All the manufactured angst off the ice in Washington, DC was dispelled this past Sunday when John Carlson signed an eight-year extension to his contract for $64 million.
The future for Carlson was debated and prognosticated for weeks and especially so since the end of the season.
It was difficult to conceive of Carlson going anywhere after the season (15 goals, 68 points) he had and the playoff run (five goals, 20 points).
With the departure of head coach Barry Trotz, Carlson has made not so subtle noise that he would like to see associate coach Todd Reirden hired as the Capitals’ next head coach.
“I thought he was crucial for my career,” Carlson said, “and just changed kind of a few things how I looked at the game, changed a few things with the D that I think really benefited everyone on D and made it pretty clear what he expected of us and allowed us to go out there and do the rest.”
Reportedly, Caps’ general manager Brian MacLellan has only one name on his interview list, Reirden.
“Guys have a lot of respect for Todd,” Carlson said. “And if that’s the case, then he’s going to do a great job.”
Up I-95 in New York City, the New York Rangers are reportedly looking at former players they traded away this past season.
Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden are on the radar for general manager Jeff Gorton.
The Rangers have gone from a geriatric ward to a kiddie corps overnight. They have young, untested talent and need on and off ice mentors to keep the kids in line and focused.
“That is the expectation that we are going to provide opportunity for our young kids, but we’d like to add a few guys, some character players that can come in and maybe teach these guys the ropes,” Gorton said on NHL.com. “[Players] that have pretty good pedigree, that have done some good things to come here and help us in certain situations.”
Grabner may be the best of the three to consider. The Garden fans were unmerciful with Holden and Nash remains an enigma though he is a quality individual.
Goalie Frederik Andersen (#31) and Center Tyler Bozak (#42) of the Toronto Maple Leafs – photo courtesy of Lewis Bleiman
In Toronto, center Tyler Bozak is a topic of conversation. The longest serving skater on the Maple Leafs’ roster is slated to cash in on free agency this weekend. More than a few teams have an interest in his services including the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens; both teams are in need of a steady centerman.
If the Leafs are indeed making the big push for John Tavares, then Bozak may be signing elsewhere come 1 July.
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