Minnesota Wild Sign Ivan Lodnia To ELC
Ivan Lodnia has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild. Lodnia was the team’s third-round pick in the 2017 draft, and currently plays for the Erie Otters of the OHL.
Lodnia was an interesting draft case last season, as he was buried on a powerhouse Erie squad that featured Alex DeBrincat, Taylor Raddysh, and Dylan Strome up front. When the Otters acquired Anthony Cirelli and Warren Foegele mid-season, Lodnia was pushed even further down the depth chart and used in a sort of shutdown role.
He still recorded 56 points in 66 games, but was a complete no-show in the Otters playoff run scoring just two points through 22 games. As Erie won the OHL title and headed to the Memorial Cup, he again wasn’t featured even as the team was eliminated. This playoff disappearance caused Lodnia to drop all the way to the third round, something the Wild must be happy about.
This season, he’s in a much more prominent role on the team and currently leads the squad in goals with 16, trailing only Raddysh and Kyle Maksimovich in scoring—both of whom are about a year and a half older than Lodnia. The 5’10” winger is a capable player at both ends of the rink, a trait that the Wild have been known for developing throughout the years. While he obviously still has a long way to go before cracking the NHL, signing his first contract is a step in the right direction.
Western Notes: Realignment, Ellis, Baertschi, Parise, Spurgeon
In a long notebook with many takes, The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek (subscription required) points out that assuming that Seattle does acquire an expansion team that starts in the 2020-21 season, realignment will have to happen as it’s highly unlikely Seattle will end up in the Central Division, which is the division that’s short one team.
Duhatschek suggests the smartest way to fix the divisional problem when/if Seattle gives the NHL a 32nd team, would be to move the Colorado Avalanche to the Pacific Divison and then move both the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers to the Central Division. Geographically, that would make the most sense, although neither Edmonton or Calgary would make a great fit in the Central. One other possibility would be that by 2020-21, the Arizona Coyotes may have decided to move away and relocate. That could also fix the problem, but only time will tell.
- Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes that Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis has been practicing with the team and could return within the next couple of weeks. The 26-year-old stud defenseman has been out after knee surgery this summer. Vingan also writes that despite their solid defense, it’s likely the team will have to make a move with Matt Irwin and Anthony Bitetto the most likely candidates to be sent to the Milwaukee Admirals. Since the return of Yannick Weber a week ago, Irwin has been scratched twice, while Bitetto once.
- Patrick Johnston of The Province writes that Vancouver Canucks winger Sven Baertschi, who took a puck to the face during last night’s game against the Calgary Flames, will return home to Vancouver rather than continue with the team on their current roadtrip. While there are no details on the severity of the injury, Johnston said the angle of the shot and its velocity would suggest the injury could be significant as he has already been ruled out for the team’s game against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. The 25-year-old has struggled lately on offense, but is still third on the team with eight goals this year.
- Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune tweets that veteran Zach Parise and defenseman Jared Spurgeon are skating and may just be a couple of weeks away from returning to the team. Parise, who underwent back surgery in October, hasn’t played all year. He scored 19 goals and had 42 points last year for the Wild and was counted on to be a key contributor. Spurgeon has been out since Dec. 1 with a groin strain. He has three goals and 12 assists in 23 games this season.
- The Arizona Coyotes will play in their 21st road game of the season tonight when they face the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. The Coyotes will be the first team in NHL history to play 21 road games within the first 66 days of the season, according to NHL.com’s Dave Vest.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post tweets that defenseman Erik Johnson is fine after blocking a shot late in Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers. He is expected to play Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Matt Cullen Slated To Be Healthy Scratch
- Wild center Matt Cullen is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight against Anaheim, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). His second stint with Minnesota hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly as he has just a single goal in 27 games after recording 16 and 13 the previous two years with Pittsburgh. He’s also averaging a career-low 11:17 of ice time per night. Russo speculates that the Penguins could be a team that might want to keep an eye on this situation as it could make some sense for them to try to reacquire the 41-year-old closer to the trade deadline.
Minnesota Wild Continue To Shop Kyle Quincey; Assign To AHL
After clearing waivers last week, the Minnesota Wild have officially sent Kyle Quincey to the AHL. As Michael Russo of The Athletic reports, they continue to try and trade the veteran defenseman, but will bury him in the minor leagues for the time being. Minnesota saves most of Quincey’s $1.25MM cap hit by sending him down, and have recalled Ryan Murphy after a similar cap-saving maneuver yesterday.
