Snapshots: Meyers, Penguins, Fehr
College free agent center Ben Meyers is expected to begin interviewing with NHL teams on Sunday, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link). The 23-year-old is widely viewed as the top player in this year’s NCAA free agent class and to that end, Russo notes more than two dozen teams are interested in signing Meyers with his hometown team in Minnesota certainly among them. Meyers, who was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, had 17 goals and 24 assists in 34 games for the Golden Gophers this season plus four points in four contests in the Olympics. He’s expected to sign a two-year, entry-level deal that will begin this season although he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs if he signs with a team that’s heading for the postseason.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Penguins may opt to keep their better prospects in the minors instead of using them to replace injured players over the final few weeks of the season, suggests Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL finds themselves in a close battle for a playoff spot (or play-in position, potentially) and the developmental value of having those prospects in a close race could be more beneficial than sprinkling them into the NHL lineup on a Pittsburgh team that is comfortably in a playoff spot and is simply playing for positioning.
- Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli examines the future of NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr. He has officially been at the head of the association since December of 2010 and isn’t on a fixed-term contract; the post is his until he chooses to leave or is asked to. Fehr himself indicated that a plan to transition to his successor “won’t be soon” but Seravalli suggests there is a level of discontentment that could necessitate a change before Fehr wants to step aside.
Snapshots: Michigan, Meyers, Penguins, McCarron
7:14 pm: Denver University forward, and Edmonton Oilers draft choice, Carter Savoie, came up big, scoring the overtime winner for Denver to defeat Michigan and send Denver to the men’s college hockey championship on Saturday, with Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota playing tonight for the other spot in the final. With the conclusion of Michigan’s season, attention will now turn to Michigan’s core of future NHL talent to see if and when they sign their first professional contracts.
6:55 pm: According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, seven or eight Michigan University players are expected to turn pro after their NCAA season comes to an end (link). Most notable among them are Sabres’ number one overall draft choice in 2021, Owen Power; the second overall selection in 2021 and the first draft pick in Seattle Kraken history, Matty Beniers; and the fifth overall choice in 2021 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kent Johnson. Another premier name on the highly-talented Michigan team, Luke Hughes, who was selected fourth overall in 2021 by the New Jersey Devils, is not expected to turn pro and will return to Michigan next year. The NCAA men’s hockey championship game is scheduled for Saturday night at 8:00 pm ET.
- Another player expected to turn pro is forward Ben Meyers, says Kaplan. The 23-year-old Meyers, who went undrafted, has been a standout for Minnesota, scoring 39 goals to go with 56 assists in 101 games with Minnesota over three seasons. Prior to Minnesota, Meyers spent parts of three seasons with the Fargo Force of the USHL.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are dealing with an array of non-COVID illnesses and will miss several pieces tonight, including captain Sidney Crosby, in their game against the New York Rangers. The Penguins announced they will be missing Crosby, John Marino, and Radim Zohorna for the game. The team has not confirmed if any of the players are expected to be out beyond tonight’s game. The Penguins next play Saturday afternoon at home against the Washington Capitals.
- Michael McCarron will be out of the lineup for at least a couple of weeks, as the Nashville Predators announced the forward is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has split time between the NHL and AHL this season for Nashville, providing seven goals and seven assists in 46 games at the NHL level, using his 6’6″ frame to provide a physical presence for Nashville. There is no firm time-table yet for McCarron’s return, but the Predators will hope to get him back in time for the playoffs, if the Predators qualify, where his play style will be quite helpful in winning tough playoff-style games.
Snapshots: Ekblad, Sharks, Valimaki
While he may not be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, things are still looking positive regarding the health of Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Head coach Andrew Brunette said today that Ekblad remains week-to-week, but he has started skating and should return sometime in early May. That makes it seem likely that Ekblad will at least make an appearance during Florida’s First Round series, which will likely be against the Washington Capitals. It will be the second season in a row where Florida starts the playoffs without their star defenseman due to a lower-body injury, but this time around, it seems he’ll be ready to step in shortly after. Ekblad will have finished his regular season with 15 goals and 42 assists for 57 points in just 61 games, which is still currently eighth among all NHL defensemen.
