Red Wings Notes: Zadina, Bertuzzi, Johansson
Filip Zadina’s return to the ice has had some ups and downs as the winger has dealt with various setbacks that have delayed his return. However, he told team reporter Jonathan Mills that at this point, all he’s waiting for is the sign-off from team doctors to return to the lineup with the hopes of getting in before next week’s All-Star break. Zadina has missed a bit more than ten weeks due to a lower-body injury, one that was initially supposed to sideline him for six to eight weeks. He has been limited to just nine games this season and is still looking for his first point which isn’t the type of bounce-back anyone was hoping for in the first year of his three-year bridge deal
More from Detroit:
- Winger Tyler Bertuzzi is also nearing a return as MLive’s Ansar Khan reports (Twitter link) that the veteran is expected to return on Thursday against Montreal. The 27-year-old suffered a lower-body injury back last Thursday and has missed the last two games. This season hasn’t gone anywhere near the way Bertuzzi had hoped as he has missed time with three separate injuries and has just a goal and four assists in 15 games. That’s hardly the type of production he was hoping for heading into the final year of his contract with his first crack at unrestricted free agency to follow.
- Prospect Anton Johansson has signed an upgraded contract, per an announcement from SHL Leksand. The 18-year-old defenseman was a fourth-round pick last summer (105th overall) and started the year at the junior level but has played in 13 games with Leksand at the top level. That playing time necessitated an adjusted contract but it still only runs through this season. However, it’s likely that Johansson will remain in the SHL for the foreseeable future which will be a good test development-wise.
Juuso Valimaki Fined For Slashing
The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Arizona Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki $4,189.19 on Wednesday, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), for slashing Anaheim Ducks forward Max Jones. The announcement came from the department’s Twitter account.
Valimaki’s infraction occurred in last night’s 5-2 home loss to the Ducks. Officials gave him a five-minute major for slashing and game misconduct on the play, which occurred 3:34 into the second period.
Jones initiated contact between the two players, and Valimaki was primarily penalized for the retaliatory nature of the slash, which was to Jones’ lower back and caused him to fall to the ice.
The fine means Valimaki, who’s appeared in 44 of 48 Coyotes games this season, won’t miss any further game action. The small financial blow is softened even further by the fact that the Coyotes signed him to a one-year contract extension before the game yesterday.
In his first season with Arizona, Valimaki has already set a career-high in points with 12. He’s well on his way to shattering his previous games played high of 49 with Calgary in 2020-21.
Lou Lamoriello Has “Total Confidence” In New York Islanders Coaching Staff
It hasn’t even been a year since the New York Islanders shocked the hockey world by firing Barry Trotz, and there are already questions being asked about the job security of his replacement. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello spoke to the media including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic today and offered a clear stance of support for head coach Lane Lambert and the rest of his staff.
I certainly am around enough to see what they are doing, how they’re preparing, and there is nothing more that they can do. I think they’re doing the best job you could possibly ask of them. Total confidence.
Lambert, a long-time Trotz assistant, took over as head coach last May and has so far led the Islanders to a 23-21-5 record. That includes a 2-7-3 record since the calendar flipped to 2023, and an 8-12-5 record since the beginning of December. The usually stingy Islanders have allowed at least four goals in 13 of their last 25, and are still scoring at a rate that puts them among the league’s bottom third.
The powerplay in particular has been dreadful, with New York sitting 29th in the league. They have scored only 23 goals all season with the man advantage.
Even if Lamoriello is willing to take the blame, it doesn’t change where the Islanders currently find themselves. The team is now sixth in the Metropolitan Divison, only three points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers. Their chances at the postseason are slipping away daily and suddenly appear like a potential seller at the deadline.
Regardless of what happens, it doesn’t look like changing the coach is a bullet that Lamoriello is willing to fire at this point. It’s Lambert’s job, at least for the time being.
Snapshots: Tanev, Jarry, Raty
The Calgary Flames won’t have Chris Tanev back before the All-Star break, as head coach Darryl Sutter told reporters including Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet that the veteran defenseman will miss at least the next two games. Tanev left Monday’s game with an upper-body injury.
Now 33, Tanev has eight points in 40 games this season while playing his usual shutdown role for the Flames. With him out early against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nikita Zadorov ended up playing nearly 27 minutes, his second-highest total of the season.
- Tristan Jarry will also be out through the break, after being a late scratch for the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. The netminder had only just recently returned from an injury suffered in the Winter Classic, and will miss at least the next two games. Pittsburgh recalled Dustin Tokarski but in the meantime, Casey DeSmith will have to carry the load.
