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Snapshots: Eichel, Rask, Hajek

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It didn’t take long for new Golden Knight Jack Eichel to get his way in Vegas. The Associated Press reports that Eichel will undergo his preferred neck surgery, an artificial disc replacement, on Friday. Eichel’s surgical plans for his herniated disc was really the lynchpin topic of the crumbling relationship between Eichel and the Sabres that led to the Buffalo star requesting a trade after nearly a year out of action. While the disc replacement surgery has never been performed on an NHL player before, it is not an unheard of procedure and provides a number of potential benefits that the alternative fusion procedure. Eichel hopes that his saga with the Sabres will pave a path for players to have more input into their healthcare. “I think my situation shined light on maybe some things that could be changed, and I hope that they are in the future,” Eichel said. “I don’t necessarily agree with the team having the full say in what to do with medical treatment. I think it should be a collaboration.” Vegas was willing to acquire Eichel at a sizeable price and still allow him to have the surgery of his choice, an example of a team allowing a player to call the shots in his own rehabilitation.

  • Tuukka Rask was back in action on Monday, skating with – who else – the Boston Bruins. The veteran goaltender is still recovering from offseason hip surgery, but the expectation has always that he would return to his team at some point this season. That return could come sooner rather than later with Rask at Bruins practice today (though still technically a free agent). Rookie Jeremy Swayman and substantial free agent addition Linus Ullmark have played well thus far, combining for a .911 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA, but Boston has maintained that Rask will be welcomed back if he is healthy and able to return. The team clearly feels that the future Hall of Famer has enough left in the tank to improve their play in net for another year.
  • Even before the season began, there were reports that Libor Hajek had lost his starting job in New York and could be on his way out, either by trade or waivers. The first part of that assumption has proven true, as the 23-year-old has not played a game so far this season, yet Hajek is still a member of the Rangers. The team has opted not to test Hajek on waivers, protecting the once-promising blue liner from their competition, but wasting a roster spot and keeping the defenseman cold are not great strategies either. As a result, the team has announced today that Hajek will head down to the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack on a conditioning stint. Whether this could be precursor to another move involving Hajek remains to be seen, but getting Hajek some game action certainly can’t hurt the Rangers.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Kuznetsov, Gravel

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and at the very top is a name familiar to individual awards. Leon Draisaitl has been named the first star of the week after racking up ten points in five games and jumping in front of teammate Connor McDavid in the league scoring race. Draisaitl not only is leading in overall points but is also tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league goal-scoring lead with ten in his first ten games. The 2020 Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner, Draisaitl now has 529 points through the first 488 games of his NHL career.

The other two spots belong to a pair of goaltenders who could potentially be teammates at next year’s Olympics. Jack Campbell and John Gibson receive the second and third honors respectively after near-perfect weeks. The Toronto Maple Leafs netminder went 3-0 with a .968 save percentage, stopping 92 of 95 shots against some tough competition, while Gibson allowed just a single goal on 63 shots, winning both his games last week. While not considered much of a candidate for the U.S. Olympic squad until recently, Campbell’s play so far has put him in that conversation. Across ten games, he leads all American netminders with a .936 save percentage.

  • In 2019, Evgeny Kuznetsov received a four-year suspension from the IIHF after testing positive for cocaine at the World Championships. That would normally have meant he would not be eligible to play for Russia at the upcoming Olympics, but a report from RIA Novosti indicates that there is renewed hope that the suspension will be reduced and Kuznetsov will be able to play. Alexei Zhamnov, head coach of the Russian team, told Sport-Express that either tomorrow or the day after they should know more about Kuznetsov’s situation.
  • Alexis Gravel, who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018, is leaving the ECHL to join the University of Quebec-Trois-Rivieres for the rest of this season. The 21-year-old netminder will be remembered fondly by Halifax Mooseheads fans, where he starred in the QMJHL and even took home a Memorial Cup Most Outstanding Goaltender award. Gravel did not sign an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks and is an unrestricted free agent. He posted an .863 save percentage in two appearances with the Allen Americans this season.

Sharks’ COVID Protocol Players Ruled Out For Canadian Road Trip

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The San Jose Sharks aren’t getting any reinforcements off the COVID protocol anytime soon. John MacLean, who is filling in as head coach while Bob Boughner recovers, confirmed to reporters including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic today that no one on the protocol will join them for the upcoming road trip through Western Canada. That includes Boughner himself, meaning it continues to be MacLean’s bench for the next few games. Anyone cleared in the meantime is expected to join the team on Friday when they arrive in Colorado for a weekend matchup against the Avalanche.

