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Central Notes: Saros, Vilardi, Manson

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When the Predators started to move out their core veterans, many wondered if Juuse Saros would be among them.  However, GM Barry Trotz told Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (subscription link) that he intends to keep the netminder in the fold:

I met with his agent, I’d like to re-sign him, I told them that’s our intention. We’re obviously in a little bit of a re-tool type of situation and when we get reset here, I’d like him to be part of the backbone.

The 28-year-old is signed through the end of next season which means he isn’t even eligible to sign an extension until July 1, 2024.  At that point, Saros will be owed a significant raise on his current $5MM AAV, one that has been a significant bargain.  On that deal, he has led the NHL in games played by a goalie in each of the last two seasons (and is the early leader this year) while posting a .916 SV%.  Saros has also finished no lower than fourth in Vezina voting the last two years so basically, the Predators have been getting top-level goaltending for a bit more than the price for a platoon option.  That will be changing soon enough.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

  • While Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi took part in practice today, he still isn’t ready yet to suit up in a game, relays TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). The 24-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in his third game of the season and has missed nearly a month since then.  At the moment, Winnipeg is targeting Wednesday for Vilardi’s return to the lineup.  He had been in their top six before the injury and will likely return to that role once he’s cleared to return.
  • Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, notes DNVR Avalanche’s Meghan Angley (Twitter link). The veteran has been limited due to injuries over the past few years although he had managed to play in all but one of their first 14 games this season where he had an assist along with 18 blocks and 20 hits while logging just under 16 minutes a night.  Recently recalled blueliner Caleb Jones is expected to take Manson’s spot in the lineup with the team announcing (Twitter link) that Sam Malinski was returned to AHL Colorado.

Central Notes: Trotz, Fabbro, Vilardi

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Predators GM Barry Trotz was a long-time NHL coach, spending 23 years behind the bench with a pair of Jack Adams Awards while sitting third in league history in victories.  To that end, it was a bit surprising when he eschewed coaching opportunities last season and eventually replacing David Poile in the managerial role with Nashville.  Don’t expect him to have another change of heart as he told Newsday’s Andrew Gross that his coaching days are over:

I can honestly say I have no intentions of coaching again. My coaching career, you can put it in an envelope.

Trotz was active this summer, hiring Andrew Brunette (a more offensive-oriented coach) to replace John Hynes, making several front-office moves, and changing things up with their forward group, parting with Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen while bringing in several veterans in free agency to change up the core.  It’s fair to say he jumped in with both feet into his new role and is leaving his old one behind.

More from the Central:

  • Still with the Predators, defenseman Dante Fabbro is no stranger to trade speculation as it has followed him for basically the last couple of years. Speaking with Penalty Box Radio’s Alex Daugherty (Twitter link), the blueliner expressed that his goal is to remain in Nashville for the long haul.  The 25-year-old averaged a career-low 17:27 per game last season with his average through his first few games a bit below that this year as well; as a result, he’s no longer viewed around the league as a prominent part of their future back end.
  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed forward Gabriel Vilardi on injured reserve. The move comes as no surprise as it was revealed yesterday that he’ll miss at least the next month with a sprained MCL.  While Winnipeg is eligible to place Vilardi on LTIR given how long he’ll be out for, that move doesn’t make sense for them yet as they have ample cap space to bring up someone to replace him if they so desire.  That move wasn’t made prior to their game tonight but should be coming soon as they’re currently down to 12 healthy forwards.

Gabriel Vilardi Out 4-6 Weeks With MCL Sprain

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Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness told reporters today that forward Gabriel Vilardi has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will miss four to six weeks (via Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press). Vilardi sustained the injury in the first period of Tuesday’s game against Los Angeles in an awkward tangle with the stick of Kings center Blake Lizotte.

Vilardi, 24, was the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Kings but struggled to make an immediate impact, with multiple long-term injuries sidelining him early in his development. He finally stayed healthy for most of 2022-23, though, and had a breakout campaign with 23 goals and 41 points in 63 contests for Los Angeles. The young forward would never get to realize his full potential with the Kings, however, as his signing rights were the primary piece of the return to the Jets as part of this summer’s Pierre-Luc Dubois blockbuster deal.

The Jets immediately made it clear they viewed Vilardi as a potential high-end contributor for them, signing him to a two-year, $6.875MM deal in July. He got an early look in a high-end role, riding shotgun on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. His strong underlying numbers from last season appeared to carry over in a short sample, as the Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi line has absolutely dominated possession together – controlling 81% of expected goals when they’re on the ice together, per MoneyPuck. It’s a significant blow to the Jets to be without that chemistry until around American Thanksgiving. Vilardi did, however, have just one assist through three contests.

