Devils Place Jonas Siegenthaler On IR, Recall Two From AHL
The Devils announced that defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler was placed on injured reserve today, likely retroactive to his last appearance on January 6, with a foot fracture. Forward Shane Bowers and defensemen Cal Foote were recalled from AHL Utica in corresponding moves.
Head coach Lindy Ruff said last weekend that Siegenthaler, 26, would likely miss significant time. As such, he’s expected to remain on IR longer than the minimum seven-day stay. The team’s secondary shutdown defender behind John Marino has six goals, 37 assists, 43 points, and a +15 rating in 196 contests with the Devils since coming over to New Jersey from the Capitals in an April 2021 trade.
Now in the first season of a five-year, $17MM extension signed shortly after he became eligible for one in July 2022, Siegenthaler has spent this season riding shotgun with Dougie Hamilton or Simon Nemec on the Devils’ top pairing. Hamilton has been out since late November with a left pectoral muscle tear and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Nemec has effectively shouldered heavy minutes in his first NHL stint since being selected second overall in the 2022 draft.
Before his injury, Siegenthaler had one goal, seven assists and a -1 rating while averaging 19:54 of ice time through 38 games.
Bowers and Foote come up to alleviate the pains of a Devils roster currently without Hamilton and Siegenthaler on defense and Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Tomáš Nosek, and Ondřej Palát at forward all due to injuries. The two recalls get the Devils to the minimum 18 skaters on the active roster, meaning they’ll both draw in for their season debuts against the Lightning on Thursday.
New Jersey acquired the signing rights for the 24-year-old Bowers, who was originally the Senators’ 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft, from the Bruins in exchange for the rights to minor-league defenseman Reilly Walsh in a June 2023 trade, the third time Bowers has been traded in his young professional career. The Devils promptly inked Bowers to a one-year, two-way deal, which carries a $775K cap hit and sees him earn $125K in the minors this year, where he has six goals and just one assist in 29 games with Utica. The Nova Scotian has one NHL game to his name, taking three shifts as a member of the Avalanche against the Predators in November 2022 before exiting with injury.
Foote was also a first-round pick, selected 14 spots ahead of Bowers by the Lightning in 2017. Dealt to the Predators last season in the Tanner Jeannot trade, he became a UFA last July after not receiving a qualifying offer. The Devils snapped him up in August, joining him in the organization with his brother, Nolan Foote, on a one-year, two-way deal with an $800K cap hit. The 25-year-old didn’t make the team out of camp, but this is not his first recall of the season. He was rostered for eight games in late October and early November, although he was a healthy scratch for all of them. He’s logged nine points and a -14 rating in 24 games with Utica.
Given their pedestrian minor-league performance, Bowers and Foote will likely see limited usage during their time on the NHL roster. Foote’s recall gives the Devils four right-shot defensemen, meaning one of Foote, Marino, Nemec, or Colin Miller will need to shift to their off-side for Thursday’s game and beyond.
Injury Updates: Wild, Sabres, Lehkonen
The Minnesota Wild have been dealing with an absolutely massive slate of injuries in their recent stretch of games, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the team. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported today that the trio of core pillars for the Wild, Kirill Kaprizov, Filip Gustavsson, and Jared Spurgeon are all “progressing and skating,” and thereby in their “next phase” toward full returns to the ice.
Adding Kaprizov, Spurgeon, and Gustavsson back to their roster would give the Wild their number-one winger, number-one defenseman, and number-one goalie back. The team has been strong under new head coach John Hynes, but in order for them to truly have a chance of keeping up in the Central Division that trio of players will need to return to the ice sooner rather than later.
Some other injury updates from across the NHL:
- As reported by the Buffalo Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe, Buffalo Sabres wingers Victor Olofsson and Jordan Greenway are currently sick and out on a day-to-day timeline for the team. Olofsson was a healthy scratch for the team’s most recent game in favor of Eric Robinson, while Greenway skated on their third line alongside Zach Benson and Casey Mittelstadt. With captain Kyle Okposo now out week-to-week, the possibility both Greenway and Olofsson miss tomorrow’s game against the Seattle Kraken would mean the team could potentially need to recall a forward or two from the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
- Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reports that forward Artturi Lehkonen is skating at Avalanche practice in a white jersey, meaning he has officially moved past the non-contact stage of his injury recovery. The 28-year-old Finnish winger had a breakout campaign last season when he scored at a 27-goal, 65-point 82-game pace and had scored eight points in 12 games this season before suffering his significant injury.
Injury Updates: Sandin Pellikka, Bennett, Ovechkin
Axel Sandin Pellikka, one of the Detroit Red Wings’ top prospects, played the gold medal game of the recent IIHF World Junior Championship through an injury. Additionally, Sandin Pellikka will at the very least miss this full next week as he awaits further information on the injury, which could have a “longer recovery period” according to Swedish outlet Sportbladet.
