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Snapshots: Mikheyev, Phillips, Stalock

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If you were in a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language well, were away from your entire family and had just undergone emergency surgery to repair slashed tendons in your wrist, it might be a little overwhelming. That’s why Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas stayed with injured forward Ilya Mikheyev in New Jersey while he recovered from surgery. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports however, Dubas’ goodwill may actually have a positive impact on player acquisition down the road. Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, the agent for Mikheyev and many other Russian players, explained to Johnston that he has already told his other clients of how the situation was handled:

The agent has KHL free agents currently drawing significant NHL interest for next season and has made sure they’re all aware of the humanity the Leafs exhibited with Mikheyev, telling them: “You should know how Toronto took care of this particular accident.”

While that obviously doesn’t guarantee the Maple Leafs will get any sort of discount down the road, it certainly can’t hurt when they’re trying to convince the KHL’s top talent to come over to North America. The team will also have a negotiation with Mikheyev at some point, given that he will be a restricted free agent this summer.

  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned minor league defenseman Markus Phillips to the Guelph Storm of the OHL, sending him back despite already having played in the ECHL and AHL this season. The 20-year old will re-join the Storm for the rest of his overage season, another addition to a team that is already 21-8-5 this season. Phillips was selected 118th overall in 2017 and had six points in 20 games for the Fort Wayne Komets this season.
  • Alex Stalock has been fined $2,000 for embellishment, following an incident that occurred against the Winnipeg Jets on December 21st. It was the second cited case of diving by Stalock, following an earlier incident against the Pittsburgh Penguins that incurred a warning from the league. Though it obviously isn’t a lot of money, embellishment comes with escalating fines that eventually are levied against the coach as well—something that never helps a player’s career.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bruins, Mikheyev

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for the previous week, handing out the top honors to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. The big Swedish star had eight points in three games including a four-assist effort against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. Even with the Lightning struggling to find any sort of consistency this season, Hedman is having an outstanding year with 37 points in 35 games.

Second place went to St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who has continued his outstanding play from last season and now carries a .921 save percentage on the year. The 26-year old is the backbone of a team that looks ready to compete for the Stanley Cup once again. Finishing the group is John Tavares, who takes home the third star after a seven-point week with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The high-flying Maple Leafs are scoring goals at a staggering pace, even as they deal with injuries all over the roster.

  • Speaking of injuries all over the roster, the Boston Bruins gave updates on several players today. David Krejci, Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy and Connor Clifton will all not travel with the team to New Jersey. Brad Marchand who was absent was taking a maintenance day and will play. After getting back on track recently with a trio of wins, the Bruins have stretched their lead in the Atlantic Division back to ten points.
  • One player that will be traveling, though not to a team’s next destination, is Ilya Mikheyev. The Maple Leafs forward has been released from hospital in New Jersey and will fly back to Toronto today after having surgery to repair his lacerated wrist. GM Kyle Dubas stayed in New Jersey with Mikheyev while he was tended to and will be traveling back with him today. The rookie forward could miss the rest of the season with the injury after severing tendons and arteries in his wrist.

Snapshots: Lafreniere, Chromiak, Omsk

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Alexis Lafreniere, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has already improved (or rather confirmed) his draft stock at the ongoing World Junior Championship, but he may not have the opportunity to continue shining at the tournament. Lafreniere suffered a leg injury during Team Canada’s match-up with Russia on Saturday. He fell awkwardly while crashing the net and had to be helped off the ice (video). He did not return to the game and may not return to action at the WJC altogether. Lafreniere has already been ruled out for Canada’s next game against Germany, but TSN’s Frank Seravalli says that beyond that his status is up in the air. Seravalli reports that Lafreniere’s MRI results came back negative for any fracture or torn ligaments, which is good news long-term, but doesn’t necessarily mean that Lafreniere will be ready to go in time to suit up for Canada again at the WJC.

