Bruins Notes: Krejci, C. Miller, Morrow, Subban
Fresh off a 2-1 Game One win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night without three starters in David Krejci, Torey Krug, and Brandon Carlo, it appears that the Boston Bruins will have to line up for Game Two with an even more short-handed roster. While the team has until their matinee puck drop on Saturday to make any official announcement, it sounds as though defenseman Colin Miller will join the growing list of injuries. Miller, who left the previous game after suffering a lower body injury on a trip from Mark Borowiecki, was on the ice for practice today, but left early due to pain and discomfort. After practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy made it sound very unlikely that Miller would be available for the next game.
With Miller out, in addition to Krug and Carlo, Joe Morrow is the next man up to slot in on the blue line. Morrow, a former first-round pick and a piece of the Tyler Seguin trade, has not been able to work his way into regular play time in years with the Bruins. With John-Michael Liles in the fold this season, Morrow was bumped down to eighth on the depth chart and has not played in almost three months. However, the Bruins were able to beat the Senators with just five defenseman for most of Game One, so even a cold Morrow could be an upgrade as Boston looks to take a stranglehold on the series with another road win.
- Having Krejci back would certainly go a long way to help the Bruins take a 2-0 series lead, but Cassidy confirmed that Boston’s highest-paid player will miss another game. Cassidy did add the qualifier that “as of today” he would miss the game, and Krejci did suit up for warm-ups before being a late scratch in Game One, however he missed practice today and all signs point to the Bruins playing is safe with their third-highest scorer.
- As reported earlier, the Bruins have made it official that they have returned goalie Zane McIntyre, who suited up as Tuukka Rask‘s backup for Game One, back to the AHL and has recalled Malcolm Subban on an emergency assignment to serve, fittingly, as an emergency backup should anything cause Rask or Anton Khudobin. Don’t worry Bruins fans, there’s no reason to worry about Rask’s health.
Morning Notes: Glass, Krejci, Capitals
Jeff Glass has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs prior to the Blackhawks’ game 1 match-up according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. The goaltender will serve as the emergency third netminder tonight when they take on the Nashville Predators in what will be an excellent series. Though the Blackhawks are the clear favorites, some have picked Nashville as a potential spoiler even from the eighth seed.
The Predators are a fun team to dream on, with their solid defense corps and young forwards, but don’t count out the powerhouse ‘Hawks just yet. They beat Nashville in four of five meetings this season, and are still one of the early cup favorites. Glass will serve only as an emergency backup should something happen to one of Corey Crawford or Scott Darling in the pre-game warm up.
- The Boston Bruins looked fine without him, winning 2-1 over the Ottawa Senators to take a 1-0 series lead, but David Krejci could be back as soon as the weekend. Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com tweeted last night that he is day-to-day and will be re-evaluated before the second game on Saturday.
- The Bruins got contributions from all the regular names, but also welcomed Charlie McAvoy to the bright lights of the NHL playoffs. He skated over 24 minutes for the Bruins as they overcame a 1-0 deficit to win in the third period. His smooth skating and decision making ability were on display all night, and saw over four minutes of powerplay time.
- The Capitals had a very optional morning skate before their first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and John Carlson wasn’t a part of it. He will take the warm up though and expects to play, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. The Maple Leafs have their hands full if Carlson does play, as the Capitals defense is one of the deepest in the league.
Injury Updates: Blackhawks, Methot, Stastny
The Blackhawks will be without defenseman Michal Rozsival when the puck drops on their series opener against Nashville on Thursday as they announced that the blueliner underwent surgery today to repair facial fractures sustained against the Ducks last week. The veteran was a depth player for Chicago for most of the season, getting into 22 games while averaging 15:30 per night in ice time. There is no timetable for his potential return but the team noted he’s expected to make a full recovery. Forward Andrew Desjardins, who also was injured against Anaheim, remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.
Chicago will get a boost up front against the Predators as center Artem Anisimov will return to the lineup after missing the last month with a leg injury, notes CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers. He had been skating for the last week as he worked himself back into game shape. Anisimov is expected to rejoin wingers Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane inside their top six forward group.
