Philippe Myers Out Four Weeks With Fractured Patella
So much for being a game-time decision. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that Philippe Myers has suffered a fractured patella on his right knee and will be out approximately four weeks.
Myers, 23, had started to fulfill the promise that earned him a contract in 2015 despite going undrafted. In his first taste of real full-time NHL hockey, he had 16 points in 50 games and had become a staple in the Flyers’ lineup. That includes excellent possession numbers in more than 17 minutes a night, using his 6’5″ frame to contribute at both ends of the rink.
This comes at a terrible time for the Flyers, who were playing their best hockey of the season. The team is on a nine-game winning streak and have climbed within a single point of the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division, but will now have to fill those 17 minutes in another way.
Luckily, the team already went out and added some playoff experience on the right side last offseason. Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun were brought in for these tough games, while the youngsters like Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim continue to develop into top options. Myers will be missed, but the Flyers do have strong depth on the back end to replace him.
The most interesting name to watch might be Shayne Gostisbehere, who hasn’t played up to his previous standards this season and could still play a big role down the stretch.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Wyatte Wylie
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed prospect Wyatte Wylie (or alternatively, Wyatt Wylie according to multiple parts of the press release) to a three-year, entry-level contract. The defenseman is currently playing with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL who are set up for a long playoff run.
Wylie, 20, was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft but has since taken over as one of Everett’s primary puck-moving defensemen. In 62 games this season the right-handed Wylie has 14 goals and 64 points, though that production still lags well behind teammate (and new Columbus Blue Jackets prospect) Jake Christiansen in terms of per-game scoring.
Still, the solid production from a late-round pick is promising and has landed Wylie an NHL contract. Though he will be staying with Everett for the time being, a tryout with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms could be in order should the Silvertips be knocked out early. Next season he will surely be in the AHL, where he will start on a road to becoming more than just a lottery ticket for the Flyers.
James Van Riemsdyk Breaks Hand, Flyers Recall Joel Farabee
4:05pm: The Flyers have announced that van Riemsdyk will miss four to six weeks with the hand injury, effectively ending his regular season.
8:50am: The important 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals last night came with a price for the Philadelphia Flyers, as James van Riemsdyk is now out with a broken hand. The Flyers forward blocked a shot from Capitals defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler and was forced to leave the game. In his place, the Flyers have recalled Joel Farabee from the minor leagues.
Losing van Riemsdyk at this point in the season is brutal news for the Flyers, who are on a seven-game winning streak and have pulled within a single point of the Metropolitan division lead. While he doesn’t dominate games the way some other high-priced talent can, van Riemsdyk always finds a way to put the puck in the net. After scoring 27 goals in just 66 games last season for the Flyers, it looks like his season will end with 19 this time around.
Luckily, the team has other options like Farabee waiting for a chance to get back into the NHL lineup. The 20-year old forward has 20 points in 49 games on the year and looks like he will be an impact player for years to come in Philadelphia.
Minor Transactions: 02/29/20
Today is leap day and a number of NHL teams will be looking to do just that when it comes to the standings. Saturday’s slate of a dozen games features ten games with at least one team in the thick of the playoff race, including six collisions between current playoff teams. The Bruins and Islanders kick off the action this afternoon; New York has a chance to pull into a tie with the Penguins for the final Metropolitan Division spot, but Boston has won their past ten road games versus the Isles. Later this afternoon, the Lightning – losers of four straight – look to get back on track as they host the Flames. The nighttime lineup begins with the Panthers, desperate for a win to keep up with the Maple Leafs, hosting head coach Joel Quenneville’s former club, the Blackhawks. Toronto will have their hands full themselves as they face the Canucks, who need to make the most of their games in hand to catch the red-hot Golden Knights. The new-look Hurricanes must do the same to keep up in the wild card race, as they visit the Canadiens. The Central Division could be in for a shake-up, as the streaking Avalanche take on the Predators while the equally hot Blues face the Stars. Finally, in late night action for those not on the west coast, the Jets and Oilers collide in a game that could make waves in the Western wild card chase, while the Penguins look to end the league’s worst current losing streak against the Sharks. With plenty of action, there very likely could be plenty of roster adjustments as well. Keep up with all those minor transactions right here:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they have recalled Ryan MacInnis from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has been up and down a number of times this season, but has recorded just one assist in nine games with Columbus. However, he has already set a new career high in points in the minors, with 30 points in 45 games. The two-way center appears to be adding more of an offensive touch to his game, but just needs to transition that ability to the top level.
