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Gabe Vilardi

Gabe Vilardi Officially Loaned To Team Canada

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Finally some good news for the Los Angeles Kings. Today, the team officially loaned top prospect Gabe Vilardi to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championship. Vilardi’s short career has been marred by injury, but he is finally healthy enough to take the next step in his development. The team also announced the recall of Sean Walker from the Ontario Reign, something that had already been reported after Alec Martinez and Kyle Clifford were left off the team’s current road trip.

Vilardi had already been named to the junior selection camp roster, but there’s little doubt that he will make the team now that he’s healthy. The 19-year old forward had one assist in four rehab games with the Ontario Reign, but will likely go back to the OHL after the upcoming tournament is over. A puck-possession monster, Vilardi has huge offensive potential but was limited last season as well. Selected 11th overall in 2017, if he’s finally healthy the Kings have plenty to look forward to.

Canada is a medal favorite once again, and Vilardi should be part of a forward group that also includes names like Alex Formenton and Kings teammate Jaret Anderson-Dolan who have already made their NHL debuts. Los Angeles will also likely have Rasmus Kupari in the tournament for Finland, another big part of their future. Even as the NHL club struggles near the bottom of the league, fans will have something to look forward to as they watch the next wave of talent compete on the world stage.

Minor Transactions: 12/09/18

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It was a series of exciting results in the NHL on Saturday, with seven of ten winners scoring five or more goals. Both in games and goals, today should be a bit quieter with just seven contests on the docket. Flyers-Jets is a matinee worth watching this afternoon, while the Canadiens and Blackhawks compete in an Original Six match-up and the Battle of Alberta takes place later tonight when the Flames visit the Oilers. Whether preparing for a game today or for the week ahead, keep up with all today’s minor moves right here:

  • With a divisional face-off with the Boston Bruins awaiting them later today, the Ottawa Senators have recalled veteran defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer, the team announced. The Belleville Senators’ captain has been a frequent call-up for Ottawa, but more often than not as extra security. Burgdoerfer has only played in one NHL game so far this season, despite spending more than a few games up with Ottawa. The 29-year-old has been a solid presence in the AHL, leading Belleville with a +8 rating, but has yet to earn much opportunity to display his defensive abilities for Ottawa. Perhaps that will change on this most recent promotion.
  • Despite missing his minor league game last night due to recurring injury concerns, Gabriel Vilardi has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings, per the AHL. Vilardi has been on a conditioning assignment with the Ontario Reign for the past few weeks, but has only skated in four games with merely one point. The 11th overall pick a year ago, Vilardi is still expected to grow into a very good two-way forward, but must first shake his injury issues. This recall could simply be to allow the Kings’ medical team to take a closer look, but hopefully it is more of a reflection of his readiness to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later. The Los Angeles Kings also announced they have recalled forward Austin Wagner from the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Wagner, who was assigned to Ontario on Friday, will return, likely due to possible extended injury to Kyle Clifford, who went down Saturday after taking a hit from Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The 21-year-old has played in 18 games for L.A. with a goal and four points.
  • The New York Islanders have returned Christopher Gibson to the AHL, now that goaltender Robin Lehner has returned to action. In a corresponding move, the team announced that young forward Josh Ho-Sang has been recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Ho-Sang has been on a shorter leash under new head coach Barry Trotz and GM Lou Lamoriello and has yet to make his NHL debut this season. He has been very productive in the minors with 22 points in 26 games (albeit with only a pair of goals) which marks a greater scoring clip than his previous two seasons in Bridgeport. However, his scoring pace has not translated to the Islanders in the past and is unlikely to do so this time around. Another unsuccessful call-up for Ho-Sang could lead to the end of his time in New York, as quite a few teams would be interested in providing him a change of scenery.
  • Riley Barber is on his way back to Hershey, as the Washington Capitals announced that they have reassigned the young forward. Barber is second in scoring for the Bears with 18 points and hoped that he had earned a chance to suit up for the Capitals. Instead, Barber did not see any action on his recall and still has just three NHL games under his belt in four pro seasons, despite good production in the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled enforcer Anthony Peluso from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He was a scratch last night for Stockton and it is believed he will be active for the Flames’ Battle of Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers to add a little grit to their lineup. Peluso has appeared in three games with Calgary this year, but has averaged just 4:40 of ATOI. He had played 16 games for Stockton with one goal, three assists and 29 penalty minutes. The team has sent forward Ryan Lomberg to Stockton to complete the roster move, according to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. Lomberg who received an automatic one-game suspension for instigating a fight with five minutes left in a game on Thursday against Minnesota, got an extra game from Department of Player Safety the following day. He sat out Saturday’s contest and will have to sit out another contest whenever he is brought back to Calgary.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced good news that veteran forward Mikko Koivu, who was injured in Thursday’s game when he was kneed by Calgary’s Mark Giordano, will only be out day-to-day. That’s a best case scenario as many had projected he may miss as much as three to four weeks. To fill in for Koivu in the meantime, the Wild announced they have recalled forward Luke Kunin from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Kunin, the team’s 2016 first-round pick, has been playing in Iowa in hopes to getting his game up to speed after undergoing ACL surgery last season. The 21-year-old has fared well in the AHL as he has eight goals and 15 points in 21 games.

