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Jake Muzzin Out Minimum Of Three Weeks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ season may be over tonight, but even if they manage to avoid elimination, Jake Muzzin won’t be back for a while. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today including Kristen Shilton of TSN that Muzzin will miss a minimum of three weeks with a lower-body injury. The team will insert Rasmus Sandin back into the lineup in Muzzin’s place for tonight’s all-important game seven against the Montreal Canadiens.

Not only have the Maple Leafs lost their captain this series when John Tavares went down with a concussion and sprained MCL, but now they have lost the leader of their defensive group as well. Muzzin, 32, is the team’s most consistent defender, logging more than 21 minutes a night during the regular season, most of which came against the opponent’s best. The former Los Angeles King is one of just a handful of players on the Toronto roster with championship pedigree after winning the Stanley Cup in 2014.

The Maple Leafs did receive some inspiration at morning skate when Tavares attended in a full-contact jersey, but the veteran center will not be in the lineup this evening. He is still recovering from the brutal head injury he suffered in game one. Jason Spezza told reporters that Tavares’ presence at practice provided even more motivation, saying that “the best thing we can do as teammates is win a hockey game for him and give him an opportunity to get closer to playing.”

They’ll have to do it without Muzzin, but there will be at least a little more support for the team tonight. The Ontario government reversed course this morning and announced that 550 fully vaccinated healthcare workers will be in attendance at Scotiabank Arena. This will be the first time the Maple Leafs have played to a home crowd in over a year.

Hurricanes’ Nino Niederreiter Could Miss Entire Tampa Bay Series

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7:30 PM: Forget about just missing the series-opener.  Following the head, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters including Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal that Niederreiter is “very doubtful” to return in this series.

3:46 PM: The Carolina Hurricanes had a surprise lineup change just before Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning Sunday as Nino Niederreiter is expected to sit out.  According to Luke DeCock of the News & Observer, the forward was injured during practice Saturday and was considered questionable for the game. Former Lightning Cedric Paquette is expected to step into the lineup to replace Niederreiter.

The forward was benched for the remaining 9:49 of regulation and overtime Thursday in Game 6 against Nashville along with Jesper Fast and Steven Lorentz, but that was considered bench shortening. Of course, Niederreiter hasn’t made a major impact so far in the playoffs with just one goal and no assists in six games even though he tallied one of his best regular seasons in years with 20 goals and 34 points.

Paquette, who played with the Stanley Cup champion Lightning last season, was traded twice during the regular season before finding himself with Carolina where he has been nursing an injury, but was ready as an extra, if needed. Paquette, however, could have extra incentive to play hard against his former team.

The Lightning will also be without defenseman David Savard who is out with an upper-body injury. He will be replaced in the lineup with Luke Schenn.

Snapshots: NHL Draft Forwards, Rangers Front Office, Johnson

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Just three days after NHL Central Scouting released its top five lists for North American and international players, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale released his list of the top 10 forwards for upcoming NHL draft. With no dominant player at the top of draft lists this year, most draft rankings have differed significantly from list to list, and Morreale’s is no different. After NHL Central Scouting listed Michigan center Matthew Beniers as the No. 6-ranked North American skater, Morreale has him as the top NHL forward in this upcoming draft, moving him ahead of names such as Mason McTavish, Kent Johnson and Dylan Guenther.

McTavish, who has moved up the draft rankings quite a bit since his performance at the recent WJC-18’s, ranking as the second-best forward in the draft. He notched five goals and 11 points in seven games for gold-medal winning Team Canada. Sweden’s William Eklund, Johnson and Guenther round out the top five.

  • It looks as if the New York Rangers front office continues to get smaller and smaller as the New York Post’s Larry Brooks confirms that Nick Bobrov, who has served as the team’s director of European scouting over the last six years has left the organization. Bobrov has had a hand in quite a bit of the Rangers’ drafts over the years, giving the team quite an international flavor in their young prospects. Bobrov joins a list of exiting executives, including the firings of President John Davidson, GM Jeff Gorton and head coach David Quinn as well as the resignation of Brian Leetch of Hockey Ops.
  • The Colorado Avalanche got a welcome sight on the ice when defenseman Erik Johnson stepped onto the ice this morning for an optional morning skate, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. The veteran blueliner has been out since January with an upper-body injury and was ruled out for the season. Head coach Jared Bednar said he doubted that Johnson would return at some point in the playoffs, however. “I don’t know about him being fully cleared or anything like that to actually play,” said Bednar. “He’s just taking it step-by-step. … As he feels better, he’s doing more.”

