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Atlantic Notes: Hyman, Bobrovsky, Hainsey

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Zach Hyman has never been fully appreciated by Toronto fans over the years, but the forward, who has sat out all season so far after undergoing offseason knee surgery this summer, has been strangely missed as the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled out of the gate.

A favorite of head coach Mike Babcock due to his work ethic and attitude, Hyman is close to returning with many believing he might be ready to return this weekend. That hasn’t happened, but the winger believes he’ll be ready soon, according to The Star’s Kevin McGran. Hyman is traveling with the team, but there is no word on when he might be activated.

“Honestly, it’s not my decision,” he says. “I mean, I have a say in it, but we have a great medical staff, great therapists, great strength coaches, great doctors where you don’t make a decision by yourself.”

  • Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that despite the slow start of Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, head coach Joel Quenneville isn’t worried about the two-time Vezina Trophy winner. Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $70MM contract this summer with Florida, hasn’t been too impressive in his first 11 appearances with the Panthers, posting a 5-2-3 record with a 3.71 GAA and a .873 save percentage, numbers that are second-to-last among goalies who have appeared in at least eight games. “I think the way we’re playing, he’s getting comfortable in how we play in front of him,” Quenneville said. “I think eventually the goals against is something we can improve as a group of defenseman in our team game. I think the second opportunities, whether we take more responsibility in that area, we can clean that up and help him.”
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that while the Ottawa Senators brought in defenseman Ron Hainsey over from Toronto this summer in free agency to fill a veteran defensive void in their lineup, there was a secondary reason as well. The scribe writes that one major benefit of having Hainsey around is having him mentor top prospect Erik Brannstrom in his rookie campaign. Hainsey has been paired with Brannstrom since the first day of training camp and the two have stayed together almost exclusively. “There’s been a lot of information thrown at him in a short amount of time in the (six weeks) since we went to training camp to now,” Hainsey said before facing the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at TD Garden. “In some situations in the game, it’s easy, it’s like, ‘Hey, maybe we should try to do it this way.’ Other times, it’s better for me to be quiet and let him go about his way. He’s got plenty of people and coaches giving him stuff 24/7 and it’s a lot for a young player to take in when you’re playing against the best players in the world. It’s not like we’ve been matched against the top guys, but we’ve been out against everybody at some point.”

Jayce Hawryluk To Miss At Least A Month

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  • Panthers winger Jayce Hawryluk will miss at least a month due to an upper-body injury (likely to the shoulder), notes George Richards of The Athletic (Twitter link). The injury was sustained on a hit from Colorado’s Nikita Zadorov on Wednesday night.  Hawryluk has played in eight games with Florida so far this season, picking up a goal and two assists from the fourth line.  With Vincent Trocheck also believed to be unavailable, Florida is now down to 11 healthy forwards on their roster.

Atlantic Notes: Bruins Trade Options, Krug, Dermott

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The Boston Bruins are right near the top of the Atlantic Division with a 7-1-2 record, good enough for second place. However, with injuries rising and a lack of production beyond the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, who have combined for 41 points, no forward has more than three points this season, leaving quite a few question marks when a team finds a way to shut down the Bruins’ first line.

Throw in the recent injuries to the team and NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty looks at numerous trade possibilities that general manager Don Sweeney might be looking at. Many of the trade possibilities suggested might be a challenge for Boston to pull off, especially the likely high price tag of New Jersey’s Taylor Hall and Vegas’ Alex Tuch.

However, he does point out that the team has options with common trade partners like Minnesota (Jason Zucker) or the New York Rangers (Chris Kreider), although Kreider would be only seen as a rental despite his Boston background. The team could also look to rent Mike Hoffman from the Florida Panthers as well.

However, even Haggerty points out that the team might look to bring in their own prospects. The play of Anders Bjork could be the team’s first option. The 23-year-old scored a goal Saturday night, suggesting he could be an answer to some of the team’s secondary scoring woes, although he must show consistency, something the team has struggled with this season.

