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Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Konecny, Riikola

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The Washington Capitals were forced to make some significant lineup changes after several players were deemed out of the lineup for their matchup with the New York Islanders Sunday. The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports the Caps will be without Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) for a second straight game. The team, however, is also expected to be without Travis Boyd and Michal Kempny.

Backstrom missed Game 2 due to being in concussion protocol. He made an appearance at Saturday’s practice with many hoping that he would step in for Game 3 with the Capitals being down 2-0 in their series against the Islanders. However, he is not ready and Lars Eller is expected to move into the second-line center role with Brian Pinho expected to make his NHL debut and step into the third-line center role. Both Boyd and Kempny are healthy scratches with Radko Gudas checking in.

  • While there has been no official word on his status, Philadelphia Flyers fans might be able to breathe easier as forward Travis Konecny was seen at the Flyers’ morning skate, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. The Flyers’ forward was forced to leave Game 2 after blocking a shot with his leg. Konecny, who has scored 24 goals for three straight years, would be a big addition for the team that lost 5-0 to Montreal Friday. If Konecny doesn’t go today, Michael Raffl is expected to go in his place.
  • PGH Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski writes that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason, isn’t going to be returning to Finland. The 26-year-old stuck around with the Penguins as a seventh defenseman, appearing in 36 games. However, while the team felt he needs more time to work on his defensive game, Riikola will likely battle Pierre-Olivier Joseph for a third-line spot on the team next season.

Michael Raffl Getting Close To A Return

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  • Flyers winger Michael Raffl appears to be nearing a return as he took part in Friday’s pregame skate, relays Adam Kimelman of NHL.com (Twitter link). The veteran was injured during the round robin in a collision with Boston blueliner Jeremy Lauzon.  At the time, Alain Vigneault indicated that Raffl wasn’t going to be available for a little bit.  The 31-year-old had 20 points in 58 games during the regular season and would be a boost to their bottom six group whenever he gets the green light to suit up.

Snapshots: Hextall, Maple Leafs, QMJHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers are roaring through the 2020 NHL postseason, winning all three of their round-robin games convincingly and downing the Montreal Canadiens in game one of their first-round series. The team, led by head coach Alain Vigneault and GM Chuck Fletcher looks poised for a long Stanley Cup run this summer, but neither man was part of the organization when the seeds of this group were sown.

A lot of that credit goes to former GM Ron Hextall, who spoke to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun about his time in Philadelphia and how his vision is now playing out. Interestingly, LeBrun notes at the end of the piece how Hextall is “ready for another crack at it” and points out that there is a vacancy in the Florida Panthers front office right now.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that Paul McFarland has now left the organization to take the head coaching job with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, something that had already been reported. New though was that they have also not renewed the contract of assistant coach Andrew Brewer, who had been with the club since 2015. Brewer, a video coach, has a long history with former Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who was let go earlier this season.
  • Though the OHL and WHL have both indicated that they hope to start the 2020-21 season in December, the QMJHL is taking a different route. The other CHL league will begin to play on October 1 if all goes according to plan from here on out. Training camps are expected to start at the end of August with a 60-game regular season schedule planned.

Prospect Notes: O’Brien, Berni, Patera

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Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Jay O’Brien will fulfill his commitment to Boston University, following a year in the BCHL as he sat out due to transfer rules. O’Brien struggled mightily in his first year of NCAA hockey with Providence College in 2018-19, scoring just five points in 25 games, but will try again after showing exactly why he was a first-round pick in 2018.

The 20-year old forward tied for fourth in BCHL scoring with 66 points in just 46 games, earning himself a first team All-Star selection in the process. While there is still a long way to go for O’Brien before he provides any kind of value for the Flyers, getting back into college hockey (whenever it happens) is a good step.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Tim Berni will be playing in Switzerland for the next few months, after being loaned to the ZSC Lions for the time being. Berni will be allowed to return to North America for NHL training camp in November, though it is extremely unlikely at this point that he would make the Blue Jackets roster. The 20-year old was a sixth-round pick in 2018 but has played the last two full seasons in the NLA, recording 11 points in 45 games this year.
  • Jiri Patera, who only signed his entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights a little over a month ago, will begin the year in the Czech Republic with Motor Ceske Budejovice. The goaltending prospect put up a .921 save percentage for the Brandon Wheat Kings this season and will try to continue his development this season against professionals.

Injury Notes: Stamkos, Voracek, Blue Jackets

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The continued unavailability of Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos continues to be one of the biggest background stories of the NHL re-start and it isn’t going away. Head coach Jon Cooper told TSN that Stamkos will not be available for the team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers today, which decides the No. 1 seed and home ice in the Eastern Conference. However, he went one step further by stating that Stamkos is out “indefinitely”, which calls into question whether there is any timeline for Stamkos’ return. The scoring center has been skating and per Cooper is “working his tail off” but it might not be enough for him to be ready for the start of the first round. The Athletic’s Joe Smith details the struggles that some players have returning from core injuries, particularly core surgery, so Stamkos’ delayed recovery is not a total surprise even five months removed. However, Smith writes that the concern is not that Stamkos has far exceeded the six-to-eight week timeline from back in March, but that the player and team both seem to have no idea of when he might be ready to return. Especially after having months off to recover, the fact that Stamkos is not ready could mean that he might not make it back for this postseason period.

