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Injury Notes: Penguins, Archibald, Bunting

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have listed both Casey DeSmith and Rickard Rakell as day-to-day following their exits from last night’s marathon game one, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic. The team has recalled Alex D’Orio from the minor leagues, giving them another healthy goaltender while Tristan Jarry continues to rehab his own injury.

Notably, D’Orio is the only other healthy goaltender the organization has signed to an NHL contract. Filip Lindberg hasn’t played since sustaining an ankle injury in November (and has just seven games of professional experience) and Tommy Nappier, the other AHL netminder, is on a minor league deal. The team is certainly walking a tightrope at the moment, especially given the 23-year-old D’Orio has never appeared in the NHL and split the year between the AHL and ECHL.

  • While not exactly an injury, there’s been a change in status for Josh Archibald according to Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft. One of the few unvaccinated players in the league, Archibald would have been unable to travel with the Oilers for games three and four of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. Now he can, as Archibald now has a medical exemption due to his myocarditis diagnosis according to Woodcroft, who spoke with reporters including Daniel Nugent-Bowman. The bottom-six forward is expected to enter the lineup tonight as the Oilers go back to a more traditional 12 forwards and six defensemen.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will get some reinforcements of their own, as Michael Bunting will make his playoff debut this evening. The 26-year-old rookie found instant chemistry on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner this season, resulting in an impressive 23-goal, 63-point campaign. He’ll essentially take the spot of Kyle Clifford–who earned a one-game suspension on Monday–but slot in quite a bit higher in the lineup.

Juuso Parssinen Assigned To AHL

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The Nashville Predators may have found another late-round Finn that can help the organization. Juuso Parssinen has been assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, after his season in Finland came to an end in the finals.

Parssinen, 21, was the 210th overall pick in 2019, just a handful of selections from the end of the draft. After all, he had played just seven games at the Liiga level to that point and hadn’t stood out in any of them. Things have changed now, as Parssinen has been one of the most consistent young playmakers in the league the last two years, racking up 74 points in 95 games.

It was his performance in these playoffs that really showed what he is now capable of though, as he added four goals and 12 points in 18 games for TPS. Signed to his entry-level contract last May, he’ll now join the Admirals for his first taste of North American hockey. The team will start the Calder Cup playoffs on Friday when they take on the Manitoba Moose.

Vincent Iorio Assigned To AHL

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The Washington Capitals have provided their AHL affiliate with a little bit more firepower, recalling Vincent Iorio to the Hershey Bears. Iorio had been playing with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL but was ousted from the playoffs on Sunday.

Selected 55th overall in 2021, the 19-year-old defenseman experienced a breakout season for Brandon this year. In 60 games he registered 11 goals and 44 points, numbers that eclipsed the totals from his first three WHL seasons. The puck-moving upside that made him such an interesting prospect has started to come more consistently and the points have followed.

With Hershey set to start their first-round series on Friday night, Iorio represents another option for head coach Scott Allan, and one he’ll likely become very familiar with in the coming years. While there’s still work to be done before the young defenseman reaches the NHL level, this season especially has proven that a future with the Capitals is definitely possible.

Despite joining the ranks of professional hockey, Iorio’s three-year entry-level contract will not kick in for this season. Instead, it will slide forward and keep him under wraps through 2024-25.

New Jersey Devils Part Ways With Alain Nasreddine, Mark Recchi

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The New Jersey Devils have made significant changes to their coaching staff, parting ways with assistants Alain Nasreddine and Mark Recchi. In the release, the team indicates that it is a mutual agreement with Nasreddine to not return as his contract was expiring, while Recchi has been relieved of his duties.

Nasreddine, many will remember, also served as interim head coach of the Devils in 2019-20, going 19-16-8 as the bench boss. The 46-year-old coach had been with the team since 2015, when he came over from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins along with John Hynes. Interestingly enough, despite being close to the bottom of the league in goals against, the Devils’ penalty-killing–designed and coached by Nasreddine–was actually in the top half of the league.

He’ll now have to look elsewhere, though it seems unlikely that another head coaching opportunity would present itself at the NHL level. More likely is Nasreddine will either join another bench as an assistant or perhaps go back to the AHL, where he could potentially get a chance to build a staff as the head coach. Just 46, he could easily find himself back on the path to the top soon.