Western Notes: Vancouver-Seattle Rivalry, Baertschi, Pietrangelo, Vlasic

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With Seattle becoming the NHL’s 32nd team, you might think the Vancouver Canucks wouldn’t be thrilled to have a team right on their doorstep. However, that’s not the case. In fact, Vancouver ownership and fans are thrilled to bring a natural rival for their team and hope that it will continue to spark interest not only in Seattle, but bring in more fans in Vancouver as well, according to the Associated Press.

”Vancouver is already a partner. They were the most enthusiastic team in the league about this. They love the idea of this rivalry,” Seattle team President Tod Leiweke said. ”I think for the two cities to connect like this, the two cities are 130 miles away but now they’re going to connect in a whole different way and I think that’s one of the great things that is going to come out of all this is a deep, deep visceral connection between Vancouver and Seattle and we’re going to play some great games.”

Both franchises hope that the rivalry will increase marketing, interest in the game and the hope that each franchise’s fanbase will travel back and forth between cities when they face off against each other. While there would normally be reason to worry that each franchise might take away from each other in terms of fans, there is no concern of that here as it is believed the U.S.-Canadien border is likely the perfect barrier for fans on which side they want to follow.

  • Sticking with Vancouver, Canucks head coach Travis Green said that forward Sven Baertschi is progressing nicely and might be ready to practice with the team when in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday. Baertschi has been out since Oct. 24 with a concussion. Baertschi has only appeared in 10 games for Vancouver this season and has three goals and three assists.
  • While only a rumor, Sportsnet reports that Nick Kypreos reported on Hockey Night in Canada tonight that the St. Louis Blues are considering moving defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the prime target, suggesting that the Maple Leafs are offering Nikita Zaitsev, picks and prospects as part of a package. While that would be a huge win for the Toronto Maple Leafs, expect much of the league to weigh in on Pietrangelo if St. Louis truly intends to trade him. Pietrangelo, who is currently on LTIR, could become a unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that one of the biggest problems with the San Jose Sharks is the regression of veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is starting the first year of an eight-year, $56MM contract, pointing out that the 31-year-old Vlasic is playing like a third-line defenseman this season and his minus-14 plus/minus ratio is quite accurate as he has struggled mightily.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen reports that Gabriel Vilardi is not in the lineup for the Ontario Reign of the AHL due to an injury and is expected to be evaluated on Monday by Los Angeles Kings doctors. The 19-year-old forward has been on a long-term conditioning assignment in Ontario, having posted one assist in four games there so far. He has missed significant time in each of the last two seasons due to back injury.

Team Canada Announces World Junior Selection Camp Roster

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The World Junior Championship begins at the end of this month in Vancouver, and over the next few weeks countries will be deciding exactly who will be donning the sweater for them at the international tournament. Today, Team Canada revealed their selection camp roster of 33 players which will be whittled down to 23 by December 14th. The group includes many prospects that have already been drafted, and even a few that have already made their NHL debuts.

