Snapshots: Gudlevskis, Luongo, Rule Book
After Ben Bishop suffered a lower-body injury in last night’s game, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Kristers Gudlevksis from the Syracuse Crunch.
If the name Gudlevskis sounds familiar, it’s likely because of his performance for Latvia at the 2014 Olympics. In their 2-1 quarter-final loss against Canada, Gudlevskis made 55 saves on 57 shots.
So far this season, Gudlevskis has struggled in the AHL, with just a 5-4-2 record and an 0.884 SV%. However, with Bishop expected to be gone sometime this year or this summer, an NHL callup is a chance for Gudlevskis to show he has what it takes to back up Andrei Vasilevskiy going forward.
- Jaromir Jagr wasn’t the only Florida Panthers player to hit a milestone last night. Roberto Luongo tied legendary goaltender Terry Sawchuk for fifth all-time in wins. Both have 477 wins, with Luongo doing it in 22 less games. Luongo needs eight more wins to pass Curtis Joseph for fourth, and 105 wins to pass Patrick Roy for second. Martin Brodeur is safely first with 691 wins, which is 140 more than Roy.
- Over at OilersNation.com, TSN’s Jason Gregor writes that the NHL needs to once again call the rule book. While it was strictly enforced after the 2005 lockout, obstruction is no longer being called properly in the NHL. Gregor argues that players like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Johnny Gaudreau are being prevented from demonstrating their elite skill because of the constant hooking and slashing that isn’t called. Whether it was Gaudreau missing weeks with a broken finger from being slashed 21 times in a single game (no penalties) or McDavid being denied penalty shot after penalty shot when he’s whacked and hooked on breakaways (most recently on Monday when Alex Pietrangelo denied McDavid a shot on a breakaway by slashing his hands several times, again no penalty), there is a systematic failure on the NHL’s part to protect its stars from fouls. Gregor wonders why no GMs or players have spoken up about this, and hypothesizes that they’re either scared of being “deemed whiners” or scared of commissioner Gary Bettman. Former referee Kerry Fraser told Gregor that the current officials need to “be a little more vigilant,” in a rare comment about fellow officials.
Cory Schneider, Ben Bishop Struggling
It’s been a tough first few months for all three of Team USA’s World Cup goaltenders.
Jonathan Quick hurt his groin in the first period of the Kings’ season opener and isn’t expected to be back until February at the earliest. Cory Schneider has performed well below his career averages. Ben Bishop has also struggled, and is now hurt as well.
When the New Jersey Devils traded for superstar forward Taylor Hall in June, it gave them a second superstar on the roster. Many believed that the combination of Hall’s scoring and Schneider’s goaltending would bring the Devils back to the playoffs for the first time since their 2012 Stanley Cup Finals appearance. It’s not worked out so far, with Hall missing eight games and Schneider’s play falling off.
This is Schneider’s fourth season in New Jersey and third as starter. In the two previous seasons, he has a 0.925 SV% and a 2.21 GAA. Both numbers demonstrate Schneider is a top-flight starter in the NHL. Schneider and the Devils started off decently, with a 0.941 SV% and a team record of 4-2-2 in October. Schneider had a 0.893 SV% in November, and has fallen even further in December to 0.881.
It’s not clear what’s happened to Schneider. The Devils did move their second-best defenseman in Adam Larsson to acquire Hall, but based on his career numbers Schneider should be much better than 28th in league SV%.
The Devils are part of the Metropolitan Division, which is the best in the NHL this season. They’re already 10 points out of a playoff spot, and unless Schneider picks up his play and starts stealing games, the Devils will be out of the playoffs once again.
Over the past three seasons with the Lightning, Bishop has averaged a 0.922 SV% and a 2.20 GAA. He’s been a Vezina finalist twice in those three years. Bishop racked up 77 wins over 186 games in those three seasons. This year, however, his record has fallen to 9-10-2. Andrei Vasilevskiy has much superior numbers in nearly every category compared to Bishop this season. Bishop has a 0.906 SV% and a 2.82 GAA in the final year of his contract, while Vasilevskiy has a winning record to go with his 0.921 SV% and a 2.49 GAA.
