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Snapshots: Ryan, Ottawa Injuries, Rutta, Coreau

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Partway through the season, it seemed like a given that Senators GM Pierre Dorion would approach Bobby Ryan about waiving his no-move clause for the upcoming expansion draft.  However, after a postseason where he was dominant, Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun believes that he is now a must-protect player.

Ryan led all Ottawa forwards in scoring in the playoffs with 15 points (6-9-15) in 19 games and Brennan suggests that the 30 year old is now starting to better grasp head coach Guy Boucher’s system, something he said he was having some difficulty with earlier in the season.  However, it’s also hard to overlook the fact he has five years left on a deal that carries a cap hit of $7.25MM.  The Sens are a lower budget team and Ryan has yet to surpass 56 points in any of his four seasons with the team; freeing up that money would give them some flexibility heading into the rest of the offseason.

At the end of the day, despite his postseason success, the contract may be enough of a deterrent for Vegas anyway and if that’s the case, Dorion would be wise to see if Ryan would be willing to waive his no-move, allowing the team to protect an additional forward.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Still with the Sens, blueliner Mark Borowiecki has a torn labrum in his shoulder but will not require surgery this summer, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter links). Fellow defender Cody Ceci had also been dealing with injury issues; he mentioned to reports (including Garrioch) that he played with a broken finger more than once during the course of the year.
  • Czech defenseman Jan Rutta is leaning towards signing with the Blackhawks, Fox Sports Midwest Andy Strickland reports via Twitter. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that a final decision could come this weekend and that six teams are in the mix.  The 26 year old had a breakout season with Piráti Chomutov of the Czech Extraliga in 2016-17, recording a career high 32 points in 46 regular season games while tacking on another 13 points in 17 postseason contests.  He recently suited up for the Czechs at the World Championships, taking part in eight games while logging 15:22 of ice time per game.  Edmonton and Calgary are among the other teams who have shown interest in Rutta’s services.
  • With Detroit goalie Jared Coreau becoming waiver eligible next season and Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek on the roster, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that the Wings could carry three goalies to start next season if no one is moved over the summer. Coreau had a good start to his NHL stint last season but struggled in his final few outings which, coupled with his waiver situation, wouldn’t give him a lot of trade value at this time.  Khan notes that the team has gone this way in the past when they were worried about losing Joey MacDonald at the start of the year back in 2006-07 and already had Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood in the fold.  (They wound up waiving MacDonald later in the season, losing him to Boston.)

Morning Notes: Babcock, Maple Leafs, Borowiecki

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The Toronto Maple Leafs fan base has been abuzz over the last few days after seeing pictures of Mike Babcock at games 3 and 4 between Nashville and Anaheim, even being joined by GM Lou Lamoriello for the latter. His appearance immediately made many think that he was scouting Ducks defensemen eligible for the expansion draft, though Sportsnet’s Luke Fox has an additional theory.

Predators captain Mike Fisher will be a free agent this summer, and though he’s obviously tied strongly to the Nashville community—he’s married to country music star Carrie Underwood after all—the numbers might just not leave enough room for him. Nashville has a busy offseason ahead of them, with both Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson hitting restricted free agency. If Fisher were to hit the open market, Toronto would likely be interested after the comments Babcock made earlier this year about him.

  • Maple Leafs fans will also be happy to see the success of their two young stars at the World Championships. Mitch Marner and William Nylander have been some of the best forwards in the tournament thus far, with Nylander especially finding incredible chemistry with playoff-foe Nicklas Backstrom. Nylander and Backstrom have a long history, going back to the latter’s rookie season in Washington when he was welcomed into the home of then-teammate Michael Nylander, William’s father. The two, almost 10 years apart, spent a lot of time together during those first two seasons playing ping-pong in the basement or mini-sticks in the hallway. It seems all that time spent so many years ago has created a sort of familiarity on the ice, that has blossomed into some incredible goals since Backstrom joined the tournament.
  • The Ottawa Senators won’t get Mark Borowiecki back tonight, though he took the morning skate with the team. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, the bruising defenseman suffered a setback pushing too hard to try and get back on the ice. He still hopes to return in this series, which would stretch to next Thursday should it go all seven games. The Senators will try to take a commanding 3-1 series lead tonight as they take on the Penguins at home.

