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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: 11/22/18

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Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the United States, who unfortunately will not have any hockey to watch tonight. The NHL has a rare day off with no games scheduled, which will give the entire league some time to readjust their rosters. As always, we’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Tyrell Goulbourne from the AHL, sending Nicolas Aube-Kubel back down in his place. Goulbourne has four points in ten games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, adding 29 penalty minutes for good measure. Aube-Kubel meanwhile has played nine games for the Flyers without recording a point, meaning this could be a chance for him to get back on track offensively. The 22-year old forward has a huge offensive ceiling, but needs more consistent ice time to continue his development.
  • Jakub Zboril was reassigned to the AHL last night by the Boston Bruins, following the return of Kevan Miller to the lineup. That means Connor Clifton is safe for now as the team awaits the returns of Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy. Zboril is still in the long-term plans of the Bruins, but needs to see the ice on a regular basis and not sit in the press box for the NHL team.
  • Mario Kempe has been assigned to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, after the team activated Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun for last night’s game. Kempe has suited up four times for the Coyotes this season but is still looking for his first point. That hasn’t been a problem in the minor leagues for the 30-year old forward, who has nine points in eight games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Reid Boucher from the minor leagues, assigning Brendan Gaunce to Utica in the process. Boucher has been a part-time player his entire career, playing just 132 games across five NHL seasons. He came to the Canucks in 2016-17 and looked like he might have a chance to contribute on a more consistent basis, but has spent more time in the minor leagues than with the NHL club.
  • Taylor Fedun was acquired by the Dallas Stars earlier this month, and today he’ll get his first recall from the minor leagues. Fedun is on his way up to take the place of Ben Gleason, who has been reassigned to the AHL. The 30-year old Fedun played just seven games in the NHL last season and has 46 contests under his belt over a long professional career.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Daniel Carr from Chicago of the AHL.  He’s taking the place of Tomas Hyka who was went down to make room for him.  Carr is the leading scorer in the minors with 22 points in 16 games and has had some success at the NHL level, collecting 16 points in 38 games with Montreal last year.  Meanwhile, Hyka has spent most of the season with Vegas, picking up a goal and three assists in 17 games.

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.

Minor Transactions: 11/20/18

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The NHL is awash with news today despite only one game being on the schedule. St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers fans are dealing with the announcements that their coaches have been fired, while folks in Boston are just hoping for a quick recovery for Patrice Bergeron. Meanwhile, many other teams are busy tweaking their rosters in preparation for the rest of the week. We’ll be right here to keep track of all those minor moves:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Gabriel Carlsson back to the minor leagues, after he has sat out for the last few days as the extra defenseman. Carlsson has played in just one game with the Blue Jackets this season, but has six points in 12 contests with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Rather than let their 2015 first-round pick waste away in the press box, they’ll give him the opportunity to get back into game action.
  • Robbie Russo is on his way back to the AHL for the Arizona Coyotes, who have also involved Dakota Mermis and Mario Kempe in a paper transaction. That means, as Craig Morgan of The Athletic points out, that the latter two are still with the team despite being listed on the AHL roster. Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun both practiced with the team today, meaning more decisions on minor league assignments could be coming down the pipe.
  • With Bergeron sidelined for at least four weeks, the Boston Bruins have recalled Colby Cave from the AHL. Cave is currently leading the Providence Bruins in scoring with 18 points, and could potentially serve as some added offensive punch for a team that will be sorely missing it.
  • Prior to their game tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, the San Jose Sharks have flipped Dylan Gambrell back to the minor leagues in exchange for Lukas Radil. The latter was very close to making the Sharks roster out of camp after signing in the summer, has shown he can compete in the minor leagues. Now 28, Radil has a decade of professional experience in the Czech league and KHL.
  • With Ben Bishop on the shelf for a week, the Dallas Stars have recalled goaltender Landon Bow from the minor leagues to serve as the backup. While he has just an .896 save percentage for the Texas Stars this season, he serves as another example of a big-bodied netminder that is given the chance to develop slowly in the professional setting. The 6’5″ Bow performed admirably at the end of his junior career and was snatched up by the Stars who believed they could turn him into an NHL option, and for at least the next few days he’ll get his chance.
  • Wade Megan has been sent back to the AHL by the Detroit Red Wings, with six games under his belt this month. Megan was held scoreless in those six contests, but they more than doubled his career total to this point. The Red Wings will likely use Megan as an emergency replacement this season whenever they deal with injuries, after signing him to a one-year, two-way contract in the summer.
  • The Nashville Predators gave Rocco Grimaldi a great shot to earn a regular role early this season, but as is always the case for the undersized forward, he is again on his way to the minor leagues. The Predators announced that they have reassigned Grimaldi to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals after he recorded just one point in six games over the last month with the NHL club. A second-round pick out of the University of North Dakota back in 2011, Grimaldi has had a highly productive AHL career with the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche organizations, but hoped to find more opportunity when he signed with Nashville as a free agent this summer.
  • Thatcher Demko’s stay in Vancouver is over, although it never really began. The AHL’s Utica Comets announced that the Canucks had returned Demko to them, after the young goaltender began the season on the injured reserve with a concussion. Demko has still played in just one NHL game in his career, though it makes sense to let him get back to normal in the minors before considering giving him another shot at the big leagues.

