NHL Metropolitan

Prior to the start of Day 2 of the 2022 NHL draft on Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly agreed to trade defenseman Tony DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers for multiple draft picks.

According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Flyers will receive DeAngelo and a seventh-round pick in exchange for second-, third- and fourth-round picks that are spread out over the next three years.

LeBrun added that DeAngelo agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Flyers after the trade as well.

The 26-year-old is a six-year veteran who has played for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Hurricanes.

DeAngelo was the No. 19 pick in the 2014 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, but before ever appearing in a game for the team, he was traded to the Coyotes in 2016.

He was traded again one year later to the Rangers, and it was in New York where he fully hit his stride as a dynamic offensive defenseman.

His breakout year occurred in 2019-20 when he set career highs with 15 goals and 53 points while also posting a plus-12 rating.

After appearing in just six games for the Rangers in the 2020-21 campaign, DeAngelo was waived in the wake of getting into a locker-room altercation with goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Canes signed DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million prove-it contract last summer, and it turned out to be a quality move, as the right-shot D-man bounced back with a career-high 41 assists to go with 10 goals in addition to posting a career-best plus-30 rating.

While DeAngelo has had some behavioral issues over the years, he is among the best puck-moving blueliners in the NHL, and the Flyers addressed a huge need by acquiring him.

Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim are two-way defensemen with perhaps a greater focus on defense, meaning DeAngelo will add some variety to the defense corps.

In the New Jersey native, the Flyers have a power-play quarterback and someone who can lead the rush at even strength, making him a significant addition for a team that went a disappointing 25-46-11 last season.

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov has reportedly been detained in Russia on suspicion of evading Russian military service.

According to Radio Free Europe, Russian media outlets are reporting that Fedotov was detained in his native Russia on Friday after police and military officials "launched a manhunt ... at the request of the military prosecutor's office."

Per Joshua Manning of Euro News Weekly, Russian reports said Fedotov was then taken to the military registration and enlistment office. Fedotov could face up to two years in prison if convicted, per Manning.

Fedotov has spent parts of six seasons playing in the Russian KHL, including spending last season with KHL power CSKA Moscow, but he signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in May and announced his intention to go to the NHL.

Fedotov is 25 and Russian law requires all men between the ages of 18 and 27 to serve at least one year in the military.

Russia entered into military combat this year when it invaded Ukraine in February, and the war is still ongoing.

Fedotov, who was a seventh-round draft pick by the Flyers in 2015, has established himself as one of the top goaltenders in Russia over the past few years.

During the 2021-22 season with CSKA Moscow, he went 14-10-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, marking the fourth consecutive season he had a GAA of 2.21 or better and a save percentage of .919 or better.

Fedotov also led Moscow to a Gagarin Cup win, which is the KHL equivalent to the Stanley Cup.

Additionally, Fedotov represented the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.

The plan had been for Fedotov to potentially compete with Carter Hart for the Flyers' starting goalie job next season, as Hart is the only NHL goalie under contract for Philadelphia next season with Martin Jones hitting free agency.

The Washington Capitals announced Thursday they've promoted Emily Engel-Natzke to the role of video coordinator, making her the first woman to serve as a full-time member of an NHL coaching staff.

Engel-Natzke previously filled the same role with the Hershey Bears, the Caps' AHL affiliate. She discussed her place in hockey history with Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press:

"It's kind of surreal. I've never kind of really looked at myself in that lens, and I think if you may have asked me a week ago, I wouldn't have wanted it to be a big deal. But with everything that's going on kind of geopolitically, I think I'm more so just honored to be, I guess, the first. Hopefully that just opens the door even further for people who want to get into this job and this profession."

Engel-Natzke played hockey at Adrian College and started her coaching career at the University of Wisconsin in 2015, working for the Badgers' men's and women's hockey teams as a video coordinator. She's also worked for U.S. Hockey's youth national teams and the senior women's team at the 2019 World Championships.

She joined the Capitals organization with the Bears ahead of the 2020-21 season. Her performance with the minor league affiliate, which posted the AHL's best record in her first year, gave the front office confidence she was ready to join the NHL staff.

"We are extremely pleased to name Emily as our new video coordinator," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Emily's work ethic, skill set, and passion were displayed in her tenure with the Hershey Bears, and we feel she is ready and deserving of this opportunity. She will be a tremendous asset to our coaching staff."

The 31-year-old Colorado native also received praise from Caps head coach Peter Laviolette, per Whyno:

"This was earned and deserved. We feel like we hired really a qualified person that we brought into the organization two years ago and came in and did an outstanding job, and that's what development is all about. For me, we got the best person and that's the most important thing."

Engel-Natzke joins Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Meghan Hunter and New Jersey Devils director of player development Meghan Duggan as women who've recently been promoted to high-profile roles within NHL organizations.

Engel-Natzke told Whyno:

"It's been really encouraging that you're seeing women in different roles, whether it's in coaching, whether it's in management, athletic training and equipment management. Hopefully the door just keeps opening a little bit more and I hope in a couple years it's not as big of a deal—it's kind of just another hire."

Washington, led by superstar winger Alex Ovechkin, has reached the playoffs in eight straight seasons, highlighted by winning the 2018 Stanley Cup title.

The 2022-23 NHL season is scheduled to get underway Oct. 11.

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.

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.

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.

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.

John Tortorella was named the 23rd head coach in Philadelphia Flyers history this week, and he knows he has to do a lot of work to get the team back to a place where it can contend for a Stanley Cup.

"I'm not gonna sit here and say that we're going to be Stanley Cup contenders next year," Tortorella told reporters. "Having said that, I know there's some work to do. That's what I want to do."

The 2021-22 campaign was disappointing for the Flyers based on their roster, including Carter Hart, Cam Atkinson, Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk and Joel Farabee.

