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Brayden Point

Snapshots: Point, Mock Draft, Kassian

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As the Stanley Cup Final is set to commence in two days, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche will retake the ice today to practice ahead of their last four to seven games of the season. Of note from Tampa’s side of things is that injured star center Brayden Point continued to take part in practice today and took line rushes for the first time, centering a line between Nick Paul and Ross Colton, per The Athletic’s Joe Smith. However, assistant coach Jeff Halpern said after practice that “he didn’t know if you could read too much” into Point’s status, noting that it was a light session.

Tampa will be waiting anxiously to get an answer on when Point can return. Given the uncertain health of Nazem Kadri on the other side for Colorado, Tampa Bay having their full center depth available to them would give them a much greater chance at winning their third straight Stanley Cup.

  • With the 2022 NHL Draft now within a month, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, one of the top public prospect evaluators, released his 2022 NHL Mock Draft, taking team needs, consensus, and intel into account aside from just his own rankings. Although more and more doubt remains around the status of Kingston Frontenacs center Shane Wright as the Montreal Canadiens’ no. 1 overall pick, Wheeler still has Wright listed in the first spot. Rounding out the top five is winger Juraj Slafkovsky to the New Jersey Devils, center Logan Cooley to the Arizona Coyotes, defenseman Simon Nemec going first off the board among d-men to the Seattle Kraken, and defenseman David Jiricek headed to the Philadelphia Flyers.
  • The first buyout window of the offseason opens July 1, and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian at the top of his list of 10 buyout candidates for this summer. Kassian, who carries a cap hit of $3.2MM through 2024, mustered just 19 points in 58 games this season and averaged under nine minutes per game in the playoffs. With the 31-year-old forward only set to continue declining, Edmonton could take the buyout penalty to free up more space to improve their depth scoring. The buyout for Kassian is relatively benign, per CapFriendly, with a cap hit of $666,667 in 2022-23, $1,866,667 in 2023-24, and $966,667 in 2024-25 and 2025-26. It offers $2.5MM in savings upfront in 2022-23, an appealing number for general manager Ken Holland.

Snapshots: Flyers Head Coach Search, Sharks GM Search, Point, Kannok-Leipert

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According to Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, the Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly narrowed down their list of candidates for their vacant Head Coach position (link). It appears the finalists for the position include, but may not be limited to, John Tortorella and Barry Trotz. The Flyers recently held their second interview of Torotrella in Philadelphia and have since told other candidates that they are no longer in the running for the position. In addition to Tortorella and Trotz, the Flyers have also interviewed the likes of Mike Velucci, Rick Tocchet, Jim Montgomery, Jeff Blashill, David Quinn, and likely others who have not been named. It’s unclear if any of these are also finalists in addition to Tortorella or Trotz.

Seeing the Flyers narrow their field is an interesting development for the coaching market as a whole, as more positions, and candidates, have opened up as time has gone on, but few of those positions have been filled. Philadelphia making a decision, depending on when that decision comes and who is selected, could serve to get the ball rolling for the rest of the league. Philadelphia has struggled in recent seasons, culminating in trading franchise forward Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers in March, however the organization has shown an unwillingness to commit to a true rebuild. Hiring either of Tortorella or Trotz would certainly help the organization get back to its winning ways, even as the team’s roster experiences some transition in personnel.

  • From one high-profile search to another, it appears the San Jose Sharks are also planning to narrow their list of candidates for their vacant General Manager position this week, says The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. It’s unclear who exactly would be on the Sharks’ shortlist, though LeBrun says the organization has had lengthy interviews of 4 to 6 hours each with a dozen candidates. The organization made clear after former GM Doug Wilson stepped down that they would take their time finding his replacement. Much like the Flyers, the organization has shown they are not interested in a lengthy rebuild and would like to find a GM who shares that vision (link).
  • After earlier reports that Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point could be a game-time decision for tonight’s Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals, it appears he is now considered doubtful, says Seravalli. Though it would be disappointing for Tampa to again be without one of their best players, Seravalli does add that Point is very likely to play in Tampa’s next game, whether that be in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, or in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, depending on the result of tonight’s game. Point was injured during Game Seven of Tampa Bay’s first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and has not played since. As crucial as Point has been to Tampa Bay’s recent playoff success, the team has managed to go 8-2 since he went down, including the game against Toronto, losing only the first two games of the conference final.
  • The Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, announced they have signed defenseman Alex Kannok-Leipert to a one-year contract extension that covers the 2022-23 season. Originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in 2018, Kannok-Leipert spent five years with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, where he was team captain for two seasons before turning pro and signing with Abbotsford ahead of the 2021-22 season. The defenseman had a solid rookie campaign in the AHL, putting up five points to go with a plus-5 rating in 41 games. An interesting note on Kannok-Leipert is though a Regina, Saskatchewan native, he was born in Thailand and is the first Thailand-born player in AHL history and the first to be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Sabres, Point

