Pacific Notes: Canucks, Silfverberg, Ferguson, Coyotes
After trading for New York Rangers third-string keeper Marek Mazanec yesterday, the Vancouver Canucks are returning to some semblance of a normal situation in net. The team announced that starter Jacob Markstrom has been cleared to play and will get the start tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. Mazanec will be the backup, and if Markstrom can’t hold up, could make his first NHL appearance since 2016-17 after exclusively playing in the AHL the past two years. As for Michael DiPietro, the young prospect is on his way back to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, as his emergency loan has come to an end. DiPietro allowed seven goals on 24 shots in his NHL debut on Monday, a forgettable performance that he’s unlikely to forget. Meanwhile, the team did not issue an update on backup Thatcher Demko, Vancouver’s other top young goalie, who is currently on the injured reserve with a knee injury. If the Canucks hope to sneak into the playoffs, they’ll likely need both Markstrom and Demko to get healthy for the stretch run.
- As usual, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided plenty of insider information in his latest edition of “31 Thoughts”. An encouraging note for Ducks fans, especially during a stretch without much good news in Anaheim, is that Friedman claims term is the only thing separating the team and winger Jakob Silfverberg from agreeing to a contract extension. While that means the two sides are still apart, it was cap hit that was the major roadblock to a new deal. Due to Anaheim’s overall lack of cap space and the restrictions of “tagging”, many speculated that Silfverberg’s desired salary would be too difficult for the Ducks to manage. The fact that term remains “the final hurdle”, as Friedman puts it, would seem to indicate that the dollars have been agreed upon and a the odds of a new contract getting done are better than not.
- Friedman adds a new name to the list of Edmonton Oilers GM candidates. While he maintains that Vegas Golden Knights AGM Kelly McCrimmon and former Toronto Maple Leafs executive Mark Hunter remain popular options, he also adds Boston Bruins AGM John Ferguson Jr. to the mix. Friedman notes that interim GM Keith Gretzky, who appears to have some job insurance moving forward even if it isn’t at his current position, has experience working with Ferguson from his own time with the Bruins. Ferguson is a well-respected NHL executive who previously served as the Toronto Maple Leafs GM from 2003 to 2008 and has been with the Bruins for the better part of this decade. This also isn’t the first time that his name has come up in regards to an opening; Ferguson was considered a candidate to run the Vegas Golden Knights and has already been considered a candidate to do the same with the Seattle expansion team. However, GM jobs don’t come around very often and, like McCrimmon, if Ferguson is offered the Edmonton job, is unlikely to pass in favor of waiting on Seattle.
- One last interesting note comes in regards to the Arizona Coyotes. Friedman points out that the Coyotes are struggling with so many injuries that their AHL affiliate, the Tuscon Roadrunners, could only ice a lineup of 17 skaters last night, playing a man down. CapFriendly’s depth chart shows that only 15 skaters under contract with the ‘Yotes, including just nine forwards, are currently in Tuscon, as Arizona needs all the help they can get at the NHL level. Fortunately, Mario Kempe, Brad Richardson, and Christian Dvorak are all getting close to a return, while Michael Grabner and Jason Demers returned to practice today writes The Athletic’s Catherine Silverman. The closer the Coyotes get to full health this season, the better their chances are to push for a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference race.
Ducks Activate Ryan Miller; Place John Gibson, Chad Johnson On IR
Talk about a reshuffling in net. Anaheim Ducks GM and now head coach Bob Murray announced today that starting goalie John Gibson and backup Chad Johnson have been placed on the injured reserve. The Athletic’s Eric Stephens adds that Kevin Boyle will make his first NHL start tonight as the Ducks face the Vancouver Canucks and will be backed up by Ryan Miller, who has been activated from the injured reserve.
Gibson, the Ducks’ Vezina-caliber keeper, missed Anaheim’s last game with an undisclosed upper-body injury suffered in his previous game. Murray provided some more clarity on that situation, describing Gibson’s injury as head, neck, and back soreness from being “whacked a whole bunch on one play”. The Ducks’ release noted that Gibson is improving, but the team still opted to place him on IR. Gibson should return to action when the requisite ten days have passed.
As for Johnson, this move seems just as much about moving Miller off of IR as it does the current backup’s status. Officially, Johnson is out with a head injury, but as Stephens notes, he took a puck up high yesterday in practice and was suffering from a headache. While all head injuries should be taken seriously, an IR stint may be considered overkill in this situation. However, the Ducks do not want to carry three goalies for the rest of the season, so have put off the decision – possibly in hopes of solving the problem via trade – by deactivating Johnson and activating Miller, who seemingly has been deemed the better option to backup Boyle in the short term. It remains to be seen if Miller is actually ready to take the net again for Anaheim. He has been sidelined with a knee injury since early December and was not expected back for another few weeks. Hopefully, Boyle can follow up a pretty good NHL debut with a strong start (or several).
