Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

David Krejci

East Notes: Crosby, Ristolainen, Bruins

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Tonight is a milestone game for Penguins center Sidney Crosby as he plays in his 1,000th career NHL contest, all in a Pittsburgh uniform.  However, with the team struggling, some have speculated as to whether or not the 33-year-old would be better off or happier with a trade.  Speaking with reporters including NHL.com’s Wes Crosby, the captain tried to downplay that, reiterating his desire to stay with the that drafted him first overall in 2005:

Nothing’s changed. [The rumors are] definitely kind of a new subject that I’ve had to deal with and hear about a little bit. But I love playing here. This is where I’d love to play for the rest of my career. So I can’t really control what’s said or rumors or things like that, but that’s just kind of how I approach it.

Crosby is off to a bit of a slower start by his standards having averaged over a point per game in all of his first 15 NHL seasons but still sits second in scoring on the Penguins this season with six goals and seven assists in 15 games.

Elsewhere in the East Division:

  • While Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is off the CPRA list, he’s not expected to join the team on their current road trip and remains out indefinitely, Lance Lysowski and Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News report. The 26-year-old had a particularly rough case of the virus and head coach Ralph Krueger indicated that it will be a “long process” for the blueliner to return to the lineup.  Ristolainen was off to a strong start to his year with six points in ten games while logging over 23 minutes per night but it appears that he will be out for a while yet.
  • The Bruins will be without center David Krejci and defenseman Kevan Miller for their outdoor game at Lake Tahoe tomorrow, notes Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette (Twitter link). Krejci is dealing with a lower-body injury sustained on Thursday versus New Jersey while Miller’s absence is believed to be more for rest as he works his way back from missing all of last year.  Jack Studnicka and Urho Vaakanainen were both recalled to Boston’s taxi squad yesterday.

Free Agency Notes: Krejci, Andersen, Jensen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While some attention has been on the future of teammate Tuukka Rask of late, the Boston Bruins have another major impending free agent in center David Krejci. Like Rask, Krejci is reaching the end of a long-term, big-money contract and while he won’t get another at 35 years old by next season, Krejci does not appear to be done. The career Bruin matched a career-high 73 points in 2018-19 and last season was a top-five scorer for Boston and trailed only David Pastrnak in shooting efficiency. He capped off the campaign by reminding everyone of his career-long knack for playoff success with a team-best 12 points in 13 games. Krejci looks poised to extend his career beyond this season, likely in Boston, but there has been little public talk of an extension thus far. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta provides an explanation, reporting that Krejci’s camp opted not to open talks this off-season. Krejci’s preference was to hold off on negotiations through the brief off-season as well as through training camp. However, the two sides are expected to begin talks once the season begins. If and when a resolution is reached, the extension could also remain as a handshake agreement, as many might this season given the Expansion Draft ramifications of signing would-be UFA’s. With that in mind, Boston fans should not be discouraged that Krejci is entering his fifteenth Bruins season without a new contract, nor should they worry if a deal is not done during the season; talks will be ongoing and the likelihood of an extension is strong.

  • Unlike Krejci, Toronto Maple Leafs starting goaltender Frederik Andersen does not appear likely to negotiate an extension during this season. The impending free agent, likely to be one of the best names available in the 2021 goalie market, did not have any extension talks with Toronto this off-season, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. And now that the season is about to begin, LeBrun does not expect those talks to finally occur until next off-season. LeBrun notes that Andersen’s agent, Claude Lemieux, prefers not to discuss contracts in-season due to the distraction it may cause his clients. Obviously, any number of factors could shift the status quo and force the two sides to come together during the year, but it is unlikely. As such, Andersen is expected to head into the summer without a new contract and the Maple Leafs will have a small window of time to review the season and work out an extension before their starter becomes a free agent.
  • Andersen’s fellow countryman and former NHLer Nicklas Jensen was set to be a free agent this off-season but no more. The skilled Danish forward has signed a two-year extension with the KHL’s Jokerit, the club announced. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as Jensen has re-signed with his current club in-season for the second year in a row, never allowing for NHL teams to make an offer during the off-season. Jensen has shown that he is worthy of a second chance in North America, too. The 27-year-old power forward, a 2011 first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, may not have found much success in the NHL last time around, but now a more mature player, Jensen has been a prolific scorer in the KHL. Jensen led Jokerit and finished fourth in the league in points per game in an injury-shortened 2019-20 with 25 points in 27 games and has never scored below .69 points per game through four KHL seasons, including his current campaign. A capable scorer with size and speed who has established himself in the KHL and previously flashed immense potential in the AHL, Jensen would seemingly be an intriguing target for an NHL team. A two-year extension taking him into his thirties does not completely eliminate the chance of an NHL comeback for Jensen, but makes it all the more unlikely.