Philadelphia traded its longtime captain, seven-time All-Star Claude Giroux, to the Florida Panthers in part because of its lack of success.

The Flyers fired former head coach Alain Vigneault last December following an 8-10-4 start. Mike Yeo served as the team's interim head coach and led the team to a 25-46-11 last-place finish in the Metropolitan Division.

With the team missing the postseason for the second consecutive year, the Flyers announced Yeo would not return as head coach.

Tortorella should be able to get more out of Philadelphia's current roster in 2022-23, and he called the Flyers the "right fit" for his coaching comeback, per ESPN. However, it'll be a difficult task getting the team ready to compete with the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference.

The 63-year-old most recently served as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2015-21, going 227-166-54 and becoming the winningest coach in franchise history. He led the team to the playoffs four times in his six seasons, though it only advanced past the first round once.

Tortorella also coached the Lightning for seven seasons from 2000-08, leading the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2004, and has also coached the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. He most recently served as an NHL analyst for ESPN.

Former New York Rangers winger Sean Avery has been convicted on attempted criminal mischief stemming from a road rage incident from 2019.

According to TMZ Sports, Avery was accused of slamming his scooter into a car. He was found guilty of the misdemeanor charge Thursday in Manhattan.

A spokesperson from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said Avery has been sentenced to time served. He had originally been facing up to three months in prison. According to the New York Post, Avery had turned down multiple plea deals from prosecutors.

Avery damaged the car of a New York-based businessman during a dispute over the vehicle blocking a bike lane.

Avery told the New York Post in 2019, "If I need to be the poster boy for defending the bike lanes, I will absolutely do that. We need to be able to just bike in freedom."

The man said his four-year-old daughter was in the car during the incident, and Avery's attack left a hole in the door near where she was sitting. The judge presiding over the case issued full orders of protection for the victims in the case.

The 42-year-old Avery testified Thursday and admitted to raising his voice during the altercation, but he claims he changed his tune when he noticed that a child was present.

"It was three years ago, I can’t exactly remember whether the vehicle was damaged. … As soon as I saw the kids, everything, just you know, changed," he said.

Avery retired from the NHL in 2012 after a 10-year career.

John Tortorella, who owns 20 years of NHL head coaching experience, has reportedly been offered the opportunity to lead the Philadelphia Flyers staff.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Tuesday the sides are in "late-stage negotiations" about a contract for Tortorella to take over as the team's head coach for the 2022-23 season. TSN's Pierre LeBrun added further talks are set for Thursday.

Philadelphia narrowed its search to Tortorella and Barry Trotz, another high-profile coaching veteran, over the weekend, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

The Flyers failed to reach the playoffs each of the past two seasons and haven't advanced beyond the Eastern Conference Semifinals since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.

They fired head coach Alain Vigneault in December after three seasons, and interim replacement Mike Yeo was dismissed at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, when Philly posted a 25-46-11 record, the NHL's fourth-worst mark.

Hiring a head coach will be the start of a busy offseason for Philadelphia, which must also name a new captain after trading Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers.

In May, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher noted handing out the "C" isn't a high priority.

"That's about No. 20 on our list right now. We'll get into that," Fletcher told reporters. "My assumption is we'll get through this summer, get closer to training camp, sit down and make that assessment."

More important for the franchise, which won its most recent championship in 1975, is finding a way to reinvigorate the roster.

"It is being aggressive in all phases. Certainly, part of it is we need to get younger, we have to get more talented," said Fletcher, who was hired as GM in 2018. "We have to get faster. We have to aggressively look at trades, free agency, and can we add a couple players to supplement what we have here and make this team better."

Hiring the fiery Tortorella would be an effort to change the culture in Philly's locker room.

The 63-year-old has compiled a 673-541-37-132 career record (.548 winning percentage) across 1,383 games as a head coach with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks.

Tortorella is a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach, taking home the honor in 2003-04 with the Lightning—who won their first Cup title—and 2016-17 with Blue Jackets.

The Boston native mutually parted ways with Columbus following the 2020-21 season and spent the past year as a hockey analyst for ESPN.

Trotz owns a 914-670-60-168 record (.567) from stints with the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders. He guided the Caps to the 2018 Stanley Cup title.

The 59-year-old Canadian was let go by the Isles at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

The New York Rangers' best season since 2014-15 came to an end Saturday night with a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Trailing 1-0 with less than seven minutes to play, Frank Vatrano scored a power-play goal to tie the game. Steven Stamkos immediately responded with the game-winning goal for the Lightning 21 seconds later.

Despite not being able to see their team end this season the way they were hoping, Rangers fans have no reason to be disappointed with this showing. The team won a playoff series for the first time since 2016-17 and came within two wins of reaching their first Stanley Cup Final since 2013-14.

The Rangers put together this playoff run despite not having Sammy Blais for most of the season. He tore his ACL in a Nov. 15 game against the New Jersey Devils. They also played without Barclay Goodrow, who had 33 points in the regular season, for three weeks because of a lower-body injury suffered in their first playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Goodrow did return midway through the Eastern Conference semfinals, but he only averaged 14.3 minutes in the past eight games.

The bulk of New York's roster should return next season. Ryan Strome, whose 54 points ranked fifth on the team, is the biggest unrestricted free agent. Blais' status will be a question mark because of his injury, but his status as a restricted free agent could leave a simple path to bring him back.

The Rangers had a terrific postseason run. They overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first round to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games. They had another seven-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes in which they won the decisive game 6-2 at PNC Arena.

The reigning two-time Stanley Cup champion Lightning proved to be too much for New York to overcome.

With an offseason left to make some tweaks to their roster, the Rangers look to be set up for a potential playoff run in 2022-23.