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Archives for March 2019

Depleted Devils Missing Several Players

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The New Jersey Devils have lost four straight games and are firmly positioned at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. That lack of success has only been furthered by injury lately, as the team is missing a huge chunk of their regular skaters. Team reporter Amanda Stein details all those who are missing practice today as the team prepares for their trip to Washington. Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Miles Wood, Kevin Rooney, Nathan Bastian, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller are all absent. John Quenneville and Kyle Palmieri who have missed games recently due to injury both took part.

The Devils will take on the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers in a back-to-back situation over the next two days, and very well could find themselves slipping even further down the standings over the next month. With so many injuries and other key players shipped out at the deadline, it appears as though New Jersey might have another good shot at the draft lottery this season. They are currently ahead of just Ottawa, Detroit and Los Angeles in the “Lose for Hughes” race.

Hall’s absence is the most notable obviously, as the reigning Hart Trophy winner continues his rehab from minor knee surgery. With just a single season left on his current contract, many have wondered about Hall’s future in New Jersey. GM Ray Shero unequivocally told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) that he did not consider trading his offensive star at the deadline, and that he will approach Hall this summer to try and work out a contract extension.

Mike Green To Miss Remainder Of Season

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It’s been a long frustrating season for Mike Green, who has dealt with a virus attacking his liver at points throughout. Though he was only supposed to miss seven to ten days for the latest ailment, the Detroit Red Wings have now announced that Green will be out for the rest of the season as he tries to regain his health. The veteran defenseman saw a specialist who recommended several weeks off, which means he won’t get back on the ice this season but there is no long-term concern.

Green, 33, was re-signed last June to a two-year $10.75MM contract in order to stay with the Red Wings, but will end his season with just 43 games played. Amazingly even after missing 22 games he still leads all Detroit defenders in scoring, something he’s become used to over his career. The offensive-minded Green has 490 points in 830 career NHL games, including consecutive 70+ point years in Washington as a younger player. That puck-moving ability is exactly what Detroit hoped to retain in Green, but his future is certainly now up for debate.

Heading into the final season of his contract Green could be a potential trade chip for the Red Wings once again, though it likely wouldn’t happen until the deadline next year. Green’s full no-trade clause relaxes quite a bit on February 1, 2020 at which point he may be an appealing rental option. The Red Wings meanwhile have a few other young defensemen pushing for more minutes, with Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek both showing off their capabilities this season.

Marcus Johansson Suffers Lung Contusion

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The Boston Bruins have issued an update on Marcus Johansson following his departure from last night’s game. The newly acquired forward spent the night in hospital after testing revealed a lung contusion. He has since been discharged, but will be re-evaluated in a week.

Johansson was acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the deadline to give the Bruins another versatile scoring threat, and tallied one assist through his first three games with the club. Unfortunately he ran into Micheal Ferland early in the Bruins game last night, and left on his second shift of the game. A bruised lung isn’t the worst diagnosis given how much trouble Johansson had getting off the ice, but it certainly won’t help Boston as they search for home ice advantage in the first round.

The Bruins are sitting three points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second spot in the Atlantic Division and are on an incredible streak. The team has not been defeated in regulation since January 19, 17 games ago. Still, any stumbles down the stretch could cost them and losing Johansson won’t help.

Snapshots: Expansion, Ingram, Schenn

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The Vegas Golden Knights will not be taking part in the upcoming Seattle expansion payout that the other 30 teams will receive, and because of this will not be required to give up a player in the expansion draft. That has raised plenty of questions over whether the Golden Knights will be involved in other ways, perhaps even as some sort of extra protection list for teams to use just through the draft process by trading players there, only to get them back later. That kind of circumvention isn’t going to happen under the watchful eye of Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, as he told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) that you won’t be able to “park” a player on Vegas during the process.

LeBrun pressed on just how the league might avoid such scenarios without clearly laying out rules, but Daly channeled his inner Justice Stewart by telling the insider “I’ll know it when I see it.”

