Injury Notes: Wennberg, Martin, Folin, Vilardi
The Columbus Blue Jackets might be without one of their young centers, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that head coach John Tortorella didn’t acknowledge what the injury is, but said Alexander Wennberg is “probably out a while.”
The team already with multiple injuries at the center position with Brandon Dubinsky out as well as the fact that Wennberg himself has already missed significant time with injuries. The 23-year-old center had a breakout year last season when he put up 13 goals and 59 points, but this year has already missed several weeks with an upper-body injury in November. He has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games this season and hasn’t been as effective this year, often playing on the team’s third line.
Portzline also tweets that defenseman Zach Werenski is still out with no updates. In other injury news around the league:
- San Jose Sharks defenseman Paul Martin‘s two week conditioning stint is up (it actually expires Sunday) and he has been recalled. However, it doesn’t look like he will be placed into the Sharks lineup anytime soon. An Associated Press article in the New York Post reported Friday night that Martin had a setback from his recovery from ankle surgery, although the injury is not a recurrence of the same injury. However, there is no timeline for his return. Martin played four games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, the first four games he’s ever played in the AHL in his entire career. The 36-year-old defenseman had one assist in that span.
- Fox Sports Jon Rosen tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Christian Folin remains out after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to a lower-body injury. According to Rosen, Kings’ head coach John Stevens said, “He hasn’t really started skating again yet, but we’ve got the break coming here. We want to just let everything settle down, get him going again after the break. I would hope he starts skating after the break, but we’ll see.”
- Rosen also tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ 2017 first-round pick Gabriel Vilardi, who has been out with a back injury since the start of the season, is expected to be cleared to play in games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL on Dec. 28. Vilardi was the 11th-overall pick after scoring 29 goals for the Spitfires last season and has missed the entire year so far.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Motte, Schroeder
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves before tomorrow’s game, recalling both Tyler Motte and Jordan Schroeder. Schroeder is up on emergency conditions, which signals an injury somewhere on the roster. It likely means that Alexander Wennberg, whose status was unclear for the game, won’t be available. Wennberg missed the end of last night’s game against Pittsburgh, though no injury has been disclosed at this point.
Interestingly, the team had just sent down Sonny Milano earlier today and instead recalled Motte and Schroeder. Both players have experience at center, a position that has continuously frustrated the Blue Jackets this season. Without Brandon Dubinsky, the team has been forced to use Nick Foligno at center again recently, something that’s not ideal for their roster. If Pierre-Luc Dubois hadn’t burst onto the scene this season and been able to handle a full load, the team would be in even worse condition.
The Blue Jackets were in on Matt Duchene earlier in the year, and adding a center seems like an inevitable scenario for the team before the trade deadline. While Motte is an interesting player for the future, he doesn’t represent an answer at present. With the team just one point out of first, and seven points out of last in the Metropolitan Division, even the smallest of margins can be the difference between going to the playoffs and going to play golf this season.
Central Notes: Jost, Girard, Wennberg, Schwartz, Stastny
After a Friday report suggested 19-year-old center Tyson Jost of the Colorado Avalance might be allowed to play for Hockey Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Buffalo in a few weeks, a new report from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post today suggests the opposite. In fact neither Jost nor defenseman Samuel Girard are likely to be allowed to leave Colorado.
The scribe writes that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he didn’t see that happening.
“It’s not up to me, but if it were I’d say no. They’re part of our team and we need them,” Bednar said.
Both Jost and Girard have said they have not spoken to Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic about playing in the under-20 tournament, which will start on Dec. 26. The tournament already has two top Colorado prospects in 2017 first-round pick Cale Makar and second-round pick Connor Timmons.
Jost and Girard both play with the Avalanche, although both players playing time have dropped recently. Jost plays on the “Kid Line” with Alexander Kerfoot and J.T. Compher and is still finding his way, while Girard has seen his time drop under 20 minutes after playing above that mark during his first eight games with the team.
