Ducks’ Trevor Zegras Set To Return From Two-Month Absence
The Anaheim Ducks are getting a star talent back on Tuesday, with top forward Trevor Zegras expected to return from a broken ankle that’s held him out of the team’s last 31 games (Twitter link). It was his second extended absence of the season, also missing 20 games across November and December with a separate lower-body injury.
None of this season has gone according to plan for the 23-year-old Zegras, who didn’t sign a contract for the season until 12 days before Anaheim’s season debut. Contract negotiations held him out of the team’s training camp and his rust clearly showed, with Zegras scoring just one goal and one assist in 12 games before his first injury. He’s since totaled 20 games on the year, managing four goals and seven points. It’s a disappointing step down for the former top-10 draft pick, who has broken the 60-point mark in each of his first two full NHL seasons.
Zegras’ return marks a string of good health for Anaheim’s talented young players. 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson has missed 27 games of his own this season, bearing through a MCL injury in his right knee and separate lower-body and upper-body injuries. Anaheim has played in just eight games with both Zegras and Carlsson in the lineup, setting a 5-3-0 record and outscoring opponents 26-to-22. They’ll relish in the chance to now have a full-strength offense once again, while focus will shift to whether Zegras can rediscover his high scoring.
Pacific Notes: Pietrangelo, Hoffman, Emberson, Gibson, Stalock, Evans
Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo indeed did not travel with the team to kick off their road trip and is out tonight against the Blues due to illness, Lou Korac of NHL.com relays. The 34-year-old has already missed three games with the illness, last factoring into the lineup on March 17 against the Devils. It’s his second multi-game absence of the campaign – he missed five games with an upper-body injury back in October. The seven-year, $61.6MM deal he signed in free agency in 2020 continues to age relatively well as it crosses the halfway point. He’s again logging number-one minutes, averaging 23:38 per game. He’s not the highest-producing Golden Knights defender – Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore have him beaten in that regard – but he’s still managed 32 points in 62 games this year. The two-time Stanley Cup champion will be replaced by Nicolas Hague on the team’s top pairing alongside Hanifin in what is perhaps Vegas’ biggest game of the season tonight in St. Louis against their biggest threat for a playoff spot.
Other updates from the Pacific Division:
- Sharks winger Mike Hoffman has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury since March 9 against Ottawa, which the winger confirmed Sunday to Colby Guy of San Jose Hockey Now was the first concussion of his career. Hoffman has been a full participant in practice in recent days but hasn’t yet been cleared for game action. The former top-six fixture has continued to regress after potting six straight 20-goal seasons between 2015 and 2020, posting 10-12–22 in 61 games with the Sharks this year in mainly third-line minutes. The 34-year-old is in the final season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal signed with the Canadiens in 2021 and found his way to San Jose in last offseason’s Erik Karlsson three-way swap with the Penguins.
- Sticking in the Bay Area, promising shutdown prospect Ty Emberson‘s season is likely over due to a lower-body injury, head coach David Quinn said Monday (via Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now). The 23-year-old has missed over 20 games already this season with different injuries and hasn’t played since Feb. 29 against the Ducks. It’s a tough end to an otherwise promising rookie campaign, as Emberson logged 10 points in 30 games and will finish the season with a team-high -4 rating among skaters with at least 10 games played. The 2018 third-round pick of the Coyotes is on his third NHL organization after being dealt to the Rangers in July 2022 and being claimed off waivers by the Sharks to begin the 2023-24 season.
- The Ducks have starter John Gibson back at practice today after he missed Sunday’s loss to the Lightning for personal reasons, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports. As such, the team has returned veteran Alex Stalock to AHL San Diego after he backed up Lukáš Dostál last night. Gibson’s numbers have taken a tumble lately after putting together a solid season prior to the All-Star break, now down to a .891 SV% and 3.40 GAA on the season with a 13-24-2 record. He’s also at risk of failing to record a shutout in a season for the first time in his 11-year career. He hasn’t posted a SV% above .900 in a single outing in over a month.
- The Kraken lost big-time last night, 5-1 to the Canadiens, but that wasn’t the only downside of the game. Promising rookie blue-liner Ryker Evans sustained a lower-body injury in the first period and is out on a day-to-day basis, head coach Dave Hakstol told Scott Malone of ROOT Sports NW. The 22-year-old has formed one of the better depth pairings in the league this year when used with veteran Brian Dumoulin, as they’ve controlled 61.4% of expected goals through 142 minutes of action, according to MoneyPuck. That’s 10th in the league among pairings with at least 100 minutes together this season. Through 25 contests, Evans has eight points while logging 18:30 per game and has remained on the roster since being called up on deadline day.
