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Anthony Duclair Suffers Achilles Injury

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July 2: The Panthers have announced that Duclair has undergone successful surgery with an anticipated return of midseason.

June 29: The start of the 2022-23 season isn’t going well for the Florida Panthers. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Panthers forward Anthony Duclair suffered an Achilles tendon injury during offseason training and will likely require surgery. Though Friedman notes that the current timeline is unclear, surgery would mean a lengthy recovery.

In 2018, for instance, Jean-Gabriel Pageau suffered a torn Achilles during the first day of training camp with the Ottawa Senators and was given a six-month recovery timeline. Panthers fans will be happy to know that it took nowhere near that long for him to actually return. Pageau was activated less than four months later and was in the lineup in early January.

Of course, there are other instances that weren’t so successful. Michal Kempny of the Washington Capitals underwent Achilles surgery in October 2020 and ended up missing nearly the entire 2020-21 season.

For Duclair, this is brutal timing given his recent performance. The 26-year-old winger is coming off a 31-goal season with the Panthers–the best of his career–and is finally an important member of a team’s attack. The 2013 third-round pick worked his way through the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ottawa Senators before arriving in Sunrise but has found a home with Florida.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Julien BriseBois Announces Lightning Injuries; Talks Free Agents

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The Tampa Bay Lightning front office now has to begin the work on next season, hoping to rebuild a team that came close to winning three Stanley Cups in a row. Anyone who watched the Final could tell that the list of injuries (on both sides) was long, and today general manager Julien BriseBois met with the media to explain some of those ailments.

Joe Smith of The Athletic relays that Brayden Point was dealing with a torn quad, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had a meniscus injury, Anthony Cirelli had an AC joint sprain and will require surgery, Brandon Hagel had a fractured foot, Corey Perry had an AC joint sprain, Nick Paul had an AC joint sprain and an MCL sprain, Nikita Kucherov had a meniscus injury, and Ryan McDonagh had a “mangled” finger.

BriseBois also spoke about some of the team’s pending free agents, noting that they hope to bring back Paul, Ondrej Palat, and Jan Rutta if possible. Whether that is possible under the salary cap remains to be seen, though the Lightning are the last team anyone should rule out for finding creative solutions.

Paul, 27, was reportedly looking for a contract with an average annual value close to $3MM when he was still with the Ottawa Senators, though that number has likely increased thanks to incredible playoff performances. The 6’3″ forward can play both center and wing, kill penalties, line up next to skilled players, or provide energy from the bottom-six. He averaged more than 18 minutes a night in the postseason, scoring five goals including two game-winners.

Palat meanwhile is a franchise icon in Tampa Bay, having played his entire career for the organization to this point. Originally selected 208th overall in 2011, he now has 423 points over 628 regular season games and is one of the most versatile two-way wingers in the NHL. He has an eye-popping 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs, and led all players with 11 even-strength goals in this year’s tournament. Now 31, there will be plenty of teams trying to bring in his experience should the Lightning be unable to retain him.

Edmonton Oil Kings Eliminated From 2022 Memorial Cup

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With the round-robin set to close tomorrow at the 2022 Memorial Cup, one team already knows its fate. The WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings are out of the top Canadian junior tournament, dropping their third game of the round-robin 4-2 against the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs.

The host Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL will play their league champion, the Shawinigan Cataractes, tomorrow. The winner of that game will advance directly to the 2022 Memorial Cup Final on June 29, while the loser will face Hamilton in the semi-final on Monday.

Edmonton bows out of the tournament without a regulation win. Their two points in the standings came courtesy of a 4-3 overtime win against Saint John.

It’s a shocking exit for the WHL champion, who terrorized the league with a 50-14-4 record during the regular season. But their offense was stricken heavily when it was announced that leading scorer Dylan Guenther, a 2021 first-round selection of the Arizona Coyotes, would miss the tournament due to injury. Still, the squad had a strong core with NHL prospects Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings) in goal, Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens) and Luke Prokop (Nashville Predators) on defense, and Jake Neighbours (St. Louis Blues) and Justin Sourdif (Florida Panthers) rounding out an all-star lineup. The team’s depth was nothing to scoff at either, with multiple other NHL prospects and WHL veterans playing big roles.

The WHL’s streak of Memorial Cup losses, which dates back now to 2014 with the Oil Kings, will continue.

