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Pacific Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Gaborik, Subban, Engelland

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With the Matt Duchene trade in the books for a week now, The Hockey News’ Lyle Richardson writes that the Edmonton Oilers are one of three teams to watch over the next couple of months when it comes to making a big move. Citing the league’s need for playmaking centers, the scribe suggests the team could try and move center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and his large contract ($6MM AAV through the 2020-21 season) and try to get a much-needed wing.

Richardson cites Edmonton as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres as the three teams most likely to make the next big trade in the league. In fact, he suggested the Oilers attempt to move Nugent-Hopkins to Columbus, who were the losers in getting either Duchene or Kyle Turris via trade. However, could the Blue Jackets fit Nugent-Hopkins under their salary cap without Edmonton retaining some of that salary? The suggestion was the Oilers would either require Cam Atkinson or Josh Anderson in return to make that deal work.

Nugent-Hopkins has been playing well this year as he’s put up six goals and six assists this season. Known as a defensive forward, the former No. 1 overall pick could be a key asset for Columbus or any other team needing a center.

  • Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke writes that veteran forward Marian Gaborik got his first full practice under his belt Saturday after having knee surgery back in April. The 35-year-old is not expected to be activated soon as the Kings are taking a cautious approach with the injury-prone winger, who has had knee and foot issues over the last two years, which has seen him play 110 games in the past two-plus seasons. “I felt pretty good,” he said. “Things have been getting into flow. Obviously I’ve missed a lot of time so [I need to] get used to everything — my legs, just the whole body as a hockey player, to get back into things, and to just keep going and ramping things up, and get my timing back. It’s pretty much the whole package I have to get back.”
  • Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltender Malcolm Subban was spotted skating at City National Arena today, tweeted SinBin. Subban, who went down with a lower-body injury, was deemed out for four weeks on Oct. 22, so it looks like he might be on target for a return within the next couple of weeks. The team has been forced to use their fourth-string goaltender, Maxime Lagace, for the past two weeks as the team has been decimated by injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury, Subban and Oscar Dansk.
  • Sticking with the Golden Knights, The Canadian Press’ Darren Haynes points out that Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland has more points (2-7-9) than quite a few defensemen, including San Jose Brent Burns, Nashville’s Roman Josi and Calgary Mark Giordano. Engelland, who played for the old Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL earlier in his career and made Las Vegas his home from that point on, has never put up more than 17 points in a season. Always known as a defensive player, the 35-year-old has been reborn in Las Vegas, who is just eight points away from a career-year.

Columbus Blue Jackets “Ready To Move” One Of Their Defensemen

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The Columbus Blue Jackets were interested in Matt Duchene. They were interested for a long time, and were even quite close to acquiring him at one point. That dream died on the weekend though, when Duchene was traded to the Ottawa Senators and in the process another top-six forward went off the board. There’s no telling if Columbus had interest in Kyle Turris, but as Pierre LeBrun explained in the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN, they still believe they need help up front.

The bottom line is this. They have [defensemen], they’re ready to move one, and they want to get better up front.

Ryan MurrayLeBrun details that the Blue Jackets’ preferred add would be a top-six center, but that they would settle for just a forward of that variety. As he notes, the team is incredibly deep on defense at the moment, thanks to the emerging play of Markus Nutivaara and Gabriel Carlsson. The most obvious candidate to be moved would be Ryan Murray, who was included in the Colorado talks and seems to be the odd man out in Columbus. The second-overall pick in 2012 (behind Nail Yakupov) has developed into a good-but-not-great option on the left side, and has been passed over by Zach Werenski in the pecking order. Murray is also a restricted free agent this summer, one that it’s not clear the Blue Jackets will have the room to pay long-term.

The other interesting option though would be Jack Johnson. Though Blue Jackets fans would hate to lose their long-time leader on the blue line, the fact remains that he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. Johnson is still an important part of the team, and losing him would force Murray and others to step into bigger roles, but he’s another that the team probably can’t afford to keep long-term. 30-years old now, Johnson has done more than enough to deserve a multi-year contract on the open market this summer and with Seth Jones and David Savard already inked long-term, he may price himself out of their market.

