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Canucks Shutting Filip Hronek Down For The Rest Of The Season

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Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek returned to the lineup last week from a shoulder injury but that return was short-lived.  Speaking with reporters today at his pregame press conference (video link), head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that they’ve decided to shut the blueliner down for the rest of the season:

There’s really no reason for him to come back. If this were a playoff game, he’d be in the game, but it’s not a playoff game. Every game is important to us obviously, but not at the expense of… he’s going to have a long time to get his shoulder perfect.

The 25-year-old was somewhat surprisingly acquired from Detroit just before the trade deadline earlier this month with Vancouver opting to add to their back end despite not being in a playoff position.  Of course, Hronek isn’t a rental player with another year left on his deal plus one more season of RFA eligibility after that.  GM Patrik Allvin made the move with the hopes that Hronek could benefit from a bigger role on a new team to help solidify his back end.

Unfortunately, the early results on that front are basically inconclusive.  Hronek will wind up playing in just four games with Vancouver and while he logged more than 24 minutes a night, that’s far too small of a sample size to derive any meaningful conclusions from.  Overall, his point output this season winds up nearly identical to that of 2021-22; he finishes with nine goals and 29 assists in 60 games compared to nine goals and 30 helpers in 64 contests a season ago.

Tocchet indicated that Hronek is fine with the decision to sit him for the final couple of weeks of the season to give him ample time to fully heal up his shoulder for 2023-24.  If he’s able to log upwards of 24 minutes a night for the Canucks next season, he’ll certainly give their back end a significant boost.

Vegas Golden Knights Recall Brayden Pachal, Shea Theodore Injured

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The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reported Wednesday that defenseman Shea Theodore is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and will not travel with the team on their brief road trip to San Jose. In response to Theodore’s injury, the Golden Knights announced the recall of defenseman Brayden Pachal from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.

With the playoffs rapidly approaching, the Golden Knights will likely be cautious with Theodore’s status and not rush him back if unnecessary. While a playoff spot is practically guaranteed, they do have the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers breathing down their neck for first place in the Pacific Division, so their remaining schedule isn’t exactly meaningless.

Theodore holds a slight edge on Alex Pietrangelo for the highest points per game by a Vegas defenseman this year, recording 41 points in 54 games while playing over 21 minutes per game. Theodore remains a dynamic puck-moving defender and an analytical darling, as he has for much of his NHL career.

Pachal comes up to the NHL club as an extra body, with Ben Hutton expected to replace Theodore in the lineup. The 23-year-old recorded his first two NHL points this season, both assists, in a nine-game stint spanning December and January. This is his first recall in over two months.

East Injury Notes: Lindgren, Lauko, Bastian

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New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant gave an update on the status of defenseman Ryan Lindgren on Wednesday, stating he believes Lindgren’s return is at least two weeks away, but emphasized that he does not want to rush him back too soon. The New York Post’s Mollie Walker also speculated that the team is hopeful for Lindgren’s return before the playoffs start on April 17.

Lindgren has been sidelined with an upper-body injury for the most part since February 26, playing in one game on March 21 before exiting the lineup again. He’s missed 14 of the team’s past 15 games as a result. He’s been an important player again for the Rangers this season, recording 18 points in 58 games played, along with a +28 rating in a top-pairing role. Having already clinched a playoff spot and practically locked into a divisional playoff matchup with the New Jersey Devils, the team won’t rush his return back to the lineup.

  • Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told reporters Wednesday that forward Jakub Lauko is a possibility to play in tomorrow’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Lauko missed yesterday’s game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The 23-year-old Czech winger has four goals in 18 games for Boston this season.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Nathan Bastian is again on the shelf, and NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky reports it’s the same upper-body injury that kept Bastian out for nearly two months earlier this season. Despite the setback, Bastian stated that he’s feeling better and hoping to return to the ice before the end of the season. It’s noted that Bastian wasn’t completely healthy when originally returning from the injury, explaining what some viewed as a dip in his play.

Robby Fabbri Shut Down For Remainder Of Season

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde announced on Wednesday that forward Robby Fabbri is officially out for the rest of 2022-23 due to a lower-body injury.

