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AHL Notes: Studnicka, Conway, Bouchard, Jones, Howdeshell

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The Providence Bruins face the tall task of defeating the Charlotte Checkers in their first-round match-up of the Calder Cup Playoffs, after Charlotte’s historic season earned them the top seed in the Eastern Conference. If Providence is able to do so, it will likely be in no small part due to the efforts of their newest addition. Forward Jack Studnicka, the Boston Bruins’ 2017 second-round pick and the player considered by many to be their top prospect, has joined Providence following the end of his junior season. In a strange turnaround, Studnicka and the stacked Niagara Ice Dogs simply could not figure out fellow Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser in net and were surprisingly knocked off by his Oshawa Generals in the second round of the OHL Playoffs. Oshawa had traded Studnicka to Niagara earlier in the season, yet somehow emerged from the match-up with their former captain. Now, Stunicka has to move on from his junior season and try to help Providence immediately in their own playoff run. He was able to make an instant impact last year, recording five points in five games with the P-Bruins. This time around, he could be an even bigger threat. Studnicka scored at better than a point-per-game pace with both Oshawa and Niagara this season, totaling 83 points in 60 games. He’s also trying to impress the Boston brass, as Studnicka’s OHL career is over and this is his first step toward cracking the Bruins’ roster next season. Adding a motivated and talented top prospect to the mix should be a major boost for Providence.

The P-Bruins have also added a local product to the roster, reports Mark Divver of The Providence Journal. Divver writes that Providence College senior Scott Conway has joined the team and has signed a one-year AHL contract as well. Conway, 24, is coming off an interesting collegiate career, in which he showed consistent success but also flashed next-level ability that never fully manifested. After his freshman year at Penn State University, in which he recorded a respectable 26 points in 34 games, Conway opted to leave the program and played the 2015-16 season outside of the NCAA with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Conway was a star in the BCHL, amassing a league-leading 116 points while skating alongside Colorado Avalanche center Tyson Jost and quickly committed to a new college team in Providence. Yet, in three seasons with the Friars, Conway’s numbers were no better than they were with the Nittany Lions. It’s thus unclear what the ceiling may be for the experienced English forward, who dominated the junior-A level, but failed to reach stardom at the college level. The Bruins likely got a good look at the local product and willing to see what he can bring to the table next season.

  • Like Studnicka, two other highly-touted junior prospects have also joined their respective AHL teams for the playoff run. Defenseman Evan Bouchard, who played in seven games with the Edmonton Oilers to begin the season, has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, the team announced. Last year’s tenth overall pick notched 53 points in 45 games with the OHL’s London Knights this year and added another three points at the World Juniors with Team Canada. Bouchard is a near-lock to make the Oilers out of camp next season and can further improve those odds with a strong stretch of play for the Condors. Ben Jones, a seventh-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, has already proven to be a steal and will look to advance that title with his first pro experience. A teammate of Studnicka’s in Niagara, Jones led the team with 102 points on the year, but was held in check in the postseason compared to his fellow Ice Dogs standouts. Nevertheless, Jones will still be an exciting addition for the Chicago Wolves after a top-ten scoring season in the OHL. Having graduated from the junior level, this is also a peak into what’s in store for Jones next season in the pros.
  • Like Conway, another promising undrafted prospect has been brought in by an AHL team just prior to the postseason, only that team didn’t qualify for the postseason. Forward Keeghan Howdeshell of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds has signed a one-year deal with the Tuscon Roadrunners, his former club revealed. The Roadrunners are already looking ahead to next season after failing to grab one of the final spots in the Western Conference playoff picture, much like their parent club. Howdeshell, 21, finished tied for second in scoring for the Greyhounds this year with 77 points in 66 games. The U.S. National Team Development Program product seemed likely to be drafted but was instead passed over several times. He has since re-established his value and will look to translate his game to the pro level with Tuscon next season. A strong campaign could lead to Howdeshell earning an entry-level deal with the Arizona Coyotes.

Colorado’s Matt Nieto Out 6-8 Weeks

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What was originally considered to be a minor injury has turned out to be anything but for Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Nieto. Just days after stating Nieto was “dinged up” and would miss Saturday night’s game, BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele relays news from GM Joe Sakic tonight that Nieto is expected to miss six to eight weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

The timeline leaves little to no chance that Nieto will return in the regular season. If the Avalanche make the playoffs, his availability would be in question through at least the first round, if not longer. It’s a tough blow for both the team and the player in what has been a career year for Nieto. The 2011 second-round pick has been nothing if not consistent over his NHL career as a bottom-six forward. Including this season, Nieto has recorded at least double-digit points in 58 or more games in each of his six seasons. His best year to date came in his sophomore campaign with the San Jose Sharks, when he registered 27 points in 72 games, although he nearly matched that total last season in Colorado. However, with 22 points already through 58 games this year, Nieto was on pace to finish the 2017-18 season with 30 points. This injury ensures that won’t happen, robbing Nieto of a new career best and the Avalanche of one of their top-nine scoring forwards.

