Avalanche Recall Justus Annunen
The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they have recalled goaltender Justus Annunen from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. This move comes in the wake of the eye injury starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper suffered in game three against the Nashville Predators.
Although coach Jared Bednar said after the game that Kuemper was “doing better” and had a chance to play in game four, the recall of Annunen indicates that Kuemper is not 100% certain to return for tomorrow’s contest. That hypothesis is further supported by the scenes at the Avalanche’s practice today, as NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika reports that “two goalies” were on the ice and “Kuemper [was] not one of them.” Cotsonika also relayed comments from Bednar, who said that Kuemper’s “eye is fine” but that there is “swelling” and that he will play only “if the swelling goes down.” So, in the case that Kuemper’s eye does not fully recover by tomorrow’s game, the team has Annunen ready to backup Pavel Francouz, who would start.
Annunen, 22, was the 64th overall pick in the 2018 draft and has been the team’s AHL starting goalie for most of this season. He has a .893 save percentage in 48 games at the AHL level and has gotten into two NHL games this season, where he has a .863 mark. Assuming Francouz stays healthy, it’s unlikely that the still-developing Annunen will need to see playoff action for the Avalanche, so his callup is more about protecting Kuemper than anything else.
Jamie Benn, Evgeny Kuznetsov Earn Fines
The NHL Department of Player Safety has handed out a pair of fines today, sanctioning forwards Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars and Evgeny Kuznetsov of the Washington Capitals.
Benn earned a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, for high-sticking Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane in the Stars’ 4-2 win last night. The incident in question took place halfway through the second period. There was a scramble for the puck after a Jake Oettinger save, and Mangiapane, who was behind the net, was being held in place by Stars defenseman Ryan Suter. Benn appeared to poke Mangiapane’s face with his stick through the net, and although the incident was a bit difficult to see in the initial broadcast it was clear enough for the Department of Player Safety to fine Benn.
As for Kuznetsov, his fine is also for high sticking, with his victim being Panthers forward Noel Acciari. In his incident, which took place late in the first period, Kuznetsov and Acciari were engaged with one another in a typical after-whistle scrum, and in the incident, Kuznetsov raised his stick and hit the face of Acciari, an action that necessitates a fine.
In both of these instances, the player who was the victim of the infraction was not injured or subject to any major issues as a result of the fined actions. The actions that led to these fines were largely unnecessary and avoidable, so it’s likely that these punishments were handed down as a means of getting two star players to be more mindful of their after-whistle conduct.
Washington Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard
After the team’s 5-1 loss in game two against the Florida Panthers, increased attention has been paid to the goaltending situation of the Washington Capitals. Starter Vitek Vanecek struggled and was eventually given the hook by coach Pete Laviolette after two periods of play in that game. The Capitals have opted to make a move in net, albeit not the one many fans may have been expecting. The team announced today that they have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the Hershey Bears.
This likely comes as a move to shore up their third goalie spot, given that they sent down goaltender Zachary Fucale yesterday. Shepard, 26, is an undrafted product who has shuffled between the Capitals’ AHL and ECHL affiliates this year. The former Minnesota-Duluth star has had a strong career in the Capitals’ organization since going pro after his 2019-20 campaign. His .917 save percentage in the ECHL this season is his lowest in any year as a professional, and albeit with limited action he has posted above a .920 save percentage in 21 ECHL games last season and nine AHL games this season. Despite that success, though, he was unable to get into more starts than the two goalies above him on the Capitals’ organizational depth chart-Fucale and Phoenix Copley, despite their .896 and .913 save percentages, respectively.
This move is unlikely to be of any major consequence for the Capitals barring any major injuries or extreme underperformance, but it is notable for the Hershey Bears. They are down 1-0 in their first-round best-of-three series against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, and the swap of Fucale and Shepard indicates that the Capitals are willing to have a goalie lower on their organizational depth chart act as their third goalie on hand in order for the Bears to have the goaltending tandem that served them for most of their season.
Snapshots: Revenue, Playoff Structure, Senators Ownership
Commissioner Gary Bettman’s annual media tour during the first round of the NHL playoffs usually provides fans and media with unique information about the state of the league and its franchises, the kind of information one could only get from an interview with the commissioner, and this year’s tour has been no different. Speaking to reporters during the first intermission of last night’s contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, Bettman issued some updates on a variety of situations around the NHL. One of the more major updates he gave, as relayed by Joe Smith of The Athletic, was regarding the state of the league’s finances. Bettman said that the all-important hockey-related revenue number (the number that is the subject of intense negotiations between the players and owners every time the collective bargaining agreement expires) will be about $150MM lower than his December projection of $5.3 billion.