 

East Notes: Pittsburgh Free Agents, Morin, Borowiecki

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The Penguins have yet to engage in contract extensions with any of their pending free agents (restricted or unrestricted), GM Jim Rutherford told Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Instead, the team plans to wait until Pittsburgh finishes up their postseason run and then deal with contract talks at that time.  While it potentially presents a situation where a bunch of deals need to get done in a short period of time, Rutherford noted he used the same idea during Carolina’s Stanley Cup run in 2006 and it worked quite well:

“When Carolina won the Cup in ’06, I think I had 13 free agents to sign in 10 days, and for me, it was a lot easier that way. Because you cut out all of the baloney in between. You go around and around about things that don’t even matter in negotiations. When you get down to the end, you get right to the point and get it done.”

The team has several free agents of note to deal with before the end of June.  Defensemen Justin Schultz and Brian Dumoulin, as well as winger Conor Sheary are all restricted while center Nick Bonino and blueliner Trevor Daley are among those who are slated to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents in July which means Rutherford will have his work cut out for him when the playoffs end.

Other notes from around the East:

  • Flyers prospect Samuel Morin recently underwent surgery on both of his wrists, notes CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio. There has been no announcement as to when the injury occurred; Morin didn’t miss any action during his postseason run with Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.  Morin is expected to make a push for a regular roster spot with the Flyers next season on what is likely to be a considerably younger back end.
  • Although he won’t be available when the puck drops on Game One of their Conference Final series against Pittsburgh later today, Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki is expected to be available around the midway point of the series, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. In the meantime, the team will continue to rely on Ben Harpur and Fredrik Claesson to hold down that spot in the lineup.

Snapshots: Harpur, Branch, Krejci

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According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Ben Harpur will be in the lineup for the Ottawa Senators tonight after playing a few games down the stretch for the team. He’ll be making his NHL playoff debut just a year after spending time in the ECHL, proving how far he has come during that time. With 27 points in 63 AHL games this year, the 6’6″ Harpur has shown he can do more than just defend, but will be relied upon to replace Mark Borowiecki’s physical presence against the Boston Bruins.

Harpur will be an option for the Senators next season as a seventh defenseman, especially if the team does lose one of Borowiecki or Chris Wideman in the expansion draft. With Dion Phanuef still holding his no-movement clause, the Senators are actually at risk of losing a more important defender like Marc Methot or Cody Ceci, but will likely ask the former Maple Leaf to waive it prior to the deadline.

  • The Flint Firebirds have had a roller-coaster few seasons, but will now install Barclay Branch as their GM according to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. The team had to have the OHL step in and install George Burnett at the end of last year after a tumultuous season that saw the league ban the Firebirds’ owner Rolf Nilsen from any hockey operations decisions. Burnett will move into a position with the OHL after stabilizing the franchise—Flint finished 32-28-8 and made it to the playoffs in just their second season.
  • The AHL handed out two suspensions today, banning Darren Kramer of the Manitoba Moose for three games and Michael Latta of the Rockford IceHogs for one. Both players will have to serve the suspensions next year, as their seasons have finished without a postseason berth.
  • David Krejci will take the warm up for the Boston Bruins tonight according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. The center hasn’t played in the first two games of the playoffs, but “feels much better” and will try to go tonight. The Bruins could use him, as they won just 46% of the faceoffs in their game two loss.

Injury Updates: Fowler, Stolarz, Borowiecki, Bartley

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Although Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler won’t play tonight in Game Two of their first round series against Calgary, head coach Randy Carlyle suggested to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register that Fowler could be ready to return by the end of the round.  The blueliner was evaluated again on Thursday and the team is hopeful that he’ll be able to start skating again in the coming days.

