Central Notes: Toews, Seguin, Foligno
As the season ticks away, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews remains away from game action. Head coach Luke Richardson told reporters today that Toews’ activity has been limited to gym workouts, and the team still doesn’t have a timeline on his return to the ice from general illness that’s kept him out since the All-Star break.
With every day that passes, speculation increases that Toews has played his last game of the season — and potentially his career. Chronic immune response syndrome kept Toews sidelined for the shortened 2020-21 season. He told fans in a statement last month that those symptoms, along with those of long COVID, are impeding his ability to play effectively. In their captain’s absence, the team is 7-9-2.
Other notes on some Central Division injuries:
- The Athletic’s Joe Smith says not to expect an update on Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno today. Foligno left yesterday’s game with a lower-body injury, and the team could provide an update at practice tomorrow. While he hasn’t missed an extended period of time this season, he has suffered multiple minor injuries. To make matters more concerning, CapFriendly lists Foligno’s current absence as his third lower-body injury in the span of a month. Expectedly so, the 31-year-old’s offense has taken a step back with six goals and 19 points in 53 games, down from a career-high 23 goals and 42 points last year.
- Dallas Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika reports that center Tyler Seguin is not currently with the team after sustaining a laceration to his left leg in last week’s 10-4 win against Buffalo. However, it’s a possibility he rejoins the team on their current road trip. Seguin is listed as day-to-day, and the team has four more games remaining on a Pacific Northwest swing.
League Notes: Three Stars, Cut-Resistant Equipment, Challenges
This week’s Three Stars are in, courtesy of the NHL, and it contains a trio of high-octane forwards. Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller earned first-star honors after he led the NHL with nine points in four games last week, helping the Coyotes earn a four-game point streak. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took home the second star, while Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner was awarded the third.
Not only has Keller held his own, producing over a point per game on a team near the bottom of the league, but his presence has finally helped crack the offensive game of 2018 fifth-overall pick Barrett Hayton, who now has eight points in his last four games. Crosby’s strong play this week has once again helped keep the Penguins safer in the playoff picture, while Marner recorded six points in two games against two of the league’s best teams in New Jersey and Edmonton.
Some other league notes to begin the week:
- NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters, including NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, that the league “would like to get to a point where cut-resistant equipment is mandated for all new players.” Daly notes that talks remain ongoing with the NHLPA on creating said regulation. The issue has come to the forefront in recent years in light of some scary injuries, especially incidents of skate cuts on wrists. Notably, players such as Evander Kane and Ilya Mikheyev have missed significant time in the past few seasons.
- TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that NHL general managers have discussed expanding the grounds of coaches’ challenges to include puck-over-glass penalties, as well as two-minute high-sticking infractions. With challenges becoming increasingly rare as the penalties for getting them wrong evolve, the danger of slowing the game down with too many reviews is also decreasing. The managers’ annual meeting is this week.
Canucks Sign Aidan McDonough
The Vancouver Canucks announced they have signed Aidan McDonough to an entry-level contract. General Manager Patrik Allvin announced the contract is a two-year deal, as McDonough elected to forego free agency and join the Canucks.
McDonough was a seventh-round pick of the Canucks in 2019. He has gone on to prove he should have been drafted much higher due to a stellar college career at Northeastern. He became a trusted offensive producer for them from day one of his college career and just wrapped up his fourth consecutive season as one of the team’s top offensive players.
McDonough scored 66 goals and 124 points in 124 games at Northeastern. This season was his best as he put up 20 goals and 38 points in 34 games. He helped Northeastern to a third-place finish in the Hockey East conference but they were eliminated on Saturday by Providence who pulled off a 2-1 upset victory in overtime.
The 23-year-old could have waited until this summer and became an NHL free agent, but instead elected to sign with the team that drafted him. The Canucks sure can use the help as they sit 25th in the league standings with 61 points in 65 games. They traded away Bo Horvat, signalling a retooling of the roster that has proven not to be good enough to compete with the best teams in the league, so it would not have been good to lose one of their best prospects to free agency this summer.
