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Archives for October 2021

Snapshots: Three Stars, Faksa, Rust

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The NHL has announced the Three Stars for week one of the NHL season, and it’s a throwback to years gone by. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings takes home the top spot after recording four goals and seven points in two games. The Kings’ captain is off to an outstanding start in his 16th season and currently leads the league in both goals and points.

Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos get second and third respectively, after similarly brilliant starts. That means the best players in the league this week were a trio that has 3,174 games in the league and five Stanley Cup championships. For all the talk the last few years about it becoming a young man’s league, Kopitar, Ovechkin, and Stamkos are still performing at an elite level.

  • Dallas Stars forward Radek Faksa has escaped suspension for his slash on Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle, but will have to pay $5,000 in a fine for the incident. That’s the maximum allowable fine under the current CBA, but Faksa won’t have to miss any games. Stutzle, who left the game temporarily, didn’t suffer a major injury on the play, which likely kept a suspension off the table. The incident will be on Faksa’s record though, and considered in any future supplementary discipline.
  • Bryan Rust is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury, according to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. The Penguins are 2-0-1 through the first three games of the season, first in the NHL despite the absence of several top players. Sidney Crosby won’t play on Tuesday but is approaching a return, and Evgeni Malkin has started a skating program as he continues his rehab. Rust, meanwhile, looks to be out for a little while following his strong start to the season.

AHL Shuffle: 10/18/21

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We’re not even a week into the regular season and already there have been two teams forced to play shorthanded due to cap restraints and injury. The Toronto Maple Leafs used Ryerson University goaltender Alex Bishop as the backup on Saturday, while the Colorado Avalanche dressed just 19 players. With so many teams pushed right up against the cap ceiling, the daily up-and-down of minor league transactions won’t stop anytime soon.

Atlantic Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Joseph Woll to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, a good sign that he’s nearing a return from the injury that kept him out most of the preseason. The young goaltender posted an .892 save percentage in 15 games for the Marlies last season. With the injury to Petr Mrazek and Michael Hutchinson’s recall, the Marlies will need the goaltending depth in the coming weeks.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Nick Seeler from the AHL once again, already his fourth transaction since clearing waivers on Oct 11. The depth defenseman played in one game so far for the Flyers and will likely fill in whenever someone is injured this season. Rasmus Ristolainen was skating this morning but is not expected to play tonight.

Central Division

  • Those Avalanche have made several changes to work around their cap troubles, including recalling Mikhail Maltsev and Martin Kaut from the AHL. Dylan Sikura has been sent down in their place, while both Pavel Francouz and Stefan Matteau have been moved to long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche have a little more flexibility now because of those LTIR placements, but it will be a difficult cap dance all season long.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Tommy Novak from the AHL, sending Cody Glass to the minor leagues in his place. Novak has never played a game at the NHL level, but does have strong production in the minors and even registered three points in his first game for the Milwaukee Admirals this season. Glass meanwhile failed to record a point in either of the first two games for Nashville after an offseason trade brought him to the Predators.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Mike Hardman from the AHL, moving Ian Mitchell down to make room. The swap adds a forward to the mix for the team’s home opener tomorrow night, where the Blackhawks will need to turn around a ship that is already taking on water just three games into the year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have loaned Vladislav Provolnev to the Tucson Roadrunners, recalling Dysin Mayo in his place. The 26-year-old Provolnev was signed out of the KHL but has not played a game yet for the Coyotes. Mayo on the other hand has spent more than five years in the minors for the organization without suiting up for an NHL game.

Pacific Division

Ilya Kovalchuk Named GM Of Russian Olympic Team

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The Russian entry to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, will feature many familiar faces on the ice. Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy were named as the first three players on the roster earlier this month, with many more NHL talents to come. Those familiar faces won’t stop on the roster though, as the coaching staff and front office are also filled with names many North American hockey fans will know.

Ilya Kovalchuk has been named general manager of the squad, according to KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer. He joins head coach Alexei Zhamnov, as well as assistants Sergei Gonchar, Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Kudashov, and Evgeni Nabokov on the quest for Olympic gold.

Kovalchuk, 38, spent last season in the KHL playing for Avangard Omsk when he failed to find an NHL deal. Despite being very open about his desire to win a Stanley Cup before he retired, he was forced to settle for another Gagarin Cup championship, his third in an outstanding career. One of the most impressive goal-scoring talents in NHL history, he’ll now start a new chapter in the front office, trying to help his country win another Olympic gold. Kovalchuk was the tournament MVP in 2018 when the Russians won, though no NHL players were eligible to attend that event.

