Pacific Notes: Vancouver Penalty Kill, Brodie, Nygard, Vilardi
The Vancouver Canucks may not be leading any categories in their penalty kill, but with a 13th-ranked special teams unit that kills off penalties at 82.9 percent, the team found itself challenged against Washington Saturday as the team was without four of its top penalty killers. The team played without Jay Beagle (hip), Brandon Sutter (groin), Tyler Motte (foot) and Alexander Edler (upper body), yet still fared quite well shutting down Washington’s power play on three separate occasions to win the game in a 2-1 shootout.
The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team may be without that group for several more days and the success of the team’s battered penalty kill will likely have a big impact on the remainder of their three-game road trip throughout next week.
- The Calgary Flames could be getting back defenseman T.J. Brodie sooner than later. The blueliner, who collapsed during practice on Nov. 14, skated on his own Saturday and, according to a Sportsnet report, is expected to join practice with the Flames on Sunday. The team has done a barrage of tests, but have found no evidence that Brodie’s collapse was nothing more than him fainting. Brodie has joined the team on their road trip and may return to action as soon as Monday against Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old has eight assists in 21 games.
- Edmonton Oilers forward Joakim Nygard was brought in from the SHL to add a speedy winger who can immediately become a top-nine presence, who could help their quick-moving centers with some secondary scoring. However, despite his impressive speed in 10 games, Nygard just has one goal to show for it as he has struggled to finish around the net. Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson suggests that Nygard may be more of a third-line winger as opposed to a second-liner. “There’s still another level there,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “The good thing about him? He’s really determined, he’s not here to mess around. He wants to be a good player and that’s positive to see.”
- The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that Los Angeles Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi fared well in Friday’s AHL debut. The 11th-overall pick in 2017 has barely played in the past year and a half with a back injury, having seen four games with the AHL Ontario Reign last season. While Vilardi didn’t register a point, he did have a breakaway opportunity and looked happy throughout the contest. “Now, to see him last night, he had a smile on his face,” Kings director of player personnel Glen Murray said. “We lost the game (4-1). But for him, it was successful. It was a passing grade, for sure. He’s come a long way. It’s been a long year. He did well. To be off a year – his game legs aren’t going to be there – but he made some nice plays, won a lot of faceoffs and he had this breakaway in the third period last night.”
Ottawa Senators Seeking A Defenseman
Heading into this season, few would have expected the Ottawa Senators to be active buyers on the trade market. Few would have expected them to be a .500 team on November 23 as well, though. The Senators are playing well and their first substantial acquisition of the season, former New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, has worked out nicely (although he’s currently injured). The team has been open about their desire to add more veteran pieces and, while previous reports indicated their preference was to acquire another forward, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is now hoping to trade for a defenseman.
The Senators were not overly strong or deep on the blue line when the season began. Behind Thomas Chabot, it was mostly a unit composed of role players and unproven prospects. However, the situation has become even more dire due to injuries. Young Erik Brannstrom remains sidelined with a hand injury, depth defender Cody Goloubef left Friday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Andreas Englund suffered an injury in the minors, and Christian Wolanin has yet to play this season as he returns from a shoulder injury. Nikita Zaitsev is also currently in his native Russia tending to personal matters. Garrioch writes that this left Ottawa no choice but to recall both Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros from the minors on Friday, leaving AHL Belleville with just two NHL prospects – first-year AHLers Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing – and a defense corps otherwise composed of tryout players and ECHL call-ups. Clearly, Ottawa could use a blue line addition purely from a numbers perspective.
However, performance is also an issue on the blue line, particularly when it comes to scoring. Zaitsev, who is expected to return soon, has not contributed much offensively despite considerable ice time. Fellow former Maple Leaf Ron Hainsey and 2018-19 standout Dylan DeMelo have also been non-factors in the scoring department. This has left Chabot carrying the load and Mark Borowiecki contributing on offense, which has not typically been his strong suit. If the Senators are going to trade for a defenseman, they may as well target a player who can take on a regular role and assist the team offensively.
With that said, don’t expect Ottawa to target any of the big names on the rumor mill. While it would be comical for the Senators to add yet another former Toronto player, Tyson Barrie is likely not a target. Nor is New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, or Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin. The Senators will likely target upside at a low cost. Unsigned RFA Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars seems like an intriguing option, so long as they can swing a deal before the December 1st signing deadline. An impending UFA, like Namestnikov, would also make sense for the Senators, who could flip that player at the trade deadline if need be. Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson, L.A.’s Ben Hutton, and San Jose’s Radim Simek are all interesting options. Detroit’s Mike Green, who has name value but disappointing numbers so far this season, could also be a potential buy low/sell high candidate if he could turn his game around. There are plenty of options available for the Senators to make a move, but the question remains when and who.
