Central Notes: Johansson, Landeskog, Goloubef
The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine writes about netminder Lars Johansson, who was called up to take the place of Corey Crawford, who had an emergency appendectomy. Johansson posted a 6-7-1 mark in Rockford for the AHL affiliate IceHogs and will backup Scott Darling, who is expected to play the majority of games in Crawford’s absence. Despite the expectation, Johansson is ready to go when called upon. From Hine:
“If something were to happen (to Darling), absolutely I would be nervous, as excited for any new thing in my career,” Johansson said. “It would be exciting most of all. Just have to make myself prepared as (well) as I can now.”
Head coach Joel Quenneville said that Darling’s play will “dictate” time on the ice, and that Nick Schmaltz‘s reassignment has nothing to do with play. Instead, Hine reports, that Schmaltz was sent to Rockford because of roster space and salary cap implications.
In other Central Division news:
- The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog returned to practice with an orange non-contact jersey writes the Denver Post’s Terry Frei. The Avs captain has been out since November 15th with a lower body injury, and Frei reports that while Landeskog will travel with the team on its four game road trip, he will not suit up for Tuesday’s game against Nashville.
Since Landeskog’s injury, Colorado has dropped five in a row and the return of its captain sooner would certainly be a boost. - Frei also writes about defenseman Cody Goloubef, who was recalled from San Antonio. Goloubef was acquired in a November 28th that saw the Avs send Ryan Stanton to Columbus. Goloubef played back to back games with San Antonio before getting the call up. When Frei talked to Goloubef about why it didn’t work out in Columbus, this is what the defenseman had to say:
“I think I ran into some injury troubles two years in a row,” he said. “Last year I broke my jaw and missed about 30 games. Year before that I hurt my knee and missed 30 games, too, and I always got off to good starts. After that, you get knocked down, shuffled down a little bit and you have to work your was back up. Last year, I found it hard breaking a jaw and trying to come back. You can ask guy who’s done it. It’s hard. I struggled and it’s on me. It’s my job to be ready. That’s what this year is all about.”
All images courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Flyers Send Scott Laughton To Minors
The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have loaned center Scott Laughton to its AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The team recalled forward Taylor Leier from Lehigh Valley as a replacement.
Laughton played two games for the Flyers this season but failed to record a point in his short time with the team. The former first round draft pick—20th overall in 2012—made some progress last year with the team but could not find his game so far this season. In his eight AHL games, however, Laughton has 2G and 6P. Consider this a temporary loan and expect to see Laughton back in a Flyers’ jersey sooner rather than later.
His replacement Taylor Leier was also drafted by the Flyers in 2012 (117th overall) and is lighting up the AHL so far this season. His 6G and 14A in 22 games are good for 12th in AHL scoring. With Matt Read injured for the next few weeks, Leier will have ample opportunity to prove himself at the NHL level.
Snapshots: Coyotes, Penguins, Sabres, Chara
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Arizona Coyotes will give Brendan Perlini his first NHL start tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, reports Sarah McLellan of the AZCentral. The Coyotes selected Perlini 12th overall in the 2014 draft and the pick immediately paid dividends. Perlini is tearing up the AHL, scoring 11G and 5A in 16 games while tied for the league lead in goals. The Coyotes are struggling in the goal department—they are 28th in goals for—and hope that the young forward can spark the struggling offense. To make room for Perlini both Anthony Duclair and Kevin Connauton are relegated to the pressbox.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have scratched forwards Tom Kuhnhackl, Jake Guentzel, and defenseman Steven Oleksy, reports Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kuhnhackl has struggled this season, scoring only 1G and 3A in 18 games for the Penguins. His ice-time has decreased considerably and this is his second scratch in two games. Jake Guentzel has missed the past two games as a healthy scratch, and the team has cooled on him considerably since his electric debut on November 21st. The rookie scored two goals in his NHL debut, but has only posted 1G and 1A since.
- The Buffalo Sabres are getting creative on their backend during a long injury drought. The team has Erik Burgdoerfer making his NHL debut after 480 minor league games, and Brendan Guhle on an emergency recall, reports the NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Injuries are taking its toll on the basement-dwelling Sabres as they are missing Dmitry Kulikov (back), Zach Bogosian (knee), Josh Gorges (foot) and Taylor Fedun (shoulder).
- Boston Bruins defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara returns to the team tonight after missing the last six games with a lower-body injury, reports Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. The Bruins went 3-2-1 without their veteran defenseman, and only surrendered 10 goals during that timeframe. There is worry within the fanbase that Chara is slowing down, and while he is still leading the team in playing time, that time is down almost three minutes from his 25+ minute average with Boston.
