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Jonathan Drouin

Central Notes: Tanev, Stastney, Avalanche

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Chris Tanev’s time in Dallas has been limited so far – just five games since being acquired – but GM Jim Nill already knows he’d like to have the veteran in the fold for the long haul.  Speaking with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Nill expressed a desire to re-sign the pending UFA after the season:

Whenever you make a move for somebody you like, and you’ve done your research on, and I’ve seen Chris Tanev play a lot, heard all the stories about him, and now we get to live it and stuff. And he has everything we’ve heard, living up to the billing, so we think he’s a great fit for us. Let’s get the games going, let’s get the playoffs going. And but he’s definitely a guy that if we can make it work, we’d love to bring him back here.

The 34-year-old rarely puts up points but is known as one of the better defensive blueliners in the NHL.  Accordingly, he is well-positioned to earn a raise on his current $4.5MM price tag in the summer, one that will be tricky for the Stars to afford within their salary structure.

More from the Central Division:

  • The Predators announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Spencer Stastney is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old was injured on Thursday, his first game with Nashville since mid-December.  Stastney has a goal in ten NHL contests so far this season while he has chipped in with 20 points in 44 appearances with AHL Milwaukee.  With Dante Fabbro also injured, Nashville is down to just six healthy defensemen so they may recall someone before today’s game against Seattle.
  • Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen is expected to return tonight versus Edmonton after missing the last two games due to illness, relays play-by-play voice Conor McGahey (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been limited to just 30 games so far this season but has done well when he has been in the lineup, collecting 11 goals and 11 assists.  Meanwhile, McGahey adds that wingers Zach Parise and Jonathan Drouin are also expected to return tonight.  Parise has missed two straight with a lower-body injury while Drouin missed Wednesday’s contest with a lower-body injury of his own.  Parise has seven points in 15 games in his final NHL season while Drouin has done well, picking up 38 points in 64 appearances so far.
  • With those returns, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned forward Fredrik Olofsson to AHL Colorado. The 27-year-old played in two games on this recall to bring his season total to 57.  Olofsson has nine points in those appearances while averaging 9:45 per contest.

Central Notes: Mrazek, Drouin, Kirkland, Thornton

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Even with a handful of teams believed to be looking for goalie help, the market for Blackhawks netminder Petr Mrazek isn’t likely to be too strong.  As a result, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic feels (subscription link) it might be more likely that Chicago winds up extending the netminder over dealing him for what’s likely to be a limited return.  The 31-year-old has put up a .903 SV% in 25 games this season, a very respectable number on a team that’s in a battle for the bottom of the standings once again.  He currently carries a cap hit of $3.8MM and while it’s unlikely an extension would come in at that amount, keeping him around on a short-term extension to allow Drew Commesso to have a bit more time to develop with AHL Rockford would make some sense, especially if the trade market isn’t likely to yield much in return.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • After a rough start with his new team, Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin has settled in nicely and is in the middle of a strong stretch where he has 17 points in his last 22 games. To that end, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now evaluates the feasibility of trying to sign the 28-year-old to a contract extension.  Drouin is playing on a deal worth $825K this season, opting for a short-term agreement in the hopes of establishing a better market next summer.  His performance is worth a fair bit more than that but with Colorado’s cap situation, they’ll still be capped at a lower-cost offer.  That said, if Drouin wants some stability and to stay in a good situation, he could be amenable to the possibility of re-signing now.
  • The shuffling of Justin Kirkland continues. After being sent back down yesterday, the Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that the winger has been recalled from AHL Tucson.  It’s his third recall in the last two weeks although he has yet to make an appearance yet with Arizona.  Meanwhile, the 27-year-old has been productive with the Roadrunners, recording 13 points in 12 games so far.
  • Still with Arizona, while not yet announced by the Coyotes, the team has loaned goaltender Anson Thornton back to OHL Barrie, notes Colts color commentator Gene Pereira. The 20-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent with Arizona back in 2021 but has been injured for most of the season, being limited to just four appearances with Tucson where he has a save percentage of just .849.  With the CHL trade deadline coming next week, he may find himself on the move at that level in the coming days.

