Snapshots: Neuvirth, Gudas, Jerabek, Karlsson, Harpur
The Flyers received some good news regarding goaltender Michal Neuvirth today as he was discharged from the hospital, less than 24 hours after collapsing on the ice in the first period against the Devils on Saturday. GM Ron Hextall told reporters, including CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio, that all tests came back normal. Neuvirth has been battling a respiratory infection for more than a week and it’s believed that his collapse was largely attributable to that.
Hextall noted that the netminder will be re-evaluated by team doctors during their off day on Monday before making any further determination on his status.
Still with the Flyers, they will be without defenceman Radko Gudas tonight against the Rangers, the team announced via Twitter. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury that was also sustained last night against New Jersey.
Other news from around the hockey world:
- Czech defenseman Jakub Jerabek is mulling over multiple NHL offers and will make a decision on where to sign over the next week, agent Allan Walsh reports (Twitter link). The 25 year old recently wrapped his first season in the KHL with Vityaz Podolsk where he led the team in points by a blueliner with 34 (5-29-34) in 59 games. Jerabek suited up for the Czechs in the 2016 World Championships and should be a strong candidate to play again in the 2017 edition which kicks off next month.
- Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson is highly doubtful to play in tomorrow’s game against Detroit, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). While it has been believed that Karlsson’s lower body issue isn’t too serious, the fact that he appears set to miss his third straight game starts to call that diagnosis into question. Earlier today, Ottawa was pushed into a Wild Card spot for the time being as a result of Boston’s victory over Chicago. Between his issue and the injury to Cody Ceci last night, the Sens announced via Twitter that they have recalled blueliner Ben Harpur from AHL Binghamton. The rearguard has 28 points in 63 minor league games this season while being held off the scoresheet in his lone NHL contest in 2016-17.
Flyers’ Michal Neuvirth Leaves Game After Collapsing On Ice
7:28pm: The Philadelphia Flyers tweet that per general manager Ron Hextall, Neuvirth is “awake and alert” and being taken for further observation to Pennsylvania Hospital and that more information will follow tomorrow.
7:14pm: TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweets that Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas relayed to the Flyers’ broadcasting crew that Neuvirth is “fine.”
6:44 pm: A terrifying moment in Philadelphia as Flyers netminder Michal Neuvirth collapsed in the crease . NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti tweets that a faceoff was outside the Flyers’ blue line when Neuvirth inexplicably collapsed, and that no action near the net caused him to fall.
Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Sam Carchidi tweeted a picture of the scene and the capacity crowd was silent as medical experts worked on the goaltender. Positive news emerged as Neuvirth left the ice on a stretcher conscious and Carchidi tweets that the crowd gave a standing ovation as he exited. The Flyers, already without Steve Mason who is ill, put Anthony Stolarz into the game. As of 6:55pm, Gulitti reports there are still no updates.
We join everyone else in wishing Neuvirth the best in what could only be described as a scary situation for his friends, family, and fans.
Metropolitan Notes: Mason, Stolarz, Archibald
Shortly before warm-ups began for the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, ahead of their match-up with the New Jersey Devils, the team announced that goaltender Steve Mason was sick and would not be able to suit up for the game. Mason, who holds an 0-9-0 record, 3.93 GAA, and .852 SV% versus the Devils in his career, was not expected to start the contest, but left the Flyers scrambling to find a backup with less than two hours to puck drop. His condition also casts some doubt on whether or not he’ll be available for Philly’s game against the New York Rangers tomorrow, which Mason was expected to start.
- To replace Mason tonight, the Flyers promoted young goalie Anthony Stolarz from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an emergency basis. However, by the time Stolarz got the call, the two hour drive from Wilkes-Barre, PA, where the Flyers’ AHL affiliate was visiting the rival Penguins’ affiliate, to Philadelphia did not get him to rink in time for warm-ups. Stolarz will back up Michal Neuvirth tonight, completely cold, and if Mason is unable to play tomorrow as well, Stolarz may get the start if the team wants to avoid playing Neuvirth in back-to-back games with their slim playoff hopes on the line. The rookie keeper would certainly be up for the task; Stolarz has a 1.79 GAA and .938 SV% and even a shutout in four impressive appearances with the Flyers in 2016-17.
- The injury bug continues to run rampant through Pittsburgh, and with the recent news that Chris Kunitz has been added to the injured list, the Penguins announced that they have recalled Josh Archibald from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to fill the gap. Archibald was just recently sent back down to the AHL amid the Pens’ losing streak, but necessity has called the young forward back up. The rookie right winger has two goals in five games this season playing minimal minutes, but the Penguins will have to hope he can take advantage of increased play time down the stretch as the team continues to plug holes in their lineup.
