John Marino, Ryan Graves Placed On Injured Reserve
The New Jersey Devils have come out of the break with some unfortunate news, moving John Marino and Ryan Graves to injured reserve. The transaction allows them to recall Tyce Thompson and Tyler Wotherspoon from the AHL while their two defensemen continue to recover. Ondrej Palat has also been moved to long-term injured reserve to make the cap work.
Marino was ruled out week-to-week just before the Christmas break, his second stint on the shelf this season. The 25-year-old has been a nice pickup through 32 appearances, playing more than 21 minutes a night and recording nine points.
Graves, meanwhile, will be out on a similar week-to-week timeline, though not much information has been released about his injury. The 27-year-old left a game against the Florida Panthers on December 21 during his second shift. While he doesn’t carry quite the same level of responsibility, Graves is still an important piece of the Devils’ back end, averaging over 18 minutes and scoring nine points in 33 games so far.
Wotherspoon, 29, hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2016-17 season but has been good for the Utica Comets the last couple of years. It remains to be seen whether he will get into the lineup.
The more interesting recall, perhaps, is Thompson, who played a handful of games for the Devils in each of the last two seasons. The fourth-round winger has 13 points in 22 games for Utica this season and would be looking for his first NHL goal should he get into the lineup. The 23-year-old has just one point in nine career games at the NHL level.
Evening Notes: Dermott, Zaitsev, Duchene
There’s a few things the Vancouver Canucks could use right now to help turn their season, and even with the addition of Ethan Bear, another defenseman would be among those needs. One defenseman the team has been without all season, Travis Dermott, appeared fairly close to returning, having been sent to the Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, for a conditioning loan.
Dermott was able to get into a game with Abbotsford, failing to record a point but registering a +2 rating, however it doesn’t appear things went too well otherwise. According to Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin, Dermott has been recalled from his conditioning loan and now remains on LTIR. Generally one would expect a recall from a condoning loan to line-up with being activated off of IR, however this combined with the fact that Dermott played just the one game points to something else being amiss, though Allvin did not specifically clarify anything further.
- The Ottawa Senators returned from their Christmas break tonight at home against the Boston Bruins, but found themselves playing a man short pretty early on. The team announced that veteran defenseman Nikita Zaitsev suffered a lower-body injury during the first period of the game, which will keep him from returning. The 31-year-old hasn’t had his best season so far, even being placed on waivers back in November and sent to the AHL, however he has received consistent playing time since being recalled back on December 1st. Through 16 games, Zaitsev has three points, all assists, as well as 32 blocks and 39 hits. No update is available just yet on the injury going forward.
- The Nashville Predators are without forward Matt Duchene this evening as they take on the Dallas Stars at home, though fortunately it’s for good reason and not injury related. The team announced it was the birth of Duchene’s child that is keeping the star away from the rink. The Predators next play on Friday against the Ducks in Anaheim.
Blues Place Torey Krug On LTIR, Recall Tyler Tucker
The Blues will be without a key member of their back end for the next little while as the Blues announced that they’ve placed defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) due to a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, St. Louis has recalled blueliner Tyler Tucker from AHL Springfield.
Krug was on a nice run offensively leading into the holiday break with five points over his last four games and logged nearly 23 minutes on Friday against Vegas so it’s unclear exactly when the injury was sustained. The 31-year-old has suited up in 31 games for St. Louis this season, notching 17 points, second to only Justin Faulk in terms of production from the back end. Offensive production has been hard to come by beyond those two as their other rearguards have managed just four goals combined this season so Krug’s absence on that side of the ice will certainly be felt.
There is no firm timetable on when Krug might be able to return as the release from the Blues only mentions that he will be re-evaluated in six weeks. Accordingly, it stands to reason that he will likely be out of the lineup longer than that.
As for Tucker, the 22-year-old made his NHL debut last month, getting into four games with St. Louis, picking up six blocks and eight hits along the way. He has spent the rest of the season with the Thunderbirds, collecting 13 points and 45 penalty minutes in 24 contests.
Snapshots: Cossa, Stranges, Clifford
The Detroit Red Wings have returned their top goaltending prospect to the ECHL. Sebastian Cossa is headed back to the Toledo Walleye, per today’s ECHL transactions log.
