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T.J. Oshie Undergoes Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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As expected, T.J. Oshie won’t be joining the Washington Capitals on the ice any time soon. The team announced today that Oshie underwent a successful surgical procedure to repair a broken collarbone, and is out indefinitely.

Oshie, 32, was injured when a push from behind sent him hard into the boards in game four of the Capitals first round series. Warren Foegele, the Carolina Hurricanes forward who hit him, was not given any supplementary discipline for the play though he did get some added attention from members of the Capitals in game five. Oshie meanwhile will miss at least the next several weeks if not the entire rest of the playoffs.

There have been players who come back from collarbone surgery in a matter of weeks, but for that possibility to happen the Capitals would need to go deep into the playoffs if not make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Without Oshie on the ice that will be a tough ask, given how important he is to their team. The veteran forward recorded 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games this season and was a key part of the team’s championship run a year ago. An effective two-way player, his defense and physicality is sometimes just as important as the offense he provides for the Capitals.

Perhaps playing a little harder in honor of their injured teammate, the Capitals dissected the Hurricanes last night to the tune of a 6-0 win. They’ll now have two chances to advance to the second round, starting tomorrow evening in Carolina. In the vacant forward spot the team inserted playoff hero Devante Smith-Pelly, who received several standing ovations from the home crowd and was a welcome addition after spending much of the year in the minor leagues. While he obviously doesn’t replace Oshie completely, his presence will be a welcome addition as the Capitals look to repeat their performance from last year.

Minor Transactions: 04/21/19

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The NHL has just two games scheduled for today after several series came to an end this week, including the Colorado Avalanche upsetting the Calgary Flames. Each game today features a favorite facing elimination as the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks look for a way to avoid the golf courses and play again on Tuesday. As teams prepare for that action, we’ll be here keeping track of any minor moves they may make.

  • After being demolished last night by the Washington Capitals, the Carolina Hurricanes have sent Aleksi Saarela back to the minor leagues. The team hopes that young star forward Andrei Svechnikov will be ready for tomorrow’s elimination game, after suffering a concussion at the hands of Alex Ovechkin earlier in the series. Saarela made his NHL debut last night but failed to record a shot on goal in his nine minutes of ice time.
  • Minnesota has been active in signing its prospects to Amateur Tryout Agreements to bring them to AHL Iowa for the postseason and they’ve added two more as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that winger Ivan Lodnia and center Connor Dewar have both signed ATO deals.  Lodnia was a third-rounder back in 2017 and recently finished up with Niagara of the OHL where he had 14 points in 11 playoff games.  Dewar was a 2018 third-round selection and had a career year with WHL Everett with 81 points in 59 contests.
  • The Capitals continue to shuffle their third goalie as the team announced that Parker Milner has been recalled from South Carolina (ECHL) while Ilya Samsonov has been returned to Hershey (AHL).  Milner spent nearly the entire season at the ECHL level so if one of Braden Holtby or Pheonix Copley were to be injured, they would likely bring someone else up to serve as the backup.

AHL Notes: Ness, Wild, Barach

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It was a scary moment for everyone in attendance when Hershey Bears defenseman Aaron Ness lay motionless on the ice during last night’s Calder Cup playoff game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The 28-year old fell and collided head first into the end boards, not moving for several minutes as the medical staff brought out a stretcher. The entire Bears team stood stoically while their teammate was rolled off the ice, hoping he would be okay.

Good news came down today, as the team announced that though Ness did go straight to hospital for further evaluation he was in stable condition and was expected to be released. Obviously there is no timeline for his return to action, as his health is the first priority in an incident as serious as this.

  • The Iowa Wild have signed three players to amateur tryouts for the remainder of the season, bringing in Shawn Boudrias, Alexander Khovanov and recently signed Brandon Duhaime. Khovanov may be the most interesting of the group, as the 18-year old put up 74 points in 64 games while playing in the QMJHL this season. The third-round pick signed his entry-level deal last month, and will be a name to watch over the next few seasons to see if he can compete for a spot on the NHL roster.
  • Derek Barach had been playing with the Cleveland Monsters on a tryout since finishing his college career at Mercyhurst, and will stay on with the club for another year. The 24-year old forward signed a one-year AHL contract with the Monsters for next season, giving the team another offensive weapon for next season. Barach had 11 points in 15 games with the team down the stretch, but hasn’t been able to light the lamp yet in the postseason.

T.J. Oshie Likely Out For The Playoffs

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While the Capitals are only saying that T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely, it appears he’s out on a long-term basis.  Isabelle Khurshudyan and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post report that the winger is unlikely to play again this postseason, no matter how far Washington advances.

The team is calling Oshie’s injury an upper-body issue but he was seen in a sling following Game Four of their first-round series against Carolina after taking a hit from Hurricanes winger Warren Foegele.  While the Caps were hoping for some form of supplementary discipline on the hit, the Department of Player Safety opted not to hand anything down.

