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Playoff Notes: Thomas, Tarasenko, Chara, Wagner, Grzelcyk

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The St. Louis Blues will be without forward Ivan Barbashev on Sunday for Game 6 after being suspended one game for an illegal check to the head against Boston’s Marcus Johansson in Game 5. However, the St. Louis Blues may get a break, as there is a solid chance that rookie Robert Thomas may be ready to replace Barbashev in the lineup.

Thomas, who hasn’t played since Game 1 due to a wrist injury, was on the ice for a full practice Saturday with no limitations and St. Louis Blues interim coach Craig Berube later declared Thomas as a game-time decision for Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac. The 19-year-old forward did participate in practices between Games 3 and 4, but was only a partial participant and spent most of his time on the ice working separately from the rest of the team. However, that wasn’t the case Saturday, according to teammate Pat Maroon: “He’s been working hard to get back in the lineup, so we’ll see tomorrow if he plays. Obviously, it’s always good to see the kid out there skating around. He’s been just itching to get back out there with the guys, so it’s good to see him out there.”

  • NHL.com’s Tracey Myers adds that the St. Louis Blues expect star forward Vladimir Tarasenko to play on Sunday despite missing practice on Saturday after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child on Friday. It was unlikely that Tarasenko would have missed a critical Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final; he has been a key to the team’s offensive success with 16 points in 24 playoff games.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara spoke to the press for the first being hit in the jaw with the puck in Game 4. Although he looked uncomfortable speaking, Chara said he was fine and has no limitations when it comes to playing in Game 6 on Sunday. Chara did play in Game 5, although he only skated 16:42 and the Bruins felt the need to dress seven defensemen. Chara refused to answer when asked whether his jaw was broken.
  • Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also revealed that the team is expecting to be without Chris Wagner and Matt Grzelcyk for Game 6. Wagner, who hasn’t played since May 14 with an upper-body injury, is doubtful to play on Sunday, but is a possibility if Boston can force a Game 7. Grzelcyk has not yet been medically cleared to play after sustaining a concussion during Game 2.

Snapshots: Bruins, Roy, Kochetkov

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As the Boston Bruins continue to wait for the Western Conference Final to wrap up, the organization thinks they’ve found a way to stave off lethargy and stay on routine during this long stretch of inactivity. The team has announced that they will hold a public intra-squad scrimmage on Thursday night, exactly one week since they last took the ice for Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. After sweeping Carolina, the Bruins faced an eleven-day break before the start of the Stanley Cup Final series on Monday and have opted to break up that span by simulating a game day. The Bruins, including their AHL depth recalls, will split their available players in half and square off in two 25-minute periods. With fans in the stands and officials on the ice, Boston hopes this will as closely as possible resemble a true game day, but head coach Bruce Cassidy also acknowledged that he will fabricate specific game situations during the scrimmage to ensure that his special teams units also get work in. There is no doubt that any team entering the Stanley Cup Final would rather have more rest than less and the Bruins are no different. With Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Noel Acciari, and John Moore among the players nursing minor injuries, not to mention Chris Wagner hoping he can return to game shape at some point during the series, Boston will gladly take the nearly two weeks off. However, they hope for those trying to stay focused and in game condition that the scrimmage on Thursday will be enough to be ready from the start on Monday night.

