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Arizona Coyotes Activate Ryan Dzingel

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As reported by AZCentral Sports’ Jose M. Romero, the Arizona Coyotes have officially activated forward Ryan Dzingel from injured reserve.

The Coyotes originally placed Dzingel on injured reserve on October 27th with an upper-body injury. He’s missed the team’s last 10 games.

Like much of the Coyotes squad this year, Dzingel was having an uninspiring start prior to the injury. He’s netted two assists in six games, averaging 13:18 per game. Dzingel is expected to flank Jan Jenik on the team’s fourth line in his return to the lineup, with Liam O’Brien on the other wing.

Still, those two points are tied for tenth on the team in scoring. The Coyotes have scored just 26 goals through 16 games en route to a 2-13-1 record. That’s just 1.63 goals per game.

The team hopes that Dzingel, a two-time 20-goal scorer, can help provide some scoring punch to the team’s bottom six. However, he’s got just 16 goals in his past 110 games as it’s been a really rough go for the former Ottawa Senator.

Injury Notes: Hayes, Golden Knights, Carrier

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Center Kevin Hayes didn’t take warmups and isn’t playing for the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as originally reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Head coach Alain Vigneault originally expected Hayes to play and he nor the team have yet to offer an update on Hayes’ absence. Max Willman was recalled from Lehigh Valley today under emergency conditions and is in the lineup for that game. Hayes has two points in two games this season after missing the team’s first 12 games while recovering from offseason core muscle surgery.

More injury notes from around the NHL:

  • The injury parade continues for the Vegas Golden Knights, as The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports defenseman Shea Theodore is unlikely to suit up for Thursday’s contest against the Detroit Red Wings. Theodore fell awkwardly during the Knights’ last game Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, a 4-2 loss. The team hasn’t moved Theodore to injured reserve, but he joins Alec Martinez on the list of Golden Knights defensemen absent from the lineup. However, Granger notes that Zach Whitecloud is “progressing quickly” and could potentially suit up for the Detroit game.
  • Per Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes, defenseman Alexandre Carrier could return to the team’s lineup Saturday versus the Montreal Canadiens. Carrier isn’t on injured reserve, but he’s been out of the lineup for the past week with an undisclosed injury. In 13 games this season, the 25-year-old has five points while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game.

Joe Thornton Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Florida Panthers have activated center Joe Thornton from injured reserve ahead of Thursday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils, per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards.

Thornton was placed on injured reserve on October 30 with an undisclosed injury. The night before, ’Jumbo’ played just 6:34 before leaving a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

In just six games this season, the 42-year-old Thornton’s got just one goal and a -2 rating but is still averaging over 10 minutes a night. Some added depth at center is a good thing for Florida right now, who is now without captain Aleksander Barkov on a week-to-week basis after sustaining a knee injury.

Expected to center the third line for the game against the Devils, he’ll be flanked by Frank Vatrano and Owen Tippett who’ve played well in depth roles, combining for seven goals and 14 points so far on the year. With the Panthers’ health issues, though, the lineups could certainly be in flux over the next few games.

Thornton joined the Panthers this offseason, signing a one-year, league-minimum deal on August 13.

Snapshots: Islanders, Norlinder, Fix-Wolansky

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The New York Islanders were dealt a tough hand to start the season with a 13-game road trip, but things aren’t exactly looking up with the news that defenseman Ryan Pulock will miss the next four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. The Islanders sit with a 5-6-2 record, and while it’s certainly recoverable, especially considering their track record, they find themselves in an extremely competitive division with seven teams ahead of them. With a defense core that’s looked troubling at times, the team could look to get outside help via the form of a trade. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple says that while the team could put faith into their staff in AHL Bridgeport to help bridge the gap until Pulock’s return, there’s a variety of trade targets they could examine. While D-men who have experience playing on the right side aren’t usually available for trade, he lists Seattle’s Vince Dunn as a potential option who could still prove to pay dividends on the power play once Pulock returns, a role that hasn’t been filled properly since the departure of Devon Toews.

