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Evening Notes: Sabourin, Gustafsson, Sekera, Brodzinski

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After a gruesome hit that saw Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin get knocked unconscious and fall face first into the ice after colliding with Boston Bruins forward David Backes, the Senators got some good news. Sabourin, who laid motionless for an extended period of time, gave a thumbs up to fans as he was carted off the ice (video here).

The Senators then followed up with a statement (via Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch):

“Scott Sabourin was transported to local hospital by ambulance for evaluation. He was conscious and speaking with the attending doctors at the time of leaving the arena.”

Backes, may also have been injured on the play when both attempted to hit each other during the incident. After staying with Sabourin while he was down on the ice, Backes went to the locker room and didn’t return. The Bruins later announced he would not return. Backes, who has an concussion history, may have suffered another one.

  • After an impressive season last year in which he tallied 17 goals and 60 points, few people would have expected Chicago Blackhawks’ defenseman Erik Gustafsson to be a healthy scratch this year, but head coach Jeremy Colliton said that Gustafsson will be in the press box Saturday as he has struggled finding his game so far this year. The 27-year-old blueliner has four assists in 11 games, but hasn’t been the top-four defenseman the team was hoping for. “We think he can be better,” said Colliton (via The Athletic’s Scott Powers). Sometimes coming out of the lineup can be the spark. … We think he can be better in both areas (offense & defense). He’ll get feedback and it’s up to him to respond.”
  • Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Andrej Sekera is closing in on a return. The veteran blueliner, out with an undisclosed injury, skated Saturday, but head coach Jim Montgomery said he wasn’t sure if Sekera would be ready to go on Tuesday. Sekera has appeared in 13 games for Dallas this year, averaging 20:36 of ATOI.
  • The Mercury News’ Curtis Palshelka reports that San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer stated that forward Jonny Brodzinski is out Saturday and likely will be out for some time after suffering a shoulder injury. The scribe also notes that the injury is not the same shoulder that held him out for most of the 2018-19 season. Pashelka adds that defenseman Radim Simek is expected to play in another AHL game with the San Jose Barracuda on Sunday with the hopes that he might return to the Sharks soon after that.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall Adam Boqvist

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Not only are the Chicago Blackhawks keeping young Kirby Dach in the NHL for the time being, but they’ve also made a move to promote another future cornerstone. Adam Boqvist is on his way to the Blackhawks after being recalled from the Rockford IceHogs after just six professional games.

Boqvist, the eighth overall pick in 2018, had been playing in the AHL even though he still had eligibility in the CHL. After tearing apart the OHL for the London Knights last season—Boqvist scored 20 goals and 60 points in just 54 games—the Blackhawks obviously felt he was ready for the professional jump. Now he’s taken an even bigger leap to the NHL after recording one goal with Rockford.

It’s hard to express just how dangerous Boqvist is with the puck, jumping into the rush or walking the line in the offensive zone. The question is whether he will be able to get the puck back from opposing NHL forwards enough, something that seemed unlikely even as recently as training camp.

Still, with such an incredible skill level it’s hard to bet against the 19-year old defenseman. If he stays for more than nine games in the NHL the first year of his entry-level contract will kick in, something that wouldn’t have happened if he spent the year in the minor leagues.

College Hockey Round-Up: 10/30/19

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The college hockey season is a month old, but only a handful of teams have played more than six games so far. Yet, just three schools remain undefeated (not including the Ivy League’s of course, who have yet to begin play.) Those three teams are No. 1 Denver, No. 2 Minnesota State, and No. 5 Notre Dame. The Pioneers are an impressive 6-0 and have a good chance of remaining unbeaten through their upcoming weekend series with Niagara. The Mavericks are 5-0-1, with their one tie coming against another national powerhouse, No. 14 North Dakota. Other than that one tie, Minnesota State has allowed just four goals in their five wins. The Fighting Irish sit in fifth nationally behind UMass and Cornell as their 4-0 record has not exactly featured the most menacing competition in Air Force and Lake Superior State. Yet, as they begin Big Ten Conference play, Notre Dame is sure to be tested with series against Minnesota, No. 13 Ohio State, and No. 7 Wisconsin next up. Which team will stay undefeated the longest? And could an Ivy League like Cornell or Harvard enter the battle of the unbeaten?

