Robert Thomas To Return To Blues’ Lineup For Game Six
Standout rookie Robert Thomas last suited up for the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final, as an injury has forced him to watch from the sidelines as his team bounced back from a loss to start the series to go up 3-2 heading back home for Game Six. Now, it seems Thomas will finally get to return to action tonight as the team tries to take home the franchises’s first Cup title. Thomas told the media, including Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland, after the team’s morning skate that he will play for the Blues in Game Six against the Boston Bruins. Head coach Craig Berube then confirmed his return tonight.
Strickland had noted that Thomas was a full participant on the ice this morning, albeit in a limited session, which was a positive step toward a potential return. But Thomas stated that it was actually at practice yesterday that he passed the final hurdles needed to be cleared for a return to the lineup. Although Thomas was the recipient of a highly publicized heavy hit from the Bruins’ Torey Krug in Game One, this injury was unrelated and is speculated to have originated in the Western Conference Final. For what it’s worth, Thomas told the media that he had no issue with Krug’s hit and is not focused on it in his return.
Thomas, 19, played in 70 games for the Blues in the regular season and finished ninth on the team in scoring with 33 points. The 2017 first-round pick will certainly provide an offensive boost for St. Louis tonight. The one concern though is that he will actually be filling the roster spot of suspended fourth-liner Ivan Barbashev, whose physicality Thomas won’t be able to replicate. The Stanley Cup Final has been more of a war of attrition than a shootout and the Blues have succeeded based on their physicality rather than their offense, so it will be interesting to see if they can get the win playing with more skill and less grit in Game Six. For their part, the Bruins are also looking to boost speed rather than physicality, returning to the standard six defenseman and adding Karson Kuhlman to the lineup up front rather than David Backes, per head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Playoff Notes: Thomas, Tarasenko, Chara, Wagner, Grzelcyk
The St. Louis Blues will be without forward Ivan Barbashev on Sunday for Game 6 after being suspended one game for an illegal check to the head against Boston’s Marcus Johansson in Game 5. However, the St. Louis Blues may get a break, as there is a solid chance that rookie Robert Thomas may be ready to replace Barbashev in the lineup.
Thomas, who hasn’t played since Game 1 due to a wrist injury, was on the ice for a full practice Saturday with no limitations and St. Louis Blues interim coach Craig Berube later declared Thomas as a game-time decision for Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac. The 19-year-old forward did participate in practices between Games 3 and 4, but was only a partial participant and spent most of his time on the ice working separately from the rest of the team. However, that wasn’t the case Saturday, according to teammate Pat Maroon: “He’s been working hard to get back in the lineup, so we’ll see tomorrow if he plays. Obviously, it’s always good to see the kid out there skating around. He’s been just itching to get back out there with the guys, so it’s good to see him out there.”
- NHL.com’s Tracey Myers adds that the St. Louis Blues expect star forward Vladimir Tarasenko to play on Sunday despite missing practice on Saturday after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child on Friday. It was unlikely that Tarasenko would have missed a critical Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final; he has been a key to the team’s offensive success with 16 points in 24 playoff games.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara spoke to the press for the first being hit in the jaw with the puck in Game 4. Although he looked uncomfortable speaking, Chara said he was fine and has no limitations when it comes to playing in Game 6 on Sunday. Chara did play in Game 5, although he only skated 16:42 and the Bruins felt the need to dress seven defensemen. Chara refused to answer when asked whether his jaw was broken.
- Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also revealed that the team is expecting to be without Chris Wagner and Matt Grzelcyk for Game 6. Wagner, who hasn’t played since May 14 with an upper-body injury, is doubtful to play on Sunday, but is a possibility if Boston can force a Game 7. Grzelcyk has not yet been medically cleared to play after sustaining a concussion during Game 2.
Chara, Grzelcyk Have Not Been Ruled Out For Game Five
Thursday: Both players took part in the Bruins’ optional skate this morning, and were deemed “game-time decisions” by head coach Bruce Cassidy. Chara did not suffer a concussion on the play that broke his jaw.
Wednesday: All eyes are on the Boston Bruins right now, particularly who will suit up for Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night. With captain Zdeno Chara suffering a broken jaw in Game Four and Matt Grzelcyk the victim of a concussion-causing hit in Game Two, two of their three starting lefty defensemen are question marks moving forward. John Moore has already drawn into the lineup and is far from a typical depth defenseman, as evidenced by his strong play last game. However, will the Bruins be forced to move further down the depth chart to righty Steven Kampfer or inexperienced rookie Urho Vaakanainen? Both players received regular reps at practice today, while Chara did not participate and Grzelcyk did not take contact.
