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Injury Notes: Bennett, Jarry, Golden Knights, Backstrom, Klingberg

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Unfortunately, there’s a lot of minor injury news to report from tonight’s games. We start in Florida, where head coach Paul Maurice said pregame that Sam Bennett wouldn’t be in the lineup when they take on the Penguins tonight.

Bennett took an awkward fall in yesterday night’s loss to the Rangers, immediately leaving the game and staying in the room through the first intermission. It didn’t hold him out of the rest of the game, however, as he would later return. While he won’t suit up tonight, it does seem to be a short-term absence for Bennett, who’s been in and out of the lineup over the past month with some minor injury concerns. Eetu Luostarinen, who’s impressed with 10 goals and 22 points in 49 games this year, slides into the top six with Bennett out.

  • After leaving injured reserve a few days ago, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is back out of the lineup with an injury. His absence leaves both Pittsburgh and Florida without backup goalies on the bench for tonight’s game, as Spencer Knight was unexpectedly still unable to play and was a late absence from the Florida lineup. It’s hopefully a short-term absence for Jarry, who’s been spectacular with a .921 save percentage in 27 appearances for the Penguins this year.
  • There’s some positive news on Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, says ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. While he’ll be out through the All-Star break as expected, his back issue is different than the one that plagued him throughout last season, greatly reducing the likelihood of his long-term career being affected. Kaplan also says defenseman Shea Theodore, who’s been out since early December with an undisclosed injury, is an option for Friday’s game against the Rangers.
  • Days after returning from significant hip surgery recovery, Nicklas Backstrom is back out of the Washington Capitals lineup with a non-COVID illness and is day-to-day. The 35-year-old has three assists in seven games since returning to the lineup.
  • The Anaheim Ducks will also be down a player due to illness: defenseman John Klingberg. 25-year-old call-up Colton White moves into Anaheim’s top-four in Klingberg’s absence, playing on his off-side. Klingberg has just 15 points in 40 games this season, a career-low as he’s destined for free agency once again this offseason.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Isac Lundestrom

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced that forward Isac Lundestrom will be playing in tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning he has been activated off of injured reserve.

In addition to the news that Lundestrom is back in the lineup, the Ducks have announced that 2021 third-overall pick Mason McTavish is out with a lower-body injury.

On January 11th, we covered how Lundestrom was reportedly nearing a return from the fractured finger that had kept him out of commission for a month. Now, that return has finally come.

The 23-year-old Swede was a first-round pick at the 2018 draft and has been with the Ducks since the 2018-19 season. Last year was Lundestrom’s best in his young career, as he scored 16 goals and 29 points and cemented himself as a regular face in coach Dallas Eakins’ lineup.

This year, Lundestrom’s offense has dried up, and he has just six points in 24 games. He has remained an important penalty killer in Anaheim, though, and is generally regarded to be more of a defensive player. He’ll head back to the lineup and straight into a prominent role, centering veteran Adam Henrique and All-Star Troy Terry.

For McTavish, this absence due to a lower-body injury is the first in his young NHL career. He’s had an impressive rookie season thus far, often looking like a veteran player despite being just 19 years old. He has scored 27 points in 45 games this season, and could garner some Calder Trophy votes with a hot second half to his season.

As McTavish has been one of the few-and-far-between bright spots to the Ducks’ season, the team is undoubtedly hoping that the injury keeping him out of the lineup tonight is a minor one.

January Calder Trophy Watch: Forwards

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The middle of the season is a common time for awards check-ins in the NHL, and for good reason. Enough sample size is under our belts to cross off some early-season hot and cold streaks, and it’s given some time for players to grow into impact roles for new teams.

That’s especially true with the Calder Trophy, tracking the best rookie in the league. Young players are especially susceptible to streakiness, for better or for worse. Many players’ seasons have evened out somewhat, and it’s as good a time as any to take a look at where things stand for a handful of top Calder Trophy candidates, this time at the forward position.

Forwards

Matthew Beniers, Seattle Kraken

Beniers stands as the clear front-runner for the Calder in most circles, and for good reason. He leads all rookies in goals (17) and points (36), and is playing serious minutes at 17:05 per game. He’s one point behind Andre Burakovsky for the Kraken lead in scoring, and he’s been a crucial part of Seattle’s improvement from basement dweller to playoff contender in 2022-23.

The 2021 second-overall pick was a “safe floor, unsure ceiling” type of player when he was drafted. With this kind of production so early in his career, Seattle can be optimistic that Beniers will hit his first-line center ceiling as his defense improves. He’s a poor 43.7% in the faceoff dot, but that’s been a problem for the entire Kraken squad, as they don’t have a single player over 50%.

Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg Jets

Along with the rest of the Jets, Perfetti is thriving offensively under head coach Rick Bowness. He had a solid seven points in 18 NHL games last season, maintaining his rookie status, but this season leads rookies with 20 assists.

While he has thrived playing with some of Winnipeg’s top talent, Perfetti’s point production is impressive in its own right. Very little of his scoring has come on the power play, he has just four points there. He’s sixth on the Jets in scoring, and while he isn’t receiving top minutes quite yet, nearly 15 minutes a night is still fine for a player his age. Look for his goal-scoring to improve throughout the season, too; he’s shooting at just 8.2%.

Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks

After a 2022 World Juniors for the ages, McTavish has transitioned well to the NHL on a struggling team. Anaheim’s systems have been a mess all season, but McTavish has still managed 27 points in 45 games and is drawing some tough matchups in the top six.

