Oscar Klefbom will have surgery on his shoulder in Cleveland on Thursday, according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet. Spector reports that the issue Klefbom is facing is arthritis and the best-case scenario is the defenseman is ready for 2021-22 training camp later this year. The Edmonton Oilers have not yet publicly confirmed the surgery and likely won’t until it is completed.
Klefbom last played on August 7, the game which eliminated the Oilers from playoff contention in their qualification round matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. He logged over 25 minutes in that game but hasn’t seen NHL action since, missing the entire 2020-21 campaign due to this shoulder issue. The hope now is that the 27-year-old can get back to his old self and continue the strong path his career had been on. His contract with the Oilers will expire after the 2022-23 season.
- The Anaheim Ducks have canceled practice for today after a player entered the COVID Protocol, though the release indicates that the game tomorrow against the Minnesota Wild is still on schedule. The Wild also had a player enter the protocol today, though that was Andrew Hammond who did not play in the game last night between the two clubs. It is not clear yet who the Ducks player is, but they will be revealed this evening when the list is announced.
- The league has issued fines to both Kurtis Gabriel and Bob Boughner of the San Jose Sharks for the incident that took place in warm-up last night. Gabriel cross-checked Kurtis MacDermid of the Los Angeles Kings and will pay $3,017.24 for his trouble. Boughner, head coach of the Sharks, will pay $5,000 and the team has been assessed a $25,000 conditional fine that will be collected in the event of similar “inappropriate behavior” within the next year.
They spent years together as teammates in junior, I’m almost certain it was just a friendly jab lol. What is wrong with this league?
rec league Bettman is the real shit distruber.Bring back fighting and there will be less cheap shots…
Fighting is up like 50% this year lol
Two sets of parents who said to themselves, “The only way to make the name Curtis any worse is to spell it with a K.”
@forwhomjoshbelltolled – Roger Clemens one-upped them both. Heads shake and eyes still roll, all of these years later…
Brutal punishment for that crosscheck. I think Gabriel likes getting punched at this point, but I don’t think a crosscheck like that should cost $3k when it didn’t even start a fracas on the ice.
Sportsnet has been showing clips of gabriel doing this before every game. He then fights and usually loses to guy. Guess this is way he thinks he can stay in league.