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Martin Hanzal

Methot, Hanzal Return To Dallas Lineup

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Like many other teams in 2017-18, the Dallas Stars have struggled with injuries early on this season. The team has lost 55 man-game thus far, and while the total is not overwhelming, 37 of those games are due to the condition of two players. That pair is defenseman Marc Methot and center Martin Hanzal, both off-season additions to the Stars. Methot and Hanzal were expected to be a major reason for the predicted bounce-back season for Dallas, a team who many felt “won the off-season”. Yet, the duo have played in just one game together since October and the Stars have underwhelmed thus far without them.

That will all change starting tonight, as the Stars reported the return of Methot and Hanzal, calling the team “as healthy as it’s been”. Both players are expected to be back at full health and ready to contribute to their full extent. Methot, who was acquired via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights after his selection in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft from the Ottawa Senators, has missed the last 24 games with a knee injury. Methot is not an offensive juggernaut, but provides a solid defensive effort that Dallas often lacks. Hanzal, a physical, two-way forward, will also impact team defense. Hanzal has missed 13 games off-and-on this season with a variety of ailments including hamstring and hand injuries. His play has clearly been impacted by injury as well, as Hanzal has just six points in 26 games and a -11 rating. A player capable of 40 points – part of the reason he earned a three-year, $14.25MM deal this summer – Hanzal is hoping to have a greater impact on the score sheet moving forward.

Currently fourth in the Central Division, the Stars are far from out of playoff contention at the season’s midpoint. With games coming up against the New Jersey Devils tonight and Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the team has a chance to pick up some points before their bye week, during which they can really get everyone back to full strength. However, the health of Methot and Hanzal will surely continue to be worth watching as the season continues. In fact, Dallas’ playoff hopes may rest on it, even with the plethora of other talent on the roster. The potential impact that Methot and Hanzal can have on team defense cannot be understated.

West Notes: Phillips, Hanzal, Parise

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The Flames announced that they have signed prospect forward Matthew Phillips to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  Phillips was Calgary’s sixth-round pick (166th overall) back in the 2016 draft.  Since being selected, the diminutive forward has been a dominant scorer at the junior level, recording a 50-goal season last year while putting up 59 points in just 39 games so far in 2017-18.  The timing of this announcement is noteworthy.  Today was the last day that the Flames could sign Phillips and still have the contract slide a year (so that it won’t begin until 2018-19).  That will result in Phillips’ cap hit ultimately being lower than it is currently as his signing bonus that he receives today won’t count against his cap hit next season.

More from the West:

  • Stars center Martin Hanzal is set to resume skating on Tuesday as he works his way back from his latest lower-body injury, reports Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. There is no timetable for when he may return to the lineup.  This is Hanzal’s fifth different minor injury since the start of training camp which has limited him to just 26 games on the season.  He has yet to be overly effective when he has played either as he has just six points on the year while averaging a career-low 14:28 of ice time per game.  Suffice it to say, this isn’t what Dallas was expecting when they handed him a three-year, $14.25MM contract at the beginning of free agency back in July.
  • The Wild have yet to decide if winger Zach Parise will participate in a second game on his AHL conditioning stint, notes Megan Ryan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The veteran suited up with Iowa on Thursday in his first game action of the 2017-18 season as he continues to work his way back from a back injury, picking up an assist along the way.  If Minnesota decides to activate him, they won’t have to make a roster move as they are only carrying 22 players and they have just enough cap space to transfer him off LTIR without any issues.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars

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With the holiday season in full swing, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for so far this year. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first few months and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams:

Atlantic: BOS, BUF, DET, FLA, TOR, MTL, OTT
Metropolitan: CAR, CBJ, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, WSH
Central: CHI, COL, MIN, NSH, STL
Pacific: ANA, ARZ, CGY, EDM, LAK, SJS, VAN, VGK

What are the Dallas Stars most thankful for?

The draft lottery.

