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Pacific Notes: Kesler, Eaves, Ruggiero, Schueneman, Brassard

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The Anaheim Ducks have struggled with injuries all season and it doesn’t sound like the odds are good for two of their veteran forwards to return this season. GM and interim head coach Bob Murray issued a statement today offering an update on the status of both Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves and did so without much optimism. Kesler has missed the Ducks’ past seven games with a hip injury and will meet with team doctors soon to evaluate his recovery. Murray states that Kesler, 34, needs to consider his long-term overall health and that discussions have been ongoing between the team, player, and agent about the best course of action. Murray’s best guess is that “I doubt strongly you’ll see him again this year.” As for Eaves, also 34, the prognosis is similar. Eaves continues to struggle with the effects of a condition similar to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which cost him all but two games last year and seven games this year. Murray revealed that Eaves has “has a setback” and is “struggling”. He states that Eaves’ focus is simply getting back to a normal life before focusing on a return to hockey. Eaves was hardly expected to return to the Anaheim lineup this season, but Murray’s comments all but assure that his year is over.

  • Rather than sign 2015 sixth-round pick Steven Ruggiero to an entry-level contract, the Ducks have opted to sign him to an amateur tryout offer with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Ruggiero struggled to make much of an impact at the college level in two years with Providence College and one year at Lake Superior State University before finally enjoying a strong senior season with the Lakers. A U.S. National Team Develop Program product, Ruggiero has ability, but has not shown consistent offense for much of his hockey career. The 6’3″, 216-lb. defender plays a heavy game and could potentially be a a good stay-at-home option at the next level, but the Ducks will first take a look to see how he plays in the AHL down the stretch. A strong performance will likely lead to an ELC, while a disappointing debut will likely lead to Ruggiero becoming a free agent later this summer.
  • The AHL’s Stockton Heat, the affiliate of the Calgary Flames, have signed Western Michigan University captain Corey Schueneman to a contract for the 2019-20 season. The two-way defenseman will join the team on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season in the meantime. Schueneman, a standout in the USHL prior to his college years, has always been a capable contributor on the blue line but can also hold his own defensively. A well-rounded prospect, the Flames will no doubt keep an eye on Schueneman’s development next season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have gone the opposite way of their divisional rivals today, informing a prospect that he will not be signed. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team has informed OHL defenseman Matt Brassard that they will not offer him an entry-level contract prior to the deadline to do so on June 1st. Per the CBA, a team must tender a contract offer to a junior player within two years after they are drafted or that player may re-enter the NHL Draft. Brassard, a 2017 seventh-round pick, will thus try his hand at another go-round in the draft this June. The Canucks’ decision is somewhat surprising; Brassard has been a point-per-game player for the Niagara Ice Dogs since coming over from the Oshawa Generals earlier in the season. Altogether, he has 56 points in 65 games – his second straight season of 50+ points – to go along with a 6’3″ frame and decent defensive ability. Admittedly, Brassard’s game is not without flaws and he has been sheltered by the immense talent in Niagara this season, but the 20-year-old blue liner still seems like a player worth taking a shot on with an entry-level deal.

Snapshots: Hughes, Stepan, AHL Deals

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The news is positive for Quinn Hughes, as his recent testing came back negative for a broken bone in his foot. The top prospect is expected to start skating soon and still make his debut before the end of the regular season. Hughes, who injured his foot blocking a shot at the very end of his collegiate season, cannot burn a year of his entry-level deal or become eligible for the 2021 expansion draft now that the Canucks have just eight games remaining in the regular season.

The dynamic defenseman finished with 33 points in 32 games for the University of Michigan and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker award. The seventh-overall pick from 2018 is expected to be a game-changing talent for the Canucks on the back end, and will give their defense corps a completely new look next season.

  • Who needs recovery timelines anyway? Derek Stepan, a notoriously quick healer, is once again about to return before originally expected. Craig Morgan of The Athletic reports that the Arizona Coyotes forward is a game-time decision for tomorrow night’s game against the New Jersey Devils, just over three weeks after he was given a four to six week timetable for his lower-body injury. Stepan had been carrying a huge amount of responsibility for the Coyotes when he went down, and his return will only help them on their quest for the playoffs. Arizona currently sits tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference with eight games to go.
  • The Toronto Marlies have signed Colton Conrad to a two-year AHL contract which will start next season. Conrad will join the Marlies on an amateur tryout for the rest of this year. The 21-year old forward played four years at Western Michigan University and scored 38 points this season. Not to be outdone, the Iowa Wild have signed University of Minnesota captain Tyler Sheehy to an amateur tryout, bringing the homegrown talent into the organization after his college career came to an end. Sheehy is from Burnsville and had an outstanding career at Minnesota, recording 149 points in 149 games over four years.

