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Tuukka Rask

Atlantic Notes: Butcher, Phaneuf, Rask

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While at the moment there are 10-12 teams interested in the services of free agent blueliner Will Butcher, the Canadiens are not among them, his agent Brian Bartlett told TVA Sports’ Louis-Andre Lariviere.  After turning over their top three defenders on the left side this summer, Montreal had previously been speculated on as a potential landing place.

Bartlett indicated that the plan is to whittle the list down to a shortlist of three or four teams and then Butcher will visit those cities.  He hopes to have a contract in place for the Hobey Baker Award winner by the end of next week.

The Blue Jackets, Devils, Golden Knights, Penguins, and Sabres are among the teams that are known to have shown interest while the Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, Flyers, Red Wings, and Sharks are ones that at least previously have yet to get involved in discussions.  Bartlett added that there are a few Canadian-based teams that have expressed an interest in Butcher although he declined to specify which ones.

Other notes from the Atlantic:

  • Although part of the reason that the Senators were entertaining offers for blueliner Dion Phaneuf prior to expansion was so that they could protect Marc Methot, Ottawa is still open to dealing the veteran defender, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch noted in a radio interview with TSN 1200. Phaneuf still has four years left on his contract with a $7MM cap hit with a no-move clause and Garrioch adds that he doesn’t expect a trade to happen.  The Kings had some interest in the 32-year-old earlier in the summer but were asking Ottawa to take an onerous contract (believed to be winger Marian Gaborik) in return.
  • The Bruins would like to scale back the workload for goaltender Tuukka Rask this season, GM Don Sweeney admitted to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Rask has played at least 64 games in each of the past three seasons and has shown signs of being banged up at the end of those.  Sweeney would like to see Boston’s backup play somewhere around 25 games in a perfect world but backup Anton Khudobin and prospect Zane McIntyre both struggled with their consistency in 2016-17 and if that carries over into this coming season, it may be difficult to give Rask the type of rest they’d like.

Bruins Notes: Krejci, C. Miller, Morrow, Subban

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Fresh off a 2-1 Game One win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night without three starters in David Krejci, Torey Krug, and Brandon Carlo, it appears that the Boston Bruins will have to line up for Game Two with an even more short-handed roster. While the team has until their matinee puck drop on Saturday to make any official announcement, it sounds as though defenseman Colin Miller will join the growing list of injuries. Miller, who left the previous game after suffering a lower body injury on a trip from Mark Borowiecki, was on the ice for practice today, but left early due to pain and discomfort. After practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy made it sound very unlikely that Miller would be available for the next game.

With Miller out, in addition to Krug and Carlo, Joe Morrow is the next man up to slot in on the blue line. Morrow, a former first-round pick and a piece of the Tyler Seguin trade, has not been able to work his way into regular play time in years with the Bruins. With John-Michael Liles in the fold this season, Morrow was bumped down to eighth on the depth chart and has not played in almost three months. However, the Bruins were able to beat the Senators with just five defenseman for most of Game One, so even a cold Morrow could be an upgrade as Boston looks to take a stranglehold on the series with another road win.

  • Having Krejci back would certainly go a long way to help the Bruins take a 2-0 series lead, but Cassidy confirmed that Boston’s highest-paid player will miss another game. Cassidy did add the qualifier that “as of today” he would miss the game, and Krejci did suit up for warm-ups before being a late scratch in Game One,  however he missed practice today and all signs point to the Bruins playing is safe with their third-highest scorer.

Boston Bruins Recall Zane McIntyre On Emergency Basis

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5:05pm: Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports that it is in fact Khudobin who has suffered a minor injury today. If he’s not able to dress, it would still put the Bruins at risk of having to use an unproven rookie in what will amount to another must-win game.

4:38pm:Despite saying this morning that Tuukka Rask would be back in net for the Boston Bruins tonight against the Nashville Predators, the team has recalled Zane McIntyre from Providence on emergency conditions. Whether this means Rask isn’t ready, or somehow Anton Khudobin has suffered an injury during the day isn’t clear.

