Sharks Notes: Karlsson, Goodrow, Thornton, Hawryluk
Despite the devastating news that star defenseman Erik Karlsson will miss the rest of the season Saturday with a broken thumb, there may be a silver lining when looking at the injury.
One small consolation is that by placing Karlsson on long-term injured reserve, it will free up $11.5MM in salary, which could give the team some more flexibility in taking on salary at the trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required). The team currently has just $5.7MM of cap space it could use at the trade deadline, meaning it would be unable to take back any team’s salary which could increase their return in trades. Now with that $11.5MM available to use, San Jose may be able to benefit even more at the trade deadline.
Another concern initially came when Karlsson fell awkwardly over Joe Thornton as many believed he had re-injured his surgically repaired groin injury, which he dealt with for much of last season. The 29-year-old hasn’t been the same since undergoing offseason surgery and hasn’t been nearly as mobile this year. Kurz added in a separate tweet that Karlsson will have his thumb surgery Monday in Los Angeles, by Dr. Steven Shin, who operated on NBA’s Stephen Curry and the NFL’s Drew Brees.
- With the “For Sale” sign up and visible, there are many teams who have inquired about Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow, who is having a career season with eight goals, 24 points and 80 penalty minutes. The 26-year-old is very attractive to capped-out teams as he carries just a $925K salary and has one more year on his current contract before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2021. However, the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka writes that there has been no indication from the Sharks that they would be willing to move Goodrow, who has become a very versatile piece on the team, who can play any position, play on the penalty kill, and has received a signficant upgrade in minutes since Tomas Hertl went down with a season-ending injury. The team fully expects him to be a part of their future.
- Longtime Shark Thornton has also been in trade rumors recently, but has a no-movement clause, which means that if Thornton is traded, it will be at his request. However, rumors still suggest that he might be a good fit with the Boston Bruins, for a reunion with the team that originally drafted him and which he played for eight seasons before being traded to the Sharks. Another recent team to come up in rumors is the Colorado Avalanche, where he might be a perfect addition, according to ColoradoHockeyNow’s Adrian Dater. Thornton would serve as a good short-term replacement for Nazem Kadri, who is out weeks with a lower-body injury. He also might be a better candidate to play in a bottom-six role over Tyson Jost, who has struggled mightily recently, going 30 straight games without a goal.
- Kurz also notes that the Sharks could be interested in forward Jayce Hawryluk, who was put on waivers today. Hawryluk is well known by head coach Bob Boughner, who coached him in Florida last season. With the team looking for depth on their bottom-six, Hawryluk would make sense.
Boston Bruins Extend Jeremy Lauzon
Fresh off of serving his two-game suspension, Jeremy Lauzon is getting a nice new contract. The Boston Bruins have signed Lauzon to a two-year extension that carries an average annual value of $850K. The young defenseman was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year, but will now be under contract through 2021-22.
Lauzon, 22, was originally selected 52nd overall in 2015 and is now on the precipice of becoming a full-time NHL player. Though he has only spent 23 games at that level so far in his short career the future, both in terms of performance and situation, look bright. The Bruins have three significant defenders—Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara and Kevan Miller—all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and with it opportunity for some of the younger options.
The fact that Lauzon is now under contract for so little will only help his chances of staying in Boston. An $850K cap hit is just a little more than the league minimum, meaning they can fit him in even if they were to spend big to keep Krug around. There are plenty of options for the Bruins, but they obviously believe that Lauzon can contribute down the road.
The young defenseman could potentially be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency at the end of the deal, should he fail to play in another 57 games at the NHL level. That likely won’t be an issue, but is at least something to remember over the next two years.
Minor Transactions: 02/13/20
The entire hockey world watched two icons have their numbers raised to the rafters together in Vancouver last night, as Daniel and Henrik Sedin were honored by the Canucks. Twin brothers who were miraculously drafted second and third overall by the same franchise (after some wheeling and dealing by then-GM Brian Burke) spent 17 seasons connecting with a city and fanbase. The Sedins each scored over 1,000 points in a Canucks sweater and no one else will ever wear #22 or #33 in Vancouver. As the Canucks and other teams prepare to go back to work this evening, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- As the Dallas Stars get set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, they’ve placed Alexander Radulov on injured reserve. Taking his place is top prospect Jason Robertson, who could make his NHL debut. Selected 39th overall in 2017, Robertson has taken quite well to professional hockey, recording 20 goals and 35 points as a rookie with the Texas Stars.
- The Boston Bruins have returned Jeremy Lauzon to the minor leagues, after he served the final game of his suspension by sitting out last night. Lauzon could be an option for the Bruins down the stretch, but has spent most of the season in the AHL.