The 6-foot-2 and 201 pound forward will likely get a chance to jump right into the NHL lineup. The Canucks are not chasing down a playoff spot so they can afford to test him out right away and Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports he will join the team immediately.
Cole Guttman Injured For Rest Of Season
Chicago Blackhawks forward Cole Guttman will be out for the rest of the season according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Guttman is heading to Los Angeles to have shoulder surgery to repair the injury, and should be available to the Blackhawks at next season’s training camp.
The 23-year-old center was a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017. Since then, he had a tremendous college career at Denver that included a national championship last spring. Guttman was a pivotal player for Denver in that run, scoring 19 goals and 45 points in 41 games last season.
Following that season, Guttman elected to not sign with the Lightning, instead waiting until August when he became an NHL free agent. Then, he signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks.
The 5-foot-9 and 168 pound forward is a skilled playmaker who has put up solid production in his first pro season. The Northridge, CA native scored 16 goals and 30 points in 39 AHL games this season and added four goals and six points in 14 NHL games. He had points in three consecutive contests with the Blackhawks before being shut down today.
Powers also noted this injury is something Guttman has been dealing with more a while. He was not sent down to the Rockford Ice Hogs on trade deadline day and therefore not eligible for the AHL playoffs this spring. As it turns out, the reason for that was because the team knew Guttman was working through this shoulder problem, but they thought he could play through it until the end of the NHL’s regular season.
Evidently, things got worse and now the Blackhawks are without Guttman for the remainder of the season. They had already called up Buddy Robinson and Mike Hardman this morning to fill out the roster.
Bruins Recall Jakub Lauko On Emergency Basis
March 13: Lauko was recalled on an emergency basis by the Bruins per a team release. The Bruins are travelling to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks tomorrow night.
March 12: Lauko was returned to Providence shortly after the Bruins game against the Detroit Red Wings began per a team release. He had been recalled on an emergency basis, but was not dresses for the game so needed to be sent down.
The Boston Bruins have called up Jakub Lauko according to a team release. The Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 earlier today, becoming the fastest team in NHL history to 50 wins, doing it in their 64th game of the season. The two teams are set for a rematch tomorrow afternoon in Detroit, and it appears the Bruins will need reinforcements with Lauko being called up.
The 22-year-old winger has already played 12 games with the Bruins this season, scoring three goals and five points. In 35 AHL games with the Providence Bruins, he has put up ten goals and 17 points. The native of Czechia is joining a team with a strong contingent from his home country with David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Pavel Zacha, Tomas NosekandJakub Zboril already on the roster.
The question now is why do the Bruins need an emergency recall? Typically, these types of transactions are used when a team does not have enough healthy players to fill out a roster. The Bruins finished a game today with 12 forwards in the lineup and there has been no announcement of an injury or illness that will keep one of those players out of tomorrow’s game.
Minor Transactions: 03/13/23
The NHL is into the stretch drive now as the trade deadline is well behind us and teams are pushing to be among the 16 that make it to the postseason. This time of year, the games take on greater meaning, but there are less transactions going on as everyone positioned themselves ahead of the deadline for the final quarter of the regular season. That being said, there is still player movement going on around the hockey world, and we will keep track of those transactions here.
- Sasha Chmelevski is staying put with Ufa in the KHL next season, according to Corey Masisak of The Athletic. The Russian winger scored 26 goals and 48 points in 67 games with Ufa this season after spending three years in the San Jose Sharks organization. He remains an NHL restricted free agent but the Sharks will retain his rights through 2023-24 while he plays overseas.
- Former Washington Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos is changing teams in Swizerland next season per a team release. The 28 year old is currently play for EV Zug but has signed with Lausanne HC for the 2023-24 season. The native of Sweden scored nine goals and 36 points in 52 games this season, his second in Switzerland and will bring his two-way game to Lausanne.
