Ales Hemsky Announces Retirement
Veteran NHL forward Ales Hemsky announced his retirement on Thursday at the age of 36. This may come as a surprise to many, who likely assumed that Hemsky had retired years ago as he has not played since 2017-18. However, often a player’s final season of play and the point in which he gives up the pursuit of getting back to the pro game come at two different times. Such is the case with Hemsky; after more than two years of trying to work back from a concussion suffered early in the 2017-18 season, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro relayed that Hemsky officially called it a career today.
Hemsky quietly did very well for himself in his career. A first-round pick of the Oilers in 2001, Hemsky played 15 NHL seasons, including 11 in Edmonton. In over 800 career games, Hemsky recorded nearly 600 points and established himself as a slick and creative play-maker. He had an unforgettable 2005-06 season, recording a career-high 77 points despite just modest ice time and adding an additional 17 points in the playoffs during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
However, Hemsky could never quite shake the injury bug and it is worth wondering what kind of player he might have been if he could have stayed healthy. Hemsky started strong, playing in 70+ games in four of his first five full NHL season, but only did so three more times over the rest of his career. He missed all but 22 games due to a shoulder injury in 2009-10 and struggled to stay on the ice the following season to the tune of just 47 games. Then, later in his career, back-to-back injuries effectively ended his playing days. Coming off a strong season with the Dallas Stars in 2015-16, Hemsky suffered a major hip injury early the next season and missed all but 15 games. He then signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the off-season and suffered the aforementioned concussion just seven games into the year.
In a recent piece by The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, he writes that Hemsky battled depression following his injuries, but held out hope that he could return to the NHL. Back in Dallas, he was working out and participating in alumni activities, but could never quite make it back to game shape. A career of physical damage was simply too much to overcome. He tells Nugent-Bowman that he has made peace with his career and happy to be focused on his family and his health.
Dominik Simon Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
If the playoffs do resume at some point this summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be without the services of Dominik Simon. The team announced today that Simon actually underwent surgery on April 29th to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He had originally suffered the injury in late February missing the last few games before the season was shut down.
Simon is expected to be out for six to seven months. Normally that would mean missing the start of next season, but given the uncertain start date that can’t be assumed at this point.
The 25-year old forward had seven goals and 22 points for the Penguins in 64 games this season, even spending some time alongside Sidney Crosby on the top line. With an injury ruling him out for any playoffs, the focus can now move to his next contract.
On the second season of a two-year contract with the Penguins, Simon carries just a $750K cap hit. Given that he is eligible for arbitration that number will surely increase, though just how much is still unclear. The fifth-round pick has been a useful depth piece, but still only has 19 goals in his 173-game NHL career.
Mark Stone Healthy, Will Return If Season Resumes
While no one in hockey is happy about the current pause on the league season, a few teams may get lucky if a delayed postseason occurs, as it allows players who were injured back in March to be not only healthy but fully recovered by the time play resumes. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jake Guentzel are among that group and now another star forward joins the list. The Vegas Golden Knights’ Mark Stone tells beat writer Gary Lawless that he is “healing up” and “excited to be getting healthy and feeling at a 100 percent.”
Stone initially suffered the lower-body injury back on March 1 and had missed six games for the Knights prior to the season being put on hold. At the time of the league’s suspension on March 12, Stone speculates that he still had about four weeks left of recovery, which would have cut into the beginning of the playoffs. Even if he had rushed back in time for the start of the postseason, Stone would not have been at full strength through at least the first round, if not longer had Vegas advanced. Now ten weeks later, he expects to be totally ready for a possible return.
As Lawless points out, there is no player whose absence hurts the Golden Knights more than Stone. In the first season of an eight-year extension signed with Vegas following his trade from the Ottawa Senators last year, Stone had a team-leading 63 points in 65 games prior to his injury. Stone still leads the team in assists by a wide margin even after missing a number of games. Knowing that Stone will be back for a potential NHL return has to boost the chances of the Knights, who hold the top spot in the Pacific Division and are looking to avenge a first-round exit last season.
