Cale Makar, Darren Helm Out Indefinitely
Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Gazette reports that defenseman Cale Makar and forward Darren Helm will be out indefinitely with lower-body injuries. Both players have dealt with injuries and missed consecutive games multiple times this season.
Although clinching a playoff spot in Tuesday night’s win against the San Jose Sharks, it has not been an easy path back to the playoffs for the Avalanche this season. So far this year, at least 38 different skaters have played at least one game in Colorado, and they have gone through a mixture of five total netminders. In this case, as the team has now clinched and is waiting for the playoffs to begin, it is unknown whether either player will be available for game one, as head coach Jared Bednar would not give a timeline for their return.
For Helm in particular, this will be the third time that he has missed multiple games with injury. He has spent the majority of this season on the injured reserve, only managing to suit up for 11 games, unable to find himself on the scoreboard.
Most importantly for the Avalanche, as well as their playoff aspirations, Makar being out indefinitely is a massive blow. After winning the Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy last season, he has followed that up with another tremendous campaign, scoring 66 points in 60 games for Colorado. Makar has already missed 16 games this year for the Avalanche, adding to the injury woes that have seemed to plague the team all season.
With six games remaining this season, it is unclear who the Avalanche will be playing in the first round of the playoffs. Given the current standings leading into gameplay tonight, Colorado is most likely to face the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, or Seattle Kraken in the beginning round. They are currently in first place in the NHL’s Central Division with one game in hand on both the Wild and Stars.
Gustav Nyquist Could Return This Weekend
When Gustav Nyquist was shut down with a shoulder injury in late January, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that he was expected to miss the rest of the regular season. That was curious, given he wasn’t going to undergo surgery, and the veteran forward quickly came out to say that he would not give up on the chance to return before the end of the year.
Many speculated that he could potentially be an LTIR playoff addition for a contender, sitting out the whole regular season only to return at some point in the postseason. When the Minnesota Wild sent a fifth-round pick for him at the deadline, it seemed like that wasn’t even a guarantee, given the low cost.
Now, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports, Nyquist could debut Saturday for the Wild after returning to full practice with the club. That’s quite an impressive addition for a fifth-round pick, given his long history of success in the NHL.
Nyquist, 33, had recorded at least 40 points in the previous eight seasons (save for one lost entirely to injury), including 53 last year. Given how much time he’s missed due to injury, he won’t reach that number this time around, but he’s still a solid middle-six player who can contribute on special teams.
In fact, his six shorthanded goals tie him for third in the league over the last two years, behind only Mitch Marner and Chris Kreider, who each have seven. For a Minnesota team still fighting for the top spot in the Central Division and in need of a little boost, it’s a perfect time for him to return.
Injury Notes: Kane, Harpur, Buchnevich
Before their game, tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Andrew Crane of the New York Post reports that trade deadline acquisition Patrick Kane will be a “game-time” decision. On Tuesday, Kane took a maintenance day but participated in an individual practice this morning.
At the beginning of this season, it was clear that Kane was not playing at the same speed as in previous seasons. There were many pundits noting an apparent hip injury, but Kane was simply not living up to expectations even on a last-place Chicago Blackhawks team. But on an expiring contract, and his team in the basement, Kane was set to be one of the most sought-after deadline acquisitions.
He made his interest in the Rangers known, but after their acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko from the St.Louis Blues, Kane being traded at all was now in question. The veteran phenom re-sparked the Rangers’ interest, scoring three goals and seven assists in his last four games in Chicago.
Although he got off to a slow start in New York, he has refound his form primarily playing on the second line, scoring ten points in 16 games. If he is still dealing with a nagging hip, it will be vital for the Rangers to give him the rests he needs, as Kane has been an incredible playoff performer in the past.
