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Josh Anderson Receives Two-Game Suspension

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For the second time today, the Department of Player Safety has issued a two-game suspension.  This time, it will be Canadiens winger Josh Anderson who sits as the league issued (video link) a two-game ban for boarding.

The incident occurred midway through the third period in Saturday’s game against Vegas when Anderson hit blueliner Alex Pietrangelo from behind in front of the Golden Knights’ bench.  Pietrangelo was able to remain in the game while Anderson received a five-minute major penalty plus a game misconduct on the play.  The video notes how Anderson changed his angle in order to deliver the hit, one that drove him forcibly into the boards.

This is the first suspension for Anderson who will miss Montreal’s upcoming games against Detroit and Vancouver on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.  He will forfeit nearly $60K in salary with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Josh Anderson To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Not too long after the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced a hearing for Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, they’ve announced a hearing for Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson. According to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, the hearing will be over the phone, which means a shorter suspension, if any.

The play in question happened just after the halfway point of the third period in last nights game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Anderson lined up defenseman Alex Pietrangelo from behind, sending him into the boards right in front of the Vegas bench. Fortunately, Pietrangelo appeared uninjured from the hit and in fact got straight up to join the scrum that ensued around Anderson. For the hit, Anderson received a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

What exactly the supplemental discipline Anderson receives, if any, is still unclear. However, it is worth mentioning that Anderson has not been suspended thus far in his NHL career, thus the punishment could be lesser than that of a repeat offender. The winger has five points in 12 games so far this season, his third in Montreal.

Snapshots: Dach, Sharks Rookie Tournament, Stadium Series

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After being originally reported by Sportsnet’s Eric Engels last week, his colleague Elliotte Friedman confirmed the original report today on the 32 Thoughts podcast. Echoing the fact that the Canadiens and Dach are close to signing Dach to a four-year contract, he added that the team is likely working on other moves before making the deal official.

Cap implications aside, the team will likely need to trade a forward (or two) just to have space for Dach in the lineup. With the addition of Sean Monahan into the fold for next season, Dach will likely shift to wing. He has the most experience there out of Montreal’s five natural centers in their top 12 forwards. With Cole Caufield, Mike Hoffman, Josh Anderson, Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov, and Brendan Gallagher all in the fold, there’s just not enough room in Montreal’s NHL lineup to have Dach play an appropriate role to continue developing. Cap implications are certainly a part of that, though, as a $3.5MM cap hit as surmised by Friedman and Engels would still put Montreal dangerously close to the salary cap even with Carey Price’s $10MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve.

  • The San Jose Sharks are hosting this year’s 2022 Rookie Faceoff, a voluntary tournament for teams’ rookie camp rosters to get some game experience against each other. The Anaheim Ducks announced their participation today, noting that the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights will also participate. The tournament will feature nine games in total across four days from September 16 through September 19. Anaheim has not lost a rookie tournament game in regulation since 2016, going 11-0-2 in the process.
  • The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that American coverage of the 2023 Stadium Series game will be on ESPN after TNT/Turner Sports hosted coverage last season. ESPN will broadcast the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-ever outdoor game as they host the Washington Capitals at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on February 18, 2023. Shapiro also adds that the full slate of American national TV games is expected to come out later this week as the regular season approaches.

Offseason Notes: Flyers, Canadiens, Canucks, Coyotes

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When Johnny Gaudreau signed his six-year, $40.5MM contract with the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2016-17 season, talks immediately began swirling that when the contract expired in 2022, he’d return to his roots and sign with his hometown Philadelphia Flyers. Nearly six years later, those rumors are as prevalent as ever. However, in his latest 32 Thoughts article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wonders if the most prudent path for the Flyers, given the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Ellis’ health, is to pursue several medium-sized pieces as opposed to one big one, believing those conversations have at least happened. Friedman adds that the Flyers are a team who generally tries to go big in their moves, noting that they have tested the market on many of their players and have made a real pitch for Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Alex DeBrincat, more than simply kicking the tires.

The comments and speculation from Friedman provide some new perspective on how the Flyers may choose to pursue this offseason given how their previous few seasons have played out. Philadelphia has made the postseason just once in the previous four seasons and has only made it out of the first round once since 2011-12, which featured a first round win over the Montreal Canadiens and a second-round loss to the New York Islanders in the bubble. Coming off the heels of a 61 point season that included trading franchise icon Claude Giroux, it would seem that the team might look to take a step back and rebuild, but whether the rumor is a big splash or several smaller pieces, it does not appear a rebuild is in the cards. With several quality players signed long-term, including Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Cam Atkinson, Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, and promising young goaltender Carter Hart, as well as Ellis, it would make sense why the organization may try to simply push forward.

