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Jason Zucker

Injury Notes: Zucker, Malkin, Hischier, Andersen

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially activated Jason Zucker from injured reserve and have listed him as a game-time decision for their contest tonight against the New York Islanders. Zucker is returning much quicker than many had anticipated when he went down with a lower-body injury in late-February but will be a welcome addition to the Penguins lineup.

Now 29, Zucker has just seven points in 17 games for Pittsburgh this season but is coming back at the perfect time. The team has moved Evgeni Malkin to long-term injured reserve retroactive to March 16 meaning he will miss at least six more games. Drew O’Connor and Jonathan Gruden have also been moved to the taxi squad.

  • Another East Division team got some good injury news, as Nico Hischier has resumed workouts and cardio activity after his recent sinus fracture. There is still no timetable for Hischier’s return, but Devils head coach Lindy Ruff expressed some optimism for the young forward, saying he is “progressing” in his recovery. Hischier underwent surgery to repair the fracture on March 15 and was given a three-week timeline, meaning he is still expected back early next month.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will have Michael Hutchinson in net tonight as they try to limit the workload for Jack Campbell, who has taken over starting duties in Frederik Andersen’s absence. Toronto has been very tight-lipped when it comes to Andersen’s injury, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that the team does not currently believe that it is season-ending. Of course, if it were to keep Andersen out the rest of the regular season, the Maple Leafs would have some added cap flexibility through long-term injured reserve. Friedman suspects the front office has “a move or two in his back pocket” for when the cap numbers work. Andersen hasn’t played since March 19.

Penguins Notes: Trade Wishes, Zucker, Injuries, Crosby

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are faring quite well so far in a competitive East Division with Pittsburgh currently two points back of first place. The Penguins are enjoying a solid season and new President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall are expected to bolster their roster as the trade deadline nears.

Interesting enough, NBC Sports Adam Gretz reports that the two new executives are both well known for their appreciation of size on their teams and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Penguins were seeking help in that direction as the trade deadline approaches. While the team doesn’t have the firepower to trade for any big names on the market, the scribe believes that a realistic target may be Detroit’s Anthony Mantha.

The 26-year-old Mantha could be a good find as the winger has struggled in the last couple of seasons with injuries being the main culprit. This year, Mantha has just nine goals and 16 points in 34 games and might prove to be a good trade chip if general manager Steve Yzerman chooses. However, for the Penguins to add Mantha, they would have to unload a significant amount with few assets but a handful of prospects and almost no picks as the Penguins have already traded away their  first, third, fourth and sixth-round picks for 2021.

  • Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan reports that winger Jason Zucker practiced fully Sunday and is close to returning to the Pittsburgh lineup at some point this week, according to Wes Crosby of NHL.com. Zucker skated in a non-contact sweater Saturday, so Sunday was a step up. The 29-year-old has four goals and seven points in 17 games, but will have to be activated from long-term injured reserve before he can play.
  • Crosby also notes that forwards Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev were on the ice Sunday with skills and development coach Ty Hennes. Tanev reportedly cleared the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Sunday, but didn’t practice with the team as he is still rehabbing from an upper-body injury. He remains day-to-day, but is also close. Blueger was placed on injured reserve on March 18 with an upper-body injury and was listed as week-to-week.
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) suggests Sidney Crosby, while a longshot, as a potential candidate for the Hart Trophy. The scribe writes that despite a number of significant candidates for the award like Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews, Crosby could be an outside candidate. The 33-year-old center has 14 goals and 39 points in 34 games and has been a key leader for an impressive Penguins team that has been without Evgeni Malkin for much of the season.

East Notes: Ullmark, Zucker, Kuraly

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The Buffalo Sabres have a new coaching staff in place and could be getting back a key player from injury soon as interim coach Don Granato said that starting goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to join the team for their four-game road trip starting on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Jourdon LaBarber.

“We need to integrate him into practice. That’s the next step here,” said Granato.

