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Elias Pettersson

Snapshots: Three Stars, Vilardi, Matthews

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The NHL has announced their Three Stars for the latest week of the regular season, giving the Calgary Flames something to finally celebrate. Though the Flames are still giving up goals at an unfortunate pace, their offense has exploded and has them in first place in the Pacific Division. That’s in big part due to Sean Monahan’s eight-point week which has earned him first star honors. The young center now has 18 points in his first 15 games this season and is on pace to shatter his previous career-high of 64 points, set last year. With 146 goals already in his young career—Monahan turned 24 just a few weeks ago—he’s on track to be one of the best scorers to ever wear a Flames uniform. Jarome Iginla is clearly the leader with 525 regular season goals for Calgary, but Monahan already ranks 17th and could jump into the top-12 by season’s end.

Young stars was the theme of this week’s awards, as super rookie Elias Pettersson and underrated center Brayden Point took home second and third star. Pettersson is one of the most exciting players in the NHL right now, while Point continues to develop into the next great two-way center even in the shadows of other Tampa Bay stars like Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning have a huge contract negotiation coming with Point at the end of this year, when he enters restricted free agency for the first time. If his point output continues at its current pace—he’s on track for just under 100—they’ll be hard pressed to find room for him among all their other talented and well paid forwards without making a corresponding move.

  • Though Los Angeles Kings fans may have felt a chill run through their body upon reading Bob McKenzie of TSN’s report that Gabe Vilardi suffered a setback in an off-ice training session, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider was told that it’s nothing to really worry about. Viladri has a tight hip flexor, but should be back on the ice in a few days. That’s great news for a player who can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injury, and has played just 48 OHL games since being selected 11th overall in 2017. The 19-year old forward is a dominant puck possessing force when healthy, but needs to get back on the ice full-time before he can really prove he’ll be a part of the turnaround in Los Angeles.
  • Speaking of getting back on the ice, Auston Matthews skated today in Toronto with a team of coaches including Haley Wickenheiser as he works his way back from his latest shoulder injury. The Maple Leafs indicated that it would be a minimum of four weeks from October 29th before Matthews would be ready for game action, meaning he’s still several weeks away from the lineup. Still, with the Maple Leafs coming off a dominating 5-0 win on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, seeing their best player on the ice shooting pucks already has to be another morale boost as they try to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

Snapshots: Nyquist, Pettersson, McQuaid

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With the Red Wings expected to be sellers between now and the trade deadline, winger Gustav Nyquist is likely to come up in trade speculation in the weeks to come.  Speaking with Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, the pending UFA acknowledged that the chatter involving him is likely to pick up compared to previous years:

“It’s a business and that’s part of the game. I’m sure my name will pop up. It will be a little bit new situation for me because this is my last year of the contract. It’s different, but it’s nothing I’ve thought about. Probably more as I get closer to the deadline. We’ll see.”

Fortunately for both Nyquist and the Red Wings, the 29-year-old is off to a strong start to his season with a dozen points through the first 14 games which is the second-most on the team.  If he can maintain that level of play between now and the deadline, not only will that help his negotiating leverage for the summer as he looks to improve upon his current $4.75MM AAV but it would also help Detroit land another notable asset in their rebuilding process.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Canucks center Elias Pettersson is off to a very strong start to his rookie season with nine goals and six assists through his first nine games. Accordingly, he is quickly becoming a candidate to hit more than just his Schedule ‘A’ bonuses.  Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston provides the breakdown of his Schedule ‘B’ bonuses and notes that the full $2MM can be reached by winning any major award other than the Calder Trophy or being top-ten in the league in goals, assists, or points per game.  Fortunately for Vancouver, they sit with nearly $6MM in cap space so if Pettersson’s torrid run continues and he hits one of those marks, they will be able to absorb it this season without having to worry about using the bonus cushion to defer it to next year.
  • It seems like Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid will be out longer than expected. Head coach David Quinn acknowledged to reporters, including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link), that the lower-body injury the blueliner is dealing with is different than what they had originally thought.  As a result, he has been downgraded from day-to-day to week-to-week.  New York does not plan to bring someone up from the minors to take his spot on the roster as Fredrik Claesson (upper body) is nearing a return to the lineup.

