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Connor McDavid Being Evaluated For Lower-Body Injury

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Oct. 29: McDavid has left the Oilers’ road trip and is returning to Edmonton for further evaluation, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters, including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, after yesterday’s 6-1 loss to the Blue Jackets. He’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Predators and should be considered highly doubtful for Sunday’s Battle of Alberta matchup.

Oct. 28: Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has left tonight’s contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets and will not return due to a lower-body injury (Twitter link). McDavid appeared to be tripped up by Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski at the Columbus blue line and looked as though he jammed his left leg into the boards as he slid the length of the defensive zone and into the corner.

McDavid attempted to continue his shift but appeared to be uncomfortable putting any weight on his left leg. He quickly ended his shift and skated gingerly towards the Oilers bench before leaving down the tunnel and back to the dressing room. The incident happened on McDavid’s first shift of the game, and he did not play again. His total ice time for the evening was 37 seconds.

There was no penalty on the play, although the video of the incident isn’t the best angle to see whether Werenski tripped McDavid or he caught an edge before falling. In any event, it’s extremely bad luck for McDavid and the Oilers as they are still trying to find their game after a slow start to the season. The club can ill afford to lose McDavid for any length of time as the forward scoring has been non-existent early in the season outside of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

McDavid has points in seven of his first nine games coming into tonight, but he hasn’t been able to find that next gear, posting just three goals and seven assists in ten games. The Oilers will go as far as McDavid and Draisaitl can take them, meaning that his return is a must for a club with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Evening Notes: Vesey, Hague, Joseph

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Mollie Walker of New York Post Sports reports that New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey has been upgraded from a non-contact jersey and skated in a regular one today at Rangers practice. The 31-year-old sustained a lower-body injury during the preseason and has yet to dress in a regular game after playing 80 games last season and 81 the year before.

The Boston, Massachusetts native only resumed skating last Thursday and could play at some point this week if he progresses. New York has been using a revolving group of forwards in Vesey’s absence and re-called Matt Rempe yesterday from Hartford to presumably fill in until Vesey is ready to return.

In other evening notes:

  • Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague remains day to day with a lower-body injury (as per Jesse Granger of The Athletic). The 25-year-old was injured in the second period of Friday night’s 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators after scoring his first goal of the season earlier in the game. Kaedan Korczak replaced Hague on Saturday against San Jose, and it appears as though Hague will miss tonight’s game against Calgary. Hague has a single point on the season in eight games and has struggled to start the year as his possession numbers have been abysmal with a 37.8 CF% at even strength (as per Hockey Reference).
  • St. Louis Blues forward Mathieu Joseph will be returning to St. Louis to be evaluated after he suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Montreal (as per Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post Dispatch). Joseph will reportedly miss the remainder of the Blues road trip which sees them in Ottawa tomorrow night and Philadelphia on Thursday. Joseph has had a decent start in his first season with St. Louis posting two goals and two assists in nine games while being one of the team’s top penalty-killing options.

Snapshots: Drouin, Rempe, Lazar

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Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette is reporting that injured Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin is being upgraded to day-to-day, an indication that he could return to action soon. Drouin hasn’t dressed for a game since he suffered a lower-body injury in the first game of the season back on October 8th. The 29-year-old is reportedly still dealing with some pain but should be able to return when he is cleared to do so.

Colorado has not had issues putting the puck in the net this season. However, they are still without the services of several forwards and will be happy to have Drouin’s services when he gets back into the lineup.

In other notes from around the league:

  • The New York Rangers have reportedly recalled forward Matt Rempe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL (as per AHL Transactions). The 22-year-old was assigned to the AHL on Friday and dressed in two games with Hartford, where he was held without a point and went -3. New York had lent Rempe to Hartford to try and get him more playing time, but with a matchup this week against the Washington Capitals, and more specifically, Tom Wilson, the Rangers opted to bring the big man back to the NHL.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar left tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks and did not return (as per Mike Morreale of NHL.com). The 29-year-old collided with Ducks captain Radko Gudas when Gudas tried to execute an ill-timed hip check on Lazar, which resulted in an awkward-looking collision. Lazar appeared unable to put any weight on his left leg as he exited the game and did not return for the third period. He played just 4:40. In a post-game interview, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporter Gabriel Trevino that Lazar will miss some time.

Evening Notes: Martin, Colton, Wood, Rust

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Matt Martin’s recently signed one-year deal with the New York Islanders will pay him a prorated salary of $775K for the season (as per PuckPedia). Martin’s deal is a one-way contract with an AAV of $875K, meaning he will make $775K in the AHL or NHL. The contract also includes a $100K bonus if the 35-year-old plays ten games in the NHL this season.

