Toronto Notes: Andersen, Matthews
Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen has “no symptoms” of a concussion, but will sit tonight’s game against Blue Jackets, according to coach Mike Babcock. The goaltender is expected to start Game 1 of the playoffs.
Andersen, who was hit by Pittsburgh’s Tom Sestito who ironically was back for his first game after serving a four-game suspension for a hit against Tobias Enstrom, hit Andersen in a fly-by. Initial belief was he had suffered a concussion. Backup Curtis McElhinney took over in Saturday’s game and is expected to get the start with recent callup Garret Sparks to take backup duties.
Other Toronto notes …
- When rookie Auston Matthews scored his 40th goal Saturday, an empty netter with three seconds remaining that clinched the Maple Leafs a playoff spot, it put the teenager into rare company. The 19-year-old rookie is now the fourth rookie-teenager in NHL history to score 40 goals. He joins elite company next to Dale Hawerchuk (45 goals at 18 years of age in 1981-82), Mario Lemieux (43 goals at 19 years of age in 1984-85) and Sylvain Turgeon (40 goals at 19 years in 1983-84). Matthews had previously broken the American-born rookie scoring record when he recorded his 39th goal Monday.
- Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reports the Leafs will have nine players play 82 games this year, a testament to their health and one reason for the team’s success this year in reaching the playoffs. Matthews, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Connor Brown, Leo Komarov, Zach Hyman, Jake Gardiner, Matt Martin, Nikita Zaitsev have played all 81 games so far and are expected to play tonight. William Nylander is only at 80 games.
Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Sobotka, Spooner
The Toronto Maple Leafs made their intentions clear this season as they added playoff-tested Brian Boyle to the mix for their playoff push. Not expected to compete for the Atlantic crown this year they find themselves just seven points back of Montreal with two games in hand. Kristen Shilton of TSN spoke to Mike Babcock about the addition, and he said the team deserves this. “We’re excited. Lou thought our group had earned the right for us to help them,” Babcock said, before indicating that Boyle will play tonight on the fourth line and help out both special teams.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie thinks that it’s not just Boyle that the Maple Leafs are after, and that they may use their LTIR space to facilitate other deals. The Leafs have a lot of cap space because of the dead contracts they’ve taken on over the past few years, and could use it to gather assets from teams looking to add at the deadline. They have to be careful though, as the bonuses that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander (among others) are owed on their entry-level contracts cannot be covered by the LTIR space and would count as penalties next season should they put them over the cap.
- McKenzie also detailed the possibility of Vladimir Sobotka turning heads at some point tomorrow, as the Omsk Avangard winger is nearing the end of his KHL contract. It’s not clear if Sobotka would consider coming over after his season ends, but would be playoff eligible. Lou Korac of NHL.com asked Blues GM Doug Armstrong about the possibility, who responded: “Once he gets on our soil, then I’ll talk about him.” The 29-year old Sobotka has been a pain in Armstrong’s side for a long time.
- In a new column from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE, Ryan Spooner spoke out against his former coach Claude Julien and the tense relationship the two shared. Spooner claims that Julien “just didn’t really trust [him]”, and that the two never saw eye to eye on his play style. Spooner has 33 points in 61 games and is well on his way to another 40+ point season before he’s 26. If he’s not dealt in the next few months, he’ll be looking for a big upgrade in the summer on the $950K he’s currently earning.
Snapshots: Hurricanes, Lazar, NHL In Sweden
The Carolina Hurricanes could be in a position to make some noise in the trade market.
Young and skilled defensemen are often key pieces in making trades, and the Hurricanes have stocked their system with them over the past few drafts. The club’s last three first round picks have been highly-ranked defenders: Haydn Fleury, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Bean. They have also selected Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, and Jaccob Slavin in lower rounds.
Because of this depth of solid defensemen, GM Ron Francis told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun that he’s willing to deal from a position of strength to build up other parts of his roster. That could place the Hurricanes as a possible destination for either Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog, seeing as the Avalanche desperately need to improve their defensive core. LeBrun also speculated that Francis could try pry William Nylander out of Toronto, but doubted that the Maple Leafs would have any interest in moving Nylander to improve their blue line.
In addition to the Avalanche and Maple Leafs, LeBrun suggests the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Winnipeg Jets could all have interest in the Hurricanes’ young blue-liners.
Regardless of whether or not the Hurricanes can land a stud offensive player at the deadline, they’re well-placed to make moves over the summer as other teams look to improve their defense.
- Despite rumors to the contrary, Curtis Lazar has not asked for a trade from the Ottawa Senators. Lazar’s agent met with GM Pierre Dorion last weekend, after which the player re-iterated that he wants to stay in Ottawa. After Dorion suggested that Lazar needs to “sink a few ‘four foot putts’,” Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen quoted Lazar as saying even those “almost feel like a home run right now.” The struggling young forward feels that he needs to get back in the lineup and start “feeling good about [him]self.” Lazar has just one assist in 29 NHL games this season, and four points in 13 AHL games.
