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Dmitry Kulikov Out Eight Weeks Following Back Surgery

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When Dmitry Kulikov was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury last week, it seemed completely innocuous. Now, it appears to be anything but and potentially season-altering for the Winnipeg Jets. Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds reports that Kulikov is undergoing back surgery and will be out about eight weeks. For perspective, that would be a return around May 12th, most likely the conference finals round. This is likely season-ending surgery for Kulikov and Winnipeg hopes it won’t contribute to a premature end to their 2017-18 run as well.

For those trying to think of when Kulikov could have suffered such a major injury, you would have to go all the way back to the 2016-17 preseason. Then a newly-acquired Buffalo Sabre, Kulikov suffered a back injury before the season even began and dealt with repercussions all year. Kulikov missed 35 games due to injury last year, at least 22 of which were officially credited to his back, and landed on injured reserve twice. Now, Reynolds adds, the lingering issue has returned to plague him again. In his first season of a three-year deal with the Jets, one has to wonder what the future looks like for Kulikov as this back problem continues to stick around.

Until this point, Kulikov has been relatively healthy for Winnipeg, skating in 62 games thus far. Kulikov has fit in nicely for the Jets, far exceeding his performance in Buffalo last season. His numbers may not jump off the page, offensively or defensively, but as a third-pair pair blue liner he has done everything asked of him, including playing a solid game in his own zone and possessing the puck safely. While his absence may not hurt as much as the loss of a Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien, or Tyler Myers would for the rest of the year, it will certainly be felt. Especially with Toby Enstrom already on the shelf as well, the Jets are hurting for the strong defensive depth they began the year with. More pressure will certainly fall on the likes of Tucker Poolman and Joe Morrow for the remainder of the year, as Winnipeg looks to keep injuries from slowing down an incredible campaign.

Devils’ Fitzgerald, Penguins’ Guerin Also Out Of Carolina GM Search

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New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon probably did not expect this process to be so hard. After Los Angles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa joined Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton in dropping out of the running to be the next Hurricanes GM early yesterday, two more names are off the list. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to a potential candidate, New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, and found that he too had pulled out of the search. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun hears Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin also declined to get involved in the process.

Fitzgerald, 49, had a long NHL career, lasting from 1988 to 2006, and then joined the Penguins front office in 2007. He has been the AGM of the Devils since 2015. The experienced hockey mind comes from a strong hockey bloodline and has two sons, Ryan and Casey, with NHL potential. There are many reasons why Fitzgerald would be a strong hire and he certainly seems to have a GM title in his future, but it won’t be with Carolina. Fitzgerald simply told Friedman “This is nothing against Tom Dundon. I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me.” Guerin, 47, is in a similar boat. LeBrun states that he too felt the timing was wrong. Guerin himself was a successful NHLer for nearly 20 years and has been with the Penguins organization since 2009, having been promoted to AGM in 2014. Many see Guerin as the heir apparent to 69-year-old Pens GM Jim Rutherford.

These continued rejections have changed Dundon’s frame of mind for his hunt for Ron Francis’ replacement. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports this morning that the team is “shifting gears” and will wait until the off-season to continue their search. LeBrun speculated that this may change the “timing is wrong” feeling from some of these candidates. However, of the three remaining names on the short list reported by Friedman, only one – Buffalo’s Steve Greeley – is currently employed by an NHL team other than Carolina, while the other two candidates are ’Canes Assistant GM Mike Vellucci and former Canucks executive Laurence Gilman. More than anything, the pause could be Dundon re-thinking the whole situation. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth process so far for the NHL’s newest owner.

Snapshots: Hoffman, Donskoi, Ritchie

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Senators GM Pierre Dorion’s presence in Edmonton earlier this week sparked plenty of speculation of trade talk for the offseason.  One name that has come up quickly is Ottawa winger Mike Hoffman who could potentially be a fit alongside top center Connor McDavid.  However, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports that indications are that the Sens aren’t overly enthusiastic about the idea of moving him now as he continues to develop chemistry alongside Matt Duchene.  At one point earlier this season, Ottawa appeared to be willing to move Hoffman but Matheson notes that they turned down several offers for him before last month’s trade deadline.

