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Injury Notes: Luongo, Dubinsky, Jost, McQuaid

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Not much has gone right for the Florida Panthers this season, but the team hopes that they may have good news on the horizon after goaltender Roberto Luongo was on the ice Sunday taking shots, according to NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. The team lost the oft-injured netminder during the second period of the season opener when teammate Frank Vatrano fell on him, forcing him out of the game with a lower-body injury.

The 39-year-old has fared well when healthy, but he hasn’t played more than 40 games since the 2015-16 season, which isn’t great considering the team is paying him $4.53MM per year for four more years. Head coach Bob Boughner was thrilled to see Luongo back on the ice, but has no intention of bringing him back until he is 110 percent healthy.

“He’s a huge part of this team. And you can see, no slight to anybody else, this team’s missed him,” Boughner said. “We’re a different team when he’s playing.”

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets also had good news as winger Brandon Dubinsky participated in Sunday’s morning skate, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). Dubinsky has been out since Oct. 8 with a partially torn oblique muscle, but there remains no timetable for his return. The original diagnosis for Dubinsky’s injury was four to six weeks. He hasn’t been out three weeks yet, but the 32-year-old said that he’d be disappointed if he didn’t play on the team’s upcoming road trip, starting Thursday and going through Sunday. “I would say I’m ahead of schedule, but I don’t want to come back early and set myself back a few weeks,” Dubinsky said. The veteran had only played in two games before getting injured, but already had a goal and an assist.
  • The Colorado Avalanche may be without one of their top youngsters for a while as BSN’s Adrian Dater reported that the team will be without center Tyson Jost indefinitely. Jost, who suffered a head injury Friday in the third period against Ottawa, has a goal and an assist in 11 games so far this season. The 20-year-old scored 12 goals in his rookie season last year, but had worked his way higher up in the lineup this year.
  • Newsday’s Colin Stephenson reports that New York Rangers head coach David Quinn said that defenseman Adam McQuaid is day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained in the first period Thursday. He is not expected to play Sunday against Los Angeles, which could open up another chance for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, who has only appeared in two games for the Rangers this season.

Poll: Will The Blue Jackets Re-Sign Panarin Or Bobrovsky?

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Even in this early part of the season, many eyes around the league are focused on the Columbus Blue Jackets. As more players like Nate Schmidt ink contract extensions and are taken off the 2019 unrestricted free agent market, even more pressure is on the Blue Jackets and their pending duo of stars. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are both scheduled to become UFAs next July, and have had little movement with the Blue Jackets in terms of contract extensions.

In fact, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that Bobrovsky may have already given “an indication of teams he will consider” a trade to this season, given he has full control with a no-movement clause. Bobrovsky has taken the lion’s share of work in the Columbus net to start the year, but is performing worse than he ever has in his career. His .872 save percentage is among the league’s worst, and nearly 50 points lower than his mark from last season. It’s hard to believe he won’t turn things around, but if the Blue Jackets aren’t intending on re-signing him—or he’s not willing to re-sign with the Blue Jackets—a trade might be the best scenario for both.

Panarin meanwhile told the club he didn’t want to negotiate during the summer, but also wanted all business completed by the start of the season. That left the Blue Jackets in a tough position given their belief in themselves as Stanley Cup contenders, as trading a player like Panarin can only hurt your on-ice product in the short term. The 26-year old forward though never said anything negative about the organization or city, just that he didn’t want to sign a long-term deal at the moment. That little bit of wiggle room could force the Blue Jackets to keep him around all year and make a pitch at the end of the season.

