Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers’ Offense, Hornqvist, Tanev, Merzlikins

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With a modest 10-6-4 record, the Philadelphia Flyers sit in tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. One thing holding the team back is their lack of scoring, far behind teams like the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and the injury-riddled Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sam Carchidi of Philly.com suggests that one of the biggest problem is the lack of production from some of their top-six players, including Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek. It’s been even worse in the last 10 games, even though Philadelphia has gone 5-2-3 in that span. Regardless, Philadelphia has scored just 25 goals, for an average of just 2.5 goals per game in their last 10.

Hayes, who signed a seven-year, $50MM deal this offseason, has score zero goals and is minus-eight in his last 10 games. Van Riemsdyk has just one goal in his last 11 games, while Voracek also has failed to score in his last 10 games.

“We’re working on getting better as a group,” head coach Alain Vigneault said. “We’re not where I think we can get to, but we are working extremely hard and we’ve got a lot of faith that we’ll be able to get there.”

  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel reports that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist participated at practice for the first time since he suffered his lower-body injury on Nov. 2. The 32-year-old worked on his own before the Penguins practiced and wore a gray, non-contact jersey during the light practice. With the practiced focused mainly on the power play, Hornqvist did not participate in those drills. “He’s making significant progress. Obviously, the fact that he joined the team in a non-contact jersey is an indication of that,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “With the limited time I had an opportunity to watch him … I thought he looked pretty good.”
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) wonders if the Penguins should consider moving fourth-line forward Brandon Tanev up in the lineup permanently. The team’s free-agent acquisition was moved up in the lineup recently due to the Penguins’ rash of injuries and has played well. His performance Saturday against Toronto was impressive two as the 27-year-old had two assists, four hits and a plus-two and made a positive impact.
  • NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda notes that while Joonas Korpisalo has received the majority of appearances for the Columbus Blue Jackets in net, that may change. Backup Elvis Merzlikins may be seeing more time soon. Their stats lately have been almost identical. Korpisalo in his last five games has a 2.40 GAA and a .919 save percentage, while backup Merzlikins has a 2.45 GAA and a .919 save percentage. “Elvis is improving,” head coach John Tortorella said. “That comes into some decision making for me as we go through here because I have to monitor everything with those two guys because of just the situation we’re in. We’ll see where it goes.”

Vegas Golden Knights Place Brandon Pirri On Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Sunday: Elliotte Friedman reported that Pirri cleared. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Pirri will report to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Saturday: With just one point in 11 games, the Vegas Golden Knight decided to make a change and have placed third line forward Brandon Pirri on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

The move is somewhat surprising as Pirri has proven to be a solid depth-line option despite his struggles scoring so far this year and might be the perfect candidate to be claimed off waivers tomorrow. Pirri is currently on the first of a two-year, $1.55MM deal with a very affordable $775K AAV, which even the tightest of cap teams would be able to make room for. The 28-year-old has just one assist in 11 games for the Golden Knights and that lone point came on Oct. 4.

Pirri signed with the Golden Knights in the organization’s first year, but spent his first season with the Chicago Wolves, potting 29 goals and 52 points back in 2017-18. He continued to post big numbers last season in just 29 games, scoring 18 goals and 42 points before finally getting the call to Vegas where he went on an impressive scoring streak, scoring eight goals in his first 11 games for Vegas. However, he wasn’t able to maintain that pace, scoring just four more over the next 20 goals.

Most expected Pirri to find a better situation elsewhere when he hit free agency in the summer as playing time in Vegas was hard to come by. However, instead, Pirri surprised everyone by signing a team-friendly deal with the Golden Knights instead.

Vegas likely feels it has enough depth in their bottom-six to live without Pirri. The team has Cody Glass, Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch on the third line with winger Valentin Zykov expected to return to the lineup on Nov. 29 after his 20-game suspension is finished. The team also has a number of options in the AHL, including 20-year-old prospect Lucas Elvenes, who is second in the AHL in scoring with five goals and 21 points.