Patrice Bergeron Out For “Extended Period Of Time”

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The Boston Bruins have been decimated by injuries this season, but their top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak has been good enough to help carry them through. Unfortunately, that trio will now be broken up. Kathryn Tappen of NBC Sports is reporting that Bergeron will be out an “extended period of time” with his upper-body injury. The team then announced that Bergeron has sustained a rib and sternoclavicular injury, and that he will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Even injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Zdeno Chara may not live up to the impact that this one will have on the Bruins, as Bergeron is a do-it-all superstar for the club. The 33-year old seems to have gotten even better with age, and had 26 points through his first 19 games. That put him on pace for the best offensive season of his career, something that will clearly be impossible now that he’s set to miss at least a month. It also seriously puts Boston’s playoff hopes in jeopardy, given the team is already trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division. It’s obviously not time to throw in the towel, but there certainly hasn’t been a lot of luck in Boston this season.

For those other Atlantic Division teams, this comes as a blessing. Bergeron and company have been an absolute matchup nightmare this season, seemingly scoring at will and allowing nothing from the opposition. Just recently we examined the ceiling for Pastrnak, but noted how he and Marchand had been broken up with Bergeron out of the lineup. Should that continue, the Bruins won’t have nearly the same advantage they were enjoying whenever their top unit was on the ice.

A four-time Selke Trophy winner as the league’s best defensive forward, Bergeron did deal with injury last season as well. These stints on the sideline are worrisome for a team that still has three more years invested in their top center, even though his salary dramatically decreases starting next season. If he’s on the ice, there’s no question that Bergeron is still one of the best players in the entire world. But he has to stay on the ice to be a positive for the team, and right now that looks doubtful for quite some time.

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?

Snapshots: Outdoor Game, Penguins, Patrick

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The 2019 NHL Winter Classic is still more than a month away and the 2019 NHL Stadium Series game even further, but that hasn’t stopped discussions about where the league could turn next for an outdoor game. Today, BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports that the Colorado Avalanche are likely to be an outdoor game host “sooner rather than later.” In talking with deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Dater learned that the league is very interested in placing a game at the nearby Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where Falcon Stadium normally plays host to the Air Force football team and a capacity crowd of close to 47,000. Given the success of the NHL’s last foray into an outdoor game in Colorado – the 2016 showdown at Coors Field in Denver – and their special interest in games played at American military institutions, such as last year’s game at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, not to mention the successful Division I hockey program at Air Force, the school seems like a great fit to host a gme.  For now though, the league remains focused on their next contest at a college football venue, when the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks square off at Notre Dame on New Year’s Day.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins hope that their team is in much better shape when they take part in their outdoor game later this season, a match-up with the rival Flyers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on February 23rd. The team continues to struggle and, even after his acquisition of forward Tanner Pearson, GM Jim Rutherford remains open for business per numerous sources. However, the next move might not be just a simple one-for-one to land a role player. TSN’s Bob McKenzie raised the stakes on the latest “Insider Trading” segment, stating that “anything and everything is on the table” in Pittsburgh. McKenzie says that the Penguins’ list of untouchables is rather short – just Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. McKenzie believes that anyone else could be move, perhaps adding fuel to the fire of recent rumors that Phil Kessel, Derick Brassard, Olli Maatta, and Matt Murray are among the names that could be on the move if things don’t improve.
  • The Penguins did make a noteworthy move today, announcing that legendary executive Craig Patrick has re-joined the team as a pro scout. The 72-year-old Hall of Famer served as Pittsburgh’s GM for 17 years, from 1989 to 2006. Patrick was the architect of the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup-winning Penguins teams and much of the 2009 championship team and beyond were the products of Patrick’s regime, including Crosby and Malkin. Many will also recognize Patrick as an assistant coach to Herb Brooks on the famed “Miracle” 1980 U.S. Olympic team, while he also served as both coach and GM for the New York Rangers over a nine-year span in the 80’s. The extent of Patrick’s role is unclear, but particularly in the midst of a difficult season, this is a great hire by the Penguins if only for the wisdom and guidance of an experienced hockey guru.

