Snapshots: Three Stars, Price, O’Ree
The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, led once again by Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oiles. McDavid added five goals and eight points to his totals, and cracked a few important thresholds. For the third time in his career, he has broken the 40-goal mark, while he once again has more than 100 points, the fifth time in seven seasons. McDavid leads the league in scoring with 105 points so far.
Second and third went to Aleksander Barkov and Semyon Varlamov respectively, after their own outstanding weeks. The Florida Panthers captain scored five goals in four games and is closing in on his previous career-high. Barkov needs just three more goals to crack that mark of 35. Varlamov meanwhile just continues to get it done, posting a 3-0 record and .952 save percentage last week. The 33-year-old netminder doesn’t have a good record, but still carries a .919 on the season.
- The Montreal Canadiens don’t have a ton left to play for in terms of the standings but there may be a nice surprise for fans in the coming days. Carey Price was a full participant at practice and Eric Engels of Sportsnet suggests that the star goaltender could potentially make his debut in the next few games. Next Monday at home against the Winnipeg Jets seems a likely possibility for Price to make his season debut after a very tumultuous year, though there is no indication yet from the team when he’ll be back in the crease. Brendan Gallagher was also in a regular jersey at practice, and while he admitted he needs to speak to the medical staff for clearance, expects to play tomorrow.
- The three finalists for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award have been named today, as one of Noel Acton, Ryan Francis, and Meridith Lang will take home the trophy this season. The award is given to the individual who, through the sport of hockey, has positively impacted his or her community, culture, or society. Even though just one will win, all three should be celebrated for their impact and community work. You can read more about the finalists here.
Goalie Notes: Holtby, Hill, Varlamov
Two of the four new names on Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff’s trade targets ranking are goaltenders, namely Braden Holtby of the Dallas Stars and Anton Forsberg of the Ottawa Senators. Holtby has had a nice bounce-back campaign in Dallas after being bought out by the Canucks last summer. In his 21 starts this season Holtby has a .912 save percentage and a 2.78 goals against average, strong improvement from his .889/3.67 marks in Vancouver. But his future in Dallas is clouded by the emergence of 23-year-old first-round-pick Jake Oettinger. (As well as the looming presence of Anton Khudobin, the goalie who led the Stars to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, in the AHL.) In an interview with Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic, Stars General Manager Jim Nill noted that Oettinger has “settled in” with the Stars, and LeBrun also ponders the possibility of Dallas dealing a goaltender.
The Senators’ Forsberg joins Holtby on the list, in large part thanks to the resurgence of Matt Murray. As Murray has shined, Forsberg and his .916 save percentage in 21 starts for the club have become more expendable. Given the Senators’ status as a likely seller come the trade deadline, Seravalli calls Forsberg “perfect trade fodder” for GM Pierre Dorion. Like Holtby, Forsberg is also a pending unrestricted free agent.
- Adin Hill has not played since a late January tilt versus the Lightning, and his absence looks set to continue. The San Jose Sharks announced that Hill has been placed on injured reserve as he continues his recovery from a lower body injury. As the Sharks sit second-to-last in the Pacific Division standings, Hill’s lack of recovery and placement on IR have to be seen as an unfortunate setback to add to his underwhelming first season in San Jose.
- As the Sharks battle Hill’s continued absence, the Islanders get one of their absent netminders back into the fold. The team announced that Semyon Varlamov has been activated from the COVID-19 non-roster list. Varlamov has a .916 save percentage in his 13 starts this season and figures to give the Islanders a boost as they attempt to build momentum in their long-shot chase for a playoff spot.
Injury Updates: Islanders, Canadiens, Tarasenko
The Islanders will be without winger Oliver Wahlstrom for tomorrow’s game against Montreal due to an upper-body injury, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). He was injured in Thursday’s victory over Boston and is listed as day-to-day. The good news for New York is that they’re expected to welcome winger Josh Bailey back after he missed Thursday’s contest. Meanwhile, Semyon Varlamov has returned to New York after testing positive for COVID while in Western Canada. He remains unavailable for the time being.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- The Canadiens are expected to have defenseman Ben Chiarot back in the lineup tomorrow, notes TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). The blueliner was injured last weekend against Columbus and while it was a minor injury, they needed to move him to IR to free up a roster spot to bring up a replacement for him. Chiarot is widely expected to be traded by the deadline but it appears Montreal isn’t ready to hold him out of action as a precautionary measure just yet.
