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Injury Notes: Ovechkin, Rossi, Maple Leafs

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The Washington Capitals will not have Alex Ovechkin in the lineup again this evening, as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury. The superstar winger did participate in today’s skate, however, and head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that it is too early to tell whether Ovechkin will play in the season finale tomorrow.

Just the fact that he’s back on the ice is obviously a good sign, as it at least appears as though Ovechkin will be ready to start the playoffs. Who he and the rest of the Capitals will face in the first round is still a mystery, as they continue to battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Metropolitan Division playoff spot, but having the 50-goal scorer in the lineup is obviously the biggest priority at this point.

  • Marco Rossi is headed back to Minnesota to be evaluated for an injury according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, who notes that several players from the Iowa Wild will be recalled as “Black Aces” in the near future. Iowa failed to make the playoffs this season meaning Rossi and others–which, according to Russo will include Zane McIntyre and Calen Addison–can come up to practice with the team and be ready for any injuries that may present themselves in the first round.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will rest some of their important players in the regular season finale tomorrow night, as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are both not expected to be in the lineup, according to Mark Masters of TSN. The team will also rest goaltender Jack Campbell and a decision on John Tavares–who missed practice today due to “maintenance”–will be made tomorrow. That means Matthews will finish the year at 60 goals and Marner will miss a chance at hitting 100 points as the Maple Leafs focus on the daunting task of a first-round victory, something that will likely have to come at the hands of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Head coach Sheldon Keefe announced that the first game of that series will be Monday, meaning they won’t have to sit with their thoughts very long.

Chicago Blackhawks Hire Jeff Greenberg

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The Chicago Blackhawks interviewed several candidates for their general manager position before eventually handing the keys to the incumbent. Kyle Davidson, who had taken over on an interim basis when Stan Bowman left the organization, was named the full-time general manager at the beginning of March. One of the candidates they interviewed, however, is still joining the organization as Jeff Greenberg has been hired as associate general manager.

Greenberg, notably, isn’t part of the hockey world. He most recently worked as an assistant general manager with the Chicago Cubs, an organization he has been with since 2012. Davidson released a statement explaining the hire:

Our journey is just beginning as we build a next-generation foundation for this team, and that starts with a focus on modernizing and improving the Hockey Operations infrastructure in our front office. We will only get back to being best-in-class on the ice if we are working with best-in-class information and ideas behind the scenes. Together, this executive leadership team is looking forward to developing great talent throughout all levels of our organization and adding the tools we need across scouting, analytics, player development, coaching and more to return to competitive hockey.

The team had interviewed several prominent candidates during their general manager search, including Eric Tulsky, Scott Mellanby, and Peter Chiarelli. Soon after deciding on Davidson, whispers started to surface that some of the others that interviewed could be considered for other positions with the organization. That has now come true, as Greenberg joins Davidson and fellow associate general manager Norm Maciver at the top of the Blackhawks’ front office.

Since day one when he took over–something that only happened because of a massive scandal–Davidson has indicated that the Blackhawks needed a complete overhaul on and off the ice. He demonstrated that by moving Brandon Hagel, a young, core piece of the roster, at the trade deadline and has made clear that there will be more drastic moves coming. The team is entering a rebuilding phase, one that can be used to get Greenberg up to speed in the hockey world.

Of course, this isn’t the first time the Greenberg family has been linked to the NHL. Greenberg’s father, Chuck Greenberg, a good friend of Mario Lemieux, attempted to purchase the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017 before that franchise was eventually sold to Tom Dundon.

Emily Kaplan of ESPN broke news of the hire. 

Minnesota Wild Sign Simon Johansson

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The Minnesota Wild have landed a prospect that was running out of time, signing Simon Johansson to a two-year entry-level contract. The 22-year-old defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June. Instead, he’ll start his contract in 2022-23 with Minnesota, though he may end up overseas once again.

Selected 148th overall in 2018, Johansson spent this season playing for Ilves in Liiga, where he is still contracted through next year. If he fails to break camp with Minnesota, it is a possibility that he’ll be loaned back to Finland.

If that does happen, it would be a huge boost for his club team there, as Johansson was a standout this season. With 32 points in 58 games he was among the highest-scoring defensemen in the league, and he added another seven in ten playoff contests. A natural powerplay quarterback, he is an interesting option for the Wild in the future if he can continue to develop his defensive game.

Obviously, Minnesota will need some inexpensive roster options in the coming years as they deal with massive buyout penalties from Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. While Johansson may not be ready for that just yet, getting him under contract was the only way to know for sure.

Michael Misa Selected First Overall In OHL Draft

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The next exceptional status player is on his way, as Michael Misa was announced as the first-overall pick in the upcoming OHL draft. The Saginaw Spirit, who won the lottery to select first, confirmed that Misa would be their selection, despite the draft not actually being held until Friday evening.

Misa, 15, is the sixth player to be granted exceptional status by the OHL and eighth overall. He joins John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, and Shane Wright as those who have been selected first in the OHL draft following that status. Sean Day, the other exceptional status player for that league, went fourth to the Mississauga Steelheads in 2013.

