Evening Notes: East Playoff Race, Rantanen, Dumoulin, Parayko
The Eastern Playoff race has been decided. The Carolina Hurricanes have drawn the first wildcard spot and will face the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. The New York Islanders will be the second seed in the Metro and will have to square off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the Atlantic Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets end up with a tough match-up as they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet once again, as everyone has known about for quite some time. The final results of the night will determine how the Western Conference Shakes out.
- The Colorado Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen was spotted on the ice Saturday in San Jose wearing a non-contact jersey, according to The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark. The injured forward, who hasn’t seen action since March 21st with an undisclosed injury, traveled with the team but will sit out once again. While that doesn’t sound like great news, considering the playoffs are right around the corner it is better to have him skating than not. If Colorado has any chance of advancing out of the first round, they will need their young scorer. The 22-year-old will have played eight less games than last year, but has a career high 31 goals and 87 points in his sophomore season. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said later today that he is hopeful that Rantanen will be available for the playoffs, according to BSN’s Adrian Dater.
- Speaking of injuries, the Pittsburgh Penguins got some good news as defenseman Brian Dumoulin skated on his own after missing the past three games with a lower-body injury, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Dumoulin, who normally skates alongside Kris Letang, would make a big impact on a lineup that is preparing for the playoffs and could use the player tied for fifth in the NHL with a +31 rating. “The fact that Dumo is on the ice is really encouraging from our standpoint,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. He added that the injury isn’t considered major and Doumolin remains day-to-day.
- The St. Louis Blues expect to get back defenseman Colton Parayko, who has sat out the past two games with an undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old defender is expected to play in the playoffs, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. Thomas added that Tyler Bozak was just held out for precautionary reasons Saturday after he was in a car accident getting to the game. The veteran center was rear-ended, but wasn’t seriously hurt. He too is expected back for the playoff opener.
Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Meier, Hutton, Goldobin
Despite his long-awaited return Saturday, the San Jose Sharks remain somewhat concerned about the long-term status of star defenseman Erik Karlsson. The team gave Karlsson as much time to rest his injured groin as possible, but with the playoffs around the corner, the team hopes the injured blueliner can stay healthy throughout the playoffs, according to Mercury News’ Paul Gackle.
Karlsson, who has played in just five games since Jan. 16 before aggravating his injury, is dealing with an injury that could resurface at any time, according to Sharks’ head coach Peter DeBoer. “You don’t know,” DeBoer said. “It could be like last time where he was healthy, but he caught it awkwardly and it ended up being a different injury. You don’t know. But you get these guys to a point where you get the green light that they’re healthy and you go.”
Regardless, DeBoer adds that the team isn’t rushing Karlsson just because the playoffs are here, claiming that Karlsson is ready to return to the ice now. The 28-year-old has three goals and 45 points in 52 games this season.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier will not play Saturday in the team’s regular season finale, but DeBoer expects him to be ready for the first game of the playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights. Meier went down Thursday after falling awkwardly during the third period and having Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse then fall on top of him. The 22-year-old picked up a career-high 30 goals and 66 points this season.
- The Province’s Ed Willes writes that Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning has said the team wants to add a defenseman, but with little interest in paying out big bucks on the free-agent market. The scribe believes the team is thus likely to acquire one via trade, suggesting they may be looking to send off forward Jake Virtanen and defenseman Ben Hutton to upgrade the defense. The 22-year-old Virtanen continues to improve as he scored 15 goals last season, but has been somewhat underwhelming considering he was the sixth overall pick in 2014. Hutton, on the other hand, had an impressive season this year, making up for two down seasons, but his consistency is still in question.
- The Canucks will have other decisions to make as the team will have to decide on whether they want to keep forward Nikolay Goldobin going into next year as he will become a restricted free agent this summer. The 23-year-old finished the season with seven goals and 27 points in 63 games, but the team has used him sporadically in the second-half of the season. “You hope he takes the next step, he did make strides this year,” Benning said, via Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. “We will sit down with the coaching staff and decide if we want him back and continue to work with him and develop him.”
Roberto Luongo Could Return As Florida’s Backup Next Season
The future for Florida Panthers icon Roberto Luongo is still a mystery, with the veteran keeper stating as recently as two weeks ago that he was undecided on what his next move would be and would wait until the off-season to make that call. However, The Athletic’s George Richards heard enough from talking to Luongo recently to believe that the future Hall of Famer is not quite ready to hang up his skates. The main piece of evidence: Luongo would be happy to serve in a backup role next season and possibly beyond, which is perhaps the only way his storied career can continue.
