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Alex Ovechkin To Skip NHL All-Star Game

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One of the NHL’s very best will miss the league’s celebration of its top players yet again. Alex Ovechkin, voted as the captain of the Metropolitan Division team for the upcoming All-Star Weekend, told the media after the Washington Capitals’ game last night that he would skip the festivities to focus on resting up for the second half of the season. It should not come as much surprise that Ovechkin will be absent in St. Louis on January 24th and 25th, as he declined the invitation to participate in the All-Star Game last season in San Jose as well.

Ovechkin did not hesitate to provide his reasoning for again skipping the event:

Thanks, first of all, fans for voting me. It’s a hard decision, but I have to listen to my body. I have to get ready for the second half of the year. I have to be healthy and focus on different things. It’s a hard decision, obviously, being the captain and missing the All-Star Game, but I have to do [what is] best for me and for my team.

Ovechkin’s decision will impact more than just All-Star festivities, though. The Capitals superstar will also be suspended for one game for skipping the event, a league rule that does not allow for any exceptions other than injury. Ovechkin understood the repercussions of his decision, which will see him miss either the game before All-Star break, against the rival New York Islanders, or more likely the game after players return from break, versus the Montreal Canadiens.

You don’t want to miss the game, but the rules are the rules, I’m healthy, thank God, and I just made this decision because I have to be in good shape and I have to be ready and good in the playoffs. The most important thing is not the regular year, it’s the playoffs.

For the 34-year-old Ovechkin, who plays as hard as anyone in the league, the decision is completely reasonable. With that said, it is a shame that the NHL will again be missing one of it’s biggest names and most popular personalities at All-Star Weekend. The league can only hope that Ovechkin is the first and last player to do so this season.

Five Key Stories: 12/16/19 – 12/22/19

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The days leading up to the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze are always full of potential for big moves by teams looking to make a change before a stretch of mandatory inactivity. This year did not disappoint, as the biggest target on the rental market was dealt, highlighting a busy week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

Taylor Hall Traded To Arizona: The week started with a bang, as the Taylor Hall saga came to an end with a trade to Arizona. The Coyotes sent a 2020 first-round pick, a conditional 2021 third-round pick, and prospects Nate Schnarr, Nick Merkley and Kevin Bahl to the Devils. New Jersey retained half of Hall’s $6MM cap as well. Hall was the top name in the rental market this season, but many were left underwhelmed by the trade return. The asking price may have been affected by Hall’s reluctance to negotiate an extension in-season, which he has maintained since arriving in the desert. Nevertheless, the Coyotes’ acquisition could make them the favorite to win the Pacific Division this year as they pursue the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Kings: Veteran Ilya Kovalchuk is on the move as well, but his destination is yet to be determined. He and the Los Angeles Kings came to a mutual agreement on a contract termination on Monday, with Kovalchuk clearing unconditional waivers on Tuesday. The former superstar never fit with the Kings after returning from the KHL and could be tempted to return to Russia after this failure. However, he is reportedly willing to sign a minimum deal to remain in the NHL as he too is pursuing his first Stanley Cup, without much time left in his lengthy career.

Eric Comrie, Stefan Noesen Claimed: Three players entered the waiver wire on Wednesday and two emerged on new teams. Both goaltender Eric Comrie and forward Stefan Noesen were claimed on waivers. For Comrie, he returns to the Winnipeg Jets, the team with which he began the season, after making stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Noesen only signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks ago, but is already on the move to the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most accomplished player waived on Wednesday, but also the most expensive, was not claimed and remains with the Calgary Flames.

The Injury Bug Bites: Injuries are not exactly an uncommon occurrence in the NHL, but this week in particular took a heavy toll across the league. Just how bad was it? Here is the list of players who were announced this week as being out long-term: Josh Anderson, Danny DeKeyser, Troy Terry, Derek Grant, Andrew Peeke, Ryan Murray, Darcy Kuemper, Jason Zucker, Josh Leivo, Brandon Saad, Cal Clutterbuck, Anthony Mantha, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 

Chris Snow Diagnosed With ALS: Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager Chris Snow has been diagnosed with ALS, as disclosed by his wife in a public letter. As Snow begins this difficult battle, we here at PHR wish he and his family the best this holiday season.

