Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tomas Nosek

Metropolitan Notes: Couturier, Lindgren Brothers, Nosek, Mayfield

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier has been off to a strong start since returning from back injuries that sidelined him for nearly two years, notching an assist and a team-high +3 rating in two contests while averaging over 20 minutes per game. However, he’s hit a hiccup in his re-acclimation to everyday play. He is “banged up” and missed practice today, although head coach John Tortorella did confirm nothing is wrong with his back.

Couturier is locking down the team’s first line with Joel Farabee on his left flank, and youngsters Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster are rotating in on his right. The Flyers likely won’t be sniffing playoff contention this season, but having the 30-year-old Couturier back in action is a huge boost development-wise for a team looking to usher in, quite literally, a new era of orange this season.

Other injury considerations around the Metro this morning:

  • Both of the Lindgren brothers are dealing with injuries, starting with New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren. He was a late scratch for their loss to Columbus on Saturday, and head coach Peter Laviolette said he’ll once again be a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against the Coyotes. The 25-year-old logged 19:50 in their season-opening win against Buffalo last week.
  • Washington Capitals backup Charlie Lindgren is also questionable, leaving practice this morning. Head coach Spencer Carbery could not confirm Lindgren’s status for tonight’s game against Calgary after he allowed four goals in the team’s season opener against Pittsburgh last Friday. He played in relief of starter Darcy Kuemper, who returns to the team tonight after welcoming a son last week.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Tomas Nosek is officially out of the lineup tonight after being absent from practice yesterday. He’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Devils reporter Amanda Stein, and Curtis Lazar is expected to return to the lineup tonight against Florida. Nosek, who’s logged 12:10 per game in two contests, is still looking for his first point as a Devil.
  • New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day after blocking a shot late in Saturday’s win against Buffalo, says head coach Lane Lambert. Mayfield did not practice today due to swelling in his leg, and his status for Tuesday’s game against the Coyotes is uncertain. He played 16:47 in that contest, and Samuel Bolduc will make his season debut on the third pairing should Mayfield be unavailable.

Injury Notes: Buchnevich, Boldy, Nosek

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich left yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Kraken with an upper-body injury and did not return, and head coach Craig Berube did not rule out a longer-term absence last night. Speaking with The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Berube ruled out a concussion but said the injury was “unfortunate” and didn’t have any indication of a timeline for return. Buchnevich left the game early in the first period after taking a cross-check into the boards from Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

Buchnevich is without a point in two games so far this season but has been invaluable to the Blues since joining the team in the summer of 2021, logging over a point per game as a member of the team. Recording 67 points in 63 games last season, he was on pace to lead the team in scoring if not for injury and logged over 19 minutes per game. The Blues practice today, and the team could issue an update on his status later on.

Other recent injuries sustained around the league:

  • Another core player for a Central Division team left a game last night – Wild winger Matt Boldy, who was one of the few bright spots in a poor defensive showing in a 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Athletic’s Michael Russo says it’s likely an upper-body ailment, but head coach Dean Evason did not have an update on Boldy’s status post-game. The Wild have only 12 forwards on the active roster, and if Boldy cannot play Tuesday against Montreal, the Wild would either need to dress seven defensemen or send Dakota Mermis to AHL Iowa and recall a forward in his place. The Wild do not have cap space to recall a healthy extra if Boldy is out of the lineup with defenseman Jared Spurgeon already unavailable.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Tomáš Nosek missed practice today with a lower-body injury and is considered doubtful for Monday’s game against Florida, Devils lead reporter Amanda Stein relays. Nosek has dressed in the Devils’ first two games of the season as a winger after playing center for the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights for much of the last four seasons, averaging 12:10 per game. The team’s summer free-agent pickup has yet to record a point but has controlled play well at even strength, posting a Corsi share of 65.5% despite heavy defensive zone usage. Either Curtis Lazar or Chris Tierney will draw into the lineup if Nosek can’t go.

Metropolitan Notes: Johnston, Nosek, Penguins

at CDT | by 1 Comment

It is unlikely forward Ross Johnston remains on the New York Islanders’ NHL roster for the entire upcoming season, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. Despite acknowledging Johnston’s dedication, demeanor and other positive off-ice intangibles, Kurz argues carrying an enforcer with limited playing time is not practical in today’s league. The expectation is the team will either try to trade Johnston before or during training camp or reassign him to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders to free up cap space.

