Charlie McAvoy Suspended For Game One Of Eastern Conference Final
The decision has been handed down from the NHL Department of Player Safety, rather quickly in fact, on Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Less than 24 hours after defeating the Columbus Blue Jacket to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins have learned that they will be without their top defender for Game One against the Carolina Hurricanes. McAvoy has been suspended for one game for a hit to the head of Columbus’ Josh Anderson, the league announced.
Late in the second period of Monday night’s deciding Game Six, McAvoy was called for a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head on Anderson. Columbus fans and players alike, and head coach John Tortorella most of all, were upset that McAvoy did not receive a greater penalty for the heavy hit, especially as Anderson struggled to get back to his feet and leave the ice. The referees ultimately decided that McAvoy’s check was not worthy of a game misconduct, but clearly the Department of Player Safety disagrees, issuing an even greater penalty of a whole game suspension. In their breakdown of the play, the department explains their decision as such:
McAvoy comes across the front of (Anderson’s) body and delivers a high, hard check that makes Anderson’s head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head… McAvoy’s shoulder clearly makes direct and forceful contact with the head of Anderson… While hits from the side are not illegal, they are difficult to execute legally. In this case, while we accept McAvoy’s argument that he is not intentionally attempting to hit Anderson in the head, he takes an angle of approach that cuts in front of Anderson’s body, rather than through the near shoulder and core… McAvoy then elevates his shoulder up and into the head of Anderson, rather than staying low and aiming for Anderson’s chest or far shoulder.
It is worth noting, as the league did, that there did not appear to be intent to injure on the play, but rather it was an ill-advised and dangerous hit that earned McAvoy his suspension. McAvoy and Anderson appeared to be on good terms in the handshake line at the end of the game, indicating that there was a mutual understanding that this was not a dirty play, but simply poorly executed. It also helped McAvoy’s case that this was his first interaction with Player Safety, having never previously been suspended or fined.
A one-game suspension was the result that many expected and was likely the best-case scenario for the Bruins. Nevertheless, McAvoy’s loss for even one game is major. The 21-year-old defenseman has been Boston’s top blue liner all season, when healthy, and all postseason, along with fellow young defenseman Brandon Carlo. McAvoy is a key puck-mover for the Bruins and easily their most dependable possession defenseman in all three zones. He has logged major minutes in the playoffs skating on the team’s top pair and second power play unit, contributing six points, 30 hits, and a +8 rating through 13 games and has had to pick up the slack of pair mate Zdeno Chara, who has struggled frequently this postseason. In replacing him for Game One, head coach Bruce Cassidy will have to get creative with his defensive pairs, likely replacing McAvoy’s spot in the lineup with John Moore or Steven Kampfer and shuffling some combinations around. Expect the regular pairing of Carlo and Torey Krug to likely see top minutes in Game One on Thursday, as the Bruins try to fight through this adversity to take an early series lead on the Hurricanes.
Mason Shaw Undergoes Knee Surgery
After already missing nearly the entire 2017-18 season, Mason Shaw has more rehab to do. The Minnesota Wild announced that Shaw underwent a successful ACL revision procedure on his left knee yesterday and will miss the rest of the AHL playoffs. The Iowa Wild are in a second round series against the Chicago Wolves, with game four set for tomorrow evening.
This is not the first time Shaw has gone under the knife to repair an ACL injury. As Micheal Russo of The Athletic points out, the young forward tore the ligament in his right knee last year and this left one the year before that. Even getting back to full health in time for the 2018-19 season was a battle, but one that Shaw won. The 20-year old ended up playing in all 76 contests for Iowa this season, recorded 33 points in his first year of professional hockey. That was a great season for a player who was so far removed from playing at a high level, and one that should have fans of the Wild organization excited about him.
It’s not clear how long Shaw will be out this time, but Russo tweets that recovery timelines for these injuries usually sit around six months. That would put the beginning of Shaw’s 2019-20 season at risk, and remove any possibility of him making a case for an NHL spot at training camp.
One player that Shaw may be able to look at for inspiration is St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri, who tore the ACL in his left knee twice and also missed the entire 2017-18 season. Fabbri is back playing with the St. Louis Blues in these playoffs, suiting up eight times through the first two rounds. The 23-year old is certainly not back to where he was before the injuries, but just getting back into NHL action was a long time coming.
Shaw was originally selected in the fourth round by the Wild in 2017, after having a huge season for the Medicine Hat Tigers. His potential was clear when he scored 94 points in 71 games that year, and will hopefully be able to show itself again after this most recent injury. He is under contract for two more seasons before being scheduled for restricted free agency in 2021.
Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Barber, Davidsson
The Columbus Blue Jackets went all-in at the trade deadline this season by adding several pending unrestricted free agents in Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and Keith Kinkaid. The reasoning was likely in part due to the fact that Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, two of the team’s best players, are also heading to free agency and had already turned down extension talks. GM Jarmo Kekalainen knew this was his last shot with those two on the roster and took it, but now faces an offseason where he will watch several top names depart. If Panarin, Bobrovsky, Duchene and others do leave, he’s not losing sleep over it. In conversation with Tom Reed of The Athletic (subscription required) Kekalainen explained what he’s looking for out of his players:
I think it’s important moving forward that we have guys who are proud to be Blue Jackets, proud to be living in Columbus and loving it here. It’s really important that they bleed blue or whatever you want to call it. … Guys who want to be here are going to be here and the guys who don’t want to be here — good luck.
Kekalainen admitted that he would “do it in a second again” but the Blue Jackets now face the reality that their team will look very different come September. That might not be the end of them though, as there are several bright spots still on the roster. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski still represent two of the game’s top young defensemen, and players like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexandre Texier have proven they are capable of providing real contributions at the NHL level. Not to mention the likes of Boone Jenner, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand who are still in their mid-twenties and under contract for reasonable amounts. As always, Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets will be one of the most interesting teams in the league to watch this offseason as they try to move on from this chapter of their history.
- Speaking of moving on, Washington Capitals forward Riley Barber appears to be ready to do just that. Barber spoke to J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, and explained that given his lack of opportunity in Washington he isn’t likely to return to the organization next season. The 25-year old is set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after playing just three NHL games since signing with the team in 2015, but is coming off an impressive 60-point season in the AHL.
- Marcus Davidsson was selected 37th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2017 but they have been happy so far to let him continue to develop in Sweden. That doesn’t appear to be changing, as Davidsson has signed a two-year deal to remain in the SHL, this time with the Vaxjo Lakers. The 20-year old center could actually become an unrestricted free agent if the Sabres don’t sign him by June 1st, 2021.
Edmonton Oilers Introduce Ken Holland, Start Search For New Head Coach
The Edmonton Oilers have officially announced the hiring of Ken Holland as the team’s new general manager and president of hockey operations. CEO Bob Nicholson and owner Daryl Katz introduced the former Detroit Red Wings executive in a press conference today, explaining how thrilled the organization is to bring in a manager with Holland’s resume. The contract has been reported as a five-year deal worth $25MM, and Holland will have full autonomy in running the team.
While Holland is the big news of the day for the Oilers organization, the team also confirmed that Ken Hitchcock will not return as head coach next season. A search has begun to find his replacement, one which Holland will lead. Hitchcock was always expected to be a short-term fix, coming in to try and push the Oilers to the playoffs last season after a poor start under Todd McLellan. They didn’t make it in the end, and Hitchcock will remain with the organization in an advisory role.
Holland now has plenty of work to do. The Oilers have floundered in mediocrity for decades and have now missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons even with one of the league’s best players contributing every night. Connor McDavid has won the Ted Lindsay award twice already and is a finalist again this year after putting up 116 points in 78 games, but has failed to get much support from the rest of the roster. In fact, only two other forwards recorded more than 38 points this season, with players like Milan Lucic (20 points), Jujhar Khaira (18) Tobias Rieder (11), all playing huge chunks of the season without much offensive contribution. That scoring depth will be one of Holland’s first priorities, but it won’t be his only task on the way to a building a contender.
The Oilers also have nearly $23MM committed to a defense corps next season that is underwhelming at best, with Andrej Sekera set to lead the group with a $5.5MM cap hit. Sekera has played a total of 60 games over the past two seasons due to injury, and though he looked better than expected down the stretch he was still playing an average of only 16:29. Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson and Kris Russell are all earning at least $4MM for the next two seasons, and totaled 64 points this season in 215 games played.
Goaltending too is a concern, despite the three-year $13.5MM contract extension that the team handed Mikko Koskinen earlier this season. Koskinen had made just 31 NHL starts when he signed the contract, and finished the season with just a .906 save percentage through 55 appearances. While his size and previous experience in the KHL are good indicators that he can play at a better level, Holland will need to find a way to upgrade in net if he really wants to compete for the Stanley Cup.
Calgary Flames Sign Carl-Johan Lerby
The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Carl-Johan Lerby to a two-year entry-level contract. Lerby was an undrafted international free agent, who has played in the SHL the last several seasons and will remain there for the 2019-20 campaign. The Flames expect Lerby to come to North America in 2020-21.
Adding Lerby, 21, while still leaving him in Sweden to develop for another season is a play right out of the Edmonton Oilers handbook. The team did the same thing with Joel Persson last year, and extended him with a one-year $1MM deal in January after he continued to develop. That’s the same outcome the Flames are likely hoping for with Lerby, who broke out this season after finally getting some consistent playing time in the SHL.