The question then becomes how the Blue Jackets want to attack this season. Johnson has a bigger role than Murray currently, but would likely net them a smaller package on the open market. The team sacrificed their 2017 first-round pick to get David Clarkson’s contract off the books and protect Josh Anderson from expansion, but would they be willing to include their 2018 pick to acquire the top forward? A rental like Johnson, or an underperforming Murray may not be enough on their own depending on who it is. For a team expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, tough decisions await.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cam Atkinson Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will get some help up front tonight as they take on the Nashville Predators, as Cam Atkinson has been activated from injured reserve. Atkinson had missed the last few games with a lower-body injury, but will join the team to try and right the ship after a tough loss to the New York Rangers last night.

The Blue Jackets have had their forward depth tested this season, with Matt Calvert heading to IR yesterday and Lukas Sedlak already out long-term. Still, the team finds itself at 9-5-1 and tied for first in the Metropolitan Division. Atkinson’s return will only help their cause, as they open a short two-game homestand before hitting the road once again.

Columbus is carrying 13 healthy forwards now, and you’d think it would be Zac Dalpe that comes out to make room for Atkinson. Dalpe took a bad elbowing penalty late last night that helped the Rangers climb back into the game. The Blue Jackets will take on Nashville tonight.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Calvert, Matthews

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The NHL has named its three stars for the previous week, with goaltender Corey Crawford taking top honors. Crawford earned two shutouts for the Chicago Blackhawks last week, and recorded a .919 save percentage. Unfortunately, Chicago is still just 7-6-2 on the season after dropping last night’s game against Montreal 2-0. They’ll need more solid performances from Crawford going forward if they’re to really climb towards the top of the standings.

Josh Bailey and Martin Jones took home second and third respectively, after impressive weeks of their own. Bailey had an incredible seven assists last week and now has 15 on the season, and Jones led the Sharks to three straight wins. Both the Sharks and Islanders have climbed out of early holes to establish themselves as relevant playoff possibilities once again.

  • Matt Calvert will be out three to four weeks with an upper-body injury according to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Calvert was injured in Saturday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and has been placed on injured reserve. Losing Calvert will test the Blue Jackets’ forward depth even more, as they’re already without Lukas Sedlak and Cam Atkinson for the time being. The team has not made a corresponding move yet, and will take on the New York Rangers tonight.
  • Auston Matthews is a game-time decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight as he deals with “soreness” according to head coach Mike Babcock. If Matthews does miss the game, it would be the first time in his career he failed to suit up. In 97 career regular season games, Matthews now has 50 goals and is showing he could be even more dominant than anyone expected when he was selected first overall. The Maple Leafs can’t afford to lose him for very long though, as their slide continued with a 6-4 loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
  • Unfortunately for the fans in Stockholm, Carl Soderberg may not be in the lineup when the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators play NHL regular season games in Sweden later this week. The Swedish-born forward did not travel with the team, instead staying at home in Denver with his pregnant wife. Since the couple is expecting the baby on Tuesday, he hasn’t yet been ruled out for the back-to-back games.

Blue Jackets Activate Carlsson, Place Atkinson On IR

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced a pair of moves today as the team activated defenseman Gabriel Carlsson from injured reserve and made room on their roster by placing winger Cam Atkinson on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 28.

Carlsson, the team’s first-round pick in 2015, has played just four games this season, but the 20-year-old blueliner suffered an upper-body injury on Oct. 13 against the New York Rangers and was placed on injured reserve. He had, however, been a regular on the team. Carlsson won the battle for the defense’s sixth spot in training camp this year, beating out regular Markus Nutivaara and journeyman Scott Harrington.

When Carlsson was injured, the team recalled Nutivaara, who had played 66 games for Columbus last year. The 23-year-old has fared well since replacing Carlsson in the lineup, putting up five assists in nine games, already just two points short of equaling his output last year when he finished with seven points. Who will continue to play on that third pairing is unknown. However, for the moment, both players will continue to play with the Blue Jackets.

Atkinson suffered a lower body injury after suffering numerous injuries in a game on Oct. 28 against the St. Louis Blues. He suffered the original injury in the first period of the game, but returned. Then he was hit in the helmet with a puck during the second period only to re-injure that lower-body injury in the third period when he took a hit and was forced to leave the game. Since the move is retroactive to Oct. 28 and he has already (technically) been on IR for a week, he can be activated at any time, tweets The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, so a third move could come in the next day or two depending on when Atkinson is ready to go. He is currently listed as day-to-day.

