Nazem Kadri Remains Out With Concussion
The Toronto Maple Leafs stole a point from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night when they forced overtime, but lost a key member of their forward group in the process. Nazem Kadri left the game and was later diagnosed with a concussion, and remained off the ice today at Maple Leafs practice. William Nylander took his place as the team’s third line center, meaning Kadri is not expected to play tonight against the Washington Capitals.
Kadri, 28, is having a down year offensively after recording consecutive 30-goal seasons and will now likely miss some time with this head injury. In 59 games he has just 15 goals and 35 points, but is still doing a capable job down the middle behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares. The long-time Maple Leaf has turned his game into a more defensive-minded effort and worked to improve his faceoff skills dramatically in recent seasons.
The Maple Leafs have experienced relatively good health again this season, but still sit behind the red hot Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division playoff race. Those two teams are on a first-round collision course once again, and will need all hands on deck in what should be another war. With a five-point lead on the Montreal Canadiens and a game in hand, Toronto can afford to play it slow with Kadri and make sure he is fully recovered before inserting him back into the lineup.
Trade Rumors: Johansson, Canucks, Sharks, McQuaid
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun writes that New Jersey Devils center Marcus Johansson could prove to be one of the best bargains at the trade deadline. LeBrun notes that Johansson’s stock has dropped due to his recent injury history, but has been back on the rise due to his recent production. Johansson has seven points in his past six games and buyers have taken notice. LeBrun reports that Johansson’s five-team no-trade list should not hinder a deal and Devils GM Ray Shero will pull the trigger, sooner rather than later, if he gets a fair offer. However, LeBrun believes there is a chance Shero will keep Johansson and try to re-sign him if he receives only low-ball offers. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman echoes that Johansson is for sale, but that Shero will be aggressive in the sale as he was with Brian Boyle. Friedman names the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks as teams that have already checked in on Johansson, but that will hardly be the extent of the interest by the time the deadline rolls around.
- Friedman believes that the Canucks, who seem like an outlier among the buyers interested in Johansson, are looking to replace the production of the injured Sven Baertschi as they try to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Although few expect Vancouver to be major buyers, they are still just one point out of the final wild card spot and could make some minor tweaks to stay involved. Friedman adds that Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky is another forward that the Canucks have looked into. Burakovsky makes for an interesting fit in Vancouver, as the Capitals seek a replacement forward in return and the Canucks have their own talented, but underwhelming young forward on the block in Nikolay Goldobin. A deal centered around the duo seems like a possibility.
- As for the Sharks, Friedman believes that they intend to add forward depth before the deadline. While Johansson seems to be of interest, Friedman notes that a very different style of player could also be in their sights. He believes that a reunion with Eric Fehr, currently with the Minnesota Wild, could be in store. The Wild appear to be sellers now and Fehr, who fit in well as a deadline addition for the team last year, is a logical target for both the team’s cap situation and need to strengthen their defensive play up front. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz feels that San Jose needs to target a goaltender before the deadline. The Sharks have received poor results from Martin Jones and Aaron Dell this season – the team has the worst even strength save percentage in the league – and last nights’s game, in which Jones allowed six goals on 20 shots against the Boston Bruins could be the last straw. While Kurz comes to the conclusion that an addition in net is unlikely, he hopes the team considers all of their options.
- Appearing on TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, Bob McKenzie stated that New York Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid is very likely to be moved before the deadline. The impending UFA defender was acquired from the Boston Bruins this off-season for a fourth-round and seventh-round pick, as well as fellow blue liner Steven Kampfer, and McKenzie feels that the Rangers will move him for any package wherein they can recoup those picks or better. Friedman says similar, writing that there has been “traction” on McQuaid move. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been frequently linked to McQuaid, but the tough, stay-at-home righty should have a significant market.
Minor Transactions: 02/19/19
The NHL is busy tonight with nine games on the schedule, including a Central Division battle between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. With the St. Louis Blues on a ten game winning streak, the Stars are just trying to keep pace in the playoff race while the Predators try to hold onto second spot. As teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman as Dustin Byfuglien deals with another injury. Byfuglien will miss the next few games, meaning Poolman is up to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. The 25-year old has played 30 games for the Manitoba Moose this year, but is still waiting to make his season debut in the NHL.
- Ashton Sautner has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks as they deal with several injuries to their defense corps. Sautner, 24, played in five games for the Canucks last year but has spent this entire season in the minor leagues.
- With Victor Rask moved to injured reserve, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Cal O’Reilly from the AHL. O’Reilly has 38 points in 43 games with the Iowa Wild this season and has long been an exceptional minor league player. The 32-year old has yet to make his season debut for Minnesota. UPDATE: O’Reilly has been sent back to the minor leagues already.
