Morning Notes: Trades, Little, Muzzin
As we start the first round of the playoffs, the offseason has started for nearly half the league. We’ve seen free agents start to take their talents overseas, prospects loaned to European leagues to get their development back on track and the draft lottery determining the order of the top picks this fall. There could be even more moves coming down the pipe, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has confirmed with the league that the 15 eliminated teams are now eligible to make trades.
LeBrun wonders if they will wait for a full 31-team market before pulling the trigger, but there is a difference in how teams can operate during these playoffs. The salary cap, which is usually not set for the following season until after the playoffs end, is fixed and known for 2020-21. That means if teams want to get a headstart on their financials, they could potentially start to pull off some trades and reshape their lineup before the Stanley Cup is handed out.
- Bryan Little ended up playing just seven games for the Winnipeg Jets this season. After playing in all 82 for each of the last two seasons, Little took a slapshot from Nikolaj Ehlers directly to the head just a few weeks into 2019-20. He suffered a brain injury that kept him out for the rest of the season and even kept him from performing basic physical activity. Little spoke with reporters including Murat Ates of The Athletic today, explaining that for six weeks after the injury he wasn’t even allowed to pick his young daughter up. Little did return to practice at one point before being shut down again, and now just hopes that he’ll be able to play hockey again one day. He’s “not shutting the door” but also needs to be told there’s no risk before returning. Little signed a six-year extension in 2017, which has four years remaining at a $5.29MM cap hit.
- Jake Muzzin, another player who suffered a scary injury, is feeling much better and is expected to make a full recovery. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman was stretchered off the ice last week after an awkward fall and lost feeling in his extremities. After being taken to the hospital he was discharged later that night but did not play again for Toronto. Muzzin was part of the Maple Leafs’ media availability today, a good sign he’s on the road back.
Maple Leafs Loan Jesper Lindgren To MODO
- On top of adding Aleksi Heponiemi from Florida on Sunday, MODO of the SHL announced that they’ve also added Maple Leafs blueliner Jesper Lindgren. The 23-year-old played in 31 games with the AHL Marlies this season, picking up a goal and eight assists. While Lindgren briefly played in Finland before coming to North America, he spent the bulk of his early development in MODO’s program from 2013-14 through 2016-17.
Poll: Who Do You Want To Win The Draft Lottery?
Seven teams in the NHL didn’t get a chance to return to play this summer. Their regular seasons were so disastrous that they didn’t qualify for a tournament which saw 24-teams take part. But none of them will be rewarded with the first-overall pick in 2020. Instead, that selection will go to one of the eight teams eliminated over the past week, after the first part of the draft lottery ended with a TBA club taking home the top spot.
The qualification round provided some incredible storylines. It also provided some eye-popping upsets. Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens, respective 12-seeds going into the return to play format, defeated Stanley Cup contenders with all-world talents leading the way. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and their teams are out before even seeing the first round but now have a chance to land a consolation prize of sorts.
The Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild all have a 12.5% chance of being awarded that first-overall pick, and the chance to select two-time CHL Player of the Year Alexis Lafreniere.
That may seem ridiculous, given the regular season performances from those clubs, but remember it required a previous lottery to get to this point. There was only a 24.5% chance of a qualification-round team earning the pick in the first place. That ended up happening, with the Los Angeles Kings also moving up to second place. The Detroit Red Wings, who had the highest chance of winning any of the three lottery spots ended up the big losers of the event, dropping all the way down to fourth despite winning just 17 games this season.
The league will announce the lottery winner this evening, with hockey fans all over the world tuning in to see where Lafreniere will go. The format of the lottery has drawn massive criticism given how things played out, but that won’t stop it from being a must-see event for the entire NHL.
Where do you want to see the phenom go? Which of the eliminated teams deserves the pick? Which would you hate to see win? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your choice in the comments!
Who do you want to see win the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery?
-
Minnesota Wild 22% (374)
-
New York Rangers 22% (373)
-
Pittsburgh Penguins 13% (227)
-
Winnipeg Jets 13% (218)
-
Toronto Maple Leafs 9% (157)
-
Florida Panthers 9% (152)
-
Edmonton Oilers 7% (118)
-
Nashville Predators 6% (107)
Total votes: 1,726
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Draft Pick Fall Out From Qualifying Round Results
It was a dark day in the NHL on Friday as five teams were eliminated from playoff contention and, barring a miraculous last-minute comeback by the Toronto Maple Leafs, it could have been six-for-six. While the focus on these pivotal games yesterday was on those teams advancing and those team going home, there were also numerous draft picks impacted:
- In addition to yesterday’s winners, it was also a big day for the New Jersey Devils. In a year in which the draft class is lauded for its depth, particularly in impact forwards, the Devils are now the proud owners of three first-round picks. New Jersey acquired Arizona’s first-rounder in the Taylor Hall trade and Vancouver’s first-rounder from Tampa Bay in the Blake Coleman However, both picks were lottery protected. Now that the Coyotes and Canucks have advanced, they will not take part in Monday’s second draft lottery to determine the No. 1 pick and as a result their picks have officially been sent to the Devils.
