Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Josh Anderson

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

at CDT | by 1 Comment

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.

Nazem Kadri Suspended For Three Games

at CDT | by 17 Comments

After much anticipation, the NHL Department of Player Safety has finally made their decision on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri. Kadri, who had a hearing today regarding his charge and boarding of the Boston Bruins’ Tommy Wingels last night, learned his fate this evening. Kadri will be suspended for the next three games of the Leafs’ first-round series against the Bruins. Player Safety explained their decision as such (video):

“Kadri sees Wingels has fallen, and with sufficient time to adjust his course or minimize the force, instead drives recklessly into the defenseless Wingels, causing his head to dangerously impact the boards. This is boarding. It is important to note that Kadri is in control of this hit at all times… Instead of avoiding or minimizing this hit, Kadri drives his hip into Wingels’ upper body”.

What Player Safety doesn’t address is the context that also leads one to believe that the hit was intentional. Kadri had just served a minor penalty for boarding Wingels less than four minutes earlier and, just before the hit in question, Sean Kuraly had scored for Boston, giving the Bruins a commanding 4-1 lead late in Game One. Kadri has a history of losing his cool, as this is his fourth career suspension – all of which have come from dirty hits to the head area – another fact that Player Safety definitely took into consideration in issuing this lengthy ban. Also likely taken into account is the fact that Wingels did not return to the game last night and did not practice today (and now the Leafs will likely have to deal with Ryan Donato in Game Two and beyond). Down in the series, the Leafs will be forced to bounce back from a convincing four-goal loss without the services of a veteran top-six forward for three more games. Head coach Mike Babcock and Kadri’s Toronto teammates can’t be happy about what was honestly a thoughtless, selfish decision by Kadri in the team’s playoff debut. Kadri could live to regret it, especially if he’s already played his final game of the season.

Kadri’s suspension is already the second handed down by Player Safety this postseason and just two days into the action. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will serve his one-game suspension tonight for a high, dangerous hit to the Vegas Golden Knights’ William Carrier on Wednesday. Yet, some are upset that the number of suspensions is not even higher. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals traded cheap shots last night, with the Jackets’ Josh Anderson injuring Michal Kempny and the Caps’ Tom Wilson injuring Alexander Wennberg, but neither player received any additional punishment. Nashville’s Ryan Johansen also had a questionable check on Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie that didn’t draw any league scrutiny. As always, the playoffs take the physicality to the next level, but this year has seen heavy hitting early and often. At least through two suspensions in two days, Player Safety has shown that they aren’t afraid to hit players with postseason suspensions.

No Suspensions Incoming For Josh Anderson, Tom Wilson

at CDT | by 6 Comments

According to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, neither Josh Anderson or Tom Wilson will be suspended for their illegal checks in last night’s Washington Capitals-Columbus Blue Jackets game. Anderson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit on Michal Kempny, during which the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice. Wilson was given a two-minute charging penalty for a hit on Alexander Wennberg, who is listed as doubtful for the next game.

Khurshudyan reports that the league “could not determine whether or not Wennberg’s head was the main point of contact” given the camera angles, meaning Wilson will not face further discipline. That comes on a busy day for the Department of Player Safety, who are also dealing with an incident from the Toronto-Boston series.

If Wennberg can’t go, it is a big hit for the Blue Jackets who clawed back to win game 1 in overtime. Already relatively thin at center, the team would also need to replace him on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Wennberg scored the first Blue Jackets goal, but ended up playing just 10:51 after leaving early in the third.

Having Wilson escape without suspension is also huge news for the Capitals, who rely on him to give some physical and defensive balance to their scoring lines. Playing 18:55 last night, he also led all Washington forwards in penalty kill time. After the game, Wilson told Khurshudyan that he was just trying to finish his check, but sometimes he might have to rethink the hits he lays late in games. “That cost us the game” Wilson said, referencing the then-tying goal that Thomas Vanek scored on the ensuing powerplay.

Injury Notes: Penguins, Blue Jackets, Bruins

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without rookie forward Zach Aston-Reese long-term. Actually, head coach Mike Sullivan described the injury as “longer-term”, though he refrained from putting any specific timeline on his return. He did say that Aston-Reese suffered an upper-body injury in practice, which is why he missed last night’s game, a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, and will presumably miss many more. While the Penguins made a splash with their acquisition of center Derick Brassard at the trade deadline, Aston-Reese has been a point-per-game player since being recalled to Pittsburgh, spending ample time beside Sidney Crosby. Fortunately for the two-time defending Cup champs, they are also deep at wing and should have no trouble making up for the loss of Aston-Reese in their top-nine.

