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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.

AHL Announces 2018-2019 First, Second All-Star Teams

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After announcing their All-Rookie team earlier this week, the AHL have now given us their choices for the first and second All-Star Teams for 2018-19. These players were voted in by coaches, players and media all across the league. This is not the same as the rosters for the All-Star Game, instead these are the top players at each position for the entire season.

First All-Star Team:

Goaltender: Alex Nedeljkovic, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

Defenseman: John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)

Defenseman: Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)

Left Wing: Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Center: Carter Verhaeghe, Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Right Wing: Jeremy Bracco, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Second All-Star Team:

Goaltender: Shane Starrett, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*

Defenseman: Aaron Ness, Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

Defenseman: Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Left Wing: Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*

Center: Chris Mueller, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Right Wing: Andrew Poturalski, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

*Also named to All-Rookie Team

Just like last season when Sami Niku and Mason Appleton made both the All-Rookie and All-Star rosters, Starrett and Benson will draw quite a bit of praise for their outstanding years. The fact that Starrett is having this much success even as an undrafted goaltender is all the more impressive, while Benson certainly delivered on his 32nd-overall selection in his first year of professional hockey.

Talented minor league wingers seem to grow on trees in Toronto, as the team once again has a player with several league accolades. Bracco is currently leading the AHL in scoring with 78 points heading into the last few games of the season, and is a good bet to challenge for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs in the future. So too will Nedeljkovic, who will likely be pushing for a full-time role with the Hurricanes pretty soon.

Nic Dowd Signs Three-Year Extension

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The Washington Capitals have decided to lock up some center depth. Nic Dowd experienced a career year playing on the Capitals’ fourth line this season, and the team has rewarded him with a three-year contract extension. The deal carries an average annual value of $750K, and will keep Dowd under contract through the 2021-22 season.

Now 28, Dowd is about to make his NHL playoff debut after finally finding a home with the Capitals this season. Originally a seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2009, he had only once played more than 40 games in a season prior to 2018-19. This year saw him record eight goals and 22 points in 64 games while anchoring the fourth line, something he’ll likely do for the next few seasons.

That is, unless the Capitals find a better option during that time. Though Dowd has found some financial and career stability with this deal, there’s no reason to believe that the Capitals wouldn’t move on if an upgrade presented itself. The $750K cap hit is nearly the league minimum—in fact it will be by 2021-22—meaning it can be buried in the minor leagues if the team needs a bit of flexibility. Still, Dowd could very well show that he can be a valuable member of the team over the next few weeks given his penchant for scoring timely goals. Of his 17 career NHL tallies, six have been game-winners.

The expansion draft is another thing to consider when looking at a three-year deal for a depth forward. As it was with the Vegas draft two years ago, teams must expose at least two forwards that are under contract for 2021-22 and played at least 40 games the previous year or 70 the previous two combined. While that doesn’t seem like a very tough thing to do, having a player like Dowd meet the criteria is an easy way to give you some flexibility as the draft approaches.

This obviously isn’t a franchise-altering deal for the Capitals, but it is an effective way of insuring you have cheap options for the fourth line moving forward. The team has been stuck in a precarious cap situation the last two seasons, resulting in decisions like burying Devante Smith-Pelly in the minor leagues because of his relatively expensive $1MM salary. He couldn’t serve as an extra forward because the team simply needed the addition cap room to make necessary injury moves. Dowd will now give them that veteran option who can slot into several spots and likely pass through waivers if needed because of the length of the deal.

Minor Transactions: 04/11/19

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The NHL playoffs didn’t disappoint as they got kicked off last night with some exciting finishes, including a roaring come back by the the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Tampa Bay Lightning are now down 1-0 in their first round series after dominating the entire league during the regular season, and will have immense pressure to get back in the win column tomorrow night. For today, three games are on the schedule starting with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins reviving their rivalry. As teams prepare for this action we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the Hershey Bears. The 22-year old Samsonov will serve as the team’s third goaltender during the playoffs, a pretty big blow to the hopes of the Bears who have already locked up a playoff spot. Samsonov posted just an .896 save percentage in 36 games with the Bears this season, but is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world and has all the ability to put together a long AHL playoff run. Instead, he’ll work with the Capitals and allow Braden Holtby to get some rest in practice if needed.
  • Adam Clendening has been returned to the Cleveland Monsters, giving him a chance to suit up for the team tonight between NHL playoff matches. Clendening is serving as an extra defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but will likely bounce back and forth as the Monsters try to secure a playoff spot.
  • Simialrly, Cameron Gaunce was sent to the minor leagues by the Tampa Bay Lightning to help out the Syracuse Crunch. Gaunce had 43 points 57 games for the Crunch this season, his best year yet in the AHL.

NHLPA Files Suspension Appeal On Behalf Of Slava Voynov

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As expected, the NHL Players’ Association will appeal the suspension of defenseman Slava Voynov that was handed down by the NHL on Tuesday. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report than an appeal has been filed and the case will be heard by a neutral arbitrator. A date for the hearing has not yet been announced.

