Panthers Notes: Ekblad, Bjugstad, Playoff Race
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is out of the lineup with a neck injury, and his coach feels responsible.
After Ekblad missed four games with a concussion, he was medically cleared to return to the lineup. He lasted one game, and is now on the shelf with a sore neck. Coach and GM Tom Rowe made a startling admission to the Miami Herald’s George Richards.
“I’m not going to lie, I wish we didn’t. That’s on me. The doctors cleared him, our medical staff cleared him but I had some reservations and I wish I stayed with my gut. That’s no one’s fault but my own.”
The team has made it abundantly clear that Ekblad’s current injury is not related to his recent concussion, but suffering head and neck injuries 10 days apart is not a good thing for the 21-year-old defenseman. He’s already suffered at least two concussions in his career: in 2014 at the Canadian World Juniors camp and in 2016 after getting run by the Oilers’ Matt Hendricks. He also suffered whiplash at the World Cup in September, after a big hit from the Maple Leafs’ Leo Komarov; whiplash and concussions are often linked. With the Panthers’ season essentially over (more on that below), there’s little sense in trying to get him back in the lineup, argues Matt Larkin of The Hockey News. Ekblad has suffered as many concussions as NHL seasons played, which Larkin fears could lead him down the Eric Lindros path.
Ekblad is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and will start an eight-year extension next season.
- It’s been a brutal season for center Nick Bjugstad. After three-straight seasons of 34-plus points, Bjugstad has just 10 points in 45 games this season, including five goals. Both Bjugstad and Rowe have publicly expressed displeasure with how the player’s season has gone. Injuries have played their part, but no one is using that as an excuse. Veteran teammate Jussi Jokinen told Richards that “every player has a tough year but you don’t define a career on one rough season.” Bjugstad has four years left in a six-year extension, making $4.1MM per season. After the season he’s having, it’s unlikely anyone will be trading for him just yet, so Bjugstad will get his chance to turn it around in Florida.
- The Panthers were four points out of the playoffs when two-thirds of their top line returned from injury in early February. They won six of their next seven games, but have once again fallen out with just six wins in their next 17 games. Florida is seven points out of the final wildcard spot with nine games remaining. It would take a huge run combined with several stunning collapses by division rivals for them to make it now.
East Notes: Crouse, Lappin, Addison
When the Florida Panthers shipped Lawson Crouse off to Arizona in exchange for a pair of draft picks and the Coyotes taking on Dave Bolland‘s cap hit, many people were shocked. Bolland was (and remains) on long-term injured reserve, without a clear picture on whether he’ll ever play hockey again. Crouse on the other hand was a 19-year old blue-chip prospect who looked like he had a long NHL career ahead of him as a prototypical power forward. Speaking to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Panthers GM Tom Rowe admitted it was tough to lose him:
We got criticized for giving up on a great young prospect but we had to. That contract was strangling us, cap-wise. When we traded him, our scouts were furious. I’m not going to lie. But we had to do something and that was trade Lawson.
Crouse has just 11 points this season for the Coyotes, but he’s gaining valuable experience as a teenager and still has a bright future ahead of him. Meanwhile the Panthers have already essentially used that cap space, as extensions for Aaron Ekblad, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau and Derek MacKenzie kick in next year.
- The New Jersey Devils have assigned Nick Lappin to the AHL today, after their loss last night to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team is headed home for the next three games, as they continue to battle for position in the draft lottery. The team now sits 28th in the league, meaning they’ll have a solid shot at a top-5 pick in the draft this year.
- Montreal has signed Jeremiah Addison to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Windsor Spitfires forward is still in the OHL playoffs and will be playing at the Memorial Cup this year regardless of the outcome. Windsor hosts the tournament, and therefor gets an entry even without winning the OHL championship.
