Snapshots: Bieksa, Stamkos, Pyatt
Anaheim defenseman Kevin Bieksa is not expected to take the ice in Game 2 against Edmonton. Bieksa had not been logging major minutes lately, averaging just over 16 minutes on the backend, good for 6th best on his squad. However, his nasty, physical edge was felt everytime he took the ice. The defenseman had an awkward looking collision early in Wednesday’s game with teammate Shea Theodore. He left the game, briefly returned, and exited again for good. Further information is unknown at this time.
Bieksa is perhaps best remembered for being a pivotal part of the defense that led the Vancouver Canucks to Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final in 2010-11. He has played 82 career NHL playoff games, with a solid 30 points over that span. He had already potted 4 assists for the Ducks through 5 games. Replacing such a force will be difficult for Anaheim, especially since they struggled to deter the high-flying Edmonton forwards from creating offense and crashing the net. Sami Vatanen would be a safe bet to re-enter the lineup in his place, in an attempt to recoup some of that experience.
- Steven Stamkos should be ready to go at the beginning of next season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had undergone intensive surgery on his knee, after tearing his meniscus. Although his return was expected, the reassuring news should bring a sigh of relief for Bolts’ fans. Stamkos’ absence was sorely felt this season as his squad was kept afloat largely due to the individual efforts of Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Scoring depth was harder to come by and the team was noticeably less effective at line-matching. Stamkos is the sort of offensive superstar that is nearly impossible to replace, even with a roster that had been as well constructed as GM Steve Yzerman‘s. Stamkos has won two Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophies for top goal scorer in a season, including an absurd 60 goals in 2011-12. He had posted 9 goals and 20 points through 17 games this season before succumbing to injury.
- Tom Pyatt did not play in Game 1 between the Senators and Rangers. The Ottawa forward was hopeful to be slotted in the lineup tonight, but was a late scratch. Pyatt had also missed the deciding Game 6 against Boston in the first round. The undersized fourth-liner had been held pointless through 4 games, and posted a -2. Although his veteran status and feistiness would have been welcome attributes in what is sure to be a tough series, his contributions this season were minimal. His advanced stats show that he is a net negative in terms of scoring opportunities and shots (CF% of 43.6), and his versatility isn’t even much of a bonus, as he only took 49 draws this season, losing the bulk of them.
Playoff Preview: Ducks-Oilers
It didn’t take long for the yapping to begin between teams as Yahoo’s Josh Cooper reports that Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle believes the Oilers will “whine” about faceoffs as their second round matchup gets underway tonight. Cooper calls it mind games, saying that Carlyle notes that the Ducks had the best faceoff percentage in the league while the Oilers had the worst. Oilers bench boss Todd McLellan “chuckled” at the comment and responded with this:
“Already? Already? I’ve been whining about or faceoffs all year because we’re in 30th place. I don’t think that’s a brilliant comment by any means. When you’re in 30th you’re not happy where your team’s at,” McLellan said. “Sometimes these games are played and sometimes some of those comments are almost an admission of guilt at times because they’re very effective in the faceoff circle and they do do some things, so that’s always nice to distract.”
Cooper points out that the lack of winning faceoffs didn’t stop the Oilers from beating San Jose in the first round while five others teams that advanced to the second round had faceoff percentages lower than 50 percent.
- The Oilers took the season series 3-2 but three of the five games were one goal affairs. Both teams are pretty even when you stack them up, and a number of sources have a long fought out series. The OC Register’s Eric Stephens takes the Ducks in seven, and goes as far to write that the winner of the series will most likely take the Conference crown as well. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy crunches the numbers and believes that the Ducks win in six. The Edmonton Journal’s David Staples takes the Ducks in a very close seven games while his “Cult of Hockey” podcast partner Bruce McCurdy has the Oilers winning in seven games, thinking that the Oilers will “get into the heads of the Ducks” should a series reach a seventh and final game.
Prospect Snapshots: Vesalainen, Kopacka, Nosek
Finland’s Kristian Vesalainen was named the MVP of the 2017 U18 IIHF Ice Hockey World Champions today despite the team’s 4-2 loss to Team USA in the gold medal game today . The 17-year-old forward is considered to be a first-round target in the upcoming 2017 NHL Draft and his stock could be rising after he scored six goals and 13 points in the tournament. NHL.com has him rated the seventh-ranked European skater in the draft.
Versalainen was also named the Best Forward in the Directorate Awards along with fellow countryman Miro Heiskanen for Best Defenseman and Russia’s Maxim Zhukov as the Best Goaltender. The United States had three players voted to the Media All-Star team, including goalie lan St. Cyr, defenseman Maxwell Gidon and forward Sean Dhooghe. Vesalainen, Heiskanen and Russian forward Ivan Chekhovich rounded out the voting.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have signed 2016 fourth-round pick Jack Kopacka to a three-year entry-level contract today. The 19-year-old wing led his team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League with 30 goals this year. He also added 19 assists for 49 points. The 93rd overall pick in this past draft finished with 50 goals in two plus seasons with his OHL team. Kopacka is the second player from his team to sign an NHL deal today as Tampa Bay signed his teammate Boris Katchouk earlier today.
