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Justin Abdelkader

Snapshots: Three Stars, Abdelkader, Lewis

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and at the very top is a name not many expected when the season began. Ottawa Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson has been given the first star after stopping 96 of 101 shots for a 3-0 record. Nilsson has actually been excellent since joining the Senators last season, posting a .919 save percentage in 32 appearances.

Two youngsters took home the other two spots, as Auston Matthews and Cale Makar were named second and third respectively. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward has jumped all the way up to sixth in the NHL scoring race after recording nine points last week, while Makar now easily leads all rookies with 17 points through the first part of the season and looks to be running away with the Calder Trophy.

  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without Justin Abdelkader for at least three weeks according to head coach Jeff Blashill. The veteran forward is out with a mid-body injury after blocking a shot in Sunday’s game. Once an important part of the Red Wings’ attack, Abdelkader has zero goals through the first 16 games and is averaging just 13 minutes a night.
  • Trevor Lewis has been placed on injured reserve after missing Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury. It’s not clear how long Lewis will be out, but his absence just opens up more opportunity for the young forwards in Los Angeles to show the Kings’ front office what they can do.

Minor Transactions: 10/29/19

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After a relatively quiet night the NHL is back with a bang tonight, featuring nine games on the schedule. That includes a return for Bill Peters and the rest of the former Hurricanes when the Calgary Flames travel to Carolina and Ryan McDonagh leading the Tampa Bay Lightning back into his old barn at Madison Square Garden. As teams prepare for the action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves around the hockey world.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Joe Hicketts from the AHL, placing Justin Abdelkader on injured reserve to make room. Abdelkader’s stint is retroactive to October 23rd, but given their recent acquisition of Brendan Perlini they didn’t need to add another forward from the minor leagues.
  • Colin Blackwell has been recalled from the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators, giving the diminutive forward another shot in the NHL. Blackwell played six games for the Predators last season, but is still looking for his first point at the NHL level.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled prospect Carl Grundstrom, giving him another chance at the NHL level. Grundstrom has been running roughshod over the AHL so far this season, scoring five goals and seven points in four games. The second-round pick looks ready to contribute for the Kings, though how much ice time he’ll receive is unclear.
  • Travis Dermott has been activated from injured reserve as expected by the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning they needed to make one roster move to clear room. Kevin Gravel is that move, as he’s on the way to the AHL after playing in the last few contests for Toronto. Dermott is back from offseason shoulder surgery and will try to help the spinning Maple Leafs regain control of their season.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have activated Adam Erne from injured reserve, sending Evgeny Svechnikov back to the minor leagues. Svechnikov will have to wait for his first chance to play his younger brother, unless of course he is recalled again before Friday’s matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • William Borgen is on his way back to the Rochester Americans once again, the fourth transaction of the last five days for the young defenseman. Borgen has actually not played a single game for the Buffalo Sabres this season, but is being used as insurance as they deal with some injuries.

Injury Updates: Golden Knights, Sekera, Red Wings, Hyman

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The Golden Knights received some good news and bad news on the injury front on Monday.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes (Twitter link) that winger Alex Tuch, defenseman Nate Schmidt, and goalie Malcolm Subban were all full participants in practice today.  Tuch has missed all of the season with an upper-body injury, Schmidt has missed 12 straight games with a lower-body issue, and Subban has been out since October 10th due to a lower-body injury.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll all be ready to play in their next game on Thursday, it’s certainly a good sign that their returns are approaching.

However, as they near a return, defenseman Deryk Engelland is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Schoen mentions in a separate tweet.  Including Engelland, the Golden Knights are only carrying five healthy defensemen on the roster at the moment (with Schmidt on IR) so it’s likely that they will have to summon someone from AHL Chicago later this week.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • The Stars will be without defenseman Andrej Sekera for their game tomorrow against Minnesota, reports Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (Twitter link). He has not been ruled out for the weekend so his undisclosed injury appears to be a minor one.  With seven defensemen on the roster, Dallas doesn’t necessarily have to make a recall although they could dip into Martin Hanzal’s LTIR opening if they wanted to have an extra blueliner available.
  • Red Wings winger Adam Erne is close to returning from his upper-body injury and could suit up on Tuesday night, notes Dana Wakiji on Detroit’s team website. He has missed four straight games and five of the last six with the issue.  Meanwhile, winger Justin Abdelkader participated in practice after missing two straight with a lower-body issue but head coach Jeff Blashill indicated that he might not be ready to return for that game.
  • While the Maple Leafs will activate defenseman Travis Dermott off LTIR for Tuesday’s game against Washington, winger Zach Hyman hasn’t been cleared to return and could still be a week or two away from playing, suggests TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). Toronto will have to clear up some cap room to activate Dermott and will have to free up even more space to bring his $2.25MM AAV back onto the books.

