Calgary Flames Activate T.J. Brodie From Injured Reserve
The good news continues for T.J. Brodie and the Calgary Flames, following his recent episode at practice. The defenseman has been activated from injured reserve, while Brandon Davidson has been sent to the minor leagues.
Brodie collapsed during a practice earlier this month and was taken to hospital. When all tests came back negative and team doctors diagnosed it as a fainting issue, Brodie slowly returned to practice and will now rejoin the lineup when the Flames take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Calgary won their last game but are still 3-6-1 in their last ten and sitting in sixth place in the Pacific Division. Brodie’s return will be a welcome addition, though the team needs more from the rest of the guys on the ice as well.
Pacific Notes: Vancouver Penalty Kill, Brodie, Nygard, Vilardi
The Vancouver Canucks may not be leading any categories in their penalty kill, but with a 13th-ranked special teams unit that kills off penalties at 82.9 percent, the team found itself challenged against Washington Saturday as the team was without four of its top penalty killers. The team played without Jay Beagle (hip), Brandon Sutter (groin), Tyler Motte (foot) and Alexander Edler (upper body), yet still fared quite well shutting down Washington’s power play on three separate occasions to win the game in a 2-1 shootout.
The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team may be without that group for several more days and the success of the team’s battered penalty kill will likely have a big impact on the remainder of their three-game road trip throughout next week.
- The Calgary Flames could be getting back defenseman T.J. Brodie sooner than later. The blueliner, who collapsed during practice on Nov. 14, skated on his own Saturday and, according to a Sportsnet report, is expected to join practice with the Flames on Sunday. The team has done a barrage of tests, but have found no evidence that Brodie’s collapse was nothing more than him fainting. Brodie has joined the team on their road trip and may return to action as soon as Monday against Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old has eight assists in 21 games.
- Edmonton Oilers forward Joakim Nygard was brought in from the SHL to add a speedy winger who can immediately become a top-nine presence, who could help their quick-moving centers with some secondary scoring. However, despite his impressive speed in 10 games, Nygard just has one goal to show for it as he has struggled to finish around the net. Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson suggests that Nygard may be more of a third-line winger as opposed to a second-liner. “There’s still another level there,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “The good thing about him? He’s really determined, he’s not here to mess around. He wants to be a good player and that’s positive to see.”
- The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that Los Angeles Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi fared well in Friday’s AHL debut. The 11th-overall pick in 2017 has barely played in the past year and a half with a back injury, having seen four games with the AHL Ontario Reign last season. While Vilardi didn’t register a point, he did have a breakaway opportunity and looked happy throughout the contest. “Now, to see him last night, he had a smile on his face,” Kings director of player personnel Glen Murray said. “We lost the game (4-1). But for him, it was successful. It was a passing grade, for sure. He’s come a long way. It’s been a long year. He did well. To be off a year – his game legs aren’t going to be there – but he made some nice plays, won a lot of faceoffs and he had this breakaway in the third period last night.”
Johnny Gaudreau's Struggles Still Don't Make Him A Viable Trade Candidate
- Johnny Gaudreau’s struggles have led some to suggest that the Flames should consider moving the winger. Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic details (subscription required) the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing so, highlighted by the fact that making an in-season deal of that type of magnitude is extremely difficult to pull off while still getting full value in return. After scoring three times in his first five games, he has just two in 20 contests since then. Nonetheless, he still sits second on the team in scoring despite his struggles.
Calgary Flames Not Looking At Coaching Changes
The Calgary Flames are mired in a six-game losing streak and are now only ahead of the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. That’s a far cry from the team that won the Western Conference last season by six points, going 50-25-7. Still, even though the team has faced adversity this season and some are speculating about big changes, GM Brad Treliving isn’t considering one. On Sportsnet radio today, Treliving put his faith in the current group:
This is a good group that is underperforming. We’ve got to find a way to get back to a being a good group that is performing. It starts with myself. I believe fully in this coaching staff. I don’t stay in tune to the social media world, but the last couple of days I’ve been asked about changes.
The coaches aren’t going anywhere. Our top players aren’t going anywhere. While the outside world wants to—and rightly so—count us out, this is when you bunker in and get into the foxhole and try to make your team better.
Not only has there been speculation about the coaching staff, but the top players on Calgary have taken their fair share of criticism. Johnny Gaudreau has 18 points through 25 games but just one assist in his last six, while Sean Monahan has scored just five goals all season. This statement from Treliving should calm the trade speculation waters, but there is still a lot of work to be done in Calgary to get them back to contending.
