Canucks’ Hutton Injured, Expected To Land On IR
After blocking a shot with his hand in the Vancouver Canucks’ 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Friday, Ben Hutton sat out the road game of the home-and-home on Saturday and it now appears he will be out significantly longer than just one game. Canucks beat writer Ben Kuzma quoted head coach Willie Desjardins as saying that Hutton will be “out for some time” with a left hand injury, and Kuzma believes he is likely headed to the injured reserve.
The injuries on the blue line continue to pile up in Vancouver. The Canucks skated with just five defensemen on Saturday as top defenseman Chris Tanev was unable to go. While Tanev is expected back for the ‘Nucks next game, they are still waiting on a return to 100% from veteran Alexander Edler, and have Erik Gudbranson and Philip Larsen already on IR. With Hutton now out, Andrey Pedan will be recalled and pressed into regular action, while rookies Troy Stecher and Nikita Tryamkin (who’s also banged up) will have to carry even more weight than they already have been.
Hutton, while not the most defensively-gifted defenseman, is developing into a strong puck-mover. In just his sophomore season, Hutton has been playing over 20 minutes a night and has four goals and seven assists. He was well on his way to matching his rookie season total of 25 points, but if he’s out for an extended amount of time, he may fall short. The Canucks will miss Hutton’s production, as they had just recently hit their stride with six straight wins before Saturday’s 3-1 loss, the first game Hutton missed. Don’t be surprised if Vancouver returns to their losing ways with such a beat up defensive group. They are surely hoping that Hutton (and Gudbranson and Larsen) return to the lineup sooner rather than later.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Oshie, Kulak, Jersey Changes
The NHL honoured Michael Grabner, Patrick Maroon, and Braden Holtby as the Three Stars of the Week.
Grabner has been a pleasant surprise for the Rangers this season, having scored 18 goals for 26 points in 41 games. His goal total through the first half of this season equals his total point output from last season. Grabner scored five goals and added two assists in three games, including his fourth hat-trick of his career (second of the year).
Maroon scored five goals and six points in four games for the Oilers last week. He scored his first career hat-trick in a 4-3 win over Boston and added another two in last night’s loss in Ottawa. Maroon has 16 goals and 23 points in 42 games this season. He was acquired by the Oilers at the 2016 trade deadline for failed prospect Martin Gernát and a fourth-round pick. The trade is already a clear win for the Oilers, as the Ducks retained 25% of Maroon’s bargain $2MM-per-season contract, and Gernát is now in the Czech league. Maroon is already four goals past his career high, and is on pace for 30-plus goals. He has 24 goals and 37 points in 58 games in Edmonton, quickly becoming a fan-favorite.
Hotby went 2-0-0 in three appearances, following up a poor game versus the Maple Leafs with back-to-back shutouts over the Blue Jackets and Senators. He made 29 saves in the 5-0 win over Columbus, which ended their 16-game winning streak. Holtby is 18-8-4, with a 0.931 SV % and a 1.93 GAA this season. He also five shutouts, which ties him for tops in the NHL.
- T.J. Oshie will miss Monday night’s game with an upper-body injury, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan. Oshie took a big hit from Dion Phaneuf on Saturday night and appeared to be favoring the same shoulder he had injured earlier this season. Oshie has 20 points in 32 games so far.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled Brett Kulak from Stockton, according to Roger Millions of Sportsnet. Kulak has split this season beteween the NHL and the AHL, with three points in 15 NHL games and five points in 11 AHL games. He’s not expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Flames visit Winnipeg.
- Some interesting news is coming out this morning about the NHL’s upcoming jersey-provider switch. Reebok has made the NHL’s jersey’s since 2005-06, but now their parent company, Adidas, is taking over. Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star Tribune cites multiple sources that all 18 teams with third jerseys will be dropping them to make the switch easier. Notable changes that have been leaked so far include the New Jersey Devils getting a full makeover, the Oilers dropping their current blue home uniforms in favor of their current orange thirds, and the Wild leaning towards using a re-designed green jersey as the home uniform.
Sunday Evening Snapshots: Panarin, Mason, Simmonds, Kane
Super sophomore Artemi Panarin recently inked a two-year extension that will tie him to the Blackhawks through his restricted free agent years. Upon the expiration of the pact, one that carries an AAV of $6MM, Panarin will be a UFA and at 28 should be positioned to land a lucrative long-term deal in free agency. The structure is ideal for Panarin, as it allows him to max out his earnings over the next two years while still allowing him to reach free agency while still young enough to command a max-term deal. As Chris Kuc and Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune write, the deal overcame a late and unexpected obstacle in order to reach the finish line.