Snapshots: Krebs, Robertson, Ho-Sang

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As the Jack Eichel saga appears to potentially be nearing a conclusion, there’s now constant speculation about potential destinations and a potential return. While the Vegas Golden Knights have long been named as a potential suitor for Eichel, a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen says that the Knights view top prospect Peyton Krebs as untouchable in any Eichel deal. While the Golden Knights do still have some desirable young pieces available in a trade like defenseman Nicolas Hague, none have the potential upside of Krebs. If Vegas is to get an Eichel trade completed, they’ll likely have to give up a massive amount of draft capital in place of Krebs.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Nick Robertson suffered a lower-body injury in tonight’s match with the Toronto Marlies against the Manitoba Moose, per Marlies head coach Greg Moore. Moore notes the extent of the injury is unknown and that Robertson will be assessed tomorrow. It’s a tough blow to the Leafs organization, which is already dealing with significant injuries in all areas. It’s especially concerning considering Robertson missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury. Toronto undoubtedly hopes it’s not a major injury.
  • Another Marlies forward is in some injury trouble as Moore also notes that Josh Ho-Sang was held out with a hip issue, but mostly as a precaution. Calling it a ’maintenance day,’ it’s a smart choice on the Marlies to not risk any further injury. Ho-Sang will be one of the team’s most important contributors considering his NHL experience, and a notable injury setback could negatively affect his chances of getting an NHL contract with the Maple Leafs later this season.

Brady Tkachuk To Make Season Debut On Thursday

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Winger Brady Tkachuk will make his season debut for the Ottawa Senators on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirms.

The Senators have a three-day break ahead of them after playing three games in four nights to open the season. Without their best forward in the lineup, the team impressed, starting the season off 2-1-0.

Tkachuk’s season debut will come at home after appearing in street clothes during the team’s season opener last Thursday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs to a standing ovation. The Senators signed Tkachuk to a seven-year, $57.5MM contract earlier on that Thursday.

He’ll undoubtedly get slotted on the team’s first line in his return, reuniting as a trio with Josh Norris and Drake Batherson. That line impressed all last season in its first year of existence, seeing its members score 17 goals apiece and at least 30 points apiece in a shortened 56-game season.

The team has risen to its 2-1-0 start largely due to the impressive play of Anton Forsberg and Filip Gustavsson in the net. Despite that record, the Senators have scored only seven goals in their first three games, averaging 2.33 per contest. Tkachuk’s infusion into the lineup and the depth advantage that it provides will undoubtedly go a long way towards boosting those numbers.

Senators Notes: Norris, Captaincy, Center Depth

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Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion delivered an interview with TSN on Sunday, giving a sort of state of the union address surrounding a variety of pressing issues around the organization. One of these is the contract status of pending restricted free agent Josh Norris, who’s in the final year of his entry-level deal that he signed in May of 2019. Norris emerged as the team’s number one center last season, scoring 35 points in 56 games in his first full NHL season. Dorion relayed that he spoke to Norris’ agent, Craig Oster, on Friday, expecting to begin talks with Norris “at some point in time.” While the quote carries a high degree of vagueness, dialogue this early, especially when initiated by the general manager, is always a promising sign on the path towards completing a contract. Norris has already scored a goal this season through his first two games.

More from the Senators organization:

  • Dorion notes that an announcement about the team’s captaincy is not imminent, saying the club will continue to discuss and “take their time” on the decision. Many speculated that star winger Brady Tkachuk could be the next to sport the ’C’ for the Senators, especially after signing a seven-year contract to stay with the club earlier this week. It appears as though the team isn’t quite ready to make that call, as young defender Thomas Chabot also makes a compelling case to be named the club’s captain. Ottawa’s captaincy has remained vacant ever since the departure of Erik Karlsson in 2018.
  • Speaking with TSN’s James Duthie, Dorion mentions that he’s open to holding trade talks about acquiring a center to help the team’s depth down the middle. While Ottawa’s emergence out of their rebuild hasn’t guided them to a playoff spot as of yet, the team’s messaging adamantly reveals that internally, they feel ready to take the next step. It’s unlikely that Ottawa is at the point where they’re willing to mortgage futures to swing a huge deal, but as Dorion mentions, if it’s the right fit, a smaller but still notable acquisition isn’t off the table this season if they find themselves in the race.

Snapshots: Eichel, Andersson, Colliton

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Though there’s still no real news on Jack Eichel and his continued standoff with the Buffalo Sabres, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet did give a bit of an update on the situation last night. Part of that update is that the Sabres do not want to retain salary on Eichel’s massive contract, which certainly isn’t unexpected but does make trade more difficult.

