Injury Updates: Labanc, Flyers, Muzzin, Terry
Not long ago, it looked like the Sharks would soon be welcoming winger Kevin Labanc back to the lineup for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury back in December. However, as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News notes, the team is now considering shutting the 26-year-old down for the rest of the season. Labanc visited the surgeon who performed the surgery on Thursday and got the green light but with San Jose out of the playoff picture, they may err on the side of caution and avoid any possible risk of him reaggravating the injury.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler will miss some time due to a lower-body injury, relays Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been a depth defender this season, getting into 43 games with Philadelphia, averaging a little over 13 minutes per night. Meanwhile, Reiner adds that winger Zack MacEwen was injured on Saturday in his fight with Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds and was also unavailable for their game against the Rangers tonight. It’s only the third game that MacEwen has missed this season.
- Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin is expected to return at some point on this road trip but it won’t be tomorrow in Tampa Bay, notes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). He has missed the last six weeks due to a concussion and is currently on LTIR. The veteran has had a quiet year offensively with just a dozen points in 41 games but still logs 21 minutes a night and will solidify Toronto’s top four heading into the playoffs.
- Ducks winger Troy Terry will miss tonight’s game against Edmonton due to the facial injuries sustained on Friday against Arizona, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic. He’s expected to be re-evaluated later today with a determination of how much more time he might miss to be made at that time. The 24-year-old has had a breakout year, recording more points (57) than he had in his first 129 career games over parts of four seasons (48).
Tyler Ennis Out For Remainder Of Season
Ottawa Senators winger Tyler Ennis is out for the rest of the season, per Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun. This comes after Ennis was forced out of today’s win over the Detroit Red Wings after taking a hard hit along the boards. The Senators are 27th in the NHL with a 25-37-6 record, and are playing for pride more than anything else this season, so losing Ennis is not a major issue for the team, but it is an unfortunate development for a squad that values everything Ennis brings on and off the ice.
Ennis, 32, was in the middle of playing his 700th career game before a hard hit forced him out of the game and has now ultimately ended his season. This season has been Ennis’ second tour of duty with the Senators, as he first played for them in the 2019-20 season. He scored 14 goals and 33 points in 61 games before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2021 fifth-round pick. Ennis signed a one-year $900k deal with the Senators this offseason and has been a solid veteran in a younger lineup while also providing secondary scoring. Ennis has eight goals and 24 points in 57 games this season, which is a 12-goal, 35-point pace, production that is solid given his cap hit.
Ennis may never have reached the potential he flashed as a 20 goal scorer earlier in his career when he was a Buffalo Sabre, but he has settled into his role nicely as he’s aged. The Senators are sure to miss him as one of the veterans in their lineup, although his absence could pave the way for the team to get a look at a younger player in his spot in the lineup down the stretch. This season-ending injury is unlikely to be welcomed by Ennis within the context of his pending unrestricted free agency, as it could impact the offseason market for his services. But that being said, regardless of the injury, there is always a market for the veteran, affordable secondary scoring Ennis provides.
Arizona Notes: Ladd, Moser, Imama
Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny announced that forward Andrew Ladd would play in today’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. The veteran has not played since February 20th, after being placed on IR on February 28th. Ladd’s first game back in the lineup will be in a familiar building, as he spent parts of four seasons with the Blackhawks.
It’s been another season of struggles for Ladd, as he has not played up to his previous career numbers and has dealt with his share of injury, a theme that seemed to define his career with the New York Islanders. However, after being traded to the Coyotes in the offseason, Ladd has had a bright spot, being able to play most nights when healthy and mentor the next generation of Coyotes talent. In 42 games this season, Ladd has six goals and three assists.
- Also from Tourigny, defenseman Janis Moser is not expected back for a few more weeks, reports Jose Romero of AZ Central Sports. The 21-year-old rookie has been out since suffering an injury on March 15th against the Montreal Canadiens. Moser has been a welcomed addition to the Arizona blueline this year, with three goals and nine assists in 33 games so far this season.
- An interesting suspension was handed out to one of Arizona’s AHL players earlier this week. Tucson Roadrunners forward Boko Imama was suspended for one game after receiving his 10th fighting major of the season. As Morgan explains, this is part of AHL Rule 23.7, which issues the automatic suspension after a player’s 10th fighting major of the season. Per Rule 23.7, a player is automatically suspended for the next game after his 10th through 13th fights of the season, then is automatically suspended two games after his 14th or more fights of the season. If the opposing player in a fight is issued an instigator penalty, then the fighting major will not count towards the player’s total for the season. For more on the AHL’s rules, follow the link.
Colorado Expects Nazem Kadri To Be Back Before Playoffs
During his postgame availability today after a nail-biting 3-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said center Nazem Kadri will “miss some time” with injury but should be back for the start of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Kadri appeared to sustain an upper-body injury during Colorado’s 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on March 31st. Converged on by Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier, Kadri was sandwiched between the two and was attended to on the ice by a member of the team’s medical staff. Kadri missed a few shifts but returned and played the rest of the game with a pair of bandages on his face, getting two assists on the Avalanche’s third and fourth goals of the game.
