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Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard To Miss 4-6 Weeks With MCL Sprain

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The Detroit Red Wings cannot catch a break. Veteran netminder Jimmy Howard is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a mild MCL sprain tweets MLive’s Brendan Savage. Helene St. James reports the news as well. This couldn’t be worse for a team struggling to find consistency.

Howard has been a pleasant surprise for the Red Wings this season, but recently has sputtered due to injury and poor team play. Howard was injured Tuesday night when Wings defenseman Nick Jensen collided with him during a mad scramble at the net.

After being the subject of trade rumors all summer, Howard responded with one of his better seasons in recent memory. Despite his sparkling play, Howard has been the victim of a team that cannot score, as his wins-loss record indicates.

Howard is 5-7-1 this season with a .934 save percentage and a 1.96 GAA.

Jimmy Howard “Out For A While”

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It was a rough night for goaltenders in Tampa Bay last night, as both Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard left the game with lower-body injuries.

While we don’t yet know Bishop’s status, Howard has been placed on seven-day IR. Per Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, Red Wings GM Ken Holland said Howard will be “out for a while. Not sure how long.”

The length of Howard’s recovery will depend on how his body reacts in the next few days, according to Holland. It’s a tough loss for the Red Wings, as Howard has the fourth-best save percentage in the NHL this season, after his play had regressed over the past three years. The Red Wings’ expected starter this season, Petr Mrazek, has struggled so far with just an 0.899 SV%, but does have a winning record, which is something Howard doesn’t have, despite his excellent numbers.

In the meantime, Detroit has recalled Jared Coreau from Grand Rapids of the AHL. Coreau has appeared in one NHL game, allowing four goals in a 5-3 loss against Pittsburgh. He boasts an 11-6-0 record with the Griffins, with a 0.924 SV% and a 2.18 GAA.

The Red Wings currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division and are nine points out of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jimmy Howard Injured

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Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard was injured during a pileup in the 2nd period tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Howard is the second starting goaltender to leave this game, as Tampa Bay starter Ben Bishop left in the 1st period with a lower-body injury.

Howard appears to suffer a lower-body injury and was replaced by Petr Mrazek. Howard is having a resurgent season, posting a .934 SV% and a 1.95 GAA in 16 games. The veteran goaltender had lost the starting job to Mrazek, but Howard’s stellar stats has reopened the conversation. Mrazek hasn’t faired as well, posting a .902 SV% and a .298 GAA.

The Red Wings sit in 6th in the Atlantic Division and are in real danger of ending its record playoff streak. Howard’s strong play was keeping the team afloat so Mrazek will have to step up to get the Red Wings back into the playoffs.

Atlantic Notes: Tallon’s Status In Florida, Ken Holland

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8:36 pm: Harvey Fialkov reports that Panthers CEO Matt Caldwell reached out to him to say that nothing has changed in the managerial hierarchy involving Tallon. In a series of tweets, Caldwell indicates that Viola never met with Tallon to hand over personnel reins while also indicating that group discussions among the ownership group determines decision making. Further, Fialkov tweets  that the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Panthers hockey is too much “he said, she said” talk that is too tough to prove.

7:54 pm: Out with the old, in with the–old? Darren Dreger tweets that Dale Tallon will assume control during a time for the Panthers that has been turbulent. Dreger adds a series of tweets on Tallon’s updated status with the Panthers. Tallon will take over day to day operations and bring stability to an organization that has had a tough few weeks–and season. Elliotte Friedman adds that Florida owner Vinny Viola said that “nothing has changed” regarding Tallon’s status as having the “final say” in personnel decisions. Friedman is baffled by this, wondering why a report would even be made if nothing changed. In the official release of Tallon’s promotion back in May, the Panthers indicated that “Tallon will continue to oversee all aspects of hockey operations in this role including scouting, player acquisition and development.” Technically speaking, Tallon was still in charge of overseeing all aspects of hockey.

Dreger tweets that Tallon will not oversee an overhaul but will want to reevaluate things. He adds that the firing of Gerard Gallant was a poor choice, and that decisions needs to be made with one voice in charge. Further, Dreger tweets that the players trust Tallon and that the move will add some much needed stability to the team. Finally, he tweets that Tallon will not ignore analytics. Instead, he’s looking to improve team defense and make them tougher to play against.

The Panthers have been in flux this season and after firing Gallant in a move widely panned throughout the league, there’s been little improvement with general manager and now head coach Tom Rowe guiding the ship. The move to place Tallon in a position to have more say is one that certainly helps the Panthers’ chances.

Regardless of how it’s explained, it’s been a strange chapter of hockey in Miami.

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Jonathan Quick Out Until Mid-February, Kings Not Willing To Overpay For Goaltender

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12:45pm: Lombardi is now telling Elliott that he misspoke today and though the worst case is still March, he actually expects Quick back in mid-February. While this lines up closer to what Sutter said on Monday, it still is a long-time for Quick to be sidelined.

11:45pm: The continuing saga of Jonathan Quick got another chapter today, as Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi told Helene Elliott of the LA Times that he’d be out until March. This comes after head coach Darryl Sutter said just two days ago that it’d be a month before the next step was even revealed.

