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Archives for October 2019

Injury Updates: Golden Knights, Sekera, Red Wings, Hyman

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The Golden Knights received some good news and bad news on the injury front on Monday.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes (Twitter link) that winger Alex Tuch, defenseman Nate Schmidt, and goalie Malcolm Subban were all full participants in practice today.  Tuch has missed all of the season with an upper-body injury, Schmidt has missed 12 straight games with a lower-body issue, and Subban has been out since October 10th due to a lower-body injury.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll all be ready to play in their next game on Thursday, it’s certainly a good sign that their returns are approaching.

However, as they near a return, defenseman Deryk Engelland is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Schoen mentions in a separate tweet.  Including Engelland, the Golden Knights are only carrying five healthy defensemen on the roster at the moment (with Schmidt on IR) so it’s likely that they will have to summon someone from AHL Chicago later this week.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • The Stars will be without defenseman Andrej Sekera for their game tomorrow against Minnesota, reports Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (Twitter link). He has not been ruled out for the weekend so his undisclosed injury appears to be a minor one.  With seven defensemen on the roster, Dallas doesn’t necessarily have to make a recall although they could dip into Martin Hanzal’s LTIR opening if they wanted to have an extra blueliner available.
  • Red Wings winger Adam Erne is close to returning from his upper-body injury and could suit up on Tuesday night, notes Dana Wakiji on Detroit’s team website. He has missed four straight games and five of the last six with the issue.  Meanwhile, winger Justin Abdelkader participated in practice after missing two straight with a lower-body issue but head coach Jeff Blashill indicated that he might not be ready to return for that game.
  • While the Maple Leafs will activate defenseman Travis Dermott off LTIR for Tuesday’s game against Washington, winger Zach Hyman hasn’t been cleared to return and could still be a week or two away from playing, suggests TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). Toronto will have to clear up some cap room to activate Dermott and will have to free up even more space to bring his $2.25MM AAV back onto the books.

Blue Jackets Had Been Shopping Ryan Murray Prior To Injury

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Ryan Murray’s name has come up in trade speculation for several years now and it appears that his name has been out there again lately.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that prior to the broken hand he recently sustained, the Blue Jackets had been shopping the defenseman.  Of course, now that he’s set to miss three-to-four weeks, those discussions are almost certainly on hold.

Murray’s injury history is a rather lengthy one and it undoubtedly is part of the reason that his name is once again out there in trade discussions.  He has only managed to surpass the 60-game mark once in his career due to a variety of injuries and no matter how effective a player is, one that consistently misses that much time can’t realistically be a part of a long-term core group.

When the 26-year-old has been in the lineup over the years, he has been a capable top-four defender that has logged a little more than 20 minutes a game over the course of his career.  His offensive upside isn’t particularly high with just 14 goals in 330 career NHL contests but he’s an effective stay-at-home defender who skates well enough to succeed in the current environment where mobility is becoming more and more crucial.

That’s part of the reason that Columbus gave Murray a two-year deal this summer with a $4.6MM AAV despite the fact that he missed 26 regular season games plus the entire playoffs just one year ago.  However, with the team appearing to be heading for a rebuild, he becomes one of their most prominent trade options.  They’ll just have to wait a month or so until he gets the green light to return for those talks to rekindle.

Detroit Red Wings Acquire Brendan Perlini

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The Chicago Blackhawks told Brendan Perlini that they would try to find him a new home after he asked for a trade, and they’ve made good on their promise. Perlini has been traded to the Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks will receive Alec Regula in return, and do not have to retain any of Perlini’s salary.

The 23-year old forward had played just one game for the Blackhawks this season after failing to earn a job in training camp, and has now been traded twice in his young career. That’s a disappointing outcome for a player that had such high expectations back in 2014 when he was selected 12th overall by the Arizona Coyotes.

Perlini actually did get off to a solid start to his career, scoring 14 and 17 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL. Even last season after he was traded to the Blackhawks as part of the return for Nick Schmaltz he found success, potting 12 goals in just 46 games. His lack of assists were troubling though and too often Perlini disappeared almost entirely from games, failing to contribute in any meaningful way.

Still, there’s no reason to believe Perlini still can’t make enough improvements to become an impact player at the NHL level. The Red Wings can take that chance given they aren’t expected to compete for the Stanley Cup right away, providing ample opportunity for him to find his game. The Blackhawks obviously weren’t willing to do that, and found an acceptable return.

Regula, 19, was selected 67th overall in 2018 but has already started to show why he may be an NHL option down the road. The 6’4″ defenseman put up 39 points for the London Knights of the OHL last season and is off to an even better start this year. The fact that he played last season with Blackhawks prospect Adam Boqvist should make them very familiar with him. The team does need to sign Regula still, though that is not usually a problem for CHL players. His exclusive draft rights would expire in June, 2020.

