Sammy Blais Suffers Torn ACL, Out Rest Of Season
The New York Rangers will be without one of their offseason acquisitions, as several reports including Larry Brooks of the New York Post indicate Sammy Blais has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The injury occurred Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils, when Blais collided with P.K. Subban. Brooks adds that surgery on the knee will have to wait a few weeks for the swelling to subside. The team has now confirmed the injury, noting that Blais faces a six to eight-month recovery. Greg McKegg is back up from the AHL.
Blais, 25, was the player the Rangers received in exchange for Pavel Buchnevich earlier this year. He found a nice role in the team’s lineup adding his patented physicality, but was still looking for his first New York goal. In 14 games Blais had four points, 17 penalty minutes, and 37 hits.
It’s not that the Rangers are losing a forward that logs 18 minutes a night and carries the offense, but Blais was a perfect representation of the kind of hockey the new front office wanted to play. ‘Hard to play against’ could describe the 6’2″ forward, a goal that general manager Chris Drury and staff had chased all offseason. Now with this injury, they’ll have to find someone else to take his minutes in the middle of the roster. Blais had been averaging close to 14 minutes a night through the first month of the season, including some time on the powerplay.
Though he carries a $1.5MM cap hit that could be moved to long-term injured reserve, the Rangers aren’t pushing the salary cap ceiling this season and will likely move him to normal IR. That said, the young forward is heading into an arbitration year as a restricted free agent, meaning he’ll have almost no leverage to bring up after a lost year. The Rangers could potentially get a slight discount because of this injury, a small silver lining given they have massive extensions for Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad kicking in next season and will need all the cap space they can get.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Crosby, Shanahan
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, led by a player who could very well go down as the all-time leader in goals by the time he hangs up his skates. Alex Ovechkin added another outstanding week, recording eight points in four games and passing Brett Hull on the all-time goals list. The nine-time Rocket Richard award winner isn’t all goals though, Ovechkin has 14 assists this season for 26 total points through 15 games.
A couple of college hockey stars take second and third, as Charlie McAvoy and Troy Terry have been selected respectively. The Boston Bruins defenseman had seven points in four games while playing basically every second shift, while the Anaheim Ducks forward stretched his point streak to 14 games by adding six more points in three contests. Terry has already matched his career-high of 20 points and it took him only 15 games to do it.
- If you’re still holding your breath hoping for some supplementary discipline to come down on Sidney Crosby for the incident with Martin Fehervary last night, exhale, it’s not coming. Crosby will not be given any punishment from the league according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, who also points out that there was no penalty called on the play in question.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t had any playoff success under president Brendan Shanahan, but that doesn’t mean his seat is getting hot. As Luke Fox of Sportsnet writes, ownership is still “fantastically supportive” of the Maple Leafs front office boss and the direction he is leading the franchise. Shanahan was hired by the team before the 2014 season; the team has a 275-211-66 regular season record since he took over, but hasn’t made it past the first round even a single time.
J.T. Compher Out A Month With Upper-Body Injury
One of the early success stories from this season is J.T. Compher, who has gone from depth center to first-line forward for the Colorado Avalanche thanks to injuries and illnesses. The 26-year-old was averaging nearly 20 minutes a night through his first 11 games, with five goals and nine points in that span.
Unfortunately, in that 12th game, Compher suffered an upper-body injury and left early, playing fewer than six minutes before exiting. Now, head coach Jared Bednar told reporters today that Compher will miss approximately a month with the injury.
In his place on the top line, Mikko Rantanen is going to move to the middle of the ice and play between captain Gabriel Landeskog and Logan O’Connor. That’s certainly not the group the Avalanche expected before the season began, but with Nathan MacKinnon on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team will have to deal with what they have.
A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, Compher has been a regular for the Avalanche but never a star to this point. His career-highs of 15 goals and 32 points came in 2018-19, numbers he was easily on track to shatter with his strong early performance. He’ll now have to work his way back from injury and when he comes back, there likely won’t be room on that top unit for him any longer.
It’s a disappointing loss for the team, but also a missed opportunity for Compher, who is on track for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2023. He’ll be only 28 when he is scheduled to hit the open market and could have potentially parlayed a big offensive year into a few more dollars down the road.
William Carrier Placed In COVID Protocol
It seems like everyday teams are adding players to the COVID protocol, and the Vegas Golden Knights are the latest to do so. William Carrier is unavailable for the team today as he has been placed in the protocol.
