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Brandon Davidson Undergoes Surgery, Out 6-8 Weeks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have just three wins in their past 15 games and sport the league’s fifth-worse goals against per game. Those struggles make today’s news that much more difficult for the team. Chicago announced this evening that defenseman Brandon Davidson underwent right knee surgery today and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks. The team will have to make do without the blue liner for the remainder of the calendar year at the very least.

Davidson, 27, has missed the Blackhawks’ past seven games with the lower-body ailment and was placed on injured reserve last week after the injury proved to be more than what was initially considered minor. A successful training camp tryout earned Davidson a one-year, minimum deal with Chicago, but given his track record of being a solid contributor in the NHL, Davidson entered the year with expectations greater than that of just a last-minute addition. In seven games so far this year, the two-way defender has only managed one point and has been relatively ineffective, but with the rest of the defensive corps struggling Davidson’s presence remained important.

With Davidson sidelined long-term, the return of Connor Murphy becomes much more important. Murphy has been out all season long with a back injury, but recently began practicing with the team and is expected back in the lineup sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the team will look to Gustav Forsling to play a starting role. Forsling has recorded four points in just six games already, including a multi-point game in his last appearance and season high in ice time the game prior. The Blackhawks need Forsling, Murphy, and company to do more than just make up for Davidson’s absence to fix the team’s overall defensive woes, but if they can, the team will be in good shape with defensive depth when Davidson returns in a month or two.

College Notes: Henrikson, Crone, Risers

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The jump to North America has not been kind to Arvid Henrikson thus far and it has impacted his college recruitment. Yet, the big Swedish defenseman has made his decision on where he will begin his NCAA career and hopes that transition yields better results than his move to the USHL this year. Henrikson, 20, was a seventh-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, following a point-per-game campaign in the Swedish juniors. His success in the pro ranks in Sweden has been less impressive, prompting a change in career path this off-season. Henrikson joined the Des Moines Buccaneers for the 2018-19 campaign, but has only registered one point through 18 games so far. While Henrikson has the size – 6’5″, 212 lbs. – and physical style to make a career out of being a stay-at-home defender, he has shown ample offensive ability before and hoped to showcase that side of his game in the USHL. Instead, he will hold out hope that perhaps his production will improve when he enrolls at Lake Superior State University next season. The Buccaneers announced today that Henrikson has committed to join the Lakers, where he will replace senior defenseman and Anaheim Ducks prospect Steven Ruggiero as the only drafted player in the program. Lake Superior may not be a powerhouse college program, but less spotlight and fewer expectations may be exactly what Henrikson needs to develop into the defenseman that the Canadiens hoped they were getting with a late flier a few years ago.

  • When Hank Crone finished third in scoring in the USHL in 2016-17, ahead of the likes of Andrei Svechnikov, Eeli Tolvanen, and future Boston University teammate Shane Bowers, many expected that it would be enough to get him drafted. Yet, the talented albeit undersized forward again was passed up. Last season, his first with BU, also did not go according to plan. Crone managed to record just twelve points and failed to live up to the offensive prowess he showed in juniors. As a result, Crone is back in the USHL this season, re-joining the Fargo Force rather than staying on with the Terriers. Unsurprisingly, he’s back at his old ways with 21 points in 19 games. As a result, he’s also willing to try his hand at the college game again and has committed to another top program. Hockey Commitments announced today that Crone has signed on to join the University of Denver next season, where he will have three years of eligibility left to show NHL teams what they missed. If Crone is able to get it right on his second try in the NCAA, he should draw considerable interest from the pro ranks down the road.
  • In his latest article about the biggest early “risers” of the most recent draft class, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman tabbed college or college-bound players as half of the most surprising performers so far this season. The top played named, who Pronman says has established himself as a “legit NHL prospect”, is Calgary Flames pick Emilio Pettersen. The Denver forward was a sixth-round pick out of the USHL after a strong but unspectacular season, but has been better than a point-per-game so far through twelve games and has looked like an elite play-maker against tough competition. Northeastern forward Tyler Madden, the Vancouver Canucks’ third-round pick, is next up. Madden has ten points through twelve games for the Huskies and has easily transitioned his two-way game to the college level. Also on Pronman’s list are UConn center Jachym Kondelik (NSH, Rd. 4), UMass center John Leonard (SJ, Rd. 6), Pettersen’s Denver teammate Brett Stapley (MTL, Rd. 7), and St. Lawrence-bound Martin Pospisil (CGY, Rd. 4), as the college game continues be a great developmental option for the NHL’s top prospects.