Snapshots: Polak, Khokhlachev, Shirokov, Amonte
At 34 years old, defenseman Roman Polak played in just 41 games this season with the Dallas Stars, his fewest appearances since he was a young prospect back in 2007-08. He also recorded just four points, his fewest since becoming a full-time NHLer. All signs point toward the veteran defender’s time at the top level coming to a close, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is ready to retire. Instead, Czech source Hokej believes that Polak could return home to continue his career. It is believed that the HC Vitkovice Steel of the Czech Extraliga, with whom Polak played before moving to North America and again during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, could be the most likely landing spot for Polak. The physical stay-at-home defender would still be a major boost for the roster, not to mention a fan favorite as a local product returning from a long NHL career. Vitkovice head coach Mojmír Trličík confirms that he has already been in contact with Polak, whose NHL contract has not yet officially expired, and is excited about the prospect of adding the established vet. He does note that Polak could be of interest elsewhere in Europe, but the door will always remain open for a return to the Steel.
- There was a trade of note in the KHL on Sunday as Alexander Khokhlachev and Sergei Shirokov were swapped one-for-one by their respective teams. Avangard Omsk receives Khokhlachev, 26, a center whose rights are owned by the Boston Bruins. Going the other way to Spartak Moscow is Shirokov, 34, a former Vancouver Canuck and a long-time KHL standout. While Shirokov is in the twilight of his career, he can still be a useful two-way forward for Moscow and just recently signed a two-year contract extension. Meanwhile, Khokhlachev may be the better player right now but is entering the final year of his KHL contract and may be eyeing an NHL return. Moving to a new team for next season may only increase his likelihood of departing. The Bruins retain Khokhlachev’s rights through June 30, 2021, after which he enters his age 27 league year and his RFA rights expire. Boston has openly discussed in the past that they have maintained contact with “Koko” and would be open to bringing him back. The team could also trade away his rights, which would gain more value should he openly admit his plans to return to the league. Khokhlachev could also wait out the expiration of his rights and sign with any team he likes next summer. There are multiple avenues for his return and this trade could be a sign that he is likely to take one.
- Tristan Amonte will follow in the footsteps famous father Tony, brother Ty, and NHL cousin Charlie Coyle and attend Boston University. The BCHL’s Penticton Vees, who Amonte will again play for next season, announced that their standout forward will join the Terriers in 2021-22. Amonte, who played for his dad and alongside his brother at Thayer Academy before joining Penticton, continues a strong family legacy that he hopes leads to his long-term success in hockey. An intriguing possibility could be that he can once again play with his brother as well. Ty, who also played for Penticton but for just one season, completed his junior season this year but did not play a single game due to injury. Ty thus has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, which he could use to play a fifth year at BU during Tristan’s freshman campaign. It remains to be seen whether an Amonte reunion will occur for the Terriers, but it remains an exciting family development nevertheless. Neither Amonte brother was drafted, but both will still inevitably draw some pro interest when they leave the college ranks.
Atlantic Notes: Red Wings, Stamkos, Romanov
With plenty of cap room and a major need in the net, many feel that the Detroit Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman might make a splash into the free-agent market this offseason. Longtime goaltender Jimmy Howard is 36 years old, coming off his worst season and is an unrestricted free agent, meaning that a return is extremely unlikely. Throw in the fact that there are several big names that could become available at the time, including Braden Holtby and Robin Lehner, and it’s very likely the Red Wings will be exploring that market.
However, the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James writes neither Holtby or Lehner are likely candidates to come to Detroit next season. Holtby might not be too interested in joining a rebuilding team and the scribe believes that both players’ price tags are likely to be too rich for what the Red Wings are going to be interested to pay. Holtby is currently making $6.1MM per season, while Lehner is currently on a one-year deal at $5MM. Neither is likely to be willing to take much of a pay cut.
