Noah Juulsen Out Indefinitely With “Vision-Related” Injury
Reports have differed over the last week on the extent of the injury suffered by Montreal Canadiens prospect Noah Juulsen, but the team has now addressed it directly. In a statement, the Canadiens have explained that Juulsen is out indefinitely with a “vision-related issue that will require time to heal.” There has been some speculation that the injury may be career threatening, but the statement goes on to say that the organization expects a full recovery.
Juulsen was struck in the face by a puck twice earlier this season, but had made a return and played games for both the Canadiens and Laval Rocket of the AHL. Unfortunately if his vision is being affected it may be dangerous for him to continue playing for now.
It’s a tough break for Juulsen, who seems to have one of those every time he’s close to an NHL job. The 21-year old defenseman has dealt with several injuries through his short professional career, only suiting up for a total of 80 games across two levels since his WHL season ended in 2017. The 26th-overall pick from 2015 has flashed real potential in those games, but is going to have to get healthy before any more development can occur. Hopefully he can recover at least by the time the 2019-20 season begins so that he can try to have a full season under his belt when heading to restricted free agency in July 2020.
Injury Notes: Jenner, Perron, Shaw
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Boone Jenner for at least another week after a cut on his ankle has become infected. The team announced a one to three week timeline for Jenner today, noting that the laceration happened after Jenner blocked a shot on January 12th. This explains why Mark Letestu has been recalled, though the veteran center is still not expected in the lineup for the Blue Jackets tonight.
It comes at an unfortunate time for Columbus, given that the next three weeks could be the most important stretch of their season. With the decisions surrounding Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky looming, this could be the last stretch that this group has together before watching two of their best players head to a different locker room. Jenner meanwhile has been his effective two-way self this season, but has just nine goals and 21 points to show for it. That’s a far way off from the 30-goal campaign he put up in 2015-16, a distant memory at this point for the 25-year old center. He’ll need to pick things up in the second half if Columbus is going to continue to put pressure on the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
- David Perron has been moved to injured reserve by the St. Louis Blues, as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury. Perron was in the middle of his best stretch of the season with points in 13 consecutive games, while seeing almost 20 minutes of ice time a night. The veteran forward was listed as day-to-day originally, but has now missed three games for the Blues. His IR stint will be retroactive to January 17th, meaning he can come off whenever healthy.
- Andrew Shaw hasn’t played in a month for the Montreal Canadiens, but is getting a lot closer to a return. The feisty forward returned to the ice for practice today and skated on a line with Kenny Agostino and Michael Chaput. Shaw had 24 points in 36 games for the Canadiens before suffering what would eventually be classified as a neck injury at the end of December. His return would be a substantial boost for a Montreal team that is quietly pushing for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Snapshots: Pominville, Moravcik, Winnipeg
When the Buffalo Sabres take the ice tonight against the Dallas Stars, they will do so without veteran forward Jason Pominville. Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News, after speaking with head coach Phil Housley, relays that Pominville will sit out Wednesday night’s contest as a healthy scratch. Some quick research by the Olean Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe indicates that this is Pominville’s first healthy scratch since April 4, 2006 – during his rookie season. Pominville, 36, has been an All-Star and frequent Selke Trophy candidate over his 15 years in the league, split between two stints with Buffalo and five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. So why now is he out of the Sabres’ lineup? Lysowksi writes that the only reason Housley gave was to rest the veteran of more than a thousand games in the second night of a back-to-back and give young Remi Elie a shot. However, Pominville’s streak of one goal and two assists in his past 24 games likely contributed as well. Even though Pominville is on pace to meet or exceed his 34 total points from last season, he has cooled off significantly after a hot start, much like the Sabres overall. His spot in the lineup could be in jeopardy, especially if Elie proves to be the spark that Buffalo is seeking.
- It didn’t take long for defenseman Michal Moravcik to find new employment. Just a day after clearing unconditional waivers and having his contract terminated by the Montreal Canadiens, Moravcik has returned home to the Czech Republic. HC Plzen has announced a contract with the 24-year-old blue liner for the remainder of the season. Plzen is the same team that Moravcik had come up through the system with and was playing for before signing in North America. As such, Morazcik should soon return to the elite form that first caught the eye of NHL scouts. Plzen is surely looking forward to the boost, as the team that also employs familiar names like Jakub Kindl and Petr Straka hopes to make up ground in the standings.
- The city of Winnipeg already hosts the NHL’s Jets and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but it will have yet another tenant beginning next season. The WHL’s Kootenay Ice have decided to move to Winnipeg, as first reported by The Winnipeg Free Press’ Jeff Hamilton. The team is expected to keep the “Ice” moniker and same logo and will soon get to work on a long-term development plan for a new arena and sports complex on the south side of the city. While Winnipeggers already have two good teams to root for, no one in the area is likely to complain about the return of major junior hockey and should be excited to watch presumptive top-15 pick Peyton Krebs lead a young, rebuilding team next season.
