Snapshots: Spezza, Brind’Amour, Komets
The Toronto Maple Leafs have plenty to talk about following their qualification round exit at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets, including some pending free agent decisions. One of those scheduled for unrestricted free agency is veteran forward Jason Spezza, who came to his hometown of Toronto on a minimum contract to try and chase a Stanley Cup.
Today, when speaking to reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet about his future, Spezza explained that “the fire still burns” and that he hopes to be back in Toronto next season. For being a part-time player at the beginning of the season and seeing fourth-line minutes throughout, Spezza was pretty impressive with nine goals and 25 points in 58 games. He even got in a fight during the postseason, trying anything he could think of to wake up the Maple Leafs.
- Rod Brind’Amour didn’t like a call in the Carolina Hurricanes-Boston Bruins game earlier today and voiced his displeasure to several reporters including Sara Civian of The Athletic. Brind’Amour got a quick fine from the league for his comments, earning a $25,000 penalty. He also received a conditional fine of $25,000 which will be collected if Brind’Amour has any other “inappropriate behavior” in the next year.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have signed a new two-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, who have been partnered with the organization for the last two years. Fort Wayne was coached this season by Ben Boudreau, son of long time NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau. They went 31-23-6, but weren’t able to take part in the playoffs thanks to the COVID-19 cancelation.
Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Penguins, Lundqvist
The Toronto Maple Leafs held a wide-ranging media availability today, where players and management both expressed their frustration with how the season ended. The Maple Leafs once again failed to win a postseason series, extending a drought that is now up to 15 years. In his part of the availability however, team president Brendan Shanahan told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that he still believed in the people running the program:
I have complete faith in Kyle (Dubas) as a general manager, in Sheldon (Keefe) as a coach and complete confidence in what we’re going to do here in Toronto.
Dubas, who has been on the job since taking over from Lou Lamoriello in 2018, stuck up for several of his players including Mitch Marner, whose criticism from fans over the last few days he called “idiotic.” The Maple Leafs now enter the offseason with a huge chunk of their salary cap tied up in their star forwards and lots of need to improve other areas.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t get much of the same defense from their general manager yesterday when Jim Rutherford said changes would have to be made. Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required) released his annual examination of which roster players could be the target of Rutherford’s wrath and on their way out this summer. While Justin Schultz—a specific target of Rutherford yesterday—finds himself in the “So Long, Farewell” tier, so does Nick Bjugstad who just a few years ago was a 20-goal scorer with plenty of promise. Bjugstad recorded just one goal and two points in 13 games for the Penguins this season.
- The New York Rangers aren’t expected to carry three goalies next season and that could mean an end to Henrik Lundqvist‘s run with the franchise. That won’t be done without speaking to him first, however, as according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com team president John Davidson already had a “personal discussion” with the legendary goaltender after getting off the plane ride home. Lundqvist has always been loyal to the Rangers, but has another year with an $8.5MM cap hit and has already relinquished the starting role to Igor Shesterkin.
Snapshots: Hedman, Pacioretty, Merzlikins, Suter, Schmaltz, Boychuk
With Tampa Bay Lightning fans waiting for word on the status of top defenseman Victor Hedman after the blueliner looked to twist his ankle Saturday during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, the injury report may have to wait until Monday. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that the team is off today and will practice Monday before likely starting the playoffs on Tuesday.
There is plenty of fear that the defenseman could miss significant time after Hedman frustratingly slammed his stick four times against the boards on his way into the dressing room. Smith (subscription required) writes that of all Tampa Bay players, including the injured Steven Stamkos, Hedman could be the one player the Lightning cannot do without. Hedman, a finalist for the Norris Trophy, for four years straight and the winner in 2017-18 and will be badly missed.
Incidentally, the Lightning’s depth is likely going to be tested on defense as the team only brought nine defensemen with them into the bubble. With Jan Rutta unfit to play so far in the playoffs, that leaves the team with just seven defenseman, which could be an issue if more injuries arise.
- Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer said that forward Max Pacioretty has arrived “in the bubble,” and is expected to be ready to play for Game 1 of their playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Pacioretty missed the round-robin series due to an undisclosed injury, but completed his quarantine with four negative tests and is expected to practice with the team on Monday. He is the team’s leader in scoring after tallying 32 goals and 66 points in 71 games this season.
- There was some debate on who should start in goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets for their Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Joonas Korpisalo has been given the nod, it turns out that another reason for that is because Elvis Merzlikins is injured and will not dress later today as Matiss Kivlenieks will step in as the backup, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Head coach John Tortorella said the goaltender, who was in net during the team’s late collapse in Game 4, is injured and “unfit to play,” according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
- With the Minnesota Wild having been eliminated, defenseman Ryan Suter was allowed to reveal to The Athletic’s Michael Russo that he injured his right foot during Game 3 of the team’s playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. Yes, that’s the same foot he had operated on back in 2018 when he broke his ankle. His MRI in Edmonton was incomplete due to the irritation to the injury. The team sat him to make sure he doesn’t injure it any further. Suter said he should be fine and is going to the doctor tomorrow to get it checked further.
- NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports that the Arizona Coyotes could be getting back a key forward for the next round of the playoffs. Forward Nick Schmaltz, who missed the entire series with the Nashville Predators, participated in a full practice with the team Sunday and could be ready to return. The 24-year-old had 11 goals and 45 points for Arizona this season.
- After missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk practiced Sunday and is expected to be ready to play for the team’s upcoming series against the Washington Capitals. Boychuk only played in 5:17 of Game 1 before leaving due to injury against the Florida Panthers.
Snapshots: Gawanke, Hamilton, Coyotes
With several prospects being loaned overseas to start next season, other international teams are hoping to jump in and benefit from this. One of those is Eisbaren Berlin of the German DEL. Their team director Stephane Richer told Jorg Lubrich of BZ Berlin that they have been in contact with the Jets regarding defenseman Leon Gawanke with the hopes of having him loaned there to start 2020-21. The 21-year-old had a good professional debut with AHL Manitoba this season with four goals and 22 assists in 48 games and he would be returning to a program he’s familiar with having played there (in his hometown) for several years before transferring to major junior.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton participated in practice today for the first time since being injured in practice two weeks ago, notes Michael Smith on the Hurricanes’ team website. He has been dealing with an undisclosed injury but the fact he was able to get on the ice today is a good sign that he may be able to return when their next series begins early next week. Considering he logged over 23 minutes a game and had 40 points in just 47 contests before breaking his fibula in mid-January, his return would be a huge addition to their back end.
- Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz skated both today and yesterday as he tries to work his way back into the lineup after being injured in last week’s exhibition game, notes Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on whether he’ll be able to play Friday for the fourth game of their series against Nashville. One player who seems unlikely to suit up for that one is goalie Antti Raanta. After being ruled unfit to play earlier in the series, he has not skated which means Adin Hill will likely serve as the backup option again tomorrow.
Snapshots: Schedule, Dostal, Brome
The NHL has released their schedule for Friday, giving us a slate of game fours that lasts all day. Things will get kicked off with the Florida Panthers trying to stave off elimination once again after defeating the New York Islanders earlier today. The full schedule will be (all times central):
Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders – Game 4, 11:00am
Arizona Coyotes vs Nashville Predators – Game 4, 1:30pm
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins – Game 4, 3:00pm
Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers – Game 4, 5:45pm
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Game 4, 7:00pm
Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks – Game 4, 9:45pm
For some more intermission reading, here are some other notes from around the hockey world:
- Lukas Dostal will stay overseas “for the time being,” after being loaned back to Ilves in the Finnish Liiga by the Anaheim Ducks. Dostal won the Urpo Ylonen Award as the top goaltender in the league last season after posting a .928 save percentage in 43 games and jumped up many prospect rankings with the performance. Selected 85th overall in 2018, the 20-year old netminder will get a chance to play in North America eventually, but is obviously doing just find continuing his development in Finland.
