Injury Notes: Kucherov, Zboril, Farabee
When Nikita Kucherov was last sidelined due to injury, it took him the entire 2020-21 regular season to recover. This time around, the absence won’t be nearly as long for the 2018-19 Hart Trophy winner. Kucherov is right on track to return from the lower body injury he suffered back in October, for which he was given an eight-to-ten week recovery period after undergoing surgery. NHL.com reports that Kucherov was back at practice for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, his first time skating with the team since he was injured on October 16 – exactly seven weeks to the day. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was quick to qualify the appearance, stating that “this does not trigger anything new on his timeline; he’s still quite a ways off.” However, getting Kucherov back on the ice is the first major step toward getting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs back to full strength. The Lightning are enjoying another solid season, even with Kuckerov and Brayden Point on the shelf, but are well behind the rival Florida Panthers for the lead in the Atlantic Division and could use the boost that a Kucherov return will bring to get back into the mix for the Eastern Conference crown.
- The Boston Bruins are still waiting on clarification on the injury to defenseman Jakub Zboril in their last game on Thursday night. Zboril took an awkward check from Nashville’s Tanner Jeannot and appeared to injure his knee. He was helped off the ice and did not return in what seemed to be a serious incident. However, the team has made no definitive statement as to Zboril’s status just yet. Boston only announced that Zboril will not play on Saturday night and will be re-evaluated in the coming days, which could mean that the injury was not as severe as it seems or it could simply be that they have not yet determined the severity. The hope is that Zboril can return as soon as possible, as the blue liner is playing the best hockey of his NHL career providing consistent and dependable play on the back end. With Zboril finally flashing the ability that made him a first-round pick in 2015, the Bruins want to keep that momentum going if at all possible.
- On the other end of the spectrum, the specifics have been revealed on the injury to Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee. The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor reports that Farabee has suffered a Grade II AC sprain in his shoulder. The typical recovery from the injury is up to six weeks, which O’Connor notes lines up with what Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault had initially suggested, even though Farabee was considered “week-to-week”. Philly will have to make do through at least the rest of the calendar year without the young scorer, who is tied for the team lead in goals.
Darche Allowed To Pursue GM Opportunities In-Season
- If Mathieu Darche wants to interview for that Montreal job, the Tampa Bay Lightning won’t stand in his way. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Lightning will not block Darche, who serves as director of player development for the team, from interviewing for a GM opportunity even in-season.
Steven Stamkos Leaves Road Trip For Birth Of Second Child
- Per the team, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos is absent from Tuesday’s game against St. Louis, returning home from the road trip to be present for the birth of his second child. While the team is now without their star trio of Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, they still sit in a good position with a 12-5-3 record. Stamkos leads the team with 24 points in 20 games this season, an underrated story considering his trouble with injuries in recent seasons.
Injury Notes: Zuccarello, Joseph, Kase
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello was absent from Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury. While the Wild were able to take the game with a 4-2 win, Zuccarello’s great performance so far this season (16 points in 16 games) means they’ll want him back as soon as possible. Head coach Dean Evason said after the game that Zuccarello’s got a “nasty injury” on his bottom hand. Zuccarello will try to practice during the Wild’s optional skate tomorrow, but Evason offers no guarantees.
More injury news from around the league:
- Mathieu Joseph of the Tampa Bay Lightning sustained an injury and did not return to today’s game against Minnesota. Joseph had been playing in the team’s top six along with Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli and had seven points in 19 games. It’s a tough blow to a team that’s already missing Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point up front. It’s unknown if Joseph will miss how much, if any, time.
- Ondrej Kase isn’t returning for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, but head coach Sheldon Keefe assures that his absence is more precautionary in nature. An upper-body injury to Kase is concerning considering his concussion history, but Keefe said today “There’s no clarity on that right now. But that has not been designated as the case.” Kase’s been working out on his own without practicing with the team.
Odeen Tufto Activated Off SOIR, Assigned To Syracuse
- The Lightning have activated center Odeen Tufto from season-opening IR and assigned him to AHL Syracuse, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 24-year-old finished second in NCAA scoring last season with 47 points in 29 games with Quinnipiac and got into his first four professional games late last season.
Brayden Point Out 4-6 Weeks
The Tampa Bay Lightning have issued an update on Brayden Point, announcing that the center will be out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury.
It’s not the best news for the Lightning, but it certainly isn’t as bad as it could have been either. Point was originally ruled out indefinitely after being tripped on a breakaway and slamming into the end boards. While he was able to finish that game, Point was obviously hurt and now will miss at least a month.
That means he should be back in time for the Olympics, should Team Canada take him to Beijing, and will return around the same time the Lightning are currently expecting Nikita Kucherov back from his own injury. In the meantime, others will have to step up and carry the load for Tampa Bay and keep them in an Atlantic Division playoff position.
Point, 25, has averaged 20 minutes a night through the first 16 games of the season, scoring seven goals and 13 points in that time. After leading the entire league in goals during each of the last two postseasons, there are few players more impactful to the lineup. His presence is felt all over the ice, and between him and Anthony Cirelli, the Lightning have two of the most well-rounded two-way centers in the league.
Cirelli too has been asked to play a ton already this season, including more than 24 minutes with Point out of the lineup on Sunday. That heavy load will continue now for the next while, though others will be asked to do more as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Brayden Point Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury
4:21 pm: Just minutes into Sunday’s game, the Lightning have now announced that Point is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the defending champions, who are now without Point and Nikita Kucherov for the foreseeable future.
3:39 pm: Per the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina, Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point isn’t taking pregame warmups and will be absent for Tampa’s game Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.
Point collided with the boards during Saturday night’s game versus the New Jersey Devils after he was tripped on a breakaway. Referees awarded him a penalty shot on the play, which he was able to take, and he stayed in for the rest of the game.
Hopefully, that means Point won’t be missing too much time. The Lightning have yet to give Point an official injury designation.
Point has four points in his last five games, but he was held scoreless by New Jersey in a tough loss Saturday, registering a -3 rating. With seven goals and 13 points through 16 games, Point is averaging the most ice time per game of his career at 20 minutes a night.
The 25-year-old Point has led the Lightning in goals for both of their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories.
Zach Bogosian Returns From Foot Injury
- The Lightning will have blueliner Zach Bogosian back in the lineup tonight as he returns from a foot injury, notes Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). His second stint with Tampa Bay got off to a rough start as he suffered the injury in the season-opener. Bogosian will take the place of Erik Cernak who is dealing with an upper-body issue.
Erik Cernak To Miss At Least A Few Games
- Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will miss at least a few games due to an upper-body injury sustained on Tuesday, head coach Jon Cooper told Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The 24-year-old logs over 20 minutes a game on Tampa Bay’s back end including the second-most penalty kill time among their defenders so his absence will be a tough one to fill. They will get Mikhail Sergachev back from suspension on Saturday but Jan Rutta and Cal Foote will also be called upon to play more minutes.
Lightning Had Interest In Retaining Luke Schenn
- The Lightning did show interest in bringing back defenseman Luke Schenn this summer, notes Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link). However, Schenn opted to go to Vancouver which paved the way for Tampa Bay to add Zach Bogosian on a three-year deal worth less than $1MM per season which should work out even better for them once he’s able to return from his lower-body injury later this month.