Snapshots: Krebs, Robertson, Ho-Sang
As the Jack Eichel saga appears to potentially be nearing a conclusion, there’s now constant speculation about potential destinations and a potential return. While the Vegas Golden Knights have long been named as a potential suitor for Eichel, a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen says that the Knights view top prospect Peyton Krebs as untouchable in any Eichel deal. While the Golden Knights do still have some desirable young pieces available in a trade like defenseman Nicolas Hague, none have the potential upside of Krebs. If Vegas is to get an Eichel trade completed, they’ll likely have to give up a massive amount of draft capital in place of Krebs.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Nick Robertson suffered a lower-body injury in tonight’s match with the Toronto Marlies against the Manitoba Moose, per Marlies head coach Greg Moore. Moore notes the extent of the injury is unknown and that Robertson will be assessed tomorrow. It’s a tough blow to the Leafs organization, which is already dealing with significant injuries in all areas. It’s especially concerning considering Robertson missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury. Toronto undoubtedly hopes it’s not a major injury.
- Another Marlies forward is in some injury trouble as Moore also notes that Josh Ho-Sang was held out with a hip issue, but mostly as a precaution. Calling it a ‘maintenance day,’ it’s a smart choice on the Marlies to not risk any further injury. Ho-Sang will be one of the team’s most important contributors considering his NHL experience, and a notable injury setback could negatively affect his chances of getting an NHL contract with the Maple Leafs later this season.
Brady Tkachuk To Make Season Debut On Thursday
Winger Brady Tkachuk will make his season debut for the Ottawa Senators on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirms.
The Senators have a three-day break ahead of them after playing three games in four nights to open the season. Without their best forward in the lineup, the team impressed, starting the season off 2-1-0.
Tkachuk’s season debut will come at home after appearing in street clothes during the team’s season opener last Thursday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs to a standing ovation. The Senators signed Tkachuk to a seven-year, $57.5MM contract earlier on that Thursday.
He’ll undoubtedly get slotted on the team’s first line in his return, reuniting as a trio with Josh Norris and Drake Batherson. That line impressed all last season in its first year of existence, seeing its members score 17 goals apiece and at least 30 points apiece in a shortened 56-game season.
The team has risen to its 2-1-0 start largely due to the impressive play of Anton Forsberg and Filip Gustavsson in the net. Despite that record, the Senators have scored only seven goals in their first three games, averaging 2.33 per contest. Tkachuk’s infusion into the lineup and the depth advantage that it provides will undoubtedly go a long way towards boosting those numbers.
Senators Notes: Norris, Captaincy, Center Depth
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion delivered an interview with TSN on Sunday, giving a sort of state of the union address surrounding a variety of pressing issues around the organization. One of these is the contract status of pending restricted free agent Josh Norris, who’s in the final year of his entry-level deal that he signed in May of 2019. Norris emerged as the team’s number one center last season, scoring 35 points in 56 games in his first full NHL season. Dorion relayed that he spoke to Norris’ agent, Craig Oster, on Friday, expecting to begin talks with Norris “at some point in time.” While the quote carries a high degree of vagueness, dialogue this early, especially when initiated by the general manager, is always a promising sign on the path towards completing a contract. Norris has already scored a goal this season through his first two games.
More from the Senators organization:
- Dorion notes that an announcement about the team’s captaincy is not imminent, saying the club will continue to discuss and “take their time” on the decision. Many speculated that star winger Brady Tkachuk could be the next to sport the ‘C’ for the Senators, especially after signing a seven-year contract to stay with the club earlier this week. It appears as though the team isn’t quite ready to make that call, as young defender Thomas Chabot also makes a compelling case to be named the club’s captain. Ottawa’s captaincy has remained vacant ever since the departure of Erik Karlsson in 2018.
- Speaking with TSN’s James Duthie, Dorion mentions that he’s open to holding trade talks about acquiring a center to help the team’s depth down the middle. While Ottawa’s emergence out of their rebuild hasn’t guided them to a playoff spot as of yet, the team’s messaging adamantly reveals that internally, they feel ready to take the next step. It’s unlikely that Ottawa is at the point where they’re willing to mortgage futures to swing a huge deal, but as Dorion mentions, if it’s the right fit, a smaller but still notable acquisition isn’t off the table this season if they find themselves in the race.
Michael Frolik Signs In Switzerland
After attending the St. Louis Blues training camp on a professional tryout deal, veteran forward Michael Frolik has opted to continue his playing career in Switzerland. His new team, Lausanne HC, announced a two-year deal for Frolik today.
