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Bruins Notes: Marchand, Miller, Miller

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In his 500th NHL game yesterday, Brad Marchand celebrated in style. The pesky 28-year old scored five points (2G, 3A) and continued proving he’s one of the NHLs brightest stars. After setting a career high in goals (37) and points (60) last season, Marchand is on pace to shatter his assist high this year while setting the point mark once again. His 43 points in 46 games rank among the top 10 in the NHL and leads the Bruins by 10.

Remember, Marchand was a third-round pick for the Bruins in 2006 and was thought of as an under-sized bottom six-type player. Instead, he’s turned into one of the most consistent goal scorers in the NHL, racking up at least 20 in every season except the lockout-shortened 2012-13, when he scored 18. With 17 this year and no signs of slowing down, he may post back-to-back 30+ goal seasons and prove that he should eventually be talked about as a Hart trophy candidate.

  • In all the fun that was Marchand’s 500th came some bad news, as Kevan Miller was knocked out by Jakub Voracek during the second period. The defenseman has suffered a concussion and is “in the protocol” according to head coach Claude Julien. In Joe Haggerty’s latest column for CSNNE, he reports that Miller was absent from practice today and will be out indefinitely. Voracek did not receive any supplementary discipline from the league for the hit.
  • The Bruins will be without either Miller, as Colin Miller was also missing from today’s practice due to the lower-body injury that he’s been dealing with. Haggerty reports that Miller did skate on his own before practice however, meaning his return may be on the horizon. Julien seemed unaffected by the news of both Millers, saying “we’ve got some depth at that position. We still have enough guys up here to get through, and hopefully we’ll get some guys back sooner rather than later.” Joe Morrow will likely figure back into the lineup in their absence.

East Notes: Sparks, Shaw, Hrivik

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent emergency call-up Garret Sparks back to the minors, according to James Mirtle of The Athletic. The team brought him up as insurance yesterday when it seemed like Curtis McElhinney might not be able to play. The former Blue Jackets goalie did play however, and played quite well in the Leafs’ 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Maple Leafs have now gone 8-1-1 in their last 10 and vaulted themselves into a playoff spot in the Atlantic division. They’re ahead of the Senators on the tiebreaker, and have played five less games than their next target, the Boston Bruins.

McElhinney seemed to debut quite admirably in the Maple Leafs net, that has had trouble finding a backup goaltender this season. Young phenom Auston Matthews gave all the credit post-game to McElhinney, saying that he kept them in it with some huge saves.

  • Andrew Shaw was ejected from last night’s Montreal Canadiens-New York Rangers game after a brutal hit on Jesper Fast. While fans around the game agreed it was both late and should be considered head-hunting, Shaw disagrees. Amanda Stein of TSN caught up with the Habs forward today and got his take on it. Shaw told her he disagrees with the decision to throw him out, and hasn’t received a call from NHL Player Safety about it. He apparently did his best for it to be shoulder-to-shoulder, but did admit it was “maybe half a second late”. We’ll hear later today if there is any supplemental discipline for Shaw, who only returned to the Montreal lineup last night.
  • After the New York Rangers placed Marek Hrivik on waivers earlier today, Steve Zipay of Newsday says it’ll be the end for him in New York for the time being. He’ll be headed back to Hartford to make room for the “imminent return” of Mike Zibanejad. Zipay also mentions the need for a backup goaltender on Tuesday, as Antti Raanta is out with an injury.

Johnny Boychuk Day-To-Day With Upper Body Injury

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Add Johnny Boychuk to the injury merry-go-round that is claiming important players from teams across the league. Boychuk was a late scratch tonight, as reported by Shannon Hogan, with an upper body injury. Cat Silverman of Fan Rag goes further, indicating that the injury could be “huge” should it be a long term injury. Silverman adds that Boychuk was not out during warmups.

