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Injury

Sean Kuraly Out Six Weeks

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Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly is expected to miss six weeks after suffering a left oblique strain during practice on Thursday. The team made the announcement on Friday, adding another name to a long list of Blue Jackets injuries this season.

Game 82 of Columbus’ season, against the Buffalo Sabres, is exactly six weeks from today, meaning Kuraly may have played his last game of 2022-23. If so, he finishes the campaign with 10 goals and seven assists in 59 games, his second consecutive season hitting double-digit goals.

Kuraly had averaged 14:49 per game, serving as a quintessential bottom-six checking center for Columbus. His line with Eric Robinson and Mathieu Olivier had been Columbus’ most consistently deployed unit of the season, per MoneyPuck, surviving many injury-related lineup changes.

While the Blue Jackets are the healthiest they’ve been in quite some time, they’re still without Zach Werenski, Jake Bean, and Justin Danforth, none of whom are expected to return this season. Lane Pederson, claimed on waivers from the Vancouver Canucks at the end of January, could slide into Kuraly’s spot in the lineup between Robinson and Olivier.

Buffalo Sabres Place Rasmus Dahlin On Injured Reserve

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The Buffalo Sabres announced on Thursday that defenseman Riley Stillman has been added to the active roster, while defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has been placed on injured reserve.

Dahlin has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury, a significant blow for the Sabres as they continue to battle for a playoff spot. They’ve conceded nine goals in their past two outings without Dahlin, and while they were able to rally for seven goals to defeat the Washington Capitals, poor defense cost them points against the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets.

The 22-year-old has been one of the top defensemen in the league this season, recording a jaw-dropping 62 points in 56 games. He leads all Sabres skaters in ice time, averaging 26:01 per game. He’s still classified as day-to-day, though, and could be activated ahead of Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers if healthy. However, the move to injured reserve confirms he’ll miss at least the next two games.

It’ll be a tough go for those two games against high-powered division rivals: the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Stillman is ready to join the team after being acquired Monday from the Vancouver Canucks and clearing immigration hurdles. Although he provides NHL experience, he doesn’t move the needle much to fill in for someone of Dahlin’s caliber. It means the pressure shifts almost entirely to rookie Owen Power to ensure the Sabres don’t lose too much ground in the playoff race over the next few days.

The 24-year-old Stillman had played in 32 games for the Canucks before the trade, registering five assists. Now on his fourth NHL team, Stillman could relieve Jacob Bryson in the lineup. His pairing with Ilya Lyubushkin has been the team’s worst in terms of expected goals among pairings with at least 150 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

Buffalo remains in a playoff spot by points percentage, but the New York Islanders and now-fortified Ottawa Senators stay on their tail.

Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno Placed On Injured Reserve

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It’s not all roses for the Boston Bruins today. After acquiring Tyler Bertuzzi and signing David Pastrnak to a long-term extension, the team has announced some injury news. Taylor Hall has been placed on long-term injured reserve, and Nick Foligno on regular injured reserve. With the extra roster spot, Jakub Lauko has been recalled.

Hall’s placement on LTIR explains how the team was able to fit Bertuzzi under the cap, but also means the winger will miss at least ten games with the lower-body injury he suffered a few days ago.

Darren Dreger of TSN reported earlier today that he is getting a second opinion, though it seems he’ll be out for a while either way.

Hall hadn’t scored in his last five games and has been rather pedestrian this season compared to his previous lofty performances, though with so much talent in Boston, it’s hard to really stand out. His 16 goals and 36 points in 58 games represent a solid secondary contributor, one that will now effectively be replaced by Bertuzzi in the lineup.

Foligno, 35, has slowed down tremendously from his fast start, with only 13 points coming since the beginning of December (38 games). The veteran forward is still capable defensively and can fill in up the lineup in a pinch, but is more of a depth player for the Bruins at this point in his career. Even before the injury, he had averaged less than 13 minutes in his ten previous games.

