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Blake Wheeler Activate Off IR

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Donnie & Dhali are reporting that the future of Vancouver Canucks AHL coach Jeremy Colliton is up in the air at the moment as there have been rumblings that the Canucks may go in a different direction with the AHL club. The former Chicago Blackhawks bench boss has guided the Abbotsford Canucks to back-to-back playoff appearances with nearly identical records posting a .604 points percentage in each of his first two seasons at the helm.

Rick Dhaliwal said on the show that he’s heard from sources that the Canucks have fired Colliton, but he reached out to both Colliton and the Canucks to try and get confirmation of this but hasn’t heard any word back.

In other evening notes:

  • Edmonton Oilers reporter Tony Brar tweeted today that forward Adam Henrique is very close to re-joining the Oilers but will not play in Game 5 tonight according to Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. The 34-year-old remains day-to-day but did skate with the Oilers this morning. The Brantford, Ontario native hasn’t played since Game 1 of the Oilers’ second-round series last Friday and hasn’t offered much offensively in the playoffs with a goal and an assist in six games while struggling to control the play at even strength with a 43.9 CF% according to Hockey Reference.
  • The New York Rangers activated forward Blake Wheeler off of long-term injured reserve today (as per CapFriendly). The 37-year-old has been out of action for the past three months after suffering a scary lower-body injury and practiced in full capacity with the team on Monday morning. Wheeler is a few weeks ahead of schedule in his recovery and could see action in the Eastern Conference Finals although there is no word on an official timetable for his return. Wheeler suffered through the worst offensive season of his career this past year but worked very hard to come back from an injury that most people felt would keep him out for the balance of the season.

Rangers Recall Dylan Garand

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The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Dylan Garand (Twitter link). The move is reportedly precautionary, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, who shares that emergency third-string goalie Louis Domingue is “a little banged up” (Twitter link). The Rangers will otherwise stick with their usual tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick in Game 6.

Garand likely won’t be on the NHL roster for very long, but this move could still have major implications on the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who kick off the AHL’s Atlantic Division Finals against the Hershey Bears on Thursday. They’ll now have to do it without their starter, Garand, who’s been an important piece of their postseason success. The 21-year-old has posted five wins and a .931 save percentage in seven postseason games – a big step up from his 16 wins and .898 in 39 regular season games.

In Garand’s absence, Hartford will likely turn towards Olof Lindbom. Lindbom spent much of his season in the ECHL, posting 10 wins and an .884 save percentage in 29 games. He was a bit more effective in his six AHL appearances, recording a .916 save percentage, though he only managed one win. Hartford also has Hugo Ollas and Talyn Boyko on their roster – the former playing in his first pro games after starting for Merrimack College this season, and the latter Linbom’s backup in the ECHL.

Chris Kreider Cleared To Play In Game 6

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  • The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Brett Pesce as they try and stave off elimination for a third straight game against the Rangers tonight, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed (via Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal). He’s ramped up practicing with the team as he tries to return from a lower-body injury, but he’ll miss his ninth straight contest. Pesce hasn’t played since sustaining the injury midway through Game 2 of Carolina’s first-round win over the Islanders. The pending unrestricted free agent averaged 20:17 per game in the regular season, his lowest usage since his rookie season in 2015-16 while posting three goals and 13 points in 70 games.
  • Rangers winger Chris Kreider was absent from practice yesterday due to maintenance, but it appears the team was underselling whatever’s going on. He confirmed to reporters he’ll play in Game 6, but likely isn’t 100 percent. Earlier this morning, he was downgraded to probable/uncertain for Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters (including USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano). Kreider did return to practice with the team at today’s morning skate, though, something Laviolette called “a real positive.” He had two goals and two assists in Games 1 through 3 against Carolina but has been held without a point in their Game 4 and 5 losses.

Jacob Trouba Wins 2024 Mark Messier Leadership Award

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As the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs continue, the National Hockey League has steadily released the names of award winners, this time announcing New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba as the 2023-24 Mark Messier Leadership Award winner.  The award is given “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey”.

While the players or the media vote on most awards in the NHL, this award is given by Messier himself, after taking suggestions from NHL organizations and their personnel.  Messier, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, is viewed as one of the more prominent leaders in league history with the NHL creating this award in the same year as his Hall of Fame induction.