It’s obvious that both players are incredible talents, capable of changing the direction of a franchise all by themselves. But both will also be incredibly expensive on the open market, likely challenging some of the highest paid players at their respective positions. Can the Blue Jackets wait out the year and re-sign either one? Or are both destined to be in a different jersey come September 2019.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman Anticipated Artemi Panarin Free Agency Dilemma

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Pending a change of heart, forward Artemi Panarin is likely to become one of the most hotly pursued NHL free agents in recent memory on July 1st, 2019, with a sweepstakes potentially rivaling even that of John Tavares’ last year. His current team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, have done their best to convince Panarin not to test the free agent waters and instead sign an extension, but thus far it seems like a highly unlikely outcome. As a result, Columbus is saddled with the difficult choice this season of whether to hold on to Panarin for a run at the Stanley Cup and risk losing him for nothing or trade the talented winger for a hefty return while also damaging the team’s title hopes.

However, that dilemma could have instead belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks. Panarin was only traded to Columbus in the 2017 off-season. The Russian dynamo was originally signed by and played his first two NHL seasons in Chicago. However, the Blackhawks decided to deal Panarin away, opting instead to bring back Brandon Saad from the Blue Jackets, as well as young goaltender Anton Forsberg and a mid-round pick. By any metric, it is difficult to say that the Blackhawks won that trade, as Chicago missed the playoffs last season amid a very disappointing campaign for Saad, while Panarin was one of the league’s top scorers for a Columbus squad that performed well all season long. Yet, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman may have had more than just the trade return in mind when he dealt Panarin to the Blue Jackets.

Speaking with TSN, Bowman claims that he foresaw the “tough spot” that Columbus and colleague Jarmo Kekalainen are in right now with Panarin. The young forward made such an immediate impact when coming to the NHL, that Bowman expected he would test the free agent market as soon as possible, saying ” I saw that coming as a challenge.” This clearly was a major factor that contributed to Chicago’s surprising willingness to trade Panarin. For his part, Bowman does acknowledge that Saad has to play better and has been more than a little disappointing thus far in his second stint with the Blackhawks. Continued poor performance from Saad would make this trade a complete loss, even if Panarin does bolt from Columbus. However, Bowman still stands behind his decision to acquire a talented forward signed long-term at a $6MM cap hit in Saad rather than take his chances with Panarin, who felt was destined to depart in free agency.

Seth Jones Activated From Injured Reserve

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When we first heard about the MCL sprain suffered by Seth Jones, the expectation was that the Norris-caliber defenseman would be back in November at some point. Today, the Columbus Blue Jackets officially removed Jones from injured reserve and will insert him into the lineup tomorrow, exactly four weeks from the time of the injury.

Getting Jones back into the lineup is a huge boost for a Blue Jackets team that is off to a uninspiring start. With a 4-3 record they’re currently just a single point behind the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, but there hasn’t been a ton of positives for the team through the early going. Jones returning to the ice is certainly one, especially after missing just seven games. He’ll immediately make their defense corps, which was already strong, one of the best in the league once again and should help them get back on track as a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Not only is that important for their current season, but Columbus fans know all too well the dark shadow that is hanging over the team right now with the pending free agency of Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. If this is the last season both players will suit up for the Blue Jackets, the team will want to make it count in the regular season and playoffs. Jones is the key to the whole group, as he adds elite level defending with incredible puck movement and offensive creativity. Usually paired with Zach Werenski, the two make one of the most inexpensive top pairings in the league as Jones is still earning an average of just $5.4MM. That six-year contract, signed just a few months after he was acquired from the Nashville Predators, is an absolute bargain for the Blue Jackets and a big reason why they could even consider re-signing Panarin and Bobrovsky if the two were interested in staying.

Snapshots: Bobrovsky, Flyers Defense, O’Reilly, Holden, Gurianov

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This offseason could be a very interesting one assuming that teams don’t lock all the potential unrestricted free agents to contract extensions in the coming months. The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required) breaks down the top 25 UFA’s this coming offseason with an update on how contract negotiations are going.

One interesting note is for the No. 3 UFA in Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky, who is rumored to be asking for Carey Price money (around $10.5MM). That might be too much money for Columbus to offer, especially for a 30-year-old goaltender. Custance adds that the team could easily get outbid for the netminder’s services by the New York Islanders who might be extremely aggressive in adding a franchise-changing goaltender. Islanders’ general manager Lou Lamoriello is known to be a big fan of impact goaltenders, which goes all the way back to Martin Brodeur when he was in New Jersey.

