Injury Notes: Little, McNabb, Toews
The Winnipeg Jets have scored a respectable 62 goals in 24 games, and they’ve done it without one of their top weapons. Bryan Little has been out since being injured just two and a half minutes into his season, but will return tonight against the New Jersey Devils on home ice. The 29-year old is a proven goal scorer in the NHL, with 163 to his name including four seasons of 20+. The Jets have placed Nic Petan on injured reserve retroactive to November 27th to make room.
While the media has focused on the Jets’ lack of faceoff success, Little thinks he can help the team in that department.
That’s one of my goals to come back. It’s something I feel like I can be good at right away again, to get back into the faceoff dot. I see the guys working on it every day, they’re talking to the coaches, watching video and practicing in practice.
I think we can all help each other a bit. Throughout the game we take faceoffs against different centermen on the other team…we’ve got some good communication through the centers of trying to work through things.
Little is actually a 48.6% faceoff man throughout his career, though he won just over half of his draws last season which led the Winnipeg centers.
- According to Jon Rosen of NHL.com, Brayden McNabb took to the ice today for the first time since injuring his collarbone on October 29th. While he didn’t take part in any drills, it’s a step in the right direction for the big defenseman. Rosen passes on from head coach Darryl Sutter that McNabb is still “at least a month away”. The 25-year old had been logging over 20 minutes a night for the Los Angeles Kings before being injured, skating alongside Drew Doughty in what was considered by some to be the second-best pairing in the league. The Kings, not short on defenders, have continued to be tough to score against even without McNabb or Jonathan Quick, who remains out.
- Jonathan Toews will miss his third straight game tonight when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Florida Panthers. The team captain was seen in street clothes while the team was practicing, meaning his return might not be imminent. Chicago is 1-1-1 without Toews in the lineup, having lost to the Kings in overtime on Saturday.
Kings Activate Marian Gaborik From IR
The Los Angeles Kings have activated right wing Marian Gaborik from IR, according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Gaborik is expected to take the ice for warm-ups and head coach Darryl Sutter will make the decision of whether the Slovakian forward will make his 2016-17 season debut tonight. A broken foot suffered during the World Cup of Hockey kept sidelined Gaborik all season.
No announcement of a corresponding move has been made but the Kings don’t need to clear a roster spot to accommodate Gaborik. With the 34-year-old winger back in the lineup, the Kings have 21 skaters – 14 forwards and seven defensemen – and two goaltenders.
Currently tied for 15th in the NHL in scoring, the Kings could certainly use the infusion of skill Gaborik brings to the table. A seven-time 30-goal scorer, Gabroik’s production has tailed off in recent seasons, however. He tallied just 12 goals in 54 contests during the 2014-15 campaign but netted 27 in 69 the season before, suggesting he still has something left to offer.
Now entering his 16th NHL season, the 34-year-old Gaborik has scored 386 regular season goals in 933 games. He was originally drafted third overall in the 2000 entry draft by the Minnesota Wild and has also spent time with the New York Rangers and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Pacific Division Snapshots: Brown, Strome, Russell
Dustin Brown spent eight seasons as the captain of the Los Angeles Kings, helping the team to two Stanley Cup championships during that time. He scored 54 points in 2011-12, the fifth consecutive campaign of at least 22 goals and 53 points, but since has seen his performance decline. Brown did tally 18 goals during the strike-shortened 2012-13 season but in the three full seasons since he’s averaged just 0.35 points-per-game. That performance regression in part prompted the Kings to remove the “C” from Brown’s sweater in order to give it to Anze Kopitar.
The Kings did look to move Brown this summer but with six seasons remaining on a contract that calls for an AAV of just shy of $6MM, there wasn’t much interest. Brown was critical of the decision, particularly in how the situation was handled, but the 13-year veteran has handled his business like a pro this season. In fact, as Josh Cooper of Yahoo writes, not having the responsibilities of the position any longer allows Brown to focus on playing hockey and his play has improved this season as a result.
“I’m not taking the game home with me, which in years past was a difficult thing not to do, partly because I … just as a competitor you want to take everything personally. Now I’m kind of detached a little bit from it, which is a good thing. So I get to come to work every day and do my job. It has been much easier to leave it here, which has been much healthier.”