Lombardi also told Elliott that he’s “not willing to throw the kitchen sink” at his goaltending situation, meaning that he doesn’t want to part with important assets to fix it. The team has been riding Peter Budaj this season to mixed success, as the 34-year old started hot but has struggled recently. Last night Budaj allowed four goals on 22 shots, marking four out of five games where he’s recorded a save percentage under .900. Jeff Zatkoff, brought in this offseason to be the backup, has struggled with injury and ineffectiveness himself, carrying an .882 save percentage through Wednesday.

The Kings, 14-12-2, are sitting fifth in the Pacific Division just outside a wild card spot but are in danger of slipping further and further should they not fix their goaltending situation. If Budaj can get back to the level he started the season at, perhaps the team would not need to find a solution outside the organization.

While there are talented options on the trade market – namely, Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard – the Kings would have to take on a large amount of salary or give up substantial assets to get them. Though the team has a good amount of cap space currently due to Quick’s designation on LTIR, the team would be left unable to make any additional moves at the deadline for a playoff run, or in trouble should Quick make a return any earlier than expected.

A lesser option – like Ondrej Pavelec or Jonathan Bernier – comes with substantial risks as well and may not be any more effective than the Budaj-Zatkoff duo in the long run. For the Kings, it’s likely a game of trying to improve the team in front of them than spending assets for an answer in net.

Atlantic Notes: Hyman, Detroit Goaltending, Marchessault, Franson

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Although his professional career is just getting started, Toronto forward Zach Hyman already has a pretty good fallback plan for life after hockey.  As Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com writes, Hyman spends some of his time away from the rink writing children’s books.  He already has published two while a third is expected to be available in early 2017 and a fourth is already in the works.

While his hockey career is at the forefront right now, Hyman realizes his writing will ultimately last longer than his playing days and he’s appreciative of being able to do both:

“Writing is going to last longer than hockey. You can’t play hockey forever, but [you] definitely can write forever. Just enjoying it; it’s amazing. I get to live the life of a hockey player and also have writing. It’s pretty special. I’m really lucky.”

This is Hyman’s first full NHL season and he has made the most of it so far.  While he has just nine points in 27 games, he has earned the trust of the coaching staff, particularly on the penalty kill as he leads all Toronto forwards in shorthanded ice time per game.

More from the Atlantic:

  • When it comes to providing their goalies with offensive support, the Detroit Red Wings have fared much differently in front of Petr Mrazek than they have in front of Jimmy Howard, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. Detroit has provided Mrazek with 2.88 goals per game in support but in front of Howard, that number drops by more than half to a paltry 1.27.  As a result, despite a stellar 1.68 GAA and .945 SV%, Howard has won just five of his 12 starts so far this season.
  • Florida winger Jonathan Marchessault returned to practice Monday after missing the last four games with a lower body injury, reports George Richards of the Miami Herald. The 25 year old has been a revelation so far with the Panthers, picking up 19 points (10-9-19) in 25 games.  He skated with Nick Bjugstad and Colton Sceviour, a line that the team envisioned putting together when they signed Marchessault and Sceviour back on July 1st.  He will be a game-time decision tonight against Minnesota.
  • Sabres blueliner Cody Franson is enjoying the extra ice time he’s received as a result of Buffalo’s injuries on their back end, writes Bill Hoppe of the Orleans Times Herald. Franson has had higher workloads with other teams than he has received with the Sabres and noted he’s more comfortable when he plays 18+ minutes per game as doing so allows him to play with more confidence.  As a pending UFA, it’s also an added bonus that he has been able to play more to showcase himself to potential suitors for next season if the Sabres don’t bring him back.

Red Wings Notes: Howard, Athanasiou, Marchenko, Daniels

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Jimmy Howard and Andreas Athanasiou are ready to come back for the Red Wings writes Dana Wakiji. Detroit has been plagued by injury since the onset of the season, and the return of two key players should boost a team starving for more points as they sit outside the final wildcard spot. Howard, Athanasiou, and Alexey Marchenko all returned to full practice but only the latter might be held out of Friday’s game. Getting Athanasiou back, who has a knack for disrupting opposing teams because of his blazing speed, will be a major asset according to bench boss Jeff Blashill:

“He certainly adds an element of speed that’s obviously important in the league, and he can self-create,” Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “It’s hard to self-create in this league, and he’s one of the guys that can do it. So he brings another guy in our lineup that can do a good job. That said, I think the guys that have been in the lineup have done a good job as well. When Andreas comes back he needs to make sure he’s ready to be an impact player.”

Howard has been a savior in the net for the Wings before he succumbed to a minor groin injury according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. St. James adds that Howard is relieved it’s only a two week layoff whereas a groin injury in the past had a longer duration–and saw a dip in his play. Marchenko is close, and if he’s not ready by Friday’s game, he will certainly be slotted into Sunday’s contest. The defenseman has been out with a shoulder injury since November 20.

