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Lightning Notes: Hedman, Jeannot, Eyssimont

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The Tampa Bay Lightning could have Victor Hedman back in the lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The big defenseman took the morning skate, and is a game-time decision. Hedman left game one early with what head coach Jon Cooper deemed a”new” injury, but might not miss much important action. The Lightning rolled over Toronto in game one while playing shorthanded, after Erik Cernak also left with a head injury.

Cernak has been ruled out, but it is a good sign for Lightning fans that Hedman is this close, even if he happens to miss tonight.

Here are some more Lightning injury notes:

  • All indications are that Tanner Jeannot will make his Tampa Bay postseason debut tonight, less than two weeks after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury. The former Nashville Predators forward was the team’s big deadline addition and could add another level of physicality to the series. Jeannot scored just one goal in 20 games with the Lightning after the trade but racked up 77 hits, even averaging fewer than 12 minutes a night.
  • Mikey Eyssimont, who also left game one after a big hit, has been ruled out for game two but took part in morning skate. That’s another good sign that he could return this series, giving the Lightning some more depth as they try to knock Toronto out for the second year in a row.

Snapshots: Wilson, Sergachev, Holm

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Despite a strong 7-2-1 run in their last ten, the Washington Capitals remain in sixth place in the tough Metro, four points out of a divisional playoff spot. As they chase down the teams ahead of them, though some reinforcements are coming. Tom Wilson donned a regular jersey at practice today and skated on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, though the return for the first two is still a little way down the road. Wilson and Backstrom will not travel with the team to Ottawa according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, though Nic Dowd, Alex Alexeyev, and Darcy Kuemper will.

Wilson, 28, is one of the most unique players in the league, able to contribute at a high level offensively while still acting like a pseudo-enforcer on the ice. Racking up at least 93 penalty minutes in each of his nine NHL seasons, he had 24 goals and 52 points in 78 games last season. Since the Capitals never put him on long-term injured reserve, they can activate him without worrying about cap implications. Backstrom, whose $9.2MM cap hit has sat on LTIR all year, is a different story; the team will need to clear quite a bit to get him back on the roster.

  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev’s bank account took a little hit today, as he was fined $5,000 for slashing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting last night. That is the maximum allowable fine under the current CBA. While it doesn’t seem like much, the incident will be considered in any future supplementary discipline decisions, and could lead to increased punishment down the line. For Tampa Bay, they at least are escaping Toronto with no suspensions, after being pummeled by the Maple Leafs in a performance head coach Jon Cooper called “a complete bag of you know what.”
  • As expected, Arvid Holm has been returned to the minor leagues by the Winnipeg Jets, meaning Connor Hellebuyck has recovered enough from his illness to return to action. In his absence, David Rittich stopped 35 of 36 shots in a win over the Ottawa Senators, raising his save percentage to .909 on the year – his highest since 2018-19.

Final Notes: Kucherov, Toews, Point

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The Tampa Bay Lightning were able to respond with a strong effort in game three last night to pull closer in their series against the Colorado Avalanche, but it wasn’t without a cost. Nikita Kucherov and several others left the game at various points with injuries, though it seems they may have escaped without too much issue. Today, head coach Jon Cooper explained to reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic that though it is not yet certain, he expects Kucherov to play in game four.

Here are a couple of other notes from the Stanley Cup Final:

  • Devon Toews, whose cross-check was the reason Kucherov left the game in the first place, is not expected to receive any supplementary discipline from the league. Smith notes that the league felt the play was properly penalized by the on-ice officials, who gave Toews a two-minute minor. It was not the only borderline play in the game but since the Department of Player Safety has not yet issued any hearings, it’s safe to say that there aren’t any suspensions expected from last night.
  • Brayden Point, who missed game three and was replaced by Riley Nash, is doubtful for game four. The 26-year-old forward played in both of the first two games of the series but is still dealing with the injury that took him out of round one against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Point recorded just one shot through those first two games and was a shadow of the dominant player he can be at full strength.

East Notes: Point, Penguins Front Office, Popugayev

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Jun 15: Point is officially playing in tonight’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, per Cooper.

Jun 14: There’s finally confirmation that Brayden Point will be back within the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup this season. Point took practice today with the team, practicing on the first power-play unit. Head coach Jon Cooper said after practice that “there’s a chance” Point will play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tomorrow night, and that he “really anticipates” Point being available for Game 2.

