Injury Notes: Stamkos, Borowiecki, Kinkaid
Steven Stamkos was again skating with teammates this morning, as he inches his way back to the lineup. While there is a good chance the Tampa Bay Lightning captain will return to the ice this season he might not be as effective right away. That’s what Zach Parise told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times a few weeks ago, speaking from experience. Parise had the same surgery on his knee in November of 2010, and though he returned later that year as well, didn’t feel right until the following Christmas.
I’d say it took probably a year and a half to get back to feeling back to normal. That’s what my therapist said, six months to heal, a year you feel better. But to get back to that level for me, I feel like it was almost the following Christmas.
So Stamkos, who may get a chance to help his team in a playoff race—the Lightning are just four points out with 17 games left to play—likely won’t be the elite offensive presence he’s proven to be over the past eight years. Fear not Lightning fans, though Parise says he didn’t feel right until Christmas, he still scored 30 goals and 69 points the year following surgery. It wasn’t all bad.
- The Ottawa Senators will be without Mark Borowiecki tonight against the Arizona Coyotes after tweaking an injury last night in Dallas. Borowiecki is leading the league in penalty minutes this year and gives the Senators a destructive physical presence on the blue line. His 288 hits easily pace the NHL, 38 more than Matt Martin despite playing in eight fewer games.
- Keith Kinkaid has injured his right knee and will be out tonight for the New Jersey Devils, meaning newcomer Ken Appleby will be the backup for Cory Schneider. Andrew Gross of The Record reports that though the Devils don’t think Kinkaid’s injury is serious, if he’s held out of the lineup for a few more games they’ll get Appleby some playing time. The 21-year old has played well at the AHL and ECHL level this season.
- The Nashville Predators will be without P.A. Parenteau and Vernon Fiddler tonight, meaning Kevin Fiala and Colton Sissons will figure back into the lineup. Parenteau practiced this morning but will be held out for precautionary reasons, while Fiddler was absent from practice.
- Tyler Bozak was absent from this morning’s Toronto Maple Leafs practice, but Mike Babcock says he’s a game-time decision. If he’s out, Eric Fehr will get into his first game since being traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline. The former Penguin has had a rough season including being waived just before the deadline.
Snapshots: Cunningham, Halverson, Sestito
Earlier this season Tucson Roadrunners captain Craig Cunningham collapsed on the ice and was rushed to hospital. The 26-year old forward’s heart had stopped for an unknown reason, and needed ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) treatment to save his life. The procedure affected the circulation in his leg, and he had to make a decision. Tucson’s general manager Doug Soetaert put it this way to AZCentral’s Jeremy Cluff:
It’s life or limb, and obviously you pick life over limb, right? That was the way he’s moving forward. He’s been battling through the whole thing. We continue to battle with him. He’s going to make it.
Cunningham had part of his left leg amputated, but is now walking again with the help of a prosthetic. Ray Ferraro sent out a video of Cunningham walking down a hallway, dubbing it “the most awesome thing [he’s] seen in while.” It truly is awesome to see Cunningham up and walking again, and most importantly smiling as he approaches the camera. Everyone is wishing him luck as he gets his life back on track.
- The New York Rangers will be without Rick Nash and Henrik Lundqvist tonight when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Both are day-to-day with minor injuries. The team has recalled Brandon Halverson from the ECHL on an emergency basis to replace Lundqvist, meaning Antti Raanta will be in net. Halverson was the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2014 and made his professional debut this season for the Hartford Wolfpack before heading to the ECHL. The 20-year old will get a taste of an NHL arena at least as he backs up Raanta tonight.
- Tom Sestito will have a phone hearing with the NHL today after his hit on Toby Enstrom last night. The check from behind sent Enstrom to the hospital with possible facial fractures, and led to more aggressive play between the two teams last night. Amazingly, Sestito was only on the ice for 62 seconds last night, and was involved in a fight and this illegal check before being thrown out of the game. The 29-year old enforcer had been called up earlier that day to lend some physicality to the Penguins line up not, as Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice put it, “to dangle”.
AHL Trade Deadline Transactions
As the AHL trade deadline passes today, we’ll keep you updated on all the moves that have been made.
- Emerson Clark has been traded from the Chicago Wolves to the Utica Comets. The 24-year old winger has spent much of this season in the ECHL, but has four points since coming up to the Wolves. Utica finds themselves in a dogfight for the final playoff spot in the North Division, and have had troubles scoring all season long.
- The Hershey Bears have acquired Mattias Backman from the Texas Stars in exchange for Darren Dietz. While Backman has yet to make it to the NHL since being selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Dietz debuted last year for Montreal playing 13 games for the Canadiens. Both defenseman, this is a swap of styles and handedness for the two squads.
