Central Division Notes: Scheifele, Nichushkin, Helm, Johnson
In Game Four between the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets, star center Mark Scheifele left the game early with an upper-body injury. Already missing Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers, including Scheifele in that group moving forward might be the nail in the coffin for the Jets in their first-round matchup.
Thankfully for Jets fans, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet relays on a message from head coach Rick Bowness, showing optimism that Scheifele could return for Game Five. With the Golden Knights already leading the series three games to one, having Scheifele on the ice for Winnipeg would certainly increase their chances of extending the series.
In four games in this year’s playoffs, Scheifele scored once, adding a goal in the unfortunate Game Three loss in double overtime. Although not providing a career-best performance this regular season in terms of points, Scheifele did crack his career-high in goals this year, scoring 42 goals and 26 assists in 81 games played.
Other notes from the Central Division:
- Coming off of the recent suspension of defenseman Cale Makar, Ryan Boulding of the NHL also reports that Valeri Nichushkin will still not be an option for the Colorado Avalanche in Game Five. Fortunately for the Avalanche, they seemed to have been in this position all season long due to injuries, and their depth was able to carry them to a first-place finish in the Central Division. The terms of Nichushkin’s absence has been one of the more bewildering stories off the ice these playoffs, as he has been out of the lineup for personal reasons, leaving Seattle shortly before the Avalanche took on the Seattle Kraken for Game Three.
- In the same announcement, Boulding also reports that forward Darren Helm and Jack Johnson may be options for the Avalanche for Game Five. Helm, seemingly injured for the entire season, has been out of the lineup since Colorado’s loss in Game One. Johnson on the other hand, re-acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, has yet to suit up for the Avalanche in this series.
Ethan De Jong Signs AHL Contract
Another player from the National Championship-winning Quinnipiac University has found his way to a guaranteed contract, as forward Ethan De Jong has signed a 2-year deal with the Bakersfield Condors, an AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. An undrafted free agent, De Jong’s contract in Bakersfield will begin during the 2023-24 AHL season.
Over his five-season career playing for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, De Jong played in 184 regular season matchups, scoring 61 goals and 83 assists. In his last season in Quinnipiac, De Jong scored 19 goals and 21 assists in 41 games, finishing third on the team in total scoring.
During this year’s Frozen Four, the young forward would score one goal and two assists to help his team clinch the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship. The only goal he had during the playoffs came during the team’s clutch semifinal victory against the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Although the Condors managed to make the playoffs this season, the team was bounced in the first round by the Abbotsford Canucks. DeJong should help with some of Bakersfield’s weak points this season, as he has shown a knack for goal-scoring in the final two years of his time with Quinnipiac. The Condors finished this season as one of the better defensive teams in the AHL, finishing 12th in the league in goals against. However, they did not show the same prowess on the offensive side of the puck, finishing 24th in goals scored.
San Diego Gulls Hire Matt McIlvane
After now-former head coach Roy Sommer retired at the end of the 2022-23 season, the San Diego Gulls, an AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, have now found their head coaching replacement. Matt McIlvane will be brought in as the fifth coach in franchise history, recently enjoying the same role for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League in Austria. Before working as a head coach in Austria, McIlvane was an assistant coach for EHC Munchen of the DEL, Germany’s professional hockey league.
Coaching for Salzburg, McIlvane racked up a total record of 94-42-22-19 in four seasons, and also posted an incredible postseason record, leading his team to a 31-8 mark behind the bench. Salzburg was able to win back-to-back championships the last two seasons under the leadership of McIlvane. When asked about the head coaching hire, the General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks, Pat Verbeek, said, “Matt brings a winning pedigree to our organization in addition to a strong culture of development and performance. Our players in San Diego will benefit from his leadership, philosophy, and his championship experience in Europe and the international level.”
McIlvane was also excited to return to North America; when asked about joining the Ducks organization, McIlvane said, “I am humbled to be the next coach of the San Diego Gulls. I am incredibly grateful to Pat Verbeek for the trust to take on this responsibility. The Samueli family runs a first-class organization, and it is an honor to join the hockey club. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the management, staff, and players. We are ready for the challenge to develop Ducks prospects into NHL players and give the fans at Pechanga Arena San Diego an exciting team to cheer for.”
Over the last couple of seasons, the Gulls have been unable to post a winning record. During the 2021-22 season, the Gulls posted a record of 28-33-7, losing in the preliminary round to the Ontario Reign in two games. This season, performance continued to decline in San Diego, finishing 10th in the AHL’s Pacific Division after going 20-49-3. In McIlvane’s hiring, the Ducks organization is clearly looking for someone to procure the next generation of NHL talent in Anaheim, as well as returning the Gulls to the postseason.
