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Zemgus Girgensons

Atlantic Notes: Paul, Vrana, Sabres

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The Senators and pending UFA forward Nick Paul are not believed to be close on a contract extension, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.  Ottawa’s last offer was reportedly a three-year deal with a $2MM AAV, a bit of a raise on his current $1.35MM cap hit.  However, with him being on pace for a career year and the market for players that can play down the middle being strong, that isn’t the type of offer that’s going to make it worth not testing free agency.  Seravalli adds that there has been little contact between the two camps in recent weeks.  If they can’t reach an extension, the 26-year-old should be on the move by March 21st.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • While Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana was a full participant in the morning skate today, there remains no timetable for his return, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Head coach Jeff Blashill has expressed optimism that the 26-year-old will be able to make his season debut soon as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery back in October.  Detroit currently has a full roster and will need to make a move in order to activate Vrana off IR in the coming days.
  • Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons returned to practice today for the first time in nearly six weeks after re-aggravating a lower-body injury, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. However, he will miss at least the next two home games for Buffalo next week.  Meanwhile, Hoppe adds that winger Vinnie Hinostroza could return at some point next week from his lower-body injury.  The pending UFA could be of interest as a depth addition so him being able to get back in the lineup before the March 21st trade deadline is of particular importance for Buffalo.

Sabres Place Zemgus Girgensons On IR; Activate Dahlin, Olofsson From Protocol

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The Buffalo Sabres activated defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forward Victor Olofsson from COVID protocol ahead of tonight’s game against Colorado after erroneous COVID tests held them out of their last game on Saturday. The team also placed center Zemgus Girgensons on injured reserve retroactive to January 28th with an undisclosed injury.

Girgensons, the longest-tenured Sabre, missed the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign with a hamstring injury suffered during training camp. Back and healthy for this year, he’s brought his extremely solid defensive game to the team’s bottom six.

He’s been in and out of the lineup the past few weeks, though, missing time earlier in the month with another unknown injury and some time in December while on COVID protocol. The Latvian centerman has seven goals and 12 points in 34 games.

Getting Dahlin and Olofsson back in the fold is a large factor for the Sabres and head coach Don Granato. Dahlin, the 2018 first-overall pick, is playing some of the best hockey of his career right now and has 28 points through 42 games. Olofsson is a valuable depth piece who can put pucks in the net and is an important piece with Tage Thompson already out of the lineup.

East Notes: Zaitsev, Canadiens, Shesterkin, Sabres, Daley

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The Senators will be without defenseman Nikita Zaitsev longer than expected as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays (Twitter link) that the veteran hasn’t resumed skating and will likely be out through the end of the month.  Originally, it was expected that he’d miss between three and five weeks due to his heel injury but that will now likely be pushed to six weeks or longer.  The 30-year-old had gotten off to a quiet start to his season with just two points in 22 games while logging 18:32 per night, the lowest ATOI of his career.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • As a result of seven more players entering COVID protocols in recent days, the Canadiens announced that they are extending their pause for two more days through Saturday. Montreal recently had a game next week against New Jersey postponed and now have nine games that need to be rescheduled.  They’re next scheduled to play on Wednesday against Boston.
  • Still with Montreal, defensive prospect Arber Xhekaj was traded in the OHL as the Hamilton Bulldogs announced his acquisition in exchange for five draft picks along with winger Navrin Mutter. Xhekaj was undrafted in both the OHL and NHL but turned a rookie camp tryout into an entry-level contract with the Canadiens late in the preseason.  Meanwhile, Mutter got into three games with Calgary’s farm team in Stockton last season but no team holds his NHL rights.
  • Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin was a late scratch for their game against Vegas as the Rangers announced (Twitter link) that the netminder was placed into COVID protocol. Assuming it’s for a confirmed positive test, he’ll be out for at least the next five days.  Keith Kinkaid was recalled from the taxi squad in a corresponding roster move.
  • The Sabres got some good news on the COVID protocol front today as the team announced (Twitter link) prior to their game against San Jose that centers Dylan Cozens, Zemgus Girgensons, and Mark Jankowski were all cleared to return. The trio last played on December 17th and each missed three games.
  • While the Florida Everblades of the ECHL raised some eyebrows today when they announced the signing of Penguins staffer Trevor Daley, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes (Twitter link) that Daley will remain in his advisory role with Pittsburgh. With ECHL teams ravaged by COVID-19, injuries and recalls, it appears the Everblades are going to use Daley for a game or two until they get some of their players back.  Daley last played back in the 2019-20 season with Detroit.

