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East Notes: Stamkos, Olofsson, Mayfield

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will likely miss his second straight game Tuesday with a lower-body injury as he did not take line rushes with the team at morning skate, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times relays. It’s another significant injury blow for the Lightning, who remain without star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and depth forward Tyler Motte with longer-term injuries.

The Bolts have dropped back-to-back games against key divisional opponents and have struggled to keep the puck out of their net, although their patchwork goaltending tandem of Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins isn’t entirely to blame. The team has controlled just 41.7% of scoring chances at five-on-five play thus far and has conceded 80 shots over its last two defeats at the hands of the Red Wings and Senators. Missing Stamkos, who has two goals and two assists through two games, makes it harder for the team to outscore their problems. He’s in the final season of an eight-year, $68MM extension signed in 2016 and is one of the best pending free agents available, notably without any extension conversations to date.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference this morning:

  • Sabres winger Victor Olofsson will serve as a healthy scratch tonight against the Lightning, head coach Don Granato confirmed Tuesday morning. Tyson Jost, who’s served as a healthy scratch for their first two games of the season, will make his 2023-24 season debut. Olofsson, set to become a free agent next summer, was featured in trade talks this offseason. However, the team held onto him for scoring depth after youngster Jack Quinn sustained an Achilles injury that will keep him out until December. Olofsson is a skilled shooter who’s notched 20 goals in three out of the last four seasons, but his defensive impacts are poor, and his possession numbers are average at best, leading him to become viewed as a power-play specialist. He’s been held off the scoresheet through two contests this season and has a -2 rating, averaging 14:07 per game. 22-year-old Peyton Krebs is projected to fill Olofsson’s vacated spot in the top six, while Jost will slide in at fourth-line center to fill Krebs’ previous role.
  • Islanders head coach Lane Lambert told reporters that defenseman Scott Mayfield is officially out for Tuesday’s contest against the Coyotes. The veteran shutdown man is day-to-day with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot late in last Saturday’s win against the Sabres and did not practice yesterday due to swelling in his leg. Lambert confirmed Samuel Bolduc would replace Mayfield in the lineup and make his season debut. The 2019 second-round pick skated in 17 contests with the Islanders last season, recording two goals and an assist.

Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Out Long-Term With Lower-Body Injury

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4:04 PM: It has been reported that Dach suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his knee. He will undergo further testing to officially determine the injury soon.

10:39 AM: Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach is expected to miss “significant” time with a lower-body injury, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports. Dach sustained the injury in Saturday’s win against the Chicago Blackhawks after he was on the receiving end of a large hit from Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi.

Dach, 22, looks like a future top-six fixture for the Habs – if he can stay healthy. He recorded 14 goals, 24 assists and 38 points in 58 games in 2022-23 – his first season in Montreal – a career-high pace of 54 points in a full season. The 2019 third-overall pick of the Chicago Blackhawks logged two assists through his first two games this season, but it appears he’ll need to wait a while to add to that total.

Dach missed 16 games at the tail end of last season with another lower-body injury. In his absence, another young forward on the cusp of a breakout, Alex Newhook, will center the team’s second line. Montreal acquired Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche this summer in exchange for a first- and second-round pick as well as defense prospect Gianni Fairbrother.

Montreal hopes this isn’t a sign of things to come. The team lost over 600 man-games to injury last season, believed to be an NHL all-time record. For a team hyper-focused on the development of their young core, this is far from an ideal situation.

With Dach out of the lineup, look for the Habs to place him on injured reserve and make a corresponding recall of a forward from AHL Laval. They now have just 12 healthy forwards on the roster.

Seattle Forward Brandon Tanev Out Four-To-Six Weeks

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The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward Brandon Tanev will miss the next four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. This injury was suffered in Seattle’s October 10th matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tanev appeared in 10 minutes of that game, before taking an illegal check to the head from Vegas’ Brett Howden. Howden received a two-game suspension for this hit.

This is difficult news for Tanev, who was heavily limited during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, playing fewer than 35 games in each year. His 2020-21 season was cut short with upper-body injuries and a bout with COVID-19, and an ACL tear ended his 2021-22 campaign.

But despite past injuries, Tanev was able to appear in all 82 games for the Kraken last season. He tallied 16 goals and 35 points in that span, both career-highs. He also added 44 penalty minutes in those games, while playing in just over 14 minutes of ice time. Tanev was a stout member of Seattle’s roster, even earning a top-30 nomination for the 2023 Selke Award. This was the third time that Tanev has received Selke votes in his nine-year NHL career, speaking to the value he brings to an NHL lineup.

