Injury Notes: Beaulieu, Rust, Makar
The Winnipeg Jets already lost several defensemen this summer to various means, and now will be without another for the first month of the season. Nathan Beaulieu has suffered an upper-body injury and will be out for four weeks according to Murat Ates of The Athletic. Beaulieu was one of the players expected to pick up some slack this season after re-signing with the Jets for $1MM, but will have to work hard to get back into the lineup at some point in the future. The team claimed Carl Dahlstrom off waivers today to give them some more depth.
Ates also notes that Bryan Little did indeed suffer a concussion when he was hit by Luke Kunin in a game this weekend. Though there is no timetable for his return at this point, it comes as just another blow to a weakened Jets team that can’t seem to find any respite these days.
- Another team that might be facing a lengthy absence from an important player is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today that Bryan Rust will be out “longer-term” after blocking a shot against the Buffalo Sabres. Rust took the shot right to the palm of his hand, though there has been no confirmation if it is broken at this point. Sidney Crosby, who also blocked a shot and suffered a minor injury, was back out on the ice today for the Penguins.
- Alarm bells went off in Colorado today when Cale Makar was missing from practice with the Avalanche, but head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic that it was just a “little tweak.” Makar is expected to be ready for the start of the season.
- The same can be said about Mikael Backlund who skated by himself before Calgary Flames practice today. Backlund has a minor lower-body injury and according to GM Brad Treliving (via Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet) is expected to practice tomorrow and be in the lineup when the Flames take on the Avalanche on Thursday night.
Greg Pateryn Undergoes Core Muscle Surgery
The Minnesota Wild had some bad news to announce today, as Greg Pateryn won’t be hitting the ice for quite some time. The defenseman underwent bilateral core muscle repair surgery today in Philadelphia and will be out for approximately six weeks.
It’s an unfortunate start to the year for Pateryn and the Wild, who are both hoping for bounce-back seasons. The 29-year old defenseman played in 80 games for the Wild in 2018-19 after signing a three-year, $6.75MM deal, but saw his offensive output drop to just seven points while averaging 17 minutes a game. Though never known for his scoring ability, the Wild had a tough time generating offense when Pateryn was on the ice and he didn’t even serve as a prime penalty killer, trailing in that respect behind Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin.
Now with a core injury, Pateryn will not only miss time but will have to battle his way back into the lineup. The Wild are hoping a healthy Matt Dumba can bring together what should still be a solid defense corps enough to let Minnesota compete for a playoff spot, or at least climb out of the basement of the Central Division where they finished last year. The team still has Carson Soucy with the team for now, getting an opportunity with Pateryn on the sideline.
Evander Kane Suspended Three Games
Though there had been some previous reporting that Evander Kane could face up to a ten-game suspension, it won’t be quite as long of a ban for the San Jose Sharks forward. Kane has been issued a three-game suspension under Rule 40.4 for Physical Abuse of Officials.
The incident occurred in the third period of a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights, after Kane and Deryk Engelland were tied up along the boards. Kane ended up hitting the linesman with an errant slash, and pushed him away after the two had tumbled to the ice. While the contact was not viscous or intended to injure the official, the league will still keep Kane out for the first week of the year.
Previously, we saw a similar three-game suspension handed out to Anthony DeAngelo in 2017 when he was still on the Arizona Coyotes. DeAngelo also tried to get away from a linesman, pushing him in the process. Later that season Antoine Vermette was given a ten-game ban for what was deemed a Category II violation of Rule 40, when he slashed an official’s leg.
Kane will miss the team’s season opener tomorrow night and their home opener on Friday, both coincidentally against the Golden Knights. He’ll be eligible to return after the team’s third game, scheduled for Saturday in Anaheim.
Gustav Bouramman Placed On Unconditional Waivers
After just acquiring him last month, the Florida Panthers have placed Gustav Bouramman on unconditional waivers according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. This will likely precede a contract termination, allowing Bouramman to pursue another opportunity elsewhere. The minor league defenseman was sent to Florida by the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations in August.
Bouramman, 22, was a seventh-round pick from the 2015 draft but after another pair of successful seasons in the OHL his professional career hasn’t gone quite so smoothly. Playing most of the 2017-18 campaign in the ECHL, he suited up just 23 times in 2018-19 for the Iowa Wild of the AHL and recorded just two points. Stuck behind a huge number of more experienced defensemen in Florida, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take his talents back to Sweden for the time being.
A mutual contract termination would make Bouramman an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team.
Eric Comrie, Carl Dahlstrom Claimed Off Waivers
A huge number of talented players were on waivers yesterday, but it appears that just two have been claimed. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Arizona Coyotes have claimed goaltender Eric Comrie from the Winnipeg Jets, while Winnipeg themselves have picked up defenseman Carl Dahlstrom from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Comrie, 24, wasn’t the most accomplished goaltender on waivers yesterday, but does perhaps offer the most upside. Originally selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, the former WHL star has steadily improved his game in the minor leagues and posted a .917 save percentage in 47 games with the Manitoba Moose last season. The World Junior gold medalist can help the Coyotes deal with their early goaltending injuries, but it will be interesting to see if he lasts in the NHL long-term on a team that already has Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper locked into the top two spots. Because of that, Winnipeg may get a chance to reclaim him at some point.
Dahlstrom meanwhile may be in a much different situation. The Jets have lost a huge chunk of their defense corps this summer through trade (Jacob Trouba), free agency (Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot) and potential retirement (Dustin Byfuglien), leaving Josh Morrissey and a relatively new cast of characters. Dahlstrom will offer another young option to try out after he played 38 games for the Blackhawks last season. The second-round pick stands 6’4″ 231-lbs, size that many of the Jets’ current defensemen are lacking.