Although Sandin Pellikka couldn’t quite manage to lead Sweden to the gold medal, he nonetheless had an extremely strong tournament with six points in seven games. He’s played club hockey this year for Skellefteå AIK, one of the SHL’s better teams. Playing as the team’s number-two defenseman, Sandin Pellikka has had a strong start to the season with nine goals and 13 points in 25 games.
Some other injury notes from around the NHL:
- Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett sustained an upper-body injury, according to head coach Paul Maurice. (via AP’s Colby Guy) Maurice added that they’re “not too concerned” about the injury, indicating that it’s likely his injury will not keep him out for much longer than a day-to-day timeline. Bennett is currently slotted in as the Panthers’ second-line center in between Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe, and he has scored seven goals and 14 points in 27 games this season.
- The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber reports that Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is a game-time decision for today’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings. Ovechkin played in the Capitals’ most recent game but was held out of yesterday’s practice as a maintenance day. Ovechkin’s absence would leave a hole on the Capitals’ first line to be filled, with healthy scratch Matthew Phillips potentially taking up his role next to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson.
Jonas Siegenthaler Likely Out Longer-Term With Broken Foot
Devils blueliner Jonas Siegenthaler sustained a broken foot in last night’s 6-4 loss to the Canucks and will be out for a “bit,” head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters postgame (including the team’s Amanda Stein). Siegenthaler sustained the injury while blocking a shot early in the second period but stayed on the ice trying to defend as the team couldn’t exit the zone, eventually resulting in a Vancouver goal against (video link, viewer discretion advised).
With number-one defenseman Dougie Hamilton already on the shelf as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle that may sideline him through the end of the regular season, the Devils are now without both halves of their top defense pairing to begin the season. Their injury bug, which already held forwards Jack Hughes, Timo Meier and Ondřej Palát out of last night’s loss, has officially reached their defense corps, too.
The left-shot defender began his career as a depth defender for the Capitals before the Devils snagged him for a third-round pick in an April 2021 trade. It’s since emerged as one of the best deals of GM Tom Fitzgerald‘s tenure, as Siegenthaler immediately emerged as a top-four threat with consistently above-average defensive impacts. He notched five goals and 35 points, along with a +22 rating in 150 games throughout his first two seasons in the Garden State, averaging 20:21 per game.
His average ice time is down to 19:54 this season, although that’s dragged down significantly after he logged only 9:34 in last night’s loss before exiting with the foot fracture. Once again occupying top-pairing duties alongside Hamilton and now rookie Simon Nemec, Siegenthaler has a goal and seven assists in 38 games this year while posting a career-high Corsi share of 53% at even strength.
Siegenthaler’s injury will surely lead to more ice time for the Devils’ other star rookie blueliner, Luke Hughes, on the left side. Hughes leads Devils blueliners with seven goals and 23 points in 38 games this season.
The defensive load, however, will more likely shift to the two right-shot defenders behind Nemec on the depth chart: veterans John Marino and Colin Miller. Marino has made his living in the NHL as a shutdown defender, and his pairing with Hughes has been on the ice for just 4.8 expected goals against in 126 minutes together, per MoneyPuck. Miller, while averaging only 14:45 per game, leads Devils defenders with a +10 rating and his pairing with 23-year-old Kevin Bahl has controlled a remarkable 70.4% of expected goals in limited minutes together.
New Jersey now only has five healthy defensemen on the active roster, so they’ll need to recall a sixth from AHL Utica in the coming days. They have plenty of time to make a choice, though, as they don’t play again until next Thursday against the Lightning. They created a roster spot for one today, however, returning forward Graeme Clarke to Utica after he made his NHL debut last night against Vancouver. Clarke, 22, logged a +1 rating and one shot attempt in 9:32 of ice time, all of which came at even strength.
Avalanche Place Bowen Byram On IR
The Avalanche quietly placed defenseman Bowen Byram on injured reserve over the weekend, per CapFriendly’s transactions log. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed the news yesterday after their 8-4 loss to the Panthers, saying that Byram’s lower-body injury isn’t considered severe and is expected to sideline him for seven to 14 days (via DNVR Sports’ Meghan Angley).
Drafted by the Avalanche with the fourth overall pick in 2019, Byram had a breakout campaign last season with ten goals, 14 assists, 24 points and a +7 rating in 42 games despite being hampered significantly by a lower-body injury that sidelined him for over three months in the first half of the campaign. After reaching restricted free agency last summer, that performance earned him a two-year, $7.7MM deal to remain in Denver.
