Bad news for the Vancouver Canucks as forward Brandon Sutter will be out at least four-to-six weeks after injuring his shoulder Monday night, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
Sutter separated his shoulder after crashing into the boards during a penalty kill in the second period. The initial time frame is considered a best case scenario according to Lalji, meaning Sutter could be out even longer than six weeks.
After the game Canucks head coach Travis Green didn't get into specifics on Sutter's injury, but did say the recovery time would not be days but "more like weeks."
Through 12 games this season, Sutter has recorded three goals and one assist. He had 11 goals and 15 assists in 61 games with Vancouver last season.
TORONTO - Things might feel a bit claustrophobic for Maple Leafs fans right now, but rest assured - the sky is not falling.
Auston Matthews, the club's best forward through 11 games and an early candidate for both the Hart and Art Ross trophies, will be out for at least four weeks. Though his injured left shoulder won’t require surgery, Matthews is scheduled to miss a minimum of 14 games, beginning with Monday's tilt versus the Calgary Flames.
On the bright side, the Leafs' carefully constructed roster - one that's brimming with unproven forwards itching for a few more shifts per game - should grant them some breathing room until Matthews recovers. And, perhaps more beneficially, it will give management a real chance to assess the team's depth.
"It's too bad for the kid," head coach Mike Babcock told the media on Monday. "And yet, it's an opportunity for someone on our team to play more. It's an opportunity for us to dig in and continue to get better.”
So, how will the depth chart look on Monday night against Calgary? These were the forward lines assembled for the morning skate:
LW
C
RW
Hyman
Tavares
Kapanen
Marleau
Kadri
Marner
Johnsson
Lindholm
Brown
Ennis
Gauthier
Leivo
Only the fourth line remained the same as the start of Saturday night’s win over the Winnipeg Jets, during which Matthews suffered his injury.
Let's start with Kapanen, the 22-year-old Finn who's erupted for six goals and 10 points in 11 games.
From the onset of training camp, in part due to the opportunity created by the absence of unsigned restricted free agent William Nylander, Kapanen's stock has been rising at a steady pace. He quickly won over Babcock, while Tyler Ennis' inability to jell with Matthews and Marleau in the first few games opened the door for a permanent spot on a top line.
Sans Matthews, Kapanen will be tasked with maintaining his production alongside an unfamiliar center. Tavares is a superstar in his own right, but he operates very differently than the middle-of-the-ice, shot-happy Matthews, spending more time along the boards and distributing the puck.
It's similar to a Penguins winger switching from Evgeni Malkin’s wing to Sidney Crosby's. That's not an easy transition, but Kapanen - who scored an important playoff goal for the Leafs this past spring - has shown he's someone worth betting on.
"You can see his confidence really building and we’re starting to realize his skill set and how he can make a major impact out there," Tavares said of Kapanen. "I really feel like he can be a dominant player."
Also of note: Kapanen will slide into Matthews' spot on the first power-play unit. However, Babcock said the penalty kill will continue to be Kapanen's No. 1 responsibility on special teams, which perhaps hints that PP expectations should be tempered. It might be more of an experiment than anything.
Meanwhile, Lindholm, Kapanen’s PK partner, projects to gain the most ice time of anyone while Matthews is sidelined.
The 27-year-old was signed out of Sweden in May to skate on the fourth line, win faceoffs, and stop the opposition's power plays. Now, after beginning the season in that specific role and then earning a brief (but successful) stint on Kadri’s wing, Lindholm finds himself in the third center spot on a team that arguably has more depth at the position than any other club. Not bad.
When asked about the probable bump in ice time, Lindholm shrugged. He was more interested in talking to theScore about his new linemates, particularly Johnsson, the reigning AHL playoff MVP.
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
"I’m just waiting for him to catch fire. When he does, he’s going to be unstoppable," Lindholm said of Johnsson, who's goalless through six games this fall following a 24-point postseason performance for the Calder Cup champion Marlies.
Johnsson, the Leafs' seventh-round pick in 2013, arrived at camp with top-nine potential. He's spent the bulk of his time in the press box or on the fourth line, though, averaging just 8:43 a night.
