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Injury Updates: Palmieri, Tarasov, Savoie

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Newsday’s Andrew Gross has reported more details on Kyle Palmieri’s preseason absence for the New York Islanders, writing that while Palmieri has begun skating once again, he hasn’t begun practicing yet and is still dealing with an undisclosed injury suffered before training camp. (paywall link) It’s difficult to ascertain the true implications of Palmieri’s current health status, as so much about where he is in terms of readiness to play in the NHL is unknown.

But what is known is the opportunity his absence is giving to other Islanders forwards. Palmieri, who scored 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games last season, is a regular in the Islanders’ top six, and now with him out of commission, the Islanders have slotted Hudson Fasching into Palmieri’s usual second-line role next to Brock Nelson and Pierre Engvall. It’s also possible another winger such as Simon Holmström, Oliver Wahlstrom, or Julien Gauthier could get a shot in the Islanders’ top-six if Palmieri remains injured.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen commented on the knee injury backup goalie Daniil Tarasov is currently dealing with, telling The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that they “don’t have a timeframe on Tarasov’s injury right now; it’s a work in progress.” (paywall link) Portzline writes that the knee issue could very well keep Tarasov out into the regular season. Kekäläinen was asked whether the Blue Jackets would consider rostering three goalies (Tarasov, Spencer Martin, Elvis Elvis Merzļikins) once Tarasov returned, to which Kekäläinen replied “that’s not a plan,” meaning recent waiver claim Spencer Martin could very well find himself on the waiver wire once again whenever Tarasov returns to full health.
  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Samuel Savoie suffered an ugly injury in last night’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild. After an attempted hit on Wild blueliner Alex Goligoski, Savoie slammed into the boards awkwardly and ended up needing to be stretchered off the ice. The Blackhawks announced today that Savoie “remains in Minnesota for further medical care” and have confirmed that Savoie has suffered a lower-body injury.

Alex Killorn Suffers Fractured Finger

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Alex Killorn’s regular season start to his time in Anaheim is going to be delayed as the team announced today (Twitter link) that the winger suffered a fractured finger on Wednesday night against San Jose.  He is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.

The 34-year-old was one of the top forwards available in free agency and ultimately landed the richest deal when the Ducks gave him a four-year, $25MM agreement.  He’s coming off another career year with Tampa Bay, one that saw him record 27 goals and 37 assists in 82 games while adding five points in six playoff contests against Toronto.

While Anaheim isn’t expected to be a playoff contender for a little while as they navigate through their rebuilding process, GM Pat Verbeek saw fit to add some veterans to his roster to help work with their young core.  Killorn was expected to be a big part of that and likely would have lined up on the top line on opening night but now, he’ll miss at least the first month of the season.

Killorn will be LTIR-eligible but Anaheim isn’t anywhere close to needing to rely on that.  With Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale still unsigned, the Ducks currently have over $16MM in cap space, per CapFriendly.  Even when those two sign, they’ll be far enough below the $83.5MM cap to not need to dip into LTIR.

There was some good news on the injury front for the Ducks today, however, as John Gibson was a full participant in practice.  He had left Friday’s contest at the midway mark due to an upper-body injury but it appears that the issue was a minor one.

Golden Knights Rule Out Zach Whitecloud For Rest Of Preseason

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Earlier this week, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy stated that he was hopeful that Zach Whitecloud’s upper-body injury wouldn’t be a long-term concern.  However, it won’t be a short-term one either as Cassidy told reporters today including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been ruled out for the rest of the preseason with an update on his status to come once the exhibition campaign has come to an end.

The 26-year-old has been one of the more successful undrafted college free agent signings over the past few years.  Whitecloud has become a reliable third-pairing blueliner for Vegas, earning himself a six-year, $16.5MM contract back in 2021.

Last season, he suited up in 59 games, picking up a dozen points while recording 97 blocks and 90 hits in a little over 17 minutes a night.  He followed that up with a good showing in the playoffs, playing in all 22 games, recording two goals and six assists while seeing his ATOI jump slightly to 18:42 per contest.

Fortunately for Vegas, they do have several candidates that could legitimately push for Whitecloud’s opening should he miss any regular season.  Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, and Dysin Mayo all have seen NHL action already while prospect Lukas Cormier should also be in the mix so if Whitecloud isn’t ready to start the year, they shouldn’t have to look outside the organization for a short-term replacement.

