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Injury Notes: Kulikov, Keith, Granlund

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As if the Winnipeg Jets needed any more concerns on the blue line, yet the team’s short-handed defense corps was dealt another blow on Tuesday. Head coach Paul Maurice announced that Dmitry Kulikov has suffered an upper-body injury that is expected to leave him sidelined for upwards of two months. Maurice expects the veteran defender to return after the All-Star break in late January. Kulikov suffered the injury, speculated to be related to his left arm, on Friday night and did not play Saturday. However, there was hope that he would return to the lineup shortly, but that will not be the case. Kulikov, 29, had been enjoying a bit of a career resurgence early this year after dealing with injuries in each of this past three seasons. The former Panthers standout is third among Jets starting defensemen in time on ice and first in Corsi For, while leading the entire team in blocked shots. Personally, Kulikov was also on pace for the highest point total of his stint in Winnipeg. However, it now appears that it could be more of the same for the physical, but fragile rearguard. With Nathan Beaulieu already injured and the team still coping with the absences of Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot, Kulikov’s loss is a major blow for the Jets. Winnipeg has held their own to this point in the season, but one has to wonder when their luck will run out considering their depleted blue line.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks are another team dealing with a slew of injuries. So much so in fact that they were forced to ice only eleven forwards and six defensemen on Monday night after a roster full of short-term injuries and a sick goalie necessitated the call-up of AHL keeper Kevin Lankinen without enough room to make any other additions. While Robin Lehner is back on his feet, one of those other injured players is going to be out for a while longer. Blackhawks beat writer Carter Baum reports that top pair defenseman Duncan Keith is expected to miss at least another two games with a lingering groin injury. Keith will not travel with the team on their two-game road trip, extending what has already been a two-game absence. Groin injuries tend to stick around, so Keith could remain sidelined beyond the next two games and could also deal with the issue throughout the season. It’s a difficult situation for Chicago, who desperately needs their ice time leader and defensive mainstay to be active as much as possible if they wish to push for a playoff spot this season.
  • Kyle Turris is back in the lineup for the Nashville Predators, but not because head coach Peter Laviolette has changed his mind about the under-performing veteran. Instead, Turris has drawn in to replace Mikael Granlund. The Predators announced just prior to their game on Tuesday night that Granlund would not be in the lineup and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Not much is known about Granlund’s status as of yet, but an extended absence could very well cost him his spot as a top-six forward for the team. Granlund has just 11 points in 26 games, only two more points than Turris has in 19 games. Granlund has been a disappointment since coming over from Minnesota last season, but even if Nashville has no intention of re-signing him, the impending free agent has ample incentive to get healthy and try to find his way back to an elite level of play.

 

Prospect Notes: Barron, Holtz, Romanov

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Top 2020 draft prospect Justin Barron has been ruled out indefinitely by the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, after a blood clot diagnosis this week. Barron had been considered a potential top-15 selection in the upcoming draft after another great start in the CHL. The 6’2″ right-handed defenseman has 17 points in 27 games for the Mooseheads and was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning Hlinka-Gretzky team in the summer.

If Barron misses a substantial part of the season, it will be interesting to see how far he falls down draft boards. An all-around talent that could play on both the powerplay and penalty kill one day in the NHL, he’ll hopefully be able to get healthy enough to return to action before Halifax finishes their year.

  • Sweden is expected to release their World Junior camp roster tomorrow, but one top name may potentially have to miss out. Alexander Holtz, considered a potential top-five pick in the 2020 draft, suffered a knee injury today and had to leave the game. He’ll be examined further by the team, but a serious injury would mean he misses the chance to perform in front of scouts from all over the world. Holtz, an incredibly skilled winger, has been playing at the highest level in the SHL despite being just 17-years old.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin met with Alexander Romanov today in Russia, but the young defenseman still hasn’t made a decision on whether he’ll come to North America next season. Romanov was given just eight minutes of ice time by the CSKA coaching staff as Bergevin looked on, but it wasn’t a terrible day—he was named to the Russian World Junior camp roster.