That doesn’t sound like Ullmark is ready to play, but getting on the ice with the team would be a big step for a player, who has only appeared in 12 games this season and hasn’t seen the ice since Feb. 25. Ullmark was playing quite well with a 5-4-2 record, a 2.44 GAA and a .919 save percentage. If he can return soon, that could be a huge boost for a team that has lost 13 in a row.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said that forward Jason Zucker continues to progress in his rehab from a lower-body injury. The winger was placed on LTIR, retroactive to Feb. 23, according to PGPSportsNow’s Matt Vensel. Sullivan said that Zucker dressed in full gear Sunday and skated with the taxi squad, suggesting he’s getting closer to a return. Regardless, it looks like Zucker should be able to return before the end of the season. The 29-year-old has four goals and seven points in 17 games, but should supply a big boost to the team’s top-six once he returns.
  • Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy writes that sources suggest that the Boston Bruins are willing to move fourth-line forward Sean Kuraly in any package and the team could find a taker in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus might be interested in Kuraly, who is a local kid, and could provide the team with solid two-way play. The scribe writes that the team feels they have younger players who look ready to step in as fourth-line options.

Penguins Notes: Zucker, Trade Deadline, Extension Talks, Undrafted Free Agents

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While the Penguins will be without Jason Zucker for a while yet with his lower-body injury, GM Ron Hextall expressed some optimism that he will be able to return before the end of the regular season in an interview with Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  It has been a tough first ‘full’ season with Pittsburgh for the 29-year-old as he has just four goals and three assists in 17 games but he’d undoubtedly give them a lift for the stretch run if he’s able to return.

Of course, there are some salary cap considerations at play.  Zucker is currently on LTIR resulting in some extra flexibility (up to his $5.5MM AAV) for the Penguins heading into the deadline.  However, with the belief that he’ll be able to return, Pittsburgh can’t really use that money to add an impact piece as they’d need to get back into cap compliance before they can activate him.  Accordingly, their potential for spending will be limited.

While the full interview is definitely worth a read, here are a few other highlights from Hextall’s discussion with Rorabaugh:

  • If the new GM had his way, he’d be able to add some grit to the roster before the trade deadline, calling it something on his wish list. Given that the Pens are likely to be shopping for lower-priced players due to Zucker’s possible return, it’s an area that they could address, albeit on a more limited scale such as the fourth line.
  • Long-time veterans Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin are eligible to sign contract extensions this summer but Hextall didn’t seem to be too much of a rush to get the ball rolling on that, saying he’d get to those when the time is right. Deals can’t be signed until the official start of the 2021-22 calendar but as we’ve often seen in recent years, frameworks for those deals have been hammered out before that time.
  • Hextall also acknowledged that there are some players on both the college and European free agent markets that are of interest to the team. College free agency should really start to pick up over the coming weeks while the international market is another couple of months away from really getting going.

Jason Zucker Out “Longer-Term”

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Mar 3: Zucker has been placed on long-term injured reserve by the Penguins, retroactive to February 23. He will need to miss at least ten games and 24 days.

Feb 25: The Pittsburgh Penguins are dealing with another substantial injury, as head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters this morning that Jason Zucker would be out “longer-term” with a lower-body injury. The veteran forward fell awkwardly into the boards after clipping skates with Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen and stayed down in obvious pain.

Zucker, 29, hasn’t played quite up to his standards this season, but still had seven points in his first 17 games before suffering the injury. His absence leaves a gaping hole in the Penguins lineup, one that isn’t the easiest to fix. Sure, Pittsburgh has other talented forwards, but the team’s depth was already being tested as names like Mark Jankowski, Sam Lafferty, and Colton Sceviour failed to provide much scoring punch.

Luckily, the team is expected to get Jared McCann back before too long. While Sullivan said he will not play tonight, he was a full-contact participant in practice and should be back in the lineup soon.

If Zucker is out long-term, it also may give the Penguins some cap flexibility to make an addition. The team is already in LTIR with some of their other injuries, and Zucker can be added to that group whenever necessary.

