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Boston Bruins Recall Kyle Keyser

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The Boston Bruins have recalled goaltender Kyle Keyser from the AHL’s Providence Bruins, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Keyser will serve as the team’s third goalie for tonight’s Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.

The 24-year-old Keyser had a solid regular season with Providence in a backup role, posting a 13-6-2 record with a 2.79 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 24 games. He also played two games with the Bruins’ ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners.

While he doesn’t have any NHL experience yet, this is not Keyser’s first recall to the NHL roster. After Boston signed Keyser as an undrafted free agent in October 2017, Keyser later spent time on Boston’s taxi squad during the 2021-22 season.

With the Providence Bruins starting their AHL playoff run soon, the team has opted to swap Keyser and Brandon Bussi on the roster. The move gives the opportunity for Bussi, the starter for most of the season in Providence, to reclaim that role in the playoffs. Keyser will likely stay on Boston’s roster as the third goalie unless injuries strike, necessitating Bussi’s recall.

After signing a one-year extension last summer, Keyser will once again be a restricted free agent on July 1.

Rasmus Sandin To Play At World Championships

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Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been selected to represent Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, as announced by the team today. Sandin, 23, had a career-high 35 points this season, including seven goals and 28 assists, in 71 games with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Capitals.

His arrival will be invaluable for the Swedish team at the tournament. They’ll be without a big contributor on offense due to an insurance issue stopping Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson from suiting up for them at the tournament.

After being acquired by the Capitals from the Maple Leafs via trade on February 28, Sandin recorded 15 points in 19 games, including three assists in his Capitals debut on March 4 against the San Jose Sharks. He became the first defenseman and seventh skater in Capitals franchise history to record three points in his first game with the team. Sandin also set a franchise record for the fewest games required by a defenseman to reach 10 points in the team’s history, achieving the feat in just seven games.

Sandin’s selection to represent Sweden is not a new experience for the young defenseman, as he previously represented Sweden at the 2019 and 2020 World Junior Championships. In 2020, he earned a bronze medal and was named the tournament’s top defenseman, recording 10 points in seven games, which was the most by any defenseman in the tournament.

His international success is not limited to his play at the Worlds. He also participated in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, where he helped Sweden earn the bronze medal. Sandin also captained Sweden to the gold medal at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Dallas Stars Loan Riley Tufte To AHL

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The Dallas Stars returned forward Riley Tufte to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, the team said in a release today.

Dallas summoned Tufte from the minors following Joe Pavelski’s injury in Game 1, giving him some time on the NHL roster during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t insert Tufte into the lineup over the course of four games, however. With Pavelski’s health improving, Dallas has opted to return Tufte to the minors.

The move comes at a natural time for the Stars organization as well. With the Texas Stars finishing high enough in the Central Division to earn a bye past the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the AHL Stars begin their playoff run on Friday against the Rockford IceHogs. Tufte will be an important middle-six presence for Texas in the playoffs, contributing 35 points in 63 games this season and finishing second among Texas forwards with a +23 rating.

Time is ticking away on the NHL future for the 25-year-old Minnesota native, especially given his first-round billing, but he does play a bruising, power-forward game that translates well enough to Dallas’ bottom six in call-up situations. If Dallas’ season lasts longer than their affiliate, expect Tufte to once again be recalled as part of a complement of Black Aces.

Jets Injury Updates: Scheifele, Dubois, Ehlers

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Injuries to important players have piled up at an inopportune time for the Winnipeg Jets, and could lead to a quick playoff exit at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. Down 3-1 in the series, 40-goal scorer Mark Scheifele left Game 4 with a suspected shoulder injury and is not on the ice at practice today, says Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. He’s not expected to play in Game 5 tomorrow night.

Scheifele, despite managing just one goal in the series, is a cornerstone piece of the team’s forward corps. With a mixed bag of news today on some other Jets forwards, his absence still means they’ll need miracle performances from depth players such as Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Lowry to pull off an improbable comeback in the series.

