Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
The San Jose Sharks have avoided the worst news with reigning first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, after careening into the boards in San Jose’s Tuesday night matchup. The injury forced Celebrini out of the game midway through the second period – though it seems his status for the team’s home opener is still hopeful.
The Sharks have taken extra precautions with Celebrini throughout his first training camp, limiting some of his activities as he worked through what head coach Ryan Warsofsky described as a minor injury. When describing that injury to NHL.com, Warsfosky said, “It is a little bit of everything. He’s been through a lot, the last 2-3 weeks, from the travel and whatnot. We’re just trying to watch him a little.” Celebrini’s new injury seems unreleated to those woes, though it could lead San Jose to amp up their caution ahead of their October 10th opener.
Celebrini has been manning the team’s top line throughout training camp, flanked by William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. Celebrini’s offensive upside in the pros hasn’t been tested, but he was a point-per-game scorer in both college and juniors – last season becoming the youngest player to win the NCAA’s Hobey Baker Award. If those knacks translate to the top flight, San Jose could already wield more offensive upside than they did through the entirety of last season. The Sharks will likely turn toward fellow high-scoring college athlete Will Smith to man the top line, should Celebrini be forced to miss any part of the early season.
Alex Nedeljkovic Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
The Penguins announced that goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, with Wes Crosby of NHL.com among those to relay the news. The news puts the netminder’s availability for their season opener against the Rangers on Oct. 9 in serious doubt.
Nedeljkovic departed his start on Monday midway through the first period. In the likely scenario that he’s not ready to go by the time the opening night roster is due, expect him to start the year on the non-roster list with 22-year-old Joel Blomqvist, the organization’s top goaltending prospect, backing up Tristan Jarry in his stead.
It’s tough news to swallow for the Penguins, who kept Nedeljkovic off this offseason’s UFA market with a two-year, $5MM extension. He stole the crease from Jarry down the stretch last season as Pittsburgh tried but failed to avoid missing the postseason for the second year in a row.
Nedeljkovic, 28, put up perfectly average numbers in a 1B role behind Jarry last year. The former Hurricanes second-rounder made 38 appearances, the second-highest mark of his career, and posted an 18-7-7 record with a .902 SV% and a 2.97 GAA with one shutout.
In the meantime, there are certainly worse fallback options than Jarry and Blomqvist. Jarry is entering his fifth season as the Pens’ starter, and while his .903 SV% last year was certainly underwhelming, he’s long been an above-average starter and has finished in the top 10 in Vezina Trophy voting twice. Blomqvist was likely due for some NHL looks this season anyway after shutting the door with a .921 SV% and 2.16 in 45 games for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2023-24, earning himself a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Team.
The Pens also announced a bevy of other minor injury updates. Chief among them is defenseman Erik Karlsson, who skated again today as he attempts to heal from an upper-body injury before the season opener. The three-time Norris winner has yet to be a full participant in camp but is still listed as day-to-day. They also said that potential fourth-line piece Blake Lizotte is out with a concussion and has no timeline yet for a return. Forward Vasiliy Ponomarev is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury but will likely be ready for the beginning of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s season.
Wild’s Troy Grosenick Underwent ACL Surgery, Out For Season
Wild goaltender Troy Grosenick sustained a torn ACL in his right knee and underwent surgery Tuesday, per a team announcement. He’ll miss the 2024-25 season but is expected to be cleared to play for the 2025-26 campaign.
Grosenick, 35, signed a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$250K) with the Wild in the offseason. He’ll still collect his pro-rated NHL salary while spending the entire campaign on season-opening injured reserve. Grosenick spent one day on the Predators’ roster last season, meaning he’ll cost $4K against Minnesota’s cap, per PuckPedia. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning he’ll potentially never suit up for a regular-season game in the Minnesota organization.
An undrafted free agent signed by the Sharks in 2013, Grosenick has played sparingly in the NHL. He’s only made four career appearances, two with San Jose in 2014-15 and two with the Kings in 2020-21. He was strong in spot duty, logging a .933 SV% and 2.27 GAA.
Those numbers aren’t entirely surprising – it’s more surprising that he never got a more extended look at the top level. The Wisconsin native has long been one of the AHL’s best talents between the pipes, posting a career .913 SV%, 2.52 GAA, 13 shutouts, and 169-101-42 record in 324 appearances in parts of 11 seasons. He’s a two-time All-Star and won the league’s Best Goaltender award in 2016-17.
