Red Wings Get Back Athanasiou, Lose Zadina For 2-3 Weeks
One forward in, one forward out. Head coach Jeff Blashill said that forward Andreas Athanasiou was ready to return to the team on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. However, the team also announced that young forward Filip Zadina will be out for the next two to three weeks after suffering a lower-body injury.
It’s believed that Athanasiou, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a lower-body injury, is expected to join the team and likely will take Zadina’s spot on the first line. Unfortunately for Athanasiou, the 25-year-old forward has struggled terribly this season after posting a 30-goal campaign in 2018-19. He currently has just five goals and 19 points in 36 games, far from the expectations that were set from their speedy forward. The team had hoped he had turned the corner, but now might even be a trade candidate as he will hit restricted free agency this summer and could require a significant payday even with his struggles so far. However, Detroit might still have some time to showcase him, especially if the forward has an opportunity to get first-line minutes for the next few weeks. The Red Wings will have to activate Athanasiou still, but that move may not come until Monday.
As for Zadina, it looks like the injury came Friday during the team’s 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. However, Zadina played through the injury and played the full game on Saturday. In fact, Zadina broke the 20-minute mark for just the second time in his career on Saturday despite the injury. The timing, however, is disappointing as Zadina has seen an uptick in his minutes, while starting to produce like the player the team drafted in 2018 with the sixth-overall pick. He has five goals over the past 11 games and has established himself as a top-six player on a team that needs scoring.
Wikiji also notes that forward Frans Nielsen is expected to be out Monday with an upper-body injury, but is considered day-to-day.
Morning Notes: Kreider, Kapanen, Muzzin, Markstrom
The New York Rangers seemingly avoided disaster last night, as star Chris Kreider suffered an injury that appears to have looked worse than it actually was. A prone Kreider took an accidental knee to the head from teammate Mika Zibanejad early in the second period of Saturday’s match-up with the Detroit Red Wings and he did not return to the game. Head coach David Quinn, like any who witnessed the incident, was fearful that Kreider may have suffered a serious head injury. However, he told the media, including The New York Posts’ Brett Cygralis, that he felt much better after seeing Kreider after the game. “That looked like a really severe blow to the head,” Quinn said. “He wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought he would be. After the game ended, we talked, and it’s a lot better than I anticipated.” Quinn stated definitively that Kreider did not suffer a concussion, but the team is considering him day-to-day nonetheless. Kreider is simultaneously the best trade chip on the rental market and one of the Rangers’ most important pieces as they continue to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Fans of both trading Kreider or keeping and re-signing him know that a serious injury at this point in the year would have been a nightmare in either scenario. Fortunately, it sounds as though Kreider will be fine and could be back in action in no time.
- Another surprise development from Saturday night was the absence of Kasperi Kapanen in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. Kapanen was made a healthy scratch by head coach Sheldon Keefe, but prior to game time there was no word as to why. Speaking to the media, including TSN’s Kristen Shilton, after the game, Keefe clarified the situation with Kapanen. Keefe stated that Kapanen was a healthy scratch, essentially serving a one-game suspension for what he called an issue of “internal accountability’”. He added that it was a one-time thing and the decision was only made yesterday morning, but he would not go into any more detail. More information may emerge when Kapanen has media availability on Monday. In the meantime, speculation has begun that Kapanen, a frequent name on the rumor mill, could be on the outs with Keefe and his staff. With the rest of the Maple Leafs playing well since Keefe took over, perhaps Kapanen will end up being the winger dealt out of Toronto at some point.
- Impending free agent defenseman Jake Muzzin would like to stay in Toronto, but Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston says that it is not that simple. Johnston hears that early extension talks have been difficult due to the Maple Leafs’ cap constraints and the potential market value of Muzzin. With St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo and Boston’s Torey Krug both considered likely candidates to sign extensions, Muzzin would enter the conversation as the top defender available on the open market this summer. While he may be willing to take a slight discount to stay in Toronto, the potential to command a top-of-the-market contract if he opts for free agency will certainly play a major role in extension talks. The Maple Leafs may be unwilling or unable to pay him even close to what the top UFA defenseman will get this summer.
- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom is another name who has made it known that he would like to re-sign, though acknowledging that he could have considerable value in the free agent market. Markstrom, an All-Star this season, has quietly positioned himself to be one of the best available in a weak goalie market should he opt for that route. However, Markstrom would prefer to stay in Vancouver and he and the team have been working toward an extension, Johnston reports. However, with Thatcher Demko showing NHL ability this season and Michael DiPietro also in the pipeline, the Canucks will be wary of going overboard on salary or term to keep Markstrom. The contract offer that keeps coming up is of a two-year term, keeping Markstrom in Vancouver through the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. This would give the team another year to decide whether Demko is the real deal or if they are better off moving forward with Markstrom, as either would could be a tempting target for the Seattle expansion franchise. Johnston’s colleague Elliotte Friedman adds that, as for salary, the most recent offer to Markstrom is rumored to be similar to the two-year, $9MM deal signed by Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper in October.
Evening Notes: Kubalik, Petry, Joseph, Ekman-Larsson, Barkov
The NHL announced that Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik as the “Rookie of the Month” for January after he scored 10 goals and 14 points in 10 games. Kubalik, whose rights were acquired from Los Angeles for a fifth-round pick more than a year ago, signed with the team and currently has 21 goals and 32 points in his rookie campaign.
The 24-year-old, in fact, was second in the NHL in goals scored in January, behind Washington’s Alex Ovechkin. Kubalik beat out goaltenders Elvis Merzlikins and Ilya Samsonov, as well as defensemen, Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar in January.
- With rumors starting to surface that the Montreal Canadiens could consider moving defenseman Jeff Petry at the trade deadline, it could be one of the biggest trade chips if they wanted to move him. Besides being a solid blueliner, Petry has another year on his contract worth $5.5MM, making him a better option for teams that want to avoid rentals. However, Petry has made it clear he would like to remain in Montreal. “From the day I got here, it’s been a special place for me here,” said Petry (via Sportsnet’s Eric Engels). “Getting to play in the playoffs the first time here was incredible and I honestly believe I don’t think there is a better place to win that it would be here. I think, like I said, we have our work cut out for us this year. But I still believe this group can do it.”
- Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) takes a look at all the assets the Tampa Bay Lightning might have at their disposal at the trade deadline. One of the top names on his list is forward Mathieu Joseph, who had an impressive rookie campaign last season. The 22-year-old surprised many last year when he made the team out of training camp and put up 13 goals and 26 points. However, his sophomore campaign has been disappointing and he is now trying to find his game with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL. However, Smith notes that many teams are interested in a NHL-experienced player who possesses speed and defensive ability and has a good chance to find his game sooner than later. Joseph currently has three goals and 12 points in 16 AHL games.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they will be without defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson Saturday after he suffered a lower-body injury Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. The Coyotes blueliner went down after taking a hit from the Kings’ Dustin Brown and was forced to leave the game. He is considered day-to-day.
- The Athletic’s George Richards reports that Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov will undergo an MRI Sunday after going down during today’s game against Montreal with what appears to be a left knee injury. Barkov has only missed two games in the past three years. Head coach Joel Quenneville did say he believed the injury was not serious.
Pacific Notes: Doughty, Stastny, Ferland, Roussel
Up until recently, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty hadn’t missed a game since the 2013-14 season. Suddenly, due to an undisclosed injury, Doughty will miss his third straight game on Sunday. However, Kings head coach Todd McLellan said the team hopes he will return on Tuesday against Washington, according to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times.
“We thought he might sneak in today, but not enough practice time with the break,” said McLellan. “Get tomorrow’s skate in and potentially one Monday before we fly out and then counting on him Tuesday.”
- The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) breaks down the top trade chips of the Vegas Golden Knights as the team closes in on the trade deadline and notes that if Vegas opts to spend big once again like it has in the past two years of the team’s existence, then one name that might come up could be center Paul Stastny. The 34-year-old center has been a solid contributor with Vegas, but due to the fact the team has juggled him around the lineup, Stastny has struggled getting comfortable with any linemates as he has just 12 assists so far this year, which could be because he is one of the team’s top goal scorers at 15 already. However, with the development of Chandler Stephenson, the Golden Knights might actually be able to survive without him. Stastny has just one year remaining on the three-year deal he signed two summers ago at $6.5MM, although the veteran does have a 10-team no trade list.
