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Michal Rozsival

Pacific Notes: Ritchie, Neal, Virtanen, Wagner

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Anaheim Ducks forward Nick Ritchie has been fined $4,121.86, the maximum-allowable fine under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Christian Folin.

The hit (video here) came in the first period of Anaheim’s 8-2 victory Friday over Montreal in response to an earlier hit when Folin delivered a high hit on rookie Troy Terry earlier in the game. The 23-year-old was assessed a two-minute minor for interference for the hit. Ritchie has been in trouble before, getting suspended for one game back in 2017 after punching Chicago’s Michal Rozsival.

  • Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg reports that Calgary Flames forward James Neal, who has been out since Feb. 14 with a lower-body injury, has begun skating again, although Flames head coach Bill Peters said that he still has a little way to go before returning. Despite the team being in first place and having a solid season, it’s been with little contribution from Neal, who the team signed to a five-year, $28.75MM free-agent deal this summer. Neal has struggled with injuries this year and hasn’t produced, posting just five goals and 15 points in 55 games in his first year with Calgary.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced that forward Jake Virtanen will return tonight against Vegas. The 22-year-old has been out with a fractured rib since Feb. 13. The 2014 sixth-overall pick has improved on his rookie campaign with 12 goals and 22 points in 58 games, while averaging a career-high 14:49 of ATOI. He won’t be eased into the lineup either as he is expected to join the Canucks’ top line right away as well as the team’s second-line power play unit.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes the Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner, who has been out for a week with a lower-body injury, may not be back soon. The 21-year-old rookie skated Friday in a track suit, but isn’t just ready to return to the lineup. “He’s probably more than a week out, I think,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “Maybe close to a week, but when you’re not skating (in gear) right now, you’ve got to be skating to be close, and he’s not that close.” Wagner has nine goals and 16 points in 49 games.

 

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Chicago’s free agent situation.

Top Restricted Free Agent: F Vinnie Hinostroza — For the second year in a row, Hinostroza got some quality time with the Blackhawks, totallying 99 games in those two seasons. However this year, the 24-year-old forward really showed that he can contribute at a high level. In 50 games this year, Hinostroza found himself working between the second and third lines, totaling seven goals and 25 points, while logging more than 13 minutes of ice time per game. As Chicago becomes more and more reliant on youth to fill in the gap for some of their aging veterans, the team needs Hinostroza to take that next step as a bonafide top-six center.

Having made just $925K this past year, he still is likely to have quite a low salary for a few more years, which is exactly the kind of value the ’Hawks need to rebound and compete for a playoff spot next year.

Other RFA’s: D Adam Clendening, F Anthony Duclair, F John Hayden, F Tomas Jurco.

Top Unrestricted Free Agent: D Cody Franson — Perhaps a better word is ’none.’ There are no key unrestricted free agents unless you look real deep on their roster. You would have to look at players who the team moved to Rockford near the trade deadline when the team decided to give their young players as much playing time as possible. Franson was one of those players, who possesses the offensive talents, but lacks the defense to compete at an NHL level and has bounced around the league looking for a permanent home. Don’t count on Chicago being that place as a recent report suggests he’s not expecting to return next season. He tallied just a goal and six assists in 23 games, but was put on waivers in January.

Other UFA’s: F Lance Bouma, F Christopher Didomenico, G Jeff Glass, F Andreas Martinsen, D Michal Rozsival, D Viktor Svedberg, F Jordin Tootoo.

Projected Cap Space: The salary cap has not been Chicago’s friend over the past few years with big contracts the team handed out to Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, among others. However, the team has done a good job of moving some contracts and have $6.1MM of cap space available to them, and that’s not including the assumption the cap could go up $5MM next season. The team might have the ability to bring in a free agent or two to help aid the veterans in making a playoff comeback this year. While it’s not likely to include a high-priced free agent, their available cap space should be an asset for the coming season.

Snapshots: Brouwer, Kostin, LTIR

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With the addition of Jaromir Jagr to the Calgary Flames (which has still yet to actually be announced), there is something of a log jam for bottom-six wingers. Troy Brouwer, the most expensive one of the bunch, has now been rumored to be on his way out according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver. While Dhaliwal makes it clear that nothing is imminent, a Brouwer trade would make sense for the Flames.

Last year, Calgary spent a second-round pick to acquire Curtis Lazar with the hope that he could develop into more than just a fourth-line player. Mark Jankowski, another first-round pick who the Flames have been waiting on impressed in camp and has earned a spot on the team. When added with Matt Stajan, Kris Versteeg and Freddie Hamilton the team clearly has enough bodies to handle a trade. Whether they swing a deal for Brouwer and his hefty salary ($4.5MM for each of the next three seasons) is still unclear, but Calgary is definitely a team to watch in the coming days.