It is interesting that he specified the “top players” aren’t going anywhere, which will leave room for some continued talk about other names like Travis Hamonic. The defenseman is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and has shut down any extension talks, making his a tricky situation to navigate. If the team is not contending for a playoff spot by the deadline, it might make sense to cash in an asset like Hamonic to improve their future.
Treliving also announced that T.J. Brodie would be rejoining the team on their current road trip, but he is still not cleared to play since his collapse at practice recently.
T.J. Brodie Released From Hospital
November 21: Flames’ GM Brad Treliving issued an update on Brodie’s status:
TJ has been working out for the past several days and today skated on his own under the supervision of our medical staff. Over this past week he has had consultations with appropriate specialists in Calgary. To date all medical evaluations and testing have been reassuring. We still work to complete final testing and are optimistic he will re-join the team in the near future. TJ has been placed on injury reserve retroactive to November 14th.
November 15: After a scary incident at Calgary Flames practice, word has come down that T.J. Brodie is feeling better. Brodie collapsed and was convulsing on the ice before being taken to hospital, but today Dr. Ian Auld explained at a press conference that the incident was more likely related to fainting than to a significant brain issue. Several tests came back negative, though the team is still taking it slow and making sure he has fully recovered.
There is no timetable for Brodie’s return and in the meantime the Flames have recalled Oliver Kylington from the AHL. In order to fit him in, Juuso Valimaki has been moved to long-term injured reserve.
Brodie is an extremely important part of the Flames’ defense, but obviously everyone involved is concerned with his long-term health.
Sam Bennett Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Calgary Flames have moved forward Sam Bennett to long-term injured reserve, taking him out of the lineup for the next while. With the added cap flexibility however they have recalled Tobias Rieder and Alexander Yelsesin, giving them some added depth while they deal with the injury.
Bennett missed Calgary’s last game with the upper-body injury, and will now be out at minimum 24 days or ten games from the last time he played, November 16th. Previously listed as week-to-week, there’s no clear indication of when he will be ready to return.
Reider’s return isn’t much of a surprise after he was sent to the minor leagues just yesterday, but Yelesin is an intriguing new face for fans to watch. The 23-year old defenseman was signed out of the KHL this summer and has played in 15 games with the Stockton heat this season. Not much of an offensive threat, he nevertheless was a KHL All-Star last season and will help the team fill in the absence of T.J. Brodie who continues recovering after his collapse at practice recently.
Yelesin was signed to a two-year entry-level contract, that interestingly includes some hefty potential performance bonuses. The only way he would earn those is in the NHL, meaning this represents a big opportunity for the young defenseman.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 11/19/19
After a quiet two days the NHL is back in full force tonight with 26 teams in action. That includes Pat Maroon and Kevin Shattenkirk returning to St. Louis to take on their former team, this time suiting up for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are floundering in sixth place in the Atlantic Division but have played the fewest games of any team in the league and still have plenty of time to turn things around. While teams prepare for the busy night, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- Those Lightning are dealing with a few bumps and bruises, so Cory Conacher has been recalled from the minor leagues to serve as some extra forward depth for this evening. The 29-year old Conacher has one again found success in the minor leagues, scoring 12 points in 16 games this season for the Syracuse Crunch.
- Adam Werner has been sent back to the Colorado Eagles as the Avalanche goaltenders start to get healthy, but the team has also made another transaction. A.J. Greer has been recalled according to Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic, giving the young forward another chance at the NHL. Greer was a second-round pick in 2015 but has played just 37 games so far for the Avalanche, scoring six points.
- The Calgary Flames will try to insert even more physicality into the lineup after recalling Zac Rinaldo from the minor leagues. The team has sent the struggling Tobias Rieder to the AHL in his place. Rinaldo, has played in 351 NHL games, recording 719 penalty minutes.
Poll: Which Team Most Needs To Make A Trade?
At the quarter mark of the season, the wheels have begun turning for many general managers. Enough time has passed in the 2019-20 campaign to tell whether a team can contend as currently constructed or not. The standings at the end of November are usually a strong indicator of where teams will end up at the conclusion of the regular season and a number of clubs will not be happy with where they currently sit. The New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers hold the five best records in the NHL and may be content to wait for the NHL Trade Deadline to make a move, but others are already feeling the pressure to do so as soon as possible.