Yet, don’t be so quick to rule either one out. Head coach Bruce Cassidy, an abnormally honest and open coach when it comes to dealing with the media, would not state that either player was not in consideration for Game Five. He instead simply said that Grzelcyk was still in the league’s concussion protocol, which may be a formality, and Chara missed practice due to a facial injury, as one might expect from a 42-year-old with a broken jaw. Grzelcyk, who seems like the more likely player to return tomorrow night, may have practiced on the team’s “fourth pair” with Vaakanainen, but he also worked with the team’s second power play unit, a role that would seemingly go to one of the replacement players in need of man-up reps. Grzelcyk has had a week to recover from his concussion and may be good to go if he’s cleared by the league.
The more surprising news comes from The Athletic’s Joe McDonald, who believes that Chara will indeed suit up for Game Five, broken jaw and all. Chara did not return in Game Four after suffering the injury, but this could have been more precautionary, whereas with better knowledge of the injury now, the captain feels he is ready to go. McDonald spoke to several of Chara’s Bruins teammates who have played with broken jaws and they assured him that is not fun, but possible. They also vouched for the captain, stating that if anyone could play through the pain, it’s Chara. McDonald writes that his availability likely hinges on whether Chara required surgery to wire his jaw shut, which the team has not revealed. If so, communication, not to mention breathing, would be difficult for the massive defender and would likely keep him sidelined. If not, Chara could play through the pain to close out the Cup run with the Bruins.
One possible lineup change that Cassidy could make given the questionable health of his defense unit is to dress seven defensemen and eleven forwards. Whether that means both Chara and Grzelcyk are ready to go, just one can play and Kampfer returns to the lineup, or neither can go and Vaakanainen can make his NHL postseason debut, Cassidy has to strongly consider the option. It’s no coincidence that the two games that the St. Louis Blues have won have come when Boston played with just five defenders for two-thirds of the game. Both were narrow victories possibly prevented by full strength on the blue line. To avoid that situation again, the Bruins could ice an extra defenseman in their attempt to take back the lead in the series. Checking line forward Noel Acciari, little-used veteran David Backes, or ice-cold Jake DeBrusk could be candidates to sit if the team does decided to load up on the back end. The lineup decision, one way or another, likely won’t be made until close to game time on Thursday.
Ottawa Senators Hire Jack Capuano
New Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith will have some experience alongside him this season, as today the team announced that Jack Capuano has signed a three-year contract as associate coach. Capuano had been working with the Florida Panthers in the same role, but was not retained after Joel Quenneville was given the job this offseason. Smith released a statement on his new associate coach:
Jack brings a wealth of coaching experience in the National Hockey League and is a great fit with our staff. Our goal was to bring in someone who has been an NHL head coach – Jack has that experience and much more. He’s played defence, run a defence and run a penalty kill. He is a detailed, hard-working guy who players enjoy working with. We are happy to have Jack here in Ottawa to help with the growth and development of this team.
Capuano, 52, can be the experienced counterpart to Smith during the latter’s rookie season as head coach. As head coach of the New York Islanders, Capuano went 227-192-64 and made it to the playoffs three times, though won only a single round. Perhaps most importantly for Ottawa, he was a clear factor in the development of several top NHL players including names like John Tavares, Michael Grabner, Josh Bailey, Travis Hamonic, Kyle Okposo, Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee, all of whom spent their some or all of their formative development years under Capuano. That’s the kind of core the Senators are looking to build in Ottawa, and one they’ll need if they are ever going to get back to contender status in the Eastern Conference.
Snapshots: Capuano, Roslovic, Tryamkin
New Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith was given full control over hiring his staff, has yet to make any additions. However, a familiar name could be on the way. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that former New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano is in talks to join the team. Capuano spent seven years as the Isles’ head coach and was an assistant for the Florida Panthers over the past two years. However, he became a free agent when new Panthers’ hire Joel Quenneville decided not to retain his services. A former AHL head coach as well, Capuano brings experience, but also a familiarity with working with young players, of which the Senators have plenty. Garrioch adds that GM Pierre Dorion stated today that the team hopes to have some assistants in place before the upcoming NHL Draft, meaning Capuano’s official addition could be imminent.