The team recalled several players from the minor leagues today as they prepare to face Calgary and Winnipeg this week. Those are both teams ahead of the Sharks in the Western Conference standings, with the Flames having only lost a single time in regulation this season. Without the help of Kevin Labanc, Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, Jacob Middleton, Matthew Nieto, Radim Simek, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, it will be a tough test for the Pacific Division club. Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group tweets that everyone but Karlsson and Middleton did appear on the ice at today’s skate, though they are still not allowed to travel to Canada for the trip.

San Jose has been better than many expected early on, with a 6-4-1 record through 11 games despite major COVID-related absences. Quite a bit of that success could be attributed to the outstanding play of James Reimer, who has a .946 save percentage through six appearances. The team will go with Adin Hill tomorrow night, however, who hasn’t been nearly as good through his own six appearances, allowing 17 goals on 149 shots (.886 sv%).

With so many absences, some players have had to carry even more responsibility for the Sharks to stay competitive. Logan Couture played more than 23 minutes on Saturday night, while Mario Ferraro and Brent Burns both eclipsed the 30-minute mark (Ferraro had 31:12!). While that game included a full five-minute overtime before ending in a shootout, it’s been a busy stretch for a player like Burns, who hasn’t seen less than 26 minutes in a game since October 28 and is now averaging 27:08 on the season, the highest of his career.

Kyle Capobianco, Marian Studenic Clear Waivers

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Nov 8: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Nov 7: Two names are appearing on NHL waivers Sunday, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The Arizona Coyotes placed defenseman Kyle Capobianco there, while the New Jersey Devils waived forward Marian Studenic.

Capobianco, a 24-year-old who was expected to possibly steal a lineup spot this season, hasn’t played this season as a knee injury has sidelined him. Capobianco was activated from injured reserve today in order to permit the Coyotes to waive him. It appears as though recent call-ups Dysin Mayo and Cam Dineen have now surpassed Capobianco on the team’s depth chart.

The Devils have utilized Studenic in five games this season, but the 23-year-old Slovakian has yet to register a point. He was technically the team’s only extra healthy forward, but they’ve also played Mason Geertsen at forward instead of his usual defense at some points this season. Studenic’s averaged just 11:33 of ice time in those five games.

Both Capobianco and Studenic were younger players that appeared to have the inside track on roster spots heading into the season. It’s entirely possible that a team could choose to take a chance on either one of Capobianco or Studenic.

Carey Price Returns To Montreal Canadiens

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Nov 8: Price is now back with the team, though there is still no timeline on his return to game action. The veteran goaltender was examined by trainers at the practice facility yesterday according to John Lu of TSN, who also notes that his first interaction with teammates is expected to be Tuesday.

Nov 2: The Montreal Canadiens are floundering at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, winning just two of their first ten games. They’ve been working without Carey Price, who last month announced that he was entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The minimum 30-day period for the program is up at the end of the week, and today Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that they expect their star goaltender back soon.

There’s no exact date for Price’s return, but they could certainly use him. The team has been going with Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault in his absence, a tandem that has combined for a .899 save percentage through ten games. Montembeault in particular has struggled, allowing eight goals in his two appearances.

No team in the league could lose their highest-paid player without struggling, but in Montreal’s case, the absence of Price has only been magnified because of the departure of several other key players from last year’s Stanley Cup runner-up. Shea Weber, the team’s captain, is unlikely to ever play again. Phillip Danault, the team’s former top center, is now in Los Angeles. A Stanley Cup winner in Joel Edmundson has been on the shelf since the start of the year. Even the absence of depth players like Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi has really hurt Montreal’s lineup, despite the attempt to replace them with names like Mike Hoffman and Christian Dvorak.

Hopefully, Price is ready to return to the team in the coming days and can help them dig out of this early-season hole. Even more, hopefully he has received the help he needed during the month away.

Devin Shore To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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Nov 8: According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, the Oilers have moved Shore to injured reserve and recalled Ryan McLeod from the AHL.

Nov 7: Edmonton Oilers forward Devin Shore will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, per Tom Gazzola of TSN and NHL Network.

Shore had bounced around the Oilers’ bottom-six forward group so far this season but stayed mostly in a fourth-line role. He’d scored a goal and an assist through eight games, averaging just 8:37 per game.

