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Snapshots: Danault, Simek, Frk

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Montreal Canadiens center Phillip Danault has struggled this season as he is one of just two forwards who have yet to record a goal this season. The 27-year-old is coming off of 53 and 47-point seasons that last two years, but the pending unrestricted free agent reportedly turned down a six-year, $30MM deal during the offseason, according to Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan, and it looks to be weighing on him.

Danault refused to talk about his contract situation Friday, but Cowan said that ice time might play more of a role in his decision-making than money. Danault, who was playing top-six minutes for much of the past two seasons, is now the team’s No. 3 center behind Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

“I needed some time to adapt,” Danault said. “There are a lot of things that changed at the same time, whether it was my ice time or the way I was being used on the penalty-kill. I’m still playing with the same linemates, though. We try to give everything we have every night. I’m ready to do everything I can to help the team win. It’s going really well right now and we’ll keep on going that way.”

  • NHL Player Safety announced that San Jose Sharks defenseman Radim Simek has been fined $5,000 for spearing Anaheim Ducks forward Adam Henrique Saturday (video here). The fine is the most that is allowed by the CBA.The infraction occurred at 6:21 of the second period when the spearing occurred in front of the Sharks’ net. The two players then fought immediately afterwards with both players receiving two-minute penalties for roughing with the spearing getting missed.
  • The Los Angeles Kings could be without forward Martin Frk for some time, according to Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris. While he hasn’t received an update from the team’s training staff, head coach Todd McLellan said that by the look of the injury, he could be “out for a little while.” Frk missed the first nine games of the season with a groin injury and was making his season debut Friday only to be knocked out with another  lower-body injury.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bjugstad, Beijing

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It was a western Canada sweep of the NHL’s Three Stars for this week, as young Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko took home the league’s top honors while Edmonton Oilers superstar teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl earned the second and third stars, respectively. Demko, who the Canucks are hoping can establish himself as their starter of the future this season, certainly played the part this week. He won all three of his starts, allowing just three goals total – one per game – on 103 shots. A 1.00 GAA and .971 save percentage are more than worthy enough of first star status. Meanwhile, McDavid and Draisaitl put up monstrous numbers that have somehow become commonplace for both. The duo combined for seven goals and 24 points in just four games. Somehow the Oilers won just two of their four contests.

  • Nick Bjugstad’s wallet is now $5,000 lighter. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that the Minnesota Wild center has received the maximum fine allowable for cross checking. The incident in question occurred on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Ryan Graves was the victim, taking a high cross check early in the second period. While the intent of the check was questionable at best, as Bjugstad battled Graves in front of the net, there is no denying that he delivered the check to Graves’ head area. That was all it took for the big pivot to earn a maximum fine.
  • When the NHL returns to the Winter Olympics next year, they will do so on a more familiar ice surface. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun relays word from IIHF President Rene Fasel that the ice surface that will be used in Beijing will be North American in size. The IIHF has previously discussed using these smaller rink dimensions in competition after exclusively using the international dimensions in the past and the 2022 Winter Olympics will be the debut of this change. This does not imply that all future Olympic competitions will be played on a North American surface, but it does open the door for IIHF competition to be played on varying rink sizes, possibly as decided by the hosts.

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Provorov, Hutton, Pastrnak

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Although his entry-level contract expires after this season, Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators are not rushing into contract talks. Tkachuk spoke with the media on Wednesday, including The Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren, and stated that he was happy with the club and not worried about negotiating an extension. “We’re not really talking about (a new contract),” Tkachuk said, “I don’t think that’s the focus for both sides. Our goal right now is to do everything we can to make the playoffs.” Neither side really has much to worry about anyhow. Tkachuk has continually stated that he enjoys playing for the team and living in Ottawa and seems committed to a long-term future with the Senators. And with more than $34MM in projected cap space for next season and few existing long-term contracts to worry about, the club should have no problem giving their young centerpiece whatever he wants in order to ensure a lengthy extension of their relationship.

