Snapshots: Jankowski, Di Giuseppe, Condra, Jurco
News and notes from around the NHL tonight:
- The Calgary Flames announced today that Mark Jankowski will make his NHL debut tonight against the New York Islanders. The 2012 first round draft pick is the 29th (of 30) player drafted in the first round that year to make a start. St. Louis Blues draft pick Jordan Schmaltz is now the only players from that round yet to play an NHL game . Postmedia writer Wes Gilbertson reports that Jankowski will play second-line center between Kris Versteeg and Troy Brouwer.
- Fellow 2012 draftee Phil Di Giuseppe was recalled today by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Maple, ON forward has 2G and 5A in 8 games for the Charlotte Checkers, and will replace the injured Jordan Staal who is out indefinitely with a concussion.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that the team has reassigned forward Erik Condra to the Syracuse Crunch. Condra has put up 3G and 6A in 13 games for the Crunch, but was held pointless in his two games with the Lightning. This move may be to make room for an injured player’s return—namely Anton Stralman.
- The Detroit Red Wings will have forward Tomas Jurco back for Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Stars, reports the Windsor Star’s Bob Duff. Jurco has been on the sidelines since undergoing back surgery this summer. The Wings could use all the offensive help they can get as the team currently sits seventh in the Atlantic Division.
Snapshots: Ivan Hlinka Tournament, Three Stars, Staal, And More
The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is making its way from Europe to North America. Hockey Canada announced today that the premiere under-18 hockey tournament will be hosted by Edmonton, Alberta in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Named after Czech legend Ivan Hlinka, the tournament has been operated by the Czech Ice Hockey Association and the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation since 1991. Traditionally held in August, the eight-nation summer tournament brings together the best of the best in teenage hockey players, as well as fans from around the world. Canada has won the tournament 20 times and will now get it’s first chance to take home the title in front of a home crowd.
In other league news:
- The NHL named it’s 3 Stars of the Week today, pegging Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson, New Jersey Devils winger Mike Cammalleri, and San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns as first, second, and third respectively. Anderson continues to play well this season, despite dealing with the difficult news of his wife’s cancer diagnosis in October. He improved to 12-4-1 this week, including wins over Eastern Conferences forces Montreal, Boston, and the New York Rangers. Returning from injury, Cammalleri potted four goals and added four helpers as well, as the Devils continue to defy expectations. The veteran scorer leads the team with seven goals, despite missing six games. Fresh off of a major long-term extension, Burns contributed six points in four games for the Sharks, including an impressive goal from about center ice.
- Jordan Staal suffered a concussion in the Carolina Hurricanes’ game against the Florida Panthers yesterday, reports ‘Canes beat writer Chip Alexander. GM Ron Francis has yet to issue any more information, and there is currently no timetable for the return of the Carolina star.
- The Colorado Avalanche have a bug going around the locker room. Just a few days after forward Rene Bourque missed practice with an illness, defenseman Erik Johnson has fallen victim to what is believed to be the same sickness, but the team is hopeful that he will be ready for the Avs’ game tomorrow night. Terry Frei of the Denver Post spoke with coach Jared Bednar who said “it’s been going through our team a little bit, but we’ve contained it and it’s only been a 24-hour thing, so (Johnson) should be able to go tomorrow.”
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled forward Chris Wagner and defenseman Shea Theodore from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Wagner was just sent down recently and has yet to even play an AHL game. In 19 games in Anaheim thus far, the energy-liner has contributed two goals. Theodore, a 2013 first-round pick, has played in eight games with the Ducks this season, but was demoted as a result of the Hampus Lindholm resolution. With the extraordinary defensive depth of the Ducks, Theodore’s trip to Anaheim may be a short one.
Defensive Shuffling Continues In Dallas
The Dallas Stars are still trying to work out the kinks on the blue line. At 9-8-5, the season has not started as well as the defending Central Division champs would like and an ongoing theme has been the shuffling of personnel on defense. The latest change is the benching of veteran Dan Hamhuis for tonight’s match-up against the rival St. Louis Blues. This is the second time this season that Hamhuis, who signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Dallas this summer, has been scratched, as the Stars desperately seek balance and production on the back end. Hamhuis was brought in in an effort to make up for the losses of Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Kris Russell, but to this point has been a disappointment.
Hamhuis will be joined in the press box this evening by Stephen Johns, who was recently recalled from the AHL’s Texas Stars. Johns was given a starting role to begin the 2016-17 season, but had fallen out of favor and been demoted last week. In his stead, more play time has been given to fellow young defensemen Esa Lindell, Patrik Nemeth, and Jamie Oleksiak. However, that trio has also failed to impress as well, delivering just five points total at a combined -6.