  • With the impending returns of defensemen Kevan Miller and John Moore, both currently on injured reserve, Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy writes that the Boston Bruins will then have nine defensemen on their NHL roster and the team will likely either have to make a trade or send a player to the AHL. While Moore’s return is more uncertain, Miller could be back by early November. Connor Clifton would be a candidate to send to the NHL, but could require waivers by early November, which might be something that Boston would want to avoid. A trade could make quite a bit of sense, but is the team ready to move Torey Krug? The team could use some offense, so moving Krug to a team like Winnipeg who needs a top-four blueliner might makes some sense. Krug is one of the few players faring well in Boston as the defenseman has eight points in 10 games so far this year.
  • The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reports that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott is likely to return to the lineup on Tuesday against Washinton. Dermott has been out all season due to offseason shoulder surgery. That could start a chain reaction of roster moves from Toronto, who also has Zach Hyman close to returning from LTIR. Once both are back, the Maple Leafs could be forced to make as many as four roster moves to get both players back on the roster.

Florida Panthers Acquire Jack Rodewald From Ottawa

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The Florida Panthers have acquired more depth for their team as the team announced they have traded for forward Jack Rodewald from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the rights to collegiate winger Chris Wilkie. The Panthers have assigned Rodewald to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

The 25-year-old Rodewald has spent the last three years in the AHL after a year in the ECHL, but while he lacks the upside of a top NHL prospect, has proven to be a reliable depth player for the Senators over the years and a solid option at the AHL level as well. The undrafted forward scored 23 goals and 47 points last season for the Belleville Senators, but has gone scoreless in six games for Belleville this season. He has made 10 NHL appearances over his career, but has failed to register a point in any of them.

For Ottawa, the move makes quite a bit of sense. The Belleville squad, laden with a bunch of young prospects, needed to make room on their roster to get more playing time for some of their players. The move of Rodewald should free up more time for several prospects, including Jonathan Davidsson, Max Veronneau and Vitaly Abramov. Rodewald will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

In exchange for Rodewald, the team acquired the rights to Wilkie, who is in his fourth year of college after spending two years at the University of North Dakota and now is in his second year at Colorado College. In 20 games for the Tigers last season, Wilkie scored six goals and 19 points and seems headed for an even bigger season this year as he already has three goals and six points in three games. A sixth-round pick in 2015, Wilkie may opt to sign a deal once his collegiate season is over this year, but he could also wait until August and become a free agent where he can choose any team to sign with that he wants, assuming there is interest.

What the move also does is free up a contract for the Senators who had 49 contracts before this trade. With Wilkie unsigned, the Senators’ contract number will drop to 48, giving the team a little more maneuverability to make trade or sign players later this season.

 

 

Atlantic Notes: Mete, Trocheck, Krejci, Miller

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The Montreal Canadiens don’t have a lot on their plate this offseason when it comes to their own free agents. However, that isn’t stopping the franchise from trying to sign defenseman Victor Mete, who is playing in the final year of his entry-level contract. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Canadiens have already begun negotiations with the 21-year-old.

Mete surprised a few people several years ago when he made the roster out of training camp at 19 years old and his fast skating and defensive-first abilities might complement veteran Shea Weber. However, Weber got injured and Mete struggled, playing 49 games, but was often scratched due to the fact that he wasn’t ready. He settled in last season, playing 71 games and has been a solid defensive presence since then. Mete finally scored his first NHL goal last week after going scoreless in 126 straight games.

The Canadiens’ only other significant off-season contract that it will need to deal with other than Mete’s will be that of Max Domi, who will also be a restricted free agent next summer.

  • NHL.com’s Jameson Olive reports that Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck, who hasn’t played since Oct. 19 with an lower-body injury, was practicing with the team today in a yellow non-contact jersey. Trocheck who has a foot/ankle injury is travelling with the team and is listed as day-to-day. After a down season last year while dealing with a broken ankle, the team needs Trocheck to put up a big season. The 26-year-old has a goal and five assists in eight games.
  • NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty writes that Boston Bruins center David Krejci, who is out with an upper-body injury, is expected to miss both games this weekend. However, the scribe adds that Krejci is close and should be able to return at some point next week with a likely date of Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, although head coach Bruce Cassidy said a decision on that won’t be made until Monday. Haggerty also writes that defenseman Kevan Miller should be ready to practice at some point next week. Miller has been out with a fractured kneecap.

