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Toronto Maple Leafs To Meet With Matthew Knies

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The Toronto Maple Leafs already signed Nick Abruzzese out of the college ranks and quickly inserted him into the lineup, where he has played three games so far. The Harvard alum is still waiting for his first NHL point, but looks like a key part of the depth chart as they head toward the playoffs. Another name that could potentially have an impact down the stretch is Matthew Knies, the standout freshman from Minnesota who is one of the biggest risers from the 2021 draft.

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Knies is expected to meet with Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas tomorrow to discuss his future, though several reports have indicated to this point (including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet) that he is leaning toward a return to school for another season. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked about the young forward today, and explained his excitement to reporters including David Alter of The Leafs Nation:

He’s obviously a player we’re excited about. He’s had a monster season in college hockey, not just college hockey but World Juniors, Olympics. He’s really made his mark. We’re very excited about him and having him in the organization. Obviously, we’re going through a process right now and sorting through what’s going to be the net step for him. Our focus remains what’s happening here. When the time is right for him, of course we’ll welcome him. This season, down the line, whenever that may be. They’re going to go through that process. 

Knies, 19, fell to the Maple Leafs at No. 57 in last year’s draft after an uninspiring 2020-21 season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. His size and skill were an intriguing package though, and he showed exactly why when he hit the college circuit. In 33 games as a freshman with the Golden Gophers, Knies scored 15 goals and 33 points, becoming arguably the team’s most dangerous player by the end of the season. He also was given a chance to play at the Olympics for Team USA, where he recorded a goal and an assist in four games.

The question of course is whether another year of development at Minnesota would be beneficial, especially since the team is still loaded with talent. Brock Faber decided to return, instead of signing with the Los Angeles Kings, and others like Ryan Johnson and Jackson Lacombe have yet to make their decisions. It’s not even clear how much opportunity would be waiting in Toronto right away, given how deep their forward group already is.

Notably, the Maple Leafs did leave room in terms of contract slots for this very situation. Knies could take one of those slots, burn the first year of his entry-level contract and reach restricted free agency a year early. Whether that would be the best for his career in general still remains to be seen.

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Four Games

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As many were expecting, the NHL Department of Player Safety has announced a suspension of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, this time for four games, for his cross-check of Nashville Predators’ defenseman Mark Borowiecki on Sunday. As the accompanying video explains:

“It is important to note that this is not a case where Malkin raises his stick defensively or reflexively to protect himself. We find Malkin’s cross-check to be retaliatory and aggressive. While we heard Malkin’s assertion that Borowiecki initiated the scrum by restraining him and confronting him, neither action merited Malkin’s response. Players are not excused from violating league rules because of the actions of their opponents. There is simply no justification for a player to forcefully and intentionally cross-check another player in this manner.”

Malkin’s suspension could seem excessive to some, but this is not his first suspension, having been suspended once before, and fined three other times in his career. It is also worth noting that Malkin was assessed a four minute double-minor on the play. In terms of salary-forfeited, the suspension will cost Malkin approximately $190K.

Losing Malkin for four games now is a tough loss for Pittsburgh, who is in no threat of losing a playoff position, but is fighting for seeding, which can have enormous ramifications in their own right. The Penguins currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points, four ahead of the Washington Capitals who hold the second Wild Card in the Eastern Conference (the Boston Bruins have the first Wild Card with 95 points). The star forward is still producing at a high-level at 35 years of age, despite dealing with injury this season, recording 17 goals and 20 assists in 37 games this year.

 

Evgeni Malkin To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without one of their stars for the next little while, as Evgeni Malkin will have a hearing with the league’s Department of Player Safety regarding his cross-check of Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki last night.

At the end of the second period, Malkin and Borowiecki came together for the incident in question. Malkin first delivered a hard slash to Borowiecki’s side, before hitting him in the face with his stick. The Penguins forward received a four-minute double-minor penalty (Borowiecki was given a two-minute penalty for his own slash), as it drew blood.

This is certainly not the first time that Malkin has been involved in supplementary discipline decisions. The veteran has received several fines in the past and was given a one-game suspension in 2019 for high-sticking.

The Penguins start a home-and-home with the New York Islanders tomorrow, before doing the same with the Boston Bruins in the following two games.

