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Toronto’s John Tavares Stretchered Off Ice In Game One

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May 21: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet after the game that Tavares is “conscious and communicating well” but will spend the night in hospital for further testing. An update came from the team in the morning when the veteran forward was discharged from hospital:

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares has been discharged from the hospital this morning. He was thoroughly examined and assessed by the neursurgical team at St. Michael’s Hospital and the club’s medical director. He was kept overnight for observation and is now resting at home under the care and supervision of team physicians. Tavares will be out indefinitely. 

May 20:  The long-awaited postseason reunion of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens got off to a start that no one hoped to see. Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was forced from Game One on Thursday night just over ten minutes into the game following a serious head injury. Tavares required the use of a stretcher to leave the ice. He has been taken to a local hospital. There has been no further update as to his condition.

Tavares’ injury, while horrific, was completely unintentional. The Leafs star was checked by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot while in transition. Montreal’s Corey Perry, following the play at full speed, skated by Tavares just as he fell to the ice. Perry’s knee struck Tavares directly in the head, launching the Hab into the air and knocking the Leaf to the ice. Toronto’s medical staff attempted to help Tavares from his prone position up to his knees, but he could not maintain his balance and fell back to the ice in a scary display of the immediate aftermath of a violent collision. The decision was made to bring the stretcher out in order to get Tavares off the ice. The captain was able to signal with a thumbs up as he exited, but this will not eliminate the fear and concern surrounding his condition.

Tavares, 30, is unlikely to return to the ice any time soon for the Maple Leafs, if at all this postseason following what was obviously a major head injury. It is a huge loss for the team, both on the ice and in the locker room. Tavares played in all 56 games for the Leafs this season, recording 50 points along the way. The anchor of the Leafs’ second line and a key piece of the top power play unit, Tavares was third on the team in scoring and second in assists. He is also Toronto’s top face-off man, enjoying a second consecutive season with career-best success at the dot with a 55.3% FOW. Tavares, of course, is also a locker room presence and an important part of the Leafs’ leadership group. Toronto will have to regroup and refocus in order to make sure that they don’t let Tavares’ loss, no matter how shocking it was to watch, cost them their first-round series.

Everyone at PHR wishes Tavares and his family the best during this frightening time.

Minors Notes: Heartlanders, McKinnon, Senn

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One of the ECHL’s 2021-22 expansion teams is now official. The team slated to play in Coralville, Iowa beginning next season will officially be called the Iowa Heartlanders, the league announced today. The team debuted a buck logo that also implies a gold, black, and gray color scheme. The Heartlanders, on obvious nod to their Iowa locale, will also use the local wild prairie rose as a secondary logo. While Iowa finally has a name and logo, their yet-to-be-named expansion companions in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec have the all-important NHL affiliation, having linked up with the Montreal Canadiens. Iowa has yet to strike a deal of their own, however the obvious link would be to the Minnesota Wild, whose AHL affiliate also plays in the state. The Wild were affiliated with the Allen Americans this past season, but there has been no word on whether that relationship will continue or if Minnesota will instead recruit the newfound Heartlanders.

  • Ian McKinnon made quite a name for himself in just a short time in the AHL this season and has now been rewarded. On loan from the Jacksonville Ice Men to the Providence Bruins for ten games this year, McKinnon racked up a whopping 81 penalty minutes. It was enough to finish third in the league in total PIM while obviously taking the PIM per game crown. McKinnon was a physical force and unafraid to drop the gloves, but also contributed three points in those ten games as well, including his first AHL goal in the Bruins’ division title-clinching season finale win. It was enough to earn him an AHL deal for next year, as the Providence Bruins have announced a one-year pact. The junior-level journeyman has finally found his stride in the pros and the Bruins are looking forward to seeing what he can do moving forward with some experience now under his belt.
  • One player who may not be as thrilled about playing in the minors is New Jersey Devils goaltender Gilles Senn. A restricted free agent this summer, the 25-year-old played exclusively with AHL Binghamton this season – and poorly at that – after seeing NHL action last year and doesn’t seem to be happy with that career progression. Word out of Senn’s native Switzerland is that the netminder is “on the market.” The GM of National League squad HC Davos, Marc Gianola, claims that his off-season plans to make a change in goal shifted when he heard that Senn could be available. Senn played six seasons with Davos prior to making the jump to North America and could be eyeing a return, especially with the GM publicly acknowledging his interest. However, if Senn does choose to return to Switzerland, there will be no shortage of interest. Is that enough to convince him to abandon his NHL pursuits? A decision will be made one way or another shortly with the off-season coming up quickly.