Point’s return certainly begins to stack the cards more in favor of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Historically a point-per-game player in the playoffs, a healthy Point gives Tampa Bay two elite centers to counteract the strong Colorado Avalanche offense. With Nazem Kadri potentially still injured for Colorado, it swings the center matchup massively in Tampa’s favor.

Snapshots: Sabres, Maccelli, Cooper

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There’s no doubt that the Buffalo Sabres will be sellers once again at this year’s Trade Deadline, but there have been many questions posed about how many desirable assets the Sabres actually have. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta can report, though, that Buffalo is “taking calls” on a good portion of their defense core, including Colin Miller, Mark Pysyk, Robert Hagg, and Will Butcher, who are all pending unrestricted free agents. Miller and Pysyk especially have had good results this season, and could command at least a mid-round pick and pose as solid depth for contending teams. The team has also received interest in power-play specialist and pending restricted free agent Victor Olofsson, per Pagnotta. While it may seem surprising that the Sabres would currently be willing to deal a young forward, it looks like Olofsson’s inconsistency and poor defensive play are making the Sabres front office question his future with the team.

More notes from the league on a sleepy Thursday:

  • Matias Maccelli, who’s torn up the AHL this season with the Tucson Roadrunners, is making his NHL debut tonight for the Arizona Coyotes and rightfully so. He’s not exactly a household name, even among prospect aficionados, but the organization is high on him, said general manager Bill Armstrong in a radio appearance today. He’ll come into the team’s training camp next season with the chance to start the season in the team’s top six. He’s getting a look there tonight, as well, lining up alongside Alex Galchenyuk and Phil Kessel for his NHL debut. Maccelli has 14 goals and 41 assists for 55 points in 42 AHL games.
  • A relative rarity nowadays, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was ejected near the end of the second period from tonight’s game against Pittsburgh after getting into a verbal spat with referee Wes McCauley. It’s something to watch out for in the coming days, as the incident will likely be followed up with a fine from the NHL.

Cal Foote, Taylor Raddysh Enter COVID Protocol

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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced some good news and some bad news today. Head coach Jon Cooper and forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare have both exited the COVID protocol, but Cal Foote and Taylor Raddysh have taken their place. Goaltending coach Frantz Jean has also entered the protocol.

Getting Cooper back is obviously big news for the Lightning, who take on their state rival Florida Panthers tonight in a matchup that could have playoff implications down the road. Tampa Bay, Florida, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are all battling for supremacy at the top of the Atlantic Division, with the Lightning currently holding a four-point lead on both. The head coach doesn’t have to split his attention anymore either–his services at the upcoming Olympics are no longer required, after the NHL decided against participation.

Losing Foote hurts though, even if he is averaging just over 13 minutes a night this season. The 23-year-old defenseman is a key piece of depth for the Lightning and has suited up 20 times this season, registering strong results in his limited ice time. With Andrej Sustr and Mikhail Sergachev already unavailable due to the COVID protocol, the defensive depth of Tampa Bay will be tested.

Foote and Raddysh join Sergachev, Sustr, Anthony Cirelli, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brian Elliotte on the sidelines.

Snapshots: All-Star Game, Cooper, World Juniors, Rust

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While it appears the NHL and NHLPA will soon officially be pulling the plug on participating in the upcoming Olympics, it doesn’t appear as if All-Star Weekend will be doomed to a similar fate.  At least, not yet.  ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski notes that at this point, there haven’t been any substantial discussions about whether or not to delay or cancel that event which is scheduled for February 4th and 5th in Vegas.  Depending on what happens over the coming weeks when it comes to further postponements on the schedule, the league may need to utilize those dates for makeup games but after not having the event last season, it’s one they’ll likely try to keep intact if they can.

More from around the hockey world:

  • Prior to their game against Vegas tonight, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was placed in COVID protocol, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Tampa Bay was one of the few teams left that didn’t have anyone in COVID protocol before this placement.
  • The World Juniors will have considerably fewer fans than originally planned for following an announcement that Alberta will be limiting capacity to 50% at both arenas. There is no timeline for when those measures will be revisited and they will also affect the Flames and Oilers once their games resume although Edmonton comes out of the holiday break with a six-game road trip due to the tournament.
  • The Penguins and winger Bryan Rust held extension talks but have shelved them after being unable to find common ground in talks, reports Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski. It has been a tough season for the 29-year-old who has been limited to just a dozen appearances due to injuries after two strong years that saw him pot 49 goals in 111 games which doesn’t help his case as he looks to land a sizable raise on his current $3.75MM AAV.  Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentions that Rust skated with the team in Monday – albeit in a non-contact jersey – which suggests that he could be back not long after play resumes following the holiday break.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Lightning, Watson

