Atlantic Notes: Ristolainen, Callahan, Zetterberg, Huberdeau
Despite defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen being signed for the next six years, the team doesn’t anticipate increasing his workload this season, writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. If anything, the team may be trying to scale back his ice time slightly.
In 2015-16, Ristolainen saw a significant jump in his playing time, going from an average of 20:37 in his sophomore campaign to 25:17 per night last season. That ranked him tenth in the league in average ice time and after factoring in that he played in every game, his total ice time on the season slotted fifth overall.
Head coach Dan Bylsma is looking for more balance in his blueline pairings, something that should be aided with the addition of Dmitry Kulikov back at the draft in June. The 25 year old has logged over 20 minutes per night in each of the last five seasons which will be useful if Bylsma wants to keep the ice time of pairings relatively close.
Buffalo’s back end is relatively healthy heading into tonight’s season opener against Montreal although Kulikov isn’t expected to play. The same can’t be said for their forwards as they will be without Jack Eichel who injured his ankle on Wednesday and will miss at least a month. Newcomer Kyle Okposo (bruised knee) also won’t play while Ryan O’Reilly (back) is questionable to suit up although he did participate in the morning skate.
Other Atlantic news and notes:
- Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper is hopeful that Ryan Callahan should be able to return to the lineup by the beginning of November, notes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. Callahan underwent hip surgery back in June and was expected to be out until mid-late November. The 31 year old had 28 points in 73 games last season, the lowest full season output of his career but was slowed in the back half last year because of the hip problems.
- Despite knee problems creeping up and tiring as the season went on last year, Detroit left winger Henrik Zetterberg still expects to play out the remaining five years of his contract, reports Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News. Zetterberg played in all 82 games last year for the first time in four seasons but is only two years removed from missing nearly half the season with injury concerns. The 36 year old will carry a cap hit of just under $6.1MM through the 2020-21 season and if he were to retire early, the team would be subject to salary cap recapture due to the significant decrease in his salary in the final three years of the deal.
- Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau has undergone surgery to repair an Achilles tendon, George Richards of the Miami Herald notes (Twitter link). There is no change to the expected timetable for his return which should be in the next three to four months.
- The Red Wings returned goaltender Eddie Pasquale to Grand Rapids of the AHL, the team announced on their team Twitter page. Pasquale had cleared waivers and was originally sent down last Wednesday but had been recalled on Tuesday afternoon.
Jonathan Quick Out Indefintely
Update (8:00pm): Kings GM Dean Lombardi announced this evening that the team has placed Quick on injured reserve (Twitter link). In a related move, the club has called up veteran goalie Peter Budaj from Ontario of the AHL. Budaj, 34, brings 297 regular season games of NHL experience to the table and has shown to be a competent backup. It appears as if the Kings will have to rely on the duo of Zatkoff and Budaj indefinitely until Quick returns.
(9:17am): Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick sustained a lower body injury late in the first period of their 2-1 loss to San Jose on Wednesday night. While there is no immediate timetable for his return, Lisa Dillman of the LA Times notes that GM Dean Lombardi believes the injury may keep him out for a while. Quick will undergo an MRI later today to determine the extent of the problem. In the meantime, he has been placed on injured reserve and the team is saying he will be out week-to-week.
In the meantime, offseason acquisition Jeff Zatkoff – who replaced Quick to start the second period last night – will take over as the interim starter. However, his NHL experience is limited to just 34 regular season appearances coming into the season while he has yet to appear in more than 20 contests in any single NHL campaign. As a result, he is more suited to backup duty than a starting workload.
The Kings have a couple of options in their system to recall in the meantime. Veteran Peter Budaj is the most likely to be recalled while former Dallas first rounder Jack Campbell is also under contract but has yet to have much success at the minor league level.
[Related: Kings Depth Chart]
The team has a bit of cap space to work with should they want to go outside the organization to supplement their goaltending depth while Quick is on the shelf. The team has a little more than $2.1MM in cap space per Cap Friendly and also have Marian Gaborik eligible for LTIR if the team needs to open up some more room although that would only be a short-term solution.
*Glen Miller contributed to this post.