Avalanche Release Multiple Injury Updates

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has released an update on a slew of players in preparation for the team’s Wednesday night matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Bednar shared that newcomers Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar are likely to miss the matchup, while Cale Makar and Bowen Byram are game-time decisions. Drouin and Tatar were the last two skaters on the practice ice for Colorado, hinting that they could be leaning towards sitting out. If they do miss time, Bednar hinted at Kurtis MacDermid drawing into the lineup.

Drouin and Tatar have both played in all eight games for Colorado this season, with very different results. Drouin is off to a slow start, netting a sole assist on the season while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per game. Tatar has served in a similar role to Drouin – averaging 12 minutes of ice time each game – but has managed four assists. The duo are two of three Colorado forwards that haven’t scored a goal yet this season – Andrew Cogliano being the other.

Bednar said yesterday that one of Byram or Makar would likely sit out of the team’s Wednesday outing. Which defender may miss time is, unfortunately, unclear. While Byram has made an impact through the early going, he doesn’t bring the takeover ability that Makar can.

The Avalanche are now faced with the decision of whether to ice 12 forwards and six defensemen, or 11 forwards and seven defensemen – given the injuries to two top-nine forwards. MacDermid is likely to play regardless of what decision Colorado makes here – either slotting in on offense or defense depending where they need support. If Colorado decides to ice 11 forwards, Caleb Jones will draw in as the seventh defender. If they ice 12 forwards, Riley Tufte is expected to make his Avalanche debut. Both players were recalled to the NHL lineup yesterday.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Jonathan Drouin

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The Colorado Avalanche have re-united franchise face Nathan MacKinnon with his QMJHL partner in crime. According to TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie, the Avalanche have signed 2013 third-overall pick Jonathan Drouin. Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that the contract will be a one-year, $825K deal.

This signing is a major opportunity for Drouin, who could potentially end up once again on a line with MacKinnon. Wrist surgeries have done significant damage to Drouin’s ability to be a goal-scoring threat, as reflected by his mark of two goals in 58 games this past season.

But Drouin clearly has some gas left in the tank as a playmaker, as he finished the season with a 41-point scoring pace despite that extremely low goal total.

He’s still a capable playmaker, and in the right situation, one wonders how much more he could produce. He’s always had tantalizing offensive potential, and is in the thick of his prime at 28 years old. At a $825k cap hit, this could be Drouin’s perfect station for a career renaissance.

If he doesn’t manage that, though, and ends up in-and-out of the lineup due to injuries as he’s done over the past several seasons, it’ll be a disappointing outcome but not a catastrophe given the affordable cap hit he’ll occupy.

East Notes: Capitals, Penguins, Drouin

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Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette gave updates today on some of his injured players, noting that defenseman Nick Jensen will be a game-time decision tonight against the St. Louis Blues. He also mentioned that forward Sonny Milano will draw back into the lineup after missing two games with a non-COVID illness.

Jensen has been Washington’s de facto number-one defenseman for much of the season with John Carlson out due to injury, although that title has now been usurped by youngster Rasmus Sandin. The 32-year-old is ailing from an undisclosed injury and also missed three games with an upper-body issue earlier in the month. He has a career-high 24 points in 66 games and recently signed a three-year, $12.15MM extension with Washington.

Milano, a productive early-season pickup for the Caps, is projected to skate on a line with Nicklas Bäckström and Craig Smith in his return.