Michal Kempny Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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The Washington Capitals will be without one of their defensemen for some time, as Michal Kempny has been ruled out “indefinitely” with a lower-body injury according to head coach Todd Rierden (via team reporter Mike Vogel). Kempny injured his leg on Wednesday and needed help to leave the ice.

Since arriving in Washington at the trade deadline in 2018, Kempny has thrived. The 28-year old defenseman immediately found a role with the Capitals and averaged nearly 18 minutes a night en route to a Stanley Cup championship. He signed a four-year, $10MM extension with the team in June, and returned to play an even bigger role this season. Logging more than 19 minutes a night, the smooth-skating defenseman has 25 points in 71 games and ranks only behind John Carlson in blocked shots.

Unfortunately, that role will now have to be filled by someone else as Kempny deals with his leg injury. Christian Djoos is the obvious choice as he is with the team, though the team has been hesitant to use him much this season. After playing in 63 games last season, Djoos has suited up just 37 times in 2018-19 and is averaging just over 13 minutes in those appearances. The 24-year old will be needed to give more than that if the Capitals expect to go far in the playoffs again this year, at least until Kempny returns.

Maple Leafs Notes: Babcock, Gardiner, Sandin

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone through perhaps their worst stretch of the season recently, allowing 28 goals in their last six games highlighted by a 6-2 loss to the last place Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. That has many fans worried about their upcoming playoff appearance that will likely be against the Boston Bruins, a team that has knocked them out two of the last three times they’ve made it to the postseason. Like with any team that struggles, questions about the future of the head coach have started to bubble up, and James Mirtle of The Athletic tried to answer them in his latest mailbag (subscription required).

Mirtle admits that there is something of a “disconnect” between Mike Babcock and GM Kyle Dubas, but wouldn’t go so far as to say that there is any real fire under the head coach’s seat. In fact, he believes that Babcock’s pedigree will keep him in Toronto through 2019-20 regardless of what happens this postseason. It is important to remember that Babcock still has four years remaining on his current contract, one that pays him an average of $6.25MM per season.

  • If Babcock wants to find any success this postseason he’ll have to hope his ailing defense can come together soon, and he received some good news on that front today. Jake Gardiner was on the ice to skate before practice, the first time he’s done any extensive work since his injury nearly a month ago. Gardiner has dealt with back problems all year, but could potentially be back in time to suit up in the playoffs. Fellow injured defenseman Travis Dermott was also on the ice prior to practice, but then joined his teammates while wearing a non-contract sweater. Dermott is expected to be back before Gardiner, though the team is running out of regular season games to get them back up to speed.
  • One thing that was considered when Gardiner and Dermott went down was whether or not to call up top prospect Rasmus Sandin. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet noted on the radio today that the team believed that he isn’t quite ready to compete at the NHL level despite his strong showing in the minor leagues. Sandin, who turned 19 just a few weeks ago, was Toronto’s first-round pick last June and has 24 points in 37 games in the AHL. The quick-thinking defenseman has improved his stock tremendously and could potentially be a candidate for NHL time next season.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau Handed One-Game Suspension

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The decision has come down from the NHL Department of Player Safety and Ottawa Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau will be suspended for his team’s next game. Pageau was assessed a minor penalty for boarding late in the second period of Wednesday night’s game at the Vancouver Canucks for a check on defenseman Ashton Sautner. However, the league felt that the altercation deserved further examination and held a hearing with Pageau this morning. The result is a one-game ban that will leave Pageau sidelined when the Senators travel to play the Calgary Flames tonight.