Patric Hornqvist Out “Longer-Term” With Lower-Body Injury

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Repeating an explanation that he might as well make into a t-shirt at this point, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today including Sam Kasan of Pens Inside Scoop that Patric Hornqvist will be out “longer-term” with a lower-body injury. Hornqvist was injured in practice yesterday.

Hornqvist’s absence, when combined with the other injuries the Penguins are dealing with and Zach Aston-Reese being held out with an illness, means Stefan Noesen skated on the second line today at practice. Noesen was only signed to an NHL contract yesterday. Joseph Blandisi, who cleared waivers today, was still centering the fourth line with assistant coach Mark Recchi on his left side.

It’s impressive how well the Penguins have done even with their major injuries, but after losing their last two have now fallen to fifth place in the Metropolitan Division. Hornqvist himself has already missed several games earlier in the year and will now be out of the picture for some time. Evgeni Malkin and whoever is left up front will have even more pressure on them to keep the team in the playoff picture.

Minor Transactions: 12/03/19

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There are ten games on the schedule for this evening around the NHL, including a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final when the Carolina Hurricanes travel to take on the Boston Bruins. The Bruins haven’t lost a game in regulation in nearly a month, while the Hurricanes are still battling to hold onto a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. As they and the rest of the league prepares for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • Nicolas Roy has been returned to the minor leagues by the Vegas Golden Knights, after his latest emergency recall. Roy has actually played in seven games for the NHL club this season, recording three points and six penalty minutes.
  • Curtis Lazar too has been sent to the minor leagues, this time by the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year old has been great in the AHL, but still can’t find a level of consistency in the NHL that warrants a full-time roster spot.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs back in action tonight, Martin Marincin is back up to serve as insurance. The team likely won’t insert the lanky defenseman into the lineup unless an injury occurs, but now that he has cleared waivers he can pop up and down on game days.
  • Robin Lehner must have felt better this morning, as the Chicago Blackhawks returned Kevin Lankinen to the minor leagues. The young goaltender was recalled when Lehner was experiencing flu-like symptoms, but won’t get a chance to see any NHL action.
  • Cory Conacher is up in Tampa Bay, as the Lightning prepare for their game against the Nashville Predators. The move is likely done so that they’ll have an option if Alex Killorn can’t go tonight, though Conacher has plenty of experience if he’s forced into the lineup.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Josh Mahura and Max Comtois, while sending Max Jones back to the AHL. Jones has just five points in 23 games this season for the Ducks, but may get a chance to get his game back on track in the minor leagues. The Ducks’ young forwards are all having a tough go in the NHL this season but have plenty of time to grow and develop.
  • Filip Zadina and Taro Hirose have been sent to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings, as the team doesn’t play again until Saturday. Zadina is a key part of the team’s future and actually has an assist in each of the last two NHL games he has played.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have made several changes, recalling Joel Persson while assigning Caleb Jones and Stuart Skinner to the minor leagues. Matt Benning has also been moved to injured reserve. With Skinner heading back to the AHL, Mike Smith must be healthy enough to at least serve as a backup for the Oilers.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Backstrom, Wilson

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and a familiar name is at the very top. Nathan MacKinnon finds himself awarded top honors once again after nine points in three games. The Colorado Avalanche center has been carrying the offensive weight without his usual running mates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog as they deal with injury, but shows no sign of slowing down.

Second and third place go to a pair of goaltenders who have battled hard to stay in their respective roles. David Rittich stopped 95 of 101 shots last week to help the Calgary Flames potentially save their season, while Martin Jones is a huge reason why the San Jose Sharks are back in the playoff race at all. Both netminders have had their share of adversity over the years, but are playing inspired hockey at the moment.

