Coyotes Re-Sign Lane Pederson
While the Coyotes don’t have a full-time GM following the resignation of John Chayka, interim GM Steve Sullivan still has the green light to do some moves at least as the team announced that they’ve re-signed forward Lane Pederson to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old originally signed with Arizona as an undrafted free agent back in 2016 and has become a reliable forward for their AHL team in Tucson. After putting up 47 points in his sophomore season in 2018-19, he was on pace to beat that this season but injuries and the pandemic limited him to just 37 contests. Pederson was quite productive in that action though as he picked up 16 goals and 18 helpers. He has not yet played at the NHL level.
After being waiver exempt through his entry-level deal, Pederson will be eligible for waivers next season and will need to pass through unclaimed if the team wants him to return to the Roadrunners. He’s not on Arizona’s playoff roster so his next opportunity to make an impression will come in training camp which, as things stand, is slated to be in November.
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.
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.
Progress Being Made In NHL's Investigation For Illegal Fitness Testing
Back in February, word came out that the Coyotes were believed to be guilty of at least 20 workout violations of draft-eligible prospects with the NHL beginning a full investigation. Six months have since passed and there still hasn’t been a punishment handed down by the league. However, that could soon change. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that there is some progress in that investigation and that if necessary, the ruling could come down by Monday’s second lottery phase. With Arizona moving on though, their first-round pick won’t be a part of that lottery. Having said that, if it was possible that a ruling could be ready if needed by Monday, it suggests that a final decision should be rendered sooner rather than later.
Elsewhere around the Pacific Division:
- Golden Knights prospect Jiri Patera has been skating with Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic and the Extraliga team indicated on their website that they are hoping to secure a loan agreement with Vegas to allow the goaltender to start the 2020-21 season with them. The 21-year-old recently wrapped up his junior career with Brandon of the WHL and posted a strong .921 SV% in 41 games. Considering that Vegas already has three other goaltenders that will likely be heading for the minors next season, simply allowing Patera to play overseas for all of next year is a scenario that might be worth considering as well.
- Still with Vegas, winger Max Pacioretty is getting close to being cleared to play. He is not yet in the bubble due to a minor injury but head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters, including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that Pacioretty is now really close to suiting up. Pacioretty won’t have to quarantine upon arrival in Edmonton if he comes in on a chartered flight so assuming that happens, he’ll be available to play right away. He’ll be a big addition to their attack as he led the Golden Knights in scoring this season with 32 goals and 34 assists in 71 games.
Nick Schmaltz Has Skated The Last Few Days, Antti Raanta Hasn't
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.
Injury Notes: Carlson, Schmaltz, Huberdeau
The Washington Capitals are getting closer to having their Norris Trophy finalist back in the lineup, as John Carlson will be a game-time decision when the team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers later today. Carlson missed the team’s first round-robin game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a match they ended up losing in a shootout.
The team will also be without Lars Eller after he left the bubble for the birth of his child, and head coach Todd Reirden told reporters including J.J. Regan of NBC Sports that Travis Boyd will be inserted in his place. While the round-robin doesn’t carry the same weight as an elimination series, the Capitals don’t want to end up at the bottom of the seeding and have to take on tougher opponents throughout the playoffs.
- After defeating the Nashville Predators yesterday and coming within a game of advancing to the first round of the playoffs, the Arizona Coyotes must be feeling pretty good about themselves. Now they’re getting more good news as Nick Schmaltz is set to skate again today as he continues his recovery from a hit in the exhibition game. The team’s leading scorer during the regular season, Schmaltz has yet to get into a qualification game. Antti Raanta, who left yesterday’s game with an injury despite only being the backup, will not skate today according to Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider.
- Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau left yesterday’s game against the New York Islanders with an apparent injury, but head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com that he should be ready for game four. The Panthers staved off elimination with an impressive win, but now have to try and become one of the only teams to ever climb all the way back from 0-2 in a five-game series.
Injury Notes: Stamkos, Schmaltz, Rask
According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, the Tampa Bay Lightning will still be without captain Steven Stamkos for their round-robin game tomorrow, but he was back on the ice at practice today. The 30-year old continues to deal with a lower-body issue and missed yesterday’s game against the Washington Capitals (which Tampa Bay won anyway).
Stamkos’ return will be a huge boost for the Lightning, given how successful he was when healthy this season. The superstar forward had 29 goals and 66 points in 57 games, a pace that would have had him over 40 goals and 90 points once again had it been a full season.
- The rest of the Lightning will have to try and carry the offense against the Boston Bruins tomorrow, and it’ll be against that team’s top goaltender. Tuukka Rask is back in the net for Boston after spending a few days away from the team with a cough. He has tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times and will be back leading the Bruins on their quest for a top seed. In his absence, Jaroslav Halak allowed four goals to the Philadelphia Flyers.
- Nick Schmaltz is still out of the Arizona Coyotes lineup as he recovers from a hit in the exhibition game. The team’s top scorer in the regular season, Schmaltz didn’t seem to be missed in their first game against the Nashville Predators as the Coyotes scored four goals. They’ll try to turn on the goal light behind Juuse Saros again today as the Predators will stick with their young goaltender for the time being.
Injury Notes: Scheifele, Schmaltz, Fast, Hamilton
The Winnipeg Jets may have lost their top center and top sniper in the same game, as both Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine left last night’s test against the Calgary Flames with an injury. Scheifele’s in particular looked serious, as he collided with Matthew Tkachuk and fell to the ground bellowing in pain. The hit got quite the response from head coach Paul Maurice, who indicated today that both players were still undergoing examination, and updates would be issued later in the day.
If the Jets do lose Schiefele for the rest of the qualification round they’ll have to figure out an answer on the top line and find a way to dig themselves out of the early hole after losing to Calgary last night. Here’s more info about injuries around the league:
- Nick Schmaltz will not play in game one for the Arizona Coyotes after taking a high hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the exhibition match. Schmaltz, the Coyotes leading scorer from the regular season, played in four playoffs games with Chicago in 2017 but hasn’t seen the postseason since. Youngster Barret Hayton will be making his own playoff debut after suiting up just 20 times this season.
- The New York Rangers are still not sure of Igor Shesterkin‘s availability for game two according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, but will not have Jesper Fast in the lineup. Fast was hit hard by former teammate Brady Skjei and was forced from yesterday’s game after just a minute of ice time. The depth winger is a key part of the Rangers leadership group and recorded 29 points in 69 games this season.
- Dougie Hamilton is getting better according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, but won’t be in the lineup for Carolina tomorrow. The Hurricanes did just fine without their top offensive defenseman, but relied heavily on their top two pairings—Jake Gardiner played just 11:55 while Jaccob Slavin logged 24:40.
Nick Schmaltz Dealing With Sore Neck, Questionable For Sunday
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.