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Snapshots: Orlov, Toropchenko, Athanasiou, LaCombe

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6:03 pm: Orlov will be in the lineup tonight for the Capitals.

4:36 pm: According to the Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov could return to the lineup tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens (Tweet Link). Capitals’ Head Coach Peter Laviolette told El-Bashir that he hopes Orlov will be in the lineup tonight, but did not appear certain on the issue. Orlov has missed two games with a lower-body injury, last playing on April 10th.

Getting the veteran Orlov back in the lineup will certainly be a boost for the Capitals as they look to finish their season strong, and potentially catch the Boston Bruins in the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, or the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division, five points back of either, and with three games in hand on Pittsburgh. Orlov has long been a staple of Washington’s defense and locker room, and his presence could have a strong impact as the team plays important games from here on.

  • As the Capitals may get Orlov back, the Blues are going to be without forward Alexey Toropchenko, at least for today’s game against the Minnesota Wild, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Toropchenko was injured Thursday when he took a puck in the leg in the Blues’ game against the Buffalo Sabres. Fortunately for St. Louis, Toropchenko appears only to be day-to-day, so he should be able to return soon for the Blues down the stretch of the season. Forward Dakota Joshua took Toropchenko’s place in the lineup against Minnesota Saturday.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced that they have activated forward Andreas Athanasiou ahead of tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at home. Athanasiou’s return to the lineup is impactful for the Kings, as they deal with injuries while trying to hang on to playoff position in the Pacific Division. The forward has played in just 22 games this season, dealing with injuries, last playing March 10th, but he does own an impressive nine goals and five assists in that time.
  • The University of Minnesota announced that All-American defenseman Jackson LaCombe would be staying with the Gophers for next season, his fourth and final of NCAA eligibility. LaCombe was the Anaheim Ducks second round selection, 39th overall, in 2019, and would be eligible to become a free agent after this coming season if he chooses not to sign with Anaheim. While that is clearly of-note on LaCombe, it’s not yet apparent if that is of concern to Anaheim. LaCombe’s return could easily be a bit of unfinished business with Minnesota, much the same as it is for Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies, who is also returning to the Gophers. Minnesota lost in the semifinals of the Frozen Four to Minnesota State, who was then defeated by the University of Denver in the final. In three years on Minnesota’s blueline, LaCombe has 10 goals and 54 assists in 103 games.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Wyatt Bongiovanni

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The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have signed forward Wyatt Bongiovanni to a two-year, entry-level contract that is set to begin next season. According to Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe, Bongiovanni has also agreed to an amateur tryout with the Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, for the remainder of this season (link). The contract carries an average-annual value of $802.5K.

The 22-year-old Bongiovanni recently finished up his fourth season at Quinnipiac University, where he put up 16 goals and 18 assists in 42 games for the Bobcats. Before college, Bongiovanni played three seasons in the USHL, spending a season each with the Des Moines Buccaneers, the Tri-City Storm, and the Muskegon Lumberjacks, totaling 32 goals and 47 assists in 152 games over that span. Bongiovanni then began with Quinnipiac in 2018-19, where he would play four seasons. Not previously drafted in the NHL, the forward then chose the Jets as his destination.

One key detail for the Jets in Bongiovanni is his leadership, as he spent the 2021-22 season as Quinnipiac’s captain, a team that would go to the final eight of the Men’s College Hockey playoffs before being eliminated by Michigan.

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Four Games

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As many were expecting, the NHL Department of Player Safety has announced a suspension of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, this time for four games, for his cross-check of Nashville Predators’ defenseman Mark Borowiecki on Sunday. As the accompanying video explains:

“It is important to note that this is not a case where Malkin raises his stick defensively or reflexively to protect himself. We find Malkin’s cross-check to be retaliatory and aggressive. While we heard Malkin’s assertion that Borowiecki initiated the scrum by restraining him and confronting him, neither action merited Malkin’s response. Players are not excused from violating league rules because of the actions of their opponents. There is simply no justification for a player to forcefully and intentionally cross-check another player in this manner.”

Malkin’s suspension could seem excessive to some, but this is not his first suspension, having been suspended once before, and fined three other times in his career. It is also worth noting that Malkin was assessed a four minute double-minor on the play. In terms of salary-forfeited, the suspension will cost Malkin approximately $190K.

