Injury Updates: Wild, Okposo, Carlson, McDonagh
Minnesota received some good news on the injury front on Wednesday as winger Jason Zucker will return to the lineup tomorrow night, notes Dan Myers on the Wild’s team website. Zucker missed the last three games with a lower body injury and is in the midst of a career season with 46 points in 77 games.
The team also learned that defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who left Tuesday’s game early with a lower body issue of his own, isn’t expected to be out for long. In fact, head coach Bruce Boudreau wouldn’t rule him out from playing in one of the final two games before the playoffs get underway.
Still with the Wild, winger Chris Stewart is questionable to play on Thursday night as he continues to battle an illness.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- The Sabres have ruled out right winger Kyle Okposo for their remaining three games, reports Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). Head coach Dan Bylsma noted that Okposo isn’t dealing with a case of the mumps although he added that team doctors are still trying to diagnose what the exact issue is. The mystery illness has kept Okposo out of the lineup for the past week. Okposo finishes his season with 19 goals and 26 assists in 65 games, matching the lowest output in a full campaign since 2011-12.
- Capitals blueliner John Carlson will sit for a second straight game tonight with a lower body issue. Head coach Barry Trotz noted to CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir (Twitter link) that it’s not a serious issue, classifying it as “day-to-day, hour-to-hour”. With Washington close to locking down top spot in the East (which could happen as early as tonight), they can afford to be cautious in order to ensure the team is as healthy as possible for the playoffs.
- Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh will resume skating tomorrow, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The captain has missed two straight games with an unspecified injury. Head coach Alain Vigneault suggested that he’d be comfortable with inserting McDonagh back into the lineup for the first game of the playoffs without getting him into another regular season game so it appears he will likely be out through the weekend as well.
Reactions To The Kevin Shattenkirk Trade
The Washington Capitals shocked the hockey world last night when they pushed all their chips to the middle of the table and bet on themselves in this year’s playoffs. Adding Kevin Shattenkirk to an already stacked team was both unexpected and devastating to their closest opponents. As it happened so late at night (and with so many conditions), reactions are still pouring in from media across the country.
- T.J. Oshie may have had the best reaction, tweeting out a welcome message to his old St. Louis teammate. Oshie and Shattenkirk have played together on the world stage as well, suiting up at both the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.
- Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy writes how this move is directly related to falling at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins a year ago. The Capitals are after a championship surely, but they first need to make their way through the defending champs and get the playoff monkey off their backs. Shattenkirk will help that tremendously.
- Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes about the growing trend of playoff conditions and has some choice quotes from GM Brian MacLellan.
- Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post was on the conference call with the general manager and relayed his explanation, saying that Shattenkirk was the only “Grade A” option out there in what is a rental-only market.
- Craig Button on TSN’s TH2N last night spoke about the possibility that Shattenkirk leaving could open the door for the Los Angeles Kings to sneak into the playoffs. Weakening the Blues—who are still currently in a playoff spot—is good for everyone in the Western Conference playoff push.
- Also from TSN is Frank Seravalli’s take which agrees with Wyshynski on the Caps going after the Penguins’ title this year. Seravalli also mentions how the Blues have a ready replacement in the towering Colton Parayko. Parayko is set to burst onto the NHL scene with a larger role and should be watched closely this summer when he is a restricted free agent.
Indeed, getting Shattenkirk will increase the Washington Capitals chance at the Stanley Cup this year, and with it they’ve build perhaps the best right-side on any defense group in the league. Matt Niskanen and John Carlson already gave teams matchup issues in the top four and the addition of Shattenkirk makes it that much more impressive.
Any team in the East should be worried now that any addition they make is useless. They’ll have to go through the Caps to get in—that is unless those pesky Penguins get to them first.