More injury news from around the NHL:
- Senators defenseman Marc Methot is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday’s series opener against Boston, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun notes. Head coach Guy Boucher calls Methot’s situation the only one he’ll have to make a decision on and that they could still opt to rest him up for a few more days. The blueliner has missed the last nine games with a lacerated finger suffered after being slashed by Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby on March 23rd.
- The Blues will likely be without center Paul Stastny when they open up their series against Minnesota tomorrow night, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He suffered a broken foot back on March 21st against Colorado and has been out of the lineup since then. It’s expected that Ivan Barbashev will open up the series in his place on the top line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.
- Bruins centers David Krejci and Dominic Moore missed practice today and while the team is hopeful that both will be ready to take on Ottawa tomorrow, head coach Bruce Cassidy told CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty that it’s not a guarantee that either will be available. He noted that both players are going through “maintenance work” at the moment. Krejci’s absence in particular is noteworthy as this is the second straight practice he missed. Not only has he been Boston’s top postseason scorer in two of their last four playoff appearances, he also led the NHL in playoff points in those two years.
Snapshots: Red Wings, Krejci, Marleau, Couture
Detroit’s 25 year streak of reaching the playoffs is all but set to come to an end this season as the team sits dead last in the Eastern Conference. While GM Ken Holland isn’t surprised that it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Red Wings this season, he told Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News that he wasn’t expecting the team to struggle as much as they have:
“I expected more, I expected we’d be in the thick of things. I didn’t know if we’d be in the playoffs or not. When you look at the standings in our division and in the Eastern Conference, there a lot of teams, some of them are going to miss the playoffs by a point or two and some of them are going to get in by a point or two.”
Kulfan notes that free agency isn’t an avenue that Holland and the Wings are likely to pursue this summer. Part of the problem is the weaker than usual free agent class while the team is also handcuffed by some above-market value contracts that the GM has handed out in recent years to players like Darren Helm, Danny DeKeyser, and several others. As a result, they’ll have to hope to free up some cap room either via the trade or market or perhaps in expansion if the Golden Knights opt to take a pricey player off their hands.
Other notes from around the league:
- Bruins center David Krejci left practice early on Monday and interim head coach Bruce Cassidy told CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty that he is dealing with an upper body injury. However, it’s not expected to keep him out of Boston’s lineup when they take on the Predators on Tuesday night. If it turns out he’s unavailable, it’s expected that Ryan Spooner would jump in to fill his spot on the second line.
- With Logan Couture out of the lineup, the Sharks will shift Patrick Marleau back to center for the time being, notes CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz. Marleau is a natural center but has only played there four times this year as San Jose has opted to play him on the wing instead. In a separate column, Kurz provided an update on Couture. Head coach Peter DeBoer was pleased by how much the swelling went down today and while he will miss some time, it doesn’t appear that it will be a long-term injury. There’s no timetable for a potential return date yet although the team is expected to further update his situation in the near future.
The Best Deal Of The Offseason: Brad Marchand
When you think back on any signing season, your mind immediately goes to the big deals handed out to free agents. This season saw over $600MM dollars handed out on the first day of free agency, and was followed by a lucrative summer for tons of players. Because of the lack of a superstar name—thanks Steven, you couldn’t just wait another couple of days?—second-tier all-stars were given incredibly lucrative contracts. Recently, our Zach Leach took a look back at July 1st and the mistakes teams made, handing out term and money to players who were perhaps already over the hill.
But this offseason’s best deal may not have come until much later in the summer. In fact it didn’t happen in the summer at all, but on September 26th just a few weeks before the Boston Bruins would start their season. The Bruins were getting ready for their preseason debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets—a game they would lose in a shootout—while two thirds of their top line was prepping for the World Cup of Hockey final in Toronto.
