Evening Notes: 2020 World Cup, Luongo, Mantha, Hughes
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said today that there is a chance there will be a 2020 World Cup, but one major obstacle is the collective bargaining agreement, according to The Athletic’s Corey Masisak.
With the collective bargaining agreement coming up, both the NHL and the NHL Players Association exercise their right to terminate the agreement next year. If either the NHL of NHLPA opts to do that, a World Cup would be “unlikely” to happen.
The last World Cup was in 2016 when Canada defeated Team Europe (a team made up of countries that didn’t make it into the tournament) in a two-game sweep of the best-of-three finals. If they can pull off a 2020 World Cup, it would be the fourth instalment. There was a World Cup in 1996 and 2004.
- The Florida Panthers may be without their starting goaltender again as Roberto Luongo was forced out of tonight’s game against Tampa Bay. NHL.com’s Corey Long writes that Luongo will not return after a scramble in front of Florida’s net when Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk and forward Frank Vatrano collided in front of the net with Vatrano falling on top of Luongo’s right leg at 12:21 of the second period. Luongo, who had made 13 saves, needed assistance getting off the ice, which could force the injury-prone goaltender to miss some time again. James Reimer took over for Luongo.
- Dana Wakiji of NHL.com writes that Detroit Red Wings’ newly acquired veteran Thomas Vanek has been especially impressed by the play of Anthony Mantha and believes that the 24-year-old will develop into a top-line power forward sooner than later. “I think he can become the next power forward in this league,” Vanek said after the Wings’ practice Saturday. “His size, his skill-set, his skating, you don’t see that combination that much. He’s still young. The consistency is probably for all us, still not quite there, but he can become a real good power forward in this league.” The winger posted 24 goals last season and at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, is capable of doing more. He will play alongside Dylan Larkin this year, which should increase his chances of goal-scoring success.
- Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News released his list of the Top 75 collegiate players with the Vancouver Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche owning the rights to the top two college players, Michigan defenseman Quinn Hughes and University of Massachusetts defenseman Cale Makar. Hughes, the fifth-overall pick in this year’s draft had 29 points as a freshman for the Wolverines last year, while Makar, the fourth overall pick in 2017, posted 21 points as a freshman last year for the Minutemen.
Panthers Re-Sign Frank Vatrano
The Panthers have signed their trade deadline acquisition to a new deal, announcing that they’ve signed winger Frank Vatrano to a one-year, one-way contract. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the contract is worth $925K, a nice little bump over his qualifying offer which checked in at just over $787K. He would have been eligible for salary arbitration.
The 24-year-old was acquired in exchange for a 2018 third-round pick and fit in quite nicely with his new team. After putting up just two goals in 25 games with Boston, Vatrano picked up five goals and three assists in just 16 games with Florida. In his career between the Bruins and Panthers, he has 25 goals and 14 assists in 124 games.
Vatrano played in a middle-six role in Florida down the stretch and should do so again in 2018-19 even with their earlier acquisition of Mike Hoffman. As things stand, he likely slots in on their third line left wing.
With the signing, the Panthers now have three remaining restricted free agents from their NHL roster to re-sign in center Jared McCann as well as defenseman Alexander Petrovic and MacKenzie Weegar.
Free Agent Focus: Florida Panthers
Free agency opens exactly three weeks from today and teams are well on their way to evaluating both their own impending free agents and those likely to reach the open market. There are quite a few prominent players expected to be available as unrestricted free agents, while many key restricted free agents will be looking to sign new contracts with their current squads. Here is a breakdown of the Florida Panthers’ free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: C Jared McCann – At age 22 and heading into his fourth NHL season, McCann is still a very raw talent. The 2014 first-round pick often thinks the game faster than he plays it and is prone to mistakes. He plays little special teams role for the Panthers and struggles with many of the defensive aspects of the game at the pro level. McCann is also well below average at the face-off dot. With all that said, his offensive upside is still tremendous. McCann set a career-high with 28 points in 68 games this year and for the first time was a plus player in the league. He has great vision, a strong skating game, and a good shot. When he is on his game he can be dominant; when he is off of it, it’s easy to see why the Vancouver Canucks didn’t hesitate to trade him late into his rookie year. McCann needs to find some consistency and pace to his game and he will flourish, but that still may take some time.
