Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Brandon Tanev Off Injured Reserve
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing well, but should receive a big boost on their bottom-six as forward Brandon Tanev, who has been out since March 18 with an upper-body injury, has been activated off of injured reserve. He’s expected to be in the lineup for Pittsburgh’s for today’s game against the New York Islanders.
Tanev should provide the team with quite a bit of energy, which is what he’s known for and why Pittsburgh went out and signed the 29-year-old to a six-year, $21MM contract in the summer of 2019. That was a high price to pay for a bottom-six player. However, the Penguins felt that his energy and abrasiveness was critical to getting the team deep into the playoffs.
The forward has been impressive, however, since joining Pittsburgh. He tallied 244 hits in 2019-20 to go with 11 goals and 25 points. His production looked like he might meet with some career highs this year before he got injured. He had seven goals and 16 points in 32 games to go with 139 hits.
East Notes: Tanev, Subban, DeAngelo, Lundkvist
The Penguins are optimistic that winger Brandon Tanev will be cleared to play for the start of the playoffs next week, notes Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The veteran has been dealing with upper-body injuries in the second half of the season with his latest one keeping him out for more than a month. However, he has resumed skating with the team in recent days which bodes well for his return. Tanev was in the midst of his best offensive season before the injury bug struck as he has seven goals and nine assists in 32 games this season while his physicality (he’s averaging over 4.3 hits per game which is the highest rate of his career) will be a welcome addition for the grittier postseason style.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Although Devils defenseman P.K. Subban came off the COVID Protocol Related Absences List last Saturday, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link) that he still has not resumed skating and isn’t expected to play in New Jersey’s final two games this season. His year comes to an end with five goals and 14 assists in 44 games while averaging 22:22 per contest, second only to Damon Severson.
- While Chris Drury wasn’t the GM for the Rangers at the time that Anthony DeAngelo was dismissed from the team, he won’t be overturning that decision, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. DeAngelo was sent home early in the year following an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev and while there was believed to be some interest in him at the trade deadline, the defenseman declined the offer to terminate his contract to allow him to catch on elsewhere. He has one more year left at a $4.8MM AAV, one that is all but certain to head for a buyout this summer.
- Also from Brooks’ column, contract talks are expected to pick up with defenseman Nils Lundkvist in the near future. The 20-year-old has had two productive seasons with Lulea of the SHL and is ready to make the jump to North America but when the Rangers fell out of the playoff race thereby effectively eliminating the need to get a deal done as soon as his season in Sweden came to an end, those were temporarily put on the back burner.
East Notes: Ovechkin, Penguins, Hart, Lafreniere
The Washington Capitals were without star forward Alex Ovechkin, who missed his first game Saturday (due to injury) since May 5, 2015 due to a lower-body injury. His ability to stay healthy throughout his career is one reason why many people believe that the 35-year-old has a chance to break the goals scored record (held by Wayne Gretzky). However, the forward will be a game-time decision on Tuesday against the Islanders as well, according to NHL.com.
“I think with some injuries, you don’t know what’s going to go on, whether somebody’s going to be available or not available and that’s why I think people say ‘day to day’, because they’re unsure,” Washington coach Peter Laviolette said Saturday. “Will he be there for the next game? I’m not sure at this point, so we’ll err on the side of caution at this point in the season. We’re not going to risk anything as we head towards the playoffs, but hopefully he continues to improve.”
Ovechkin left late in the third period of Thursday’s game with the Islanders due to the injury. He has 24 goals in 43 games this season and sits sixth on the NHL all-time goals leaders with 730, just one short of tying Marcel Dionne.
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said (via the Penguins) that injured players Evgeni Malkin, Brandon Tanev and Frederick Gaudreau all skated Sunday morning with the taxi squad. While the coach admitted they all are making progress, he said their status with the team has not changed. Malkin has been out with a lower body injury since March 16. Tanev has appeared in just two games since March 18 with an upper-body injury, while Gaudreau has been out since April 11 with a lower-body injury.
- With just nine games remaining in the Philadelphia Flyers season, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ed Barkowitz writes that one of the key things to watch is the return and the play of young goaltender Carter Hart. However, head coach Alain Vigneault has not indicated when Hart will return from the mild knee sprain he suffered on April 15, suggesting it might be a bit longer before he returns to the ice. The team is 1-2-1 without him since the injury.