More from around the NHL today:
- While San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson had been on a medical leave of absence since November, his departure announcement from the organization today still came as a shock. Long-time assistant GM Joe Will has taken duties since then, and he’ll remain in the interim position, but team president Jonathan Becher said today that the Sharks will hope to have a new GM by the beginning of next year. With that, it’s entirely possible that the Sharks head into a draft and free agency period with Will still at the helm of the club. That may not be an entirely bad thing, considering his familiarity with Becher and the club, but it takes away the chance for his successor to craft their roster ahead of next season.
- After being sent down early in the year and falling out of favor with head coach Darryl Sutter, the Calgary Flames have brought top defense prospect Juuso Valimaki back up to the big club from the AHL’s Stockton Heat. Valimaki played in 49 of the team’s 56 games last season, recording 11 points and never touching AHL ice. But after just two assists in eight games this season in limited minutes, the team opted to send Valimaki back down to the minors, where he had 17 points in 30 games. The team has no injuries on defense, so it’s a clear sign that the organization wants to see what effect his AHL stint this year had on him and whether he can be relied upon to play minutes for the team in the playoffs if injuries strike.
Snapshots: Sateri, Ho-Sang, Zucker
The Arizona Coyotes had Harri Sateri on the ice today for the first time, after claiming him last month from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sateri, 32, is expected to make his debut tomorrow night, head coach Andrew Tourigny told reporters including Jose M. Romero of AZ Central. It will be the first NHL appearance for Sateri since 2018, when he played in nine games for the Florida Panthers, and a potential showcase for keen-eyed suitors.
Sateri is expected to try and land another NHL contract this summer, after spending the last three seasons in the KHL. Originally selected 106th overall in 2008 by the San Jose Sharks, the veteran netminder has a .923 save percentage over 260 career games in the KHL, a .905 over 198 games in the AHL, and a .911 in nine games in the NHL. If he can show well down the stretch, he’ll be an interesting name to consider this offseason.
- Joshua Ho-Sang wasn’t able to parlay his Olympic appearance into an NHL contract this season, and he’ll have new representation when he tries again in the summer. The Toronto Marlies forward has switched agencies and is now represented by Gold Star Hockey. While he still seems to be highly regarded by hockey fans, Ho-Sang has unfortunately not been able to find much success since being drafted 28th overall in 2014 by the New York Islanders. The supremely-skilled winger has 15 goals and 28 points in 38 games with the Marlies and is another interesting name to keep an eye on this summer, if even just in a minor league depth role.
- Jason Zucker, who looked as though he may be out for the year when he was helped off the ice recently, is actually only considered day-to-day and will travel with the Pittsburgh Penguins on their road trip. Zucker skated in a regular sweater today at practice and met with reporters afterward, explaining that he feels excited about the end of the year now that he’s been back on the ice. The 30-year-old forward has played 32 games this season, just two of those coming since December 19.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Price, O’Ree
The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, led once again by Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oiles. McDavid added five goals and eight points to his totals, and cracked a few important thresholds. For the third time in his career, he has broken the 40-goal mark, while he once again has more than 100 points, the fifth time in seven seasons. McDavid leads the league in scoring with 105 points so far.
Second and third went to Aleksander Barkov and Semyon Varlamov respectively, after their own outstanding weeks. The Florida Panthers captain scored five goals in four games and is closing in on his previous career-high. Barkov needs just three more goals to crack that mark of 35. Varlamov meanwhile just continues to get it done, posting a 3-0 record and .952 save percentage last week. The 33-year-old netminder doesn’t have a good record, but still carries a .919 on the season.
- The Montreal Canadiens don’t have a ton left to play for in terms of the standings but there may be a nice surprise for fans in the coming days. Carey Price was a full participant at practice and Eric Engels of Sportsnet suggests that the star goaltender could potentially make his debut in the next few games. Next Monday at home against the Winnipeg Jets seems a likely possibility for Price to make his season debut after a very tumultuous year, though there is no indication yet from the team when he’ll be back in the crease. Brendan Gallagher was also in a regular jersey at practice, and while he admitted he needs to speak to the medical staff for clearance, expects to play tomorrow.