  • The Bolts’ opponent tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers, will also be missing one of their top forwards for the crucial seeding game. With a chance to go from fourth to first in the conference seeding, the Flyers will have to do so without Jakub Voracek. Head coach Alain Vigneault told NBC Sports Philadelphia that Voracek simply “is not available” for Saturday’s match-up and did not share any further details. Without any pre-existing injury and the agreement between the NHL and NHLPA not to disclose any medical information during these playoffs, this is the most that might be out there about Voracek. The star forward played a standard amount of ice time in the Flyers’ last game and did not appear to suffer an injury, but for one reason or another will not be in the lineup. Fortunately for the Flyers, the team’s depth up front is impressive, allowing promising rookie Joel Farabee to replace Voracek on the first line while veteran James van Riemsdyk returns to the lineup in his stead.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets hoped to shut the door on their qualifying round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, but a last-minute three-goal collapse led to an overtime loss and a Game Five date on Sunday. It is not a coincidence that young standout defenseman Zach Werenski was not on the ice for any of the Leafs’ four goals against last night, as he missed the final nine minutes of regulation and all of overtime. Werenski appeared to suffer the injury while being tripped in the offensive zone, but then was seen having his neck examined and massaged on the Blue Jacket bench. Neither head coach John Tortorella nor GM Jarmo Kekalainen have had any update on Werenski’s condition or his availability for Sunday. The Athletic’s Alison Lukan points out that Ryan Murray, who is a constant injury risk, missed Game Four and the combination of both defensemen being out for Game Five would be a major hit to Columbus’ strongest position.

Minor Transactions: 08/07/20

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While all eyes today have been and will continue to be on the six elimination games on the postseason schedule and the impending departure of Florida GM Dale Tallon and flurry of European loans have dominated all other headlines, there have been a few small moves worth noting. Here are some minor transactions from the day:

  • After a long career in North America, journeyman Carter Camper is finally headed overseas. Leksands IF of the SHL has announced a two-year deal with Camper, who brings over 550 AHL games of experience to Sweden. Camper, an NCAA standout at Miami University, was initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Boston Bruins in 2011 and spent three seasons with Boston, followed by one-year stops with Ottawa, Washington, and New Jersey. He last played on an NHL contract in 2016-17 but has continued to be an elite AHL producer on minor league deals with several clubs. However, as the 32-year-old continues to score at a high level without getting another shot at the NHL, it is no surprise that he has finally chased a pay day to Europe.
  • The AHL’s Providence Bruins poached a physical defenseman from the Charlotte Checkers last off-season in Josiah Didier and he ended up leading the team in games played and plus/minus. As a result, they will try again, as insider Mark Divver reports that the team has signed Derek Sheppard to a one-year deal. While Sheppard is not the caliber of player as Didier, he is a daunting physical presence, recording 67 PIM in just 26 games with Charlotte this year. Sheppard will likely not be an everyday player for Providence, but can be a injection of aggression when the team needs it.
  • Brendan van Riemsdyk deviated from the path of his older brothers when he didn’t jump right from the University of New Hampshire to the pros but instead transferred to Northeastern University last year. Unfortunately, his time with the Huskies did not help him earn an NHL contract like his brothers either. Fortunately, he has at least found a place to play next season. The ECHL’s Reading Royals have announced a one-year deal with van Riemsdyk. The Royals are the ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, who of course own James van Riemsdyk, which could increase Brendan’s chance of graduating to the AHL sooner rather than later. This signing also means that if impending free agent Trevor van Riemsdyk signs in Philly, all three brothers would belong to the same organization.

Philadelphia Flyers Loan Linus Sandin To SHL

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Linus Sandin won’t be starting his North American career as soon as he expected. The Swedish forward has been loaned back to the SHL’s HV71 today by the Philadelphia Flyers, just a few months after signing his entry-level contract.

Sandin, 24, inked that one-year entry-level deal in April following an excellent season with HV71, where he scored 36 points in 51 games. The undrafted forward was set to compete for a role in the NHL for the 2020-21 season, but will have to wait a little longer for that opportunity. As with any of these loans, the Flyers retain the right to recall Sandin at any point and will likely do so in time for NHL training camps in November.

The older brother of top Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin, Linus has played three full seasons in the SHL and has seen his point totals jump in each one. The 6’1″ forward easily led HV71 in goals with 19, good enough for third in the entire league. With a flat cap next season he could be a valuable depth piece for the Flyers, who still have some important free agents to sign and not a ton of space to do it.

