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Ryan Murray Out Four To Six Weeks With Broken Hand

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Though there was initially no timetable, Columbus Blue Jackets’ fans immediately assumed the worst when hearing that Ryan Murray had broken his hand. Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press confirmed those fears today, reporting that the defenseman would be out for four to six weeks. Murray blocked a shot against the Buffalo Sabres on his second shift of the game Saturday night, coming out of the game immediately.

The Blue Jackets had only dealt with minor injuries to the majority of their defense corps, with Zach Werenski and Jack Johnson having not missed a single game this season. Losing Murray is exactly the type of unfortunate scenario that led to the acquisition of Kyle Quincey at the deadline, who will likely assume much of the responsibility. Quincey’s flexibility to play both sides of the ice will allow the Blue Jackets to insert whoever they wish into the sixth spot, likely one of Scott Harrington or Markus Nutivaara.

Murray, the former second-overall pick of the 2012 draft, had been a workhorse for the Blue Jackets last season, logging over 22 minutes of icetime each night. With a full season from Seth Jones and the emergence of Werenski however, his importance had been dialed back this year. Still an integral piece of their penalty kill, his absence will surely be felt over the last month and a half of the season. Four weeks would bring him back just in time for the playoffs, while six would jeopardize the entire first round. With the Blue Jackets a lock for a playoff spot, but not necessarily home ice advantage, the remaining fifteen games are still extremely important.

Ryan Murray Suffers Broken Hand

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After recently missing two games with a back injury, it appears that Columbus defenseman Ryan Murray is set to miss some more time, perhaps even a substantial amount. Columbus Dispatch beat writer Aaron Portzline revealed late last night that the Blue Jackets’ blue liner broke his hand while blocking a shot in the first period of a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Murray did not return and the prognosis was confirmed following the game. While there is still no word on the severity of the break or a timeline for his return, Murray continues to have bad luck on the injury front in his young career.

Until last week, it appeared that Murray was well on his way to another full season, after skating in 82 games with Columbus last year. This is a change of pace for the young defenseman, whose injuries have hindered his development early on in his NHL career. Drafted second overall in 2012, Murray was expected to step in and have an impact right away in 2012-13, but a serious shoulder injury at the junior level with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips eliminated that possibility and held Murray to just 23 junior games that season. Nonetheless, Murray was able to make the team in 2013-14 and played in 66 games his rookie year. However, he did miss almost the entire month of March that year with a knee injury. In 2014-15, Murray was held to just 12 games all season long due to setbacks regarding his knee and other injury concerns. In his first three seasons since being drafted, Murray skated in just 101 hockey games. That all finally changed last season, when Murray played in all 82 games for the Blue Jackets. Yet, Murray managed to score only 25 points, less than his rookie season pace. Tabbed as a puck-moving, point-scoring defenseman out of juniors, there is some question as to whether or not injuries have played a part in the former top pick’s lack of production. Through 60 games this year, Murray has just 11 points, and depending on the extent of this injury, that could be all he gets.

Regardless of the development and offensive effectiveness of Murray, he is a capable defenseman whose loss leaves a hole in the Blue Jackets’ lineup. As Portzline points out, the trade deadline swap of physical Dalton Prout for puck-moving veteran Kyle Quincey is now even more vital, as Quincey can more accurately replace Murray’s play. Columbus continues to win, with 13 points in their last 10 games, and are holding tight to the final Metropolitan Division playoff spot, fending off the New York Rangers and chasing the Pittsburgh Penguins. The pressure is now on Quincey and the rest of the Blue Jackets defensemen to pick up the slack of losing Murray and keep the team moving forward.

The All-Star Expansion Team That Never Was

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With the Vegas Golden Knights coming into existence just over a week ago and signing the first player in franchise history, prospective fans are combing through rosters to see who could be taken at the upcoming expansion draft. The roster will be released in a televised event on June 21st, and with it a generation of new fans will meet the first iteration of their new favorite team.

Expansion drafts are funny things, changing over the decades to include or exclude various player types—this time, the overpaid, underachieving veteran seems to be on the menu for the Golden Knights to pick from—but there have always been interesting names available. Back in 2000 when the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets came into the league, they were fighting each other to try and get the best mix of youth and experience to make their team’s viable right from the start.

If Vegas had been coming into the league then they could have gone for a different approach. With all the lights and excitement of the gambling town, why not assemble a group of the greatest careers available, regardless of where they were in them or how much they had left in the tank. Since the league did make the exposure lists public back then, we can take a look to see what they might have selected. If name recognition and all-star appearances were first and foremost, I present to you the 2000 expansion team.

