Gustav Nyquist Receives Six Game Suspension
Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report on Twitter that Detroit Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist has been given a six-game suspension for his high stick on the Minnesota Wild’s Jared Spurgeon this weekend. This comes after Nyquist waived his right to an in-person hearing that came with an expected minimum of six games. Because the Red Wings have a mandated bye-week starting a week from today, he’ll be eligible to return March 4th against the Edmonton Oilers.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that it will cost Nyquist $158,333.33 in salary, though that amount will still count against the Red Wings’ cap. 
His suspension comes on the heels of Antoine Vermette receiving a ten-game ban for a much less violent stick infraction. That incident came with a automatic minimum suspension of 10 games, because it involved an official. The six game suspension is tied for the second longest suspension this season with Radko Gudas for his late, high hit on Austin Czarnik back in October. Gudas was a repeat offender, while this is Nyquist’s first interaction with the Department of Player Safety.
Many fans will be surprised by this outcome, given what looked like intent to injure on Nyquist’s part. He seemed to be looking right at Spurgeon when he attacked him in a retaliatory manner—Spurgeon had cross checked him into the boards moments prior.
In the league’s official video report, the Department said that it was “not an accidental or inadvertent high stick”. Nyquist said during his phone hearing that he was trying to get his stick around Spurgeon’s body to deliver a cross check of his own. In the report, they do include that since there was no injury sustained on the play (Spurgeon would return to the game quickly after receiving stitches in the dressing room) and he had no prior history of discipline, he was given a lesser suspension.
As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports, Ken Holland will not appeal the suspension. It sounds like Nyquist admitted fault in the hearing and will accept his punishment. Perhaps it is true that he wasn’t attempting to high-stick him, but he has to control his stick at all times. It could have easily resulted in a much more severe injury for Spurgeon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Candidates: Brendan Smith
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
As the Detroit Red Wings slip deeper into the Eastern Conference basement, their hopes of a 26th consecutive playoff appearance slip away as well. Brendan Smith is one of many names rumored to be shipped out of Hockeytown.
Contract
Final season of a two-year, $5.5MM deal. $2.75MM AAV.
2016-17
Smith has been somewhat of an enigma in Detroit. On one hand, it’s never seemed like he got a fair shake in the Motor City. On another, when given chances this season, Smith has not been at his best. Fighting injury and other defensemen for ice time, Smith is in the final year of his contract and is destined to be wearing a different jersey next season.
Season Stats
GP 29; 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points; -1; 18:19 TOI; 50% CF
Suitors
Depth on the blue line is one of the greatest assets come playoff time. A promising playoff run can be derailed by injury, especially due to the grueling nature of the NHL playoffs. Smith’s affordable contract and offensive upside could be an asset looking for a top six defenseman. Though Smith would fill in best as a fifth or sixth defenseman, he could still bring value to a team.
The Chicago Blackhawks could squeeze him in, should they not acquire anyone else, especially since there are rumors tied to them about having interest in Thomas Vanek as well. Should the Red Wings be willing to eat salary, the Blackhawks could offer a mid round or lower end pick. Or, they could get creative in terms of trading players that can match up monetarily. The Los Angeles Kings are another option, always looking for defenseman to strengthen their blue line. In the east, Montreal would be an option, while the Columbus Blue Jackets could bring him into the fold to help its depth. While Smith won’t garner much in the way of prospects, getting a draft pick instead of losing him as a free agent is certainly a better option.
Likelihood Of A Trade
General manager Ken Holland has indicated that selling is becoming the more realistic option as Detroit’s playoff hopes fade. Smith offers a chance to snag a draft pick or a prospect, depending on the trade partner. With Smith being in the final year of his contract, it’s a high probability that he’s shipped out.
Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings
With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
It’s been quite the purgatory for the Detroit Red Wings. Mike Ilitch, who transformed the Dead Wings into a four time Stanley Cup Champion, passed away on Friday. As if losing the owner who many current and former players considered to be a father figure wasn’t enough, the Wings 25-year playoff streak may end at a quarter century. Struggling to piece wins together, Detroit has a historically bad power play, a team besieged by injury, and a horrible return on investment from several players inked to expensive, long term deals.
For the first time since the early 90’s, the Red Wings are sellers. And yet, while it looks that the playoffs are slipping away, general manager Ken Holland may “stand pat” instead of selling off assets.
