Nazem Kadri Suspended For Rest Of First Round
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without one of their most physical players for the rest of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins. The Department of Player Safety announced today that forward Nazem Kadri has been given a suspension of up to five games for his cross-check on Jake DeBrusk in Saturday night’s game. Kadri was responding to a hit on Patrick Marleau, and hit DeBrusk right in the face with his stick. Instead of giving the Maple Leafs forward a determined number of games, the league decided it was best to keep him out for the remainder of the series instead. As the accompanying video explains:
This is not a hockey play. Instead, this is a player retaliating against an opponent by using his stick as a weapon to make forceful and direct head contact. While we understand that Kadri took offense to DeBrusk’s hit against Marleau, players are simply not permitted to flagrantly violate league playing rules because they feel that retribution is justified. It is also important to note that Kadri has an extensive disciplinary track record that must be considered when issuing supplemental discipline.
This will be Kadri’s fifth suspension and one that is eerily similar to his last. Almost exactly a year ago the Maple Leafs center was suspended for a check on Boston’s Tommy Wingels in their first round series and was given a three-game ban. Toronto would eventually lose that series in seven games and many consider Kadri’s absence a contributing—if not ultimately determining—factor.
Though the league has not handed out many suspensions that can vary in length before, this is not entirely without precedent. In 2013, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended for the rest of his series against the Los Angeles Kings after a hit to the head of Jarret Stoll. Torres similarly had a long history of discipline, which included at that point a 21-game suspension (reduced from the original 25) for another head shot. Torres would eventually receive an even longer suspension in 2015 when he was banned for half a season.
While Kadri doesn’t have quite the reputation that Torres built over his playing career, that is the kind of discipline he’ll have to be wary of in the future. The Department of Player Safety has been clear that they will not tolerate repeat offenders especially when incidents are similar in nature. In fact, the Kadri video today brought up a similar cross-checking incident from his past when he struck Luke Glendening in the face with his stick in retaliation. His discipline will only increase unless he finds a way to stop these retaliatory incidents from occurring.
Snapshots: Kane, Bruins, Thornton
USA Hockey has announced their captain for the upcoming IIHF World Championship and it will once again be Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane. Kane served as captain of the team last year when they took home a bronze, and has competed several times internationally.
The club is expected to release their preliminary roster later this week, but it appears as though they will be one of the favorites again. The American squad will also feature Kane’s teammate Alex DeBrincat, along with others like James van Riemsdyk and Quinn Hughes. The group will be led by Jeff Blashill behind the bench, and play their first official game on May 10th against Slovakia.
- When the dust settled on game two between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, it appeared as though both teams would lose players for their next matchup. Nazem Kadri is expected to be given a long suspension for his cross-check to the face of Jake Debrusk, but the Bruins forward was back on the ice today at practice and is expected to play tonight. The same can be said about Torey Krug, who will take part in the game despite looking severely injured after taking a big hit from Jake Muzzin. Kadri meanwhile is having his in-person hearing in New York with the league.
- After Kadri’s hearing the league will also be looking at Joe Thornton‘s hit from the San Jose Sharks-Vegas Golden Knights game according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Thornton made considerable contact with Tomas Nosek‘s head, and received a two minute minor penalty for it. It’s not clear if the hit will rise to the level of supplemental discipline, as the Department of Player Safety has not yet announced a hearing for Thornton. UPDATE 1:15pm: The league has announced a hearing for Thornton. It will happen today.
Nazem Kadri Scheduled For In-Person Disciplinary Hearing
1:18: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Kadri’s hearing is scheduled for Monday.
8:31: It’s not a question of if Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri will be suspended, but rather for how many games. The aggressive forward will undoubtedly miss time for his second straight postseason after cross-checking Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk in the face in last night’s chippy Game Two loss. Kadri received a major penalty and game misconduct, but the NHL Department of Player Safety was quick to announce that Kadri’s hit would be reviewed further and not via a phone hearing, but instead an in-person hearing. The date and time have yet to be revealed, but it will certainly be before the two teams square off again in Game Three on Monday night.