Voynov, 29, was suspended for the entire 2019-20 season and 2020 postseason by the league yesterday for “unacceptable off-ice conduct”, with a conditional date of reinstatement set for July 1st, 2020. Voynov received a lifetime ban from the NHL in 2014 following an incidence of domestic violence and subsequent arrest and conviction, shortly after which he fled to his native Russia. However, the league’s recent decision at least opens the door to a return for the talented blue liner, who spent three years playing abroad in the KHL and sat out the 2018-19 season while awaiting a decision on his NHL reinstatement.

Yet, the league’s leniency was not enough in the eyes of Voynov and the NHLPA. It took only 24 hours for this appeal to be filed as the player’s side tries to shorten the suspension. The NHLPA has had great luck of late in front of an arbitrator; both Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson had highly-publicized long-term suspensions reduced by arbitrator Shyam Das this season. If Das is to again be the one to hear the case, the odds of a reduction are in Voynov’s favor. While the NHLPA does not necessarily condone the actions of Voynov or any other disciplined players, they have a duty to fight for the players’ rights.

The appeal was also likely supported by the Los Angeles Kings, who still own Voynov’s NHL rights. Whether or not the Western Conference’s last-place teams wants to bring the veteran defender back or instead trade him away, a quicker reinstatement is of value to the Kings. The team has still declined to comment publicly on Voynov’s reinstatement, but have no doubt talked with the player, league, and players’ association throughout this process.

Minor Transactions: 04/08/19

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Though we won’t get many transactions this late in the year, teams will take the opportunity over the next few days to send some of their younger players back down to the minor leagues. The AHL season still has another few games to go, and players who are playoff-eligible in the minor leagues will not be quite done with their season even if they’ve already cleared out their NHL locker. We’ll keep track of all these minor moves right here:

  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent Sam Steel, Max Jones, Jacob Larsson and Jaycob Megna down to the San Diego Gulls, giving the AHL squad a boost as they try to lock up a playoff spot. The Gulls are currently in third place in the Pacific Division but haven’t yet clinched a spot thanks to a hard charging Tucson Roadrunners team.
  • Bobby Nardella has signed an amateur tryout with the Hershey Bears, joining the club after recently agreeing to an entry-level deal with the Washington Capitals. Nardella will be joining a Hershey team that has already locked up a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and who have their eyes set on a Calder Cup run.
  • As if Carter Hart wasn’t enough for the Philadelphia Flyers, another young goaltender has joined the organization. Felix Sandstrom has been assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after his season in the SHL came to an end. The 22-year old goaltender signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers in 2018, and was originally selected by them in the third round of the 2015 draft.
  • With Louis Domingue returning from his minor injury, Eddie Pasquale is on his way back to the Syracuse Crunch. That’s a big deal for a team that is one of the favorites to win a Calder Cup this season. The Crunch have the second best record in the entire NHL, and have been relying on Pasquale all season. The 28-year old goaltender has a 25-12-3 record with a .916 save percentage this year.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have sent Alexander Nylander, Lawrence Pilut and Victor Olofsson back to the Rochester Americans for their playoff run, as all three are eligible to compete in the AHL postseason. The Americans have already clinched a spot and could very well make a run at the Calder Cup this season, especially with this trio of talented players back in the fold.

Minor Transactions: 04/07/19

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With the regular season ending Saturday, many teams, especially those who didn’t go to the playoffs, have decided to assign some of their younger players to the AHL to continue to get some playing time. Playoff teams could be adding to their rosters for the upcoming playoff run. Stay tuned to see transactions throughout the day.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled defenseman Jake Bean from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Bean, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, has had an impressive season in his first full season in the AHL and has been recalled several times by the Hurricanes despite having played in just two games. Bean has 13 goals and 31 assists this year with Charlotte. He will likely fill in for Calvin de Haan, who has already missed a week with an upper-body injury.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned several of their young players to join the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, including forwards Joey Anderson, Nathan Bastian, Michael McLeod and Brett Seney. Anderson has played in 34 games for New Jersey, having scored four goals and seven points. Bastian has spent most of his season with Binghamton where he has played 56 games this season, tallying 17 goals for them, while McLeod has appeared in 52 games with 31 points with Binghamton. Seney has spent more of his season with New Jersey, having scored five goals in 51 games for the NHL squad.
  • CapFriendly is reporting that the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Zac Rinaldo from his conditioning stint with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Rinaldo was assigned in Milwaukee on Apr. 2 despite undergoing what was considered to be season-ending shoulder surgery in February. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Jan. 1. He played three games for Milwaukee.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have assigned four players to return to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The team will send forwards Trent Frederic, Anton Blidh and Zach Senyshyn as well as defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to their former team. Frederic played 15 games for Boston, but didn’t register a point. Blidh played in one game, while Senyshyn played in two games, registering one goal. Lauzon played in 16 games for Boston.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 26-year-old has spent all but four games with Cleveland, putting up four goals and 36 points in 43 games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced a flurry of moves today as they have assigned eight players to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, including forwards Christoffer Ehn, Martin Frk, Matt Puempel and Dominic Turgeon, defensemen Jake Chelios, Joe Hicketts, Filip Hronek and Dylan McIlrath. The team also assigned goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
  • The New York Rangers have assigned several players to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, according to the AHL transactions page. The team has returned forward Vinni Lettieri and defensemen John Gilmour and Ryan Lindgren. The 24-year-old Lettieri played 27 games for the Rangers this season, but was dominant in Hartford, posting 23 goals and 46 points in 44 games. Gilmour has also dominated in Hartford, putting up 20 goals in 66 games, while Lindgren added needed physicality for Hartford in 63 games as well.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have returned forward Corban Knight and defenseman Mark Friedman to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Knight, who was injured for much of the season, has only played in four games for Phantoms this season, putting up six points. Friedman, who made his NHL debut Saturday, has played 71 games for Lehigh Valley this season.
  • The Washington Capitals announced they have assigned forward Nathan Walker to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The 25-year-old Walker has appeared in three games for the Capitals, but will return to Hershey wher he played 54 games this season, posting 14 goals and 34 points.
  • With an injury to goaltender Corey Crawford Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled Kevin Lankinen from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He wasn’t needed, however, and the team announced they have returned the young goaltender to the IceHogs. The 23-year-old fared well in his rookie season with Rockford, putting up a .911 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA in 18 appearances.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned defenseman Andreas Englund to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Englund played three games for Ottawa this season.
  • Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jaycob Megna cleared waivers Sunday and assigned to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 26-year-old Megna played 28 games for the Ducks while playing 35 for the Gulls.

