Snapshots: Tinordi, Jones, Walman
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi will not practice with the Blackhawks today, as he has been placed in concussion protocol. Tinordi has already missed time this season due to an oblique injury, and has in total played in just 12 games this season.
The hope for Tinordi has to be that being in concussion protocol ends up being a precaution, and that Tinordi does not have a head injury. Not only would that be the ideal outcome for Tinordi’s health, it would also allow him to get back onto the ice sooner in what is a season of high personal importance. A pending unrestricted free agent, the physical 31-year-old will want to have the best possible season in order to set himself up for his next contract.
Some other notes from the rest of the NHL:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled netminder Martin Jones from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, once again on an emergency basis. The team had originally sent Jones back down to the AHL, but with regular netminder Ilya Samsonov still not well enough to back up Joseph Woll it appears Toronto will need Jones’ services in the NHL for a little while longer. Jones has a .870 save percentage through five games with the Marlies so far this season.
- The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman $2,500 for high-sticking Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner in last night’s game. The play in question appears to be more of a cross-check than a natural high-sticking, though the cross-check did appear to be unleashed on Skinner’s head. Seeing as Walman made contact with Skinner’s head, the Red Wings are likely relieved that Walman did not receive any suspension from a Department of Player Safety that often has a very low tolerance for checks to the head. Walman has emerged as a top-pairing defenseman in Detroit, so losing him for even a game would represent a significant loss.
Ilya Kovalchuk Signs In KHL
Former NHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk has decided to return to the game after a two-year absence, signing a one-year contract with the KHL’s Spartak Moscow.
Kovalchuk, 40, has not played at all since his playoff run with Avangard Omsk in 2020-21 that ended in a Gagarin Cup championship. Before that short stint in Omsk, Kovalchuk had not been a fixture in the KHL since 2017-18, the final year of his time in the KHL that began with his highly controversial exit from the New Jersey Devils.
The 2001 first-round pick returned to the KHL in 2020-21 after two seasons in the NHL split between three teams: the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. That raised the overall total of NHL franchises he’s played for to five, adding on the Devils and Atlanta Thrashers, teams he spent the bulk of his career weith.
Now, Kovalchuk will represent Spartak, a team that currently sits at the top of the KHL’s Western Conference. They rank first in the KHL in goals scored by a wide margin, so their addition of Kovalchuk is not one based on desperation to add offensive reinforcements. Instead, Kovalchuk will join an already-talented side that includes star Nikolay Goldobin, a former NHLer who currently has 53 points in just 40 KHL games.
While there is surely no possibility that this signing will result in Kovalchuk looking to once again return to North American pro hockey, this contract does extend the playing career of a forward who was once one of the NHL’s most electric offensive talents.
Ottawa Senators Hire Jacques Martin As Senior Advisor To Coaching Staff
The Ottawa Senators have made a change to their coaching staff — but it’s an addition, not a subtraction. They’ve turned to a familiar face, hiring Jacques Martin as a senior advisor to their coaching staff.
This move is a highly intriguing one, on multiple levels. First and foremost, the Senators are adding an extremely experienced former head coach to their staff, someone with a reputation as a strong defensive mind.
The Senators have actually surrendered the seventh-fewest goals in the entire NHL, which does not indicate an immediate need for the club to patch up its defense. That being said, the added experience definitely can’t hurt the Senators’ coaching efforts.
Experience is something Martin most definitely has, as he won a Jack Adams award all the way back in 1998-99 and first became an NHL head coach in 1986, coaching the Doug Gilmour and Bernie Federko-led St. Louis Blues.
Martin only kept that job for two seasons but he got a second chance to become a head coach when the Senators hired him in 1995-96.
Martin stayed in Ottawa until after 2003-04, embarking on a run of success that had been wholly foreign to the relatively young expansion franchise.
He reached the postseason in just his second campaign in the Canadian capital, and then eventually made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final with star players such as Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Marian Hossa, and Zdeno Chara.
Martin would then take charge of the Florida Panthers, and while he never managed to reach the playoffs there he kept the Panthers above a .500 points percentage in each of his campaigns in Florida.
