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West Notes: Hughes, Stone, Johns, Neal

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The Calder Trophy race continues to get tighter. The NHL announced its Rookie of the Month for February with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes picking up the hardware. He joins Victor Olofsson (October/December), Cale Makar (November) and Dominik Kubalik (January), all legitimate candidates for the Calder Trophy, as recipients of the award.

The defenseman led all rookies in points with 15 points in 13 games and was tied for the most assists in the NHL with 13. He also had a multi-goal game against the New York Islanders on Feb. 1. Hughes beat out several key rookies for the award, including New Jersey’s MacKenzie Blackwood, New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin, Chicago’s Kubalik, Dallas’ Denis Gurianov, Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Colorado’s Makar. Hughes currently has the points lead among rookies with eight goals and 51 points.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights got some disappointing news as forward Mark Stone is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Head coach Peter DeBoer said that surgery isn’t necessary for the 27-year-old and the team does expect him to return before the end of the regular season. Stone, who recently has been centering Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith on the first line will now be replaced by veteran Paul Stastny. Stone isn’t having as good a season last year when he had 33 goals and 73 points, but is still having a strong season with 21 goals and has tied his career-high 42 assists.
  • Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks writes that Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns was forced to sit out his third straight game Saturday due to an upper-body injury. While the nature of the injury is unknown, Stars interim head coach Rick Bowness said that it is not related to the post-traumatic headaches that Johns had been suffering from for more than 22 months. Bowness added that he believes that Johns will return to the lineup Tuesday as he has been skating and practicing with the team. “If this was a do or die game, he probably would play,” Bowness said. “But with the travel that we’ve had this month and the schedule that’s coming up, we figured just give him an extra couple days. It’s not going to hurt him.” Johns has re-established himself as a top player since returning in January. The 27-year-old has two goals, five points, 35 hits and 17 blocks in just 13 games.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that the Edmonton Oilers are expecting forward James Neal to join the team on their upcoming three-game road trip and could return to the lineup at some point during that trip. Neal has been out since Jan. 29 with a sprained ankle. He has 19 goals and 29 points in 50 games this season for the Oilers.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Ryan Murray

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The Columbus Blue Jackets should get some much-needed help on their blueline after the team announced they have activated defenseman Ryan Murray from injured reserve. Murray has missed the past 34 games due to a lower-body injury he sustained on Dec. 14.

Murray has appeared in just 24 games with the Blue Jackets as a top-four option. The 26-year-old has two goals and seven points this season after putting up a career-high 29 points last season. Murray has dealt with injuries his entire career, having only played in an full season once in his career, back in 2015-16. He also missed three weeks earlier this season when he broke his hand.

With several defensemen still out, including Seth Jones and Dean Kukan, Murray should immediately slide back into the team’s top-four in hopes of helping the team reach the playoffs. However, the team’s biggest hope was to get Murray back before the trade deadline as he might have been a useful trade chip. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2012 is a solid shutdown defender, but still has one more year remaining on his contract at $4.6MM.

Atlantic Notes: Blashill, Krug, Ceci, Kinkaid

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The Detroit Red Wings find themselves at the bottom of the NHL this season with a dismal 15-47-4 record and already have been eliminated from a potential playoff spot on Feb. 21.

That could spell the end for head coach Jeff Blashill, who could find himself out of a job when the regular season ends. Both general manager Steve Yzerman and president and CEO Christopher Illitch have been supportive of Blashill recently. However, Illitch went a step further on Friday, stating that Blashill’s job will be completely in the hands of Yzerman, in an interview with the Detroit Free Press’ Carlos Monarrez.

“I think Steve had indicated that Jeff and Steve are going to talk after the season’s over and they’ll talk about the future and we’ll see where it goes,” said Illitch. “But at the end of the day, that’s Steve’s call. I support it, but I agree with Steve. I think Jeff’s done a good job in the situation he’s been given.”

Last Monday, Yzerman told the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James that the team can’t blame all the losing on Blashill and was supportive of a coach that he inherited last year when he took over as GM.

“It’s unfair to judge Jeff Blashill on our team’s record, it really is,” said Yzerman. “I put this team together. I had expectations for the year. I don’t think this is a playoff team honestly. A lot of things would have had to go right for us to be a playoff team at the start of the year. Obviously that hasn’t happened. A lot of things went wrong that we necessarily didn’t forsee, whether it be injury or what not.”

