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Patrick Eaves

Ondrej Kase Out 5-6 Months With Torn Labrum

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The Anaheim Ducks’ playoff odds just took a major hit. The team has announced this evening that young forward Ondrej Kase suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder in last Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The injury will require surgery, scheduled for next week, and Kase will miss the next five to six months for recovery. His season is over.

Kase, 23, had been on pace for the best season of his career despite missing 20 games already. In the 30 games he had played for the Ducks, Kase has registered 20 points and trailed only Ryan Getzlaf in points-per-game for the team. Kase is developing into dynamic right wing and a dependable one at that. In the first season of a three-year extension worth $2.6MM against the cap each year, Kase is already looking like an immense bargain for Anaheim. However, the concern moving forward is whether the upstart Czech winger can stay healthy.

Yet, the more pressing concern for the Ducks is their fate this season. GM Bob Murray has been busy lately reshaping his roster for a playoff push, but he likely won’t be able to replace Kase’s production internally and probably will be unwilling to pay the price to replace him via trade. Fortunately, Corey Perry, Patrick Eaves, and Jakob Silfverberg should all be back in the lineup sooner rather than later, providing a nice boost up front. However, Anaheim is one of seven teams currently competing for just two wild card spots in the Western Conference and likely needed their team at full strength – including Kase – to ensure they were able to secure a playoff berth. This injury could convince Murray to swing another deal or instead could switch the Ducks into selling mode. Only time will tell, but no good will come from losing the scoring punch that Kase provided.

Snapshots: Vanek, Carrier, Perry, Eaves

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Red Wings winger Thomas Vanek is no stranger to being moved at the trade deadline.  It’s undoubtedly part of the reason he pushed for a no-trade clause last summer in free agency and he managed to get one.  Although Detroit is believed to be selling between now and the February 25th trade deadline, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press suggests that it’s unlikely that Vanek will be moved as he’s valued as a leader in the dressing room.  For his part, the 35-year-old indicated that thought of waiving his no-trade clause simply hasn’t crossed his mind.  Vanek has 23 points in 42 games so far this season.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Golden Knights winger William Carrier has missed the last three weeks with what had been called an illness. Today, GM George McPhee informed reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that it’s actually an injury that’s keeping him out of the lineup although he declined to provide further specifics or an idea of how much longer he’ll be out.  Despite missing seven games already, Carrier remains the league leader in hits by a significant margin and is averaging just under five per game.
  • Ducks winger Corey Perry returned to practice for the first time since suffering a knee injury during the preseason, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. While there is no timetable for his return, head coach Randy Carlyle indicated that he believes Perry is a little ahead of schedule.  When he underwent surgery late in September, Anaheim announced that he was likely to be out until early March so that would suggest he’s a few weeks away from returning.
  • In the same column, Teaford adds that the Ducks received permission to extend Patrick Eaves’ AHL conditioning stint by two more games. He’s on a Bona Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception Conditioning Loan which is only supposed to last three games or six days, whichever comes first.  Eaves has been out of the lineup since mid-November due to a fractured rib and has played in just five NHL games so far this season as well as the past three with AHL San Diego.

Troy Terry, Max Jones Recalled As Anaheim Makes Several Roster Moves

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The Anaheim Ducks are sick of losing, and they won’t be going into battle with the same group again. The team has made several roster moves today, including bringing up a little youth to inject into the lineup. Troy Terry, Max Jones and Andrej Sustr have all been recalled from the San Diego Gulls, while Jake Dotchin and Kiefer Sherwood have been assigned to the AHL. Patrick Eaves will be joining them in San Diego on a conditioning stint.

Terry, 21, has been destroying the AHL in his first year of professional hockey, recording 37 points in 32 games for the Gulls. Signed out of the University of Denver last spring, the versatile forward is still waiting for his first NHL point as he has been held off the scoresheet in eight outings. That’s not something he’s used to at any level, and the Ducks are hoping he can break through in the second half of this season.

Jones, 20, comes with a much higher draft pedigree than Terry but is still a step behind him at the AHL level. The big OHL winger has 24 points in his first season of professional hockey, and offers a much different skill set with his willingness to engage physically when necessary. Both players are part of an impressive group of forward prospects that could turn the Ducks’ fortunes around down the line, but will have their work cut out for them this season.

Anaheim Ducks’ Randy Carlyle On The Hot Seat

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Mired in a nine-game losing streak, The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek wrote yesterday that this is a “critical time” for the Anaheim Ducks. While he notes that the Ducks have the unfortunate designation of leading the NHL in man-games lost this season, they were set to finally add top-pair defenseman Cam Fowler and first-line forward Rickard Rakell back into the lineup last night. The team hoped that the duo’s return would finally spark a win for a team that is as close to full health now as they have been all year.

