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Snapshots: Hub Favorites, Phase 2, Postseason Rules

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Six cities remain in the hunt as potential hub locations for when the NHL returns to play. As things stand right now, Vegas and either Vancouver or Edmonton are the frontrunners, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles remain outside contenders – but they are still very much in the hunt. Of course, Vegas, Vancouver, and Edmonton are all in the Western Conference, meaning one of the Golden Knights, Canucks, or Oilers would play their games at home – should LeBrun’s hunch prove correct. The NHL isn’t overly concerned, per LeBrun, because without fans present, the games would still qualify as technically neutrally located, even though whichever team does stay home would enjoy a certain amount of comfort in their home building. Finding the best, safest fit to house 12 teams at a time is the priority for now, over maintaining a perfect degree of parity. Let’s check in on the other tidbits of news that have eeked out over the last few hours concerning the NHL’s return to play…

  • Phase 2 takes another step forward tomorrow, allowing for up to 12 skaters to share the ice at a time during workouts, tweets Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Only six skaters had been allowed at a time up until now. A successful expansion could prove a crucial development given the recent rash of COVID-19 cases popping up across the sports landscape.
  • We also now know – thanks to NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly – that each of the 24 participating teams will play one or two exhibition games prior to the round-robin and play-in phases of the NHL postseason, per Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That’s not a ton of ice time to ready the troops, but with such a small window of viability, it makes sense to limit player exposure prior to any games of consequence.
  • In a more logistical matter, the NHL and Players’ Association have agreed to extend contracts and visas for players whose contracts were going to expire on June 30th, tweets CapFriendly. That’s not to indicate a more comprehensive agreement between the two sides, as will be required before the NHL officially returns to play. The matter of expiring contracts appears to have been agreed upon as a solitary issue.
  • Teams will have 30 players available for July 10 training camps, with playoff rosters trimmed to 28, per Ben Kuzma of Postmedia Sports. For camp and the playoffs, teams will be granted an unlimited number of goalies. Being as only 6 members of each team have been allowed to share the ice at a time through today, the scope of the NHL’s undertaking will clearly require heavy-lifting from logistics and operations departments.

West Notes: Lindholm, Garland, Josi, Boeser, Toffoli

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While the Anaheim Ducks blueline seems to be getting healthier with the pending returns of Josh Manson, Erik Gudbranson and Cam Fowler soon, the team didn’t get a positive update for the return of Hampus Lindholm. The defenseman, who is second on the team in ice time, has no timetable for a return yet and with just 14 games remaining, it’s legitimately possible that he could miss the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required).

Lindholm has missed the last five games after falling awkwardly into the boards while battling for the puck with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. The upper-body injury is part of the problem, although Stephens added that a back issue is also part of the issue. The 26-year-old has two goals and 22 points through 55 games with 71 blocks, while averaging 23:04 of ATOI.

Regardless, the team expects Manson (upper-body injury) to potentially return as early as today, while Gudbranson (upper-body injury) and Fowler (lower-body injury) are both a week or two behind him.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that forward Conor Garland will be out “week-to-week” after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against Calgary. The injury occurred when Garland collided with Flames’ goaltender Cam Talbot. It’s a tough blow for Arizona as Garland leads the team in goals scored with 22.
  • The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry. The incident happened at 15:13 of the second periond (video here) in which Josi cross checked Perry in the head after the play was over. Josi received a two-minute minor, although many have suggested that he should have received a five-minute major instead. Perry was a constant target in Saturday’s game after he received a five-game suspension during the Winter Classic after knocking Ryan Ellis out with a dirty hit. Ellis missed 20 games with a concussion.
  • The Vancouver Canucks look to be getting back forward Brock Boeser soon. The 23-year-old forward, who has been out since Feb. 8 with a rib injury, and while he is not expected to play today, Boeser feels that he “is close” to returning, likely later this week, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He participated in a game-day skate with the team in full-contact gear. Boeser has 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games and should immediately upgrade the team’s top-six.
  • Sticking with the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that Vancouver is unlikely to be able to retain the services of Tyler Toffoli after this season. The forward was acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline for Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden a second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick based on whether the Canucks could sign him to an extension. Already dealing with cap issues, Vancouver still has to give out new contracts to goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev. Toffoli, who is currently making $4.6MM, might be too expensive to hold onto, although there is always the possiblity that the team moves out some contracts to make it happen. Toffoli has five goals and eight points in eight games since arriving in Vancouver.