Bowness says Mason Appleton will take Vilardi’s place on Scheifele’s wing for Thursday’s game against the Golden Knights. 23-year-old David Gustafsson, who’s served as a healthy scratch for the first three games of the season, will draw into the lineup in a fourth-line role alongside Morgan Barron and Rasmus Kupari.

In 155 NHL contests since first appearing in a game in 2019-20, Vilardi has 41 goals, 38 assists and 79 points – 17th in career scoring among the 2017 class.

Evening Injuries: Vilardi, Samuelsson, Guhle

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For the first time since being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets this offseason, forward Gabriel Vilardi would take on his former team, the Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately, Vilardi would only play around six minutes of the game before leaving with an apparent knee injury. Shortly thereafter, the Jets would announce that Vilardi would miss the rest of the game, and more would be known about the severity after the game.

Playing in their defensive zone early on the first, as they were both going into the corner, forward for the Kings, Blake Lizotte, appeared to get his stick behind the left leg of Vilardi, causing him to fall awkwardly on his right knee. Without the ability to put much pressure on his right leg after the fall, Vilardi immediately bolted for the locker room, where he is being attended to by team doctors (Link to video).

Although it is too early to tell, if Vilardi is set to miss significant time for the Jets, it would obviously be a big blow to both him and the team. There have been injury concerns for Vilardi in the past, but with him now playing on the top line in Winnipeg, it creates a much larger hole to fill. As it is well known throughout the league, Conor Garland of the Vancouver Canucks is on the trade block and could be a potential landing spot if Vilardi is set to hit the LTIR.

Other injuries:

  • The Buffalo Sabres announced that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson would sit out the remainder of the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury. Although the Sabres did add defensemen Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson to significantly improve the team’s defense, as far as the ability to shut down the opposing team’s forwards, Samuelsson is one of the best on the team. In the first season of a seven-year, $30MM contract extension signed at the start of last year, it would be a significant hurdle for Buffalo if Samuelsson is set to miss any time beyond tonight.
  • In one of the more chaotic games of the young season, the Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Kaiden Guhle would miss the rest of the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild after leaving late in the second period. In total tonight, before leaving the losing effort, Guhle played just over 10 minutes of action, taking one slashing penalty against Marcus Johansson.

Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Gabe Vilardi

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The Winnipeg Jets have reached a pre-arbitration agreement on a contract extension with recently acquired forward Gabe Vilardi. They’ve inked him to a two-year, $3.4375MM AAV contract.

This agreement leaves the Jets with three more restricted free agents left to sign: a pair of former top prospects in 2016 first-rounder Logan Stanley and 2018 first-rounder Rasmus Kupariand defenseman Declan Chisholm. Winnipeg acquired both Kupari and Vilardi from the Los Angeles Kings in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, and have now locked in Vilardi to a bridge contract.

While some Jets fans anxious about players all-too-often looking to leave Winnipeg rather than commit there long-term might worry about Vilardi inching two years closer to unrestricted free agency, a long-term deal would likely have been very difficult to reach an agreement on.

Not only has Vilardi not yet played a game for the Jets, his NHL resume is likely a little too thin to merit a major long-term commitment.

Vilardi is a former top prospect who had some significant injury issues in his days in the OHL, but has taken some serious steps in recent years.

The soon-to-be 24-year-old didn’t make a consistent impact in his first go-around as a full-time NHLer, flashing some talent but totaling just 23 points in 54 games in 2020-21.

Vilardi played more in the AHL than NHL the following season but produced regularly in the American League, scoring 38 points in 39 games.

That AHL form carried into this past NHL season, and this most recent attempt to break into the world’s top league seems to have worked. Vilardi scored 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games, a 30-goal, 53-point 82-game pace.

Playing on Los Angeles’ first power-play unit, there is hope that Vilardi can become a difference-making offensive producer for the Jets, and their investment of nearly $3.5MM per season over the next two years reflects the Jets’ belief that Vilardi has put his inconsistent earlier NHL days behind him.

Should Vilardi manage to continue his development and put together some more productive, healthy campaigns, he’ll have placed himself in a strong position for his next contract.

For the Jets, they’ll receive Vilardi’s services at a potential discount rate should Vilardi match his 2022-23 output, let alone exceed it. That comes at the cost of getting Vilardi locked into a long-term agreement, though they’ll still have the opportunity to sign Vilardi to a long-term extension before this deal expires.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Los Angeles Kings To Acquire, Extend Pierre-Luc Dubois

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Perhaps the first true blockbuster deal of the offseason has finally materialized. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Los Angeles Kings are acquiring center Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets, who receive a significant return in Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round draft pick in 2024, originally belonging to the Montreal Canadiens. Per NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, Dubois is signing an eight-year extension (technically with Winnipeg before the trade) worth $8.5MM per season.