 

Western Notes: Brodie, Faulk, Grubauer, Prout

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Doctors are still trying to find the cause for Calgary Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie’s collapse during practice Thursday at the Saddledome, and while there still is no answer, according to Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson, many of the worst-case scenarios have already been ruled out.

“All tests that have been done to date have come back negative,” said Calgary general manager Brad Treliving. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned in terms of the tests we go through, and there is no set timetable for TJ’s return. We’ll just go through the process and check every box and make sure we administer every test. But there is good news in that he has come through everything thus far and is doing well, feeling good and is on the mend.”

He will remain out for the time being until the team has a better understanding on why he collapsed.

  • In his most recent mailbag, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) suggests that it’s far too early to look at the disappointing numbers of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk and suggest his acquisition was a mistake. Rutherford admits that his numbers are down from his numbers when he played for the Carolina Hurricanes, however he needs time to adjust to new teammates and a Craig Berube’s new system. “He’s been fine,” Berube said Thursday. “It takes time for a guy that’s been one place his whole career and he’s moved. It’s not going to happen overnight. We’ve got to be patient and I think we have been patient. He’s played pretty well, though. He doesn’t have a goal, but he’s been shooting the puck. One or two will go in and that will change things.”
  • With two minor league goaltenders on their roster, The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark reports that goaltender Philipp Grubauer is progressing by the day. Grubauer practiced once again, but the scribe reports that this was the first practice that saw him play at full strength. Head coach Jared Bednar also noted that backup Pavel Francouz remains in concussion protocol, although the goalie claims he’s feeling better. Clark also adds that forward Tyson Jost remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
  • Despite returning and appearing in two games with the San Jose Sharks, the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka reports that defenseman Dalton Prout is out again with an upper-body injury and no timeline has been set for when he might return. Prout appeared in two games, going scoreless, but adding seven penalty minutes, while adding a much needed veteran presence at the bottom of their defensive lineup.

 

Boston Bruins Place Torey Krug On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Expected to miss at least the next two games, the Boston Bruins announced they have placed defenseman Torey Krug on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The team has recalled Paul Carey from the Providence Bruins of the AHL.

For Boston, the injury is just another adding to the list of injured Bruins, as the team is also without David Backes, Kevan Miller, John Moore, Jake Debrusk, Brett Ritchie, Zachary Senyshyn and Karson Kuhlman. Krug has been out since suffering the upper-body injury on Nov. 10 against Philadelphia. Krug had already been ruled out for both weekend games and with the injury having occurred almost a week ago, the team could activate him early next week if he’s ready.

Carey has been a solid addition to the Providence Bruins. The 31-year-old forward, who has mostly been a journeyman through the AHL, fared well last year with Providence, scoring 22 goals in 30 games and has also played well this year with seven goals and 13 points in 17 games. He has played 99 NHL games over the course of his career, his most impressive season having played 60 games with the New York Rangers in the 2017-18 season.

Montreal Canadiens Place Jonathan Drouin On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens announced that the team has placed forward Jonathan Drouin on injured reserve after suffering an injury during the third period of Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The team recalled forward Charles Hudon from the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

While the general assumption is that Drouin suffered the injury during the second period when he took a massive hit from Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Drouin’s injury doesn’t have anything to do with Ovechkin’s hit. The winger was forced out of the game after that hit and went under concussion protocol and was cleared. He returned to action in the third period where he suffered a separate injury. No word on when/what the injury is. Drouin has been faring well this season with seven goals and 15 points in 19 games.

Hudon spent the previous two season with the Canadiens, but failed to make an impact with the team and never could carve out a role for himself, especially last season when he was often a healthy scratch. However, after clearing waivers at the start of the season, Hudon has thrived with the Rocket, scoring nine goals in 17 games, including a hat trick with Laval Wednesday.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Peyton Krebs To Entry-Level Deal

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights locked up one of their newest prospects Saturday by signing their 2019 first-round pick, Peyton Krebs. The team announced they have signed the 18-year-old to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Krebs was once considered an unreachable prospect for Vegas, selecting at 17, as the young prospect was considered to be a possible top-five pick and a lock to go in the top-10. However, Krebs tore his Achilles during offseason training, just weeks before the draft. While there was talk of that not affecting his draft stock, he did fall with the Golden Knights snatching the young center up quickly when their turn came up.

