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Linus Ullmark

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hutchinson, Kaut

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The NHL has announced the Three Stars of the Week ending on February 26th. For the third time this season, Oilers captain Connor McDavid receives the first star honors, while goalies Linus Ullmark and John Gibson finished second and third, respectively. McDavid continues on pace toward one of the most incredible individual seasons in recent memory. McDavid put up six goals and five assists leading the Oilers to two wins in three games over the week. Predominantly known for his incredible playmaking and powerplay work, McDavid was also able to register two shorthanded points on the week, showing why he is one of only a few players who can play at an elite level in any situation.

Following behind, Ullmark similarly continued on an elite individual season, winning two games while collecting a 1.00 GAA with a .966 SV%. Aside from the phenomenal goaltending stats, Ullmark also scored the first-ever goalie goal in Bruins franchise history. As he put the game against the Canucks out of reach, Ullmark became the most recent goalie to score in the NHL since Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators scored during the 2019-20 NHL season.

Rounding out the list, Gibson finally sparked a moment of joy for Ducks’ fans this season. Not having much to get excited about, Gibson was able to rattle off a couple of 51-save performances, as well as leading the league in saves for the week with 143. Although this season has not gone well for the Ducks, earning a third star of the week is a tremendous victory for Gibson in his own right, as he becomes the second Ducks player to receive the honor this year.

  • After being recalled on an emergency loan and sent back down a few days later, the Vegas Golden Knights have once again recalled goaltender Michael Hutchinson from the minor leagues. Serving in the backup role on the Winnipeg Jets for many seasons at the beginning of his career, Hutchinson has become somewhat of a journeyman goaltender in the NHL. Having only played 10 games since the start of the 2020-21 season, it will be hard to say if this will be an extended call-up or another short stay in the NHL for the netminder. As starting goaltender Logan Thompson heals, and as cap space becomes increasingly more important toward the trade deadline, the Knights may have to play some musical chairs behind the crease for the time being.
  • Since being acquired by the Sharks in January, Martin Kaut has spent much of his month in the minor leagues, until being called up on February 20th. Scoring one goal in three games, the Sharks have decided to return Kaut to the minors. The Sharks are expected to move some more players off the roster in the coming days, so it is very likely that Kaut will see time in the NHL more this season. Noted upon his arrival in San Jose, Kaut is good friends with Sharks’ forward Tomas Hertl, as the two are known to do offseason training together.

NHL Announces 2023 All-Star Player Assignments

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The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills competition will take place tomorrow night, and today the league announced the full lineup of participants. Players from around the league will get to show off their unique abilities in several events, with each individual winner taking home $30,000.

Fastest Skater

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes

Breakaway Challenge

Roberto Luongo, Celebrity goaltender
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals*
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins*
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

*Ovechkin and Crosby are listed as “teaming up”

Tendy Tandem

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Splash Shot

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Accuracy Shooting

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

Pitch ’n Puck

Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

Hardest Shot

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters

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According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.

Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.

The initial rosters for each division are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)

Central Division

Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)

Pacific Division

Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)

The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.

More to come…

Injury Notes: Teravainen, Bruins, Lindgren

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen is getting closer to returning, according to NHL.com’s Kurt Dusterburg. Teravainen practiced with the team today and could return during the team’s upcoming six-game road trip.

Teravainen has yet to score this season, but he’s been limited to just 14 games with an upper-body injury. The Hurricanes haven’t been great without him, though, and they’ve won just one game out of their past six. They’re hoping Teravainen’s return can jumpstart the depth scoring that’s been a significant issue in 2022-23. Dusterburg also noted that goalie Frederik Andersen, who is on injured reserve and has missed the past ten games, will not travel.

  • Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery says goalie Linus Ullmark is healthy enough for backup duty tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After leaving Friday’s come-from-behind win against the Hurricanes with an upper-body injury, Ullmark was back with the team today at practice. His 13 wins, .935 save percentage, and 2.00 goals-against average all lead the NHL. Forward Trent Frederic was also back at practice today after missing two games, while Craig Smith will miss tomorrow’s game with an upper-body injury suffered against the Hurricanes and is day-to-day.
  • Defenseman Ryan Lindgren took warmups for the New York Rangers tonight and could return from an upper-body injury against the New Jersey Devils, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Lindgren left Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and was day-to-day but may avoid missing any time if he plays tonight.

