madden and John MacLean were also let go, as was assistant coach (video) Dan Darrow.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman broke the news of Boughner's dismissal.

Boughner took over the Sharks' staff on an interim basis in December 2019 following the dismissal of Peter DeBoer. He was promoted to the full-time role in September 2020. It marked his second head coaching job after two seasons with the Florida Panthers (2017-19).

San Jose posted a 67-85-23 record (.449 points percentage) during his tenure. The team finished 12th in the Western Conference with 77 points in 2021-22.

In May, Boughner said he felt the Sharks were ready to turn a corner next season and confirmed the staff's desire to return.

"We put a lot of time in with this group, and we want to be a part of it moving forward," the 51-year-old Canadian told reporters. "I've said there's light at the end of the tunnel for sure. The guys play hard for us, bought into the system, bought into the culture we created, the environment and they all want to improve."

It's unclear why San Jose waited so long to make a decision about the coaches, but it's likely linked to the franchise's GM search, which is nearing an end.

Friedman reported Wednesday on The Jeff Marek Show (via Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now) the Sharks had narrowed their list down to a group of finalists, which was expected to include former NHL players Ray Whitney and Mike Grier.

It's not uncommon for a new GM to hire their own coaching staff.

Boughner played 10 NHL seasons with six different teams. He earned the nickname "The Boogieman" for his physical style of play.

The former defenseman started his coaching career with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires in 2006 and received his first NHL opportunity as an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010.

San Jose will probably want its new GM in place before the 2022 NHL draft gets underway Thursday, and the coaching search figures to start shortly after that hire.

Kevin Fiala's career with the Minnesota Wild has come to a close.

The Wild have traded the rights to Fiala, a pending restricted free agent, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Brock Faber and the team's 2022 first-round draft pick, the team announced Wednesday.

The expectation is that Fiala will sign a long-term extension with the Kings, according to TSN's Chris Johnston. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman added that he believes the extension will be worth around $7.9 million annually.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Kings were given permission to negotiate an extension with Fiala before the trade was finalized. He added that the deal is expected to be for seven years.

The Kings were granted permission to negotiate an extension with Fiala prior to this trade being finalized.

7 years x $7.875M https://t.co/ZmnjeXi7Xk

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 29, 2022

The Nashville Predators selected Fiala 11th overall in the 2014 NHL draft. In 204 games across four-and-a-half seasons with the Preds, he tallied 45 goals and 52 assists for 97 points.

Nashville traded Fiala to Minnesota during the 2018-19 season in exchange for Mikael Granlund. He had an impressive career with the Wild, tallying 79 goals and 107 assists for 186 points in 215 games.

The 25-year-old had a breakout 2021-22 campaign, notching a career-high 33 goals and 52 assists for 85 points in 82 games, and was due for a pretty significant extension after earning $5.1 million last season.

However, Minnesota would not have been able to pay Fiala the $7.9 million per year he is expected to receive from Los Angeles. The Wild are projected to have about $6.6 million in salary-cap space, according to CapFriendly, and they need to re-sign some other players as well as make some offseason additions if they hope to contend for a title in 2022-23.

The Wild finished the 2021-22 season second in the Central Division with a 53-22-7 record. However, they fell to the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs despite posting the first season of 50-plus wins in franchise history.

As for the Kings, they finished third in the Pacific Division with a 44-27-11 record but fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers. It was an impressive season, but the franchise could have certainly used some depth on the wings.

It's unclear how L.A. plans to use Fiala. However, he will likely slot in on the top line alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. He could also fit on the second line with Phillip Danault and former Preds teammate Viktor Arvidsson.

The Kings have a nice mix of seasoned veterans and youngsters in Quinton Byfield, Arthur Kaliyev, Jordan Spence and Tobias Bjornfot. That mix of experience and young blood should benefit the franchise in its pursuit of another Stanley Cup.

That said, the franchise now does not have a first-round pick in the 2022 draft to add to its already-talented group, as the No. 19 selection has been traded to the Wild.

As for Faber, the Kings selected the defenseman in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft, and he has spent the last two seasons playing college hockey for the University of Minnesota. During the 2021-22 campaign, he tallied two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 32 games.