Luke Glendening Out Two To Four Weeks

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The Detroit Red Wings placed both Luke Glendening and Danny DeKeyser on injured reserve and gave an update on their status this morning. Glendening will be out two to four weeks while DeKeyser is out for “at least” two weeks. Justin Abdelkader is also listed as day-to-day.

Glendening, 30, has never been much of an offensive force for the Red Wings but is still relied upon by the coaching staff as a defensive presence. His faceoff ability has always been strong, and he’s shown a willingness to engage physically at both ends of the rink.

That defensive ability and experience actually makes Glendening an interesting trade candidate for the team if they look to shed expiring contracts at the deadline, but he’ll have to get healthy and prove he can still contribute.

For DeKeyser, missing chunks of the season has become routine. The 29-year old defenseman has played just 65 and 52 games the last two seasons, but was still logging more than 22 minutes a night for the Red Wings as a key part of their defense. With a contract that carries a $5MM cap hit through 2021-22, Detroit needs DeKeyser to be healthy and on the ice more often this season. Missing two weeks isn’t a good start.

Snapshots: Red Wings, Blues, RFAs

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The Detroit Red Wings will operate without a captain once again this season, despite the expectation that Dylan Larkin will one day assume the role. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive that they will instead start with four alternates: Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening. Blashill and Steve Yzerman agreed to wait until the GM got to know the entire team better after taking over this offseason.

Larkin, 23, has become the face of the Red Wings franchise after putting up a career-high 32 goals and 73 points last season. As the old guard including Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and recently Niklas Kronwall have moved on from their roles on the Red Wings, Larkin and other young players have taken on more and more responsibility. As the team transitions from rebuilding to contending over the next few years it seems likely that someone will eventually wear the “C” for Blashill and Yzerman, just not yet.

  • The St. Louis Blues are finalizing extensions for Steve Ott and David Alexander according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The pair of assistant coaches will be given extensions that match the length of head coach Craig Berube, who was given a three-year deal earlier this summer. The coaching staff under Berube completed a miracle turnaround this season with the Blues, taking them from last place in the NHL to Stanley Cup champions in just a few months.
  • Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest has heard a few things on restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Mikko Rantanen, including about a recent short-term offer from the Winnipeg Jets to the former. The deal presented to Laine was in the “$5MM per year range” though Strickland notes that even on that short-term deal the Jets will “need to come up on money.” For Rantanen, Strickland reports that the free agent forward is not far away in terms of salary with the Colorado Avalanche and that the team’s last offer “blew past Nathan MacKinnon’s $6.3MM AAV.”

Detroit Red Wings Sign Valtteri Filppula

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The Detroit Red Wings have brought back a familiar face, signing Valtteri Filppula to a two-year contract. New GM Steve Yzerman also has a history with the veteran forward from their days with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Filppula played in Detroit for the first eight years of his career. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports the deal is for $3MM per season.

Filppula may be 35, but he continues to put up solid numbers as a bottom-six defenseman and played a major part of the New York Islanders turnaround last season. For a Barry Trotz team that focused more on defense this year, Filppula posted impressive numbers, scoring 17 goals, his most since the 2013-14 season and finished with 31 points.

With Detroit, Filppula gets a slight raise as he made $2.75MM last season. He will try and find a role somewhere on the third or fourth line and adds to a group of veterans that now have slipped to the bottom-six, including Frans Nielsen, Justin Abdelkader and Luke Glendening. He also could have been brought in to prevent too many young players being vaulted into roles they aren’t ready for as the team now has a number of prospects who are close to being NHL ready, including Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno.

Red Wings Not Planning Buyouts, Hoping To Re-Sign Kronwall, Witkowski

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Detroit may have a new GM, but that doesn’t mean they’re looking to clean house. Quite the opposite in fact, according to Steve Yzerman. The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan relays the news that the Red Wings are not planning to buy out any of their current players this off-season. For a roster with plenty of unwieldy contracts, that comes as a surprise. But that’s not all -Kulfan adds that the team also hopes to re-sign 38-year-old defenseman Niklas Kronwall and versatile depth piece Luke Witkowski.