“I’m just getting in my groove after being hurt so long,” Jost said. “I want to be here. Hockey Canada, whenever you can represent your country, it’s such an honor. I had my chance last year. Right now, honestly, I’m just focusing on playing on the Avs, focusing on earning the coach’s trust and put up numbers. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that and I’m trying not to get frustrated because I’m getting my chances and getting that opportunity. It will come. That’s what I’m focused on right now and just getting in this rhythm.”
- Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News suggests that despite the Columbus Blue Jackets’ previous stance that they are looking for a top-line center, many within the organization now feel that last year’s third overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is starting to show that he might be that player they were looking for. Dubois has taken a step forward in his development and now is centering the team’s top line with Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson. Richardson even suggests that with the emergence of Dubois, the team might consider moving center Alexander Wennberg, who is struggling a bit this season after a 59-point season a year ago, and might be better off getting a chance on a different team, while the team focus on other areas of need. The team might need to get a center back, but with Brandon Dubinsky currently playing on the second line, the team might have an asset they could live without.
- Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that St. Louis Blues winger Jaden Schwartz, who left today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after taking a shot off his right foot is considered day-to-day. Coach Mike Yeo said X-rays were negative and he will be re-examined when they return to St. Louis. Any time missed would be a huge loss for the Blues. The 25-year-old scored his 14th goal of the season before going down today.
- Staying with the Blues, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) answers mailbag questions and writes that he doesn’t see the possibility of the NHL salary cap increasing potentially by $5MM as changing anything between negotiations between St. Louis and center Paul Stastny. Rutherford doesn’t believe that an increase in cap space will suddenly have general manager Doug Armstrong throwing money at Stastny. He believes the team has a set number in mind when it comes to Stastny and it will be up to him and his agent to decide if he wants to stay in St. Louis. The 31-year-old center hasn’t put up amazing numbers the last few years despite being paid $7MM AAV and will likely have to take a pay cut after his contract runs out at the end of the season. He currently has six goals and 20 points this season.
Injury Notes: Bruins, Rakell, Weber, Wennberg, Sutter
The Boston Bruins injury list keeps growing as the team is dealing with injuries to Brad Marchand, Anders Bjork, Ryan Spooner and Peter Cehlarik. However, the one good piece of news is that forward David Backes, who underwent surgery to have a piece of his colon removed on Nov. 1, has already been cleared for contact in practice, according to NBC Sports Joe Haggerty.
Originally estimated to be out for eight weeks, putting the timetable to early January, Backes has already been skating with the Bruins for a week and could be returning sooner than expected.
The other news isn’t as good, according to Haggerty, who says that Marchand will miss today’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and was still sporting a non-contact sweater in practice Saturday. Bjork is expected to miss another week with an upper-body injury, while neither Spooner or Cehalrik practiced Saturday. The scribe says only Spooner has a chance to play today.
- Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register tweets that Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell, who didn’t play in Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings due to an upper-body injury, won’t travel with the team starts their road trip. Stephens adds that coach Randy Carlyle was vague about when Rakell would return to the team.
- Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber, who has missed the past three games lower-body injury, missed practice today, according to the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. Instead, the veteran defenseman opted for therapy. He remains day-to-day as Montreal hosts Columbus on Monday.
- Cowan also reports that defenseman David Schlemko, who is on a condidtioning stint with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, was practicing with the Canadiens today, suggesting a return could be near.
- Columbus Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg, who has been out with an upper-body injury since Nov. 11, participated in practice fully today and is expected to travel with the team for Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
- Vancouver Canucks center Brandon Sutter, who is expected to miss today’s game against the New York Rangers, is more than just “day-to-day,” according to Canucks head coach Travis Green. The coach adds that it’s nothing too serious, but in his place Alexander Burmistrov will fill in for him while he is out.
- Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika reports that defenseman Stephen Johns, who was suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames, skated today and is expected to be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Metropolitan Notes: Bratt, Calvert, Letang, Wennberg
A lot has been made this season of the impressive play of the New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt, who has gone from a training camp surprise to a major piece to the team’s success in a couple of months. The 19-year-old winger, who was drafted in the sixth round in 2016, shouldn’t be this successful at this point in his career, but the youngster has really improved in a short amount of time since coming over from Sweden this offseason.