- Also joining Djoos in Lausanne is Antti Suomela, the team announced. The Finnish forward is making the jump to Switzerland after one successful season in Sweden. The former San Jose Shark had 37 goals and 66 points for IK Oskarshamn, leading the SHL in goals and points.
- The San Jose Barracuda announced the signing of Anthony Vincent to an amateur tryout. Vincent is a 25 year old forward coming off a strong college season for Long Island University. He scored 17 goals and 37 points in 36 NCAA games and will look to continue that success at the AHL level.
Nashville Predators Sign Mark Jankowski
The Nashville Predators announced they have signed Mark Jankowski to a contract extension. The team also said it is a one-year contract with a cap hit of $775K which is a slight raise on the $750K he earns this season. Of note, the minimum salary for NHL players rises from $750K to $775K next season, so Jankowski effectively remains on a minimum contract.
The 28-year-old is in his first season with the Predators, scoring five goals and eight points in 32 games. He also added ten points in nine AHL games when he was sent down to the Milwaukee Admirals. This signing will provide a little stability for Jankowski who has played for four different organizations in the past four seasons.
The 6-foot-4 center was originally a first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2012. He played four full college seasons at Providence before finally turning pro, but never lived up to the draft billing in Calgary. His best season was in 2018-19 when he scored 14 goals and 32 points. He has since played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres as well as the Predators.
With just over 300 games played in the NHL, Jankowski does provide some veteran experience for the Predators who are transitioning from perennial playoff contender to seller status. They traded Mikael Granlund, Mattias Ekholm and Nino Niederreiter at the trade deadline and appear to be entering a bit of a retooling phase.
Jankowski will provide some bottom six depth for the team for another season at a low cap hit as the Predators try to turn themselves back into a playoff team in the near future.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Buddy Robinson, Mike Hardman
The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have called up a pair of forwards on an emergency basis. Mike Hardman and Buddy Robinson were both recalled by the team this morning. The Blackhawks were busy ahead of the trade deadline, moving out a handful of veterans and have been relying on depth players from the minors to fill the gap ever since.
Hardman is a 23-year-old forward who signed with the Blackhawks in 2021 following two seasons at Boston College. He has scored four goals and 16 points in 49 AHL games for the Rockford Ice Hogs this season but is yet to play an NHL in 2022-23. He has suited up for 29 career games with the Blackhawks over the previous two seasons, scoring one goal and five points.
Robinson is a 31-year-old winger who has been up and down between the NHL and AHL for the past decade. At 6-foot-6 and 232 pounds he bring a physical presence to the lineup and has shown a bit of a scoring touch at the AHL level over the years. This season he has nine goals and 19 points in 45 games for the Ice Hogs. He suited up for one game with the Blackhawks in October, skating for just over 11 minutes against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Blackhawks are off today before hosting the league-leading Boston Bruins tomorrow night.
Florida Panthers Sign Marek Alscher
5:03 p.m.: Alscher’s contract carries a cap hit of $897K, per CapFriendly. The breakdown of his contract is as follows:
2023-24: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus
2024-25: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus
2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus
In the minors each season, Alscher will receive a salary of $82.5K. Given Alscher is yet to turn 19, his contract is eligible to slide to 2024-25 if he’s returned to the Winterhawks next year. He’ll be due a qualifying offer of $897,750 upon hitting restricted free agency.
9:19 a.m.: The Florida Panthers have signed Marek Alscher, according to a team release. The entry-level contract is a three-year agreement that will begin next season, keeping the prospect in the Panthers organization through the 2025-26 season.
Alscher was a third-round pick of the Panthers in the 2022 NHL Draft and is playing in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks. The 18-year-old has scored seven goals and 21 points in 54 games this season, his second in Portland. Last season, Alscher scored seven goals and 16 points in 61 games. The Winterhawks have been a strong team each season, and Alscher has carved out a big role for them.
