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Capitals Make Multiple Roster Moves

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The Washington Capitals recalled winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and goaltender Hunter Shepard from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday, per a team release. In two corresponding transactions, center Nic Dowd was activated from IR, while Anthony Mantha was placed on IR.

Aubé-Kubel, 27, could make his season debut tonight when the Capitals face the New Jersey Devils. As a winger, he’s a more direct replacement for Mantha, who will be out for at least one week after taking a puck to the ear in Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

The gritty forward was a surprise omission from the Capitals’ opening-night roster, passing through waivers unclaimed early in October. Washington signed him to a one-year, $1.225MM extension last March after claiming him off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the 2022-23 season.

Aubé-Kubel provided solid depth production after the waiver claim in the nation’s capital, notching four goals and 12 points in 47 contests while averaging 11:39 per game. 2023-24 hasn’t been kind to the 2022 Stanley Cup champion, who has just three points in 11 games with AHL Hershey this season.

Shepard comes up without a clear injury designation to starter Darcy Kuemper or backup Charlie Lindgren, although Lindgren did not participate in an optional skate yesterday, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 28-year-old made one appearance for the Capitals earlier this season, stopping 18 of 22 shots for his first NHL win against the Devils on October 25.

He’s also off to a solid start with Hershey, recording a .910 SV% and a 4-1-0 record through five games. Shepard’s .914 SV% and three shutouts in 20 postseason games last year earned him the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs MVP, helping the Bears to a league championship.

Dowd will return tonight from an upper-body injury that’s kept him out since the team’s second game of the season, causing a nine-game absence. The veteran center did not record a point in two games this year but is coming off a career-best 13 goals and 25 points in 2022-23. The 33-year-old from Alabama is in the second season of a three-year contract with a $1.3MM AAV. 21-year-old Hendrix Lapierre seems a likely choice to sit after going pointless in four games this season, averaging just 7:28 per night.

The Capitals confirmed Thursday that Mantha would miss at least the next two games with an upper-body injury, meaning his move to IR is no surprise. Mantha, 29, had registered three goals and one assist through ten games.

Rangers Recall Three Players, Jonathan Quick Day-To-Day

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Nov. 10: The Rangers returned all three players to AHL Hartford on Friday morning, a team announcement states. If Shesterkin and Quick won’t be ready to return for Sunday’s game against the Blue Jackets, expect this transaction to be reversed over the weekend.

Nov. 8: The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Louis Domingue, goaltender Dylan Garand and defenseman Connor Mackey from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, according to a team release Wednesday afternoon. Consequentially, backup goaltender Jonathan Quick is now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

New York is now without both halves of its usual one-two punch in net, as starter Igor Shesterkin remains sidelined on a day-to-day basis with an undisclosed injury. The Rangers are “being cautious” in his return and won’t rush him back to the lineup, per Walker.

Shesterkin, 27, has not played since stopping 26 of 27 shots against the Carolina Hurricanes last Thursday. The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner has been slightly more average than we’re used to seeing this year, posting a .913 SV% and 2.36 GAA through eight starts.

The Rangers must hope Quick’s absence doesn’t last for more than a game or two, either. Expectations were low for the 37-year-old Stanley Cup champion after he signed a one-year deal worth $825K in free agency, but he’s excelled thus far, posting a 3-0-1 record, .936 SV%, 1.77 GAA, and one shutout through five appearances in a Rangers sweater.

As a result of Quick’s injury, one of Domingue or Garand will make his Rangers debut Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Domingue cleared waivers to begin the season but has been papered up and down twice over the past week to serve as Quick’s backup for the team’s last two contests. The 31-year-old has eight years and 142 games of NHL experience to his name but hasn’t started more than ten games in a season since 2019-20 with the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks and didn’t see any NHL starts with the Rangers last season, spending the entire season with Hartford.

He’s been the better netminder out of himself and Garand with the Wolf Pack this season, posting a .934 SV% and a 3-1-0 record in four appearances. Garand, a 2020 fourth-round pick, has also played well, recording a .914 SV%, 2.63 GAA and 3-1-1 record in five games. The 21-year-old is in his second pro season after winning CHL Goaltender of the Year honors with the Kamloops Blazers in 2021-22.

This is the third recall for Mackey, 27, this month after the defender cleared waivers during the preseason. He’s yet to appear in a game for the Rangers and will likely serve as a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the Wild.

