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Byfuglien Out; Laine Questionable For Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets will be without at least one star player when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.

Head coach Paul Maurice announced that defenseman Dustin Byfuglien is out with a lower-body injury (LBI) sustained on Thursday, while rookie sniper Patrik Laine is “feeling under the weather” and is a game-time decision.

Byfuglien left Thursday’s loss to the Kings with an LBI and subsequently missed Friday’s loss to the Ducks. He’s been solid for the Jets this season, with 48 points in 74 games while averaging over 27-minutes per night. It’s not known exactly what the injury is or how long he’ll be out of the lineup.

Missing Laine for any extended period of time would be a big loss for the Jets; he has 34 goals and 61 points in 67 games as a rookie. While he’s been quiet lately (2-1-3 in his last nine games), he’s still been one of the best rookies in the NHL. Both Laine and Auston Matthews have 34 goals and 61 points, but Laine has played in seven fewer games. He’ll need a strong finish to earn the Calder Trophy for top rookie season. The team will make the call around 4pm ahead of the 7pm puck drop.

While the Jets have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoff race just yet, it would take an absolute miracle for them to make up the 13-point gap in their seven remaining games. They need to run the table while St. Louis loses out. Barring that unlikely situation, the Jets will miss the playoffs for the third straight season.

Clayton Keller Signs ELC With Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes have locked up one of their best prospects, signing Boston University center Clayton Keller to a three-year entry-level contract. The news comes via TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Because the Coyotes have less than 10 games remaining this season, Keller will not burn the first year of his contract. The three-year term will keep him under contract until the summer of 2020.

Keller was the Coyotes first pick, seventh overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. He scored 21 goals and 45 points in 31 games with the Terriers; he lead the gold medal-winning Americans in scoring at the World Juniors with 11 points in seven games. Earlier this season, Keller was named the best prospect outside the NHL by ESPN’s Corey Pronman (Insider link). Pronman describes Keller as such:

“An elite playmaker with great feet and hands, Keller makes some of the more unique plays you’ll see outside the NHL ranks. Although he is small and slight, his IQ and skating allow him to be OK defensively too.”

Fellow Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome ranked third on Pronman’s list. Strome was the Coyotes first pick, third overall, in 2015 and went head-to-head against Keller in the World Juniors Final.

No word yet if Keller will make his NHL debut on Monday night, when the Coyotes visit the St. Louis Blues. Keller is from Chesterfield, Missouri, which is in St. Louis County.

Josh Healey Signs With Calgary

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Highly-sought after Ohio State defenseman Josh Healey has signed with the Calgary Flames, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Healey will report to the Stockton Heat on an Amateur Tryout (ATO), which means his two-year entry-level contract won’t kick in until next season. He played four seasons with Ohio State, scoring 60 points in 133 games. Twenty-five of those points came in 35 games this season.

The 22-year-old is not expected to be an offensive presence in the NHL; he’s a physical defender who has been said to “hit too hard for college.” That’s been clear this season, as he’s been suspended three times. However, Elliotte Friedman has previously pointed out that his suspensions didn’t scare any teams, because many of the hits wouldn’t have been penalized in pro hockey.

The Edmonton-native attended the Flames’ development camp last summer, after spending the previous two summer camps in Edmonton with the Oilers.

Tuukka Rask Out Tonight With LBI

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The Boston Bruins are facing a near must-win situation against the New York Islanders this evening, but they’ll be missing a key part of their team.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask is out with a lower-body injury, according to the team’s Twitter account. Anton Khudobin will get the start instead. We reported earlier today that the Bruins have recalled Zane McIntyre on an emergency basis to back up Khudobin.

It’s a very important game for the Bruins; they’re currently sitting outside the playoffs with 82 points. The Islanders also have 82 points, but have a game in hand on Boston. The Bruins were in the third divisional playoff spot last weekend, but have lost four in a row while the Maple Leafs have won three straight to pass them. Toronto is now three points ahead of Boston and comfortably in the third spot in the Atlantic Division.

This isn’t the first time Rask has missed an important game for his team. Last season, he caught a 24-hour flu bug and was out for the Bruins’ final game of the season, a must-win game against the Senators. Backup Jonas Gustavsson started instead; the Bruins lost 6-1 and missed the playoffs. Back in the Sochi Olympics, Rask missed Finland’s semi-final game versus Sweden with another stomach flu. The Swedes beat them, and Rask returned for the Bronze Medal Game, which he won.

Panthers Notes: Ekblad, Bjugstad, Playoff Race

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Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is out of the lineup with a neck injury, and his coach feels responsible.

After Ekblad missed four games with a concussion, he was medically cleared to return to the lineup. He lasted one game, and is now on the shelf with a sore neck. Coach and GM Tom Rowe made a startling admission to the Miami Herald’s George Richards.

“I’m not going to lie, I wish we didn’t. That’s on me. The doctors cleared him, our medical staff cleared him but I had some reservations and I wish I stayed with my gut. That’s no one’s fault but my own.”

