- It has been a rough playoff on the injury front for Washington’s back end. Already missing Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen to injury, Ethan Bear (Player Assistance Program), and injury recall Vincent Iorio, the team announced (Twitter link) that rearguard Trevor van Riemsdyk sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return. He was injured on a hit from Matt Rempe who received a minor penalty for interference on the play. Now down 3-0 in the series, the Capitals will have to turn to Hardy Haman Aktell if none of Sandin, Jensen, Iorio, or van Riemsdyk can return for Sunday’s fourth game.
Capitals Rumors
Sonny Milano, Ivan Miroshnichenko Return To Lineup
- Winger Sonny Milano shared that he’s good to go for Game Three, after missing Thursday’s practice with an undisclosed injury, shares NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). Gulitti also shared that Capitals rookie Ivan Miroshnichenko is expected to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Friday. Miroshnichenko played in the first 21 NHL games of his career this season, recording two goals, six points, six penalty minutes, and a -4. He also recorded 25 points in 47 AHL games. He’ll step in for Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who hasn’t scored through Washington’s first two playoff games. The Capitals trail the New York Rangers 2-0 in the Round One series.
East Notes: Senators, Lomberg, Capitals
The Ottawa Senators have hit a snag in their pursuit of moving to the LeBreton Flats, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators have been working with the National Capital Commission to facilitate the move for the last two years, establishing a memorandum of understanding with the NCC that dedicated a parcel of land for a new arena. But the parcel is just seven acres, compared to the Senators’ current 75-acre plot, leading the team to worry they may not have room for public parking.
Still, Senators’ CEO Tobi Nussbaum shared with Garrioch that the NCC has room for flexibility, and that the team remains confident that LeBreton is the right spot for them. The two sides will face a soft-deadline of September to decide if they are going to move forward with the LeBreton arena, though Nussbaum added, “Should (the rink) not happen, there is a Plan B for those parcels within LeBreton Flats. If the two sides aren’t able to come to an agreement or the Senators make a decision that they’re not going to build there, then we’ll move to our second option”
Other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Forward Ryan Lomberg will remain out of the Florida Panthers lineup in Game Three due to illness, head coach Paul Maurice told Florida Hockey Now’s Colby Guy (Twitter link). Guy added that Lomberg traveled with the team, but needs another day of feeling good before returning to their facilities. Kyle Okposo will step into the lineup in his place, set to play in his first postseason game since 2016, when he scored eight points in 11 games with the New York Islanders. Okposo has yet to record his first point as a Panther, despite appearing in six games. Pending a big Game Three performance, he’ll likely step back out of the lineup when Lomberg is back to full health.
- The Washington Capitals could be without forward Sonny Milano in Game Three due to an upper-body injury, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Milano appeared in both of Washington’s postseason games so far, recording no scoring and a -2. Silber also shared that defenders Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen are each continuing to progress from the injuries that’s so far held them out of the postseason lineup. That means Alexander Alexeyev and Dylan McIlrath will remain in the lineup, after rookie Vincent Iorio was also sidelined with injury.
11 Teams Face Cap Overage Penalties Next Season
With the salary cap largely being flat the last few years, more teams have had to dip into LTIR when injuries have come up. Accordingly, the number of teams facing bonus overage penalties has also risen. This year is no exception as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports in collaboration with CapFriendly that 11 teams are currently facing cap overage penalties for 2024-25 as a result of bonuses achieved this season.
When a team finishes up the season using LTIR to stay cap-compliant, they don’t have any regular cap space to which bonuses can be applied against. Accordingly, that results in LTIR teams that have incentives that are met finishing over the cap, yielding overage penalties. Whatever amount they finished 2023-24 over by is then deducted off the Upper Limit for next season.