Mackey made 30 NHL appearances for the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes last season, recording three goals and seven points. He earned a relatively lucrative two-way contract with the Rangers last summer, paying him $775K in the NHL and $400K in the AHL. In seven games with the Wolf Pack this year, he’s notched two points, a +8 rating, and racked up 17 penalty minutes.

Bruins’ Morgan Geekie Out Week-To-Week

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11/09/23: The Bruins have announced that Geekie has been placed on injured reserve. Geekie’s place on the Bruins’ roster has been filled by Lauko, who was activated off of injured reserve in a corresponding move.

11/08/23: Boston Bruins center Morgan Geekie is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports. In addition, defenseman Derek Forbort is questionable to return for Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury.

Geekie, 25, is in his first season with the Bruins after signing a two-year, $4MM deal in free agency. The former Carolina Hurricane and Seattle Kraken had recorded a goal and two assists through 12 games this season, averaging 14:14 per game.

It’s unclear when Geekie sustained the injury, as he didn’t appear to miss a shift during the Bruins’ last game, a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday. It’s a tough break for the Manitoba-born forward, who was seeing increased ice time compared to years past and playing a solid possession game.

In terms of replacement options, winger Jakub Lauko returned to practice today as he works his way back from a skate cut sustained last month, but he remains on injured reserve. If he’s not ready to go for tomorrow’s game against the Islanders, veteran Patrick Brown will draw into the lineup and make his sixth appearance of the season. He’s still looking for his first point as a Bruin after joining the team in free agency and has a -1 rating while averaging just 8:54 per game thus far in 2023-24.

A potential return for Forbort would certainly be a boon to the Bruins’ penalty kill, although they’ve done well in his absence, killing off 11 out of 13 penalties in the last three contests. If he’s able to play, Forbort would likely replace recent AHL call-up Parker Wotherspoon on the team’s third pairing alongside Kevin Shattenkirk. Wotherspoon, 26, has logged one assist in three outings.

West Notes: Blueger, Toninato, Kesselring

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Patrick Johnston of The Vancouver Province is reporting that Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger is getting close to making his Canucks debut. The 29-year-old has yet to dress this season after he was injured in a preseason game in early October while blocking a shot. Neither Blueger nor the Canucks have specified what the issue is with Blueger, but Johnston believes the injury is a bone bruise.

Blueger practiced with the Canucks today for their full practice, it was the first time he has done so since he suffered the injury on October 6th. The native of Riga, Latvia skated with a group of fourth liners in Sam Lafferty, Nils Höglander, and Anthony Beauvillier. The Canucks could certainly use Blueger’s penalty-killing prowess as they have been as bad shorthanded this year as they were last year with a success rate of just 77.3%.

The Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night in Ottawa, and if Blueger can’t make his return then, it could happen before the end of their road trip.

In other West notes:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned forward Dominic Toninato back to their AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose. The 29-year-old was called up by the Jets on October 20th but did not dress in an NHL game and will now head back to the AHL where he has a goal and an assist in two AHL games this season. The Duluth, Minnesota native is just two years removed from dressing in 77 games for the Jets in a single season and will likely receive another call-up later in the season should the Jets run into injury issues.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from their AHL affiliate the Tucson Roadrunners as they get set to head out on a five-game road trip. Kesselring has yet to dress in an NHL game this season but has spent some time with the Coyotes. The club made the move today to add emergency depth in case they need it while they are away from home. Kesselring has dressed in six AHL games with the Roadrunners this season and has been held scoreless. Last season, the 23-year-old played nine games with Arizona, posting three assists.

Injury Notes: Jarry, Cozens, Timmins

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry left their game last night against the Anaheim Ducks after being bumped in the back of the head by Adam Henrique and then having his mask dislodged. This was just the beginning for Jarry as he was then struck in his unprotected face by a Ryan Strome shot. NHL officials quickly signalled to the Penguins bench and Jarry was rushed off the ice and did not return.

Up to that point, Jarry had been solid for the Penguins making 21 consecutive stops to preserve a 1-0 Penguins lead late into the second period. With Jarry sidelined, the Penguins’ turned to their third-string netminder Magnus Hellberg who made 11 straight saves to maintain the rare two-goalie shutout.

No updates have been given yet on Jarry, but Yohe did report that he was present in the Penguins’ dressing room after the game, which is certainly an encouraging sign. Jarry has struggled to start the year after signing a massive five-year contract extension this summer that was heavily criticized for being too long and too expensive. The Penguins are already without backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic until later this month and can ill afford to lose Jarry for any length of time.