Now with injuries to Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson as well as the training camp injury to Travis Zajac, the team needs Bratt more than ever, who has now moved to the team’s second line, according to The Record’s Andrew Gross. He currently has five goals and six assists in 12 games. His ability to adapt quickly has impressed his teammates and coaches.
“I think he’s really been able to come in and fill a role in your quote-unquote top six but power play, penalty kill,” coach John Hynes said. “That’s a big void, without Kyle, without Johansson, without Travis, not only are those guys huge factors five on five but they all play such a key element on special teams, both power play and penalty kill. Jesper’s come in and done a good job. I think he’s alleviated some of those losses.”
- Columbus Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert has left the team’s road trip and is returning to Columbus after sustaining a big hit in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). He is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. The injury came when Lightning defender Dan Girardi knocked Calvert off his skates with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit that knocked his helmet off and slammed him into the boards.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins defensive combination of Kris Letang and Olli Matta had to be broken up Saturday in their 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks as the pair struggled together. In fact, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette’s Jason Mackey, Letang struggled immensely in the game and was on the ice for all four goals against. He now has a minus-16 plus/minus rating this season, which is way below average for the 30-year-old veteran. Maatta is at minus-five.
- Columbus Blue Jackets’ Alexander Wennberg‘s struggles to put the puck in the net continue as he now has had just two goals in 34 games dating back to last season, according to The Hockey Writers Mark Scheig. Wennberg, who had a promising season last year with 13 goals and 46 assists has just one goal in eight games this season. While the 23-year-old is more of a passer, the team could use more goals from the third-year center.
Metropolitan Notes: Smith-Pelly, Johnson, Wennberg, Manning
Capitals winger Devante Smith-Pelly told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that he played through a knee injury last year in New Jersey, something that the team was aware of at the time. With 15 games left in the season, he opted for surgery which put him on injured reserve the rest of the way. The Devils bought out the final year of his contract back in June (something Smith-Pelly opted not to grieve) and Smith-Pelly was only able to land a two-way contract that only pays the league minimum at the NHL level. The 25-year-old says his knee has fully recovered and with Washington needing some cheap contracts to round out their roster, he should have a good chance to make the team despite posting just nine points in 53 games in 2016-17.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson is entering the final year of his contract and told Tom Reed of The Athletic (subscription required) that his priority is to stay with Columbus. Johnson is set to earn $5MM in salary this coming season but may be hard-pressed to match that amount on the open market unless his point production gets back into the 30-40 point range after tallying just 37 combined over the last two years.
- Still with the Blue Jackets, center Alexander Wennberg has finally received his new work visa and has rejoined the team, notes Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch. Although Wennberg didn’t change teams this offseason, his new six-year, $29.4MM deal required him to go through the formal process once again.
- Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning resumed skating last month as he recovers from back surgery from April and is hopeful to be 100% for the regular season opener, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With Philadelphia expected to carry a couple of rookies to start the season, Manning may be in line to start as their seventh blueliner. He has been in that role at times over the past few seasons but saw action in a career-high 65 games last year.
Restricted Free Agents Still To Sign
Originally published on August 8th, and updated as of September 15th.
While the offseason has crawled along, name after name has been knocked off the list of restricted free agents as teams try to put together their roster for next season. With Monday’s signing of Barclay Goodrow by the San Jose Sharks, there are only 20 RFAs remaining unsigned for the 2017-18 season.
Heading that list is still Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak, two young superstars looking for a long-term payday before they turn 22. Each of them scored at least 70 points last season and have established themselves in the top tier around the league. Past them there is still a ton of talent. Alexander Wennberg and Bo Horvat make up the next tier of RFAs, coming off 50+ point seasons and key building blocks for their respective teams down the middle. Both just 22-years old they’ll be important contracts for Columbus and Vancouver to deal with before training camp starts.
After that, the list is dotted with several useful players who should have full-time roles this season along with some who are on the edge of the NHL still. Calgary leads the way with three remaining, while many teams have all their free agents locked up. Below is a list of the remaining free agents, along with their point totals from last year.
