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Atlantic Notes: Toronto Goaltending, Sergachev, Chabot

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Sunday’s practice in Toronto seemed like old times as both of the Toronto Maple Leafs injured goaltenders, Frederik Andersen (groin/illness) and Garret Sparks (concussion) could be found on the ice. The team had already sent Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL and Michael Hutchinson was seen after practice working on his own.

TSN’s Mark Masters reports that Andersen said he feels fine and is ready to return. However, Toronto head coach Mike Babcock said that he had to refer to the staff before naming a starter for Monday’s game against Colorado. Andersen hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 22. Andersen has been the team’s rock in goal as he has a 2.50 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 30 games this season.

Masters adds that Sparks said he’s been medically cleared to return to the team and it’s now up to the staff to determine whether he can return to the roster on Monday. Toronto has to be hopeful that both goaltenders can take over some of the workload as Hutchinson has now played in nine games this season. If he reaches 10 games, the team will have to pass him through waivers when both their goalies are healthy and there is a likelihood the team could lose another goaltender there. The team already lost both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard to waivers at the beginning of the year.

  • The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev $2,403.67, the maximum fine allowable by the CBA, for cross checking Buffalo Sabres forward Johan Larsson Saturday. The incident occurred at 13:24 of the third period and Sergachev received a double-minor penalty on the play. Despite the fine, the 20-year-old has seen an improvement from the offensive end as he has a goal and four assists in his last five games with a plus-two rating. Despite the fact that many feel that Sergachev has taken a step back this season, he has actually increased his ATOI from 15:22 last season to 17:44 this season.
  • While it’s vague, Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher responded positively when asked about the injury status of second-year defenseman Thomas Chabot, saying that “Chabot is doing terrific,” according to Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren. Chabot has been out since Dec. 28th after taking a hit from New York Islanders’ Matt Martin with an upper body injury and was deemed to be out “long-term.” While the update gives no projection on when he’ll be back, the team has been crippled without him as he has developed into the team’s No. 1 defenseman after the team traded away Erik Karlsson. Chabot was averaging a point a game so far this year with 10 goals and 28 assists in 38 games.

Pacific Notes: Pettersson, Hagelin, Braun

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The Vancouver Canucks got some good news Saturday when star center Elias Pettersson, who has been out with a sprained knee for the past nine days, took to the ice. Unfortunately, he skated only with skills coach Glen Carnegie, however, it’s an important part in Pettersson’s recovery, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.

The 20-year old suffered a first-degree sprain when he was pulled to the ice by Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Jan. 3. However, Pettersson is getting closer to a return as he managed to twist and turn through drills during a 25-minute skate, much longer than his skate on Friday. However, head coach Travis Green said that while Pettersson wants to return to the lineup as soon as possible, he must still get through a full practice with the team, meaning he will not return for Sunday’s game against Florida.

“He wants to play,” Green said after Saturday’s practice. “We want him to play, but we’re not going to rush him back and have him play where he’s at risk because he’s not moving around well enough. We’re going to do right by him, but we want him back as fast as he can. He’s a competitive kid; he wants to play. He’s not happy not playing.”

  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes that despite only having acquired him in November, the Los Angeles Kings are likely going to shop veteran Carl Hagelin at the trade deadline and move on from him. The 30-year-old has only appeared in eight games with the Kings since being acquired from Pittsburgh for Tanner Pearson due to injuries, but the team will likely want to get something for Hagelin, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The main purpose of moving Pearson was to free themselves of his contract which still had another two years remaining at $3.75MM. If they can flip Hagelin for future assets, then the team should help themselves in multiple ways.
  • Kevin Kurz of The Athletic writes that the San Jose Sharks have activated defenseman Justin Braun off of injured reserve for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Braun has been out since Jan. 2 with a knee injury, but should immediately provide the defensive depth the team needs on the Sharks’ third line. Braun has been averaging just under 20 minutes a game for the Sharks this season despite not providing much offense this season. He has one goal and nine points in 42 games.

Central Notes: Simmonds, Delia, Schwartz

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Despite a recent report that the Winnipeg Jets might be one of the many suitors for power forward Wayne Simmonds at the trade deadline, that may not be the case, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Weibe.

While the scribe writes that it makes perfect sense that the Nashville Predators and the Jets, the two top teams in the Central Division, would be interested in the 6-foot-2 winger who can score. However, with two impressive lines already, the team might be paying quite a bit to bring in a player for their third line, considering the team likely wouldn’t have enough money to sign him during the offseason anyway.