Bishop left Tuesday night’s game versus the Red Wings, and his status is not known. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Bishop could be out anywhere from two days to two months. His injury may only be fast-forwarding to the inevitable handing-off of the starters job to Vasilevskiy. With Bishop’s contract up after this season and Vasilevskiy signed for another three seasons after this one, the Lightning appear to have shown their plan. Not to mention, only one can be protected from the expansion draft. That will be Vasilevskiy.
With Bishop hurt again, Smith wondered if his trade value would be affected. Smith quoted TSN’s Craig Button, a former GM, who said that it wouldn’t be an issue “so long as teams are satisfied that it’s not long term.”
The Stars would definitely be interested in acquiring a new starter, but there are other options like Marc-Andre Fleury. The Lightning need Bishop to return as soon as he can and be the dependable starter of years past. That gets the Lightning more wins and better potential trade value, while improving Bishop’s chances at a big contract in free agency.
Ben Bishop Injured
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop injured what looks to be his right leg in an innocent play midway through the first period against the Detroit Red Wings. Bishop extended his right leg on a puck that went wide before immediately falling to the ice in pain. Bishop was replaced by backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Bishop did not return to the bench to start the second, leaving the Lightning with no apparent backup should Vasilevskiy go down. According to Tampa Bay Times writer Joe Smith, the Lightning have not designated an emergency third goaltender, but both goalie coach Frantz Jean and PR rep Brian Breseman have goaltending experience should the need arise.
Bishop has not had an ideal season, posting a .906 SV% and a 2.82 GAA in the final year of his contract. In contrast, backup goaltender Vasilevskiy has a .921 SV% and a 2.49GAA. Most experts consider this Bishop’s last season with the Lightning, and the team could trade him before the trade deadline if they believe Vasilevskiy could backstop a deep playoff run.
Snapshots: Oilers, NHL Debuts, Blackhawks, Laine
The last time the Oilers beat the Blues in St. Louis, Nikolai Khabibulin made 43 saves and the Oilers won 3-0. The Oilers then-top line of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle combined for eight points. That was in March of 2013.
Since then, the Oilers have lost four straight in St. Louis by a combined score of 17-8. But last night, the Oilers came back twice from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to win 3-2 in overtime. The Oilers moved Nugent-Hopkins, normally a center, to the right wing on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon, and were rewarded with the tying and winning goal from them. The St. Louis-native Maroon tipped in a shot in the third period, leading to a feel-good moment after the game when he was asked about his son, who lives in St. Louis, cheering him on.
Nugent-Hopkins was set up by Connor McDavid in overtime and the Oilers got the victory. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug appeared on Edmonton radio on Tuesday morning and said this about the win: “to be down multiple times to that team in a building where they never win… that’s definitely a ‘big boy’ win. They didn’t come by that one easily.”
McDavid and Draisaitl now have a combined 70 points this season, the highest of any duo in the NHL. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are second with 68 points.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have dealt with quite a few injuries this season, but out of injury springs opportunity. Jonathan Drouin has stepped up lately, and now there’s opportunity for Tanner Richard to appear in his first NHL game. Richard was initially supposed to make his NHL debut on Saturday night, but his plane was delayed in New York, which lead to him missing his connecting flight to Edmonton. With no chance of making it to Alberta for game time, Ricard was sent back to Syracuse. Richard told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that he was “devastated” to miss the game, but had an inkling that he could be recalled for Tuesday. When asked what he expects to bring to the Lightning lineup, Richard said “I’m pretty hated by most teams in the AHL, so that tells me I’m doing an alright job being a little rat.” Richard will play with Brayden Point and J.T. Brown on the fourth line.
- Also making his NHL debut tonight is Pat Cannone. The 30-year-old center has played 377 games in the AHL, notching 222 points. As Michael Russo put it, the debut will be one for the aged. Cannone has 16 points in 28 games for the Iowa Wild so far this season. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said “Hey listen, I was in the minors so long, anytime you can bring up a young man to give him a shot at the NHL, I think it’s great.”
