NHL News: Toews’ future, Lyubushkin traded, and Jenneret passing
Ryan Gagne
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Today’s NHL news follows up on the latest regarding Jonathan Toews and his undecided his future. Plus Ilya Lyubushkin traded to the Ducks and Mike Grier recruiting former teammates for scouting roles.
However, we begin on a somber note with the passing of former Buffalo Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret.
Whether you are into the latest trade buzz, signing news, and more, stick with The Daily Goal Horn.
The hockey community mourns the loss of Rick Jeanneret, beloved Buffalo Sabres announcer
For over 50 years, Rick Jeanneret was the voice of the Sabres, providing fans of many generations with some of the game’s most iconic calls. Sadly, the 81-year-old passed away on Thursday, just a year after retiring from the booth.
As the hours and days have passed since the initial announcement of his death, the hockey community has gathered on social media to pay tribute to one of the game’s last golden-era announcers. Whether he was calling regular season games or playoff games, his distinctive voice earned him a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the NHL’s most tenured play-by-play guys.
From his beginnings on the radio in 1971 to his final TV broadcast in 2002, the former Foster Hewitt Award winner leaves a legacy that hockey fans will remember for decades to come.
Jonathan Toews, longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain, remains undecided about the future
On Thursday, longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain and unrestricted free agent Jonathan Toews took to social media to express gratitude for his extraordinary career with the team. Besides thanking the only organization he’s ever played for, Toews pointed out that he is not “not fully retiring” but will take some time to decide his future.
Of course, he followed that statement up by playing in Marion Hossa’s “last game” in Slovakia, along with several old teammates like Patrick Sharp and Dustin Byfuglien and Hall of Famers like Nicklas Lidström and Daniel Alfredsson. However, the game was for fun and not a serious contest, allowing Toews to ease back into action after skating in only 53 games last season while battling COVID-related illnesses, which almost prematurely ended his career.
Even though he is 35 and unemployed, any franchise looking for a leader, someone with playoff experience (three Stanley Cups), will eventually call him. Whether Toews chooses to come back to the NHL or not is up to him and his family to decide; however, there will be a list of contenders interested in his contributions for the stretch run if he wants one more shot at a championship.
Buffalo Sabres trade Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks for draft pick
After almost a month without any trades, NHL teams were busy recently with a handful of big names like Erik Karlsson and Jeff Petry finding new homes via the trade market. Now, the latest deal to go into the books occurred on Friday afternoon when the Sabres traded away 29-year-old Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025.
Ultimately, the Ducks will be the fourth team for the undrafted Russian defender who debuted with the Arizona Coyotes in 2018. Before playing in Buffalo last season, he spent a year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Statistically, in 279 games, he has 39 points and is a minus-22 with 130 penalty minutes. After signing a two-year deal in July 2022, he will become a free agent in 2024 and earns $2.75 million this season.
San Jose Sharks general Mike Grier hires former teammates as scouts
The San Jose Sharks are in a full-blown rebuild, especially after trading away star players like Karlsson and Timo Meier. After 18 years as general manager, Hall of Famer Doug Wilson stepped down, allowing Mike Grier to become the team’s newest general manager in July 2022.
As a former player with several teams, including the Sharks, the first-time GM looks to turn San Jose back into a contender sooner rather than later. Even though he’s been busy retooling the lineup, he’s also restructuring the management team, recently hiring former teammates Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek to scouting positions.
Interestingly, Grier played with both Miller and Vanek in Buffalo, who are becoming NHL staff members for the first time. Collectively, the duo played in 1,825 games in the league and should be a solid addition to the scouting team, who are looking for the next generation of players who hope to bring the Stanley Cup to the Bay area someday.
The Daily Goal Horn Trivia
Since 1990 there have been 21 Vezina Trophy winners. Coincidentally, Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal against 18 of them. Can you name the three netminders he didn’t beat?
Share your guesses on social media and check Monday’s NHL News article for the answer.