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Joe Thornton, Ryan Reaves Receive Matching Fines For High-Sticking

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The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights seem destined for a first-round collision in the playoffs and the hype for that divisional rivalry series only increased last night after their final regular season meeting. A 4-3 overtime win for the Sharks, the game ended late but the contention started early as future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton and infamous grinder Ryan Reaves got into in the first period. The sparring between the two led to what appeared to be an intentional high stick from Thornton, who shoved the butt end of this stick into Reaves’ neck area. Reaves retaliated and ended up earning a ten-minute misconduct in addition to a two-minute minor for roughing, while Thornton only received a minor for high sticking. Late in the game, Reaves retaliated again with a high stick of his own on Thornton, which was not caught by the referees.

It was however caught by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Player Safety reviewed the incidents and have decided that supplemental discipline is necessary, but the altercation was not suspension-worthy for either player. Instead, they settled on enforcing matching fines for each case of intentional high-sticking. Both Thornton and Reaves have been fined $2,500 for high-sticking, Player Safety announced.

The league’s response to Thornton’s and Reaves’ actions seems fair for now, but the big question is how they will act if the two continue to battle outside the rules when these two teams clash in the postseason. Reaves isn’t exactly one to forget grudges, while Thornton is well beyond the point in his career where he is willing to put up with disrespect. The two seems almost guaranteed to go at each other in the first round and Player Safety may have to decide whether more fine will be enough if the altercations continue or grow more dangerous. A suspension in the playoffs, even a one-game ban, is usually reserved for major incidences, but Thornton and Reaves might not be slowed by fines for further aggression and could be a cause for concern over a four-to-seven game stretch.

Pacific Notes: Burns, Kane, Quick, Carrier

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Already without Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson for Sunday, the San Jose Sharks could be without another Norris Trophy winner on Sunday as well as defenseman Brent Burns skipped today’s voluntary practice with a flu bug and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. Oh, and Burns currently holds the iron man streak of 454 straight games played.

There’s a “little bit of a flu bug going through the team,” said Sharks’ head coach Peter DeBoer.

The team already announced that Karlsson will miss Sunday’s game due to re-tweaking a groin injury last week. However, the team hasn’t played a game without Burns on the ice since Nov. 21, 2013. The defenseman currently leads all Sharks with 71 points in 65 games and is in the running for his second Norris Trophy in the last three years. If Burns can’t play, the team is expected to utilize Joakim Ryan to replace him. Ryan hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 22.

  • Sticking with the Sharks, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that Evander Kane’s remains questionable for Sunday’s game after missing Friday with an undisclosed middle-body injury. Kurz writes that the injury to Kane is not considered to be serious. The 27-year-old has 27 goals and 51 points this year and is closing in on career highs in both areas.
  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) suggests that this may be Jonathan Quick’s last season in Los Angeles as the team might be looking to trade their longtime goaltender. With a solid season by backup Jack Campbell and the impressive play of rookie Calvin Petersen, the team could consider moving on from Quick. While most teams in need of a goaltender might be looking at Sergei Bobrovsky as their first choice, Quick might make a solid second option for teams who miss out on Bobrovsky. Of course, the 33-year-old Quick isn’t having his best season as he has just 11 wins, a 3.31 GAA and a .897 save percentage and is owed $5.8MM for four more years. However, most people expect Quick to rebound after a tough, injury-plagued season.
  • David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Vegas Golden Knights fourth-liner William Carrier, who has missed six straight games with an upper-body injury and has appeared in only 48 games this season, could begin skating today and could return to the lineup within the next two weeks. Carrier is second in the NHL in hits with 247 this season, two behind teammate Ryan Reaves.

Tom Wilson, Jordan Staal Dealing With Concussions

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The Washington Capitals will be without one of their key forwards again tonight, but not for the usual reason. After missing 16 games earlier this season to suspension and being given a match penalty in another, Tom Wilson will instead miss tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes with a concussion. Wilson suffered the injury in Tuesday’s game against the Golden Knights when he was hit hard by Ryan Reaves, and is “day-to-day” according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, who spoke to head coach Todd Reirden earlier today.

When taking into account Wilson’s physical, sometimes reckless style, he has been extraordinarily healthy throughout his NHL career. He has played all 82 games in three of his five NHL seasons, and only missed that mark last year due to the four-game suspension he had to start the year. That durability has been a calling card of his, and allowed the Capitals to rely on him nightly to establish a physical presence for their team. It likely helped earn him a spot next to some of the team’s best players, and also factored into his big contract extension.

