Poll: Who Will Be Western Conference Champions?
The NHL Playoffs kick off tomorrow night with three first round matchups. The Minnesota Wild head to Winnipeg to take on the Jets, the Pittburgh Penguins welcome in their rival Philadelphia Flyers, and the Vegas Golden Knights host the first playoff game in franchise history when they take on the Los Angeles Kings. All three should be exceptional games, featuring superstars and underrated talents.
By Thursday evening, all eight series will have started and the first round will truly be underway.
So who do you think comes out of it all? This year more than ever the conferences seem wide open, with several teams built to be real contenders for the Stanley Cup. Even with weaker records, some of the lower seeds have the ability to catch fire for a few weeks, while injuries can always upset the favorites. Vote below on who you think will win the Western Conference, and explain why in the comment section. Will the Predators head back to the Finals for the second year in a row? Is it another long playoff run for Joe Thornton (when he returns) and the Sharks? Can the Anze Kopitar and the Kings score enough to shock the world again?
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Snapshots: World Championships, Wild, Mariners
Jeff Blashill will once again be the head coach of Team USA at the upcoming World Championships, with Dan Bylsma, Don Granato and Seth Appert joining him behind the bench. Blashill coached last year’s squad to a fifth-place finish, but he’ll be getting some star power this time around.
Patrick Kane has announced that he will suit up for the tournament, and he will serve as captain of Team USA. Alex DeBrincat will also be joining Kane for the US squad, a nice reward after an outstanding rookie season that saw him lead the Blackhawks with 28 goals.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Carson Soucy, and expect him to be in the lineup for Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. They might get another huge boost on the blue line though, as Jared Spurgeon was back on the ice today at practice. Spurgeon hasn’t yet been cleared to return to game action, but was paired with Soucy at practice and will attempt to get into the lineup for Wednesday’s match.
- The New York Rangers have signed an affiliation with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL that will start in 2018-19. The Rangers had previously been affiliated with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but will now have both of their minor league partners—their AHL affiliate is the Hartford Wolf Pack—located in the northeast.
Western Notes: Blackhawks, Greenway, Horvat, Dahlen, Kovalchuk
Don’t expect too many changes in the Chicago Blackhawks roster this season. At least that’s what Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times writes as he examines the roster and the team’s salary cap flexibility.
Coach Joel Quenneville admitted that many things went wrong this year, but he believes that if the team comes back and all play better, the Blackhawks should return to the playoffs next season. Factor in the loss of Marian Hossa, the injury to goaltender Corey Crawford and some down years by several key players, perhaps a turnaround is possible.
“If we all collectively have better years in all aspects … I believe we’re very capable of [rebounding],” Quenneville said. “We’ve seen many games this year where we look like we could be a really good team. [It’s] just that consistency, putting that in place.”
Lazerus writes that the team should look into adding a top-four defenseman, but was quick to point out that it’s unlikely the team will go after Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson as that pricetag would be too high even though it looks as if the Blackhawks should have considerable cap space. He also adds the team desperately needs to find a quality backup goaltender to avoid the problems the team had to endure during the second half of this season.
- Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that while the Minnesota Wild’s bottom line of Tyler Ennis, Matt Cullen and Charlie Coyle has been successful of late, but head coach Bruce Boudreau might break it up as it sounds like the coach is leaning towards starting rookie Jordan Greenway over Ennis. “I don’t know where he’s going to play [in the playoffs], but I’m sure I’ll find a spot,” Boudreau said.
- Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet tweeted that Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat received an invitation to play for Canada at the upcoming world championships in Denmark this summer.
- Dhaliwal also adds that Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen will rest for a few days before reporting to the Utica Comets of the AHL. Dahlen, a prospect the Canucks acquired at the trade deadline in 2016 for Alexandre Burrows, has been lighting up the Allvenskan league and helped lead his team Timra to be promoted to Sweden’s top tier league.
