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Injury Notes: Marchand, Duclair, Vatrano, Klefbom, Smith, Avalanche, Seeler

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Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand could miss some time — not due to injury — but after another incident in which the forward collided with Chicago Blackhawks winger Anthony Duclair in Saturday’s game. You can see the video here. While on the surface it does look as if Marchand was attempting to avoid Duclair, one has to wonder how the Department of Player Safety will treat the incident after numerous incidents this season. A repeat offender, Marchand served a five-game suspension back in January for concussing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson.

Marchand was given a two-minute interference penalty on the play, but Duclair was forced to exit the game as he suffered a knee injury. The Blackhawks later announced that he will not return for the rest of the game and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that he will miss one-to-two weeks.

  • Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel writes the Florida Panthers have activated forward Frank Vatrano and will make his Panthers debut Saturday night. Vatrano, who was acquired a week before the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick, will attempt to find his game with the rising Panthers despite missing some time with a high ankle sprain. He is slated to appear on the team’s second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau as the team hopes Vatrano could be a valuable addition to their core. After putting up 39 goals in 45 career AHL games, he has struggled in the NHL. With Boston, the 23-year-old had just two goals in 25 games this year and often found himself scratched.
  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd MacLellan said defenseman Oscar Klefbom will miss the next two games to undergo a “minor procedure.” With rumors that Klefbom was been playing injured for much of the year, the eventual question will be whether the team should shut him down in the near future.
  • Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp writes that center Reilly Smith was sent back to Las Vegas after he sustained an upper body injury during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is not playing today and is not expected to be ready for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Smith is having a career year with 22 goals and 38 assists in his first year with Vegas.
  • Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes that the team intends to start Jonathan Bernier today after Bernier has missed the past 10 games with a head injury. Starter Semyon Varlamov has struggled recently having allowed 11 goals in the past three games. The scribe also writes that defenseman Erik Johnson skated Friday in a non-contact jersey. He hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 18. There is no timeline for Johnson, according to head coach Jared Bednar. Forward Vladislav Kamenev, who broke his arm in November after being acquired from Nashville, practiced Friday and is likely to be sent to the AHL for a couple of games on a conditioning stint.
  • Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that defenseman Nick Seeler, who has been dealing with a right bicep strain and the flu, is improving, but did not travel with the team to Vancouver and would only join the team in Edmonton if there is an injury on defense before then.

Snapshots: Emergency Goalie, Lundqvist, Pettersson, College Free Agents

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The Winnipeg Jets may have called up Michael Hutchinson on paper, but they weren’t actually able to get him on the roster in time for their game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. According to the team, Hutchison’s flight into New York was delayed and he was unable to arrive to the game in time. As a result, the Jets were forced to sign an emergency backup to a tryout deal. The man behind Connor Hellebuyck tonight will be Zane Kalemba, a New Jersey native and a friend of Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler. Kalemba played junior hockey with Wheeler for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers and went on to star for Princeton University. Kalemba only retired from hockey in 2016, having spent time in the ECHL, CHL, and several European leagues. An experienced keeper who, most importantly, was nearby, will have to do for the Jets tonight.

