Snapshots: Malkin, Athanasiou, Subban
Penguins writer Sam Kasan reports that with Sidney Crosby out for indefinitely, the Penguins are looking at Evgeni Malkin as the man to lead the team in his absence. A mainstay in Pittsburgh since being drafted second overall in 2004, teammate Chris Kunitz comments that having Malkin is a huge plus that most teams in the NHL don’t have:
“Most teams don’t have that luxury. ‘Geno’ is an important guy for us. He’s going to get more offensive zone time for himself with ‘Sid’ being out and showed (Thursday) that he can change a game at any time.”
Kasan writes that Malkin already put the team on his back after having a breakaway goal, assist, and a shootout goal in the Pens’ 3-2 victory over Washington. Malkin admits that it’s not easy being with Crosby, but adds that he feels his confidence is back after having a sub-par performance in the World Cup of Hockey.
In other news from around the league:
- Ansar Khan tweeted earlier that the Red Wings are already shuffling lines in the wake of a 6-4 loss at the hands of Stanley Cup favorite Tampa Bay Thursday night. The Red Wings jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and held a 3-1 lead before the Lightning reeled off four straight goals. The Detroit penalty kill had a busy night while the line of Steve Ott, Drew Miller, and Luke Glendening had a statistically brutal evening. Khan reported that Andreas Athanasiou was slotted into a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen, while Ott was working into the fourth line. Khan later tweeted that those would indeed be the lines for Saturday’s contest against Florida, meaning that Ott would be the odd man out. This could be an early indicator that head coach Jeff Blashill will truly mix and match in order to find a spark, and will be quick to yank players from the lineup swiftly, whether they’re veterans or rookies. Last season, Athanasiou had 14 points (9-5) in 37 games and did so averaging just over nine minutes on the ice.
- PK Subban notched his first goal as a Nashville Predator with a blistering slap shot in the first period of Nashville’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. Subban, who was traded for Shea Weber on June 29, ripped a shot from just inside the blue line to even the score at one. Known for his enthusiasm, and philanthropy during his time in Montreal, Nashville has fallen in love with its new star and the success expected on the ice should only increase his legend in the Music City.
Atlantic Notes: Bishop, Shaw, Smith
The Tampa Bay Lightning plan to scale back goaltender Ben Bishop’s starts this year to around 50, head coach Jon Cooper told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. That would allow backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy around 30 starts which would represent a new career high.
While an obvious benefit to this is keeping Bishop rested for what they expect will be a lengthy postseason run, it’s also safe to look beyond that and note the contract situations for next season. The team handed the 22 year old Russian a three year extension this past summer, one that will pay him an average of $3.5MM per season. Bishop, meanwhile, is eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.
Given Tampa Bay’s looming cap constraints – they have nearly $60MM committed for next season already with players like Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Jonathan Drouin as restricted free agents – it’s likely that they will won’t be able to bring Bishop back so it would make sense that they will give Vasilevskiy a bigger role this season in the hopes of easing him into the top job for next season.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Canadiens right winger Andrew Shaw will not be suspended for his slew foot on Buffalo’s Johan Larsson, he told reporters including TSN 690’s Dan Robertson. He did note that Senior VP of Player Safety Stephane Quintal has requested a meeting, however. Shaw was suspended for three preseason games back in late September for an illegal hit on Washington prospect Connor Hobbs.
- The Ottawa Senators have yet to engage in meaningful discussions on a potential contract extension for center Zack Smith, writes TSN’s Ian Mendes. Smith noted that there were preliminary talks early in the summer but nothing really since then. The 28 year old is coming off a career year, scoring 25 goals in 81 games last season but led the league with a 20.7% shooting percentage. His previous career high was 14 from the 2011-12 campaign. Smith is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit just under $1.9MM and a salary of $2.35MM. He will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
Roster Moves: Rantanen, Price, Harrington, Cramarossa
The Colorado Avalanche have sent prized prospect right winger Mikko Rantanen to San Antonio of the AHL, reports Terry Frei of the Denver Post. Rantanen suffered an ankle injury in a rookie game back in mid-September and the demotion will essentially work as a rehab stint. Head coach Jared Bednar commented on the decision to start him with the Rampage:
“He’s missed a lot of meetings where it comes to our structure of our game and what we want to accomplish. He knows lots of it, but he’s also missed lots of it. They’re playing the same system as us down there, so he’ll get a chance to do that and go through game situations, be an impact player for them. Then we’ll re-evaluate and see how he’s feeling after he’s been down there for some games.”