In addition to the announcement about Fabbri, the Red Wings also announced that forward Taro Hirose has been reassigned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Hirose, 26, made his season debut in last night’s 7-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing 7:57. He’s continued to be one of Grand Rapids’ best players this season, leading the team in scoring with 15 goals, 39 assists, and 54 points in 64 games.

Fabbri has been dealing with a lower-body injury since March 8, and Lalonde said Fabbri will require a four-to-six-week recovery period from this point forward. However, he is expected to fully recover in time for the 2023-24 NHL season.

It’s an unfortunate break for Fabbri, who’s no stranger to significant injuries. He missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season and most of the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL and upper-body injury, respectively. Fabbri also missed the end of 2021-22 with another ACL injury, and an MCL injury cost him the first few months of the 2022-23 campaign.

Fabbri, 27, still managed to produce when healthy this season, scoring seven goals and nine assists in 28 games. He was acquired by the team in a trade with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

Thomas Chabot Out “A Couple Weeks”

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The Ottawa Senators may be without star defenseman Thomas Chabot for the rest of the season, after head coach DJ Smith told Claire Hanna of TSN that he’ll miss a couple of weeks with an upper-body injury. The Senators’ final game of the season is April 13, just over two weeks from now.

That is, of course, unless they pull off a miraculous run over the last eight games to secure a playoff position. Ottawa sits five points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins but has several other teams – the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals – also chasing that final spot. They would need to play considerably better than the 3-6-1 record they have over their last ten and now would have to do it without their most reliable defenseman.

Chabot, 26, recorded the second double-digit goal season of his career this year, potting 11 while racking up 41 points in 68 games. The smooth-skating defenseman averaged close to 25 minutes a night, a number that is actually down from his last few years. That’s likely because of the improvements to his supporting cast, including the recent arrival of Jakob Chychrun, who, unfortunately, will also miss a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury.

In better news for the Senators, it appears Ridly Greig may not be out for the season after all. Smith told Hanna there is “not as much risk as we originally thought” and that Grieg is back skating. He has not been cleared yet, and if there is any risk at all, the Senators won’t rush back the young forward.

Philipp Kurashev Out For Regular Season

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The Chicago Blackhawks have nine games left before this dreadful season ends, but Philipp Kurashev won’t be in the lineup for any of them. The young forward has been shut down with a shoulder injury for the remainder of the schedule.

Kurashev, 23, suffered the injury just two shifts into a game against the Washington Capitals last week. While it doesn’t require surgery, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago, the team isn’t going to rush him back into the lineup when there’s nothing left to play for.

The Blackhawks are still trying to land the best draft lottery odds, after all, and despite his up-and-down year, Kurashev helps them compete on a nightly basis.

The Swiss forward set career highs with nine goals and 25 points this season, averaging a whopping 17:25—up from his previous career average of 12:57.

Kurashev heads into the summer as an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent after his one-year, $750K contract expires. It will be interesting to see if the team tries to sign him to a multi-year deal as a key part of their rebuild, or continues to go year-by-year on low-cost contracts.

Penguins Notes: Jarry, Petry, Bonino

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Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry’s current absence is related to a new lower-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed to reporters on Monday. The injury is not an aggravation of Jarry’s previous lower-body injury, which cost him seven games in January.

Jarry was healthy enough to dress as the backup for Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals but has not played since last Wednesday. Casey DeSmith stopped 31 of 34 shots against Washington on Saturday to guide the team to a much-needed 4-3 win. Jarry’s injury troubles have been countered by DeSmith’s strong play in the month of March, recording a .921 save percentage in seven appearances to help keep the Penguins in playoff position. In contrast, Jarry’s save percentage has dipped to .908 on the season as he continues to battle injuries.

More notes from Sullivan on the status of his injured players today:

  • Defenseman Jeff Petry’s availability for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings remains uncertain. Sullivan announced that Petry’s status will be a game-time decision after the 35-year-old blueliner has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury. Petry himself told reporters that today’s practice was “a step forward,” but wouldn’t comment on his status for Tuesday.
  • Center Nick Bonino skated before practice on Monday, according to Sullivan. Acquired at the trade deadline, Bonino played just three games back in a Penguins uniform before a kidney laceration landed him on long-term injured reserve. It’s a good sign for the veteran center’s long-term health that a return to the ice seems to be a nearing possibility.