Used on and off at the center position, McTavish is scoring without much support. He’s third on the team in points and his -14 rating is actually one of the better ones on the team. Selected immediately after Beniers in 2021, it’s looking like an incredibly strong top-five from that class.

On the cusp: Matias Maccelli and Dylan Guenther (ARI), Kent Johnson (CBJ), Jack Quinn and John-Jason Peterka (BUF), Wyatt Johnston (DAL), Juuso Parssinen (NSH), Noah Cates (PHI)

Anaheim Ducks Recall Nathan Beaulieu From Conditioning Stint

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Jan 16: It didn’t last quite the maximum of 14 days, as Beaulieu was recalled today by the Ducks. He played in four games with the San Diego Gulls, recording his first AHL goal in years.

Jan 5: After playing just a few days ago, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has now been curiously sent to the AHL on a conditioning loan. He’ll join the San Diego Gulls for the time being, with the loan lasting a maximum of two weeks.

Beaulieu, 30, received 15 shifts in Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, his 22nd appearance of the season. Nothing has really gone well for the Ducks this year but Beaulieu’s play specifically has been lacking, with the defenseman rarely impacting things in a positive manner. He has a -12 rating in his 22 games, despite only averaging 13 minutes a night.

The curious part is that conditioning loans are usually only for players who have missed a good amount of time due to injury or those that have faced several healthy scratches in a row. While Beaulieu did miss yesterday’s game, against the Dallas Stars and two last week, he has been dressed relatively frequently so far.

Sending him on a conditioning loan doesn’t clear a roster spot the same way a regular loan would. For the latter, he would need to clear waivers, though it’s hard to believe there would be a ton of interest in claiming him, given his $850K salary and struggles this season.

Regardless of why the Ducks did it, Beaulieu will get the chance to play in the minor leagues for the first time in years. He hasn’t appeared in an AHL game since the 2014-15 season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, while still a part of the Montreal Canadiens organization. For his career, Beaulieu has 441 NHL regular season appearances and has recorded 97 points.

Ducks Seeking First-Rounder For John Klingberg

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The Ducks are believed to be seeking a first-round pick for defenseman John Klingberg, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 30-year-old didn’t get the long-term contract he was hoping for in the summer so he instead opted for a one-year, $7MM pillow deal with Anaheim to try to rebuild his value.  However, it has been a tough season thus far for the veteran as he has just 13 points in 35 games so far with his new squad, by far the lowest point-per-game average of his career.  Klingberg’s deal moved from a full no-trade clause to a ten-team clause at the start of this month although with a high price tag on the cap and a high acquisition cost, that trade protection isn’t likely to be the hold-up in any potential move unless Klingberg is able to become more of the offensive threat that he was over eight years in Dallas.

Isac Lundestrom Could Rejoin Ducks On Next Road Trip

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  • Ducks center Isac Lundestrom could be ready to rejoin the team on their next road trip which begins on Monday, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 23-year-old has been out for more than a month due to a fractured finger and while he was off to a quiet start to his season before the injury (six points in 24 games), getting a developing young player back can only be good for an Anaheim squad that will likely be looking to move out some veterans in the coming weeks.

Pavel Mintyukov Traded In OHL

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  • The Ottawa 67’s have added another top talent, acquiring Anaheim Ducks’ prospect Pavel Mintyukov from the Saginaw Spirit. The 19-year-old defenseman was the 10th overall pick in last summer’s draft and scored 54 points in 37 games for Saginaw before the move. It’s a package of nine picks going the other way, including three second-rounders.

Justin Kirkland Stable After Car Accident

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  • The Anaheim Ducks today issued an update on the status of recent call-up Justin Kirkland. Kirkland was involved in a car accident while traveling to the team’s home game last night against the Boston Bruins, causing him to be transported to the hospital. The team reports Kirkland is stable, retaining full mobility and communication, and will be released within the next two days. It’s great news that Kirkland will be okay and hopefully able to return to the game this season.

Snapshots: Austria, Harkins, Kirkland

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Despite scoring twice with the goaltender out, Austria came up short in the relegation series at the World Juniors and will be dropped out of the next tournament. Norway will take their place next year, with Latvia (the other team in the relegation round) staying put. Austria was playing with house money already after finishing last in the previous two tournaments. There was no relegation in those years, meaning they got extra chances in the top tournament.

Norway won gold at the Division I level after going a perfect 5-0 against Denmark, Slovenia, France, Hungary, and Kazakhstan. Their group is incredibly young and will get the chance to bring back nearly the entire roster for next year, meaning they should be competitive at least. Only three of their skaters (and one goaltender) are 19.

  • After clearing waivers yesterday, the Winnipeg Jets have sent Jansen Harkins to the minor leagues as expected. The depth forward will get a chance to play big minutes again, as he re-joins the Manitoba Moose. In six games to start the year with Manitoba, Harkins had five goals and nine points.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Justin Kirkland once again, after sending him down just yesterday. The 26-year-old forward made his NHL debut this season and has appeared in five games so far, failing to register a point.

Anaheim Ducks Send Justin Kirkland To AHL

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After recalling him back on December 28th on an emergency basis, it appears the Anaheim Ducks have sent forward Justin Kirkland back to the AHL, according to CapFriendly. This had been Kirkland’s second emergency recall in as many weeks, however it did afford him the opportunity to make his NHL debut.

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