Morning Notes: Sabres Goaltending, Bergeron, Eyssimont
The Buffalo Sabres had a rather unconventional system of goaltending this season. With the early-season emergence of youngster Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the team rotated three netminders for most of the season. That number became four when Devon Levi joined the team late in the year after wrapping up his collegiate career.
Buffalo’s depth chart in the crease will be thinner next season, however. 41-year-old Craig Anderson has ridden off into the sunset after a fantastic final season, leading the team with a .908 save percentage, albeit in just 24 starts. Veteran Eric Comrie, signed through next season, struggled mightily with a .886 save percentage in 19 starts. That leaves Buffalo with Levi and Luukkonen, who head coach Don Granato said today he’s comfortable with as next season’s tandem.
It’s a tall ask of two goalies under the age of 25 to help propel a franchise toward its first playoff appearance in over a decade, especially given Luukkonen’s shaky injury history throughout his development. He did show major promise in the NHL this season, however, and it doesn’t seem Buffalo is at the point yet where they’re prepared to give up on possible major future pieces in exchange for a quick fix.
More from around the league this morning:
- While Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron skated on his own before practice this morning, he didn’t join the team’s full session, per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, and is expected to remain out of the lineup for Game 2 against the Florida Panthers tonight. Florida made more noise against the Bruins than most expected in the opening match, but Boston still secured a 3-1 win without their captain’s services. Bergeron is still dealing with a minor injury and illness that have sidelined him for approximately the past week.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning lost the services of two defensemen to injury last night, but also had to contend without forward Michael Eyssimont for most of the game after a hit from Toronto Maple Leafs defender Jake McCabe. Eyssimont had recorded two assists in 15 games with the Lightning since arriving from the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline.
Dallas Stars Recall Riley Tufte
The Dallas Stars recalled left winger Riley Tufte from the AHL’s Texas Stars on Wednesday, the team said in a release.
This is the second recall of the season for the 25-year-old after playing three games with Dallas in December 2022. Drafted 25th overall in 2016, Tufte has never replicated the offensive potential he showed in high school through four seasons in Texas. However, he is enjoying a career year in the minors, recording 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points with a +23 rating in 63 games.
Tufte comes up to the active roster with Joe Pavelski‘s status for Game 2 of their First Round series against the Minnesota Wild in doubt. Pavelski exited the team’s Game 1 overtime loss after a hit from Wild defender Matt Dumba, which caused Pavelski to fall to the ice with head contact.
With the series taking an expected physical turn, Tufte could draw into the lineup ahead of Dallas’ extra forwards, Joel Kiviranta and Fredrik Olofsson. While Tufte has some goal-scoring upside, he is a power forward first and foremost and plays an extremely physical game, standing at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds.
Tufte does not have any NHL playoff experience and only 13 games of regular-season experience. He registered his first NHL goal last season in a 10-game stint.
Michael Bunting To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Michael Bunting will be facing a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety today for an illegal check to the head and interference on Tampa Bay Lightning defender Erik Černák.
Officials assessed Bunting a match penalty on the play during last night’s 7-3 Game 1 loss. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, Bunting’s hearing with DOPS is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET today.
The play in question occurred at 15:40 of the second period when Bunting extended his upper arm into Černák’s head (video) while attempting to win a race for the puck, which resulted in the Lightning defender leaving the game and not returning. Earlier in the period, Černák had received a questionable roughing penalty for contact on Bunting after play had stopped.
First-round suspensions, along with series losses, are becoming an all-too-familiar refrain for the Maple Leafs. Former middle-six pivot Nazem Kadri was suspended for multiple games in both the 2018 and 2019 first-round losses against the Boston Bruins, while enforcer Kyle Clifford was suspended after a hit in Game 1 of last year’s loss against the Lightning.
The injury Černák sustained on the play will likely have some influence on Bunting’s punishment, and unfortunately for the Lightning, he’s not the only defenseman whose health is in question. Victor Hedman didn’t play the final two periods of the game with an undisclosed injury, forcing the Lightning to play with four defensemen, including rookies Nicklaus Perbix and Darren Raddysh, for the back half of the game.