Unfortunately, this injury for Wilson comes during the most productive stretch of his career. Since returning from suspension after a neutral arbitrator reduced it to 14 games—Wilson had already served 16—the power forward recorded eight goals and 14 points in 11 games for the Capitals. His success from the 2017-18 playoffs had seemed to continue, and opponents no longer just had to keep their heads up when he was on the ice. Now, a concussion puts some uncertainty in his season as his style could very well lead to more injuries down the road if the team is not careful. Reaves was obviously targeting Wilson as a physical challenge, forcefully checking him multiple times in the game and confronting him on the ice. That kind of treatment isn’t going to stop after the reputation that Wilson has built for himself.

Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes have their own concussed forward in Jordan Staal, who will miss the team’s next game according to team broadcaster Mike Maniscalco. The Hurricanes have called up Saku Maenalanen to replace Staal, who suffered the injury last night against the San Jose Sharks. This will be Maenalanen’s NHL debut should he get into the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow night.

This is just the latest in what must be a frustrating season for Staal so far, as the veteran forward has been stymied on offense as well. With just 11 points in 27 games, the 30-year old hasn’t been able to help the Hurricanes get to that next level and start competing in the Metropolitan Division. With him out, the team will have to look elsewhere for help down the middle, and assign another center to the tough defensive matchups.

Eastern Notes: Nylander, Elliott, Hedman, Rask

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are running out of time to sign restricted free agent William Nylander and as each day passes, general manager Kyle Dubas may be more and more inclined to look to deal Nylander before they lose him for the season.

In Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada segment, Elliotte Friedman said that if/when the Maple Leafs decide to move Nylander, expect the Carolina Hurricanes to be ready to make a deal.

“When the time does come — if the time does come that Toronto decides they are going to deal [Nylander] — Carolina has made it very clear that they are all in,” said Friedman.

Carolina has a number of key assets that might interest Toronto, including defensemen Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce. Nylander would be another key piece for the Hurricanes to build up their forward core that already includes Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers lost one of their goalies Saturday when Michal Neuvirth was sent back home to Philadelphia for medical reasons. Now, Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Brian Elliott left practice early today after he collided with teammate Travis Konecny. The injury-prone goalie left holding his head, but there is no update, nor is it known if he can play in Monday’s game against Arizona. If not, Calvin Pickard will fill in for him and the team may have to recall Alex Lyon from Lehigh Valley of the AHL. The 33-year-old Elliott has been adequate at best so far in 10 appearances this year. He has a 3.10 GAA and an .893 save percentage.
  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) reports that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach said defenseman Victor Hedman, who has been out since Oct. 26 when he collided with Vegas’ Ryan Reaves will be out on Tuesday, but could be ready to return later this week.
  • With lots of mailbag questions about Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, NBC Sports Joe Hagerty writes that he doubts the team would be able to trade the struggling Rask in any upcoming deal. The 31-year-old Rask, who has been outplayed by free agent Jaroslav Halak so far this season, has a 3.15 GAA and a .902 save percentage in six appearances. However, his contract ($7MM AAV for two more years after this one), but more particularly his no-trade clause will prevent Boston from moving him. While many teams might want to give Rask a new opportunity, Haggerty writes he doesn’t believe that Rask has any interest in leaving Boston and wouldn’t be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

Max Pacioretty, Victor Hedman Exit Game With Head Injuries

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UPDATE (10/27): Both teams have now issued updates statuses on the injured players. Despite the optics of each hit and the initial optimism from the Lightning, it seems that Hedman has likely suffered a worse injury than Pacioretty. Tampa Bay reports that their top defender will be re-evaluated in a week after an upper-body injury (while also noting that Ondrej Palat is day-to-day with a lower-body injury). Hedman will certainly miss the Bolts’ game against the Coyotes today and match-ups with New Jersey and Nashville later this week as well. His status for Tampa’s games against division rivals Montreal and Ottawa are in question. Meanwhile, Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant revealed that Pacioretty is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Given the time taken to update his condition, it is likely that Pacioretty was evaluated for a concussion but seemingly avoided one. Vegas also faces the Senators and Predators in upcoming games and the winger’s availability could be a game-time decision for each.

10/26: The Vegas Golden Knights are facing a possible absence from big off-season trade acquisition Max Pacioretty, while the Tampa Bay Lightning could be without defensive mainstay Victor Hedman. The veteran winger first left Friday night’s game between the two teams after suffering an apparent head injury. Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn was the culprit, as he delivered a high hit on Pacioretty just five minutes into the contest. (video) Hedman was then the victim of an awkward collision with Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the second period that sent him toppling into the boards. Hedman appeared to injure his head/neck area as he landed. (video)

As the video shows, Pacioretty was carrying the puck and Coburn was simply playing his man. As Pacioretty cuts to the right, Coburn lands a shoulder right to his face. Pacioretty did get right back up, but quickly skated off and looked uneasy. “Patch” did not return to the game and Vegas has not issued an update on his status. An update should be expected soon, with the Golden Knights set to host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and potentially in need of a roster move.

