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Archives for April 2023

Matthew Tkachuk Avoids Suspension, Fined For Cross-Checking

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Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has been fined the maximum allowable amount of $5,000 under the Collective Bargaining Agreement for a cross-checking incident involving Boston Bruins forward Garnet Hathaway, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at the end of the first period during yesterday’s Game 4 when Tkachuk was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking Hathaway. Given the strength of the check and its placement in a sensitive area on the side of Hathaway’s torso, some felt the play warranted a suspension. Hathaway returned to the game but stayed on the ice in pain after the incident.

It wasn’t the only penalty Tkachuk racked up in what was a physical game. He added another minor penalty for slashing midway through the third period before he was given a 10-minute misconduct for his actions in a scrum with just over three minutes remaining in the game.

It’s a lucky break for the Panthers, who need everything on their side in Game 5 to stave off another early playoff exit. They’ll need Tkachuk’s services to have any hope of doing so, as his physicality and two-way dominance almost single-handedly dragged Florida to a playoff spot this season.

He leads Florida in scoring during the series, registering two goals and three assists in four games.

Brayden Point Likely To Play In Game 4

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Tampa Bay Lightning fans can breathe a sigh of relief as head coach Jon Cooper has indicated that Brayden Point may suit up for tonight’s pivotal Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In a tweet Monday, David Alter of The Hockey News reported Cooper stated Point “should be in tonight” after he was shaken up from a collision with Maple Leafs defender Morgan Rielly in the third period of Saturday’s overtime loss.

While Cooper did note that Point’s status was still a game-time decision, his optimistic tone suggests the talented forward may be able to take the ice tonight. Point did return to Game 3 despite looking extremely uncomfortable immediately after the collision, skating 12 shifts and not showing any signs of decreased usage.

Injuries have affected Tampa significantly in this series, with a pair of key defenders, Victor Hedman and Erik Černák, both missing games. For a Lightning team not as deep as they’ve been in past seasons, it’s been a tough battle to overcome, although they outplayed Toronto for most of Game 3 despite the loss.

Point is one of three Lightning skaters with multiple goals thus far in the series, and they’ll rely on his historically clutch offense to help tie the series if he can play tonight. The 27-year-old has 40 goals and 81 points in 79 career playoff games for Tampa.

Martin Frk Inks Two-Year Deal In Switzerland

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Earlier this month, we covered reports that talented minor-league forward Martin Frk would head overseas to Switzerland next season. That move is now official, as NL team SC Bern announced the signing of Frk to a two-year contract Monday morning.

The move to Europe comes after Frk’s impressive AHL performance in recent seasons, which no doubt caught the attention of overseas suitors. The 29-year-old forward will now bring his skills and experience to Switzerland’s premier ice hockey competition, attempting to help SC Bern improve on last season’s eighth-place finish and quarterfinal loss.

Frk, born in Pelhrimov, Czechia, was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and has since spent time in the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues organizations. Known for his powerful shot and goal-scoring ability, Frk has consistently hovered around a point per game in the minors and notched back-to-back 30-goal seasons in 2022 and 2023.

SC Bern is one of the most successful clubs in Swiss history, capturing five league championships since 2010 and six consecutive Champions Hockey League appearances from 2015 to 2020. They haven’t advanced in the NL playoffs since winning the championship in 2019, however, and they’ll look to Frk’s electric offense to guide them back to contention.

The two-year contract offers Frk some stability, allowing him to settle into a more high-stakes role in European pro hockey. At this stage of his career, a full-time NHL role seems unlikely despite his enticing game.

Frk finished his 2022-23 campaign with 64 points in 67 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, failing to earn any NHL ice time with the Blues. He joins former NHL skaters Dominik Kahun, Éric Gélinas, Joel Vermin, Julius Honka, Oscar Lindberg, and Sven Baertschi on next year’s Bern roster.

Five Key Stories: 4/17/23 – 4/23/23

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The playoffs are well underway and while there has been some notable news from on the ice, there has also been some key news off it.  We recap the most prominent ones in our key stories.