 

Overseas Notes: Sorokin, Samonov, Bobkov, Austria

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For many New York Islanders fans, Russian goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin has long been considered the team’s stud goalie of the future. However, a new report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman casts doubt on that premise. Friedman hears from sources in Russia that Sorokin continues to negotiate an extension in the KHL, where he currently stars for perennial contender CSKA Moscow. At 24 years old already, another contract in Russia would be a tough pill to swallow for the Islanders, who would potentially be waiting until Sorokin was well past “prospect” age. Of course, Friedman believes that talks with Moscow could in fact be a ploy to force a trade from the Islanders. He believes that Sorokin wants a clear path to guaranteed appearances in the NHL and may not see that opportunity in New York. This would be an ironic development, seeing as many pointed to the long-term signing of Semyon Varlamov this summer as a way of convincing fellow Russian keeper Sorokin to sign with the Isles, not the other way around. Not enough is known about this situation just yet to definitively say that Sorokin would like a trade from the Islanders and would rather play in Russia than New York, but perhaps fans need to begin to temper their expectations that the young KHL star is cemented as their heir apparent in net.

  • Two Russian goalies who definitely won’t be making the jump to the NHL any time soon are Alexander Samonov and Igor Bobkov. Samonov, 24, is enjoying a breakout year with SKA St. Petersburg and has decided to sign long-term with the team, inking a three-year extension. SKA dealt Carolina Hurricanes prospect Pyotr Kotchetkov to Vityaz Podolsk earlier this season to acquire the red-hot Samonov, and so far the investment has paid off. Samonov has led SKA in appearances since the trade and his .934 save percentage and 1.83 GAA are among the best numbers in the KHL, even though he was even better to begin the year with Vityaz. If he was to continue this level of play, Samonov would undoubtedly draw NHL interest, but with a new deal that would not allow him to debut in North America until he was 28, the odds are that Samonov may never play in the NHL at all. Bobkov meanwhile had his cup of coffee in North America, but could never push beyond the AHL level while playing in the Anaheim Ducks system. Since returning to Russia, Bobkov has asserted himself as one of the best goalies in the league and is having the best season of his career thus far, with a .926 save percentage and 1.85 GAA in a whopping 31 appearances already for Avangard Omsk. The team has rewarded their workhorse with a two-year extension, carrying him into his thirties. As such, Bobkov is unlikely to play in the NHL again.
  • The 2020 World Junior Championship has not yet even begun, but one team is already looking ahead to 2021. Austria was the surprise winner at the Division 1-A WJC in Minsk, Belarus. The tournament, which offers the champion the opportunity to move up to the top level of the WJC, ended on Sunday with an unassuming Austrian squad at the top. A dominant Team Latvia, as well as strong entries from Norway and Belarus, were unable to get it done. Austria, which accounts for just three NHL players and hasn’t had a player drafted in a number of year, will instead make their return to the main tournament next year.

Anaheim’s Derek Grant, Troy Terry Out Long-Term

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Tuesday night’s game between the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers proved costly for the Quack Attack. Forward’s Troy Terry and Derek Grant left the game with injuries and did not return. When the Ducks recalled Isac Lundestrom and Max Jones from the AHL ahead of Wednesday’s match-up with the New Jersey Devils, it did not bode well for a quick comeback for either player. However, the extent of both injuries is beyond what anyone had expected. Anaheim announced that Terry suffered a broken leg and will miss about ten weeks, while Grant suffered an AC sprain in his shoulder and will miss four to six weeks.

The loss of both players hurts the Ducks, especially with Nick Ritchie already sidelined long-term. However, Grant’s absence will be felt the most, as the veteran defensive forward is enjoying a career year. The 29-year-old center’s nine goals and twelve points in 34 games had him on pace to shatter his previous career highs of 12 goals and 24 points. Grant is also tied for third in the NHL with short-handed goals and is an integral piece to the Anaheim penalty kill. The Ducks will have to make do without him until at least mid-January, if not through to February. Meanwhile Terry is expected to be sidelined until the end of February at the earliest and then will likely find himself rehabbing in the AHL. Terry has not produced as expected so far in his young pro career, but still provides the offensive spark that so often eludes the Ducks. This injury will be a further setback to his development.

The third member of the injury update was defenseman Jacob Larsson. Listed as a scratch for Wednesday’s game, Larsson is in fact considered day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Larsson has been the least productive of the Ducks’ defenders this year and continues to struggle with the offensive and puck-moving aspects of the game at the NHL level. A good defensive blue liner, Larsson’s absence will nevertheless not hurt as much as the losses up front for an Anaheim team that allows fewer than three goals per game, but scores only two-and-a-half.

