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Archives for April 2019

Detroit Red Wings Agree To Terms With Filip Larsson

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The Detroit Red Wings have added some goaltending depth to their system, agreeing to terms with Filip Larsson on a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2019-20 season, meaning Larsson will not be returning to the University of Denver for his sophomore year.

Larsson’s freshman season came to a disappointing end recently as the Denver Pioneers were ousted from the NCAA Frozen Four by UMass. Larsson had posted shutouts in the opening two rounds of the tournament, and had a .932 save percentage in 22 appearances during the season. The sixth-round pick from 2016 has developed quite nicely in his time in North America, dominating the USHL and NCAA ranks while also bringing home a silver medal at the World Juniors.

Minor Transactions: 04/15/19

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The NHL playoffs have brought excitement, surprise and wonder through the first few days of the postseason. The Tampa Bay Lightning have fallen to the brink of a historic collapse, while the New York Islanders are close to eliminating a division rival with little trouble. Tonight will see four series get back underway including three that are tied, and should provide plenty of memorable moments. As teams prepare, we’ll keep track of the minor moves.

  • Zac Dalpe has been recalled by the Columbus Blue Jackets, who haven’t needed a lot of help through the first three games. Dalpe finished his AHL season on the weekend with 33 goals in 55 games and could serve as an additional offensive piece for the Blue Jackets tomorrow night. The Cleveland Monsters, who rely heavily on Dalpe’s presence in the AHL, don’t start their playoff series until Friday—notably against the Syracuse Crunch, the AHL affiliate of Tampa Bay.
  • Eric Comrie has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets, giving the team a third goaltender as they prepare for their next game against the St. Louis Blues. Comrie’s Manitoba Moose failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs this season meaning he can join the NHL club as an extra body for their postseason run.

Five Key Stories: 4/8/19 – 4/14/19

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The first week of the postseason has created quite a few headlines both on and off the ice, some of which are highlighted in the top stories of the week.

Panthers Hire Quenneville: The Panthers are expected to make a splash this summer in free agency but they also have made one behind the bench with the hiring of Joel Quenneville.  The 60-year-old was considered by many to be the best coach available this offseason after Chicago let him go early in the regular season.  He inked a five-year deal at a rate that could be greater than the $6MM he was making with the Blackhawks depending on team performance incentives.  GM Dale Tallon is quite familiar with Quenneville having worked with him during his own time in Chicago and the two will now look to get Florida back into the playoffs.

Devils Win Again: It wasn’t a particularly successful season on the ice for the Devils after a surprising playoff appearance in 2017-18, they had the third-worst record in the league.  However, they did get some good news as they won the Draft Lottery and will select first overall in June.  They weren’t the only team moving up as the Rangers gained four spots to move up to the number two spot while Chicago jumped nine spots to pick third.  US NTDP center Jack Hughes and TPS Turku winger Kaapo Kakko are the top two prospects in this draft class.

Voynov Suspended For 2019-20: While defenseman Slava Voynov is looking to make a return to the NHL, he’ll have to wait a while yet for his opportunity to do so after the league announced that he has been suspended for the entire 2019-20 season (including the playoffs).  This stems from a domestic violence incident back in 2014, one that saw him jailed and suspended indefinitely by the league while the Kings terminated his contract.  He successfully petitioned to dismiss his conviction last summer, paving the way for him to at least attempt to get back into the NHL although Los Angeles still holds his rights.  That will have to wait at least one more year, pending a decision from an independent arbitrator after the NHLPA filed an appeal on his behalf.

Bouwmeester Stays In St. Louis: It wasn’t a great start to the season for Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.  He battled hip issues and even spent some time as a healthy scratch and it looked as if his days with the team could be numbered.  However, he had a strong second half and was rewarded for his efforts as St. Louis signed the 35-year-old to a one-year, $3.25MM contract extension.  The deal represents a sizable drop from his current $5.4MM deal but is a better reflection of his expected role moving forward.  Instead of being a top-pairing player as he was several seasons ago, he’s likely best suited to play a second pairing position next season.