- Detroit Red Wings Tomas Nosek continues his success in the AHL this year and, according to Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James, is beginning to show that he belongs in the Red Wings lineup next season. The 24-year-old forward scored the overtime goal in the Grand Rapids Griffins Game 1 playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals and has taken his game up a level from a year ago. Nosek played 11 games for the Red Wings this season, scoring one goal, but since this is his third season in the AHL, he will no longer by waiver exempt, so Detroit may have to look at him more closely.
Expansion Notes: Bieksa, Sutter
The Anaheim Ducks have taken a 3-0 lead in the playoff series with the Calgary Flames, mostly due to the success of its defense (although perhaps not in the first 30 minutes of last night’s game. Los Angeles Times’ writer Helene Elliott praises the play of veteran defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who she says put in one of his best performances of the season.
However, while the 35-year-old blueliner has been playing well leading a young, talented defensive corps, there continue to be issues on how the Ducks will handle their offseason protection list in June.
Bieksa has a no movement clause, which will force the Ducks to use one of their four defensive spots on the veteran. The team already has a bunch of young blueliners who they must protect or potentially lose to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Even with the team using the 4-4-1 option in the draft (four forwards, four defensemen and a goalie), the team is likely to protect Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler.
However, because of Bieksa’s no movement clause, they would be forced to expose several young defenders, including Josh Manson. The Ducks may be ready to move on from him next year, but that no movement clause, as well as his $5.0MM cap hit will definitely stand in their way, unless the team can convince him to waive that.
Will Anaheim be able to convince Bieksa to waive his no-trade clause? His recent playoff success might only complicate matters, but no one in Anaheim is complaining at the moment as the Ducks look towards a sweep of the Flames tomorrow in Game 4 in Calgary.
- The Vancouver Canucks have a similar issue about what to do with center Brandon Sutter, their veteran center. Many feel that Sutter has been a disappointment after a season in which he scored just 17 goals and 17 assists after signing a five-year deal in the offseason. That $4.375MM cap hit over the next four seasons makes many in Vancouver believe that they need to expose the high-priced center in the expansion draft or possibly trade him if that doesn’t work. Fansided Alex Hoegler suggests that the team should consider holding on to him, despite his disappointing first season. Sutter may not be proving to be a top-line center, however, but at age 28, he should be able to provide many 15-20 goals over the next four seasons and provide depth to a young team.
Editor’s Note: This article originally listed Brandon Montour as eligible for expansion. This is incorrect, as his 14 games in the AHL in 2014-15 were played under an amateur tryout and thus do not count towards his professional experience.
CHL Notes: Speers, Fiore, Constantine
The New Jersey Devils have re-assigned Blake Speers from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds to the Albany Devils for their playoff run, reports Andrew Gross of The Record. The 20-year old forward played three games with New Jersey to start the year before heading back to the OHL and suiting up for Canada at the World Juniors. After tallying just a single goal in the OHL playoffs, he’ll try to help Albany get past the second round for the first time in their history.
Last year, the Devils were the second best team heading into the postseason but were dethroned by an devastating Toronto Marlies team that was carrying half the current Maple Leafs team. Speers will try to fit in alongside John Quenneville and the rest of the young Devils this time around.
- The Anaheim Ducks have signed Giovanni Fiore to a three-year entry-level contract, though no financial details were released. Fiore played this season Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and easily led with 52 goals and 90 points in 61 games. The 20-year old undrafted forward led the entire QMJHL in goals, making him an easy target for teams looking at overagers in the CHL. He’ll try to keep that scoring touch at the next level, where time and space are reduced. Unlike many overlooked talents, he actually has the size 6’1″ 195-lbs to make it in the NHL should he ever develop his game that far.
- The Everett Silvertips of the WHL have declined to extend Kevin Constantine past this season, a very unexpected move after going 44-16-12. Constantine was a head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils for a time, but never could get past the second round of the playoffs. Perhaps that’s the same thing that has haunted him here in Everett, as the Silvertips were knocked out—swept in fact—in the second round for the third consecutive year. Constantine shouldn’t have trouble finding work as an assistant in the NHL should he desire, and will be an interesting name to keep an eye on with the other vacancies around the league.
Morning Notes: Krueger, Bernier, Coyotes
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet woke the hockey world up this morning with some news on the Vancouver Canucks head coaching vacancy. When he reached out to Ralph Krueger about the rumored interest, the former Edmonton Oilers head coach replied “I have had some interesting chats these past weeks, but my focus remains fully on the Saints for now.” The Saints of course is referring to the Southampton Football Club with which Krueger holds the chairman role and has since his 2014 exit from hockey.