 

WJC Notes: Gustafsson, Switzerland, USA

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With December underway, it is officially U-20 World Junior Championship season and teams have begun to announce their preliminary camp rosters for the tournament beginning later this month. When Sweden made its reveal on Wednesday, the roster was incomplete, as the team was hoping to add some other players to the list once they were granted permission to compete by their NHL clubs. Among those players the Swedes are hopeful to bring in is Winnipeg Jets forward David Gustafsson. Gustafsson, 19, played on the highly-hyped Swedish entry last year that faltered in the quarterfinal round of the tournament and the team would like to bring him back for another try. However, the 2018 second-round pick has surprisingly emerged as a regular in his rookie season with Winnipeg, already skating in 22 games. That’s not to say that Gustaffson is excelling in the NHL – he has just one point to date – but he is a piece that the Jets have relied upon. For that reason, The Athletic’s Murat Ates relays from head coach Paul Maurice that the team will put their own needs this season ahead of Gustafsson’s individual developmental needs when it comes to deciding whether or not to loan him to Team Sweden. If the Jets feel that they would be short-handed by losing the rookie for several weeks over the course of the WJC, the team will likely opt to keep him, despite his lack of production. However, Ates does not believe that this will be the case. Citing the recent waiver claim of Nick Shore and the improving health of several sidelined forwards, Ates feels that Winnipeg will wind up sending Gustafsson to the WJC, where they hope he can re-discover his scoring touch against more equal competition. After the tournament, the Jets could bring him back, but Ates would also not be surprised if he finishes the year out in Sweden, for the same developmental reasons. The decision will be made, one way or another, in short time.

  • Switzerland has announced their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Junior tournament, which includes a number of NHL prospects. The Swiss made a surprise run to the semifinals last year with a young, unheralded roster. This year, they will bring much of that core group back in hopes of taking another step forward. Goaltenders Akira Schmid (NJD) and Luca Hollenstein will be back, as will top defensemen Nico Gross (NYR) and Tim Berni (CLB) and talented forward Valentin Nussbaumer (ARI). However, youth could be the x-factor again for the Swiss in the form of two highly-regarded draft prospects. Forward Simon Knak of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks is expected to be a mid-round pick in 2020 and could play a key scoring role at the WJC. Potentially even more exciting is the inclusion of 17-year-old defenseman Giancarlo Chanton of the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs, already being talked about as a first-round pick in 2021. The Swiss will again be an intriguing dark horse in this year’s tournament.
  • With Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Canada having already announced their preliminary rosters, attention now turns to the Americans. Team USA suffered a heart-breaking loss in the final last year to a Finland team that they had beaten earlier in the tournament and are out to get what narrowly eluded them this year. Following a historic 2019 draft class, this year’s entry could be an embarrassment of riches for the U.S. and the team is certainly making the most of their official roster announcement. USA Hockey will reveal their  WJC squad on the NHL Network in a 4:00pm ET segement on Monday featuring head coach Scott Sandelin. The excitement will likely only continue to build after that until the puck drops on this year’s tournament.

Coach Behavior To Be Main Topic At NHL Board Of Governors Meetings

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It has been a whirlwind few weeks in the NHL coaching ranks. After the Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Mike Babcock back on November 20, several former players used the opportunity to criticize the veteran coach’s tactics and the way he treated some of his players. Former NHLer Akim Aliu used these comments as a jumping off point to make his own accusations of mistreatment against former AHL coach and then-Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters. Aliu’s recollection of racists epithets from Peters while with AHL Rockford were also echoed by stories of physical abuse from former players of Peters with the Carolina Hurricanes and confirmed by current Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’amour. Peters ended up resigning last week. The latest coach to be exposed is Chicago Blackhawks assistant Marc Crawford, who faces allegations of physical abuse from some of his former players with the Los Angeles Kings. Crawford has left the team temporarily while under investigation.

The behavior of coaches has been brought to the forefront of NHL headlines and is not going to be a conversation that disappears quickly. In fact, the NHL Coaches’ Association – which ironically includes Babcock and Peters as executive members – addressed these ongoing issues with a statement earlier today:

We believe the NHL is a league built on hard work, respect, and teamwork. It is a coach’s job to understand how best to motivate players while respecting them as individuals and valuing them as people. Coaching philosophies differ from coach to coach, and season to season, but there are lines that cannot be crossed and there is certainly no room in the NHL, or anywhere else, for abusive behavior of any kind… The NHLCA is committed to working with the NHL and NHLPA to ensure respectful working environments for everyone.

