Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Injury

Ottawa Senators Recall Jacob Bernard-Docker

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators still don’t appear to have Artem Zub returning, as they have recalled Jacob Bernard-Docker from the minor leagues. Bernard-Docker was sent down just yesterday after his most recent call-up.

Ottawa is on a long losing skid after dropping another game on Saturday and now find themselves stuck at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Bernard-Docker hasn’t played for the club yet this season, bouncing up and down instead of getting into the lineup. In eight games at the minor league level, he has just a single point.

With the losses piling up, it’s hard to imagine that the young defenseman will be held out again. The team is back in action tomorrow night before heading out on the road for two games. Zub, out since the end of October with an upper-body injury, has been skating with the team and is expected back at some point in the next few matches.

Filip Zadina Will Be Out Long Term

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While the exact injury isn’t yet known, things don’t sound good for Red Wings winger Filip Zadina.  Speaking with reporters including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) postgame following their overtime victory over the Rangers today, head coach Derek Lalonde indicated the youngster has something broken and that he’ll be out a matter of months, not weeks.  The injury occurred back on Saturday after he blocked a shot from Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock.

That’s hardly good news for the 22-year-old who has been trying to establish his role under their new coaching staff.  Zadina has struggled out of the gate this season and has been held off the scoresheet through his first nine games while averaging just under 14 minutes a night.  He’s in the first season of a three-year, $5.475MM bridge contract.

Detroit has been hit hard when it comes to their wingers this season.  Zadina joins Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri as wingers that are currently injured while Jakub Vrana is out indefinitely while he’s in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.  The Red Wings currently have an open roster spot after placing Zadina on injured reserve late yesterday.  Austin Czarnik and Matt Luff have been recent recalls and someone else from AHL Grand Rapids will be getting the call in the near future.

Toronto Maple Leafs Place Ilya Samsonov On IR; Matt Murray’s Return “On The Horizon”

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a big sacrifice in last night’s win over the Boston Bruins, losing goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a knee injury. The netminder left the game after two periods and had many in the hockey world wondering what could be next for the Maple Leafs. This morning, the organization signed goaltender Keith Petruzzelli to a a two-year, entry-level contract to fill the void in Samsonov’s absence alongside backstop Erik Kallgren until either Samsonov, or Matt Murray, who is currently on LTIR, can return.

Earlier today, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe met the media to provide updates on the team’s goaltending situation. For one, Keefe told reporters, including Sports Illustrated’s David Alter, that Samsonov is indeed being placed on IR. This move will create the roster spot for Petruzzelli. Per TSN’s Mark Masters, Keefe added that Samsonov will have an MRI on his knee today and is expected to miss more than a week, but the timeline beyond that is unclear.

Now without Murray and Samsonov, Toronto is down to their third and fourth string goaltenders, the fourth string one they didn’t expect to have until earlier today. In the aftermath of Samsonov’s injury, many turned their eyes to the injured Murray. Of course, Murray is still on LTIR, however the initial timeline for his abductor injury was listed as four weeks. That was three weeks ago.

Keefe did not go so far as to give a timeline on Murray, but beyond adding his return is “on the horizon,” Keefe did tell Alter that Murray would join the Maple Leafs for practice as soon as Tuesday. Keefe also mentioned, Masters writes, that he considers Murray to be “ahead of schedule” in regards to his timeline. What exactly that could mean is unclear, but the Maple Leafs will have a busy week nonetheless. After this afternoon’s contest in Carolina, the team returns home for games on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, including challenges from the Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, and a desperate Vancouver Canucks squad.

In the meantime, the duo of Kallgren and Petruzzelli may not sound all that enticing to Toronto fans, however each brings a solid track record to the table. Petruzzelli was dominant in his four years at Quinnipiac University before turning pro last season. The 23-year-old continued his dominance with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers and spent five games with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL as well. This season, he was off to a strong start with a 2.31 goals-against average and .922 save-percentage in six games with the Marlies. Meanwhile, Kallgren brings with him a bevy of European experience prior to his North American debut last season, where he played 40 games between the Marlies and Maple Leafs.

Calgary Flames Place Michael Stone On IR

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Per the Calgary Flames twitter, the team placed defenseman Michael Stone on IR today. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled defensemen Nick DeSimone and Dennis Gilbert from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL. The team did not disclose the nature of Stone’s injury and no word is available on the length of time he could miss. Prior to the transactions, the team had only been carrying 22 of 23 possible skaters, allowing them to call up both defensemen. The team now carries 13 forwards and eight defensemen.

