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Mika Zibanejad

Metro Notes: Zibanejad, Haula, Tatar, Engvall

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The New York Rangers have made the brazen decision to scratch team captain Jacob Trouba, in anticipation of a trade or waiver placement. But the team isn’t looking to shake things up too much further, with Mollie Walker of the New York Post sharing that centerman Mika Zibanejad has yet to waive his no-movement clause. Zibanejad’s name has been side-by-side with Trouba’s in fan discussions about the team’s issues. He’s in the third year of an eight-year, $60MM contract – carrying a cap hit of $8.5MM each season. The deal features a full no-movement clause in every season, something that’s become quickly contentious as Zibanejad has struggled to make a mark off the puck this season.

To his credit, Zibanejad still has five goals and 18 points in 24 games this season. Still, that’s an 82-game pace of just 62 points – Zibanejad’s lowest scoring pace since the 2017-18 season. Four of his goals have come at even-strength, but his assists are nearly perfectly-split between five-on-five and special teams. That’s undermined Zibanejad’s role in the top-six, not helped along by a -14 showing off his defensive woes. There seemingly has to be more for the 31-year-old centerman who scored 39 goals and 91 points just two seasons ago – and who has received Selke Trophy votes in four of the last five seasons. For now, the Rangers will look to rediscover those talents internally – while they sort through a similar situation with their top defender.

More notes from the Metro Division:

  • The New Jersey Devils will see the return of both Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar on Friday, per NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. Tatar has missed the team’s last two games with a lower-body injury in the Devils’ last Friday matchup against Detroit. He logged just six shifts and three minutes of ice time before stepping away with a lower-body injury that game, but still found a way to record an assist – bringing him up to four points in his last five games. Tatar will return to the lineup with nine points in 26 games this season, operating out of New Jersey’s bottom-six. He’ll be joined in that assignment by centerman Haula, who missed practices this week with an undisclosed injury. Haula hasn’t missed any gametime, and returns to full health with five goals, 11 points, and 46 shots through 28 games this season.
  • The New York Islanders will be scratching forward Pierre Engvall on Saturday. When asked about the decision, head coach Patrick Roy told Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, “I know Pierre is trying hard, and we are all trying hard. Right now, maybe, my expectations are higher than what he’s been showing. That’s all it is.” Engvall has been a contentious piece of the Islanders lineup. He posted a three-game scoring streak earlier in the month, but has no points and a -4 in six games since – while rotating through New York’s bottom-six. He’ll now head to the press box, creating room for Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching to earn more ice time.

East Notes: Duclair, Nosek, Rangers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning could be without winger Anthony Duclair on Thursday, with head coach Jon Cooper declaring him as “definitely doubtful” with a stomach bug, per Chris Krenn of NHL.com (Twitter link). Duclair has played in 14 games since moving to Tampa at the Trade Deadline. He’s been incredibly productive on a new roster, posting 12 points, split evenly, with Tampa after just 27 points in 56 games with the San Jose Sharks. His 0.857 points-per-game pace with Tampa is the highest of his career.

The Lightning have breathed new life into Duclair’s career, after a trade from the Florida Panthers to the Sharks last summer. The move stalled out Duclair’s production after three big seasons with the Panthers. He totaled 99 points across 137 games in Florida, adding 14 points in 34 playoff games. He’s now regaining that scoring touch across Florida, despite averaging his sparsest ice time (14:33) since the 2018-19 season.

Conor Sheary is expected to move into Duclair’s role next to Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, while Mitchell Chaffee will slot back into the lineup. Sheary has three goals and 13 points in 53 games this season, while Chaffee has four goals and six points in 27 games. Tampa has four games left in their season and has already clinched the Eastern Conference’s top Wild Card, giving them the space to rest some of their top names like Duclair.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Tomas Nosek will be out of the New Jersey Devils lineup on Thursday, per interim head coach Travis Green (Twitter link). Nosek has been in and out of the lineup all season long, totaling just 35 games on the year. He’s scored six points in those appearances, adding six penalty minutes and a -9. It’s his first year in New Jersey, joining the team on a one-year, $1MM contract this summer. While injuries have been a major concern, Nosek has provided stout play in New Jersey’s fourth-line center role when healthy. Recall Graeme Clarke is slotting into the lineup in Nosek’s place, though it’s Shane Bowers who will take over his centerman role in the bottom six.
  • The New York Rangers have shared that both Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad are okay after scary incidents in the team’s Wednesday night game, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh (Twitter link). Kreider took a slapshot from Zibanejad and looked banged up on the bench, while Zibanejad had a blindsided collision with New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech. Both players are expected to stay in the lineup as the Rangers approach their final three games of the season.