Quincey hasn’t been a great fit in Minnesota, refusing to play the right side for head coach Bruce Boudreau and generally being ineffective in his limited minutes. The Wild have several younger, cheaper, more mobile options that can fill his role, but it may be hard to find a buyer. Once known for his solid two-way style and offensive upside, Quincey is no longer an option on the powerplay and seems to be on the last legs of his career.
At 32, there is reason to believe that he could bounce back somewhat on a different team and find some of the magic that he found as a young player for the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche. It’s been nearly a decade since his best seasons though, and he’s now struggled on three different teams in the last year. Minnesota would have to find a team desperate for veteran depth to take him, and even then it’s unlikely that it would be to take over a role on the NHL team right away. More likely it would be as a veteran option to keep in the AHL as injury insurance.
Ryan Murphy Assigned To Iowa
- The Wild assigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to Iowa of the AHL, also via the AHL’s transaction page. Murphy has only played in three games with Minnesota this season but has been quite productive at the minor league level so far, tallying 11 points in 18 games. That gets Minnesota back to eight defensemen on their roster, including Kyle Quincey who cleared waivers earlier in the week.
Evening Notes: Division Realignment, Roussel, Engelland, Chychrun
With the Toronto Maple Leafs making stops in Calgary on Tuesday and Edmonton on Thursday, the rivalry between those Canadian Eastern and Western Conference matchups are off the charts. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) wonders if it wouldn’t be a smart idea to change the conferences, especially down the road when the Quebec Nordiques return to the NHL.
The scribe’s suggestion is create an all-Canadian conference to replace the Central Division, moving all eight Canadian teams including the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Quebec City in the same division. Non-Canadian Central Division teams would be moved to either the Atlantic Division or the Pacific Division where the Canadian teams left holes.
There would be two key outcomes to this move, including increased revenue as rivalry matchups in 34 out of each team’s 82-game schedule will increase ratings and increase ticket sales. Currently, Canadian teams only play 16 games against in-country rivals. Playoffs would also promote multiple Canada-vs.-Canada rivalries and also would increase TV ratings.
Mirtle mentions some downsides to realigning the divison, which would include increased travel times for other teams such as the Minnesota Wild if they were moved to the Pacific Divison, but still feels the NHL should seriously look into that over the next few years.
- The Dallas Stars will be without wing Antoine Roussel, who is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with the flu, according to coach Ken Hitchock. The coach added that Roussel is day-to-day regarding Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Roussel has three goals and eight points in 25 games for Dallas.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland remains day-to-day after suffering an injury to his hand in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The 35-year-old blueliner missed last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. He has two goals and nine points in 24 games this season and has been a key piece to the expansion team’s successful run so far this year.
- Craig Morgan of NHL.com tweets that Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said that defenseman Jakob Chychrun might play Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 2016 first-round pick hasn’t played this year and is currently on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. He had knee surgery in August and would make a big addition the Coyotes defensive core. He played 68 games for Arizona last year as an 18-year-old.
Jared Spurgeon Out With Groin Injury
The Minnesota Wild have been one of several teams racked with injuries in 2017-18 and they can now add another major contributor to the list. The Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan reports that defenseman Jared Spurgeon is expected to miss at least two weeks with a groin strain. Spurgeon has missed the past two games and is likely to land on injured reserve.
Spurgeon, who teammate Mathew Dumba calls “one of the most underrated guys in the NHL”, will be missed in Minnesota. As the long-time partner of Ryan Suter on the team’s top-pair, Spurgeon is counted on for major minutes and mistake-free hockey. Spurgeon is as solid as they come, and it is no surprise that the Wild’s first game adjusting to his absence was a 7-2 rout by the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. However, the team did bounce back with a win over the Vegas Golden Knights last night, with Dumba filling in beside Suter. That will most likely be the top pair moving forward until Spurgeon is back on his feet.
The extent of the Spurgeon injury also lends some explanation to the Wild’s recent claim of old friend Nate Prosser. Prosser has nearly 300 games with Minnesota under his belt, but bolted for St. Louis this summer hoping for greater opportunity. When that opportunity never presented itself, Prosser was happy to return home and the Wild were fortunate enough to bring a familiar name back into the fold when they needed him most. Prosser could play a key role on the Minnesota blue line over the next two weeks, as could recently-recalled Ryan Murphy and young Gustav Olofsson.