Blackhawks Notes: Deadline Status, Kampf, Crawford, Snuggerud
When the Boston Bruins snapped the Chicago Blackhawks’ winning streak at seven games last night, it brought to light how little the run actually meant in the bigger picture. The Blackhawks have certainly improved in the second half, but are still on the outside looking in by a substantial margin. Even after stockpiling points over the last few weeks, Chicago is currently 12th in the Western Conference and virtually tied with the Edmonton Oilers in points percentage, who trail by two points but have two games in hand. The Blackhawks are four points behind the Minnesota Wild in for the final wild card spot and would have to leapfrog three more teams to get there, two of which hold games in hand, too. The upcoming schedule for the ‘Hawks is light; it features five home contests and six non-playoff teams out of eight games. However, the schedule is not as easy the rest of the way. If management takes another small stretch of success before the deadline to mean that the team should not be sellers this season, it could be a mistake. Given that Chicago’s top rentals are not imperative to winning anyway – Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz, Andreas Martinsen, Cam Ward – the best and most likely course of action will be for the Blackhawks to entertain all trade offers over the remaining days before the deadline and not engage in any buyer talk.
- The Blackhawks announced today that center David Kampf has been placed on injured reserve. Although the placement is retroactive to February 5th, do not expect Kampf back soon. NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis notes that the timeline to return is three to four weeks, making a reappearance by Kampf before the end of the month unlikely. Kampf has 16 points in 50 games for the Blackhawks this season and has been a solid bottom-six forward for the team in his second year since making the jump from Europe.
- The silver lining to Kampf’s injury, as Roumeliotis points out, is that it opens up a roster spot for goaltender Corey Crawford to potentially make his return. Crawford has reportedly been getting close to game readiness and after missing the past two months while battling concussion symptoms. If Crawford is able to return and at least show that he is capable of splitting time with rookie Collin Delia, that would give the Blackhawks even further encouragement to peddle veteran backup Ward before the deadline rather than carry three goalies.
- Luc Snuggerud worked quickly to find a new team after his contract was terminated by the Blackhawks on Monday. The young defenseman has signed with a rather obscure club, the Stavanger Oilers in Norway. The team announced a contract for the remainder of the season with Snuggerud. While hockey is growing in Norway, the national pro league is not considered to be among the elite in Europe. In fact, on the entire Oilers roster, including eight North American skaters, only Greg Mauldin has any NHL experience. As such, Snuggerud is expected to step in and make an immediate impact for Stavanger, which is what he was unable to do in the Blackhawks organization.
Olli Maatta Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury
The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost one of their defensemen for the time being, as Olli Maatta has been placed on injured reserve. The team announced that Maatta will be out indefinitely following an upper-body injury suffered last night.
Pittsburgh was just about to experience their full defensive corps given Justin Schultz‘ imminent return from injury, but will now have to deal with another glaring hole on the back end. Maatta, for all the flaws that have been pointed out in his game over the years—mostly regarding his skating ability—has been an effective defensive zone and short-handed option for the Penguins all season. Schultz doesn’t fill that specific role, so the team will need to lean even more heavily on the likes of Brian Dumoulin and Jack Johnson.
The injury, which appears to be to Maatta’s shoulder, will hopefully not keep the 24-year old out of the playoffs where he has performed admirably over the years. During the team’s 2017 Stanley Cup run, Maatta logged nearly 21 minutes a night in the absence of Kris Letang. Even last season Maatta was a reliable playoff option on the blue line, easily leading the defense corps with a +8 rating in 12 games.
If he is facing a long-term recovery, it will be interesting to see if the Penguins go out and add another name to their group for the stretch run. They traded away Jamie Oleksiak earlier this season despite his positive contributions, and don’t have an obvious option in the minor leagues should anyone else suffer an injury. Losing Maatta doesn’t cripple the Penguins, but it is certainly a damaging blow.
David Pastrnak Undergoes Thumb Surgery
The Boston Bruins are going to be without their most potent offensive weapon for a little while, as today the team announced David Pastrnak has undergone successful thumb surgery. He will be re-evaluated after two weeks, but the team is confident he will return to play this season. The injury occurred when Pastrnak fell at a team function.
This is about the worst news Bruins fans could hear with just a few weeks left before the trade deadline and the team fighting for position in the Atlantic Division. Pastrnak is a dominant offensive player and is averaging more ice time than any Bruins forward not named Brad Marchand. Boston’s secondary scoring issues will now be put under the microscope, as even before the injury the Bruins had been criticized for being a one-line team.