Recent Results

Two weeks ago, college hockey fans were treated to an epic early-season clash between the defending NCAA champions, No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth, and a popular pick to win it all this season, Wisconsin. The two-game series in Madison wasn’t as close as many expected though, as the young, star-studded Badgers took both games by a combined score of 9-3. The Bulldogs edged out two wins against their flagship rival Minnesota this past weekend to sit at 3-3 on the year and have their recent seasons of dominance to thank for their continued presence in the top ten, but that won’t save them all season. Meanwhile, Wisconsin suffered a shutout loss to No. 11 Clarkson this weekend, but picked up the win in the second game. Through six games, the team is tied for the NCAA lead in goals for, led by college hockey’s top goal-scorer, Cole Caufield (MTL), and his fellow first-round pick Alex Turcotte (LAK).

The program tied at the top of the scoring race with the Badgers is No. 8 Providence College. The Friars are spreading the scoring wealth, with three players among the top six in points. Jack Dugan (VGK) and his 14 points lead the NCAA by a relatively wide margin, as the 2017 fifth-round pick is off to a blazing start. Tyce Thompson (NJD) is tied for second with 11 points and Greg Printz, who led the way after two weeks, sits in sixth. Despite the considerable offense from Providence, the team is 4-2 with a stunning loss to Holy Cross early on and a heartbreaker against No. 17 UMass Lowell this weekend.

And what of the top teams in the country? Denver has certainly earned their top billing in college hockey so far. They picked up two wins against a loaded No. 15 Boston College squad two weeks back, including a 3-0 shutout. Freshman keeper Magnus Chrona (TBL) continues to be stellar in net with a .930 save percentage and 1.83 GAA in six wins for the Pioneers, while highly-regarded defenseman Ian Mitchell (CHI) is one of the league leaders in scoring among defenseman. Also among that group is UMass freshman Zac Jones (NYR), who is showing that the Minutemen can indeed survive without Cale Makar. After a tough loss to Northeastern – and arguably the best goalie in college hockey thus far, graduate transfer Craig Pantano – UMass rebounded with a convincing sweep of Union and a win over nearby American International. Behind a shutdown tandem of Matt Murray and Filip Lindberg (MIN), it may prove hard for opponents to pick up wins in Amherst this year. The team hopes to prove that point when they face the Huskies again in a home-and-home this weekend. Finally, Minnesota State stayed unbeaten with a win and tie against North Dakota and two easy W’s against Alabama-Huntsville. The team’s stingy defense – eight goals allowed in six games – and the serious skill of Nathan Smith (WPG) make Mankato a dangerous place to play this season.

What To Expect From Cornell

The Cornell Big Red have played exactly zero games so far this season. Yet, they have held on to their No. 4 spot through a month of play. After an impressive 2018-19 campaign, expectations are high for Cornell to replicate their success. But are those expectations realistic?

The team unofficially kicked off their season this weekend with an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team Development Program. While this isn’t the historic USNTDP group of last year, it is still a talented squad that features many of the players who will be star freshman in the NCAA next year. Yet, the Big Red made them look like the junior team they are, shutting out the American standouts 3-0. Next up is Michigan State, before they begin their ECAC schedule.

The unrivaled star of the team is Morgan Barron (NYR). The Rangers pick has far exceeded his sixth round expectations already and just narrowly missed out on a point-per-game campaign last year. Barron led Cornell in goals and points last season with his physical brand of offensive ability. However, he’s now missing the lightning to his thunder, as slick winger Mitchell Vanderlaan graduated and moved on to the ECHL. If the Big Red are to avoid regression this season, Barron will need to be even better and the likes of Cam Donaldson, Michael Regush, and impressive goaltender Matthew Galajda will have to step up. Fortunately, the veteran group is accustomed to playing with one another; it’s one of the team’s greatest strengths and could allow a potential impact freshman like defenseman Alex Green (TBL) to play a more confident game right away.

Connor Mackey Drawing Interest

While Minnesota State’s defensive prowess over the past few years has most often been credited to talented netminder Dryden McKay, NHL scouts have their eyes on another key member of that effort. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that defenseman Connor Mackey has met with at least seven NHL teams about his impending free agency. Mackey is expected to be one of the top college free agents available this spring.