Prior to the 2020-21 NHL season, Trouba was named the 28th captain in the history of the Rangers organization; becoming the fourth-straight American-born captain for the club. This season, Trouba captained New York to a franchise record for wins and points in a single season, while being an integral part of a top-five penalty kill. Off the ice, Trouba has been a focal member of the youth hockey community, while also becoming a leading member in the Garden of Dreams, Epilepsy Foundation, and Hockey Fights Cancer. Trouba becomes the first member of the Rangers to win the award, as well as the first defenseman since Mark Giordano in 2020.

Evening Notes: Chytil, NHL Awards, Hakanpää

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New York Rangers center Filip Chytil isn’t in the lineup tonight and is now considered day-to-day (per Mollie Walker of The New York Post). The 24-year-old missed Saturday’s game with an unknown illness and now reportedly has an issue with soreness. The news led many to speculate that Chytil’s issues could be related to the concussions that limited him to ten regular season games, but Walker adds that the illness is unrelated to previous injuries.

Chytil has dealt with four documented concussions in his short career and will likely need to exercise caution anytime he has an upper-body injury going forward. A concussion sidelined him for over six months this season before he returned to the lineup for Game 3 on Thursday in Carolina. However, two days later he was not on the ice which brought about concern about his condition. Chytil skated with the team this morning and was reportedly a game-time decision tonight, but he was ultimately not included in the lineup.

In other evening notes:

  • The NHL has announced a date and venue for the 2024 NHL Awards show. The show will take place on Thursday, June 27th at the brand-new Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. The show will begin at 7 pm and will be broadcast live on ESPN and Sportsnet. The NHL has been announcing nominees over the past few weeks and will now host the event in Las Vegas for the first time since 2019 and the 11th time overall.
  • Ryan Boulding of NHL.com is reporting that the Dallas Stars dressed the same lineup tonight that they did in Game 3 against the Colorado Avalanche. The news means that Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old hasn’t dressed since March 16th and has missed 13 regular season games, and 11 playoff games after tonight. Hakanpää’s time frame to return remains a mystery as he comes up on two months since the last time he played. Hakanpää dressed in 64 games this season, posting two goals and ten assists. The 6’6″, 225lb defender has been durable during his brief NHL career, missing just a handful of games since breaking into the league during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

Blake Wheeler's Recovery Is Ahead Of Schedule

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Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic is reporting that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had some harsh words today for the National Hockey League after the Bruins’ 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of their second-round series. Sweeney was upset that several Bruins players, as well as head coach Jim Montgomery, had to talk with the media about why the league overturned a goaltender interference challenge while none of the on-ice officials were made available.

Sweeney added to his comments saying that he felt it wasn’t right to have a head coach answer media inquiries about their feelings toward the officiating. Sweeney finished his point by saying if people want transparency, then the NHL should have the officials talk to the media to provide their interpretation of the goaltender interference rule.

While Sweeney isn’t the first person to say that the officials should be held to account by the media, he did say it is something that general managers have discussed. Sweeney is also the latest to voice his displeasure with the NHL’s handling of goaltender interference. The rule has become something that has confused fans and players alike and is surely going to be looked at by the league very soon.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains day-to-day (according to Conor Ryan of Boston.com) but did skate with the team this morning and will travel to Florida for Game 5. Boston’s offense could certainly use Marchand after the Bruins’ scoring has disappeared since a 5-1 victory in Game 1. Boston has scored just five times in the past three games, playing the last game and a half without their playoff leader in scoring. Marchand has two assists in the series against the Panthers and has posted three goals and seven assists in ten playoff games this year.
  • ESPN’s Emily Kaplan is reporting that New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler is roughly 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule as he recovers from a devastating leg injury he suffered back in February. Wheeler was expected to be able to play around June 1st, but with his recovery time being pushed up, he could become an option if the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Wheeler has been pushing hard to return and was no longer wearing a red noncontact jersey when he practiced with the team today.