More from around the league:

  • While Sharks winger Joonas Donskoi is set to miss tonight’s game with what appears to be a shoulder injury, head coach Peter DeBoer told Paul Gackle of the Bay Area News Group that the issue isn’t expected to keep him out long-term. The 25-year-old has been rather productive as of late with six points in his last seven games so his absence will be notable as San Jose looks to hold onto a playoff position in the tight Western Conference.  Winger Jannik Hansen is expected to take Donskoi’s spot in the lineup.
  • Stars winger Brett Ritchie has been listed as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 24-year-old actually played a season-high 16:47 in his last game on Wednesday against Toronto.  Ritchie has been relatively quiet offensively this year with just 13 points in 62 games but he leads all Dallas forwards in hits with 159.  Forward Gemel Smith is expected to take his place in the lineup.

Atlantic Notes: Borgstrom, Backes, Komarov

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The Panthers are open to having top center prospect Henrik Borgstrom join the team this season and burn the first year of an entry-level contract in the process, GM Dale Tallon told reporters, including Matthew DeFranks of the Sun-Sentinel.  The 20-year-old is still playing in his college playoffs with Denver which could extend as late as April 7th if they make the final of the Frozen Four.  If that happens and Florida makes the postseason, Tallon acknowledged that they would be comfortable with Borgstrom making his NHL debut in the playoffs.  Doing so could make him required to be protected for a potential Seattle expansion draft (assuming they were to get the same rules that Vegas did) but the GM said that this would not affect the decision making with their top prospect.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Bruins forward David Backes will not be suspended for his hit on Panthers center Vincent Trocheck on Thursday night, notes Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. This occurred in his first game from a three-game ban for a hit on Detroit’s Frans Nielsen earlier in the month.  Although Backes received a match penalty on the play (which carries a one-game suspension with it), the league has rescinded it and he will be available for their game on Saturday against Tampa Bay.
  • Maple Leafs winger Leo Komarov underwent an MRI today to see if there was any damage in the knee/thigh area following a collision in last night’s game against Buffalo, TSN’s Darren Dreger notes (Twitter link). If he is set to miss tomorrow’s tilt against Montreal, it would open up a spot for rookie winger Andreas Johnsson or center Dominic Moore to draw back into the lineup.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The race for the playoffs is on, with just a few weeks left in the regular season. Teams are fighting for the best seed possible, and a chance to secure home ice advantage throughout, while others are just hoping for a shot at Rasmus Dahlin and the rest of the top prospects in the upcoming draft.

Even though there is still a lot of hockey to be played, many fans are looking forward to the offseason and the decisions their teams have to make. How much will the Detroit Red Wings have to dish out to re-sign their young restricted free agents? Will Ottawa continue to sell off their best assets? What does Vegas do after their impressive inaugural campaign?

All of your questions will be answered this weekend by our very own Brian La Rose, so make sure to submit them using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below!

You can read our post-deadline mailbag right here, where Brian breaks down some of the very biggest deals of the season.

New Jersey Devils Sign Brett Seney To Entry-Level Deal

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The New Jersey Devils have signed Brett Seney to a two-year entry-level contract, and will have him join the Binghamton Devils on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season. Seney could have become an unrestricted free agent in August, but New Jersey will retain him by getting him under contract right away.

After a four year career at Merrimack College, Seney will try to show that his size won’t stop him from making an impact at the professional level. Listed at just 5’10” 175-lbs, he relies on blazing speed and quickness to create offense but can be overwhelmed by bigger defenders at times. Ending with a career-high 32 points in his senior season, he was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team and led his club in scoring for the fourth consecutive year.

There is a lot of skill in Seney, but there are still concerns about his ability to play away from the puck. If he’s going to make an impact at the next level, he’ll need to use his speed to contribute defensively and become a more well-rounded player. Already 22 years old, he’ll have to make those adjustments quickly.

Another Candidate Withdraws From Carolina GM Search

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Los Angeles Kings’ AGM Mike Futa removed himself from contention for the Carolina Hurricanes GM job recently, and now another leading candidate is pulling out. According to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton has withdrawn as well.

