Injury Notes: Jensen, Sandin, Coleman, Hanley
As expected, the Washington Capitals will be holding out defenseman Nick Jensen for the final two games of the regular season according to Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post. In a positive development, however, Johnson also reports that Jensen was at the team facility today, indicating that the injury sustained last night is not as serious as previously expected.
Joining Jensen in the press box for the final two games will be defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who has been out since April 8th with an upper-body injury. With their eyes on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Capitals will have to defeat the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers without two of their top-four defensemen.
Now that both Lucas Johansen and Dylan McIlrath are on the roster due to two separate emergency loans, one of them will have to draw into the lineup for the final two games of the regular season. Johansen has already suited up in six games for the Capitals earlier this season but may opt to go with McIlrath on the right side to keep some continuity within their defensive pairings.
Other injury notes:
- At the team’s skate this morning, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet reported that Calgary Flames defenseman Joel Hanley has returned to practice after missing the last five games due to an undisclosed injury. As expected, the Flames organization thinned out their defensive core at this year’s trade deadline, bringing in Hanley via waivers from the Dallas Stars to keep quality depth within their system. In 10 games since being claimed by Calgary, Hanley has scored one goal and two points in total, averaging 14:32 of ice time per night.
- Staying in Calgary, in the same report from Steinberg, he reported that forward Blake Coleman also returned to the ice for practice, but not as a full participant. Coleman has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, and may not be able to hit the 30-goal threshold for the first time in his career. Nevertheless, Coleman has had an impressive offensive season based on his previous years, scoring 29 goals and 52 points over 77 games for the Flames this season.
Washington Capitals Recall Dylan McIlrath
After last night’s scary event involving defenseman Nick Jensen of the Washington Capitals, the team was put in a position to recall a defenseman to replace his spot in the active lineup. With this in mind, the team announced they have recalled defenseman Dylan McIlrath from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, on an emergency loan.
There has still been no official update coming from the organization in regards to the health status of Jensen, who had to be stretchered off the ice after a violent collision with Michael Eyssimont of the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Capitals only having two games remaining in the regular season, it is more than likely they will keep Jensen out for both of those matchups at the very least.
For McIlrath, the brutish defenseman is in his third season with the Capitals organization, primarily spending his time in the AHL. In 192 games with the Bears, McIlrath has scored seven goals and 32 points overall, while also playing 20 postseason games for the Bears last year, helping the organization secure their 12th Calder Cup Championship.
Since the end of the 2019-20 NHL season, McIlrath hasn’t had much opportunity at the NHL level, only managing three goals and six points over 73 career games. Once a top prospect for the New York Rangers organization after the team selected him with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, McIlrath has been unable to replicate the defensive prowess that he showed with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL all those years ago.
Poll: Who Captures Final Eastern Conference Wild Card Spot?
A few weeks ago, when the standings were more fluid, we ran a poll inquiring about which teams would grab the final two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. Now, with the Tampa Bay Lightning already securing the top spot, there are still four teams fighting over the final spot with less than three games remaining.
The Washington Capitals, who now have the highest odds of capturing the spot with two games remaining, have only produced an 11-9-2 record since the start of March. However, they have picked up key wins in games with playoff implications, defeating the Detroit Red Wings twice, the Pittsburgh Penguins once, and the Philadelphia Flyers once. If the season ended today, the Capitals would line up against the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, but will likely have to beat both the Boston Bruins and Flyers in their last two games.
Following the Capitals, the Red Wings kept their postseason dreams alive last night with an overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now tied with Washington in both games played and points, Detroit ultimately loses the tiebreaker due to regulation wins. To get in, the Red Wings will need the Capitals to lose at least one of their final two games, while Detroit must sweep in their home-and-home against the Montreal Canadiens. So far this year, the Red Wings have split with the Canadiens in two games this season, with both games going to overtime.
Behind the Capitals and Red Wings, the Flyers and Penguins are still technically in the hunt but have some very difficult math to get in. The Flyers can only max out at 89 points, with a 7-10-4 since March 1st making their postseason aspirations more and more bleak. Technically earning better odds for a postseason spot than the Flyers, the Penguins can still max out at 90 points on the year, after a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games has vaulted them into the playoff conversation.
Over their next two games, if the New York Islanders fail to capture a point and both the Capitals and Penguins win their final two, the Capitals would take the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, while the Penguins have the opportunity to capture the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With several possibilities still up in the air leading into the last few games of the regular season, the Eastern Conference wild-card race is bound to go down to the last minute.
Who Captures Final Eastern Conference Wild Card Spot?
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Detroit Red Wings 46% (512)
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Washington Capitals 25% (273)
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Pittsburgh Penguins 21% (236)
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Philadelphia Flyers 8% (91)
Total votes: 1,112
If you can’t see the poll embedded above this, click here to vote.
Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Ekman-Larsson, McMann
As the regular season comes to an end, many players on non-playoff teams are making decisions on whether or not to suit up for their country in this year’s IIHF World Championships. One of those players, Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators, is leaning toward playing for Team USA per multiple reports (X Link).
Since officially joining the Senators organization back in the 2018-19 NHL season, Tkachuk has not suited up in international play. However, he was the captain for Team USA in the 2018 World Junior Championships, scoring three goals and nine points in seven games, helping lead his team to a bronze medal finish.
If Tkachuk does join Team USA for this year’s rendition of the tournament, he will be attempting to bring the team closer to relevancy in the tournament. The United States has not been awarded a gold medal in the tournament since 1960, which is also the last time they have been awarded any medal higher than bronze.
Other Atlantic notes:
- In the team’s overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres this evening, the Florida Panthers received some negative news on their blue line. At the start of the second period, the team announced that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson would not return to the game due to an upper-body injury after only managing 3:04 minutes of ice time. Since the Panthers only have one game remaining in the regular season, it is more than likely the organization will sit Ekman-Larsson out for that game to have him fully rested for the playoffs.
- In a similar fashion to Ekman-Larsson, the Toronto Maple Leafs have lost forward Bobby McMann for the remainder of their game tonight against the Detroit Red Wings (X Link). Suffering from a lower-body injury, McMann fell awkwardly in the Toronto defensive zone and very gingerly skated back to the Maple Leafs’ bench. Regardless of the severity, it may also be likely for Toronto to hold McMann out the final two games of the regular season so that he is at full capacity for the postseason.
Metro Notes: Brindley, Jensen, Hinostroza
Earlier today, as expected, forward prospect Frank Nazar opted to leave the University of Michigan as he signed his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Following in his footsteps, his now-former teammate Gavin Brindley is expected to do the same and sign his entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Brindley may sign an entry-level contract starting in the 2024-25 NHL season, while he would join the Cleveland Monsters for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs on a PTO. Although Brindley firmly believes he is ready to turn pro, he would not be put in a position to play meaningful games for the Blue Jackets this season.
It is difficult to disagree with Brindley, who just capped off one of the more impressive offensive seasons in the NCAA. Playing for the Frozen Four-bound Wolverines, Brindley played in a total of 40 games, scoring 25 goals and 53 points overall.
Other Metro notes:
- In the first period of tonight’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, a scary moment took place between forward Michael Eyssimont and defenseman Nick Jensen. After a fierce collision, Jensen needed to be stretchered off the ice but was conscious and had full control over his extremities (X Link). As the organization’s medical personnel continue to monitor Jensen’s condition, the public will likely know more tomorrow about his long-term health status.
- Before the team’s important game tonight against the Boston Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a transaction to thin out their roster for tonight’s matchup. Per a team announcement, the organization has reassigned forward Vinnie Hinostroza to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Unfortunately, Hinostroza will not be able to play in any games for the organization this evening, as the transaction took place after the puck dropped for the WBS Penguins.
Pacific Notes: Morin, Nesterenko, Turcotte
With his 2023-24 season coming to an end with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, the Calgary Flames announced that Etienne Morin has been reassigned to the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. Having yet to sign his entry-level contract with the Flames organization, Morin will play with the Wranglers for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout agreement.
Morin originally came to the Flames organization by way of the 48th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. In his draft year, Morin was a very efficient defenseman for the Wildcats, scoring 21 goals and 72 points in 67 games while also achieving a +/- rating of 29.
While his year-on-year offensive production certainly took a dip in the 2023-24 season, Morin became even more effective as a physical player on the blue line. With the Wranglers having already clinched a playoff spot in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, Morin is set to receive valuable experience as the organization prepares for the postseason.
Other Pacific notes:
- After having spent five days with the Anaheim Ducks, Nikita Nesterenko is headed back down to the AHL as the organization announced they have reassigned back to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Nesterenko was able to make his season debut with the Ducks over this emergency recall, suiting up in three games while scoring one goal. Now returning to San Diego, the former sixth-round pick will look to build upon his 15-goal, 33-point campaign in the last few contests.
- Out of the lineup for the Los Angeles Kings for nearly a month, it appears that forward Alex Turcotte is close to returning for the club. In an update today, the Kings organization announced that Turcotte has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on a conditioning loan. Before going down with an undisclosed injury in March, Turcotte was not a heavily utilized player by Los Angeles, scoring one goal and four points in 20 games while only averaging 9:17 of ice time per night.
Colorado Avalanche Reassign Chris Wagner
Earlier this morning, the Colorado Avalanche announced the organization has reassigned forward Chris Wagner to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. While an otherwise unremarkable transaction, the reassignment of Wagner points to the return of Mikko Rantanen to the lineup.
