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Connor McDavid Out With Upper-Body Injury

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After last night’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets in overtime, the Edmonton Oilers have even more bad news coming down the pipeline. In an update this afternoon, the team has announced that the captain of the team, Connor McDavid, will miss the next one to two weeks with an upper-body injury.

As one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this season, the Oilers have been one of the most disappointing teams to start the 2023-24 NHL season. In five games played, including the loss to Winnipeg last night, the Oilers are the owners of a 1-3-1 record, good for 29th in the league standings as things currently stand.

Nevertheless, the team still has 77 games to correct the dismal start, but the loss of McDavid is about as substantial as possible. Even after only recording one win in the first five games, it is in spite of McDavid getting off to another solid start. In the first handful of games to start the season, McDavid has averaged just over 20 minutes of ice time per night, scoring two goals and six assists, which is good for 12th in the league in scoring to start the year.

Thankfully for the Oilers, seeing McDavid on the injured reserve has not been a common occurrence during his career in the NHL, he has seemingly only missed time due to injury during his rookie season in 2015-16, as well as towards the end of the 2019-20 season.

In the meantime, even without the injury to McDavid, the Oilers need a wake-up call to most of their team in the early part of the season. Aside from the usual suspects of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Hyman, the depth in Edmonton has failed to make a positive on the club so far this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Andersson, Buchnevich, Zucker, Carcone

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It seems Rasmus Andersson’s four-game suspension could have a negative domino effect on the Flames. Aside from missing one of their top defenders (if not their top defender) for the rest of the month, a semi-long-term suspension creates some salary cap issues for a strapped Calgary squad.

Since players suspended by the league still count against the salary cap, Andersson’s $4.55MM cap hit will remain on the books until his return next month. The team has exactly $0 in space left with defenseman Oliver Kylington on LTIR, and they have just six healthy defensemen on the roster, with Jordan Oesterle now set to slide into a bottom-pairing role for the next quartet of games. If another defender is sidelined due to injury, the team may have trouble making a corresponding roster move to dress a full roster. One potential solution would be sliding forward Kevin Rooney from IR to LTIR retroactive to the beginning of the season, but that assumes he will be out for at least the next five games. That’s certainly a distinct possibility, as he carries an unknown return timeline following offseason shoulder surgery. The only other option for the Flames would be to waive forward Dryden Hunt and replace him with a defense call-up from AHL Calgary, but their options would be limited to defenders with a league-minimum cap hit of $775K, the same as Hunt’s.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference tonight:

  • St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich is missing his second straight game against the Penguins tonight with an upper-body injury sustained against the Kraken a week ago today. He did, however, rejoin the team at morning skate today, a week into his projected recovery timeframe. Head coach Craig Berube said Buchnevich is “making progress” but that he’ll want to log at least one practice taking full contact before returning to the lineup. He’s likely to travel with the team on their upcoming lengthy road swing. The 28-year-old is yet to record a point this season in two games.
  • A pair of Coyotes forwards left today’s win over the Ducks with injuries, headlined by free-agent signing Jason Zucker. Per the team, a lower-body injury prevented him from finishing the contest. Zucker scored one of two Coyotes goals in the 2-1 win and was named the third star of the game. It’s unclear when exactly he sustained the injury, although he could have tweaked something while laying a hit on Ducks forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx (video link). Signed to a one-year contract with a $5MM AAV, the 31-year-old now has two goals in five games but is still looking for his first helper as a Yote.
  • The other winger to exit today’s contest was Michael Carcone, who sustained an upper-body injury. He was the recipient of a heavy shoulder check from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas late in the second period. Last season’s AHL points leader had one goal on the board this season in four contests. If both he and Zucker cannot go for Tuesday’s contest against the Kings, at least one recall will be necessary from AHL Tucson, with Travis Boyd as the only extra forward on the roster.

Devils Notes: Hischier, Haula, Recalls

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New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier did not practice today after leaving Friday’s overtime win over the Islanders with a reported shoulder injury, NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky notes. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Novozinsky that Hischier is “being evaluated right now” and will give another update on his status when the team reconvenes on Monday.