More Changes In Calgary: Last summer, the Flames were quite busy reshaping their roster following the departures of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.  However, they came up short of reaching the playoffs and now, it’ll be up to a new GM to reshape their roster this summer following the departure of GM Brad Treliving.  Officially, it’s being termed as a mutual departure although there has been speculation that it was Treliving’s choice to go.  He had been at the helm in Calgary for the past nine seasons with the team making five trips to the playoffs although they were never able to get past the second round.  Don Maloney will serve as Calgary’s interim GM until a permanent replacement is found.

Three For Bunting: It didn’t take long for there to be a suspension in the playoffs as Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting received a three-game ban for his hit on Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in the opening game of the series.  It’s the first suspension of his career and it certainly didn’t come at an opportune time as the 27-year-old has been part of Toronto’s top six all season long.  Bunting also happens to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will be hoping for some positive playoff moments before testing the open market.

Stone Activated: The Golden Knights welcomed back a key part of their attack prior to their series opener against Winnipeg when they activated winger Mark Stone off LTIR.  The veteran had missed more than three months with a back injury that required surgery.  Vegas wasn’t in a financial position to be able to activate him late in the season as they used his LTIR-created cap space to add Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger, and Jonathan Quick at the trade deadline but since there’s no salary cap in the playoffs, they were able to activate Stone without having to do any roster juggling.  The captain has certainly made an early impact in the series, picking up two goals and two assists through the first three games.

Texier Returns: After missing the entire 2022-23 campaign citing personal issues and a desire to be closer to his family, Blue Jackets winger Alexandre Texier will return to the NHL next season.  The 23-year-old has 123 career NHL games under his belt over parts of four years and has shown flashes of being a potential top-six forward down the road.  He had a productive season with Zurich of the Swiss NLA, picking up 13 goals and 22 assists in 46 games to finish third on the Lions in scoring.  Texier had one year left on his deal heading into this season and that will still be the case next year as the contract, which carries a $1.525MM AAV, will toll and roll over to 2023-24.

Playoff Injuries: A pair of key players are already out for the rest of their respective first-round series, if not longer.  Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen suffered a broken hand and has already undergone surgery.  There’s no word for how long he’ll be out but Carolina will likely need a long postseason run for him to be able to return.  Teravainen was a key part of their playoff run last year, picking up 11 points to tie for the team lead in scoring.  Meanwhile, the Jets will have to try to come back against the Golden Knights without their top defenseman as Josh Morrissey suffered a lower-body injury and has been ruled out for the rest of the series.  The 28-year-old had a breakout year, picking up 76 points in 78 games to finish tied for second in the NHL for points by a defenseman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Mailbag: Kuznetsov, Sabres, Predators, Maple Leafs, Coaches

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Evgeny Kuznetsov’s future with Washington, Toronto’s recent history of first-round exits, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.

2012orioles: Do the Capitals look to shop Kuznetsov?

First, GM Brian MacLellan needs to sit down with Kuznetsov’s new agents at Newport to see what the center’s preference is.  It’s no secret that they were listening to offers on him a couple of years ago although nothing came to fruition in terms of a deal.  Since then, the 30-year-old has had one strong season (78 points in 79 games in 2021-22) and one underwhelming campaign (55 points in 81 games this season).

Kuznetsov only has two years left on his deal after this one which actually helps Washington a bit if they do look to move him.  Yes, his price tag of $7.8MM is on the high end, especially if he keeps hovering in the 50-60-point range but a team that’s looking for a short-term stopgap until a prospect is ready for that role could find him more desirable than someone who’s signed long-term, even if that player has a lesser AAV.  I’m not saying they’d get a premium return or anything but I think there would be a decent trade market.