Snapshots: Kahkonen, Three Stars, Minten

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Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen is on an expiring contract, making him a candidate to be moved before the March 8th deadline.  The 27-year-old told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that he likes the direction that the team is heading in and would be open to re-signing with San Jose although he’s unaware of any discussions on that front at this point.  Kahkonen was traded two years ago when he was on an expiring deal, coming to the Sharks in a swap with Minnesota.  He has a .899 SV% in 15 games this season, a number that’s a little below league average but with the state of their roster and their struggles this season, that’s not a bad showing.  Accordingly, teams looking for help between the pipes might be inclined to inquire about Kahkonen in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • With the games for the week now over due to the holiday break, the NHL released its weekly Three Stars today. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was named First Star on the heels of recording seven points in four games including back-to-back overtime winners.  Rangers center Mika Zibanejad is the Second Star after also notching seven points in four contests.  Meanwhile, Red Wings winger Patrick Kane takes home the Third Star nod after leading the league in scoring with eight points in his four appearances.
  • Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten has been named captain of Canada’s World Junior team, per an announcement from Hockey Canada (Twitter link). The 19-year-old made his NHL debut this season, getting into a pair of games before being sent back to the WHL where he has since been traded.  Canada has four players with at least one game of NHL experience; all four of them are among the players who will be among their group of captains.

Injury Notes: Zibanejad, Ehlers, Bastian

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Earlier today, we covered reports from New York Rangers training camp stating that top-line center Mika Zibanejad left the ice with an apparent injury. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple has now relayed word from the Rangers on Zibanejad’s status: he’s suffered an upper-body injury, and is considered out on a day-to-day basis.

This isn’t ideal news for the Rangers, as any Zibanejad absence would deal a major blow to the Rangers’ ability to compete in what is likely to be a hotly contested Metropolitan Division. Zibanejad, 30, scored 39 goals and 91 points last season, and has been a true first-line center for the club for the last four years. New head coach Peter Laviolette does have solid center depth behind Zibanejad, with both Vincent Trocheck and Filip Chytil capable of playing on scoring lines, but neither compares to Zibanejad. His health status will definitely be an important storyline to track this preseason.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • Winnipeg Jets star Nikolaj Ehlers has been dealing with neck spasms so far in camp according to Jets head coach Rick Bowness, and his status is something to watch for Jets fans and hockey fans alike. The Jets’ Jamie Thomas reports that Ehlers was on the ice this morning, but won’t be making the trip to Edmonton for tonight’s preseason contest. It’s not known at this moment whether Ehlers’ availability for opening night is at all in question, but given how Ehlers has struggled with injuries the past two seasons one would hope that this current ailment is only a temporary setback.
  • New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein relays word from Devils forward Nathan Bastian, who says that he’s hoping to see some preseason action as he prepares for opening night in October. Bastian spent the offseason recovering from a shoulder injury, and is expected to be ready for the regular season although that has not been officially confirmed. The six-foot-four 25-year-old grinder is an important role player for the Devils, helping cause chaos with their fourth line on a nightly basis. If the Devils want to have Bastian on the ice wreaking havoc when they host New Jersey on October 12, they’ll likely be hoping Bastian’s recovery allows him to see the ice in the preseason.

Training Camp Snapshots: Voracek, Othmann, Zibanejad

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In a press release coming out of the Czech Extraliga, former player Jakub Voracek will be joining the Kladno Knights as a powerplay coach for their 2023-24 season. Born and raised in Kladno, Voracek will return home, having his career cut short last year due to concussion symptoms.

A long-time member of both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers organizations, Voracek is currently under contract with the Arizona Coyotes for the 2023-24 season, with his $8.25MM salary currently in one of the team’s LTIR slots. Last March, once it was understood that Voracek would likely never play again due to his concussions, the Blue Jackets traded him, along with a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, to the Coyotes in exchange for goaltender Jon Gillies.

Finding his path in life after hockey, it would have been difficult to find a better powerplay specialist for Kladno. During his time in the NHL, Voracek was one of the better playmakers of his generation when healthy, scoring 55 goals and 204 assists on the powerplay throughout his 1,058 games in the NHL over 15 years.

