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Injury Notes: Manson, Francouz, Clarke, Avon

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Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland told reporters today that he expects defenseman Josh Manson to be ready for the start of training camp after an offseason procedure. Manson missed the last two games of Colorado’s first-round loss to the Seattle Kraken with an undisclosed injury, likely related to the procedure MacFarland mentioned.

Last season was a trying one for Manson, who appeared in just 27 regular-season games due to two lower-body injuries. It was his first full campaign in Colorado after inking a four-year, $18MM deal with trade protection when free agency opened in July 2022 after playing a crucial role in the team’s run to the 2022 Stanley Cup. Coming over from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline, Manson notched eight points in 20 playoff games, adding a +6 rating. Even when in the lineup last season, it wasn’t a smooth start to Manson’s hefty new deal – most commonly paired with Bowen Byram, the pair controlled just 40% of expected goals when on the ice together, per MoneyPuck, a figure Byram far exceeded with his other partners. With mainstay Erik Johnson moving on for the Buffalo Sabres in free agency this summer, the Avs will need a rejuvenated and healthy Manson to play a key role as their second-best right-shot defender behind Cale Makar.

Elsewhere in the realm of injury news tonight:

  • Reports earlier in the week surfaced that Colorado was looking to add a goaltender with backup Pavel Francouz’s health uncertain. Today, MacFarland also confirmed that Francouz is not yet cleared to return after undergoing offseason adductor surgery and remains “banged up” without a timeline to return. He did note, however, that Francouz has returned to Denver and Avalanche team doctors will evaluate him next week. While often injured, Francouz has given the Avs solid play when cleared to occupy the crease, going 8-7-1 with a .915 save percentage last season in 16 starts.
  • Unfortunately, top Los Angeles Kings defense prospect Brandt Clarke won’t get to join the team on their preseason excursion to the 2023 NHL Global Series in Melbourne, Australia, next weekend. That’s because he’s sustained an undisclosed injury which requires seven to ten days without contact, per Mayor’s Manor. Clarke, who looks to make the Kings out of camp after a nine-game trial last season, will continue skating in LA and rehabbing his injury while the travel squad, presumably made up of the team’s expected NHL roster, is away. The eighth overall pick in 2021 was named to the OHL’s and CHL’s First All-Star teams in 2022-23 after recording 61 points in 31 games after his mid-season return to junior hockey with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. The 20-year-old right-shot defender projects to begin the season in a third-pairing role behind Drew Doughty and Matt Roy.
  • Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Jon-Randall Avon sustained a PCL sprain in his left knee just before rookie camps got underway, per PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor. The 20-year-old center will miss between four and six weeks, keeping him out of the remainder of Flyers rookie and training camp. A free agent signing in 2021 after going undrafted, Avon recorded 60 points in 59 games with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes last season and will likely make his pro debut with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season when healthy.

Injury Notes: Couturier, Atkinson, Boucher, Pickering

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While there were a myriad of reasons why the Philadelphia Flyers as a franchise went on a significant downturn after their run to Game Seven of the second round in the 2019-20 playoffs, injuries have been among the biggest. The Flyers have simply lost too many players they planned on having as meaningful contributors to long-term injuries, and that has plunged the franchise into a rebuild as a result. Thankfully for Philadelphia, it seems two of their more significant players lost to injury may be ready to re-enter the lineup.

Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports reports that Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson were “very active” in today’s informal veteran skate before the start of rookie camp, adding that both players ” look ready for [training] camp. ” That’s a major development for the Flyers, who would be able to add a top-line center and a former 40-goal scorer back into their lineup after a full year missed for each player. While that likely won’t be enough to return head coach John Tortorella’s side back to the postseason, the presence of two accomplished veterans on the Flyers’ roster could help the development of the Flyers’ stable of young players and advance their rebuild.

More injury notes from across the NHL:

  • Tyler Boucher has had his development derailed by injuries since he was selected 10th overall by the Ottawa Senators at the 2021 draft. He only played in 21 games last season and missed some time in 2021-22 as well. Boucher has yet again run into injury trouble, suffering a groin injury in his preparation for the Senators’ rookie tournament. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Boucher “won’t participate” in the rookie tournament, but “will be fine for camp.” While it’s certainly possible that this injury is just a one-off issue that won’t cost Boucher very much in the long term, (one hopes this is the case) the fact that Boucher has had such persistent trouble staying healthy is a cause for concern with his development. Boucher was always going to be more of a project pick, with the Senators hoping that after a few years of development, Boucher could learn to leverage his impressive physical tools into on-ice success. It’s unclear whether he’s been able to do that to this point, though in order to make 2023-24 a valuable season of development he’ll need to be able to get onto the ice as much as possible.
  • Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays word from Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins head coach J.D. Forrest that 2022 first-round pick Owen Pickering is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Rorabaugh adds that he’s “hopefully ready by the start of training camp” though that is unclear at this time. Pickering is a bit of a long shot to make the Penguins out of camp, but did get into eight pro games last season and likely will spend one more year as a top-line defenseman in the WHL.