- With the news that Blackhawks forwards Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith will not be returning this season due to their current injuries, there are opportunities for others to step up in the Chicago lineup. Brandon Hagel will get his chance, as the team has recalled the 21-year-old from the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The first-year pro has 19 goals and 30 points in 55 games with Rockford in an impressive debut campaign and will continue a year of firsts when he takes the ice for the first time with the Blackhawks. UPDATE: Unfortunately, for Hagel, the team announced they opted to return him just hours later as the Blackhawks did not need him.
- CapFriendly reports that the Colorado Avalanche have reassigned forward Logan O’Connor to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. The University of Denver product has been a fixture of Colorado hockey for many years now, but still has yet to make much of an impact at the NHL level with just one point in 14 games over the past two seasons.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forward Jesper Boqvist from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The team has been playing with 12 forwards and no reserves lately, but with three games in the next four days out on the West Coast, New Jersey is likely going to need some insurance at forward. Boqvist spent most of the season in New Jersey, posting four goals and no assists in 34 games, but was sent to the AHL on Jan. 19 to get more playing time. He has five goals and eight points in 15 games in Binghamton.
- CapFriendly reports that the Montreal Canadiens have activated defenseman Xavier Ouellet off of injured reserve. The blueliner has missed more than a week with a concussion, but could be in the Canadiens’ lineup later today. That move could also signal the end for Karl Alzner, who replaced him on the roster and is likely headed for Laval.
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled forward Joel Farabee from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Farabee was sent to the AHL last Monday, which allowed him to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. The 20-year-old has had an inconsistent rookie season with the Flyers, having posted seven goals and 20 points in 49 games, which included a January demotion to the Phantoms. He has two goals and three assists over his last nine games.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have recalled forward Brandon Pirri from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. That likely suggests that forward Tomas Nosek, who left Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Pirri was expected to play a bigger role in Las Vegas this season after potting 12 goals last year. However, after going scoreless after 11 games, he was sent to Chicago where he has had 15 goals and 35 points in 38 games.
Flyers Received Some Trade Interest In Shayne Gostisbehere Before The Trade Deadline
- Although Shayne Gostisbehere had been out with recurring knee issues, the Flyers still received some interest in the defenseman leading up to the trade deadline, reports Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. However, GM Chuck Fletcher opted to hold onto the 26-year-old who has seen his offensive numbers fall off considerably this season as he has just a dozen points in 41 games which isn’t a great return on a $4.5MM AAV. Gostisbehere is now healthy but is currently serving as Philadelphia’s seventh defender. However, despite being out of the lineup for now, he indicated that he is happy to remain with the Flyers, the only NHL team he has played for.
Deadline Notes: Skjei, Parise, Targets
The Florida Panthers were perhaps the most surprising team at the NHL Trade Deadline. Still competing for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers nevertheless traded away a top-six forward in Vincent Trocheck and failed to acquire a defenseman, which was considered their biggest need. As it turns out, they nearly got close on a major addition. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun writes that the Panthers were in on defenseman Brady Skjei for much of the day on Monday. After moving Trocheck, the team had hoped to fill his departed salary commitment with a term defenseman and Skjei was the top target, made available by the New York Rangers’ extension of Chris Kreider earlier in the day. However, Florida did not want to take on all of Skjei’s contract, preferring to make a hockey deal instead. LeBrun notes that Michael Matheson would have been part of the return to New York. However, taking on salary was contrary to the Rangers’ plans, and so they went for the Carolina Hurricanes’ offer of a first-round pick instead. Skjei would have made a huge difference in Florida, arguably more than on a deep blue line in Carolina, but the Panthers could not get the deal done. Expect Florida to continue scouring the trade and free agent markets this off-season for a long-term upgrade on the blue line.
