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Rangers Brendan Lemieux Out Three To Four Weeks With Fractured Hand

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The New York Rangers announced they have lost bottom-six forward Brendan Lemieux for the next three to four weeks after he suffered a fractured hand during Friday’s 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lemieux played 10:36 during Friday’s game, but only played three shifts during the third period, suggesting he was injured during that period. While Lemieux isn’t on the ice for his offensive prowess (five goals and 13 points in 35 games), he is a heavy hitter, who provides much needed grit to the team. Lemieux has 86 hits and 87 penalty minutes so far this season.

The team had already announced that Steven Fogarty has been recalled. The team could have considered younger players to fill Lemieux’s role, but Vitali Kravtsov has only returned from Russia two weeks ago and isn’t ready, while Lias Andersson is still under suspension for leaving the Hartford Wolf Pack due to unhappiness. That left the team choosing the best player, which Fogarty has been, having played well for Hartford recently.

 

Latest On Rangers’ Chris Kreider

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The New York Rangers are suddenly getting impressive results from forward and potential trade chip Chris Kreider, who has been one of the team’s better players recently, which includes a nine-game stretch in which Kreider has posted five goals and five assists, giving the 28-year-old 11 goals and 23 points on the season so far through 37 games.

The recent hot streak should increase the forward’s trade value as he has become one of the top trade chips at the trade deadline with Taylor Hall already having been moved to Arizona. However, The Athletic’s Rick Carpieniello (subscription required) points out how uniquely talented the forward really is and how the Rangers will miss the top-six forward, especially with their young forward prospects struggling.

However, Carpiniello writes that while it would be extremely unlikely anyway that the team would offer Kreider a six or seven-year contract for $6.5-7MM per year. Kreider’s response when asked about whether he’s had any discussions with the Rangers wasn’t a positive one either. “I’m worried about Toronto tomorrow,” he said. “Not worth the energy, big dog.”

On a radio show, 630 CHED in Edmonton, Friday with Elliotte Friedman, the Sportsnet insider suggested that several teams are in play for Kreider, the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are the two leading candidates that have shown interest in acquiring the forward.

“Boston does. I think Colorado does,” said Friedman. “I think those two teams really make a lot of sense. Now for Kreider, I’m sure there’s more. I don’t know if St. Louis would ever do it. To me that fits 100 percent with what they like, but I know Boston does too and I know that Colorado has dipped their toe in on Kreider a couple of times here and there.”

Boston makes sense as the Rangers and Bruins have made several trades with one another over the years. Back at the trade deadline in 2018, the Bruins acquired forward Rick Nash, while the Bruins also have unloaded the contract of Adam McQuaid and acquired Nick Holden in separate deals over the past three years. However, the Bruins, who really need help from their secondary lines after the trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, would be an impressive addition.

The Avalanche and Rangers don’t have as significant a history of trading with each other, although they did swap a pair of minor leaguers, including Ryan Graves for Chris Bigras back in 2018. However, Colorado has the young talent and significant draft picks to trade for a player like Kreider, who could make their already solid second line even more impressive as he could mix in with Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Rangers

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As the holiday season is upon us, PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the New York Rangers.

What are the Rangers most thankful for?

A stable of quality young talent.  Up front, Kaapo Kakko leads a strong group with players like Filip Chytil and Brett Howden holding down regular roles despite being 21 or younger.  On defense, Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, and Libor Hajek have all basically assumed regular roles and they’re all 21.  (K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist give them a pair of quality youngsters in the system as well.)  Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin are a little older (23) and give them what looks like will be a viable NHL tandem in the not-too-distant future.  The youth movement is in full effect and the early returns are certainly promising.

Who are the Rangers most thankful for?

Beyond their young core, they’re quite thankful for Artemi Panarin.  A winger in the prime of his career, he chose to join the Rangers even though they’re not quite at the point where they’re ready to contend.  There certainly hasn’t been an adjustment period as the 28-year-old is already on pace to set new career highs in goals and points and as some of their young talent matures around him, there’s certainly cause for optimism that he has a few more years like this in him.  Yes, the price tag is steep (it broke the record for the highest cap hit for a winger) but with his addition, they have a legitimate star to build around up front.