After that, he became the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. His well-drilled defensive side rode excellent goaltending from Jaroslav Halak to the Eastern Conference Final, taking out two heavyweight teams in the top-seeded Washington Capitals and defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins along the way.
That stint in Montreal was Martin’s most recent as a head coach, though he did go on to have success as an assistant coach. He worked on Mike Sullivan‘s staff with the Penguins as the club won the 2016-17 Stanley Cup, and then spent one year assisting David Quinn and the New York Rangers.
Martin’s appointment in Ottawa appears to come with a decent bit of intrigue. On the face of it, the Senators are simply adding a familiar face to help out a club currently struggling to build momentum in the standings. But looking at it a little bit deeper, this Senators coaching staff is currently highly embattled with a significant portion of the fanbase appearing to prefer the head coach, D.J. Smith, be dismissed.
Senators management in Steve Staios and new owner Michael Andlauer have thus far resisted firing Smith, reportedly due to a desire to maintain as much stability in the organization as possible. But in a campaign where the Senators are under so much pressure to make the playoffs, one has to wonder if the Senators can afford to retain Smith much longer, considering he is in his fifth year as the team’s head coach and has only once delivered a points percentage above .500.
By hiring Martin, the Senators have now brought a highly experienced, highly respected former head coach into their organization, someone who could now theoretically step in and serve as an interim head coach on short notice. That’s not to say this hiring is some sort of sign that a Smith firing is anything certain, of course, as the Senators’ ownership appears to remain committed to supporting Smith and prioritizing stability.
But in the case that the Senators endure another run of bad results, the type of run that would make retaining their fifth-year coach completely impossible, they now have an in-house replacement ready to take over in Martin. He’s someone with not only extensive experience in Ottawa but also extensive experience bringing out the best of the talent on his roster.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Evening Notes: Olympics, Smith, Laine
On TSN’s Insider Trading today, Pierre LeBrun relayed some of the reservations the NHL might be having about a potential NHL return to Olympic hockey participation in 2026. The NHL hasn’t taken part in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, a tournament in which Canada took gold. The league did not participate in the events in 2018 and opted not to return in 2022 due to COVID concerns as well as concerns surrounding travel.
LeBrun told viewers that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the NHL board of governors and had concerns about the Olympic arena in Milan, Italy which is not built yet and has a projected timeline that would see construction conclude just six to eight weeks before the Olympics begin.
On top of that, there remains no agreement on many important details such as families travelling to the Olympics as well as an agreement on the players’ insurance.
Lebrun added that he believes this is the most negative he has heard the NHL talk about 2026 Olympic participation but he does add that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is not pessimistic towards NHL players returning to the Olympics.
In other evening notes:
- The Nashville Predators announced that forward Cole Smith missed tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an apparent illness. The 28-year-old is currently listed as day-to-day, and it is unknown whether he will be able to suit up on Thursday when the Predators take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smith has just one full NHL season under his belt and has started this year at a solid pace with four goals and five assists in 24 games while averaging nearly three hits a game.
- Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine was a scratch tonight due to an illness. No word yet on any timeline for Laine to return as the news came out just before the start of the Blue Jackets’ game against the Los Angeles Kings. Mathieu Olivier was expected to be scratched for the game but took Laine’s place in the lineup and scored his first goal of the season in the 4-3 loss. Laine has struggled out of the game this season and has been a healthy scratch at times, he has just five goals and two assists in 16 games thus far which is well short of the numbers he has put up in recent years where he has been a point-a-game player.
West Notes: Lizotte, Lindholm, Namestnikov
Los Angeles Kings writer Zach Dooley reported today that Kings forward Blake Lizotte has progressed to a regular practice jersey today as he moves closer to the returning to the lineup. The 25-year-old missed his sixth straight game this evening but could return on Thursday night when the Kings take on the Montreal Canadiens. Kings head coach Todd McLellan told reporters today that the plan is to see how Lizotte feels after practice tomorrow before making any decisions on a potential return later this week.
Lizotte has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury he suffered in a game against the St. Louis Blues back on November 18th. He took a hard open-ice hit from Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo and immediately went to the bench and up the tunnel with the training staff. He did not return to the game.
