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Jake Muzzin

Injury Notes: Benning, Maple Leafs, Heiskanen

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The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Matt Benning from his conditioning stint with the Bakersfield Condors. Benning hasn’t played in the NHL since the beginning of December, after suffering two head injuries in short succession. He played three games in the AHL on his conditioning stint, scoring one point.

Benning’s return to full health would be a very interesting addition for the Oilers, who have come to rely heavily on some of their other young defenders in his absence. The 25-year old had played in more than 200 games for the team over the last several years and will give the team even more options to consider as the trade deadline approaches. Technically Benning is still on long-term injured reserve, though the team does have the roster room to activate him if they choose.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs are also getting some injured bodies back, activating Jake Muzzin and Trevor Moore from injured reserve today. The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight and are expected to keep young defenseman Rasmus Sandin in the lineup even with Muzzin returning, meaning the first year of his entry-level contract will kick in.
  • Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is expected to return tonight after missing the team’s last game with a concussion. Heiskanen suffered the injury on January 16th, but with the bye week and All-Star break will apparently only be out a single game. In 47 games during his sophomore season Heiskanen has 24 points and is averaging more than 24 minutes a night for the Stars.

Minor Transactions: 1/25/20

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With regular games resuming on Monday, there should be a bit of roster activity today as teams that are playing that first game back get their rosters ready.  We’ll keep track of any movement here.

  • The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Trevor Moore and defenseman Jake Muzzin from their conditioning stints.  As both players are on LTIR, they were eligible to play in up to three games (with an option for an extra two if approved by the league) but neither did.  Moore suited up twice, recording a goal and an assist along the way while Muzzin’s stint started and ended with their loss to Cleveland on Friday.  With Toronto playing on Monday, this suggests that both players should be ready to go for that one.  They’re only carrying the minimum-sized roster at the moment so no corresponding demotions will need to be made to activate them.

Minor Notes: Timmins, Marlies, Anas

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The Colorado Eagles welcomed Conor Timmins back onto the ice at morning skate today, and according to Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now, the defensive prospect will make his return to the lineup tonight. Timmins hasn’t played for the last few weeks with a lower-body injury, but is an interesting name to keep an eye on over the next month.

Not only is Timmins a potential call-up for the Colorado Avalanche after playing in two games at the beginning of the season, but his name has also been thrown around in trade speculation for the last while. The 21-year old was selected 32nd overall in 2017 but has dealt with concussion issues that delayed the start of his professional career. In 22 games with the Eagles this season he has 13 points.

  • The Toronto Marlies have been terribly recently after sending several of their top players up to the NHL, but will get some pretty impressive reinforcements tonight. Jake Muzzin and Trevor Moore from the Toronto Maple Leafs will both play against the Cleveland Monsters according to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. The duo are trying to work their way back from injury to help the Maple Leafs in a playoff race, but will have to prove their health at the minor league level first.
  • Another change to the AHL All-Star roster was announced, with Iowa Wild forward Sam Anas taking the place of Milwaukee Admirals forward Yakov Trenin. Anas, 26, is an undrafted forward out of Quinnipiac University that has been a huge part of the Iowa attack for four seasons now. His 45 points in 44 games ties him for second in the league alongside teammate Gerald Mayhew, who is already attending.

Snapshots: Methot, Muzzin, AHL All-Stars

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Though it certainly will come as no surprise given he hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since November of 2018, Marc Methot doesn’t expect to play professional hockey ever again. He told TSN radio that he tried to work his way back from the knee surgery he had a year ago, but is probably going to take a step back from the game and focus on his family.

Methot, 33, has played in just 45 games since the start of the 2017-18 season and will likely end his career with 624 regular season contests under his belt. Playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars, he carved out a role as a tough-as-nails defender that could handle skating alongside a roving offensive player. Methot’s final four-year, $19.6MM contract expired at the end of last season.

