Image courtesy of NHL.SI.com
Although it was another week without NHL action, there is plenty to talk about in the hockey world, as Canada claimed gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics over Sweden and Finland claimed bronze over the U.S.A. On top of the games’ outcomes, there was a significant injury to one of the NHL’s superstars and an issue of partying with a nation that features a few of the league’s players. As the league returns to action, it will finish their Stadium Series this week when the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins face off at Soldier Field. With all that being said, let’s take a look at the league.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
The New York Islanders may have the most news surrounding them this week, as John Tavares suffered a torn MCL and a torn meniscus in Canada’s win over Latvia in the game on Wednesday. The Islanders’ captain is out for at least the remainder of the season, as New York’s GM Garth Snow isn’t happy over the incident at all. On top of that, Michael Grabner and Thomas Vanek embarrassed Austria by partying with the rest of their team at the Olympics after their win over Norway in their final game of the preliminary round. The team partied the day before they suffered a 4-0 loss to Slovenia to be eliminated from medal competition. Along with all the Olympic news, since it seems likely the Islanders are out of the playoff hunt, Evgeni Nabokov is one of the more likely goaltenders to be moved at the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Doug Mittler.
The team that is currently sitting seventh in the Atlantic Division are the New Jersey Devils, who saw a few of their players eliminated at the Sochi Olympics at the hands of the Americans. The trio of Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias, and Marek Zidlicky were members of the Czech Republic team that the U.S.A. beat 5-2 on Wednesday to advance to the semifinals. Zidlicky led the Czech Republic’s defense in scoring with four points over five games, while Jagr recorded three points and Elias recorded an assist in three games. As for the rest of the club, Martin Brodeur is another goaltender that could possibly move according to Mittler, and Adam Larsson isn’t happy about not being in the NHL with the Devils.
A third goalie mentioned by Mittler that could be moved before the deadline is the Carolina Hurricanes’ Cam Ward, who has fallen behind Anton Khudobin on the depth chart. As for the Olympics, Tuomo Ruutu won the bronze medal with Finland, while Alexander Semin suffered heartbreak with Russia to the Finns and Andrej Sekera also suffered defeat with Slovakia. The Hurricanes will be one of the first two teams to return to action, as they visit the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday in the NHL’s first game after the Olympics.
The Washington Capitals find themselves three points out of the final spot in the Atlantic Division. Alex Ovechkin has had a hard week, as not only did Russia not medal in men’s ice hockey, the Capitals’ captain decided to stay a bit longer in his home nation to be by his dad’s side, who needed heart surgery this week. Ovechkin’s father, Mikhail, is apparently in stable condition at the moment. Another sour spot for the Caps in the Olympics was the suspension of Nicklas Backstrom for the gold medal game. The Swedish center took some sort of allergy medication, which is a banned substance in the Olympics, and was told he couldn’t play in the medal game hours before it happened. On the bright side of things for Washington, it seems as though Mike Green and Mikhail Grabovski will be ready to join the team once they return to action against the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Another player that might be joining the team is Evgeny Kuznetsov, the team’s highly touted 21-year-old first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft that is in his final season with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are also three points out of the final spot in the division, as they received some good news and some bad news in relation to injuries with their players. The good news is Marian Gaborik, who has missed 23 games with a broken collarbone that he suffered against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 21st, was cleared for practice and should be playing with the team shortly. The bad news is Fedor Tyutin is expected to miss two-to-three weeks with an ankle injury he suffered playing with Russia at the Olympics. The Blue Jackets are also expecting James Wisniewski, who has a broken pinkie toe, to be fine, as he resumed skating yesterday. Columbus returns to action on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.
