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Alexander Radulov

West Notes: Couture, Karlsson, Radulov, Ferland

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With all the disappointments that have surrounded the San Jose Sharks this season, the team finally got some good news as captain Logan Couture, who has been out with a broken ankle since the beginning of January, skated today for the second time, according to the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. While there remains no timetable for a return just yet, it’s good news for a team that recently lost all-star Tomas Hertl to a season-ending injury.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that Couture is expected to skate again Sunday and then will take off Monday before deciding what to do next. Couture is just skating, however, and hasn’t yet worked with pucks. However, Couture is happy and pleased with the way the team has been playing of late. The Sharks have won two straight and three of their last five games.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights might also be getting back one of its top players as forward William Karlsson practiced with the team today in a regular jersey, suggesting that the 27-year-old is close to returning. “He’s getting close,” said head coach Peter DeBoer (via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen). “I think he’s taking some contact today. He’s got another X-ray tomorrow and then we’ll see. If that goes well, he’s probably really close.” Karlsson could be available for the team’s game against Minnesota on Monday, depending on how his x-rays come out.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they will be without top winger Alexander Radulov Saturday. The forward suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s game against Minnesota. Rookie Joel Kiviranta will take his place in the lineup. The 33-year-old has 15 goals and 31 points, which are numbers well below his first two seasons in Dallas where he scored 27 and 29 goals each.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are also hoping to get back a familiar face. Forward Micheal Ferland returned to practice and skated with the team, but TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team still intends to send Ferland to the Utica Comets of the AHL on a conditioning stint before allowing him to return to the lineup. Ferland spent some time this week practicing with the team, but they now hope to get him some game action in the AHL first. Ferland, out with an upper-body injury, hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 10.

Dallas Stars To Scratch Alexander Radulov

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The run of expensive healthy scratches continues in the NHL this season, with the Dallas Stars now getting in on the action. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports that the Stars are set to scratch Alexander Radulov for tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, adding that head coach Jim Montgomery said it’s what’s best for the team. Radulov declined to comment.

The 33-year old Russian forward has been a disappointment this season after back-to-back 72-point campaigns. Not only is his offensive production down—15 points in 29 games works out to a 42-point full season pace—but he is among the league leaders in minor penalties with 15 already.

Some may see a scratching like this and immediately think about potential trade destinations, but not so fast with Radulov. Not only does he have a full no-movement clause at the moment which he could use to block any deal, but his contract still has two more seasons after this one at a $6.25MM cap hit. Though the actual salary declines in those years, it would be hard for any team to justify acquiring him for the full cap hit with the way he’s played this season.

In the summer of 2017, Radulov turned a strong return to North America with the Montreal Canadiens into a five-year deal with the Stars in free agency. Though the Canadiens were reported to have offered a similar deal, he turned down the team to go play in Texas. Perhaps the Canadiens should be counting their blessings at this point, given their strong cap situation and young core.

While this is probably not the end of Radulov in Dallas, it is a clear message from Montgomery that he will ice the team he believes has the best chance to win on a given night, salary be damned. The Stars turned around a dreadful start with a 14-1-1 run recently, but have now dropped their last four straight and are in need of another shake up.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hitchcock, Skinner

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The NHL has released their three stars of last week, and in the lead is a player who has had quite a roller coaster season. Vladimir Tarasenko had seven points in four games to help secure a Central Division playoff spot for the St. Louis Blues, just months after being one of the players rumored to be drawing interest in trade negotiations. The Blues went from a team considering blowing up its core to one that very well could contend for the Stanley Cup, and Tarasenko’s turnaround is one of the reasons why. The 27-year old sniper scored 46 points in his final 39 games and was a +23 during that time, finishing the year with his fifth consecutive season of 33 or more goals.

It’s not just the Blues who have hot players heading into the playoffs though, as Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Alexander Radulov of the Dallas Stars take home the other two stars this week. Rinne is proving once again that he is one of the most reliable goaltenders in the entire league and enters the playoffs as Nashville’s presumptive starter despite a strong push by backup Juuse Saros. Radulov meanwhile finished his season strong and crossed the point-per-game threshold for the first time in his career, ending with 72 in 70 games played.