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Morning Notes: Concussion Protocol, Tynan, AHL

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The GM Meetings will wrap up today without much to say. The tagline of the three days in Boca Raton might as well have been “status quo”, as nothing seems to be changing. That includes the concussion protocol for goaltenders, as Ken Campbell of The Hockey News writes.

Goalies across the league have complained about the process, saying that taking a netminder off the ice and out of his rhythm is hurting the game. It’s worth it though, if it prevents even a single concussion from happening. For now, the GMs and league will leave the protocol the same and treat goaltenders like any other player who suffers a head shot on the ice.

  • The Blue Jackets have sent T.J. Tynan back down after making his NHL debut last night. In a 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils, Tynan played just over seven minutes and had a single shot on goal. The 25-year old playmaker will return to the Cleveland Monsters for the time being and wait for his next opportunity.
  • Today is the AHL trade deadline where, like its NHL counterpart, teams can move players to contenders and preserve their playoff eligibility. Patrick Williams of NHL.com put together a nice summary of all the moves made in the AHL up to this point, including names like Tom Gilbert and Teemu Pulkkinen. There will likely be several moves made as teams load up for a Calder Cup run, though very few (if any) will include real prospects.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled both Tom Sestito and Cameron Gaunce today, as they face off against the big Winnipeg Jets tonight. In a corresponding move, they sent Derrick Pouliot back to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Sestito especially gives the Penguins another big body to avoid being pushed around by the Jets, though he doesn’t offer much in the way off offense.

Snapshots: Bruins, Blue Jackets, Golden Knights, Devils

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Boston Bruins recalled forward Austin Czarnik from the Providence Bruins, reports Ty Anderson of WEEI. The recall comes on the heels of the Bruins announcing that Ryan Spooner is out indefinitely with a concussion. Czarnik is treading water in his first NHL season, scoring 5G and 8A in 47 NHL games. He also has 2G and 6A in 7 AHL games. The Bruins signed Czarnik out of Miami University (OH) in May 2015 and he’s been with Providence up until the start of this season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets make two notable additions to its game roster tonight against against the New Jersey Devils, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Tom Reed. Coach John Tortorella inserts Finnish rookie defender Markus Nutivaara back into the lineup after Nutivaara sat out of Columbus’s last three games. Nutivaara was the odd man out after the Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Kyle Quincey at the NHL trade deadline. The Blue Jackets also replace injured forward Josh Anderson with rookie T.J. Tynan. This will be Tynan’s NHL debut. Right now he has 7G and 23A in 55 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters.
  • The Blue Jackets also announced that defenseman Ryan Murray is scratched from tonight’s game due to a lower-body injury. The former 2nd overall draft pick has 2G and 9A in 59 games while averaging 18:37 minutes a game. Murray had somewhat of a breakout campaign last year before regressing production-wise. Murray and Nail Yakupov highlight the NHL Entry Draft’s unpredictability as both were drafted with the first two picks, and yet neither has met expectations.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee spoke to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson today about potential expansion draft selections. While McPhee was coy about specific strategy, he indicated that he’s received calls from many teams —helpful because those calls shape how the Expansion Draft team predicts who may be available at the draft. McPhee also stated that he will not make agreements to avoid drafting an exposed player until closer to the expansion draft itself to maximize the return.
  • The New Jersey Devils have reassigned defenseman Karl Stollery and forward Kevin Rooney back down to the AHL Albany Devils. Stolley has played 11 games for New Jersey so far this season, recording three assists in that timeframe. He’ll rejoin Albany where he has 1G and 13A in 44 games. Rooney failed to record a point in three games for New Jersey, but has 10G and 7A in 57 games for Albany.

East Notes: Hyman, Tynan, Eichel

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have outplayed all of the preseason expectations of the club, and much of that has to do with the excellent performance of Auston Matthews in his rookie season. The first-overall pick has become an impact player right away with 55 points in 64 games, despite spending the whole season skating alongside fellow youngster Zach Hyman. When the team was winning, everything seemed fine with that arrangement but now that they’ve lost five straight people are starting to call for some more experienced wingers to be put with Matthews.