Panarin decided to change representation from Tom Lynn to Dan Milstein just before the agreement was finalized but the former stayed on to help the new agent complete the negotiations. Lynn, a former assistant GM with the Wild, has a strong relationship with Chicago assistant GM Norm MacIver and that helped grease the wheels on the arrangement. Milstein credits Lynn for his professionalism in difficult circumstances.
“After Artemi told him about the change, (Lynn) offered to stay on to help in any way he could,” Milstein told the Tribune. “He had called me and offered to pass on any and all things he had worked on previously. He and I consulted closely … (and) the whole thing came together in 48 hours.
“(Lynn) was very instrumental and he’s a class act. Ninety-nine percent of people would have hung up the phone and never spoke to you again. I can’t say anything bad about Tom and I know Artemi can’t say anything (bad) either.”
Panarin, who doesn’t speak English well, made the move because of the language barrier.
“As somebody who doesn’t really speak English fluently, it was a little bit of a hassle to bring everything to a translator first, have meetings and have to go through a translation at some point,” Panarin said via an interpreter. “I felt more comfortable getting somebody who speaks Russian.”
Kuc and Hine report that a source conveyed that despite what Milstein said, the relationship he shared with Lynn “was not as amicable as Milstein portrayed.” Regardless, Chicago and Panarin were ultimately able to find common ground and work out a deal both sides were happy with.
Elsewhere around the NHL tonight:
- Sam Carchidi of Philly.com wonders whether the Flyers should re-sign goaltender Steve Mason to serve as a bridge to the team’s prospects at the position. According to Carchidi, the plan at the beginning of the campaign was to allow Mason and Michal Neuvirth, both pending free agents, to compete to see which one would earn an extension but injuries to Neuvirth have allowed Mason to take the lead in that competition by default. Ultimately the scribe feels Neuvirth is simply too injury-prone to be counted on as an undisputed #1 goalie. Carchidi believes a strong second half would nearly guarantee that the Flyers would look to re-up Mason. As it stands, should the team extend Mason, the team would have to expose young net minder Anthony Stolarz, who Carchidi feels has potential. The best bet, in the opinion of Carchidi, might be to deal Neuvirth and add another goaltender under contract for 2017-18 and whom they can leave exposed for the expansion draft.
- Sticking with the Flyers, the Department of Player Safety will not have a hearing with Wayne Simmonds for his hit that knocked Lightning forward J.T. Brown out of yesterday’s game, tweets Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Smith adds that Brown has been placed on IR requiring him to sit out at least seven days as a result.
- With Buffalo hosting Winnipeg last night, John Vogl of The Buffalo News revisits the blockbuster trade the two clubs made nearly two years ago. On February 11, 2015, Buffalo acquired winger Evender Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian, and young goaltender Jason Kasdorf in exchange for defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and a 1st round draft pick. While Kane has struggled to produce up to his talent level, he did hit the 20-goal plateau last season and is on an 82-game pace for 26 goals this season. Myers, meanwhile, has missed all but 11 games this season but did contribute 27 points in 73 contests last season. Stafford had a 21-goal campaign a year ago but has slumped to just three this season. Vogl considers it too early to declare a winner, though with the 20-year-old Lemieux and Jack Roslovic – the player chosen with that first round pick – still developing, the Jets have a good chance of ultimately coming out ahead in the swap.
Jets Update Laine’s Condition
Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice announced today that Patrik Laine did indeed suffer a concussion as a result of a hard hit delivered by Buffalo’s Jake McCabe during the third period of yesterday’s game. Maurice added that there is currently no timetable for the talented rookie winger’s return.
Laine was attempting to receive a pass in the neutral zone when McCabe stepped up and put a body on the 18-year-old Finn. According to Maurice, the two players ended up butting heads during the initial collision. Laine then hit the back of his head on the ice as he fell following the hit. After the game, Maurice said he had “no issue” with the hit.
The second overall pick in the June 2016 draft, Laine is tied for third in the league in goals scored (21) with the player chosen ahead of him, Auston Matthews. He was in the midst of a nice stretch of hockey, tallying two goals and five assists in four games prior to the injury. It’s impossible to overstate how important Laine is to the Jets and with the team struggling to find consistency, losing him for a long period would be a damaging blow to their playoff chances.
Injury Updates: Bjugstad, Leafs, Myers, Smith, Coburn
The Florida Panthers announced that they have placed center Nick Bjugstad on injured reserve. He suffered a lower body injury last night against the Predators early in the game and did not return. George Richards of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter link) that he’ll miss a couple of weeks and that it’s a groin issue.
To say that this season has been a struggle for Bjugstad would be an understatement. He broke his hand in the preseason which kept him out of the lineup until November 22nd and since then, he has scored just one goal and one assist in 21 games, despite seeing quite a bit of time in the top six. He also has found himself shuffled to the right wing more frequently than he has been accustomed to.