  • The Edmonton Oilers will let their next GM decide what to do with the coaching position, as CEO Bob Nicholson told reporters today that Ken Hitchcock’s time behind the bench has come to an end for the time being. The legendary coach was only meant to be in that position for the rest of this season, and though Nicholson wouldn’t rule out the idea of him returning, said the new GM will be able to hire who he wants. Hitchcock will stay in the Oilers organization as an advisor, something the incoming front office will need as they try to turn things around for the organization.
  • After a disastrous season in Buffalo the Sabres fired their coach and held frustrated media availability today, but the focus will now turn to pending unrestricted free agent Jeff Skinner. The team has been in contact with Skinner’s representatives for some time, and the talented forward once again reiterated that he loves the city and organization and has “had a great time.” Skinner scored 40 goals for the first time in his career and could potentially be one of the very best forwards available this summer. The clock is ticking for the Sabres, as every day that passes makes the chance at free agency that much harder to resist.

Snapshots: Oilers, Boqvist, Radulov

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The Edmonton Oilers want to start GM interviews in the next two weeks according to CEO Bob Nicholson, who spoke to reporters at the front office meetings in Florida today. Nicholson admitted that he hasn’t yet asked for permission to speak with any currently employed executives, but will be looking into that in the near future after he has all the information. Vegas assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, who was noted as a top candidate for both the Oilers and Seattle expansion job, will not be allowed to speak with other teams until after the season according to several reports including the latest Insider Trading panel.

On that panel insider Darren Dreger noted that the Oilers have narrowed their short list to somewhere around ten names, a group including McCrimmon, interim GM Keith Gretzky, Dave Nonis, Sean Burke, Mike Futa and Mark Hunter among others. The Oilers simply must get this hire right as they try to turn things around and take advantage of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s prime.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks knew they were getting an incredible offensive talent in Adam Boqvist when they selected him eighth overall last June, but Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) believes the young defenseman may benefit from another year in junior hockey in 2019-20. That belief is supported by a source who tells Powers that the Blackhawks are discussing keeping Boqvist in the OHL instead of moving him to the AHL next season. The 19-year old has 56 points in 50 games for the London Knights this year and is second among OHL defensemen in goals with 19. London is well known as an NHL development machine, and could very well give Boqvist some Memorial Cup experience this season.
  • The Dallas Stars won’t have one of their top offensive weapons in the lineup tonight as the team will take Alexander Radulov out despite him being healthy enough to play. Radulov was late to practice this morning and will be punished by missing a game, a pretty meaningful development for a team trying to hold on to a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Radulov has 51 points in 54 games this season but will have to hope his teammates can take down the New York Rangers without him.

Dallas Forward Devin Shore Out With Lower-Body Injury

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The Dallas Stars are having a hard time staying healthy. The team is already without top-six forward Alexander Radulov and defensemen John Klingberg, Marc Methot and Connor Carrick, not to mention they have yet to see either Stephen Johns or Martin Hanzal hit the ice this season. That list has grown yet again, as forward Devin Shore is now expected to miss time as well due to a lower-body injury. Stars head coach Jim Montgomery told the media that Shore is expected to miss a minimum of seven to ten days.

Shore, 24, was off to a hot start this season. The University of Maine product is tied for fifth on the team in scoring behind five goals and six assists and has frequently been skating on the Stars’ top line. While Shore still has ample room to grow into a more offensively involved player, his 50-point pace was easily making 2018-19 look like his best season yet. The 2012 second-round pick has finished in the low thirties in back-to-back 82-game seasons to begin his NHL career. The question now is whether Shore will be able to bounce back quickly and get back to his current scoring clip or if an extended absence or slow return could send him back toward that 30-point projection.

While Shore is out, the Stars will have to call upon their depth once again. The team recently recalled Denis Gurianov from AHL Texas and will likely ask he, Mattias Janmark, Gemel Smith, and free agency addition Blake Comeau to take larger roles. This could be an opportunity for 2018 re-draft Adam Mascherin to make his NHL debut as well. Dallas is in the bottom third in the league in scoring as is and will have to find some suitable replacement for Shore’s production while he remains sidelined.

