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Matt Niskanen Receives One-Game Suspension

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The Flyers will be without one of their veteran defensemen on Friday night as they look to close out their series against Montreal as the Department of Player Safety announced (video link) that Matt Niskanen has received a one-game suspension for his cross-check on Brendan Gallagher late in Wednesday’s contest.

The incident occurred with just over five minutes remaining in the third period.  In their video describing the reason for the suspension, the league noted that they accepted Niskanen’s statement that he wasn’t trying to hit Gallagher in the head and that Gallagher’s sudden movement just before the cross-check occurred was a contributory factor to the hit landing on his head and not lower.  Gallagher suffered a broken jaw on the play and will be out for the rest of this series at the very least.

With Niskanen out of the lineup, it may pave the way for Shayne Gostisbehere to return.  He suited up in the first two games of the series before being scratched to make room for Robert Hagg.  Gostisbehere has a history of success against Montreal; they are the only opponent that he has averaged more than a point per game against with 14 points (2-12-14) in 13 games.

Snapshots: Zub, Suspensions, U17

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With the KHL season and playoffs now over, the pursuit of the best players in the league will begin in earnest for NHL clubs trying to add free agent talent. One of the players drawing the most interest is Artyom Zub, who Darren Dreger of TSN reports has narrowed his options to just two teams. The Ottawa Senators, one of the teams chasing Zub the longest, is one of them.

The 24-year old defenseman has played the last four seasons with SKA St. Petersburg, one of the KHL’s powerhouse organizations. He broke out offensively this season with 13 goals and 22 points, though Igor Eronko of Sport-Express points out that he doesn’t see the powerplay and is normally more of a defensive option. For a more thorough scouting report, Scott Wheeler and Hailey Salvian of The Athletic (subscription required) recently broke down some of Zub’s tape.

  • Zub’s not the only KHL player with his name in the news today, as Kirill Dyakov was one of three to receive a suspension from the IIHF. Dyakov currently plays for Admiral Vladivostok but will receive a 15-month suspension from IIHF competition after testing positive for cocaine. Michael Budd and Vladislav Nikiforov also received 24- and 15-month suspensions respectively.
  • USA Hockey has announced its U17 roster for the 2020-21 season, a group that is expected to have a strong NHL draft presence down the road. There are some familiar hockey names among them, including Marek Hejduk—son of Colorado Avalanche legend Milan Hejduk.

Snapshots: Barrie, Nemirovsky, Suspensions

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Leading up to the trade deadline yesterday there was plenty of speculation about the future of Tyson Barrie. Several teams had inquired on the defenseman, but when it was all said and done he was still part of the Toronto Maple Leafs and ready to try and get them to the playoffs. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Barrie was only told he wasn’t going to be traded shortly before the deadline, confirming that he was available if the right package came along.

Bob McKenzie was on TSN radio in Vancouver today, explaining just how that package didn’t materialize. The insider explained that the Maple Leafs set a price for Barrie comparable to the Kevin Shattenkirk trade from a few years ago, but only received offers similar to the ones that landed Sami Vatanen and Erik Gustafsson.

Buffalo Sabres Suspend Zach Bogosian

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After clearing waivers recently, Zach Bogosian was assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. After failing to report to the minor league team, the Buffalo Sabres have suspended Bogosian indefinitely. While he remains under suspension, Bogosian will forfeit his salary and his entire cap hit will come off the Sabres’ books.

The 29-year old Bogosian is in the final season of the seven-year, $36MM contract he signed with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013 and carries a cap hit of $5.14MM this season. After being made a healthy scratch earlier in the year he had requested a trade, but due to this hefty contract any deal would be difficult for the Sabres to accomplish. Now after several more scratches and an assignment to the minor leagues, it appears that his time with the Sabres’ organization may be over.

The two sides could still come to an agreement of some sort. A mutual contract termination would see Bogosian give up what remains on his deal, but at this point a suspension amounts to the same thing, without an opportunity for him to sign elsewhere. A termination would make Bogosian an unrestricted free agent, though to be eligible for playoff hockey with a new team he would have to sign a contract before the trade deadline.

There is also still a trade option, if the Sabres can find a team willing to take on his contract. That seems unlikely at this point however, given his availability on waivers and the new cap flexibility that this suspension creates for Buffalo.

Bogosian has five points in 19 games this season for the Sabres.