Atlantic Notes: Knies, Savoie, Komarov

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Matthew Knies gave the Toronto Maple Leafs some solid playoff hockey as a rookie just weeks after wrapping up his collegiate career, posting four points in seven games and even sliding into a top-six role at times. Unfortunately, his postseason was cut short early into Game 2 of their second-round loss to the Florida Panthers when a behind-the-net hit from Panthers center Sam Bennett concussed Knies and kept him out of the final three games of the series.

Today, Knies says he’s “fully recovered” from the collision and has been for quite some time – saying he’d been cleared to return to the lineup in Game 6 had Toronto avoided elimination. Toronto’s 57th overall pick in 2021 has shot up prospect rankings thanks to two spectacular campaigns at the University of Minnesota, during which he averaged over a point per game. He was named the NCAA’s Big 10 Player of the Year for 2022-23 after recording 21 goals and 42 points in 40 games. After Toronto signed both Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi to one-year deals in free agency, he’s far from guaranteed to slot into the team’s top-six on opening night but should still play a significant role.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • While top Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright was granted an exemption from the CHL to head to the minor leagues a year earlier than normal, don’t expect the same for Buffalo Sabres 2022 ninth-overall pick Matthew Savoie. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski says the Sabres have “communicated” with the CHL regarding an exemption, but the “odds aren’t in their favor.” Savoie lit up the WHL for 95 points in 62 games with the Winnipeg ICE (now Wenatchee Wild) last season and was born on January 1, 2004 – if he had been born a day earlier, he would be eligible for a full-time AHL assignment to Rochester this season. There is still an outside chance Savoie turns pro this season by making the Sabres out of camp, however.
  • Sticking with Buffalo, Lysowski also reports defense prospect Vsevolod Komarov is dealing with a lower-body injury that will keep him out of their rookie tournament games. Komarov, 19, is expected to return to the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts after being released from Sabres camp. The team selected him 134th overall in the 2022 draft, and he put up stellar two-way numbers for the Remparts last season en route to a QMJHL championship and Memorial Cup win, posting 39 points and a +38 rating in 62 regular-season games.

Torey Krug Suffers Foot Injury

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The St. Louis Blues have announced this morning that veteran defenseman Torey Krug has “suffered a right-foot injury while training for the upcoming 2023-24 season,” and will be re-evaluated on October 1st.

Based on the Blues’ announcement, the timeline of this injury means that Krug will miss a chunk of time at the start of Blues training camp, stretching through the team’s first few preseason games. It’s certainly not an ideal situation for Krug.

However, it is at least somewhat encouraging that the team did not offer a longer timeline for Krug’s absence, leaving room for optimism that he could be in far better shape health-wise around the time of his re-evaluation.

Of course, with the limited amount of information the Blues provided, it’s also certainly possible that Krug’s injury is more severe than this announcement makes it initially seem.

The inclusion of just a re-evaluation date but no firmer timeline does, after all, also allow for the possibility of a more extended absence.

What this injury means for the Blues’ defense isn’t entirely clear until the full extent of Krug’s absence is revealed.

Assuming Krug is ready for opening night, he’ll likely resume the top-four role he’s played in Blues coach Craig Berube’s blueline throughout his time in St. Louis.

But if he’s out for a more extended period, that could mean that a player like Scott Perunovich steps into a larger role on St. Louis’ defense early in the year. It would be an interesting twist for Perunovich, 25, to gain a greater NHL opportunity due to an injury to a teammate after his own injuries laid waste to his development over the last few seasons.

He plays an up-tempo offensive game that’s reminiscent of Krug’s and would be the best option among the Blues’ depth defensemen to replicate his style of game. But until more information comes to light about Krug’s injury, whether Perunovich (or another Blues defenseman) will get a chance to play a bigger role is still ultimately a mystery.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota Wild Prospect Liam Öhgren Potentially Out Months With Injury

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Minnesota Wild forward prospect Liam Öhgren still has no timeline for a return from an injury that’s already kept him out for three weeks, according to a report from Värmlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg and Simon Hennix. Wild general manager Bill Guerin told The Athletic’s Michael Russo that Minnesota is aware of the injury and is in contact with Öhgren to determine a recovery plan, along with his team in Sweden’s SHL, Färjestad BK.