Atlantic Division Updates: Ekblad, Duclair, Bunting, Cernak
Josh Gold-Smith of The Score reports that reinforcements are coming in for the Florida Panthers, as both Aaron Ekblad and Anthony Duclair will be back for Game Five. This will be an elimination game for the Panthers, as the Boston Bruins have taken a three-to-one lead in the series.
Ekblad finally makes his return after leaving Game Three with an undisclosed injury. Before the start of Game Four, Ekblad was listed as a game-time decision and wound up not being able to play, as Casey Fitzgerald took his place in the lineup. Aside from Game Three, Ekblad averaged a little over 24 minutes a night in the first two games of the series but has been unable to find the scoresheet yet for the Panthers.
Duclair, who was also sitting out of Game Four with an undisclosed injury, returns to stave off elimination from the President’s Trophy winners. Duclair has not been used as much as Ekblad has been throughout this series, only averaging a little under 13 minutes a night. In the three games that he has played, Duclair has also been unable to find himself on the scoresheet and also carries a +/- of -6.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Returning back from a three-game suspension, Michael Bunting will be available for the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night as they look to eliminate the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Playing very well in his absence, Mark Masters of TSN reports that there is potential for Bunting to not make his way into the lineup for Game Five. Masters relays on a message from the Maple Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe, who states that no decision has been made about Bunting’s return to the lineup but did confirm that Matthew Knies was not coming out of the lineup for Bunting.
- On the receiving end of Bunting’s suspension-worthy hit, Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will not return for Game Five (Tweet Link). Only playing just over nine minutes in Game One, the Lightning have been without one of their best defensive defensemen for the remainder of the series up to this point. Since Cernak’s exit from Tampa Bay’s lineup, the Lightning have been unable to hold Toronto to less than four goals a game.
Cale Makar Receives One-Game Suspension
1:10 PM CT: The league has announced their decision, giving Makar a one-game suspension which will keep him out of the lineup for Game Five. If not one of the more interesting series already up to this point, Game Five will see the Kraken without one of their best forwards on the team, and also see the Avalanche without their best defenseman. As the series is now tied at two games apiece after the Kraken’s win last evening, Game Five will give one team control over the series.
8:04 AM CT: The Colorado Avalanche lost the game last night and now could be without the services of their best defenseman. Cale Makar will have a hearing today for his hit on Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann, suggesting a potential suspension is coming down the pipe. McCann has already been ruled out for game five after suffering an injury on the play.
Makar was initially given a five-minute major for interference, but after an officials review, it was reduced to a two-minute penalty. The league apparently disagrees with that decision, if they are preparing to hand out some supplemental discipline for the Avalanche defenseman.
If they do lose him, Colorado will be in a vulnerable position. They are heading home, but the series is now tied after Jordan Eberle‘s overtime dramatics. Removing Makar, who played 27 minutes in the loss, leading all skaters, will put a ton of pressure on the other Avalanche defenders. Already the team was basically operating a four-man rotation, with Erik Johnson and Josh Manson each playing fewer than 13 minutes in the overtime contest.
The league may be exercising some proactivity with this discipline, as the Kraken would likely have been trying to take some liberties with Makar had he faced nothing after the game. While he suggested there was no intent to injure McCann, the entire Kraken team has expressed their displeasure with the hit, and the decision to reduce it to a two-minute penalty.
Boston Bruins Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí
Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now is reporting that it appears as though center Patrice Bergeron will be dressing in game five for the Boston Bruins. Bergeron has been sidelined for all four of Boston’s first round games against the Florida Panthers after sustaining an injury in the regular season finale against the Montreal Canadiens.
Yesterday both head coach Jim Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney had stated that Bergeron would likely return to practice Tuesday morning. Bergeron did in fact skate with the team today and led the stretching. After practice he said that he didn’t foresee any issues keeping him from playing in his first game of the playoffs.
Boston will have an opportunity on Wednesday to eliminate the Florida Panthers after taking both games three and four in Florida. The Bruins will return home with an opportunity to punch their ticket to a second-round matchup with either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In other Boston Bruins notes:
- While it appears that Bergeron will be returning, Jimmy Murphy tweeted that head coach Jim Montgomery told the media that David Krejčí will be unavailable for game five. Krejčí dressed for the first two games of the series in Boston, but then was a late scratch for game three and hasn’t dressed since. He struggled mightily in game two of the series going -3 and getting beat up in the faceoff circle. Not much is known about Krejčí’s injury and Boston has been tight lipped about it other than to offer updates on his status. NHL.com’s Eric Russo writes that Don Sweeney has said that Krejčí is slated to undergo further testing and an update could come after the team hears from the doctors.