After all, in 315 games between Philadelphia and Columbus, Bobrovsky has a .922 save percentage, two Vezina Trophies and has finished in the top 10 in Vezina voting four times.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers had lost four of six games before Saturday’s game and Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that head coach Dave Hakstol decided to make a change as he separated his top pair defensemen in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov which turned out to be key in their 5-2 win over New Jersey. Gostisbehere was matched with Christian Folin, while Provorov was paired with Robert Hagg. The top four held to the Devils to just 21 shots on goal in the victory. Provorov was also much more noticeable on the offensive end of the ice. Previously held to just one point in the first seven games of the season, the 21-year-old posted two assists on Saturday. “(Hagg) is a little heavier body to play with Provy in some of those situations,” said Hakstol. “He obviously has a different look than Ghost. He doesn’t do as much with the puck, but he provides a heavier presence, so that changes the look of that pair.”
  • Speaking of lines, the St. Louis Blues shook up their lines Saturday as well as center Ryan O’Reilly found himself with two new wingers Zachary Sanford and David Perron on the second line, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. After his line put up two goals and three assists Saturday (including O’Reilly’s first goal as a member of the Blues), that line may not break up any time soon. “I thought ’O’Ry’ was outstanding obviously in all areas of the game,” Yeo said. “So that line gave us some really good minutes.”
  • NHL.com’s Gary Lawless writes that some of the Vegas Golden Knights’ success in their last three games comes from moving defenseman Nick Holden into the top-four. The veteran defenseman was originally signed to serve as a third pairing defenseman this offseason, but with Nate Schmidt (suspension) and Deryk Engelland (injury) both out, Holden has filled in admirably, averaging 18:54 ATOI. Holden did have a similar role back in 2016-17 when he was with the New York Rangers, so the 31-year-old already has quite a bit of experience playing in that role.
  • After a postseason run last year where Dallas Stars prospect Denis Gurianov was often a healthy scratch and was beginning to look like a bust, the 21-year-old seems to have turned the corner early this season as he has been dominant as he enters his third year with the AHL, writes SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks. The 12th-overall pick in the 2015 draft is starting to show off his potential as he is riding a five-game scoring streak and has five goals and seven points in seven games.

Eastern Notes: Aho, Rasmussen, Bruins Offense, Blue Jackets’ Defense

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One player the Carolina Hurricanes are keeping a close eye on is William Nylander. While the Hurricanes wouldn’t mind acquiring the restricted free agent if Toronto opts to move him, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) writes that the Hurricanes are also keeping a close eye on whether the team even signs him as Nylander’s contract (assuming he signs) could have a huge effect on one of their own players — Sebastian Aho.

Aho’s entry-level deal runs out after this year and with the way the 21-year-old has developed, could command a high price from Carolina this offseason. With Carolina well known to be frugal when it comes to handing out long-term deals, Aho is a must. The forward has started strong this season, scoring four goals and eight assists in the team’s first seven games, suggesting he could have another breakout season after scoring 29 goals a season ago. Regardless, Nylander’s contract could be a significant comparable for Carolina in the coming weeks or months. If Nylander’s holdout is successful, it could cost the Hurricanes quite a bit as well.

