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Tom Wilson Suspended Twenty Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has made a statement. Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has been suspended for twenty games following his illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The league has clearly had enough of the repeat offender ending up involved in incidents like this, and will have him sit for nearly a quarter of the season. As the accompanying video explains:

Players who repeatedly violate league playing rules will be more severely punished for each new violation. Wilson was suspended on three occasions during the 2017-18 NHL season. On September 22nd, 2017 he was suspended for a late, high hit on Robert Thomas. Just two preseason games later, Wilson was again suspended, this time for boarding Samuel Blais. Seven months later, Wilson was suspended for an illegal check to the head of Zach Aston-Reese. This hit on Sundqvist occurred in only his 16th game since his last suspension, which was also for an illegal check to the head.

In short, including preseason and postseason games played, this is Wilson’s fourth suspension in his last 105 games—an unprecedented frequency of suspensions in the history of the Department of Player Safety.

Wilson will forfeit more than $1.26MM in salary for this suspension, though many are already expecting an appeal or grievance from the NHLPA. If it’s not shortened, Wilson will be out until the Capitals face the Chicago Blackhawks on November 21st.

Minor Transactions: 10/03/18

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The NHL season will get underway in just a few hours, and teams have already started tinkering with their rosters. Throughout the year we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league and elsewhere in the hockey world.

  • The Colorado Avalanche are sending Dominic Toninato to the AHL for the time being, signaling that one of their injured players may be close to returning to the lineup.  Mike Chambers of the Denver Post also tweets that the team is likely to carry fewer than 23 players at times during this season, given the new geographical proximity of their primary affiliate. The Colorado Eagles joined the AHL this season, giving the Avalanche a team that they can quickly get players up from on short notice.
  • Nate Schmidt won’t be with the Vegas Golden Knights for the next 20 games after his PED suspension, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the ice with a professional team. Schmidt—hilariously, given his former team in Washington—will practice with the Vienna Capitals in Austria while he waits out his NHL ban.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Ryan Murray from injured reserve in time for their opener, while moving Scott Harrington to the IR with his concussion. Murray has a lot to prove this season after signing a one-year deal in the offseason, and should get increased opportunity with Seth Jones starting the year on the shelf.
  • It didn’t take long for the Detroit Red Wings to bring some players back up, as Ansar Khan of MLive reports that Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts and Luke Witkowski have all been recalled. The trio were sent down to finalize the roster this week, but with Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall being moved to injured reserve, reinforcements were needed.
  • Emerson Etem had his NHL tryout ended this week, but has signed another one with the Ontario Reign. Etem is trying to catch on somewhere and show that he still has some of that immense potential he showed early in his career. The 26-year old has played so few games over the last few years that it’s hard to believe he’ll be back in the NHL at some point, but he’s still a name to keep an eye on.

Four Players Claimed Off Waivers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs came into today with some enviable goaltending depth, but will leave it with question marks at the minor league level. The team has lost both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers, claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers respectively. The Washington Capitals have also claimed Dmitrij Jaskin from the St. Louis Blues, while the Buffalo Sabres, with the first waiver selection and a need for healthy forwards, snatched Remi Elie from the Dallas Stars.

Gustav Olofsson, who was rumored to be available in trade recently, was placed on waivers today by the Minnesota Wild. The rest of the players from yesterday have cleared, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

You can bet the Maple Leafs were expecting at least one goaltender to be claimed, given that they chose to protect the younger Garret Sparks over the proven McElhinney when it came to deciding who would backup Frederik Andersen to start the season, but losing both on the same day does weaken their depth at the position quite a bit. That leaves Kasimir Kaskisuo and Eamon McAdam as the only two other goaltenders under contract, though former top pick Justin Peters was in minor league camp with their AHL club recently.

Both Carolina and Philadelphia are dealing with injury to their NHL netminders, with the Hurricanes in particular facing a stretch of “weeks” without Scott Darling. McElhinney will pair with Petr Mrazek for the Hurricanes for the time being, but after Darling is deemed healthy the team will have to deal with a similar situation to the one Toronto had this week. If the Hurricanes or Flyers try to waive McElhinney or Pickard at any point this season, the Maple Leafs could potentially reclaim them and send them directly to the minor leagues—provided they’re the only team making a claim at that time.