  • While the Penguins lose a man to injury, the rival Blue Jackets add one. Columbus announced today that captain Nick Foligno has been activated from injured reserve. Foligno missed more than a week with a lower body injury suffered against the Penguins back on the 18th. However, he’s returning to the lineup sooner than expected. The Blue Jackets are thankful for Foligno’s quick bounce back; not only are they looking to solidify their playoff position, but they also lost forward Josh Anderson to long-term injury recently. Fortunately, Foligno’s return and the additions of Thomas Vanek and Mark Letestu at the trade deadline make for a timely situation to replace Anderson.
  • Speaking of trade deadline injury replacements, the Bruins could not be happier with how their additions played in the absence of Patrice Bergeron last night. When a player of Bergeron’s caliber goes down, the team always suffers. Bergeron will be out at least two weeks with a fractured foot and it showed right away last night on the defensive side of the match-up, as Boston surrendered three easy first period goals to the Carolina Hurricanes. However, it was Rick Nash and Tommy Wingels leading the charge to a comeback victory. The pair of new Bruins combined for two goals and an assist in 32 minutes of ice time as Boston won 4-3.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Maroon, Anderson

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Erik Karlsson didn’t request a trade, and he is happy the deadline is behind him. That’s what he told the media today, and explained that he would be open to an extension with the team if their plans line up.

I love this city, I love this community. I love everything about it. I’ve been here for a very long time and I’ve made Ottawa my home and it’s always going to be my home. So when that time comes, I hope that there’s a place for me in the future and that this team is going in the direction that I would like to for us to have a chance to win in the near future.

Karlsson was the biggest name on the market yesterday, with teams like Tampa Bay and Vegas interested right until the end. Many believed that was because the Ottawa Senators aren’t prepared to give him a massive long-term contract when his current deal expires in the summer of 2019. Though it would be tough for him to say anything else at this point, Karlsson has always maintained that he loves Ottawa and would want to spend his entire career there. If something has changed in the last few weeks, he isn’t sharing.

  • The package the Edmonton Oilers received for pending free agent Patrick Maroon was underwhelming, and now we might know why. Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli today told 630CHED that he only received a single offer for Maroon, and that it came just five minutes before the deadline. The New Jersey Devils acquired Maroon for a 2019 third-round pick and the rights to J.D. Dudek, a role player with Boston College who is likely to return for his senior season. That Maroon didn’t create much interest is likely due to the belief that his offensive outburst last season is tied directly to Connor McDavid, after the big winger scored 27 goals, the first time he’d totaled more than 12 in a single season.
  • Josh Anderson was injured last night after Dmitry Orlov delivered a hip check in the Columbus-Washington game, and according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is awaiting the results of further tests to determine how long he’ll be out. Anderson is an extremely versatile forward and an important part of the Blue Jackets’ attack. How long he’s out for could dramatically impact the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, where Columbus currently sits in the second wildcard position. With four teams within seven points of the Blue Jackets (including the Florida Panthers who hold four games in hand), they’ll need someone to immediately step up and fill Anderson’s shoes if he is out for any length of time.

Central Notes: Jost, Girard, Wennberg, Schwartz, Stastny

at CDT | by 3 Comments

After a Friday report suggested 19-year-old center Tyson Jost of the Colorado Avalance might be allowed to play for Hockey Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Buffalo in a few weeks, a new report from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post today suggests the opposite. In fact neither Jost nor defenseman Samuel Girard are likely to be allowed to leave Colorado.

The scribe writes that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he didn’t see that happening.

“It’s not up to me, but if it were I’d say no. They’re part of our team and we need them,” Bednar said.

Both Jost and Girard have said they have not spoken to Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic about playing in the under-20 tournament, which will start on Dec. 26. The tournament already has two top Colorado prospects in 2017 first-round pick Cale Makar and second-round pick Connor Timmons.

Jost and Girard both play with the Avalanche, although both players playing time have dropped recently. Jost plays on the “Kid Line” with Alexander Kerfoot and J.T. Compher and is still finding his way, while Girard has seen his time drop under 20 minutes after playing above that mark during his first eight games with the team.

“I’m just getting in my groove after being hurt so long,” Jost said. “I want to be here. Hockey Canada, whenever you can represent your country, it’s such an honor. I had my chance last year. Right now, honestly, I’m just focusing on playing on the Avs, focusing on earning the coach’s trust and put up numbers. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that and I’m trying not to get frustrated because I’m getting my chances and getting that opportunity. It will come. That’s what I’m focused on right now and just getting in this rhythm.”

  • Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News suggests that despite the Columbus Blue Jackets’ previous stance that they are looking for a top-line center, many within the organization now feel that last year’s third overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is starting to show that he might be that player they were looking for. Dubois has taken a step forward in his development and now is centering the team’s top line with Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson. Richardson even suggests that with the emergence of Dubois, the team might consider moving center Alexander Wennberg, who is struggling a bit this season after a 59-point season a year ago, and might be better off getting a chance on a different team, while the team focus on other areas of need. The team might need to get a center back, but with Brandon Dubinsky currently playing on the second line, the team might have an asset they could live without.
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that St. Louis Blues winger Jaden Schwartz, who left today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after taking a shot off his right foot is considered day-to-day. Coach Mike Yeo said X-rays were negative and he will be re-examined when they return to St. Louis. Any time missed would be a huge loss for the Blues. The 25-year-old scored his 14th goal of the season before going down today.
  • Staying with the Blues, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) answers mailbag questions and writes that he doesn’t see the possibility of the NHL salary cap increasing potentially by $5MM as changing anything between negotiations between St. Louis and center Paul Stastny. Rutherford doesn’t believe that an increase in cap space will suddenly have general manager Doug Armstrong throwing money at Stastny. He believes the team has a set number in mind when it comes to Stastny and it will be up to him and his agent to decide if he wants to stay in St. Louis. The 31-year-old center hasn’t put up amazing numbers the last few years despite being paid $7MM AAV and will likely have to take a pay cut after his contract runs out at the end of the season. He currently has six goals and 20 points this season.

Pacific Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Gaborik, Subban, Engelland

at CDT | by 3 Comments

With the Matt Duchene trade in the books for a week now, The Hockey News’ Lyle Richardson writes that the Edmonton Oilers are one of three teams to watch over the next couple of months when it comes to making a big move. Citing the league’s need for playmaking centers, the scribe suggests the team could try and move center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and his large contract ($6MM AAV through the 2020-21 season) and try to get a much-needed wing.

Richardson cites Edmonton as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres as the three teams most likely to make the next big trade in the league. In fact, he suggested the Oilers attempt to move Nugent-Hopkins to Columbus, who were the losers in getting either Duchene or Kyle Turris via trade. However, could the Blue Jackets fit Nugent-Hopkins under their salary cap without Edmonton retaining some of that salary? The suggestion was the Oilers would either require Cam Atkinson or Josh Anderson in return to make that deal work.

Nugent-Hopkins has been playing well this year as he’s put up six goals and six assists this season. Known as a defensive forward, the former No. 1 overall pick could be a key asset for Columbus or any other team needing a center.

  • Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke writes that veteran forward Marian Gaborik got his first full practice under his belt Saturday after having knee surgery back in April. The 35-year-old is not expected to be activated soon as the Kings are taking a cautious approach with the injury-prone winger, who has had knee and foot issues over the last two years, which has seen him play 110 games in the past two-plus seasons. “I felt pretty good,” he said. “Things have been getting into flow. Obviously I’ve missed a lot of time so [I need to] get used to everything — my legs, just the whole body as a hockey player, to get back into things, and to just keep going and ramping things up, and get my timing back. It’s pretty much the whole package I have to get back.”
  • Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltender Malcolm Subban was spotted skating at City National Arena today, tweeted SinBin. Subban, who went down with a lower-body injury, was deemed out for four weeks on Oct. 22, so it looks like he might be on target for a return within the next couple of weeks. The team has been forced to use their fourth-string goaltender, Maxime Lagace, for the past two weeks as the team has been decimated by injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury, Subban and Oscar Dansk.
  • Sticking with the Golden Knights, The Canadian Press’ Darren Haynes points out that Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland has more points (2-7-9) than quite a few defensemen, including San Jose Brent Burns, Nashville’s Roman Josi and Calgary Mark Giordano. Engelland, who played for the old Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL earlier in his career and made Las Vegas his home from that point on, has never put up more than 17 points in a season. Always known as a defensive player, the 35-year-old has been reborn in Las Vegas, who is just eight points away from a career-year.

Eastern Notes: Bozak Line, Bergeron, Anderson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs have scored 15 goals in just two games so far this season. It can be assumed that offense will not be an issue for this team with so much talent on the offensive end. And while that’s an incredible accomplishment and should not be overlooked, there are other things the team should worry about if they want to be a Stanley Cup favorite this year. The Athletic’s James Mirtle writes (subscription required) that what looks worrisome is how the team’s defense allowed the New York Rangers to come back from a 5-1 deficit and tie the game up in the second period, turning the game, albeit briefly, into a close game.

The scribe writes that the culprit seems to fall upon the Maple Leafs’ line of Mitch Marner, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The line, while a solid offensive force, struggles defending and is not a great two-way line. They were on the ice for all three second-period goals that allowed the Rangers to come back. In fact, what’s surprising is that line gets quite a bit of even-strength ice time, according to Mirtle as Bozak received more even-strength minutes than Nazem Kadri, who plays on a more balanced line.