The Red Wings are heading into the off-season with a projected $13.7MM in cap space and no key players in need of new contracts. That gives Yzerman and company some wiggle room to bring back a couple impending free agents and also spend on the market. Yet, the team could have opened up even more room, to drastically improve a roster that finished eight games under .500, by not extending any free agents and buying out expensive players with little production, such as Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley, Darren Helm, or even a bigger move like Justin Abdelkader or Danny DeKeyser. Instead, it seems the whole team will return, barring a trade, as Yzerman does not plan to utilize a buyout.

On top of that, Yzerman also hopes to bring back two players that fans may not have expected. Kronwall was still productive last season, leading all Red Wings defensemen with 27 points. Yet, the aging veteran has also clearly lost a step and many assumed he would move on amidst what was expected to be a youth movement in Detroit. Not so fast, as Yzerman would like to have the respected defender back. In fact, it’s Kronwall who is still undecided about whether or not to continue his career. As for Witkowski, the defenseman – and occasional forward – played in only 34 games this year and recorded just two points. His versatility is valuable, but his production leaves a lot to be desired. Yet, the team is in talks to bring him back as well.

One player who has not had extension talks with Detroit yet: Thomas Vanek. Vanek’s 36 points were good enough for sixth on the Red Wings this season, but the team may be looking to add a better, younger free agent forward rather than re-signing the 35-year-old. Vanek has bounced around the league in recent years, playing for four different teams including two stints with Detroit, so the veteran may not be up for another move. Vanek’s market bears watching this summer as the interest level, both player and team, will be intriguing.

Atlantic Notes: Abdelkader, Daley, Pastrnak, Thompson

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It looks like the Detroit Red Wings might have lost one of their veteran players as MLive’s Ansar Khan writes that Justin Abdelkader will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering a hairline fracture in his leg and will miss 3-4 weeks.

The 32-year-old Abdelkader was injured Thursday after blocking a shot during their game against Tampa Bay. The forward has struggled this season, although he did recently end his 40-game goal-scoring drought, but has just six goals and 19 points with a minus-14 rating in 71 games this season.

Abdelkader has one of the most frustrating contracts on a team full of them as he has seen his playing time shrink in each of the past three seasons and yet still is on the books for another four years at $4.25MM per year.

  • Sticking with the Red Wings, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free-Press writes that defenseman Trevor Daley took warmups today before their 2-1 win over the Islanders, but wasn’t able to play due to a bad back. With a back injury, Daley could be a game-by-game decision for the rest of the season. “It might be one of those things where when he feels good, he can play,” Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill said. “When he doesn’t, he can’t. Might be in and out a little bit.”
  • The Boston Bruins got some good news as they announced an update on star forward David Pastrnak who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 10 after undergoing thumb surgery. After skating at this morning’s skate, the team expects to join the Bruins’ full practice on Monday and should be ready to return to the lineup shortly thereafter. The 22-year-old has already hit 30 goals for the third-straight year, but is close to hitting career-highs if he can get back on the ice as he has just 31 goals and 66 points in 56 games.
  • In an update on the development this season of Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson, The Athletic’s Joe Yerdon (subscription requried) writes that the team has made the 21-year-old forward eligible to play in the AHL playoffs for the Rochester Americans and it is expected the team will send him there when the playoffs start, but he likely won’t be assigned there until after the Sabres’ regular season ends. Thompson has struggled to show consistency this season, which is normal for young players, but the team hopes they can get the 6-foot-5 forward as developed as possible for next season.

Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our 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? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

By every metric, the Detroit Red Wings should be total sellers at the deadline and they have a laundry list of notable UFA’s to move. Yet, the team claims they would prefer to re-sign starting goaltender Jimmy Howard, top-six forward Gustav Nyquist, and dependable defenseman Nick Jensen. There is also word that veterans Thomas Vanek and Niklas Kronwall are happy in Detroit and unwilling to waive their No-Trade Clauses. That doesn’t leave much on the table.

In most cases, these rumors could be dismissed as the team simply trying to up the offers on their available rentals. But not in Detroit. The fatal flaw of the current Red Wings franchise and GM Ken Holland is total, unapologetic loyalty to long-time players. If a team says they won’t move someone or will only do so for a first-round pick, this is the one team worth believing. It could be a quiet deadline in Detroit.

Record

23-28-7, seventh in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$5.06MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: DET 1st, DET 2nd, NYI 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, BUF 5th, CLB 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
2020: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Of course, the aforementioned players are the top trade chips that the team has. Howard and Nyquist are having great years and are surely drawing plenty of attention. Will Detroit get the first-round pick they desire to move either? That remains to be seen. Jensen and Kronwall could both step in as a solid bottom-pair addition for a contender, while Vanek would fill his frequent role as a capable depth addition to any forward corps. The fact remains that if any of these players want to stay in Detroit beyond this season, the Red Wings are unlikely to move them, extension in place or not.

