Injury Notes: Hughes, Ekman-Larsson, Dach
Despite some optimism yesterday that he may return, the New Jersey Devils will take on the St. Louis Blues tonight without one of their key players. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that Jack Hughes is not playing in tonight’s game as he continues his recovery to full strength after an upper-body injury.
The news remains a blow to New Jersey, who have relied on Hughes’ scoring and playmaking abilities to take them back into playoff contention this season. They’ve still managed to record a point in all three games without Hughes, sustaining their only loss in a shootout to the Minnesota Wild last Saturday.
- Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson underwent X-rays today after sustaining a lower-body injury, according to a report by Sportsnet’s Randip Janda. The news comes after head coach Rick Tocchet stated that he didn’t expect Ekman-Larsson to play in the team’s upcoming game on Saturday against Philadelphia. It’s unclear when Ekman-Larsson suffered the injury, but he left last night’s 6-4 loss against the Rangers early. Ekman-Larsson has struggled defensively in his second season with the Canucks after a mild resurgence last year. Still, he’s recorded 22 points in 54 games played this season, second among Vancouver blue-liners.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced that forward Kirby Dach is not playing in tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes due to a non-COVID-related illness. Dach, who was acquired over the offseason from the Chicago Blackhawks, will be replaced in the lineup by Rem Pitlick. Pitlick returns to the Canadiens lineup after being a healthy scratch in their last two games. Dach’s absence will certainly be felt, as the talented forward is enjoying a breakout season and had three points in his last five games.
Arizona Coyotes Reassign Dysin Mayo
After he was called up earlier in the week, the Arizona Coyotes assigned defenseman Dysin Mayo to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, per the team.
Mayo has played 15 games for the Coyotes this season, but he’s been held without a point and averages under 12 minutes of ice time per game. In his limited playing time, Mayo’s defense has seen a marked improvement from last season and has been a solid contributor.
The 26-year-old Mayo has been with the Coyotes for almost a decade after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. The decision to assign Mayo to the Roadrunners doesn’t come as a significant surprise, given his role. However, he did log significant minutes for the Coyotes blueline in 2021-22, earning a three-year extension in the process.
The Roadrunners are currently sixth in the AHL’s Pacific Division, with a record of 21-25-4. That’s despite having the AHL’s leading scorer, Michael Carcone, who has 63 points in just 43 games in Tucson. Mayo’s return should shore up some defensive depth for Tucson, which has allowed the third-most goals in the league this season.
This last call-up to the Coyotes saw Mayo get into the lineup on two occasions, registering a shot on goal, a minor penalty, and a -1 rating.
In 24 games with the Roadrunners this year, Mayo has two goals and five assists for seven points in 24 games after the Coyotes first sent him down back in December 2022. He’s among the longest-tenured players with the team, playing 277 games in a Roadrunners uniform over seven seasons.
Latest On The Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames were a team with plenty of potential after perhaps the busiest offseason of any team, replacing their dynamic duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk with well-rounded additions that included Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and Stanley Cup winner Nazem Kadri.
However, the team has struggled with consistency this season. Currently sitting in the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, questions are swirling around what moves the Flames will make to improve their roster before the March 3 trade deadline. Today, TSN’s Chris Johnston talked about what he’s heard about Calgary’s deadline plans.
According to Johnston, Flames general manager Brad Treliving has been looking to bolster the team’s forward group “throughout much of the season.” Johnston says that could come with a top-six forward in mind, unlike the team’s depth additions at the deadline last year.
It’s a thought process likely sparked by the disappointing offensive output of Huberdeau, who’s scored just 10 goals and is well south of a point-per-game pace with 36 in 51 appearances.
There have been some positives among Calgary’s current group of top-six forwards. 24-year-old Dillon Dube is seeing an increased role alongside Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli, and he’s responded with a career-high 33 points in just 54 games.
Jakob Pelletier has also been elevated alongside Kadri and Huberdeau at times. However, he has just one assist in eight NHL games as his minutes remain limited under head coach Darryl Sutter.
He also notes that Treliving could also explore adding a defenseman to shore up their blue line. They could use a more well-rounded partner for Nikita Zadorov on the third pair, as veteran Michael Stone is averaging just 13:07 of ice time per game and has posted poor advanced defensive numbers.
Johnston said he thinks the front office is “as perplexed as the rest of the hockey world” about Calgary’s ups and downs this season. The team has had hot stretches, but they’ve largely been immediately wiped out by losing streaks. As a result, they’ve sat on the fringes of a playoff spot after finishing first in the Western Conference last season.
Given their somewhat uncertain standing in a tight Western Conference wild card race, it makes sense that Calgary would take a wait-and-see approach with eight games left to play before deadline day.
Johnston does believe the team will ultimately make a move. Still, spending assets on an addition could be premature if the team can’t string together wins to solidify a playoff position.