Evening Notes: Travel Exemption, Brodin, Suter

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At the Toronto Maple Leafs-Montreal Canadiens game this evening, there are fans in the building for the first time in Canada since March 2020. It’s not a full building, but it’s a start for all the Canadian hockey fans that have been forced to watch their favorite team from home the last 14 months.

One question still remains about the playoffs, however, as it is not immediately clear how the league will go about a third-round series between the North Division winner and a U.S.-based team. There had been talk of a potential hub city plan, with the Canadian team moving south of the border, but Darren Dreger of TSN reports that a travel exemption is expected at some point which would allow games to be played in both home cities. As with anything these days, nothing can be taken for granted until it is official, which Dreger reiterates is not the case just yet.

  • The Minnesota Wild have some time to decompress and deal with any ailments now that they have been eliminated from the playoffs, but at least one injured player will avoid surgery. Jonas Brodin suffered an AC join injury in his left shoulder last night, but according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, he will not require surgery.
  • The focus for the Wild though is how they tweak the roster after a strong but ultimately unsuccessful first round against the Vegas Golden Knights. Zach Parise talked to reporters including Sarah McLellan of the Star-Tribune, but couldn’t really explain what’s going to happen to him after a trying year. Parise ended up as a healthy scratch in the playoffs but still has four years left on his 13-year, $98MM contract. “We’ll see where it goes. I don’t know. I don’t know,” Parise told McLellan. “We’ll have to figure that out in the coming summer what’s going to happen, but I don’t really have an answer on that right now”

Playoff Notes: Wahlstrom, Merrill, Lauzon, Foligno, Reaves

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It’s the postseason which of course means injuries. And while players often try to play through their ailments come playoff time, it’s not always possible. This appears to be the case for young New York Islander forward Oliver Wahlstrom. The dynamic winger was injured in Game Five of the Isles’ first round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins and did not appear in Game Six. Per Newsday’s Andrew Gross, head coach Barry Trotz stated on Friday that Wahlstrom is trying to work his way back into the lineup, but remains “doubtful” for Game One against the Boston Bruins. Saturday’s morning skate did not bring any update and it appears as though Wahlstrom will miss at least one more outing. Whatever injury he has sustained, New York is clearly concerned that it many linger. They have yet to disclose any details about Wahlstrom’s condition, likely to protect him should he fight through the pain and return to the lineup.

  • While the Montreal Canadiens hope to stay alive on Saturday night in order to see a Game Seven with the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Jon Merrill will need much more than just one or even two wins if he is to see the ice again this postseason. The Canadiens have announced that Merrill will not play in Game Six, replaced in the lineup by Brett Kulak, and further comments by interim head coach Dominique Ducharme suggested that Merrill’s timeline for return is likely 7-to-14 days. If the Canadiens are to survive another week or two in the playoffs, they not only will need to complete an unlikely comeback against Toronto, but will also have to be the first team to defeat the Winnipeg Jets this postseason. It’s a tall task, especially without their solid deadline acquisition on the back end.
  • The Boston Bruins announced the opposite news this morning, with head coach Bruce Cassidy welcoming defenseman Jeremy Lauzon back to the lineup, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. Lauzon missed most of the team’s first round series with the Washington Capitals after taking a shot off the hand in Game One. With Kevan Miller also sidelined following a head injury in the series, Lauzon’s return will provide the Bruins with much-needed support on their bottom pair and adds a top penalty killer back to the lineup.
  • Nick Foligno was a full participant in morning skate for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was wearing a regular practice jersey, but TSN’s Kristen Shilton warns not to read into that too much. Foligno has appeared to be ready for previous games in this series, but has nevertheless missed each of the past three match-ups with a lower-body injury. Shilton adds that he did not look comfortable at morning skate. Head coach Sheldon Keefe also noted that Foligno remains a game-time decision, so Shilton appears to be right to caution any expectation that the big deadline addition will suit up.
  • Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves was the cause of an injury on Friday night, shoving Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter face-first into the post. The check earned him a two-minute penalty for interference, but there was plenty of speculation that it could result in a suspension, especially given Reaves’ spotty reputation. However, it appears the grinder will move forward with his postseason scot-free. Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now reports that Reaves will not have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety and as such will not receive any supplemental discipline. The stars of the Colorado Avalanche will have to watch for Reaves (and watch out for their faces) in Round Two.