More from Friedman’s 32 Thoughts:

  • One team who may move on from some of its core veterans is the Montreal Canadiens, who Friedman says have been testing the market on Christian Dvorak, Jeff Petry and perhaps Josh Anderson. He adds that some teams believe they are not looking to trade Jake Allen as they do want to try to be more competitive, so it’s unlikely they will strip away all of their assets. In fact, the team was interested in Ottawa Senators forward Colin White prior to the trade deadline, with Friedman believing those talks may materialize again, adding that Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes was White’s agent prior to Hughes joining Montreal’s front office. Once one of the game’s top prospects, White had a strong breakout campaign in 2018-19, putting up 41 points in 71 games, enough to earn him a six-year, $28.5MM contract. Unfortunately, the contract hasn’t worked out as hoped by either side, with White tallying just 51 points in 130 game since the start of the deal, now with three more years at $4.75MM per season left.
  • Moving out west, Friedman looks at the Vancouver Canucks in light of the Brock Boeser extension, believing the two sides having a deadline played a role in the deal. He adds that there should be a path to a Bo Horvat extension as well, but a J.T. Miller trade is still likely. Though an extension with Miller isn’t impossible, Friedman believes it’s too difficult and Vancouver will try to get more than what the Minnesota Wild received in exchange for Kevin Fiala: the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft and prospect Brock Faber. That package may not be hard to eclipse for a player like Miller, who has taken off since arriving in Vancouver, recording 217 points in 202 games. However, it’s worth noting that Fiala was an impending RFA while Miller has one more year at $5.25MM before becoming a UFA and is a little over three years older than Fiala.
  • Lastly, the Arizona Coyotes, who own picks 3, 27, and 32 in the first-round of this year’s draft are prepared to use “all available options” to try to acquire another high pick in the draft, says Friedman. By selecting third overall, Arizona is guaranteed one of Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, or Logan Cooley, though it’s unlikely they will get to choose which. It’s unclear exactly how far up the organization would like to find an available pick, but with news that the Montreal Canadiens are seeking an additional top-10 pick, there could be some competition for one of the coveted draft picks. The Coyotes do have in addition to the 27th and 32nd overall selections, four second-round picks and a third, fifth, and seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, on top of plenty of prospect capital.

Canadiens Notes: Anderson, Petry, Richardson

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After dealing his team’s captain to the Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes met with the media to discuss the trade and answer questions. As part of the press conference, Hughes was asked about winger Josh Anderson, who has recently become the subject of trade rumors. Hughes was transparent about the situation, saying that they have had “many” teams call about Anderson, both around the trade deadline and more recently. Hughes said that while he wouldn’t be actively seeking to trade Anderson, he would be listening to any deal that could help the Canadiens.

While Anderson didn’t have a season to remember in 2021-22, it’s not hard to see why he would be of interest to contending clubs. The former 27-goal scorer has the rare combination of speed and power in his game that many GM’s covet, and he’s under contract through 2026-27. While the way Anderson’s contract will age as he accumulates more wear-and-tear on his body and gets deeper into his late twenties is an open question, it’s clear that GM’s are willing to look past those potential issues in order to acquire the unique player that Anderson is today. Whether a trade will actually happen, though, is unknown. But what we did learn from Hughes today is that the possibility of an Anderson trade is very much real.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Montreal Canadiens:

  • One of the other Canadiens players often mentioned in trade rumors is defenseman Jeff Petry. Hughes has previously attempted to accommodate Petry’s desire for a trade, but has been unable to find a deal so far. Today, Hughes was asked about Petry’s situation and clarified that it’s unlikely to be a deal that gets consummated at this stage of the offseason. Hughes noted that teams are still “evaluating their needs,” and as a result, it could be harder to move the defenseman, especially given that he is 34 years old and carries a $6.25MM cap hit. While Petry undoubtedly had a down season in 2021-22, he did play better after the Canadiens hired Martin St. Louis. Under St. Louis, Petry had 21 points in 30 games and flashed the high-end form he displayed in 2020-21, when he had 42 points in 55 games. So while he’s certainly not an untradeable asset, Hughes’ comments indicate that the contract situations of fellow right-shot offensive defensemen such as Dallas’ John Klingberg may need to reach their conclusions before Petry’s can be solved.
  • It was previously reported that Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson had interviewed with the Chicago Blackhawks for their head coaching vacancy, and Hughes confirmed as much in his media availability, stating that Richardson and the Blackhawks had met within the last 48 hours. Hughes also noted that Richardson was “in line” for a second interview with the Blackhawks and that he would not leave the Canadiens for anything other than a head coaching job. While the Canadiens’ coaching staff looks set for next season, the departure of Richardson, the most experienced coach on the staff, would create a hole that would need to be filled. With little NHL experience shared between head coach Martin St. Louis and assistants Alexandre Burrows and Trevor Letowski, the departure of Richardson would likely mean that the Canadiens would enter the market for an experienced assistant to help their young coaches handle the challenges that come with NHL life.