Many actually believed Mackey, 23, would turn pro this past summer, but he decided to go for another run at an NCAA title with the Mavericks. However, it’s hard to imagine the junior blue liner making that decision a second time. Mackey already has four points in six games to go along with a team-leading 13 penalty minutes, which is right in line with last season, when he recorded 25 points a team-high 55 penalty minutes. A dual-threat puck-mover and physical force, Mackey plays a well-rounded style and has matured his game at the college level. Mackey may not have elite skill, size, or skating ability, but he does everything well and projects as an all-situations defender at the pro level.

Friedman speculates that the Winnipeg Jets, who suddenly have a massive need for both immediate and long-term defensive help, could be the top suitor for Mackey’s talents. However, the Minnesota Wild are surely keeping an eye on the nearby prospect, while the Chicago Blackhawks could also pursue the Illinois native. And that’s just three teams. With at least seven interested in October, it could be quite the pursuit later this season when Mackey moves on from Mankato and begins his pro career.

Kirby Dach To Stay With Chicago Blackhawks

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After impressing in his first six games in the NHL, Kirby Dach is here to stay. The Chicago Blackhawks have confirmed that Dach will stay with the team for the “foreseeable future” instead of returning to the CHL. When the young forward plays his tenth game, the first year of his entry-level contract will be burned.

Dach, 18, was the third overall pick in June after an outstanding season for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. The 6’4″ forward could have gone back to dominate that league again, but a concussion during training camp actually may have changed that plan. With the injury, Dach was able to not only stick around the NHL team but get a conditioning stint in the minor leagues with the Rockford IceHogs. After showing well in the AHL, his strong six-game NHL career has come as no surprise.

Scoring his first NHL goal and recording two points, Dach will stay with the Blackhawks and try to get them out of their early season funk. The team is 3-6-2 through their first 11 games and have only scored 25 goals. Hopefully the young forward will be able to change those fortunes, but at the very least he’ll be continuing his development at the highest level.

Scratch Notes: Seabrook, Gusev, Fiala

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The Chicago Blackhawks are sitting one of their franchise icons in the press box again tonight, as Brent Seabrook waits his turn to get back into the lineup. That obviously isn’t what the 34-year old was hoping for at this point in his career, and he made it clear to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports that he believes he can still play:

I don’t think I need rest. I think I feel great, I’m 34, you guys seem to want to write articles about my age and my speed. I feel like I still got a lot to offer in this league and still be a good player for somebody.

The most interesting part of the Seabrook quote may be the very last word, as he didn’t specify the Blackhawks. There has been a contingent of Chicago fans hoping to get rid of Seabrook’s hefty contract for years now, but it still remains one of the toughest deals to make in the league. While the quote might suggest that he’d be willing to waive his no-movement clause in order to get back on the ice, Seabrook carries a $6.875MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, something no team wants to take on.

  • The New Jersey Devils will be sitting Nikita Gusev in the press box tomorrow night when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gusev will get a chance to sit with Devils legend Patrik Elias for the game and pick his brain, something head coach John Hynes hopes will help down the road. Gusev has four points through his first nine NHL games, but has recently seen his minutes drastically reduced.
  • Kevin Fiala will be a healthy scratch for the Minnesota Wild once again tonight, with head coach Bruce Boudreau telling reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic “we expect more” from the talented forward. Fiala has played in just seven games this season and has a lone assist, after being acquired from the Nashville Predators by former GM Paul Fenton. The 23-year old signed a new two-year, $6MM contract in September but has yet to show that high-end offensive skill that made him such an attractive trade target.

Detroit Red Wings Acquire Brendan Perlini

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The Chicago Blackhawks told Brendan Perlini that they would try to find him a new home after he asked for a trade, and they’ve made good on their promise. Perlini has been traded to the Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks will receive Alec Regula in return, and do not have to retain any of Perlini’s salary.

The 23-year old forward had played just one game for the Blackhawks this season after failing to earn a job in training camp, and has now been traded twice in his young career. That’s a disappointing outcome for a player that had such high expectations back in 2014 when he was selected 12th overall by the Arizona Coyotes.

