Early Trading: Dreger updates Knies, Ovechkin, and coaches on the hot seat

Ruling on Whitecloud's big hit

GINO REDA: Matthew Knies is hurt, and Zach Whitecloud did nothing wrong. So, how can both those facts be true? Here’s Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. 

Dregs, you saw the hit, you heard what the league had to say out there about the hit. How do they explain the fact that it was clean and not worthy of a penalty, or suspension for that matter?

DARREN DREGER: Well, look Gino, it’s all about the process, right? This is still relatively new, even though we’ve seen in other circumstances, where the officials are allowed to go the tablet and review a major, and rescind that major, as they did on Zach Whitecloud after a colossal hit on Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

But I do think it’s important to explain the process here a little bit more. Instinctually, I’m told that hit, even though it was devastating, and it left Matthew Knies on the sidelines here, which we’ll get to in just a moment, instinctually, an experienced referee likely wouldn’t have called that major. 

But why wouldn’t you call it a major? As we’ve seen in other situations this year, because you do have technology, and you do have the ability to review the play to make sure that you got it right. But here’s where I think people get a little bit confused, Gino. 

We suspect that when the officials put the headset on and they look down at the tablet, that there’s a dozen people that are intervening, that are talking them through this process. Well, that’s not it at all. 

Hockey operations, the Situation Room, really isn’t involved beyond the supervising referee. The former referee in the Situation Room, who I believe, last night was Shane Heyer, all he’s doing is directing the video traffic to the two referees who are ultimately going to make that call. 

So, it was the refs, as soon as they saw the video evidence, that [ruled] this was not a major penalty, that rescinded it. 

I think most people believe there are many, many voices in that process. That’s just simply not true.

Update on Knies

REDA: As you mentioned, Dregs, the most important thing here is Matthew Knies. He did not look good after the hit. He left the game, didn’t come back. Any update on his condition?

DREGER: I wouldn’t expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to make anything official, specific to injury. That’s just not the way it works in the National Hockey League, but I think that we all saw what we saw, Gino, and that there was impact with Matthew Knies’ head. We know that he has a history of head injuries, so it’s got to be head, neck related.
I believe that Matthew Knies is going to miss some time, which means he’s going to miss games, which is a big blow for the Maple Leafs, because talk about being banged up. 

This team, all of a sudden, has a problem with injury. But I can’t be specific to how much time he’s going to miss. He’s been through this process before, and he probably has a better handle on it at this stage than anyone. 

Ovechkin's injury status

REDA: Speaking of injuries, Dregs, after an amazing start for Ovi, he had 15 goals in the first 18 games, he’s now listed as week-to-week because of that leg injury. 

We’re waiting on tests, any update on that process at all?

DREGER: Yeah, Gino. I think we’re going to hear from the Washington Capitals at some point today. 

I know that Alex Ovechkin is meeting with doctors. As soon as you learn that information, automatically, you go “Okay, well this can’t be good.” Maybe they are adjusting that timeline, maybe he is month-to-month? 

I’ve been assured that it’s no better, it’s no worse. But it is week-to-week, and it isn’t month-to-month. Also, it’s interesting to note, I think most of us can see that there’s clearly a leg injury. Many jump to the speculation that it has to be knee related, and I’m told that it’s not knee related.

So, without being a doctor, and simply looking at the video replays, perhaps it’s high-ankle. 

I don’t know if the Capitals are going to get that specific, but I think it is a source of good news for all of us hockey fans who are watching the march towards that goal-scoring record, that it remains week-to-week and not something more sinister at this point.

REDA: He wasn’t just marching toward; he was freaking charging towards it! 

More coaching changes coming?

Alright, we all know U.S. Thanksgiving is a time where the teams start to make the changes when they aren’t happy with what they’re seeing. It’s already cost Jim Montgomery his job in Boston. 

Are the hawks starting to circle anywhere else right now, Dregs? 

DREGER: Speculatively speaking, I would say yes. I’m looking right at the Detroit Red Wings, and that’s not new information, but it’s definitely heating up there. 

The problem is that the Detroit Red Wings, because of their start, are with a glut of teams fighting for the same spot. They recognize that they are going to have to go on a heater. 

Now, they do feel somewhat encouraged by the fact they’re on a homestand, but you do have to consider the what-ifs. 

What if this homestand doesn’t produce results for the Detroit Red Wings? We know that Steve Yzerman is a very active general manager, Gino. You know he’s listening. You know he’s making calls. You know he’s looking for the upgrades.

But, if this homestand does not produce results, then I think you potentially could see a head coaching change. Maybe that goes hand-in-hand, with as you said, teams hitting the 20-game mark, the quarter mark of the regular season, U.S. Thanksgiving. Historically, that’s when we start seeing these sorts of decisions being made.

On top of all that, is the reality of a real good head coach now on the unemployment line in Jim Montgomery. Whether it’s Detroit, it’s Nashville, it’s other teams around the NHL that are intrigued by the possibility of Jim Montgomery. That’s where we’re at, mostly because of the struggles of some of the teams like the Red Wings.

REDA: Some of the stories our Insiders are working on right now. The full Insider Trading with Dregs, Pierre, and CJ is coming up later on SportsCentre.