Nashville Recalls Mazanec; Assigns Aberg, Saros To Milwaukee
Marek Mazanec will miraculously get another shot in the NHL this season, as the Nashville Predators have announced that they’ve called him up Monday evening. Despite allowing 13 goals in three games in his first stint with the team, the 25-year old netminder will get another chance to back up Pekka Rinne this season. Pontus Aberg and Juuse Saros have been sent down to make room.
While Mazanec has struggled mightily this season, Saros has shined. In the three games the 21-year old has started at the NHL level, he has only allowed five goals and carries a .940 save percentage (amazingly still losing two of the games). Since Saros has out-performed Mazanec at both levels, perhaps this is a case of letting the younger goaltender start the majority of games in the minors to continue his development.
Aberg has played nine games for the Predators this season, registering two points in his first taste of the NHL. A former second-round pick of the team, Aberg has been a strong offensive producer at the AHL level, recording 83 points since his debut in 2014-15. While he only received around 11 minutes a night at the NHL level, he does still feature heavily in the plans of the Predators going forward. He’ll go down now and use the experience of the faster game to continue his development into a two-way winger.
Matt Read To Miss Four Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
After being pulled out of Sunday’s game in the first period, the Philadelphia Flyers have announced that Matt Read will be out for at least four weeks with an upper-body injury. Previously reported as an oblique strain, the forward will now be out until after Christmas.
After a disappointing 2015-16 that saw Read register only 26 points in 79 games, the 30-year old winger got off to a blistering start this season scoring five goals in his first five games. Since then though, he’s only put up five more points in 22 games despite still seeing a solid share of ice time. The former 20-goal scorer hadn’t lit the lamp in fourteen games going into Sunday, in which he left after just three shifts.
Currently in the third year of the four-year, $14.5MM deal he signed prior to the 2013-14 season, Read was supposed to be a solid secondary scoring threat on a team desperate for them. He was successful in that first season, but has seen his production drop in each following year. Now dealing with an oblique injury, he’ll miss at least a dozen games and likely need some time to shake off the rust after that. In what looked at one point like a strong bounce-back season, it’s now looking like another year in his decline.
For the Flyers, who find themselves on a five game winning streak that’s pushed them back into the playoff picture, this likely means the return of either Boyd Gordon or Scott Laughton to the lineup. While Gordon has been on injured reserve since the beginning of November, he’s closing in on a return date. The younger Laughton however provides a bit more offensive upside and potential, and has been stuck in the press box for much of the season.
2017 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster Announced
With the World Junior Championships just a few weeks away, the USA has announced their preliminary roster for the tournament. The 27 players will be cut down to 23 in time for the first matchup that starts December 26th with a game against Latvia at the Air Canada Center in Toronto. The initial roster is as follows:
F Luke Kunin (MIN, 15th overall 2016)
F Tanner Laczynski (PHI, 169th overall 2016)
F Patrick Harper (NSH, 138th overall 2016)
F Jordan Greenway (MIN, 50th overall 2015)
F Joey Anderson (NJD, 73rd overall 2016)
F Erik Foley (WPG, 78th overall 2015)
F Brock Boeser (VAN, 23rd overall 2015)
F Jeremy Bracco (TOR, 61st overall 2015)
F Colin White (OTT, 21st overall 2015)
F Clayton Keller (ARI, 7th overall 2016)
F Troy Terry (ANA, 148th overall 2015)
F Logan Brown (OTT, 11th overall 2016)
F Kieffer Bellows (NYI, 19th overall 2016)
F Alex DeBrincat (CHI, 39th overall 2016)
F Jack Roslovic (WPG, 25th overall 2015)
F Tage Thompson (STL, 26th overall 2016)
Alex Galchenyuk Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury
With the Montreal Canadiens leading the Atlantic Division by four points, everything seemed to be going well for the club. Not so fast, as the team announced today that Alex Galchenyuk will be out indefinitely after suffering a lower-body injury last night in Los Angeles. While the young forward traveled with the club to St. Louis, he underwent various tests today that have ruled him out for the immediate future.
The injury occurred on a collision with Anze Kopitar in the 5-4 win over the Kings last night, with Galchenyuk leaving the game immediately. Renaud Lavoie of TVA reports that it’s his right leg and he obviously won’t play on Tuesday.