Player Safety opined that the hit in question was clearly made from behind and was a premeditated move by Pageau (video):

Sautner goes into the corner to collect the loose puck. As he tries to corral the puck while moving up the wall, Pageau is in pursuit from behind… Pageau delivers a hard hit into his back, driving him into the boards with force. This is boarding. It is important to note that from the moment Sautner collects the puck until contact is made, Pageau sees nothing but Sautner’s numbers. This is not a case in which a sudden move by Sautner just prior to contact turns a legal hit into an illegal one. Pageau has sufficient time to adjust his course and deliver a legal hit, minimize the force of the hit, or avoid the hit entirely. Instead he delivers this hit directly through Sautner’s back, driving him forcefully into the boards.

Pageau perhaps avoided further punishment due to the fact that he has no history of supplemental discipline, either by suspension or fine, as well as the fact that Sautner was able to return to the game in the third period. Nevertheless, his absence leaves Ottawa even more short-handed that usual. After trading away several core forwards ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, Pageau was left as one of the de facto leaders of the Senators offense. Without him in the lineup, their minimal odds against the Flames are even worse. On top of that, it’s yet another missed game for Pageau, who was sidelined for the first half of the season with an off-season Achilles injury. His suspended game will be his 43rd absence in a season to forget.

Dan Girardi Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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It seemed as though Dan Girardi was close to a return for the Tampa Bay Lighting, but any excitement should be tempered for now. The team today announced that Girardi will be out “indefinitely” with a lower-body injury. The 34-year old defenseman hasn’t played since March 7th, and Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times was told by head coach John Cooper on Monday that Girardi hadn’t suffered a setback. Still, it seems as though the Lightning will have to look elsewhere for the time being.

The Lightning certainly haven’t missed a beat with Girardi out of the lineup, winning their last five games to extend their lead and secure the Presidents Trophy. Still, he has been a valuable option for the team this season and his absence will only thin out their depth on the blue line. With the NHL playoff grind just around the corner, losing an experienced right-shot defenseman is never an ideal situation.

Experienced is certainly one way to describe Girardi, who has suited up for 139 playoff games during his long career, including 17 last season with the Lightning. While he has just 36 points in those games, he has averaged nearly 23 minutes of ice time including some incredible totals as a younger player in New York. The team will now have to rely even more heavily on Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak while short handed, especially until Stralman returns. Jan Rutta meanwhile will get an extended opportunity to show he can be a full-time contributor.

Valtteri Filppula Out Four Weeks

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The New York Islanders were picked apart last night by the Boston Bruins, and now have some injury to add to that insult. Valtteri Filppula will be out for four weeks with an upper-body injury after leaving the game early. Jordan Eberle has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Filppula, 35 (today!), has experienced something of a renaissance this season under head coach Barry Trotz, hitting the 15-goal mark for the first time since 2013-14. The veteran pivot has been an important piece for the Islanders this season, offering them solid defense down the middle while chipping in with some timely secondary scoring.

His absence will be obvious, and will likely lead to the Islanders trying several options at the center position. Four weeks means he will miss at least part of the first round, a matchup that could be against the Pittsburgh Penguins and their notable center depth. For now he’ll focus on recovery and try to get back onto the ice quickly. Eberle is still scheduled to travel with the team and should return soon.

Morning Notes: Quenneville, Merzlikins, Gauthier

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There are going to be several head coaching vacancies around the NHL this offseason, and fans have been wondering whether Joel Quenneville would be willing to get back behind the bench for 2019-20. The former Chicago Blackhawks head coach was fired earlier this year and has been away from the game, but is starting to get that itch again. That’s what Quenneville told Dan Roan of WGN9 recently:

It’s been a while now since we’ve been behind the bench, so I think there’s an appetite as we’re going along here to get back into the game. I watch a lot of games, I try to not watch as much Blackhawks as I used to, but I watch most of the games. It’s been a great [playoff] race, and it’s going to be fun to see how it all plays out.

The fact that Quenneville could be available will likely slow down the interview process for several teams, given his incredible resume. The 60-year old coach has an 890-532-77-137 record over his long career and won the Stanley Cup three times with the Blackhawks. He would be an easy selection for the Hall of Fame even if he retired now, given that he ranks second on the all-time wins list and is one of only four coaches to have been behind the bench for at least 1,000 games and maintained a winning percentage of .600 or greater.