Brown has six points in 20 games, a per-game average of 0.45. That prorates to a full, 82-game total of about 37 points. Brown has been part of an effective third line with Devin Setoguchi and Nic Dowd and for the first time in a long while he says he is enjoying the game:
“This is probably the first time I’ve had fun playing hockey in a couple of years. I know in saying that we play a game for a living. But I always say no matter if you’re playing a game or whatever you’re doing in life if you’re not having fun it’s tough to do.”
Even with the uptick in production it’s unlikely Brown will ever again be worth his cap charge. But the Kings must nonetheless be pleased to see even a moderate improvement from their former captain.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- Dylan Strome has tons of skill and plenty of hockey instincts. But Arizona GM John Chayka and team bench boss Dave Tippett believe the one thing holding him back at this point in his young career is a lack of physical maturity, as Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports writes. Strome was recently returned to the Erie Otters of the OHL after a seven game spin at the NHL level. He tallied just a single assist and was a minus-5 while averaging 13:41 of ice time per game. Strome’s struggles represent one of the issues regarding Canadian junior players. His development won’t be helped by returning to the OHL as he’s simply too good for that level. But as we’ve seen, he isn’t physically ready for the challenges of the NHL and he can’t be sent to the AHL to play against other professionals due to the rules in place. However, as Morgan notes, Strome will be eligible to represent Canada at the upcoming Word Juniors, which as Chayka points out, will allow him to serve as a leader on the Canadian squad: “I think that’s important to be in Canada for him,” Chayka said. “He should be a big part of that team; a big part of that leadership group.”
- Kris Russell has his critics as a player, particularly among the analytical community. Yet the Edmonton Oilers, who signed the veteran defender late in the offseason, are pleased with what he has brought to the table, as Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Journal writes. The numbers that matter most to the Oilers is the team’s won-loss record when he is in the lineup versus when he is out. Edmonton is 9 – 3 – 1 with Russell playing and just 2 – 5 – 0 when he does not play. While he isn’t putting up big counting numbers, in the opinion of bench boss Todd McLellan, Russell has helped add stability to a unit that has been below-average over the last several seasons: “I don’t think it’s coincidence. I think he does bring enough stability back there that he has an impact on the outcome of games.” Russell had to wait through the summer before landing a deal with Edmonton but if he continues to impress Oilers management, the team could look to lock up the 10-year vet before he hits the free agency next July.
Injury Notes: Couturier, Gaborik, Cunningham
The Philadelphia Flyers’ nightmare season continues. Today, the team will recall Scott Laughton from Lehigh Valley to replace Sean Couturier, who will be out for 4-6 weeks with a left knee injury. According to Sam Carchidi, Couturier will be examined this afternoon in Philadelphia but has already been placed on injured reserve. The 23-year old centerman had eight points in twenty games this season.
For Laughton, this won’t be the first time he’s set foot on NHL ice, but it will be the first this season. The 22-year old former first-rounder played 71 games for the Flyers last season, recording 21 points but was injured early in training camp and had been playing in the AHL since his return. Eight points in eight games at the lower level as he shook off the rust, and proved that he’s ready for an NHL return. As Carchidi reports, he’ll be available to dress tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, though there has been no indication whether or not he’ll get into the lineup right away.
- Marian Gaborik is back with the Los Angeles Kings and aiming for Saturday to make his season debut, according to Kings beat reporter Elliott Teaford. The 34-year old sniper has been out since suffering an injury at the World Cup in Toronto in September, breaking his right foot in a game against Sweden. The Kings will hope that he’ll come back fresh and looking to show that last year wasn’t what to expect going forward. The former 40-goal man only scored 12 goals and 22 points last season, the lowest point total of his career. He also played in only 54 games, a mark he’ll hope to eclipse this season (the Kings have 62 games remaining).
- Sarah McLellan of AZ Central is reporting that Craig Cunningham is still in stable but critical condition after suffering a heart attack on the ice Saturday night. Cunningham was playing for the Tucson Roadrunners when he collapsed on the ice and needed to be taken to a local hospital.
- Tyler Myers has officially been moved to the injured reserve, retroactive to November 11th, reports Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. The defenseman suffered a lower-body injury just three days after he was last activated from the IR. The hulking blueliner has played in just 11 games this season, scoring five points.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Kunitz, Leivo
The NHL has named its three stars of the week for November 14-20: Jeff Carter, Cam Ward, and Nicklas Backstrom.