In other injury notes:

  • Times Herald Reporter Bill Hoppe is reporting that Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens is back at practice today sporting a full-face shield as he makes his return to the ice after missing two games with an upper-body injury. No specifics have been given about Cozens injury but given that he is sporting face protection and a large bandage on his nose, it would appear to be an injury to that region. Cozens was engaged in a fight with Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway back on November 3rd, a game the Sabres lost 5-1, and acknowledged that this incident was the cause of the ailment. Cozens has three goals and four assists in 11 games thus far this season.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is unlikely to get back into the lineup for at least a couple of weeks. Alter spoke with Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe after Timmins practiced with the team this morning, Keefe told the reporter that Timmins will travel with the team to Sweden next week but is unlikely to play. However, the plan is to have him ramp up in practice and he could re-join the lineup after they return from the extended road trip. Timmins has been on LTIR since the beginning of the season after suffering a lower-body injury and has yet to play a game.

Conor Sheary Leaves Game And Unable To Return

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that forward Conor Sheary left tonight’s game with what is being described as an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old was hit up high by a shot on his first shift of the game and remained on the bench. The puck may have hit Sheary on the wrist or possibly in the hand, however, it is difficult to tell from the video footage. Sheary did not come out to start the second period and a short time later the Lightning announced that he was done for the evening. There’s no information at this time on the severity of the ailment, or how long Sheary could be out of the lineup. At the moment he is listed as day-to-day.

Sheary signed a three-year $6MM contract in the offseason as a free agent and has struggled with his new team to start the year with just a goal and two assists in his first 12 games. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has been a good depth scoring option throughout his career and posted 34 goals and 46 assists over the last two seasons with the Washington Capitals in 153 games. Sheary was a big part of the Pittsburgh Penguins back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017 and appeared as though he could be a fixture in the top-6 for the future. However, as his career has gone on he has become more of a middle -6 option for teams.

If Sheary is unable to play on Thursday when Tampa Bay takes on the Chicago Blackhawks, then it is likely that Austin Watson will take his place. Watson has dressed in four games so far this season and has yet to register a point. The 31-year-old was a late signing after converting a PTO into a one-year deal with the Lightning. Watson won’t put up points at the same pace as Sheary, but he does add sandpaper and size to the team’s bottom six.

Metropolitan Notes: Horvat, Nedeljkovic, Ludvig

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New York Islanders reporter Andrew Gross has tweeted that New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat did not dress for tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild. It is the first game Horvat has missed as a member of the Islanders since he was acquired via trade from the Vancouver Canucks this past January. The 28-year-old was considered a game-time decision after blocking a shot late in Saturday night’s overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes but ultimately did not dress.

Horvat is off to a solid start this season with four goals and five assists in his first 10 games of the season and his absence will create a rather large hole for the Islanders to try and fill. The club has had to deal with multiple injuries to start the season with Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield and now Horvat all missing some time. Should he miss an extended period, the Islanders will have to do more shuffling of the lines to try and fill the void. The team has started the season well all things considered, at 5-2-3 the Islanders are currently tied for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

In other Metropolitan notes:

  • Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported today that Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan offered an update on injured Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Sullivan told the media that the 27-year-old netminder is back on the ice and is making progress towards a return. Not much is known about Nedeljkovic’s lower-body injury as he was hurt back on October 24th in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. He was placed on LTIR the very next day meaning that the earliest he can return to the Penguins lineup is on November 19th.
  • Josh Yohe also reported that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Ludvig is also back on the ice skating and is making progress towards a return. Ludvig suffered a concussion on October 24th against the Dallas Stars after laying a hit that resulted in him sustaining the head injury. Mike Sullivan told reporters that the team will see what happens after their road trip meaning that the likeliest the 23-year-old could return is November 11th. Ludvig was acquired off waivers before the season and has dressed in one game thus far this season.

Injury Notes: Couturier, Barabanov, Golden Knights, Hoffman, Knyzhov

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Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier, who has not played in either of the team’s last two games, will return tonight against the San Jose Sharks, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. It will be an important reinforcement for the Flyers who are currently on a 1-4-0 stretch in their last five games.

After missing the entire 2022-23 regular season due to injury, Couturier has picked up right where he left off in Philadelphia. In 10 games played up to this point, he has scored two goals and six assists, tied for fifth on the team in scoring. Still maintaining a positive faceoff percentage, as well as solid possession numbers, Couturier is still a player the Flyers can trust with heavy usage.

Unfortunately, when one player returns from injury, another player must exit the lineup, and Kurz also reports that Morgan Frost will be a healthy scratch for the game tonight. Trying desperately to earn more minutes for Philadelphia, Frost has played in six games so far, scoring zero points after averaging over 15 minutes of ice time per night.

