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Injury Notes: Gibson, MacKinnon, Schwartz, Sheahan

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As many NHL teams wrap up their preseason work, the last thing they want to see is any of their players, especially key ones, go down with injury. Although some teams, in theory, can afford to lose a player or two and keep their season afloat, a team like the Anaheim Ducks, who are trying to climb out of their rebuilder status, will need to keep as many pieces as possible healthy and performing if they wish to push for a playoff spot.

Unfortunately for the Ducks, one key piece, goaltender John Gibson, was injured in today’s preseason game against crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. Gibson left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return, replaced by backup Anthony Stolarz. The good news for Anaheim is, in the event of a prolonged absence from Gibson, Stolarz has established himself as a strong backup netminder, however being without Gibson, a three-time All Star, will make things difficult for Anaheim if he’s out for any stretch of time.

  • Speaking of All Stars, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is considered day-to-day according to head coach Jared Bednar, as relayed by Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Bednar added that MacKinnon “tweaked” something, but did not disclose what, or exactly how, MacKinnon hurt himself. Losing the recently-extended superstar, even for a game, puts Colorado in a tough position, but considering he is only day-to-day should be a relief to the team.
  • Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz is considered day-to-day with a lower body injury says Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol, who spoke to Mike Benton of 93.3 KJR radio. Schwartz had left last night’s preseason contest against the Edmonton Oilers early and did not return. Also of note, forward Daniel Sprong, who recently signed with Seattle after being invited to camp on a PTO, was not in practice today. Fortunately, today was simply a day off for Sprong, Benton adds.
  • Riley Sheahan is also day-to-day with a muscular injury Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato told members of the media, including Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat. It was unclear what muscle exactly was bothering Sheahan, who hasn’t practiced either of the last two days.

2022 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

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The NHL has announced the 31 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.

Each team submits one nominee. This year’s are:

Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf

Arizona Coyotes: Andrew Ladd

Boston Bruins: Nick Foligno

Buffalo Sabres: Jeff Skinner

Calgary Flames: Mikael Backlund

Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal

Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche: Nazem Kadri

Columbus Blue Jackets: Jack Roslovic

Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson

Detroit Red Wings: Alex Nedeljkovic

Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov

Los Angeles Kings: Cal Petersen

Minnesota Wild: Matt Dumba

Montreal Canadiens: Jake Allen

Nashville Predators: Luke Kunin

New Jersey Devils: P.K. Subban

New York Islanders: Anders Lee

New York Rangers: Chris Kreider

Ottawa Senators: Nick Holden

Philadelphia Flyers: Scott Laughton

Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust

San Jose Sharks: Matt Nieto

Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz

St. Louis Blues: Ryan O’Reilly

Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman

Toronto Maple Leafs: Wayne Simmonds

Vancouver Canucks: Bo Horvat

Vegas Golden Knights: Max Pacioretty

Washington Capitals: Garnet Hathaway

Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey

Nominees Announced For 2022 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2022.

Past winners of the award include Oskar Lindblom (2021), Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014), and Josh Harding (2013).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf

Arizona Coyotes – Andrew Ladd

Boston Bruins – Jake DeBrusk

Buffalo Sabres – Kyle Okposo

Calgary Flames – Chris Tanev

Carolina Hurricanes – Antti Raanta

Chicago Blackhawks – Dylan Strome

Colorado Avalanche – Jack Johnson

Columbus Blue Jackets – Justin Danforth

Dallas Stars – Tyler Seguin

Edmonton Oilers – Kris Russell

Florida Panthers – Anthony Duclair

Los Angeles Kings – Blake Lizotte

Minnesota Wild – Jared Spurgeon

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

Nashville Predators – Mark Borowiecki

New Jersey Devils – Nico Hischier

New York Islanders – Zdeno Chara

New York Rangers – Chris Kreider

Ottawa Senators – Anton Forsberg

Philadelphia Flyers – Kevin Hayes

Pittsburgh Penguins – Brian Boyle

St. Louis Blues – Vladimir Tarasenko

Seattle Kraken – Jaden Schwartz

Tampa Bay Lightning – Alex Killorn

Toronto Maple Leafs – Ondrej Kase

Vancouver Canucks – Luke Schenn

Vegas Golden Knights – Jack Eichel

Winnipeg Jets – Josh Morrissey

Washington Capitals – Nicklas Backstrom

Kraken Activate Two Players, Place Austin Czarnik On Waivers

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The Kraken are set to welcome a pair of key forwards back to the lineup as they announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated center Jared McCann and winger Jaden Schwartz off injured reserve.  To make room for them on the roster, they’ve also placed winger Austin Czarnik on waivers.

McCann has been out for nearly two weeks with an upper-body injury but he has still managed to hold onto the team scoring lead with 21 goals and 12 assists in 48 games.  Selected from Toronto in expansion, the 25-year-old pending RFA has already hit a new career high in goals and is only three away from setting a new benchmark in points.