While Bunting does have a history of playing on the edge, he’s yet to be suspended over the course of his 187-game NHL career. However, the NHL fined Bunting $2,000 in February for diving and embellishment.
With a suspension almost inevitable for Bunting, rookie winger Matthew Knies could make his playoff debut in Bunting’s place in Game 2 Thursday.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Keith Kinkaid
The Colorado Avalanche recalled Keith Kinkaid from the AHL Colorado Eagles to serve as the team’s emergency backup goaltender during the playoffs, the team said Tuesday.
Kinkaid, 33, spent most of this season in the minors with the Providence Bruins but got into some action with the Eagles after Colorado acquired him from Boston on February 25. In 27 games with the Bruins and Eagles, Kinkaid had a 12-10-4 record with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
In his lone action with Colorado this season, Kinkaid made eight saves on nine shots in relief in a March 4 game against the Dallas Stars.
Kinkaid has NHL experience, having played in 169 games over the course of his career with the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Rangers, including one appearance each this season with Boston and Colorado. He has a career record of 70-58-21 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
For the time being, Kinkaid will be Colorado’s third option in goal behind starter Alexandar Georgiev and backup Pavel Francouz, who was cleared to play last week after missing nearly two months with a lower-body injury.
The Eagles are in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs and begin their First Round series against the Ontario Reign tomorrow night. Kinkaid will likely stay up with the NHL club for the time being, as he’s been outperformed in the minors by both Jonas Johansson and Justus Annunen this season.
PHR Playoff Primer: Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken
With the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We wrap up our First Round coverage with the Central Division matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken.
Some in NHL circles had optimistic expectations for the initial Seattle Kraken roster after their expansion draft and free agency period. While there were notable names general manager Ron Francis opted not to add to his lineup, the team he constructed was analytically sound and, if their transition game held up, could be competitive in a weak Western Conference.
Needless to say, it didn’t turn out that way. A finish near the bottom of the league gave Seattle two high-end center prospects in their first two drafts, with one of them the frontrunner for this year’s Calder Trophy. Slightly improved goaltending and high-end depth scoring have positioned the Kraken as the most-improved expansion team from year 1 to 2 in NHL history, but their first foray into the postseason won’t be easy.
Despite finishing with 100 points, Seattle failed to clinch a divisional playoff spot thanks to other divisional rivals going on massive winning streaks at the right time. Unfortunately, that means they face off against the Colorado Avalanche, who finished third in the conference despite significant injuries and, if you happened to forget, are the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Regular Season Performance
Colorado: 51-24-7, 109 points, +54 goal differential
Seattle: 46-28-8, 100 points, +33 goal differential
Head-To-Head
October 21, 2022: Seattle 3, Colorado 2
January 21, 2023: Colorado 2, Seattle 1 (SO)
March 5, 2023: Seattle 3, Colorado 2 (OT)
Seattle takes the season series 2-0-1
Team Storylines
Seattle will need all hands on deck if they’re to win their first-ever playoff series against Colorado. The Avalanche are as healthy as they’re going to get to start the postseason, and they finished the regular season on an 8-1-1 tear.
That means a lot of pressure on rookie Matthew Beniers, the presumptive Calder Trophy winner who centers the team’s top line between Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle. He finished fourth on the team in scoring with 57 points in 80 games, but it’s his strong two-way game that grabbed the attention of most this season, especially for such a young player.
It begs the question — will Beniers see matchups against Nathan MacKinnon? If so, can his promising defensive analytics yield success for the Kraken in helping to slow down one of the best playoff performers in recent memory? Few would be surprised to see coach Dave Hakstol utilize a more experienced option at center against MacKinnon, such as Alexander Wennberg or Yanni Gourde, but Beniers’ all-around play in the regular season has earned him a chance at heavy usage in the playoffs.
The larger factor that could lead to a Kraken upset, though, is their well-balanced attack. Seattle had six 20-goal scorers this season, including bottom-six talents Oliver Bjorkstrand and Daniel Sprong. While goals from your bottom six are generally a key to success in the playoffs, some numbers suggest the Kraken have scored more goals than they’ve earned. The Kraken scored 32.6 goals above expected at even-strength this season, per MoneyPuck, leading the league by a wide margin. If their elite finishing runs dry, it could be a quick exit for Seattle.