Other injury notes:
- In the same report, Crane also mentions that the only other player on the ice with Kane at practice was defenseman Ben Harpur. Shortly after the season began, the Rangers signed Harpur to a 1-year, $750K contract. Primarily playing as a depth defenseman, Harpur has skated in 40 games for the Rangers this year, posting six points and a 0 +/-. Almost three months to the date that he signed this year’s contract with New York, the team signed him to a 2-year, $1.575MM extension.
- Although this is a season to forget for the organization, Lou Korac of NHL.com announces that Pavel Buchnevich will return to the Blues tomorrow night when they take on the Rangers. Buchnevich has been a bright spot on a struggling St.Louis team this year, scoring 25 goals and 41 assists, good for second on the team in scoring. Buchnevich has found himself on the injured reserve a handful of times this year, missing a total of 19 games so far for the Blues.
Marco Kasper Likely Out For Season
The Detroit Red Wings received some disappointing news on Wednesday regarding one of their young prospects. According to head coach Derek Lalonde, forward Marco Kasper is unlikely to play for the remainder of the season due to a lower-body injury.
The news is a setback for Kasper, who was hoping to finish the season strong during his first NHL call-up. It also represents a missed opportunity for the Red Wings to evaluate one of their prospects at the NHL level, albeit for a short time.
Kasper, still just 18, was selected by the Red Wings as the eighth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft. The Austrian-born forward had been playing with Rögle BK of the SHL this season before coming to North America, where he tallied eight goals and 15 assists in 53 games of league play. Kasper played 14:59 in his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Sunday before leaving the game late.
Detroit is not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but as they’re able to finish the season with a maximum of 89 points, their playoff hopes are essentially zero. Kasper will now try to gain some stability and comfortability with the Red Wings during training camp in a handful of months, hoping to contend for a roster spot in 2023-24.
Snapshots: Wild, Krejci, Salt Lake City
The Minnesota Wild, already rolling near the top of the Western Conference, are set to get two key pieces into their rotation soon. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported today that both forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Gustav Nyquist could be options to return during their game next Saturday against the St. Louis Blues.
Head coach Dean Evason indicated further that only one of Kaprizov or Nyquist would play in the Saturday game, with the team opting to work both players back into the lineup slowly. The team has three games next week, including a back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday. Neither player will suit up for both of those games. When Nyquist does suit up, it will be his Minnesota debut after he was traded mid-recovery from a shoulder injury sustained with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kaprizov’s return would obviously be the more monumental of the two, although the Wild have still managed to string multiple wins together without their superstar winger.
- Boston Bruins forward David Krejci is questionable to play in tomorrow’s matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. Krejci left today’s practice early and did not play in the team’s Sunday win against the Blues, held out with a lower-body injury. The veteran playmaker has 56 points in 70 games during his return campaign to North America.
- Preseason hockey will return to Salt Lake City next year, with Vivint Arena, the home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, announcing an October 5 matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. Salt Lake City has long been viewed as a dark horse for expansion, and they’ve seen sustained preseason action over the past number of years, mainly highlighted by the Kings playing against various opponents.
Atlantic Injury Notes: Hall, O’Reilly, Harvey-Pinard
Boston Bruins winger Taylor Hall practiced on Wednesday and wore a regular jersey for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in late February. The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa tweeted the news, which is a positive sign for the team as they gear up for the playoffs.
Hall has been an integral part of the Bruins’ depth scoring since being acquired in an April 2021 trade with the Buffalo Sabres. He has scored 16 goals and added 20 assists in 58 games this year, giving Boston a skilled option far down the lineup, often in a third-line role. With quite literally nothing left to play for until the playoffs begin on April 17, the Bruins are likely hoping to get Hall back into game action for at least one or two matchups before the postseason commences. They’ll need to perform some salary cap gymnastics to do so, however, with the team currently using Hall’s $6MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve to remain cap-compliant.