The Wild were to be Grosenick’s fifth organization in the past five years. After playing 2020-21 in the Kings’ system, he’s also played for the Bruins’, Flyers’, and Predators’ minor-league affiliates. He was projected to be AHL Iowa’s starter this season after logging a .907 SV% in 30 games for Milwaukee in 2023-24. His absence leaves the Wild affiliate in a tough spot with top prospect Jesper Wallstedt set to jump to the NHL as part of a three-goalie rotation with Marc-André Fleury and Filip Gustavsson. They’ll instead turn to 26-year-old Dylan Ferguson, who signed an AHL deal with them last month after a failed PTO with the Canucks. He had a .904 SV% in 23 KHL games last year for Belarus’ Dinamo Minsk.
Luke Hughes Recovering Slower Than Expected From Shoulder Injury
Highly-touted Devils sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes is recovering slower than expected from his offseason shoulder injury and has been given a new five-to-seven-week timeline from today for his return, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. The Devils initially announced on Sep. 12 that he was expected to miss six to eight weeks with the injury, which doesn’t require surgery, but he’ll no longer be making his season debut in that window.
Still just 21 years old, Hughes made his NHL debut at the tail end of 2022-23 and immediately looked like he belonged with a goal and an assist in a pair of contests. He kept up the momentum in his rookie season last year, posting 38 assists and 47 points in 82 games to tie the Wild’s Brock Faber for the scoring lead among first-year defensemen. He’s considered one of the best U-23 defensemen in the game, and while his -25 rating shows he has room for improvement away from the puck, his possession metrics were far from marking him as a true defensive liability.
Hughes was initially expected to return to action for the Devils in late October or early November, missing the first 10 to 13 games of New Jersey’s regular season. His new timeline puts his return between Nov. 6 and Nov. 20, meaning he could miss up to a quarter of the Devils’ regular-season schedule.
His absence provides a major opportunity for former University of Michigan teammate Seamus Casey, who’s on track to make the opening night roster and his NHL debut when the Devils open their regular season against the Sabres in Prague later this week. The 20-year-old has been skating in a third-pairing role alongside Simon Nemec after leading Wolverines defenders in scoring last year with 45 points in 40 NCAA games. The Devils will also be without Brett Pesce to begin the season while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured fibula back in May, leaving them without two likely top-four pieces for the beginning stretch.
Pacific Notes: Zegras, Terry, Kartye
The Anaheim Ducks are looking for a bounceback year from forward Trevor Zegras after an offseason of trade rumors surrounding the youngster. In a lengthy interview with James Murphy of RG.org Anaheim’s head coach, Greg Cronin publicly called out Zegras to add another level to his game.
“It’s like anything. You learn to ride a bike, and you’ve never ridden a bike before, and you get up, and you gotta keep riding it until you learn how to conquer it. The competition for him hasn’t been at the top of the value system – and I don’t mean he doesn’t compete at all – but does he compete in those areas where he’s not really comfortable competing? Like net-front battles or wall battles. He’s so skilled and talented that he can use his stick as a tool to create offense. So, we’re just asking him to be a little stiffer in those areas I identified“.
It may be a make-or-break year for Zegras as the young forward has struggled to respond positively to Cronin’s system. Zegras was limited by injuries in the 2023-24 season but only scored six goals and 15 points in 31 contests. The 2024-25 season will mark a transitionary period for the Ducks as the organization’s young prospects are fully expected to carry most of the responsibility. Zegras’ competition level in the upcoming season, or lack thereof, may lead Anaheim to pull the trigger on a trade.
Other Pacific notes:
- The Ducks will be without their first-line right-winger for the next few days as Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports Troy Terry is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There shouldn’t be any concern about his availability for Anaheim’s regular season opener but he has not been on the ice for the past few days. Terry has been one of the most consistent forwards for the Ducks during their rebuild finishing first or second on the team in scoring over the last three years.
- There are no concerns for Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye who took a maintenance day this afternoon while dealing with a minor ailment (X Link). Kartye is developing into a strong depth scorer for the Kraken after winning the AHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2022-23. He finished his rookie campaign last year with 11 goals and 20 points in 77 games and is again expected to fill an important role in Seattle’s bottom-six.
Central Notes: Boldy, Middleton, Marino, Bjugstad, Kaiser, Barlow
The Wild have upgraded winger Matt Boldy‘s status from week-to-week to day-to-day, head coach John Hynes said Tuesday (via NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce). He hasn’t been ruled out of Friday’s preseason game against the Blackhawks, a strong sign he’ll be available when Minnesota opens its regular season against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 10.
Boldy was initially termed week-to-week on Sep. 23 with a lower-body ailment, but the team wasn’t concerned he’d miss any regular-season action. That appears to be the case. He’s been skating since Saturday.