Snapshots: LeBreton Flats, Backes, Gelinas
It has been a refreshing change of pace lately to see the Ottawa Senators performing well, winning seven of their last ten games and reaching .500 on the year – a mark they never hit again last year after the sixth game of the season. Their success on the ice is not only a shift from the results over the past year plus, but also serves as a distraction from the continued concern over the team’s ownership issues and fiscal future. A new report today though will bring those problems back into focus.
The Kanata-based club has long desired a downtown Ottawa location for a new arena. The Senators rank dead last in the NHL so far this year in capacity percentage attendance, as they did in 2018-19 as well, and only part of that can be attributed to their play, while their inconvenient location also play a key role. The closest the team has come to finding a new home has been the LeBreton Flats development, an urban development project under the oversight of the National Capital Commission (NCC). At one point, the NCC was working closely with the RendezVous LeBreton Group, led by Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. However, last December the NCC terminated their relationship with the RendezVous LeBreton Group amidst legal turmoil between Melnyk and his business partners and in February confirmed that their bid would not be considered. Yet, the NCC maintained that their plans for the project would be whatever best served the people of Ottawa, leaving open the possibility that an NHL arena could remain in the plans as a rental opportunity for the Senators. However, CTV Ottawa reports today that the LeBreton Flats development plan has finally been made public, and an NHL arena is not currently planned. There is space for a “sports complex” at the LeBreton Place location, but the likelihood of the Senators moving to the area looks doubtful at best at this point in time. This comes as another setback for the organization and yet another blow for a fan base with a growing resentment for ownership and management.
- The Boston Bruins plan to take their time with getting veteran forward David Backes back on the ice for game action. Per WEEI’s Matt Kalman, head coach Bruce Cassidy was happy to see Backes take part in morning skate on Saturday for the first time in several weeks, but wanted to temper expectations of an upcoming return. “Once you’ve had a few head injuries, you got to be really careful,” Cassidy stated, “we don’t need to rush anybody back right now, no matter who it is, especially in this situation. So, yes we’re being as careful as we need to be.” Backes, who has a history of concussions over his long NHL career, suffered yet another in a collision with Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin earlier this month. Until now, he had only been training off-ice and skating by himself before or after practice and, as Cassidy warned, his non-contact participation in morning skate today does not indicate that he is ready to jump right back into the mix. Backes was only a part-time player for the Bruins even prior to his injury, so they will continue to be patient with the 35-year-old and wait for the proper time to bring him back.
- Eric Gelinas’ days in the NHL are likely over, but his hockey career continues overseas. The 28-year-old defenseman last played in the league in 2016-17 and left North America ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. After beginning last season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL, Gelinas jumped over to Rogle BK of the SHL to finish the year, signing a contract through this season. However, with things going well in Sweden, Rogle announced that they have extended Gelinas through the 2021-22 season. With eight points in 15 games, Gelinas is doing well for himself offensively, even if he is only third among Rogle defensemen in scoring. More so, the team values his aggressive style and defensive ability and leadership. The former Devil and Avalanche defender has found a nice fit in the SHL and will continue to star in the league into his early thirties and possibly longer.
Senators Notes: Zaitsev, Namestnikov, Depth
The Ottawa Senators will have to go without one of their key defenders tonight, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that Nikita Zaitsev is back in Russia for personal reasons. Zaitsev has been logging more than 23 minutes for the Senators this season, his first with the team after following head coach D.J. Smith up the highway from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In his place, the team has recalled Christian Jaros (in addition to Maxime Lajoie and J.C. Beaudin earlier today) and will insert him into the lineup. More from Ottawa:
- Vladislav Namestnikov has a tailbone injury and will be out a week, according to Garrioch. That’s a tough break for a player that has found new life in Ottawa, scoring six goals and 12 points through his 20 games since being acquired from the New York Rangers. Namestnikov, who turns 27 today, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
- As CapFriendly points out, these recalls have stretched the Senators organizational depth incredibly thin, at least on defense. The team has just a single defenseman, Andreas Englund, still in the minor leagues on an NHL contract. Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing have also signed their entry-level deals, but were both loaned away at the start of the season. If the team suffers any further injuries, we could see an interesting recall.
Justin Schultz, Nick Bjugstad Out Long-Term
The Pittsburgh Penguins can’t catch a break. The team has announced that Nick Bjugstad underwent core muscle surgery and will be out at least eight weeks, after head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters it would be “longer-term” earlier this week. That’s exactly the way he has now also described the injury to Justin Schultz, who suffered a lower-body injury and will be out “longer-term.” If there is a sliver of good news to be had, Patric Hornqvist has been activated from injured reserve.