- Ryan O’Reilly of the Toronto Maple Leafs was also back at practice today, as reported by David Alter of The Hockey News. The veteran center was seen wearing a regular jersey, signaling a potential impending return to the lineup. O’Reilly has been out of action for the past 14 games due to a finger injury sustained during a game against the Vancouver Canucks on March 4. O’Reilly, 32, had three goals and five points in eight games with Toronto after a mid-season blockbuster trade from the St. Louis Blues and is expected to dress in the bottom six when he does return to the lineup.
- Montreal Canadiens forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard was seen on the ice wearing a non-contact jersey for practice, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Harvey-Pinard, who was called up by the Canadiens on January 17, has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury. The 24-year-old Quebec product has broken out since the callup, recording 14 goals and 19 points in 32 games while receiving top-six minutes.
Injury Notes: Capitals, Blues, Tanev, Teravainen
While the Washington Capitals are near the conclusion of a rare season that finds them outside the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture, the circumstances surrounding their franchise’s greatest player add more meaning to the remaining games on their schedule than those contests might have for other teams. Alex Ovechkin remains locked into his chase of Wayne Gretzky‘s all-time scoring record, and until the day he passes The Great One, each Capitals game holds importance.
As a result, any injuries Capitals players suffer at this stage of the season are more meaningful than they might be for another franchise closing out a lost season. So, today’s reporting via the Washington Post’s Roman Stubbs that Capitals veterans T.J. Oshie and Trevor van Riemsdyk will not travel with the team and are each nursing upper-body injuries is notable. While the 36-year-old Oshie may not be the caliber of player he once was, he’s still a reliable contributor to the Capitals’ forward corps and his absence could make life for Ovechkin more difficult. Same for the loss of van Riemsdyk, who as a former undrafted player has carved himself a nice career as a penalty kill specialist at the age of 31.
Some other injury notes from across the NHL:
- NHL.com’s Lou Korac relays updates from St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube on two of the team’s most important players. Per Berube, top center Robert Thomas is a game-time decision tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, while the Blues’ leading scorer on a point-per-game basis, Pavel Buchnevich, remains out. Both Thomas and Buchnevich have not played since the Blues’ March 28th overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks, and in their absence St. Louis has lost two of three games, with their sole victory coming over the last-place Chicago Blackhawks.
- Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter told the media today, including TSN Sports’ Salim Nadim Valji, that veteran defensive defenseman Chris Tanev is a game-time decision tonight against the Blackhawks. Tanev hasn’t played since March 20th, when the Flames suffered a miserable 8-2 loss in Los Angeles. With the Flames on a four-game winning streak and mounting a serious challenge to the Winnipeg Jets, getting Tanev back into the lineup would give his team a major boost. Tanev is the Flames’ leading penalty-killer by a wide margin and the experience, defensive prowess, and 20 rock-solid minutes a night he brings to the table could be just what the Calgary needs to push themselves past the Jets for the final Wild Card spot.
- Carolina Hurricanes star forward Teuvo Teravainen remains out of the lineup for tonight’s matchup against the Ottawa Senators, marking the fourth straight game he has missed. The 28-year-old Finn has undoubtedly had a down season by his standards (just 12 goals and 36 points in 63 games played) but with both Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov out for the season, he’ll need to get back to full health and shoulder a greater offensive workload in order for the Hurricanes to stand the best chance of making a deep playoff run.
Marco Scandella Out For Season
Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch reports today that St.Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella was seen in a walking boot on Sunday, and head coach Craig Berube confirms that he will be out for the rest of the season. The Blues currently have five games remaining in their season and are eliminated from playoff contention.
In a season to forget for Scandella, and largely the Blues as well, the St.Louis defenseman will only manage to play in 20 games this year, scoring two points in the process. At the beginning of the season, it was announced that Scandella would be out for six months with a hip injury. On February 20th, he was cleared to play but was once again injured with a lower-body injury in the team’s loss against the Nashville Predators.
Acquired during the season after their 2019 Stanley Cup-winning year, Scandella spent that year split between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens as well. He was originally acquired by the Sabres during the summer before the 2017-18 season, as he was sent to Buffalo along with Jason Pominville from the Minnesota Wild for Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno.