- The Buffalo Sabres will lose Rasmus Ristolainen for three games following his suspension, but as John Vogl of the Buffalo News writes, won’t actually be shorthanded in their next game. That’s because Kyle Okposo, William Carrier and Dmitry Kulikov are all ready to enter the lineup after being held out with various injuries. The Sabres take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Aaron Ekblad Out Again With Neck Injury
According to multiple reports on Twitter including George Richards of the Miami Herald, Aaron Ekblad will be out for the Florida Panthers again after waking up with a sore neck. The injury is apparently unrelated to his most recent concussion.
After returning for just one game earlier this week, Ekblad will miss tonight’s matchup against the Arizona Coyotes and should be considered questionable for the rest of the regular season. Even if this neck injury is unrelated to his concussion, Ekblad suffered from whiplash during the World Cup in September and would likely be at risk of re-injuring himself.
With the Panthers nine points out of a playoff spot with only ten games to play, it would be an amazing feat to get them back into the postseason. Shutting down Ekblad now, as Matt Larkin of The Hockey News pleaded before the latest return, would likely be the most prudent course of action. One of the linchpins of the future in Florida, allowing the 21-year old superstar to injure himself further would be a mistake.
Panthers’ head coach Tom Rowe also mentioned to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel that Nick Bjugstad‘s season has been unacceptable regardless of the injuries he’s faced. After three straight seasons with at least 15 goals and 34 points, Bjugstad has been held to just nine points this year. His play at both ends of the rink has taken a huge step backwards this season, and is one of the (many) reasons for the Panthers missing the playoffs this year.
Minor Moves: McKenzie, Green, Beauvillier, Hronek
As many non-professional seasons come to an end across North America and the world, players are starting to sign with their respective organizations to get a taste of the AHL and what lies beyond for them in their hockey careers. Here are some of the latest signings around the league:
- The Utica Comets have signed Brett McKenzie to an amateur tryout after his season ended in the OHL. The North Bay Battalion forward was a point-per-game player for the first time in his junior career and led his team in goals with 29. Selected in the seventh round last season in his final year of draft eligibility, McKenzie will try to adapt his all-around game to the AHL level.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports that the Manitoba Moose have signed Luke Green an ATO. The third-round pick of the Jets this past draft had an outstanding year in the QMJHL, scoring 37 points in 60 games split between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix. The 19-year old defenseman will have to return to the junior ranks next year if he doesn’t make the Jets out of camp—which would be quite a feat considering the names he would have to beat out on the right side.
- Wiebe also tells us that the Moose have given Francis Beauvillier an ATO, one of the first out of the CIS (Canadian University) ranks this season. Beauvillier was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2012, but failed to sign with the team before heading to the University of New Brunswick. He even played eight games for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in 2013 on a similar deal.
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned both Givani Smith and Filip Hronek to Grand Rapids after their OHL seasons ended. Both players are already signed to their entry-level contracts, but will not burn a year due to their age as long as they stay in the AHL. Smith leaves the Guelph Storm after another season of moderate point totals and big penalty minutes. A second-round pick in 2016, the winger scored 44 points while collecting 139 penalty minutes in 64 games. Hronek on the other hand—also a second-round pick last summer—excelled in his first taste of North American hockey, scoring 61 points in 59 games. The Czech defenseman was the fourth-highest scoring defender in the OHL, showing his immense upside for the Saginaw Spirit.
- As expected, Adam Ollas-Mattsson has joined the Stockton Heat on an ATO, coming over from his Swedish team. The 20-year old was a sixth-round pick for the Flames in 2014, and has been playing professional hockey since he was 17.
Morning Notes: Ekblad, Street, McCarron
Aaron Ekblad will return to the lineup for the Florida Panthers tonight, according to Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel. The Panthers superstar suffered his third concussion—not including the bout of “whiplash” he suffered at the World Cup—ten days ago, and apparently has cleared all the procedures to return to the lineup. With the Panthers now eight points back of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot, they hopefully wouldn’t have rushed Ekblad back at all.