Late Additions: It’s rare that teams in the playoffs can add players that could very well get into the lineup but it happened on three separate occasions.  First, the Blue Jackets signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a two-year deal and with three defenders currently out of the lineup, he could suit up quickly once he joins the team.  Colorado then added top prospect Cale Makar to a three-year, entry-level deal after his college season came to an end and he could play as soon as Monday night.  Lastly, Vegas inked the top scorer in the KHL, Nikita Gusev, to a one-year ELC and he will likely play at some point in the first round.  The fact that these players were on the Reserve List of their respective teams at the trade deadline is what makes them eligible to play in the postseason and at least a couple of them could make an immediate impact.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers And Canucks Discussed A Brandon Manning Trade

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As they looked to free up salary cap room at the trade deadline, the Oilers and Canucks held some discussions regarding defenseman Brandon Manning, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  However, he suggests that Vancouver wanted winger Jujhar Khaira to be included in the trade as a sweetener, something that Edmonton clearly wasn’t willing to do.

After signing a two-year, $4.5MM deal with Chicago in July, it looked like Manning was going to have some stability after being in and out of the lineup during his time in Philadelphia.  However, he quickly became a scratch with the Blackhawks and was dealt to Edmonton in late December as part of a trade involving winger Drake Caggiula.

Unfortunately for Manning and the Oilers, he lost his lineup spot rather quickly, wound up clearing waivers, and was subsequently assigned to the AHL.  He has only played seven games with Bakersfield and is a frequent scratch down there as well.

It will be interesting to see what Edmonton does with the 28-year-old as clearly, he’s not in their plans moving forward.  A buyout would carry a cap hit of just over $916K for 2019-20 and a little more than $666K the following season.  For a team with limited cap space, having any dead money on the books is a tough sell, especially when he could be sent back to the minors and only count on the cap for $200K more than the buyout cost next year without any commitments beyond that.  A trade with up to 50% retention is also an option.

With that in mind, expect that whoever winds up with the full-time GM job with the Oilers to continue to actively shop Manning’s contract as a buyout is probably the least-ideal solution.  But with a roster player appearing to be the required attachment to get a team to take on the final year and $2.25MM of his deal, that’s going to be a steep cost to pay to do so considering they gave up a roster player in Caggiula to get him in the first place.  Talk about a rapid fall from grace for Manning in the span of less than a year.

Snapshots: Hedman, Ferland, Hamilton, McKenna, Simmonds

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It looks like the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without another key player Sunday. Already without the suspended Nikita Kucherov, NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that star defenseman Victor Hedman will miss Game 3 with an unknown injury.

Head coach Jon Cooper said earlier today that Hedman would be a game-time decision, but now Braydon Coburn is on the ice, taking Hedman’s place. Hedman has been playing injured in the first two games of the playoffs.

  • There won’t be any supplementary discipline from Saturday’s Game 2 between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes despite a number of controversial hits. Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said that neither Micheal Ferland or Dougie Hamilton will receive any attention from the Department of Player Safety, according to News & Observer’s Luke DeCock. Ferland gave a big hit to Washington’s Nic Dowd, but the angle looks like Ferland hit through Dowd’s body and did not aim for the head. Hamilton’s elbow to Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov was also heavily criticized, but it wasn’t believed that the elbow had enough force for supplementary discipline.
  • Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Mike McKenna sent out a tweet Sunday, saying he would have a “humongous big announcement” coming on Monday. While there no confirmation what it is about, speculation has risen that McKenna might be ready to announce his retirement. AHLcom’s Tony Androckitis wrote that the 36-year-old McKenna was leaning towards ending his career Saturday night after the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ended their AHL season. “I’m pragmatically saying I’m not sure,” said McKenna. “It’s going to take an awful lot to convince me to play again I think. In terms of what I need to have happen for my family, more so than me.” McKenna, who could be considered an AHL-lifer, made 11 NHL appearances this season — 10 with Ottawa and another one with the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s made 35 NHL appearances over the course of his career.
  • NHL.com’s Robby Stanley reports that Brian Boyle remains “ill” and is day-to-day for Monday’s Game 3 matchup with the Dallas Stars. Boyle missed Game 2 with the flu. The scribe adds that there still isn’t an update on the status of Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds left Saturday’s game after taking a puck to the knee. A update is expected on Monday.

Central Notes: Blues’ Defense, Perreault, Girard, Makar

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The St. Louis Blues have had quite a bit going right for them and while much of the team’s success could easily be handed to goaltender Jordan Binnington, one key reason the team won both games in Winnipeg is the play of their top defensive pair, Colton Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required).

The pair are being used to stop the Jets’ top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler and have played more than 25 minutes matched up against that line in 5-on-5 play. Wheeler does have one goal on four shots in that span, but both Scheifele and Connor have each tallied just two shots combined in those situations.