Krueger of course coached the European team at this fall’s World Cup of Hockey, ushering them all the way to the final game against Team Canada. Kruger held the Edmonton job for just one season before being dismissed, but many around the hockey world believe he could easily step behind an NHL bench once again. His players at the World Cup praised him tremendously, and there have been rumors since his exit that he would eventually make his return to the sport.
- It wasn’t just an overtime winner that thrilled Maple Leafs fans last night, but a goalie switch for the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier came on in relief of John Gibson last night, and helped the Ducks claw their way back from a 4-1 deficit. While it’s not clear if that would ever warrant a start from the former Leaf, their fan base would clearly welcome it. The Maple Leafs would receive a draft pick if the Ducks made it to the Finals with Bernier starting more than half the games; a second-rounder if they were to win it all, and a third should they lose in the final series. Gibson allowed four goals on 16 shots, but will likely get back in the net with the Ducks up 3-0 in the series.
- The Arizona Coyotes are hoping the Minnesota Wild can claw back from their own 3-0 deficit to the St. Louis Blues. When the Coyotes traded Martin Hanzal to Minnesota at the deadline, they agreed to a condition that would see them receive a draft pick based on how many series the Wild win in the playoffs. Should the Wild be eliminated by the Blues, Arizona will get a 2019 fourth-rounder, but if they somehow climb back it could move all the way to the second round with two series victories.
Injury Notes: Marincin, Krug, Vatanen
Toronto’s defenseman Martin Marincin appears to be injured following a hit from Tom Wilson in the second period of Game 3. He took shifts after the hit but didn’t look particularly well, leaving the game in the third period. Marincin had stepped up in a big way since Roman Polak had gone down with injury. Luckily for Leafs fans, Nikita Zaitsev is back. But the injury parade of the playoffs continues, with Toronto seemingly unable to ice their full squad. Further updates on Marincin are not available at this time.
- Anaheim’s Sami Vatanen did not take the ice in Game 3, per Ducks’ beat writer Eric Stephens. Vatanen logs over 21 minutes a night, only trailing behind Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm. Vatanen has been depended upon by coach Randy Carlyle taking 55% of his starts in the offensive zone while registering 128 blocks on the season. Since Fowler has been sidelined with a knee injury, Vatanen’s role has only been increased. The injury is apparently upper-body related, though specifics are hard to come by. Anaheim will hope to depend upon 23 year-old Brandon Mantour, 21 year-old Shea Theodore, and the 25 year-old Josh Manson to pick up the slack against a desperate Calgary team.
- Torey Krug has been seen walking on his own in TD Garden, which is good news for Boston fans. Regaining the services of the defenseman would be a huge boon to a team that is held together by duct tape on the backend. Brandon Carlo is also injuried, although he is progressing. Zdeno Chara is pushing the wrong side of 40 and cannot be expected to carry the load for the team, especially with the other injuries. The 19 year-old Charlie McAvoy is being tasked with top-pairing duties, and despite his talent, is being challenged by quite a difficult first outing into NHL playoff hockey. Krug has no official time-table to return.
Snapshots: Hart, Bjork, Alzner, Ducks
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms will get a boost for their Calder Cup playoff run, as Carter Hart has been reassigned from the Everett Silvertips after being eliminated from the WHL postseason on Friday. Hart, a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2016 (the highest goaltender selected) had a tremendous season for Everett, recording a .927 save percentage and posting a goals against average below 2.00 for the first time in his junior career.
Hart is an outstanding goaltending prospect and one that will be welcomed in Lehigh Valley after Anthony Stolarz was ruled out for the playoffs. Stolarz will be out for three to four months with a lower-body injury. Even if Hart does show well at the professional level though, he’ll have a hard time returning next season. At just 18, he’ll have to head to the NHL or back to the WHL next season.
- Anders Bjork has been named to Team USA for the upcoming World Championships, joining teammate Cal Petersen from Notre Dame. Bjork is a draft pick of the Boston Bruins, and has been considering leaving school for the professional ranks since Notre Dame was knocked out of the NCAA tournament. The 20-year old enjoyed a breakout season for the Fighting Irish, scoring 52 points in 39 games generally dominating the college ranks. Should he decide to return to school next season, he would be an early favorite for the Hobey Baker award.
- Karl Alzner may not be in the Washington Capitals lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and as Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post points out, that would be the first game he misses in seven years. Alzner has suited up for 540 consecutive regular season games and 59 straight playoff matchups for the Capitals, but has been hampered by a groin injury stemming all the way back to the final game of last year’s playoffs. If he does miss it, Nate Schmidt would return to the lineup and likely skate with John Carlson.