The Philadelphia Flyers at the Olympics had a hard time, as several of their nations performed poorly. Mark Streit and his Swiss teammates were upset in the qualification playoff round by Latvia, while Michael Raffl was also involved in Austria’s partying incident. Andrej Meszaros and his Slovakian teammates were knocked out of the tournament by Jakub Voracek and the Czech Republic, who then lost to U.S.A. the following day. Kimmo Timonen did help Finland take home bronze with Finland, as his home nation handed U.S.A. a 5-0 loss in the bronze medal game. It will be interesting to see what the Orange and Black due at the trade deadline, as both buying and selling could be beneficial to the team. The Flyers return to action against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
The New York Rangers are second in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points, but are still far behind the Pittsburgh Penguins in the standings. The team’s point leader, Mats Zuccarello, is expected to miss three-to-four weeks, as he has a non-displaced fracture in his left hand after blocking a shot for Norway at the Olympics. Several Blueshirts took home medals at the Olympics, as Rick Nash helped Canada win gold with an assist in six games and the pair of Henrik Lundqvist and Carl Hagelin took home silver with Sweden. Former Ranger Jarkko Immonen also won bronze with Finland.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will return to their comfortable lead in the division this week, as Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz each provided a goal in the gold medal game for Canada. As for the United States, Paul Martin missed both of the nation’s losses, and apparently could miss up to a month of action with the Pens with a hand injury, while Brooks Orpik and Dan Bylsma were both involved in the losses to Canada and in the bronze medal game to Olli Maatta and Finland. Several U.S.A. fans aren’t pleased with either Bylsma’s work as the team’s coach or the amount of time Orpik saw on the ice, but there isn’t much the fans can do now. As for injury news, Tomas Vokoun has been medically cleared to return to the Penguins, although there isn’t an expected date for his return yet. The Pens will take on the Chicago Blackhawks at Soldier Field on Saturday.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Although they didn’t produce a medal, Latvia did an amazing job under the guidance of Buffalo Sabres’ head coach Ted Nolan. After pulling off an upset against Switzerland in the qualification round, Latvia almost did the impossible and beat Canada in the quarterfinals. On top of Nolan’s coaching, Zemgus Girgensons provided a goal and an assist in five games for Latvia. In terms of transactions, the Sabres waived Linus Omark before ultimately terminating his contract, as he reportedly balked at the idea of being sent down to the minors. Goaltender Ryan Miller is still considered one of the few goaltenders that could move at the trade deadline, as mentioned by Mittler.
Along with the Sabres, the Florida Panthers are the other team in the division that is essentially already out of the playoff picture. Tim Thomas could likely be on the move, as he has been mentioned in a few rumors to the Washington Capitals. As for news related to the Olympics, a few former Panthers made waves, as U.S.A. helped eliminate Alexander Salak and Lukas Krajicek with the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. For Latvia, former Panther Janis Sprukts was one of two players on the team with four points or more, as he had a pair of goals and a pair of assists. Another former Panther Herberts Vasiljevs had a goal for Latvia in the tournament.
The Ottawa Senators find themselves one point out of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 63 points. One Senator to watch at the deadline will be Chris Phillips, who is in the final year of his contract. Although he has been with the club since the 1997-1998 campaign, Phillips could be moved for the right return, as clubs like the Boston Bruins are looking for a reliable stay-at-home defenseman for their postseason run. In Sochi, Erik Karlsson won the silver medal with Sweden, while former Sen Kaspars Daugavins had a pair of assists in four games for Latvia in the tournament. Ottawa returns to action against Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Speaking of the Red Wings, Detroit sits in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 64 points in 58 games. With several players earning silver with Sweden in the Olympics, the biggest Olympic news for Detroit might be Henrik Zetterberg’s injury, as the Wings’ captain underwent back surgery this week and there is no guarantee he will return this season. Despite this situation, Red Wings’ GM Ken Holland supports his players taking a break every four years to represent their home nation in the Olympics. Some good injury news for Detroit is that the trio of Johan Franzen, Stephen Weiss, and Jakub Kindl should all return to action on Thursday against the Senators.
Although they have 70 points in the standings like the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs hold a wild card spot because they have played in one more game. Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk impressed many people at the Olympics, as they were two sources of offensive production for U.S.A. early and often throughout the tournament. Unfortunately, neither player could help U.S.A. earn a medal, while no Maple Leaf was on any of the nations that finished with a gold, silver, or bronze medal. Former Maple Leaf Leo Komarov, however, did earn a bronze medal with Finland. In terms of injury-related news, Michael Traikos of the National Post is reporting that Dave Bolland will return to action for his 16th game of the season on Thursday against the New York Islanders.
The Canadiens might be expecting a big playoff performance out of Carey Price after his display in Sochi. He might have received a great amount of help from Canada’s offensive puck possession and skill on the blue line, but Price still ended the tournament on a 164:19 shutout streak. P.K. Subban wasn’t used too much during the tournament, but he did end up taking home a gold medal as well with Canada. The Canadiens, ironically, only saw medals won with Canada, as Montreal didn’t have any players on Sweden’s team or Finland’s team. The Canadiens return to action against the Red Wings on Wednesday night.