Michal Moravcik Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Tuesday: Moravcik has cleared waivers and will now see his contract terminated.
Monday: The Montreal Canadiens have placed Michal Moravcik on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Moravcik is on a two-year entry-level contract that was signed last May, but will become an unrestricted free agent when the process is complete and able to return to the Czech Republic.
Moravcik just hasn’t found a fit for the Canadiens this season, spending 20 games in the AHL with the Laval Rocket and four with the Brampton Beast of the ECHL. Surely toiling away in the low minors wasn’t exactly what the 24-year old defenseman was expecting when he signed, especially given the success he has found in the Czech league over the last few years. Moravcik recorded 16 points in 52 games for HC Plzen in 2017-18 and suited up for the Czech Republic at the World Championship for the first time. He very well could be back there this year, as he certainly won’t be playing in the NHL playoffs.
For Montreal, terminating Moravcik’s contract opens up another slot under the 50-contract limit that they can use to their advantage come the trade deadline. The team has been open with the idea that they would go after bad contracts in order to acquire good players like Joel Armia, who arrived in Montreal on the back of Steve Mason‘s undesirable cap hit. When this deal is terminated, the team will have 43 contracts on the books and plenty of cap space to work with.
Atlantic Notes: Price, Matthews, Skinner
The Atlantic Division will be without a top star tonight at the All-Star game in Carey Price. While the Atlantic team should do fine with Andrei Vasilevskiy taking his place, the Montreal Canadiens are happy that their franchise goaltender is getting the rest he needs. The team has been very careful with Price this season as he hasn’t appeared in a back-to-back games since early December and have given him several therapy days.
However, Sean Gordon of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that he needs more than just rest, pointing out that the 31-year-old is a player who goes into the butterfly more than most goaltenders and is overworking himself whether its in a game or in practice. He points to a week in early January when he went to the butterfly 112 times in an overtime game on Jan. 14 against Montreal. The following day, he went into the butterfly 92 times in just 55 minutes in practice. By the end of the week, he had taken 301 shots, just in practice. That’s too many shots, according to Gordon.
The scribe adds that teams, especially Montreal, need to use more practice goalies, especially at this point in the season to alleviate some of the wear and tear on goaltenders’ bodies.
- Despite recent meetings with his agent and general manager Kyle Dubas, The Toronto Sun’s Michael Traikos writes that Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews isn’t feeling any pressure to signing a contract quickly, even if Toronto wants to get it done as quickly as possible. In fact, Matthews said that he doesn’t worry about his contract, nor does he talk about it with teammate Mitch Marner, who will also be a restricted free agent this summer. “It’s not really something that comes up, I guess,” said Matthews. “If we do talk, it’s not really hockey-related, it’s really just anything. I think it’s just a big distraction as far as with the media and Toronto and the way they play it out and everything. But I don’t think it’s something that either of us stresses about too much in our minds. I just think we want to go out and play hockey and have fun. That’s why you have agents that take care of this stuff.”
- Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News writes that there is no real news yet of whether Jeff Skinner and his agent are negotiating an extension, but the scribe believes with the year he is having, Buffalo might be forced to shell out $9MM per year and $70MM total to get Skinner locked in for the next eight years. Jack Eichel, who has bonded with Skinner on the ice this season, has made it clear he wants the team to extend him. “He’s gotten closer and closer with our group all year,” said Eichel. “You can see his performance, his compete and work ethic. The way he’s jelled and meshed with our group has been awesome. He’s scored some really big goals and it’s been a lot of fun to have him in the room. You can’t say enough good things about him.”
Canadiens Open To Taking On A Bad Contract In A Trade
The Canadiens are have indicated to teams that they’re willing to absorb a bad contract to bring in some other assets at the same time, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in an appearance on TSN 1200 (audio link). Montreal projects to finish the season with over $9.7MM in cap room which gives them plenty of flexibility heading into the trade deadline. They made a move like this over the summer when they added winger Joel Armia plus a pair of draft picks for taking on goalie Steve Mason’s deal which was promptly bought out. GM Marc Bergevin has indicated that he’s not going to be in on the rental market so this could be another way to add a piece prior to next month’s trade deadline.
Minor Transactions: 01/17/19
Though the NHL has just seven games on the schedule for this evening, there are two can’t-miss matchups taking place. First, the Toronto Maple Leafs try to right the ship against the league leading Tampa Bay Lightning. Toronto have been passed by both the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference standings, but could get back to second place with a win. Next, the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators take part in a battle for the Central Division as the two clubs remain just two points apart in the standings. As those four clubs and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Karl Alzner as expected, and will bring him along on their trip to Columbus. Alzner played in last night’s Laval Rocket game, but failed to record a point in a 4-2 win.