But at the end of the day, the answer to this question is likely dictated by MacLellan’s intentions for next season.  If they’re rebuilding, he probably goes.  If they’re looking for a quick retool and to get back in the playoff picture next season, I think Kuznetsov stays, barring a public trade request that might force their hand.  With Nicklas Backstrom no longer the player he once was and their young middlemen (Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre) not ready for tough NHL minutes yet, they need Kuznetsov if they’re aiming for a Wild Card spot or better next season.

joebad34: Do the Sabres move on from Okposo and Girgensons? What defenseman would they potentially look to pursue in a trade or free agency to fill a top-four spot? Is Dumba a fit?

Let’s start with the forwards.  If Kyle Okposo wants to come back, I think Buffalo will have a spot for him.  It might not be particularly high on the depth chart but I suspect they’d like to keep their captain in the fold as this is still a pretty young roster overall.  This is a group that will have playoff aspirations next season so having a veteran that has the respect of the team wouldn’t hurt.  Plus, Okposo can still be effective in a limited role.

I don’t expect Zemgus Girgensons to be back though.  If they want to make a push for a postseason spot, they’ll need to upgrade their roster this summer and that’s one roster spot they can upgrade on.  Girgensons is a capable fourth-line pivot but after nine years with Buffalo, a change of scenery wouldn’t hurt.

As for the defensemen, Mathew Dumba is a logical target on the free agent market.  He’s capable of logging big minutes and plays on the right side which is where their depth is a bit weak.  I also think there’s a bit of an upside play in signing him if he can get back to his old form.  The one question I have though is how much does Buffalo want to spend long-term on the back end?  Rasmus Dahlin is going to be very expensive in 2024-25 as will Owen Power.  Mattias Samuelsson is already on a long-term deal.  You’re probably looking at well over $20MM for those three at that time; can they afford another bigger-ticket deal in their salary structure and if they can, do they want to?

As for other free agent targets, Damon Severson is also in Dumba’s tier but the same questions exist.  If they want to go for a shorter-term pickup, Kevin Shattenkirk and John Klingberg are veteran right-shot players that could give them an offensive boost, take a regular shift, and balance out the lineup without being a long-term commitment on the books.  If they’re shopping in the short-term tier, Anthony DeAngelo could be a trade target and if Nashville sticks with the rebuild, Tyson Barrie should be available as well.  They’re both on expiring deals which might be appealing.

Gbear: Does new Preds GM Barry Trotz keep John Hynes behind the bench or move on from him?

Jakeattack: Do you think Trotz will try to move either Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene this summer?

Let’s combine the Nashville queries.  Two months ago, I would have leaned toward a coaching change.  The fire sale was on and if a new era was beginning, why not do so with a new coach?  But then the Predators had quite a run down the stretch with the team coming to life.  If Trotz thinks there’s any chance of that being sustainable, it’d be hard to move on from Hynes.

He has one year left on his deal which gives Trotz an easy option to kick the can down the road.  Let him start on an expiring contract and if things go sideways early on, make an in-season change for an interim option and at that point, it’s probably heading toward a rebuild.  If things go well, let the season play out and re-assess 12 months from now.  I think he stays but I will say this, I am not doing well at predicting what happens in Nashville this season and if recent history repeats itself, this prediction might not hold up for long.

Unlike that coaching prediction, I’m actually confident in this next one.  Yes, Trotz will try to move those two, Johansen especially.  At $8MM apiece for at least two more years (Johansen is signed through 2024-25, Duchene 2025-26), they’re not getting a great return on those deals.  Neither has emerged as a capable top center and while Duchene’s a capable number two, that’s a big price tag for someone in that role.  That money could likely be more efficiently spent elsewhere.

Of course, 31 other teams around the league know that.  The time to move Duchene was probably a year ago when he had 43 goals and 86 points.  His performance this season only dipped his value.  Johansen, meanwhile, is coming off a 28-point campaign, albeit one that saw him miss 27 games due to injuries.  Unless they’re swapping a bad contract for another bad contract (and in a market where so many teams are capped out, that can’t entirely be ruled out), I don’t expect there to be any interest in him.  Trotz I’m sure will try to move these contracts but it’ll be much easier said than done.

