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Jake Muzzin

Pacific Notes: Kovalchuk, Kings, Canucks, Ducks

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Los Angeles Kings free agent signee Ilya Kovalchuk finally spoke to the media today after agreeing to sign a three-year, $18.75MM deal with the Kings on June 23. The 35-year-old superstar has now spent the past five years in the KHL, putting up some great numbers and has made it clear that he believes that despite his age, he has three or four good years left in him, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen.

The winger said one of his main reasons for choosing the Kings was because he wanted to play next to a high-end center like Anze Kopitar. Kovalchuk could be a perfect complement to Kopitar. The 35-year-old has been playing some of the best hockey of his career, posting 63 goals in his last two KHL seasons as well as winning MVP for Team Russia in the Olympics this past year.

Kovalchuk also believes he is young for 35, but declined to say that he could put up a 30-goal season next season, according to Helene St. James of the Los Angeles Times. Kovalchuk last posted a 30-goal season in the NHL back in the 2011-12 season when he scored 37.

  • Sticking with the Kings, Lisa Dillman of The Athletic (subscription required) does a Q&A with head coach John Stevens, who says that the Kings had no choice, but to place more responsibility on young players on their defense. The team has five veterans to hold down the core of the defense in Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Dion Phaneuf and Derek Forbort. However, the team will have to rely on younger players, like Paul Ladue, Daniel Brickley and Kurtis MacDermid to fill out the rest of the roster. “There comes a point in time especially with the [salary] cap where you’ve got so many young guys. You have to make decisions,” Stevens said.
  • Jason Brough of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that after assessing the offseason in which the team spent money on multiple bottom-six forwards, the Vancouver Canucks are putting all their success next season on the scoring ability of their young prospects. For one, the team lost three of the team’s top five scorers and now besides Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, the team will need to get increased scoring output from other forwards, including Elias Pettersson, Sven Baertschi, Nikolay Goldobin, Brendan Leipsic and Jake Virtanen. If they can’t make up for that offense, it should be another long season.
  • Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required) looks at the Anaheim Ducks salary cap situation now and in one year from now to see if it will improve. Unfortunately the Ducks will not have much in terms of bad contracts that will come off the books in a year and the team will have to deal with other salary cap challenges instead. The team must deal with the cost of bringing back forwards Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg, who will be unrestricted free agents as well as goaltender John Gibson, who will be a restricted free agent.

 

Western Notes: Coyotes Free Agency, Perron, Jarnkrok, Fowler

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With the team comfortable at both goaltending and defense, the Arizona Coyotes are expected to be add to their forward lines this offseason. Don’t be surprised if Arizona looks into the free agent market this summer and attempts to grab itself a top-six forward, according to AZCentral’s Richard Morin.

A team with ample cap space, Arizona has spent the last few years building through the draft and then this past season made multiple trades to upgrade its roster, acquiring the likes of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Richard Panik. The scribe writes the franchise, especially after an impressive second-half run, might look to dip its feet into the free agency market. While acquiring center John Tavares is not a likely scenario, the team might be able to snag an elite winger such as James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Maroon or Rick Nash. The team will have a couple of their own free agents they must sign, including veteran Brad Richardson, Zac Rinaldo, Kevin Connauton and Luke Schenn (as well as try to extend defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson), but the team should have the assets to upgrade their offense.

Morin does also admit that general manager John Chayka might also go back to the trade route as well, but at the same time, the team believes they will see an uptick in production from rookie Clayton Keller and now believe that prospect Dylan Strome is ready to handle full-time duties in the NHL.

Playoff Notes: Zaitsev, Muzzin, Letang, Beagle, Kempny

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With the Boston Bruins dominating their playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs so far, it’s quite obvious the team needs to shore up their defense quite a bit more if they want to get back into the series. With the team’s defense having been a sticking point all season, it has been exposed even more by the Bruins.

What Toronto needs is to get defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to play like they need him to do, according to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel (subscription required). The blueliner was not just on the ice Saturday for each of the Bruins’ four goals in the first period, but was part of each of the plays. Now in his second season, Zaitsev is still trying to prove that he is worthy of the seven year, $31.5MM deal he signed last summer. While he had a promising rookie campaign of four goals and 32 assists last year, his assists took a nosedive as he had just eight assists this year and a total of 13 points. And while his plus/minus rating has improved from a -22 to a +8 this year, his defensive play has not helped helped him in the playoffs. If the team has any chance of coming back, it must start with Zaitsev.

