East Notes: Bruins, Reaves, Laviolette
Last week, we covered the potential developments regarding a path forward in terms of severance between the Boston Bruins and prospect Mitchell Miller. Today, the Bruins released a statement announcing an independent review of their player vetting process, led by former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
The Bruins signed Miller early this month despite public knowledge that Miller was convicted of extreme allegations of bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. The conviction was serious enough to cause the Arizona Coyotes to rescind his rights after selecting him in the 2020 NHL Draft, yet the Bruins still proceeded to sign him as a free agent. Boston has pledged to release the results of the investigation upon completion.
- Ryan Reaves has been a rare sight in the New York Rangers lineup in recent weeks, appearing in just one of the past five games as a frequent healthy scratch. The imposing veteran winger spoke to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks today, saying that he had a “very brief” conversation with the coaching staff about his dwindling role. Reaves has no points in 12 games and has played just 8:27 per game, and opting to waive him and assign him to the minors would save valuable trade deadline cap space for the Rangers.
- The Washington Capitals are getting head coach Peter Laviolette back behind the bench tonight against the Florida Panthers, according to the team. Laviolette had spent the past four days in COVID protocol, with assistant Kevin McCarthy temporarily taking over coaching duties. Washington split a home-and-home series with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Laviolette’s absence.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Anton Blidh
After moving forward Shane Bowers to injured reserve last night, the Colorado Avalanche has refilled his spot on the active roster. Colorado has now recalled forward Anton Blidh from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, as announced by the team Tuesday night.
Blidh, 27, has skated in just one NHL contest thus far in 2022-23 after suiting up a career-high 32 times for the Boston Bruins last season. The 2013 sixth-round pick signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado in free agency in August.
His lone appearance this season came in an October 19 overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets, recording a shot and a hit in just 6:09 of play. Blidh was returned to the Eagles the following day.
While he is not waivers exempt, he will not require waivers for nine more NHL games or 26 more days on the Avalanche roster, whichever expires sooner. Blidh cleared waivers pre-season on October 10.
Colorado does not play again until November 17, when they begin a three-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh.
Latest On Erik Karlsson
Prime Erik Karlsson was a treat to watch, and despite a tough year for the San Jose Sharks, ‘EK65’ is giving us some of his best hockey in years. The 32-year-old has a whopping 10 goals, 12 assists, and 22 points in just 17 games while averaging over 25 minutes per game, his highest mark since arriving in San Jose.
With the team nowhere near playoff contention and leaning more toward rebuilding than ever, Karlsson’s apparent return to form suddenly makes his $11.5MM cap hit look more palatable on the trade market, still with some retention on San Jose’s side. General manager Mike Grier told NHL.com’s Nicholas Cotsonika today that he’ll “listen” to offers on Karlsson before this season’s March 3 trade deadline.
As Grier noted in his interview, a second blockbuster trade involving the Swede won’t be a straightforward process. Karlsson has a full no-movement clause in his contract and controls the outcome of any potential trade. Despite the contractual hurdles to moving him, though, Grier was nothing but complimentary of Karlsson’s play:
“He’s a dynamic player. To me, he’s probably one of the three best offensive defensemen in the League, and he’s been great for us. He’s done everything we’ve asked as far as preparation, practicing, playing. He’s been great. So maybe there’s a scenario where a team comes asking for him [in a trade], because I do think he’s a difference-maker. He’s someone who can go out there and win you a game — or win you a series, for that matter — so maybe something will come up down the road. We’ll see.
Karlsson can absolutely be the difference-maker that Grier claims. Karlsson received Norris Trophy votes in eight straight seasons from 2011-12 to 2018-19, including trophy wins in 2012 and 2015. During that timeframe, Karlsson notched 492 points in 545 games, leading the league’s defensemen in assists and points.
Injuries have been a constant during his last few years in San Jose, though, and his play, while still commendable, hasn’t been at the truly elite level he displayed in his prime with the Ottawa Senators. But in just 17 games this season, Karlsson’s already matched his total point output from two seasons ago in 52 games.
With so many teams close to or above the salary cap using long-term injured reserve, however, moving Karlsson to a contender will be a challenge, even at a 50% retention rate of $5.75MM per season. It’s unlikely a third team would be willing to take on another 50% hit ($2.785MM) until 2027 without significant compensation, though, a much different ask than we’ve seen in past similar three-team trades.
If Karlsson keeps up even 75% of his torrid pace to start the season, though, he remains a top-flight defender that can transform a team’s chances of winning a Stanley Cup for the better.
Anaheim Ducks Make Three Roster Moves
The Anaheim Ducks have made three roster moves, announcing the recall of defenseman Drew Helleson, the activation of forward Sam Carrick off of the injured non-roster list, and the placement of defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk on injured reserve.
