PHR Live Chat Transcript: 11/28/19
Click here read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
Oilers Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Chiasson, Larsson
The Edmonton Oilers won’t have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for this weekend as he underwent a “procedure” on his hand. He is expected to be back at some point next week however, a relatively good outcome after needing surgery.
Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t played since a game against the Vegas Golden Knights last week, and still hasn’t taken quite the step everyone has been waiting for since he was selected first overall in 2011. Undoubtedly a valuable player, the 26-year old has just 16 points in 25 games this season (an 82-game pace of 52 points) after setting career highs a year ago.
- The team will also be without Alex Chiasson indefinitely as he enters the concussion protocol. Chiasson was hit by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves last night and left the game. He too has been a disappointment this season after setting career highs a year ago, with only six points in 23 games so far in 2019-20.
- Though there was some speculation circulating that Adam Larsson would have a hearing and potentially be suspended for his hit on T.J. Tynan, that is not the case. Larsson told reporters including Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal that he has not yet been told there will be a hearing and the Department of Player Safety has not announced one.
Oskar Sundqvist Out “A While” For St. Louis Blues
5:00pm: Sundqvist has been placed on injured reserve. The Blues have recalled Austin Poganski in his place.
2:55pm: The St. Louis Blues have dealt with serious injuries to their forward group all season, including a potential season-long absence for top sniper Vladimir Tarasenko. Things don’t seem to be getting any better, as head coach Craig Berube told reporters including Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch that Oskar Sundqvist will be out “a while” and is set to get further testing back in St. Louis. Thomas notes that Sundqvist was seen on crutches with his right foot in a walking boot.
Sundqvist came out of last night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after being hit in the corner by Luke Schenn. The 25-year old has been having an excellent season for the team with eight goals and 12 points in 26 games, while lending his physicality and speed to the penalty kill on a regular basis.
Tarasenko, Alex Steen, Sammy Blais and now Sundqvist are all out for the Blues, who will test their depth even further over the next while. Unfortunately trading Robby Fabbri just before some of these injuries hit, they were forced to look at the free agent market and bring in veteran Troy Brouwer to give the lineup some more experience.
Goalie Notes: Dubnyk, Fleury, Anderson
The Minnesota Wild saw Kaapo Kahkonen get his first NHL win recently, and they will need to rely on him for a little while longer as part of a tandem with Alex Stalock. That’s because Devan Dubnyk, though back with the team after taking a personal leave, will need some time to get up to speed.
Dubnyk’s absence was due to his wife Jennifer dealing with some medical issues, ones that have not yet been resolved. The emotional goaltender spoke with reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic, thanking everyone for the support he has been given in recent days.
- Dubnyk’s story is very similar to the one playing out with Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights, who has left the team to deal with a “serious illness” in his family according to Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Golden Knights relied on Malcolm Subban last night in their comeback win against the Nashville Predators and will need him and emergency recall Garret Sparks to hold the fort while Fleury deals with more important things.
- Craig Anderson (who is no stranger to off-ice issues either), has been placed on injured reserve according to Hailey Salvian of The Athletic. The goaltender is dealing with a lower-body injury but will travel with the Senators on their upcoming road trip. Ottawa will be in Minnesota tomorrow for an afternoon game against the Wild.
Valentin Zykov Placed On Waivers
Thursday: Zykov has cleared waivers and is now on his way to the minor leagues. The Golden Knights quickly assigned him to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
Wednesday: It may come as no surprise after the way his suspension was handled earlier this year, but Valentin Zykov has been placed on waivers by the Vegas Golden Knights according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Tonight’s Golden Knights game is the last of Zykov’s 20-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, after which he could potentially return to the lineup.
Notably when the suspension was issued, the Golden Knights immediately distanced themselves from any guilt, releasing a statement that put the blame entirely on Zykov. Vegas indicated that he “knowingly used a banned substance without the consent, recommendation or knowledge” of the team, a far cry from the support they gave Nate Schmidt when he was given a similar suspension a year prior.
Obviously waivers isn’t necessarily an end to the relationship, but it does show that the team is willing to risk losing Zykov to another team and go with the group they currently have. The 24-year old forward has played in just 47 games at the NHL level but does have 15 points, including two assists earlier this year in the seven games he played before getting suspended.
Minor Transactions: 11/28/19
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers, who will have to go almost hockey-less today. With the NFL taking over the airwaves, just one NHL game is scheduled. That one takes place in Montreal, where the Canadiens will welcome back P.K. Subban as a New Jersey Devil. Still, teams are likely to make several moves today and we’ll keep track of all of them right here.
- The Ottawa Senators have returned Max Veronneau to the minor leagues. where he can continue his development in his first year of professional hockey. The Princeton grad has six points in 14 games for the Belleville Senators this season.
- Sheldon Dries and A.J. Greer have been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, after Andre Burakovsky left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. The Avalanche are expected to get Mikko Rantanen back on Saturday night, but may need the extra body tomorrow.
- After Jimmy Howard was injured in the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calvin Pickard has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier had an admirable performance after taking the net ill, but Pickard may be needed to hold the fort until he gets better.