As for Schwartz, their big free agent signing up front has missed two months with a hand injury, one that was originally supposed to only take four to six weeks to recover from.  The 29-year-old still leads Seattle in points per game this season and has six goals and 14 helpers in 29 contests.  While the Kraken won’t be vaulting their way back into the playoff picture this season, they’ll still benefit from getting these two players back in their lineup.

Czarnik was picked up off waivers from the Islanders last month but has played in just six games since then, collecting two assists in just under 11 minutes a game.  The 29-year-old was more productive in New York, however, notching a pair of goals and three assists in 11 games with them in nearly identical playing time.  He’s in the final season of his contract which actually carries a cap hit below the league minimum, checking in at just $725K.  While Czarnik has never been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL regular, that price tag could be intriguing for a cap-strapped team that’s simply looking to add depth.  If the Islanders opt to put in a claim and are the only team to do so, they’d be permitted t assign him to AHL Bridgeport if they so desire.

Jaden Schwartz Out 4-6 Weeks After Hand Surgery

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The Seattle Kraken announced Thursday that forward Jaden Schwartz will have hand surgery and is expected to be out of the lineup for four to six weeks.

It’s a tough blow in a tough season for the expansion Kraken, who’ve dealt with big absences and poor results. They’re already without forward Brandon Tanev, who’s out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Schwartz is one of Seattle’s top point producers, scoring six goals and 14 assists through 26 games. He’s second on the team in points only behind Jordan Eberle (22).

A four-to-six-week timeline puts Schwartz on track to return sometime in February. With Seattle already well out of the playoff picture, there’s no use in rushing Schwartz back. He’s signed through the 2025-26 season with a cap hit of $5.5MM.

Injury Notes: Marner, Oilers, Kraken

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After colliding with teammate Jake Muzzin during practice, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner is “uncertain” for the team’s Saturday game in Minnesota, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Marner left practice early after the hit with medical personnel, but head coach Sheldon Keefe said it was precautionary in nature and that it’s “not looking like anything serious.” Hopefully, that holds true for the red-hot Leafs, who are 15-2-0 in their past 17 games. Marner has six points in his last five games and is fourth on the team with 21 points on the season after a really rough start.

Some other injury notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers are banged up, especially on left defense with all three regulars out of the lineup. They got some good news today though, as head coach Dave Tippett reports that Darnell Nurse, winger Devin Shore, and goalie Mike Smith all skated today. However, Duncan Keith wasn’t a part of that group and remains sidelined. The team’s handled this recent stretch of adversity well, winners of three straight and a 16-5-0 record overall. The Oilers certainly still want these names back in their lineup though, especially Nurse, who leads the team by a long shot in ice time with 26:06 played per game.
  • The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark reports that the Seattle Kraken’s Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz are both day-to-day, but Schwartz hasn’t skated while Eberle has. The team’s two leading scorers both missed their Wednesday game against the Detroit Red Wings with lower-body injuries. It’s been a tough opening ride for the Kraken, who sit seventh in the Pacific Division with an 8-13-2 record. While they’ve performed above-expected offensively, they’ve had structural and goaltending issues that few foresaw.

Brandon Saad Ruled Out With COVID

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Another COVID Protocol case has popped up in the NHL, this time in St. Louis. The Blues have announced that forward Brandon Saad will be unavailable on Saturday due to COVID Protocol. Saad, as well as the entire Blues roster, is vaccinated. With Saad sidelined and Pavel Buchnevich suspended, the Blues will be without their two major off-season additions for their home opener against the L.A. Kings.

The Blues have not revealed the cause of Saad’s entry into the COVID Protocol. However, the fact that he has already been ruled out of a game that is 48 hours away would imply that he has tested positive.  This is the third positive test among a prominent player today alone, as Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele and Pittsburgh’s Jeff Carter have also been sidelined by COVID. It’s a sobering reminder that the pandemic is still a factor in the NHL this season.

As for Saad, the Blue’s newest addition is off to a hot start with a goal and an assist in his first three games. The talented forward has averaged 24 goals per 82 games over his career and was expected to help make up for the loss of Jaden Schwartz this summer. For the time being though, St. Louis will have to make do without him.

Snapshots: Khovanov, Schwartz, Knight

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The Minnesota Wild are expecting Alexander Khovanov back in North America for the 2021-22 season, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The 21-year-old forward played in Russia this year on loan from the Wild, suiting up mostly in the VHL where he was once again a dynamic offensive presence.

Selected in the third round in 2018, Khovanov turned into a superstar with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, scoring 32 goals and 99 points in just 51 games during the 2019-20 season. He also helped team Russia to a silver medal at the World Juniors that year, and this season posted 24 points in 30 VHL games. With two years still remaining on his entry-level deal, Khovanov is likely ticketed for the AHL should he spend this year in North America, but his future is still bright in the Minnesota organization.