Atlantic Notes: Matthews, Gardiner, Bergeron, Zadina

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The Toronto Maple Leafs got some good news as star center Auston Matthews practiced with the team Sunday in a red non-contact jersey, suggesting that his return could come sooner than later, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. He has been out for three weeks and has already missed nine games after separating his shoulder during Toronto’s Oct. 27 game against Winnipeg.

“It feels a lot better,” Matthews said (via Shilton). “I think its progressed quite well. It’s still not all there, but hopefully it continues to progress and I get back out there as soon as possible.”

Matthews was seen taking part in a full practice, which included practicing his shot on both goaltenders, including Frederik Andersen and Garret Sparks. However, Matthews said that his shot still needs work.

“Not all there,” Matthews said. “Little mechanics of it, the strength in your arm is still coming back, not fully there. Accuracy is a little off, but I think all that stuff will come back soon.”

Toronto head coach Mike Babcock said there is no timetable yet for his return and can’t even really think about it until Matthews can be a full contributor in practice. Saturday will be four weeks, which was the minimum amount of time listed as a potential return, however, Matthews didn’t sound optimistic he’ll be ready to go at exactly the four-week point of the injury.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Matthews said. “Kind of just taking it day by day. Depends how I’m progressing.”

  • Sticking with the Leafs, The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel (subscription required) wonders what might happen with Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. While the Maple Leafs have bigger worries amongst their own free agents, Gardiner has compiled quite a resume with the Maple Leafs over the years and is currently the 10th-highest scoring defenseman in Maple Leafs’ history. However, with the sudden improved play of Travis Dermott, the scribe wonders if Dermott could be a cheaper option for Toronto which could allow the team to avoid giving the 28-year-old a big payday which they likely can’t afford anyway. While inexperienced, he’s done an admirable job in his role that doesn’t include any power play time and he might be able to replace Gardiner completely within a year.
  • The sudden loss of Patrice Bergeron has had a greater affect on the team than many have thought, writes The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required).  The 33-year-old, who is considered day-to-day after taking a hard check from Dallas’ Radek Faksa, is the focal point to the Bruins offense and was missed Saturday, despite squeaking out a 2-1 victory. The scribe writes that Boston immediately broke up the first line without Bergeron in the lineup as Patrnak was teamed with David Krejci, while Marchand moved to the second line to work with Jake Debrusk. Regardless, the entire lineup was shaken without Bergeron, who may be the most valuable piece to their team.
  • Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required) looks at the progress made by prospect Filip Zadina who is playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL who is starting to heat up. Zadina, the sixth-overall pick in this year’s draft, has been displaying confidence recently in Grand Rapids and the fact that he’s posted six goals in his past five games may have something to do with it. With the Red Wings playing well, Zadina will likely stay in Grand Rapids, but according to Griffins head coach Ben Simon, he has quite a bit to work on still. “That’s great to look at a box score and see, but if you’re a scout in the building or you’re a coach watching the game, there’s still a heck of a lot more room for improvement to get to the NHL for him,” Simon said. “Now, that being said, he has gotten a lot more confident, a lot more settled in with what this league’s all about. I think it took him a little bit of time to figure that out.

