Morning Notes: Schenn, Orlov, Bastian
The St. Louis Blues had what could be a season-altering win last night, beating the Florida Panthers in overtime after scoring three unanswered goals to tie the game into the third period. It wasn’t all good news for St. Louis, though, as they could be missing a strong veteran presence from their lineup. Forward Brayden Schenn left the game at the end of the second period with a lower-body injury, per the Bally Sports Midwest local broadcast. He did not return to the game.
Schenn had performed well in the Blues’ recent winning stretch, recording three goals and seven points in 10 games since their eight-game losing streak ended. His six goals in 21 games on the season are tied for second on the team alongside Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan O’Reilly. While he may not be the all-around player he used to be in his earlier seasons with the Blues, he remains an important scorer and a skilled shooter. His presence also allows the Blues to roll a strong three-line attack, slotting Schenn in behind O’Reilly and Robert Thomas at center. Postgame, head coach Craig Berube noted that Schenn’s injury would be further evaluated today.
- Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov could join the team on their current road trip, according to The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, which lasts another five games and 11 days. The veteran defenseman suffered a lower-body injury prior to a game on November 7 and has been day-to-day since. One of six Capitals on injured reserve, Orlov had five assists through 13 games and his +3 rating remains tied for the best on the team.
- According to a team tweet, the New Jersey Devils lost forward Nathan Bastian partway through last night’s game to an upper-body injury. Bastian left the game during the first period after taking a hit from Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. The 24-year-old is a good defensive presence in the bottom six and is an adept penalty killer. With no extra forwards on the active roster, the team will have to make a recall from AHL Utica if Bastian misses any time.
Anaheim Ducks Assign Urho Vaakanainen On Conditioning Loan
The Anaheim Ducks have assigned defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls on a long-term injury conditioning loan, according to the team.
It’s a great sign for Vaakanainen and his playing future that he’s able to give it a go in the minors on a short-term basis. The young defenseman has already had an injury-plagued career, and potentially his scariest injury came in a September 30 preseason game against the San Jose Sharks. Vaakanainen left the contest on a stretcher after a collision caused his head to hit the boards.
Today, it was reported that Vaakanainen had resumed practicing. It’s unclear when he’ll play in his first game with San Diego, but as he’s just returned to the ice, don’t expect it to be right away.
Vaakanainen, a stout defensive prospect, was one of the main pieces in the return from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Hampus Lindholm at last season’s trade deadline. The 2017 first-round pick eclipsed 10 NHL games for the first time in 2021-22 and remained in the league full-time with Anaheim after the trade. He had two assists in 14 games, even working his way into a top-four role.
The Ducks weren’t great last season defensively, and they haven’t demonstrated any improvement this season either. Whether or not Vaakanainen can make a material difference to the team’s porous play remains to be seen, but he would allow the team to relieve some less NHL-ready players.
Forward Notes: Iafallo, Howden, Balcers
Some good news is coming in the future for the Los Angeles Kings. LA Kings Insider’s Zach Dooley reports that Alex Iafallo has resumed skating on his own, although head coach Todd McLellan said he “won’t be in the lineup for a little while.”
Iafallo has missed 19 games so far this year with a lower-body injury. He remains week-to-week, and it’s likely another week or two at least before he returns. When he does, though, it’ll be a huge boost for a Kings team still in the playoff mix. The 28-year-old had five points through his first four games and remains a valuable top-nine piece in LA.
- Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden is out tonight against the Vancouver Canucks after sustaining a lower-body injury in Thursday’s contest against Ottawa. Head coach Bruce Cassidy still isn’t sure about his return, but he said Howden likely won’t travel on the team’s upcoming road trip. That would put him out for at least four games, potentially returning on December 7 against his former team, the New York Rangers.
- A recent pickup by the Tampa Bay Lightning is set to miss a few games. Forward Rudolfs Balcers, claimed on waivers from Florida earlier in the season, is unlikely to play on the team’s upcoming road trip, according to head coach Jon Cooper. The Bolts’ upcoming three-game swing sees them take on the Sabres, Bruins, and Flyers. Balcers has averaged under seven minutes per game in Tampa and has a goal in his first three Lightning appearances.
San Jose Sharks Place Mario Ferraro On Injured Reserve
The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Mario Ferraro on injured reserve, according to the team’s media relations department. The 24-year-old defenseman is poised to miss at least a week-long stretch of time.
Ferraro registered a shot on goal, four blocks, and a -1 rating in 21:05 of ice time in last night’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The team has not commented on the nature of Ferraro’s injury, when he sustained it, or any potential timeline.
San Jose signed Ferraro to a four-year extension last summer, a reward for the heavy minutes he’s logged in the past two seasons. His play has dipped this year, though, with his role less certain and defensive weaknesses more exposed. His -14 rating is the worst on the team.
Nick Cicek will draw into the Sharks lineup for Ferraro, at least in the short term. The 22-year-old undrafted defenseman was recently called up and has two assists in his first five NHL games.