For the first time since turning pro in 2020, Byram started the season by staying healthy for a long stretch, playing in every one of the Avalanche’s games until missing yesterday’s loss to Florida. While he isn’t producing as much as last season with 12 points in 39 games, his defensive game has taken a step forward. Per Hockey Reference, Byram has been on the ice for 0.76 expected goals against per game at even strength while logging 18:22 per game at 5-on-5 or 4-on-4, down significantly from his 0.85 xGA per game last season.
While the knowledge he won’t be out long-term is reassuring, it’s another tough break for a young player who’s already had his development significantly marred by injuries. The 22-year-old does look well on his way to being a bona fide second-pairing defender throughout his time in the NHL, but the likelihood of him reaching his top-pairing ceiling is diminishing. According to data from NHL Injury Viz, Byram has missed 126 regular season games due to illness or injury over his first four seasons.
After last night’s game, the Avalanche also reassigned forward Ben Meyers to AHL Colorado after bringing him up to play fourth-line duties the day prior while depth winger Miles Wood is sidelined with an illness. The two transactions leave the Avalanche with 21 out of a maximum of 23 players on the active roster. Thus, Meyers could return to the Avalanche before tomorrow’s game against the Bruins if Wood isn’t healthy enough to play. Including last night, the 25-year-old Meyers has one goal in nine NHL appearances this season, averaging a career-low 9:34 per game.
Jack Hughes Being Evaluated For Upper-Body Injury, No Timetable For Return
Before tonight’s game against the Canucks, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff informed reporters (including the team’s own Amanda Stein) that superstar center Jack Hughes is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and will not suit up to face his brother, Quinn, at home in Newark. Per Ruff, the team has no indication of when Hughes will be available to return to play.
After playing over 21 minutes against the Blackhawks yesterday, Hughes had an awkward fall late in the game in which he landed on his left wrist/upper arm area. He did not return to action after recording a -1 rating and two shots on goal in the contest.
Unfortunately for the Devils, they’re staring a potential multi-game absence for Hughes in the face for the second time this season. Their leader in assists (30), points (45) and ice time among forwards (20:31 per game) missed five games in November with a right shoulder injury. The Devils, who currently occupy the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 21-14-2 record, went 2-3-0 in those five games sans their more accomplished Hughes brother.
New Jersey is standing on more solid ground after going 6-3-1 in their past ten games, slowly beginning to overcome their goaltending woes. They can seldom stand to lose Hughes, who’s been their best all-around performer this season with spectacular possession metrics to boot, for a significant length of time.
For the second time today, an injury could also cause complications for a potential All-Star game appearance. Hughes, much like Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard who landed on IR earlier today with a fractured jaw, was named by the league to be their team’s initial representative at the 2024 All-Star Game in Toronto, which takes place in just under a month.
In Hughes’ absence, 22-year-old Dawson Mercer slides over to center to hold down first-line duties between Tyler Toffoli and Jesper Bratt against the Canucks. New Jersey is now officially injury-ravaged on offense, as they’re also without Timo Meier and Ondřej Palát for tonight’s contest and potentially longer. The Devils moved Meier to IR earlier today to create roster space, while Palát is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury but remains on the active roster, as does Hughes.
Hughes, 22, is in the second season of an eight-year, $64MM extension that makes him a UFA in the summer of 2030.
Pheonix Copley Out For The Season
The Kings have been without backup goaltender Pheonix Copley for nearly a month now and they won’t be getting him back this season. John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor was the first to report that the netminder has undergone successful ACL surgery which will keep him out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. The team has subsequently confirmed the news.
The North Pole native was a major bright spot for Los Angeles last season, coming up from the minors to pick up 24 victories in just 37 games played, helping to stabilize what had been an uncertain goaltending situation until Joonas Korpisalo was acquired at the trade deadline. That helped earn Copley a one-year, $1.5MM contract extension last February.
But things hadn’t gone as well for the 31-year-old this year. Before being injured, Copley struggled in his first eight starts of the season, posting a 3.16 GAA with a .870 SV%, leading to some speculation that they could once again look to the trade market as they did a year ago to try to shore up their second-string option behind Cam Talbot.
For the time being, veteran David Rittich will serve as Talbot’s backup with Aaron Dell joining their farm team in Ontario to back-fill that spot. But with Copley’s contract now destined to remain on LTIR, they may be able to use some of that money to try to acquire an upgrade on Rittich in the second half of the season. Failing that, they may at least be able to keep an extra player or two on the active roster once winger Viktor Arvidsson can return from his back injury which has had him on LTIR for the entire season so far.
Blackhawks Place Connor Bedard And Nick Foligno On Injured Reserve
Already dealing with a long injury list, things just got even worse on that front for the Blackhawks. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed center Connor Bedard and winger Nick Foligno on injured reserve. Bedard has a fractured jaw while Foligno is dealing with a fractured left finger.
