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Archives for September 2021

Evgeni Malkin To Miss First Two Months Of The Season

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are likely going to be without Sidney Crosby to start the year after undergoing wrist surgery earlier this month that will keep him out a minimum of six weeks. There wasn’t any clarity on Evgeni Malkin’s timeline until today, when Penguins GM Ron Hextall confirmed he will likely miss the first two months of the season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.

That means the Penguins are without their top two centers for the first bit, but Malkin’s considerably longer absence is a bigger concern. The 35-year-old center is coming off arguably the worst season of his career, which saw him record just eight goals–his lowest total–and 28 points in 33 games. Malkin’s ice time dropped to fewer than 18 minutes a night for the first time and he once again missed a huge chunk of the season.

While obviously, the hope is that he comes back at full strength after the first two months and gets back to the player who scored 74 points in 55 games during the 2019-20 season, that may be wishful thinking for the Penguins faithful. The veteran center has dealt with countless injuries over a long career, failing to play in every game of a season since 2008-09 when he won the Art Ross Trophy with 113 points.

Even once Crosby returns, the absence of Malkin leaves question marks at the center position for the Penguins. The team does have Jeff Carter after a deadline deal last season, but he will turn 37 on January 1 and has seen a decline in offensive production in recent years. Teddy Blueger has shown he is likely better suited in the bottom-six, while other options like Evan Rodrigues and Sam Lafferty are not even proven NHL options. The team does have young prospect Filip Hallander, who has shown strong potential down the middle, and veteran Brian Boyle in camp on a PTO, but there will certainly be a void felt while Malkin is on the sideline.

With the ever-competitive Metropolitan Division coming back into play this year, losing Malkin for two months could be devastating. There are at least three teams in the division that are already projected to be equal or better than the Penguins this season, while each of those that missed the playoffs last year are expected to take steps forward. Every game will be important, and now the first 20 or so will be without one of the team’s key players.

Jack Eichel Fails Physical, Stripped Of Captaincy

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As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have announced that Jack Eichel did not pass his physical yesterday and will not be with the team in training camp as he continues to deal with a neck injury. Less expected was what Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said next:

I spoke to Jack two days ago, I spoke to the team yesterday and addressed this, Jack Eichel is no longer the captain of the Buffalo Sabres. From our perspective, the captain is your heartbeat of your team, and we are in a situation where we felt we needed to make that decision.

Eichel was named Sabres captain in October 2018 after a strong sophomore season. At the time, he called it “humbling” a “huge honor” and noted how it showed “how invested [he was] in this city and excited for the future.” Three years later and Eichel isn’t expected to play for the Sabres again.

Adams confirmed that Eichel is not willing to move forward with what the Sabres medical team is suggesting and the two sides will continue to work toward a solution. That solution, it seems, is one of the more difficult trades he’ll ever have to pull off. Eichel is a star player with a huge contract that is set on having a neck surgery that has never been done on an NHL player. The young forward and his team are reportedly pursuing a disk replacement procedure, while the team wants to do a fusion surgery that has been performed on many other NHL players.

At the very least, the Sabres players now have some clarity. Eichel is no longer their captain and won’t be on the ice to help them during training camp.

Logan O’Connor Signs Three-Year Extension With Avalanche

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Logan O’Connor’s ice time has slowly gone up the last couple of seasons and he has been rewarded for his improvement as the Avalanche announced that they’ve signed the winger to a three-year contract extension.  Peter Baugh of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the deal carries a $1.05MM AAV.  GM Joe Sakic released the following statement:

Logan is a high-energy player who works hard, competes and brings grit and depth to our lineup. He is a strong skater and penalty killer and has continued to improve his game every year as a professional.

O’Connor was frequently shuffled back and forth to and from the taxi squad last season while also dealing with a lower-body injury but still got into a career-best 22 games with Colorado last season where he picked up three goals and two assists in just under 11 minutes a game in playing time.  He also saw action in a pair of playoff contests where he was held off the scoresheet.  To this point in his career, the 25-year-old has primarily been used in a checking role over his 43 total NHL appearances but with the departures of Joonas Donskoi and Brandon Saad this summer, there will be an opportunity for O’Connor to have a bigger role on the depth chart.

The fact that Colorado has handed him this deal now suggests that they expect O’Connor to be more of a regular player this coming season and have opted to sign him now over potentially needing to pay him more had they waited until next offseason.  Either way, O’Connor picks up a nice raise as he is scheduled to make the league minimum of $750K in salary in 2021-22 while actually carrying a cap hit below that price tag at $725K.