  • The Los Angeles Kings not only get back defenseman Drew Doughty from suspension tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, but the team also got the good news that defenseman Jake Muzzin will be back as well, according to Fox Sports Jon Rosen. Muzzin, who has missed the past seven games with an upper-body injury, is a key part to the team’s defense as the team attempts to fight back from an 0-2 deficit to Vegas.
  • While Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who took a hit from Philadelphi’s Claude Giroux Friday in Game 2, is considered a game-time decision for today’s game. Pittsbugh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey writes coach Mike Sullivan revealed that Letang did not have to go through concussion protocol Friday when he was injured during the game. The veteran defenseman missed all of the playoffs last year on the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run.
  • Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports writes that center Jay Beagle and defenseman Michal Kempny are both expected to play Sunday. Both players have played key roles behind the scenes in Washington who hopes to even their series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Beagle, a faceoff specialist, was badly missed in Game 1 after the Capitals lost 10-of-11 draws in the third period. He has missed four straight games with an upper-body injury. Kempny was hit from behind by Columbus’ Josh Anderson in Game 1, but did not suffer a concussion.

West Notes: Flames, Muzzin, Blues

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With a big need to add up front and a lack of draft picks to deal from, Postmedia’s Eric Francis suggests that the Flames should consider dealing one of defensemen Dougie Hamilton or T.J. Brodie this summer.  Calgary slotted in 26th overall in the league in goals and while they boasted one of the deepest defence corps in the NHL, that can only take a team so far when they struggle to score.

Both players would be sure to generate plenty of interest.  Hamilton is coming off his fourth straight season with more than 40 points and is still just 24 years of age while carrying a $5.75MM cap hit, a more than reasonable amount for someone who plays the role he does.  Meanwhile, Brodie is coming off somewhat of a down year but has a track record of being a productive player on the back end while his mobility suits the faster-styled pace of play.  He has two years left on his pact with a $4.65MM cap charge.  Flames GM Brad Treliving would undoubtedly like to keep his back end intact moving forward but if he is going to add some help up front, they may have to subtract someone from that group to do so.  Fortunately, with the likes of Rasmus Andersson, Jusso Valimaki, and Oliver Kylington in the system, they have quality prospects that will be ready to step into a regular NHL spot in the near future.

Elsewhere around the West:

  • Fresh off losing Drew Doughty for Game Two due to his one-game suspension, it doesn’t appear they’ll be getting Jake Muzzin back as a reinforcement either. Head coach John Stevens told reporters, including Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, that Muzzin has been skating but has not yet been cleared for contact.  With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be given the green light to play on Friday without at least going through at least one practice with contact.
  • The Blues’ addition of Winnipeg’s first-round pick at the trade deadline will allow them to be active in the trade market this summer, GM Doug Armstrong revealed to Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, among other reporters. That was the centerpiece of the Paul Stastny trade and its inclusion was particularly noteworthy since as things stand, St. Louis won’t have their own first-rounder to work with.  (If the Blues win one of the top-three selections in the Draft Lottery, they can defer transferring the pick until next year.)

Injury Notes: Nash, Nash, Glendening, Muzzin, Johansson, Smith, Dvorak

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The Boston Bruins continue to get healthier as NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty reports that Rick Nash could play as early as Sunday, although the team may also wait for their first playoff game next week. Nash has missed 10 straight games with what was listed as a upper-body injury. However, Nash confirmed to Haggerty that he has been dealing with a concussion and is starting to feel better.

The 33-year-old was a key trade deadline acquisition for Boston, but has only appeared in 11 games so far for the Bruins. He has three goals and three assists in that span and has a total of 21 goals this season between the Bruins and New York Rangers.

The Bruins also announced that Riley Nash is out for the weekend. The Bruins forward took a puck to the head last week and required 40 stitches inside and outside of his ear to repair the damage. He has missed three straight games while having a breakout season. The 28-year-old has 15 goals and 26 assists this year, both career highs. No word if he will be available for the playoffs next week.

  • MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that although Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening was originally believed to be out for the season, the forward will be active for tonight’s season finale. Out with an upper-body injury, he missed one game after being forced to leave Tuesday’s game against Columbus during the second period.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin is skating, although he will not play in tonight’s regular season finale. The 29-year-old blueliner has missed four games with an upper-body injury. Rosen adds that head coach John Stevens wouldn’t say for sure whether Muzzin would be ready to play for the first game of the playoffs next week.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com tweets that forward Marcus Johansson is close to being ready to return to the ice, but still isn’t 100 percent. The 27-year-old winger has not played since Jan. 23 with a concussion, but could be ready for the playoffs next week if all goes well. After a 24-goal season a year ago with the Washington Capitals, Johansson has managed to appear in just 29 games this year, putting up just five goals. A healthy Johansson could be a big boost to the Devils.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that center Reilly Smith will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames. Smith, who has been out with an upper-body injury has missed 15 straight games. If he plays, the team’s first-line center might just be looking to get some work in before the playoffs start.
  • Arizona Coyotes’ Dave Vest reports that forward Christian Dvorak, who has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury, will not play in tonight’s regular-season finale. He finishes his season with 15 goals and 37 points.

