Oskar Sundqvist To Undergo Knee Surgery, Out Six Months
Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season after sustaining a torn ACL in his right knee in Monday’s game against the Golden Knights, the team announced. The tear requires surgery, which carries a minimum recovery time of six months.
If his recovery timetable holds, Sundqvist won’t be ready when training camps begin ahead of the 2024-25 season in September. However, he hasn’t been ruled out for the beginning of the regular season.
Sundqvist sustained the injury midway through the second period of the eventual 2-1 overtime loss. After he cycled the puck behind the goal line in the Vegas zone, Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb attempted to cross-check him into the boards but approached Sundqvist at an indirect angle that caused both players to fall awkwardly. Sundqvist’s right leg buckled during the fall, and he could not get up without assistance from Blues Head Athletic Trainer Ray Barile. Officials did not assess McNabb a penalty on the play.
The 30-year-old had a middling season after returning to the Blues in free agency for his second stint with the club. He appeared in 71 of St. Louis’ 72 games, posting six goals, 15 assists, and 21 points while averaging 13:15 per game. It was his worst offensive showing on a per-game basis since 2017-18. After breaking into an everyday top-nine role the following season, Sundqvist recorded 48 goals, 66 assists and 114 points in 285 games for the Blues, Red Wings and Wild from 2018-19 to 2022-23.
He was never a particularly strong possession player at even strength but often did good work on the penalty kill for the Blues, whose 80.9% success rate with the man disadvantage was 10th in the league, with Sundqvist averaging regular minutes there across four seasons. A fan favorite who posted nine points in 25 playoff games en route to St. Louis’ first Stanley Cup in 2019, the Blues traded Sundqvist to the Red Wings at the 2022 deadline as part of the package that landed them defenseman Nick Leddy. He was traded again at last season’s deadline as a pending UFA with Detroit out of the playoff picture, heading to Minnesota for a fourth-round pick.
Despite Sundqvist’s decline in both the points and possession departments this season, Blues GM Doug Armstrong decided earlier this month that he wanted to keep him around through their pending retool, inking him to a two-year, $3MM extension. The Blues hope he can recover from surgery in time to start that $1.5MM AAV deal off on a high note next fall. He’ll be a UFA in 2026 after the extension expires.
Canucks Recall Arshdeep Bains
The Canucks recalled winger Arshdeep Bains from AHL Abbotsford on Wednesday, GM Patrik Allvin said. To create the cap space required to add Bains’ $816.7K cap hit, the team moved goaltender Thatcher Demko to long-term injured reserve, retroactive to when he sustained a knee injury against the Jets on March 9. Bains’ recall is an emergency loan, per CapFriendly, suggesting another forward aside from Elias Lindholm (undisclosed, day-to-day) may be absent for Thursday’s game against the Stars.
This is Bains’ second recall of the season. The 23-year-old was first summoned in mid-February and made his NHL debut in Colorado three days later. He made another four appearances but was held without a point and managed only three shots on goal while averaging 12:57 per game. Bains was then returned to Abbotsford on March 1, one week before the trade deadline.
An undrafted free agent pickup out of WHL Red Deer in 2022, Bains’ signing is looking like one of Allvin’s shrewder moves at the helm of the Canucks. The Surrey, British Columbia native adjusted well to the pros, putting up 38 points in 66 games in a middle-six role after leading the WHL in scoring during his overage season. Bains has taken things up a notch this year, breaking out as a first-line talent with Abbotsford and leading the team with 35 assists and 49 points in 53 games.
Bains didn’t look entirely out of place under the eye test in his call-up last month, but the stats weren’t kind. He was used in a checking role by head coach Rick Tocchet and struggled to control shot attempts, logging a 45.5 CF% at even strength that was a staggering 13.9% worse than the Canucks’ overall CF% when Bains was off the ice over his five-game stint. Keeping his head above water in terms of possession quality was even more of a struggle, logging a 33.3 xGF%.