Snapshots: Rielly, Tkachuk, Canucks, Memorial Cup

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Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly is heading into the final year of his contract and with a $5MM price tag on his current deal, it’s safe to say that he’s heading for a sizable raise on his next deal.  The blueliner spoke with reporters today including TSN’s Kristen Shilton to discuss his situation:

My approach this year is that I don’t really want to discuss it publicly. …You know how I feel about being a Leaf, but at the same time, it’s a business. But being a Toronto Maple Leaf is special to me. …  I’m not going to put any rules on [my agent]. And I’ll take care of what I can do hockey-wise. That’s the best approach for me.

With the price tag for number one defensemen going up considerably this summer, Rielly’s camp could push for a contract upwards of $8MM.  With nearly $68MM in commitments to just 14 players for 2022-23 per CapFriendly, they may have a hard time fitting that contract in with the Upper Limit likely only increasing by $1MM for that season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wonders if the delay in discussions for Senators restricted free agent Brady Tkachuk is more about structure than actual dollars. Year-to-year distribution has become more important with a high escrow rate now while it declines in future years while signing bonuses and trade protection are always important elements in talks for core players.  Tkachuk is only eligible for trade protection in the UFA-eligible seasons of a long-term agreement and he’s four years away from getting to that point.
  • Canucks forward Justin Bailey will not be available at the start of training camp following a positive COVID-19 test, reports Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston (Twitter link). The 26-year-old played in just three games with Vancouver last season; he spent most of the first month of the year on the taxi squad before suffering a season-ending shoulder surgery.  Meanwhile, GM Jim Benning also indicated that center Brandon Sutter is dealing with some fatigue with the team not fully sure of what the cause of it is at this time but ruled out the possibility of it being the COVID-19 virus.
  • After the event wasn’t held the last two seasons due to the pandemic, the CHL announced that the Memorial Cup will return in 2022 and will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, a QMJHL city. The event pits the host city against the champions from the QMJHL, OHL, and WHL in a short tournament that will take place in early June.

Cal Foote Will Miss Start Of Regular Season After Surgery

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There have been several injury updates throughout the league today as training camps get underway and one of them came from Tampa Bay.  GM Julien BriseBois told reporters, including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) that defenseman Cal Foote recently underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his finger.  He’s expected to miss all of training camp plus the first two-to-four weeks of the season as a result.

The 22-year-old spent most of last season with the Lightning, playing in 35 games during the regular season although he didn’t suit up in the playoffs.  The 14th pick in 2017, Foote was expected to push for a spot on the third pairing in camp and now that he’s waiver-eligible, his days in the minors were likely over.  Instead, he’ll be on the outside looking in once the regular season gets underway next month.

The timetable for a return is noteworthy here.  Tampa Bay is protected to have a roster that’s right up against the Upper Limit even with Brent Seabrook’s eventual transfer back to LTIR and it’s one that will be below the maximum size of 23.  If Foote is expected to return within the first two weeks of the season, he won’t miss enough time to be eligible for LTIR; players need to be out for three weeks or ten games to qualify.  If he’s projected to be out that long, they’ll be able to place Foote on there and bring up a replacement that carries roughly the same $850K AAV that he does.

While there were some injuries from the playoffs for Tampa Bay, Foote is the only Lightning player expected to miss the start of the season.  In a pair of other tweets, Smith notes that defenseman Victor Hedman has fully recovered from his meniscus surgery while winger Alex Killorn is still rehabbing from his broken fibula but is expected to be ready for opening night.

Alex Chiasson Signs PTO With Vancouver Canucks

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With Tyler Motte on the sideline recovering from surgery, the Vancouver Canucks have brought in a little more competition for the bottom-six. Alex Chiasson has signed a professional tryout with the team.

The 30-year-old Chiasson has played 564 regular season games in the NHL, including 183 over the last three years with the Edmonton Oilers. While he scored 22 goals during his first full year in Edmonton, that’s not the kind of offensive presence that Chiasson usually brings. Instead, he has averaged 13 goals per 82 games in the other seven seasons of his career, a number that still represents a useful bottom-six option.

The fact that he is an effective possession payer and has some special teams versatility makes him a worthwhile PTO candidate for a team that is looking to get back to the playoffs. In fact, this move represents the opposite of so much of the criticism Canucks GM Jim Benning has taken over the years. While in previous offseasons he has committed multi-year contracts to bottom-six players, this is a no-risk move for Vancouver that could result in a useful player.

Of course, that’s if Chiasson signs a deal with Vancouver at all. Tryouts are showcases for the entire league, meaning he could very well catch on somewhere else if an opportunity presents itself.

Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV broke the news earlier today, after originally reporting earlier this week that the team was talking to Chiasson. 

St. Louis Blues Name Peter Chiarelli VP Of Hockey Operations

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The St. Louis Blues have made a few front office changes, naming Peter Chiarelli vice president of hockey operations and Ken Hitchcock a coaching consultant. Dave Taylor, who was previously in the role that Chiarelli was given will assume the role of senior advisor to hockey operations.