2016-17 was a huge disappointment for the Stars. After finishing first in the Western Conference and advancing to the second round a year earlier, Dallas got off to a brutal start last season and couldn’t overcome it to sneak their way into the playoffs. Finishing with 79 points and third-last in the West, it cost head coach Lindy Ruff his job and several players their role on the club.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. After the season, the Stars lost Cody Eakin to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, and couldn’t have been that upset about it. The centerman has put up a better season for Vegas than he had in 2016-17, but is still not the 20-goal, 50-point man many had hoped he would develop into. The fact that the Stars no longer have to worry about the two years at $3.85MM that Eakin is still owed on his current deal is actually probably worth more than having him on the team.

Then came the draft, where Dallas won the right to select third-overall and were able to take home exactly what they were after. Though some casual North American observers may have forgotten about Miro Heiskanen as he continues to develop in Finland, the Stars sure haven’t. Heiskanen is playing excellent in the Finnish Liiga, scoring nine goals and 14 points in 20 games while controlling games from the blueline. He is an absolute prototype when it comes to the new era of NHL defensemen, able to play well at both ends of the rink.

Fans should get a good look at his potential when he skates for Finland at the upcoming World Junior Championships, where he’ll remind everyone why he was taken third-overall. The idea of the Finnish duo of Julius Honka and Heiskanen playing long-term together should have Dallas fans salivating.

Who are the Stars most thankful for?

Jamie BennJamie Benn.

Benn continues to be one of the greatest stories in the NHL, going from a fifth-round pick out of the BCHL to a legitimate All-World captain and winger. His 30 points lead the Stars again this season, while his possession numbers and all-around play remain high. He’s the type of player every team around the league would be after if there was a chance, but as he starts his new contract extension it looks like he’ll be in Dallas for a long time.

With a $9.5MM cap hit for another seven years, there is definitely some risk involved in Benn’s deal. Who can know what kind of player he’ll be in his mid-thirties, but at this point he’s still the best chance the team has to compete for the Stanley Cup. With Tyler Seguin set to hit free agency in the summer of 2019, it will be interesting if the team decides to keep the dynamic duo together long-term, for what would be a huge chunk of the salary cap.

What would the Stars be even more thankful for?

Healthy and effective goaltending.

The Stars went out and got the starting goaltender they wanted in the offseason, buying out Antti Niemi and bringing in Ben Bishop to handle the load. Unfortunately, Bishop has battled a sore back this season and looked average even when he is in the net. Kari Lehtonen has bounced back from a dreadful 2016-17, but only to about the same level Bishop is playing, which is not good enough.

Bishop and Lehtonen have .908 and .907 save percentages respectively, and the Stars need more than that to get back to being a contender in the league. Especially when you factor in that Ken Hitchcock’s system usually increases save percentages in the first few years, the goaltending simply hasn’t been good enough. There are several issues with this team, but getting Bishop—who signed a six-year, $29.5MM contract with the team—back to playing like the Vezina contender he’s been in the past, could make up for them all.

What should be on the Stars’ Holiday Wish List?

Some more help up front.

Beyond the trio of Benn, Seguin and Alexander Radulov (who’ve been spread out recently to try and spark some more offense) the Stars don’t have enough firepower at forward. Young forward Radek Faksa has done his part, but veterans like Martin Hanzal, Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel have been almost invisible when in the lineup.

The Stars are still 18-14-3 on the season and within striking distance of the top teams in the Central Division, but to really compete they’ll need a deeper offensive attack. The depth of their forwards pales in comparison to clubs like Nashville, Winnipeg and St. Louis, something that would become even more prominent in a seven-game series.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 12/16/17

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It’s an action-packed day in the NHL with eleven games on tap, including the NHL 100 Classic, an outdoor re-match of the first game in NHL history back in 1917 between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. With some teams focused on games tonight, others focused on preparing for the upcoming week, and a pair of teams focused on what will likely be their most important game of the season, there promises to be some transaction action across the league today:

  • The New Jersey Devils have reassigned Nick Lappin to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils in a move that likely means more than its face value. Lappin played in two games with New Jersey on this most recent recall – his first two NHL games of the season – and looked impressive in both outings. Lappin was involved in the offense, even contributing a goal in last night’s win over the Dallas Stars, and played well in an energy role. The former Brown Bear has also been on fire in the AHL, with 12 goals in 23 games. His demotion, if not for performance, must be an indication that the Devils are adding another healthy body to the lineup. With Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Marcus Johansson all banged up, the loss of Lappin is likely good news that one or more of that talented trio is ready to return.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have sent forward Jason Dickinson to the Texas Stars of the AHL today. He was called up on Dec. 10 and has played a total of five games this season for the Stars with all the injuries the team has dealt with recently. Dickinson hasn’t scored any points, but has been praised for his enthusiastic play for the Stars. He has 13 goals in 20 AHL games, and is a great depth guy when Dallas needs him. The team has recently gotten back both Martin Hanzal and Antoine Roussel from injury, so the need for the 22-year-old has waned.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced after their game today against the Edmonton Oilers that they have assigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Despite playing well, the move is most likely due to the fact that the team intends to activate defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who has been out for the past nine games with a groin injury. Murphy, a first-round pick in 2011, is expected to get more minutes while in Iowa. He has had one goal and one assist in nine games so far this year.

 

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, SJS, STL, TOR, VAN, VGK and WSH.

Jordan GreenwayWhat are the Minnesota Wild most thankful for?

A deep prospect pool.

When the Wild approached the expansion draft last year, they were in trouble. They had too many assets that needed protection, and were destined to lose an excellent player. In order to sway the Vegas Golden Knights’ decision in a certain direction, they gave up prized prospect Alex Tuch. Though the team had drafted Tuch in the first round just a few years prior, his upside and potential impact wasn’t seen to be as high as some of their other prospects.

Well, six months later and Tuch is starring alongside Erik Haula (the other player lost in the expansion process) in Vegas, and the Wild are struggling to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Surely they’d like to have Tuch back, but luckily those other high-end prospects still remain.

Though the relationship with Kirill Kaprizov—or lack thereof—makes the Russian a complete wildcard, there are others who should have Minnesota fans excited for the next few years. Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin have both played roles in the NHL this season, while Jordan Greenway continues to dominate players even older than him in the college ranks. Ivan Lodnia was just signed after a blistering start in Erie, and the team has four picks in the top three rounds this upcoming draft.

Who are the Wild most thankful for?

Eric Staal.

General managers around the league must be hitting themselves over not pursuing Staal in the summer of 2016. Coming off a horrible season, in which he was traded from the team he’d been drafted by and captained for seven years, Minnesota happily scooped him up on July 1st. Much was said about how Staal might be on the way out of the game, until he immediately found success in Minnesota to the tune of 28 goals and 65 points.

The three-year, $10.5MM contract that he signed was just $1MM more in total than he’d earned in 2015-16 alone. Minnesota got a legitimate number one center, and borderline Hall of Fame candidate for the price of a third or fourth-line player. You can still hear Chuck Fletcher laughing to himself somewhere in St. Paul.

Staal has been everything for the club this year, leading the team in points with 26 through their first 30 games and coming through with one of the best possession seasons of his career. Playing nearly 19 minutes a night and hitting the ice in all circumstances, Staal’s contract is one of the best in the entire league. While now 33 years old, he’ll still be exceptionally valuable in the final year of his deal next season.

Mikko KoivuWhat would the Wild be even more thankful for?

Some “puck luck” for Mikko Koivu.

Despite still being an excellent possession player, used in all situations, Koivu can’t seem to get much going offensively this season. Coming off another one of his patented solid-if-not-spectacular seasons with 58 points, he only has 15 in his first 30 games and eight of those are on the powerplay. He’s now been held pointless in his last eight games despite being on the ice for more than 147 minutes, and hasn’t found the back of the net himself since October.

Amazingly, a lot of that has to do with pure bad luck. Koivu is carrying a pathetic 5.1% shooting percentage this season, far below his career average. Though he’s never been a sniper that carries a high percentage, he’s due for some luck going his way at some point. During his 21-game goalless streak he’s fired 58 shots on net without a single one trickling through.

He’s not only used for his offense, but a bounce here or there would be a big help for the Wild as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture.

