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Hjalmarsson Returns To Blackhawks Lineup

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The Chicago Blackhawks failed to impress in their first game of the season, losing 5-2 to division rivals St. Louis. Despite the ugly loss, there are plenty of reasons to believe Chicago will be better when they visit the Nashville Predators on Friday night, namely the return of Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Hjalmarsson was suspended for much of the pre-season and the first game of the regular season for a charge/ hit to the head of St. Louis forward Ty Rattie. Hjalmarsson is one of the top defensive defensemen in the NHL, and a very good penalty killer. After the Blues scored three powerplay goals on the Hawks, Hjalmarsson returning to the PK will be a welcome addition.

The Blackhawks have great depth on the backend, with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Brian Campbell, Gustav Forsling, Michal Kempny, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk. The latter struggled in the home opener, taking two bad penalties. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times believes Van Riemsdyk will be the healthy scratch tonight, after Kempny and Forsling both had solid NHL debuts.

Van Riemsdyk admits he has work to do, but is glad the Blackhawks have some competition on the blue line, saying it “always brings out the best in you.”

Whoever sits out, the Blackhawks will dress a dependable defence against P.K. Subban and the skilled Predators.

Snapshots: Injury Updates, Andrighetto, Tkachuk, Gerbe

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The Buffalo Sabres have had a tough couple days, with Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, and Dmitry Kulikov missing the team’s home opener versus the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens beat them soundly 4-1 and Evander Kane left the game with what’s believed to be a rib injury. While Eichel is out long-term with a high ankle sprain, there is some good news for Sabres fans as Okposo and Kulikov both skated this morning with the team. The Sabres have not called up anyone from the AHL yet, as they don’t play until Sunday. They’ll let their farm team open the season with a full roster before plucking some players.

Down in Tampa Bay, rugged right winger Ryan Callahan is taking part in Lightning practice. Callahan has yet to play this season after hip surgery in June. We reported on Thursday that Callahan is expected to return by early November.  Callahan was wearing a full-contact jersey, so he appears to be on track to do so.

Snapshots: Top Rookies, Tougher Oilers, McKeown

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It’s been a good start to the season for rookies in the NHL. Auston Matthews scored a stunning four goals in his debut and Finnish top picks Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujärvi also scored in their debuts. William Nylander had two assists.

However, two of the more impressive rookies to TSN’s Bob McKenzie are the Flyers’ Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. McKenzie appeared on TSN 1260 in Edmonton, saying it’s “ridiculous how good [Provorov] is” and saying Konecny was their “maybe their best player” in their first game.

Despite their early success, McKenzie didn’t see either of them being in the Calder Trophy conversation, because neither will post the offensive numbers. He also joked that “everybody knows they already awarded the Calder the other night after the first game. People didn’t see that presentation afterwards, but Auston Matthews was presented with it after the game.”

McKenzie compared the style of play over the first two nights to Team North America in the World Cup, saying hopefully “the kids … will triumph because the first two nights of this season have been a joy to watch.”

In other new from around the hockey world:

  • David Staples of the Edmonton Journal took a look at how GM Peter Chiarelli turned the formerly soft Oilers into a much tougher team. The Oilers have added four tough and dependable NHLers in Eric Gryba, Zack Kassian, Patrick Maroon, and Milan Lucic for a total cost of two fourth round picks and three players who had no future in Edmonton: former starter Ben Scrivens who was toiling in the AHL, and fringe minor leaguers Travis Ewanyk and Martin Gernat. Scrivens and Gernat are now overseas, and Ewanyk signed with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. Staples writes that the new-look Oilers are able to “[answer] the bell if it comes to clobberin’ time, as it surely will.”
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defenseman Roland McKeown to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. McKeown was a healthy scratch in the Hurricanes season opening loss in Winnipeg. McKeown is a former second round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, acquired in the Andrej Sekera trade back at the 2015 trade deadline. The Raleigh News & Observer Chip Alexander believes the team is expecting newly-acquired defenseman Jakub Nakladal to be available for Sunday night’s game in Vancouver.

Vande Sompel Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The New York Islanders have signed Mitchell Vande Sompel to his entry-level contract, according to the team’s Twitter account.

Vande Sompel was the 82nd overall selection in the 2015 draft. The undersized left-handed defenseman was recently returned to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, where he’s served as an assistant captain for the last two years. He’s starting his fourth season in the OHL, and has 124 points in 159 games. He was a key member of the 2015 Memorial Cup championship for the Generals.

He’s a versatile offensive defenseman, who once played left wing in the OHL playoffs to cover for injuries. Elite Prospects reports he has the potential to grow into a Dan Boyle-type offensive defenseman, though he needs to get stronger and develop defensively in order to become an NHLer.

Snapshots: Bruins Injuries, Crosby, Lindgren, Lindback

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Judging by their roster to start the new season, the Boston Bruins’ new colors might be black and blue. Patrice Bergeron, Adam McQuaid, and Kevan Miller will all miss the season opener in Columbus on Thursday night.

While Bergeron and McQuaid are considered day-to-day with lower and upper body injuries respectively, Miller will miss approximately six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand.

Eichel Leaves Practice With Leg Injury

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Buffalo Sabres super-sophomore Jack Eichel left practice on Wednesday morning after appearing to injure his left leg.

Tom Martin of News 4 Buffalo tweeted a video of Eichel falling in front of the net after after minor contact with teammate Zemgus Girgensons. Eichel’s left leg got caught under his body as he fell backwards on it. Acccording to Joe Yerdon, Eichel’s ankle bent and rolled under him. He was heard screaming in pain before being helped off, unable to put any weight on his ankle.

Sabres coach Dan Bylsma confirmed after practice that it was an ankle injury, according to Ryan Dixon. Bylsma said there’s “not a lot to tell after that.”