- The Ottawa Senators will also have three picks in the first round of the 2020 Draft. Already owners of their own pick and San Jose’s, the Senators officially acquired the New York Islanders’ pick yesterday. The Isles had sent a lottery-protected first-rounder to Ottawa in the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade, but with New York moving one they will not be in the running for a lottery pick. There is also a conditional 2020 second-round pick involved in that deal which will transfer to the Senators if the Islanders win the Stanley Cup. That dream for now remains alive for New York.
- The clock is ticking on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The first-round pick that the team sent to the Minnesota Wild in the Jason Zucker trade contained a condition that the Penguins could keep the pick if it landed in the top 15. Now that the team has been surprisingly knocked out of the postseason, their first-rounder will fall in that range. They now have seven days to decided whether or not to retain the pick and send their 2021 first-round pick instead or to simply trade their 2020 selection. Obviously, the team will wait for the results of Monday night’s lottery, but regardless it seems likely that the Penguins will keep the pick and bet on themselves to make the playoffs next season.
- One first-round pick that still remains undecided is the pick that will transfer to the New York Rangers as part of the Brady Skjei When the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Skjei, they promised the Rangers the later of their two first-rounders, their own and the Toronto Maple Leafs’, acquired alongside Patrick Marleau. However, the Toronto pick has conditions of its own; if the Leafs pick lands in the top 10, they will retain the selection and transfer their 2021 first-rounder instead. The only way for this to occur would be for Toronto to both lose Game Five against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday and then win the No. 1 overall pick in Monday’s draft lottery. If the Maple Leafs lose both the game and the lottery, their pick will be No. 13 and by default will be earlier than Carolina’s, meaning the Hurricanes’ own pick will go to the Rangers. Should Toronto win on Sunday, it will remain to be seen how far each team goes in the playoffs and which pick will head to New York.
Injury Notes: Stamkos, Voracek, Blue Jackets
The continued unavailability of Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos continues to be one of the biggest background stories of the NHL re-start and it isn’t going away. Head coach Jon Cooper told TSN that Stamkos will not be available for the team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers today, which decides the No. 1 seed and home ice in the Eastern Conference. However, he went one step further by stating that Stamkos is out “indefinitely”, which calls into question whether there is any timeline for Stamkos’ return. The scoring center has been skating and per Cooper is “working his tail off” but it might not be enough for him to be ready for the start of the first round. The Athletic’s Joe Smith details the struggles that some players have returning from core injuries, particularly core surgery, so Stamkos’ delayed recovery is not a total surprise even five months removed. However, Smith writes that the concern is not that Stamkos has far exceeded the six-to-eight week timeline from back in March, but that the player and team both seem to have no idea of when he might be ready to return. Especially after having months off to recover, the fact that Stamkos is not ready could mean that he might not make it back for this postseason period.
- The Bolts’ opponent tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers, will also be missing one of their top forwards for the crucial seeding game. With a chance to go from fourth to first in the conference seeding, the Flyers will have to do so without Jakub Voracek. Head coach Alain Vigneault told NBC Sports Philadelphia that Voracek simply “is not available” for Saturday’s match-up and did not share any further details. Without any pre-existing injury and the agreement between the NHL and NHLPA not to disclose any medical information during these playoffs, this is the most that might be out there about Voracek. The star forward played a standard amount of ice time in the Flyers’ last game and did not appear to suffer an injury, but for one reason or another will not be in the lineup. Fortunately for the Flyers, the team’s depth up front is impressive, allowing promising rookie Joel Farabee to replace Voracek on the first line while veteran James van Riemsdyk returns to the lineup in his stead.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets hoped to shut the door on their qualifying round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, but a last-minute three-goal collapse led to an overtime loss and a Game Five date on Sunday. It is not a coincidence that young standout defenseman Zach Werenski was not on the ice for any of the Leafs’ four goals against last night, as he missed the final nine minutes of regulation and all of overtime. Werenski appeared to suffer the injury while being tripped in the offensive zone, but then was seen having his neck examined and massaged on the Blue Jacket bench. Neither head coach John Tortorella nor GM Jarmo Kekalainen have had any update on Werenski’s condition or his availability for Sunday. The Athletic’s Alison Lukan points out that Ryan Murray, who is a constant injury risk, missed Game Four and the combination of both defensemen being out for Game Five would be a major hit to Columbus’ strongest position.