Injury Notes: Cernak, Holden, Desharnais
The Tampa Bay Lightning are without a top-four defenseman tonight, per Lightning Insider’s Erik Erlendsson. Erik Cernak has an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.
Tampa’s premiere shutdown defender will miss his fifth game of the 2022-23 campaign, as numerous short-term absences have kept him out of the lineup throughout the season. Rookie Nicklaus Perbix takes Cernak’s top-four spot tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. Cernak has 10 points in 49 games and a +1 rating on the season, as he enters an eight-year, $41.6MM extension next season.
- The Ottawa Senators placed defenseman Nick Holden on injured reserve Wednesday, CapFriendly reports. Holden is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury that kept him out of yesterday’s storybook shootout victory over the New York Islanders. The 35-year-old veteran of 636 NHL games has a goal and nine assists in 47 appearances this season, and his 10 points are tied for third among Senators defensemen with Travis Hamonic.
- Edmonton Oilers depth defender Vincent Desharnais won’t play against the Detroit Red Wings tonight because of an undisclosed illness, says Oilers color commentator Bob Stauffer. Desharnais has been a late bloomer in the Oilers organization, defying the odds to play NHL games after joining the Bakersfield Condors on an AHL contract. The 26-year-old 6’6″ defender has four assists in 12 games this season, largely slotting in when the team has opted to play 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Colorado Avalanche Activate Josh Manson
The Colorado Avalanche activated defenseman Josh Manson from injured reserve Wednesday, per CapFriendly.
Manson returns after missing over two months and 31 games with a lower-body injury. The move couldn’t come at a better time, as Colorado was down to no lineup-regular right-shot defenders after placing Erik Johnson on injured reserve earlier this week.
A high-end shutdown defenseman, Manson excelled in last year’s Stanley Cup-winning playoff run after a trade deadline move from the Anaheim Ducks. He made a sizable offensive impact on top of his normally steady defensive play, recording eight points in 20 games.
Nearing his 500th NHL game after a largely injury-plagued career, Manson will return to a second-pairing role alongside youngster Bowen Byram. Before going down with the injury, Manson had two goals, four assists, and six points in 21 games while averaging 16:57 per game. Expect that second figure to increase as the season progresses.
Manson, 31, is in the first season of a four-year, $18MM extension signed with Colorado last offseason. He’s slated to make his first appearance of the 2023 calendar year tonight in Minnesota.
Jack Hughes Could Return Tomorrow
A budding superstar’s return to the lineup is on the horizon. New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes is “50/50” to return to the lineup tomorrow against the St. Louis Blues after skating in a non-contact jersey today, reports ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.
Wyshynski adds that Hughes “wants back in,” but the team is being cautious in his recovery from an upper-body injury. A maintenance day last week quickly developed into a week-long absence last week, and his return comes a bit ahead of schedule after the team issued a week-to-week timeline for recovery.
The dynamic 21-year-old still sits in the NHL lead with 29 even-strength goals this season. His 35 goals, 67 points, and 229 shots on goal all lead the Devils.
The middle child in the Hughes family is well above a point-per-game clip in his fourth NHL season and seems like an undeniable franchise cornerstone after the Devils selected him first overall in 2019. He had a spectacular six goals and 11 points in his last five games before sustaining the upper-body injury.
If he can’t return to the Devils lineup tomorrow, he’ll likely suit up for at least one of the team’s back-to-back home games against Pittsburgh and Winnipeg this weekend.
Snapshots: Blues, Schenn, Bally Sports
The St. Louis Blues had a resounding win last night over the Florida Panthers, but it came at a cost. Both forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Torey Krug left the game with injuries, and they could be without both tomorrow against the New Jersey Devils, says head coach Craig Berube.
Berube confirmed Saad, who’s dealing with an upper-body injury, will miss the game. Krug is questionable with a lower-body injury. Both players have already missed chunks of the season with injuries, contributing to the Blues’ mediocre record. Saad’s injury opens the door for veteran Josh Leivo, who has four goals and 13 points in 38 games, to step into a top-six role for the time being. Neither Saad nor Krug have a timeline for their injuries, although Krug’s is obviously a short-term absence.
- Despite other hot-commodity defensemen being scratched for asset protection, Vancouver Canucks defender Luke Schenn doesn’t expect the same treatment. Schenn told reporters that he “expects to be playing every night” ahead of the March 3 trade deadline, despite multiple teams having reported interest in the stay-at-home defenseman. The 33-year-old has 18 points and a +5 rating in 53 games this season.
- The NHL Board of Governors had an emergency meeting today to discuss the financial struggles of Bally Sports Network’s parent group, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Diamond Sports, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, operates the Bally Sports umbrella of regional sports networks that broadcasts the home games of many U.S.-based teams. Today, they skipped a debt payment of $140MM as the organization nears bankruptcy. A potential sudden, unexpected lack of TV revenue is certainly a bit of financial concern for the league.