Sharks’ Evander Kane Suspended Three Games For Elbowing

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Earlier this morning, the Department of Player Safety announced that San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane would receive a hearing that for elbowing Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Neal Pionk Friday. However, it didn’t take long for the DoPS to come to a decision, as they suspended Kane for three games for the incident.

The incident happened during the third period of Friday’s game between San Jose and Winnipeg. Pionk was in the corner and had just released the puck when Kane came up from behind him and slammed his elbow into Pionk’s head, knocking him to the ground (video here).

The suspension will put Kane into double digits for his career, which likely was a significant factor in why the league hit him with three games. The 28-year-old was actually dealing with the Department of Player Safety several times earlier this year. He was involved in another elbowing incident as he received a $5,000 fine after elbowing Washington’s Radko Gudas on Dec. 4. He was also suspended three games on Oct. 1 during a preseason game for making physical contact with an official. In previous years, he also received two games for boarding in 2014, one game for personal conduct in 2016, and one game for cross-checking in 2018.

The suspension doesn’t help a team that is trying to get past its problems. The team has already lost forward Tomas Hertl to a season-ending injury and the team then announced this morning that Erik Karlsson would miss the rest of the season due to a broken thumb. Three games without Kane won’t make things any easier. The forward has 21 goals and could reach 30 goals for a second straight season, one of the few bright spots this year in San Jose.

Oilers’ Zack Kassian To Face Player Safety Hearing

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It’s one thing to stand up for yourself after taking a big hit from an opponent. It’s another thing to take retaliation to the next level by endangering that opponent, especially after a clean hit. Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian overreacted to the nth degree on Saturday after taking a hard check from Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk and now the league has stepped in to review the situation. The Department of Player Safety announced this morning that Kassian will sit for a hearing on Monday and a suspension is likely.

The incident in question occurred late in the second period of Saturday’s rivalry clash (video). Tkachuk lays a powerful, but legal hip check on an unsuspecting Kassian behind Calgary’s net. Kassian gets up from the hit, immediately looking for revenge. It is worth noting that Tkachuk hit Kassian with a not-as-clean check to the head earlier in the game, so it is understandable that the veteran might be looking to put the youngster in his place. However, the way about which Kassian handled the matter was over the top. With Tkachuk still trying to work the puck out from behind the net, Kassian drops his gloves and goes right to the face of the unaware Tkachuk. Kassian proceeds to throw Tkachuk to the ice, deliver a punch to the back of his head, pull him back up, and then deliver several more punches before Tkachuk again falls to the ice and the referees are able to separate the pair. All the while, Tkachuk was merely trying to protect his face while being rag-dolled, never even given the chance to defend himself, nevertheless the opportunity to truly match up with Kassian in a fair fight. Kassian was handed a four-minute double minor for roughing and a ten-minute misconduct for the play.

However, that is unlikely to be the end of the discipline for Kassian. The physical forward is a repeat offender, which will make it very difficult to escape this incident without another suspension. Kassian’s first encounter with Player Safety occurred in 2013 with the Vancouver Canucks, when he was suspended for the first five games of the 2013-14 season as part of an eight-game ban that included three preseason games, stemming from an intentional high sticking penalty. He received another suspension that same season, a three-game ban for a hit from behind. Unrelated to Player Safety, Kassian also sat for 32 games in the 2015-16 season as a member of the Montreal Canadiens for substance abuse issues. Kassian has a long history with NHL discipline and it is likely to lengthen after Monday’s hearing, as he again has shown a lack of restraint, awareness, and self-control that cannot be tolerated in the NHL.

Atlantic Notes: Fabbri, Chara, Sabourin, Anderson

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The Department of Player Safety revealed that while Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri will not be suspended for spearing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot. However, they did announce that they have fined Fabbri $2,419.35, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for the incident.

The incident happened during the second period of Saturday’s game with both Fabbri and Kerfoot receiving offsetting minor penalties on the play. This is Fabbri’s first run-in with the Department of Player Safety. Fabbri has turned his career around since being traded to Detroit where he has eight goals and 16 points in 20 games for them.