- Still with Montreal, the Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that Joel Armia is listed as day-to-day and will not play tomorrow afternoon. He took a skate blade to the face late in Thursday’s victory over St. Louis. It has been a tough season for the 28-year-old as he has scored just twice in 37 games in the first season of a new four-year, $13.6MM contract.
- The Blues announced that winger Vladimir Tarasenko will not play tonight in Toronto due to an undisclosed injury suffered in Thursday’s game against Montreal. The nature of the injury was not disclosed but head coach Craig Berube listed the veteran as day-to-day. Tarasenko has had a nice bounce-back season and leads St. Louis in scoring with 45 points in 44 games. Tyler Bozak will take Tarasenko’s place in the lineup.
Metropolitan Notes: Bean, Brown, Ellis, Varlamov
After having a limited role in Carolina last season, there were rumblings that Jake Bean had asked to be traded. The blueliner told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link) that while his camp indicated to the Hurricanes that they felt a fresh start would be beneficial, it wasn’t a formal trade request. After he was left unprotected in expansion, it was widely anticipated he’d be picked by Seattle but that didn’t happen. Instead, Bean was moved to the Blue Jackets at the draft and signed a three-year, $7MM deal after. The 23-year-old is logging more than 21 minutes a game so far this season, more than seven minutes higher than his ATOI with Carolina last year. After being unsure about what his role would have been if he had stayed with the team that drafted him, Bean is getting plenty of ice time in Columbus.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Flyers winger Patrick Brown has recovered from his bout with COVID-19 and was cleared to rejoin the team at practice on Friday. However, as Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, the recent waiver claim from Vegas won’t be able to travel with the team at the start of their Canadian road trip. While he has cleared NHL protocol for the number of days since a positive test, Canada’s timeline is a little longer so Brown will have to travel separately next week once he reaches the 14-day mark.
- Still with the Flyers, defenseman Ryan Ellis will miss tonight’s game due to a lower-body issue, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ellis had been missing practices with a lower-body injury but head coach Alain Vigneault indicated that he’s unsure if this injury is related to that one. He’s expected to be available to play on their upcoming road trip and is listed as day-to-day.
- The undisclosed injury that held Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov out of training camp will sideline him for at least the next two games, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). Ilya Sorokin is off to a tough start to his second season having allowed 14 goals in his first four appearances but will be counted on as the starter for a little while longer at least.
Injury Updates: Oilers, Varlamov, Foote, Rust, Dunn, Maatta
Oilers winger Zack Kassian will suit up tonight after missing Edmonton’s season opener while in concussion protocol, the team announced (Twitter link). He suffered the injury in a fight late in the preseason when his helmet came off. To make room for Kassian, Edmonton has placed forward Devin Shore on IR with an undisclosed injury, notes Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). The placement is retroactive to last Saturday which means he’ll have missed seven days already which means Shore could be activated as soon as Tuesday’s game against Anaheim.
Other injury notes from around the NHL:
- Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov missed training camp due to nagging soreness with head coach Barry Trotz expressing optimism that the veteran wouldn’t miss much time. However, Newsday’s Andrew Gross relays that while the netminder took a few shots at the end of practice on Friday, there remains no timetable for a return. Trotz ruled out the possibility of a conditioning stint but it remains unclear when Varlamov will actually be able to suit up for New York.
- Lightning defenseman Cal Foote is roughly a week away from returning, notes Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). He had surgery last month to repair a torn tendon in his hand which caused him to miss all of the preseason. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tampa Bay asked him to start with a short conditioning stint first; he’d have to agree to the move as he’s no longer waiver-exempt.