So how should Florida handle that contractually? McCann will understandably want a considerable raise from his entry-level contract, but he also has a fair amount of developmental concerns that he continues to deal with. McCann very well could turn out to be a long-term star for the Panthers, but this situation seems far more likely to warrant a short-term bridge deal for “show me” money. McCann needs to display far more of his impressive offensive ability and far fewer mental lapses and disappearing acts if he wants to command greater salary and term.
LW Frank Vatrano – It’s never an easy situation to sort out when a restricted free agent is acquired mid-season. Florida could not have asked for a better start from Vatrano, who came over from the Bruins at the trade deadline after falling out of favor in Boston. After putting up just two points in 25 games with the Bruins, Vatrano posted eight points in the final 16 games with the Panthers and seemed to fit in well in the team’s top six. Vatrano showed in his first pro season that he has a ton of scoring talent: the undrafted UMass product was the goal-scoring champ of the AHL with 36 goals in 36 games, put up another eight goals in 39 games in Boston, and even recorded eight points in ten games with Team USA at the World Championships. However, Vatrano lacks much depth to his game outside of having a knack for finding the back of the net. Injury and inconsistency over the past two years with the Bruins limited his scoring chances and exposed his lack of an all-around game. When playing with Florida’s finest, his scoring ability came back and those flaws faded into the background. However, Florida is now being asked to evaluate him on just those 16 games.
Like McCann, Vatrano has not earned a long-term deal. The Panthers hope that they get the player they saw down the stretch and gave up a third-round pick to acquire, but there is also the risk he will revert to the mistake-prone, one-track-mind player he was in Boston in recent seasons. Vatrano could be an important piece for Florida moving forward but he could also have a ceiling as an elite AHLer and nothing more. Only time will tell, but because of that risk, expect Vatrano to earn a relatively cheap, one-year deal (even if it has to come through arbitration).
Other RFAs: D Alex Petrovic, D MacKenzie Weegar, D Ed Wittchow, F Curtis Valk, F Gregory Chase, D Linus Hultsrom
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: None. Congratulations to Florida on entering free agency with literally nothing to lose. The team has five impending free agents and one, veteran winger Radim Vrbata, has already announced his retirement. The other four played little role in the successes or failures of the Panthers in 2017-18 and would be unlikely to make much of an impact if they were to be re-signed. Connor Brickley is the most notable name, as he recorded 12 points in 44 games on the team’s fourth line. However, Brickley spent no additional time in the AHL, simply watching from the press box for the much of the season. The 26-year-old forward was a 2010 second-round pick, but seems to have developed into a checking winger with limited offensive upside, the exact type of player that is easy to replace. The loss of fellow 26-year-old forwards Chase Balisy (8 games) and Alexandre Grenier (0 games) would mean even less. Third-string goalie Harri Sateri, 28, returned from Europe to play for the Panthers this year and performed well enough in nine appearances, but with two high-end veteran goalies in the mix, Florida hardly needs to stress over their AHL starter. Young Sam Montembeault will likely be just fine if Sateri is not re-signed.
UFAs: Connor Brickley, Chase Balisy, Alexandre Grenier, Harri Sateri
Projected Cap Space: The trade-off of having no unrestricted free agents to worry about is that you don’t have much salary coming off the books either. When you have your top five forwards, your top four defenseman, and two starting-caliber goalies locked up long-term, things can get expensive. The Florida Panthers got off to a slow start last season and narrowly missed the playoffs, but don’t be fooled: this is a solid team without a ton of holes and their cap situation reflects that. The cap ceiling is expected to rise this off-season to somewhere between $78-$82MM. At the midpoint of $80MM, the Cats will have around $14MM in space to work with. While that is a decent amount, it still puts the team in the bottom third of the league in terms of flexibility.