What would the Rangers be even more thankful for?

A bit more bang for their buck from their defensive veterans.  Jacob Trouba hasn’t quite lived up to his high price tag yet while Marc Staal, their second-highest-paid defenseman, has been a healthy scratch at times this season.  Meanwhile, Brendan Smith, who carries a $4.35MM cap hit, is being deployed as a fourth line winger and only playing his natural position in penalty kill situations or if someone gets injured.  That’s a fair bit of money tied up in players that aren’t quite pulling their weight.  With Kevin Shattenkirk’s buyout charge jumping to over $6MM next season, that could become more of a concern unless there are some improvements on the back end.  Otherwise, a buyout of Staal or Smith could be on the horizon.

What should be on the Rangers’ Holiday Wish List?

A resolution on the Chris Kreider front, one way or another.  If they can agree on an extension, that’s fine but if not, keeping him healthy to draw a sizable return on the trade front will be at the top of their list.  Finding a justifiable return for Lias Andersson, who left AHL Hartford and demanded a trade last weekend, is also on the list.  It’s one thing for him to want a trade but considering he’s just three years removed from being the seventh-overall selection, GM Jeff Gorton is going to have a reasonably high asking price.  If he can get a good return on both players, it will be a successful next couple of months for the Rangers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: Who Is The Top Target On The Rental Market?

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When the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze comes to an end, attention will again turn to the trade market as many teams begin to address their weaknesses in the second half, leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline in late February. With Taylor Hall off the market, now a member of the Arizona Coyotes, it is no longer obvious who the top rental candidate is. There are many potential names and their values will depend on the suitor’s specific needs or the emphasis placed on certain abilities. But from an overall, objective perspective, who do you think the top rental target is?

Note: For the purposes of this poll, a rental player will be defined as an impending unrestricted free agent whose current team holds a points percentage below .550.

F Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild

2019-20: 28 games – 2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points, +2, 17:34 ATOI
2018-19: 48 games – 8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points, -2, 18:18 ATOI
Cap Hit: $5.5MM

Could this be the end for Koivu in Minnesota? The long-time Wild captain is arguably the biggest name on the rental market with Hall gone, but his best years are behind him. Last season was marked by injury for Koivu, but this year he has seen his production slip along with his ice time and has not looked the same. Even in decline though, Koivu is a good two-way center who can benefit a team on the penalty kill and at the face-off dot if not on the score sheet. His price may be hard to swallow and the Wild may be reluctant to move him, but teams will undoubtedly make calls on Koivu regardless.

D Mike Green, Detroit Red Wings

2019-20: 30 games – 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, -22, 21:23 ATOI
2018-19: 43 games – 5 goals, 21 assists, 26 points, -1, 21:41 ATOI
Cap Hit: $5.375MM

Like Koivu, Green’s value is more in name than production at this point in his career, especially given his injury concerns over the past couple of years. Yet, Green has quietly played in 30 games with Detroit already this season and is maintaining high ice time numbers. You can pin that jarring plus/minus on the overall struggles of the team too. His scoring isn’t what it once was, but a healthy Green could be a real asset to a playoff team, if they can afford to take on his cap hit. Fortunately, that may be all that is expensive about Green, as the already-dead Red Wings will be selling any and all rentals for whatever they can get in this throwaway season.

G Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks

2019-20: 21 games – 9 wins, .924 save percentage, 2.86 goals against average
2018-19: 46 games – 25 wins, .930 save percentage, 2.13 goals against average
Cap Hit: $5MM

The name with most recent history of elite play on the rental market is also the one shrouded in the most mystery. Are the Blackhawks willing to move Lehner? Is he in their long-term plans? And is there a market for a goalie of his price? The reigning Jennings Trophy winner was one of the league’s best goalies last season with the Islanders and his strong play has continued with his new team. That fact alone could entice a team with needs in net to make a play for Lehner.

D Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils

2019-20: 32 games – 5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points, -4, 21:29 ATOI
2018-19: 50 games – 4 goals, 13 assists, 17 points, -17, 21:44 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4.875MM

Vatanen is another veteran defenseman who has dealt with recent injury issues. Yet, this season he has returned to form, even in the midst of a poor campaign by any measure for the Devils. Vatanen has already topped his goals mark from last season and will soon do the same in assists and points. Vatanen is the most productive rental defenseman available and the Devils have established themselves as sellers and will definitely be looking to move him. With a lesser cap hit and more points than Green and others, Vatanen should be a highly sought-after blue line piece, if teams feel they can trust his defense and overlook his inconsistency.

F Chris Kreider, New York Rangers

2019-20: 36 games – 10 goals, 11 assists, 21 points, +4, 17:35 ATOI
2018-19: 48 games – 28 goals, 24 assists, 52 points, +4, 17:24 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4.625MM

Kreider may be the closest thing to a Taylor Hall left on the rental market, although admittedly not that close. An established power forward with several 20-goal seasons under his belt, Kreider is a true 200-foot player who could play a top-nine role for any team in the league, if not top-six. The real question is whether Kreider will be worth the cost to acquire him? His track record as a scoring threat boosts his trade value, but his numbers so far this year suggest that he may be declining. Kreider is on pace to fall well below his goal total from last year, as well as his overall point total, despite logging more ice time and playing on a more talented Rangers roster. Kreider certainly has value, but it may be difficult for teams to determine just how much relative to a high asking price.

F Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings

2019-20: 38 games – 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points, -4, 15:45 ATOI
2018-19: 82 games – 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points, -16, 17:13 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4.6MM

Toffoli is somewhat of the opposite case of Kreider. He struggled last year but has shown some resurgence of late and could wind up as a great value addition at the deadline. Despite limited ice time and special teams responsibilities this year, Toffoli is already more than halfway to besting his offensive totals from last year, which had represented a major dip in his production. Toffoli, who has multiple 20-goal seasons to his credit and has been a deft penalty killer in the past, has the potential to continue his upward trajectory this season by joining a more talented team than the lowly Kings. At the right price and with the right fit, Toffoli could be a game-changer.

F Vladislav Namestnikov, Ottawa Senators

2019-20: 35 games – 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points, -6, 15:37 ATOI
2018-19: 78 games – 11 goals, 20 assists, 31 points, -7, 15:48 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4MM

Namestnikov has already been traded once this season and it worked out nicely that time. Many speculated right away that the Senators were acquiring the UFA forward on the cheap only to flip him later for a profit, and judging by Namestnikov’s production since his arrival in Ottawa, that could very well be the case. A complimentary player whose production improves exponentially with the more talent he plays with and the greater role he is given, Namestnikov is the perfect hired gun. A dynamic asset in the right situation, Namestnikov could also flop if not placed in an ideal scenario. He could continue his 20-goal pace on one team, or completely disappear on another, as he did at times with the Rangers. How much a team is willing to pay to take a chance on Namestnikov will determine his market value.

F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ottawa Senators

2019-20: 38 games – 18 goals, 10 assists, 28 points, +21, 18:51 ATOI
2018-19: 39 games – 4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points, -12, 17:51 ATOI
Cap Hit: $3.1MM

On one hand, Pageau has the best production this season, total and per-game, of anyone on this list. On the other hand, he has no history of producing remotely near these levels in years past. His breakout could really be a product of his role in Ottawa, leading a club with few play-makers up front. Pageau has always been a good two-way forward, but he has more than doubled his scoring output from last year’s injury-shortened season. Much of that can be attributed to an increase in ice time and responsibility, but how much? Are interested teams acquiring a player on pace for nearly 40 goals this season or will Pageau revert to a role player on a new team? The other key questions is whether or not the Senators are willing to move the 27-year-old center. Given the exodus of core players from Ottawa in recent years, they may not make this season’s breakout star available.

D Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks

2019-20: 37 games – 4 goals, 11 assists, 15 points, -4, 20:57 ATOI
2018-19: 79 games – 17 goals, 43 assists, 60 points, -6, 22:35 ATOI
Cap Hit: $1.2MM

The only player on this list whose cap hit can be considered a true “value” based on cap hit, it can safely be assumed that the 27-year-old Gustafsson will be made available by the Blackhawks, whose hopes of playoff contention have been sunk by inconsistency and injury. Gustafsson’s numbers from last season jump off the page, especially at his price point. While he will likely finish far from 60 points this year, that can be attributed to a sizeable drop-off in ice time due to a remodel of the Chicago back end this off-season. The offensive ability is there though, and as an affordable rental addition, Gustafsson has the chance to do some serious damage on another team’s blue line. Of course, he won’t come cheap and there is not a lot of NHL experience to look back on to see how he may perform with a change of scenery, especially making the transition to playoff pace.

What do you think? Who is the top target on the post-Taylor Hall rental market?

Who Is The Top Target On The NHL Rental Market?
Chris Kreider 29.46% (438 votes)
J-G Pageau 18.90% (281 votes)
Robin Lehner 11.03% (164 votes)
Erik Gustafsson 9.48% (141 votes)
Tyler Toffoli 9.21% (137 votes)
Mikko Koivu 6.93% (103 votes)
Mike Green 6.93% (103 votes)
Sami Vatanen 5.92% (88 votes)
Vladislav Namestnikov 2.15% (32 votes)
Total Votes: 1,487

[Mobile users click here to vote]

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

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The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

The Jacob Trouba Trade Isn't Yet Working As Well As The Rangers Would Have Hoped

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Back in the summer, it looked as if the Rangers had done rather well for themselves with the acquisition of Jacob Trouba with the centerpiece of the return being the first-round pick they had received from Winnipeg months earlier for rental center Kevin Hayes.  However, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that in hindsight, they may have been better off keeping Hayes and signing him at the price he was looking for in the 2018 offseason over acquiring Trouba via trade.

Trouba has done well for New York this season but hasn’t quite lived up to the billing relative to his $8MM price tag.  Meanwhile, Neal Pionk, the player that Winnipeg acquired in the swap, has actually outproduced Trouba offensively by five points so far this season.  There’s still plenty of time for things to change but as of right now, the two Winnipeg trades haven’t quite worked out as well as the Rangers would have hoped, especially with young center Lias Andersson not panning out like they were expecting.

Minor Transactions: 12/22/19

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It’s a quiet day in the NHL with just four games on the schedule, the most interesting being the matchup with the Calgary Flames visiting the Dallas Stars. It should get more interesting on Monday with a full slate of games before the NHL darkens for the holiday break and players will get three full days off to relax with their families before restarting again on Friday. Despite a roster freeze, teams can still call up players to fill out their rosters, so keep an eye here for all transactions for the day:

  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Daniel Sprong from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Sprong, who played 47 games with the Ducks last season (plus 16 with Pittsburgh), finally gets a chance to return to the NHL this season. He’s played 24 games with San Diego, scoring seven goals and 18 points. He’ll fill in immediately for a banged up Anaheim squad.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have recalled forward John Quenneville from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. With Brandon Saad on injured reserve, the team had an open roster spot. The 23-year-old has not played a game yet for Chicago since being acquired over the summer from New Jersey. Quenneville has scored eight goals and 13 points in 19 AHL games this season.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned several players to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as the team announced that forwards Joseph Blandisi and Thomas Di Pauli as well as defenseman Kevin Czuczman have all been sent to the AHL. Blandisi, who has played in 14 games for Pittsburgh this year, did play in all three Western Conference games, even scoring a goal on Friday. Neither Di Pauli or Czuczman got into a Penguins game.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have activated center Joel Eriksson Ek off of injured reserve and have assigned forward Luke Johnson to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Eriksson Ek has missed the last week with an undisclosed injury. The 22-year-old has scored two goals and 12 points in 30 games this season.
  • The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Phillip Di Giuseppe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL to help fill in the roster for the team’s final game on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers before the winter break hits. The 26-year-old forward has nine goals and 17 points in 17 games with Hartford.

