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Colorado Avalanche Have “Concern” About Gabriel Landeskog, Darren Helm’s Injuries

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Speaking with reporters today, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said there’s some “concern” over lingering injuries for both captain Gabriel Landeskog and Darren Helm. Bednar added that the team still didn’t have a concrete timeline for Landeskog’s return, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

Landeskog is still dealing with a lower-body injury that plagued him last season, although he played through that injury during their Stanley Cup-winning playoff run. Bednar told reporters roughly three weeks ago now that Landeskog wouldn’t skate anytime soon and was expected to miss the start of the season.

The 29-year-old underwent knee surgery last March, which shelved him for nearly the final two months of the regular season before he returned for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Nashville Predators. At the time, Bednar indicated that his knee had been bothering him for some time, and it was an issue the team and player wanted to rectify before the playoffs started. The fact that the tone around Landeskog’s injury appears to be increasingly negative isn’t a good sign for his return to the lineup, especially when taken in relation to such a long-term knee issue.

Similarly, Helm is still recovering from an injury that he played through during the team’s playoff run, although his injury is abdominal. Bednar said last week that Helm wouldn’t be able to play for “some time” into the season. Helm re-signed with the Avalanche when free agency opened this past offseason, inking a one-year, $1.25MM contract.

 

Flyers Place Owen Tippett On IR, Recall Olle Lycksell

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Flyers winger Owen Tippett left Thursday’s season-opening victory against New Jersey after just four shifts and it appears he’ll be out for a little while at least as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed him on injured reserve which means he’ll be out for a minimum of a week.  In a corresponding move, Philadelphia has recalled forward Olle Lycksell from Lehigh Valley of the AHL.

Tippett was a key part of the return that the Flyers received in the swap that sent Claude Giroux to Florida back at the trade deadline.  He made a good first impression with Philadelphia down the stretch, picking up seven points in 21 games to push his full-season totals to 10 goals and 11 assists in 63 contests.  The 23-year-old signed a two-year bridge deal in late July that carries a $1.5MM cap hit, a contract that allows the team to get a better sense of his upside but that will have to wait a bit until he’s able to return now.

As for Lycksell, the Flyers signed him back in May 2021 but he spent all of last season with Vaxjo of the SHL where he collected 14 goals and 20 assists in 47 games while averaging over a point per game in Champions League play.  He had four points during their rookie camp and saw action in four games in the preseason, primarily in a top-six role and appears to have made a positive impression on the coaching staff to get this early recall.

Ondrej Kase Being Evaluated For Possible Concussion

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Ondrej Kase is returning to Raleigh to be evaluated for a possible concussion, according to team reporter Walt Ruff. While an injury like this may not always make headlines, in the case of Kase, there is a long history of head injuries to consider.

In April, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Kase was dealing with a concussion that had held him out for weeks. He suffered the injury on March 19, and didn’t return during the regular season. He would make it back in the playoffs, suiting up in early May against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but struggled to live up to his previous level of play and was quickly moved down the lineup.

That was not his first concussion. James Mirtle of The Athletic detailed the long history Kase has with head and neck injuries, which began in just his third game in North America, while playing for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. When that story was written, before the Maple Leafs incident and this one with the Hurricanes, the number of concussions that Kase had experienced was unknown but “plausibly into the double digits.”

After the Maple Leafs decided not to issue him a qualifying offer this summer, he ended up with the Hurricanes on a one-year, $1.5MM contract. The 26-year-old has shown an excellent ability to play strong two-way hockey whenever healthy – the problem is that he has struggled to stay in the lineup for years now. In his debut for Carolina, he played just 11 minutes and failed to register a point. If he does have another concussion, it is completely unclear how long it will keep him out.

Mike Matheson Placed On Injured Reserve

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6:55 PM: The Canadiens have added some more detail on the nature of Matheson’s injury. Per a team announcement, Matheson will be out for eight weeks due to an abdominal muscle strain.

10:01 AM: The Montreal Canadiens have moved Mike Matheson to injured reserve, recalling Corey Schueneman in the process. Given that he had previously been listed as day-to-day but had an MRI yesterday to further evaluate a lower-body injury, his placement on IR is ominous, to say the least.

Matheson did appear at the Canadiens game last night, introduced to the crowd along with the other injured players (including Carey Price, who received a standing ovation) but does not appear close to getting back in the lineup. His absence, along with that of Joel Edmundson and others, left an incredibly inexperienced defensive group to try and slow down their rival Toronto Maple Leafs.

The kids were alright, with Montreal winning on a late third-period goal by Josh Anderson, but it is going to be a long season if players like Matheson can’t get healthy. Acquired in the trade that sent Jeff Petry to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 28-year-old was expected to bring some stability to the back end after a strong season in 2021-22.