  • It was reported recently that Nicklas Backstrom is representing himself in negotiations with the Washington Capitals, and he confirmed as much today to reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Pell reports that Backstrom actually wanted to get an extension done with the team before the season began, but feels he “can be honest” with the organization after so many years together. The 32-year old center is in the final season of a ten-year contract he signed with the Capitals in 2010 and carries a $6.7MM cap hit.
  • Speaking of Colorado injuries, Colin Wilson will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury and is out for a while, according to Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic. Wilson has only played nine games this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. It’s not clear exactly how long he will be out.

Five Key Stories: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19

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With the quarter pole of the season in the rear view mirror, teams have had plenty of time to evaluate their rosters and early performances and changes are starting to be made. That has been the overarching story of the week, as some clubs made moves – both long- and short-term – while others are preparing to do so.

Flames Fire Bill Peters: Well, not technically. Calgary accepted the resignation of their head coach, who was mired in scandal following an investigation into allegations of racist comments made while serving as an AHL head coach in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and further accusations of physical abuse while head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. The league will continue its investigation, but Peters days as an NHL coach are likely over regardless. While the veteran coach offered an apology for the incident in Rockford, the victim of the attack, Akim Aliu, called it “misleading, insincere and concerning”, which was likely the nail in his coffin. Geoff Ward takes over as interim head coach for the Flames, an under-performing team that had enough concerns of their own without dealing with off-ice controversy.

Bruins Extend Coyle And Wagner: The league-leading Boston Bruins signed a pair of local products to contract extensions, inking 2019 trade acquisition Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5MM deal and 2018 free agent addition Chris Wagner to a three-year, $4.05MM deal. The 27-year-old Coyle, who won over the home crowd with a dominant playoff run last year, is now in place to likely succeed David Krejci and/or Patrice Bergeron as a top-six center for the Bruins, unless the versatile forward shifts to the right wing long-term instead. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always shown a willingness to invest in their fourth line and clearly feel Wagner can continue to be an effective checker and penalty killer for years to come. The team can now solely turn their attention to re-signing Torey Krug with these deals complete.

New Jersey Willing To Move Hall: The 2019-20 season has not gone as planned for the New Jersey Devils, who added considerable talent this off-season but have yet to see the on-ice impact. As a result, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the top impending free agent in this summer’s class, has become the most talked-about name on the trade market. The team is officially listening to offers, with most pundits expecting that he will be traded and perhaps sooner rather than later. Hall has had the misfortune of never playing for a true contender thus far in his career, but could wind up participating in a playoff run this year as a highly sought-after rental target. His former team, the Edmonton Oilers, are considered a possible landing spot, as are the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and defending champion St. Louis Blues. More teams are sure to be in the running as the Hall sweepstakes heat up.

Dumoulin Out Eight Weeks: The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another injury blow on Saturday as defenseman Brian Dumoulin sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and will leave him sidelined for eight weeks. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost this year and the loss of Dumoulin is a major blow. The underrated defenseman is one of the premier shutdown defenders in the league and allows for pair mate Kris Letang to truly play his game. With Justin Schultz already out, not to mention Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Gudbranson recently traded, Pittsburgh will be shorthanded on the blue line for a while.

Also in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost dynamic defenseman Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.

Puljujarvi, Honka Not Playing This Season: The December 1 5:00PM ET deadline came and went and restricted free agents Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars had not been signed. As a result, neither young Finn can play in the NHL this year. Both the Oilers and Stars have been trying to find a trade partner for their disgruntled young players, but to no avail. Neither team was willing to give their RFA away, even if that meant potentially not being able to trade them until the off-season. Both Puljujarvi and Honka have yet to live up to expectations in the NHL, but are playing well in Finland this season. This is likely not the last we’ve seen of either player in North America.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Stuart Skinner

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The Edmonton Oilers announced several changes to the lineup tonight, including the emergency recall of goaltender Stuart Skinner. Mike Smith is out on a day-to-day basis, meaning Skinner will serve as backup for Mikko Koskinen tonight. Zack Kassian is also out for tonight with a back injury, while Kris Russell has left the team to attend the birth of his second child.

