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Injury Notes: Blackhawks, Coyotes, Flames

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While the most notable injury concern for Chicago is and will continue to be goaltender Corey Crawford, the struggling Blackhawks made other health-related transactions today. The team announced that defenseman Cody Franson, out since early December with an upper-body injury, has been activated and, in a corresponding move, forward Artem Anisimov has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body issue of his own. While Franson will be a welcome addition to the blue line, the long-term loss of Anisimov will be felt much more. The Blackhawks have struggled on offense this season; they are a middling team in goal-scoring and one of the league’s worst power play producers. Forward depth, particularly down the middle, has been a cause for concern and that was prior to Anisimov’s absence. Although ten points behind the Nashville Predators in the Central Division, Chicago is not that far out from the Western playoff picture. However, that could change if the extended sidelining of Anisimov leads to even greater issues on offense on top of the already serious situation in net.

  • Although severely strapped for cap space, the Blackhawks are certainly looking around for ways to bring some depth into the fold. One option that can be cast aside for now is veteran Arizona Coyotes winger Brad Richardson. CapFriendly reports that Richardson has been placed on injured reserve after  he was forced out of the ’Yotes game against the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday with an upper-body injury. As the worst team in the NHL currently, Arizona is surely welcoming offers for their impending unrestricted free agents (and then some). It’s not a long list of soon-to-be-departing players, but the useful, two-way forward Richardson is at the top. His injury history could definitely scare away some suitors though and the Coyotes may have a tough time moving him until he has returned to full strength following his stay on IR.
  • There’s finally an update on the condition of Michael Frolik after the dependable forward took a shot to the face early in Calgary’s game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, but it’s not what Flames fans were hoping to hear. Frolik left the game and did not return and, as it turns out, the shot fractured his jaw and knocked out several teeth. While he has yet to be formally placed on the injured reserve, head coach Glen Gulutzan opined that Frolik was “week-to-week” with no time table for a return. Frolik’s absence will have major repercussions on the lineup, not only due to the underrated winger’s ability, but also the team’s dire lack of right wingers. The forward lines are set to undergo major changes until Frolik is healthy enough to return to action.

Penguins Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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A disappointing season for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins just took another tough turn. The team announced this afternoon that defensemen Kris Letang and Chad Ruhwedel and forward Bryan Rust have all been placed on injured reserve. There had been indications of possible moves such as these earlier in the day when head coach Mike Sullivan stated that Ruhwedel was “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury and Rust was out long-term with an upper-body injury of his own, as well as confirmed that Letang would remain out of the lineup, but the reality of three starters hitting the shelf on the same day could be jarring for Penguins fans.

In corresponding moves, the team has recalled defenseman Andrey Pedan, forward Garrett Wilson, and goaltender Casey DeSmith after previously calling up rearguard Frank Corrado earlier in the day. Pedan could potentially be making his Penguins debut soon after coming over from the Vancouver Canucks this summer in the Derrick Pouliot trade. Between the 6’5″ Pedan and newly-acquired 6’7″ Jamie Oleksiak, the Penguins certainly have some size on the blue line right now. However, with both Letang and Justin Schultz out of the lineup, it will likely be the more offensively-inclined Corrado looked to for a greater impact. Up front, Wilson seems more likely to be an emergency depth option or occasional fourth-line contributor than any sort of replacement for Rust. The 26-year-old has zero points in 34 NHL games. If scoring becomes a problem with both Rust and Letang now sidelined long-term, it could be time for Daniel Sprong to make his much-awaited return to Pittsburgh.

The most interesting impact of these injury moves could be the effect on the trade status of Letang. The All-Star defender’s availability has been a hot topic recently, but these new health concerns added to the career laundry list for the oft-injured defenseman will surely be a factor in talks.

2017 Year In Review: February

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2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world.  There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more.  Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. We already looked back at January yesterday.