This shortfall compared to the initial projection can be a result of a variety of factors, but perhaps the most likely has to do with the unanticipated limits to attendance many teams faced this season. It was likely anticipated that teams would not have to go back to reduced-capacity or zero-capacity crowds and that those restrictions were a thing of the past, an assumption that ended up being premature. Multiple Canadian clubs dealt with reduced-attendance mandates, and given that the NHL is a primarily gate-driven league (meaning a higher share of revenues comes from ticket sales than other major North American sports leagues) those restrictions could be responsible for the lower revenue total.
Now, for some other bits of information coming from Bettman’s meeting with the press:
- While there has been discussion here and amongst members of the media about the NHL changing its playoff structure, it seems that there isn’t much appetite from the league for pursuing such a change. When asked about potentially making alterations to the league’s playoff structure, Bettman had the following to say:
People are always thinking: ‘What can we do different to make it better?’ What we have is working really, really well. When you look at the number of games we get in the playoffs, (excitement) in the first round and our competitive balance in the regular season, it’s extraordinary. I’ll put it up against anything else that’s going on in sports.
- After the sudden passing of longtime Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, there has been much conversation about the future of his team and its ownership. When asked about that future, Bettman decided to pump the breaks on any speculation of a quick change in ownership for the Senators. Bettman said, as relayed by Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, that the Senators “aren’t for sale,” and that there have not been discussions on any level about a potential sale of the team. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that Senators management is currently reporting to the board that Melnyk put in place before his passing, and it was made clear from Bettman’s comments that this arrangement is not one the league sees any real need to immediately change.
Coaching Notes: Brown, Fohr, Nightingale
For the first time in 28 years, Boston College’s men’s hockey program has had to find a new head coach. Jerry York, the program’s bench boss for nearly three decades and the winningest head coach in NCAA hockey history, announced his retirement from coaching on April 14th, and since then the Eagles have been searching for his successor. Today, they announced their choice. Greg Brown, one of York’s former assistants, was tapped for the role, and he will become just the fifth Boston College men’s hockey head coach in history. Brown has some NHL experience, having served as an assistant on David Quinn’s staff when Quinn coached the New York Rangers from 2018-2021. Brown had the following to say about his appointment:
I cannot be more excited to come back to Boston College, which has been such an important part of my life as a student-athlete, coach, and parent. I am truly honored to be named coach, and to succeed my coaching mentor and friend Jerry York. I can’t wait to begin this next chapter in my life and in the proud history of BC hockey.
Boston College had a tough 2021-22 campaign, going 15-18-5, but there is hope for a quick turnaround considering the program’s prior success. Brown saw that success closely, having been on York’s staff when the Eagles captured three NCAA championships in a five-year span from 2007-08 to 2011-12. Boston College also has NHL prospects currently on its roster, such as Aidan Hreschuk and Trevor Kuntar, so it’s possible the earliest barometer of Brown’s success will be how well those drafted prospects develop.
Now, for some other notes on coaching across the hockey landscape:
- Some more coaching shuffling has occurred, as USA Hockey has cemented its new coach for the US National Team Development Program’s under-17 team, Nick Fohr. Fohr, 44, has been an associate coach at the USNTDP for the past five years, and comes into his role with some ringing endorsements. USA Hockey released statements about Fohr from numerous NHL sources, including stars he coached such as Zach Werenski and Charlie McAvoy. The NTDP role is about player development first and foremost, so if the names singing Fohr’s praises are any indication, he’ll do just fine with this new responsibility.
- Fohr’s new opportunity comes by way of the departure of the USNTDP’s former under-17 head coach, Adam Nightingale. Nightingale left his post to become head coach at Michigan State, his alma mater. Michigan State is one of the more historic programs in NCAA hockey but has struggled in recent years to live up to its past. Nightingale has NHL experience, having worked on the coaching staff of the Detroit Red Wings from 2017-18 to 2019-20, and he has also worked for Michigan State in the past, serving as their director of hockey operations. Given the state of the program in recent years, Spartans fans have to hope that its Nightingale who can wake the sleeping giant that is Michigan State hockey.