- The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that Winnipeg Jets forward Jack Roslovic has fired long-time agent Ken Robinson. Roslovic was a first-round pick of the Jets in 2015, but has been buried on the team’s organization depth chart and unable to break out. Roslovic has reportedly requested a trade out of Winnipeg several times and he remains unhappy with his current role, despite finally playing a full NHL season last year. With a number of difficult decisions to make this off-season up against the salary cap, the Jets may not be eager to move an affordable piece like Roslovic. Unfortunately, the young forward’s move to a new agent likely implies he wants someone to put more pressure on them to make a move than his last agent did. If Roslovic hits the trade market, expect his hometown Columbus Blue Jackets to be interested.
- The Vancouver Canucks may have lost prospect defenseman Nikita Tryamkin to the KHL two years ago, but they remain interested in bringing him back. The Province’s Patrick Johnston reports that GM Jim Benning is keeping tabs on the big blue liner and looks forward to hopefully having him back with the team down the road. Tryamkin has one year remaining on his contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, so the reunion won’t be coming this off-season. However, talks have already begun with agent Todd Diamond about a future deal. Tryamkin initially left the team over frustration with role in the season-and-a-half he spent in North America. However, the 2014 third-round pick has improved his play in Russia and has also developed into a locker room leader for Avtomobilist. He would likely play a much larger role for the Canucks in his second time around.
UFA Notes: Skinner, Engelland, Pardy
Buffalo Sabres fans were hoping that 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner would be re-signed by now and each day closer to July 1st increases the nervousness that they are feeling. However, TSN reports that GM Jason Botterill is not worried, at least not yet. Botterill remains confident that the two sides will come together on an extension, which as of the last update was in the eight years and $70-80MM range. Unless Skinner’s rights are dealt elsewhere, which seems unlikely given the GM’s optimism, no other team can match the Sabres’ offer given the benefit of that eight year. Botterill says that talks with Skinner have been ongoing since January, but there was brief pause in negotiations while Buffalo searched for their new head coach. However, Botterill notes that Skinner has since spoken to that new hire, Ralph Krueger, who also believes that Skinner will remain a Sabre. It seems that the two sides are back on a positive path, but with time running out before the free agent market opens, no assumptions can be made just yet.
- The Vegas Golden Knights are also hoping to re-sign a key player, veteran leader Deryk Engelland. However, the Knights are not going up against competing offers, but rather the draw of retirement. Engelland, 37, has enjoyed a decade of NHL action and could be tempted to hang them up. If he chooses to keep playing though, there is little doubt that he would only stay in his adopted home town of Las Vegas. Knowing this, The Sin Bin reports that the Golden Knights have made an offer to their alternate captain. It’s likely another bonus-laded, low cap hit one-year contract like the one he has signed in each of the past two years. At this time, Sin Bin notes that he has yet to accept. Engelland will likely take some time to consider his next step in his career after another long season.
- Adam Pardy has answered the call of retirement, but not after first accomplishing his ultimate goal this season. Pardy, 35, led his hometown Newfoundland Growlers to the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Championship in their inaugural season and now, The Telegram reports, he can ride off into the sunset. Pardy, while technically a free agent, has not been on an NHL contract in two years. He did play in 342 NHL games with five different teams over his long and winding career path though, last suiting up for four games with the Nashville Predators in 2016-17. After a year abroad in Sweden, he returned home to Newfoundland for an opportunity he couldn’t pass up with a pro team in his home province. Pardy recorded a career-best 21 points in 41 games and played a key role in a deep playoff run en route to a meaningful championship.
Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi
An early morning report that Jesse Puljujarvi was headed to the KHL has been shot down by his agent, with Markus Lehto speaking to several reporters including Mark Spector of Sportsnet and saying that the NHL is still the top priority. Puljujarvi will be a restricted free agent this summer and needs a new deal, but hasn’t exactly thrived in his first few seasons in the Edmonton Oilers organization. That’s exactly why trade speculation is now bubbling to the surface once again, with Lehto even telling Spector that “maybe it is best for [the] team too.” Darren Dreger of TSN has also heard trade chatter around Puljujarvi from his sources.
Puljujarvi, 21, only has 37 points in 139 NHL games since he was selected fourth overall in 2016, and hasn’t even spent much time in the minor leagues to continue his development. The big winger was actually expected to go third in the draft before Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen shocked the room with his selection of Pierre-Luc Dubois. In a timely piece, Scott Wheeler of the Athletic examined the 2016 draft today and put Puljujarvi 19th in his re-draft.
Still, the Oilers have an entirely new regime in town after GM Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett were brought in to change things. Perhaps those fresh eyes have new plans for the young forward, and can start to pull the best out of him at the NHL level. All of that will be dependent on a new contract however, one that will require a negotiation neither side expected when he was first selected. While Auston Matthews enjoys his massive deal and Patrik Laine and Matthew Tkachuk prepare to sign theirs, Puljujarvi will have to ink something that allows him to prove he is an NHL-caliber player before ever cashing in on the type of money high picks usually receive.