Dubois arrived in Winnipeg over two years ago in a star-for-star trade that saw Patrik Laine head to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The two players were selected third and second overall, respectively, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. It looked like a rather disappointing trade for both sides at the time – Dubois had just 20 points in 41 games down the stretch with the Jets in 2020-21 and played a decidedly middle-six role, barely averaging over 15 minutes per game.

Things took a dramatic turn for the better over the following two seasons, though. Fresh off back-to-back 60-point seasons for the first time in his career, Dubois is now entering his prime and much closer to the player everyone thought he could be. He won’t impress anyone defensively, but he’s a very high-end play driver and is a good weapon on the power play.

It’s a fresh start for Dubois on the West Coast. He’s long been posturing to get himself traded to a larger market, although most had assumed until recent weeks that it would be the Montreal Canadiens. With Winnipeg looking to retool on the fly, though, the Kings’ package of NHL-ready talent was a much more appealing return.

That being said, this is a lot to give up (and an awfully rich extension) for Dubois, who’s a good top-six center but not a bonafide first-line pivot. Vilardi, the 11th overall pick in 2017, finally broke out this season in a big way after multiple serious injuries derailed his development. The 23-year-old notched 41 points in 63 games, played a great possession game, and could very well replace Dubois’ role in the Jets lineup on his own. With the addition of Iafallo, who’s a very strong middle-six two-way winger, it seems those two on their own might have been enough value to land Dubois. He had 36 points in 59 games last year, on pace for a career-high of 50 in a full season.

Add in Kupari, who doesn’t have a terribly high ceiling but is an established NHLer who appeared in 66 regular-season games and six playoff games this year, and Winnipeg’s got three fresh pieces to help kickstart a significant retool. The 2024 second-round pick is also a very nice addition for the Jets – it finds its way to them via the Canadiens and Coyotes, switching hands in the Christian Dvorak and Sean Durzi trades.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Athletic’s Murat Ates was first to report the package was in place.

Injury Notes: Vilardi, Andersen, Jeannot, Hartman

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The Los Angeles Kings stole Game 1 away from the Edmonton Oilers with some late-game heroics from Anze Kopitar to tie it up with 17 seconds to play and a power play goal from Alex Iafallo to give the team an overtime victory. They will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on Wednesday night, and appear to have some reinforcements that could help them.

Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports Gabriel Vilardi will be ready to return to the Kings lineup in Game 2. The 23-year-old right winger had a breakout season for the Kings, scoring 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. Vilardi has not played since March 26 with an upper-body injury. His return will certainly give the Kings another offensive boost as they look to match the offensive juggernaut of the Oilers and add to their series lead.

  • Per a team release, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will not suit up in Game 2 of their series with the New York Islanders. The 33-year-old goaltender, who battled injuries all season and played just 33 games, is out with an illness. In a bit of a surprising move, Antti Raanta was the Game 1 starter anyway, and he will get the call once again for the Hurricanes in Game 2.
  • Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports Tanner Jeannot could be back in the Lightning lineup for Game 2. The feisty winger arrived in Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, for a surprisingly large haul of draft picks, and scored four points in 20 regular season games with the team. With Michael Eyssimont leaving Game 1 with injury, it would be perfect timing to have Jeannot return and fill that role in the Lightning’s bottom six. Jeannot last played on April 6 when he fell awkwardly and looked to be seriously injured. Luckily, he appears ready to go just two weeks later.
  • Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was the hero in Game 1, scoring in double overtime to secure the win and take a 1-0 series lead. Unfortunately, he will not get the same chance in Game 2. Per a team release, Hartman will not play when the Wild meet the Dallas Stars looking to take a two game series lead. The 28-year-old forward had 15 goals and 37 points in 59 games for the Wild in the regular season. He has been dealing with a lower-body injury that he battled through to win Game 1 for the Wild, but it will keep him from suiting up in Game 2.

Snapshots: Vilardi, Quinnipiac, Colgate

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The Los Angeles Kings are getting a quality player back into their lineup as they look to take a commanding two-to-nothing series lead over the Edmonton Oilers. As relayed by TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, Kings forward Gabriel Vilardi says he’s back from his injury and ready to re-enter the team’s lineup.