  • After the report earlier that both the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers were close to naming their new head coaches, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Senators GM Pierre Dorion was spotted in Montreal with Patrick Roy today. Roy interviewed for Ottawa’s head coach position on Monday, only to again meet with Dorion and Assistant GM Peter MacTavish today. According to witnesses, the trio left a hotel together in Montreal this afternoon after what can only be assumed is a follow-up meeting about the vacancy. This new obviously vaults Roy, who is the seventh known person to interview for the head coach position, as the clubhouse leader. Roy, who last coached in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche in 2016, left the post due to his lack of input in player personnel decisions. With the Senators known to also be looking for a President of Hockey Operations, it could be that Dorion also spoke to Roy today about taking on some front office responsibilities as well as coaching duties if hired.
  • Although passed up in the NHL Draft prior, 19-year-old Russian goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was ranked as the top European goalie in this draft class by NHL Central Scouting in their final rankings. Kochetkov was lights out for Russia at the World Juniors earlier this year, named the tournament’s Best Goaltender behind a .953 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. He also performed extremely well in the VHL, the KHL’s minor league, and looked comfortable in two KHL games with HK Sochi. As impressive a season as he had this year, Kochetkov has a chance to accomplish even more next season. KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg announced today that they have acquired Kochetkov and the teen keeper is expected to serve as the primary backup to NHL veteran Magnus Hellberg next season. Even though he is an over-ager, Kochetkov was always likely to stick around in Europe for a few years before making the jump to North America, so his commitment to SKA next season and beyond won’t deter interested NHL teams. To the contrary, Kochetkov has a great opportunity to grow and learn in St. Petersburg with one of the top teams in the KHL and when he does arrive in the NHL could be a very promising and polished prospect.

Bruins’ Wagner, Miller Could Miss Stanley Cup Final

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Even with a 10-day rest, the Boston Bruins injury situation doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. While reports about veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara seem good, the news about Chris Wagner and Kevan Miller weren’t nearly as impressive. According to Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, both players will not be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals and could miss the entire series:

We’ve got some time to evaluate where guys will be. I don’t expect [Miller] to be ready to play. I’ll be really surprised if [Wagner] will be ready to play, but we’ll see where that goes.

Miller, who hasn’t played a game in the playoffs yet and hasn’t appeared in any game since Apr. 4 with a knee injury, suffered a setback while trying to get back. The team had been hoping to bring him back for the Stanley Cup Finals against either the St. Louis Blues or the San Jose Sharks. While Miller has been with the team the entire way, trying to get back on the ice, Wagner’s situation is even worse. The forward suffered an injury to his right arm after blocking a shot from Carolina Hurricanes’ Justin Faulk’s in Game 3 of their series and was immediately transported back to Boston. Sweeney added he’d be surprised if Wagner returns for the finals. The team will likely have to lean more on each of their replacements as both Connor Clifton and Noel Acciari have played well in their absence.

The news, however, for Chara was better as Sweeney said he expects Chara to be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but the team intends to monitor his progress over the layoff.

Snapshots: Monarchs, Myers, Wagner

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The Manchester Monarchs are no more. The ECHL team announced today that they would be ceasing operations after 18 seasons, meaning the Los Angeles Kings no longer have an affiliate in the league. According to Jon Rosen the Kings are expected to share an ECHL affiliate with another NHL team, though it is not yet clear who that will be.

The Monarchs franchise was actually founded in 1993 as the Huntington Blizzard, and have gone by several other names over the years including the Ontario Reign—the two minor league affiliates swapped in 2015, keeping a professional team that had been there since 2001 in the city. During their four-year run as the Monarchs in the ECHL, the team made the Kelly Cup playoffs every season and advanced to the third round in 2017. Several NHL players have spent time with the team, including 2018-19 rookies Jayce Hawryluk, Josh Brown and Jacob Middleton.

  • Team Canada is now without Brandon Montour for the rest of the IIHF World Championship, so were desperately trying to find a defenseman who could be added in the final roster spot. That defenseman is Philippe Myers, who today was added from the Philadelphia Flyers. Myers finally made his NHL debut this season and will now get the chance to represent his country on the world stage.
  • The Boston Bruins have received huge contributions from depth forwards like Chris Wagner in the postseason, but will have to find another source for the time being. Wagner has returned to Boston for further tests on his injured arm, one that was seen in a sling after he blocked a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes and was forced to exit game three. The Bruins will insert Noel Acciari into the lineup for game four in Carolina. If Wagner does not return in these playoffs he’ll end the postseason with an impressive 44 hits in 12 games while contributing two goals.