Nashville Predators Hire Dan Lambert
The Nashville Predators have hired Dan Lambert as an assistant coach, adding him to Peter Laviolette‘s group for the 2019-20 season. Lambert spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, where he amassed a record of 81-46-13. Predators GM David Poile had this to say about his new coach:
Dan is an experienced, passionate coach and will nicely round out our coaching staff in 2019-20 and beyond. Having enjoyed a lengthy career as a player and now a coach, he has had success at every level running the power play, and we look forward to adding his knowledge and insight in this area to the organization.
Lambert, 49, was named to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence last month and was set to serve as head coach for the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. It’s not clear if he’ll still take on that role, but it goes to show just how he is perceived as an up-and-coming coach in the hockey world. Finishing a long professional career in 2009, he jumped right onto the bench of the Kelowna Rockets as an assistant, only to take over as head coach a few years later and win a WHL Championship. He jumped to the NHL after that with the Buffalo Sabres, and took over as head coach of the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 2016-17.
As a player, Lambert put up huge point totals in his career including a 102-point season in the WHL and an 87-point season in the IHL. As a coach with the Rockets, he helped develop NHL defensemen like Damon Severson, Madison Bowey, Josh Morrissey, and Tyson Barrie. That’s the exact type of development he’ll likely be asked to accomplish in Nashville, where the team already has an incredible defense corps but also a player like Dante Fabbro who the organization expects big things of. Lambert is also known as a powerplay specialist, something the Predators have struggled with for some time.
Florida Panthers Announce Full Coaching Staff
The Florida Panthers will have a new group behind the bench next season, led by legendary coach Joel Quenneville. Beside him will be some familiar faces, as the team announced today that Mike Kitchen, Andrew Brunette and Derek MacKenzie will serve as assistants in 2019-20. Robb Tallas will continue as Panthers goaltending coach.
This group is a bit of old and new for Quenneville, as he brings back long-time assistant Kitchen who worked with him both in St. Louis and Chicago, while also adding two newcomers to the coaching world.
Brunette, 45, spent several years in the Minnesota Wild organization after retirement, filling various roles including coach for a very short period. His stint in Florida though will represent his real first test as he tries to transition fully into the coaching circuit. A veteran player with more than 1,100 games of NHL experience, Brunette played for Quenneville on more than one occasion and developed a friendship that has lasted since his retirement. Quenneville called him a “bright, young hockey mind” in the press release today.
MacKenzie meanwhile will move directly into coaching after retiring just this year. The 37-year old served as captain of the Panthers for several years before finally giving up the “C” to Aleksander Barkov this season, due to an injury that would end his career. He played just a single game for Florida in 2018-19, and will finish with 611 in his career. Still, MacKenzie has long been ticketed for the bench. The veteran forward has been lauded for his leadership abilities throughout his career and can help young players as they transition from top scorers in junior to role players in the NHL, as he did so many years ago.
Los Angeles Kings Contemplating Buying Out Dion Phaneuf
With a rebuild on the horizon, the Los Angeles Kings must find a way to open up roster space as well as salary cap room to take their next step under new head coach Todd McLellan. One potential contract that has come under scrutiny recently is that of Dion Phaneuf. In fact, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said late Saturday night that the Kings are considering buying out the veteran defenseman:
Other options that the L.A. Kings have is buying out Dion Phaneuf. He’s got two years left at $12 million. That would get him $8 million over the next four years and a chance to get back into unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Phaneuf signed a seven-year, $49MM contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013, but the 34-year-old saw his play take a huge drop this season as he played in 67 games with just one goal and six points for the year. He received the first healthy scratch of his career in February and saw his ATOI drop from almost 20 minutes per game to 15. At $7MM per year for another two years, the team might be ready to move on from the veteran. While the team would see significant cap relief this year with a buyout as their cap hit would only be $2.92MM, the team would still have a considerable hit at $5.42MM next season as well as a $1.42MM in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Kings have a number of veterans on their blue line, including Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort, although there has been talk that L.A. may opt to move Martinez as he is likely the team’s top trade chip if they want to upgrade their team. On top of that, the Kings may be ready to give some of its younger players more significant minutes this coming season. The team has a number of interesting players who could be ready, including Sean Walker, Paul Ladue, Kurtis MacDermid, Matt Roy, Kale Clague, former college stars Daniel Brickley and Michael Anderson, as well as recently acquired Sean Durzi, who dominated at the Memorial Cup last week.