Snapshots: Gilbert, Schmaltz, Vrbata
When Tom Gilbert was traded from Los Angeles to the Washington Capitals just over a week ago, it was a step in the right direction for the veteran defenseman. Gilbert had played just 18 games for the Kings and was clearly not in their plans after sending him through waivers to the AHL. He told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post as much and admitted that coming to Washington was very exciting for him. The Capitals acquired him mostly as injury depth, as he is still playing at the AHL level. But perhaps his coming East will pay off already.
Matt Niskanen was taken out of last night’s game with a lower-body injury, and though it doesn’t seem to be serious it is a sign of how close Gilbert is to having to play a vital role on the best team in the NHL. The Capitals already have just two right-handed defensemen—Niskanen and John Carlson—and use Nate Schmidt on his off-side with Brooks Orpik. If either of Niskanen or Carlson went down it would open a gaping hole on the Caps back end, one that Gilbert would gladly step into. Remember that though it was a long time ago, Gilbert was once a 45 point defenseman, capable of moving the puck with the best of them. It’s nice to have depth.
- It’s a dream come true for Chicago Blackhawks winger Nick Schmaltz as he plays alongside Jonathan Toews. Schmaltz had three points last night and looks to be finding a nice groove on the wing of the resurgent Toews. In his rookie season Schmaltz has just 14 points in 41 games, but six of those have come in the last five as he’s gotten a nice icetime bump. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times writes in his latest column that the Blackhawks may have found an answer long-term on the captain’s wing. It doesn’t hurt that both are from the University of North Dakota and have taken a very similar path to the NHL.
- If you consider Schmaltz a long-term piece on the top line, then how do you fill the other side? Is Richard Panik really the answer beside Toews? Craig Morgan of FanRag Sports has his doubts, and suggests a former Hawk should make his way back to the Windy City. Radim Vrbata is available at the deadline, and with his ridiculously low cap-hit of just $1MM, Chicago could likely afford him for the final part of the season. The veteran winger has 41 points this season and has rebounded well from the worst year of his career.
Snapshots: Letang, Carlson, NHL
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Pittsburgh Penguins activated defenseman Kris Letang off of Injured Reserve today. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Jason Mackey tweeted that Letang was on the ice for the Penguins warmup skate before tonights game against the Nashville Predators. Letang suffered a lower-body injury January 14th against the Detroit Red Wings, and has been out ever since. The Penguins did not struggle without him, but adding Letang back into the mix should propel the Penguins higher atop the Metropolitan Division.
- The Penguins aren’t the only Metropolitan team getting their defenseman back. The Washington Capitals welcome John Carlson back to the ice after the young defenseman missed the last two weeks. Carlson suffered a lower body injury against the Philadelphia Flyers on January 15. Carlson has 5G and 20A in 43 games so far for the Capitals and the leads all Capitals skaters in average ice time.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the NHL plans to have two regular season games in Sweden next season, pending NHLPA approval. Dreger says that the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche will likely play each other in two games in November. Both teams have Swedish captains: Erik Karlsson for Ottawa and Gabriel Landeskog for Colorado. It is unclear whether both games will take place in one city or divided amongst two.
Injury Updates: Rask, Krug, Carlson, Rielly, Gallagher
After exiting the Boston Bruins’ 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday midway through the game with a migraine, Tuukka Rask was also not in attendance at practice today. The Bruins are losers of four straight games and have an important re-match with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, who they gave up a three-goal lead to last Wednesday en route to a shootout defeat. The last thing they can afford is to lose their best player this season, as Rask has been excellent with 22 wins, a .920 save percentage, and 2.11 goals against average, especially when rookie backup Zane McIntyre has struggled to adjust to the NHL thus far with an .860 save percentage and 3.95 goals against average. There has been no word on Rask’s availability for tomorrow night’s game and no recall has yet to be made, so Rask may just be taking the day off to rest and recover. The Bruins certainly hope that’s the case and they need their star keeper at full strength if they want to right the ship.