  • With rumors that Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug, an unrestricted free agent this summer, could be looking for a $9MM per year on the open market and potentially asking for $8MM from the Boston Bruins, WEEI’s Matt Kalman spoke to Krug who said that he hasn’t changed his mindset on negotiations with the Bruins. “No, I’ve been in the same spot from Day One. Just obviously trying to respect the situation here and trying to find a balance of being paid fairly and obviously being part of a winning team too,” Krug said. Krug has eight goals and 45 points this year and is a key piece to the team, but at 28 years of age, the Bruins may be hesitant to hand him a long-term deal. The team did free up some cap room at the trade deadline, unloading the albatross contract of David Backes as well as moving Danton Heinen, but the team has a number of other players it needs to sign as well.
  • While there is no word on when Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Ceci might return, the blueliner did participate in Saturday’s morning skate, signaling he might not be that far away from returning, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. “It’s moving along pretty good. [Morning skate] was a nice step for me,” said Ceci, who is out with an ankle injury since Feb. 5. His next step is to take contact at a full practice.
  • In an unusual AHL transaction, the Laval Rocket announced they have re-assigned goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Kinkaid signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the offseason as the backup to Carey Price. However, Kinkaid struggled in six appearances with a .875 save percentage. He has played with the Rocket for 13 appearances with little more success (.876 save percentage) and now will attempt to help out the Checkers, the AHL affiliate, who lost both Anton Forsberg and Alex Nedeljkovic to the Carolina Hurricanes after their two starters went down with injury. Regardless, it’s an AHL transactions, which means his contract still belongs to the Canadiens.

Snapshots: Islanders, Stone, D’Aoust

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Randi F. Marshall of Newsday is reporting today that New York governor Andrew Cuomo will announce tomorrow the New York Islanders will play any playoff games this season at Nassau Coliseum. Not only that, but the team will also play the entire 2020-21 season at the Coliseum, while waiting for the new arena at Belmont Park to be completed.

That would mean the Islanders’ unfortunate stay at the Barclays Center will end in less than two months. Through all of the frustration and uncertainty, the Islanders have rebuilt their organization and found success on the ice. The team seems prepared to start the era at Belmont off on the right foot.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have lost Mark Stone to a lower-body injury, though it’s not clear for how long. Head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters today that his star forward is still being evaluated, but this couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Golden Knights. On a seven-game winning streak, the Golden Knights have finally established themselves as the leaders in the Pacific Division. Stone is a huge part of that as the team’s leading scorer and best defensive forward.
  • The Charlotte Checkers, short on forwards after a busy NHL trade deadline, have acquired Alexis D’Aoust from the Manitoba Moose in exchange for future considerations. The 23-year old D’Aoust has 26 points in 36 games for the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen this season, but does have more than 100 games of AHL experience.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Alexander Wennberg

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The Columbus Blue Jackets finally got some good news on the injury front this morning, activating Alexander Wennberg. The 25-year old forward has missed the last dozen games with an upper-body injury.

Though Wennberg still hasn’t been able to recapture the performance that led him to a 59-point season in 2016-17, just the return of an NHL-level body will be a welcome one for the Blue Jackets. The team has been decimated by injury all season, and getting arguably their best defensive center back on the ice should help in their last ditch effort to claim a playoff spot.

With five goals and 20 points in 52 games it is another forgettable offensive season, but Wennberg can make good on his $4.9MM cap hit if the Blue Jackets turn things around. The team is 1-4-5 in their last ten and are in danger of slipping out of the Metropolitan Division race altogether, as the New York Rangers push hard.

Wennberg’s activation leaves the Blue Jackets’ injured reserve list with seven names: Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky, Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, Josh Anderson, Alexandre Texier and Dean Kukan.

Latest On Josh Anderson

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It’s now been almost 11 weeks since Josh Anderson has played a game for the Columbus Blue Jackets. When he was injured on December 14th, the team announced that it was expected to be a four-to-six week absence. That lengthy period on the sideline complicated any talks at the deadline regarding Anderson, and there may be even worse news in the coming days.

Darren Dreger of TSN tweeted today that Anderson could be done for the rest of the season thanks to his shoulder injury, which may need surgery. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) also wrote on the subject in his latest column, suggesting that things were “likely headed to an offseason divorce” between Anderson and the Blue Jackets, given the player is a restricted free agent this summer.

Missing the rest of the season and then leaving the organization would be a brutal end for a player who just a few months ago looked like a core piece. Anderson scored 27 goals during the 2018-19 season and was a true power forward, something that seems to be disappearing from today’s game. The 6’3″, 222-lbs winger is a force when healthy and playing his best, but it’s not clear when he’ll get back to that.

Anderson will be an RFA for the final time and is arbitration eligible, a process that would walk him right into unrestricted free agency if allowed to take place. Should Dreger’s information prove true and the forward is shut down for the season, it could mean he has played his last game for the Blue Jackets.