The left-handed defenseman has apparently grown in recent years and is now listed at 6’0″ 182-lbs, removing any real concerns about his size at the next level. He recorded 21 points in 47 games this season with the Malmo Redhawks and will likely play an even bigger role for the team next year. That will mean the Flames don’t have total control over his development and deployment, but they will be able to get their hands on him in 2020-21 at which point he should be ready for North American professional hockey.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Teemu Kivihalme
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed another international free agent, inking Teemu Kivihalme to a one-year entry-level contract. Kivihalme played the last two seasons in Finland after leaving Colorado College in 2017. Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star reports that the deal is worth $800K at the NHL level and does not include any performance bonuses.
Kivihalme, 23, was originally a fifth-round pick by the Nashville Predators in 2013 but never ended up signing with them. The left-handed defenseman was actually born in the United States when his father was playing at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and played in the Minnesota high school system and USHL before heading to the NCAA. Three years at Colorado College saw Kivihalme record 36 points in 107 games but he left before his senior season. In Finland’s top league playing for a much stronger team than the one he had in Colorado, the young defenseman put it all together and became a legitimate two-way threat.
In his rookie season, Kivihalme recorded 20 points in 44 games and helped Karpat secure a league championship. This season he recorded 30 points in 60 games before adding another nine in 16 playoff contests, but was unable to topple HPK in the finals. Still, there were few defensemen more effective than Kivihalme in the playoffs this season and it is obvious why there was NHL interest.
With another defenseman added to the roster, the Maple Leafs now have several young options to choose from in trying to replace the outgoing Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey (provided neither of them re-sign with the team). Kivihalme, Calle Rosen, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Andreas Borgman will all have a chance to prove themselves in training camp if the team doesn’t add any more veteran options. These young players are going to have to perform for the Maple Leafs if they want to contend for the Stanley Cup, as the top-heavy roster will need contributions from players on entry-level—or close to it—contracts.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Otto Leskinen
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms with Otto Leskinen on a two-year entry-level contract. The undrafted defenseman has spent the last several years playing in Finland’s Liiga, but did attend development camp with the Canadiens in 2018.
Leskinen, 22, broke out this season with 31 points in 57 games, more than he had scored in his previous 141 contests at the highest level in Finland. That was obviously enough to convince the Canadiens that he has NHL potential, something they’re still desperate to find on the back end. The Canadiens have done well to create a stable blue line with some relatively unheralded names like Jeff Petry, Brett Kulak and Mike Reilly, but still need to add depth to the position as they try to climb back into the playoffs. Given the restricted free agent status of several players, Montreal actually only has four defensemen under contract with legitimate NHL experience (not counting Karl Alzner, who was banished to the minor leagues this season).
Another left-handed option that can move the puck effectively, Leskinen will likely compete for an NHL spot right away come training camp. That spot is obviously not guaranteed, but with his experience at the professional level in Finland there’s reason to believe he could be at least a part-time contributor right away. It’s not clear if his contract includes a European Assignment Clause that would stop the team from sending him to the minor leagues.
Alexandre Texier Assigned To AHL
The NHL playoffs are over for the Columbus Blue Jackets after losing to the Boston Bruins last night, but it won’t be the end of the season for at least one player. Alexandre Texier has been assigned to the Cleveland Monsters who are battling to stay alive in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Texier, 19, has been a welcome surprise for Columbus after they selected him 45th overall in 2017. While there was hope he would one day develop into a legitimate NHL option, Texier had only played in France and was untested against top competition. In the two seasons that followed he grew into one of the most dangerous offensive players in Finland’s Liiga, recording 41 points in 55 games this season before coming to North America. When he joined the Monsters he picked up right where he left off, scoring five goals and seven points in seven games. A call-up to the NHL got him into action right away, and in the playoffs he showed that he will likely be ready to join the Blue Jackets full-time next season.
That’s an impressive player to add to a Monsters playoff run that is on shaky ground. Cleveland is down 0-3 against the defending Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies, and will need some magic tonight to even stay alive. Toronto has outscored Cleveland 11-5 in the series so far and have yet to lose a single playoff game this season.
Charlie McAvoy To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Boston Bruins were triumphant last night and moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they’ll have to battle the Carolina Hurricanes a man down. Charlie McAvoy will have a disciplinary hearing to determine a suspension for his hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson last night. McAvoy was given a two minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head, but is expected to receive supplementary discipline.