Andreas Athanasiou (DET) – 64 GP, 18 G, 11 A, 29 P
Josh Anderson (CBJ) – 78 GP, 17 G, 12 A, 29 P
Nikita Zadorov (COL) – 56 GP, 0 G 10 A, 10 P (Signed, two years, $4.3MM)
Marcus Foligno (MIN) – 80 GP, 13 G, 10 A, 23 P (Signed, four years, $11.5MM)
David Pastrnak (BOS) – 75 GP, 34 G, 36 A, 70 P (Signed, six years, $40MM)
Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 82 GP, 29 G, 48 A, 77 P (Signed, eight years, $68MM)
Alexander Wennberg (CBJ) – 80 GP, 13 G, 46 A, 59 P (Signed, six years, $29.4MM)
Bo Horvat (VAN) – 81 GP, 20 G, 32 A, 52 P (Signed, six years, $33MM)
Connor Brown (TOR) – 82 GP, 20 G, 16 A, 36 P (Signed, three years, $6.3MM)
Damon Severson (NJD) – 80 GP, 3 G, 28 A, 31 P (Signed, six years, $25MM)
Sam Bennett (CGY) – 81 GP, 13 G, 13 A, 26 P (Signed, two years, $3.9MM)
Zemgus Girgensons (BUF) – 75 GP, 7 G, 9 A, 16 P (Signed, two years, $3.2MM)
Anthony Duclair (ARZ) – 58 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 P (Signed, one year, $1.2MM)
Brendan Gaunce (VAN) – 57 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 P (Signed, two years $1.5MM)
Brett Kulak (CGY) – 21 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Robbie Russo (DET) – 19 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, two years, $650K)
Petteri Lindbohm (STL) – 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)
Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY) – 4 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Jean-Sebastien Dea (PIT) – 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Tye McGinn (TB) – 0 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Alexander Wennberg
So much for digging in their heels. The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Alexander Wennberg to a six-year, $29.4MM contract, ending what has been a long negotiation this summer. The 22-year old was a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, coming off his entry-level contract. The deal will pay him an average of $4.9MM each season, though it is slightly back-loaded:
- 2017-18: $3.5MM
- 2018-19: $4.5MM
- 2019-20: $5.35MM
- 2020-21: $5.35MM
- 2021-22: $5.35MM
- 2022-23: $5.35MM
Wennberg posted career highs in nearly every statistical category last season, registering 13 goals and 46 assists for 59 points. That number put him second in team scoring on the Blue Jackets behind only Cam Atkinson, and solidified his reputation as a number one center for the team. Selected 14th-overall in 2013, Wennberg has quickly overcome any doubts in his ability to rack up points at the NHL level. Through 217 games, he has totaled 119 points and could easily set new career highs once again this season.
At first glance this contract seems like a fairly large bargain for the Blue Jackets. Wennberg comes in well below Jonathan Drouin‘s recent six-year extension, despite the Montreal forward having less experience in the league and scoring fewer points last season. While you can point to Drouin’s draft pedigree and dynamic offensive upside, contracts are usually handed out based on actual in-game production which Drouin only leads slightly in a per-game basis. The Blue Jackets will be quite pleased with contract that comes in under $5MM, and it will help them keep their entire core together down the road.
Over the next two summers, Columbus has contracts to give out to players like Atkinson, Artemi Panarin, Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray and several more, while a deal for Josh Anderson is still on the table this offseason. Getting a key member of your forward group like Wennberg locked up for a reasonable number is a huge part in keeping your salary structure possible. He’ll actually come in as just the fourth-highest paid forward on the team this season, behind Panarin, Brandon Dubinsky and captain Nick Foligno.
Wennberg isn’t a perfect player. 21 of his assists came on the powerplay this season, and he needs to do a better job generating shots while at even strength. Though his defensive game has potential to be good enough to lock down opposing top lines, it’s not yet at the level of some of the elite centers in the league. He’ll never be an overly physical player, but his size does allow him to work capably in the corners and in front of the net. Success in the faceoff dot should be expected down the road, though the team will obviously live with his shortcomings in that area in order to get him on the ice as much as possible.