Skinner, Girgensons Added To COVID Protocol

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The Buffalo Sabres had their games postponed this week and yesterday added Vinnie Hinostroza to the COVID protocol. He wasn’t alone for very long, as both Jeff Skinner and Zemgus Girgensons were added today. The Sabres won’t play again until Monday but now could be without all three, should they have to face the full ten-day period that comes with a positive, symptomatic case.

Skinner has found part of himself again this season, getting back on the scoresheet fairly regularly and playing a big role on the powerplay. His nine goals and 17 points through 30 games have already eclipsed both marks he posted in 53 games last season, when he fell completely out of favor with the coaching staff and even found himself in the press box on occasion.

Now back in the mix as a top-six option (and at least not a total anchor contract-wise), losing Skinner would actually be a big blow for the Sabres. If he misses ten days, it would mean at least three games on the sideline.

Girgensons meanwhile is once again playing his role as a middle-six player for the Sabres, lining up at center or the wing and providing some reliability on defense. He has six goals and 11 points in 30 games as well, a pace that actually would have him close to matching previous career highs if he keeps it up. For now, that will have to wait as he’ll also miss the next few games if held out ten days.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Riley Sheahan

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It’s hard to say that Riley Sheahan was hoping for an injury when he took a PTO with the Buffalo Sabres, but it certainly benefited him when Zemgus Girgensons went down with a hamstring injury that will keep him out the whole year. Just a few days later, the Sabres have signed Sheahan to a one-year, $700K contract for the upcoming season.

The 29-year-old Sheahan isn’t just some minor league journeyman that is getting a chance just before the start of the season. The 2010 first-round pick has played in more than 500 NHL games and twice recorded more than 30 points in a season. Even last year in a depth role with the Edmonton Oilers he managed to score eight times in 66 games, more than Girgensons has tallied in four of his seven seasons in Buffalo. Sure, it seems unlikely that Shehan will be given all of the exact same responsibilities and ice time that Girgensons would have, but he does make a handy replacement to have in training camp, making his PTO quite a savvy move for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams.

A $700K league-minimum contract won’t do anything to the Sabres financial situation and is the lowest amount that Sheahan has signed for in his career. In 2018 he earned himself a $2.1MM deal from the Pittsburgh Penguins and last season brought a $900K contract with Edmonton. If nothing else, that suggests that he could be a nice little bargain piece for Buffalo if he can turn back the clock a few years and reach his former level of play as a responsible two-way pivot.

Zemgus Girgensons Undergoes Surgery

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The Buffalo Sabres have already experienced some pain this season. Zemgus Girgensons, who was injured a few days ago after taking an awkward fall at practice, underwent successful hamstring surgery today and will be out for the next six months. That effectively ends Girgensons’ season before it even begins, and leaves the Sabres with a decision to make on who will fill his roster spot.

Just today, the Sabres added three players to their training camp roster and have other candidates like Riley Sheahan already competing for an NHL contract. With Girgensons out, an extra spot opened in the bottom-six, especially for someone that has experience on the penalty kill. Though Girgensons also hasn’t regularly played center the last few years, perhaps someone with the ability to play the middle of the ice would also have a leg up.