- Yakov Trenin has been sent to the AHL by the Nashville Predators, as the team readies for their matchup against the New York Islanders tonight. Trenin has played 17 games for the Predators this season and must be getting used to the trip between leagues.
- Once again the Winnipeg Jets have recalled Andrei Chibisov, and perhaps this is the time he will make his NHL debut. The 26-year old forward has 24 points in 47 games for the Manitoba Moose in his first season in North America.
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent Scott Wilson back to the minor leagues, as Victor Olofsson and Kyle Okposo return to the lineup tonight. Olofsson will try to resume his excellent rookie campaign and provide some more scoring punch for the Sabres.
- Mark Barberio has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, after playing in 14 games with the team earlier this season. The 29-year old defenseman has two points on the season.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled both Antti Suomela and Noah Gregor from the minor leagues, though the latter seems to be dealing with a minor injury. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic tweets that Suomela will be the extra forward for tomorrow’s Sharks’ game against the Winnipeg Jets.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Barrett Hayton from the minor leagues, sending Aaron Ness down to make room. Hayton had to come up now that his conditioning loan has expired, and will need to either stay with Arizona or go back to the CHL for the rest of the year.
Minor Transactions: 02/11/20
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild decided to shake up the hockey world last night, completing the first major trade of deadline season by finally agreeing to a Jason Zucker deal. The former Wild forward is expected to debut on Sidney Crosby‘s line tonight, not a bad place to try and make an impact on your new team. As the rest of the league responds and prepares, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- After their game last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced two transactions to fix their roster. The first was to send Liam Foudy back to the OHL after making his NHL debut as an emergency call-up, with the second being Gabriel Carlsson‘s return to the AHL.
- Karson Kuhlman is back with the Boston Bruins, recalled today and put onto the second line at practice beside Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci. Kuhlman has five points in 17 NHL games this season, and has bounced back and forth regularly.
- After getting into some action to test his mettle, Martin Fehervary has been returned to the AHL. Though the 20-year old defenseman has shown glimpses of what he can become, there is still development to be done.
- The Detroit Red Wings have returned Taro Hirose and Givani Smith to the minor leagues, while activating Anthony Mantha and Frans Nieslen from injured reserve. Those moves come in addition to waiving Jonathan Ericsson.
- Taylor Fedun will be making his AHL debut this season, as the Texas Stars announced that Dallas has assigned the veteran defenseman to a conditioning loan. Formerly an AHL regular, Fedun has only skated in three games in the minors since he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres early last season. At the price of only a seventh-round pick, Fedun has been a valuable asset for Dallas, recording 11 points in 54 games last year and nine points in 27 games so far this year.
- The AHL’s Laval Rocket have re-signed forward Yannick Veilleux to a one-year extension, the team announced. In his second go-round with Laval, the Quebec native has nine points in 14 games since being recalled from the ECHL. Veilleux spent all of last season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans but was in Laval the season prior.
Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Lauzon Suspended Two Games
The Department of Player Safety announced that Boston Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon has been suspended two games for his illegal check to the head of Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan on Saturday.
The hit came at the end of the first period of the Bruins’ 4-2 win when Lauzon drove Stepan into the boards with a high hit that got some of Stepan’s head (video here). Stepan was shaken up and left for the final few seconds of the period, but was well enough to return to the game at the start of the second period. Lauzon received a five-minute major and a match penalty for the hit, but the league felt it deserved some supplementary discipline.
Lauzon, a rookie, has appeared in 23 total games over the past year, but has played in just seven for the Bruins this season. He has a goal, nine hits and five blocks in those seven games. The suspension further tasks a team that has several injured defenseman, including Connor Clifton and Kevan Miller. The team had already recalled defenseman Urho Vaakanainen from Providence in an emergency recall to fill Lauzon’s place for the next couple of games.
Minor Transactions: 02/09/20
It’s the first Sunday without football since September 1st, but the NHL is here to take over with a five-game slate today. The action kicks off at 12:30 local time in Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. The contest doubles as both an Original Six match-up and a meeting between the best and worst records in the league. Zdeno Chara, who was honored yesterday in Boston for 1500 career games and 1000 games with the Bruins, will lead his team into what they hope is their seventh win in a row. Meanwhile, the Blackhaws-Jets and Avalanche-Wild present Central Division collisions between teams all jockeying for playoff position. Colorado would like to catch St. Louis atop the conference, while Chicago, Minnesota, and Winnipeg are just hoping they can punch their ticket to the postseason. Amidst the action today, there will also be a number of minor moves as teams prepare their rosters for the week ahead. Sunday is typically a busy day for transactions, and early indications are that today will be no different. Follow along with all the moves here:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that rookie center Ryan MacInnis has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has just one point in nine games with Columbus this season. The once-promising pivot looks as though his future in the NHL will likely be as a bottom-six contributor, rather than the top-six forward he was projected as when the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the second round in 2014. His spot is being taken on the roster by top prospect Liam Foudy as his OHL team in London announced that the 20-year-old has been recalled on an emergency basis. The 18th pick in 2018 has 43 points in 32 games with the Knights this season and can play in up to nine games without burning the first season of his entry-level deal.