While Rantanen has been out for the team’s last two games due to a concussion, Wagner has been with the team for the better part of two weeks, playing in four of the team’s last five games. In those four contests, Wanger has averaged 6:45 of ice time over 46 shifts, scoring one goal in total.
Before signing a one-year, $775K contract extension with the Avalanche a few days ago, Wagner had primarily been playing in AHL Colorado but has been an oft-called-upon depth forward at the NHL level. Over 13 games with the Avalanche this season, Wagner has scored one goal and two points overall, while also scoring four goals and eight points over 17 games with the Eagles.
With respect to Wagner, Colorado will be more than happy to get Rantanen back into the lineup with three games remaining in the regular season. The Avalanche’s schedule will not get any easier down the stretch after losing an important contest against the Dallas Stars this past weekend. In hopes of earning a fourth-straight Division title, Colorado lines up against the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Edmonton Oilers to close out their regular season.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky
Less than a week removed from being placed on the waiver wire, forward Carson Meyer of the Columbus Blue Jackets left the team’s game last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he was limited to only two shifts. Once again in a position to round out their depth at the bottom of the lineup, the Blue Jackets have recalled Trey Fix-Wolansky on an emergency basis.
Having already played in 10 games for Columbus this season, Fix-Wolansky will now get another opportunity to show his value at the NHL level. In those 10 games, Fix-Wolansky has only averaged 11:00 of ice time and has tallied only one assist.
As a late-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, and a bit undersized as well, that has not stopped Fix-Wolansky from becoming one of the premier scorers on the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Since making his debut for the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate in the 2019-20 season, Fix-Wolansky has played in 221 games, scoring 84 goals and 197 points overall.
Leading the Monsters in scoring for back-to-back seasons, there is a legitimate argument to be made that Columbus should give Fix-Wolansky an extended look at the game’s top level. As the new front office heads into its first offseason, the top brass in Columbus may look to thin out the forward core over the summer, giving Fix-Wolansky an opportunity for a full-time position with the Blue Jackets.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Florian Xhekaj
April 10: According to CapFriendly, Xhekaj’s contract carries a $867K cap hit and a $920K AAV. He’ll earn a base salary of $775K in all three seasons. In 2024-25 and 2025-26, he’ll receive a $95K signing bonus and an $80K games played bonus, which drops to an $85K signing bonus and no performance bonus in 2026-27.
April 9: Although it was reported earlier today that defenseman Arber Xhekaj would be missing the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery, a positive development has still arisen for the family. Today, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have signed Arber’s brother, Florian Xhekaj, to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next year.
Originally selected with the 101st overall pick by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft, Florian is set to join Montreal after spending the last two seasons with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. Experiencing somewhat of an offensive outburst in his second year of Major Junior hockey, Florian scored 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games for the Bulldogs, finishing third on the team in scoring.
Playing a similarly gritty style to his brother, Florian has developed a unique ability to cause a lot of traffic in front of the opposing team’s net. Reminiscent of Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, most of Florian’s scoring this season came from deflections in front of the crease.
The organization already announced that Florian will be joining their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for the remainder of the season, so he is set to pick up some valuable experience down the stretch. Although not eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, it will be incredibly difficult for the Rocket to secure a spot this year.
Devils Notes: Hughes, Marino, Foote
The New Jersey Devils will be without star forward Jack Hughes tonight, and potentially longer according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Officially, Hughes will be out tonight with an undisclosed injury, and head coach Travis Green alluded to the idea that Hughes could miss the remainder of New Jersey’s regular season.
It will be the second time in three seasons that Hughes will have his season significantly shortened by injury, as his last complete year came back in the 2020-21 NHL season, although he did compete in 78 games last year. If Hughes is indeed done for the remaining schedule, he will have finished with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games, the second-highest points-per-game mark of his young career.
In a season to forget for the Devils organization, the team will only be able to finish with a maximum of 87 points, a 25-point drop off from just a season ago. With 16 games missed on the season, New Jersey has only been able to procure a 6-9-1 record without their top player this season, partially leading to their fall in the standings.
Other Devils notes:
- After having missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, it appears that defenseman John Marino could be returning tonight for the Devils (X Link). Much like Hughes and several other members of New Jersey’s roster, Marino has missed a handful of games across the season due to injuries. When healthy, Marino has been able to suit up in 71 games for the Devils up to this point, scoring four goals and 29 points overall while averaging 20:51 of ice time per night.
- Now that Hughes has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game, team reporter for the Devils, Amanda Stein, is reporting that forward Nolan Foote could be making his season debut with the club. Having recently been activated from Season Opening Injured Reserve on March 11th, Foote has only managed four games for the team’s AHL affiliate altogether this season, scoring three goals and four points in a small sample size.