Spending a few more seasons in Buffalo, he was shipped to Montreal for a draft pick shortly before the 2020 trade deadline. As the deadline rolled around, Scandella was finally acquired by the Blues for a few draft picks. Although this season hasn’t gone as planned, Scandella has played in a total of 150 games wearing the blue note, scoring seven goals and 19 assists with a very respectable +37 +/-.
Maple Leafs Notes: Murray, Acciari, Cruikshank, Skirving
In a recent article written by Luke Fox of Sportsnet, the Toronto Maple Leafs appear to have some more bad news with goaltender Matt Murray. After getting what appeared to be accidentally knocked down by Detroit Red Wings’ forward Lucas Raymond on Sunday night, head coach Sheldon Keefe relays on that Murray is now dealing with a head injury.
Murray has been injured several times this year, being placed on long-term injured reserve on both October 18th and February 15th of this season. When he is healthy, Murray has been an average goaltender at best for Toronto. In 26 starts this season, the goaltender has a record of 14-8-2 with a SV% of .903 and a GAA of 3.01. In some of the underlying numbers, Murray currently has a GA%- of 101, with a Goals Saved Above Average of -1.0.
Throughout his time with the Ottawa Senators, and even multiple times when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Murray has been a very injury-prone player throughout his career. Keefe mentioned that Murray would be considered day-to-day for now, and did not specify a timeline or if Murray would enter concussion protocol.
Fortunately for the Maple Leafs, their other goaltender acquisition from this past summer is enjoying the best season of his career. In 37 stars, Ilya Samsonov has a record of 25-10-4 with a .915 SV% and a 2.41 GAA. Even before the recent injury to Murray, Samsonov was going to be the clear-cut starter for Toronto in their first-round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the hockey world did see last year that having a capable backup going into the playoffs is vitally important, evidenced by the superb play of backup Pavel Francouz for the Colorado Avalanche.
Other Maple Leafs notes:
- In some positive injury news for the Maple Leafs, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports that forward Noel Acciari will be back in the lineup tonight as Toronto takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Acquired in the trade with the St.Louis Blues that also netted Toronto forward Ryan O’Reilly, Acciari has spent most of his time in the Maple Leafs’ bottom six. In 17 games with Toronto, Acciari has added a valuable bit of depth goal-scoring, lighting the lamp three times for Toronto.
- Traveling southwest of the Maple Leafs, their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies announced two signings today, picking up forward Grant Cruikshank from St.Cloud State University, as well as signing forward Todd Skirving from the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL. In 41 games for St.Cloud State, Cruikshank scored a solid 23 goals and 15 assists, being one of the better goal-scorers in the NCAA. Similarly, Skirving has also been a solid scorer in the ECHL this season, scoring 30 goals and 27 assists in 66 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Joseph Woll
With Matt Murray‘s latest injury, the decision on who will start for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs was effectively made. Ilya Samsonov is now the team’s undisputed starter, though someone will need to help get the team through the last few games of the season.
That someone is Joseph Woll, recalled again today under emergency conditions. Radim Zohorna has been returned to the AHL, while Bobby McMann was moved to long-term injured reserve.
Woll, 24, has had an outstanding season. In 21 appearances at the minor league level he is 16-4-1 with a .927 save percentage. In four games with the Maple Leafs, he is 3-1 with a .934. The 2016 third-round pick is finally rounding into form after several injury-laden professional seasons, and is now pushing for a full-time position with Toronto.
Murray left Sunday’s game after an awkward collision with Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond, appearing to hit his head on the ice. The team has not revealed any timeline for the veteran netminder, but it is just another disappointing outcome in a turbulent season.
In 26 appearances, spread out by several injuries, Murray has posted a .903 save percentage. Samsonov, meanwhile, is now 25-10-4 on the year with a .915, and looks poised to meet Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning in game one, should nothing else change for the Maple Leafs over the last part of the season.