Cam York Commits To The University Of Michigan

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In 2017, the University of Michigan watched shutdown defenseman Luke Martin get selected in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. Last year, smooth-skating Wolverines rearguard Quinn Hughes was drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks, the second defenseman off the board. With both players expected to turn pro after this season, there was some understandable concern about the Michigan blue line moving forward. Well, those fears can be put to rest, as the team is unlikely to miss a beat after today’s announcement. Cam York, one of the top draft-eligible defenseman of the 2019 class, is headed to Ann Arbor. The U.S. National Development Program announced that their star defender made his commitment to the University of Michigan official today.

York is considered by most to be one of the top two or three defensemen in the upcoming draft, alongside Canadian Bowen Byram and Swedes Philip Broberg and Victor Soderstrom. The Anaheim, California native is a guaranteed first round pick next June, if not top-ten. A product of Shattuck St. Mary’s, York joined the USNTDP last season and quickly earned a spot on the U-18 team. This season, York has been the program’s top defender and has the numbers to prove it. With 16 points through 21 games, York leads the team’s defensemen in scoring and is top-six overall in both points and assists.

At 5’11, 172 lbs., York is not a dominant physical presence on the back end, however he does possess a solid two-way game. Yet, where York is really dangerous is when he has the puck on his stick. A talented puck-mover, York pushes the pace of the game and sees the ice better than most his age. With passing accuracy and a strong shot, the 17-year-old is an offensive dynamo on the blue line. York should be able to dominate the college game with Michigan, so much so that he’s unlikely to be a Wolverine for more than a season or two. Michigan fans will take what they can get, as York will continue the team’s recent streak of having top play-makers on the blue line.

Boston Bruins Linked To Minnesota’s Charlie Coyle

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Even before the Boston Bruins’ rash of defensive injuries and the loss of Patrice Bergeron, the team was having early-season issues with secondary scoring. With their No. 1 center and so much talent on the back end now out of commission, that need is now even more exasperated. As The Athletic’s Joe McDonald writes (subscription required), they have zeroed in on a center as their biggest need, one who could presumably make up for Bergeron’s absence for the next four weeks before taking over the third line center slot.

Heading into the season, the Bruins gave prospects Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka a shot to win the third line center spot in training camp. When none succeeded initially, Boston then tried Sean Kuraly and David Backes in the role, without any better results. The team has relied on free agent addition Joakim Nordstrom for much of the season thus far and recently recalled Forsbacka Karlsson as well. McDonald believes that “JFK” is the key to what comes next for the Bruins. The 22-year-old has two points in seven games so far this season and has seen his responsibilities grow, capped off by centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak last night and matching up against Sidney Crosby when the Bruins faced the Pittsburgh Penguins. McDonald opines that the Bruins are testing Forsbacka Karlsson to see if he could be the in-house solution to their problems, rather than make a trade.

Yet, if it comes to it, it seems that Boston has found their favored trade target. McDonald reports that the Bruins have had conversations with the Minnesota Wild as early as this past summer about Charlie Coyle and have renewed their interest in acquiring the forward. McDonald cites colleague Michael Russo, who recently listed Coyle as one of the Wild’s available players and feels that his ceiling is limited. However, the two-way forward can play both center and right wing and would fit in nicely with what the Bruins need. Coyle has cracked 20 goals in a season just once but is a capable play-maker who could open up the ice for some of Boston’s more natural shooters who have had a hard time getting clean looks this season. Add in that Coyle is a Boston area-native and Boston University alum and it makes sense that the Bruins are intrigued by the familiar name with a solid skill set.

However, McDonald opines that in order to acquire Coyle, the Bruins would likely have to move one of Danton Heinen, Anders Bjork, or Ryan Donato just to get talks started. Understandably, Minnesota is having a strong start to the season and lacks motivation to move Coyle if not properly incentivized. Yet, if the team feels similarly to Russo that Coyle has limited upside and is inconsistent, the possibility remains open that they would be willing to move Coyle and his $3.2MM cap hit in a more affordable trade. Heinen enjoyed a surprise breakout rookie season last year and Donato is considered one of, if not the Bruins’ top forward prospect. Boston would likely hold out hope that a package centered around Bjork or a lesser piece would do the trick. If not, the Bruins will likely continue to weigh the benefits of pursuing the trade or simply sticking with Forsbacka Karlsson for a while longer.

