Atlantic Notes: Montreal Injuries, Dermott, Senators, Coburn
While it looked as if Canadiens winger Paul Byron was nearing a return to the lineup as he was taking a regular turn on the fourth line in Friday’s practice, the team announced (Twitter link) that he will not play tonight and will not join them on their upcoming four-game Western Canada road trip. Byron was initially slated to miss four weeks and had he returned tonight, he would have returned in that timeframe but it appears he’ll miss longer than originally anticipated. The team also announced that Jesperi Kotkaniemi (concussion) and Victor Mete (lower body) will be on the upcoming trip, suggesting that they’re nearing returns from their respective injuries.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott acknowledged to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that there haven’t been any discussions about a potential contract extension. The pending restricted free agent is still working his way back into form after missing the start of the season due to shoulder surgery and is averaging less than 15 minutes a night which is lower than his averages over his first two seasons. As a result, Dermott doesn’t appear to be too worried about a new deal just yet, saying that he has “a million other things to worry about”.
- While the Senators have several quality prospects that are making a push for some NHL time, GM Pierre Dorion told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that they don’t intend to bring them up until there’s a chance for them to make a regular impact. While some teams see value in giving their prospects a taste of the top level, Dorion believes that sending them back and forth can be more detrimental to their development.
- Tampa Bay defenseman Braydon Coburn is likely out until after the Christmas break, reports Bryan Burns of the Lightning’s team website (Twitter link). The veteran is dealing with a lower-body injury and last played on November 29th.
Latest On New Jersey’s Taylor Hall
Saturday, 4:45 PM: The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Arizona Coyotes are the lead candidate to acquire Hall with a potential trade coming soon.
Saturday, 9:45 AM: Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman reports that Hall is expected to be held out of the lineup again tonight, as the Devils ironically face another of his top suitors in the Arizona Coyotes. This should not come as any surprise. If talks had grown serious enough to sit Hall last night, they were not likely to fall apart to the point that the Devils would be comfortable playing him tonight. In all likelihood, Hall has played his final game as a Devil. A trade may not be “imminent”, as the team denied, but it is certainly coming in short time.
Friday: As if there wasn’t rampant Taylor Hall trade speculation already, the New Jersey Devils had to turn the drama up to soap opera levels on Friday night. After taking part in warm-ups, Hall was announced as a late scratch just minutes before puck drop. The team would only state that the decision was due to “precautionary” reasons.
It’s hard to believe that this is health related, as Hall has played in all 30 games with the Devils this season without a hitch. Hall has struggled with injury issues throughout his career, but there has been no report of any lingering injuries of late. Nor has there been a report any incident occurring during warm-ups that could have changed the status quo. This seems to be a team decision made completely independent of Hall’s health.
And who would Hall have been set to square off against tonight? None other than the Colorado Avalanche, the team considered the heavy favorites to land Hall’s services. It’s not as though the Avs need to scout the 2018 Hart Trophy winner. Hall is an established NHL star, scoring at a point-per-game pace or better pace in four of his nine pro seasons, including his 93-point MVP campaign. If Colorado was closing in on a deal for Hall, they would likely rather he sit than risk himself against what could soon be his own teammates.
Of course, that line of thinking is challenged by both teams dismissing the idea that a trade has been made. Devils team officials have made it clear that Hall’s scratch is not related to an impending trade. Meanwhile, sources close to the Avalanche say that the team is not acting as if there is anything in the works. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun believes that the offers for Hall are getting serious enough to warrant his benching, but stops short of saying that any team is close enough to get a deal done. Yet, isn’t it convenient that Hall was a “precautionary” scratch on Friday night against the club considered to be his biggest suitor …
New Jersey Devils Place Louis Domingue On Injured Reserve
Goaltending troubles continue to follow the New Jersey Devils as the team announced they have placed backup goaltender Louis Domingue on injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team has also recalled Evan Cormier from the ECHL to fill Domingue’s place.
The team was hoping for a solid tandem at the start of the year between veteran Cory Schneider and youngster MacKenzie Blackwood. Instead Schneider has been placed on waiver and sent to the Binghamton Devils in the AHL, while Blackwood hasn’t been as sharp as he was a year ago with a 2.93 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 23 appearances. The Devils opted to trade for Domingue from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 1 for a conditional seventh-round pick. The 27-year-old hasn’t fared much better so far in six appearances, as he has posted just a 4.15 GAA and a .862 save percentage.