It’s brutal news for a player that just signed a new three-year deal in October, locking him in at a reasonable $2.2MM cap hit through 2022-23. Girgensons doesn’t offer much offensively—though he did score 12 goals in 69 games last season—but is a strong defensive presence and brings some more size and physicality to the Sabres lineup.

Sheahan seems a good bet for a deal now unless he has disappointed in camp. It also could potentially open a spot for younger players like Rasmus Asplund, though at today’s practice he was on a line with Casey Mittelstadt and Arttu Ruotsalainen, two other players who seem destined for the taxi squad to start the year given their waiver-exempt status.

Zemgus Girgensons Re-Signs With Buffalo Sabres

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Friday: The Sabres have announced the deal, confirming the three-year, $6.6MM terms.

Thursday: While most free agent news has been that impending UFA’s are intending to test the market, at least one player is set to re-sign with his current club before the market opens. Multiple sources, including TSN’s Darren Dreger, report that Zemgus Girgensons is expected to sign a contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres. Dreger expects that it will be a three-year, $6.6MM extension.

Girgensons, 26, is nothing if not consistent. The Latvian native took over a bottom-six role for the Sabres back in 2013-14 and has held tight to it ever since. In seven NHL seasons, Girgensons has played in 69+ games all but once and has always finished with 5-15 goals and 15-30 points. He plays a physical game and provides sound defensive play on a consistent basis.

Dependability like that which Girgensons provides can be hard to find, especially when adding a free agent who has never played with your team. Rather than take that risk, Buffalo has elected to go with a player they know they can trust, even if he might lack upside beyond his current level of production. At just a $2.2MM AAV, the Sabres aren’t spending much to retain a reliable asset who excels in a specific role.

Atlantic Notes: Nilsson, Hogberg, Boyle, Dadonov, Girgensons

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Anders Nilsson’s recovery from a concussion hasn’t gone well.  The Senators had hoped he’d have been back a while ago but symptoms still linger and as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes, Nilsson’s season may be over.  He’s not accompanying Ottawa on their upcoming road trip and with there now being less than a month left in the season, there may not be enough time for him to be cleared, get back into game shape, and return.  The 29-year-old is already under contract for next season with a $2.6MM cap hit.

Nilsson’s continued absence should mean more playing time for youngster Marcus Hogberg.  Garrioch notes that he’s expected to return from his personal leave next week.  The Sens seem to prefer to send him back to AHL Belleville to help in their playoff run but if there are considerable NHL minutes available, that would be crucial for his development as he’s likely to garner consideration for the full-time backup job to Nilsson next season.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Panthers center Brian Boyle won’t play on Saturday against Montreal but is expected to return next week, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). He has been out with an upper-body injury for the last month and his return would be a good boost to Florida’s bottom six.  Meanwhile, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty reports that winger Evgenii Dadonov will not face any supplemental discipline from the league following his elbowing penalty on Bruins blueliner Brandon Carlo on Thursday.  The hit initially received a five-minute major penalty but was reduced to a two-minute minor after video review.
  • Sabres winger Zemgus Girgensons is questionable to play in Saturday’s game against Philadelphia due to a lower-body injury that caused him to miss practice today, mentions Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. If he is unable to play, Michael Frolik would likely draw in after missing the last four games as a healthy scratch which wasn’t what anyone was hoping for when Buffalo acquired him back in January.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Zemgus Girgensons

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The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with one of their veteran forwards, inking Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract worth $1.6MM. Despite being only 25 Girgensons will become an unrestricted free agent next summer thanks to his six years of NHL experience already. $1.6MM was the qualifying offer that Buffalo issued him recently, the same salary he has earned the last two seasons.

Girgensons is one of the longest-tenured Sabre at this point, a regular in the lineup since 2013 when he was just a young forward one year removed from playing in the USHL. He scored eight goals and 22 points that season as a rookie, but more importantly proved that he could hang in the big leagues and contribute defensively. In fact, he recorded the highest plus/minus of any regular that season and caused some big expectations. After all, he was a 14th-overall pick.

