San Jose Sharks defenseman Radim Simek could miss the team’s season opener at home on October 12 against the Vegas Golden Knights, per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Simek has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the past few days and did not skate today as planned.
Pashelka notes Simek starting the season on injured reserve is a “real possibility,” meaning the 31-year-old defender would miss at least seven days from the retroactive placement, which likely would not impact Simek’s ability to return after the start of the season given he sustained the injury four days ago already. His lack of availability is a huge blow to a paper-thin Sharks defense, as he’s quietly been one of their most effective defenders over the past few seasons. He’s a strong two-way force at even strength and quite adept on the penalty kill, where his absence is felt the most. Simek played in just 44 games last season due to injuries, recording three points and averaging just 14:37 per game – arguably under-utilized by head coach David Quinn. If unavailable for opening night, someone like Nikolai Knyzhov, Jacob MacDonald, or the young Henry Thrun could draw into the lineup.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference this Monday evening:
- After cutting him from their training camp roster yesterday, the Winnipeg Jets are bringing 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert up to the active roster for tonight’s preseason tilt against the Calgary Flames, per a team announcement. Lambert will likely be returned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose after the game, where he’s projected to play the full season after splitting it between there and WHL Seattle last season, where he exploded for 38 points in 26 regular-season games and 26 points in 17 playoff contests. Lambert had two goals and an assist in 14 games in his first taste of pro hockey within the Jets organization with Manitoba last season.
- The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell posits Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland is well set up to make a blockbuster deal this season, likely his last as a general manager in the NHL as he enters the final season of his contract with Edmonton. Mitchell cites that pressure for Holland to bring a Stanley Cup to Edmonton, plus the Oilers’ wide range of young players in the organization that aren’t yet NHL regulars, as grounds for giving up significant assets in a deal. In terms of potential targets, Mitchell mentions Winnipeg Jets star netminder Connor Hellebuyck to quash any uncertainty in the crease, Carolina Hurricanes defender Brett Pesce for additional depth on the right side and an all-world top-four with Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse, and Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny as potential targets. All would require significant salary dumps going the other way to make a deal work, with the Oilers limited to carrying just one extra skater to be cap-compliant to start the season.
Grier spent the summer accumulating quite a few has beens and never weres, He didn’t address the goaltending or the blueline at all! Unless you think Kyle Burroughs is a good defender.
Well considering that SJ intentions of are to bottom out for a couple yrs, I think he did just what ownership wanted.
And how are they getting Hellybyck contract on the team?
And don’t say Campbell goes the other way – with that term no team is taking him without a couple firsts going back, not a better goalie! Lol
First off, Pesce would not make that an all-world top 4 defense grouping. Let’s not exagerrate. Would they be a good top 4? Absolutely, but Nurse & Bouchard are still liabilities in their own end at times. Also, would Hellyebuyck & Pesce sign long term deals in Edmonton? They are both American born players. Do they want to play in the states on a long term deal like several other American players have chosen to do so. Does it really make sense to give up a ton for a couple months of those players? Then, what would the Oilers give up in a blockbuster deal? A blockbuster deal means that something significant goes both ways. Warren Foegele & Cody Ceci aren’t making a deal a blockbuster. Broberg doesn’t make any deal a blockbuster either.
I think if I were them I’d be trying to trade Nurse as part of this ‘blockbuster’ to make the cap work and get out of his contract… and I agree that is not an imposing top 4 d-corp. I’d take NJDs top 4 everytime over EDMs + Pesce and I’d only call our top 4 good. All world is more like PITs current top 4 if it were 2015 haha.
Yea, clearly written by an Edmonton Oilers fan, not an impartial reporter. You could argue which team has the best defensive core in the nhl, but Edmonton’s would not make the conversation.
Players are waiting to see when the Mcdavid countdown starts. They have this year and maybe next. Then Mcdavid realizes never going to happen here. Then comes down to money or winning. Sure Oilers offer max.
Pesce is part of carolina system. he one of those players who leaves . Then people say thought he was better then that?
I am surprised that SJ hasn’t snapped up some defenseman yet, but maybe they are holding out hope that several nhl ready dmen come up and they can use their #4 priority slot to snap one up.
They did actually pick up Ty Emberson from waivers.
Oh missed that one.
LOL at the very notion of Hellebuyck being traded to Edmonton to win a Cup. Not. Gonna. Happen.