- The Penguins have ruled out winger Bryan Rust for tonight’s game against Chicago, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 29-year-old was injured early in the third period on a hit from Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar on Thursday. The team is still evaluating Rust’s injury so there’s no timetable yet for his return although he has been placed on IR.
- Vince Dunn will miss tonight’s game for the Kraken, relays Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link). The blueliner is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue. Haydn Fleury will take Dunn’s place in the lineup.
- The Kings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated defenseman Olli Maatta off injured reserve. He’ll take the roster spot of Christian Wolanin who was claimed off waivers earlier today by Buffalo. The 27-year-old had a sparing role with Los Angeles last season, logging less than 17 minutes a game in 41 appearances while recording just four assists.
Snapshots: Extensions, Varlamov, Francouz
As is human nature, the 2021-22 season has not even started and discussion of the 2022 off-season has already begun. Tracking the impending free agent class, whose numbers inevitably decrease each year, is part of every season. Some will sign extensions soon, others will wait and see how the season progresses, and others are bound for the open market (and possibly the rental trade market beforehand). Pierre LeBrun writes for The Athletic that some of the biggest names among potential 2022 UFA’s are unlikely to become available. In fact, he believes the prize of the market, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, has quietly been making steady progress on a new deal and could sign soon. LeBrun also reports that the Dallas Stars and John Klingberg are having “good and constant dialogue” on an extension while, unsurprisingly, future Hall of Famer Patrice Bergeron will have the deal of his choosing from the Boston Bruins if he feels healthy this season and decides to extend his career. Less certain are the futures of Tomas Hertl and Morgan Rielly, who could be the top targets on the free agent market if they don’t re-sign with their current teams. The San Jose Sharks are still hopeful they can re-sign Hertl, but that could very well depend on their success this season and whether a continued relationship makes sense, especially if Hertl could be a trade deadline gold mine. LeBrun feels Hertl’s days in San Jose are numbered. Barring an unforeseen disaster, Rielly will remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs all year, but the team will have to do some serious work early next summer in order to clear the cap space for an extension. LeBrun does not expect a resolution, one way or another, until after the season. Pittsburgh Penguins veterans Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are expiring contracts whose futures are still too early to call, among many others across the league including restricted free agents as well. There will plenty to watch, as usual, over the course of the coming season.
- The New York Islanders are already facing some concerns in net. The team was taking a risky approach to their net depth as is by entering the season with cold veterans Cory Schneider and Ken Appleby as the backups to their NHL tandem of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. They may now be forced to call upon one of the two right away, as Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that Varlamov will not play in either of the Isles’ final two preseason games and is unlikely to be available for opening night, per head coach Barry Trotz. Schneider and Appleby played a combined nine games last season, all with AHL Bridgeport. Appleby has not played an NHL game since 2017-18 and Schneider has a .903 save percentage and 3.07 GAA over his last 79 NHL appearances. If the Islanders need to rely on either at the NHL level for an extended period of time this season, it could mean trouble. New York is hoping Varlamov can get back to action soon.
- The Colorado Avalanche dealt with their own goaltending depth problems last season when backup Pavel Francouz was lost for the year. While Philipp Grubauer was a workhorse for Colorado, the absence of an established understudy led to young Hunter Miska receiving NHL experience and eventually the acquisition of Jonas Johansson, who performed well late in the year. Fortunately for the Avs both are back this season, as Francouz is already back in the injury spotlight. Francouz suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday night’s preseason game, reports Colorado Hockey Now’s Scott MacDonald. While head coach Jared Bednar denied that the issue was related to Francouz’s 2020-21 issues, it is hard to feel confident about the veteran goaltender playing on two surgically-repaired hips when he is already experiencing another injury. There is expected to be an update on Francouz’s condition later this week. Johansson would be the next man up if Francouz is unable to start the season, though new starter Darcy Kuemper is capable of being a workhorse himself if need be.
