Snapshots: Three Stars, QMJHL Trades, Jets
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, with Nathan MacKinnon taking home top spot. The Colorado Avalanche superstar had eight points in three games and has now almost caught Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in the NHL scoring race. MacKinnon has 25 goals and 64 points on the season, a pace that would see him easily eclipse his personal best of 99 points set last season.
In second place is another exceptional center in Mark Scheifele, who posted eight points of his own in three games. The Winnipeg Jets forward now has 20 goals and 48 points this season, while averaging close to 22 minutes a game. The third star went to Zach Werenski, who incredibly scored five of the eight goals that the Columbus Blue Jackets totaled last week. The 22-year old defenseman now has double digit goal totals in each of his first four seasons, and 13 this year in just 35 games.
- With the World Juniors over, several CHL players that took part in the tournament will likely see their rights traded as teams load up for Memorial Cup runs. Nowhere is that more obvious than the QMJHL, where both Raphael Lavoie and Dawson Mercer were dealt today. The pair of Canadian gold medalists are on the move to Chicoutimi where they’ll join a Sangueneens team that is 27-7-4 on the season.
- Andrew Copp has been officially activated from injured reserve by the Winnipeg Jets, with Nathan Beaulieu taking his place. Copp hasn’t played since the middle of December, but is an important depth forward for the Jets. In 34 games this season the 25-year old has 14 points, seeing more playing time and better linemates than ever before in his career.
Nathan Beaulieu Out At Least A Month
2:00pm: Niku has indeed been recalled by the team.
1:10pm: It’s been a tough season for Nathan Beaulieu of the Winnipeg Jets, and it’s about to get even worse. The defenseman will be out at least a month with a lower-body injury suffered on New Year’s Even thanks to a shot block (or five).
Beaulieu has already missed half the season due to injury, only debuting at the beginning of November. His return was an important one for the Jets though, who have been devastated on the blueline over the last six months. It got so bad at the beginning of the season that Ville Heinola, their draft pick that is currently overseas playing at the World Juniors, was logging big minutes on the top pairing. Beaulieu’s new absence will test that defense corps once again.
The team does have Sami Niku and Logan Stanley waiting in the minor leagues, but their depth will still be tested over the next month.
Injury Notes: Kulikov, Keith, Granlund
As if the Winnipeg Jets needed any more concerns on the blue line, yet the team’s short-handed defense corps was dealt another blow on Tuesday. Head coach Paul Maurice announced that Dmitry Kulikov has suffered an upper-body injury that is expected to leave him sidelined for upwards of two months. Maurice expects the veteran defender to return after the All-Star break in late January. Kulikov suffered the injury, speculated to be related to his left arm, on Friday night and did not play Saturday. However, there was hope that he would return to the lineup shortly, but that will not be the case. Kulikov, 29, had been enjoying a bit of a career resurgence early this year after dealing with injuries in each of this past three seasons. The former Panthers standout is third among Jets starting defensemen in time on ice and first in Corsi For, while leading the entire team in blocked shots. Personally, Kulikov was also on pace for the highest point total of his stint in Winnipeg. However, it now appears that it could be more of the same for the physical, but fragile rearguard. With Nathan Beaulieu already injured and the team still coping with the absences of Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot, Kulikov’s loss is a major blow for the Jets. Winnipeg has held their own to this point in the season, but one has to wonder when their luck will run out considering their depleted blue line.
- The Chicago Blackhawks are another team dealing with a slew of injuries. So much so in fact that they were forced to ice only eleven forwards and six defensemen on Monday night after a roster full of short-term injuries and a sick goalie necessitated the call-up of AHL keeper Kevin Lankinen without enough room to make any other additions. While Robin Lehner is back on his feet, one of those other injured players is going to be out for a while longer. Blackhawks beat writer Carter Baum reports that top pair defenseman Duncan Keith is expected to miss at least another two games with a lingering groin injury. Keith will not travel with the team on their two-game road trip, extending what has already been a two-game absence. Groin injuries tend to stick around, so Keith could remain sidelined beyond the next two games and could also deal with the issue throughout the season. It’s a difficult situation for Chicago, who desperately needs their ice time leader and defensive mainstay to be active as much as possible if they wish to push for a playoff spot this season.