Atlantic Notes: Anderson, Sykora, Senators Hockey Operations

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The Montreal Canadiens had a season to forget in 2021-22, falling to last in the NHL standings. Part of the disappointment in Montreal this past season was not just due to the performance of the team as a whole, but also of the individual players. Winger Josh Anderson is one of those Canadiens whose 2021-22 production was a reason for disappointment. While he showed flashes of goal-scoring touch and ended up fifth on the team in points, Anderson’s 19-goal, 32-point marks are definitely on the low end of what former GM Marc Bergevin had in mind when he signed Anderson to a $5.5MM AAV contract. With all that being said, though, this season’s disappointing production apparently hasn’t stopped Anderson from being a hot name on the trade market.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported as part of his Trade Targets Board that GM Kent Hughes’ “phone rang consistently with teams inquiring about Anderson.” Seravalli adds that the Canadiens have “resisted” the urge to trade Anderson, but that interest did exist on the part of the inquiring teams. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic shed some light on the situation as well, reporting that Montreal “turned down some serious offers” for Anderson and that GM’s around the league “keep asking about him,” but that the Canadiens “aren’t planning on trading” their power forward. Evidently, Anderson’s rare combination of size and speed is tantalizing enough for other teams to make “serious offers” for Anderson, despite his somewhat underwhelming production. While these reports do indicate that Montreal is hesitant to trade Anderson, it’s clear that his situation will be one to monitor once the offseason trade market begins in full.

Now, for some other news regarding teams in the Atlantic Division:

  • Much of the attention surrounding the Canadiens’ draft strategy revolves around who they might pick with the number-one selection. What is discussed less is the possibilities the team can pursue thanks to the second first-rounder Montreal owns as part of the Tyler Toffoli trade from earlier this year. One player Montreal could be targeting with that selection or even one of their second-round picks is Slovakian winger Adam Sykora. Per Robert Durkac of Slovakian outlet tvnoviny.sk, both the Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes have interest in Sykora and sought out additional information from the player while he was in Buffalo attending the NHL Combine. Sykora is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft and has impressed scouts with his defensively-oriented, relentless style, a style that has allowed him to be a regular at the highest level of Slovakian professional hockey, despite his youth. Sykora is ranked 42nd among European Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, although his performance for Slovakia at the IIHF World Championships has seen his stock rise in the eyes of some outlets.
  • The Ottawa Senators lost a high-ranked executive in their hockey operations department earlier this year, as Pierre McGuire was fired from his role with the team after less than a year on the job. Now, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Senators would like to add to their hockey operations department. Friedman reports that there “could be some hires” coming to Ottawa “soon,” and that the hires would be made with the intention of the Senators bolstering their hockey operations. The Senators have had a difficult few years since their miraculous run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017, so their reported intention to add more help to their hockey operations department could be seen as a positive sign that the team is looking to get a bit more assistance on the road back to contention.

Morning Notes: Team Canada, Crosby, Bokk

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The Canadian contingent for the IIHF World Championship has named their leadership group, with Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot given the captaincy. The team will go with a group of alternates including Josh Anderson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Adam Lowry, and Damon Severson for the event, likely rotating each game.

The tournament, which starts tomorrow, is a nice way for Chabot to get some more on-ice reps after missing a huge chunk of this season, though with the amount he plays it has already been a long year. In 59 games this season, the Senators’ defenseman scored 38 points and averaged more than 26 minutes a night for the third season in a row.

  • There’s no update yet on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, as head coach Mike Sullivan only confirmed that his captain is dealing with an upper-body injury and will be evaluated further on their return home. Crosby took a hit from Jacob Trouba in last night’s game that kept him out, and obviously has a long history with head injuries. The Penguins stayed in New York after last night’s loss and will fly to Pittsburgh today to prepare for tomorrow’s game six.
  • After spending half of this season playing back home in Germany, Dominik Bokk is coming back to North America. His club team announced today that Bokk will re-join the Carolina Hurricanes organization for the 2022-23 season, a previously agreed upon decision. After playing 32 games in the AHL this year, Bokk was loaned to Eisbaren Berlin in the DEL for the stretch run, where he scored 11 points in 14 games and another three in 12 playoff contests. The first-round pick originally selected by St. Louis in 2018 has one year left on his entry-level deal.

Hockey Canada Announces 2022 IIHF World Championship Roster

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The roster is set, with just a few days to go before things kick off for Hockey Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championship. The defending gold medalists will be icing a rather youthful roster this season, highlighted by some of the league’s up-and-coming stars, along with some established top-end youngsters.