Latest On Carey Price

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Montreal Canadiens fans breathed a collective sigh of relief when Carey Price finally took to the ice this season, even if it was for just a few games. The all-world netminder missed nearly all of the 2021-22 campaign with a knee injury and time spent in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, but he returned to play in five games at the end of the season. His battle through adversity was enough to win him the 2022 Masterton Trophy, but with rumors swirling about how healthy Price was and whether he could return at all next season, it was a little bittersweet.

The procedures and rehab aren’t over for Price, yet, unfortunately. General manager Kent Hughes said today that Price had a “small procedure” on his knee recently and the team is waiting to see how it responds. Hughes did go so far as to clarify that it was not a surgery or operation. It’s unclear whether or not Hughes is referring to the platelet-rich plasma injection Price received late last month, which Price already confirmed publicly weeks ago, though. It does make it seem unlikely that Hughes would be referring to the same procedure if it had already been made public.

If it’s more work done on Price, though, it’ll theoretically dig into his offseason training time more than he had planned. Price had said recently that he is preparing as if he’ll play for the Canadiens in 2022-23, though as more health-related news around the netminder trickles in, it seems more unlikely.

It’ll raise interesting offseason questions for the Canadiens on the ice, who will need to be active in the goalie market if Price isn’t healthy.

Final Notes: Kucherov, Toews, Point

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The Tampa Bay Lightning were able to respond with a strong effort in game three last night to pull closer in their series against the Colorado Avalanche, but it wasn’t without a cost. Nikita Kucherov and several others left the game at various points with injuries, though it seems they may have escaped without too much issue. Today, head coach Jon Cooper explained to reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic that though it is not yet certain, he expects Kucherov to play in game four.

Here are a couple of other notes from the Stanley Cup Final:

  • Devon Toews, whose cross-check was the reason Kucherov left the game in the first place, is not expected to receive any supplementary discipline from the league. Smith notes that the league felt the play was properly penalized by the on-ice officials, who gave Toews a two-minute minor. It was not the only borderline play in the game but since the Department of Player Safety has not yet issued any hearings, it’s safe to say that there aren’t any suspensions expected from last night.
  • Brayden Point, who missed game three and was replaced by Riley Nash, is doubtful for game four. The 26-year-old forward played in both of the first two games of the series but is still dealing with the injury that took him out of round one against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Point recorded just one shot through those first two games and was a shadow of the dominant player he can be at full strength.

Evening Notes: Game Three Scratches, O’Brien, Boucher

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A storyline of these playoffs has been the last-minute availability and absence of key players, and tonight’s Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals doesn’t appear to be any different. The most notable absence is that of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point, who did not take the ice for warmups. Point had missed the entirety of the second and third rounds for Tampa after suffering a a lowery-body injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Seven of their first round series. Point had been listed as a game-time decision heading into tonight, but that decision appears to be made. With the Lightning down 2-0 in the series, they will need a stepped-up team effort at home to not only make up for Point’s absence, but to get back in the series as a whole. Forward Riley Nash will take Point’s place.

Just across the ice, the Colorado Avalanche are going to be without forwards Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky for Game Three. Both players were also listed as day-to-day, Kadri still recovering from a hand injury, and subsequent surgery, suffered in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals when he was boarded by the Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane. Burakovsky, who sustained an upper-body injury at the start of the second period of Game Two against Tampa Bay, did not travel with the team to Florida, but has since joined the rest of the group, so his status for Game Four is still up in the air it would appear. Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel will take Burakovsky’s place in the lineup.

  • Boston University forward and 2018 Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick Jay O’Brien recently underwent surgery on his hip, reports Mark Divver of NHL.com, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season. O’Brien’s case is an interesting one, yet to sign a professional contract, he has struggled at times since being drafted. As a freshman at Providence College, he recorded just five points in 25 games before leaving. He spent 2019-20 in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees where he was expectedly good, tallying 66 points in 46 games before a transfer to Boston University for the 2020-21 season. Over the past two seasons at Boston University, O’Brien has impressed with 38 points in 40 games. Although his future professional career still has promise, it will be up to O’Brien to recover strong from injury and impress once again in the NCAA in order to prove he belongs as one of the Flyers’ top prospects.
  • According to Thomas Hall of Yahoo Sports, former NHLer Reid Boucher has signed a one-year deal to return to Omsk in the KHL. Boucher left North America and signed with Omsk ahead of the 2020-21 season, putting up solid numbers before moving onto Yaroslavl, and now returning to Omsk. In that time, Boucher has dealt with legal trouble back in North America, his contract with Yaroslavl terminated in February after he pled guilty to sexual assault of a minor.

