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Snapshots: Drysdale, Thompson, Lee, Draft Lottery, Playoffs

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It was a tough season for Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale as he battled injury woes at multiple parts of the year.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), the blueliner indicated that when he was in the lineup, he was often playing hurt and that he might need a procedure done this summer to get back to full health for next season.  The 22-year-old was the centerpiece of the return they received for Cutter Gauthier back in January but he was limited to just 24 games with his new team and 34 on the season, a year after playing in only eight contests in 2022-23.  Drysdale is still viewed as a key piece of Philadelphia’s future and they’ll certainly be hoping that he can not only stay healthy but be an impactful player next season.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • During his end-of-season media conference (video link), Sabres GM Kevyn Adams indicated that the lower-body injury that Tage Thompson sustained in Monday’s season finale against Tampa Bay will take a few weeks to heal. Accordingly, he won’t play for Team USA at the upcoming Worlds.  After a slow start to his year, Thompson wound up collecting 29 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, an output that was down from the past two seasons but was still good enough to finish with three points of the team lead.
  • Islanders winger Anders Lee was a late scratch for their game tonight against Pittsburgh but it wasn’t for injury reasons. Instead, the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran was scratched for personal reasons.  Lee’s season comes to an end with 20 goals and 17 assists in 81 games.  He also chipped in with a career-high 176 hits despite having his lowest ATOI (15:34) since the 2016-17 campaign.
  • The draft lottery will be held on either May 6th or 7th, pending finalization of the first-round schedule, relays David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The lottery will set the order for the first 16 selections for the upcoming draft in June.
  • The league announced the first game for each of the four Eastern Conference playoff series. Two series will begin on Saturday and two on Sunday.  The full schedule for each series will be released at a later date.  Heading into tonight’s action, three of the four series in the West weren’t set so those schedules aren’t likely to come for another couple of days.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Lipkin, Jiricek

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The Coyotes have a lot of work to do contract-wise on their back end for next season as none of their regulars are under contract for 2024-25.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (video link) that the team does not have the green light to start working on contracts for next season at this time.  As has been well documented, their arena situation is once again in some question for a few more months at least, pending a possible land purchase which would be late in the spring.  It was also reported after the trade deadline that GM Bill Armstrong wasn’t able to retain salary, limiting the returns they received on Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba.  At this point, it’s far from a must to begin extension discussions at this point in the season but if those internal restrictions continue into the offseason, it could be something to keep an eye on.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Still with the Coyotes, prospect Sam Lipkin is expected to decide between turning pro or returning for his junior year within the next 24 hours, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link). The 21-year-old was the second-last pick in the 2021 draft, going 223rd overall but has outperformed his draft stock, scoring 78 points in 78 games over his first two seasons with Quinnipiac, yielding a contract offer from Arizona.  Quinnipiac’s leading scorer (Collin Graf) is expected to sign soon while their second-leading scorer (Jacob Quillan) signed with Toronto earlier this week; those signings could significantly impact Lipkin’s decision.
  • The Blue Jackets intend to keep defenseman David Jiricek up for the remainder of the regular season, relays team reporter Jeff Svoboda (Twitter link). Columbus recalled the 20-year-old yesterday, the latest of a busy series of transactions as it’s his fifth recall of the season.  Jiricek has played in 36 games with the Jackets this season, notching a goal and eight assists while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.  He has been more productive in the minors, however, collecting seven goals and ten helpers with the Monsters.  Notably, he’s four NHL appearances away from accruing a season toward UFA eligibility.  Accordingly, while Columbus might keep him up for the last couple of weeks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his game action limited as a result.

Snapshots: Tanev, Bunting, Butler, Aston-Reese

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The Dallas Stars could be without their newest defenseman for an extended time, with Trade Deadline acquisition Chris Tanev leaving the team’s Saturday night game early after taking an elbow to the head from Seattle Kraken Adam Larsson. Larsson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit, while Tanev exited after 17 minutes of ice time. Tanev will be re-evaluated on Sunday, with the Stars hoping for an update early this week, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning Star (Web link).