Craig Button of TSN thinks (video link) that’s “laughable” though, as he details the amount of room Hyman creates with his forechecking ability and unstoppable energy level. Hyman has just 25 points all season, and is one of the most divisive players in Toronto at the moment. While he obviously works as hard as any player in the league, some question his offensive upside and whether he can be an option long-term on Toronto’s top line. For now, the team looks like they’ve moved William Nylander away from that group and back to the wing of Nazem Kadri to try and spark some offense (via Kristen Shilton of TSN).

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled T.J. Tynan from the AHL on emergency conditions after Josh Anderson was given a 7-10 day timeline for his knee injury. Tynan was up just a few days ago but still has yet to make his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets. The undersized winger is an excellent passer and has 30 points in 55 AHL games this season. The Blue Jackets have a rematch with the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night, after defeating them 3-0 on Sunday evening.
  • Jack Eichel has been the oft-forgotten member of the exceptional 20 and under club this season because of the injury that held him out of 21 games to start the season. The young Sabres forward is here to remind you of his talent though, with 42 points in 45 games and a shot at passing his full-season mark of 56 last year. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News writes that greatness isn’t far off for Eichel when it comes to the NHL, and that he expects him to play a big role at the World Championships this spring if the Sabres do in fact miss the playoffs. If he’s healthy next year, Eichel could easily push to be crowned among the best young players in the game. He’s just scratching the surface of his offensive potential.

Snapshots: McQuaid, Goldobin, Koules

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Adam McQuaid is one lucky man. When Boston Bruins’ forward David Backes was upended last night against the New Jersey Devils, his skate nicked the throat of McQuaid. As the big defender dropped his gloves and skated off immediately, there were images of Clint Malarchuk and Richard Zednik flashing through the minds of many onlookers. It didn’t seem as bad as those two though and as it turns out, it wasn’t.

McQuaid received 25 stitches to close the laceration on his throat, and expects to be in the lineup tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators. Head coach Bruce Cassidy called him a “tough customer,” and he’s proving just that. McQuaid has been given extra ice time and responsibility of late, including breaking the 20-minute mark twice in his last five games.

  • Nikolay Goldobin is already making an impact in Vancouver, after scoring his second NHL goal in his Canucks debut on Saturday night. It came on a breakaway, something the Canucks hope Goldobin will see often in his time with the team. The talented forward came over in the Jannik Hansen deal, and as Ben Kuzma of The Province reports, will help lead a youth movement in the next few years. With Brock Boeser, Olli Juolevi, Adam Gaudette and Jonathan Dahlen all set to make an impact sooner than later, the Canucks may have kick-started a rebuild of their own when they chose to sell off two expiring veteran contracts at the deadline. Goldobin is just the first of many in Vancouver, and he puts it best when talking about the style he’ll bring: “there are no words, just let me show you and that will be easier.”
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have brought in Miles Koules, signing him to a tryout with their AHL squad today according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch . The 22-year old forward is the son of former Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules, who you may recognize from the credits of the Saw movie franchise or Two and a Half Men. Koules had played in the ECHL this season, scoring 20 points in 36 games. He also played two contests for the Ontario Reign, in which he was held scoreless.

Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Rangers, Schultz

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Since deciding they would need to deal veteran defenseman Kevin Shattnkirk rather than risk losing him for nothing as a free agent, the St. Louis Blues worked hard to find a team with whom the blue liner would agree to a long term extension and thus be able to extract top value from their asset via trade. Deals evidently fell through with Edmonton and Tampa Bay, however, due to Shattenkirk’s preference to test unrestricted free agency. Ultimately the Blues caved and marketed Shattenkirk as a rental, agreeing to send him to Washington for a fair return, though likely not as high a price as they originally hoped to secure.

But according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post, the idea of Shattenkirk representing only a rental may be a bit premature. The scribe notes that both sides would be open to the blue liner remaining with the Capitals beyond the 2016-17 postseason. However, as Khurshudyan also points out, the team has several other potential free agents that would likely take priority over re-signing Shattenkirk, who may be more of a luxury to the Caps than a vital cog. With $51MM already committed to the 2017-18 salary cap, it’s far more likely the team will focus their limited resources on bringing back potential UFA’s T.J. Oshie and Karl Alzner, while also working out an long-term extension with talented center Evgeny Kuznetsov. Those deals would easily eat up most of the Capitals available space, leaving it nearly impossible for them to also fit Shattenkirk in under the cap barring a surprising trade to clear salary elsewhere.

