P.K. Subban Fined For Dangerous Trip
New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban has avoided suspension for his trip on Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic last night, earning a $5,000 fine instead. That’s the maximum allowable fine under the current CBA, given the Department of Player Safety deemed the incident not suspendable.
Partway through the first period, as Subban was approaching Lucic in the corner, he appeared to stick out his left leg and slew foot the Flames forward. It caused Lucic to fall dangerously backward, though he did not suffer a serious injury on the play. The call from many fans for Subban to be suspended comes from his history in these events, including an eerily similar play in the preseason against Ryan Reaves of the New York Rangers.
Subban, 32, is averaging fewer than 20 minutes a night for the first time in his career and played just 17:45 for the Devils on Tuesday night. He has yet to record a point through five games after scoring a career-low five goals last season. In the final season of his eight-year, $72MM contract, the 2013 Norris winner has been moved down the lineup since the arrival of Dougie Hamilton in New Jersey.
Prospect Notes: Samorukov, Sjoberg, Gazizov
A top young pro is now available to the Edmonton blue line. The Oilers have announced that defenseman Dmitri Samorukov has been medically cleared and removed from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve. After breaking his jaw in development camp in September, Samorukov is actually ready for action a week ahead of his estimated recovery timeline. When he returns to action this week, it will be with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, but that may not last. Once Samorukov is back up to game speed, the rookie defender seems primed to finally crack the Edmonton roster at some point this season. Samorukov, 22, was a third-round pick of the Oilers in 2017 out of the OHL and he continued to boost his prospect stock in the years following with continual improvement at the junior level. He turned pro in 2019-20 and recorded ten points in 47 AHL games. Last year, he spent the season on loan in the KHL and produced eight points and a +24 rating in 48 games. Everything has been leading to an NHL opportunity for the talented two-way defender, who will no longer be waiver-exempt beginning next season. Although the Oilers do have improved blue line depth this season with the additions of Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci, Kris Russell and Slater Koekkoek are playing very limited roles early this season and could easily be supplanted in the starting lineup. While William Lagesson likely leads the AHL depth chart and Philip Broberg is the top prospect in Bakersfield, the former has had his shot in recent years and the latter is just 20 and can be afforded a slow development path. The time is now for a healthy Samorukov to get his chance.
- It’s been a bittersweet start to the year for the Dallas Stars in regards to prospect Albert Sjoberg. A 2021 seventh-round pick, Sjoberg should be as irrelevant to his NHL rights holder as a prospect can be as a last-round pick in the most recent draft. There are few expectations for seventh-rounder to make the NHL period, nevertheless show promise in their first year after being selected. However, Sjoberg is bucking the trend. No. 207 recorded only one point in 17 games in the Allsvenkan last season, looking out of place in Sweden’s second tier pro league. The same can’t be said for this season; Sjoberg earned a recall from the U-20 level after notching seven goals and ten points in his first eight games and now has five points in eight games back in the Allsvenskan. This progress has to excite Dallas, but it has also inspired Sjoberg’s current club, Sodertalje SK, to make his pro status official. The team has announced a two-year contract for the budding scorer, which will keep him away from any move to North America through the 2022-23 season. The Stars will be happy to watch him continue to develop overseas but will then clamoring to bring him over if he keeps improving at this rate.
- The London Knights are off to a 6-0-0 start, the last remaining undefeated team in the OHL. Well, the rich are about to get richer. The team has announced that Russian sniper Ruslan Gazizov has signed with the team and will join them immediately. Gazizov was the No. 12 overall pick in the CHL Import Draft this year and his draft pedigree is far from complete. Gazizov is a potential first-round pick in the 2022 Draft and his stock could soar if he makes a clean adjustment to the North American game. The young scorer has put up big numbers in the Russian junior ranks and recently dominated the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and that could easily continue with the Knights.