In 16 games this season, the Lindstrom, Minnesota native has four goals and three assists and is +7.
In other West notes:
- TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji is reporting that Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm was back at practice today after missing yesterday’s practice due to an illness. All signs point to the 29-year-old dressing in the Flames game tonight against the Minnesota Wild as Calgary tries to get back to .500 after starting the season 2-7-1. Lindholm has played fine this season with seven goals and 10 assists in 24 games, but he has struggled to score goals with a shooting percentage of just 10.9%, well off his career average of 12.5%.
- Winnipeg Jets analyst Mitchell Clinton is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov will join the team on their upcoming road trip but is unlikely to play in Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old has missed the Jets’ last two games after suffering a lower-body injury during a puck battle with Darnell Nurse in the Jets’ 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday. Namestnikov signed a two-year deal with the Jets in the summer and has had a decent start to the season with two goals and nine assists in his first 22 games.
Seattle Kraken Recall Ryker Evans
The Seattle Kraken have announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Ryker Evans from their AHL affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The 21-year-old has never dressed in an NHL game but has earned some time with the big club after building an impressive AHL resume in his very young professional career.
Evans was the second draft pick ever by the Kraken, taken in the second round of the 2021 NHL draft, after going undrafted in his first year of draft eligibility. He rewarded Seattle with an impressive first season in the AHL registering six goals and 38 assists in 71 regular season games before helping to lead the Firebirds to the AHL finals with an impressive 26 points in 26 playoff games.
This season the Calgary, Alberta native has fallen into a bit of a sophomore slump as he has started the season slowly with just two goals and six assists in his first 18 games with the Firebirds. Despite the slow start, the Kraken have opted to give him a look in the NHL as they are mired in a five-game losing streak and need a jolt wherever they can find it.
Seattle has lost six of their last seven games and is sitting fifth in the Pacific Division with an 8-12-6 record. They are currently trailing the St. Louis Blues by five points for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference while the Blues hold two games in hand.
Without a true offensive superstar in their lineup, the Kraken have relied upon depth scoring to win games, which is something they haven’t been able to find this season. Outside of Vince Dunn, no Kraken defenseman has cracked ten points on the season as their offensive depth has disappeared. The Kraken may see Ryker as a potential option on the backend who can provide a small offensive boost at a time when they need it most.
Nico Sturm And Filip Zadina Returning Tonight
Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now is reporting that the San Jose Sharks are set to welcome back Nico Sturm and Filip Zadina as they take on the New York Islanders this evening.
Sturm is returning to the Sharks lineup after missing their 6-5 loss on Sunday night to the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury. Zadina on the other hand is being activated off the injured reserve after missing the Sharks’ last five games. Both players figure to play in the bottom six as Zadina is likely to see fourth-line duty while Sturm will most likely center the Sharks third line.
Like many players in the Sharks lineup both Sturm and Zadina have struggled to find any traction offensively this season. Sturm had 14 goals and 12 assists in 74 games last year but has managed just two assists in 22 appearances thus far this season. Zadina on the other hand has three goals and two assists in 20 games which isn’t far off from the three goals and four assists in 30 games he posted last year while he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
After starting the season with a 0-10-1 record the Sharks have turned things around recently going 4-5-1 in their last ten games including three wins in their last five games. At 6-17-2 the Sharks are still well outside of the playoff picture and figure to be a non-factor in the playoff picture for the remainder of the season. But for players like Sturm and Zadina, they don’t have much term left on their contracts and are playing for their NHL futures.
Flyers Recall Lycksell, Place Cates on IR
Philadelphia Flyers writer Dylan H. Robillard of Olde City Sports Network is reporting that the Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and placed forward Noah Cates on the Injured Reserve. Cates was already ruled out of action a week ago after suffering a lower-body injury and was placed on the IR as a corresponding move to allow the Flyers to bring Lycksell up to the NHL.
Lycksell had an eight-game audition with the Flyers last season, tallying one assist while going -3. His underlying numbers in the NHL were particularly bad but he was solid in 53 AHL games posting 14 goals and 31 assists.