Blues Fire Ken Hitchcock: After a slow start to the season (24-21) and his contract being up anyway at the end of the year, the St. Louis Blues decided to rid themselves of Hitchcock after six years with the franchise. Hitchcock had won 248 games with the Blues and took the team to the playoffs in each of the five years he coached the team, but only reached the conference finals once, in the 2015-16 season. He was immediately replaced by now-current head coach Mike Yeo, who was an assistant coach and was being groomed to replace Hitchcock after the veteran coaches’ deal expired. The move seemed to work as the team went 22-8-2 under Yeo and the team eventually lost in the second-round of the playoffs.

Robbi Fabbri’s Lower-Body Injury Begins His Demise: St. Louis Blues’ Robby Fabbri suffered what was described as a lower-body injury on Feb. 3 after sustaining a hit from Pittsburgh’s Carter Rowney, just three days after the team’s coaching change, and the young, talented stud prospect hasn’t played a game since. Two days later, he was listed as out for the season with a torn ACL, requiring surgery. Life only got worse for the Blues and Fabbri during training camp when he re-aggravated his knee and it was announced that he will miss all of the 2017-18 season as well to undergo a second surgery. The promising prospect will have missed more than a year and a half due to his knee injury as players with multiple knee injuries often have trouble returning to form.

Julien Fired By Bruins, Hired By Montreal: The Boston Bruins let go of head coach Claude Julien after 10 years with the franchise as the team was struggling with a 26-23-8 record on the season and didn’t look to be going anywhere in the playoff race. He had won 393 games with Boston in that span and was replaced by assistant and now-head coach Bruce Cassidy, who took Boston to the playoffs. However, just one week after being fired, Julien found employment again after the Montreal Canadiens fired Michel Therrien during his second-tenure with the team. Therrien had been coaching the team for five years (eight total), but Montreal was looking for a change after the team lost 10 of its previous 13 games and found Julien’s availability too good to pass up. Ironically, it was the second time that Julien replaced Therrien as the Canadiens’ head coach. He took over for him back in 2002 as well.

Lightning Trade Bishop To Los Angeles Kings: With the expectation that young prospect goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy would become the team’s future in the net, the Tampa Bay Lightning shipped veteran goaltender Ben Bishop off to the Los Angeles Kings for Peter Budaj, defensive prospect Erik Cernak, and and a 2017 seventh-round pick. A second pick was conditional on the Kings making the playoffs, which they didn’t. Bishop, who had been stellar for Tampa Bay in his tenure there, was just average with Tampa Bay last year with a 2.55 GAA in 32 games. He put up similar numbers with Los Angeles but only won two games for the franchise. Bishop was nothing more than a rental as he would be a free agent at the end of the season. The trade was especially confusing since the team had just gotten starter goaltender Jonathan Quick back from injury the day before the trade after he had missed all but one game due to injury. The trade was panned as many believed that the Kings needed a scorer, not more goalie support.

Blues Send Shattenkirk To Washington Capitals: While there were many interesting deals made at the trade deadline, none was more intriguing that the rumors that surrounded defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and his expiring contract. It was strange to see a playoff caliber team that was playing well under Yeo, to trade their top defenseman, but the team didn’t want to lose the veteran for nothing. Instead, the team traded Shattenkirk to the dominant Washington Capitals in their quest for a Stanley Cup (didn’t happen) as they got back prospect Zachary Sanford, veteran Brad Malone, a first-round pick in 2017 (which they packaged to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn) and a second-round pick in 2019. Shattenkirk joined a dominant group of defenders in Washington, but struggled along with the rest of the team in the playoffs before the team was bounced by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Injury Notes: Wennberg, Martin, Folin, Vilardi

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The Columbus Blue Jackets might be without one of their young centers, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that head coach John Tortorella didn’t acknowledge what the injury is, but said Alexander Wennberg is “probably out a while.”

The team already with multiple injuries at the center position with Brandon Dubinsky out as well as the fact that Wennberg himself has already missed significant time with injuries. The 23-year-old center had a breakout year last season when he put up 13 goals and 59 points, but this year has already missed several weeks with an upper-body injury in November. He has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games this season and hasn’t been as effective this year, often playing on the team’s third line.