Assume that McCann gets a substantial pay increase and Vatrano and potentially one or both of Petrovic and Weegar get a fair amount in their new contracts, and the Panthers will likely be operating the free agency market with around $8-$9MM or so in space. Is that enough to add the top-six forward that they desperately want and need? Probably, but they would strapped for cap space after that. Expect Florida to be players on the trade market this summer as a result.
Snapshots: Panthers, DeBrusk, Trouba, Tolvanen
Despite an impressive second-half run – 19-7-2 since February 1st – the Florida Panthers are still fighting for their playoff lives in each and every game. They face a major test this afternoon against the Boston Bruins and will do so without two offensive weapons. According to Panthers play-by-play man Steve Goldstein, both Denis Malgin and trade deadline acquisition and former Bruin Frank Vatrano are too “banged up” to go today. Vatrano has four points in eleven games since joining Florida, while Malgin has 11 goals and 20 points in 49 games for the Cats thus far. Their replacements, unproven Maxim Mamin and grinder Micheal Haley, have been far less productive in 2017-18. Given the importance of the match-up and the fact that Boston is getting Jake DeBrusk back in the lineup makes the absences of Malgin and Vatrano a stroke of bad luck for the playoff-hungry Panthers.
- A postseason-bound club getting healthier is the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets will welcome defenseman Jacob Trouba back into the lineup tonight, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Trouba has missed the past two weeks while battling concussions symptoms. He suffered that head injury in just his second game back after missing 20 games due to a lower-body injury. If Trouba is really back at 100% and ready to return to his major role on the Winnipeg blue line, it will be a major boost for the Jets.
- Making his long-awaited debut for the Nashville Predators today is 2017 first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen finished up his KHL season last week and joined the Preds on Wednesday, but head coach Peter Laviolette confirmed that he will be in the lineup today against the Buffalo Sabres. While Tolvanen found instant success in Europe and looks poised to be a big-time player for a long time in Nashville, it’s no surprise that he makes his debut in a relatively meaningless game against the lowly Sabres. Tolvanen may need an adjustment period to get used to the North American game and it remains to be seen how he will be used down the stretch and in the postseason.
Injury Notes: Marchand, Duclair, Vatrano, Klefbom, Smith, Avalanche, Seeler
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand could miss some time — not due to injury — but after another incident in which the forward collided with Chicago Blackhawks winger Anthony Duclair in Saturday’s game. You can see the video here. While on the surface it does look as if Marchand was attempting to avoid Duclair, one has to wonder how the Department of Player Safety will treat the incident after numerous incidents this season. A repeat offender, Marchand served a five-game suspension back in January for concussing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson.
Marchand was given a two-minute interference penalty on the play, but Duclair was forced to exit the game as he suffered a knee injury. The Blackhawks later announced that he will not return for the rest of the game and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that he will miss one-to-two weeks.
- Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel writes the Florida Panthers have activated forward Frank Vatrano and will make his Panthers debut Saturday night. Vatrano, who was acquired a week before the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick, will attempt to find his game with the rising Panthers despite missing some time with a high ankle sprain. He is slated to appear on the team’s second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau as the team hopes Vatrano could be a valuable addition to their core. After putting up 39 goals in 45 career AHL games, he has struggled in the NHL. With Boston, the 23-year-old had just two goals in 25 games this year and often found himself scratched.
- Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd MacLellan said defenseman Oscar Klefbom will miss the next two games to undergo a “minor procedure.” With rumors that Klefbom was been playing injured for much of the year, the eventual question will be whether the team should shut him down in the near future.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp writes that center Reilly Smith was sent back to Las Vegas after he sustained an upper body injury during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is not playing today and is not expected to be ready for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Smith is having a career year with 22 goals and 38 assists in his first year with Vegas.
- Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes that the team intends to start Jonathan Bernier today after Bernier has missed the past 10 games with a head injury. Starter Semyon Varlamov has struggled recently having allowed 11 goals in the past three games. The scribe also writes that defenseman Erik Johnson skated Friday in a non-contact jersey. He hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 18. There is no timeline for Johnson, according to head coach Jared Bednar. Forward Vladislav Kamenev, who broke his arm in November after being acquired from Nashville, practiced Friday and is likely to be sent to the AHL for a couple of games on a conditioning stint.
- Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that defenseman Nick Seeler, who has been dealing with a right bicep strain and the flu, is improving, but did not travel with the team to Vancouver and would only join the team in Edmonton if there is an injury on defense before then.
Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference
After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:
Deadline Day
Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller
New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole
Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick
New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon
Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick
Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris
Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg
Trade Deadline Notes: Lightning, Predators, Bruins
The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the best teams in the NHL this season and are looking to round out their roster ahead of Monday’s deadline. In fact, it has been rumored that the Bolts might be looking to do more than just add depth, as they’ve been connected to some of the bigger names on the market, such as star defensemen Erik Karlsson and Ryan McDonagh. However, in speaking to GM Steve Yzerman, the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith is not so sure they’re willing to pay the price for players of that caliber at this point in time. Smith indicates that it could be a much quieter deadline for Tampa, as Yzerman is not interested in dealing any of his young roster players, such as Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. “We’re trying to keep this team together with the hope of improving it”, Yzerman said, though he also added that there have been very few “fits” in his trade discussions thus far. Smith suggests that the Lightning could still get their major blue line addition without losing top young talent if they target the Detroit Red Wings’ Mike Green. However, there are few who would argue that Tampa can’t win the Cup this year without making a move and Yzerman seems willing to test that hypothesis is the market doesn’t meet his expectations over these next few days.
- Another contender that could be somewhat reluctant to make a move are the Nashville Predators. Predators staffer Thomas Willis spoke with GM David Poile today, and the long-time executive sounded less than thrilled about the prices on his trade targets. “Every team we talk to asks for Eeli Tolvanen“, Poile told Willis. Tolvanen, the Preds’ 2017 first-rounder unexpectedly fell in the draft last year and already has teams regretting that, as he has dominated the KHL, World Juniors, and now the Winter Olympics in an epic age-18 campaign. Of course, Tolvanen is untouchable and it was recently reported that he could even join Nashville this season, so Poile is understandably upset by that unreasonable trade request. Poile also said to Willis that he would prefer not to give up the Predators’ first-round pick this year in a trade, unless he absolutely had to. After watching Tolvanen slide right into their hands at #30 last year, no one can blame Poile for being protective of his top pick again, although it could handicap his ability to make a splash at the deadline.
- After trading Frank Vatrano to the Florida Panthers and announcing that Anders Bjork would be out long-term following shoulder surgery in a matter of hours today, it’s clear that the Boston Bruins will be on the hunt for an addition or two to their forward corps. However, they may be able to do so without even making a trade. Though there has been nothing official as of yet, there is speculation that one of the Olympics’ top scorers, Ryan Donato, could sign with the Bruins in a matter of time. The Hobey Baker candidate is likely to stay with Harvard through the end of their season, WEEI’s Ty Anderson believes, but could then join the team for the playoffs much like Charlie McAvoy did last season. Another option right in their back yard could be old friend Jarome Iginla. Iginla skated again with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence today and told The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver that the Bruins were one of his preferred destinations for one last run at the Stanley Cup. Iginla added that he’s not sure that an offer will come, but it sound like if one did, he would accept it.
Boston Bruins Trade Frank Vatrano To Florida Panthers
The Boston Bruins have started their trade deadline work early, sending Frank Vatrano to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2018 third-round pick. This deal will basically replace the third-round pick sent to the New York Rangers in the previous Nick Holden deal, though it will likely be several spots higher.