Injury Notes: Guentzel, Klingberg, Olivier

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The Pittsburgh Penguins got some good news this morning, as star winger Jake Guentzel was on the ice today at Penguins practice, sporting a non-contact jersey. Guentzel has been recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

While he’s presumably not fully ready for game action, Guentzel’s return is a crucially important development for the Penguins’ competitive hopes in a cutthroat Metropolitan Division. He’s the team’s best winger, and has scored 76 goals and 157 points in 154 games over the last two seasons. Getting him back up to full speed and into their lineup would do wonders for the Penguins’ top six and the chances of success for their entire offensive attack.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that blueliner John Klingberg will not practice today due to an upper-body injury, and is considered out on a day-to-day basis. Although this injury isn’t at this moment expected to keep Klingberg out of commission for any extended time, an injury at this point in the training camp and preseason could impact Klingberg’s ability to build early chemistry with his new teammates. The 31-year-old six-time 40-plus point defenseman played for two teams last season and is looking for a bounce-back year in Toronto.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda wrote on X that forward Mathieu Olivier hit the ice today at Blue Jackets practice for the first time this training camp, having been held out to that point by a leg injury. Olivier, 26, has two years and $1.1MM AAV remaining on his current contract, and is fighting for a depth role on head coach Pascal Vincent’s opening-night roster. The former Nashville Predator scored five goals and 15 points last season to go alongside 81 penalty minutes.

West Snapshots: Duclair, Tippett, Hintz

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Speaking with offseason acquisition, Anthony Duclair of the San Jose Sharks, Sharks beat writer, Curtis Pashelka, reports that the new forward may have some interest in signing an extension in San Jose. Duclair did indicate that there have been contract talks up to this point, as he looks to remain focused for the upcoming season.

Largely a salary dump addition by the Sharks this summer, Duclair is coming off a largely successful three-year run with the Florida Panthers. In 137 games in Sunrise since the start of the 2020-21 NHL season, Duclair has 43 goals and 56 assists, which amounts to the most points scored for any team he has played on throughout his career. Nevertheless, there is some injury concern along with him, as he was unable to play in the regular season last year until late February due to an Achilles injury.

Acquired at the start of free agency by the Sharks for forward Steven Lorentz and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick, Duclair should get plenty of opportunity in San Jose this year. Clearly in a rebuilding effort, Duclair is one of eight expiring contracts on the roster and should see an ample amount of time in the team’s top six. If Duclair remains healthy and continues to perform well, he is poised to be a probable mover at next year’s trade deadline if the two parties cannot come to a contract extension.

Other snapshots:

  • Before accepting the position as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2019-22, Dave Tippett was working as a Senior Advisor for the upstart Seattle expansion franchise, before they had even been given a formal name. After taking a year away from the game, the Seattle Kraken announced that Tippett would rejoin the organization, this time as a Coaching Consultant. A head coach of nearly 1,300 games, Tippett will bring a wealth of experience to the coaching staff of the Kraken, who are hoping to return to the playoffs for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
  • Mike Heika, a Senior Staff Writer for the Dallas Stars, reports that forward Roope Hintz is to be considered day-to-day, with the Stars remaining cautious on his timeline. Dealing with an upper-body injury, Hintz was unable to practice with the team today. The organization has only played two preseason matchups up to this point, one against the Arizona Coyotes, and the other against the Minnesota Wild, with Hintz being scratched for both matchups.

Winnipeg Jets Injury Notes: Ehlers, Capobianco, Barlow

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Unable to play in either contest against the Edmonton Oilers earlier in the week, Nikolaj Ehlers appears to be out even longer. Still dealing with the lingering effects of neck spasms, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press reports that Ehlers will miss tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames, as well as Friday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

Missing a handful of regular season games from 2020-2022, Ehlers spent one of his longest bouts on the injured reserve last season, missing six weeks of action due to a hernia. Only suiting up in 45 games, the Winnipeg Jets are hoping this injury does not continue to linger.

There is reason for optimism, as Wiebe notes that Ehlers is progressing nicely through the injury, but without being able to play a single game in the preseason, Ehlers may need a bit longer to acclimate himself than other players on the opening night roster. Although this is positive news in terms of his eventual return to the ice for Winnipeg, there is no specific timetable set for Ehlers’ return.