In fact, Friedman notes that the Colorado Avalanche called Buffalo about Eichel, but when the Sabres said they wouldn’t retain salary the conversation ended immediately. That’s likely not the only contender in that situation, as Eichel’s $10MM contract is difficult to fit in for anyone pushing the salary cap upper limit. Buffalo is willing to take contracts back, but it appears as though they don’t want to be tied to Eichel at all moving forward.

  • Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson has escaped without a suspension after his incident with Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto last night. Andersson has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for roughing. The two got into it and it appeared to many as though Andersson delivered a headbutt to Yamamoto’s face, but the league determined that the actual play did not rise to a level of suspension.
  • After three games and three losses, the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves in trouble to start the season and already there have been calls to change the coaching staff. Mark Lazerus of The Athletic examines the bad start and notes that head coach Jeremy Colliton’s seat is getting hot, while Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports writes about how the “urgency is building” despite it being so early in the season. The Blackhawks have allowed 13 goals in their first three games, tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most in the NHL so far.

Nikolai Knyzhov To Undergo Surgery

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One of the interesting new members of the San Jose Sharks last season was Nikolai Knyzhov, who played in all 56 games and recorded ten points. The 23-year-old defenseman was set to build on that rookie campaign, but will have to wait a few months. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that Knyzhov will have surgery on October 22 and faces an eight- to ten-week recovery timeline thereafter. Originally trying to rehab his lower-body injury, the decision was made that surgery is now the best option.

Just 23, Knyzhov was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Russia. He had only really played in the MHL and VHL to that point, but the Sharks obviously saw his mix of size–6’2″ 218-lbs–and exceptional skating ability as a potential NHL combination. After one year spent mostly in the AHL, he was a regular in the lineup last season and proved he could be a key contributor to the Sharks.

Without him, the team still has plenty of options on the back end, though not many of them have the same mix of youth and potential. Brent Burns logged a game-high 27:26 for the team last night, with Radim Simek playing fewer than 12 minutes. Given how little the team has been using Marc-Edouard Vlasic, it appears as though the heavy load will fall on Burns, Mario Ferraro, and Erik Karlsson.

Ducks Waive Derek Grant And Greg Pateryn

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Oct 17: Both players have cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Oct 16: The Ducks have placed a pair of players on waivers today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Anaheim has waived center Derek Grant and defenseman Greg Pateryn.

Grant’s third stint with Anaheim hasn’t gone as well as his second.  While he twice hit double digits in goals in his second tenure with the Ducks, he has struggled offensively since rejoining them last October.  Last season, he managed just six goals and nine assists in 46 games and was held off the scoresheet in his first two contests this season.  The 31-year-old has managed a faceoff win percentage of over 50% in each year of his career which could be appealing to some teams although his $1.5MM cap hit for this season and next will likely scare those teams off.  Anaheim will receive $1.125MM in cap relief if he clears and is sent to the minors.

As for Pateryn, his stock has dipped considerably since he signed a three-year, $6.75MM contract with Minnesota back in 2018.  He has played in just 33 NHL games over the past two seasons and cleared waivers a year ago when he was on that deal, spending most of the season the taxi squad for Colorado and San Jose.  Pateryn inked a one-year, two-way deal with Anaheim this summer that pays the minimum of $750K in the NHL and $300K in the minors.

New York Rangers Recall Morgan Barron

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A simple recall of a forward is not usually important news, but for the New York Rangers today, it could reveal more about a different top prospect. The team has recalled Morgan Barron from the Hartford Wolf Pack, moving Kaapo Kakko to injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Baron’s recall is not really surprising. The 22-year-old has come a long way since being a sixth-round pick in 2017 and was already on the fringe of making the roster out of camp. The 6’4″ forward played five games for the Rangers last season, scoring his first NHL goal. He has two goals in his first two AHL games of this season, continuing to show that he can be a dominant force at that level.

It’s the fact that the spot didn’t go to Vitali Kravtsov that is the headline here, as the disgruntled forward remains in limbo. Refusing an assignment to the AHL, Kravtsov and his representatives have been given permission to seek a trade. Last night on Hockey Night In Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman updated the situation:

I understand the Rangers have asked him ’would you like to go to AHL Hartford and work your way back up?’ Kaapo Kakko got hurt tonight. At this point in time he hasn’t agreed, I don’t know if he will, but the offer is out there for him to return. 

Russ Cohen of Sportsology reports that Kravtsov is back in Chelyabinsk and was at the Traktor-Dynamo game today. Cohen adds that he’s been told there are five NHL teams interested.

Meanwhile, Kakko will miss at least seven days after being placed on injured reserve, but no definite timeline has been released for his potential return. Head coach Gerard Gallant called him “day-to-day” after the game, but there has been no update other than the IR placement since.

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