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Injury Notes: Matthews, Thompson, Jets

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It’s been over two weeks since Auston Matthews last suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, missing the last three games before the All-Star break with a knee sprain. Matthews told reporters today that he doesn’t know when he’ll be back in the lineup but will “take it day to day” as he rejoins his team for practice.

He may not be on his earth-shattering 60-plus goal pace from last season, but he’s still an elite number-one center on one of the best teams in the NHL. With 25 goals, 28 assists, and 53 points in 47 games, Matthews is on pace to have more assists than goals for the first time in his career, which he mentioned as a personal goal some seasons back. Matthews revealed the injury was sustained in warmups before a January 25 game against the New York Rangers, which he played. He said the injury “got worse throughout the game,” calling it “kind of fluky.”

  • There’s good news for Buffalo Sabres fans, who will need everything to go right for the rest of the season to maintain their position in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Head coach Don Granato said center Tage Thompson was “pretty much back to normal” today at practice, signaling a potential end to a brief injury absence that caused him to miss the 2023 All-Star Game last weekend. He could be ready to go on Saturday when Buffalo returns to play against the Calgary Flames. Thompson is just four goals shy of tying last season’s goal total of 38, which he set in 78 games.
  • Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness issued a variety of injury updates to reporters today, but most notably said that forward Mason Appleton is on track to play Saturday. The 27-year-old played 14 games this season before sustaining a wrist injury that has cost him much of the 2022-23 campaign. Appleton was off to a strong start with six points and elevated ice time before going down with the injury. Bowness also mentioned that forward David Gustafsson and defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who are both day-to-day, aren’t ready to rejoin full practice.

Blues Notes: O’Reilly, Buchnevich, Perunovich, Tucker

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The St. Louis Blues stole today’s thunder by dealing Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, but there’s even more Blues news to discuss on the injury front. Head coach Craig Berube said today that another trade chip, Ryan O’Reilly, is possible for Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes but has yet to be cleared.

O’Reilly added to his coach’s comments, saying he has to be 100 percent sure his injured foot is healed before returning to avoid re-injury. A 12-year NHL veteran, O’Reilly last played in their New Year’s Eve matchup against the Minnesota Wild. He’s missed the following 14 games with the injury. The winner of the 2019 Selke and Conn Smythe Trophies, O’Reilly is in a down season with a -28 rating and just 16 points in 37 games. He’s in the final season of a seven-year, $7.5MM average annual value contract.

Per The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, O’Reilly resumed skating on Tuesday, and NHL.com’s Lou Korac said the Blues captain practiced in full equipment today.

  • Berube also told reporters Pavel Buchnevich is possible for Saturday after missing the past two weeks with an ankle injury. Buchnevich, with 38 points in 38 games, is the team’s leader in points per game, just ahead of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. If he’s cleared to return, along with O’Reilly, they’ll likely skate together on the second line alongside Brandon Saad.
  • In a very positive development, top defense prospect Scott Perunovich has been cleared for contact and, per Berube, is “ready to do everything.” Perunovich, 24, hasn’t played in all in 2022-23 after sustaining a preseason shoulder injury. After missing the entirety of 2020-21 and most of 2021-22 with injuries, a strong finish to the season could salvage Perunovich’s stunted development. He showed true flashes of stardom in the minors last season, recording 22 points in just 17 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
  • Defenseman Tyler Tucker is coming up from Springfield to replace Niko Mikkola’s now-vacant spot on the roster, as he was included in the trade to New York earlier today. Tucker, a seventh-round pick in 2018, has shot up the Blues’ depth chart to play in 12 games this season, recording one assist.

Snapshots: Makar, Lauko, Cicek, Berni

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The Colorado Avalanche won’t have Cale Makar for at least the next two games, as he deals with a head injury. Peter Baugh of The Athletic confirms that it is from the collision with Jeff Carter, and notes that while the star defenseman passed the initial concussion protocol, he woke up feeling unwell the next day. So far, he has only been ruled out through the rest of this road trip, which ends on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

Makar has 45 points in 45 games so far this season and is playing an incredible 27 minutes a night for the Avalanche. The 24-year-old has maintained a point-per-game pace through his first four seasons in the league and will likely once again receive Norris Trophy votes. Here are some more minor notes from around the league:

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko, and had him skating on the fourth line as the team awaits the return of Jake DeBrusk. The latter’s flight was canceled, meaning he missed practice today, and head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that DeBrusk isn’t expected to play against Washington on Saturday night.
  • Nick Cicek is back up with the San Jose Sharks after spending the All-Star break in the AHL. The young defenseman has played 14 games this season for the Sharks, last appearing on January 24 and playing just under 15 minutes. Still looking for his first NHL goal, he’ll join San Jose as they continue this road trip in Florida today and Washington on Sunday afternoon.
  • Similarly, the Columbus Blue Jackets have brought Tim Berni back up, ahead of their back-to-back against the Maple Leafs that starts tomorrow night. The 22-year-old defenseman has played 28 games for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring his first NHL goal and racking up 18 penalty minutes.

