Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Perron, Greenway
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have gotten off to a strong start this season to the tune of a 4-2-1 record which becomes more impressive when considering the team has been without forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk for five games. The latter has been out for more than a week with an illness but should return tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild according to David Dwork of The Hockey News.
Tkachuk managed two assists in two games for the Panthers to start the season before exiting the lineup on October 14th. He’s expected to slot in on the right wing next to familiar linemates Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe.
He should have been a popular candidate to replace Eetu Luostarinen on Florida’s first line but their production over the last few games leaves little room for upgrade. According to Hockey Reference, the combination of Luostarinen, Sam Reinhart, and Anton Lundell has produced 23 points through seven games with an even more impressive E +/- of 8.1.
Other Atlantic notes:
- The Ottawa Senators’ most notable unrestricted free agent signing from this past offseason, David Perron, will be away from the team for the foreseeable future due to personal reasons (X Link). Perron joined the Senators on a two-year, $8MM pact to take on a similar role to his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings. He’s gone scoreless through his initial five games with the organization and will look to rebound upon his return.
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Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported earlier that forward Jordan Greenway has returned to practice for the Buffalo Sabres after suffering an upper-body injury and Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports later added he could feature in the lineup tomorrow. Greenway was a surprise scratch in the team’s most recent game against the Chicago Blackhawks a few days ago as it took until after the contest to learn about his upper-body injury. He currently sits tied for fourth on Buffalo in scoring with two goals and four points through the first six games.
Atlantic Notes: Barkov, Tavares, Power, Greenway, Peterka
7:00 PM : Toronto Maple Leafs centerman John Tavares missed the team’s Saturday matchup with illness.
10:00 AM : Imaging has revealed that Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov‘s lower-body injury did not involve an ankle fracture (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). That’s in line with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period’s report yesterday that Barkov avoided the worst-case scenario after crashing into the boards near the end of Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Senators and is out a few weeks with a lower-body injury.
It’ll still be a while before we see Barkov back on the ice, but it’s at least confirmation that he should be expected back around the end of the month. He also hasn’t been moved to long-term injured reserve (or injured reserve at all) yet, although that could come if the Panthers need more roster flexibility. They’ve already recalled Patrick Giles from AHL Charlotte in response to his injury and moved Tomáš Nosek to LTIR to create cap room to accommodate Giles.
In the meantime, Barkov’s absence provides plenty of opportunity for usual middle-six pivots Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell to see some more ice time. That could benefit Bennett’s point totals in a contract year, while Lundell is looking to prove he can shoulder heavier usage after inking a six-year, $30MM deal this summer.
Barkov, 29, had an assist and a -1 rating in two contests this year. He was his usual dominant self in the faceoff circle, winning 30% of his draws.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Maple Leafs center John Tavares didn’t practice with the team this morning due to illness, the team said. He’s now likely questionable for tonight’s game against the Penguins. If he can’t go, line rushes indicate that Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann will slide up to the second line to play with William Nylander while Max Domi drops down from second-line left wing to third-line center, per David Alter of The Hockey News. Enforcer Ryan Reaves would also re-enter the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch for Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Devils. Tavares, 34, has a goal and a +1 rating in two appearances thus far.
- Any concerns about Sabres Jordan Greenway and Owen Power missing tonight’s game after taking maintenance days yesterday have been quelled after they returned to practice this morning, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Winger John-Jason Peterka is also once again on the ice, marking the fourth straight day he’s been with the team while recovering from a concussion sustained during the Global Series earlier this month. He missed the home opener against the Kings on Thursday but appears to be an option to return tonight.
List Of Players Getting Trade Protection On July 1st
In the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and NHLPA, the league players can procure three types of No-Move Clauses in their contracts. The only stipulations to these clauses are that the player in question must be 27 years of age or older and must have accrued seven years of service time at the NHL level. The three types of No-Move Clauses are as follows: No Movement Clause (NMC), No Trade Clause (NTC), and Modified NMC or NTC.
Per the current CBA, an NMC means that a player cannot be waived, assigned to minors, or traded without their consent, and they also must be protected in the event of an Expansion Draft. An NTC is straightforward — giving the player protection from being traded without their approval. Lastly, a modified NMC or NTC sets an arbitrary number of teams and a time frame when a player can use this protection. In just over a week, an assortment of players will receive trade protection on their current contracts, and CapFriendly has broken it down.
