Injury Notes: Little, McNabb, Toews
The Winnipeg Jets have scored a respectable 62 goals in 24 games, and they’ve done it without one of their top weapons. Bryan Little has been out since being injured just two and a half minutes into his season, but will return tonight against the New Jersey Devils on home ice. The 29-year old is a proven goal scorer in the NHL, with 163 to his name including four seasons of 20+. The Jets have placed Nic Petan on injured reserve retroactive to November 27th to make room.
While the media has focused on the Jets’ lack of faceoff success, Little thinks he can help the team in that department.
That’s one of my goals to come back. It’s something I feel like I can be good at right away again, to get back into the faceoff dot. I see the guys working on it every day, they’re talking to the coaches, watching video and practicing in practice.
I think we can all help each other a bit. Throughout the game we take faceoffs against different centermen on the other team…we’ve got some good communication through the centers of trying to work through things.
Little is actually a 48.6% faceoff man throughout his career, though he won just over half of his draws last season which led the Winnipeg centers.
- According to Jon Rosen of NHL.com, Brayden McNabb took to the ice today for the first time since injuring his collarbone on October 29th. While he didn’t take part in any drills, it’s a step in the right direction for the big defenseman. Rosen passes on from head coach Darryl Sutter that McNabb is still “at least a month away”. The 25-year old had been logging over 20 minutes a night for the Los Angeles Kings before being injured, skating alongside Drew Doughty in what was considered by some to be the second-best pairing in the league. The Kings, not short on defenders, have continued to be tough to score against even without McNabb or Jonathan Quick, who remains out.
- Jonathan Toews will miss his third straight game tonight when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Florida Panthers. The team captain was seen in street clothes while the team was practicing, meaning his return might not be imminent. Chicago is 1-1-1 without Toews in the lineup, having lost to the Kings in overtime on Saturday.
How Will The Expansion Draft Impact Canadian Teams?
Continuing our look at different expansion draft angles, CBC’s Amy Cleveland examines how the draft will affect the seven teams in Canada. Laying out the rules for the draft, Cleveland looks further and prognosticates who she sees as “potentially protected” versus those players who would be “intriguing” in being exposed. She further writes that all seven Canadian teams will be able to protect the bulk of their important players. The Flames sit prettiest without any non-movement clauses in contracts while the Leafs and Senators have only one player with an NMC (Nathan Horton, and Dion Phaneuf respectively).
Below are Cleveland’s picks for each team. Going to CBC’s page with the story includes in depth reasoning behind each of Cleveland’s choices.
Calgary Flames
NMC protected players: None.
Potentially protected:
- Forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Troy Brouwer, Michael Frolik, Mikael Backlund, Sam Bennett, Micheal Ferland
- Defencemen Dougie Hamilton, T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano
- Goalie Chad Johnson
Intriguing exposed:
- Matt Stajan (F), Lance Bouma (F), Brett Kulak (D)
Edmonton Oilers
NMC protected players: Milan Lucic (F), Andrej Sekera (D), Cam Talbot (G)
Potentially protected:
- Forwards: Lucic, Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Patrick Maroon, Tyler Pitlick, Zack Kassian
- Defencemen: Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson
- Goalie: Talbot
Intriguing exposed:
- Benoit Pouliot (F), Mark Letestu (F)
Montreal Canadiens
NMC protected players: Carey Price (G), Jeff Petry (D)
Potentially protected:
- Forwards Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, Alexander Radulov, Max Pacioretty, Paul Byron, Andrew Shaw, Phillip Danault
- Defencemen Petry, Shea Weber, Nathan Beaulieu
- Goalie: Price
Intriguing exposed:
- Tomas Plekanec (F), Jacob De la Rose (F- RFA), Alexei Emelin (D), Greg Pateryn (D)
Ottawa Senators
NMC protected players: Dion Phaneuf (D)
Potentially protected:
- Forwards: Kyle Turris, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard, Ryan Dzingel, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Curtis Lazar
- Defencemen: Phaneuf, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci
- Goalie: Craig Anderson
Intriguing exposed:
- Bobby Ryan (F), Marc Methot (D)
Toronto Maple Leafs
NMC protected players: Nathan Horton (F)
Potentially protected:
- Forwards Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, Matt Martin, Connor Brown
- Defencemen Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, Connor Carrick
- Goalie Frederik Andersen
Vancouver Canucks
NMC protected players: Loui Eriksson (F), Daniel Sedin (F), Henrik Sedin (F)
Potentially protected:
- Forwards: Eriksson, Sedin twins, Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat, Markus Granlund, Jannik Hansen
- Defencemen Alexander Edler, Christopher Tanev, Erik Gudbranson
- Goalie Jacob Markstrom
Intriguing exposed:
- Sven Baertschi (F), Derek Dorsett (F), Luca Sbisa (D)
Winnipeg Jets
NMC protected players: Dustin Byfuglien (D), Toby Enstrom (D)
Potentially protected:
- Forwards: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Adam Lowry
- Defencemen: Byfuglien, Enstrom, Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba
- Goalie Connor Hellebuyck
Intriguing exposed:
- Mathieu Perreault (F), Marko Dano (F), Mark Stuart (D)
Toby Enstrom Leaves Team For Personal Matter
According to former NHL defenseman turned TSN analyst Shane Hnidy, Toby Enstrom has left the Winnipeg Jets and returned to his home in Sweden for a personal family matter. The team has no timetable for his return, and has not released any details.
