Which Teams Would Have Flexibility In Another Expansion Draft?
Midway-through the 2017-18 NHL season, it is nearly impossible to predict what rosters could look like following the 2019-20 season, more than two years away. Trades, free agency, and much more shape teams often in ways that no one sees coming. With that said, it seems like another Expansion Draft is coming to add the league’s 32nd team, the Seattle __________, and the timeline most are suggesting is a June 2020 draft date. Like it or not, the general managers of the other 31 NHL need to be keeping that in the back of their mind with each move they make over the next two seasons.
However, it could be that some have already made decisions that could impact their roster protection plans more than two years from now. The structure of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft will the remain the same, allowing for teams to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight skaters regardless of position and one goalie from being selected. The one caveat that threw more than a few teams for a loop last June was that all players with No-Movement Clauses (NMC) in their contracts had to be protected, unless the players voluntarily chose to wave them i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury. So, with that one aspect of the expansion process in mind, it is possible to look ahead at certain long-term contracts to see, assuming those players don’t waive them ahead of time, who could be locked in for protection in 2020 or which teams will have more flexibility without any such players:
Total Flexibility
Arizona Coyotes (0) – The only NMC players on the Coyotes are defensemen Alex Goligoski and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson will be a free agent in the summer of the projected Expansion Draft and Goligoski’s clause will have shifted to a Modified No-Trade Clause. Arizona will likely have complete flexibility.
Buffalo Sabres (0) – Kyle Okposo‘s NMC expires after this season and Jason Pominville‘s contract expires after next season. Buffalo won’t have any restrictions on their protection scheme as of now.
Calgary Flames (0) – There is no one on the roster with a NMC and no one that will predictably get one by the end of the 2019-20 season. Kudos to GM Brad Treliving.
Los Angeles Kings (0) – Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar in their only NMC player right now and even his clause will have shifted to No-Trade by 2020. L.A. is free and clear.
Nashville Predators (0) – GM David Poile does not seem to be a fan of NMC’s in his recent long-term deals and in the new NHL expansion era, that’s a good thing.
New Jersey Devils (0) – see Calgary Flames
New York Islanders (0) – The Andrew Ladd and Johnny Boychuk contracts already look bad for the Isles. They would be much worse if their NMC’s didn’t expire soon. With John Tavares and Josh Bailey both candidates for NMC’s should they re-sign in New York and a defense that needs a re-haul, the Islanders could lose some flexibility, but they should be fine.
Toronto Maple Leafs (0) – The Leafs have no NMC players under contract beyond 2019-20 right now. That could easily change with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander in need of extensions, but Toronto should still be in a good spot. After all, those are players that would protected regardless.
Vancouver Canucks (0) – Loui Eriksson‘s NMC shifts to a No-Trade Clause following this season and will be an afterthought by 2020. It’s fortunate, as Eriksson’s tenure in Vancouver has not gone according to plan.
Vegas Golden Knights (0) – The Golden Knights didn’t sign or trade for any players with NMC’s and only drafted two – Marc-Andre Fleury and David Clarkson – who already had them and they both expire before the Knights would be set to become the NHL’s second-newest team. With that said, the current Knights’ roster will see a lot of turnover in the next two years and they may struggle to avoid NMC’s completely.
Washington Capitals (0) – GM Brian MacLellan has avoided NMC’s in any of his recent mega-deals. If he can do it again this summer in his attempt to re-sign (or replace) John Carlson, then the Caps will be in good shape for another round of expansion drafting.
Winnipeg Jets (0) – The NMC in Bryan Little‘s contract will both kick in and expire between now and June 2020. The Jets should be left with a fully flexible lineup.
Some Flexibility
Boston Bruins (2) – There’s little concern that Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron will still be playing at a high level in two years. Their NMC’s should be a non-factor for Boston. If David Krejci and, especially, David Backes still had their NMC’s too at that time, there would be a real logjam up front. However, both will have shifted to Modified No-Trade Clauses by then, potentially saving the Bruins from making tough decisions about their many talented young forwards.
Carolina Hurricanes (1) – As important a job as he’s had in Carolina, Jordan Staal will never be the star forward that finally puts them over the top. If his NMC causes a problem in 2020, he could easily be traded to a contender to play a complementary role. The Hurricanes need to retain as many promising young forward assets as they can in hopes of one day finding that true superstar.