In net for Seattle will be Philipp Grubauer, who had some decent playoff outings in past years while a member of the Avalanche. He’s seemed to regain some of his former touch after an incredibly disappointing first year with the Kraken, posting a 14-7-3 record and .902 save percentage in 26 games since the calendar turned to 2023.
For Seattle to pull off the upset, he’ll need to match his Colorado counterpart. Alexandar Georgiev has quietly given the Avalanche high-end goaltending in his first season with the team. The 27-year-old silenced all doubts by starting 62 games, leading the league with 40 wins, and stopping 21.9 goals above expected (MoneyPuck). He’ll be making his first career playoff start tonight, though, only appearing in two games in relief during last year’s playoff run with the New York Rangers.
Colorado’s secondary objective in this series, other than continuing their championship defense, will be to escape without another significant injury. They’ll be without captain Gabriel Landeskog for the entire postseason, and all of their right-side defenders (Cale Makar, Bowen Byram, and Josh Manson) have missed significant periods of time.
Staying healthy allows Colorado to match Seattle at their strength — scoring from the middle six. Colorado’s top talent obviously overtakes that of Seattle, and while only Artturi Lehkonen registered 20 goals this year outside of MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, a healthy group of depth forwards can still score enough to give Colorado a series win.
Prediction
There’s no question the Kraken will come out excited, especially given their opponent. But hoping for some expansion team magic in the style of the Vegas Golden Knights’ first playoff appearance may be a little misguided.
Questions about consistency in goal still plague the Kraken, and, if Georgiev maintains his regular season performance, are enough to be the difference in this series alone. Colorado’s healthy top four on defense still remains the best in the West and are a viable antidote to Seattle’s consistent offense.
The prediction: Colorado wins in five games.
East Injury Notes: Jeannot, McLeod, Foligno
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said today that forward Tanner Jeannot is progressing quicker than expected in his recovery from a leg injury and could suit up sometime during their First Round series. He listed Jeannot’s status as day-to-day and confirmed he will not play in Game 1 against Toronto tomorrow, although he did practice this morning.
Jeannot missed the last three games of the regular season after sustaining the injury in an April 6 game against the New York Islanders. The 25-year-old has struggled offensively with Tampa since he was acquired for a massive haul ahead of the trade deadline, recording a goal and three assists in 20 games. The Lightning are hoping Jeannot’s aggressive style of play can make more of an impact in the postseason when he returns to playing health.
- New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod is available for Game 1 against the New York Rangers tomorrow, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed. McLeod missed the Devils’ 81st game of the season with an undisclosed injury and was scratched for their final game. The 25-year-old, who had 26 points in 80 games this season, is expected to make his playoff debut Tuesday.
- While the availability of some other Boston Bruins players is uncertain, head coach Jim Montgomery said there’s a “strong possibility” Nick Foligno returns to the lineup tonight after a months-long absence. Foligno missed the last 22 regular-season games with a lower-body injury, but his return from long-term injured reserve gives the Bruins an additional 62 games of playoff experience to inject into their lineup. He notched one assist in seven playoff games with Boston last year.
Calgary Flames, Brad Treliving Agree To Part Ways
The Calgary Flames and general manager Brad Treliving have mutually agreed to part ways upon the conclusion of his contract this season, the team announced Monday. Calgary has promoted Don Maloney to president of hockey operations, and he will serve as the interim general manager.
Interestingly enough, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Darryl Sutter‘s job as head coach appears to be safe. Seravalli said it’s “fair to say” that Sutter’s continuation in his role influenced whether Calgary would re-sign Treliving.
Treliving had been with the Flames for nine years, during which he led the team to five playoff appearances. With the team massively underachieving this season after a transformational offseason, though, it was decided mutually that a new direction for both Treliving and the Flames was the right choice.
Maloney has been serving as senior vice president of hockey operations with the Flames for the past five seasons. He has previous GM experience in the NHL with the Coyotes, serving in that role from 2007 to 2016.
Calgary says Maloney’s appointment to the role is not permanent, and the interviewing process to find a new general manager will begin immediately.
For the Flames, it’s a chance to start a whole new regime on and off the ice, save for Sutter momentarily. With former core pieces Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan, and others gone by the wayside, along with noncommital answers on their future from Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm, there’s a chance for even more significant roster turnover in the near future.
