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Bryan Little Likely To Return Thursday, Anthony Bitetto Out

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The Jets appear to be on the verge of getting a key forward back as centre Bryan Little appears to be likely to return to their lineup tomorrow, reports Postmedia’s Paul Friesen.  He suffered a concussion in Winnipeg’s final game of the preseason and has been on injured reserve ever since.  While his offensive numbers have dipped a little bit in recent years, the 31-year-old should be able to give them a bit of a boost offensively which would bode well for a team that is currently third in the league in goals scored.

Meanwhile, Friesen adds that defenseman Anthony Bitetto will miss Thursday’s game due to an undisclosed injury.  That will open up a spot for rookie Ville Heinola to return to the lineup.  That will mark the sixth game of the season for the Jets’ first-round pick meaning he will only be able to play three more this season without burning the first year of his entry-level deal.

Patrik Laine Takes Home Second Star

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While Sidney Crosby isn’t much of a surprise in the third star spot, many may have not been expecting such a strong start for Patrik Laine who came in second. The Winnipeg Jets sniper had eight points in four games last week and is showing the entire league that last year’s disappointing totals were an aberration.

Pending Decisions On Players Eligible For Contract Slides

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While it’s less than two weeks into the season, several teams will soon be faced with an important decision when it comes to some of their top young talents.  Once a junior-aged player plays in his tenth game of the season, it officially burns the first year of their entry-level contract.  Some teams have shown a willingness to do so in recent years while others have been more hesitant.  Here are the players that teams will need to need to make a decision in the near future.

Games played totals are as of Saturday, October 12.  The list of players has been restricted to players that have played in at least one NHL game this season or are currently up with their team.

Tobias Bjornfot (Kings) – 3 GP – He has played in all but one game so far but it’s fair to say that Bjornfot has struggled at times.  Los Angeles isn’t the deepest team defensively but from a longer-term perspective, it’s reasonable to think that Rob Blake would like to keep an extra cheap year on the books for when they’re likely to be more of a postseason contender so while Bjornfot is up for now, that may change before much longer.

Noah Dobson (Islanders) – 2 GP – Unlike a lot of players on this list, it’s the NHL or the CHL for Dobson and he was pretty dominant at the junior level a year ago.  That makes it a bit more understandable that New York is keeping him around even if he isn’t a full-time member of their top-six yet.  Dobson is probably going to be in a similar spot over the next month or so where he’ll get a few games but will spend a lot of time as a scratch as well.  If they do decide to send him back to the QMJHL, they’ll be limiting how long he actually spends there.

Martin Fehervary (Capitals) – 3 GP – Feharvary making the opening roster one year after being a mid-second-round pick came as a surprise but he held his own.  However, with Washington having some cap concerns, they’ve already sent him down.  They did so early enough that he could come up for a couple of weeks without triggering the first year of his deal but instead, it will be how he performs in the AHL that determines whether or not his contract will begin this season or next.

David Gustafsson (Jets) – 0 GP – This isn’t an injury situation; the Jets have simply made the 2018 second-round pick a healthy scratch in every game so far.  He’s still under contract in the SHL (though his contract isn’t known to contain a European Assignment Clause) so this could simply be a case of them trying to decide what path is the best for his development.  It’s hard to imagine him going past nine games at this stage.

Barrett Hayton (Coyotes) – 2 GP – For the second straight year, Hayton broke camp with the Coyotes but playing time has been sparse so far.  Similar to Dobson, he’s in NHL or CHL territory and there isn’t much left for him to prove in junior hockey.  This should be another case where he’ll be up for a while yet but his playing time will be limited until they decide whether or not to keep him for ten games or more.

Ville Heinola (Jets) – 5 GP – A month ago, Heinola wasn’t even on the radar for a roster spot coming into training camp despite the departures of several key defenders.  Now, with Dustin Byfuglien gone as well, there’s even more ice time up for grabs and he has made the most of it, logging over 19 minutes a game.  Unless Byfuglien changes his plans quickly, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll get past the nine-game mark (though he has been scratched for two straight games now) but the second threshold may be one to watch for here.  (More on that shortly.)

Jack Hughes (Devils) – 5 GP – This one is pretty much a given.  While he has looked a little overmatched at times, Hughes has still shown several promising flashes.  Top picks will get a long look and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case here.  Barring a big surprise, he’ll be up for the full season.