Seattle has yet to make any roster moves in response to Tanev’s long-term injury designation. Tye Kartye has served as the fill-in since Tanev’s injury, representing the first two games that he’s played during an NHL regular season. Kartye appeared in 10 postseason games with the Kraken this Spring, netting five points. He has yet to score this season but seems to be the team’s current go-to in Tanev’s absence.

Atlantic Notes: Heineman, Fabbri, Sourdif

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Montreal Canadiens forward prospect Emil Heineman is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, per an announcement from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Heineman, 21, is one of the better prospects in the Canadiens’ system and was knocking on the door for a lineup spot after a strong training camp. After finishing out the 2022-23 season with his club in Sweden, Leksands IF, Heineman came over to North America and notched seven goals and nine points in 11 games with Laval down the stretch. He had an assist through two games with Laval this season before sustaining the injury. Dobber Prospects has Heineman ranked as the team’s third-best left-wing prospect behind 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky and Harvard product Sean Farrell.

A versatile, well-rounded forward, Heineman can comfortably slot in on either wing and in any role. He’s got a beast of a shot, too, hinted at when he notched 26 goals in 29 games during his draft year for Leksand’s U20 team. He’s the second young Habs player to get bad injury news today, joining center Kirby Dach as a player with high hopes in Montreal out long-term.

Some more notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Detroit Red Wings were down a forward on Saturday as Robby Fabbri was held out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, necessitating the recall of Zach Aston-Reese (who’s since been returned to the AHL). It doesn’t appear he’ll miss much more time, however. EP Rinkside’s Sean Shapiro reports Fabbri was in attendance for Detroit’s morning skate today and is nearing a return, although he’s not projected to draw into the lineup Monday night against the Blue Jackets. Injuries have limited Fabbri’s performance for nearly his entire career, and the winger has played just 85 out of 166 games since the 2021-22 campaign. He did notch a goal in 14:44 of ice time in the team’s season-opening loss to the Devils last week.
  • A third Florida Panther is expected to make his NHL debut this season. 21-year-old Justin Sourdif will draw into the lineup tonight against the Devils instead of another rookie, Mackie Samoskevich, who will serve as a healthy scratch. Sourdif, the 87th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, made his pro debut just last season, scoring seven goals, 17 assists and 24 points in 48 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He was a surprise inclusion on the Panthers’ opening night roster this year, and he’ll now get the chance to show what he can do at the NHL level skating alongside Nick Cousins and Anton Lundell on the team’s third line.

Wild’s Matt Boldy Out Week-To-Week

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Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury sustained against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, GM Bill Guerin tells The Athletic’s Michael Russo. At this time, he’s not expected to be out long enough to be eligible for long-term injured reserve, but the Wild will re-evaluate him when they return from their road trip.

Boldy, 22, has quickly cemented himself as a core member of the Wild’s attack since turning pro in 2021. Last season – his first full one in the NHL – he notched 31 goals and 63 points in 81 contests, finishing second on the team in goals. The performance was strong enough to earn him a sizable seven-year, $49MM extension from the Wild mid-season.

The 12th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft is well on his way to putting up high-end point totals with responsible defensive impacts, posting a 52.6% Corsi share last season while receiving a near-equal amount of offensive and defensive zone starts. He notched a goal and assist through two contests this season before leaving the game against Toronto early.

His absence adds to a tricky cap situation for the Wild, who now have a combined $14.575MM on the shelf with captain Jared Spurgeon dealing with a shorter-term upper-body injury. That’s on top of the $14.75MM in space the Wild have tied up in the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, meaning Minnesota has nearly $30MM in dead money on the books for the time being until one of Boldy and Spurgeon can return. The Wild do not have cap space to make a corresponding transaction here and will likely dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Montreal on Tuesday.

If there is a player likely to slide up to the top-six in Boldy’s wake, look for veteran winger Marcus Foligno to reprise his role as a winger on a line with Joel Eriksson Ek, something he’s done with regularity over the past few seasons. Normally, Jordan Greenway was riding shotgun with them, but he’s now a member of the Buffalo Sabres after a trade last season.

Metropolitan Notes: Couturier, Lindgren Brothers, Nosek, Mayfield

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Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier has been off to a strong start since returning from back injuries that sidelined him for nearly two years, notching an assist and a team-high +3 rating in two contests while averaging over 20 minutes per game. However, he’s hit a hiccup in his re-acclimation to everyday play. He is “banged up” and missed practice today, although head coach John Tortorella did confirm nothing is wrong with his back.

Couturier is locking down the team’s first line with Joel Farabee on his left flank, and youngsters Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster are rotating in on his right. The Flyers likely won’t be sniffing playoff contention this season, but having the 30-year-old Couturier back in action is a huge boost development-wise for a team looking to usher in, quite literally, a new era of orange this season.