More notes out of the Eastern Conference today:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins were without their top two right-shot defensemen at practice today, and head coach Mike Sullivan issued updates on both players. Kris Letang had a maintenance day, and Jeff Petry is still being evaluated, leaving last night’s game against the New York Rangers after taking an elbow to the face from winger Tyler Motte. The two veterans are Pittsburgh’s highest-scoring defensemen this season, despite both missing significant time with multiple injuries.
  • Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin was held out from practice today after missing a team meeting this morning, according to head coach Martin St. Louis. As a consequence, St. Louis said he may also opt to scratch Drouin for tomorrow’s game against Tampa, his former team. The 27-year-old forward has one goal and 24 assists in 45 games this year.

Juraj Slafkovsky Out Three Months With Lower-Body Injury

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The Montreal Canadiens have provided updates on several injured players, and none of them are good. Juraj Slafkovsky, the first-overall pick from 2022, will miss three months with a lower-body injury that does not require surgery. Jake Evans will also not need surgery, but is out for 8-10 weeks. Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia will be out until the All-Star break (the Canadiens return to play on February 11), and Jake Allen will be out a minimum of a week.

A three-month timeline essentially ends Slafkovsky’s rookie season. The Canadiens will wrap up their schedule on April 13, unless a miraculous playoff run is made in the second half.

With that in mind, 39 games and 10 points are not totals the Canadiens had hoped for. The big winger failed to record a point in his last 15 games, posting a -12 rating during that time and recording just 11 shots on goal. He looked overmatched for long stretches, with many suggesting that he should have been playing in the World Juniors or AHL, instead of struggling with Montreal.

Now, he’ll have to work through this injury and try to come back more prepared in 2022-23, when the Canadiens will hopefully be more competitive. The team is 19-23-3 on the year and very well may position themselves at the deadline to lose as many games as possible down the stretch. They sit 26th in the league overall, and like every other team that isn’t in playoff contention, hope to get closer to the first-overall pick.

Montreal Canadiens Release Injury Updates

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The Montreal Canadiens have updated several injury statuses, including one that fans of the team were dying to hear about. Cole Caufield will travel with the team and is available for tomorrow’s game against the Ottawa Senators. For David Savard and Sean Monahan, things aren’t so positive. Both players will be out for two to three weeks. Mike Matheson and Jonathan Drouin are listed as day-to-day, though the latter will travel with the team to Ottawa.

Caufield’s status is the most encouraging after he took a huge hit from Trevor Lewis last night that looked like it might keep him out for a while. The young forward is off to a brilliant start to the season with 16 goals and 25 points in 28 games. His continued development under head coach Martin St. Louis is one of the biggest successes of the year for Montreal, and one that will likely lead to a huge extension at some point for the diminutive sniper.

Monahan’s injury, though, is terrible for the team. Not only was he playing excellent hockey, rebounding from hip surgery nicely, but he had become one of Montreal’s top trade chips. The pending free agent could be an excellent addition for a contending team looking for center depth, but he’ll have to stay healthy. A weeks-long absence doesn’t take him off the board but will certainly cause some hesitation in teams that might have been focusing in on him as a target.

Savard is back to playing big minutes for the club this season but still doesn’t have strong results. The 32-year-old is signed through 2024-25 and has eight points through 24 games this year. While he isn’t driving play for the Canadiens, the team doesn’t have the deepest group to choose from and will be icing quite a few young defensemen in his absence.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Rem Pitlick; Jonathan Drouin Out 4-6 Weeks

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without Jonathan Drouin for the next four to six weeks, as he continues to deal with an injury suffered earlier this month. The veteran forward has actually been playing through it, after first suffering it against the Vegas Golden Knights on November 5. In the three games since Drouin posted two points.

To take his place, the Canadiens have recalled Rem Pitlick, who recently cleared waivers and was with the Laval Rocket. The 25-year-old Pitlick had three points in three games with the AHL squad after going scoreless through seven NHL contests to start the year. A surprise last season when he had 26 points in 46 games for Montreal, Pitlick should get another chance to play, especially after the 5-1 teardown the Canadiens experienced last night.

The team is now 8-7-1 on the year, and really only has a few players to count on for offensive contributions. If Pitlick can add a bit of scoring punch, he’ll likely find his way into the lineup on a regular basis.