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The Senators are among the teams that have at least suggested a potentially willingness to move their first-rounder to add a win-now player.  With the seventh-overall selection, it would appear on the surface that they could get a quality veteran for that pick but some league executives told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that Ottawa will likely need to add to that selection to get the type of player they’re seeking.  GM Pierre Dorion has stated that they’re willing to move some prospects as well and those executives suggest one of those would have to be added to provide enough value to convince a team to part with a key veteran.  Garrioch suggests Minnesota winger Kevin Fiala and Vegas center William Karlsson as cap casualties that could be on the move this summer that might be of interest to Ottawa.  Fiala is a pending restricted free agent while Karlsson has five years left on his contract with a $5.9MM AAV.

More from the Atlantic:

  • While many of Buffalo’s pending unrestricted free agents are likely to move on, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News suggests that forward Vinnie Hinostroza and defenseman Mark Pysyk are candidates to stick around with the Sabres next season. Hinostroza was a decent depth scorer in 2021-22, notching 13 goals and 12 assists in 62 games and if he’s willing to sign for around the $1.05MM he made this season, it would certainly make sense to keep him around.  As for Pysyk, he shifted back to the back end after spending some time up front with Dallas and logged nearly 18 minutes a night in 68 contests.  He made $900K this season and should come in with a similar price tag so if Buffalo wants some low-cost depth that’s familiar with their system, re-signing him would be a worthwhile move as well.
  • Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, including ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, that center Brayden Point will officially be a game-time decision. He took the gameday skate and will later decide whether or not to take part in pregame warmups with a call on whether or not to play to come after that.  Point has missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury sustained in the final game of the opening round against Toronto.

Brayden Point Remains Out For Game Five

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June 9: A few days later and the story remains the same. Cooper has ruled Point out for game five, despite him once again taking morning skate with his teammates.

June 6: Though he was on the ice again today, Brayden Point still won’t be able to make his return to the lineup for game four. The Tampa Bay Lightning forward was ruled out immediately by head coach Jon Cooper, who spoke to reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic.

It’s not that anyone really expected Point to be back in the lineup, given how Cooper has discussed the situation so far, but with the Lightning winning game three there is at least hope now that he’ll be able to make an appearance. The New York Rangers still have a lead in the series but after being thoroughly outplayed yesterday afternoon–the Lightning recorded 52 shots against Igor Shesterkin–there is now some momentum for the defending champs.

Perhaps more notably, should it get to that point, is a report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period that the Stanley Cup Final will start on either June 15 or June 18. That could potentially give someone like Point plenty of time to get back to health before the series starts, should they be able to get past the young, upstart Rangers squad.

Given that the Conference Finals could potentially be over by June 9, that would be nearly a week before the final kicked off, long enough to mend many of the bumps and bruises that players are dealing with these days, or at least give them a brief period of relief.

Injury Notes: Price, Point, Kuemper

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After playing only five games this season, Carey Price is preparing to get back on the ice with the Montreal Canadiens, as he said today. However, his status is still unknown. The 34-year-old had a Platelet-Rich Plasma injection in his knee and is waiting for it to take hold before he gets back to training and preparing. The netminder said that “I wish I felt better about the situation, but I don’t.”