Record
22-24-10; 54 points. Last in the Atlantic; Last in the Eastern Conference.
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
Draft Picks
2017: ( 9 Total) DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, TOR 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, FLA 6th, DET 7th
2018: 7 Total) DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th.
Trade Chips
There are a number of players to choose from but topping the list is Thomas Vanek, who has been linked to the Chicago Blackhawks among other teams. Should he stay healthy (he’s currently battling an ankle injury), he could fetch some prospects or a draft pick. Mike Green has been another name, though he seems less likely to be moved as the Wings are trying to upgrade on the blue line–and he has been good for them this season. Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar were also mentioned, targets by the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek, though it seems odd since he has struggled and was just signed to a deal in the offseason, could also be shopped. Finally, Brendan Smith, in the final year of a contract, could be moved as well.
Team Needs
1) #1 defenseman. Good luck. Almost every team in the NHL seeks that top pair defenseman, the Red Wings truly haven’t had one since Nick Lidstrom retired. Worse, their young defensemen have regressed while the veterans are broken down versions of their once steady selves (Niklas Kronwall comes to mind). The problem in getting the top pairing defenseman they seek is two fold. First, only a young player with team control could garner the top d-man, be it Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin, or Andreas Athanasiou. But those are players the Red Wings aren’t willing to give up. Second, the salary cap situation is a mess being that Holland has handed out expensive, long-term contracts to players like Justin Abdelkader, who hasn’t scored a goal since November. To add and retain a top pair defenseman, a team needs salary cap space. The Wings are in trouble for years to come unless they can shed those contracts. Until the Red Wings fix the blue line, their slide will continue and only get worse.
2) An elite, generational player. In all of the seasons for the Red Wings to fall off, it would be the season where there isn’t a clear cut one and two option. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine were all clear cut options in the last two drafts. Now? While Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier, and Tim Liljegren are all great options, scouts are having a hard time agreeing on a clear cut favorite. Holland could trade draft picks and players to go after former top picks, like Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon or Gabriel Landeskog, but that seems pretty far fetched. Plus, Holland has been gun shy during the Cap era when it comes to trades. But this year’s draft is not as certain as in previous seasons, and that doesn’t bode well for a team who desperately needs a top tier talent to get back on the right track. Larkin, Mantha, and Athanasiou are great starts as building blocks, but they are at least one, if not two, generational players away from getting back to the top of the hockey world again.
Injury Updates: Stars, Callahan, Nurse, Malkin, Predators
The Dallas Stars got some good news and some bad news on the injury front as they start a three game road trip today in Nashville, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Center Jason Spezza, who has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury, accompanied the team on the trip and head coach Lindy Ruff thinks he’s close to returning to the lineup although he won’t play against the Preds. Although Spezza is having a down year offensively, he’s still tied for fourth in team scoring with 31 points in 45 games.
The news isn’t so good for blueliner Johnny Oduya. He has sat out ten straight contests with an ankle injury and isn’t with the team on the trip. The pending UFA is likely to garner some interest at the trade deadline but it would be much easier for Dallas to move him if he’s back in the lineup for a few games by then.
Right winger Ales Hemsky is also on the trip. While he’s not expected to play, he is progressing well from hip surgery back in October and Ruff expects him to be ready before the end of the season.
Other injury news from around the league:
- Lightning right winger Ryan Callahan is slated to be re-evaluated during their upcoming bye week, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He has missed the last four weeks while rehabbing his hip and doesn’t appear to be close to returning. It’s possible that if the evaluation comes up poorly that the team could opt to shut the 31 year old down for the rest of the season. Callahan has been restricted to just 18 games this season where he has two goals and two assists.
- Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse appears to be ahead of schedule in his rehab from ankle surgery back in December, notes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. Nurse has been skating on his own for the last two weeks and is ready to participate in full practices. The initial time frame for his return was 12 weeks; it has only been eight and considering he’s set to skate with the team, he should be able to play sometime within the next month. That should be a nice boost for Edmonton’s back end right around the deadline.
- While it was expected that Penguins center Evgeni Malkin would return to the lineup yesterday against the Coyotes, he was held out of the lineup for the eighth straight game with what is believed to be a lower body injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that he’s still close to returning but that the doctors and Malkin agreed for him to sit for at least one more game. Malkin remains eighth in league scoring despite not suiting up since January 24th.