Recchi meanwhile is an interesting case. A legendary player, his coaching career has been very inconsistent. The powerplay that he was responsible for was among the worst in the league, clicking at just a 15.63 percent rate this season, better than just the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, and Arizona Coyotes. His time with the Pittsburgh Penguins previously also had some question marks, and it’s unclear where he’ll head next.

The announcement suggests that head coach Lindy Ruff will be retained, something that wasn’t entirely clear when the season ended. If that proves true, he’ll be able to hand pick a new staff to try and take the Devils to the next level and compete for the playoffs next year.

2022 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

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The NHL has announced the 31 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.

Each team submits one nominee. This year’s are:

Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf

Arizona Coyotes: Andrew Ladd

Boston Bruins: Nick Foligno

Buffalo Sabres: Jeff Skinner

Calgary Flames: Mikael Backlund

Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal

Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche: Nazem Kadri

Columbus Blue Jackets: Jack Roslovic

Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson

Detroit Red Wings: Alex Nedeljkovic

Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov

Los Angeles Kings: Cal Petersen

Minnesota Wild: Matt Dumba

Montreal Canadiens: Jake Allen

Nashville Predators: Luke Kunin

New Jersey Devils: P.K. Subban

New York Islanders: Anders Lee

New York Rangers: Chris Kreider

Ottawa Senators: Nick Holden

Philadelphia Flyers: Scott Laughton

Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust

San Jose Sharks: Matt Nieto

Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz

St. Louis Blues: Ryan O’Reilly

Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman

Toronto Maple Leafs: Wayne Simmonds

Vancouver Canucks: Bo Horvat

Vegas Golden Knights: Max Pacioretty

Washington Capitals: Garnet Hathaway

Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey

Melody Davidson Named PHF Director, League And Hockey Operations

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The PHF has added another big name to the league offices, appointing Melody Davidson to the role of Director, League and Hockey Operations. Davidson is one of the most influential people in women’s hockey history, with a resume that spans nearly three decades with Hockey Canada.

New commissioner Reagan Carey released the following statement:

There is not a single person who has done more for the global growth of women’s hockey than Mel Davidson, and it is a true privilege to welcome her to a new leadership role at the PHF. She has become legendary for her ability to create winning programs at the Olympic and National Team level, but her dedication to mentoring and coaching others is simply remarkable and unrivaled. Mel reflects the integrity, experience, and success we value in the PHF and her influence will surely raise the bar for our league in all facets. I’m extremely energized for what’s to come as we join forces to advance professional women’s hockey across North America on behalf of the PHF.

With nearly countless international medals in her trophy case, Davidson obviously holds a lot of sway in the hockey world, and brings another level of experience to the fledgling league. She served in various roles across 36 different events for the Canadian national team, including as head coach and general manager with gold medal-winning Olympic iterations.

Just a few days ago, the PHF began the free agency period ahead of their eighth season.

Tristan Broz, Cruz Lucius Leaving University Of Minnesota

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What is happening in Minneapolis? Fresh off of a Frozen Four appearance, the University of Minnesota is having a nightmare offseason – and the hits continue. Freshman Tristan Broz (PIT), and 2021 second-round pick, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after just one year, while incoming freshman Cruz Lucius, a promising 2022 draft-eligible prospect, has de-committed and will play elsewhere next season.

Lucius follows older brother Chaz Lucius out of town; after previously committing to return to the Gophers next season, the 2021 first-rounder reversed course last week and signed his entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Chaz joined Ben Meyers (COL)and Blake McLaughlin (ANA) in leaving Minnesota for the pros, but NHL departures are to be expected for such a talented team. The real shock comes in the transfer market, as Broz makes it seven players to enter the portal since the end of the season. That list includes Jack Perbix (ANA), Ben Brinkman (DAL), and Grant Cruikshank, who had just transferred to Minnesota for this past season. Add in the younger Lucius’ de-commitment and the Gophers are bleeding talent.

Fortunately for the program, there is still plenty of talent to go around. Ryan Johnson (BUF) is expected to return for his senior year to lead a roster that (for now) is set to return Matthew Knies (TOR), Jackson LaCombe (ANA), Sammy Walker (TBL), Bryce Brodzinski (PHI), Rhett Pitlick (MTL), Aaron Huglen (BUF), Mike Koster (TOR), and Brock Faber (LAK). They also add an impressive recruiting class that includes Cal Thomas (ARI) and 2022 first round hopefuls Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Ryan Chesley. 