W H Twittle: Is there a rational explanation for the Leafs’ playoff successes?

Assuming you mean their lack of playoff success, I think there is.  In those series, they lost the goaltending battle.  In 2017, it was Braden Holtby allowing two goals or fewer in three games, all Toronto losses.  In 2018, Tuukka Rask wasn’t great in that series but he outplayed Frederik Andersen.  The next year, Rask was much better.

In the bubble, Columbus’ goalies picked two shutouts in five games.  A year later, Carey Price did just enough to outduel Jack Campbell to kickstart Montreal’s improbable run to the Final.  And last season, Andrei Vasilevskiy was between the pipes.  All in all, three future Hall of Famers, another goalie who led his team to the Stanley Cup, and Columbus’ netminders shining.

One can discuss the coaching and the underachieving stars and that’s fine.  But if you’re looking for a quick, simple, rational explanation, Toronto got ‘goalied’ in several of their recent quick playoff exits.

Gmm8811: Who do you see as up-and-coming AHL coaches? Have you heard of any recent former players that want to make the jump to coaching?

If you’re asking about up-and-coming AHL coaches that could soon make the jump to the NHL, Mitch Love (Calgary) should be the first to come to mind.  He just won Coach of the Year there for the second season in a row and had a good run with WHL Saskatoon before that.  Just 38, he’s the type of young coach that someone should take a chance on.  I’d also put Marco Sturm in that mix.  He’s the coach of the Kings’ affiliate in Ontario.  With his experience there plus internationally as a coach, I think he’ll get a chance at some point.

As for recent former players, those that want to coach somewhere typically are able to do so, either at the junior or minor league level.  Accordingly, I don’t really have a list of former players that are looking to join those ranks; if they want to, they’re probably already there.  I’ll give you one name to keep an eye on though in Marc Savard, head coach with OHL Windsor.  While they were a surprisingly quick exit in the playoffs this year, that franchise has done pretty well in his limited time there and it wouldn’t surprise me if someone offers him an AHL head coaching job or an assistant spot on an NHL bench for next season.

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Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot And Cal Petersen

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With their AHL affiliate in Ontario being eliminated on Friday, Los Angeles has elected to bring a couple of extra players up.  They announced that defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and goaltender Cal Petersen were recalled from the Reign while also loaning goaltender David Hrenak to Greenville of the ECHL with the Swamp Rabbits still playing at that level.

Bjornfot is no stranger to being recalled this season as this is the ninth (and final) time that he is getting promoted.  The 22-year-old played in ten games with the Kings during the regular season, the fewest appearances at the top level he has had in the last three seasons.  In those contests, Bjornfot picked up an assist along with 11 hits and 12 blocks while logging a little over 14 minutes a night.

At the minor league level, Bjornfot was a bit more productive but certainly didn’t light up the scoresheet either, collecting five goals and seven helpers in 50 games.  It should be his final season in the minors as he’ll be waiver-eligible next season and it’s unlikely that Los Angeles will want to risk losing him for free by trying to send him down again.

As for Petersen, it has been a year to forget for the 28-year-old.  After a rough start to the year that saw him post a save percentage of just .868 in 10 appearances, he cleared waivers at the beginning of December and was sent down to the minors.  He fared a bit better down there, putting up a .904 SV% in 40 regular season contests but that type of performance won’t be enough to see him pushing for playing time in the postseason.  Instead, he’ll likely serve as the third-string option, allowing Hrenak to go back to the ECHL where he spent the majority of his season.

Nikolaj Ehlers Skating As He Waits For Medical Clearance

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TSN’s John Lu is reporting that winger Nikolaj Ehlers is skating with the Winnipeg Jets healthy scratches while he waits to see if he can get a medical clearance to return. The 27-year-old suffered an upper body injury in a game against the Minnesota Wild back on April 11th and hasn’t played since.