As Matt Larkin of The Hockey News wrote a week ago, the Panthers have to play this carefully or risk Ekblad’s career before it has even truly begun. The 21-year old looks like he will be a force in the game for a very long time, but has now already suffered multiple concussions early on. In comparing him to Eric Lindros, who suffered several head blows within a short time frame, Larkin pleaded with the Panthers to shut him down for the rest of the season to make sure he wasn’t at risk. None of this is to say that the Panthers medical staff is mistreating the situation, but with just 11 games left and four teams between them and a playoff spot, it does seem a bit unnecessary to bring him back at all. Here’s hoping for some continued health for one of the game’s brightest young stars.
- With Ekblad returning, the Panthers have sent MacKenzie Weegar back down to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. Weegar never did actually get into a game, with Florida playing Jakub Kindl in the vacant defense position. Weegar will return to the Thunderbirds where he was having an excellent season, scoring 12 goals and 29 points in 51 games.
- The Detroit Red Wings have called up Ben Street on emergency basis after last night’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Detroit lost Darren Helm to an injury on Saturday, though perhaps someone else suffered a minor wound last night. The 30-year old Street is having another excellent season at the AHL level, with 51 points in 57 games this year. The undrafted forward has found much success at the lower level since starting his pro career in 2010, though has only seen an NHL contest 29 times. Held to just two points in those games, he’ll look to make an impact with this chance.
- Steve Ott will draw back into the lineup for the Montreal Canadiens tonight, meaning oft-scratched Michael McCarron will be back in the press box according to Renaud Levoie of TVA Sports. The former first-round pick has played just 26 games for the Canadiens this season, registering five points in less than 10 minutes per night. The 22-year old can’t seem to impress either coaching staff enough to stay in the lineup, despite bringing a physical presence. In 32 games in the AHL this year, McCarron has 19 points.
Snapshots: Matthias, Western Playoff Race, Jagr
The Winnipeg Jets will be without forward Shawn Matthias for the remainder of the season, the team announced Saturday.
The first sign of trouble was on Wednesday, when Matthias missed practice. He was held out of the Jets’ last game with an upper-body injury. Matthias has eight goals and 12 points in 45 games this season, his first in Winnipeg after signing a two-year, $4.25MM contract in free agency. He split last season between Toronto and Colorado.
Detroit’s second round pick in 2006 has played 524 NHL games, scoring 171 points with Florida, Vancouver, Toronto, Colorado, and Winnipeg.
- With just 11 or 12 games remaining, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector broke down the schedules for the Western Conference teams involved in a tight playoff race. Anaheim, Calgary, and Edmonton are within two points of each other, and will likely finish two-through-four in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have a game in hand on both teams, and play the Canucks tonight. Spector gives Edmonton the advantage in home games, strength of opponent, and ease of the final week of the season. Calgary gets the nod for having back-to-backs and getting tired opponents. Anaheim’s biggest advantage comes during a home-and-home series with the Flames in early April; Calgary hasn’t won in Anaheim since January 2004. The next team in the Pacific, Los Angeles, is four points behind St. Louis for the second wildcard spot. At eight points back, they have a slim chance at catching the next three teams, but do get Edmonton and Calgary three times each.
- With two assists last night, NHL legend and Panthers winger Jaromir Jagr passed Gordie Howe for most points scored by a player in his 40s, with 269. The 45-year-old told Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel that he’s “going to pass [Howe] for most points after 50.” For the record, Howe had 41 points in 1979-80 a 51-year-old in his return to the NHL after six years in the WHA.
East Notes: Weegar, Namestnikov, Islanders
After Aaron Ekblad was taken out of Saturday’s game for the Florida Panthers, it looks like he’ll be out for at least a while with a concussion. In the meantime, the Panthers are expected to recall MacKenzie Weegar, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. The 23-year old has developed steadily in the minors since being selected in the seventh round (206th overall) of the 2013 draft. With 12 goals and 29 points this season, Weegar has been Springfield’s “best defenseman overall” according to Eric Joyce, the Panthers’ assistant general manager.