Wiebe adds that the team is more likely to either add a left-handed defenseman to add to their injury-depleted blueline or bring in a center for their second line, much like the team did a year ago when they went out and traded for Paul Stastny. That trade deadline acquisition was quite successful as Stastny gelled immediately with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, posting six goals and 17 points in the playoffs last season as they went all the way to the Western Conference Finals before losing to Vegas.

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Chicago Blackhawks may have found their goaltender of the future in Collin Delia. The 24-year-old has been impressive since being called up to fill in for the injured Corey Crawford. While six games is a small sample size, Delia has been tested often by opposing team as he’s faced 245 shots on goal, yet has posted an admirable .939 save percentage and helped the Blackhawks to 10 of a possible 12 points in the standings when he’s in net. With Crawford’s long-term status in Chicago a question mark, the team has some hope that they already have his replacement ready to go.
  • The Athletic’s Evan Sporer (subscription required) writes that while the 2017-18 season suggested the St. Louis Blues’ winger Jaden Schwartz was as consistent a player as the team had, it has been the total opposite this season. Schwartz has just one goal in the last 17 games and has had trouble putting the puck in the net on a struggling Blues team as he has just three goals and 17 points in 29 games this season. Sporer digs deeper, noting that Schwartz is taking shots as he is taking shots at a career-high level this season and is on target to 180 shots in 69 games. Despite that, Schwartz has been getting very similar looks from last year, but just hasn’t been able to put it in this season with the scribe suggesting that his goal totals could start increasing soon.

Atlantic Notes: Ottawa Free Agents, Rask, Marleau

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The Ottawa Senators have completed their scouting meeting in Florida recently and many now are waiting on what general manager Pierre Dorion intends to do with less than two months before the trade deadline. The team has three critical unrestricted free agents on their team in Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel and it’s been made clear that the team can’t afford to lose any of them for nothing.

According to the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, the rumor is that Ottawa intends to attempt to re-sign both Stone and Duchene, but the team is ready to listen to offers for Dzingel. The 26-year-old winger has improved every year with Ottawa and could net the team a solid return as has two key qualities in his speed and ability to score in front of the net. Dzingel, who is coming off a 23-goal season last season, already has 17 goals in 32 games this season and looks to be heading for a new career-high in goals as well as points. The downside to Dzingel is that he can disappear for long stretches of time and sometimes avoids going to the net.

Of course, even though Ottawa is ready to negotiate with both Stone and Duchene, that doesn’t mean the team will be able to work out a deal with either one of them. If that’s the case, the Senators might be forced to trade more than just Dzingel. The belief is the team is now ready with all scenarios if they are forced to trade one, two or all three of those players at the trade deadline.

  • It looks like Tuukka Rask was earned back his starting job for the Boston Bruins, according to The Athletic’s Joe McDonald (subscription required). The veteran goaltender lost playing time to backup Jaroslav Halak this season, but with Rask on a four-game winning streak along with a 1.23 GAA and a .959 save percentage, it looks like he’s taken back his job. “There’s one net and Tuukka’s playing very well now and we’re trying to get him as many starts, so obviously that’s going to limit Jaro’s activity,” explained head coach Bruce Cassidy after Thursday’s loss. “When he’s in there he’s got to basically outplay (Rask) and that’s been the mantra with a lot of players in our group and that’s where (Halak’s) at now if he wants to get more starts.”
  • While rating the players on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required) writes that Patrick Marleau has fallen short of expectations this season. He writes the biggest problem with Marleau is fans’ expectations for the veteran forward, who is coming off a season where he scored 27 goals last year. However, if you factor in the five empty net goals, his season wasn’t nearly as impressive. Add in the fact that Marleau is 39 years old now, no one should be surprised that the winger has undergone a decline. His 10 goals and 43 games suggest he may not even reach 20 goals for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

Pittsburgh Penguins Likely To Be Sellers On Defense

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been impressive over the past few weeks with a record of 12-2 and the team may get even better as The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) writes that defenseman Justin Schultz, who has missed all but four games this season with a broken leg, has been skating regularly with the team. While it’s too early for a specific timetable, the defenseman could conceivably be back in early to mid-February. However, Schultz’s return will only create more of a defensive logjam for Pittsburgh, which may be forced to make a move soon.