- The three finalists for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award have been named today, as one of Noel Acton, Ryan Francis, and Meridith Lang will take home the trophy this season. The award is given to the individual who, through the sport of hockey, has positively impacted his or her community, culture, or society. Even though just one will win, all three should be celebrated for their impact and community work. You can read more about the finalists here.
Snapshots: Boudreau, Amirov, Rask
After an impressive run with the Vancouver Canucks since taking over as Head Coach on December 5th, Bruce Boudreau‘s future with the Vancouver Canucks is still uncertain. As discussed earlier in the week, Canucks’ GM Patrik Allvin would not commit to keeping Boudreau behind the bench after this season, looking to further evaluate. On the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada yesterday evening, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shined some light on what he believes the contract situation looks like and what could happen with Boudreau this summer.
Friedman believes Boudreau’s contract contains multiple options, one for the club and one for him. If Vancouver chose not to exercise Boudreau’s option, Friedman believes the Canucks would have to buyout Boudreau in some form. In addition, Boudreau may have an option not to stay, even if Vancouver chooses to keep him, but in that scenario, he would not be compensated. Debating whether or not to keep Boudreau may seem surprising, after the veteran coach has lead the team to a 24-13-7 record since taking over, however it is worth considering that Boudreau was not Allvin’s pick for head coach, as he was hired nearly two months after Boudreau. If the organization wishes to have Allvin’s vision be the future of the franchise, they may have to trust his preference for a head coach.
- Also from 32 Thoughts, Friedman discussed Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect Rodion Amirov, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Friedman confirms that Amirov finished six weeks of chemotherapy and has four more weeks until his next round. In the meantime, Amirov has been in the gym five days per week and on the ice three times per week in a space rented by the Maple Leafs in Germany. Although Amirov is not out of the woods yet, seeing the young forward continuing to stay in shape and work on his development even in the toughest of times is certainly encouraging in many ways.
- After a comeback attempt fell short, legendary Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask announced his retirement from playing back on February 9th. It appears though that Rask’s days with the Bruins are far from over, as he has accepted a role within the organization and is considering a possible venture into coaching in the long-term, writes The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. For now, Rask’s role will primarily consist of networking with sponsors, spending time with them at and away from the rink.
Snapshots: Trivigno, Miller, Officiating
One of the most interesting college free agents this spring is UMass-Amherst captain Bobby Trivigno, who put up 49 points in 37 games for the Minutemen and was named a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker award. The undersized forward has quite a few suitors, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, who reports that Trivigno has already met with some of the New York Rangers front office and has received interest from at least the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Nashville Predators as well.
The 23-year-old forward stands all of 5’8″ 162-lbs but has been an outstanding player for UMass last four years and will get his choice of where to start his professional career. Of note is that Brett Peterson, an assistant GM in Florida and former VP of the Wasserman hockey wing, was previously Trivigno’s advisor–a stand-in agent for college athletes.
- As J.T. Miller continues to try and drag the Vancouver Canucks back into playoff contention, some have started thinking about what his next contract will look like. While speaking with Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that it will be similar to the one Mika Zibanejad signed with the Rangers. Zibanejad inked an eight-year, $68MM ($8.5MM AAV) contract extension in October, at age-27, to keep him off the open market; his career-high in points is currently 75, though he will likely pass that this year. Miller, 29, has already blown past that mark, recording his 80th point of the year on Saturday night.
- The GM meetings have begun in Florida, and one of the things being discussed is a rule change for penalties that could come into effect next season. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the committee discussed a change that could see officials review a five-minute major penalty and choose to remove it entirely. Currently, they can only reduce it to a two-minute minor after review. Dreger adds that there will also be a renewed focus on line changes down the stretch, stressing that the player going off the ice has to be within five feet of the boards when the change is made.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Hanson, Murray
The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Cam Talbot of the Minnesota Wild taking the top spot. The Wild went out and landed the best reigning Vezina Trophy winner at the deadline, but the incumbent started managed to post a 3-0 record with a .959 save percentage last week. Talbot now has 27 wins on the year and carries a .911 save percentage into the stretch run.