  • The Boston Bruins will be without defenseman Zdeno Chara as the team announced that the 42-year-old will miss Monday’s game against Washington to undergo a follow-up procedure on his surgically-repaired jaw that he sustained during the playoffs last season. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald adds that an infection has developed within the plates and screws in his jaw and must be replaced. With the three-day break coming up, that should give the veteran some time to recover from the procedure without missing much playing time.
  • Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren revealed that injured forward Scott Sabourin is expected to return for Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Sabourin hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 2 after a scary collision with Boston Bruins forward David Backes. Sabourin fell face-first into the ice and suffered a concussion. He’s been skating with the team for several weeks now, but looks finally ready to suit up. The 27-year-old was faring well with Ottawa’s fourth line, posting two points and 26 hits over 11 games.
  • Sticking with Senators, Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team will also be getting back starting goaltender Craig Anderson. It might come at the perfect time with Anders Nilsson out with a concussion and on injured reserve. Anderson has been out with a knee injury since Dec. 7, but is expected to serve as the backup to Marcus Hogberg on Monday against Buffalo. Anderson has a 3.01 GAA in 16 games and a .901 save percentage.

Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo Suspended Four Games For Cross-Checking

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4:24 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced they have suspended Bortuzzo four games for cross-checking Arvidsson, who is now listed as being out for four to six weeks because of the incident. Bortuzzo will sacrifice $67,073.16 in salary.

8:47 AM — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson celebrated his 300th career NHL game with just 4:15 of ice time. While he managed to record an assist in that brief period, he left the game early in the first period with a lower body injury as a result of repeated cross-checks from St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo received a two-minute minor on the play, even though each of the two cross-checks likely deserved its own penalty. However, the league will make up for that on-ice error. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced last night that Bortuzzo will sit for a hearing. It has been scheduled for Sunday, ensuring that there is a decision before he could potentially face the Predators again on Monday night.

The play in question occurred just six minutes into Saturday night’s game (video). Arvidsson, standing in the St. Louis crease as the puck was loose in front of the net, initially receives a forceful check from behind from Bortuzzo, pushing him into the net. Bortuzzo actually turns and complains to the refs about how easily Arvidsson went down, even though the forward was completely blindsided by a hit from a much bigger, stronger player. Bortuzzo then turns back to Arvidsson and hits him with another cross check as he is trying to get up, one that is arguably harder and more dangerous and certainly more intentional. Arvidsson appears to feel this second check even more. For good measure, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington then shoves Arvidsson back into the goal again, although Binnington is not expected to receive any supplemental disclipline.

Few will be surprised to see Bortuzzo’s name linked to a player safety incident. The often-overly aggressive defender is a repeat offender, with his most recent suspension coming just last year after an elbow to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny. He lost two preseason games and one regular season games for that incident and the league will likely want to dole out a harsher penalty for yet another infraction. Bortuzzo has made his career off of being the biggest and toughest player on the ice, but has been known to lose his cool and end up in the penalty box or in trouble with the league. This was clearly a case of Bortuzzo purposefully committing a dangerous penalty against an opponent with an intent to injure. As such, Player Safety may choose to send a message to a player who clearly has yet to learn his lesson. Expect a suspension of at least two games for the St. Louis blue liner this time around.

St. Louis’ Sundqvist Fined For Charging Anaheim’s Gibson

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4:02 PM — The hearing is over and Sundqvist did not receive a suspension. He was fined just under $7,400, according to the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno.

12:33 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced that St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will have a hearing today for charging Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (video here) with 9:51 remaining in the second period of Saturday’s game.

While Gibson went behind the net to play the puck, Sundqvist came around and drove right into him, sparking a fight between the two teams. The 25-year-old was given two penalties, one for charging and another for roughing. Sundqvist has only been suspended once before. He received a one-game suspension on June 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals for a hit to the head against Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk.

Regardless, Sundqvist has been a popular player with the Blues, who received a new four-year, $11MM deal this summer. He scored 14 goals and 31 points last season as well as four goals in the Blues’ Stanley Cup victory run. He has three goals and seven points in 21 games this season.

Poll: Should Kucherov Have Been Disciplined For Hit On Sobotka?