  • In even more concerning news, Wiebe also reports that Pierre-Luc Dubois was absent from practice today. The nature of his absence is unknown, as he recorded a goal in over 20 minutes of ice time in Game 4 and isn’t listed with any injuries. Still, if his absence from practice today is for any reason other than rest or maintenance, it could be a depth blow to the Jets, who utilized 23-year-old depth forward David Gustafsson in Dubois’ place on the first line in line rushes today.
  • The team could see Nikolaj Ehlers back for Game 5, though. Wiebe reports Ehlers was a full participant in practice today, skating on a line with deadline additions Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter. Ehlers hasn’t played since game 81 of the regular season on April 11 with an upper-body injury.

Playoff Notes: Pavelski, Murray, Johnson

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As the Dallas Stars try to close out their First Round series on the road, they could see an important veteran return to the lineup. Head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters today that Joe Pavelski will travel to Minnesota for Game 6 and will likely be a game-time decision.

Pavelski hasn’t played in Games 2 through 5, sidelined due to concussion protocols after a heavy hit from Wild defender Matt Dumba in Game 1. Dallas has maintained pace without Pavelski’s services, thanks to Tyler Seguin’s point-per-game performance in his absence, but they’ll need all the help they can get to stave off a hungry and physical Wild team looking to extend their season at home. A model of consistency, Pavelski’s chemistry with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson has been Dallas’ highlighting factor the past few seasons.

More from around the league’s complement of playoff teams this morning:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Matt Murray had seemingly returned to practice this morning for the first time in nearly a month, but skated with a separate pad of players, says The Hockey News’ David Alter. Murray, sidelined with a concussion since April 2, is unlikely to get any playing time once he is healthy but serves as a more veteran backup option to Ilya Samsonov. Joseph Woll has stayed on the Leafs’ bench in Murray’s absence, making his playoff debut in relief in Game 1’s loss against the Lightning. Murray’s availability for a potential series-clinching Game 5 on Thursday is uncertain.
  • Veteran Colorado Avalanche defender Jack Johnson hasn’t played in his team’s First Round series against the Seattle Kraken due to a lower-body injury, but NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika reports he could draw in for the suspended Cale Makar in Game 5. Johnson, who recorded four points and a +10 rating in 25 games after being re-acquired at the trade deadline from Chicago, would slot into a bottom-pairing role. If he’s unable to play, 34-year-old Brad Hunt could make his first postseason appearance since playing in four games with the Wild during the 2020 bubble.

East Injury Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí, Bonino

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Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron participated in an optional morning skate today and will be a game-time decision tonight, said NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson.

Bergeron, 37, hasn’t suited up in the playoffs, missing four games with an illness and upper-body injury. It hasn’t slowed the Bruins down much, though, as they’re in position to advance to the Second Round tonight with a win in Game 5. The skill and calming presence of Bergeron certainly boosts their chances.

If Bergeron does return to the lineup tonight, he’ll do so with some different linemates. After spending most of the regular season positioned between Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on the team’s first line, Bergeron took line rushes between Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrňák yesterday.

More from the Eastern Conference this morning:

  • While the team may get Bergeron back tonight, they won’t have David Krejčí’s services. He’s been ruled out for Game 5, head coach Jim Montgomery said. The veteran playmaker had a strong performance in Game 1 of the series, recording an assist, but had a rough Game 2 (no points, -3 rating) and missed Games 3 and 4 with an upper-body injury. It means additional usage for his countryman, Pavel Zacha, who has four assists in four games against Florida.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t in the playoffs, but they did make a roster move yesterday. After a scary injury that kept him out for the last few weeks of the season, Nick Bonino was taken off long-term injured reserve yesterday, CapFriendly reports. After re-joining the Penguins at the trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks, the veteran suffered a lacerated kidney in his third game with the team and missed the final 18 games of the season. The 35-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Elias Pettersson Will Not Play At Worlds

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Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson won’t be attending the upcoming IIHF World Championship after all, as a report from Aftonbladet indicates that the Swedish ice hockey federation could not secure insurance for him at the event.

Pettersson, 24, is only signed through next season and is expected to ink a massive extension at some point this offseason. He is eligible for a new contract on July 1, meaning a serious injury at the event next month could jeopardize a huge amount of money. Insurance is needed for many players at the event, usually when coming to the end of a contract.

As the extension talks approach, Pettersson is in quite a strong negotiating position. The young forward broke 100 points for the first time in his career, posting 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games. That included five shorthanded goals to lead the league, and some incredible, dominant possession numbers that suggest he will be able to repeat that performance moving forward.