Jaskin and Elie may end up being even more important claims, as both provide some excellent depth for their new clubs for a reasonable price. Jaskin was an effective bottom-six checker for the Blues but didn’t have a chair when the music stopped this time around, given the glut of newcomers finding roles in St. Louis. His 17 points in 76 games last season don’t look like a lot, but given the role that he played and the one he’ll be asked to fill in Washington there’s no reason to believe he can’t still be successful.

Elie on the other hand is just 23 years old still and scraping the surface on his potential. The Sabres will hope they can coax out a legitimate third-line winger out of him down the road, but have once again improved their depth at forward without sacrificing much. Elie is signed for just $735K this season and will still be a restricted free agent next summer, and was picked 40th overall just five years ago. With Scott Wilson facing a long rehab after recent surgery, Elie will likely find himself in the lineup before long and given a chance to contribute on the remade Sabres.

Poll: How Long Should Tom Wilson Be Suspended For?

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It’s that time of year again, when hockey is in the air, fans are pulling on their favorite sweaters and Tom Wilson has a hearing on the books with the Department of Player Safety. The Washington Capitals forward will have an in-person hearing with the league on Wednesday morning ahead of the team’s season opener against the Boston Bruins, but won’t be in the lineup when they raise their Stanley Cup banner to the rafters.

Wilson was suspended three times last season including during the preseason and playoffs, and at this point can validate his parking at the league offices in New York. The definition of a repeat offender, this incident included a head shot on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist—which resulted in some obvious facial damage—and a match penalty that means he’s currently suspended until a ruling is made later this week. Since the league offered an in-person hearing they can now suspend Wilson for more than five games if they so choose, but it’s not clear if they’ll come down hard on a dangerous, but popular player.

The Department of Player Safety is already off to a shaky start this year after there was outcry at the punishment for Montreal Canadiens Max Domi, who was suspended for the preseason schedule but forfeited no pay and suffered little consequence for his sucker punch of Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. The league also suspended Robert Bortuzzo for two preseason contests and the regular season opener for an elbow, leading the Blues to have to acquire some defensive depth before the season starts.

How long should Wilson sit this time around? Will the league come down hard on a player that can’t seem to stop involving himself in dangerous situations, or continue their slow path of escalation with the Capitals forward? Cast your vote below and let us know in the comments what your decision would be.

How many games should Tom Wilson be suspended for?
10+ 62.60% (1,627 votes)
6-10 21.89% (569 votes)
3-5 7.31% (190 votes)
None 5.66% (147 votes)
1-2 2.54% (66 votes)
Total Votes: 2,599

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Tom Wilson To Have In-Person Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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It was obvious that Tom Wilson would face some supplemental discipline from the league after his hit on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, and today the Department of Player Safety announced that the Washington Capitals forward will have an in-person hearing on Wednesday morning. The Capitals are set to open their season that evening when they welcome the Boston Bruins to town, but will likely be without Wilson. If a decision is not reached in time for the game he would still not be allowed to play given his match penalty, but because it is an in-person hearing the league now has the right to deliver a suspension upwards of five games.

There is no hiding that Wilson is in trouble here, as he has an extremely long history with the league’s disciplinary group. Just during the 2017-18 season alone he was suspended three times, and was involved in several other incidents that were looked at by the league. Wilson himself has admitted that he has to try and avoid his dangerous hits, but so far there is little indication that he can realistically do it. In fact, that physical style may be what secured him such a healthy contract in the offseason. Wilson signed a six-year, $31MM contract with the Capitals in July despite scoring just 104 points in his 391 career regular season games. Granted, he was a dominant force in the postseason for Washington en route to a Stanley Cup but there are few comparable contracts in terms of offensive production. It’s his on-the-edge play that sets him apart, but also may lead to his demise for the start of the year and for long stretches throughout the contract.

It’s been this way for Wilson for a long time, turning a nine-goal campaign with the Plymouth Whalers in 2011-12 into a first-round draft selection and then fighting and checking his way to a spot beside Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin on the Capitals top line. He’s an extremely important player for the team, but incidents like this will only continue to escalate in punishment going forward. If the league hands out a long suspension to start the year, he’ll be treading on thin ice every time he uses his size and speed to attack an opponent physically.

Metropolitan Notes: Wilson, Darling, Islanders, Vorobyev

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Twitter went into an uproar today after Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson was ejected after another high hit to the head, this time to St. Louis Blues Oskar Sundqvist during the second period of their preseason game. The link to the video is here. Sundqvist had to be helped off the ice and has not returned.