Snapshots: Zucker, Bertuzzi, Ducks

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While the Penguins sent winger Jason Zucker back to Pittsburgh today to be evaluated, it appears they’re not particularly optimistic that his absence will be a short one.  Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that while they’re hopeful his lower-body injury isn’t as bad as they initially feared, they are preparing to be without the 29-year-old for an extended period of time.  Zucker is off to a quiet start to the season by his standards with just four goals and three assists in 17 games but his absence will open up a vacancy in their top-six.  If he’s going to miss more than 10 games or 24 days, he’ll be eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve, giving them some short-term cap flexibility to recall a replacement.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Red Wings have been without winger Tyler Bertuzzi for all of February and it doesn’t sound as if he’ll be back anytime soon. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), that he has “no idea” when the 26-year-old will be able to return.  Bertuzzi was off to a strong start to his season with five goals and two assists in eight games and with his contract expiring this summer, missing this much time isn’t going to give him the type of platform season he was hoping for.
  • The Ducks activated Sonny Milano from IR and recalled him from his AHL conditioning loan, relays Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The winger suffered an upper-body just a week into the season, limiting him to just two games.  He was quietly productive after joining Anaheim last season with five points in nine contests, making him an intriguing addition to a lineup that has struggled mightily offensively in the early going.  The team also placed winger Carter Rowney on IR due to a lower-body injury.  While the veteran is known more as a bottom-six player, he’s tied for the team lead in assists with six in 19 games.

Draft Pick Fall Out From Qualifying Round Results

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It was a dark day in the NHL on Friday as five teams were eliminated from playoff contention and, barring a miraculous last-minute comeback by the Toronto Maple Leafs, it could have been six-for-six. While the focus on these pivotal games yesterday was on those teams advancing and those team going home, there were also numerous draft picks impacted:

  • In addition to yesterday’s winners, it was also a big day for the New Jersey Devils. In a year in which the draft class is lauded for its depth, particularly in impact forwards, the Devils are now the proud owners of three first-round picks. New Jersey acquired Arizona’s first-rounder in the Taylor Hall trade and Vancouver’s first-rounder from Tampa Bay in the Blake Coleman However, both picks were lottery protected. Now that the Coyotes and Canucks have advanced, they will not take part in Monday’s second draft lottery to determine the No. 1 pick and as a result their picks have officially been sent to the Devils.
  • The Ottawa Senators will also have three picks in the first round of the 2020 Draft. Already owners of their own pick and San Jose’s, the Senators officially acquired the New York Islanders’ pick yesterday. The Isles had sent a lottery-protected first-rounder to Ottawa in the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade, but with New York moving one they will not be in the running for a lottery pick. There is also a conditional 2020 second-round pick involved in that deal which will transfer to the Senators if the Islanders win the Stanley Cup. That dream for now remains alive for New York.
  • The clock is ticking on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The first-round pick that the team sent to the Minnesota Wild in the Jason Zucker trade contained a condition that the Penguins could keep the pick if it landed in the top 15. Now that the team has been surprisingly knocked out of the postseason, their first-rounder will fall in that range. They now have seven days to decided whether or not to retain the pick and send their 2021 first-round pick instead or to simply trade their 2020 selection. Obviously, the team will wait for the results of Monday night’s lottery, but regardless it seems likely that the Penguins will keep the pick and bet on themselves to make the playoffs next season.
  • One first-round pick that still remains undecided is the pick that will transfer to the New York Rangers as part of the Brady Skjei When the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Skjei, they promised the Rangers the later of their two first-rounders, their own and the Toronto Maple Leafs’, acquired alongside Patrick Marleau. However, the Toronto pick has conditions of its own; if the Leafs pick lands in the top 10, they will retain the selection and transfer their 2021 first-rounder instead. The only way for this to occur would be for Toronto to both lose Game Five against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday and then win the No. 1 overall pick in Monday’s draft lottery. If the Maple Leafs lose both the game and the lottery, their pick will be No. 13 and by default will be earlier than Carolina’s, meaning the Hurricanes’ own pick will go to the Rangers. Should Toronto win on Sunday, it will remain to be seen how far each team goes in the playoffs and which pick will head to New York.

NHL Rules On Conditional Draft Picks

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With both the regular season and playoffs up in the air for quite some time, there had been many questions about conditional draft picks and how they might be conveyed. However, now with the establishment of a 24-team playoff format, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) reports that the league has also clarified how conditional picks will change hands, meaning teams will have to reach the round of 16 in order to be considered a ’playoff team.’ The NHL doesn’t view the qualifying round as playoff hockey.