- The Vancouver Canucks seem a step closer to getting forward Micheal Ferland back from injury. The forward has been skating on his own the last few days and Sportsnet’s Joey Kenward reports that Ferland is expected to report to Utica of the AHL this coming week and is expected to practice with the team. The hope is that he might be ready to play in a game or two with the Comets before the Canucks bring him back up.
- Sticking with the Canucks, The Athletic’s Harman Dayal (subscription required) writes that despite having returned from an ACL tear in December, forward Antoine Roussel recently stated that playing on that knee hasn’t felt the same and he hasn’t been pleased with the way he’s been playing since returning, which isn’t surprising, considering the injury. “I had no legs for ten games,” Roussel said bluntly. “I was rusty, my pop wasn’t there and then you slowly get back there and I’m at game 22 now. So 12 games where I felt pretty decent, I’m just trying to build on that.” Roussel does feel that his game is finally rounding into form and his best hockey could be coming in the second-half of the season, which is just another thing going well for Vancouver.
Injury Updates: Bjugstad, Wilson, Neal, Wolanin, Motte, Okposo
Prior to their bye week, Penguins winger Nick Bjugstad had been skating on his own and had even traveled with the team on its recent road trip, leading to some speculation that he was nearing a return. However, he hasn’t been skating since then, yet head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that Bjugstad hasn’t suffered a setback but declined to go into further detail. The initial timeline for his return was a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery. This is week nine since then and even if this is just planned rest and not anything of concern, it certainly seems like Bjugstad is going to be out for a while longer.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- Avalanche winger Colin Wilson has missed nearly three months with a lower-body injury and it doesn’t sound like he’s coming back anytime soon. Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now reports (Twitter link) that it looks doubtful that he will return to play this season. The 30-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and considering that he has only played in nine games in 2019-20, he’ll be hard-pressed to get his current $2.6MM salary on his next deal.
- Oilers winger James Neal was a late scratch on Friday due to a foot injury and is doubtful to play in Saturday’s rematch of the Battle of Alberta against Calgary, notes Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. While his goal production has slipped as of late (he has scored in only one of Edmonton’s last 13 games – though that one game saw him record a hat trick), he still sits third on the team in goals with 19.
- Senators defenseman Christian Wolanin has been cleared for contact as he works his way back from shoulder surgery, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He was injured just before training camp got underway and has yet to play this season. Ottawa plans to assign him to Belleville of the AHL on Wednesday and should make his season debut a week or so after that. With the Sens likely to move a blueliner or two by the trade deadline, there’s a good chance that Wolanin’s AHL time will be limited.
- A difficult season for Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Motte is only getting worse. The team has announced that Motte, who has already missed 27 games this season with a broken foot, is now set to miss four-to-six weeks with a shoulder injury. When Motte returns in March, he likely will have missed another 15-20 games, meaning more than half of the 2019-20 season will have been lost to injury. Even when the young forward has been healthy, he has recorded just five points in 24 games. It’s been a year to forget for Motte.
- The same can be said for the Buffalo Sabres and forward Kyle Okposo. After being sidelined for ten games earlier this season due to a concussion, head coach Ralph Krueger told the media today that a new upper-body injury is likely to keep Okposo out “weeks”. The veteran forward left Thursday night’s game early and did not return and now it seems a return to the lineup is not imminent. As Buffalo continues to falter after a hot start, Okposo’s twelve points on the year and inability to stay in the lineup are not helping the cause.
Edmonton Oilers Make Several Roster Moves
The Edmonton Oilers have placed Joakim Nygard and Kris Russell on injured reserve, while recalling Tyler Benson and William Lagesson. Nygard is out with a hand injury that “could be a serious” one according to head coach Dave Tippett, while Russell has been placed in the concussion protocol. This will be Benson’s first call-up to the NHL.
Snapshots: Draft Ranking, Nygard, Gallagher
Alexis Lafreniere has topped another list, this time leading TSN’s mid-season ranking. Bob McKenzie compiles the list based on the determinations of ten NHL scouts, but writes that Lafreniere is in a “class all by himself.”
The rest of the list includes 61 other ranked players (plus five honorable mentions), with the usual suspects like Quinton Byfield, Tim Stuetzle and Jamie Drysdale near the top. Jake Sanderson is one of the interesting risers, finding himself the top-ranked American and in the top-10.