The full selection camp roster is as follows, with their respective NHL teams in parenthesis:

G Michael DiPietro (VAN)
G Ian Scott (TOR)
G Matthew Villalta (LAK)

D Calen Addison (PIT)
D Nicolas Beaudin (CHI)
D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT)
D Evan Bouchard (EDM)
D Josh Brook (MTL)
D Cameron Crotty (ARI)
D Noah Dobson (NYI)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph (ARI)
D Jared McIsaac (DET)
D Ian Mitchell (CHI)
D Markus Phillips (LAK)
D Ty Smith (NJD)

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LAK)
F Shane Bowers (COL)
F Maxime Comtois (ANA)
F Ty Dellandrea (DAL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (CHI)
F Alex Formenton (OTT)
F Liam Foudy (CBJ)
F Morgan Frost (PHI)
F Cody Glass (VGK)
F Barrett Hayton (ARI)
F Alexis Lafreniere (2020 eligible)
F Raphael Lavoie (2019 eligible)
F Brett Leason (2019 eligible)
F Isaac Ratcliff (PHI)
F Jack Studnicka (BOS)
F Nick Suzuki (MTL)
F Owen Tippett (FLA)
F Joe Veleno (DET)
F Gabe Vilardi (LAK)

Gabe Vilardi Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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When it rains it pours for the Los Angeles Kings, who have experienced periods of abject sorrow this season but are now finally seeing some improved luck. After activating Jonathan Quick from injured reserve, the team has also sent top prospect Gabe Vilardi to the Ontario Reign for a conditioning stint. Though this by no means assures that Vilardi is healthy enough to get back to the daily grind of a professional season, it does mean he’s approaching that level with his rehab and could be back on the ice soon.

In a season that is quickly slipping away from the Kings, Vilardi’s injury rehab is a cause for excitement. The 19-year old forward was selected 11th overall in 2017 but has dealt with troubling back injuries since then that robbed him of much of the 2017-18 season and all of this year so far. One of the most impressive puck-protecting forwards at the junior level, he still managed to record 80 points in 48 games for the Kingston Frontenacs last year and holds incredible NHL potential. Still, there’s work to be done after missing so much key development time in his young career.

Vilardi would actually not be allowed to play in the AHL under normal circumstances given his age and CHL eligibility, but can appear in three games for the Reign under this injury conditioning loan. Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider also adds that the team could petition to have him allowed to stay longer, though at that point there might be good reason to just send him back to junior to have him continue to develop at the lower level.

Others keeping a close eye on the Kings prospect will be the Canadian World Junior management group, who could potentially add him to their squad for the upcoming tournament if he’s healthy enough to compete. Vilardi missed out on that opportunity a year ago, despite obvious interest from the team.

Injury Updates: Bruins, Vilardi, Hertl, Maroon

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The Bruins have not had much in the way of good luck when it comes to injuries, particularly on their back end.  They can add Zdeno Chara to the list of the walking wounded after he sustained a lower-body injury on Wednesday night and the team has sent him back to Boston for testing.  It doesn’t appear any help is on the immediate horizon either; Matt Porter of the Boston Globe notes that of their injured defensemen (which also includes Charlie McAvoy, Kevan Miller, Brandon Carlo, and Urho Vaakanainen), Miller is the only one that is somewhat close to a return but isn’t expected to be ready to play for a few more games.  As a result, they project to have a pretty inexperienced unit when they face off against Dallas on Friday night.