  • Another gritty defenseman is on his way back from injury, as Jake Muzzin has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies on a conditioning stint. The Maple Leafs’ defender has been out for several weeks with a broken foot but could be back after the All-Star break to help Toronto’s own-zone woes.
  • Evan Bouchard and Sam Miletic have been added to the AHL All-Star festivities, joining the Pacific Division and Atlantic Division squads respectively. The two young prospects are both having great success in the minor leagues this season, despite coming to professional hockey in very different ways. Bouchard was the 10th overall pick in 2018 and remains one of the Edmonton Oilers’ top prospects, while Miletic is an undrafted free agent that signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017.

East Notes: Muzzin, Gerbe, Ovechkin, Ericsson

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The Maple Leafs are hoping to have defenseman Jake Muzzin back in the lineup in their first game following the All-Star break, notes Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun.  He’s working his way back from a broken foot that has caused him to miss the last nine games and is expected to skate through the break.  He’s well past the minimum required number of days on LTIR so he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s ready.  If that does indeed happen, that will certainly lessen the short-term urgency to try to bring in another defenseman with Morgan Reilly on LTIR and out for the better part of the next two months.

More from the East:

  • Blue Jackets winger Nathan Gerbe has withdrawn from the upcoming AHL All-Star game, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). This is noteworthy as it suggests that Columbus is planning to keep him up for the foreseeable future.  It’s worth mentioning that Gerbe has already played in 12 games since his recall which means that he will have to pass through waivers to make it back to the minors.  Considering he has seven points in those contests, making it through unclaimed is far from a guarantee.
  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin has selected which game he will sit out under suspension as a result of skipping the NHL All-Star game, reports Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. He has chosen to miss their first game after the break against Montreal, a reasonable decision considering their final game before it is against the Islanders, a division rival.
  • Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is close to returning, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. He has been out for the last month due to a broken nose but has been skating regularly and taking part in practice.  Detroit has kept him on the active roster this whole time so no corresponding move will be required when he gets the green light.

East Notes: Maple Leafs, Capitals, Bernier

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With both Morgan Reilly and Jake Muzzin out, teams have been calling Toronto to discuss any blueliners that they have available, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie in the latest Insider Trading (video link).  However, for the time being, it appears that Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is content to get to their bye week and All-Star break before assessing things.  It’s possible that Muzzin could be ready to go by after the break which would certainly lessen the urgency to make a move.  If not, finding the right fit could be tricky given their cap situation unless they’re willing to part with one of their established younger forwards.

Meanwhile, McKenzie notes that the team has had discussions with Muzzin’s camp about an extension though he classified it as at the very preliminary stage.  The 30-year-old is in the final year of his deal that carries a $4MM cap hit.  The Maple Leafs only have a handful of regulars on the back end under contract for next season (basically only Reilly and Justin Holl) but with the amount that they have committed up front, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to keep both him and pending UFA Tyson Barrie.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • With Nicklas Backstrom now signed and talks for Braden Holtby on hold, the focus for Washington will likely shift to the trade deadline. GM Brian MacLellan told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that they’ll likely be focusing on depth additions.  While the Capitals have freed up some cap room over the past couple of months, it’s still not enough to add an impact player, especially if they opt to try to add more than one player to give them some injury insurance.
  • Red Wings goaltender Jonathan Bernier will be out through at least the All-Star Game due to an undisclosed injury, notes Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. With Jimmy Howard struggling mightily this season, Bernier has been called on as Detroit’s starter more and more in recent weeks and has held his own, relatively speaking, with a 2.99 GAA and a .904 SV% in 28 games.

Morgan Rielly Out Eight Weeks With Broken Foot

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Rasmus Sandin from the minor leagues today, fans were excited about him potentially replacing the injured Jake Muzzin. It’s not Muzzin he’s replacing however as instead Toronto has announced that Morgan Rielly suffered a broken foot during last night’s game and will be out at least eight weeks.