  • The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs received a major boost yesterday by finally landing a commitment from forward Martin Chromiak. Chromiak, a 2020 NHL Draft prospect, was selected by Kingston with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft. The Slovakian winger has been playing in his native country’s top pro league this season, recording five goals and six points in 32 games with HK Dukla Trencin thus far, after putting up 46 points in 39 games in the U-20 league last year. The Frontenacs stated that while the process took longer than they had hoped, they are excited to have the skilled Chromiak as part of their team moving forward. Kingston has the second-worst record in the OHL this year and can use all the help they can get.
  • Two players that won’t be making the jump to North America are Alexei Emelin and Sergei Shirokov. The NHL veterans have each signed new two-year contract extensions with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk. Emelin, the more well-known of the two, played in six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and one with the Nashville Predators before signing with Omsk in 2018. Avangard’s captain and top defenseman, Emelin has been injured for much of this season but is still a top two-way defender in the KHL when healthy, even at 33. Shirokov, who played two seasons in the Vancouver Canucks system from 2009 to 2011, has otherwise been a career KHLer, despite perennial rumors that he could jump back to the NHL. Now in his second stint with Omsk, Shirokov’s offense has actually improved over the past few years since entering his thirties and is back at it this year with 19 points through 25 games.

Snapshots: Rangers, Lagesson, Maletta

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Back in the summer, it looked as if the Rangers had done rather well for themselves with the acquisition of Jacob Trouba with the centerpiece of the return being the first-round pick they had received from Winnipeg months earlier for rental center Kevin Hayes.  However, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that in hindsight, they may have been better off keeping Hayes and signing him at the price he was looking for in the 2018 offseason over acquiring Trouba via trade.

Trouba has done well for New York this season but hasn’t quite lived up to the billing relative to his $8MM price tag.  Meanwhile, Neal Pionk, the player that Winnipeg acquired in the swap, has actually outproduced Trouba offensively by five points so far this season.  There’s still plenty of time for things to change but as of right now, the two Winnipeg trades haven’t quite worked out as well as the Rangers would have hoped, especially with young center Lias Andersson not panning out like they were expecting.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Oilers prospect William Lagesson has switched agencies, reports Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. The defenseman has joined Allan Walsh and Octagon after previously being represented by Markus Lehto.  The 23-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level contract and has yet to suit up in Edmonton despite being recalled twice already this season.
  • Former Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Maletta has been cleared to return to hockey and is set to enroll at Brock University next semester, notes OHL broadcaster Victor Findlay (Twitter link). The 24-year-old was flipped to Arizona in February of 2018 before being a part of the Marian Hossa trade five months later but Chicago terminated his contract when he was deemed medically unfit to play.  He spent last season as a part-time assistant coach with OHL Niagara but now will unretire and resume his playing career.

Snapshots: Kapanen, Canucks, Holtby

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The Toronto Maple Leafs roared back to take an afternoon tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes today, scoring eight goals in total (while giving up six against). That kind of offensive firepower is because of the team’s depth up front, even with lineup regulars Trevor Moore and Andreas Johnsson still out with injury. That depth, along with a tough cap situation and defense corps that has struggled has led many to speculate on the future of Kasperi Kapanen, who recently signed a three-year, $9.6MM deal with the team. Pierre LeBrun spoke on TSN radio before the game about Kapanen’s future with the team:

I still talk to some teams that value him and like him. If he were to be made available I don’t think the Leafs would have a hard time gaining value in a trade involving him. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if they did deal him. I think it’s probably in the offseason that it is before February 24th.

But again, because of the pressure of the cap and the pressure of having to figure out the defense moving forward next year, I think he’ll be one of the expendable parts. Not because I think the Leafs’ front office thinks any different of him, I think it’s just he’s at a certain number and I think they can get cheaper players to play those roles. It wouldn’t shock me if he was involved in a trade in the offseason.