Jake Muzzin Discharged From Hospital
Wednesday: Muzzin was discharged from the hospital overnight but according to the Maple Leafs, he will not be available for the duration of the series against the Blue Jackets as a result of his injury. He will remain in quarantine within the hotel before rejoining teammates “upon recovery.”
This is a huge blow for the Maple Leafs as they try to defeat Columbus in the qualification round, but the entire hockey world can breathe a sigh of relief that Muzzin has been discharged and is on the road to recovery.
In the meantime, the Maple Leafs will likely look to Martin Marincin or Rasmus Sandin to take his place in the lineup when they hit the ice tomorrow for game three.
Tuesday: Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin has been taken to hospital after suffering what appeared to be a neck injury late in their 3-0 victory over Columbus to tie the series at one apiece. The team released the following statement via their Twitter account:
Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin was transported to hospital following an on-ice collision in the third period tonight. He is alert and able to move all limbs. Further updates will be provided once available.
The incident occurred with roughly two minutes remaining in regulation. After taking a cross-check from Pierre-Luc Dubois, Muzzin bounced off the boards while on his knees. However, his head collided with Oliver Bjorkstrand while in that position which caused the injury. Muzzin tried to get up on his own but team doctors eventually decided to take him off on a stretcher as a precaution.
This is the first known instance of a player being taken to hospital following an in-game injury since the NHL started to play in the bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton. Accordingly, there are some questions as to how long Muzzin may have to miss as a result of leaving the bubble although, of course, at this point, the focus is simply on making sure he’s okay first and foremost. While the usual process would be four negative tests in as many days, TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes (Twitter link) that there is no set protocol in place for this scenario. Instead, it will be up to the Hub Medical Director who will decide based on Muzzin’s exposure outside of the bubble.
Maple Leafs Loan Mikko Lehkonen To Jokerit Of The KHL
It turns out that Mikko Lehtonen’s time in the KHL isn’t over yet after all. The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned the blueliner back to Jokerit to start next season. He’s expected to report to the team next week.
Toronto signed the 26-year-old back in May after he and Jokerit agreed to a mutual termination of his existing KHL deal and the Maple Leafs beat out several other NHL suitors for his services. He’s coming off quite a year, one that saw him pick up 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 regular season games (plus four points in six playoff contests before COVID-19 shut down their postseason). He was limited to a one-year, entry-level contract due to his age and he’ll actually hit the open market again in the 2021 offseason.
Lehtonen will be the second Toronto player loaned out to the KHL to start next season as it was reported earlier this week that Egor Korshkov would be loaned to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to get some playing time in before training camps start up.
It’s that performance that has many expecting that he’ll be a part of Toronto’s back end when the puck drops on the 2020-21 season which is pegged to be in early December as things stand. Loaning Lehtonen out in the meantime will allow him to get some playing time and should help give him a leg up in training camp.
NHL Makes Rulings On Three Trades With Conditional Picks
For fans of the Flames and Oilers that have been awaiting the final decision on the James Neal–Milan Lucic trade, the verdict is in. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that Edmonton will have to transfer a third-round pick in either 2020 or 2021 to Calgary to complete the trade. The Oilers will have until the start of the third round in October’s draft to choose whether they will transfer the selection this year or wait until the next draft.
The issue in this trade was in the wording of the rather unique conditions that were put on the deal. In the original swap, Neal had to have at least 21 goals and Lucic ten or fewer. Neal was at 19 when the season was shut down due to COVID-19 while Lucic was at eight so only the second element was met. However, by extrapolating Neal’s output over a full 82-game season, he scored at a 23-goal pace. It appears the league used a similar interpretation with the awarding of the draft pick.
It’s worth noting that Edmonton is currently without their second-round pick for the next two years from their acquisition of Andreas Athanasiou. They also are without their fourth-rounder in 2020 from the Mike Green pickup.
The NHL has also tweaked the terms of the Kings-Maple Leafs trade that saw Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford go to Toronto. Johnston notes in a separate tweet that Toronto will owe a 2021 second-round pick if they win their Qualifying Round series against Columbus and Campbell gets two or more wins or if Clifford re-signs. The original terms of the deal had the pick transferring if the Maple Leafs made the playoffs and Campbell winning six games or Clifford re-signing. If those don’t happen, then a 2021 third-round pick will be transferred to Los Angeles.
A decision has also been made on the conditional pick involved in the Hurricanes’ acquisition of Sami Vatanen from the Devils at the trade deadline and as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in a Twitter thread, the details are a bit more complex.
