Metropolitan Notes: Gardiner, Fedotov, Backstrom
Carolina’s second buyout window opened up yesterday but while some wondered if they might take advantage of that to buy out the final year of Jake Gardiner’s deal, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that they won’t do so. Gardiner missed all of last season due to hip and back surgeries and cleared waivers the year before that so the opportunity to clear a big chunk of his $4.05MM AAV off their books had to be considered. However, with Max Pacioretty set to miss at least the first half of the season due to a torn Achilles, the need to free up short-term cap space isn’t as high so Gardiner will now try to earn a spot at the back of Carolina’s roster next month in training camp.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s hearing in Russia has been pushed to September 20th, relays Sam Carchidi of Philadelphia Hockey Now. He was arrested last month on suspicion of evading military service. The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia back in May with the expectation that he’d become their second goaltender following a dominant playoff performance with CSKA Moscow of the KHL but now, they won’t have him when training camp gets underway next month.
- There’s no firm timeline for when (or if) Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom might return next season after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery but Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic feels (subscription link) that the team is planning to be without the 34-year-old for the entire regular season with a small hope that he could be ready in the playoffs. Backstrom has three years left on his deal with a $9.2MM AAV and will clearly be eligible to go on LTIR. However, if the Caps feel that he won’t return at all during the season, that would give them more flexibility to add to their roster as they wouldn’t have to have enough freed up to accommodate his return. Speculatively, this feels like a situation where they’ll want to wait until closer to midseason and then reassess things heading towards the trade deadline.
Capitals Notes: Backstrom, Goaltending, Draft
When the Washington Capitals announced that Nicklas Backstrom had hip surgery, speculation erupted that the 34-year-old forward could potentially be on his way to semi-retirement, sitting out the last few years of his contract and heading to long-term injured reserve. Not so fast, says general manager Brian MacLellan:
I think everybody is happy–the trainers, the doctors–with the surgery and the results of the surgery. It is Nick’s intention to come back and play at some point this year.
While the timeline for that return is still unclear, MacLellan made a point to explain that the team won’t be looking to use his cap space as if it were staying on LTIR the whole year. Instead, they will look to their young players to step up in his absence and carry the ship until he returns.
- Backstrom has a $9.2MM cap hit through the 2024-25 season and will turn 35 in November. If he was ruled out for the year, moving his contract to LTIR would provide a ton of flexibility for the team in free agency, allowing them to go after not only his replacement but potentially a veteran goaltender as well. MacLellan confirmed that the team will issue qualifying offers to both Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov but that the position is not settled. In Pierre LeBrun’s latest for The Athletic, he even writes that he wouldn’t be surprised if they have checked in on Jack Campbell.
- There have been talks about nearly every draft pick in the first round it seems, and Washington’s No. 20 is no different. MacLellan explained that the idea of moving it has been discussed but that they are more likely to just hold onto that spot and make a selection. The Capitals didn’t have a first-round pick a year ago but have actually done a pretty good job of keeping their top selections over the years, despite being in a perpetual state of contending for the Stanley Cup.
Washington Capitals Announce Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Alexeyev Had Surgery
This afternoon, the Washington Capitals announced that star center Nicklas Backstrom and prospect Alexander Alexeyev both had surgery recently, with both expected to miss significant time. Backstrom had hip resurfacing surgery on Friday in Belgium, Washington confirmed, his recovery process beginning immediately, though a recovery timetable was not given (link). Alexeyev had a surgical labral repair to his left shoulder and is expected to mis four to five months (link).
The news on Backstrom is not surprising, his previous hip issues well documented, and his playing future seemingly uncertain at the conclusion of Washington’s season (link). At that point, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said Backstrom continuing to play with his hip as is was not sustainable and that the veteran forward would be looking at his options. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff points out that forward Ryan Kesler had the same hip resurfacing surgery that Backstrom had back in 2019 and of course, did not play again after (link). He also points to Ed Jovanovski, who had the same procedure in 2013, taking a full year to rehab, but came back to play 37 games before retiring.
Faced with a lengthy recovery and a checkered history of continued NHL play after having this surgery, Backstrom’s NHL future is up in the air. If Backstrom takes roughly the same year Jovanovski needed for recovery, he would find himself aiming to return at the start of the 2023-24 season, just ahead of his 36th birthday, but still with two years at a $9.2MM AAV remaining on his contract. Speaking of his contract, the injury does provide the Capitals with some flexibility to replace the production they will miss, allowing them to place the veteran on LTIR, adding another $9.2MM in cap space, more than doubling their current figure of just under $9MM of free space. This should add another wrinkle into the offseason, as a still-competitive Capitals team would presumably look to replace that production, jumping into a crowded market of teams looking to add from an also fairly crowded market of talented forwards both in free agency and on the trade block.