- According to Mark Lazerus, Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford is taking part in the team’s morning skate. We reported yesterday that Crawford could start as soon as Friday, which would be under three weeks since his appendectomy. Coach Joel Quenneville said he would like to see Crawford take part in a full practice before returning. While a morning skate is not as intense as a regular practice, it’s still a good step in the road back for Crawford.
- Notably absent from Chicago’s morning skate is center Artem Anisimov. Anisimov missed the Blackhawks previous game, and it’s not known if he will be in the lineup tonight versus the Senators. So far this season, he has 27 points in 34 games, which puts him on pace to easily surpass his previous career high of 42 which he set last season.
- After his gorgeous goal on Sunday night versus the Avalanche, where he one-timed a Mark Scheifele pass on a two-on-one, Patrik Laine told a Finnish newspaper that “from a chance like that, I will score 99 times out of 100. The stick will break once.” Laine has 18 goals and 29 points, one behind Scheifele for the Jets’ lead, and five points clear of Auston Matthews for the rookie scoring lead.
Atlantic Notes: Drouin, Khudobin, Vatrano, Panthers
After a slow start to the season, Lightning left winger Jonathan Drouin has picked up his scoring at the right time, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. After a slow start to the season with three goals in his first 17 games, Drouin has scored four times in the last seven contests while picking up a total of eight points over that span.
With injuries to four players up front, Drouin has been thrust into a top role, something he has been craving dating back to last year when he left the team midseason in the hopes of a trade. (Among the injured players, right winger Ryan Callahan is expected to return during their current road trip while left winger Ondrej Palat hasn’t been ruled out of Tuesday’s game in Detroit.)
Drouin is a restricted free agent at the end of the season as he is in the final season of his entry-level deal. His career numbers haven’t been too impressive for a former third overall pick (back in 2013) but if he can keep up this type of production on a more consistent basis, it would go a long way towards helping his case for a long-term contract this offseason.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- The Bruins have not received the type of goaltending they were expected when they brought back Anton Khudobin to back up Tuukka Rask. He has just one win in six starts with a 3.20 GAA and a .886 SV%. In a reader mailbag, CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty suggests that Khudobin may get another start or two to try to turn things around but if he continues to struggle, they should consider bringing back Zane McIntyre before looking outside the organization. McIntyre didn’t have the best of starts to his career in a pair of games earlier this year but has been simply stellar in the minors with a 1.31 GAA and a .953 SV% in nine games, numbers that suggest he’s worthy of another look before too long.
- Still with Boston, the team announced that they have recalled left winger Frank Vatrano from their AHL affiliate in Providence. The 22 year old has yet to play in the NHL this season after undergoing foot surgery in late September. He got into a pair of games in the minors over the weekend, scoring twice. Vatrano had 36 goals in just 36 AHL games last year, leading the league in that category despite playing in less than half the games and is an intriguing addition to a lineup that is looking for some secondary offense.
- With Panthers owner Vinnie Viola being named as Secretary of the Army by U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump, alternate governor Doug Cifu will take over as the chairman and governor for the team, notes George Richards of the Miami Herald. Ownership of the team will remain in the Viola family but will be placed into a trust, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors, the team adds in a press release.
Yzerman On Lightning’s Struggles
In an article by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman provided some insight on the disappointing start to the 2016-17 season for his squad. A team thought to be major Stanley Cup contenders this year, the Bolts are just 15-13-2 and currently sit outside the playoff picture. Yzerman was frank in his comments, stating that “we’ve lost seven out of eight. But it really doesn’t change what we’re trying to do or what we’d like to do.” The Lightning are far from a team in need of a rebuild, but they certainly could use a shakeup to motivate the players.
A lot of the struggles are obviously due to the loss of superstar Steven Stamkos, currently on injured reserve with a torn meniscus. However, as LeBrun puts it, that is a “convenient” excuse for the team under-performing. Yzerman is not one for excuses. He acknowledges that Stamkos is a major loss, but also understands that the team’s difficulties are due to more than just the loss of one player. “We’ve been able to do it in the past,” Yzerman said, “(e)ven with Stammer or other players being injured, we’ve been able to generate offense… and keep the puck out of our net to win games.” Yet, that hasn’t been the case in 2016.