Edmonton Oilers Have Recalled Goaltender Calvin Pickard
In a curious move the Edmonton Oilers recalled veteran goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Bakersfield Condors. The move was announced this morning by the Oilers; however, the team hasn’t commented on any reason for it. Stuart Skinner took most of the starts for Edmonton during the regular season and playoffs, however he was pulled in game four after allowing three goals on 11 shots. Jack Campbell came in to replace Skinner and performed admirably as he backstopped the Oilers to a comeback win to pull even with the Los Angeles Kings at two games each.
Pickard didn’t see any game action this season with Edmonton and has only played in 36 NHL games in the past six seasons. The former second round pick was once viewed as the goaltender of the future for the Colorado Avalanche after posting a save percentage over .920 in his first two NHL seasons. However, since those initial seasons Pickard hasn’t posted a single season with a save percentage above .900 and has bounced back and forth between the AHL and the NHL.
It will be interesting to see what, if anything, is said by the Oilers about Pickard’s recall. The Oilers did practice this morning, with Oilers radio analyst Bob Stauffer observing that Stuart Skinner was in the starters net and TSN has reported that Skinner will indeed start game five. The debate amongst Edmonton fans since game four has been about who to start in net for game five after Campbell stood on his head stopping 27 of 28 shots. Campbell was expected to be the starter for the Oilers coming into this season but lost the net as he struggled with a .888 save percentage in just 36 games. Skinner jumped on the opportunity to start and posted a .913 save percentage in 50 games.
Carl Dahlstrom Linked To SHL
At the beginning of the season, it appeared as though Carl Dahlstrom had positioned himself to be one of the first call-ups for the Toronto Maple Leafs, receiving NHL pay (and ice time) whenever the team suffered an injury on defense. Instead, Dahlstrom suffered the injury, going down with a shoulder issue that required surgery.
After months on the sidelines recovering, he has recently re-joined the Toronto Marlies for their playoff run, playing eight games over the last few weeks. Whenever the Marlies’ season ends, it might be the last we see of Dahlstrom on North American ice—at least for now.
The veteran defenseman has been linked to Farjestad BK of the SHL, with former Rockford IceHogs teammates speaking highly of him for the club. A return to Sweden could end any chance of another NHL stint for the 28-year-old defenseman, who has 67 games under his belt at the highest level.
Just three of those have come since the end of 2019-20, though, as he struggled with injuries for multiple clubs. With so much depth currently on the Maple Leafs, there’s no way he’ll get into the NHL playoff lineup, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, finding a home for next season is a priority.
Skyler Brind’Amour Signs AHL Contract
After telling the Edmonton Oilers that he wasn’t signing with them and instead joining the Charlotte Checkers on a professional tryout, Skyler Brind’Amour has committed to playing in North Carolina next season. The recent NCAA champion has signed a two-year AHL contract that begins in 2023-24.
Brind’Amour, 23, was initially selected in the sixth round by the Oilers, but after spending two years in the BCHL and then another four with Quinnipiac University, he won’t join the team that drafted him. He would have become an unrestricted free agent in August, but Edmonton likely gave him free rein to seek another option, resulting in his trip to Charlotte.
The gig has geographical perks, as his father—Rod Brind’Amour—coaches the Carolina Hurricanes just across the state. The Checkers, a long-time affiliate of the Hurricanes, switched their partnership to the Florida Panthers a few seasons ago.
Brind’Amour scored 14 goals and 32 points in 41 games this season and is known for his never-ending work ethic more than anything else. The checking center still has a long road ahead of him if he’s to crack an NHL roster.
Jared McCann To Miss At Least One Game
The Seattle Kraken were able to take down the Colorado Avalanche in overtime to even their first-round series at two games apiece but will now have to go into game five without their top offensive player. Head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that Jared McCann will miss the next game and possibly longer after leaving early last night.
After a partial breakaway during the first period that was stopped by Philipp Grubauer, McCann was run hard into the boards by Cale Makar and suffered an injury. The Colorado defenseman was originally given a five-minute major, but after review, it was reduced to a two-minute minor.
Makar was booed the rest of the night after removing Seattle’s top forward, a player that experienced a breakout campaign this year. McCann scored 40 goals for the Kraken and reached the 70-point mark for the first time in his career. His scoring came in all forms, with 30 goals at even strength, seven on the powerplay, and three short-handed.
For Seattle, losing McCann will be a huge blow to their chances. While their lineup is built on depth and versatility, there’s no question he brings the most offensive juice.
The series continues tomorrow, back in Colorado.