The moves put Helleson in line to potentially make his NHL debut with just 32 professional games on his resume.
Shattenkirk, 33, heads to injured reserve for the first time in his Ducks career. The former All-Star blueliner has been remarkably healthy as a Duck, although he did face significant injury issues as a member of the New York Rangers, issues that contributed to the Rangers’ expensive decision to buy him out of his $6.65MM AAV deal.
Shattenkirk is out with a lower-body injury, and since he last played on 11/9 the Ducks have the opportunity to make his injury reserve placement retroactive to that date.
Shattenkirk’s injury fill-in on the Ducks’ blueline is the 21-year-old Helleson. As mentioned, Helleson doesn’t have an NHL game on his resume, although he has been among the San Diego Gulls’ most heavily-utilized defensemen so far this season.
While Helleson has just two points in AHL 13 games so far this year, Helleson has been a valuable minute-muncher and penalty-killer in San Diego. He could find his way into the Ducks’ lineup if coach Dallas Eakins prefers a more defensively-oriented look to his lineup.
As for Carrick, the 30-year-old veteran has been a member of the Ducks’ organization since the 2016-17 season and spent last season as an NHL regular, the first year in his career where he did so.
Carrick scored 11 goals and 19 points in 64 games last season and won fans over with his physical style, his work ethic, and his ability to pitch in a goal here and there. His activation puts him in line to make his season debut for Anaheim.
Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Teddy Blueger
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that forward Teddy Blueger has been activated off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, forward Filip Hallander was re-assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
This move puts Blueger in line to make his season debut. He’s missed all of the Penguins’ games this season after suffering an upper-body injury in the preseason. Last year, Blueger scored a healthy nine goals and 28 points in 65 games while also contributing as the team’s most heavily-utilized penalty-killing forward.
In Blueger’s absence, the Penguins have run offseason trade acquisition Ryan Poehling as the team’s fourth-line center. With Blueger now healthy, Poehling’s time in Blueger’s spot in the lineup may have come to an end.
The 23-year-old Poehling hasn’t been outright bad this year, but his three points in 15 games are definitely lower than the production the Penguins could expect out of Blueger. Poehling has also functioned in Blueger’s role as the Penguins’ top penalty-killing center so far this year, but with the team’s penalty kill ranked ninth-worst in the NHL with a 75.5% kill rate, it’s likely that Blueger resumes his role there as well.
The Penguins haven’t looked like a contender so far this season and currently sit second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division. While the team’s issues may run deeper than just not having their ideal fourth-line center, getting Blueger back from injury is certainly a positive development.
As for Hallander, the 22-year-old prospect forward has gotten off to a scorching hot start with AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton. He has nine points in 10 games so far this year and should remain near the top of the team’s depth chart in terms of priority forward call-ups.
Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Matt Murray
As expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs have activated Matt Murray from long-term injured reserve ahead of their matchup tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In a pair of corresponding moves, Wayne Simmonds and Keith Petruzzelli have been returned to the minor leagues, according to CapFriendly.
Murray, 28, has played in just one game this season, allowing four goals on 23 shots. In his absence, the team had been running a duo of Ilya Samsonov and Erik Kalllgren until the former suffered an injury of his own, leaving the latter to handle the entire load. Petruzzelli, who earned an NHL contract just so the team would have two eligible goaltenders, did not see any action during his recall.
The Maple Leafs took a big gamble acquiring Murray this year, after injuries have ravaged his performance the last few years. When he takes the ice tonight he will be appearing in just his second NHL game since March 5, when he last played for the Ottawa Senators (and allowed eight goals on 31 shots).
It should, at least, be a familiar spot for him to try and get back on track. Murray spent the first five seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, posting a .914 save percentage over 199 regular season games and leading the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. It’s easy to forget just how well he played during those playoff runs, including posting three shutouts and a .937 save percentage in 11 games after returning from injury in 2017.
If the Maple Leafs could get that Murray back they might be one of the most dangerous teams in the league, but he hasn’t existed in recent years. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Murray has a .898 save percentage in 86 games.
Snapshots: 2024 Draft, Joseph, Dorion
There’s a lot of focus on the 2023 draft and for good reason. Connor Bedard leads an impressive group that could seriously shift the balance of power in the NHL depending on who goes where, and there are several teams tanking for the opportunity to pick as high as possible. But 2024 isn’t that far away, and Craig Button of TSN is already talking up the top name. Button believes Cole Eiserman from the USNTDP is the clear number one, and that he would go in the top five this year if he were eligible.
The 16-year-old left-shot forward absolutely dominated the World U17 Hockey Challenge with 12 goals and 20 points in just seven games, and is committed to play for the University of Minnesota in 2024-25. His older brother Shane Eiserman was a fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2014, who played in the ECHL for a few years. So remember, if your team fails to secure the top spot – there’s always next year.
