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Barclay Goodrow Returns To New York Rangers Lineup

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After New York Rangers Head Coach Gerard Gallant told the media yesterday that forwards Barclay Goodrow and Sammy Blais could return to the lineup soon, but not for Game Six against the Carolina Hurricanes, it appears that Goodrow will be making his return to the Rangers lineup tonight (link). Goodrow took warmups in between wingers Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves for the Rangers tonight in lieu of a noticeably absent Kevin Rooney. As TSN’s Ray Ferraro points out, the Rangers have just 18 skaters on the ice for warmups, meaning that Goodrow is not out there for a test run or a game-time decision. Goodrow last played in Game One of the first round when he suffered a lower-body injury.

The Rangers signed Goodrow this past offseason to a six-year, $21.85MM contract as part of their push to make their team grittier and tougher to play against. As much as he has helped the team in that effort, along with players like Blais and Ryan Reaves, the organization also brought in Goodrow for another reason: his playoff experience and Stanley Cup pedigree, winning the previous two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The veteran forward was brought in to help the Rangers be confident and succeed in exactly the type of game he finds himself returning in, that being Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals with the Rangers on the brink of elimination.

Thus far, Goodrow has lived up to the billing, notching 13 goals to go with 20 assists on top of a plus-13 rating in 79 games this season for the Rangers. While he only has 12 points in 43 postseason games for the Tampa Bay Lightning (14 points in 66 playoff games overall), Goodrow was a key component of the team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in Tampa, demonstrating the poise needed of players in those situations. If the Rangers are able to win tonight, and any further in this year’s playoffs, or down the road, one could expect Goodrow to have a lot to do with that success.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson Suffers Fractured Foot At World Championship

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It was a disappointing World Championship on a couple of fronts for Vancouver defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.  Sweden blew a 3-0 lead in the third period to Canada on Thursday before falling in overtime and to add to that frustration, he was also injured as the Canucks announced (Twitter link) that he suffered a foot fracture in the tournament.

The veteran blueliner had a fairly quiet first season in Vancouver after coming over in a trade back at the draft last summer.  He picked up 29 points in 79 games, his lowest point per game average since his rookie year back in 2010-11.  Regardless, Ekman-Larsson still played over 22 minutes a game, second on the team to only Quinn Hughes while also taking a regular turn on both the power play and penalty kill.  He was similarly quiet at the Worlds, collecting just a pair of assists for Sweden in their six games while logging 19:20 per contest, third among their blueliners.

Fortunately for Ekman-Larsson and the Canucks, the recovery time for this injury is four to six weeks which means while his offseason training will be interrupted, he should be fully recovered by the time training camp rolls around in September.  Vancouver will likely be icing a similar back end to the one they had this season so they’ll be counting on Ekman-Larsson to have a bounce-back season in 2022-23.

Brad Marchand Undergoes Hip Surgery

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There’s some significant injury news in Beantown after the team was eliminated in the First Round a couple of weeks ago. The Boston Bruins announced today that star forward Brad Marchand underwent successful hip arthroscopy and labral repair on both of his hips. The recovery process is slated to take six months, making it likely Marchand is out for nearly the first two months of the 2022-23 regular season.

Marchand’s projected unavailability next season only adds to what’s bound to be an offseason of chaos for the Bruins. With the future of captain Patrice Bergeron up in the air, the team can’t really have a plan yet of how to attack the offseason and free agency.

On the ice, losing Marchand for any amount of time is a staggering blow for this Bruins team. Not only does Marchand bring all the intangibles that he’s so well known for, but he also remains one of the most offensively skilled left-wingers in the league. He scored 80 points in 70 games last season for his sixth straight season above a point per game pace.

Off the ice, moving Marchand to long-term injured reserve for the start of the regular season could buy the Bruins some time. The team has under $3MM in cap space this offseason, and while they have few roster spots to replace, the aging team needs to modify their roster to stay competitive in a tough Atlantic Division. Most importantly, there’s the matter of re-signing or replacing Bergeron, and the latter option will likely be much more costly. If the Bruins can buy some more cap space for the start of the season, it would allow them a few months into the year to figure out some trade scenarios for players to free up space.

Regardless, at 34 years old, the Bruins just hope Marchand is able to rebound to his previous level of play after what was a decently intensive surgery.