Portzline also tweets that defenseman Zach Werenski is still out with no updates. In other injury news around the league:

  • San Jose Sharks defenseman Paul Martin’s two week conditioning stint is up (it actually expires Sunday) and he has been recalled. However, it doesn’t look like he will be placed into the Sharks lineup anytime soon. An Associated Press article in the New York Post reported Friday night that Martin had a setback from his recovery from ankle surgery, although the injury is not a recurrence of the same injury. However, there is no timeline for his return. Martin played four games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, the first four games he’s ever played in the AHL in his entire career. The 36-year-old defenseman had one assist in that span.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Christian Folin remains out after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to a lower-body injury. According to Rosen, Kings’ head coach John Stevens said, “He hasn’t really started skating again yet, but we’ve got the break coming here. We want to just let everything settle down, get him going again after the break. I would hope he starts skating after the break, but we’ll see.”
  • Rosen also tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ 2017 first-round pick Gabriel Vilardi, who has been out with a back injury since the start of the season, is expected to be cleared to play in games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL on Dec. 28. Vilardi was the 11th-overall pick after scoring 29 goals for the Spitfires last season and has missed the entire year so far.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars

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With the holiday season in full swing, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for so far this year. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first few months and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams:

Atlantic: BOS, BUF, DET, FLA, TOR, MTL, OTT
Metropolitan: CAR, CBJ, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, WSH
Central: CHI, COL, MIN, NSH, STL
Pacific: ANA, ARZ, CGY, EDM, LAK, SJS, VAN, VGK

What are the Dallas Stars most thankful for?

The draft lottery.

2016-17 was a huge disappointment for the Stars. After finishing first in the Western Conference and advancing to the second round a year earlier, Dallas got off to a brutal start last season and couldn’t overcome it to sneak their way into the playoffs. Finishing with 79 points and third-last in the West, it cost head coach Lindy Ruff his job and several players their role on the club.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. After the season, the Stars lost Cody Eakin to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, and couldn’t have been that upset about it. The centerman has put up a better season for Vegas than he had in 2016-17, but is still not the 20-goal, 50-point man many had hoped he would develop into. The fact that the Stars no longer have to worry about the two years at $3.85MM that Eakin is still owed on his current deal is actually probably worth more than having him on the team.

Then came the draft, where Dallas won the right to select third-overall and were able to take home exactly what they were after. Though some casual North American observers may have forgotten about Miro Heiskanen as he continues to develop in Finland, the Stars sure haven’t. Heiskanen is playing excellent in the Finnish Liiga, scoring nine goals and 14 points in 20 games while controlling games from the blueline. He is an absolute prototype when it comes to the new era of NHL defensemen, able to play well at both ends of the rink.

Fans should get a good look at his potential when he skates for Finland at the upcoming World Junior Championships, where he’ll remind everyone why he was taken third-overall. The idea of the Finnish duo of Julius Honka and Heiskanen playing long-term together should have Dallas fans salivating.

Who are the Stars most thankful for?

Jamie BennJamie Benn.

Benn continues to be one of the greatest stories in the NHL, going from a fifth-round pick out of the BCHL to a legitimate All-World captain and winger. His 30 points lead the Stars again this season, while his possession numbers and all-around play remain high. He’s the type of player every team around the league would be after if there was a chance, but as he starts his new contract extension it looks like he’ll be in Dallas for a long time.

With a $9.5MM cap hit for another seven years, there is definitely some risk involved in Benn’s deal. Who can know what kind of player he’ll be in his mid-thirties, but at this point he’s still the best chance the team has to compete for the Stanley Cup. With Tyler Seguin set to hit free agency in the summer of 2019, it will be interesting if the team decides to keep the dynamic duo together long-term, for what would be a huge chunk of the salary cap.

What would the Stars be even more thankful for?

Healthy and effective goaltending.

The Stars went out and got the starting goaltender they wanted in the offseason, buying out Antti Niemi and bringing in Ben Bishop to handle the load. Unfortunately, Bishop has battled a sore back this season and looked average even when he is in the net. Kari Lehtonen has bounced back from a dreadful 2016-17, but only to about the same level Bishop is playing, which is not good enough.