The 24-year-old was on the bubble to make the team this year coming out of training camp after a strong rookie camp, but ultimately fell short and was assigned to Lehigh Valley. Since the assignment to the AHL, the former sixth-round pick has been nearly a point-a-game player this season with 12 goals and seven assists in 21 games.
Lycksell likely won’t offer the same two-way skillset as Cates but could have an opportunity to show if he belongs in the NHL. Cates struggled offensively to start the season with just a goal and three assists in 21 games.
The Flyers are coming off a home-and-away sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins and have surprised just about everyone with their start to the season. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 13-10-2.
Sabres Place Alex Tuch, Jordan Greenway On IR
The Sabres announced a handful of roster moves before tonight’s game against the Red Wings, placing winger Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway on IR. As reported earlier in the day, these moves make room on the 23-man roster to recall goaltender Devon Levi from AHL Rochester. Levi will back up Eric Comrie tonight while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is sidelined with an illness.
Head coach Don Granato told the media Tuesday that both Tuch and Greenway’s injuries are short-term and will keep them out between seven and ten days (via Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald).
Tuch suffered his injury in Saturday’s narrow 2-1 loss to the Predators. He’s had one injury-related absence this season – an upper-body ailment sidelined him for three games in mid-November. This appears to be a lower-body issue that Tuch sustained without contact while backchecking to catch up with Predators winger Filip Forsberg.
Greenway sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of Friday’s game against the Hurricanes and did not return. He missed Saturday’s game against Nashville and has now played in just two out of Buffalo’s last six games, including a three-game absence for personal reasons in late November.
The Sabres, who are now 3-6-1 in their last ten games and are three games below the .500 mark, are in serious trouble. Things won’t get better without the services of two of their better wingers. Tuch is fifth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 17 points in 22 games, while Greenway has been one of their better defensive wingers despite his scoring cooling off from the beginning of the season.
This should afford 2021 first-round pick Isak Rosen a more extended look in the NHL lineup over the next five or so games. The 20-year-old has seen fourth-line duties since being recalled last month and is still looking for his first NHL point. He’s averaged 9:35 and posted a -3 rating in four contests to begin his NHL career.
Coyotes Expected To Announce Phoenix Arena Site By End Of January 2024
The Coyotes have pursued all options to avoid relocation and remain in the Phoenix metropolitan area since the team’s proposed arena and entertainment district in Tempe failed to pass a public referendum in May. It now seems the team is closer than ever to a resolution, as team president and CEO Xavier A. Guttierez told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports last week that they expect to announce their chosen arena site by the end of the 2023 calendar year “or shortly thereafter.” Morgan reported that the location is expected to be a parcel of land within Phoenix city limits adjacent to the border with Scottsdale, one of the more affluent Phoenix suburbs, which TSN’s Darren Dreger added today is close to being finalized.
This timing is on track with what Guttierez outlined before the 2023-24 season began: a likely announcement around the turn of the calendar year. Morgan noted that while the site announcement is expected to come within the next few weeks, the final project bid likely won’t be complete until closer to the end of the regular season, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said was a more realistic timeline over the summer.
The season-long delay in confirming a new arena site shouldn’t affect the move-out timeline from their current home, the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena shared with Arizona State University, by much. Morgan said Sunday that the Phoenix-Scottsdale site “would allow the Coyotes to remain close to the same construction timeline as the Tempe site,” given the Tempe site would have required considerably more remediation before the team could break ground on the arena – anywhere from “at least” six to eight months. A standard two-year construction timeline would have the new site ready for the 2026-27 season, requiring a one-year extension on the Coyotes’ initial three-year lease agreement at Mullett.
Notably, the expected new arena site is not the parcel of land in Mesa that the Coyotes issued a letter of intent to purchase last August. On Tuesday’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Dreger said relocation remains on the table if the Coyotes can’t close this deal within the next few weeks.
A step toward an arena resolution would go a long way toward supporting a Coyotes team that’s shown significant on-ice improvement this season. They’ve defeated the last five Stanley Cup champions in their previous five contests, are 6-3-1 in their last ten games, and are just two points behind the Jets for third place in the Central Division. It’s hard to imagine Stanley Cup Playoff hockey in such a minute arena as Mullett, but it’s quickly becoming a possibility as soon as this season.