West Notes: Saros, Canucks Scouts, Kuzmenko
While it was previously reported that there was some hope that injured Nashville Predators starting goaltender Juuse Saros would be able to play after the first two games of his team’s first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, it seems that timeline may have been a bit optimistic. Today, Predators coach John Hynes announced that Saros would not be playing in game three and that rookie Connor Ingram will retain the starter’s crease. After a brutal overtime loss last night, the Predators have a crucial home contest on Saturday as they try to fight their way back into the series.
While this news is undoubtedly unfortunate for the Predators given their increasingly dire situation and Saros’ brilliance this year, there is one wrinkle to this storyline that could prove to be a positive for Nashville: the emergence of Ingram. The rookie started game 2 after season-long backup David Rittich‘s game one implosion, and performed admirably. Ingram made some spectacular saves and finished with 49 saves on 51 shots, nearly carrying the Predators to a miracle road victory. If Saros’ injury is what puts Ingram into the spotlight and he raises his stock leaguewide considerably, perhaps that can be some consolation to the Predators faithful.
Now, for some other notes from across the league:
- It has been a season of much change for the Vancouver Canucks, and today there was some shuffling in their scouting department. Thomas Drance of The Athletic reported that the Canucks have parted ways with four members of their amateur scouting department: Derek Richard, Tim Lenardon, Brandon Benning, and Pat Conacher. The Vancouver Sun’s Patrick Johnston added a fifth name to the departures, reporting that Ted Hempson is also leaving the organization. That’s a decent number of scouts to leave at one time, and this development supports the idea that this new Canucks front office is seeking deep, substantive changes to the organization.
- The courting process has begun with highly-touted KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko, and the landscape regarding his suitors is starting to take shape. The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reported that Oilers GM Ken Holland “may have talked to [Kuzmenko] personally” and that the team is interested in the point-per-game KHL scorer. In addition to the Oilers, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the Canucks interviewed Kuzmenko today, and that “there is good interest from both sides.” It was previously reported that as many as 20 teams could be actively interested in signing Kuzmenko, so it’s likely that reports like these concerning his recruitment process will continue to trickle in as the competition to secure his services heats up.
Latest On Martin St. Louis
The Canadiens’ season was an incredibly difficult one, with the team falling from Stanley Cup Finalists in 2020-21 to last in the NHL in 2021-22. Longtime GM Marc Bergevin departed the post he had held for nearly a decade, and the team hired former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and player agent Kent Hughes to lead their new era of hockey operations. While the Canadiens still managed to lose enough to finish dead last in the league, the arrival of Martin St. Louis as interim head coach injected some much-needed life and optimism to the team. Now as their season concludes, it looks as though St. Louis’ time as Canadiens coach is set to continue. As relayed by Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, St. Louis “will be back” as the Canadiens’ coach next season, pending the completion of a contract with the Canadiens’ management team. In today’s exit interview, Hughes confirmed that sentiment, stating that there is “interest on both sides” that St. Louis returns and that an official deal would be “finalized soon.”
This should come as no great surprise, given the deep connections between St. Louis and the Canadiens’ new management team, but both St. Louis and the Canadiens’ brass had been cautious about sounding too committal on St. Louis’ future for these past few months. That has changed more recently, though. Speaking in an interview on the first intermission broadcast of last night’s TSN coverage of the Canadiens’ 10-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, Gorton made a firmer indication of his desire to have St. Louis return. Asked directly if St. Louis would return next season, Gorton said “I hope so,” and went further to elaborate on why he wants St. Louis back, stating that he is “a natural-born leader, he has a high energy, he’s got a passion for the game. He belongs in the game. We’re hopeful we can find a way to bring him back.”
Given the early returns of St. Louis’ time as the Canadiens’ coach, it isn’t difficult to see why the Canadiens’ top brass would be such big believers in his future as a coach. Under St. Louis, the Canadiens went 14-19-4, and although that record is not one to be proud of in a vacuum, within the context of the Canadiens’ season and given the state of the team he inherited, that’s a record that is worthy of commendation. But his record is not what is driving much of the optimism around St. Louis, though. The Canadiens were playing lifeless hockey late in the tenure of the previous coach Dom Ducharme, and it is the stylistic changes and changes in energy that St. Louis brought that is driving much of the excitement about his coaching future. Numerous Canadiens players saw their seasons revived under St. Louis, perhaps none more so than rookie Cole Caufield. Caufield was sitting at one goal when Ducharme was replaced and was widely considered to be one of the NHL’s bigger rookie disappointments. But under St. Louis, he has unlocked the upside that made him a top prospect and finished this season near the top of the NHL’s rookie goal-scoring race with 23 goals. He finished with 35 points in St. Louis’ 37 games coached, a pace of 77 points over the course of a full regular season. With that level of resurgence for one of the Canadiens’ most important players, along with other players’ seeing their seasons revived (such as Christian Dvorak, Jeff Petry, and Mike Hoffman), it seems as though the Canadiens’ group of players responds well to St. Louis’ style.
