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Detroit Red Wings Issue Injury Updates

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The Detroit Red Wings have issued an official update on Filip Zadina’s timeline, after suffering a lower-body injury a few days ago. The young forward will miss six to eight weeks, pausing what had already been a disappointing start to the season. Head coach Derek Lalonde also announced that Tyler Bertuzzi and Jake Walman will be out another seven to ten days, while Oskar Sundqvist is listed as day-to-day but should play on Thursday.

Zadina, 22, had gone completely scoreless through nine games before suffering the injury, recording just 12 shots on goal. That has been a common theme in his young career, which has resulted in just 25 goals and 61 points through 169 games. Selected sixth overall in 2018 there was so much more expected of the Czech forward, especially when he put up 16 goals as a teenage rookie in the AHL. But scoring has been inconsistent for him in the NHL and now he’ll miss the better part of two months when the team is finally competitive.

If there is a silver lining for Zadina, it’s that he already signed a three-year, $5.475MM contract this summer that locked him in through 2024-25. The Red Wings have enough cap space this year that it doesn’t really matter if he underperforms that $1.825MM cap hit but that won’t always be the case. With Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin and others scheduled for unrestricted free agency and in need of big extensions, the money in Detroit will be counted a little more closely moving forward.

Hopefully, this time off can give him a bit of a reset and he’ll come back in a better place, but there will be other players stepping up in his absence. It’s not clear what kind of role will be left for him on his return, especially given how little he was playing before the injury happened.

Nashville Predators Send Luke Prokop To WHL

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After eight games in the ECHL, it has been determined that Luke Prokop might not be quite ready for professional hockey. The Nashville Predators have sent the defensive prospect back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL after his rights were traded a few weeks ago. The Edmonton Oil Kings, who had traded for Prokop last season, sent his rights to Seattle in exchange for a first and two third-round picks in the WHL draft.

All three picks were conditional on him being loaned back, which suggested that this was the plan for a while. The 2020 third-round pick still has this year left in his junior eligibility and can try to help Seattle win a league championship.

Selected 73rd overall in 2020, the 6’6″ Prokop was a force for Edmonton last season, scoring 33 points in 55 games during the regular season and only increasing that production in the playoffs. That helped take the Oil Kings to a title, though they would eventually fall in the Memorial Cup. It was the Thunderbirds that the Oil Kings defeated in the WHL final, and Seattle is poised to get back to the dance this year.

It will be interesting to see if the massive Prokop pairs with someone like Kevin Korchinski, Seattle’s star defenseman and a Chicago Blackhawks top prospect, or if he’s played on a different pairing to balance out the defense.

Despite going back to junior, his entry-level contract will kick in this season as he is now 20. That means Prokop will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2025.

Alex Alexeyev Recalled From AHL Conditioning Loan

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Nov 8: Alexeyev has been recalled from his loan but has not been activated from long-term injured reserve. It is still not clear when he will return to NHL action.

Oct 28: The Hershey Bears are getting a little boost for the next few games, as Alexander Alexeyev has been assigned there on a long-term injury conditioning loan by the Washington Capitals. That means Alexeyev can play a handful of games without having to clear waivers, as he continues to work his way back from offseason shoulder surgery.

A loan of this type is normally for three games (or six days) but can be extended for an additional two depending on how he responds. To be loaned, he doesn’t need to clear waivers, though it did require them to move him from season-opening IR to LTIR. That placement is retroactive to October 11, meaning he shouldn’t have an issue being activated once he’s ready.

What it does mean, however, is that Alexeyev is nearing a return. The Capitals will have a decision to make at that point, as he cannot be assigned to the AHL on a full-time basis without first clearing waivers. With no other waiver-exempt defensemen on the NHL roster, it will mean risking someone to the rest of the league.

Still, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the 22-year-old Russian. Alexeyev was a first-round pick in 2018 and made his NHL debut last season, playing just ten minutes. If he can take a step forward and deliver on some of the promise that made him such a highly regarded prospect, the Capitals will have another piece to build around on the back end.