Calvert Returns To Columbus After Injury

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  • Columbus Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert has left the team’s road trip and is returning to Columbus after sustaining a big hit in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). He is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. The injury came when Lightning defender Dan Girardi knocked Calvert off his skates with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit that knocked his helmet off and slammed him into the boards.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets’ Alexander Wennberg’s struggles to put the puck in the net continue as he now has had just two goals in 34 games dating back to last season, according to The Hockey Writers Mark Scheig. Wennberg, who had a promising season last year with 13 goals and 46 assists has just one goal in eight games this season. While the 23-year-old is more of a passer, the team could use more goals from the third-year center.

Columbus Signs Max Fortier To Entry-Level Deal

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An in-season free agent signing, particularly of a junior player, is rare. However, when it comes to a player with the ability and pedigree of Maxime Fortier, it comes as no surprise. The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have announced that their captain has signed an entry-level deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. While Columbus has yet to make the official announcement, thus leaving the salary terms unknown for the time being, the contract will be for three years and should finally give Fortier the shot at the pros that he has earned.

Passed over in the NHL draft twice and having left Montreal Canadiens camp without a contract in each of the past two years, Fortier’s production in juniors has finally become too impressive to ignore, even in light of his size concerns and lack of any defensive game. Fortier, now in his fifth season with Halifax at the age of 20, erupted on to the scene in the QMJHL in 2015-16, when he doubled his point total from the previous season, notching 77 points in 68 games. That production increased again last season, jumping to 87 points in 68 games and a point-per-game performance in the playoffs. To begin the 2017-18 season, Fortier already has 27 points in 18 games, on pace for a whopping 102 points if he plays 68 games again. Perhaps even more impressive is that Fortier is a +12 thus far, a positive player for the first time in his junior career. Fortier is taking steps toward becoming a true NHL-caliber player and it would be no shock if the other 30 NHL teams are looking back in frustration at the many times they missed out on Fortier as he blossoms into a star in Columbus.

However, that future is still a ways away. Halifax was clear in their team release that Fortier will remain with the team for the remainder of the season, skating alongside top 2018 draft hopefuls Jared McIsaac, Filip Zadina, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx on a team that plans to contend for a QMJHL title. They also made mention that Fortier is likely to begin his pro career with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and, considering his need to develop a more well-rounded game, especially against bigger, stronger competition, it seems likely that Fortier could spent ample time in the minors before making his NHL debut in a couple of years. Still, Fortier’s offensive prowess makes him a player to watch in seasons to come and potentially franchise-altering move by the Blue Jackets.

Minor Transactions: 10/30/17

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The NHL will have plenty of moves today as team prepare for the next month of the season, and try to deal with injury and inconsistency. The Columbus Blue Jackets already called up an intriguing young forward prospect as they try to overcome an injury to Cam Atkinson. We’ll chronicle the rest of today’s minor moves right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Max McCormick once again from the AHL’s Belleville Senators. McCormick has played two games for Ottawa this season, and is an important member of Belleville’s group. The 25-year old, that blends physical play with a bit of scoring upside, has just four points in 29 NHL games. Should he get back into the lineup, it will likely be as a fourth-line presence once again.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Hunter Miska from the AHL, continuing their merry-go-round of goaltenders. Miska has yet to make an appearance in the NHL after signing a two-year entry-level contract this spring. The Coyotes of course placed Louis Domingue on waivers yesterday, and will likely send him to the AHL if he is not claimed by another team. It seems as though Scott Wedgewood, who the team acquired recently, will be asked to step into the starter’s role should Antti Raanta remain injured.
  • According to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Flyers are expected to recall Mark Alt from the AHL. Philadelphia is dealing with injuries to both Samuel Morin and Shayne Gostisbehere, meaning Alt will likely go straight into the lineup alongside Brandon Manning for their game tonight against the Coyotes. If he does, it would be just the second NHL game for the 26-year old Alt, who hasn’t turned into quite the shutdown defender that the Carolina Hurricanes envisioned when they selected him 53rd-overall in 2010.
  • Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver reports that the Canucks will recall Anton Rodin from the Utica Comets, marking his first call-up since clearing waivers just prior to the season. Rodin, a 26-year old forward who spent three games with the Canucks last season, underwent knee surgery in February and had a long rehab to get back on the ice. In three games with Utica this year he’s scored two points.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have sent Zach Redmond back to the AHL, likely due to the impending return of Justin Falk to the lineup. The Sabres are off until Thursday when they travel to Arizona to take on the Coyotes, and could have Falk back in the lineup. Redmond will return to the Rochester Americans where he can make a much bigger impact.
  • The Minnesota Wild have brought two of their recent assignments back up, recalling Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin. The Wild had a couple of days off in between Saturday’s matchup and tomorrow’s game, so they sent the pair down to let them bank some cap space by manipulating the roster. The young promising forwards will likely be back in the lineup when they take on the Winnipeg Jets, especially after Kunin was buzzing all over the ice in this weekend’s game.