With just the two claims, it means that players like Daniel Sprong, Casey DeSmith, Joshua Ho-Sang, Thomas Hickey and Sven Baertschi can all be assigned to the minor leagues. A setback for all of them as they try to continue their NHL careers.
Lee Stempniak Announces Retirement
After a season spent mostly without a contract or in the minor leagues, Lee Stempniak was without a team once again this summer. Today, he announced his retirement from the NHL altogether, ending a 13-season run.
Stempniak, 36, played just two games for the Boston Bruins in 2018-19, instead suiting up for 20 contests in the minor leagues, the most AHL time he had seen since 2005. Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2003 draft, the Dartmouth College grad carved out a long successful career playing somewhere between a top-line scoring option and a third-line checking winger. Routinely scoring double-digit goals, he actually set a career-high of 28 in 2009-10 and will finish his career with 203 in 911 regular season games.
More impressive than his point totals perhaps is his career path, which took him to ten different NHL organizations. Stempniak was traded six times over his career, in various deals that were often completed at or around the trade deadline. An NHL mercenary, he never played more than 233 games for a single team.
The veteran forward would like to stay in hockey, and already there have been many who believe he’ll find success in whatever he does. The consummate professional during his playing days, it will be easy to see him get behind a bench or jump into a front office role at some point in the future.
Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2019-20?
We’ve finally reached the end of the offseason and things kick off this week around the NHL. Exhibition games are underway in Europe and final cuts have come down all around the league. The excitement for the upcoming season is palpable, with even the most minor transactions generating plenty of interest among hockey fans.
With that in mind we’re going to ask you, the PHR reader, to give us your thoughts on the upcoming season. We started with the Atlantic Division, which seemed an easy choice for a good chunk of our community. The Tampa Bay Lightning ran away with the poll, earning a whopping 46% of all votes. With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins firmly in the second and third spots, it may be another difficult year for Atlantic teams trying to crack those divisional playoff spots.
We’ll now move on to the Metropolitan Division, which has been dominated by one team for the last several years. The Washington Capitals have taken home the divisional crown for the past four consecutive seasons, posting at least 104 points in each. Even after losing head coach Barry Trotz to the rival New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals were able to fend off the rest of the group for the top spot. It didn’t do them much good as they ended up kicked out of the first round by the hard-charging Carolina Hurricanes, who should be in contention for the division lead after going all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
It certainly won’t be easy to capture though, as the division had five playoff teams last season and could potentially be a battle between all eight clubs this time around. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils both underwent huge changes in the offseason, while the Pittsburgh Penguins are still led by the Hall of Fame duo down the middle.
Who do you think will come out on top of the Metropolitan Division in the regular season? Can the Capitals make it five in a row? Will the Islanders complete the transformation to defensive powerhouse? Will Carter Hart‘s goaltending be the missing ingredient for the Philadelphia Flyers? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out!
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Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19
Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (per team release)
F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)
D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
Snapshots: Haley, Liljegren, Sheahan
The New York Rangers made their final cuts today but one name was conspicuously absent: Micheal Haley. The veteran tough guy was in training camp on a professional tryout, but appears to have made the club. Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic has heard just that, though no confirmation has yet come from the club as to what the contract would be. Haley needs an NHL deal to be eligible for the roster, but wouldn’t likely be making more than the $700K minimum salary.
With Haley sticking around, the team decided to send down young forwards like Filip Chytil and Vitali Kravtsov, expecting them to get more out of playing big minutes in the AHL. The duo are integral to the Rangers’ future and will get a chance to really dominate lesser competition in the minor leagues for the first part of the season.
- Speaking of top prospects going back to the AHL, Timothy Liljegren‘s time on the NHL roster might not be very long according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, who points out that the young defenseman likely made it past the final cuts for the Toronto Maple Leafs more because of cap mechanisms than performance. Liljegren is still currently on the Toronto roster but looks to need some more seasoning in the minor leagues before making an impact at the NHL level. The 20-year old was selected 17th in 2017 and had 15 points in 43 games for the Marlies last season.
- The Edmonton Oilers have split up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the time being, putting both at center on different lines with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins taking up the pivot role on the third group. Spreading out that center depth may be in part due to the fact that Riley Sheahan, who was a contender for that third-line center role, is in the concussion protocol and will be out for at least seven to ten days. Sheahan signed a one-year, $900K contract with the Oilers earlier this month after scoring nine goals and 19 points in 82 games last season split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.
Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division In 2019-20?
We’ve finally reached the end of the offseason and things kick off this week around the NHL. Exhibition games are underway in Europe and final cuts have come down all around the league. The excitement for the upcoming season is palpable, with even the most minor transactions generating plenty of interest among hockey fans.
With that in mind we’re going to ask you, the PHR reader, to give us your thoughts on the upcoming season. We start with the Atlantic Division, which last season gave us just three playoff teams but each of them recorded at least 100 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning led the way—just as our community predicted at this time last year—taking home the Presidents Trophy as the league’s best regular season team. Tampa Bay recorded 128 points but were stunned in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets and will be looking for revenge.
Tampa Bay is the odds-on favorite to win the division once again in 2019-20, but both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins don’t trail far behind. Not only will those three powerhouses battle it out for positioning at the top of the group, but the Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers are both expected to compete for playoff spots and potentially improve on their respective 96 and 86-point seasons. The Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators will all have to make large improvements to get into that playoff race, but as we saw last season with the St. Louis Blues, nothing is impossible in the NHL.
Who do you think will come out on top of the Atlantic Division in the regular season? Can Toronto really come out on top after handing so much of their salary cap to a handful of forwards? Will Boston reach the same level even with Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron another year older? Does the feisty young forward group in Montreal have what it takes to dethrone one of the top three? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!
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