The injury hasn’t cost Öhgren, 19, any regular-season time yet, but it will soon. He’s also missed all of Färjestad’s four Champions Hockey League games to kick off the season.

Selected 19th overall in 2022, Öhgren has remained in Sweden since draft day despite signing his entry-level contract in the summer of 2022. Minnesota loaned him to Djurgårdens IF in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan for the 2022-23 season, where he posted 11 goals and 20 points in 36 regular-season games and added 13 points in 17 SHL qualification matches.

Hennix said there is extreme uncertainty surrounding Öhgren’s return to play, which could be in the coming days or “months away,” likely depending on the treatment plan decided on by Öhgren, Färjestad, and the Wild.

Öhgren is likely to make the jump to North America for the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

Paul Byron Expected To Retire

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August 15: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes spoke to the media today in the wake of dealing defenseman Jeff Petry to Detroit, confirming that he expects Byron to retire and will speak to him in September.

April 14: Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron is facing a difficult decision regarding his future in the NHL. Byron missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a lower-body injury after playing just 27 games the year before, and according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, doctors have still not cleared him to return to play.

Byron will be making a decision on his future within the next month, says Lavoie, signaling what could be a tough end for the 34-year-old known for his effort on the ice. Since Montreal claimed him on waivers in 2015, Byron’s suited up in 383 regular-season games for the Habs, becoming a fan favorite thanks to his speed, tenacity, and versatility.

Speaking this morning, Byron expressed his desire to reporters to remain with the team in a different capacity, particularly player development. Byron says Montreal management’s answer on a front office role will influence his decision on whether to continue his career.

Regardless of what Byron’s future holds, it’s clear he’s made a significant impact on the Canadiens organization during his time with the team. He’s been public about his experiences with chronic pain, hoping to raise the importance of players’ quality of life in hockey circles.

If it’s the end of the road for Byron, he wraps up a 12-year, 521-game career that was unexpected given his status as a sixth-round draft pick in 2007. He hit the 20-goal mark twice with Montreal, proving himself as a versatile bottom-six forward at his peak.

Snapshots: Marchessault, Ellis, Kerfoot

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During the Vegas Golden Knights run to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, forward Jonathan Marchessault played a vital role in that effort. Finishing as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs, Marchessault has cemented himself as a fan and locker room favorite in Vegas. With one year remaining on his current contract with the club, Marchessault should be one of the more important extension candidates for the team.

In an interview with TVA Sports, Marchessault spoke on extension talks, and also his relationship with head coach Bruce Cassidy. In his article on this relationship, Chris Gawlik of VegasHockeyNow reports a quote from Marchessault saying, “It hasn’t always been the rainbow and the good weather between us. We got into each other a couple of times, on the bench, during games, during the playoffs. But I think he wanted the best out of me and we managed to be able to work together“. Although interesting, it is hardly a surprising take from Marchessault, as Cassidy was regularly noted as an incredibly difficult coach to play for during his time with the Boston Bruins.

On the extension front, it does not sound like anything is close between the two parties. Marchessault said, “There are no negotiations that have been done. I know that sometimes the Golden Knights like to take their time with that. We will see what it will give“. Over the years, the Knights have been known to move some of their veteran original members, such as Reilly Smith and Marc-Andre Fleury, and if an extension cannot be agreed upon at a reasonable price for both player and team, Vegas may need to make another difficult decision with Marchessault this upcoming season.

Other snapshots:

  • Speaking with the new President of Hockey Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers, Keith Jones, Adam Kimelman of the NHL reports that Jones firmly believes that the playing days of defenseman Ryan Ellis are over. Due to a back injury, Ellis has only been able to suit up in four games for the Flyers during the 2021-22 season and missed the entirety of last year. Ellis still has four years and $25MM remaining on his current contract and will spend the rest of that time on LTIR if his contract is not moved off the team before then.
  • One of the several signings made by the Arizona Coyotes this offseason, Alexander Kerfoot is more than excited to get started with his new club. Speaking with Patrick Brown of the NHL, Kerfoot shed some light on his choosing Arizona over other offers saying, “It just feels like they’re in a different spot now. It feels like they’re trying to take the next step. Being part of that change and helping grow the culture is fun to be a part of. Things are trending really well for this group, and I’m happy to be part of it“. It is hard to envision the Coyotes returning to the playoffs anytime within the next two years, but they have set themselves up nicely by developing their core players and bringing in solid auxiliary pieces.