Kings’ Sean Durzi Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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Following a breakout rookie campaign, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi went under the knife today. The team reports that Durzi required shoulder surgery following the Kings’ playoff exit. Despite the delayed start to his offseason, Durzi is expected to be fully recovered in time for the start of the 2022-23 season.

Durzi, 23, led all of L.A.’s numerous rookies in scoring this season with 27 points in 64 games. Most of that scoring came via assists, but half of Durzi’s 24 helpers were primary assists, which was second-best among Kings’ defensemen and sixth on the team. Durzi didn’t forget about defense either; he led the team in blocked shots and led all defensemen in takeaways – and that was despite playing in only 64 games. Durzi’s stellar two-way play led to a gradual increase in responsibility that resulted in near 20 minutes of average ice time per night. Though he may not have received the same accolades as rookies across the league or even as some of the other young players in L.A., Durzi is coming off a terrific season.

The key now is making sure that he rehabs and heals correctly and is at full strength for a follow-up performance next season. Durzi joins Drew Doughty and Sean Walker as Kings defenders returning from injury and there will definitely be a power grab on the Kings’ blue line. Doughty, Walker, and Matt Roy will be returning veterans, while Durzi and Michael Anderson will be the standout youngsters and will also bring new contracts as restricted free agents this summer. Tobias Bjornfot, Jordan Spence, and Jacob Moverare will be budding young pros in the mix in L.A. as well. However, a healthy Durzi replicating his success from this season is a shoo-in for a top-four role despite the competition.

Draft Notes: Savoie, Morrison, Fisher, MacDonald

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The next time you see Matthew Savoie could be as walks on stage in Montreal at the 2022 NHL Draft. One of the top prospects in this years class, Savoie’s Winnipeg Ice are still alive in the WHL playoffs, but the skilled center has not been playing with them. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman reports that Savoie injury he suffered earlier in the series and is now considered unlikely to return this postseason. Pronman notes that the injury is not long-term and Savoie could hypothetically be back for the Memorial Cup next month, but down 3-1 to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL semifinals, the Ice likely aren’t making it that far. Fortunately, Savoie has done more than enough to cement his spot as a top-ten prospect this year. Long considered one of top talents of the 2022 class, Savoie recorded 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games with Winnipeg this year and tacked on a dozen more points in ten playoff games to silence any doubters. He will hear his name called very early on July 7, whether he plays again before then or not.

  • No CHL team – or perhaps any team on the planet – is as hot as the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs right now. The top-seeded team is undefeated in the postseason, sweeping each of their first two series and picking up a win last night to go up 3-0 in their semifinal series. It seems a virtual lock that Hamilton will be OHL champs this year and the team to beat at the Memorial Cup. No one is happier about that than Logan Morrison. Passed over in the 2020 NHL Draft and ignored in the 2021 Draft after missing last season due to the OHL’s COVID shutdown, Morrison is making it impossible for teams to overlook him in his third and final draft go-round. The two-way center recorded 34 goals and 66 assists for 100 points in just 60 games this season with Hamilton, finishing sixth in the league in scoring and second in plus/minus at a whopping +44. The longer that Morrison and the Bulldogs play, the more eyes will be on the 19-year-old – and he is giving them something to watch. Morrison has a league-high 13 goals to go with 24 points and a +15 rating in only 11 postseason games thus far. He hope to take that hot streak right to draft day and be one of the rare third-year players to garner a high pick. TSN’s Craig Button recently ranked Morrison as the No. 86 prospect in the draft class, but at this rate the late third round could only be the floor for Morrison.
  • Almost every player selected in the NHL Draft comes from either a junior or professional league. However, there are always a sizeable selection of high school players taken and that trend has grown of late. Specifically, in recent years there have been more prep school players going straight to the NCAA the next season garnering looks in the early rounds. The New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver notes that a couple more could be coming this year out of Massachusetts. Defenseman Michael Fisher and forward Ben MacDonald have each been invited to the NHL Draft Combine next week, Divver reports. The two have no junior experience, yet have been identified as among the top 96 players worth inviting to the combine. Fisher, who played at St. Mark’s and recorded 50 points in 28 games this year, brings the sought-after combination of size and skill and is headed to Northeastern University next year to keep developing. MacDonald, who played at Noble & Greenough and notched 29 points in 22 games this season, will eventually join Harvard University, but is set to suit up with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors next year. Both will be eager to take advantage of the increased exposure at the Combine and could earn an early selection in this year’s draft.

