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Montreal Canadiens Release Injury Updates

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The Montreal Canadiens have updated several injury statuses, including one that fans of the team were dying to hear about. Cole Caufield will travel with the team and is available for tomorrow’s game against the Ottawa Senators. For David Savard and Sean Monahan, things aren’t so positive. Both players will be out for two to three weeks. Mike Matheson and Jonathan Drouin are listed as day-to-day, though the latter will travel with the team to Ottawa.

Caufield’s status is the most encouraging after he took a huge hit from Trevor Lewis last night that looked like it might keep him out for a while. The young forward is off to a brilliant start to the season with 16 goals and 25 points in 28 games. His continued development under head coach Martin St. Louis is one of the biggest successes of the year for Montreal, and one that will likely lead to a huge extension at some point for the diminutive sniper.

Monahan’s injury, though, is terrible for the team. Not only was he playing excellent hockey, rebounding from hip surgery nicely, but he had become one of Montreal’s top trade chips. The pending free agent could be an excellent addition for a contending team looking for center depth, but he’ll have to stay healthy. A weeks-long absence doesn’t take him off the board but will certainly cause some hesitation in teams that might have been focusing in on him as a target.

Savard is back to playing big minutes for the club this season but still doesn’t have strong results. The 32-year-old is signed through 2024-25 and has eight points through 24 games this year. While he isn’t driving play for the Canadiens, the team doesn’t have the deepest group to choose from and will be icing quite a few young defensemen in his absence.

Bettman Updates Salary Cap Projection

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For everyone projecting a substantial salary cap increase for next season, commissioner Gary Bettman has a message for you: “we’ll see.” That’s what the executive told gathered media including Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff today at the board of governors meeting, explaining that the league is currently projecting a $70MM escrow balance at the end of the season. If that isn’t paid off in full by the players (through increased hockey-related revenue) the salary cap will be increased by just $1MM.

There has been some rumbling about a potential compromise with the NHLPA to increase it by a little over the next few seasons, instead of waiting for it to spike once the escrow balance is paid, but Bettman wouldn’t comment on that possibility.

That means the most likely outcome at this point is an $83.5MM cap ceiling for 2023-24. A much larger increase would follow in 2024-25 as that $70MM of debt would surely be paid off. Teams handing out long-term extensions or preparing for free agent negotiations will have to pinch a few extra pennies for a little while longer.

The interesting outcome that this could create is a number of free agents agreeing to one-year deals next offseason, knowing for certain that the cap would raise the following year. Restricted free agents may agree to more qualifying offers or go through the arbitration process instead of locking into multi-year bridge deals, and veterans could look to play out a single season before cashing in again when teams have some extra money to spend.

Either way, it appears as though true respite for the cap-strapped teams may still be a little way down the road.

Chicago Blackhawks Re-Assign Filip Roos

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After 15 games in the NHL, Filip Roos is going to get to experience the minor leagues. The young Chicago Blackhawks defenseman has been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago.

Roos, 23, was signed to an entry-level contract out of the Swedish Hockey League this offseason, after going undrafted during his junior years. Stepping directly into the NHL lineup, he registered three points in 15 games with Chicago, averaging a little over 16 minutes a night. Like so many other Blackhawks players, Roos did look out of place at times. But overall put up relatively strong results for a player still familiarizing himself with the North American game.

The 6’3″ defenseman appears to be found money for the Chicago front office, who have added depth to an important position without using so much as a draft pick. While he may never become an impact player, Roos has shown enough to at least receive another shot at NHL minutes down the line.

For now, he can go and experience the AHL, testing himself in more high-leverage minutes and situations. He’ll be joining a loaded Rockford team that has its eyes clearly set on a Calder Cup championship, though things haven’t gone exactly to play so far. The IceHogs are 12-7-3 on the year.

Minnesota Wild Re-Assign Nic Petan

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After a few more scoreless appearances, Nic Petan’s latest stint in the NHL has come to an end. The Minnesota Wild have assigned the depth forward to the AHL, clearing some room for Ryan Hartman and Brandon Duhaime, who are both getting closer to a return from injury.

Petan, 27, was unable to score a goal in his eight games with the Wild, meaning his streak continues. His last goal in the NHL came in the 2018-19 season, despite another 53 games since then. There is serious skill in the 5’9″ forward, but his game has never translated to the highest level, at least not on a consistent basis. He’ll return to the minor leagues where he has been outstanding, scoring 187 points in 189 career AHL games.

Since he only came up on November 19, Petan is still exempt from waivers and can be assigned without issue.