Tyler Motte Recalled By Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled the other piece of this summer’s Brandon Saad trade, promoting Tyler Motte to the NHL. Motte was acquired along with Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason, in exchange for Brandon Saad and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

Motte has been off to a quick start with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring seven points in his first seven games to lead the team. His five goals also easily pace the club, as the 22-year old is starting to come into his own offensively. Originally selected in the fourth-round by the Blackhawks in 2013, he exploded during his junior year at the University of Michigan to the tune of 32 goals and 56 points in 38 games. Motte was a Hobey Baker finalist while skating on a line with J.T. Compher (Colorado) and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg).

The recall of Motte may mean a longer timeline for Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson, who was injured during Saturday’s 4-1 loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues. Atkinson had a rough night in St. Louis, and is currently out with a lower-body injury. Motte offers some of the offensive game that Atkinson normally provides, and could quickly find himself thrust into important minutes with the NHL club.

Motte did play 33 games for the Blackhawks last season, registering seven points fewer than 12 minutes a night. The young forward has experience at center, though could be tasked to start his Columbus career on the wing. The Blue Jackets, who are already without Lukas Sedlak for another several weeks, will have their forward depth tested should Atkinson remain out for any substantial length of time.

Metropolitan Notes: Vigneault, Atkinson, Johansson, Reinhart

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New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault might not have much time left to repair the sinking ship. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that he believes that Vigneault has one more game left to prove he can turn the Rangers disastrous start of 3-7-2 around. He will get that game Tuesday against the 8-1 Vegas Golden Knights.

While Brooks admits that it is his belief and he’s heard nothing to suggest that will happen, he points out that the team’s struggles to start the season, especially falling behind 3-0 in the first period to the equally struggling Montreal Canadiens shows that Vigneault may not be the answer. A coaching change may be the only way to breathe some life into the franchise who were heavily criticized for their efforts in thejr 5-4 loss.

Brooks also points out that the team’s poor start in first periods has been a key issue for New York. The team has been outscored 3-0 in the first two minutes of 12 games this season; 5-1 in the first three minutes of games; 6-2 in the first four minutes; 8-3 in the first six minutes; 10-4 in the first 10 minutes and 12-4 in the first 12 minutes of games. He writes this is inexcusable and is bad enough to physically allow so many early goals, but the team is also unengaged mentally the moment the puck is dropped.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets may have to do without winger Cam Atkinson for a little while as he suffered a lower-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). The team’s leading scorer for the past two years had a rough game, suffering a lower-body injury in the first period, a puck to his helmet during the second period and then sustained another hit to his lower body that knocked him out of the game in the third period. Portzline said an announcement won’t be made until Monday as the team didn’t practice today. Atkinson has four goals and an assist in 11 games this year. Rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois moved up to replace Atkinson for the remainder of the game.
  • Andrew Gross of Northjersey.com writes that winger Marcus Johansson is day-to-day after tweaking his lower body in pre-game warm-ups before Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. The scribe wrote that it was not a pre-existing injury, but the team choose to hold him out as a precaution. Johansson, who the Devils picked up in an offseason trade with the Washington Capitals, has been a solid contributor for New Jersey this year, having put up three goals and two assists in nine games this year.
  • NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti wonders whether the Washington Capitals might not consider claiming defenseman Griffin Reinhart, who was put on waivers this morning by the Vegas Golden Knights. At $800K and at just 23 years of age, Reinhart might be a good investment for a team that has little cap room and little blue line depth. Reinhart, the fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft, could be claimed by several teams in need of depth on defense. Unfortunately, the Capitals cannot take solace that they will get a high waiver claim even though the team presently sits at 5-5. CapFriendly reported today that current waiver priority is still based on last year’s record. Priority will switch to present standings starting on Nov. 1.

 

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