  • Klim Kostin was on track to make the St. Louis Blues team out of camp but has suffered an injury according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. The young forward is set to miss 7-10 days and could start in the AHL to get his legs back under him before making an impact with the team. The Blues are without so many of their forwards to start the year that Kostin and other young players will likely have to play a role earlier than the team had wanted.
  • Speaking of the St. Louis Blues and young players, the team has announced an entry-level contract for Tanner Kaspick after spending some time with the club in camp this year. Kaspick is already back playing with his Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he has four points in four games. Kaspick was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2016 but has shown that there may be more upside to his game than originally thought. In 49 games with the Wheat Kings last year he registered 45 points, and should be given even more responsibility this season as the new captain.
  • Chris Johnston of Sportsnet asked Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs if his team had been given any sort of decision from the league on the Joffrey Lupul situation, to which the GM said no. The league is set to decide whether Lupul and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, a decision that should be made before long. If they are, both Toronto and Chicago could get more salary cap relief. The Blackhawks did place one player on LTIR today, moving defenseman Michal Rozsival there to free up another roster spot. Rozsival signed a contract last season in order to help the Blackhawks become expansion draft compliant, but did not pass his physical at the beginning of training camp.

Snapshots: Rozsival, Cleary, Wild

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Michal Rozsival did not pass his physical today in Chicago Blackhawks camp, meaning he will not be allowed to participate in on-ice activities. The 39-year old signed a new contract during last season to help the Blackhawks fulfill their expansion draft requirements, but wasn’t expected to take on a full-time role with the team this year.

Despite that, it looked as though he might have to be a big contributor since Chicago had seen Brian Campbell, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Niklas Hjalmarsson all leave through various methods, and not many players brought in to replace them. Cody Franson and Mark Stuart are both in camp on professional tryouts, and Rozsival’s absence certainly helps their case when working towards an NHL contract.

  • Dan Cleary is back with the Detroit Red Wings this year, as Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that he’ll have the title of Director of Player Development. Cleary was an unofficial coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins last year, as he was actually on a player contract but never suited up for the club. The Griffins won the Calder Cup as league champions, and Cleary will continue his role as a mentor for the young players.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic had a disappointing series of tweets about Minnesota Wild prospects today, as he reported that Mason Shaw is out four to six months after tearing his ACL, Jack Walker will miss six weeks with an injured shoulder, and Dante Salituro will miss two weeks because of a shoulder injury. While none of the three represent blue chip prospects for the club, early injuries are starting to pile up for the depth players of the Iowa Wild.

Injury Updates: Blackhawks, Methot, Stastny

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The Blackhawks will be without defenseman Michal Rozsival when the puck drops on their series opener against Nashville on Thursday as they announced that the blueliner underwent surgery today to repair facial fractures sustained against the Ducks last week.  The veteran was a depth player for Chicago for most of the season, getting into 22 games while averaging 15:30 per night in ice time.  There is no timetable for his potential return but the team noted he’s expected to make a full recovery.  Forward Andrew Desjardins, who also was injured against Anaheim, remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Chicago will get a boost up front against the Predators as center Artem Anisimov will return to the lineup after missing the last month with a leg injury, notes CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers.  He had been skating for the last week as he worked himself back into game shape.  Anisimov is expected to rejoin wingers Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane inside their top six forward group.

More injury news from around the NHL:

  • Senators defenseman Marc Methot is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday’s series opener against Boston, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun notes. Head coach Guy Boucher calls Methot’s situation the only one he’ll have to make a decision on and that they could still opt to rest him up for a few more days.  The blueliner has missed the last nine games with a lacerated finger suffered after being slashed by Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby on March 23rd.
  • The Blues will likely be without center Paul Stastny when they open up their series against Minnesota tomorrow night, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He suffered a broken foot back on March 21st against Colorado and has been out of the lineup since then.  It’s expected that Ivan Barbashev will open up the series in his place on the top line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.
  • Bruins centers David Krejci and Dominic Moore missed practice today and while the team is hopeful that both will be ready to take on Ottawa tomorrow, head coach Bruce Cassidy told CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty that it’s not a guarantee that either will be available.  He noted that both players are going through “maintenance work” at the moment.  Krejci’s absence in particular is noteworthy as this is the second straight practice he missed.  Not only has he been Boston’s top postseason scorer in two of their last four playoff appearances, he also led the NHL in playoff points in those two years.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Luongo, Rozsival, Oilers

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After Team USA announced that Jeff Blashill will lead their World Championship team earlier today, Team Canada responded by releasing their coaching staff as well. Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning will lead the squad, while Gerard Gallant, Dave Hakstol (Philadelphia) and Dave King will be the assistants.