Minnesota Claims Nate Prosser, Buffalo Waives Matt Tennyson
The Minnesota Wild have claimed Nate Prosser off waivers, essentially replacing Kyle Quincey on the roster after he cleared. Jordin Tootoo, the third player on waivers yesterday also cleared and has been assigned to Rockford. Today, Nathan Walker (WSH) who we addressed earlier, and Matt Tennyson (BUF) are on the wire.
Prosser returns to familiar stomping grounds, having played for Minnesota for the first eight years of his professional career. After playing 282 games for the Wild over that span, he signed a two-year contract with the Blues this offseason. Only suiting up for one game for the Blues this year, they were right in their assumption that he would be claimed if they exposed him to waivers.
The 31-year old gives the Wild another right-side option, something that Quincey wasn’t willing to do according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. With Jared Spurgeon injured and not travelling with the team, Prosser could potentially jump into the lineup right away. Quincey hasn’t technically been sent to the AHL, and Minnesota had been offering him to clubs before eventually waiving him. Clearing waivers could facilitate a move now that the acquiring team could send him to the minor leagues without issue.
For Tennyson, waivers indicates he’s healthy enough to return to action. He was placed on injured reserve on November 16th, and has played in just 14 games with the Sabres this season. With seven healthy defensemen already on the roster, Tennyson is likely headed for Rochester should he clear.
Snapshots: Hurricanes, Senators, Fletcher
Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos has been considering selling the majority of his share of the team for some time, and today John Shannon of Sportsnet confirmed with team President Don Waddell that they are currently in talks with billionaire Thomas Dundon. Chuck Greenberg had previously been linked as a potential buyer, but now it appears Dundon is the prime candidate.
Shannon confirmed that the deal would be for a controlling interest of the Hurricanes but that relocation would not be part of it. While that obviously doesn’t guarantee a long-term future for Carolina, it at least should calm Hurricanes fans for the time being. Dundon is from Texas, though not from the Houston area that has become the hot city in relocation and expansion speculation around the league.
- Another team that has been surrounded by rumors of a potential sale is the Ottawa Senators, and though he can’t definitively deny it won’t eventually happen, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports owner Eugene Melnyk will be not selling anytime soon. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently said that a downtown arena is “vitally important” to the Senators’ long-term future in Ottawa, something Melnyk has been trying to convince the city of for years. Currently in discussions over the Lebreton Flats area near downtown Ottawa, a new building would certainly be a step in the right direction for the franchise.
- This morning, The Athletic published a piece by former NHL executive Frank Provenzano about general managers working in the final year of the contract and the dangers that can pose for a franchise. Now, after quite a bit of digging, Michael Russo reports that Chuck Fletcher of the Minnesota Wild is doing just that. Fletcher was quite active at last year’s deadline to try and push the Wild over the edge in the playoffs, only to see his team bow out in the second round once again. Now, stuck near the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference a “lame duck” GM could be pushed do to something drastic. There’s no reason to believe Fletcher would make such a move, but be sure to keep an eye on the Minnesota situation if their struggles continue.
Injury Notes: Berglund, Parise, McQuaid
The St. Louis Blues have officially activated Patrik Berglund from injured reserve, and intend to insert him into the lineup tonight when they play the Anaheim Ducks. Berglund has been out since June after injuring his shoulder and needing surgery. Originally slated to return at some point in December, the 29-year old center will get back into the lineup a little early.
Berglund joins what is already one of the deepest and most dangerous forward groups in the NHL, and gives them another big body down the middle that can contribute. A three-time 20-goal scorer, Berglund is coming off a 34-point season and looking to make an immediate impact. More importantly, he gives them another option in the middle where Brayden Schenn and Paul Stastny have already dominated.
- Zach Parise was back on the ice this morning for the first time since his surgery in October, and all things went well. Coming off microdiscectomy, there was some concern over his ability to return this season. Parise doesn’t seem to be worried about his future, telling Dan Myers of NHL.com he’s “very confident that everything is going to get back to normal and even better than it was.” The Minnesota Wild, struggling in Parise’s absence, could use him back as soon as possible.
- Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid also got back onto the ice for the first time since his own surgery, a procedure to fix a broken fibula suffered earlier this year. It’s not clear exactly when he’d be able to return, but he’ll have company when he does. All three of Brad Marchand, Ryan Spooner and David Backes are expected back in the lineup tonight for the Bruins when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, each coming off injuries of their own.