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Injury Updates: Parise, Kulikov, Kopitar, Lightning

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise practiced with the team this morning for the first time since suffering a foot injury on October 27th, reports Mike Russo of the Minneapolis-St. Paul StarTribune. Parise missed the Wild’s last six games, but could be in the lineup as early as Tuesday against Calgary. The Wild made room for Parise by reassigning Christoph Bertschy to the AHL.
  • Buffalo Sabres defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will miss Tuesday’s game against St. Louis, reports the Olean Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe. Kulikov missed practice today, and the Sabres—practicing with only five defensemen—will most likely require more than one call-up to fill its lineup. Buffalo, however, will minimize both actual cost and league cap space use by calling up those players on game day as needed.
  • Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar may miss Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, reports LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen. Kings coach Darryl Sutter made some cryptic remarks regarding Kopitar’s playing status, but Rosen believes that those remarks indicate that the Slovenian forward may be out longer than expected. Kopitar suffered an upper body injury late in Friday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, and missed yesterday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning are without both Anton Stralman and Jonathan Drouin tonight against the New York Islanders, reports Tampa Bay beat writer Bryan Burns. Both players are recovering from upper body injuries. Stralman left Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks after taking a Joe Thornton slap shot to his upper body.  Drouin’s injury, however, is more of a mystery. It is thought that Drouin suffered a concussion on November 1st against the Islanders after taking a hit to the head from Isles defenseman Calvin de Haan. The team has not confirmed that Drouin suffered a concussion, but only that he’s expected to rejoin the team during its upcoming five-game road trip.

2016 UFA Scoring Leaders

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A lot of money changed hands this off-season as teams battled to sign the best unrestricted free agents in the market. But the practice doesn’t guarantee success—sometimes the underrated signings are the ones that pay off. Over the course of the year PHR will list the top-scoring 2016 unrestricted free agents in an effort to gauge the best signings this offseason.

Leading 2016 UFA Scorers (as of 11/11/16)

Jonathan Marchessault (FLA): 13 points (7G, 6A) in 13 games
Alexander Radulov (MTL): 11 points (3G, 8A) in 13 games
Michael Grabner (NYR): 10 points (7G, 3A) in 14 games
Radim Vrbata (ARI): 9 points (4G, 5A) in 12 games
Milan Lucic (EDM): 9 points (5G, 4A) in 14 games
Brandon Pirri (NYR): 9 points (4G, 5A) in 14 games
Thomas Vanek (DET): 8 points (4G, 4A) in 7 games
Eric Staal (MIN): 8 points (4G, 4A) in 11 games
Kyle Okposo (BUF): 8 points (5G, 3A) in 12 games
Colton Sceviour (FLA): 8 points (5G, 3A) in 13 games
Dennis Seidenberg (NYI): 8 points (4G, 4A) in 13 games

 

Injury Update: Athanasiou, Eichel, Sharp

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Injury updates from around the NHL this morning:

  • Detroit Red Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou will be out for one-to-two weeks with a knee sprain, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. Athanasiou suffered the injury last night in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks, and did not return for the start of the second. The Red Wings will call up the much-heralded prospect Anthony Mantha as a replacement. Mantha has been tearing up the AHL so far this year with 8G and 2A in 10 games. The 2013 first round draft pick has been slowly developing in Detroit’s minor league system and may finally get the chance to make the jump to the NHL.
  • Buffalo Sabres Coach Dan Bylsma told reporters this morning that former 2nd overall pick Jack Eichel is progressing in his recovery from a high ankle sprain. Eichel skated today for 45 minutes and that followed a 25 minute session yesterday. The Sabres’ top prospect has yet to play a game this season as he suffered the injury in practice the day before the Sabres’ season opener. Buffalo will have to wait a little longer to see if Eichel builds off his excellent rookie campaign where he scored 24G and 32A in 81 games.
  • Dallas Stars forward Patrick Sharp returned to practice today for the first time after suffering a concussion, reports the Dallas News’ Mike Heika. Sharp suffered the concussion on October 20th after being hit by the Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Brayden McNabb. Heika does not expect Sharp to play tonight, but a weekend return is not out of the questions.