Hartman and Duhaime have not yet re-joined practice but both are expected to at some point this week. The pair will give Minnesota a nice boost while they continue to climb up the Central Division standings. After an inconsistent start, the team is now 7-3 in their last ten and just five points behind the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets.

Ottawa Senators Re-Assign Dillon Heatherington

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Dec 13: A few days later and Heatherington has been returned to the minor leagues, suggesting Zub is close to a return. The minor league veteran has still not actually seen any NHL action this season.

Dec 7: The Ottawa Senators saw their short winning streak come to an abrupt halt last night when they allowed five goals to the Los Angeles Kings, and now they’re headed on the road for two games against the Central Division. With Artem Zub sidelined due to a broken jaw, they’ve recalled Dillon Heatherington from the AHL to give them some extra defensive depth on the trip.

Heatherington, 27, has already played nine games for Ottawa this season, filling in when Zub and Thomas Chabot were out earlier this year. The minor league veteran failed to record a point during that time but does offer size and physicality, something that the group can lack at times.

The Senators defensive results have been tied almost directly to Zub’s health this year. When he’s in the lineup, they do fine, and when he’s not, they don’t. In the 14 games he has played, the team is 7-7. In the 11 he’s missed, 3-7-1. That combined record puts them last in the Atlantic Division and falling out of the playoff race as we approach Christmas.

Ottawa has been linked to every potential defenseman on the market but haven’t pulled the trigger yet on a trade to reinforce the back end. At some point, if they want to compete for the playoffs and a Stanley Cup, an addition of some sort will have to be made. Nikita Zaitsev logged the second-most minutes among defensemen last night, just days after being sent to the minor leagues.

Mackenzie Blackwood Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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After rehabbing a knee injury for the last month, Mackenzie Blackwood is ready to get back on the ice and into game action. He’ll do it first at the minor league level, where the New Jersey Devils have loaned him on a conditioning assignment. This allows Blackwood to play a handful of games before coming off long-term injured reserve.

The 26-year-old Blackwood has struggled both to stay healthy and perform at the NHL level in recent years, with an .880 save percentage through seven appearances this season. The team’s primary goaltending spot has been firmly handed over to Vitek Vanecek, who sits 12-2-2 on the year with a .912. The most interesting part will be whether Blackwood can retake the backup spot at all, given the other young netminders in the Devils’ system.

Akira Schmid has looked calm and efficient in his six appearances, posting a .940 and going 5-1. The 22-year-old appears to be playing at a higher level than he did as a rookie last season, when he was forced to play NHL games in his first year as a professional due to all the injuries in New Jersey. The 21-year-old Nico Daws, who actually saw 25 games last year with the Devils, is also grinding away in the minor leagues waiting for another opportunity.

With the team’s newfound contender status, they can’t wait around for Blackwood to regain his form. As a pending arbitration-eligible RFA due a $3.36MM qualifying offer, there’s a real chance that this is his last year with the team. If that’s the case, and his performance doesn’t improve, a longer stint in the minor leagues may eventually be in order. Blackwood would have to clear waivers to do it, but it is no longer rebuild time in New Jersey; the team will have to make some tough decisions to push for the Stanley Cup.

Hockey Canada Announces Final 2023 WJC Roster

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The selection camp is over and Hockey Canada has chosen the 22 players that will represent their country later this month at the IIHF World Junior Championship. There were 29 players originally named to the camp but after several others were loaned from NHL teams, ten players ended up cut today.

Carson Lambos, Evan Nause, Ethan Samson. Owen Beck, Zachary Bolduc, Jordan Dumais, Ryan Greene, Riley Kidney, Tyler Brennan, and William Rousseau were all sent back to their respective teams.

The roster that will compete:

F Caedan Bankier – Kamloops, WHL (MIN 86th overall, 2021)
F Connor Bedard – Regina, WHL (2023 draft-eligible)
F Colton Dach – Kelowna, WHL (CHI 62nd overall, 2021)
F Zach Dean – Gatineau, QMJHL (VGK 30th overall, 2021)
F Adam Fantilli – Michigan, NCAA (2023 draft-eligible)
F Nathan Gaucher – Québec, QMJHL (ANA 22nd overall, 2022)
F Zack Ostapchuk – Vancouver, WHL (OTT 39th overall, 2021)
F Brennan Othmann – Peterborough, OHL (NYR 16th overall, 2021)
F Joshua Roy – Sherbrooke, QMJHL (MTL 150th overall, 2021)
F Reid Schaefer – Seattle, WHL (EDM 32nd overall, 2022)
F Logan Stankoven – Kamloops, WHL (DAL 47th overall, 2021)
F Shane Wright – Seattle, NHL (SEA 4th overall, 2022)
F Dylan Guenther – Arizona, NHL (ARI 9th overall, 2021)

