The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Kings winger Arthur Kaliyev would have a disciplinary hearing today for his kneeing of Anaheim’s Chase De Leo on Tuesday night. He received a minor penalty for kneeing on the play while De Leo did not return. If it’s decided that supplemental discipline is warranted, the league could opt to suspend Kaliyev solely for preseason games, regular season ones, or a combination of both.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Sharks center Mikael Granlund was injured just before training camp began but Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports that the veteran appears to be on track to be ready to play in the season opener. The 31-year-old saw his production drop last year, going from 64 points to 41, resulting in him being a salary matcher in the Erik Karlsson trade. With Logan Couture’s availability for the season opener still in question, having Granlund – who can play down the middle – available would certainly help.
- Also from Pashelka’s piece, winger Kevin Labanc could return as soon as Thursday as he works his way back from an upper-body issue that came up last week against Anaheim. The 27-year-old gave San Jose some secondary scoring last season with 15 goals and 18 assists but that’s still not the type of production they’re expecting on a $4.75MM per year deal, one that runs through the end of this season.
- Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that Rantanen should be ready to go for the start of the regular season next week. Meanwhile, center Ben Meyers, who is battling for a fourth-line spot with the Avs, is also listed as day-to-day.
- The Stars announced that they’ve recalled winger Kyle McDonald from AHL Texas. The 21-year-old was cut back on Monday but now will get another opportunity to make an impression on the big club. McDonald had 52 points in 43 games with OHL North Bay last season and this will be his first year at the professional level.