The Avalanche were hoping that Rantanen would be able to start the season in a top six role after leading San Antonio in scoring with 24 goals and 36 assists in just 52 games despite being one of the youngest players in the league. With this move, it appears that it will be a few more weeks at least before he gets that chance.
Other roster moves on Friday:
- The Montreal Canadiens placed goaltender Carey Price on injured reserve retroactive to Monday, TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link). Price missed the season opener with the flu and remains at home with no timetable for his return. The move is primarily procedural as the team was utilizing an emergency recall to have prospect Charlie Lindgren serve as the backup goalie in Buffalo. That can only last 48 hours so for him to remain on the roster, Price needed to be moved to injured reserve.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have loaned defenseman Scott Harrington to Cleveland (AHL) on an injury conditioning stint, the AHL team announced. The Jackets acquired the 23 year old from Toronto this offseason in exchange for former first round pick Kerby Rychel. Harrington will be allowed to spend up to two weeks in the minors on the loan but if Columbus wants to keep him there longer, they must place him on waivers. If that happens and Harrington is claimed, Toronto would then send a 2017 fifth round pick to the Blue Jackets as part of the original trade agreement.
- After clearing waivers, Anaheim assigned center Joseph Cramarossa to the San Diego Gulls, the AHL team announced (Twitter link). Cramarossa had 11 goals and six assists in 61 games with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego last season.
Pacific Notes: Quick Update, Brouwer, Despres, Sharks
Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi provided a brief update on Jonathan Quick’s injury situation on Friday. At this time, Quick and the team are still consulting with doctors with regards to the best way to proceed, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Lombardi is hoping a decision in that area is made sooner than later and at that time, the team will know more about how long he’ll be out instead of the current week-to-week designation.
A few years ago, Quick suffered a groin strain that caused him to miss two months of action. While Lombardi didn’t specify that this is another groin issue, he did indicate that the injury is in the “same area”.
In the meantime, Jeff Zatkoff will take over as the interim starter and will get the nod tonight in their home opener against Philadelphia. Veteran Peter Budaj will serve as the backup.
More news and notes from the Pacific Division:
- While he has been with Calgary for all of one game since joining the team in July, Flames right winger Troy Brouwer has been a vocal presence both on and off the ice, notes Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun. Accordingly, the team has named him one of their alternate captains, making him just one of four players to wear a letter after changing teams in the offseason. Brouwer had a strong debut with Calgary, picking up a goal while playing just over 16 minutes.
- Anaheim defenseman Simon Despres may be dealing with another concussion, notes Eric Stephens of the OC Register via Twitter. Speaking with reporters regarding the Rickard Rakell contract, GM Bob Murray noted the plan is to have Despres meet specialists and that something is wrong that they need to get to the bottom of. He added that this latest problem was not the result of a hit or a fall.
- The San Jose Sharks have assigned top prospect Timo Meier to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, the team announced. He has been dealing with mononucleosis and is still likely a little while away from returning to game action. Last season, he had 34 goals and 53 assists in 52 games in the QMJHL. The Sharks recalled right winger Dan Carpenter from their farm team. Carpenter led the Barracuda in scoring last season with 55 points in 66 games and got into one game with the big club.
Winnipeg Notes: Trouba, Morrissey, Pavelec
With the regular season now underway and youngster Josh Morrissey showing well in the opener and the preseason, Paul Wiecek of the Winnipeg Free Press suggests that RFA holdout Jacob Trouba may already be starting to lose some of his negotiating leverage.
