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NHL GMs Propose Multiple Rule Changes, Tweaks

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The NHL’s general managers have concluded their annual three-day meeting in mid-March, discussing the latest trends of the game and what new rules could prove impactful. Each of these rule changes is still in their infancy, still needing to be approved by the Competition Committee and the NHL Board of Governors before they’re enacted. We’re here to break down each of the new proposals, with all information courtesy of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter Link).

  • Goaltenders will now join the list of players that can receive a penalty for intentionally dislodging the net – removing netminders’ ability to stop play on their own accord.
  • Centermen will receive a warning before getting tossed from the dot in offensive-zone draws following an opponent’s icing. Previously, defensive centermen received a warning, while offensive centermen were tossed immediately.
  • Backup goaltenders will receive a warmup if the starter is pulled out of the game due to injury or concussion.
  • If a goalie’s mask is knocked off and play is blown dead, the offensive team will have a choice of which offensive-zone dot they want to take the faceoff at.
  • Coaches will now have the ability to challenge a minor high-sticking call, in an attempt show that the infraction was the result of a teammate’s stick, not the offenders. This should clear up high-sticking calls from highly-congested scrums, where multiple players have their sticks up at once.
  • Coaches will now have the ability to challenge a delay of game penalty for the puck going over the glass – attempting to show that the puck deflected off something. If they fail, the team immediately receives a 5-on-3 penalty kill – one penalty for the delay of game, and one for the failed review.
  • If a player refuses to play the puck after a teammate’s high-stick or hand-pass, the opposing team will receive a faceoff one zone better than where the play occurred – meaning the faceoff will be in the non-offending team’s offensive zone, if the infraction occurs in the neutral zone.
  • Players will no longer be able to have legs over the bench while play is ongoing. Teams will be assessed a warning, and then a bench minor, for the infraction. This rule change comes after an official was cut by a skate over the side of the bench.
  • Notably, no changes to the league’s 3-on-3 overtime format were proposed. The NHL is on pace to have 70 percent of overtime games end before a shootout, which would be a league record.

Flyers Expected To Scratch Sean Couturier

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The Philadelphia Flyers are planning to scratch team captain Sean Couturier, per The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (Twitter Link). The scratching comes one month after Couturier was awarded the captaincy – becoming the team’s first captain since Claude Giroux’s reign ended in the 2021-22 season.

The Flyers also recalled forward Olle Lycksell and defenseman Adam Ginning on Monday, with both players expected to now slot into the lineup – Lycksell ahead of Couturier and Ginning ahead of Marc Staal.

Philadelphia will hope to find a spark with these moves, after an unconvincing 4-6-1 stretch over their last 11 games. They’ve been outscored 32-to-42 in that span, with Couturier managing just three assists. Lycksell will replace him, after recording one goal and six points over his last two AHL games. The 24-year-old winger has appeared in nine NHL games already this season, netting three assists. The appearances bring his career totals up to four assists in 17 games, though he’s still searching for his first NHL goal.

Ginning has also appeared in the NHL this season – stepping into the lineup on March 7th for a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. It was the second NHL game of Ginning’s career, with the stout defender managing two penalty minutes, a -1, three blocks, and seven hits in the pair of matchups. He’s still searching for his first NHL point. Ginning has been a consistent piece in the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ lineup, where he’s totaled two goals, 13 points, and 82 penalty minutes in 56 games this season.

This is the first healthy scratch designation that Couturier has carried in quite some time, though it calls back to John Tortorella’s scratching of Kevin Hayes in December of last season. Philadelphia experienced a 6-3 loss without Hayes in the lineup, returning him to his usual role in the subsequent game. The Flyers will hope for better fortunes this time, as Tortorella is once again leaving a seemingly top-name out of the lineup.

Jets To Be Without Rick Bowness Tuesday Following Medical Procedure

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The Winnipeg Jets will be without head coach Rick Bowness on Tuesday, following what the team described as a “minor medical procedure” (Twitter Link). Bowness has returned to Winnipeg to continue receiving treatment, with Scott Arniel slated to serve as interim head coach in his absence. It’s unclear if Bowness will be available for any of the remaining four games on Winnipeg’s east-coast road trip. The team’s next home game is on March 26th, against the Edmonton Oilers.