It’s almost a guarantee that Wilson will be suspended to start the year once again, like he was last year.  The Department of Player Safety announced that he has been offered an in-person hearing, allowing them to suspend him for more than five games if they so desire.

Wilson has been known for his hits, especially against the Blues in the preseason. He was suspended twice last preseason for hits against the Blues. He was suspended two preseason games for a late hit on Robert Thomas and then was suspended for four regular season games for boarding Samuel Blais in the final preseason game.

This could be the fourth suspension that Wilson has received in a year as he also received a third suspension during the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs last season when he hit Zach Aston-Reese, giving him a concussion and a broken jaw. Wilson has taken on a bigger role in the past year, moving up to the first line and then signing a six-year, $31MM contract in the offseason, but with so many repeat offenses, could end up with a significant suspension.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes are concerned after goaltender Scott Darling had to leave their preseason game today with what they listed as a lower-body injury, according to NHL.com’s Michael Smith. “It’s a concern,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “I’m not 100 percent sure what it is yet. He tweaked something in the lower body.” The team was counting on Darling to step up after a down season last year, his first as a full-time starter. The goaltender had been praised this offseason for an improved work-ethic, but now could miss some time early on in the season. The team may have to turn to Petr Mrazek to fill in for him.
  • Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the New York Islanders will wait until the last possible second to make its final roster moves. He writes that general manager Lou Lamoriello is a big believer of using every minute it has available to it, so coach Barry Trotz won’t release his final roster until 48 hours before their first game, which will be on Tuesday. Trotz added that Lamoriello has been working the phones hard to try and add some available talent.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed they will be keeping forward Mikhail Vorobyev on their opening day roster, according to NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer.  “He came in and made an impact, and that’s what you’re looking for with young players,” said general manager Ron Hextall. “He’s a real good two-way player. With many young players, you worry about the defensive side of the puck.” Vorobyev impressed Flyers’ brass after posting seven points in seven preseason games.

Edmonton Oilers Release Jakub Jerabek

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The Edmonton Oilers have released veteran defenseman Jakub Jerabek today and the veteran is waiting to be re-assigned, according to the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples. However, the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson adds that Jerabek may opt to head overseas after a so-so camp, rather than report to Bakersfield.

Jerabek was signed on Aug. 21 to a one-year, $1MM deal to help fill the team’s void on defense after the team lost veteran blueliner Andrej Sekera, who underwent surgery. However, Jerabek lost out to the play of a number of defensemen, including Kevin Gravel as well as rookie Evan Bouchard and veteran Jason Garrison.

The 27-year-old split time in the NHL last year between the Montreal Canadiens and the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, in which he played a total of 36 games, posting two goals and six assists. In the end, Jerabek was used as an emergency defenseman, as he only managed to appear in two playoff games for the Capitals, both in the team’s first series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

 

Training Camp Cuts: 9/30/18

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It’s the last day of September and the start of the regular season is mere days away. Final cuts are looming and the decisions are going to get much tougher. While the drama really lies with the waiver wire over the next few days, keep track here of all the players otherwise sent down right here:

Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)

F Justin Bailey (to Rochester, AHL)
F Nicholas Baptiste (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via CapFriendly)

F Patrick Brown (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Greg McKegg (to Charlotte, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (per CapFriendly)

G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dylan Sikura (to Rockford, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

G Jean-Francois Berube (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Tommy Cross (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Zac Dalpe (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Dan DeSalvo (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Nathan Gerbe (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Miles Koules (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Mark Letestu (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Ryan MacInnis (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Michael Prapavessis (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Dillon Simpson (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Sam Vigneault (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Justin Wade (to Cleveland, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via Mark Stepneski of NHL.com)

F Erik Condra (to Texas, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team Twitter update)

F Jussi Jokinen (released from PTO, via MLive’s Ansar Khan)
F David Pope (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Vili Saarijarvi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Harri Sateri (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Givani Smith (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominic Turgeon (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Filip Zadina (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (per team Twitter update)

D Jakub Jerabek (awaiting assignment)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

G Charlie Lindgren (to Montreal, AHL)

New York Rangers (per team Twitter update)

D Brandon Crawley (to Hartford, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