- Anthony Stolarz has been activated from injured reserve and loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he will serve a conditioning stint as he tries to get healthy. The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender could very well serve in a tandem with Carter Hart for the rest of the season to really give the Flyers a good look at what he could bring to the table next season. Stolarz is a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
- Jason Dickinson has been activated from injured reserve and took part in practice today for the Dallas Stars and will be in the lineup tonight. Dickinson will skate alongside Jason Spezza and newcomer Andrew Cogliano.
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Tanner Kero from the AHL as insurance for Bo Horvat who is dealing with a minor injury. Kero has been one of the best forwards all season for the Utica Comets, but is still waiting for his chance to impress the Canucks front office at the NHL level.
- With Curtis McElhinney needing a few days off to nurse a knee injury, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled minor league goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the Charlotte Checkers. Nedeljkovic has been outstanding for the Checkers this season with a league-leading 20 wins and just five losses.
- MacKenzie Weegar has been moved to injured reserve after suffering a concussion on the hit that earned Paul Byron a suspension, so the Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Josh Brown. Brown has yet to make his NHL debut, and has just three points (all goals) for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season.
Paul Byron Suspended Three Games
The Department of Player Safety has decided that Paul Byron‘s hit on MacKenzie Weegar was deserving of a suspension, and have issued a three-game ban to the Montreal Canadiens forward. The accompanying video explains exactly why the league felt three games was the appropriate punishment:
It is important to note that this is not a case where a player comes off the ice after contact due to the force of the hit. This is also not a case where slightly as part of a natural hitting motion when delivering a full-body hit into a larger player. Byron launches himself excessively upwards, coming off the ice to deliver the hit and in the process makes significant and forceful head contact. While we recognize that Weegar is turning as he makes a play on the puck, the onus is on Byron not to elevate excessively and launch into the hit.
Byron, not known by any standard as being a dirty player in the league, has released his own statement on the incident.
I accept and respect the decision made by the Department of Player Safety. I would like to make it clear I had no intention of causing injury or finishing my check through MacKenzie Weeger’s (sic) head. I think my history and the way I conduct myself on the ice show a lack of intent to injure other players. Despite the lack of intention, I have to accept responsibility for my hit and realize the result of the hit was to the head and caused injury. I would like to sincerely apologize for my hit and wish MacKenzie all the best and hope he is okay. I’ve learnt a lesson through this and will make sure any future hits result in a clean and legal fashion.
Though first-time offenders rarely get three games, the league also took into account that Weegar suffered an injury on the play. That will force Byron to sit out for a week, missing games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes. Unfortunately, that takes the Canadiens right up to the All-Star break and CBA mandated bye week, meaning he won’t actually be able to suit up for the team until February 2nd.
Minor Transactions: 01/16/19
Just five games are on tap for tonight in the NHL but those matchups feature some of the brilliant young stars around the league. The Colorado Avalanche kick things off when they travel to see Matt Duchene and the Ottawa Senators in a chance to get back moving in the right direction. Colorado beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday to record just their second win in the last ten games, far from a dominant stretch for a team expecting to be in the playoffs this season. As the Avalanche and other teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Cameron Schilling from the minor leagues, an insurance policy with Ben Chiarot dealing with a minor injury. Schilling played four games with the Jets earlier this season, his first NHL action since 2014-15.
- After six games with the Dallas Stars, Erik Condra is heading back to the AHL. Condra was reassigned today after registering just one point in those six games. The 32-year old veteran is one of the Texas Stars’ best players and leads the club with 35 points in just 32 games.
- Karl Alzner was sent back to the minor leagues late last night, something the Montreal Canadiens can still do without putting him through waivers again. The Canadiens don’t play again until Friday and can save a substantial amount of cap space with each day Alzner spends in the minor leagues, though he is expected to travel with the team tomorrow when they head to Columbus.
Paul Byron To Face Disciplinary Hearing
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety is hard at work this morning reviewing all the questionable hits from last night, and have decided that one in particular is deserving of further discipline. Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron will have a hearing today after charging Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. Weegar suffered an injury on the play.
Byron has been an excellent performer once again this season for the Canadiens, tallying nine even-strength goals in just 34 games despite averaging just 12 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5. The speedy forward is a lethal counter-puncher, and provides a solid balance for the more skilled Montreal players who can sometimes be hesitant to leave the perimeter. Losing Byron for any length of time would hurt the Montreal attack, and force the team to use someone else on the penalty kill for at least a few games.