Snapshots: Lehtera, Red Wings, Byron
Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera was convicted Wednesday of buying cocaine, according to Tricia L. Nadolny and Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lehtera had been charged in Finland with the offense earlier this season, and has been sentenced to a four-month suspended prison sentence. He will not serve any time in jail as long as he is not arrested again before October 2021.
The Flyers placed Lehtera on waivers in early February and sent him to the AHL where he has played five games. His contract is set to expire at the end of this season, at which point he will become an unrestricted free agent. It is not clear what this conviction will mean for his playing career, though early reports out of Finland say he will be appealing the decision.
- The Detroit Red Wings likely won’t see either of Michael Rasmussen or Jacob de La Rose on the ice again this season. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive that de La Rose saw a specialist today about his accelerated heart beat, and Rasmussen is unlikely to return from his upper-body injury before the end of the year. The Red Wings have just six games left in their season and are currently sitting in 29th place in the NHL.
- Paul Byron will not travel with the Montreal Canadiens to Columbus after suffering an injury in a fight last night. Byron took on MacKenzie Weegar of the Florida Panthers and was knocked down with a hard punch. After stumbling to the bench he did not return. Byron’s agent told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) his thoughts on how fights like these have no business in the game today, explaining that the only reason for it was a hit from earlier in the season. Byron received a three-game suspension for the hit in January. It is unclear when the speedy forward will return to the Montreal lineup.
Snapshots: Fox, Raanta, Tippett
The Carolina Hurricanes and their fans have been waiting patiently for the Harvard hockey season to come to an end so they can get a chance to sign top prospect Adam Fox, but the team is still alive in the NCAA tournament. Fox’s rights were acquired from the Calgary Flames as part of the Dougie Hamilton–Elias Lindholm trade from last summer, and the front office has been open with their belief that they could sign the young defenseman after he finished his college career. Today, Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal tweeted that Fox will be returning to Harvard next season for his senior year and that he “favors” the idea of becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020 when his draft rights would expire.
In response however, Carolina GM Don Waddell told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he believes Fox has not yet made his decision with regards to signing with the Hurricanes, and Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer tweeted it is “still a bit premature to jump to conclusions.” If the 21-year old returns to Harvard next season and then waits until August 2020, he will get his chance to sign with any team he wants. There certainly wouldn’t be any shortage of interest, as the third-round pick is among the best college players in the entire country and is a right-handed defenseman to boot.
- The Arizona Coyotes have Darcy Kuemper to thank for their impressive playoff push, but he might be getting some help in the near future. Craig Morgan of the Athletic tweeted today that Antti Raanta is expected to start practicing with the Coyotes this week. Raanta hasn’t played a game since late November but has shown his ability as a top tier goaltender whenever he is at full strength. If Raanta can return in time for the playoffs (provided Arizona makes the postseason at all), it would be interesting to see how the Coyotes would play it. Kuemper has been among the best goaltenders in the league since Raanta’s injury, and would be a huge reason why they made the playoffs.
- While many have assumed that Dave Tippett would stay with the Seattle expansion franchise after his comments about his role in the new team, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest edition of 31 Thoughts that he’s heard “the coaching bug has bit [Tippett] again” and that one team has already reached out. Tippett was hired as a senior advisor for the Seattle group and was expected to join the front office in some capacity. He last coached in the NHL during the 2016-17 season.
Snapshots: Three Stars, College Stars, Presidents
The NHL has released their three stars of the week, with Kyle Connor getting the top honors. The young Winnipeg Jets forward had five goals and eight points in four games, surpassing both of his impressive totals from last season. The 22-year old now has back-to-back 30-goal seasons, and is now a key part of the Jets attack on a nightly basis. While Patrik Laine may hit the headlines more for his upcoming restricted free agency, Connor’s pending negotiation looks to be just as (if not more) important.
Second star this week went to Steven Stamkos, who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning lock up the Presidents Trophy and became the franchise leader in goals with 387 and counting. The Lightning star is just one away from his fifth 40-goal campaign, and has six games remaining to try and crack the 100-point threshold for the first time in his career. Bringing up the rear in third was Philipp Grubauer, who has suddenly found his game and now holds a .914 save percentage on the year. That has allowed the Colorado Avalanche to climb back into the playoffs in the Western Conference.