- Should Aatu Raty play another game for the New York Islanders, his contract will no longer be eligible to slide. The 20-year-old forward played his ninth game of the season on Monday, registering two hits and a shot in under ten minutes of action. Burning the first year of an entry-level deal isn’t the end of the world, and actually may end up giving the Islanders some extra leverage in contract talks down the road by limiting his offensive stats as a rookie. Raty would hit RFA status in 2025 if he play another NHL game this season.
Will Lockwood Placed On Injured Reserve
The Vancouver Canucks have moved William Lockwood to injured reserve after he left yesterday’s game following a hit from Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jack Johnson. He wouldn’t return and has quickly been ruled out for at least seven days – the minimum stay on IR.
Lockwood, 24, had only recently become a regular in the Vancouver lineup, playing 12 of his 13 appearances this season since New Year’s Eve. He hadn’t recorded a single point during that stretch though (his only assist came in a November game), and was receiving only around 10 minutes a night.
Despite his relatively small stature, Lockwood plays with a high motor and level of intensity, resulting in plenty of hits and board battles. If he can generate even a little offense, the 24-year-old could be an excellent full-time member of the team’s bottom six.
For now, though, he’ll have to wait and watch while he deals with whatever injury he suffered last night. In his place, Phillip Di Giuseppe has been recalled from the minor leagues.
The 29-year-old Di Giuseppe has 27 points in 29 games for the Abbotsford Canucks but hasn’t appeared in an NHL game this season.
Andrei Kuzmenko Prefers Short-Term Deal With Vancouver
The Vancouver Canucks have a decision to make before the deadline. Andrei Kuzmenko, the KHL free agent that has been such an impressive addition, is scheduled for unrestricted free agency. The team could trade him over the next few weeks, and recoup whatever assets are available, or sign him to an extension in the hopes they can turn things around quickly. They appear to be pursuing the latter, with president Jim Rutherford announcing publicly last week that the team would try to sign Kuzmenko.
Today, agent Dan Milstein spoke with Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV and confirmed as much. Milstein explained that the negotiations have started, but that his preference is for a short-term extension. He even referred to it as a “bridge deal,” a term normally reserved for restricted free agents that are exiting their entry-level contract.
That is what Kuzmenko’s doing – leaving his ELC – but because of his age (27 in less than two weeks), he’ll be a UFA instead. A bridge deal in this case would suggest a one or two-year deal to further establish his talent in the NHL before looking to cash in on a long-term, big-money contract. A lot of the leverage here is on the side of the player, though, given Vancouver’s lack of control. Kuzmenko could simply walk in the offseason if he doesn’t get the offer he’s looking for, and would likely have 31 other general managers reaching out to see what it would take to bring him in.
With 43 points in his first 46 NHL games, it’s Kuzmenko’s play that has given him this leverage. After developing into a star in the KHL, he has made the transition to North America rather flawlessly. His 21 goals are second on the Canucks to Bo Horvat, and his 43 points tie him with Quinn Hughes for third – Elias Petterson’s 56 lead the way.
The fact is, you could argue that Kuzmenko has been more effective for the Canucks this season than players like J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and Ilya Mikheyev. Those players are carrying cap hits of $5.25MM, $6.65MM, $4.95MM, and $4.75MM respectively, with a massive seven-year, $56MM contract coming down the pipe for Miller. Kuzmenko’s inexperience will be held up in talks, but it’s hard to argue against the production from this season.
For Vancouver, though, as much as a long-term deal might provide some value down the road, a short-term deal might be best. They can’t afford to make another contract mistake, and a “bridge” contract would allow them to reassess the situation in a year or two and trade Kuzmenko at that point if necessary.
Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Dustin Tokarski; Reassign Ty Smith
With Tristan Jarry scratched right before last night’s game, forcing Casey DeSmith into the lineup, the Pittsburgh Penguins have added another goaltender to the roster. Dustin Tokarski is up under emergency conditions, while Jarry’s injury continues to be evaluated.
To make room, it’s Ty Smith going back down despite playing well in his recent opportunity. The young defenseman is still waiver-exempt and can be brought back once Jarry is healthy enough to continue.
Still, it has to be frustrating for Smith, who has averaged over 20 minutes a night during his call-up and has four points in nine games. That still ended up in a few healthy scratches, and with Kris Letang‘s return, there is even less room for Smith to get into the lineup.
But the 22-year-old has proven he should be in the NHL. That chance will come again (soon, probably), and Smith will have to be ready for it. Now, he returns to the minor leagues to stay in game shape and continue his strong play for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he has 14 points in 26 games this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs Hoping To Extend Conor Timmins
When the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Conor Timmins, he was barely an NHL player. The Arizona Coyotes were going to waive the oft-injured defenseman, to try and get him to the minor leagues so that he could ramp up his game. After all, the 24-year-old had played just 105 total games since the end of the 2017-18 season.