Minor Transactions: 10/28/18

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The Florida Panthers landed in Helsinki, Finland, this morning as they prepare for the NHL Global Series on Thursday and Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. In the meantime, injuries around the league are beginning to pile up and several teams are expected to make moves today to fill out their roster. Keep an eye here throughout the day to see what moves teams make.

  • After initial reports suggested the Philadelphia Flyers intended to recall Taylor Leier from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, the team reversed course and recalled two different players as they announced they have recalled wingers Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Tyrell Goulbourne instead. To make room for the two, the Flyers have placed Corban Knight on injured reserve with a hand injury he sustained Saturday against the Islanders. The team also has loaned center Mikhail Vorobyev to Lehigh Valley. Vorboyev came out of training camp with the third-line center job, but after posting just two points in seven games, the team opted to make some changes. Aube-Kubel has been considered a strong candidate for promotion after posting a solid campaign in the AHL last year, posting 18 goals and 46 points. He already had three goals and seven points in eight games there this season. Golbourne played nine games for the Flyers last season and had four points in seven games this year.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have recalled forward Jordan Greenway after sending him down to the Iowa Wild of the AHL on Friday. Greenway made two appearances for Iowa this weekend, but made the impact the team was hoping for Saturday when he registered a hat trick against the Colorado Eagles. The 6-foot-6 power forward out of Boston University hasn’t found his game in the NHL yet as he’s had just one assist in nine games. The hope as that his success in Iowa will build his confidence. No word whether there is a corresponding roster move.
  • Although the team didn’t report it Saturday, CapFriendly announced that the Vancouver Canucks returned forward Darren Archibald to the Utica Comets of the AHL in order to make room on their roster when they activated center Elias Pettersson so he could play against Pittsburgh Saturday. The 19-year-old didn’t post a point as the Canucks were shutout, but Pettersson registered 19:01 of ice time. The 28-year-old Archibald got only into one game while filling in for Pettersson on the roster, and scored a goal in that game.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have recalled forward Danick Martel from his conditioning loan with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The 23-year-old Martel posted great numbers with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL last season and the Lightning claimed him off waivers during training camp. Tampa Bay must keep him on their roster or place him back on waivers, which would give the Philadelphia Flyers an opportunity to claim him back. The team sent Martel to Syracuse on a conditioning stint on Oct. 18, but was forced to bring him back now that the conditioning loan has expired. He had one assist in four games there. The team hopes Martel can fill in for the injured Ondrej Palat, who is day-to-day.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have returned defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The blueliner was recalled on an emergency loan after the team placed defenseman Kevan Miller on injured reserve on Thursday. However, with the impending return of Torey Krug, who could make his season debut as early as Tuesday after injuring his ankle right before the start of the season, the team was ready to return the 21-year-old. Lauzon played two games for Boston in his short stint, but failed to register a point. He does have four points in six games with Providence. Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports the move may just be a paper transactions as Lauzon is not slated to play for Providence today.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced several roster moves in advance of tonight’s game against San Jose.  They assigned defensemen Andrej Sustr (who cleared waivers on Saturday) and Marcus Pettersson to San Diego of the AHL while recalling blueliners Andy Welinski and Jacob Larsson from the Gulls.  Larsson and Welinski combined to serve as Anaheim’s third pairing against the Sharks.

Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser Return To Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks will have not one, but two young starts back in their lineup tonight. Head coach Travis Green announced that both Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser will make their returns from injury for the game this evening. Pettersson has been activated from the injured reserve, which he landed on nearly two weeks ago after suffering a concussion. It is a relatively quick recovery from what looked like a bad head injury on a dirty play. Boeser has missed the past two games for the Canucks with a groin injury, but fortunately is back sooner than expected as well.

Boeser, of course, is Vancouver’s reigning rookie standout, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting last season and being named an All-Star. Boeser notched 29 goals and 55 points in 62 games to lead the Canucks in scoring, despite missing 20 games. The University of North Dakota product has been off that same pace early this year, recording six points through nine games, but the hope is that any lingering injuries are behind him and he can get back to 30-goal form. However, Pettersson, the team’s newest rookie phenom, is around to pick up the slack and more. The fifth overall pick in 2017, Pettersson was off to a hot start prior to his injury, with five goals and eight points in five games. If the skilled Swede is truly past his concussion, he should get right back to tormenting the opposition.