The Bruins can afford some injuries, but these are still things to monitor as the postseason approaches. Boston is built to win the Stanley Cup this season and has poured assets into the trade deadline to chase it.

Snapshots: Brossoit, Fines, Annunen

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The Vegas Golden Knights have placed Laurent Brossoit on injured reserve, meaning he is out for at least the next week. The 29-year-old goaltender only just returned a week ago, and flashed one of the best saves of the year on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.

An injury to Brossoit is certainly not what the Golden Knights need right now, but they at least don’t have a back-to-back situation for the next little while. Logan Thompson can carry the load, with Michael Hutchinson up serving as his backup.

  • The Department of Player Safety handed out a pair of fines from the Vancouver-Dallas game last night. First is a $5,000 penalty to Colin Miller for elbowing, and second is a $2,027.03 fine to Christian Wolanin for slashing. The fines are based on player salary, and are each the maximum allowable under the CBA.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Justus Annunen again, as they prepare for a back-to-back this weekend against Dallas and Seattle. The 22-year-old netminder has appeared just once this season, stopping 19 of 20 shots to secure a victory over the St. Louis Blues earlier this month.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Carson Meyer, Yegor Chinakhov

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Carson Meyer and Yegor Chinakhov from injured reserve, immediately sending them both down to the minor leagues. The pair have each missed at least 20 games and will need some time in the AHL before any further action with the Blue Jackets.

Chianakhov, 22, last played on December 19, lasting just one shift before going down to a serious ankle injury. The young forward had recorded 13 points in his first 30 games and had recently been moved up the lineup to receive more ice time. Now, with the months-long setback behind him, he’ll try to get back on track and re-establish himself as an NHL talent going into next season.

Meyer, meanwhile, last played on January 10 and was already getting only a handful of shifts per game. The 25-year-old forward failed to record a single point in his 13 games with Columbus this season, but is an excellent piece for the Cleveland Monsters. While he might get another chance with the Blue Jackets, his activation will be a big boost for an AHL club struggling to stay relevant in the Calder Cup chase.

Incredibly, the Blue Jackets still have five players on injured reserve even with the two activations. It has been a catastrophic season for the club that expected to challenge for the playoffs after signing Johnny Gaudreau last summer. It should be noted that activating and sending Chinakhov and Meyer down does open up some extra cap room for Columbus, who are currently operating in the LTIR relief created by Zach Werenski’s season-ending injury. If they wanted to add at the deadline, these moves only help.

Injury Notes: Konecny, Raymond, Hall

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It’s been a week since Travis Konecny went down to an upper-body injury, and the Philadelphia Flyers still haven’t released an official timeline for his return. Today, head coach John Tortorella gave reports at least a bit of an update, explaining to Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that Konecny would be out for an extended period.

As much as Tortorella and the rest of the Flyers don’t want to admit it, removing Konecny from the lineup may actually be a good thing. The 25-year-old is the team’s best offensive (and perhaps all-around) player, with 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games this season. His absence has been evident over the last few games, including a 5-2 loss to the bottom-dwelling Montreal Canadiens and a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of the rival New Jersey Devils. As the Flyers drop toward the bottom of the standings, they rise closer to the top of the draft lottery odds.

  • Lucas Raymond has been activated from injured reserve by the Detroit Red Wings, with Jordan Oesterle taking his place to clear the roster space. The young Raymond returns to a surging Red Wings group within three points of an Eastern Conference wildcard position with a home-and-home on tap with the Ottawa Senators, starting this evening. Soon to turn 21, Raymond has 15 goals and 33 points in 50 games this season.
  • Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reports that Taylor Hall has left the Boston Bruins traveling party and returned for evaluation and treatment of a lower-body injury. He’ll miss at least the next two games, meaning they’ll need someone else to take his spot in the lineup. Hall was already playing fewer minutes of late, receiving fewer than 14 in each of his last three games.

New Jersey Devils Place Mackenzie Blackwood On IR

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Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, retroactive to Feb. 21, by the New Jersey Devils, the team announced on Twitter. 

