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Snapshots: Crosby, Gretzky, Kovalchuk

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The Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby are weighing a decision of whether or not the superstar should get surgery to fix a sport hernia, according to Rob Rossi of The Athletic. Crosby has dealing with it since training camp and aggravated it on Saturday night.

Surgery would take the Penguins’ captain out for at least a month, but that’s a tough proposition given the injuries that the team has already fought through to even keep their head above water. Without Crosby, Pittsburgh certainly wouldn’t have a 10-6-2 through the first part of the season.

  • Wayne Gretzky was offered the head coaching position for Canada at the upcoming Spengler Cup, but has turned it down according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Team Canada, led by Sean Burke, will look at other options that include Craig MacTavish according to Darren Dreger of TSN.
  • Ilya Kovalchuk was at Los Angeles Kings practice today but things remain “fluid” as several reporters have termed the situation. The Kings have looked at trading him in the past, as Jon Rosen points out, but there are several complications including his bonus money due on December 15th.

Snapshots: Brannstrom, Komarov, Tarasenko

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The Ottawa Senators aren’t competing for the playoffs this season, even if a recent hot streak brought them a little more respectability—the team had won four of their last six before getting pummeled by the Carolina Hurricanes last night. No, this season is entirely about development as they look to turn the page on the old guard and install a new identity under rookie head coach D.J. Smith.

Because development should be their primary concern, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet examines how the team is using one of their top defensive prospects and suggests that Erik Brannstrom could benefit from a little more time in the AHL. The Senators are back in action tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils, in a battle for the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

  • Leo Komarov has been activated from injured reserve by the New York Islanders, giving them another one of their veteran forward options for their game tomorrow. That game is against Komarov’s former team as the Islanders welcome in the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time this season. The 32-year old forward is a versatile player and registered 26 points for the Islanders last season, but will be playing just his eighth game this year after dealing with injury for the last several weeks.
  • Speaking of forwards missing time to injury, St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko spoke for the first time today and explained to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com that he’s not sure if he’ll be able to play again this season. Tarasenko underwent shoulder surgery on October 29th and will be re-evaluated in five months, but hopes he can come back sooner than expected like he has from previous injuries.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Abdelkader, Lewis

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and at the very top is a name not many expected when the season began. Ottawa Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson has been given the first star after stopping 96 of 101 shots for a 3-0 record. Nilsson has actually been excellent since joining the Senators last season, posting a .919 save percentage in 32 appearances.

Two youngsters took home the other two spots, as Auston Matthews and Cale Makar were named second and third respectively. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward has jumped all the way up to sixth in the NHL scoring race after recording nine points last week, while Makar now easily leads all rookies with 17 points through the first part of the season and looks to be running away with the Calder Trophy.

  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without Justin Abdelkader for at least three weeks according to head coach Jeff Blashill. The veteran forward is out with a mid-body injury after blocking a shot in Sunday’s game. Once an important part of the Red Wings’ attack, Abdelkader has zero goals through the first 16 games and is averaging just 13 minutes a night.
  • Trevor Lewis has been placed on injured reserve after missing Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury. It’s not clear how long Lewis will be out, but his absence just opens up more opportunity for the young forwards in Los Angeles to show the Kings’ front office what they can do.

Snapshots: Sobotka, Archibald, Hall

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Buffalo Sabres forward Vladimir Sobotka was removed from today’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after being hit low by Nikita Kucherov, and did not return. John Vogl of The Athletic saw Sobotka after the game in an air cast, but Sabres’ head coach Ralph Krueger wouldn’t speculate on how long he will be out.

Though he has been the whipping boy for many Sabres fans frustrated with the team’s lack of secondary scoring, Sobotka still seems to be a favorite of the coaching staff that continues to give him regular ice time. In his first season with Buffalo last year he failed to make much of an impact scoring just 13 points in 69 games, and has just three so far this season. The Sabres will likely insert Evan Rodrigues into the lineup for the other Global Series game tomorrow afternoon.

