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Drew Doughty Placed In COVID Protocol

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A seemingly never-ending stream of COVID-19 news this week continues, as the Los Angeles Kings announced today that defenseman Drew Doughty entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol. Additionally, the team placed Andreas Athanasiou on injured reserve retroactive to December 14.

It’s been a tough season health-wise for Doughty, but when he’s been in the lineup, he’s having one of his best seasons in recent memory. Limited to only 11 games this season after a knee injury early in the year, Doughty had 13 points in 11 games, the best scoring pace of his career. He now joins Mikey Anderson, Alexander Edler, and Sean Walker as the unavailable defensemen for the Kings.

The Kings are scheduled to play Florida tonight, who’s facing COVID issues as well.

Athanasiou is out with a lower-body injury, continuing what’s been a successful but injury-riddled campaign for him as well. When in the lineup, he’s been a productive depth piece for the team with six points in 11 games. He’ll miss at least the next five days due to the retroactive nature of the injured reserve placement.

Buffalo’s Robert Hagg Out Month-To-Month With Lower-Body Injury

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The Buffalo Sabres announced in today’s injury report that defenseman Robert Hagg is out month-to-month with a lower-body injury. Hagg was injured in the second period of the team’s last game on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, playing 16 shifts and 11:30 before leaving.

Hagg is in his first season with the Sabres after the team acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers this summer in the Rasmus Ristolainen trade. He’s put up results consistent with the rest of his career in a slightly increased role, seeing his highest ice time average since his rookie season in 2017-18.

Through 25 games, Hagg has a goal and four assists for five points and a -12 rating.

He’d most recently been playing on his off-side on a pairing with Jacob Bryson. Colin Miller, who’s seen some time in the press box recently despite putting up a respectable 11 points in 26 games (while averaging 20:01 per game), will slot back into the lineup.

It’s not all bad news on the injury front for the Sabres, however. New acquisition Alex Tuch is now listed as week-to-week and is no longer practicing in a non-contact jersey. He could look to make his Sabres debut before the New Year after having shoulder surgery last offseason.

Christian Dvorak Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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The Montreal Canadiens continue to plod their way through a disastrous season and now will have to do it without the help of a prized offseason acquisition. Christian Dvorak is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury and will be evaluated daily. Dvorak has already missed three games since exiting last week’s match against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The team has also announced that Brendan Gallagher and Sami Niku have exited the COVID protocol, but will not practice with the main group yet as they build their conditioning back up. They are expected to rejoin the team later in the week.

Dvorak, acquired from the Arizona Coyotes after the Carolina Hurricanes signed Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an offer sheet, had 12 points in 27 games before going down to injury. The 25-year-old center was playing more than 18 minutes a night, but still scoring at a pace right around his career average. That could be considered a disappointment, given the fact that he told Montreal media he had “more to prove offensively” after leaving the desert. Should this injury force him out for a good chunk of the season, it seems unlikely that he’ll break his career-high of 18 goals or 38 points, both set in the 2019-20 season.

Perhaps more importantly though is that Dvorak was brought in to solidify the center ice position after Phillip Danault’s departure, a position that will once again be in question with him out. That could probably be said about every spot on the ice with the long list of absences Montreal is dealing with, which also includes key players like Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, Joel Edmundson, and Carey Price.

It’s a lost season for the Canadiens, who are now 6-21-3 on the season and ahead of only the Coyotes league-wide. A silver lining? The Carolina Hurricanes are in a solid playoff position, meaning the first-round pick Montreal owes Arizona for Dvorak won’t be their own.

Oilers Activate Duncan Keith From IR; Sideline Head Coach Dave Tippett

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After a hot start, the Edmonton Oilers have been struggling of late amidst a five-game losing streak and just eight points in their past ten games. Health is at least one factor taking its toll on the club and with a big match-up against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, not to mention five consecutive games against division opponents up coming, the Oilers need all hands on deck. They took a big step closer to that goal today, announcing that veteran defenseman Duncan Keith has been activated from the injured reserve, making his return to the lineup for the first time since he suffered a back injury on November 23.

