Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

John Gibson Leaves Game With Upper Body Injury

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Eric Stephens of The Athletic is reporting that Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson left tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and will not return. The 30-year-old netminder did not come out to the ice for the start of the second period after suffering what the team called an upper-body injury.

Gibson appeared to tweak either his back or something on his side when he made an unbelievable save on Sidney Crosby that could be a save-of-the-year candidate. Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, the save might have come at a cost as he was in some discomfort after getting twisted around making the blind stick save.

Lukas Dostal came out to start the second period for the Ducks in Gibson’s absence. The 23-year-old netminder has been good thus far for Anaheim posting a 3-1 record with a .915 save percentage in four games thus far this season. It’s early in the year, but Dostal has been the better of the two goalies in the early stages as Gibson is 1-3 with a .905 save percentage.

Gibson was once thought to be among the upper echelon of goaltenders in the NHL, however, over the last five seasons his play has dropped off dramatically as he has found his name in trade rumor mills on a pretty regular basis. Last season, Gibson went 14-31-8 with a .899 save percentage and 3.99 goals against average.

The Ducks were picked by many to be at the bottom of the standings at the end of the season, however, they have surprised some people with a 4-4 start to the season.

Evening Notes: Gudbranson, Bahl, Oettinger

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson is expected to play tonight after being limited to 16:49 in Saturday night’s game against the New York Islanders. A lower-body issue forced the 31-year-old defender to play his lowest minutes of the season, but it appears as though the Ottawa, Ontario native won’t miss any games and should be good to go against the Dallas Stars this evening.

Gudbranson has been held scoreless in eight games this season while averaging 19:32 of ice time per game. The Blue Jackets have struggled to possess the puck with the former third-overall pick on the ice, despite Gudbranson getting most of his starts in the offensive zone. Gudbranson has also been much less physical to start the year, averaging less than one hit per game, which is well below his career average of over two hits per game.

In other evening notes:

  • New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted that Devils defenseman Kevin Bahl missed practice today due to an apparent illness. This information comes from New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff. Bahl has two assists in eight games this season and has seen a dramatic increase in ice time this year as he is playing over 19 minutes a night after averaging just 14:01 a game last season. The 23-year-old rearguard doesn’t offer much offensively but has started to develop into a reliable stay-at-home defenseman on what is a very deep Devils defensive group.
  • Saad Yousuf of The Athletic reported today that Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger have offseason surgery on his foot this past July from an ankle injury that occurred in October 2022. The 24-year-old had sought out multiple opinions and was surprised when he got the call early in the summer that he would need the procedure. The star netminder was only able to get back onto the ice in mid-September after rehab, just a week before the start of Stars training camp. Oettinger looks to be feeling no ill effects from a late start to his skating as he has gone 3-0-1 in his first four starts with a .952 save percentage.

Adam Johnson Passes Away

at CDT | by 13 Comments

Former NHL forward Adam Johnson has tragically passed away after suffering a major medical emergency during a game last night with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers. Nottingham confirmed his passing this morning after Johnson suffered a cut during a game against the Sheffield Steelers last night. The 29-year-old was attended to by medical personnel as fans were asked to leave the arena after the incident had occurred. A statement from Johnson’s former NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, can be found here.

The unfortunate sequence of events started with a collision at center ice that caused Johnson to suffer an injury to his throat. The players from both teams formed a circle around him before screens were brought onto the ice as paramedics attended to him. This morning the Panthers released an official statement saying:

The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night. The club will dearly miss him and will never forget him. Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player but also a great team-mate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him.

The full statement is available here.

Johnson was born in Minnesota and was in his first season in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) after joining the Panthers this offseason. He began playing as a professional in 2017 after spending two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he won an NCHC championship in 2017. He spent the first three years of his pro career with the Penguins organization and did dress in some NHL games with the club, posting a goal and three assists in 13 games spread over two NHL seasons. In his AHL career, Johnson dressed in 257 career AHL games with the Ontario Reign, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He registered 50 career AHL goals and 87 assists.

Former NHLer Matt Cullen told Rob Rossi of The Athletic that Johnson was “An unreal kid, just a great guy. A salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. So humble and a very easy person to be around. He’s one of those guys who just loves the game and being around the rink with the guys.”

PHR joins the entire hockey world in mourning the passing of Adam Johnson. Our condolences to the Johnson family and all of his teammates, friends, and peers.

Canadiens’ Mike Matheson Out Day-To-Day

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Mike Matheson is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old suffered the apparent injury during the club’s 4-3 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets. Matheson has been on a tear to start the season with two goals and four assists in his first eight games of the campaign. Matheson dealt with several injuries last year in what was a shortened season for the Pointe-Claire, Quebec native. He dressed in just 48 games in 2022-23 registering eight goals and 26 assists and was a +7.