The bonus in the contract is a bit peculiar given that the Islanders were likely the only suitor for Martin’s services after he lingered unsigned in free agency for over three months. However, the $100K bonus won’t impact New York much as they can roll any overage into next season when they will have over $20MM in cap space.

In other evening notes:

  • Colorado Avalanche forwards Miles Wood and Ross Colton are expected to play tonight when the Avalanche take on the Ottawa Senators (as per Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports). Both players missed team practice yesterday after they were banged up in Thursday night’s game against Utah. Colorado head coach Jared Bednar told the media yesterday that the team was trying to allow the players to recover so that they wouldn’t miss any game time. It would appear the tactic worked, which is good news for a team that has lost a pile of man games this season.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust left last night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with a lower-body injury (as per Ryan Gagne of The Hockey News). The 32-year-old was run into the boards by Canucks forward Nils Hoglander, who had some choice words for him as he left the ice. The Penguins were quick to rule the veteran out for the remainder of the game which isn’t a great sign for the struggling club moving forward. Pittsburgh has yet to provide an update and returned to Pittsburgh today after a disastrous road trip through Western Canada that saw the Penguins go 0-3-1. Pittsburgh plays at home on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Evening Notes: Matheson, Benson, Front Offices

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson is in the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers (as per  Eric Engels of Sportsnet). Matheson left the Canadiens game last Thursday night with an apparent upper-body injury after playing just 7:35 during the first period. He didn’t return for the second period and was ruled out of the game. The 30-year-old then returned to the Canadiens lineup on Saturday night against the Islanders and played over 28 minutes, tallying an assist.

Matheson’s dressing tonight left fellow defenseman Arber Xhekaj on the outside looking in as the Hamilton, Ontario native was made a healthy scratch. It marks the second game in a row that the 23-year-old has had to watch from the press box as he didn’t dress in New York on Saturday night.

In other evening notes:

  • Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson sat out tonight’s game and has been dealing with an issue since the team opened the season in Prague (as per Joe Yerdon of Noted Hockey). Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff credited the youngster with trying to play through the injury but said the ailment was beginning to affect his play. The 13th overall pick in 2023 is pointless through six games this season but has very strong underlying numbers and could benefit from a bit of rest to try and deal with the issue that has been nagging him. Buffalo doesn’t play again until Saturday.
  • The Athletic ran a poll with 40 high-ranking league executives to see who they believe is the NHL’s top front office. Among the participants were scouting directors, senior advisors, general managers, and assistant general managers. The top three clubs in the rankings were the Dallas Stars at one, the Tampa Bay Lightning second, and the Florida Panthers in third. The Golden Knights and Bruins rounded out the top five.  It’s no surprise to see three recent Stanley Cup winners in the top five, but what is surprising is seeing the number one ranking go to a team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1999. Although, the Stars did go to a Stanley Cup Final in 2020.

East Notes: Jarry, Blue Jackets, Ekman-Larsson

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Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game tonight when the Pens take on the Calgary Flames. Jarry sat out Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets and hasn’t played since he gave up three goals on five shots last Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Penguins are currently carrying three NHL goaltenders on their road trip through Western Canada and have been reportedly trying to get extra work in for Jarry in practice as he tries to steady his game and move on from the struggles that plagued him since late last season.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell isn’t in a hurry to add to his roster via trade despite a rash of injuries (as per James Murphy of Responsible Gambler). The Blue Jackets will be without key contributors Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson and Kent Johnson for quite a while, but as Waddell puts it, the team knows where they are at, and they know that acquiring short-term pieces doesn’t make sense at this stage of their rebuild. The Blue Jackets have been turning over their roster for five years now and appear unwilling to rush themselves back into the playoff picture by sacrificing the future. The Blue Jackets have several young players on their NHL roster who have performed well in the early going and have a decent pipeline of prospects on the way to the NHL.
  • The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been fined $5000 for running interference on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel in last night’s contest. On the play, Ekman-Larsson was the puck carrier and threw a reverse hit on an unsuspecting Guentzel knocking him to the ice. Guentzel remained down for a brief moment before getting back to his feet. OEL received a minor penalty on the play for interference. The fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the money from it will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Kraken Recall Cale Fleury, Vince Dunn To LTIR

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Cale Fleury from the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League. Fleury is fresh off a hat trick on Friday night against San Diego in what was the Firebirds’ first win of the season.

The 25-year-old Fleury is in his fourth season in the Kraken organization and had a spectacular playoff run with the team last year, posting five goals and nine assists in 18 AHL playoff games. The Calgary, Alberta native has dressed in 22 NHL games for Seattle over parts of three seasons and has one assist.