His presence is crucial for the Wild. The 23-year-old set career highs last season with 40 assists and 69 points in 75 games, finishing second on the Wild’s 21st-ranked offense in scoring. With most of their bottom six either declining or overtaxed in offensive roles, he’s an irreplaceable source of secondary scoring behind Kirill Kaprizov, at least until Minnesota’s next wave of prospects hits their stride.
It’s not all good injury news for the Wild today, though. Defenseman Jacob Middleton is now day-to-day with bruising, Hynes added, but isn’t expected to miss their season opener, which is still nine days away.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Utah Hockey Club may be without a top-four stalwart on defense for its first-ever game. John Marino‘s availability for the season opener is now in doubt after missing all of training camp to date with an upper-body injury, per ALL Utah Hockey’s Craig Morgan. The team will know more about his timeline for a return next week, Morgan added, but for now, he hasn’t been ruled out of any action past then and is still day-to-day. They’re also not expecting center Nick Bjugstad back until Nov. 1, per Morgan. He’s out with an upper-body injury, but his absence isn’t new. He was already ruled doubtful for the start of the season last week.
- Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser has been mysteriously absent from Blackhawks camp thus far, but that’ll end soon. The Blackhawks told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope that an undisclosed concern popped up during his pre-camp physical that required “some invasive testing.” He’s passed all of them, though, and will begin ramping up to game speed. The 22-year-old is a strong candidate to land on the opening night roster after posting seven assists and an even rating in 32 games with Chicago last year.
- Jets prospect Colby Barlow has officially requested a trade in the OHL from the Owen Sound Attack, Postmedia’s Greg Cowan reports. Winnipeg returned Barlow, the No. 18 overall pick in 2023, to Owen Sound on Sunday. The 19-year-old left winger had 40 goals in 50 games last year but recorded only 18 assists for 58 points, placing him fourth on the team in scoring overall. He won’t be reporting to Owen Sound’s camp at all, Cowan adds, so expect him to be on the move before the start of the OHL regular season.
David Reinbacher Out Five To Six Months After Knee Surgery
Canadiens top defense prospect David Reinbacher will miss most of the 2024-25 season after undergoing surgery on his left knee Tuesday morning, the team announced. He’s expected to return to play in five to six months.
It’s likely worse news than Habs fans expected after Reinbacher sustained the injury during the first period of Saturday’s preseason loss to the Maple Leafs. After he was on the receiving end of a hit from Toronto defenseman Marshall Rifai, he fell awkwardly into the boards between the benches, landing awkwardly on his left leg. He was able to get off the ice under his own power but was in visible pain.
Montreal didn’t disclose the specifics of Reinbacher’s knee injury. They’re also waiting on official news regarding a return-to-play timeline for top-six winger Patrik Laine, who also sustained an injury later in the first against the Leafs after a knee-on-knee hit from Toronto depth forward Cédric Paré. He’s also likely looking at a long-term absence.
Reinbacher, 20 later this month, was the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft. He spent his 2023-24 season on loan to Switzerland’s EHC Kloten, where his all-around numbers took a step back from his draft year. He managed a goal and 10 assists with a -15 rating in 35 games after posting 22 points and a +7 rating in 46 games for Kloten in 2022-23. He ended the season with a strong stretch of play with AHL Laval, though, logging five points and a +6 rating in 11 appearances.
He would have been looking to make his NHL debut in 2024-25, potentially on opening night, if he could have finished training camp on a high note. His season debut will now have to wait until at least early March, however, and it’s likely that he’ll spend his brief playing time this year back in Laval while getting back up to speed in his development. The Habs will be out one of their most intriguing prospects for most of the campaign, but it does mean less competition for playing time for other young defenders like Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and Jayden Struble.
Since Reinbacher didn’t log any days on the NHL roster last season, he’ll carry a $0 cap hit while on season-opening injured reserve. However, he’ll still collect his prorated $855K base salary as scheduled.
East Notes: Terry, Nedeljkovic, Toronto Expansion
Prolific AHL scoring winger Chris Terry is returning to the Islanders organization on a one-year deal with Bridgeport, the affiliate announced today.
Terry, now 35, was a fifth-round pick of the Hurricanes back in 2007. He only has 152 NHL games to his name over his lengthy professional career, none coming since the 2016-17 season, but he’s otherwise established himself as one of the top point producers in AHL history. The 5’10” left winger sits 22nd all-time in scoring with 741 points (311 G, 430 A) in 815 games and is a five-time AHL All-Star but has never won the Calder Cup.
The Ontario native spent last season with the independently operated Chicago Wolves, where he served as captain for the first time in his 14-year AHL career. He finished second on the team in scoring with 50 points (21 G, 29 A) in 61 games.