Yohe writes that once Schultz returns to the lineup, the team is likely to match Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang together, Schultz with Olli Maatta and Jack Johnson with Marcus Pettersson, leaving several players out of the lineup, including 6-foot-6, 256-pound Jamie Oleksiak, promising Juuso Riikola and depth defenseman Chad Ruhwedel — far too may players to keep on their roster which, barring injury, will likely prompt a trade.

Surprisingly, the team is solid in that top six as the scribe adds that the team is devoted to playing Pettersson, who has been incredibly reliable since they acquired the blueliner from Anaheim back on Dec. 3 for Daniel Sprong. In fact, the team has been 14-3-1 when he’s playing, and while Pettersson can’t take all the credit for that, he is a significant defensive presence for the team with many believing that he will make up the left side of the defense with Dumoulin and Maatta for the next few years. Pettersson is only averaging 14:54 of ATOI this season, yet he’s seen a recent spike since arriving in Pittsburgh, averaging 16:09 and continuing to increase. He played 18:05 on Friday against his old team, the Ducks. His offense is also starting to come around as he has a five-game point streak going as he has six assists in the last five games.

That might suggest the team’s best trade asset would likely be the 26-year-old Oleksiak, despite being the second biggest player in the league, next to Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien. Oleksiak has developed into a solid player in Pittsburgh after several years of struggling to break into the Dallas Stars’ lineup. He just recently returned from injury after suffering a concussion in a fight with Washington’s Tom Wilson and may be best known for a collision with Byfuglien earlier this season. Byfuglien came away with the worst of the collision as he suffered a concussion himself. Regardless, a player with Oleksiak’s size could stir quite a bit of interest if Pittsburgh is ready to move on from him. Although he is returning from injury, he has seen a decrease in playing time since his return.

If the team does opt to move Oleksiak, that could leave Riikola as the team’s seventh defenseman and Ruhwedel as the team’s eighth defenseman if the team chooses to hold onto eight defensemen, although that could be at the cost of another forward.

 

Metropolitan Notes: Bobrovsky, Claesson, Weal, Varone

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While the Colombus Blue Jackets intend to start backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo against Washington Saturday, Sportsnet’s John Shannon writes the team intends to start Sergei Bobrovsky Sunday against the Rangers after the veteran goaltender did not dress Thursday after a team “incident.”

Bobrovsky practiced Friday and then made a statement to the media:

“I let my emotions get to me when I shouldn’t,” Bobrovsky said regarding the incident that caused him to miss Thursday’s game against Nashville to NHL.com. “I pride myself to being a good teammate all the times… We cleaned the air and we’re ready to move on.”

Bobrovsky worked with goaltending coach Manny Legace in Washington this morning while the rest of the team did not have a morning skate, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, suggesting that Bobrovsky is ready to return to the team.

“That’s what solving things and moving on is all about,” General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “Sometimes you can use these types of things to become tighter as a group and as a team. But it’s really important you always air them out face-to-face and you move past them and learn from it rather than letting it linger and doing the talking behind their back. That’s why we always bring it all out in the open.”

Of course, it seems more and more likely that Bobrovsky is heading elsewhere when the season ends unless the team truly considers moving him at the trade deadline. However, while many have suggested that Bobrovsky is heading to the New York Islanders this offseason, New York Post’s Larry Brooks suggests that Islanders’ general manager Lou Lamoriello may already have a different plan with the impressive play of Robin Lehner so far this year. The scribe writes that Lamoriello has an amazing knack for finding impressive goaltenders throughout his tenure, including Martin Brodeur, Cory Schneider and Frederik Andersen as well as Lehner.

  • The New York Rangers took another hit today as the team may have lost defenseman Fredrik Claesson for some time after Saturday’s game against the Islanders, according to the New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis. Claesson hit the boards hard after a hit by the Islanders’ Matt Martin. While nothing official has been announced, head coach David Quinn said it “doesn’t look good.” Quinn also added that defenseman Neal Pionk could be ready Sunday to replace Claesson in the lineup although he’s still considered day-to-day.
  • While the Philadelphia Flyers sent off forward Jordan Weal Friday to Arizona, The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription requried) writes that the team made the move because the 26-year-old was no longer in the team’s plans. The team got little in return other than a sixth-rounder and defenseman Jacob Graves, a 23-year-old currently playing in the ECHL, and included because the Coyotes were already at 50 contracts and needed to send one back in the deal. Weal, a favorite of former general manager Ron Hextall, was deemed expendable by new management, but the improved play of Phil Varone also may have had quite a bit to do with the move. Varone, a similar player to Veal, has played in 14 of the team’s last 17 games, while Weal has been a healthy scratch often of late.