In fact, Boston has just four forwards with even 20 points on the season. Names like Jake Debrusk (19 points), Danton Heinen (16) and Sean Kuraly (14) have been dreadfully disappointing in the offensive zone, but will now have to step up and carry some of the load that had been on Pastrnak. The Bruins are currently sitting just one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division, but also have the Montreal Canadiens hot on their tail. A slump, even a short one, could certainly see the Bruins fall to fourth in the division.
It’s that tenuous playoff position that makes this injury all the more interesting, given that Boston was already expected to add at the trade deadline. While GM Don Sweeney told reporters that it won’t change his strategy heading into the deadline, it’s hard to imagine it won’t at least have some effect. Losing Pastrnak even for just a few weeks may highlight some of the weaknesses on the roster and force Sweeney to make a move to give his club a chance.
Ottawa Senators Recall Filip Gustavsson
The Ottawa Senators have decided it is time to give one of their top prospects a shot, recalling goaltender Filip Gustavsson from the minor leagues. This comes after Craig Anderson suffered a minor injury—a tennis ball to the eye—and will be held out of tonight’s game. Darren Archibald has also been recalled for the Senators.
Gustavsson, 20, was the main piece brought back when the Senators traded Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. The young goaltender made his North American debut at the end of the year, getting into seven games with Belleville. Unfortunately things haven’t gone swimmingly in his first full AHL season, as the Swedish netminder carries just a 12-15-1 record with an .886 save percentage.
Whether Gustavsson gets into a game during this call-up, he is the future in net for the Senators. The team currently has no goaltenders other than him under contract past 2019-20, and one would expect Anderson to be on his way out of the NHL by that time. The veteran netminder is already 37 and is now almost two years removed from his excellent 2016-17 season.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Tyson Jost
If something doesn’t change soon, the Colorado Avalanche could be out of the playoff conversation by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around in two weeks. The team is on a seven-game win-less streak and have only won three of their past 20 games dating back to before Christmas. The Avs are currently in tenth in the Western Conference, four points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final wild card spot. The team that looked early on like a safe bet to earn a Central Division slot is now in real danger of missing the postseason completely.
With this struggle also comes an increased risk of being a buyer at the deadline. While the young Avalanche were not expected to be a heavy presence on the market regardless, they may be scared away from moving trade capital at all with their postseason hopes in a downward spiral. As such, if Colorado wants to improve their play and try to get back into playoff position, that help will likely have to come internally. The first move in that direction may have come today, as the Avalanche have announced the recall of young forward Tyson Jost from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Jost, 20, was the tenth overall pick in 2016 by the Avs after scoring more than 100 points for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees the season prior. He was then a point-per-game player in his first and only season with the University of North Dakota. However, Jost has been unable to find that kind of production and consistency in the NHL. Last season, Jost recorded 22 points in 65 games for the Avalanche, which was not terrible for a rookie, but was underwhelming considering the ice time and situations Jost found himself with. The young center then landed in the AHL last month after registering just six goals and 15 points in his first 43 games.
Rather than let the demotion affect his play, Jost has put together four goals and an assist through eight games with the Eagles and has even fought back from an injury earlier this month that was expected to keep him out an “extended period”. All signs point to Jost being determined to get back to the NHL and be a difference-maker, which is exactly what the Avs need. Colorado is still a top ten team in goals per game, but drastically needs improved secondary scoring behind their dominant top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog. If Jost can be the spark that gets some offense going in the bottom-nine, that could be enough to get the Avalanche back to their winning ways. The team’s next five games are against current playoff teams, so we’ll soon see whether the talented young forward can be an x-factor for Colorado down the stretch.
Pacific Notes: Hitchcock, Sekera, Vlasic
Edmonton Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock may have hit his threshold for how much he can take of the current situation in Edmonton where the Oilers have lost seven of their last eight games, according to the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples. Hitchcock, who took over in November for former head coach Todd McLellan, lashed out to the media about his team’s 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
“At this time of year, the coaches can’t want it more than the players,” Hitchcock said. “That is number one. At the end of the day, it’s going to be decided whether we want to play the right way cause it’s successful, or whether we just want to do our thing. And to me today was a game we just wanted to do our thing and paid dearly for it.”
One player Hitchcock was targeting was star Leon Draisaitl, whose weak backcheck was responsible for one of the goals scored against the team. Despite the fact that Draisaitl is having a career year offensively, more is expected of him.
“(It’s) symptom of something of much bigger,” said Hitchcock. “To me, it’s priorities and it’s what’s important. I mean, look at the fifth goal, it was a change goal, we just dribbling went to the bench (again this was Draisaitl), turned it over in the neutral zone and just walked to the bench and changed. It just can’t be acceptable.”