The Islanders made Johnston one of the most oft-healthy scratched players in the league in 2022-23, only playing him in 16 out of a possible 88 combined regular-season and playoff games. Johnston did not have any sustained injuries or suspensions on record last season, nor was he ever assigned to the minors for conditioning purposes or otherwise. He posted two assists and 37 penalty minutes in 7:48 of ice time per game, and moving him will be a tough sell with three years remaining at a $1.1MM cap hit. In seven seasons as an Islander, Johnston has suited up in just 134 games despite being given 11 total contract years from the team.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division tonight:

  • Czech forward Tomas Nosek expressed his desire to stay with the Boston Bruins after a successful season, but they showed little interest in re-signing him. However, a phone call from Czech legend Patrik Elias convinced him to join the New Jersey Devils on a one-year, one-way deal worth $1MM, notes Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Nosek’s decision was influenced by Elias’ praise for the Devils and their potential to compete for the Stanley Cup, telling Novozinsky the call from Elias “made a positive impact on my decision.” Now with almost 400 NHL games under his belt, Nosek aims to continue his personal six-year playoff streak with the Devils and will likely factor in heavily on their penalty kill while playing a fourth-line center role, as he’s done with success in recent years for the Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have brought in Cam Charron as a hockey research and development analyst, according to the team’s staff listing on their website. It’s yet another add for the Penguins from general manager Kyle Dubas’ former regime in Toronto, where Charron served as an analyst from 2014 to 2022. Based in Vancouver, Charron took his year off last season to enter the media sphere, serving as a contributor for The Athletic.

West Notes: Oilers, Lavoie, Jets

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Oilers were among the teams that had shown interest in center Tomas Nosek, reports Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal.  Edmonton wasn’t able to afford to keep Nick Bjugstad who went back to Arizona in free agency and Nosek would have been a capable replacement, particularly in terms of his faceoff skill and penalty killing acumen.  It’s believed that they offered a deal that was at least close in money to the $1MM that Nosek received from New Jersey earlier this week.  The fact that they were in on the 30-year-old suggests that GM Ken Holland is still keeping an eye on the bottom end of the UFA market to potentially round out his roster.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Also from Leavins’ column, he noted that the Oilers made a sizable two-way offer to winger Raphael Lavoie, one that would have lowered his NHL salary but given him a bigger guaranteed salary. Instead, the 22-year-old opted to accept his qualifying offer worth just over $874K earlier this month, giving him a bigger potential payday in the NHL.  Lavoie has yet to play at the top level in his three professional seasons but clearly feels he’ll have a shot at a spot at the end of the roster, particularly since he is now waiver-eligible.
  • Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun examines the Jets’ offseason thus far and highlights the situation on the back end as something to watch for. Prospect Declan Chisholm is now waiver-eligible which makes it likely that he breaks camp with the team while Logan Stanley’s trade request from last season still hasn’t been granted.  Notably, Stanley declined to file for arbitration earlier this month.  Meanwhile, Ville Heinola, who has made it known in the past that he’s looking for more NHL time, remains waiver-exempt.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg try to do something to sort out what is a bit of a logjam toward the back of their back end as even if they carry eight defensemen to start next season, someone isn’t making the cut.

New Jersey Devils Sign Tomas Nosek

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The New Jersey Devils have bolstered their group bottom-six forwards, signing free agent Tomas Nosek to a one-year, $1MM contract.

According to CapFriendly, the deal leaves New Jersey with just over $2MM in cap space remaining, and the team still has to sign restricted free agent Kevin Bahl to a contract for next season.

This contract represents a decrease in pay for Nosek, who made $1.75MM against the cap last season. Nosek’s pay cut is far more likely to have been caused by the leaguewide lack of cap space rather than any decline in Nosek’s on-ice value from one year ago.

In fact, one could argue Nosek’s value has reached the highest point of his career. A six-foot-three undrafted Czech center, Nosek spent last season as the Boston Bruins’ main fourth-line center.