The team has made it abundantly clear that Ekblad’s current injury is not related to his recent concussion, but suffering head and neck injuries 10 days apart is not a good thing for the 21-year-old defenseman. He’s already suffered at least two concussions in his career: in 2014 at the Canadian World Juniors camp and in 2016 after getting run by the Oilers’ Matt Hendricks. He also suffered whiplash at the World Cup in September, after a big hit from the Maple Leafs’ Leo Komarov; whiplash and concussions are often linked. With the Panthers’ season essentially over (more on that below), there’s little sense in trying to get him back in the lineup, argues Matt Larkin of The Hockey News. Ekblad has suffered as many concussions as NHL seasons played, which Larkin fears could lead him down the Eric Lindros path.

Ekblad is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and will start an eight-year extension next season.

  • It’s been a brutal season for center Nick Bjugstad. After three-straight seasons of 34-plus points, Bjugstad has just 10 points in 45 games this season, including five goals. Both Bjugstad and Rowe have publicly expressed displeasure with how the player’s season has gone. Injuries have played their part, but no one is using that as an excuse. Veteran teammate Jussi Jokinen told Richards that “every player has a tough year but you don’t define a career on one rough season.” Bjugstad has four years left in a six-year extension, making $4.1MM per season. After the season he’s having, it’s unlikely anyone will be trading for him just yet, so Bjugstad will get his chance to turn it around in Florida.
  • The Panthers were four points out of the playoffs when two-thirds of their top line returned from injury in early February. They won six of their next seven games, but have once again fallen out with just six wins in their next 17 games. Florida is seven points out of the final wildcard spot with nine games remaining. It would take a huge run combined with several stunning collapses by division rivals for them to make it now.

Oilers Notes: Hart Trophy, Lander, Hall

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The Edmonton Oilers may have lost a big game to their division rivals in Anaheim last night, but it was a big night for their captain, Connor McDavid.

McDavid scored a goal and three points to increase his lead at the top of the scoring race. He now has 85 points in 73 games, which is four points more than Sidney Crosby has, albeit in 66 games. Brad Marchand and Patrick Kane each have 80 points in 73 games.

While he’s leading the scoring race, a bigger question is where he’s at in the MVP race. While Cam Talbot has been superb for the Oilers this season, there’s no question that McDavid is the main reason for the team’s rise up the standings. The Oilers surpassed last season’s win total in mid-February, and have improved their goal differential by 63 goals. They finished in 29th last season, and are currently sitting in a divisional playoff spot this season. The biggest difference between this year and last? McDavid is healthy and arguably tied with Crosby for the title of best player in the NHL. Winning the scoring race would clear things up; in the past five years, the Hart has gone to either the Art Ross or Rocket Richard winner four times.

If McDavid does end up winning the Hart Trophy for league MVP, he will be the first Oilers player to win a major award since Andrew Ference won the King Clancy Award for off-ice leadership in 2013-14. McDavid would be the first Oiler to win an award for on-ice play since 1989-90 when Mark Messier and Bill Ranford took home the Hart, Lindsay, and Conn Smythe.

  • Oilers minor-league centre Anton Lander has signed with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL for next season, according to KHL insider Aivis Kalniņš. A former second-round, Lander has struggled at the NHL level with just 35 points in 215 games. His only sustained success was back in 2014-15, when he scored 20 points in 38 games. But in the AHL, Lander is dominant. He has 22 goals and 46 points in 31 games this season for the Bakersfield Condors. The deal will be announced after the AHL season ends, and will make Lander one of the highest-paid imports in the KHL according to Kalniņš. Back in October, we reported on the top KHL salaries, and the highest-paid import on the list was Stephane Da Costa who makes approximately $1.3MM USD. That range would be a nice raise over Lander’s current contract which pays him $990K. It seems unlikely that the Oilers will tender Lander a qualifying offer in the spring.
  • Taylor Hall may not be in Edmonton anymore, but he can’t escape the questions about his former team. Hall was asked today if he would watch and cheer for the Oilers in the playoffs. His answer? “No.” After six bottom-ten finishes with the Oilers, Hall once again finds himself at the bottom of the standings with the Devils while his former team is going to make the playoffs. Sportsnet’s Luke Fox quoted Hall as saying the situation has “a weird dynamic. You’re happy for your friends, that they’re doing well and they’re going to experience the playoffs, but you can’t help but be a bit jealous.”

Maple Leafs Notes: Matthews, Playoff Picture, Trades, Marlies

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Jonathan Toews was very complimentary of Auston Matthews before their two teams face off this evening.

While Matthews grew up idolizing Toews and models his game after him, the Blackhawks captain drew comparisons between the Maple Leafs rookie and players like Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Kane.

“He’s wasted no time,” Toews said of Matthews. “You kind of wonder, if that’s how he comes out of the gate then what’s he going to be like in a couple of years?”

Matthews has 31 goals and 55 points in 69 games as a rookie, while Toews has 18 goals and 50 points in 61 games. Matthews has now passed Toews’ rookie totals by one point; Toews had 54 points in 64 games back in 2007-08.