No Movement Clauses
D Charlie McAvoy (Boston)
F Sebastian Aho (Carolina)
D Devon Toews (Colorado)
F Roope Hintz (Dallas)
D Gustav Forsling (Florida)
F Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota)
F Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota)
F Jesper Bratt (New Jersey)
F Timo Meier (New Jersey)
G Ilya Sorokin (NY Islanders)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (Washington)
No Trade Clauses
F Ross Colton (Colorado)
D Nick Seeler (Philadelphia)
D Vince Dunn (Seattle)
F Clayton Keller (Utah)
D Erik Cernak (Tampa Bay)
D Mikhail Sergachev (Tampa Bay)
Modified No Trade Clauses
F Jordan Greenway (Buffalo) – eight-team no-trade list
F Tage Thompson (Buffal0) – five-team no-trade list
D Rasmus Andersson (Calgary) – six-team no-trade list
D Samuel Girard (Colorado) – nine-team no-trade list
F Miles Wood (Colorado) – six-team no-trade list
F Alex DeBrincat (Detroit) – 16-team no-trade list
F Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles) – 10-team no-trade list
F Nico Hischier (New Jersey) – 10-team no-trade list
D John Marino (New Jersey) – eight-team no-trade list
D Jonas Siegenthaler (New Jersey) – 10-team no-trade list
F Mathew Barzal (NY Islanders) – 22-team no-trade list
D Thomas Chabot (Ottawa) – 10-team no-trade list
F Tanner Jeannot (Tampa Bay) – 16-team no-trade list
F Kyle Connor (Winnipeg) – 10-team no-trade list
Atlantic Notes: Stutzle, Cirelli, Jeannot, Stillman, Greenway
Senators forward Tim Stutzle won’t play tonight against New Jersey due to an upper-body injury, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The injury was sustained in Thursday’s game against Florida. It has been a bit of a trying year for the 22-year-old; while he has already set a new career-high in assists with 52, he has also been limited to just 18 goals in 75 games. For context, he had 39 last season. Stutzle is in the first season of an eight-year, $66.8MM contract that was signed back in September 2022 and it’s fair to say that expectations will be higher for him next season.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- The Lightning won’t have center Anthony Cirelli or winger Tanner Jeannot in the lineup this afternoon against Pittsburgh but neither player is expected to be out long-term, notes team reporter Chris Krenn (Twitter link). With a playoff spot now officially clinched as of Friday, they’re opting to err on the side of caution. Cirelli is one point shy of tying his career high as he has 43 through 75 games so far while Jeannot’s first full season in Tampa Bay hasn’t gone as planned as he has been limited to just 13 points in 50 appearances.
- Sabres blueliner Riley Stillman is done for the year after undergoing surgery to fix a lower-body injury, per an announcement from AHL Rochester (Twitter link). After being on an NHL roster full-time the last two years, the 26-year-old played exclusively in the minors this season, notching six points in 47 games for the Americans. A restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility and a $1.35MM qualifying offer, Stillman looks like a strong non-tender candidate unless he’s willing to agree to a cheaper deal before qualifying offers are due in late June.
- Still with Buffalo, winger Jordan Greenway took part in practice today in a non-contact jersey, relays WGR 550’s Paul Hamilton (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury. Greenway has 24 points in 62 games this season and with the Sabres still hanging around the playoff picture, they’d certainly like to get him back in the lineup soon.
Atlantic Notes: Jeannot, Greenway, Crookshank
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot will miss tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens as the rugged forward has been deemed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Jeannot suffered the injury in last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after fighting Ryan Reaves and taking a punch that brought him to the ice. The 26-year-old did not return after the fight.
Much was made last February when Tampa Bay acquired Jeannot in exchange for five draft picks and Callan Foote, and to this point, Estevan, Saskatchewan native hasn’t been able to come close to duplicating the success he had in Nashville. Through 50 games this season, Jeannot has six goals and seven assists and is -11.