  • Jaden Schwartz endured a poor season on the ice in 2020-21, but he almost didn’t play at all. The new Seattle Kraken forward spoke with Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic and acknowledged that after the sudden passing of his father last year, he considered forfeiting his salary and skipping this season. Now heading into a new chapter in his career, leaving the only team he has ever known in the St. Louis Blues for an expansion club, Schwartz tells Rutherford he feels “fresh again.” The 29-year-old Schwartz signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract with the Kraken on the first day of free agency.
  • The U.S. team took home a 3-0 victory over Finland at the IIHF Women’s World Championship last night and there was some history made in the process. Hilary Knight scored her 44th goal in tournament history, tying her with Cammi Granato for the most all-time. The 32-year-old Knight already has eight World Championship gold medals to her name and will almost certainly cement herself as the all-time goals leader at the Worlds over the next few days. Granato meanwhile was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 and is now working as a pro scout for the Kraken.

Seattle Kraken Sign Philipp Grubauer, Jaden Schwartz

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July 28: The Seattle Kraken saved cap space at seemingly every turn through the expansion draft, passing on several high-profile candidates. They’ve now decided to use that cap space in free agency, signing Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer. Kevin Weekes of NHL Network first heard a deal could happen between Seattle and Grubauer, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports it will be a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5.9MM. The team has also officially announced a five-year contract for free agent forward Jaden Schwartz, which will carry an average annual value of $5.5MM.

It’s a huge swing for the expansion franchise, inking number four and nine from our Top 50 UFA List. Add in Alexander Wennberg, who signed earlier today for three years and $13.5MM and the Kraken have quickly used their cap space to improve the roster. Still, the Grubauer move in particular brings up several questions.

Seattle now has three NHL goaltenders on the roster between Grubauer, Chris Driedger and Vitek Vanecek. That will lead to a crunch before the start of the season given all three are waiver-eligible, meaning there could be a trade coming in the next few weeks. Friedman tweets that the Washington Capitals would be interested in re-acquiring Vanecek if possible, though it’s unclear what it would cost them at this point. Remember, the Kraken passed on selecting Brenden Dillon from the Capitals in expansion, only to watch Washington flip him for two second-round picks. If the return on Vanecek is any less than that, it will certainly raise some voices in criticism of GM Ron Francis.

For Grubauer specifically, he leaves one of the best teams in the league for a complete question mark. Colorado recently re-signed both Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog for huge cap hits, not leaving a lot of room to fit in their starting goaltender. The 29-year-old Grubauer could very well become the face of the franchise in Seattle after his outstanding 2020-21 performance, but he won’t have quite the same team in front of him.

The Avalanche now are left scrambling for a starting option, with not many left on the free agent market. Trade targets like Darcy Kuemper stand out as top options, though that also comes at a cost. Losing Grubauer is painful, but the team was going to be in a very tough financial situation if they tried to outbid a $5.9MM cap hit.

Schwartz meanwhile joins the Kraken as the team’s first big forward addition (apologies to Wennberg), signing a long-term deal. He will likely slot into the team’s top line, though there are now several wingers that could be interchangeable pieces in Seattle. After a down year with the St. Louis Blues, Schwartz still landed a slight raise on the $5.35MM cap hit he has carried over the last five seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

West Notes: Dumba, Brodin, Schwartz, Sharks

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The future of Mathew Dumba with the Wild has been in question the last couple of years with expansion on the horizon.  Now with Seattle’s roster less than two months away from being picked, the questions are picking up.  With the most common protection scheme involving three defensemen and three Minnesota rearguards other than Dumba having no-move clauses guaranteeing protection, the 26-year-old is viewed as the possible odd man out.  Speaking with reporters including Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Dumba made it clear that he’d like to stick around:

My name’s in trade speculation every year, at the deadline, throughout the year. I’ve become accustomed to it. It is what it is. I’ve expressed my feelings and where I want to be, where my heart is. At the end of the day, that’s all I can do.

Dumba has two years remaining on his deal with a $6MM AAV, a rate that could be viewed as a little high after he managed just 21 points in 51 games this season.  However, he’s only three years removed from a 50-point campaign for the Wild and considering that he averages over 22 minutes per night, there will be interest if they opt to move him.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Also from McLellan, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin’s upper-body injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared. He wound up suffering a sprained shoulder in Game Seven against Vegas, one that will keep him away from training for a couple of weeks but it won’t affect his preparation for next season.
  • The Blues have not started talks regarding a new deal for winger Jaden Schwartz yet, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 28-year-old had a tough showing this season, notching just eight goals and 13 assists in 40 games.  However, he had at least 55 points in three of the last four seasons and five of the last seven so his camp will undoubtedly be using that in talks.  He played on a $5.35MM AAV this season and even in this cap environment, he could conceivably try to push for a small raise.
  • While June 1st is known as a day where teams lose some of their unsigned prospects, it’s also a deadline for teams to tender bonafide offers to their previously-selected players to retain their rights. Most teams don’t issue a release when they do so but the Sharks announced that they’ve tendered offers to 2020 draft picks Brandon Coe and Timofey Spitserov.  The forwards were picked in the fourth and seventh rounds respectively.

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