Hischier has had a slow start to 2023-24, at least on the scoresheet. He and Dawson Mercer are the only Devils forwards who have played in all four games this season and are yet to record a point. His 17:34 average ice time thus far is also the lowest since his rookie season, a further sign of the stranglehold Jack Hughes is taking as the team’s bonafide number-one center. He hasn’t taken a step back defensively, however, still showcasing the form that earned him a Selke Trophy nomination last season. He has a Corsi share of 57.1% at even strength, which ranks fourth among Devils forwards to play in all four contests.

Other Devils updates coming this weekend:

  • Depth center Erik Haula is continuing his recovery from the upper-body injury that sidelined him against the Islanders on Friday. Devils team reporter Amanda Stein said today that Haula skated on his own prior to practice, and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be available for Monday’s game against the Canadiens, limiting him to just one game missed. Haula’s line with Ondrej Palat and Alexander Holtz has provided solid secondary scoring so far, and Haula has two goals and one helper through three appearances. The 32-year-old signed a three-year, $9.45MM extension with the Devils to avoid free agency this summer.
  • While Hischier’s and Haula’s statuses are up in the air, don’t expect any recalls from AHL Utica until the last minute. Ruff told reporters today that their minor-league affiliate is dealing with some injuries of their own and that a recall would only be necessary on Monday if both Hischier and Haula are unavailable against Montreal. With 22-year-old Nolan Foote still on season-opening injured reserve, look for Shane Bowers or Tyce Thompson to get an NHL nod if they’re healthy.

Injury Updates: Hurricanes, Boldy, Granlund, Bertuzzi

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The Hurricanes are likely to be without center Sebastian Aho tonight against Colorado, relays NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link).  The 26-year-old has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury but skated after the game-day skate today, suggesting he won’t be out much longer.  Aho has three points in his first three games so far this season and is coming off his fourth season out of the last five with at least 30 goals.

Meanwhile, while goaltender Frederik Andersen also took part in the morning skate today, he, too, isn’t expected to be available for this game.  He exited Tuesday’s game in San Jose early after taking a shot off the mask and hasn’t suited up since.  The Hurricanes brought up Pyotr Kochetkov earlier this week and he is currently serving as the backup to veteran Antti Raanta.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Wild winger Matt Boldy skated on Friday for the first time as he works his way back from an upper-body injury sustained earlier this week in Toronto, notes John Shipley of the Pioneer Press. However, head coach Dean Evason was quick to point out that this doesn’t mean that Boldy is nearing a return; the week-to-week designation remains.  The 22-year-old had 31 goals last season and will be a big part of Minnesota’s attack when he’s able to return.
  • While Sharks forward Mikael Granlund is on San Jose’s five-game road trip, there’s still no timeline for when he might return, mentions Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. The 31-year-old played in the season opener but has been out with a lower-body injury since then; with Logan Couture still out, San Jose is down two of their top veterans.  Granlund has already been on IR for the minimum of seven days and will be eligible to return as soon as he is cleared.
  • After being a game-time decision on Thursday, Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi will suit up tonight in Tampa Bay, mentions TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe recently mentioned that Bertuzzi isn’t fully healthy which left his status for today’s game in question.  The 28-year-old is off to a quiet start with his new club, recording just one point (a goal) through his first four games.

Robby Fabbri Out Four Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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The Detroit Red Wings have announced that forward Robby Fabbri will be out for four weeks with a lower-body injury. The team also clarified that this injury is not related to Fabbri’s knee, which is notable as Fabbri’s knee has been the cause of significant injury troubles in the past.

Fabbri has not appeared on the ice for the Red Wings since the team’s season-opening loss to the New Jersey Devils on October 12th. Fabbri’s absence was originally believed to only be for a single game, but seeing as Fabbri failed to return to the ice it seems that original projection may have been too optimistic.

Fabbri’s one game so far this season was spent on the Red Wings’ second line alongside Lucas Raymond and offseason signing J.T. Compher.

Although he only played in 28 games last season, Fabbri scored at a 47-point pace. There was some hope that the 27-year-old, who is making $4MM against the cap through 2024-25, would be in line for a potential career-best season on a top-six line with Compher and Raymond. The Red Wings will now have to wait to see if those hopes will end up materializing into actual production, though, as Fabbri will be out of commission into the middle of November.