  • A goalie in the tri-state area with a little more experience than Kalemba is New York Rangers superstar Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, when Lundqvist takes the ice tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he will tie former Tampa goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the most NHL starts by a foreign-born goalie. The Rangers report that Lundqvist’s appearance, his 799th, is enough to share the top mark. When the Swedish keeper makes his next start, which could be as early as Saturday, he will not only reach a benchmark 800th appearance, but will also become the most experienced foreign keeper in NHL history.
  • Another Swede setting records is Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson. Pettersson, who was selected fifth overall last year by Vancouver, has been playing in the top Swedish pro league, the SHL, this season. After a four-point outburst today, the Canucks pointed out that Pettersson’s 55 points on the year set a new record for the most points by a player under 20 in SHL history. The Vaxjo Lakers forward snapped a 42-year-old record while also taking over the league scoring lead. That’s not too shabby for a young player who looks to be an absolute stud-in-the-making for the Canucks.
  • Some other young players looking to make an impact in the pros is the 2018 crop of college free agents. While Zach Whitecloud’s deal with Vegas today was the first NHL deal so far, a few other NCAA prospects have already hooked up with AHL teams for contracts and tryout agreements for the remainder of the season and could earn big-league deals if they impress. These transactions include Whitecloud’s Bemidji State teammate Kyle Bauman joining the Ontario Reign (LAK), the San Jose Barracuda (SJS) inking Alaska-Fairbanks’ Zach Frye, Yale’s Ryan Hitchcock going nearby to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI), the Chicago Wolves (VGK) adding Wisconsin’s Ryan Wagner, and both Derian Plouffe of Niagara and Josh Kestner of Alabama-Huntsville signing with the Toronto Marlies (TOR).

Spending Potential: New Jersey’s Free Agency Possibilities

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When last offseason finally rolled around, and the free agent market was about to open, there was one name that clearly led the group. That was Kevin Shattenkirk, considered the only true top-end player available in an otherwise uninspiring group.  The New Jersey Devils were rumored to be interested, as they had huge amounts of cap space and an obvious need on defense. Add in that Shattenkirk wanted to play in the northeast and there seemed to be a nice match.

The Devils did go after Shattenkirk, but ended up missing out when the free agent defenseman signed with the New York Rangers, always his first choice. Speaking to Chris Ryan of NJ.com, Devils’ GM Ray Shero explained as much:

In the end, he grew up a Ranger fan. And I’m pretty sure if the Rangers were capped out or the Rangers weren’t interested, he’d probably be here, on the right type of contract for the right reasons. But you know what? I respect the process, I like Kevin as a person, he’s a good player, and that’s where it goes.

Ultimately, it may have worked out better for the Devils in the long run. Shattenkirk has been a mild disappointment in New York, struggling through injury and inconsistency in his first season on a team that is now starting a rebuild. The 29-year old has three more seasons on his deal with the Rangers, but might not be in a playoff run the whole time depending on how bare the Rangers’ front office strips the roster.

In New Jersey, they found their defensive help in Sami Vatanen after sending Adam Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks, and have taken a huge step forward in the standings. Already six points ahead of their total from 2016-17 with 15 games remaining, New Jersey is in position to return to the playoffs for the first time since losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. They bought at the deadline for the first time in a while, adding Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner to their young group up front. They also find themselves in another envious position heading into the offseason.

With Maroon, Grabner, Drew Stafford, John Moore and others coming off the books as unrestricted free agents, and Ryane Clowe’s contract finally expiring, the Devils project to have somewhere around $25MM in cap space depending on where the ceiling lands. Though they have to think about potential long-term deals for some of their young players down the road, 2018-19 doesn’t come with many of those decisions.

Miles Wood will be a restricted free agent this summer, and has shown enough in his second season to demand a substantial raise on his entry-level contract. But with just 44 points in 125 games, he’s hardly in a position to demand a huge cap hit. Any long-term deal with Wood would likely come at a relatively low salary, as he doesn’t even have arbitration rights yet.

Any of the aforementioned unrestricted free agents could be brought back, and Brian Gibbons will definitely get some consideration after something of a breakout first half. Gibbons has 23 points in 45 games during a season broken by injury, and could be signed to an inexpensive free agent contract if he decides to stick around.

Other than that, the Devils are free to pursue some of the more interesting names on the market this season. A quick look at our Midseason UFA Power Rankings shows a number of players who could dramatically improve the Devils attack, and give Taylor Hall some more support offensively. Talented wingers like James van Riemsdyk, James Neal and Evander Kane all remain unsigned, while there are several useful defensemen on the market who could strengthen the Devils blue line even further.

