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Tomas Hertl

Morning Notes: McDavid, Hertl, Kostin

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Yesterday evening, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug gave a brief update on contract extension negotiations between Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Rishaug shared that General Manager Stan Bowman and team President and CEO Jeff Jackson are in Ontario to meet with McDavid’s agent, Judd Moldaver, to begin informal negotiations.

This week’s negotiations will reportedly focus on ’big picture’ issues, as the two sides are not close to exchanging numbers. The talks are expected to last well into the summer months and may not be solidified until closer to training camp, similarly to Leon Draisaitl’s recent extension.

Last week, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that McDavid was in no rush to sign an eight-year extension with the Oilers, hinting toward a contract similar to Auston Matthews’ with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the perceived driver’s seat for the negotiations, a shorter-term contract would allow McDavid to pursue other options if the Oilers fail to capitalize on their Stanley Cup contention window.

Other morning notes:

  • Yesterday morning, there was some loose speculation that the Vegas Golden Knights were in trade discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes over forward Tomáš Hertl, which could be completed by the end of the weekend. Without any solid reporting on the situation, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff refuted the talks. He stated on yesterday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live that he found no evidence suggesting Vegas is looking to trade Hertl. Although the Golden Knights are aiming to free up salary cap space, Hertl possesses significantly more trade protection than other candidates, like William Karlsson or Ivan Barbashev, which makes moving him objectively more challenging.
  • With the salary cap increasing, there will be significantly fewer non-tender candidates this summer. One player expected to depart is from the San Jose Sharks, as Seravalli reports that Klim Kostin will likely not receive a qualifying offer from the team. Shortly after, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shared that instead of seeking another NHL opportunity, Kostin is expected to take his talents to the KHL with Avangard Omsk. Kostin last played for Omsk back during the 2020-21 season on loan, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 43 contests.

World Championship Notes: Hischier, Reichel, Hertl, Lauko

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Switzerland will be without one of their top players for the rest of the World Championship as Devils team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that Nico Hischier has been ruled out due to a muscular injury.  He picked up two goals and an assist in four outings before suffering the injury, one that’s not believed to be a long-term concern and that his sitting for the rest of the event is largely precautionary.  Hischier had a career-high 35 goals this season in New Jersey along with 34 assists in 75 games while logging over 20 minutes a night for the first time in his eight-year NHL career.

More from the Worlds:

  • Germany winger Lukas Reichel won’t play in the rest of the event due to an injury sustained on Tuesday, reports Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription link). It’s expected he’ll need more time beyond that to recover but he is expected to get close to a full offseason of training in.  The 23-year-old is coming off a disappointing season with the Blackhawks, one that saw him record just eight goals and 14 assists in 70 games while seeing his playing time drop below 11 minutes per game.
  • Czechia won’t be getting one of their top players for a late-tournament addition. Hokej.cz’s Jakub Ruc relays that Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl did not receive medical clearance from the team to permit him to play the final few games of the event.  Hertl suffered an upper-body injury late in the regular season and it’s unclear if that’s the injury that will hold him out or if it was something different altogether.  After putting up 32 goals and 29 assists in 73 games this season, Hertl certainly would have been a big addition for the Czechs heading into the medal round.
  • Also from Ruc, winger Jakub Lauko is dealing with a jaw injury that will keep him out of the lineup for the time being but he is expected to be back before the end of the tournament. The pending restricted free agent was acquired by the Bruins near the trade deadline for his second stint with the team and had five goals and six assists in 56 games between Boston and Minnesota this season.

Golden Knights Recall Alexander Holtz

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After spending the last two months in the minors, Alexander Holtz is getting another NHL shot.  The Golden Knights have recalled the winger according to the NHL’s Media Portal while Danny Webster relays (Twitter link) that Holtz was on the third line in the morning skate.

The 23-year-old was acquired at the draft last year from New Jersey with Vegas hoping that a change of scenery could help unlock things for the 2020 seventh overall selection.  However, that didn’t exactly happen.  Holtz had a limited role with the Golden Knights in the first half of the season, notching just three goals and eight assists in 49 games while averaging 11:31 per night.  That playing time was similar to last season with the Devils when Holtz put up 16 goals and 12 helpers while playing all 82 games.  Instead of taking a step forward, he took a step back offensively.