  • With the Islanders picking up a point in an overtime loss on Saturday afternoon, they tied the Maple Leafs with 78 points. Toronto remains in the final wildcard spot due to fewer games played. The Maple Leafs are four points behind the Bruins for third in the Atlantic, and one point up on the Lightning in the wildcard race. With the New York Rangers pretty much guaranteed the first wildcard spot, only one of the Leafs, Islanders, and Lightning will be able to snag the other spot. Toronto can do themselves a big favor by beating the Blackhawks tonight.
  • Speaking of Chicago and Toronto, Sportsnet’s Steve Dangle broke down the last six trades made between the two teams. The final list of players acquired isn’t pretty from the Maple Leafs angle. Of the nine pieces acquired by Toronto, only Josh Leivo is still with the team, and he’s a regular in the press box despite having nine points in 12 games. On the other side, the Blackhawks have Artem Anisimov and Richard Panik on their roster, several prospects/ minor-leaguers, and three late draft picks still to come. Dangle points out that Chicago has consistently traded NHLers for cheap depth players over the course of their semi-dynasty, and Toronto has had an excess of those players.
  • It was not a great afternoon for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ farm team. The Marlies were up 4-1 on the Binghamton Senators heading into the third period. The Senators scored seven straight goals to win 8-4. Marlies goaltender Antoine Bibeau allowed seven goals on 33 shots for a 0.787 SV%.

Snapshots: Matthias, Western Playoff Race, Jagr

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The Winnipeg Jets will be without forward Shawn Matthias for the remainder of the season, the team announced Saturday.

The first sign of trouble was on Wednesday, when Matthias missed practice. He was held out of the Jets’ last game with an upper-body injury. Matthias has eight goals and 12 points in 45 games this season, his first in Winnipeg after signing a two-year, $4.25MM contract in free agency. He split last season between Toronto and Colorado.

Detroit’s second round pick in 2006 has played 524 NHL games, scoring 171 points with Florida, Vancouver, Toronto, Colorado, and Winnipeg.

  • With just 11 or 12 games remaining, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector broke down the schedules for the Western Conference teams involved in a tight playoff race. Anaheim, Calgary, and Edmonton are within two points of each other, and will likely finish two-through-four in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have a game in hand on both teams, and play the Canucks tonight. Spector gives Edmonton the advantage in home games, strength of opponent, and ease of the final week of the season. Calgary gets the nod for having back-to-backs and getting tired opponents. Anaheim’s biggest advantage comes during a home-and-home series with the Flames in early April; Calgary hasn’t won in Anaheim since January 2004. The next team in the Pacific, Los Angeles, is four points behind St. Louis for the second wildcard spot. At eight points back, they have a slim chance at catching the next three teams, but do get Edmonton and Calgary three times each.
  • With two assists last night, NHL legend and Panthers winger Jaromir Jagr passed Gordie Howe for most points scored by a player in his 40s, with 269. The 45-year-old told Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel that he’s “going to pass [Howe] for most points after 50.” For the record, Howe had 41 points in 1979-80 a 51-year-old in his return to the NHL after six years in the WHA.

Darren Helm Leaves Game After Knee-On-Knee Hit

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Update (3:03pm): Helm is day-to-day, according to coach Jeff Blashill via Ansar Khan of MLive.com. It’s not clear at this time if Helm will be able to play on Monday.

Update (1:55pm): The Red Wings have announced that Helm has a lower-body injury and will not return to today’s game.

1:31pm: Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm has left his team’s afternoon game versus the Colorado Avalanche after an awkward collision with Erik Johnson.

Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News reports that it appears to have been a knee-on-knee collision. Helm left the ice slowly and then limped to the dressing room, favoring his left leg per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. He briefly returned a few minutes later to take a short skate before heading back to the dressing room.

It’s been a rough year for Helm, who is in the first year of a five-year, $19.25MM contract signed back on July 1. Helm missed 28 games with a shoulder injury suffered in November, and has just 13 points in 41 games this season. While that’s in line with his usual pace, it’s not the kind of production you’d expect from a player making $3.85MM per season on a long-term deal.

Lightning Lose Two Players During Wild Game

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The Tampa Bay Lightning may be dominating the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Wild so far tonight, but they’ve lost two regular forwards in the process.

According to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, Tyler Johnson and Vladislav Namestnikov have both left the game with lower-body injuries and will not return.

Namestnikov left the game clutching his left leg; Tampa Bay Times reporter Joe Smith tweeted that the injury “doesn’t look good.” After the Lightning went up 3-0 on the Wild, Johnson was hit by winger Nino Niederreiter and needed to be helped off the ice by his teammates.

If Johnson is out for any extending time, it could seriously hurt the Lightning’s slim playoff chances. He has 43 points in 63 games, good for third in team scoring. However, a serious injury to Johnson could be partially relieved by Steven Stamkos’ impending return to the lineup.

Namestnikov, meanwhile, has 24 points in 61 games, which ranks eighth on the Lightning for the season.

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