Metropolitan Notes: Merzlikins, Gustafsson, Lindgren
Some players on non-playoff teams still have the chance to play meaningful games over the next couple of months by representing their national teams at the 2024 Men’s World Championship in Czechia. One will be Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzļikins, who confirmed to Latvian reporter Ulvis Brože that he’ll represent his country at the tournament. The Riga-born netminder will make his sixth appearance at the tournament, although only his second since joining Columbus in 2019. He’s done quite well at the tournament, posting a .917 SV%, 2.51 GAA, and three shutouts in 27 appearances despite playing behind one of the historically weaker rosters at the tournament. A leg injury stopped him from joining Latvia at last year’s event, which paved the way for Canucks prospect Arturs Silovs to put together a .921 SV%, 2.20 GAA, and 7-3-0 record in 10 games as the squad upset their way to a bronze medal.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Heading to the Big Apple, the Rangers were without defenseman Erik Gustafsson at Monday’s practice due to an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old Swede is listed as day-to-day but has not been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Flyers. He’s provided great value for the Blueshirts on a one-year, $825K deal, crossing the 30-point plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career. The offensive-minded blue-liner has also posted solid possession metrics, boasting a 54.0 CF% at even strength along with a +7.2 expected rating. While averaging 17:15 on the season, he’s been promoted to a top-four role in recent days, with Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba both absent due to lower-body injuries.
- Speaking of Lindgren, the top-pairing fixture is inching toward a return as he took to the ice in a non-contact jersey at today’s practice for the first time since sustaining his injury against the Islanders on March 17, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports. He sustained an apparent severe knee injury after falling awkwardly into the boards during a collision with Isles center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but a return to the ice just over a week later suggests he’s avoided the worst. The Minnesota native has battled through multiple injuries this season, though, influencing some unusually poor possession numbers despite being stapled to number-one defenseman Adam Fox when in the lineup. Averaging 19:13 per game, he’s posted a 47.1 CF% at even strength and a -3.5 expected rating, both serving as the worst numbers since his rookie season. Still, it’s promising he’ll likely have a chance to return to the lineup and regain comfort with his game before the postseason begins.
Golden Knights Recall Jiri Patera, Move Tomas Hertl To LTIR
The Golden Knights recalled goaltender Jiří Patera from AHL Henderson on Sunday, per a team release. He’ll serve as the backup to Logan Thompson to kick off their four-game road trip after Adin Hill sustained an undisclosed injury in the third period of yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets. To open up space for Patera’s $775K cap hit, the team moved center Tomas Hertl to LTIR, per CapFriendly, retroactive to when he underwent knee surgery in February as a member of the Sharks.
Patera, 25, sits firmly in the third spot on Vegas’ goaltending depth chart. He’s been recalled multiple times this season in the wake of injuries to Hill and Thompson, yielding mixed results with a .901 SV%, 1-3-0 record, 3.75 GAA, and -2.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. The Prague-born netminder was selected in the sixth round of the Knights’ inaugural 2017 Entry Draft class and inked a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$100K/$145K) to remain in the desert after reaching restricted free agency last offseason.
His play has dropped off slightly in the minors this year, however. After taking over as Henderson’s starter last season with a .911 SV% in 31 games, he’s posted a .902 SV%, 3.04 GAA, and 10-10-4 record in 24 AHL games in 2023-24. He’s still posted the best numbers out of any Silver Knights netminder, however, and is at little risk of losing his starting spot for the time being.
Moving Hertl to LTIR does not affect his timeline or eligibility to return to the lineup. He remains listed as week-to-week but is expected to make his Golden Knights debut before the postseason begins. Placing him on LTIR frees up an additional $6.75MM in relief, increasing their salary pool to $21.25MM.
Injury Notes: Pietrangelo, Oshie, Protas, Fleury
Still suffering from an illness, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will not be in the lineup again tonight for the Vegas Golden Knights, and will now miss his third game in a row (X Link). Furthermore, the report also indicates that Pietrangelo may not join the organization on their upcoming road trip, which would land his return date around April 2nd.
If the reporting is accurate, and Pietrangelo will be out of the lineup until April 2nd, it will become a massive hurdle for the Golden Knight’s playoff chances. On the four-game road trip, Vegas squares off against two teams currently holding playoff positions in the Western Conference, as well as the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild, both of whom are currently trailing the Golden Knights in the standings by a few points.
Luckily, Vegas bolstered their depth on the blue line at the trade deadline, bringing in Noah Hanifin, who is more than comfortable holding down top-pairing minutes. Nevertheless, this road trip could define the Golden Knight’s playoff aspirations, as they look to correct their 7-10-1 record since the NHL trade deadline.
