While Matt Tkachuk is watching baby bro Brady compete for Boston University at the Beanpot Tourney in Beantown, the Calgary Flames are being tight-lipped about the health status of their goalie Mike Smith.
Smith suffered what looked to be a serious groin injury with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation play against the NY Islanders on Sunday night in Brooklyn. Matt Tkachuk netted two goals to propel the Flames to a 3-2 win.
As expected, Smith did not practice on Monday.
Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan is giving the net to second year pro David Rittich in Boston. Rittich is 5-1-2 this season when Smith takes a night off. Prospect Jon Gillies will be called up from AHL Stockton to play the under study to Rittich.
Rittich better get a good night's sleep because the Bruins will be in a foul mood after losing to Buffalo on home ice on Saturday night.
Ok. Fine. Nothing to see here. Right?
The Flames will have you believe that Smith was scheduled to sit out in the battle with the Boston Bruins. Don't believe them. Smith is the #1 goalie and if he were healthy and able to play, he would be the back stop facing Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and the Bruins. Not Rittich.
Be concerned Flames fan. Be very concerned.
If Smith's injury is a groin tear rather than a groin strain, your playoff hopes will go up in flames.
Smith is the undisputed MVP of the Flames this season. With him they are in contention for a wild card berth. Without his heroics this season the Flames may well be finishing in the NHL draft lottery club.
Smith, who will turn 36 in March, has battled serious groin issues in recent seasons. Face it, every grand piano has to have have new strings installed over time to insure best tuning and sound quality. Smith is an NHL grand piano whose strings could use a replacement. Problem is that old goalies lose their elasticty over time.
Smith is currently tied for sixth in the NHL with 23 wins. He has a .921 SV%. and is tied with Toronto's Frederik Andersen for the NHL-lead with 47 games started.
Losing Smith to a long term injury as they battle for a wild card berth in mid-February would be catastrophic. Further complicating the Flames' goalteniding situation is Stockton's other goalie, prospect Tyler Parsons, also suffered an undisclosed injury on Sunday.
"It would be a huge blow to our team," Gultuzan said Monday. "He's a guy that takes such good care of himself, and we're hoping this will be minor. But if it isn't, we've got other guys that can come in. It's what other teams have had to do this year."
If he hasn't done so already, Flames GM Brad Treliving better get on his iPhone. He needs a trade partner and he needs one now. Even if Smith's injury is "short term" the Flames can ill afford to sit him down for three weeks whle he properly rests and recovers. Smith will have to start 80% of the remaining games just to give his team a chance to earn a wild card in the wild, wild West. What if Smith is healthy enough to gut out a long win streak while partially injured only to succumb to another injury in the final days of tehe regular season in April? You think Rittich will will you a playoff round?
I don't.
Treliving needs a dance partner. He should call Buffalo GM Jason Botterill who has pending RFA Robin Lehner to offer as an insurance policy against a Smith season-ending injury.
Treliving has been sending two different pro scouts lately to watch the Sabres live in person. Treliving needs help and frankly, no GM in the West is going to trade him a goalie. If he's going to get a gamer of a goalie at this time of year, it will have to be from an Eastern team. Botterill is his man.
Lehner has 2.90 GAA and .910 SV%. The 26 year old veteran has allowed 110 goals on 1,229 shot attempts this season.
Treliving should act swiftly because Lehner is also being scouted by teams with injured and inconsistent goalie. The Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, NY Islanders, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Winnipeg Jets, NY Rangers and LA Kings are watching Lehner closely. Like the Flames, the Flyers and Devils have injured starting goalies to have to cross their fingers about. Flyers starter Brian Elliott aggravated a chronic groin injury in Arizona on Saturday night. Devils starter Corey Schneider has been sidelined with a nagging groin/hip injury.
With so many contending and bubble teams struggling with injured or inconsistent goaltenders, Botterill can create a bidding war for Robin Lehner.
How bad do you want a reliable, aggressive veteran tendy?
Lehner is earning $4 million this season and will become an RFA this summer. Botterill has two-time AHL All Star tendy Linus Ullmark in AHL Rochester. Ullmark is ready for the transition to the NHL. It will likely happen next season. The Sabres have other options for a back up next season which makes Lehner expendable at this time. With Jack Eichel out of the lineup for the 4-6 weeks wih a high ankle sprain, and Botterill about to sell off his UFA assets at the trade deadline, now is the perfect timme for the Flames and Sabres to do business together.
What would the Flames have to send to the Sabres in exchange for Lehner?
Defense.
The Sabres are said to be interested in Flames 2017 first round pick Juuso Valimaki, the right shot D from Finland who impressed at the IIHF World Junior Championships in Buffalo. The Flames also have Swede D prospect Rasmus Andersson ( 2nd round 2015). Forward Sam Bennett can also be currency is a swap for Lehner and Reinhart. The Sabres could also make a Lehner trade sweeter by adding energy center/winger Zemgus Girgensons to a trade in place of Reinhart. Girgensons would inject needed muscle, speed, skill and sand paper into the Calgary top nine forward group. In 2010-11, Girgensons and Flames scoring star Johnny Gaudreau played on a line together while with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. That season, Girgensons scored 21 goals and 28 assists while Gaudreau potted 36 goals and 36 assists.
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The last time I saw Craig MacTavish in Buffalo was at the 2016 NHL Draft.
Last week, I saw MacT twice in Buffalo. He was scouting Sabres-Blues, Sabres-Ducks and Sabres-Islanders. MacTavish also watched Sabres-Bruins in Boston on Saturday night.
Hmm, says I to myself.
MacTavish is tasked with finding three things: a new home for power winger Patrick Maroon, a skilled, a fast forward who plays with bite to play in Edmonton's top nine forward group.
Also, a goaltender.
Sounds to me like Zemgus Girgensons and Robin Lehner.
At what cost though?
Jason Botterill isn’t interested in Maroon. He’s too slow. Otherwise, he’d be riding shotgun for Connor McDavid for the next decade in Oil Country.
Botterill would likely ask Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli for one of two D men in Darnell Nurse or Oscar Klefbom
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