- Dale Weise is on his way back to the minor leagues, this time to make room on the roster for Paul Byron. The Montreal Canadiens have activated Byron from injured reserve, a huge boost to their team as they search for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
- Blake Coleman has been activated from injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, meaning the end of the run for Nick Lappin. The Devils sent Lappin back to the AHL today after just three games in the NHL.
- Jan Rutta has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning as Victor Hedman deals with a minor injury. Mathieu Joseph has been returned to the AHL to make room on the roster for another defenseman. Hedman is not expected to be out long.
Kyle Okposo Sent Home For Medical Testing
Tuesday: The Sabres have announced that it is indeed a concussion for Okposo. The forward is out indefinitely.
Monday: The Buffalo Sabres have sent Kyle Okposo home to be evaluated by team doctors. Okposo left Friday’s game after taking a hard punch from Anthony DeAngelo, and ended up missing Buffalo’s next match against the New Jersey Devils. Head coach Phil Housley could not provide any update after practice.
The last thing anyone wants to hear with regards to Okposo is that he has suffered a head injury, given his recent history. In April 2017 Okposo was hospitalized and moved to the Neuro Surgical ICU at Buffalo General Hospital after suffering a concussion and experiencing severe symptoms. The next year, in March 2018, Okposo was diagnosed with another concussion that kept him out for nearly two weeks. On Saturday, the team announced that Okposo had not suffered a concussion this time around, hopefully a diagnosis that is still true after this latest development.
The Sabres are back in action tomorrow night in Florida, and won’t be back in Buffalo until Saturday night. Okposo leaving the team would suggest that he at least will not be available for the next two games, though it is not clear how long he will be out after that. The 30-year old forward has 22 points in 59 games, including just seven in his last 32.
Jake Virtanen Out A Month With Broken Rib
It was all starting to come together for Jake Virtanen, but he’ll now miss a good chunk of the season thanks to injury. The young Vancouver Canucks forward will be out a month with a fractured rib according to head coach Travis Green. Green also indicated that Chris Tanev is seeing a doctor today to determine the length of his injury timeline. Virtanen had already been placed on injured reserve.
Virtanen, 22, has already set career-highs this season with 12 goals and 22 points. As he starts to become the power forward the team envisioned when they selected him sixth overall in 2014, the Canucks have begun to give him more responsibility and ice time. Virtanen has responded well, recording 119 hits in 58 games while still posting positive possession statistics.
The injury, likely sustained on an open-ice hit from Ryan Getzlaf, will put a temporary end to all the progression Virtanen has experienced this season. After already missing the team’s last two games, another month would mean a total of 13 contests lost. It would also mean that the young forward won’t be able to help the team push for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, something that is just barely out of reach. The Minnesota Wild currently hold the second wild card position with 60 points, while the Canucks sit at 59 and fourth in the Pacific Division.
Five Key Stories: 2/11/19 – 2/17/19
With the trade deadline now just over a week away, activity has started to pick up around the NHL. Rumors of major trades continue, but so far just a few deals have been completed.
Lafreniere To Stay In CHL: Potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere set the record straight after rumors were circulating that the 17-year-old may opt to sign a contract overseas and follow the footsteps of Auston Matthews who played his draft year in the Swiss NLA. Lafreniere’s agent, Momentum Hockey Agency, released a statement making it clear that while the young talent did look into playing overseas, he and his family decided to stay in the CHL with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL where he’s played the last two years, having totaled 74 goals and 172 points in 110 games. At 6-foot-1, he already has the size and proven ability to play in a professional league, but he will stay put for one more year.
Pastrnak, Maatta Injured: The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins each took a hit to their team when each team lost a significant player to injury. The Boston Bruins lost David Pastrnak for a minimum of two weeks after he underwent thumb surgery on Feb. 12 after he fell at a team function. The Bruins, who are fighting with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second spot in the Atlantic Division won’t be helped even if its for a few weeks without Pastrnak, who is the team’s leading scorer with 31 goals as well as 66 points, second on the team. The Penguins also took a hit on their blueline when they placed Olli Maatta on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that would sideline him indefinitely. The team was getting back Justin Schultz from injury at the time, but the team was looking forward to getting back a fully healthy defense, which now they won’t have for some time. To make matters worse, the team had recently dealt away Jamie Oleksiak to make room for Schultz, leaving the team with a lack of depth all of the sudden.
Wild Owner Approves Selling: Just hours after Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau guaranteed that the Wild would make the playoffs, Wild owner Craig Leipold announced that he has given general manager Paul Fenton the green light to sell off some of the team’s players in advance of the upcoming trade deadline. With the team dropping four straight and having a 2-5-3 record in their last 10 games, it might be time for Fenton to make his mark on this team after being hired this summer to fix the team’s inability to advance deep into the playoffs. Among the numerous players who could be shipped off include pending unrestricted free agent Eric Staal as well as Charlie Coyle, who still has one more year on his deal. There are also a number of bottom six players who could be moved as well, including Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, Brad Hunt, Matt Bartkowski and Anthony Bitetto.