Snapshots: Post-Deadline Moves, Thornton, Lindholm

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Even though it is referred to as the trade deadline in the NHL, this Monday was not actually that. In fact, teams are still allowed to make basically any move they want, with one caveat—players switching squads will not be eligible for the postseason. With that limitation in place it almost never makes sense for a team to make a trade in the weeks following the deadline but perhaps in one specific situation this year it could.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced earlier today that Jake Muzzin will be out a month with a broken hand, leaving them with a handful of defenders that were almost all playing in the minor leagues a few years ago. Tyson Barrie stands as the only real defenseman with any experience, at least until Muzzin, Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci return down the road. Perhaps the Maple Leafs could break with tradition and acquire a depth defender just to help them for the next few weeks, given their precarious hold on an Atlantic Division playoff spot.

  • Speaking of Toronto, the latest edition of 31 Thoughts by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet includes an interesting nugget regarding the Maple Leafs. When examining the Joe Thornton situation and his recent comments about being disappointed he didn’t move at the deadline, Friedman speculates that the veteran forward could find his way to Toronto should he decide the San Jose Sharks aren’t in a position to compete next season. In fact, Friedman believes that the Maple Leafs considered adding him this year, though there were obvious obstacles in the way. In the summer of 2017 when the Maple Leafs signed Patrick Marleau as a free agent there were plenty of rumors about Thornton joining him there, but will there even be an opportunity for him next season at age-41?
  • After leaving last night’s game with an upper-body injury, Hampus Lindholm wasn’t at practice today for the Anaheim Ducks according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Brendan Guhle has been recalled in his absence. Losing Lindholm for any length of time would really test the rest of the Anaheim defenders, perhaps even giving them a chance to see what they have in some of their younger options. The 26-year old logs more than 23 minutes a night for the team, and has 22 points in 55 games.

Victor Mete Out For Season With Broken Foot

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If the Montreal Canadiens are going to make a last second dash for a playoff spot, it’ll have to be without one of their young defensemen. Victor Mete has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken foot. The injury was suffered on Februrary 18th against the Detroit Red Wings.

Mete, 21, finally scored his first (second, third and fourth) NHL goal this season, but still hasn’t quite established himself as the reliable top-four option that many believed he would quickly become. Averaging just 16 minutes a night for the Canadiens, he’s been more of a role player than an impact one in most games.

Still, there are high hopes for the future and Mete now enters his first contract negotiation with 171 NHL games under his belt. The young defenseman is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights at the end of the season and will likely argue he deserves quite the raise.

Just where exactly he fits into next year’s plans are unclear, especially with the Canadiens expected to bring Alexander Romanov over from the KHL. The two play very different games but could compete for minutes depending on how things shake out over the summer.

Darcy Kuemper Returns For Arizona Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes are 11-13-4 in their last 28 games, and after a promising start to the season are now sitting fifth in the Pacific Division. That stretch just so happens to coincide with the absence of starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who last played for the Coyotes on December 19th. Kuemper was 15-8-2 when he went down, and still leads the NHL with a .929 save percentage on the year (among qualified goaltenders).

If there was ever a player to turn things around for the Coyotes it might just be that goaltender then, and as luck would have it Kuemper will return for the team tonight. After nearly two months on the sideline, the 29-year old will start for Arizona against the Florida Panthers. Head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t mince words about how important Kuemper’s return will be:

It’s been a long road, he’s probably been our best player for the last year, year and-a-half, now we get our best player back and it strengthens our goaltending.

It’s not a stretch to say that Kuemper has been the team’s best player since the start of the 2018-19 season. After failing to take the starter’s net in Minnesota or Los Angeles, Kuemper was given an opportunity when Antti Raanta suffered and injury and never looked back. His .925 save percentage last season for the Coyotes earned him a fifth-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting and he was one of the favorites for the award again this year before going down to injury.

In the Pacific Division, where things are as tight as possible, his return could bring big dividends. The Coyotes are sitting two points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final divisional playoff spot, but have played four more games thus far. That means there isn’t time to waste if Arizona wants to climb back up—the wins need to start tonight.

Kailer Yamamoto Out Week-To-Week

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The Edmonton Oilers pulled off a pair of trades to add to their forward group yesterday, perhaps knowing what they would be announcing today. The team released notice that Kailer Yamamoto will be out week-to-week with an ankle injury, meaning Markus Granlund is on his way back up from the minor leagues.

Yamamoto, 21, basically became the turning point for the Oilers’ season when he was recalled at the end of December. The team has gone 13-5-3 with him in the lineup, while Yamamoto himself has recorded 21 points in those 21 games. Finally providing some wing support that allows Leon Draisaitl to play the middle of the ice, the young forward has made the Oilers a much more dangerous team.

His absence now means Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis will have plenty of weight put on them as they begin their Edmonton careers. The two speedy forwards were acquired for draft picks yesterday to boost the team’s offensive depth, and could end up playing on the top two lines.

More importantly perhaps is when Yamamoto can return, and whether he’ll have time to get his feet back under him before the playoffs. That is of course if the team makes it; the Oilers will have to continue their strong run to secure a playoff spot in the Pacific Division, as three teams are still within three points of them in the standings.

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