Other snapshots:

  • The New York Rangers will be missing top prospect Brennan Othmann for a few days of training camp, as the team announced this morning he is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Already carrying a solid top-six forward group heading into the season, it would have been difficult for Othmann to crack the Rangers’ roster out of training camp regardless of this injury. However, he is poised to wreak havoc at the AHL level for the Hartford Wolf Pack, after having scored 29 goals and 38 assists in 56 games during his last season in the OHL.
  • Vince Mercogliano of USA Today reports that the top center for the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad, was seen going to the locker room this morning, favoring his right arm after slowly getting off the ice. It’s still to be seen whether or not Zibanejad will miss time, or the seriousness of the injury altogether. The Rangers currently have the center depth necessary to weather the storm of potentially losing out on Zibanejad for the time being, but can not afford to lose him for a considerable time with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Snapshots: Canadiens Injuries, Pastrnak, Rangers Leadership Group, Blais

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After heading all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020-21, only to finish dead last in the NHL standings in 2021-22, it’s unclear exactly what is to be expected from the Montreal Canadiens this year. Injuries were a large part of what plagued the team last season, and heading into this season, they’re still a part of the headline. Of course, legendary goaltender Carey Price will be on LTIR and is unlikely to play this season, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever return. Still, there are some shorter-term updates available out of Montreal today.

For one, veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson, who is recovering from a back injury, was able to skate this morning and though his rehab is progressing, the team is still unable to provide a timetable for his return. Forwards Joel Armia and Emil Heineman will both be out with injury, Armia out one to two weeks with an upper-body injury and Heineman six weeks with a thumb injury. Defenseman Mike Matheson, who the team acquired in the Jeff Petry deal, is continuing to rehab a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Finally, forwards and expected key contributors Nick Suzuki, Mike Hoffman, and Christian Dvorak, who had all been dealing with separate ailments, were back at practice this morning.

  • Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney spoke to the media this morning, including Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, where he discussed a number of Bruins-related topics. Most notably, he touched on extension talks between the team and pending UFA forward David Pastrnak. While many teams and players, in hockey as well as other sports, generally put off contract talks once the season starts, that doesn’t appear to be the case here. Sweeney says the Bruins and Pastrnak have been talking almost every day and are comfortable talking into the regular season. While a deal isn’t done yet of course, the continued dialogue is clearly a good sign for the Bruins and their fans, showing Pastrnak presumably has interest in staying with the team.
  • Earlier this summer, the New York Rangers announced defenseman Jacob Trouba would be their next captain, remarkably their first since previous captain Ryan McDonagh was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018. In the interim, the team has relied on a group of alternate captains to fill their leadership group until they found the perfect fit for the vacant captaincy. Having now chosen Trouba as their man, the Rangers still have their contingent of alternates to go along with him, formally announcing them today. This season, the team will run with veterans Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad as alternates.
  • Tough news for Rangers forward Sammy Blais, who had been out with injury since last November, as he’s still dealing with the aftermath of an upper-body injury suffered after taking a hit from New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov in their Saturday evening preseason contest. According to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, the Rangers have said the forward will not practice today and is doubtful for tomorrow’s season opener against the, Tampa Bay Lightning.

NHL Announces 2022 All-Star “Last Men In”

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The NHL All-Star rosters were revealed a few days ago, with one final spot open for each division. Those spots were filled by the “Last Men In” today following a fan vote.

For the Atlantic Division, the last man in is Steven Stamkos, captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the team’s third All-Star. He’ll join Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy at the event, which will be held on the weekend of February 4-5. Stamkos is having a brilliant bounce-back season with 18 goals and 46 points in 39 games.

In the Metro, Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers was the vote-in choice, but due to personal reasons, he will not be attending. Instead, Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins will take his place. While refusing an All-Star appearance is normally a one-game suspension, that does not appear to be the case for Zibanejad. Guentzel is certainly a worthwhile replacement, as he is currently tied for seven in the league with 20 goals and has scored them in just 32 games.

For the Central, the obvious choice was Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri and the fans did not disappoint. Fifth in the league with 49 points this season, Kadri is having a career year and arguably deserved the All-Star bid ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who will also be there (along with Cale Makar, making it three for the Avalanche).

Another obvious snub when the lists were announced will be rectified as Troy Terry was the Pacific’s last man in, celebrating his breakout season. The 24-year-old forward sits sixth in league scoring with 22 goals in just 38 games, more than doubling his previous career total.

Mika Zibanejad Removed From COVID Protocol After False Positive

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4:12 pm: Zibanejad experienced a false positive test and has been removed from COVID protocol, per a team tweet. He’ll be available for Sunday’s game versus the Buffalo Sabres.

10:09 am: The Rangers announced (Twitter link) before their practice today that center Mika Zibanejad has been placed in COVID protocol.  As is often the case with these announcements, there is no indication as to whether or not he tested positive or entered the protocol for another reason.