Vatrano, 23, had fallen behind several other options in the Bruins pecking order this season, suiting up for just 25 games. His role had been almost completely eliminated, and his production had fallen off along with it. After putting up 10 goals in just 44 games last season, he had registered just two this year to go along with zero assists. In his last game he played just under five minutes, and suffered a lower-body injury that has kept him out since early February.
For Florida, they’re hoping that a change of scenery is enough to spark the elite goal scorer that the minor leagues saw in 2015-16. That year, in his first season of professional hockey, Vatrano scored 36 goals in 36 games for the Providence Bruins to lead the entire AHL despite playing just half a season. That was twice as many as he’d put up for UMass-Amherst the year before, and looks like a bit of a shooting percentage-driven outlier for the young forward. Vatrano shot 19.3% that season in the AHL, a number he hasn’t come close to repeating for Boston.
Still, a third-round pick isn’t a lot to give up for the chance at adding another talented offensive player in Florida. Vatrano is on the final season of his entry-level contract, but won’t have a ton of leverage this offseason to demand a big raise. Though he does have arbitration rights, Florida will likely be able to sign him to a relatively light contract and see if he can find some of that offense for his new club.
By moving Vatrano, Boston has cleared some more cap space for their deadline plans, and can now add players with a full-season cap hit of nearly $2.3MM. Linked to Ryan McDonagh earlier today, the team could still be big players in the next few days as they look to challenge for the Stanley Cup.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Deadline Primer: Boston Bruins
With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
Outside of the Vegas Golden Knights, there may be no bigger surprise in the NHL this season than the Boston Bruins. Following a 6-7-4 start, capped off by a four-game winless streak in mid-November, the Bruins have won 26 of their last 34 games, have the fewest regulation losses in the league, and trail only Vegas and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the best points percentage in the NHL. With games in hand on both clubs, the Bruins have gone from a team that many felt pre-season would miss the playoffs to one with a legitimate shot at the President’s Trophy. Boston is bona fide contender and thus a surefire buyer. The only question that remains is to what extent they are willing to trade futures for immediate help. The evidence points to a quieter deadline in Boston than some may expect.
Record
31-11-8, 2nd in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$2,452,057 in deadline cap space
43/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2018: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th
2019: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th
Trade Chips
Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been clear that he won’t trade any of the team’s young players on the roster. While that surely includes Charlie McAvoy – one of the most untouchable players in the NHL right now – Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, Danton Heinen, Jake DeBrusk, and Anders Bjork, where exactly Sweeney draws the line could determine the size of the deals he’s willing to make. Could frequent 13th man Frank Vatrano be on the move? An electric player in the AHL, Vatrano has failed to show he can produce at the same level in the NHL. A chance of scenery and a larger role on a young, struggling squad could be what Vatrano needs to rediscover his scoring touch, potentially making him an enticing asset. Would Sweeney be willing to move his AHL “tweeners” like Austin Czarnik or Rob O’Gara, who have shown big-league ability, but haven’t been able to crack the roster in Boston? Sweeney may also be reluctant to move many of the Bruins younger prospects, like recent first- and second-rounders Zach Senyshyn, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon in Providence and Trent Frederic, Ryan Donato, and Ryan Lindgren in the NCAA, especially with several ready to fight for a spot in Boston as early as next year. The Bruins own all but one of their picks over the next two years and that wealth could ultimately wind up being the team’s real trade chip.