John Tavares Skates For First Time Since Injury

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Just one week ago, John Tavares was stretchered off the ice after a terrifying head injury. At the time, most were worried more about his day-to-day health than whether he would be back for the Toronto Maple Leafs this postseason. The team announced that Tavares had suffered a concussion and a sprained MCL on the play, which would keep him out for at least two weeks. Today, he was back on the ice skating before the Maple Leafs practice. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports that he stayed on the ice for about 20 minutes, sharing the pad with Nick Foligno who is dealing with his own injury.

It is an incredible sight to see after Tavares was knocked unconscious partway through the first period in game one of the Toronto-Montreal series, and could suggest that a return to the lineup can come a lot quicker than many expected. The Maple Leafs have a commanding lead in the series after winning the last three and could eliminate the Canadiens later tonight.

In his absence, Alexander Kerfoot has moved into the second-line center position between Alex Galchenyuk and William Nylander, but getting Tavares back would be a huge boost to the Maple Leafs if they do make it to the second round. The team’s entire identity is structured around having two elite centers driving separate lines, though they are currently getting big contributions from players lower in the lineup.

Not only would the added offense be welcome, but obviously getting their captain back would be big for the Maple Leafs as well. Morgan Rielly told Shilton that “it’s huge, just having him here and being able to talk to him.”

Bruins Issue Injury Updates On Several Players

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With Boston set to be off for a few days while they await the winner of the Penguins-Islanders series to see who their next opponent is, GM Don Sweeney provided updates (video link) regarding several of their injured players.

Ondrej Kase’s postseason has come to an end before it even began.  The winger was limited to just three games this season due to concussion trouble although one of those came in the regular season finale, providing some hope that he’d be able to suit up for the Bruins at some point in the playoffs.  Instead, he has been shut down and at this point, it seems rather unlikely that he’ll be tendered a $2.6MM qualifying offer this summer.

As for Kevan Miller, who was injured in Game Four against Washington, Sweeney indicated that he is doing well but is early in the recovery process which suggests he isn’t expected to be back anytime soon either.  Fellow blueliner Steven Kampfer has undergone hand surgery and is not available either.

However, they may get some good news on the injury front as Sweeney stated that he’s hopeful that blueliners Jeremy Lauzon and Jakub Zboril will be available for the second round.  Lauzon suffered a hand injury in the series opener against Washington while Zboril sustained an upper-body injury in the final game of the season (also against Washington).

With the other East Division series going until Wednesday at the earliest, Boston will probably be off for the better part of a week so there should be ample opportunity for other players nursing smaller aches and pains to recover before the puck drops on the second round.

Snapshots: Kampfer, Stars Goaltenders, Caufield

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The Boston Bruins lost some of their defensive depth today when head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Steven Kampfer will miss the rest of the playoffs with an arm injury, according to NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin. No word on how he got hurt.

Kampfer has only appeared once in the last 13 games for Boston, including no playoff games. The one game he did play, back on May 11, he did get 24:05 of ice time. For the season, the 32-year-old appeared in 20 games, scoring two goals and five points, while blocking 24 shots.

The team will have to depend more on some of their remaining defensive depth, including Connor Clifton and Jarred Tinordi. With an injury to Kevan Miller, the team will turn to Tinordi to fill in.

  • Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News writes the Dallas Stars will have a goalie logjam next season with the return of Ben Bishop. While there was some early speculation that the team believed that the Seattle Kraken might grab veteran Anton Khudobin in the expansion draft (Jake Oettinger is exempt and Bishop has a no-movement clause), the scribe believes that Khudobin’s disappointing season, his age (35 years) and two years on his contract at $3.33MM doesn’t make that much sense for an expansion team. While the expansion draft is one potential way to fix the issue, the team might be better off trying to trade Khudobin to team looking for a solid backup. With many goaltenders going for quality prices, the team could pick up a solid draft pick if they decided to go that way.
  • The Montreal Canadiens got the split they needed in Toronto and now have home-ice advantage for the time being. However, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required) believes the team needs youngster Cole Caufield to step into Game 3. The scribe notes that Montreal spent much of the second period of Game 2 short-handed mainly because Toronto controlled the puck almost entirely. To fix that problem, the team must add speed, something that Caufield and defenseman Alexander Romanov could provide the team. When asked, coach Dominique Ducharme shrugged. “Possible, like everyone available,” he said. “We have depth, and we’re going to use it.”