Injury Notes: Ullmark, Smith, Slafkovsky, Howden

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The Boston Bruins today became the first team in NHL history to record twelve straight home wins to start a season, but amid that history-making came some bad news. Number-one goalie Linus Ullmark, whose heroics this season have played a major role in the Bruins’ rise, went down with an injury and needed to be relieved by backup netminder Jeremy Swayman. Additionally, forward Craig Smith also left the game with an injury.

Thankfully for Boston, though, the team is optimistic about the status of their two players. Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports that the Bruins believe both Ullmark and Smith are out on just a day-to-day timeline. That being said, though, he does add on that they “don’t know anything definitive yet.” While the Bruins remain optimistic about their two injured players, this will definitely be something to monitor moving forward.

Now, for some other injury notes from across the NHL:

  • The Montreal Canadiens had a bit of an injury scare today when Juraj Slafkovsky got shaken up by a hit from Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson. Slafkovsky did return to the bench by the end of the game to witness his team’s shootout victory, and after the game coach Martin St. Louis sounded optimistic about the state of his team’s prized young forward. While we don’t have full confirmation that Slafkovsky wasn’t injured on the play, it does seem like he and the Canadiens escaped the worst there.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that forward Brett Howden will miss tonight’s game with a lower-body injury. No further details beyond that were released. Howden, 24, has been a bottom-six forward for the Golden Knights this season and has three points 21 games.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Soucy, Murray

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen leading the way. The big winger had three goals and four assists in just two games, continuing an incredible stretch. Rantanen has now recorded 14 points in his last five games and is tied for fourth in the league scoring race (still nine points behind Connor McDavid, who is running away with it). At this pace, Rantanen should record the first 100+ point season of his career if he can stay relatively healthy. He had 92 last season in 75 games.

Second and third went to Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, who each had their own impressive weeks. Ullmark stopped almost everything he saw en route to a 3-0 week with a .956 save percentage, while Fox notched eight points in four games. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner is now just three points behind Erik Karlsson for first among defenseman scoring.

  • Seattle Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy will have to pay up a little bit for his decision to punch Pierre-Luc Dubois in the back of the head, as the league issued him a $2,500 fine for roughing. It should be noted that this was not the maximum allowable, meaning it didn’t really come close to a suspension in the eyes of the league. Still, it can be taken into account for future supplementary discipline.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may be dealing with injuries to their defense corps, but the goaltenders are getting healthy. Matt Murray is expected to start for the team on Tuesday, while Ilya Samsonov was on the ice with the team this morning. Even Joseph Woll, who has been out for the entire season so far, is expected to join the Toronto Marlies for practice tomorrow according to David Alter of Sports Illustrated. Suddenly, the Maple Leafs may have their entire goaltending group healthy all at once, after being forced to sign Keith Petruzzelli to an NHL deal just to dress a backup recently.

East Notes: Bruins Injuries, Barzal, Matthews, Kotkaniemi

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The Bruins have had a bit of tough luck on the injury front lately with several key regulars going down.  Today, the team provided a handful of updates on those players.  Winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm skated today but won’t be with the team for their two-game road trip.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy indicated he expects both will be back before the end of the season and could play this weekend.  Meanwhile, goaltender Linus Ullmark didn’t skate today but they believe he’ll be able to return over the weekend.  Winger Jesper Froden suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday and won’t be on the road trip either with no word yet on how long he might be out.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Department of Player Safety issued a fine of $2.5K to Islanders center Mathew Barzal for unsportsmanlike conduct. The incident occurred late in the third period on Sunday when he grabbed onto Mitch Marner’s jersey from the bench.  No penalty was issued on the play.
  • While Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is still a couple of years away from hitting the open market, pondering what his next deal could cost has already become a discussion point. In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Chris Johnston opines that the 24-year-old could reach the $15MM mark, one that would significantly surpass Connor McDavid’s record-setting $12.5MM AAV.  Matthews is in the midst of a career year with a league-high 58 goals along with 44 assists in 70 games this season.
  • On top of updating the injury situation for goaltender Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes also revealed that forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been nicked up again and is listed as day-to-day. The 21-year-old had just come back from missing eight games with a lower-body injury so it’s possible this absence is related to that one.  Head coach Rod Brind’Amour stated that he doesn’t expect Kotkaniemi to be out for long.