- Mathieu Joseph of the Ottawa Senators has received a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Sebastian Aho last night, avoiding any suspension. The 25-year-old forward hasn’t had quite the impact that some expected after his brilliant end to last season and has been held scoreless in his last six games. The Senators as a group aren’t doing much, losing eight of their last ten and sitting 29th in the league. Joseph has three points in 15 games so far.
- Speaking of the Senators, Pierre Dorion has been a busy man at the general manager meetings going on in Toronto. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that Dorion admitted to having a lot of trade talks so far, though there were no specifics given. He certainly hasn’t been shy about pulling the trigger in recent months; the Senators have completed nine trades since March 20.
Sean Kuraly Activated From Injured Reserve; Jack Roslovic To Be Scratched
The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially placed Zach Werenski on injured reserve after announcing recently that he is out for the remainder of the regular season. It’s not all bad news though, as Sean Kuraly has been activated to take his spot on the roster.
Kuraly, 29, ended up missing only two games thanks to a five-day break the Blue Jackets had last week, and will likely assume his regular place in the lineup immediately. The veteran forward was great for the team last season with 14 goals and 30 points in 77 games and had been off to a nice start this year too, with four points in his first 11.
Still, Kuraly’s return won’t spark much excitement in Columbus where the season is quickly falling apart. Werenski is out for the year, Patrik Laine is out for a month, and Jakub Voracek, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, and Adam Boqvist all remain on injured reserve.
Even with that many injuries, the team is making a rather bold statement for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Jack Roslovic will be a healthy scratch, with Kuraly and Kent Johnson drawing back into the lineup. A request for Roslovic to meet with the media was declined.
The 25-year-old center has just one goal in 14 games this season after signing a two-year, $8MM contract in June. The deal will walk him directly to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024, but it seemed after last season like Roslovic had established himself as a core piece in Columbus. With 22 goals and 45 points in 81 games, he finished fifth among Blue Jackets forwards in 2021-22 despite still rather limited minutes. Averaging just over 14 minutes a night, nearly all of his production was at even strength.
While one scratch doesn’t guarantee a player’s time in a market is over, it is rather stunning to see a $4MM player in the press box while the Blue Jackets have so many other injuries. Message sent.
Artem Anisimov Signs AHL PTO; Wade Allison Moved To IR
It appeared as though Artem Anisimov had the inside track for a roster spot with the Philadelphia Flyers as training camp progressed, but the veteran forward suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot and ultimately didn’t earn a contract. Now, after recovering, Anisimov will try again. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed him to an AHL professional tryout to see what he can do.
Now 34, Anisimov spent last season playing in the KHL after a long NHL career. In 27 games with Lokomotiv, he racked up 19 points, but decided he still had more to give on the North American rink. A history with John Tortorella and tons of experience made him a good bet to earn a deal before the injury and he’ll now get a chance to ramp up to NHL speed in the minor leagues. Once there, the Flyers will have to make a decision on whether they want to sign him to a contract or use other internal options to fill out the lineup.
Given how many injuries the team is dealing with, it seems a good bet that Anisimov will succeed in his return. The team moved Wade Allison to injured reserve with an oblique muscle strain and hip pointer, telling reporters including Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he’ll miss three weeks. He joins Sean Couturier, James van Riemsdyk, Ryan Ellis, Bobby Brink, and Patrick Brown on injured reserve (though the latter is on a conditioning stint and nearing a return).
If Anisimov does earn a deal, he’ll have a chance to reach the 800-game mark in the NHL, along with some other milestones. He currently sits at 180 goals, and 196 assists for 376 points in 771 career games.
Jack Studnicka Placed On Injured Reserve
The Vancouver Canucks, fresh off another defeat on Sunday, have moved Jack Studnicka to injured reserve and recalled William Lockwood from the minor leagues. Studnicka joins Tanner Pearson, Curtis Lazar, Tucker Poolman, and Travis Dermott (and Micheal Ferland) on various types of IR for the Canucks, who can’t even stay healthy enough to have a chance of turning their season around.
Studnicka, 23, was acquired from the Boston Bruins earlier this season and inserted directly into the lineup, but certainly hasn’t turned out to be much of a difference-maker. The young forward has two points in seven games, while averaging just over ten minutes a game. On Sunday against his former team, he took a minor penalty and failed to register a shot on goal in 11:14 of ice time.
It’s hard to build any momentum with a new team if you are on the sideline just a few games into your new opportunity. This injury comes at a bad time for Studnicka, though it is not clear how long he’ll be out.
In his place comes Lockwood, a player that has had his own trouble taking advantage of NHL opportunities. Through 15 career games, he has failed to register a single point. The 24-year-old was selected in the third round in 2016 and has five goals in ten AHL games this season.