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Jay Beagle Expected To Miss Six Weeks

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The Vancouver Canucks already lost Elias Pettersson for a week with a concussion, but that won’t be the only player they’re missing for the next while. Jay Beagle will be out for six weeks after suffering a broken forearm this weekend. Beagle blocked a Mike Hoffman blast from the point late in the game against the Florida Panthers, and won’t be able to help the Canucks as they look to stay competitive in the early going.

Beagle, 32, was one of the free agents that the Canucks decided to sign this offseason to insulate their young lineup and provide some experience to the roster. Given a four-year contract, many questioned if he would be able to remain effective after leaving a specific role he’d served in with the Washington Capitals. Beagle had been a defense and faceoff specialist in Washington, suiting up behind Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller as part of one of the deepest center groups in the league. Now in Vancouver he had been asked to do little more than that through the first five games, and had incredibly seen almost exclusively (92.6%) defensive zone starts. That role will now have to go to someone else while Beagle heals.

The team will also be losing their prime penalty killing forward, as Beagle had seen almost five minutes a night short handed through five games. Though not asked for much offense, Beagle had been showing he could at least be relied upon for what the Canucks wanted out of him, something they’ll need to find elsewhere now. A team that has gotten off to a good start will need other players to step up in the absence of their injured forwards and hopefully keep the Vancouver train rolling towards playoff contention.

 

Elias Pettersson Out At Least A Week With Concussion

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It’s not easy being a rookie in the NHL. Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson will be out at least seven to ten days with a concussion according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, after being thrown forcefully to the ice by Florida Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson. Pettersson was taken out of the game immediately, and though he’s still travelling with the team, will not be put back into the lineup until he’s completely free of symptoms. The Canucks will play it safe with the young phenom, who has shown the potential to be a star already in the league but could be a target for his entire career because of his slight frame. Adam Gaudette is expected to be recalled to replace him on the roster.

Pettersson, 19, was off to a tremendous start to the season with five goals and nine points in his first five NHL contests. The fifth-overall pick from 2017 had an early edge in the Calder Trophy race, especially given his role as the engine of the Canucks offense already. That unfortunately will come to an end for at least a few games, and perhaps even longer as the team can’t afford to rush him back and risk any long-term damage. Though Vancouver has been exciting this season, the team is looking towards the future and Pettersson’s a huge part of their competitive window that will soon open.

For his part, Matheson had a phone hearing with the NHL this morning and could face some supplementary discipline. More than 75% of voters here at PHR believed he should earn some type of suspension, given the force and perceived intent of the hit. The fact that Pettersson has suffered a concussion will factor into the NHL’s decision, though they will have to deem it a suspendable offence, and not just an unfortunate result.

Injury Notes: Pettersson, Schultz, DeKeyser, Andrighetto, Johns, Kovalchuk

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While there has been no official diagnosis revealed, The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning reports that 19-year-old phenom Elias Pettersson is feeling a little better today after taking a brutal hit and flung to the ice by Florida’s Mike Matheson that forced him out of the game Saturday evening.

“I just talked to him in the meal room, he’s feeling a little bit better,” said Benning before the team headed for the airport.

Pettersson was reportedly quite woozy after the hit, where it looks as if he hit his head against the glass during the hit and then hit his head a second time when Matheson threw him to the ice. The Department of Player Safety already confirmed there will be a phone hearing about the incident.

  • While there also is no official word from the injury that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz suffered Saturday after he fell awkwardly with Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that speculation is that he sustained a fracture to his leg/ankle and the recovery time is likely to be significant. McKenzie adds that while a fracture can be better than a high ankle sprains in some cases, if Schultz requires surgery, that could make it the recovery time even longer.
  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without defenseman Danny DeKeyser as he is expected to see a hand specialist on Tuesday, suggesting he might be out a while, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The scribe adds that the team will get back Dennis Cholowski, who has missed two games with an upper-body injury for Monday’s game.
  • BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele reports that Colorado Avalanche’s Sven Andrighetto skated with the full team in a non-contact jersey Sunday. He suffered a lower-body injury before the season started and the team hopes it can get the 25-year-old back during their upcoming four-game road trip. The team intends to recall a player from the AHL until Andrighetto is ready to return.
  • Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns skated on back-to-back days this weekend, suggesting the 6-foot-4, 225-pound blueliner is edging closer to a return as he deals with a concussion from the preseason, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro. The scribe adds that he isn’t that close as he is still dealing with headaches.
  • The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke reports that Los Angeles Kings winger Ilya Kovalchuk left practice early today. Head coach John Stevens said he’s been dealing with a “nagging issue” and is day-to-day.