Losing Malkin for four games now is a tough loss for Pittsburgh, who is in no threat of losing a playoff position, but is fighting for seeding, which can have enormous ramifications in their own right. The Penguins currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points, four ahead of the Washington Capitals who hold the second Wild Card in the Eastern Conference (the Boston Bruins have the first Wild Card with 95 points). The star forward is still producing at a high-level at 35 years of age, despite dealing with injury this season, recording 17 goals and 20 assists in 37 games this year.

 

Sam Gagner Hopes To Stay With The Detroit Red Wings

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In a conversation with Ansar Khan of Michigan Live, Sam Gagner made clear his desire to stay with the Detroit Red Wings, hoping to win with them long-term. Gagner discussed how much he has enjoyed his time with Detroit and being able to settle in with a team, as well as a defined role, and his belief that the Red Wings could soon become a winner, which he wants to be a part of.

As much of a glowing review as Gagner had of playing for Detroit, Red Wings Head Coach Jeff Blashill had for Gagner, praising his leadership during tough times for the Red Wings the past couple of seasons and his ability to play in key defensive situations, including the penalty kill. Much like Gagner himself, Blashill also made clear that he would like to see the veteran stay with Detroit.

Should Gagner remain with Detroit after this season, he would presumably remain in his role as a bottom-six defensive forward who can chip in depth scoring and be a leader and role-model for the incredibly young Red Wings roster. This season, Gagner has 12 goals and 16 assists in 71 games for Detroit, playing on a one year, $850K contract. If Gagner were to re-sign, one could reasonably expect a slight raise on that salary, rewarding Gagner for his all around impact on the team, all the more reasonable considering Detroit’s cap flexibility now and in the future, with only $42.7MM committed in salary next season.

Some might wonder why Detroit would keep a veteran like Gagner around, seeing him as merely a player filling a spot that could go to a young, developing player. However, players like Gagner can be incredibly valuable in helping develop the young players around him, not only helping them on the ice, but also guiding them as professionals off the ice, helping to manage the rather interesting lifestyle of being a professional athlete that most players have never experienced before. Though a bit more central to his teams plans at that point, consider the role Patrick Marleau played for a young Toronto Maple Leafs team, helping players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner develop as professionals, especially in the year prior to John Tavares’s arrival.

As Gagner himself mentioned to Khan, the Red Wings could see themselves as a team pushing for a playoff spot in the near future, perhaps as soon as next year. A veteran role-player like Gagner can be just as valuable to a team and more so to a team with little playoff experience like the current Red Wings roster. Players like Corey Perry and Pat Maroon have factored heavily into deep playoff runs, Maroon winning three straight Stanley Cups between two teams. One could also look at the New York Islanders’ acquisitions of Andy Greene in 2020 and Travis Zajac in 2021 as proof of veteran depth paying dividends.

Of course, there is no contract yet, and as it appears, no talks have happened either, but bringing back the veteran center could pay off more for Detroit than one would expect. At 32 years old and five years removed from a career best 50 point season, the former top prospect is also far from retirement age and still has plenty to give. A look to players like Perry, Maroon, Zajac, Greene, or even Marleau shows that Gagner still has a very in-demand role and this young, up-and-coming Red Wings team could very well use a player to fill that role, as they already have with Gagner.

Drew Doughty Out For The Remainder Of The Season

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The Los Angeles Kings have announced that defenseman Drew Doughty underwent successful wrist surgery today and will be out for the remainder of the season. The Kings also added that Doughty will begin rehab on the injury immediately and is expected to be ready for the start of next season.

The news on Doughty is tough for the Kings, as they fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and hope to make a run in the playoffs. Doughty has struggled with injury this season, playing in just 39 of the Kings 74 games so far, last playing on March 7th at the Boston Bruins. Still, the Kings had hoped to get Doughty back perhaps at some point either in advance of the playoffs or during, but will now have to make their push for the Stanley Cup without one of their cornerstone players. In those 39 games this season, Doughty has seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points.

Another tough blow for the Kings, perhaps in hindsight, is that Doughty’s injury can put him on LTIR, allowing the Kings to offset his $11MM cap hit. This could have allowed them to make a more substantial acquisition at the trade deadline to replace some of what they lost in Doughty. Los Angeles did make a trade for another right-handed defenseman, acquiring Troy Stecher, and while Stecher is a quality NHL defenseman, he wouldn’t be considered the primary option to replace what they lost in Doughty.