Tyler Benson and Colton Sceviour are the two extra forwards on Edmonton’s active roster. They’ll both likely get opportunities to draw into the lineup in Shore’s absence. Neither have them have registered a point this year in three and two games, respectively.

Shore signed a two-year, $1.7MM extension with the team on June 9, prior to the opening of free agency. The 27-year-old forward has struggled to maintain a regular spot in an NHL lineup over the past three seasons after playing all 82 games in his first two full NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Given his timeline, Shore is likely to miss between 12 and 19 games.

Miles Wood Out Indefinitely Following Surgery

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The New Jersey Devils have announced that Miles Wood underwent surgery on his right hip and is out indefinitely. The team explains the timeline so far:

During the Oct. 4 preseason game versus the Washington Capitals, Wood suffered an injury to his right hip.  After exhausting all conservative measures, and in consultation with team medical providers and external specialists, Miles has elected to receive surgery.

Wood has not played yet this season and likely will be out several months, though a specific timeline is not yet available. The 26-year-old put up another strong season in 2020-21, scoring 17 goals in 55 games, tying him for the club lead with Pavel Zacha. He has also developed into a key leader from the group, serving as an alternate captain for the Devils since last season.

It’s a tough blow for New Jersey, which has suffered several serious injuries now this season. The team finds itself with a respectable 5-3-2 record, but that’s only good enough for seventh place in the tough Metropolitan Division. The season is a long one, but losing Wood is certainly not an ideal situation given his place with the team.

Perhaps more notably, however, this injury will also have huge implications on Wood’s next contract. He is set to be a restricted free agent for the final time next summer and could have elected arbitration to give him a one-year deal, walking him directly to UFA status. Arbitration will be risky now, however, given that his counting stats from this year will be very low (if existent at all). Coming off a four-year, $11MM deal, Wood likely would have been looking at a nice raise on the $2.75MM cap hit he carries. Now, it’s unclear what kind of negotiation will take place as he recovers from major surgery.

Connor Brown, Dylan Gambrell Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Ottawa Senators canceled practice today for precautionary reasons, suggesting that there was more bad COVID news coming down the pipe. The team has now announced that Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell have both been placed in the COVID protocol and are unavailable. In their place, the team has recalled Scott Sabourin and Egor Sokolov from the AHL.

The two Senators forwards join teammates Austin Watson, Nick Holden, and coach Jack Capuano in the protocol, though the team has not confirmed any additional positive results. Ottawa is set to take on the Boston Bruins tomorrow, and though that game is still scheduled for the moment, it’s unclear who will actually be available for the Senators.

For Sokolov, it would be his NHL debut should he enter the lineup tomorrow. The 21-year-old forward was a second-round pick in 2020, picked after going undrafted in previous years. He quickly showed that his combination of size and scoring ability was good enough to make up for any skating concerns at the AHL level, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in his rookie season. This year he’s been even better for the Belleville Senators, getting off to a strong start with six points in nine games.

Meanwhile, losing Brown for any length of time is a big hit for the Senators, given how big a role he plays for the team. Averaging more than 20 minutes a night, the 27-year-old forward actually sees more short-handed ice time than even any of the team’s defensemen. He’s also a regular contributor on the powerplay and one of the group’s most reliable offensive players. In 11 games, he has seven points on the year.

The concern now is how widespread these breakthrough infections will be, and how many other players will be affected. After games tomorrow and Thursday, the Senators have a back-to-back over the weekend, games that hopefully they will have some good news for.

AHL Shuffle: 11/08/21

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It’s a very quiet Monday in the NHL, with just three games on the schedule. That does include the Florida Panthers, however, who are looking to stay perfect in regulation. The Panthers are 10-0-1 on the season, have the best goal differential in the league, and a six-point clearance on second place in the Atlantic Division. It’ll be up to the New York Rangers this evening to try and slow down that fast start. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Andrej Sustr from the minor leagues, who was only sent down a few days ago. Sustr has played in eight games for the Lightning this season, recording one goal.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have officially recalled Alex Lyon from the minor leagues after Antti Raanta left with an injury on Saturday night. Raanta came out to play a puck and collided hard with Ryan Lomberg, but there has not yet been any confirmation on how long the goaltender will be out.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, and he’s expected to make his NHL debut this evening. Coincidentally, it will come against the Buffalo Sabres, the team that claimed him and then put him back on waivers earlier this season.
  • After he cleared waivers, the New Jersey Devils have assigned Marian Studenic to the AHL. With him is Frederik Gauthier, who is also headed to the minor leagues after playing eight games for the team this season. Gauthier cleared waivers at the start of the season but was never assigned to the AHL, meaning his clock is almost used up. Should he play in ten games or spend 30 days on the NHL roster, he would need to go through waivers again to be sent down.