West Notes: Thomas, Blues, Kadri, Pacioretty

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The St. Louis Blues have struggled mightily in its first-round playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche with little offense to show for itself. The team has scored just five goals over three games and needs some players to step up.

Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that one player the team needs more from is Robert Thomas. The 21-year-old looked like a promising youngster in his second season last year when he posted 10 goals and 42 points, but has struggled this year after missing 19 games with a broken hand, hasn’t produced on the ice. The center scored just three goals and 12 points in 33 games and has just two secondary assists so far in the playoffs.

“I think he’s gotta play with more energy and confidence in my opinion,” said Blues coach Craig Berube. “That’s a big thing I think I see with him, is the energy level’s a little low for him. He’s gotta find a little more emotion in his game and go out and play with some energy and emotion in the game. It’s hard to play the game in the playoffs without energy and emotion. And if he gets his energy levels up and gets more emotionally involved in the game, he’s gonna play better.”

  • Sticking with the Blues, injuries continue to be a problem for St. Louis. Berube said that the team will be without Vince Dunn, Robert Bortuzzo and Justin Faulk for a pivotal Game 4, the team announced. There is a chance that Jake Walman could be available for the game, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports he will play in Game 4 after coming off the COVID-19 protocol list. Dunn is expected to miss his 15th straight game with an upper-body injury. Bortuzzo and Faulk will each miss their second straight with upper-body injuries.
  • John Shannon of NHL.com reports that there still is no decision from forward Nazem Kadri about whether he intends to appeal his  suspension. Kadri received an eight-game suspension Friday after his hit on Faulk in Game 2. If Kadri wants to appeal, it would go into the hands of commissioner Gary Bettman. If he doesn’t like Bettman’s response, it could go to a third-party arbitrator, but that could take quite a bit of time, according to the scribe. A decision likely will be made later today.
  • Still no word on the status of Vegas Golden Knights’ Max Pacioretty as Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen reports that the top-scoring winger remains day-to-day. In fact, the forward has been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury since being injured on May 1. “We don’t know game to game whether he’ll be in, but it’s turned into obviously longer than we hoped,” said head coach Peter DeBoer.

Central Notes: Kucherov, Sergachev, Slavin, Knight

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The Tampa Bay Lightning may have taken a 3-1 lead against the Florida Panthers Saturday, but at a cost as Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev were both injured during the game. While there have been no updates on either players’ status for Game 5, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that early indications are that neither injury is considered serious.

Kucherov, who left Saturday’s game after being slashed in the knee by Florida’s Anthony Duclair, also suffered a head-to-head injury when he was shoved into goaltender Chris Driedger. Smith writes that the knee injury isn’t considered serious. Sergachev, however, who left the game with a head injury after a shoulder-to-shoulder hit against the boards from Patric Hornqvist. The belief is that he will be fine, although there is no word if either player would be made available for Game 5.

Smith also notes that there is nothing expected from the Department of Player Safety on anything that happened in Game 4.

  • It looks like the Carolina Hurricanes will be without their top defenseman again Sunday as head coach Rod Brind’Amour said the team will have no lineup changes including no Jaccob Slavin, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Slavin who has missed Games 2 & 3 so far due to a lower-body injury, is still considered to be day-to-day, but Brind’Amour stated that he is not ruling out the blueliner for the rest of the series. Slavin led the team during the regular season in ATOI with 22:58 and was second on the team in plus/minus with a +22.
  • Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville said that he will not name a goaltender for Game 5 until Monday, but rookie goaltender Spencer Knight is a possibility to start, according to George Richards of FloridaHockeyNow. While that may not sound like much, Knight was in the starter’s net for practice Monday, while Sergei Bobrovsky and Driedger were sharing the other net. Neither Bobrovsky and Driedger have impressed so far in four playoff games. Each netminder has made three appearances with Driedger being the better of the two, boasting a 3.70 GAA and a .871 save percentage, while Bobrovsky carried a 5.33 GAA and a .841 save percentage. Knight, who fared well in four regular season appearances, could get an opportunity to try to spark a team that’s close to elimination.

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