Treliving is a very well-respected person in NHL front office circles, and, despite a disappointing end to his lengthy tenure in Calgary, should have no trouble finding another NHL role soon. Calgary Sports and Entertainment CEO and president John Bean gave a statement on Treliving’s departure:
It’s a difficult day when you must part ways with a quality colleague and friend. We are grateful of Brad’s contributions over the past nine years and wish him every success in his future, both personally and professionally. But for our fans and our business, we need to move forward, and we are confident with Don’s experience that we will find the right General Manager to build on Brad’s work and lead our team to the Stanley Cup.
AHL Shuffle: 04/17/23
With the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning in under 12 hours, teams will begin to add some extra help to their rosters from the minors to have players on hand in case of injury. While some teams won’t make mass recalls of depth players (or “black aces”) until their affiliates are eliminated from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, the disappearance of the salary cap in the playoffs still offers teams the option to make smaller moves. We’ll keep track of today’s transactions right here.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled forward Zac Dalpe from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and netminder Evan Fitzpatrick from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. Richards notes that Dalpe will return to Charlotte tomorrow for the Checkers’ playoff series, so he’s up momentarily to serve as an extra forward in case something goes awry for Florida pre-game. Fitzpatrick, who had strong numbers in limited ECHL action this season, will essentially serve as the team’s emergency goalie while on the active roster.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the Minnesota Wild are expected to recall Hunter Jones to serve as their third goalie, leaving both Jesper Wallstedt and Zane McIntyre stored in the minors for their AHL affiliate’s playoff run. Jones, a 2019 second-round pick of the Wild, posted a .905 save percentage and one shutout in 38 games with the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders this season.
- The Nashville Predators sent major reinforcements to the Milwaukee Admirals today, re-assigning seven players, per a team release. After seeing NHL opportunities near the end of the season, the team has returned forwards Luke Evangelista, Michael McCarron, Mark Jankowski, Zach Sanford, Kiefer Sherwood, Philip Tomasino, and defenseman Spencer Stastney to the minors. Milwaukee, who finished second in the AHL’s Central Division, increases their status as a serious contender for the Calder Cup with these additions.
- Netminder Brandon Bussi is back up with the Boston Bruins, also to serve as the team’s emergency netminder for tonight’s Game 1 against the Florida Panthers. Bussi, 24, has seen multiple recalls in recent days but has yet to play a minute of NHL action. He’ll head back to AHL Providence eventually as the presumptive starter for their playoff games.
- In a similar fashion to many others, the Carolina Hurricanes brought up goalie Pyotr Kochetkov from the now-eliminated Chicago Wolves today. For the time being, he’ll serve as the third-string netminder behind Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, although Kochetkov has put up the best numbers of any Hurricanes goalie this season in limited action.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Oskari Salminen as their extra goaltender, while assigning Dmitri Kuzmin from the Flint Firebirds to the Manitoba Moose. Kuzmin’s OHL season ended last week with a seven-game loss to the Saginaw Spirits, and given he turns 20 in a few days, his junior career is over. The 2021 third-round defenseman scored 14 goals and 59 points in 65 games this season and will be an interesting prospect to watch as he transitions to the professional level.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Ottawa Senators Will Not Re-Sign Cam Talbot
The Ottawa Senators will not re-sign pending unrestricted free agent goalie Cam Talbot, general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters today.
Ottawa acquired Talbot in an off-season trade with the Minnesota Wild, parting with breakout star Filip Gustavsson in return. He played in 36 games during a tough, injury-plagued season in Ottawa, posting a 17-14-2 record with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. With his play dipping and his age climbing, the team has opted not to keep him on board for another season.
Dorion said that contract negotiations with Talbot were never close, telling reporters the team was only prepared to offer a one-year extension. Talbot had requested a two-year contract, which Dorion didn’t offer.
With Talbot out of the picture, the Senators will be looking to add a new goaltender to their roster to supplement a hopefully healthy Anton Forsberg and the promising Mads Sogaard. Dorion also said Ottawa will likely explore another goaltender trade in the offseason.