Perlini actually did get off to a solid start to his career, scoring 14 and 17 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL. Even last season after he was traded to the Blackhawks as part of the return for Nick Schmaltz he found success, potting 12 goals in just 46 games. His lack of assists were troubling though and too often Perlini disappeared almost entirely from games, failing to contribute in any meaningful way.

Still, there’s no reason to believe Perlini still can’t make enough improvements to become an impact player at the NHL level. The Red Wings can take that chance given they aren’t expected to compete for the Stanley Cup right away, providing ample opportunity for him to find his game. The Blackhawks obviously weren’t willing to do that, and found an acceptable return.

Regula, 19, was selected 67th overall in 2018 but has already started to show why he may be an NHL option down the road. The 6’4″ defenseman put up 39 points for the London Knights of the OHL last season and is off to an even better start this year. The fact that he played last season with Blackhawks prospect Adam Boqvist should make them very familiar with him. The team does need to sign Regula still, though that is not usually a problem for CHL players. His exclusive draft rights would expire in June, 2020.

Western Notes: Blackhawks, Hayton, Canucks, Greenway

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The next 10 days are critical ones for the Chicago Blackhawks who have not started off the season the way they intended. The team made a number of moves this offseason to restock the team in order to be competitive while they still have Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in their prime. Instead, the team has started the season in last place in the Central Division with a 2-5-2 record through nine games.

While general manager Stan Bowman has made it clear that there won’t be a shake-up like last season when the team fired head coach Joel Quenneville, could there be other changes? The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) wonders what President John McDonough might do if things continue to head south this season. Last season, McDonough approved the Quenneville firing, but kept every other department in tact with the idea that the rest of the organization can fix the problems.

However, if the team continues to struggle, McDonough might approve significant changes. Would that include firing new head coach Jeremy Colliton? Firing Bowman? It’s too early to tell, but continued losing could bring about quite a bit of change down the road.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have taken quite a bit of criticism for their lack of playing time they have given to 19-year-old Barrett Hayton, who has appeared in just three of the team’s first 10 games this season, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required). The 2018 first-rounder was held back last season at the start of the year before Arizona returned him to his junior team as Hayton watched the team for the first week of the season. However, assistant general manager Steve Sullivan suggests this is different. “We’re one bad game or one injury away from him getting into the lineup so I feel like everyone thinking it’s not great for his development is a little premature,” Sullivan said. “We’re three weeks into the regular season so it’s not the end of the world.”
  • While the emergence of J.T. Miller on the Vancouver Canucks top line has been a boon for the team, The Athletic’s Harman Dayal (subscription required) writes that has left quite a hole on the team’s second line which has struggled outside of the play of center Bo Horvat. The current linemates of Horvat have been Micheal Ferland and Jake Virtanen have created mixed results as the team needs more offense from them. The team’s third line has proven to be impressive on the defensive end, but the scribe doubts that the current second line lasts long-term.
  • Minnesota Wild forward Jordan Greenway remains in concussion protocol after taking a hit Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers, according to Rachel Blount of the StarTribune. Greenway did not play Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings and remains day-to-day. While Greenway has been held off the scoreboard in nine games this season, he does have five assists and is working his way into becoming a solid top-six option down the road.

 