Bruins Notes: Krejci, Injuries, Wagner

at CDT | by 6 Comments

After yesterday saw Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and others speak with the media, several other Boston Bruins were on a conference call with reporters today to talk about what went wrong in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and what the future will hold. David Krejci, an incredible playoff performer once again, a reputation he has rightly earned over the last decade, was asked about what he’ll do when his current contract expires. The 34-year-old center, who is signed through 2020-21, told Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com that he “definitely” wants to keep playing past next season.

In 145 playoff games with the Bruins, Krejci has now recorded 115 points and tied for the lead this year with Brad Marchand. His 911 career regular season games have all come with the spoked B on his chest, but for the last several years his name has continuously been in trade speculation. With a $7.25MM cap hit Krejci doesn’t come cheap but continues to rack up points and strong possession numbers for the Bruins. He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

  • Two more players spoke about injuries today, including David Pastrnak admitting to Benjamin he was dealing with a lower-body injury the whole time. Sean Kuraly’s ailment that kept him out of the last few games was a groin injury. Both players weren’t quite up to their respective standards in the postseason, though Pastrnak did still record ten points in ten games.
  • Perhaps more shocking was Chris Wagner’s revelation that he had dealt with an irregular heartbeat that sent him to the hospital before game five of the series. Wagner explained that he does not believe there will be long-term effects, but “when it comes to your heart, you really gotta be careful.” The 29-year-old will receive further testing to determine whether the incident will happen again. Wagner is set to begin a three-year contract extension that will pay him an average of $1.35MM through the 2022-23 season.

David Pastrnak Held Out Of Bruins Practice Due To COVID Exposure

at CDT | by 7 Comments

League-leading goal-scorer David Pastrnak has missed his second straight day of practice with the Boston Bruins after missing the early part of the week due a league-mandated quarantine period for players returning from Europe. While Pastrnak himself has tested negative for COVID-19, as it turns out he is back in quarantine after coming into contact with an individual who had tested positive, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.

Pastrnak, as well as fellow European returner Ondrej Kase, missed Monday and Tuesday while in quarantine but returned Wednesday to re-join the team. However, head  coach Bruce Cassidy announced on Thursday that the duo had been labeled “unfit to participate” and would be out for an indeterminate amount of time. It has since been clarified that Pastrnak was not permitted to practice with the team due to contact with a positive COVID-19 individual. It is unclear whether Kase has been missing for the same reason.

Meanwhile, the two worked out together privately at a local rink Friday. The team certainly hopes that the pair will be at full speed by the time they depart for Toronto to begin round robin play, whether they are able to resume group practice soon or  not. Pastrnak is obviously one of the more dangerous scoring forwards in the league and a crucial part of Boston’s offensive attack, while Kase was acquired from the Anaheim ahead of the trade deadline for a hefty price and is expected to be a key piece moving forward. Kase was quiet through six games with the Bruins before the league suspended play, but the hope is that he will be the fit at right wing alongside David Krejci that the team has been searching for.

East Notes: Capitals Defense, Montreal Offer Sheet, Debrusk

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Washington Capitals may be considered one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but they have their work cut out for them. The team struggled in the last two months before play was suspended with a mediocre 8-9-3 over their past 20 games. Much of their struggle is due to the team’s poor defense where head coach Todd Reirden was seen experimenting with different defensive combinations over that stretch, which included removing veteran Radko Gudas from the rotation altogether.

In a panel of writers, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) writes that a new training camp couldn’t come at the right time for the Capitals who now have a second chance to find the right pairings and fix their leaky blueline. Much will depend on the players and how they perform at training camp, but there is hope that defenseman Michal Kempny might have more confidence now in his surgically repaired hamstring. The team will also hope Gudas can bounce back and push his way back into the lineup. The team might also get a boost from trade deadline acquisition Brenden Dillon, who will get a training camp to adjust to his new team. El-Bashir also notes the team could look to prospect Martin Fehervary, who will also be on the Capitals’ roster.