Morning Snapshots: Sabres, Dubinsky, Bruins

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News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • The Buffalo Sabres have called up defenseman Justin Falk from Rochester this morning to help replace both Dmitry Kulikov and Josh Gorges, reports John Vogl of the Buffalo News here and here. Defenseman Kulikov missed Thursday’s practice with an undisclosed ailment, but the hope was that he would be able to play in tonight’s game versus the New Jersey Devils. It is unclear whether Gorges is out or just skipping the morning skate, but his absence is sorely missed as he and Rasmus Ristolainen make up the Sabres’ top defensive pairing. Call-up Justin Falk currently has no points in 9 games for the Rochester Americans.
  • Brandon Dubinsky may be ready to play, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline, as the Columbus Blue Jackets reassign forwards Sonny Milano and Markus Hannikainen back down to Cleveland. Dubinsky missed the last two games with injury but looks to return to the lineup tomorrow against the St. Louis Blues. Milano is pointless in two games with the Blue Jackets so far, and Hannikainen, while called up, did not see any ice time last night against the Boston Bruins.
  • The Bruins have recalled center Sean Kuraly from Providence, reports Mirk Divver of the Providence Journal. Kuraly played one game for the Bruins so far—November 3rd against Tampa—but did not register a point in his seven minutes of ice time. Kuraly currently has two assists for the Providence Bruins. He’ll act as reinforcement as the Bruins embark on a three-game Western road trip.

Blues Winter Classic Alumni Roster Released

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The St. Louis Blues’ Alumni Roster for their Winter Classic weekend has been released, reports TSN’s Mark Lazerus. It is a star-studded lineup, including the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Keith Tkachuk, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, and Pierre Turgeon. Goaltender Martin Brodeur will also suit up for the Blues after playing only seven games for the team. Brodeur, however, is now an Assistant General Manager with the organization. Notable absences include goalie Curtis Joseph and forward Brendan Shanahan—though the latter may have declined due to his position as President of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The full roster is below:

Larry Patey
Keith Tkachuk
Dallas Drake
Adam Oates
Brett Hull
Gino Cavallini
Scott Mellanby
Bernie Federko
Peter Stastny
Terry Yake
Kelly Chase
Scott Young
Pierre Turgeon
Wayne Gretzky
Al MacInnis
Bruce Affleck
Barret Jackman
Garth Butcher
Jamie Rivers
Paul Cavallini
Jeff Brown
Bryce Salvador
Chris Pronger
Mike Liut
Martin Brodeur
Ed Staniowski
Chris Mason

Snapshots: Dubinsky, Kovalchuk, Lightning

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without forward Brandon Dubinsky tonight against the Boston Bruins, reports Fox Sports Ohio’s Dave Maetzgold. Dubinsky is still day-to-day with a lower body injury—first reported by Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline—that forced him to miss Wednesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. The American center has struggled out of the gate, posting 0G and 2A in 10 games for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets, meanwhile, have called up Markus Hannikainen from the Cleveland Monsters to replace Dubinsky in the lineup. The 23 year-old has 4G and 3A in 11 games for the Cleveland Monsters to start the season.
  • The Ilya Kovalchuk to the NHL rumors are heating up again. PHR first reported last week that Kovalchuk was mulling a return to the NHL, and the Russian confirmed that in a lengthy interview on the KHL website (link in Russian). Kovalchuk basically states that he would not foreclose the option to return, but he did not affirmatively state that he is seeking a return. Because Kovalchuk is in his final contract year, however, his statements could just be posturing to get a larger contract from SKA St. Petersburg or another KHL team. Kovalchuk is off to a great start this season, scoring 16G and 20A in 28 games, and may look to parlay that into a lucrative contract—KHL or elsewhere.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have scratched Nikita Nesterov tonight to make room for Valtteri Filppula against the New York Islanders tonight, reports Tampa Bay Lightning beat writer Bryan Burns. Nesterov is currently pointless in ten games for Tampa Bay, while Filppula has 4G and 5A in 12 games. Also missing from warmups is Jonathan Drouin, who suffered a head injury against the same Islanders on November 1st.