TSN’s Darren Dreger adds that coach behavior will be the biggest topic of conversation among NHL owners at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting in California next week. He believes that coach behavior has never been scrutinized to this extent and that these meetings could produce a substantive change to how coaches are governed by the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman has already met with Aliu, who came away from the meeting with a positive reaction and a feeling that changes are coming. One possible shift, suggested by Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie, is enhanced vetting when hiring coaches and deeper background checks, including interviews with former players and assistants. One way or another, these incidences and allegations have made clear that there has been an ongoing issue related to coach behavior in the NHL that has flown under the radar but now must be addressed.

NHLPA Files Grievance On Behalf Of Dustin Byfuglien

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A strange story that had grown cold over the past month is back in the spotlight once again with a new twist. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the National Hockey League Players’ Association has filed a grievance with the league challenging the suspension of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. The case will now go before an independent arbitrator, unless of course the two sides can come to an agreement beforehand.

Byfuglien, 34, has not played for the Jets this season and has been suspended without pay entirely thus far in 2019-20. This all began back in September, when Winnipeg announced that the veteran defender would be taking a leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons. He reportedly was taking time to consider his playing future, despite having two years and $14MM in salary remaining on his contract. Many speculated that his absence could have less to do with wear and tear and more to do with personal issues. When training camp arrived and Byfuglien had still not reported, the Jets, in need of salary cap space, suspended him without pay indefinitely until the point that he either returned to action or formally retired.

At the time, there was no indication that Byfuglien’s leave or his sudden concern for his future were related to injury. However, the Jets may have been holding back information on his unexpected absence. Byfuglien underwent surprise ankle surgery in late October, after which the team announced that they were “aware” that he was considering the surgical option for a previously undisclosed injury. The team did add that they were not involved in the decision-making process and that Byfuglien went under the knife without any recommendation from the team’s medical staff.

Herein lies the upcoming battle between the NHL, defending the Jets, and the NHLPA, arguing for Byfuglien. The players’ association will argue that, had Byfuglien reported to camp with his injury and the team had agreed that it was a hockey-related injurythat requiredsurgery, he would be collecting his salary for this season. If his sudden consideration of retirement was fueled by injury concerns, but he chooses to work his way back into game shape and re-join the Jets, should he not have been compensated for that time? The NHLPA may also flirt with the possible punitive nature of this suspension. Byfuglien’s absence came as a shock to Winnipeg, who this summer allowed Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot to walk as free agents and traded away Jacob Trouba, all under the impression that Byfuglien would be around for at least two more years. The team could not have been happy with his leave of absence and reportedly had been trying to convince him not to retire and return to play. However, if his injury also came as a surprise to the team, they may not have been willing to recommend surgery and end up just as short-handed on the blue line, but also paying Byfuglien’s salary. The NHL may feel that the Jets are punishing Byfuglien for blindsiding them, while still hoping that he will return. With that said, the league’s counter will simply be that Byfuglien did not abide by the terms of his contract. If he had concerns over an injury and his longevity in the game, he should have reported to camp and discussed those issues with the team. Winnipeg could also take issue with when and how the injury occurred and whether it was related to any previous injury issues. By taking a leave of absence and then undergoing unapproved surgery, the NHL will argue that Byfuglien cannot just retroactively say that his motivations are to play for the Jets again and he is thus deserving of his salary while he has kept the team in the dark on a number of matters this whole time.

Surely there is more to this story than has been revealed to the public and perhaps more will come out now that a grievance has been filed. There is no timeline as of yet for a potential arbitration hearing, though one would think it would have to come before Byfuglien has fully recovered from his ankle surgery and has the option to return to action with the Jets. In many cases, the NHLPA files a grievance on behalf of a player against his former team, making this an unusual case as Byfuglien remains Winnipeg property until he formally retires. Recent grievances related to issues with former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin and Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards were settled long after the initial dispute occurred. That may be different in this scenario. Stay tuned.