- Despite Boston University seeing a huge chunk of their team turn pro today—Jake Oettinger, Chad Krys, Joel Farabee and Dante Fabbro all signed contracts—they won’t be without some star power next year. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Shane Bowers is likely sticking around after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season. Cole Hults from Penn State is also expected to stay in college according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, and the team is supportive of that idea. Hults, a fifth-round pick of the Kings in 2017, had 28 points in 39 games as a sophomore this season.
- The Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators have had a ton of turmoil over the last year, changing coaches and front office members while struggling on the ice. It’s not surprising that both teams may be looking for upper management help according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, who reports each could be set to bring in a team president to run hockey operations above the general manager. Ottawa’s search in particular has apparently already been going on for a while, though it has not apparently put Pierre Dorion’s job as GM in jeopardy.
Snapshots: Kuraly, Gardiner, Merzlikins
When looking at the injury report for the Boston Bruins, most people won’t spend too much time pausing on the name Sean Kuraly when going down the list of injured players. After all, the 26-year-old has just eight goals and 21 points on the season as the team’s fourth-line LW — hardly a key figure as they close in on the playoffs. However, Kuraly, who will be out a month after undergoing hand surgery, is a critical player to the team’s playoff hopes.
The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that the combination of Kuraly, Chris Wagner and Noel Acciari have become head coach Bruce Cassidy‘s second-favorite line, which had received the second-most minutes in 5-on-5 play. The top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have played 421:22 minutes of 5-on-5 time together, while the Kuraly-Wagner-Acciari line are second on the team with 401:55 of playing time. Cassidy often plays that fourth line against the other teams’ top lines, which includes the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top line of Zach Hyman, John Tavares and Mitch Marner.
With a significant matchup coming up with Toronto in the first-round of the playoffs, the loss of Kuraly could radically affect that fourth line’s play against Toronto’s top line. Regardless of how Cassidy replaces the fourth line, it’s unlikely he’ll match it up with Toronto’s top line now, so that will complicate Boston’s plans for the immediate future.
- Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reports that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner, who has been out since Feb. 25 with a back injury, was sighted on the ice Sunday. The 28-year-old blueliner was working out after Maple Leafs’ practice with team skills coach Mike Ellis, but there remains no timeline for his return. The team could use him back as they have dropped five of their last seven games without him as well as fellow defenseman Travis Dermott, who could be back soon.
- The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that Columbus Blue Jackets’ new goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has an appointment Monday with the embassy in Bern, Switzerland to get a visa and hopes to join the Blue Jackets’ roster at some point this week. Merzlikins, who has been playing in the Swiss National League for the past six seasons, signed his entry-level contract and depending on the roster moves that Columbus makes in goal, could be a candidate to challenge for playing time as soon as next season. Merzlikins finished this year with a 2.44 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 43 appearances in the NLA.
Snapshots: Kovalchuk, Red Wings, Fast
It has not been a great return to the NHL for Kings winger Ilya Kovalchuk. While he got off to a good start, his playing time has steadily decreased as of late to the point where he has spent some time as a healthy scratch (and is expected to sit again tonight). In an interview with Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times, he commented on his frustration with his situation, even suggesting that he hasn’t been given a fair chance under interim coach Willie Desjardins.
Despite the difficulties he has had this season, Kovalchuk was quick to point out that he likes it in Los Angeles and that his family has settled in nicely, implying he has no intention of asking for a trade. To be fair, even if he wanted to be moved, the Kings would likely have some challenges doing so considering he has just 31 points on the season and two years at $6.25MM left on his deal. Instead, it appears the hope will have to be that the 35-year-old will be able to rebound next season, potentially with a new coach behind the bench.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Detroit’s challenges with fielding a complete back end continue. Dana Wakiji of the Red Wings’ team site notes that Jonathan Ericsson has been ruled out of tonight’s game which will be his fifth straight game missed due to a lower-body injury while Trevor Daley has essentially been ruled out for the year. Meanwhile, Libor Sulak, who was recently recalled under emergency conditions, is sick and isn’t expected to suit up against Vegas either. There could be some good news on the horizon up front though as winger Evgeny Svechnikov, who has missed the entire season with a torn ACL, is skating with the team and is hoping to return where he’d likely suit up with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.