Smashing his career-highs in assists (57) and points (83) as one of the team’s most consistent forwards this year, he now joins Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon as other top Avalanche forwards to miss time with injury this season. His production as the No. 2 man behind MacKinnon on the Colorado center depth chart is crucial for the team’s playoff success, and with the team being virtually a lock for the Western Conference regular-season title, let alone a playoff spot, the team will likely take his recovery slowly.
With less than a month left in the 2021-22 campaign, more will be asked of the team’s checking forwards to intensify their game. New acquisition Artturi Lehkonen could find himself in a top-six role for the time being with injuries to both Kadri and Landeskog.
Sean Monahan To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery
Calgary’s center depth has taken a hit as the team announced (Twitter link) that Sean Monahan is set to undergo hip surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson clarifies (via Twitter) that the injury is the opposite hip to the one that was surgically repaired last summer.
This is certainly a tough way to end what has definitely been a tough season for the 27-year-old. While several Flames forwards have had strong years offensively, Monahan went in the opposite direction, notching just eight goals and 15 assists in 65 games with his goal and point totals being the lowest of his nine-year NHL career. Calgary made Monahan a healthy scratch last month after bringing in Calle Jarnkrok to serve as their center on the third line and playing time had been hard to come by since then.
Calgary will place Monahan on LTIR and with a $6.375MM AAV, they will have ample cap space to bring up recalls if they want although they will use up the little bit of banked cap space they have in doing so. In the meantime, Ryan Carpenter, who was acquired from Chicago back at the trade deadline, seems likely to be used in a more regular capacity in Monahan’s absence.
Meanwhile, the Flames also announced that defenseman Oliver Kylington is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Connor Mackey has been recalled from AHL Stockton to take his place. Mackey played in six games with Calgary last season, recording three points while he has 36 points in 53 games in the minors this season.
Clayton Keller Undergoes Surgery; Out Rest Of Season
12:30pm: The Coyotes have announced that Keller underwent surgery to repair a broken leg and is expected to make a full recovery. He will be out for four to six months, however, meaning training camp is certainly in doubt.
8:50am: It was some scary moments in Arizona last night, as Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was stretchered off the ice after crashing hard into the boards. His leg, which was awkwardly pinned behind his body on the fall, was obviously injured, but it wasn’t clear exactly what the extent of the injury was. The Coyotes issued a press release indicating that Keller had been moved to a local hospital, and this morning he revealed that his season is over.
Want to thank my teammates, the fans, and medical personnel for the love and support last night! Unfortunately the season’s over for me, but I’m resting comfortably at the hospital in good spirits. I will be back better than ever for day 1 next season!!!!
With his season over, Keller will miss a chance to set a career-high in points, and finish with 63 in 67 games. The 23-year-old forward already did hit a career-high in goals with 28 and was averaging more than 20 minutes a night for the rebuilding club. In fact, it’s been quite a renaissance for a player who hadn’t broken the 50-point mark in any of the previous three seasons. There was starting to be some concern that Keller would never get back to the levels he showed as a rookie but this year proved he can still be a top-end offensive player.
Unfortunately, all that work will be put aside as he faces a long rehab process. When he eventually returns, the Coyotes will be playing at a different rink–Arizona State University–and will likely have a much different team. Players like Phil Kessel and Anton Stralman are pending unrestricted free agents, names like Jakob Chychrun are still on the trade block, and general manager Bill Armstrong is still obviously looking to strip down the roster to the studs, before rebuilding it.
Keller, one of the only players signed long-term in Arizona, is under contract through 2027-28 and might even have been considered a trade chip himself this offseason under normal circumstances. An injury like this could complicate that situation, though it is still not clear what kind of recovery timeline he faces.
Petr Mrazek Expected To Miss Six Weeks
When the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to add a goaltender at the trade deadline, many questioned the decision given the injury history (and struggles) of both Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek. It appears as though the worst has come true, as while Campbell slowly works his way back from a rib injury, Mrazek is now expected to miss six weeks following his injury earlier this week. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who spoke with reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, the netminder is undergoing further evaluation but is out for the rest of the regular season.
Campbell meanwhile has been medically cleared to return, though the team will go with Erik Kallgren tonight and recalled Michael Hutchinson to serve as the backup. Jake Muzzin is “real close” to a return from his latest concussion, while Ilya Lyubushkin is still dealing with the effects of Taylor Hall‘s punch. Justin Holl, who left the Maple Leafs’ last game after being struck in the head with a puck, is expected to play tonight.
It’s not like Mrazek was playing extremely well–though he had seemed to be turning things around–but losing him for the rest of the regular season puts a huge question mark in net for the Maple Leafs. When he returns (if he returns), will Kallgren have solidified himself as a full-time NHL option? Will Campbell be able to regain the form that made him an All-Star in the first half? Will Michael Hutchinson once again be called upon, despite annual struggles at the NHL level?
