Anaheim Ducks Place Josh Manson On IR
The Anaheim Ducks announced via a team release today that they’ve placed defenseman Josh Manson on injured reserve, with The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford reporting Manson is week-to-week with a finger injury. The team recalled defenseman Greg Pateryn from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls to take Manson’s spot on the active roster.
Manson has continued to play a top-four role with the Ducks in his eighth NHL season. After what was a rough season defensively for him last year, as it was with most of the team, his play has rebounded in 2021-22.
Many expected the big-bodied, aggressive defender to be a large trade chip at this year’s trade deadline, but with the Ducks continuing to remain in the playoff hunt well into February, Manson could remain in Anaheim for the rest of the season if the situation proves right. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.1MM cap hit.
Playing in 43 of Anaheim’s 48 games this season, Manson has registered three goals and four assists for seven points while averaging 19:43 per game. In his absence, expect more usage for younger Ducks defensemen like Jamie Drysdale and Josh Mahura.
Pateryn will likely serve as an extra body during the length of his call-up. The team’s shuffled him up and down this season, but with Anaheim, he’s gotten into just eight games, averaging 13:53 a night.
Latest On Arizona Coyotes Arena Plan
The long, arduous, and sometimes hilarious process of finding a home for the Arizona Coyotes past this season will likely reach a higher level of clarity soon. A public summary of an upcoming Arizona Board of Regents meeting states that Arizona State University will officially review the Coyotes’ plan to play home games at the school’s currently-under-construction multipurpose arena this upcoming Thursday.
There are multiple things of note in this plan. The most pertinent one is the question of financial responsibility. As rumored earlier, modifications to the original construction project will need to be put in place to accommodate an NHL franchise. Per the plan, the Coyotes will be financially responsible for building a 15,000-square-foot facility annexed to the northeast end of the arena, including NHL-caliber locker rooms, training areas, team storage, and coaching offices. The team will also foot the bill for increasing broadcast capabilities, improving ice surfacing equipment, replay capabilities, and other technological aspects to meet NHL standards.
However, the most striking part has to do with the completion date of the project. While the original plan is still on track to be completed in November of 2022 to house Arizona State’s hockey team, the NHL modifications will take until December to complete. That, according to the document, appears to be when the Coyotes would play their first home game of the 2022-23 season. If that holds true, the team will be faced with a similar situation as the New York Islanders this year, and would likely need to play 10 to 15 straight games on the road to open the season, something that could be seriously detrimental to a team that depends so much on gate revenue.
That may not have to be a reality, though. Coyotes insider Craig Morgan reports that an NHL source believes a workaround could be in place to host Coyotes games there prior to the completion of NHL facilities, allowing them to host home games prior to December.
The Board of Regents document confirms the team’s intention to play home games there for the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 campaigns.
Devils Notes: Hamilton, White, Ruff
After the news of Jack Hughes entering COVID-19 protocol today, Devils fans are understandably stressed. There’s some good news on the horizon, though, as it appears defenseman Dougie Hamilton is making progress towards his return to the lineup. Team reporter Amanda Stein said today that although Hamilton did not join his teammates for practice today, the veteran defenseman did skate by himself this morning. Hamilton’s been limited to 30 of 45 games this season with various injuries, but he’s now been out of the lineup for over a month with a broken jaw. His 20 points in 30 games are by far the best scoring pace by a Devils defenseman this season, and while his defensive game has stuttered a few times this season, expect more consistent playing time in his new system to aid with that.
More notes from the Devils organization:
- The team made a shift on defense today, calling up defenseman Colton White from the AHL’s Utica Comets. While Mason Geertsen can play defense, he’s been utilized mostly at forward this season when in the lineup. With that, the Devils had no extra healthy defensemen with the team with the dissipation of taxi squads across the league over the All-Star break. White brings 15 games of NHL experience this year back to the roster, notching three assists.
- Stein also reports that head coach Lindy Ruff will return to the team later today in Ottawa ahead of their game against the Senators tomorrow. Ruff was away from the team in Western Canada after the passing of his father. Assistant Alain Nasreddine coached the team in his absence and ran the team’s practice today.
Devils Add Jack Hughes To COVID-19 Protocol
New Jersey Devils center and recent NHL All-Star Game champion Jack Hughes has landed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, per the team.
Hughes was in Las Vegas just yesterday playing in the All-Star Game and was around the league’s top competition all weekend, obviously sparking some concern that Hughes could be the first player of a potential outbreak to come out of the event as players return to their teams.
Devils team reporter Amanda Stein reported that Hughes “momentarily” joined his teammates on the ice for practice today, but was soon pulled from the ice.
Hughes is second on the Devils in points with 27, but has achieved the number in just 28 games due to injury, playing at nearly a point-per-game pace. He trails linemate Jesper Bratt, whose breakout year has seen him pot 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 42 games.
With Hughes out of the lineup, it could mean elevated ice time for rookie Dawson Mercer, who’s impressed in his first set of NHL games this year. He’s fifth on the team with 23 points, averaging a tick over 16 minutes a night.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi Enters COVID-19 Protocol
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol today, the team announced on Twitter.
Kotkaniemi becomes the only Hurricanes player in COVID protocol. With the NHL scaling back testing protocol and slowly loosening COVID restrictions, there’s almost surely going to be a decrease in the frequency of players entering the protocol.
After signing a one-year, $6MM offer sheet to join the Hurricanes organization this summer, Kotkaniemi is on pace for a career season despite a limited role and limits. Most often seeing usage in the team’s bottom-six, the 21-year-old Kotkaniemi has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 42 games, on pace to eclipse his career-high of 34 points set during his rookie campaign with the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19.