It didn’t work out that way. Despite taking a 3-0 first period lead on the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ducks ended up losing 7-4 behind four unanswered Penguins goals in the third period in one of the more disheartening defeats that any team has faced this year.

Despite the optimism that injuries were the cause of their slump and a return to health would right the ship, Anaheim lost again last night for their tenth straight game without a win. The team has plummeted down the standings, now a whopping 12 points back of the final Pacific Division seed, held by the surging Vegas Golden Knights, and a point behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot, with the Wild holding two games in hand. The Ducks are one more loss away from being a .500 team and have slipped to a -27 in goal differential, not quite the numbers of a playoff-bound team. Anaheim is second-to-last in goals for per game, fueled by the fewest shots per game in the league on average, have an anemic 14.3% power play, and – despite the best efforts of starter John Gibson playing behind a porous defense of late – are a middle of the road goals against team.

Nothing seems to be working out for the Ducks and the early indications are that injuries are not entirely to blame. With a roster that has ample talent on paper, the blame then rationally falls onto the head coach, Randy Carlyle. Carlyle, in his third year of his second stint with Anaheim, has been unable to find the cure for what ails them this season. The team has struggled to score goals as well as prevent them, has not had success on special teams, and allows far too many shots, especially in light of how few they take themselves. The Ducks have lost three games in overtime during this stretch, as well as several more one-goal and two-goal games, as Carlyle has been unable to turn any game situation in his favor. Given the talent available for Anaheim – even accounting for the absences of Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves – the fact that Carlyle has not been able to get more out of the likes of Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf, Jakob Silfverberg, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and more is alarming – and it may just cost him his job.

Duhatschek noted, even before last night’s embarrassing collapse, that change would be coming if the team could not get it together. He specifically refers to trades, as the team trends in the direction of “deadline seller” territory. Certainly, GM Bob Murray will need to consider moving impending free agent Silfverberg, as well as deal from his depth in goaltending and defense in the minors, but a roster move seems less likely to be the next big decision. Carlyle is absolutely on the hot seat and if he can’t find a way to motivate his players, solve his situational struggles, and string together some wins, he will likely be fired long before the Ducks begin making trades. As the team begins a five-game road trip, it begs the question whether Ducks fans will see Carlyle behind the home bench again this season.

No Timetable For Patrick Eaves’ Return

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The Anaheim Ducks haven’t had much luck when it comes to injuries this season, and today issued updates on a pair of players. Cam Fowler, who hasn’t played since November 12th and needed surgery to correct a complex facial fracture, is scheduled for a mid-January return if he experiences no setbacks. Patrick Eaves, who had been out with back spasms, was apparently suffering them because of a broken rib. He has no timetable for a return.

Eaves, 34, has now played just seven games in the NHL since signing his three-year, $9.45MM contract extension in the summer of 2017. Robbed of almost the entire 2017-18 season after he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, he’s now dealt with several injuries again this year and can’t seem to stay on the ice. The incredible breakout in 2016-17 that ended with 32 goals looks like it won’t be matched anytime soon, as he has just a single tally in those seven games since the start of last season.

That’s a real problem for the Ducks, who can’t find much in the way of consistent scoring. Eaves was brought back to offer a consistent two-way presence to lengthen out the lineup alongside players like Ondrej Kase and Adam Henrique, but has turned into dead money against the cap. Anaheim can and has placed his contract on long-term injured reserve at times to get some relief, but the in-and-out nature of status will keep them from doing much with that added flexibility.

For now, the Ducks will have to hope someone like Daniel Sprong, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins this week to provide some offense, can fill in for Eaves on the powerplay and in the top-nine. That’s a substantial gamble from a team that was expecting to compete for the playoffs this season.

Anaheim Ducks Return Max Comtois To Juniors

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The Anaheim Ducks have finally decided the fate of rookie Max Comtois, who found himself on the outside of Anaheim’s top-six in recent weeks. Despite having already burned the first year of his entry-level deal and the fact that the team couldn’t send the 19-year-old prospect to the AHL, the team decided to return him to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, according to TVA’s Mikael Lalancette (translation required).