It’s unclear how exactly the defenseman sustained his injury, however he did play just one 25-second shift in last night’s overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils before leaving the game. The 32-year-old has been a reliable piece of the recent Calgary build, filling the role as a seventh-defenseman in recent years. In fact, he played in just 11 regular season games last season while never going on IR or otherwise leaving the roster. The veteran had been off to a surprisingly hot start in 2022-23, receiving regular minutes. Through 10 games, he had a pair of goals and three assists.

DeSimone, 27, is a longtime AHL veteran, making his pro debut with the San Jose Barracuda back in 2016-17. Prior to his pro career, DeSimone spent three seasons at Union College. DeSimone, like Stone in the NHL, was off to a hot start this season on the blueline, recording six points in eight games with the Wranglers. Should he play with the Flames, it would mark his NHL debut.

Meanwhile, Gilbert, who just turned 26, hasn’t been around as long as DeSimone, but he has spent some time in the NHL, including 25 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, most recently in 2020-21. He’s not off to quite as hot of a start as DeSimone is, having yet to record a point in eight games in the AHL, but his NHL experience should be appreciated as Calgary tries to plug holes on the blueline as they embark on an east-coast road trip.

As a result of losing two players of their own, the Wranglers have recalled two players from the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL: forward Rory Kerins and defenseman Simon Lavigne.

Evening Notes: Horvat, Senators Sale, Samsonov

at CDT | by 12 Comments

It was not long ago that, with as many question marks as there were around the Vancouver Canucks, the obvious answer was an extension for team captain Bo Horvat. Whether or not players like J.T. Miller or Brock Boeser were or were not traded or if head coach Bruce Boudreau would be brought back for this season, a Horvat extension always seemed to be a given. Now, after extensions for Miller and Boeser, the free agent signing of Ilya Mikheyev, and the Canucks’ rocky start to the season, with no extension in place for the captain, things appear more uncertain than they’ve ever been for Horvat and Vancouver.

On tonight’s 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night In Canada, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reiterated the story on Horvat: the needle has not moved at all in negotiations. Marek further emphasized the curiosity as to what the organization will ultimately do with Horvat. On one hand, the reunion between both sides appears to be a perfect match and as much as the Canucks have struggled to start the season, Horvat with his 10 goals in 11 games, has not. Still, the more the veteran continues to score, the higher he drives his price. With Miller and Boeser now in place, if the price becomes higher than Vancouver wishes to pay, or simply can pay, the decision might be made for them. And, should Vancouver struggle or fail to make up the ground they lost, Horvat’s trade value may be enough to dissuade them from pursuing an extension in the first place.

  • Yesterday, the Ottawa Senators formally initiated the process of being sold, just over seven months after the passing of owner Eugene Melnyk. Though that time might seem a bit longer than expected to some, the Melnyk family was able to oversee a team transition this offseason to lock in some of the organization’s young core talent, become one of the league’s more exciting groups, and of course, grieve Melnyk’s passing. Although the timeline to date has been unclear, the sale process might be a bit more clear, and quick. Also from tonight’s 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman expects the process to get seriously moving by American Thanksgiving, which is now 19 days away. No clear front runner(s) for the team have emerged yet, though Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the league would prefer one majority owner over a group of minority shareholders. Even with the Thanksgiving timetable mentioned, when exactly a new owner would be in place with all formalities and transition of power completed, is unclear.
  • More tough news for the Toronto Maple Leafs in net as goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who started tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins, was forced to leave after the second period. The Maple Leafs confirmed their goaltender would not return while dealing with a knee injury. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who discussed the injury with reporters, including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadien Press, was suffered during Brad Marchand’s penalty shot. The extent of the injury or any time he could miss is not yet clear, however Toronto is already working around the loss of Matt Murray in net, who is on LTIR with an abductor injury. Murray was scheduled to miss four weeks with that injury and is currently through three, however a scheduled return is not yet known. Erik Kallgren, who has been acting as the Maple Leafs backup goaltender, is certainly a capable NHL netminder, however the only other goaltender Toronto has under contract is Dennis Hildeby, a 2022 draft pick currently on loan in his native Sweden. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs had been pressed against the 50 contract limit–until today. With forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel lost on waivers to the Washington Capitals this afternoon, Toronto now has just 49 of 50 contracts in their system, enough to add one more player. Should they need to do so, they’ll have to act quick and be creative, with puck drop in Carolina scheduled for 5:00 pm ET tomorrow afternoon.

 

Snapshots: Miller, Swayman, Blackwood, Orlov

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Boston Bruins’ signing of defense prospect Mitchell Miller earlier this week surprised many, however given the nature of the signing, his eligibility to play in the AHL, where Boston intended to place him, or the NHL, where they hope he can play someday, was presumed. Earlier today, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman walked back those assumptions saying, in short, that Miller is not currently NHL eligible and may never be NHL eligible. Substack’s Sean Shapiro, in turn, reached out to the AHL for comment, who have yet to determine his eligibility because as they said, the defenseman is currently suspended in the NHL. Not surprisingly, this story continues to have frequently-changing developments, and this evening, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski shed more light on the current situation.