D Nolan Allan – Seattle, WHL (CHI 32nd overall, 2021)
D Ethan Del Mastro – Mississauga, OHL (CHI 105th overall, 2021)
D Tyson Hinds – Sherbrooke, QMJHL (ANA 76th overall, 2021)
D Kevin Korchinski – Seattle, WHL (CHI 7th overall, 2022)
D Jack Matier – Ottawa, OHL (NSH 124th overall, 2021)
D Olen Zellweger – Everett, WHL (ANA 34th overall, 2021)
D Brandt Clarke – Los Angeles, NHL (LAK 8th overall, 2021)

G Benjamin Gaudreau – Sarnia, OHL (SJS 81st overall, 2021)
G Thomas Milic – Seattle, WHL (undrafted)

Vegas Golden Knights Place Jack Eichel On Injured Reserve; Recall Three Players

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The Vegas Golden Knights are dealing with several injuries, and have made a few changes to the roster in preparation for their upcoming road trip. Jack Eichel and Zach Whitecloud have been moved to injured reserve, while Jonas Rondbjerg, Brayden Pachal, and Kaedan Korczak have been recalled from the AHL.

Eichel missed last night’s game against the Boston Bruins. Though he was skating recently, his IR stint will be retroactive to his last appearance on December 9, meaning he’ll be forced to miss both of the team’s upcoming road games. The club is headed to Winnipeg and Chicago this week, before returning home for a game against the New York Islanders on Saturday night. Eichel would be eligible to come off IR by then, if healthy enough to do so.

Whitecloud, meanwhile, left last night’s game clutching his leg after fewer than nine minutes of ice time. The 26-year-old defenseman had been averaging huge minutes of late while Alex Pietrangelo is away from the team for personal reasons, but now looks like he’ll miss some time. No timeline has been given to this point, but an IR placement means he’ll miss at least a week.

Rondbjerg has already played one game this season with the club but Pachal and Korczak have been limited to AHL duties. Korczak, 21, was the 41st overall pick in 2019 and has six points in 24 games this season for Henderson. The 6’3″ defenseman has just one NHL game under his belt and is one of the team’s most interesting prospects. Whether all three will enter the lineup remains to be seen.

Nashville Predators Make Several Roster Moves

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After losing Eeli Tolvanen on waivers, the Nashville Predators recalled Kevin Gravel and Roland McKeown to help their bruised and battered defense corps. The team also announced updated timelines for two players with upper-body injuries. Alexandre Carrier will be out week-to-week, while Jeremy Lauzon is now listed as day-to-day.

Adding help on defense is one of the biggest reasons why the Predators were forced to waive Tolvanen in the first place, though neither one of the players coming up should be expected to make a huge impact. Gravel is the more experienced of the two with 109 NHL games under his belt, though his last appearance was in 2019-20. The 6’4″ left-shot defenseman can be a useful penalty-killing option but offers almost no offense, with just one goal and 12 assists in his career.

McKeown, meanwhile has a bit more well-rounded game, though it has landed him only ten NHL appearances so far. The 26-year-old was the 50th overall pick in 2014 and played all ten of those games with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017-18. He is the right-shot that can help replace Carrier, though certainly won’t be able to fill his shoes entirely.

Seattle Kraken Claim Eeli Tolvanen

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As expected, Eeli Tolvanen’s time with the Nashville Predators is over (at least for now). The former top prospect has been claimed off waivers by the Seattle Kraken, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Given Seattle’s place in the standings, quite a few teams passed on the chance to take the 23-year-old sniper. Sean Shapiro of EP Rinkside tweets that the Predators’ front office was “pretty confident” that Tolvanen would clear, likely because of the $1.45MM cap hit that Seattle will be taking on in full. Signed to a three-year, $4.35MM deal in 2021, Tolvanen has just two goals and four points this season in 13 games. He hasn’t played since November 19, and even then was seeing limited minutes.

Expansion clubs are often where a player can rejuvenate their career, though, and perhaps the Kraken can do it for Tolvanen, the 30th overall pick in 2017. A rather similar player, Daniel Sprong, had experienced his own rollercoaster ride through waivers and trades before arriving in Seattle, where he seems to have found a home with 15 points in 20 games so far this season.

There is no shortage of skill in Tolvanen, who possesses one of the hardest shots in the league and has scored at every level – including the NHL. In his rookie season, he had 11 goals and 22 points in just 40 games, totals that were only barely matched in his sophomore year.

It is important to remember that several teams could not have claimed Tolvanen because of cap space, and the Philadelphia Flyers didn’t have a contract slot available. Still, it is somewhat surprising that he reached the Kraken, who were 23rd in line.

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