Evander Kane Expected To Miss At Least Four Months
Oilers winger Evander Kane had surgery Friday in New York City to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, and two torn lower abdominal muscles, as indicated last week. There’s no firm timeline for his return, but he won’t be back in the lineup until January or February at the earliest, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
All those injuries stemmed from Kane playing through a sports hernia for much of last season, including the playoffs. They didn’t limit his availability too much, costing him just 10 games combined over the course of the regular season and postseason.
They did significantly hamper his effectiveness, though. Kane’s 0.31 goals per game and 0.57 points per game were his worst rates since the 2015-16 season. He was especially diminished in the playoffs, posting four goals and eight points in 20 games while averaging under 15 minutes per night. It was a far cry from his showing just two years ago in the 2022 playoffs, where he averaged nearly 20 minutes per game for the Oilers and led the league in postseason goals with 13 despite Edmonton being eliminated in the Western Conference Final by the Avalanche.
Now, as expected, the Oilers will have the opportunity to place Kane’s $5.125MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve. However, it’s unlikely they will. It was viewed as a potential necessity a few weeks ago, but after opting not to match the offer sheets the Blues tendered for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway and trading Cody Ceci and his $3.25MM cap hit to the Sharks, Edmonton projects to be fully cap-compliant with a 22-player roster that includes Kane, per PuckPedia.
The Oilers can place Kane on standard IR to free up a roster spot if they so choose. They enter the season with $945,833 in space, so the player they’re adding to the roster to replace Kane will need to have a cap hit equal to or lower than that amount. Potential candidates include recent PTO signee Mike Hoffman and minor-leaguers James Hamblin and Raphael Lavoie.
Morning Notes: Shesterkin, Ovechkin, Chychrun, Clifford
Superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin spoke highly of the Rangers organization, but added that you never know what can happen, when asked about his looming contract year shares Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Talks around Shesterkin’s next deal will be the contract negotiations to watch this season, likely to be the deal that sets the bar for goalie salaries.
That’s an apt responsibility for Shesterkin, perhaps the best goalie in the NHL. He’s coming off yet another strong season, posting 36 wins and a .913 save percentage in 55 starts – a stat line that ranked second, eighth, and 10th among the league’s goalies respectively. Those are dazzling numbers, but actually marked a career-low year for the 28-year-old, who managed a higher save percentage in each of his previous four seasons. That includes his Vezina-winning 2021-22 campaign, when Shesterkin set the second-highest save percentage since 2000 – a .935 in 53 games, then only behind Tim Thomas’ 2010-11 campaign, though Linus Ullmark has since split the bunch.
Either way, the down year is much more a testament to Shesterkin’s greatness than a sign of decline. Even at his worst, he sits among the absolute best goalies in the league. The Rangers will have the dreaded task of paying for that value next summer. They may need to prepare for a deal north of $10MM annually – which would put a second eight-figure man on the Rangers roster, next to Artemi Panarin.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Washington Capitals returned forward Alex Ovechkin and defender Jakob Chychrun to the practice ice early this morning, looking to catch both players up after Ovechkin missed parts of training camp with a small injury, while Chychrun faced an illness shares NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Both players could be headed for top-line roles this season, making their conditioning a top priority for the playoff-hopeful Capitals. Ovechkin in particular will be the focus of the hockey world this year, sitting just 42 goals back from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record. He’s hit that scoring mark on 13 different occasions, including as recent as the 2022-23 campaign. That record, and their role in Washington’s long-term success, will make Ovechkin and Chychrun two names to watch closely through the rest of the Capitals training camp.
- Veteran bruiser Kyle Clifford has been designated as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Clifford signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto Marlies last month, giving him room to join yet another Maple Leafs training camp. He’ll be working towards his 15th professional season when he returns from injury. Last season marked the first year of that career where Clifford didn’t earn NHL ice time, though he stayed true to form with 140 penalty minutes in 53 AHL games.
Metro Notes: Morrow, Carrier, Sorokin, Beckman, Pavelski
The Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with a few injuries as team reporter Walt Ruff shares that defenseman Scott Morrow and forward William Carrier are dealing with lower-body injuries. Morrow’s is not considered serious with him expected back at practice tomorrow but the team medical staff is still evaluating Carrier.