More from around the NHL:

  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Mattias Norlinder is set to make his NHL debut on Thursday. The defenseman is healthy after a preseason injury sidelined him up until the last week, where he spent three games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket on a conditioning stint. The 64th overall pick in 2019 is expected to play on the second pairing alongside veteran David Savard, who’ll give him what should be a reliable defensive partner to open his NHL career.
  • It’s another prospect returning to the lineup as Columbus’ Trey Fix-Wolansky is making his season debut for AHL Cleveland tonight after an eight-month absence. The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig notes that the forward had ACL surgery in March. Fix-Wolansky wasn’t picked until the seventh round in 2018, likely due to his 5′ 8″ height, but proceeded to light up the WHL the following season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, scoring 37 goals and 102 points in just 65 games. After having an impressive first professional go-around with Cleveland last year as well, look for Fix-Wolansky to get an NHL look sooner rather than later.

Chicago Blackhawks Activate Caleb Jones

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According to PuckPedia, the Chicago Blackhawks activated defenseman Caleb Jones from long-term injured reserve today, adding him and his $850,000 cap hit back to the active roster.

The Blackhawks originally placed Jones on LTIR retroactive to October 6, 2021, when he sustained a wrist injury during training camp. His return is in line with his expected recovery time of six weeks.

Chicago acquired Jones as part of the return for long-time Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith in one of the most talked-about trades of the summer. Caleb, the younger brother of offseason acquisition Seth Jones, is a strong candidate to push Riley Stillman out of the lineup in order to make his Blackhawks debut.

20-year-old Isaak Phillips, who’s averaged just 10:51 through three games this season, will likely be sent down to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs to accommodate Jones as he doesn’t require waivers.

Originally a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Jones is only seven games short of hitting the century mark in games played. Through 93 games across the past three seasons, all with Edmonton, the 24-year-old has five goals and 14 assists for 19 points.

Jones is in the final season of a two-year, $1.7MM contract extension he signed with the Oilers on January 15, 2020.

Ryan Pulock Out 4-6 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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When it was revealed just before puck drop that the New York Islanders would be without two key players, alarm bells went up over the health of Ryan Pulock. He was ruled out with a lower-body injury, with the team explaining that he would be re-evaluated upon their return to New York. That evaluation appears to have occurred, as the team announced that Pulock is out for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

Pulock played just 16:45 on Monday but exited early after blocking a shot while shorthanded. It’s a huge blow for an Islanders team already reeling, embarrassed 6-1 last night by the Florida Panthers without him in the lineup. The normally stingy defensive unit has now allowed 19 goals over their last four games, losing all of them. Taking one of the team’s most important defensive players out of the lineup isn’t going to help those own-end issues, meaning the group will have to find another way to fill those minutes effectively.

If he returns four weeks from today, Pulock would still miss a total of 14 games. Six weeks would take him over the Christmas break, and take his total absences closer to 20.

The team does have some depth in the minor leagues, but one of the players that could have been an option–Bode Wilde–was loaned overseas when he declined the COVID-19 vaccination. Paul Ladue, one of the few other right-shot options, has just two NHL games under his belt since the 2018-19 season. Whoever they do recall likely won’t have to play right away, but the Islanders’ defensive depth is going to be tested with Pulock out for a while.

Matt Boldy Activated, Assigned To AHL

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After breaking his ankle and missing the first part of the season, Minnesota Wild prospect Matt Boldy is ready to return to action. The team has activated the young forward off the injured non-roster list and assigned him to the Iowa Wild. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Boldy is expected to make his season debut this weekend for Iowa.

After signing his entry-level contract near the end of last season, Boldy stepped into the AHL and showed he could dominate that level just as much as he did in college. Through 14 games for Iowa, he registered 18 points and looked like he might be ready to step directly into the NHL for the 2021-22 season. The 12th-overall pick in 2019, Boldy was having a strong camp until his injury, which was originally given a four- to six-week recovery timeline.

Now, as he returns from the injury, he’ll have to get up to speed at the minor league level once again. How long he’ll stay down there remains to be seen, but with Minnesota in a strong position and winning their share of games, there isn’t a rush to bring him up. The team is 10-5-0 on the year and sits second in the Central Division, despite losing last night to the San Jose Sharks.

If he does come up, the Wild would be adding a big, talented winger with a history of racking up points at every level. The 6’2″ Boldy had 31 points in just 22 games during his sophomore (and final) season with Boston College, making him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He also took home a World Junior gold medal, scoring five goals in seven games. For now, the focus will be on making sure he’s healthy enough to get his career back on track, but in time the Wild will have another exciting forward to add to the group.