Rask sat out the Bruins last game against the New York Islanders on Saturday with a mysterious lower-body injury, allowing Khudobin to make the start instead and help the team to a 2-1 victory. Rask received some heat from media and fans who compared it to last year when the goaltender sat out the final game with an illness and watched as the Bruins lost 6-1 to miss the playoffs. While it’s certain Rask and the Bruins wouldn’t fake an injury this late in the season, it is horrible timing for a club that is fighting for their playoff lives on a nightly basis. With the Tampa Bay Lightning now just one point behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot, they need every win they can down the stretch.

Though if it is Khudobin who makes the start tonight, perhaps it’s not the worst thing that could happen. The goaltender is 5-1 since the beginning of February and boasts a .920 save percentage in those matches. On Saturday, he stopped 18 of 19 shots in one of the biggest victories of the season for the Bruins. McIntyre on the other hand has appeared in eight games this season for Boston and has proved he’s not quite ready for the NHL with a save percentage of .858.

Tuukka Rask Out Tonight With LBI

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The Boston Bruins are facing a near must-win situation against the New York Islanders this evening, but they’ll be missing a key part of their team.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask is out with a lower-body injury, according to the team’s Twitter account. Anton Khudobin will get the start instead. We reported earlier today that the Bruins have recalled Zane McIntyre on an emergency basis to back up Khudobin.

It’s a very important game for the Bruins; they’re currently sitting outside the playoffs with 82 points. The Islanders also have 82 points, but have a game in hand on Boston. The Bruins were in the third divisional playoff spot last weekend, but have lost four in a row while the Maple Leafs have won three straight to pass them. Toronto is now three points ahead of Boston and comfortably in the third spot in the Atlantic Division.

This isn’t the first time Rask has missed an important game for his team. Last season, he caught a 24-hour flu bug and was out for the Bruins’ final game of the season, a must-win game against the Senators. Backup Jonas Gustavsson started instead; the Bruins lost 6-1 and missed the playoffs. Back in the Sochi Olympics, Rask missed Finland’s semi-final game versus Sweden with another stomach flu. The Swedes beat them, and Rask returned for the Bronze Medal Game, which he won.

Boston Recalls Goalie Zane McIntyre On Emergency Basis

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The Boston Bruins announced this morning that they have recalled goaltender Zane McIntyre from Providence of the AHL on an emergency basis. McIntyre has appeared in eight games for the Bruins this season but like his colleague, Anton Khudobin, he has struggled to provide the club with quality play between the pipes, registering a record of 0 – 4 – 1 while posting a GAA of nearly 4 and a S% of just 0.858.

It’s been a different story in Providence for the 24-year-old goalie, as he leads the AHL in both GAA (2.03) and S% (0.931). His strong play in net for the Baby Bruins led to his selection to appear in the 2017 AHL All Star game.

Joe Haggerty of CSN New England suggests the recall is linked to Tuukka Rask not skating yesterday and may mean he will be unavailable for tonight’s game in Brooklyn against the Islanders. Rask’s absence, even for just one game, would be bad news for a Bruins team that has lost four straight and now sits three points behind Toronto for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Minor Transactions: 2/1/2017

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Here’s where we will track the day’s less significant roster transactions:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets reassigned defenseman Dean Kukan to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline (via Twitter). The 23-year-old blue liner was recalled Sunday but did not appear in the Jackets wild 6 – 4 win over the New York Rangers last night. He appeared in eight games last season, his first in the NHL, but failed to register a point. The Swiss-born Kukan signed a deal with Columbus prior to the 2015-16 season after a lengthy pro career playing in his home country. In 37 games this year with Cleveland, Kukan has 13 points.
  • Joe Haggerty of CSNNE has relayed that Zane McIntyre has been recalled by the Boston Bruins to replace Anton Khudobin as the team’s backup netminder. The Bruins are desperate for quality play in goal behind starter Tuukka Rask. McIntyre and Khudobin have combined to post a woeful record of 1 – 8 – 2 in 15 appearances with a GAA of 3.42 and a S% of 0.875. Boston has just two back-to-backs scheduled this month, suggesting they won’t have to rely on their backup much, provided Rask remains healthy.
  • Defenseman Dylan McIlrath and forward Paul Thompson, each of whom was placed on waivers by Florida yesterday, went unclaimed and will remain in the Florida Panthers organization, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. George Richards, who covers the Panthers for the Miami Herald, later added that McIlrath was reassigned to Springfield, along with forward Jared McCann.  McIlrath, acquired earlier this season from the New York Rangers, has seen action in just five games for Florida this season. The former first-round draft pick has had trouble earning regular playing time. Thompson, 28, has played in 21 games for the Panthers, registering three assists while averaging less than eight minutes per game.
  • The Washington Capitals returned blue liner Christian Djoos to Hershey of the AHL, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Djoos was Washington’s seventh-round selection in the 2012 entry draft and has yet to debut in the NHL. He’s in the midst of a solid season for Hershey, tallying 26 points in 35 AHL contests.