The two biggest disappointments of the season so far are easily the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames. The Flames were the regular season champs of the Western Conference with 107 points, while the Leafs were a 100-point team themselves. Yet, the struggle for both squads seemingly started in last year’s playoffs with frustrating first-round exits. Toronto again fell victim to the rival Boston Bruins, while Calgary was stunned in five games by the eight-seeded Colorado Avalanche. Both teams entered the new season with something to prove but have only found more disappointment. The Flames and Maple Leafs are shockingly just .500 teams through 20+ games apiece, with each riding a significant losing streak. Neither team has any cap space available, but are in desperate need of a shake-up nonetheless. The Leafs seem to be lacking an edge defensively (and could also use a goalie), while Calgary’s offense is third-worst in the league.
However, is maintaining relevance more important than finally achieving it? Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but after strong starts to the season, the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks appear to be tailing off yet again. Buffalo was electric to begin the year, just as they were in 2018-19, but are just 2-6-2 in their past ten games and would miss the playoffs if they started today. That would make it a league-worst nine years in a row without postseason hockey for the Sabres, who somehow need to find a way to stay consistent over the course of a season, especially in the Atlantic Division. A new addition up front would go a long way for Buffalo. The Canucks are doing a slightly better job, still holding down the third spot in the Pacific Division, but they are far from safe at their current pace. Vancouver’s .571 points percentage is just 16th in the league and the team is trending in the wrong direction, winning just three of their past ten contests. With the aforementioned Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the red-hot San Jose Sharks on their heels, Vancouver cannot afford to let this lapse in play continue. Another missed postseason would make it five in a row. A veteran leader in the locker room who can also make an impact on the ice would be a major addition for the young Canucks.
Which one of these four teams most needs to make a trade to shake things up and get back to their winning ways? Or is there another team under pressure whose needs are even more immediate? Vote below and support your selection in the comments.
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Prospect Notes: Zavgorodny, Mylymok, Aaltonen, Hockey Canada
By any measure, Rimouski Oceanic is a top-three team in the QMJHL this season, mostly due to the play of presumptive 2020 top pick Alexis Lafreniere. The team holds a 14-5-4 record and the second-best goal differential in the league, with Lafreniere leading charge with a league-best 51 points in just 23 games. However, things are about to get more difficult for Rimouski. The team announced today that Dmitri Zavgorodny, an impressive Calgary Flames prospect and a line mate of Lafreniere’s, is set to miss the next two to three months. Zavgorodny suffered a broken collarbone and the team anticipates an 8-to-12 week recovery timeline. The talented forward has surely played his last hockey of the 2019 calendar year, but the focus now will be on making sure he is at full strength for the stretch run and postseason when he returns to action, likely in February. In the meantime, Lafreniere and Cedric Pare will try to keep their incredible level of play up; Zavgorodny was third on the team in scoring, but amazingly also third in the league as well, with his 43 points trailing only his line mates. Oceanic will also look for someone to step up and fill Zavgorodny’s slot on the first line, while also expecting their secondary scoring to shoulder some of the burden of his absence. The Quebec league contenders will also likely look into a trade. If Lafreniere and company can survive Zavgorodny’s loss over the next few months, they will remain a formidable opponent in the 2020 playoffs. Perhaps the biggest loser in this situation is Russia’s World Junior team; a key piece will now miss the tournament.
- 2020 NHL Draft prospect Luke Mylymok is jumping leagues mid-season. The University of Minnesota-Duluth commit, who some expected to be with the Bulldogs this season, instead remained in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. However, he is making a switch, as the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks announced that Mylymok has joined their team. Beginning the 2017-18 season as a 16-year-old, Mylymok nevertheless finished the year as a top-six scoring forward for the Gamblers. However, after a relatively slow start to this new campaign – six points in 14 games – the skilled forward will try something new in British Columbia. It’s hard to peg where Mylymok may fall in the draft this spring, but the endorsement of Minnesota-Duluth, one of the top programs in college hockey, has to be worth something. If Mylymok can improve his play with a change of scenery, his name could be getting more attention later this season.