He occupied that role as the Bruins went on a historically successful regular-season run, and his defensive abilities played a part in their success. He won nearly 60% of his 597 faceoffs this past season, showcasing some value at the faceoff dot.

Nosek played the second-most minutes of any forward on Boston’s penalty kill, a unit that was the league’s best, killing penalties at an 87.3% success rate.

That 87.3% kill rate is the NHL’s second-best since the 2012-13 lockout season, and is a significant feather in Nosek’s cap. Although he’s never even reached the 20-point plateau in the NHL, Nosek brings the type of value many teams want to see from their fourth-liners. He brings size, defensive ability, the versatility to play center or wing, and significant playoff experience.

Impressively, Nosek’s teams have played playoff hockey in every single year he’s been an NHL regular. And in Nosek’s final year in the AHL, he scored 22 points in 19 postseason games for the Grand Rapids Griffins and became a Calder Cup champion.

The Devils want to take the next step in their cup contention process and go on a long playoff run. Nosek will undoubtedly help them in that pursuit.

New Jersey lost Miles Wood to Colorado in free agency, and Nosek doesn’t offer the same blend of size, speed, and scoring touch that Wood brought. But at this $1MM cost, there are few players left on the open market who can offer as meaningful an addition to the Devils’ roster as Nosek.

He could join Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian to make a formidable fourth line for head coach Lindy Ruff. In addition, Nosek is likely to take Yegor Sharangovich’s vacated spot on New Jersey’s penalty kill, bolstering a unit that was already among the NHL’s best last season. At this price, there isn’t really a way to view this signing as anything other than an absolute positive for the Devils.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jordie Benn, Vinni Lettieri Clear Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Feb 26: Both players have cleared waivers today and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Feb 25: On top of Jake Leschyshyn’s previously-reported waiver placement, two others are on the wire today as NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that the Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Jordie Benn on waivers while the Bruins have done the same with forward Vinni Lettieri.  Additionally, Johnston tweets that defenseman Kevin Gravel, who was waived yesterday, passed through unclaimed.

Benn has played in 12 games for Toronto this season, picking up a goal and an assist in less than 16 minutes per night while chipping in with 29 blocked shots and 32 hits.  However, he has been eighth on the depth chart for a while and hasn’t suited up for a month now.  The 35-year-old is on a one-year, one-way contract worth the league minimum of $750K and would be a low-cost depth addition for a team looking to shore up some depth.  The impetus for the move from the Maple Leafs is to create some extra cap flexibility as his cost would come off the books entirely if he went unclaimed and was sent to the AHL’s Marlies.  With Matt Murray set to come off LTIR as soon as this week, some roster moves will need to be made for them to be able to do so.

As for Lettieri, he was recalled by the Bruins at the end of January but landed on injured reserve one day later without suiting up.  This placement means that he has been cleared to return.  The 28-year-old has had a productive season with Providence of the AHL, notching 16 goals and 21 assists in 41 games.  He has 82 career NHL appearances under his belt and could be scooped for extra depth but the likelier outcome is that he clears and returns to the AHL.  That would open up an extra $750K in cap room for Boston heading into the trade deadline.

In related news, the Bruins also announced that center Tomas Nosek has been activated off LTIR.  He has been out with a foot injury for a little more than a month.  The 30-year-old has eight points in 42 games this season but is a key penalty killer that has won more than 58% of his faceoffs so far.

Injury Updates: Blues, Meier, Mantha, Nosek

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have subtracted some big names from their roster in recent weeks, including first-line winger Vladimir Tarasenko and team captain Ryan O’Reilly. While pending unrestricted free agent Ivan Barbashev could be next on his way out, the Blues are also lined up to get some players back into their lineup as well. Blues head coach Craig Berube told the media (including NHL.com’s Lou Korac) that both Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich are likely to return in time for tomorrow’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

