Evan’s NHL Daily: Maple Leafs Let Dubas Go, Vegas Takes Series Lead

The Toronto Maple Leafs took over the news for the NHL on Friday, as they decided to move on from GM Kyle Dubas. That’s not where it ended, because Brendan Shanahan’s press conference made everything even more interesting. On the ice, the Vegas Golden Knights took an early series lead after an exciting overtime win in Game One.

For the Colorado Avalanche, it’s still quiet, but we took a look back at the season for Pavel Francouz.

All that and more in this Saturday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Mikko Rantanen scored a lot of goals for the Avalanche this season. Over in Finland, he’s dishing out the goals, as he currently leads the World Championships in assists.

It was a tough second half for Pavel Francouz. Like a lot of the team, an injury took him out for a good chunk of the year. When he played, he was solid, but should all of the recent injuries be a concern moving forward?

Around the NHL

After he spoke to the media the other day, it sure looked like the Maple Leafs were going to bring back GM Kyle Dubas. Apparently that press conference didn’t help him.

On Friday, the Leafs let Dubas go, meaning they’re on the hunt for a new GM. Apparently they wanted him back, and Dubas wanted to stay on, but he asked for more money. That’s when Brendan Shanahan decided to move on. After hearing of the news, front office member Jason Spezza turned in his resignation. I imagine a lot of players aren’t happy either, as they liked Dubas. I think most expected this to be a wild offseason for the Leafs, but it just got a little crazier.

NHL Playoffs

Game One of the Western Conference Finals was an exciting one. Dallas scored late to send the game to overtime, but Vegas didn’t let it go on very long, as Brett Howden scored the overtime winner, giving the Golden Knights the early series lead.

BRETT HOWDEN WINS IT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN OVERTIME, GAME 1 TO VEGAS!#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/JRT8ilv9g3

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) May 20, 2023

Sergei Bobrovsky was a monster in net for Florida in Game One. They’ll need more of that the rest of the way.

National Hockey Now

PHN: Eric Tulsky has helped build the Carolina Hurricanes for years, and now he’s in the running for the Pittsburgh GM job.

Calgary: The Flames need a new GM. Does the Dubas firing change what they do?

MHN: Matvei Michkov talked about the NHL draft, a month before he’s expected to be a top-10 pick.

NHN: The Predators are one of the teams looking for a head coach. Is their decision coming soon?

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