The Devils have just four players signed for three or more seasons after 2017-18, giving Shero ample flexibility to construct the team how he wants. After winning the draft lottery and seeing breakout rookie performances from Nico Hischier, Will Butcher and Jesper Bratt, New Jersey looks to be in as good a position as possible heading into the playoffs. Though any postseason games will surely be exciting for their fans, the months following may bring even more fireworks.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

NHL Announces Global Series Schedule

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This season, the NHL returned to their Global Series with events in China and Sweden. Both were considered successes, and now the league has released their plan for the 2018-19 season, which will include four different international cities.

In the preseason, the Global Series Challenge will continue in Switzerland and Germany, while regular season games will be played in Sweden and Finland. The New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets will be the four teams representing the NHL, all four with international stars leading the way.

On October 1st, the Devils will take on SC Bern in Bern, Switzerland, an opportunity for standout rookie Nico Hischier to play once again in his home country. Hischier is the highest ever draft Swiss-born player, selected first overall in 2017.

October 3rd will bring the Oilers to Kolner Haie in Cologne, Germany, to face off against the club team coached by Leon Draisaitl’s father. Draisaitl is from Cologne, and will be a huge draw for the NHL squad in the preseason match.

The season will then be kicked off by a game between the Devils and Oilers in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson and Jesper Bratt should all be among the prime attractions. Obviously, a matchup of Connor McDavid vs. Taylor Hall is exciting wherever it is, and the league knows marketing their young superstars is an important part of expanding the global brand.

Just a month later, on November 1st and 2nd, the Panthers and Jets will face off in Helsinki, Finland. It’s easy to understand the draw for this game, as Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine are among the best Finnish players in the entire league. They’ll put on quite a show for the fans in Helsinki, a city the NHL has visited several times before.

Minor Transactions: 03/01/18

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Though there may not be as many minor transactions around the league for the next few months, we’ll still be keeping track of any that do happen. Teams may only get four recalls for the rest of the season, but with emergency call-ups and injury transactions make sure you still check back to find out who has moved up and down.

  • The New Jersey Devils have assigned Eddie Lack to the AHL after activating Cory Schneider from injured reserve. Lack cleared waivers on November 24th when he was still with the Calgary Flames, and was only recalled a few weeks ago by the Devils. That means he can go directly to the minor leagues without having to clear again.
  • David Warsofsky has been sent back to the AHL by the Colorado Avalanche, after the team claimed Mark Alt off of waivers this week. Warsofsky has played just six games for the Avalanche this season, and was “papered” on Monday to make sure he was eligible for the minor league playoffs. That’s where he’ll stay for the time being, as the Avalanche try to sort out their defense corps and continue their run towards the playoffs.

Injury Notes: Schneider, Hanzal, McDonagh

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The New Jersey Devils went out and bought at the trade deadline, to try and help Taylor Hall and company into the playoffs for the first time since losing in the Stanley Cup Finals six years ago. Adding Michael Grabner and Patrick Maroon however might have not meant anything if they couldn’t rely on their goaltending, a position that will get a huge boost tonight.

Though Keith Kinkaid has been excellent of late, Cory Schneider will return to the crease for the first time January 23rd tonight when the Devils take on the Florida Panthers. Schneider hasn’t had the Vezina-caliber season he’s capable of, but is still likely the team’s best option in net down the stretch and into the playoffs. The 31-year old goaltender has little experience in the postseason, starting just six games for the Vancouver Canucks during the early part of his career.