  • In a recent mailbag column, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription requires) responds to a question about offer sheets and St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn. Basu wonders whether the Montreal Canadiens might be an interesting destination for the 23-year-old blue liner since St. Louis is currently cap-strapped and have to deal with the contract of Alex Pietrangelo as well as the future contracts of Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Binnington. A significant offer sheet at around $4.2MM AAV would be very challenging for the Blues to match and would bring quite a few questions on whether Dunn is worth that much since. especially since he’s not even eligible for arbitration. That offer would only cost the Canadiens a second-round pick in compensation as well. Montreal is also the most recent team to use an offer sheet, having tried to pry away Carolina’s Sebastian Aho last offseason to no avail.
  • The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont writes that head coach Bruce Cassidy is stuck once again with answering the question, ’Who will play alongside David Krejci?’ on the team’s second line. The scribe writes that while Jake Debrusk would seem to be a solid candidate to take that role, training camp could open up the possibilities of moving Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase into those roles where chemistry might not be that big of an issue with time to acclimate with Krejci. That would not be good for Debrusk’s stock as he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year and finding himself on the third line wouldn’t help is value.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bruins, Mikheyev

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL has released their Three Stars for the previous week, handing out the top honors to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. The big Swedish star had eight points in three games including a four-assist effort against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. Even with the Lightning struggling to find any sort of consistency this season, Hedman is having an outstanding year with 37 points in 35 games.

Second place went to St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who has continued his outstanding play from last season and now carries a .921 save percentage on the year. The 26-year old is the backbone of a team that looks ready to compete for the Stanley Cup once again. Finishing the group is John Tavares, who takes home the third star after a seven-point week with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The high-flying Maple Leafs are scoring goals at a staggering pace, even as they deal with injuries all over the roster.

  • Speaking of injuries all over the roster, the Boston Bruins gave updates on several players today. David Krejci, Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy and Connor Clifton will all not travel with the team to New Jersey. Brad Marchand who was absent was taking a maintenance day and will play. After getting back on track recently with a trio of wins, the Bruins have stretched their lead in the Atlantic Division back to ten points.
  • One player that will be traveling, though not to a team’s next destination, is Ilya Mikheyev. The Maple Leafs forward has been released from hospital in New Jersey and will fly back to Toronto today after having surgery to repair his lacerated wrist. GM Kyle Dubas stayed in New Jersey with Mikheyev while he was tended to and will be traveling back with him today. The rookie forward could miss the rest of the season with the injury after severing tendons and arteries in his wrist.

Boston Bruins Activate David Krejci

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Boston Bruins have struggled to get any secondary scoring this season, but that may change with the return of David Krejci. The veteran center has been activated off of injured reserve and is expected to play tonight against the San Jose Sharks.

Krejci, 33, was injured early in an October 14th game against the Anaheim Ducks and has just one point on the season so far, but was a huge part of the team’s attack a year ago. While the top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron has been good enough to carry the team to an incredible 8-1-2 record—54 points combined in 11 games will do that—the rest of the Bruins lineup has been largely absent from the scoreboard. In fact, no forward other forward has more than four points on the season, something that Krejci will try to change quickly.

After a disappointing 2017-18 campaign, Krejci rebounded with 73 points last season including a team-leading 43 even-strength assists. Perhaps his return to the second line will get Jake Debrusk (one goal, three assists) and Danton Heinen (two goals, one assist) back on the right track.

If he does jumpstart the second line, opponent’s will have to be even more frightened of a Bruins team that looks borderline unstoppable right now. That top line seems to be scoring at will, while Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak have combined for a .936 save percentage.

Lineup Notes: Boston, Buffalo, Big Names Scratched

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Fresh off a decisive win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the Boston Bruins’ forward lines will look a little different when they face the New York Rangers tonight. The team has announced that bottom-six forwards Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom will both miss the game due to injury. However, the release does not make it sound as if either player is at risk of missing significant time, especially since both played the entire game last night with normal ice time. Wagner is listed as being out as a result of a shot block against the Blues, although no actual injury is listed and the aggressive winger may just need the night off for soreness. Nordstrom has been in and out of the lineup frequently in the young season, dealing with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Today’s news adds even more mystery to his condition, as the Bruins state he is dealing with an “infection issue”. With these two absences coming on top of the injuries to David Krejci and Karson Kuhlman – Kuhlman is expected to join Krejci on IR to create roster space – Boston is shorthanded up front and added that they will recall Peter Cehlarik from AHL Providence. Cehlarik, who played in 20 NHL games last season, leads Providence with six goals and eight points in eight games. The Bruins hope that he can provide the same offensive spark that Anders Bjork has since he was recalled. Tonight should also mark the return to action of David Backes, who has played in five games so far this season and has been held without a point.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have gotten off to a hot start this season and their lineup has been almost identical night in and night out. That is about to change. The team has issued an injury report that includes two new additions in Marco Scandella and Jimmy Vesey. The pair both missed Buffalo’s last game, with Scandella suffering from a lower-body injury and Vesey an upper-body injury. Although the specific injuries are not expanded upon in this new report, Scandella is listed as being out two to three weeks, while Vesey is considered week-to-week. It is a blow to the chemistry and consistency that the Sabres have enjoyed so far this season, especially on the back end where they lose their veteran defensive leader. However, in more positive news, defenseman Brandon Montour has been upgraded to day-to-day and a return to the lineup could be imminent. Montour began the year on the injured reserve with a hand injury, but is nearing his season debut and will provide a major boost for Buffalo.
  • At this point in their respective careers, both Brent Seabrook and Bobby Ryan are known more for their notorious contracts than for their performance. Yet, both are fixtures in their respective lineups. However, reports out of both Chicago and Ottawa state that Seabrook and Ryan will each be a healthy scratch tonight. It is only the second career scratch for both players in their careers and the first under their current head coaches. Per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators head coach D.J. Smith revealed that Ryan would be a scratch, after recording just three points through the team’s first ten games. Ryan, who is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $50.75MM contract, had been relegated to a fourth line role based on his production, but Smith reportedly does not feel he is a good fit as an energy forward. The team has recalled Filip Chlapik to take his place in the lineup and there is no indication of when Ryan may return. Ryan has not cracked 50 points in any of the past three seasons and has three seasons remaining at a $7.25MM cap hit. As for Seabrook, his contract is arguably even worse. The 34-year-old defenseman still has five years remaining on an eight-year, $55MM contract that carries a $6.875MM cap it. Seabrook’s game has fallen off in both the offensive and defensive departments over the past two years and things are only getting worse. The veteran rearguard has just one point in nine games and a -5 rating, on pace for a career worst in both categories. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton will sit Seabrook in favor of untested rookie Dennis Gilbert. Colliton also indicated that Seabrook did not take his benching well. It could be the beginning of an even uglier situation in Chicago. Powers’ colleague Mark Lazerus points out that with Seabrook scratched alongside Zack Smith, the Blackhawks will have over $10MM in salary – approximately 12.4% of the salary cap ceiling – watching from the press box tonight.