Injury Notes: MacEachern, Bruins, Flyers

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The regular season is over for Mackenzie MacEachern, but fortunately his Blues are planning to play well beyond then. The team announced today that MacEachern has been placed on the Long-Term Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury. The LTIR placement requires that MacEachern sit for ten games and the Blues have just eight games left on the regular season slate. The 27-year-old forward did his best to stay off the shelf; after missing the past three games, MacEachern was back at practice today but was forced to leave early, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The cap-strapped Blues had little choice but to add MacEachern to the LTIR and recall forward Dakota Joshua from AHL Springfield on an emergency basis. The swap actually adds the superior player to the roster, as Joshua has more games played, average time on ice, goals, points, plus/minus and more with the Blues this season.

  • It took injuries to David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo, and Linus Ullmark to send the Boston Bruins into their first three-game losing streak of the season, the final team in the NHL to fall in three straight this year. As the team looks to right the ship on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’re hoping that improved health could help. Grzelcyk was back in the lineup on Thursday night and defense partner could be the next to return, reports beat writer Eric Russo. Carlo was back at practice on Friday and there is optimism that he can return tomorrow from an undisclosed injury. Ullmark, who left Thursday’s game after the first period, did not practice and could be dealing with a concussion, but for now is considered day-to-day. Pastrnak and Lindholm skated by themselves on Friday and there is still no timetable for their return. While there is something to be said for being bit by the injury bug before the postseason, especially for a Boston team that has been decimated in the playoffs in recent years, this rough patch is potentially costing the Bruins their shot at divisional playoff berth as opposed to a wild card spot.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers had no update on injured defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen today, as it is looking increasingly likely that his season is over. Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays that head coach Mike Yeo does not expect Ristolainen to return “any time soon” from an upper-body injury. There was also no update on Cam York, who is out with a lower-body injury and considered day-to-day. There is slightly more optimism surrounding Cam Atkinson, who is also out with a lower-body ailment. Atkinson won’t play on Saturday at Buffalo, but could suit up on Sunday for the second game of the home-and-home with the Sabres.

Poll: How Many Top Unsigned Free Agents Will Play In NHL This Season?

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Following a massive first day of free agency late last month, not to mention several more signings since, it may seem that there aren’t many big-name free agents left on the market. Yet, quietly there is still and abundance of quality players left unsigned. This includes ten of PHR’s Top 50 UFA’s i.e. 20% of the players that we believed were the best available. It also includes another 13 players who played in 40+ games out of 56 this past season. There’s also Bobby Ryan, who was on pace for 22 points in 53 games before season-ending injury, which would have made him the highest scoring player still unsigned, and Artem Anisimov, whose nine points in 19 games is the second-best per-game mark among remaining UFA’s. With a nice round number of 25 top players still unsigned, which still ignores plenty of other capable NHLers, how many of these can be expected to play in the NHL next season? Time is running out and so are roster spots. Late-offseason signings are not impossible and a fair number of PTO’s are expected in camp this year, but realistically how many of these players will be able to land an NHL deal?

The top available name may also be the hardest to predict because his market is just one team and he isn’t ready to play. Future Hall of Fame goaltender Tuukka Rask (No. 14) remains a free agent and at 34 and recovering from major surgery it is fair to be skeptical that he will ever play again. The career Bruin reportedly will only play in Boston and recent comments by some of his teammates suggest that they expect him to do so at some point this year. But with Linus Ullmark signing a substantial contract to play alongside rookie sensation Jeremy Swayman, do the Bruins need Rask, especially coming in cold mid-season?

While Rask stands out as the only high-end goalie left available, the same cannot be said for forwards. Kyle Palmieri (No. 16), Tyler Bozak (No. 35), Casey Cizikas (No. 36), Zach Parise (No. 37), Nikita Gusev (No. 41), Alex Chiasson (No. 47), and Eric Staal (No. 48), as well as the aforementioned Ryan and Anisimov are all unsigned. Several of these names – Palmieri, Cizikas, Parise – have been linked to the New York Islanders, but no deals have been announced. All three have seemingly done enough to earn new contracts, but are still waiting. Bozak, meanwhile, was arguably the best of the players still available last season, with the top points per game mark even in a season plagued by injury. Gusev is a unique talent that has the chance to excel in the right system, Chiasson is a hard-working, consistent contributor, and Staal is one of the most respected veterans in the game. Ryan and Anisimov each showed that they still have gas left in the tank. It is hard to envision any of these players not playing this season, unless it is their own decision. Yet, none have signed on yet.

On the blue line, top talent is more scarce. Only Sami Vatanen (No. 43) and Erik Gustafsson (No. 44) remain from the Top 50 list and while each brings considerable strengths, they also have major weaknesses. With that said, each has been a regular in the NHL and are perhaps even more valuable as a depth option. Will Vatanen and Gustafsson find the right spot once more this season?