Bishop and Lehtonen have .908 and .907 save percentages respectively, and the Stars need more than that to get back to being a contender in the league. Especially when you factor in that Ken Hitchcock’s system usually increases save percentages in the first few years, the goaltending simply hasn’t been good enough. There are several issues with this team, but getting Bishop—who signed a six-year, $29.5MM contract with the team—back to playing like the Vezina contender he’s been in the past, could make up for them all.

What should be on the Stars’ Holiday Wish List?

Some more help up front.

Beyond the trio of Benn, Seguin and Alexander Radulov (who’ve been spread out recently to try and spark some more offense) the Stars don’t have enough firepower at forward. Young forward Radek Faksa has done his part, but veterans like Martin Hanzal, Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel have been almost invisible when in the lineup.

The Stars are still 18-14-3 on the season and within striking distance of the top teams in the Central Division, but to really compete they’ll need a deeper offensive attack. The depth of their forwards pales in comparison to clubs like Nashville, Winnipeg and St. Louis, something that would become even more prominent in a seven-game series.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Bruins’ Cup Hopes

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An 8-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes was exactly what the slumping Maple Leafs needed. William Nylander was at the top of that list, needed a goal to break a long drought after being victimized by crossbars and posts. Nylander finally scored one, writes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, and it seemed to ease the tension for the young center who had only scored twice in the past 26 games. Fox adds that Nylander appeared ready to set the league ablaze in scoring, but is now only on pace for 12 goals. Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock, however, calls for pause:

“We think he has the skill to be a centre, to transport the puck, to make plays. The part that we haven’t seen is the ability to play without the puck in his own zone. I would bet you on every team, the majority of forwards were centres, probably eight of the 12. They come into the league and the best players on all the minor hockey league teams are often centres.

They come up and they end up on the wing and it takes a few years to figure out the league and learn how to play hard and how to play without the puck so you don’t spend the whole time just standing there watching the merry-go-round.”

Perhaps that much needed goal could get the young center back on track.

  • ESPN’s crew of writers debated the chances that the Bruins have in making a strong push for a Stanley Cup run. Greg Wyshynski believes that the Nashville Predators serve as inspiration for a team that played on the fringe for awhile before playing stronger as of late. Wyshynski says the teams match up everywhere except in net, where he wonders if Tuukka Rask is capable of playing big like the Preds’ Pekka Rinne did last season for Nashville. Emily Kaplan agrees, believing that their 7-2 throttling of Columbus is an indication they’re truly a contender, but that depth is a concern. She also lauds Charlie McAuvoy as being as good as advertised. Chris Peters takes the dissent, saying that it will take a lot to get past Tampa, and even if they do, defeating a Metropolitan team would be a heavy task as well.

Snapshots: Penguins, Boeser, Maple Leafs

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made two trades today ahead of the holiday roster freeze, but might not be done this season. Josh Yohe of The Athletic spoke with Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford earlier, who told him that the presence of Jamie Oleksiak—a player Pittsburgh has been looking at for two years—could mean more trades down the line due to added depth on defense.

That’s the same idea that Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had when he suggested Oleksiak could potentially be “insurance against a future Ian Cole trade.” Cole has been rumored to be available since ending up a healthy scratch earlier this season, and has reportedly clashed with head coach Mike Sullivan multiple times. You’d expect Oleksiak would need to prove his worth for a while before they sent any defenseman out of town.

Poll: Which Coach Leads The Jack Adams Race?

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The season is far from over, but if it ended today, who would have a chance at the league’s prize for being the top coach? Through the middle of December, some candidates have emerged, though if things stay as they are, it could be a landslide for one coach in particular.

Paul Maurice found his name on almost every hot seat list out there before the season began but the fast-skating Jets jumped out to a dizzying start that now has them as one of the top teams in the West. Though they’ve cooled a bit, Maurice has certainly quieted the doubters.

Jon Cooper was another coach being questioned as the Tampa Bay Lightning failed to make the playoffs last season, but any semblance of doubt was squashed as the Bolts rose quickly to the top of the Eastern Conference. Sporting the best record in hockey, Cooper has certainly staked his claim as one of the league’s best coaches.