The Lightning are still scoring goals, with the dynamic Nikita Kucherov leading the NHL’s tenth-best offense, and the power play is prolific as usual. However, 2.83 goals per game only gets you so far when you give up 2.77 goals against per game, good enough for only 17th in the league. Tampa is also spending a lot of time in the box, with the fourth highest amount of penalty minutes, while also struggling to kill those penalties with the 23rd ranked shorthanded unit. The Lightning are also allowing over 30 shots per game. While Stamkos is a great all-around player, the team is clearly having issues with defensive play, rather than floundering on offense without the captain.
This starts with Ben Bishop. The incumbent starter came into the season with major questions about his future, as he prepares for free agency and the team prepares to move on without him and build around young backup Andrei Vasilevskiy. Whether or not the lack of commitment by the team or the uncertainty ahead of him have affected Bishop, his play has suffered this season. Bishop currently has a 2.87 GAA and a .905 save percentage, his worst numbers since taking over as Tampa’s starters. Now, Bishop is losing starts to Vasilevskiy and losing confidence in his ability. For the Bolts to get back on track, they need their all-world starter to return to his usual self.
The defense in front of Bishop is not without blame either though, and it’s no secret that the team would like to add a top four defenseman to the roster. “We’re constantly looking at ways to improve our team,” Yzerman said, “If there’s something that makes sense, we’re prepared to do that.” However, Yzerman is honest and realistic about the player market in 2016-17. “Everybody has concerns about the salary cap” he said, “everyone has concerns about the expansion draft. It is difficult to make a trade.”
Counting the Tampa Bay Lightning out this early in the season would be unwise. The team bounced back from similar struggles in 2015-16 and has plenty of talent to do it again this year. However, Yzerman is beginning to feel the pressure of a team many have expected a Stanley Cup from over the past five years or more. In need of a legitimate defenseman, would Yzerman be willing to move Bishop, his most valuable trade chip? Will the team’s cap crunch and a quiet market keep them from making any moves? Most importantly, can this team figure things out and get back to their winning ways? As we approach the midway point of the 2016-17 campaign, the Lightning are one of the more intriguing teams to watch in the second half.
Injury Updates: Crawford, Palat, Kucherov, Vatrano, Honka
Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford underwent an emergency appendectomy back on December 3rd and it was said then that he was likely to miss two-to-three weeks as a result. Thirteen days later, the 31-year-old is back on the ice skating with his team, reports Tracy Myers of CSN Chicago. Myers adds that Crawford also took some shots today and head coach Joel Quenneville is waiting to see how their #1 net minder is doing when the team returns home from their current road trip.
The team has fared pretty well in Crawford’s absence. After dropping his first two games, Crawford’s understudy, Scott Darling, has won four of his last five starts, allowing just six goals during that time. He is likely at this point to get the call in both of Chicago’s weekend games, at St. Louis on Saturday and in Chicago against the Sharks on Sunday.
Elsewhere on the injury front:
- Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Lightning will be without forwards Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov for tonight and likely for the team’s game tomorrow as well (Twitter link). Additionally, Ryan Callahan is not going to play tonight as Tampa Bay travels to Vancouver to take on the Canucks. In a follow-up tweet, Smith adds that Palat is considered day-to-day while Kucherov has not been placed on IR, suggesting he is also day-to-day. While it’s never a good thing to be without three regular forwards, even if it’s just for a game or two, a prolonged absence of Kucherov would be especially bad news for the Lightning. The fourth-year winger leads the team in both goals (13) and points (30) this season and also topped the club in scoring last season. Palat has tallied 13 points in 30 games for Tampa Bay, while Callahan has added just four points in an injury-marred campaign for the gritty veteran winger.
- Frank Vatrano, who has been out since September with a foot injury, was activated by Boston and assigned to Providence of the AHL, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. Haggerty states that the young winger needs to play to get back up to speed. Vatrano exploded on the scene as a prospect last year after registering 36 goals in just 36 AHL games and earned his first call up to Boston. While not as successful in the NHL, Vatrano did net eight goals in 39 games for the Bruins, demonstrating the ability to be a solid performer at this level.