Lias Andersson Requests Trade

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Sunday: As expected, the New York Rangers have suspended Andersson for leaving the Hartford Wolf Pack following his trade request, according to New York Post’s Larry Brooks.

Saturday: Rangers prospect Lias Andersson has had a limited role with the team this season and it appears he has had enough.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the youngster has asked for a trade and is no longer with the team.

Andersson, the seventh overall pick in 2017, has split this season between New York and their AHL affiliate in Hartford.  With the Rangers, he has spent time at both center and the wing but has almost played exclusively on the fourth line.  Overall, he has just a single assist in 17 games with the big club while logging just 9:33 per night.  He hasn’t been overly productive with the Wolf Pack either since joining them in mid-November, notching just four goals and one helper in 13 contests.  That hasn’t helped his chances for a recall which likely helped fuel this request.

The 21-year-old hasn’t had much stability since being drafted.  He split his post-draft season between the SHL and the AHL (with a seven-game stint with the Rangers) and then had 36 AHL games with 42 NHL contests a year ago with this season following a similar pattern.  That type of frequent change can certainly slow down development for many players and that has likely been the case here.

Considering he was the centerpiece of a deal that saw New York also land defenseman Anthony DeAngelo (with Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta going the other way) back at the 2017 draft, this isn’t a situation where the Rangers are going to be willing to just take whatever they can get for him even with Andersson leaving Hartford.  Despite his struggles, there is still some upside which should result in considerable trade interest.  While the roster freeze is in effect for another week, that should give GM Jeff Gorton an opportunity to call around the league to get a sense of what type of market there’s going to be and how quickly a trade can be done.  Even if they do find a deal to their liking though, Andersson’s tenure with New York can only be classified as disappointing.

Snapshots: Peca, Fox, Ferland

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The Montreal Canadiens have lost a depth forward for more than a month, announcing that Matthew Peca will be out six weeks with a knee injury. Peca was injured when he got tied up with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin earlier this week.

Peca, 26, has played in just four games with the Canadiens this season, instead spending the majority of his season in the minor leagues. The 5’9″ forward was signed to a two-year, $2.6MM deal in July of 2018 but played just 39 games for Montreal last season.

  • Adam Fox is still having an impact on the Carolina Hurricanes, despite not signing with them. CapFriendly points out that after Fox played in his 30th game of the season on Tuesday night, the third round pick that New York sent Carolina in the trade has been upgraded to a second round pick. It always seemed likely that the pick would be upgraded given his talent, but Fox has made it more than worthwhile for the Rangers by proving he can be an effective puck-moving option in the NHL.
  • Though Micheal Ferland isn’t in the concussion protocol, he is seeing specialists for some symptoms that have popped up, according to head coach Travis Green who spoke with reporters including Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet. Ferland didn’t even make it through two games after returning from more than a month off, leaving Tuesday’s match against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Vitali Kravtsov Expected To Return From KHL

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After a recent demotion to the minor leagues in Russia, it appears as though Vitali Kravtsov will instead make his return to North America. Several reports out of Russia along with Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post have the top prospect returning to the New York Rangers organization after being loaned overseas earlier this season. Kravtsov made headlines when he decided to go to the KHL instead of continue in the AHL, but just a few days ago Rangers GM Jeff Gorton told Cyrgalis that he had reached out to the young forward’s agent in hopes of getting him back to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The 19-year old Kravtsov was the ninth overall selection in 2018 and had a strong season in 2018-19 with Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. After signing his entry-level contract with the Rangers he came close to cracking the opening night roster this year, but instead was sent to Hartford to continue his development. After just five AHL games the team and Kravtsov worked out an agreement to have him return to the KHL, where he scored three points in 11 games for Traktor before the demotion.

An important part of the Rangers future, Kravtsov’s playing time and development is obviously something the team wants to control. When he was in the KHL that wasn’t the case, but returning to North America also doesn’t guarantee him huge minutes in the minor leagues. There is still a long way to go for the 6’3″ winger if he wants to be a full-time, impact player at the NHL level.

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