Minor Transactions: 11/11/18

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With a busy 11-game schedule Saturday, the NHL remains busy on Sunday with another six games. With all that action, teams are going to make moves to re-stock their roster. Check out our updated transactions throughout the day:

  • The Boston Bruins announced they have recalled defenseman Jeremy Lauzon from the Providence Bruins of the AHL on an emergency basis. The 21-year-old has already appeared in four games for Boston as well as another eight for Providence. In fact, if Lauzon gets called upon to play today, he’ll be playing in his third straight game in consecutive days. He was recalled as defenseman Brandon Carlo is listed as questionable after suffering an upper-body injury late in the game Saturday. Lauzon will play for Carlo, if he can’t go.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have assigned forward Denis Gurianov and defenseman Dillon Heatherington to the Texas Stars of the AHL. Gurianov has been a solid addition to the team, posting his first NHL goal Saturday in their 5-4 overtime loss to Nashville. He has been thriving in Texas, putting up six goals and 12 points 11 games there. Heatherington has appeared in five games for Dallas, posting one assist. He’s played in 10 games for Texas this season, accumulating four points. While there are no corresponding moves, it’s likely that the Stars hope that one of their injured forwards could return as both Alexander Radulov and Brett Ritchie both were practicing today, suggesting one, if not both, could be back soon. Heatherington’s demotion suggests the team was more impressed by defenseman Ben Gleason, who played well for Dallas Saturday.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have assigned forward Matt Read to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. The 32-year-old Read played five games for Minnesota and had six shots on goal, but failed to tally a point in that time. In Iowa, he has two points in seven games. With Matt Hendricks feeling better and able to fill in when needed, Read became expendable.
  • It looks like there may not be a “super line” in Bakersfield after all as center Cooper Marody, who many expected would center the elite line of Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto, has been recalled by the Edmonton Oilers Sunday. Marody will be making his second appearance with the team this year as he played two games with the Oilers earlier, but failed to score. He has three goals and 10 points in seven Bakersfield games this year.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Los Angeles Kings have assigned forward Matt Luff to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. The 21-year-old failed to score in three games and will return to Ontario where he compiled six goals and 12 points in just eight games.

Minor Transactions: 11/09/18

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The NHL is unusually active for a Friday night, with six games on the schedule including the Hall of Fame game in Toronto. The New Jersey Devils will take part in the game honoring the new inductees which include Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Willie O’Ree, Alexander Yakushev, Jayna Hefford and Gary Bettman. As the league prepares to induct some of the greatest to play the game, we’ll keep track on all the more minor moves around the league.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Cameron Gaunce to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL after almost two weeks with the team. Gaunce never did suit up for the Lightning, and will now try to get back into game shape with the Crunch. The 28-year old defenseman will likely be the extra man called up several times this season, though his playing time is expected to be restricted to mostly the minor leagues.
  • Given John Klingberg’s injury, the Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley from the minor leagues. They’ve also moved both Klingberg and Alexander Radulov to injured reserve, though the latter’s stint is retroactive to October 30th. Hanley has five points in 11 AHL games this season, and will try to force his way into the NHL lineup now that they’re missing a big part of their blue line for at least a month.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned Erik Burgdoerfer to the minor leagues, even as they start their short two-game road trip in Florida. Burgdoerfer has played in just a single game with Ottawa this season, and will spend most of the year in the minor leagues.
  • Jesper Bratt has been officially activated by the Devils and should be in the lineup tonight, a move that needed no corresponding transaction given that Eddie Lack cleared waivers and can remain in the minor leagues. Lack had been on conditioning loan to the Binghamton Devils and will now stay there on assignment. The Devils have sent Kurtis Gabriel back to the AHL though, in order to activate Stefan Noesen for tonight’s game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned a pair of young players to the AHL. The team announced that forward Sam Carrick and defenseman Andy Welinski have been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls. Both players have logged considerable time in the minors already this season, but have only suited up for eight games total for the Ducks.

Injury Updates: Red Wings, Hendricks, Byron, Radulov

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The Red Wings’ battered back end is set to get a boost tonight as Danny DeKeyser is set to return after missing the last eight games due to a hand injury, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  He gives Detroit another top-four defender that should be capable of logging more than 20 minutes a night to help take some pressure off of their young defensemen.  However, it’s not all good news for the Wings as DeKeyser will be taking the place of veteran rearguard Jonathan Ericsson who is dealing with an undisclosed injury of his own.  Tonight marks the 14th game of the season for Detroit and they have yet to have their entire defense corps healthy at the same time for any of them.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Wild forward Matt Hendricks has resumed practicing and has been cleared to play following a leg injury sustained back in mid-October, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. However, he won’t suit up tonight in St. Louis.  The veteran has played in five games this season, logging just shy of ten minutes a night while winning just shy of 46% of his faceoffs.
  • The Canadiens will be without winger Paul Byron for at least the next three games, the team announced (Twitter link). He missed Montreal’s last game due to a lower-body injury and if the team wants to free up a roster spot to bring up a replacement, he can be played on IR retroactive to October 30th.
  • The Stars have sent winger Alexander Radulov home for treatment and he is expected to miss the remainder of their current road trip which has three games remaining, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The veteran missed four games before returning earlier this week against Montreal but was shut down again following that contest.  Radulov ranks sixth in the league in points per game (1.57) so far this season.