Cooper, like Blashill, has never been the head coach of an international squad, though he was an assistant for Team North America at last fall’s World Cup. His Lightning were devastated by injuries this season and still only missed the playoffs by one point, making him an interesting candidate for the Jack Adams trophy for coach of the year—though very unlikely to win it. He’s proven his ability at every level, winning both a USHL and AHL championship before taking the Lightning to the finals two years ago.

  • Roberto Luongo is worried about his hip being a chronic issue, reports Henry Fialkov of the Sun Sentinal. The soon to be hall of fame goaltender played just 40 games this season, the lowest total of his entire career (not including the lockout shortened 2012-13 season). While he’s “confident” he’ll return to his elite performance, it will be hard for a 38-year old with a bad hip to get back to a .920+ save percentage. James Reimer will be relied on even more heavily next season, after putting up a solid year.
  • Michal Rozsival underwent surgery to repair facial fractures sustained when he was punched by Nick Ritchie earlier this month. Ritchie earned a two-game suspension for the punch, as it was delivered when Rozsival wasn’t ready and couldn’t defend himself. While there was no timetable given, expect the 38-year old to miss at least the first few rounds of the playoffs. He should make a full recovery.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have signed Evan Campbell and Evan Polei to amateur tryouts with the Bakersfield Condors. Campbell has just graduated from the UMass-Lowell where he scored just five points in his senior season. It’s been back to back disappointing campaigns for the fifth-round winger, but he still garnered enough attention to deserve a look at the AHL. Polei on the other hand played well as an overager in the WHL with Red Deer, putting up 62 points in 69 games. An undrafted winger, Polei plays a physical game and can provide some size and strength even at the professional level. Bakersfield has just three games to try and make up three points and catch the Stockton Heat for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

Nick Ritchie Receives Two-Game Suspension For Roughing

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The Department of Player Safety has handed out a two-game ban to Nick Ritchie for his punch on Michal Rozsival last night. The Anaheim Ducks forward will miss the regular season finale on Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings, and the first game of the playoffs. Ritchie attacked Rozsival after the Blackhawks’ defenseman sent Corey Perry sprawling to the ice with a crosscheck. The DoPS explains their decision in the accompanying video:

…while Rozsival did crosscheck Perry seconds before this altercation, Ritchie’s response is in no way permitted or excusable. Ritchie has acknowledged that he confronted Rozsival to seek retribution for the crosscheck, which was already being penalized by the on-ice officials. Rozsival has his hands to his sides, and gives no indication that he is a willing combatant in a potential fight, or is anyway prepared for the altercation to escalate. With no reason to suspect that Rozsival is ready or willing to fight, Ritchie quickly drops his gloves and delivers a forceful, bare-knuckle punch directly to Rozsival’s face at a time Rozsival is unable to defend himself.

Despite the fact that Ritchie has no record of fines or suspensions during his NHL career—though he does have multiple suspensions at the OHL level—he received a longer penalty than Micheal Haley, who was recently involved in a similar incident. The fact that Rozsival suffered an injury when Haley’s victim, Calle Jarnkrok, did not seems to be the deciding factor. With the Ducks needing just a point in their final game (or an Edmonton loss in one of their final two) to lock up first place in the Pacific Division, perhaps the league thought sitting Ritchie for just one game to not be important enough. If it ends up being Calgary that the Ducks play in the first round, Ritchie will be sorely missed as the two meet for the first time since Cam Fowler’s injury earlier this week.

For Ducks fans, this seems like a harsh punishment for a punch when other things are going unpunished around the league. While Ritchie is known for his physical play, he rarely dips into dangerous territory and has shown himself to be a capable player up and down the lineup this season. Ondrej Kase will likely stay in the lineup, and it will be interesting to see who else draws in. Ritchie also has to be careful in the future, as he is now a “repeat offender” in the eyes of the league for the next 18 months and would sacrifice a larger portion of salary should he be suspended again.

Morning Notes: Ritchie, Bjork, Lockout

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The Anaheim Ducks may lose a young forward for the start of their playoff series, as Nick Ritchie has a hearing with the Department of Player Safety this afternoon to determine his fate. Ritchie attacked Michal Rozsival in their game last night after the Blackhawks’ defender sent Corey Perry to the ice. Whether the league gives him just the one remaining game in the regular season, or a match in the playoffs is yet to be seen.