Torey Krug was another notable name who did not practice for the Bruins today. The speedy defenseman was the recipient of a bad hit yesterday by the Penguins’ Jake Guentzel (who deservedly got a boarding penalty). Not only did Krug continue playing, but he led all Bruins in ice time. That effort combined with a harsh hit likely earned him the day off today. Krug is tenth among NHL defensemen in points this season with four goals and 25 assists and is another player the Bruins cannot afford to lose right now. On a positive note, all of the Bruins other defensemen were full participants in practice today, including both Colin Miller and Kevan Miller who have missed the last few games with injury.
In other injury news around the league:
- Another struggling team who needs a healthy roster is the St. Louis Blues. However, prominent contributors Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester did not skate today. Schwartz took a shot to the inside of the knee in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets and was reportedly limping badly after the game. Bouwmeester remains out with a lower-body injury, though is considered day-to-day. Both players appear questionable to suit up for St. Louis against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Capitals fans will be happy to hear that top defenseman John Carlson skated with the team today, but should not expect to see the big blue liner back in the lineup right away. With Washington rolling of late (11-0-2 in their last 13), the team can afford to ease Carlson back into the lineup. He has been ruled out for both tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and tomorrow’s against the Ottawa Sentors. He may play Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, but it seems likely that they will hold him out through the All-Star break to give him another week of rest.
- Another defenseman on the mend is Toronto’s Morgan Rielly, who was a full participant at Maple Leafs practice today. While he’s been ruled out for tonight’s match-up with the Calgary Flames, coach Mike Babcock has left open the possibility that he could return before the All-Star break as the Leafs play twice later in the week.
- The Montreal Canadiens were happy to have hard-working Brendan Gallagher back at practice today, but Habs fans should not hold their breath for a swift return. Gallagher still appears to be a ways out from game action, as he wore a white non-contact jersey and used a stick with no blade. Gallagher admitted that when returning from a similar injury to his left hand last year, he began shooting too soon and caused damage. The team doctors didn’t take that chance this time around, removing the blade to also remove the temptation. Even when he returns, Gallagher said he will likely have to wear protection on his hand for the rest of his career after multiple surgeries. An eight-week timeline was set for the gritty winger when he was injured at the beginning of January, so Gallagher could still be a month away from playing for the Canadiens again.
Snapshots: Kreider, Hanzal, Carlson, Corrado
The New York Rangers and Dallas Stars have met twice this season, and NHL Player Safety has had to get involved both times.
Back in December, Stars center Cody Eakin earned a four-game suspension for running over Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (Streamable link of incident). The two teams met again last night, and Eakin was involved in another incident, though this time it was on the receiving end. Early in the second period, Chris Kreider picked a fight with Eakin, likely out of retribution for Eakin’s run-in with Lundqvist. During the fight, Kreider grabbed Eakin’s helmet and hit Eakin in the head with it (GIF via @myregularface).
Kreider has been fined $5K for the incident, which is the maximum allowable fine under the CBA. Under NHL rules, Kreider should have been ejected for attempting to “deliberately [injure] an opponent by throwing a stick or any other object or piece of equipment at an opposing player.”
Instead, he only received the usual five-minute major for fighting. The swing happened quickly, so perhaps the referees missed it or didn’t deem it to be a deliberate action.
- The struggling Arizona Coyotes will be without one of their top players when they visit the Winnipeg Jets. Martin Hanzal has left the team temporarily to “attend to a family matter,” according to Dave Vest of the Arizona Coyotes. Hanzal has 15 points in 37 games for the second-to-last-place Coyotes. He’s expected to be dealt sometime before the NHL trade deadline on March 1.
- Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is doubtful for Thursday night’s game in St. Louis, according to coach Barry Trotz (via Isabelle Khurshudyan). Carlson missed Monday night’s epic 8-7 loss in Pittsburgh with a lower-body injury. Carlson has 25 points in 43 games this year. Trotz said the team may call up a defenseman before next game; Khurshudyan believes Aaron Ness is the likely call-up. Ness has 16 points in 31 games with the Hershey Bears.