New York Rangers Recall Chytil, Lindgren

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The New York Rangers have recalled two of their exciting young prospects, bringing up Filip Chytil and Ryan Lindgren. While both players already have a bit of NHL experience, this transaction represents their first call-up of 2019-20.

Chytil, 20, actually played the whole 2018-19 season with the Rangers, scoring 23 points in 75 games. At times however he looked overmatched and with the team’s added depth up front this season was asked to start the year in the AHL. That start went quite well with nine points in nine games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, and expectations are once again sky-high for the young Czech forward.

Lindgren meanwhile has just five games of experience at the NHL level after spending most of last season with Hartford. Acquired from the Boston Bruins as part of the Rick Nash trade in 2018, the 21-year old defenseman is another one of the team’s highly touted prospects.

With Mika Zibanejad dealing with an upper-body injury, it will be interesting to see if Chytil is inserted into the lineup right away. It is beginning to look more and more like this may be another developmental year for the Rangers despite their huge offseason, as they sit at 3-5-1 through their first nine games and have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. Perhaps another youthful injection of talent can right the ship.

Adam Lowry Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has decided that Adam Lowry deserves supplementary discipline for his hit on Oliver Kylington during the Heritage Classic on Saturday night. Lowry has been given a two-game suspension for the incident. As the accompanying video explains:

This is boarding. It is important to note that from the moment Kylington collects the puck from behind the net, Lowry sees nothing but his back. While we acknowledge Lowry’s assertion that he anticipated Kylington opening up as he came up ice so that Lowry could deliver a legal check, the onus is on Lowry to adjust course when that does not happen. 

The Calgary Flames defenseman did not suffer a major injury on the play and was back at practice today, but Lowry does still qualify as a repeat offender given he was suspended in March of this year.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Lowry, who is still without a point through the first 12 games. While he has never been a very offensive player, he has contributed consistently over the years even in a limited role. Where his real value lies however is in winning faceoffs, killing penalties and adding a dose of physicality, exactly what got him in trouble this time. The team will have to deal without his presence for a pair of games.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Seidenberg, Malkin

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and once again a member of the Boston Bruins top line headlines the group. This time it’s Brad Marchand’s turn after he recorded eight points in three games. Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron has been absolutely devastating this season with 54 combined points through their first 11 games. No other Bruins forward has more than four points this year.

The second and third spots were given to Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators and Brian Elliott of the Philadelphia Flyers respectively after similarly outstanding weeks. Josi put up six points in three games from the Nashville blueline, while Elliott has seemingly resurrected his career in Philadelphia with a 3-0 record last week.

  • After announcing his retirement recently, Dennis Seidenberg will remain with the New York Islanders organization in their player development department. The 38-year old was a sixth-round pick in 2001 but worked his way to the NHL and lasted for nearly 900 games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
  • Not only did Evgeni Malkin return to practice today for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but even shed his non-contact jersey at one point and is now targeting Saturday night as his potential first game back from injury, according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That would be an incredible return for the superstar forward after suffering the lower-body injury just three weeks ago. It’s not only Malkin who will return soon for the Penguins, who are finally getting healthy enough to really show what they are capable of this season.

Connor Carrick Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Finger

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The New Jersey Devils will be without Connor Carrick for at least a month, after the defenseman underwent surgery on his right pinky finger. The team announced a recovery timeline of four to six weeks, meaning Carrick will have to be removed from their plans for the time being. The injury was suffered in practice last Thursday when Carrick blocked a shot.

Carrick, 25, seemed to finally find a home with the Devils after arriving in New Jersey through a trade with the Dallas Stars. The young defenseman played in 20 games for them down the stretch and averaged nearly 20 minutes a night, before eventually signing a two-year, $3MM contract with them in the offseason.

Unfortunately, that role hasn’t continued this season with Carrick averaging fewer than 14 minutes a game in the four contests he did suit up for. The right-handed defenseman has been a bottom-pairing option for the team with little impact, meaning this injury won’t drastically change their game plan.

Still, losing defensemen for more than a month always puts pressure on a team’s depth chart. Should the Devils be forced to deal with any other injuries, Carrick’s absence will be notable.

Vladimir Tarasenko To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The St. Louis Blues have announced that star forward Vladimir Tarasenko needs shoulder surgery and will be out for at least five months. He will be re-evaluated at that time, though it means he will miss the vast majority of the remainder of the regular season. Tarasenko will be placed on long-term injured reserve.