It was that morning of the 26th that Bob McKenzie of TSN would report that the Bruins had completed a contract extension with Brad Marchand that would see him stay in Boston for another eight years. He would be paid $6.125MM each season with several different clauses attached. Even though he was starring at the World Cup alongside Sidney Crosby—and would score the tournament winning goal just a few days later, shorthanded with 44 seconds left—many people thought the deal was a huge overpay. In fact, the replies to McKenzie’s tweet are mixed at best, with it being hard to understand the value Marchand brought to the Bruins.
Trade Notes: Oilers, Krejci, Parenteau, Boyle
The Oilers are on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. As a result, there’s some pressure on general manager Peter Chiarelli to make some moves that will help the team secure that playoff birth. While the executive admitted that he doesn’t believe his team is a true Cup contender, he did provide some insight into his pre-deadline strategy.
“I really don’t want to delve into that market,” Chiarelli said (via Sportsnet’s Mark Spector). “I think there are areas we can tinker with; I think the team deserves it. We wanted to be in the conversation. We are.
“(But) we’ve made a lot of moves in the summer, and they’re coming around. I’d rather see those play out…(Deals) fall in your lap … but I don’t see being heavily involved in that market.
“I don’t think it’s the right time for this team, but having said that … once you get into the playoffs, you never know.”
As we anticipate the March 1st trade deadline, let’s explore some other trade notes from around the NHL…
- An NHL executive told WEEI’s Jimmy Murphy that Bruins center David Krejci has been a target of multiple teams (Twitter link). However, the same sourced wondered whether the veteran could now be off the market due to his and his team’s recent play. The 30-year-old has 14 goals and 25 assists this season.
- That same executive also told Murphy that Predators general manager David Poile has been “a lot more aggressive” over the past year, and that sentiment apparently applies to this season (Twitter link). Nashville is currently slotted in as the top wild-card team in the Western Conference.
- It seems like P.A. Parenteau‘s name has been floating in trade rumors for the better part of a year, and the Devils winger recently told Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com that he understands that he could be on the block if the team falls further out of the playoff hunt. “I went through it last year,” Parenteau said. “I was having a really good year and I didn’t get traded. Who knows? The market changes every year. I’m aware of my age, and when I sign a one-year deal like that, if the team is going to be out of playoff contention, there’s a chance I get moved.”
- Joe Smith of TampaBay.com tweets that he isn’t surprised at the trade talks surrounding center Brian Boyle, citing the veteran’s leadership presence in the locker room. However, Smith says these are the reasons why the Lightning should actually be looking to keep the 32-year-old. In 50 games this season, the veteran has collected 13 goals and seven assists, and he’s on pace to set career-highs in both categories.
Atlantic Notes: Beleskey, Leafs, St. Louis
Since being injured on December 6th, Matt Beleskey hasn’t skated with the team once – until now. Beleskey returned to practice today to the cheers of his teammates, though he still was in a non-contact sweater. According to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE, the 28-year old winger was skating alongside David Krejci and David Backes when he did get into some rushes; otherwise that spot went to Frank Vatrano.
Beleskey was originally given a six-week timeline, which would be up on Tuesday, which looks like a possibility for the Bruins forward. Late next week might be more realistic, with Friday against Chicago being a likely target.
- The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight after their bye week, and new backup Curtis McElhinney will wear #35 according to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. The Maple Leafs claimed McElhinney off waivers and are expected to give him his first start tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators.
- The Maple Leafs are playing tonight at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers are honoring Steven McDonald, a former police officer who passed away Tuesday. He had been a big fan of the Rangers since he was shot in the line of duty 20 years ago, and the team honored him by wearing throwback sweaters in warm-up that had #104 on the back – the number of McDonald’s precinct. McDonald was paralyzed from the neck down in the shooting, but instead of despair he has spread a message of forgiveness since his injury. Adam Graves and Mark Messier were on hand to escort McDonald’s wife and son to center ice.