Nonetheless, he’ll get a second chance to inject some energy into their bottom six. He was quite good in the minors after being returned to Abbotsford a few weeks ago, scoring five goals and adding five assists for 10 points in 11 games. He still has another season left on his entry-level contract and remains waiver-exempt.
As for Demko, the LTIR placement indicates the star starter will be out until at least April 6 against the Kings, meaning he’ll miss at least Vancouver’s next four games. The likely Vezina Trophy candidate remains out on a week-to-week basis but is expected back before the end of the regular season. Casey DeSmith has been the Canucks’ crease’s sole occupant since Demko got hurt, posting a 3-2-1 record and .903 SV% since replacing him against the Jets.
Atlantic Notes: Ratzlaff, Bruins, Hedman, Point
One of the Sabres’ goaltending prospects has taken an intermediate step toward joining the organization. 2023 fifth-round pick Scott Ratzlaff signed an ATO with their AHL affiliate in Rochester on Wednesday and could make his professional debut before the 2023-24 season draws to a close. The Sabres still have until June 1, 2025, to sign him to an entry-level contract before losing his exclusive signing rights, though, and the 19-year-old still has one season of major junior eligibility remaining. As such, the Alberta native will return to WHL Seattle for a fourth season in 2024-25. He took over the starting role for the first time this season, but his numbers dived along with the team in front of him, which lost multiple high-caliber talents to NHL clubs after capturing the WHL championship last year. He still managed a respectable .905 SV% and 3.33 GAA in 52 games – decent numbers for that level of hockey – and posted a 21-26-1 record with one shutout. The 6’1″, left-catching netminder was part of Canada’s contingent at this year’s World Junior Championship but didn’t see any playing time.
More notes out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Bruins can become the second team to clinch a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight by avoiding a regulation loss against the Lightning, per the league. Still in contention for the Atlantic title and the President’s Trophy, the franchise is poised to earn a postseason berth for the eighth consecutive season and for the 15th time in the last 17 years. While not on last season’s record-breaking tear, the retirements of team legends Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí haven’t thrown the ever-consistent Bruins into complete turmoil, and a 9-0-1 start to the season back in October has helped buoy them throughout the ups and downs of the campaign. A second-place finish behind the Panthers still seems likely, but after coming from behind late last night to defeat Florida 4-3 in regulation, a third division title in the last five years isn’t out of the question. Boston has not missed the playoffs for more than two seasons in a row since the Original Six era.
- Lightning stars Victor Hedman and Brayden Point were on the ice for Tampa’s morning skate on Wednesday and are likely to suit up against Boston tonight, per Chris Krenn of the team’s official site. Both players carry day-to-day injury designations and missed Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Ducks with lower-body ailments. The team is certainly ecstatic to have their second and third-leading scorers back in the lineup in what could be a key two points for playoff positioning, potentially helping them leapfrog the Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic down the stretch. After Toronto lost to the Devils on Tuesday night, Tampa is four points back with no games in hand.
Penguins Recall Jonathan Gruden
The Pittsburgh Penguins have once again recalled forward Jonathan Gruden (Twitter link). This marks Gruden’s eighth call-up of the season, and brings him back to the NHL roster after six days in the minor leagues. Gruden played in three AHL games this weekend, recording no points, one fight, and five shots on goal.
Gruden is being recalled alongside Samuel Poulin – with the pair providing depth for a Penguins team currently facing injuries to Noel Acciari, Matthew Nieto, and Jansen Harkins – the former of the three being placed on injured reserve this morning. Gruden and Poulin will fight for the team’s open fourth-line role, with Gruden carrying the upper hand thanks to his 12 NHL appearances this season. He has just one point, his first career goal, in those appearances – though he’s provided serviceable grit in the bottom six. Poulin has yet to play in the NHL this season, with his only games in the league coming during a three-game stint last season. He’s impressed in the AHL, though, with 13 goals and 27 points in 36 games this season bringing his career totals to 68 points in 123 games. He has just one point in his NHL appearances.