- Kyle Turris is back in the lineup for the Nashville Predators, but not because head coach Peter Laviolette has changed his mind about the under-performing veteran. Instead, Turris has drawn in to replace Mikael Granlund. The Predators announced just prior to their game on Tuesday night that Granlund would not be in the lineup and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Not much is known about Granlund’s status as of yet, but an extended absence could very well cost him his spot as a top-six forward for the team. Granlund has just 11 points in 26 games, only two more points than Turris has in 19 games. Granlund has been a disappointment since coming over from Minnesota last season, but even if Nashville has no intention of re-signing him, the impending free agent has ample incentive to get healthy and try to find his way back to an elite level of play.
Snapshots: Desjardins, Beaulieu, Tuch, Red Wings
After not landing a coaching offer from the NHL upon not having his interim deal renewed with Los Angeles, head coach Willie Desjardins decided to return to the WHL for another stint with Medicine Hat. He’s off to a good start with the Tigers which could have him back on the NHL radar when other opportunities become available. However, he told Postmedia’s Steve Ewen that he’s not really giving any thought to possibly taking a third run at being an NHL bench boss. With Medicine Hat, the 62-year-old is also serving as GM which gives him full control over his roster which would be tough to give up at this stage of his coaching career.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Jets could get some help on the back end for Tuesday’s game against New Jersey. Ken Wiebe of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Nathan Beaulieu is on track to make his season debut after suffering an upper-body injury late in the preseason. While Winnipeg non-tendered the defenseman back in June, they quickly re-signed him in July to a one-year, $1MM contract, well below his required $2.5MM qualifying offer. After logging nearly 17 minutes a night after being acquired last season, Beaulieu should be able to step in and play a regular role right away.
- The Golden Knights will be without Alex Tuch for the start of their four-game road trip, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Tuch sustained an upper-body injury in just his second game of the season after returning from an LTIR stint to start the season. Head coach Gerard Gallant declined to comment on whether or not the winger is in concussion protocol and suggested that it’s possible that Tuch rejoins the team later on during the trip.
- With the Red Wings struggling early on, it certainly seems as if they’ll be sellers before the trade deadline. However, as MLive’s Ansar Khan points out, GM Steve Yzerman’s options are relatively limited given that the veterans on expiring contracts that they have to sell aren’t likely to attract much interest so someone like Andreas Athanasiou may ultimately be their best trade chip. He has struggled considerably to start the season but he did reach the 30-goal mark last season and has another season of team control after this one as a restricted free agent.
Injury Notes: Beaulieu, Rust, Makar
The Winnipeg Jets already lost several defensemen this summer to various means, and now will be without another for the first month of the season. Nathan Beaulieu has suffered an upper-body injury and will be out for four weeks according to Murat Ates of The Athletic. Beaulieu was one of the players expected to pick up some slack this season after re-signing with the Jets for $1MM, but will have to work hard to get back into the lineup at some point in the future. The team claimed Carl Dahlstrom off waivers today to give them some more depth.
Ates also notes that Bryan Little did indeed suffer a concussion when he was hit by Luke Kunin in a game this weekend. Though there is no timetable for his return at this point, it comes as just another blow to a weakened Jets team that can’t seem to find any respite these days.
- Another team that might be facing a lengthy absence from an important player is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today that Bryan Rust will be out “longer-term” after blocking a shot against the Buffalo Sabres. Rust took the shot right to the palm of his hand, though there has been no confirmation if it is broken at this point. Sidney Crosby, who also blocked a shot and suffered a minor injury, was back out on the ice today for the Penguins.
- Alarm bells went off in Colorado today when Cale Makar was missing from practice with the Avalanche, but head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic that it was just a “little tweak.” Makar is expected to be ready for the start of the season.
- The same can be said about Mikael Backlund who skated by himself before Calgary Flames practice today. Backlund has a minor lower-body injury and according to GM Brad Treliving (via Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet) is expected to practice tomorrow and be in the lineup when the Flames take on the Avalanche on Thursday night.
Nathan Beaulieu Extended By Winnipeg Jets
Nathan Beaulieu made enough of an impression in Winnipeg as a minor trade deadline acquisition to earn a longer look. The Jets have announced that they have re-signed the defenseman to a one-year deal worth $1MM. Given the departure of Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and the unknown status of Ben Chiarot, Beaulieu could be asked to play a starting role in Winnipeg this year.