Enstrom, 32, has long been a staple on the back end for the Jets/Thrashers, logging over 20 minutes a night in every year of his career. This season, the former eighth-round pick has put up 7 points in 22 games skating mostly alongside Tyler Myers when the big defender has been healthy.
For his career Enstrom has 295 points in 638 games, breaking in way back in 2007-08. A career +5 player on some very bad teams, he’s signed for one more season at $5.75MM before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Hopefully all is well for Enstrom back home, and the trip is to celebrate something instead of grieve. A big part of the Jets, they’ll need him if they’re to turn around their slow start.
Injury Updates: Chara, Boyle, Scandella, Connor, Eichel
Zdeno Chara is day to day after the Bruins released a very short release on his status. Chara left the game after one shift in the second period, and bench boss Claude Julien reported that he knew nothing further about the injury. In the statement, the Bruins characterized the injury as lower body, while Mike Loftus tweets that the Bruins don’t expect Chara to play Thursday and that he’s “iffy” for Friday’s game. Chara is a +12 this season and has six points (1-5) in 19 games.
In other injury news:
- Bryan Burns tweets that Tampa Bay center Brian Boyle is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Erik Eriendsson also tweets his day-to-day status and writes that he’ll be out for the game tonight. Boyle was also not at the morning skate.
- The Minnesota Wild’s Marco Scandella is back in the lineup after missing the last 10 games. Mike Halford writes that Scandella has been skating for the past 10 days after suffering an ankle injury. He also writes that his Scandella’s return will bolster a blue line tasked with stopping the Jets’ Patrik Laine.
- Speaking of the Jets, Kyle Connor has taken his non-contact jersey off in practice tweets Ken Wiebe. Connor has been out with an upper body injury since last week.
- Jack Eichel might be back in 3-5 games tweets Mike Harrington. Head coach Dan Bylsma believes that “the end is near” for the Sabres being without their star center, though there is no expected timetable per Bylsma.
Vancouver No Longer Pursuing Evander Kane
Well, so much for that homecoming. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the talks between the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres on a possible Evander Kane deal are dead (for now). McKenzie does admit that there had been a dialogue, but how close the two teams got to a deal is still unclear.
Over the past few months, there have been on-again-off-again rumors surrounding a possible interest in bringing Evander Kane back to Vancouver, where he grew up and played his junior hockey. While his troubled history with the Sabres continued, many saw it as a possible fresh start for the power forward.
This deal has been rumored going back to the summer, but heated up in the last few days after McKenzie mentioned on Tuesday that the two had started discussing a possible trade again. Remember however, that it was also the Minnesota Wild who were talking to the Sabres about a possible deal earlier this month, and have not yet been ruled out.
If Kane is to move somewhere, it would be the second time a franchise has moved on from him after not being able to settle his off-ice activity. The Winnipeg Jets benched Kane, scratched him and asked him to quit social media amid a long-list of clashes between he and, well, basically everyone else around him. It hasn’t stopped in Buffalo, as the troubled star has had multiple run-ins with the law and simply hasn’t been all that effective when he’s on the ice.
Whichever team does acquire him, if he truly is on the move, will have a project on their hands that at this point doesn’t seem fixable. How long will his off-ice antics be tolerated if he continues to struggle in uniform. Currently he has just one point in his first six games this season, after dealing with three cracked ribs early on.
