Tom Wilson’s latest run-in with the Department of Player Safety won’t cost him any extra games.
The Capitals winger was handed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct on Saturday after his hit on Florida’s Sandis Vilmanis, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that he will not be suspended. Wilson has already been suspended six times in his career, including twice for boarding, yet this time the league appears to have leaned on the wording in Section 41 of the Rulebook.
That section includes a note about players who turn or put themselves into a vulnerable position, and says that factor can be considered. With no formal hearing scheduled, the on-ice punishment appears to be the extent of it.
Elsewhere in the division, the Devils will be without Anthony Mantha for a bit. New Jersey announced that the winger has left the team’s road trip and returned home to be evaluated for a throat injury.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe said the team still doesn’t know the full extent of the issue, but added that there is some damage and that Mantha is expected to miss some time. The veteran had started his first season with the Devils in solid fashion, posting five goals and five assists in 17 games.
The league did hand down discipline in another Metropolitan matchup. Islanders defenseman Logan Stanley was fined $3,865.98, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for his hit on Nico Hischier on Saturday.
Stanley was assessed a minor penalty on the play, and the money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. The fine equals one-half day’s pay, which is the standard amount in most cases unless $5,000 is lower.
And in Columbus, defenseman Denton Mateychuk left practice early after taking either a puck or a stick to the face, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Head coach Rick Bowness said the young blueliner would be evaluated today to make sure there was no damage to an eye. Mateychuk has been logging major minutes early this season, averaging 22:31 per game in his third NHL season while putting up seven points in 15 games.
In Other News...
Islanders Need A Reset As Their Biggest Return Question Looms
The Islanders head into a three-game California road trip trying to shake off a three-game losing streak and an overtime loss to the Devils, with the schedule offering little time to dwell on what has gone wrong. The trip begins against the Sharks and continues through the Kings and Ducks, and the timing feels important for a group that has been frustrated by penalties and by its inability to finish games the way it wants to.
There is at least some encouraging movement on the injury front, with Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock traveling with the team and in position to rejoin the lineup during the trip. For an Islanders club looking for a reset, the bigger question is not just who comes back, but whether the return of key pieces can help stabilize a team that has been searching for cleaner, more complete hockey. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Defenseman Drew League Discipline After Another Costly Lapse
The Islanders are dealing with another frustrating reminder of how quickly one mistake can tilt a game, as defenseman Logan Stanley was disciplined by the NHLs Department of Player Safety for a slash that came in a tight one against New Jersey. The incident came during the Devils 5-4 overtime win, a result that already left New York searching for cleaner details in a game where every shift mattered.
Stanley was assessed two minor penalties on the play after slashing Nico Hischier, and the league followed up with a fine. For the Islanders, it is the kind of costly lapse that can linger beyond the box score, especially when the margin is so thin in the standings and the penalty kill is forced to absorb the fallout. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Hot Start Faces A Bigger Test Than Washington Fans Realize
The Devils have built an early-season cushion with a 12-5-0 start, and the wins have not all come the easy way. They have already shown they can survive tight games, leaning on key moments from Connor Hellebuyck and Jack Hughes in recent overtime and shootout victories while keeping the pressure on the rest of the division.
Timo Meiers scoring touch has gone quiet even as he keeps generating shot attempts, which is a reminder that New Jersey is still sorting through a few moving parts despite the strong record. The next checkpoint is a significant one against Winnipeg, where the matchup brings extra intrigue for Hellebuyck and gives the Devils a chance to see how far this early run can stretch against a tougher test. [Read more 🡒]