Latest On John Klingberg Extension Talks
John Klingberg is facing down quite the predicament this season. Playing on an expiring contract – a contract that has made him a bargain for the Dallas Stars for many years – Klingberg is planning his future. The talented defenseman has watched a number of defensemen, unrestricted and restricted free agents alike, sign massive, long-term extensions over the past few months. Unsurprisingly, Klingberg has expressed his interest in joining this group with his next deal. Klingberg, 29, would be one of, if not the top defender on the open market if he makes it there this summer and could command such a contract. Yet, Klingberg has also been adamant about his desire to stay in Dallas. The Stars just gave fellow rearguard Miro Heiskanen an eight-year, $67.6MM extension and have both Esa Lindell and Ryan Suter signed for three more years beyond 2021-22 at substantial cap numbers. Can Klingberg land the deal he wants in Dallas?
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek was the first to put hard numbers to the hypothetical, reporting that Klingberg was seeking a a max-term deal in the $62-66MM range. This would put him just below his young teammate Heiskanen over the same number of years. This would likely be a palatable scenario for the Stars to keep their elite top-four together without paying more for Klingberg, who would be 37 when his next deal expired, than for Heiskanen, who will be as old as Klingberg is now.
Unfortunately, that may be a pipedream for the Stars. Klingberg is among the top ten scoring defensemen in the NHL over the course of his current contract. Why should he settle for an AAV of $7.75-8.25MM as Marek suggests when he has outscored the likes of Dougie Hamilton, Seth Jones, and Darnell Nurse – all of similar age and experience – and they each came in at $9MM+ on recent deals? The Athletic’s Saad Yousef claims that Marek’s numbers are merely a starting point. He has heard from sources that Klingberg is chasing that $9-9.5MM AAV and on a long-term deal, knowing this could be his last chance at a big pay day given his age.
Klingberg’s camp has not drawn a line in the sand on their numbers just yet as the defenseman truly does wish to stay in Dallas. Yousef also notes that even at this elevated, fair-market asking price, the Stars can still afford to re-sign Klingberg and likely will do just that if he performs well early this season. There could be some wiggle room for Klingberg to take a slightly shorter deal or come in a little lower than his comparable given his age and the “hometown discount” factor. However, the pressure is on for the Stars to work out those kinks and come to an agreement. The longer the season wears on, the longer Klingberg has to prove he is elite and the prize of the free agent class, driving up his bargaining power on contract talks. Both sides want to see the relationship extended, but those odds go down the longer they wait. Dallas is prepared for that possibility, but that would make it no less of a major blow if Klingberg walks away.
Dean Kukan Out Eight Weeks With Broken Wrist
The Columbus Blue Jackets have moved Dean Kukan to injured reserve after he suffered a wrist fracture in last night’s game against the Dallas Stars. Kukan is expected to miss eight weeks with the injury. In his place, the team has recalled Gavin Bayreuther from the AHL.
Kukan, 28, is in the second season of a two-year contract signed in 2020 that carries an average annual value of $1.65MM. The Swiss defensemen has been a part-time player for the Blue Jackets in each of the last several seasons, totaling 114 regular season games since coming to North America in 2015. This season he has appeared in two games, failing to record a point in nearly 30 minutes of total ice time.
While not a key player for Columbus, Kukan’s injury will certainly weaken the depth of the blue line as the team continues to try and compete in the difficult Metropolitan Division. Adam Boqvist is also dealing with a minor injury, necessitating the recall of Bayreuther who will be the eighth defenseman on the active roster.
The 27-year-old Bayreuther has just 28 games at the NHL level in his career but is a well-respected minor league veteran that can step into the lineup in a pinch. In five games with the Cleveland Monsters this season, he has three points. Interestingly enough, Bayreuther was actually given a two-game AHL suspension just today after a cross-checking incident over the weekend. That will not affect his NHL availability, but means he’ll have to sit out whenever he returns to the Monsters.
Ross Johnston Signs Four-Year Extension
The New York Islanders have locked up a key depth player, signing Ross Johnston to a four-year contract extension. The 27-year-old forward was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, the final year of his previous four-year deal. Chris Johnston of TSN reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $1.1MM.
