Injury Notes: O’Connor, Murphy, Acciari
Missing the team’s last three games due to a lower-body injury, Logan O’Connor will once again not be an option for the Colorado Avalanche as they match up against the Vancouver Canucks tonight (X Link). Still considered day-to-day, the Avalanche are waiting for O’Connor to fully recover so that he may be in the lineup more continuously.
Already setting a career-high in goals this season with 13, O’Connor is well on his way to setting career-highs in assists and points, as well. Not only has been playing considerably better compared to his career averages, but he is also tied for fourth on the team in goals while leading the team in short-handed tallies.
With O’Connor set to miss his fourth straight game, it will also allow the team to give an extended look to Chris Wagner, who was recalled on February 16th. In his first game back in an Avalanche sweater since the 2015-16 season, he skated in a little over six minutes of the team’s recent contest against the Arizona Coyotes, putting up zero points.
Other injury notes:
- Still rehabbing his way back from a groin injury that has kept him out of the lineup since January 13th, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy is looking for a second opinion on his injury according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago. Offering no timeline for his return, it appears that Murphy will still be out for the foreseeable future. Registering a full season last year; Murphy has had plenty of injury concerns in the past and has only suited up in 46 games for the Blackhawks up to this point in the season.
- Out with a concussion ever since a blow to the head from Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Brenden Dillon on February 6th, Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Noel Acciari has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey (X Link). Brought in as an unrestricted free agent last offseason, the Penguins were hoping that Acciari could give a major boost to Pittsburgh’s bottom-six. In 39 games before entering concussion protocol, Acciari scored three goals and four points for the Penguins as well as delivering 92 total hits to opponents.
St. Louis Blues Make Several Roster Moves
In a flurry of roster activity, the St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Zachary Bolduc from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, while also placing defenseman Justin Faulk on the team’s Long-Term Injured Reserve, with defenseman Scott Perunovich being placed on the injured reserve.
It will not change much in the short-term for the Blues’ roster, as they’ve been without Faulk for the last 10 games and Perunovich for the last seven. Factoring in the requirements to return from both the LTIR and IR, both players are eligible to be reinstated to the active roster whenever they are healthy enough to return.
The most exciting part of this transaction for St. Louis will be seeing the eventual debut of Bolduc. A first-round selection of the Blues back in the 2021 NHL Draft, Bolduc is in his first season within the Blues organization.
Although a member of Rimouski Oceanic during his draft year, Bolduc became a member of the Quebec Remparts as soon as the 2021-22 season under the tutelage of head coach Patrick Roy. Over 126 games in Quebec, Bolduc experienced a great deal of success, scoring 105 goals and 209 points over the regular season.
Outside of the regular season, Bolduc became a solid playoff performer as well, scoring 19 goals and 31 points over 30 postseason games for the Remparts, helping the team to a Memorial Cup championship in 2022-23. Now transitioning to professional hockey, Bolduc has not maintained the same degree of offensive production in his rookie season, managing only eight goals and 23 points over 48 games for Springfield this year.
Devils Activate Jonas Siegenthaler, Place Vitek Vanecek On Injured Reserve
The New Jersey Devils have activated defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler off of injured reserve and placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek on IR, retroactive to February 10th. Vanecek is set to miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, fighting to recover from a lower-body injury. His absences have satisfied the required time missed, making him eligible to be activated off IR whenever he may be healthy. Meanwhile, Siegenthaler is making his return from a foot injury that’s held him out since January 6th.
Getting Siegenthaler back gives New Jersey half of their top pairing back from injury, though star defenseman Dougie Hamilton is still out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle. Still, Siegenthaler represents a big addition to the lineup. The 26-year-old has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time this season, scoring one goal and eight points in 38 games before his injury. Siegenthaler is in his fourth season with the Devils, joining the team in a trade with the Washington Capitals that saw New Jersey send away a third-round draft pick. Washington flipped the pick to the New York Rangers, who used it to draft Ryder Korczak in the 2021 NHL Draft. Siegenthaler has established himself as a top-end shutdown defenseman since joining the Devils and currently sits ranked third among the team’s healthy defensemen in Corsi-For behind Luke Hughes and Colin Miller, per Natural Stat Trick.