Since joining the Maple Leafs, though, Timmins has been excellent. While there has still been the odd moment of rust (including a couple of egregious giveaways), the young defenseman has racked up 12 points in 17 games, including his first NHL goal. Playing just over 16 minutes a night, he has fit in exceedingly well in Toronto.
So well, in fact, that the Maple Leafs are now looking to extend him before he reaches restricted free agency this summer according to Chris Johnston on TSN’s Insider Trading. Timmins is currently on a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of $850K, and would need a qualifying offer of $997,500 for the Maple Leafs to retain his rights.
Critically, because he has played so few games because of injury, Timmins won’t be eligible for arbitration this summer. That takes away a lot of his leverage, and makes an extension more likely. The Maple Leafs can reward him with some multi-year security, and lock him into a reasonable cap hit through his remaining RFA years. They could even go longer, into his UFA seasons, though Timmins would be essentially betting against his own health at that point. With the kind of production he has shown so far, there would be a big payday down the road if he can stay on the ice regularly.
Montreal Canadiens Reassign Cayden Primeau
Jan 25: Primeau has been loaned back to the AHL after only appearing in one game, a 20-minute relief appearance last week. Allen is ready to return to action.
Jan 9: The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Cayden Primeau under emergency conditions, announcing that he will back up Sam Montembeault this evening. Jake Allen is out on a day-to-day basis with an upper-body injury, despite playing all 60 minutes on Saturday.
Primeau, 23, is no stranger to the NHL. The young netminder has seen action in each of the last three seasons, playing a handful of games each year as the team dealt with goaltending injuries. Last year, in 12 appearances for Montreal, he posted an .868 save percentage and went 1-7-1. Overall, he has an .874 in 18 NHL games.
Unfortunately, things haven’t been going much better at the minor league level this season. Primeau has an .890 in 13 games with the Laval Rocket, which would easily be the worst of his career should it continue. Despite being drafted in the seventh round in 2017, he became a top goaltending prospect for the organization after two incredible seasons at Northeastern University.
Development has slowed since then, but the organization still has plenty of faith in him. Primeau signed a three-year one-way contract in September that carries an average annual value of $890K. The back-loaded deal will be paying him $1.1MM by the 2024-25 season when the team hoped he would be the full-time backup (at least). Even if this is just a short stint while Allen recovers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Canadiens give Primeau a chance to play, given their investment in him.
It should be noted every time the Canadiens suffer an injury at the position, that they do not have another goaltender signed to an NHL contract. Primeau, Allen, Montembeault, and the injured Carey Price are the entire depth chart, meaning they’re just another minor injury or illness away from being forced to make an additional transaction of some sort.
Injury Notes: Bennett, Jarry, Golden Knights, Backstrom, Klingberg
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of minor injury news to report from tonight’s games. We start in Florida, where head coach Paul Maurice said pregame that Sam Bennett wouldn’t be in the lineup when they take on the Penguins tonight.
Bennett took an awkward fall in yesterday night’s loss to the Rangers, immediately leaving the game and staying in the room through the first intermission. It didn’t hold him out of the rest of the game, however, as he would later return. While he won’t suit up tonight, it does seem to be a short-term absence for Bennett, who’s been in and out of the lineup over the past month with some minor injury concerns. Eetu Luostarinen, who’s impressed with 10 goals and 22 points in 49 games this year, slides into the top six with Bennett out.
- After leaving injured reserve a few days ago, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is back out of the lineup with an injury. His absence leaves both Pittsburgh and Florida without backup goalies on the bench for tonight’s game, as Spencer Knight was unexpectedly still unable to play and was a late absence from the Florida lineup. It’s hopefully a short-term absence for Jarry, who’s been spectacular with a .921 save percentage in 27 appearances for the Penguins this year.
- There’s some positive news on Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, says ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. While he’ll be out through the All-Star break as expected, his back issue is different than the one that plagued him throughout last season, greatly reducing the likelihood of his long-term career being affected. Kaplan also says defenseman Shea Theodore, who’s been out since early December with an undisclosed injury, is an option for Friday’s game against the Rangers.
- Days after returning from significant hip surgery recovery, Nicklas Backstrom is back out of the Washington Capitals lineup with a non-COVID illness and is day-to-day. The 35-year-old has three assists in seven games since returning to the lineup.
- The Anaheim Ducks will also be down a player due to illness: defenseman John Klingberg. 25-year-old call-up Colton White moves into Anaheim’s top-four in Klingberg’s absence, playing on his off-side. Klingberg has just 15 points in 40 games this season, a career-low as he’s destined for free agency once again this offseason.