The full roster will be:

G Chris Driedger
G Logan Thompson
G Matt Tomkins

D Thomas Chabot
D Ryan Graves
D Nick Holden
D Dysin Mayo
D Travis Sanheim
D Damon Severson
D Zach Whitecloud

F Josh Anderson
F Mathew Barzal
F Drake Batherson
F Max Comtois
F Dylan Cozens
F Pierre-Luc Dubois
F Morgan Geekie
F Noah Gregor
F Kent Johnson
F Adam Lowry
F Dawson Mercer
F Eric O’Dell
F Nicolas Roy
F Cole Sillinger

For a player like Mayo, this selection truly solidifies the hard work he has put in over years of grinding in the minor leagues. The fifth-round pick spent parts of seven seasons in the AHL before arriving this year with the Arizona Coyotes and becoming one of the team’s most reliable options. Now 25, he’ll be suiting up for his country for the first time at a major international tournament.

Meanwhile, someone like Cozens is taking the next step in representing his country, after last captaining Team Canada at the 2021 World Juniors (where he scored an incredible 16 points in seven games). The Buffalo Sabres forward had 38 points in his first full-length NHL season and has huge upside as a potential franchise cornerstone. The same could be said for players like Johnson and Sillinger, two names that will likely drive the offense for years to come in Columbus.

Perhaps the most interesting name in the group is Dubois, given the Winnipeg Jets center doesn’t have a contract for next season. Pending restricted free agents, especially ones as important as Dubois, usually skip the tournament because of insurance issues and the risk of injury. Instead, he’ll head overseas to play in a tournament he’s already attended twice previously, despite still just being 23 years old.

Montreal Canadiens Issue Several Injury Updates

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The Montreal Canadiens are on fire. The team has won four in a row under new head coach Martin St. Louis, with Cole Caufield looking reborn. The team is still dead last in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve now passed the Arizona Coyotes and are at least showing some fight for the future. With that in mind, the team has issued several updates on their injured players, starting with Carey Price.

Price is “doing better” in his off-ice rehab, but he’s still not ready to return to the ice just yet. The 34-year-old goaltender has been out all year for various reasons and may end up missing the entire year. The Canadiens aren’t rushing anything in their franchise goaltender’s rehabilitation, knowing that there’s not really any benefit in getting him back into games this season.

Corey Schueneman has been cleared from the COVID protocol and returned to practice today. He was joined by several other teammates that have been dealing with injuries. Joel Armia was at practice, is listed as day-to-day, but won’t play on Saturday night. Mathieu Perreault was a full participant in practice and is also listed as day-to-day. Josh Anderson meanwhile has been cleared to play tomorrow against Ottawa.

The two big ones are Joel Edmundson and Jake Allen, who have been out for quite some time–or in the former’s case, the entire season. Edmundson was on the ice for the first time with teammates, and will travel with the group to Ottawa. He won’t play, but it’s great to see Edmundson back on the ice at all after the nightmare season he has gone through. Allen was also on the ice and is “progressing” though there is no clear timeline on his return. Nor for Paul Byron, who is dealing with an upper-body injury and has no timeline for a return.

East Notes: Canadiens, Gallant, McDonnell

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Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is expected to soon meet with the surgeon who performed his knee surgery over the summer to determine the next step in his rehab, notes Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.  The veteran has yet to play this season after spending time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and had resumed on-ice drills until about three weeks ago.  There remains no timetable for his return for now but that should change soon following that meeting.

Meanwhile, wingers Josh Anderson, Mike Hoffman, Joel Armia, and center Christian Dvorak have all been classified as day-to-day as they work their way back from respective injuries.  Anderson, in particular, appears to be ahead of schedule as he was initially expected to be out until early February.  With Montreal having 15 players currently in COVID protocol, any returns would be a boost as they get set to resume their season on Wednesday in Boston.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Rangers announced (Twitter link) that head coach Gerard Gallant has been placed in COVID protocol. Assistant coach Kris Knoblauch will take over as New York’s acting bench boss.  It’s the second year in a row that Knoblauch has filled in for this reason as he also was thrust into that role in 2020-21 when he filled in for David Quinn for six games with the team winning four of those contests.  Gallant shouldn’t be out that long as he could return after as little as five days.
  • With the OHL trade deadline now just a day away, another NHL-drafted player is on the move as Lightning prospect Declan McDonnell has been moved to the Barrie Colts. The 19-year-old was the final pick of the 2020 draft (217th overall) but has collected 24 points in 28 games this season.  Tampa Bay has until June 1st to sign McDonnell or they will lose his rights.

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