All of those are valid questions for Toronto fans now, and the situation only amplifies the frustration of losing Harri Sateri on waivers at the deadline to the Arizona Coyotes. Sateri isn’t even in Arizona yet, meaning he’s going to barely play for the Coyotes before the end of the year, with only 15 games remaining. In Toronto, he likely would have been pressed into duty right away, and provided some extra depth for the organization as they try to figure out the most important position on the ice.
For Mrazek, it means his first regular season with the Maple Leafs will end how it began, with a lower-body injury forcing him out of a game. In 20 appearances, he recorded an .888 save percentage and went 12-6.
Nathan MacKinnon Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury
March 31: So much for that concern. Today on Altitude Sports Radio, Bednar announced that MacKinnon is expected to play tonight for the Avalanche when they take on the San Jose Sharks.
March 29: The Colorado Avalanche will not have Nathan MacKinnon in the lineup tonight when they take on the Calgary Flames, and it’s not clear when he’ll be back. The superstar center has flown back to Denver to have an upper-body injury evaluated, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, and there is no timeline for his return at this point. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Baugh that it was “possible” that the injury occurred in MacKinnon’s recent fight against Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild and that concern was currently “high” from the team.
MacKinnon took exception to a hit that Dumba laid on Mikko Rantanen the other night, and immediately engaged in a fight with the Wild defenseman. While the Colorado forward didn’t immediately appear to have an injury–he returned to the game for five more shifts after his penalty was served–he now faces an uncertain timeline at one of the worst possible points in the season.
Luckily, the Avalanche have built up quite a lead in the Central Division, as even the surging Wild (currently on a six-game winning streak) are 14 points behind them in the standings. If MacKinnon is out for any length of time, the team should certainly be able to hold onto that lead and still head into the playoffs as the top seed in the Central Division.
The worry obviously is whether the injury will keep him out longer-term, as there are only a little over four weeks left in the regular season. MacKinnon has already missed a good chunk of the season, but has 70 points in 51 games and continues to be one of the most dynamic, valuable players in the entire league.
Toronto Places Kase On LTIR, Recalls Three On Emergency Basis
After losing three starters in Tuesday night’s game against the rival Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs were left with little choice but to tweak their roster. Up against the salary cap and managing a number of injuries, Toronto has opted to move forward Ondrej Kase to the Long-Term Injured Reserve, CapFriendly reports. This raised the Leafs’ LTIR pool just enough to make three emergency recalls while staying under the upper limit of the cap. Promoted to the NHL roster are defensemen Mac Hollowell and Filip Kral and goaltender Michael Hutchinson, who will replace Justin Holl, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Petr Mrazek, each of whom exited last night’s game.
Kase has been out since suffering a head injury earlier this month. As of Friday, the team had still not ruled it a concussion, but given Kase’s extensive history of head injuries it hardly matters. The dynamic, but oft-injured winger will need plenty of time to return to action, allowing the team to move him to LTIR. He joins defensemen Jake Muzzin and Rasmus Sandin on the long-term shelf, bringing the Leafs’ LTIR salary pool to $7.77MM, the amount that they may exceed the salary cap as a means of replacing those players. However, Muzzin and his $5.625MM cap hit are expected to be activated sooner rather than later, which will drastically change the calculus for Toronto.
Meanwhile, Holl, Lyubushkin, and Mrazek join starting goaltender Jack Campbell as the Leafs’ other injured players. Mrazek’s injury history and inconsistency this season make his absence both relatively unsurprising and somewhat inconsequential. However, the major hit to the blue line depth cannot be ignored. While Toronto impressed in a 6-4 win over Boston on Tuesday, they can ill-afford to continue battling this injury bug. They sit just two points ahead of the Bruins and one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning in the race for Atlantic playoff position and are set to face Tampa and the Florida Panthers next week.
While the veteran Hutchinson is battle-tested and ready for the challenge, he and rookie Erik Kallgren splitting the net for the Leafs is unlikely to be successful for too long. On the back end, Hollowell and Kral have no NHL experience and are an even bigger liability. Toronto is hoping that these emergency recalls are just that and their regulars will be back in action soon.
Taylor Hall Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine
The Boston Bruins will not be losing Taylor Hall for any length of time after his punch on Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin last night. Though Lyubushkin left the game with an injury and did not return, Hall has been issued a $5,000 fine–the maximum amount under the current CBA–instead of any further supplementary discipline. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators won’t lose star rookie Tanner Jeannot either, as he was given a $2,000 fine for kneeing Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
Hall was retaliating for a hit from Lybushkin that some considered dangerous, though it did not draw a penalty from officials. The Bruins forward would score later in the game to make it 6-4, but ultimately end up losing the game as Toronto held on with just four healthy defensemen.
It’s Lyubushkin’s health that will be the biggest concern for Maple Leafs fans, as the team doesn’t have a ton of depth on the right side. Given that Justin Holl also exited with a scary-looking head injury after taking a puck to the back of the helmet, the team could be forced to play several names on their off-side, or perhaps give a short opportunity to some young prospects.
For Jeannot, the incident came in the corner as he tried to get a piece of Tkachuk and missed, extending his leg in a dangerous manner instead. It barely slowed down the Senators’ captain though, who played another seven shifts after the third-period knee.