Minor Transactions: 11/24/18

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As the final weekend of November gets underway today, the league presents a slate of eleven games, highlighted by some rivalry match-ups and intriguing story lines. The Capitals and Rangers get the action started with a matinee game, while later on the Jets and Blues, Bruins and Canadiens, and Blue Jackets and Penguins square off. Meanwhile, last season’s Calder Cup-winning tandem of Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard will face one another when the Maple Leafs host the Flyers. With 22 teams going after a busy day yesterday as well, there will surely be some movement across the league today. Keep up with all the recalls and reassignments right here:

  • Last night, the Edmonton Oilers returned rookie forward Cooper Marody to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Edmonton had called up Marody early last week and gave him four starts, but Marody still failed to record his first NHL point. Marody has been held off the score sheet through six NHL games thus far in his first pro season, but has ten points in just seven AHL contests. The University of Michigan product has the ability and the Oilers believe in him enough to continue giving him looks, but he’ll need to show some production on his next try at the top level.
  • Trevor Carrick has earned his first call-up of the season, as the Carolina Hurricanes have placed Brett Pesce on the injured reserve and tabbed Carrick as the man to replace his roster spot. Pesce’s IR assignment, retroactive to November 10th, is the result of a lower-body injury. In his stead, Carrick and Haydn Fleury will be the likely candidates to replace him, either directly on the right side or on their natural left side with Trevor van Riemsdyk returning to his natural side. Carrick, 24, played in just one NHL game last year and has played in three total in his five-year pro career. However, the Charlotte Checkers veteran leads all defenseman on the team in scoring this season with 17 points in 19 games and is due for another look in Raleigh.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have recalled winger Garrett Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.  It’s the second stint with the big club this month for the 27-year-old who got into four games with Pittsburgh in his first go-round.  Wilson has been quite productive in the minors, picking up 11 points in a dozen games but will likely play a fourth line role while on recall.
  • After seeing limited action upon being brought up, forward Michael Dal Colle is on his way back to the minors after the New York Islanders returned him to AHL Bridgeport and recalled winger Tanner Fritz.  Dal Colle played in just two games with New York, logging less than nine minutes per night.  He has been productive in his third full season with the Sound Tigers though, averaging a point per game in 14 contests.  Meanwhile, Fritz has spent most of this season with Bridgeport, amassing ten points in 17 games.
  • With Roberto Luongo injured, the Florida Panthers have brought back goaltender Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the AHL.  The 28-year-old struggled considerably in his first stint with the team, posting a 4.18 GAA with a .839 SV% in four games with Florida.  He hasn’t fared much better with the Thunderbirds, notching a 3.48 GAA with a .903 SV% in four minor league appearances.  He’ll serve as the backup to James Reimer while Luongo is on the shelf.
  • After being called up Friday by the New York Rangers, the team announced they sent Tim Gettinger back to the Hartford Wolf Pack today. The good news for Gettinger is that he got a chance to make his NHL debut for the Rangers as he played 7:00 of ice time against the Washington Capitals, recording five hits and a blocked shot. The Rangers’ fifth-round pick in 2016, Gettinger has put up solid numbers so far in his first professional season with seven goals and 11 points in 20 games for the Wolf Pack.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Adin Hill from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper is day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury. The 22-year-old Hill has struggled in four appearances with the team this year, but has a 3.49 GAA and a .891 save percentage. Hill hasn’t fared much better in Tucson as he has a 3.22 GAA and a .871 save percentage in six games.

Flames’ Dalton Prout Reassigned To AHL For Conditioning Stint

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The Calgary Flames are flying high right now, sporting the best record in the Pacific Division and winners of seven of their last ten. The Flames owe their success to a number of players, but veteran defenseman Dalton Prout has not been one of them. Prout has been a healthy scratch for all but one game this season, the team’s second game of the season back on October 6th. That inactivity has finally become a concern for the team, as the Flames announced that they have sent Prout down to the AHL on a conditioning assignment.

Prout, 28, was acquired by Calgary in a trade with the New Jersey Devils last season, in which goaltender Eddie Lack headed back to New Jersey. Prout did not suit up for the Flames, but instead played out the rest of the season with the Stockton Heat. It was the first time since his rookie season that Prout did not play at least a quarter of the NHL season, but now looks as if it could be a sign of things to come rather than a fluke.

Prout is a big, physical defender, but struggles with skating and and lacks finesse in his game. Calgary has shown that they don’t need to or want to rely on him, even last year, and are even deeper on the blue line this season. The play of rookies Juuso Valimaki and Rasmus Andersson have made Prout an unnecessary fixture in Calgary thus far. This conditioning stint will get him some play time, key on the off chance that they do need him, but seems more like a preface to a more permanent solution for Prout.