Morrow was originally selected with the 40th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Hurricanes and is largely considered the team’s second-best defensive prospect behind Alexander Nikishin. He had a relatively small chance of cracking Carolina’s blue line out of training camp despite making his NHL debut with the Hurricanes last year. It will be his first full professional season since ending his tenure at the University of Massachusetts and he’s expected to take on a key role with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
Carrier was brought in as an unrestricted free agent this summer to a long-term six-year, $12MM contract to serve in the team’s bottom six. The former Stanley Cup champion winger is largely known for his physicality but is only two years removed from scoring 16 goals in a season with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hurricanes could create one of the most physically punishing lines in the league if they pair Carrier with team captain Jordan Staal when fully healthy.
Other Metro notes:
- New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin continues to progress in his recovery from offseason back surgery and is still expected to start the season on time. Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported earlier today that Sorokin has already resumed skating but has failed to appear in a team practice up to this point. He will still have limited time to get into regular season mode as he looks to improve upon a down year in which he produced a .906 SV% and 3.01 GAA in 55 starts.
- Adam Beckman‘s first preseason with the New Jersey Devils is off to a slow start with James Nicholas of New Jersey Hockey Now reporting he is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Beckman was acquired by the Devils from the Minnesota Wild a few days before Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final in late June. He’s not expected to be a part of New Jersey’s roster for the upcoming season. Still, he could have a valuable role with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, after scoring 19 goals and 33 points in 51 games for the AHL’s Iowa Wild last year.
- Longtime NHL veteran Joe Pavelski appears to be moving quickly onto his next plans after retirement. The Pittsburgh Penguins TV play-by-play announcer, Josh Getzoff, reported today that Pavelski was at the team’s training camp with general manager Kyle Dubas and assistant general manager Jason Spezza. There has been no indication since the Penguins are considering Pavelski for a role in their front office but it may be a small insight into Pavelski’s future in the NHL.
Atlantic Notes: Edvinsson, Dahlin, LeBreton Flats
The Detroit Red Wings already have high hopes for defensive prospect Simon Edvinsson despite not playing in a preseason game this year. Max Bultman of The Athletic shared earlier that head coach Derek Lalonde expects Edvinsson to find consistent playing time in the team’s top four to start the season.
The young Swede has spent the better part of two years with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, but also has 25 NHL contests under his belt. There are high expectations for the sixth overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft as the Red Wings desperately need to take pressure off Moritz Seider to balance out their defensive core.
Edvinsson is a remarkably smooth skater considering his 6’6″ frame and has moved the puck well with 44 assists in 106 AHL contests. He was seen skating on a line with veteran defenseman Jeff Petry yesterday during practice and that will be the likely pairing heading into the 2024-25 NHL season.
Other Atlantic notes:
- Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was back skating today after suffering an undisclosed injury in yesterday’s practice (X Link). He’s unlikely to play in tomorrow’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the team remains cautionary with their top blue liner. It’s a positive sign that Dahlin is already back skating despite having little to prove in preseason action. He’s coming off another quality year with 10 goals and 59 points in 81 games and the Sabres’ brass will prioritize him being ready for the regular season opener.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported this morning that the Ottawa Senators and National Capital Commission had reached a deal for the organization to build a new arena and entertainment district in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats neighborhood. As more news regarding the acquisition continues to break, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet reports the land purchase should be finalized in 2025. This shouldn’t have any major impact on the deal as the Senators’ organization never indicated that developing their new arena and district would be quick.
Atlantic Notes: Ullmark, Lorentz, McCabe, Seider
Linus Ullmark is preaching consistency as he takes his talents between the pipes from Boston to Ottawa. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner will be the Sens’ biggest X factor as they try to return to the postseason for the first time in seven years. He’ll play a leadership role as well after three straight playoff appearances with the Bruins.