The Canadiens are already missing David Savard with a broken left hand and can ill afford to lose Matheson for any length of time after a surprising 5-2-1 start to their season. The Canadiens were expected to be in a transition year but have impressed thus far winning a lot of close games.

The severity of Matheson’s injury is unknown; however, early indicators are that his ailment isn’t of the serious variety. Matheson will travel with the Canadiens to Las Vegas today for their upcoming road trip, which indicates that he will likely play in the next week in one of the three games on the trip. Arpon Basu of The Athletic has tweeted that the team is saying that Matheson’s injury is nothing serious.

Matheson missed much of the Canadiens training camp with an injury that seemed to linger for longer than expected. This was also the case for several of the injuries he dealt with last year, including the abdominal strain that occurred at a morning skate and eventually caused him to miss the first month of the season.

While Matheson’s injury frequency must be of concern, his play on the ice is not. Since a difficult final season with the Florida Panthers, Matheson has been extremely responsible and creative with the puck which has led to him posting solid offensive numbers in recent years. And should the Canadiens’ assessment be correct, Matheson will return later this week to hopefully continue his solid start to the season.

Leafs’ Timothy Liljegren Leaves Game With Injury

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Sportsnet is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren left last night’s game against the Nashville Predators with an apparent upper-body injury. The injury appeared to happen when Yakov Trenin of the Predators finished his check on Liljegren after he had cleared the puck from behind the Leafs goal line. Liljegren skated to the bench in obvious discomfort where he appeared to talk to the trainer about his ailment.

The injury was initially reported as a lower-body injury before it was corrected later in the evening. At the moment, it isn’t clear how long the 24-year-old will be out of action, leaving it as a day-to-day situation for the time being. The Leafs can hardly afford to lose another defender as they are already without Jake McCabe and Conor Timmins who are both sidelined due to injury.

Liljegren has just one assist in eight games to start the season and has struggled early in the year with an elevated role due to the injuries in the Leafs defensive core. The native of Kristianstad, Sweden has seen increased ice time to start the year, playing an average of over 20 minutes a night and has also been forced to take substantially more defensive zone starts than he has at any point in his career. These variables have led to some of Liljegren’s struggles thus far.

While Liljegren will likely be re-evaluated in the coming days, the Maple Leafs will have to consider some call-ups before their next contest on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings as nearly half of their defensive core is sidelined due to injury. The Maple Leafs are fortunate to have the financial resources to keep NHL-caliber players in the AHL, however, they have already dipped into those resources with all the early season injuries and will have to further tap into them if Liljegren is on the shelf any length of time.

Senators Erik Brännström Leaves Game With Injury

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Brännström had to be stretchered off the ice tonight in a scary scene at UBS Arena. The Senators were on the road to take on the New York Islanders when Brännström was checked into the boards by Cal Clutterbuck after a dump-in. The hit spun Brännström around and his head appeared to hit the ice very hard after the initial contact.

The players and officials on the ice signalled right away to the bench for assistance and the medical staff were quick to respond before Brännström was stretched off the ice. The incident quieted the crowd and was very concerning as Brännström didn’t move for some time after the hit.

Little is known at this time about Brännström’s condition although he did appear responsive a few moments after the hit. The Senators Communications team has tweeted that Brännström is alert, can move his extremities and will be transported to hospital to be evaluated further.

The incident comes one night after a very similar incident in the AHL in which Vasily Podkolzin of the Abbotsford Canucks suffered a terrible head injury after being hit into the boards and falling awkwardly to the ice. Much like Brännström, Podkolzin’s head hit the ice hard and a stretcher was needed to assist him.

PHR would like to wish both Brännström and Podkolzin a speedy recovery.

Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce Undergoes Surgery, Out 2-4 Weeks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

3:24 p.m.: Pesce underwent surgery yesterday to correct the lower-body injury, the team announced. The surgery carries a recovery timeline of two to four weeks, more in line with a week-to-week diagnosis and much less severe than what Brind’Amour alluded to earlier today.

12:46 p.m.: Carolina Hurricanes beat reporter Walt Ruff is reporting that head coach Rod Brind’Amour has told the media that defenseman Brett Pesce’s lower-body injury is worse than originally thought, and the 28-year-old could be out long term. Brind’Amour’s exact words, when asked by reporters, were that the injury was bad and could keep Pesce out way longer than week to week.

At this time, little is known about how long Pesce could be unable to play. He has already missed two games with the ailment, which Brind’Amour had hoped would only cause him to miss a couple of games. However, after being re-evaluated today, the prognosis for Pesce is not good.