With Roberto Luongo being a late scratch yesterday due to an upper body injury, the Panthers also recalled goaltender Sam Brittain from Manchester of the ECHL. He’s expected to serve as James Reimer’s backup tonight against Boston if Luongo is unable to dress.
Other injury news from around the league:
- Maple Leafs center Ben Smith and defenseman Martin Marincin are skating but are not close to returning to the lineup, reports Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). Marincin has been out since December 11th with a lower body while Smith has been sidelined since undergoing hand surgery on December 19th.
- Although he started skating this week, Winnipeg blueliner Tyler Myers is expected to miss at least another week as he continues to recover from a lower body injury, reports Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press. He will miss his 25th straight game tonight and has five points (2-3-5) in 11 contests this year.
- The Senators will activate center Zack Smith off IR and expect to have him in the lineup tonight against the Capitals, the team announced via Twitter. The 28 year old missed the last two games with an upper body injury and has 15 points (8-7-15) in 35 games this season.
- Tampa Bay defenseman Braydon Coburn is day-to-day with an upper body injury and will not suit up today against the Flyers, reports Bryan Burns of the teams’ website (Twitter link). Coburn had played in every game this season heading into this one, picking up a goal and four assists but is averaging his lowest ice time per night (15:56) since his rookie season back in 2006-07.
NHL Draft Prospect Notes: Patrick, Liljegren, Hischier, Mittelstadt
With the World Junior Championships over after the United States took gold, several prospects headed for the 2017 NHL Draft saw their stock rise. For many, like Nico Hischier, the international showcase served as a boon for his professional career. Casey Mittelstadt, on the other hand, has turned heads at the high school level. They’re both likely to see it pay off this summer when Chicago hosts the draft in late June.
ISS Hockey released their latest rankings and still have center Nolan Patrick and Swedish defenseman Timothy Liljegren as #1 and #2 respectively. Patrick has been nursing an upper body injury, and while he’s played only six games for the Brandon Wheat Kings this season, he remains at the top of the list. Liljegren, who didn’t play in the WJC, remains the top ranked defenseman.
Sam McCaig of Puck Daddy writes the following on Hischier and Mittelstadt:
Hischier, a right winger who plays for the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, turned heads at the WJC with four goals and seven points in five games for his native Switzerland. As a result, Hischier rose from the No. 8-ranked prospect a month ago all the way to No. 3. Mittelstadt, a centre who’s playing high school hockey in Minnesota and has committed to the University of Minnesota next year, went from No. 12 up to No. 6.
When Sportsnet conducted its rankings in early December, Patrick remained at the top of the list as well. But Jeff Marek did bring up the case of Gord Kluzak, who played only 38 games in the year he was drafted. If the name isn’t familiar, there’s a good reason for that. Kluzak succumbed to a knee injury and would go on to have 10 surgeries following the injury. He did end up playing 299 games with the Boston Bruins, but injuries shortened–and hampered–his career.
While Marek doesn’t think that Patrick will travel down the same path, he also writes that NHL scouts he spoke with weren’t too concerned with him not playing in the WJC. Marek, prior to the Championships, also noted Hischier’s rise.
ISS January Rankings: Top Ten
- Nolan Patrick – Center – Brandon – WHL
- Timothy Liljegren – Defenseman – Rogle – Sweden
- Nico Hischier – Center – Halifax – QMJHL
- Gabe Vilardi – Center – Windsor – OHL
- Owen Tippett – Right Wing – Mississauga – OHL
- Casey Mittlestadt – Center – Eden Prairie High School
- Michael Rasmussen – Center – Tri City – WHL
- Callan Foote – Defenseman – Kelowna – WHL
- Klim Kostin – Center – Dynamo – KHL
- Eeli Tolvanen – Left Wing – Sioux City – USHL
Rangers Injury Updates: Buchnevich, Nash, Zibanejad, Staal
The New York Rangers announced that they have assigned left winger Pavel Buchnevich to Hartford of the AHL. Buchnevich has been out of the lineup for nearly two months due to back spasms.
The 21 year old rookie made a sizable impact early on this season, recording four goals and four assists in ten games before getting injured. While this technically isn’t an injury conditioning stint as he is waiver exempt, it effectively will work as one as he’s going down to play his way back into game shape.
Buchnevich is expected to play tonight for the Wolf Pack and head coach Alain Vigneault said they will monitor his progress on a game-by-game basis and go from there, per the teams’ Twitter account.
Vigneault also provided some updates on several other injured Rangers (all Twitter links):
- Left winger Rick Nash is close but will not suit up tomorrow. He has been out since December 19th with another groin injury. Vigneault hopes that the ‘bye week’ which for the Rangers runs from January 7th to the 12th will be enough to get him back to 100%.