According to Wyshynski, the NHLPA tells ESPN that the league has not informed the union of any suspension against Miller or anything that would impact his eligibility. The NHLPA added that “there needs to be more info provided by NHL” as it relates to Bettman’s comments. Wyshynski adds that, per a source, Miller’s contract had been registered with the NHL and there was nothing official to stop the Bruins, or any other team, from signing him. This story is, of course, a difficult one for many reasons, however it is worth considering that, despite Miller’s past, he does gain certain rights within the NHL when he signs an official contract. Further, however the situation as to Miller plays out, it could have an impact on how future similar situations play out. Thus, a diligent, drawn-out review and discussion of all issues may be coming before anything is finalized.

  • The recent injury status of the Bruins hasn’t changed much in the past couple days. Recently, it was reported that goaltender Jeremy Swayman would be out week-to-week, while veteran center David Krejci was due back in the lineup tonight. Krejci is in fact playing tonight, however the Bruins did need to activate the center off of IR, which necessitated a corresponding move. In order to add Krejci, Boston has placed Swayman on IR, says The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, who covers the team. Head coach Jim Montgomery, to avoid creating any additional concerns possibly raised by the transaction, reiterated to reporters, including Shinzawa, that Swayman is still considered week-to-week.
  • As relayed by New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein, head coach Lindy Ruff says that goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood will be seen by doctors back in New Jersey on Tuesday. Blackwood, who was injured in New Jersey’s 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, had met with doctors in Calgary yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flames this evening. In response to the injury, but without wanting to place Blackwood on IR, at least not yet, the Devils recalled goaltender Akira Schmid from the AHL earlier today, sending down winger Andreas Johnsson. The Devils return home after tonight’s game and will next play at home Tuesday evening against these same Calgary Flames.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left tonight’s game with a lower-body injury and is questionable to return, the team announced. It’s unclear what exactly caused the injury to Orlov, however he has played just 7:02 thus far as the Capitals lead the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 late in the second period.

Injury Notes: Zadina, Byram, Hornqvist, Chytil, Dahlin

at CDT | by 3 Comments

After a major offseason overhaul rivaled only by the Ottawa Senators, expectations have been big for the Detroit Red Wings this season, however the team has gotten itself off to an up-and-down start. Sitting at 5-3-2 coming into today, the team would be faced with one of its tougher tasks of the young season this afternoon: a showdown with the New York Islanders, who were on a five-game winning streak. Detroit answered the call, shutting out the Islanders 3-0. That win appears to have come at a price, however. Forward Filip Zadina went down late in the third period after appearing to block a Ryan Pulock shot.

After the game, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, provided an update to the media, including Michigan Live’s Ansar Kahn. According to Lalonde, Zadina’s injury “doesn’t look good” and Detroit may not see the winger for a while, adding that the team would know more tomorrow. Soon to be 23-years-old, Zadina has yet to become the player Detroit hoped he would be when he was drafted sixth-overall in 2018, and has zero points through his first nine games this year, including today. But, with Detroit missing more than its fair share of forwards, including Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana, Oskar Sundqvist, and Robby Fabbri, losing Zadina for any period of time will surely be felt.

  • For those who watched today’s NHL Global Series contest in Tampere, Finland between the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets, noticeably absent from Colorado’s blueline was Bowen Byram. The defenseman was replaced in the lineup by Jacob MacDonald, who was playing in just his fourth game of the season. Thus far, there is no word on the severity of Byram’s injury, however The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports that it’s a lower-body injury. While no injury is good news, for Byram, who has dealt with a number of concussion-related issues in his past, having the injury apparently be unrelated to that is somewhat of a relief. The former fourth-overall pick is off to a strong start to the season, scoring two goals to go with three assists in 10 games to date.
  • Florida Panthers winger Patric Hornqvist, who suffered an upper-body injury early in Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, is considered day-to-day, head coach Paul Maurice told the media, including Bally Sports’ Katie Engleson. The veteran has just one goal through 11 games to start the season, but with Florida missing several key pieces from last year’s team, they will need a quick recovery from Hornqvist and renewed production to help supplement their offense going forward.
  • New York Rangers center Filip Chytil expects to play in the team’s game tomorrow afternoon against the Red Wings. While Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant did not confirm that Chytil would be in the lineup, the forward did tell USA Today Sports’ Vince Mercogliano that he feels 100%. Still, Gallant is hopeful he can play Sunday. Chytil, who hasn’t played since October 23rd, was believed to be dealing with a concussion, said Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The 23-year-old had three points in six games prior to the injury.
  • Per Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato confirmed that defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will miss tonight’s game in Tampa Bay against the Lightning with an upper-body injury. Granato declined to go into specifics on the injury but, Harrington says, it likely occurred during Friday night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, when Dahlin was involved in a scuffle with Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Thankfully for Buffalo, Dahlin is listed as day-to-day, but his injury is yet another in a long line of defensemen going down in the Buffalo organization this season, whether that be at the NHL or AHL level. Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, who has missed the last four games with injury, draws back in tonight in place of Dahlin.