Blackwood’s injury comes just a day after Devils fans were celebrating the Timo Meier trade with the San Jose Sharks. Blackwood has been no stranger to the injured list in recent seasons, and has played just 17 games this season with a 3.04 GAA and .900 save percentage.

The Devils have received strong play in the crease this season from Vitek Vanecek, who has shined with a 2.37 GAA and .913 save percentage with 25 wins in 38 games played this season.

Rookie goaltender Akira Schmid also recorded a 23-save shutout for his first NHL win on Saturday in a 7-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The future of Blackwood in New Jersey was an unclear situation that is made even muddier by the announcement Monday he is headed to the IR yet again. With the Devils’ focus turning toward being ready for the postseason, if Blackwood is unable to suit up for the stretch run, he may be left out of New Jersey’s future plans.

Blackwood is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, and with his status being almost an annual uncertainty, he very well may find himself without a qualifying offer and on the open market this offseason.

Snapshots: Bear, Stalock, Sanford

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The Vancouver Canucks will be without Ethan Bear for the next little while, after he suffered an injury last night. Bear was moved to injured reserve today, with Noah Juulsen recalled in his place.

Vancouver is quickly running out of options for a team that is expected to move at least one defenseman at the deadline. Bear joins eight other players on IR (regular or long-term) for the Canucks, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Travis Dermott, and Tucker Poolman.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have activated Alex Stalock from injured reserve, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. That is encouraging news after he was ruled out with ocular dysfunction from multiple head injuries for a while. His return means Jaxson Stauber is being sent back to the AHL, despite a pretty impressive performance from the rookie netminder. Stauber went 5-1 in six games with a .911 save percentage.
  • With Nino Niederreiter gone, the Nashville Predators have recalled Zach Sanford from the minor leagues. The big forward has nine goals and 19 points in 32 games with the Milwaukee Admirals but just two points in eight NHL contests so far this season.

Snapshots: Dumba, Olofsson, Boqvist

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The Minnesota Wild have acted as a banker the last few weeks, retaining salary in two transactions to grab some extra draft capital. Given their place in the standings, though, many assume they will do something more significant at the deadline. General manager Bill Guerin spoke candidly about his team today, once again answering specific questions on Matt Dumba:

Look. If someone comes through and offers a boatload for him we’ll think about it, but as of right now, Matt’s playing his best hockey of the year. I would bet that he’s here through the end of the year. I can’t make that promise, but he’s playing pretty good hockey right now. 

Dumba, 28, is on an expiring contract, and despite Guerin’s comments that he’ll be in Minnesota through the end of the season, he once again implied that the team wouldn’t be able to (or wouldn’t even try to) re-sign him in the summer. Minnesota is in fourth in the Central but just four points behind the division-leading Dallas Stars.

  • Speaking of Dallas, they have once again loaned Fredrik Olofsson to the minor leagues, as they do on almost every off-day. The Stars have been banking cap space all season, and today’s addition of Evgenii Dadonov opened up even more room, due to the salary retention by the Montreal Canadiens. The team now has plenty of flexibility going into this week’s negotiations and could add another significant player.
  • Adam Boqvist was scratched from today’s Columbus Blue Jackets game due to a lower-body injury but is only out day-to-day, according to the team. The young defenseman was playing arguably his best hockey of the season lately, registering points in five of his last six games. He was replaced in the lineup by Billy Sweezey, who is making his NHL debut while Vladislav Gavrikov continues to sit out.

Michael Rasmussen Out Indefinitely For Detroit Red Wings

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Forward Michael Rasmussen is out indefinitely for the Detroit Red Wings, with a lower-body injury, announced via coach Derek Lalonde on the team’s Twitter account.

Team reporter Carley Johnston reports more will be known in the coming days but a timetable is not yet known for his return.

Rasmussen, 23, has recorded 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 56 games this season. The 6’6″ Canadian behemoth hasn’t produced at the NHL level at the rate one would expect from a top-10 pick, but has started to carve out a role on a Red Wings team still trying to discover its identity.

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