- Nashville has placed left winger Cody McLeod on injured reserve, reports Adam Vingan of The Tennessean (Twitter link). The nature of the injury is not yet known. The 32 year old has played in 13 games with the Predators since being acquired from Colorado, scoring three goals while adding an assist. Vingan also notes that left winger Harry Zolnierczyk has been activated off IR after missing the last three games with an upper body issue.
Deadline Primer: Washington Capitals
With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
The Washington Capitals are in a very similar situation. The 2015-16 Capitals team ran away with the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s best regular season team, and this year are on pace to do so again. Last year’s squad had so much depth and talent at every position that they made only two minor deadline moves, acquiring forward Daniel Winnik from the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Mike Weber from the Buffalo Sabres. This year’s team is almost identical to last year’s. Weber is gone, as is Jason Chimera and Michael Latta. However, those absences have largely gone unnoticed, and the 2016-17 version is possibly more talented with the likes of Lars Eller and Brett Connolly in the fold. However, with Andre Burakovsky sidelined by injury until after the Trade Deadline and with over $4MM in cap space just waiting to be used up, Washington should look to make a couple more depth additions again this season. After all, this same roster lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round last year, and will likely have to go up against them again this year. If they want to finally take home that elusive Stanley Cup championship for the first time in franchise history, they need to do all they can to bolster the roster for a postseason run.
Record
39-11-6, 1st in the Metropolitan Division/Eastern Conference/NHL
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
Draft Picks
2017: WAS 1st, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th
2018: WAS 1st, WAS 3rd, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th
Trade Chips
Frankly, the Capitals are short on capital. Last deadline season, Winnik cost them young defenseman Connor Carrick and the price for Weber was a 2017 third-round pick. This summer, they paid the hefty price of 2017 and 2018 second-round picks to the Montreal Canadiens for Eller. What’s left for selections of value, especially in a seller’s market, is their 2017 first-rounder, which is virtually untouchable since it would leave Washington without a pick this year until the fourth round, and their first-round and third-round picks next year. Desperate for a championship with one of the most talented rosters they have ever had, don’t be shocked if the Capitals move that 2018 top pick if they have to. Outside of draft selections, the prospect cupboard is awfully empty. With so many impending unrestricted free agents on the roster, the team will be hesitant to move rookies who have seen NHL action this year like Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana. They may not have a choice, but given one, the Capitals will likely move unproven prospects instead
Players To Watch
D Madison Bowey, D Jonas Siegenthaler, F Stanislav Galiev , F Zach Sanford , F Jakub Vrana
Team Needs
1) Depth Defenseman – Just like Weber last year, the Capitals top need is definitely another body on the blue line. Nate Schmidt has stepped up and had a strong season as the team’s #6 defenseman, but behind him there are no good options. A veteran defenseman on an expiring contract who can give starters a rest down the stretch and be relied on in the postseason if need be is at the top of Washington’s wish list.
2) Depth Forward – Again, just like Winnik at the 2016 deadline, the Capitals could use another forward. Although Burakovsky’s absence shouldn’t extend into the playoffs, that uncertainty might provoke the Capitals into going after one of the scorers on the market, like Arizona’s Radim Vrbata. If they feel certain that Burakovsky will be back, the team could still use a veteran bottom-six skater so that any injury in the playoffs would not leave Sanford and Vrana on the hook in a high-pressure situation. A depth forward with term on his contract would be ideal, providing a safety net for the Caps’ forward corps this year and next and also alleviating some expansion concerns.
3) Backup Goaltender – On the off chance that GM Brian MacLellan decides that he doesn’t want to risk losing impressive young backup Philipp Grubauer for nothing in the expansion draft to former Capitals GM George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights, he may accept a strong offer from a net-needy team and trade away Braden Holtby‘s understudy. As good as Holtby is, Washington would be foolish to go into the playoffs with only inexperienced Joe Cannata as the backup. They would likely have a deal for a good veteran goalie lined up before parting ways with Grubauer.
John Moore Activated From IR, Will Make Return Today
Less than two months after being stretchered off the ice, New Jersey Devils defenseman John Moore is set to return to the lineup this afternoon against the San Jose Sharks. The Devils announced that Moore has been activated from the injured reserve and is not only available, but ready to go for their matinee contest. It’s quite the turnaround for Moore, who was the victim of a bad hit from behind by the Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson on New Year’s Eve.