- The Rangers are leaning towards shutting winger Jesper Fast down for the remainder of the season, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. He has been playing through a shoulder issue for the past three months before the team gave him a night off earlier this week against Detroit. With New York squarely out of the postseason picture, it wouldn’t make sense for them to keep running him out there when he’s not fully healthy. The 27-year-old is already signed for next season with a $1.85MM cap hit.
Snapshots: Hughes, Stepan, AHL Deals
The news is positive for Quinn Hughes, as his recent testing came back negative for a broken bone in his foot. The top prospect is expected to start skating soon and still make his debut before the end of the regular season. Hughes, who injured his foot blocking a shot at the very end of his collegiate season, cannot burn a year of his entry-level deal or become eligible for the 2021 expansion draft now that the Canucks have just eight games remaining in the regular season.
The dynamic defenseman finished with 33 points in 32 games for the University of Michigan and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker award. The seventh-overall pick from 2018 is expected to be a game-changing talent for the Canucks on the back end, and will give their defense corps a completely new look next season.
- Who needs recovery timelines anyway? Derek Stepan, a notoriously quick healer, is once again about to return before originally expected. Craig Morgan of The Athletic reports that the Arizona Coyotes forward is a game-time decision for tomorrow night’s game against the New Jersey Devils, just over three weeks after he was given a four to six week timetable for his lower-body injury. Stepan had been carrying a huge amount of responsibility for the Coyotes when he went down, and his return will only help them on their quest for the playoffs. Arizona currently sits tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference with eight games to go.
- The Toronto Marlies have signed Colton Conrad to a two-year AHL contract which will start next season. Conrad will join the Marlies on an amateur tryout for the rest of this year. The 21-year old forward played four years at Western Michigan University and scored 38 points this season. Not to be outdone, the Iowa Wild have signed University of Minnesota captain Tyler Sheehy to an amateur tryout, bringing the homegrown talent into the organization after his college career came to an end. Sheehy is from Burnsville and had an outstanding career at Minnesota, recording 149 points in 149 games over four years.
Snapshots: Retirement, Meier, Hall
As the season comes to an end for half the teams in the NHL, various older players—especially those without a contract for next season—will have to consider what comes next. Two of those players, Ryan Miller of the Anaheim Ducks and Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres, were profiled today by Josh Cooper and Joe Yerdon of The Athletic (subscription required) and both had basically the same answer—”I’ll think about it after the season.”
It’s unclear what the future holds for each of them, but they are entering the summer in different situations. Miller, 38, still had a solid year for the Ducks despite his injury, but has been clear in the past that he wants to stay in Southern California (where his wife works as an actress). Pominville meanwhile is about to be a healthy scratch for the third time this season and will turn 37 in November. While his production is still adequate—the Sabres forward scored 15 goals and 28 points this season—there might not be a huge lineup at his front door on July 1st. Neither player is admitting that retirement is a possibility, but only because they’re still focused on the end of this year. A few more weeks and they might have a very different answer.
- The NHL has issued a $2,000 fine to San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier for diving, a punishment that only kicks in for the second reported incident. Meier apparently was cited for embellishment on February 5th in Winnipeg, while this latest occurence took place in Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators. Meier received an unsportsmanlike penalty on the play. While these fines aren’t a huge bill for an NHL player to pay, on the fifth offense the head coach begins to receive similar punishments. Causing your boss to pay thousands of dollars in fines certainly isn’t something anyone wants to do, let alone a professional hockey player.
- Taylor Hall‘s name has kept coming up in trade speculation through a disastrous season for the New Jersey Devils and the reining Hart Trophy winner in particular, but that doesn’t mean the team is looking to move him. In fact, GM Ray Shero discussed Hall on the latest Executive Suite podcast and explained that he’ll approach him about a contract extension after the season ends. The two sides can’t officially sign a new deal until July 1st when Hall will have just a single year left on his deal, but they can certainly iron out the details.
Snapshots: Drury, Winnipeg, Savoie
The U.S. Men’s National Team will be under new leadership moving forward, as Chris Drury has been named GM. Drury is currently serving as assistant GM with the New York Rangers, a position he will continue in along with this new role. John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of USA Hockey, explained the hiring:
We’re really happy to have Chris serving as general manager of our team. He knows what it takes to succeed at the international level, and working with our men’s national team advisory group, which brings vast experience, success and passion to the table, we have a tremendous group in place to build our team.