In other Atlantic Division notes:
- Bill Hoppe of The Times Herald tweeted that the Buffalo Sabres might get Jordan Greenway back into their lineup tomorrow night. The news comes from Sabres head coach Don Granato who said that Greenway remained a possibility to dress when the Sabres take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The seven-year veteran hasn’t dressed since last Saturday and has spent this week dealing with an upper-body injury, but is apparently okay after having imaging done earlier this week. Greenway has averaged a career-high 17:16 in ice time per game this season and has nine goals and 15 assists in 62 games.
- Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun is reporting that Ottawa Senators forward Angus Crookshank is unlikely to return this season as he is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old rookie has dressed in 13 games this year and has averaged just a shade over 10 minutes of ice time per game. He’s played in a bottom-six role but did get some top-6 minutes on his most recent recall and will likely be in the mix for a spot in the Senators forward group next season. Crookshank hasn’t produced much in the way of offence, but he has chipped in with two goals and an assist.
Atlantic Notes: Dvorak, Walman, Greenway
TSN is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens have upgraded the status of center Christian Dvorak to day-to-day, meaning that the 28-year-old could play before the end of the season. The Canadiens announced on January 4th that the Palos, Illinois native would miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, but he was a full participant in the Canadiens’ practice today and wore a regular jersey.
Dvorak was originally acquired by Montreal back in September of 2021 from the Arizona Coyotes. The trade hasn’t worked out as the Canadiens had hoped after sending a 2022 first-round draft pick and a 2024 2nd round draft pick to Arizona in the exchange. Dvorak has battled inconsistency and injury during his tenure in Montreal, particularly this season where he has missed nearly four months of action and has just three goals and four assists in 25 games.
In other Atlantic Division notes:
- Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman will draw back into the lineup after being sidelined with a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old missed the last six games with the ailment and will draw in against the Tampa Bay Lightning in place of veteran Olli Maatta. Walman has dressed in 61 games this season and has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game, registering 12 goals and nine assists to go along with 150 blocked shots and 106 shots on goal.
- Buffalo Sabres forward Jordan Greenway is reportedly being evaluated for an upper-body injury according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Lysowski adds that the Sabres are hopeful that Greenway will be day-to-day with the ailment and can get back into game action soon. The Sabres sit seven points back of the Philadelphia Flyers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining and are all but mathematically eliminated at this point in the season. In his first full season with the Sabres Greenway has contributed nine goals and 15 assists in 62 games to go along with 131 hits.
Atlantic Notes: Marner, Rielly, Greenway
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reports that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is expected back at practice next Tuesday. Marner has not been in the lineup for the Maple Leafs since their March 7th contest against the Boston Bruins, suffering a high ankle sprain for the last three weeks.
Suppose Marner can attend practice earlier next week as a full participant. In that case, he should be able to return to the lineup in the team’s ever-important matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, or against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Given that the standings in the Atlantic Division continue to narrow, the Maple Leafs could certainly use the injection of Marner back into the lineup. Producing well over a point-per-game average for the sixth straight season, Marner has scored 25 goals and 76 points in 62 games for Toronto this season, sitting third on the team in scoring.
Other Atlantic notes:
- Sticking with the Maple Leafs, defenseman Morgan Rielly is not expected back for the team’s game this Saturday, but is progressing well from his injury according to David Alter of The Hockey News. Carrying a key role on the team similar to Marner, Rielly has been the most productive defenseman in Toronto for quite some time. This season, Rielly has already scored seven goals and 51 points in 65 games, which would make for the third-best season of his career if the season ended today.
- Moving southeast to Buffalo, forward Jordan Greenway is expected back for the Buffalo Sabres tonight per a report from Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio. In now his first full season with the Sabres organization, Greenway has been a key secondary scorer for Buffalo, scoring nine goals and 24 points while averaging 17:12 a game.
Sabres Notes: Girgensons, Thompson, Greenway, Captaincy
While the Sabres had some trade discussions involving forward Zemgus Girgensons, GM Kevyn Adams told reporters including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News that their preference is to re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent. The 30-year-old has spent his entire ten-year NHL career in Buffalo after they made him a first-round pick (14th overall) back in 2012. While Girgensons hasn’t become the two-way threat they envisioned (he hasn’t surpassed the 20-point mark since his sophomore year), he has been an important checker while Adams lauded his dressing room presence. Girgensons has a $2.5MM salary this season and it’s hard to see him commanding much more than that as he has just seven goals and two assists through 46 games so far this season.