The 28-year-old is off to a bit of a quieter start by his standards this season, scoring just four times in 17 games although Zibanejad has chipped in with ten assists to place him fourth in scoring for New York.  Zibanejad once again leads the way in terms of ice time by a forward, logging over 20 minutes a game.  He’s in the final year of his contract that carries a $5.35MM AAV, a considerable bargain compared to the eight-year, $68MM extension that he signed last month.

Zibanejad tested positive for the virus prior to training camp for last season but that was only back in January.  If this is indeed another positive test, he would be out for at least the next ten days which would cause him to miss New York’s next four games at a minimum.  While that wouldn’t be enough time missed to accelerate their shopping for more forward depth, it would still be a tough blow to a team that has gotten off to a solid start this season with a 10-4-3 record.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Trocheck, Backstrom, Rangers

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The Penguins had close to a full group at practice today with winger Jake Guentzel returning from COVID-19 protocol while center Sidney Crosby participated once again.  However, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that those two as well as winger Zach Aston-Reese, have all been ruled out for tomorrow’s season-opener.  However, Guentzel is a possibility to play on Thursday night while Crosby is unlikely to play on their road trip.  An IR placement for him appears likely which could open up a roster spot for the expected signing of veteran Brian Boyle.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While Carolina placed center Vincent Trocheck on IR over the weekend, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes’ team site notes (Twitter link) that the team remains optimistic that he will be available for their season-opener against the Islanders on Thursday. Trocheck had 43 points in 47 games last season while primarily playing on Carolina’s second line, a role he’s likely to reprise in 2021-22.
  • Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom has been making progress as he works his way back from a hip injury but the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran has been designated as injured/non-roster on their season-opening roster. Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters, including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that the 33-year-old has to start skating.  As a result, it appears it will be a little while longer before Washington’s top pivot is in the lineup.
  • While the Rangers were expected to name a captain before the season started, that is not the case. Instead, the team revealed (Twitter link) that they have named six alternates – defenseman Jacob Trouba plus forwards Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome, and Mika Zibanejad.

New York Rangers Extend Mika Zibanejad

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The New York Rangers announced Sunday morning that they’ve extended center Mika Zibanejad. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports an eight-year deal with a cap hit in the $8.5MM range. Per CapFriendly, the contract breakdown is as follows:

2022-23: $1MM salary + $7MM signing bonus
2023-24: $1MM salary + $9MM signing bonus
2024-25: $1MM salary + $9.5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $1MM salary + $9MM signing bonus
2026-27: $1MM salary + $7.5MM signing bonus
2027-28: $1MM salary + $6.75MM signing bonus
2028-29: $1MM salary + $5.75MM signing bonus
2029-30: $1MM salary + $5.5MM signing bonus

CapFriendly also adds that the deal contains a full no-move clause through the first seven years of the deal plus most of the eighth year.  In 2030, that clause will drop to a 21-team no-trade clause seven days before the trade deadline.

Zibanejad’s extension will begin in the 2022-23 season, taking him through 2029-30 — his age 37 season. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this campaign.

With Zibanejad’s $8.5MM reported cap hit, it’s an increase of a little over $3MM on his previous $5.35MM cap hit. The center is coming off a five-year, $26.75MM deal he signed with the Rangers prior to the 2017-18 season.

The contract has immediate salary cap ramifications for the Rangers, who’ll have a busy and challenging offseason ahead of them at the conclusion of this season. The team is projected to have $20.2MM in space next year with the cap increasing to $82.5MM. That space is all they have to re-sign Adam Fox, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov, Sammy Blais, and Alexandar Georgiev, as well as filling out the rest of their roster. They’re handicapped by a $3.4MM cap penalty from the combined buyouts of Kevin Shattenkirk, Dan Girardi, and Anthony DeAngelo.

Throughout his 604-game NHL career, Zibanejad’s scored 200 goals, 234 assists, and 434 points. He’s averaged over 20 minutes a game for the Rangers for three consecutive seasons, cementing his role as a bonafide top-line center. He scored 24 goals and 50 points during last season’s shortened 56-game campaign.

Drafted sixth overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2011, he’s done his best work away from the team that drafted him after Ottawa shipped him away to the Rangers in 2016 in exchange for Derick Brassard. He’s scored 283 points in 323 games as a Ranger.

Theoretically, this deal also had a direct impact on another New York squad. The Rangers have long been linked as a possible destination for former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel via trade. Yet an eight-year commitment of this magnitude to a player that’s served as their first-line center for years now would suggest that the Rangers have placed their bets in-house on a center that can take them to a Stanley Cup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Images.

All salary cap figures courtesy of CapFriendly.

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