The teams that are confirmed to have bonus overage penalties are as follows:
Edmonton Oilers: $3.45MM*
Dallas Stars: $2,595,407
Washington Capitals: $2.2525MM
Los Angeles Kings: $1.85MM
New Jersey Devils: $1,538,897
Montreal Canadiens: $1.0225MM
Ottawa Senators: $850K
New York Rangers: $512.5K*
Minnesota Wild: $425K*
Philadelphia Flyers: $245K
Boston Bruins $50K*
Teams denoted with an asterisk could see their bonus overage increase if the following happens:
Edmonton: Corey Perry’s contract calls for $50K if the Oilers make the Western Conference Final and another $50K if they reach the Stanley Cup Final.
New York: Theirs would increase by $25K if they win the Stanley Cup, a bonus in Jonathan Quick’s deal.
Minnesota: Marco Rossi can make $212.5K if he makes the All-Rookie Team which would then be added to the Wild’s carryover penalty.
Boston: Milan Lucic will receive $200K if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup as part of his contract.
In addition to the above, Carolina and Florida also have the potential for an overage contingent on the playoffs. The Hurricanes would have a $50.45K penalty if Jackson Blake plays in 20 games between the regular season and playoffs. Meanwhile, the Panthers would take a $500K hit if they win the Stanley Cup to cover that bonus in Kyle Okposo’s contract.
Team-by-team details with specifics on how each one got to the point of an overage were covered separately by PuckPedia.
It’s the first time that multiple teams will carry overage penalties of more than $2MM into the following season. With the cap expected to go up by closer to $4MM this summer, that could in theory take some pressure off from the bonus overage perspective but only if teams leave themselves a bit more wiggle room to work with. There’s a good chance that won’t happen so we’re quite likely to see these penalties again next season though with perhaps fewer teams getting the hit next time around.
Washington Capitals Recall Hardy Häman Aktell
With defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin still out of the lineup for Game 2, the Washington Capitals were put in a position to recall some depth from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. According to a team announcement, the Capitals recalled defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell earlier today, and he was with the team for practice.
Even after the recall, it is more than unlikely that he will play this evening against the New York Rangers, as all signs indicate defenseman Lucas Johansen will enter the lineup instead. Johansen, who only has Calder Cup playoff experience under his belt, suited up in six games for the Capitals this season, tallying one assist in total.
If there are any more injuries to the blue line, Washington may find themselves in a precarious enough position to require Aktell to make his postseason debut with the team in his first year playing for the organization. Even though Aktell was drafted with the 108th overall pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2016 NHL Draft, he decided to play professional hockey in his native Sweden before signing an entry-level deal with the Capitals towards the end of last summer.
Aktell’s first season in North America has been decent but he has seen his scoring drop precipitously compared to his last season in the SHL. Over 55 games spent with the Bears this year, Aktell scored two goals and 11 points in total, sitting sixth on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. In early October, Aktell made his NHL debut, scoring one assist in six games for the Capitals.
Capitals Assign Andrew Cristall To AHL
- The Washington Capitals have assigned 2023 second-round pick Andrew Cristall to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, following the end of his WHL season. This kicks off the pro career of one of 2023’s most divisive prospects – with Cristall’s 280 points in 191 career WHL games clearly showing his scoring ability, but skeptics pointing out his lack of explosivity and off-puck fundamentals. He recorded 111 points in 62 games this season alone, the most of any Kelowna Rocket since 1996, and will now hope to translate his flashy style into a tougher scene.
Nick Jensen, Rasmus Sandin Remain In Non-Contact Jerseys; Vincent Iorio Day-To-Day
- Capitals defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin remain in non-contact jerseys in today’s practice, NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports. It’s not a good sign for the pair’s availability for Game 2 against the Rangers tomorrow. Both have been sidelined for at least a few games with upper-body injuries, and the Caps have already been forced to dip deep into their defensive well by playing rookie Vincent Iorio and farmhand Dylan McIlrath in Game 1’s 4-1 loss. Iorio left that game with an injury as well, which may force yet another player from AHL Hershey to suit up in postseason action for Washington. He’s now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is questionable to play tomorrow, head coach Spencer Carbery said.