- The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) writes that New York Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere looked impressive Friday when he was promoted to the top line next to Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich when Chris Kreider sat out, scoring a goal and an assist in the process. The scribe writes that the team might benefit during the final stretch of games remaining this season to see what Lafreniere can do on the top line.
Injury Notes: Gallagher, Tanev, Eichel, Andersen
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin spoke with the media today following the passing of the trade deadline and did not parse words when asked about injured star Brendan Gallagher. Bergevin does not believe that Gallagher has a chance to play prior to the conclusion of the regular season, he openly admitted. This would align with the six-week timeframe that Gallagher received after fracturing his thumb this past week. There was some optimism that Gallagher could return before the Canadiens’ season is currently scheduled to end on May 11, but Bergevin either does not see this as realistic or simply will not rush Gallagher back to play regular season games. With the North Division playoff teams all but set, Montreal faces little risk of missing the postseason so the priority with Gallagher is only to get him as healthy as possible for the playoffs.
- Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall had similar things to say about one of his own players today. Hextall told the media that the move to acquire Jeff Carter was at least partially influenced by the belief that Brandon Tanev will not play again in the regular season. He stated that Tanev’s upper-body injury, which landed him on Long-Term Injured Reserve, is a “tough injury to judge” but that he does not believe the rugged forward can return before the playoffs. Tanev has been a scoring presence and a physical presence for the Penguins this year and the team will have to replace his output in a number of areas. Fortunately, Hextall at least noted that Kasperi Kapanen is expected back in 10-14 days and Evgeni Malkin is likely to play again before the end of the regular season.
- The Buffalo Sabres’ season is obviously lost and the team will not rush injured superstar Jack Eichel back into action to play meaningless games. GM Kevyn Adams spoke to the media today and stated that Eichel has not officially been shut down for the year, but he is at least out for a while longer. The superb center has missed 18 games since suffering a neck injury in early March and has only made “slight improvement” in that time per Adams. He did not rule out Eichel playing in some of the Sabres’ final games, but by that point it seems even more unlikely that the team will see any value in putting him back in the lineup.
- One GM did share some optimism with the media today regarding a key injury. Toronto’s Kyle Dubas made it clear that he does not consider starting goaltender Frederik Andersen to be done for the season. Andersen’s has been struggling with a nagging injury and to this point there has been no timetable for his return. As a result, Dubas made a major addition in net by trading for David Rittich to pair with the red-hot Jack Campbell, but he did not rule out Andersen taking his job back at some point. Dubas did not try to guess as to whether Andersen would be able to return before the end of the regular season or if he would instead be active for the playoffs, but he simply believes that Andersen will play for the Maple Leafs again this year. For the impending free agent, pushing through the pain to get back on the ice may be Andersen’s last chance of suiting up for Toronto again.
Snapshots: Hall, Zadorov, Kulikov, Blueger, Tanev
Taylor Hall has been sitting for just over a week now while waiting to see where he’ll be traded to. It appears his new team may soon be known as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter links) that the Sabres have made progress on the trade front today and there are believed to just be three teams left in the mix for his services. Buffalo will undoubtedly need to retain a sizable chunk of his $8MM cap hit (they can hold up to half) and as we’ve seen with recent notable moves, a third-party facilitator could also be in play. While the 29-year-old is having quite a rough season with just two goals in 37 games, he could be an intriguing wild card for whoever gets him down the stretch.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Blackhawks and Nikita Zadorov have held talks on a new deal, report Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription link). Chicago is interested in keeping the defenseman in the fold but with Zadorov holding arbitration rights, there is some risk to tendering him a $3.2MM qualifying offer. Chicago’s initial offer is believed to be around $3.5MM while Zadorov’s camp is looking for something starting with a four so there is a bit of ground to be made up. As Zadorov’s not a pending UFA, this isn’t a situation that necessarily has to be resolved by tomorrow’s trade deadline.
- Devils defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was held out of tonight’s lineup as a precaution heading into the trade deadline, Corey Masisak of The Athletic was among those to note (Twitter link). The 30-year-old has two assists in 38 games this season while logging 19:33 per night. With a $1.15MM cap hit, Kulikov is an affordable depth option that is quite likely to move by Monday.