Zack Kassian Suspended Seven Games

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The Department of Player Safety have handed out a punishment, and quite a hefty one at that. Zack Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers has been suspended seven games for kicking Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak last night. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that while we acknowledge Kassian’s argument that he was trying to disentangle himself from the pile of players, that in no way justifies this action. NHL players regularly become entangled with opponents and teammates, and regularly remove themselves from the pile safely and legally, without putting themselves or their opponents at risk of serious injury…

…It is also important to acknowledge the Oilers’ argument that the kick was not forceful. We have always been clear that force is an important consideration for both on-ice officials and our department in assessing penalties or discipline, with more substantial penalties being handed out for more forceful or violent infractions. However we must emphasize that using a skate blade to make intentional or reckless contact with an opponent, regardless of the purpose, is entirely different from a hit that involves a player’s body or stick as there is minimal force required to dangerously cut or injure an opponent.

This is the fourth suspension handed out by the DoPS for Kassian in his NHL career, including one just a month ago when he attacked Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames. That means that Kassian is a repeat offender under the CBA, and will forfeit more than $166K in salary for this seven-game suspension.

It also means there will be absolutely no tolerance for this sort of thing or any other incidents that require supplementary discipline in the future for the Oilers’ winger. After just signing an extension with Edmonton, he’ll have to try and stay out of the DoPS sightline for a while.

Snapshots: Stecher, Rantanen, AHL Suspensions

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The Vancouver Canucks are sitting at 5-3 through the early part of the season thanks to the strong play of some of their young players, but are still fifth in what is shaping up to be an extremely tough Pacific Division. With the improved roster, one player that has lost some of his ice time is Troy Stecher. He was the topic of discussion on TSN radio today because of a “rumbling” that host Jason Brough had heard about potential trade talks. Insider Bob McKenzie gave his take on the situation:

The same little rumble that you’ve heard, I think everybody has kind of heard it and [are] trying to figure out how much significance to attach to it. But the reality is that if [Tyler] Myers and [Chris] Tanev are both going to be healthy and play ahead of him, then probably you’re right. Then he’s probably not going to love third-pair minutes, and maybe he’s an asset that’s more valuable than that, though not on the Canucks. 

McKenzie noted that if Stecher does become available there would likely be lots of teams interested, but was quick to explain how there might be an issue with how the Canucks would value him compared to what the offers may be. Through the first three years of his NHL career, Stecher has averaged close to 20 minutes a game for the Canucks, but has logged under 14 in six of eight games this season.

  • Colorado Avalanche fans will have to hold their collective breath for one more day as the team will not issue an update on Mikko Rantanen’s injury until Wednesday according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The star forward’s foot got caught on the ice last night and twisted his left leg awkwardly, taking him immediately out of the game. Rantanen was off to another blistering start to his season with 12 points in his first nine games (including one in the eight minutes he managed last night), and hopefully won’t be out long-term with this injury.
  • The AHL has suspended several players for incidents over the last few days. Michael McCarron has been given a two-game ban for interference and Givani Smith has been suspended one game for clipping, while A.J. Greer and Jarred Tinordi have been given six and three games respectively for what happened on Saturday. Greer left the penalty box to fight Tinordi after already participating in a fight, meaning he actually earned himself three game misconducts and 40 penalty minutes all at once.

Valentin Zykov Suspended 20 Games

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1:30pm: Vegas GM George McPhee held a press conference to address the news, and explained how the team found out. McPhee told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic that Zykov admitted to taking the supplement that caused the positive test for four years.

12:35pm: Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov has been suspended 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. This is the second consecutive year the Golden Knights have lost a player for a suspension like this, after Nate Schmidt was handed a  20-game ban last season. The Golden Knights released a statement:

We were notified by the NHL and NHLPA that Valentin has violated the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. We monitor the nutrition, supplement intake and overall diet of our athletes on a continual basis throughout the entire season. Valentin knowingly used a banned substance without the consent, recommendation or knowledge of our team. We support the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and respect the decision here.

Zykov also released a statement through the NHLPA:

I have been informed that I am being suspended for 20 games under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. While I haven’t been able to discover how I tested positive, I understand that I am responsible for what is in my body and will accept this penalty. I want to apologize to my family, my teammates and the Golden Knights organization and fans. I will work hard during my suspension to ensure that I put myself in the best possible position to contribute to my team when my suspension is over.

The 24-year old forward has played seven games with the Golden Knights this season, registering two points in limited ice time. Originally a second-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings, he has just 47 games under his belt at the NHL level and played for three different organizations during the 2018-19 season.

On the second season of a two-year contract that carries a $675K cap hit and scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer, this suspension will not help Zykov’s quest to become a full-time NHL player.

He is eligible to return for the Golden Knights game on November 29th against the Arizona Coyotes.