D Mark Friedman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Carter Hart (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Philippe Myers (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning (per team release)

D Erik Cerna (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Mitchell Stephens (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Alexander Volkov (to Syracuse, AHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (per team Twitter update; Dhiren Mahiban)

D Andreas Borgman (to Toronto, AHL)
F Jeremy Bracco (to Toronto, AHL)
F Adam Brooks (to Toronto, AHL)
F Emerson Clark (to Toronto, AHL)
F Rich Clune (to Toronto, AHL)
F Pierre Engvall (to Toronto, AHL)
F Colin Greening (to Toronto, AHL)
F Carl Grundstrom (to Toronto, AHL)
D Timothy Liljegren (to Toronto, AHL)
F Mason Marchment (to Toronto, AHL)
F Trevor Moore (to Toronto, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Toronto, AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov (to Toronto, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (from Toronto, AHL to Owen Sound, OHL)
D Mac Hollowell (from Toronto, AHL to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)

Washington Capitals (via The Athletic’s Chris Kuk)

F Riley Barber (to Hershey, AHL)
F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)

Minor Transactions: 9/29/18

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Even with waivers and training camp cuts, teams continue to make minor transactions as they need to recall players for their final preseason games.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers from Lehigh Valley of the AHL to play in their preseason game today against the Boston Bruins. The 6-foot-5, 202-pound blueliner was a top candidate to make the team out of training camp, but was sent down recently. The 21-year-old played his first AHL season last year, posting 21 points in 50 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced they have recalled seven players from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL for their game Sunday against the Washington Capitals, including forwards Brian Flynn, Klim Kostin, MacKenzie MacEachern and Adam Musil, as well as defensemen Chris Butler, Mitch Reinke and Tyler Wotherspoon. The Blues are looking to fill that game’s roster with a bunch of minor leaguers to get them experience as well as give some of the veterans some rest before the season starts. Besides Butler, who has spent parts of four seasons with the Blues, Klostin may be the most well-known as the 2017 first-rounder posted 28 points in the AHL last year as an 18-year-old.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled goaltender Colton Point for their preseason finale against Colorado, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. He is expected to play the entire game Sunday after both Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin both missed practice today due to mild muscle strains. Point came over from Colgate University last year after posting a 1.79 GAA and a .944 save percentage there. He’s also fared well in limited time in the preseason, where he’s allowed just three goals on 33 shots in 32:29 minutes of ice time.

Fifteen Players Placed On Waivers

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Another busy day on the waiver wire as 15 players were placed on waivers today, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). No players was claimed from yesterday’s group of 16 players, but with the regular season fast approaching, teams are continuing to make big decisions.

F Justin Bailey (Buffalo)
F Nicholas Baptiste (Buffalo)
F Riley Barber (Washington)
D Matt Bartkowski (Minnesota)
F Patrick Brown (Carolina)
F Erik Condra (Dallas)
G Andrew Hammond (Minnesota)
F Mike Liambas (Minnesota)
D Evan McEneny (Vancouver)
F Greg McKegg (Carolina)
F Michael Mersch (Dallas)
F Liam O’Brien (Washington)
F Kyle Rau (Minnesota)
F Matt Read (Minnesota)
F Anton Rodin (Anaheim) — placed on unconditional waivers (per Lavoie)
D Matt Tennyson (Buffalo)

There are a few interesting names, including the “Hamburglar,” who lost his bid to unseat goaltender Alex Stalock as the backup goaltender in Minnesota. Hammond hasn’t been a full-time backup since the 2015-16 season, but has shown flashes of brilliance when he’s hot, including getting into three playoff appearances for Colorado last year. One of those games, Game 5, Hammond stopped 44 of 45 shots in leading the Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. However, he wasn’t able to keep that success going as he yielded five goals the following game as Colorado was eliminated.

The 23-year-old Bailey is another interesting player who has worked his way up level-by-level and was on the border of a regular spot. Bailey has had three stints in the NHL now and last year’s was one of the more successful ones has he tallied three goals and four points in 12 games. Baptiste is another 23-year-old in Buffalo, who got an even longer look with the Sabres, 33 games, but only managed four goals in that time.

Read is another player with tons of experience. The 32-year-old had played quite a bit in the NHL before struggling to get playing time in Philadelphia, while the 25-year-old Rau posted 23 goals in Iowa last season in the AHL.

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