Winnipeg acquired Beaulieu for a small price at the deadline, only having to send a 2019 sixth-round pick to Buffalo for the 26-year-old. He immediately took a significant role for the Jets, playing 16:51 of ice time in his 18 games, putting up five assists. While he didn’t make the lineup during the playoffs, the team feels that he was worth bringing back.
The team, now without Trouba and Myers, must begin to rebuild their defense around Josh Morrissey, Dustin Byfuglien and Neal Pionk (barring a trade) and will have a number of young players battling for playing time, including Beaulieu, Sami Niku and Tucker Poolman.
List Of Players Not Receiving A 2019 Qualifying Offer
The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents comes down at 4pm today, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. It does not stop them from re-signing with the team for a different amount. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:
Anaheim Ducks
D Jake Dotchin, D Trevor Murphy, D Keaton Thompson
Arizona Coyotes
G Hunter Miska, F Nick Cousins, F Josh Archibald
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
F Eric Cornel, D Jack Dougherty, D Brycen Martin, F Sean Malone* (Signed to AHL deal)
Calgary Flames
F Curtis Lazar, F Brett Pollock, F Kerby Rychel, D Josh Healey, G Mason McDonald
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
D Blake Hillman, F Anthony Louis, F Spencer Watson, F Luke Johnson, F David Kampf
Colorado Avalanche
F Sven Andrighetto, G Spencer Martin, D Sergei Boikov, D Mason Geertsen, F Julien Nantel
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
F Brett Ritchie, F Ryan Hartman, D Chris Martenet, G Philippe Desrosiers
Detroit Red Wings
F Martin Frk, F Axel Holmstrom, F Dylan Sadowy, D Libor Sulak
Edmonton Oilers
F Tobias Rieder, F Ty Rattie, F Colin Larkin, F Tyler Vesel, D Robin Norell
Florida Panthers
F Vincent Praplan, F Henrik Haapala, D Michael Downing, D Ludwig Bystrom
Los Angeles Kings
F Nikita Scherbak, F Brendan Leipsic, F Matheson Iacopelli, F Pavel Jenys, D Alex Lintuniemi
Minnesota Wild
F Pontus Aberg, F Chase Lang, F Dante Salituro, D Michael Kapla
Montreal Canadiens
F Hunter Shinkaruk, F Daniel Audette, D Brett Lernout
Nashville Predators
F Phillip Di Giuseppe, F Justin Kirkland
New Jersey Devils
F Stefan Noesen, D Ryan Murphy, G Cam Johnson
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
D Julius Bergman, D Fredrik Claesson, D Chris Bigras, G Chris Nell, G Brandon Halverson
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
F Justin Bailey, D Jacob Graves
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
D Joakim Ryan, F Rourke Chartier, F Jon Martin, F Alex Schoenborn, D Michael Brodzinski, D Cody Donaghey, D Cavan Fitzgerald
St. Louis Blues
F Nikita Soshnikov, F Conner Bleackley
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Nicholas Baptiste, F Gabriel Gagne, D Jordan Subban, G Eamon McAdam
Vancouver Canucks
F Brendan Gaunce, F Markus Granlund, F Yan-Pavel LaPlante, D Derrick Pouliot, D Ben Hutton
Vegas Golden Knights
F Tomas Nosek, F Alex Gallant, F Tobias Lindberg, F Tomas Hyka, G Zach Fucale
Washington Capitals
F Dmitrij Jaskin, F Mason Mitchell, F Hampus Gustafsson, F Mathias Bau-Hansen
Winnipeg Jets
F Marko Dano, D Joseph Morrow, D Nathan Beaulieu, D Jimmy Oligny, G Ken Appleby
Western Notes: Tippett, Josi, Beaulieu, Simek
The Edmonton Oilers and new general manager Ken Holland haven’t announced a new coach and while rumors have suggested that the team has settled on Dave Tippett as the team’s new head coach, nothing has been announced.
Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins reiterates that Tippett to Edmonton is a “done deal,” but the timing of the announcement has been the issue. The deal still has to get onto paper and with both the NHL Draft Combine and the Stanley Cup Finals, there is little time to get the announcement out there that the team has a new head coach. Regardless, the scribe writes that Tippett’s appointment will come in the next few days.