An in-person hearing allows for Kadri to be suspended for longer than five games, which seems like a very likely outcome in this case. In fact, the initial reaction to the hit from NBC analysts Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones after the game was that Kadri could face upwards of ten games in this suspension. The hit in question was unquestionably egregious, after Kadri took issue with a hard but clean hit by DeBrusk on Patrick Marleau along the boards in the third period. Deep in the Bruins zone, Kadri cornered DeBrusk and delivered a cross-check right to the head area, taking DeBrusk down. It was nearly the exact same area in which Kadri intentionally boarded Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in the playoffs last year, which earned him a three-game suspension. At the time, that was Kadri’s fourth career suspension, for a total of 14 games, and his seventh punishment from Player Safety. After his eighth interaction with the Department in this upcoming hearing, it is safe to assume that the suspended games total will go up significantly. A repeat offender who has clearly not learned his lesson, Kadri seems likely to feel the full force of the Department. It is expected that they will take full advantage of the in-person hearing rule, banning Kadri for more than five games. He is unlikely to see the Bruins again this postseason and may have even played his final game already. His absence will be a big loss for the Maple Leafs.
As for DeBrusk, the response from many – especially in Toronto – has been that the Bruins forward deserves a second look of his own. Not only did DeBrusk check Marleau dangerously close to the curved-glass stanchion, but he also caught Kadri with a knee-to-knee hit earlier in the game. However, neither check was considered a penalty by the officials nor did they appear to have an intent to injure, and the expectation is that Player Safety does not have interest in further discipline for DeBrusk. In fact, the escalating aggression between Kadri and DeBrusk, which began in Game One and re-started early in Game Two, may only be used to justify keeping Kadri from a Round One return. DeBrusk’s health will also be taken into account, as the young forward did not return to the game after Kadri’s cross-check and his status is unknown for Game Three. All signs point to the tough youngster avoiding serious injury and being ready come Monday night, but his absence from the rest of the third period will be a factor in Player Safety’s decision.
Atlantic Notes: Hedman, Johansson, Debrusk, Krug
With the Tampa Bay Lightning in a “must-win” sitatuion being down 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets and already without their best forward in Nikita Kucherov, the status of their top defenseman Victor Hedman is also up in the air. In fact, Tampa Bay Times reporter Bryan Burns reports that Hedman will be a game-time decision for Game 3 Sunday in Columbus, according to head coach Jon Cooper.
Hedman, who suffered an undisclosed injury at the end of the regular season and was again banged up after Game 2, did not take the ice this morning for the team’s optional skate. While he did play in the first two playoff games, Cooper said that Hedman hasn’t been able to play his usual physical style of game, which could be the reason why he’s questionable, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith.
- The Boston Bruins won Saturday despite not having forward Marcus Johansson on hand. The trade-deadline acquisition was out with the flu. However, the team might be without him even longer as The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports that Johansson is still sick and will not be traveling with the team on their road trip to Toronto. That doesn’t mean he won’t eventually travel on his own and be present for Game 3 on Monday, but this illness has knocked out Johansson harder than the team initially thought.
- Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also announced that forward Jake Debrusk and defenseman Torey Krug are both “doing better” and are day-to-day. Debrusk was cross-checked in the head by Nazem Kadri late in the game, which is being looked at by the Department of Player Safety. Krug suffered a head injury (possible concussion) in Game 2 after taking a hit on the boards from Toronto’s Jake Muzzin. Connor Clifton is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury after a hit in Game 2.
Minor Transactions: 04/14/19
After Saturday’s action, each first-round series has played two games and the Washington Capitals are the only favorite yet to suffer a loss. The Caps survived another tight battle with the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday afternoon with an overtime win. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders have shown why the higher seed should always be favored, taking the first two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but face a tougher task on the road today. Two other 2-0 series will continue later tonight, as the Nikita Kucherov-less Tampa Bay Lightning look to avoid a third straight stunning loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, while the St. Louis Blues can put the nail in the coffin of the Winnipeg Jets with a home win after taking the first two games on the road. As some teams prepare to play today and other plan ahead for tomorrow, keep an eye out for some minor tweaks to several rosters:
- The Capitals have swapped third-string goalies, as is common during the playoffs. Vitek Vanecek is on his way to Washington to be the emergency option for Game Three, while Ilya Samsonov returns to AHL Hershey after serving in that role for Game Two yesterday. The Bears are also playoff-bound, so this will be a balancing act for Washington moving forward.
- The Lightning are dealing with injury concerns for both Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman, so it is not much of a surprise that they have recalled another depth option on the blue line. Cameron Gaunce has joined the team on the road in Columbus and while he looks like insurance only right now, that could change, especially if another Tampa defenseman goes down.
- According to the AHL transactions page, the Calgary Flames have returned Dillon Dube to the Stockton Heat in the AHL. It’s likely that Dube will suit up for Stockton’s final regular season game and then will likely be recalled to serve on Calgary’s taxi-squad for the rest of the season.
- The Boston Bruins announced they have recalled defenseman Jakub Zboril from the Providence Bruins of the AHL as a precaution, especially with the status of defenseman Torey Krug up in the air. A 2015 first-rounder, Zboril scored four goals and 19 points in Providence over 56 games and has appeared in two games for Boston.