Minor Transactions: 11/18/18

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After an outstanding Saturday filled with exciting finishes and huge comebacks the NHL is relatively quiet today with just five matches scheduled. Things get kicked off this afternoon between the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders, but first there will be roster moves around the league. We’ll be here to keep track of those moves:

  • The New York Rangers have reassigned Vinni Lettieri to the minor leagues, after he seemingly got benched yesterday for much of their game. Lettieri took a two-minute penalty in the first period, but ended up seeing the ice for just 4:29  in total. The 23-year old has been held scoreless in all 14 of his opportunities this season, and now will have to rediscover his game in the AHL.  They  announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Steven Fogarty from AHL Hartford to take Lettieri’s place.  He’s off to a strong start to his third full professional campaign, collecting 14 points through the first 18 games of the season.  (For reference, his career high is 20.)
  • CapFriendly reports that the Florida Panthers have recalled veteran forward Micheal Haley from a conditioning loan with the Springfield Thunderbirds after spending the first part of the season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Now ready to return, the veteran played two games with Springfield, putting up a goal and an assist and now is ready to return to Florida. The 32-year-old had three goals and nine points in 75 games last year. CapFriendly also reported they have recalled Dryden Hunt from Springfield, who was tearing up the AHL with eight goals in 15 games. The team countered those moves by assigning two players to Springfield, including Maxim Mamin and Denis Malgin. Mamin has played seven games with no points, while Malgin has been more successful with a goal and five points in 14 games.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled forward Austin Wagner from the Ontario Reign of the AHL to help fill in for injured veteran Trevor Lewis who is out week-to-week. The 21-year-old has already played eight games with Los Angeles and has no points, but has a pair of goals in five games with the Reign. The team also assigned goaltender Cole Kehler to Ontario.
  • With the Boston Bruins currently missing six defensemen due to injury and icing a starting six that includes four players expected to spend the majority of the season in the AHL, the Providence Bruins are also suffering from a dearth of defenders. The team currently rosters just three defensemen signed to NHL contracts, one of whom – Cody Goloubef – is also out with an injury. As a result, the team today brought in some reinforcements in the form of ECHL loans. Veteran pro Kyle Cumiskey of the Newfoundland Growlers and young Chris Carlisle of the nearby Manchester Monarchs have been added by Providence, per the ECHL. They join Boston-area native Desmond Bergin of the Adirondack Thunder as three on-loan players competing for ice time among a total of just seven healthy defensemen.
  • With John Gibson feeling sick, the Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Kevin Boyle from San Diego of the AHL.  The 26-year-old has posted a .920 save percentage so far this season, ranking sixth among AHL netminders.

Atlantic Notes: Bergeron, Helm, Marner, Price

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The Boston Bruins already have plenty of injury concerns this season, especially on the defensive end. However, it may have gotten worse as the Bruins announced in an injury breakdown, that they have sent Patrice Bergeron back to Boston to be re-evaluated for his upper-body injury by team doctors with two games left on their road trip. That means that Bergeron is out for Saturday’s game against Arizona, although considering their next game won’t be until Wednesday, he could return to the team before then.

The team also reported that defenseman John Moore, already listed as day-to-day, has also left with Bergeron for Boston to get his lower-body injury looked at by doctors. The release also notes that Zdeno Chara, who was listed as out for four to six weeks, will not be re-evaluated for another four weeks.

While many were already aware of the defensive injuries, however the loss of Bergeron would be another devastating blow. The 33-year-old was driven into the boards on Friday on a hit from Dallas’ Radek Faksa. Bergeron has nine goals and 26 points in 19 games this season and anchors one of the top lines in the NHL.

  • The Detroit Red Wings may be without a forward as well as Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that Darren Helm, who left the first period of today’s game against New Jersey after taking a hard hit from Travis Zajac, could be out for a while. Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said that he had no timetable for his injury, but the 31-year-old winger was holding his right wrist after it had taken the brunt of his fall to the ice.
  • Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun writes that with the way that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner has been playing lately, he is likely to fetch a huge price when he hits restricted free agency at the end of the year. The 21-year-old Marner, who has 26 points in the first 20 games is currently on a trajectory to hit 106 points this season and become the franchise’s first 100-point winger. That could cost the team that has carefully weighed each players’ salary carefully before signing John Tavares this summer. With holdout William Nylander asking for big numbers on his next contract, Marner could complicate things for Toronto as well as he might be the best young winger outside of Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen and Boston’s David Pastrnak.
  • Montreal Canadiens Carey Price’s numbers may not be particularly impressive as he owns a 2.99 GAA and a .899 save percentage. However, after an impressive performance against the Calgary Flames on Thursday, The Athletic’s Paul Campbell (subscription required) analyzes the 31-year-old’s play and notes that Price is starting to adapt to a combination of his aging skills and the improved shootings skills of younger forwards. The scribe breaks down his play Thursday, writing that if Price can continue to play like that, then the Canadiens have a chance to fare well this season.

 

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