Unfortunately, the offense has never materialized for Girgensons and he has even been moved out of the center position in recent seasons. In 72 games last year he recorded just five goals and 18 points, leading to some question over whether the Sabres would even qualify him. Obviously the team is fine with bringing him back for another season, but given that he hasn’t cracked the 20-point threshold in four seasons you can bet he won’t be asked to be an impact player for them next season. He does however provide a physical presence in the bottom-six and is still a key penalty killer for the team.

The Sabres still haven’t made many real changes to the roster for this season, only bringing in Jimmy Vesey as a new option at forward. Though the re-signing of Jeff Skinner and a full season from Brandon Montour should help, it’s surprising to see a team be so relatively quiet after going 33-39-10 last season. After Girgensons, they now have five restricted free agents left to sign in Johan Larsson, Evan Rodrigues, Linus Ullmark, Remi Elie and Jake McCabe.

Overseas Notes: Tomek, Johansson, Avangard

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A difficult and winding developmental path will now take Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matej Tomek back to his native Slovakia. The 22-year-old goaltender, a third-round pick in 2015, has had a tough go of it in North America. Initially selected out of the NAHL, after dominating the second-tier U.S. junior league in his first season, Tomek has since struggled to find his place. Tomek first spent two seasons at the University of North Dakota, but made zero appearances as a freshman and had just two poor outings as a sophomore. He opted to leave the program in search of more opportunity, spending the following season with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks, where he regained some confidence but still left scouts wanting more. Tomek made his return to the college ranks this past season, playing for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Yet, again Tomek fell into a backup role and disappointed with an .845 save percentage and 4.73 GAA in five games. Likely the smart move, Tomek has decided to take a break from North American hockey for a while and HK Dukla Trencin of the Slovak Extraliga has announced a one-year contract with the young, local product. Although 22 already, Tomek’s rights belong to the Flyers until August of 2021, so one or two good seasons in Slovakia could keep his NHL hopes alive despite his recent struggles.

  • The Swedish Hockey League regular season champs are watching as their core is dismantled this off-season by NHL signings. Farjestad BK, who surprisingly lost in the semifinals despite dominating the regular season, have already seen their top two scoring forwards, Oskar Steen and Joakim Nygard, sign with Boston and Edmonton respectively, prospect Fabian Zetterlund join New Jersey, and goaltender Adam Werner inked with Colorado. Now, a fifth name could also depart for North America. Hockey News SE reports that two-way center Linus Johansson has been drawing NHL attention and at least one unnamed team has made a concrete offer. The big 26-year-old forward is expected to make his decision in the coming days. Johansson is actually not a stranger to North America, having played a season in the NAHL back in 2011-12. The late-blooming forward was never considered an NHL prospect coming up through junior hockey and only debuted in the SHL in 2016. However, he has impressed in three seasons as a well-rounded player and physical force and now must decide if he wants to try taking his game to the highest level.
  • Give the KHL’s Avangard Omsk some credit; the team is not short on confidence as they approach this off-season. Insider Igor Eronko writes for Sport-Express that free agent targets include veteran UFA Jason Spezza, as well as RFA’s Sven Andrighetto, Teddy Blueger, and Zemgus Girgensons, and recent Calder Cup winner, Tomas Jurco. While there has been some speculation that the Colorado Avalanche may not qualify Andrighetto, it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be able to find an NHL opportunity if that is his priority. There has been nothing to imply that either Blueger or Girgensons are looking to leave their respective teams. Spezza, while coming off a disappointing stint with the Dallas Stars, is a former standout NHL center who easily remains top-50 free agent this summer. Jurco may be the only realistic name on the list, but kudos to Omsk for putting those names out there and being aggressive on the NHL free agent market. We’ll soon see how that works out for them.

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