More from the Metro:

  • The New York Rangers, another team believed to have been interested in the aforementioned Shattenkirk, instead opted to shop in the second tier market, coming away with the solid, if unspectacular Brendan Smith at the deadline. It’s unclear whether the Blueshirts have enough talent to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup in a conference that includes the Capitals, Penguins and Blue Jackets, any one of whom has a decent shot to come out of the East. But one prominent former player thinks the team’s speed, skill and depth is enough to launch the Rangers into Stanley Cup contention. Justin Terranova of the New York Post spoke with former Blueshirts team captain Dave Maloney, and the MSG analyst contends the team is a far cry better than the one that flamed out in round one of last season’s playoffs and is good enough to win it all in 2017. He cites the changes made in how the team plays in their own end as a major difference between this year’s Rangers and last season’s edition. Maloney also adds that bringing in Smith addressed a team need and that while the blue liner hasn’t lived up to his billing as a former first-round pick, his size, mobility and familiarity with Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan, former teammates of his at the University of Wisconsin, make him a strong fit on the team’s back end. It remains to be seen whether the Rangers defense corps is good enough to slow down teams like Washington and Pittsburgh come playoff time, even after the addition of Smith.
  • While deadline day disappointed many given the lack of high profile deals, anyone who needs a refresher that often times less significant swaps turn out to ultimately have more impact than the blockbusters need look no further than Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz. The defenseman entered the league with high expectations after a stellar college career, but Schultz struggled in three-plus seasons with Edmonton before a deadline deal to Pittsburgh just one year ago helped resurrect his career. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that the 26-year-old blue liner last night broke the 40-point plateau for the first time and may now be well on his way to scoring a lucrative multiyear extension as a restricted free agent this summer. Twelve months ago, in search of some skill and depth on the blue line, the Penguins shipped a third-round pick to Edmonton for Schultz and the former Wisconsin Badger ended up playing a significant role in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup championship. Now with 10 goals and 41 points on the season, he is among the league’s top offensive threats from the back end and may be in line for a huge raise over the $1.4MM salary he currently makes. Not bad for a relatively inconsequential trade deadline acquisition one year ago.

Snapshots: MacEwen, Tynan, Vermette

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The Vancouver Canucks have dipped their toes into the 20-year old free agent waters, signing undrafted center Zack MacEwen to a three-year entry-level contract. MacEwen is playing for the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL where he often skates with Blue Jackets’ third-round pick Vitaly Abramov, one of the league’s top scorers.

Elliotte Friedman reports that both Ottawa and Tampa Bay had been in on MacEwen recently, before the Canucks eventually signed him. MacEwen is a point-per-game player for the first time in his junior career, scoring 62 in 59 games this season. He’ll join Matthew Highmore and many others as teams around the league start snapping up any talent that has slipped through the cracks.

Forgotten Futures: Checking In On Picks 3-5

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While Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine have dominated many of the headlines around the NHL since the moment they put on their respective sweaters on June 24th, 2016 there were other names picked that day that have received much less attention. Matthew Tkachuk has burst onto the scene in Calgary, recording an incredible 41 points in his rookie season (including more assists than either of the top 2) while Jakob Chychrun has steadily improved in the desert and is now logging 20 minutes a night as an 18-year old.

There were three other names taken between Laine and Tkachuk, and though their respective fan bases surely haven’t forgotten about their prized assets, drooling over the potential they bring while combing through box scores—that is if anyone combs through box scores anymore—the rest of the league might have. As we head past the trade deadline many teams look towards the future, hoping for a brighter sunrise next season and looking at comparables for their expected draft position this summer.

5th Overall Pick – Olli Juolevi (VAN)

The first defenseman picked in the draft was Olli Juolevi from the London Knights. The smooth skating defender that was heralded as a future #1 who could play in any situation has had an excellent, if a little underwhelming season for the Knights in 2016-17. Playing on a great team in front of a great goaltender, Juolevi has continued to rack up assists while being a main part of one of the stingiest defensive teams in the OHL. The Knights have allowed just 165 goals this season and Juolevi is one of the reasons why.

With 39 points in 49 games, he continues to produce in junior hockey, though a little less can be said about his performance at the World Juniors. Captaining a Finnish squad that was without almost all of their key players—including one we will speak of later—Juolevi didn’t impress much through the preliminary round. After his coach got fired midway through the tournament, Juolevi stepped up a bit but still finished with just two points in six games.

It’s hardly enough to judge him on, but Vancouver Canucks fans were likely hoping to see him take over the tournament all by himself and drag the Finnish team to the medal round. They should however be excited about the prospect that London will be in the OHL playoffs starting later this month, where Juolevi will try for a second crack at the Memorial Cup.

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