Despite scratching Johnsson for the club's previous two games, Babcock expressed cautious optimism about the fleet-footed, tenacious winger.
"He's got to get his confidence back," Babcock said. "He was a good player in the American Hockey League. The American Hockey League and the NHL are two totally different things. But he's a young guy, he’s getting better. He was a dominant player at the end of the year last year in the American League. He's got to come in and do the same here now."
Rounding out the potential breakout suspects in Matthews' absence is Marleau - a proven vet unlike Kapanen, Lindholm, and Johnsson - who's likely bound for the Hall of Fame when his contract expires.
The 39-year-old hasn't played horribly this season, but he's failed to bag a goal in 171 even-strength minutes, even with 123 of those coming alongside Matthews. Something is amiss, but perhaps reuniting with Kadri and Marner will be enough.
In total, that's seven games at home, seven on the road, and about 10 playoff-worthy opponents all within the minimum time frame for Matthews' recovery. It's safe to say Babcock will need quick returns from his reshuffled lineup.
Still, the loaded Leafs have been as advertised throughout the opening month of hockey. They're an absolute nightmare to defend, especially in transition, they’ve scored more goals than anyone else, and they've won eight of 11 games. (And, for what it's worth, the club went 12-8 last year while Matthews was out with multiple injuries.)
The question is, will this absence ultimately lead to positive commentary about Toronto's depth this season, or will it elicit concerns about the forward group?
"I've never met one guy in hockey who says, 'Coach, can I play less?'" Babcock added. "They always want more opportunity and someone always thinks they're getting the short end of the stick. No one's getting the short end of the stick. We've only got 12 forwards. They'll all get their chance. Show me."
John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
As the one-year anniversary of the blockbuster trade that brought Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators approaches, general manager Pierre Dorion remains pleased with his investment.
"(I'm) very happy with how it turned out. Obviously, from a team (perspective), we would have liked to have more success, but the player is exactly as advertised," Dorion told reporters Monday. "He's a No. 1 center, he can carry the load, he can play against the other team's best lines.
"I think his production has been there. I think he's been a big part of why our power play is so successful this year. I think he brings tremendous leadership qualities. He's someone that can do a lot offensively. We've also seen him play some penalty kill."
The Senators parted with forward Kyle Turris, goaltender Andrew Hammond, prospect Shane Bowers, a conditional first-round pick in 2018, and a 2019 third-rounder to bring Duchene to Ottawa in a three-team trade Nov. 5, 2017.
But as Dorion indicates, while Duchene owns an impressive stat line since joining the Senators - he posted 49 points in the 68 games that followed the deal, and has 11 points across 10 games this season - it hasn't always translated to the win column. At the time of the trade, Ottawa owned a 6-3-5 record and went 22-40-6 the rest of the way.
Most troubling to pundits was the inclusion of the Senators' first-round pick. Ottawa retained the option to defer the pick to 2019 if the team had a top 10 selection, and the Senators decided to do so in order to draft agitating forward Brady Tkachuk fourth overall. The risk is that some draft-lottery misfortune and another poor finish - the Senators wound up 30th overall last year - could cause the franchise to lose out on budding superstar Jack Hughes come June.
But in the here and now, with the Senators at .500 this season, Dorion seems satisfied with last year's megadeal.
"We're really finding out that Matt Duchene is really a complete player, and as a human being, I can't say enough great things about him," Dorion added.
Duchene, 27, can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
As the one-year anniversary of the blockbuster trade that brought Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators approaches, general manager Pierre Dorion remains pleased with his investment.
"(I'm) very happy with how it turned out. Obviously, from a team (perspective), we would have liked to have more success, but the player is exactly as advertised," Dorion told reporters Monday. "He's a No. 1 center, he can carry the load, he can play against the other team's best lines.
"I think his production has been there. I think he's been a big part of why our power play is so successful this year. I think he brings tremendous leadership qualities. He's someone that can do a lot offensively. We've also seen him play some penalty kill."
The Senators parted with forward Kyle Turris, goaltender Andrew Hammond, prospect Shane Bowers, a conditional first-round pick in 2018, and a 2019 third-rounder to bring Duchene to Ottawa in a three-team trade Nov. 5, 2017.