 

Injury Updates: Rask, Krug, Carlson, Rielly, Gallagher

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After exiting the Boston Bruins’ 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday midway through the game with a migraine, Tuukka Rask was also not in attendance at practice today. The Bruins are losers of four straight games and have an important re-match with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, who they gave up a three-goal lead to last Wednesday en route to a shootout defeat. The last thing they can afford is to lose their best player this season, as Rask has been excellent with 22 wins, a .920 save percentage, and 2.11 goals against average, especially when rookie backup Zane McIntyre has struggled to adjust to the NHL thus far with an .860 save percentage and 3.95 goals against average. There has been no word on Rask’s availability for tomorrow night’s game and no recall has yet to be made, so Rask may just be taking the day off to rest and recover. The Bruins certainly hope that’s the case and they need their star keeper at full strength if they want to right the ship.

Torey Krug was another notable name who did not practice for the Bruins today. The speedy defenseman was the recipient of a bad hit yesterday by the Penguins’ Jake Guentzel (who deservedly got a boarding penalty). Not only did Krug continue playing, but he led all Bruins in ice time. That effort combined with a harsh hit likely earned him the day off today. Krug is tenth among NHL defensemen in points this season with four goals and 25 assists and is another player the Bruins cannot afford to lose right now. On a positive note, all of the Bruins other defensemen were full participants in practice today, including both Colin Miller and Kevan Miller who have missed the last few games with injury.

In other injury news around the league:

  • Another struggling team who needs a healthy roster is the St. Louis Blues. However, prominent contributors Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester did not skate today. Schwartz took a shot to the inside of the knee in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets and was reportedly limping badly after the game. Bouwmeester remains out with a lower-body injury, though is considered day-to-day. Both players appear questionable to suit up for St. Louis against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • Capitals fans will be happy to hear that top defenseman John Carlson skated with the team today, but should not expect to see the big blue liner back in the lineup right away. With Washington rolling of late (11-0-2 in their last 13), the team can afford to ease Carlson back into the lineup. He has been ruled out for both tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and tomorrow’s against the Ottawa Sentors. He may play Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, but it seems likely that they will hold him out through the All-Star break to give him another week of rest.
  • Another defenseman on the mend is Toronto’s Morgan Rielly, who was a full participant at Maple Leafs practice today. While he’s been ruled out for tonight’s match-up with the Calgary Flames, coach Mike Babcock has left open the possibility that he could return before the All-Star break as the Leafs play twice later in the week.
  • The Montreal Canadiens were happy to have hard-working Brendan Gallagher back at practice today, but Habs fans should not hold their breath for a swift return. Gallagher still appears to be a ways out from game action, as he wore a white non-contact jersey and used a stick with no blade. Gallagher admitted that when returning from a similar injury to his left hand last year, he began shooting too soon and caused damage. The team doctors didn’t take that chance this time around, removing the blade to also remove the temptation. Even when he returns, Gallagher said he will likely have to wear protection on his hand for the rest of his career after multiple surgeries. An eight-week timeline was set for the gritty winger when he was injured at the beginning of January, so Gallagher could still be a month away from playing for the Canadiens again.