Regardless, unless the team can pick up another goaltender soon, the Devils are stuck with Cormier who started the season in the AHL, but was demoted to the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. With Schneider still struggling in the AHL (he gave up five goals Friday night against Springfield) and the backup there, Gilles Senn, still adjusting to the North American rink-size, the team had to turn to Cormier. In six appearances with Adirondack, Cormier has a 2.71 GAA and a .902 save percentage, but struggled with Binghamton with a 3.77 GAA and a .874 save percentage in seven appearances.
Vancouver Canucks Place Micheal Ferland On LTIR
The Vancouver Canucks were holding out hope that the return of forward Micheal Ferland from injured reserve last week would help boost the team and their depth. Instead, Ferland didn’t last two games as Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor reports that the team placed him on long-term injured reserve.
The 27-year-old suffered a concussion on Oct. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings and missed 17 straight games due to the injury, but was thought to be ready for action last week. However, he played sparingly in both contests this week, which included just 4:12 against Toronto on Tuesday. He saw a specialist on Thursday about symptoms that have risen recently and the news was enough for the Canucks to put Ferland on LTIR.
With the move to LTIR, Vancouver can save his $3.5MM and be able to maneuver a little easier until Ferland is ready to return. Signed to a four-year, $14MM contract this summer, the forward was supposed to add some key middle-six depth and provide some size and grit in the lineup. Instead, Ferland has only appeared in 14 games with a goal and five assists.
Carl Gunnarsson Placed On Injured Reserve
The St. Louis Blues have placed defenseman Carl Gunnarsson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. In his place, the team has recalled Niko Mikkola from the minor leagues. Mikkola was recalled as one of the team’s Black Aces during the playoffs last season, but otherwise has not yet seen the NHL.
Gunnarsson, 33, has dealt with injury and inconsistency this season, the first of the two-year $3.5MM deal he signed in the summer to stay with the Stanley Cup champions. At times this year Gunnarsson has looked completely unlike the steady hand he was in the playoffs, but he is still experienced depth for the team when they eventually hit the postseason once again.
Mikkola meanwhile brings quite a bit more intrigue to the table. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Blues in 2015, the 6’4″ defenseman has now played a year and a half in the minor leagues since coming over from Finland and could potentially be another one of the homegrown talents to find a spot on this roster. While his offensive upside is limited, Mikkola still showed that he can contribute at the highest level when he recorded five points in ten games at the World Championships. Finland won that tournament in 2019, giving Mikkola his second gold medal on the world stage. He was also part of the incredible 2016 World Junior squad that featured names like Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine, Mikko Rantanen and Kasperi Kapanen.
Though finding room on the St. Louis blue line is difficult, Mikkola will at least get an opportunity to be around the club and show what he can do.
Dylan DeMelo Out With Broken Finger
The Ottawa Senators will be missing one of their key defenders for the next while, as Dylan DeMelo is out with a broken finger. Hailey Salvian of The Athletic reports that the injury will keep DeMelo out for three to four weeks. Craig Anderson meanwhile who also wasn’t at practice won’t play until at least next week according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
Though the Senators aren’t exactly competing for a playoff spot this season, DeMelo’s performance was obviously something to keep an eye on. The 26-year old defenseman is in the final season of a two-year, $1.8MM deal he signed with the San Jose Sharks before coming to Ottawa in the Erik Karlsson trade, and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. The fact that he has become such an important part of the Senators’ group—he trails only Thomas Chabot and Nikita Zaitsev in even-strength ice time—complicates his future this season and next.
The team could obviously re-sign DeMelo to keep him in their defensive group for the next several years, but his extremely cheap contract ($900K cap hit), handedness and performance this season will also make him a desirable trade asset. The Senators are still in the midst of a rebuild, but at some point they’ll have to make a decision on whether or not to keep some of their core players.
The fact that DeMelo is still just 26 makes him a candidate to stick around in Ottawa as they attempt to turn things around. This injury will allow them to take a look at other players in his place, hopefully giving the Senators some clarity on the upcoming decision.
Snapshots: Peca, Fox, Ferland
The Montreal Canadiens have lost a depth forward for more than a month, announcing that Matthew Peca will be out six weeks with a knee injury. Peca was injured when he got tied up with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin earlier this week.
Peca, 26, has played in just four games with the Canadiens this season, instead spending the majority of his season in the minor leagues. The 5’9″ forward was signed to a two-year, $2.6MM deal in July of 2018 but played just 39 games for Montreal last season.
- Adam Fox is still having an impact on the Carolina Hurricanes, despite not signing with them. CapFriendly points out that after Fox played in his 30th game of the season on Tuesday night, the third round pick that New York sent Carolina in the trade has been upgraded to a second round pick. It always seemed likely that the pick would be upgraded given his talent, but Fox has made it more than worthwhile for the Rangers by proving he can be an effective puck-moving option in the NHL.