  • The Edmonton Oilers have activated Josh Archibald from injured reserve, and will also have Riley Sheahan back in the lineup when they take on the New Jersey Devils tonight. The team is looking to get back in the win column after two straight losses to Western Conference opponents, but still sit atop the Pacific Division with a 10-5-2 record.
  • Taylor Hall will be front and center in that matchup as he returns to Edmonton in the midst of plenty of contract speculation, including some suggesting that the Oilers would have some interest in bringing him back. Mark Spector of Sportsnet examines the Hall situation, explaining how the player has expressed clearly his desire to return to the playoffs before his time as a star in the league runs out. The Devils sit at 4-6-4 on the season, in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

Snapshots: Clifford, Senators, Tavares

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The Los Angeles Kings have made it clear over the last few seasons that they’re willing to part with some of their veteran names and Tyler Toffoli is the latest to be involved in trade rumors as he nears the end of his current contract. Not so fast for another pending free agent however, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column. The Kings will make teams “work” to convince them to trade Kyle Clifford, who has become an integral part of the leadership group in Los Angeles.

Clifford, 28, has never been relied upon to put the puck in the net much, but did record his best offensive season in 2018-19 with 11 goals and 21 points. He carries a $1.6MM cap hit through the end of this season and will be an unrestricted free agent without a new deal. Over 621 regular season games, Clifford has recorded 1,375 hits.

  • The Ottawa Senators haven’t really used the KHL as an avenue of acquiring organizational talent in the past, but Friedman notes that is changing. Notably, the team now has a substantial Russian contingent on the NHL team with Artem Anisimov, Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Zaitsev, a group that could potentially help a KHL player get acclimated to life in North America.
  • After seven games without their new captain, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have John Tavares back in the lineup tonight when they take on the Los Angeles Kings. The $11MM center will be reunited with linemate Mitch Marner, though Zach Hyman remains out for now as he continues to recover from major knee surgery.

Snapshots: Desjardins, Beaulieu, Tuch, Red Wings

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After not landing a coaching offer from the NHL upon not having his interim deal renewed with Los Angeles, head coach Willie Desjardins decided to return to the WHL for another stint with Medicine Hat.  He’s off to a good start with the Tigers which could have him back on the NHL radar when other opportunities become available.  However, he told Postmedia’s Steve Ewen that he’s not really giving any thought to possibly taking a third run at being an NHL bench boss.  With Medicine Hat, the 62-year-old is also serving as GM which gives him full control over his roster which would be tough to give up at this stage of his coaching career.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Jets could get some help on the back end for Tuesday’s game against New Jersey. Ken Wiebe of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Nathan Beaulieu is on track to make his season debut after suffering an upper-body injury late in the preseason.  While Winnipeg non-tendered the defenseman back in June, they quickly re-signed him in July to a one-year, $1MM contract, well below his required $2.5MM qualifying offer.  After logging nearly 17 minutes a night after being acquired last season, Beaulieu should be able to step in and play a regular role right away.
  • The Golden Knights will be without Alex Tuch for the start of their four-game road trip, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Tuch sustained an upper-body injury in just his second game of the season after returning from an LTIR stint to start the season.  Head coach Gerard Gallant declined to comment on whether or not the winger is in concussion protocol and suggested that it’s possible that Tuch rejoins the team later on during the trip.
  • With the Red Wings struggling early on, it certainly seems as if they’ll be sellers before the trade deadline. However, as MLive’s Ansar Khan points out, GM Steve Yzerman’s options are relatively limited given that the veterans on expiring contracts that they have to sell aren’t likely to attract much interest so someone like Andreas Athanasiou may ultimately be their best trade chip.  He has struggled considerably to start the season but he did reach the 30-goal mark last season and has another season of team control after this one as a restricted free agent.

Snapshots: Vanek, Hawryluk, Biro, Tavares

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While Thomas Vanek remains unsigned, the veteran winger indicated to John Vogl of The Athletic (subscription required) that he did turn down one contract offer over the summer.  Instead, his preference is to wait and try to land with a contending team to take one last shot at a Stanley Cup title and then retire at the end of the season.  The 35-year-old is coming off a reasonable season offensively that saw him record 16 goals and 20 assists in 64 games with Detroit in 2018-19, numbers that suggest he can still contribute.  While he continues to skate in the hopes of getting another contract though, it appears he’s going to be very selective when it comes to where he’s willing to sign.