Ottawa’s team save percentage of .895 last season was 20th in the league in 2022-23, a number lessened by injuries at times to both Forsberg and Talbot. To make a playoff appearance next season, goaltending consistency will need to be an area of improvement.
PHR Playoff Primer: Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
With the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs just a few days away, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We continue our look with the Central Division matchup between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
For the second time in their history, these two franchises linked at the hip will face each other in a first-round matchup. After losing in six games to the Stars in 2016, the shorthanded Wild are once again tasked with attempting to knock out the team that preceded them in the hockey capital of the United States.
Dallas has enjoyed their first 100-point season since defeating the Wild in 2016, while the Wild maintained their grip on a divisional playoff spot despite the absence of Kirill Kaprizov for much of the season’s last few weeks. Now likely without another important piece in Joel Eriksson Ek to start the series, though, Minnesota will need to continue their next-player-up mentality to avoid their seventh straight first-round loss.
Regular Season Performance
Dallas: 47-21-14, 108 points, +67 goal differential
Minnesota: 46-25-11, 103 points, +21 goal differential
Head-To-Head
December 4, 2022: Minnesota 6, Dallas 5 (SO)
December 29, 2022: Dallas 4, Minnesota 1
February 8, 2023: Minnesota 1, Dallas 4
February 17, 2023: Dallas 1, Minnesota 2 (SO)
Season series tied 2-2
Team Storylines
These two teams present an interesting matchup for an unusual reason: each team’s two biggest strengths may just cancel each other out.
Jason Robertson‘s season needs no introduction. Not only did his 109 points finish tied for sixth in the NHL, but they also blew past Mike Modano‘s Dallas single-season record of 93, set back in 1993-94, the team’s first year in Texas.
Unfortunately, he’s matched up against Kaprizov, who nabbed the Calder Trophy away from Robertson in 2021. Despite missing 15 games, Kaprizov potted 40 goals for a second straight season and played over 21 minutes per game.
Where Dallas pulls away in this matchup, at least on offense, is their center depth, especially with Eriksson Ek’s injury concerns. While the Wild cornerstone center is progressing faster than anticipated in his return from a lower-body injury, Dallas’ lineup down the middle of Roope Hintz, Max Domi (or Tyler Seguin), rookie Wyatt Johnston, and potential Selke contender Radek Faksa could prove tough matchups for Minnesota’s lacking center core.
The x-factor in Eriksson Ek’s absence will undoubtedly be Ryan Hartman, who’s still a top-six player but not the 34-goal scorer we saw last season. After putting up five assists in six playoff games against St. Louis last season, they’ll need similar playoff production from him between Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello to round out their depth.
Both teams also boast some of the best young goalies in the league, but they carry different degrees of certainty. Dallas knows what they’re getting in the postseason with 24-year-old Jake Oettinger, who nearly had one of the most incredible series steals in NHL history against Calgary last year with a .954 save percentage in a seven-game loss.
For the Wild, Filip Gustavsson, also 24, finished near the top of NHL leaderboards with a .931 save percentage and 2.10 goals-against average, albeit with only 37 starts compared to Oettinger’s 61. That’s because the battle-tested Marc-Andre Fleury remains an option for Minnesota after recording a .906 save percentage and a 2-3 record in five games against St. Louis last season.
Both teams boast stingy defenses, although Dallas’ actual results this season overpower that of Minnesota’s reputation. That’s not to discredit how well the Wild limited chances against this season — however, Dallas finished second in the NHL in expected goals against, per MoneyPuck, behind only the Carolina Hurricanes. If Dallas can impose their system against an already somewhat goal-starved Wild team, it could be another early exit for Minnesota.
Prediction
The Minnesota Wild are a good hockey team with distinct strengths. However, the Stars don’t provide an advantageous stylistic matchup for Minnesota’s first series win in eight years.
Dallas has had a better season at both ends of the puck and boasts the goalie with stronger recent playoff experience and more stamina as a starter. None of this includes the track record of first-year head coach Peter DeBoer, notorious for making deep playoff runs in his first seasons with a team.
Both teams play structured games, though, and it shouldn’t be a quick out for the Wild by any means. Dallas has the necessary advantages to pull out a series win, though, as they look to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in four years.
The prediction: Dallas wins in six games.