- Sticking with the Oilers, the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that defenseman Andrej Sekera, who has been out all season after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon, in August, played in his second game conditioning stint with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and could have to make move to bring him back by Wednesday after his conditioning stint ends. Sekera fared well, but whether he’s quick enough to play at the NHL level again, is another question, according to Leavins. The team, which has Sekera on LTIR, will have to make a move to be able to activate Sekera.
- Since missing 10 games before the All-Star break with what is believed to be a shoulder injury, San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has seen a major improvement in his game, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required). His play is one of the reason, the Sharks have won four straight without Erik Karlsson. He’s had one assist and a plus-three rating, while showing that he’s rejuvenated. “I think he’s playing with a little more jump, a little more urgency in his game,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s probably the two things. A little more decisiveness, which has kind of been a hallmark of what his game is about, especially ending plays and defending. He’s looked really good.”
Eastern Notes: Zuccarello, Burakovsky, Grzelcyk
With just over two week remaining before the NHL trade deadline, the New York Rangers like what they are seeing from veteran Mats Zuccarello, who is only helping his trade value for the team as he’s picked up five goals and 10 assists in the last 10 games, giving the team the potential for a big return. However, the 31-year-old says that he would like that trade to happen sooner than later, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen.
“I just wish sooner rather than later, just to clarify it,” Zuccarello said Sunday. “But I’m here now. I’ll play my hardest and do my best. That’s all I can control.”
While the 31-year-old is a fan favorite in New York, the rebuilding team isn’t likely to bring back the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent next season, who will be 32 at the start of next season. However, he’d be a better fit on a playoff team, looking for a playmaker. However, his strong play recently should get him a new opportunity.
- NBC Sports J.J. Regan writes that the Washington Capitals have seen a recent resurgence from their third line of Andrei Burakovsky, Lars Eller and Brett Connolly has been crucial to the team’s recent success. However, with Burakovsky’s name constantly in the news as potential trade bait, he has played two straight games playing high-quality hockey, putting up a goal and two assists. The question then is whether the team should move the inconsistent forward who still has just 15 points this season. However, with restricted free agency upcoming this summer, the team might be better off moving on from him regardless because the Capitals will have to offer him a salary of $3.25MM in order to qualify him and retain his rights as a restricted free agent. The Capitals, already strapped under the salary cap, may not be ready to do this.
- The Boston Bruins announced that defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who has missed both weekend games with a lower-body injury, is expected to skate Monday and could return on Tuesday against Chicago. The 25-year-old has a goal and 14 points in 50 games this season with 54 penalty minutes.
Minor Transactions: 02/10/2019
After a 14-game slate yesterday, several teams are back in action today as the NHL trots out eight more games, including six matinees. Among the match-ups, St. Louis and Nashville will complete their weekend home-and-home series, in-state rivals Tampa and Florida are set to square off, and Chicago looks to extend their league-best six-game win streak as they host Detroit. Meanwhile, many teams will be tinkering with their rosters in anticipation of a new week of games. Tomorrow marks two weeks out from the NHL Trade Deadline and some minor moves could be clues of bigger things to come. Stay tuned right here:
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled a recently-acquired piece. The team has announced that forward Justin Bailey has received his first call-up since coming over from the Buffalo Sabres last month. Bailey, 23, was swapped for Taylor Leier and since arriving in Lehigh Valley has five goals and seven points in ten games with the AHL Phantoms. Bailey has NHL experience with the Sabres, but this is the first test of how he fits in the Philly lineup. Ideally, Bailey will challenge to fill a starting winger spot next season in the likely absence of impending free agents Wayne Simmonds and Michael Raffl.
- Another player traded away by Buffalo is getting the opposite of an NHL opportunity. First-year pro Cliff Pu, the centerpiece prospect of the Jeff Skinner trade, has been reassigned by the Carolina Hurricanes from the AHL to the ECHL. Pu, a 2016 third-round pick, heads to the Florida Everblades after recording just six points through 42 games with the Charlotte Checkers, the team announced. Admittedly, Pu was joined by future second-, third-, and sixth-round picks in the Skinner return, but the optics are poor for the Hurricanes that Pu has struggled mightily in the minors while Skinner’s 33 goals are second-best in the NHL.
- The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled forward Jamie McGinn from Springfield of the AHL and have placed Colton Sceviour on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. McGinn was just placed on waivers on Feb. 1 and has looked impressive in four games with the Thunderbirds with two goals and four points. The 30-year-old underwent back surgery in September, but has shown he might be ready to return to the team’s bottom-six. Sceviour played a full shift Saturday against Washington and has five goals and 14 points.
- With the loss of Sven Baertschi, who will be out for a while, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled Zach MacEwen from the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 22-year-old was brought into the system as an undrafted free agent, but has thrived with Utica, especially this year where he has 17 goals and 42 points in 49 games along with 49 penalty minutes. He gets called up one day after posting a four-point game against Rochester.