After turning 20 just last month, Cossa’s been thrown into the fire in his first professional season. His .783 save percentage and 5.57 goals-against average in the AHL may raise some eyebrows, but he’s only gotten three appearances there. His ECHL record of 8-8-1, along with a 2.81 goals-against average and .897 save percentage, is much more respectable for a goalie his age (and of his ceiling). The 15th overall selection in 2021 will likely remain in Toledo full-time this season, barring injuries.
- Conversely, an intriguing prospect is heading up to the AHL from the ECHL. The Texas Stars added Antonio Stranges to their roster over the weekend, according to the ECHL’s transactions log for Christmas Eve. Dallas’ 123rd overall pick in 2020 has seen limited action due to injury but has six points in five games with the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL and two assists in five games with Texas.
- Toronto Maple Leafs veteran enforcer Kyle Clifford, currently on AHL assignment with the Toronto Marlies, sustained a potential injury in today’s win over the Belleville Senators. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby notes Clifford left the rink with his hand in a wrap, saying he likely suffered a dislocation in a fight during the game. Clifford has made two appearances with the Maple Leafs this season.
Minnesota Wild To Recall Sammy Walker, Adam Beckman
5:39 pm: The Wild made the recall official on Monday night. Walker and Beckman join the team ahead of their game against Winnipeg tomorrow.
3:56 pm: According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild are expected to recall a pair of forwards in that of Sammy Walker and Adam Beckman from the Iowa Wild, their AHL affiliate. Russo adds that forward Marcus Foligno, who is suffering from a lower-body injury, is not expected to travel with the team tomorrow morning to take on the Winnipeg Jets later that night. In addition to Foligno, the Wild are also going to be without forward Mason Shaw, who is serving a two-game suspension.
Foligno, who was injured in Wednesday’s game in Anaheim against the Ducks, missed Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks with the injury and now it appears he’ll be missing tomorrow’s game too. There doesn’t appear to be a timetable for Foligno, however after Thursday’s game, Wild head coach Dean Evason told Russo he expected the forward to be okay after the four-day holiday break. Though the veteran clearly isn’t good-to-go just yet, Evason’s comments show this injury likely isn’t to be anything long-term.
Walker, 23, made his professional debut this season after a four-year stint at the University of Minnesota. The former Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick has been a standout thus far with Iowa, registering 24 points in 23 games, and made his NHL debut back on December 10th, skating in four NHL contests to date.
The 21-year-old Beckman has also skated in just four NHL games this season after making his debut last season. The forward turned pro back in 2020-21 after a stellar WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs. A 2019 third-round selection of the Wild, Beckman is off to a solid start with Iowa this season tallying 15 points in his first 25 AHL games.
Matias Maccelli Expected To Miss Six Weeks
As everyone was enjoying their holiday weekend, the Arizona Coyotes received a bit of bad news on one of their young forwards. According to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan, rookie Matias Maccelli is expected to miss six weeks with a lower-body injury. Maccelli suffered the injury during Friday’s win over the Los Angeles Kings and was forced to leave the game prematurely. At this time, it’s unclear what exactly the nature of the injury is.
Amid another season of uncertainty with an odd arena situation, near the bottom of the league standings, the Coyotes have been able to find a few bright spots and hope for the future. One of those bright spots has been Maccelli, who is currently second in the rookie scoring race with 22 points. An adept playmaker, Maccelli’s 22 points come from just three goals, but 19 assists over 30 games, a large split but not necessarily of concern, given his 13.0% shooting percentage.
A native of Finland, Maccelli was a fourth-round pick of the Coyotes in 2019 and rose relatively quickly to becoming the impact player he is today. After spending two years with Ilves Tampere back home, where he was much of the same player he is today, Maccelli came to North America for 2021-22. The winger dominated the AHL with 57 points in just 47 games and earned himself a March call-up and a long 23-game look in the NHL.
Already 29th in the league in goals-for, losing Maccelli won’t help the cause. There isn’t necessarily a race for the Coyotes to stay in, however the team does have a mix of young players who need to develop and build confidence as well as veteran trade assets whose performance rather directly impacts what they’ll fetch in a trade. Still, a silver lining could be an opportunity for another young player, perhaps their next Maccelli, to get a chance to show he can have a similar impact, which for the team can only help accelerate the rebuild process.
John Carlson Out Indefinitely
It largely went under the radar last night with Alex Ovechkin passing Gordie Howe for second in all-time NHL goals but Capitals defenseman John Carlson was taken to the hospital yesterday after taking a Brenden Dillon slap shot directly to the head early in the third period. Today, the team announced (Twitter link) the following update:
John Carlson was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation following his injury during the third period of Friday’s game vs. WPG. Carlson was discharged from the hospital earlier today and remains under the care of team medical personnel. He is out indefinitely.