- For a second year in a row, the Nashville Predators top priority will be to sign one of their star defensemen to a extension. The team locked up Ryan Ellis to an eight-year, $50MM deal last summer and must do something similar with Roman Josi, who is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. Josi, however, has made it clear he wants to stay in Nashville. However, the Predators will have to pay up as The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that they will likely have to give him the biggest contract in team history, which could overtake Ryan Johansen‘s $8MM AAV.
- The Winnipeg Jets have a number of big contracts and potential trades to deal with this offseason, but there are also smaller issues along their roster as well. The team needs to keep their defensive depth, one of the strengths of their roster in recent years, yet they only have five defensemen under contract. The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe writes that the Jets have indicated that they would like to bring back restricted free agent Nathan Beaulieu, who the team acquired at the trade deadline for a sixth-round pick, as insurance in case they lose Jacob Trouba to a trade. However, in order to offer Beaulieu a qualifying offer, they would have to add 10 percent to his $2.4MM he made last year, which the team is unlikely to do for a bottom-pairing defenseman. The more logical approach, which Winnipeg did last year with Joseph Morrow, would be to not qualify him and then try to sign him for less as an unrestricted free agent.
- The San Jose Sharks got some good news as The Athletic’s David Lombardi (subscription required) writes that defenseman Radim Simek, who has been out since March 12th after having his leg crushed in a collision with Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp and having surgery to repair a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus, has already returned to the ice and is skating again. “The guys who are taking care of me say that my rehab is going really fast, that it’s really unusual to only be two months removed from surgery but back on the ice, skating however I want,” Simek said. Simek, who signed out of the Czech Republic in 2017, played one year in the AHL and made the NHL roster this season, playing in 41 games and making a significant difference before getting injured and hopes to be back for next season.
West Notes: Oilers, Beaulieu, Donskoi
It appears that the Oilers are making progress in their search for a new general manager. In an appearance on 630 CHED (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Edmonton has narrowed its list of candidates down to three names. Two have been widely speculated for a while in former Toronto assistant GM Mark Hunter and current Vegas assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon while the third has yet to be determined. Friedman suggests that Ken Holland would warrant consideration but there are doubts that the now-former Detroit GM would seek that position so quickly. Interim GM Keith Gretzky could also be the other option being considered. A decision on who to hire is expected after the World Under-18’s conclude on Sunday.
Elsewhere out West:
- The Jets have interest in keeping defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in the fold, mentions Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe. After struggling with Buffalo, the 26-year-old held his own in a late-season trade to Winnipeg, logging nearly 17 minutes a night during the regular season although he didn’t see action in the postseason. Even though they want to retain him though, his required qualifying offer of $2.5MM is probably too rich to justify, especially with all of the other prominent players to sign. Accordingly, it’s likely that if a deal can’t be reached by the tender deadline in June, he’ll go unqualified with the Jets hoping to bring him back after he has a chance to test the open market.
- On top of missing Joe Pavelski for tonight’s series opener against Colorado, the Sharks will also be without winger Joonas Donskoi, notes Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered an upper-body injury back in the sixth game of the first round against Vegas. Despite having a career-best 37 points this season, the pending UFA has seen limited action so far this postseason, even when healthy. There is no timetable for his return.
Big Money Sits As Playoffs Begin
The NHL playoffs kick off tonight with five games including three Western Conference battles. The top 16 teams in the league have spent months preparing for this moment, fine tuning their roster and lineup card to make sure they have the very best group available to them. With that in mind, this postseason is about to kick off with an incredible amount of salary sitting in the press box. Many of the teams about to take the ice have decided to do so without some big earners, instead using breakout performers that have overtaken their veteran counterparts. Let’s take a look at the expensive names (above $2MM cap hits) on the sideline:
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Ryan Callahan -$5.8MM cap hit
Braydon Coburn – $3.7MM cap hit
Who says it’s easy to coach the best team in the league? Jon Cooper has made some tough decisions for his opening lineup, sitting veterans in Callahan and Coburn. Both players were big parts of Tampa Bay’s 2015 Stanley Cup Final run but will now find themselves watching from the press box as the action begins. Jan Rutta and Mathieu Joseph will both be making their postseason debuts tonight against Columbus.