Oshie’s loss is a big blow to deal with for Washington.  He played a key role in their Stanley Cup run last year and finished in the top five in team scoring during the regular season despite missing 11 games due to a concussion; his 0.78 point per game average was the second-best of his career.  He’s the second core player to have a premature end to his season after defenseman Michal Kempny underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring last month.

Of course, the injuries in this series aren’t limited to the Capitals.  The Hurricanes find themselves without wingers Andrei Svechnikov (concussion), Micheal Ferland (upper body), and Jordan Martinook (leg) and none of them are expected to be in the lineup as the series resumes later today.

Minor Transactions: 04/20/19

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For the first time in NHL history, the top seed in each conference has been eliminated in the first round after the Colorado Avalanche knocked off the Calgary Flames last night in Game Five. The Flames now join the Tampa Bay Lightning in an earlier-than-expected off-season after the two teams combined for one win in nine games. Beyond that, the other two division winners – the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators – are in the weeds with both series tied 2-2, while the owners of the second-best record in each conference – the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks – are on the brink of elimination at 3-2. It’s been a wild Round One thus far and things should only get more interesting moving forward. To prepare for the chaos, teams continue to make minor moves to support their playoff rosters:

  • It’s goalie carousel day in the NHL, as clubs continue to swap out their AHL options in net as emergency third-stringers. The Colorado Avalanche did just that last night, taking Joe Cannata with them to Calgary to close out the Flames. Cannata, a minor league veteran out of Merrimack College, has spent almost all of the past two seasons in the ECHL, but has the AHL experience to provide emergency assistance if needed. With the Colorado Eagles also in the postseason, Cannata should continue to work with the Avs while the AHL tandem stays put.
  • After Josef Korenar accompanied the San Jose Sharks to Vegas for Games Three and Four, it is the more experienced Antoine Bibeau who gets the call for Game Six. Bibeau and Korenar split time evenly with the Barracuda this season, with Korenar having the advantage statistically, but it’s Bibeau and his two NHL appearances that get the call this time around. The Sharks aren’t taking any chances with one more loss ending their season.
  • The Washington Capitals announced today that they have swapped deep keepers ahead of Game Five, sending Vitek Vanecek back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears and recalling young Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov was stellar in Hersey’s playoff debut on Friday, but will use his night off to travel to D.C. rather than back up Vanecek for the Bears.
  • Defenseman Mac Hollowell has been reassigned from his junior team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, whose season has ended, to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, who are just beginning their postseason. Hollowell, a fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs last year, enjoyed a breakout season to end his junior career and Toronto is likely eager to see how he can translate his game to the pro level. The puck-mover should also be a major boost for the Marlies in their Calder Cup title defense.

Morning Notes: Smith-Pelly, Boychuk, Sweden

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The Washington Capitals have recalled Devante Smith-Pelly ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. T.J. Oshie “won’t be playing any time soon” according to head coach Todd Reirden after the forward was run into the boards by Carolina’s Warren Foegele last night. Foegele will not receive any disciplinary action from the league for the hit, but the Capitals will still have to find a way forward without one of their leaders up front.

In comes Smith-Pelly, who spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues after being waived by the team earlier this year. The 2018 playoff hero had 14 points in 20 games for the Hershey Bears, but will now try to prove that he still belongs on the NHL team. In 48 career playoff games, Smith-Pelly has 13 goals—just one off the highest regular season total of his career.

Andrei Svechnikov In Concussion Protocol

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The Carolina Hurricanes could very well be without one of their young stars for the next game in their opening round series against the Washington Capitals. Andrei Svechnikov is in the concussion protocol after going to the hospital following his fight with Alex Ovechkin last night. Svechnikov was hit hard by a punch from Ovechkin and appeared to hit his head on the ice as he went down. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters today including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that he doesn’t expect Svechnikov to play in game four on Thursday night.

The 19-year old Svechnikov had taken his game to another level in the second half of the season and playoffs, and actually had three points in the first two games of the series. It’s a big blow for a Carolina team that has gotten themselves back into the series with a convincing win, and one that certainly will shake up their forward group. Micheal Ferland also left the game with an injury but his status was not updated today.

Carolina trail in the series 2-1 and have a big hill to climb, but have exposed some weaknesses on the Capitals blue line and will try to exploit that again in Thursday’s matchup. Even if Svechnikov feels up to it, he’s unlikely to get back into the lineup as the team will not risk the future health of the second-overall pick.

Snapshots: Hedman, Ferland, Hamilton, McKenna, Simmonds

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It looks like the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without another key player Sunday. Already without the suspended Nikita Kucherov, NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that star defenseman Victor Hedman will miss Game 3 with an unknown injury.