More injury notes from what has been a particularly rough day around the league:

  • Kings prospect center Gabriel Vilardi has been cleared to participate in full practices, GM Rob Blake told Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks where the team will determine the next step.  Although Vilardi can’t play full-time for their AHL affiliate in Ontario, he can go down on a conditioning loan while the Canadian World Junior training camp is roughly one month away and will also be an option for the 19-year-old given his performance at the OHL level last season.
  • Sharks winger Tomas Hertl is dealing with a lower-body injury, notes Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Peter DeBoer stated that no surgery is needed and that he won’t be out for weeks so fortunately for San Jose, it appears to be a somewhat minor issue.  The 25-year-old is off to a very strong start to his season, collecting 16 points (5-11-16) in 16 games and sits fourth on the team in scoring despite missing three games earlier this month with a head injury.
  • In his first game back after spending two games as a healthy scratch, Blues forward Patrick Maroon suffered an upper-body injury. The team announced that they have sent him back to St. Louis for testing and have ruled him out of the final three games on their current road trip.  The veteran got off to a good start to his first season in his hometown with six assists in his first nine games but has just one in five contests since then.

Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Could Make More Moves

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The Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings kicked off the winter trade season with a deal today that swapped Tanner Pearson for Carl Hagelin, but there’s no reason things will stop there. In today’s 31 Thoughts column by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the venerable insider notes that more may be coming from both franchises.

On Pittsburgh, Friedman speculates about a potential “lateral” deal between the Penguins and Anaheim Ducks similar to the one they completed in 2016, which is how Hagelin arrived in the first place. Though he doesn’t go so far as to name players who might be involved in such a move, he notes that “the rumored names” were not swapped today in the deal with Los Angeles.

Interestingly, the next point Friedman makes is about how recent draft pick Calen Addison has generated plenty of interest from other teams. That obviously wouldn’t be a “change of scenery” deal given Addison’s youth and huge upside, but may indicate that teams are hoping that GM Jim Rutherford will be going all-in this season and dealing away some of his top prospects. Addison, an undersized but incredibly gifted right-shot defenseman, was selected 53rd in June, and is off to a great start with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL.

Los Angeles meanwhile is at the other end of the competitive spectrum this season, as they find themselves almost out of the playoff race already. With Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell both going down to major knee injuries and the team already firing head coach John Stevens, it may be time to start selling off assets and retooling for next season. Friedman notes that the “list of players Los Angeles is willing to move is growing” though doesn’t give any specifics. The Fourth Period also reported today that the Kings are “exploring the market” on Tyler Toffoli, while Jake Muzzin has also been discussed with teams.

This trade talk surrounding the Kings comes on the same day that top prospect Gabe Vilardi has been cleared for full practice, as he works his way back from injury to try and really start his professional career. Vilardi, the 11th overall pick in 2017, hasn’t played at all this season because of his back injury, but according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times will be evaluated again in a couple of weeks. The existence of prospects like Vilardi—who holds immense offensive potential—could make it even more appealing for the Kings to sell off some of their expiring or ineffective assets and start the process of a short rebuild. While the team is still committed with big contracts to the likes of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, they are currently sitting well behind the rest of the Pacific Division and last in the entire NHL with just a 5-11-1 record on the year.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Vilardi, Matthews

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The NHL has announced their Three Stars for the latest week of the regular season, giving the Calgary Flames something to finally celebrate. Though the Flames are still giving up goals at an unfortunate pace, their offense has exploded and has them in first place in the Pacific Division. That’s in big part due to Sean Monahan’s eight-point week which has earned him first star honors. The young center now has 18 points in his first 15 games this season and is on pace to shatter his previous career-high of 64 points, set last year. With 146 goals already in his young career—Monahan turned 24 just a few weeks ago—he’s on track to be one of the best scorers to ever wear a Flames uniform. Jarome Iginla is clearly the leader with 525 regular season goals for Calgary, but Monahan already ranks 17th and could jump into the top-12 by season’s end.

Young stars was the theme of this week’s awards, as super rookie Elias Pettersson and underrated center Brayden Point took home second and third star. Pettersson is one of the most exciting players in the NHL right now, while Point continues to develop into the next great two-way center even in the shadows of other Tampa Bay stars like Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning have a huge contract negotiation coming with Point at the end of this year, when he enters restricted free agency for the first time. If his point output continues at its current pace—he’s on track for just under 100—they’ll be hard pressed to find room for him among all their other talented and well paid forwards without making a corresponding move.