Snapshots: Martinsson, Kovar, Niagara

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Eric Martinsson’s days with the Minnesota Wild seem to be numbered, but he’s not likely to be too upset about it. Swedish new source “Hockey News SE” reports that the Martinsson and the Wild have come to a mutual agreement that the recent free agent signing is to be placed on unconditional waivers in the near future for the purpose of terminating his contract. Martinsson, 26, signed with Minnesota back in May, looking to make the jump overseas after a successful stretch in the Swedish Hockey League with the Vaxjo Lakers. Instead of earning a spot on the NHL roster, Martinsson was in fact a relatively early cut from training camp. While the puck-moving blue liner has nine points through 13 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, he seems no closer to pushing for a chance in Minnesota than he did before the season began. As such, Martinsson would like to return home to Sweden and the Wild are expected to oblige him. Eric Martinsson is just the latest in a stream of players departing the North American minors to return to Europe this season, although Hockey New SE speculates that Martinsson’s return will be of considerable interest to many teams in the SHL.

  • Veteran forward Jan Kovar is also pondering a return to Europe. Kovar signed with the New York Islanders this summer after years of success in the KHL and in his native Czech Republic. Kovar was expected to not only compete for a job with the Isles, but potentially even center a scoring line. Instead, Kovar proved to be a poor fit with the team in camp and did not crack the starting lineup. His contract was quickly terminated, but in holding out hope for another NHL opportunity, he signed with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Kovar has nine points in ten games with Providence, while their parent club, the Boston Bruins, have struggled with injuries and consistency, but no contract offer seems to be coming. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver now reports that Kovar has not practiced with the team in two days and is supposedly weighing overseas contract offers. Divver believes that Kovar has offers in the KHL and NLA, as well as back home in the Czech Republic, but no such opportunities in North America. Divver additionally questions whether Kovar plays with the requisite pace to succeed in the NHL, a criticism that has come up frequently during his brief efforts this season.
  • Less than 25 games into the season doesn’t seem to be too early for a blockbuster trade in the Ontario Hockey League. The Kingston Frontenacs, with just seven win thus far the second-worst record in the league, have cashed in on two of their best assets. The Niagara Ice Dogs announced today that they have acquired Jason Robertson and Jacob Paquette from Kingston. Robertson, a second-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2017, has back-to-back 80+ point seasons and is currently fourth among OHL scoring leaders with 38 points and second in goals with 23. Paquette, a seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2017, is a big, physical defender and a locker room leader as well. Niagara is currently tied for second in the Central Division and tied for sixth overall in the league, but will almost certainly see a considerable boost from this trade. Yet, Kingston also received a king’s ransom in the deal. The Ice Dogs surrendered a total of eleven future draft picks, including three second-rounders and three third-rounders, as well as promising draft-eligible defenseman Billy Constantinou and forward Ian Martin. The Frontenacs may have disappointed their fans by virtually giving up on the season less than halfway in, but will reward them with a solid flow of talent for years to come.

J.D. Greenway Commits To The University Of Maine

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The University of Maine received great news today in the form of a commitment from a top prospect. J.D. Greenway, brother to Minnesota Wild forward Jordan Greenway and a 2016 third-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is set to join the Black Bears. Greenway’s current team, the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, announced that the big defenseman has decided to return to school next season.

Greenway’s development has come with its fair share of twists and turns thus far. The 20-year-old grew into his 6’4″ frame early on and gained the reputation of a being a hulking defender with composure and checking ability beyond his years, along with an offensive touch. In two seasons with the U.S. National Development Program, Greenway was a constant presence both on the ice and the score sheet. He joined the University of Wisconsin Badgers in 2016-17 with high expectations, but had a difficult time transitioning his game to the college level. While he received the benefit of the doubt as a highly-recruited freshman, he didn’t enjoy that same benefit in year two when his problems persisted and he lost ice time and trust of the coaching staff. Greenway made the decision to leave school and re-evaluate his plans this season, which has proved wise so far. In 17 games with Dubuque, Greenway leads all defensemen in points, power play production, and shots, looking comfortable as an offensive asset again.

As a result, Greenway’s stock was back on the rise among college programs and UMaine is the lucky winner. This is a major addition for the Black Bears, who get Greenway for two seasons beginning next year. The team currently rosters only three other NHL draft picks – starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman (BOS, 4th rd. ’17) and forwards Chase Pearson (DET, 5th rd. ’15) and Patrick Shea (FLA, 7th rd. ’15) – and have not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2012. With all three of these players and last year’s top scorer, Mitchell Fossier, expected to return next season, as well as the additions of Greenway and the likes of Brad Morrissey and Brady Gaudette, Maine could take a big step forward in 2019-20.