And while Ferraro hasn’t been his best to start the year, his minutes have kept up, playing nearly 23 minutes per game. How the Sharks replace those minutes with a depleted defense core is a fair question to ask. It’s not a realistic expectation to increase the workload of Erik Karlsson, who’s already averaging over 25 minutes per game. They’ll need veteran players like Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Matt Benning to step up unless Cicek is able to surprise.
Colorado Avalanche Suspend Danila Zhuravlyov, Returns To Russia
Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Danila Zhuravlyov has been suspended by the team and will return home to Russia, as announced today. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports the suspension is not related to any on-ice or off-ice incident, but rather comes as a result of his returning to Russia for “personal and family-related reasons.”
There had been rumors swirling of Zhuravlyov potentially returning to his home country for the past month, mainly from Russian outlets. Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express reported last week that Zhuravlyov’s former KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, was aiming to have the 22-year-old return to the club.
A 2018 fifth-round selection of the Avalanche, Zhuravlyov made his North American debut this season and registered an assist in 14 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He demonstrated solid defensive upside in the past handful of seasons with Kazan.
Zhuravlyov’s entry-level contract runs through the 2023-24 season. If it becomes clear that Zhuravlyov will not return to the Avalanche organization, a mutual termination is entirely possible.
Latest On Cam Atkinson
The Philadelphia Flyers are decimated by injuries once again, this time to their forward corps. They’re dealing with six lineup regulars sitting on the shelf – including Cam Atkinson, who’s not technically on injured reserve but is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained during training camp.
A more definite timeline is coming into view now, though. The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco relays from a team source that the team hopes Atkinson can make his season debut before New Year’s Day.
When exactly that return happens is still anyone’s guess, though. Di Marco reports that the organization is unsure whether Atkinson’s return could come within the next week or within the next month. It’s evident that the Flyers are being cautious, especially considering the team’s recent string of poor injury luck.
Atkinson is still waiting to be reunited for a regular-season game with head coach John Tortorella, who mentored Atkinson throughout the majority of his 10 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 2018-19 under Tortorella, Atkinson enjoyed a career-best 41-goal, 69-point season.
Despite a rocky year for the rest of the Flyers last year, though, Atkinson actually had his best performance since that season in Columbus. His 23 goals, 27 assists, and 50 points were all second on the Flyers.
While the Flyers’ record is much-improved this season under Tortorella, it’s due in large part to the spectacular play of Carter Hart in goal. The Flyers’ goal-scoring ranks 26th in the NHL, with 46 through 18 games. The team sits at just .500 and remains a long shot for the playoffs, but Atkinson returning and providing a 25-to-30-goal pace would improve their waning chances.
Injury Notes: Parayko, Kassian, Red Wings
The St. Louis Blues are streaking – again. They’ve nearly wiped out a franchise-record eight-game losing streak by rattling off six straight wins, the latter half of which have come without defenseman Colton Parayko in the lineup. Considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Parayko will be a game-time decision tonight when the Blues take on the Anaheim Ducks.
Berube even went so far as to say he was “confident” that Parayko would be back in the lineup, but still, it’s not assured. He’ll be an important piece for the Blues this season as he enters the first season of his eight-year, $52MM contract extension. His defensive play this year has been better than his -9 rating would suggest, with his sample size being weighed down by poor goaltending during the Blues’ losing streak. Tyler Tucker will draw out in place of Parayko after playing his first three NHL games, and Vladimir Tarasenko will miss a second straight game with an undisclosed illness.
- In activating Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz from injured reserve, the Arizona Coyotes have replaced them with forward Zack Kassian to stay under the 23-player roster limit, according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Kassian has not played since November 1 and is still day-to-day with a lower-body injury, even though he’s missed nearly three weeks now. He’s eligible to return at any time given he’s well past the seven-day injured minimum required to be on IR, although the team will need to send someone down to accommodate.
- Forward Elmer Soderblom remains day-to-day for the Detroit Red Wings despite not playing for weeks, per head coach Derek Lalonde today. Lalonde said Soderblom’s return from a lower-body injury is “probably going to take some time,” and there’s still no clear indication when the rookie could return. Defenseman Gustav Lindstrom could play this week, though. The Swede is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Who are the Hurricanes thankful for?
The Hurricanes have a 10-5-3 record through 18 games. It isn’t bad by any means, but there are some unexpected issues rearing their ugly heads, especially in terms of depth scoring and goaltending. But after generating some criticism last season for a step back in production, even getting tossed around in trade rumors, Necas has stepped up in a big way to help buoy the team through a rough stretch.
Necas sits in the team lead in assists (14) and points (22), seeing the majority of his time on a unit with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Andrei Svechnikov. He’s been elevated to the top unit alongside Sebastian Aho in Teuvo Teravainen‘s injury-related absence, scoring three points in four games there. Necas is averaging over 19 minutes a game, posting solid possession numbers in the process, and is looking every bit as strong as his 12th-overall in 2017 billing suggests.
He’s had to generate a lot of that offense on his own, too. While Svechnikov is plugging along with 12 goals in 18 games, Kotkaniemi, his usual center, has an eye-widening three points on the year. Necas isn’t shooting much higher than his career average, either, with his 14 percent mark this season just 1.5 percent over his 12.5 percent mean.