Keith, 38, was brought in this off-season to provide a stabilizing force on the Edmonton blue line with his extensive experience and solid defensive play. Keith hasn’t been asked to do too much; the two-time Norris Trophy winner is just third in average time on ice and isn’t facing excessive defensive zone usage or the most difficult match-ups. Keith also has just five points on the year and is not being used on the power play at all. Yet, he is still a vital piece of the puzzle for the Oilers, who have lacked balance in recent years. Keith’s confident defensive play helps to keep Edmonton’s run-and-gun style from catching up with them and his locker room presence helps to keep the club focused on winning games rather than just creating massive scoring totals. Keith’s return could be exactly what the team needs to shake off their current rut, especially if he is fully healthy.

As a corresponding move to Keith’s activation, the Oilers have reassigned young blue liner Philip Broberg to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Edmonton has also promoted forward Brendan Perlini from the minors. The 25-year-old reclamation project has been held scoreless through 13 games this season, but was once a 30-point player in his sophomore campaign and remains an intriguing option for the high-flying Oilers.

However, the most interesting move made today was not on the roster, but behind the bench. The team announced that head coach Dave Tippett would not coach on Tuesday night as a precaution. The Oilers did not disclose any other details, but with Ryan McLeod landing in the NHL COVID Protocol earlier today, it is safe to assume that Tippett is facing a close contact concern or inconclusive test that made it in the best interest of both he and the Edmonton players and staff to stay off the bench for the time being. With COVID running rampant through the league right now, the Oilers should be commended for being proactive in this case.

Chicago Blackhawks Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Chicago Blackhawks will roll out a new look forward corps when they next take the ice on Monday. The team has announced that rookie Reese Johnson has been placed on injured reserve while fellow rookie Mike Hardman has been reassigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Taking their place on the roster will be veteran Brett Connolly and another rookie, Mackenzie Entwistle.

The news on Johnson is a disappointing development for the Blackhawks. It may not show on the scoresheet, but the 23-year-old has been playing well of late, even in his limited role. The team reports that Johnson suffered a fractured right clavicle on Saturday and is out indefinitely. Johnson will undergo further evaluation on Monday, after which the Blackhawks hope to have a more timeline for his return this season.

In the meantime, the Blackhawks could do far worse than bringing in the experienced Connolly. Acquired from the Florida Panthers last season, Connolly played in ten games with Chicago down the stretch but failed to make the team in training camp this year and was buried in the AHL. He has made the most of his time in Rockford, currently second on the team in scoring with 11 points in 16 games. While Connolly may not be the 20-goal threat he once was, the physical winger can still contribute in Chicago.

As for the swap in rookies, Entwistle has done more with his opportunity than Hardman this season. Though a top college free agent who got off to a hot start to his pro career last year with three points in eight NHL games, Hardman has only managed two assists in 19 games with the Blackhawks so far this season. In contrast, Entwistle has three points in 12 games, including a pair of goals.

Kings Place Alex Edler On Injured Reserve

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The Los Angeles Kings were hoping to take a step forward this season in their pursuit of a postseason return. A key move made this summer to help achieve that goal was the signing of veteran defenseman Alex Edler. The career Vancouver Canuck only signed a one-year deal, but his two-way ability and veteran presence was expected to be a major addition both on and off the ice in L.A. To this point, Edler has been even more important than anticipated. With star Drew Doughty having missed time due to injury and Sean Walker out for the season with an injury of his own, Edler has been relied upon as one of the few constant contributors of experience and scoring on the Kings blue line.

That is, until now. The Kings have announced that Edler has been placed on injured reserve following an awkward collision into the boards on Saturday night forced him from the game. Edler received a check from Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime in the first period and lost his balance, falling against the boards in his own zone. Edler’s left ankle appeared to give way as he fell and as Edler was being helped from the ice, he was unable to put any weight on his left leg. To this point, the team has only described the situation as a lower-body injury.

With Edler out, the Kings are losing their defensive scoring leader who has 11 points in 26 games. Edler also leads the team in plus/minus and is second in blocked shots and hits; the reliable defender has played no small role in L.A. this season. Christian Wolanin has been recalled to replace Edler’s roster spot, but it is Olli Maatta that is likely to draw into the lineup first. More pressure will also be placed on Matt Roy, who is enjoying the best season of his career, and rookies Michael Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot, who have excelled thus far despite adversity. The Kings’ season is not quite living up to the expectations they had imagined this season, as they currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division, but their points percentage has improved since last season and the team has a chance to stay in the playoff mix if they can survive another significant defensive absence. The team has not issued any update on the severity of Edler’s injury or any timeline on a return, but the hope is certainly that they will not be without their major free agent addition for too long.