The Maple Leafs will be also happy to see Greenway back in the college ranks improving his game, as the young defenseman brings a Dustin Byfuglien-type style that the team would love to one day see flourish on their blue line. Oftentimes issues with a college program are too quickly labeled as a shortcoming of the player, but in the case of Greenway, he is certainly still considered a solid NHL prospect who should outperform his Wisconsin production once he arrives in Orono next year.

Panthers’ Vincent Trocheck Leaves Game On Stretcher

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Tuesday: Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Trocheck is undergoing surgery on his leg today, giving a long-term timeline for his recovery. It is a huge blow for the Panthers as they try to climb their way out of the Eastern Conference basement.

Monday: In a scary incident on Monday night in Ottawa, Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck was forced from the game with what appears to be a serious lower-body injury. Trocheck left the ice on a stretcher after a collision with Senators forward Ryan Dzingel along the end boards. The Panthers were quick to announce that Trocheck was being evaluated for his injury and would not return to the game.

The crash in question occurred late in the first period as Trocheck and Dzingel battled for the puck while skating toward the Panthers’ net (video). The duo got tied up and  Trocheck’s right leg was trapped under him as he fell backwards. The twisting of the knee, paired with Trocheck’s visible pain, would seem to indicate ligament damage and Florida will have to hold out hope that it is a strain rather than a tear, especially of the ACL. Such an injury would keep Trocheck sidelined for a long period of time. The incident looked similar to the injury suffered by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz earlier this season and Schultz was given a four month recovery timeline.

Trocheck, 25, has 14 points in 18 games to date, including an assist earlier in this game. After a career 75-point campaign last year, Trocheck has established himself as a top offensive asset for the Cats. Trocheck is especially key to the power play, which could suffer during his likely absence. The slick center is a mainstay in the top-six for Florida, who will have to ask others in the organization to step up if they hope to avoid the ill effects of the injury.

Poll: Can David Pastrnak Reach Sixty Goals This Season?

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Entering this season, Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak had already established himself as a star in the NHL. A steal of a draft pick at 25th overall in 2014, Pastrnak stepped right into the Bruins’ lineup that season and never looked back. In 2016-17, he truly broke out with 70 points in 75 games and followed that up with an 80-point campaign last year. Pastrnak scored 34 and 35 goals respectively in those two seasons and seemed destined to improve on that mark as his game continued to mature.

However, no one saw this start coming. Even with all of his early career accomplishments, Pastrnak has never led the Bruins in scoring and was considered by most to be the third-best player on his own line (albeit the NHL’s best line). There were expectations that he could continue to develop and that the goals may come more easily, but Pastrnak’s current clip is relatively unheard of in today’s NHL. Through 20 games, Pastrnak has recorded 17 goals and leads the league my a considerable margin. Tied for second are Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres, who each have just 14 goals and both skated in their 21st game tonight.

While Pastrnak has made a pretty strong case for himself as the Rocket Richard favorite a quarter of the way through the season, is he on his way to a historic season. If Pastrnak keeps up his current goal scoring rate through all 82 games – and he has played in all but seven of 182 regular season and postseason games over the past two years – he would net 70 goals this season. Even assuming he doesn’t play every game or his otherworldly clip falls off, 60 goals is still reasonable for Pastrnak this season. Only twenty different players have ever scored 60+ goals in an NHL season, some multiple times, but it has become increasingly infrequent over time. Since the turn of the century, only two players have reached the mark. Alex Ovechkin scored 65 goals in 2007-08 and Steven Stamkos just narrowly reached 60 goals in 2011-12. The only other player to get remotely close since 2000 was Hall of Famer Pavel Bure with 59 in 2000-01. The days of 60-goal scorers seemed to have passed, but Pastrnak has an actual shot this year.

Other than a possible injury or cold streak, working against Pastrnak could actually be his all-world line mates. Patrice Bergeron, currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, is 33 years old and has had his fair share of injury concerns over the past couple of years. With Bergeron out of the lineup on Saturday night, head coach Bruce Cassidy re-shuffled the lines, separating Pastrnak and Brad Marchand by mixing them in with a middle-six group that, while talented, has been inconsistent and relatively ineffective this year. Bergeron’s availability could dictate Pastrnak’s scoring capacity this season. The same goes for Marchand, who has been well-behaved by his standards thus far, but could be suspended for a substantial amount of time given his history if he was to slip up. Pastrnak independently is an excellent player who does not necessarily need to exclusively play with elite players to be productive. However, to keep up a pace of close to a goal per game, Pastrnak will need the help of Bergeron and Marchand as often as possible.

What do you think? Are we seeing history in the making or just a hot start? Can Pastrnak really crack 60 goals?

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