Pettersson will carry a $7.35MM cap hit next season while earning a whopping $10.25MM in actual salary, thanks to the back-loaded nature of his bridge deal. That means his qualifying offer would be at $8.82MM to retain him as an RFA in the summer of 2024, another number that only helps his case as he negotiates a long-term extension.

While international hockey fans might have wanted to see him on the World stage, Canucks fans might be okay with their prized forward taking some time off. Pettersson has a lot of work to do to lead Vancouver back to the promised land in the next couple of years, something that executive Jim Rutherford believes is possible despite their recent poor performances.

NHL Announces 2023 Global Series

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The NHL is heading back to Europe, sending four teams to Sweden for the 2023 Global Series games. The Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Minnesota Wild will play a total of four games in mid-November.

The games will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, a city that has hosted more NHL games than any other outside of North America. The four matches will be:

  • November 16: Red Wings vs. Senators
  • November 17: Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings
  • November 18: Wild vs. Senators
  • November 19: Maple Leafs vs. Wild

The four teams have several Swedish-born stars on their current rosters and long franchise ties to the country. Hall of Fame former players like Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Mats Sundin, Daniel Alfredsson, and Borje Salming will certainly be represented in the sea of NHL sweaters, while current names like Jonas Brodin, Joel Eriksson Ek, Filip Gustavsson, Lucas Raymond, and William Nylander will surely wow the crowds.

The games will be played at Avicii Arena, the famous Globe that regularly holds some of Sweden’s largest events.

Offseason Checklist: Columbus Blue Jackets

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs.  It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Columbus.

Last season, the Blue Jackets were more competitive than a lot of people expected and GM Jarmo Kekalainen responded by making a big splash on the free agent market, inking Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year deal.  In doing so, expectations shifted.  However, things certainly didn’t go according to plan as they finished last in the Eastern Conference so changes are on the horizon for them in the coming months.

Find A New Coach

Not surprisingly, after the summer they had and how things went this season, Brad Larsen’s tenure as head coach came to an end as he was let go after two years as the bench boss.  The team posted a 62-86-16 record with him at the helm.  At the time he was promoted after serving as an assistant to John Tortorella, Larsen felt like a logical choice in the sense that the team was beginning a rebuild.  Are they going to take a step back again now?

That’s a question that Kekalainen is going to have to ponder.  This team has ample cap space (nearly $20MM per CapFriendly) this summer which could give them some key additions to try to win now.  If that’s the direction they’re going to go, then a veteran bench boss with a track record of short-term success is likely what they’re going to want to look for.  After all, adding Gaudreau on the richest free agent deal in franchise history only to turn around and rebuild again a year later would be a bit of a surprising turnaround.

On the other hand, with how they struggled this season, it would be surprising to see Columbus push for playoff contention in 2023-24.  Accordingly, another first-time coach with an eye on prospect development might be the better way to go.  While this number is certainly exacerbated by injuries and late-season recalls, Columbus used 30 players that are 25 or younger this season.  Most of them will still be in the organization next year and with a lot of future core pieces in the group, a longer-term build might be the better long-term play.  Who they hire as their next head coach might signal which way they’re leaning on the roster front.  Whichever way they go, it’s likely they won’t make a move right away as they’ll likely want to speak to some assistants that are on teams still in the playoffs.

Bring In New Goalie Coach

Generally, a team needing a goalie coach wouldn’t typically get much more than a passing mention here.  However, with how poorly Elvis Merzlikins played this season, finding the right hire to replace Manny Legace is going to be quite critical.

To put into context how much Merzlikins struggled, there were 62 goalies that played 20 games or more in 2022-23.  He was 62nd in GAA (4.23) and 61st in SV% (.876).  The good news is that he can really go up from there but he has a long way to go to even get back to being league average.

The 29-year-old has four years left on his contract which carries a $5.4MM AAV.  Right now, that deal would be difficult to trade with how he performed this season and Daniil Tarasov isn’t ready to take over as the full-fledged starter just yet; he has just 21 career NHL appearances under his belt.  Accordingly, the new goalie coach will be a key addition as if he can help Merzlikins turn things around, it would go a long way toward helping them get back in the playoff picture sooner than later.