Minor Transactions: 4/1/2017
There may be just a little more than a week remaining in the NHL regular season, but teams are still making roster moves. We’ll track all of the days minor league call-ups and reassignments in this post.
- Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced this morning that the team has recalled forward Colin McDonald from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. McDonald, 32, has yet to appear in the NHL this season but has 145 NHL games on his resume, a vast majority coming as a member of the New York Islanders. He is expected to be in the team’s lineup tonight as the Flyers are set to host their Metro Division rivals, the New Jersey Devils. McDonald, the Phantoms captain, has tallied 23 goals with 18 assists in 67 AHL games and has helped the team to the third best record in the league. The recall of McDonald seems strange on the surface, as Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post notes via Twitter. The team has plenty of healthy options and a lengthy stay in Philadelphia may have a negative impact on the Phantoms AHL playoff chances. Perhaps it’s a reward for the veteran pro, who has had a strong season, giving him a chance to earn a larger paycheck while in the NHL, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him returned to Lehigh Valley after tonight’s game.
- Joel Vermin continues to rack up the frequent flyer miles as the 25-year-old native of Switzerland was again reassigned to Syracuse of the AHL, according to Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. Vermin has been called up seven different times this season, only to be reassigned each time. In 16 games for Tampa Bay, Vermin has tallied three assists in 10:00 of ice time per night. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times suggests the reassignment bodes well for Nikita Kucherov, who missed the Lightning’s victory over Detroit Thursday night due to an illness, but would appear set to return to the ice tonight.
- The St. Louis Blues announced via Twitter that they have recalled defenseman Petteri Lindbohm from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds that fellow blue liner Robert Bortuzzo was hurt in last night’s 2 – 1 shootout loss to Colorado and may not be able to play tomorrow. Additionally, Carl Gunnarsson is still out, thus necessitating the call up of Lindbohm. In five earlier appearances this season with the Blues, Lindbohm is pointless with four penalty minutes while averaging under 13 minutes of ice time a night.
Injury Notes: Read, Cunningham, Anisimov, Guentzel
Matt Read will not play again this season, after taking a shot to the arm in Thursday’s victory over the New York Islanders. He’ll be out six to eight weeks according to GM Ron Hextall, meaning it is likely some sort of a broken arm or wrist. Read had just 19 points this season and has really taken a step back in recent years. As a rookie, he scored 24 goals and 47 points, but has never been able to duplicate those numbers.
Read, 30, is signed for one more season with the Flyers at $3.625MM and will likely be relegated to bottom-six duty again next year. What looked like a very promising career after signing as a free agent out of college has taken a downward turn. He’ll try to rehab the injury and improve his play next season.
- In a much more inspiring note, Craig Cunningham was on the ice today for the Tuscon Roadrunners. The last we heard from Cunningham, he was finally walking down a hallway after being fitted with a prosthetic leg. The former captain of both the Providence Bruins and Springfield Falcons, Cunningham collapsed earlier this year and eventually had his leg amputated due to complications. One of the most liked players in the minor leagues, it’s wonderful to see him back lacing up skates.
- The Chicago Blackhawks are still expecting Artem Anisimov back for the playoffs, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. The injured centerman hasn’t played since March 14th and hasn’t been present at any practices so far for the ‘Hawks. In his stead, Chicago has tried both Nick Schmaltz and Tanner Kero between Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane.
- Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports that both Jake Guentzel and Ron Hainsey will return to the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. Guentzel will immediately return to the wing of Sidney Crosby, and try to pick up where he left off when he suffered a concussion on a hit from Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Guentzel has 25 points in 35 games since coming up from the AHL, a very successful rookie season.
- Frank Vatrano will not play this weekend for the Bruins as they take on the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks on back-to-back days. Vatrano has been dealing with an upper-body injury that held him out of Thursday’s game, and missed practice today altogether. As the Bruins fight for their playoff lives, they could use Vatrano for his secondary scoring.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Mike Vecchione To One-Year Contract
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Mike Vecchione to a one-year, entry-level contract after a long pursuit. He’ll burn through that year in the last five games of the season, earning a prorated version of $925K and become a restricted free agent this summer. The team has been negotiating with Vecchione since Union College was knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Penn State last Saturday. Vecchione is one of the three finalists for the Hobey Baker trophy, awarded to the nation’s top collegiate player. His 63 points tied him with Zach Aston-Reese for the top scorer in the NCAA, easily eclipsing his previous career high of 50. 