Luongo, 40, is undoubtedly in decline. Although his 42 appearances – 43 after Saturday’s season finale start – are an improvement over each of the past two seasons, his .900 save percentage and 3.10 GAA have made this the worst season of his 19-year career. Luongo entered the season as the Panthers starting goalie, backed up by another veteran in James Reimer, but that hierarchy has not exactly held up. Luongo and Reimer have almost identically poor stats, with Luongo making only six more appearances than Reimer. The two have essentially been a time share with rookie Samuel Montembeault also making eleven appearances and performing only marginally worse than the experienced tandem. Richards writes that the status quo will almost certainly change before next season. Luongo is obviously still undecided about his future, but regardless Reimer is not expected to be back and Montembeault is likely to remain a presence. The Panthers are going to add a new starting goalie in free agency, with many speculating that Columbus Blue Jackets star Sergei Bobrovksy could be the primary target.
So, if he was to return, Luongo would have to be content to sit behind another established netminder, which Richards notes includes increased practice time alongside decreased play time. While the limited action could in fact improve the performance of the aging keeper, it’s not exactly a role that many players of Luongo’s pedigree would be happy to take on. Yet, he seems open to the prospect:
I have done it before. I know what it takes. I realize I am 40 years old, and taking on a heavy workload at this age is tough. I am well aware if I come back, that is the likely scenario for me. And I am OK with that. I like to practice. The only time I don’t practice is if I am tired, but if I am not playing as many games, I would have more energy to practice and work on my game. When I have missed some time, I have had some of my best games when I have come back. So, that’s not an issue at all.
For fans of the storied goaltender, this has to be good news. For fans of the Panthers and Vancouver Canucks, it also bodes well for their respective teams’ payrolls. With three years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $5.33MM but salaries of $1.6MM or less, Luongo’s contract was a front-loaded behemoth that would slap both his current club and former club with cap recapture penalties if he retired early. Avoiding leaving that sour taste in the mouths of his supporters is likely another factor that Luongo is considering and that could persuade him to return.
At the end of the day though, the decision will come down to an amalgam of many different choices and they won’t all be made by Luongo alone. As he tells Richards, the goal right now is to get through the end of the season, clear his head, and then consider all options:
I want to sit down and have a talk with (the Panthers) because, right now, everything else is hearsay. I want to make sure everyone is on the same page and we all want the same thing. We will see what the plans are for the team moving forward. For me, there are a lot of things involved in the decision, but sitting down with management and seeing their plan is the first step… It is important for me to make that decision once this season is over — after we are removed from everything. We have to see where everyone is at. This is not just up to me. I think the team has something to say about it as well. We will come to that when the time comes.
So for those expecting tomorrow to be the last hurrah of an NHL star, don’t be so sure. Luongo has struggled in net this season, has struggled with injuries in recent years, and could struggle with a decision to take a back seat if he was to continue playing. However, if he really is open to being the backup, it would allow Luongo to keep fueling the fire he has to play hockey, which appears to be as strong as ever, while also limiting his work load and injury exposure. It seems like a good fit and may just be one that keeps a living legend in the game.
Erik Karlsson Will Be Activated Ahead Of Postseason
The San Jose Sharks knew when they paid a substantial price for all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson that there was no guarantee that he would be with the team any longer than the one year remaining on his contract. Karlsson was a rental in some sense, acquired last summer to get the regular season-dominating Sharks over the playoff hump and to their first Stanley Cup title. Still without an extension in place, Karlsson may very well be playing his final games with San Jose; except that he hasn’t been playing at all. Karlsson has missed 16 straight games and 26 of the past 31 with a groin injury and doubts had begun to set in that perhaps Karlsson would not be at full strength or worse yet could be sidelined entirely for the only reason he was acquired: the postseason.
Rest easy Sharks fans, as that doesn’t appear to be the case. Both Karlsson and head coach Peter DeBoer tell NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley that the superstar defenseman will be ready for the playoffs. “I said a month ago I was going to be ready for the playoffs and that’s still the case,” Karlsson reiterated. DeBoer supported the claim, saying “He’ll be ready for the playoffs.” In fact, DeBoer would like to get Karlsson back before the end of the regular season. Karlsson has been ruled out of the Sharks’ Tuesday night match-up, but the team has two regular season games remaining afterward and the head coach would like to see his two-time Norris Trophy-winning mercenary see some game action prior to the postseason beginning. It may not happen, but the decision is being considered, as Deboer stated “I’d like to, but we’re not going to do it at the expense of rushing him, so we’ll see.”
