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Brock Boeser Out Eight Weeks

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Today while talking to reporters about the Tyler Toffoli acquisition, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning explained that Brock Boeser will be out for eight weeks after the team discovered his injury is more serious than originally thought. That could mean Boeser is out for the rest of the regular season, though he will not require surgery. Benning also suggested that Josh Leivo and Micheal Ferland will both be out for the rest of the season.

Even though they should be used to it, Boeser’s absence is still a huge blow to the Canucks’ hopes down the stretch and into the playoffs. Their 22-year old sniper has now suffered major injuries in all three of his NHL seasons, ending with totals of 62, 69 and 56 games played. That’s hard for every hockey fan to accept, given the brilliance Boeser has shown whenever healthy.

In 196 career games, the University of North Dakota product has scored 75 goals, a 31-goal pace if extrapolated to a full 82 game season. His 161 points during that time similarly sets a strong pace, and he had clearly taken up the mantle as a star for the Canucks.

Though this news hurts the Canucks’ chances, it also does open up some interesting possibilities at the deadline. Not only did the team add Toffoli to the mix, but they can now put Boeser, Leivo and Ferland on long-term injured reserve to open up a ton of cap space. Even if Boeser and Leivo return at some point during the playoffs, the team can still us that extra space to add bodies. Of course, any additional trades the team makes will have to be considered thoroughly given the Canucks’ precarious position in the Pacific Division. They currently sit in third place but are only one point ahead of both the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes.

Canucks Acquire Tyler Toffoli

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The Canucks are currently in a battle for top spot in the Pacific Division and GM Jim Benning has made a move to bolster their attack. They have acquired winger Tyler Toffoli from Los Angeles in exchange for winger Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden, a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2022 fourth-round pick that is contingent on Toffoli re-signing with Vancouver.  Both teams have confirmed the trade and there is no salary retention on anyone.

The 27-year-old has already matched his point total from last season following a hat trick against Colorado in the Stadium Series game on Saturday.  Through 58 games this season, he has 18 goals and 16 assists; his 34 points ranked third on the Kings.

Vancouver has very quietly put together a top-ten attack this season and have a very balanced attack.  Toffoli’s addition will give the Canucks seven forwards with at least 16 goals and not many other teams can contend with that type of depth.

While that certainly bodes well for Vancouver, it may not be the best thing for Toffoli’s free agent fortunes.  He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season and will likely be seeking a contract that’s close to his current $4.6MM AAV.  If he winds up spending time on the third line for the Canucks, that has the potential to hurt his value on the open market.

As for Schaller, his inclusion in the deal is solely to help make the money work.  Two years ago, he had a 22-point season with Boston but has failed to reach that mark over his two years in Vancouver combined.  Through 51 games this season, he has five goals and one assist which isn’t a great return on a $1.9MM AAV.  He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Even with Schaller’s inclusion, the money isn’t close enough to work under Vancouver’s salary cap.  Accordingly, CapFriendly notes (Twitter link) that wingers Josh Leivo and Tyler Motte plus center Tyler Graovac have all been transferred to LTIR which frees up enough room for now although there could be complications down the road when any of them are ready to be activated.  Micheal Ferland is also on LTIR but the Canucks announced (via Twitter) that he has been shut down for the rest of the season due to recurring concussion-like symptoms.  They also revealed that Brock Boeser will miss at least three weeks due to a rib cartilage fracture which likely was part of the impetus for this move.

Madden was a third-round pick of Vancouver (68th overall) back in 2018 but is quickly outperforming his draft stock.  He leads Northeastern in scoring in his sophomore season with 19 goals and 18 assists; his 37 points put him fourth in NCAA scoring.  However, he broke his finger over the weekend that will keep him out for the next month or so.  Los Angeles will have two years after this one to sign him and while he may still be a year or two away from turning pro, he is a nice addition to a Kings prospect pool that is quickly being stocked up.