Buffalo News John Vogl reported that the Sabres will wait for things to calm down before getting Eichel’s ankle evaluated.

Eichel’s teammates say they’re concerned, but hope the injury isn’t serious. It’s not clear if he’ll be available for the Sabres home opener on Thursday night when the Carey Price-less Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres are already without free agent signing Kyle Okposo, who has a knee injury.

More to come.

Price Not Travelling With Canadiens

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without superstar goaltender Carey Price to start the season.

Price is not travelling with the team to Buffalo, where the Canadiens open the season on Thursday night. He’s missed the last few days of practice with the flu. Goalie coach Stéphane Waite had previously told reporters that Price would be ready for Thursday night.

With Price out, expect newly-acquired backup Al Montoya to get the start against the Sabres. The Canadiens have recalled goaltender Charlie Lindgren from St. John’s of the AHL.

The Canadiens will be counting on Price to deliver big-time this season after injury cost him all but 12 games in 2015-16. He was rock-solid for Team Canada in their gold medal-winning performance at the World Cup of Hockey last month.

Montreal will be also be without top-four defenseman Jeff Petry for the first game or two of the season.

Snapshots: Flyers Rookies, Kronwall, Jordan, Rod

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The Flyers may have a pair of rookies in their opening night lineup. Forward Travis Konecny and defenseman Ivan Provorov have both looked good so far in the pre-season; Konecny is leading the team with six points in six games and Provorov is playing big minutes on a pairing with Mark Streit.

Konecny has played up and down the lineup so far in the pre-season, and figures to be a feisty bottom-six forward with the potential to move up the lineup as needed. He can play either wing or center. Count head coach Dave Hakstol among those impressed by Konecny’s “ability to read a play and make things happen.”

Meanwhile, Provorov has shown great chemistry with Streit after another wonderful season with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, with 21 goals and 73 points in 62 games. He might be the best of many high-end defensive prospects in the Flyers system.

Seeing as Konecny and Provorov are both still junior-eligible, they’ll need to either play in the NHL or go back to junior. Expect both men to get at least nine games to show he’s ready.

  • The Red Wings may be without Niklas Kronwall to start the season. The veteran defenseman has a knee injury according to Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. Coach Jeff Blashill says if Kronwall isn’t available on opening night then the Red Wings will carry eight defensemen to start the season.
  • Former Hurricanes depth defenseman Michal Jordan has signed with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL. It was reported earlier this off-season that Jordan was seeking a one-way contract as an unrestricted free agent (UFA). The Hurricanes had apparently offered him a two-way contract but Jordan wasn’t interested. Jordan has 3 goals and 7 points in 79 NHL games over the last four seasons.
  • And speaking of players signing overseas, San Jose Sharks 2014 second-round pick Noah Rod has signed a five-year extension with his Swiss club, Genève-Servette HC. According to ESPN’s Corey Pronman, Rod does have an out-clause to come to North America to play with the Sharks.

Training Camp Cuts: 10.07.16

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It’s the final week of training camp, and teams are close to naming their opening night rosters. In order to do that, there are still a handful of cuts to be made.

Here are the cuts made on Friday, October 7, 2016:

Anaheim Ducks (via team release):
C Kalle Kossila (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Brandon Montour (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Shea Theodore (assigned to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via Chris Johnston):
C Zac Rinaldo (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Providence, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via Bill Hoppe):
D Tyson Strachan (to Rochester, AHL)
C Cal O’Reilly (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via Chris Johnston):
C Linden Vey (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via Mike Morreale):
G Anton Forsberg (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Markus Hännikäinen (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Sonny Milano (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (via Frank Seravalli):
D Griffin Reinhart (assigned to Bakersfield, AHL)

Nashville Predators (via Chris Johnston):
LW Austin Watson (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Milwaukee, AHL)

New York Rangers (via Steve Zipay):
C Gabriel Fontaine (assigned to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
LW Nathan Gerbe (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
LW Tanner Glass (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
C Cristoval “Boo” Nieves (assigned to Hartford, AHL)
G Magnus Hellberg (assigned to Hartford, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team Twitter):
C Jake Guentzel (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
RW Carter Rowney (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release):
F Kenny Agostino (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ivan Barbashev (to Chicago, AHL)
F Samuel Blais (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jordan Schmaltz (to Chicago, AHL)
G Jordan Binnington (to Chicago, AHL)
D Mike Weber (released)

More to come…

Professional Try-Outs Remaining In Camp

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We’re now two weeks into training camp, and there are still a handful of professional try-out contracts (PTOs) remaining in camp. With the difficult economic situation in the NHL, these veterans have been forced to take PTOs to try earn contracts.

Here’s an updated list:

Anaheim Ducks:
LW Sean Bergenheim
G Yann Danis
C Kyle MacKinnon

Boston Bruins:
D Christian Ehrhoff

Calgary Flames:
D Nicklas Grossmann
LW Chris Higgins
LW Lauri Korpikoski

Colorado Avalanche:
RW Gabriel Bourque
LW Rene Bourque

Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Brad Thiessen

Detroit Red Wings:
D Nathan Paetsch

Edmonton Oilers:
D Eric Gryba
RW Kris Versteeg

Los Angeles Kings:
RW Devin Setoguchi

Minnesota Wild:
LW Ryan Carter

New Jersey Devils:
G Anders Lindback

New York Islanders:
C Stephen Gionta

St. Louis Blues:
D Mike Weber

Toronto Maple Leafs:
LW Rich Clune
D Raman Hrabarenka
LW Brandon Prust
C Colin Smith

Vancouver Canucks:
RW Jack Skille
RW Tuomo Ruutu

Information via Cap Friendly.

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