- European reporter Alex Nunn tweeted that KHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has confirmed that he will spend the next two or three seasons in the NHL. Kovalchuk will be an unrestricted free agent on April 15, when he turns 35 years old.
Minor Transactions: 4/8/18
With the Eastern Conference still undecided until today’s final regular season game, the Western Conference has no questions as the Colorado Avalanche finished off the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 victory Saturday as they clinched the final playoff spot. The Nashville Predators got the top spot and will face the Avalanche. In other first-round matchups, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks will face the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild will face the Winnipeg Jets.
- The New York Islanders announced they have assigned forward Tanner Fritz on loan to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to help their AHL affiliate, who have four games left in their season. The 26-year-old Fritz split time between both teams, putting up three goals and seven points for the Islanders in 34 games, while scoring 10 goals and 27 assists in 33 games for Bridgeport.
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forwards John Hayden, David Kampf, Andreas Martinsen, Victor Ejdsell, Jeff Glass and Jean-Francois Berube to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL for their playoff push.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have assigned forwards Michael McCarron and Kerby Rychel as well as defenseman Brett Lernout to the AHL’s Laval Rocket to get some more playing time in before their season ends.
- The Buffalo Sabres have announced they will send eight players to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for their playoff run, including forwards Nicholas Baptiste, Alexander Nylander and Kevin Porter; defensemen Brendan Guhle, Casey Nelson and Matt Tennyson; and goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Adam Wilcox.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent four players to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for their upcoming playoff run, according to the AHL team. The Hurricanes assigned forwards Nicolas Roy, Valentin Zykov as well as defensemen Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown. It will be a change for Fleury who spent all but one game with Carolina this season, while Zykov put up solid numbers in the NHL with seven points in 10 games.
- With the Calgary Flames season over, the team has assigned three players to the Stockton Heat of the AHL to finish out their season. The team will return defenseman Rasmus Andersson, forward Spencer Foo and goaltender Jon Gillies. Andersson played 10 games for the Flames this year, while Foo scored two goals in four games. Gillies played 11 games for Calgary, putting up a 2.88 GAA.
- The Arizona Coyotes, according to CapFriendly, have sent four players back to the Tucson Roadrunners for their playoff run, including forward Dylan Strome and defensemen Dakota Mermis, Trevor Murphy and Joel Hanley. Strome showed some success at the NHL level, putting up four goals and nine points in 21 games this season.
- The Dallas Stars have joined the fray, reassigning defenseman Dillon Heatherington and goaltender Mike McKenna to the AHL’s Texas Stars as they continue their push toward the playoffs.
Minor Transactions: 04/06/18
The NHL had some exceptional moments yesterday, as Henrik and Daniel Sedin said goodbye to the Vancouver fans in the only way they know how—an overtime powerplay goal—and Roberto Luongo played his 1,000th game with relatively little fanfare. What else would you expect from one of the most consistent goaltenders of all-time, than 26 saves and a win in the most important game of the season for the Florida Panthers.
As we bask in the romantic finishes from last night, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here:
- Carson Soucy has been sent back to the AHL by the Minnesota Wild, as his emergency conditions are up. Gustav Olofsson is back with the team according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, meaning Soucy is down for now. That could open a spot for Louis Belpedio to make his NHL debut, after recently signing and joining the team.
- The Boston Bruins have returned Colby Cave to the minor leagues, after his latest two-game call-up. The 23-year old forward recorded two shots on goal, but is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The New York Rangers have recalled Matt Beleskey and Steven Fogarty from the minor leagues in time for their final game tomorrow. Beleskey hasn’t played in the NHL since coming over at the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins in a salary dump, but might get a chance against the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow. The former 20-goal man is a prime candidate for a buyout if the Rangers need the cap space, though in their rebuild they might be fine with him playing next season in the minor leagues.