Currently, John Carlson is the only defenseman on the team signed past this season, with Dmitry Orlov, Nick Jensen, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Erik Gustafsson, and Matt Irwin all scheduled for unrestricted free agency. If Alexeyev is ever going to secure an NHL spot, there’s no better time than now.

New Jersey Devils Provide Injury Updates

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It’s not great news for New Jersey Devils fans, even if the team is doing well at the moment. Mackenzie Blackwood will be out for three to six weeks with the MCL sprain he recently suffered and, according to team reporter Amanda Stein, Ondrej Palat will miss eight to ten weeks following groin surgery.

While head coach Lindy Ruff did joke that Palat would disagree with that timeline, it’s still a long period to be without your top free agent signing. Palat was supposed to come in and show the Devils how to play like champions and will now miss more than two months with a serious injury. The 31-year-old signed a five-year, $30MM contract with the Devils and makes a whopping $8.25MM this season. He scored three goals before going down.

Luckily the Devils are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, on a six-game winning streak and now 9-1 in their last ten. After a shaky start they have been getting outstanding goaltending, something that will now have to continue with Vitek Vanecek carrying the load. Akira Schmid is up as well to fill in for the absent Blackwood, but Devils fans won’t want to go down that road again.

Because of injuries, New Jersey was forced to ice seven different netminders last season, with Nico Daws actually tying Blackwood for the most appearances. With so much turnover no one was able to perform very well and the team had an .886 save percentage overall. It is vital that Vanecek, who has a .940 over his last five starts (all wins), stays healthy for the next stretch or things could quickly derail for the Metropolitan-leading club.

Latest On Ottawa Senators Ownership Interest

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Since nearly the moment the Ottawa Senators initiated a process of sale, actor Ryan Reynolds has been linked to the team. What began as a playful emoji response on Twitter grew some legs, and last night on The Tonight Show, Reynolds directly addressed the speculation. Admitting that he is trying to get involved, he noted that he would need financial partners with “deep pockets” to put a bid together.

The 46-year-old Hollywood star purchased Wrexham AFC, a low-level professional football club in Wales last year and has a stake in FuboTV, a sports streaming service that includes the NHL in certain regions.

Another potential buyer is Jeff York, brother of former NHL player Jason York and Farm Boy executive. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported a few days ago that while York is also trying to put together a group to make the purchase, the NHL would prefer a single owner with a large majority stake. York was part of a group with a rival bid on the LeBreton Flats development project in 2016 when former Senators owner Eugene Melnyk appeared to be close to a downtown arena before lawsuits derailed the process.

The Senators have hired Galatioto Sports Partners to assist in the transaction and there is no risk of relocation at this time.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Emil Bemstrom

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When Emil Bemstrom was sent down at the beginning of the season, it was somewhat of a surprise. The young Columbus Blue Jackets forward had played regular minutes in the NHL each of the last three seasons and had barely any experience in the AHL. Well, after just ten games with the Cleveland Monsters, Bemstrom is on his way up.

It’s hard to get off to a better start than Bemstrom did. In ten games, he scored seven goals and 14 points, good enough to put him on top of the AHL scoring leaderboard. With the Blue Jackets in the middle of a five-game skid and sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, the group obviously needs a shake-up. Whether Bemstrom can provide that remains to be seen but there is still plenty of upside in the 23-year-old forward.

Selected 117th overall in 2017, he quickly became a special talent in Sweden and would burst onto the NHL scene during the 2019-20 season. The ten goals and 20 points he put up that year would be difficult to replicate though, and between 2020-21 and 2021-22 combined, he failed to even reach the totals of that first season.

Perhaps this early success with Cleveland can get him back on track contributing at the highest level because Columbus needs it. The team has scored just 30 goals in 12 games, one of the worst totals in the league. That includes zero from 19-year-old Cole Sillinger, who is experiencing the dreaded “sophomore slump” in his second year. Sillinger, Mathieu Olivier, Liam Foudy, Eric Robinson, Jakub Voracek, and Jack Roslovic have combined for just two goals on the year, something that can’t continue if the team has any thoughts of competing for the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Filip Hallander

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The Pittsburgh Penguins, mired in a seven-game losing streak, have recalled Filip Hallander from the minor leagues. The move follows the assignment of Drew O’Connor to the AHL yesterday.