Matthews First To Score Four Goals In Debut
Toronto Maple Leafs fans could not have asked for more from rookie sensation Auston Matthews in the team’s season opener. The #1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, Matthews was a lock to make the roster and came in with high expectations. In less than two periods, those expectations were shattered. Auston Matthews scored two in the first period, added another couple tallies in the second, and as of this writing he’s still going. His second goal was a single-handed masterpiece, while his first and last came from fellow youngster and promising line mate William Nylander. Its only day one, but Matthews is well on his way to being the biggest name in Toronto hockey in a long time.
Before Matthews record-breaking performance, only four players had ever scored a hat trick in their NHL debut. Montreal’s Alex Smart was the first to do it in 1943, followed by the Quebec Nordiques’ Real Cloutier in 1979. In more recent memory, “flash in the pan” Fabian Brunnstrom accomplished the feat for the Stars in 2008, and current Rangers star Derek Stepan had a hat trick in his debut in 2010, kick-starting a strong NHL career. However, Matthews is the first to score four, and many Toronto fans will tell you that Stepan is simply a floor for what they believe Matthews can be.
Never before has a Calder race has such a definitive leader after the first day of the season as it has in 2016-17. While pucks have just dropped on a new NHL season, Matthews is already the biggest name in the league thus far. While his numbers will certainly return to normal, the hype alone coming out of Toronto may keep in the lead for Rookie of the Year from Game One to Game Eighty-Two.
PHR’s NHL Season Preview
Over the last month, Pro Hockey Rumors has been taking a closer look at the off-season by going team-by-team and analyzing pros and cons of each NHL squad’s roster entering the 2016-17 season. Our Season Previews have focused on each club’s key acquisitions and losses, current cap situation, players to watch, and important story lines to follow in the new campaign.
In case you missed your favorite team’s preview, we’re put them all together in once place for you. In addition, the writers at PHR have all chipped in to look ahead at how this season might turn out. After going through each team with an in-depth look at their strengths and weaknesses, we each have a unique outlook on the new season and who might be raising the Stanley Cup in June.
Here are the links to our 2016-17 Season Previews and the official Pro Hockey Rumors staff picks:
Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Divison
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Metropolitan Divison
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Western Conference:
Central Divison
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Pacific Divison
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Columbus Returns Dubois To Juniors
On the eve of their home opener, the Columbus Blue Jackets have announced they they have sent 2016 3rd-overall pick Pierre-Luc Dubois back to his junior team, the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. A high pick in his first pro experience, Dubois did not stick out in the preseason; still, many expected him to stay with the Blue Jackets, at least through the ten-game “tryout” period. Instead, the 18-year-old center will head back to juniors without an NHL game under his belt.
The Blue Jackets selection of Dubois with the #3 pick was believed to be a reach by many. However, that only added fuel to the fire for those who believed that Columbus really saw something in the young scorer. Having traded Ryan Johansen last season, it is no secret that the Jackets are on the hunt for a franchise center. It was believed that they planned on having Dubois step right into that role. In four preseason games though, Dubois was held without a point and was a -4, with the consensus being that he looked over-matched with the pro game. Rather than get a longer look this season, Columbus has elected to send Dubois back to Cape Breton, where he scored 99 points last season, and hope that he comes to camp next year ready to earn an NHL spot.
In a corresponding mover, the Blue Jackets have recalled Alexander Wennberg from Cleveland of the AHL. The 22-year-old will now play Dubois’ role of young center looking to be a difference-maker on a team without much depth and ability down the middle.
Jack Eichel Out 1-2 Months
While the Buffalo Sabres are still awaiting a more in-depth diagnosis for Jack Eichel, the early prognosis is that they young star will miss a minimum of four to six weeks with a high ankle sprain, according to TSN insider Bob McKenzie. As reported earlier, Eichel left practice this morning after suffering an injury, and the first impression was that it was a high ankle sprain. After a closer look, the injury was confirmed as such.
The diagnosis could be good or bad for the Sabres. A minor sprain is nothing compared to a break or Achilles injury, and Eichel could be back on the ice within a month. However, the same injury has been known to linger if it severe. Sidney Crosby missed over seven weeks with a high ankle sprain in 2008, and Eichel’s own teammate, goalie Robin Lehner, was out a full three months with a high ankle sprain last year.