Montreal Canadiens Making Depth Forwards Available

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The Montreal Canadiens are coming up to a roster crunch given the face that Jacob de La Rose and Nicolas Deslauriers are both nearing a return from injury and during the TSN broadcast of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings game today, Bob McKenzie explained that GM Marc Bergevin is “open for business” when it comes to trading one of his depth forwards:

They’re getting into a bit of a crunch here where they’re going to have to move some bodies to the minors, and some of those guys require waivers. So I guess Bergevin is just testing the waters to see what interest there might be in some of his guys and could he get something instead of instead of losing someone potentially on waivers.

Even before de La Rose and Deslauriers come back the Canadiens find themselves with 14 forwards on the roster, and only star rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi is waiver-exempt. Unless they decide to send Kotkaniemi away to continue his development somewhere else, the team is already sitting players like Tomas Plekanec on a nightly basis. That’s not ideal, but the team also doesn’t have a lot of leverage with other clubs knowing they’ll have to put someone on waivers eventually.

If the team can get something for one of their depth forwards, it likely won’t be a big return. de La Rose and Nikita Scherbak, who can’t seem to find a way into the lineup either, are both high draft picks that haven’t quite worked out to this point. Still, a 22-year old first round pick that has only played 29 NHL games and produced well at the minor leagues has to have a little bit of value, if the Canadiens decide that Scherbak is the easiest one to deal away. The decision still probably doesn’t have to be made for a few days, but expect some movement in Montreal in the near future.

Jason Garrison Signs One-Year Deal With Edmonton Oilers

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It doesn’t come as much of a surprise after his play in the preseason and the recent trade of Jakub Jerabek, but Jason Garrison has earned a contract for the 2018-19 season. The Edmonton Oilers will sign Garrison to a one-year, one-way deal worth $650K according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, a nice reward for his hard work on a professional tryout at camp this summer.

Garrison, 33, ended up on the Vegas Golden Knights roster in last season’s expansion draft but couldn’t crack the lineup for much of the season. Suiting up for just eight games, he instead spent the majority of the year in the minor leagues with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL where he recorded 28 points in 58 games. That broke a string of seven seasons which he had played entirely in the NHL, not a bad streak for an undrafted defenseman out of the college ranks.

Once a feared weapon on the powerplay because of his shot, Garrison can’t really be relied upon for a ton of offensive production anymore. In Edmonton he’ll be asked to play a depth role, likely starting the season in the press box should the team’s regular group be deemed healthy enough to play. His presence does also complicate things somewhat for young talents like Evan Bouchard and Ethan Bear, though both are right handed—something that the Oilers have lacked depth in over the last few seasons.

If the team does end up relying on Garisson as a full-time player, you can bet things have turned south in Edmonton. The defense was a huge spot of difficulty for the team in 2017-18, but should rebound somewhat if Adam Larsson and Oscar Klefbom can stay healthy and in the lineup. Though Andrej Sekera’s injury is painful, all this group has to do is defend well enough in their own end and get the puck quickly up to Connor McDavid and friends in order to compete in the Western Conference. Whether they’ll be able to do that is still yet to be determined.

Talks Quiet Between New Jersey Devils, Miles Wood

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After Sam Reinhart signed his two-year bridge deal with the Buffalo Sabres earlier today, just four restricted free agents remain unsigned now several days into the preseason. One of those players is Miles Wood, who has been generally overlooked among this group due to the star power of some of the other names sitting out. Bob McKenzie of TSN gave an update on the situation today on Twitter, noting that there has been “virtually no dialogue” of late and that the two sides are not close to a deal. Wood may not have the name recognition of a William Nylander or Shea Theodore, but is still an important player for the New Jersey Devils that they need to get under contract at some point or risk heading into the season without his contribution in the lineup.

Wood, 23, was a big part of the New Jersey breakout last season, scoring 19 goals in 76 games while being an effective checking forward. Though playing fewer than 13 minutes a night, Wood was able to create 170 shots on net and use his speed and size to convert on those opportunities on a regular basis. While the team may not want to hand out a long-term deal on the back of a career year, he certainly looked the part this season and should be looking for a substantial reward.