More From Silverman:

The 32-year-old blue liner has been one of the team’s most consistent players since getting dealt from the Boston Bruins in the summer of 2014 – and if the team looks to deal away anyone on the blue line ahead of the impending expansion draft, they’ll need their corps as healthy as possible.

The Islanders have struggled this season and are currently tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the least amount of points in the Eastern Conference, though they have two games in hand.

Boychuk has 14 points (5-9) this season.

Atlantic Notes: Beleskey, Leafs, St. Louis

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Since being injured on December 6th, Matt Beleskey hasn’t skated with the team once – until now. Beleskey returned to practice today to the cheers of his teammates, though he still was in a non-contact sweater. According to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE, the 28-year old winger was skating alongside David Krejci and David Backes when he did get into some rushes; otherwise that spot went to Frank Vatrano.

Beleskey was originally given a six-week timeline, which would be up on Tuesday, which looks like a possibility for the Bruins forward. Late next week might be more realistic, with Friday against Chicago being a likely target.

  • The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight after their bye week, and new backup Curtis McElhinney will wear #35 according to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. The Maple Leafs claimed McElhinney off waivers and are expected to give him his first start tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators.
  • The Maple Leafs are playing tonight at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers are honoring Steven McDonald, a former police officer who passed away Tuesday. He had been a big fan of the Rangers since he was shot in the line of duty 20 years ago, and the team honored him by wearing throwback sweaters in warm-up that had #104 on the back – the number of McDonald’s precinct. McDonald was paralyzed from the neck down in the shooting, but instead of despair he has spread a message of forgiveness since his injury. Adam Graves and Mark Messier were on hand to escort McDonald’s wife and son to center ice.
  • In other pre-game ceremony news, the Tampa Bay Lightning retired Martin St. Louis’ number tonight with former head coach John Tortorella on hand to speak (Torts’ Columbus Blue Jackets are in town to face the Lightning). “He is a man who has been told ’no’ so many times in his career… I just have so much respect for him in how he did it.” Steven Stamkos also spoke about St. Louis, saying “He was, he still is, and he forever will be the heart and soul of this organization.” 

Roman Josi And Tuukka Rask Leave Game

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The Nashville Predators are hosting the Boston Bruins tonight in what’s becoming quite the bloodbath.

Minutes after Tuukka Rask left the game after taking a high shot from Roman Josi, Bruins rookie Anton Blidh threw an ugly hit on Josi. Blidh was ejected from the game for his hit, while Josi left the game with what’s being called an upper-body injury. Zane McIntyre is now in the net for Boston while Rask is being evaluated. Jack Edwards tweets that the Bruins are making arrangements for an emergency backup goaltender, meaning Rask is unlikely to return this evening, even as a backup.

Both teams are hoping for good news. The Predators are already without P.K. Subban, leaving them down two top-pairing defensemen at the moment. Meanwhile, the Bruins have struggled without Rask. Rask has a 21-9-3 record, while the Bruins are 1-8-2 without their star goaltender.

Atlantic Division Notes: Gallant, Ryan, Miller, McQuaid

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The Florida Panthers decision to fire head coach Gerard Gallant earlier this season was met with harsh criticism in some circles of the hockey community. It was widely assumed the dismissal was a reflection of the new front office structure’s belief in analytics, something the former player and long time coach may not have been completely on board with,  as opposed to Gallant’s coaching ability. Gallant is known as an old-school coach who values “intangibles” and other traits not ordinarily appreciated by analytically-driven front offices and it was assumed this generated a disconnect between management and the bench boss. However, according to Gallant his termination had little to do with his feelings on analytics and likely had more to do with his stubbornness, as Pierre LeBrun of ESPN wrote recently:

“I wasn’t fired because of analytics,” he continued. “I loved coaching the Florida Panthers and I’m a stubborn guy at times; maybe I said a little too much, maybe I gave my opinion a little bit too much. Maybe when they asked for my opinion, I have an honest opinion and sometimes it doesn’t help you. Maybe it wasn’t always what they wanted to hear. I don’t know where it went from there …”

Gallant, like many coaches, actually did utilize information provided to his staff by the team’s analysts and described analytics as “a tool.”