Penguins Waive Tom Sestito, Jets Place Axel Blomqvist On Unconditional Waivers
The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed left winger Tom Sestito on waivers, reports CBC’s Tim Wharnsby (Twitter link).
Sestito has played in eight games with the Penguins this season, recording an assist along with 24 penalty minutes, second on the team to Evgeni Malkin. He’s also averaging a team-low 5:28 per game of ice time.
This is Sestito’s second year in Pittsburgh’s organization although he spent the bulk of last year with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It would seem likely that he’ll be headed back there if he clears waivers on Friday although a team official told Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) that the decision to waive him was to give them more roster flexibility.
The enforcer has played in 149 games in parts of nine NHL seasons with Columbus, Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh. He has a total of ten goals and ten assists in that span along with 475 penalty minutes.
Wharnsby also reports that the Jets have placed prospect left winger Axel Blomqvist on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination. He signed with the Jets back in October of 2013 as an undrafted free agent but has yet to make it past the minor league level. He has only suited up in Tulsa of the ECHL this season, scoring twice in six games. A report from Johan Svensson of Expressen (Swedish link) states that Blomqvist is expected to sign with Sodertalje of the Swedish Allsvenskan.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Olympics, KHL
The NHL has named Tuukka Rask, Mark Scheifele, and Pekka Rinne as the three stars of the week.
Rask went 4-0-0 with a 0.970 SV% and a 0.75 GAA. He had two shutouts, and has now won 10 of his first 11 games, making him the second Bruins goalie in their 92-year history to do so. Bruins legend Gerry Cheevers is the only other Bruins goalie to do so. Boston is proving to be rather dependent on Rask; they’re 0-5 without him and 10-1 with him.
Scheifele scored 3 goals and 6 points in 4 games, pushing him into a first place tie for the NHL scoring lead. The Jets earned 7 out of a possible 8 points during the week, bumping them to second in the Central Division.
Rinne went 3-0-0 during the week, with a sparkling 0.976 SV% and a 0.67 GAA to go alongside one shutout. Rinne has five wins so far this season, as Nashville makes their way back into playoff contention after a tough start.
- It’s not looking great for NHL fans hoping to see their favorite players in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Commissioner Gary Bettman has admitted that he has explored the idea of the NHL skipping 2018 in Pyeongchang but returning in 2022 in Beijing. The NHL has participated in every Winter Olympics since Nagano 1998. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly noted the International Olympic Committee’s decision not to pay the NHL for what they have in the past has not changed. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston points out that the NHL and NHLPA have “stated unequivocally that they’re unwilling to start paying the estimated $10-million while also interrupting the season.” That money is for player travel and insurance.
- Meanwhile, the KHL is considering trimming the number of franchises in their league. League president Dmitry Chernyshenko told R-Sport that they’re planning to talk about “an optimization of the number of clubs taking part.” Chernyshenko suggesting it’s possible that “the league could contract.” The KHL just expanded to China for this season, but Kunlun Red Star has struggled to attract fans. As well, the floundering price of oil has hurt the league’s funding in Russia.
Pacific Division Notes: Burns, Kopitar, Virtanen
Assuming he resists overtures from the Sharks to sign a massive extension first, Brent Burns will hit free agency next July as one of, if not the top player on the market. In fact, as Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News writes, his situation closely mirrors that which confronted Steven Stamkos last season.
Like Stamkos, Burns will be a much-desired commodity if he reaches the open market. And just like Tampa Bay, the Sharks surely want to retain their star player. Though again, like Tampa Bay, San Jose will want to do so at a price less than that which Burns will be able find in free agency.
Of course the situation has already generated a lot media attention and will continue to do so until a resolution is reached. For many players, his pending free agency can prove to be a distraction and perhaps even impact his performance on the ice. That doesn’t seem to be the case to date for Burns as the 31-year-old blue liner has already tallied six goals and 14 points through 15 contests. But should Burns struggle with the attention and seek advice on how to handle things, he has a good resource in his friend Stamkos.
As Pashelka notes, the two players have known each other for more than two decades and spent some time together this summer. But according to Stamkos, Burns didn’t broach the subject of his free agency:
“Can’t say we’ve had a lot of discussions about it. I’m definitely open to a conversation if it comes a point where he needs somebody to talk to. But I know Burnzie. He knows what he’s doing.”