With Toffoli now gone, the focus in Los Angeles will certainly shift towards defenseman Alec Martinez.  The 32-year-old is believed to be one of the more sought-after defenders that could move by next week’s trade deadline as he carries a $4MM AAV and unlike many of the players who will be moved between now and then, he’s not a rental player as he is signed through 2020-21.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report that Toffoli had been dealt to Vancouver.

Sabres Sign Taylor Leier To NHL Contract

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Last January, the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers swapped prospects, with Justin Bailey heading to Philly and Taylor Leier going to Buffalo. The duo had remarkably similar numbers at both the NHL and AHL levels and were each headed to restricted free agency, but the teams hoped a change of scenery might help to push them into NHL roles. However, when the time came for qualifying offers, both players found themselves as free agents rather than sticking with their new teams. The reasons however were very different.

Bailey got an immediate tryout with Philadelphia last season, skating in 11 games with the Flyers down the stretch. Unfortunately for the big winger, he failed to impress with just one point in that span and was not much of a difference-maker in the AHL either. The Flyers let him walk and he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks this summer, which has so far paid off with immense minor league production and even a pair of NHL appearances.

Leier, on the other hand, spent the remainder of last season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and was a valuable asset. By all accounts, the Sabres had planned to re-sign him. However, the young forward suffered a freak accident while training in May that completely changed the status quo. While practicing his stickhandling on rollerblades at a local tennis court near his Saksatoon home, Leier fell and put his arm out to break his fall. His shoulder popped out, tearing his labrum. Suddenly, his future was in doubt. With a long road ahead of him, including surgery and rehab, Leier knew that an extension with Buffalo was likely no longer an option. Yet, finding employment anywhere else was likely even more unlikely. The team and player agreed that staying where he was, that being AHL Rochester, was the best course of action, and so Leier signed a one-year AHL deal with the Americans.

Leier returned to game action in late December, finally having healed from his accident. In the 17 games since, the skilled forward has recorded seven goals and eight points, among the team’s scoring leaders. Regardless of whether they need him this season or not, the Sabres have decided to reward Leier’s hard work and dedication. The team announced today that they have signed him to an NHL contract for the remainder of the season. While it is a two-way deal worth the minimum $700K, the move is more of a symbolic gesture anyhow that shows Leier that the club continues to support him. It will also keep him under team control into next season as a restricted free agent.

Of course, Leier will have to clear waivers today before he can be re-added to the Rochester roster. If he continues to produce in the AHL, the Sabres could finally give him an NHL look down the stretch as well, especially if they move out current roster pieces at the trade deadline. Leier has 55 NHL games and seven points under his belt and after working hard to return from injury and earn an NHL contract, the hope is that the young forward will have the chance to build upon those totals moving forward.

Pacific Notes: Ferland, Vlasic, Burns, Tuch, Ryan

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All signs were pointing to the likelihood that the Vancouver Canucks were going to get back forward Micheal Ferland soon. The forward has been out since Dec. 10 with what the team described as an upper-body injury, but has practiced with the team and was assigned to the Utica Comets of the AHL for a conditioning game Friday. However, Ferland’s stint didn’t last long as the Canucks announced he was removed from the game as a precaution after indicating that he was suffering from concussion-like symptoms.

TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Ferland is still in Utica and is being monitored by staff. It’s a disappointment as the team was hoping Ferland might be ready to return next week to the Canucks’ lineup. Ferland was signed to a four-year, $14MM contract last summer to provide both offense and a physical presence to the team’s middle six, but so far has just one goal in 14 games.