As for how the Red Wings have fared in Fabbri’s absence, Derek Lalonde’s squad has collected three consecutive wins and has scored 16 goals in that span of time. While a healthy Fabbri would hardly have hurt the team’s offensive attack, the Red Wings look well-positioned to remain highly competitive despite losing Fabbri.

Injury Notes: Dvorak, Mayfield, Penguins

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Montreal Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak has so far missed the entirety of his team’s young season, though his absence could be quickly coming to an end. The Canadiens announced today that Dvorak “wore a standard practice jersey during the on-ice session” of today’s practice. It can be inferred from this that a return to game action for Dvorak is on the horizon.

Dvorak’s return would come at an important time for the Canadiens, who are reeling from the season-long loss of second-line center Kirby Dach. Dvorak isn’t Dach, but he has scored at a 42-point pace as a Canadien and offers genuine value at the faceoff dot. There’s a possibility Dvorak takes the second-line center job Dach vacated, shifting Alex Newhook back to the wing. It’s possible Dvorak ends up on the third line with Brendan Gallagher in a move that might land Sean Monahan with Newhook and Juraj Slafkovský, the latter a player Monahan showed genuine chemistry with last season.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield will miss tonight’s game due to his lower-body injury, according to head coach Lane Lambert. (as relayed by Newsday’s Andrew Gross) Mayfield did skate this morning, something Lambert called a “first step” toward a return to full game action. The Islanders have gotten off to a strong 2-0-0 start, but maintaining that momentum could be more difficult without Mayfield, who is one of the Islanders’ more important defensemen. Mayfield ranked second on the team in time on ice per game last season, skating in 21:01 per night including a team-leading 2:41 logged short-handed.
  • According to Pittsburgh Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo, defenseman Kris Letang and forward Noel Acciari were both back on the ice for this morning’s practice. The pair had missed yesterday’s practice due to injury, and there was some uncertainty over how long those ailments would keep the players out of head coach Mike Sullivan’s lineup. Thankfully for the Penguins, though, it appears both Acciari and Letang won’t have to face extended absences due to those injuries.

Marc Staal Reportedly Out Four To Six Weeks

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Per The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is reportedly set to miss significant time after an awkward collision with Warren Foegele forced him out of Thursday night’s game.

Staal was noticeably uncomfortable on the bench after the hit, and exited the game with a period left to play. No update was provided on the nature of his injury, however, he is listed as having sustained an upper-body injury. Staal is in his first year with the Flyers, signing a one-year, $1.1MM contract with the team this summer. This was a raise from Staal’s last deal with the Florida Panthers, which only paid the defender $750K. The 36-year-old is turning into a journeyman, playing for three teams in the last three years, after spending the first 13 seasons of his career with the New York Rangers. He’s amassed a staggering 1105 career NHL games, scoring 229 points throughout them. He is four games into his tenure in Philadelphia and has yet to score, although he has recorded two minor penalties and two hits while operating on the team’s third pair.

Emil Andrae and Yegor Zamula have been cycling time between the team’s third pair and the seventh defenseman role. With Staal’s injury, both could have a chance to slot into the lineup consistently. At least, in the short term, as Rasmus Ristolainen’s return from injury could again force one of the two young defenders back into the press box. Ristolainen is on the Flyers’ injured reserve but is eyeing a return soon, taking extra reps at the team’s recent practices. When he’s able to return, and how it impacts the role of Andrae and Zamula, will be noteworthy for a Flyers blue line now down one of their most seasoned talents.

Injury Notes: Devils, Penguins, Ducks

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NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky has shared that Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek will likely both miss New Jersey’s Friday night game with an upper-body and lower-body injury respectively. Haula was the only one of the two to play in the team’s most recent game, being named the game’s third star after a two-point performance. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Novozinsky that the duo will likely not travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip.

The absence of Haula and Nosek leaves a dent in New Jersey’s bottom six that’s expected to be filled by Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. Bastian has been with the Devils for five of his six NHL seasons, briefly joining the Seattle Kraken for 12 games of the 2021-22 season before the Devils claimed him off waivers partway through the year. Lazar is a much more recent addition, joining the Devils via trade ahead of the 2022-23 trade deadline. He’s only played six games with the Devils between last season and this season and has yet to record a point. New Jersey could also turn towards summer signee Chris Tierney to fill an empty role. Tierney has yet to make his debut with the Devils.