“I have to show them how it has to be done every single day and not just same days,” Ullmark told Bruce Garrioch for the Ottawa Citizen. “It’s a long road ahead of us. You can’t just play for 25 games, you’ve got to play for 82 [games]. When the dog days come around 56 games into the season, and you’re gone on a road trip for nine days, and you’re going on a back-to-back in Western Canada or whatever it may be, those are the games that you need to win. It’s all about making steps and becoming the better team after every 20 games or so.”
Ullmark’s acquisition alone may be enough for the Sens to get back to the playoffs. They’ve retooled their roster in other areas, but Ullmark has been a consistently above-average starter, even dating back to his final couple of years with the Sabres around the pandemic. He saved 13.7 goals above average last season, night and day, compared to Joonas Korpisalo‘s, Anton Forsberg‘s, and Mads Søgaard‘s combined -36.8 GSAA for Ottawa last year. The Senators actually outpaced the Bruins at even strength in their ability to control shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger chances.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Maple Leafs training camp attendee Steven Lorentz hit a snag Friday in his quest to land a contract from his PTO. The forward is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and didn’t skate, per the team. After spending most of last season in the press box for the Stanley Cup champion Panthers, recording three points in 38 games, the 28-year-old pivot had to settle for a tryout offer earlier this month.
- Still with Toronto, defenseman Jake McCabe confirmed a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman a few weeks ago that his camp has begun contract extension negotiations. The 30-year-old told reporters today, including David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, that he’s loved his time with the Leafs and will let his agent continue talks throughout the season. Toronto has had McCabe on their books at a bargain $2MM cap hit for the past season and a half, thanks to the Blackhawks retaining 50% of his $4MM AAV in the February 2023 deal that sent him to Ontario.
- Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider isn’t at training camp Friday after inking his seven-year, $59.85MM deal yesterday, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. He’s still in his native Germany but is scheduled to fly to Detroit tomorrow. He’ll link up with the team on Tuesday. The Wings’ first preseason game isn’t until Wednesday in Chicago, so he’ll be technically available to play, but that would be a tight turnaround.
Metropolitan Notes: Ovechkin, Sandin, Mayfield, Karlsson
While Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin avoided a new injury when he left an informal skate earlier this week, he’s still not 100%. Washington head coach Spencer Carbery said Thursday that Ovi is still “a little bit nicked up” from a minor injury he sustained while training over the summer and was slightly limited during the Caps’ first full camp practices yesterday (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti).
The 39-year-old isn’t concerned about it as he enters a campaign that could cement him as the NHL’s all-time goals leader. “You just have to be smart, and we talked about it with our trainers and the coaching staff,” he said. “So, I went [out] there just to see how I feel, and I feel nice out there. I was skating normal.”
Ovechkin needs 41 goals to tie Wayne Gretzky‘s record of 894 career snipes and 42 to break it. Before dropping to 31 tallies last season, Ovechkin had 42 goals in 2022-23 and 50 in 2021-22 – putting some April 2025 history well within reach.
More from the Metropolitan Division:
- Sticking with the Caps, defenseman Rasmus Sandin is still absent from camp festivities Friday due to issues with his U.S. work visa, reports Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. The 24-year-old Swede had 23 points (3 G, 20 A) with a -13 rating in 68 games during his first entire season in Washington after being acquired from the Maple Leafs before the 2023 trade deadline. He projects to start the year as Washington’s No. 2 left-shot defenseman behind offseason trade pickup Jakob Chychrun after averaging a career-high 21:07 per game last season. Without a full slate of practices, Sandin appears unlikely to be able to play in the Caps’ preseason opener against the Flyers on Sunday.
- As expected, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is full go as training camp kicks off. He told Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News that his ankle “feels fine” after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a fracture in March. Mayfield, 32 in October, sustained the break in the 2023-24 regular-season opener but played through it as best he could, posting five points and a -7 rating in 41 contests. It was an underwhelming start to the seven-year, $24.5MM contract he signed to stay an Islander for likely the rest of his career in July 2023.
- Penguins star defenseman Erik Karlsson is absent for the third straight day of camp with an upper-body injury, relays Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He remains labeled as day-to-day but should now be considered doubtful for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Sabres. The 34-year-old played in all 82 games last season in his first campaign as a Penguin, finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 56 points (11 G, 45 A).
