Playoff Notes: Nylander, Martin, Fast
After playing in all 82 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs throughout the regular season, one of the biggest mysteries to start the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs is the status of forward William Nylander. Missing the first two games of the team’s first-round series against the Boston Bruins, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reports that Nylander was taking line rushes this morning at practice between Pontus Holmberg and Calle Jarnkrok.
This is by no means a guarantee that Nylander is set to return for Game 3 of the opening-round series, but it is a positive sign that he participated in a full practice with linemates, and could indicate that he will be in the lineup tonight. After setting a career-high in points with a 40-goal, 58-assist effort over the regular season, Nylander could be another X-Factor that the Maple Leafs could plug into their lineup.
Although he managed a career year offensively, if Nylander can return to the lineup tonight, Toronto will be hoping for an improvement on Nylander’s last month of the regular season. Over the last 13 games for the Maple Leafs, Nylander struggled immensely, only scoring one goal and five points overall, and only mustering a 2.3% shooting percentage.
Other playoff notes:
- In a report from Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, New York Islanders forward Matt Martin was not on the ice for practice, and rookie forward Ruslan Iskhakov has appeared to take his spot in the lineup. The change could be for a few reasons, as the Islanders may be looking to inject more offense into their lineup, after failing to score more than one goal in Game 1, and failing to close out Game 2 after holding a lead. Furthermore, Martin could be a tad banged up after Game 2, as he got into a fight with Carolina Hurricanes forward Stefan Noesen towards the end of the game.
- Not suiting up in any games for the Hurricanes so far this playoffs, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that Carolina forward Jesper Fast is once again not on the ice for practice. This rules him out for tomorrow night’s game, as head coach of the Hurricanes, Rod Brind’Amour relayed earlier that if Fast is unable to practice today, he would not be in the lineup for Game 3.
Brett Pesce Likely Out For Remainder Of First Round
According to Luke DeCock of The News & Observer, the Carolina Hurricanes will be without one of their better defensemen for the rest of their first-round series against the New York Islanders. DeCoxk reports that Brett Pesce suffered a non-contact injury in Game 2 of the series, and will likely miss the rest of the first round as he’s considered week-to-week.
Since Pesce is only considered week-to-week and could jump back into the lineup as soon as the second round if Carolina can advance, it is more than likely that Pesce did not endure any sort of tear. As one of the more steady defensemen on the roster, it is still a tough blow to the Hurricanes as they look to take a commanding lead in the series tomorrow night.
Playing in all 82 games last season for Carolina as well as 15 games in last year’s playoffs, Pesce suffered a lower-body injury earlier in the season that kept him out of the lineup for nearly a month. Still managing to suit up in 70 games this season, Pesce scored three goals and 13 points, only on the ice for 65 goals against in 1,420 minutes of action.
Fortunately for the Hurricanes, they have built one of the best defensive cores in the league over the last several years, which should give them ample opportunity to withstand the Islanders in the first round. Given that Pesce was playing on the second-paring with Brady Skjei to start the playoffs, the team will have the chance to plug in Scott Morrow, Jalen Chatfield, Dylan Coghlan, or Tony DeAngelo to fill the void.
Ducks Notes: Verbeek, McTavish, Jones
Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune is reporting that Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has already started to build his offseason shopping list as he looks to help the team emerge from a long rebuild. The Ducks placed seventh in the Pacific Division and finished well out of the playoffs this season once again. Anaheim hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2017-18 season but did win four more games this year than last season.
Lee reports that Verbeek is looking to reshape Anaheim’s bottom six by adding some speed and grit to the third and fourth lines and he reportedly would also like to add a right-handed defenseman to play alongside the many left-handed defensemen on the team.
In other Ducks notes:
- Derek Lee also reported that Ducks forward Mason McTavish is dealing with a sprained MCL in his knee but shouldn’t require offseason surgery. The 21-year-old didn’t play in the final six games of Anaheim’s season and was spotted wearing a knee brace two weeks ago as he dealt with the injury. McTavish finished his second full NHL season with 19 goals and 23 assists in 64 games this season and should compete for a role on the Ducks’ top two lines next season.
- Lee also tweeted that Ducks winger Max Jones is dealing with an injury as the former first-round pick has a separated shoulder. The light-scoring 26-year-old missed the final 11 games of the regular season with the injury and finished the year with five goals and 10 assists in 52 games. Jones played the season under a $1.295MM cap hit and is a restricted free agent on July 1st. He will require a qualifying offer of $1.5MM and given his lack of offensive production, the Ducks may opt to not qualify Jones and let him become an unrestricted free agent.
Hurricanes Recall Three Players From AHL
Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled three players from the AHL after their seasons came to an end. The Hurricanes have brought up defenseman Dylan Coghlan, forward Max Comtois, as well as goaltender Antti Raanta to serve as Black Aces during the Hurricanes playoff run. Without a salary cap or roster limit in the playoffs, the Hurricanes can bring in extra players to serve as depth during the postseason.