West Notes: Puljujarvi, Thornton, Stars

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With Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi having been a healthy scratch in three of ten games already, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector notes that there is a debate inside the organization as to whether or not it’s time for the 2016 fourth overall pick to spend some time in the minors.  Edmonton was hesitant to give him much minor league time last season even when he was struggling but optics aside (it rarely looks good when a high pick heads for the minors), there’s certainly a strong case to be made that this is a good time to send him down.  Puljujarvi’s value has sharply eroded over the last couple of seasons and an extended stint with AHL Bakersfield would allow him to work on his all-around game while getting a lot more playing time than he currently is now.

Elsewhere out West:

  • While Sharks center Joe Thornton wasn’t expected to miss much time due to a knee infection, he has now missed the last night games. Head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters, including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required), that while Thornton is “getting closer”, he still has a catheter in his arm to give him antibiotics which would need to be removed before he could get clearance to return to San Jose’s lineup.
  • Dallas is set to get one defenseman back but is losing another. Mike Heika of the Stars’ team website reports that Marc Methot is ready to return after missing the last two games due to a lower-body injury.  However, he’ll likely take the place of fellow rearguard Connor Carrick who sustained a lower-body injury of his own on Sunday.  Meanwhile, head coach Jim Montgomery indicated that he’s hopeful that winger Alexander Radulov will be available for Tuesday’s game against Montreal after missing four straight due to a lower-body issue.

Central Notes: Laine, Vesalainen, Dickinson, Fortin

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Despite winger Patrik Laine finding himself on the fourth line for a second straight game, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice came to his player’s defense today. The 20-year-old Laine has just one even-strength point so far this season, prompting Maurice to swap Mathieu Perreault with Laine on Friday in their 2-1 win over Detroit. The move had few ramifications towards Laine’s numbers as he still managed to play 17:08 throughout the game. Yet the coach was quick to defend him.

“He’s 20,” Maurice said (via TSN’s Mark Masters). “He’s going to keep getting better…We need him to continue. He’s 20 & just learning the game.”

Maurice said the main goal of making the switch between Laine and Perrault was that Perrault was “buzzing” and he wanted to give the veteran a bigger role, pointing out that the power play (with Laine) was still “outstanding.”

  • Sticking with Jets, the Winnipeg Sun’s Ted Wyman reports that the recall of Tucker Poolman is expected to be the last roster move before the team travels to Finland for their two-game global series with the Florida Panthers. That means that 19-year-old Finn Kristian Vesalainen, the team’s 2017 first-rounder, won’t be going on the trip then as he remains with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. He has four assists in two games there, but still hasn’t been brought back to Winnipeg.
  • Mark Stepneski of NHL.com writes that Dallas Stars winger Jason Dickinson has seen his confidence soar in the last week and is starting to show that he can provide some of that secondary scoring the team desperately needs. The team has gotten 15 of its 19 goals this season from four players, including Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. However, Dickinson showed some impressive play last Tuesday, although all he got out of it was an assist. However, he followed that up Thursday with a two goal, three-point night, showing he can put up numbers. “I think it’s been building since training camp,” head coach Jim Montgomery said. “For a player to start to gain confidence in this league, it’s not easy. We thought he had a really good training camp and then the season started with a bit of inconsistency, but you’re starting to see it build.”
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield writes that Chicago Blackhawks forward Alexandre Fortin is starting to find his place on the Blackhawks’ roster. The 21-year-old has two goals and an assist over the past four games, and while head coach Joel Quenneville keeps changing lines on him, but the coach likes Fortin’s speed a little more than his defensive deficiencies. “(Defense) is a work in progress, but it’s been a good start for him,” Quenneville said. “It’s been a positive beginning because his speed has definitely been a big factor.”

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