Torey Krug Still Not An Option For St. Louis

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The St. Louis Blues have staved off elimination for at least another few days, coming back to beat the Colorado Avalanche in overtime last night on a slapshot from Tyler Bozak. One of the more amazing statistics from that game is how heavily the Blues have leaned on just three defensemen, using Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, and Nick Leddy in all situations. Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo, two of the team’s more veteran options, played just 12:22 and 11:09 last night, while Niko Mikkola saw just over 16 minutes.

Part of that discrepancy between the top and bottom of the defense corps is because of Torey Krug’s absence, a player that would normally slide in with that top group and take on huge minutes. Krug hasn’t played since game three of the first round though, leaving the match against the Minnesota Wild with a lower-body injury after just six shifts.

Despite being back on the ice again today, Krug won’t be an option for the Blues tomorrow or in a potential game seven, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. There is a chance he could return next series, though thinking that far ahead certainly isn’t really productive for St. Louis at this point. The team has a lot of work to do if they want to come back and take the series from Colorado, meaning Faulk, Parayko, and Leddy will need to carry the load a little longer.

There will be an eye on who actually enters the lineup behind them though. The team had been using seven defensemen and dressing both Calle Rosen and Scott Perunovich earlier in the series, the latter mostly for powerplay duty. With another do-or-die situation tomorrow night, head coach Craig Berube will have to decide which mix to use for the handful of minutes those depth spots are receiving.

East Notes: Senators Injuries, Goodrow, Kaski

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In an interview on TSN 1200 (audio link), Senators GM Pierre Dorion provided an update on several injured players.  Forward Tim Stutzle suffered a recurrence of the knee injury he had earlier in the season while playing at the Worlds which resulted in his early exit from the tournament.  Fortunately, the injury isn’t a severe one as the youngster will need a couple of weeks to recover which will give him plenty of time to get ready for training camp in the fall.  Meanwhile, Jake Sanderson is on the right path in his recovery from a hand injury that prevented the blueliner from seeing any NHL action down the stretch and is expected to be ready for development camp this summer.

As for goaltender Matt Murray, Dorion added that the netminder is expected to be fully recovered from his concussion and be ready for training camp.  The 28-year-old is coming off another tough year that saw him post a save percentage of just .906 which has led to some speculation about his future with the Senators.  Murray has two more years left on his contract that carries a $6.25MM AAV.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • There was some good news on the injury front for the Rangers today as Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today relays (Twitter link) that winger Barclay Goodrow has resumed skating. He has been out since being suffering a lower-body injury in the opening game of the playoffs.  Considering he has missed a few weeks now, it seems unlikely Goodrow will be available for Thursday’s fifth game against Carolina but he might have a chance to return by the end of the series.
  • Hurricanes RFA Oliwer Kaski has decided to stay overseas as HC Lugano of the NLA in Switzerland announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year contract. The 26-year-old was tendered a qualifying offer by Carolina in 2020 but has spent the past two years with Avangard Omsk in the KHL.  His NHL rights are set to expire next summer so if he wants to come back to North America at that time, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Morning Notes: Raanta, Girard, Sabres

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The Carolina Hurricanes had Frederik Andersen on the ice at morning skate again today, taking normal shots at one end of the rink. The 32-year-old goaltender has not yet appeared in the playoffs after suffering a late-season injury, despite being the primary winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for the lowest goals-against average in the league.

His partner for that award, Antti Raanta, will start again for the Hurricanes and has done everything possible to prove he is ready for this moment. Mark Lazerus profiles Raanta in his latest for The Athletic, noting the long road the veteran netminder has taken to get to this point. Through nine games in these playoffs, the 33-year-old has a .939 save percentage, allowing just 15 goals on 246 shots.

  • Samuel Girard may not be taking part in the rest of the playoffs but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to leave his teammates alone. According to Mike Morreale of NHL.com, the injured defenseman was at yesterday’s morning skate after being released from the hospital and is in “good spirits” according to head coach Jared Bednar. Girard suffered a broken sternum in game three, but he was able to watch his club secure a game four win and a stranglehold in their second-round series against the St. Louis Blues. There is no official timeline released for Girard’s recovery but he will not return even if the Avalanche advance.
  • With the Florida Panthers being swept out of the second round, the Buffalo Sabres now know exactly where they will be selecting in the first round. CapFriendly tweets out that the Sabres have secured picks nine, 16, and 28, with the latter being from their Sam Reinhart trade with the Panthers. That’s an impressive haul for a team that already has two first-overall picks in the mix and several other young impressive talents up front. The Sabres now have to find a way to put it all together and finally contend for the playoffs.