Vecchione is a two-way forward that will step into an NHL role with ease. He’ll join former teammate Shayne Gostisbehere as part of the young group that will attempt to bring the Flyers back to the playoffs next season. The 24-year old has captained Union for the past two years, and from all accounts brings a level of leadership on and off the ice. Playing with Spencer Foo—another free agent who is expected to sign this summer—he exploded this season into an offensive powerhouse, scoring seemingly at will.
The first thing you’ll notice about Vecchione is how low he sits in his skating stride, using his incredibly strong lower body to stay balanced at all times and quickly accelerate in and out of tight areas. While he doesn’t have elite breakaway speed, his all-around skating ability is excellent and he can use his edge work to create space in the offensive zone. He’s not a huge body (5’10” 195-lbs) but is definitely built well enough for the NHL game and uses what size he does have effectively to shield the puck. With a deceptive release he can get his shot off quickly and fool goaltenders, though that will become more difficult at the higher level.
In all, Vecchione should fit into the Flyers middle-six nicely next season, and could be an option on both special teams. On Union’s powerplay, they use him in both the high circle on his off-wing (think Ovechkin, Stamkos) and as a bumper player in the high slot. A natural center, it’s not clear if he’ll fit into the Flyers’ plans there but his right-handed shot could fit nicely with Brayden Schenn or Jakub Voracek who are both left-handed.
Pursued by many other teams, Eric Engles of Sportsnet reports that Tampa Bay the other finalist for his services, but didn’t represent as much of a center option right away. Tampa already has decisions to make on whether to keep Steven Stamkos in the middle, or continue to use Brayden Point as a top-six option with Tyler Johnson. In any case, they missed out on Vecchione, who some called the best NCAA free agent this year.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the Flyers had signed the free agent forward, while Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post reported that he would join the team this year.
Morning Notes: Poolman, McAvoy, Hextall
The other day, we reported that Winnipeg Jets prospect Tucker Poolman had suffered an injury that would keep him from signing his entry-level deal this season and getting into the Winnipeg lineup. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, that shoulder injury requires surgery and will keep him out four to six months, and he agrees that it may impact his decision to hit free agency this summer.
Poolman would become a free agent in August and able to sign with any NHL team, though McKenzie wonders if he’d choose to go back to school for another year and come out in 2018 with no restrictions on what kind of contract he could sign. Like Matt Read of the Philadelphia Flyers, who avoided an entry-level deal when he signed in 2011, Poolman could get a one-way deal worth much more than a standard ELC.
- Charlie McAvoy is close to signing an amateur tryout with the Providence Bruins, but that doesn’t stop him from signing an entry-level deal this year if the Bruins feel they are desperate enough. As we discussed in the comments of the article yesterday, and confirmed by McKenzie in the video above, McAvoy would burn a year of his ELC if he should sign for this season despite being only 19. Because he turns 20 between September 16th and December 31st of this year, his contract wouldn’t slide even if he played fewer than 10 games. Like Colin White in Ottawa, this is still a possibility if the team feels as though they could help them win in the playoffs this season.
- Ron Hextall will likely be the GM of Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships, provided Philadelphia doesn’t make the playoffs. The team is currently six points behind Boston for the final spot, but have several teams in between them. Expect former NHL goaltender Sean Burke to also be part of the management team after his involvement in Hockey Canada over the past several years.
Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Provorov, Konecny, Ryan
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, in the midst of a career season offensively, is poised to become one of, if not the most sought after free agent of the 2017 offseason. We ranked the Capitals blue liner #1 in our mid-season free agent power rankings in January and since moving to Washington from St. Louis at the trade deadline, the 28-year-old has only helped his cause, tallying six assists in 10 games for his new employer. Shattenkirk reportedly rebuffed overtures from three different clubs since the 2016 entry draft who were interested in acquiring the seven year veteran on the condition they could lock him up to a contract extension. With nearly every team in the league looking for skilled, puck-moving defensemen, particularly those that happen to shoot right-handed, there figures to be a robust market for Shattenkirk’s services in July.
Elliotte Friedman, appearing on Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 Friday morning (H/T to Chris Nichols of Fan Rag Sports for the transcription), speculated that one team who may go all-in on Shattenkirk this summer is the New Jersey Devils. The Devils currently rank 28th overall in the NHL in scoring and have just one blue liner, Damon Severson, who has tallied at least 20 points on the season. Clearly they could use a point-producing defender and Shattenkirk will far and away be the top free agent option. Friedman notes that New Jersey will have the cap space ($19.5MM in projected cap space with 17 players under contract for 2017-18 according to Cap Friendly) to essentially outbid any other interested suitor if they so choose.
“I don’t know if Kevin Shattenkirk is going to go there – I still think he wants to be a Ranger. But I could see them throwing a big number at him. They’ve got a lot of cap room. They’ve got a spot for him on their blueline. He’s exactly what they need. It would not surprise me in the least if New Jersey is a team that goes out there and just throws bags of money at him and says, ‘Turn us down.’”