In other Red Wings news:

  •  Red Wings television play-by-play announcer Ken Daniels’ son Jamie passed away suddenly at the age of 23 Thursday. The Red Wings released a brief statement after learning of the tragic news:

“Both the Red Wings organization and Fox Sports Detroit would like to offer their heartfelt condolences to the Daniels family during this most difficult time.”

 

Red Wings Activate Jimmy Howard

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The Detroit Red Wings have taken goaltender Jimmy Howard off Injured Reserve, the team announced Wednesday.

To make room on the roster, Detroit re-assigned goaltender Jared Coreau and forward Tomas Nosek to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

Howard’s return should help the Red Wings as they try to climb back into a Wildcard position. While Petr Mrazek was expected to be the starter this season, he’s struggled with a 7-5-3 record and a below-average SV% of 0.907. Howard, initially thought to be relegated to the backup role, has a 0.940 SV% and a 1.82 GAA. Howard’s 5-5-0 record is much more indicative of the Red Wings’ scoring troubles than his play.

His return to form comes as Detroit must decide which goaltender to protect in the expansion draft. Because teams can only protect one goalie, common sense dictates that Detroit protects the younger and cheaper Mrazek. Howard, who makes $5.29MM, may have played his way onto the Vegas Golden Knights.

Coreau played his first NHL game during this recall, allowing four goals on 36 shots against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. His numbers are much better with the Griffins, and that’s where he headed. He’s trending towards becoming an NHL backup option, perhaps as soon as next season if Howard or Mrazek end up in Vegas.

Nosek, an undrafted free agent signing in 2014, did not make appear in any NHL games during this latest recall. He is around a point-per-game this season in the AHL after back-to-back seasons with 30-plus points. He’s been held pointless in six NHL games so far in his career, all played last season.

Custance’s Latest: Teams Hurt By Cap Recapture Rules

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In the salary cap era, there is nothing worse than a bloated contract, especially one susceptible to the cap recapture rules. ESPN’s Craig Custance listed a number of teams who suffer from such a fate, and explains as such:

For some teams, that pain has arrived. And it could be worse than originally projected because of cap recapture rules since put in place in the new CBA to punish teams if the player retires early or the contract is traded.

“Teams that did those contracts essentially embarrassed Gary [Bettman]. We found a way to circumvent the CBA legally,” said one executive. “He was incensed, and said ’I’m going to get you back.’ Which he did.”

Now because of decisions made years ago, in the name of winning it all or rewarding players who helped make it happen, there are a group of teams that have legacy costs built into their current salary cap structure.

Two teams who managed to stay in good shape contract wise–while contending– are the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, with the Pens not having any legacy costs. But the teams below, according to Custance, are the ones who suffered from the wrath of Bettman.

  • Los Angeles Kings

Dustin Brown, Marian Gaborik, and Matt Greene are the contracts that have the Kings on the hook for awhile. Along with Mike Richards’ cap recapture hit of $1.32MM, the Kings have a legacy cost of $8.545MM. Though they won two Stanley Cups since 2012, the cost may have hurt them in terms of losing Milan Lucic and Justin Williams due to a lack of cap room.

  • Chicago Blackhawks

Sure, they’ve won three Cups since 2010, but the Marian Hossa deal will eventually be a “real headache” since it still has four years left. Further, Custance writes that the Hawks could be in for real trouble by the 2019-20 season when the core of the Hawks, namely Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, and Corey Crawford are all into their 30’s and saddling the payroll with a combined $40MM.

  • Detroit Red Wings

General manager Ken Holland anchored the team with a number of long term, and expensive contracts. Custance’s list doesn’t include the new deals that include a 32-year-old Frans Nielsen, Justin Abdelkader, and Darren Helm. Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, and Johan Franzen combine for a legacy cost of $9.34MM. Custance believes the Wings could get out of the Howard contract by trade, but Kronwall and Zetterberg’s deals will cripple the Wings for years to come, especially as their play declines. The legacy cost for Detroit: $9.34MM.

  • Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have a few big contracts, namely the Sedin twins, Alex Burrows, Alexander Edler and Roberto Luongo ($800K retained). Custance notes that while he would take the Sedins on his team any day, their decline is certainly happening.

 

Justin Abdelkader Leaves Game With Lower Body Injury

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MLive’s Ansar Khan tweets that Justin Abdelkader has a lower body injury and will not return to the game tonight.  During the first period of the Detroit Red Wings’ matchup with the Florida Panthers, Abdelkader left the ice after finishing a check and banging his right leg into the boards following the hit. He was seen wincing on the bench and flexing his knee as he skated off the ice.

If Abdelkader is out for a number of games, he will join wounded Wings Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alexey Marchenko, and Brendan Smith. It’s been that kind of a season for Detroit, who is seeking its 26th consecutive playoff appearance.

Abdelkader has eight points (4-4) in 21 games and after signing a massive seven-year extension last season, he was to be counted on for a net-front presence and to chip in at least 20 goals. His absence from the lineup creates another hole in an already ravaged lineup.

The Red Wings, through November 27, lead the NHL in man-games lost with 141.

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