Burns certainly enjoys playing in San Jose and likely will give the Sharks every opportunity to extend his contract. Surely the Sharks will hope that Burns, like Stamkos, decided to forsake the probability of more money to remain somewhere he is happy.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- It looks like the Kings may have dodged a bullet as the upper-body-injury suffered by team captain Anze Kopitar is considered day-to-day, reports Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times. Kopitar appeared to injure his wrist/upper arm area when taking a spill along the boards in the third period of the team’s tilt with Ottawa. Kopitar, one of the NHL’s best centers, did miss this afternoon’s game against Winnipeg but the fact he’s been listed as day-to-day is good news for a team that dropped to 7 – 8 – 1 after today’s shootout loss to the Jets. The 29-year-old native of Slovenia is off to a slow start production-wise, with just eight points in 15 games.
- Earlier this week the Vancouver Canucks assigned 20-year-old winger Jake Virtanen to their AHL affiliate in Utica. However, as reported, the team recalled Virtanen today after he saw action in two games this weekend for the Comets. Virtanen is off to a tough start to the campaign with just one point, an assist, in 10 games with Vancouver. He was also held off the scoresheet this weekend while suiting up for Utica. Virtanen did not play today in the Canucks 5 – 4 win OT win over Dallas.
Jacob Trouba Set To Make 2016-17 Season Debut
According to head coach Paul Maurice, recently re-signed defenseman Jacob Trouba will make his 2016-17 season debut tonight against Colorado, tweets Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. The Jets and the RFA blue liner settled on a two-year, bridge pact on Monday that comes with an AAV of $3MM. Trouba had asked for a trade out of Winnipeg last season but has since rescinded that request.
Of course one of the issues Trouba talked about during the stalemate was the fact he wanted to play on his natural, right side but with Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers on the depth chart above him, those opportunities had been few and far between with the Jets. Maurice did not state whether Trouba would see action on the right side or with whom he would play, saying only: “We’re going to send him out there with a right-handed stick.”
The coach also did not indicate who would be coming out of the lineup tonight to make room for Trouba though Wiebe suggested Paul Postma was the likeliest option. Postma has appeared in 12 games so far this season and has two points for the Jets.
Despite inking a new deal to remain in Winnipeg and pulling back his trade request, rumors linger that the team could still move him. Now under contract at what many might feel is a bargain price, teams interested in Trouba might be more inclined to meet the high asking price the Jets have placed on the young blue liner. During the 2011-12 campaign, Kyle Turris, who shares the same agent as Trouba, signed a short-term deal with the Coyotes only to be dealt days later to Ottawa. It’s possible the Jets could look to do the same with Trouba.
West Notes: Anisimov, Hendricks, Jets
At Chicago Blackhawks practice today there were some notable absences, including one Artem Anisimov. Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune reports that Anisimov is questionable for the next two games with an undisclosed injury he suffered on Wednesday night. When pressed, head coach Joel Quenneville would not comment on whether it was the concussion spotters who removed the forward.
If Anisimov isn’t able to go, Nick Schmaltz or Marcus Kruger would move up to the second line, while Vincent Hinostroza will figure back into the lineup on Friday regardless of the health of the young center. Hinostroza will play wing however, meaning someone would have to move to the middle or come out of the lineup.
- In Edmonton, head coach Todd McLellan gives an update on injured forward Matt Hendricks. Though he skated with the team today, it was more of a “rehab skate”. McLellan admits that Hendricks is “probably the closest” out of the group of injured players, but still not ready to get back into the lineup. Edmonton currently has a number of players on injured reserve waiting to return to the ice.
- Though he’s now signed and practicing with the team, Winnipeg Jets’ defenceman Jacob Trouba will not play tonight. The young blueliner stayed late at practice to get some extra work, and try to get himself into game shape for the rest of the season. His contract holdout ended on Monday.
- Connor Hellebuyck will start again tonight for the Jets, his fourth game in a row, according to Ken Weibe of the Winnipeg Sun. 2-2 in those four games, Hellebuyck is starting to stake his claim as the Jets No. 1 goaltender. With the struggles of Michael Hutchinson to start the year, and the demotion of Ondrej Pavelec, the door is open for Hellebuyck to run with the job and establish himself as a starter in the NHL at just 23 years of age.