It will be interesting to see if Wennberg gels with newcomer Panarin, who plays a much different game than the outgoing Brandon Saad but could form a near-unstoppable trio along with Atkinson should they see time together. The three are all gifted offensive players, but could be spread out among the top two lines in order to work with more physical players like Jenner or Dubinsky. Either way, it will be one of the most dangerous forward groups in the league, capable of beating teams in several different ways.
This contract has ramifications outside of Columbus as well, as David Pastrnak and Bo Horvat look for similar long-term contracts. Both players are in similar situations coming off their entry-level contracts, though have different offensive profiles. Pastrnak put up much higher scoring numbers last year, but plays the wing and is 20 months younger than Wennberg, while Horvat has a better two-way game and has a higher draft pedigree. Pastrnak has been looking for a contract that would far outpace this deal, while Horvat’s negotiations have spanned everything from a two-year bridge deal to an eight-year pact.
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported the financial details of the contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest On Columbus Blue Jackets’ RFA Talks
Even as the calendar turns over into September and NHL training camps are just around the corner, the Columbus Blue Jackets remain locked in important negotiations. Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson, two core restricted free agents, remain unsigned. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes (subscription needed), it doesn’t look like anything is close. The Blue Jackets aren’t willing to give in to contract demands for players who are pre-arbitration, while agents look to continuously press the average salaries higher and higher.
Anderson apparently will begin skating in Switzerland to stay in shape, if the contract talks aren’t finished in the next few weeks. He’s coming off his first full year in the NHL, in which he scored 17 goals and showed off his versatility. Wennberg remains the team’s first-line center, and will likely be one of the three most important forwards on the team this year. Missing training camp would be a step back, though there is clearly no animosity between the two sides.
It’s business after all, something that is being seen all around the league this year. David Pastrnak, Bo Horvat and Andreas Athanasiou remain unsigned among many others, and even though there are often late-summer RFA signings, it’s still a scary proposition for fans to wait this long. Columbus still has plenty of cap space to sign both long-term if they so choose, but with big extensions coming up for the 2018-19 season—Cam Atkinson in particular—they’ll have to be very careful with how they spend their dollars.
Poll: Which Restricted Free Agents Will Miss The Start Of The Season?
After Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Connor Brown signed this weekend, the count is now fourteen on remaining restricted free agents still to sign. David Pastrnak, Alexander Wennberg and Bo Horvat lead the group, while Damon Severson, Sam Bennett and Andreas Athanasiou all represent important players on their clubs.
While most of these fourteen will surely sign within the next few weeks and be ready for the start of the season, there are often a few that take a little longer to sign. Last year we saw Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm and Jacob Trouba all sign contracts after the regular season had begun. Though Rakell was injured and wouldn’t return until the beginning of November anyway, the other two missed important game action that could have cost their teams in the standings.
With the end of August upon us, there could be more examples of RFAs holding out into the season. Below we’re asking you to vote on who you think will be left without a contract come the beginning of the year. Every RFA that has yet to be officially signed by his team is listed. You can vote for as many as you want, and make sure to leave how many games you think they’ll each miss in the comments.
Which RFAs Will Be Without A Contract At The Beginning Of The Season?
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Andreas Athanasiou (DET) 24% (140)
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David Pastrnak (BOS) 22% (131)
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All will be signed 12% (68)
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Nikita Zadorov (COL) 8% (46)
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Anthony Duclair (ARZ) 6% (34)
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Bo Horvat (VAN) 6% (33)
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Sam Bennett (CGY) 6% (33)
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Alexander Wennberg (CBJ) 5% (27)
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Robbie Russo (DET) 3% (19)
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Petteri Lindbohm (STL) 3% (16)
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Damon Severson (NJD) 2% (12)
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Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY) 2% (11)
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Josh Anderson (CBJ) 2% (10)
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Brett Kulak (CGY) 2% (10)
Total votes: 590
[Mobile users click here to vote!]