Considering Frolik will be 35 at the conclusion of this contract, it’s likely that he’s played his last game in the NHL. If that’s the case, Frolik carved out a role for himself as an extremely solid middle-six player for a good number of years at the NHL level.
Drafted tenth overall by the Florida Panthers in 2006, Frolik broke into the league in 2008-09 at age 20, finishing tenth in Calder Trophy voting with 21 goals and 45 points in 79 games. He was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2010-11 season, where he’d eventually win a Stanley Cup championship with them in 2013. He was a valuable depth player on that run, scoring 10 points in 23 games.
However, Frolik didn’t top 10 goals or 20 points either of the last two seasons. Signing a deal with the Montreal Canadiens last year, Frolik spent the majority of the season on the team’s taxi squad. When he was in the lineup he went pointless, tallying nothing in eight games.
But over his career, Frolik was a consistent bet to score 10-20 goals. He never really lived up to tenth overall pick potential or the expectation he set for himself early on in Florida, but still appeared in 858 NHL games, complementing it with 159 goals and 384 points.
Ryan Strome Placed In COVID Protocol, Will Miss Saturday’s Game
The New York Rangers announced Friday afternoon that center Ryan Strome has entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol. He’ll be unavailable for Saturday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
With forward Sammy Blais listed as day-to-day, the Rangers have also recalled Greg McKegg from the Hartford Wolf Pack to have 12 active skaters for their next game.
The circumstances of Strome’s placement on the protocol list are unknown, but he could miss up to 10 days if he can’t produce two negative tests. That could potentially be five missed games for Strome, making him eligible to return on October 29 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, he can come back sooner if he produces the aforementioned negative tests.
In Strome’s absence, it’s likely a chance for the young Filip Chytil to step into the second-line center role between Artemi Panarin and Kaapo Kakko. It’s an undeniable upgrade from his current wingers in Barclay Goodrow and Julien Gauthier, and it gives him a chance to show some promise of what he can do in a top-six role. McKegg could draw into the lineup as the fourth-line center, bumping Kevin Rooney up to third-line duties between Goodrow and Gauthier.
The Rangers will look to get their first win of the season without Strome against a similarly hobbled Canadiens team that’s still missing Joel Edmundson, Mike Hoffman, Carey Price, and others.
Injury Notes: Boeser, Severson, Perron, Hoffman
While Vancouver fans are relieved to see Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes back in action after they signed new contracts to stay with the team, they’ll have to wait a bit longer to see one of their young core members debut this season. Head coach Travis Green said Friday morning that it’s doubtful Brock Boeser plays in that night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Boeser has been on the shelf with an undisclosed injury since October 2. He was expected to only miss one week, but that timeline has passed and his status is now day-to-day. In his absence, it appears rookie Vasily Podkolzin will now get a look on the second line with Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
Some other injury notes from around the league:
- New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff notes that defenseman Damon Severson is progressing and could play in New Jersey’s game next Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken. The Devils play their season opener tonight, meaning Severson might only be on the shelf for one game. Severson suffered an undisclosed injury on October 4 and has been listed as day-to-day since then.
- The Montreal Canadiens could see a big free-agent addition make his debut soon. Head coach Dominique Ducharme says that winger Mike Hoffman could be ready for the team’s Tuesday or Thursday night games next week, but he’ll miss Saturday’s tilt against the New York Rangers. That’s about right on time for Hoffman, who was projected to miss four weeks with a lower-body injury suffered in late September.
- With the St. Louis Blues’ season opener looming Saturday in Colorado, they could be without forward David Perron, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. Perron was absent from the Blues’ practice today but was seen at the facility wearing street clothes. Head coach Craig Berube called it a “maintenance day” for Perron, who’s questionable for the game with an undisclosed injury.
Dylan Larkin Suspended One Game For Roughing
The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced a one-game suspension for Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin. The ruling comes after Larkin was given a match penalty during Thursday night’s game after a punch to the face of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Mathieu Joseph. As noted in the explanatory video, the rationale behind the suspension from the Department is as follows:
Larkin and Joseph raced for the loose puck, and Larkin cuts in front of Joseph to establish position. Joseph shoves Larkin, causing him to hit the boards and fall to the ice. Larkin then gets to his feet, finds Joseph, and swings wildly, punching the unsuspecting Joseph in the face with a gloved hand, with sufficient force to knock him to the ice. This is roughing. It is important to note that this is not a case of two players who willingly choose to engage in a mutual confrontation. Joseph has no warning that he is about to be punched, and Larkin gives him no time to brace for contact, defend himself, or choose to engage in the altercation. We understand that Larkin is frustrated on this play, but, as our Department has established in the past, players are not excused from punishment merely because they’re acting in response to the actions of another player. What causes this play to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the retaliatory nature of the punch and the force with which it is delivered to an unsuspecting opponent.