List Of Players Expected To Start 2023-24 On LTIR

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We’re at the point in the summer where most major signings are complete, meaning only a handful of free agents left on the market could still command over the maximum buriable threshold of $1.15MM per year on their next contract. That means financial pictures are mostly set league-wide, and general managers can now focus more on the arduous task of salary cap management.

For many teams nowadays, long-term injured reserve (LTIR) is an important tool in helping teams keep below the salary cap’s Upper Limit, which is set at $83.5MM for 2023-24. It’s not as straightforward as it seems at first glance, though. Placing a player on LTIR does not eliminate their cap hit from the team’s books until they’re activated again. Instead, a team only gains cap relief if they exceed the Upper Limit, and the specific amount of relief received depends on the team’s cap situation on the day they place a player on LTIR. A more detailed explanation of how LTIR works can be found on CapFriendly.

All LTIR situations are not created equal. To be eligible for LTIR, a player must miss at least ten games or 24 days of action. However, they don’t need to be placed on LTIR if they’re projected to miss more than that amount of time. Oftentimes, a team operating far below the Upper Limit that won’t need any relief will simply keep the player on standard injured reserve, especially if they’re relying on an injured player’s cap hit to stay above the Lower Limit (set at $61.7MM next season).

With that said, here is a list of players who are projected to meet the injury requirements for LTIR to start 2023-24:

Atlantic Division

Buffalo Sabres – Jack Quinn

This offseason was a tough break for the young Quinn, who sustained an Achilles injury during offseason training in June and is expected to be out of the lineup through Thanksgiving. While eligible, he’s unlikely to actually be placed on LTIR. He’s still on his entry-level contract and carries a marginal cap hit of $863K, making a move extremely inconsequential to the Sabres, who CapFriendly projects with over $6MM in space.

Florida Panthers – Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour

The Panthers are set to begin the season without the services of their top two defensemen, thanks to shoulder injuries sustained and exacerbated during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Combined, the players carry a rather significant $11MM cap hit, which should give the Panthers some season-opening flexibility. Ekblad’s expected to miss more time than Montour, but neither is expected to miss the whole season – both should be back in the fold by the time the calendar flips to 2024. CapFriendly currently projects the Panthers dipping into LTIR relief by $1.175MM to start the season.

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

The team’s legendary netminder isn’t expected to play again after a knee injury, and he hasn’t suited up since the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He’ll likely spend the last three seasons of his contract (carrying a $10.5MM cap hit) on LTIR. As we covered earlier in the week, Montreal is in a bit of a no man’s land with Price’s contract. They’ll likely either look to shed salary to get under the Upper Limit entirely (which they currently sit around $5MM over) or add money to maximize’s Price’s LTIR relief, which they could then weaponize in-season to be a cap broker for trades.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Brent Seabrook

Like Price, Seabrook will be on LTIR for the remainder of his $6.875MM cap hit contract, which expires next summer. Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks after his injury made it clear he wouldn’t play again, Seabrook has provided additional options for cap flexibility for the Lightning over the last two seasons. Tampa is expected to use close to all of Seabrook’s potential relief to stay compliant throughout the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake Muzzin, Matt Murray

While not confirmed, Muzzin’s playing future remains in serious doubt after sustaining a cervical spine fracture at the beginning of last season. No recent update has been issued on his recovery, and he’s expected to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign and will spend the final year of his contract on LTIR. Murray’s situation is shrouded in much more mystery, however. The team announced last month he’d begin next season on LTIR, but no specific details of his injury were confirmed, and no timetable was issued for a potential return. Murray missed significant time last season with a concussion and an adductor injury.

Metropolitan Division

Philadelphia Flyers – Ryan Ellis

Forwards Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier are expected to return to the lineup after missing all of last season with injuries, but the same can’t be said for Ryan Ellis. President of hockey operations Keith Jones said a few days ago that Ellis is unlikely to “be able to continue his playing career because of a torn psoas muscle in his back.” Ellis played just four games for the Flyers after they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in 2021 before sustaining the career-ending injury.

Washington Capitals – Max Pacioretty

Pacioretty’s timeline for a return after sustaining back-to-back Achilles injuries isn’t clear, but he likely won’t be available to the team to start the season and should meet the requirements for LTIR. The financial circumstances surrounding the potential relief will be tricky to navigate given the performance bonuses included in his contract, however. Pacioretty should be joining the Capitals after signing a one-year deal last month, sometime in November or December if everything goes well in his recovery.