But as Dorion indicates, while Duchene owns an impressive stat line since joining the Senators - he posted 49 points in the 68 games that followed the deal, and has 11 points across 10 games this season - it hasn't always translated to the win column. At the time of the trade, Ottawa owned a 6-3-5 record and went 22-40-6 the rest of the way.
Most troubling to pundits was the inclusion of the Senators' first-round pick. Ottawa retained the option to defer the pick to 2019 if the team had a top 10 selection, and the Senators decided to do so in order to draft agitating forward Brady Tkachuk fourth overall. The risk is that some draft-lottery misfortune and another poor finish - the Senators wound up 30th overall last year - could cause the franchise to lose out on budding superstar Jack Hughes come June.
But in the here and now, with the Senators at .500 this season, Dorion seems satisfied with last year's megadeal.
"We're really finding out that Matt Duchene is really a complete player, and as a human being, I can't say enough great things about him," Dorion added.
Duchene, 27, can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Rasmussen will play his 10th NHL game Tuesday, effectively burning the first year of his entry-level contract and putting to rest the possibility he would be reassigned to the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
Detroit selected Rasmussen with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft. He's picked up one assist across nine appearances this season.
Amid complaints from goaltenders across the league about the new specifications for their equipment, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly isn't considering backtracking.
For the 2018-19 season, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to new specifications for goaltender chest protectors, making them more form-fitting to help increase scoring across the league. Despite the early gripes, Daly said the new equipment standards will not be reverted.
"Some of the concerns we're hearing now, they may grow in number, because you may hear somebody else do it, so you do it, too," Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "But I don't think we'll ever reach the point where we'd consider making changes."
"I like to not overreact to things," Daly said. "I don't think that some of the concerns we're hearing about currently are really reflective of a large majority of goaltenders."
The league has seen an increase in goals this season, with the average rising to 6.18 goals per game, up from the 2017-18 mark of 5.94.
Fabbri hasn't suited up for the Blues since February 2017, when he suffered a knee injury. He then missed the entire 2017-18 campaign after re-injuring his ACL. The 22-year-old also sat out the start of this season because of a groin injury.
In three appearances with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage this season, Fabbri has recorded one goal and one assist. He was the Blues' 21st overall pick in 2014.
Schneider was assigned to New Jersey's minor-league club earlier in October. He missed the beginning of the campaign as he continued to recover from his May hip surgery and has yet to suit up for the Devils this season.
In three appearances with the AHL's Binghamton Devils, Schneider came away with one win and an .897 save percentage.
Backup Keith Kinkaid held down the fort in Schneider's absence, going 5-2-1 with a .925 save rate.
The NHL announced on Monday a multi-year gaming partnership with MGM Resorts International to become the league's first official gaming and resort destination partner.
The agreement grants MGM access to the NHL's intellectual property, including league and team logos, and proprietary gaming data.
"The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our league," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
"As a leading global gaming operator and entertainment company, MGM Resorts is the perfect partner for us to begin our transformative entry into this space. Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do."
Monday's announcement only became possible after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law in May that banned sports betting.
"Combining MGM Resorts' world-class sports betting operations and technology with the NHL's top-level competition, iconic brands and cutting-edge data will further transform the rapidly growing sports betting marketplace and solidify our position at the forefront of the industry," MGM chairman and CEO Jim Murren said in a statement.
#NHLPA will share 50% of revenue generated from this partnership with MGM Resorts. To be clear: this is fixed revenue, #NHL is not getting a cut of the book itself.
Speaking Monday, Bettman left open the possibility of future partnerships, as he noted the agreement with MGM is not exclusive, according to Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas.
Bettman downplayed the likelihood that opening the door to sports betting could have a negative impact on the league's players.
"I've never worried and don't worry about the integrity of our game," Bettman said. "It has been strong even when the majority of gambling was not through legal sportsbooks."
Earlier this month, the New Jersey Devilsannounced an independent partnership with William Hill US, which in part will place a sports betting lounge inside the Prudential Center, the Devils' home arena. In September, the Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL club to announce a betting partnership in an agreement with William Hill US.