The team has not confirmed whether or not Carrier tested positive for coronavirus, or how long the forward is expected to be out. For now, at least, they’ll have to prepare as though he will not be available for them tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes. They will also be without Alec Martinez, who was cut by Brandon Duhaime‘s skate last week and is out for tomorrow night. Chandler Stephenson and Mattias Janmark, the other two absences from practice, had maintenance days according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
Vegas is on a hot streak of late, going 8-2 in their last ten after a rocky start. Carrier is a legitimate part of that success, despite the fact that he averages fewer than 12 minutes a night. His physicality is a constant for the Golden Knights, and he’s even contributed with a little offense this season, adding two assists in his last game. He’s missed the last two though, meaning the team won’t have to make substantial changes to the lineup with him now in the protocol.
Johan Larsson Placed In COVID Protocol
The Arizona Coyotes have placed Johan Larsson in the COVID protocol, making him unavailable for the time being. That comes just minutes after the team placed both Christian Fischer and Dmitrij Jaskin on injured reserve, recalling Hudson Fasching, Jan Jenik, and Ben McCartney in their place.
Larsson joins Andrew Ladd in the protocol, who was placed there over the weekend. The team did not confirm whether or not Larsson has tested positive, or given any indication of how long he will be out. Jaskin meanwhile is expected to miss the rest of the season, while Fischer was last listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He’ll have to miss at least a week with the IR designation.
For any Arizona fans hoping for a high draft pick to build the organization around, it appears they will get their wish. The team is 1-13-1 on the season and seems destined to finish in last place in the Central Division. Losing veteran players for any length of time will only provide an opportunity for younger options, though it seems unlikely that they will be able to right the ship and help the Coyotes become a competitive team. For a franchise that has seen draft picks stripped away and others flame out quickly, a strong class in 2022 is imperative.
Luckily, the team currently holds eight picks in the first two rounds, including three first-round selections, meaning there’s at least something to look forward to on the horizon.
AHL Shuffle: 11/15/21
It’s a quiet Monday in the NHL, with only two games on the schedule for this evening. The New York Islanders will try to right the ship with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Detroit Red Wings try to continue their impressive start in a battle against the Columbus Blue Jackets. As those teams and others prepare for action this week, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have placed Mitchell Stephens on injured reserve, retroactive to November 13. In his place, the team has recalled Joe Veleno, who had been up earlier this year when Tyler Bertuzzi was unable to travel to Canada. Veleno, 21, registered a goal and an assist in four games with the Red Wings and will now get another chance to show he can compete at the highest level.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Joey Anderson back to the AHL, a curious move given they are in long-term injured reserve relief and not accruing cap space anyway. Perhaps someone else is coming up in his place, or just that they want him to get back into game action with the Toronto Marlies while they are at home. Anderson hasn’t gotten into an NHL game yet this season.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Brett Murray from the AHL, giving them an insurance option as they hit the road for one game. The team will play in Pittsburgh tomorrow before returning to Buffalo.
Metropolitan Division
- As they head out for a road trip to the west coast, the Washington Capitals have recalled Garrett Pilon from the AHL. The 23-year-old will be the team’s only reserve forward, meaning he could potentially enter the lineup to make his season debut. With just a single NHL game under his belt, Pilon came flying out of the gate this season in the minor leagues, scoring five goals and 11 points in 13 games for the Hershey Bears.
- The New York Rangers have assigned Greg McKegg to the AHL, suggesting that Filip Chytil may be ready to go for tomorrow’s game. McKegg has played in eight games for the Rangers this season and has failed to register a point, averaging exactly 11 minutes of ice time.
- Josh Leivo is on his way back to the AHL, after playing twice for the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend. With Martin Necas and Nino Niederreiter both on the ice today for practice, the Hurricanes are getting closer to full health upfront.
Central Division
Pacific Division
- With the Vancouver Canucks on their way back to Canada for a game on Wednesday, the team has sent Jack Rathbone back to the AHL. Travis Hamonic will likely be recalled tomorrow, as he’s eligible to play again given the home date. (UPDATE: In fact, Hamonic has been recalled today, with Madison Bowey also going down to the AHL).
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled both Kale Clague and Austin Strand, after only sending them down yesterday. The Kings have consistently performed “paper transactions” this season to bank cap space on off days, accruing cap space even though they have Drew Doughty on long-term injured reserve. While their accruable cap space limit is still less than the $81.5MM upper limit, the Kings are still preparing for the possibility of a midseason addition should they be in a competitive position.
St. Louis Blues Recall Scott Perunovich
It was only a matter of time before the St. Louis Blues recalled Scott Perunovich, and that date has finally come. The young defenseman was recalled this morning with the Blues sending Joel Hofer, Dakota Joshua, and Calle Rosen down to make room.