Other injury notes:

East Notes: Anderson, Stamkos, Guhle, Samuelsson, Bonino

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The Ottawa Senators are expected to sign free agent netminder Craig Anderson to a one-day contract to officially retire as a Sen, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Thursday morning. It will likely come Tuesday, October 24, when the Senators host the Sabres, Anderson’s most recent team.

Anderson is arguably the best netminder in Senators history and certainly the longest-serving starter. After coming over via trade from the Avalanche in 2011, Anderson would go on to record a 202-168-46 record, a .914 save percentage and 28 shutouts in 422 starts and 13 relief appearances. He’s most remembered from the team’s storybook 2016-17 campaign when Anderson returned from a lengthy leave of absence to be with his wife, Nicholle, who was battling cancer. He recorded a sparkling .922 save percentage in the postseason as he guided the Sens to the Eastern Conference Final, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime in Game 7.

He departed the Sens in free agency in 2020, serving as the Capitals’ taxi squad netminder for the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign before heading to the Sabres for the final two seasons of his 20-year, 709-game career. While there was never an official announcement, it became clear at the end of last season that Anderson would not return for a 21st year. PHR wishes him and his family the best in his post-playing career and looks forward to providing more coverage of Anderson’s career when an official announcement is made.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference today:

  • Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters today he expects to make his return to the lineup Thursday night against the Canucks (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina). Stamkos missed the last two games with a lower-body injury after a hot start to the season, already potting two goals and two assists in two contests. His return couldn’t come at a better time for the struggling Lightning, who begin a crucial five-game homestand tonight after going 0-2-1 on an early road trip against key divisional rivals.
  • The Canadiens announced Thursday that defenseman Kaiden Guhle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, likely a wrist ailment. Guhle left Tuesday’s 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the Wild with the injury and has not practiced since. There was some concern in Habs circles that Guhle’s absence would be longer-term, but he appears to have avoided the worst. It’s the second injury to a core Habs player in a matter of days after a dual ACL-MCL injury costed center Kirby Dach the remainder of his 2023-24 season. Guhle, 21, had notched an assist and a +4 rating in three contests, the latter being the second-highest on the team behind Johnathan Kovacevic. Another 21-year-old defender, Justin Barron, is expected to make his season debut Saturday against the Capitals with Guhle out of commission.
  • In more positive news, Sabres head coach Don Granato said today that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has avoided any further absence after leaving Tuesday’s win over the Lightning in the third period and will dress Thursday against the Flames. Samuelsson left the game with an upper-body injury but participated in morning skate today and seems no worse for wear. The 23-year-old is in the first season of a seven-year, $30MM extension signed just over a year ago and leads Sabres defenders with a +2 rating through three contests, adding one assist while averaging over 20 minutes per game.
  • After being listed as day-to-day yesterday morning, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette says center Nick Bonino will be a game-time decision for tonight’s tilt against the Predators. Bonino, who’s still looking for his first point as a Ranger, is dealing with a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old joined the Rangers on a one-year, $800K deal during free agency and has anchored their fourth line alongside a mixture of Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Pitlick and Jimmy Vesey to begin the season.

Minnesota Wild Recall Samuel Walker; Place Goligoski On LTIR

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Before last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, the Minnesota Wild announced that defenseman Alex Goligoski would miss the game due to a lower-body injury suffered in practice the day before. Today, according to a team announcement, the team has placed Goligoski on LTIR, and recalled forward Samuel Walker from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, in a corresponding move.

For the time being, the Wild will likely operate with only six defensemen on the active roster, with Dakota Mermis replacing Goligoski’s spot in the lineup. Team captain, Jared Spurgeon, is still listed as week-to-week as he recovers from an upper-body injury, but would give the team a much deeper blue line upon his return.

After an exceptionally poor start to the season in terms of production and penalties, this lower-body injury is another negative moment for Goligoski in this very young season. At 38 years old, and a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of this year, this may spell the end of the line for the veteran defenseman in Minnesota.

Walker, who was the 200th overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, would end up playing four years at the University of Minnesota, before finally landing with the Wild in 2022 as a college free agent. Primarily playing in Iowa last season, Walker had quite a productive season, scoring 27 goals and 21 assists in 56 games, finishing fourth on the team in points.

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