- Jonny Brodzinski is on his way back to the AHL, as the Los Angeles Kings prepare for the playoffs. Brodzinski was recalled just yesterday, but will head back without getting into a game.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Nicolas Roy from the AHL, a reward for a solid rookie campaign. Roy recorded 37 points in his first professional season, following two solid years in junior. Selected in the fourth round, the 6’4″ forward has turned himself into a legitimate NHL prospect.
Minnesota Wild Sign Louis Belpedio To Entry-Level Contract
Louis Belpedio had already been playing on an amateur tryout in the AHL, but has now officially signed his two-year entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild and will join the team right away. That means he’ll burn the first year of the deal in 2017-18, but could make an impact for a team struggling to replace an injured Ryan Suter. Despite being only 21 currently, Belpedio was only able to sign a two-year contract because he’ll turn 22 before September 15th of this year.
Interestingly, even though Belpedio was already playing in the Minnesota system he still could have waited for free agency this summer. After playing four years for the Miami University (Ohio), the third-round pick would have been highly sought after had he waited. Instead, he’ll sign with his draft team and get through the first year of his entry-level contract right away, and could even help them down the stretch and into the playoffs. The Wild are expected to welcome back Jared Spurgeon in time for the first round, but even with his return there is a hole on the Minnesota blue line.
Belpedio is a strong right-handed puck-moving defenseman that put up 30 points in 37 games this season in the NCAA. Though obviously stepping into a playoff picture is still a long-shot, he’s done nothing but impress during his time in the AHL and should compete for an NHL job in short order. Regardless of whether he gets into a game this season, the added experience of being around the Wild for the next few weeks will be a great development tool as he enters the professional ranks.
Ryan Suter Faces Long Road To Recovery
On Monday, the Minnesota Wild confirmed that star defenseman Ryan Suter had suffered a broken ankle and would undergo season-ending surgery. Tomorrow, Suter will go under the knife. However, there was still a lot of mystery surrounding what looked like an unassuming injury at first glance. That has now been clarified by Michael Russo of the Athletic (subscription required). The details of the injury are not pretty.
In speaking with Russo, Suter revealed that his injury, a broken right fibula in the “talus” area, was far more serious than anyone could have imagined. In fact, it is exceptionally rare for a sports injury. Suter relayed to Russo the diagnosis from doctors that “if I was a soccer player, a baseball player, a basketball player, this could basically be the end, a career-ending injury”. The fibula is vital for ankle movement and the severity of the break is most commonly seen in car accidents. If Suter’s sport of choice hadn’t been one where the players’ ankles are secured in their skates, he likely would have played his last professional game.
Even with that stroke of luck, there is still a long, difficult path facing Suter. The first step is tomorrow’s surgery, but there is then a four-month period during which Suter may not put any weight on that right leg. Only after that, sometime in August, can Suter begin rehabbing and only after much off-the-ice work can he resume skating again. That timeline is awfully close to October and the beginning of the 2018-19 season. While the Wild and their fans are understandably mourning the loss of their irreplaceable defender so close to the postseason, they may also need to consider life without their #1 blue liner to begin next season.
Ryan Suter To Undergo Surgery, Out Rest Of Season
Though it was already assumed to be a long-term injury, the Minnesota Wild have officially announced that Ryan Suter will require surgery to repair a broken right ankle. Suter will be out for the remainder of the season.
Though the announcement doesn’t specifically mention the playoffs, one can assume that Suter won’t be able to return until 2018-19. That’s a huge blow for the Wild, as Suter is one of the most involved players in the entire league, logging almost 27 minutes a night and leading the team in both powerplay and short handed ice time.
Suter’s 51 points through 78 games actually tied a career-high, and his 22 powerplay assists put him among the league leaders. The Wild will need to find another quarterback if they’re going to have any success in the postseason.
The team is already dealing with an injury to Jared Spurgeon, which makes the loss of Suter even harder to deal with. While Carson Soucy makes his debut tonight, he’s hardly an answer for a tough first round series against the Winnipeg Jets or another tough Western Conference team.
