The Tampa Bay Lightning are down a big man – literally and figuratively – as they take on Ottawa tonight. Defenseman Victor Hedman has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, according to Lightning play-by-play commentator Dave Randorf. Hedman sustained the injury in a win Saturday against San Jose, leaving in the third period.
Hedman is vying for a seventh straight Norris Trophy nomination this season, and one of the best defensemen of his generation is off to a strong start again. His eight points in nine games are tied for third on the team with Brayden Point, and his 24:48 ice time average per game clears second place (Mikhail Sergachev) by an even two minutes. The Lightning have a tough schedule over the next few games, including games against Carolina and Edmonton, so a quick return from Hedman would be highly desirable.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is out for tonight’s game against Boston with an illness, as he didn’t skate in warmups. Chad Ruhwedel will draw in on the bottom pairing, while Jeff Petry will slide up alongside Brian Dumoulin in Letang’s absence. The 35-year-old, who signed a six-year extension with the team last offseason, is off to a slow start with four points in nine games and a -5 rating.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on today’s edition of Insider Trading that there are no real updates between the Ottawa Senators and forward Alex Formenton, who remains the only unsigned RFA in the league. The two parties now have just one month before the December 1 signing deadline, where Formenton cannot play in the NHL season if he doesn’t have a contract. Dreger notes a potential trade as an option for Formenton, and also floats the option of playing in Europe if a deal can’t be reached.
Well, @Josh, not only are the Bolts *down* a big man, they’re back to getting too cute for their own good, giving up a 3-on-5 SHG to the Sens. You can hear the seething from the Hall-of-Famer in the radio booth, not to mention the guy sitting next to him, Dave. This one’s got 5-alarm drama written all over it tonight.
@Mac – Yet they found a way to win anyway….it’s what championship level teams do. :)
But on the flip side of that, the Preds are getting skinned alive on ice by the Oilers. They suck! Fire Hynes between periods already!
@Gbear—A funny thought popped into my head, while listening to the Ducks’ postgame. Imagine GMDP and Kyle D., from the Toronto operation, having a stare down, and the guy that blinks first has to pitch his HC overboard! What does that have to do with the Ducks, you might ask? Nothing, but as I read your post, that scene just appeared in my head. Too much smoke from the grill this afternoon for my chili, I think… :) Next time, it’s going to be 85% lean ground chuck, instead of the El Cheapo 80% ground beef. I would’ve been on that one, but the Flames-Azzkrapen game turned out to be a doozy, too.
P.S. to @Josh – Thanks for the fix! :)
Heh, while the Hall of Famer in the radio booth is best known for his scoring, he was pretty good on killing penalties in his day. Boston used him on their second PK unit, and he scored enough short handed goals in his time to lead the league one season.
Formenton’s agent is putting in work! Great job lol
@theruns—Do you think they’ll start negotiating with tire irons next? Either he’s asking for way too much, or GMPD is being a hard-ass on him, since he’s *only* a second-rounder. The Sens should really keep on the path of becoming a more welcoming place to play, and not run it into the ditch again.
Letang off to a slow start…..who didn’t see that coming after Pittsburghgave him that ridiculous contract.
7th in Norris voting last year.
The 38th highest paid D man in the NHL.
Just “ridiculous”.
I think there are people who don’t understand what the Pens were trying to do with that contract. If you look at the term, and the fact they will be paying a 40 year old Kris Letang $6.1 million against the cap in 2027-2028 you can say that’s ridiculous. But what you need to understand is that the Pens do not, and should not, care about the cap hit in 27-28. They will be in full rebuild by then. That contract is about keeping the band together and the window open just a little bit longer. That may or may not prove to be a good decision. But it’s not ridiculous.
You didn’t see it coming until after the slow start occurred.
Yeah, it’s a team-friendly contract, but c’mon. Pittsburgh is maxed out against the cap as it is. The realities of the cap come down to the simple non-“ridiculous” fact that winning has a strong correlation to a team’s stars not demanding max market rate. Seriously, you know that Letang might have gotten north of $9 MM AAV. Spiffy. But who, then, do the Pens not sign? Geno? Rakell? Carter? All key cogs in Pittsburgh’s offense. (Hell, take a look at Boston, where guys like Bergeron and Krejci get it.) Hockey isn’t basketball, where the gang can just ride on the back of a single superstar to glory.
The other part of it is term. Plainly Letang that he’d rather get 6×6 than 9 and a lot shorter term. And of course, even as it is the contract will age badly.
Lightning better fix their defense or it’s gonna be a frustrating year