Weegar will likely make his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, as the Panthers try to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Now seven points behind Toronto for the final playoff spot, their current five game losing streak has all but dashed those postseason hopes completely.
- Vladislav Namestnikov was at Lightning practice this morning in a regular jersey according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. One of the three Lightning centermen that were injured last Thursday, it would be huge if he could return so quickly. With Tampa just three points back of the Maple Leafs, this back-to-back against the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators is crucial to their season hopes. Today, the team called up Byron Froese to give them some depth up the middle, but hopefully Namestnikov can still return either tonight or tomorrow.
- Both Tyler Johnson and Cedric Paquette missed the skate entirely, with Smith not convinced Paquette even made the trip to New York. That likely explains why Froese was called up, though it doesn’t bode well for the Lightning.
- Smith also reports that Steven Stamkos again skated before the rest of the team as he continues to work his way back. Wednesday would mark four months since he last appeared in a game, the minimum amount of time he was expected to miss. If the Lightning have any chance of taking and holding a playoff spot, they’ll need their captain back sooner than later.
- The New York Islanders had some friendly faces back at their morning skate, as Alan Quine and Casey Cizikas both stayed on after their pre-skate workout to practice with the team according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. Though they’re both “close, but not ready”, it is definitely a good sign for a team battling for their playoff lives. Cizikas is a very important piece to their lineup, able to move up and down whenever needed. After returning home from their nine-game road trip, the Islanders have a home-and-home with Carolina tonight and tomorrow. They currently sit just a point back of Toronto, and have as good of a chance as anyone to take home that final wildcard position.
Ekblad, Malgin Diagnosed With Concussions
After leaving last night’s game against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning with an apparent head injury, it has now been confirmed that Florida Panthers star defenseman Aaron Ekblad suffered a concussion. To add insult to injury – or really injury to injury – Ekblad’s teammate Denis Malgin also received a concussion diagnosis after missing last night’s game. Speaking with Miami Herald reporter George Richards following their 3-2 loss, Florida head coach and general manager Tom Rowe confirmed the injuries.
While Malgin’s concussion event is harder to pinpoint since he was ruled out prior to the game and thus must have sustained the injury in the Panthers’ prior game against the Minnesota Wild, the origin of Ekblad’s injury is obvious. Ekblad took an elbow to the head from Lightning winger Gabriel Dumont, who drove him into the glass and down to the ice. Ekblad left the game and did not return. Should Ekblad be out long-term, the 20-year-old’s absence will surely be felt in South Florida. Ekblad, the 2015 Calder Trophy winner, has been the Panthers’ most reliable blue liner since he was drafted #1 overall three years ago. This season, Ekblad is averaging the second-most time on ice for Florida, behind only Keith Yandle, and has contributed 10 goals and 11 assists thus far. However, his offensive and defensive play have slipped in 2016-17, but then again, so has the play of the entire team. Meanwhile, Malgin is a big loss in his own right as well. The rookie center has skated in 42 games this season, at just 20 years old. While Malgin has just four goals and four assists, he has been a threat at both ends of the ice in his bottom-six role.
Normally, the loss of two players at once would hurt any team. For Florida at this point in the year though, it could be the death knell on their season. The Panthers have won just once in their last nine games and has not won in regulation since February 20th, the final contest of a five-game win streak. The team is without any sort of win since the NHL Trade Deadline on March 1st. While many applauded the Panthers for acquiring Thomas Vanek from the Detroit Red Wings at the relatively low cost of a third-round pick, others felt that it was a waste, as he alone would not be enough to get Florida to the postseason. Their recent play seems to support this hypothesis. Granted, the Panthers recent stretch of games has included difficult match-ups against the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and Ottawa Senators, but Florida also dropped games against the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers and had to go to a shootout against the Carolina Hurricanes to get their lone win. Things aren’t about to get any easier either. The injuries to Ekblad and Malgin come at an inopportune time, as the Panthers’ next four games are against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. By this time next week, Florida’s playoff run could already be over.