Drouin has officially been placed on injured reserve to bring the roster back down to 23.

Montreal Canadiens Exploring Trade Options

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When the Montreal Canadiens placed Evgenii Dadonov on injured reserve yesterday, there were quite a few smirks going up around the hockey world. It was “kicking the can down the road” as Eric Engels of Sportsnet put it, opening up a roster spot by moving out a forward that wasn’t playing anyway. It avoided having to waive a player like Dadonov but doesn’t fix the root of the problem – Montreal has too many forwards.

Yesterday on TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun explained that the Canadiens have been trying to “create a trade market” by calling around to several teams in the league. One of those is the Washington Capitals, who lost Connor Brown to ACL surgery, but nothing is imminent between the two as the Capitals look at internal options first.

LeBrun lists Dadonov, Jonathan Drouin, and Mike Hoffman – three players who have all been healthy scratches recently – among the names that could be on the move.

Each of those three, it should be noted, come with relatively hefty contracts. Dadonov carries a $5MM cap hit this season, Drouin a $5.5MM hit, and Hoffman is at $4.5MM through next season.

With Dadonov on injured reserve, the team is currently carrying 14 forwards. Of that group, only Brendan Gallagher and Hoffman are over the age of 30, and many are 25-and-under. The team is obviously focused on moving toward their youth and away from the older generation of players, but whether they will be able to actually pull off a trade remains to be seen.

Forward Notes: Horvat, Larkin, Drouin

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Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat has spent his entire NHL career with the franchise that drafted him, but as a pending UFA, his time in Vancouver could be coming to an end. Last month, we covered how Horvat had expressed a a desire to remain in Vancouver. Today that picture got a bit more cloudy. Speaking on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali podcast, Horvat’s agent, Pat Morris, said that he believes “Bo is a number-one center,” a comment made in reaction to the use of Sean Couturier’s $7.75MM AAV deal as a comparable for the contract he’s seeking for Horvat. With the Canucks’ currently tight cap situation, it’s an open question as to whether Vancouver will be able to afford the sort of contract Horvat is seeking.

Morris’ belief that Horvat is a number-one center is telling as to how Horvat’s representation will approach contract negotiations going into their client’s potential unrestricted free agency this summer. The going rate for top-six centers in the NHL in their UFA years is around $8MM AAV, if not more, based on recent deals. We’ve seen centers such as Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Ryan Johansen, and Mathew Barzal all hit or surpass that number on their own long-term deals. Horvat scored 31 goals and 52 points last season and brings the sort of defensive value and leadership intangibles teams covet, so it’s not unreasonable that a deal in that wide $7MM-$9MM range is Horvat’s target. For the Canucks, though, it’s fair to wonder whether they’ll be able to afford that sort of contract. With the recent J.T. Miller extension and other players making significant dollars already on their books, it’s definitely possible that the Canucks simply won’t be able to offer Horvat the sort of deal he could receive from another club.

Now, for some other notes regarding forwards from across the NHL:

  • Horvat isn’t the only top-six center and team captain to be a pending unrestricted free agent. Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is also set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he too is reportedly seeking a major extension. Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports on TSN’s Insider Trading program that “the plan is” for Larkin’s representatives to introduce Barzal’s recent $9.15MM AAV deal as a contract comparable for Larkin’s next deal. Larkin scored 69 points in 71 games last season, and with another strong year he could fully cement himself as deserving of such a lucrative extension.
  • The Montreal Canadiens were without forward Jonathan Drouin for last night’s season-opening game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they may not be without him for much longer. On the Insider Trading program, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Drouin is at “90%” health and getting ready to return to action in the near future. The Canadiens are currently running Cole Caufield, Sean Monahan, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Rem Pitlick as their four left wingers, meaning it’s not immediately clear where Drouin fits into their lineup. But regardless of where he ultimately finds himself on the ice, getting him back to full health is undoubtedly good news for Montreal.

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