The Gophers are also not the only programs falling victim to the transfer portal. The May 1st deadline to enter the portal and be eligible to play next season has now passed, but just beforehand two other NHL prospects hit the transfer market. Ryder Donovan (VGK) has decided to move on from Wisconsin, while John Fusco (TOR) has opted to leave Harvard.

Kane And Toews Welcome To Stay Through Blackhawks Rebuild

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When then-interim general manager Kyle Davidson was officially handed the job, he made it clear that the Chicago Blackhawks were headed for a rebuild. He then quickly doubled down on those plans by trading away up-and-coming forward Brandon Hagel for a package of first-round picks and pro-ready prospects. Davidson has also discussed trades for fellow young forwards Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome and has been less than committal about re-signing veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan, who would like to return.

The situation has raised many questions about the futures of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The duo have long been the franchise cornerstones of the Blackhawks and will see their numbers in the rafters of the United Center one day. However, they each have just one season remaining on their current contracts and if they want to compete for yet another Stanley Cup before their careers come to a close, they will likely have to leave Chicago for the first time in their careers.  Toews has already been vocal about his disappointment with the direction of the club, moving into a rebuild while there is still some veteran talent on the roster, and has questioned whether he would go elsewhere to end his career. Meanwhile, Kane is still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NHL, fresh off of a 92-point season. If he does not plan to re-sign with the Blackhawks, the team can charge a king’s ransom to trade him this off-season.

Yet, it seems that Davidson’s rebuild plan may not require that his future Hall of Famers go elsewhere. Speaking to the media today, Davidson responded to a question from the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope about how Toews and Kane fit into the Blackhawks’ future:

There’s definitely a place for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane moving forward. I don’t think there’s any question about that. What their roles are and how they fit into things, that’s part of the dialogue that we’re having. [We’re] being very honest about with how we see their role and what we need out of them moving forward. They’re fully aware of what those [views] are, and there’s going to be questions and further conversations to really firm that up because it is something that isn’t… solved with one conversation or understood with one conversation.

Having them around is something we’re never going to shy away from because they can show this next wave of players how it’s done. And you never know, maybe they could be part of (this) when we’re back to having success. We don’t know the timeline of any of that yet, but [with their] amount of experience, the understanding of what it takes to be a good professional, what it takes to develop into a high quality professional and then win at the professional level, that experience and understanding is invaluable, so absolutely there is a place for 19 and 88 with the Blackhawks in any form that they wish.

Davidson certainly didn’t parse his words. He understands that the situation may not be ideal for his iconic veterans, but if they are willing to stick it out then he is willing to keep them. If Toews and Kane want to re-sign with the Blackhawks then that is what will happen. It’s now on the players to make it clear in their conversations with the team what their thoughts are on the future. Will they stay on as the living embodiment of what Chicago wants out of the young stars of their rebuild? Or will they ask to be traded and chase another title while they still can? While the two side have plenty of talking to do, we may know sooner rather than later what the future will bring.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson To Play In World Championship

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After a disappointing season in Vancouver, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to head overseas for a few weeks. The team announced today he’ll join Team Sweden for the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Championship.

Ekman-Larsson had a near career-low season, although his lows were previously set in shortened seasons. While he did improve defensively from his last few years in Arizona, he had just five goals and 29 points on the year, the only time he hasn’t hit 30+ points when playing 50+ games.

The veteran defenseman will look to reset this offseason, as the Canucks are still on the hook for his retained-salary $7.26MM cap hit through 2027.

Ekman-Larsson joins fellow NHLers Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Gustafsson, and Adam Larsson on the blueline. Other NHLers slated to join team Sweden are Rasmus Asplund, Emil Bemstrom, and Magnus Hellberg.

The tournament will run from May 13 to May 29.

Canucks Notes: Boudreau, Miller, Young Stars Classic

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With the Vancouver Canucks looking like a transformed team after swapping head coaches this season, it seemed unfathomable that the team wouldn’t be eager to extend Bruce Boudreau to a new contract. Yet, team general manager Jim Rutherford said today that the team isn’t willing to bring back Boudreau for longer than next season at this time. After a horrific start, the Canucks missed the playoffs by just five points and even recovered to post a positive goal differential on the season. However, it appears Rutherford wants to ensure this wasn’t a “flash in the pan” effect from Boudreau, as he did mention there were still areas of concern he had when watching the team this year. He’d like to see a full season under Boudreau before committing to him long-term with this core.

More out of the Canucks organization today:

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