Galchenyuk played all 82 games for the Habs last season, registering his first 30-goal season of his career and establishing himself as a legitimate star in the league. Off to an even better start this year, the 22-year old has 23 points in 25 games and is in the mix among league leaders. A huge part of the Canadiens’ offense, Galchenyuk has been moved back to his natural center position this year and though his play has improved, he has been a dreadful 39.5% on draws.
The third-overall pick in 2012 (behind Nail Yakupov and Ryan Murray), Galchenyuk is another young US-born center thriving in the league. While this injury could obviously be only a few days, if it stretches far into the season the Canadiens will have to look elsewhere for their offense both 5-on-5 and with a man advantage.
Derek Dorsett To Undergo Neck Surgery
2:38pm: Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Dorsett will be out for the season following the surgery. The hop is that following a full recovery the Canucks forward will be ready for the start of the 2017-18 season.
1:06pm: Vancouver Canucks forward Derek Dorsett will undergo cervical fusion surgery to repair disc degeneration in his neck. While it’s not clear when exactly the surgery will take place, or how long Dorsett will be sidelined, this is just the latest episode in a nightmare season for the Canucks.
Dorsett last played for the Canucks on November 17th, but was put on the injured reserve with a reported shoulder injury. This is the first we’ve heard of a degenerative neck injury. Obviously, any surgery usually comes with a lengthy recovery period, but it’s unclear how invasive the procedure will be and what kind of timeline will be established for Dorsett’s return. The 29-year old (who turns 30 on the 20th) has four points in fourteen games this season playing his usual high-energy, aggressive style.
For the 11-12-2 Canucks, they’ve actually started to turn around their season of late after a dreadful start. With four wins in their last six games they’ve pulled to within four points of the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets for the wild card spots in the Western Conference. While losing Dorsett isn’t a game-changer for the team, it does take more depth away from a team desperate for a playoff berth. For now, they’ll have to move on without him and find another body to inject that energy and passion to the bottom-six.
Minnesota Wild Send Mitchell, Olofsson To AHL
The Minnesota Wild are celebrating their win over the Edmonton Oilers last night with some roster moves. Today the team has sent down Zack Mitchell and Gustav Olofsson to the Iowa Wild. No indication what the corresponding moves would be, however with the team off until Wednesday, perhaps it’s just to keep the pair fresh.
Mitchell has played in 21 games between the two leagues this season, scoring just a single point. It’s a far cry from 42 he put up last year to lead the Iowa team, his second successful season with the franchise. An undrafted forward, Mitchell spent five seasons with the Guelph Storm of the OHL before catching on with the Wild. In his rookie campaign with the AHL squad in 2014-15, he put up 17 goals and 35 points, proving his junior success wasn’t a fluke. While he’s off to a much slower start, perhaps he can still develop into a bottom-six contributor for an NHL franchise.
Olofsson is an entirely different story. Drafted 46th overall in 2013, the Swedish-born, US-trained defenseman headed to Colorado College after the draft. Playing just one season for the school, Olofsson made the jump to the AHL less than a year after being drafted but has dealt with multiple injuries since then. He played in just one game with the NHL club this season, but is off to a strong start with Iowa, scoring 12 points in 21 games. Expected to skate on an NHL blueline full time at some point in his career, Olofsson has the size and skill to be an effective player.
Calgary Flames Send Shinkaruk To AHL
After a huge win powered by the return of Johnny Gaudreau last night, the Calgary Flames have trimmed their roster by one. Hunter Shinkaruk, the former first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks has been sent to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The team will likely hold the roster spot open for Lance Bouma‘s return from injured reserve this week.
Shinkaruk was recalled exactly a month ago when Kris Versteeg was sidelined with a groin issue, and stayed with the team through various other injuries. The forward didn’t see much icetime however, as he only suited up for seven NHL games and played less than 10 minutes most nights. A single assist is all he can show for it and, as Mark Spector of Sportsnet says: “by all accounts, he’s not ready.”
The 22-year old Shinkaruk had a great season in the AHL last year, split between Utica and Stockton – he was traded for Markus Granlund in Feburary – scoring 51 points in 62 games. The former Medicine Hat Tiger has always been projected as a top-six forward capable of scoring in bunches, but hasn’t been given a real chance in the NHL yet.
Bouma, sidelined at the same time as Versteeg a month ago, has gotten into 13 contests this year and has just one point. The veteran forward is a much better fit for the bottom-six role, and offers a much more physical game. Just two seasons ago Bouma ranked seventh in the league in hits with 264 though has dealt with injuries since then. That was also his best offensive season, one in which he scored 16 goals and 34 points and looked like a key piece going forward for the upstart Flames.