It’s been a disastrous season so far for the Penguins, who have now lost Hornqvist, Bjugstad, Schultz, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang for long stretches. That’s the core of their group, but somehow they’ve still managed to put up a 11-7-3 record.
While losing Bjugstad hurts, it’s likely not nearly as painful as seeing Schultz go out for any length of time. The 29-year old was hoping for a big bounce-back season after missing a huge part of 2018-19, and he was off to a good start. Schultz had eight points in 21 games and was logging nearly 21 minutes a night for the Penguins.
NHLPA Files Grievance On Behalf Of Dustin Byfuglien
A strange story that had grown cold over the past month is back in the spotlight once again with a new twist. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the National Hockey League Players’ Association has filed a grievance with the league challenging the suspension of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. The case will now go before an independent arbitrator, unless of course the two sides can come to an agreement beforehand.
Byfuglien, 34, has not played for the Jets this season and has been suspended without pay entirely thus far in 2019-20. This all began back in September, when Winnipeg announced that the veteran defender would be taking a leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons. He reportedly was taking time to consider his playing future, despite having two years and $14MM in salary remaining on his contract. Many speculated that his absence could have less to do with wear and tear and more to do with personal issues. When training camp arrived and Byfuglien had still not reported, the Jets, in need of salary cap space, suspended him without pay indefinitely until the point that he either returned to action or formally retired.
At the time, there was no indication that Byfuglien’s leave or his sudden concern for his future were related to injury. However, the Jets may have been holding back information on his unexpected absence. Byfuglien underwent surprise ankle surgery in late October, after which the team announced that they were “aware” that he was considering the surgical option for a previously undisclosed injury. The team did add that they were not involved in the decision-making process and that Byfuglien went under the knife without any recommendation from the team’s medical staff.
Herein lies the upcoming battle between the NHL, defending the Jets, and the NHLPA, arguing for Byfuglien. The players’ association will argue that, had Byfuglien reported to camp with his injury and the team had agreed that it was a hockey-related injurythat requiredsurgery, he would be collecting his salary for this season. If his sudden consideration of retirement was fueled by injury concerns, but he chooses to work his way back into game shape and re-join the Jets, should he not have been compensated for that time? The NHLPA may also flirt with the possible punitive nature of this suspension. Byfuglien’s absence came as a shock to Winnipeg, who this summer allowed Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot to walk as free agents and traded away Jacob Trouba, all under the impression that Byfuglien would be around for at least two more years. The team could not have been happy with his leave of absence and reportedly had been trying to convince him not to retire and return to play. However, if his injury also came as a surprise to the team, they may not have been willing to recommend surgery and end up just as short-handed on the blue line, but also paying Byfuglien’s salary. The NHL may feel that the Jets are punishing Byfuglien for blindsiding them, while still hoping that he will return. With that said, the league’s counter will simply be that Byfuglien did not abide by the terms of his contract. If he had concerns over an injury and his longevity in the game, he should have reported to camp and discussed those issues with the team. Winnipeg could also take issue with when and how the injury occurred and whether it was related to any previous injury issues. By taking a leave of absence and then undergoing unapproved surgery, the NHL will argue that Byfuglien cannot just retroactively say that his motivations are to play for the Jets again and he is thus deserving of his salary while he has kept the team in the dark on a number of matters this whole time.
Surely there is more to this story than has been revealed to the public and perhaps more will come out now that a grievance has been filed. There is no timeline as of yet for a potential arbitration hearing, though one would think it would have to come before Byfuglien has fully recovered from his ankle surgery and has the option to return to action with the Jets. In many cases, the NHLPA files a grievance on behalf of a player against his former team, making this an unusual case as Byfuglien remains Winnipeg property until he formally retires. Recent grievances related to issues with former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin and Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards were settled long after the initial dispute occurred. That may be different in this scenario. Stay tuned.
Sam Bennett Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Calgary Flames have moved forward Sam Bennett to long-term injured reserve, taking him out of the lineup for the next while. With the added cap flexibility however they have recalled Tobias Rieder and Alexander Yelsesin, giving them some added depth while they deal with the injury.
Bennett missed Calgary’s last game with the upper-body injury, and will now be out at minimum 24 days or ten games from the last time he played, November 16th. Previously listed as week-to-week, there’s no clear indication of when he will be ready to return.