So looking elsewhere, Luke Witkowski is a UFA that the Red Wings don’t seem as attached to. The market may be limited for the versatile skater, but if a team wants to take a shot, Detroit will be willing to move on. Recently waived and demoted, Martin Frk is in need of a change of scenery. Frk is a restricted free agent this summer and any number of teams might like to get a look at how he fits in their system down the stretch. The one-dimensional forward is more valuable now that he has cleared waivers and can be sent back and forth. Wade Megan, Dylan McIlrath, Brian Lashoff, and Harri Sateri are all free agents as well who could be targeted as deep depth additions.

The Jonathan Bernier signing looks like a mistake so far and the Red Wings seem eager to re-sign Howard rather than give Bernier the starting job. If another team is willing to take on the remaining two years of Bernier’s contract, Detroit would move him. Luke Glendening is another term player who could be on the move. He is still well-liked by the organization, but if the market is there they could move him. As always, if there was any way to move Justin Abdelkader or Danny DeKeyser, you would think Detroit would pull the trigger. Then again there’s that whole loyalty thing…

Five Players To Watch For: F Gustav Nyquist, D Nick Jensen, F Martin Frk, F Luke Glendening, G Harri Sateri

Team Needs

1) Cap Space: For several years now, the Red Wings have had one of the highest payrolls in the NHL, yet have been one of the league’s worst teams. That’s not a good mix. The flip side of wanting to re-sign top free agents, like Howard and Nyquist, is that you’re not opening up any more cap space. If Detroit wants to be players on the free agent market this summer, they need to try to move out some of their more cumbersome cap hits if possible.

2) Picks and Prospects: The Red Wings have a lot of good talent in the AHL and some others still at the junior and collegiate level. Adding picks, especially 2019 picks in a deep, talented draft class, is always helpful, though. However, there should room for some camp battles next season, particularly up front, so some pro-ready forward prospects would also be helpful.

Atlantic Notes: Gardiner, Kotkaniemi, Abdelkader, Rask

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Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs have their hands full with the contract negotiations with William Nylander and the future negotiations with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) writes that the team also will likely have issues with defenseman Jake Gardiner.

The scribe writes that while Gardiner has expressed his desire to remain with Toronto long-term and general manager Kyle Dubas has met up with Gardiners’ representative, Pat Brisson, it’s likely that Gardiner will have to wait until the contracts of Nylander, Matthews and Marner are finalized, which could edge him out if those players don’t take hometown discounts. Regardless, after Nate Schmidt signed for $5.95MM AAV a few days ago, Gardiner could get quite a bit more on the open market especially with so few quality blueliners available on the free agent market next season. He might be able to command $7MM per year. However, he will likely have to take less than $6MM if he wants to remain in Toronto.

  • Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes that today’s game against the Boston Bruins will be the 10th game for rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi, signifiying that the team intends to burn the first year of the 18-year-old’s entry-level contract. While a few weeks ago, a move like this might have been in doubt, Kotkaniemi has shown considerable improvement over the past couple of weeks, making this move automatic for the team. He is averaging 14:04 ATOI and has four assists through his first nine games. Head coach Claude Julien compared him to Boston’s David Pastrnak at the same age. “They’re both guys who had to fill out and get stronger, but you can see the kill level,” said Julien. “With both players, you have to protect them a bit and that’s what I’ve done with K-K. It’s a little tougher when you’re on the road and you don’t get the last line change but he’s been in tough situations and he’s handled them well.”
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free-Press writes that one of the biggest problems to the Detroit Red Wings dismal performance through the first 10 games of the season has been the play of some of the veterans, especially the performance of Justin Abdelkader, who not only is quite offensively with one assist in 10 games, but is also struggling playing his physical brand of hockey. “You want to physically be engaged every game,” Abdelkader said. “You look for hits, and they’re definitely harder to come by in this game now. But that’s a part of my game. I’ve felt really good — had a really good summer, good training camp.”
  • In a mailbag series, NBC Sports Joe Haggerty questions whether Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask is really a No. 1 goalie, pointing out that he struggles when he is used regularly, which forced the Bruins to sign Jaroslav Halak to a $2.75MM contract. A true No. 1 goaltender wouldn’t require a team to pay that much for a backup and play 30 games for him. Add to that that Rask is known to be a slow starter and really struggles when the defense in front of him isn’t at their best, Haggerty doesn’t believe that the team currently can look at him as a top-rated goalie.

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