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Snapshots: Voracek, Capitals Goalies, Vegas Injuries

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Just this Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced injury updates on a number of players, including forward Jakub Voracek, who has been battling lingering effects of a concussion suffered early this season. With that announcement, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen clarified that Voracek did not necessarily have a timetable and that the team was going to give him time to see if his symptoms subsided before a return to the ice was considered. Today, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline published a more in-depth look at Voracek’s situation, speaking personally with Kekalainen on the expectations around the veteran winger, and things may look worse than they had seemed at first.

The executive acknowledged to Portzline that Voracek may very well be looking at an earlier retirement than expected. Kekalainen added “I’m more worried about him having a normal life.” Lingering concussion issues are always a serious concern for any player and team in whatever sport it may be, however the original news that the team was giving him time away appeared to be more of a long-term injury concern. With today’s report though, it seems a return to the ice might not even be a guarantee. Voracek, 33, is a veteran of 15 NHL seasons including this one, five as a Blue Jacket and 11 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

  • The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, announced this afternoon that they’ve signed goaltender Justin Kapelmaster to a PTO ahead of their game today. Normally, we’d put this news in a Minor Transactions piece, however NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti makes an interesting observation with impact on the Capitals. As Gulitti writes, the PTO could mean that one of Hershey’s goaltenders is headed to Edmonton to meet the Capitals after starting netminder Darcy Kuemper left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. Washington currently has Zachary Fucale and Hunter Shepard under contract and playing for the Bears, along with Charlie Lindgren already on the NHL roster.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced, via head coach Bruce Cassidy, that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will miss tomorrow night’s game in Boston against the Bruins, while forward Jack Eichel will be a game-time decision. Pietrangelo has missed the last three games for Vegas for undisclosed personal reasons, last playing November 26th. While the reason for the absence isn’t any clearer than that, Vegas does return home after Monday’s game, which may be a preferred time for the defenseman to rejoin the team, as opposed to meeting them on the opposite coast for the one game. As to Eichel, the nature of his absence is still unclear.

Snapshots: Sabres, Boeser, Schedule

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The Sabres could have defenseman Jacob Bryson back in the lineup tomorrow against San Jose, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link).  The 25-year-old has missed the last couple of weeks with a lower-body injury sustained against St. Louis.  Bryson is in his second full NHL campaign and has a goal and five assists in 20 games this season while averaging a little under 18 minutes a night.

Meanwhile, Lysowski also tweets that winger Vinnie Hinostroza left practice early today as he’s battling what’s believed to be a minor injury.  The veteran missed Thursday’s game against Colorado with the injury as well.  Hinostroza was a capable depth scorer last season with 13 goals in 62 games but is still looking for his first of the season.  However, with eight assists in 15 games, Hinostroza is averaging the best assist-per-game rate of his eight-year career.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • It has been a bit of a tough season so far for Canucks winger Brock Boeser and there’s more tough news coming for him as head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed to Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link) that winger Brock Boeser will be a healthy scratch tonight against Arizona. Boeser has just three goals so far through his first 18 games (although he does have 11 assists) and Boudreau is calling this decision “tough love”.  It sounds like this is a short-term decision but Vancouver will certainly need more from Boeser if they want to get back into the playoff picture; they sit five points out of the last Wild Card heading into today’s action.
  • Last month, the Predators had a pair of their games postponed due to a water main break in their arena. Today, the league announced the makeup dates for those contests.  Nashville will host the Blue Jackets on January 17th while they will host the Avalanche on April 14th, one day after the regular season is set to conclude.

Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Anisimov, Monahan, Haight

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Andrei Kuzmenko’s first season in North America has been a successful one as the winger enters play tonight sitting fourth on the Canucks in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists in 22 games.  He’s also set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer for the second straight year except this time, he won’t be capped on entry-level restrictions.  While the two sides are eligible to work out an extension as early as January, it doesn’t appear that will be the case.  Appearing on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali (video link), Kuzmenko’s agent Dan Milstein indicated that there are no contract talks planned for the near future:

We are not going to be talking about an extension of any kind until probably the end of the season or close to that time.