Fowler has been out since April 4th when he took a knee-on-knee hit from Flames defender Mark Giordano.  At the time, there was a wide timeframe for a potential return, ranging from two to six weeks.  We’re not even at the two week mark so presumably he’s still a little while away and wouldn’t have a shot at getting back in until closer to the end of the series.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Flyers goalie prospect Anthony Stolarz will miss the entire AHL playoffs and will be sidelined for the next three to four months, head coach Scott Gordon told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While the exact nature of the injury was undisclosed, Carchidi notes that the netminder was seen on crutches following Wednesday’s game.  Stolarz is likely to get a long look at training camp to be the backup goaltender for Michal Neuvirth next season assuming that Philadelphia doesn’t bring anyone else in via free agency or the trade market this summer.  He is expected to be fully recovered in time for camp.
  • Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki suffered a lower body injury this afternoon, the team announced via Twitter. He did not return to the game.  The injury was sustained on an attempted body check on Bruins forward Riley Nash.  If he’s unable to return in time for their next game on Monday, Frederik Claesson will likely take his place in the lineup.  Claesson was scratched when Marc Methot was deemed ready to play today.
  • The Wild announced that they have activated defenseman Victor Bartley off injured reserve. Bartley signed with Minnesota as a free agent this summer but suffered a triceps injury in the preseason that kept him out for the entire year.  While it’s unlikely that Bartley would immediately step into Minnesota’s lineup, he will at least give them another option to turn to if they do decide to make a change later on.  The Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa wraps up their season tonight and won’t be in the playoffs which eliminates the possibility of a conditioning stint.

Bruins Notes: Krejci, C. Miller, Morrow, Subban

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Fresh off a 2-1 Game One win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night without three starters in David Krejci, Torey Krug, and Brandon Carlo, it appears that the Boston Bruins will have to line up for Game Two with an even more short-handed roster. While the team has until their matinee puck drop on Saturday to make any official announcement, it sounds as though defenseman Colin Miller will join the growing list of injuries. Miller, who left the previous game after suffering a lower body injury on a trip from Mark Borowiecki, was on the ice for practice today, but left early due to pain and discomfort. After practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy made it sound very unlikely that Miller would be available for the next game.

With Miller out, in addition to Krug and Carlo, Joe Morrow is the next man up to slot in on the blue line. Morrow, a former first-round pick and a piece of the Tyler Seguin trade, has not been able to work his way into regular play time in years with the Bruins. With John-Michael Liles in the fold this season, Morrow was bumped down to eighth on the depth chart and has not played in almost three months. However, the Bruins were able to beat the Senators with just five defenseman for most of Game One, so even a cold Morrow could be an upgrade as Boston looks to take a stranglehold on the series with another road win.

  • Having Krejci back would certainly go a long way to help the Bruins take a 2-0 series lead, but Cassidy confirmed that Boston’s highest-paid player will miss another game. Cassidy did add the qualifier that “as of today” he would miss the game, and Krejci did suit up for warm-ups before being a late scratch in Game One,  however he missed practice today and all signs point to the Bruins playing is safe with their third-highest scorer.

Atlantic Notes: Filppula, Coreau, DiDomenico

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When Valtteri Filppula’s name started to come up in trade talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, he received a phone call from Mike Babcock. That’s what Chris Johnston of Sportsnet writes in his newest article, detailing everything that went on behind the scenes on deadline day surrounding Filppula. He ended up talking with Babcock for a while, before ultimately choosing not to waive his no-trade clause. It was “nothing against Toronto” as the veteran center turned down the chance to go play for his former coach; the two spent years together in Detroit, even winning the Stanley Cup in 2008.