Trouba is one of two remaining restricted free agents (the other being from Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm). While Lindholm and his representation are negotiating over money and term, Trouba’s hold out stems from a trade request due to Winnipeg’s desire to play him on his off-side.
While the firm deadline date to have a deal in place is a little over six weeks away (he must be signed by December 1st; if not, he would be ineligible for the rest of the year), Wiecek believes that Morrisey’s efforts early on in the spot that would have been Trouba’s lessen any sort of possible pressure on General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to get a deal done sooner rather than later.
In his tenure as Winnipeg’s GM, Cheveldayoff has been very patient and deliberate. While Trouba and his representatives (and maybe some other teams) were hoping that he would act quickly, it’s expected that the asking price will remain high on Trouba and that Cheveldayoff will only move him if he gets the exact deal he’s looking for. Last week, it was reported that the asking price included a young left-handed rearguard but if Morrissey continues to impress, that requirement could change which would then open up some other options for the Jets to potentially consider.
Elsewhere in Winnipeg, who received some bad news earlier today with Bryan Little being out for the longer-term:
- Recently-demoted goaltender Ondrej Pavelec wasn’t surprised to find himself the odd man out this year, Free Press columnist Jason Bell writes. The 29 year old suited up in just one preseason contest while Michael Hutchinson played in three games and opening night starter Connor Hellebuyck in two. Pavelec acknowledges that he’s unsure what his role will be in the AHL as the Jets have a quality prospect in Eric Comrie down there and will likely want him to get as much playing time as possible. With a cap hit of $3.9MM and a salary of $4.75MM, the Jets will have a hard time finding a taker for Pavelec unless they’re willing to retain on his salary/cap hit in any sort of trade.
Ducks Sign Rickard Rakell To A Six Year Deal
The Ducks have come to terms with one of their two remaining restricted free agents, announcing that they have re-signed center Rickard Rakell to a six year deal. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that the deal will carry a cap hit of $3.8MM (Twitter link).
Rakell had been named to Sweden’s roster for the World Cup of Hockey but had to withdraw due to complications arising from an appendectomy he had back in March. While he was able to play in pre-tournament action last month, he was hospitalized shortly thereafter. He has since received the green light to resume training.
Last season was Rakell’s second full NHL campaign and he improved on his freshman numbers. In 72 games last year, he potted 20 goals and added 23 assists while averaging 16:04 in ice time. He also played in all seven postseason games, picking up another goal and an assist.
Once Rakell is able to return to the lineup (which will be at least a couple of weeks away, Eric Stephens of the OC Register reports via Twitter), it’s likely that he will play as the Ducks’ second line center behind Ryan Getzlaf.
[Related: Ducks Depth Chart]
Anaheim still has one remaining RFA to deal with in defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Cap space is at a premium for the team, as they have less than $400K in room to work with per Cap Friendly (though that amount will increase slightly when they remove someone from the roster to open up a spot for Rakell). Still, it seems likely that they will need to make a trade when they do come to terms with their young blueliner.
Jets Center Bryan Little Out Indefintely
Winnipeg Jets center Bryan Little will be out indefinitely, the team announced via Twitter. He suffered a lower body injury on Thursday night against Carolina in the first period after just 2:48 of ice time. He did manage to record an assist and a shot on goal in that little playing time. No timetable has been provided for his return but it is believed to be a longer-term issue. Ken Wiebe on the Winnipeg Sun reports that the team should know more about his status in a couple of weeks (Twitter link).
The injury occurred on a collision with Hurricanes winger Bryan Bickell. After struggling to stand up, Little fell back to the ice before getting up again, limping straight towards the dressing room.
Little has had very little luck with injuries lately. Last season, he missed the final 25 games of the year due to a neck injury and Thursday’s outing was his first regular season action in more than seven months.