Larkin has no previous history of suspension. He will miss Saturday’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks and will be eligible to return on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It’s also important to note that Larkin may have been held out of the game against Vancouver regardless, as he was an extremely limited participant in practice this morning due to a potential injury suffered on the controversial hit by Joseph. Larkin’s health will be evaluated today.
In Larkin’s absence, it’s likely that Robby Fabbri will shift to center on the top line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond, who could make his NHL debut on Saturday, on his wings. Carter Rowney could slot into the lineup in a fourth-line role.
Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury
The Colorado Avalanche are being hit with the injury bug early this season, as The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports that forward Valeri Nichushkin is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
With the team already missing Devon Toews and Pavel Francouz from their lineup prior to the season’s start, the team’s forward core has now lost three members in the past three days. Captain Gabriel Landeskog is suspended for the next two games, Nathan MacKinnon‘s season debut is on hold as he remains on COVID protocol, and it’s now apparent the Avs have lost a third top-nine forward for the time being.
The 26-year-old Nichushkin has had somewhat of a career renaissance with Colorado after a rough start with the Dallas Stars, the team that drafted him 10th overall in 2013. He’s received Selke votes in back-to-back seasons, scoring 23 goals and 48 points in 120 games from 2019 to 2021 in an Avalanche uniform. Nichushkin had one assist in 15:03 of ice time on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
The team will now turn to Mikko Rantanen to carry the offensive load in the absence of MacKinnon and Landeskog. They’ll look towards forwards like Andre Burakovsky, Tyson Jost, and a pair or rookies in Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta to increase production in depth roles to compensate for the loss of Nichushkin.
Los Angeles Kings Waive Christian Wolanin
The Los Angeles Kings have waived defenseman Christian Wolanin, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. In all likelihood, the roster move means that defenseman Olli Maatta is healthy and will be activated from injured reserve.
Wolanin, now 26, could certainly be a candidate to get picked up on the waiver wire considering the claim of Dennis Cholowski yesterday. Wolanin’s been fairly productive over a sparse four-season career in the NHL, posting five goals and 18 points in 61 career games. All but three of those games have been spent with the Ottawa Senators, but he was dealt to the Kings in March of 2021 in exchange for Michael Amadio.
While he is a left-shot defenseman, he could very well be claimed by the Buffalo Sabres as they deal with an injury to Henri Jokiharju. The Devils could also be a candidate to claim him as both Ty Smith and Damon Severson remain out with injury.
Wolanin makes the league minimum $750,000 on a two-way, one-year deal.
A solid two-way player, Wolanin is fully capable of serving full-time on an NHL roster if need be, more suitably as a seventh defenseman. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Senators in 2015.
John Gibson Out With Lower-Body Injury, Will Miss Tonight’s Game
Goaltender John Gibson suffered a lower-body injury in Anaheim’s Wednesday night season-opening win against the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Dallas Eakins confirms. Backup netminder Anthony Stolarz will make his first start of the season Friday night against Minnesota while Lukas Dostal has been recalled to back him up, per the AHL’s transactions page. Eakins also notes that winger Troy Terry will be absent from the game against Minnesota as well, citing a non-COVID-related illness.
Gibson was easily Anaheim’s best player in an impressive 4-1 victory against Winnipeg earlier this week, making 33 saves on 34 shots (.971 save percentage). Now 28 years old, the netminder’s performance this season will be crucial in helping a young team take strides forward from last year’s 17-30-9 record. His health moving forward is paramount for the team’s success.
Stolarz draws into the full-time backup role this season, succeeding the retired Ryan Miller. Drafted in the second round by Philadelphia in 2012, this looks to be his first full-time NHL role. He’s been impressive in limited appearances for Ducks over the past two seasons, posting a 4-4-0 record and .929 save percentage in that time frame.
The absence of Terry can’t be understated either. The 24-year-old was fifth on the Ducks in scoring last season, notching seven goals and 20 points in 48 games. He remains one of the best two-way forwards on the team and could be primed for a breakout campaign this year. Per Eakins, Max Jones will draw in tonight in his place.
Without some core pieces tonight, the Ducks could be in tough to keep the good times rolling against a stout Minnesota Wild team playing in their first game of the season.