- The Charlotte Checkers have a new netminder, as Thomas McCollum has been loaned to them from the Stockton Heat. McCollum is a former first-round pick who has barely had a sniff of the NHL during his eight years of professional hockey, suiting up just three times for the Detroit Red Wings. He’s played just one game in the AHL this season but generally has success at that level. The Checkers needed a goalie since Michael Leighton is out indefinitely.
- Cal O’Reilly won’t have a chance to play with his brother again this season, as the forward is off to Toronto. The Rochester Americans have loaned him to the Toronto Marlies. O’Reilly was serving as the captain of the Americans and has 42 points in 47 AHL games this season. With 11 games in the NHL this year, the older brother of Sabres’ center Ryan O’Reilly now has 49 points in 144 career games.
Snapshots: McQuaid, Goldobin, Koules
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.
Snapshots: Big Read, Miller, Suspensions
If you’ve ever wondered how deadline deals come together now that front offices have to go through so many obstacles to make a trade, you’re in luck. Salary caps, international scouting and forced parity are all discussed in Sportsnet’s latest “Big Read” by Gare Joyce. In a piece that goes in detail with two GMs, a scout, an agent and NHL lawyer, fans are brought into a world that is usually closed off to the general public.
I’ve never made or even tried to make a deal face-to-face with another GM. The idea that it’s something that we’ve kicked around at GMs’ meetings or talked about at games—it just doesn’t happen…when you’re making the call, just by making it, you’re telling another GM, ‘I don’t think your team is going to make the playoffs.’
The story reveals some interesting tidbits, like how many deadline deals are actually agreed to in principal weeks prior, only to not be put through to give the buyer some time to make sure his team is still in the hunt come March 1st. All these people will be extremely busy over the next few days, as teams finalize their rosters for the stretch run.
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post reveals that almost every discussion the New York Rangers are in start with some mention of J.T. Miller—which is a non-starter unless a superstar is involved. At just 23-years old, Miller is already the leading scorer on a very deep New York Rangers team and is on the cusp of becoming a household name in the NHL. Playing on both special teams and dominating at even strength, the Rangers would be crazy to deal him.
- The AHL has handed down a pair of suspensions, to Greger Hanson and Kurtis Gabriel. Binghamton Senators forward Hanson sent Toronto Marlies player Brett Findlay head first into the boards on Friday, resulting in a boarding penalty and a two-game suspension. Hanson has spent most of the season in the ECHL, and is actually on his fourth minor league team of the year. Gabriel has been suspended indefinitely pending a review of the brawl that continued off the ice on Saturday between the Iowa Wild and Chicago Wolves. Gabriel—who ended up knocked out from a devastating punch—was the one who incited the fight as both players were heading to their respective dressing rooms.
Lightning, Coyotes Swap Minor Leaguers
Though not quite as exciting as the two deals yesterday, another trade has gone down in the NHL today. As the Tampa Bay Times reports, the Lightning and Arizona Coyotes have agreed on a swap of forward prospects. Heading to Tampa is Stefan Fournier, while Jeremy Morin heads to Arizona. Neither minor leaguer is much of a threat to become an impact NHL contributor any time soon, but may be able to help their respective AHL franchises.
It’s not the first time that Morin has been on the move; far from it in fact. The 25-year-old winger was a second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2009, but was traded not long after in the summer of 2010. Following an 83-point season with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, Morin was one of the main pieces that went to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Dustin Byfuglien. Morin then broke into the NHL in 2010-11 at the age of 19. However, he was used sparingly in five seasons in Chicago, recording 16 points in just 54 games. Believing that Morin had stopped developing, the Blackhawks flipped him to the Columbus Blue Jackets midway through the 2014-15 season for another struggling prospect, Tim Erixon. After just a half-season in Columbus, Morin was on the move again, heading back to Chicago alongside Artem Anisimov in the Brandon Saad trade. Chicago wasted no time in trading Morin yet again, this time in a deal that worked out much better than Erixon, a swap with the Toronto Maple Leafs for Richard Panik. Only two months later, Morin was part of a deadline deal that shipped him out of Toronto to the San Jose Sharks along with James Reimer. Finally in charge of his own fate, Morin signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Lightning when free agency opened on July 1st of this summer. In 43 games this season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Morin has 21 points, his best minor league season since 2013-14. However, that clearly hasn’t helped him find a permanent home, as he’s on the move yet again. Morin will report to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners and will likely finish the season with the team before searching for a new opportunity once again this off-season.
Fournier has not had to endure quite the same treatment. The 24-year-old signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2013 after a strong junior career in the QMJHL and played three seasons with the organization, in the AHL and ECHL, before being traded to the Coyotes alongside Jarred Tinordi in a three-team deal last season. Fournier has done little to help the Coyotes, or Roadrunners for that matter, in 2016-17 with just four points in 29 AHL games. With the move to Tampa Bay, more accurately the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, perhaps Fournier can find the scoring touch he had in juniors that he has been unable to find in the pros. Fournier will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so the remainder of the season should act as a tryout for an extension with the Lightning.