Lineup Notes: Boston, Buffalo, Big Names Scratched

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Fresh off a decisive win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the Boston Bruins’ forward lines will look a little different when they face the New York Rangers tonight. The team has announced that bottom-six forwards Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom will both miss the game due to injury. However, the release does not make it sound as if either player is at risk of missing significant time, especially since both played the entire game last night with normal ice time. Wagner is listed as being out as a result of a shot block against the Blues, although no actual injury is listed and the aggressive winger may just need the night off for soreness. Nordstrom has been in and out of the lineup frequently in the young season, dealing with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Today’s news adds even more mystery to his condition, as the Bruins state he is dealing with an “infection issue”. With these two absences coming on top of the injuries to David Krejci and Karson Kuhlman – Kuhlman is expected to join Krejci on IR to create roster space – Boston is shorthanded up front and added that they will recall Peter Cehlarik from AHL Providence. Cehlarik, who played in 20 NHL games last season, leads Providence with six goals and eight points in eight games. The Bruins hope that he can provide the same offensive spark that Anders Bjork has since he was recalled. Tonight should also mark the return to action of David Backes, who has played in five games so far this season and has been held without a point.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have gotten off to a hot start this season and their lineup has been almost identical night in and night out. That is about to change. The team has issued an injury report that includes two new additions in Marco Scandella and Jimmy Vesey. The pair both missed Buffalo’s last game, with Scandella suffering from a lower-body injury and Vesey an upper-body injury. Although the specific injuries are not expanded upon in this new report, Scandella is listed as being out two to three weeks, while Vesey is considered week-to-week. It is a blow to the chemistry and consistency that the Sabres have enjoyed so far this season, especially on the back end where they lose their veteran defensive leader. However, in more positive news, defenseman Brandon Montour has been upgraded to day-to-day and a return to the lineup could be imminent. Montour began the year on the injured reserve with a hand injury, but is nearing his season debut and will provide a major boost for Buffalo.
  • At this point in their respective careers, both Brent Seabrook and Bobby Ryan are known more for their notorious contracts than for their performance. Yet, both are fixtures in their respective lineups. However, reports out of both Chicago and Ottawa state that Seabrook and Ryan will each be a healthy scratch tonight. It is only the second career scratch for both players in their careers and the first under their current head coaches. Per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators head coach D.J. Smith revealed that Ryan would be a scratch, after recording just three points through the team’s first ten games. Ryan, who is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $50.75MM contract, had been relegated to a fourth line role based on his production, but Smith reportedly does not feel he is a good fit as an energy forward. The team has recalled Filip Chlapik to take his place in the lineup and there is no indication of when Ryan may return. Ryan has not cracked 50 points in any of the past three seasons and has three seasons remaining at a $7.25MM cap hit. As for Seabrook, his contract is arguably even worse. The 34-year-old defenseman still has five years remaining on an eight-year, $55MM contract that carries a $6.875MM cap it. Seabrook’s game has fallen off in both the offensive and defensive departments over the past two years and things are only getting worse. The veteran rearguard has just one point in nine games and a -5 rating, on pace for a career worst in both categories. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton will sit Seabrook in favor of untested rookie Dennis Gilbert. Colliton also indicated that Seabrook did not take his benching well. It could be the beginning of an even uglier situation in Chicago. Powers’ colleague Mark Lazerus points out that with Seabrook scratched alongside Zack Smith, the Blackhawks will have over $10MM in salary – approximately 12.4% of the salary cap ceiling – watching from the press box tonight.

Blackhawks Shopping Zack Smith

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Zack Smith’s tenure in Chicago has been rather short thus far as he’s only in his first season with the Blackhawks after being acquired for Artem Anisimov over the summer.  However, it appears that they’ve seen enough from him already as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Chicago is shopping the center around the league.

The 31-year-old has played in just five of Chicago’s eight games so far this season and was scratched for the other three.  When he has played, his role has been rather limited as Smith has averaged just 9:52 per night, well below his career average of 14:56.

Smith is signed through 2020-21 with a cap hit of $3.25MM.  Considering the price tag and term relative to his limited role, it’s hard to imagine that there will be a long list of suitors; it’s worth noting that Smith cleared waivers outright last season.  As a result, it’s likely that Chicago would have to retain on the contract to find a taker, take another not very good contract back, or both in order to facilitate a trade.

Smith joins Brendan Perlini as players that are known to be available from the Blackhawks in the early going of the season.  While neither player has made much of an impact, it seems as if GM Stan Bowman is open to shaking up the bottom end of his roster with the team off to a quiet 2-4-2 start in 2019-20.

Brendan Perlini Confirms Trade Request

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It was reported on Thursday that the Blackhawks and winger Brendan Perlini were in agreement that a trade would be ideal for both sides.  Speaking with Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required), the 23-year-old confirmed the trade request due to a lack of playing time.  He has played just once so far this season and with Kirby Dach up with Chicago now, Perlini appears to be 14th on the depth chart so more playing time doesn’t appear to be on the horizon despite the fact he has scored at least 14 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons.  Powers notes that the asking price is believed to be a draft pick although with only four teams being more than five contracts under the 50-contract limit, a player-for-player swap may be a likelier scenario.

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