Lineup Notes: Boston, Buffalo, Big Names Scratched

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Fresh off a decisive win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the Boston Bruins’ forward lines will look a little different when they face the New York Rangers tonight. The team has announced that bottom-six forwards Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom will both miss the game due to injury. However, the release does not make it sound as if either player is at risk of missing significant time, especially since both played the entire game last night with normal ice time. Wagner is listed as being out as a result of a shot block against the Blues, although no actual injury is listed and the aggressive winger may just need the night off for soreness. Nordstrom has been in and out of the lineup frequently in the young season, dealing with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Today’s news adds even more mystery to his condition, as the Bruins state he is dealing with an “infection issue”. With these two absences coming on top of the injuries to David Krejci and Karson Kuhlman – Kuhlman is expected to join Krejci on IR to create roster space – Boston is shorthanded up front and added that they will recall Peter Cehlarik from AHL Providence. Cehlarik, who played in 20 NHL games last season, leads Providence with six goals and eight points in eight games. The Bruins hope that he can provide the same offensive spark that Anders Bjork has since he was recalled. Tonight should also mark the return to action of David Backes, who has played in five games so far this season and has been held without a point.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have gotten off to a hot start this season and their lineup has been almost identical night in and night out. That is about to change. The team has issued an injury report that includes two new additions in Marco Scandella and Jimmy Vesey. The pair both missed Buffalo’s last game, with Scandella suffering from a lower-body injury and Vesey an upper-body injury. Although the specific injuries are not expanded upon in this new report, Scandella is listed as being out two to three weeks, while Vesey is considered week-to-week. It is a blow to the chemistry and consistency that the Sabres have enjoyed so far this season, especially on the back end where they lose their veteran defensive leader. However, in more positive news, defenseman Brandon Montour has been upgraded to day-to-day and a return to the lineup could be imminent. Montour began the year on the injured reserve with a hand injury, but is nearing his season debut and will provide a major boost for Buffalo.
  • At this point in their respective careers, both Brent Seabrook and Bobby Ryan are known more for their notorious contracts than for their performance. Yet, both are fixtures in their respective lineups. However, reports out of both Chicago and Ottawa state that Seabrook and Ryan will each be a healthy scratch tonight. It is only the second career scratch for both players in their careers and the first under their current head coaches. Per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators head coach D.J. Smith revealed that Ryan would be a scratch, after recording just three points through the team’s first ten games. Ryan, who is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $50.75MM contract, had been relegated to a fourth line role based on his production, but Smith reportedly does not feel he is a good fit as an energy forward. The team has recalled Filip Chlapik to take his place in the lineup and there is no indication of when Ryan may return. Ryan has not cracked 50 points in any of the past three seasons and has three seasons remaining at a $7.25MM cap hit. As for Seabrook, his contract is arguably even worse. The 34-year-old defenseman still has five years remaining on an eight-year, $55MM contract that carries a $6.875MM cap it. Seabrook’s game has fallen off in both the offensive and defensive departments over the past two years and things are only getting worse. The veteran rearguard has just one point in nine games and a -5 rating, on pace for a career worst in both categories. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton will sit Seabrook in favor of untested rookie Dennis Gilbert. Colliton also indicated that Seabrook did not take his benching well. It could be the beginning of an even uglier situation in Chicago. Powers’ colleague Mark Lazerus points out that with Seabrook scratched alongside Zack Smith, the Blackhawks will have over $10MM in salary – approximately 12.4% of the salary cap ceiling – watching from the press box tonight.

Oilers Notes: Puljujarvi, Niemelainen, Hall

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Some fans in Edmonton are probably wishing that Jesse Puljujarvi would just fade into irrelevance in Europe so that they can stop hearing about him. However, the reality is that Puljujarvi is excelling in his native Finland and it is only creating more buzz about his availability. The Oilers have been adamant that they will not rush into a trade for Puljujarvi and will wait for a fair return, but as he continues to put up points for Karpat in the Liiga, the more likely that offer will come. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell tries to put Puljujarvi’s production into context rather than let the hype train run wild. He writes that there is some question as to the quality of a few of Puljujarvi’s six goals on the year and, more importantly, adds that his point-per-game pace in the Liiga is only equivalent to approximately 0.43 points per game in the NHL. Puljujarvi’s level of play in Finland lends itself to a projection of a third-line forward in the NHL in Mitchell’s estimation; however, given his upside and natural size and athleticism, the 22-year-old is worth more than your typical third-liner. The Oilers will eventually get an offer that they like for Puljujarvi and this story will go away, but the question is whether or not that deal occurs before the December 1st signing deadline for Puljujarvi, a restricted free agent, to play this season. Mitchell does not add any new names to the list of teams interested in Puljujarvi, but reiterates that the Carolina Hurricanes remain intrigued, as do the Oilers do in ’Canes prospect Julien Gauthier. Mitchell also posits that Dominik Bokk, a raw, but talented prospect recently acquired by the Hurricanes in the Justin Faulk trade, could be another target of Edmonton’s in a Puljujarvi trade. Carolina sought a regular NHL forward in exchange for Faulk, but settled for the upside of the young Bokk. Perhaps the team could be convinced to flip him for Puljujarvi. One way or another, the Hurricanes lead the pack when it comes to the most likely landing spot for Puljujarvi until new information emerges on the race to land the divisive young forward.