Colorado Avalanche (1) – There are mixed opinions on Erik Johnson, but he has a leadership role for the Avalanche and will be key in grooming a strong crop of up-and-coming defensive prospects. The Avs won’t lose sleep about having to protect him in expansion, especially if he’s still one of their top-pairing guys in two years.
Columbus Blue Jackets (1) – The Blue Jackets were one of the biggest losers in the most recent Expansion Draft. They might be smart to sell off Nick Foligno if there’s any risk that history repeats itself.
Dallas Stars (3) – Call it optimism about his play in his first season in Dallas, but the NMC for Alexander Radulov doesn’t seem like it will be a major issue even after a couple more years. Of course, Jamie Benn‘s NMC will also be a non-factor. Ben Bishop on the other hand may not be the goalie the Stars would prefer to keep in two years. As of now, there’s no immediate competition though.
Detroit Red Wings (1) – Detroit only has one NMC player who will still be under contract in 2020-21 (and another season after that), but it’s Frans Nielsen, who has been a major disappointment for the team since coming over from the New York Islanders. He could throw a wrench in their plans if he continues his downward trend over the next two seasons.
Minnesota Wild (2) – The Ryan Suter and Zach Parise mega-deals will still be making an impact in 2020, but with most of the core locked up throughout that season and no other NMC contract likely on their way, Minnesota should be okay in the Expansion Draft.
Montreal Canadiens (2) – Even if the Canadiens continue to struggle through two more seasons, there will be few Habs fans that blame superstar goalie Carey Price. His NMC won’t be an issue because the team would never dream of leaving him exposed. Jeff Petry on the other hand could be a problem. Luckily (?), it doesn’t look like Montreal will have many defenders worth protecting even in the next couple of seasons.
Ottawa Senators (2) – Some things never change. The NMC’s for Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf were problems for the Senators in this past Expansion Draft and they’ll likely be problems again next time around. If Phaneuf is traded between now and then, that alleviates some concern for Ottawa. Good luck moving the Ryan contract though.
Philadelphia Flyers (1) – Only Claude Giroux has and predictably will have an NMC come June 2020. That’s a pretty safe situation for Philly.
San Jose Sharks (1) – Marc-Edouard Vlasic plays a confident, stay-at-home defensive game that often ages nicely. He looks to be the only NMC in San Jose in 2020, which shouldn’t cause a stir.
St. Louis Blues (1) – Patrik Berglund will be on the wrong side of 30 and still under a NMC when the potential 2020 draft rolls around, but with the rest of their core signed long-term without NMC’s, the Blues should be pretty safe.
Tampa Bay Lightning (2) – Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman may be the two safest NMC contracts in the NHL. Fortunately, Ryan Callahan‘s otherwise-problematic NMC expires just prior to projected 2020 Expansion Draft.
Little Flexibility
Anaheim Ducks (3) – Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler will all be 35+ and still be NMC-protected in 2020. That’s a large chunk of your protected forwards to dedicate to players in the twilight of their careers. Some up-and-coming young talent could leave Anaheim again in this next Expansion Draft a la Shea Theodore.
Chicago Blackhawks (4) – The downside to signing all of your core players to long contracts with NMC’s could hit the Blackhawks hard in the next Expansion Draft. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will be well past 30 and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith will be in their mid-to-late 30’s during the 2020-21 season, but all four will need to be protected ahead of that season, which could force other promising younger players out of Chicago’s protection scheme. At least they’ll narrowly avoid having an issue in net with Corey Crawford‘s contract expiring prior.
Edmonton Oilers (2) – Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. Each two years older than they are now. Those aren’t exactly players that a team wants to be forced to keep. It’s foreseeable that one or both could have a negative impact on the team’s protection plan.
Florida Panthers (3) – The Panthers probably won’t mind having three players locked up come Expansion 2.0. The team knew what they were doing when they signed Keith Yandle long-term. Even in his mid-30’s, Yandle will be a reliable player and a leader for the young Florida defensive core. Sure, they considered asking him to waive his NMC this past June, but they never actually did. Yandle won’t be a major issue in two years unless his play falls off considerably. There should be no concern whatsoever over Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, whose NMC’s kick in later on in their contracts. The same might not be true about Evgeni Dadonov, whose been somewhat underwhelming so far in Florida, but luckily his contract runs out just prior the probable draft date.