Nick Jensen, Rasmus Sandin Out For Game 1; Vincent Iorio Leaves With Injury
- The Capitals remain without a pair of defenders in today’s Game 1 against the Rangers, as Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin are absent. Jensen sustained an undisclosed injury last weekend after a scary hit from Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont required him to be stretchered off the ice, but he’s since returned to practice in a non-contact jersey and should be an option for Washington at some point in their first-round series. Before missing the final two games of the regular season, the 33-year-old had a goal and 14 points in 78 games with a -9 rating while averaging 19:38 per game. Sandin, 24, has also yet to graduate from a non-contact designation in practice after sustaining an upper-body injury against the Senators on April 7. Including today’s postseason tilt, he’s now missed six games with the injury, his second-longest absence of the season. The young Swede is in his first full campaign with the Caps after they picked him up from Toronto before last year’s trade deadline. He had three goals, 23 points, and a -13 rating in 68 regular-season games with Washington while averaging 21:07 per game, second among Caps defenders.
- Things didn’t get any better for Washington on the injury front today, as rookie defenseman Vincent Iorio is questionable to return to the contest with an upper-body injury, per the team. He took a heavy hit from Rangers winger Alexis Lafrenière on the play that ended with Artemi Panarin putting the Blueshirts up 2-0 in the second period. Iorio, 21, was a second-round pick of the Caps two years ago and was playing in his first postseason game. He’s played most of the season with AHL Hershey, logging only six NHL appearances and averaging just 9:50 per game. He has one NHL assist to his name, which game during a three-game call-up last season.
Sandin And Jensen Take Part In Practice In Non-Contact Jerseys
- Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin practiced today in a non-contact jersey, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury and with the non-contact designation, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to suit up in the series opener against the Rangers on Sunday. Sandin was an important part of Washington’s back end this season, logging over 21 minutes a night while collecting 23 points in 68 games.
- Sandin wasn’t the only injured Washington blueliner who took to the ice today as Gulitti adds (Twitter link) that Nick Jensen also practiced in a non-contact jersey. Jensen suffered an upper-body injury last week against Tampa Bay and was stretchered off the ice. The 33-year-old spent a lot of time on the Capitals’ second pairing this season, picking up 13 points while averaging a little under 20 minutes a night. Like Sandin, the non-contact designation likely means he won’t be available on Sunday either.
AHL Shuffle: 4/19/24
Half the league has played their last games for the 2023-24 campaign, while the other half is gearing up for postseason action starting tomorrow. Either way, squads are making roster adjustments today, whether it’s assigning players back to the minors after their NHL seasons came to a close or recalling reinforcements for their playoff runs. We’ll keep track of all of today’s moves here:
- The Bruins have recalled center John Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei from AHL Providence. Both will be available for tomorrow’s Game 1 of Boston’s first-round series against the Maple Leafs. The pair of youngsters were assigned to the minors throughout the last week for playing time down the stretch after spending most of the campaign on the NHL roster. They’ll likely be scratches for tomorrow’s contest, but after combining for 93 games played in the regular season, head coach Jim Montgomery won’t hesitate to plug them into the playoff lineup.
- The Flames have assigned forwards Matthew Coronato and Adam Klapka, defenseman Ilya Solovyov, and goaltender Dustin Wolf to AHL Calgary. The NHL club’s regular season came to an end last night in a 5-1 win over the Sharks, a game all four players involved in today’s transaction played in. Wolf, one of the league’s top goaltending prospects, ended his season on a high note with 16 saves on 17 shots after putting up underwhelming numbers down the stretch for the Flames. All four will play major roles for the Wranglers over the next couple of weeks, at the very least, as they’ve clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
- The Capitals have recalled goaltender Mitchell Gibson from ECHL South Carolina. The 24-year-old, who has no NHL experience, is in his first full season of pro hockey after spending the last four seasons in collegiate hockey at Harvard. He’ll serve as a Black Ace and emergency backup as their first-round matchup against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers gets underway. A fourth-round pick of the Caps back in 2018, he has a .899 SV%, 2.56 GAA, three shutouts, and a 22-14-3 record in 42 appearances with South Carolina this year, as well as a .915 SV% and a perfect record in two showings with AHL Hershey.