Fortunately, Sakic and company did manage to add Derick Brassard from the Florida Panthers at the deadline at a relative bargain rate and he will be in the lineup right away tonight when the Avs face those same Panthers. Even amidst a miserable season for the veteran forward, Brassard is a major addition for Colorado and should arguably be considered the best non-first line forward on the club the rest of the way. If he plays up to that expectation, he will more than make up for Nieto’s absence and could be the key to the Avalanche winning a playoff spot and Nieto seeing the ice again this season. Beyond Brassard, Tyson Jost, Sven Andrighetto, and Sheldon Dries are among the others who could be asked to step up in Nieto’s stead. The fate of the Avs’ season may rest in their ability to emulate their fallen teammate’s work ethic and tenacity on the ice.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Tyson Jost

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If something doesn’t change soon, the Colorado Avalanche could be out of the playoff conversation by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around in two weeks. The team is on a seven-game win-less streak and have only won three of their past 20 games dating back to before Christmas. The Avs are currently in tenth in the Western Conference, four points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final wild card spot. The team that looked early on like a safe bet to earn a Central Division slot is now in real danger of missing the postseason completely.

With this struggle also comes an increased risk of being a buyer at the deadline. While the young Avalanche were not expected to be a heavy presence on the market regardless, they may be scared away from moving trade capital at all with their postseason hopes in a downward spiral. As such, if Colorado wants to improve their play and try to get back into playoff position, that help will likely have to come internally. The first move in that direction may have come today, as the Avalanche have announced the recall of young forward Tyson Jost from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

Jost, 20, was the tenth overall pick in 2016 by the Avs after scoring more than 100 points for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees the season prior. He was then a point-per-game player in his first and only season with the University of North Dakota. However, Jost has been unable to find that kind of production and consistency in the NHL. Last season, Jost recorded 22 points in 65 games for the Avalanche, which was not terrible for a rookie, but was underwhelming considering the ice time and situations Jost found himself with. The young center then landed in the AHL last month after registering just six goals and 15 points in his first 43 games.

Rather than let the demotion affect his play, Jost has put together four goals and an assist through eight games with the Eagles and has even fought back from an injury earlier this month that was expected to keep him out an “extended period”. All signs point to Jost being determined to get back to the NHL and be a difference-maker, which is exactly what the Avs need. Colorado is still a top ten team in goals per game, but drastically needs improved secondary scoring behind their dominant top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog. If Jost can be the spark that gets some offense going in the bottom-nine, that could be enough to get the Avalanche back to their winning ways. The team’s next five games are against current playoff teams, so we’ll soon see whether the talented young forward can be an x-factor for Colorado down the stretch.

Tyson Jost Out “Extended Period” With Injury

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Things haven’t gone perfectly for Tyson Jost since he left the University of North Dakota after just a single season. Since joining the Colorado Avalanche, Jost has just 38 points in 119 games and now finds himself in the minor leagues. Even things down there aren’t going well, as according to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver Jost will now be out an “extended period” after taking a big hit while playing for the Colorado Eagles. It’s not clear exactly what Jost’s injury is but it is extremely unfortunate given he was expected to be recalled by the Avalanche for this weekend’s action.

Jost, 20, was the tenth overall selection in 2016 following an incredible 104-point season for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. That league is well known for its high level of competition and the fact that players maintain NCAA eligibility, meaning Jost could head to UND in 2016-17 without issue. He did just that and found immediate success, recording 35 points in 33 games while also winning a silver medal with Canada’s World Junior team. Unfortunately that offensive success hasn’t carried over to Colorado, and Jost has found himself seeing less and less ice time and responsibility as a result.

There’s work to be done to get Jost to the level many expected him to be at three years after his draft, and a serious injury doesn’t do anything to help that. If he can’t get back on the ice soon there could be a good chunk of development time missed, important time for him, especially with just one year left on his entry-level contract. Jost is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2020.

Central Notes: Jost, Zadorov, Nichushkin, Kane

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With a dominant top line that includes Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, the Colorado Avalanche can’t be happier as they have combined for 75 points so far this season. However, the biggest concern for the team has been their secondary scoring, which most recently seems to have improved when the team re-inserted center Tyson Jost together with wingers Alex Kerfoot and Colin Wilson, according to Kyle Newman of the Denver Post.