Among the players who were regulars in 2020-21 even though they may not come to mind as top options is a mix of aging veterans, versatile depth players, and discarded youngsters. Legends Patrick Marleau and Zdeno Chara lead the way as players who should be able to find a home if they want to keep playing just purely based on their Hall of Fame pedigrees, but lack the impact they once had. Other veterans still searching for work include Derick Brassard, Travis Zajac, and Jason Demers. Capable bottom-six forwards like Riley Sheahan, Colton Sceviour, Mark Jankowski, and Tobias Rieder are still available, as it stay-at-home defender Erik Gudbranson. Finally, formerly promising prospects Ryan Donato, Jimmy Vesey, and Dominik Kahun are all still looking for another chance.

Each player brings their own case for why or why not they should be employed in the NHL this season. All have been impact players in the league, but in a game progressively more dominated by younger players, history is no longer enough on its own to win a job. The supply of talent in the NHL currently seems to be greater than the demand, even with the expansion to 32 teams. Is there enough room for these 25 top players to find a new team this summer?

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Coyle, Forbort Expected To Step Into Top Roles For Bruins

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With the unexpected departure of David Krejci, the unknown status of injured Tuukka Rask, and a shockingly busy first day of free agency that included adding a number of top names, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Boston Bruins and how they may look next season. With so many possible lineup combinations and the team having yet to even practice together once, it would be understandable to leave fans wondering how the team may be structured in 2021-22. However, head coach Bruce Cassidy is not afraid to hint at his plans. Speaking with beat writer Eric Russo, Cassidy was open about who he sees stepping into some of the most important vacancies in the Bruins lineup.

First and foremost on the minds of most is who will step into Krejci’s role as second line center, especially after Taylor Hall was re-signed following stellar production with Krejci and Craig Smith. Well, despite some speculation to the contrary, Occam’s Razor prevails. Third line center Charlie Coyle will indeed get the first shot at centering the second line, as Cassidy called him the “obvious choice”. Coyle may be coming off of the worst offensive season of his career, but the two-way forward will be healthy this season following off-season knee surgeries and will look to return to form, which is a player whose career full-season scoring pace is 40 points. Cassidy notes that with Hall and Smith having experience playing together and Coyle and Smith also having played together, the familiarity that the three would share makes it an easy initial choice as the team’s second line. However, Cassidy does note that free agent additions Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek both play their best at center as well and could be next in line if Coyle is not a fit.

On defense, while some were content with the Bruins’ most frequent top pair of Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy, not everyone was convinced. Count Cassidy among that group. The head coach opined that the role may have been asking too much of Grzelcyk. He believes that free agent addition Derek Forbort, who plays a much more defensive and physical style, could in fact be the better match with McAvoy. Cassidy stated that between competing for that role and likely playing alongside Brandon Carlo on the top penalty kill unit, Forbort will be expected to play “big minutes”. Of course, Forbort will have to prove himself worthy, as Grzelcyk has the advantage of being the incumbent. Cassidy noted that Mike Reilly will likely continue to play with Carlo, but that too could change if Grzelcyk is bumped from the top pair.

Elsewhere on the roster, Cassidy firmly stated his support for Connor Clifton as getting the first shot as the regular third pair right-handed defenseman in the wake of Kevan Miller’s retirement. However, he also noted that youngsters Jakub Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen as well as recovering veteran John Moore all have experience playing their off side and will compete for opportunity. In the bottom-six, Cassidy offered a vote of confidence for Jake DeBrusk retaining his starting job as third line left wing, while also advocating for top prospect Jack Studnicka to get a look for a roster spot. With the versatility of additions Haula, Nosek, and Nick Foligno, there are plenty of potential combinations on that third line and there is a high likelihood of a more offensive fourth line in Boston than in years with the overflow of the third line position battle matched with the likes of Curtis Lazar and Trent Frederic. In goal, Cassidy did not just announce free agent splurge Linus Ullmark as the new starter; in fact quite the contrary. Cassidy expects Ullmark and breakout rookie Jeremy Swayman “to compete for the majority of the starts.” While Ullmark was compensated like a starter by the Bruins in both salary and term, Cassidy notes that Swayman will be given a fair chance to “come in and potentially be the No. 1.”

How it all plays out in Boston remains to be seen, but Cassidy did not hold anything back about his thought and plans for the current roster. That should give fans of the Bruins and their Atlantic Division rivals something more concrete to consider as the days tick down to the start of the regular season.

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