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Archives for August 2020

Injury Notes: Carlson, Schmaltz, Huberdeau

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The Washington Capitals are getting closer to having their Norris Trophy finalist back in the lineup, as John Carlson will be a game-time decision when the team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers later today. Carlson missed the team’s first round-robin game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a match they ended up losing in a shootout.

The team will also be without Lars Eller after he left the bubble for the birth of his child, and head coach Todd Reirden told reporters including J.J. Regan of NBC Sports that Travis Boyd will be inserted in his place. While the round-robin doesn’t carry the same weight as an elimination series, the Capitals don’t want to end up at the bottom of the seeding and have to take on tougher opponents throughout the playoffs.

  • After defeating the Nashville Predators yesterday and coming within a game of advancing to the first round of the playoffs, the Arizona Coyotes must be feeling pretty good about themselves. Now they’re getting more good news as Nick Schmaltz is set to skate again today as he continues his recovery from a hit in the exhibition game. The team’s leading scorer during the regular season, Schmaltz has yet to get into a qualification game. Antti Raanta, who left yesterday’s game with an injury despite only being the backup, will not skate today according to Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider.
  • Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau left yesterday’s game against the New York Islanders with an apparent injury, but head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com that he should be ready for game four. The Panthers staved off elimination with an impressive win, but now have to try and become one of the only teams to ever climb all the way back from 0-2 in a five-game series.

NHL Announces Date For Draft Lottery Phase 2

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August 10, 2020. That’s the day one franchise will earn the right to pick first in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, a selection that will almost surely be used to pick superstar prospect Alexis Lafreniere. The league will hold Phase 2 of their draft lottery on Monday at 5pm CT, giving each of the eight teams that are eliminated in the qualification round a 12.5% chance at the first-overall pick. The seven teams that are not awarded the top pick will receive draft positions between 9-15 based on inverse order of their regular season points percentage.

The first 15 selections currently work out like this:

1. TBD*

2. Los Angeles Kings

3. Ottawa Senators (from SJS)

4. Detroit Red Wings

5. Ottawa Senators

6. Anaheim Ducks

7. New Jersey Devils

8. Buffalo Sabres

9. TBD*

10. TBD*

11. TBD*

12. TBD*

13. TBD*

14. TBD*

15. TBD*

Lafreniere of course is seen as the ultimate consolation prize for those who drop out of this best-of-five qualification round. Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers are both in danger of losing to 12 seeds, but could each end up with another first-overall pick to slide in alongside Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid.

Minor Transactions: 08/05/20

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With six NHL playoff games a day suddenly on the docket, summer days are now filled with hockey. Yet, the qualifying round and round robin games are not the only news-makers in the hockey world. Here are some minor moves from across several levels, including an NHL loan, a pair of AHL extensions, and some NCAA commitments:

  • With the delayed start to the season among North American leagues, there has been a rash of overseas loans among NHL prospects in recent weeks. Florida Panthers prospect Rodrigo Abols has now also joined that list. Abols, a late 2016 pick out of Latvia, is set to return to the SHL’s Orebro HK to begin next season, the team announced. Abols played in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds this season, but previously played with Orebro for the two seasons prior. He will return to Sweden on a short-term loan for now that expires in mid-November, allowing for the young forward to compete in training camp and in the AHL if the Panthers so desire, but it would also not be a surprise to see the project player stay in the SHL for the year.
  • The Ontario Reign, AHL affiliate of the L.A. Kings, have announced one-year extensions for forwards Blaine Byron and Jacob Doty. Byron, a former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect and a University of Maine standout, has been a force in the AHL through three pro seasons. Byron has recorded 72 points in 136 games, including a career-high 34 in 53 games this season. Acquired by Ontario from Springfield mid-season, Byron was one of the Reign’s best players down the stretch and could be in for a big 2020-21 season. Doty, a 27-year-old journeyman, made his return to the AHL this season but recorded just one point in 18 games for Ontario. However, he provides experience and work ethic for the young farm team.
  • Harvard University has made headlines lately for losing players, both current and committed, due to the Ivy League’s ban on fall sports this year. However, they got some good news today in the form of a commitment from twin brothers with a well-known last name. Marek and Daniel Hejduk, the sons of career Colorado Avalanche star and Stanley Cup champ Milan Hejduk, each announced on Twitter today that they have committed to play at Harvard. While the 16-year-olds are still at least two seasons away from joining the Crimson, Marek is already slated to join the U.S. National Team Development Program next year and Daniel could follow. The pair seem likely to have some NHL Draft prospects by the time they are ready to move to the NCAA.
  • As for another brother duo headed to the college ranks, 16-year-old defenseman Seamus Powell announced on Instagram that he will follow his brother Eamon Powell to Boston College. Eamon, a USNTDP graduate who is set to join the Eagles this coming season, is a 2020 NHL Draft prospect expected to be selected in the second or third round in November. Seamus, a comparable small, offensive defenseman, will join the USNTDP this coming season and will be draft eligible in 2022, when he is also expected to enroll at BC.