James suggests the team is likely going to look for a player to join Jonathan Bernier in more of a tandem role on a short-term deal, including players like Cam Talbot, Anton Khudobin and Jaroslav Halak.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning suffered a major loss back in early March when it was announced that captain Steven Stamkos would miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury. The recovery time would likely have forced him to miss at least the first-round of the playoffs. However, the suspension of play due to COVID-19 has allowed Stamkos the time he needed to get healthy and recently told Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required), that he’ll be ready to go when play resumes. “With the timing of all this, it was devastating at the beginning because I thought I would possibly be missing some playoff games,” Stamkos said. “And the stoppage happened, and we didn’t know how long it was gonna be. So the silver lining in that was I’ll be ready when we resume. So I’ve been able to still use this time to rehab. I’ve been going to the rink … about three times a week to skate and just start feeling normal again.”
- Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that while Montreal Canadiens fans are waiting for top prospect Alex Romanov to sign on the dotted line in the next few days, that might have to wait. Despite that fact that his KHL contract will expire on April 30, Romanov doesn’t intend to sign a contract until he knows what is happening in regards to the NHL’s 2019-20 season. He does intend to sign once play is expected to resume, but the 20-year-old wants to make sure he doesn’t sit for a lengthy amount of time. The defenseman has already played two full seasons in the KHL and many hope that Romanov is ready to step into Montreal’s lineup as soon as next season.
Boston Bruins Will Discuss New Contract With Kevan Miller
The Boston Bruins have several decisions to make this summer with regards to their defensive group, including the pending free agency of Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara. Both players obviously would love to stay in Boston, but how exactly they fit into a stagnant salary cap isn’t clear. There is another player however that is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and that’s Kevan Miller, the 32-year old defenseman who hasn’t played in an NHL game in more than a year. Even with all that time spent away from the ice dealing with injury, Miller may still have a home in Boston if he wants one. Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney was on a conference call today with reporters including Matt Porter of the Boston Globe and indicated that the team will “entertain the opportunity to bring Kevan back.”
Sweeney expects Miller to be fully healthy by the start of next season—whenever that may be at this point—but it’s obviously tough to know exactly what the Bruins would be getting if the did re-sign him. The veteran defenseman has played just 165 games since the start of the 2016-17 season but was at one point an important part of the Boston blue line. The physical, rugged Miller was a staple on the penalty kill and would always be among the team leaders in hits and blocked shots, offering a counterbalance to more offensive-minded players like Krug.
Currently on the final season of a four-year, $10MM contract he signed in 2016, there’s no doubt that Miller will earn less than that $2.5MM cap hit on his next deal. If the Bruins seem cash-strapped after reduced hockey-related revenues keep the salary cap ceiling where it is (or even perhaps drop it), perhaps a player like Miller on a low-cost bounce-back contract could be of some use.
Still, it’s hard to imagine him stepping directly back into the group and being an impact player once again after missing so much time, especially with other younger options coming up the pipe in Boston.
Eddie Lack Announces Retirement
Though he hasn’t played in an NHL game since the 2017-18 season, Eddie Lack was still hoping to make it back at some point. Today, that chase has ended as the veteran goaltender announced his retirement. In his announcement video, he explained why he had to make that decision:
My hip issues have come to the point where I can live a normal life, but unfortunately it is not good enough to play professional hockey. I am content with the decision, as I know that I have done everything in my power to be able to come back but it just wasn’t meant to be. The last six years have been painfully frustrating for me. My mind wanted to play goalie a certain way, but my body wouldn’t allow me to play that way.
Lack, 32, broke in with the Vancouver Canucks in 2013 and was an immediate hit, posting a .912 save percentage in 41 starts to earn some Calder Trophy votes as one of the best rookies in the league. The following year he was even better while splitting time with Ryan Miller. Lack posted an 18-13-4 record with a .921 save percentage and was Vancouver’s starter heading into the playoffs.