Gruden has bounced between the AHL and NHL lineup for much of the last two seasons, serving as a de facto fill-in when Pittsburgh is facing injury. He was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, being selected out of the US National Team Development Program before pursuing one year in college and one year in the OHL. He’s still searching for his scoring groove in the pros, with just 96 points in 207 career AHL games.
Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Rielly, Edmundson, Giordano
The Toronto Maple Leafs have received a handful of injury updates from their Tuesday morning practice. Most notably, star winger Mitch Marner has progressed to day-to-day with his high-ankle sprain, with head coach Sheldon Keefe saying he’s progressing well, per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). Marner is still expected to miss Toronto’s Tuesday night game against New Jersey, marking his eighth game missed with this injury. He will target a return on Thursday when the Leafs take on the Washington Capitals.
Marner has continued to build on his dominant career this season, with 25 goals and 76 points in just 62 games. Max Domi has stepped into a top-line role in his absence, recording eight points in his last seven games. That includes four assists on March 20th – just the third four-point-night in Domi’s career.
Other Maple Leafs injury updates:
- Fox also shared that defenseman Morgan Rielly has been designated as a game-time decision for the team’s Tuesday night game (Twitter link). Rielly is facing an undisclosed injury, after playing in 24 minutes of the team’s Sunday night loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has seven goals and 51 points in 65 games this season, and will likely bump Simon Benoit out of the lineup if he returns.
- Joel Edmundson is officially out on Tuesday, designated as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (Twitter link). Edmundson has played in seven games since joining the Leafs at the Trade Deadline. He’s still searching for his first point with Toronto, with two penalty minutes and a +4 marking his only stat changes.
- Mark Giordano could slot in for Edmundson, with Fox sharing that he is now healthy and cleared to play (Twitter link). Giordano is poised to make his return from a concussion that’s held him out for the last month. He’s managed one goal, seven points, and 33 penalty minutes in 38 games this season.
Afternoon Notes: Kolosov, Milano, Gustafsson
The Philadelphia Flyers are expected to add goaltender Alexei Kolosov, following the end of his KHL season with Dinamo Minsk. The Russian club officially announced the transfer in a press release thanking Kolosov for his four years with the club (Twitter link).
Kolosov, 22, has established himself as Dimano Minsk’s clear-cut starter over the last two seasons – managing 13 wins and a .912 save percentage in 42 games last season and 22 wins and a .907 in 47 games this year. He’s played ahead of Canadian Dylan Ferguson, who is in his first KHL season after playing in two games with the Ottawa Senators last year.
The Flyers drafted Kolosov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He was the third goalie selected in that class after both Sebastian Cossa and Jesper Wallstedt were selected in the first round. Kolosov signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers in early July. He was loaned back to Russia soon after, though his contract wasn’t eligible for an entry-level slide, meaning this season has burned the first year of his three-year deal. Kolosov now joins a Flyers team with an open backup spot, stepping into a competition with Felix Sandstrom and Calvin Petersen.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Washington Capitals could add forward Sonny Milano back to the lineup on Tuesday, with head coach Spencer Carbery saying his attendance will be based on how he feels leading up to the game (Twitter link). Milano left the team’s Sunday game against Winnipeg early with an upper-body injury. He will help Washington fill-in for the suspended Tom Wilson, if he’s healthy enough to play.
- The New York Rangers designated defenseman Erik Gustafsson as day-to-day with an upper-body injury ahead of their Monday morning practice, which Gustafsson missed (Twitter link). Gustafsson seemed to suffer the injury in the team’s Saturday game against the Florida Panthers, taking a high hit from Sam Reinhart. He is questionable for the team’s Tuesday night game against Philadelphia, which could open the door for Brandon Scanlin to make his NHL debut.
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.