Snapshots: Vatanen, Fines, Raffl

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Sami Vatanen is in the Carolina Hurricanes lineup again this afternoon, meaning the New Jersey Devils are winners today. Since Vatanen has played in two games, the Devils will receive at least a fourth-round pick from the Hurricanes to complete the trade. That pick could still be upgraded to a 2020 third-round selection, but the Devils at least know they’re getting something.

The Hurricanes are likely just happy that Vatanen is healthy and contributing, given the fact that he didn’t play a single game for the team before the shutdown. The 29-year old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, using these playoffs as a nice portfolio piece for upcoming negotiations.

  • Not only did Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland escape suspension for his spearing incident last night, but he also won’t even be the only person receiving a fine. The Department of Player Safety has decided to fine Ferland $5,000 for the incident, along with giving Minnesota Wild forward Luke Kunin a $1,000 ticket. Ferland seems to always be in the middle of physical altercations, playing his role well for the Canucks.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers will be without an important piece of their lineup, as head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters including Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Michael Raffl will be out for “a while.” The team will insert young forward Joel Farabee in Raffl’s spot, giving him a chance to show exactly why they took him 14th overall in 2018.

Metropolitan Notes: Lindblom, Flyers, Sorokin, Islanders, McMichael

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced their 31-man roster for the upcoming Qualifying Round with one name that stands out significantly as the team kept forward Oskar Lindblom on the roster despite talk that they team might wait until the 2020-21 season before returning the young forward on the ice after being diagnosed and treated for Ewing’s sarcoma in December.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the 23-year-old will be amongst the starters on the ice for the Flyers when the team returns to play, but to just be on the roster is quite an accomplishment for the young forward, who recently signed a three-year extension with the team. He could be a valuable substitute if injuries arise for the team after tallying 11 goals in 30 games before being diagnosed with cancer.

The team had a few other noteworthy players when it came to their roster. The team cut Carsen Twarynski, German Rubtsov, Tyler Wotherspoon and Nate Prosser from their training camp roster. However, the Flyers did keep undrafted prospect Egor Zamula on their roster, who played in just 28 junior games in the WHL last season, but dominated on the international stage.

Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi also reported that goaltender Carter Hart participated in his first full team practice Saturday since he left Tuesday’s scrimmage midway through the game with back spasms. The goalie claims that he expects to be 100 percent in time for their first game against Boston on Aug. 2.

  • The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that general manager Lou Lamoriello said that while newly signed KHL goaltender Ilya Sorokin is not eligible to play in the 24-team tournament, the netminder is expected to join the team in Toronto to get acclimated to his new team. Sorokin has been quarantining on Long Island and will join the team in Toronto once he has passed all his COVID-19 protocols.
  • Staple also released the Islanders playoff roster, which did not include several of the Islanders top AHL prospects. The team left behind forwards Kieffer Bellows, Oliver Wahlstrom, defenseman Grant Hutton and goaltender Jakub Skarek. Bellows was a bit of a surprise after a solid NHL debut in eight games this season.
  • No major surprises on the Washington Capitals roster, although the Capitals have decided to keep 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael on their roster, although it’s more likely to give the 19-year-old a chance to soak in the playoff atmosphere in hopes he might be able to eventually challenge for a roster spot in 2020-21. McMichael is coming off an impressive season in the OHL with a breakout 47 goals and 102 points with the London Knights.

Oskar Lindblom Signs Three-Year Extension

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The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t going to quit on Oskar Lindblom. The Masterton Trophy finalist has inked a new three-year contract extension, keeping him in Philadelphia through the 2022-23 season. The deal will carry a $3MM average annual value. Lindblom released a heartfelt message to his fans:

I am very excited to be a part of the Flyers for the next three seasons. The support that the organization, the fans, and the entire NHL has given me has been quite overwhelming. I can’t wait to get back skating with the boys and being the professional hockey player I know I can be. I want to thank the Flyers for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to the day I’m back and contributing to the team’s success.

Lindblom, 23, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in December, a rare form of bone cancer that ended his season prematurely. After inspiring endless support from the Philadelphia community and hockey world at large, he was later able to ring the bell at Abramson Cancer Center, indicating his treatment had completed.

While he will not play this summer for the Flyers, Lindblom’s extension means he can get right back to where he left off as an up-and-coming star in the league. The fifth-round pick had already scored 11 goals in the first 30 games this season after putting up 17 in his first full year, creating plenty of hype that he could be a big threat for the Flyers for years to come.

If he does grow into that top-six 30-goal scoring threat, the Flyers will be getting a lot more than just $3MM in value. The deal gives Lindblom some financial security, while also taking him dangerously close to unrestricted free agency. He’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, but with arbitration rights that could get him to the open market at 27 should he decide to forego a long-term deal.

In terms of what it means for the Flyers next season, a $3MM cap hit won’t bankrupt them but does mean they have even less maneuverability going forward. The team now has more than $72.5MM committed to just 15 players and still need to sign names like Nolan Patrick and Robert Hagg, while also finding a capable backup goaltender for young Carter Hart. There is work to be done, but they’ll at least know Lindblom is going to be a part of it.

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