Minor Transactions: 10/24/19

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After the NHL held just two games on Wednesday night, this evening’s action is quite a bit busier. Ten games are scheduled, including a matchup between two division leaders in Edmonton. The Oilers are still holding onto the Pacific Division despite two straight losses, while the Washington Capitals are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference and now sit at 7-2-2. As teams prepare for the big night, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled Riley Stillman from the minor leagues, giving them another defenseman for their western road trip. The team takes on the Calgary Flames tonight and then has a back-to-back situation in Edmonton and Vancouver starting Sunday.
  • After playing yesterday afternoon, Joel Hanley is back with the Dallas Stars. Recalled from the minor leagues, Hanley will give the Stars another option when they welcome in the Anaheim Ducks tonight. Dallas is in the midst of a four-game homestand, giving them the opportunity to flip players back to the Texas Stars on off days to keep them fresh.
  • Logan Day is on his way to the Bakersfield Condors after being activated from the season-opening injured list. Day earned a one-year NHL contract in May after playing 64 games for the Condors last season. The 25-year old defenseman had 34 points, leading all Bakersfield defensemen.

Florida Panthers Acquire Aleksi Saarela

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Make that three trades in Aleksi Saarela’s young career. The Chicago Blackhawks minor league forward has been swapped again, this time headed to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Ian McCoshen. Saarela was only acquired by the Blackhawks in June as part of the Calvin de Haan trade, but had registered just one point in five games with the Rockford IceHogs.

That is a substantial step back for the 22-year old, who scored 30 goals and 54 points in 69 regular season games with the 2019 Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers. Saarela was a force for the Checkers in the regular season and playoffs, showing that he might have an NHL future after all.

Originally selected in the third round of the 2015 draft by the New York Rangers, Saarela’s rights were sent to Carolina as part of the 2016 Eric Staal trade. He’ll now try to impress a third organization.

McCoshen meanwhile found himself too far down the depth chart to be of much value to the Panthers at this point. The 24-year old defenseman was supposed to be NHL-ready when he came out of Boston College in 2015-16, but it turned out that readiness wasn’t the same as effectiveness. McCoshen has played 60 games with Florida over the last three seasons, but never found his groove as an everyday option.

Selected 31st overall in 2013, McCoshen is now on his second contract and waiver eligible, though he cleared it at the end of September and can be moved up and down by the Blackhawks for the time being. He’ll serve as some depth for the team as they deal with another injury to Connor Murphy.

Five Key Stories: 10/14/19 – 10/20/19

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While there was a consistent flow of trade rumors this week, no team pulled the trigger on a big move. That’s not to say there weren’t several additions, as well as subtractions, this week, as a big extension, a free agent signing, a suspension, an injury, and a coaching staff change are the stories of the week:

Hischier Extended Seven Years: The New Jersey Devils may be off to a surprisingly rough start to the season, but young centerpiece Nico Hischier remains a bright spot for the team. A timely source of good news for a disappointed fan base, the Devils announced a seven-year, $50.75MM extension. The new $7.25MM cap hit for the 2017 first overall pick is hardly an overpay so long as the talented center continues to develop. Especially in light of a increasingly higher salary cap ceiling, the new deal could be a bargain for New Jersey, particularly toward the end of the contract.

Panthers Add Boyle: Respected veteran forward Brian Boyle was a surprise omission from this summer’s list of free agent signings, but the Florida Panthers recognized a need in their bottom six and addressed it with a one-year deal for the two-way ace. Boyle actually enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year and has been a highly valuable hired gun late in his career. An affordable addition of experience and ability, Boyle could prove to be a key signing by Florida. The Philadelphia Flyers made a similar addition, signing Chris Stewart to a one-year deal.

Zykov Suspended 20 Games: Young Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov will be out of the lineup for some time, as the NHL announced a 20-game suspension as a result of a failed drug test. Zykov reportedly violated the joint Performance Enhancing Substances Program and as a result will sit until late November. While the Golden Knights claim Zykov admitted to taking an illegal substance, the player continues to state that he is unaware of how he failed the drug test.

Hjarlmarsson Out Three Months: Niklas Hjalmarsson’s penchant for shot blocking has cost him, as the Arizona Coyotes defenseman will miss an anticipated three months with a cracked fibula in his left leg. One of the more dependable defensive blue liners in the NHL, Hjalmarsson’s loss is a major blow for the ‘Yotes. The injury has sparked trade rumors in the desert, as Arizona was already off to a shaky start before losing one of their top players. Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares was another big-name injury this week, out two weeks with a broken finger.