That advisory team is made up of several active NHL front office executives, including Drury’s boss in New York Jeff Gorton. The group will decide who will play in the upcoming World Championship, scheduled for May 10-26 in Slovakia. Drury has plenty of experience on the international stage, winning two Olympic silver medals and taking part in several other tournaments throughout his excellent playing career.
- The Kootenay Ice have moved to Winnipeg for the 2019-20 WHL season, and will get a nice prize to start their run in the new city. The team today won the WHL Bantam Draft lottery, moving up one spot to get the first overall selection in the upcoming draft. The Prince George Cougars will pick second (with Swift Current’s selection) and fourth, while the Saskatoon Blades will be the third team up. Kelowna rounds out the top five of the draft, which will be held on May 2.
- Unfortunately they won’t get a chance to pick Matthew Savoie with the top selection, as the 15-year old was denied exceptional status. In response to that, Savoie committed to the University of Denver for 2021-22, something his brother had already done previously. If he wants to maintain his college eligibility, Savoie will not be able to play anywhere in the WHL and instead will likely go the route of the USHL. That is, unless a favorable situation comes about at the 2020 bantam draft and he rescinds his commitment.
Snapshots: Pekar, Miami, Yakupov
After his season came to an end in the OHL, Matej Pekar is headed to join the Rochester Americans for the rest of the season. The 19-year old forward is currently injured and it is unclear if he’ll get into any actual games, but he can at least become familiar with the team and their facilities. Pekar was just a fourth-round pick last June, but has already become one of the more intriguing prospects for the Sabres after a solid season with the Barrie Colts.
Pekar recorded 36 points in 33 games and attended the World Juniors with the Czech Republic. The left-shot forward will see his entry-level deal slide to next season, and won’t start burning years even if he does get into some AHL action over the next few weeks.
- It wasn’t a very successful season for Miami University (Ohio), and head coach Enrico Blasi has been fired because of it. Athletic Director David Sayler announced the decision today, explaining that he needs to see more competitive play out of his school as they try to battle in the NCHC—arguably the toughest conference in college hockey. Miami went just 5-17-2 this year and 45-84-15 under Blasi over the six seasons as part of the NCHC. Blasi had been head coach of the program for nearly two decades overall.
- While reports surfaced this morning out of Russia that the Arizona Coyotes were one of a few teams interested in bringing Nail Yakupov back to the NHL, Craig Morgan of The Athletic threw cold water on the idea. Morgan tweeted that a league source called the report “completely inaccurate.” Yakupov found great success after heading back to the KHL this season, recording 23 goals in 47 games and being a big part of a St. Petersburg SKA team that looks poised to return to the Gagarin Cup finals. It’s unclear if there are other teams circling Yakupov to see if he’s willing to come back.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Malkin, Sandin
The NHL has released their three stars for last week, and another New York Islanders goaltender has taken the top spot. After Robin Lehner was honored earlier this season, Thomas Greiss has now been given the top spot after stopping 116 of 121 shots to go 3-1 last week. The 33-year old Greiss is having the best season of his career under Barry Trotz’ disciplined system, and now has a .928 save percentage through 40 appearances.
While Connor McDavid appearing in the third spot won’t surprise many, Brendan Perlini‘s name in second certainly will. The former Arizona Coyotes forward struggled upon joining the Chicago Blackhawks this season, but has found the back of the net in three consecutive games and five of his last seven. That included a hat trick last week against his former club, and he now sits at 13 goals on the season.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their top players after Evgeni Malkin was listed as “week-to-week” last night by head coach Mike Sullivan. Somewhat quietly, Malkin is having another outstanding season with 71 points through his first 66 games and is a huge part of the Pittsburgh attack. The team will have to rely on their other superstars for the time being and hope the big Russian center can get healthy in time for the playoffs.
- While the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to keep the puck out of their net since Jake Gardiner and Travis Dermott suffered injuries (and perhaps even before that), they won’t rush top defensive prospect Rasmus Sandin to the NHL. Sandin has been on fire recently for the Toronto Marlies and now has 23 points through 36 games as a teenager, but head coach Mike Babcock reiterated the organization’s mantra to over-ripen prospects at the minor league level before bringing them up. Babcock pointed to Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson as examples of how the Maple Leafs development program has worked, and noted that there are still “good players” on the NHL roster. Sandin was the 29th overall pick last June and turned 19 earlier this month.