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Vancouver Canucks Dan Cloutier Becomes Goaltending Coach, NHL Odds n Ends
June 15, 2016, 1:31 PM ET [357 Comments]
Carol Schram
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Lots going on today in the world of hockey!

The Pittsburgh Penguins are holding their Stanley Cup Parade.




Gordie Howe's funeral is taking place in Detroit.




The Chicago Blackhawks have gotten an early start on their annual salary cap dump, trading Bryan Bickell AND Teuvo Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes, who are suddenly rich with cap space now that Eric Staal and Cam Ward are off the books.




And the annual buyout window officially opens at 5 p.m. ET today. Players can be placed on waivers today so that their actual buyouts will take place tomorrow.

Here's our first candidate:




Cowen came over to the Leafs as part of the Dion Phaneuf trade. Just 25 years old and taken with the ninth pick in the 2009 draft, the 6'5" Cowen had become a frequent healthy scratch in Ottawa before he was traded, and didn't play a game for the rest of the season as he dealt with a hip injury.

He must have received medical clearance by now, as injured players are not allowed to be bought out, per Scott Burnside in this ESPN article.

Burnside mentions that Bryan Bickell could still get bought out by the Hurricanes—and doesn't mention any Canucks on his list of high-profile buyout candidates.

Nothing final yet on the Calgary Flames filling their coaching vacancy.

Also at ESPN, Pierre LeBrun mentions that teams and agents are in a bit of a holding pattern with their negotiations until they see what next year's salary-cap number will be. That announcement is expected before next weekend's draft, which is also when the free-agency interview period begins.

Here's how the NHL's offseason calendar unfolds:




One negotiation that may be in a holding pattern until the salary cap number comes out is the discussion between Milan Lucic and the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are notorious for managing every last penny of their cap space—remember how they squeezed in Marian Gaborik a couple of years ago?

Kings Insider Jon Rosen said Tuesday that re-signing Lucic remains "a priority" for the Kings, but acknowledges that this report lines up with what he has been hearing.




In summary, Rosen says "talks are still taking place, but the tone remains “hopeful” or “open,” rather than “particularly optimistic.”"

Today also marks the five-year anniversary of the Canucks' Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins and the game's infamous aftermath. Given everything that has happened with the team since then, it feels like it was a lifetime ago to me.

So—lets talk goaltending. Here's the announcement made by the team on Tuesday:




We knew that a shuffle was coming with Vancouver's goaltending coaches. The good news is that the organization has been able to retain keep Rollie Melanson in the fold.




For all the drama that has surrounded the Canucks' crease over the last several years, Melanson has done a tremendous job of getting the best out of his charges, whether it has been Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, Eddie Lack, Ryan Miller or Jacob Markstrom.

Going forward, here's how Ben Kuzma describes Melanson's new role in The Province:

Melanson — who left the Canucks to spend more time with his elderly mother in New Brunswick — will continue to work in player development at the AHL, college and junior levels and be based in Eastern Canada.


That should put Melanson in position to have significant input in Thatcher Demko's first pro season with the Utica Comets starting this fall. And don't forget about NCAA free agent Michael Garteig, who's also in the mix.

Meanwhile, Cloutier steps into the big job in Vancouver as a 40-year-old who still has vivid memories of the four-and-a-bit seasons he spent with the Canucks.

Here's how Cloutier summed up the role switch to Kuzma:

We’re all on the same page and Rollie is just a phone call away. It’s just going to be a different voice and probably a lot of the same messages.

I’m a little bit different than I was as a player. I’m pretty calm and understanding. I’ve been there. I’ve played in that market and I’ve done all the travelling. I know exactly how guys feels and how to adapt to different situations.

We obviously have different plans and different views for the goalies. I like to work more with their strengths, and I won’t change the way I coach. But in saying that, I’m pretty open. I like to talk about things and make sure people understand what my plan is and what direction I want to go. And I want my goalies to feel comfortable about opening up.


With Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year—and the fact that teams will be required to expose at least one eligible goalie in the (presumed) expansion draft next summer—there will be no shortage of drama surrounding the position again this year. Still, it's good to know that the organization's trusted personnel will continue to oversee life in the Canucks net.
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