NHL Notebook: Melanson to have hearing for hit on Hamblin, NHL trade deadline set and more
By Zach Laing
1 year agoSeattle Kraken forward Jacob Melanson is set to have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety over a hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers forward James Hamblin Monday night.
The hit came late in the second period when Hamblin chipped the puck through the neutral zone attempting to get around a Kraken defender.
As Hamblin tried to cut to the middle of the ice, Melanson delivered a direct hit to the head. Hamblin fell to the ice and took a moment to leave the ice, but eventually returned to the game.
Melanson, meanwhile, was given a match penalty.
Trade deadline set
The NHL’s trade deadline for the 2022-23 season has been set: March 3rd.
Set for a Friday afternoon, the Oilers are slated to play the Winnipeg Jets that night at 7 p.m. before finishing off a home-and-home set Saturday night at 5 p.m. in Winnipeg.
I’d expect the Oilers to be active at the deadline this year. Over the next two drafts, the only picks the Oilers are missing are their 2023 4th round pick (Derick Brassard) and their 2024 3rd round pick (Zack Kassian). Beyond that, the Oilers have the shelves stocked with a solid amount of mid-range prospects they could use in trades.
The biggest limiting factor for the Oilers might be their lack of cap space.
Tavares out
The Toronto Maple Leafs will start their season without their captain.
The club announced Tuesday morning that John Tavares suffered an oblique strain and has been pegged with a minimum three-week recovery period. That time frame has Tavares missing the first four games of the Leafs season.
Tavares, who was named captain in 2019, finished fourth in Leafs scoring last season finding the back of the net 27 times while scoring 76 points in 79 games.
Mikheyev week-to-week
Some more injury news Tuesday, as Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau announced the injury Tuesday.
Mikheyev left the Canucks’ split-squad game against Calgary Monday and wasn’t on the ice for practice Tuesday. He signed a four-year, $4.75-million AAV deal.
Panthers sign Knight
The Florida Panthers have inked goaltender Spencer Knight to a three-year contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.
Knight, 21, will earn an AAV of $4.5-million, DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported. The 2019 13th overall pick appeared in 32 games last year for the Panthers posting a 19-9-3 record, a .908 save percentage and a 2.79 GAA.
“Spencer is a phenomenal goaltender, as well as an exceptional athlete and person,” said Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito in a statement. “He has thrived in his professional career, dedicating himself to his training through his first two seasons with our organization. With this extension, we are excited about the present and future of Panthers goaltending.”
This year marks the final season of Knight’s entry-level contract and his new deal will kick in next season.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
#NATIONVACATION TO LAS VEGAS
- When: On Thursday, January 12th, we’re jumping on a flight at the Edmonton International Airport and making our way to Vegas. On Sunday evening, we’ll fly back from Vegas to Edmonton. So the dates that you need to block off for this trip are January 12th to 15th.
- Where we’re staying: After landing in LV, we’ll jump on the free shuttle and make our way to the Park MGM before settling in for a good night’s sleep. 😉
- What you get: Your roundtrip flight, hotel, shuttle, viewing party (Friday night), game entry — we got seats this time (Saturday night), and exclusive entry into our pre-trip ‘get to know everyone’ event.
- How Much: The total cost for the trip, flight, hotel, and entry to the game is $1499 per person (based on double occupancy)
- Tickets: Ready to dive in? Click this link.
Recent articles from Zach Laing