Schueneman, 27, played 24 games for the Canadiens last season, making his NHL debut after working through years in the minor leagues. The undrafted defenseman had six points in those games and represents a nice depth piece for the team to lean on in Matheson’s absence. What it might mean, though, is that the team relies on their young group even more over the next little while, and continues to try and develop them at the NHL level.

Patrik Laine Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that forward Patrik Laine has been placed on injured reserve due to an injury he suffered in last night’s season-opening contest against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Per the team, the injury Laine suffered is an elbow sprain and he is expected to miss three to four weeks as a result.

The Blue Jackets called up top prospect Kent Johnson earlier today, so perhaps he will get the first chance to fill Laine’s role as the right winger on the team’s first line alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Johnson is widely considered to be more of a playmaker than a sniper, so if coach Brad Larsen prefers a player more stylistically similar to Laine on that line, he could opt to bump preseason standout Yegor Chinakhov into that role.

The Blue Jackets aren’t expected to be among the NHL’s elite teams this season, but after an aggressive summer that saw them add Gaudreau and Erik Gudbranson as free agents, it’s likely that the team has designs on at least being in the mix for a playoff spot late in the season. To get there, the Blue Jackets will need to avoid falling behind in the standings in this early part of the year, a task now made even more difficult due to this Laine injury.

That being said, though, the Blue Jackets are certainly a team with enviable scoring depth. With talented youngsters such as Johnson, Chinakhov, and Kirill Marchenko, the Blue Jackets will have options to choose from as they ponder how to best compensate for Laine’s absence.

Evening Notes: Price, Laine, Panik, Oilers Injuries

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When Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was announced at tonight’s home opener, the standing ovation he received from the crowd was about the least surprising bit of news this evening. Price, who is one of, if not the best goaltender of his generation, has been a staple in the Canadiens lineup since his debut in 2007-08. His recent injury woes have forced him to take a step back from the game in order to try to return to full health not only on the ice, but off of it. Whether he is able to come back and play in the NHL again remains to be seen, but for now Montreal will have to proceed with Price on the sidelines.

Recently, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu had a chance to speak with Price about his health and where he stands right now. Unfortunately, the update was far from ideal. As Price said, “[a]gain, my knee still isn’t doing great. Like, I’m still not walking up a set of stairs pain-free yet. I still don’t feel like my knee’s in a place where I’m going to be able to play hockey.” Price’s own words seem to indicate that for now, the focus isn’t necessarily on hockey, but a quality of life at the moment. Price added that he’s also focusing on being able to do things in the future such as skate and play sports with his children (recall Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom discussing similar issues a couple of months ago). Interestingly, Price said those are things he wants to do “when I’m, you know, officially done,” language Basu points to as perhaps significant given the line between Price being ’officially done’ and where he is now is a very thin one.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced forward Patrik Laine left tonight’s game at the Carolina Hurricanes with an upper-body injury and will not return. The forward appeared to be in some discomfort after being sandwiched along the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce. Laine had already contributed a goal in tonight’s contest prior to leaving, the only Blue Jackets tally at the time of writing.
  • According to CapFriendly, the New York Islanders have loaned forward Richard Panik to Lausanne HC of Switzerland’s National League. Panik, 31, had been with the Islanders organization since he was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in the deal that sent Nick Leddy to Detroit in the summer of 2021. Outside of a brief four game stretch on Long Island, the team had buried Panik and his $2.75MM salary in the AHL last season, which he otherwise split between the Bridgeport Islanders and Chicago Wolves. While on loan, Panik’s buried cap hit of $250,000 (Detroit retained $1.375MM in the deal, $1.125MM is buried) will continue to count against the Islanders cap. By going to Lausanne, the veteran forward should have a chance at more consistent minutes far closer to home and should give the Islanders more opportunities to get younger players into the Bridgeport lineup.
  • The Edmonton Oilers will be without forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Warren Foegele for tonight’s opening night matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. It’s unclear what injuries either player is suffering from. However, because Edmonton began the season with just 21 players on its roster for cap compliance purposes, they will only be able to dress 17 skaters – all that are left on the roster after Yamamoto and Foegele. Sportsnet’s Bob Stauffer was the first to report.

Snapshots: Kravtsov, Pastrnak, Flames

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The New York Rangers and winger Vitali Kravtsov were both hoping that the former top prospect could finally make an NHL impact this season in a top-six role. Unfortunately for Kravtsov, his season has gotten off to a rough start. After taking a hit early in the first period of tonight’s season opener from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, the Rangers said that Kravtsov would not return to the game with an upper-body injury.