St. Louis has little formal coaching experience, and as a result, there will always be criticism of the Canadiens’ level of commitment to him so early in his coaching career. But his impact on the team is at this point undeniable, and with St. Louis returning, the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, and the Canadiens potentially selecting one of the draft’s top players, this summer looks to be one of optimism for Canadiens fans.
AHL Shuffle: 04/30/22
Today marks the end of the regular season for most teams, as the eliminated ones conduct their exit interviews and contending ones gear up for the playoffs. There are no games on the docket today, and the only remaining regular season contest is a Sunday tie between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets. Today should see some action with teams shuffling their rosters in order to get their AHL affiliates the ideal rosters for the Calder Cup playoffs, and we’ll keep track of all that roster shuffling here.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have made a whole host of moves to add players to the Belleville Senators in advance of their affiliate’s playoff run. The team assigned four players to Belleville: goaltender Filip Gustavsson and forwards Viktor Lodin, Mark Kastelic, and Parker Kelly. While Gustavsson, Kastelic, and Lodin (at least since he has come over to North America) have played more games for Belleville than Ottawa this season, Kelly actually got into 41 NHL games compared to 33 in the AHL, so getting him back for their playoff run will likely be a nice boost for Belleville as they look to capture the Calder Cup.
- While not an AHL transaction, the Buffalo Sabres have loaned goaltender Michael Houser to Cincinnati of the ECHL. The 29-year-old had his minor league deal converted to an NHL pact back in January and he was recalled yesterday to serve as the backup for Buffalo’s final game of the season.
- The Boston Bruins have returned defensemen Jack Ahcan plus forwards Marc McLaughlin, Oskar Steen, and Jack Studnicka to Providence of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. All four players were in the lineup last night for their regular season finale against Toronto. One player who isn’t going to be returned for the AHL playoffs, however, is forward Chris Wagner, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). He recorded 11 hits last night and will be kept as a fourth line option for their series against Carolina.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned winger Joey Anderson to Toronto of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. Anderson played 12:33 against Boston last night while on emergency recall. He has 42 points in 55 games with the Marlies this season, a team that is trying to secure the final North Division playoff spot this afternoon.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled center Riley Nash, per an announcement from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse. Brayden Point was scratched for their game on Friday and Nash will serve as an extra option down the middle in case Point’s injury carries over into the playoffs. Nash had four assists in 49 games between the Lightning and Coyotes this season.
Metropolitan Division
- While this was reported yesterday, the New York Rangers today confirmed the seven black aces that will be joining the team for their playoff run. The team has recalled forwards Tim Gettinger, Lauri Pajuniemi, defensemen Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, Nils Lundkvist, Jarred Tinordi, and goaltender Keith Kinkaid from the Hartford Wolf Pack. For the Rangers, the team is hoping that their roster stays healthy and none of these players end up needing to play. But with the brutal nature of playoff hockey, one or two could find their way into the lineup.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have loaned the following players to their AHL Affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms: Defensemen Egor Zamula and Linus Hogberg and goaltender Felix Sandstrom. Each player has played the majority of their season with the Phantoms, but has gotten some games in with the Flyers more recently as the team plays out the stretch run of what has been a miserable season for their franchise. Now, each player gets the chance to return to where they have spent most of their seasons to help the Phantoms for their final game of their season, a contest against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
- The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve returned wingers Alexander Holtz, Fabian Zetterlund, and Nolan Foote, as well as defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk, Reilly Walsh, and Kevin Bahl to Utica of the AHL. The Comets finished first in the North Division and will now have ample reinforcements coming in time for the playoffs. New Jersey also assigned 2021 first-round pick Chase Stillman to Utica after his junior team in Peterborough was eliminated in the OHL playoffs.
Central Division
- The St. Louis Blues announced the recall of center Dakota Joshua from Springfield of the AHL. The 25-year-old has split the season between the Blues and Thunderbirds, picking up three goals and five assists in 30 NHL contests plus nine goals and 11 helpers in 35 AHL contests. Joshua should start the playoffs as extra depth but could get into the lineup at some point in their series against Minnesota.