Players To Watch
LW Frank Vatrano, C Austin Czarnik, LW Peter Cehlarik, D Rob O’Gara, D Emil Johansson
Team Needs
1) Forward Depth
If you can’t tell from the list of players above, it seems like the Bruins are not exactly aiming to acquire the best that the trade market has to offer. The team is unwilling to move young roster players and has high hopes for their many promising prospects. Sweeney and company have done an excellent job of drafting and developing and seem more inclined to wait and see who pans out and who doesn’t rather than trade them away for rentals. The Bruins’ farm system is also severely lacking in right-shot defensemen and right wingers, meaning they’d likely prefer to hold on to their top picks if possible in search of a solution to those holes. The result is a lineup of middling or aging prospects and mid- and late-round picks as the B’s preferred trade capital, not enough to acquire stars, but sufficient to add depth players. And for the 2017-18 Bruins, that’s perfectly fine. They showed early on this season that they have the depth already to deal with injuries up front (and on the blue line) and since the team got healthy, they’ve been rolling on all cylinders. Each scoring line has two veterans and a young player, led by arguably the league’s best grouping of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. A second line that has seen success turning a left-handed natural center in Ryan Spooner into a right wing with David Krejci and DeBrusk and a third line with immense chemistry in David Backes, Riley Nash, and Heinen round out a solid top nine. Perhaps the one area where they could use some assistance is on the fourth line, where Tim Schaller, Noel Acciari, and rookie Sean Kuraly have done a fine job, but the addition of a solid, two-way bottom-six forward (or two) could be a welcome addition to the energy line and another injury depth option. Even if the Bruins don’t see a need for a starter, with late draft picks to burn, they could add another veteran forward just to improve their depth. In a buyer’s market, even one of the bigger names on the market could fit this role.
2) Left-shot depth defenseman
Similarly, each defensive pair is also well-balanced with a veteran and a youngster and a puck-mover with a physical threat. The Bruins usually line up with Zdeno Chara and Calder candidate McAvoy, Torey Krug with Carlo, and possession monster Grzelcyk with Kevan Miller. Now that he’s healthy, career-starter Adam McQuaid is the #7 defenseman in Boston – stellar depth already – and free agent addition Paul Postma is #8 – also impressive. The only problem is that both McQuaid and Postma are right-handed, as are the right-side rearguards on each pair. If injury strikes the left side, or if Grzelcyk’s play drops off, the B’s could use a left-shot option. O’Gara and Tommy Cross have seen NHL action and Zboril, Lauzon, and Johansson have shown NHL promise, but the Bruins can afford to add a more reliable player with regular play time this season if they so choose.
3) Top-six right wing with term
Don’t expect this. Long-term, there could be a hole on Krejci’s right side, as Backes did not work out last season and Spooner’s success thus far has come as a surprise. Senyshyn or Donato and an off-wing option like Bjork or Cehlarik could eventually take the job, but there are some who think the Bruins should instead try to buy one of the top wings on the trade market. However, there are two problems with this thought: 1) Sweeney seems unwilling to part with the pieces necessary to land such a player, and 2) the line chemistry implications could backfire. Spooner is an offense-first, top-nine player. If forced out of his current spot, Spooner’s only real option would be to supplant Nash on the third line. If that doesn’t work out, then there’s no role for him. An expensive trade could wind up pushing one of the Bruins’ top play-making forwards out of the lineup. Adding a top-six winger would be a luxury for Boston and Sweeney does not seem to be a guy keen on giving up hard-earned, home-grown prospects or picks for a luxury.
Cedric Paquette Handed One-Game Suspension
A tough night in Boston continues to have repercussions for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After a 3-2 loss to the Bruins, a score that doesn’t accurately reflect the lack of effort shown by the Bolts, the physical, frustrated style the team fell into will have a lasting effect into their next game, a Saturday matinee against the San Jose Sharks. Cedric Paquette has received a one-game suspension for boarding, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced (video).
Down 2-0 early in the second period, after a dominant first period by the B’s, Paquette drove Boston defenseman Torey Krug into the boards and received a minor penalty for boarding for his efforts. Player Safety decided that wasn’t enough, and Paquette’s hearing today has resulted in a one-game ban. Paquette had ample time to pull up or change the angle of his contract on Krug, who turned his back to play the puck on the end board. Instead, Paquette came at full force and drove Krug into the boards, turning an otherwise legal check into an illegal, suspendable check.
Fortunately, Krug – one of many Bruins who has struggled with injuries this season – was not hurt on the play. Team mate Frank Vatrano was also quick to jump in and defend him. The real justice for Krug was the Bruins holding on for the win against the Atlantic’s top team, as Boston won their fifth game in the past six outings.