New York Rangers (4) – Although they will have near total control over their forwards, outside of Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers could be in a tough position with their protection schemes in net and on the blue line in 2020. Then-38-year-old Henrik Lundqvist will require protection, as will underachieving defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Marc Staal. New York is apparently readying themselves for somewhat of a rebuild, which could mean some of those players are traded beforehand. Otherwise New York could face quite the dilemma.
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – It seems unlikely, even years from now and in their mid-30’s, that the NMC’s for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Phil Kessel would cause trouble for the Penguins. Injury-prone defenseman Kris Letang could be different though. Being forced to protect him after another two seasons of hard minutes could be difficult to swallow. Pittsburgh also has some work to do filling out the forward corps between now and 2020. GM Jim Rutherford would be well-served to avoid acquiring or handing out any further NMC’s.
Jaden Schwartz Out Six Weeks
The context behind the St. Louis Blues’ call-up of Ivan Barbashev is now clear. The Blues have announced that Jaden Schwartz suffered a right ankle injury in yesterday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He will be re-evaluated in six weeks, during which time the team will have to lean on Barbashev or another AHL forward as his replacement.
This is a devastating blow for the red-hot Blues. Schwartz has struggled with injuries in the past but has always produced at a high level when healthy. Schwartz has 35 points in 30 games and an incredible +23 rating. Schwartz is currently second on the team in points, goals, and plus/minus behind only linemate Brayden Schenn and tied with Schenn for assists. His impact on special teams can also not be understated.
Schwartz’s absence will be quite the test for St. Louis. While they were fortunate to get Patrik Berglund back from injury before Schwartz went down and have also seen surprising production from the likes of Vladimir Sobotka, Scottie Upshall, and Dmitrij Jaskin, it will still be very difficult to make up for the loss of Schwartz for the next month and a half. Barbashev, the presumptive replacement for Schwartz as a top nine forward, had been held scoreless so far in the NHL this season and Wade Megan and Tage Thompson had the same luck in their short stints. One of those three young forwards needs to step up or else the Blues could see their lead in the Central slip away in no time, with the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets right on their tail.
Injury Notes: Berglund, Parise, McQuaid
The St. Louis Blues have officially activated Patrik Berglund from injured reserve, and intend to insert him into the lineup tonight when they play the Anaheim Ducks. Berglund has been out since June after injuring his shoulder and needing surgery. Originally slated to return at some point in December, the 29-year old center will get back into the lineup a little early.
Berglund joins what is already one of the deepest and most dangerous forward groups in the NHL, and gives them another big body down the middle that can contribute. A three-time 20-goal scorer, Berglund is coming off a 34-point season and looking to make an immediate impact. More importantly, he gives them another option in the middle where Brayden Schenn and Paul Stastny have already dominated.
- Zach Parise was back on the ice this morning for the first time since his surgery in October, and all things went well. Coming off microdiscectomy, there was some concern over his ability to return this season. Parise doesn’t seem to be worried about his future, telling Dan Myers of NHL.com he’s “very confident that everything is going to get back to normal and even better than it was.” The Minnesota Wild, struggling in Parise’s absence, could use him back as soon as possible.
- Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid also got back onto the ice for the first time since his own surgery, a procedure to fix a broken fibula suffered earlier this year. It’s not clear exactly when he’d be able to return, but he’ll have company when he does. All three of Brad Marchand, Ryan Spooner and David Backes are expected back in the lineup tonight for the Bruins when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, each coming off injuries of their own.
Nate Prosser, Kyle Quincey, Jordin Tootoo Placed On Waivers
The St. Louis Blues will be forced to make a move as Patrik Berglund returns from injured reserve, and it is Nate Prosser exposed to waivers this time around after being absent from the morning skate. Prosser had played in just one game this season with the Blues, but the team had shielded him from waivers even when it meant carrying eight healthy defensemen for long stretches. Now the 31-year old will be up for grabs, though a claim is far from certain.
Prosser signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Blues this summer after spending the first eight seasons of his professional career with the Minnesota Wild. An undrafted free agent out of Colorado College, Prosser jumped right to the NHL in 2010 and has played 238 games since. Though he’s never played more than 63 games in a single season, he is a potential depth option for teams looking for a bit of help on the back end. The 6’2″ 206-lbs defender is a capable penalty killer known for his shot blocking, and is willing to engage physically when needed.