  • Martin Hanzal had been dubbed “day-to-day for the rest of the season” by the Dallas Stars, but now things may be even worse for the big-bodied center. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports that Hanzal’s back injury is now “week-to-week” and that he’s not skating with the team. That’s a tough blow for a team that didn’t do anything at the deadline to improve their center depth, and currently sits in danger of falling out of a playoff spot. Dallas is in the top wildcard position in the Western Conference, but have four teams within three points behind them.
  • Ryan McDonagh hasn’t made his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning after being acquired just before the deadline passed, but was skating with the team today according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. To many fans surprise, Andrej Sustr will likely remain in the lineup when the Lightning take on the Stars tonight, a spot that is being held warm for McDonagh when he returns from his minor injury. Though they obviously would love his help to try and secure the top seed in the Atlantic Division, McDonagh was acquired for his potential impact in this year’s playoffs. In 96 career playoff games, McDonagh has averaged nearly 26 minutes a night, recorded 223 blocked shots and put up 41 points.

Snapshots: Pacioretty, McDonagh, Hynes

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In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, the insider details all the rumors and whispers he heard on trade deadline day. Among them was a long piece on Max Pacioretty, and how the Montreal Canadiens never found a deal on him because of the high value Marc Bergevin put on his captain.

Among the contenders for Pacioretty’s services were Los Angeles, who were asked for Tyler Toffoli and Gabe Vilardi as part of a package, Minnesota, who Friedman believes were asked for Charlie Coyle, and Florida who had to decline when the Canadiens asked for Vincent Trocheck. It’s clear that Montreal is not interested in just futures, but players who can jump right into their lineup in 2018-19 to help turn the ship around.

  • Interestingly, Friedman also notes a possible discussion between Florida, Minnesota and New York that would have ended with Ryan McDonagh in Sunrise. While they weren’t involved in any of the day’s really big moves, you can be sure that the Panthers and Wild had their phones ringing on Monday.
  • Though it was originally believed that John Hynes’ contract was set to run out at the end of the season, Friedman reports that the New Jersey Devils actually have another option year with their head coach that he believes they will pick up. Hynes has helped turn the Devils into a legitimate playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division, less than a year after winning the draft lottery and selecting Nico Hischier first-overall.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Maroon, Anderson

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Erik Karlsson didn’t request a trade, and he is happy the deadline is behind him. That’s what he told the media today, and explained that he would be open to an extension with the team if their plans line up.

I love this city, I love this community. I love everything about it. I’ve been here for a very long time and I’ve made Ottawa my home and it’s always going to be my home. So when that time comes, I hope that there’s a place for me in the future and that this team is going in the direction that I would like to for us to have a chance to win in the near future.

Karlsson was the biggest name on the market yesterday, with teams like Tampa Bay and Vegas interested right until the end. Many believed that was because the Ottawa Senators aren’t prepared to give him a massive long-term contract when his current deal expires in the summer of 2019. Though it would be tough for him to say anything else at this point, Karlsson has always maintained that he loves Ottawa and would want to spend his entire career there. If something has changed in the last few weeks, he isn’t sharing.

  • The package the Edmonton Oilers received for pending free agent Patrick Maroon was underwhelming, and now we might know why. Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli today told 630CHED that he only received a single offer for Maroon, and that it came just five minutes before the deadline. The New Jersey Devils acquired Maroon for a 2019 third-round pick and the rights to J.D. Dudek, a role player with Boston College who is likely to return for his senior season. That Maroon didn’t create much interest is likely due to the belief that his offensive outburst last season is tied directly to Connor McDavid, after the big winger scored 27 goals, the first time he’d totaled more than 12 in a single season.
  • Josh Anderson was injured last night after Dmitry Orlov delivered a hip check in the Columbus-Washington game, and according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is awaiting the results of further tests to determine how long he’ll be out. Anderson is an extremely versatile forward and an important part of the Blue Jackets’ attack. How long he’s out for could dramatically impact the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, where Columbus currently sits in the second wildcard position. With four teams within seven points of the Blue Jackets (including the Florida Panthers who hold four games in hand), they’ll need someone to immediately step up and fill Anderson’s shoes if he is out for any length of time.