Injury Notes: Varlamov, Allison, Scott, Jarvis
The start of training camps usually results in a fairly long list of injuries as teams are extra cautious with their players early on. Not surprisingly, this is the case once again this season. Here’s a rundown of some of the recent injury news around the league:
- Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov hasn’t skated yet in training camp due to an undisclosed injury, relays Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran is expected to split starts with Ilya Sorokin this season but there is no timetable for when he’ll be able to hit the ice.
- Earlier this week, the Flyers announced several injuries including one for winger Wade Allison and he was ruled out for the start of the season. It appears as if he’ll be out considerably longer than that as Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the high-ankle sprain is believed to be quite serious and that it could be months before he was able to return. The 23-year-old had four goals and three assists in 14 games with Philadelphia last season – his first NHL action – and looked to be a candidate to push for a regular spot in training camp. Now it appears that it’ll be a while before he gets that next opportunity.
- Maple Leafs goalie prospect Ian Scott suffered a groin injury early in the third period in Saturday’s victory over Montreal, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). He had hip surgery two years ago and while he’s in the third and final year of his entry-level contract, Scott has played in just seven career professional contests. Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that the netminder is expected to miss some time.
- Hurricanes winger prospect Seth Jarvis is day-to-day with a tweak, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal. The 19-year-old had 11 points in nine games with AHL Chicago and 27 more in 24 contests with WHL Portland last season and has a legitimate chance to break camp with the big club. If that doesn’t happen, he will have to return to the junior level.
Trade Deadline Primer: New York Islanders
We are now just two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New York Islanders.
The New York Islanders, perpetual underdogs, are again delivering an excellent season. Picked by many before the season to miss the playoffs in a loaded East Division, the Islanders have outplayed their competitors for much of the season. A top-five team in goals against average and shots against per game, the Isles have again bought in to head coach Barry Trotz‘ conservative, smothering style and are frustrating opponents left and right.
With that said, New York does not have a top-class offense, and that was even before the season-ending injury to captain Anders Lee. The Islanders are just a middle-of-the pack team in terms of scoring and are below average on the power play. As a side effect of the system, they do not put a lot of shots on net and have few odd-man rushes. Simply, they need to make their scoring chances count and without Lee that becomes more difficult. The Islanders have won just five of their past nine games since their leading goal-scorer went down and have slipped into a tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins in second in the division. In terms of points percentage, New York is closer to the Boston Bruins in fourth (who have many more game in hand) than they are to the Washington Capitals in first. The Islanders are unlikely to fall out of the playoff picture completely, but to stay near the top they desperately need to add offense.
Record
22-10-4, .667, T-2nd in East Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$0MM in full-season space (LTIR, $6.53MM unused), 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2021: NYI 1st, COL 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
2022: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, COL 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
Trade Chips
Like many contenders, the Islanders don’t have the strongest pipeline to lean on. However, likely looking to add just one rental forward in a buyer’s market, they shouldn’t have to offer up any of their few elite prospects to get the job done. So fear not Isles fans, Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson aren’t going anywhere.
Kieffer Bellows is likely the name that will be heard most often as being linked to outgoing Islanders’ packages. A polarizing, but promising prospect, Bellows hasn’t found the success in the NHL that was expected of a first-round pick and World Juniors standout, but he could benefit from playing in a different system. The 22-year-old may very well be selected by the Seattle Kraken in this summer’s Expansion Draft if he is still on the roster and not protected, so the Islanders might be looking to deal him rather than risk losing him for nothing.
The Islanders also have an organization depth chart chock full of young defenseman that they could offer up in a deadline deal. Bode Wilde will be the player most suitors ask about, but the team will try to steer them away from the talented righty. Sebastian Aho and Grant Hutton are NHL-ready assets who don’t necessarily have a full-time spot waiting for them in New York next season, making them expendable, while Robin Salo and Samuel Bolduc are younger options with intriguing upside.