If he does clear, he’ll St. Louis will have to decide where exactly to send him. The Blues are operating without a primary AHL affiliate this season, instead sending players to the Chicago Wolves, San Antonio Rampage and other clubs. Next season will see them start a five-year agreement with San Antonio, but Prosser could end up anywhere on loan if they feel there isn’t a spot for him there.
The Minnesota Wild will similarly make a veteran defenseman available by placing Kyle Quincey on waivers. Quincey is on a one-year, $1.25MM contract with the Wild but has been generally underwhelming in his 18 games. The former Detroit Red Wings defenseman hasn’t been able to find a home on three different clubs in the past year, and looks like his NHL viability is coming to an end.
Quincey was once a very effective two-way option in the league, even recording a career-high 38 points in 2008-09 with Los Angeles. The 32-year old had just three this season though, and has clearly lost a step in both ends of the rink. With Minnesota pushing right up against the salary cap ceiling this year, burying Quincey in the minors (if he’s not claimed) would save them a prorated $1.025MM and allow some breathing room. With younger, more affordable options available to them it seemed only a matter of time before he was waived.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that Minnesota had previously let teams around the league know Quincey was available, which could perhaps mean a deal is coming should he clear. Like we saw with Calvin Pickard earlier in the year, clearing waivers and gaining the ability to be sent to the minors actually improves a player’s trade value somewhat. Should he clear, it would also mean the Wild would have the ability to bring him up and down without waivers for 30 days on the active roster, or 10 NHL games. It wouldn’t change how much actual money they pay him, but they could use that to manipulate the salary cap and bank some extra space by having Quincey technically in the minors on off days.
Jordin Tootoo is the third player on waivers, likely meaning he’s now healthy enough to return from his long-term injured reserve stint. It will be interesting to see what happens to the veteran forward, as the Blackhawks don’t seem to have room for him on the NHL roster at the moment. Tootoo signed a one-year, $700K contract extension with the Blackhawks last season to help with expansion draft requirements, but hasn’t suited up this season so far.
Aaron Ness of the Washington Capitals has cleared and can be assigned to Hershey of the AHL.
Snapshots: Chabot, Johansson, Berglund
Just a day after sending him down to the minors, the Ottawa Senators have called defenseman Thomas Chabot back up from AHL Belleville. The team is finding it hard to keep the promising blue liner in the AHL and for good reason. The 2015 first-round pick has looked better and better with each game played in the NHL, now with three points and a +2 rating through five 2017-18 contests. He also handled more ice time well in his most recent stint, including extensive action on the power play. In fact, Chabot’s 2:34 average power play time on ice is second only to Erik Karlsson among Ottawa defensemen. The Sens are running out of excuses to not keep their prized prospect in the big leagues, especially when he has shown superior play in the NHL versus the AHL and appears to have already outgrown the minors. There was no specific reason given by the team for this latest recall, but one would think that Chabot could be up for a longer stint this time around.
- Another fan base ready for an exciting addition back to their roster is the New Jersey Devils. Devils beat reporter Amanda Stein reported today that Marcus Johansson has been cleared to re-join the team and should be ready for New Jersey’s upcoming road trip. Johansson has not played since November 1st due to a concussion, but appears to back at full strength for a Devils team that has exceedingly outperformed expectations this season despite several medical absences. Johansson, of course, was New Jersey’s big off-season acquisition, coming over via trade from the Washington Capitals. However, Johansson has only seen ten games of action in 2017-18 and should be primed to add to his mere five points thus far when he takes the ice again this week.
- Fellow Swede and injured center Patrik Berglund appears poised for a return from injury soon as well. St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac reports that the long-time Blue could be back as early as Wednesday from off-season shoulder surgery that has kept him off the ice so far this season. Yet, like fellow core teammate Jay Bouwmeester, the Blues have hardly felt his absence this year. The NHL’s best team has been rolling in 2017-18 without Berglund, Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, and until recently Bouwmeester. Yet, logic would dictate the team would only get better upon Berglund’s return and that should scare the other 30 teams in the NHL.
Central Notes: Jost, Landeskog, Mason, Berglund
8:43 PM: Colorado has indeed recalled Jost, the team announced via Twitter.