Injury Updates: Murray, Luongo, Muzzin, Staal

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While the Blue Jackets weren’t expecting to be without defenseman Ryan Murray for too long after he suffered a back injury in late November, he still has yet to play and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that it may be a while yet before he returns.  He tried to take part in practice on Wednesday but made it through just one drill before leaving the ice which is never a good sign.

Not only is that an important loss that Columbus will continue to have to work through but this may also have implications on what happens with Jack Johnson.  While he’s not denying his trade request, the Blue Jackets may be in tough to grant it if it looks like Murray won’t be back for a while yet.  At any rate, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Jarmo Kekalainen on the look for defensive depth between now and the trade deadline.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Florida is getting closer to have their starting goaltender back in the fold. Head coach Bob Boughner told Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ team site that Roberto Luongo has “turned a corner” in his rehab from a lower-body injury sustained back on December 4th.  The hope is that he will be able to skate with the team in a practice in the coming days and work towards getting back into the lineup from there.  Prior to the injury, Luongo was off to a strong start to his season, posting a .928 SV% (a mark that would equal the second highest of his career) in 15 appearances.
  • The Kings announced that they have activated defenseman Jake Muzzin off injured reserve. He had missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury and is expected to be in the lineup tonight against Pittsburgh.  Muzzin has been a key part of the back end in Los Angeles this season, logging 22:38 per night while picking up 23 points in 41 games.
  • The Rangers revealed (Twitter link) that defenseman Marc Staal has been ruled out for at least the next two games as a result of the hip flexor he sustained on Tuesday. Head coach Alain Vigneault stated that if he’s likely to be out longer than through the weekend, they will likely bring up someone from the AHL at that time.

Injury Notes: Aho, Muzzin, Nugent-Hopkins, Hayes

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Hurricanes winger Sebastian Aho took a hit to the head from Flames defenseman Mark Giordano in their game this afternoon and was forced to leave the game.  Unfortunately for Carolina, head coach Bill Peters told Michael Smith of the Hurricanes’ team website (Twitter link) postgame that they will be evaluating Aho for a potential knee injury as well as having him checked for a concussion.  The timing of the injury is a tough one for the Finnish winger who had been on quite a run coming into this one with 14 points over his last ten games while he leads the team in scoring with 37 points.  As for Giordano, he was assessed a match penalty on the play which not only saw him ejected from the game but also will result in a hearing with the Department of Player Safety.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin is nearing a return to the lineup but it is not yet known if he’ll receive the green light to play for their game tomorrow afternoon against San Jose, notes Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Muzzin sustained an upper-body injury back on December 30th but tried to play through it for a couple of games before going on injured reserve.  If he does get cleared to play, a roster move will need to be made as the recall of Jonny Brodzinski earlier today brought Los Angeles back to a full 23-man roster.
  • Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins left Saturday’s game with what was speculated to be a head injury but TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports via Twitter that there are no concussion concerns. Instead, he’s dealing with some bruising that the team is hopeful will have gone away by the time they’re off their bye week on Saturday.  Although he has frequently been involved in trade speculation, Nugent-Hopkins has quietly put together a strong year, sitting third in Edmonton scoring with 31 points in 46 games.
  • Rangers winger Kevin Hayes suffered a setback to the lower-body injury he tried to play through against the Islanders on Saturday, notes Newsday’s Steve Zipay. He has been ruled out of tonight’s game against Pittsburgh but head coach Alain Vigneault provided some reason for optimism, noting that “It’s not as bad as when it was first diagnosed”.  Hayes, who scored in the game Saturday despite playing through the injury, has 18 points in 43 games so far this season.

Pacific Notes: Vancouver’s Defense, Kane, Muzzin, Sekera

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The Vancouver Canucks have been hurting for offense for quite some time. Yet despite adding veteran Thomas Vanek and rookie sensation Brock Boeser to the team’s lineup, the team is ranked 27th in the league in scoring. The Vancouver Sun’s Jason Botchford writes that the main reason is due to the defense’s inability to move the puck forward and help create offense.