- The New York Rangers may have to wait a while longer to see 2019 draft selection Leevi Aaltonen in action in North America. Fortunately, the team has a deep pipeline and can allow for the intriguing young forward to develop at his own pace. Aaltonen has signed a two-year extension with KalPa of the Finnish Liiga, where he is enjoying a regular role for the first time in his young career. A product of the system in KalPa, Aaltonen has already played in a career-high 14 games this season and clearly wouldn’t mind playing with the team for a while longer. After putting up good numbers at the top junior level in Finland last year, Aaltonen was well-regarded entering the draft and considered by many to be a steal by the Rangers in the fifth round. A small, shifty forward, Aaltonen’s skating ability and skill are apparent, but he has a ways to go physically and in developing a more mature, well-rounded game. Patience by New York will likely pay off as Aaltonen continues to grow in KalPa.
- There will be no more Peewee, Midget, and Bantam in Canada. After a meeting this weekend in Montreal, Hockey Canada has announced that they will be re-naming their age divisions in youth hockey to simplify the structure of the game. No longer will each level have its own unique title; instead, age groups will largely be categorized as being under a certain odd number age. The new titles are U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15, U-18, and U-21. These changes will be implemented almost immediately for next season. While the oldest age group will surely continue to be referred to as “Junior” hockey, the other titles that many have come to know will cease to exist. A helpful simplification of the game for many, but at the cost of novelty to others.
Minor Transactions: 11/17/19
Most of the NHL is at rest today after the huge number of Saturday games, meaning just four teams are in action. The Buffalo Sabres travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks, while the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights get reacquainted in Sin City. As teams prepare for the next week of action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Noah Gregor has been returned to the AHL after playing in ten games for the San Jose Sharks. The 21-year old center failed to register his first NHL point but at least got his feet wet and saw what would be required of him at the next level.
- Former NHL goaltender Justin Pogge has found a new home for this season, signing a one-year deal with Sodertalje SK in Sweden’s second league. The 33-year old netminder has spent the last several seasons overseas after a North American career that saw him quickly turn from top prospect to AHL afterthought. In seven career NHL games, Pogge posted an .844 save percentage and 4.36 goals against average.
- Miikka Salomaki has been assigned to the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators after five games with the team. The 26-year old was recalled on October 19th, meaning he’s close to needing waivers again. Sending him to the AHL now leaves the Predators with some extra roster flexibility.
- The Boston Bruins have returned three players to their AHL affiliate, according to the AHL transactions page. The website reports that the Bruins have sent forwards Paul Carey and Trent Frederic and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to Providence. Carey played Saturday in their shootout loss to Washington, receiving 6:22 of playing time. Frederic played back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, but was held scoreless, while Vaakanainen played in three games, playing 19:19 on Saturday.
- The Athletic’s Darren Haynes reports that the Calgary Flames have recalled forward Dillon Dube from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube, who has dominated in the AHL, but struggled last year in his first taste of NHL action, was brought in to spark the team, which has been struggling with offense recently. Dube has four goals and 13 points in 13 games with the Heat. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis adds that forward Alan Quine was sent to Stockton in a corresponding move.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forwards Brandon Pirri and Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Pirri cleared waivers and has already been reported to have been sent to Chicago, while Roy has been up and down multiple times this year as a fourth-line option for Vegas. The 22-year-old has fared well in six games, posting a goal and three points.
- The Dallas Stars announced they have re-assigned center Rhett Gardner to the Texas Stars of the AHL. The 23-year-old had appeared in eight games for Dallas but failed to register a point. He had eight shots on goal over that span. With no game until Tuesday, it could just be a paper transaction to save some cap space.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Joe Hicketts to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Hicketts has appeared in five games for the Red Wings, which included picking up his first point of the season Saturday in their shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned defenseman Colton White to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. White was recalled Friday by the team but served as an emergency defenseman for Saturday’s game against Montreal.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Eetu Luostarinen from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, according to a Checkers’ release. The 21-year-old Luostarinen was recalled 10 days ago, and appeared in three games for the Hurricanes, registering one assist, before being returned to Charlotte. The 2017 second-round pick has looked good in the AHL with five goals and eight points in 12 games.
- After being sent back to the minors following Saturday’s game, the Canadiens announced that they’ve recalled winger Charles Hudon from AHL Laval. He played less than eight minutes yesterday in his season debut but with Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin both injured, Montreal was down to just 11 healthy forwards.
- The Rangers have decided to give Lias Andersson some more playing time as they’ve assigned him to Hartford of the AHL per a team release. The seventh pick in 2017 has just one assist in 17 games this season while playing less than ten minutes per night. Winger Tim Gettinger has been recalled to take his place on the roster.