Kaapo Kakko (Rangers) – 3 GP – Playing time has been limited due to a strange scheduling oddity that has the Rangers playing just three times in the first two weeks of the season so that means it will take until a little later in the calendar for him to get to nine games.  He hasn’t looked out of place through his three games and there’s little reason to think he won’t be up for the season.

Rasmus Sandin (Maple Leafs) – 6 GP – Sandin has played in every game so far, albeit in a rather limited role.  Travis Dermott’s return isn’t too far away and once he’s activated, there may not be a spot for Sandin.  Accordingly, Toronto could hold Sandin out for a couple of games in the next couple of weeks if they wanted to play it safe.  If he does get into ten games, he’s another player who the second threshold will be a factor on.

For some teams, preserving that extra cheap year on an entry-level deal is crucial but others have been more inclined to go past that threshold and focus on the second one instead.  That one is 40 games on the roster and that one includes games as a scratch; it’s not games played-focused.  Once a player meets that threshold, they accrue one year of eligibility towards unrestricted free agency.  In other words, they burn a year of team control at that time.

Getting to that threshold would allow for more evaluation for the prospects and in the cases of Dobson and Hayton, it would limit how much time they’d ultimately be forced to spend in junior at a level they’re already above if they were indeed sent back.  Anyone who goes past the ten games played mark but doesn’t reach 40 on the active roster won’t have enough service time to be eligible for an offer sheet at the expiration of their contract either which also has to be taken into consideration.

For players like Hughes and Kakko, it’s a safe bet that the decision is all but made already; they’ll be sticking around for the entire season.  Others like Gustafsson appear to be likely to not get to ten games played.  But there are a handful of prospects that teams are going to make a call on before too much longer, even if they do scratch them for some games to delay having to make that decision.  With things largely quiet on the trade front in the early going, this will be one of the elements to watch for over the next few weeks.

Patrik Laine Acknowledges Contract Situation Affected His Play Last Season

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Jets winger Patrik Laine battled inconsistency throughout most of last season with a significant portion of his 30 goals last season coming in November where he scored 18 times.  Beyond that month, he struggled considerably at times and admitted to NHL.com’s Tim Campbell that the stress of not having a contract beyond the end of the year was getting to him.  With a lot of top players now bypassing the bridge deals altogether, there’s a lot more pressure knowing that the big money contract can be on the horizon.  However, his inconsistencies ultimately resulted in him having to take a short-term pact but he certainly seems more comfortable now as his ten points in five games give him a tie for the early league lead in scoring.

Minor Transactions: 10/11/19

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Patrick Marleau and Brayden Point sure didn’t seem like they had any rust on them when they returned for San Jose and Tampa Bay last night, both scoring a pair of goals and leading their teams to victory. Thursday was filled with high-scoring matchups and tonight’s action could be the same as six teams battle in three games. The Carolina Hurricanes will welcome in the New York Islanders and try to stay perfect, while the Buffalo Sabres aim to prove their explosive start isn’t a mirage. As teams prepare for tonight and a big weekend around the NHL, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned Sami Niku to the minor leagues, now that both Dmitry Kulikov and Josh Morrissey are back playing. Even with a ravaged defense corps, the Jets have won two games in a row and now sit just a single point behind the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Central Division. Niku, 23, will have to wait patiently for his next opportunity, which will likely come whenever the team faces another injury.
  • Gustav Bouramman has landed on his feet in Sweden after accepting a contract termination earlier this month. The 22-year old defenseman has signed a six-week contract with Farjestad BK of the SHL to cover an injury absence, but will have a chance to earn an extension if he plays well enough. In 23 games with the Iowa Wild last season, Bouramman recorded just two points.
  • With Corey Perry approaching a return, Denis Gurianov has been assigned to the Texas Stars after playing in three games with Dallas to start the year. Gurianov didn’t score, but did get some more valuable development time with the NHL as he looks to take the next step in his career. Selected 12th overall in 2015, Gurianov has played 25 games in the NHL so far.A
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Joseph Blandisi under emergency conditions, returning Andrew Agozzino at the same time. Agozzino played just five shifts (1:44 TOI) in yesterday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. Blandisi meanwhile played six games with the Penguins last year and has 80 under his belt at the NHL level.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have flipped depth defensemen, recalling Ilya Lyubushkin from Tucson (AHL) and sending Kyle Capobianco to the Roadrunners.  Lyubushkin played in 41 games with the Coyotes last season but was left in the minors to start this season to get some playing time while Capobianco sat as a healthy scratch with the Coyotes.  Now it appears that those roles will be reversed.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Nicolas Roy to Chicago of the AHL, reports SinBin.Vegas.  He was called up more than a week ago but didn’t get into any action.  Roy was the key part of the trade return for Erik Haula over the offseason following a strong showing with Carolina’s farm team in the playoffs.  He’ll likely see a big role with the Wolves and should be in line for another recall at some point later on in the season.