Snapshots: Callahan, Makar, Hamilton, Johansson
With the loss of star forward and likely Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov for Game 3 on Sunday due to a one-game suspension handed down today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that the team will bring in veteran Ryan Callahan to fill in the roster spot for a team that both its games at home and now must rebound with a pair of away games in Columbus. Of course, other players will likely move up the team’s lineup with Callahan staying in the bottom six. Callahan has last played a week ago, but only played 4:13 in that game and has only played more than 13 minutes once in the last month.
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie suggests that the Colorado Avalanche may have a tougher decision on what it wants to do with NCAA star Cale Makar, who the team is rumored to be signing within the next 24 hours. McKenzie writes that if Makar signs a contract, he will automatically burn the first year of his entry-level deal. However, and possibly more important, McKenzie adds that if Makar plays even one playoff game this season, he would need to be protected in the Seattle expansion draft. If the team opted not to play him in the playoffs this year, he wouldn’t be available to be taken by Seattle.
- The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that she has heard from a source that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton will hear from the Department of Player Safety Sunday after elbowing Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov during the second period.
- While many people were worried that Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson was hurt when he didn’t appear during warm-ups, the Bruins announced not long afterwards that the veteran forward was expected to miss Saturday’s game due to the flu. The 28-year-old trade deadline acquisition didn’t record a point in Game 1, but still played 16:20 of ice time for the Bruins. David Backes took Johansson’s spot.
Sean Kuraly And John Moore Resume Skating
- Bruins center Sean Kuraly has resumed skating (albeit in a non-contact jersey) after undergoing hand surgery late last month, the team announced (Twitter link). He was expected to miss at least a month after it happened, a mark that is still ten days away so it appears he’s on schedule if not slightly ahead. Meanwhile, defenseman John Moore also skated but he is further away from returning from his upper-body issue.
Minor Transactions: 4/13/19
After some very interesting Game Twos on Friday night, four more of them will take place today. There will be some roster juggling throughout the day; we’ll keep tabs on those moves here.
- Winger Paul Carey has been recalled by the Bruins as he is participating in their morning skate, notes WEEI’s Matt Kalman (Twitter link). The veteran split the season between Ottawa and Boston, spending the majority of his time in the minors where he put up 60 points in 59 games between the two AHL teams. However, his offensive prowess down there hasn’t translated to much NHL success as he has just 16 points in 99 career games.
- The Flames have recalled center Dillon Dube from AHL Stockton, per the AHL’s Transactions page. He had just been sent down from his emergency recall; with no injuries up front at the moment, this means that Dube is now up on a regular call-up and will count against the four post-deadline non-emergency recalls that Calgary has. Dube had 39 points in 37 AHL games this season but was limited offensively in the NHL, with just a goal and four assists in 25 contests.
Minor Transactions: 04/12/19
The first game of each playoff series is in the books, and boy was it a wild ride. Upsets, shutouts and physical play have given us a great start to the postseason and it only continues tonight. The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to shock the world once again with a win in Tampa Bay, while the Winnipeg Jets will try to find a way to solve Jordan Binnington. As teams prepare for that action, we’ll be here keeping track of the minor moves.
- The Winnipeg Jets returned Eric Comrie to the minor leagues yesterday, allowing him to return to the Manitoba Moose for their own playoff run. The young goaltender will likely bounce back and forth to give them an extra body at practice, but isn’t expected to suit up for any of the Jets’ games.
- The same scenario is in place right now for the Boston Bruins and Daniel Vladar, who was up on Thursday night to serve as the emergency backup but has been reassigned to AHL Providence today.
- Adam Clendening has been recalled by the Columbus Blue Jackets after playing last night for the Cleveland Monsters. Clendening is one of the best defensemen in the AHL and will bounce back and forth like Comrie until one of his two teams is eliminated.
Big Money Sits As Playoffs Begin
The NHL playoffs kick off tonight with five games including three Western Conference battles. The top 16 teams in the league have spent months preparing for this moment, fine tuning their roster and lineup card to make sure they have the very best group available to them. With that in mind, this postseason is about to kick off with an incredible amount of salary sitting in the press box. Many of the teams about to take the ice have decided to do so without some big earners, instead using breakout performers that have overtaken their veteran counterparts. Let’s take a look at the expensive names (above $2MM cap hits) on the sideline:
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Ryan Callahan -$5.8MM cap hit
Braydon Coburn – $3.7MM cap hit
Who says it’s easy to coach the best team in the league? Jon Cooper has made some tough decisions for his opening lineup, sitting veterans in Callahan and Coburn. Both players were big parts of Tampa Bay’s 2015 Stanley Cup Final run but will now find themselves watching from the press box as the action begins. Jan Rutta and Mathieu Joseph will both be making their postseason debuts tonight against Columbus.