What should be on the Wild’s Holiday Wish List?

Another center.

When the Wild lost Haula and let Martin Hanzal walk in free agency, their center depth was tested. Though they brought in Matt Cullen, who has done a fine job for them so far, their unyielding ability to throw an effective center over the boards every single shift has left them. Charlie Coyle can play the position but the team likes him better on the wing, and Kunin isn’t quite ready for a full-time role.

There is the possibility that when Zach Parise eventually returns from injury they’ll move Coyle back to the middle, but an addition would be the best option. It’ll be tough, as the Wild are pressed right up against the cap thanks the the hefty cap hits of Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno, both who’ve been healthy scratches at times this year. That fact may force them to go with what they have right now, but it will be interesting to see if they find a way to get involved as the deadline approaches.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Evander Kane’s Trade Potential

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Though much of Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column surrounded the potential trade availability of Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson, he also mentioned the Calgary Flames pursuit of more “edge.” Friedman has mentioned this a few times over the last few weeks on Sportsnet, and one can see where he’d get it from. The Flames are presided over by Brian Burke, famous for his love of “truculence” and the like.

Evander KaneFriedman mentions that he could see the Flames joining “growing group eyeing Buffalo’s Evander Kane,” which leads to some interesting questions. How many teams are in that group, and just how valuable is Kane on the open market? Friedman reports that teams have been told the Sabres want a return like what Winnipeg received for Andrew Ladd and Arizona pulled in for Martin Hanzal, but if the group of bidders continues to grow how high can it really get?

Kane has points in his last four games and is already at 27 for the year, a 74-point pace that would destroy his previous career-high of 57. He also sits third in the entire league in shots on goal, behind only Alex Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko. Ladd and Hanzal are both very good players, but neither were an in-their-prime offensive weapon like Kane will be this February, when he’ll still be just 26-years old.

That’s not to say he doesn’t come with flaws. The first thing any acquiring team must realize is that he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer, and at that young age of 26 could be committed to getting himself a huge payday. As one of the younger players to ever hit the market, Kane would have his choice of several destinations and a long-term, big money deal.

Minnesota and Chicago both knew they wouldn’t be re-signing their respective rentals, but still bit the bullet and send packages including first-round picks. That’s where a problem may arise for Calgary if they decide to join the bidding. The Flames already dealt away their top two picks in 2018 to acquire Travis Hamonic this summer. They also could lose various 2019 picks depending on some trade conditions, meaning they likely want to hang onto the first-rounder from that year.

That means Calgary would likely have to go a prospect or young player route, which is always a dangerous game when trading for a rental. The Flames do have some excellent defensive prospects like Juuso Valimaki and Adam Fox, but moving either would be a serious decision.

The proverbial ball is in Buffalo’s court over the next few months, as they continue to try and up the bidding on any player on their roster not named Jack Eichel in order to turn their franchise around. Kane is the key to all of that, and could end up fetching quite the return. What exactly that return is, will be up to which teams are willing to spend on the pending UFA.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Central Notes: Methot, Hanzal, Hutchinson, Cullen

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While both Stars center Martin Hanzal and defenseman Marc Methot have resumed skating, it sounds like both will be out of the lineup for a while yet.  Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News notes that Methot (knee surgery) is hoping to get back before the holiday break while Hanzal’s timeline is more uncertain.  Having dealt with four different injuries dating back to the preseason (the current one is a hamstring issue), head coach Ken Hitchcock stated that the plan will be for the 30-year-old to “practice for an extended period of time” before they put him back in the lineup.  That way, they can ensure that he is indeed fully recovered and that he’ll have a better chance of avoiding any recurrences.

More from the Central:

  • Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe reports that several teams around the NHL are looking to add some insurance between the pipes. He suggests that as a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets deal goaltender Michael Hutchinson soon and lists the Panthers (who are without Roberto Luongo) as a logical landing spot.  He’s a nice insurance policy for Winnipeg to have but it’s telling that prospect Eric Comrie is up with the big club while Steve Mason is out.  If they’re comfortable with that approach, then Hutchinson certainly becomes expendable.
  • Wild center Matt Cullen is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight against Anaheim, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). His second stint with Minnesota hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly as he has just a single goal in 27 games after recording 16 and 13 the previous two years with Pittsburgh.  He’s also averaging a career-low 11:17 of ice time per night.  Russo speculates that the Penguins could be a team that might want to keep an eye on this situation as it could make some sense for them to try to reacquire the 41-year-old closer to the trade deadline.