Other Winnipeg injury notes:

  •  In the same report, Wiebe writes that Jets’ depth defenseman, Kyle Capobianco, will be left off the roster for tonight’s game against the Flames due to a groin injury. Instead, the 164th overall selection of the 2020 NHL Draft, Tyrel Bauer, will take his place in the lineup. After agreeing to a deal with defenseman Logan Stanley in mid-August for the 2023-24 NHL season, Capobianco will be hard-pressed to find a spot on the Jets’ blue line to start the season, even after playing in 14 games for the team last year.
  • Lastly, in his return from an illness that kept him out a few days, Winnipeg’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Colby Barlow, will return to the ice with the team. Unable to find himself in the lineup for a preseason game up to this point, Barlow could see his first taste of professional action as early as tonight against Calgary.

Blues Injury Notes: Kyrou, Faulk, Kapanen, Ratcliffe, Burns

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Speaking with head coach Craig Berube of the St. Louis Blues today, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that two of the most important players on the Blues roster, defenseman Justin Faulk, and forward Jordan Kyrou are both “fine” and should be back with the team relatively soon.

Both players are dealing with lower-body injuries, likely sustained in their most recent preseason matchups. In Faulk, he played in the team’s winning effort against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, playing a little over 16 minutes, failing to land on the scoresheet. Kyrou, on the other hand, has not played since the team’s split-squad matchup against the Arizona Coyotes on September 23rd, where he would play in almost 18 minutes of that game, scoring one goal and one assist.

It is unknown whether or not either player will play in the team’s upcoming matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night, or this weekend’s game against the Dallas Stars. Nevertheless, it appears that both are dealing with minor injuries and should be available for either of those two games.

Other Blues injury notes:

  • In the same report, DeFranks mentions that Blues’ forward Kasperi Kapanen is dealing with an upper-body injury, and should be able to return to practice tomorrow. Much like the status of Faulk and Kyrou, it is unknown whether or not Kapanen will play in the organization’s upcoming games this week, but should be ready to factor in if necessary. Kapanen has only played one game this preseason, playing just over 18 minutes of the team’s win against Arizona, registering zero points.
  • For some longer-term injury notes, St. Louis forward Isaac Ratcliffe is confirmed out at the moment, with no timetable for his return. Factoring into Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jackets, Ratcliffe tallied a goal in 13 minutes of ice time, earning the third star of the game. On the bubble of the Blues’ roster heading into this season, for his own personal benefit, Ratcliffe can not afford to miss too much time if he hopes to crack the regular season lineup.
  • St. Louis’ third-round selection of the 2023 NHL Draft, Quinton Burns, has been unable to return to practice following a lower-body injury sustained in the game against the Coyotes. In all likelihood, even without the injury, the young defenseman would have been returned to his OHL team, the Kingston Frontenacs, for the 2023-24 season. In his game against Arizona, Burns accrued 16 minutes of ice time, earning 2 PIMs and one registered hit.

Dylan Gambrell Sustains Concussion, Out Long-Term

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Toronto Maple Leafs center Dylan Gambrell sustained a concussion in practice yesterday and is “out for the foreseeable future,” head coach Sheldon Keefe informed reporters today (relayed by Mark Masters of TSN). Gambrell signed a one-year, one-way league-minimum deal to join Toronto shortly after free agency opened in July.

It’s an unfortunate development for Gambrell, who hoped to compete for a fourth-line role to start the season in Toronto. That already became less likely with William Nylander shifting to center, bumping David Kämpf down to the fourth line, but it now seems even more likely Gambrell will be waived when healthy and, if he clears, assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. There is no current timeline for his return, but if he’s expected to miss at least ten games and 24 days to start the season, he could join Matt Murray and Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve, giving Toronto some much-needed salary cap maneuverability to start the season, even with just his marginal $775K cap hit. With the unpredictability of recovery timelines from concussions, this scenario could very well play out.

Gambrell, 27, is entering his seventh NHL season. After beginning his career with the San Jose Sharks, he spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa Senators, playing a fourth-line center role. Despite recording over a point per game during all three of his collegiate campaigns at the University of Denver, he hasn’t had any sustained success at the NHL level. Last season, he recorded four goals, six assists and ten points in 60 games, winning just 45.1% of his draws and posting quite poor possession numbers (44.8% Corsi For, -8.2% relative Corsi For at even strength). Overall, he’s notched 40 points in 223 games, along with a -28 rating throughout his six-year career.