The fact that Carlson has been discharged is certainly promising but an indefinite timeline is hardly ideal for a Washington team that is narrowly holding onto the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The 32-year-old leads all Capitals blueliners with 21 points in 30 games while logging over 23 minutes per game for the sixth straight season.
With Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson both starting to make progress toward returning, it looked like the Capitals were finally starting to get some good luck on the injury side of things. Now, that optimism has been quelled somewhat with Carlson potentially being out for a little while now.
Snapshots: Cizikas, Coyotes Arena, Stalock
Injuries are beginning to pile up for the New York Islanders. After moving Kyle Palmieri and Semyon Varlamov to injured reserve earlier today, the team announced that forward Casey Cizikas is also out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Unlike the other two, he’s yet to land on injured reserve.
That could be a good sign for the Islanders and Cizikas, but they do not need to put him on injured reserve with 18 healthy skaters still ready to go on the active roster. In Cizikas’ absence, 2021 second-round pick Aatu Räty is expected to make his NHL debut tonight, centering the fourth line. In the second season of a six-year, $15MM contract, Cizikas has just seven points in 34 games.
- In another small step toward securing their future in Arizona, the Coyotes have collected the necessary signatures to send all parts of their Tempe arena and entertainment district plan to a referendum, according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Public voting on whether or not to approve the team’s plan to build a home in Tempe will occur on May 16, 2023, after the 2022-23 season concludes.
- Chicago Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock is returning to the lineup tonight after missing nearly two months with a concussion sustained in a November 1 game against the New York Islanders. He’s statistically been Chicago’s best netminder this season with a .914 save percentage in seven appearances, and despite missing so much time, still has the most wins of any Blackhawks goalie with three.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Ryan McLeod
The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Ryan McLeod has been activated off of injured reserve. In order to clear the roster spot necessary to complete this activation, the Oilers have placed defenseman Ryan Murray on injured reserve.
McLeod has been out since November with an undisclosed injury. The 23-year-old forward is in his second season as an NHL regular and has largely found a role as the team’s top penalty-killing center and as a third-liner at even strength.
McLeod scored 21 points in 71 games last year and has upped those numbers so far in 2021-22 with eight points in 21 games, a 31-point pace.
The 2018 second-round pick’s high-end speed sets him apart, and his return to the Oilers’ lineup is likely to be welcomed by head coach Jay Woodcroft, his penalty-kill has surrendered a power play goal in three straight games.
To clear a spot for McLeod, Murray heads to injured reserve. Unfortunately, this isn’t a surprising development for Murray, as missing time due to injuries has been one of the common themes of his career since being drafted second overall at the 2012 draft.
The 29-year-old defenseman is expected to be out for some time, but with Markus Niemelainen already up from the Bakersfield Condors the Oilers could add McLeod to their roster and lose Murray and still have seven defensemen.
John Marino Out Week-To-Week; Ondrej Palat Progressing
The New Jersey Devils will be without a key defenseman, as John Marino will be out week-to-week according to team reporter Amanda Stein. It’s not all bad news though, as head coach Lindy Ruff also explained that Ondrej Palat is close to joining the group at practice. Palat has been skating on his own already.
Marino left Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, and is headed to the shelf for the second time this season. A huge part of their defensive game plan, the 25-year-old has averaged more than 21 minutes a night and has nine points through 32 games.
With Marino and Ryan Graves, who is still being evaluated for a lower-body injury, the team recalled Nikita Okhotiuk ahead of tonight’s game. The Devils will try to topple the Boston Bruins in a battle between two Eastern Conference giants.
Palat, meanwhile, is just trying to get back and contribute for his new team. After a decade in Tampa Bay, the 31-year-old veteran signed a five-year, $30MM contract with the Devils in free agency but has played just six games so far. Brought in to help the young group learn what it takes to win in the playoffs, the two-time Stanley Cup champion did have three goals in those first six games, before hitting injured reserve with groin surgery.
Getting him back will feel like a deadline addition for the Devils, who have faltered a little bit of late after their hot start. The team is 22-9-2 on the year but has lost the Metropolitan Division lead to the surging Hurricanes, and is just 3-5-2 in their last ten.