Regardless, Los Angeles is still in a strong position, coming into this season expecting to have another building year and not necessarily having its focus on a playoff spot. The team finds itself in third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points, two points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights, and tied with the Dallas Stars, who currently hold the second Wild Card position in the Western Conference. Even if the Kings were to miss the playoffs, playing perhaps 82 regular season games while in contention for a playoff spot could be considered a major victory for the organization.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Henri Nikkanen, Daniel Torgersson

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April 11: The Jets have made it official, announcing the contracts for both players. They have also signed professional tryouts with the Manitoba Moose for the rest of 2021-22, meaning they can get their feet wet in the AHL.

April 9: According to CapFriendly, the Winnipeg Jets have signed forwards Henri Nikkanen (link) and Daniel Torgersson (link) to three-year, entry-level contracts. Both contracts will begin starting in the 2022-23 season. Because their contracts begin next year, neither player is eligible to play for Winnipeg this season.

Per CapFriendly, Nikkanen’s contract carries a cap hit of $860K, an average annual value of $925K, and is worth $70K at the minor-league level. Nikkanen is an imposing figure on the ice, listed at 6’4″ and 209 pounds, he should be able to use his size up front to make plays for his team. A fourth-round draft pick in 2019 by the Jets, Nikkanen has spent the last four seasons in Finland’s Liiga, playing parts of three seasons with Mikkeli Jukurit and this season with the Lahti Pelicans.

Torgersson’s contract will carry a cap hit of $867.5K and an average annual value of $925K, while paying him $80K per season in the minor leagues. The 20-year-old forward was Winnipeg’s second-round draft pick in 2020, 40th overall, and has spent his entire professional career in Sweden, playing parts of four seasons with Frolunda and Frolunda’s junior team. This season, Torgersson played just one game with Frolunda before being loaned to AIK, where he had 17 points in 40 games.

Latest On San Jose Sharks GM Search

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After long-time General Manager Doug Wilson stepped aside from his position for health reasons, the San Jose Sharks will head into rare territory for their organization: searching for a General Manager. The team has had just two GM’s in the last 30 years, between Dean Lombardi and since 2003, Wilson.

On tonight’s 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night In Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek provided some insight and speculation on what the Sharks’ GM search could look like, and who could be in consideration for the position. In terms of the type of candidate they might want, Friedman believes that the organization would like a GM who is willing to be visible, who will talk to the media and fans, and who can help to expand their market.

Friedman also notes that the team might be interested in a candidate who has no history with the organization, or who might even be somewhat off the radar, as far as expected candidates go. Lastly, Friedman adds that the Sharks may want to not only hire a GM, but expand their front office altogether, increasing the amount of thoughts and ideas within the organization from what they previously had.

While it is curious to potentially change the dynamic of a front office after an incredibly long and successful run by one GM, the Sharks have struggled amid what appears to be a rebuild these past few seasons, and a refreshed change of thought and opinion could help the organization transition to a new group on the ice. As mentioned by Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast earlier, the Sharks organization is not one to be keen on a true rebuild, so any new front office with refreshed perspective would still have to see eye to eye with ownership on the short and long-term plans for the team.

With the talk of perhaps bringing in someone a bit unknown, Jeff Marek gave a name for a possible suitor: Arizona Coyotes’ Assistant General Manager John Ferguson. Ferguson is a well-known name around the NHL and with the Sharks, having interviewed for their GM role already in 2003, when the job was given to Wilson. Since then, Ferguson has bounced around and was notably a scout for the Sharks under Wilson, who was pivotal in drafting a cornerstone player in Tomas Hertl, says Marek. Most recently, Ferguson interviewed for the open Anaheim Ducks GM position after previous Ducks GM Bob Murray resigned. However, that job went to Pat Verbeek.

Time will certainly tell how the Sharks navigate their search, and as Friedman also added, the team is comfortable taking their time in evaluating their options and making a decision. A change of pace from the front office they have had in place for nearly two decades could be what is needed to turn the team back into the perennial Stanley Cup contenders they were just a few years ago. However, moving on from a front office, and a General Manager, who have brought the team so much success will be a difficult task, and replacing a figure like Doug Wilson will be that much harder.