Jost had spent some time with that line earlier this year, but between a demotion to the team’s fourth line and an injury that kept him out for four games, Jost finally got a chance to center the two wingers and has made the most of his opportunity with a pair of goals in the past week as well as improved play from both Wilson and Kerfoot.

“It’s tough to score every night, but I want to see them generate chances every night and I want to see them doing the right things defensively,” Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said. “They’re starting to earn more trust on the defensive side of the puck as a young line, and they’re finding ways to chip in, and the last (few games) are a prime example.”

  • Sticking with the Avalanche, Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Bednar has lost faith for the time being in defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who led the league in hits with 278 last year and averaged 19:28 of ice time last season. However, his role has changed as he is averaging just 15:12, was benched in the third period Wednesday against Boston and then finally was a healthy scratch for the team’s game against Washington on Friday. “We’ve got some D that are playing well,” Bednar said. “Like I said, we’ve got the depth at D now, seven (defensemen) and sometimes you gotta make tough decisions. … Sometimes that means moving around the lineup, elevating guys, lowering guys in the lineup with their minutes. Other times it means you have to make tough decisions and scratch some guys. That’s what we did with Nikita. He’s going to get an opportunity to go back in and continue to play. We’ll see how the game goes.”
  • Dallas Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin hasn’t scored an NHL goal in 989 days. Granted, he just spent the last two season in the KHL, which has something to do with that statistic. However, Nichushkin went 26 combined regular season and playoff games without scoring back in 2016 and now has gone 14 straight goalless games this season, according to SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks. His struggles are not stopping him, however. “Tough start, but I feel better every game, especially the last three games, I had a lot of moments,” Nichushkin said. “I need to score and I think everything will be good. Team’s winning so I don’t care. I know I will be better.”
  • Chicago Blackhawks new head coach Jeremy Colliton has utilized the strategy of playing Patrick Kane as much as possible since he’s taken over, but another interesting stat is that Colliton has used Kane almost entirely on the power play, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield. In fact, Kane has been used for 16:50 of power play time under Colliton in a total of 17:52, an unbelievable usage rate for a 30-year-old player. “I don’t think it’s been a problem so far, and I think the power play’s moving in the right direction,” Colliton said. “I thought the power play was better tonight than it was against St. Louis, but we scored against St. Louis so it (wasn’t) a talking point. We’ve just got to work on it.”

Injury Notes: Luongo, Dubinsky, Jost, McQuaid

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Not much has gone right for the Florida Panthers this season, but the team hopes that they may have good news on the horizon after goaltender Roberto Luongo was on the ice Sunday taking shots, according to NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. The team lost the oft-injured netminder during the second period of the season opener when teammate Frank Vatrano fell on him, forcing him out of the game with a lower-body injury.

The 39-year-old has fared well when healthy, but he hasn’t played more than 40 games since the 2015-16 season, which isn’t great considering the team is paying him $4.53MM per year for four more years. Head coach Bob Boughner was thrilled to see Luongo back on the ice, but has no intention of bringing him back until he is 110 percent healthy.

“He’s a huge part of this team. And you can see, no slight to anybody else, this team’s missed him,” Boughner said. “We’re a different team when he’s playing.”

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets also had good news as winger Brandon Dubinsky participated in Sunday’s morning skate, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). Dubinsky has been out since Oct. 8 with a partially torn oblique muscle, but there remains no timetable for his return. The original diagnosis for Dubinsky’s injury was four to six weeks. He hasn’t been out three weeks yet, but the 32-year-old said that he’d be disappointed if he didn’t play on the team’s upcoming road trip, starting Thursday and going through Sunday. “I would say I’m ahead of schedule, but I don’t want to come back early and set myself back a few weeks,” Dubinsky said. The veteran had only played in two games before getting injured, but already had a goal and an assist.
  • The Colorado Avalanche may be without one of their top youngsters for a while as BSN’s Adrian Dater reported that the team will be without center Tyson Jost indefinitely. Jost, who suffered a head injury Friday in the third period against Ottawa, has a goal and an assist in 11 games so far this season. The 20-year-old scored 12 goals in his rookie season last year, but had worked his way higher up in the lineup this year.
  • Newsday’s Colin Stephenson reports that New York Rangers head coach David Quinn said that defenseman Adam McQuaid is day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained in the first period Thursday. He is not expected to play Sunday against Los Angeles, which could open up another chance for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, who has only appeared in two games for the Rangers this season.

Massimo Rizzo Bound For North Dakota

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A top BCHL prospect is following in familiar footsteps. The Penticton Vees announced today that Massimo Rizzo has committed to join the University of North Dakota for the 2019-20 season, extending a trend of Penticton captains continuing their development with the Fighting Hawks. Rizzo was given the “C” for the Vees for the upcoming season earlier this month.