After putting together what some have considered the best Canadian team of all time, Steve Yzerman didn’t forget about the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he claimed Mike Kostka off of waivers this week from the Chicago Blackhawks and cut ties with goaltender Riku Helenius. What is also good news for the Bolts is the fact Steven Stamkos, who hasn’t played since November 11th, is anticipated to return during Tampa Bay’s four-game road that starts this week. Another bright spot for the Tampa Bay organization was the performance of Kristers Gudlevskis, who stood on his head in Latvia’s 2-1 loss to Canada in the quarterfinals with a 55-save performance. On the trade deadline front, Larry Brooks reported late last night that a trade featuring Martin St. Louis going to the Rangers for Ryan Callahan isn’t going to happen.
The Boston Bruins were represented well at the Olympics, as several Bruins earned medals in Sochi. Patrice Bergeron won a gold medal with Canada, while Loui Eriksson won a silver medal with Sweden and Tuukka Rask won a bronze medal with Finland. David Krejci was eliminated from the tournament by U.S.A. in Czech Republic’s defeat in the quarterfinals, as Krejci’s home nation eliminated Zdeno Chara and Slovakia the day before. The Bruins return to action on Wednesday against the Sabres.
CENTRAL DIVISION
The Nashville Predators sit last in the Central Division, but Shea Weber was very impressive with Canada at the Olympics, as he provided six points in six games to help Canada win gold. As for their GM, David Poile currently has no sight in his right eye, according to Josh Cooper of USA TODAY Sports. Despite that fact, Poile returned to work on Thursday, as he also received a great amount of criticism for the way he helped to put together the United States’ roster at the Olympics. Along with Poile returning to action, Pekka Rinne has returned to practice with the Predators, although there is no timetable for his return. In terms of trade rumors, David Legwand’s name has been linked to the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings.
Now just two points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference thanks to the hiring of Paul Maurice, the Winnipeg Jets will return to action on Thursday against the Phoenix Coyotes. Jets’ goaltender Ondrej Pavelec had a rough Olympic tournament that was capped off with a performance against U.S.A. that saw the netminder allow four goals on 12 shots against before being pulled halfway through the tilt. The only Jet to come home with a medal was Olli Jokinen, who earned bronze with Finland. Winnipeg hopes to keep their strong play going with only 22 games left in the season.
The Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn can say he played a vital role in Canada’s run to a gold medal, as he had the lone goal for the team in their 1-0 win over U.S.A. in the semifinals. With a redirection on a slap-pass from Jay Bouwmeester that Jonathan Quick had no chance to stop in the second period, Benn provided Canada with a guarantee that they would be leaving Sochi with either gold or silver. Kari Lehtonen was the only other Dallas Star to leave the Winter Olympics with a medal, has he won a bronze with Finland. The Stars return to action with a home game against the Hurricanes on Thursday.
The Minnesota Wild have a hold on the top wild card spot in the Western Conference, as both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter come home from Sochi frustrated after not winning a medal with U.S.A. Both star players will return their focus to the Wild’s playoff hopes, as the team is likely in the mix for a goaltender at the trade deadline with Miller often being mentioned in a deal to Minnesota. As an insurance policy, the Wild have signed goaltender John Curry to a two-way NHL contract. In injury-related news, Mikko Koivu, who fractured his ankle in early January, skated last week and might be back in the lineup by the end of this week. Marco Scandella, who sprained his MCL earlier this month, will likely join the team in the next few days to begin skating and practicing again.
The Colorado Avalanche currently enjoy the third spot in the Central Division with a 10-point lead over the Wild. They will be, however, without the services of two important players when they return to action this week against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Along with Erik Johnson being suspended for the team’s first two games in their return from the Olympic break, forward Alex Tanguay will miss the rest of the season, as he underwent hip surgery on Friday. Colorado saw two of their players win medals in Sochi, as Matt Duchene won gold with Canada and Gabriel Landeskog won silver with Sweden.
The Chicago Blackhawks are tied with the St. Louis Blues for first in the division with 84 points, but since they have played three more games than St. Louis they currently reside second in the Central Division. Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith won their second gold medals yesterday, as both players now have a pair of gold medals and a pair of Stanley Cups to their names. Patrick Sharp now has a gold medal to add to his pair of Stanley Cup wins. The trio of Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya, and Marcus Kruger won silver with Sweden, while Patrick Kane wasn’t as fortunate with the United States. The first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft had four assists in the tournament, but he failed to pot a single goal in America’s six games including the bronze medal game, where Kane failed to convert on a pair of penalty shots. The Blackhawks return to action on Thursday against the New York Rangers.