- Though Micheal Ferland isn’t in the concussion protocol, he is seeing specialists for some symptoms that have popped up, according to head coach Travis Green who spoke with reporters including Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet. Ferland didn’t even make it through two games after returning from more than a month off, leaving Tuesday’s match against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Calvin De Haan Placed On Injured Reserve
The Chicago Blackhawks have lost another defenseman to injury, placing Calvin de Haan on injured reserve today. The designation is retroactive to December 10th, when de Haan left a game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a shoulder injury. The team has not provided a timeline yet for his recovery.
Already without Duncan Keith, the Blackhawks had been relying heavily on de Haan to anchor a defense that can’t seem to keep the puck out of their net this season. In fact, he’d averaged more than 25 minutes of ice time over the three games prior to facing the Golden Knights, which now stand as the three highest-usage games of his season.
The 28-year old had surgery on the same shoulder in May of this year while he was still part of the Carolina Hurricanes organization. That kept him out of training camp and the preseason, though he made his debut just a few games into the regular season and has been a staple in the lineup ever since.
Losing de Haan for any length of time hurts, but the Blackhawks were already facing quite the uphill battle in their quest for the postseason. After rebuilding the defense corps and bringing in some new faces up front (and in net), there were high hopes for Chicago under head coach Jeremy Colliton. A combination of injuries and poor play have dashed those hopes so far, as the Blackhawks currently sit in last place in the Central Division with a 12-13-6 record and -14 goal differential.
Snapshots: Kings, Moore, Honka
Los Angeles Kings prospects Rasmus Kupari and Tobias Bjornfot were both named to their respective country’s World Junior rosters last week, but seeing as both are under contract and playing in the AHL, the duo had to officially be loaned by the Kings to participate. That permission officially came down today, as L.A. announced that Kupari would play for Finland and Bjornfot would play for Sweden in the upcoming WJC tournament. Bjornfot, a first-round pick back in June, played in three games with the Kings earlier this season and has eight points in 20 games with the Ontario Reign. The athletic defenseman joins an impressive unit on the blue line for Sweden at the WJC. Kupari, L.A.’s top pick two years ago, played for the Gold Medal-winning Finnish entry in last year’s WJC, recording five points in seven games, and overall enjoyed a strong season in his native country. However, his first season in North America has gotten off to a slow start, with just seven points in 24 AHL games for the talented forward. While there was no indication in the Kings’ release, Kupari could be a candidate to remain overseas following the tournament. But first he will join another star-studded Finnish roster in pursuit of a repeat title.
- With the Boston Bruins playing the Washington Capitals tonight in the first of a back-to-back set that includes a match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, Connor Clifton has drawn back into the lineup. The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont reports that John Moore, who just recently made his season debut following off-season shoulder surgery, will be eased back into regular action, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy. Splitting back-to-backs or occasional nights off could become commonplace for the veteran defender. The Bruins are more cognizant than most when it comes to the value of healthy defense, as they struggled with continuous injury issues on the back end last season and are still waiting on the return of Kevan Miller. Cassidy recently stated that the Bruins are a better team with Moore active, even though it causes a surplus of lefties in the lineup, but that could mean he prioritizes keeping Moore healthy long-term rather than playing him in every game and risking re-injury to his damaged shoulder. Fortunately, the team has the luxury of young Clifton, who played well in Moore’s stead to begin the year and is more than deserving of spot starts.
- Before the calendar flipped to December, making him ineligible to play in the NHL this season, it seems the trade market for unsigned Dallas Stars RFA defenseman Julius Honka was not as dead as it seemed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Carolina Hurricanes were the team with the most interest in the enigmatic rearguard and were in heavy pursuit. However, the team ultimately decided that they were not willing to meet the Stars’ demand of draft picks or young, unsigned prospects rather than a fellow AHL prospect. Ironically, the Hurricanes drafted Honka’s younger brother, Anttoni, in the third round this past year, which could keep them interested in the elder Honka this off-season.
Jayce Hawryluk Sent On Conditioning Stint
The Florida Panthers have assigned Jayce Hawryluk to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint, likely signaling that he is finally ready to play again. The 23-year old hasn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury at the end of October, but had three points in his first eight games with the Panthers this season.
Not that the Panthers need much help as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 15-10-5 record, but Hawryluk is a proven option for their bottom-six that suited up 42 times last year. Originally drafted 32nd overall in 2014, he has found his way to being a top offensive option eventually at every level and still has time to develop into one for the Panthers.
Even if he never becomes that top-six player however, he’ll be welcomed back to the Panthers this season to play in a lesser role. In order to go to the minors under regular circumstances he would need to clear waivers, meaning he’ll be back up once the team feels he’s ready for NHL action.