It’s a tough break for the Hurricanes, who’ll likely lose a valuable depth piece for a few games. Assuming Kotkaniemi misses games within the normal five-day quarantine period, he’ll miss the team’s next three contests and could potentially return on February 12th in St. Paul against the Minnesota Wild.
The news comes as the team’s general manager Don Waddell said yesterday that the team hopes to sign a long-term contract extension. Kotkaniemi is a restricted free agent this offseason.
Maple Leafs’ Jake Muzzin Returns To Practice
After missing over two weeks with a concussion, The Leafs Nation’s David Alter reports that defenseman Jake Muzzin is back at team practice today.
Muzzin’s last appearance for Toronto was January 15th, credited with four shots on goal in a rollercoaster 6-5 win against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been out since, putting pressure on Toronto’s defensive depth to step up.
With Toronto playing tomorrow, the first day of NHL games post-All-Star break, they were one of the few teams league-wide to hold a practice.
Through 35 games played this season, Muzzin has a goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 35 games. He’s one of just three players on the active roster with a negative plus-minus rating, a sign of what’s been a tough season for him personally.
Alter also reports that Muzzin wasn’t utilized in the regular defense pairing rotation at practice, though, a sign that his return may not be coming tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s possible that Rasmus Sandin continues to get a look in the team’s top four alongside Justin Holl, in what’s been a solid breakout season for the young Sandin.
Tage Thompson, Rasmus Asplund Healthy For Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres are getting two big pieces back for tonight’s tough tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights, as the team tweeted before game time that forwards Tage Thompson and Rasmus Asplund are ready to return to the lineup.
Thompson missed the team’s last game, a 4-1 loss to Colorado, with an undisclosed injury that he sustained the night before in Arizona. Asplund was placed in COVID protocol, rendering him unavailable for the games against Arizona and Colorado.
One of the best stories in Buffalo this season is Thompson, who’s made the leap to potentially a true top-nine piece as the Sabres build down the line after being shifted to center by head coach Don Granato. He’s second on the team with 14 goals and has 29 points in 40 games. He’ll center the top line tonight between two players looking to have revenge games in Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch.
Asplund, a second-round selection in 2016, has also now made the leap to full-time NHLer. He’s been a good two-way presence in the team’s bottom six, and he’s registered a respectable 16 points in 42 games (a 31-point pace).
Washington’s Vitek Vanecek Leaves Game, Emergency Backup On Bench
Washington Capitals goaltender Vitek Vanecek will be out for the remainder of the team’s game tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury, the team announced. Taxi squad goalie Hunter Shepard, who was in the building, is on the bench as the emergency backup.
Vanecek collided with Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen in the crease during the first period, in what looked like a helmet-to-helmet collision. Both Kapanen and Vanecek initially stayed in the game, but Vanecek was pulled shortly after, presumably by a concussion spotter, in favor of Ilya Samsonov.
The 26-year-old Czech netminder has split time with Samsonov this season, posting a 10-6-5 record and .916 save percentage to go along with two shutouts. Tonight was his 23rd start of the season. He’s been the better of the two goalies, however, and it will be a huge blow to the Capitals if he misses time.
If Vanecek does miss time, the team will likely call up Zachary Fucale from Hershey. In his first four NHL games this season, he has a .924 save percentage.
New York Islanders Activate Ryan Pulock From LTIR
It’s a joyous day on the Island, as the New York Islanders activated defenseman Ryan Pulock off long-term injured reserve today, as reported by Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Defenseman Robin Salo, who does not require waivers, is no longer listed on the roster, likely meaning that’s he’s been assigned to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders or to the taxi squad.
Pulock, like many of the Islanders players, had a rocky start to the beginning of the season. Normally the team’s best offensive defenseman, he had just two points in 12 games before landing on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
What was originally supposed to be five weeks turned into two and a half months, forcing the Islanders’ depth on defense to be challenged. Players like Noah Dobson revelled in the opportunity, as he’s playing the best hockey of his career. Now, against the Ottawa Senators tonight, the Islanders will be able to ice a fully healthy defense for the first time since the first month of the season.
Pulock’s low production at the beginning of the year was likely just a spell of bad luck fuelled by low shooting percentages across the team. Albeit in a small sample size, many advanced analytics don’t suggest any downturn in play from Pulock.
Under contract until 2030 with an eight-year, $49.2MM contract that kicks in next season, Pulock will get a chance to aid in what needs to be a massive push from the Islanders at this point to make the playoffs. The team is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games but is still a game under a .500 pace, and even with five games in hand on Boston, the current second Wild Card holder, they’re 17 points out of a playoff spot.
It’s unclear as to where Pulock will fit back in the lineup, but if he’s reunited with former partner Adam Pelech, it will mark the return of one of the strongest two-way defense pairings in the league.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning Trade AHL Forwards
The Tampa Bay Lightning have completed their second minor trade within a matter of hours, sending center Jimmy Huntington to the Nashville Predators in exchange for center Anthony Richard.
Earlier in the day, the Bolts sent Alexey Lipanov to the Dallas Stars, acquiring Tye Felhaber in return.
Huntington is a 23-year-old undrafted forward with no NHL experience yet. However, he’s put up somewhat decent numbers with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch over the past few seasons. After a tough professional debut in 2019-20 with just three assists in 33 games with Syracuse, he’s scored 11 goals, 16 assists, and 26 points in 55 games in the following two seasons.
Richard actually has some NHL experience to his name. The 100th overall selection in 2015 by Nashville is now 25 years old, and with his AHL numbers starting to plateau, the organization was ready to move on. Richard has seven goals and five assists for 12 points in 31 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals this year. He’s still searching for his first NHL point, with his two games of experience coming in 2018-19 and 2019-20.