Filppula ended up going to Philadelphia, for whom he will suit up against the Maple Leafs tonight. He just wanted to stick with the list he’d created before the season, and as Johnston notes, likely saw the treatment of other veteran players since heading to Toronto. Brooks Laich, Colin Greening and Milan Michalek have all been buried in the minors this season, with Eric Fehr not getting into a game since coming over from Pittsburgh.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Jared Coreau back down to the AHL after activating Jimmy Howard yesterday. The young netminder was shelled last night against Boston, playing just 13:32 of the game before getting the hook. In 14 games for the Red Wings this season, Coreau has just an .887 save percentage. He does however have two shutouts during his time in the NHL, and will look to build off that next season should Howard be moved this summer.
  • Chris DiDomenico will make his NHL debut tonight for the Ottawa Senators after signing just over a week ago. The 28-year old forward that has dominated the Swiss leagues for the past few years is ready to make his mark on North American ice. A former sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he hasn’t played on this continent since 2012. The Senators had gone with seven defensemen last night, but with Mark Borowiecki injured, they’ll insert DiDomenico in his place.

Injury Notes: Stamkos, Borowiecki, Kinkaid

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Steven Stamkos was again skating with teammates this morning, as he inches his way back to the lineup. While there is a good chance the Tampa Bay Lightning captain will return to the ice this season he might not be as effective right away. That’s what Zach Parise told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times a few weeks ago, speaking from experience. Parise had the same surgery on his knee in November of 2010, and though he returned later that year as well, didn’t feel right until the following Christmas.

I’d say it took probably a year and a half to get back to feeling back to normal. That’s what my therapist said, six months to heal, a year you feel better. But to get back to that level for me, I feel like it was almost the following Christmas.

So Stamkos, who may get a chance to help his team in a playoff race—the Lightning are just four points out with 17 games left to play—likely won’t be the elite offensive presence he’s proven to be over the past eight years. Fear not Lightning fans, though Parise says he didn’t feel right until Christmas, he still scored 30 goals and 69 points the year following surgery. It wasn’t all bad.

Snapshots: Review Timer, Grundstrom, Vegas

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As the GM Meetings came to a close today, we had several bits of news leak out. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported something that wasn’t touched on earlier, the idea of review timers. Next season, the officials have been instructed to drop the puck immediately after the review process ends. Don’t go to the bench, don’t explain anything to the coaches or let them argue for five minutes.

Friedman also includes that a set time limit is being discussed and could be instituted, though hasn’t been decided on. With reviews periodically taking as many as 8-10 minutes, the league will try to do everything it can to keep them short.

  • John Shannon of Sportsnet is hearing that the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Carl Grundstrom to an entry-level contract, and will announced the deal soon. The 57th-overall pick in last summer’s draft, Grundstrom has 12 goals and 18 points for Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League this year. Playing at the highest level, the tenacious winger has shown his professional capabilities. The 19-year old should come over to North America soon enough and could make his NHL debut as soon as next year.
  • Kevin Allen of USA Today penned a piece regarding the Vegas Golden Knights and the unique opportunity for GM George McPhee. Only a handful of people have experienced the expansion process, and McPhee has enjoyed it more than he even expected. “I’ve read about analytics for two years,” McPhee said when asked about where the Golden Knights will fall on the scouting-analytics scale. He makes it clear that it will have a big part in the new franchise, but not at the cost of the scouting department. We’ll likely see exactly where they stand on expansion draft day, when there are decisions like Chris Wideman or Mark Borowiecki to be made.

Mark Borowiecki Suspended Two Games

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Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki has been suspended for two games for boarding Kings winger Tyler Toffoli on Saturday. He received a major penalty for the hit, which incited a scrum. Toffoli left the game, but later returned.

Borowiecki will miss Sunday’s game in Anaheim and Wednesday’s home game against San Jose. Borowiecki is eligible to return to the lineup on Saturday when New Jersey visits the Senators.

As Director of Player Safety Patrick Burke explains in the suspension video, “Toffoli comes back into his defensive zone to retrieve the puck. Toffoli sees Borowiecki coming, and turns his back to protect the puck. With sufficient time to avoid or minimize the hit, Borowiecki instead forcefully hits through Toffoli’s numbers, driving him dangerously into the glass.”

Borowiecki has one assist and is -1 in 28 games this season, while averaging 13:42 per game.

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