East Snapshots: Edmundson, Jarnkrok, Cross

Earlier this morning, it was reported that the new Washington Capitals’ defenseman, Joel Edmundson, would not partake in team activities after suffering an injury during a team scrimmage. Unfortunately for both he and the team, Stephen Whyno of AP, is reporting that Edmundson’s prognosis is not good, but it was not similar to the injury that kept him out of the lineup for all of February last season.

Hoping for a rebound season during his arrival in Washington, Edmundon’s last season in Montreal was one of, if not the worst of his career. In 61 games played, Edmundson would score two goals and 11 assists, posting career lows in plus/minus, CF%, and oiSV%. Still averaging almost 20 minutes a game for the Canadiens, Edmundson looked like a completely different player than the one Montreal had during the 2020-21 season.

Given the current makeup of Washington’s blue line, if he was to have a season of rejuvenation, Edmundson conceivably could have slotted in anywhere between three and six on the Capitals’ defensive depth chart. If Edmundson is to indeed land on the injured reserve for a while, Washington’s blue line will look remarkably similar to last season, while hopefully receiving a full year of play from both John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin.

Other snapshots:

•  Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs forward, Calle Jarnkrok is considered day-to-day, and could skate as early as tomorrow. Jarnkrok did not play in the team’s second preseason game last night against the Ottawa Senators, but given his timeline, could play in Toronto’s game tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres. During the regular season, Jarnkrok will likely slot into one of the top fourth lines in the league, next to David Kampf and Ryan Reaves.
• A veteran of over 500 games in the American Hockey League, former defenseman Tommy Cross has found his new career off the ice. Spending the last several years in the St. Louis Blues organization, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Cross as a defensive development coach. In his new role, Cross will primarily be working with Columbus defensemen who have yet to crack the NHL roster.