Reider’s return isn’t much of a surprise after he was sent to the minor leagues just yesterday, but Yelesin is an intriguing new face for fans to watch. The 23-year old defenseman was signed out of the KHL this summer and has played in 15 games with the Stockton heat this season. Not much of an offensive threat, he nevertheless was a KHL All-Star last season and will help the team fill in the absence of T.J. Brodie who continues recovering after his collapse at practice recently.
Yelesin was signed to a two-year entry-level contract, that interestingly includes some hefty potential performance bonuses. The only way he would earn those is in the NHL, meaning this represents a big opportunity for the young defenseman.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 11/20/19
There was tons of action around the NHL last night, but the moment that will be most talked about today is Marc-Andre Fleury‘s incredible diving save to preserve a Vegas Golden Knights win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Though Toronto gets a lot of the attention as they plummet in the standings, Vegas also needed a win after going 1-4-1 over their previous six games.
There are just two games on tap for tonight, meaning teams will likely make several roster transactions. We’ll keep track of them right here.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Markus Hannikainen back to the minor leagues, now that Nick Foligno‘s three-game suspension has been served. Hannikainen has been up for two weeks but didn’t play in a game, and hasn’t gotten a single opportunity yet this season.
- Christoffer Ehn is back with the Detroit Red Wings, thanks to a lower-body injury to Darren Helm. Ehn has played in 14 games with the Red Wings this season, but is still looking for his first point. Helm is listed as day-to-day. Also out for Detroit is Givani Smith, placed on injured reserve retroactive to last Thursday. Smith may not be sidelined for very long, but in the meantime his roster spot will go to defenseman Joe Hicketts.
- Nicholas Caamano has been returned to the minor leagues as well, not for the first time this season. The young forward has been bouncing up and down between Dallas and Texas, playing 12 games for the NHL club and five in the AHL.
- With Devan Dubnyk dealing with a personal issue, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Kaapo Kahkonen from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. The young goaltender has a 7-2-2 record this season in the AHL with the Iowa Wild but has yet to make his NHL debut.
- After signing Kerby Rychel earlier this week, the Charlotte Checkers had a surplus of forwards. They’ve solved that issue by dealing Anthony Louis to the Texas Stars for future considerations. Louis, a former Chicago Blackhawks prospect out of Miami University, has been a solid AHL producer over the past two years, but was off to a slow start in his first season with Charlotte.
Gabe Vilardi Officially Assigned To AHL
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for Gabe Vilardi. The chronically-injured Los Angeles Kings prospect has been added to the Ontario Reign roster according to the AHL transactions page after being on the season-opening injured reserve list to this point. John Hoven reports that Vilardi is expected to make his season debut for the Reign this weekend.
Vilardi, 20, has played in just 52 total games since being selected 11th overall in 2017. That’s including the junior and professional levels, though the vast majority were with the Kingston Frontenacs at the end of the 2017-18 season. Last year he was limited to just four contests with Ontario, thanks to a troubling back injury that has derailed the early part of his career in the Los Angeles organization.
When healthy, Vilardi has shown the ability to be an absolute force in the offensive zone, protecting the puck down low and creating scoring opportunities at will. Because of his strong defensive tendencies he was also regarded as a potential first-line center prospect, though at this point it isn’t clear where his future will take him.
The Kings are obviously still excited about the young forward, but at this point the NHL still seems a distant goal. Vilardi needs to get back into games and see how his body responds after such a long layoff. He’ll get that chance in Ontario where the Reign are about to lose a key forward in Mario Kempe after he asked for a contract termination to pursue an opportunity in the KHL.
Nick Bjugstad Out “Longer-Term” With Lower-Body Injury
The Pittsburgh Penguins have suffered another injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan updated the media today and explained that though Nick Bjugstad was still being evaluated, he expects the big forward to be out “longer-term.” Bjugstad exited the game on Friday against the New Jersey Devils when he fell awkwardly into the boards.
Sullivan did announce that Patric Hornqvist is getting closer and that Kris Letang has resumed skating on his own, but isn’t ready for practice yet. The team is also still without Sidney Crosby as he recovers from his sports hernia surgery.
Bjugstad, 27, was already injured earlier this year and missed several games, limiting his impact for the team. In ten contests—two of which have been cut short by injury—he has just a single goal and zero assists. That’s a far cry from the nine goals and 14 points he registered in just 32 games for them following a trade from the Florida Panthers last season, and even further from the 24-goal campaign he put up as a 22-year old in 2014-15.
Selected 19th overall in 2010, Bjugstad has been something of a disappointment so far in his NHL career, dealing with injuries almost every season and not finding much consistency when he was on the ice. His absence will be missed however, given the other health concerns the team has at forward.