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Injury Notes: Demko, Glass, Hamonic

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The Vancouver Canucks have had an extremely difficult start to their season, and those difficulties continued with starting netminder Thatcher Demko going down with an injury. Today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman issued an update on Demko’s injury timeline. Per Friedman, Demko is injured on a six-week timeline, and that timeline means the Canucks avoided a “worst-case scenario” with the injury.

The loss of Demko comes as a major blow to a Canucks franchise looking to build momentum and climb the standings. Like the Canucks as a whole, Demko has struggled so far this year. He has a .883 save percentage through 15 games, a significant decline from the .915 he posted in both 2021-22 and 2020-21. With a long recovery process in front of their starter, the Canucks will turn to backup Spencer Martin, who has a .900 save percentage in 10 games played.

Some other injury notes from across the NHL:

  • The Nashville Predators announced in advance of tonight’s game against the New York Islanders that forward Cody Glass would not play due to injury. Per the announcement, Glass is dealing with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. The 2017 sixth-overall pick has three points in 14 NHL games so far this year and scored 62 points in 66 AHL games last season.
  • There was a scary scene at the New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators game tonight when veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic took a Vitali Kravtsov shot to his throat. As reported by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Hamonic stayed down after taking the shot and left for the Senators’ locker room shortly afterward. Thankfully, though, it seems Hamonic is alright, as Rosen reports he was back on the ice to start the second period.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Collin Delia

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Things are going from bad to worse for the Vancouver Canucks. After Thatcher Demko suffered an injury in last night’s game, the team recalled Collin Delia from the AHL. The recall is under emergency conditions, meaning there is an injury of some sort preventing the team from icing two healthy goaltenders.

So far, no update has been given on Demko’s status. But he was helped off the ice last night holding his right leg and was ruled out soon after.

While Demko hasn’t been good this season, losing him won’t help the Canucks turn things around. Spencer Martin hasn’t been much better and Delia has an .884 save percentage in the minor leagues this season.

The Canucks are now 9-12-3 on the year and it’s hard to imagine them getting back into the race without elite goaltending. Demko is their best chance at that, even with his struggles so far.

Calle Jarnkrok Out At Least Two Weeks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Calle Jarnkrok for the next two weeks at least, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet. The utility forward is dealing with a groin injury suffered on Wednesday night. T.J. Brodie, who is also out with an injury, will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip but is not expected to play.

Jarnkrok, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason and has done a little bit of everything for them this season. Recently, he had been lining up on his off-wing next to John Tavares and Mitch Marner, benefiting from the talented forwards for a handful of points. He likely hasn’t been quite the presence that the front office was hoping for, though, as through 25 games he has scored just nine points.

A two-week absence will open the door for someone else like Nicholas Robertson to play with the Tavares line, as the Maple Leafs try to keep their winning streak alive. The team has won five in a row and is now 8-0-2 in their last ten, one of the hottest groups in the league. Even so, they sit three points behind the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division chase, despite having played three more games.

With Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly both on long-term injured reserve, the team has plenty of cap flexibility to recall a player in Jarnkrok’s absence if they choose.

Montreal Canadiens Place Mike Hoffman On Injured Reserve, Recall Rem Pitlick

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The Montreal Canadiens announced today that forward Mike Hoffman has been placed on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled forward Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate.

Additionally, the team announced that forward Brendan Gallagher is currently being evaluated for a lower-body injury and won’t play in the Canadiens’ game against the Calgary Flames tonight.

Hoffman, 33, has been out with a lower-body injury for more than a week now. The veteran sniper has gotten off to a so-so start for the Canadiens this season, scoring eight points in 16 games. In Hoffman’s absence, the Canadiens will hope that Evgenii Dadonov can heat up after a slow start and fill in for some of the goal-scoring they’d have expected a healthy Hoffman to provide.

With Gallagher out, the Canadiens needed to create space on their roster to recall a forward to replace him, which led to Hoffman’s placement on injured reserve. The forward they called up is Pitlick, who has had a rough start to the 2022-23 campaign, having gone scoreless in seven NHL games this year.

Pitlick looked like a savvy waiver claim last year as he scored 37 points in 66 games last season, a 46-point pace. But so far this year Pitlick has been squeezed by the Canadiens’ glut of middle-six forward options and has spent time in the AHL as a result.

Now back on Montreal’s roster with a chance to get some game action, Pitlick will hope to re-capture some of the luck and quality play that defined his performance last year.

Flyers Confirm Ryan Ellis Will Not Play This Season

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Though it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher confirmed to reporters including Adam Kimelman of NHL.com earlier today that Ryan Ellis will not play this season. In training camp, the team had admitted that it didn’t look likely.

Ellis, 31, has played just four games for the Flyers since arriving in the summer of 2021, acquired for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers. The former Nashville Predators star had five points in those four appearances, a tantalizing example of what he could have brought to the Philadelphia attack.

Instead, the team is stuck with him on injured reserve for another year, using his $6.25MM cap hit as LTIR flexibility instead. With Ellis ruled out, the team is in no danger of facing a cap squeeze later in the year, though with their recent struggles it likely wouldn’t matter much anyway. The Flyers are now 1-6-3 in their last ten after winning on Tuesday night, and don’t have the appearance of a team ready to compete for a playoff spot.

The frustrating part for fans and management alike is that Ellis has four more years on his contract after this one. Even if he never plays again, that will restrict some of the ways in which the team can operate. LTIR relief is not just free cap space, it has negative effects as well, like forcing bonus carryovers. The Flyers are paying $295K in those carryovers this year and could face more next season if a player like Noah Cates secures some of his performance bonuses.