That resulted in the Golden Knights taking a step back with Holtz when they assigned him to AHL Henderson in early February.  He certainly had more success with the Silver Knights, tallying seven goals and six assists in 16 appearances to earn this promotion.

It’s one that could be short-lived, however.  Webster notes (Twitter link) that winger Victor Olofsson was held out of the game day skate due to illness but could still play tonight against Seattle.  In that case, emergency conditions would no longer apply, meaning Holtz would either have to be returned to Henderson or be converted to one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.

In other Vegas news, Webster adds that center Jack Eichel remains listed as day-to-day and won’t suit up against the Kraken.  However, center Tomas Hertl was a full participant in the morning skate and appears to be set to play on the second line so they will at least get one impact center back for this one as they look to get one spot closer to clinching the Pacific Division title.  Hertl missed a little more than two weeks with a shoulder injury but still sits second on the Golden Knights in goals with 33 and third on the team in points with 59 in 70 games.

Snapshots: Hertl, Thompson, Whitelaw, Boija

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Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl rejoined the team for practice today, the team announced (Twitter link).  It’s worth noting that he wasn’t cleared for contact so he’s not particularly close to returning.  The 31-year-old suffered a shoulder injury a little more than a week ago, stalling what had been one of his better offensive seasons as he has 31 goals and 28 assists in 70 games.  However, Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that Hertl is expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs so while Hertl won’t be back in the immediate future, he won’t be out for much longer either.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson suffered an upper-body injury in the first period tonight against Carolina, the team announced (Twitter link). While he finished the period, he did not return after that.  The 27-year-old has done quite well in his first season with Washington, posting a 31-5-6 record with a 2.43 GAA and a .912 SV% in 42 games heading into tonight’s action, earning himself a six-year, $35.1MM extension back in January.  While Washington has a big cushion for top spot in the Metropolitan Division, an extended absence certainly wouldn’t be ideal heading into the playoffs.
  • Blue Jackets prospect William Whitelaw is looking for a new place to play next season as he has entered the NCAA transfer portal, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was an early third-round pick back in 2023, going 66th overall but has bounced around since then.  He played at Wisconsin in his freshman year but after managing 10 goals and seven assists in 37 games, he entered the portal and wound up choosing to play at Michigan this year.  The change of scenery didn’t yield much of an increase in production, just one extra goal in two fewer games so it appears he’s hoping the third time is the charm in terms of finding the right school to play at.
  • University of Maine goaltender Albin Boija was one of the top goaltenders from this year’s college free agent class. However, he won’t be turning pro after all as Divver reports in a separate tweet that the 21-year-old has elected to return for his junior year.  Boija took over as the starter for the Black Bears this season, posting a 1.82 GAA and a .926 SV% in 37 games, ranking him in the top ten in Division I in both categories.

Pacific Notes: Tocchet, Hertl, Pietrangelo, Zary, Blueger

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Despite being rumored as a coveted option by the Philadelphia Flyers, there’s little expectation Vancouver Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet will be available to other teams this summer. In an article from Thomas Drance of The Athletic (subscription required), a source from inside the Canucks organization has indicated the team will exercise their option on Tocchet’s contract for next season, and are already viewing him as next year’s coach.

Furthermore, Drance reports that the team is interested in extending Tocchet beyond next season rather than having him on a one-year contract. Plenty can change in a year, but all signs indicate Tocchet will be the only recent recipient of the Jack Adams Award, outside the Carolina Hurricanes’ Rod Brind’Amour, to remain with the team well beyond winning the award.