Hallander, 22, made his NHL debut last season, playing in a single game with the Penguins. He ended up seeing fewer than six minutes of ice time that game, meaning his next appearance will likely be more impactful.

He also might be more suited for the NHL this time around. Hallander has been excellent in the AHL this year, posting four goals and nine points in ten games for the Wilkes-Barr/Scranton Penguins. While he was selected four years ago and has already been included in two trades, it’s easy to forget just how little experience he has in North America.

Last season was his first taste of the AHL, and he scored 14 goals and 28 points in 61 games. If given an entire year he looks poised to blow those numbers out of the water, even if his offensive profile isn’t expected to be what gets him to the NHL.

That would be his defensive game, as a versatile option whose natural position is center. If the Penguins decide to mix up the bottom six, Hallander will be an interesting piece to insert.

Boston Bruins Assign Jakub Lauko To AHL

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With the Boston Bruins now at home for two games, they’ve returned extra forward Jakub Lauko to the AHL. The Providence Bruins don’t actually play until Friday, meaning Lauko will be available for an immediate recall if needed.

Lauko, 22, scored his first NHL goal earlier this month and should get another chance to get into the Boston lineup before long. The third-round pick hasn’t been used much but has two points and 14 hits in seven contests. Should he stay down long enough to play for Providence it would be his first of the season, after scoring just three goals in 54 games a year ago.

While he isn’t expected to be a huge offensive performer, Lauko will be quality depth for the bottom six throughout the year. Still waiver-exempt, he can bounce up and down whenever necessary. He’s already been involved in seven transactions since the beginning of the year.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Blackwood, Ristolainen

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with three Western Conference superstars making the cut. Jason Robertson is on top after scoring four goals and eight points in three games. After missing training camp, Robertson has picked up right where he left off last season and now has eight goals and 18 points in 12 games.

Second and third went to Nathan MacKinnon and Erik Karlsson, who each had their own impressive weeks. The Colorado Avalanche center had seven assists in the two games overseas, both wins in Finland, to become the league’s all-time scoring leader in games played outside of North America. Karlsson meanwhile had four goals and eight points in three games including a hat trick and has already matched his goal total from last year (ten) in just 14 games.

  • Mackenzie Blackwood has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain, and will meet with doctors tomorrow for further evaluation according to New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein. Blackwood left a game against the Edmonton Oilers on November 3, leaving the Devils with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their tandem for the time being.
  • After being scratched on the weekend, some wondered whether Rasmus Ristolainen was still dealing with the effects of his previous injury. Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella told reporters including Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Ristolainen’s injury isn’t the issue and that “everything about his game needs to be better” when he gets back into the lineup.

Chicago Blackhawks Activate Petr Mrazek; Waive Dylan Wells

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The Chicago Blackhawks have activated Petr Mrazek, while moving Alex Stalock to injured reserve. With a goaltender coming back, they have also placed the recently-signed Dylan Wells on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Mrazek, 30, has played just three games for the Blackhawks this season, posting a .873 save percentage so far. That performance is actually even worse than his dreadful 2021-22 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs which led the team to trade away a draft pick so Chicago would take on the rest of his contract.

He’ll now presumably take over as the team’s starter, though Arvid Soderblom has been excellent through his four appearances, posting a .924. Those Blackhawks fans hoping for a true tank and the best chance at the first-overall pick might want Mrazek starting every game, given the younger netminder’s impressive performance. That is of course if Soderblom is even healthy enough to play, given he left his last start after two periods.

Stalock, meanwhile, is still in concussion protocol after taking a hard hit from Casey Cizikas (who received a suspension for the play) a few days ago. It is not clear when he will return to action but his IR placement is retroactive to November 1, meaning he can be activated at any time.

Things worked out pretty nicely for Wells, who earned an NHL deal out of the situation and his debut at the highest level. The 24-year-old entered the game in relief of Soderblom and stopped 12 of 13 shots in his NHL debut. His placement on waivers suggests that Soderblom will be okay but the team has not updated that situation yet.

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