“For me, analytics is certainly part of coaching, but it’s not the whole thing. In my mind, if I take a job, analytics is part of it for sure, 25 to 30 percent, whatever percentage you want to put on it. It’s definitely a tool. If you get the right information, you’re happy with that. Every coach uses analytics. We all go over the same stuff.”

Of course it should be noted that while Gallant admitted to utilizing analytics, it can be inferred from his comments that it was done to assist with lineup decisions and on-ice strategies, leaving open the possibility that he didn’t necessarily agree with analytically-driven decisions made by the front office with regards to player acquisitions. It’s certainly possible Gallant voiced his displeasure over certain moves the front office made over the summer and that led in part to his dismissal.

Nevertheless, despite how it turned out in Florida, Gallant is respected within the industry and it’s likely he will have his choice of head coaching jobs this summer, assuming he isn’t offered and subsequently accepts a job prior to the offseason.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun examines the Senators recent decision to scratch forward Bobby Ryan, and wonders what the “bigger picture” is with the player and Ottawa. Brennan points out that Ryan, a four-time 30-goal scorer, ranks 12th on the team in scoring and theorizes his lack of production may have served as justification for the benching. However, as the scribe points out, Ryan’s ice time, or rather the lack thereof, has likely led to the 29-year-old right winger’s lackluster output. Ryan currently ranks eighth among Senator forwards in overall ATOI (Average Time On Ice) and is seventh on the team in power play ice time. For his career, Ryan has registered just more than one-quarter of his points on the power play but this season has just one goal and three points on the man advantage. Brennan wonders why the Senators, who rank 22nd in the NHL in goals, would not find a way to get one of their most skilled players more ice time. Ultimately, as Brennan writes, the situation is one that bears watching for the rest of the season.
  • The Boston Bruins, and in particular David Backes, were undoubtedly pleased to come away from St. Louis with a 5 – 3 win over the Blues. However the victory didn’t come without cost as the team lost right-shot blue liners Colin Miller and Adam McQuaid to injury during the game. As Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk writes, the losses of Miller and McQuaid forced the B’s to finish out the game with just four defenders. After the game, Claude Julien could provide no information other than the two were being evaluated by the team’s medical staff. Today the team announced that Miller is doubtful for tomorrow’s contest in Nashville. If he can’t go the Bruins could insert either John-Michael Liles or Joe Morrow into the lineup with the other available to draw in if McQuaid is ruled out.

The Latest On Gabriel Landeskog Trade Rumors

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It seems like every week brings a new Colorado Avalanche trade rumor. Teams plummeting in the standings attract sharks looking to pick off the best pieces in exchange for future prospects. This week’s target is Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog.

Adrian Dater tweeted that both the Los Angeles Kings (here) and the Boston Bruins (here) were rumored to be in the mix for Landeskog. The problem, however, may be with Colorado’s requested return. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Colorado is looking for “top-level defenseman, first-round draft pick, plus.” He noted that some teams find that ask outrageous—especially because Landeskog is struggling this season with 7G and 6A in 29 games.

Boston is one of those teams. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Boston ended talks with Colorado after Boston refused to part with defensive prospect Brandon Carlo. Boston drafted Carlo in the second round in 2015, and while his numbers don’t raise any eyebrows, his defensive play has impressed scouts. Boston is reportedly very high on Carlo, and expect him to develop into a top-flight defenseman.

Because of this ask, TSN and ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun says that most teams think that the Avalanche wait until the offseason to make any moves. The rationale is that teams are relatively unshackled from cap constraints and have more freedom to make moves. Left unsaid was that an offseason deal protects a team from losing a fringe player or prospect in the June expansion draft.