Washington Capitals Announce Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Alexeyev Had Surgery

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This afternoon, the Washington Capitals announced that star center Nicklas Backstrom and prospect Alexander Alexeyev both had surgery recently, with both expected to miss significant time. Backstrom had hip resurfacing surgery on Friday in Belgium, Washington confirmed, his recovery process beginning immediately, though a recovery timetable was not given (link). Alexeyev had a surgical labral repair to his left shoulder and is expected to mis four to five months (link).

The news on Backstrom is not surprising, his previous hip issues well documented, and his playing future seemingly uncertain at the conclusion of Washington’s season (link). At that point, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said Backstrom continuing to play with his hip as is was not sustainable and that the veteran forward would be looking at his options. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff points out that forward Ryan Kesler had the same hip resurfacing surgery that Backstrom had back in 2019 and of course, did not play again after (link). He also points to Ed Jovanovski, who had the same procedure in 2013, taking a full year to rehab, but came back to play 37 games before retiring.

Faced with a lengthy recovery and a checkered history of continued NHL play after having this surgery, Backstrom’s NHL future is up in the air. If Backstrom takes roughly the same year Jovanovski needed for recovery, he would find himself aiming to return at the start of the 2023-24 season, just ahead of his 36th birthday, but still with two years at a $9.2MM AAV remaining on his contract. Speaking of his contract, the injury does provide the Capitals with some flexibility to replace the production they will miss, allowing them to place the veteran on LTIR, adding another $9.2MM in cap space, more than doubling their current figure of just under $9MM of free space. This should add another wrinkle into the offseason, as a still-competitive Capitals team would presumably look to replace that production, jumping into a crowded market of teams looking to add from an also fairly crowded market of talented forwards both in free agency and on the trade block.

Alexeyev’s surgery, unlike Backstrom’s, does provide clarity on his situation and appears to give him a path to return without missing too much time, the four to five months timeline giving a late October or early November return date. The defenseman’s absence shouldn’t be a huge blow to the Capitals immediately, having played just one NHL game back in December. But, for the former first-round pick, who has been excellent in his time with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, he may have had a chance to push for a roster spot with the Capitals out of training camp. Now, the 22-year-old will now have to focus on recovering, likely beginning his season in the AHL.

Snapshots: Tortorella, Panthers, Avalanche

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When ESPN’s Kevin Weekes broke the news late Tuesday night that the Philadelphia Flyers had offered their head coaching vacancy to John Tortorella, there were plenty of mixed reactions surrounding the team’s potential hire of the controversial coach. Those in opposition likely hoped that the final set of negotiations required to complete the deal would fall through, and the Flyers would go in another direction.

According to The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor, those hopes are all but gone. O’Connor notes that the negotiations between the Flyers and Tortorella are indeed “in the final stages,” and that an official announcement on the hire is expected to come tomorrow. It will be extremely interesting to learn what the terms of Tortorella’s contract are (if they’re released), considering the Flyers are still on the hook for $5MM to Alain Vigneault through 2024.

  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast he believes that the Florida Panthers have been “talking to people” over the phone regarding their head coaching vacancy, and gauging their interest in the role. While it’s not a sure thing that they’ll move on from interim head coach Andrew Brunette, it shows that the team is at least interested in examining other options. It’s a bit surprising the team isn’t more committed to keeping Brunette around, especially considering how locked in the Edmonton Oilers are on extending Jay Woodcroft, who’s in a very similar situation to Brunette.
  • During a radio appearance this morning, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar noted that both Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano have “gotten better,” saying that it’s a possibility at least one of them will return during the Stanley Cup Final. It’s a positive assessment, and while they are both still labeled as day-to-day, Kadri has yet to even practice while holding a stick after his thumb injury. Colorado will be watching their health closely, as they’re two incredibly important pieces to their forward depth that could help swing the series in their favor.