Others to Watch For: F Ross Johnston ($1MM, 2022 UFA), F Michael Dal Colle ($700K, RFA), F Otto Koivula ($787K, RFA), D Parker Wotherspoon ($725K, 2022 RFA), G Jakub Skarek ($764K, 2023 RFA)
Team Needs
1) Top-Six Winger – GM Lou Lamoriello will have his sights set on one thing and one thing only at the deadline: a Lee replacement. While the captain’s locker room leadership and even his two-way effort and IQ likely cannot be found on the market, the Islanders need to find someone who can take up his knack for scoring goals. The team relies on efficiency on offense and are now missing their most reliable scorer. They are solid down the middle and have plenty of other talented wingers, but no one who isn’t already playing in the top-six can reliably fill Lee’s shoes. With up to $7MM in cap space to use with Lee on Long-Term Injured Reserve, nearly any rental winger can fit under the cap. Buffalo’s Taylor Hall, the lone exception, could be had with some retention involved, but New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri or Nashville’s Mikael Granlund would fit nicely under the cap. If the Islanders can’t manage to land one of those top options, dark horse candidates could include Chicago’s Mattias Janmark, who is scoring goals at a torrid clip this year, Vancouver’s Tanner Pearson, if healthy, or another New Jersey option, Nikita Gusev.
2) Goaltender – Being the shrewd veteran executive that he is, don’t be surprised to see Lamoriello look at solving an Expansion crisis ahead of the deadline as well. With young Ilya Sorokin exempt from the draft and Cory Schneider headed for free agency, the Islanders do not currently have the necessary goalie to expose to Seattle assuming they protect starter Semyon Varlamov, unless they extend the 35-year-old Schneider that is. Instead, look for the team to add a keeper with term on his contract or heading for restricted free agency. The team could kill two birds with one stone if they make can find a dependable addition; having a fourth-string for the playoffs and a third-string to replace Schneider next year would be a wise move.
New York Islanders Sign Ilya Sorokin
Tuesday: The Islanders and Sorokin have already agreed to terms on his next contract, less than 24 hours after he signed his first one. The Russian netminder will sign a one-year deal for the 2020-21 season worth $2MM according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This deal will still leave Sorokin as a restricted free agent in 2021 but gives the two sides a lot more time to work out a long-term deal.
The contract will carry a $1MM signing bonus and $1MM salary.
Monday: KHL star netminder Ilya Sorokin has made his much-anticipated leap to the NHL, albeit with a twist. Per agent Dan Milstein, Sorokin has signed a one-year entry-level contract with the New York Islanders, effective for the 2019-20 season. However, Sorokin is only eligible to join the team for training camp and cannot play in the upcoming postseason; yet, his contract will still be burned. This means that while the Islanders have finally signed Sorokin, he will need another contract this fall as a restricted free agent before he can ever suit up for the team.
Sorokin, 24, should be able to negotiate a pretty considerable deal for himself without any NHL experience, too. Like Igor Shesterkin of the rival New York Rangers, Sorokin has established himself as one the very best goalies outside of the NHL at a very young age. Stunningly, Sorokin made his KHL debut at just 17 years old, an unheard-of accomplishment for a goalie that young in any major pro league. His five games in 2012-13 jumpstarted his success in Russia, where he has a career .930 save percentage and 1.70 GAA in nearly 250 games. This included an unthinkable .953 save percentage and 1.06 GAA in 28 games in 2015-16 and a current streak of three straight seasons with a .930+ save percentage.
Sorokin will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Shesterkin in his rookie season in 2020-21, as the two bring their KHL duel to the Big Apple. While Shersterkin’s career KHL numbers are a tad better than Sorokin’s, they came in less than half as many games despite the two being the same age. Sorokin has a major experience advantage, so he should fair even better than Shesterkin with adjusting to the NHL. His Rangers counterpart recorded a .932 save percentage and 2.52 GAA in 12 games this season and seems to have won the starting role for his team. Expect Sorokin to aim for the same result and likely with more starts and better stats. Especially in an Islanders system that has elevated the play of keepers like Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss – who is now also likely to depart as a UFA – in recent years, it would not be shocking to see Sorokin with numbers among the league’s best next season as he splits time with Semyon Varlamov. In fact, Sorokin could have a strong case for the Calder Trophy in 2020-21.