The Canucks could not have asked for better timing to get their dynamic young duo back in action. The team recently suffered additional injuries to Alexander Edler and Sven Baertschi, who both landed on injured reserve, and are still without Jay Beagle. On top of that, Green revealed that top defenseman Chris Tanev will also be sidelined tonight. At 6-5, the Canucks have managed well enough considering their injuries, but have not won a game in regulation in more than two weeks. Vancouver especially needed help as soon as possible as they get set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight and hope that Pettersson and Boeser can bring the offense needed to keep up with the Eastern Conference powerhouse.

Pacific Notes: Gibson, Tuch, Eriksson, Thornton

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The Anaheim Ducks know they can’t keep relying on the play of goaltender John Gibson, who has saved the team with his impressive play. Most recently Gibson sustained a 44-shot performance on Saturday (many of which were high-danger shots) against the Golden Knights, who walked away with a 3-1 win. Gibson wasn’t thrilled with the team’s inability to keep those shots down, according to The Athletic’s Josh Cooper (subscription required).

“I think we just need to be better. It’s getting old,” Gibson said with a little smirk after the 3-1 loss where he made 42 saves and his team managed just 18 shots on goal. “You see the game. You can see what we’re doing. It’s pretty self explanatory. We’re not playing to the level that I think we’re capable of playing and I think we’re just being too satisfied with just being average.”

Anaheim remains in first place in the Pacific Division at 5-2-1, but are dead last in the NHL in shots allowed as they have yielded an average of 37.0 shots per game. Gibson has been able to protect the team with his play as he boasts a .949 save percentage in his seven appearances and has a 1.91 GAA so far, but it’s unlikely he can keep that up.

“We’re not playing the right way,” coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’re loose in coverage and we’re not competitive enough and when you’re not competitive enough it means they’re starting with the puck and winning more of those battles and they have the puck more than you do.”

  • The Vegas Golden Knights finally got winger Alex Tuch back on the ice Sunday as the practiced with the team in a non-contact sweater, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Tuch, who just signed a seven-year, $33.25MM contract, hasn’t appeared in a game for Vegas this season. The 22-year-old has been out since Sept. 30 with an injury. With that new deal in hand, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) wonders how good Tuch can actually be, considering the team only has his rookie season’s numbers of 15 goals and 37 points, which mostly had him on the team’s third line. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is great at getting into the corners and doing the dirty work and the scribe compares him to a young Milan Lucic, who also put up similar numbers as a rookie and eventually become a consistent 20-goal scorer for years. “We’re expecting him to get better every year, and we’re expecting big things from him this year and he should be back soon,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “He’s a good young player but he has to keep getting better. He’s not elite yet. He’s far from elite, and we want him to get to be elite someday.”
  • With no goals in eight games, there has been quite a bit of criticism that has been thrown at Vancouver Canucks winger Loui Eriksson, the team’s highest paid player at $6MM per year. Regardless head coach Travis Green vigorously defended his veteran forward on Saturday, according to TSN’s Jeff Patterson. “He’s second on our team in 5-on-5 points and second in plus-minus and it’s seven games, not 50,” said Green. “He’s on the second power-play unit and not the first. He has done some good things and it’s not just about goals with Loui. There a lots of guys I want more out of and if I say I want more out of Loui, everyone is up in arms about it. I thought he was playing good with Elias Pettersson. He was good defensively and does some subtle things that people don’t notice — nor does he get recognition for – and I’m not worried about Eriksson, I can tell you that.”
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that center Joe Thornton remains day-to-day after he was placed on injured reserve due to swelling in his surgically repaired knee. However, the 39-year-old is expected to travel with the team for their upcoming three-game road trip. “I don’t know if he’ll play or not,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. Thornton, however, said he hopes to play this week.