It likely would have been earlier had the Blues not dealt with COVID absences, making their cap situation even more delicate the last several weeks, but the AHL’s best player is finally getting the call. Perunovich has completely dominated the minor leagues this season, recording 20 points in 12 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. That performance is as a rookie since the 23-year-old failed to suit up even a single time last year due to injury.
The winner of the 2020 Hobey Baker, Perunovich was expected by many to step directly into the NHL upon arrival. While it’s been a long, unexpected wait, it only allowed him to prove once again that he could be one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen at the lower level. Whether he can bring that kind of production to the NHL remains to be seen, but he’ll now finally get the chance.
Given Hofer’s assignment, it’s likely that Ville Husso will also be activated from the COVID protocol in the coming days. The backup netminder has been skating already and only needed to reach a comfortable level of fitness before rejoining the active roster. His absence, and Hofer’s recall, was part of the issue when recalling Perunovich, given the non-roster designation did not remove him from the Blues cap.
Mark Stone Removed From Injured Reserve
The Vegas Golden Knights are set to get their captain back, as Mark Stone has been removed from injured reserve on the NHL media site. Earlier today, head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic that Stone would be a game-time decision tonight.
If the Golden Knights do get Stone back tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, it will be his first appearance in a month. The 29-year-old forward left a game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 14 and has been absent ever since. After registering three assists in the season opener, Stone looked like he was ready to repeat an impressive performance from 2020-21, when he scored 21 goals and 61 points in just 55 games. That was the first point-per-game season of his career (though he’s been very close previously), and earned him a top-10 finish in the Hart Trophy voting.
It’s not only his point production that has been missing from the Golden Knights lineup though. Stone’s defensive impact is tremendous, which may help explain why Vegas has allowed 42 goals through 14 games. Those numbers have turned around recently with the team righting the ship, but getting their captain back would only help push them in the right direction.
Remember, while Stone is coming back off long-term injured reserve, the Golden Knights are still deep into their LTIR relief now that Jack Eichel is with the club. When everyone is healthy the team will have a difficult time fitting everything in, but activating Stone won’t cause a cap issue right away.
Nikita Zaitsev Back In COVID Protocol
Less than 12 hours after being removed from the COVID protocol, Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikita Zaitsev was added back to it just before tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In his place, Jacob Bernard-Docker, recalled earlier today, is making his season debut.
Amazingly, the Senators have almost completely exhausted their reserve defenders. Max Guenette, the last healthy defenseman signed to an NHL contract in the minor leagues, was also recalled today, though he was reassigned before the game started. With a third of the team on the COVID protocol and Erik Brannstrom dealing with a broken hand, the Senators’ depth is being seriously tested.
In previous years losing Zaitsev might have been a big blow, but the 30-year-old defender has seen his role changed in Ottawa this year. Not only is he averaging more than five fewer minutes of ice time, but he also was scratched entirely at one point. In 11 games he has recorded just a single point, a far cry from the impressive 36-point rookie campaign he had in 2016-17 that earned him a seven-year, $31.5MM extension from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Still, healthy, eligible players are extremely valuable for the Senators right now as they try to navigate a difficult stretch. The team is now 3-9-1 on the year, not exactly the forward step they were hoping for from the young squad.
Crosby, Dumoulin Set To Rejoin Teammates Tomorrow
Though they are technically not yet on the active roster, Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin will be back in the coming days. Both players skated today and are expected to meet the rest of the team in Washington on Sunday, where the Penguins will play the Capitals in the second half of a back-to-back. Crosby and Dumoulin are both going through what the team has deemed the “final stage” of the protocol, though assistant coach Todd Reirden wouldn’t commit to their status for tomorrow’s game.
Reirden himself likely won’t have the final decision, as head coach Mike Sullivan is also set to be back behind the bench tomorrow night. Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson, who both exited the protocol for one game only to be unavailable to travel to Canada with the group, would also be technically available. Pettersson also skated today after suffering an injury that took him out of Thursday’s contest.
While Crosby is obviously the most important player for the Penguins, Dumoulin’s return shouldn’t be overlooked. The 30-year-old defenseman is a key part of the team’s defensive structure and logs big minutes in difficult situations. In fact, only John Marino among regular defensemen has started a higher percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone or logged more penalty-killing time than Dumoulin.
It’s been a tough stretch for the Penguins over the past four games, reaching at least overtime in each one. They’ve split those matches, but still sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 5-3-4 record on the year. Crosby meanwhile has only played in a single game, returning to the lineup just briefly before finding himself in the COVID protocol. Getting him back into game action may have to be a slow process, but it’s hard to wait around long for a player of his caliber. In 2020-21, for the 16th season in a row, Crosby scored at a rate higher than a point-per-game, racking up 62 in 55 games. He’ll try to turn that trick for a 17th time this season.