Alexeyev’s surgery, unlike Backstrom’s, does provide clarity on his situation and appears to give him a path to return without missing too much time, the four to five months timeline giving a late October or early November return date. The defenseman’s absence shouldn’t be a huge blow to the Capitals immediately, having played just one NHL game back in December. But, for the former first-round pick, who has been excellent in his time with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, he may have had a chance to push for a roster spot with the Capitals out of training camp. Now, the 22-year-old will now have to focus on recovering, likely beginning his season in the AHL.
East Notes: Backstrom, Panthers, Johansson, Nedeljkovic
Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom missed the first two months of the season with a hip injury and while he played the rest of the way, he wasn’t fully healthy. Speaking to reporters at today’s end-of-season press conference, the veteran told reporters, including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, that his injured hip will never fully recover while GM Brian MacLellan indicated that Backstrom continuing to play through the injury in its current form will not be sustainable moving forward. As a result, MacLellan indicated that the 34-year-old will be exploring his options. The uncertainty surrounding Backstrom’s availability will make Washington’s offseason planning that much more difficult as a result.
Other news from the Eastern Conference:
- Panthers winger Mason Marchment is unlikely to be available for the start of their series-opener against Tampa Bay, relays David Wilson of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old had a career year as a secondary scorer, notching 18 goals and 29 assists in just 54 games while also averaging two hits per game which made him a key part of Florida’s bottom six. He missed the last two games with an unspecified injury and there’s no word on how much longer he might be out. Meanwhile, interim head coach Andrew Brunette indicated that defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Ben Chiarot will be ready to start the season after being banged up in the final game of the Washington series.
- After playing on loan in the SHL this season, Red Wings prospect Albert Johansson confirmed to Expressen in Sweden that he will play in North America next season. The 21-year-old defenseman had 25 points in 52 games this season with Farjestad while chipping in with eight points in 19 playoff contests as he won the SHL title. Johansson also indicated that he won’t ask to be loaned back home if he doesn’t crack Detroit’s roster after training camp in the fall.
- Still with Detroit, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is out for the remainder of the World Championship due to an injury, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link). He was named to the team earlier this month but had yet to be registered by Team USA, a decision that certainly was the right one now. As he wasn’t officially registered to the team, they will be able to find a replacement. Devils goalie Jon Gillies and Sharks prospect Strauss Mann are the other netminders on the roster so far.
Nominees Announced For 2022 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2022.
Past winners of the award include Oskar Lindblom (2021), Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014), and Josh Harding (2013).
Below are the nominees from each team:
Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf
Arizona Coyotes – Andrew Ladd
Boston Bruins – Jake DeBrusk
Buffalo Sabres – Kyle Okposo
Calgary Flames – Chris Tanev
Carolina Hurricanes – Antti Raanta
Chicago Blackhawks – Dylan Strome
Colorado Avalanche – Jack Johnson
Columbus Blue Jackets – Justin Danforth
Dallas Stars – Tyler Seguin
Edmonton Oilers – Kris Russell
Florida Panthers – Anthony Duclair
Los Angeles Kings – Blake Lizotte
Minnesota Wild – Jared Spurgeon
Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price
Nashville Predators – Mark Borowiecki
New Jersey Devils – Nico Hischier
New York Islanders – Zdeno Chara
New York Rangers – Chris Kreider
Ottawa Senators – Anton Forsberg
Philadelphia Flyers – Kevin Hayes
Pittsburgh Penguins – Brian Boyle
St. Louis Blues – Vladimir Tarasenko
Seattle Kraken – Jaden Schwartz
Tampa Bay Lightning – Alex Killorn
Toronto Maple Leafs – Ondrej Kase
Vancouver Canucks – Luke Schenn
Vegas Golden Knights – Jack Eichel
Winnipeg Jets – Josh Morrissey
Washington Capitals – Nicklas Backstrom
Injury Notes: Kucherov, Balcers, Capitals
After today’s shutout loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper said after the game that injured forward Nikita Kucherov “is getting close” to returning, and the team hopes to have him back by the middle of the month. He was originally expected to miss two months after sustaining a lower-body injury after just three games this year, but that’s now turned into three months. He was averaging nearly 21 minutes a game and had four points in those three games, not missing a beat despite playing so little hockey over the past two years.
More injury notes from around the NHL:
- San Jose Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury back on December 5, but he’s still not back in the lineup. Sharks reporter Curtis Pashelka reports, however, that Balcers is still 1-2 weeks away from returning to the lineup. The Latvian forward had played well to start the year, tallying 10 points through 24 games. He’s developing into a solid middle-six piece for the Sharks, one that they’d like to get back into game shape as soon as they can.