- Finally, the Dallas Stars activated defenseman Julius Honka from IR and reassigned the young Finn to Texas of the AHL, the team announced today. Honka had missed the last five games with an upper-body injury. The team’s first-round draft choice in 2014, the 21-year-old blue liner made his NHL debut this season and in eight games recorded three points. In 16 contests earlier this year with Texas, Honka tallied three goals and 12 points. Dallas already has a roster full of capable NHL defensemen, leading one to wonder when or if the team will recall Honka, as some have suggested the constant shuffling on the back end has contributed in part to the Stars struggles this season.
Vancouver Canucks Notes: Desjardins, Stecher, Ohlund
Unless the Vancouver Canucks are able to turn their season around, and do so soon, it appears more and more likely the team’s struggles will eventually cost Willie Desjardins his job as head coach. As it stands, Vancouver’s chances of making the playoffs are dwindling by the day with the Sports Club Stats website placing the odds the Canucks will make it to the postseason at just 6.5%. However, as Jason Botchford writes in a piece for the Vancouver Sun, replacing Desjardins behind the bench mid-season is unlikely to make much of a difference on the ice for the Canucks.
First, Botchford notes that head-coach-in-waiting, Utica Comets bench boss Travis Green, is unlikely willing to jump into the NHL on an interim basis and without the benefit of a full training camp to implement his system. Another possible option, current assistant coach Doug Jarvis, has no head coaching experience at the NHL level. Ultimately, as Botchford argues, no available head coaching possibility would represent an upgrade over what the team currently has.
Botchford also discusses the frustration of the teams fan base and how that has already materialized in a lower-than-expected season ticket renewal rate of 80% for the 2016-17 campaign. Expecting a mid-season hire to revitalize the team’s followers and to sell tickets is unrealistic, as Botchford opines.
Taking it even further, Botchford believes the time is fast approaching where the organization is going to have to “sell a different direction, a new hope.” This could result in ownership mandating sweeping changes, and it shouldn’t be surprising if those changes include a shakeup of the front office.
Other Canucks notes:
- One bright spot in Vancouver’s difficult season has been the development of rookie defenseman Troy Stecher, writes David Ebner of The Globe and Mail. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound blue liner was signed by the Canucks as an undrafted free agent following a three-year run at the University of North Dakota. He has only netted one goal with six assists in 21 starts, and has posted a minus-8 +/- rating, but as Ebner notes, Stecher is one of the team’s best puck possession players and averages three shots on goal per game, a figure that ranks among the best in the league for defensemen. He considers himself more of an offensive defenseman saying: “It’s a lot more fun playing offence than defence, so sometimes I don’t really want to look for a pass if I have the lane. I just want to skate it out. One of my strongest assets is my feet, my ability to skate – I think it has to be, with my height.” It may be a small sample but to this point it appears as if Vancouver has uncovered a gem and a solid, top-four blue liner.
- Former NHL defenseman Mattias Ohlund spent 11 of his 13 NHL seasons as a member of the Canucks and tonight the team will add his name to the Ring of Honor at Rogers Arena. Iain MacIntyre writes that Ohlund overcame “the objections of his body” to become arguably the best blue liner in Canucks history. Before beginning his NHL career, Ohlund tore knee ligaments while representing Sweden in the 1994 World Junior Championships. The skilled defender would battle knee problems throughout his career and they would ultimately lead to his premature retirement at the age of 34. “I pushed myself and my body as far as I could. And then one day, after speaking to numerous doctors and trying everything I could, it was just impossible for me to practise and play and travel. My left knee is worse, but both are bad.” Ohlund is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen with 325 points in 770 contests with the Canucks. He would spend the final two seasons of his career with Tampa Bay after inking a seven-year deal with the Lightning in the summer of 2009.