Second and third went to two Alberta superstars, as Johnny Gaudreau and Leon Draisaitl take home the honors. The Calgary Flames forward ended up with ten points in three games including a five-assist effort against Edmonton, and now has reached 90 points for the second time in his career. Meanwhile, the Oilers had their own star in Draisaitl, who added six goals and two assists last week. That takes him to 47 of each on the year, setting him up for the third 100+ point season of his career, should he stay healthy down the stretch.
- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed a pair of college free agents to professional tryouts, adding goaltender Darion Hanson from the University of Connecticut and Will Riedell from Ohio State. Neither one has signed NHL or even AHL contracts to this point, but will get a chance to taste professional hockey down the stretch before deciding what comes next. Hanson, 24, had a .923 save percentage in 35 starts for UConn this season.
- Matt Murray was back on the ice this morning for the Ottawa Senators, as he works his way back from an upper-body injury. The veteran netminder has been out since earlier this month, leading to the Senators recalling and taking Mads Sogaard on the road with them to Nashville for tomorrow’s game. Murray, 27, has had a nightmare season, losing 14 of 20 appearances and seeing time in the minor leagues. While he had been seemingly turning things around in late February, two early starts in March saw him allow 13 goals on 53 shots before going back on the shelf.
Snapshots: Strome, Abruzzese, McDonough
Some bad post-Deadline news for Rangers fans strikes, as forward Ryan Strome left today’s game with a lower-body injury and did not return. He’s having another productive season playing alongside Artemi Panarin in the team’s top-six, and that line looked to be bolstered by the addition of Andrew Copp at the deadline. If Strome misses any game action, Copp could be thrust back into a center position for the time being. Strome’s health, especially for the playoffs, is of the utmost importance right now for him and the Rangers.
Some more notes, now from the college world:
- New addition Nick Abruzzese will join the Toronto Maple Leafs in Boston tomorrow, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. The Harvard standout signed his entry-level contract with the Leafs yesterday. There’s a solid chance he could slot into the lineup sooner rather than later, and could help bring some more speed and energy to a bottom-six that’s looked lethargic at times with both Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds in the lineup. He’s currently the team’s only extra healthy skater on the roster.
- The Vancouver Canucks won’t be getting a college boost to their lineup, however. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma reports that Northeastern’s Aidan McDonough will likely return to the school for his senior year instead of turning pro with Vancouver. McDonough was incredible this season with 25 goals in 38 games, and the 2019 seventh-round pick is quickly rising up the team’s prospect ranks.
Snapshots: Oshie, Richardson, University of Denver
Washington Capitals’ forward T.J. Oshie will return to the lineup tonight after missing the previous four games due to injury. Oshie’s return is a welcomed sight for the Capitals, who sit comfortably in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 82 points, 14 ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but are fighting for every inch of playoff seeding in the East.
Oshie has struggled with injuries, playing in just 28 of the Capitals’ 66 games this season. Still, the 35-year-old is a vital piece of Washington’s core as a key contributor with 20 points in those 28 games, including three goals and four assists on the Capitals’ powerplay.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced that Assistant Coach Luke Richardson was placed in COVID protocol and will miss tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Richardson, who turned 53 today, is in his fourth season behind the bench for Montreal, but is likely to miss at least a few games as he is in protocol.
- Earlier today, University of Denver’s men’s hockey team secured their spot in the NCAA’s Frozen Four with a 2-1 win over Minnesota-Duluth. The game-winning goal for Denver was scored by 2020 Edmonton Oilers’ fourth-round pick Carter Savoie, who has 44 points in 37 games this season for Denver. Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect Bobby Brink, who has also starred for Denver, has been speculated to join the Flyers after his NCAA season ended, but will have to wait a little longer on his NHL debut.