Other injury considerations around the Metro this morning:

  • Both of the Lindgren brothers are dealing with injuries, starting with New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren. He was a late scratch for their loss to Columbus on Saturday, and head coach Peter Laviolette said he’ll once again be a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against the Coyotes. The 25-year-old logged 19:50 in their season-opening win against Buffalo last week.
  • Washington Capitals backup Charlie Lindgren is also questionable, leaving practice this morning. Head coach Spencer Carbery could not confirm Lindgren’s status for tonight’s game against Calgary after he allowed four goals in the team’s season opener against Pittsburgh last Friday. He played in relief of starter Darcy Kuemper, who returns to the team tonight after welcoming a son last week.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Tomas Nosek is officially out of the lineup tonight after being absent from practice yesterday. He’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Devils reporter Amanda Stein, and Curtis Lazar is expected to return to the lineup tonight against Florida. Nosek, who’s logged 12:10 per game in two contests, is still looking for his first point as a Devil.
  • New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day after blocking a shot late in Saturday’s win against Buffalo, says head coach Lane Lambert. Mayfield did not practice today due to swelling in his leg, and his status for Tuesday’s game against the Coyotes is uncertain. He played 16:47 in that contest, and Samuel Bolduc will make his season debut on the third pairing should Mayfield be unavailable.

Injury Updates: Dach, Hall, Buchnevich, Merzļikins

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Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach left last night’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks with a lower-body injury, according to an announcement from the club. Dach was the recipient of a big hit from Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi, one that sent Dach into the Blackhawks’ bench. It appears as though Dach’s injury came from that hit, and at this moment the team has not released any additional details on Dach’s absence.

Should the Canadiens lose Dach for any notable period, it would be a significant early blow to the team’s season. Not only would it represent an unfortunate setback given the time Dach missed last season, it would also represent a significant loss to the Canadiens’ ability to both win games and develop their players. As head coach Martin St. Louis’ second-line center, Dach had a crucial role helping the growth of his two wingers: offseason trade acquisition Alex Newhook and 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovský. In an admittedly small sample size that line appeared dominant at times, and the one game they played entirely together was called Slafkovský’s best game of his career by local media. The development of those players is of the most important aspect of this Canadiens season, so whether Dach’s injury will keep him out long-term is an extremely important storyline to track for Canadiens fans.

  • Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall told the media today, including the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope, that he’s preparing to play Monday night in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. Such a return would represent a quick turnaround for Hall, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Blackhawks’ second game of the season, against his former team the Boston Bruins. Hall said that although his shoulder still “doesn’t feel great” it’s good enough to allow him to return to the lineup.
  • Earlier today, we covered reports out of St. Louis stating that Blues star forward Pavel Buchnevich could be staring down an extended absence due to the injury he suffered last night. NHL.com’s Lou Korac relays word from Blues head coach Craig Berube who said Buchnevich is feeling better today. Korac added that the tone surrounding the injury “sounds more encouraging” than it did last night, adding that the Blues “may have dodged serious injury” to Buchnevich, which would be incredible news for St. Louis.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent said via team reporter Jeff Svoboda that netminder Elvis Merzļikins “has a stomach bug” and missed today’s practice after leaving last night’s game. Per Vincent, Merzļikins’ status for tonight’s game is in question, and as a result, Spencer Martin (who saved 15 of 17 shots last night in relief against the New York Rangers) could start his first game as a Blue Jacket tomorrow night when the team hosts the Detroit Red Wings.

Snapshots: Matthews, Butcher, Mast

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In a rather lengthy interview with Mike Zeisberger of the NHL, franchise icon for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, expresses his unwavering desire to stay in Toronto and is more than excited an extension was completed between the two sides. More than a year before he was originally set to become an unrestricted free agent, rumors were rampant suggesting Matthews may leave the Maple Leafs to sign with his hometown Arizona Coyotes or find an organization with less media pressure.

During the interview, when he was asked specifically about the rumors circulating about the next contract he would sign, Matthews said, “It was my mindset to come back all along. I felt I’ve been pretty clear about that. I really enjoy playing here, and I love the core guys I’ve been playing with going back to my early days here. And the way the staff treats us is amazing. I’ve kind of repeated these things, they’re all true, and it means a lot to me to be here. So, when I see stuff like some of the speculation this summer, I get a pretty good chuckle out of it because it’s just nonsense, to be honest with you“.

As many are well aware at this point, Matthews would sign a four-year, $53MM contract with the Maple Leafs, making him the highest-paid player in the NHL as soon as it starts. Although there was very little doubt that Toronto would regret re-investing in Matthews, he rewarded them early this season, scoring back-to-back hat tricks in the team’s first two games.