- There is at least one casualty of the battle between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. Joakim Nygard is still being evaluated by the Oilers’ medical staff after leaving last night’s game, but head coach Dave Tippett explained that it looks like it “could be a serious injury.” Nygard blocked a shot in the first period and could miss another huge chunk of games in his rookie season.
- In an absolute must-win for the Montreal Canadiens, they’ll have the heartbeat of their forward group back. Brendan Gallagher is expected to return for the team after missing six games with headaches, as they take on the Buffalo Sabres for the rights to fifth-place in the Atlantic. The Sabres and Canadiens both have 51 points and are seeing their playoff hopes slip away as we enter the last third of the season.
Minor Transactions: 01/29/20
Six games are on tap in the NHL this evening, including Jason Spezza‘s return to Dallas after leaving the Stars for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers will have the latest battle of Alberta as well, with all eyes on Matthew Tkachuk and Zack Kassian after their altercation the last two times these teams played.
- Edmonton will have a familiar face back in the lineup tonight for the battle as Matt Benning has been activated from long-term injured reserve. Benning hasn’t played in nearly two months, after suffering multiple head injuries.
- The Los Angeles Kings have also activated a defensemen, bringing back Joakim Ryan for their game tonight. Ryan has missed ten straight games for the Kings with a lower-body injury.
- With all eyes on the New York Rangers’ goaltending situation, they’ve recalled Igor Shesterkin again after the break. The team will have three goalies on the roster until they decide what to do with Alexandar Georgiev.
- Dennis Gilbert is on his way back to the NHL after being recalled by the Chicago Blackhawks, where he has spent half the season. The third-round pick from 2015 looks like he might be a full-time member of the squad at some point in the future, but so far has split his year between the Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs.
- After the St. Louis Blues placed Oskar Sundqvist on injured reserve earlier today, they have recalled the recently waived Troy Brouwer. The veteran forward hadn’t even reported to the AHL yet and was still deciding whether to continue his career.
Linus Ullmark Out 3-4 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
The Buffalo Sabres are on the outside of the playoff picture and dealing with the fallout from a 5-2 loss from last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. During the game, Linus Ullmark left the Buffalo net with an apparent non-contact injury, leaving Carter Hutton to finish out the contest. Today, the Sabres have announced that Ullmark will miss approximately three to four weeks with that lower-body injury. That news actually may come with a few sighs of relief, given how disastrous the injury looked last night. Jonas Johansson has been recalled from the Rochester Americans.
Without Ullmark, who has taken over the starting role in Buffalo, the Sabres are facing a tough climb the rest of the way. The team now sits 22-21-7 on the year and ten points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. There are also two other teams between them and the eighth-place Carolina Hurricanes, while two more are right on their heels.
For GM Jason Botterill, who said just yesterday that his team was still looking to add to their forward group, Ullmark’s injury could complicate the matter. Throwing away points like last night against a weak Ottawa team is going to make a playoff climb impossible, and he may be better selling off some of his expiring assets instead of pushing for the postseason.
It will be interesting to see if the team gives Johansson a chance, given his success in the minor leagues. The 24-year old has a .925 save percentage for the Americans this year, going 13-3-3 in 20 appearances. The third-round pick has not yet seen any NHL action, but with Hutton’s struggles this season it might be time to give him a chance.
College Hockey Round-Up: 01/28/20
The NHL Trade Deadline doesn’t directly impact the college ranks, but there are usually one or two NCAA players whose rights are moved before the end of February. The Hockey News’ Steven Ellis recently wrote about the “under-the-radar” college players who enjoying breakout seasons, but at this time of year the article may as well be titled “Trade Bait”. The leading name, of course, is Hobey Baker hopeful Jack Dugan (VGK) of No. 9 Providence. Dugan leads the NCAA in points – total and per game – and assists, as he has all year, and looks like a steal as fifth-round pick. However, could the Vegas Golden Knights instead opt to sell high on the upstart prospect? The team desperately needs to improve on the blue line and dangling Dugan could help to land them a top-four defenseman.
