Today, we’re expanding Instant Reaction beyond its normal purpose of an instantaneous post game report to giving us a place to give our instant reaction to some Vancouver Canucks news instead.
There were two significant pieces of news today. The first: the NHL has suspended LA Kings forward Tanner Jeannot for three games for his illegal check to the head of Brock Boeser. The second bit of news is the Canucks trading Daniel Sprong to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for future considerations.
Let’s start with Jeannot’s suspension.
Jeannot gets three games
The hit that has reportedly left Brock Boeser with a concussion was a dirty one for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the head was the main point of contact, but that happens sometimes in a fast-paced game. What separates this one and makes it more egregious is that Jeannot easily could have avoided Boeser’s head. Not avoid the hit — but avoid the head.
Jeannot had plenty of time and the right trajectory to hit Boeser with a solid shoulder to shoulder check or follow through Boeser’s chest. Instead, Jeannot decided to change his trajectory and hang his shoulder for the sole purpose of catching Boeser on the chin. It’s a dirty play and the Department of Player Safety was right to suspend Jeannot the three games. Could it have been four or five? Sure, but given that this is the DoPS we’re talking about, it feels like three games is a solid number.
Here was the explanation of the suspension:
“Jeannot finishes a high, hard check that cuts across the front of Boeser’s body, missing his core and making his head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head. It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this play. First, the head is the main point of contact. While there is some contact with Boeser’s body, Jeannot’s shoulder makes direct and forceful contact with Boeser’s head, and it is the head that absorbs the majority of the force of this check. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. It is Jeannot who is in control of this hit, and he chooses an angle of approach that cuts across the front of Boeser, missing his core and making his head the main point of contact. If Jeannot wants to deliver this check, he must stay low and take an angle that hits through Boeser’s shoulder and core, rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact.”
Do you think it should’ve been more? Let me know in the comments section below!
Canucks trade Sprong
On Sprong, it’s no surprise that the experiment didn’t work out, given what we know about Rick Tocchet’s expectations of his players when it comes to the defensive side of the game. It is, however, a bit surprising that the Canucks have decided to end the experiment in early November.
This point from my colleague Rob Williams is a good one. At the end of the day, Sprong doesn’t really have anyone to blame but himself.
In the end, Sprong wasn’t going to figure it out in Vancouver, and now goes to a team he’s familiar with in the form of the Seattle Kraken. Sprong appeared in 66 games with the Kraken during the 2022-23 NHL season en route to tallying 21 goals and 25 assists.
Another thing this trade seems to signal is that the Canucks believe in Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and may think he’s close to NHL ready, if not already there. Lekkerimäki’s first full season in North America has gotten off to a good start, as he’s tallied five goals and two assists through seven games with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks so far this season.
With Sprong out of the way and Dakota Joshua set to return shortly, it will be interesting to see if the Canucks use Boeser’s expected absence as an opportunity to let Lekkerimäki get his feet wet at the NHL level.
I talked about today’s news over on the CanucksArmy YouTube channel, and you can watch that video below!
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