- The biggest rumor that emerged on deadline day was a possible trade of Minnesota Wild star Zach Parise to the New York Islanders. Few expected that Parise, who at 35 years old still has five years left on his contract at over $7.5MM AAV, could be a potential trade candidate. Yet, both Parise and the Islanders’ Andrew Ladd had waived their respective trade protections and were merely awaiting the finalization of the deal. That of course never occurred, as Minnesota GM Bill Guerin stated that the deal was very complex and simply did not come together in time. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the two teams have actually been discussing the deal for some time, but concerns over balancing salary and potential cap recapture penalties should Parise retire before his contract expires halted the deal, at least for now. Guerin stated that the two sides could revisit a possible trade in the off-season, but meanwhile Parise is back to work for the Wild. Twincities.com’s Dane Mizutani writes that Parise was relatively tight-lipped about the situation and understands that trades, actual or theoretical, are part of the business. He reaffirmed that he enjoys playing in Minnesota and in no way requested a trade; he was simply willing to waive his No-Movement Clause if the Wild felt that moving him was the best decision. It will remain an interesting topic through the remainder of the season and into the off-season how well Parise and the Wild play in light of this near-blockbuster and whether the trade finally does come to fruition.
- Friedman writes that a number of players traded before the deadline nearly went elsewhere, while some players who stayed put were heavily pursued. Perhaps the most notable move could have been Robin Lehner to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Cane’s were anything but quiet at the deadline, acquiring Trocheck, Skjei, and Sami Vatanen, but failed to address goaltending, arguably their biggest need in light of recent injuries. Carolina has long been linked to Lehner dating back to the 2018 off-season (and could look at him as a free agent again this summer) but balked at the Chicago Blackhawks asking price for a rental. Two other teams that revisited players who they had previously pursued were the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Both team made notable additions as they fight for a Western Conference playoff spot, but allegedly could have done more. Friedman notes that Calgary was in on veteran winger Wayne Simmonds for the second deadline in a row, but likely could not make the salary work, whereas Edmonton kicked the tires of Patrick Marleau after courting him as a free agent this summer. Finally, two players that received considerable interest per Friedman but did not move were Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening and Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton. Detroit has little to play for this season, but have always highly valued Glendening, who has another year left on his contract. A league source told Friedman that the asking price was simply too high. As for Laughton, the Flyers made only minor moves at the deadline and could not also trade away a key bottom-six piece with term remaining on his contract. It sound as though considerable interest did not sway the team into even considering offers for Laughton.
Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers Complete Minor Trade
The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers have swapped a pair of minor league players as part of deadline day. T.J. Brennan will leave the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the Rockford IceHogs, while Nathan Noel will head the other way.
Brennan has long been a top performer at the AHL level, but this season saw his offensive numbers drop off a cliff. The 30-year old defenseman has just eight points in 28 games with the Phantoms and will look for a new start in Rockford.
Noel meanwhile is playing in the ECHL and has 17 points in 39 games with the Indy Fuel. Perhaps he’ll get a chance at the AHL level with Lehigh Valley, but either way he’ll be joining the Flyers organization for the next few months.
Derek Grant Traded To Philadelphia Flyers
Not only did the Philadelphia Flyers add Nate Thompson today, but they’ve also acquired Derek Grant from the Anaheim Ducks according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. The Ducks will receive Kyle Criscuolo and a fourth-round pick in return.
Grant, like Thompson, has been all over the NHL throughout his career. A member of the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ducks (twice), he has 257 career games. This year however has been his best, with 14 goals and 20 points through 49 games.
A big body and even more center depth is exactly what the Flyers were looking for, which Grant brings in spades. The team had been linked to Jeff Carter in the past, but with two additions for their bottom-six already in hand it seems unlikely that the Flyers will go after their former star.
The question will now be whether it even makes a difference for Philadelphia in the brutal Metropolitan Division. The team currently sits in third place with 77 points, but the New York Islanders (76 points), Carolina Hurricanes (74) and Columbus Blue Jackets (74) are all still hot on their heels.
Flyers Acquire Nate Thompson
The Flyers have added some depth down the middle as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve acquired Nate Thompson from Montreal in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.