Update On Health Status Of Canucks’ Elias Pettersson

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It has been a week since Vancouver Canucks rookie forward Elias Pettersson was thrown to the ice by Florida Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson. Pettersson was injured on the play while Matheson did not even receive a minor penalty for his actions. Matheson was later suspended for two games by the Department of Player Safety, but the story was already written in the minds of many: the NHL yet again failed to protect one of its young stars. It may seem like a harsh take, but – as The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell writes –  it is a difficult one to ignore. The talented rookie undresses the veteran defenseman, only to then become the victim of a dirty play in retaliation, one that the referees did not see as an issue. It is a bad look for the league and one Campbell opines is far too common.

Yet, things could have been worse. Pettersson was placed in the league’s concussion protocol after landing hard on his head, but The Province’s Ben Kuzma wrote earlier this week that there was come concern that he had sustained more than just a concussion. Canucks doctors viewing the hit thought that Pettersson could have suffered from neck and shoulder injuries in addition to what was clearly a concussion. A neck strain in particular, Kuzma relays, can leave a player susceptible to reoccurring injuries and can flare up and cause headaches at any time.

Fortunately, it seems Pettersson has avoided any ancillary injuries. Fears were calmed substantially today when, as Kuzma notes, the promising rookie took the ice with a Vancouver skills coach and seemed to be skating naturally. This would seem to indicate that he is both progressing through the concussion protocol and has avoided injuries that would make skating uncomfortable. Kuzma states that quite a few steps remain – increased training, hard skating, and full contact drills – but this is an encouraging first step. The Canucks will likely have their first-year star back sooner than anyone expected.

Minor Transactions: 10/15/18

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A new week of NHL action is on the docket, with four games set for tonight. Teams will need to adjust their roster for their next test, and we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have just one regulation win through their first four games, but seem to have gotten some good news today. The team has returned Tristan Jarry to the minor leagues after serving as an emergency call-up, and brought up recently waived Derek Grant to fill in. That surely means that Matt Murray is ready to return to action after suffering a concussion recently. Murray backed up Casey DeSmith this weekend, and is key to the Penguins’ hopes this season.
  • Adam Gaudette has indeed been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks to replace Elias Pettersson on the roster, while the young forward deals with a concussion. Gaudette has four points in four games with the Utica Comets of the AHL this season, after signing and making his debut at the end of last year with the Canucks. The fifth-round pick is an exciting prospect for Vancouver, who dominated at the college level with Northeastern.
  • After losing Marko Dano on waivers the Winnipeg Jets have activated Nic Petan from the non-roster list. Petan is still looking to break through and establish himself as a full-time NHL player with the Jets, but can’t seem to find much production thus far in his career. With Dano out of the way there is one less obstacle, but he’ll still need to improve his overall play.
  • The San Jose Sharks have sent Dylan Gambrell back to the AHL, in order to get the young forward on the ice. He hadn’t yet suited up with the Sharks, but will now get another chance to play with the San Jose Barracuda, where he scored three points in his debut this season. Gambrell is a very interesting prospect for the Sharks who was one of the top playmakers in the country at the collegiate level, but is still waiting on his first NHL point.
  • The St. Louis Blues will inject some youth and energy into their lineup, swapping out a veteran grinder for a young power forward. CapFriendly reports that the team has reassigned Chris Thorburn, while recalling Zach Sanford. Thorburn, in his fourteenth season in the NHL, is a serviceable checking line player, but at 35 has slowed down significantly and is no longer much of a two-way threat. He had skated in just one game for the Blues so far this year. Meanwhile, Sanford did not play in the NHL last season, missing most of the year due to injury, but now healthy has looked impressive in training camp and through four games with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. In his rookie season with the Blues and Washington Capitals in 2017-18, Sanford scored at a pace comparable to the best seasons of Thorburn’s career and should be a noticeable offensive upgrade over the older forward.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks, CapFriendly reports. The former New Jersey Devils prospect played in three games for the Ducks last season, but hopes to stick around longer this year. Blandisi notched two assists in his first three games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls this season.

Michael Matheson Suspended Two Games

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The decision has come down, and the Florida Panthers will be without Michael Matheson for the next few days. The Department of Player Safety has suspended Matheson two games for interference and unsportsmanlike conduct in regards to the incident with Vancouver Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson on Saturday night. As the accompanying video explains:

This is not a hockey play. What causes this incident to rise to the level of supplemental discipline, is that it encompasses two separate and distinct acts. First, Matheson pins Pettersson to the boards in a legal and effective defensive maneuver. Then with the puck long separated from the area, and Pettersson unable to defend himself, Matheson drives him directly downward and into the ice with force, causing an injury.