Minor Transactions: 12/3/17

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All but eight teams are off today, but that doesn’t mean it will be a lazy Sunday. Expect teams to perform some roster management today with a new slate of games ahead of them this week.

  • The Predators have once again swapped backup goaltenders, per the AHL’s transactions page.  Jusse Saros has been recalled while veteran Anders Lindback has been returned to Milwaukee, reversing the roster move made on November 30th.  Saros got into a pair of games while on assignment, allowing seven goals on 52 shots.
  • The Canadiens have re-assigned winger Daniel Carr to Laval of the AHL, also according to the AHL’s transactions page.  He was brought up to cover for Jonathan Drouin who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury.  Carr fared quite well in those contests, recording a goal and three assists.
  • The Wild assigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to Iowa of the AHL, also via the AHL’s transaction page.  Murphy has only played in three games with Minnesota this season but has been quite productive at the minor league level so far, tallying 11 points in 18 games.  That gets Minnesota back to eight defensemen on their roster, including Kyle Quincey who cleared waivers earlier in the week.

Earlier updates:

  • The Los Angeles Kings could be getting mid-season reinforcements. Their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, announced last night that first-year pro prospect Austin Wagner has been medically cleared by L.A. and assigned to Ontario. Wagner, 20, had been off the ice rehabbing from off-season surgery, but participated in limited practice with the Reign over the past few weeks and is now ready to make his pro debut. The 20-year-old was selected by the Kings in the fourth round in 2015 and scored 60+ points in each of his last two seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats. A big, tough, two-way forward with some offensive flair, Wagner has a chance to fill a role in the bottom-six in L.A. before the season is out, so long as he can get his legs under him in the minors and stay healthy.
  • Following the reveal yesterday that Martin Hanzal’s hamstring injury was of the week-to-week variety, it is no surprise that Dallas Stars beat writer Marc Stepneski reports that Hanzal has been placed on the injured reserve. In his stead, Dallas has recalled forward Jason Dickinson from the AHL’s Texas Stars. Dickinson, 22, has already played in four NHL games this season and is on pace to best his 10 games from last year. Selected in the first round in 2013 with the pick Dallas obtained from the Boston Bruins for Jaromir Jagr, Dickinson is already the most successful piece of that trade for either team, but nonetheless has overall not yet shown he was worthy of a first-round pick. Perhaps in this latest recall, things will finally click for the young forward.
  • NHL.com’s Brian Hedger tweeted that the Columbus Blue Jackets have sent winger Sonny Milano to the Cleveland Monsters today. The promising 21-year-old winger has had trouble gaining consistency with Columbus as he’s put up five goals and five assists in 24 games, but hasn’t scored a goal in the last month. This isn’t the first time Milano has been sent down this season. He was assigned to Cleveland on Nov. 18 for one game with the Monsters and had an assist and subsequently recalled the following day.
  • The Edmonton Oilers assigned defenseman Ryan Stanton to the Bakersfield Condors to make move for Brandon Davidson, who was claimed off waivers this morning. Stanton, a 28-year-old defender, has spent most of the season going back and forth between Bakersfield and Edmonton, serving as an emergency backup on defense. He has not made an appearance for the Oilers this year. He has one assist in 11 games for the Condors this year.