Penguins Assign Filip Hallander To Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

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  • The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned center Filip Hallander to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 21-year-old made his NHL debut on Thursday but with Jason Zucker returning to the lineup, Pittsburgh had to either send Hallander back or convert him to one of their four allowable post-deadline regular recalls.

Jason Zucker To Return Saturday

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  • The Penguins will welcome winger Jason Zucker back to the lineup this afternoon as he has recovered from his knee injury, relays Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). The veteran returned to the lineup at the end of March after missing more than two months following core muscle surgery but suffered the knee injury that very same game.  It has been a frustrating year for Zucker to say the least as he has been limited to just 32 games, collecting just eight goals and six assists.  Meanwhile, while winger Brock McGinn is getting closer to returning from the upper-body injury that has held him out for the last month, he isn’t quite ready to play just yet.

Penguins Could Opt To Keep Top Prospects In AHL For Playoff Push Over Late NHL Looks

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  • The Penguins may opt to keep their better prospects in the minors instead of using them to replace injured players over the final few weeks of the season, suggests Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL finds themselves in a close battle for a playoff spot (or play-in position, potentially) and the developmental value of having those prospects in a close race could be more beneficial than sprinkling them into the NHL lineup on a Pittsburgh team that is comfortably in a playoff spot and is simply playing for positioning.

Crosby, Marino, Zohorna Out With Non-COVID Illness Against New York Rangers

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  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are dealing with an array of non-COVID illnesses and will miss several pieces tonight, including captain Sidney Crosby, in their game against the New York Rangers. The Penguins announced they will be missing Crosby, John Marino, and Radim Zohorna for the game. The team has not confirmed if any of the players are expected to be out beyond tonight’s game. The Penguins next play Saturday afternoon at home against the Washington Capitals.

Filip Hallander Recalled By Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could have a new face in the lineup this evening, as Filip Hallander has been recalled under emergency conditions. The young forward would be making his NHL debut should he join the lineup against the New York Rangers this evening.

Hallander’s career so far has been an interesting one. Originally drafted by the Penguins in 2018, he was part of the trade that brought Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh in 2020. Less than a year later he was on his way back to the Penguins in the pre-expansion Jared McCann trade before he had ever even played in North America.

This season, his first with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, the 21-year-old forward has ten goals and 24 points in 53 games. While those numbers don’t pop off the page, Hallander has been praised for his two-way play dating back to his draft year. His ceiling was always likely that of a third-line forward in the NHL, if he reaches that level on a full-time basis at all.

It’s Hallander’s play in the NHL, whenever his debut does happen, that will ask some interesting questions about the future. Teddy Blueger, who represents the team’s checking-line center, is signed through next season but is a pending UFA in the summer of 2023. Versatile Evan Rodrigues and trade deadline pickup Rickard Rakell are both pending UFAs this summer. Then there is the core trio of Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust, who are all set to hit the open market–or land new, expensive contracts with the Penguins–this year. All of this uncertainty means that players on entry-level deals will become extremely important. Hallander is still signed through next season on that very inexpensive ELC, making him an intriguing piece to watch down the stretch if he finds his way into the lineup.

Jason Zucker Now Day-To-Day

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  • Jason Zucker, who looked as though he may be out for the year when he was helped off the ice recently, is actually only considered day-to-day and will travel with the Pittsburgh Penguins on their road trip. Zucker skated in a regular sweater today at practice and met with reporters afterward, explaining that he feels excited about the end of the year now that he’s been back on the ice. The 30-year-old forward has played 32 games this season, just two of those coming since December 19.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Lukas Svejkovsky

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed another prospect, this time inking Lukas Svejkovsky to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will begin in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859,167 at the NHL level. Svejkovsky currently plays with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.

Svejkovsky is a name that some NHL fans might be familiar with, given his father Jaroslav Svejkovsky played in 113 games, mostly for the Washington Capitals, after being the 17th overall pick in 1996. While dad had to deal with a league much less friendly to undersized scoring talents, Lukas will have a much better chance of making an impact, should his upside come anywhere close to his father’s.

Selected in the fourth round in 2020, Svejkovsky has put up 73 points in 55 games this season, splitting time between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Seattle. That midseason trade will allow the young forward to chase a WHL championship one last time before turning pro, as the 20-year-old will likely join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next season.

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