Zack Kassian Out With Upper-Body Injury
The Vancouver Canucks are hoping to have one of their top blue liners back soon. Farhan Lalji of TSN reports that head coach Rick Tocchet said Filip Hronek is day-to-day and there is a good chance he will be able to play on Thursday. Hronek was acquired by the Canucks in a somewhat surprising trade deadline deal. The Canucks were not expected to be buyers, but offered up a first-round pick and a second-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings for Hronek.
The 25-year-old right defenseman is yet to make his Canucks debut as he has been out of the lineup since February 28 with an upper-body injury. It sounds like he is close to getting back on the ice, and the Cancucks may see him join them for the first time when they take on the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
- Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon was a late scratch for tonight’s game. The team announced he will be out of the lineup with a non-covid illness. Spurgeon has scored ten goals and 30 points in 70 games for the Wild who are in a tight battle with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars for positioning in the Central Division. While they will miss his presence against the New Jersey Devils, luckily it does not sound like a long-term absence.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced Zack Kassian would not suit up tonight. The rugged winger is sidelined with an upper-body injury and will miss tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. The 32 year old has played 51 games for the Coyotes this season, scoring just two goals and zero assists. Kassian has one more year on his contract following this season with a $3.2MM cap hit.
Minor Transactions: Kesselring, Berard, Krygier, Pivonka
The Arizona Coyotes have announced via a press release that they have recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. Since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Nick Bjugstad trade, Kesselring has now been recalled on an emergency loan for the fourth time in just under three weeks.
After having a productive season with the Oilers’ AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors, Kesselring has played three games for the Roadrunners, scoring two points, and four games for the Coyotes, scoring zero points. Given the seemingly unending rotating door that Kesselring has found himself in, this will likely not be the last time he will find himself being emergency recalled this year.
Other notes:
- The New York Rangers have signed prospect Brett Berard to an entry-level contract that will kick in next year. In the meantime, the Providence College product will join the team’s AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout basis. The contract will run until the end of the 2025-26 season, paying the forward $925K in the NHL, and $80K in the AHL. Drafted 134th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Berard capped off a solid career at Providence, playing in a total of 91 regular season games, scoring 33 goals and 39 assists.
- Jacob Pivonka will be joining the Bridgeport Islanders on an ATO today. Drafted 104th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, the young forward played a majority of his collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame, but ultimately finished it at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In his four-year college career, Pivonka played in 126 regular-season games, scoring 17 goals and 29 assists.
- Also joining Pivonka in Bridgeport on an ATO will be defenseman Christian Krygier from Michigan State University. This will be the second transaction in as many days for the Krygier family, as his brother, Cole Krygier, just had his rights acquired by the Los Angeles Kings. Christian managed to accrue five seasons in the NCAA after being given another season of eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic and managed to score 20 points for the Spartans.
Michael Kesselring Recalled
The Wild could get several key veterans back in their lineup shortly. Randy Johnson of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune relays that while defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jacob Middleton plus wingers Brandon Duhaime and Marcus Foligno weren’t in the lineup today, they could all be back for Sunday’s contest against Washington. Brodin has been out the longest, missing the last four weeks with a lower-body injury which has been a big blow to their back end. Middleton is dealing with an illness sustained earlier this week. Meanwhile, Duhaime has missed more than two weeks with a head injury while Foligno has been out for a week with a lower-body issue of his own. Minnesota is in the midst of a very close three-way battle for positioning in the Central and getting multiple veterans back at once could certainly give their lineup a nice boost.
More from the Western Conference:
- Postmedia’s Jim Matheson suggests that center Ryan McLeod is dealing with a shoulder injury. He was injured on Tuesday against Ottawa and didn’t suit up versus Dallas on Thursday. There’s no word on how long the 23-year-old will be out. McLeod’s in the middle of a decent sophomore season, notching 11 goals and 11 assists in 55 games despite spending a lot of that time in Edmonton’s bottom six.
- After papering him down, the Predators announced that they’ve recalled winger Egor Afanasyev to AHL Milwaukee. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last weekend after being brought up and has gotten into three games with Nashville, logging 9:32 per night while being held off the scoresheet. Afanasyev also has 13 goals and 13 assists in 55 games with the Admirals in the minors this season.
- A day after being sent down, the Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they have once again recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from AHL Tucson on an emergency basis. The 23-year-old has played in three games with Arizona since being acquired just before the deadline, logging 18:35 per contest. The 23-year-old has also suited up three times for the Roadrunners since the swap, picking up a goal and an assist.