6:53PM: The Avalanche are considering recalling center Tyson Jost from San Antonio of the AHL in advance of their next game on Wednesday, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports (Twitter link). Jost cracked Colorado’s opening roster but didn’t have too much of an impact early on. He played in six games before sustaining a lower-body injury and upon being activated off IR, the team opted to send him down to the minors for more playing time. Jost hasn’t been particularly productive in his limited action with the Rampage, posting a single assist in four games. Unless he takes on an important role in the next few weeks, Jost could still wind up being a candidate to play at the World Juniors.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Still with the Avalanche, winger Gabriel Landeskog will have a disciplinary hearing on Monday for a cross-checking incident on Saturday against Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk, the league announced. A minor penalty was assessed on the play. What may work against Landeskog here is that he will be viewed as a repeat offender as he received a three-game suspension for cross-checking on March of 2016.
- Jets goaltender Steve Mason was pulled from Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury that that may wind up being a concussion, notes Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. If he is going to miss time, the scribe suggests it may make more sense to recall veteran Michael Hutchinson over top prospect Eric Comrie as Winnipeg’s schedule is fairly light over the next couple of weeks so there won’t be many opportunities for playing time.
- While Blues center Patrik Berglund started skating with the team a little while ago, he has yet to get the green light to return to the lineup. He told Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that getting strength back in his shoulder is the key to his return and that the process is getting closer by the day. He was originally expected to return at the beginning of December and he remains on pace to do so.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Bouwmeester, Eichel, Backes, Borowiecki
The NHL announced their “Three Stars” of the week ending on Nov. 19, with Carolina Hurricane’s Teuvo Teravainen taking top honors after a week in which he led the NHL with five goals and 10 assists in four games. The 23-year-old forward posted his first NHL hat trick against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 13, then had two assists on Nov. 16 against the New York Islanders. He had one assist against the Buffalo Sabres two days later before putting up two goals and another assist against the Islanders Sunday.
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen and Colorado Avalanche’s center Nathan MacKinnon each received the second and third stars of the week, respectively. Andersen was perfect in two starts for Toronto, stopping 75 shots and helping Toronto to a six-game winning streak, while MacKinnon scored two goals and had five assists in the team’s two wins. The 22-year-old had career highs with four assists and five points in the team’s victory over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 16.
- St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo said the plan is to take defenseman Jay Bouwmeester off injured reserve today and is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. The 34-year-old blueliner has not played yet this year due to an ankle fracture, but should provide a big boost to the team’s penalty killing unit immediately. Thomas also notes that Patrik Berglund will not play versus Edmonton on Tuesday, but is inching closer to a return to the ice after missing the entire season so far after undergoing shoulder surgery.
- Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel looks to have been demoted to the team’s third line at Monday’s practice ahead of their game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News. Head coach Phil Housley placed him with Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville. “We’re obviously trying to get things going and switch things up so we’ll see tonight,” Eichel said of the new line combinations. “No message. It’s part of the game.”
- Steven Harris of the Boston Herald writes that just three weeks removed after having part of his colon removed, Boston Bruins’ David Backes returned to practice today in a non-contact sweater. Despite an eight-week prognosis, Backes was skating, shooting and handling pucks. “The doc’s advice (was), if it doesn’t hurt, I can continue to progress and add more workload on,” said Backes. “I haven’t been notified that the timeline has changed at all. So I’m just going to keep putting in the work.”
- Edmonton Sun’s Ken Warren reported that Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will return to Ottawa after sustaining a viscous hit Sunday from New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Smith that left the Senators’ blueliner momentarily unconscious after he hit the boards. He will be further evaluated once he returns to Ottawa, and could miss significant time as coach Guy Boucher referred to the injury as a concussion.
Central Notes: Girard, Berglund, Saros
Although we’re well into November, there is still one more decision to be made when it comes to a junior-aged player officially burning the first year of his entry-level contract. That happens to be in Colorado, where recently-acquired defenseman Samuel Girard is scheduled to play in his ninth and tenth games for the Avalanche over the weekend.