Columbus Blue Jackets Issue Injury Updates

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In what’s becoming a tired refrain, the Columbus Blue Jackets have issued multiple injury updates after a blowout loss over the weekend. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson’s season is over with a separated shoulder, while defenseman Nick Blankenburg is week-to-week with an ankle injury and could also be done for the year. Winger Mathieu Olivier may have also played his last game this season, as he’s out two to four weeks with a lower leg bone bruise. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

For Gudbranson, the injury ends a rocky first campaign in Columbus after signing a four-year, $4MM average annual value contract in the offseason. The 31-year-old had 13 points in 70 games, seeing his defensive play regress back to some of the worst metrics in the league after a brief spike last season with the Calgary Flames.

Blankenburg has also struggled with injuries most of the year, but the 24-year-old rookie has played well. Some doubted Blankenburg’s NHL viability after signing with Columbus as a free agent out of college to end last season. Still, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound defender finished the year with 14 points in 36 games without being a complete defensive liability on a struggling team.

In his first season in Columbus, Olivier has set career highs in every offensive category, playing in 66 games and registering five goals and 15 points. The 26-year-old hard-nosed winger had found a consistent home on the team’s fourth line.

Without Merzlikins in the fold for the next few games, Columbus is down to minor-league veterans Michael Hutchinson and Jon Gillies as their netminders for the next few games.

West Notes: Kurashev, Kolesar, Johnsson, Knyzhov

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Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that forward Reese Johnson will be replacing Philipp Kurashev in the lineup tonight. Johnson will suit up in his first game since the team’s February 19th win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his report, Pope mentions that Kurashev may be headed toward concussion protocol, but are waiting until the team returns to Chicago to make a better determination. In 70 games played for the struggling Blackhawks so far this season, Kurashev has scored nine goals and 16 assists. Although these may seem like tepid numbers from a forward, he has passed his total production from last season, which must be a welcomed sign from the rebuilding Chicago team.

Other notes:

  • After being out since March 11th, the head of the Vegas Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy, reports that Keegan Kolesar will be back in the lineup for tonight’s game. Although Kolesar does not usually generate a lot of offensive chances for the Golden Knights, the forward has thrown 240 hits so far this year, good for seventh overall throughout the entire league. As the Golden Knights are making their final push to return to the playoffs, Kolesar’s ability to throw the body is a valuable asset to employ come playoff time.
  • Since being acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline, forward Andreas Johnsson has not been able to find his footing in the Bay Area just yet. Tallying just three assists in 13 games for the Sharks, Johnsson has been out since the team’s March 20th game with an injury. Sharks beat writer Curtis Pashelka passes on a note from head coach David Quinn that the new forward will likely be out for some time, with no update on when he will return to the lineup.
  • Continuing on with the Sharks, the team has announced that defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov has been sent down to their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda. Spending most of this year on the team’s long-term injured reserve, Knyzhov has suited up in nine games for San Jose, scoring only one goal from the back end.

 

Jakob Chychrun To Miss Multiple Weeks

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When the Senators acquired Jakob Chychrun from Arizona just prior to the trade deadline, the hope was that his addition would help lead a late playoff push.  That push just got considerably more difficult now as head coach D.J. Smith told TSN 1200 (Twitter link) that the blueliner will miss at least a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury.

Chychrun had made a nice impact on Ottawa’s back end since the trade, collecting five points in a dozen games while averaging more than two blocks per contest in 21 minutes a night of action.  For the season, he has played in 48 games between the Sens and Coyotes, picking up 33 points (the second most of his career) with his strong showing early on helping Arizona land three draft picks (including Ottawa’s first-round pick this season) in the swap.

Earlier this week, the Senators signed prospect Tyler Kleven to a contract that begins this season, giving him the opportunity to get into some NHL action down the stretch.  With Chychrun potentially out for the remainder of the regular season, it might not be long before he’s making his professional debut.  Meanwhile, Ottawa has ten games left in their push for a Wild Card spot and currently trails Pittsburgh by five points for the final seed.  They’ll be dealing with a considerably weaker back end to try to make that happen.

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