- In a similar move, the Predators have brought up netminder Gustavs Grigals from ECHL Atlanta. Undrafted, the Latvian had spent the season in the Nashville organization on a minor-league contract before receiving a two-way deal from the Preds on deadline day. The 25-year-old was excellent last year for UMass-Lowell after transferring from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, posting a .924 SV% in 24 games and earning Hockey East Third All-Star Team honors. He’s adjusted decently well to the pro ranks, posting a .900 SV% and three shutouts behind a defensively challenged Atlanta squad in 34 appearances with an 11-19-0 record.
- The Blackhawks have assigned forward prospect Lukas Reichel to AHL Rockford to finish his season. Chicago expected the 21-year-old to take a major step forward in his development this season and supplant himself as a top-six fixture for the future along with Connor Bedard, but it didn’t work out that way. The 2020 first-round pick was arguably among the worst players in the league this season, limited to five goals and 16 points in 65 games with a -29 rating despite seeing second-line looks for much of the season. His average ice time dipped to almost 14 minutes per game by the end of the campaign, however.
- The Jets have assigned forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, Brad Lambert, and goaltender Collin Delia to AHL Manitoba. Winnipeg recalled the foursome yesterday to provide reinforcements for yesterday’s regular-season finale against the Canucks. Chibrikov and Lambert made their NHL debuts, with the former notching his first NHL goal in the process. Delia backed up Laurent Brossoit while Jennings Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was given the night off entirely, while Ford was a healthy scratch. Delia was again recalled under emergency conditions later Friday, suggesting he’ll be available as a Black Ace/emergency backup for Game 1 against the Avalanche on Sunday.
- The Coyotes have made likely the final group of transactions in franchise history, returning forwards Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Aku Raty, and defensemen Michael Kesselring and Vladislav Kolyachonok to AHL Tucson. The sale of the team’s hockey operations to Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group was approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors yesterday, rendering the Coyotes franchise inactive and establishing a new franchise in Utah. The five youngsters will finish the season in the Calder Cup Playoffs with the Roadrunners. Some of these players, likely Guenther and Doan at a minimum, will travel to Salt Lake City and will be a part of that team’s opening-night squad next season. The others may remain in Tucson, which is expected to serve as the Utah franchise’s minor-league affiliate.
- The Oilers have assigned defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Adam Erne to AHL Bakersfield. The pair were recalled earlier in the week to allow the Oilers to rest stars like Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard before kicking off their first-round playoff series against the Kings in a few days. They’ll return to playoff-bound Bakersfield for now but will be among the first in line for recalls if necessary.
- The Kings have assigned forward Alex Turcotte to AHL Ontario. He’d spent most of the last week in the minors on an LTI conditioning loan, but was activated off LTIR and reinstated to the NHL roster on Tuesday. He didn’t play in the Kings’ final game of the regular season last night, though. The 23-year-old presumably won’t be in their Game 1 lineup against the Oilers and will report for playoff action with the Reign.
- The Islanders have summoned goaltender Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport, per the league’s media site. The 23-year-old comes up to serve as the extra/reserve netminder as the Islanders begin their first-round series with Bridgeport eliminated from playoff contention. The 2018 third-round pick has again struggled in the third-string spot, posting a .888 SV% and 7-22-6 record in 36 appearances for the AHL Isles this year. He was passed over for recalls earlier in the regular season in favor of veteran Kenneth Appleby.
This page will be updated throughout the day.