- While Morgan Rielly being out day-to-day is bad news for Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s good news for Frankie Corrado. Corrado has appeared in just one game at the NHL level this season, and will get a short window to make a good impression on Mike Babcock. Corrado told TSN’s Kristen Shilton that he’s “a hockey player, so it’s nice to play hockey.”
The Boston Bruins’ Sudden Defensive Depth
For those keeping up with the World Junior Championships, it’s a story line that has been one of the focuses of the tournament. Although the Boston Bruins couldn’t quite match the nine Philadelphia Flyers prospects who made their junior teams and were one of five NHL organizations with five prospects taking part, the Bruins sent a league-high four defensemen to the World Juniors. While many think of the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, or Anaheim Ducks when talking defensive depth, or maybe even the Carolina Hurricanes when considering the whole system, the Bruins have now entered the conversation as having maybe the best defensive depth in the NHL. A team that has struggled in their own end over the past few seasons has turned it around in 2016-17, a top five team in goals against all season, and there’s even more help on the way.
The Bruins do not just have okay defenders playing in the World Juniors, they have future stars. It starts with the United States, where 2016 first-rounder Charlie McAvoy and 2016 second-rounder Ryan Lindgren have been great. McAvoy, a sophomore at Boston University, has a goal and three assists so far in the tournament, which leads all U.S. defensemen and ranks fifth overall on the tourney’s best team so far. This season at BU, the 14th overall pick has 13 points in 17 games and is on pace to crush his freshman year totals. McAvoy projects as an elite puck-mover and play-maker (as well as a crushing open ice hitter) at the next level. Meanwhile, Lindgren is in his freshman year at the University of Minnesota and is developing into more of a shutdown defender. Lindgren has just one assist at the World Juniors, but his defense has drawn rave reviews. His play for the Golden Gophers has been similar – less offensive production and more defensive domination – but the Bruins are always happy to have physicality in their lineup. Besides, they have plenty of offensive defenseman in the system. For example, Canada’s Jeremy Lauzon. Lauzon has a goal and an assist at the World Juniors, and has been nearly a point-per-game player as the captain of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies this season, despite dealing with injuries. Last year, Lauzon finished the season with 50 points in 46 games for the Huskies and following that performance, nearly made the Boston roster out of camp this season. A late second-round pick in 2015, Lauzon appears to be a steal in the making for the Bruins. A more obvious 2015 selection was 13th overall pick Jakub Zboril, the fourth of the World Junior defenseman, from the Czech Republic. Zboril had somewhat of a down season in 2015-16 with just 20 points in 50 games for the QMJHL’s Saint John’s Sea Dogs. However, after a strong camp in Boston, he’s having a bounce-back year with 18 points already in just 20 games. He’s also added four assists for the Czechs at the World Juniors, good enough to tie for the team lead in points. As of now, Zboril may be the most complete defensive prospect in the Bruins system right now.
Armed with those four top blue line prospects, some of which might fight for a spot as soon as next season and some of whom will be ready in the next few years, the Bruins have some future depth stored up. Yet, they also have future depth on the team right now. Brandon Carlo has been a revelation for Boston in 2015-16. The 2015 second-round selection, the fourth of six picks in the first two rounds that year, is the first to make it to the NHL, and the Bruins are glad that he did. Carlo has stepped in immediately as a top pair defenseman and is quickly establishing himself as a future franchise defender. The 6’5″ 20-year-old is playing alongside veteran star Zdeno Chara, a big man’s perfect mentor, and eating up about 22 minutes per game. The massive American defender has already become a fan favorite in Boston and seems likely to have a long, successful career ahead of him. He won’t be alone either. Teammates Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, and Colin Miller appear to be in it for the long haul as well. Since signing with the Bruins out of Michigan State and having a surprise breakout season in 2013-14, Krug has been a mainstay of the Boston blue line. A consistent 40-point scorer, Krug was rewarded with a four-year, $21MM contract this summer, and has responded with possibly his best season to date. McQuaid, finally healthy after years of struggling with injury, is playing the best hockey of his career this season. A shutdown defender who is never going to put up a lot points, McQuaid has nevertheless taken his game to the next level this season with improved skating and vision. If he can stay healthy, his two years left at $2.75MM may prove to be a good deal after all. Finally, Miller, who has often been found in the dog house of coach Claude Julien, appears to have finally stuck as a starter in Boston. Acquired as part of the Milan Lucic trade, Miller was an AHL superstar who was expected to be a future centerpiece of the Bruins blue line. He’s on his way there, and his raw offensive talent will likely keep him on track. Miller has another year left at just $1MM, and will then be a restricted free agent who the B’s will look to lock up long-term.