NHL Postseason First Round Match-Ups And Schedule Released

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The NHL worked quickly after yesterday’s results, releasing the schedule for the first round of playoff action this morning, despite only two series being set in stone heading into Saturday’s final games. Per the league release, this is how the 16 teams who qualified for the postseason will match up over the next few weeks:

Eastern Conference

A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets

Wednesday, April 10th @ 7pm ET
Friday, April 12th @ 7pm ET
Sunday, April 14th @ 7pm ET
Tuesday, April 16th @ 7pm ET
Friday, April 19th (if necessary)
Sunday, April 21st (if necessary)
Tuesday, April 23rd (if necessary)

M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC1 Carolina Hurricanes

Thursday, April 11th @ 7:30pm ET
Saturday, April 13th @ 3pm ET
Monday, April 15th @ 7pm ET
Thursday, April 18th @ 7pm ET
Saturday, April 20th (if necessary)
Monday, April 22nd (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 24th (if necessary)

A2 Boston Bruins vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs

Thursday, April 11th @ 7pm ET
Saturday, April 13th @ 8pm ET
Monday, April 15th @ 7pm ET
Wednesday, April 17th @ 7pm ET
Friday, April 19th (if necessary)
Sunday, April 21st (if necessary)
Tuesday, April 23rd (if necessary)

M2 New York Islanders vs. M3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Wednesday, April 10th @ 7:30pm ET
Friday, April 12th @ 7:30pm ET
Sunday, April 14th @ 12pm ET
Tuesday, April 16th @ 7:30pm ET
Thursday, April 18th (if necessary)
Saturday, April 20th (if necessary)
Monday, April 22nd (if necessary)

Western Conference

P1 Calgary Flames vs. WC2 Colorado Avalanche

Thursday, April 11th @ 10pm ET
Saturday, April 13th @ 10:30pm ET
Monday, April 15th @ 10pm ET
Wednesday, April 17th @ 10pm ET
Friday, April 19th (if necessary)
Sunday, April 21st (if necessary)
Tuesday, April 23rd (if necessary)

C1 Nashville Predators vs. WC1 Dallas Stars

Wednesday, April 10th @ 9:30pm ET
Saturday, April 13th @ 6pm ET
Monday, April 15th @ 9:30pm ET
Wednesday, April 17th @ 8pm ET
Saturday, April 20th (if necessary)
Monday, April 22nd (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 24th (if necessary)

P2 San Jose Sharks vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights

Wednesday, April 10th @ 10:30pm ET
Friday, April 12th @ 10:30pm ET
Sunday, April 14th @ 10pm ET
Tuesday, April 16th @ 10:30pm ET
Thursday, April 18th (if necessary)
Sunday, April 21st (if necessary)
Tuesday, April 23rd (if necessary)

C2 Winnipeg Jets vs. C3 St. Louis Blues

Wednesday, April 10th @ 8pm ET
Friday, April 12th @ 9:30pm ET
Sunday, April 14th @ 7:30pm ET
Tuesday, April 16th @ 9:30pm ET
Thursday, April 18th (if necessary)
Saturday, April 20th (if necessary)
Monday, April 22nd (if necessary)

A reminder that NHL playoff series are a 2-2-1-1-1 format wherein the higher seed hosts the first two games, the lower seed hosts the second two games, and the teams switch off the final three games if necessary. The NHL also uses a best-of-seven format, so it will take four wins for any team to move on to the next round.

While today begins a three-day stretch without any hockey, the league is ready to kick off the postseason in style with five games on Wednesday night. The first round can stretch on for two whole weeks potentially, with the final games scheduled for Wednesday, April 24th. Put these dates in your calendar and get ready for playoff hockey.

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