Tanev is 12 games into his time with the Stars, recording one goal, two points, and 10 penalty minutes. The Stars sent away prospect Artem Grushnikov, a conditional second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to land Tanev – and they’re getting their money’s worth, with Tanev stepping into an immediate impact role and averaging over 18 minutes of ice time each game. He’s served as much-needed depth behind star Miro Heiskanen, elevating the impact of depth defenseman Esa Lindell. Dallas would normally turn towards Jani Hakanpaa in the event of Tanev’s absence, though he’s also bearing through a day-to-day injury. The Stars aren’t carrying any other defenders, meaning they’ll need to make a call-up if neither Tanev nor Hakanpaa can go.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Michael Bunting left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Saturday night game due to illness, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the game (Twitter link). Bunting played in nearly 10 minutes of ice time before exiting, with a -1 representing his only stat change. He’s found a strong scoring groove through his first 12 games in Pittsburgh, with three goals and seven points – though he’s still finding where he fits best in the lineup. There’s been no update on Bunting’s availability moving forward, though healthy scratch Emil Bemstrom is available to slot in if needed.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent right-winger Cameron Butler back to the minor leagues, after awarding him with his NHL debut on Saturday (Twitter link). He played in just one shift – staying on the ice for 54 seconds – during the eventual shootout-win. Butler, who is in his first year of pro hockey, will now return to the AHL, where he’s already managed two goals, eight points, and 63 penalty minutes in 46 games. He signed with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free-agent in March of 2023.
  • Zach Aston-Reese has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings after being recalled on Friday (Twitter link). Aston-Reese didn’t appear in any NHL action during the call-up, making his sole game in December his only NHL game of the season. He’s managed 13 goals, 28 points, and 47 penalty minutes in 56 AHL games this season – his first year in the league since 2018-19.

Snapshots: Cates, Fast, Liljegren

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that forward Noah Cates will be out on Thursday due to personal reasons (Twitter link). Cam Atkinson will step back into the lineup in his place, marking the first game Atkinson has played since March 16th. The veteran Atkinson will step back into the lineup looking to snap a 16-game scoring drought. He’s managed 25 shots in that stretch, though his only other stat changes have come via a -9 and, interestingly, the first fight of Atkinson’s 10-year career. He squared off against Tampa Bay forward Michael Eyssimont, who used his two-inch size advantage to pummel Atkinson.

Atkinson is taking on more grit and responsibility as he finds himself fighting for a consistent spot in the lineup. The Flyers will hope he can find his groove soon, as he fills in for Cates’ role on the fourth-line. Cates has just 13 points through 51 games this season – a far step down from his 38 points as a rookie last year. He’s sacrificed scoring for a much more poised, all-around role, improving his faceoff percentage by five percent this season and yet to record a penalty this season. Atkinson will face pressure from healthy scratches Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Deslauriers if he can’t make an impact quickly.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Jesper Fast will miss his fifth straight game on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Fast has been recovering from an upper-body injury and returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey. He’s served in a quaint role when healthy, managing six goals and 18 points in 66 games while averaging 12:48 in ice time. Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen have gained a boost in ice time with Fast out, though Carolina could also lean on healthy scratch Brendan Lemieux if needed.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been removed from the team’s lineup on Thursday, per NHL Network’s David Alter (Twitter link). He was a late call for head coach Sheldon Keefe and will now miss the game with an upper-body injury. Liljegren’s absence opens the door for Mark Giordano to return to the lineup, marking his first game since February 29th. Giordano, the NHL’s oldest player, has one goal and seven points in 38 games this season.

Snapshots: Eriksson Ek, Brodin, Matthews, Joshua

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Now in do-or-die territory to qualify for the 2023-24 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Minnesota Wild will receive some reinforcements to their lineup tonight. Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports reports that forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin will return to the active roster tonight.

Eriksson Ek has missed the last five games for the Wild, who lost two big games to the St. Louis Blues in his absence. As the team’s top center, Eriksson Ek has scored 29 goals and 60 points for Minnesota this year over 66 games played.

Brodin on the other hand, has only missed the last two games for the Wild but has had significant injury concerns throughout this season. Even though he’s only managed to suit up in 51 contests, Brodin still sits second on Minnesota’s blue line with 23:37 ATOI and has scored seven goals and 23 points overall.