Bowness has commanded an impressive Jets lineup this season. They’ve allowed the fewest goals in the league this season and found a particularly strong groove since February, going 13-7-0 in their last 20 games. These strong performances have come despite the absences of key players, including Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets have persevered, largely thanks to their latest trade acquisitions. Sean Monahan has eight goals and 13 points in 19 games with the Jets, while Tyler Toffoli staked his claim in Winnipeg with a dominant two-goal, three-point performance on Sunday, bringing him to four goals and five points in his first four games with the club.

The Jets will look to continue that momentum behind associate coach Scott Arniel, who joined the Jets to start the 2022-23 season, after 11 seasons in the Metropolitan Division. Arniel has taken over for Bowness in the past, serving as interim head coach when Bowness stepped away earlier this season. He hasn’t shed the “interim” title since 2010 when he served as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets for a brief 123 games. Arniel has also served five years as an AHL head coach, recording a combined 218-136-42 record with the Manitoba Moose and Chicago Wolves. Arniel previously played in 730 career NHL games, including 406 games across six seasons in Winnipeg.

John Tortorella Suspended For Two Games

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The NHL has suspended Flyers head coach John Tortorella for two games and fined him $50K for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials during last night’s 7-0 loss to the Lightning.

Tortorella was assessed a bench minor and a game misconduct for abuse of officials at 10:49 of the first period after Lightning center Brayden Point scored a power-play goal to increase Tampa’s lead to 4-0 early in the game. Broadcast video captured Tortorella on the bench continuing to fight with officials after the misconduct was assessed, appearing to say, “I’m not f****** leaving” multiple times to referee Wes McCauley (video link via Bally Sports Sun).

The Flyers have publicly supported Tortorella since last night’s ejection, with team governor Dan Hilferty pledging to cover his fine if one was assessed. Flyers assistant Brad Shaw told reporters this morning that Tortorella was simply expressing dissatisfaction with the calls and not going so far as to threaten the on-ice officials, while captain Sean Couturier claimed his head coach “didn’t say much” (via Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports).

Philadelphia’s grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division has slipped to only four points ahead of the Islanders, who have three games in hand on the Flyers. They’ll now be without their Jack Adams candidate for a two-game homestand against the Sharks and Maple Leafs as they try to keep pace in the playoff race.

The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco first reported the suspension; Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first with the fine amount.

Pittsburgh Penguins Share Multiple Injury Updates

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Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has shared multiple injury updates, most notably designating top-line winger Bryan Rust as a game-time decision on Sunday. Rust has missed Pittsburgh’s last seven games with an upper-body injury that earned him a place on injured reserve. It was the second time Rust has landed on IR this season, previously missing three weeks with another upper-body injury. The absences have limited Rust to just 42 of Pittsburgh’s 62 games this season – though he’s proven impactful when he does play, managing 36 points, split evenly, through 42 games.

Rust is on the cusp of reaching the 20-goal mark for the fifth-straight season – a streak he kicked off with a career-high 27 goals in just 55 games in 2019-20. While he hasn’t crossed 25 goals since that year, Rust has proven incredibly consistent, serving as a staple on Sidney Crosby’s line for much of his career. His return will carry extra weight than usual, as the Penguins have dealt away the final member of their top line: Jake Guentzel, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Michael Bunting, three prospects, and a first-round and fifth-round pick in 2024.

Sullivan also shared that forward Matthew Nieto is continuing to rehab from knee surgery. Nieto hasn’t played a game since November 30th, shifting to IR in December and long-term injured reserve in January. He was designated as out for six to eight weeks in early January, putting him on track for a return in mid-to-late March. Nieto has played just 22 games with the Penguins, scoring four points, since signing a two-year, $1.8MM contract with the team this summer.

Finally, the Penguins shared that Drew O’Connor has returned to skating after bearing with a concussion that’s held him out of the team’s last two games. O’Connor suffered the injury in Pittsburgh’s Tuesday game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, leaving after the first period. He had previously played in 60 games this season, scoring a career-high nine goals and 21 points. It’s O’Connor’s first year off the fourth line, after playing in 46 games and scoring 11 points in a depth role last season.

New Jersey Devils Fire Lindy Ruff, Promote Travis Green As Interim Head Coach

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The New Jersey Devils have fired head coach Lindy Ruff, per Mike Morreale of NHL.com. Travis Green will step up as interim head coach. Green has served as an Associate Coach in New Jersey this season – his first coaching gig since being relieved from a five-year stint as the Vancouver Canucks head coach in 2021-22.