Morning Notes: Brindley, Soucy, Reichel, Rangers

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Team USA has added Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Gavin Brindley to their World Championship lineup, per Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff (Twitter link). Brindley becomes the fourth collegiate athlete to join the squad, stepping into a room with World Juniors teammates Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Trey Augustine. The quartet played a major role in USA’s drive towards the 2024 World Juniors Gold Medal – and they’re now rewarded with an opportunity with the Men’s National Team. Brindley isn’t expected to line up for USA’s Monday matchup against Team Slovakia, instead joining Leonard and Matt Kessel as the team’s healthy scratches.

Brindley is continuing to have a fruitful off-season, signing his entry-level contract and making his NHL debut in early April. He received 12 minutes of ice time but wasn’t able to change his stat line. With Columbus’ season ending soon after, Brindley’s scoring this season was limited to the 25 goals and 53 points he managed in 40 games with the University of Michigan. He also added 10 points in seven World Juniors games.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety is expected to hold a hearing for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Soucy could be facing punishment for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid in the face, after McDavid was knocked over by Nikita Zadorov, during a late-game scrum. Soucy has been suspended once in his career, receiving a one-game booking for charging Conor Garland in March of 2021. He was also assessed a $2,500 fine for a roughing penalty in November of 2022. It will likely be Noah Juulsen who steps in should Soucy miss any time. Juulsen has played in one postseason game this Spring, recording a -1 in 11:24 of ice time. Juulsen is coming off a career-high 54 NHL appearances this season, though he only managed seven points.
  • Team Germany has also made a lineup addition, bringing in Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel, per Ellis (Twitter link). Reichel has been a key piece of Germany’s international presence, recording 11 points in 13 games across the last two World Championships. He also joined the team at the World U18 Division 1-A Championship in 2019 and the World Juniors in 2020. Reichel is coming off an up-and-down year, scoring just 16 points in 65 NHL games. He’ll look to reestablish his scoring spark in the familiarity of international play, with five games remaining on Germany’s slate before the quarter-finals.
  • The New York Rangers welcomed forward Filip Chytil back to practice on Monday, after he missed Game 4 with an illness. Blake Wheeler is also progressing from injury, upgrading to a full-contact jersey, shares Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports (Twitter link). Both Chytil and Wheeler should slot right back into the lineup, should both be cleared to play, likely bumping Jonny Brodzinski and Will Cuylle back to the skybox. Wheeler made a strong impact on the Winnipeg Jets’ first round run last season, scoring six points in five games to bring his career playoff scoring up to 45 points in 65 games.

Morning Notes: Kirk, Chytil, Drouin

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Gritty forward Liam Kirk has agreed to a deal with the Eisbären Berlin of the DEL, Germany’s top league, as announced by the team. The deal continues his journey around Europe, with Kirk playing in Czechia and Finland in each of the last two seasons, following a two-year career in North American pros. The Arizona Coyotes selected Kirk in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft, making him the third Englishman to be selected in the draft.

Kirk was drafted out of the EIHL, England’s top league, but moved to the OHL in the season following his draft. He appeared in 110 games across two years with the Peterborough Petes, recording 47 goals and 97 points. Kirk returned to the EIHL after the OHL canceled their 2020-21 season and once again performed well on home turf. With a strong training camp to boot, Kirk earned his entry-level contract with the Coyotes ahead of the 2021-22 season. But Kirk suffered a season-ending knee injury just eight games (and three points) into the season. He’d return for one AHL game and 15 ECHL games in 2022-23 but moved to Finland midway through the year. His contract was terminated ahead of the 2023-24 season, giving Kirk full reign to pursue a European career.

That’s the path Kirk is continuing with this move, although his production could warrant the attention of North American pros in the future. He scored 19 goals and 30 points in 52 games in the Czechia Extraliga this season, ranking fourth on his team in goals in his first year in central Europe. He now moves to an Eisbären Berlin team coming off their 10th DEL Championship. Berlin is also home to former NHLer Zach Boychuk, as well as former NHL prospects Yannick Velilleux, Frederik Tiffels, Ben Finkelstein, and Ty Ronning.