While the playoffs aren’t really in the picture for the Blues any longer, getting both Saad and Buchnevich back should help the team play competitive hockey down the stretch. Buchnevich is arguably the Blues’ best player, with 43 points in 42 games alongside great two-way play. While Saad isn’t as impactful as Buchnevich, he has 15 goals to his name this season and contributes on special teams. Getting them back up and running again will be a major help to Berube as he looks to spark something in what remains of this disappointing Blues season.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • Top trade candidate Timo Meier is questionable for tomorrow’s San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators contest due to an upper-body injury, relays The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak. This is a situation to monitor for fans across the NHL, as Meier is one of the most sought-after players currently available on the trade market. The Swiss winger has scored 52 points in 57 games and one has to hope that any injury Meier is dealing with proves to be just a minor setback.
  • We have an update on Anthony Mantha, who left last night’s Washington Capitals game with an injury. Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette says, via The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, that Mantha’s status is officially considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It’s been an extremely difficult season for Mantha, who hasn’t scored nearly as well as he’d likely have expected to. The 28-year-old has 24 points in 54 games this season, and will look to get back into the lineup so he can finish this season on a productive note.
  •  Although Boston Bruins fourth-line center Tomas Nosek has been out of the lineup since a mid-January contest against the New York Rangers with a foot fracture, he could be nearing a return. Per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, Nosek is practicing again with the Bruins. The 30-year-old undrafted player is a well-regarded two-way bottom-sixer, and his return should bolster the Bruins’ penalty kill as he’s their top shorthanded forward by ice time when healthy.

Tomas Nosek To Miss At Least Four Weeks

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Bruins will be without a key depth veteran for the next little while as the team announced that center Tomas Nosek suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left foot on Thursday night.  He will miss at least the next four weeks due to the injury and will be re-evaluated at that time.

The 30-year-old is in his second season with Boston after signing a two-year, $3.5MM deal with them last summer.  Nosek is one of their most-used penalty killers, ranking second to only Charlie Coyle in shorthanded ice time among forwards while he has won over 58% of his faceoffs, good for second on the team behind Patrice Bergeron.  Offensively, he has chipped in with three goals and five assists in 42 games but his biggest contributions certainly come at the defensive end.

Notably, this injury dropped the Bruins down to 11 healthy forwards on their active roster so a recall from AHL Providence was expected.  While not announced by the team yet, they have recalled forward Joona Koppanen, per the AHL’s transactions log.  While they have next to no cap space, they do have plenty of flexibility in LTIR with Jake DeBrusk and his $4MM AAV on there while Nosek is eligible to be moved to LTIR as well considering how long he is set to miss and Koppanen’s recall will trim that space.

Evening Notes: Canucks, Canadiens, Nosek

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Realistically, it’s not too late for the Vancouver Canucks to still turn their season around. Coming into tonight, the team has 35 points through 34 games, out of the playoffs, but not so far that they can’t make the jump. If they want to do that though, one thing they’ll need is a healthy Thatcher Demko, and the sooner, the better with that. Demko was injured back on December 1st and originally the Canucks projected a six-week absence for their goaltender. But, that no longer seems likely, writes Patrick Johnston of The Province.

Johnston had a chance to speak with Vancouver head coach Bruce Boudreau, who discussed Demko’s return “I’m hoping that’s within the next month,” Boudreau said, “We have that big break coming (in late January), it might be right after that” he added. The Canucks will have a long break around the All Star Game, playing their last game on January 27th before picking things back up on February 6th. Also from Johnston, forward Tanner Pearson, who had hand surgery on November 10th and was originally projected to miss four-to-six weeks, has been skating and might make Vancouver’s mid-January road trip, which begins in Winnipeg on January 8th.

  • The Montreal Canadiens provided some medical updates this afternoon. Of note, forward Sean Monahan, who has been out since December 5th with a lower-body injury, is progressing well and skated today for the first time since the injury. The first-year Canadien had been enjoying a strong bounce-back season with 17 points in his first 25 games. Getting Monahan back in the lineup will not only be good for Montreal’s own performance, but the three-time 30-goal scorer could fetch a relatively significant haul at the trade deadline, just months after Montreal acquired him along with a first-round pick from the Calgary Flames for salary cap purposes. Veteran forward Paul Byron, who has yet to play this season while dealing with hip surgery is still yet to skate, but is making progress, albeit slowly, off the ice. Byron, 33, is in the last year of a four-year, $13.6MM deal.
  • After a difficult outing last night against the Ottawa Senators, Tomas Nosek’s absence from tonight’s lineup would seem like a healthy scratch as a simple response to his play, but that’s not necessarily the case according to Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. As Montgomery tells Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty, “It’s maintenance. It’s nothing serious, but we just didn’t want him playing in the back-to-back [games].” That strategy is sensible, and one Montgomery actually deployed earlier this season when Brad Marchand came back from injury. However, tonight is the first game Nosek has missed all season, which has included a few back-to-backs, and there’s been no news thus far of on any injury. Through 34 games, Nosek has three goals and four assists to go along with a stellar 58.3% faceoff percentage and steady penalty kill work. If Nosek’s absence is in any way performance related, it’s interesting to note Boston’s trust of Nosek thus far this season, giving 92.8% of his starts in the defensive zone.