Roman Josi And Tuukka Rask Leave Game

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The Nashville Predators are hosting the Boston Bruins tonight in what’s becoming quite the bloodbath.

Minutes after Tuukka Rask left the game after taking a high shot from Roman Josi, Bruins rookie Anton Blidh threw an ugly hit on Josi. Blidh was ejected from the game for his hit, while Josi left the game with what’s being called an upper-body injury. Zane McIntyre is now in the net for Boston while Rask is being evaluated. Jack Edwards tweets that the Bruins are making arrangements for an emergency backup goaltender, meaning Rask is unlikely to return this evening, even as a backup.

Both teams are hoping for good news. The Predators are already without P.K. Subban, leaving them down two top-pairing defensemen at the moment. Meanwhile, the Bruins have struggled without Rask. Rask has a 21-9-3 record, while the Bruins are 1-8-2 without their star goaltender.

Atlantic Notes: Girgensons, Jurco, Rask

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The Sabres are showing some concern with center/left winger Zemgus Girgensons, who has just one shot on goal in his last five games, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.  In their last game, he found himself dropped to fourth line and saw just 9:07 of ice time, his lowest since getting injured in a game in the first period back in January.

Girgensons acknowledges that he is still adjusting to playing a more structured style under Dan Bylsma compared to the looser style under previous coach Ted Nolan, who the 22 year old thrived playing under.  In particular, Bylsma would like to see him drive the net much more often:

“He should be a guy that should be peeled off the goalie every time he’s on the ice. He should be getting to that hard area to score a goal. It’s something we know he can do and it’s something he’s got to do to have success in his game.”

Girgensons has just a goal and three assists in 21 games this year, not the start he was looking to get off to after signing a one year, $1.15MM deal back in September.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Detroit’s Tomas Jurco, who is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow, dropped 15 pounds over the offseason, notes MLive’s Peter J. Wallner. Jurco felt that he was more of a scoring threat when he was faster so instead of bulking up as he had the past couple of seasons, he decided to slim down in the hopes that doing so will help him rebound from a rough 2015-16 where he had just four goals and two assists in 44 NHL games, a season that also saw him become a frequent healthy scratch.
  • Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask has made an adjustment to his goaltending style and as a result, the unpredictability for shooters is paying early dividends, writes Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe. In recent years, Rask has strictly used the reverse VH goaltending style and while he’s comfortable doing so, his penchant for doing so in all situations was coming back to bite him at times in the past.  Now, he’s staying upright more often, making it tougher for opponents to know how he’s going to attack each shot and the results are certainly there so far.  Rask sits second in the league in goals against average (1.62) and tied for fourth in save percentage (.940) through 16 games so far this season.

Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-First Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?

Here are the results of our redraft so far:

1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)
20th Overall: Justin Abdelkader (Florida Panthers)

Now we move forward to the 21st pick, which was held by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

To recap how this works:

  • We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
  • The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.

Back in 2005, Toronto selected goaltender Tuukka Rask out of Ilves Tampere of the SM-liiga in Finland.  His selection was one of the top picks in the trade as you may have noticed he went sixth overall in our redraft.  Unfortunately for the Leafs, they never really got to reap the benefits of this selection.  Just one year after picking him, Toronto dealt him to Boston in exchange for Andrew Raycroft, a goalie only two years removed from getting the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

The Leafs were hoping that Raycroft would be their goalie of the present and future.  It didn’t exactly work out that way as he spent just two years in Toronto, recording 39 wins in 91 games.  He bounced around the NHL for a few more years with stops in Colorado, Vancouver, and Dallas, before heading overseas to play in Italy and Sweden before retiring following the 2013-14 season.

As for Rask, he has become one of the better goalies in the league with the Bruins.  He has played in 343 games, going 176-105-43 with a career 2.21 GAA and a .925 SV%.  He also won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie in 2013-14.  While Toronto may not want a mulligan on their selection back in 2005, they’d surely like a do-over on their decision to trade Rask before ever playing a game in their system.

With the 21st pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Maple Leafs select?  Cast your vote below!

Mobile users, click here to vote.

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