Other notes:

  • Max Miller of The Hockey News reports there is still no timeline for the return of Sharks winger, Alexander Barabanov, but he is progressing nicely from injury. Barbanov has been out of the lineup with a finger injury since the team’s game against the Florida Panthers on October 24th. After finishing fifth on the team in scoring last season, Barabanov is one of six members of San Jose’s forward core that has not scored a point yet this year.
  • As he is rehabbing his way back from injury, Vegas Golden Knights’ defenseman, Zach Whitecloud, was practicing with the team today in a non-contact jersey (X Link). Other notable pieces missing from today’s practice were Nicolas Roy, Nicolas Hague, Alec Martinez, and Chandler Stephenson. For the last three mentioned, it is likely that they were merely taking maintenance days, as no injury concern was alluded to in the report.
  • Back to the Sharks, Max Miller also mentioned that Mike Hoffman and Nikolai Knyzhov were late additions to today’s practice, meaning they may be out of the lineup tonight against the Flyers. Both players were present during the team’s blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Metro Injury Notes: Capitals, Fox, Chytil, Shesterkin

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The Washington Capitals got off to a slow start under rookie head coach Spencer Carbery, but more recently they have begun to turn things around. They are currently right in the thick of a hotly contested Metropolitan Division, and they have as much of a chance to return to the playoffs after last year’s miss as any team. One of the major things that has hurt the Capitals this season has been injuries, although the team could be getting good news on that front soon.

GM Brian MacLellan told team reporter Tarik El-Bashir that defenseman Joel Edmundson and forward Nic Dowd are nearing a return from injury, and the hope is that both can return to team practice later this week. Edmundson has yet to make his debut for the Capitals, who acquired him for third and seventh-round picks this summer, but he would likely take Alexander Alexeyev’s spot on the left side of the Washington defense. Dowd, 33, is a veteran fourth-liner who has played for the Capitals since 2018-19. His return would likely allow the team to return its current fourth-line center, Hendrix Lapierre, back to the AHL, a move that might better suit his development.

Some more injury notes from the Metro:

  • The New York Post’s Mollie Walker relays word from New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette that Adam Fox and Filip Chytil are both progressing from their injuries, but have not returned to skating yet. That means any return to game action is still a ways off, though it is encouraging that Laviolette appears to expect both to return to the Rangers without any massive absence. With Fox on LTIR after a nasty collision against the Hurricanes, there was some worry in the New York market that their top defenseman’s season was in question. Now, based on Laviolette’s comments, it appears Fox’s season is not in danger.
  • Walker also delivered an update on Rangers star netminder Igor Shesterkin, who is out with an injury of his own. Walker reports that Shesterkin skated this morning, although he’s not quite ready to return to full game action. As a result, Jonathan Quick will start for the Rangers tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, while veteran Louis Domingue will serve as the backup.

Central Notes: Spurgeon, Duchene, Faksa, Olofsson

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Having already satisfied his long-term injured reserve requirements, Minnesota Wild captain, Jared Spurgeon, was eligible to return to the team’s game against the New York Rangers, but was still not fully available. Speaking with head coach Dean Evason today, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports that Spurgeon may return to the lineup on the team’s current road trip.

Because there has been no official word up to this point, it is unlikely that Spurgeon will be back in the lineup tomorrow as the Wild take on the New York Islanders, but with games against the Buffalo Sabres and Rangers at the end of the weeks, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see Spurgeon back at that point.

Minnesota could certainly use the help, as the team has allowed an average amount of high-danger scoring chances for the opposing team, but the conversion rate of 11.2% for the other team is the sixth worst in the NHL up to this point. Playing in 79 games for the team last year, Spurgeon scored 11 goals and 23 assists, keeping pace with his usual production over his career, all while averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game.

Other notes:

  • In what is expected to be one of the more competitive games of the week, the Dallas Stars will take on the Boston Bruins tonight but will be without two forwards. Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports that forwards Matt Duchene (day-to-day) and Radek Faksa (day-to-day) will not be in the lineup tonight. This will likely be the only game Duchene misses due to his injury and will be Faksa’s third straight missed game.
  • Colorado Avalanche depth forward, Fredrik Olofsson is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury according to Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. In his first season in Colorado, Olofsson has played in 10 games, scoring one goal while averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time per night. It remains to be seen whether or not he will be in the lineup for the team’s game tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils.

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