Columbus Blue Jackets:
Alexander Wennberg – $4.9MM cap hit
When Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel were acquired earlier this season the pressure was on for Wennberg to try and get back into the lineup, but it will be Alexandre Texier that pushes him out for the first game. Texier has made an impact on head coach John Tortorella in the first two games of his NHL career and will be jumping right into the fire against the Lightning tonight. The 19-year old forward scored a goal in his second NHL game and has shown a confidence beyond his years.
Pittsburgh Penguins:
Brian Dumoulin/Jack Johnson – $4.1MM/$3.25MM cap hit
It’s not clear if Dumoulin will be ready for tonight’s game, but if he is Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that it would be Jack Johnson coming out of the lineup. The idea of sitting Johnson in the first game of the playoffs certainly wasn’t the plan when the Penguins signed him to a five-year deal last summer. To be fair, this is more a situation of having too many options for the Penguins, as they currently employ six defensemen all making at least $3.25MM. If Marcus Pettersson stays in the lineup, someone expensive is coming out.
New York Islanders:
Thomas Hickey – $2.5MM cap hit
Hickey missed a huge chunk of the season with injury and while he was gone Devon Toews made a name for himself on Long Island. The veteran defenseman will find himself on the outside looking in as the playoffs begin, but he’ll likely be the first man up if the team suffers an injury against the Penguins. At least Hickey won’t be alone in the press box, as Michael Dal Colle, Ross Johnston, Luca Sbisa and Dennis Seidenberg all worked as extras today.
St. Louis Blues:
Carl Gunnarsson – $2.9MM cap hit
Michael Del Zotto – $3.0MM cap hit
The Blues went out and added some depth to the back end at the trade deadline by acquiring Del Zotto, but won’t have him in the lineup tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. He and Gunnarsson will be watching and waiting for their chance to help the team while 22-year old Vince Dunn makes his playoff debut. Dunn has turned into a top option for the Blues this season and will skate next to captain Alex Pietrangelo as they try to slow down the Jets attack.
Winnipeg Jets:
Nathan Beaulieu – $2.4MM cap hit
Just like the Blues, the Jets went out at the deadline and added a pair of depth options on the blue line to give them somewhere to turn if things go awry. Beaulieu will be a restricted free agent this summer and will have to hope for a chance to prove what he can do in the playoffs. The 17th-overall pick from 2011 has played only 17 postseason games in his career, and could potentially find himself without a qualifying offer after the season is over.
Dallas Stars:
Jason Spezza – $7.5MM cap hit
Valeri Nichushkin – $2.95MM cap hit
Jamie Oleksiak – $2.14MM cap hit
The Stars have the most money sitting on the sidelines out of any team in the playoffs, and a huge chunk of that is just Spezza. The 35-year old didn’t bounce back like many had hoped this season and scored just 27 points in 76 games. Combine that with his declining defensive game and you have a player that will have to watch and wait for his chance. At least Spezza scored at all this season, something you can’t say about Nichushkin. The return from Russia has not gone well for the 24-year old, who somehow went an entire season (57 games at least) without scoring a goal or committing a penalty.
Vegas Golden Knights:
Colin Miller – $3.875MM cap hit
Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that Miller looks to be a scratch on opening night. The 26-year old has 29 points in 65 games this season but could come out for Jon Merrill who has been used more and more over the last month by head coach Gerard Gallant.
Boston Bruins:
David Backes – $6MM cap hit
Backes hasn’t been what the Bruins were expecting when they signed him to a five-year, $30MM deal in 2016. The veteran forward’s offense has completely dried up and though he tried to reinvent himself this season as a physical force, the Bruins are going with a bit more speed and skill as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Undrafted rookie Karson Kuhlman is expected to suit up on the right side of Jake Debrusk and David Krejci, a big step for a 23-year old forward who played just 11 games this season.
Calgary Flames:
Michael Stone – $3.5MM cap hit
It’s a testament to just how quickly Rasmus Andersson has developed that a veteran option like Stone is on the sidelines to begin Calgary’s first-round series. The team put a lot of responsibility on Andersson this season and he has responded extremely well, putting him in line to be a top option for the team down the road. Stone meanwhile is just experiencing another setback in what has been a dreadful season, marred by a blood clot in his arm early in the year. He has played in just 14 games but will have to be ready to go if someone suffers an injury.