The lack of previous success or draft pedigree is what makes Wood’s situation different to that of Nylander or Reinhart, and could very well be the sticking point between the two sides. There is little to suggest that he’s on a path to 60-point seasons, but Wood does have leverage as the team’s fourth-leading goal scorer from a year ago. The Devils now expect to compete for the playoffs after such a successful Cinderella run in 2017-18, and Wood knows he is a big part of that. Settling for a short-term deal at this point may not be considered a win for his camp, even if it would get him playing again.

Of course, when you don’t have that long track record of success or a huge draft investment from the team, there is substantial danger to holding out through training camp. For every day Wood misses there will be another opportunity for a younger player to show that he can replace that role effectively this season, and likely at a cheaper cost. There’s only so much you can demand as a fourth-round pick with 137 games under your belt.

Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign Sam Reinhart

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There are five remaining restricted free agents without a contract for the upcoming season, and among them is Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart. Though there has never seemed to be any animosity between the two sides, training camp and the preseason schedule is now underway without Reinhart officially on the Buffalo roster. That is about to change though, as the Sabres and Reinhart have signed a two-year deal that carries an average annual value of $3.65MM per season. We’ve seen other holdouts end up taking short-term deals over the last few days, with Darnell Nurse and Josh Morrissey both signing two-year contracts to get them back on track for the start of the season.

Reinhart, 22, still hasn’t experienced the breakout many have expected since his dominant junior career but is a very good player for the Sabres whose numbers should improve this season just by virtue of playing with more talented linemates. He did register a career-high in goals and points last season with 25 and 50 respectively, though those numbers are just slightly ahead of his first two years in the league. Now, with new forwards like Jeff Skinner, Casey Mittelstadt, Conor Sheary, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson in the lineup the Sabres should be able to take some pressure off of some of the younger players. Reinhart and Jack Eichel may benefit from this deeper forward group tremendously, and be able to operate away from the very toughest matchups on a nightly basis.

Of course, that’s what both sides are hoping after signing a short-term deal. Reinhart is giving up a chance at a long-term contract in the hopes that he can secure a much more lucrative deal in the future, while the Sabres expect to get some relatively cheap production over the next two seasons while they continue their rebuild. Already a player of Reinhart’s talent is a steal at $3.65MM, and if he can take a step forward this season the second year of his deal could be one of the better bargains in the league. Reinhart will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this deal, but the short term allows both to reevaluate their position in a year’s time. Next July 1st the two sides could potentially work out an extension, with the benefit of another year of production in the books.

The contract also could be of some use to the other restricted free agents, namely William Nylander just up the road in Toronto. The Maple Leafs forward was selected just six spots after Reinhart in the 2014 draft, and has almost the same number of points in his short career—though in far fewer games. Toronto is infamously in a tight cap situation given their future negotiations with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, though Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that he doesn’t believe the Maple Leafs or Nylander want to sign a short-term bridge deal.

There is a lot of optimism around the Sabres this season, and now with their final piece signed and heading for training camp the battle for relevancy can once again begin. After finding themselves near the bottom of the standings for some time, the addition of Rasmus Dahlin has the Sabres interested in more. GM Jason Botterill has done plenty of work over the last year to revamp the roster, including trading away key forwards in Evander Kane and Ryan O’Reilly. If this group is to take a step forward, Reinhart and others will need to show they’re ready to compete with the best offensive players in the league.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to confirm the deal, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported the cap hit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Prospect Notes: 2019 Draft, Tkachuk, Formenton

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The 2019 NHL Draft Lottery is already shaping up to be a franchise-changing event, given the consensus building over Jack Hughes as the best overall player available. Bob McKenzie of TSN released his Pre-Season Draft Rankings, and noted that ten out of ten scouts he polled have Hughes in the top spot. That’s a kind of dominance reserved the last few seasons for players like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Rasmus Dahlin, and should indicate a tremendous future for the young center.

Hughes is an outstanding talent, but remember that all fifteen teams that miss the playoffs will have a chance to win the lottery and select first overall. While those teams who finish at the bottom—or those who own another team’s pick—have the best chance, Hughes could find himself in any number of cities when training camp begins next year.

  • The Ottawa Senators may have risked a shot at Hughes by hanging onto their 2018 fourth-overall draft pick, but they’re quite happy with the progress Brady Tkachuk has already shown. Tkachuk seems poised for an immediate role with the Senators, and Luke Fox of Sportsnet dives into what makes the young forward tick. Head coach Guy Boucher admits that Tkachuk has been impressive through the first part of training camp, but wouldn’t go so far as to guarantee his spot on the opening night roster. If the Senators are to be competitive this season they may just need a spark from young players like Tkachuk to turn things around.
  • Speaking of Ottawa prospects, Alex Formenton has also drawn the eye of his head coach in recent days. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Boucher compared Formenton’s speed to that of superstar Connor McDavid today as the Senators prepare for their first exhibition game. The 19-year old speedster played one game for Ottawa last season and two games for Belleville at the end of the year, but would be heading back to the London Knights of the OHL if he fails to crack the Senators roster this fall. Already armed with some NHL-level attributes, Formenton would likely be a leader on the Canadian World Junior squad if allowed to attend the tournament in a few months.