Jonathan Quick To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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After another disappointing season, both personally and for his team, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is wasting no time with getting a start on his preparation for next year. According to The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman, Quick is scheduled for shoulder surgery on Wednesday. GM Rob Blake states that Quick will be ready for training camp and the start of the regular season.

Ironically, Quick’s shoulder is a separate ailment from the one that kept him out the final weeks of the Kings’ season. Quick suffered a rib injury on May 3 and this is the issue that prevented him from returning to action at the end of the year. Instead, Blake notes that the shoulder surgery is to fix “wear and tear over the years.” This is potentially good news for Kings fans, as Quick’s underwhelming performance has spanned the past three years, not just 2020-21. Correctly a lingering injury as opposed to a recent issue is more of a proactive move to improve rather than a reactive move merely to keep playing. Perhaps a refreshed shoulder could lead to return to form for the 35-year-old, a multi-time Jennings Trophy winner, All-Star, and Stanley Cup-winning starter.

Interestingly, especially given that Quick receiving fewer starts than Calvin Petersen even before his late-season injury, the veteran was recently named by franchise icon Drew Doughty as still being part of L.A.’s aging “core”, who Doughty believes deserve to be surrounded by superior talent. Quick may have had a better record than Petersen this season at 11-9-2 and even had a slightly better goals against average, but the younger member of the tandem had a substantially better save percentage and simply passed the eye test more often. While to the outside observer it may seem like Quick’s play over the past few years and Petersen’s presence no longer make him a key player for the Kings, there at least seems to be some internal belief that the long-time netminder is still a top option in net and a key member of the roster. A healthy Quick to begin the 2021-22 campaign could be on a mission to prove his teammates right and to return himself and his team to relevance.

Vancouver Canucks Plan To Retain Jim Benning As GM

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Things are getting interesting in Vancouver. On the eve of their season finale, a disappointing season at that, rumors are swirling around the Canucks. Earlier reports suggested that sweeping changes could be coming to the organization, including a potential return of Daniel and Henrik Sedin in front office roles. Meanwhile, head coach Travis Green is still working on an expiring contract and there has been no indication that a resolution is in sight. Given all of this mystery and speculation, the Canucks have made perhaps the most surprising move they could: retaining GM Jim Benning. The often-criticized executive has been informed that he will be back with the team next year, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

As Friedman relays, given all of the uncertainty that has arisen over the past 24 hours, ownership indicated to their front office leader that he would be returning. It’s a major decision to make ahead of a crucial off-season, as Benning will be charged with managing the Canucks’ approach to the NHL Expansion Draft (made more important by the Seattle Kraken becoming a geographical rival right away), properly executing a top-ten overall draft pick, and otherwise handling an off-season in which his roster must significantly improve despite sorely lacking cap space.

Therein lies most of the criticism of Benning as well. The GM, who has been on the job since 2014, has made some questionable decisions in regards to his most precious resource, cap space. Benning has deemed the likes of Brandon Sutter, Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Sven Baertschi, and Micheal Ferland as being worthy of sizeable commitments during his tenure, which has hurt the team on the payroll and in opportunity cost. It also forced the departures of superior players, such as Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Toffoli last off-season. Those losses were felt this year as the Canucks, fresh off a run to the Western Conference semifinals last year, lived in the basement all season. Benning is left having to pick up the pieces and will try to find a way to squeeze more talent into his roster this summer.