  • In a mailbag series, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Detroit Red Wings are still discussing what to do with rookie forward Michael Rasmussen. The 19-year-old either has to stay with the team or be returned to juniors, but Rasmussen has struggled so far in transitioning to the NHL. He has just one assist in six games and has seen his ice time dip to just 9:56 on Thursday against Tampa Bay. The scribe writes that the team would prefer not to return him to the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, but Rasmussen only has three more games to prove himself to management, before they have to make a decision. If Rasmussen reaches 10 NHL games, he burns his first year of his entry-level deal.
  • In a mailbag of his own, NBC Sports Joe Haggerty writes that the Boston Bruins are in need of another quality top-six player and believes the Bruins should look to make a trade. He suggests the team should be open to moving one of their young talents as part of any package, including Anders Bjork, Danton Heinen, Ryan Donato or even Matt Grzelcyk to make a deal happen. The scribe also believes that the team needs to move David Backes from the second line into their bottom-six.
  • With Seth Jones close to returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ lineup, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that head coach John Tortorella has already said that Jones will return to the top defensive line opposite of Zach Werenski. The coach also admitted that he loves the combination of Marcus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray as the team’s second pairing. Which means that David Savard will move out of the team’s top-four.

Seth Jones Cleared For Contact, Expected To Return Soon

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  • Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones has been cleared for contact in practice, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. While he won’t play today, he appears to be on the verge of returning to the lineup which will be a big boost for their back end.  Jones suffered a torn MCL late in the preseason that had a four-to-six week recovery timeline and it appears he’ll be getting back in the shorter of those two timeframes.

Snapshots: Free Agents, Sweden, Plekanec

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The 2019 unrestricted free agent class was supposed to be a super group, but since names like Tyler Seguin, Drew Doughty and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have re-signed there isn’t quite as much fanfare surrounding it. Still, Erik Karlsson headlines what could be an expensive July 1st and Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) does his best to break down the situations surrounding the top 25 options.

The Columbus Blue Jackets feature prominently with two of the top three names, including Artemi Panarin who Custance terms as a possibility for “this year’s version of John Tavares.” Panarin is off to a great start, and could be a franchise-altering talent that’s available at the deadline if there isn’t any progress between his camp and the Blue Jackets.

  • When the Swedish team lost in the gold medal game at the 2018 World Junior Championship, silver medals were placed around each coach’s neck while Canada celebrated their victory. Those coaches almost immediately removed the medals despite a rule that they must wear them during the celebration, leading to an eventual suspension for the entire staff. That suspension was supposed to keep them from working the 2019 tournament, but today was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Tomas Monten, Nizze Landen and Henrik Stridh will be allowed to coach at this year’s tournament after all.
  • The Montreal Canadiens haven’t used Tomas Plekanec much this season, and now will be without his services altogether for the next few weeks. Plekanec has been moved to injured reserve with a lower back injury, and will be out “several weeks.” The veteran center celebrated his 1000th game recently, and has one goal in three appearances with Montreal this season.

Rehab For Seth Jones Progressing As Anticipated

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  • While Seth Jones is still expected to miss another two-to-four weeks after tearing a ligament in his right knee in the preseason, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that his rehab is progressing as anticipated. Jones’ absence has left a big void on the back end in Columbus and David Savard has been pressed into top pairing duty while he’s out of the lineup.

Minor Transactions: 10/10/18

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The NHL regular season is off to a fast start and teams are trying to fine tune their rosters for the next stretch of games. As always we’ll keep track of those moves right here:

  • Gabriel Carlsson has been sent to the AHL by the Columbus Blue Jackets, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise after he played just 9:21 in the season opener and has been a healthy scratch since. The 21-year old defenseman has substantial upside in his 6’5″ frame, but just needs to get some regular ice time to continue his development.
  • Alex Lyon has been activated from injured reserve by the Philadelphia Flyers and will be assigned to Lehigh Valley for the time being. The Flyers have two healthy goaltenders in the NHL and Michal Neuvirth coming back soon from injury, but also have two at the AHL level in Carter Hart and Anthony Stolarz. That will make it tough to find ice time for everyone, and could lead to a potential minor league loan at some point.
  • The St. Louis Blues have reassigned forward Jared Thomas to their ECHL affiliate, the Tulsa Oilers. The news comes from their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, where Thomas was rostered to begin the year. However, the undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth has yet to see the ice so far this season, likely prompting the Blues to make this move to get the first-year pro winger some game action.

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