While many will point to Day–who only made his NHL debut this season after being selected in the third round by the New York Rangers in 2016–as proof that the exceptional status moniker doesn’t necessarily guarantee future success, three of the other players given it in the OHL ended up going first overall in their respective NHL drafts, and Wright is expected to continue that trend this year. Misa will now carry that pressure as the “next one” after a brilliant performance at the OHL Cup, where he tallied 20 points in just seven games, winning the tournament MVP and tying the all-time record.

Not eligible for selection into the NHL until 2025, the young Oakville native will still have to prove it at the OHL level before anyone puts him at the top of a draft board. Ending up in Saginaw means he won’t have to deal with his older brother Luke Misa as much, as he plays for the Mississauga Steelheads in the league’s other conference.

He’ll also have the pressure of turning Saginaw into a contender. The Spirit went 24-43-1 this season and have never won an OHL championship in their history, going only as far as the third round in 2019 when they were led by the likes of Cole Perfetti and Owen Tippett.

AHL Shuffle: 04/28/22

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We’re just a few days away from the end of the regular season but there are still quite a few games to get on the books. Today has nine matches, including an important match between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche. In fact, it could be a potential first-round preview should the Predators end up with the second wild card spot. Currently one point behind the Stars, Nashville is also without starting goaltender Juuse Saros.

As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Laval Rocket will get Cayden Primeau back in time for tonight’s game, as the goaltender was sent down by the Montreal Canadiens. With the Canadiens off until tomorrow, Primeau could be called back up, depending on the health of the other goaltenders.
  • Nicholas Robertson has been returned to the minor leagues, with the Toronto Marlies trying to clinch a playoff spot this evening. The 20-year-old forward played just over 12 minutes on Tuesday, but is still looking for his second NHL goal.
  • The Buffalo Sabres recalled netminder Aaron Dell from the Rochester Americans again today as they deal with injuries in the crease. As starter Craig Anderson remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, the Sabres have swapped Dell and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out for one another multiple times now over the past week.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The Seattle Kraken have sent Cale Fleury and Joey Daccord back to the AHL, two players that will be able to help the Charlotte Checkers on their Calder Cup chase. The Checkers were one of the AHL’s best teams with a 42-24-6 record this season but still don’t know who they will face in the first round. Because they were on the AHL roster at the trade deadline, both players are eligible to suit up in the postseason.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Philip Broberg, giving them another defenseman to help finish out the season. With Darnell Nurse out for the moment, the team needs some bodies to play the last two games, games that are essentially meaningless as they already hold the tiebreaker over the third-place Los Angeles Kings.
  • The Arizona Coyotes sent forward Jan Jenik back to the Tucson Roadrunners today to end the season. Jenik had three points in 13 games with the Coyotes this season.

This page is updated throughout the day

Anton Bengtsson Drawing NHL Interest

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After nearly a decade playing in the SHL, Anton Bengtsson may be ready to test the North American waters. The veteran forward is drawing NHL interest, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who notes that it would be for a bottom-six role.

Bengtsson, 28, is coming off easily the best season of his career, scoring 20 goals and 39 points in 49 games for Rogle BK. He’d previously reached career highs of just 13 and 19 respectively, meaning this year sticks out as a huge outlier. Still, with ten seasons of experience in one of the most structured and successful leagues in the world, it makes sense for an NHL team to at least give him an opportunity to prove what he can do in North America.

While Andrei Kuzmenko seems to be the talk of the town among European free agents–Friedman notes that interviews with teams will begin after the U18 tournament that is currently underway in Germany–Bengtsson represents part of the next level of talent that teams can pick through to try and add depth to their organization.

We’ve seen countless players like him come and struggle in the NHL but also some that find immediate success. Perhaps in the right spot Bengtsson will fall into the latter category and can provide some strong two-way play in a limited role.

Snapshots: Player Poll, OHL Awards, Price

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The NHLPA released the results of their annual Player Poll, which takes the temperature of players around the league on a variety of topics. More than 42 percent of the league, for instance, would pick Connor McDavid if they had to win one game and needed to choose a single skater. McDavid lags well behind Sidney Crosby in terms of the “most complete player” according to the players, as nearly 30 percent of them voted for the Pittsburgh Penguins captain in that category.

While some of those answers may not surprise, the poll also includes things like which NHL arena has the best ice, which player has the best “hockey hair,” and which non-NHL athlete they would like to trade places with. It’s a fun exercise that certainly can cause some heated debate among fans.