Islanders’ Ryan Pulock, Josh Bailey Sidelined

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Just before puck drop of their Tuesday night match-up with the red hot Florida Panthers, the New York Islanders announced that they will be without two key contributors. The team revealed that defenseman Ryan Pulock has suffered a lower-body injury and forward Josh Bailey has been placed in the NHL’s COVID Protocol. It is unclear if either player will be available for the Isles’ next game on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Both Pulock and Bailey skated just last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, implying that Pulock was injured in the game and Bailey likely entered the protocol on account of a positive test, without much opportunity for a close contact outside the locker room. Pulock did record only 16:45 of ice time on Monday, fifth among Islanders defenders and well below his norm, so it should not be a surprise that he is not at full strength. The team did not disclose any details about Pulock’s injury and only noted that he will be re-evaluated once the team returns to New York. Bailey too is on an indeterminate timeline as he goes through the COVID Protocol.

With the Islanders sitting at .500, sharing last place in the Metropolitan Division, the team can ill afford to be without two of their top play-makers. The team is off to a slow start this season and Pulock (2 points, -2 rating in 12 games) and Bailey (6 points, -5 rating in 12 games) are no exception. However, both are still invaluable members of the team. Pulock leads all Islanders in time on ice, while Bailey is logging top line minutes himself. They may not be at the their best right now, but righting the ship will be much more difficult for New York without their stalwart defender and long-time veteran scorer. The Islanders have to hope that Bailey’s stint in the Protocol is little more than a formality and that Pulock’s injury is only minor.

Sammy Blais Suffers Torn ACL, Out Rest Of Season

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The New York Rangers will be without one of their offseason acquisitions, as several reports including Larry Brooks of the New York Post indicate Sammy Blais has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The injury occurred Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils, when Blais collided with P.K. Subban. Brooks adds that surgery on the knee will have to wait a few weeks for the swelling to subside. The team has now confirmed the injury, noting that Blais faces a six to eight-month recovery. Greg McKegg is back up from the AHL.

Blais, 25, was the player the Rangers received in exchange for Pavel Buchnevich earlier this year. He found a nice role in the team’s lineup adding his patented physicality, but was still looking for his first New York goal. In 14 games Blais had four points, 17 penalty minutes, and 37 hits.

It’s not that the Rangers are losing a forward that logs 18 minutes a night and carries the offense, but Blais was a perfect representation of the kind of hockey the new front office wanted to play. ’Hard to play against’ could describe the 6’2″ forward, a goal that general manager Chris Drury and staff had chased all offseason. Now with this injury, they’ll have to find someone else to take his minutes in the middle of the roster. Blais had been averaging close to 14 minutes a night through the first month of the season, including some time on the powerplay.

Though he carries a $1.5MM cap hit that could be moved to long-term injured reserve, the Rangers aren’t pushing the salary cap ceiling this season and will likely move him to normal IR. That said, the young forward is heading into an arbitration year as a restricted free agent, meaning he’ll have almost no leverage to bring up after a lost year. The Rangers could potentially get a slight discount because of this injury, a small silver lining given they have massive extensions for Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad kicking in next season and will need all the cap space they can get.

J.T. Compher Out A Month With Upper-Body Injury

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One of the early success stories from this season is J.T. Compher, who has gone from depth center to first-line forward for the Colorado Avalanche thanks to injuries and illnesses. The 26-year-old was averaging nearly 20 minutes a night through his first 11 games, with five goals and nine points in that span.

Unfortunately, in that 12th game, Compher suffered an upper-body injury and left early, playing fewer than six minutes before exiting. Now, head coach Jared Bednar told reporters today that Compher will miss approximately a month with the injury.

In his place on the top line, Mikko Rantanen is going to move to the middle of the ice and play between captain Gabriel Landeskog and Logan O’Connor. That’s certainly not the group the Avalanche expected before the season began, but with Nathan MacKinnon on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team will have to deal with what they have.

A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, Compher has been a regular for the Avalanche but never a star to this point. His career-highs of 15 goals and 32 points came in 2018-19, numbers he was easily on track to shatter with his strong early performance. He’ll now have to work his way back from injury and when he comes back, there likely won’t be room on that top unit for him any longer.

It’s a disappointing loss for the team, but also a missed opportunity for Compher, who is on track for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2023. He’ll be only 28 when he is scheduled to hit the open market and could have potentially parlayed a big offensive year into a few more dollars down the road.

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