Minor Transactions: 10/09/19

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The Drew Doughty–Matthew Tkachuk battle stole the show in the NHL last night, but James Neal’s four-goal performance wasn’t one to miss either. After that outstanding night of hockey, the league is back with three more tilts tonight. Notably, the Vancouver Canucks are set to name their next captain while Wayne Simmonds will be returning to face the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time since signing in New Jersey. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned Nelson Nogier to the minor leagues, as Dmitry Kulikov is expected to be available for their next game. Kulikov had been away on a personal leave for the birth of a child, but will be welcomed back in with open arms in Winnipeg. The Jets have a decimated defense group at the moment, but were still good enough to hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.
  • After clearing waivers, Kalle Kossila has been loaned to the AHL by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kossila may be a potential call-up at some point this season, but for now just needs to get back on the ice after recovering from injury.

Minor Transactions: 10/08/19

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After a relatively quiet Monday night around the NHL, things are ready to kick into high gear tonight with eight games on the schedule. Among those are some heavyweight matchups and upstart battles, but perhaps most interesting will be one between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames. Though the Kings may not be quite ready for playoff contention, don’t tell Drew Doughty that. The veteran defenseman has been in the news this week as he prepares to face his young rival in Matthew Tkachuk tonight.

As always we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make in preparation for tonight’s action.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have officially recalled Sami Niku and Nelson Nogier from the AHL, while placing Bryan Little on injured reserve. The team has also given Dmitry Kulikov a personal leave, making their defense quite an inexperienced group for tonight’s game. Josh Morrissey will also not be back in the lineup even after returning to practice in full yesterday, meaning the team will have a tough test containing Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
  • After using some deft roster management to get the full benefit of long-term injured reserve yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have sent Oliwer Kaski and Ryan Kuffner back to the minor leagues. Andreas Athanasiou has also been activated and should be in the Red Wings’ lineup tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
  • Kevin Connauton has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, who were carrying just six defensemen while Ian Cole continues to recover from injury. The team will take on the Boston Bruins on Thursday, though it is not clear who exactly will be in the lineup at this point.

Morning Notes: Three Stars, Leighton, Morrissey

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for the first week of the season, and New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad leads the way. Zibanejad leads the NHL with eight points through his first two games, including a hat-trick on the weekend against the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers are off to a fast 2-0 start in a season that they hope will end in a playoff run for the young squad, and Zibanejad will be a huge part of that process.

Anthony Mantha and Auston Matthews take home the other two spots after scoring five goals each in their first week. Mantha did it in just two games, including a four-goal performance last night against the Dallas Stars. The 25-year old winger is looking to build off his career-high 25 goals a year ago, which he recorded in just 67 games. Matthews meanwhile continues his October dominance, scoring in each of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first three contests. The 22-year old center now has 30 goals in 35 career games in the month of October.

  • Michael Leighton has decided to hang up his pads after a long professional career, announcing his retirement through Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The veteran goaltender played for 21 different teams over an 18-year career, suiting up 111 times in the NHL regular season. Perhaps most notably though was his appearance for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 playoffs, where he started 13 games and recorded a .916 save percentage. The Flyers would lose in the Stanley Cup Final to the Chicago Blackhawks, with Patrick Kane scoring his classic Cup-winning goal in overtime of game six against Leighton.
  • Josh Morrissey returned to practice for the Winnipeg Jets today, and his presence will be welcomed wholeheartedly whenever he’s able to suit up for a game. The Jets defense has been ravaged by everything from free agency, to injury and even potential retirement, leaving Morrissey as the most important blueliner on the team. The team is back in action tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, before returning home for a game on Thursday night.