With Chara down to just one year remaining on his contract before his likely retirement (and possible number retirement as well), these latter four represent the new core of the Boston defense. The prior four are the future, forming a strong group of eight defensemen for Bruins fans to look foward to. But wait, there’s more. Former college stars Matt Grzelcyk and Rob O’Gara are down in the AHL with the red-hot Providence Bruins and have looked good in their brief Boston appearances this season. Both project to be NHL regulars. Some even hold out hope that press box frequenter and former first-round pick Joe Morrow will be able to make something of his career. And what of free agency? Boston appears to be one of, if not the top destination for one of best available players on the 2017 free agent market, Kevin Shattenkirk. The St. Louis Blues puck-mover has made it known that he wants to be on the East coast, and the city where he played his college hockey at Boston University, which is also just hours from his hometown in Connecticut, seems like his top choice. Don’t look now but 2018 top free agent defenseman John Carlson has also expressed potential interest in returning to the state he grew up in.
The Bruins have not had much to be happy about over the past few years, especially on defense. However, their current and future depth is an embarrassment of riches. They have the potential to almost be too deep on D. The Boston blue line has a very bright future. So there’s something to be happy about.
Metropolitan Notes: Carlson, Cammalleri, Blandisi, Crosby, Hurricanes
Washington defenseman John Carlson isn’t experiencing any further issues with a broken ankle he sustained late in February, writes CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir. He had screws inserted in his ankle at the time of the surgery but doesn’t expect that he will need to have those removed:
“Only if it’s really, really bugging me, and it’s not. It’s perfect, has been the whole summer. It’s good.”
Carlson was a force on the Capitals’ blueline in the postseason, averaging a point per game while logging nearly 27 minutes per night against the Flyers and Penguins. He’ll be expecting to log big minutes in 2016-17 as a top pairing rearguard for Washington.
More from the Metropolitan Division:
- Devils winger Mike Cammalleri is fully recovered from a right hand issue that caused him to miss considerable action last season, he told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. The 34 year old suited up in just 42 games in 2015-16, his lowest total since becoming an NHL regular. Despite missing so much time, he had quite the productive season, picking up 14 goals and 24 assists, giving him his highest points per game rate since 2008-09. Cammalleri also told Fox that he expects to surpass the 70 games played plateau in 2016-17, something he hasn’t done since ’08-’09.
- More with New Jersey, the Devils are expected to keep some spots on the roster open for their prospects (and the potential return of Patrik Elias). Among the youngsters vying for a spot up front is Joseph Blandisi, who told NJ.com’s Chris Ryan that ankle swelling that forced him to miss development camp last month has subsided and that he’ll be ready to push for a regular role in training camp. Blandisi recorded 17 points in 41 games last season but failed to score a goal in his final 23 contests.
- Hockey Canada has named Penguins captain Sidney Crosby as team captain for their entry into the upcoming World Cup of Hockey. Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Montreal’s Shea Weber were named alternates.
- The Hurricanes have announced their roster for the upcoming Traverse City prospect tournament in mid-September. Among the notable invitees are 2016 first rounders Jake Bean and Julien Gauthier, 2014 first round pick Haydn Fleury, and forward Sergey Tolchinsky, who got into a pair of games with Carolina last season.