Faber also appeared in four games for Team USA at the Beijing Olympics, posting one assist.

Brock Faber was working on an essay for college when the trade went down. World-class skater, tough, right-shot defenseman, an area where the Wild are light in the prospect pool

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) June 29, 2022

It's unclear when Faber might make his debut for the Wild, but considering he currently plays for the University of Minnesota and is a Minnesota native, this trade must be a dream come true for the 19-year-old.

With the 2022 NHL draft less than two weeks away, teams around the league are beginning to focus their energies on moves to improve their rosters and that always includes trades.

And the Vancouver Canucks, in particular, have to figure out what they are going to do when it comes to their high-profile trade target, J.T. Miller.

Will they keep him or make a deal? Right now, all signs are pointing to the latter.

According to The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks have been listening to offers on their star left winger for a while now.

"The Canucks have made teams aware they’re listening to offers on J.T. Miller," Dhaliwal said on the Donnie and Dhali - The Team show. "I got to the Miller camp this morning and they are not surprised, folks, that these reports, the Canucks are listening on Miller.

"In fact, one source told me today the Canucks have been listening to teams about Miller since February ... That’s five months ago. So, clearly it tells me the two sides are far apart on Miller; his worth on a new deal."

Vancouver has missed the playoffs the past two seasons, so the Canucks fans presumably won't be happy that their team is planning on moving a player who just logged a career-best 99 points this past season, especially since he has one year left on his deal.

But here's the rub: When players have the kind of year Miller just had, they want to cash in and get long-term deals.

If Vancouver doesn't pay the 29-year-old now, he'll walk in free agency next offseason for nothing.

Ryan Johnson, who was recently promoted to assistant to general manager Patrik Alvin, shared what his boss is thinking.

"At this point you’ve got to look at all options," told Donnie and Dhali. "Right now he’s a Vancouver Canuck and we prepare as if he is, but obviously there's discussions being had that obviously, now as the draft approaching, we've always got to look at options to make yourself a better team in the short term and the long term and that's a process Patrick is going through with all our players.

"We need to push ourselves to get a little uncomfortable to get better. We want to get better and this isn't a reference to J.T. Miller, but sometimes you got to make hard decisions as an organization to do that."

Right now, Miller is a bargain at the $5.25 million he's owed next season, but to keep him, the Canucks will need to give him a raise that pushes him into the $8.5 million to $9 million range on an extension.

But since Vancouver has been fielding offers on Miller for almost half a year, it must not be willing to pay market rate for a player who racked up 99 points.

So that means the alternate captain's tenure with the team could be nearing its conclusion.

The question is, though, should it be?

As far as the front office is concerned, clearing cap space is crucial to the rebuilding process, but if they could re-sign their star for a reasonable price, it makes all the sense in the world to retain him to be competitive and find a way to make the playoffs.

Vancouver has only made the postseason twice in the last nine years, so the fanbase is likely past its breaking point with the team's lack of success.

With that in mind, it may not be prudent for the front office to move its best player.

As Alvin said, though, tough decisions have to be made and there's precious little time before free agency begins on July 13.

If Vancouver keeps him, it's not going to be cheap, but Miller's production and grit is worth it.

Should the Canucks decide to move him, there are a number of teams willing to make their move.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals are one of them.

"Miller, I still think that it's a big contract that he's asking for," he told Donnie and Dhali. "I think the Canucks like other teams are worried about the term for him. I think now that Washington has lost {Nicklas} Backstrom and no one seems to know what the timeline here is, what are they gonna do?

"I've heard Kadri's name connected to the Capitals, I've heard Miller's name connected to the Capitals, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's the kind of guy that's on their radar."

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has won the 2021-22 Hart Trophy as the player viewed to be the most valuable to his team, it was announced Tuesday. He beat out Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the honor.