“If fans think its frustrating, how do you think Micheal Ferland feels,” said Ferland’s agent, Jason Davidson. “He wants to play. It was Micheal ’s decision to go to Utica.“

  • NBC Sports’ Brian Witt wonders whether the San Jose Sharks should look at more drastic measures to rebuild the franchise. With the demand for defensemen increasing due to injuries, the team could create a quicker rebuild if they attempt to move one of their veterans, either Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns. Vlasic has a full no-movement clause in his contract for the next three years, but would he be willing to return to his hometown of Montreal, now that the Canadiens just lost Shea Weber? Burns has a modified trade clause, but he has just a three-team trade list, severely limiting where the team could trade him. However, if the Sharks could find a way to get a big return for either defenseman, it could hasten their rebuild.
  • The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that the Vegas Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch will be out week to week with a lower-body injury. The forward went down Thursday night after crashing feet first into the boards against the St. Louis Blues. It hasn’t been a great season for Tuch, who has struggled this year after a 20-goal season in 2018-19. This season, the 23-year-old has just eight goals in 42 games as a member of the third line in Vegas as he has seen his ice time drop by nearly two minutes from last year.
  • The Calgary Flames will be without center Derek Ryan Saturday as the third-liner did not skate with the team this morning due to illness, according to NHL.com’s Torrie Peterson. The 33-year-old has 10 goals and 28 points so far this season, but will likely be replaced at center by Sam Bennett, who will move over from the wing.

Pacific Notes: Ferland, Roussel, Hayton

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The Vancouver Canucks have sent Micheal Ferland to the AHL on a long-term injury conditioning loan, allowing him to get some game action under his belt before returning to the NHL lineup. The 27-year old forward has been out since early December and has just 14 games played with the Canucks this season.

After signing a four-year, $14MM deal with the Canucks in the offseason, Ferland was expected to give the team another potential top-six option and physical force up front. That hasn’t been the case yet, but if he can get healthy and back to playing well before the postseason the team will be even more formidable in a seven game playoff series.

  • One of those other physical presences, Antoine Roussel, has been fined $5,000 for slashing Nashville Predators defenseman Yannick Weber in last night’s game. The amount may seem trivial, but it is the maximum allowable under the CBA and will be considered in future supplementary discipline.
  • The Arizona Coyotes also have a player on conditioning loan in the minor leagues, and Craig Morgan of The Athletic is reporting that Barrett Hayton will be allowed to stay there a little longer. The young forward is actually too young to play regularly in the AHL, but a request to extend his conditioning stint by two games has been approved by the league. Hayton is coming back from a shoulder injury he suffered during the World Juniors.

Pacfic Notes: Boeser, Neal, Kuemper, Karlsson

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The Vancouver Canucks were bracing for the worst when forward Brock Boeser went down early in the third period of Saturday’s game when he got tangled up with Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane. However, head coach Travis Green announced that Boeser is likely to miss the next couple of games with an upper-body injury, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He is expected to be re-evaluated at that time.

The 22-year-old has struggled his young career with injuries, but had not missed a game this season until now. He has 16 goals and 45 points, which is tied for third place on the team. While there was some speculation the Canucks might be forced to trade for a top-six forward before the trade deadline, had the Boeser injury been more serious, that looks to have been averted, especially with Micheal Ferland close to returning to the lineup as well.

  • The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports that with the return of forward Tyler Benson to the Bakersfield Condors, it likely means that forward James Neal is ready to return to Edmonton’s lineup for Tuesday’s game against Chicago. Neal has missed five straight games with a foot injury, but could add that extra depth the team needs. He has 19 goals in 50 games so far this season. The team did add Colby Cave to its roster since sending Benson down, but the team had an extra roster spot anyway, according to Nugent-Bowman.
  • The Arizona Coyotes could be getting goaltender Darcy Kuemper back as soon as Tuesday. Head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters, including The Athletic’s Craig Morgan, that Kuemper will be a game-time decision for Monday’s game against Montreal. Kuemper has been out since Dec. 19 with a lower-body injury. Getting him back would be critical for a team that was thriving when he was in net, which netted him an all-star nomination, which he was unable to attend. Kuemper had a 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 25 appearances. Tocchet added that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will also be a game-time decision. The 24-year-old has missed four games with a lower-body injury.
  • The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson, who has been out with an upper-body injury since Jan. 14, actually has been dealing with a broken finger, which he suffered on his last shift against the Buffalo Sabres. The winger sounded optimistic when asked if he would play on Tuesday against Minnesota, but wasn’t sure if he would play. He has been practicing on the team’s third line with Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch.

Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tatar, Petry, Maple Leafs, Pageau

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With little cap space anyway, many were not expecting the Vancouver Canucks to be particularly active at the trade deadline. However, that viewpoint may have changed after forward Brock Boeser suffered an upper-body injury Saturday against the Calgary. While the extent of the injury is unknown, head coach Travis Green said after the game that Boeser would be out “for a bit.”

NHL.com’s Tracey Myers writes that the Canucks may be looking for a forward at the trade deadline, especially with the team hanging on to first place in the Pacific Division by just one point with four teams breathing down their necks. The team is expecting to get back forward Micheal Ferland soon, but Ferland isn’t likely to provide the offense the team gets from Boeser, who has 16 goals and 45 points, third on the team in scoring.

  • Plenty of rumors have come up regarding two players with the Montreal Canadiens, including defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar. Both Petry and Tatar would be valuable trade chips for the Canadiens as they both have one year remaining after this one with reasonable contracts ($5.5MM for Petry; $4.8MM for Tatar). Both are having impressive seasons as well, making them even more intriguing. However, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that he has been told that neither player is being shopped and the team will wait until they are closer to the deadline to see whether they are any closer in the standings to competing for a playoff spot before deciding on whether they would move any of their unrestricted free agents, which could include Ilya Kovalchuk, Nate Thompson or Marco Scandella.
  • Now that the backup goaltender position has been taken care of, the Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to need to add to their defense before the deadline. However, Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada reports that the Maple Leafs intend to wait until closer to the deadline before they consider making another move. The team currently has Cody Ceci on long-term injured reserve and the team wants to wait to see his status in a couple weeks before making a final decision. “Toronto is going to wait,” Friedman said. “Morgan Rielly has a doctor’s appointment next week, they still want to see what his future is, also the health of Cody Ceci, which they’ll know more about probably in a couple of weeks.”
  • On the same Hockey Night in Canada last night, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that while the New York Rangers have started negotiating with soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent Chris Kreider to see if a reasonable deal can be worked out, the Ottawa Senators have not started to negotiate with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, suggesting that he is a strong candidate to be dealt at the trade deadline with several suitors likely lining up to acquire him.

West Notes: Couture, Karlsson, Radulov, Ferland

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With all the disappointments that have surrounded the San Jose Sharks this season, the team finally got some good news as captain Logan Couture, who has been out with a broken ankle since the beginning of January, skated today for the second time, according to the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. While there remains no timetable for a return just yet, it’s good news for a team that recently lost all-star Tomas Hertl to a season-ending injury.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that Couture is expected to skate again Sunday and then will take off Monday before deciding what to do next. Couture is just skating, however, and hasn’t yet worked with pucks. However, Couture is happy and pleased with the way the team has been playing of late. The Sharks have won two straight and three of their last five games.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights might also be getting back one of its top players as forward William Karlsson practiced with the team today in a regular jersey, suggesting that the 27-year-old is close to returning. “He’s getting close,” said head coach Peter DeBoer (via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen). “I think he’s taking some contact today. He’s got another X-ray tomorrow and then we’ll see. If that goes well, he’s probably really close.” Karlsson could be available for the team’s game against Minnesota on Monday, depending on how his x-rays come out.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they will be without top winger Alexander Radulov Saturday. The forward suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s game against Minnesota. Rookie Joel Kiviranta will take his place in the lineup. The 33-year-old has 15 goals and 31 points, which are numbers well below his first two seasons in Dallas where he scored 27 and 29 goals each.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are also hoping to get back a familiar face. Forward Micheal Ferland returned to practice and skated with the team, but TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team still intends to send Ferland to the Utica Comets of the AHL on a conditioning stint before allowing him to return to the lineup. Ferland spent some time this week practicing with the team, but they now hope to get him some game action in the AHL first. Ferland, out with an upper-body injury, hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 10.