In contrast, Tampa Bay was quick to rule out Hedman, as The Athletic’s Joe Smith received word before the end of the period. Reaves hit itself was not bad, but caught Hedman off balance. The superstar defenseman crashed into the boards and quickly skated off the ice once he was back on his feet. It was unclear whether his head injury was more of a concussion concern, like Pacioretty’s, or instead a possible neck issue as a result of an awkward landing.

If Pacioretty did indeed suffer a serious head injury that will sideline him for some time, Vegas will have to make up for his offense. The former Montreal Canadiens star has only two goals through nine games, but is a five-time 60+ point player. Between he and Paul Stastny, out with a lower-body injury, the Knights would be without their two major off-season additions and expected top-six core contributors. Fortunately, the team has Alex Tuch back from the injured reserve to help pick up the slack. Cody Eakin, who has four points in six games while dealing with injuries of his own, will also be expected to step up. A Hedman absence would be a major loss for the Bolts, but not one that would be impossible to overcome. Between Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev, and Coburn, the Tampa lefties will be leaned upon more. Slater Koekkoek would also be likely to see some action, filling Hedman’s roster spot. With a game tomorrow at the Arizona Coyotes, it would be no surprise to see the reigning Norris Trophy winner sit at least one game. More information on the status of both players should be available soon.

Ryan Reaves Agrees To Two-Year Deal To Return To Vegas

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Saturday — 8:10 p.m.: Dreger adds that Reaves will receive a two-year deal for $2.775MM per year.

Saturday — 5:50 p.m.: TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Reaves will indeed be staying with the Vegas Golden Knights on a two-year deal despite receiving quite a bit of attention from multiple teams, including extensive talks with the Calgary Flames.

Friday: Though he was attracting interest from other teams, it appears that winger Ryan Reaves is sticking around with Vegas.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights are expected to sign him.  Meanwhile, Larry Brooks of the New York Post adds (via Twitter) that the Rangers, who were one of the other teams interested in signing him, are aware that he is off the market.

Reaves started this past season with Pittsburgh but didn’t fare too well with them which resulted in him being dealt to the Golden Knights as part of the three-team Derick Brassard trade.  He played a regular role down the stretch and even worked his way into a regular spot in the lineup as the postseason progressed.  On the season, he wound up with ten points, 94 penalty minutes, and 236 hits in 79 games while adding a pair of goals in ten postseason contests.

The 31-year-old ranked 44th in our Top 50 UFA list with a projected contract of two years and $3MM.  While financial terms of Reaves’ deal are not yet known, it’s likely that he will receive a raise on the $1.125MM AAV he had on his last contract given the interest he was generating around the league.

Rangers Interested In Ryan Reaves

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The Rangers are interested in signing rugged winger Ryan Reaves, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  New York is planning to run with a younger team, especially up front so it’s not surprising that they’d have interest in someone who could be tasked with helping to protect those players.

Reaves started this past season with Pittsburgh after they had acquired him from St. Louis back at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.  He didn’t fare particularly well with them as his playing time dipped to just 6:45 per game, his lowest since 2011-12.  He wound up being dealt to Vegas as part of the Derick Brassard swap where he received more playing time during the rest of the regular season at 9:45 per night.  On the year, he wound up with ten points, 94 penalty minutes, and 236 hits in 79 games.

The 31-year-old started the playoffs as a healthy scratch but as the rounds progressed, he started to make his way into the lineup and actually scored in back-to-back games including the game winner in the series-clinching game against the Jets.

Reaves is coming off of a contract that carried a $1.125MM cap hit and while the demand for enforcers is quite low at the moment, it’s still fair to project a raise.  Term will obviously also be a factor and Brooks notes that the Rangers are looking to cap their commitments at no more than two years.

New York isn’t the only team with some level of interest in Reaves.  Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Blues have been in contact with Reaves’ camp but noted that nothing came out of those discussions.

Perron, Carrier Draw In For Vegas In Game Five

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If the amount of Washington fans able buy Game Five tickets off of Vegas fans or the look on Alex Ovechkin’s face is any indication, this Stanley Cup final series is already over. However, the Golden Knights are not going to give up that easy. Underestimated since their inception, the team knows how to fight through adversity and tonight is no different.

To shake things up in an effort to extend the series, head coach Gerard Gallant has made some surprise changes to his lineup. Per beat writer Steve Carp, drawing back in after being a scratch in the last game is veteran winger David Perron. He will be joined by energetic checker William Carrier, who has missed the past ten games due to injury. Yet Tomas Tatar will remain in the lineup for the Knights after filling in for Perron in Game Four. Instead, bottom six contributors Ryan Carpenter and Ryan Reaves will take a seat for what may be the team’s final game of their inaugural season. Here is the projected lineup.