While that’s the plan for now, it stands to reason that Vancouver will look to start discussions before the end of the year as if they can’t reach an agreement on a contract for next season, Kuzmenko could be a trade candidate leading up to the March 3rd trade deadline.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Veteran center Artem Anisimov is off to a decent start with AHL Lehigh Valley with three points in his first five games with Philadelphia’s affiliate. In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that the Flyers would like to convert Anisimov’s contract to an NHL deal to add him to the roster.  However, they’re currently unable to do so as they’re at the maximum 50 contracts so they’ll have to make a trade to open up a spot first unless someone claims Kieffer Bellows on waivers on Friday.  Anisimov is a veteran of 771 career NHL contests and would give them someone else to try on the fourth line if they can open up a spot for him first.
  • When the Canadiens acquired Sean Monahan this offseason, he seemed like a near-lock to be traded by the deadline with Montreal entrenched in a rebuild. However, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays that the team is now having internal discussions about the idea of trying to sign the 28-year-old to an extension instead of flipping him as an expiring deal at the deadline.  Monahan has 14 points in 22 games this season while averaging over 17 minutes a night and appears to have recovered quite nicely from the hip surgeries he had in each of the past two years.
  • Wild prospect Hunter Haight is on the move in the OHL as Barrie announced that they traded him to Saginaw in exchange for five draft picks. The 18-year-old was a second-round pick by Minnesota this past summer after putting up 22 goals and 41 points last season with the Colts.  However, things haven’t gone as well this year as he managed just three goals and six helpers in 20 contests prior to the move.  Minnesota has until June 1, 2024 to sign the center to an NHL contract.

Snapshots: Pavelski, Blackhawks, Sweezey

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Over the last few months, the Dallas Stars have signed two-thirds of their top line to multi-year contracts, handing Jason Robertson a four-year bridge and today extending Roope Hintz for another eight seasons. Joe Pavelski, the elder statesman in the dynamic trio, is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the year. When asked today about Pavelski’s future with the club, general manager Jim Nill told Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that it will be up to the veteran forward:

I think we’ll wait and see. Joe’s playing very well, and let’s see how the season goes. That’s really probably going to be Joe’s call. If he still feels he can play at the high standard he wants to play at, then we’ll sit down and talk.

The 38-year-old Pavelski still has what it takes to succeed at the NHL level and alongside his younger teammates, he is still excelling. With 24 points in 23 games, he is on pace for the first point-per-game season of his career, something he has flirted with several times but not actually accomplished. Last year he came oh-so-close, with 81 points in 82 games, and it would be quite the star on an exquisite resume to reach that goal at his age. One other milestone within reach is 1,000 points, which Pavelski sits just 52 away from. With his next point, he’ll pass Chris Chelios and tie Vincent Lecavalier for 108th on the all-time NHL scoring list.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks will be without Sam Lafferty and Jarred Tinordi for at least a week, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. The two are dealing with back and hip injuries respectively, and didn’t practice today. Lazerus also relays an update on goaltender Alex Stalock, who is still dealing with a concussion. His progression has been slowed in recent days as he continues to feel the effects of the Casey Cizikas hit from earlier this month.
  • After ten days with the club and no action, Billy Sweezey has been sent back down by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old defenseman is probably not complaining, given the fact that he earned the NHL salary of his two-way contract – the first of his career – for that period. Sweezey signed a two-year deal in March after a good season with the Cleveland Monsters in 2021-22, when he racked up 114 penalty minutes and 11 points in 70 games.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Niedermayer, Senators

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Jason Robertson leading the way. The outstanding Dallas Stars forward racked up six goals and eight points in four games and is now just one point behind Connor McDavid for the league scoring lead. His 18 goals are first, and he continues to show that he’s ready to take over as the face of the Stars. With every goal he scores, the 2017 draft class from Dallas continues to look like the stuff of legends, with Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger picked with the team’s first three selections.