The Denmark native missed a great deal of the regular season with multiple injuries including a sports hernia that required surgery. He played the first two games of the regular season and then missed nearly three months before returning in January.

Ehlers was productive this season when healthy, he had 12 goals and 38 points in 45 games despite playing the lowest average ice time of his entire eight-year career. He’d been on a heater in the games leading up to his injury, having scored seven points in the five games prior to getting hurt.

Ehlers will be assessed on Monday while he waits to see if he can get that medical clearance to return to the Jets lineup. Winnipeg has battled hard in their series with the Vegas Golden Knights, including a massive comeback that resulted in an overtime loss in game three. They’ve already lost defenseman Josh Morrissey, and should Ehlers remain out, the underdog Jets will have an even bigger hill to climb if they want to survive the first round.

Joel Eriksson Ek Will Miss Game Four

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Saad Yousuf of The Athletic reports that Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason has ruled center Joel Eriksson Ek out for their game four matchup against the Dallas Stars tonight. Evason didn’t give many more details about his availability for the rest of the series, but to say that he wouldn’t be playing this evening.

The 26-year-old Swede missed six games including games one and two of the Dallas series before he returned in game three where he played 19 seconds on the opening shift and left the game. Minnesota has yet to comment on whether Eriksson Ek re-aggravated his previous injury.

Eriksson Ek had an offensive breakout this season for the Wild this year scoring 23 goals and 38 assists in 78 games. His goal totals dipped from 26 to 23, however he demonstrated a different gear when it came to his playmaking. The former first round pick also continued the defensive excellence that has seen him garner Selke consideration the past two seasons.

Minnesota will have an opportunity to put the Stars on the ropes if they can capture game four and take a 3-1 series lead back to Dallas.

Oilers Call Up Dylan Holloway, Olivier Rodrigue

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In preparation for tonight’s Game Four between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports that the Oilers have recalled forward Dylan Holloway and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue from their AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors.

Due to the undisclosed injury to forward Mattias Janmark, Holloway could find himself in the lineup tonight if Janmark is expected to miss a second straight game. If Holloway does find his way into the lineup, it will be the first NHL playoff game of his career.

In his rookie season, Holloway, unfortunately, did not impress as much as the Oilers may have liked him too. In 51 games for Edmonton this season, Holloway posted three goals and six assists. He did achieve a positive Corsi For % of 54.2, but averaging just a touch over nine minutes a night, Holloway never really got that much of an opportunity for the Oilers this season. He was sent down to the AHL on February 17th, but injured himself for one month, getting cleared to return on March 15th.

In his first full season in the AHL, Rodrigue posted a solid season, going 14-14-1 in 29 games played, carrying a SV% of .912 and a GAA of 2.77. As both regular goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell should be ready to play for Edmonton tonight, Rodrigue will likely be serving as the emergency backup goaltender for the Oilers.

 

David Krejci Expected To Miss At Least Two Games

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Center depth for the Boston Bruins will continue to be tested in their opening-round matchup against the Florida Panthers, as Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reports that Bruins’ center David Krejci will miss Game Four, and will not be expected back for Game Five either. This will be the team’s second straight game without either Patrice Bergeron or Krejci in the lineup.

In the point-scoring category, Krejci and Bergeron were two of Boston’s top centers this season. Scoring a collective 114 points in 148 games, these two veteran leaders sparked the Bruins’ historic run to the President’s Trophy this season. Their defensive attributes should be included as well, as they collectively put together a Defensive Point Share of 4.8.

When discussing the absence of both Bergeron and Krejci, anyone would be remiss if Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle were not brought up in the conversation. So far in this series, Zacha has two assists in the first three games, and Coyle has scored one goal. Both centermen have averaged over 16 minutes a night, showing the rest of the league how deep the Bruins really are.

With a 2-1 lead in the series before the start of Game Four, the Bruins will look to closeout the Panthers over the next couple of games. This would be the best scenario for Boston, moving on to the second round early, and allowing their two veterans to recover fully before their next series.

 

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