- After sending defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres have turned around and called him back up this morning. Pilut has been an impressive contributor for the Rochester Americans this season, but has been held off the scoreboard with Buffalo.
- Conversely, the Washington Capitals have demoted their young defender Martin Fehervary after he was recalled and added to the lineup yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flyers. CapFriendly reports that Fehervary is on his way back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he has already logged 45 appearances this season.
- CapFriendly also reports that Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Benson has been returned to the AHL. The promising prospect leads the Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 42 games so far this year.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced that oft-on-the-move forward Nicolas Roy has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The big forward has split his season between both clubs and has been a consistent contributor at both levels. At least if Roy continues to be a frequent mover next season, the trip will be shorter, as the Knights hope to bring an AHL affiliate to the Las Vegas area.
- The Athletic’s Eric Stephens relays that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped a trio a prospects. Heading to the parent club are defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura, while forward Kiefer Sherwood will return to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The uneven exchange and the addition of two defensemen indicates that veteran Erik Gudbranson has been moved to the injured reserve. The defensive duo should be able to fill in nicely, as they have each registered four points in a combined 29 points this season.
- With the Bruins “expecting something” from Jeremy Lauzon’s hearing with Player Safety this morning, Brandon Carlo flying to meet the team in Detroit after a personal day on Saturday, and John Moore leaving yesterday’s game in the third period, the team had more than enough reason to use an emergency recall on Urho Vaakanainen. However, the top D prospect is not expected to play after all, as Carlo and Moore are anticipated to be good to go for the matinee. Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence after the game, the team announced.
- The Detroit Red Wings have activated defenseman Mike Green off of injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and he is playing against the Boston Bruins Sunday. Green has missed six contests with an upper-body injury. He has just eight points this season to go with a minus-27 rating.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Robbie Russo to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Russo was recalled on Thursday to serve as an extra defenseman, but wasn’t needed and didn’t appear in a game for the Coyotes. The 26-year-old has 14 points in Tucson.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Colby Cave from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Even after sending Tyler Benson down earlier today (look above), the team still had an opening on the roster, which Cave should fill. He has just one goal in five games with Edmonton this season and 10 goals in 40 games in Bakersfield.
Evening Notes: Lauzon, Raanta, Kuemper, Hart, Olofsson
The Department of Player Safety announced that they will have a hearing Sunday for Boston Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon for an illegal check to the head of Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan.
The incident happened at 19:34 of the first period of Saturday’s game between Boston and Arizona when Lauzon caught Stepan with a high hit against the boards (video here). Stepan was shaken up, but returned for the second period of the game. Lauzon received a five-minute major and a match penalty. The 22-year-old has appeared in seven games for Boston this season and has one goal.
- Before their afternoon game Saturday, the Arizona Coyotes announced that Antti Raanta would start against the Boston Bruins. However, the team instead put backup Adin Hill into the starting lineup not long after. The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that it was announced after the game that Raanta missed the game due to a lower-body injury. That could be disastrous, Morgan adds that head coach Rick Tocchet did say that starter Darcy Kuemper, who has been out since Dec. 19 with a lower-body injury, is expected to practice with the team in Montreal on Sunday and, if all goes well, could be available for Monday’s game against the Canadiens. Kuemper has been terrific this season for the Coyotes in 29 appearances. He boasts a 2.17 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
- Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could be back as soon as Monday against Florida. The second-year goalie has been out since Jan. 13 with an abdomen injury. Head coach Alain Vigneault said that he believes Hart could be ready soon, but much will defend on how Hart feels on Sunday before a final decision can be made. The 21-year-old has a 2.61 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 32 games this season.
- The Buffalo Sabres need to wait at least another week to get back rookie forward Victor Olofsson. Head coach Ralph Krueger said that Olofsson was close. “When you see a player back from an injury from this time period, you know that we are nearing a re-entry, but I would definitely say it will be a week or more still…We are really pleased to see him back out there today.” Getting Olofsson back would bring a much needed scorer back into the lineup. The 24-year-old has 16 goals and 35 points in 42 games before going down with a lower-body injury on Jan. 2.