Comtois provided the Ducks with a young top-six forward at the start of the season when the team was overwhelmed with injuries to many of their veterans, including Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves, Ondrej Kase were placed on injured reserve to start the season. While some of those players starting getting healthy, other players went down after that, including Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg, allowing Comtois to continue his play. The rookie reached the 10-game mark with successful numbers, posting two goals and seven assists, before having to go on injured reserve himself with a lower-body injury. Once returned, the team sent him on a conditioning loan to the AHL where he scored just once in four appearances. However, with most of Anaheim’s veterans returned and the team starting to show success, there was little opportunity for playing time at the NHL level and the team was forced to make a decision about Comtois. While he had already burned the first year of his entry-level deal by one game, the team was not allowed to send him to the AHL permanently. So to guarantee quality playing time, the team had to return him to his junior team.

It’s a big deal for his new junior team, however, as he will return to the QMJHL for his final season there, but now joins the Drummondville Voltigeurs, who gave up a fortune in draft capital to acquire Comtois’ rights from the Victoriaville Tigres back in June. Drummondville gambled on moving their 2018 first and second-round picks as well as their 2019 first and second-round picks to get Comtois only to see him make Anaheim’s roster, which looked like a disaster in October. Instead, the gamble paid off as the Voltigeurs get the star forward after all for a team competing for a title this year as they currently boast the fifth-overall record in the QMJHL.

Ducks Place Hampus Lindholm On Injured Reserve

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The Anaheim Ducks continue to deal with a rash of injuries, as top defenseman Hampus Lindholm has now joined the sidelined. CapFriendly reports that Lindholm has been placed on the injured reserve, a change also reflected on the team’s official roster albeit not yet announced by the Ducks.

There has been no word yet on the type or extent of the injury that Lindholm has suffered, but Ducks fans will hold out hope that it is relatively minor. The team is already without Cam Fowler, on IR with a facial fracture, and have yet to see Korbinian Holzer this season due to a wrist injury. On top of a depleted back end, the team is also missing quite a few names up front, including core forwards Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves. A Lindholm absence of any length hurts, but Anaheim can ill afford a long-term hiatus.

Lindholm, 25, not only leads all Ducks skaters in ice time, but his 25:29 ATOI is seventh-best in the whole league. Lindholm is also tied for third in scoring for Anaheim with ten points, among the top scoring defensemen in the Pacific Division. Without Lindholm and Fowler, the Ducks are sorely lacking their regular leadership and top sources of production on the blue line. Although they have yet to announce this transaction as well, the team’s roster shows that defensemen Jake Dotchin and Josh Mahura have been recalled and both could soon find their way into the starting lineup, with Luke Schenn clearing waivers and destined for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Dotchin played in 48 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but has yet to make his Ducks debut, while first-year pro Mahura would be making his first NHL appearance. The two have performed well for San Diego this season, but face a tall task if asked to help make up for a long-term Lindholm absence in Anaheim.

West Notes: Flames Goaltending, Eaves, Stars Injuries

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While the Flames could certainly benefit from a goaltending upgrade with starter Mike Smith struggling considerably to start the season, it doesn’t appear that Blue Jackets pending UFA Sergei Bobrovsky is an option for them.  In an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that Calgary isn’t on the list of teams that Bobrovsky would be willing to waive his no-move clause for.  Smith has just a .876 save percentage so far this season which is the worst of his career by a significant margin and while backup David Rittich has played quite well, it would be difficult for the Flames to ask him to take over as the number one given that he only has 30 career NHL games under his belt.  However, if Calgary wants to make a move to help their goaltending, it doesn’t appear that they’ll be turning to Columbus for help.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Ducks winger Patrick Eaves was transferred to injured reserve earlier in the week with an upper-body injury. Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register notes (Twitter link) that it’s actually a back injury that the 34-year-old is dealing with.  It has been a rough start to 2018-19 for Eaves as he missed the start of the year with a shoulder issue and has played in just five games so far this season.
  • While the hope was that Stars defenseman John Klingberg would only miss a month, that timeline has been extended already. Head coach Jim Montgomery told Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that his top blueliner will be out at least five weeks and potentially more.  Meanwhile, Connor Carrick was expected to miss roughly three weeks as of late October due to a lower-body injury but DeFranks notes he’s still a few weeks away from returning which suggests he’s behind schedule in his recovery.  Fortunately for Dallas, Marc Methot is nearing a return and could play as early as Wednesday.