Vilardi, 23, last played in a March 26th game against the St. Louis Blues. The upper-body injury that sidelined him ended what was a breakout regular season, a year where he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. Vilardi gives the already-deep Kings another quality offensive piece to work with, and his return makes the task in front of Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, and the entire Oilers defense all that steeper.

Some other notes from across the hockey world:

  • Defending NCAA Men’s Hockey National Champions Quinnipiac University will retain two key players for their title defense campaign next year. The program announced that 21-year-old Jacob Quillian would be returning for his junior season, while New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver reported that star scorer Collin Graf would be returning for his junior year as well. Both undrafted players, Quillian scored 19 goals and 38 points this past season while Graf, 20, ranked third in the nation in scoring with 21 goals and 59 points in 41 games.
  • Colgate University’s men’s hockey program announced today that longtime head coach Don Vaughan is retiring. Vaughan is the third-longest serving college hockey head coach and has led the Raiders to four NCAA tournaments since being hired in 1992. He has won two ECAC Coach of the Year awards, helping players such as Andy McDonald and Bruce Gardiner reach the NHL. He leaves Colgate this season after guiding the program to an ECAC Championship victory over Harvard, the school’s first ECAC title since 1990.

West Notes: Peterson, Vilardi, Imama, Kelemen

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After being included in a minor league swap at the trade deadline, Jacob Peterson only managed to play a single game with the Dallas Stars this year. After being shipped to the San Jose Sharks, he has only played for their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda, but will now get his first call-up with the organization.

In his second full season in North America, Peterson has fared much better in the minor leagues this year. In 44 games for Dallas’ AHL affiliate Texas Stars, Peterson put up 13 goals and 13 assists. Since being acquired by San Jose, he has suited up in eight games for the Barracuda, scoring a single goal and also putting up five assists.

It is no secret that the Sharks are in full-on tank mode, so players like Peterson should be seeing more time down the stretch. GM Mike Grier will likely be using the rest of the year as a test run to see what they’ll be able to build around going forward in San Jose.

Other notes:

  • After crashing into the boards in the third period during the Los Angeles Kings’ route against the Calgary Flames Monday night, forward Gabriel Vilardi did not return for the rest of the game. This morning, Kevin Weekes of ESPN gave an update on his status moving forward, but nothing definitive was given. The Kings do not play again until this Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets, so the hope there is that Vilardi will be ready for that game. In what should be regarded as his breakout season, the young Kings forward has amassed 23 goals and 18 assists through 61 games this year, good for seventh on the team in total scoring.
  • Continuing their trend of making an emergency call-up seemingly every day, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forwards Milos Kelemen and Bokondji Imama from their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. Both players have managed a handful of games in the NHL this season, Kelemen playing in three, and Imama playing in four. They have both equally been unable to score any points for the Coyotes so far this season.

Snapshots: Vilardi, Jarry, Neil, Bennett

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The Kings welcomed an important forward tonight against Anaheim as Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider relays that forward Gabriel Vilardi was cleared to return to the lineup.  The 23-year-old missed a little more than a month due to an upper-body injury but before that, he was in the midst of a breakout season as he has 17 goals and 14 assists in 45 games heading into tonight’s action.  Those numbers already represent career-highs.  While he was drafted as a center, Vilardi has been a regular on the wing for the last couple of seasons and with Los Angeles having plenty of young depth down the middle, there’s a good chance he won’t be going back to his natural position.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today (video link) prior to tonight’s game that goaltender Tristan Jarry skated today and that they haven’t ruled out the possibility of him returning on Saturday against New Jersey. Jarry has missed the last three weeks due to an upper-body injury and had been playing quite well up to that point, posting a career-high .921 SV% in his first 27 starts of the season.  Pittsburgh is in a very tight battle for a Wild Card spot and welcoming their starting goalie back would go a long way toward helping their chances for the stretch run.
  • Long-time Senators winger Chris Neil had his #25 retired by the team on Friday night but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that the 15-year player nearly signed with rival Toronto back in 2009. The Maple Leafs made the high-money offer to Neil who, at the time, was coming off a down season but he opted to take a little less to stay with Ottawa.  In the end, he suited up for more than 1,000 games with the Sens, recording more than 2,500 penalty minutes.
  • While Panthers forward Sam Bennett is doing “much better” according to head coach Paul Maurice, team reporter Jameson Olive relays (Twitter link) that he still might not be ready to return for their next game on Saturday against Nashville. The 26-year-old left Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury and didn’t play in Thursday’s victory over Washington.  Bennett has 14 goals and 21 assists in 56 games so far, good for sixth on Florida in scoring.

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