As a rookie last season, Rizzo turned heads with his impressive performance. The 16-year-old finished fourth on the team in scoring with 39 points in 50 games and then really held his own in the postseason with another ten points. The speedy forward showed good balance to his game and the potential to improve into a game-changing talent. His promotion to captain at such a young age also speaks to his leadership and locker room presence. Rizzo also performed well for Team Canada at the U-17 World Championships where he was again fourth in team scoring with four points in five games. As the Junior-A level in Canada continues to gain more recognition, Rizzo could be the next big name to trace his roots back to the BCHL.

Rizzo should take another step forward in Penticton next season before enrolling at North Dakota, where he will try to follow the path of several notable former Vees captains. Three recent Penticton captains have been recruited by the Fighting Hawks and have gone on to have great success in the college ranks and in the pros. Troy Stecher was a three-year star at UND before signing with the Vancouver Canucks and is now a top-four defenseman in the NHL. Tyson Jost was the tenth overall pick out of Penticton two years ago and showed his value in his one college season with more than a point per game with the Hawks.  He then played a critical role in the re-emergence of the Colorado Avalanche this season. Finally, like Stecher, Nick Jones was a star with the Vees, but went undrafted; however he showed in his first year for North Dakota that he has the makings of a future pro. When Rizzo joins North Dakota in 2019, he’ll reunite with Jones and draft-eligible defenseman Jonny Tychonick on a team that will draw much of its strength from former Vees.

West Notes: Kings, Nosek, Avalanche Injuries

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Earlier this season, it was being suggested that the Kings might be willing to part with a defenseman at some point during the year.  Now, it appears that not only are they going to keep the ones they have but add as well.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that GM Rob Blake has identified a defender that can shift between the second and third pairings as their top priority heading into the trade deadline.

There is a well-defined top-four for Los Angeles with Derek Forbort sliding in at that fourth spot while averaging 21:04 of ice time.  However, their depth players haven’t established themselves as players that can move up in a pinch and as a result, there is a sizable gap between the playing time for their bottom pairing; Christian Folin checks in at fifth in ATOI at just 15:23 per game.  Acquiring someone that could play on the second pairing would not only give the Kings some insurance in case injuries arise but would also go a long way to stabilizing their third pairing.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Golden Knights winger Tomas Nosek has returned to Vegas to be evaluated by team doctors for an upper-body injury sustained last night against Nashville, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The injury came from a hit from Predators defenseman Alexei Emelin.  Nosek has been a regular on the fourth line for the surprisingly-strong expansion team this season, collecting eight points through 41 games.  His absence will open up a spot for one of winger Brendan Leipsic or center Cody Eakin to return to the lineup.
  • Avalanche center Tyson Jost is dealing with a leg issue and won’t play tomorrow night against the Sharks, reports Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The injury came about when he inadvertently blocked a shot from a teammate on Monday.  Colorado is getting some good news on the injury front, however.  Winger J.T. Compher will play on Thursday after missing the last six games with an upper-body problem.  Meanwhile, defenseman Tyson Barrie (hand) and Semyon Varlamov (groin) have both resumed skating as well so it appears that more help will soon be on the horizon.

Central Notes: Jost, Landeskog, Mason, Berglund

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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.

Colorado Avalanche To Send Tyson Jost To San Antonio

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While Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar spoke to the media today, he explained that Tyson Barrie won’t play tonight against the Washington Capitals due to an upper-body injury that has been bothering him. According to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver, he also indicated that the team would be sending Tyson Jost down to San Antonio of the AHL. The demotion is to get Jost playing big minutes again and reclaim his timing and fitness after sitting out with injuries of his own for nearly a month.

Jost has played just six games with the Avalanche this season, dealing with lower-body injuries suffered when Adam McQuaid sent him awkwardly into the boards last week. Though he would return for a pair of games he eventually went onto injured reserve on October 22nd.

The 19-year old came into the season as a potential Calder Trophy contender, after looking sharp in his six-game taste at the end of last season. Jost left the University of North Dakota after just one season, and jumped right to the NHL to provide some excitement for an Avalanche fan base that had just endured one of the worst seasons on record. Selected 10th-overall in 2016, Jost is a big part of the next wave for the Avalanche.

This will be his first taste of AHL life, and the Rampage will surely welcome him in. Already armed with an excellent group from two different NHL organizations—the Avalanche and St. Louis Blues are providing players for the Rampage this season—Jost should help San Antonio even more up front. The idea of pairing him with someone like Klim Kostin or Tage Thompson will have prospect junkies drooling, though it’s not clear where Jost will feature as of yet. It likely won’t be long before he’s back with the Avalanche.

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