3. Backstrom had four goals and four assists in four games. Five of those points in the Capitals’ 7-1 win over the Penguins, which represented a career-high for Backstrom. He now has 17 points in 20 games.
2. Ward went 3-0-0 last week, with a 0.964 GAA and one shutout. He’s on a four-game winning-streak, which is his longest since the 2014-15 season. Thanks to Ward’s efforts, the Hurricanes are climbing out of the Eastern Conference basement and are just three points out of a wildcard spot.
1. Carter scored the winning goal in all three of the Kings’ victories last week, as they went 3-1-0. Carter had four goals and six points in those four games, and scored the winning goal in three consecutive games against Edmonton, New Jersey, and Anaheim. He cracked 600 career points with his second-period goal against the Ducks on Sunday. Carter now leads the NHL with five game-winning goals this season.
In other news around the NHL:
- The Penguins have placed 37-year-old winger Chris Kunitz on Injured Reserve. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Kunitz is considered week-to-week with a “lower-body injury.” To fill Kunitz’s roster spot, the Penguins have recalled Jake Guentzel from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Guentzel has 17 points in 16 games with the AHL Penguins. Kunitz was initially hurt against Washington on Wednesday, but played in both of the team’s games over the weekend, posting three assists.
- Toronto Maple Leafs winger Josh Leivo is still not ready to return to the lineup, according to coach Mike Babcock (via James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail). Leivo was recalled from a conditioning stint with the Marlies and practiced with the NHL club on Monday morning, but has not been cleared to play yet. Leivo will continue to practice with the Maple Leafs but as a non-roster player. Because Leivo would require waivers to be sent down to the Marlies, the Maple Leafs appear content to temporarily leave him in limbo rather than lose a good young player. When a Twitter follower asked how Leivo can be healthy enough to play five games in the AHL but not healthy enough to play in the NHL, Mirtle just shrugged. Leivo has 8 points in 28 career NHL games (none this season), and 124 points in 171 AHL games.
Looking Back At A Complicated Draft-Day Trade
On Saturday night, Oilers winger Anton Slepyshev notched two assists as the Oilers beat the Stars 5-2.
The Russian winger has looked very good so far this season. While he has just three points in nine games, he’s also been playing just 11 minutes per night. Slepyshev has cracked the NHL lineup out of training camp both years he’s been in North America. He was sent down after 11 games last season, and struggled a bit in the AHL. However, he appears to be one of those players who plays well against better competition and doesn’t bring his best against lower tiers of competition. Because coach Todd McLellan clearly likes his game, Slepyshev appears poised to be a future tough and versatile middle-six forward.
It’s fascinating to look back at the series of trades that lead to Slepyshev being drafted by Edmonton.
It was the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft. The Edmonton Oilers were set to pick 37th overall, and had their eye on prospect goalie Zachary Fucale. Unfortunately for new GM Craig MacTavish, the Montreal Canadiens selected Fucale one pick before.
Their player gone, the Oilers then made a series of trades to move down in the draft, and turned that one second round pick into a two third round picks and three fourth round picks.
They traded pick 37 to Los Angeles for picks 57, 88, and 96. MacTavish turned around and traded pick 57 to St. Louis for picks 83, 94, and 113.
With those five picks acquired from trading down, the Oilers ended up with Bogdan Yakimov, Slepyshev, Jackson Houck, Kyle Platzer, and Aidan Muir.
Slepyshev was in his second year of eligibility, but was ranked 17th in his draft year and 45th in his second go-round by Corey Pronman. Pronman described him this way:
He is an above-average skater, with agility and free movement, as his shiftiness makes him hard to check. He has a plus shot and he knows it, as his mentality is often shoot-first, even from distance. He can still make plays, and he does not have tunnel vision, but his playmaking skills are not his best element. His physical game has progressed, and he has added strength since last season. He can protect pucks moderately well. He will display physical effort, although it could be better at times. He also needs to work on his defensive game.