He can’t and shouldn’t be expected to do it all by himself all season, though. They need considerably more out of a healthy Teravainen, Seth Jarvis, and Paul Stastny on the scoresheet. Their defense has been contributing, sitting sixth in the league in goals against despite subpar goaltending. If the Hurricanes are going to push through on a deep playoff run, those players simply need to do better.
What are the Hurricanes thankful for?
Good drafting and a good farm system.
Their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, won the Calder Cup last season. That success is already paying off in the NHL this year, with minor-league vet Stefan Noesen playing some resurgent hockey in an unexpected NHL opportunity due to injuries.
Chicago’s had youngsters step up in the absence of Noesen and Andrew Poturalski, who signed with the Kraken, who both had 100-point campaigns last year. Jamieson Rees is taking a huge step forward in his development, leading the team with 13 points in 14 games. He could be a call-up option if things continue to sour for Carolina’s depth forwards.
What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?
An early Max Pacioretty return.
14 years into his NHL career, Pacioretty remains a bona fide top-line winger. He’s played just a combined 87 games over the past two years though, and an offseason Achilles tear was expected to keep him out past the All-Star break.
That may still be the case, but Pacioretty did return to the ice this week in an unexpected development. The 34-year-old had 37 points in 39 games last year on the Vegas Golden Knights despite dealing with intermittent injuries throughout the season. An earlier return to the ice, if nothing else, could allow some other depth Hurricanes to play lower in the lineup and get more advantageous matchups. Either way, Pacioretty’s return from LTIR is bound to work toward solving this team’s biggest problem.
What should be on the Hurricanes’ holiday wish list?
Last year’s version of Frederik Andersen.
Carolina’s defense has been elite this season, and they’ve needed to be. Andersen is historically prone to slow starts, yes, but it’s a measurable achievement to post a sub-.900 save percentage on such a defensively stout team. That’s what Andersen’s managed to do, recording a .891 mark through eight starts.
He’s been out with a lower-body injury since November 8 and remains day-to-day. Pyotr Kochetkov has been a saving grace in the meantime, recording a 2-0-1 record and a .943 save percentage in three appearances.
They’ll need goaltending in the playoffs, especially in an Eastern Conference ripe with strong possession teams similar to Carolina. Unless Kochetkov is able to break out as a starting option earlier than expected, Andersen needs to improve his play.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jacob Bernard-Docker Out One Month, Thomas Chabot Day-To-Day
Some injury updates are coming in today concerning the Ottawa Senators’ defense, courtesy of Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. While star defenseman Thomas Chabot is now day-to-day with a concussion, Jacob Bernard-Docker is out for at least one month with a high ankle sprain.
Chabot sustained the concussion in a November 12 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. After being checked into the boards by Travis Konecny, the team placed Chabot on injured reserve the following day. Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan reported at the time Chabot’s timeline was at least one week.
It’s unclear when Bernard-Docker suffered the ankle injury. He played the full game yesterday in a 5-1 loss to the red-hot New Jersey Devils, logging 16:46 of ice time and a -1 rating. The young defender has been solid in a bottom-four role, contributing an assist in six games between call-ups from the Belleville Senators.
At least for Ottawa, the Bernard-Docker injury comes after Artem Zub, their best defensive defenseman, was cleared to return to play. Zub’s presence is the highlighting factor for Ottawa’s right side on defense, and he’ll ease the depth issues created by Bernard-Docker’s absence.
With Chabot likely healthy by the time Bernard-Docker is ready to go again, expect Ottawa to assign the latter back to the minors.
Snapshots: Roslovic, Yamamoto, Barron
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks have been two of the most disappointing teams in the league to start the year. But over the summer, there were talks between the two teams about a potential Jack Roslovic trade, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
Portzline reports the Canucks inquired about Roslovic, looking to add to what was becoming a deep forward core, but the Blue Jackets were reluctant to move him. While Columbus’ subsequent start and Roslovic’s mediocre stat line (one goal, six points in 15 games) may make it look like a poor decision in hindsight, it’s understandable why Columbus wanted to hold onto their assets in an effort to be competitive. Many viewed Roslovic as a potential candidate to center a line between Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine after he broke out for a 22-goal campaign last year, but with Laine never really getting his feet under him, and Roslovic not playing up to the bar he set for himself, that trio has seen just 21 minutes together at even strength, per MoneyPuck.
- Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto has returned to the ice after sustaining an undisclosed injury over a week ago. Head coach Jay Woodcroft said today that Yamamoto skated on his own, and he remains hopeful Yamamoto joins the team “at some point” on their upcoming three-game New York/New Jersey road trip. The Oilers hope that Yamamoto can come back refreshed and help spark some depth scoring, which has been a serious issue for Edmonton this season.
- Winnipeg Jets team reporter Mitchell Clinton notes that forward Morgan Barron is back on the ice shooting after undergoing wrist surgery earlier this month. It’s a great sign for Barron, whose five-week timeline pegged a return date somewhere around December 8. The 23-year-old had gotten off to a solid start to 2022-23 with a goal and three assists in nine games.