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With the eyes of the hockey world on Stockholm this week for the NHL Global Series, the first game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres featured a questionable no-call, followed by an equally suspicious lack of response by the league. Sabres forward Vladimir Sobotka was forced from the game early after receiving a low-bridge hit from Lightning star Nikita Kucherov. There was no penalty called on the play and The Athletic’s Joe Smith reported that no supplemental discipline will come from the NHL Department of Player Safety. Especially after responding quickly to the Nick Foligno hit on Friday and given the visibility of the Global Series game, should the league have done more about this incident?

The hit in question is questionable indeed (video). Sobotka throws the puck on goal from out near the blue line, while continuing to coast to his left with his focus staying on the puck, now behind the Tampa net. A defenseless and unexpecting Sobotka runs into Kucherov, who has bent down and lowered his body to deliver a hip check that decks Sobotka, sending him end-over-end. This type of low bridge hit has been punished in the past by the league, but there was no call on the ice – likely as attention was on the puck – and the league did not feel it warranted further review. Yet, it seemingly meets many of the criteria that would raise the hit to the level of supplemental discipline. It was late, away from the puck, with intent, and did in fact cause injury. Sobotka was seen after the game with a cast and is expected to miss time for Buffalo.

With that said, this style of low check used to be a non-issue in the NHL. The fact that it was late and away from the play should have resulted in an interference or roughing penalty on the ice, but the hit itself would not have been finable or suspendable years ago. While the league should have at least admitted the error by the referees, there is some understanding as well as to why there was no further review. The issue now is whether the league will be consistent in not issuing discipline for low bridge hits, which the likes of Brad Marchand and Nazem Kadri have been nailed for in the past. Kucherov’s status as a superstar and the fact that the league wanted him available for game two of their international event should not have been a factor in the decision, but very well could have been.

What do you think? Should Kucherov have been disciplined for the low-bridge hit that injured Sobotka? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.

Columbus’ Nick Foligno To Face Player Safety Hearing

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A hit in last night’s Columbus Blue Jackets-Colorado Avalanche game resulted in an early end to the night for two players, but that won’t be the end of the story for either one. Jackets captain Nick Foligno delivered an elbow to the head of Avs forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, forcing him from the game. Foligno received a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct, but that may have just been the beginning of his trouble. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Foligno will have a hearing on Monday to determine further supplemental discipline for the hit.

The hit in question (video) occurred late in the second period of Colorado’s 4-2 win on Friday night. Foligno appears to change direction in the neutral zone and purposefully aim his momentum upward for a hit on Bellemare. His elbow clips Bellemare in the face, the first dangerous point of contact, who then falls and hits the ice hard, with a second and potentially more harmful head contact coming from whiplash against the ice. Bellemare was dazed by the hit and helped off the ice. He did not return and a concussion is a very real possibility for the hard-working veteran.

While Foligno expressed remorse for the hit after the game, per The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, his words come off more as excuse than regret and the nature of the hit betrays his explanation altogether. What appears to be a completely intentional hit by Foligno, leaving his feet and leading with the elbow, is totally out of character for the respected captain. That likely won’t figure into Player Safety’s analysis though, in what is seemingly a cut-and-dry situation. Foligno is a first-time offender and his hearing is over the phone, limiting it in length to a maximum five games, but this is certainly a multi-game suspension.

The timing could not be worse for either team when it comes to player absences. Columbus is mired in a losing streak which could easily be extended through the length of their captain’s suspension. Meanwhile, Colorado has been dealing with struggles of their own which largely have been tied to existing injuries up front and can ill-afford another lasting absence from a regular forward.

Winnipeg’s Lowry To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry will have a hearing Monday for boarding Calgary’s Oliver Kylington.

The incident happened in Calgary’s zone at the end of the second period during the Jets’ 2-1 overtime victory at the outdoor Heritage Classic at Mosaic Stadium Saturday evening. Once time expired in the second period, Lowry put his shoulder right into Kylington’s head (video here). The 26-year-old received a two-minute minor for boarding, while Kylington seemed to escape any major injury as he returned and played in the third period.

Lowry has had issues with behavior before. He was suspended two games back in March of 2019 for cross-checking Nashville’s Filip Forsberg. He also received a one-game suspension in his rookie season in 2014 for boarding Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta.

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