Playoff Notes: Acciari, Gavrikov, Dallas’ Defense, Andrighetto

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The Boston Bruins could be without a member of their fourth line Saturday, as Noel Acciari missed Saturday’s morning skate with an undisclosed injury. Chris Wagner skated in his place and looks like a candidate to replace him if Acciari can’t go, according to NBC Sports Joe Haggerty. “We gave Noel the morning off,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy, “He’ll be a game-time decision for tonight. Chris Wagner will go in for him if he can’t go.”

It’s a significant loss for the Bruins for a crucial Game 5, as the hard-hitting winger has 38 hits so far in the playoffs over the course of 11 games. Wagner, who doubled his career-high in goals this season with the Bruins with 12 goals, has been held scoreless in seven playoff games. He played in the first game of the series against the Blue Jackets, but was a healthy scratch for the past three games. Wagner had missed the last two games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, but that was not the reason that Cassidy used when he replaced Wagner in the lineup with Karson Kuhlman, who Cassidy said brought more energy to the team.

  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to make one lineup change. Russian defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov will make his NHL debut, giving Columbus seven defensemen, while rookie winger Alexandre Texier will be a scratch. Gavrikov, who signed with Columbus back on April 13th out of the KHL, could add some physicality for the Blue Jackets. The 6-foot-3 had two points and 60 penalty minutes in 60 games for SKA St. Petersburg. He also has five years of KHL experience as well as 57 games of playoff experience he can call on.
  • NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski reports the Dallas Stars could have an interesting decision to make on defense for Sunday’s Game 6, as defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Joel Hanley are not expected to be ready. That leaves three potential options for Dallas to add a third-pair defenseman, including Taylor Fedun, Gavin Bayreuther and Dillon Heatherington. Fedun, however, is questionable with an injury as well.
  • BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports that head coach Jared Bednar said there could be some changes in Game 5 on Saturday. Dater writes that he believes that winger Sven Andrighetto is likely to return to the lineup and likely to replace Derick Brassard. Andrighetto has only appeared in four playoff games so far this year and hasn’t broken the 10-minute mark in any of them. He had seven goals and 17 points in 64 games this year. Brassard has been held scoreless in six playoffs games this year and also found himself playing under 10 minutes in two of the last three games.

Snapshots: Kuraly, Gardiner, Merzlikins

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When looking at the injury report for the Boston Bruins, most people won’t spend too much time pausing on the name Sean Kuraly when going down the list of injured players. After all, the 26-year-old has just eight goals and 21 points on the season as the team’s fourth-line LW — hardly a key figure as they close in on the playoffs. However, Kuraly, who will be out a month after undergoing hand surgery, is a critical player to the team’s playoff hopes.

The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that the combination of Kuraly, Chris Wagner and Noel Acciari have become head coach Bruce Cassidy’s second-favorite line, which had received the second-most minutes in 5-on-5 play. The top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have played 421:22 minutes of 5-on-5 time together, while the Kuraly-Wagner-Acciari line are second on the team with 401:55 of playing time. Cassidy often plays that fourth line against the other teams’ top lines, which includes the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top line of Zach Hyman, John Tavares and Mitch Marner.

With a significant matchup coming up with Toronto in the first-round of the playoffs, the loss of Kuraly could radically affect that fourth line’s play against Toronto’s top line. Regardless of how Cassidy replaces the fourth line, it’s unlikely he’ll match it up with Toronto’s top line now, so that will complicate Boston’s plans for the immediate future.

  • Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reports that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner, who has been out since Feb. 25 with a back injury, was sighted on the ice Sunday. The 28-year-old blueliner was working out after Maple Leafs’ practice with team skills coach Mike Ellis, but there remains no timeline for his return. The team could use him back as they have dropped five of their last seven games without him as well as fellow defenseman Travis Dermott, who could be back soon.
  • The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that Columbus Blue Jackets’ new goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has an appointment Monday with the embassy in Bern, Switzerland to get a visa and hopes to join the Blue Jackets’ roster at some point this week. Merzlikins, who has been playing in the Swiss National League for the past six seasons, signed his entry-level contract and depending on the roster moves that Columbus makes in goal, could be a candidate to challenge for playing time as soon as next season. Merzlikins finished this year with a 2.44 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 43 appearances in the NLA.