There’s no doubting the Canucks’ interest in an extension either. Since taking over for Bruce Boudreau halfway through the 2022-23 season, Vancouver has managed a 104-61-25 record under Tocchet’s stewardship, putting him second in organizational history in points percentage. Additionally, Tocchet helped the Canucks win their first division title since the 2012-13 season, which is even more impressive considering he had to navigate through a murky relationship between the team’s top two forwards at the time, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

  • Don’t expect forward Tomáš Hertl or defenseman Alex Pietrangelo back for the Vegas Golden Knights this weekend. According to a report from Jason R. Pothier and Ken Boehlke at SinBin, neither Hertl (upper body) nor Pietrangelo (lower body) will return by the end of the weekend due to their respective injuries. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear Hertl will miss much more time, as the two reporters indicate he could return as early as next week.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that further tests will be conducted to assess the severity of Connor Zary’s knee injury. The young forward for the Calgary Flames awkwardly collided with the Dallas Stars’ Mikko Rantanen shortly into the third period of last night’s contest and required help getting off the ice after a lengthy meet with the trainer. Fortunately, Dreger believes the early prognosis of Zary’s injury was positive. Still, as the fifth-highest scoring forward on the Flames with 27 points in 54 games, Calgary will need Zary in the lineup should they have any hope of catching up to the St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
  • Moving back to British Columbia, context has been provided regarding the Canucks’ call-up of Max Sasson earlier this morning. According to Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, forward Teddy Blueger is questionable for tonight’s contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets due to the flu. Unfortunately, if his illness were to prohibit him from playing tonight, it would be the first time Blueger has missed a game all season. The consistent bottom-six forward has scored eight goals and 23 points in 72 games with Vancouver this season.

Golden Knights Expected To Activate Shea Theodore, Raphael Lavoie

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The Golden Knights are expected to activate defenseman Shea Theodore from long-term injured reserve, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ve also removed forward Raphael Lavoie from injured reserve, Webster relays from the league’s media site, but he’s not on the roster, indicating he’s been reassigned to AHL Henderson. Vegas wasn’t using Theodore’s LTIR relief to stay cap-compliant, so they could activate him without an additional cap-clearing move.

Theodore will be a game-time decision for tonight’s road matchup against the Wild as a result, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters, including Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. The 29-year-old has been out since sustaining an arm injury while suiting up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The 10-year veteran is amid another spectacular offensive campaign. After starting the year with three multi-point efforts in his first six appearances, he put pen to paper on a seven-year, $51.975MM extension to keep him in Vegas for what could be the rest of his career. He went onto post 48 points in 55 games until the 4 Nations break, during which he injured his right arm on a hit from Swedish winger Adrian Kempe in the Canadians’ first round-robin game.

While injuries have taken a huge bite out of Theodore’s availability for the third season in a row, he remains one of the league’s premier point producers from the blue line. Since the 2019-20 season, Theodore’s 271 points rank 11th among defensemen, while his 0.75 points per game rank ninth among rearguards with at least 100 games played. The Golden Knights hope he can continue at this season’s 71-point pace upon his return, helping soften the blow of losing star center Tomáš Hertl to a shoulder injury for at least their next three games after he didn’t travel with the team, Webster relayed yesterday.

Theodore presumably returns to his usual spot, playing his offside with lefty Brayden McNabb on the team’s second pairing. The duo, who have been regular partners since the 2021-22 season, have controlled 52.7% of expected goals this season while outscoring opponents 25-21 at 5v5, per MoneyPuck. 24-year-old Kaedan Korczak will likely head to the press box after playing a regular role in Theodore’s absence, posting five assists and a plus-four rating in 13 games coming out of the 4 Nations break.

Lavoie presumably heads to the farm after being held out of the lineup since March 5 with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old narrowly remains waiver-exempt, playing just nine NHL games this season and remaining on the active roster for under 30 cumulative days thanks to a series of paper transactions. The ex-Oilers prospect hopped between Edmonton and Vegas three times on the waiver wire in October before finally settling down with the Knights organization.

He hasn’t made an impact in the NHL lineup when dressed, averaging 10:05 per game and posting a minus-four rating without registering a point. He remains pointless across 16 career big league appearances, but he does have 13-8–21 in 32 showings for Henderson this year.