Pacific Division
- With the Anaheim Ducks out of the playoffs, they have returned defensemen Simon Benoit and Trevor Carrick plus wingers Buddy Robinson and Hunter Drew to San Diego of the AHL. The Gulls secured the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division and will play Ontario (the Kings’ affiliate) in a best-of-three play-in series beginning next week.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
NHLPA Begins Search For New Executive Director
While the seasons of many NHL clubs end tonight, the work for the NHLPA is just beginning. The Players’ Association has announced that their Executive Board has voted to form a search committee to begin the process of finding a new executive director of their union. The union released a statement to go along with their announcement:
The many players who have played in the NHL over the last eleven years greatly appreciate the significant accomplishments under the leadership of Don Fehr. Don joined the NHLPA after a long and successful career as Executive Director of the MLBPA and quickly stabilized the union following a very difficult period. He led the NHLPA through the owners’ 2012-13 lockout and negotiated a new CBA that created a defined benefit pension plan which will greatly benefit players for generations to come. Don played an important role in reviving the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. After Covid-19 forced the suspension of the 2019-20 season, Don led the bargaining that resulted in an extension of the CBA in July 2020 and allowed for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs to be played. We look forward to continuing to work with Don as we go through the succession process.
While this news comes at an unexpected time, it is not entirely out of the blue. Fehr’s future was already under scrutiny, with Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff previously reporting that there was a level of discontentment regarding Fehr’s leadership that could necessitate a change. The timeline of this move is a bit shocking, though, as many believed the process would be left for the summer, including TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
But as is made obvious by this announcement, the NHLPA decided now was the time to make a change. While Fehr’s role may not put him into the attention of most NHL fans, his job is one of major importance. As the leader of the NHLPA, he is the highest-level executive who represents the players as a whole, and he leads their charge in any contentious labor negotiations with the league. There will undoubtedly be many who will vie for this coveted position, and who the players choose could signal the direction they go in their future negotiations with the league. The NHL has been lucky to avoid a lockout similar to the one Major League Baseball faced this winter, so perhaps one major priority for the players will be finding a candidate who can maintain labor peace, but of course, only time will tell.
East Notes: Price, Ovechkin, Maple Leafs Forwards
While the return of Carey Price to the Montreal Canadiens lineup helped clear the murkiness surrounding his immediate health situation, it did not make his future in Montreal any more certain. Price, who is set to turn 35 before next season, has been one of the best goalies of his generation but questions have surfaced regarding his future with the only NHL team he has ever known. It has been speculated that Price’s healthy return could pave the way for goaltending-needy teams to consider acquiring him in the offseason, but it now seems that idea may not be very realistic.
In an interview with TSN on their broadcast of the team’s contest against the Panthers, Canadiens Executive VP of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton was asked about Price’s future with his team. Gorton was relatively non-committal, speaking in broad terms about meeting with Price and trying to “see what he wants to do” after the season ended. But after he gave that expectedly vague statement, Gorton did shed some light on how he views Price’s role in the Canadiens’ future. Gorton said: “If [Price] can be healthy, we’d be crazy not to want him.” While that comment is just an answer on a television interview and not any sort of binding statement regarding Price’s future, it does indicate that despite the Canadiens taking a more rebuild-oriented approach to their new regime’s early days, they still have Price in their plans moving forward.
Now, for a few other notes regarding Eastern Conference teams:
- Coach Peter Laviolette issued an update (relayed by Dan Rosen of NHL.com) on the status of Alex Ovechkin today. The Capitals’ captain has been out with an upper-body injury and did not play in the team’s season finale against the Rangers. But although he didn’t play in today’s game, it does seem that he is on track for a relatively soon return. Ovechkin skated this morning and had a “good day,” according to Laviolette, so it’s likely that he’ll be ready in time for the Capitals’ playoff series.
- Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe updated the media on the injury situations of forwards Ondrej Kase and Michael Bunting before tonight’s game against the Bruins. Bunting participated in this morning’s optional skate and Keefe referred to both him and Kase as “close” to a return. Since the Maple Leafs’ season will be judged largely by whether or not they are able to get past their first-round opponent, getting both Kase and Bunting back in time for game one would be a major coup for the team. Bunting has been one of the league’s biggest breakout stories this season, with 23 goals and 63 points in 79 games, and Kase has also been a nice find too, with 14 goals and 27 points in 50 games.