The loss of Rielly is a tremendous blow to the Maple Leafs’ season, especially as they try to navigate a recent rough patch. The team now sits just a single point ahead of the Florida Panthers after being embarrassed last night and have lost three in a row to fall four points behind the second place Tampa Bay Lightning. Without Muzzin and Rielly for the next several weeks, the team suddenly looks thinner than ever on defense, a position that was already not their strength.

In Rielly’s absence, Travis Dermott will likely see an increased role but it’s not clear how the other two left defense spots will shake out. Martin Marincin was recently extended by the team but has struggled when asked to log heavy minutes in the NHL, while Sandin is still just 19 and has only six games of NHL experience under his belt.

It’s the unknown of Sandin that makes things interesting, given how much success he has had under Sheldon Keefe when they were together in the minor leagues. The 29th overall pick from 2018 recorded 28 points in 44 games last season as one of the youngest players in the AHL, and was even better in the Calder Cup playoffs. This season he was once again excellent before leaving for the World Juniors, where he was arguably the best defenseman in the tournament logging huge minutes for Sweden.

Still, the AHL and World Juniors are not the same as the NHL. With Toronto in a battle for every point just to qualify for the playoffs, the team may have to go out and get some more experienced hands to help out. How exactly they can afford it will be a creative task for the front office, given how complicated their cap structure has been this season moving players on and off long-term injured reserve. They also don’t have their first-round pick, thanks to an offseason trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Eastern Notes: Trouba, Panik, Palmieri, Hughes, Johnsson

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The Department of Player Safety announced that New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn Saturday. The incident happened during the third period when Dunn circled around the Rangers’ net with Trouba following who proceeded to slash at Dunn. That started a shoving match, which eventually led to a fight.

Trouba received a five-minute penalty for slashing and a 10-game misconduct, while Dunn received a two-minute penalty for roughing. Trouba has been in trouble before as he received a two-game suspension back in 2017 after a hit to the head of Mark Stone.

  • No lost time on the ice for Washington Capitals forward Richard Panik. The forward was back at practice Sunday with a full face shield after being cut in the lower lip by the stick of New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. In fact, Panik said that his lower lip was separated from his gums and required 20 stitches. Fortunately, his teeth are fine.
  • The New Jersey Devils have lost one forward and gained another. NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that forward Kyle Palmieri is out Sunday for their game against Tampa Bay. The forward suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s game against Washington. He did block a shot off his foot and was reportedly hurting on the bench, but didn’t leave the game. No indication on how serious the injury is, however. The 28-year-old has 16 goals this season. However, the team announced it is expecting to get center Jack Hughes back in the lineup. The 18-year-old has missed five games with an upper-body injury.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs head coach said that the team will be activating forward Andreas Johnsson off of injured reserve and he is expected to take warm-ups before today’s game against Florida and will be a game-time decision, according to TSN’s Mark Masters. The has been out since Dec. 4 with a leg injury and should be able to provide the Maple Leafs with some offensive depth as he has six goals and 16 points through 30 games. The Maple Leafs added that the team has placed defenseman Jake Muzzin on IR to make room for Johnsson. Muzzin has been out with a broken foot since Dec. 27.