Vegas Golden Knights Activate Max Pacioretty

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As The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports, the Vegas Golden Knights have activated forward Max Pacioretty off of injured-reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. No corresponding move, if any, has been announced yet. Pacioretty last played on March 11th.

Adding Pacioretty back into the lineup will be a huge boost for a Vegas team that has been struggling in the second half of the season, and is now fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Despite the struggles, Vegas has been hot as of late, winning five of their last six games. Currently, they sit two points back of the Dallas Stars and four points back of the Nashville Predators for the second and first Wild Card spots, respectively, in the Western Conference with ten games remaining, though Dallas and Nashville each have a game in-hand on Vegas.

Pacioretty has struggled with injuries this season, playing in just 29 games. However, when he has played, the veteran goal scorer has dominated, tallying 15 goals and 14 assists in those 29 games. With Vegas still needing nearly $4.5MM in cap space to activate Mark Stone off of LTIR, having Pacioretty back in the lineup could provide the offensive punch the team needs to make a final push down the stretch and jump Dallas and Nashville in the standings.

Jake Allen Leaves Game With Lower Body Injury

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The Montreal Canadiens announced that goaltender Jake Allen has left tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and will not return. Allen went down after Auston Matthews’ first goal of the evening and proceeded to head to Montreal’s dressing room, being relieved by Sam Montembeault.

It’s unclear how long, if at all, Allen will be out for Montreal beyond tonight, however the injury is yet another in a season plagued by injuries for the Canadiens, losing their second goaltender of the season, with Carey Price missing the entire season to date. On a brighter note, according to The Athletic’s Apron Basu, Price could make his season debut for Montreal on Monday (Twitter link).

Injury Notes: Girard, Coyotes, Oilers, Walman

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According to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, the Colorado Avalanche will have defenseman Samuel Girard back in the lineup tonight, the first time since March 8th (link). Girard’s return comes at a good time for Colorado, who were already missing Ryan Murray on the left side before seeing Devon Toews go down last night after blocking a shot against the Winnipeg Jets. Though Toews is expected to be okay after the shot block, it’s unclear if he will have to miss any time.

Getting the 23-year-old Girard back in the lineup also helps to lengthen an already stellar Avalanche defense group as the team looks to get into a groove heading into the playoffs. Colorado is currently first in the entire NHL with 108 points, two ahead of the Florida Panthers, and 13 points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the top spot in the west. After a career year in 2020-21 with 32 points in 48 games, Girard has taken a small step back, having 27 points in 56 games this season, but has been a steady and reliable presence on the back-end for a dominant Avalanche team.

  • There is positive injury news out in the desert, as Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny announced that defenseman Janis Moser is on the Coyotes’ road trip and is now considered day-to-day for the team (link). It’s unclear when exactly Moser, who has not played since March 15th, will return, but having the young defenseman return to finish out the season would be much-welcomed for Arizona. The Coyotes also expect prospect Jack McBain to make his NHL debut soon, says Tourigny. McBain, who the Coyotes acquired from the Minnesota Wild on March 21st, and signed on March 23rd, has been unable to play due to injury. Tourigny points to Arizona’s games at Vancouver and Calgary next week, or the following week at home as possible dates of McBain to debut. The 22-year-old spent this season and three prior as a standout for Boston College in the NCAA.
  • Edmonton Oilers’ prospect Philip Broberg is expected to return from injury within the next two weeks for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, says Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Athletic (link). Broberg, who has split time between Bakersfield and Edmonton, has been out since March 18. Another Oilers prospect, Dylan Holloway, did not play last night and is expected to be out at least through this weekend, says Nugent-Bowman. A return timetable is not yet clear for Holloway, however Nugent-Bowman does believe that Holloway will make his NHL debut before the end of the season (link). The 14th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by Edmonton, Holloway has eight goals and thirteen assists in 32 games this season for Bakersfield.
  • From Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, defenseman Jake Walman is out of the lineup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury (link). Walman has been a reliable defenseman for both the Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues this season, coming to Detroit from St. Louis in the Nick Leddy trade back in March. No timetable for Walman’s return has been made available yet.

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