Why is it Benning fixing the problem though? For starters, his track record on the trade market and in the draft at least come close to balancing out his contract negotiation mistakes. Since the 2018-19 trade deadline, Benning has added core members Tanner Pearson, J.T. Miller, and Nate Schmidt at below-market prices. His recent draft picks also include current and budding stars such as Quinn Hughes, Nils Hoglander, Vasili Podkolzin, Jack Rathbone, Michael DiPietro, Jett Woo, Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich, and more. So while some of Benning’s criticism is fair, too often his successes are ignored. Despite allegedly wanting to make major internal changes, the Canucks understand and appreciate what Benning has achieved and what he is trying to build in Vancouver. It seems that he will now be given at least one more year to show that he is still steering the organization in the right direction. It’s unlikely to appease the fans in the meantime, but the club hopes that their loyalty will be rewarded.

Anaheim Ducks Send Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale To AHL

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The Anaheim Ducks’ young dynamic duo is back in action. The team has announced that recent first-round picks Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, as well as veteran Sam Carrick, have been assigned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls for the Pacific Division postseason tournament. The group combined for 55 points in 58 games in the AHL this season and will provide a major boost to the No. 3 seed.

This move itself is not a surprise; as young players, it is not strange to see Zegras and Drysdale re-assigned to the minors after their NHL seasons ended. Instead, it’s the timing that is curious. The trio have all been out of action for ten days since the Ducks concluded their season back on May 8. Instead of sending them immediately to the Gulls, who still had regular season game remaining, Anaheim held the group at the NHL level, leading to some speculation that perhaps they would not play again this year. However, they have now been sent down with the playoffs beginning. Perhaps the team simply did not want to risk injury for regular season games, but is more willing with postseason glory on the line. Incidentally, the Ducks also save some money by not having paying out AHL contracts to the group over the past week, with playoff participation now coming cost-free.

Zegras and Drysdale getting some extra play time certainly won’t hurt though, as each lost out on some action in their first pro seasons due to shuffling between the NHL and AHL, on top of an already-shortened schedule. Even in a small sample size though, the duo showed emerging star power and became a bright light in a dim season for the Ducks. Zegras, in just 24 games, recorded 13 points to finish among Anaheim’s top nine scoring forwards. The dynamic play-maker was also the Ducks’ best possession player among lineup regulars and posted a team-best +6 rating. Zegras recorded 10 goals and 21 points in 17 AHL games this year and should dominate in the playoffs this year before refocusing on preparing to take on a top-six role for Anaheim next year. Drysdale, meanwhile, also played in 24 games with the Ducks, recording eight points which was third among defensemen. The 18-year-old may have struggled slightly with adjusting to the defensive requirements of competing in the NHL, but still averaged almost 20 minutes of ice time per game. Drysdale only played in 14 games and, like Zegras, looked out of place, recording ten points and skating around the competition.

Zegras and Drysdale are clearly the cornerstones of the Ducks’ current rebuild. Who can blame them for wanting to take another look at their elite ability in action in the Pacific Division postseason. However, it’s 2021-22 and full NHL seasons for the duo that the Ducks and their fans should really be excited about.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Jack Thompson

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have put pen to paper with one of the top prospects in their system. Defenseman Jack Thompson has signed his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced. No financial details have been disclosed, but the team did state that the deal does not begin until next season. Thompson got into one game with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, playing on an amateur tryout to end his season.

Thompson, 19, is not your typical “top prospect”. A 2020 third-round pick, he probably wouldn’t be considered as such with any other team in the league. However, in Tampa’s pipeline, thin and aging, Thompson was a much-needed addition last year. A high-upside project, Thompson is a bit one-dimensional as a possession defenseman with a good shot but not much in the way of play-making or defensive ability. However, the Bolts can work with his natural ability and good size over the course of this first contract. He’s one of very few young prospects in the system with the capacity and time to grow into much more than what he is now.

Thompson was a point-per-game player in an 18-game stint in the Swedish minors this year, recording 9 goals, 9 assists, and an +9 rating for Surahammars IF. In that short time, he actually ended up finishing first among defenseman in goals and plus/minus. Last season, Thompson played for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, recording 32 points in 63 games; he could wind up back in Sudbury next season as well. Although he got a taste of the pros this yeat, another year of junior would not hurt for the raw prospect.