Friedman now lists Tom Fitzgerald, Laurence Gilman, Steve Greeley and Mike Vellucci as the known candidates, though there could still be others.

The Hurricanes are searching for a new GM after moving Ron Francis into a different position, and owner Thomas Dundon has made it clear the incoming executive will answer directly to him. He and Francis apparently didn’t have similar styles, leading to the move and subsequent search. Obviously Dundon is looking for something very particular, but with two very qualified candidates now pulling out (for one reason or another) the search could become more difficult.

The NHL Entry Draft is just a few months away, and the Hurricanes have some huge negotiations to go through with players like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Though there are experienced executives like Don Wadell still in the front office, every day that passes gives the new GM less time to prepare for the offseason. The Hurricanes meanwhile are 3-8-2 in their last 13 and have fallen out of the playoff race.

Snapshots: Price, Leiweke, Belpedio

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Carey Price is planning on returning to the Montreal Canadiens net this season, and will even travel with the team to Toronto this weekend. Though he won’t play, he told John Lu of TSN that he never even considered shutting down for the year.

Price also told Lu that his concussion symptoms were “different…more noticeable” than his previous experience with the injury in 2012, which shouldn’t instill much excitement in Montreal fans. Price is easily the most important piece for the Canadiens going forward, especially given that he is starting an eight-year, $84MM extension next season. Obviously no one can predict his health going forward, but the team needs him injury-free if they’re to turn around what has been a disaster year.

  • Tim Leiweke was already the President of the Oak View Group, the investing group that has applied for an expansion team in Seattle. Yesterday on the Fan 590 in Toronto, he admitted that he will also be a minority owner of that team should it be awarded. Leiweke has ties to Toronto as the former CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and other professional sports organizations. Before that, Leiweke was also CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owned the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Galaxy. Needless to say he has quite a bit of experience in professional sports front offices, and now joined by his brother will be able to set up the business side of a Seattle franchise well for the long-term.
  • Louis Belpedio is expected to eventually sign his entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild, but for now will just settle for an amateur tryout with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. The third-round pick could wait until the middle of August and become an unrestricted free agent after completing his college career this month, but has already begun discussions with Minnesota.

Kevin Stenlund To Join Cleveland Monsters

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Now that the SHL season is over for many teams, Swedish players and prospects will begin to make the journey to North American professional hockey. One of those players, Kevin Stenlund, has been assigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ prospect is coming off another good season with HV71, and already signed his entry-level contract last spring.

Stenlund, 21, was selected 58th-overall in 2015 and is another intriguing forward prospect for the Blue Jackets. He really showed off in the playoffs last year for HV71, where he had 10 points in 16 games en route to a championship. This year he came back with 22 points in 43 games, and continued to play his solid two-way game.

The 6’4″ 210-lbs Stenlund is a responsible defensive presence that has been credited for his high hockey IQ since draft day. Though he may not be a huge offensive producer at the next level, he’s on a fast track for the NHL if he can continue to hold his own at the center position. He’ll be challenged at the AHL level down the stretch, but could compete for a job with the Blue Jackets within the next calendar year.

Kevin Bieksa To Undergo Hand Surgery, Out 2-5 Weeks

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When the Anaheim Ducks recalled Korbinian Holzer this morning, something didn’t add up. They’ve explained the move now by announcing that Kevin Bieksa will undergo surgery to remove scar tissue from his left hand, and will be out two to five weeks. Though that leaves a little bit of room for him to return during the regular season, it likely means he won’t be available until the playoffs.

For a team that could claim the deepest defense corps in the league just a year ago, the Ducks now have razor thin margins on the blue line. After trading away Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen, they’ve needed to rely on veterans like Bieksa and Francois Beauchemin more than expected. While their top-four remains as strong as any in the NHL, a single injury could bring trouble. Last year, Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm both played through shoulder injuries in the playoffs and required surgery as soon as the team was eliminated.

Bieksa isn’t the player he once was, but is still relied upon for valuable minutes and has a ton of playoff experience. Though this isn’t a crushing blow, it certainly weakens the team depth even further and puts them at risk for the first round of the playoffs.

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