The newest member to the platoon is promising rookie Julius Honka. Honka made his NHL debut last week and appears to be sticking around. A player in the mold of star teammate John Klingberg, Honka appears poised to at least bring some more offensive production from the blue line, even if it’s at the expense of team defense. That is the trade-off that Klingberg brings, and Dallas has fallen in love with the 24-year-old defender who put up 58 points last season. If Honka brings that ability, he may be able to bring some roster stability to the Stars as well.
Klingberg is well behing his 2015-16 pace with just 11 points thus far, but is the undisputed leader of the defense. The other two reliable members of the “D” corps have been Johnny Oduya and Jordie Benn, but Oduya was recently placed on the injured reserve with a lower body injury and is out “indefinitely”. A blue line group that is already struggling will have a hard time without the veteran leadership and locker room presence that Oduya brings. However, it will force the Stars young defensemen into bigger roles. If the increased play time and pressure doesn’t break them, it could benefit the team in the long run.
For tonight, the Stars will ride with Klingberg, Benn, Honka, Lindell, Nemeth, and Oleksiak, but expect Hamhuis to return to the lineup for the next game with a fire underneath him. One way or another, the team will have to find a way to maximize the talent they have on the blue line into a cohesive and productive defense. Otherwise, it will be a long season in Dallas.
Atlantic Notes: Girgensons, Jurco, Rask
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.
Alex Edler To Miss Four To Six Weeks
The Vancouver Canucks will be down another top defenseman for the next little while as the team announced (via Twitter) that Alex Edler will miss the next four to six weeks with a fractured index finger. The team also noted that he will undergo surgery to repair that finger later today.
While Edler is off to a slow start statistically (a goal and two assists through 21 games), he is still logging some heavy minutes for the Canucks, averaging a team high 23:42 per game. With Chris Tanev (lower body) also on IR, Edler had been their go-to blueliner in all situations.
Injuries have been an issue for the 30 year old. Last season, he missed 29 games with a fractured fibula while he has had various other lower body ailments in the years before that as well. He has played a full 82-game season just once in his career, back in 2011-12.
Taking Edler’s place on the roster will be defenseman Alex Biega, who has been recalled from his conditioning stint, Sportsnet’s Irfaan Gaffar reports (Twitter link). He got into just one game with AHL Utica which matches the number of NHL games he has played so far this season, spending most of the time as a healthy scratch.
Edler and Tanev aren’t the only Vancouver defensemen missing either as Philip Larsen is also on IR due to an illness and there is no timetable for his return. With Biega’s recall, Vancouver is now carrying just the minimum number of healthy defensemen so another recall isn’t out of the question either if Larsen isn’t ready to play soon.
[Related: Canucks Depth Chart]
Oilers Place Mark Fayne On Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers announced (via Twitter) that they have placed defenseman Mark Fayne on waivers.
2016-17 has been a tough year for Fayne who has played in just one game with the Oilers this season (back on October 18th), getting hurt in the first period of that contest with an undisclosed injury. The fact that he has beeng waived is a sign that he is ready to come off of injured reserve as injured players cannot be waived. With the team already carrying seven healthy blueliners and a full 23-man roster, a move had to be made with Fayne ready to return.
[Related: Oilers Depth Chart]
This is Fayne’s third season in the Oilers organization after joining the team in free agency from New Jersey in the summer of 2014. In 144 games with Edmonton, he has four goals and 12 assists with 32 penalty minutes and a -26 rating. He also had 48 points (13-35-48) in 242 contests over four seasons with the Devils.
Given that Fayne has a cap hit of $3.625MM and that he’s just coming off of injury, it’s unlikely that they will be able to find a taker for him. Assuming he clears, the Oilers will be able to clear $950K off of the salary cap if he is demoted to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
Reactions To Gerard Gallant’s Firing
Here are some reactions from around the hockey world regarding yesterday’s surprising firing of Florida head coach Gerard Gallant:
- The move to let Gallant and assistant coach Mike Kelly go showed the differing viewpoints between management and the coaches, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes. GM Tom Rowe, now the interim coach for the remainder of the season, is very analytically-inclined which led to a lot of changes being made over the offseason, especially on the back end where Willie Mitchell and Erik Gudbranson, a pair of physical, stay-at-home players, being replaced by less physical but more skilled defenders. That shift in philosophy didn’t sit well with Gallant, a coach who values grit in the lineup, something he was vocal about having more of just last week.
- While there are no other current head coaching vacancies in the NHL, TSN’s Frank Seravalli wonders if Gallant would be a favorite to take over the Vegas Golden Knights next season. Vegas GM George McPhee noted last week that they weren’t planning to name their head coach this soon but that they would keep tabs on whoever was to become available during the year.