Price had knee surgery in the 2021 offseason and the injury got reaggravated this season after he returned from personal leave to participate in the NHLPA Player Assistance program. In April, he had a meeting with his surgeon in Manhattan and is now under treatment. Being without their number one goaltender for the next season is a reason for concern for the Montreal Canadiens. If he doesn’t recover in time, they will have to make a plan and go after a goaltender this offseason with Price on LTIR.

  • Tampa Bay fans can celebrate, albeit hesitantly. Forward Brayden Point was doing drills in practice for the first time since his injury in Game 7 in Toronto, per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. He participated for 55 minutes, doing drills with the taxi squad. While this is not an indicator that he could be back for Game 3, it’s still good news for the team. It can be a needed boost for the current Stanley Cup champions in the series against the Rangers if he’s able to get back.
  • Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that Darcy Kuemper’s injury doesn’t seem too serious, but that backup netminder Pavel Francouz will likely start Game 3 in any event. Francouz is coming off a 24-save shutout in Game 2 that sparked the Avs to a 2-0 series lead.

Latest On Brayden Point

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Injured Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point did take the ice today, doing some drills with assistant coach Jeff Halpern, and that may have looked to some like an indication that Point was close to returning from his injury. Unfortunately for Tampa, though, that does not appear to be the case. In a press availability before Game One versus the New York Rangers, Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the media (per Joe Smith of The Athletic) to “temper any expectations of [Point] coming back at all.”

That’s obviously a statement that has significant implications on the Lightning’s series with the Rangers, and a development that will make the team’s series all the more difficult. Point is one of the Lightning’s most important players and was brilliant in the team’s two straight Stanley Cup championship runs. While he had gotten off to a relatively slow start in these playoffs, not having Point is still a major loss for Tampa.

Point was injured in the Lightning’s Game Seven victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and has not played since. That proved to be no issue for the Lightning in the second round, as they swept the President’s Trophy-winning Florida Panthers, but it could be more of a problem against the Rangers, who boast a superstar goalie in Igor Shesterkin.

The Lightning have looked unbeatable in the playoffs for over two seasons now, but based on Cooper’s comments, they may be without one of their best players for an extended period of time. It’s hard to bet against a team that has just won back-to-back championships, of course, but this absence may leave Tampa more vulnerable than they have been in years.

Injury Notes: Andersen, Point, Kuemper

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The Carolina Hurricanes were meeting with the media for the final time this season as they cleaned out their lockers, and Frederik Andersen finally answered some questions about the mysterious injury that kept him out of the playoffs. The veteran goaltender revealed that he tore his MCL on April 16, his last appearance of the season and a game in which he allowed seven goals on 33 shots.

With Andersen out, the Hurricanes were forced to use Antti Raanta for the entire playoff run, something that he had never done before. While he had some incredible moments, his performance dropped off at the end of the second round, when he was pulled in consecutive games against the New York Rangers. It was nearly the exact same situation that the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in with Andersen a year ago, when he was unable to play down the stretch and in the playoffs due to a mysterious lower-body injury. The 32-year-old netminder has one year left on his deal that carries a $4.5MM cap hit.

  • There was an interesting sight today just after the Tampa Bay Lightning left the ice following morning skate, as reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic spotted Brayden Point doing drills with assistant coach Jeff Halpern. There’s no updated timeline for Point’s return after he left game seven against the Maple Leafs in the first round. The 26-year-old center has led the Lightning in goals during each of the Stanley Cup runs and would be a huge boost if he can re-enter the lineup at some point.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wouldn’t give up any details on the upper-body injury that took Darcy Kuemper out of the game last night, and only said “we’ll see” if the veteran goaltender is ready to go in game two. As Mike Chambers of the Denver Post relays, Bednar refuses to get into the injury at this point in the playoffs. He did indicate the team has full confidence in Pavel Francouz, who has now been forced into game action in two of the three Colorado series.