In a corresponding move, the Kraken have placed defenseman Vince Dunn on the long-term injured reserve in a move that was retroactive to October 17th. The move signals that Dunn’s injury could be more serious than the Kraken previously believed or it could be Seattle trying to navigate the tight confines of the NHL salary cap. Dunn will not be eligible to play again until November 8th against the Ottawa Senators.

Dunn was having a good offensive start to his season before suffering an upper-body injury. In four games the 27-year-old had a goal and two assists and was logging just under 19 minutes of ice time per game. Despite the good scoring numbers, Dunn’s underlying numbers have not been great. His CF% thus far this year is 15% lower than last season and he has committed turnovers at an alarming rate.

Evening Notes: Woll, Guhle, AHL Eligibility

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David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll could be ready to return to action as early as Tuesday. The news comes from Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who said it’s possible the 26-year-old would play tomorrow night when Toronto takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Woll has been dealing with groin tightness since training camp in early October. His injury has thrust summer free agent signing Anthony Stolarz into a lot of work early in the season as the veteran netminder has played five of Toronto’s first six games entering action tonight.

Woll signed a three-year extension early in the summer and appeared to have the inside track to the starter role as he entered training camp. The Dardenne Prairie, Missouri native was terrific last season for the Maple Leafs, posting 7.2 goals saved above expected (as per Money Puck) in 25 games.

In other evening notes:

  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not participate in Canadiens practice earlier today. Guhle has been dealing with the ailment since late last week and didn’t play on Saturday night against the Islanders. The 22-year-old missed nearly all of Canadiens training camp after having his appendix removed and has had an uneven start to the season, posting good offensive numbers, but has been abysmal on the possession front (34.5% CF% at even strength as per Hockey Reference).
  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News is reporting that a source of his has told him that the next NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement could have AHL eligibility as an option for 19-year-olds written into it. The news could be another challenge for the CHL who are preparing to navigate the new NCAA eligibility rules. However, the news would be good for players such as Sabres forward prospect Matt Savoie who just spent his age-19 season in the WHL last year.

East Notes: Woll, Bunting, Jarry

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll revealed to the media that he has been dealing with groin tightness (as per Nick Barden of The Hockey News). The issue has kept him out of regular-season action, but Woll feels as though he should be back sooner rather than later.

It’s possible that the issue could have occurred during training camp in early October, but Woll didn’t get into the specifics regarding where and when the groin issue began to surface. During the moment in question on October 3rd, Woll slid across his crease to make a save and looked to be in discomfort as he moved back to his feet.

The Maple Leafs are unlikely to rush Woll as Anthony Stolarz has been terrific this season thus far.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop tweeted the Pittsburgh Penguins line rushes yesterday, which appeared to show forward Michael Bunting as a healthy scratch. Bunting was moved off the second line in the Penguins loss to the Hurricanes on Friday night and he was also moved off the second power-play unit. Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports tweeted that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was asked on Friday by reporters about Bunting’s performance this season and replied, “I think our expectation is higher.” Bunting has struggled this season, with just a single assist in six games. However, his underlying numbers remain strong and could be an indicator of bad luck rather than bad play.
  • Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager doesn’t appear keen on placing goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers as a way to address the team’s goaltending predicament, not yet anyway. Jarry has struggled dating back to last year when he didn’t start the Penguins’ final 13 regular season games and is arguably third in Pittsburgh’s current goaltending ranks. The Penguins are carrying three goaltenders on the roster and are bringing Jarry, Joel Blomqvist, and Alex Nedeljkovic on their road trip through Western Canada. Jarry currently has a .836 save percentage and a 5.47 goals-against average in three games but is owed $5.375MM this season and for an additional three years after that, making him nearly unmovable.

Senators Recall Cole Reinhardt, Mads Søgaard Sent To AHL

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that they’ve recalled left winger Cole Reinhardt from the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League and are demoting goaltender Mads Søgaard. The move could be a signal that Senators star goaltender Linus Ullmark is set to return from a strain that has been keeping him out of action.

The Senators recalled Søgaard earlier this week and he dressed in one game, giving up four goals on 17 shots in just over 34 minutes of action against the Los Angeles Kings. The 23-year-old has yet to establish himself as a regular NHLer as his numbers are pedestrian at best. In 28 NHL regular season games, the former second-round pick has an 11-10-3 record with a .881 save percentage and a 3.53 goals-against average. Søgaard posted solid numbers in the AHL last season, registering a .916 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in 32 games.

24-year-old Reinhardt is off to a terrific start in the AHL this season, posting two goals and three assists in three games with Belleville. Reinhardt has never been much of a scorer at any level, topping out at 34 points in 66 AHL games for his best offensive season as a professional. He is a strong skater and plays well in all facets of the game and will likely see time on the fourth line if he dresses during his NHL recall. The former sixth-round pick has seen NHL action before dressing in a game for the Senators back in April of 2022.

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