A number of the others named by Ellis who could also be trade fodder over the next few weeks, including Dugan’s Providence teammate, defenseman Michael Callahan (ARI). The Arizona Coyotes are all in this season after trading for Taylor Hall and Callahan is an expendable piece given the team’s depth in young blue liners. If senior forward David Cotton (CAR) of No. 5 Boston College does not plan to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team could try to use him as piece to make a deal. The same goes for goalie Tyler Wall (NYR) of No. 14 UMass Lowell, as the New York Rangers have a logjam in goal and seem like a poor fit for one of the best keepers in college hockey. Could the Boston Bruins be convinced to part ways with Maine goalie Jeremy Swayman (BOS), another of the NCAA’s elite, if it helps them make a needed deadline deal? Finally, circling back to the Golden Knights, if Vegas deems Dugan to be untouchable, they have another rising star in Bowling Green forward Brandon Kruse (VGK) who they could offer up instead. The next few weeks could change the career path of these players and many more in the collegiate ranks, but they can at least take comfort in knowing that they’ll be closing out this season with their college team regardless.
Recent Results
It has been a tough couple of weeks for just about every team at the top of the national rankings. Over the past two weeks – four games for most teams – only two teams among the top 15 came away with more than two wins, No. 3 Minnesota State and No. 12 Arizona State, and even those teams suffered a loss to go with their three wins. No. 1 Cornell stays atop the charts despite a mediocre 2-0-2 stretch, while No. 2 North Dakota stays put as well, despite a tie to unranked Miami and a loss to No. 10 Minnesota Duluth. The defending champs were happy to get the win after being swept by unranked St. Cloud State the weekend prior. Rounding out the top five are still No. 4 Denver and No. 5 Boston College, despite both struggling through weekend series with unranked teams: two ties for Denver against Nebraska-Omaha and two losses for BC versus Maine.
Hockey East could not be much tighter right with Maine and UConn tied for eighth in the conference, but trailing top seed No. 7 UMass by just six points with a game in hand. Wedged in between are Boston College, No. 14 UMass Lowell (one win in last four games), No. 9 Providence College, Boston University, No. 13 Northeastern, and New Hampshire, who has been red-hot with wins over Northeastern, Providence, and UMass in recent weeks and is on the verge of cracking the national rankings. There’s no telling how Hockey East will shake out, but it’s making for a great conference tournament.
The same can’t be said for the Big Ten, which continues to disappoint this year. No. 8 Penn State and No. 11 Ohio State continue to be ranked among the best in the NCAA, but do they belong? Both teams won just one of their four games over the past two weeks, with each losing at least one game to an unranked opponent. As for their conference competition, preseason darlings Wisconsin and Notre Dame have disappeared from the national rankings and only No. 17 Michigan State is left. Compared not only to Hockey East, but the NCHC, ECAC, and even the WCHA, the Big Ten is looking weak in 2019-20.
Marc Michaelis Sidelined
The formula for No. 3 Minnesota State has been pretty straightforward for the past few year: dominate the WCHA, stay healthy, and try your luck as a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Mavericks are well on their way to such a result again this season, but have been dealt a blow in the health department. Senior forward Marc Michaelis suffered a leg injury back on January 17 after a collision with a Bowling Green opponent. Michaelis left the game and did not return and did not play the second game on Saturday, nor the team’s most recent weekend series versus No. 19 Bemidji State, which featured a rare loss. So far, there has been no time line given for his return to action. Even though Minnesota State is a defense-first team centered around goalie Dryden McKay and defenseman Connor Mackey, Michaelis’ absence is a major loss. Michaelis, 24, is the team’s captain and leading scorer and the German forward is an all-situations player for Mankato. If the team hopes to avoid another early exit from the NCAA tournament, they will need a healthy Michaelis.
Luke Reid Commits To UNH
Not only has the University of New Hampshire been making big moves in the standings of late, they have been doing so in the recruiting game as well. UNH landed a major commitment this past weekend in USHL defenseman Luke Reid. Reid, an Illinois native playing for the Chicago Steel, has nevertheless decided to take his talents to Durham, New Hampshire. The right-shot defenseman plays a balanced game and has been a nice piece on a strong Chicago team. However, he is much more than just a complimentary player. Reid is ranked No. 77 by Future Considerations in their 2020 NHL Draft rankings and is considered by many to be a mid-round pick. While UNH has housed many NHL prospects over the years, including current defensive ace Max Gildon (FLA), top recruits have been less frequent in recent years for the Wildcats and Reid will be a welcome addition to the program.