It’s not like Ellis was ready for retirement. He won’t turn 32 until January and was legitimately in the prime of his career when the team acquired him, though injury was always a concern. In his last full season, 2018-19, the right-shot defenseman recorded a career-high 41 points. He was even better the following year, with 38 in just 49 games during the COVID-shortened campaign, but then was able to suit up just 35 times in 2020-21.

Now, it is unclear if he’ll ever get back on the ice with the Flyers or anyone else.

Minnesota Wild Recall Andrej Sustr

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With Jonas Brodin dealing with an injury, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Andrej Sustr from the minor leagues. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Brodin’s absence isn’t expected to be for very long, as the defenseman will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip.

Sustr, 32, was used repeatedly last season as an injury call-up, playing 15 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and 23 for the Anaheim Ducks. He’s been stuck in the minors for this season, racking up five points in 15 games for the Iowa Wild. In terms of insurance options you could certainly do worse than the 6’7″ defender, who has 361 NHL games to his name and was once a regular with the Lightning.

Still, losing Brodin for any length of time is a hefty blow for Minnesota to deal with. The 29-year-old is one of the league’s best shutdown defenders and plays more than 22 minutes a night for the Wild. His offense hasn’t arrived this year, with just four points in 19 games, but he carries so much defensive responsibility for Minnesota that it’s hard to operate without him.

The group will have to step up tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, a team that Brodin has historically done quite well against as a Connor McDavid mark. The team was playing with seven defensemen when he went down, meaning Sustr doesn’t necessarily have to go into the lineup.

Kyle Palmieri Placed On Injured Reserve

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The New York Islanders are down a pair of important forwards, placing Kyle Palmieri on injured reserve and ruling out Cal Clutterbuck with an upper-body injury. Clutterbuck is listed as day-to-day while Palmieri’s IR stint has been made retroactive to November 21, meaning he can come off whenever healthy.

In their place, Cole Bardreau and Hudson Fasching have been recalled from the minor leagues. The former hasn’t played an NHL game since the 2019-20 season and has just ten under his belt. This season with the Bridgeport Islanders, Bardreau has five goals and nine points. One of the players ahead of him in scoring is Fasching, another minor league veteran who has little NHL experience.

The 27-year-old forward played 11 games for the Arizona Coyotes last season and has 38 in his career, but scored his one and only goal back in 2015-16. Fasching adds a lot of sizes, but not a ton of physicality, and doesn’t look like a long-term replacement.

New York will have to hope Palmieri and Clutterbuck return rather soon, as while Bardreau and Fasching are capable minor league players, neither one is challenging for a full-time NHL role.

Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Ilya Samsonov

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One of the biggest question marks about the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer was whether their new goaltenders would be able to stay healthy. Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov didn’t exactly have a clean history in terms of injury, and those concerns have played out. Both goaltenders have spent time on the injured reserve list already, leading to Erik Kallgren appearing in ten games already.

Today, with the activation of Samsonov, the team finally has both of their top netminders healthy at the same time, something that hasn’t been true since the very start of the year. Kallgren has been sent back down to make room on the roster, as Samsonov is expected to be in the net tonight against the San Jose Sharks.

When they have been in the net, Murray and Samsonov have been excellent. The former has a .927 save percentage and is now 5-1-1 on the year, while the latter is at .921 and 6-2. If that kind of performance continues, general manager Kyle Dubas’ offseason risk will be worthwhile.

The question now is whether they can remain available for the rest of the year. It starts tonight, as Samsonov returns to try and extend a four-game winning streak for the Maple Leafs, one which has catapulted them into second place in the Atlantic Division, six points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

John Marino Dealing With Upper-Body Injury

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After losing their winning streak in a defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, the New Jersey Devils have jumped right back on the horse, taking home three more victories in recent days. The club is 19-4 on the year, and a huge part of that is due to allowing so few goals.

The Devils defense corps has been outstanding, with something of an unlikely lynchpin in newcomer John Marino. The 25-year-old has just eight points in 23 games but manages to tilt the ice in his team’s favor despite extremely tough deployment. New Jersey has outscored their opponents 21-8 at even-strength with Marino on the ice, even though he starts more shifts in the defensive zone than the offensive.

That’s why it’s such a big deal when the team announces Marino isn’t practicing today and is out with an upper-body injury. While he is considered day-to-day, it is a critical loss for the Devils.

Kevin Bahl is expected to slot into the lineup in his place should Marino be unable to go tomorrow against the Nashville Predators. Luckily, if you can call it that, the Devils do have an easier stretch coming up, with games against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks.

Evening Notes: Stars, Letang, Samsonov

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The Dallas Stars are off to a strong start under new head coach Pete DeBoer, and they’re looking to get stronger. Per TSN’s Darren Dreger on tonight’s edition of Insider Trading, the Stars are still looking to add a top-six forward, preferably to play with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.

They’ve had a rotating cast playing on the wing with those two, and although Seguin and Marchment have played well, they’d obviously like some added depth and to get a player that boasts chemistry with them. Jamie Benn is having a resurgence in limited minutes, scoring 26 points in 23 games, and they’d prefer to keep his ice time down below 15-16 minutes. If nothing comes to fruition, the strong performances of youngsters Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston should still safeguard their depth scoring.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been in and out of the lineup recently, and he’s missing another contest tonight. Letang is absent from their game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an undisclosed illness, the team announced before puck drop. It’s his second missed game of the season after missing a game earlier this month, also with an illness. He revealed weeks ago that he had been battling an illness for a stretch of games; whether or not this is a related illness is unclear.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov says he’s pain-free after his knee injury and is “ready to play,” according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Sheldon Keefe pumped the brakes on his status, however, saying the team would check on him tomorrow to determine his return to play. The young netminder, who had a strong start to the season, has missed nearly a month.

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