Central Notes: Holland, Perfetti, Sundqvist, Jiricek
Longtime executive Ken Holland may be joining the third team of his career with former player Jordan Schmaltz reporting Holland will be joining the Utah Hockey Club in some capacity. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff slightly downplayed the report by indicating Holland had merely been invited to Utah’s camp and no formal hire had been made.
Both reports from Friedman and Seravalli indicated that Holland maintained several connections in Utah’s front office leading to the invite to training camp. There may even be a pathway for Holland to work with his son Brad in some capacity with the newly relocated franchise as the latter recently parted ways with the Edmonton Oilers as assistant general manager.
A hire of Holland would undoubtedly bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the new franchise with Holland starting his professional career as an amateur scout for the Detroit Red Wings in 1985-86. He went on to win four Stanley Cups with Detroit (three as general manager) in six attempts and one attempt with the Oilers last year. Any hypothetical role he takes in Utah will be a lesser one than he is accustomed to with the organization already having a president of hockey operations in Chris Armstrong and a general manager in Bill Armstrong.
Other Central notes:
- Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke at length today regarding the extension negotiations with forward Cole Perfetti (X Link). Cheveldayoff was adamant the team is still trying to craft a resolution with Perfetti now that training camp has kicked off. Perfetti is looking for other skating arrangements while the contract negotiations play out to be ready for the start of the regular season. It doesn’t appear the lengthy negotiations will tarnish the relationship between the Jets and Perfetti with Cheveldayoff saying, “Personally, I’d give these guys the moon. I’d love to have the ability to pay them everything they want and deserve. In a salary cap world I have to make business decisions“. Winnipeg currently has approximately $5.77MM in cap space with no other RFA’s to sign according to PuckPedia.
- The St. Louis Blues will be without a couple of players to start training camp with Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporting Oskar Sundqvist and Adam Jiříček are out with knee injuries. Neither player is expected to play any preseason contests but Sundqivst should already have a guaranteed spot on the roster despite his early absence. Jiricek, the younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman, David Jiříček, was recently selected by the Blues as the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Jiricek was limited to 19 games last year with Czechia’s HC Plzeň due to a season-ending knee injury and his availability for the 2024-25 season is still in the air.
San Jose Sharks Announce Multiple Injuries
The San Jose Sharks are set to begin camp without four notable players. General manager Mike Grier announced that Yaroslav Askarov, Logan Couture, and Shakir Mukhamadullin are out with lower-body injuries, while Marc-Edouard Vlasic is out with an upper-body injury (X Link).
None of the injuries, except for Couture, are expected to be long-term, but they will prohibit each player from joining the team at the beginning of camp. Max Miller of The Hockey News reported today that Couture hasn’t skated since his last game on January 31st, 2024, and isn’t close to resuming on-ice activities. There is little to no chance that Couture will be available to the team at training camp with Miller also reporting Couture is expected to start the year on the team’s injured reserve.
Couture was limited to only six games in the 2023-24 season due to osteitis pubis, joint inflammation that causes considerable pain and swelling in the groin and lower abdomen. It appears to be a question of not when but if Couture can return to his duties in San Jose for the 2024-25 season. He remains the highest-paid player in the organization with three years and $24MM remaining on his contract.
The team’s second highest-paid player, Vlasic, has been relatively healthy throughout his 18-year NHL career but did lose about two weeks of playing time last year in February with an upper-body injury. Vlasic has seen his playing time drop considerably over the previous four seasons after being one of the league’s best shutdown defensemen for over a decade. The acquisitions of Jake Walman and Cody Ceci over the offseason will likely lead to an even further decrease in ice time for the team’s most veteran defensemen.
The injuries to Askarov and Mukhamadullin will delay San Jose’s ability to analyze two of their better prospects heading into the season. Askarov’s success in the AHL is well-known up to this point and he is well-positioned to be the Sharks’ goaltender of the future after being acquired from the Nashville Predators late in the summer.