  • Though Los Angeles Kings fans may have felt a chill run through their body upon reading Bob McKenzie of TSN’s report that Gabe Vilardi suffered a setback in an off-ice training session, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider was told that it’s nothing to really worry about. Viladri has a tight hip flexor, but should be back on the ice in a few days. That’s great news for a player who can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injury, and has played just 48 OHL games since being selected 11th overall in 2017. The 19-year old forward is a dominant puck possessing force when healthy, but needs to get back on the ice full-time before he can really prove he’ll be a part of the turnaround in Los Angeles.
  • Speaking of getting back on the ice, Auston Matthews skated today in Toronto with a team of coaches including Haley Wickenheiser as he works his way back from his latest shoulder injury. The Maple Leafs indicated that it would be a minimum of four weeks from October 29th before Matthews would be ready for game action, meaning he’s still several weeks away from the lineup. Still, with the Maple Leafs coming off a dominating 5-0 win on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, seeing their best player on the ice shooting pucks already has to be another morale boost as they try to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Quick Placed On Injured Reserve

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UPDATE: The Kings have in fact placed Quick on injured reserve, per a team release. Quick is thus likely to miss at least a week with the injury. In a corresponding move, L.A. has recalled Budaj from the AHL.

One of the biggest fears for Los Angeles Kings fans would be an injury to their superlative goaltender Jonathan Quick and now the veteran has been deemed day-to-day with a lower-body injury after getting injured in practice Saturday, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. Quick was not at practice today as Jack Campbell and goaltending coach Bill Ranford covered practice.

Rosen adds Campbell, a Michigan native, is expected to start in goal today against Detroit and the team is expected to recall a goaltender from the Ontario Reign of the AHL shortly. The team has 36-year-old veteran Peter Budaj there as well as prospect Cal Petersen as potential call-ups. The team departs Monday for a four-game road trip through Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. There is no word on whether Quick will join them.

Fans remember that Quick suffered a groin injury during their season opener in 2016 and went to miss more than half the season, crippling their season as they failed to make the playoffs without his presence for much of the season. The team has already suffered numerous injuries early in the season as Dustin Brown is expected to miss time with a broken finger, while Jonny Brodzinski is also on injured reserve after undergoing shoulder surgery. Rookie Gabe Vilardi is also an injured-non roster player due to a back injury.

 

 

Snapshots: Bergeron, Vilardi, Rielly

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Patrice Bergeron was back on the ice today for the Boston Bruins as they prepare for training camp, but he won’t be going to China with the team for their upcoming preseason games. The Bruins are scheduled to open the preseason on September 15th in China against the Calgary Flames, but instead of travelling with the team Bergeron will be continuing his rehab after offseason surgery.

Bergeron is aiming to be ready for the start of the regular season, but as Joe McDonald of The Athletic writes he may have a different winger beside him to open the year. Danton Heinen has apparently been preparing to play either wing this offseason, and could get a look on the top unit beside Bergeron and Brad Marchand if the Bruins decide to move David Pastrnak onto a different line. Heinen may have been overlooked in an incredible rookie class last year, but still recorded 47 points in his first full-season which led all forwards outside of the top line.

  • Los Angeles Kings fans may have to wait even longer to see top prospect Gabe Vilardi on the ice as his back injury could keep him out of rookie camp next week. That’s according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times, who reports that the 19-year old forward experienced a “flare-up” of the injury this summer. Vilardi missed a good chunk of his junior season last year with this chronic injury, and the Kings want to be as careful as possible. The 11th-overall selection in 2017, Vilardi has the talent to become a dominant offensive player in the NHL if he can stay healthy enough to continue his development. He is a “day-to-day” situation at this point, just two weeks until training camp begins.
  • Kristen Shilton of TSN sat down with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly recently, and asked the alternate captain about the recent news that Auston Matthews would accept the captaincy if offered it by the coaching staff. Rielly spoke incredibly highly of Matthews’ maturity and drive, and admitted that he’d already a leader on the team. The Maple Leafs have been without a captain since trading away Dion Phaneuf in the middle of the 2015-16 season, and lost two alternates in Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov to free agency this summer.

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