Dallas Stars Reassign Marian Studenic

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Feb 9: After just eight minutes of ice time, Studenic has been loaned back to the AHL.

Feb 8: The Dallas Stars have made a slight change to the roster, calling up Marian Studenic from the minor leagues. The move comes after Joel Kiviranta missed practice yesterday, and could indicate that someone is unavailable due to injury.

Studenic, 24, has been excellent for the Texas Stars this season, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 43 games. If he appears in a game for Dallas it would be his first of the season at the NHL level, but 42nd overall, after appearing 16 times for them in 2021-22.

Claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils nearly a year ago, Studenic has been right on the fringe of NHL rosters for years now. With the right opportunity, it seems likely that he could secure a role in the bottom-six, though a team like Dallas may have their sights set a little higher given their Stanley Cup aspirations.

For now, he’ll serve as some organizational depth and try to force his way onto the fourth line with some strong play. Dallas is back in action tonight against the Minnesota Wild in a key Central Division matchup.

Matt Murray Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are back from the All-Star break and will be back in action with a home-and-home against the Columbus Blue Jackets starting tomorrow night. It doesn’t look like they’ll have one of their regular goaltenders for the back-to-back situation, though, as Matt Murray landed on injured reserve today.

Toronto has recalled Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, and goaltender Joseph Woll from the AHL.

It’s been the same story for Murray this season. Pretty good when healthy – not healthy often enough. This is his second stint on injured reserve, after missing a month with a groin injury earlier on. He’s played in 19 games so far, posting a .911 save percentage, but hasn’t appeared since January 17. The lion’s share of the goaltending duties will again fall on Ilya Samsonov, who has done well so far carrying the load but is still relatively inexperienced.

Samsonov, 25, set a career-high with 39 starts last season and finished with his worst performance since debuting in 2019. While his .913 save percentage so far for the Maple Leafs is encouraging, pushing him every night is a recipe for disaster. Toronto needs two goaltenders that they can rely on, and so far, that hasn’t been Murray.

Perhaps it will be Woll, who is having a fantastic bounce-back after recovering from injury. Through 14 games for the Toronto Marlies, he is 13-1 with a .930 save percentage. The 24-year-old was a highly touted prospect at one point, but has struggled to stay healthy through the early part of his career and has just four appearances in the NHL so far.

There is no clear timeline for Murray’s return, but he was on the ice today at practice. Since he has been out so long, his IR stay can be backdated to allow his activation whenever deemed healthy enough to go.

Jack Hughes Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury

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Of all the breakout performances this season, the most impressive might be Jack Hughes. The New Jersey Devils star leads the league in even-strength goals with 29, and has 67 points through 50 games this season. Unfortunately, that performance will be put on hold for a while. Hughes is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Head coach Lindy Ruff did tell reporters, including Amanda Stein, that he believes it will be on the shorter end of week-to-week, but for now, he’ll be without his best offensive weapon.

The first-overall pick from 2019 showed that he could be a difference-maker last year when he posted 26 goals and 56 points in 49 games but has taken his play to a whole new level in 2022-23. With 35 total goals, he trails only Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak, and his 67 points put him ninth in league scoring.

One of the concerns about Hughes when he came into the league was his durability, given his slight frame and position. He has so far proven those concerns valid, missing a good chunk of last season and now hitting the sideline once again. While this injury doesn’t seem long-term, it is at least something to keep an eye on as his career continues. Talent-wise, there are only a handful of players in the league that can keep up with Hughes, but he needs to stay on the ice to be able to lead the Devils.

It comes at a particularly disappointing moment, given his recent play. Hughes has only been held scoreless three times in his last 30 games and is currently on a nine-game streak totaling 18 points. The Devils are also about to go on a four-game road trip after tonight’s match against the Seattle Kraken – one they’ll have likely have to complete without Hughes’ help.

Andre Burakovsky Placed On Injured Reserve; Justin Schultz Activated

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After playing just a single shift on Tuesday, Seattle Kraken forward Andre Burakovsky has been moved to injured reserve. The team has activated Justin Schultz and recalled John Hayden to fill his roster spot.

Burakovsky, 28 (today!), is having an outstanding season in his first year with Seattle, scoring 39 points in 49 games so far. That had him on pace to break the career-high 61 points he set last year with Colorado, though this injury may now end that dream.