  • Another Edmonton prospect could also be looking at an extended stay in Finland. Defenseman Markus Niemelainen, the team’s third-round pick in 2016, has signed a one-year extension with Assat of the Liiga, the team announced. Niemelainen is in his first year with the Aces after growing up in the system of HPK, as well as two seasons with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. While the big defender has been held scoreless through 12 games, he brings a well-rounded game that balances checking ability and defensive awareness with mobility and play-making ability. Niemelainen has the makings of a player ready for the jump to North America, but claims in the team’s release that he is happy to continue developing with Assat. It seems likely that the Oilers will have to wait until 2021-22 to see Niemelainen cross the pond.
  • The “Taylor Hall-back-to-Edmonton” rumors were inevitable once the New Jersey Devils entered the season without an extension in place with their superstar and then subsequently got off to a rough start. Despite what many may think, Hall never requested a trade when he was with the Oilers, the team that selected him No. 1 overall in 2010, and actually enjoyed playing in Edmonton. It’s possible that Edmonton could continue to build off their hot start to the season and put themselves in position to be a real contender and a potential rental destination for Hall later this season. However, The Athletic’s Jonathan Willis all but rules out Hall as a possible free agency target and long-term fit. With the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, James Neal, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins signed long-term on substantial contracts and a number of other top players in need of new contracts, there doesn’t appear to be space for Hall, who Willis expects to command a contract in the vicinity of $11MM per year. Even taking into account salary cap inflation, Willis feels that the Oilers would need to shed considerable salary to afford Hall and questions whether that would be the right play. Edmonton’s days as home to Hall are likely exclusively in the past.

Eastern Notes: Eberle, Ho-Sang, Jokiharju, Malgin

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The New York Islanders are still awaiting the status of first-line winger Jordan Eberle, who appeared to injure his right leg in the third period of their game Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Eberle took a late-game check from Florida’s Mike Matheson that forced him out of the game as he was in obvious pain. However, Eberle did stay on the bench for the remainder of the game, but Newsday’s Andrew Gross wonders whether Eberle could miss some time.

“I couldn’t give a time frame,” coach Barry Trotz said after the game. “He got hit in a strange spot. We’ll evaluate it.”

Eberle, who signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract during the offseason, had three assists in his first five games. However, the team would lose an impact top-six player from their lineup. One possibility would be for the Islanders to recall top prospect Oliver Wahlstrom, who has a goal and three points in four games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.

  • In the same article, Gross notes that Islanders prospect Joshua Ho-Sang who has requested a trade after not making the Islanders’ opening day lineup, still hasn’t reported to the Sound Tigers in the AHL per instructions from president and general manager Lou Lamoriello. He was requested to stay away from the team while the Islanders looked for trade partners, but no trade has been made and the 23-year-old has been sitting for two weeks so far. Lamoriello said on Friday that there was still no update. Ho-Sang has languished in the AHL for three years, but because of a questionable reputation, was not claimed when New York passed him through waivers.
  • The Buffalo Sabres could have a logjam at defense once they get back some of their injured players, including Brandon Montour, Zach Bogosian and Lawrence Pilut. While they aren’t yet ready to return, the team is already loaded with depth at that position. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, in his mailbag column, writes that the easy answer would have been for the team to send Henri Jokiharju down to the AHL after Montour is ready to return from his hand injury. However, Lysowski reports that Jokiharju has been told be management to find a place to live in Buffalo as it looks like he’s expected to stay with the Sabres long-term.
  • Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville has been mixing up his line combinations after the team struggled out of the gate, especially on offense, according to George Richards of The Athletic (subscription required). One find for the head coach has been winger Denis Malgin, who jumped into the lineup on Friday, replacing 22-year-old Henrik Borgstrom on the third line. The coach was impressed enough that Borgstrom was back in the press box a second night on Saturday as Queeneville moved Malgin to the second line where he immediately scored a goal.

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