- The Penguins welcomed back Teddy Blueger to the lineup against New Jersey as the team announced that he was activated off injured reserve. The 26-year-old has been quietly effective this season with 15 points in 28 games. Meanwhile, the Pens also transferred winger Brandon Tanev to LTIR retroactive to April 3rd. For the time being, that gives them another $3.5MM in cap room to work with and if they believe that he’ll miss the rest of the season, that could give them some more flexibility to try to make a splash at the deadline.
Injury Updates: Forsberg, Hjalmarsson, Cozens, Penguins
The Predators have made plenty of progress in the Central Division standings in recent weeks despite a long list of injuries. That list has grown as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Filip Forsberg is now listed as week-to-week due to the upper-body injury that has caused him to miss the last three games. Forsberg leads Nashville in scoring with 29 points (11-18-29) in 34 games and on a team that isn’t scoring much, his absence will be felt. Forsberg joins Brad Richardson, Matt Duchene, Ryan Ellis, Mark Borowiecki, and Luca Sbisa as players that are listed as being out week-to-week.
More injury news from around the league:
- Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has suffered a setback as he works his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link). The veteran was injured last Monday and while the hope was that he’d be back soon, he did not accompany Arizona on their nine-game road trip. Hjalmarsson has four assists in 29 games so far this season.
- Sabres forward Dylan Cozens could return as soon as next week after sustaining an arm injury on Monday night, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. It has been a trying year for the rookie as he has been limited to just four goals and two assists in 25 games while missing four games with another upper-body injury earlier this month.
- Penguins forwards Brandon Tanev and Teddy Blueger returned to practice today, reports Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Tanev has missed nearly two weeks due to an upper-body injury while Blueger has missed just over two weeks with an upper-body issue of his own. It’s not all good news on the injury front for Pittsburgh, however, as goalie Tristan Jarry didn’t skate with the team. He left Monday’s game after the first period with an upper-body injury and is currently listed as day-to-day.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/28/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the official complete list for today:
Anaheim – Alexander Volkov
Boston – Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly, Brad Marchand
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Eric Staal*
NY Rangers – Brett Howden
Vancouver – Travis Boyd
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: Brandon Tanev, Mark Jankowski
The Montreal Canadiens added a third player to the list as Staal joins Kotkaniemi and Armia. However, Staal is on the list as he has now begun his seven-day quarantine after arriving in Montreal Saturday. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that if testing tomorrow remains status quo, Montreal should be able to practice late on Monday.
*denotes new addition
Penguins Notes: Trade Wishes, Zucker, Injuries, Crosby
The Pittsburgh Penguins are faring quite well so far in a competitive East Division with Pittsburgh currently two points back of first place. The Penguins are enjoying a solid season and new President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall are expected to bolster their roster as the trade deadline nears.
Interesting enough, NBC Sports Adam Gretz reports that the two new executives are both well known for their appreciation of size on their teams and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Penguins were seeking help in that direction as the trade deadline approaches. While the team doesn’t have the firepower to trade for any big names on the market, the scribe believes that a realistic target may be Detroit’s Anthony Mantha.
The 26-year-old Mantha could be a good find as the winger has struggled in the last couple of seasons with injuries being the main culprit. This year, Mantha has just nine goals and 16 points in 34 games and might prove to be a good trade chip if general manager Steve Yzerman chooses. However, for the Penguins to add Mantha, they would have to unload a significant amount with few assets but a handful of prospects and almost no picks as the Penguins have already traded away their first, third, fourth and sixth-round picks for 2021.
- Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan reports that winger Jason Zucker practiced fully Sunday and is close to returning to the Pittsburgh lineup at some point this week, according to Wes Crosby of NHL.com. Zucker skated in a non-contact sweater Saturday, so Sunday was a step up. The 29-year-old has four goals and seven points in 17 games, but will have to be activated from long-term injured reserve before he can play.
- Crosby also notes that forwards Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev were on the ice Sunday with skills and development coach Ty Hennes. Tanev reportedly cleared the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Sunday, but didn’t practice with the team as he is still rehabbing from an upper-body injury. He remains day-to-day, but is also close. Blueger was placed on injured reserve on March 18 with an upper-body injury and was listed as week-to-week.