San Jose Sharks Reassign Eetu Makinemi
Feb 15: Makiniemi, along with Nick Cicek, has been returned to the AHL. Despite having players on long-term injured reserve, the club has a low enough payroll at the moment that they can still accrue some extra cap space. There may be more transactions to follow tomorrow, as they travel to play the Vegas Golden Knights.
Feb 14: The San Jose Sharks recalled goalie Eetu Makiniemi from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda on Tuesday, the team announced via Twitter. San Jose placed forward Jonah Gadjovich on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
The move leads to a bit of a logjam on the Sharks roster. The Sharks recalled Aaron Dell from the minors just a few days ago, as starter James Reimer is out of the lineup with an undisclosed illness and is day-to-day.
Now, backup Kaapo Kahkonen appears to be out of the lineup short-term, says head coach David Quinn, after he didn’t finish San Jose’s win against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. That makes four goalies on the Sharks’ active roster, with neither Reimer nor Kahkonen expected to miss enough time to qualify for injured reserve.
Gadjovich officially lands on injured reserve less than an hour after the Bay Area News Group’s Curtis Pashelka reported he is considered week-to-week with an injury.
Makiniemi, 23, arrived in the Sharks organization this summer when the Carolina Hurricanes included him in their trade package to acquire defenseman Brent Burns. He posted an impressive .922 save percentage in an injury-shortened 2021-22 campaign with their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Still, the organization’s logjam of young goalies incentivized Carolina to move on.
His AHL numbers have taken a dip this season, down to a .900 save percentage and an 8-10-3 record in 22 appearances with the Barracuda. He made his first NHL start earlier this season, stopping 23 of 24 shots in a 6-1 thrashing of the Anaheim Ducks on December 9, 2022.
Expect the Sharks to return Makinemi to the Barracuda as soon as one of Reimer or Kahkonen can play.
Injury Notes: Pageau, Tinordi, Faber
The New York Islanders are without one of their best depth pieces tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Jean-Gabriel Pageau is out for tonight’s game against his former team with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, per the team.
Pageau sustained the injury at practice yesterday, says Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now. Reportedly, Pageau was “clipped” during a drill and was slow to get up, yet stayed on the ice for the remainder of practice. The 30-year-old center has 10 goals and 29 points in 56 games this season. This is his first absence of the 2022-23 campaign.
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is out for the remainder of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury, the team said. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope notes that Tinordi had fallen awkwardly on a shift in the first period. Tinordi, 30, was claimed on waivers by the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season and has suited up in 26 games, recording five points.
- One of the best prospects in hockey on one of the best teams in college hockey is out long-term. The Athletic’s Michael Russo agreed with reports today that Minnesota Wild defense prospect and University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Kevin Fiala trade, Faber has 20 points in 30 games with Minnesota this year after representing the United States at the Olympics and World Junior Championships last season.
Trade Rumors: Meier, Gavrikov, Demko
The latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading saw analysts such as Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston discuss some of the highest-profile names available on the market ahead of the trade deadline. One of those is San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier, and LeBrun gave significant updates on the two apparent frontrunners for his services: the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.
On the New Jersey front, LeBrun says things are heating up, with talks accelerating between the two parties over the last 48 hours. Meier’s status as a pending restricted free agent is likely jamming up the works in getting a trade finalized, though, as LeBrun reports the Devils’ interest in Meier hinges on an extension as part of the trade. That’s a complicating factor, as LeBrun reported days ago that the Sharks have not yet permitted Meier’s agent, Claude Lemieux, to discuss potential extension terms with interested teams.
For the Hurricanes, it’s the opposite. LeBrun called them the more “open-minded” of the two front-runners, as they reportedly don’t need an extension worked out as part of the trade.
- LeBrun also gave an update on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who’s scratched tonight for asset protection. He named the Edmonton Oilers as a fit for Gavrikov, as while their interest in San Jose Sharks superstar Erik Karlsson is well-documented, the financial aspect of the trade is likely too tough to work out. A swap with Gavrikov and oft-maligned forward Jesse Puljujarvi would save Edmonton money, as Gavrikov’s $2.8MM cap hit comes in $200,000 under Puljujarvi’s $3MM hit. Johnston also added that there may be some “sticker shock” for teams calling on Gavrikov, as Columbus is holding firm to an ask of a first-round, third-round, and fourth-round draft pick.
- Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko told reporters including CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal today that rumors of a trade request are unfounded. Dhaliwal added that Demko’s agent, Jordan Neumann, had reiterated to him that Demko didn’t want out of the Canucks organization. After a two-and-a-half month absence due to injury, Demko is close to returning to the Canucks lineup in the near future.