Mukhamadullin joined the organization in 2023 as a part of the package for Timo Meier. He skated in 55 games last year for the organization’s AHL affiliate in San Jose recording seven goals and 24 points. His size and skating ability on the blue line should make him a popular candidate to make the Sharks defensive core out of camp.
Devils Notes: Pesce, Mercer, Haula, Nemec
New Devils defenseman Brett Pesce is still recovering from season-ending surgery and isn’t on the ice with his teammates as training camp begins, the team’s Amanda Stein relays.
Pesce, 29, is listed as week-to-week. That designation doubts his availability for the Devils’ season opener, their Global Series matchup against the Sabres in Prague on Oct. 4.
The former Hurricane underwent surgery to repair a fibula fracture he sustained in Game 2 of last year’s First Round series against the Islanders. He reached unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer, signing a six-year, $33MM contract with New Jersey on July 1.
Pesce is coming off the worst offensive season of his career, having been limited to 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in 70 contests. His 20:17 ATOI was also his lowest since his rookie season in Carolina.
His usage likely won’t improve much in a second-pairing role behind Dougie Hamilton on New Jersey’s right side, nor will there be any power-play opportunity for him with Luke Hughes also in the picture. However, the strong skater and cerebral defender has a +92 rating in 627 career contests and has controlled over 50% of expected goals at even strength for four seasons in a row.
More from the Devils as training camp gets underway:
- Unsigned restricted free agent Dawson Mercer remains away from his teammates, but general manager Tom Fitzgerald doesn’t expect his absence to stretch out much longer. Fitzgerald told reporters Thursday, including James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, that he thinks “we’re really close” to an agreement being finalized. Contract negotiations have been on the front burner for over a month as the sides work toward a likely short-term pact, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said a couple of weeks back.
- Center Erik Haula was absent from practice Thursday with an undisclosed illness, per Stein. It’s not a cause for concern this early in camp with the Devils’ first preseason game, which will likely be thin on veterans, still three days away. Haula has been a solid middle-six presence since being acquired from the Bruins in the 2022 offseason, logging 76 points in 156 games as a Devil while averaging 16:45 per night and winning 54.5% of his draws.
- Rising sophomore defenseman Simon Nemec has full medical clearance after sustaining an injury while suiting up in an Olympic qualifier game for his native Slovakia late last month, Fitzgerald said (via Nichols). The second overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft didn’t crack New Jersey’s opening night roster last season but quickly worked his way up the depth chart, making 60 appearances in his rookie year while finishing 14th in Calder Trophy voting. The right-shot defender projects to start the season in a third-pairing role behind Hamilton in Pesce after posting 19 points and a -7 rating with strong possession quality numbers in fringe top-four minutes in 2023-24.
Capitals To Place T.J. Oshie On LTIR
As expected, the Washington Capitals will place T.J. Oshie on long-term injured reserve once the regular season begins. Oshie took part in a medical examination this morning and the medical staff concluded his back issues would prohibit him from playing and he will be out indefinitely. The organization sent out a press release with Oshie’s comments regarding the decision:
“The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates as I dealt with a chronic back injury that kept me out of the lineup. I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury. I remain committed to the process and am working and doing my best to regain total health. In the meantime, I will continue to help and support my teammates and the organization in any way I can. I greatly appreciate all of our fans’ support during this time“.
Oshie only appeared in 52 games for the Capitals last year while recording the lowest point-per-game average of his career with 0.48. He’s been injured relatively frequently throughout his time in Washington as he’s only appeared in 81.1% of the team’s regular season games since the 2015-16 NHL season.
Washington should be able to absorb the vacancy left by Oshie with the team acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane in separate trades over the summer. The team will also free up approximately $14.95MM in cap space with Oshie joining Nicklas Backstrom on the LTIR to open up the year allowing plenty of room for in-season additions.
Oshie was entering the final year of an eight-year, $46MM extension signed with the Capitals in 2017 and it appears he won’t be able to finish the contract on a high note. The chronic back injury not only puts his future in Washington in jeopardy but also the future of his career in professional hockey.
He remains committed to solving his injury woes and will likely have a full year to do so. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer at 38 years old with his most recent game coming on April 28th, 2024.