In the wake of Vanecek’s injury, the Devils have turned towards rookie Nico Daws, who has posted an impressive six wins and .912 save percentage in 12 appearances. Daws is the only Devils goaltender to boast a save percentage above .900 this season, though Vanecek’s .893 is close. Daws will look to continue solidifying his grip on the Devils starting position, now with an expanded opportunity.
Metro Notes: Hellberg, Lindgren, Marino
Before their game tomorrow night against the New York Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled goaltender Magnus Hellberg from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The move could simply be precautionary but indicates that either Alex Nedeljkovic or Tristan Jarry may not be able to suit up in tomorrow’s contest.
If one of the two regular netminders is unable to go tomorrow night, it is still unlikely that Hellberg will play in the game. Nevertheless, he did serve as valuable depth for the Penguins at the beginning of the season, producing a 1-0-0 record in three games with a .922 save percentage covering for the injured Nedeljkovic.
Not only has he been adequate at the NHL level, but Hellberg has also played well for a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team currently battling for playoff position in the Atlantic Division. In 17 games played at the AHL level, Hellberg holds an 8-7-2 record coupled with a .901 SV% and 3.03 goals against average.
Other Metro notes:
- New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is being further evaluated for an upper-body injury according to Vince Mercogliano of USA Today-Sports. An upcoming restricted free agent at the end of the season, the beloved Minnesota native has skated in 53 games for New York already this season, scoring two goals and 10 points in the process. With more information on the matter expected tomorrow, Lindgren has only missed two games for the Rangers this season.
- Although unavailable for the team’s practice today due to an illness, defenseman John Marino is still expected to travel with the New Jersey Devils for their upcoming game against the Washington Capitals (X Link). Already without top defenseman Dougie Hamilton, the Devils cannot afford to lose any more defensemen, as they currently only sit two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
San Jose Sharks Activate Henry Thrun, Place Logan Couture On IR
Missing the last six games due to a shoulder injury, San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun was officially activated off injury reserve by the team after he successfully took part in warm-ups before this afternoon’s game. In a corresponding move, the team has placed captain Logan Couture on injured reserve for the second time this season.
Not much of an offensive weapon on the blue line, Thrun has played adequately in his first full season with the Sharks. Only playing on a unit with veteran defenseman Jan Rutta, the two have combined for 2.19 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes according to MoneyPuck, the second-best mark on the team.
Now activated off of injured reserve, Thrun joins eight more defensemen on the active roster for San Jose, a team that has had a difficult time maintaining any sort of health over the regular season. In a position to give multiple different players their first shot in the NHL, the team has awarded Thrun’s efforts with nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night.
On the opposite side of the transaction, Couture has been out of the lineup since January 31st after reaggravating the groin injury that prohibited him from playing in the first 45 games of the season. Being one of the few offensive talents on the Sharks’ roster, Couture was only able to manage one assist in six games upon his return.
Snapshots: Heiskanen, Duchene, Andersen, Siegenthaler
Already without defensemen Nils Lundkvist and Jani Hakanpaa due to injury, the Dallas Stars are also absent defenseman Miro Heiskanen today, as he will miss the action due to the birth of his child (X Link). Calling up defensemen Alex Petrovic and Derrick Pouliot this morning, Dallas’ depth on the blue line will be tested even further.
To add insult to injury, the team also announced that forward Matt Duchene would miss today’s game against the Boston Bruins due to a lower-body injury. In a hotly contested Central Division playoff race, the Stars have lost five regular players in a matter of days.
Playing well over their last 10 games with a 7-1-2 record, Dallas will look to keep that successful stretch going as they look to retain their throne at the top of the Central Division. With a three-point cushion, the Stars are currently on a four-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents before finally returning to Central Division action on February 27th.