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The Montreal Canadiens are facing two big game-time decisions for Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks in defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Brendan Gallagher, as reported by The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu notes that Sami Niku will draw in for Petry if he’s unavailable, while Jake Evans, who’s still not 100 percent in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, would play in place of Gallagher if needed. It’s tough news for an already banged-up team that also lost Mathieu Perreault to injury today for two-to-three weeks. Petry and Gallagher have both had extremely slow starts, as Petry has no points through nine games with Gallagher has just a goal and an assist. It’ll undoubtedly force a lineup shakeup for Sunday’s game.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The status of Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Boris Katchouk is uncertain for Monday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Stamkos was absent from practice Sunday, taking a maintenance day, and head coach Jon Cooper is “hopeful” he’ll play Monday night but isn’t certain. Katchouk was hurt in practice Sunday and could be out longer. The 23-year-old forward has gotten into four games this season and is still searching for his first NHL point.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson is close to returning and could be ready for the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, per head coach D.J. Smith. Watson hasn’t played this season due to an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The return comes slightly ahead of the four-week timeline issued on October 10th. He could draw into the lineup in place of Logan Shaw, who’s registered no points in seven games while playing just 8:08 per game.

Tampa Bay Lightning Extend Jon Cooper

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have officially signed head coach Jon Cooper to a three-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2024-25 season. The deal comes just a few weeks after the team extended GM Julien BriseBois, and secures the foundation of the team’s leadership for several years. BriseBois released a statement explaining just why the Lightning are keeping Cooper around:

Unequivocally, Coop is the best person for the job. He is a great leader, spokesperson and ambassador for our organization. We are lucky to have him as our head coach and I very much look forward to our continued partnership.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion now, Cooper really does win at every level. In 2012 he took home the Calder Cup and won AHL Coach of the Year, in 2010 the Clar Cup and USHL Coach of the Year, in 2008 the Robertson Cup and NAHL Coach of the Year, and in 2002 the Hurster Cup in the CSHL. His next test will be this February when he leads the Canadian Olympic team in their pursuit of another gold medal.

With a 384-197-53 regular season record, there’s not really anything to critique about Cooper’s performance behind the bench in Tampa Bay. When the team was swept out of the first round in 2019, some wondered whether he was the one who would be able to get them over the playoff hump. He responded with consecutive titles, and has the Lightning poised to compete for a third-straight Stanley Cup.

Though the Lightning have not released any financial details on the contract, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that it will likely carry an annual salary close to Joel Quenneville’s $5.5MM.

Jon Cooper Named Head Coach Of Team Canada

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If the NHL goes to the Olympics next year, it will be Jon Cooper behind the bench as Team Canada’s head coach. Hockey Canada announced the full staff today, naming Cooper head coach along with Barry Trotz, Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer serving as assistants. The Tampa Bay Lightning coach released a statement:

It is an honour to be entrusted with leading Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team next year in Beijing, and to be able to carry on the rich tradition of hockey excellence that is associated with Hockey Canada. The opportunity to work with an excellent management group and an elite-level coaching staff of Barry, Bruce and Peter is a great privilege. I have many fond memories of the Olympics, from watching games as a young kid to thrilling gold medal victories, and I look forward to helping create lasting memories for Canadians across the country while our team competes for a gold medal.

Cooper, has been a head coach of Canada just once previously, leading the 2017 World Championship team to a silver medal. He was never part of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, which not only helps develop players but coaches as well. In fact, back in 2008 he served as an assistant with the U.S. squad at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, as he was serving as the GM and head coach of the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL at the time. Cooper’s path to the NHL is certainly not the one taken by most Canadian head coaches, but it’s hard to argue with the results. He’s won the Stanley Cup two years in a row with the Tampa Bay Lightning and holds an all-time winning percentage of .647 in the regular season.

The staff Cooper will have is incredible and has its own Stanley Cup ring to boast. Trotz won it all in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, and has twice taken home the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. Cassidy has his own Jack Adams, along with a .677 winning percentage since taking over the Bruins, and DeBoer has been absolutely dominant since joining the Vegas Golden Knights. All four coaches have at least made it to the Stanley Cup Final, and will now try to take Canada to Olympic gold.

It is important to note that this does not mean the league is going for certain. The hope is still that the NHL, IIHF and IOC can reach an agreement, but things are not official yet. If the NHL does not participate, the coaching staff will have to be reworked.

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