It’s interesting to note that Friedman also believes that Shattenkirk has his sights set on joining the Rangers. The Blue Shirts were among the teams that spoke to the Blues about dealing for the blue liner at the deadline but simply had no desire to meet St. Louis’ high asking price. The thought then was that they were content waiting for the summer when they can add the skilled blue liner without sacrificing any assets to do so. However, given the Rangers heavy, long term commitments to Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, it stands to reason they will have to be creative in fitting a projected Shattenkirk contract under the salary cap. That may mean trading or buying out one of the aforementioned duo.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- While the Philadelphia Flyers are a likely bet to miss the playoffs this season, the development of Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny has been a bright spot, as Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes. Provorov, just 20, has recorded 28 points as a rookie blue liner and has shown the potential to be a top-pair defender for years to come. Konecny, meanwhile, has registered 11 goals with 16 assists and has the elusiveness and creativity the Flyers sorely lack on their roster, according to Carchidi. Flyers GM Ron Hextall wisely avoided the temptation to be a buyer at the trade deadline and instead chose to remain patient with his retooling. The continued development of Provorov and Konecny demonstrate that Hextall’s decision was the correct one.
- Carolina center Derek Ryan has taken an unusual route to becoming a NHL regular, playing professionally in both Austria and Sweden prior to joining the Hurricanes organization. Ryan, who played for current Hurricane head coach Bill peters for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, went undrafted and spent four seasons playing collegiate hockey at the University of Alberta before turning pro. Now the 30-year-old rookie is Carolina’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, writes Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. Playing on a one-year, two-way contract this season, Ryan has registered 11 goals and 24 points while playing all over the Hurricanes lineup and has likely earned a raise on his $600K salary when he reaches free agency this summer. While he doesn’t qualify as a game-breaking talent, Ryan has proven he belongs in the NHL and is a solid, bottom-six contributor.
Minor Moves: Fischer, Moose, Friedman
The Arizona Coyotes have decided it’s time for Christian Fischer to try and make his mark at the NHL level. The team recalled Fischer today and moved Laurent Dauphin down to the AHL. Fischer, the 32nd-overall pick in 2015 has done nothing but score this season for the Tucson Roadrunners. With 43 points in 51 games, the big offensive upside he showed in Windsor last season—when he scored 90 points in 66 games—hasn’t diminished at all.
Scoring two goals in his first three games earlier this year wasn’t a bad start, but he’ll try to prove he deserves a full-time role on the NHL team as soon as next season. As Sarah McClellan of AZCentral notes, this represents the Coyotes’ fourth and final call-up for the rest of the season, meaning they’ll only be able to bring up players on emergency conditions.
- The Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, have signed two players to professional tryouts for the remainder of the season. Kale Kessy and Rob Flick will join the squad from their respective ECHL teams. Kessy, a former fourth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes has tried to turn himself into more than an enforcer over the years, and scored 23 points in 32 games for the Tulsa Oilers this season. Flick, a former selection of the Chicago Blackhawks, actually has had success in the AHL before, but found himself in the lower level this season. His scoring dominance there—59 points in 59 games—came paired with a penchant for fighting, and 160 minutes in penalties.
- Mark Friedman has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, and will report to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the remainder of the season. The third-round pick had another impressive season in college and continues to draw comparisons to Shayne Gostisbehere in path and pedigree. While they don’t quite play the same style, Flyers fans should be excited by another puck-moving defenseman who will make his mark on the NHL before long. Though Philadelphia has had trouble solidifying their blue line in recent years, the emerging group led by Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov look like they will fare quite a bit better over the next several seasons.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Mark Friedman To ELC
Tuesday: Kevin Gordon of the Bowling Green State site reports that Friedman has signed the contract this morning and will be going pro.
Monday: According to Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign third-round pick Mark Friedman out of Bowling Green State. The defenseman just completed his junior year, meaning he would be leaving school early to sign with the Flyers.
Friedman, 21, is another one of the sub-six foot defenders coming out of the college ranks who has succeeded in spite of his height. The puck-moving defenseman has always had loads of talent with the puck, but has trouble in his own end at times. With 26 points in 40 games this year, he’s proven once again he can contribute offensively—though that has never really been in doubt.
Should the Flyers pluck him out of school early, they can start giving him important minutes with Lehigh Valley immediately, and try to coax another NHL defender out of a mid-round pick. Shayne Gostisbehere was also a third-round pick that played three seasons in the NCAA before making an immediate impact last season. Perhaps Friedman, who is built much the same, can follow a similar path.