Snapshots: Kapanen, Blackhawks, Point

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It was a tough year for Penguins winger Kasperi Kapanen.  He had just 11 goals in 79 games and managed just two more points than he had in 2020-21 despite playing in 39 fewer contests.  However, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now posits that the 25-year-old may have done enough in the playoffs to convince management to give him one more chance instead of non-tendering him this summer.  Kapanen is owed a $3.2MM qualifying offer and also has arbitration eligibility which complicates things as he’s unlikely to be awarded a deal that’s above the walkaway threshold.  Molinari suggests Pittsburgh try to offer him a deal with a reduced salary in the hopes that Kapanen opts for that over testing the open market with a non-tender in July.  If they can’t agree on a new deal, GM Ron Hextall is going to have a big decision on his hands on whether or not to qualify him.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Blackhawks don’t have a first-round pick this year with theirs going to Columbus as part of the Seth Jones trade but GM Kyle Davidson told NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis that acquiring a first-round is “something I’m definitely interested in”. Chicago has committed to a rebuilding process but their challenge might be finding a player they’re willing to trade that is talented enough to command that strong of a return.  Brandon Hagel went for two first-rounders at the trade deadline but those are in the 2023 and 2024 drafts.
  • Tampa Bay has ruled out Brayden Point for Sunday’s game against Florida, relays Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link). The center has yet to play in the second round after suffering a lower-body injury in the final game of their series against Toronto.  Despite missing their top pivot, the Lightning find themselves in good shape with a 2-0 series lead heading into back-to-back games at home on Sunday and Monday.

East Notes: Point, Boyle, Goodrow

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It looks like the Battle of Florida will be missing one of its biggest stars, at least for Game 1. After falling awkwardly in their Game 7 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point is doubtful for Game 1 of their Second Round series against the Florida Panthers, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Cooper notes that Point’s availability remains day-to-day, however.

Point’s injury didn’t look good, to say the least. Toe-picking along the wall with not much time remaining in the first period, Point’s leg went into the boards and he immediately winced in pain, grabbing his right leg near his hip. Point attempted to return for a shift in the second period and did not return after, although he did stay on the bench. The Leafs did a decent job of limiting Point in that series, holding him to just four points in seven games (and a -6 rating), although he did score the overtime winner in Game 6 to tie the series. Nonetheless, he remains an extremely important piece for the Lightning if they hope to get past their Presidents’ Trophy-winning Floridian counterparts and keep the three-peat dream alive.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that veteran forward Brian Boyle underwent successful knee surgery today with an expected recovery time of six weeks. Boyle was injured in the team’s Game 6 loss to the New York Rangers. The 37-year-old was a pleasant surprise this season for Pittsburgh, notching 21 points in 66 games and two assists in six playoff games. The cancer survivor signed a PTO with the Penguins during training camp after not playing professionally in 2020-21 and carved out a regular spot in the lineup. It remains to be seen whether Boyle will return to the NHL next season.
  • Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow won’t be available for Games 1 and 2 of their Second Round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but he still has a chance to return from injury during the series according to head coach Gerard Gallant. Goodrow was injured in Game 1 against the Penguins and hasn’t played since. He remains week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Brayden Point Suffers Injury In Game Seven

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It appears as though the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without one of their core pieces for the rest of tonight after forward Brayden Point suffered an apparent leg injury late in the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The injury came as Point and Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano traveled into the corner, Point trying to spin off of Giordano, but appearing to get his skate stuck, falling awkwardly onto the ice. Point would get up and go to the dressing room, putting no weight on his right leg. He would return at the start of the second period, taking a shift, appearing to be in a great deal of pain, returning to the bench and remaining there.

The loss of Point is massive for Tampa if he cannot return, being one of the team’s leaing point producers and one who contributes in all facets for the Lightning. Even more importantly, Point is known for his big playoff goals for Tampa, most recently the Game Six overtime winner against Toronto to force tonight’s Game Seven. Point’s playoff prowess is not an illusion either, as he has 367 points in 417 career regular season games, an impressive mark, but steps up to 77 points in 73 career playoffs games coming into tonight.

Looking ahead, losing Point could be a multi-factor issue for Tampa. For one, he would be expected to play a major part in Tampa’s ability to finish off Toronto tonight in Game Seven, and his absence could be a key factor if Tampa fails to do so. If Tampa does advance, then the question will shift to when, or if, Point can return going forward. Tampa will have a tough test on their hands if they advance, facing the 2022 President’s Trophy winning Florida Panthers in Round Two.

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