Philipp Grubauer Activated From Injured Reserve
Not only did the Colorado Avalanche send Adam Werner back to the minor leagues yesterday, but now Antoine Bibeau has joined him heading back to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. That’s because Philipp Grubauer has been activated from injured reserve and Pavel Francouz is also set to dress again for the team.
The Avalanche were forced to use Werner and Bibeau for three games when they lost both NHL goaltenders suddenly, and the pair got two wins for the club. Werner’s came in a 40-save shutout when he took over for Francouz early against the Winnipeg Jets, while Bibeau took home a victory over the weekend against the Vancouver Canucks. The fact that the Avalanche were able to win two tough Western Conference matchups with minor league goaltending and two-thirds of their top line out shows just how dangerous they are this year.
Now, they’ll get their regular tandem back for the next stretch of games and try to keep pace with the surging St. Louis Blues atop the Central Division. Colorado takes on the Flames tonight and Grubauer is expected to start. He is 6-3-2 this season with a .915 save percentage in 11 outings.
Gabe Vilardi Officially Assigned To AHL
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for Gabe Vilardi. The chronically-injured Los Angeles Kings prospect has been added to the Ontario Reign roster according to the AHL transactions page after being on the season-opening injured reserve list to this point. John Hoven reports that Vilardi is expected to make his season debut for the Reign this weekend.
Vilardi, 20, has played in just 52 total games since being selected 11th overall in 2017. That’s including the junior and professional levels, though the vast majority were with the Kingston Frontenacs at the end of the 2017-18 season. Last year he was limited to just four contests with Ontario, thanks to a troubling back injury that has derailed the early part of his career in the Los Angeles organization.
When healthy, Vilardi has shown the ability to be an absolute force in the offensive zone, protecting the puck down low and creating scoring opportunities at will. Because of his strong defensive tendencies he was also regarded as a potential first-line center prospect, though at this point it isn’t clear where his future will take him.
The Kings are obviously still excited about the young forward, but at this point the NHL still seems a distant goal. Vilardi needs to get back into games and see how his body responds after such a long layoff. He’ll get that chance in Ontario where the Reign are about to lose a key forward in Mario Kempe after he asked for a contract termination to pursue an opportunity in the KHL.
Snapshots: Hathaway, Zykov, Kovalchuk
It’s not clear what punishment if any Garnet Hathaway will receive from the league for spitting at Erik Gudbranson last night, but Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that a suspension is possible. (Update: Hathaway will have a hearing on Wednesday morning) The Capitals are preparing to make some roster moves to accommodate the potential discipline.
Hathaway was involved in a fight with several Anaheim Ducks players after Brendan Leipsic landed a big hit, and ended up spitting at Gudbranson while the officials separated them. The incident came with a match penalty that includes an automatic review of the situation and potential suspension. For a team like the Capitals that are pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling, even losing a player like Hathaway (who carries a $1.5MM cap hit) creates a tricky situation.
- There was a familiar face at the Vegas Golden Knights morning skate today, as Valentin Zykov re-joined the group after serving the first part of his suspension. Zykov was suspended 20 games for testing positive for a banned substance, but is allowed to return to practice ten days before the end of it. He is eligible to return to game action on November 29th against the Arizona Coyotes.
- It has been widely reported that Ilya Kovalchuk is due a portion of his signing bonus on December 15th, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic clarifies exactly how much will be paid out. Kovalchuk will earn another $2.65MM that day, at which point there will be less than $5MM total remaining on his $18.75MM contract.
Cory Schneider Placed On Waivers
Tuesday: Schneider has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.
Monday: The New Jersey Devils have announced that Cory Schneider will be placed on waivers today with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues. The team recalled Louis Domingue earlier today, who joins MacKenzie Blackwood in net for the Devils.
Domingue, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this month, will cost the Devils a 2021 seventh-round pick if he plays in seven games. That apparently was worth it for a team that continues to flounder at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. The Devils do have two wins in their last two games, but are now 16 points behind the division-leading Washington Capitals.
With Schneider, the team simply couldn’t wait for him to figure out his game. The 33-year old hasn’t been very effective since the 2015-16 season, recording a .904 save percentage in parts of four seasons since then. That has culminated in his horrendous .852 number this season in six appearances, all losses.
The Devils already have some cap space, but moving Schneider to the minor leagues would give them an additional $1.075MM in buried savings. The veteran goaltender is carrying a $6.0MM cap hit through the end of the 2021-22 season and now looks like he may be an anchor for the organization.
That contract will almost certainly mean that Schneider clears, giving him the opportunity to try and rebuild his game in the minor leagues.
Nick Bjugstad Out “Longer-Term” With Lower-Body Injury
The Pittsburgh Penguins have suffered another injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan updated the media today and explained that though Nick Bjugstad was still being evaluated, he expects the big forward to be out “longer-term.” Bjugstad exited the game on Friday against the New Jersey Devils when he fell awkwardly into the boards.
Sullivan did announce that Patric Hornqvist is getting closer and that Kris Letang has resumed skating on his own, but isn’t ready for practice yet. The team is also still without Sidney Crosby as he recovers from his sports hernia surgery.
Bjugstad, 27, was already injured earlier this year and missed several games, limiting his impact for the team. In ten contests—two of which have been cut short by injury—he has just a single goal and zero assists. That’s a far cry from the nine goals and 14 points he registered in just 32 games for them following a trade from the Florida Panthers last season, and even further from the 24-goal campaign he put up as a 22-year old in 2014-15.
Selected 19th overall in 2010, Bjugstad has been something of a disappointment so far in his NHL career, dealing with injuries almost every season and not finding much consistency when he was on the ice. His absence will be missed however, given the other health concerns the team has at forward.