Johnston certainly may not be a household name, but he is extremely well-liked in the Islanders organization and obviously a player they value. The 6’5″ 232-lbs bruiser has only played in 87 regular season NHL games to this point but gets into a handful every year for the team whenever they need to add some size to the lineup. In those games, he has recorded seven goals and 15 points, while racking up 202 penalty minutes.
His current deal carries an average annual value of $1MM, making him an easy player to bury in the minor leagues if necessary. The length of this new deal, just like his old one, would likely also scare off any teams from claiming him on waivers should he end up there. For most, a player like Johnston would be difficult to justify, but the Islanders have built a four-line system that incorporates very specific skillsets in specific situations that they believe allow them to carry part-time players like this that offer no offensive upside.
It’s not often that you see a player with this kind of profile land a four-year contract, but Johnston has now done it twice.
Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac Leave Blackhawks Organization
The Chicago Blackhawks have released the findings of an investigation into allegations of sexual assault by Brad Aldrich in 2010 when he was employed as a video coach with the team. As a result of the investigation, general manager Stan Bowman has “stepped aside” from the organization, admitting he made a mistake in 2010. Senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIssac has also left the organization.
The Blackhawks have also been fined $2MM by the league for “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response in the handling of matters related to former video coach Brad Aldrich’s employment with the Club and ultimate departure in 2010.” Half of that amount will be dedicated to fund local organizations that provide counseling and training for, and support and assistance to, survivors of sexual and other forms of abuse.
Bowman, 48, joined the Blackhawks in 2005 as director of hockey operations and was named general manager in 2009. He was given the title of president of hockey operations in 2020 after previously serving as senior vice president. He retained the title of general manager and conducted a drastic overhaul to the roster over the last few months, bringing in players like Marc-Andre Fleury, Seth Jones, Jake McCabe, Caleb Jones, Tyler Johnson, and Adam Gaudette. That roster will now be inherited by Kyle Davidson, who will be serving as interim general manager as the club searches for a new front office leader.
Not only was Bowman in charge of the Blackhawks, but he also served as general manager for the U.S. National Team that is set to take part in the 2022 Olympics. Bowman has stepped down from that position as well. No replacement has been named.
At the time of the incident, in which Aldrich is alleged to have sexually assaulted two players during the 2010 playoffs, a meeting was reportedly held between skills coach Paul Vincent, then team president John McDonough, Bowman, MacIsaac, and sports psychologist James Gary, with Vincent reporting the incident and asking management to take it to the Chicago police. According to Vincent, who spoke with Rick Westhead of TSN, they refused.
In the press conference today, former assistant US attorney Reid Schar, who conducted the investigation, revealed that there was a meeting between MacIsaac, Bowman, McDonough, Gary then assistant general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, then executive vice president Jay Blunk, and then head coach Joel Quenneville where the allegations were discussed, though accounts of the meeting “vary significantly.” After being informed of the incident, no action was taken for three weeks. The investigation also found that Blackhawks ownership was not aware of the allegations until this year. Cheveldayoff and Quenneville have previously denied knowing about the allegations.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will meet with Cheveldayoff, currently the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, and Quenneville, head coach of the Florida Panthers, to “discuss their roles in the relevant events.” It is not clear if they will receive additional punishment from the league. He also explains that if the four executives linked to the decision–Bowman, McDonough, Blunk and MacIsaac–wish to re-enter the league in some capacity, they will need to meet with Bettman before accepting any NHL-related position to determine “the appropriate conditions under which such new employment might take place.”
McDonough informed the team’s human resources director after the 2010 playoffs, and Aldrich was given the option to undergo an investigation or resign. He resigned that June. McDonough, who had been with the team since 2007, was fired in 2020. No executive involved in the 2010 incident will remain with the team.
139 witnesses were interviewed during the investigation, including the player who initially filed a lawsuit against the team earlier this year and some current Blackhawks players. The full report can be read here.
Alexander Volkov Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Oct 26: Volkov has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated.