Snapshots: Penguins, Capitals, Jones
After Jim Rutherford pulled off his latest deadline deal, acquiring Ron Hainsey for a second-round draft pick today, he met the media to answer questions about his team and rest of the trade deadline. At the same time, Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was meeting with media to discuss his team’s aspirations at the deadline. Here are the highlights from both, plus other news from the hockey world.
- Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported several things on Twitter, including that Rutherford thinks the next 24 hours will determine whether the Penguins add another defenseman at the deadline. Since the Penguins don’t play until Saturday, he’s likely referring to both Kris Letang and Justin Schultz and their battles with injury.
- Schultz hit practice without a non-contact sweater today and took part in nearly all the drills. After a successful practice, the plan is to get him into a game on Saturday night against the Flyers.
- Letang on the other hand is day-to-day with an upper body injury suffered Tuesday night against Carolina. His health is likely a determining factor in the deadline for Pittsburgh.
- Rutherford also mentioned, according to Mackey, that Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley who are both out for over a month, will not be placed on LTIR and could return before the end of the season. Six weeks from today would be April 6th, just a few days before the playoffs begin. The Penguins face the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers on back to back nights to end the season (April 8 and 9). Perhaps we’ll see them back by then.
- On the Capitals, Isabell Khurshudyan of the Washington Post gives us a series of tweets from MacLellan. He has been in touch with T.J. Oshie‘s camp and wants to sign him. He doesn’t think it will get done in-season though.
- MacLellan doesn’t think the team will do anything at the deadline except perhaps in the “fringes” of the roster. He mentioned a third goaltender as a possibility.
- Max Jones of the London Knights will face a 10 game suspension, according to Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press. Jones was the first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks this past summer, and has faced multiple suspensions this year limiting him to just 29 games.
- The Alaska Aces of the ECHL will shut down their doors after this season, leaving the state without a professional hockey team. Winners of the Kelly Cup three times in their fifteen years, they once rostered players like Scott Gomez, Nate Thompson and Brandon Dubinsky and are currently the affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
Minor Transactions: 2/17/2017
The Washington Capitals announced that they have recalled rookies Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The pair has combined to play in 33 games for the Capitals in 2016-17, and their continued growth will become even more important down the stretch. Sanford has played in 21 games, but has only a goal and an assist in limited ice time. Vrana has suited up for just 12 games, but has a goal and two assists in that time, as well as a +2 rating. When active, Vrana has seen more ice time with the Capital’s skill players, while Sanford has settled into a bottom-six role. Regardless, both players need to work harder to bring their strong AHL production to the next level in Washington. With Andre Burakovsky sidelined, the Capitals approach the Trade Deadline with very little forward depth beyond their starters other than the two rookies. If Sanford and Vrana can’t pick up the pace when the Caps return from their bye week on Saturday, Washington will very likely target one or two veteran forwards by March 1st.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Arizona was forced to promote goalie Marek Langhamer last night on an emergency basis, as backup Louis Domingue was injured earlier in the day. The AHL Tuscon Roadrunners’ keeper traveled to Los Angeles to meet the team prior to their road game and will head back to Arizona and remain with the team for now. Langhamer hasn’t had his best season in 2016-17, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average to accompany a losing record in 12 games with the Roadrunners, but performed much worse in his first AHL season last year. Langhamer has looked much better down in the ECHL over the past two campaigns and seems to just need more time to develop. He is still a better prospect than many would have expected when he was drafted in the seventh round in 2012 out of the Czech Republic national junior program.
- In the wake of injuries to Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled fellow defensemen Steven Oleksy and Cameron Gaunce from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Maatta will miss the next six weeks, while Schultz’ condition is still unknown, so a long-term role or two may have just opened up for Oleksy, Gaunce, or Chad Ruhwedel.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have promoted forward Gabriel Dumont from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Dumont was passed through waivers last month and demoted to the minors, but in need of an extra body up front, he’ll return to West Florida from upstate New York. Dumont has just two points in 14 games with the Bolts, and five points overall in his NHL career.
- The Calgary Flames assigned defenseman Brett Kulak to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the team announced. Kulak has played in 21 games with the Flames this year, picking up three assists while averaging a little more than 14 minutes per game. He also has suited up in 11 minor league games with the Heat, recording five points.
- Anaheim Ducks blueliner Shea Theodore has once again been re-assigned to their AHL affiliate in San Diego per a team release. This marks the 12th different time he has been sent down this year in an effort to save cap space and to get him as much playing time as possible. In 30 games with the Ducks, Theodore has eight points but has been more of an offensive threat in the minors with nine points in just 13 games.