The problem is that the Marner, Bozak and van Riemsdyk line needs a better defensive presence, but considering how well the offense is running, there are very few players who would make a better fit into that line besides, maybe Connor Brown and moving the young and talented Marner to the fourth line doesn’t make any sense either. Therefore, Mirtle suggests the team cut the even strength minutes to that line and emphasize them more during special teams play. We’ll see if that situation improves over the next few games.

  • Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports writes that Patrice Bergeron is not likely to be ready for Monday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. The 32-year-old center wore a non-contact practice jersey at practice on Sunday and didn’t finish practice either. “He didn’t finish practice. He started it and took some line rushes, so he’s progressing,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy. “How far he’s progressed is something we’ll determine in the morning. We’ll make a decision then as well. We’ve got three of [the game-time decisions], but Torey Krug and Austin Czarnik look a little closer [to playing] than Bergeron. But I wouldn’t rule any of them in or out until [Monday].”
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled Josh Anderson from his conditioning loan from the Cleveland Monsters where he played one game with no points. The 23-year-old wing just signed a three-year, $5.5MM extension with Columbus last week and was just getting back into shape. He will join the team for their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. Anderson scored 17 goals in a breakout season a year ago.

Andreas Athanasiou Heading To Switzerland

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent forward Andreas Athanasiou remains unsigned… for now. The latest news on the league’s last remaining RFA comes from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, who shares that Athanasiou is on his way to Switzerland to skate with HC Lugano of the NLA. McKenzie was quick to add that Athanasiou has not signed Lugano and is still evaluating his options, but his commitment to going overseas for the time being raises more doubts that he will suit up in the NHL this season.

A recent poll revealed that most fans felt Athanasiou and former holdout Josh Anderson would each re-sign with their respective teams. The second most popular answer was that the pair would both play overseas. Anderson has done his part to prove true the majority, re-upping with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Athanasiou has not made any similar progress with Detroit and seems more likely to join in the dissenting opinion. Interestingly, it was Anderson who had been connected to the NLA this off-season, with Athanasiou reportedly fielding offers from the KHL. Athanasiou may still end up in Russia, but with an influx of talent heading to the NLA in recent years and the the past success of Lugano, who has not missed the playoffs in six years, the team is far from a poor fit. Athanasiou would be skating alongside former Red Wing Damien Brunner, as well as NHL veterans Maxim Lapierre and Bobby Sanguinetti should he sign with Lugano and the talented group could very well make a title run in 2017-18.

Still, the best thing for Athanasiou and for hockey is for the skilled 23-year-old to stay in North America. In just his second NHL season, the young center scored 18 goals and defied expectations for a Detroit team with few bright spots. The Red Wings may not want to overpay – in salary or term – for Athanasiou, who did have an unsustainable 15% shooting percentage in 2016-17 and is only in the early stages of developing a defensive game, but the best decision is always to work things out. Just ask the Dallas Stars, who missed the playoffs last season and had to go on a spending spree this summer in hopes of righting the ship. They would love to have Valeri Nichushkin back, the talented young winger who left the team in the summer of 2016 to head to the KHL, where he remains, after failing to come to terms in restricted free agency. Maybe the Red Wings would rather trade Athanasiou or maybe they’ll realize their mistake and work out a contract. Either way, there seems to be little upside to simply losing the scoring youth for this season (or longer). Athanasiou skating with Lugano may just be the straw that finally breaks Ken Holland’s back.

 

Snapshots: Eichel, Gaborik, Kelly, Anderson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A big part of the decision to sign Jack Eichel to an eight-year, $80MM extension now instead of waiting until next offseason was the fact that there aren’t going to be any comparable contracts signed during the course of the season, GM Jason Botterill told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required).  This contract was going to be more of a precedent setter than a trend follower so instead of risking the asking price going higher if Eichel has a strong season as they’re hoping for, they now have their franchise player locked up now for the better part of the next decade.

More from around the league:

  • Although Kings winger Marian Gaborik hasn’t skated over the past week as he recovers from lingering knee issues, the team isn’t saying that he has suffered a setback in his recovery, notes Curtis Zupke of the LA Times. Head coach John Stevens would only say that team doctors decided he should have some maintenance days but the fact that he has shut it down for the time being doesn’t bode well for a return to the lineup anytime soon.
  • The Oilers have asked center Chris Kelly to remain with the team as an unsigned player, notes Paul Gazzola on the Oilers’ team website. While he won’t be able to play in any games, he’ll be able to practice with the team and can continue to battle for a roster spot that way.  This is the same approach that Toronto had with Brandon Prust last season while Brooks Laich has a similar arrangement with the Kings this year.
  • Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson is in the middle of going through the immigration process (which was required once his new contract was signed) and as a result, he will not be in their lineup on Friday night against the Islanders, reports Andrew Erickson of the Columbus Dispatch. However, since his contract is now active, he is counting against their 23-man active roster even though he’s not with the team.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top