In that game, Moore was blindsided by the Washington enforcer as he played the puck along the boards in his own zone. Wilson stated that he “tried to let up” and – counter to the opinions of Devils coach John Hynes and enforcer Luke Gazdic – was not issued a penalty, nor did he face any additional supplemental punishment after the fact. Nonetheless, Moore had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher with limited responsiveness and was then transported to the hospital, where he was released with a concussion diagnosis. Considering the apparent seriousness of the concussion, many expected Moore to be out much longer. However, he was cleared to skate last week and has already worked his way back into game shape.
Moore’s return will provide a major boost to a relatively weak Devils defense. At the time of his injury, the 26-year-old led all New Jersey blue liners with five goals and was second in overall scoring with 13 points. He was also on the ice for about 19 minutes per game for the team. His early-season returns had the makings of a career year, and it’s not a stretch to assume he’ll return to that production level right away. In his second season in New Jersey, Moore has proven to be a good fit on the Devils. Moore is a good all-around defenseman and a comforting presence with his responsible play. His presence will immediately be felt by his teammates and coaches.
Blackhawks Activate Rozsival From IR, Reassign Four
The Chicago Blackhawks roster just went through quite the shake-up. According to the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kuc, the Blackhawks have activated veteran defenseman Michal Rozsival from the injured reserve and have demoted defenseman Gustav Forsling and forwards Vinnie Hinostroza, Tanner Kero, and Nick Schmaltz to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Kuc also notes that the mass movement of players to the minors comes as Chicago enters its bye week. After defeating the Edmonton Oilers on the road last night, the Blackhawks don’t play again until the Oilers visit them at home on Saturday, the 18th. In the meantime, the four skaters can save the team some salary cap dollars while in Rockford and can get some extra ice time as well in the AHL.
When the Blackhawks do return to action, they’ll welcome the return of Rozsival to the lineup. The 38-year-old veteran of nearly 1000 NHL games is in his fifth season in Chicago, having helped them win the Stanley Cup twice in his short tenure. While Rozsival’s age and injury concerns have always been prevalent during his time with the team, GM Stan Bowman has managed to limit that risk by signing him to back-to-back one-year, $600K contracts since he began to slow down. Rozsival has not played in more than 65 games in a season since 2009-10, but when he is rested and healthy he can still be effective. A good puck-mover with a seasoned hockey sense and vision, Roszival gives the Blackhawks another option on the blue line down the stretch and in the postseason. He has just one assist in 14 games in 2016-17, but should be more productive as the season goes on.
Rozsival’s activation may keep the recently-demoted Forsling in the AHL, at least for a little while. The 20-year-old rookie has two goals and three assists in 36 games, but could benefit from some extra play time with the Ice Hogs beyond just this week, with Roszival, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Michal Kempny blocking him from regular ice time in Chicago. The forwards shouldn’t have the same concerns; all three have worked themselves into regular roles with the Blackhawks and will surely be back at week’s end. Hinostroza has been a pleasant surprise as a rookie, with 14 points in 46 games as a mainstay in the top-nine. Schmaltz and Kero are catching up though, with ten points in 38 games and eight points in 22 games, respectively. Without much cap space to add multiple veterans at the Trade Deadline this season, Chicago needs the three rookies to continue their strong play this season.
Cody Franson Out 2-3 Weeks With Foot Injury
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Cody Franson is set to miss some time after taking a shot to the foot in the team’s Thursday night contest against the Anaheim Ducks. Franson was seen in a walking boot yesterday and, when asked for an update today by the Buffalo News’ John Vogel, coach Dan Bylsma informed him that a bone bruise in the foot would keep the big blue liner out two to three weeks.
The injury is a double-whammy for the Sabres. Going into tonight’s game, Buffalo trails the Boston Bruins by eight points with three games in hand for the final playoff spot in the division and had a chance to gain ground on the division rival Toronto Maple Leafs with a win. Not only does Frason’s injury hurt their chances against Toronto, but it substantially weakens their defense in all nine of their remaining games this month. The other side of the injury, as Vogel notes, is that Franson may not return prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 1st, and even if he does, his trade value will certainly be affected. With Franson out, the Sabres have an even greater chance of falling further out of the postseason race and becoming sellers, but Franson is also one of their top trade chips. There are wide-ranging views of Franson’s NHL value, but a market would have surely developed for his service, as was discussed in his recent Trade Candidates profile. That market is less firm following this injury news.