Atlantic Notes: Mete, Trocheck, Krejci, Miller

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens don’t have a lot on their plate this offseason when it comes to their own free agents. However, that isn’t stopping the franchise from trying to sign defenseman Victor Mete, who is playing in the final year of his entry-level contract. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Canadiens have already begun negotiations with the 21-year-old.

Mete surprised a few people several years ago when he made the roster out of training camp at 19 years old and his fast skating and defensive-first abilities might complement veteran Shea Weber. However, Weber got injured and Mete struggled, playing 49 games, but was often scratched due to the fact that he wasn’t ready. He settled in last season, playing 71 games and has been a solid defensive presence since then. Mete finally scored his first NHL goal last week after going scoreless in 126 straight games.

The Canadiens’ only other significant off-season contract that it will need to deal with other than Mete’s will be that of Max Domi, who will also be a restricted free agent next summer.

  • NHL.com’s Jameson Olive reports that Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck, who hasn’t played since Oct. 19 with an lower-body injury, was practicing with the team today in a yellow non-contact jersey. Trocheck who has a foot/ankle injury is travelling with the team and is listed as day-to-day. After a down season last year while dealing with a broken ankle, the team needs Trocheck to put up a big season. The 26-year-old has a goal and five assists in eight games.
  • NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty writes that Boston Bruins center David Krejci, who is out with an upper-body injury, is expected to miss both games this weekend. However, the scribe adds that Krejci is close and should be able to return at some point next week with a likely date of Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, although head coach Bruce Cassidy said a decision on that won’t be made until Monday. Haggerty also writes that defenseman Kevan Miller should be ready to practice at some point next week. Miller has been out with a fractured kneecap.

Boston Bruins Place Krejci On Injured Reserve, Recall Bjork

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins have made a roster move as they prepare for action tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Krejci has been placed on injured reserve, while young forward Anders Bjork has been recalled and is taking the morning skate with the team. Krejci hasn’t played since October 14th when he suffered an upper-body injury against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Bruins lost in overtime to the Maple Leafs on Saturday night without Krejci, but will get a chance for their revenge tonight on home ice. The 33-year old’s presence is sorely missed however on the team’s second line, as Boston has received almost zero secondary scoring to date this year. In fact, outside of the top line of David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, not a single Bruins player has more than two points this season and only four other forwards have scored a goal at all.

Krejci enjoyed an incredible bounce-back season in 2018-19 when he recorded 73 points in 81 games and needs to get back on the ice for the Bruins as soon as possible. Without him (and Karson Kuhlman, who also missed practice and is unlikely to play), Bjork will get another chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. He skated alongside Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner, a great opportunity for him to provide some jump and energy in his first game of the season.

Bjork, 23, had huge expectations coming out of Notre Dame in 2017 but hasn’t quite lived up to them to this point. In just 50 games at the NHL level he has 15 points, but his career so far has been marred by scratches both healthy and injured. In seven games for the Providence Bruins this season he has eight points, signaling that he may be ready to take that next step and be a force at the highest level.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top