  • Tampa Bay Lightning goaltending prospect Connor Ingram has been demoted to the ECHL despite apparently being healthy enough to continue playing. Ingram hasn’t suited up for the Syracuse Crunch since February 26th, but still leads the entire AHL in save percentage and shutouts, while carrying the second best goals against average in the league. Joe Smith of The Athletic tweets a response from Lightning GM Julian BriseBois who called it an “internal matter,” while Mark Divver of the Providence Journal notes that he had heard Ingram was available at the deadline for a draft pick. The 21-year old goaltender was selected 88th overall in 2016.
  • Brayden Schenn has been activated from injured reserve by the St. Louis Blues, giving the team another weapon for their game tonight with the Anaheim Ducks. The Blues are currently in third place in the Central Division but with several teams hot on their heels they can’t afford to drop many more games down the stretch. Schenn has 39 points in 55 games this season but is in danger of failing to reach the 20-goal mark for the first time since 2014-15.

Mark Stone Extension Delayed, But Still Coming

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After Mark Stone was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights just minutes before the February 25th trade deadline, he admitted to have already worked out an extension with the team. That extension was to be for eight years and $76MM, but couldn’t be officially filed until March 1st because of the “tagging” issue of having more than the salary cap ceiling already committed to the next season. Then March 1st came and went with no extension, leading some to wonder if something had occurred to stop the deal from coming together.

Not to worry Golden Knights fans, as Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the only reason the deal isn’t done was a personal issue that kept GM George McPhee out of town. Lavoie notes that McPhee wanted to be there in person, and that the deal will be filed in the next few days.

Stone hasn’t been able to score much for the Golden Knights so far, recording just one assist in his four games for the club, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact. The former Ottawa Senators forward has attempted 23 shots so far, getting 13 of them on net. That kind of volume is sure to garner some results in the near future, even if Stone is playing fewer minutes than he has the last few seasons. Vegas takes on the Calgary Flames tonight in a battle of Western Conference titans, a matchup that would be a perfect time for Stone to break out and tally his first goal as a Golden Knight.

Steve Yzerman Still Working Closely With Tampa Bay Lightning

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When Steve Yzerman shocked the hockey world last fall by announcing that he was stepping down as Tampa Bay Lightning GM, many believed it was to take some time with family before his next opportunity—perhaps even one with the Detroit Red Wings. Julian BriseBois took over the Lightning front office and Yzerman was officially moved to a “senior advisor” role, but it wasn’t clear what kind of impact he would have on the Lightning through the rest of his contract, which ends after this season. BriseBois cleared that up this week when speaking with NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika at the GM Meetings in Boca Raton, Forida:

He’s missed maybe a handful of home games. He’s been at pretty much every home game. Usually when we’re home for a home stand, he comes in from Detroit. He’s been at some of our road games. I went and scouted with him to a number of (American Hockey League) weekends, junior games. So, he’s been very involved.

BriseBois goes on to say that he speaks to Yzerman daily and that the Hall of Fame player was involved heavily in the Lightning’s plans for the recent trade deadline. Some of that involvement may come as a surprise to those who are convinced Yzerman is heading back to the Red Wings after his contract is up, given that the two teams currently reside in the same division. The Tampa Bay GM wasn’t biting when asked about his advisor’s plans, and actually explained that if Yzerman wants to stay with the Lightning he will welcome him back with open arms.

The Lightning have been built into a powerhouse under Yzerman and BriseBois, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and one Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The team has an incredible 51-12-4 record this season and are 17 points ahead of the next best team in the NHL. A Presidents Trophy is nearly a guarantee at this point, and anything short of a Stanley Cup would seem disappointing. With all of that success there is surely reason for Yzerman stay involved with the team going forward, though no decision is clear at this point.

Detroit on the other hand are in the midst of a rebuild, and still have GM Ken Holland under contract through the 2019-20 season. It would be closer for Yzerman, who resides in the area, but there is no guarantee he will be handed the keys this offseason. For now, he’ll keep working with the Lightning and try to help the team capture their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Reese Johnson

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The Chicago Blackhawks have added a prospect to their cupboard, signing undrafted free agent Reese Johnson to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2019-20 season and carries an average annual value of $925K. Johnson is currently playing with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL.