Coghlan played all but one game this season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 26-year-old posted 16 goals and 25 assists in 61 games with Springfield, while he managed to get into one NHL game with Carolina where he was held scoreless. Coghlan was an NHL regular with the Vegas Golden Knights just two years ago and was dealt to Carolina alongside Max Pacioretty for future considerations back in July 2022.
Comtois also dressed in just one NHL game this season with Carolina, posting a single assist in 13:04 of ice time back on April 16th. The 25-year-old spent most of his season with the Chicago Wolves where he posted 19 goals and 25 assists in 65 AHL games. Comtois looked like a breakthrough player during the shortened 2020-21 season after he tallied 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks, however, his point totals dropped to 16 and 19 over the next two seasons and the Ducks elected to not qualify him last summer leading to him becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Raanta was solid with Carolina in the two seasons before this year, dressing in 55 games and posting a 34-8-7 record with a save percentage over .910. However, this year the 34-year-old’s play has fallen off a cliff as Raanta has struggled at both the NHL and AHL levels. In 24 games this season, Raanta has a 12-7-2 record with a .872 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average, while his AHL numbers with Chicago are even worse as he’s 2-2-4 in eight AHL games, sporting a 3.54 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage.
Avalanche Place Chris Wagner On Waivers
The Colorado Avalanche placed forward Chris Wagner on waivers today (as per CapFriendly) after he was called up from the AHL just three days ago. The 32-year-old played 13 NHL games with Colorado this season as he split time between the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Wagner served as Colorado’s healthy scratch for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Jets. and will serve in the same capacity for Game 2 despite being on waivers.
Wagner signed a two-way contract with Colorado on July 1st of last year and proved to be a decent call-up option for the Avalanche, filling in during absences and injuries. In 21 AHL games this season, Wagner posted eight goals and six assists while he registered a goal and an assist in the NHL with the Avalanche. He averaged just 7:27 of ice time in his limited NHL action while posting a +3 rating.
The native of Walpole, Massachusetts, hasn’t been a full-time NHLer since the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with the Bruins when he played in 41 games and tallied two goals and three assists. That season was the first year of an ill-advised three-year $4.05MM extension in Boston, as Wagner would spend the final two seasons of that contract playing in the AHL with the Providence Bruins.
In 373 career NHL games, Wagner has posted 38 goals and 27 assists, along with a -24 rating and a 204 PIM. His best NHL season came in 2018-19 with the Bruins when Wagner put up 12 goals and seven assists in 76 games.
Snapshots: Bengtsson, Lomberg, Lorentz, Broberg
After his college career came to an end in the 2024 National Championship, defenseman Jacob Bengtsson has found his new home. Earlier today, the Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced they had signed Bengtsson to a one-year AHL contract beginning in the 2024-25 AHL season.
One of the more unheralded members of the Boston College Eagles, Bengtsson had spent the last three years playing for Lake Superior State University. In those three combined seasons, Bengtsson played in 100 games for the Lakers, scoring six goals and 57 points while earning a role as an assistant captain in his junior season.
Transferring to Boston College for his senior year, Bengtsson played in 40 games for the Eagles, scoring three goals and 14 points in total while earning a +21 rating. Even though the Marlies were able to sneak into the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, Bengtsson will have to wait until after the conclusion of summer to make his debut with the organization.
Other snapshots:
- In today’s Game 2 matchup against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Panthers will be without forward Ryan Lomberg as he is out with an illness (X Link). Taking his place in the lineup will be forward Steven Lorentz, who managed 38 games for Florida over the regular season. It will mark Lorentz’s first postseason matchup since the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, as he skated in five games as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
- After being recalled earlier today by the Edmonton Oilers, defenseman Philip Broberg was able to skate with the team in practice as they prepare to take a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow night. Unfortunately, it does not appear as if Broberg will get to have that opportunity with the team, as Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports Broberg has been loaned back to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Fortunately for Broberg, he should not miss playoff action entirely, as the Condors begin their opening-round matchup against the Ontario Reign tomorrow evening.
Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Alex Pharand, Samuel Savoie
With their regular season coming to an end against the Chicago Wolves this past Sunday, the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, will be receiving some solid reinforcements for the 2023-24 Calder Cup playoffs. In an announcement coming from the team, the Blackhawks have reassigned forward prospects Alex Pharand and Samuel Savoie to Rockford in preparation for the playoffs.
Pharand, who was selected with the 99th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, just wrapped up his third season with his hometown team, the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. In 68 games for the Wolves, Pharand scored 17 goals and 30 points in total, tied for 11th on the team in scoring. Although he is a strong skater and can create offensive opportunities with his deking ability, Pharand is more well known as a defensive forward with the ability to backcheck better than most of his peers.
Savoie, on the other hand, was a higher-drafted player compared to Pharand, going 81st overall to the Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Draft. Carrying a higher-upside offensive potential, Savoie just completed his fourth season in the QMJHL and his first as a member of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Limited to only 21 games due to a broken femur suffered in Chicago’s training camp on September 30th, Savoie still managed to score 10 goals and 22 points in total.