MVPAPI! pic.twitter.com/00w49VmY8B

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 21, 2022

Auston Matthews is first @MapleLeafs player in 67 years to claim the Hart Trophy. @AM34 is the third player in franchise history to claim @NHL MVP honors, following Ted Kennedy (1954-55) and Babe Pratt (1943-44). #NHLStats: https://t.co/gMUuQjy2dM pic.twitter.com/BEU5c1dghq

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 21, 2022

2021-22 Hart Trophy voting pic.twitter.com/2yxd9j84lZ

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 22, 2022

This marks Matthews' first Hart Trophy victory, and he is the first Maple Leaf to win the award since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55. He was also nominated for the award during the 2020-21 campaign but came in second behind McDavid.

Matthews had a dominant season for the Maple Leafs, scoring a career-high 60 goals and 46 assists for 106 points in 73 games. It was his third consecutive season with at least 40 goals, and he has never scored less than 34 goals in each of his six seasons.

The 24-year-old's efforts helped Toronto finish second in the Atlantic Division with a 54-21-7 record. The team's 54 wins and 115 points were the most in franchise history.

The Maple Leafs selected Matthews first overall in the 2016 NHL draft, and he has been one of the best forwards in the league since. He has tallied 259 goals and 198 assists for 457 points in 407 games.

In addition to winning the Hart Trophy, he won the 2021-22 Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer and the Ted Lindsay Award. He also won the Rocket Richard during the 2020-21 season and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie during the 2016-17 season.

Matthews signed a five-year, $58.2 million deal with the Maple Leafs in 2019 and will be a free agent after the 2023-24 season. Based on the way he's been playing, he'll be in for a massive extension worth more than the $11.6 million annually he makes now.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has won the 2021-22 Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL's most outstanding player, beating out Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi for the honor.

Game recognize game 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/6eE2DldV7i

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 21, 2022

Auston Matthews is the fourth different player in as many years to claim the Ted Lindsay Award. #NHLAwards
#NHLStats: https://t.co/tiJSAV0sNF pic.twitter.com/hGe25nEAPT

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 21, 2022

Matthews is the first Maple Leaf and only the second United States-born player to win the award after Patrick Kane.

The 24-year-old also won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer for the second straight season and won the Hart Trophy as the player viewed to be the most valuable to his team.

Matthews tallied a career-high 60 goals and 46 assists for 106 points in 73 games. He also recorded 19.2 percent of Toronto's goals, which helped the team finish second in the Atlantic Division with a 54-21-7 record and reach the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

The San Ramon, California native finished first in the NHL averaging 0.82 goals per game. It was the highest per-game rate for any player since Mario Lemieux averaged 0.99 goals per game in 1995-96. In addition, he finished first in the league with 44 even-strength goals.

The Maple Leafs selected Matthews first overall in the 2016 NHL draft, and he has been a staple in their lineup ever since. He won the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie in 2016-17 after finishing with 40 goals and 29 assists for 69 points in 82 games and has also earned one All-Star selection.

In 407 career games, Matthews has had 259 goals and 198 assists for 457 points. He is under contract with Toronto through the 2023-24 season at $11.6 million per year.

New York Rangers star Igor Shesterkin has won the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender, beating out Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) and Jacob Markstrom (Calgary Flames) for the honor.

The 26-year-old becomes the third goaltender in Rangers history to win the award, joining Henrik Lundqvist and John Vanbiesbrouck. Lundqvist was last to win the award for the franchise in 2012.

1⃣- GOR 👏 👏

Congratulations on your first Vezina Trophy, Shesty! pic.twitter.com/XbawJxtbdp

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 21, 2022

First-time finalist, first-time winner.

Igor Shesterkin is the 3rd @NYRangers goaltender to win the Vezina Trophy under the current selection criteria (since 1981-82), after Henrik Lundqvist (2011-12) & John Vanbiesbrouck (1985-86). #NHLAwards#NHLStats: https://t.co/E9pThiCPCs pic.twitter.com/sLkWDUikqu

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 21, 2022

The Vezina Trophy voting pic.twitter.com/WSC0sCSkis

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 21, 2022

Passing the torch in NY 🗽

Igor Shesterkin wins the 2022 Vezina Trophy pic.twitter.com/Y3nYf5A2Wq

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 21, 2022

The news comes as little surprise as the third-year netminder dominated play and led the Rangers to a second place finish in the Metropolitan Division.