Colorado’s asking price may drop as more teams drop out of the playoff race, notes Elliotte Friedman today on the Fan 590 (audio link). Right now only Colorado and the Arizona Coyotes are definite non-playoff teams, creating scarcity in the market for available players. Colorado may reduce its price for Landeskog in a few weeks once the NHL standings filter out some of the bubble teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Islanders.

Snapshots: Backes, Purcell, Ramo

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When the Boston Bruins take on the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center tonight, it will be quite the homecoming for Bruins forward David Backes. At age 32, Backes is just 35 games into his first season outside of St. Louis after playing his previous 727 games with the Blues. A second-round pick in 2003 out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Backes spent a decade in St. Louis, playing the best part of his career in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. The big forward earned a spot on the team in 2006-07 and never looked back. He became the model of consistency for his teammates, putting in the hard work each and every game and getting the big numbers to go with it. With five 50+ point seasons over the span of ten dominant years, Backes has earned his place all over the Blues’ record books. He’s fifth in games played, sixth in goals, eighth in assists, sixth in points, sixth in +/-, fifth in penalty minutes, and on and on. The Blues captain from 2011 to 2016, Backes left his mark on the St. Louis organization and the city certainly made a life-long impact on him as well. Backes got emotional when the Bruins honored his time in St. Louis when the Blues visited Boston earlier this season, so one can imagine the feelings that will be flowing tonight when he returns home, with his wife and daughter along for the ride as well, watching from the stands they used to sit in for years.

As much as Backes may have fond memories about his time in St. Louis, he is enjoying his new home in Boston and since returning from a concussion, has been playing the best hockey of the season in his first few games back. In fact, St. Louis is likely missing Backes more than vice-versa. Both the Bruins and Blues currently have 47 points on the year, but Boston is positioned well to earn an automatic playoff berth in the weak Atlantic Division, while St. Louis is soundly behind rivals Chicago and Minnesota in the Central Division and are having to fight off Winnipeg, Dallas, and Nashville as well. The Blues have clearly taken a step back in 2016-17, and the team has faced much criticism for letting hard-working, “heart and soul” guys like Backes and Troy Brouwer leave this off-season.  Though Backes has only 21 points so far for Boston, the B’s have greatly benefited from his physical play, offensive instincts, and net-front presence. The Bruins are still searching for the right mix up front and have additionally faced some bad luck early on this year. Once they get things sorted out and get rolling, Backes’ ability will be invaluable to their stretch run, and St. Louis will be yearning for the same contribution from their side.

In other news:

  • Another player missing the good ole days is Los Angeles Kings winger Teddy Purcell. Despite signing an affordable one-year, $1.6MM contract this summer, Purcell cleared waivers in early December and was sent down to the AHL, where he remains buried. Purcell had just two assists in 12 games for the Kings prior to his demotion, but since has 14 points in 12 games with the Ontario Reign. His coach in Ontario, Mike Stothers, has seen this success and was blunt in his evaluation, simply stating that Purcell is “too good for this league”. While he added that “maybe this (AHL stint) is what he needs to get back up to the NHL”, it’s pretty clear that Purcell’s talent is being wasted in the minors. Just last year, Purcell had a 43-point season split between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, and only in 2011-12 did he have his career-high 65-point campaign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. A gifted play-maker and sleek skater, there are surely teams around the NHL who could use his talents. However, with so many squads right up against the salary cap limit, even a measly $1.6MM hit can be problematic. If Purcell is not in the plans of the Kings, expect to hear his name more and more as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches. Los Angeles is willing to move the talented forward and Purcell is eager for another shot, but it’s just a matter of finding a fit, literally.
  • Karri Ramo is hoping to find an NHL gig in the coming months as well. Still an unrestricted free agent, Ramo was unable to find a guaranteed job this summer, settling instead for a minor league tryout deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. However, that went over about as well as his summer job search, as Ramo posted an .880 SV% and 3.80 GAA in three games with the Marlies before putting an end to his PTO. ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun spoke with Ramo’s agent, Todd Diamond, who revealed that Ramo had to have clean-up surgery in the knee that he injured in 2015-16, which could partially explain his poor performance in the AHL. Ramo is expected to be back to 100% by mid-February, just in time for a team who missed out on adding insurance in net in the quiet 2017 trade market to take a gamble on an NHL veteran. However, there are not too many teams looking for goalies as of now, especially with Ramo’s top option, the Maple Leafs, solving their problems by claiming Curtis McElhinney off of waivers earlier today. Ramo may be hard-pressed to find a position in the NHL this season, and may be better off rehabbing and working out in anticipation for next year.