Central Notes: Hartman, Crawford, Davidson, Dickinson

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The Department of Player Safety announced they have fined Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman $1,000 for spearing Boston Bruins’ Chris Wagner Saturday with less than a minute left in the second period.

Hartman has been in trouble with the Department of Safety before as he was suspended for one game on Apr. 19 for an illegal check to the head against Colorado’s Carl Soderberg and then was fined for $2,320 for slashing Brayden McNabb in Oct. of 2017 against Vegas.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks may get a better idea today of where starting goaltender Corey Crawford is at after he sustained another concussion on Dec. 16. According to NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeloitis, head coach Jeremy Colliton confirmed this morning that Crawford was in the building, but still hadn’t talked to the coach. “As far as I know he’s still in the protocol. He is here, so that’s a positive,” Colliton said. Crawford missed quite a bit of time when he suffered a concussion last year in December as he still wasn’t ready to return at the start of this season. The team hopes Crawford can return much earlier this time.
  • John Dietz of the Daily Herald reports that defenseman Brandon Davidson says that he should be ready to return to the Blackhawks lineup in 7-10 days. The blueliner underwent surgery on Nov. 27 on his right knee and was expected to be out for six to eight weeks, which suggests he could be ready at the six-week mark. The 27-year-old has only appeared in seven games for Chicago this year.
  • The Dallas Stars may have lost one of their own Saturday when forward Jason Dickinson was forced out of the second period of Dallas’ game against Minnesota with an upper-body injury, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. Head coach Jim Montgomery said that Dickinson was doubtful for their game today against the Islanders. The 23-year-old has been a mainstay for Dallas on the bottom-six as he has five goals and 11 points in 34 games.

 

Trade Rumors: Bruins, Kings, Hurricanes

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After another humiliating loss last night, an 8-5 drubbing at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, the pressure on the Boston Bruins has been ratcheted up even higher. The team is falling short of expectations so far this season due to a total lack of secondary scoring. While speaking on the topic, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that the team feels they have too many of the same style of player among their secondary scorer. Shannon is likely referring to young forwards Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork, who have both underwhelmed in middle-six roles, and potentially AHL options Trent Frederic and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, as well as the possible similarities between veterans Joakim Nordstrom, Chris Wagner, Sean Kuraly, and Noel Acciari. Shannon states that the team is not happy and that a trade centered around one of their redundant forwards in exchange for an established young forward is likely coming soon.

  • Shannon also states that the Los Angeles Kings are not done making moves after firing head coach John Stevens. However, Shannon reports that the team is waiting to pull the trigger until their trade candidates can repair their market values. With the team struggling so severely to begin the campaign, the Kings would be trading the majority of their players while their stock is at its lowest. This is particularly true for the likes of struggling Tanner Pearson and ineffective Kyle Clifford. Once L.A. can string together some strong outings and potentially see some improvement from Pearson, Clifford and other names out there like Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin, and Tyler Toffoli, they should become active players on the trade market.
  • During the latest “Insider Trading” segment on TSN, Pierre LeBrun confirms that the Carolina Hurricanes are interested in more than just William Nylander. LeBrun says that the Hurricanes are worried about their scoring abilities and want to add a top-six scorer. Nylander is surely Carolina’s favored target, but they are looking elsewhere for help as well. The Hurricanes were recently rumored to be shopping young forward Valentin Zykov and, like the Bruins, may be looking to use his upside  to swap for a more established young forward.

2018-19 Season Primer: Boston Bruins

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Boston Bruins.