Coyle, Forbort Expected To Step Into Top Roles For Bruins

at CDT | by 12 Comments

With the unexpected departure of David Krejci, the unknown status of injured Tuukka Rask, and a shockingly busy first day of free agency that included adding a number of top names, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Boston Bruins and how they may look next season. With so many possible lineup combinations and the team having yet to even practice together once, it would be understandable to leave fans wondering how the team may be structured in 2021-22. However, head coach Bruce Cassidy is not afraid to hint at his plans. Speaking with beat writer Eric Russo, Cassidy was open about who he sees stepping into some of the most important vacancies in the Bruins lineup.

First and foremost on the minds of most is who will step into Krejci’s role as second line center, especially after Taylor Hall was re-signed following stellar production with Krejci and Craig Smith. Well, despite some speculation to the contrary, Occam’s Razor prevails. Third line center Charlie Coyle will indeed get the first shot at centering the second line, as Cassidy called him the “obvious choice”. Coyle may be coming off of the worst offensive season of his career, but the two-way forward will be healthy this season following off-season knee surgeries and will look to return to form, which is a player whose career full-season scoring pace is 40 points. Cassidy notes that with Hall and Smith having experience playing together and Coyle and Smith also having played together, the familiarity that the three would share makes it an easy initial choice as the team’s second line. However, Cassidy does note that free agent additions Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek both play their best at center as well and could be next in line if Coyle is not a fit.

On defense, while some were content with the Bruins’ most frequent top pair of Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy, not everyone was convinced. Count Cassidy among that group. The head coach opined that the role may have been asking too much of Grzelcyk. He believes that free agent addition Derek Forbort, who plays a much more defensive and physical style, could in fact be the better match with McAvoy. Cassidy stated that between competing for that role and likely playing alongside Brandon Carlo on the top penalty kill unit, Forbort will be expected to play “big minutes”. Of course, Forbort will have to prove himself worthy, as Grzelcyk has the advantage of being the incumbent. Cassidy noted that Mike Reilly will likely continue to play with Carlo, but that too could change if Grzelcyk is bumped from the top pair.

Elsewhere on the roster, Cassidy firmly stated his support for Connor Clifton as getting the first shot as the regular third pair right-handed defenseman in the wake of Kevan Miller’s retirement. However, he also noted that youngsters Jakub Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen as well as recovering veteran John Moore all have experience playing their off side and will compete for opportunity. In the bottom-six, Cassidy offered a vote of confidence for Jake DeBrusk retaining his starting job as third line left wing, while also advocating for top prospect Jack Studnicka to get a look for a roster spot. With the versatility of additions Haula, Nosek, and Nick Foligno, there are plenty of potential combinations on that third line and there is a high likelihood of a more offensive fourth line in Boston than in years with the overflow of the third line position battle matched with the likes of Curtis Lazar and Trent Frederic. In goal, Cassidy did not just announce free agent splurge Linus Ullmark as the new starter; in fact quite the contrary. Cassidy expects Ullmark and breakout rookie Jeremy Swayman “to compete for the majority of the starts.” While Ullmark was compensated like a starter by the Bruins in both salary and term, Cassidy notes that Swayman will be given a fair chance to “come in and potentially be the No. 1.”

How it all plays out in Boston remains to be seen, but Cassidy did not hold anything back about his thought and plans for the current roster. That should give fans of the Bruins and their Atlantic Division rivals something more concrete to consider as the days tick down to the start of the regular season.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top