Second and third place went to Josh Morrissey and Ilya Sorokin, respectively, who had their own incredible performances. The Winnipeg Jets Morrisey is tied for third in scoring among defensemen with 23 points on the year, and continues to put his name into the Norris Trophy conversation in his seventh NHL season. Sorokin meanwhile is well on his way to some more Vezina votes as he currently holds a .933 save percentage through 16 appearances.

  • Team Canada’s Spengler Cup squad will have some extra experience on hand this year, as Darren Dreger of TSN reports Scott Niedermayer will join the staff. The Hall of Famer will help the team’s defensemen, another signal that he may be considering a more serious career in hockey management. Earlier this year, Niedermayer was named special advisor to hockey operations for the Anaheim Ducks, where he was given an “advanced role” on Pat Verbeek’s staff. The 49-year-old retired in 2010 after 1,263 regular season games.
  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Lassi Thomson and Kevin Mandolese back to the AHL, given they don’t play again until Wednesday. They could be recalled again in the next few days, though Thomson did play just 9:18 in his appearance on Friday. Mandolese was recalled while Anton Forsberg dealt with a minor injury, meaning he likely won’t be back up unless another issue emerges.

Snapshots: Mayfield, Rodrigues, Barkov

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Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield has been one of the better bargains in the league in recent seasons.  A bit of a late bloomer, he opted to take a five-year deal with a cap hit of just $1.45MM, giving him some much-desired stability in the process.  Since then, the 30-year-old has become an important part of their top four, logging nearly 20 minutes a night in a shutdown role.  A pending UFA, Mayfield is now well-positioned to potentially more than double that price tag on his next deal and he made it clear to Newsday’s Andrew Gross that his desire is to remain with New York.  The Isles already have over $73MM in commitments for next season per CapFriendly with a handful of roster spots to fill so they should have enough cap room to keep him in the fold unless GM Lou Lamoriello decides to shake things up next summer.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues is officially listed as week to week but is expected to miss two to four weeks due to the lower-body injury sustained on Wednesday against Vancouver, relays Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The timeline won’t allow Colorado to transfer him onto LTIR to add to their pool unless the team learns that he will be out for the longer end of that timeline.  Rodrigues has been a useful addition this season as he has notched six goals and three assists through his first 18 games while spending some time both on the wing and down the middle.
  • Panthers center Aleksander Barkov is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game against St. Louis due to an illness, notes Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). Florida remains in a situation where they can only afford to carry the minimum number of players on their roster so if the captain isn’t able to play, they will once again have to dress only 17 skaters tonight.

Snapshots: Hornqvist, Columbus, Colorado

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When Anthony Duclair is eventually ready to return from his Achilles injury, the Florida Panthers are going to need to make some moves. The team is using up nearly all of his $3MM in long-term injured reserve flexibility even with a roster of 20 players, meaning that much will need to come off the books to activate him.

While the easy answer might be to trade Patric Hornqvist, who is playing fourth-line minutes on an expiring $5.3MM cap hit, it might not happen. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed the situation on the 32 Thoughts podcast, and noted that even if there wasn’t a “guarantee” handed over that Hornqvist wouldn’t be traded, to get him to Florida in the first place that kind of agreement was made. While there isn’t anything technically stopping general manager Bill Zito from going back on his word, Friedman doesn’t expect it.

  • Also on the podcast, Friedman and co-host Jeff Marek also brought up the Columbus Blue Jackets as the latest team connected to Jakob Chychrun. While the Blue Jackets aren’t going anywhere this year, they have plenty of young assets that could be of interest to the Arizona Coyotes and expect to be better next season when not dealing with a huge number of injuries. Chychrun looked quite good in his latest game for the Coyotes, recording an assist, eight shots on goal, and a +3 rating in a win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • Now that the Colorado Avalanche don’t need to play today, they’ve returned Sampo Ranta and Anton Blidh back to the AHL. The depth forwards could be back up as early as tomorrow, when the team welcomes the Dallas Stars in.