It’s likely the “Russian Factor” lead to Slepyshev being passed over, in addition to the fact he had only scored 24 points in 101 KHL games before being drafted. He broke out the next year, however. He scored 25 points in 58 games and signed an entry-level contract with the Oilers shortly after Peter Chiarelli took over. TSN analyst and former NHLer Ray Ferraro called Slepyshev “a player… He’s not a 3 years in the AHL project.”
Yakimov is a 6’5 center who showed promise but also some inconsistency. He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and currently on loan to the KHL. It seems unlikely he will return to North America; he returned to the KHL despite having a big chance to make the Oilers with their top three centers at the World Cup. Instead, rookie Drake Caggiula made the team and is playing out of position at center.
Platzer was drafted out of the London Knights, and was pigeon-holed as a checking center there. He was traded to Owen Sound for his last year-and-a-half of his OHL career, and exploded for 100 points in his 95 games with the Attack. He’s slowly gaining a foothold in the AHL and looks like he could turn out to be a solid bottom-six penalty killer and two-way forward.
As far as the other two players acquired: Houck never cracked the point-per-game level in junior, went unsigned by the Oilers, and is currently playing in the ECHL; Muir is playing Div. 1 college hockey. Neither man appears likely to make the NHL in any meaningful capacity.
The player Edmonton originally wanted, Fucale, has struggled mightily post-draft, and is looking more and more like a bust. Los Angeles selected Valentin Zykov at 37, and the Blues picked William Carrier at 57. The Blues traded Carrier at the 2014 trade deadline to Buffalo as part of a package for Ryan Miller, while Zykov was traded at the 2016 deadline with a 5th round pick for Kris Versteeg. Zykov has 23 points in 59 AHL games, and needs to have a bounce-back season this year to continue to be considered a legit NHL prospect. Carrier has 55 points over 126 AHL games and made his NHL debut this season.
MacTavish was widely panned for a variety of unsuccessful roster moves and poor asset management, but this trade, his first, can likely be considered a success.
Three-plus years after the trade, it’s interesting to look back at these kinds of trades and see how things work out. Most insiders agree that the NHL Draft is something of a crapshoot; just look at Pro Hockey Rumors’ re-draft of the 2005 NHL Draft where there are some tremendous players picked long after after some serious busts.
Los Angeles Kings Assign Campbell To AHL; Zatkoff To Return
The net has been a tough spot to be for Los Angeles Kings goaltenders this year, as both Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff have battled injuries all year. That might be coming to an end though, as according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times, the team has sent down Jack Campbell to the AHL following the news that Zatkoff will return this weekend.
Originally injured on October 22nd at practice, Zatkoff had been out of the lineup for almost a month. The Kings had to turn to Peter Budaj and Campbell, their planned AHL tandem, to fill in for the first month. Budaj received all fourteen starts however, Campbell only seeing the net in relief on November 1st. Obviously, he wasn’t trusted as well as the long-time NHL veteran. Budaj put up a strong-enough .914 save percentage over that stretch.
Zatkoff returning doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll take the starting job away from Budaj, though I imagine he would be in line for more work than Campbell. The former Pittsburgh Penguins netminder carries a career .912 save percentage and 2.72 GAA, but has never started more than 18 games in a single NHL season. Budaj, on the other hand is just two shy of 200 career starts, though has been relegated to the AHL in recent seasons.
Either way, the Kings have to figure out a way to start winning hockey games, as they are 8-9-1 and fourth in the Pacific Division.
Islanders’ Notes: Halak, Lineups, Injuries
As the New York Islanders try to right the ship and get their season back on track, they welcome the defending Stanley Cup Champions tonight. The struggling Islanders sit dead last in the Eastern Conference and have been unable to find an answer to their offensive woes.
Tonight, the team will start Jaroslav Halak for his seventh straight game after starting the year with a three-goalie rotation. Halak has done his best with what’s in front of him this year, as even with a .904 save percentage he’s still carrying a 3.09 GAA. Surely he’d like to improve both numbers, but it’ll be tough against Sidney Crosby and Co.
- The team will look to shake things up tonight, as Shane Prince will get back into the lineup, putting them back to 12 forwards (they’d been playing with 7 defensemen recently). Scott Mayfield will return to the press box after playing just under seven minutes in their last game. Anthony Beauvillier will move back to the middle, while Ryan Strome moves up to the first line on John Tavares‘ wing. The team will also reunite the fourth line of Casey Cizikas, Nikolay Kulemin and Cal Clutterbuck, after a failed attempt of Clutterbuck on the top line.