Chiarelli, 57, had already been working for the Blues as a consultant but will now have an expanded role in the front office. The long-time executive last held a full-time position in 2019 with the Edmonton Oilers, but was fired early that year halfway through another disappointing season. There’s no lack of experience assuming the role for the blues, as Chiarelli was an NHL GM for 13 consecutive seasons between the Boston Bruins and Oilers. Before that, he held various positions with the Ottawa Senators including assistant GM.

Hitchcock will be well known to Blues fans, given he was head coach of the team for parts of six seasons. His last season in 2016-17 was supposed to be his swan song with the team with Mike Yeo was brought on as a coach-in-waiting, but after a 24-21-5 start, GM Doug Armstrong pulled the trigger early and fired Hitchcock. As Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic tweets, Armstrong never lost respect for Hitchcock, and the legendary coach was already considered a mentor for Blues boss Craig Berube.

Hitchcock is fourth all-time on the NHL wins list with 849 and won the Stanley Cup as head coach of the Dallas Stars in 1999.

Devon Toews To Miss Start Of Season Following Surgery

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The Colorado Avalanche won’t have Devon Toews in the lineup on opening night, as head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that the defenseman had shoulder surgery this offseason and has not yet been cleared for contact.

Toews, 27, had a brilliant first season in Colorado after the team acquired him from the New York Islanders last October. The trade, which cost the Avalanche two second-round picks, was followed quickly by a four-year, $16.4MM contract that showed just how much Toews’ new team believed in him. That belief paid off, as Toews became the regular partner of either Cale Makar or Samuel Girard and set new career-highs in goals and points despite playing just 53 games in the shortened season.

Locked in as a top-four option when healthy, Toews’ absence can only mean more minutes for young Bowen Byram and newcomer Ryan Murray as they piece together a group in the early part of the season. Bednar also explained that Kurtis MacDermid, acquired from the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick, will start at defense but could end up playing some wing later on in the year.

The Avalanche still have a deep group on the back end, especially if Erik Johnson proves healthy again after playing in just four games during the 2020-21 campaign. The veteran is expected to be back, though it’s unclear what kind of role he’ll have now at age-33. The team also has Jack Johnson in training camp on a professional tryout, who could perhaps earn a spot if Colorado suffers any further injuries.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign JR Avon

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Sometimes it pays off to take an amateur tryout. Jon-Randall (JR) Avon has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He is currently in Flyers camp on an ATO and participated in the recent rookie camp for the team.

The 18-year-old Avon went undrafted this year after missing what was supposed to be his sophomore season in the OHL due to COVID restrictions. After registering just 11 points in 56 games for the Peterborough Petes as a rookie, there certainly wasn’t much to go on, but that was when he was just 16 and buried on the depth chart of a loaded forward group that included the likes Nick Robertson, Mason McTavish, and Akil Thomas.

He has obviously impressed the Flyers brass enough to earn an entry-level deal, which will add him to the organization, though obviously not guarantee him a spot with the team. Instead, Avon will return to the OHL this season where he can continue his development while the contract will slide forward and not burn its first year.

Injury Notes: Kessel, Kinnvall, Crookshank

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The Arizona Coyotes will be without top scorer Phil Kessel for the next few weeks after he suffered a foot injury in his offseason training. Kessel’s current timeline is two to three weeks, as GM Bill Armstrong explained to reporters including Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. Three weeks from today would mean a return on the eve of the Coyotes’ regular season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Missing a few weeks of training camp isn’t a big deal for most players, but remember that Kessel is currently on a streak of 900 consecutive games played. The veteran forward has played every single game in each of the last 11 seasons, starting his streak way back in November of 2009. That’s the fifth-longest streak in NHL history and could be in jeopardy if he doesn’t return in the expected timeline.

  • Johannes Kinnvall of the Calgary Flames suffered a lower-body injury during the team’s prospect camp, and GM Brad Treliving described it as “significant” today at his opening press conference. The 24-year-old defenseman will not be able to participate in the main training camp, obviously a big blow to his chances of making the team to start the year. It was always a long shot, but Kinnvall has played extremely well over the last two seasons in the SHL, racking up 62 points in 83 games.
  • Angus Crookshank suffered a major knee injury at the Ottawa Senators prospect camp and will require surgery. The young forward will miss the next four to six months according to GM Pierre Dorion, ending any bid he had of making the club. The 21-year-old Crookshank was a fifth-round pick in 2018, partly because of the competition he faced in the BCHL, but started climbing prospect charts with a strong three-year career at the University of New Hampshire. By the time he was joining the Belleville Senators earlier this year he was on a roll and instantly became a top offensive option for the team. In 19 AHL games, Crookshank registered 16 points, a level of production he’ll have to try to get back to after this long rehab.

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