Other snapshots:

  • One player who may not be in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight is forward Auston Matthews, who is now designated as a game-time decision due to an illness (X Link). Even though Toronto is destined for a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division, it would be a tough blow not to have Matthews in the lineup, as he is still attempting to score 60 goals on the season for the second time in his career.
  • In tonight’s potential Western Conference Final preview, the Vancouver Canucks will see the return of a key player, as Dakota Joshua will return to the lineup (X Link). It will be Joshua’s first game back since February 13th, as the Michigan native suffered an upper-body injury in the team’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Snapshots: Seguin, Felcman, Panthers, Escrow

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Top Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin will be held out of the team’s Tuesday night game, per an interview between NHL.com’s Mike Heika and head coach Pete DeBoer (Twitter link). DeBoer added that Seguin hasn’t faced a setback and that this move is simply a rest day out of caution. Seguin made his return from an 11-game absence on March 20th, after bearing with a lower-body injury that held him out for a month. He’s scored four points in three games since returning, including a three-point performance on Sunday in 17-and-a-half minutes of ice time – the most he’s played since mid-January. The performance must have taken a toll on Seguin, who will now be held out of the lineup despite 22 goals and 49 points in 61 games this season.

Ty Dellandrea is expected to fill in for Seguin in the Stars lineup, set to play in his 41st game of the season. He has two goals and nine points on the year so far, a big step down from the 28 points he recorded in 82 games last season. This is Dellandrea’s second season in a full-time NHL role, though he’s retreated to being a healthy scratch after playing in every game last season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have signed 2023 third-round draft pick Jiri Felcman to an AHL amateur try-out for the remainder of the season, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Felcman is moving to North American pros after spending much of the season in Switzerland’s U20 league, where he’s managed 23 points in 26 games. The 18-year-old centerman has also scored four points in 13 Swiss League games – Switzerland’s second-tier league – and one assist in five National League games – Switzerland’s top league. His move to North America will void his previous commitment to Langnau of the National League for next season.
  • The Florida Panthers welcomed both Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling back to the lineup on Tuesday per a team announcement (Twitter link). Barkov has missed the team’s last three games with an undisclosed injury, while Forsling is returning after missing two games with illness. These returns will likely bump Kyle Okposo and Uvis Balinskis out of the lineup.
  • Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that players are expected to receive around half of the 6% escrow they paid this season if the NHL’s revenue projections hold.  That’s particularly notable as it suggests that the potential exists for future salary caps to go up quicker than anticipated.  As it stands, there is a maximum 5% escalator on the cap for next season as dictated by the CBA but that can be waived if both the NHL and NHLPA agree.

Snapshots: Lindholm, Stalock, Crotty, Wilsby, NCAA Bracket

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Canucks forward Elias Lindholm has struggled as of late and snapped a 15-game goalless streak last night against his former team in Calgary.  It appears there’s a reason for those struggles as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night (video link) that the veteran is set to meet with a specialist in the coming days to determine the extent of the undisclosed injury that he is currently playing through.  The 29-year-old has just nine points in 22 games since being acquired at the end of January and has been dropped to the third line in recent games, not the type of impact they were looking for from their biggest trade acquisition of the season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Ducks announced that they recalled goaltender Alex Stalock from AHL San Diego. The 36-year-old had been brought up four times this season but has yet to see game action with Anaheim, instead serving in a short-term backup role.  He’ll be reprising that role against Tampa Bay with John Gibson out for personal reasons.  Stalock has played in a dozen games for the Gulls this season while playing on a one-year, one-way deal worth $800K, posting a 3.72 GAA with a .894 SV%.  He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Cameron Crotty from AHL Tucson on an emergency basis. The 24-year-old is in his fourth professional season and this will be his first recall and first game as he took the place of Josh Brown who was out due to an illness.  Crotty has three goals and nine assists in 45 games with the Roadrunners this season.
  • Predators prospect Adam Wilsby has been linked to SHL Farjestad next season, notes Varlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg. The 23-year-old blueliner was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 and has spent his three-year entry-level deal playing with AHL Milwaukee where he has six goals and eight assists through 49 games so far.  A pending restricted free agent, it might make more sense for Wilsby to return home over continuing to play in the minors as he’s likely behind several prospects on Nashville’s organizational depth chart.
  • The NCAA revealed the official bracket for the tournament leading to the Frozen Four and the DI Men’s Ice Hockey Championship with Boston College serving as the top seed. Games get underway on Thursday and as teams are eliminated, we’ll start to see some of the more notable free agents start to sign while others will forego the rest of their college eligibility to turn pro.