- Center Mika Zibanejad skated this morning and felt really good afterwards. He has been out of the lineup since late November due to a broken fibula. There’s still no timetable for his return.
- Defenseman Marc Staal remains day-to-day with an upper body sustained on Tuesday against Buffalo. He’s not expected to play tomorrow in Columbus.
Brendan Gallagher To Miss Eight Weeks
The Montreal Canadiens will be without one of their top forwards for at least the next two months.
Feisty winger Brendan Gallagher underwent surgery in Montreal last night to repair a fracture in his left hand. The Canadiens announced that Gallagher will miss a minimum of eight weeks. The injury occurred when Gallagher was hit by a Shea Weber slapshot during Wednesday night’s game in Dallas (GIF of the injury). Gallagher left the ice quickly.
It’s the same hand that Gallagher broke last year, missing 17 games after being hit by a Johnny Boychuk slapshot. Unfortunately for Gallagher, Weber can shoot the puck a little harder than Boychuk. As one Twitter user dryly observed, being hit in the hand by a Weber slapshot is “like trying to catch a meteor with a baseball mitt.”
Gallagher’s injury is a tough loss for the Canadiens, as he’s one of their better forwards. He has 18 points in 39 games so far this year, which represents a down year for him. His 37-point-pace is the lowest of his NHL career, and would be his lowest point total since his rookie year, which was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
Gallagher’s injury is the latest in a long list of injured Canadiens. Forwards Alex Galchenyuk, Andrew Shaw, David Desharnais, and Paul Byron are all injured. On defense, the club is missing Andrei Markov and Greg Pateryn. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s five top-nine forwards and a top-four defenseman missing. Despite all the injuries, the Canadiens are in first place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division with 54 points, which is 10 points above the second-place Boston Bruins and third-place Ottawa Senators.
Galchenyuk, Markov Nearing Return For Habs
The Canadiens got some good news today with word that center Alex Galchenyuk and defenseman Andrei Markov are rejoining the club tonight and will practice with the team tomorrow. Montreal reported the news this afternoon via their official Twitter account.
Galchenyuk was in the midst of a breakout campaign as Montreal’s #1 center with 23 points in 25 appearances before suffering a knee injury which caused the talented 22-year-old pivot to miss the last month. To be fair, Galchenyuk had a pretty good 2015-16, netting 30 goals and tying Max Pacioretty for the team lead. While the Canadiens managed to post a 7 – 3 – 4 record in his absence, they undoubtedly are better with Galchenyuk on the ice.
Meanwhile, Markov also appears poised to rejoin the team after an eight-game absence due to a lower-body injury. The 38-year-old Russian may no longer be an elite top-pair blue liner but he is still a productive player who posted 21 points in 31 games to start this season. Last year, Markov registered 44 points in 82 games while averaging nearly 24 minutes a game.
Coyotes Notes: Hanzal, White, Burmistrov
There are currently no contract talks between the Arizona Coyotes and center Martin Hanzal at the moment, reports Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. Hanzal is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July if no deal is reached and he has commonly been suggested as one of the top rental players available on the trade market. Despite the fact the sides aren’t currently talking, there have been talks dating back to before the season started and Hanzal himself is on record saying he would like to stay and that he remains open to further discussions on a new deal.
The 29 year old Hanzal is having a quiet ‘walk’ year with just eight goals and six assists through 33 games this season. However, he’s coming off a career-best 41 point campaign in 2015-16 and at 6’5, he is the type of big presence down the middle many teams would covet for their middle six. It also helps that Hanzal is a consistently strong player at the faceoff dot, winning at least 54% of his draws the last four seasons.
GM John Chayka told McLellan that so far he has yet to receive a serious offer for Hanzal and provided an update on the situation.
“There’s not a lot going on. But at the same time, it’s one of those things where we kind of know where the player is at. The player knows where we’re at. If there was an opportunity to do something, I don’t think it would take too long. But still collecting information and working through the process.”
More from Arizona:
- Also from McLellan, injured center Ryan White skated on Tuesday but is now expected to rest for a few days and has not accompanied the team on their road trip. Head coach Dave Tippett acknowledged that the lower body injury he suffered over two weeks ago is not healing as quickly as they anticipated. White has five points (2-3-5) in 30 games this year while sitting fifth among NHL forwards in hits per game at 3.3.
- Center Alexander Burmistrov, who was claimed on waivers by the Coyotes earlier this week, is someone that their entire scouting staff was pushing for them to add, Chayka told Dave Lozo on the Coyotes’ team website. Burmistrov has struggled this season but is still just 25 and was a former top ten pick back in 2010. As he deals with visa issues, he’s not expected to play through the weekend.