Lineup Updates: Backes, Carrier, Stone, Russell, Edler

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News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • The Boston Bruins announced that they expect David Backes back tonight in their tilt against the New York Rangers. Backes—the Bruins’ prized free agent signing this summer—has been out since October 24th with an elbow injury. The forward underwent surgery last week and sat out the past few games as he recovered. The Bruins did not want to rush Backes back, citing a need for complete recovery and to prevent infection. Surprisingly, the surgery was Backes’s first in his eleven-year career, reports CSN NE’s Joe Haggerty.
  • The Buffalo Sabres called up prospect William Carrier from the Rochester Americans early Friday morning, reports the Buffalo News’ John Vogl, in anticipation of tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Carrier is having an excellent season in Rochester, scoring 3G and 1A in seven games.
  • Mark Stone returns to the lineup for the Ottawa Senators in the same game, says the team. Stone missed the Sens last game with a neck injury, but it was not severe enough to sideline him for more than a game. Stone has 1G and 4A in 9 games for the Senators after returning from a pre-season concussion.
  • The Edmonton Oilers will be without Kris Russell tonight as he sits with an undisclosed injury, reports Bob Stauffer of AM 630 CHED. Russell is still looking for his first goal of the season, but his defensive play has anchored the Oilers as they lead the Pacific Division. The new-look Edmonton defense featuring Adam Larsson and Russell allows the team to move the puck quickly to its highly-skilled forwards, something the team has lacked in years past.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced that Alex Edler is day-to-day with an injury and will not suit up tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friendman. Edler only has one goal on the season but is logging over 24 minutes a night. The Canucks have lost seven straight after winning their first four games to start the season.

Raffi Torres Retires

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Much-maligned forward Raffi Torres has retired from the NHL, reports the Stouffville Sun Tribune’s Michael Hayakawa. The retirement went under the radar of more traditional hockey media, and with that a veteran’s career ends not with a bang but a whimper.

Torres ends his career with 137 G and 123A in 635 games with seven NHL teams. More telling is that he racked up 497 PIMs alongside thee fines and five suspensions. In total Torres missed over 70 games due to league discipline. Torres started his NHL career on the right foot by stringing together two 20+ goal campaigns with the Edmonton Oilers (after being traded by the NY Islanders), and was instrumental in the Oilers’ cinderella run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. He then played a role in Vancouver’s Final run in 2010-11 before the Canucks also lost in seven games.

It was the latter part of Torres’s career, however, that fans and players will remember. Since 2010, Torres was suspended three times for illegal hits to Jordan Eberle, Marian Hossa, and Jakub Silfverberg, the last one carrying a 41-game penalty. Torres did not play again in the NHL after the Silfverberg suspension due partially to a knee injury.

Torres attempted to make a comeback this year by signing a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes. He established that it was the NHL or bust, and that he would not continue playing if he did not make the big team out of camp. Unfortunately for Torres, however, his play did not warrant an NHL spot and he was released after just two games. When no other offers came, Torres slipped quietly into retirement.

 

Craig Anderson Returns To Senators

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Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson returns tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Anderson left the team for a second time this month following his wife Nicholle’s cancer diagnosis. The Sens reassigned goaltender Chris Driedger back to Binghamton to make room for Anderson.

Anderson initially left the team in October when his wife was first diagnosed, but returned after the Sens backup goaltender Andrew Hammond went down with an injury. Anderson posted two wins in his brief return, including an emotional shutout against the Edmonton Oilers. He then left the team again to be with his wife while the Senators announced that there was no timetable for his return.

It may not be a coincidence that tonight’s return is the same day as the NHL promotes Cancer Awareness day, and his presence is sure to garner extra attention. Anderson’s play, however, deserves attention regardless of what event the NHL is promoting. Anderson boasts a 6-1-0 record with a .924SV% and a 2.24GAA. And while it is a small sample size, his performance provides Ottawa with the goaltending stability necessary for the young team to progress.

Matthew Tkachuk Stays With Flames

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The Calgary Flames have decided to keep 18 year old prospect Matthew Tkachuk in the NHL past the nine-game mark and officially burn a year off of Tkachuk’s entry level contract (ELC).

Matthew—son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk—has amassed 1G and 3A in 9 games for the Flames and has not looked out of place so far this season. He is currently playing on a line with Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund, reports the Calgary Herald’s Kristen Odland. While Tkachuk has averaged under 12 minutes a game, the decision to keep him foreshadows more playing time.

Tkachuk is just one of five draftees from this summer’s draft to remain with his team past the nine-game slide rule threshold. The other four are Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Jakob Chychrun. The nine-game mark is important to teams—if a player plays nine games or less in the NHL then the year does not count as a year under the ELC. The ELC basically ’slides’ intact to the next year. If the player plays more than nine games in the NHL, however, then that year counts as one year of the ELC.

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