Evening Notes: Denisenko, Kadri, Cogliano, Kane, Peter MacTavish

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A somewhat mysterious injury for a top Florida Panthers prospect has been cleared up, with Grigori Denisenko confirmed to have suffered a broken kneecap back on January 12th while playing with the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers announced the injury today. The injury occurred in what would prove to be an incredible effort from the Russian winger, who broke his kneecap on a blocked shot, but continued to play, scoring the game winner. Denisenko would ultimately have surgery on his knee, but appears to be in good spirits and confident that he will be ready to go in time for Florida Panthers training camp.

Florida’s first-round pick in 2018, 15th overall, Denisenko’s development has not exactly been meteoric, however the team still has high hopes for him. Prior to being drafted, Denisenko was a standout for Yaroslavl in the KHL as a part of their development program and on Russia’s junior teams. After being selected by Florida, Denisenko made his KHL debut with Yaroslavl, though he didn’t take the steps forward Florida, and Yaroslavl, might have hoped, recording just 18 points in 63 games over two seasons. The forward made the jump to North America ahead of the 2020-21 season, but due to injuries and the COVID-19 situation, he was limited to just 45 AHL games and 8 NHL games over two seasons. In his limited time, Denisenko was solid, putting up 27 points in those 45 AHL games, and an impressive four assists in seven games in his NHL debut in 2020-21. Once healthy, if Denisenko hopes to have an impactful NHL career, he will have to continue to take steps forward in his production, especially if he wants to appear regularly in an incredibly deep Panthers lineup. The good news for Denisenko on that front is, with the flat salary cap and the Panthers being near the ceiling, they will need affordable pieces that they can rely on, and one of their top prospects may be a solution.

  • After being listed as day-to-day with speculation about when either could return, Colorado Avalanche forwards Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano are now officially listed as scratches for tonight’s Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, confirms ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Though not particularly surprising, being without either player is a tough blow for Colorado who is tasked with defeating the reigning two-time Cup Champions in the Tampa Bay Lightning, who appear to be icing their regular lineup, which includes for the first time since Game Seven of the first round, playoff standout Brayden Point. Brandon Hagel, who’s status for Game One was questionable and considered a game-time decision is in the lineup tonight, taking the place of Riley Nash.
  • Earlier this evening, when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly conducted their media availability ahead of the Stanley Cup Finals, they touched on a range of NHL news and important topics, including the status of Evander Kane’s contract dispute with the San Jose Sharks. Today’s update was, in essence, not to expect an update all too soon, as Daly disclosed that it is likely Kane’s arbitration will not be decided until after the NHL’s free agency opens on July 13th (link). The reason, Daly added, is that the arbitrator in the matter is not available to conduct the next hearing until next month. Still, as TSN’s Chris Johnston’s notes, this isn’t expected to inhibit his ability to sign a contract for the 2022-23 season, or beyond.
  • A few days ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Ottawa Senators could be looking to make some hires in their front office after letting go of executive Pierre McGuire less than a year after they hired him (link). Now, it seems a bit more clear why that is, as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Senators Assistant GM Peter MacTavish has departed the organization to join Quartexx Hockey, a full service agency with notable NHL clients such as Patrice Bergeron, Josh Anderson, Drake Batherson, Anthony Beauvillier, and more.

Avalanche Notes: Kuemper, Burakovsky, Kadri

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The goaltending uncertainty surrounding the Colorado Avalanche entering the Stanley Cup Final appears to be resolved. Darcy Kuemper, who is now 100% healthy after leaving Game 1 of the Western Conference Final with an injury, took the morning skate today in the starters’ crease for the Avalanche. While head coach Jared Bednar declined to officially name Kuemper the starter, all signs at this juncture point to Kuemper regaining the starter’s net for Colorado tonight.

Kuemper has struggled somewhat in the playoffs up until this point, but despite his .897 save percentage, he still boasts a 6-2 record in the postseason in 10 starts. Backup Pavel Francouz, in four starts and six games played, has yet to lose a game this postseason with a 6-0 record and .906 save percentage. Kuemper’s shown the ability to elevate his game more consistently than Francouz though, and with Kuemper hopping in and out of the playoff lineup due to injury, it’s been hard to make a real judgment call on his playoff performance. With such a close margin separating the two goalies right now with Francouz’s undefeated record, expect Colorado not to hesitate to make a switch if Kuemper’s goaltending performance is subpar in Game 1. However, the 32-year-old Kuemper has had a fantastic season as a whole and has earned the right to keep his net.

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