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Reese Johnson from the AHL, bringing him back up after a few games in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old has yet to score in six appearances for the Blackhawks this season, and, in fact, is still waiting on his first NHL point overall.
  • With Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar nearing a return, the Colorado Avalanche have sent Sampo Ranta to the AHL. Ranta has played ten games this season but doesn’t have an NHL point just yet.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Mikhail Berdin back to the AHL once again, recalling Kristian Vesalainen in his place. Berdin has now filled in a few times for the team, but still hasn’t actually appeared in a game. The 23-year-old has an .893 save percentage in six games at the AHL level this season.

Pacific Division

  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Artemi Kniazev, Joel Kellman, and Sasha Chmelevski from the AHL, giving them some extra bodies to work with. The Sharks are heading on a five-game road trip and won’t be back in San Jose until November 20.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Five Key Stories: 11/1/21 – 11/7/21

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The beginning of November yielded quite a bit of activity around the NHL with the biggest ones being highlighted in the key stories of the week.

More Changes In Chicago: Blackhawks interim GM Kyle Davidson made a significant change in one of his first moves since being promoted as he fired head coach Jeremy Colliton along with assistants Tomas Mitell and Sheldon Brookbank.  Taking over behind the bench is Derek King who will also carry the interim title but will remain in that role for the rest of the season.  Chicago is off to a terrible start this season with a 1-9-2 record heading into Sunday’s contest so the move doesn’t come as much surprise.  The team posted an 87-92-26 record under Colliton’s tutelage in his first stint behind an NHL bench.  King now finds himself in the same situation as he looks to try to turn things around quickly.

Prospect Loans: A pair of notable prospects are heading overseas.  Although William Eklund certainly looked like he belonged in the NHL with his early-season performance, the Sharks decided to send him back to Sweden for the remainder of the year.  This is a move that’s primarily based on contractual control over his performance; Eklund now won’t burn the first year of his entry-level deal and will still have three years left on his deal and seven seasons of club control heading into 2022-23.  Meanwhile, the Rangers assigned Vitali Kravtsov to Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, allowing the prospect to resume playing.  Kravtsov elected not to report to AHL Hartford after being sent down last month with a trade request following soon after.  That clearly hasn’t happened and now, the 21-year-old will at least get to play and try to help boost his value around the league.

Eichel Traded: It’s over.  After months of speculation, the Sabres traded center Jack Eichel along with a 2023 third-round pick to the Golden Knights for winger Alex Tuch, prospect center Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 second-rounder.  Eichel is now set to undergo artificial disk replacement surgery this week and will miss three-to-five months while recovering.  The move gives Vegas the number one center they have been coveting, assuming that Eichel returns to full health.  There will be cap complications to navigate through once Vegas is fully healthy and there is a cap crunch coming for next season and beyond.  Meanwhile, Buffalo had to make a cap-related move of a different kind, acquiring the rights to Johnny Boychuk from the Islanders for future considerations.  Boychuk’s playing days are over but his $6MM AAV will be on Buffalo’s books, keeping them over the cap floor.  The trade appears to be relatively well-received on both sides with our readers assigning a ‘B’ grade for both teams.

Key Injuries: It was a tough week on the injury front for several teams who saw some key players land on injured reserve.  Capitals winger Anthony Mantha is out indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery, a big blow for a team that’s already banged up when it comes to some of their top forwards.  Meanwhile, Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine’s strong start has been put on hold as an oblique injury will keep him out for the next four-to-six weeks.  Vegas, who has been hit harder than pretty much everyone on the injury front this season, suffered another blow as a broken foot for William Karlsson will put him on the shelf for the next six weeks.

Big Money For Fox: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox wasn’t slated to become a restricted free agent until July but he won’t be getting to that point as the 23-year-old instead signed a seven-year, $66.5MM contract extension.  The reigning Norris Trophy winner set a new record for the richest contract given to a blueliner coming off their entry-level deal while his $9.5MM AAV puts him tied for the fourth-highest price among all NHL defenders starting in 2022-23.  The price tag is certainly justifiable as Fox has quickly become one of the elite rearguards in the league and is off to another impressive start this season with a dozen points in as many games.  Notably, New York gains an extra four years of club control on Fox, ensuring that he won’t be able to hit the open market until 2029 at the earliest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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