  • Meanwhile, the OHL released the results of their own polling, this time for the league’s award finalists. Wyatt Johnston and Brandon Coe are the finalists for the Red Tilson Trophy, given to the Most Outstanding Player. Johnston, a first-round pick by the Dallas Stars in 2021, scored 124 points in 68 games for the Windsor Spitfires, while Coe, a fourth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, had 101 in 62. Cam Allen and David Goyette are the Rookie of the Year finalists, though the former won’t even be eligible for the NHL draft until 2023. Goyette, 18, was ranked 35th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
  • After it came to light yesterday that Carey Price would consult with his surgeon about his knee, many eyebrows raised around the hockey world. The veteran goaltender only just made his return to the ice recently, playing in four games for the Montreal Canadiens. While he’s only listed as day-to-day, Price’s visit should raise some concern, according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, who questions the future of the netminder in the NHL should he be facing another long rehab. Price is signed through the 2025-26 season and carries a cap hit of $10.5MM.

Los Angeles Kings Activate Mikey Anderson From LTIR

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The Los Angeles Kings are getting a reinforcement just in time for the playoffs. The team has activated Mikey Anderson from long-term injured reserve, making him available for tonight’s game against the Seattle Kraken.

Anderson, 22, has become a staple in the Kings lineup over the last calendar year and was averaging more than 20 minutes a night before he was hurt in early March. Last appearing in a game on March 7, he collided with Brad Marchand and ended up needing help off the ice. Placed on LTIR soon after, he’s played just 55 games this season.

Since entering the league, he had quickly established himself as a legitimate shutdown defenseman, pairing with Drew Doughty for the vast majority of his minutes in the NHL. While he had just seven points before going down, his responsible nature and penalty-killing ability was a huge loss to the Kings, who suddenly found themselves down several key defensemen through the middle part of the season.

Now with Doughty done for the season following surgery, it will be interesting to see Anderson line up with a new partner. In his career to this point he has spent more than 1,400 minutes beside the Kings’ star defenseman; the next closest is Tobias Bjornfot, with 245 minutes together.

Russian, Belarusian Players Ineligible For CHL Import Draft

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Last year, 16 Russian and 11 Belarusian prospects were selected in the CHL Import Draft. This year, there will be none. According to several reports including Darren Dreger of TSN, Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, the CHL is set to announce that players from Russia and Belarus will be declared ineligible for this year’s draft. The change will not affect players already on protected lists, like those selected last year.

For many international players, coming to the CHL early is a way to acclimatize yourself to North American hockey and get in front of higher-level hockey operations executives. Slovakian-born Martin Chromiak, for instance, was the second overall pick in the 2019 Import Draft and has now become one of the most exciting prospects in the OHL, scoring 44 goals and 86 points this season for the Kingston Frontenacs. He even made it into a pair of AHL games last spring with the Los Angeles Kings, who managed to sign him without any trouble.

In 2018 it was Finnish-born Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who went third overall to the Sudbury Wolves after the Buffalo Sabres had already spent a second-round pick on him. He managed to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player before jumping directly into North American pro hockey.

The year before that, of course, was dominated by Russian players, including Andrei Svechnikov, who went first overall to the Barrie Colts. Because Svechnikov was already over in North America (he’d played 2016-17 in the USHL), the Carolina Hurricanes had no worry about making him the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He wasn’t under contract in the KHL and would immediately make the jump to the NHL level.

That is where this announcement could have an effect on NHL teams. With Russian and Belarusian players no longer able to come to the CHL (at least for the time being), they will pose a much bigger risk at the NHL Draft, given their uncertain futures. Many of them will have to find other places to showcase their talents, leading not only to clubs that will try to retain them, but also transfer rules that could send them back overseas even after signing entry-level contracts. For many, playing and developing in a league closer to where their professional futures lie is appealing.

The Import Draft will take place on July 1.

AHL Announces 2021-22 All-Rookie Team

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With the AHL season coming to a close and the Calder Cup playoffs right around the corner, awards and accolades are starting to be handed out. Today, the league announced the 2021-22 All-Rookie Team, which is voted on by coaches, players, and media. Though not a guarantee of future NHL success, the AHL rookie team has a long history of star players including captains, Stanley Cup champions, and future Hall of Fame members.

The 2021-22 selections:

G Dustin Wolf, Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

D Jack Rathbone, Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks)

D Jordan Spence, Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

F Jakob Pelletier, Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

F J.J. Peterka, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)

F Jack Quinn, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)

While each of the winners is a player to keep an eye on, it’s once again Wolf that seems to stand out among the crowd. While the forwards are all high draft picks, and the defensemen fourth-round selections, Wolf has continued to impress since being the 214th overall pick in 2019. Selected with the fourth-last pick in the draft, the undersized netminder simply stops the puck better than almost all of his competitors.

This season, his first in the AHL, Wolf went 33-8-4 with a .924 save percentage, leading the entire league in wins. Given the fact that Calgary is also a true contender for the Stanley Cup, it’s incredibly impressive to have two players on the All-Rookie team this season.

In Buffalo, things are getting very exciting as a new wave of talent emerges to try and drag the organization back to the playoffs. Peterka and Quinn were both outstanding in their rookie years, with the latter actually scoring at a better rate than almost anyone else. Quinn’s 59 points in 44 games is a better per-game rate than any qualified player other than T.J. Tynan and Andrew Poturalski, the league’s best two forwards. With the other young talent already in Buffalo, things are looking up for the Sabres.

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