McAvoy has been a force for Boston in these playoffs, averaging nearly 25 minutes a night while often taking on the other team’s best forwards. The 21-year old defenseman has added six points in 13 games, and has 30 hits including several of the devastating variety. In trying to lay another one of those big hits, he caught Anderson’s chin forcefully which snapped the Blue Jackets forward’s head around—the usual telling sign for the Department of Player Safety.
The league usually specifies if the hearing is of the in-person variety, meaning McAvoy is likely looking at a suspension of fewer than five games. He has never been suspended or fined in his career, which will have a positive impact on the decision.
Offseason Keys: Edmonton Oilers
While the playoffs are well underway, many teams have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league in what is shaping up to be a likely busy NHL offseason? Next up in our Offseason Keys series is a look at the Edmonton Oilers.
2018-19 was a season to forget in Edmonton. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins all had career years and yet they were still well out of postseason contention. A coaching change didn’t fix much and neither did relieving GM Peter Chiarelli of his duties. Despite having a pair of elite forwards, this team still needs a lot of work. Ken Holland is expected to take over as their new general manager and here are some of the areas he will be working on this summer.
Add Goaltending Help
Chiarelli had plenty of faith in Mikko Koskinen who showed some flashes of dominance mixed in with his general inconsistency in his first full NHL campaign. In fact, he had enough confidence in his netminder to give him a three-year, $13.5MM extension which wound up being his final act as GM as he was fired shortly thereafter. Koskinen got plenty of playing time down the stretch but it’s clear that he’s not ready to be a full-fledged number one goalie.
It was a little surprising that Anthony Stolarz, acquired in the Cam Talbot trade, didn’t get much of a look after being acquired; the fact that his usage was so limited suggests that it’s likely that they won’t look to bring the pending Group Six free agent back. Shane Starrett has fared well with AHL Bakersfield this season but he’s only in his first year as a starter down there so bringing him up as a full-time platoon option would be risky. Veteran Al Montoya won’t be back either.
Accordingly, they’ll have to look outside the organization to find a partner for Koskinen. The challenge here will be deciding what the right price point is. While they need someone that’s capable of playing at least 30 games (and could benefit from that player pushing for the number one role), their salary cap constraints and other holes to fill may force them to look for a more affordable option.
Bring In Scoring Wingers
With McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins down the middle, the Oilers have an enviable group of centers. However, it’s the exact opposite situation when it comes to the wing. They had one winger hit the 20-goal mark this past season and that was Alex Chiasson, who was able to earn a cheap contract and then surprisingly scored more goals than he did the previous two seasons combined. Not many expect him to repeat his 17.9 shooting percentage if he winds up re-signing.
Beyond that, it wasn’t too pretty. Zack Kassian scored 15 goals but was inconsistent throughout the season. Milan Lucic had just six tallies, not the return on a $6MM AAV they were hoping for and with a virtual buyout-proof contract that has four years left on it, no help is on the horizon there. Youngsters Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto both underachieved while Tobias Rieder, a capable winger in previous seasons, managed to go the entire year without scoring. Drake Caggiula had the third-highest goal total among Edmonton wingers and he was dealt to Chicago back in December in a deal they’d love to have a mulligan on considering that Brandon Manning has already been buried in the minors.
While it’s far too early to give up on Puljujarvi and Yamamoto, it’s also going to be difficult to count on them for substantial contributions next season. Tyler Benson had a nice rookie professional season and could be in the mix as well but it’s hard to put high expectations on him. There are teams that could stand to add a top-six winger or two. There’s a case to be made that Edmonton needs to add four of them.
Keep Reshaping The Back End
One way to overcome some shaky goaltending is to bolster the defense corps. Edmonton has quietly built up a decent group of young defenders headlined by Evan Bouchard and Ethan Bear but they’re not ready to take on big roles next season. Andrej Sekera, if he can stay healthy this summer, could take on a larger role than he had in the back half of the campaign but given his injury troubles, counting on that happening is risky.
The Oilers have a trio of core pieces in place in Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, and Adam Larsson. None of them are true number ones but they’re capable defenders with a bit of upside. That’s a nice foundation to work with and as Bouchard and other youngsters get closer to being NHL ready, they should have a decent group to work with. That may be a couple of years from happening though as there will be growing pains for those rookies along the way.
As for the others, Kris Russell is overpaid in his current role and could be trade bait. Matt Benning had a limited role in 2018-19 and could also make sense as trade bait. Neither of them will bring a top-four defenseman back but they may be able to add a winger for one of them.
Despite their poor record, Edmonton is clearly in win-now mode. That means they’ll need to add a top-four defender to give them some insurance for injuries and really bolster the group in front of Koskinen. While there is light at the end of the tunnel for their blueline, it still needs a newcomer or two if they plan to make an impact in the Pacific Division next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.