The Blues were another elite NHL team that saw several of their players win medals in Sochi, as both Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo played on Canada’s blue line. Patrik Berglund and Alexander Steen took home silver with Sweden while the trio of David Backes, T.J. Oshie, and Kevin Shattenkirk left Russia disappointed in finishing fourth with the United States. Jaroslav Halak’s performance at the Olympics won’t help his case, as rumors that the Blues are in the mix for a goalie at the trade deadline are heating up.
PACIFIC DIVISION
The Edmonton Oilers are the second-worst team in the league, as they return from the Olympic break with a meeting against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Anton Belov couldn’t help the host nation Russia medal in the Olympics, as his one goal in five games didn’t do much for the team that was eliminated by Finland in the quarterfinals. As the trade deadline looms, it will be interesting to see what GM Craig MacTavish does, especially with Sam Gagner and the rumor of the forward going to the Kings for Kyle Clifford.
The Calgary Flames acquired Ladislav Smid earlier this season, but there has been some rumblings that the blue liner might be dealt for a second time this season. The defenseman had two PIMs in five games for the Czech Republic at the Olympics, while he also has two points and 48 PIMs in 40 games for the Flames this season. In other Calgary news, Lane MacDermid was suspended by the team for not reporting to the Abbotsford Heat after the AHL All-Star break. Brent Krahn, who was drafted by the Flames in 2000, took part in Flames’ practice, as the goaltender filled in for Reto Berra, who was at the Olympics, and Karri Ramo, who is still hurt.
The Vancouver Canucks will look to end their lengthy losing streak on Wednesday, as they host the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks will have to overcome a laundry list of injuries as the group of Kevin Bieksa, Andrew Alberts, Chris Tanev, and Mike Santorelli are still on injured reserve. Henrik Sedin, who missed the Olympics, is hoping he is ready to go for Vancouver when they return to action on Wednesday. At the Olympics, Roberto Luongo and Dan Hamhuis earned gold with Canada, while Alexander Edler and Daniel Sedin earned silver with Sweden.
The Phoenix Coyotes sit fourth in the Pacific Division with 64 points in 58 games. Although he didn’t take part in a single game for Canada, Mike Smith was part of the gold medal winning squad as the nation’s third goaltender. Oliver Ekman-Larsson impressed many people at the tournament, as he helped Sweden win the silver. Lauri Korpikoski helped the Coyotes have a player take home each type of medal, as he had two goals and two assists for Finland to take home a bronze medal. Former Coyote, and Flyer, Ossi Vaananen also won the bronze with Finland, as the blue liner had two assists and a plus-3 rating in six games.
Sitting in the final playoff spot in the division, the Los Angeles Kings are hoping to start scoring and winning again. Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter each won gold with Canada, as Doughty was one of the best players for Canada throughout the tournament. Quick did everything he could to help the United States beat Canada in their semifinals meeting, but he didn’t stand a chance on Benn’s goal. The Kings’ netminder also didn’t receive the most help in the bronze medal game, where Bylsma could have also turned to a rested Miller. Anze Kopitar finished the tournament with three points in five games for Slovenia before they lost 5-0 to Sweden in the quarterfinals.
The San Jose Sharks are firmly in second place in the Pacific Division, as they trail the Anaheim Ducks by seven points and are 12 points ahead of the Kings. Sharks’ blue liner Marc-Edouard Vlasic received high praise from Red Wings’ head coach and Canada’s head coach Mike Babcock who said Vlasic, “is way better than everybody knows.” Vlasic won gold with Babcock’s direction, as well as San Jose teammate Patrick Marleau, who had four assists in six games. Team U.S.A. may have struggled with scoring goals when it mattered in the tournament, but Joe Pavelski still recorded five points in six games. Although he didn’t play, Antti Niemi won the bronze medal with Finland.
The Anaheim Ducks will return from the Olympic break with the best record in the NHL, as they have 87 points with 22 games remaining. Several Ducks had impressive tournaments, as Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were two of the better forwards for Canada throughout the tournament on the way to gold, while Jonas Hiller was spectacular for Switzerland. Fittingly, in his sixth Olympics, Teemu Selanne was named the 2014 Winter Olympics MVP by the IIHF, as the forward had four goals and two assists in six games during this tournament. As for Ducks who didn’t go to Sochi, goaltender Viktor Fasth is “fully ready to go” according to Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau. Fasth, who has been out since November with lower body muscle inflammation, will now have to find time to play with Jonas Hiller and Frederik Andersen.