It’s unclear how long he will be out, but Burakovsky must miss at least a week with his placement on IR. Though the team did not confirm, it looked like a non-contact injury against the New York Islanders, which always draws a little more attention as a possible long-term issue. The team said yesterday that he is still being evaluated, but a quick move to injured reserve is not promising.

At least the team is getting Schultz back, who last played on January 17. The 32-year-old defenseman has averaged just over 18 minutes a night for the Kraken but does have 24 points in 42 games, already passing the total he had in a full season with Washington in 2021-22.

Schultz has been a strong puck-moving option in the NHL for years, and that hasn’t changed in Seattle, where he has recorded excellent possession numbers in their up-tempo style. Getting him back will at least help soften the blow of Burakovsky’s absence, though it certainly won’t make up for it.

Lukas Vejdemo Signs In SHL

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At the end of last season, a large group of players hit the open market ahead of schedule because they had earned little NHL opportunity. One of those Group VI unrestricted free agents was Lukas Vejdemo, who, despite playing six games with the Montreal Canadiens, was cut loose at the end of the year.

Now, Vejdemo has gone back home. The 27-year-old forward signed a one-year contract with Djurgardens, his old club team, which also includes an option for 2023-24.

The deal comes so late in the year because Vejdemo is only just now recovering from a serious injury suffered just ahead of last year’s AHL playoffs. He had hamstring surgery in April and was given a seven-month timeline. According to the team release, he is still several weeks away from game action.

In 13 career games, all with Montreal, Vejdemo scored two goals. His time in the minor leagues wasn’t much more fruitful offensively, with just 16 points in 34 games for the Laval Rocket last season.

Given how young he is – Vejdemo only turned 27 a few weeks ago – there’s at least a chance that we see him back on North American ice at some point. But a return to Sweden made sense for him as he recovers from major surgery and tries to get his career back on track.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Joseph Woll

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have once again added goalie Joseph Woll on an emergency recall, per CapFriendly.

Toronto recalled Woll last week after Matt Murray sustained a minor ankle injury. He was expected to be evaluated after All-Star weekend, and the fact that Toronto elected to bring Woll back up likely isn’t a good sign.

Woll was sent down to the minors on February 2 to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic. After starting the season on injured reserve, Woll has a sparkling 13-1-0 record and a .930 save percentage in 14 games with the Toronto Marlies.

Murray’s last appearance was on January 17th, and Samsonov has started every game since. While the break has allowed Samsonov to get some much-needed rest, Woll’s strong AHL performance could lead to him getting an NHL start soon. He did well in four appearances last season, posting a 3-1-0 record, a shutout, and a .911 save percentage.

Snapshots: Demko, Islanders, Sabres

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The Vancouver Canucks are a big step closer to getting a notable piece back into their lineup. Patrick Johnston of The Province reported Tuesday that injured goalie Thatcher Demko returned to practice for the first time since he was injured making a save against the Florida Panthers on December 1, 2022.

While Demko’s long-term standing in the Canucks organization remains unknown, his return could provide benefits. If Vancouver does opt to keep their once-named “goalie of the future” after a horrid start to 2022-23, a return to the ice makes a return to form a possibility for Demko, which should come with added confidence. Even if a trade is in the cards, a hot streak between now and the deadline for Demko would likely boost his trade value, giving Vancouver more assets to work with as they retool for future seasons. Hopefully, for Demko and the Canucks, he can make his 3-10-2 start to the season a distant memory.

  • The New York Islanders have a distinct pattern of trading away first-round picks, and they did so again by dealing their top-12-protected 2023 pick to Vancouver in the Bo Horvat trade. It’s such a distinct pattern that Islanders fans have been wondering if the team can still trade their 2024 first-round pick, despite its potential transfer to the Canucks if New York ends up with a top-12 pick this season. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports clarification from the NHL that says yes, they can. If their 2024 first-round pick is transferred to the Canucks after being traded in a second deal, though, the pick in the second trade would automatically slide to 2025. It’s something other general managers will keep in mind at this deadline if the Islanders deal their 2024 pick in an attempt to load up even more.
  • Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could look to reward his team’s strong performance this season with a trade deadline move, NHL Network’s Steve Konroyd and Mike Johnson said this morning. They called out the Columbus Blue Jackets as a potential trade partner, with names like Boone Jenner and Vladislav Gavrikov available. However, they stopped short of saying any discussions between the two parties actually occurred. With Gavrikov’s asking price rumored to be a first-round pick, however, it may be too early in Buffalo’s ascent to competitiveness for Adams to make such a major splash.

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