Boston Bruins Extend Charlie Coyle, Chris Wagner
The Boston Bruins have reached extensions with two of their veteran forwards, signing Charlie Coyle for an additional six years and Chris Wagner for three. Coyle’s new contract will carry an average annual value of $5.25MM while Wagner’s carries an AAV of $1.35MM. Both players were scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after this season.
Coyle, 27, will now be under contract through the 2025-26 season and locked in as a core piece for the Bruins to build around. The versatile forward can play wing or center and adds a well-rounded game to the group, even if he did struggle offensively early this season. Lately, including last night at Montreal, Coyle has been able to support the team’s top unit by creating secondary scoring further down the lineup and adding another weapon on the powerplay.
Acquired from the Minnesota Wild last season in exchange for Ryan Donato, Coyle was a huge part of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup run, scoring 16 points in 24 games and tying for the team lead with nine goals. Add that postseason success to the fact that Coyle is from Massachusetts and bleeds the black-and-gold and there was always a match to be made.
Wagner meanwhile has finally found a home with the Bruins after bouncing around the NHL through the early part of his career. The 28-year old played 76 games for Boston last season and recorded 12 goals and 19 points, but was an effective bottom-six option for the team. Another Massachusetts boy, his new deal keeps him under team control through the 2022-23 season for a more than reasonable price.
There’s risk in any signing the length of Coyle’s, but the Bruins have bought themselves wiggle room with other excellent deals in the past. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are legitimate contenders for the Hart Trophy this season and cost a combined $12.79MM against the cap, an incredible bargain in today’s NHL. Though they have other players needing new deals—namely star defenseman Torey Krug, who is scheduled for unrestricted free agency—these two new cap hits shouldn’t hinder their ability to sign whoever they want.
Ryan Whitney of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast was first to report that the deals were close.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Canadiens Notes: Price, Juulsen, Romanov
The Montreal Canadiens were embarrassed on home ice last night by a division and historical rival, losing to the Boston Bruins 8-1. As part of the loss, Carey Price was pulled from the net for the first time in more than 100 games, finishing with five goals against on 11 shots. That dropped his season save percentage down a whopping seven points, taking him to just .900 on the year.
That number is obviously influenced heavily by his last game, but the overall struggles of Price and the Canadiens have to be concerning at this point to the front office. The team has now lost five straight including overtime losses to the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils, considered some of the weakest teams in the Eastern Conference. Even before last night’s debacle, Price’s .907 save percentage on the year wasn’t up to his standards and needs to improve if the Canadiens stand any chance of competing in the tough Atlantic Division.
- If you were hoping that Noah Juulsen would be available soon to help out on defense, you might have to wait a little while longer. Laval Rocket broadcaster Anthony Marcotte reports that Juulsen did not travel with the team to Belleville and is instead meeting with a specialist about his recurring migraines. The 22-year old first-round pick has played in 13 games for the Rocket this season, recording three points.
- Some more defensive help may be on the way down the line though, as Mitch Brown of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the incredible development of Canadiens’ prospect Alexander Romanov in Russia this year. Selected 38th overall in 2018, the 19-year old Romanov has improved dramatically over the last 18 months and is logging regular minutes for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Montreal GM Marc Bergevin is expected to arrive in Russia to meet with Romanov in the next few days. The young defenseman’s KHL contract only runs through April 2020, meaning he could come to North America next season if Bergevin can convince him.
Los Angeles Kings Make Multiple Roster Moves
The Los Angeles Kings have recalled both Paul LaDue and Matt Luff from the minor leagues ahead of their game against the New York Islanders tonight. To make room, the team has sent Carl Grundstrom to the AHL and placed Alec Martinez on injured reserve. The team has also placed Derek Forbort on long-term injured reserve while assigning him to the AHL on a conditioning stint.
While LaDue and Luff coming up is no surprise, the demotion of Grundstrom may perk up some eyebrows after he got into the lineup the last several games. The 21-year old forward is still looking for his first goal this season but does have four points in nine games despite averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. Acquired as part of the package for Jake Muzzin last season, Grundstrom represents a real part of the Kings’ future up front and has shown a strong ability to contribute offensively at the NHL level so far.
Forbort’s assignment is the real news here though, as the veteran defenseman gets closer to a return after a back injury stole the first part of the season. The 27-year old has turned into a trusty partner for Drew Doughty over the last three seasons and is an important part of their group, but is also one of the team’s best trade chips if they decide to move him at the deadline. Forbort is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer and if the Kings want to open more room for younger options during their rebuild, he could fetch a pretty penny after showing he’s healthy and back to full strength.
Dylan McIlrath Placed On Waivers
Wednesday: McIlrath has cleared, but according to Ansar Khan of MLive will be staying with the Red Wings for the time being. Given Mike Green is not ready to play, McIlrath will be in the lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tuesday: The Detroit Red Wings have placed Dylan McIlrath on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. McIlrath cleared waivers before the season began but needed them again after playing in ten games for the Red Wings.
McIlrath, 27, was selected tenth overall in 2010 but never has lived up to his prospect billing as a shutdown defenseman in the NHL. The 6’5″ behemoth has now bounced around through a few organizations and has just 60 NHL games under his belt.
It seems extremely unlikely that he will be claimed at this point in his career, especially because he comes on a two-year contract. The Red Wings signed McIlrath to the extension in May, keeping him in the organization through the 2020-21 season on a two-way deal.