- In other pre-game ceremony news, the Tampa Bay Lightning retired Martin St. Louis‘ number tonight with former head coach John Tortorella on hand to speak (Torts’ Columbus Blue Jackets are in town to face the Lightning). “He is a man who has been told ‘no’ so many times in his career… I just have so much respect for him in how he did it.” Steven Stamkos also spoke about St. Louis, saying “He was, he still is, and he forever will be the heart and soul of this organization.”
Extension Candidates: 2017 Restricted Free Agents
After Artemi Panarin signed a two-year extension earlier today that will pay him $6MM per season and take him right up to unrestricted free agency, the RFA pool for this summer got a little bit smaller. Other extensions that have already been signed include Aaron Ekblad (Eight years, $60MM), Jake Allen (Four years, $17.4MM) and Victor Hedman (Eight years, $63MM).
Even though these big names are already locked up long-term, there are a ton of other restricted free agents that will be negotiating extensions between now and July 1st. Here are a few big names who become RFAs this summer.
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton: The former third-overall pick who once scored 192 points in 29 German junior-league games, has broken out this season with 31 points in 36 games. Already coming off a 50 point season, this 70 point pace puts him in elite territory up front. Only 21 years old, the Oilers will be looking to lock him up long-term to ride shotgun with Connor McDavid well into their peak years.
Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal: Another third-overall pick who put up a 50+ point season a year ago, Galchenyuk was off to a brilliant start before going down with injury early this month. Because he’ll be out for another month at least, Galchenyuk won’t rush into a contract that may not be representative of his development. This one might head into the summer, but if he comes back strong perhaps the two sides can come together before what looks like a long playoff run.
David Pastrnak, Boston: Not quite the same situation faces Pastrnak, who before this year showed promise but hadn’t played a full season in the NHL. With 26 points already he’s about to set his career-high and has a chance at a 40-goal season. Boston has a lot of money already tied up long-term in their forward group, with David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, David Backes and Brad Marchand all under contract through at least 2020-21. They may not be able to afford buying out UFA years this summer, meaning a one or two year pact is more likely.
Full List Of Mandatory-Protection Players In Expansion Draft
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston has published the full list of players who, due to no-movement clauses in their current contracts, must be protected in the upcoming expansion draft for the new Vegas Golden Knights. These are players who will count against the protection limits should they choose not to waive their NMC rights prior to the draft.
Each team has the right to protect either:
A) Seven forwards, three defenders, one goaltender
or
B) Eight skaters, one goaltender
These players will count against those numbers, and as Johnston points out, there are some notable inclusions and omissions from this group. Players like Jordan Staal, Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan all had incorrect information spread about their contracts. The former two will now need protection, while the latter will not, due to his deal only having a no-movement to the minors clause.
The Chicago Blackhawks, with eight players listed, will have little flexibility at the draft, with only four forward spots (or one defenseman) left to use. Many others, according to Johnston, including Toronto’s Nathan Horton, are likely to be made exempt if they are still on LTIR as the draft approaches.
Injury Notes: Hammond, Letang, Pietrangelo
After dealing for Mike Condon today to give himself some insurance, Ottawa Senators’ GM Peter Dorion says that Andrew Hammond is out for at least another week dealing with a groin injury. Hammond was placed on injured reserve last week.
While Hammond is out with a known injury, Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen reports that the Craig Anderson situation is “very fluid”, meaning the goaltender may miss additional time during the year. Condon will fly to meet the Senators in Ottawa for tomorrow’s game against the Canucks.
- Kris Letang is back in uniform for Pittsburgh and will play tonight against Anaheim, says Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. Along with the top blueliner, the Penguins will be welcoming back Matt Murray to the ice as he gets his first start this season. Murray was nursing a broken hand suffered at the World Cup.
- The Blues have announced that Alex Pietrangelo will likely play tomorrow even though he didn’t practice today with the club. While he’s due for another evaluation in the morning, head coach Ken Hitchcock said he looks to be “OK” for tomorrow night.
- David Backes is back skating for the Boston Bruins, after receiving medical clearance yesterday. According to Claude Julien “everybody’s on track right now and heading in the right direction.” Practice was a little thin today as Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara and John-Michael Liles were all given the day off.