Mike Yeo was a wise choice to bring into St. Louis, as the Blues sit tied for the top spot in the West with division rival Nashville.

But it seems that barring any major collapse, the Adams is earmarked for Gerard Gallant. Unceremoniously and oddly dumped by Florida last season, Gallant has taken an expansion team within just two points of the top spot in the West. Though the league structure is different than previous expansion teams entry into the league, Gallant’s wizardry has been nothing short of amazing as Vegas has stockpiled young talent while also putting an exciting–and fiercely competitive team–on the ice.

Who Leads The Jack Adams Race?
Gerard Gallant (Vegas) 52.99% (461 votes)
Someone else 16.09% (140 votes)
Mike Yeo (St. Louis) 15.06% (131 votes)
Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay) 10.46% (91 votes)
Paul Maurice (Winnipeg) 5.40% (47 votes)
Total Votes: 870

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Red Wings Notes: The Process, Athanasiou, Mantha

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Count the Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa as one of the voices in the Detroit media calling it as he sees it. Through the ups and downs of what is considered an unacceptable season in Hockeytown, Krupa argues that “the process” of rebuilding on the fly is not working and a change is certainly due. What does that change look like? Playing the kids. Tyler Bertuzzi and Joe Hicketts, Krupa writes, should both be in Detroit getting minutes instead of, borrowing from general manager Ken Holland, “over-ripening.” Goaltender Petr Mrazek should be played and given chances to showcase his talent–which when confident–is immense. That same talent could be flipped for a draft pick or prospect. As for the “process” that head coach Jeff Blashill has extolled through the last few weeks of struggles, Krupa believes that such terminology is an affront to progress. The last 15 games are reason enough for the Red Wings to abandon any dim hopes of a playoff appearance, and instead, begin to plan for the future. But transactions through the last five seasons and coupled with comments this season seem to indicate the Red Wings front office believes in their plan.

  •  Andreas Athanasiou has struggled to replicate the success he saw last season, as the speedy forward is in the midst of an 11-game goal drought. Anthony Mantha also finds himself mired in a slump, having no points in six games while only having two goals and an assist in his last 13. MLive’s Ansar Khan writes that Blashill believes Athanasiou has actually played stronger while Mantha has struggled with turnovers. The 23-year-old Mantha likens his struggles to passing up shots and making things more complicated than they need to be. Athanasiou attributes his struggles to “bad bounces.” The one positive is that the supposed friction that existed between Blashill, and Athanasiou is apparently no more. Blashill complimented his young forward, saying he’s been “receptive” to coaching.

Shea Weber “Shut Down” By Montreal Canadiens

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The Montreal Canadiens were without top defenseman Shea Weber at practice today, and afterwards coach Claude Julien told reporters including Irfaan Gaffar of Sportsnet that they would “shut [Weber] down for a bit” following a re-injuring of his foot. Weber had missed several games with the injury already this season, but was trying to play through the pain. Instead, the team will give him some time to try and get back to full health.

In 26 games this season, Weber has been arguably the most important player on the team for Montreal. Logging more than 25 minutes a game and registering 16 points, Weber was has been the most consistent defender on the club. Losing him for another long stretch could be devastating to the team, who still find themselves fighting to stay relevant in the playoff picture.

Weber has been relatively healthy throughout his career, but is 32 now and will finish with his lowest number of games in a season since 2007-08 (excluding the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, in which he played all 48 contests). That’s something to monitor closely by the Canadiens, as the All-Star defender still has eight additional seasons remaining on his contract, with a cap hit of $7.86MM. If he continues to miss time as he enters his mid-thirties, the contract could start to be more and more troublesome for Montreal.

How long Weber will miss this time isn’t clear, but it could mean additional NHL time for Victor Mete after the World Juniors end in January. Mete had slowly been removed from the Montreal lineup as other options became available, but with Weber out the team could try to inject Mete’s offense back in. The Canadiens could also return Mete to the London Knights of the OHL after the tournament—who could actually look to move the defender to a more competitive team for the remainder of the OHL season as they look to rebuild their program after several seasons of graduating players.

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