Terry spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns in the Isles organization on AHL deals with Bridgeport. He served as an alternate captain both seasons and led them in scoring each time with showings of 61 and 78 points. He’ll be an important add to a Bridgeport club devoid of much high-powered offensive talent on loan from their parent club.
More from around the Eastern Conference:
- Penguins netminder Alex Nedeljkovic is being evaluated for a lower-body injury after leaving last night’s preseason win over the Red Wings in the first period, head coach Mike Sullivan said (via NHL.com). They’ll have a further update on his status later Tuesday. He’d be a significant loss if he’s not ready to start the season – Nedeljkovic started 12 of Pittsburgh’s final 13 games last season amid a tight race for a playoff spot. The 28-year-old signed a two-year, $5MM extension to remain in Pittsburgh last June after posting a .902 SV% in 38 appearances. If he’s set to miss any time, 22-year-old Joel Blomqvist would have the inside track to start the season as Tristan Jarry‘s backup before Nedeljkovic is ready to return.
- There’s long been talk of a second NHL franchise in the Greater Toronto Area if the NHL decided on another round of aggressive expansion. With Rogers recently becoming the majority owner of the Maple Leafs’ parent corporation, however, that’s now likely out of the question, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston outlines.
East Notes: Bruins, Hillman, Jenkins, Howe
The Boston Bruins are unsurprisingly being more aggressive with some extension candidates this summer with the ongoing contract negotiations between the organization and goaltender Jeremy Swayman likely dragging into the regular season. Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub reported earlier this morning that Boston had already opened extension negotiations with forwards Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie, and Trent Frederic.
There has seemingly been no movement with Swayman throughout the summer on a long-term contract leading the Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney and the rest of the front office to take a more pragmatic approach for next summer. There was no word in the original report if any of the three players would be interested in continuing negotiations throughout the 2024-25 regular season. Still, Boston appears to be getting a head start on their asking price.
Marchand’s next contract will be one of the more interesting situations to see play out as he has arguably been playing on one of the biggest bargain contracts in the league over the last seven years. The Bruins signed Marchand to an eight-year, $49MM extension in 2016 and he’s scored 209 goals and 555 points in 495 regular season games over the life of that deal. Boston’s captain will be heading into his age 37 season on his next contract and it remains to be seen if Marchand will look for more salary with his prime years behind him.
Other East notes:
- The New York Rangers added a bit of depth to their training camp roster earlier today by recalling Blake Hillman and Blade Jenkins from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack (X Link). Both players are on AHL contracts for the 2024-25 season with the former being the only one with previous experience at the NHL level. Hillman has spent several years bouncing around the AHL but suited up in four games for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017-18 NHL while scoring one goal overall.
- The WHL’s Regina Pats will be waiting with bated breath to determine the status of their captain, Tanner Howe. Howe, who was recently selected with the 46th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, was pulled from today’s game against the Moose Jaw Warriors by the team’s medical staff with an undisclosed injury. Howe’s already skated in two games in the young WHL season scoring one goal overall after participating in the Penguins’ rookie camp over the summer.
Rangers’ Jimmy Vesey Out Multiple Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey will miss “a few weeks” with a lower-body injury, head coach Peter Laviolette said Monday (via The Athletic’s Peter Baugh). The 31-year-old will be unavailable for the Rangers’ first few regular season games as a result.
It’s a course reversal from Sunday when Laviolette said he wasn’t concerned about Vesey’s injury and didn’t expect him to miss any significant time. The Boston native sustained the LBI during a practice session yesterday.
Vesey has been a fourth-line fixture for the Rangers over the past two seasons, his second stint in the Big Apple after spending his first three NHL seasons there from 2016 to 2019. The Harvard product opted to test free agency upon graduation instead of signing with the Predators, who drafted him in the third round in 2012.
He played 80 games for the Rangers last year, finishing ninth on the team in scoring with 26 points (13 G, 13 A) in 80 games. Averaging 12:23 per game, he posted far superior possession metrics at even strength than frequent linemate Barclay Goodrow and was deployed as a depth penalty killer.
His absence means the Rangers will need to find another name to serve as their fourth-line left wing on opening night. Line rushes in camp indicated Vesey was likely to skate alongside Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski. Matt Rempe is the most likely name to slide into the lineup after immediately establishing himself as a fan-favorite enforcer in his 17-game NHL debut last year, although either he or Brodzinski would need to play on their off-wing. Natural left-wingers available include 6’7″ 23-year-old Adam Edstrom and camp invite Adam Erne, who’s still competing for a deal after inking a PTO earlier this month.