Arizona Coyotes Assign Bokondji Imama, Michael Kesselring To AHL
Pittsburgh Penguins franchise center Sidney Crosby has moved into sole possession of second place on an impressive list — the number of point-per-game seasons in an NHL career. By reaching 82 points on the year last night, he clinched his 18th straight point-per-game season, moving past Gordie Howe, who had 17. With a point-per-game season next year, he’ll tie Wayne Gretzky for the all-time record with 19.
Those scoring pace statistics are the best way to quantify Crosby’s greatness, given the sheer amount of games he missed due to injury in the early 2010s. While those injuries may limit his place on the main all-time statistics lists, his scoring consistency and ability to adapt his game as the team changes around him should never be overlooked. Crosby’s 83 points in 68 games this season lead the Penguins.
Also from around the league today:
- The New York Islanders announced that forwards Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey are both currently sick with non-COVID illnesses, potentially impacting their availability for tomorrow’s game against San Jose. New York still has the inside track on a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but still can’t afford to lose many games down the stretch. Health will be a key factor to watch for them, as Cizikas and Bailey are both key veteran presences with experience in important games.
- The Arizona Coyotes assigned forward Bokondji Imama and defenseman Michael Kesselring back to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners today, according to the team. Both have been shuttled up and down frequently since the trade deadline. Expect both players to be recalled back to Arizona tomorrow, as Nick Schmaltz and Josh Brown aren’t expected to be ready for their game against Chicago and remain out with injuries.
Ivan Prosvetov To Remain With Arizona Coyotes For Remainder Of Season
Arizona Coyotes goalie Ivan Prosvetov will remain with the team for the rest of the season, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX.
Arizona coach Andre Tourigny announced that Prosvetov will not return to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, where he has played 35 games with a .900 save percentage and 3.06 GAA.
Prosvetov, 24, has appeared in one game so far for Arizona this season, turning away 39 of 40 shots in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on March 9. He played three games in each of the prior two seasons, and will get an opportunity to get an extended look for a Coyotes team trying to develop prospects at every position.
He has the size that has become coveted in the modern NHL, standing at 6 foot 3, and was a fourth-round selection by Arizona in the 2018 NHL draft. He is signed to a one-year contract, and could earn himself a long-term look with Arizona with a strong showing the rest of this season.
He will get the start tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, and will have an opportunity to earn more starts if he plays well enough. The Coyotes have goaltender Karel Vejmelka signed for two more seasons, who is also only two years older than Prosvetov.
With Arizona looking to fill holes throughout its organizational roster, Prosvetov stands to be a player to watch, as the Coyotes’ system is thin on goaltenders.
Coyotes Recall Bokondji Imama
The Arizona Coyotes have announced Bokondji Imama has been recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners. The recall was made on an emergency basis, and Imama is no stranger to being sent up and down. This is the fourth time he has been called up by the Coyotes since Mar 7 as the Coyotes bring him up on game day to fill out the roster and then send him back to Tucson.
Imama is a big, physical presence in the lineup and has played in three NHL games this season. He is yet to record a point, though he scored a goal for the Coyotes in one of his four NHL games last season. He also has five penalty minutes earned when he was willing to drop the gloves with Ryan Reaves.
The 6-foot-1 and 220 pound left winger has scored five goals and 12 points in 41 AHL games for the Roadrunners this season. The 26-year-old tough guy had a bit of a scoring tough in Junior, once scoring 41 goals for the Saint John Sea Dogs, but he is mostly relied on for his physicality in the pro game.
Coyotes To Sign Josh Doan
According to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports, the Arizona Coyotes are soon going to sign prospect Josh Doan to an entry-level contract. Doan is the son of Shane Doan who is the Coyotes all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points.
His son was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and has played the past two seasons at Arizona State University. Doan was an impact player in his time at college, scoring 16 goals and 38 points in 39 games this season. He had 12 goals and 37 points in 35 games as a freshman in 2021-22.
Doan is a good-sized prospect at 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds and showed plenty of scoring touch by averaging just over a point per game in his two season college career. He likely would not make the jump straight to the NHL, instead start his pro career with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL.
At 21 years of age, the Coyotes would have the ability to sign Doan to a three-year contract that begins next season. He could close out this season in the AHL on a tryout agreement instead of a formal NHL contract.