This opens up a clearer path for one of his former Sharks teammates, Noah Gregor, to sign a contract with the team after attending camp on a PTO. Gregor has routinely taken line rushes at left wing alongside Kämpf and Ryan Reaves throughout camp and hit the ten-goal mark for the first time in his four-year career last season with San Jose.

Flames’ Jakob Pelletier Out Indefinitely With Shoulder Injury

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Calgary Flames rookie forward Jakob Pelletier is out indefinitely after sustaining a left shoulder injury during a preseason game Monday against the Seattle Kraken, according to a team announcement. The 22-year-old will undergo shoulder surgery next week.

Pelletier sustained the injury late in the first period on a hit from behind from Kraken winger Marian Studenic, who received a boarding major and game misconduct on the play. He was able to skate off under his own power but was favoring his upper body.

Calgary’s 26th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Pelletier made his NHL debut last season after earning AHL All-Rookie Team honors in 2021-22. Skating in 24 contests with the Flames, the Québec City-born winger notched three goals and four assists for seven points. He fell two games short of losing his Calder Trophy eligibility for 2023-24.

Pelletier’s minor-league play since turning pro in 2021 has been simply outstanding, recording 43 goals and 56 points for 99 points in 101 games. That production, plus a decent NHL showing despite clashing with head coach Darryl Sutter last season, was expected to earn him a spot in Calgary’s new-look opening-night lineup under rookie NHL head coach Ryan Huska. Now, unfortunately, it seems that won’t be the case.

His absence from the opening night lineup could open up a spot for journeyman Dryden Hunt on the fourth line. Hunt, 27, had quite the whirlwind season last year, spending time under contract with four NHL organizations (New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Calgary). He didn’t dress in any NHL action for the Flames, reporting to the AHL’s Wranglers after acquiring him via trade from Toronto, but he did impress in the minors with 15 points in 17 games. He has 202 games of NHL experience to his name and plays with some speed and tenacity that could make him an attractive fourth-line fit, presumably alongside Kevin Rooney and Walker Duehr.

Given Pelletier’s unique status as a rookie but having logged significant NHL action last season, his cap hit will not be zeroed out should Calgary place him on season-opening injured reserve as would be the case with many other rookie players on two-way deals. Instead, because he played less than 50 games last season, his cap hit if placed on SOIR will be reduced from $863K to $406K, per PuckPedia. $406K would also be the amount of cap relief given if Calgary instead placed him on long-term injured reserve, assuming they determine Pelletier will miss the ten games and 24 days required for such a move. That could be impactful savings early on for a team without the salary cap flexibility to carry a full 23-man roster.

East Snapshots: Edmundson, Jarnkrok, Cross

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Earlier this morning, it was reported that the new Washington Capitals’ defenseman, Joel Edmundson, would not partake in team activities after suffering an injury during a team scrimmage. Unfortunately for both he and the team, Stephen Whyno of AP, is reporting that Edmundson’s prognosis is not good, but it was not similar to the injury that kept him out of the lineup for all of February last season.

Hoping for a rebound season during his arrival in Washington, Edmundon’s last season in Montreal was one of, if not the worst of his career. In 61 games played, Edmundson would score two goals and 11 assists, posting career lows in plus/minus, CF%, and oiSV%. Still averaging almost 20 minutes a game for the Canadiens, Edmundson looked like a completely different player than the one Montreal had during the 2020-21 season.

Given the current makeup of Washington’s blue line, if he was to have a season of rejuvenation, Edmundson conceivably could have slotted in anywhere between three and six on the Capitals’ defensive depth chart. If Edmundson is to indeed land on the injured reserve for a while, Washington’s blue line will look remarkably similar to last season, while hopefully receiving a full year of play from both John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin.

Other snapshots:

  •  Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs forward, Calle Jarnkrok is considered day-to-day, and could skate as early as tomorrow. Jarnkrok did not play in the team’s second preseason game last night against the Ottawa Senators, but given his timeline, could play in Toronto’s game tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres. During the regular season, Jarnkrok will likely slot into one of the top fourth lines in the league, next to David Kampf and Ryan Reaves.
  • A veteran of over 500 games in the American Hockey League, former defenseman Tommy Cross has found his new career off the ice. Spending the last several years in the St. Louis Blues organization, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Cross as a defensive development coach. In his new role, Cross will primarily be working with Columbus defensemen who have yet to crack the NHL roster.

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