Other injury notes:
- In an update on two injured members of the Washington Capitals, Tom Gulitti of the NHL reports that the Capitals are hopeful that forwards T.J. Oshie (upper body) and Aliaksei Protas (lower body) will return to the lineup tomorrow against the Winnipeg Jets. As important members of the team’s top-six, and especially after the results of today’s matchups in the Eastern Conference, Washington will be well positioned moving forward to grab the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
- Having not played since the team’s game on March 14th, it does not sound like defenseman Haydn Fleury will return to the Tampa Bay Lightning soon, as Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida is reporting that even though he is considered day-to-day, the Lightning are not rushing his return. Brought in as a depth defenseman two years ago, the former seventh overall selection has scored one goal and four points in 21 games for Tampa Bay this season, averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time per game.
Snapshots: Graves, St. Ivany, Krug, Oshie, Protas
The Pittsburgh Penguins have shared that defenseman Ryan Graves will be stepping away for a paternity leave, opening the door for rookie Jack St. Ivany to make his NHL debut. St. Ivany has flirted with his inaugural game for much of March, getting moved between the NHL and AHL four different times in the last week. He was clearly motivated by the string of moves, recording a career-high three-point night in his latest AHL game – his first since receiving the first NHL call-up of his career. The performance broke a 10-game scoring drought and accounted for a fifth of St. Ivany’s 15 points on the season. He’ll now have a golden chance to build on the hot night, potentially poised for a big role with Graves’ average of 19 minutes a night now up for grabs.
Other notes from around the league:
- St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug is expected to return to the lineup on Friday after sititng out with a chest injury on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. It was Krug’s first absence of the year, after appearing in the Blues’ first 69 games. He’s managed three goals and 34 points in those games. This is Krug’s first time playing in more than 65 games since the 2017-18 season. His return is expected to bump Scott Perunovich back out of the lineup.
- The Washington Capitals will continue to be without T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas, head coach Spencer Carbery told The Hockey News. Both players sat out of the team’s Wednesday night loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Oshie is bearing with an upper-body injury, while Protas has a lingering lower-body injury suffered on March 9th. The team will eagerly anticipate their return, now left to lean on Michael Sgarbossa and Ivan Miroshnichenko as top-six fill-ins.
Atlantic Notes: Harvey-Pinard, Lyubushkin, Marchand, Barkov
Canadiens winger Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is no longer waiver-exempt after playing in his 70th career NHL game in Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Canucks, per CapFriendly. The 25-year-old has had his 2023-24 season plagued with injuries, only skating in 32 of Montreal’s 69 contests, although he hasn’t been particularly effective in the lineup, either. His 14 goals in 34 games after being called up from AHL Laval last season hasn’t managed to carry over, and he’s only scored once in 32 contests this season while adding seven assists. Logging 12:49 per game, the 2019 seventh-round pick has been one of the Habs’ worst offensive forwards. He has produced some value with decent possession metrics, logging a 45.8 CF% at even strength that’s above average relative to his teammates, but there hasn’t been much to suggest he can stick in a top-nine role long-term. The 5-foot-9 forward has one season left on a contract carrying a $1.1MM cap hit and will be an RFA with arbitration rights in 2025.
Other updates from the Atlantic Division:
- Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin isn’t quite recovered from his illness and will miss his third straight game Saturday when Toronto hosts the Oilers, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today. Recently picked up via trade from the Ducks for his second go-around with the Leafs, Lyubushkin did skate today for the first time since his last appearance, Saturday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Hurricanes. The 29-year-old has been solid since re-joining Toronto, recording two assists and a 51.5 CF% in seven games, mainly skating alongside Morgan Rielly while averaging 16:07 per game.
- Bruins captain Brad Marchand is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Flyers after he was absent from today’s practice for maintenance purposes, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. The 35-year-old had been on a hot streak, picking up eight points in his last seven games. He’s on pace to finish below a point per game for a second straight season after doing so every year from 2016-17 to 2021-22, and his possession metrics have also dipped considerably without the now-retired Patrice Bergeron centering his line. He remains the Bruins’ top secondary talent to David Pastrňák, though, and is the team’s second-leading scorer with 27 goals and 62 points in 71 games.
- Panthers first-line mainstay Aleksander Barkov traveled with the team on their road trip but is unlikely to draw in Saturday against the Rangers, head coach Paul Maurice said. The perennial Selke Trophy candidate missed yesterday’s loss to the Predators with an undisclosed injury and hasn’t been completely ruled out against New York. The 28-year-old Finn is having another elite campaign, notching 48 assists, 66 points, and a +23 rating in 62 games while helping facilitate linemate Sam Reinhart‘s breakout season.