Vancouver’s Micheal Ferland Injured, Leaving Bubble

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A difficult year for Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland unfortunately continues. The team has announced that the veteran has sustained an injury that will force him to leave his team and the Edmonton bubble. Ferland is not headed back to Vancouver either, but to his home in Manitoba. There is no word on the nature or extent of Ferland’s latest ailment, but he has been ruled out for the remainder of the Canucks’ qualifying round series and will be evaluated once the series has concluded.

Ferland, 28, is in his first year of a four-year contract signed with Vancouver last summer. He got off to a rocky start to his Canucks tenure when he sustained a concussion in early November. Ferland missed 15 games on his first IR stint, returned briefly in November, and then was sidelined again due to concussion symptoms, missing the team’s final 38 regular season games. As a result, Ferland played in just 14 games and recorded only five points in his first season with the Canucks.

However, the lengthy pause in the NHL season due to Coronavirus allowed Ferland to regain his health and re-join the lineup for the postseason. The physical winger was a noticeable presence in Game One of the qualifying round match-up with the Minnesota Wild too, recording five hits and drawing seven penalty minutes (and a fine). Yet, in Game Two Ferland was held to just four shifts and 2:36 TOI. This was a clear sign that Ferland was not healthy and it is no surprise that he is set to miss more time. It is safe to assume that this absence is related to Ferland’s concussion struggles, especially after a Game One fight, but his official designation is “unfit to play”. More will be known when the Canucks re-evaluate his condition following this series, should they advance.

Lars Eller Leaves Bubble

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The Washington Capitals will be without one of their centers for the next while, as Lars Eller has left the bubble in Toronto to return to Washington for the birth of his second child. Eller will be required to quarantine in his hotel room for four days and provide four consecutive negative COVID-19 tests before rejoining the Capitals.

This was expected, but it still doesn’t make it any easier for the Capitals who will have to try and win their final two round-robin games without Eller. Washington lost their first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which Eller played more than 17 minutes, recording an assist and five hits.

While the round-robin is obviously not as important as elimination games, securing a top seed would only help the Capitals in their pursuit of another Stanley Cup. For now, they’ll have to wait and see how long it takes Eller to return to quarantine before seeing if he’ll be available to start round one of the playoffs.

This may not be the only time the team has to deal with something like this, depending on how the playoffs go. Carl Hagelin is also expecting the birth of a child in September.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Schedule, Dostal, Brome

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The NHL has released their schedule for Friday, giving us a slate of game fours that lasts all day. Things will get kicked off with the Florida Panthers trying to stave off elimination once again after defeating the New York Islanders earlier today. The full schedule will be (all times central):

Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders – Game 4, 11:00am
Arizona Coyotes vs Nashville Predators – Game 4, 1:30pm
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins – Game 4, 3:00pm
Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers – Game 4, 5:45pm
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Game 4, 7:00pm
Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks – Game 4, 9:45pm

For some more intermission reading, here are some other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Lukas Dostal will stay overseas “for the time being,” after being loaned back to Ilves in the Finnish Liiga by the Anaheim Ducks. Dostal won the Urpo Ylonen Award as the top goaltender in the league last season after posting a .928 save percentage in 43 games and jumped up many prospect rankings with the performance. Selected 85th overall in 2018, the 20-year old netminder will get a chance to play in North America eventually, but is obviously doing just find continuing his development in Finland.
  • More interesting perhaps on the international wire is Mathias Brome, whose name was brought up in a report from Sweden. The 26-year old forward signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings in April but could end up playing in Sweden for Orebro HK until training camp begins. That decision hasn’t been finalized yet according to the report from hockeynews.se, but certainly would give Brome a chance to keep skating while waiting for his opportunity in Detroit. After scoring 43 points in 52 games this season, he’d certainly be welcome back into the Orebro lineup for as long as they can keep him.

Arttu Ruotsalainen Staying In Finland

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While hockey fans in North America drink in 10-12 hours of playoff (or round-robin) action every day, other leagues around the world continue to prepare for a 2020-21 season. In Finland, Ilves has announced that Arttu Ruotsalainen will be back after a loan from the Buffalo Sabres. The release notably does not indicate that it will be for the entire season, using the term “until further notice” instead, meaning Ruotsalainen could be back for Sabres training camp in November.

The 22-year old forward signed his three-year entry-level contract in the spring of 2019, but spent this season back in Finland continuing his development. That’s the same arrangement they’ll go with now, but after dominating offensively once again you can bet the Sabres want to get a look at him on North American ice eventually.

Ruotsalainen is undersized, standing at just 5-foot-8, but has continued to find success as he climbs the levels in Finland. This past season he recorded 43 points in 44 games. With the Sabres having trouble finding offensive talent to surround players like Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, taking a chance on a player like Ruotsalainen makes sense.