Injury Updates: Norris, Saad, Matheson, Mitchell

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While it was recently revealed that Senators center Josh Norris would miss several months due to needing shoulder surgery, that procedure hasn’t happened yet.  Instead, as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports, the 23-year-old is seeking a second opinion in the hopes of avoiding having to go under the knife and miss that much time.  Head coach D.J. Smith indicated that the team is still proceeding with the expectation that Norris won’t be available for the rest of the season while Garrioch notes a final decision from the center is expected in the next couple of days.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Blues winger Brandon Saad has resumed practicing as he works his way back from a back injury, relays Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 30-year-old has missed six straight due to the issue and hasn’t gotten onto the scoresheet in his three contests so far this season.  At this point, there’s no timeline for a return just yet and it’s worth noting that he’s not on injured reserve so a roster move won’t need to be made when he gets the green light to suit up.
  • Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson skated today for the first time as he continues to work his way back from an abdominal injury, relays TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 28-year-old was originally designated as day-to-day but that was later amended to an eight-week absence.  There still are a few weeks left in that timeframe so it’s unlikely that Montreal will be getting one of its top defenders back for a little while yet.
  • Blackhawks defenseman Ian Mitchell told reporters including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that his wrist injury basically boils down to a pain tolerance issue at this point. He’s hoping to skate with the team next week when they return from their current road trip and if all goes well, he could be cleared to return soon after.  That said, while he should be getting back to game action before much longer, it appears that this injury will linger for a little while yet.

Beck Malenstyn Undergoes Hand Surgery

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Washington Capitals forward Beck Malenstyn underwent surgery to stabilize a left-hand finger fracture, the team announced Friday afternoon. Malenstyn will be out of the lineup for six to eight weeks

Malenstyn sustained the injury three days ago in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team placed him on injured reserve the following day, clearing some room for a group of AHL recalls. At this juncture, Malenstyn is eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve if the team needs some additional salary cap wiggle room.

Projected to be a regular in AHL Hershey this season, Malenstyn got the call-up to the NHL in mid-October when forward Connor Brown suffered a potential season-ending ACL injury. A Capitals fifth-round draft selection in 2016, Malenstyn signed a two-year extension with the team this past offseason.

In five games up with Washington his season, Malenstyn registered a goal (his second in the NHL) and an assist. The 24-year-old has defied a good amount of adversity to even make it to the NHL as a semi-regular after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign due to injury.

Malenstyn is one of six Capitals forwards currently on IR or LTIR.

Washington Capitals Recall Sonny Milano, Place Three On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 3 Comments

As announced in a team release today, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Sonny Milano, forward Garrett Pilon, and defenseman Lucas Johansen from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. All three players will travel with the team to Detroit for the team’s game tomorrow against the Red Wings.

In a corresponding move, the team has also placed forward T.J. Oshie, defenseman John Carlson, and forward Beck Malenstyn on injured reserve. Forward Connor Brown was also moved to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after undergoing potentially season-ending ACL surgery earlier this week.

Oshie is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury suffered last Saturday. He is technically eligible to return for Saturday’s home game against Arizona, but without a timeline, there’s no telling when he’ll be back. The fact that he was not moved to LTIR along with Brown is somewhat promising, suggesting that he may not be out for more than a few weeks.

Carlson also left the same game Saturday with a lower-body injury, although his status remains day-to-day. Assuming his injured reserve placement is retroactive, he could return Saturday against Arizona, but the IR placement is confirmation that he’ll miss his third straight game tomorrow against Detroit.

Malenstyn left last night’s overtime loss against Vegas with an upper-body injury. He was recalled to the team in mid-October in the absence of Brown.

After notching 34 points in 66 games last year as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, it was rather shocking that no team signed Milano before training camps started, and it was nearly as surprising when he cleared waivers when Washington signed him. In five games in the AHL, Milano’s notched two goals, an assist, and three points. He could potentially draw into the lineup in Malenstyn’s absence, although the team also had Connor McMichael as a healthy extra.

Pilon, 24, has five points in seven games to start the AHL season, his fifth with Hershey. Johansen, the 28th overall selection in 2016, missed the majority of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to injury and has a goal in six games with Hershey in 2022-23. The team had no extra healthy defensemen with Carlson out.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top