Philadelphia’s Hart Gets A Mentor: The Philadelphia Flyers finally consummated a rumored trade in which it acquired Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot for Anthony Stolarz. While Edmonton freed themselves some much needed cap room as Talbot was making $4.17MM, the Flyers got themselves what they hope will be a long-term veteran who can mentor their prized rookie Carter Hart for the next few years. Talbot, who was already familiar with Hart before, waived his no-movement clause to come to Philadelphia and made it clear that he was open to signing a new contract before July 1 to remain with the team.
Ottawa Intends To Trade Duchene: The Ottawa Senators have stopped in their attempts to sign Matt Duchene to an extension and have indicated to all teams that they intend to trade the 26-year-old center. According to reports, the Senators have shifted their focus of signing Duchene to making a full effort to locking up Mark Stone to an extension. Stone may have a day or two to make up his mind on whether he is willing to sign an extension or he too, will be made available to the league with the intention of selling them off at the trade deadline. Already there has been rumors that the Nashville Predators, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders have expressed serious interest in acquiring the center with more suitors likely to join in before the upcoming trade deadline on Feb. 25.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Arizona’s Christian Dvorak Assigned To AHL On Conditioning Stint
The Arizona Coyotes may be getting back a familiar face soon as general manager John Chayka announced that forward Christian Dvorak was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL for a conditioning stint, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required). Dvorak, who tore his pectoral muscle in training camp while rehabbing a separate injury, has missed the entire season, but is expected to be in the Roadrunners’ lineup on Wednesday.
“We were thinking about having him play (Saturday) but it got pushed back,” Chayka said. “He could do down there play one game or he might play two, three or four. It really is just kind of a feel thing at this point. If you (watched Saturday’s game against Toronto), it’s moving pretty quick out there so without a training camp or any games, he’s got to get back up and running. He is fully healthy. He really is day-to-day now.”
The 23-year-old Dvorak had put up 15 goals in each of his last two seasons in Arizona and many felt that the forward would take that next step this season. He finished the season last year with 15 goals and 37 points. The team believed he would be a significant part of the team’s offense this season and rewarded him with a six-year, $26.7MM extension in August before he got hurt. His return would be well appreciated by the team as they have a number of players on injured reserve, including starting goaltender Antti Raanta, forwards Michael Grabner, Nick Schmaltz and defenseman Jason Demers among many.
The Arizona Republic’s Richard Morin writes that the team will be on the road for the next three games and won’t play at home until Feb. 24 against Winnipeg, which might be the perfect time for Dvorak to make his debut, assuming all goes well on his conditioning stint.
Chayka also provided an update on three other players, including Demers who is trying to return from knee surgery in November. Demers has been skating with the team in a non-contact jersey, but remains week-to-week. He hasn’t been medically cleared yet. Grabner is also close to returning after suffering a gruesome eye injury on Dec. 1. He is also skating in a non-contact jersey, but no word on when he might be ready for game action. Chayka admitted that Raanta is believed to be out for the season. While his rehab is going well, it’s unlikely there are enough games on the schedule for him to be ready in time before the season ends, unless the team made a playoff run.
Metropolitan Notes: Duchene, Pionk, Talbot, Elliott
Now that the Matt Duchene sweepstakes have started up after it was announced Saturday night that the Senators have decided to trade their star center after they have failed to negotiate an extension. While the report suggested that the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets were the two teams that have been in on acquiring the 26-year-old, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the New York Islanders and general manager Lou Lamoriello are also very interested in bringing Duchene over to Long Island.
While no one is ever sure what Lamoriello plans to do, he is also well known for making an impact at the trade deadline and even though the Islanders are in first place in the Metropolitan Division, the team is still looking for an identity and has plenty of cap room and prospects to work out a potential blockbuster package if Lamoriello wants to do it. The team is still looking for a replacement for the loss of star John Tavares, who left for Toronto during the offseason. Duchene might be a solid No. 2 center for New York and could be viewed as a long-term piece in New York.
- The New York Rangers got some good news after defenseman Neal Pionk sat out the third period of Sunday’s game after taking a stick to the eye from Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, which many felt was a sign that the injury was severe. However, Rangers’ head coach David Quinn said that Pionk was held out for precautionary reasons and is expected to play Tuesday against Carolina.
- Despite being acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday morning, the Philadelphia Flyers won’t have goaltender Cam Talbot available for their Sunday game against Detroit. The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that while no reason was given, it’s likely because Talbot is moving from Canada to the U.S. and with his primary employment being moved between countries, he likely will be dealing with visa issues for a little while.
- Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that the earliest Talbot could be ready will be Thursday, but the team could get back Brian Elliott even sooner. Depending on how he feels after his game Sunday, Elliott could be available to join Philadelphia on Tuesday and serve as a backup. Elliott has been out of the lineup since Nov. 15 with a lower-body injury. However, with Mike McKenna on the roster and Talbot soon to follow, the team will have four goaltenders and will be forced to make a move, most likely waiving McKenna.
Atlantic Notes: Muzzin, Zadina, Scandella, Rodewald
A lot of praise was sent towards Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and the organization for pulling off an impressive trade when they acquired defenseman Jake Muzzin from Los Angeles for a what’s likely to be a late first-rounder and two above average prospects. The move didn’t take away any players off their current roster and only made them better.
However, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun writes that Mike Babcock may not be integrating Muzzin properly so far. The 29-year-old averaged 21:32 of ice time in 50 games with the Kings. However, his ATOI is quite a bit less in Toronto with Babcock playing him just 18:37. The team has no intention of moving Morgan Rielly away from the left-side, but the team might be better off moving Muzzin to the right side and allowing him to play alongside Rielly. At the moment, Muzzin is playing on the second defensive unit. Regardless, the team needs to find a way of increasing Muzzin’s minutes.
- Peter Wallner of MLive.com writes that the hottest player currently on the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL is 2018 first-rounder Filip Zadina, who scored an overtime goal Saturday to pick up his fourth goal in four games. The 19-year-old winger who naturally struggled early on when he arrived in the AHL, seems to have found his stride. He has seven points in his last eight games and has had a plus-six rating, a big improvement considering he had a minus-16 rating previous to the run. He now has 15 goals and 29 points in 43 games. While there is no word on whether the team might bring him to Detroit at some point, with the team currently struggling, a recall is potentially possible, although the team might be wary of allowing him to play more than 10 games this year and burning that first year of his entry-level deal.
- NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella is injured once again and did not go with the team on their current road trip, although he could rejoin them. Head coach Phil Housley said that Scandella will be evaluated for an undisclosed injury. “Being evaluated by doctors and we’ll know more hopefully when we get down to Florida,” said Housley. It’s very likely the team will place him on injured reserve until he is ready to return.
- TSN 1200 reported that the Ottawa Senators activated Jack Rodewald from injured reserve Saturday and have already assigned the 25-year-old forward to Belleville of the AHL. Rodewald was injured in a game against Anaheim on Feb. 7 with a lower-body injury and was expected to miss two weeks. He had played in six games with Ottawa, but had failed to record a point. The team also activated forward Mikkel Boedker from a mid-body injury.
Senators’ Julius Bergman Likely To Return To Sweden
The entire Mike Hoffman situation last summer was regrettable for all involved and forced the Ottawa Senators’ hand. However, since the initial trade out of Ottawa, it has only gotten worse for the Senators. First, the team received an underwhelming return back for the perennial 20-goal scorer; the San Jose Sharks sent capable, but overpaid forward Mikkel Boedker, prospect defenseman Julius Bergman, and a sixth-round pick in exchange for Hoffman, Cody Donaghey, and a fifth-round pick. Then, they watched as the Sharks flipped Hoffman the same day to the Florida Panthers for second-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks, a much more desirable return. Over the course of this season, the Senators have been disappointed by Bergman, the default centerpiece of the Hoffman package, who has just six points through 33 games with the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Now, it seems they are about to lose Bergman entirely, just one year after acquiring him.
Sport Bladet, a reputable Swedish news source, reports that Bergman has agreed in principal on a contract to return to his former Swedish Hockey League club, Frolunda HC. Seeing as the NHL season is not yet over, Bergman cannot officially agree to any such contract. However, the 23-year-old defender is at the end of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent this off-season. The Senators can only issue a qualifying offer to retain his rights, but can do nothing to stop him from signing in Sweden if he so chooses.
For all of his struggles this season, Bergman is still considered a promising prospect. A second-round pick out of Frolunda in 2014, Bergman made the jump overseas immediately to play with the OHL’s London Knights. In his one junior season, he scored 13 goals and added 29 assists as a top-pair defenseman for the Knights. He spent the next three seasons with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, recording 61 total points, highlighted by a 30-point campaign in 2016-17 that also included a dominant postseason performance. However, that production has dried up since his arrival in the Senators’ organization. An offensive defenseman who suddenly isn’t scoring, Bergman hasn’t given the team any reason to rush him to the NHL, yet the Sport Bladet article cites his frustration at not getting any NHL opportunity as one of the reasons for his return to Sweden.
It is still possible that Bergman decides to stay with the Senators instead of joining Frolunda. It is also possible that he spends a year or two in Sweden and wants to return as a more polished product. However, there is also a strong possibility that these next few months in the AHL are the last we see of Bergman in North America, adding insult to injury for a poor trade made in a difficult situation by the Senators.