Of course, the concern shifts from Karlsson not being ready for the playoffs to Karlsson still being an injury risk once he returns. The player himself is not thinking that way, saying “I’m not worried about re-injuring it or getting another injury; that’s not the way I approach the game, especially this time of year.” However, that’s exactly what happened earlier this season when Karlsson was forced from a late February game, after missing 10 of the previous 14 contests, and has not played since. Whether Karlsson was simply rushed back too soon or was re-injured is unknown, but the nagging groin injury could strike happen again. With the Sharks already locked in to a first-round collision with the talented Vegas Golden Knights, there’s little room for an absence of Karlsson’s magnitude. If San Jose is going to finally claim an elusive championship this season, they don’t just need Karlsson back for the playoffs, they need him in the lineup throughout the playoffs.
Minor Transactions: 04/02/19
Just a few days remain in the NHL regular season and there is still must-see television every night. This evening brings about several important games including a do-or-die matchup for the Montreal Canadiens against the best team in the NHL. Carey Price will have to try and keep the Tampa Bay Lightning off the board or the Canadiens risk falling further behind the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots. Meanwhile the Arizona Coyotes are in a similar must-win situation, but happen to get the Los Angeles Kings—a slightly easier matchup.
- The Nashville Predators have assigned Zac Rinaldo to the minor leagues on a long-term injury loan. Rinaldo had been ruled out for the season earlier this year after shoulder surgery, but perhaps is healthy enough to at least participate in some minor league practices. It’s unclear if there are any expectations that he can get back into a game this season.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the AHL, likely a reward for his play this season. The 23-year old defenseman has six NHL games under his belt but spent this entire year in the minor leagues. Christian Wolanin has been assigned to the AHL in return, giving the Belleville Senators some more firepower as they try to lock up a playoff spot.
- Dylan Sikura has been sent back down by the Chicago Blackhawks for much the same reason, as the Rockford IceHogs are still within striking distance in the AHL. Sikura, 23, has 30 points in 40 games for the IceHogs this season.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Kiefer Sherwood and Chase De Leo back to the San Diego Gulls to help with their playoff run. The Gulls unfortunately won’t be getting Troy Terry back anytime soon because of his broken leg, but at least will get some other reinforcements.
- The Washington Capitals have sent Jonas Siegenthaler back to the AHL for the time being, though that is likely just a cap saving measure in case they suffer another injury over the next few days. The team will be without Michael Kempny through the playoffs, making Siegenthaler their likely seventh defenseman.
Injury Updates: Lightning, Stars, Buchnevich, Johnsson
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is doubtful to play this week, reports Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and with Tampa Bay’s positioning for the postseason locked in, there’s no real point in risking anything. The team is hopeful he’ll be ready to go to start the first round next week. Meanwhile, fellow blueliner Anton Stralman could get into a game on their four-game road trip to end the season while Dan Girardi is expected to skate sometime this week. That makes it unlikely he’ll play before the season comes to an end but he should be available for the playoffs.
Other injury notes around the league:
- Dallas is hoping to have goalie Ben Bishop and winger Mats Zuccarello get into one of their upcoming games this weekend, notes Mark Stepneski of the Stars’ team website. Bishop skated for the first time today after sustaining a lower-body injury last week while Zuccarello, who was injured in his first game with the team, went through a full practice today and may be the closer of the two to returning.
- Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich is in concussion protocol, reports NHL.com’s Mike Morreale (via Twitter). He left Sunday’s game against Philadelphia late with the injury and while they were hopeful he’d suit up tonight, that wasn’t the case. Buchnevich, a pending restricted free agent this summer, has 37 points in 61 games this season.
- Maple Leafs winger Andreas Johnsson is dealing with an illness that kept him out of the lineup for tonight’s game against the Islanders, notes Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (Twitter link). The pending RFA has been in a bit of a slump as of late, posting just a single goal in his last 15 games but has 20 tallies on the season.