Latest On Frederik Andersen

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The Carolina Hurricanes are two wins away from the Eastern Conference Final, and they have gotten there in large part thanks to the heroics of backup goaltender Antti Raanta. Raanta took the starter’s crease in Carolina after regular starter Frederik Andersen suffered a major injury, and hasn’t looked back. In these playoffs, Raanta has a .939 save percentage and a 1.86 goals-against-average, two elite marks. But now a month removed from the initial injury to Andersen, it seems that the Hurricanes’ goaltending situation is about to become uncertain once again, albeit for different reasons.

The Hurricanes’ goaltending uncertainty was once driven by a lack of options. They had Raanta, who had a decent 28-game stretch in the regular season, but his name wouldn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders. But now, as the Hurricanes inch closer to the Conference Finals, their goaltending situation looks increasingly uncertain once again, but this time for the opposite reason: an overabundance of options. Today, Andersen returned to the ice, practicing with his teammates as they prepared for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers.

Per the practice report from Walt Ruff of NHL.com, this was Andersen’s first time skating since his April 16th injury, and he worked for 20 minutes. Forward Sebastian Aho spoke glowingly about his performance, saying “I don’t think I scored on him once today, so he’s still a great goalie.” But coach Rod Brind’Amour was more reserved about Andersen’s situation, opting to keep his cards closer to his chest. Brind’Amour told the media: “I’ll tell you when he’s an option, how about that.”

The Athletic’s Sara Civian reported that Andersen “was taking shots and saving them normally” and “walked off the ice normally.” While this development does indicate that a return for Andersen could be right around the corner, his participation in only half of practice does communicate that the Hurricanes could prefer to offer him as much time as possible to get to full health. Raanta’s play has given them the option to do so, and choosing patience with regard to Andersen’s health does have the added benefit of stalling the eventual need to choose between a red-hot Raanta and Andersen, who was in the conversation for the Vezina trophy at times during this season.

Regardless of what happens going forward with the Hurricanes and Andersen, it’s likely that any choice Brind’Amour makes will be highly scrutinized. That being said, though, there are definitely worse situations to be in than having to choose between two in-form goaltenders who have each played extremely well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jordan Binnington Suffers Knee Injury

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11:47 AM: Blues head coach Craig Berube has confirmed that Binnington will be out for the rest of the team’s series against the Avalanche.

9:26 AM: Last night’s contest between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues proved to be a costly one for both sides. The Avalanche lost defenseman Samuel Girard for the rest of the playoffs to a broken sternum, and per reports, the Blues have lost starting goaltender Jordan Binnington for what could end up being several weeks. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports that “good sources” say that Binnington suffered a “possible knee sprain” and could be out for “multiple weeks.”

Binnington suffered his knee injury in the first period of yesterday’s game thanks to a collision with his teammate, Calle Rosen, as well as Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri. With just over 13 minutes left to play in the first period, Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen fired a shot off Binnington, which left a rebound at the top of the crease. Kadri went to pursue the rebound, and Rosen battled him to prevent that scoring chance. As a result of Kadri’s attempt at the loose puck and Rosen’s presence in the same area, Kadri and Rosen both slammed into Binnington. Binnington initially attempted to warm up for a return to action under the watchful eye of a team trainer, but he seemingly aggravated the injury, which necessitated his exit in favor of backup Ville Husso.

Naturally, the play has been controversial, especially so thanks to Kadri’s disciplinary history. After the game, Blues coach Craig Berube was asked about the incident and gave a simple answer: “Look at Kadri’s reputation, that’s all I have to say.” Despite that general sentiment from many on the Blues’ side, it does not seem as though Kadri will face any repercussions from the league for the incident. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest reports that the NHL Department of Player Safety is “not expected” to issue any reaction to the incident.

The loss of Binnington comes as a major blow to the Blues’ hopes against the Avalanche. While Binnington’s inconsistent play saw him lose the starter’s crease to Husso in the regular season, he has taken it back with his play in the playoffs. Binnington has a 4-0-1 record and a .949 save percentage in these playoffs, numbers that are significantly better than Husso’s 1-3-0, .891 marks. St. Louis is now down 2-1 in their series, so with Binnington now injured the Blues will need Husso’s regular-season form to re-emerge if they want to have any hope of continuing their season.

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