More from Buffalo:
- The team welcomed back center Tage Thompson back in the lineup today against Edmonton, per a team announcement. The 26-year-old had missed Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury. It has been a tough year for Thompson who has been limited to 35 points in 53 games after putting up 47 goals and 47 assists last season. Meanwhile, winger Jordan Greenway was out for today’s contest with an injury after taking a high stick against Nashville on Thursday. After struggling last season, the 27-year-old has fared a bit better in his first full season with Buffalo, collecting 21 points and 101 hits in 52 games so far.
- With the Sabres moving captain Kyle Okposo on Friday, they have a decision to make on the captaincy front. Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News relays (Twitter link) that the team will decide on naming a new alternate in the coming days. However, naming a permanent replacement for Okposo will likely wait until next season.
Injury Notes: Capitals, Sabres, Blackhawks
The Washington Capitals will be without both Rasmus Sandin and Tom Wilson, as both players have been designated as day-to-day with upper-body injuries. Wilson was on the receiving end of the butt-end of Alex Laferriere‘s stick in the team’s recent matchup against the Los Angeles Kings, leaving Wilson bloodied and forcing him out of action for a brief moment, though the winger returned before the final horn.
Both players have played extended time for the Capitals this season, with Sandin appearing in 36 games and Wilson one of only six players to appear in all 38 of the team’s games. Sandin’s 11 assists on the season rank fourth on the Capitals, though the 23-year-old defenseman has yet to score his first goal of the year. Washington brought in Sandin ahead of last season’s trade deadline, sending the Toronto Maple Leafs Erik Gustafsson and the 28th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, which Toronto used to bring in Easton Cowan.
Sandin has averaged 22 minutes of ice time this season, ranked second among the team’s skaters, while Wilson has averaged roughly 18-and-a-half. Both players are core lineup pieces that the Capitals will want back as soon as possible.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- The Buffalo Sabres have opposing news about their ill players, with Jordan Greenway slated to return to the lineup but Victor Olofsson not expected to be ready just yet. Greenway has managed 10 points and 23 penalty minutes in 28 games this season, missing time with an upper-body injury earlier in the year. Olofsson has also missed time, battling injury and serving as a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old winger has 12 points in 31 games this season – a step down from the 28 goals and 40 points he managed last year.
- The Chicago Blackhawks had a slew of players return to practice on Tuesday, with Seth Jones (shoulder), Taylor Raddysh (groin), Joey Anderson (shoulder), and Rem Pitlick all making their way back to the ice. Unlike the former three, Pitlick isn’t returning from injury – instead being acquired via trade on Saturday, with the Hawks sending Pittsburgh a seventh-round pick for the forward. Pitlick’s arrival in Chicago was delayed by the snow storm currently moving through the Midwest.
Injury Updates: Wild, Sabres, Lehkonen
The Minnesota Wild have been dealing with an absolutely massive slate of injuries in their recent stretch of games, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the team. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported today that the trio of core pillars for the Wild, Kirill Kaprizov, Filip Gustavsson, and Jared Spurgeon are all “progressing and skating,” and thereby in their “next phase” toward full returns to the ice.
Adding Kaprizov, Spurgeon, and Gustavsson back to their roster would give the Wild their number-one winger, number-one defenseman, and number-one goalie back. The team has been strong under new head coach John Hynes, but in order for them to truly have a chance of keeping up in the Central Division that trio of players will need to return to the ice sooner rather than later.
Some other injury updates from across the NHL:
- As reported by the Buffalo Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe, Buffalo Sabres wingers Victor Olofsson and Jordan Greenway are currently sick and out on a day-to-day timeline for the team. Olofsson was a healthy scratch for the team’s most recent game in favor of Eric Robinson, while Greenway skated on their third line alongside Zach Benson and Casey Mittelstadt. With captain Kyle Okposo now out week-to-week, the possibility both Greenway and Olofsson miss tomorrow’s game against the Seattle Kraken would mean the team could potentially need to recall a forward or two from the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
- Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reports that forward Artturi Lehkonen is skating at Avalanche practice in a white jersey, meaning he has officially moved past the non-contact stage of his injury recovery. The 28-year-old Finnish winger had a breakout campaign last season when he scored at a 27-goal, 65-point 82-game pace and had scored eight points in 12 games this season before suffering his significant injury.