The Oilers take on the Vancouver Canucks this evening with both teams in very different situations than a year ago. Edmonton currently leads the Pacific Division with a 16-9-3 record, while the Canucks could retake a divisional playoff spot tonight with a win. Both Canadian franchises have struggled to find any real success in recent years, but have their eyes set on a postseason position.

Skinner, 21, is a third-round pick of the Oilers that spent the majority of last season in the ECHL, but has struggled during his short time in the AHL. The former WHL star is an interesting prospect, but there’s little reason to believe he could handle an NHL role if forced into it.

Columbus’ Zach Werenski Sidelined For Four Weeks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets knew they might lose defenseman Zach Werenski after he went down with an upper-body injury during their game against the New York Islanders Saturday. The Blue Jackets have since announced that the blueliner will miss four weeks due to a shoulder injury, the same injury he had surgery on over the summer.

The 22-year-old looked to have been in a serious injury after colliding with the Islanders’ Anders Lee just four minutes into the game. Werenski immediately favored his shoulder as he left the ice. He has been a key player on the Blue Jackets’ blueline as he is second on the team in ATOI, averaging 22:41, while he is tied for third on the team with six goals.

The team is currently with just six defensemen, but don’t play another game until Tuesday, which should give the team time to recall a defenseman. Scott Harrington will likely get the first shot in replacing Werenski in the lineup, but the team is likely going to call up a player from the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL with Adam Clendening likely being the top option, while youngster Andrew Peeke could also get an opportunity.

 

Snapshots: Three Stars, Makar, Nugent-Hopkins

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With another month having passed, the NHL revealed its Three Stars for the month of November and no surprise that Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid heads the list. The two-time Art Ross Trophy winner dominated November in 14 games, leading the league with 13 goals, 26 points, six power play goals and 11 power play points over the month. That performance has put Edmonton at the top of the Pacific Division with a 7-5-2 record in November.

The Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane round out the top three. MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL in points in November with 10 goals and 25 points in 14 games and did it while being without his two linemates, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog for most of that month. Kane, meanwhile, scored a point in all 15 games that he played, scoring 11 goals and 24 points.

  • The NHL also announced the NHL ’Rookie of the Month,’ handing the award to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who dominated the month of November. The 21-year-old led all rookies with seven goals, 16 points, three game-winning goals, +10 plus/minus and ATOI, averaging 21:25. Makar became the fifth rookie to score seven or more goals in a month and the last to do it since Brian Leetch did it in 1989. Makar beat out New York Rangers’ Adam Fox, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, Buffalo Sabres Victor Olofsson and Pittsburgh Penguins’ John Marino.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that despite rumors that Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a surgical procedure last week on his hand, he did not. Instead, Nugent-Hopkins received an injection, suggesting that the injury is more pain-related than anything else. The Oilers hope to get the top-six forward back sometime later this week.

Pittsburgh’s Brian Dumoulin Expected To Miss Eight Weeks

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The Pittsburgh Penguins injury woes continue as the team lost another key player Saturday as the team announced that defenseman Brian Dumoulin had surgery Sunday to repair lacerated tendons in his left ankle and will miss a minimum of eight weeks. Dumoulin was injured within the first minute of Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues when he got tangled up with Blues forward Zach Sanford, who fell on Dumoulin’s leg. He never returned to the ice after having logged just 35 seconds of ice time.

The injury is just another devastating hit after another. The team have already had to deal with injury issues to many of their star players, including Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Malkin missed 11 games early in the season with a lower-body injury and within days of returning, Letang went down with a lower-body injury that sidelined him for eight games as well. Crosby underwent core muscle surgery on Nov. 14 and isn’t expected back until at least January. The team also has a number of other key players on injured players, including Justin Schultz, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust.

Dumoulin is second on the team in minutes played as he is averaging 21:04 of ice time and his defensive prowess is evident in his plus-17 rating. The team will likely lean more heavily on rookie John Marino and veteran Jack Johnson to play bigger roles while Dumoulin is out.

 

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