Central Division

Arizona Coyotes – Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, Bryan Little

All three are players acquired by the Coyotes for the express consideration of helping them stay above the cap floor – which they are now far above after being big players on the free-agent market this summer. Nonetheless, all three are done with their NHL careers due to various injuries and will remain members of the Coyotes organization by contract only.

Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog

Colorado will be without their captain for a second straight season after the winger underwent a cartilage transplant on his right knee this summer. Landeskog hasn’t played since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022, a playoff run during which he played through a knee injury. He’s signed through 2029, and there’s still the potential he plays again, although it won’t be anytime soon.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks – Isac Lundeström

Lundeström projects to be on the shelf through next January after sustaining an Achilles injury during offseason training in Sweden. Given the Ducks are far from the Upper Limit, and Lundeström carries just a $1.8MM cap hit, Anaheim could keep him on standard injured reserve for the duration of his absence.

Vegas Golden Knights – Robin Lehner

All has been quiet on Lehner’s health after he missed all of last season. The All-Star-caliber netminder had double hip surgery last summer, keeping him out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. He was not around the team at all during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup, and the team has issued no updates on his recovery since undergoing the surgery last summer. Without any indication that he’s close to a return, Lehner closes out our list.

Blackhawks Forward Luke Philp Undergoes Achilles Surgery

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It hasn’t been a great offseason for players when it comes to Achilles injuries.  Buffalo’s Jack Quinn tore his and will miss a big chunk of next season.  So, too, did Anaheim’s Isac Lundestrom.  Now, another forward has suffered the same injury as Chicago’s AHL team in Rockford announced that Luke Philp underwent Achilles surgery over the weekend and will miss approximately the next six months.

The 27-year-old made his NHL debut last season, getting into three games with the Blackhawks down the stretch where he picked up his first career assist at the top level.  Philp spent most of the season in the minors with the IceHogs and was quite productive, notching 29 goals and 24 assists in 60 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring.

That performance helped Philp land a one-year extension back in March, one that carries a $775K cap hit at the NHL level and a $375K salary in the minors.  However, he won’t get much of an opportunity to play on that new deal since he’ll be out until likely sometime in February.

Philp will start the season on season-opening injured reserve and since he was up with Chicago for six days in 2022-23, the Blackhawks will carry a small cap charge on the books until he’s cleared to return.  The calculation is his number of NHL days divided by the number of days in the upcoming season (192) multiplied by his NHL cap hit ($775K).  In this case, the prorated cap charge will be just over $24K.

Jake Guentzel Out Three Months After Ankle Surgery

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Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair a lingering right ankle issue, general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement today. The 2017 Stanley Cup champion will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, meaning he’ll miss around the first month of the 2023-24 season.

Guentzel underwent his surgery in Minnesota, where he’d been playing summer-league hockey up until the procedure. Dubas said as Guentzel was ramping up preparation for training camp, “it was apparent that his ankle injury was not resolving in a way that was satisfactory to [him] or the Penguins.”

Financially, this is quite an important move for Pittsburgh. Guentzel’s timetable for a return means his $6MM cap hit is a candidate for LTIR to start the season, which would give the Penguins some more offseason cap flexibility as they try and position themselves to acquire top-flight defender Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.

Regardless of any potential ulterior motives at play, Guentzel is a two-time 40-goal scorer whose presence is invaluable for a team likely to be stuck in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Pittsburgh surely has no plans of missing the playoffs for a second straight year, and they’ll need Guentzel’s best after he returns from injury to stay ahead. In the meantime, they’ll rely on veteran addition Reilly Smith, a member of last year’s Stanley Cup-winning team with the Vegas Golden Knights, to shoulder some of Guentzel’s load. He’s the most likely candidate to slide up to first-line duties alongside Sidney Crosby and one of Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust.

Guentzel has become synonymous with first-line duties on the Penguins throughout his seven-year career there, stapled to Crosby’s wing for much of his NHL time. He’s averaged over 20 minutes per game over the past four seasons, routinely producing around a point-per-game clip since breaking out for 40 goals and 76 points in 2018-19.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Guentzel will miss a significant chunk of a season for injury-related reasons. He missed the last 30 games of the 2019-20 campaign thanks to a shoulder injury.

Notably, Guentzel’s injury guarantees them cap compliance to start the season, even if a Karlsson trade doesn’t pan out. The Penguins were more than $3MM over the cap after signing Drew O’Connor earlier this week, even if it was a slightly inflated figure thanks to three goalies currently on their NHL roster. Now, with Guentzel projected to land on LTIR to start the season, CapFriendly projects Pittsburgh to have roughly $2.75MM in space.

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