Oct 25: For the second time this season, Anaheim Ducks forward Alexander Volkov finds himself on waivers. After clearing regular waivers and being assigned to the San Diego Gulls, he’s now on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Volkov, 24, signed a one-year, $925K contract with the Ducks this season after a trade brought him to Anaheim from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The young forward has shown flashes of brilliance in the AHL and NHL over the years, but hasn’t been able to stay consistent enough to earn a full-time role at the highest level. In 18 games last season for the Ducks he registered eight points, but will now exit the organization after failing to earn a job out of camp.
After a contract termination, Volkov will become an unrestricted free agent and come completely off the books for the Ducks. That means he could sign with another NHL organization, though often these transactions are done because a player has a job lined up overseas. If Volkov heads to the KHL, for instance, it likely won’t be the last time his name is mentioned in regard to the NHL. He’ll be a free agent option down the road because of his relative youth and potential, even if he is unlikely to ever become an impact player at this point.
Two Players Clear Waivers
Oct 26: Both players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the AHL.
Oct 25: While Alexander Volkov is on unconditional waivers today, two other players have been placed on regular waivers. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Kyle Criscuolo of the Detroit Red Wings and Cory Schneider of the New York Islanders are available for claim.
In Criscuolo’s case, this would have likely been done at some point during training camp had he not been dealing with an injury. The 29-year-old forward was never really a candidate for the NHL roster, given he hasn’t even played a game at that level since the 2017-18 season. He is however a strong minor league option, who had 11 goals and 19 points in 29 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins last season. It’s very unlikely that Criscuolo will be claimed, meaning he’s headed back to Grand Rapids to make his season debut in the coming days.
For Schneider, his placement on waivers likely indicates that Semyon Varlamov is ready to return to the active roster. The veteran goaltender is nothing more than the third option for the Islanders, and hasn’t even actually played yet this season. Signed to a two-way deal, he too is very unlikely to be claimed unless a team believes he can be an upgrade while they deal with their own goaltending injuries.
Schneider is an organizational piece for the Islanders and is tied for the highest AHL salary this season at $500K. Even for the Bridgeport Islanders he is not expected to be the starter, instead just helping insulate young netminder Jakub Skarek–who has a .933 save percentage through his first four games–and provide the Islanders with an experienced professional to call up whenever necessary.
Ryan O’Reilly Placed In COVID Protocol
The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t the only team dealing with COVID-related absences. Today, the St. Louis Blues announced that Ryan O’Reilly has joined Brandon Saad in the COVID protocol while recalling Dakota Joshua from the AHL to take his place on the roster.
The team did not confirm whether O’Reilly has tested positive, but head coach Craig Berube did tell reporters that the captain is expected to miss at least ten days, suggesting that he has a confirmed case. The veteran center played 19:04 last night against the Los Angeles Kings, registering a point in the 3-0 win. Saad meanwhile hasn’t played since last Wednesday, and has now also been moved to the non-roster list.
St. Louis is scheduled to take on the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, a team that both O’Reilly and Saad are very familiar with. Both played for Colorado in the past and will be sorely missed if they are unavailable to the Blues. The team is then scheduled to welcome the Blackhawks on Saturday, though with so many Chicago players on the COVID protocol, it’s unclear who will actually be on the ice for them.
Jonathan Toews, Henrik Borgstrom Added To COVID Protocol
The Chicago Blackhawks have been dealing with several COVID-related absences lately, and you can add a new pair of names to that list. Jonathan Toews and Henrik Borgstrom will not practice today as they have been added to the protocol. Patrick Kane, Ryan Carpenter, and Erik Gustafsson had previously missed practice, and while the latter two were cleared before Sunday night’s game, Riley Stillman, Jujhar Khaira and several assistant coaches all joined Kane.
Importantly, just because Toews and Borgstrom are in the protocol, it does not mean they have tested positive for coronavirus. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.
Toews and Borgstrom will not be able to participate in practice today, but as we’ve seen several times this season already, there’s at least the potential of their return before Wednesday’s game if their test results come back negative. It is unclear at this point when that will be known. For now, Kane, Toews, Borgstrom, Stillman and Khaira are unavailable to head coach Jeremy Colliton as they prepare for the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night.