Quinn Hughes Maxes Out Schedule A Bonuses

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  • Quinn Hughes’ second period assist on Thursday against Minnesota may not have seemed like a big deal at the time but it was a notable one for the Canucks. Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston notes that the helper ensured that the rookie would max out his Schedule A bonuses in his contract, worth a total of $850K.  He had to hit four separate marks to get there; he has already reached 25 assists, 40 points, and played in the All-Star Game.  His point per game average is also guaranteed to be over the 0.49 threshold which is the fourth one he’ll hit.  With Vancouver already into LTIR, it’s likely that the bonuses will be carried over and applied on their salary cap for next season.

Trade Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Martinez, Simmonds

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Trade deadline season is in full swing and TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment this evening with Darren Dreger and Piere LeBrun was chock full of hints as to what may happen over the next few weeks. The pair began with the most pressing story, which is in regards to the news earlier today that Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. The situation reportedly could have been worse and Giordano may have needed surgery that would have kept him out long term, so in a way Calgary got lucky. However, with the Flames fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, this major absence is bound to shift their plans at the deadline. The team has been focused on acquiring a right-shot forward, even allegedly dangling impending UFA defenseman T.J. Brodie to get a deal done, but LeBrun notes that Brodie is now much more unlikely to move. Not only are Brodie and fellow free agent-to-be Travis Hamonic likely safe, but LeBrun adds that the team will consider adding on defense as well if Giordano’s availability remains in question. As for what the Flames may use as their primary trade bait now, Dreger reports that Sam Bennett could finally be on the move. The disappointing young forward is not necessarily on the block, but Dreger hears from many around the league who feel Bennett needs a fresh start and Calgary may oblige him if it helps to land them another top-six forward.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may have unofficially launched the trade deadline frenzy on Wednesday when they acquired goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, even for a team currently on the outside of the playoff picture, Dreger reports that the Leafs are not done. He notes that the deal with L.A. did not address Toronto’s biggest need, which is a top-four defenseman. He says that the recent injury to Cody Ceci, expected to be out for at least a month, combined with the continued absence of Morgan Rielly will keep the Maple Leafs in the defense market if they want to contend for a postseason berth. Dreger mentions that the Kings’ willingness to retain salary should allow the Leafs to land a top-four defenseman if they can find the right deal, assuming one of Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, or Alex Kerfoot would be heading the other way.
  • The Kings, of course, are also not done. They are having another fire sale this year and a number of valuable pieces may still move. Among them is veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. LeBrun believes that the Maple Leafs were not interested in Martinez, but other teams are. One such suitor is Toronto’s biggest competition for an Atlantic Division playoff bid, the Florida Panthers. According to LeBrun, the Panthers are “absolutely looking” at Martinez, who still has one year remaining on his contract. Another team looking to upgrade their blue line who have an eye on Martinez are the Winnipeg Jets. Whether Florida, Winnipeg, or another contender ends up landing the capable defenseman, the buyer will not be getting any sort of discount. LeBrun relays that the asking price is a second-round pick and either another good pick or a good prospect.
  • In Vancouver, the season is going as well as anyone could have expected and the team is hoping to solidify their lineup before the postseason. While the team seems unlikely to spend immensely, they are hoping to plug some holes. One such gap has been created by the injury to Micheal Ferland. Ferland has been out for almost two months and the team is missing his physical play and goal scoring ability. Ferland signed with the Canucks this summer and was expected to play a major role, but has been unable to stay on the ice. As a result, LeBrun reports that the Canucks are revisiting a player that nearly chose over Ferland this off-season in Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds, who instead signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, again finds himself as a rental candidate and Vancouver remains interested. LeBrun believes that the team will wait to see what the long-term outlook on Ferland is for the remainder of this season, but bad news could trigger a trade to bring in Simmonds.

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