Snapshots: Memorial Cup, Spengler Cup, Hanus

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The CHL has officially announced the four clubs that have submitted applications to host the 2024 Memorial Cup. The Kingston Frontenacs, Niagara IceDogs, Saginaw Spirit, and Soo Greyhounds will send in bids before the deadline in January, with the winning club announced in March.

The tournament is moved through the leagues each year, meaning it was only open to OHL bids for 2024. The 2023 tournament will be held in Kamloops, British Columbia.

  • Team Canada has its leadership for the Spengler Cup decided, with Shane Doan managing the roster and Travis Green taking head coaching duties, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Green is still under contract with the Vancouver Canucks, though he hasn’t coached since being fired in the middle of 2021-22.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have parted ways with Clay Hanus, as the undrafted defenseman has decided to leave pro hockey and accept the education package given by his former junior club. Hanus had only played two games – both at the ECHL level – since signing an AHL deal in the summer.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Heinola, Samuelsson

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, and first place went to one of the game’s legendary players. Sidney Crosby is back on top after scoring 11 points in four Pittsburgh Penguins matches, passing Bryan Trottier for 17th on the all-time points list. With 64 more points, he will become just the 15th player in NHL history to record 1,500 in a career.

Second and third place went to Pavel Buchnevich and Martin Jones, respectively, after their own impressive weeks. The St. Louis Blues forward had seven points in four games to help power the incredible turnaround that now has them on a six-game winning streak and sitting fourth in the Central Division. Jones, meanwhile continued his resurgent season and now carries a .913 save percentage through 15 appearances.

  • The squeaky wheel is getting some grease in Winnipeg, where the Jets will dress Ville Heinola for the first time this season. Earlier this month, Heinola’s agent publicly requested some additional playing time for his client, who has been stuck in limbo somewhere between leagues for much of his professional career. Now 21, Heinola has seven points in 11 games for the Manitoba Moose but will make his season debut against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, according to Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun.
  • Speaking of getting a defenseman into the lineup, the Buffalo Sabres are expecting to have Mattias Samuelsson dressed tomorrow night. The team has gone into a tailspin since he was injured earlier this season and is currently on an eight-game losing streak. Buffalo went 4-1 with Samuelsson, who signed a seven-year extension in early October.

Snapshots: Roslovic, Yamamoto, Barron

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks have been two of the most disappointing teams in the league to start the year. But over the summer, there were talks between the two teams about a potential Jack Roslovic trade, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.

Portzline reports the Canucks inquired about Roslovic, looking to add to what was becoming a deep forward core, but the Blue Jackets were reluctant to move him. While Columbus’ subsequent start and Roslovic’s mediocre stat line (one goal, six points in 15 games) may make it look like a poor decision in hindsight, it’s understandable why Columbus wanted to hold onto their assets in an effort to be competitive. Many viewed Roslovic as a potential candidate to center a line between Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine after he broke out for a 22-goal campaign last year, but with Laine never really getting his feet under him, and Roslovic not playing up to the bar he set for himself, that trio has seen just 21 minutes together at even strength, per MoneyPuck.

  • Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto has returned to the ice after sustaining an undisclosed injury over a week ago. Head coach Jay Woodcroft said today that Yamamoto skated on his own, and he remains hopeful Yamamoto joins the team “at some point” on their upcoming three-game New York/New Jersey road trip. The Oilers hope that Yamamoto can come back refreshed and help spark some depth scoring, which has been a serious issue for Edmonton this season.
  • Winnipeg Jets team reporter Mitchell Clinton notes that forward Morgan Barron is back on the ice shooting after undergoing wrist surgery earlier this month. It’s a great sign for Barron, whose five-week timeline pegged a return date somewhere around December 8. The 23-year-old had gotten off to a solid start to 2022-23 with a goal and three assists in nine games.

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