  • As we heard this weekend, the Columbus Blue Jackets will soon be signing goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to his entry-level contract. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) expects Merzlikins to immediately join the Cleveland Monsters and likely make his AHL debut the weekend of March 29-30. Portzline also notes that it is unlikely that Merzlikins will see any time with Columbus this season despite burning his entry-level deal, meaning he’ll become a restricted free agent this summer with no NHL experience (save a stint as one of the team’s Black Aces if the Blue Jackets make the playoffs and Cleveland does not).
  • The injuries keep coming for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who today announced that fourth-line center Frederik Gauthier will not travel with the team due to a foot injury. The 23-year old Gauthier has finally started to show some of the potential that made him a first-round pick in 2013, suiting up for 62 games with the Maple Leafs and recording 12 points. In his absence, it appears as though Nic Petan will get another opportunity to show what he can do in the middle of the ice.

Pacific Notes: Raanta, Baertschi, Goldobin, Bennett

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Even thought the Arizona Coyotes lost to the Edmonton Oilers Saturday, the team was still able to come away with a point and still retain the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Their lead over Minnesota dropped to two points as the Wild won last night. However, with a legitimate shot a playoff berth this season, the Coyotes may get even better news if they can get in. According to AZ Central’s Richard Morin, there is a solid chance that goaltender Antti Raanta could be healthy enough to return for the playoffs.

That could create an interesting controversy, however, as one of the key reasons for the team’s success has been the recent play of backup Darcy Kuemper. The 28-year-old has been nothing short of outstanding since Raanta went down with a knee injury on Nov. 27, posting 20-11-3 record, with a .924 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA as the team’s starter. While Raanta’s return would change things in net, the team seems likely to stick with the hot hand.

“We have Darcy, who has been unbelievable for us and has given us a chance every night,” Coyotes goaltending coach Corey Schwab said. “He’s our guy, which means he’s our guy today and we’ll see what tomorrow brings. He’s done a great job at instilling confidence in the whole team. As far as how or when Antti Raanta is going to be back, nobody really knows. That’s a whole separate issue. It’s not even something for me to think about until we get there. Up until that point, there’s no question that Darcy has done enough to be the guy for us going forward.”

  • The Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green reported that forward Sven Baertschi has been cleared for contact but is not expected to play Sunday. The 26-year-old has been injured for a large chunk of the season with a concussion, but was more recently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome in early February. In total, Baertschi has only appeared in 22 games this season, although he has struggled with injuries his entire career. Baertschi has never played more than 69 games throughout his career.
  • Sticking with the Canucks, Green also said that forward Nikolay Goldobin will be scratched Sunday and followed that with an interesting comment, according to TSN’s Jeff Paterson. ‘”You’ve got to bring something to the table,” said Green. “I just looked. He’s got 2+2 in the last 23 games. Those aren’t numbers that are really going to keep a guy in the league.”
  • There were a few people surprised when Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett was a scratch Saturday. However, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun writes that the word is that Bennett is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. “We were hoping when we got into Winnipeg, in the morning, it would be better,” Calgary head coach Bill Peters said. “And it went the other way. It was worse, so he couldn’t go.” Bennett is second on the team in hits with 120 and has 12 goals and 14 assists in 69 games.

Toronto’s Jake Gardiner Still Has No Timetable For Return

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 10 games without top-four defenseman Jake Gardiner, who has been out with a back injury, and it looks like the team misses him as they have struggled to a 5-4-1 record without him. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported late last night on Hockey Night in Canada that the Maple Leafs may be without Gardiner for quite a bit longer.

The 28-year-old blueliner has yet to resume skating and there is no timetable for his potential return. Despite often receiving the wrath of fans, Gardiner has been a key element to the team’s defense although his offense has dropped off this year. After posting 52 points last season, Gardiner has scored just two points and 27 assists in 60 games this year. Regardless, the team has struggled without the presence of Gardiner and defenseman Travis Dermott, who went down with shoulder injury on Feb. 27 and was expected to be out for four weeks and appears to be right on schedule.

It’s a tough situation for Toronto to be in after going out and acquiring Jake Muzzin in late January to bolster their defense. While there were rumors that Toronto was looking to add more depth to their defense, the team opted to stand pat defensively at the trade deadline, not realizing that they would lose two of their top-four defensemen not long thereafter. The team must put all their faith in their depth defensemen, including Martin Marincin, Justin Holl and Igor Ozhiganov. The team could also get some relief from the AHL as the team’s top defenseman, Calle Rosen, is close to returning from a foot injury and could fill in shortly.

 

 

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