Krebs has been rehabbing that injury since, spending much of his time in Vegas working with the team training staff. Coincidentally, the Krebs’ signing comes as he has been cleared to return to game action and has been returned to the WHL’s Winnipeg’s Ice, where he was named team captain. He is expected to return to the ice on Sunday.

With Cody Glass now with Vegas as a full-time player, Krebs has slid into his role as Vegas’ top prospect. The center scored 19 goals and 49 assists last year in 64 games as a 17-year-old with a weak Kootenay Ice squad, before the team relocated to Winnipeg. Krebs is considered to be one of the top two-way centers in the WHL and an impressive pass-first center.

Metropolitan Notes: DeSmith, Ovechkin, Niederreiter, Kakko

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins had to choose between two goaltenders for their backup goaltending opening during training camp, eventually opting to place last year’s backup goalie Casey DeSmith on waivers and then sending him to the AHL, despite solid numbers last year. That demotion hit DeSmith hard, who reportedly was frustrated and hurt that Pittsburgh would do that, leading to disappointing performances early on.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Mike Vellucci, however, said the two have talked about the move and DeSmith has bounced back recently, in a Q&A with Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Yes, of course he was hurt and disappointed and all those emotions, which is understandable. I talked to him when he first got down here and I pulled him aside maybe 10 days ago and just said that from standpoint, he can’t let this affect him … So I think from that point on he’s been preparing to be the best he can and not worrying about things he can’t control. I think he’s settled in nice.”

  • Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin looks to have avoided any supplementary discipline after Friday night’s hit against Montreal Canadiens’ forward Jonathan Drouin, in which Ovechkin crushed Drouin with a massive body check in the second period (video here). TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports, however, that there will be no hearing for the hit. The Canadiens went on to win 5-2.
  • Chip Alexander of the News & Observer writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Nino Niederreiter is quite frustrated with his offensive struggles so far this season. The winger, who scored 14 goals in 36 games last season after being traded from Minnesota to Carolina, has just two goals and seven points in their first 19 games. The winger has had plenty of scoring opportunities, but has really struggled putting the puck into the net. He currently has an exceptionally low 5.9 percent shooting percentage, which he admits has gotten to him. “I try not to be,” he said. “If you’re not scoring and you don’t get the points then it’s obviously in your head.”
  • New York Rangers rookie Kaapo Kakko is feeling better as he has been out with the flu, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, but the team’s second-overall pick this season remains a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Kakko has been hot recently with five goals in his last seven games.

Washington Capitals Place Tyler Lewington On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Monday: Lewington has cleared waivers and was assigned along with Travis Boyd to the AHL.

Sunday: The Washington Capitals have placed defenseman Tyler Lewington on waivers, according to the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno. It could be a precursor towards activating injured forward Richard Panik, who has been out with an upper-body injury and could be eligible to be activated off of LTIR on Monday.

With the Capitals set on defense with their six top defenders, Lewington has become that emergency forward who has just stayed in the press box for more than three weeks. He last played on Oct. 16 while the team was without Michal Kempny. who was still recovering from offseason surgery. Now that he’s back, however, Lewington hasn’t been any use. It could also be stated that even when he did play for five games to start the season, the 24-year-old wasn’t of much use to Washington as averaged just 10:26 in those five games. It’s likely he will clear waivers and be assigned to the Hershey Bears in the AHL.

The only issue with putting Lewington on waivers, assuming the team plans to activate Panik soon, is the team will be left with just six healthy blueliners, something that could be an issue if a player gets hurt. However, with no long road trips coming up in the near future, Washington might be able to get away with just carrying six defensemen for the time being until the Capitals decide which of their 14 forwards needs to be moved out.