Eichel’s injury is obviously a devastating blow for Buffalo, as big things were expected from the sophomore center, and multi-month injury and potentially lingering effects could derail his entire season. Youngsters Sam Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, and Johan Larsson will have to step up in his stead, and offensive leaders Ryan O’Reilly and the newly-acquired Kyle Okposo will have to carry the weight of the scoring until Eichel is back. The Sabres were never likely playoff-contenders this season, but any long-term absence for Eichel will surely shut the door on that possibility in 2016-17.
Gretzky Returning To Oilers In Official Capacity
On hand in Edmonton today for unveiling of his statue at the new Rogers Place, Wayne Gretzky was announced as officially joining the organization as the Vice Chairman of the Oilers Entertainment Group . While job capacity is still somewhat unknown, it is expected that he could fill a role similar to that of Kevin Lowe, the Vice President of Oilers Entertainment Group.
“The Great One” was last part of the Edmonton Oilers over 28 years ago. Gretzky played for the team for a decade, leading them to four Stanley Cup titles and establishing himself as the best player the game has ever seen. He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, and had not returned to the team in any capacity until now.
Gretzky has not held an official position in the NHL since leaving the Phoenix Coyotes in 2009, but now holds two positions with the league. In September, he was named an official ambassador for the league’s centennial celebration, and now adds his position with the Oilers into the mix. Having Gretzky around the NHL can only be a positive for the league, and it seems as though hockey’s all-time greatest simply can’t get enough of the game.
Vande Sompel Signs Entry-Level Contract
The New York Islanders have signed Mitchell Vande Sompel to his entry-level contract, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Vande Sompel was the 82nd overall selection in the 2015 draft. The undersized left-handed defenseman was recently returned to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, where he’s served as an assistant captain for the last two years. He’s starting his fourth season in the OHL, and has 124 points in 159 games. He was a key member of the 2015 Memorial Cup championship for the Generals.
He’s a versatile offensive defenseman, who once played left wing in the OHL playoffs to cover for injuries. Elite Prospects reports he has the potential to grow into a Dan Boyle-type offensive defenseman, though he needs to get stronger and develop defensively in order to become an NHLer.
Snapshots: Bruins Injuries, Crosby, Lindgren, Lindback
Judging by their roster to start the new season, the Boston Bruins’ new colors might be black and blue. Patrice Bergeron, Adam McQuaid, and Kevan Miller will all miss the season opener in Columbus on Thursday night.
While Bergeron and McQuaid are considered day-to-day with lower and upper body injuries respectively, Miller will miss approximately six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand.
- Sidney Crosby practiced with the full Penguins this morning. Crosby took a line rush, then changed into a non-contact jersey, according to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Crosby’s participation lessened throughout the practice, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Crosby will not play in the Penguins season opener on Thursday.
- With Carey Price expected to miss the Canadiens season opener with the flu, Montreal has recalled goalie Charlie Lindgren to backup for Al Montoya in Buffalo on Thursday night.
- The New Jersey Devils will not be signing goaltender Anders Lindback after his PTO, according to Andrew Gross of the New Jersey Record. Lindback was brought in to cover for Cory Schneider while he was away at the World Cup of Hockey.
Eichel Leaves Practice With Leg Injury
Buffalo Sabres super-sophomore Jack Eichel left practice on Wednesday morning after appearing to injure his left leg.
Tom Martin of News 4 Buffalo tweeted a video of Eichel falling in front of the net after after minor contact with teammate Zemgus Girgensons. Eichel’s left leg got caught under his body as he fell backwards on it. Acccording to Joe Yerdon, Eichel’s ankle bent and rolled under him. He was heard screaming in pain before being helped off, unable to put any weight on his ankle.
Sabres coach Dan Bylsma confirmed after practice that it was an ankle injury, according to Ryan Dixon. Bylsma said there’s “not a lot to tell after that.”
Buffalo News John Vogl reported that the Sabres will wait for things to calm down before getting Eichel’s ankle evaluated.
Eichel’s teammates say they’re concerned, but hope the injury isn’t serious. It’s not clear if he’ll be available for the Sabres home opener on Thursday night when the Carey Price-less Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres are already without free agent signing Kyle Okposo, who has a knee injury.
More to come.