- The San Jose Sharks continued their near-daily shuffle of youngsters to and from the minor leagues, announcing (via Twitter) that winger Timo Meier and defenseman Tim Heed have been assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Meier has played in 26 games with the Sharks while Heed, despite being recalled eight separate times since January, has played just one NHL game this year.
- The Nashville Predators have flipped backup goalies once again, sending Juuse Saros to AHL Milwaukee while recalled Marek Mazenec, reports Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. The move will allow Saros to get into a game or two in the minors to stay in game shape before likely returning to Nashville next week.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have recalled center Michael McCarron from St. John’s of the AHL. McCarron had been sent down to play while the team was on their bye week. McCarron, who is one of the players Arizona is coveting in a Martin Hanzal trade, has a goal and four assists in 18 games with the Canadiens this season.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced that they recalled winger Brandon Tanev from the Manitoba Moose. Defenseman Toby Enstrom was placed on injured reserve (retroactive to February 12th) to make room on the roster for him. Tanev has spent the bulk of the season with the Jets, playing in 39 games while scoring two goals and two assists.
Stars Acquire Goalie Peters From Coyotes
The Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes combined to finalize a trade this afternoon with four minor league players changing hands. Dallas announced the transaction on their official NHL.com website. The most notable name is that of goaltender Justin Peters, who goes from the desert to the Stars organization. He has appeared in 83 career NHL games, posting a GAA of 3.08 and a S% of 0.901 over parts of seven seasons. In three games earlier this season with Arizona, Peters has a loss in his only decision while allowing seven goals on 70 shots against.
Peters will provide experienced depth and a possible upgrade for Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Texas goaltenders have combined for a GAA of 3.35 and a S% of 0.890 in 50 games this season. Peters hasn’t had a particularly strong season for Arizona’s Tucson affiliate, recording a GAA of 4.17 and a S% of 0.868, but has posted solid numbers in the past in that league.
Also coming to Dallas is defenseman Justin Hache, who was Arizona’s seventh-round pick in the 2012 entry draft. He has split this season between the Coyotes AHL and ECHL affiliates, tallying one assist in five games for Tucson and nine points in 21 contests for the Rapid City Rush.
Joining the Coyotes organization are forwards Brendan Ranford and Branden Troock. Ranford is the only one of the two to have seen any NHL action, appearing in one game with Dallas last season. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound left wing was originally a seventh-round selection in 2010 by Philadelphia. Since turning pro in 2013-14, Ranford has appeared in a total of 250 games with Texas and has registered a scoring line of 55-105=160 with 89 minutes in penalties.
Troock, a 6-foot-2, 194-pound right wing was chosen by the Stars in the fifth-round of the 2012 draft and has spent the last four campaigns splitting time between Texas and Idaho of the ECHL. In 98 career AHL games, Troock has scored nine goals with 30 points.
It’s unlikely this trade will pay dividends for either team at the NHL level, but it’s possible that the clubs are shuffling some of their minor league depth in order to better facilitate another, more significant deal later. It’s likely the Coyotes will be a seller at the trade deadline and wingers Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata may generate interest in the weeks ahead. Adding Ranford and Troock gives the Arizona organization enough experienced minor league depth at that position to help survive the loss of one or both NHL veterans, should the right offer come along.
Hayley Wickenheiser Announces Her Retirement
At the age of 38, Hayley Wickenheiser – arguably the greatest female hockey player of all-time – has decided to hang up her skates. She sent out a tweet Friday night that (fittingly) showed her on a public rink bench with the caption: 
Dear Canada. It has been the greatest honour of my life to play for you. Time to hang em up!! Thank you! #grateful #graduationday #canada
If you haven’t followed women’s hockey over the past couple of decades, Wickenheiser is a name you need to learn. She is a four-time Olympic gold medalist in consecutive winter games (and add a silver from 1998 for good luck), and the first woman to play full-time professional hockey at a position other than goal.
In 2003, Wickenheiser signed on with a Finnish men’s team and played 23 games with the club that season, breaking a barrier for women around the world. She scored 12 points for the team in those 23 games (including 7 in 11 playoff matches), but left the league after just 10 scoreless games the next season. Years later she would play for a Swedish men’s team, scoring three points in 21 games. In 26 Olympic matches, she scored 51 points.
An incredible athlete, Wickenheiser also represented Canada in softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Once offered a contract to play in the ECHL by Phil Esposito (though she would never play for the team), her journey in hockey simply outgrew where the women’s level was at that time. She will be a no-brainer inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, with discussion already beginning on whether the waiting period will be waived for her.
If it weren’t for Wickenheiser, there is no guarantee women’s hockey would be as developed as it is today. She, and other legends like her, inspired a generation of young women to pick up a hockey stick, get on the ice, and challenge the notion that hockey was only for men.
Dear Hayley. It has been a great hono(u)r to watch you play. Thank you.