- The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) suggests Sidney Crosby, while a longshot, as a potential candidate for the Hart Trophy. The scribe writes that despite a number of significant candidates for the award like Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews, Crosby could be an outside candidate. The 33-year-old center has 14 goals and 39 points in 34 games and has been a key leader for an impressive Penguins team that has been without Evgeni Malkin for much of the season.
East Notes: McCann, Tanev, Buchnevich, Bruins
The Penguins got some good news on the injury front today as the team announced (Twitter link) that Jared McCann has been activated off injured reserve. He had missed the last six games due to an upper-body injury and has been limited to just 17 games this season though he has been productive, managing five goals and five assists. McCann’s return is of particular importance with Evgeni Malkin’s injury as he’ll now slide onto the second line in Malkin’s absence.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, as one player returned, another went down. Following today’s game against New Jersey, the team tweeted that winger Brandon Tanev suffered an upper-body injury in the pregame warmup which caused him to miss his first game of the season. The 29-year-old is quietly averaging 0.5 points per game for the Penguins this season which is a career high and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Pittsburgh.
Elsewhere around the East:
- Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich is in the midst of a career year but Newsday’s Colin Stephenson posits that the 25-year-old should be a trade candidate as a result. The pending restricted free agent has 26 points in 28 games but with several young wingers on the roster already – plus Vitali Kravtsov soon arriving – he suggests that they may need the money that would otherwise be earmarked for him to fill their long-standing vacancy down the middle with an asset or two from a Buchnevich deal helping to facilitate that move. Buchnevich will be eligible for salary arbitration this offseason and will be looking for a fair bit more than his $3MM qualifying offer.
- The Bruins provided an update with regards to their COVID-19 situation. The team has returned to Boston and will self-quarantine through Tuesday when their situation will be re-assessed. The five players that are currently on the CPRA list have also returned to Boston but did not travel with the team. The Bruins are next scheduled to play on Thursday after their game against the Sabres today and on Tuesday against the Islanders were postponed.
Metropolitan Notes: Flyers’ Offense, Hornqvist, Tanev, Merzlikins
With a modest 10-6-4 record, the Philadelphia Flyers sit in tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. One thing holding the team back is their lack of scoring, far behind teams like the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and the injury-riddled Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sam Carchidi of Philly.com suggests that one of the biggest problem is the lack of production from some of their top-six players, including Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek. It’s been even worse in the last 10 games, even though Philadelphia has gone 5-2-3 in that span. Regardless, Philadelphia has scored just 25 goals, for an average of just 2.5 goals per game in their last 10.
Hayes, who signed a seven-year, $50MM deal this offseason, has score zero goals and is minus-eight in his last 10 games. Van Riemsdyk has just one goal in his last 11 games, while Voracek also has failed to score in his last 10 games.
“We’re working on getting better as a group,” head coach Alain Vigneault said. “We’re not where I think we can get to, but we are working extremely hard and we’ve got a lot of faith that we’ll be able to get there.”
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel reports that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist participated at practice for the first time since he suffered his lower-body injury on Nov. 2. The 32-year-old worked on his own before the Penguins practiced and wore a gray, non-contact jersey during the light practice. With the practiced focused mainly on the power play, Hornqvist did not participate in those drills. “He’s making significant progress. Obviously, the fact that he joined the team in a non-contact jersey is an indication of that,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “With the limited time I had an opportunity to watch him … I thought he looked pretty good.”
- The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) wonders if the Penguins should consider moving fourth-line forward Brandon Tanev up in the lineup permanently. The team’s free-agent acquisition was moved up in the lineup recently due to the Penguins’ rash of injuries and has played well. His performance Saturday against Toronto was impressive two as the 27-year-old had two assists, four hits and a plus-two and made a positive impact.
- NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda notes that while Joonas Korpisalo has received the majority of appearances for the Columbus Blue Jackets in net, that may change. Backup Elvis Merzlikins may be seeing more time soon. Their stats lately have been almost identical. Korpisalo in his last five games has a 2.40 GAA and a .919 save percentage, while backup Merzlikins has a 2.45 GAA and a .919 save percentage. “Elvis is improving,” head coach John Tortorella said. “That comes into some decision making for me as we go through here because I have to monitor everything with those two guys because of just the situation we’re in. We’ll see where it goes.”