Anders Lindback Signs In Sweden
Swedish goaltender Anders Lindback is headed home. After months spent hoping an NHL opportunity would arise, Lindback has finally made the decision to go overseas to continue his hockey career. Over the past few weeks, rumors and speculation have predicted the move, but today Lindback officially signed with Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League, the top pro league in Sweden.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators, a steal by GM David Poile in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL Draft, Lindback made a name for himself as the sturdy, young backup to Pekka Rinne. One of the larger goalies in the NHL at 6’6″, 200 lbs., teams saw the youthful Lindback as a bona-fide future starter. However, it didn’t play out that way. Lindback signed on to be the starter for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012, but that never came to fruition. Lindback’s performance was lacking, and he ended up splitting time with Mathieu Garon in 2012-13, before being supplanted by Ben Bishop in 2013-14. After back-to-back seasons with a 2.90 GAA and more losses than wins, Lindback left Tampa having missed his opportunity. Lindback joined the Dallas Stars for 2014-15, but was traded mid-season for fellow disappointment Jhonas Enroth. He played the best hockey of his NHL career in 16 appearances for the Sabres, but it still wasn’t enough to earn him a starter role. Last season, Lindback played in 19 games for the Arizona Coyotes and had a career-worst .894 SV% and 3.11 GAA. Unable to even find a guaranteed contract this summer, Lindback joined the New Jersey Devils on a tryout agreement in training camp, but did not make the team. He then signed another PTO, this time with the Los Angeles Kings, who had lost Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff. However, the Kings decided to stick with their emergency backup duo of Peter Budaj and Jack Campbell, sending Lindback to the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Lindback left the team recently, signaling what very well could be the end of his pro career in North America at just age 28.
Ironically, Lindback’s new position with Rogle BK may include some adversity as well. Although he is likely to step in as the starter immediately, he will not be without competition. The team has two noteworthy young goalies, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oscar Dansk and Boston Bruins property Lars Volden, already on the roster. The 22-year-old Dansk, a 2012 second-round pick by Columbus, was drafted out of Sweden after dominating at the junior level in his home country. However, Dansk failed to live up to expectations, with moderate to below-average numbers in the OHL, AHL, and even ECHL, before returning to Sweden. Now in his second season with Rogle BK, Dansk continues to disappoint, posting a 2.85 GAA and .907 SV% in 20 games thus far. Dansk’s backup, Volden, has never made the trip across the Atlantic to try his hand at North American hockey. Instead, the Bruins 2011 sixth-rounder has bounced around various leagues in Europe over his career and has been a member of the Norwegian national team as well. Volden finally settled in with Rogle BK a few years ago, but has not showed signs of improvement. Although his career stats are not as blemished as Dansk’s, he has not faced the same level of competition and has been wildly pedestrian. Volden has put up very similar numbers to Dansk the past two years, which is to say that he has not done enough to unseat the struggling starter. While the duo is consistent, they are consistently average which prompted the team to bring in the veteran Lindback for a boost.
Another interesting note on Rogle BK: playing in front of Lindback will be none other than top 2017 NHL Draft prospect Timothy Liljegren. Considered by many to be second only to Nolan Patrick in the upcoming entry draft and a foregone conclusion as the first defenseman off the board, Liljegren is a rare talent at just 17 years old. With a more experienced and reliable keeper in net now, Rogle BK can give Liljegren more ice time and more responsibility, which can only help the young blue liner’s draft stock.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Eric Gryba, Send Dillon Simpson To AHL
The Edmonton Oilers announced Wednesday that the team will activate Eric Gryba from injured reserve ahead of their matchup this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’ve sent Dillon Simpson back to the Bakersfield Condors to continue his development and see more ice time.
As we wrote after learning that Darnell Nurse would miss up to twelve weeks following surgery, Simpson has been used extremely sparingly by Edmonton during his time in the NHL. The young defender saw just 10:53 of average icetime in his three contests, and is obviously not ready for the higher level.
The team will now look to Gryba to step back into an important role with Nurse out, likely pairing with Andrej Sekera or Kris Russell in his absence. Gryba was logging just over 17 minutes before he was injured last month and was a nice surprise for Edmonton this summer. The former Ottawa Senators defenseman signed a PTO with the Oilers and though he has been held pointless all season, playing tough minutes is more than they were expecting bringing him to camp.