Minor Transactions: 04/01/19
Welcome to April and the end of the NHL regular season. There are just a handful of games remaining before the 2018-19 playoffs begin and teams have started locking up their first round opponents. Still, for teams battling on the edge of postseason contention the next week may be just as important as any other. Today eyes will be drawn to the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues’ game, which very well could decide the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Avalanche currently hold the spot with a one-point lead over Arizona, but have this game in hand on them. As teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Carolina Hurricanes are just one point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens in the East and have recalled Haydn Fleury under emergency conditions to help them stay there. The team was defeated last night and need to get back on track tomorrow night when they travel to Toronto, but will be without Calvin de Haan who is heading back to Carolina after suffering an upper-body injury.
- With Louis Domingue banged up the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Eddie Pasquale from the minor leagues. The team obviously wants their backup goaltender healthy, but all eyes are on Victor Hedman as he deals with an upper-body injury. Pasquale has played in one game for the Lightning this year but has a solid .916 save percentage through 43 appearances for the Syracuse Crunch.
- The Calgary Flames are set to rest several regulars after clinching a playoff spot, and Juuso Valimaki has been recalled to take their place. Mikael Backlund, Matthew Tkachuk, Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Noah Hanifin will all be out of the lineup.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Joe Hicketts from the minor league under emergency conditions, and CapFriendly believes they have moved Mike Green to long-term injured reserve in order to fit him in. Hicketts’ recall follows an injury to Danny DeKeyser, who looks like he may miss the last few games of the season.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled forward Miikka Salomaki from the minor leagues, bringing him back from a conditioning stint. Salomaki hasn’t played an NHL game since early January but could be an option for the team down the stretch and into the playoffs.
- With Nico Sturm set to join the Minnesota Wild immediately, Matt Read has been sent back down to the AHL. The team is expected to put Sturm into the lineup as soon as possible, though since he hasn’t yet practiced with the team it is not clear when exactly that will be. Read meanwhile will be on call for the next opportunity as he has been all season.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned Sam Carrick back to San Diego of the AHL. He had been recalled on Saturday and suited up that night, logging just over 12 minutes against Edmonton while picking up an assist.
Eastern Notes: Fritz, Crawford, Daccord, Byron, Strome
The New York Islanders have lost some depth as forward Tanner Fritz is expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a blood clot in his hand, according to NHL.com’s Cory Wright.
He had a little bit of a blood clot between two fingers, so they had to do some surgery and he’ll be out six to eight weeks. The operation was 100% successful. It’s just the nature of the type of procedure that was done, that it’ll take that bit of time. He’s fine. It’s unfortunate for Tanner, who came in and did so well, but as I said, he’ll be fully recovered.”
While the 27-year-old Fritz has only appeared in eight games for the Islanders this season, he was recalled on March 21st after veteran Valtteri Filppula was injured, giving Fritz the opportunity to play in the team’s last three games. Fritz was averaging only 10:49 of ice time with the Isles, but has been solid with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL where he has 12 goals and 37 points in 57 games. As for Filppula, head coach Barry Trotz said that he has been skating, but there is still no timetable for his return.
- Expect Ottawa Senators interim coach Marc Crawford to be a serious candidate for the team’s head coaching position, according to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. While general manager Pierre Dorion has a list of many candidates, the team won’t allow their search for a president of hockey operations to interfere with their hunt for a head coach. Crawford deserves consideration for that position as he has made a difference on the Senators’ young squad. Belleville head coach Troy Mann is another serious candidate for the Senators’ coaching vacancy.
- Garrioch reports that Dorion and goaltending coach Pierre Groulx watched Arizona State goaltender Joey Daccord Saturday and are expected to try to sign the collegiate goaltender. Daccord had a breakout year with Arizona State as the junior put up 21 wins, a 2.36 GAA and a .926 save percentage. He was the team’s seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft.
- TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron, who has missed two games with an upper-body injury, was back on the ice Sunday, but still needs to pass some tests before he is cleared to play. The 29-year-old Byron has 15 goals and 30 points in 54 games and could be available to play for Montreal on Tuesday if all goes well.
- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced that prospect Matthew Strome has been reassigned from his OHL team, whose season recently ended. Strome, the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, just wrapped up his fourth year with the Hamilton Bulldogs, posting 28 goals and 79 points. He signed his entry-level contract in March of 2018 and will finish out the season with the Phantoms.