- The Anaheim Ducks are getting healthier, as both Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler were back on the ice at practice today. Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports that the former has control of whether he’ll play in game three of their series with the Calgary Flames, in which the Ducks are leading 2-0. Getting Fowler back would be another big boost for the team, especially since it was these Flames who injured him in the first place. Fowler suffered a knee injury after getting hit by Flames’ captain Mark Giordano in their final meeting of the regular season.
Evening Snapshots: Hartman, Kase, Bonino, Werenski
To the surprise of many, Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Hartman will not face any supplemental punishment from the NHL after receiving a game misconduct in Game Two of the ‘Hawk’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators. Hartman was tossed near the end of the game on Saturday night after checking Predators winger Craig Smith, a fully legal hit, but then then appearing to punch or cross-check Smith in the face while he was down, which is obviously not so legal.
Hartman’s motives were clear: the Blackhawks were down 5-0 with just over a minute to go and about to fall into an 0-2 hole as the top seed in the Western Conference. Hartman was frustrated with the circumstances, as his teammates surely were as well, but Hartman’s actions were an unacceptable way of exercising that frustration. However, NHL Player Safety deemed that it was not bad enough to warrant a fine or suspension and Hartman will be back in the Chicago lineup tomorrow for Game Three as the Blackhawks grasp for some semblance of hope against a suddenly dominant Nashville squad.
- Ondrej Kase will also be one the ice tomorrow for some Western Conference playoff action, or at least for morning skate. The Anaheim Ducks announced that they had recalled the young forward from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and that he will join the team ahead of their Game Three contest in Calgary. The Czech left winger skated in 53 games with the Ducks in 2016-17 and recorded five goals and ten assists. There is no word yet on whether or not Kase’s recall was the result of any injury concerns among the Anaheim forwards or if they simply wanted to add another depth option up front, seeing as Jared Boll was the only extra forward for the first two games of the season.
- Both Nick Bonino and Zach Werenski avoided potentially serious injuries Sunday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets squared off in Game Three. Both players took pucks to the face early on in the game, but no long-term harm appears to have occurred. Bonino was struck right in the jaw and immediately dropped his stick and gloves and skated to the bench and down the tunnel. The initial thought was a broken jaw, but Bonino returned to the ice not much later with a jaw guard as the only notable change to his appearance. Werenski was not as lucky; the young defenseman took his shot square in the face and dropped to the ice for nearly 30 seconds (while the Penguins scored a goal). When Werenski finally got up and skated away, he left a trail of blood in his wake. Werenski returned later in the game with stitches on his face where a large cut once was and wore a full cage for the remainder of the game. Werenski also saw a major drop-off in ice time for the rest of the game and did not take a single shift in overtime, presumably due to the swelling around his eye. The Penguins went on to win 5-4 in OT.
Ducks’ Defensive Depth Holding Their Own Despite Injuries
Defensive injuries seem to be mounting throughout many NHL playoff teams, but the defensive depth of the Anaheim Ducks as well as their 2-0 lead over the Calgary Flames is why there is little mention of Anaheim’s struggles. Injuries to Cam Fowler (knee) and Sami Vatanen (upper body) as well as season ending losses of Clayton Stoner (abdominal surgery) and Simon Despres (concussion) have forced a lot of the Ducks’ young blueliners to take a greater role.
NHL’s Adam Brady writes that Korbinian Holzer, Josh Manson, Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore have all had to step up and play big minutes, despite only having 10 games of playoff experience combined, coming into Saturday’s game. Despite the lack of experience, they have shined, with the exception of a shaky 10-minute period between the first and second frames when the Flames scored twice to tie the game. Montour and Theodore even assisted on offense on Jakob Silfverberg‘s first-period goal.
“We stated before the playoffs started, that we thought we were going to have to use nine defenseman through the course of the playoffs season,” coach Randy Carlyle said this morning just before his Ducks got on a plane to Calgary for Games 3 and 4. “We’ve at eight right now, and that’s great for our younger kids, getting the exposure and experience of playoff hockey and should only bode well for their future. I don’t see them intimidated by it, not in the first two games anyway.”
Holzer, at 29 years of age and hardly a youngster, played in his first-ever playoff game after Vatanen was forced to miss Game 2 yesterday. He was actually sent out as a starter with Manson to start the game. “For me, it was a great feeling and I was excited,” Holzer said. “There were a little more butterflies than normal. It was kind of like your first NHL game. But it was good that I started the game, to get those nerves out of the way early, and after that I thought it was a good experience.”
With Fowler out indefinitely, Vatanen will be reassessed tomorrow morning before Game 3. If he is forced to miss Game 3, the young defenders will be ready. “Obviously those guys are elite players, but for us as a whole core, anybody can play any role with the depth that we have,” Montour said. “So we were very calm out there. All of us can skate and play hard in our own end. I think that showed last night, and we’ve just got to keep it going.”