- ESPN’s Joe MacDonald argues that Florida’s slower start (11-10-1) shouldn’t be placed entirely at the feet of Gallant. The Panthers have been without left winger Jonathan Huberdeau – who was tied for third in team scoring last year – for the entire season while Nick Bjugstad has played in just three games. Plus, the team realistically was going to take some time to adjust to all of the changes made over the offseason. MacDonald also questions who is calling the shots in Florida, Rowe, or new owner Vinnie Viola and suggests that Rowe taking over will have a negative effect in the end.
- TSN’s Travis Yost takes a closer look at the numbers and suggests that the team is “screamingly average” and one that was degrading over time. He notes that the Panthers were relying too much on goaltenders Roberto Luongo and James Reimer while Aaron Ekblad’s early season struggles on the back end also played a big role in the team hovering around the .500 mark.
With regards to the remainder of their coaching staff – Goalie Coach Robb Tallas, Associate Coach Dave Barr, and Assistant Coach Scott Allen, they all will remain with the team, reports Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds (via Twitter) that no other coaches will be brought in at this time.
As for Rowe, while he will officially retain his General Manager title while he serves as the interim head coach, McKenzie notes that they will use a management-by-committee strategy with Assistant GMs Eric Joyce and Steve Werier along with former GM and current Team President Dale Tallon (links to Twitter).
Brendan Smith Out Four Weeks, Tyler Bertuzzi Out Three To Five Weeks
An already long list of injuries continues to grow for the Red Wings as defenseman Brendan Smith is expected to miss the next four weeks with a knee injury, MLive’s Ansar Khan reports (Twitter link). Smith was injured in a collision with Montreal left winger Phillip Danault on Saturday night.
Smith has played a regular role on the back end for Detroit this season, averaging just over 18 minutes per game of playing time while picking up a pair of goals and two assists.
It will be interesting to see if the Red Wings call anyone up to replace the 27 year old pending unrestricted free agent. The team has been carrying eight defenders all season as they have been hesitant to expose either of Ryan Sproul or Xavier Ouellet to waivers. However, with Smith out and Alexey Marchenko (upper body) also on injured reserve, they’re down to the minimum of six but from a cap perspective, they are already well into LTIR, per CapFriendly.
The team announced that Smith, along with forward Tyler Bertuzzi who was also injured on Saturday, have been placed on injured reserve which will free up a roster spot to call up a seventh defender if they deem it necessary. Head coach Jeff Blashill suggested that Bertuzzi is expected to miss the next three to five weeks with a left ankle injury, Khan notes (via Twitter). He was seen walking without crutches or a boot which was a positive sign.
[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart]
PHR Originals: 11/20/16 – 11/26/16
While we already looked at the five key hockey stories of the week, here’s some of the original material produced by Pro Hockey Rumors from last week:
- Glen Miller took a look at the 2016 UFA all bargain team, a list that included the likes of Eric Staal, Jonathan Marchessault, Brian Campbell, and Chad Johnson.
- Brian La Rose investigated some defenseman who could garner attention in the trade market, which of course, included Kevin Shattenkirk.
- Gavin Lee compiled a list of goaltenders who would be great additions to the Vegas Golden Knights roster should they be available during the expansion draft.
- Zach Leach conducted a deep dive into the post-Brent Burns free agent market heading into the 2017 offseason.
- Finally, I was able to interview the Athletic’s Scott Powers who gave us his thoughts on Chicago’s play with a quarter of the season in the books.
Florida Panthers Fire Gerard Gallant
Reported first by Nick Kypreos, the Florida Panthers have fired head coach Gerard Gallant. Brian Compton of NHL.com confirms that Gallant has been relieved of his duties. Elliotte Friedman tweets that general manager Tom Rowe will take over for Gallant. Friedman continues that despite an extension, Gallant and the front office were butting heads over the direction of the team. Panthers beat writer George Richards of the Miami Herald tweets that he tried to reach out to Gallant, but the coach had already the stadium left by taxi. The Associated Press, via a tweet from Luke DeCock, confirmed this with photos of Gallant leaving by taxi.
The Panthers are currently 11-10-1 in the Atlantic Division, good enough for fifth place and 23 points. A very busy offseason, however, ratcheted up expectations in Miami, and Gallant appears to be the first major casualty of those expectations. The move has been met with shock, and questions are already beginning to be asked of the front office and their decision to sack Gallant.
Chip Alexander tweets that Gallant met with the media following the Panthers 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes this evening. Yahoo’s Josh Cooper joins a group of puzzled analysts, tweeting that Gallant led the Panthers to 91 points in his first season behind the bench, and then 103 points last season, which included a division title.
Meanwhile, Martin Biron wonders if the Vegas Golden Knights will swoop in and hire Gallant as its first head coach.