Last Season: 50-20-12 record (112 points), second in the Atlantic Division (lost in second round to Tampa Bay Lightning)

Remaining Cap Space: $5,246,849 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Martin Bakos (free agent, Liberec – Czech Rep.), G Jaroslav Halak (free agent, NY Islanders), D Steven Kampfer (trade, NY Rangers), D John Moore (free agent, New Jersey), F Joakim Nordstrom (free agent, Carolina), F Chris Wagner (free agent, NY Islanders)

Key Subtractions: F Kenny Agostino (free agent, Montreal), D Tommy Cross (free agent, Columbus), F Austin Czarnik (free agent, Calgary), F Brian Gionta (retirement), D Nick Holden (free agent, Vegas), G Anton Khudobin (free agent, Dallas), D Adam McQuaid (trade, NY Rangers), F Rick Nash (free agent, unsigned), F Riley Nash (free agent, Columbus), D Paul Postma (free agent, Kazan – KHL), F Tim Schaller (free agent, Vancouver), F Tommy Wingels (free agent, Geneve – NLA)

[Related: Bruins Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Ryan Donato – Rookie forward Donato made his NHL debut last year in the midst of a season most only dream of. Donato wrapped up a stellar collegiate career with Harvard University by leading the NCAA in goals per game with 26 tallies – and 43 points – in 29 games. The effort made Donato a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey. Donato also starred for his country, playing a major role for Team USA at the Winter Olympics where, again, he led the tournament in goals per game, potting five in six contests. He then stepped right into the NHL, notching five goals and four assists in 12 regular season games down the stretch and even skating in three playoff games. After such an impressive campaign, the question now is can he keep it up?

The ceiling for Donato is clear: as a supremely talented shooter and intelligent offensive player, Donato is able to seamlessly transition into a regular scoring role on a skilled Boston lineup. Donato is currently skating on the off-wing, something he did little of in college, on the Bruins’ second line with veteran center David Krejci and impressive sophomore winger Jake DeBrusk. He’s also been tasked with first unit power play work, getting to share the ice with the NHL’s best line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. If he adjusts well to this role, Donato could be looking at 30+ goals and not only in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, but perhaps the favorite.

However, the floor for Donato is also apparent. The Bruins have recently seen what can happen when a talented offensive player with a knack for putting the puck in the net during his developmental years fails to transition that ability to the NHL. Frank Vatrano, traded late last year to the Florida Panthers, was a goal-scoring phenom in the AHL and was expected to take over a top-nine role last season, only to struggle with scoring, too often get exposed defensively, take too many bad penalties, and ultimately end up as an extra skater later jettisoned away. While Donato is a far superior prospect to Vatrano and is in no way at risk of being dealt, his rookie year could go similarly to Vatrano’s final season in Boston. The Bruins ask all of their forwards to play a responsible, two-way, forechecking game. Donato is still developing those skills and, if he isn’t scoring enough on the second line, could find it hard to get play time in the bottom-six. Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork already have a pro experience, and more importantly two-way IQ, to their credit and could push Donato for an opportunity in the top-six or even force him out of the lineup entirely. The Bruins also have their eye on a Stanley Cup this year and could seek to replace a disappointing Donato via trade if it comes to that down the line.

It says a lot that the Bruins let several middle-six free agent forwards walk without finding viable replacements this off-season, as they clearly trust Donato, as well as DeBrusk, Heinen, Bjork, and other options in the AHL, to be reliable NHL scorers. Already, through just three games, secondary scoring has been an issue for Boston and Donato needs to prove management right that he is ready to take on his current role. The Bruins’ season rests with the ability of their young forwards to continue improving and provide stable secondary scoring. Of that group, Donato is the most important, having been handed the second-line opening early on, and bears watching all season long.

Key Storyline: For much of last season, the Boston Bruins were neck-and-neck with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in both the division and the conference and at times even the league’s best record. Boston ended up only one point behind the Bolts in the final standings and then fell to their foes in the second round of the playoffs. Part of the reason that Tampa was able to relatively easily dispatch the Bruins: their trade deadline additions of Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, both of whom remain on the team moving forward. The Bruins added Rick Nash, who was a good fit while healthy but a bust overall, as well as several depth pieces. None of those players are donning the black and gold this year.

Then, this off-season the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finished third behind the Bruins in the division last season and proved to be a difficult first round opponent, landed the biggest fish in free agency, superstar center John Tavares. The Bruins were in on Tavares as well, but after they missed out, opted not to pursue any other prominent free agent scorers.