Head coach Jon Cooper said earlier today that Hedman would be a game-time decision, but now Braydon Coburn is on the ice, taking Hedman’s place. Hedman has been playing injured in the first two games of the playoffs.

  • There won’t be any supplementary discipline from Saturday’s Game 2 between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes despite a number of controversial hits. Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said that neither Micheal Ferland or Dougie Hamilton will receive any attention from the Department of Player Safety, according to News & Observer’s Luke DeCock. Ferland gave a big hit to Washington’s Nic Dowd, but the angle looks like Ferland hit through Dowd’s body and did not aim for the head. Hamilton’s elbow to Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov was also heavily criticized, but it wasn’t believed that the elbow had enough force for supplementary discipline.
  • Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Mike McKenna sent out a tweet Sunday, saying he would have a “humongous big announcement” coming on Monday. While there no confirmation what it is about, speculation has risen that McKenna might be ready to announce his retirement. AHLcom’s Tony Androckitis wrote that the 36-year-old McKenna was leaning towards ending his career Saturday night after the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ended their AHL season. “I’m pragmatically saying I’m not sure,” said McKenna. “It’s going to take an awful lot to convince me to play again I think. In terms of what I need to have happen for my family, more so than me.” McKenna, who could be considered an AHL-lifer, made 11 NHL appearances this season — 10 with Ottawa and another one with the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s made 35 NHL appearances over the course of his career.
  • NHL.com’s Robby Stanley reports that Brian Boyle remains “ill” and is day-to-day for Monday’s Game 3 matchup with the Dallas Stars. Boyle missed Game 2 with the flu. The scribe adds that there still isn’t an update on the status of Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds left Saturday’s game after taking a puck to the knee. A update is expected on Monday.

Minor Transactions: 04/14/19

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After Saturday’s action, each first-round series has played two games and the Washington Capitals are the only favorite yet to suffer a loss. The Caps survived another tight battle with the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday afternoon with an overtime win. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders have shown why the higher seed should always be favored, taking the first two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but face a tougher task on the road today. Two other 2-0 series will continue later tonight, as the Nikita Kucherov-less Tampa Bay Lightning look to avoid a third straight stunning loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, while the St. Louis Blues can put the nail in the coffin of the Winnipeg Jets with a home win after taking the first two games on the road. As some teams prepare to play today and other plan ahead for tomorrow, keep an eye out for some minor tweaks to several rosters:

  •  The Capitals have swapped third-string goalies, as is common during the playoffs. Vitek Vanecek is on his way to Washington to be the emergency option for Game Three, while Ilya Samsonov returns to AHL Hershey after serving in that role for Game Two yesterday. The Bears are also playoff-bound, so this will be a balancing act for Washington moving forward.
  • The Lightning are dealing with injury concerns for both Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman, so it is not much of a surprise that they have recalled another depth option on the blue line. Cameron Gaunce has joined the team on the road in Columbus and while he looks like insurance only right now, that could change, especially if another Tampa defenseman goes down.
  • According to the AHL transactions page, the Calgary Flames have returned Dillon Dube to the Stockton Heat in the AHL. It’s likely that Dube will suit up for Stockton’s final regular season game and then will likely be recalled to serve on Calgary’s taxi-squad for the rest of the season.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have recalled defenseman Jakub Zboril from the Providence Bruins of the AHL as a precaution, especially with the status of defenseman Torey Krug up in the air. A 2015 first-rounder, Zboril scored four goals and 19 points in Providence over 56 games and has appeared in two games for Boston.

Snapshots: Callahan, Makar, Hamilton, Johansson

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With the loss of star forward and likely Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov for Game 3 on Sunday due to a one-game suspension handed down today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that the team will bring in veteran Ryan Callahan to fill in the roster spot for a team that both its games at home and now must rebound with a pair of away games in Columbus. Of course, other players will likely move up the team’s lineup with Callahan staying in the bottom six. Callahan has last played a week ago, but only played 4:13 in that game and has only played more than 13 minutes once in the last month.

  • TSN’s Bob McKenzie suggests that the Colorado Avalanche may have a tougher decision on what it wants to do with NCAA star Cale Makar, who the team is rumored to be signing within the next 24 hours. McKenzie writes that if Makar signs a contract, he will automatically burn the first year of his entry-level deal. However, and possibly more important, McKenzie adds that if Makar plays even one playoff game this season, he would need to be protected in the Seattle expansion draft. If the team opted not to play him in the playoffs this year, he wouldn’t be available to be taken by Seattle.
  • The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that she has heard from a source that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton will hear from the Department of Player Safety Sunday after elbowing Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov during the second period.
  • While many people were worried that Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson was hurt when he didn’t appear during warm-ups, the Bruins announced not long afterwards that the veteran forward was expected to miss Saturday’s game due to the flu. The 28-year-old trade deadline acquisition didn’t record a point in Game 1, but still played 16:20 of ice time for the Bruins. David Backes took Johansson’s spot.

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