“More specifically, for Trade condition purposes, a Club will not be deemed to have qualified for the Playoffs unless or until they have progressed into the Round of 16, and ‘Playoff Games/Rounds’ will only include the games/rounds played in the Round of 16 or later. We believe this interpretation will best reflect the intentions of the parties at the time of the Trade,” the league stipulated.

There are several trades that fall into this category with the Vancouver Canucks pick being at the heart of the issue. The Canucks traded their 2020 first-round pick to Tampa Bay for J.T. Miller, conditional on the Canucks making the playoffs. That pick, in the meantime, was traded to New Jersey for Blake Coleman. With Vancouver in the 24-team playoff format, many believed that the Devils already had the Canucks’ first-round pick. However, this ruling indicates that the Canucks would have to win their play-in game against the Minnesota Wild first and reach the round of 16 before that picks transfers. If Vancouver loses in the first round, then they keep the lottery pick and will send a unconditional first-rounder in 2021 to New Jersey.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild are in a similar situation with the first-round pick that was sent from Pittsburgh to Minnesota for Jason Zucker (assuming the Penguins got into the playoffs). However, while that pick looked to be a lock, a play-in loss to the Montreal Canadiens would allow the Penguins to keep the pick and send an unconditional one in 2021, which Pittsburgh would be likely to do if they can get a lottery pick in a strong draft.

There are still a few conditional trades that the NHL will have to look deeper into, including the Edmonton/Calgary swap of Milan Lucic and James Neal as well as the New Jersey-Carolina swap of Sami Vatanen, which deals with a conditional fourth-round pick if Vatanen played in five regular season games for Carolina, which he didn’t do. However, the play-in games could constitute regular season games, depending on how the league rules on it.

Trade Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Minnesota Wild.

While there was a time that many thought that the Minnesota Wild might be at the bottom of the NHL this year, the veteran team have made a competitive season out of 2019-20. It may be unlikely that the team makes the playoffs, it is still possible the team could go on a run and reach that point. Regardless, new general manager Bill Guerin has little by little been making changes to the team and roster with the hopes that he can make it a younger team in the future. The team already did that recently, when they traded forward Jason Zucker to Pittsburgh for Alex Galchenyuk, prospect Calen Addison and a conditional 2020 first-round pick.

Record

29-24-7, sixth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$14.208MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: MIN 1st, PIT 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
2021: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

Trade Chips

Perhaps one of the team’s most obvious trade chips has already been eliminated as long-time center Mikko Koivu already took himself out of the running today, when he exercised his right to refuse any trades. The veteran told Guerin today that he is not interested in leaving Minnesota and with a no-movement clause in his expiring contract, the team has no choice but to comply. That eliminates one trade chip.

Perhaps Guerin’s biggest trade chip is on defense. The team has two players that are receiving significant interest from other teams, including Mathew Dumba and Jonas Brodin. Dumba has three more years on his contract after this one at $6MM, but would be heavily coveted and if Guerin gets the right offer, could quickly bring in some much needed youth and talent to the system. Brodin also has another year on his contract at $4.17MM and could also bring in quite a bit of talent, as both players are top-four impact defensemen. However, whether Guerin pulls the trigger is another question. If he doesn’t like the offers, he doesn’t have to make a deal since the team has both players for a minimum of one more season.

While the team just acquired Galchenyuk, the team brought him over merely to even out the contracts for Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old isn’t part of the team’s rebuilding plans and since he’s going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Wild flipped Galchenyuk to a contender for another piece to their rebuilding puzzle. While Galchenyuk is already on his fourth team, he has looked good in the five games he has played in Minnesota, scoring a goal and two assists. Minnesota might be able to find a suitor who is willing to take him and use him in a bottom-six role.

Five Players To Watch For: D Jonas Brodin, D Mathew Dumba, F Marcus Foligno, F Alex Galchenyuk, Eric Staal

Team Needs

1) Young Top-Six Forwards: The Wild have few talented forwards on their roster. They have a few, but what the team needs is difference-makers. Anyone who can step in and inject some youth to their lineup would be a step in the right direction for a team that is hoping to rebuild their team in a short order.