Central Notes: Strome, Little, Dickinson, Comeau

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After watching a long line of restricted free agents waiting until the end of the summer (and many well into training camp) to sign, many teams are trying to get their RFAs locked up as soon as possible. After the Chicago Blackhawks signed Alex DeBrincat to a new three-year, $19.2MM deal the day before the season started, the next question many fans have now is whether Dylan Strome might be next in line for a contract.

The tough point for Chicago, however, is the sample size, according to NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis. Strome struggled significantly while with Arizona before finally taking off once traded to the Blackhawks. He scored 17 goals and 51 points in 58 games once traded to the Blackhawks. However, does that mean Strome should get a big contract based on that partial season?

“I don’t anticipate negotiating through the press with Dylan either and I think that was a nice thing with Alex, you guys kind of left us alone with that one, so I would suggest to do the same thing,” Stan Bowman joked with the media. “But we have time on that. Certainly that’s the next order of business. Whether we do it now or in a month or in six months, I can’t say at this point, but certainly that’s something we’ll take a look at.”

  • NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton reports that Winnipeg Jets veteran center Bryan Little skated with the team at Sunday’s morning skate, wearing a gold non-contact jersey. Little has been out for a week since suffering a concussion a week ago in their preseason finale against the Wild. It’s a step in the right direction, but don’t expect Little to be inserted into the lineup immediately. “You get him out there with a lot of traffic and motion and see how he feels,” said head coach Paul Maurice. “He’s moved closer, but I don’t think he’s ready for (Pittsburgh) because he’d need more than one full contact practice. We’ll get him through at least one or two more in the gold.”
  • The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that forward Jason Dickinson is still expected to be out another week, if not more, with an upper-body injury after taking a cross check against Boston, while veteran Blake Comeau remains out between two to four weeks with a lower-body injury. Dickinson was just starting to establish himself as a second-line option for Dallas before the injury. He scored six goals and 22 points last year in his first full season. The team is hoping for more from the 24-year-old. Comeau is a key bottom-line player for Dallas.

New Jersey Devils Sign Joe Morrow

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26-year-old Joe Morrow is set to join his sixth different NHL franchise. Or seventh if you count his recent training camp stint with the New York Rangers. The New Jersey Devils must have seen something they liked while he was in camp with their cross-town rivals, as the team has announced a one-year, two-way contract with Morrow. The deal is worth the minimum $700K at the NHL level and $250K in the AHL. He has been placed on waivers today for the purpose of reassignment to AHL Binghamton.

Morrow has quietly established himself as a capable puck-moving depth option on the blue line, despite a career in which teams have been willing to move on from him quickly. Morrow was traded twice before even making his NHL debut; first from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who current Devils GM Ray Shero selected in the first round in 2011, to the Dallas Stars, then from the Stars to the Boston Bruins. Morrow played in 65 games with Boston in his first four pro seasons, but failed to impress and the team opted not to qualify him in 2017, making him a free agent. Morrow signed with the Montreal Canadiens and finally looked like his ability had caught up to his draft billing, but the Habs dealt him to the Winnipeg Jets before the end of the season. After continuing his career-best campaign with Winnipeg, even contributing in the playoffs, the Jets held on to him last year. However, he failed to capitalize in 41 games, the most NHL action he had seen with one team in a season, and the Jets also decided not to extend a qualifying offer. Morrow received little attention in the off-season and his PTO with the Rangers didn’t pan out.

However, the Devils see a smooth skating defenseman with 162 games of NHL experience and strong AHL production and are clearly willing to take a chance. It’s likely not a coincidence that Morrow’s signing comes after New Jersey surrendered 12 goals in it’s first two games of the new season. Despite adding P.K. Subban this summer to a defense corps that also features other highly-mobile rearguards like Sami Vatanen, Damon Severson, and Will Butcher, it’s apparent that Shero is not happy with the early results and is looking to add depth. Morrow’s career production is very similar to that of Connor Carrick and superior to the likes of Mirco Mueller and Matt Tennyson, plus he brings the most playoff experience of the group. One could argue that he has a better defensive track record than the rest as well. If Morrow can find his groove in the AHL, he could easily challenge for a higher spot on the depth chart and perhaps even a regular role in New Jersey.

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