Still, while Finland’s top league is competitive, it’s not the NHL. The young forward will be in tough trying to replicate those offensive totals when he eventually does come over, if he even gets an opportunity with Buffalo at all.

Josh Ho-Sang Linked To KHL

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Wednesday: Pagnotta updates the situation, reporting that Ho-Sang has agreed to a one-year deal with a KHL team for next season.

Tuesday: It hasn’t been a great start to Josh Ho-Sang’s professional career.  While he was a strong producer in junior that helped him become a first-round pick in 2014 (28th overall), the Islanders prospect has struggled over the last few years.  He was seeking a change of scenery earlier this season and with that not happening, he appears to be working on a change of his own as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that the winger is closing in on a KHL contract for next season with an undisclosed team.

The 24-year-old cleared waivers at the start of the season but refused to report to Bridgeport, the AHL affiliate of the Islanders.  Instead, he went home to await a trade but one never materialized.  He eventually reported back and got into 16 games with the Sound Tigers before being loaned to San Antonio, the AHL affiliate of St. Louis in late February where he suited up six times before the pandemic hit.  His production wasn’t half bad over that stretch with four goals and nine assists in 22 games between the two teams.

Ho-Sang is slated to become a restricted free agent in October and while it seemed like he was heading for a guaranteed non-tender, a move overseas at this time might actually help keep him around with the Islanders.  There would be minimal risk to qualifying him if he’s already suiting up in the KHL as they’d be able to retain his rights without any risk of him accepting the offer.  If he plays well, it would give them the opportunity to try to bring him back down the road or trade his rights.  Whether that happens or not, a move overseas would give Ho-Sang a chance to try to rebuild some value and give him the short-term change he has been looking for.

Jake Muzzin Discharged From Hospital

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Wednesday: Muzzin was discharged from the hospital overnight but according to the Maple Leafs, he will not be available for the duration of the series against the Blue Jackets as a result of his injury. He will remain in quarantine within the hotel before rejoining teammates “upon recovery.”

This is a huge blow for the Maple Leafs as they try to defeat Columbus in the qualification round, but the entire hockey world can breathe a sigh of relief that Muzzin has been discharged and is on the road to recovery.

In the meantime, the Maple Leafs will likely look to Martin Marincin or Rasmus Sandin to take his place in the lineup when they hit the ice tomorrow for game three.

Tuesday: Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin has been taken to hospital after suffering what appeared to be a neck injury late in their 3-0 victory over Columbus to tie the series at one apiece.  The team released the following statement via their Twitter account:

Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin was transported to hospital following an on-ice collision in the third period tonight. He is alert and able to move all limbs. Further updates will be provided once available.

The incident occurred with roughly two minutes remaining in regulation.  After taking a cross-check from Pierre-Luc Dubois, Muzzin bounced off the boards while on his knees.  However, his head collided with Oliver Bjorkstrand while in that position which caused the injury.  Muzzin tried to get up on his own but team doctors eventually decided to take him off on a stretcher as a precaution.

This is the first known instance of a player being taken to hospital following an in-game injury since the NHL started to play in the bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton.  Accordingly, there are some questions as to how long Muzzin may have to miss as a result of leaving the bubble although, of course, at this point, the focus is simply on making sure he’s okay first and foremost.  While the usual process would be four negative tests in as many days, TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes (Twitter link) that there is no set protocol in place for this scenario.  Instead, it will be up to the Hub Medical Director who will decide based on Muzzin’s exposure outside of the bubble.

Jesse Puljujarvi Re-Signs In Finland

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The Jesse Puljujarvi saga continues, with the Edmonton Oilers prospect re-signing with Oulun Karpat in Finland for one more season. While that seems to contradict his recent statements about potentially returning to play in the NHL, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the new contract does include an out-clause that would allow Puljujarvi to return for the 2020-21 season.

The 22-year old Puljujarvi recently revealed that he had a long conversation with Oilers GM Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett, explaining that “it may be possible” for him to return to Edmonton at some point—something he had vowed against in the past.

Selected fourth overall in 2016 by the previous Oilers front office regime, Puljujarvi’s usage and development was inconsistent and frustrating for both the player and the team. He did play in 139 NHL games over three seasons but was rarely given opportunities alongside the team’s more offensive players, and when he did find himself in those situations he didn’t take advantage of them.

When he became a restricted free agent in 2019, Puljujarvi returned to Finland and played the entire 2019-20 season with Karpat, scoring 53 points in 54 games. From all accounts, he was a difference-maker on a nightly basis for the Finnish squad, ending the season fourth in league scoring.

For now, he’ll get to continue being that game-changing presence for Karpat, with an eye on a return to the NHL. The Oilers continue to hold his rights, but Puljujarvi has asked for them to be traded in the past. While the focus is on the Edmonton playoff roster at the moment, there will surely be plenty of attention placed on the young forward once the season is over.

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