“Fairly well,” Bouwmeester said when asked how the Blues have defended the group. “We had some breakdowns, and they had some chances. There were some odd-man rushes and things like that. They’ve got skilled guys and guys who don’t need a lot of room to get good chances. Bottom line is I think whoever’s going to control the puck and control the play is going to control what they give up.”

  • Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports that there will be just one change in the Winnipeg Jets’ lineup for Sunday’s Game 3 in St. Louis against the Blues. The Jets will bring Mathieu Perreault back into the lineup after the veteran missed Game 2 with an undisclosed injury and Par Lindholm will become a healthy scratch. Perreault hadn’t missed a game this season until Friday. “We’re going to need more of that (secondary scoring) if we want to have any kind of chance of coming back in this series,” said Perreault. “Whoever I’m playing with today, our line, the third and fourth line, we’ve got to find a way to make sure we don’t get scored on, and then chip in a goal here and there to try and help the team win.”
  • A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver reports that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is still being evaluated after leaving Saturday night’s game against Calgary in overtime after taking a hit from Sam Bennett. However, the scribe reports that he is a possibility to play. Girard played 22:05 of ice time in Game 2 and would be a huge loss if he wasn’t able to go.
  • Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that recently signed defenseman Cale Makar is expected to be at the team’s morning practice Saturday and could get into the lineup immediately. Dater adds that he gets the impression that Makar will be in the lineup even though head coach Jared Bednar has not made any announcements. The team’s first-rounder in 2017 will have to be protected for the Seattle expansion draft if he even plays one playoff game this season. However, it looks as if the Avalanche are willing to do that.

Pacific Notes: Vlasic, Eakin, Anderson

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With the series hitting Vegas and both teams deadlocked at one, the San Jose Sharks already have hit a road bump as The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that the head coach Peter DeBoer said the team will be inserting reserve defenseman Tim Heed into the lineup and Marc-Edouard Vlasic will miss Game 3 with an undisclosed injury.

Vlasic left Friday’s game during the second period after replays look like he blocked a shot from Shea Theodore with his arm, although Kurz wonders whether the shot may have gone off his head. DeBoer declined to reveal where the puck hit Vlasic. While the 32-year-old’s point totals have dropped this season, he still is the team’s third-best defenseman on the team behind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson and averaged 21:07 of ATOI this season, which will be a big loss for a Sharks’ team that will want to win one of the next two games to regain home-ice advantage.

The loss of Vlasic will likely mean even more minutes for both Burns and Karlsson. Burns has averaged more than 28 minutes in the first two games of the series, while Karlsson broke 29 minutes in Game 2. Heed will likely be paired with Justin Braun. The team also has recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton from the San Jose Barracuda, according to CapFriendly.

  • Vegas Golden Knights third-line center Cody Eakin will be ready to go after suffering an injury to his face during Friday’s game on a hit from Timo Meier, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Eakin was seen on the ice this morning with a jaw protector attached to his helmet. The 27-year-old Eakin finished the season with a career-high 22 goals this season.
  • ESPN’s Chris Peters reports that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Michael Anderson has likely played his last collegiate game after the University of Minnesota-Duluth blueliner won his second-straight NCAA championship Saturday. Expect the Kings to sign the 19-year-old sophomore to an entry-level contract soon. Anderson, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2017, is considered to be a solid shutdown defender with impressive leadership skills.

 

 

Nazem Kadri Scheduled For In-Person Disciplinary Hearing

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1:18: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Kadri’s hearing is scheduled for Monday.

8:31: It’s not a question of if Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri will be suspended, but rather for how many games. The aggressive forward will undoubtedly miss time for his second straight postseason after cross-checking Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk in the face in last night’s chippy Game Two loss. Kadri received a major penalty and game misconduct, but the NHL Department of Player Safety was quick to announce that Kadri’s hit would be reviewed further and not via a phone hearing, but instead an in-person hearing. The date and time have yet to be revealed, but it will certainly be before the two teams square off again in Game Three on Monday night.

An in-person hearing allows for Kadri to be suspended for longer than five games, which seems like a very likely outcome in this case. In fact, the initial reaction to the hit from NBC analysts Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones after the game was that Kadri could face upwards of ten games in this suspension. The hit in question was unquestionably egregious, after Kadri took issue with a hard but clean hit by DeBrusk on Patrick Marleau along the boards in the third period. Deep in the Bruins zone, Kadri cornered DeBrusk and delivered a cross-check right to the head area, taking DeBrusk down. It was nearly the exact same area in which Kadri intentionally boarded Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in the playoffs last year, which earned him a three-game suspension. At the time, that was Kadri’s fourth career suspension, for a total of 14 games, and his seventh punishment from Player Safety. After his eighth interaction with the Department in this upcoming hearing, it is safe to assume that the suspended games total will go up significantly. A repeat offender who has clearly not learned his lesson, Kadri seems likely to feel the full force of the Department. It is expected that they will take full advantage of the in-person hearing rule, banning Kadri for more than five games. He is unlikely to see the Bruins again this postseason and may have even played his final game already. His absence will be a big loss for the Maple Leafs.