- Speaking of Ottawa, the Senators will be spending some time outdoors next season, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon. Pending NHL and PA approval, the Senators will face off against Colorado in Stockholm twice this coming November. It’s been widely speculated that those could be outdoors. Even if those end up being indoors, Shannon reports that the Senators owner has confirmed that the club has an agreement to host an outdoor game in December 2017. It remains to be seen if that will played at Parliament Hill as part of the celebration for Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Bruins, Canadiens
For the Maple Leafs, the past calendar year has been one of wild swings. In the last 12 months (and a few days) the team dealt team captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa for cap relief, finished last in the NHL, drafted the future face of the franchise and vaulted themselves into playoff contention. In the last few weeks though the team has held on tight as the roller-coaster has tilted up on two wheels.
The team currently sits tied with Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, but has had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net in recent weeks. After two back-to-back shutouts over Calgary and Detroit in late January, the team has allowed 30 goals in eight games and gone 2-4-2. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports on their mediocrity and where the team’s mindset is as they try to turn things around. One of the positive notes has been the play of William Nylander, who after an early season demotion to the fourth line has recharged his defensive tanks and become a leader on a shutdown line with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov.
The team has no time to settle in though, with a condensed schedule and eight games in the fifteen nights remaining in February. They’ll take on the New York Islanders tomorrow on home ice.
- The Boston Bruins are 3-0 with their new head coach, getting a boost from the new voice of Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. They tore apart their rival Montreal Canadiens last night 4-0 and have put some space between them and the struggling Maple Leafs. Perhaps the coaching move was the right choice, but they’re in for a tough road trip when they come back off their mandated bye-week. The team will hit the road on the west coast with matchups against San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Dallas out of the break—a tough schedule for anyone.
- Montreal could do with a little of that coaching magic, writes Michael Traikos of the National Post. While the Bruins surge, the Canadiens flounder at the top of the Atlantic Division, now only six points ahead of the Ottawa Senators despite having played five more games. For what at one point looked like a lock for the top see in the division, Montreal now faces a tough final stretch of games. Traikos opines that Michel Therrien should be fired like his Boston counterpart, despite still holding onto that top seed. For now he remains with the team an they’ll come out of their break against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
- Hopefully they will return with some help, says Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. In his latest column, Campbell examines the Canadiens need for some secondary scoring help behind the top duo of Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. After Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and AGM Chris McFarland were seen in attendance at the Bruins-Habs matchup on Sunday, hope sprung in Montreal about a possible addition of one of the two young players on the Avalanche trade-block. Both Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog would provide a nice punch to the second line for the Habs, though the asking price remains as high as ever.
Atlantic Notes: Toronto Trade Speculation, Yandle, Lightning
While there have been rumblings that the Maple Leafs could potentially be shopping left winger James van Riemsdyk, he’s not letting that talk affect him, writes Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star. Given his contract ($4.25MM this season and next), the spot that Toronto is currently in, and the demand for top six talent, there is some logic in suggesting the team could possibly deal him. For his part, van Riemsdyk isn’t too worried about the chatter:
“You’ve gone through it before… That kind of thing, it was different in Philly. It would eat at you a lot more back then. You take it more personally back then and you never thought those things would happen to you. But not so much now, now that you’ve been through it.”
While van Riemsdyk may not be bothered by the speculation surrounding him and, to a lesser degree, William Nylander, head coach Mike Babcock was looking to put an end to it:
“We’re not looking to move those guys. There’s been a bunch of talk, a bunch of talk about Willy too, and I said to those guys, just play hard… We’re not looking to move them. There can be a truth one day and that truth can change the next… There’s noise (media) and you know you guys can make a lot of noise.“
With Toronto being the major media market that it is though, it’s unlikely that the chatter regarding van Riemsdyk will subside any time soon, no matter how much the team publicly indicates that they’re not shopping him.
More from the Atlantic:
- Keith Yandle’s streak of 577 consecutive games played will come to an end tonight after leaving yesterday’s game in the first period due to a lower body injury, notes the Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. Interim head coach Tom Rowe told reporters that Yandle will be out for a while, though there is no specific timeframe for his return. Dylan McIlrath is expected to draw into the lineup in Yandle’s spot tonight in Philadelphia.
- The Lightning have assigned defenseman Luke Witkowski and center Michael Bournival to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse, the team announced. The moves leave Tampa Bay with just 12 healthy forwards on the active roster although right winger Ryan Callahan is nearing a return to action and could be ready to return for their next game on Thursday.
Rookie Report: Laine, Marner, Nylander, Werenski, Matthews
The last three drafts have produced a number of all-world talents who are not only leading respective rookies, but the league as well. Here’s a look at the scoring leaders as the first quarter of the season nears completion.
Starting with Patrik Laine, the #2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, the Finnish forward has already recorded two hat tricks in his first pro season and has been drawing comparisons to his hero, Alex Ovechkin. Laine has been as advertised: a speedy sniper who always seems to be where the puck is. Not only does Laine lead all rookies with 12 goals, but he’s #1 in the league amongst goal scorers, tied with a guy by the name of Sidney Crosby.