What exactly is ailing Pesce is also unclear, but for the Hurricanes, it compounds the issues the team has dealt with in what has been a bad start to the season. Carolina has struggled defensively, and losing Pesce will certainly add to those woes. He and Brady Skjei have logged more minutes at even strength than any of the Hurricanes’ other defensive pairings and have been the most effective. The duo has been on for five even-strength goals scored and just two against this season.

The situation must be especially frustrating for Pesce, who is not only sidelined from playing but also missing time during a contract season. The native of Tarrytown, New York, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and is in line to get a lucrative long-term deal next summer. How lucrative that contract will be remains to be seen, but Pesce was no doubt hoping to maximize his earnings with a solid year in Carolina, but now it appears he could miss a substantial portion of the season.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Robert Hagg

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Anaheim Ducks have announced a roster move today ahead of tomorrow night’s matchup against the Boston Bruins. The Ducks announced that defenseman Robert Hagg has been recalled from their AHL affiliate in San Diego and will join the team in Boston.  The move comes just three weeks after the team exposed Hagg to waivers before assigning him to the AHL.

Hagg was the Philadelphia Flyers 2013 second-round pick and is a veteran of 338 NHL games split over a seven-year career. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Detroit Red Wings where he posted two goals and five assists in 38 games. Hagg has been an NHL regular since 2016-17 when he broke into the league with the Flyers and has 16 career goals and 47 assists.

The native of Uppsala, Sweden signed a one-year/one-way contract with the Ducks on July 4th and has dressed in three AHL games this season, posting a single assist. He has bounced around the league the last few seasons between the Red Wings last year and the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22. Teams have always been enticed by Hagg’s size and his willingness to block shots, but his limited puck skills have always kept him from catching on with a team long-term.

In 2018-19, Hagg looked as though he was emerging as a part of the Flyers top-6 defensemen dressing in 82 games and putting up 20 points. However, during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season Hagg’s play regressed leading to him being part of the Flyers and Sabres trade that saw fellow defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen go the other way.

Penguins Rookie John Ludvig Leaves Game

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that defenseman John Ludvig will not return to tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars. The 23-year-old rookie left the game with an injury after laying a hit on Dallas forward Radek Faksa. The two men appeared to bump heads at high speed as Ludvig stepped up to complete a check. Faksa was able to bounce back up from the hit while Ludvig fell to the ice face-first and did not move.

The good news is that Ludvig was able to leave the ice under his own power, however, the Kamloops, British Columbia native didn’t look steady on his skates as he was escorted by teammates to the bench. It was a sad ending to what was a special night for Ludvig as tonight’s game was his NHL debut.

Ludvig spent three years in the AHL after being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NHL entry draft by the Florida Panthers. The Penguins claimed him off waivers prior to the start of the season and have kept him with the big club, although he had only practiced with the team prior to tonight. Today he was inserted into the lineup to replace healthy scratch Chad Ruhwedel.

The Penguins have offered no update on Ludvig’s condition yet and are saying that they will provide updates at a later time. The young defender had shown aggressiveness and physicality during his limited time on the ice, and it was something the Penguins desperately needed to add to their lineup. Hopefully, for both Ludvig and the Penguins he will be okay and able to get back into the lineup sooner than later.

Milan Lucic Out With Lower Body Injury

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Boston Globe reporter Kevin Paul Dupont tweeted today that Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic is out with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated tomorrow or Thursday. No word yet on the exact nature of the injury to the 35-year-old but he did miss Sunday night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks after taking the pre-game warmup. Lucic did one lap with the team and immediately went to the dressing room and did not return.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told the media prior to Sunday’s game that one of their players was dealing with a day-to-day thing and was questionable for the Anaheim game. Given what has transpired this week it appears to have been Lucic.

Lucic took a slap shot in the foot in Saturday night’s 4-2 Bruins win against the Los Angeles Kings and missed some shifts shortly after. But there is no word yet on whether that is the cause of the additional testing later this week.

Lucic returned to the Bruins this summer signing a one-year $1MM (plus bonuses) deal after spending the last four seasons with the Calgary Flames. The native of Vancouver, British Columbia was brought in on a value deal in the hopes of being able to provide the Bruins with a net-front presence and some physicality. Although he is not the player he was when Boston traded him to Los Angeles in 2015, he has still been a productive NHLer, and big men are always in demand.

In Boston this season, Lucic is off to an uneven start with two assists in four games, while those offensive numbers are above his recent averages, his possession numbers and many of his underlying numbers aren’t great thus far.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top