So, while Islanders fans may be disappointed that they cannot see Sorokin sooner and that he cannot help out with a hopeful playoff run, they should still be excited for what is to come from the young Russian goaltender. With a deep, defensive-minded roster in front of him, Sorokin has the makings of a long-term, cornerstone keeper.
Snapshots: Kovalchuk, Sorokin, Backes
How the tables have turned already for Ilya Kovalchuk. The veteran forward was unemployed entering the new year after having his contract terminated by the Los Angeles Kings. Despite his decorated history in pro hockey, he was left scouting the market for a minimum contract with a team that maybe had a chance at the postseason in 2019-20. He landed in Montreal, signing a one-year, pro-rated $700K contract with a team heading in the wrong direction for playoff contention because that was his best option at the time. Just two weeks later, Kovalchuk’s stock has skyrocketed. The 36-year-old has eight points in eight games with the Canadiens and has looked phenomenal, especially compared to his play in L.A. When he first started scoring, many Habs fans were excited at the prospect of the team flipping him for assets at the trade deadline.
While this remains a distinct possibility, as Kovalchuk continues to produce many other are asking whether Montreal should instead look to re-sign the winger. Not only has Kovalchuk been an impressive offensive contributor, but he provides the veteran presence and star power that the team is lacking in its forward corps, which plays a part in why Kovalchuk has been such a hit with fans so early in his tenure. Yet, Kovalchuk has been so successful in such a short time with the Canadiens, that his camp is already thinking about cashing in, mere weeks after settling for the smallest NHL contract possible. When asked about the prospect of Kovalchuk re-signing in Montreal, agent Pat Brisson told TVA Sports that it is too early to talk extension. While he admits that Kovalchuk is enjoying his time with the team, Brisson states that the focus is only on making the playoffs, which – when spoken by an agent – is a strong indication that Kovlachuk will be looking to test the market or at least continue to drive up his price before talking contract with Montreal. A trade would also change the status quo and could afford Kovalchuk the opportunity to improve his stock even more with a postseason appearance, which seems unlikely in Montreal this season. While the veteran star is not going to land a long-term contract this season, his sudden resurgence all but guarantees that he will be back in the NHL next season and making significantly more than his current $700K cap hit.
- Ilya Sorokin is a name that has long been tied to the NHL, despite the player never having set foot on pro ice in North America. The New York Islanders prospect has long been one of the best goalies in the KHL, even at just 24 years old, yet he has been reluctant to sign with the team and commit to coming overseas. Reports earlier this season were that Sorokin wanted a clear shot to a guaranteed NHL job and has not been happy with the situation in New York, first with Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner last year, now Greiss and Semyon Varlamov this year, and at least Varlamov signed for several more years. Those reports indicated that Sorokin intended to stay in Russia unless traded by the Islanders. Some subsequent rumors believed that the team was considering moving Sorokin’s rights as a result. However, when KHL insider Igor Eronko approached Sorokin about the topic, a different sentiment came from the horse’s mouth. Sorokin expressed that he was surprised to read the stories about his trade demands and that the team was looking into moving him. He stated that he and the Islanders have a different understanding and he has not been told that the status quo has changed. Don’t be surprised if the Russian star remains Islanders’ property through the trade deadline after all.
- The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa writes that David Backes has five choices after being waived and demoted by the Boston Bruins. One option that might come as a surprise, not as a suggestion but as a concrete theory, is that Backes could retire rather than accept his assignment. Shinzawa reports that Backes seriously considered retirement after his concussion earlier this season, but was assured by a concussion expert that it was safe for him to return to action. Yet, after Backes failed to return to an NHL-caliber level of play, could he decide to play it safe and call it quits? He would forego the remaining salary on his contract, but would protect himself from the risk of long-term harm with another injury, one that would especially be a shame while merely competing at the AHL level. Shinzawa suggests that Backes could instead decline his assignment and see his contract terminated, which would make him a free agent where he could at least try to find a worthwhile job elsewhere in the NHL. The other option is that he simply accepts his assignment to AHL Providence, which could also lead to a trade request down the road or further consideration of retirement or contract termination before the end of next season.