Erik Karlsson Trade Watch Continues

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After a report yesterday that things were getting closer to a resolution on the Erik Karlsson situation in Ottawa, we have another hockey insider saying trade talks are picking up on the Senators captain. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that there has been a “decided increase” in trade talks over the last day or two, and adds that he believes the Western Conference is still the likely destination.

The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights have both been connected to Karlsson in the past, though there was some doubt in Dallas’ ongoing involvement yesterday. Beyond the Golden Knights there are countless teams that could use a player of Karlsson’s stature, though at this point it is hard to predict who would step up and hand over the immense package that the Senators are looking for. A team like the Edmonton Oilers would obviously love to have a star right-handed defenseman like Karlsson come in, but given their current cap situation it’s not surprising that they haven’t yet been publicly linked. That issue isn’t unique to the Oilers though, as Karlsson carries a substantial $6.5MM cap hit for this season and is likely looking for somewhere around $11MM on a long-term extension.

Karlsson for his part did show up at the Senators golf tournament yesterday and though he still avoided speaking to media, is expected to take part in all of training camp if a trade is not finalized. The Senators are taking medicals this morning and will start the on-ice portion tomorrow—though, as of this writing Karlsson still has not checked in. McKenzie notes that the the “obvious goal” is to try and get something done before those on-ice sessions begin.

Oilers Notes: Criticism, Nurse, Lucic

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TSN insider Bob McKenzie has begun previewing the 2018-19 seasons for the NHL’s Canadian clubs on his podcast, “The Bobcast”, and dropped some bombs about the Edmonton Oilers. McKenzie most newsworthy claim is that the Oilers have been criticized by executives around the league for failing to reach the postseason last year. McKenzie was honest in his assessment of the team, saying “I think the way most people look at it, every year you have a Connor McDavid-led team that misses the playoffs, that is a crime against hockey humanity. I think that would be especially true this season after they didn’t do it last season… McDavid’s game is on its own level and it would be absolutely criminal if the Edmonton Oilers cannot find a way to surround him with enough talent to get this team back into the playoffs.” McKenzie, and anyone who has been critical of the team, are absolutely in the right to wonder how a team with arguably the best player on the planet can not only miss the playoffs, but finish in the bottom ten of the league. It is also fair to question, as McKenzie did, whether the team has done enough to add more talent to the roster. Outside of backup goalie Mikko Koskinen, two-way winger Tobias Rieder, and checking center Kyle Brodziak, the Oilers are more or less relying on the same group as last season to put together a major turnaround. Even with some positive regression, Edmonton will need to step it up this season – the players, coaches, and front office included.

  • McKenzie also put Edmonton fans on edge by blowing up the narrative that negotiations were going well with restricted free agent defenseman Darnell Nurse. “By all accounts Nurse’s contract negotiations are not going well at all”, McKenzie said, “so we’ll just have to wait and see on that.” Nurse remains unsigned with training camp soon to open and there is no way to know how long it will take to get him under contract. Even before the Andrej Sekera injury, the Oilers needed Nurse around to play a key role on the blue line, but now it is imperative that they get him signed and ready to be a major top-four contributor this season. Edmonton can’t afford to let these negotiations last too far into the regular season, but their cap crunch and messy trade history also mean that they need to remain cautious. It isn’t an easy situation for the team or player.
  • McKenzie also refuted the report that Milan Lucic never requested a trade this summer, returning to the previous assumption that he did want out of Edmonton. McKenzie said “Can Milan Lucic rebound from an abysmal season that was punctuated by him asking for a trade, one which he didn’t get? If you talk to the right people by all accounts his mind, his spirit, his body are all fully ready to embrace the challenge.” While this was one of McKenzie’s more positive remarks, it does throw another dig at the Oilers that one of GM Peter Chiarelli’s big free agent acquisitions not only played poorly last season, but now wants out. Perhaps Lucic walking back trade rumors earlier this summer is a sign that he has moved on, but that interest in leaving existed at one point and could return if Edmonton suffers through another disappointing season.

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