Other snapshots:

  • A little over a week before the start of training camp this autumn, new depth defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Will Butcher, sustained an injury that would keep him out of all on-ice activities for over a month. Today, Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that Butcher is back to practice in a non-contact jersey, and will likely be sent to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins very soon. Spending all of last season for the Texas Stars in the AHL, Butcher would score six goals and 37 assists in 65 games.
  • In smaller news, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal is reporting that the Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, have sent defenseman Ryan Mast to their ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners. Mast is a recent sixth-round pick of the Bruins back in the 2021 NHL Draft, and recently wrapped up a career with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, scoring eight goals and 22 assists in 50 games during his last season.

Injury Notes: Buchnevich, Boldy, Nosek

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St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich left yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Kraken with an upper-body injury and did not return, and head coach Craig Berube did not rule out a longer-term absence last night. Speaking with The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Berube ruled out a concussion but said the injury was “unfortunate” and didn’t have any indication of a timeline for return. Buchnevich left the game early in the first period after taking a cross-check into the boards from Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

Buchnevich is without a point in two games so far this season but has been invaluable to the Blues since joining the team in the summer of 2021, logging over a point per game as a member of the team. Recording 67 points in 63 games last season, he was on pace to lead the team in scoring if not for injury and logged over 19 minutes per game. The Blues practice today, and the team could issue an update on his status later on.

Other recent injuries sustained around the league:

  • Another core player for a Central Division team left a game last night – Wild winger Matt Boldy, who was one of the few bright spots in a poor defensive showing in a 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Athletic’s Michael Russo says it’s likely an upper-body ailment, but head coach Dean Evason did not have an update on Boldy’s status post-game. The Wild have only 12 forwards on the active roster, and if Boldy cannot play Tuesday against Montreal, the Wild would either need to dress seven defensemen or send Dakota Mermis to AHL Iowa and recall a forward in his place. The Wild do not have cap space to recall a healthy extra if Boldy is out of the lineup with defenseman Jared Spurgeon already unavailable.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Tomáš Nosek missed practice today with a lower-body injury and is considered doubtful for Monday’s game against Florida, Devils lead reporter Amanda Stein relays. Nosek has dressed in the Devils’ first two games of the season as a winger after playing center for the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights for much of the last four seasons, averaging 12:10 per game. The team’s summer free-agent pickup has yet to record a point but has controlled play well at even strength, posting a Corsi share of 65.5% despite heavy defensive zone usage. Either Curtis Lazar or Chris Tierney will draw into the lineup if Nosek can’t go.

Morning Notes: Garland, Norris, Arvidsson

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The Vancouver Canucks are receiving interest from multiple teams after granting forward Conor Garland permission to seek a trade earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night on Saturday Headlines. Friedman singled out the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets as parties that have displayed interest but said there are likely other teams that have called the Canucks.

Garland logged a highlight-reel goal in the Canucks’ season-opener last week, but he’s been otherwise held off the scoresheet through two games and has been used quite sparingly by head coach Rick Tocchet. He’s played less than ten minutes in each of the team’s first two contests against the Oilers, and it’s becoming clear there’s no path to any significant role for Garland in Vancouver. The 27-year-old carries a $4.95MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season and has a history of strong middle-six production, something he’s likely to rediscover in a new environment, given his historically strong underlying numbers.

Friedman also added some clarity on what a Garland trade may eventually look like, noting that GM Patrik Allvin is looking to clear between $1MM and $2MM of cap space in this deal. That could come either via a total contract swap or retaining salary on Garland in a deal for draft picks or buriable players.

Elsewhere around the NHL this morning:

  • Also coming from Friedman last night, the Ottawa Senators expect center Josh Norris to return to practice today in a non-contact jersey ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. A return for their former 35-goal man is not imminent, but Friedman reports the Senators hope Norris will be able to return to contact practice later this week and offer a more definitive timeline for his return. The team has held off placing him on LTIR up until this point, signaling optimism that he’ll be able to return by the end of the month. Norris’ shoulder injury and subsequent setbacks have limited him to just eight games since the start of last season. Norris is beginning the second season of an eight-year, $63.6MM deal carrying a $7.95MM cap hit.
  • Things are not looking up for Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson, who remains on LTIR after missing the first two games of the season with a back injury. It seems this could turn into an even more significant absence, as GM Rob Blake told NHL.com yesterday that Arvidsson “may have to have surgery,” which would put him out on a month-to-month basis and extend his stay on LTIR well past the minimum ten games and 24 days. If he doesn’t have surgery, he will be eligible to return for the team’s November 4 game against Philadelphia. Blake said Arvidsson sustained the injury during practice on the first day of the regular season, and subsequent diagnosis revealed surgery may be an option.

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