Injury Notes: Bruins, Suter, Johansson, Callahan, Antipin
For a team having the success that they have had, the Boston Bruins are also at the top of the Atlantic Division despite suffering through countless injuries throughout the season. While many of those players like David Backes and Patrice Bergeron have done a nice job of working their way back at different points in the season, the injuries continue to pile up.
The team lost defenseman Brandon Carlo to injury as he was taken off on a stretcher Saturday with a leg injury and while there is no official word on the specifics or the severity of the injury, NBC’s Joe Haggerty tweets that head coach Bruce Cassidy said it’s probably serious and it is likely that he could miss the playoffs. Add to that, veteran Riley Nash, who took a puck to his head in Saturday’s game. According to Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa, Nash required 40 stitches in and around his ear.
“You know what? That’s what it is this year and how it’s going to be,” said Bruce Cassidy (via Haggerty). “It’s become a bit of our fight song. We can do it with guys going in and out, and other guys stepping up. It’s worked out well in terms of how the guys have responded.”
On a positive note, the team got back winger Jake Debrusk, who kicked in two goals and an assist Saturday and veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara is playing today. However, the team is still without defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who could return Tuesday, according to Haggerty.
- StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan writes that Minnesota Wild veteran defenseman Ryan Suter will be out indefinitely after suffering a foot injury during Saturday’s game against Dallas. The 33-year-old went down during the second period when his foot awkwardly collided against the boards after taking a hit from the Stars’ Remi Elie. It’s another blow for the Wild, who had previously lost Suter’s partner Jared Spurgeon who went down with a hamstring injury more than two weeks ago. The Wild currently hold the third playoff spot in the Central Division, but need some key wins in the coming days to hold onto that spot. Suter averages 26:46 of ATOI, which is second in the NHL. He has six goals and 51 points, which is tied for his career-high.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have activated Marcus Johansson off of injured reserve Sunday. The winger has been out with a concussion since Jan. 23. He is expected to be in the lineup today with Montreal. After acquiring the 27-year-old from Washington in the offseason, Johansson has been plagued by injuries as he’s only appeared in 29 games for the Devils putting up five goals and nine assists this season.
- NHL.com’s Bryan Burns tweets that veteran winger and penalty killing specialist Ryan Callahan is expected to return today after being out with an upper body injury. The 33-year-old has missed the past five games since being injured on March 22 against Toronto. Callahan has four goals and 15 points in 63 games this season.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced the defenseman Victor Antipin has been diagnosed with a concussion after taking a hit Saturday from Nashville’s Scott Hartnell. He also suffered facial lacerations, a broken nose and dental injuries. He is out indefinitely.
Ivan Lodnia Assigned To Iowa Wild
The Minnesota Wild have had a knack for finding interesting prospects in the middle and late rounds lately, and Ivan Lodnia is no different. The 18-year old forward has been cleared to play after missing the end of the OHL season with an injury, and the Wild have given him an opportunity by assigning him to the AHL. Having Lodnia join the Iowa Wild even for a short stint at such a young age shows how highly the Minnesota front office thinks of the third-round pick, and could indicate that he’s closer to making an impact for them than one might have originally thought.
Lodnia scored 59 points for the Erie Otters this season, which while a slight improvement over last year isn’t an amount that screams future NHL scorer. Still, his offensive ability is perhaps secondary to the solid defensive game he has developed over the last few years as he was stuck behind other more senior players on the Erie depth chart. Lodnia is built in the same way that other successful two-way players have been on the Wild, and could follow them to the NHL to make an impact.
While it’s very likely he’ll return to the OHL for another season in 2018-19, Lodnia is one to keep an eye on in a Minnesota system that has several intriguing names. With other late round selections like Kirill Kaprizov, Dmitry Sokolov and Brandon Duhaime all finding success in one way or another, the Wild have found quite a bit of talent outside the first round.