The 6-foot-3 and 196-pound left-shooting defenseman has put up decent production for his age and position, but he is known more for his defensive game. He is a big, strong defender that is counted on to shut down the opposition and clear out the front of the net, making life easier for his goaltenders.
Alscher suited up for Czechia at the 2022 Ivan Hlinka tournament, scoring one point in four games.
The Panthers are a team that has no problem scoring goals but could use some help on the blue line. Alscher will need some time to refine his all-around game, but after trading away many draft picks in recent years, Alscher was their first selection in last year’s draft. They will be counting on him to continue his development with the Winterhawks this season, and possibly next as a 19-year-old, before turning pro in 2024-25.
Five Key Stories: 3/6/23 – 3/12/23
The stretch run is upon us as many teams continue to battle for a playoff position. However, some notable injuries will make that task a little tougher with those absences being among the key stories of the week.
Kaprizov Out For A While: Minnesota is in a close battle with Dallas for the top spot in the Central Division with Colorado being in striking distance as well. However, it will be considerably tougher for them to lock down first place now as star winger Kirill Kaprizov will miss the next three to four weeks with a lower-body injury. No playoff team has fewer goals scored than the Wild and not having their leading scorer in Kaprizov certainly won’t help things. The 25-year-old has 39 goals and 35 assists so far this season, meaning he has collected a point on nearly 40% of Minnesota’s tallies.
Fletcher Fired: The Flyers have shaken up their front office, dismissing GM Chuck Fletcher after a little more than four years at the helm. Fletcher tried several times to add quality veterans to Philadelphia’s lineup but the results were mixed. Kevin Hayes has been a nice contributor although he’s on an above-market contract while the additions of Ryan Ellis and Rasmus Ristolainen haven’t gone as planned while Cam Atkinson, another veteran, has missed all of this season due to injury like Ellis. The end result is that the Flyers have continued to spin their wheels as they only made the playoffs once in Fletcher’s tenure. Daniel Briere has taken over as interim GM while the team will now split Fletcher’s old role into two, a GM and a president.
O’Reilly To LTIR: Ryan O’Reilly was off to a good start with the Maple Leafs but after sustaining a broken finger, that strong debut is now on hold. The 32-year-old had five points in eight games with his new team while winning over 67% of his faceoffs, fitting in nicely on their second line. Toronto has placed him on LTIR, giving them the cap flexibility to bring up a couple of forwards for the time being. The good news for the Maple Leafs is that he’s expected to be out for four weeks (just past the minimum threshold for LTIR) which suggests he’ll be able to return to the lineup with a few games left in the regular season, allowing him to work off any rust before the playoffs get underway next month.
Three More Years: Trevor van Riemsdyk has gone from being a depth defender at the beginning of his tenure with Washington to an every-game reliable veteran. After the team elected not to move him at the trade deadline, they worked out a three-year, $9MM contract extension that will keep him with the Capitals through the 2025-26 campaign. The 31-year-old has played in all 67 games this season, recording a career-high in points with 21 while logging over 19 minutes a night. It will be quite the raise for van Riemsdyk as the $3MM AAV of this new contract is richer than what he has made over his last three seasons with the Caps combined.
More Injuries: Ottawa’s push for the playoffs just got considerably more difficult as goaltender Cam Talbot will miss three weeks with an oblique strain. The veteran has a .905 SV% in 32 games in his first season with the Senators and was going to be counted on heavily down the stretch with Anton Forsberg out for the season. Instead, rookies Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese will try to keep the Sens in the race. Meanwhile, one of Pittsburgh’s trade deadline additions will be out for a while as Nick Bonino suffered a lacerated kidney earlier in the week but fortunately has been released from the hospital. The center came over in a three-way trade to shore up their depth down the middle but was injured in his third game since the swap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.