Ruff has been with the Devils since the 2020-21 season, relieving Alain Nasreddine from his 43-game stint following John Hynes’ departure. He led the Devils to their highest point total in club history last season, earning 112 points and New Jersey’s second playoff berth of the last decade. But the Devils didn’t make much come from the historic season, getting booted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. They’ve struggled to get their prowess back this year, falling to a 30-27-4 record largely thanks to their long list of injuries – including Dougie Hamilton, whose season was cut short by a torn pectoral in November and stars Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, who have played in just 45 and 50 games respectively.

Their circumstance would be challenging for any team to handle, though Ruff’s lineup choices have been called into question many times. His use of young forward Alexander Holtz has been particularly divisive, with Holtz averaging just over 11-and-a-half minutes and minimal power-play time despite scoring 13 goals and 24 points. Holtz has expressed frustrations with his role, telling NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky, “I don’t know, it’s hard to say… Some games I don’t play that much. I’m just trying to focus to get better every day and show them I’m able to play more.”

Holtz will now be commanded by Green, who had plenty of experience bringing up young players in Vancouver – serving as the head coach for Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes in their rookie seasons. Green totaled a measly .462 win percentage across his five years in Vancouver, though he did lead the team to the second round of the playoffs in the 2019-20 season. The Canucks were Green’s first NHL coaching role, coming after he served four years as head coach for the AHL’s Utica Comets. He now steps into a new role with experience in hand, and may even have a chance to secure the job with the Devils on the cusp of the playoff race.

Afternoon Notes: Tanev, Islanders, Granato, Keefe

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The newest Dallas Stars defenseman, Chris Tanev, isn’t expected to slot into Dallas’ lineup immediately, per Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. Francis added that Tanev will stay in Calgary for a few days while he secures a visa. The Stars acquired Tanev from the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, sending two draft picks and defensive prospect Artem Grushnikov back to the Flames. Dallas also sent a fourth-round pick to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the Devils retaining 50 percent of Tanev’s cap hit.

Tanev, 34, was arguably the top name on the trade market, with a long list of teams interested in adding his defensive prowess. He only has 14 points in 56 games this season, but he led active Flames defensemen in both CF% (Corsi-For Percentage) and xGF% (expected goals-for percentage), speaking to his ability to control possession and scoring opportunities. Tanev has been in the league since the 2010-11 season, when he debuted with the Vancouver Canucks, who signed him as an undrafted free agent ahead of the season. He’s played in the NHL every season since, totaling 185 points and 773 games in the league. Dallas will mark the third team of Tanev’s career, after 10 years in Vancouver and four in Calgary.

Other notes from around the league:

  • New York Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is still not skating, shares Ethan Sears of the New York Post. Bortuzzo rehabbing a lower-body injury that’s earned him a place on the team’s long-term injured reserve. He hasn’t played since January 2nd, forcing the Islanders to once again test their defensive depth. Sears also shared that the Islanders are expected to recall Hudson Fasching from his AHL conditioning stint, though he won’t be immediately activated off of LTIR. Fasching has one goal in three AHL games this season.
  • The NHL has fined both Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato and Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe for unprofessional conduct directed at officials. Each coach was docked $25K. Keefe received a game misconduct for arguing with the refs about a Mitch Marner tripping call, continuing to question the refs even after Toronto had killed off the penalty. Granato received a bench penalty for arguing a Zach Benson tripping penalty, with the opposing Florida Panthers scoring the game-winning goal on the resulting five-on-three power-play. These fines follow a precedent set by the league that aims to reduce abuse of officials.

New Jersey Devils Interested In Juuse Saros

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In an article from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, he mentions that the New Jersey Devils have had a consistent interest over the last several weeks in goaltender Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators. However, Seravalli points out that the General Manager of the Predators, Barry Trotz, has been informing teams that Saros will not be moved while the Predators are in a playoff position.

The Devils’  situation between the pipes has been an issue dating back to last summer when the team was strongly connected to Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck before he signed a seven-year contract extension in Manitoba. Throughout this season, New Jersey has largely been connected to nearly all the names currently present on the market, while almost acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames a few weeks ago.

The problem in net has been persistent this year, with the Devils currently ranked 22nd in the NHL in goals against per game, and 31st in the league in team save percentage. Combining the numbers from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid at the NHL level this season, the team has a .892 SV%, 3.22 GAA, and a whopping -20.5 goals saved above average.