Atlantic Notes: Rosen, Palat, Borowiecki, Sobotka
While the Toronto Maple Leafs are still without injured defenseman Jake Gardiner, the team will get some defensive help as head coach Mike Babcock said that the Toronto Marlies’ top defensmean, Calle Rosen, is expected to join the Maple Leafs in New York on Monday and jump into Toronto’s lineup immediately, according to TSN’s Mark Masters.
The 25-year-old Rosen has put up a big season in the AHL as he has seven goals and 46 points in 54 games this season and was signed to a two-year extension in December to keep him with the team at a cheap price with the general belief that Rosen will be a solid, inexpensive option who can provide the team with the depth they need over the next couple of years.
Babcock said that Rosen, who hadn’t been called up yet after suffering a foot injury several weeks ago, will stay in the lineup until Gardiner is ready to return.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are expected to get back winger Ondrej Palat on Saturday after he was forced to leave Monday’s game against Boston with an upper-body injury, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Mari Faiello. The forward took a big hit from the Bruins’ Connor Clifton in the first period and did not return. He then missed Tuesday’s practice, but skated on Friday and again this morning and is expected to return to the lineup without having missed a game, taking the place of Ryan Callahan, who will be a healthy scratch.
- The Ottawa Senators will be without defenseman Mark Borowiecki on Saturday, as he has been ruled out with an upper-body injury, according to NHL.com’s Craig Medaglia. While the 29-year-old is listed as day-to-day, the injury isn’t considered to be too serious and he is expected to return before the season ends. “It shouldn’t keep him out too long,” said the coach this morning. “Unfortunately he will not be able to play for us this evening.” The team also expects that forward Zack Smith is expected to return to the lineup tonight against Toronto.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced that veteran forward Vladimir Sobotka will be out Saturday with an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old Sobotka hasn’t had the season that many had hoped for when Buffalo picked him up this summer as part of a package for center Ryan O’Reilly. Sobotka, who recorded 11 goals and 31 points last season in St. Louis, has just five goals and 13 points this season in 69 games.
Central Notes: DeBrincat, Strome, Hamhuis, Bishop, Schuldt
With the signing earlier today of former Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Schmaltz to a seven-year, $40.95MM contract extension, The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) wonders what kind of extensions might forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome earn, as both will be eligible to sign new deals on July 1.
DeBrincat, who is in the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract, has already tallied 68 goals in two years, including a 40-goal campaign this season. With those numbers, Powers writes that the Blackhawks are most likely going to get DeBrincat to eventually sign a six-year deal, likely heading into the $8MM AAV-range, pointing out that a seven or eight-year deal is unlikely since a six-year deal will leave him looking for a third contract at age 27, the perfect age for a long-term extension. If he can continue posting 30-to-40 goal seasons, DeBrincat could be in line for double digit cap hits in the future.
As for Strome, the team may be better off waiting for another year to lock up the young forward. Strome has played well in Chicago with 14 goals and 45 points in 53 games, but both sides would be better off to wait another year for more proof that he deserves a big contract extension. Plus, it would be wise if Chicago doesn’t have two big contracts handed out in the same year, which could get expensive, possibly between $13-15MM combined.
- The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that the Nashville Predators have activated defenseman Dan Hamhuis from injured reserve. The veteran blue liner has been out with a leg injury since February 23rd, but it finally ready to return. The team’s third-pair defender has played 53 games this season for the Predators and will now partner up with rookie Dante Fabbro, who is expected to make his debut Saturday against Columbus. The Predators also announced they have assigned Troy Grosenick to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.
- SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks reports that the Dallas Stars will be without goaltender Ben Bishop on Saturday and likely longer, as he is considered to be day-to-day. The 32-year-old Bishop has been a key reason why Dallas has been playing so well as they fight to hold onto their wildcard spot. Bishop has a 2.03 GAA and a .933 save percentage so far this year and may even be a Vezina Trophy finalist at this rate. NHL.com’s Mike Heika writes that he suffered a lower-body injury while going down into the butterfly in the Stars’ last game. DeFranks also adds that Mats Zuccarello and Justin Dowling are about three days away from returning to the lineup.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the Minnesota Wild are expected to be one of the most active teams in trying to sign St. Cloud State defenseman Jimmy Schuldt in the next few days. Schuldt finished his four-year college career Friday night, posting 38 career goals. Russo reports that the Wild hope to sign the four-year blue liner by burning the first year of his deal this season and allowing him to play in the NHL for the team’s final few games.