Recently, Micheal Haley received just a one-game ban for a similar incident though he actually struck Calle Jarnkrok when the Predators forward wasn’t even looking. In this instance, Rozsival is looking straight at Ritchie, despite not protecting himself. The Ducks forward does not have a history of supplemental discipline with the league, though was suspended multiple times during his stint in junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes. Hopefully for Ducks fans, the league hands out the same punishment it gave Haley.

  • Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe opines that the NHL’s Olympic decision could have an effect on whether or not the team can get Anders Bjork to leave school early now that Notre Dame’s dream season has come to an end. The team’s leading scorer could go back to school for one year, likely play for Team USA in the Olympics—he was born in Wisconsin—and then become an unrestricted free agent next August and decide on his NHL future. For what it’s worth, Bjork told Shinzawa’s colleague at the Globe John Connolly yesterday that he hadn’t really thought about what to do after this season yet, as he was still focused on the NCAA tournament. Notre Dame was eliminated last night at the hands of the powerhouse University of Denver 6-1.
  • Jonathan Toews spoke with Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press for an excellent piece surrounding the possibility of another lockout looming after the tension of the Olympic decision. The NHL and NHLPA are clearly not on the same page at this point, and Toews wouldn’t be surprised to see another work stoppage. September 15th of 2019 is the month that should be circled on all of our calandars, as that is when the players could opt out of the current agreement and terminate the current CBA. The league has an opt out two weeks earlier, but with them offering the Olympics for an extension, it would be unlikely to see them use the clause.

Chicago Blackhawks Extend Jordin Tootoo And Michal Rozsival

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed both Jordin Tootoo and Michal Rozsival to one-year extensions. Signing both players through 2017-18 will help to fulfill the forward and defense requirements (Roszival actually needs three more games) for the Blackhawks in the upcoming expansion draft. The team will need to expose another forward who fulfills the 40/70 requirement and is signed through next year. Marcus Kruger currently fills that, though they may want to protect him in the draft. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reports that the deals are worth $700K for Tootoo and $650K for Rozsival.

Both players signed one-year deals with the Blackhawks this summer and have played bit parts in the Blackhawks latest run for the Stanley Cup. Combined, they’ve collected two points but do provide bodies for the team to move in and out of the lineup when necessary. For a team like the Hawks that operate right up against the cap, cheap veterans that can fill in are key to icing a competitive lineup every night.

Like the signing of Jeff Glass last week, this is a move simply to prepare Chicago for any eventual scenario at the expansion draft. With teams unsure exactly of what strategy the Vegas Golden Knights will use, having more players that can fill expansion requirements is a good thing.

Snapshots: Memorial Cup, Rozsival, Brodin

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The Maple Leafs announced the four additions to their Legends Row tonight before the start of their game against the Ottawa Senators. Charlie Conacher, Red Kelly, Frank Mahovlich and Wendel Clark will all have statues revealed in the fall alongside the other 10 players.

Brendan Shanahan (via James Mirtle of The Athletic) spoke at the ceremony, saying “it is our sincere hope that we will soon have reason to expand this bench to recognize future Leafs heroes.” One player Leaf fans are hoping will be in that group one day, Mitch Marner, is out tonight and tomorrow with a shoulder injury, forcing the Maple Leafs to shake up their lines. William Nylander is back skating with Auston Matthews, while Connor Brown has been dropped into Marner’s spot.

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tells us that the 2018 Memorial Cup will be held in Regina, Saskatchewan. The CHL tournament is a huge stage for young players to showcase their skills, and the host city is entered automatically. Hopefully for the Regina Pats, Sam Steel will still be with them next season. The 30th-overall pick by Anaheim at the most recent draft has 103 points in 50 games and is still only 18 years old.
  • According to Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago will be getting a little veteran depth back on the blueline as early as tomorrow. Michal Rozsival, who hasn’t played since January 15th due to a foot injury is set to return to the lineup Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. The veteran of 955 games gives the Hawks an extra body that can be trusted in a limited role. With the team on their way back to the playoffs, they’ll need all the health they can get.
  • Just before their game started, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune told us the Minnesota Wild activated Jonas Brodin from injured reserve. Brodin hasn’t played since January 17th, and will be a big addition to the Wild as they look to continue their dominance in the Western Conference. The team has 82 points already, easily pacing the west and seven points ahead of the Blackhawks for first in the Central Division.
  • Lou Korac of NHL.com adds that the St. Louis Blues have sent Kenny Agostino back down to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, despite playing well in his short stint. The Blues have Paul Stastny returning and had a roster crunch up front. Agostino will head back to the AHL where he was the league’s top scorer at the time of his call up—and still is. 60 points in 48 games for the former fifth-round pick, who has turned into an excellent playmaker at the age of 24.

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