The ninth overall pick in 2018 returned to North America this season after spending last year with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, recording 13 points in 19 games. He made his season debut tonight skating on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Kravtsov played just 1:28 before leaving the game.

  • Talks remain amicable between the Boston Bruins and David Pastrnak on an extension. Still, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported today that the Bruins have yet to make a specific offer to Pastrnak’s camp. It makes sense, all things considered, as Pastrnak has publically said multiple times since he was eligible for an extension that his main focus is on starting the season strong. The team will need to rely on him heavily, of course, with Brad Marchand out of the lineup. Dreger cited Jonathan Huberdeau’s recent eight-year, $84MM extension as a reasonable comparison.
  • Speaking of the Calgary Flames, head coach Darryl Sutter said today that the team has “no need” to name a captain ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Flames have not had a captain since the 2021 offseason when Mark Giordano was claimed in the expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken. New acquisition Huberdeau was a commonly discussed candidate for the role, as well as longtime Flame, Mikael Backlund.

John Tavares Expected To Be Ready For Season Opener

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After suffering an oblique injury in training camp, John Tavares was given a three-week recovery timeline. That suggested he would miss the first few games of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading to several questions about who would step into the top-six role in his absence. Now, just two weeks later, the Maple Leafs captain is expected to be ready for tomorrow’s opener after all, telling reporters including Mark Masters of TSN that he is excited to be there “right off the get-go.”

It’s a big season for Toronto after being knocked out of the first round once again, and Tavares’ health will be a key factor in their success. The 32-year-old suffered a scary concussion and knee injury in the team’s playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021 and missed a good chunk of his offseason preparation because of it.

While he still managed 27 goals and 76 points during the following season, many critiqued his play and pointed to Tavares’ $11MM cap hit as one of the biggest challenges the Maple Leafs face when trying to exorcise their playoff demons. It was a generally healthy offseason for the veteran forward until this injury, so it will be interesting to see if his play will be improved at all, or whether this recent setback will have any ill effects.

Either way, with him in the lineup, things look a bit more natural for the Toronto forward group, with Alexander Kerfoot in the third-line pivot role and David Kampf centering Zach Aston-Reese and Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the fourth.

Carl Hagelin, Kody Clark Undergo Surgery

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It’s tough news for veteran forward Carl Hagelin, as the Washington Capitals announced today that he underwent arthroscopic surgery to address a chronic left hip injury. Hagelin is out indefinitely, after missing a chunk of last season with an eye injury.

That’s not all, though, as the Capitals also announced surgery for Kody Clark to address a chronic condition with his left quad tendon. The prospect will miss six to eight months following the procedure.

Hagelin, 34, has made a career out of his skating ability, bursting up and down the ice with ease to put pressure on opposing players. That speed, defensive awareness, and versatility has made him an outstanding role player for great teams, and helped take the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships.

While some players struggle to reach the postseason at all, Hagelin has played 141 playoff games in his career and was rewarded nicely for that experience with a four-year, $11MM contract in 2019. That deal will expire after this season, meaning a serious hip issue might be spelling the end for the Swedish speedster.

Clark, meanwhile, is just starting on his professional journey. The 22-year-old winger was the 47th overall pick in 2018 and played his first full season for the Hershey Bears last year. In 63 games he managed to score eight goals and 19 points while racking up 53 penalty minutes. Losing key development time like this is never a good sign for a prospect’s long-term outlook.

Vancouver Canucks Place Three On Injured Reserve

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There are many teams playing salary cap gymnastics today, though the award may have to go to Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin. The Vancouver Canucks announced a series of roster moves today, most notably placing forward Ilya Mikheyev, as well as defensemen Tyler Myers and Travis Dermott, on injured reserve.

The team also loaned forward Linus Karlsson to AHL Abbotsford while recalling forward Danila Klimovich, a move expected to be reversed once their cap situation is settled. In doing so today, the team completed maximized their LTIR pool relief from Micheal Ferland’s contract, creating exactly zero dollars in cap space, allowing them to reap the full rewards of his $3.5MM cap hit. Ferland is unexpected to play again due to post-concussion syndrome.

In terms of the actual injuries, the three players can be activated from injured reserve at any time as their placement is retroactive to when their injuries were suffered during camp. Mikheyev remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury, while Myers is expected to miss about two and a half more weeks with a lower-body injury (he was given a three-week timeline last week). Dermott is day-to-day after suffering a concussion approximately two weeks ago.

Vancouver joined Toronto, Vegas, Tampa Bay, Edmonton, and Carolina as teams who had maxed their LTIR relief pools to within $100,000.

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