Aaron Ekblad Out
Florida Panthers defenseman and captain Aaron Ekblad left tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after suffering what looks like a head injury. Lightning forward Gabriel Dumont hit Ekblad in the corner and Ekblad immediately went down clutching his head. The Panthers later announced that Ekblad will not return tonight.
Losing Ekblad would certainly hinder the Panthers’ playoff hopes. The team sits 6 points out with 16 games remaining. Ekblad has 10G and 11A in 66 games. The Panthers have some backup with UFA signing Keith Yandle, but Ekblad leads all defensemen in goals, and all players in shots. With four teams to jump, the Panthers need to almost run the table for the rest of the season. Losing Ekblad makes that almost impossible.
The head injury is Ekblad’s second head injury this year, and third in 20 months. In September Ekblad suffered concussion-like symptoms at the World Cup of Hockey that the Panthers eventually called whiplash. Ekblad also suffered a concussion in January 2016. His injury history may worry the Panthers, expecially after signing EKblad to a eight-year, $60MM extension that kicks in next season.
Atlantic Division Notes: Sabres, Erne, Gourde, Panthers
Entering the 2016-17 season, the Buffalo Sabres were considered by some as a dark horse playoff contender after the team added top-six winger Kyle Okposo in free agency and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov via trade last summer. However, a preseason ankle injury shelved sophomore center Jack Eichel for the first 21 games of the season and the team stumbled to a 7 – 9 – 5 mark in his absence. The team’s defense has also contributed to Buffalo’s struggles and unfortunately for the Sabres, there may not be much help on the way next summer, according to John Vogl of The Buffalo News.
Vogl examines the list of potential UFA defenders, a list which happens to include current Sabres Kulikov and Cody Franson, and aside from Kevin Shattenkirk and perhaps Karl Alzner, the scribe doesn’t see free agency as presenting a solution to Buffalo’s blue line woes. That means in all likelihood the Sabres will have to go the trade route in order to address their defensive shortcomings. Naturally, any deal to add a defenseman will likely cost the team a key forward and would essentially represent an example of “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- We touched earlier on the injury issues impacting the Tampa Bay Lightning, but for the glass half full crowd, the absences of Tyler Johnson, Vladislav Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette offer opportunities for young players to step into more prominent roles and show the team’s coaching staff and management team what they are capable of at the NHL level. As Bryan Burns, NHL.com’s Tampa Bay Lightning contributor writes, the early beneficiaries of extra ice time and responsibility in Tampa are rookies Adam Erne and Yanni Gourde. As Burns notes, Gourde filled in as the team’s second line pivot Thursday night, recording a career-high 16:35 of ice time and registering the second point of his NHL career. Erne saw better than 14 minutes and even got some time on the power play. With Tampa Bay wrapping up a disappointing campaign, it’s quite possible the the team continues to give opportunities to some of its young talent as the front office begins to hatch its offseason strategy.
- Last night’s 7 – 4 loss to Minnesota leaves Florida six points out of the second and final Eastern Conference wild card slot with just 16 games remaining in their season and with four teams to leapfrog in the standings. As Adam Gretz of Pro Hockey Talk writes, time is running out on the Panthers and barring a strong finish it appears Florida won’t be making their second straight postseason appearance. Missing the playoffs would represent a disappointing outcome for a team that was particularly aggressive in the offseason trying to build upon last year’s success. Florida acquired the rights to Keith Yandle and then inked the skilled puck-moving defender to a massive seven-year, $44.45MM contract extension. They signed Jason Demers as a free agent and traded for Mark Pysyk to further bolster their blue line. The Panthers also made smart under-the-radar signing, adding Jonathan Marchessault via free agency. The diminutive winger has registered a 20-goal, 39-point campaign for Florida. Yet all of those additions will be in vain unless the Panthers can close out on a hot streak and somehow sneak into the playoffs and that possibility is fading more and more with each passing day.