Unfortunately, even that strong start to his career also was marred by injury and foreshadowed the eventual end. Lack first dealt with hip issues way back in 2013, getting a surgery that ended his minor league season prematurely. Those issues would only continue, leading Lack to play just 144 games over parts of five seasons in the league. During that time however he did win a gold medal with Sweden at the World Championships, playing behind Henrik Lundqvist. Lack will finish his playing career with a .909 save percentage.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: NHL Draft, Ovechkin, Crosby, Guentzel
Yesterday, the NHL postponed the 2020 NHL Draft, which had been set to take place in Montreal on June 26-27. The league did not however indicate what the plan was to make up the event, which must occur in some form or fashion prior to the 2020-21 season. However, Pierre LeBrun writes for The Athletic that there are three possible solutions for the draft make-up. The least likely would be that the draft is simply postponed to a later date and takes place in Montreal as initially planned. LeBrun does not believe that a full draft, complete with teams, prospects, and fans alike in attendance, is a realistic option. Slightly more likely would be a scaled-down version, which LeBrun compares to the post-lockout draft in 2005, that still takes place in Montreal but with far less fanfare, but even this seems unlikely. The outcome most see occurring, falling in line with what junior leagues have decided for their own drafts, would be a virtual NHL Draft, wherein teams make their picks live from their individual war rooms. LeBrun mentions the possibility of a centralized location, in Montreal or elsewhere, with team reps and top prospects in attendance to react to the virtual selections.
If the draft does move to a virtual format, LeBrun reports that the league has promised Montreal that they will receive either the 2021 or 2022 NHL Draft. He adds that the NHL may even consider combining the NHL Entry Draft and NHL Expansion Draft into one week-long event in Montreal next summer. Given the rabid fan base of the city, it would be as good a location as any – barring Seattle itself maybe – to hold the Expansion Draft. If Montreal were to lose the draft this year only to gain two drafts next year, that would be quite the consolation prize.
- Count arguably the two biggest names in hockey as supporters of calling the regular season and jumping right into the playoffs. On a conference call today among representatives of each of the Metropolitan Division teams, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin lobbied for the NHL to skip the remaining regular season games and resume play with the first round of the postseason, in whatever format they choose. Crosby opined that playing as many regular season games as possible would be best for the integrity of the season, but he “wouldn’t mind starting right at the playoffs.” Ovechkin was more direct, saying that he is “bored” with the league’s current pause and that his Capitals “don’t want to play those extra games” and would “rather start the playoffs right away.” Unsurprisingly, Carolina’s Jordan Staal, whose Hurricanes are safely in the postseason right now, agrees with Ovechkin and Crosby, while brother Marc Staal of the New York Rangers, who were hot before the league postponed its action, would rather resume the regular season in hopes of getting in. Curiously though, Columbus’ Nick Foligno, whose Blue Jackets would be in the standard playoff structure by total points but not by points percentage, the likely determinant of qualification, supported a jump right to the postseason, while the New York Islanders’ Anders Lee, whose team is in the opposite situation, preferred to finish the regular season. Opinions are sure to change based on the length of the league’s pause, the options for returning to action, and the potential format of postseason play, but for now there is major support behind surrendering the regular season in favor of an immediate postseason of some sort.
- There are few NHL stakeholders who are benefiting from the current indefinite break in action. One of the only exceptions is Crosby’s teammate, Jake Guentzel. Guentzel suffered a shoulder injury in late December and was given a four-to-six-month recovery window following surgery. In a normal league year, that likely meant that Guentzel would be lucky to play again this season, only able to return for the playoffs, and almost certainly wouldn’t be able to get back to full strength. However, given the delay of the current pause, the status quo has shifted. Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays word from GM Jim Rutherford that Guentzel’s rehab is going well and the team is optimistic that he will play again if the season resumes. Especially considering the strong likelihood that the NHL will need a mini training camp for teams to get back to game speed, Guentzel may even be back at full strength before a potential resumption of the regular season or start of the postseason in June or July. Guentzel recorded 43 points in 39 games playing with an injury-depleted forward corps prior to his own injury and would be a major asset for the Penguins, who would be the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division if the playoffs began based on the current standings.