- More interesting perhaps on the international wire is Mathias Brome, whose name was brought up in a report from Sweden. The 26-year old forward signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings in April but could end up playing in Sweden for Orebro HK until training camp begins. That decision hasn’t been finalized yet according to the report from hockeynews.se, but certainly would give Brome a chance to keep skating while waiting for his opportunity in Detroit. After scoring 43 points in 52 games this season, he’d certainly be welcome back into the Orebro lineup for as long as they can keep him.
Snapshots: Schedule, AHL All-Star, Spacek
The NHL has released game times for Thursday, though at least one of them may not even be needed. The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes will open things with game four of their series if the underdogs can extend it tomorrow. The full schedule is as follows (all times central):
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers – Game 4, 11:00am
Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks – Game 3, 1:30pm
Philadelphia Flyers vs Washington Capitals – Round-robin, 3:00pm
St. Louis Blues vs Vegas Golden Knights – Round-robin, 5:30pm
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Game 3, 7:00pm
Winnipeg Jets vs Calgary Flames – Game 4, 9:30pm
Another few notes from around the hockey world:
- The AHL has already canceled the 2021 All-Star Game because of its truncated calendar. The league is hoping to start the season at the beginning of December, meaning there won’t be a ton of extra time to fit in events like this. Laval, which was supposed to host the event, will instead receive the 2022 All-Star festivities.
- Minor league forward Michael Spacek has signed a one-year contract in Finland for the upcoming 2020-21 season. The 23-year old is currently under contract with the Winnipeg Jets, but is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the season and has yet to receive an NHL opportunity. In fact, Spacek had his worst AHL season this year as well, recording just nine goals an 20 points with the Manitoba Moose. Winnipeg will be able to retain Spacek’s rights with a qualifying offer.
Snapshots: Vatanen, Fines, Raffl
Sami Vatanen is in the Carolina Hurricanes lineup again this afternoon, meaning the New Jersey Devils are winners today. Since Vatanen has played in two games, the Devils will receive at least a fourth-round pick from the Hurricanes to complete the trade. That pick could still be upgraded to a 2020 third-round selection, but the Devils at least know they’re getting something.
The Hurricanes are likely just happy that Vatanen is healthy and contributing, given the fact that he didn’t play a single game for the team before the shutdown. The 29-year old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, using these playoffs as a nice portfolio piece for upcoming negotiations.
- Not only did Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland escape suspension for his spearing incident last night, but he also won’t even be the only person receiving a fine. The Department of Player Safety has decided to fine Ferland $5,000 for the incident, along with giving Minnesota Wild forward Luke Kunin a $1,000 ticket. Ferland seems to always be in the middle of physical altercations, playing his role well for the Canucks.
- The Philadelphia Flyers will be without an important piece of their lineup, as head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters including Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Michael Raffl will be out for “a while.” The team will insert young forward Joel Farabee in Raffl’s spot, giving him a chance to show exactly why they took him 14th overall in 2018.
Snapshots: Rangers Injuries, Bowman, Kase, Schmaltz
Igor Shesterkin’s late scratch against Carolina today after being ruled unfit to play came as a surprise to many. Larry Brooks of the New York Post clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s believed to be an injury and not related to a positive COVID-19 test. He notes that the injury was likely either suffered at practice on Friday or during their tune-up game against the Islanders on Wednesday. Speaking with reporters postgame, head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link) that he’s unsure if Shesterkin will be available on Monday for the second game of the series.
Meanwhile, winger Jesper Fast left the game after the first shift after taking a hit from former Rangers teammate Brady Skjei. There’s no word yet on how long he may be out for.
Other news and notes from around the league:
- Blackhawks interim president Danny Wirtz confirmed to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that GM Stan Bowman has a multi-year contract. There were unconfirmed reports last summer that he had signed a new deal but there was no announcement by the team. Wirtz declined to indicate how long Bowman’s contract runs and didn’t provide a timeline for when the team may hire a replacement for former president John McDonough.
- Bruins winger Ondrej Kase has joined the team in Toronto, notes Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston. He missed all of training camp after being deemed unfit to participate and he will not suit up in the opening game of the round robin against Philadelphia. Considering how long it has been since he last skated, he’ll likely need several full practices before being given the green light to suit up.
- Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz is dealing with a sore neck from the hit he took from Ryan Reaves in Thursday’s exhibition game, mentions Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that his availability for Sunday’s opener against Nashville is unknown. Despite the shortened season, Schmaltz set a career high in assists this season with 34 while leading the team in scoring with 45 points.
Snapshots: Markstrom, Chayka, Hockey East
One of the more talked-about free agent negotiations this season has been between the Vancouver Canucks and starting goalie Jacob Markstrom, who has been stellar in net this season. Markstrom had a career-best season this year, recording a .918 save percentage and 2.75 GAA. As he heads toward free agency, the Canucks have prioritized keeping him in Vancouver if at all possible. The two sides have been talking throughout the league pause and GM Jim Benning even noted that they spoke again on Tuesday. However, Benning told NHL.com that all negotiations will be put on hold until after the playoffs. “We’re going to get something figured out for him,” Benning said with confidence, but added “We both decided let’s just wait until after the playoffs are done.” How long that postseason run might last remains to be seen. The No. 7 seed out West, the Canucks are set to face the No. 10-seed Minnesota Wild in the qualifying round next week. If they emerge victorious, talks with Markstrom will stay on the back burner for a while longer, but if the Canucks fall to the Wild, they could approach talks very soon. Perhaps they will even be armed with the No. 1 overall pick to help make their case for a long-term extension.
- As the John Chayka saga continues to unravel, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post has confirmed previous reports that Chayka was interested in a move from the Arizona Coyotes to the New Jersey Devils. It doesn’t end there though. Kussoy writes that Chayka lied to ‘Yotes ownership about having an interview with the Devils ownership, who also own the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and are a suitor for the MLB’s New York Mets. While this was not a GM position with the Devils, which Arizona had previously denied another NHL team from interviewing Chayka for, he was nevertheless deceptive about his intentions. According to Kussoy, this left his relationship with owner Alex Meruelo “irrevocably damaged” and led to the swift separation between the two sides.
- Over in the college game, the Hockey East Conference offered some hope for NCAA fans yesterday. The historic hockey conference announced their intention to have a 2020-21 season for both men and women. Due to the convenient geography of the New England-based conference, teams will play conference-heavy schedules that will limit travel and, as a result, potential COVID-19 exposure. As many of their member institutions have seen their primary athletic conferences cancel or postpone fall sports, while other hockey schools – like those Ivy League members of the ECAC – have had all fall competition canceled, Hockey East hopes to start in the fall. They have yet to announce schedules and may delay the start of the season and play a shortened campaign, but college hockey seems to be returning next season after the Coronavirus pandemic ended the season in the midst of conference tournaments and before an NCAA champion could be crowned. The hope is that other conferences can also find a way to follow in the footsteps of Hockey East.
Snapshots: Bubble Life, Belzile, Omsk
Life in the NHL is different these days, with regular afternoon games, no fans in the stands and a lockdown outside the rink. If the Stanley Cup playoffs weren’t unpredictable enough, things are sure to amaze this year when teams come together in the early rounds.
Though the league has done everything possible to make the players as comfortable as possible there are bound to be some oddities. Marcus Foligno of the Minnesota Wild will be giving fans an inside look at “bubble life” in Edmonton with a diary for The Athletic, and in his first edition, perhaps unsurprisingly, he mentions that most of the players took advantage of a Tim Hortons pop-up truck on day one. The continuing diary is sure to be interesting, though fans will have to hope the Wild make it through the qualifying round.
- After taking a punishing hit from Jake Muzzin last night, Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Belzile did not participate today at practice. Belzile played under two minutes thanks to the hit, which forced him out of the game after he slammed his head into the boards. As with any injury these playoffs, the exact diagnosis is not expected to be released publicly.
- After reporting earlier today that SKA St. Petersburg had shut down training camp temporarily, Rick Dhaliwal of TSN gives us some more news on the KHL COVID-19 situation. According to Dhaliwal, up to 20 players on Avangard Omsk have been “infected” and most of the team is being quarantined. Reid Boucher, who signed with the club for 2020-21, had not yet arrived.