Thompson was a polarizing prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, likely due to the fact that he has a narrow skill set but has mastered those skills. Some saw righty blue-liner as a potential early third-round pick while others saw him falling into the later rounds. The Lightning are clearly happy to have snagged him at No. 93 overall and with a constant need to affordable talent at the NHL level for the cap-strapped club, they will be happy to see Thompson continue to take steps forward and broaden his ability into a pro-ready game.

Controversy Surrounds AHL’s Pacific Division Playoffs

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The AHL’s Pacific Division is set to get underway with their postseason tournament on Tuesday, but those most crucial to the playoffs don’t actually want to be there: the participants. Agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Sports revealed that the Pacific Division players were surveyed about their thoughts on playing a postseason this year, as all other AHL divisions opted to end their seasons with a simple regular season champion. The result: 133 of 141 responses (over 94%) stated that they did not want to participate in a playoff.

Given the logistical issues of holding a full league postseason this season, the AHL had opted not to award the Calder Cup this year. Instead, they let each division decide how they would handle crowning a champion. With the AHL broken down into small, regional divisions this season due to the Coronavirus, the Pacific was one of five divisions and one of only three with six or more teams. Yet, the other two – the North and Central Divisions – did not decide to extend their seasons with a playoff tournament. Only the Pacific decided to move forward, despite heavy opposition by the players.

The major issue for the players is that they are not paid for postseason participation. This is true for athletes in all North American pro sports, as contracts only cover regular season performance (aside from postseason bonuses), but usually players have something worth fighting for besides money: a league championship. The Calder Cup is not at stake here and clearly the players do not feel that “2020-21 Pacific Division Champion” on their resume is worth the time and effort. Nor the risk. Health is another major concern, as worker’s compensation will not cover any injuries sustained in the postseason.

The players, with valid reasoning and the backing of their players’ association, did not support the Pacific Division postseason. Yet, the teams proceeded with implementing a playoff structure anyhow and one that includes all seven teams playing at least one game at that. To date, no player has backed out. Why? “That’s career suicide,” one AHL player told InsideAHLHockey.com. With contracts pro-rated for the shortened 2020-21, many AHL contract players are already having a difficult time making ends meet financially and cannot risk blacklisting themselves when they are desperately in need of continued employment next season. As for those on NHL contracts, they are not going to go against the wishes of their organization, either because they are also a veteran who needs another contract or they are a young player trying to stay in their team’s good graces to earn opportunity at the top level. The Pacific Division team had all the leverage in this situation and they used, despite the wishes of the lifeblood of the game. If you’re planning to enjoy the upcoming playoff, just keep in mind – no one wants to be there.

Overseas Notes: Lindholm, Bobkov, Vladar

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It’s been an interesting season to say the least for forward Par Lindholm. The veteran sought his release from the Boston Bruins back in February and was granted a contract termination, citing his desire to play a more meaningful role than the 15th or 16th forward on the Bruins’ depth chart. His wish for more commitment and standing was granted almost immediately after he left Boston, returning to his former SHL club Skelleftea AIK on a whopping five-year deal. Lindholm played in 11 games down the stretch for Skelleftea, recording nine points, and then added six points in a dozen playoff games for the semifinalist. Lindholm quickly proved to be an invaluable piece for Skelleftea and with a long-term deal in place, it seemed that it would stay that way for some time. Well, that may not be the case. Skelleftea has announced today that Lindholm has exercised a previously unreported “out clause” in his contract to leave the team for the 2021-22 season. The team notes that the remaining four years on his deal do remain valid and they hope he returns to play out his contract. Where Lindholm is off to next that he considers an upgrade to Skelleftea remains unknown; his time in the NHL showed that the league’s teams do not see him as any more than a bottom-six depth player, so remaining in Europe seems likely. A better offer in Sweden or an opportunity in the KHL could have prompted this decision by Lindholm, but only time will tell.