While Perron’s production has slowed in the postseason – no goals and eight assists in fourteen games – he in undeniably an offensive upgrade to Carpenter or Reaves. The 30-year-old winger has 444 points in 722 NHL games, including a career-high 66 points with Vegas this year. If the Knights plan to outscore the Capitals tonight, they will need both Perron and Tatar on the ice. While Carrier may be cold, he is also a pesky defensive presence and a vicious, but clean checker. Carrier brings a different element to the bottom six that Vegas has been lacking and could help to slow down the torrid Caps attack.

Will these moves make a difference? Tune in to a possibly deciding Game Five to find out.

Poll: Should Pittsburgh Have Traded For Derick Brassard?

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With the Eastern Conference Finals set to continue on Monday between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning, one team that hasn’t been sitting around for the last couple of years is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Entering the playoffs red-hot after a key trade deadline acquistion, many people thought that the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins might make their third-straight trip to the Stanley Cup. Instead, they were ousted by the Capitals, who are fighting for their life.

The Penguins felt they hit the jackpot after making a big three-way trade between the Ottawa Senators and the Vegas Golden Knights to acquire that second-line center they desperately needed in Derick Brassard. While he seemed to be a good fit early during the final part of the regular season when he put up eight points in 14 games, Brassard suffered through an undisclosed “difficult injury,” near the end of the season and struggled throughout the playoffs. He managed just one goal and four points in 12 playoff games.

“I don’t know if we ever got there, to the comfort level where we know he’s capable of being the player he is,” said head coach Mike Sullivan following the season.

In exchange for Brassard, the Penguins gave up quite a bit to the Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights, including defenseman Ian Cole (who was subsequently flipped to Columbus), goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson, enforcer Ryan Reaves, a 2018 first-round pick, a 2019 third-round pick and the Vancouver Canucks’ 2018 fourth-round pick.

Cole fit in nicely with Columbus and became a key piece to the Blue Jackets’ defensive core and his gritty play and leadership may have been missed from the Penguins lineup, although defenseman Chad Ruhwedel did a solid job replacing him. While many won’t miss Reaves, his size and leadership also may have been underestimated as he eventually was a key figure in the Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff run, scoring the game-winning goal to clinch the team’s first trip to the Stanley Cup. And while the Penguins are overloaded in prospects, Gustavsson finished his season, came over to the U.S. and already on the Senators’ AHL roster getting valuable playing time.

That doesn’t include the picks that the Penguins have given up, not including the fact that Pittsburgh will have drafted in the first round just once in the past six years (and Kasperi Kapanen was traded not long after to Toronto).

On a positive note, the Penguins have one more year to show that Brassard was worth the haul they gave up. He still has one more year at $3MM (after Vegas retained some of his salary) suggesting he’s on a very affordable contract.

So, did the Penguins make the right decision in trading for Brassard?

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Western Notes: Tarasenko, Horvat, Kaprisov

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Many people had high hopes that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko would take that next step this year and become that franchise player that everyone has been waiting for. However, despite those hopes, Tarasenko had a down year. After averaging close to 39 goals per season over the past three years, the 26-year old’s goal totals dropped to 33, while his point totals went from 75 to 66.

The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that one possibility of Tarasenko’s struggles is the fact that the team traded away his three closest friends in Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Shattenkirk. Not having them around did have an effect on how Tarasenko handled himself around the team and the scribe said that both Shattenkirk and Reaves had a way of keeping the star level-headed and in check.

While the team would have little interest in bringing back Lehtera and unrealistic to bring back Shattenkirk, the team may consider bringing back Reaves, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The question there is whether the Blues could find playing time for the power forward. Reaves struggled with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs yet, which suggests he may not be the same player he once was. Regardless, Rutherford adds that if they do attempt to bring back Reaves, that would spell the end of Chris Thorburn, who essentially plays that same role.

  • Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat is playing for Team Canada in the World Championships with one thing in mind. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team captain was told by the team during exit interviews at the end of the season to keep working on his two-way game. Horvat, who had a career-high in goals scored with 22, has emphasized working on his skating while in Denmark. “For me, it’s to work on my skating — you can never be too fast,” said Horvat, who also said working on his defensive awareness is another skill he’s been working on.
  • The Minnesota Wild have had no luck changing the mind of prospect Kirill Kaprisov, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required). The 21-year-old Russian prospect has been playing alongside long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk at the IIHF World Championships and the two have been a great combination. However, despite the youngster’s success and the Wild’s desperate need for a young scorer, his agent Dan Milstein reiterated that he will not come to the U.S. until his contract in the KHL expires. He still has two years remaining with CSKA Moscow. “Kirill has two years left on his KHL contract which he intends to fulfill. Long-term plan is to play in the NHL,” Milstein wrote via e-mail.

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