Kapanen, 23, has eight goals and 19 points in 38 games this season. This is the second time recently a major hockey insider has spoken about the ease in which Toronto could trade the young winger, after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet included a note about Kapanen’s value in his 31 Thoughts column earlier this month. Though there has been no indication that the Maple Leafs are leaning that way at this point, he’ll obviously be a player to watch in the summer.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have gotten standout performances from several young players this season, but as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet points out that may actually have a consequence moving forward. Johnston notes that the performance bonuses of players like Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Adam Gaudette could add up to more than $4MM this season, a total that would be carried over against next year’s cap if they don’t have the room on this year’s books. The Canucks already have buyout hits and cap recapture penalties that add up to more than $4MM as well, meaning they could be playing with a much diminished pocket book in 2020-21.
  • Friedman also noted over the weekend that negotiations with Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals have been put off until after the season is over, something that makes his future with the team even more interesting. Holtby has been a rock for the Capitals for nearly a decade now, winning a Vezina Trophy in 2016 and earning all 16 wins in their Stanley Cup championship in 2018. That said, the team now has young netminder Ilya Samsonov showing what he can do at the NHL level (9-2-1 with a .916 save percentage in 12 appearances) and cap issues to solve with Nicklas Backstrom due for a new deal in 2020 and Alex Ovechkin in 2021. Friedman was clear to point out that the Capitals have extended other players like John Carlson and T.J. Oshie after the season previously, but Holtby may be a different situation entirely.

Snapshots: Ovechkin, Islanders, Perreault

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The NHL announced the captains of the 2020 NHL All-Star Game Saturday. One of the four captains announced, the Metropolitan Division representative Alex Ovechkin was also named a captain last year, but Ovechkin declined the offer and chose to rest instead, accruing a one-game suspension from the league for skipping their annual all-star event. When asked whether he would participate this year, Ovechkin was noncommittal, according to NBC Sports’ J.J. Regan.

“We’ll see,” he said. “It’s lots of games to play. I’m going to do the best for my health and for the playoffs and I have to be healthy for the most important games moving forward. It’s always nice to be a captain on the All-Star team. Thanks fans for voting me. It’s a huge honor for me, for this organization and this team.”

This marks the fourth time Ovechkin has been voted in as Metropolitan Division captain and third straight appearance. If he participates, it will be his eighth all-star appearance of his career. The all-star game will be held in St. Louis on Jan. 24 and 25.

  • Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe writes if newly acquired Arizona Coyotes’ forward Taylor Hall gets to open free agency on July 1, which many people expect, don’t be surprised if the New York Islanders are the biggest bidders on the star forward. Even though New York has to sign young star Mathew Barzal to a new contract this summer, the team and general manager Lou Lamoriello still should have plenty of cap space to bring in a big-name free agent this summer.
  • Winnipeg Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice said he hopes to get back forward Mathieu Perreault soon, according to The Athletic’s Murat Ates. The 31-year-old has been out since Dec. 15 after sustaining a concussion. However, Maurice feels he is getting closer to returning. “He’s getting better,” Maurice said. “We’re having good days now. It is possible that he might be ready for St. Louis… But we’re being very, very cautious. He’s had good days so he’s not far off, I don’t think.”

 

Snapshots: Gardiner, Clutterbuck, Enroth

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It was a long summer for defenseman Jake Gardiner after a long career with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended with heartbreak at the hands of the Boston Bruins once again. Gardiner became an unrestricted free agent and ended up waiting until September to sign a four-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. In a long interview with The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required), Gardiner explains exactly why he chose to leave a hockey hotbed for quieter Carolina, even confirming that he turned down a bigger offer from the Montreal Canadiens.

After the piece was published, Mirtle’s colleague Pierre LeBrun tweeted that there are teams around the league wondering if they can pluck Gardiner out of Carolina given his relatively low usage behind stars like Jaccob Slavin and Dougie Hamilton. Gardiner is currently averaging just over 16 minutes a night for the Hurricanes. The 29-year old comes with a $4.05MM cap hit and holds a seven-team no-trade list.

  • The New York Islanders will not issue an update on Cal Clutterbuck’s status until tomorrow, other than he was allowed to fly home with them following their game against the Boston Bruins. Clutterbuck had his wrist sliced by the skate of Patrice Bergeron, immediately dropping his glove and leaving the game. Injuries caused by a skate blade are always hard to watch, especially after the recent incident involving junior goaltender Tucker Tynan. As always, Clutterbuck has been a solid contributor for the Islanders this season, leading the team in hits and all forwards in blocked shots.
  • Former NHL goaltender Jhonas Enroth could return to the SHL after having his KHL contract with Dinamo Minsk terminated. The 31-year old actually posted a .909 save percentage during his 153-game NHL career, but struggled in his most recent stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17. The undersized netminder was originally a second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2006 and has regularly suited up for Sweden in international competitions.