Injury Notes: Shesterkin, Landeskog, Kadri

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There’s some good news for the New York Rangers coming soon. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports that although goalie Igor Shesterkin won’t dress tonight, he’s “making progress” after taking the ice at practice this morning. Shesterkin was classified as day-to-day after a scary-looking lower-body injury last week forced him out of the lineup and onto injured reserve. He had an impeccable .937 save percentage through 18 games this year, and should certainly still be considered a candidate for the Vezina Trophy at this point in time. Backup Alexandar Georgiev has risen to the occasion after a tough start, though, posting a save percentage above .920 in three straight Rangers wins with Shesterkin absent.

More injury notes, both from Denver:

  • Injuries continue to hold back the Avalanche in 2021-22, as head coach Jared Bednar said today that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss roughly two weeks with a lower-body injury. All of their top trio of him, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen has missed time this season. Landeskog was a main focal point of Colorado’s offense, netting 27 points through 22 games this year. Andre Burakovsky will slot in his place alongside MacKinnon and Rantanen for the time being.
  • After missing Friday’s game with a lower-body injury, Nazem Kadri will be out again tonight but will likely be back Tuesday, according to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Kadri has been the glue of this team throughout their injury troubles this year, scoring 23 assists and 34 points through just 22 games. Mikhail Maltsev, who was recalled today, will get into the lineup with Kadri’s absence.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Pavel Francouz From Conditioning Loan

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Some good news is on the horizon for the goalie situation in Denver. Per Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, the team has recalled goalie Pavel Francouz from his conditioning loan with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, paving the way for his NHL return after missing over a full season due to injury.

Francouz last played an NHL game on August 30, 2020, during Colorado’s Second Round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars in 2020. He then spent the entire 2020-21 campaign on injured reserve.

He looked to return to his position as backup in Colorado this season, but was injured again during a preseason game. After an excellent four-game conditioning stint (.945 save percentage, 3-1-0 record) in the AHL, it looks as though Francouz is finally healthy enough to reliably return to NHL action.

Francouz has put up impressive numbers in limited appearances, but his career .923 save percentage and 21-9-4 record should give some hope to an Avalanche team that’s had goaltending inconsistencies early this season.

Jakob Chychrun, Ryan Dzingel Day-To-Day For Coyotes

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According to the team, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and forward Ryan Dzingel are both day-to-day with upper-body injuries, suffered in Friday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

Both are unavailable tonight as the team plays the second half of a back-to-back at home, this time against Philadelphia.

Chychrun has just seven points through 26 games after back-to-back 10-plus goal seasons. However, he had a long pointless streak to start the year and has been heating up as of late. He’s playing nearly 25 minutes per game, not an easy task for such a flawed Coyotes team.

Dzingel has had injury issues all year, and because of that, he hasn’t found stability in the lineup. Flip-flopping between wing and center, he has just four points through 16 games this season.

Alex Galchenyuk and Cam Dineen likely draw into the lineup in place of Chychrun and Dzingel.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Ryan Getzlaf

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The Anaheim Ducks have activated forward Ryan Getzlaf from injured reserve, according to The Orange County Register’s Elliot Teaford. He could be in for Saturday night’s game against Pittsburgh.

The Ducks captain originally went on injured reserve about a week ago, where he was classified as week-to-week. It’s a much swifter return to the lineup than expected.

Now 36, Getzlaf was enjoying a renaissance year with 20 points in just 23 games prior to his injury. He’s been an integral part of an unexpected resurgence for the 15-8-5 Ducks, who sit second in the Pacific Division.

Buddy Robinson, who’s played in just three games this season and is the only active Ducks forward to average under 10 minutes per game, is a likely candidate to sit out.

Getzlaf’s return is even more important considering the added absence of Adam Henrique, who’d been flanking Getzlaf along with Troy Terry this year. Vinni Lettieri and Sam Steel have filled in for the two of them alongside Terry, so the Ducks will have some lineup shuffling to do with their captain’s return.

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