Even with experiencing a down-season by his standards, Saros would mark an immediate upgrade over all three goalies that have started for New Jersey this season. In 46 starts, Saros has managed a 23-21-2 record coupled with a .904 SV% and a 2.95 GAA. Before this year, Saros finished top-10 in Vezina Trophy voting in each of the last three seasons and is still signed for a moderate $5MM salary for one more year.

Owning just short of $9.5MM in cap space come deadline day, the Devils could comfortably afford the contract of Saros, especially if they were able to move out Vanecek in the same deal too. Nashville may not be too high on Vanecek overall but could view him as an expensive short-term backup with his contract ending after the 2024-25 season.

As Seravalli highlighted in his article, the Predators do not seem keen on making a substantial move in net when the team currently holds the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Things could change leading up to the March 8th trade deadline, with Nashville sustaining plenty of pressure from the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, and Seattle Kraken for that spot.

If the Predators do end up moving out Saros, they already have an heir-apparent in Yaroslav Askarov currently playing for their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. As the team currently rides a 19-game winning streak, Askarov has produced a 21-7-1 record throughout the season with a .920 SV% and 2.11 GAA, showing that he may be ready to take the full-time step to the NHL.

Penguins Acquire Emil Bemstrom From Blue Jackets

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A day after speaking to the media, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has swung a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins have acquired forward Emil Bemstrom from Columbus in exchange for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026.

From the Penguins perspective, it didn’t look as though Nylander was a fit with head coach Mike Sullivan’s style of play as he spent most of his time with the Penguins organization in the AHL. In the past two seasons, Nylander dressed in 14 NHL games and had a goal and an assist while getting several looks in the Penguins top six, something he was never able to turn into offensive production. The eighth overall pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft has never lived up to his pre-draft expectations and now finds himself with his fourth NHL franchise in eight years.

The Blue Jackets likely view the draft pick as the central piece of the deal. Although a sixth-round pick in two drafts isn’t exactly a haul, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the pick becomes a third-round pick if Bemstrom scores six goals the rest of this season with Pittsburgh.

In Bemstrom, the Penguins are acquiring a 24-year-old with some speed who was available on waivers just a few months ago. The former fourth-round pick his five goals and six assists in 32 games this season after posting a career-high 22 points in 55 games last year. He spent eight games in the AHL this season where he was dominant with 10 goals and four assists.

The move could be the first of many for the Penguins as Dubas mentioned yesterday that getting younger would be a priority and the Penguins could also make a bigger move if they elect to move on from pending free agent Jake Guentzel.

West Notes: Tourigny, Hertl, Pelletier, Blueger

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It has been a rough go for the Coyotes as of late having lost eight straight games heading into today’s action.  However, GM Bill Armstrong dismissed any notion of head coach Andre Tourigny being in jeopardy of losing his job, telling PHNX’s Craig Morgan that he won’t be making a coaching change.  Arizona was in a Wild Card spot when the calendar flipped to 2024 but now is ten points behind St. Louis for the final playoff spot.  Armstrong hasn’t hidden the fact that the plan was for a long rebuild process and while it appears the Coyotes are likely to miss the playoff for the fourth straight season (12th straight if you don’t count the expanded 2020-21 postseason), Tourigny is still viewed as the right coach to help them take that next step.

More from the Western Conference:

  • It will still be another week or so before the Sharks learn exactly how long Tomas Hertl will be out for, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The 30-year-old has missed the last three weeks after undergoing surgery to remove cartilage from his left knee.  While it has been a particularly rough year for most players in San Jose, Hertl has fared relatively well this season, all things considered.  Despite missing six games, he still leads the Sharks in scoring with 34 points through 48 games.  Pashelka notes that there is optimism that Hertl will be able to return at some point before the regular season comes to an end in April but with San Jose so far out of playoff contention, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get shut down for the season altogether.
  • Flames winger Jakob Pelletier is making progress in his recovery from an upper-body injury that has caused him to miss the last two games but he isn’t expected to play on Monday versus Winnipeg, relays Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link). The 22-year-old has been limited to just four games so far this season (plus four more in the minors) due to injury.  However, it appears this one won’t keep him out for much longer.
  • The Canucks have identified Teddy Blueger as one of their pending unrestricted free agents that they’d like to re-sign, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reported in a recent segment on Sportsnet 650 (audio link). The 29-year-old inked a one-year, $1.9MM deal with them back in July and has done well, picking up 22 points in 42 games while being one of their top-used penalty killers.  That said, contract discussions have not started as of yet and Dhaliwal feels that Vancouver may wait until late in the year to start discussing new deals with the UFA’s they’d like to keep.

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