Vancouver lacks a true offensive defenseman as the team seems to have little, but defensive blueliners in their rotations. The team’s top offensive defenseman is offseason acquisition Michael Del Zotto, who has 12 points this year, but Botchford says that the 27-year-old has rarely been the answer this season. The teams had hoped that third-year defenseman Ben Hutton might improve on his rookie year’s 25 points. Yet he has no goals and just six assists so far this year. Alexander Edler also has failed to improve on his offense as well.

Botchford says the team does have one possibility in AHL’s Philip Holm, who has seven goals and 19 points in 30 games this year in Utica. However, the team has not used him this year despite their need for an offensive spark. The team has a logjam of defenders and a trade deadline deal to move out Erik Gudbranson might be the best thing for the Canucks as it would allow the team to start playing the 26-year-old Holm.

  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that while he believes that San Jose Sharks might be interested in acquiring Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane at the trade deadline, there are definitely some issues with doing that. While Kane would provide the Sharks an immediate top scorer (his 35 points would make him San Jose’s top point-getter) which could offer the Sharks the depth needed to field three solid lines, there are other factors San Jose would have to consider before making a trade. The current asking price by Buffalo is a first-rounder, a top prospect and a conditional pick. The team lacks resources as they attempt to retool their franchise, so moving those three assets would be tough to do. On top of that, the team would have to have confidence to re-sign Kane to a long-term deal and would they want to do that. He has a history of concerning incidents in his past, including a recent scuffle with teammate Justin Falk. Would the team want to sign him to a seven or eight year deal?
  • Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin is listed as doubtful, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. Muzzin, who had played in a consecutive 281 games, broke that streak last Saturday when he missed a game against Nashville with an undisclosed injury. He is not expected to play tonight against the Ducks, but is making progress.
  • Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal grades the performances of all the Oilers after Friday’s victory over Arizona and points out the defenseman Andrej Sekera has improved every game he’s played since returning and is already looking more as himself since returning from a torn ACL.

Kings Place Muzzin On IR; Activate Folin

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Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake announced the Los Angeles Kings have made a roster swap as the team has placed defenseman Jake Muzzin on injured reserve and countered that move by activating defenseman Christian Folin Sunday.

Muzzin, who was injured during Thursday’s game against Calgary, was placed on IR, retroactive to that game on Jan. 4. He was previously listed as questionable for tonight’s game anyway with an undisclosed injury. Being placed on injured reserve is practically meaningless and could just be a way to save some cap space as the Kings have their bye week starting after tonight and don’t play again until Jan. 13, which is exactly when Muzzin could be activated. Muzzin is looking to be heading for a bounce-back season with three goals and 20 assists at the halfway mark of the season. The 28-year-old blueliner had just 28 points all of last season after putting up a pair of 40-point seasons the previous two years.

Folin returns after having missed six games. He was injured during a Dec. 18 game against Philadelphia. He has played in 26 games for the Kings this season since signing a one-year deal in the offseason after spending four years with the Minnesota Wild. He has two goals and three assists. Folin should fill in for Muzzin in tonight’s game.

 

Los Angeles Could Make Defensemen Available During Season

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The less talked about part of TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment last night was when Pierre LeBrun mentioned that the Los Angeles Kings could decide to make either Jake Muzzin or Alec Martinez available later in the year to boost their scoring. While it does seem like speculation at this point on the venerable insider’s behalf, it is an interesting concept. As LeBrun states:

It’s not every day that a top-4 defenseman—in season—is made available. Or one that’s not a rental player; both these guys have term past this year. So yes, this is something I believe the Kings have discussed internally, the possibility of doing this. Again, later in the season.

Martinez and Muzzin would both easily become some of the most sought after names in the league should they be made available. Both come with a reasonable $4MM cap hit, for two and three more years past the 2017-18 season respectively. While that term takes out some options that could only afford rentals, it opens up the trade market to teams who aren’t necessarily in the hunt this year.

When LeBrun mentions that Kings may not have the offense to sustain this beginning, he could be right. Though the team is 4-0-1 to start the season, they’ve scored just 16 goals in those games, eight of which have come from the sticks of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. While it’s nice to see bounce-backs for both of those Kings’ legends, relying on them as the only real source of offense is a tough ask. It’s entirely likely that Jeff Carter will get back to scoring, and that Tyler Toffoli takes a step forward offensively, but at the moment just two forwards outside of that core four have even two points. The Kings are a very top heavy team, that relies on their defense and goaltending.

So, perhaps there is room to move one of the star defensemen for an offensive upgrade. With the way Derek Forbort has burst onto the scene as a top-pairing player, and a player like Paul LaDue struggling to crack the NHL lineup, their defense could likely survive a subtraction. Still, it’s a tough package for any team to make in-season, as nothing short of a blockbuster will pry Muzzin or Martinez out of Los Angeles.

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