  • No league discipline is coming for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in regards to a net front collision that injured Buffalo Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton on Tuesday. The play in question did look like it was at least partially caused by Hutton’s teammate, Brandon Montour, and there is not nearly enough evidence for NHL Player Safety to state that Provorov was definitively at fault. That hasn’t stopped Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger from publicly stating his disappointment with the situation, though. Krueger tells The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor that Provorov’s actions were purposeful: “if you look at the way the elbow comes extended, you know what you’re doing.” Krueger believes his team has already been the victims of several bad hits to the head so far this season and is clearly to get some extra attention for the next time such a situation arises. Hutton continued on in the game following the collision, but did not return after the second intermission and is currently questionable for the Sabres’ next game.
  • The Boston Bruins’ scoring woes are one of the early season’s biggest stories, but help is on the way. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin writes that David Pastrnak is ahead of schedule in his recovery from off-season hip surgery. Initially expected to return around mid-February, Pastrnak has already re-joined practice as a non-contact participant. Head coach Bruce Cassidy now expects that he could return to action as early as late next week. The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner will be a welcome addition to a team that has yet to produce an even strength goal through three games.

Snapshots: Hub Favorites, Phase 2, Postseason Rules

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Six cities remain in the hunt as potential hub locations for when the NHL returns to play. As things stand right now, Vegas and either Vancouver or Edmonton are the frontrunners, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles remain outside contenders – but they are still very much in the hunt. Of course, Vegas, Vancouver, and Edmonton are all in the Western Conference, meaning one of the Golden Knights, Canucks, or Oilers would play their games at home – should LeBrun’s hunch prove correct. The NHL isn’t overly concerned, per LeBrun, because without fans present, the games would still qualify as technically neutrally located, even though whichever team does stay home would enjoy a certain amount of comfort in their home building. Finding the best, safest fit to house 12 teams at a time is the priority for now, over maintaining a perfect degree of parity. Let’s check in on the other tidbits of news that have eeked out over the last few hours concerning the NHL’s return to play…

  • Phase 2 takes another step forward tomorrow, allowing for up to 12 skaters to share the ice at a time during workouts, tweets Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Only six skaters had been allowed at a time up until now. A successful expansion could prove a crucial development given the recent rash of COVID-19 cases popping up across the sports landscape.
  • We also now know – thanks to NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly – that each of the 24 participating teams will play one or two exhibition games prior to the round-robin and play-in phases of the NHL postseason, per Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That’s not a ton of ice time to ready the troops, but with such a small window of viability, it makes sense to limit player exposure prior to any games of consequence.
  • In a more logistical matter, the NHL and Players’ Association have agreed to extend contracts and visas for players whose contracts were going to expire on June 30th, tweets CapFriendly. That’s not to indicate a more comprehensive agreement between the two sides, as will be required before the NHL officially returns to play. The matter of expiring contracts appears to have been agreed upon as a solitary issue.
  • Teams will have 30 players available for July 10 training camps, with playoff rosters trimmed to 28, per Ben Kuzma of Postmedia Sports. For camp and the playoffs, teams will be granted an unlimited number of goalies. Being as only 6 members of each team have been allowed to share the ice at a time through today, the scope of the NHL’s undertaking will clearly require heavy-lifting from logistics and operations departments.

West Notes: Lindholm, Garland, Josi, Boeser, Toffoli

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While the Anaheim Ducks blueline seems to be getting healthier with the pending returns of Josh Manson, Erik Gudbranson and Cam Fowler soon, the team didn’t get a positive update for the return of Hampus Lindholm. The defenseman, who is second on the team in ice time, has no timetable for a return yet and with just 14 games remaining, it’s legitimately possible that he could miss the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required).

Lindholm has missed the last five games after falling awkwardly into the boards while battling for the puck with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. The upper-body injury is part of the problem, although Stephens added that a back issue is also part of the issue. The 26-year-old has two goals and 22 points through 55 games with 71 blocks, while averaging 23:04 of ATOI.

Regardless, the team expects Manson (upper-body injury) to potentially return as early as today, while Gudbranson (upper-body injury) and Fowler (lower-body injury) are both a week or two behind him.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that forward Conor Garland will be out “week-to-week” after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against Calgary. The injury occurred when Garland collided with Flames’ goaltender Cam Talbot. It’s a tough blow for Arizona as Garland leads the team in goals scored with 22.
  • The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry. The incident happened at 15:13 of the second periond (video here) in which Josi cross checked Perry in the head after the play was over. Josi received a two-minute minor, although many have suggested that he should have received a five-minute major instead. Perry was a constant target in Saturday’s game after he received a five-game suspension during the Winter Classic after knocking Ryan Ellis out with a dirty hit. Ellis missed 20 games with a concussion.
  • The Vancouver Canucks look to be getting back forward Brock Boeser soon. The 23-year-old forward, who has been out since Feb. 8 with a rib injury, and while he is not expected to play today, Boeser feels that he “is close” to returning, likely later this week, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He participated in a game-day skate with the team in full-contact gear. Boeser has 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games and should immediately upgrade the team’s top-six.
  • Sticking with the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that Vancouver is unlikely to be able to retain the services of Tyler Toffoli after this season. The forward was acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline for Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden a second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick based on whether the Canucks could sign him to an extension. Already dealing with cap issues, Vancouver still has to give out new contracts to goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev. Toffoli, who is currently making $4.6MM, might be too expensive to hold onto, although there is always the possiblity that the team moves out some contracts to make it happen. Toffoli has five goals and eight points in eight games since arriving in Vancouver.