Snapshots: Jones, Martinez, Kravtsov, Comtois

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The San Jose Sharks have won four of their last five games and seem to be trending in the right direction. They stand in third place in the Pacific Division with a  23-13-7 worth 53 points, but one thing that could hold the team up is the play of their goaltending.

Paul Gackle of The Mercury News writes that the Sharks rank 31st in the league in even-strength save percentage (89.85 percent) even though the defense seems to have found their game in the month of December. The root of the problem has been the play of starter Martin Jones, who just started a six-year, $34.5MM contract, who has a 2.88 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 31 appearances this year. Head coach Peter DeBoer has put more responsibility on backup Aaron Dell lately, but Gackle writes the team might start to worry whether they can count on Jones for the playoffs.

While a trade is a possibility, Gackle writes that the team’s other option would be to give some playing time to one of their AHL goaltenders in Antoine Bibeau and Josef Korenar, who was just named to the AHL All-Star game. The team could also consider trade rentals such as Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Keith Kinkaid and Petr Mrazek, but with Jones’ contract, the team is quite limited.

  • Despite being rumored to be ready to return, Los Angeles Kings head coach Willie Desjardins said that defenseman Alec Martinez is “not quite there yet,” according to Los Angeles Times’ Curtiz Zupke. Martinez has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 8.
  • New York Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov had two things going against him at the World Juniors, according to NHL.com’s Igor Eronko. The Rangers’ 2018 first-round pick played through a torn triceps during the WJC playoffs for Russia, which finished with a bronze medal. The scribe also points out that Kravtsov moved to the center position in November with his KHL team, Chelyabinsk Traktor, despite never having played that position before in his career. Despite that, he centered Russia’s first line despite just 12 games of center experience.
  • Speaking of injuries at the WJC, Anaheim Ducks announced that prospect Max Comtois will miss the next two weeks due to the fact that he played throughout the tournament with a separated shoulder. Comtois, who scored five goals and an assist in five games for Team Canada, played for the Ducks for 10 games earlier this season, but was returned to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The 2017 second-round pick will return there after he recovers from his injury.

San Jose Sharks Sign Lukas Radil To One-Year Extension

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With eight forwards heading for either restricted or unrestricted free agency, the San Jose Sharks have cut that number down as they announced they have signed forward Lukas Radil to one-year extension for the 2019-20 season. CapFriendly reports that the extension will be for $700K, a small decrease from his current AAV of $750K but this new contract will be a one-way pact.

“He has seized the opportunity that he has been given and earned his place on our team,” said general manager Doug Wilson. “His love for the game is apparent as is his character and maturity to how he plays the game. We feel that his game will continue to grow.”

The 28-year-old has played overseas until this season, his last three in the KHL, where he tallied 41 goals over three seasons for Moscow Spartak. San Jose signed the forward to a one-year, $750K deal in April of 2018. He played 11 games with the Barracuda in the AHL earlier this season where he put up six points, but has been even more impressive after getting promoted to the Sharks where he has scored six goals and nine points in 18 games this year and holds a +10 rating, which is third on the team in plus/minus.

Wilson has quite a bit of work to do this offseason as the team has a number of players hitting unrestricted free agency, including Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Joonas Donskoi and Marcus Sorensen. That doesn’t include their biggest free agency concern in defenseman Erik Karlsson. The team also has to work on new contracts for restricted free agents Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, Rourke Chartier and Joakim Ryan. So locking up Radil to another one-year extension helps add some depth for next year and keeps Radil from leaving to another team or returning to Europe.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz was the first to report the extension.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Winnipeg Jets

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With the holiday season having come and gone, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads towards the midway mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve in the second half for the Winnipeg Jets.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Jets most thankful for?

In what many considered to be the most competitive division in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets are right at the top with the Nashville Predators who are ahead by just one point. The Jets boast a 25-13-2 record and while the team has suffered numerous injuries throughout the season, the team has been in the thick of things all season and much of that is due to the team’s depth and experience, especially on the blueline as multiple players, especially Dustin Byfuglien have struggled with injuries. However, the team hasn’t missed a beat as they are ranked 8th in goals scored, averaging 3.33 goals per game.