Toronto’s Mitch Marner To Miss At Least One Month

at CDT | by 28 Comments

8:10 PM — The team announced via Twitter that Marner will miss a minimum of a month due to the ankle injury.  He will be re-evaluated by the team at that time.  That will make him eligible for placement on LTIR as he’ll miss at least 10 games or 24 days.

3:55 PM — The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan reports that Marner underwent an MRI today on his right ankle, but Babcock had no other updates on his injury. “I texted him a bunch of times today. He said it was a little stiff,” said Babcock.

2:10 PM — Injuries have surrounded the Toronto Maple Leafs all season, but the team has another key injury to contend with after winger Mitch Marner went down awkwardly in the second period while getting tangled up with Philadelphia’s Carsen Twarynski and had trouble getting up. While little was known about Marner immediately after the game, head coach Mike Babcock announced that Marner would miss Sunday’s game in Chicago, the first game missed since his rookie year, according to The Athletic’s Sean Fitz-Gerald (subscription required).

“What are you going to do? It’s hockey; injuries happen and you find out more about other guys,” Babcock said. “I don’t know the extent of this. I don’t know if it’s a few days or weeks or whatever. There’s no sense in dwelling on it.”

The replay (video here) showed that Twarynski stick got stuck in between Marner’s legs and then got caught underneath his left skate, sending the 22-year-old sprawling to the ice. It appears that Marner’s weight falls on his twisted right knee and ankle. While there is no word on the severity of the injury and how long Marner could miss, the loss definitely wouldn’t help a team that is trying to gain some consistency. They are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, but losing Marner is not likely to help. It’s possible, if the injury requires a couple of weeks, that the team could place Marner on injured reserve, which could free up the cap room to activate Hyman and keep some of their depth without shaking up the entire team.

The hope was the Maple Leafs might be fully healthy and active shortly with the expected return of forward Zach Hyman, who has been out since offseason knee surgery. The team recently got back John Tavares, who was out with a fractured finger, and Travis Dermott, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery.

Metropolitan Notes: Crosby, Korpisalo, Wahlstrom

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins got another injury scare — something the team is starting to get used to. This time, it was Sidney Crosby who left the third period of Saturday’s game against Chicago with 18:51 remaining in the game with an undisclosed injury. TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh reports that there has been no report on Crosby’s status with the next update likely to come on Monday.

A team that is already with defensive star Kris Letang, the team would not want to be without Crosby, the team’s leading scorer who has 17 points in 17 games this season and a vital cog to the team’s success.

  • After Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender Joonas Korpisalo received a warning from head coach John Tortorella on Oct. 26 when he attacked a goalpost with his stick in a rage after allowing a key goal. Tortorella replied to the press that it wouldn’t happen again. However, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that Kopisalo was at it again Saturday night after giving up a goal to Nazem Kadri to give Colorado a 4-2 lead with 2:06 remaining in the game. The 25-year-old immediately slashed at the goalpost with his stick and then fished out the puck and sent it down the ice in another angered rage, something that likely didn’t please Tortorella at all. Coincidentally, the Blue Jackets recalled Elvis Merzlikins Sunday in response, despite the fact that the young goalie was expected to spend more time in Cleveland to work on his game. He only made one appearance with the Monsters so far. According to reports, Merzlikins has a good chance at getting the starting nod against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
  • When some speculation that the New York Islanders might have seen the last of prospect forward Oliver Wahlstrom for the rest of the season, that may in fact be the case, according to comments made by head coach Barry Trotz. Wahlstrom was assigned to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday after he had reached his ninth game with the NHL squad, meaning if he appeared in one more game, he would burn the first year of his entry-level contract. Wahlstrom didn’t necessarily make the most of his chances as he averaged just 10:17 of ATOI and failed to register a point for the team. Trotz confirmed that Wahlstrom must continue to work on his game, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. “He’s a young player who’s got loads of skill and he’s gotten this far on loads of skill. Now he’s got to learn the game,” said Trotz. “At every level he’s been a talent, he’s been the biggest, strongest sort of the most talented guy. Well, no one has really taught him the game for the most part.”

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top