5 Key Stories: 1/2/16 – 1/8/16

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Let’s recap the five biggest stories from the week of 1/2/2016 through 1/8/2016:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets occupy the top spot in the league due in large part to their recent 16-game winning streak. The team had a chance to tie a record set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins – a team led by “Super” Mario Lemieux and the ageless Jaromir Jagr – but the Blue Jackets came up short, falling to the Washington Capitals by the score of 5 – 0. Nonetheless, it’s an incredible feat accomplished by the Blue Jackets and an announcement to the rest of the league that they are indeed a team to be taken seriously.
  • It’s been an up-and-down year in Winnipeg, but Jets rookie phenom Patrik Laine has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. The 18-year-old Finn is currently tied for third in the league in goal scoring with 21 and has already established himself as one of the league’s most exciting young stars. Unfortunately, Laine is out indefinitely after suffering a concussion in Winnipeg’s 4 – 3 loss to Buffalo on Saturday.
  • Colorado has certainly been one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2016-17. An offseason coaching change was expected to spark a talented roster back into playoff contention but instead the Avalanche have been the worst team in the league and at this point are one of the few clubs who can safely be called “seller” in advance of the trade deadline. This of course has led to all kinds of rumors, with the most recent involving Boston. The Bruins reportedly inquired as to the availability Gabriel Landeskog with Colorado asking for rookie blue liner Brandon Carlo in return. While there appears to be no traction in trade discussions between the two teams, that could change closer to the March 1st deadline.
  • It was a busy week on the waiver wire with several players switching teams by virtue of waiver claims. Reid Boucher changed clubs twice going from Nashville to New Jersey and finally on to Vancouver all via waivers. Ty Rattie went from St. Louis to Carolina and San Jose lost Matt Nieto to Colorado.
  • Montreal winger Brendan Gallagher is slated to miss the next eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hand. Gallagher was injured when a shot from teammate Shea Weber struck his hand during a recent game.

PHR Originals: 1/2/2016 – 1/8/2016

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Here’s the roundup of the week’s original features appearing on Pro Hockey Rumors.

  • Brett Barrett brought us the story of Swiss prospect Nico Hischier, who may have overtaken Nolan Patrick as the presumptive top overall 2017 draft prospect.
  • Zach Leach discusses how the development of several young defenders has created newfound blue line depth in the Boston Bruins organization.
  • With the trade deadline approaching, I looked at a handful of notable trades consummated in the month of January in recent seasons.
  • Brian La Rose hosted PHR’s debut mailbag and fielded questions on several topics, including whether the Bruins have reached the point where they should consider a coaching change.
  • Mike Furlano compiled a list of all teams who had prospects participating in the recent gold medal game of the World Junior championship game between Team USA and Team Canada.
  • Brian brought us the latest installment of PHR’s 2005 re-draft series with the Washington Capitals on the clock with the 27th selection.
  • Zach wraps up the week by writing about the teams satisfying expansion draft requirements by extending backup-type goaltenders. Each of the 30 current NHL teams must expose one goalie under contract for the 2017-18 season and several clubs are signing net minders in-season who otherwise would have to wait until summer for their next pact.

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