Armstrong: Coyotes Open To Taking On More Bad Contracts This Summer
The relatively flat salary cap over the last few seasons has certainly been a limiter on player movement over that time. However, speaking with reporters today including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman indicated a potential openness to boost the Upper Limit by more than the prescribed $1MM next season. However, doing so would be tied to escrow:
We’re hearing around the bend from players and others that there may be interest in having that, but one thing to keep in mind if we’re going to raise the cap and the escrow hasn’t been paid off, is then we’re going to have to look at raising the escrow rates, which under the CBA extension in 2020 is locked into the last three years of the CBA term at 6 per cent. So, if you’re going to raise the cap prematurely, then you’re going to have to look at the escrow percentage as well. The two are inextricably tied together.
As Bettman noted, there now is a fixed cap on escrow which there wasn’t in the past and by his estimation, there is still around $100MM owed back to the owners to get back to the required 50/50 share of Hockey Related Revenue. Increasing the escrow hasn’t been popular in the past so if incoming NHLPA Director Marty Walsh finds that the players don’t want to go that route again (even for just a short time), it could be one more year with a small increase before the cap goes up more quickly beginning in 2024-25.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Coyotes are likely to be one of the few teams with significant cap space this summer but don’t expect them to automatically be too active in free agency. GM Bill Armstrong indicated on the latest Cam and Strick podcast (video link) that they’re also open to doing what they’ve done in recent years which is taking on unwanted contracts while stockpiling extra draft picks for doing so. Arizona has stockpiled 47 picks over the next four seasons but have shown a willingness in the past to take on selections that are several years out. If they opt to take on more unwanted contracts, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them concentrating on adding 2026 and 2027 draft picks in order to try to keep their pick cupboard spaced out.
- While it has been speculated for a while, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews confirmed to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription link) that the upper-body injury he has been dealing with for most of the year is a hand issue. However, the 25-year-old indicated that the hand is feeling a lot better now as of late which is certainly good news for a Toronto team that has made several moves to augment their roster at the trade deadline in the hopes of a long playoff run. Even with the injury, Matthews still has 31 goals and 36 assists in 59 games so far.
Minor Moves: Red Wings, Bruins, Kraken, Coyotes, Panthers
This morning, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Matt Luff and Austin Czarnik to the AHL, as they await a game later this week. The Red Wings don’t play again until Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, giving them a chance to save some money in the meantime.
Here are some other minor moves from around the league today:
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko under emergency conditions, after sending him down yesterday. Lauko hasn’t played since March 2 and has just 12 appearances this season, but has been bounced back and forth between leagues whenever the team is dealing with injuries. Through those 12 matches, he has five points in his first taste of NHL action.
- The Seattle Kraken have recalled John Hayden from the AHL, as they hit the road for a game in San Jose tomorrow night. The Kraken are coming off consecutive losses to the Dallas Stars and have now slipped below the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division playoff race. Hayden, 28, has just two points in five NHL games this year.
- The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned forward Bokondji Imama to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The 26-year-old is an alternate captain for the Coyotes’ farm team, where he has provided hard-working physical play and 12 points of offense at that level. He’s played the last two games for the Coyotes, seeing time in both of the team’s consecutive overtime wins.
- The Florida Panthers have swapped goalies on their NHL roster, sending down 2022 Calder Cup Champion Alex Lyon in favor of rookie Mack Guzda. The move allows the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to get the more experienced goaltender as they look to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Arizona Coyotes Recall Bokondji Imama, Michael Kesselring From AHL
March 14th, 4:01 PM CDT: In response to the news of Kesselring being recalled on an emergency basis, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that defenseman Patrik Nemeth left the Coyotes practice this morning with an apparent injury. It is not yet known the nature or extent of the injury that Nemeth sustained this morning, but we do know that he will not be playing in the team’s game tonight.
March 14th, 3:16 PM CDT: The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Bokondji Imama and defenseman Michael Kesselring on emergency loans from their AHL affiliate Tuscon Roadrunners. Both players will be made available to dress for tonight’s matchup against the Calgary Flames.
For the second time in as many days, Imama will again be on the roster for the Coyotes. Now playing in his second year in the Coyotes organization, Imama has spent most of his time in Tuscon. In 95 games played over those two seasons, Imama has 10 goals, 14 assists, and a whopping 274 PIM. He has scarcely played in the NHL, having only seen six games in Arizona, averaging just over five minutes of ice time a night.
As the Coyotes continue to assess which players will be around for the future of Arizona hockey, Imama provides the Coyotes with the ability to add quite a bit of grit into their lineup, if they choose to do so.
In his third full season of professional hockey, Kesselring arrived in Arizona during the trade deadline, being one of the pieces sent from the Oilers in the trade for Nick Bjugstad. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL draft, Kesselring developed a knack for scoring goals at the AHL level during his time with Edmonton. In 49 games played for their AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors this season, Kesselring racked up 13 goals, providing some offense from the back end.