Add Center Help

Locking down a true top center has been a challenge for Columbus in recent years with their best candidate, Pierre-Luc Dubois, eventually being traded to Winnipeg for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.  The end result is that Columbus was using Boone Jenner as their top middleman this season.  Jenner is a quality player, no doubt, but he is not a true top-liner.  Roslovic, meanwhile, was inconsistent throughout the season and he is likely to be in trade speculation this summer.

The good news for the Blue Jackets is that they have young centers in the system in Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson.  They’re certainly hoping that one of them will be able to emerge as a top-liner down the road.  And, who knows, they could land one in the draft as they’re able to hold down a top-three spot.  But any of those players are still likely a couple of years away from really emerging as reliable top-six options.  If they intend to try to get back into the playoff picture before then, they’re going to have to add a center or two.

It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets decide to continue their late-season experiment with playing Laine down the middle next year.  If he can hold his own in that role, that would take some pressure off Jenner and at least get them a short-term stopgap.  They’re also likely to add Dmitry Voronkov for next season although he won’t be ready to play in the top six right away either.  But even with those, more help is needed, especially if Laine isn’t able to play there full-time.

Landing a true number one pivot will be difficult for Columbus this summer as frankly, there aren’t likely to be any available.  Instead, Kekalainen will have to settle for adding a second-line option.  They’ve been speculatively linked to Philadelphia’s Kevin Hayes and perhaps that’s the type of move they should be targeting, adding a player that can help but whose cap hit is high enough that the other team can’t command a significant return.  Depending on the player, Columbus could be compensated for taking on the deal.  If they want to use their cap space this summer, that’s one creative way to try to fill a need without losing much of consequence.

Creative Spending

Speaking of that cap space, the Blue Jackets will be one of only a handful of teams with significant room under the cap this summer.  They currently project to have around $18MM per CapFriendly with only a handful of roster spots to fill.  Notably, there aren’t any free agents of note to deal with either that will cut into that amount by a significant amount.

Granted, Columbus is typically a budget team, not a cap team so it remains to be seen how much of that roughly $18MM will actually be at their disposal.  But at a minimum, a good chunk of it should be spendable for Kekalainen.

If they want to try to make another splash in free agency, the money should be there.  But that might not be the best move for them, especially with the market not being as strong as last year and the center options not exactly being top-notch.  Instead, if they can pick up an unwanted short-term contract or two and pick up draft picks or prospects for doing so, that’s a scenario that would be the best of both worlds, helping them build for the future while helping them now as well.  Cap space is an asset that few teams will have so it’s important that the Blue Jackets use it wisely and get creative if they need to.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Flames Arena, Mangiapane, Bussi, Senators

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The long wait is over for an announcement of a new arena for the Flames as the City of Calgary announced that they have come to an agreement on a new arena and events center.  The agreement will be funded between the city ($537MM), the Province of Alberta ($300MM towards supportive infrastructure), and Flames ownership ($356MM) over the next three years.  Don Braid of the Calgary Herald notes that this agreement also covers the demolition of the Saddledome, the oldest arena in the NHL which turns 40 in October.  There is no projected timeline yet for when the new arena will be operational.  Given the scope of the project, it will almost certainly take a while.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Still with the Flames, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Mangiapane has undergone successful shoulder surgery and will be ready for training camp. The 27-year-old wasn’t able to repeat his 35-goal performance from last season, slipping down to 17 tallies while chipping in with 26 assists to finish eighth on the team in scoring.  He has two years left on his deal which carries a $5.8MM AAV so Calgary will certainly be hoping that the surgery will help Mangiapane reclaim his scoring touch.
  • The Bruins announced that they’ve re-assigned goaltender Brandon Bussi to AHL Providence. The 24-year-old was recalled last week on an emergency basis but didn’t see any game action, instead serving as their emergency netminder.  However, with Providence’s playoff series getting underway on Friday, Boston has sent him back down to get him ready for that series.  Bussi had a 2.40 GAA and a .924 SV% in 32 AHL contests this season.
  • Things have largely been quiet lately when it comes to the sale of the Senators but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that it looks like final offers will be required by mid-May. At that time, the seven groups will have had to submit paperwork outlining proof of financing.  Expectations are that the club will sell for at least $800MM based on the strong interest in the franchise.

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