Pacific Notes: Ducks, Quick, Chychrun

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The Anaheim Ducks have dealt with more than their fair share of injuries over the past year or so. The team is still far from healthy, but finally full strength is within sight, particularly among their battered forward corps. The likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Patrick Eaves are healthy, and recent injuries like those to Jakob Silfverberg and Kalle Kossila have also run their course. Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase are on the mend and expected to be active sooner rather than later. Corey Perry (knee) and Carter Rowney (upper body) are still far from a return, but in terms of players the Ducks reasonably expected to be healthy, things are looking up. However, a full set of healthy forwards also brings with it some tough choices. While Anaheim has the flexibility to send the likes of Ben Street, Pontus Aberg, Sam Carrick, and Kiefer Sherwood – currently on the roster – to the AHL, they have to be concerned about whether there is enough ice time to go around for the more permanent pieces. Already, the team sent promising rookie Isac Lundestrom to the AHL today to bring up Kossila and fellow top prospects Sam Steel and Troy Terry are already down with the San Diego Gulls. As the team grows healthier, it it possible that they could explore returning rookie Max Comtois to his junior club, the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltiguers. While Comtois has already played in ten games this season and tolled the first year of his contract, he cannot be sent to the AHL and could be better served getting guaranteed top-six minutes at the junior level than fighting for ice time with the Ducks. Comtois is currently sidelined, buying Anaheim some time on the decision, but with conceivably an upwards of 20 forwards expecting to see action in the NHL this season, eliminating even just one option by sending Comtois back to junior would help the Ducks with their impending roster crunch.

  • The Los Angeles Kings took another hit in net today with the news that backup goaltender Jack Campbell will be out four to six weeks with a torn meniscus. The team is already without starter Jonathan Quick due to the same injury and are left to lean on veteran Peter Budaj and rookie Cal Petersen for the time being. Fortunately, GM Rob Blake did assure the media later on that Quick remains on track to return sometime around the end of the month, per beat writer Curtis Zupke. Quick underwent surgery on October 31st and was given a timeline of roughly a month to return. So long as his rehab continues to progress positively, Quick could potentially be ready to return by the Kings’ November 30th clash with the division rival Calgary Flames. Yet, even in that best-case scenario, Budaj and Petersen will still be on the hook for the nine games between now and then.
  • In more immediate injury news, The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun is “probable” to make his season debut on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. Chychrun has been sidelined since late last season with a torn ACL in his right knee. The first-round pick was establishing himself as a reliable top-four defender prior to his injury and his return should come with an automatic starting spot, likely bumping Ilya Lyubushkin down to the minors and Jordan Oesterle from his starting slot.

Pacific Notes: Suomela, Pacioretty, Eaves

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The San Jose Sharks have done a nice job of re-making their roster over the past year, adding players like Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane to an already talented roster, but one area the team still needs help in is that the center position, particularly the third-line center position that was vacated by Chris Tierney when the Sharks traded him to the Ottawa Senators in the Karlsson move, according to Paul Gackle of The Mercury News.

After starting the season with Finnish import Antti Suomela for the first 13 games, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said he intends to sit Suomela and look at other options for that spot.

“I felt good until the last two games about our four-line game,” said DeBoer. “The answer to (the Tierney question) is internally in here. It’s just about guys grabbing that job and that opportunity.”

DeBoer believes that there are three in-house candidates who can take that center spot on the third line, including Suomela, Rourke Chartier and Dylan Gambrell. DeBoer hasn’t given up on Suomela being the answer, but notes that many players struggle after the first exciting stretch of games.

“You hit a little bit of a wall,” said DeBoer. “You take your foot off the gas a little bit. He’s out tonight and we’ll reset. He knows he can play in this league. He knows he can create offense in this league, but there’s a consistency to that compete level every night that maybe in some other leagues you don’t need. That’s something you have to learn.”

  • The Vegas Golden Knights believe winger Max Pacioretty is close to returning as the 29-year-old was a full participant in Saturday’s morning skate and while he is not playing in Saturday’s game against Carolina, is expected to join the team on their upcoming four-game roadtrip, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Pacioretty has missed three straight games after taking a severe hit from Tampa Bay Lighning defenseman Braydon Coburn and is still listed as day-to-day. “Everything’s going real well,” coach Gerard Gallant said after practice. “He told me it’s going in the right direction. It’s a good sign.”
  • While Anaheim Ducks forward Patrick Eaves didn’t do anything significant in his first game back Thursday since missing all but two games last year due to illness and injury, but the veteran forward feels that he can make a difference for a struggling Ducks’ team. Even though expectations are low for Eaves, the 34-year-old veteran had a 32-goal season in 2016-17 and is capable of sparking the offense. “It’s hard to put any expectations on him other than, hopefully, he survives, gets through it and gets his feet underneath him,” Coach Randy Carlyle said. “It’s going to take him some time, so I’m going to withhold my assessment until maybe after the next game.”

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