  • So much for the Igor Bobkov NHL comeback speculation. Fresh off of a Gagarin Cup title, Bobkov was granted a release from the newly-crowned champs Avangard Omsk on Monday, with the expectation being that he would be looking to test the NHL free agent market this summer. The former Anaheim Ducks top prospect has dominated the KHL for six years running and at 30 years old could still have had appeal in a second try in North America. Instead, another KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, has inked Bobkov to a one-year deal, putting an end to any NHL possibilities for next season. Why Omsk, who still had Bobkov under contract for one more year, opted to terminate him instead of trade him to Kazan remains a mystery, but regardless the KHL retains one of its very best netminders for at least the 2021-22 campaign.
  • Another KHL club has made an interesting move in net, although they may never reap the benefits. Automobilist Yekaterinburg announced today that they have acquired the KHL rights of Boston Bruins goaltender Dan Vladar in exchange for minor league forward Kirill Pilipenko. Vladar would of course be an excellent addition for Yekaterinburg, that is if he ever leaves North America in his pro career. While Jeremy Swayman has overshadowed Vladar in Boston this season, the latter has quietly been one of the very best goalies in the AHL both this season and last. In fact, he held the best save percentage and GAA mark in the AHL in 2019-20. The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by the Bruins back in 2015 and already has five pro seasons under his belt, including three AHL seasons with a .923 save percentage or better. While Vladar’s early NHL results have not been spectacular, that shouldn’t hurt his value as a prospect as compared to his size, composure, and minor league track record. Heading into next season, other teams may even get a chance to show just how much upside they see in Vladar. The young goaltender will lose his waiver exemption in 2021-22 and if, as many expect, the Bruins go with a tandem of re-signed Tuukka Rask and Swayman next year, the team may try to trade Vladar if they don’t think they can sneak him through waivers. Via trade or waiver claim, Vladar could find himself on an NHL roster on a permanent basis beginning next season. If it goes well, Vladar could be on an NHL roster for much of the rest of his career, as opposed to joining Automobilist in the KHL. Things would have to go south in a major way for the young keeper in order for Yekaterinburg to see any returns on this trade in the near future.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/15/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. While the league is waiting on a report from the Florida Panthers, here is today’s list for all remaining active teams:

Florida – TBA
St. Louis – Jake Walman, Nathan Walker, David Perron*
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Ilya Samsonov, Washington Capitals

While Washington will be happy to see that Samsonov was one-and-done on his second stint on the CPRA list, the goaltender was still absent from morning skate earlier and he is not expected to play in Game One against the Boston Bruins tonight. Nevertheless, having Samsonov available for the remainder of the series is certainly a plus for Capitals. Their young goaltending tandem is the team’s biggest question mark heading into the postseason, but having both healthy improves the situation. Whether the Capitals will get Kuznetsov back during their first-round series remains uncertain.

In St. Louis, this is certainly not the news that the team hoped for on the eve of their postseason run. While the Blues would have liked to have Walman and Walker available as depth options if need be, their losses are not much of a factor to the team’s success. Perron’s addition to the COVID Protocol is another matter entirely. The veteran led the Blues in scoring this season with 58 points in 56 games and is a difference-maker on the ice and in the locker room. If he misses any time, it makes the daunting task of upsetting the Colorado Avalanche that much harder. The team and the league alike hate to see a player of his caliber sidelined at this time of the year.

Brian Leetch Resigns From Hockey Ops Role With Rangers

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At least one member of the New York Rangers front office is seemingly not happy with all of the major changes made in the past two weeks. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports that Hall of Famer Brian Leetch has resigned from his advisor role with the hockey operations department in New York. The move comes on the heels of President John Davidson, GM Jeff Gorton, and head coach David Quinn and his staff all being fired in recent days.

Leetch, like Drury, is a famous former Ranger, although the two never played together. Leetch’s storied NHL career began with 17 years manning the blue line for the club before final short stops in Toronto and Boston. Leetch retired in 2006, but re-entered the scene in 2017 by taking this role with New York. He has spent the past four seasons working with the Rangers’ prospects in a development role while consulting on the NHL Draft and other elements of hockey ops.

However, after spending that time working closely with several names who are now gone, Leetch seems to have decided to move on as well. He may not be the last either. Many have criticized the Rangers for removing their front office leadership and coaching staff, many of whom had not spent much time in those roles, following a season in which the team finished with the best record of any non-playoff team while facing an all-divisional schedule against arguably the deepest and most talented division in the East. It stands to reason that there are some within the organization who agree with that sentiment, and it feels as though Leetch is among them.

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