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post suggests that the team is highly likely to keep the 19-year-old up with the big club. Although he has only played three games in an Avalanche uniform (the other five coming with Nashville), Girard has already made quite the impact, logging more than 22 minutes per game while playing alongside Erik Johnson on the top pairing. Although it’s not likely that he’ll be able to sustain that workload for the rest of the season, it’s certainly hard to imagine Colorado choosing to send him back to junior within the next day or two considering how big of a role he already has. As is the case with other teenaged players, the next threshold will be 40 games on the active roster which accrues a season towards unrestricted free agency eligibility.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Blues center Patrik Berglund will be re-evaluated by the team next week as he continues his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 29-year-old has been with St. Louis throughout their current road trip and is hopeful that he could get the green light to return before his original target of early December.
- Yesterday, the Predators demoted backup goalie Jusse Saros in what was a bit of a surprising move. Head coach Peter Laviolette told Adam Vingan of The Tennessean that the decision was made primarily to give Saros some playing time; he has only made four starts so far this season. Nashville isn’t set to play back-to-back until December 4th and 5th so there’s a good chance Saros and Anders Lindback will be flipped once again at that time.
Central Notes: Zucker, Methot, Berglund, Bouwmeester, Yzerman
Minnesota Wild’s Jason Zucker has scored six consecutive goals for the team over the past three games, giving the team all their offense. The 25-year-old wing put up team’s only two goals in their 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. He followed that up with a hat trick in the Wild’s 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
He added the team’s lone goal in last night’s matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers to continue his streak. That goal held up as Minnesota walked away with a 1-0 shutout. While skill has propelled the forward on his hot streak, his goal Saturday just happened to be a lucky bounce that deflected off his stick and got past Philadelphia’s Brian Elliott, according to Rachel Blount of the Star Tribune.
“I have no idea,” the Wild winger said, when he was asked how the puck got past Elliott. “It was an empty net, and it had a lot of spin off the boards. So I think when it hit my stick, it just kind of shot off, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what it hit. That’s just a lucky bounce.”
- NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro writes that Dallas Stars defenseman Marc Methot will miss the next two games with a lower body injury. The 32-year-old defensive defenseman will not travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, but Shapiro also notes the team will not have to add another defender. The team will move defenseman Jamie Oleksiak back into their defensive rotation instead. The team also said that forward Tyler Pitlick, who has been out for the last week, is ready to go and Shapiro suggests that Pitlick will likely move into the lineup for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
- The St. Louis Blues got some good news as Tom Timmermann of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that center Patrik Berglund and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester practiced with the team today and are expected to travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip. While coach Mike Yeo said that neither is expected to play on the road trip, both are close to returning to the lineup. Berglund was not projected to return until December after undergoing shoulder surgery and could be ahead of his timetable. Bouwmeester only practiced today for the first time since fracturing his ankle earlier this season.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun tweets that while it may be meaningless, Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman was in attendance at the last two Winnipeg Jets games, having been at the Jets’ 4-1 victory over Arizona last night and the Jets’ 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.
Central Notes: Zadorov, Berglund, Ferraro
Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov has not had a great year so far. His contract talks dragged out to the beginning of training camp and he has been a healthy scratch in three consecutive games. Accordingly, Adrian Dater of BSN Denver wonders if the time might be right to include him in trade discussions involving Matt Duchene although he adds that he has not heard that this is something the team is willing to do.
Colorado GM Joe Sakic has been insistent on a high-quality defensive prospect or established blueliner as part of any return for Duchene. Including someone like Zadorov might serve as an enticement for another team to part with that piece knowing they’ll also be acquiring a 22-year-old who was a first-round pick just four years ago. For something like that to work, it wouldn’t be surprising if teams asked the Avalanche to get Zadorov back in the lineup first but doing something like that would certainly help Sakic as he continues to seek the right return after a potential three-way deal with Nashville and Ottawa reportedly fell through recently.
More from the Central:
- Blues center Patrik Berglund has resumed skating with the team and is taking part in select drills, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He has yet to play this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in June but this is certainly a step in the right direction. The original timeline for his return to the lineup was December and it appears he’s at least on track to be able to return sometime close to that.
- Wild forward Landon Ferraro is nearing a return to the lineup following a hip injury, head coach Bruce Boudreau told Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. He was one of the recalls for Minnesota’s rash of injuries a couple of weeks ago until he wound up being injured himself. Considering their tight cap situation, it will be interesting to see if he is sent down as soon as he’s activated or if they’ll keep him around to carry 13 forwards on the active roster.