- Dennis Seidenberg, one of the Islanders’ effective blueliners is skating with the team, but can still barely eat through his broken jaw. He’s still a while off from getting back into game action according to head coach Jack Capuano, who doesn’t expect it “to be any time soon”. The other injured Islander, Ryan Pulock, is getting closer, but isn’t expected to play on the upcoming west coast road trip, when the Islanders will face the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings in four nights.
Snapshots: Senators, Lindback, Flyers
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has left the team again for personal reasons, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Anderson has left the team twice so far this season to be with his wife after her recent cancer diagnosis. Andrew Hammond will serve as back-up to newcomer Mike Condon, who the Senators acquired from Pittsburgh for a fifth-round draft pick. Condon is 2-0-0 since being acquired and has put up a stellar 0.48 GAA and a .983 SV%.
- Former NHL goalie Anders Lindback was ostensibly released from, and reinstated to, his PTO today with the Los Angeles Kings affiliate Ontario Reign, reports Ontario Reign Insider Lindsay Czarnecki. The team initially announced that it released Lindback from the team before retracting that statement within the hour. Lindback was signed to the PTO on October 25th after the Kings found themselves without any starting goalies because both Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff were out with injury. The Kings are now carrying three goalies in Peter Budaj, Jack Campbell, and Zatkoff (injured), and will most likely send Campbell down when Zatkoff heals.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have scratched defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. In an ironic twist, Gostisbehere was named Philadelphia’s Pro Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association earlier this morning. Coach Dave Hakstol says that the benching should be good for his growth and development. The young defenseman currently has 3G and 7A in 17 games for the Flyers. He will be replaced by Andrew MacDonald who has 1G and 2A in 10 games.
Kings Notes: Gaborik, Andreoff, Kopitar, Lucic
Kings winger Marian Gaborik is progressing well in his recovery from a broken foot and is hoping to get back into the lineup somewhat soon, he told Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. He has missed the entire regular season so far after suffering the injury while blocking a shot back in September at the World Cup of Hockey.
Gaborik has been skating lightly over the last week but pushed his workout a bit harder on Wednesday and was pleased with how it went:
“I think I’m right on track. It’s just like I said, a matter of getting the strength back on the ice and skating. I haven’t skated for several weeks or something like that so it’s just a matter of getting those practices in so I can jump in to games ready to go.”
Despite the progress, there remains no timetable for his return to the lineup. When he does get back, he’ll be a welcome addition to a lineup that is scuffling in the goal scoring department as the Kings have just 39 goals in 17 games so far this season.
[Related: Kings Depth Chart]
More news from Los Angeles:
- Left winger Andy Andreoff is nearing a return to the lineup after thumb surgery, Rosen notes in a separate piece. He also appears to be well ahead of schedule as two weeks ago, head coach Darryl Sutter estimated that Andreoff would be out another four to seven weeks. However, the 25 year old is targeting Wednesday’s game against the Islanders as his return date, using the practices between then to work on his conditioning. Andreoff has played in nine games for Los Angeles this season, being held off the scoresheet but is averaging a career high in ice time at 10:02 per game.
- Center Anze Kopitar skated on Wednesday but is not expected to play against the Oilers tonight, reports Curtis Zupke of the LA Times. The captain remains day-to-day with either a hand or arm injury. Kopitar says progress is being made but not enough to return to the lineup: “It’s been feeling better and better but just not quite to where it needs to be and not quite good enough, obviously, to play.” He is off to a bit of a slow start this season with just two goals and six assists in 15 games.
- Milan Lucic is set to face his old Kings squad tonight for the first time since signing in Edmonton in free agency but reiterated to Elliott Teaford of the LA Daily News that he had intentions on re-signing there over the offseason: “I tried everything I could to make it work. I think both sides tried to do everything they could do to make it work. With a cap system, it just didn’t work out in the end.” Lucic spent just one year with the Kings and while he had a strong year (55 points in 81 games), the end result from the trade with Boston didn’t work out too well for LA when you consider that on top of Lucic essentially being a one year rental, one of the players they gave up for him – Martin Jones – is now the starting goalie for a division rival.