Sharks’ Evander Kane Suspended Three Games For Elbowing

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Earlier this morning, the Department of Player Safety announced that San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane would receive a hearing that for elbowing Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Neal Pionk Friday. However, it didn’t take long for the DoPS to come to a decision, as they suspended Kane for three games for the incident.

The incident happened during the third period of Friday’s game between San Jose and Winnipeg. Pionk was in the corner and had just released the puck when Kane came up from behind him and slammed his elbow into Pionk’s head, knocking him to the ground (video here).

The suspension will put Kane into double digits for his career, which likely was a significant factor in why the league hit him with three games. The 28-year-old was actually dealing with the Department of Player Safety several times earlier this year. He was involved in another elbowing incident as he received a $5,000 fine after elbowing Washington’s Radko Gudas on Dec. 4. He was also suspended three games on Oct. 1 during a preseason game for making physical contact with an official. In previous years, he also received two games for boarding in 2014, one game for personal conduct in 2016, and one game for cross-checking in 2018.

The suspension doesn’t help a team that is trying to get past its problems. The team has already lost forward Tomas Hertl to a season-ending injury and the team then announced this morning that Erik Karlsson would miss the rest of the season due to a broken thumb. Three games without Kane won’t make things any easier. The forward has 21 goals and could reach 30 goals for a second straight season, one of the few bright spots this year in San Jose.

Oilers’ Zack Kassian To Face Player Safety Hearing

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It’s one thing to stand up for yourself after taking a big hit from an opponent. It’s another thing to take retaliation to the next level by endangering that opponent, especially after a clean hit. Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian overreacted to the nth degree on Saturday after taking a hard check from Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk and now the league has stepped in to review the situation. The Department of Player Safety announced this morning that Kassian will sit for a hearing on Monday and a suspension is likely.

The incident in question occurred late in the second period of Saturday’s rivalry clash (video). Tkachuk lays a powerful, but legal hip check on an unsuspecting Kassian behind Calgary’s net. Kassian gets up from the hit, immediately looking for revenge. It is worth noting that Tkachuk hit Kassian with a not-as-clean check to the head earlier in the game, so it is understandable that the veteran might be looking to put the youngster in his place. However, the way about which Kassian handled the matter was over the top. With Tkachuk still trying to work the puck out from behind the net, Kassian drops his gloves and goes right to the face of the unaware Tkachuk. Kassian proceeds to throw Tkachuk to the ice, deliver a punch to the back of his head, pull him back up, and then deliver several more punches before Tkachuk again falls to the ice and the referees are able to separate the pair. All the while, Tkachuk was merely trying to protect his face while being rag-dolled, never even given the chance to defend himself, nevertheless the opportunity to truly match up with Kassian in a fair fight. Kassian was handed a four-minute double minor for roughing and a ten-minute misconduct for the play.

However, that is unlikely to be the end of the discipline for Kassian. The physical forward is a repeat offender, which will make it very difficult to escape this incident without another suspension. Kassian’s first encounter with Player Safety occurred in 2013 with the Vancouver Canucks, when he was suspended for the first five games of the 2013-14 season as part of an eight-game ban that included three preseason games, stemming from an intentional high sticking penalty. He received another suspension that same season, a three-game ban for a hit from behind. Unrelated to Player Safety, Kassian also sat for 32 games in the 2015-16 season as a member of the Montreal Canadiens for substance abuse issues. Kassian has a long history with NHL discipline and it is likely to lengthen after Monday’s hearing, as he again has shown a lack of restraint, awareness, and self-control that cannot be tolerated in the NHL.

Atlantic Notes: Fabbri, Chara, Sabourin, Anderson

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The Department of Player Safety revealed that while Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri will not be suspended for spearing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot. However, they did announce that they have fined Fabbri $2,419.35, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for the incident.