Columbus Blue Jackets:
Alexander Wennberg – $4.9MM cap hit
When Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel were acquired earlier this season the pressure was on for Wennberg to try and get back into the lineup, but it will be Alexandre Texier that pushes him out for the first game. Texier has made an impact on head coach John Tortorella in the first two games of his NHL career and will be jumping right into the fire against the Lightning tonight. The 19-year old forward scored a goal in his second NHL game and has shown a confidence beyond his years.
Pittsburgh Penguins:
Brian Dumoulin/Jack Johnson – $4.1MM/$3.25MM cap hit
It’s not clear if Dumoulin will be ready for tonight’s game, but if he is Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that it would be Jack Johnson coming out of the lineup. The idea of sitting Johnson in the first game of the playoffs certainly wasn’t the plan when the Penguins signed him to a five-year deal last summer. To be fair, this is more a situation of having too many options for the Penguins, as they currently employ six defensemen all making at least $3.25MM. If Marcus Pettersson stays in the lineup, someone expensive is coming out.
New York Islanders:
Thomas Hickey – $2.5MM cap hit
Hickey missed a huge chunk of the season with injury and while he was gone Devon Toews made a name for himself on Long Island. The veteran defenseman will find himself on the outside looking in as the playoffs begin, but he’ll likely be the first man up if the team suffers an injury against the Penguins. At least Hickey won’t be alone in the press box, as Michael Dal Colle, Ross Johnston, Luca Sbisa and Dennis Seidenberg all worked as extras today.
St. Louis Blues:
Carl Gunnarsson – $2.9MM cap hit
Michael Del Zotto – $3.0MM cap hit
The Blues went out and added some depth to the back end at the trade deadline by acquiring Del Zotto, but won’t have him in the lineup tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. He and Gunnarsson will be watching and waiting for their chance to help the team while 22-year old Vince Dunn makes his playoff debut. Dunn has turned into a top option for the Blues this season and will skate next to captain Alex Pietrangelo as they try to slow down the Jets attack.
Winnipeg Jets:
Nathan Beaulieu – $2.4MM cap hit
Just like the Blues, the Jets went out at the deadline and added a pair of depth options on the blue line to give them somewhere to turn if things go awry. Beaulieu will be a restricted free agent this summer and will have to hope for a chance to prove what he can do in the playoffs. The 17th-overall pick from 2011 has played only 17 postseason games in his career, and could potentially find himself without a qualifying offer after the season is over.
Dallas Stars:
Jason Spezza – $7.5MM cap hit
Valeri Nichushkin – $2.95MM cap hit
Jamie Oleksiak – $2.14MM cap hit
The Stars have the most money sitting on the sidelines out of any team in the playoffs, and a huge chunk of that is just Spezza. The 35-year old didn’t bounce back like many had hoped this season and scored just 27 points in 76 games. Combine that with his declining defensive game and you have a player that will have to watch and wait for his chance. At least Spezza scored at all this season, something you can’t say about Nichushkin. The return from Russia has not gone well for the 24-year old, who somehow went an entire season (57 games at least) without scoring a goal or committing a penalty.
Vegas Golden Knights:
Colin Miller – $3.875MM cap hit
Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that Miller looks to be a scratch on opening night. The 26-year old has 29 points in 65 games this season but could come out for Jon Merrill who has been used more and more over the last month by head coach Gerard Gallant.
Boston Bruins:
David Backes – $6MM cap hit
Backes hasn’t been what the Bruins were expecting when they signed him to a five-year, $30MM deal in 2016. The veteran forward’s offense has completely dried up and though he tried to reinvent himself this season as a physical force, the Bruins are going with a bit more speed and skill as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Undrafted rookie Karson Kuhlman is expected to suit up on the right side of Jake Debrusk and David Krejci, a big step for a 23-year old forward who played just 11 games this season.
Calgary Flames:
Michael Stone – $3.5MM cap hit
It’s a testament to just how quickly Rasmus Andersson has developed that a veteran option like Stone is on the sidelines to begin Calgary’s first-round series. The team put a lot of responsibility on Andersson this season and he has responded extremely well, putting him in line to be a top option for the team down the road. Stone meanwhile is just experiencing another setback in what has been a dreadful season, marred by a blood clot in his arm early in the year. He has played in just 14 games but will have to be ready to go if someone suffers an injury.