This is the first suspension for Matheson, who does not have a history of dirty play. His defense of the situation included stating that Pettersson’s “lightness” surprised him, per agent Kent Hughes, but nevertheless the dangerous act of throwing him down is still worthy of a suspension. Matheson forfeits just over $52K of his $3MM salary for the year. Matheson will miss contests against the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals and will be eligible to return to the Panthers’ lineup on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Meanwhile, Pettersson has entered the league’s concussion protocol and the Canucks expect that he will miss seven to ten days. While some may feel that the Matheson’s punishment doesn’t fit the crime, seeing as Pettersson was concussed on a purposeful play by the Panthers defenseman, a seven-day absence would only cost the young center three games. Considering Matheson maintains that he did not intend to hurt Pettersson, this seems like a fair response to the incident.

Elias Pettersson Out At Least A Week With Concussion

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It’s not easy being a rookie in the NHL. Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson will be out at least seven to ten days with a concussion according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, after being thrown forcefully to the ice by Florida Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson. Pettersson was taken out of the game immediately, and though he’s still travelling with the team, will not be put back into the lineup until he’s completely free of symptoms. The Canucks will play it safe with the young phenom, who has shown the potential to be a star already in the league but could be a target for his entire career because of his slight frame. Adam Gaudette is expected to be recalled to replace him on the roster.

Pettersson, 19, was off to a tremendous start to the season with five goals and nine points in his first five NHL contests. The fifth-overall pick from 2017 had an early edge in the Calder Trophy race, especially given his role as the engine of the Canucks offense already. That unfortunately will come to an end for at least a few games, and perhaps even longer as the team can’t afford to rush him back and risk any long-term damage. Though Vancouver has been exciting this season, the team is looking towards the future and Pettersson’s a huge part of their competitive window that will soon open.

For his part, Matheson had a phone hearing with the NHL this morning and could face some supplementary discipline. More than 75% of voters here at PHR believed he should earn some type of suspension, given the force and perceived intent of the hit. The fact that Pettersson has suffered a concussion will factor into the NHL’s decision, though they will have to deem it a suspendable offence, and not just an unfortunate result.

Injury Notes: Pettersson, Schultz, DeKeyser, Andrighetto, Johns, Kovalchuk

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While there has been no official diagnosis revealed, The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning reports that 19-year-old phenom Elias Pettersson is feeling a little better today after taking a brutal hit and flung to the ice by Florida’s Mike Matheson that forced him out of the game Saturday evening.

“I just talked to him in the meal room, he’s feeling a little bit better,” said Benning before the team headed for the airport.

Pettersson was reportedly quite woozy after the hit, where it looks as if he hit his head against the glass during the hit and then hit his head a second time when Matheson threw him to the ice. The Department of Player Safety already confirmed there will be a phone hearing about the incident.

  • While there also is no official word from the injury that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz suffered Saturday after he fell awkwardly with Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that speculation is that he sustained a fracture to his leg/ankle and the recovery time is likely to be significant. McKenzie adds that while a fracture can be better than a high ankle sprains in some cases, if Schultz requires surgery, that could make it the recovery time even longer.
  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without defenseman Danny DeKeyser as he is expected to see a hand specialist on Tuesday, suggesting he might be out a while, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The scribe adds that the team will get back Dennis Cholowski, who has missed two games with an upper-body injury for Monday’s game.
  • BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele reports that Colorado Avalanche’s Sven Andrighetto skated with the full team in a non-contact jersey Sunday. He suffered a lower-body injury before the season started and the team hopes it can get the 25-year-old back during their upcoming four-game road trip. The team intends to recall a player from the AHL until Andrighetto is ready to return.
  • Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns skated on back-to-back days this weekend, suggesting the 6-foot-4, 225-pound blueliner is edging closer to a return as he deals with a concussion from the preseason, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro. The scribe adds that he isn’t that close as he is still dealing with headaches.
  • The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke reports that Los Angeles Kings winger Ilya Kovalchuk left practice early today. Head coach John Stevens said he’s been dealing with a “nagging issue” and is day-to-day.

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