Mitch Marner is #2 in scoring with 16 points and has been so dominant, that it has CBC wondering if he’s the “face” of the Maple Leafs. Marner has been nothing short of exceptional, notching seven goals and nine assists, buoyed by ten points in his last seven games. His commitment to a total game–not just scoring–even has bench boss Mike Babcock gushing. From CBC:
“You look at all the kids in our lineup — [defencemen Connor] Carrick and [Nikita] Zaitsev and [forwards Zach] Hyman and [Connor] Brown, and then the three guys that have elite skill — he not only has the skill but he competes every night,” said Babcock.
“He competes with and without the puck. That’s really positive. I’ve never coached a kid that good that young.”
William Nylander and Zach Werenski are tied with 14 points apiece. Nylander, the eighth overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft, has given the Maple Leafs a huge boost in terms of production, joining teammates Marner and Auston Matthews in turning the Leafs’ fortunes around. For a kid who said back in March that he wanted to be “great,” he’s lived up to his expectations. Werenski is the only defenseman on the list and has been a major player in Columbus’ surge over the past few weeks. Tom Gulitti writes that Werenski is a major reason the Jackets are off to a 10-4-2 start and the 19-year-old has been quarterbacking a the power play, another sign that he’s a major player in Columbus’ improvement.
Matthews rounds out the top five with 13 points, and much has been written about the number one overall pick of the 2016 NHL draft. Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut, but has been silent for the past 11 games. Yet it’s the maturation that Matthews and his fellow rookie teammates have shown that has caught the eye of his coaches and the league. Matthews commitment to a two way game, despite failing to score in nearly a dozen games, shows that he has bought into the Babcock system.
With three Leafs in the top five of scoring among rookies, happier days certainly seem to be on their way to Toronto.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Vancouver Canucks Send Jake Virtanen To AHL
2:57pm: GM Jim Benning told reporters, including Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province, that Virtanen will play on Friday and Saturday with Utica, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, and will then be recalled back to the NHL.
1:49pm: In a somewhat-shocking decision, the Vancouver Canucks have sent Jake Virtanen to the AHL. The 20-year old forward has just one assist in ten games with the Canucks this season.
While Virtanen has been mostly ineffective this season (as has most of the Canucks roster), it’s surprising that the team would send their young prospect down just ten games into the season, after seeing him play 55 games with the club a season ago. The team has given him barely any ice time this season, leading Virtanen to question Willie Desjardins’ decision to keep him on the fourth line.
Drafted sixth overall in 2014, Virtanen hasn’t become the top player that Vancouver had hoped. While other top picks from that draft are finding success across the league – namely William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers, drafted 8th and 9th respectively – Virtanen has yet to find his stride in the NHL.
It’s way too early to make a claim of “bust” for Virtanen, who only turned 20 on August 17th of this year, but for a team like Vancouver who are stuck somewhere between trying to compete and trying to rebuild, it would be a huge boost if he could find his offensive game. Now, he’ll have to look in the minors, a place that is totally unfamiliar to him. Virtanen has only played two games in the AHL in his career.
Atlantic Notes: Chabot, Panthers, Bergeron, Nylander, Leivo
The Ottawa Senators are expected to make a decision in the next few days regarding what to do with defenseman Thomas Chabot, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports (Twitter link). The 19 year old is one of several ‘slide-rule players’ who can play up to nine NHL games before the first year of their contract kicks in.
As Chabot was drafted out of the CHL, the Sens must return him to his junior team in Saint John (QMJHL) if they don’t want to keep him up with the big club; the AHL is not an option for him. So far, Ottawa has played him just once and only gave him 7:09 of action in that lone appearance so at first glance, it would seem likely that he will eventually be heading back to junior.
If they were to send him back, Ottawa may be on the lookout for a veteran depth defender as they were back in the offseason. Internally, a likely option to be recalled in the interim to take Chabot’s place would be Mike Kostka who spent time in that role with the Senators last season.
[Related: Senators Depth Chart]
More from the Atlantic:
- The Panthers are getting great value from a pair of under the radar free agent acquisitions over the summer, writes George Richards of the Miami Herald. Wingers Colton Sceviour and Jonathan Marchessault were lost among the dozens of early signings on July 1st but have been key contributors for Florida this season. Marchessault is tied for the league lead in goals while Sceviour is second on the team in points behind only Marchessault. Both players signed for under $1MM (Sceviour $950K and Marchessault $750K, both for two years), giving the Panthers two of the best bargains in the NHL through the first month of the season.
- Boston center Patrice Bergeron sustained a minor injury following Monday’s practice and is questionable for tonight’s game, reports CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty. The issue is not related to the lower body injury that he had earlier this season. Head coach Claude Julien wouldn’t rule out Bergeron playing but the team has called up prospect Sean Kuraly from their AHL affiliate in Providence in case he is unable to go. The team will also be without David Backes who recently underwent elbow surgery.
- The league announced that Toronto center William Nylander has been named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month. While Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have garnered the most attention, Nylander is tied for the league lead in multi-point games this season with four. He leads all rookies in scoring with 11 points (4-7-11). The Leafs also announced that winger Josh Leivo has been sent to the AHL on a long-term injury conditioning loan. This loan typically lasts a maximum of six days or three games.