Other notes from around the league:

  • New York Rangers centerman Filip Chytil is feeling better after missing Game 4 with illness. He is hoping to be an option in Game 5, head coach Peter Laviolette tells NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link). Chytil recently returned from a long absence with a concussion, with Game 3 marking his first game since November. Jonny Brodzinski filled in for Chytil on Saturday, with two faceoff wins marking the only change to his stat line. Chytil will look to add to his 13 points in 31 career postseason appearances with a strong Game 5, likely slotting abck into his third-line role should he be cleared.
  • There is reportedly a chance that Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin is healthy enough to play in Game 4, shares Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now (Twitter link). Drouin suffered a lower-body injury in the final game of Colorado’s regular season. He returned to practices partway through last week but still had no timetable for a return, outside of a hope that he’d be ready at some point in the second round. It seems that time is drawing close – tremendous news for an Avalanche offense that’s given Drouin plenty of platform to thrive. He scored a career-high 56 points through 79 games this season, including 19 goals. It was a statement year after Drouin seemingly flatlined with the Montreal Canadiens. He’ll look to reignite the flame in Colorado’s push for the Stanley Cup – his first playoff appearance since 2020.

Evening Notes: Chytil, Myers, Ryan, Holm

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New York Rangers centerman Filip Chytil stepped back out of the lineup for Saturday’s Game 4 due to what the team described as an illness, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette previously dubbed Chytil as a “game-time decision”, per Mollie Walker of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Chytil made his long-anticipated return from a concussion during Game 3, marking his first time in the lineup since November. He recorded one shot and one hit and 12 minutes of ice time, looking well-adjusted to the pace of play after such a long absence. Laviolette shared that Chytil wasn’t experiencing any injury-related issues Game 3 and that his absence came after he woke up not feeling well on Saturday morning.

Jonny Brodzinski stepped into the lineup in Chytil’s absence, taking on a role previously occupied by Matt Rempe – though both wingers skated during pre-game warmups.  Brodzinski has just one Stanely Cup Playoff appearance entering Game 3, having appeared in a First Round loss with the Rangers in the 2022 postseason. He scored a career-high 19 points this season, adding 25 points in 16 AHL games, giving him plenty of momentum coming into Saturday’s decisive matchup.  Chytil’s status, and thus the security of Brodzinski’s lineup spot, seems to be up in the air as the Rangers look to break the barrier into the Third Round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is questionable for Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers due to an undisclosed injury, shares TSN’s Farhan Lalji (Twitter link). Myers has held a big role for the Canucks throughout the playoffs, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time through seven appearances, though he’s still searching for his first point of the Spring. Lalji mentions that Noah Juulsen would likely be the favorite should Vancouver need to fill in for Myers, though the squad also brought up six defenders as part of a large group of black aces recalled on Friday. The Canucks will need to stay stout on defense, currently tied 1-1 with the Oilers after a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday.
  • There will be no Department of Player Safety discipline for Oilers forward Derek Ryan, following a spear to Vancouver’s Nils Hoglander’s nether region, shares Vancouver-based reporter Irfaan Gaffar (Twitter link). Both Ryan and Hoglander were assessed minor penalties on the player – Ryan being booked for slashing and Hoglander for interference. Ryan has appeared in four playoff games this year, recording one assist and averaging 8:26 in tice time as Edmonton’s fourth-line centerman. He should maintain that role headed into Game 3.
  • The Colorado Avalanche’s goaltending room continues to dwindle, with Arvid Holm agreeing to a three-year contract with the SHL’s Rögle BK. Holm spent the year searching for ice time in Colorado’s minor league system – recording six wins and an .887 save percentage in 12 AHL games and two wins and a .907 in four ECHL games. It was his third season in the AHL, with Holm’s .911 save percentage in 35 games last season representing his best year. He’ll now return to the SHL, where he totaled 55 career games prior to his move to North America. Holm will join a Rögle lineup that just went on a fantastic playoff run, largely thanks to strong performances by Christoffer Rifalk. Rifalk has been Rögle’s starter for the last five seasons and should hang onto the role ahead of Holm next season.

Filip Chytil (Illness) Game-Time Decision Tonight

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  • Rangers center Filip Chytil is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s fourth game against Carolina, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Head coach Peter Laviolette indicated that Chytil didn’t feel well when he woke up this morning.  The 24-year-old returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing more than six months with concussion troubles; Laviolette declined to comment on if Chytil’s symptoms were related to those symptoms.  If Chytil doesn’t play, it appears as if Jonny Brodzinski will be in line to make his first appearance of the playoffs with Matt Rempe expected to remain a healthy scratch.

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