If Carolina beats New York in the Qualifying Round series and Vatanen plays in 70% or more of their playoff games, the Hurricanes send New Jersey their 2020 third-round pick. If Vatanen doesn’t play in 70% or more of the playoff games but plays in two or more contests against the Rangers, then two more scenarios present themselves. In that situation, if Carolina wins the series, the Devils get Carolina’s 2020 fourth-rounder. If he plays at least twice but the Rangers win, then Carolina gets to pick between sending a 2020 or a 2021 fourth-round selection. If none of this plays out, then no pick transfers.
This closes the books on the remaining questions surrounding conditional trades with the league ruling back in May on ones that had picks contingent on making the playoffs. Teams will have to be in the final 16 teams in order to be classified as a playoff team for the purpose of those trades.
Injury Notes: Carlson, Ritchie, Johnsson
The Washington Capitals were without Norris Trophy finalist John Carlson at practice today after he left yesterday’s game. Carlson fell awkwardly into the boards after a collision, but head coach Todd Reirden told reporters today including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that the hope is to have him back on the ice on Saturday.
Losing Carlson would be a huge blow for the Capitals, though they do have the round-robin games to prepare before getting into elimination territory. The 30-year old had 75 points in 69 games this season to lead all defensemen.
- Nick Ritchie was back on the ice for the Boston Bruins at their optional practice this morning, along with a good number of other players. The deadline addition won’t play tonight for the team when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, but is obviously getting closer to a return for the team. Ritchie came over from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Danton Heinen and had two points in seven games before the shutdown.
- Speaking of players returning, Andreas Johnsson took part in special teams practice for the Toronto Maple Leafs today. The depth winger was given a six-month recovery timeline in February when he underwent knee surgery and could potentially return for Toronto should they get a little deeper into the playoffs.
Return To Play Represents Opportunity For Pending Free Agents
For an NHL player, the Stanley Cup playoffs represent a fleeting opportunity to cement your legacy. By hoisting that chalice even once in your career, you join a relatively small group of players that can be identified as champions.
It doesn’t happen for everyone.
Just ask Patrick Marleau, who played the first of his 191 career playoff games on April 24, 1998, and is still chasing that elusive Cup to this day. Or Jason Spezza, who reached the Finals in 2007 as a 23-year old but ended up taking a minimum-salary contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season—more than a decade later—in the hopes that he could get another chance.
After such a long break in 2020, players across 24 of the league’s 31 teams will get the chance to write their names in the history books, their legacy forever changed.
But for a select group, the Stanley Cup is not the only thing that could be raised. For those on expiring contracts, a strong playoff (or a particularly weak one) could result in a huge difference in salary they can demand this offseason.
Take Braden Holtby, who must have licked his lips when he watched Sergei Bobrovsky sign a seven-year, $70MM contract with the Florida Panthers last offseason. Holtby, whose own deal expires after the 2019-20 season, was comparable to Bobrovsky in many ways and potentially could have demanded a similar contract. For whatever reason though, Holtby struggled this season to find the form that won him a Vezina Trophy in 2016 and a Stanley Cup in 2018. He finished the year with an .897 save percentage, easily the worst number in his ten-year career.
Holtby was also pushed by young goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who looked ready to take over as the Washington Capitals starter when the older netminder moved on. There was no guarantee that Holtby would even be the team’s starter in the playoffs, but now he has been given that opportunity with an injury to Samsonov. As we saw in 2018 after he took the net back from Philipp Grubauer, Holtby only needs a chance. Should he take Washington deep and play to his former caliber, there will be many who point to the 2019-20 season as an exception, not a trend.
What about Robin Lehner, who is battling with a playoff legend for the chance to start for the Vegas Golden Knights? The outspoken goaltender has been one of the league’s best for several years now (if not longer, despite his unfortunate record in Buffalo), but still found himself taking short-term “prove-it” deals with the New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks. Lehner will only be 29 when he starts the 2020-21 season and deserves a long-term contract at this point. Wrestling control of the Vegas net from Marc-Andre Fleury (a three-time Cup winner) and taking the Golden Knights deep would only strengthen his case.
And then there is Taylor Hall, the enigmatic forward who just can’t seem to get to the playoffs. The first-overall pick from 2010 has played just five games in the NHL postseason (scoring six points), missing the tournament altogether in nine of his ten seasons.
By no means was Hall at his best this year, but his 2017-18 Hart Trophy-winning season has shown us that when he is he can carry a team nearly singlehanded. Could a strong playoff for the Arizona Coyotes push that five-year, $7.25MM price tag substantially higher?
For some pending free agents like Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug, an excellent playoff would just be par for the course at this point. They are expected to perform at that level and have done it many times in the past. But for others—how about Alex Galchenyuk‘s spiraling career?—this postseason is about more than just their legacy, it’s about the future.