Other snapshots:
- Working his way back from a blood clot scare that has kept him out of the lineup since early November, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was able to see shots today in practice. According to Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes, Andersen is not quite ready to return, but it was undoubtedly positive that he was able to participate in practice. With the team now less desperate for goaltending help with a strong stretch from Pyotr Kochetkov, it will nevertheless be a positive to see Andersen make his return to the ice.
- The New Jersey Devils may be getting some reinforcements on their blue line soon, as team reporter Amanda Stein mentioned today that Jonas Siegenthaler has fully recovered from a broken foot that has kept him out of the lineup since January 2nd. Now only two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, a clean bill of health moving forward puts the Devils in an advantageous position to build some momentum towards the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Martin Fehervary Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
In a report coming from Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The injury took place during the Capitals’ most recent game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
In the opening minutes of Saturday night’s contest between the two teams, Fehervary appeared to lose an edge as he was skating behind the Capitals’ net. After falling to the ice, Fehervary was unable to put much weight on his left leg and did not return to the game.
Spending much of the year next to John Carlson, the two have been one of the bright spots on Washington’s blue line this season. Seeing the most ice time of any defensive unit on the roster, the two have combined for a solid 2.39 Expected Goals per 60 minutes, and 2.31 Goals Against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.
For Fehervary specifically, he has continued to be a physical defenseman for Washington, leading all defensemen on the roster with 114 hits, which is 60 more than the next closest defenseman. Aside from the topical statistics, Fehervary has seen a slight dip in his On-Ice Save Percentage compared to career averages, but has carried a slight uptick in his CorsiFor%.
In the meantime, the team will more than likely opt to place Rasmus Sandin next to Carlson over the next couple of weeks. The two have played a number of minutes together already this season, but have not played as defensively sound as the combination of Fehervary and Carlson.
Sabres Notes: Power, Clague, Tokarski, Comrie
The Sabres moved defenseman Owen Power to IR on Monday, per the NHL’s media site. Power, 21, has already missed three games with a hand injury and remains listed as week-to-week
Assuming the IR placement is retroactive to Feb. 13, when the Sabres confirmed he sustained the injury in practice, he would be eligible to return Wednesday against the Canadiens. He’s likely to miss a little more time than that, though, and this roster move is for the purpose of opening up a roster spot more than anything else.
The 2021 first-overall pick hasn’t shown massive development from last year’s solid rookie campaign, but he’s not having a sophomore slump, either. He remains on track to be a long-term fixture in the Sabres’ top four and has been one of their best two-way defenders this season, recording 18 points and a +3 rating in 51 games while averaging 22:27 per game. He’s taken a significant step forward defensively, being on the ice for 0.74 expected goals against per game at even strength compared to last year’s 1.04 mark, per Hockey Reference, although it’s come at the expense of some offense.
The 6-foot-6 Mississauga native is signed to a seven-year, $58.45MM extension that begins next season. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2031.
More from the Sabres to open the week:
- Power’s roster spot is going to defenseman Kale Clague, who the Sabres have recalled from AHL Rochester on an emergency basis, per a team announcement Monday. Buffalo recalled Clague under emergency conditions before Saturday’s overtime win over the Wild, but he was returned to Rochester after serving as a healthy scratch. Clague will likely be a scratch again against the Ducks on Monday but is an option to play if there’s an unexpected scratch. The 25-year-old has 23 points and a -8 rating in 42 games with Rochester.
- Also coming up to the active roster is netminder Dustin Tokarski, who will back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen against Anaheim on Monday, head coach Don Granato says (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550). Eric Comrie is unavailable with an illness and will be scratched. Tokarksi was summoned last Thursday to back up Comrie against the Panthers while Luukkonen was sidelined with a lower-body injury, but was returned to Rochester after Luukkonen was cleared to play over the weekend. The 34-year-old Tokarski has struggled in the minors this year, posting a .887 SV% in 17 games.
Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner With Logan O’Connor Questionable
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Chris Wagner. This recall marks a notable step forward in Wagner’s recovery from an Achille’s Tear before this season. The injury has limited him to just 11 AHL games this season, where he’s scored seven points. Wagner will now join the NHL roster to relieve Logan O’Connor, who is questionable to play in the team’s Sunday game against the Arizona Coyotes, per team head coach Jared Bednar. O’Connor is facing a lower-body injury that is expected to hold him out for the short term, though Bednar added that he doesn’t want to rush O’Connor back and risk turning a one-week injury into a longer-term one.
Wagner, 32, has served as a quaint, bottom-six centerman for much of his career, never scoring more than 20 points in a season but still managing 360 career NHL games. Wagner’s career year came in the 2018-19 season when he scored 12 goals and 19 points in 76 games with the Boston Bruins. Wagner would go on to spend the next four seasons in Boston, before signing a one-year, $775K contract with Colorado this summer.
Wagner’s minor league performances this season bring his career totals up to 92 goals and 171 points across 374 AHL games. It’s been a fruitful career for the former fifth-round pick, selected 122nd overall in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. Wagner has become one of seven players to play in at least 300 NHL games after being selected in 2010’s fifth, sixth, or seventh round, joining the likes of Brendan Gallagher, Frederik Andersen, and John Klingberg.
East Notes: York, van Riemsdyk, Fehérváry, Harris
Flyers defenseman Cam York is in the lineup for tonight’s Stadium Series game against the Devils, head coach John Tortorella confirms (via PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor). The 23-year-old sustained an upper-body injury Thursday against the Maple Leafs and told The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz yesterday that he was “not sure yet” about his status for tonight.
The 2019 14th-overall pick is handling the most responsibility of his young career, averaging a career-high 21:47 per game while posting six goals, 12 assists and 18 points in 55 appearances. He’s on pace for a career-high 27 points and has not missed a game this season.
More advanced metrics are less kind to his performance this year, however. His pairing with Travis Sanheim is the Flyers’ most used, logging 645 minutes together but controlling a mediocre 48.9% of expected goals in the process, per MoneyPuck. York’s 47.6 Corsi-for percentage at even strength is also the worst among Philadelphia’s full-time defensemen, but some growing pains are to be expected for an under-25 defenseman shouldering over 20 minutes per game for the first time.
Other updates from the Eastern Conference:
- Capitals veteran blue-liner Trevor van Riemsdyk draws in tonight against the Canadiens, The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson reports. The Middletown, New Jersey, native had missed the last four games with an illness and has only played in four of Washington’s last 11 games due to a handful of healthy scratches. He’s fallen down the depth chart after the team picked up Ethan Bear in free agency, a concerning development given he has two years remaining on a deal carrying a $3MM cap hit. He has eight assists and a -11 rating while averaging 18:30 in 40 games.
- As one returns for Washington, another defenseman departs as Martin Fehérváry sustained a lower-body injury early in tonight’s game against Montreal and will not return, the team says. The 24-year-old Slovak suffered a non-contact injury after falling awkwardly behind the Capitals net, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. He’s remained in a top-pairing role alongside John Carlson for most of the season, recording 12 points and a -6 rating in 46 games while logging 19:08 per game, down from an even 20 last season. The 2018 second-round pick also missed five games with a lower-body injury in November.
- Also absent on the blue line for tonight’s Habs/Caps tilt is Montreal’s Jordan Harris, who remained in a non-contact jersey at practice this morning, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu reports. Harris, 23, remains listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury that’s now cost him three games. It’s been a trying season for the 2018 third-round pick, who played just 1:34 against the Blues last Sunday after being a healthy scratch in four of the previous five games. Injuries have also taken a fair chunk out of his games played total this year, including a 15-game absence due to a lower-body injury in November and December. He has one goal and six points in 31 games while averaging 17:02 with a -5 rating and is locked into a $1.4MM cap hit through 2025.