Vegas Activates Hertl Off IR, Assign Two Others

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The Vegas Golden Knights officially activated Tomas Hertl off the injured reserve last night which sparked a series of roster moves so that the team could insert the forward into their lineup while remaining cap compliant. The 30-year-old Hertl was acquired by Vegas from the San Jose Sharks back on March 8th in a move that surprised the hockey world. Hertl played 20:20 last night in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks and did notch an assist. The game was the 49th of Hertl’s season and the first of his career in a jersey other than a Sharks jersey. On the season, Hertl has now posted 15 goals and 20 assists and is -27.

The Golden Knights made two other moves last night, first moving forward William Carrier back to the LTIR as he hasn’t played since March 25th due to an upper-body injury. Carrier was placed on LTIR exactly one month ago but returned in March to play six games before being injured again. Carrier has struggled this season with just six goals and two assists in 39 games.

Vegas also assigned rookie forward Brendan Brisson to their AHL affiliate in Henderson. The move was a clear financial move to be cap compliant as Brisson has been solid in limited NHL action this season with two goals and six assists in 14 games. Brisson only dressed in one game during his most recent recall and has points in four straight NHL games.

Vegas currently sits in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference and is a point back of the Los Angeles Kings for third spot in the Pacific Division.

West Notes: Kane, Hill, Hertl, Bogosian

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Oilers winger Evander Kane has been fined $5K, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Flames forward Dryden Hunt in last night’s 4-2 win, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced. The play occurred early into the second period. After Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard stopped a shot from Hunt on a 2-on-1 rush and froze play, Kane checked Hunt away from the crease and then laid a slash across his wrists as the two were circling behind the net after the whistle (video via RDS). It was a night to forget for Kane, who was benched for stretches and played just 9:54 – a season-low, discounting games where he’s sustained injuries. Near the end of the second period, he was on the receiving end of a fiery tirade from teammate Corey Perry as well. The 32-year-old still has solid totals with 23 goals and 41 points in 74 games this season, but he’s been among the Oilers’ worst players defensively and is averaging 16:43 per game, the lowest since his rookie season with the Atlanta Thrashers 14 years ago.

Other notes out of the West:

  • Golden Knights starter Adin Hill is nearing a return as he practiced with the team today and will travel on their two-game road trip through Western Canada, head coach Bruce Cassidy said (via Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). Cassidy also told reporters that forward Tomáš Hertl will “probably” make his Vegas debut tomorrow in Vancouver. Hill has been out since March 24 with a lower-body injury, his second of the season. He also missed two weeks in early December with a lower-body ailment, although it’s unclear if the two are related. It’s been a battle for last year’s Stanley Cup hero to stay healthy this season, but he’s been Vegas’ best and most consistent option when available. He’s started a career-high 32 games, posting an 18-10-2 record with a .914 SV%, 2.62 GAA, two shutouts, and 9.5 goals saved above average. Hertl, meanwhile, has been ramping up in practice over the past few days and is set to play for the first time since undergoing knee surgery as a member of the Sharks shortly after the All-Star break.
  • The Wild have depth defenseman Zach Bogosian back in the fold against the Blackhawks today, notes The Athletic’s Joe Smith. The 33-year-old has recently logged top-four minutes alongside Jonas Brodin but missed Minnesota’s last two games, both losses, with an undisclosed injury. The Wild are teetering on the edge of playoff contention and realistically need to win out to sniff a chance at making the postseason. Bogosian has actually been quite good for Minnesota since being picked up from the Lightning in an early-season trade, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists for 13 points in 55 games while averaging 18:06 per game, his highest usage and offensive production since 2018-19 with the Sabres. He’s done so with positive possession metrics, too, logging a 50.7 CF% and +3.3 expected rating.

Golden Knights Recall Brendan Brisson

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The Golden Knights have brought Brendan Brisson back to the NHL roster, per a team announcement. His recall comes under emergency conditions after head coach Bruce Cassidy announced Tomáš Hertl won’t be ready to make his Vegas debut against the Coyotes tomorrow and said they’ll likely be without Nicolas Roy due to an undisclosed injury. Summoning Brisson guarantees them 12 healthy forwards in Arizona.