Fitzgerald Joins Devils’ Bench: Considered by many to be the most improved team in the league heading into this season, the New Jersey Devils have not gotten off to the start than most expected. Head coach John Hynes is on the hot seat and the organization wants a closer look at the situation in the locker room. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald will add assistant coach to his list of responsibilities for the time being, joining Hynes’ staff. It could be a sign of things to come for New Jersey if they don’t turn things around soon.

Injury Notes: Barkov, Little, Johnsson, Ladd, Simek, Paquette

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Florida Panthers fans were quite worried Saturday when star player Aleksander Barkov skated off the ice during his second shift and did not return for the rest of the game. The Panthers deemed the injury as an upper-body injury and head coach Joel Quenneville refused to comment on it. However, The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) reports that general manager Dale Tallon referred to the injury as “minor.”

How Barkov was injured is a different story, as it doesn’t look as if Barkov took a hit, but the 24-year-old was seen clutching his side after an icing call on his second shift. He still lined up for the face-off, but looked to be in obvious pain. The team flew back to home last night and have Sunday off, with a home match against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

  • The Winnipeg Jets are looking for some added punch to their lineup as TSN’s Brian Munz reports that center Bryan Little, who has been sidelined all season with a concussion, is expected to play Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 31-year-old has served as the team’s second line center for quite some time. He scored 15 goals and 41 points last season.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson was not at practice Sunday after blocking a Brandon Carlo shot Saturday and being forced out of the game and missing the third period, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. X-rays on Johnsson’s leg came back negative, suggesting the injury isn’t too serious and the forward isn’t expected to be out for long. The 24-year-old winger has two goals and five points in nine games with the Leafs so far.
  • The return of Andrew Ladd could be coming soon as Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the 33-year-old winger was skating in a regular practice jersey Sunday, after several practices in an orange non-contact jersey. Ladd is coming off a torn ACL and was limited to just 26 games last season. If healthy, Ladd could make some key contributions on the team’s bottom-six. He scored three goals and 11 points in those 26 appearances last year. Gross in a separate tweet, reports that both Jordan Eberle and Casey Cizikas, each on injured reserve with lower-body injuries, skated today, but separately from the rest of the team.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that defenseman Radim Simek is expected to join the San Jose Sharks on their five-game road trip, but the blueliner said that he likely won’t play in any of those games due to his leg injury. He has been practicing so a return could come in the next few weeks, but his return to health has taken longer than the team expected.
  • NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that Tampa Bay Lighting forward Cedric Paquette is now considered to be day-to-day. The 26-year-old forward, out with an arm injury, hasn’t played a game this season yet, but could be close. Paquette scored a career-high 13 goals last season.

 

Brian Boyle Signs One-Year Deal With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers added some key veteran depth to their team Sunday when they announced they have signed unrestricted veteran free agent Brian Boyle to a one-year deal, one-way contract. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports the deal is worth $940K. The 34-year-old Boyle is expected to join the team in Coral Springs for practice on Monday.

“With over 700 games played in the NHL and over 100 more in the playoffs, Brian brings a wealth of experience to our club,” said general manager Dale Tallon. “He adds versatility and character to our lineup.”

Boyle, who will be now playing for his seventh NHL team and fifth team in the last three years, is coming off an 13-goal performance with the New Jersey Devils last year. However, with their season lost, the Devils traded Boyle to the Predators for a 2019 second-round pick. Boyle netted five goals in 26 games for the Predators. He scored 13 goals in 2017-18 for the Devils, and 13 goals in 2015-16 and 2016-17 for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Boyle received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2017-18 for perseverence, sportsmanship and dedication for returning to hockey after being diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia.

The veteran is expected to immediately join their bottom-six, likely centering the fourth line. Head coach Joel Quenneville has spoken often about the importance of puck possession, which Boyle should help with. Throw in his 6-foot-6 frame and physical play and Boyle should add much needed grit to the Panthers this year. The team has already assigned youngster Henrik Borgstrom to the AHL to get more playing time, which should open up a spot on the team’s roster.

McKenzie was the first to report on the signing.

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