With the IceHogs set to take on the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Central Division Semifinals, each player will have an opportunity to make an impact at the AHL level. Nevertheless, even if the team is unable to make a deep run in the Calder Cup playoffs, it will be an invaluable experience for two prospects looking to aid the Blackhawks organization in their return to competitiveness.
Ed Chadwick Passes Away At Age 90
In a somber announcement from the Toronto Maple Leafs, former goaltender Ed Chadwick has passed away at the age of 90. Chadwick is most famous for playing in 140 consecutive regular season games for the Maple Leafs, starting in all 70 games in each of the 1956-57 and 1957-58 seasons.
Chadwick originally started his professional career with Toronto as a backup for Harry Lumley. After Lumley was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and subsequently sent down to the minor leagues, Chadwick became the full-time starter for the Maple Leafs over the next two years.
Unfortunately, Toronto did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs in either year with Chadwick between the pipes, and would later lose his position as the team’s top netminder after the organization acquired goaltender Johnny Bower in the Inter-League Draft. After ceding the net fully to Bower ahead of the 1959-60 NHL season, Chadwick would only play four more games for the Maple Leafs before being demoted to the Rochester Americans.
His playing career was not finished, however, as Chadwick was traded to the Boston Bruins ahead of the 1961-62 season and managed four games with his new organization. When everything was all said and done, Chadwick finished with a 57-92-35 record over 184 games played, earning a career .901 save percentage and a 2.94 goals-against average.
Although he was not able to capture the Stanley Cup during his playing career, Chadwick has five Stanley Cup rings to his name, earning them all as a scout with the Edmonton Oilers in the mid-to-late 1980s. In fact, Chadwick has had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup a total of three times as a member of the Oilers organization, coming in 1985, 1987, and 1990.
Like many improbable records from the Original Six era, Chadwick’s record of 140 consecutive games with the Maple Leafs as a goaltender will likely stand the test of time. PHR sends its condolences to Chadwick’s family and friends, as well as to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
Washington Capitals Recall Hardy Häman Aktell
With defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin still out of the lineup for Game 2, the Washington Capitals were put in a position to recall some depth from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. According to a team announcement, the Capitals recalled defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell earlier today, and he was with the team for practice.
Even after the recall, it is more than unlikely that he will play this evening against the New York Rangers, as all signs indicate defenseman Lucas Johansen will enter the lineup instead. Johansen, who only has Calder Cup playoff experience under his belt, suited up in six games for the Capitals this season, tallying one assist in total.
If there are any more injuries to the blue line, Washington may find themselves in a precarious enough position to require Aktell to make his postseason debut with the team in his first year playing for the organization. Even though Aktell was drafted with the 108th overall pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2016 NHL Draft, he decided to play professional hockey in his native Sweden before signing an entry-level deal with the Capitals towards the end of last summer.
Aktell’s first season in North America has been decent but he has seen his scoring drop precipitously compared to his last season in the SHL. Over 55 games spent with the Bears this year, Aktell scored two goals and 11 points in total, sitting sixth on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. In early October, Aktell made his NHL debut, scoring one assist in six games for the Capitals.
Thatcher Demko To Miss Game 2, Potentially Out For Series
In a report coming from Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff, Vancouver Canucks’ starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is set to miss Game 2 of the team’s First Round series against the Nashville Predators, and could potentially miss the rest of the series. For tonight’s game and possibly further, the Canucks will rely on Casey DeSmith and Arturs Silovs in the crease.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman quickly confirmed Seravalli’s report and indicated that Demko is out with an injury. Without any specifics to the injury, it could potentially be a re-aggravation of the lower-body injury that kept Demko out of Vancouver’s lineup from March 9th to April 16th.
In Demko’s absence towards the last month of the regular season, the Canucks produced a 7-5-2 record, earning a 2.86 goals against average and a .884 save percentage. In Sunday night’s game against the Predators, Demko played in all 60 minutes of game one, saving 20 of 22 shots on goal.
Now that DeSmith is the likely starter heading into Game 2, Vancouver will deploy a goalie that produced a 12-9-6 record this season over 27 starts, securing a 2.89 GAA and a .895 SV%. Much like Demko, DeSmith has limited playoff experience, as his only postseason appearance came two years ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins, earning an overtime win against the New York Rangers after stopping 48 of 51 shots.
Heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Canucks had the second-highest odds of being the last team left standing according to MoneyPuck. Unfortunately, without one of the top goaltenders in the league between the pipes, Vancouver’s odds have certainly lowered.
In a positive outlook for the Canucks, recent history is on their side, as both Conference Champions from last year’s playoffs started the postseason with different goalies than they started with, while the Colorado Avalanche had to utilize then-backup goalie Pavel Francouz in their pursuit of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. If the Canucks have any hopes of making a deep playoff run this postseason, the team in front will have their work cut out for them moving forward.