Minor Transactions: 02/17/18

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Though teams made several transactions yesterday to make their younger players eligible for the AHL playoffs, the rest of the season will still be filled with call-ups to help out the NHL team. Remember, after the trade deadline that though rosters have no limits in terms of total players, teams are allowed only four non-emergency recalls.

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Travis Boyd, who had been playing with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. For the third consecutive season, Boyd is among the scoring leaders for Hershey with 44 points in 56 games. While it’s unclear if he’s scheduled to enter the Capitals lineup right away, he can definitely give them some offensive punch if inserted down the stretch.
  • Cory Schneider was assigned to the Binghamton Devils on a conditioning stint today, but is expected to be brought back on Wednesday to rejoin New Jersey on their current road trip. While that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back in the crease right away, it is a good sign that he’s approaching his return to the lineup.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Tristan Jarry on an emergency loan after announcing that Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. Jarry had been sent down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but will now have to help Casey DeSmith with the NHL duties. DeSmith is expected to start tonight for the Penguins, but Jarry has more experience in the starting role and could be asked to take over while Murray is out.
  • The Calgary Flames announced that they have sent Andrew Mangiapane to the AHL, but the move was actually completed yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the minor league playoffs. With the addition of Chris Stewart off waivers, Mangiapane was likely looking at some healthy scratches and now can help the Stockton Heat instead.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Seth Griffith from the AHL, spending one of their recalls to bring up the 25-year old forward. Griffith has played 76 NHL games over his career and is a point-per-game player at the minor league level. The undersized forward has excellent creativity and playmaking ability, but hasn’t ever been given an extended chance in a team’s top-6.
  • As expected, the Minnesota Wild have brought Luke Kunin back up from the minor leagues. The Wild are extremely close to the cap, and needed to move out some salary at the deadline in order to bring Kunin up for the stretch run while keeping enough room to sign Jordan Greenway. Kunin has just 19 points for the Iowa Wild this season, but is a hard working two-way center that could jump right into the lineup for the Wild.
  • Ethan Bear will be one of the Edmonton Oilers’ four call-ups for the remainder of the season, and will get a chance to show what he can do after an outstanding junior career. Bear was a 70-point defenseman in his final season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, and was a huge part of their qualifying for the Memorial Cup in 2017. The undersized but super-skilled Bear has 16 points in his first professional season for the Bakersfield Condors.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned winger Kalle Kossila and goalie Reto Berra to San Diego of the AHL, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.  Berra’s demotion was expected with John Gibson likely to return to the lineup on Friday. As for Kossila, he didn’t get into any games after being recalled back on the 24th; he has a goal and an assist in ten contests with Anaheim from earlier this season.

Matt Murray Diagnosed With Concussion

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After taking a puck to the head in practice yesterday, Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to go with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith for the time being, starting tonight when they welcome the New Jersey Devils to town.

This is terrible timing for the Penguins as they fight to stay in the top three spots in the Metropolitan Division. The Philadelphia Flyers, on another one of their extended winning streaks, have claimed the very top spot ahead of the Washington Capitals while the Devils are nipping at the Penguins’ heels. With just 19 games left, the idea of having Murray sit out for any length of time could be devastating to their playoff seeding.

In the meantime, Jarry will likely be asked to carry much of the load as he did earlier in the year when Murray was injured. The 22-year old rookie has a .916 save percentage on the season through 20 appearances, and could even be asked to step into a playoff start should Murray’s injury history flare up again in the postseason. While the Penguins feel confident in his and DeSmith’s play, it’s tough to rely solely on rookie goaltenders at this late stage of the season.

Murray has not had a season to remember in his first chance as the unquestioned starter. After Marc-Andre Fleury departed to Vegas in the offseason, Murray has only been able to start 37 games and is carrying easily the worst save percentage of his career at .909. There’s no telling how a concussion will affect him down the stretch, but the Penguins will hope he can get back for the playoffs where he has a .928 save percentage—and two Stanley Cups—through his first two seasons in the league.

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