The incident happened during the second period of Saturday’s game with both Fabbri and Kerfoot receiving offsetting minor penalties on the play. This is Fabbri’s first run-in with the Department of Player Safety. Fabbri has turned his career around since being traded to Detroit where he has eight goals and 16 points in 20 games for them.

  • The Boston Bruins will be without defenseman Zdeno Chara as the team announced that the 42-year-old will miss Monday’s game against Washington to undergo a follow-up procedure on his surgically-repaired jaw that he sustained during the playoffs last season. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald adds that an infection has developed within the plates and screws in his jaw and must be replaced. With the three-day break coming up, that should give the veteran some time to recover from the procedure without missing much playing time.
  • Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren revealed that injured forward Scott Sabourin is expected to return for Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Sabourin hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 2 after a scary collision with Boston Bruins forward David Backes. Sabourin fell face-first into the ice and suffered a concussion. He’s been skating with the team for several weeks now, but looks finally ready to suit up. The 27-year-old was faring well with Ottawa’s fourth line, posting two points and 26 hits over 11 games.
  • Sticking with Senators, Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team will also be getting back starting goaltender Craig Anderson. It might come at the perfect time with Anders Nilsson out with a concussion and on injured reserve. Anderson has been out with a knee injury since Dec. 7, but is expected to serve as the backup to Marcus Hogberg on Monday against Buffalo. Anderson has a 3.01 GAA in 16 games and a .901 save percentage.

Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo Suspended Four Games For Cross-Checking

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4:24 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced they have suspended Bortuzzo four games for cross-checking Arvidsson, who is now listed as being out for four to six weeks because of the incident. Bortuzzo will sacrifice $67,073.16 in salary.

8:47 AM — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson celebrated his 300th career NHL game with just 4:15 of ice time. While he managed to record an assist in that brief period, he left the game early in the first period with a lower body injury as a result of repeated cross-checks from St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo received a two-minute minor on the play, even though each of the two cross-checks likely deserved its own penalty. However, the league will make up for that on-ice error. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced last night that Bortuzzo will sit for a hearing. It has been scheduled for Sunday, ensuring that there is a decision before he could potentially face the Predators again on Monday night.

The play in question occurred just six minutes into Saturday night’s game (video). Arvidsson, standing in the St. Louis crease as the puck was loose in front of the net, initially receives a forceful check from behind from Bortuzzo, pushing him into the net. Bortuzzo actually turns and complains to the refs about how easily Arvidsson went down, even though the forward was completely blindsided by a hit from a much bigger, stronger player. Bortuzzo then turns back to Arvidsson and hits him with another cross check as he is trying to get up, one that is arguably harder and more dangerous and certainly more intentional. Arvidsson appears to feel this second check even more. For good measure, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington then shoves Arvidsson back into the goal again, although Binnington is not expected to receive any supplemental disclipline.

Few will be surprised to see Bortuzzo’s name linked to a player safety incident. The often-overly aggressive defender is a repeat offender, with his most recent suspension coming just last year after an elbow to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny. He lost two preseason games and one regular season games for that incident and the league will likely want to dole out a harsher penalty for yet another infraction. Bortuzzo has made his career off of being the biggest and toughest player on the ice, but has been known to lose his cool and end up in the penalty box or in trouble with the league. This was clearly a case of Bortuzzo purposefully committing a dangerous penalty against an opponent with an intent to injure. As such, Player Safety may choose to send a message to a player who clearly has yet to learn his lesson. Expect a suspension of at least two games for the St. Louis blue liner this time around.

St. Louis’ Sundqvist Fined For Charging Anaheim’s Gibson

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4:02 PM — The hearing is over and Sundqvist did not receive a suspension. He was fined just under $7,400, according to the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno.

12:33 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced that St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will have a hearing today for charging Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (video here) with 9:51 remaining in the second period of Saturday’s game.

While Gibson went behind the net to play the puck, Sundqvist came around and drove right into him, sparking a fight between the two teams. The 25-year-old was given two penalties, one for charging and another for roughing. Sundqvist has only been suspended once before. He received a one-game suspension on June 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals for a hit to the head against Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk.

Regardless, Sundqvist has been a popular player with the Blues, who received a new four-year, $11MM deal this summer. He scored 14 goals and 31 points last season as well as four goals in the Blues’ Stanley Cup victory run. He has three goals and seven points in 21 games this season.

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