Thompson isn’t much of a point producer at this stage of his career but he remains an effective defensive forward. In 63 games this season, he has four goals and ten assists but Philadelphia will be most interested in his 55.1% success rate at the faceoff dot. The Flyers are already one of the better teams on the draw this season with a team success rate of 54.3% rate and Thompson will only bolster that strength.
The Canadiens acquired Thompson along with a fifth-round pick from the Kings last season for a fourth-rounder and then turned around and gave the 35-year-old a one-year, $1MM extension last offseason. They are not retaining any salary in the trade. Montreal now has nine selections for the 2021 draft and with 13 already in June’s draft it’s not surprising that they looked to add one in a future draft.
Minor Transactions: 02/23/20
Yesterday was one of those days that can only be explained by a glitch in the matrix. The Bruins, Lightning, and Penguins – the NHL’s top three teams – were all blown out, while the Capitals lost to the lowly Devils and, if that wasn’t bad enough, Alex Ovechkin‘s 700th career goal was overshadowed by another story line, which was a 42-year-old zamboni driver named David Ayres manning the net for the Hurricanes as an emergency backup and getting the win over his employer, the Maple Leafs. Will some of these teams overreact to these shocking results, especially on the eve of the trade deadline? It’s quite possible. One thing is for certain, roster tweaks could be in store for all involved. Many teams around the NHL could be making minor moves ahead of Monday’s big day, so keep up with all of the action here:
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned forwards Drake Batherson and Josh Norris to AHL Belleville, the team announced. While Batherson has been part of this up-and-down shuffle all year, playing in 23 games with Ottawa and 37 games with Belleville, Norris made his NHL debut on this recall. The Unvisersity of Michigan standout leads the AHL Senators with 58 points in 51 games this season.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled a pair of players as they deal with potential long-term injury absences. The team announced the promotion of forward Gerald Mayhew and defenseman Louis Belpedio, both of whom have seen NHL action before but could be in for a larger role this time around. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that defenseman Carson Soucy is out for at least one month, while forward Luke Kunin could miss 10-14 days minimum.
- After recalling Sheldon Dries and Logan O’Connor on consecutive days, the Colorado Avalanche were faced with a decision on which to keep at the top level and which to return. The team has apparently opted to keep the youth and motor of O’Connor over the greater experience and scoring ability of Dries, as he has been reassigned to the AHL Eagles. Dries is one of the top point-getters for the Eagles this season, but has skated in just three games for the Avs compared to 40 last year. O’Connor has eight NHL games this year and 13 total, but has just one point to show for it. The University of Denver product does bring a lot of energy and speed to the lineup though.
- Taylor Fedun is back with the Dallas Stars, as the team has promoted the veteran from his conditioning assignment with AHL Texas. Fedun has played in 27 games for the Stars this season, contributing nine points, but was a healthy scratch for ten games before being sent to Texas for conditioning earlier this month. Fedun will be a dependable depth option for Dallas down the stretch and in the playoffs.
- The Vegas Golden Knights added some depth to their forward lines as they announced they have recalled Patrick Brown from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. The 27-year-old was signed during the offseason away from the Calder Cup Charlotte Checkers, who defeated Chicago in the finals last season. He was brought in to provide a veteran presence for the team’s young prospects. He has six goals and 19 points in 54 games this season. Now, he gets his first opportunity in Vegas. Brown has 36 games of NHL experience, all with Carolina, where he has tallied just a goal and an assist.
- The New York Islanders announced they have swapped forwards. The team has assigned veteran Andrew Ladd to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. The team also have recalled forward Kieffer Bellows to the team, although Bellows, who was assigned Friday to Bridgeport, never left. He watched the last Islanders’ game in the press box, suggesting that he was expecting to be recalled immediately.
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from his conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The blueliner has missed 18 of the team’s last 19 games with a knee injury, but looks ready to return after a two-game stint in the AHL where he had one assist. The Flyers hope he can contribute immediately after a poor season so far where he’s seen his ATOI drop to a career low 18:21.
- Kiefer Sherwood is back up with the Anaheim Ducks who announced that they have recalled him from AHL San Diego. While he hasn’t seen any NHL time this season, he got into 50 games with Anaheim back in 2018-19, recording six goals and six assists. In 37 games with the Gulls this season in the minors, he has 16 goals and seven helpers.