Injury Updates: Senators, Blue Jackets, Burakovsky, Hanzal

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While the Senators got some tough news yesterday on the injury front after it was revealed that defenseman Chris Wideman will undergo hamstring surgery on Monday that puts his availability for the rest of the season into question, that’s not the only bad news from their back end.  Head coach Guy Boucher told reporters, including Postmedia’s Ken Warren, that blueliner Mark Borowiecki continues to experience concussion symptoms despite being inactive.  As a result, it’s hard to imagine that he will be able to return to the lineup anytime soon either.  That gives youngsters like Thomas Chabot and Ben Harpur a chance to really solidify a spot on Ottawa’s back end in the weeks and months to come.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The Blue Jackets have activated winger Matt Calvert off of injured reserve, per a team release. He had missed the last dozen games due to an upper-body injury.  Prior to getting hurt a month ago, Calvert had gotten off to a strong start to his season with three goals and five assists in 14 contests.  To make room for him on the roster, the team placed defenseman Ryan Murray on IR with an upper-body issue of his own.  He has missed the last two games which means they can back-date the placement to late-November.
  • Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky is on pace to return to Washington’s lineup within the next three weeks, reports Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He has been sidelined since late October after undergoing thumb surgery.  The original timeline for his return was six-to-eight weeks so he appears to be on right on schedule.  Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports Washington adds that Burakovsky was skating earlier today and doing some light shooting which is certainly a good sign as well.
  • Martin Hanzal’s tough year with the Stars continues. After missing time due to a lower-body injury as well as a hand injury already, the center is now listed as week-to-week with a hamstring issue, notes NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro (Twitter link).  When healthy, Hanzal has yet to live up to his three-year, $14.25MM contract he signed back in July; he has just a goal and two assists in 19 games this season.

Opinions Differ On Injury Disclosures

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Dallas Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock turned some heads last week when he made comments against the NHL’s injury reporting policies. Hitchcock’s comments were not controversial, however they were the first that anyone within the league had publicly taken a stance against a rather secretive way of doing business. The NHL does not require its teams to submit detailed injury reports like the National Football League does, for example. Instead, fans and opponents are left with the infamous “lower body” and “upper body” injuries which could be anything from a broken toe to a concussion and infinite other ailments in between. Yet, last week Hitchcock’s Stars came out and announced specific injuries: knee surgery for Marc Methot and a hand injury for Martin Hanzal. In addressing the media on his deviation from the norm, Hitchcock was blunt:

“I think we collectively hate playing the game. What I mean by that is we say upper body, then you go on the phone, and then you look up things or you go to the doctors, find out what part of the upper body… We try to make your work easier, quite frankly… Nobody thinks like that. Our feeling is just ’tell them what the injury is and move it forward, and let’s stop the dance.'”

What Hitchcock alludes to is that secrecy surrounding injuries in the NHL is nothing more than a “game” at this point. The media and thus fans and opponents eventually find out the pertinent information and hiding behind vague “upper-body” and “lower-body” injuries is merely a hindrance on the flow of information.

So what do other coaches think? Since Hitchcock’s remarks, this has been a hot button topic for the league’s other bench bosses. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock was asked on Saturday what his opinion was on the subject and agreed with Hitchcock on all but one specific injury: concussions. “I don’t like talking about head injuries,” Babcock qualified, “Then there are all these things about concussions and half the time it’s neck or something… I want the player and the right people to work that out.” Despite otherwise agreeing with Hitchcock, Babcock did add that the Leafs plan to stick with “upper-body” and “lower-body”, though he respects the right of all coaches to disclose injuries as they like.

Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice was less cordial about Hitchcock’s comments when he addressed them this morning, completely disagreeing:

“You’re not allowed to tell anybody what a doctor knows. They’ve got laws. People can get sued for letting that kind of information (out). I don’t really have the right to come out and tell you how a guy is feeling…I would think on average (that) somewhere between nine and 11 players, about half your hockey team, every single night, has something that they’re dealing with. Bone bruises, I had a guy playing with cracked ribs. I don’t want anybody to know that.”

Maurice seems to take the stance that not only is revealing a specific injury a violation of a player’s  privacy, but it also can be detrimental to the team. The one point on which Maurice agreed with Hitchcock over Babcock was concussions, as Maurice feels that there is a “responsibility to show our league is handling them in a certain way.”

For media and fans, the clear choice is with Hitchcock, as complete information is always a benefit to the spectators. So long as coaches support vague injury reports though, it seems unlikely that the league will implement any blanked changes to injury disclosures.

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

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