Morning Chirps: More Blashill Chatter, Marner Likely Done in Toronto

With no games on Monday night, it was a relatively slow news day in the hockey world. We got more chatter about the Chicago Blackhawks’ vacant head coaching job. Meanwhile, it certainly looks like the top potential NHL free agent will hit the market on July 1. Don’t fret, playoff hockey is back tonight. Until then, enjoy some Chirps.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Caleb Desnoyers won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the QMJHL playoffs. He scored nine goals and 30 points in 19 postseason games as the Moncton Wildcats won the league championship. They will play in the CHL Memorial Cup with the OHL champion London Knights, WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers, and the host Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. Desnoyers is possible for the Blackhawks at No. 3. Be on the lookout for his Draft Profile in the next few days.

• Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times gives his thoughts on the Blackhawks’ head coaching search and Jeff Blashill.
• Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman weighed in on Blashill towards the end of the latest installment of 32 Thoughts. Friedman said Blashill had canceled an interview with another team. He called him a “serious contender,” but wouldn’t say the job was 100% his yet.
• On this date in 1992, Jeremy Roenick scored early in overtime to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 of the Campbell Conference Final. The Blackhawks erased an early 2-0 deficit to win their 10th straight game of the postseason, tying the NHL playoff record for the most consecutive wins in a single postseason set by the 1970 Bruins.
• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call May 20: Stan Mikita and Bruce Cassidy.

NHL Chirps

• The Athletic’s Chris Johnston writes that Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner will become a free agent on July 1 “barring an unexpected change of heart.” Marner will be one of the biggest free agents in quite some time and is expected to garner a huge contract. Getting out of Toronto might be the best thing for his career now.
• According to the AP’s Stephen Whyno, the Washington Capitals are unlikely to have contract extension talks with veteran defenseman John Carlson. The 2020 Norris Trophy winner will enter his 17^th NHL season and the final one on the eight-year extension he signed in 2018.
• Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Marc Bergevin and Mathieu Darche have had two interviews for the vacant New York Islanders general manager position. Bergevin is the more experienced of the two candidates, but being part of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization is always attractive—just ask Blashill.
• The Eastern Conference Finals begin tonight with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. This is the second time these two have met in the last three years to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers swept the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, but all four games were decided by one goal, with Game 1 going to four overtimes. Florida won two of the three regular-season meetings, outscoring Carolina 13-6.