Ilya Kovalchuk Drawing Trade Interest
Since Ilya Kovalchuk went to the Montreal Canadiens and started producing at a high level again, rumors have swirled about his fate at the 2020 trade deadline. The veteran forward agreed to a league minimum $700K contract making him an inexpensive option for teams at the deadline, but just two days ago Frank Seravalli of TSN wrote that the Canadiens would only be able to get a mid-round pick for him–and his availability wasn’t even a guarantee.
Today in a column examining all of the Canadiens’ trade candidates, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames all have some interest in the former superstar.
You can bet Kovalchuk understands the possibility of a trade. Earlier this week he told reporters that he didn’t want to talk about a future in Montreal just yet, indicating they needed to focus on the next few weeks to try and claw back into the playoffs. With his help and some stellar goaltending from Carey Price, the team has at least raised the question of postseason contention. Montreal is 8-3 in the 11 games since the long losing streak that started in late December, moving them back within five points of the final Atlantic Division playoff spot (with three more games played than the Florida Panthers).
Still, Kovalchuk remains one of the more interesting names to watch over the next several weeks. His minuscule cap hit will be very interesting for teams pushed up against the ceiling, and Montreal may well try to get a bidding war started over a player that was available to the whole league earlier this season.
Minor Transactions: 02/07/20
Just four games grace the NHL schedule this evening, but there are sure to be some whoppers. The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden to try and find some tiny bit of success in what has been a trying time for everyone involved with the team. The Sabres lost yesterday to the historically-bad Detroit Red Wings and are now 23-23-8 on the year. Meanwhile, the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs will throw Jack Campbell into the net right away against the Anaheim Ducks to try and save their season. As they and the rest of the league get ready, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the minor leagues, as Mark Borowiecki prepares for the birth of his first child. Borowiecki won’t be with the team as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s afternoon tilt against the Jets.
- Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who welcome in Phil Kessel and the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Brandon Carlo will not be playing for the team as he is dealing with a personal matter, but is expected to re-join them in time for Sunday’s game.
- Antti Suomela has been returned to the AHL after sitting out the last few games for the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year old center has played 12 games this season, recording three assists.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from the minor leagues, sending Daniel Sprong down in his place. Sprong, 22, has played most of the season in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 24 points in 31 games.
- After losing Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cameron Gaunce from the minor leagues. The team will need to find a way to keep their blue line in order after the recent losses.
- Morgan Frost is on his way back to the NHL, recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers after a month in the minors. In total, the young forward has played 30 games in the AHL this season, scoring 20 points. Andy Andreoff has been sent back down.
- Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, coming up for just the second time this season. The 22-year old defenseman hasn’t played a game at the NHL level this year, but does have 14 points in 43 games for the Utica Comets.
Bruins Notes: Backes, Rask, Didier
David Backes is in limbo right now, assigned to the Providence Bruins but not required to report. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney explained in a short statement yesterday that Backes is healthy enough to play, but wouldn’t be going to the AHL, a nice gesture by the team to not suspend the veteran forward. Today, Sweeney told Joe McDonald of The Athletic that Backes has not actually requested a trade, but is hoping for another opportunity if he’s no longer going to get one in Boston.
Of course, finding another NHL opportunity for a 35-year old with a $6MM cap hit is easier said than done. It also may not really be in Backes’ best interest to be traded. Right now, the Bruins are allowing him to collect his salary without reporting to the minor leagues thanks to their strong relationship. That might not be possible with another organization if he fails again at the NHL level. The most likely scenario still seems to be a buyout this summer, which would allow Backes to seek out other opportunities at a much lower cost.
- Tuukka Rask will be back for the Bruins tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. The goaltender was placed on injured reserve a few weeks ago, but ended up missing just three games thanks to the All-Star and bye week breaks. The Bruins already have one of the best “backup” goaltenders in the league in Jaroslav Halak, so a short rest for Rask is no problem for the club. Still, getting their Vezina-caliber starter back is still a boost for the Bruins, who are being chased down by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division race. Perhaps a bit quietly, Rask has a .925 save percentage this season through 28 appearances, his best mark since 2014.
- Depth in net is important, and depth in the minors is important too. Providence today extended alternate captain Josiah Didier for another two years, inking him to an AHL contract. Didier was originally a fourth-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in 2011, but went the college route and has never actually signed an NHL deal. The 26-year old defenseman has seven points in 40 games for Providence this season.