Surgery Planned For Jonathan Drouin, Paul Byron
Tuesday: The Canadiens have issued an update on both players. Drouin will be out a minimum of eight weeks, while Byron is expected to miss just four.
Monday: The Montreal Canadiens are about to lose two big parts of their forward group, as head coach Claude Julien told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that both Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron need surgery. Drouin’s will be on his wrist and is set for later today, while Byron suffered a knee injury and will go under the knife tomorrow. Both players are expected to be out “weeks.”
Losing two of your best offensive weapons is never a good thing, but especially not in a season where the Canadiens look like legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. The team is sitting at 11-5-4 through the first quarter of the season, just three points behind the Boston Bruins for Atlantic Division lead.
Drouin was also in the midst of his best season so far in Montreal, with 15 points through his first 19 games. Blessed with incredible puck skills and playmaking ability, there have always been questions about his consistency and commitment to taking the puck to the tougher areas. A lot of those questions had been answered this year and his even-strength production had improved as a result.
Byron meanwhile hasn’t had the kind of offensive success he is used to, but is still one of the team’s most important two-way forwards. After scoring 51 even-strength goals over the last three seasons he has just one on the season.
Minor Transactions: 11/19/19
After a quiet two days the NHL is back in full force tonight with 26 teams in action. That includes Pat Maroon and Kevin Shattenkirk returning to St. Louis to take on their former team, this time suiting up for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are floundering in sixth place in the Atlantic Division but have played the fewest games of any team in the league and still have plenty of time to turn things around. While teams prepare for the busy night, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- Those Lightning are dealing with a few bumps and bruises, so Cory Conacher has been recalled from the minor leagues to serve as some extra forward depth for this evening. The 29-year old Conacher has one again found success in the minor leagues, scoring 12 points in 16 games this season for the Syracuse Crunch.
- Adam Werner has been sent back to the Colorado Eagles as the Avalanche goaltenders start to get healthy, but the team has also made another transaction. A.J. Greer has been recalled according to Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic, giving the young forward another chance at the NHL. Greer was a second-round pick in 2015 but has played just 37 games so far for the Avalanche, scoring six points.
- The Calgary Flames will try to insert even more physicality into the lineup after recalling Zac Rinaldo from the minor leagues. The team has sent the struggling Tobias Rieder to the AHL in his place. Rinaldo, has played in 351 NHL games, recording 719 penalty minutes.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Gilbert, Calvert
The NHL has released the Three Stars for last week, and it will surprise absolutely no one to see Connor McDavid on the top. The Edmonton Oilers captain scored ten points in three games including an incredible six-point game against the Colorado Avalanche. McDavid is on pace to score 149 points this season.
Speaking of the Colorado Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon takes home the second star after his own excellent week with seven points in three games. Keith Yandle took the third spot after posting eight points and now sits sixth among all NHL defensemen in scoring.
- The AHL has suspended Chicago Blackhawks prospect Dennis Gilbert for two games after an interference incident on Saturday night. Gilbert is still looking for his first point at any level this season after going scoreless through seven AHL games and three NHL games.
- Matt Calvert has been sent back to Colorado and is out indefinitely after taking a puck to the head over the weekend. Calvert’s injury was the subject of much discussion in the hockey world after the officials did not blow the whistle even with him bleeding profusely on the ice. The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers reports that Logan O’Connor has been recalled from the AHL Eagles, likely indicating that Calvert is headed for a stint on the injured reserve.
Trevor Moore Placed On Injured Reserve
The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost another one of their young forwards, as Trevor Moore has been placed on injured reserve. They’ll give Pierre Engvall a look, recalling him from the minors for the first time in his career. Moore suffered a shoulder injury early in Friday night’s game against the Boston Bruins.
Engvall meanwhile has been tearing up the minor leagues with 16 points in his first 15 games, more than anyone could have expected from a seventh-round pick. Selected 188th overall in 2014, the Maple Leafs patiently watched his development overseas before bringing him into the organization and almost immediately heaping responsibility on him. In 2018 Engvall joined the Toronto Marlies down the stretch and helped them win the Calder Cup, and last season moved to center full-time.
For Moore, it’s an unfortunate outcome when he had just been given a huge opportunity beside John Tavares and the other talented Maple Leafs’ forwards. Originally undrafted, the 24-year old has a seemingly limitless work ethic and continues to force his way up the team’s depth chart.
The Maple Leafs are one of the most disappointing teams in the league so far this season, with a 9-9-4 record despite some of the highest-paid players in the league still scoring at a strong rate. Their reimagined defense corps has struggled and there is already tons of speculation on the future of head coach Mike Babcock. Now without Moore, they’ll have to find a way to turn things around quickly.
Kyle Okposo Diagnosed With Concussion
The Buffalo Sabres released their injury report today, and one name in particular drew plenty of attention. Veteran forward Kyle Okposo is out indefinitely with a concussion, a frightening injury for someone with his history of brain injuries. The team also announced that Tage Thompson, who didn’t even make it through his season debut, will be out three to five weeks with a shoulder injury.
Okposo, 31, has suffered multiple head injuries over the last few years, including one that put him in the Neuro Surgical ICU at Buffalo General Hospital in 2017. That was followed by a concussion in 2018 and another one in February when he was struck with a hard punch from Anthony DeAngelo.
The Sabres are starting to look awfully thin at forward as Okposo and Thompson join Vladimir Sobotka on the sideline, meaning their pursuit of another top-nine option could be amplified in the coming days. The team could potentially get even more salary cap relief by putting Okposo on long-term injured reserve if he is going to miss at least a month, though that is not clear at this point.