Shesterkin won 36 of his 52 starts, going 36-13-4 with six shutouts and a 2.07 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. He led the NHL in even strength save percentage (.934) and goals saved above average (26.38), per Natural Stat Trick.

In addition, the Russian recorded a .866 high-danger save percentage at even strength, which ranked second behind New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin.

The Rangers selected Shesterkin in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL draft. He spent the 2019-20 season as a backup and emerged as the team's starter during the 2020-21 season, posting a 16-14-3 record in 35 games (31 starts).

With a Vezina Trophy to his name, Shesterkin will be due for a significant extension after the 2024-25 season. He's currently on a four-year, $22.6 million deal that he signed before the 2021-22 season, making $5.6 million per year.

Seattle Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer said Friday he has been called a Nazi by other players during his hockey career.

Grubauer told the story as part of the Kraken's "Hockey is for Everyone" discussion series:

“They called me a Nazi and nobody stepped up.”

In episode two of our Hockey is for Everyone series, #SeaKraken goalie @philgrubauer31 opens up on the changes in hockey culture that have allowed players to begin standing up for what’s right → https://t.co/6X0ZFkIIPy pic.twitter.com/kr6YubSDS0

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 17, 2022

The 30-year-old Grubauer, who is from Germany, said in the full video of the conversation on the Kraken's website that the slurs were used against him during his junior hockey playing days.

Grubauer played in Canada's Ontario Hockey League from 2009 to 2011 for the Belleville Bulls, Windsor Spitfires and Kingston Frontenacs after growing up in Germany and playing junior hockey there as well.

During the discussion, Grubauer said he and other players used to be afraid to speak up because of the reaction it would elicit, including "20 other guys chirping you" from the other team.

The veteran netminder went on to suggest that the culture has changed in hockey since then with players coming together to stand up against hateful language and views.

Grubauer recently finished his first season with the expansion Kraken after signing a six-year contract with them in free agency.

He posted an 18-35-1 record with a 3.16 goals-against average, .889 save percentage and two shutouts.

Grubauer previously played for the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche, earning a Stanley Cup with the Caps as a backup in 2018, and finishing third in the Vezina Trophy voting as the Avs' starter in 2021.

The Montreal Canadiens have traded defenseman Shea Weber to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Evgenii Dadonov, the team announced Thursday.

General manager Kent Hughes said in a statement:

First of all, I would like to thank Shea for all that he has done for and represented to the Montreal Canadiens. Not only was Shea an exceptional hockey player who played through significant injuries in an attempt to bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal, he was also a great leader whose leadership will have a positive impact on our team well beyond his time with us. I also want to welcome Evgenii Dadonov to our organization. He is a talented forward who has produced at all levels since the start of his career.

Weber has four years remaining on the 14-year, $110 million deal he signed with the Nashville Predators in July 2012. The Predators traded him to the Canadiens in June 2016 in exchange for P.K. Subban, who now plays for the New Jersey Devils.

Weber had spent the last five seasons of his career in Montreal, tallying 58 goals and 88 assists for 146 points in 275 games. He was named the team's captain in 2018.

Seeing as how Weber has a cap hit of nearly $7.9 million per year over the remaining years of his contract, it's not hard to see why the Canadiens traded him. Montreal finished the 2021-22 season with the worst record in the NHL at 22-49-11, and the Weber trade means that the team is committed to a rebuild.

That said, Dadonov is 33 years old and isn't going to help speed up Montreal's rebuild. However, he provides the Canadiens with more financial flexibility and he has just one year remaining on his contract at $5 million before entering free agency.

The Golden Knights initially tried to trade Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks in March, but the trade was invalidated by the NHL because of a discrepancy in the status of his no-trade clause that prohibited him from being sent to the Ducks.

In 78 games with the Golden Knights during the 2021-22 season, Dadonov tallied 20 goals and 23 assists for 43 points.

While the Canadiens cleared freed up some money by trading Weber, they still have just $1,923,334 in cap space, per CapFriendly. That's not going to be enough to make any significant additions in free agency.

That said, the Canadiens own the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL draft and will be able to select a player to build around for the future. Selecting someone like Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky or Logan Cooley will help put Montreal back on the right path.