Snapshots: Graves, St. Ivany, Krug, Oshie, Protas

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have shared that defenseman Ryan Graves will be stepping away for a paternity leave, opening the door for rookie Jack St. Ivany to make his NHL debut. St. Ivany has flirted with his inaugural game for much of March, getting moved between the NHL and AHL four different times in the last week. He was clearly motivated by the string of moves, recording a career-high three-point night in his latest AHL game – his first since receiving the first NHL call-up of his career. The performance broke a 10-game scoring drought and accounted for a fifth of St. Ivany’s 15 points on the season. He’ll now have a golden chance to build on the hot night, potentially poised for a big role with Graves’ average of 19 minutes a night now up for grabs.

Other notes from around the league:

  • St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug is expected to return to the lineup on Friday after sititng out with a chest injury on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. It was Krug’s first absence of the year, after appearing in the Blues’ first 69 games. He’s managed three goals and 34 points in those games. This is Krug’s first time playing in more than 65 games since the 2017-18 season.  His return is expected to bump Scott Perunovich back out of the lineup.
  • The Washington Capitals will continue to be without T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas, head coach Spencer Carbery told The Hockey News. Both players sat out of the team’s Wednesday night loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Oshie is bearing with an upper-body injury, while Protas has a lingering lower-body injury suffered on March 9th. The team will eagerly anticipate their return, now left to lean on Michael Sgarbossa and Ivan Miroshnichenko as top-six fill-ins.

Snapshots: Oshie, Protas, Brodin, Gruden

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Before the puck drop in the team’s game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Washington Capitals announced two injuries to their lineup. In the announcement, the Capitals stated that forward T.J. Oshie is out with an upper-body injury, and Aliaksei Protas is out with a lower-body injury.

Although both players were given a day-to-day injury designation, it is much of the same for Oshie this season. Oshie has only played in 43 of a possible 68 games for the Capitals this season, only managing 11 goals and 19 points in the process. With one more year remaining on his eight-year, $46MM contract after this year, the injury concern is certainly piling up for the veteran forward.

Protas, on the other hand, has sustained much more health than Oshie this season, skating in 65 games for Washington. Earning a five-year, $16.875MM contract extension in January, Protas has turned into quite the playmaker for the Capitals, scoring five goals and 28 points altogether.

Other snapshots:

  • Moving out West, the Minnesota Wild announced that defenseman Jonas Brodin would miss the team’s game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury. It will mark the 19th game that Brodin has missed this season with injury, as an upper-body injury, as well as another lower-body injury, have kept him out of the lineup for multiple games at a time. Nevertheless, Brodin is still the second-highest-scoring defenseman for the Wild this season, putting up seven goals and 23 points in 51 games.
  • After filling in for the injured Jeff Carter last night, Jonathan Gruden has been returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after being recalled on an emergency loan. Gruden will return to a situation in WBS where he has been largely successful this year, scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 43 games at the AHL level.

Snapshots: Kovalenko, Chmelar, Joshua

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Earlier today, the Colorado Avalanche announced that the team had finally brought up-and-coming prospect, Nikolai Kovalenko, to North America. Not under the best pretenses, however, as the team announced Kovalenko would start with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, to rehabilitate from a leg injury suffered during his time in the Kontinental Hockey League.

The obvious hope for the Avalanche is that Kovalenko is eventually able to play at the NHL level at some point this season. Playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL for the last two years, Kovalenko has scored 32 goals and 89 points in 98 games after being a sixth-round pick by Colorado in the 2018 NHL Draft.

The Eagles do have a game tonight as well as one tomorrow against the Milwaukee Admirals, but it is unlikely that Kovalenko will draw into the lineup for either of those two matchups. After that, AHL Colorado does not have another game until March 29th, which may set a timeline for Kovalenko’s debut within the Avalanche organization.

Other snapshots:

  • Although nothing is official, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal is reporting that the New York Rangers are expected to sign Jaroslav Chmelar after his season with Providence College came to an end on Saturday. Chmelar was originally a fifth-round pick of the Rangers back in the 2021 NHL Draft and has spent the last two years in the United States after coming over from his native Finland. Over 59 games in the Hockey East Division, Chmelar scored 12 goals and 28 points overall, after a leg injury requiring surgery cut his season short this year.
  • Recently being put on the team’s long-term injured reserve, Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua is progressing with his injury recovery, but the team is still being cautious with his load management (X Link). An important depth scorer for the Canucks this season, Joshua has scored 13 goals and 26 points over 53 games this year.

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