This news is absolutely disastrous for the Blues, who are trying to defend their Stanley Cup championship but have already struggled with some inconsistency early on. The team is off to a 6-3-3 start, but will now have to continue without one of their best offensive weapons for much of the season.

Tarasenko, 27, was off to a great start with ten points in nine games before he was forced out of his tenth early on. The sniper had potted at least 33 goals in each of the last five seasons and was a huge part of the Blues’ powerplay. All of that production will now have to be replaced somehow, though if anyone has the depth to accomplish that it might be the Blues.

Not only does the team already have names like Alex Steen and Tyler Bozak playing smaller roles than they have in the past, but young forwards like Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Klim Kostin could be ready to make bigger impacts. Though Kyrou has dealt with his own injury troubles, he was recently loaned back to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and should be approaching a return at some point soon.

There’s obviously no one player that can replace Tarasenko immediately, but given that he’ll be out for almost the entire season the Blues will actually gain the ability to acquire someone if they decide to go down that route. Placing his $7.5MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve will open up some financial flexibility that could lead to them being trade deadline shoppers. That is of course if they decide to try and add instead of sell, given that captain Alex Pietrangelo is still scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Hopefully the team will be able to stay afloat during Tarasenko’s absence and still look like Stanley Cup contenders when he is able to return, which could be just in time for the playoffs given this early timeline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ryan Murray, Alexandre Texier Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without two key players for the next few weeks, as both Ryan Murray and Alexandre Texier were placed on injured reserve. Murray is out for three to four weeks with a broken hand, while Texier is expected to miss two to four weeks with a knee injury. Both occurred during the Blue Jackets loss on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Murray, 26, just can’t seem to stay healthy enough to ever really show what he is capable of. The second-overall pick in 2012 has missed substantial time in six of his seven NHL seasons, only remaining healthy in 2015-16. In fact, Murray has averaged just 53 games played over his career, a mark he’ll hopefully still be able to hit this season after returning in a few weeks.

Not only because of his injury history, Murray has also been involved in trade rumors for some time. With his current contract set to expire after the 2020-21 season and unrestricted free agency awaiting him thereafter, it seemed possible that this was finally the season that the Blue Jackets would find him a new home. Unfortunately this injury complicates things, as teams rarely trade for players dealing with something this serious.

For Texier, this is hopefully not a sign of things to come. The 20-year old forward burst onto the North American scene at the end of last season by dominating for the Cleveland Monsters and then suiting up for the Blue Jackets in the playoffs, and earned himself a full-time role with the club this year. He had just three points through 11 games so far however and had seen his ice time reduced of late. Still, he’s carries huge upside as a two-way player for the Blue Jackets that can play in all situations. Losing him for at least a few weeks will be tough, though he has lots of time to become that impact player.

Minor Transactions: 10/28/19

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Another week starts with two games tonight in the NHL, including the league-leading Buffalo Sabres in action once again. Those 9-2-1 Sabres will try to solve the Arizona Coyotes and their sparkling 2.20 goals against average, while the Florida Panthers travel to face the Vancouver Canucks. As teams prepare for tonight and all the week’s action, we’ll be right here keeping track of the minor moves.

  • Brian Gibbons has been recalled from the minor leagues once again, returning to the Carolina Hurricanes after just one day. Gibbons has been flipped back and forth several times this month, serving as a depth option for the Hurricanes as they continue to chase a Metropolitan Division playoff spot.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned J.C. Beaudin and Filip Chlapik to the AHL, after both helped the team take down the San Jose Sharks last night. The Senators don’t play a single game this week, meaning the pair of young forwards can be sent down to get in some more action with the AHL club and bank cap space (and salary) for the team.
  • After six games in the NHL, Gerald Mayhew is on his way back to the minors. The 26-year old forward finally fought his way to the highest level and even scored twice during his short stint, but with players coming back from injury for the Minnesota Wild he’ll have to wait for his next chance.
  • Logan Shaw has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets, who are awaiting a decision from the Department of Player Safety on Adam Lowry. Lowry is facing a potential suspension for a hit he threw in the Heritage Classic on Saturday night, meaning the team needed another forward for the time being.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights welcomed several players back to practice today, so needed to clear out some roster space for their return. With that in mind, they have assigned Jake Bischoff, Nicolas Hague, Nicolas Roy and Garret Sparks to the minor leagues. Vegas doesn’t play again until Thursday, giving them a chance to assess the roster before making any final decisions on who is ready to play.
  • Adam Johnson and Joseph Blandisi have both been returned to the AHL, another promising sign for a Pittsburgh Penguins team that is getting healthy again. Johnson and Blandisi both have two points in seven games for Pittsburgh this season and will likely serve as injury depth again at some point.

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