Johnson, 20, is the captain of the Rebels this season and has 45 points in 62 games, trailing only Brandon Hagel (a fellow Blackhawks prospect) for the team scoring lead. He’s also known for his incredible faceoff ability, where he has absolutely dominated over the past two seasons. Johnson has won nearly 65% of his draws this year, an incredible talent that will prove invaluable at the professional level.

That professional career will kick off next season when Johnson is expected to join the Rockford Ice Hogs, where he will be challenged to improve his offensive game. While he won’t wow you with puck skills or elusiveness, Johnson gives the Blackhawks another legitimate NHL prospect even if his ceiling is limited.

Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Andreas Borgman

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have scratched another name off their long list of pending restricted free agents, this time signing Andreas Borgman to a one-year two-way contract extension worth $700K at the NHL level.

Borgman, 23, has spent the entire season in the minor leagues after playing 48 games for the Maple Leafs last year, but has been hampered by concussion problems throughout. In 39 games for the Toronto Marlies the Swedish defenseman has 15 points. A deal like this ensures that Borgman will be back with the organization next season, but does nothing to guarantee he’ll see time with the Maple Leafs in 2019-20.

The Maple Leafs signed Borgman after just a single year in the SHL—in which he was named Rookie of the Year—and inserted him into the lineup immediately. His relatively small stature belied the physical game that he brought, as he routinely threw open ice body checks and used his strength to remove opponents from the puck. Unfortunately injury has stolen much of his time in Toronto, something he’ll have to avoid in the future in order to climb the depth chart once again. The Maple Leafs already project to have three top options—Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and Travis Dermott—plugged into the left side for next season, with others like Calle Rosen and even Rasmus Sandin battling for opportunities.

The Maple Leafs have made a concerted effort to sign their depth options to inexpensive contracts over the last few months, inking the likes of Rosen, Trevor Moore, Garret Sparks and now Borgman to contracts with a cap hit under $800K. That is obviously what the team will continue to have to do in order to stay cap compliant, given the high prices of their star talent. Toronto now has ten players scheduled to become restricted free agents this summer, including Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson.

New York Islanders Recall Christopher Gibson

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The New York Islanders won in a shootout over the Ottawa Senators last night, but may have lost a key part of their team in the process. Robin Lehner was injured on a collision with Brady Tkachuk, and though there is no word yet on how serious the injury is, Christopher Gibson has been recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Gibson’s recall is under emergency conditions, meaning it won’t take up one of the post-deadline recalls but also means Lehner is still dealing with an injury of some sort.

Gibson, 26, has played in one game with the Islanders this season but has once again spent the majority of his year in the minor leagues. Originally selected in the second round of the 2011 draft, he has never quite been able to crack an NHL roster for very long. In his career, Gibson has played in just 13 NHL contests and has a .901 save percentage.

If Lehner’s injury keeps him out for any length of time, it will be Thomas Greiss who attempts to guide the Islanders to a Metropolitan Division title. The Washington Capitals are currently tied with the Islanders at 83 points (with an identical record to boot) while the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets are all still within striking distance. Lehner has been outstanding this season and is a huge reason the Islanders are where they are, posting a .927 save percentage through 38 games.

Minor Transactions: 03/06/19

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Just four games on the schedule this evening but one mammoth matchup in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights will welcome the Pacific-leading Calgary Flames for a game that is surely to be a war on the ice. Calgary has lost their last two and is having trouble in net again while the Golden Knights are on a four-game winning streak. As teams prepare for tonight’s action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • Just before their game last night the Minnesota Wild returned Matt Read to the AHL, already the fourth transactions he’s been involved in since the beginning of March. The veteran forward has played just six games for the team this season and has a single goal. UPDATE: Amazingly, Read has already been recalled by the Wild under emergency conditions.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Haydn Fleury to the minor leagues as well after Calvin de Haan had recovered enough to get back in the lineup. Fleury hasn’t been able to crack the NHL lineup on a regular basis this season, playing just 14 games after suiting up in 67 contests last season. The constant recalls have also limited his time in the minor leagues, as Fleury has only totaled 36 games across both levels.
  • Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks after Ben Hutton suffered an injury and is unavailable. Brisebois has played two games for the Canucks this season, instead spending most of the year with the Utica Comets where he has 11 points in 49 games.

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