Minor Transactions: 12/30/19

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With just one game on the schedule for this evening, teams are licking their wounds waiting for the New Year and the second half of the NHL season. The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins will be in action, but even those on a rest day will be making minor tweaks. As those come in, we’ll list them here.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Timothy Liljegren and Teemu Kivihalme, two defensemen yet to make their NHL debuts. The Maple Leafs already lost Jake Muzzin to a broken foot and need to replace him on the roster. It seems Kivihalme will get the first shot, as Liljegren has already been returned to the AHL Marlies.
  • With Charlie McAvoy going onto injured reserve, the Boston Bruins have recalled Jeremy Lauzon under emergency conditions. McAvoy hasn’t played since before Christmas, though the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long-term. The Bruins got some good news on the injury front as well, activating forward Karson Kuhlman from the injured reserve and assigning him to AHL Providence.
  • Calvin Pickard has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings once again, giving them another healthy goaltender. Pickard has ended up playing two games for Detroit this season, but has a 5.32 GAA and .818 save percentage.
  • Mathieu Joseph is heading back to the minor leagues once again, something the Tampa Bay Lightning have done several times this month. The young forward has still spent most of his season with the NHL club, but is bouncing back and forth lately.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Joachim Blichfield from the AHL Barracuda, giving the youngster another opportunity after he made his NHL debut early last month. Blichfield has been one San Jose’s best minor league forwards this season and the struggling Sharks could use an offensive boost if he can translate his game to the next level.
  • Daniel Sprong is back in the NHL after a brief layover with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The Anaheim Ducks called up the young forward, who has spent considerable time with the team this year, but has only actually played in one game. Sprong recorded 19 points in 47 games with the Ducks last year and already has 19 points in 25 games with the Gulls, so he has the potential to make an impact in Anaheim if given the chance.
  • With the Minnesota Wild activating captain Mikko Koivu, the team has reassigned rookie forward Nico Sturm to AHL Iowa. Sturm, a highly sought-after college free agent last spring, has 12 points in 25 games wIowa this year and a pair of points in six games with Minnesota as well.

Five Key Stories: 12/23/19 – 12/29/19

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With the holiday week having come and gone as well as an NHL roster freeze, hockey news slows down quite a bit, yet there was plenty of news despite the three-game respite last week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

World Junior Championships Get Underway: Perhaps even bigger than the NHL is the IIHF World Junior Championships that started on Dec. 26 and continues to be ongoing. The leagues top propsects or soon-to-be prospects find themselves competing in Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. All NHL teams have at least one representative at the tournament with several teams possessing a host of prospects. The Los Angeles Kings have nine prospects representing their organization, while the Arizona Coyotes have seven. Five teams have just one prospect at the tournament.

John McCarthy Retiring Due To Health Concerns: He only appeared in 88 career NHL games, but San Jose Sharks forward and a long-time minor league player for them, John McCarthy, announced his retirement due to health concerns. While he played in 18 games for the Barracuda this year, his season and career came to a halt after suffering an Ischemic stroke earlier this month. While he has made a complete recovery, those health concerns have ended his playing career. He was drafted by the Sharks back in 2006 and played for the Sharks’ organization his entire career and the Barracudas’ captain immediately took a coaching role with the team.

Brent Seabrook, Calvin De Haan Out For The Season: Just before play was supposed to resume after the Christmas hiatus, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they are losing one-third of their defense. Two of their defensemen, Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan, will miss the season due to surgeries. Seabrook is expected to have surgery on both his hips, while de Haan will have shoulder surgery. De Haan has been a consistent part of the team’s defense, leading the team in hits and blocked shots. Seabrook has similar strengths, but has seen his playing time cut and has even been scratched three times so far this season. Regardless, these are tough losses for a franchise hoping to get back into the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin To Skip NHL All-Star Game: For the second time in as many years, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has announced that he will be skipping the NHL All-Star Game. Ovechkin was voted in as Metropolitan Division captain, but he told media Friday that he will skip the all-star festivities to rest up for the second half of the season. Of course, Ovechkin will be suspended one game for skipping the league event. He must miss either the game before the all-star break or the game after. The team faces the rival New York Islanders, suggesting that Ovechkin will likely opt to miss the game after the break against the Montreal Canadiens.

Multiple Toronto Maple Leafs Players Injured: The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered three injuries upon their return from break. The team first revealed that forward Trevor Moore would be out indefinitely due to a concussion. Moore had been out with a shoulder injury and had only appeared in one game before getting injured once again. The team then lost winger Ilya Mikheyev who suffered a lacerated wrist after New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt ran sliced it with his skate. He is expected to miss a minimum of three months as he heals from the injury. Only hours after that, the Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Jake Muzzin would be considered week-to-week after suffering a fractured foot in that same game against the Devils. With all those injuries, it should make the team’s challenging of working their way up the Atlantic Division standings just a bit more difficult.

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