As for DeBrusk, the response from many – especially in Toronto – has been that the Bruins forward deserves a second look of his own. Not only did DeBrusk check Marleau dangerously close to the curved-glass stanchion, but he also caught Kadri with a knee-to-knee hit earlier in the game. However, neither check was considered a penalty by the officials nor did they appear to have an intent to injure, and the expectation is that Player Safety does not have interest in further discipline for DeBrusk. In fact, the escalating aggression between Kadri and DeBrusk, which began in Game One and re-started early in Game Two, may only be used to justify keeping Kadri from a Round One return. DeBrusk’s health will also be taken into account, as the young forward did not return to the game after Kadri’s cross-check and his status is unknown for Game Three. All signs point to the tough youngster avoiding serious injury and being ready come Monday night, but his absence from the rest of the third period will be a factor in Player Safety’s decision.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Nikita Gusev To One-Year Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have officially signed KHL star Nikita Gusev to a one-year, entry-level deal. That one year deal will be burned this season, which should allow the team to sign him to a long-term extension next season when he’ll be a restricted free agent. The deal is for $925K, including a $92,500 signing bonus, according to CapFriendly.

Gusev is expected to join the Golden Knights in practice Monday and could possibly join the team for Game 4, although nothing has been decided about if/when he will play, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Head coach Gerard Gallant said that he’s comfortable with his current lineup and they don’t need Gusev in this series, but he’ll see where things go, according to Schoen.

Because he was on the team’s reserve list, Gusev is eligible to join the team for the playoffs, but whether Gusev will actually play for the team on such an already loaded roster when he lacks much experience playing on North American rinks is another questions. The Golden Knights are expected to have a press conference later today and will discuss their plans for him then.

Gusev, perhaps the best player in the KHL this past season and arguably the best player in the world outside of the NHL, is coming off a big year with SKA St. Petersburg where he scored 17 goals, but had a career-high 82 points in 62 games. He has scored 119 goals in the KHL over the course of his career and 337 points over nine seasons. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round back in the 2012 draft, but many felt that Gusev might never come to North America as he seemed content playing in the KHL. That led to Tampa Bay sending the now-26-year-old to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of an expansion draft trade in which the Golden Knights also took on the contract of veteran defenseman Jason Garrison.

Regardless, it’s a huge signing for the Golden Knights, who could conceivably match the highly skilled stickhandler and passer to their third line next to Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch. Even if he doesn’t play, the addition only give the Golden Knights even more depth for the franchise.

Atlantic Notes: Hedman, Johansson, Debrusk, Krug

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With the Tampa Bay Lightning in a “must-win” sitatuion being down 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets and already without their best forward in Nikita Kucherov, the status of their top defenseman Victor Hedman is also up in the air. In fact, Tampa Bay Times reporter Bryan Burns reports that Hedman will be a game-time decision for Game 3 Sunday in Columbus, according to head coach Jon Cooper.

Hedman, who suffered an undisclosed injury at the end of the regular season and was again banged up after Game 2, did not take the ice this morning for the team’s optional skate. While he did play in the first two playoff games, Cooper said that Hedman hasn’t been able to play his usual physical style of game, which could be the reason why he’s questionable, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith.

  • The Boston Bruins won Saturday despite not having forward Marcus Johansson on hand. The trade-deadline acquisition was out with the flu. However, the team might be without him even longer as The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports that Johansson is still sick and will not be traveling with the team on their road trip to Toronto. That doesn’t mean he won’t eventually travel on his own and be present for Game 3 on Monday, but this illness has knocked out Johansson harder than the team initially thought.
  • Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also announced that forward Jake Debrusk and defenseman Torey Krug are both “doing better” and are day-to-day. Debrusk was cross-checked in the head by Nazem Kadri late in the game, which is being looked at by the Department of Player Safety. Krug suffered a head injury (possible concussion) in Game 2 after taking a hit on the boards from Toronto’s Jake Muzzin. Connor Clifton is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury after a hit in Game 2.

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