2) Draft Picks: The team picked up an extra first-rounder in the Zucker deal to give the team two first-round picks for this coming draft, but if the team begins any sort of rebuilding effort, then draft picks is exactly what they need for their future to remain bright.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Stories: 02/10/20 – 02/16/20

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Can you really pick just five? In a news cycle in which superstar Erik Karlsson being ruled out for the season doesn’t even crack the top ten headlines, here are the five most important stories (admittedly with some other notes sprinkled in) of the week that was:

Bouwmeester Suffers Cardiac Incident: The hockey world stood still on Tuesday night, after the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was suspended under very scary circumstances. Veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a “cardiac event” while on the bench during the first period of the contest, collapsing onto the ground. Bouwmeester required resuscitation by the teams’ training staffs to re-start his heart before he was rushed to the hospital. While awaiting word on his condition, there was an outpouring of support from teams and players in all corners of the hockey world for the well-respected veteran. Fortunately, the team issued a statement that Bouwmeester was in stable condition, followed by a report on Friday that he had undergone successful heart surgery. While questions remain about Bouwmeester’s availability to the reigning Stanley Cup champs this season, as well as the future of the impending free agent’s career, the focus will be on rest and rehabilitation for a while still to come.

Minnesota Fires Boudreau: In 13 seasons as an NHL head coach, Bruce Boudreau has only missed the playoffs twice and those seasons occurred seven years apart. However, one of those seasons was 2018-19 and things were not looking good for a return to the postseason in Minnesota this year. New GM Bill Guerin opted to cut ties with his veteran coach on Friday before he could miss consecutive postseasons for the first time in his career. Assistant Dean Evason was named the interim replacement, while Boudreau will begin looking for a new home – a process that historically has not taken him very long.

Elsewhere in the division, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice received the opposite treatment, despite similar struggles this season. Already one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL, Maurice received a three-year contract extension from the Jets.

Penguins Acquire Zucker: Firing Boudreau was not the only major shake-up in Minnesota this week. Long-time Wild star Jason Zucker was finally traded on Monday after more than a year of speculation, even through front office changes. In the end, he winds up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the same team that nearly acquired him this summer for Phil Kessel. Former Pittsburgh executive Bill Guerin made good on his major trade as Minnesota GM, landing a 2020 first-round pick, top prospect defenseman Calen Addison, and a capable forward and potential extension candidate in Alex Galchenyuk. Meanwhile, the Penguins add the forward they have been seeking – especially in light of Jake Guentzel’s season-ending injury – in Zucker, a veteran with the speed and skill to keep up with Sidney Crosby and three more years remaining on his contract at a reasonable rate. Zucker scored two goals in just his second game with the Penguins on Friday.

Devils Deal Two Key Players: The trades kept rolling on Sunday with the New Jersey Devils as the center of attention. Another new GM, Tom Fitzgerald, is making good on his promise to maximize the return on tradable assets from the rebuilding club. In two separate deals, the Devils added a first-round pick and second-round pick in 2020, promising forward prospect Nolan Foote, and minor leaguer David Quenneville. Of course, it came at a cost, as long-time captain Andy Greene was dealt to the rival New York Islanders and fan-favorite forward Blake Coleman was moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, with such strong returns and pieces like Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds, and more expected to go as well, this is the beginning of potentially franchise-altering deadline for New Jersey.

Oilers Extend Nurse: The Edmonton Oilers needed some good news this week, with superstar Connor McDavid out two-to-three weeks with an injury and fellow forward Zack Kassian suspended for seven games. They got it with news of a contract extension for young defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse, 25, signed a two-year, $11.2MM deal prior to restricted free agency and a potential arbitration battle this summer. The new AAV for Nurse represents a sizeable salary bump, but for good reason, as he has established himself as a dependable top-pair defender and a point-producer. While the relationship between Nurse and the Oilers was once a concern, it now seems to be in good order, with expectations already that the two sides will negotiate a more long-term extension after next season.

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