Kraken Notes: Dunn, Schwartz, Oleksiak
In unfortunate news for the Seattle Kraken blue line, Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times reports that defenseman Vince Dunn did not travel with the team for their game tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. This will mark Dunn’s seventh straight game that he has been unable to suit up, dealing with an upper-body injury suffered a little over two weeks ago.
Dunn originally sustained an injury on a play that warranted a suspension, receiving a hit from behind from Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil. It has been the first major injury to Dunn that he has suffered throughout his tenure with the Kraken organization.
Seattle has heavily missed him, as he has been the team’s best defenseman for the last three seasons. Without their top defensive cog in the lineup, the Kraken has produced a 1-4-1 record in Dunn’s absence, averaging 3.83 goals against per game.
Other Kraken notes:
- Shefte also reported that Jaden Schwartz would be a game-time decision for tonight’s action. Schwartz has missed the last four games for Seattle as he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Similar to the rest of his tenure with the Kraken organization, this will mark the fourth time this year that Schwartz has missed game action due to injury.
- Lastly, in yet another blow to Seattle’s blue line, the team does not sound optimistic about Jamie Oleksiak‘s availability tonight (X Link). Earlier today, the team did recall defenseman Cale Fleury on an emergency basis, and he will likely play in his first NHL game of the season tonight.
Central Notes: Vilardi, Pionk, Krug
During this week’s iteration of 32 Thoughts with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, the two have reported that the Winnipeg Jets are operating under the belief that forward Gabriel Vilardi will return before the end of the season. Vilardi has been out since the team’s March 2nd game against the Dallas Stars with an upper-body injury.
It has been a difficult season in Manitoba for Vilardi, who is in his first year with the organization since being acquired in the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. In a separate injury at the beginning of the year, Vilardi injured his MCL which led to his absence for a total of six weeks.
When healthy, Vilardi has been a valueable forward for the Jets, scoring 16 goals and 30 points in only 38 games on the year. Now that Winnipeg is squarely in the race for the Central Division crown, Vilardi will be an important piece to get back into the lineup during the home stretch.
Other Central notes:
- Staying in Winnipeg, although his status was questionable for tonight’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils due to an illness, defenseman Neal Pionk was able to enter the lineup (X Link). Still operating as a solid two-way defenseman in his fifth year with the Jets organization, Pionk has scored five goals and 25 points for Winnipeg this season, averaging just under 21 minutes of ice time per night.
- In tonight’s tilt against the Ottawa Senators, the St. Louis Blues will be without defenseman Torey Krug, who was suffering from a lower-body injury (Article Link). Nevertheless, it has still been one of the healthiest years to date for Krug, who has not broken the 64 games played mark since the 2017-18 NHL season. Once again putting up quality offensive production, Krug has scored three goals and 34 points over 69 games this season.
Dan Vladar To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery
Flames netminder Daniel Vladař will undergo season-ending surgery on his hip next week, per the team. Vladař, who missed three games in February with what the team termed a lower-body injury, is expected to recover by the start of the 2024-25 season. No corresponding recall will be made as starter Jacob Markström, who missed the last four games with a lower-body injury, “has been cleared for full practice and game participation.”
Vladař, 26, had the worst season of his career in 2023-24, although today’s news offers a plausible explanation as Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports the goalie “has needed hip surgery for a while.” His only IR stint this year came during February’s absence. With no roster limit in effect after the trade deadline, there’s little reason for the Flames to move Vladař to IR for the rest of the season to open up a roster spot. While LTIR is also an option given the length of his absence, that’s also unlikely as the team has over $10MM in cap space and likely won’t need the relief provided by Vladař’s $2.2MM cap hit.
He ends 2023-24 with 19 starts, an 8-9-2 record, a .882 SV%, and a 3.62 GAA — his worst numbers since the Flames acquired him from the Bruins in 2021. However, it likely won’t be his last chance to prove himself in Calgary. Markström is a likely candidate to get traded this summer after waiving his no-move clause before the deadline for a trade to the Devils that ultimately fell through, opening a spot for Vladař to remain on the roster alongside top prospect Dustin Wolf. 2024-25 is the second and final season of the extension he signed with the club in 2022, and he’s set to earn the same base salary as his cap hit implies.
Vladař’s injury means the Flames do not need to modify Wolf’s emergency loan, which they used to bring him up from AHL Calgary earlier this month when Markström got hurt. Without two other healthy goaltenders on the active roster, Wolf can remain with the Flames on an emergency loan for the remainder of the season and keep Calgary from burning one of their two remaining post-trade deadline standard recalls. Vladař wasn’t likely to get much action down the stretch anyway, having been pulled for Wolf in his last appearance on March 12 against the Avalanche. The 22-year-old Californian has a .931 SV% and 2-1-0 record since entering the Colorado game.