Snapshots: Scott, Belzile, Girard

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that goaltending prospect Ian Scott will be out for six months following hip surgery, an unfortunate outcome in what was supposed to be his first professional season. The reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year, Scott hasn’t played a single game for the Toronto Marlies or Newfoundland Growlers this season.

Toronto has been desperately trying to find an answer for their backup goaltending position this season, but there is still a huge gap between Scott, fellow prospect Joseph Woll and starter Frederik Andersen. Michael Hutchinson and Kasimir Kaskisuo have been used, but neither one has secured a single win this season. Scott is expected to be ready for training camp, but missing an entire season of development isn’t ideal.

  • The Montreal Canadiens have their own injured minor leaguer, as today it was announced that Alex Belzile will miss six months following pectoral surgery. Belzile has played in 20 games for the Laval Rocket this season and has 14 points, but will be shut down at this point. Charles Hudon is also dealing with a lower-body injury and will not travel with the Rocket.
  • Samuel Girard has escaped suspension after sending Alex DeBrincat flying last night, instead earning just a fine from the Department of Player Safety. Girard will pay $1,957.89, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for boarding DeBrincat.

Snapshots: Copp, Seabrook, Mikheyev

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced that Andrew Copp is out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury, ruling him out until after Christmas at the earliest. The 25-year old Copp left last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes after a collision with Jordan Staal. Jets head coach Paul Maurice told reporters today including Ken Wiebe of The Athletic that the injury is not a concussion, but that more tests needed to be completed to understand the severity.

Copp has 14 points in 34 games this season and once again has been an integral part of the Jets’ penalty killing efforts, averaging more short-handed ice time than any forward other than Adam Lowry. Winnipeg has been struck by the injury bug several times this season, but right now are stretching their depth up front very thin.

  • Good news for Chicago Blackhawks fans is bad news for Brent Seabrook. Duncan Keith will return tonight for the Blackhawks, meaning someone else had to come out of the lineup. That’s going to be Seabrook, who will be healthy scratched for the third time this season. The 34-year old Seabrook still has four more years on his current contract with the Blackhawks after 2019-20 and carries a $6.875MM cap hit.
  • Ilya Mikheyev has scored in consecutive games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and now has six goals and 19 points through 35 games. That’s more than anyone could have expected from him in his first year in North America, but the Maple Leafs weren’t the only team that saw a future for the speedy winger when he was playing in the KHL. In fact, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that about 20 teams showed interest in Mikheyev before he chose Toronto, suggesting that Chicago and the Vegas Golden Knights were among those who pursued him the hardest. Mikheyev is on just a one-year entry-level contract with Toronto and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Snapshots: Hall, Ho-Sang, Raymond

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The Taylor Hall saga is over for now, but given that only one team could secure the scoring winger there is sure to be fallout all around the league. Clubs that were hoping to land him will now have to move in a different direction, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examines seven of the suitors that had made inquiries over the last few weeks.

One of the most interesting is the Calgary Flames, who LeBrun writes felt they were offering a package of similar value to the one New Jersey eventually accepted from the Arizona Coyotes. While there may not be another player of Hall’s caliber on the market come the trade deadline, the Flames are obviously a team to watch after their recent surge in the standings.

  • The Bridgeport Sound Tigers will welcome Josh Ho-Sang back to the team after the disgruntled forward sat out the first part of the season. Ho-Sang has a “clean slate” with the organization according to New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello but will obviously need to work hard to move back up the depth chart. The 23-year old forward hasn’t played yet this season and was hoping to be traded to a new organization after failing to land a full-time job in the NHL.
  • Lucas Raymond has been cleared to join the Swedish World Junior squad after dealing with an infection that threatened his tournament status. The top 2020 draft prospect is still just 17 years old but is already playing at the highest level in Sweden and can add a dynamic offensive piece to whoever picks him next June.

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