The Atlantic Division has improved right before the Bruins’ eyes, with many calling the Lightning and Leafs favorites not only to win the division, but the Stanley Cup. And that isn’t even considering the improvements made by the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres as well. Meanwhile, Boston continues to rely on their current core and the young players they have shuffled into the lineup. Without many noticeable external improvements – outside of a top backup goaltender in Jaroslav Halak and a reliable, versatile defenseman in John Moore – can the Bruins keep up? Is this team as good as the patient front office thinks they are?

Overall Outlook: The answer, of course, is yes. This Bruins team is great. Ignore an ugly opening night loss to the banner ceremony-fueled Washington Capitals and Boston still enters the season with some of the highest expectations in the NHL. The best line in the league is supported by young, exciting scoring forwards, dependable veterans like Krejci and David Backes, and several capable fourth line options. The defense is anchored by a legend in Zdeno Chara and a wunderkind in Charlie McAvoy, not to mention offensive dynamo Torey Krug and young Brandon Carlo. Tuukka Rask and Halak could also prove to be the best goalie tandem in the league and not a stretch as Jennings Trophy favorites behind a possession-dominant, defensively responsible lineup. Not to mention, the Bruins have ample cap space and will almost assuredly be a top suitor come trade deadline time. Yes, the Bruins are great. But is “great” enough in a division that is stacked at the top with arguably three of the NHL’s top five teams? Or to make it out of the Eastern Conference, which features the past three Cup winners in the Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins?

Snapshots: Kempny, Backes, Schmid

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Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny is on the mend. Kempny has yet to play this season due to a concussion – one he doesn’t even remember suffering – after ending up on the receiving end of a high hit from the St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo was suspended for the Blues’ opening night match-up, but is already back in action for St. Louis. Kempny hopes to follow suit, telling NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he hopes to make his season debut on Wednesday. Kempny practice in full today and was feeling good, but admits the final call will come from head coach Todd Reirden. The Capitals have fared fine without Kempny, winning in blowout fashion against the Boston Bruins before falling in overtime to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, but Kempny would be a welcome addition back to the Washington lineup. The 2017-18 trade deadline acquisition found instant chemistry on the team’s top pair with John Carlson and brings high expectations into the new season.

  • The Bruins bounced back well from their beating at the hands of the Capitals on Wednesday, shutting out the Buffalo Sabres the next night with a rearranged forward lineup. However, WEEI’s Matt Kalman reports that the team is still not content with the play of Sean Kuraly as the third line center. The Bruins gave youngsters Jack Studnicka, Trent Frederic, and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson – all recent high draft picks – the chance to win that job in training camp, but none could seize the opportunity. Kuraly began the year in the top nine by default, but has underwhelmed playing with both Ryan Donato and David Backes and Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork. As a result, Kalman states that the team is prepared to move Backes back to center, a position he has played infrequently since arriving in Boston two years ago, but almost exclusively played during his years in St. Louis. Kalman spoke to head coach Bruce Cassidy, who seemed optimistic about transitioning Backes back down the middle and his fit with Heinen and Bjork. It may not be a long-term solution, but should improve the contributions of the third line while the team continues to evaluate their options. The move would presumably return Kuraly back to the fourth line, where he and Noel Acciari starred last season and should again find success lining up with new additions Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom.
  • New Jersey Devils prospect goaltender Akira Schmid has reportedly had enough of North American junior hockey already, early on in the new campaign. Schmid, a fifth round pick in June, had joined the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes this year after developing in his native Switzerland. However, after failing to win the starter’s job and his first, disastrous appearance  – Schmid allowed seven goals on 27 shots – he appears to be ready to move on. European news source “Sonntagsblick” reports that Schmid is set to return to the SCL Tigers of the NLA in Switzerland, the program in which he developed. Schmid is likely to make most of his appearances with Langnau, the team’s top junior program. The question now, after such a rough experience in North America, is how long it takes Schmid to return. The Devils hope that this setback doesn’t stunt the growth of their promising goalie prospect.

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