- The Washington Capitals are missing two big names in Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie from today’s game against New Jersey, as they were held out of the lineup with non-COVID illnesses. Backstrom and Oshie have combined for just 19 games this season, so missed games are nothing new for them. They’ve both been productive when in the lineup, though, and at this point, it seems as though this may be the light at the end of the tunnel for them.
Nicklas Backstrom Added To COVID Protocol
The return for Nicklas Backstrom lasted exactly one day. The Washington Capitals center is unavailable for tonight’s game after being placed in the COVID protocol, just a few days after making his season debut. Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic tweets that Backstrom did not travel to Winnipeg; the Capitals made arrangements for him to return from Chicago to Washington.
That’s three centers the team will be missing tonight, as Backstrom joins Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nic Dowd, Garnet Hathaway, and Trevor van Riemsdyk in the protocol. Dowd and van Riemsdyk were actually cleared and made their return to the lineup in Chicago, but have not cleared the 14-day period that is required to enter Canada. So back on the non-roster list they went, where they’re joined by several key forwards for the Capitals.
The team is expected to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen this evening, with team reporter Mike Vogel suggesting that either Connor McMichael or Aliaksei Protas will have to move to center.
Backstrom played just over 18 minutes in his debut on Wednesday, recording a powerplay assist on Alex Ovechkin‘s 21st goal of the season. The Capitals would eventually lose in overtime though, with Caleb Jones scoring the winner for Chicago. The 34-year-old forward will have to wait for a minimum of ten days if he has tested positive and is experiencing any symptoms, certainly not what he was hoping for after such a long recovery period.
COVID Notes: Protocols, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Ontario
The league NHL has implemented enhanced protocols through January 7 to battle the recent spread of COVID-19 among its member teams, according to multiple reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Among the new measures (which are similar to those used all of last season) are restrictions on indoor dining while on the road, masking and distancing in club facilities, and daily testing.
Darren Dreger of TSN notes that the protocols will be reviewed in early January and could be extended. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic adds that the NHLPA will hold an executive board call with the 32 player representatives to answer any questions regarding the enhanced protocols.
- Before those come into effect, another player has been ruled out. Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov will not play tonight after being placed in the COVID protocol, though they’ll get back some important pieces. Nicklas Backstrom has been activated from the injured non-roster list and will make his season debut. Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk have both been activated from the COVID protocol, while Anthony Mantha has been moved to long-term injured reserve. Kuznetsov, as Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic points out, was positive for coronavirus on two different occasions last season.
- Brian Lilley of the Toronto Sun reports that the provincial government is expected to force major sporting teams to cut attendance by 50 percent, a move that would impact the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Marlies, and Belleville Senators, along with many OHL teams and those in other sports. This comes just as the federal government has instituted a global travel advisory, urging Canadians to avoid any non-essential travel outside of the country.
T.J. Oshie Moved To Injured Reserve
It certainly hasn’t been an easy season thus far for Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. According to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, the veteran finds himself back on injured reserve today after returning for only one game.
Oshie was activated on November 20 in time for the Capitals’ game against the San Jose Sharks, but managed just 14 minutes of ice time. He didn’t play in the team’s loss the next night and now finds himself off the roster for the second time this season. Oshie will be eligible to play on Sunday, thanks to a retroactive IR placement, but it’s unclear when he’ll actually be inserted back into the lineup.
In eight games so far this season, he actually has seven points including four goals. The 34-year-old forward just hasn’t been able to stay healthy so far, a concern as he heads into his mid-thirties. Oshie is under contract for three more seasons, meaning the Capitals will have to hope these early injuries are just disappointing coincidences, not a trend.
Still, there was some good news at practice today. Nicklas Backstrom re-joined the group for the first time, skating with a non-contact sweater. He didn’t participate in line drills, but just to have him back with the group is a good sign that he is on his way to a return.
Snapshots: Kraken, Backstrom, Avalanche
The list of people in COVID protocol continues to grow as prior to their game against the Rangers tonight, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that center Jared McCann and assistant coach Paul MacFarland have both entered the protocol. McCann is off to a nice start to his season, leading Seattle in points with three goals and four assists through their first eight games while logging 16:24 per night, the highest ATOI of his career. It’s the second time he has been in COVID protocol this season having been part of the group that was in there just before the regular season got underway.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- While Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip, he won’t be taking part in any practices and will continue to work on his own, relays NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The veteran is eligible to be activated off LTIR on Saturday but if he is still just able to skate on his own, it stands to reason that he won’t be cleared to return at that time.
- The lower-body injury that took Avalanche winger Andre Burakovsky out of Saturday’s contest has left him listed as day-to-day, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 26-year-old is off to a slow start this season with just a goal and three assists in eight games. Baugh adds that winger Mikko Rantanen, who has missed two straight games with a lower-body injury of his own, is also listed as day-to-day.