Franson has three goals and 13 assists in 51 games this season for Buffalo. In the second year of this two-year deal that took all summer to sign in 2015, Franson has continued to disappoint as a Sabre. Franson remains a solid defensive player, but was also a major point-producer early in his career with the Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs; Franson has not met those lofty expectations in Buffalo. A large part of his struggle has been the team’s unwillingness to give him major ice time on the power play, where historically he has been most dangerous. Franson needs a new home where he can rediscover his offensive game and be put to better use and the Sabres were very unlikely to give him an extension anyway. A deadline trade seemed very likely, but now becomes a question mark as March 1st approaches.
Central Notes: Berglund, Stastny, Brodin, Hjalmarsson
While defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is the first player many think of when it comes to St. Louis and the upcoming trade deadline, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests in a reader chat that center Patrik Berglund may be the one to really keep an eye on.
Berglund is having one of his better seasons in recent years and has already passed the double digit goal mark for the ninth straight time. However, like Shattenkirk, he’s poised to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and if GM Doug Armstrong is looking to avoid a repeat of last year where his top UFA (David Backes) left for nothing, Berglund could potentially be on the move between now and March 1st. He’d slot in nicely in a middle six role for several contending teams and carries a $3.7MM cap hit.
More from the Central:
- Still with the Blues, center Paul Stastny will not play tonight against Montreal, reports Chris Pinkert on their team site. He suffered a lower body injury on Thursday against the Maple Leafs. Fortunately for St. Louis, the injury isn’t believed to be serious, Rutherford adds in a separate column. Stastny sits fourth in scoring for the Blues this season with 15 goals and 20 assists. In his absence, Alexander Steen will slide over to the middle on the top line.
- The Wild are hopeful that defenseman Jonas Brodin will only miss another seven-to-ten days as a result of his fractured finger, reports Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He has been out of the lineup since January 17th and was expected to miss at least four weeks at the time so his recovery appears to be right on schedule. Brodin has 16 points (3-13-16) in 43 games this season and sits fourth on Minnesota in ice time per game at 19:47 per night.
- Count Blackhawks blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson among the many players who are publicly advocating for the NHL to go to the 2018 Olympics, notes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. Hjalmarsson had the chance to play in the 2014 tournament, earning a silver medal with Team Sweden. While there remains no firm deadline for a decision by the NHL, the expectation is that it will have to come at some time in March.
Snapshots: Bowness, Johnson, Vegas
Tampa Bay’s Rick Bowness is the all-time leader in games coached. You may be shocked to hear that, given that Scotty Bowman’s 2,141 games as a head coach is a record that will likely last for a long time. But it’s not the head coaching record that Bowness is breaking, but that of total games coached. Bowness has been behind the bench in an associate or head coaching role for 2,165 games after tonight’s match-up against the Minnesota Wild. 463 of those have come as the head coach, split with five different franchises, but most of his work has been as an assistant. Congratulations to Bowness for a long, successful career in the NHL that doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon.
- Sticking with Tampa Bay, and following the report from earlier, the team was indeed missing Tyler Johnson from the lineup tonight when it headed into battle with the Wild. He was out with an undisclosed injury and played only 14 minutes on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, more than four minutes less than his average. Johnson is the topic of much conversation lately, as his name has recently come up in trade speculation. The Lightning have a tough roster crunch coming up this summer and with Johnson’s RFA status he may be deemed expendable. An injury at this junction would be a terrible blow to GM Steve Yzerman and the Lightning if they are indeed looking to move the diminutive center. With Johnson’s relatively down season—he has just 33 points in 54 games—Yzerman already wouldn’t be selling at a high point.
- ESPN’s Craig Custance reported today (subscription required) that as many as six NHL teams have already reached out to George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights brain trust. Not necessarily to make deals—the team isn’t allowed to make a deal until the final expansion payment is made official on March 1st—but to figure out their ideas heading into the expansion draft. NHL teams have a very important trade deadline coming up that will determine who will be left exposed for Vegas come June 17th. It won’t be easy to operate in the dark, and as Custance says, more teams will likely reach out as they decide whether they’re buyers or sellers.