Snapshots: Pietrangelo, Barabanov, AHL Suspensions

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When the St. Louis Blues went out and acquired Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes, only to sign him to a seven-year $45.5MM extension immediately, eyebrows raised around the hockey world. Where exactly did that leave captain Alex Pietrangelo, who plays the same position and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season? Well, the Blues tried to answer some of that question by pairing Pietrangelo and Faulk together for a time, but that didn’t take (though hasn’t been completely abandoned either, as we saw last night), and now there is a report about some recent meetings between the two sides.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that Pietrangelo’s agents met with GM Doug Armstrong yesterday, and reports that the Blues are hoping to use Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s eight-year, $66MM deal as a “baseline” in talks. That $8.25MM average annual value currently makes Ekman-Larsson the fourth-highest paid defenseman in the league behind only Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and P.K. Subban. Another interesting comparable for Pietrangelo might be Roman Josi, who is also dealing with extension negotiations at the moment with the Nashville Predators.

  • One other note from the 31 Thoughts column revolves around Alexander Barabanov, a 25-year old KHL forward that Friedman reports will be scouted in-person by several NHL executives. Barabanov’s ice time has drastically reduced this season, but recorded 46 points in 58 games last year for SKA St. Petersburg. That total put him behind only New Jersey Devils forward Nikita Gusev and ahead of other Russian stars like Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Plotnikov.
  • Suspensions came down today in the AHL, with both Hubert Labrie of the Belleville Senators and Paul Thompson of the Springfield Thunder facing two-game bans for incidents on Saturday. In Labrie’s case, his elbow caused Kenny Agostino of the Toronto Marlies to suffer a concussion that will keep him out indefinitely. Thompson meanwhile hit Thomas Hickey of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but the veteran defenseman was back in action yesterday as he tries to fight his way back to the NHL.

West Notes: Kane, Kunin, Boeser

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After his incident with the linesman this weekend, San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane could potentially be facing a lengthy suspension. As Darren Dreger of TSN reports, the abuse of an official penalty that Kane received brings with it an automatic 10-game suspension. Different from those given out by the Department of Player Safety however, this suspension will have to be enforced by the commissioner’s office, something that Dreger does not expect until at least tomorrow.

If Kane does face the full 10-game suspension he would be out until October 25th when the Sharks face the Toronto Maple Leafs, something that has led some to speculate on the possibility of bringing in former franchise icon Patrick Marleau who remains unsigned. Of course, there is also the possibility that the team uses the time to evaluate a young player in the lineup.

  • Speaking of suspensions, Luke Kunin will not receive any supplementary discipline for his hit on Bryan Little according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, who reports that the league has deemed it an accidental collision. Kunin collided with Little in front of the Winnipeg Jets’ net, taking him out of the game with an undisclosed injury. Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice didn’t like the hit, but the Minnesota Wild forward won’t face any punishment.
  • The Vancouver Canucks put some interesting names on waivers today when they decided to risk Sven Baertschi and Nikolay Goldobin to the rest of the league, but will at least have another goal-scoring forward in the lineup on opening night. Brock Boeser has been cleared to return to action after his concussion from earlier in the preseason and will be on the ice when the Canucks take on the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. Oscar Fantenberg, who was dealing with a concussion of his own, has also been cleared.

NHL Suspends Evgeny Kuznetsov For Three Games

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Last month, Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov received a four-year suspension from the IIHF for a positive test for cocaine at the World Championships back in May.  At the time, the NHL did not issue a suspension of their own but that has changed.  The league announced that Kuznetsov has been suspended for three games for inappropriate conduct and that there would be no further comment on the matter.  However, Kuznetsov released the following statement:

I have decided to accept the NHL’s suspension today. I am once again sorry that I have disappointed my family, my teammates, and the Capitals organization and fans. I promise to do everything in my power to win you back with my actions both on and off the ice. I also understand that I am fortunate to have an opportunity to make things right. Thanks to the Capitals, NHL, and NHLPA, I have taken many steps in the right direction and I’m confident that I will continue on that path. I am grateful for everyone’s support and I’m looking to move forward from this point. While I can appreciate that people may have additional questions, I will not be commenting further on this matter.

At the time of the IIHF’s suspension, the league had indicated that Commissioner Gary Bettman would meet with the 27-year-old before deciding how to proceed.  Khurshudyan notes that the meeting took place on Monday.

While the IIHF considers cocaine a performance-enhancing substance, the NHL does not which is why this is not a standard 20-game suspension for a first violation of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Unlike most suspensions, this one will allow the Capitals to remove Kuznetsov from their salary cap while it is being served, a team source reported to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link).  That will actually give them some much-needed cap flexibility to start the season though it comes at the cost of one of their top forwards.  In the meantime, as it is a regular season suspension, Kuznetsov will be eligible to participate in the preseason.

Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post was the first to report that Kuznetsov would be suspended.

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