Brisson, 22, joins the Vegas roster for the first time since he was assigned to Henderson on March 13. The 2020 first-round pick has played in 13 games this season after making his NHL debut in January, doing quite well with two goals and seven points in limited ice time. A natural center, Brisson has mostly played wing throughout his first major-league stint, and he’ll likely do so again on a line with Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar if his services are needed tomorrow.

The Los Angeles native’s possession game has also been better than his -4 rating suggests. He’s recorded a 48.9 CF% and 50.0 xGF% at even strength, not jaw-dropping by any stretch but still better than the majority of his teammates when in the lineup. His positive impact on shot attempts has been strong in particular, as Vegas’ CF% with him on the ice is 4% better than without him across his limited run of play. He’s most frequently suited up alongside William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, skating over 43 minutes with them across six games, but has also logged significant time on lines with Karlsson and Michael Amadio as well as Howden and Paul Cotter.

Vegas has space to absorb Brisson’s $925K cap hit without making any corresponding moves, but only because Hertl remains on LTIR for the time being. When he’s ready to go, likely now for Monday’s game in Vancouver, they’ll need to assign two contracts to Henderson to activate him. As such, Brisson’s stay in the majors will be brief.

Brisson’s decent initial showing makes him a candidate to crack the Golden Knight’s opening night roster in 2024-25, especially considering he’s also done well on a poor Henderson team with 16 goals and 36 points in 50 games. His ELC remains valid for next season, after which he’ll be an RFA.

Pacific Notes: Hertl, Danault, Kulak, Ceci, Fleury

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Top trade deadline pickup Tomáš Hertl took a major step toward making his Golden Knights debut Monday, practicing with the team in a non-contact jersey for the first time. The 30-year-old is on long-term injured reserve but is eligible to come off at any time. He had been on standard IR since being acquired from the Sharks on March 8 but was moved to LTIR last week to afford Vegas the cap space necessary to recall goaltender Jiří Patera from the minors with Adin Hill injured. With Patera returned to Henderson as of last night, the Golden Knights have enough cap space to activate Hertl’s $6.75MM cap hit whenever he’s ready to go. He’s expected to suit up for Vegas before the regular season draws to a close. The 11-year vet underwent knee surgery after representing San Jose at the 2024 All-Star Game and hasn’t played since late January. He remains week-to-week, but skating today is a strong indication he’ll be upgraded to day-to-day in the near future.

Other updates from the Pacific Division:

  • Kings center Phillip Danault will be a game-time decision with his upper-body injury ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Jets, interim head coach Jim Hiller told reporters (via Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press). Danault, 31, missed Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Flames with the injury. The 2011 first-round pick is well on his way to earning Selke Trophy votes for the sixth straight season, although he’s yet to be a nominee. He has 17 goals and 42 points in 72 games this season, in line with his production since joining the Kings on a six-year, $33MM deal in 2021. His +14.5 expected rating this season is the second-highest of his career, and his 56.1 CF% at even strength is fifth among qualified Kings skaters despite receiving difficult defensive minutes. If Danault cannot play, 24-year-old Akil Thomas is expected to make his NHL debut after being recalled yesterday.
  • Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak is expected to suit up Monday against the Blues, while Cody Ceci sits due to illness, per NHL.com. Kulak’s status for tonight’s game was uncertain after taking a puck to the head during his first shift against the Ducks on Saturday, ending his game prematurely. The 30-year-old has been decent in bottom-pairing usage for the Oilers this season, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists in 72 games. His ice time has dipped to 15:09 per game, the lowest of his Oilers tenure, but he’s controlled possession well with a +10.3 expected rating and a 52.9 CF% at even strength in his relatively easy minutes.
  • The Kraken brought defenseman Cale Fleury back up from AHL Coachella Valley after sending him down yesterday, per a team announcement. Fleury has been summoned multiple times over the past few weeks for injury insurance while star blue-liner Vince Dunn remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. He hasn’t seen any game action, though, serving as a healthy scratch in the two games he’s been rostered for. On the farm, the 25-year-old has 32 points in 60 games, leading Coachella Valley defensemen. He signed a two-year, $1.6MM contract to remain in the Seattle organization last summer after reaching restricted free agency.

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