More from around the hockey world:

  • Panthers winger Jayce Hawryluk will miss at least a month due to an upper-body injury (likely to the shoulder), notes George Richards of The Athletic (Twitter link). The injury was sustained on a hit from Colorado’s Nikita Zadorov on Wednesday night.  Hawryluk has played in eight games with Florida so far this season, picking up a goal and two assists from the fourth line.  With Vincent Trocheck also believed to be unavailable, Florida is now down to 11 healthy forwards on their roster.
  • We won’t see much activity in college free agency until March but Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED in Edmonton reports (Twitter link) that undrafted Penn State winger Brandon Biro is attracting some NHL interest already. The 21-year-old senior had an impressive junior year with 40 points in 37 games and is off to an even better start in 2019-20 with five goals and seven helpers in just seven games.
  • While the Maple Leafs were hoping to have center John Tavares back tonight, that won’t be the case. However, Tavares told reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters, (Twitter link) that he hasn’t suffered a setback.  Instead, with Toronto being off until Tuesday, the team doctors have decided that an extra three days of rest would be most beneficial for him.

Snapshots: Trade Bait, Byfuglien, Landeskog

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Frank Seravalli of TSN has released his first Trade Bait board of the season, and at the top is Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. Both Seravalli and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have now suggested that Kreider could be a worthwhile option for the St. Louis Blues while they deal with the absence of Vladimir Tarasenko, though neither scribe does anything more than speculate on the situation.

More interesting perhaps is Travis Hamonic’s appearance relatively high on the board, after recent news came out that he would not negotiate an extension in-season with the Calgary Flames. Hamonic has all the makings of a top trade deadline acquisition—a 29-year old right-handed defenseman with an expiring contract that carries a reasonable $3.86MM cap hit—but he’s also still an important part of a Flames team that had big expectations this season. It’s still early, but as the calendar turns to November trade speculation is about to heat up.

  • Dustin Byfuglien’s representatives are in discussions with the NHLPA about his injury situation according to Darren Dreger of TSN, who suggests things “could get complicated” if it is determined that the ankle injury that recently needed surgery did occur playing hockey. Things are already complicated when it comes to Byfuglien, whose status as suspended by the team has not changed according to Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who declined to provide much of an update today.
  • While the Colorado Avalanche have still not confirmed what Gabriel Landeskog’s injury is aside from it being “lower-body,” A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver saw the forward in a walking boot last night and had heard rumors of a broken foot. The team listed Landeskog as out indefinitely, but head coach Jared Bednar had explained his captain will miss significant time.

Snapshots: Gregory, Johansen, Canada-Russia

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Legendary NHL executive Jim Gregory passed away today at the age of 83. The former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager joined the league offices in 1979, coming to shape both the Central Scouting Service and the overall hockey operations department. Not only was he instrumental in building the NHL into what it is today, but Gregory was revered by almost everyone who knew him as one of the most gentlemanly people associated with the sport, and in general.

A beloved figure in the hockey community, Gregory was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Everyone at PHR gives their best to his wife and family.

  • The Washington Capitals don’t have much opportunity for young players thanks to a cap situation that limits movement, and Lucas Johansen knows it. The 2016 first-round pick is stuck in a rotation in the AHL and spoke to J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, explaining that he hopes to find a way to the NHL with the Capitals but knows that chance may come somewhere else. The 21-year old will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season and to this point hasn’t had a sniff of NHL action.
  • The Canada-Russia series begins next week, and each of the three CHL leagues have named their captains for the short showcase. Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Aidan Dudas will lead Team OHL, New Jersey Devils prospect Ty Smith dons the “C” for Team WHL, and top 2020 draft prospect Alexis Lafreniere captains the QMJHL contingent. Dudas may not have the sort of name recognition of the other two after falling to the fourth round of the 2018 draft, but the Owen Sound Attack forward is off to a great start and has routinely represented Canada through his junior career.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Seidenberg, Malkin

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and once again a member of the Boston Bruins top line headlines the group. This time it’s Brad Marchand’s turn after he recorded eight points in three games. Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron has been absolutely devastating this season with 54 combined points through their first 11 games. No other Bruins forward has more than four points this year.

The second and third spots were given to Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators and Brian Elliott of the Philadelphia Flyers respectively after similarly outstanding weeks. Josi put up six points in three games from the Nashville blueline, while Elliott has seemingly resurrected his career in Philadelphia with a 3-0 record last week.

  • After announcing his retirement recently, Dennis Seidenberg will remain with the New York Islanders organization in their player development department. The 38-year old was a sixth-round pick in 2001 but worked his way to the NHL and lasted for nearly 900 games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
  • Not only did Evgeni Malkin return to practice today for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but even shed his non-contact jersey at one point and is now targeting Saturday night as his potential first game back from injury, according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That would be an incredible return for the superstar forward after suffering the lower-body injury just three weeks ago. It’s not only Malkin who will return soon for the Penguins, who are finally getting healthy enough to really show what they are capable of this season.

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