Both players sustained the injuries during Friday’s game against New Jersey. Bedard was injured on a hit from Brendan Smith, leaving the game immediately after that. The 2023 top pick has been as advertised this season, leading Chicago in scoring with 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games, making him the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. It also helped him land his first All-Star nod earlier this week.
While no timeline for a return was provided for either player, it’s worth noting that Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner is working his way back from a fractured jaw as well – he skated with the team today. His recovery timeline was estimated at six weeks at the time of injury so it’s possible the Blackhawks could be without their star rookie through the All-Star break at a minimum.
As for Foligno, the 36-year-old has come as advertised after his rights were acquired during the offseason. While he’s playing a lot higher in the lineup than he had in recent years, Foligno has been one of Chicago’s more productive forwards, collecting eight goals and nine assists in his 39 appearances so far. Both sides appear to be open about the possibility of a contract extension for the pending UFA.
Bedard and Foligno join a very crowded injury list that also includes forwards Taylor Hall, Tyler Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh, and Joey Anderson along with defenseman Seth Jones. Chicago just swung a deal to acquire Rem Pitlick to get back to now 11 forwards on its active roster but another roster move will likely be coming before their game tomorrow against Calgary.
Central Notes: Bedard, Meyers, Kirkland
In what has become an unexpectedly scary night for the Chicago Blackhawks, the team announced that star rookie, Connor Bedard, would not return to tonight’s game due to injury. The play in question took place during the first period, as New Jersey Devils defenseman, Brendan Smith, distributed a heavy hit to Bedard just over the blue line, causing the young phenom to head to the locker room for the rest of the evening.
For the sake of level-headedness, there could be a plethora of reasons for Chicago to keep Bedard out of the game, ranging from simply being cautionary with their top player, or expecting that Bedard could be out for a lengthy amount of time. Ultimately, it is unlikely that an update on Bedard’s status will be given after the game tonight, as most teams tend to wait until the next day to announce any meaningful news.
It is hard to put into words how detrimental Bedard’s absence would be for the Blackhawks, regardless of the amount of time he is out of the lineup. Even with only 11 wins through 38 games, Chicago’s offense completely runs through Bedard, as he has quickly shown that he was worth all of the hype.
To put his value into perspective on the Blackhawks specifically, with 15 goals and 33 points through 38 games, Bedard accounts for 17% of all goals scored, 12% of all assists, and 14% of all points scored for Chicago this season at 18 years old. With the future of the Blackhawks organization comfortably resting on Bedard’s shoulders, Chicago will likely be extremely cautious with Bedard’s health in hopes that he can be in the lineup as much as possible.
Other notes:
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Ben Meyers from the Colorado Eagles after sending him down yesterday, per a team announcement. It is unknown whether or not he will factor into the team’s lineup tomorrow afternoon against the Florida Panthers, as he has largely been used as an extra forward by the Avalanche this season.
- Unfortunately for Justin Kirkland, it will be his second consecutive emergency call-up without a game played, as the Arizona Coyotes announced they have returned him back to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Luckily, he has appeared comfortable in his first season in the Coyotes organization, as he’s scored one goal and 13 points in 12 games for the Roadrunners so far.
Miro Heiskanen Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
Suffering a lower-body injury in last night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars’ defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, was not on the ice this morning for practice. Carrying some optimism that Heiskanen would not be out long-term with an injury, the team received both good and bad news regarding his status by this afternoon.
Speaking with head coach Peter DeBoer, senior staff writer, Mike Heika reports that Heiskanen is to be considered week-to-week, but will not need surgery to repair any sustained damage. Up to this point, the Stars have not made a corresponding roster move, nor have they placed Heiskanen on injured reserve, although a transaction of this nature could be coming in the relatively near future.
Since the beginning of his tenure in Dallas during the 2018-19 season, Heiskanen has maintained relatively excellent health, as this injury will likely sideline him the longest out of any injury he’s suffered throughout his professional career. Given that the Stars have six other healthy defensemen on the roster, and the limited cap space currently possessed by the organization, Dallas may feel confident to roll forward with what they currently have.
Before his injury last night, Heiskanen was once again the top defenseman for the Stars, scoring four goals and 27 points in 37 games. He is not currently keeping pace with his offensive production from last season, but Dallas continues to lean on him in all situations, as he leads the team in average time on ice at a touch over 25 minutes a night.
In the absence of Heiskanen, look for the Stars to lean more into defenseman Thomas Harley, who now has an even larger opportunity with the organization. Although Dallas largely expected Harley to become an above-average defenseman for the team as a former first-round selection, he has exploded onto the scene this year with nine goals and 17 points in 34 games. With the awareness to play in all situations similarly to Heiskanen, Harley also sits third in the league in goals by a defenseman.