Islanders Notes: Sorokin, Barzal, Injuries, Belmont Arena
While there has been positive more than a month ago, many New York Islanders fans have been excited about the team potentially signing top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin out of the KHL this offseason. However, with the worldwide issues of COVID-19 and little information since, NHL.com released an interview with general manager Lou Lamoriello in which the GM reiterates that the team expects Sorokin to sign a contract for next season.
The 24-year-old goaltender has dominated the KHL the last few years and is considered the best goaltender outside the NHL. He finished the 2019-20 season with a 1.50 GAA and a .935 save percentage in 40 appearances for CSKA Moscow. In the currently suspended playoffs, Sorokin has won all four of his matchups, allowing just three goals so far, with a 0.73 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Sorokin’s contract expires on April 30th, although with the coronavirus suspending play, that date could be pushed back if the KHL intends to continue their playoffs at some point.
- Another issue that Lamoriello settled is the future contract of young star Mathew Barzal. The 22-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency this summer and the Islanders have made it clear that they intend to lock him up to a long-term deal, there are plenty of concerns that teams may attempt to raid the Islanders’ team by attempting to sign the young centerman to an offer sheet. However, Lamoriello made it clear in that interview, that the team intends to lock him up before free agency arrives and will match any offer sheet. “It is our intention to not allow it to get to that point, but should that happen, the answer is yes,” said Lamoriello. While Barzal’s numbers haven’t been close to what it was in his rookie campaign when he tallied 82 points due to head coach Barry Trotz’s defensive-first system, Barzal was looking to take a step forward this year, already having 19 goals and 60 points in 68 games.
- The GM also noted that defenseman Johnny Boychuk and fourth-liner Casey Cizikas are both expected to be ready whenever the season resumes. Both were tough losses that affected the teams’ most recent run. Boychuk went down on Mar. 3 when he took a skate to the eye and had 90 stitches. Cizikas has been out since Feb. 11 with a leg injury. Lamoriello also added that defenseman Adam Pelech is expected to be ready for training camp. The defenseman was signaled as lost for the season after sustaining an Achilles injury on Jan. 3.
- Lamoriello also adds that the Belmont Park Arena, the Islanders’ future home, is still on target to be completed for the 2021-22 season. The team is currently playing in two different stadiums, including the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. The team broke ground back in September of 2019.
Vancouver’s Chris Tanev, Vegas’ Max Pacioretty Out “Week-To-Week”
The Pacific Division playoff race received a significant shake-up on Wednesday night when two contenders announced the injury absences of key players. The Vancouver Canucks, fighting hard to stay in the playoff race, will be without defenseman Chris Tanev “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. The same generalized injury and timeline was later announced by the Vegas Golden Knights in regards to veteran forward Max Pacioretty as well.
Tanev is no stranger to injury, having missed considerable time in each of the past three seasons. In fact, Tanev was on pace for the first full season of his career and could still top his career high of 70 games played if he returns for only two more contests. When healthy, Tanev is arguably the Canucks’ best two-way defenseman. Fortunately, he is not as much of a lynchpin player this season following the additions of rookie sensation Quinn Hughes and major free agent add Tyler Myers. Still, with the Canucks currently sitting in the final wild card spot out west and already missing starting goalie Jacob Markstrom, the team surely hopes that “week-to-week” might just mean a week or two tops without Tanev.
Meanwhile, the Pacific-leading Golden Knights are dealing with an even bigger loss. Pacioretty is the team’s leading scorer and has been healthy for every game up until this point. His injury comes much around the same time as last season and under similar circumstances. Vegas was hindered by a rash of injuries late last season as well and find themselves in the same place this year, with Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and Alex Tuch all sidelined. With only a three-point lead on the Edmonton Oilers, who hold a game in hand, the Knights’ division lead is at risk if Pacioretty’s “week-to-week” prognosis ends up extending into April.