The 28 year old is expected to be one of the Jets’ top two centers this season alongside fellow Barrie Colts (OHL) alumnus Mark Scheifele. Last season, Little had 17 goals and 25 assists in 57 games and has averaged at least 0.7 points per game in each of the last three years.
Forward Alexander Burmistrov (coincidentally, another Colts alumnus) will likely take Little’s spot in the lineup, Wiebe notes in a separate tweet. He adds that the team is expected to recall someone from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Evander Kane To Miss “Weeks”
Buffalo Sabres winger Evander Kane will miss “weeks” with three cracked ribs, according to coach Dan Bylsma (via Pierre LeBrun).
Kane slammed into the boards after losing his footing in a foot race with Alexei Emelin. There was no penalty on the play. Kane was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Kane is the second Sabres forward to sustain a serious injury in the last three days, after Jack Eichel suffered a high ankle sprain in practice on Wednesday morning. On the bright side, new winger Kyle Okposo will return to the lineup on Sunday night in Edmonton, according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
Hjalmarsson Returns To Blackhawks Lineup
The Chicago Blackhawks failed to impress in their first game of the season, losing 5-2 to division rivals St. Louis. Despite the ugly loss, there are plenty of reasons to believe Chicago will be better when they visit the Nashville Predators on Friday night, namely the return of Niklas Hjalmarsson.
Hjalmarsson was suspended for much of the pre-season and the first game of the regular season for a charge/ hit to the head of St. Louis forward Ty Rattie. Hjalmarsson is one of the top defensive defensemen in the NHL, and a very good penalty killer. After the Blues scored three powerplay goals on the Hawks, Hjalmarsson returning to the PK will be a welcome addition.
The Blackhawks have great depth on the backend, with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Brian Campbell, Gustav Forsling, Michal Kempny, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk. The latter struggled in the home opener, taking two bad penalties. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times believes Van Riemsdyk will be the healthy scratch tonight, after Kempny and Forsling both had solid NHL debuts.
Van Riemsdyk admits he has work to do, but is glad the Blackhawks have some competition on the blue line, saying it “always brings out the best in you.”
Whoever sits out, the Blackhawks will dress a dependable defence against P.K. Subban and the skilled Predators.
Snapshots: Injury Updates, Andrighetto, Tkachuk, Gerbe
The Buffalo Sabres have had a tough couple days, with Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, and Dmitry Kulikov missing the team’s home opener versus the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens beat them soundly 4-1 and Evander Kane left the game with what’s believed to be a rib injury. While Eichel is out long-term with a high ankle sprain, there is some good news for Sabres fans as Okposo and Kulikov both skated this morning with the team. The Sabres have not called up anyone from the AHL yet, as they don’t play until Sunday. They’ll let their farm team open the season with a full roster before plucking some players.
Down in Tampa Bay, rugged right winger Ryan Callahan is taking part in Lightning practice. Callahan has yet to play this season after hip surgery in June. We reported on Thursday that Callahan is expected to return by early November. Callahan was wearing a full-contact jersey, so he appears to be on track to do so.
- In anticipation of Jeff Petry returning the lineup, the Montreal Canadiens have placed Swiss forward Sven Andrighetto on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the AHL, according to Elliotte Friedman. The former third round pick had 17 points in 44 NHL games last season, and has posted 110 points in 150 AHL games.
- Calgary Flames first round pick Matthew Tkachuk had an interesting first game in the NHL. He was held pointless, took a penalty, and earned a -1 rating, but appeared to get under the skin of the Edmonton Oilers. He slew-footed Oilers defenseman Brandon Davidson, injuring him “for a while”. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector tweeted that he would be surprised if one of the Flames veteran leaders like captain Mark Giordano or Matt Stajan didn’t talk to Tkachuk about the slew-foot.
- After terminating his contract with the New York Rangers, dimunitive forward Nathan Gerbe has signed a three-year contract with Genève-Servette HC in the Swiss League. Gerbe had previously signed a contract with Genève-Servette in June before dissolving the contract to sign with the Rangers on July 1st.