Who are the Jets most thankful for?

Their veterans. The team has gotten solid performances from many of their top players, but the team’s top two players have been Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, who have the glue to keep the team together. Scheifele has 22 goals and 27 assists and has been a constant on the team’s top line, while Wheeler has just six goals, but has 44 assists on that same first line. Scheifele, who scored 23 goals last season in 60 appearances, is already one goal away from tying that mark in just 40 games. He is averaging 22:40 in ATOI this season, almost two minutes more than his career-high. Wheeler is also playing a career-high 21:26, nearly a minute better than his career-high and he is on pace to break his career high in assists.

What would the Jets be even more thankful for?

The team needs to get Connor Hellebuyck, their goaltender going if they really want to make a deep run this season. While most of the preseason chatter revolved around their backup goaltending situation, Laurent Brossoit has been nothing short of fabulous for the Jets. Hellebuyck, on the other hand, hasn’t found his game yet. After being a Vezina Trophy candidate a season ago when he put up 44-11-9 record, a 2.36 GAA and a .924 save percentage, but his numbers are not nearly as impressive one year later. Through 31 appearances, Hellebuyck has 12 losses, more than he had last season with a 2.89 GAA and a .908 save percentage. The team will need more from him if they hope to make a deep run in the playoffs with teams like the Predators in their way.

What should be on the Jets’ Holiday Wish List?

More depth from their other lines. The team has gotten a lot of offense from their first line and you can’t complain too much about the 24 goals that Patrik Laine already has, despite having just seven assists to go with that number. However, what the team needs is more scoring. Once you get past Nikolaj Ehlers (15 goals) and Kyle Connor (13 goals), few forwards have been able to step up to add more depth scoring. The team needs more players in that middle-six to step up and start scoring goals to give the offense an even bigger spark, so that the first and second lines aren’t preyed upon by opposing team’s top defenses.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Lightning, Trocheck, Backes, Schenn

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The Tampa Bay Lightning had two chances to acquire superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson to their lineup and while many still feel that they should have gone out and paid the price to bring one more superstar into their lineup, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) looks back and feels the team should be thankful it didn’t do that when it had the chance.

While the Lightning seriously considered trading with Ottawa at the trade deadline and then again in the offseason, the team opted to go a cheaper route and bring in defenseman Ryan McDonagh. That trade was critical, according to Smith, who writes has been crucial to the team’s penalty kill, which was 28th in the league at the time of the trade last season. While he doesn’t contribute as much offensively, that’s one area of the game that Tampa Bay doesn’t need help on.

The scribe also points out that the team would have been forced to move Mikhail Sergachev in any deal to acquire Karlsson, and while the youngster has had an up-and-down season so far this year, the team still views Sergachev as a top-four defenseman and a key piece to the Lightning’s long-term future.

  • Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck is ahead of schedule in his rehab on his fractured right ankle that he suffered on Nov. 11. The 25-year-0ld returned to the ice both Friday and Saturday. “It was encouraging,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “I talked to him and asked him how it was to be on the ice [Friday] and he said he was a little sore during the day, but he woke up real good today, so that’s a good sign after his first skate.” Boughner said that Trocheck definitely won’t be back until after the all-star break, but much will depend on how he feels with each step in his recovery.
  • Despite never having any success next to David Krejci, Boston Bruins forward David Backes filled in on the team’s second line alongside Krejci and Jake Debrusk and showed that he might be the answer to their team’s hole there, according to NHL.com’s Joe Haggerty. Backes scored the game-winning goal against Buffalo Saturday and looked like the perfect linemate after the team has cycled through Ryan Donato, Anders Bjork and Danton Heinen all failed to succeed there. The 34-year-old has seen his offense decline over the years from a 30-goal threat to a 14-goal season a year ago. With just four goals this season, the team would be thrilled if Backes could contribute in a top-six role in the future.
  • That report comes a day after Haggerty’s report that the Bruins have expressed interest in acquiring Brayden Schenn from St. Louis. While Haggerty writes that the team has shown considerable interest in Minnesota’s Charlie Coyle, the scribe writes that Schenn would be a much more intriguing option to fill the hole on the second line. While the 27-year-old center’s numbers have been down this year with just eight goals and 23 points, he is coming off a 28-goal, 70-point season last year and could be a big addition to a Bruins team if they opt to go out and get him.

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