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Injury Notes: Bourque, Little, Grubauer, Ladd

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The Winnipeg Jets will not only be without Bryan Little for the next while, but the team announced today that Gabriel Bourque will be out for at least four weeks with a lower-body injury. Bourque had found a home at the bottom of the Winnipeg lineup, and even recorded a point in three consecutive games.

Little meanwhile suffered a perforated ear drum when he took the shot to the head earlier this week, and though he is expected to make a full recovery is dealing with vertigo at the moment. It is not clear when he will be ready to resume hockey activities.

More injury updates from around the league:

  • Philipp Grubauer will miss at least the next few games according to Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, who told reporters that the goaltender tweaked a nagging injury. Pavel Francouz will get the net for the time being, though Grubauer is expected to travel with the team when they head to Canada next week.
  • Andrew Ladd’s conditioning stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers will be extended for another two games as he continues to recover from a knee injury. The veteran forward played just 26 games last season for the New York Islanders, but is under contract through the 2022-23 season.

Bryan Little Placed On Injured Reserve

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After being taken to hospital and getting 25-30 stitches following his injury earlier this week, Bryan Little has been placed on injured reserve. The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Joona Luoto in his place. Little was struck in the head by a puck on Tuesday night and removed from the game, though the team announced he was “alert at all times” during his hospital stay.

Little was just starting to find his legs again after an earlier stint on injured reserve kept him out for almost two weeks, but will now have to deal with another recovery period before he can help the Jets this season. The 31-year old has been a consistent offensive presence for more than a decade, scoring at least 41 points in all but one of his full seasons in the NHL.

Luoto meanwhile is just starting to make an impact on the organization after signing a three-year entry-level contract in June. Undrafted, the 22-year old forward has three points in his first nine games with the Manitoba Moose and is another huge body the team can put in the lineup.

Early Notes: Klingberg, Canucks, Draft Rankings

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Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will have an MRI today to determine the severity of his injury after being struck in the neck by a puck last night. The team announced to reporters including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that it would be at least two weeks, while Dreger suggests a 2-4 week timeline was the original prognosis.

The Stars are already without Andrej Sekera, Roman Polak and Stephen Johns, meaning their defensive depth will be stretched awfully thin over the next few weeks without Klingberg in the lineup. That comes just as they are finally hitting their stride, winning seven of their last eight games to climb back into the Western Conference playoff race.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have given extensions to their assistant coaching staff according to Scott Rintoul of Sportsnet. The team has not confirmed exactly who received these extensions or how long they are for, but this is an obvious sign that the front office is pleased with the progress over the last while. The Canucks took the defending Stanley Cup champions to overtime last night and are now 9-3-3 on the season.
  • Sportsnet has released their November draft rankings for the 2020 class, and it comes as no surprise that Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield lead the group. The pair of CHL stars have absolutely dominated their respective leagues to this point, with a combined 76 points (43 for Lafreniere, 33 for Byfield) in just 36 games.

Boston Bruins Place Par Lindholm On IR, Recall Zach Senyshyn

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After missing the last week with an upper-body injury, Par Lindholm is finally going on injured reserve for the Boston Bruins. The team has recalled Zachary Senyshyn in his place, giving them another option while David Backes also remains out following his recent collision.

Senyshyn, 22, is one of the infamous players selected by Boston in 2015 when they had three consecutive first-round picks. His struggles as a professional have been amplified by the success of those taken after him—Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Thomas Chabot happened to go in the next three picks—but there is still time for him to carve out some sort of NHL career.

In 12 games with the Providence Bruins this season Senyshyn has just three points and looked completely absent early on, but may get a chance anyway as Boston travels to Montreal. The young forward played in two games for the NHL team last season and scored a goal, hopefully a sign of things to come this time around.

Radim Simek Recalled From Conditioning Assignment

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The San Jose Sharks will get an important defenseman back soon, as Radim Simek has been recalled from his AHL conditioning stint. Simek hasn’t played an NHL game since he suffered a major knee injury in March when his leg was caught under Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Copp. The team has also recalled Lean Bergmann from the AHL, while sending Jonny Brodzinski back down.

Simek, 27, played a bigger role than some may remember for the Sharks last season, offering a stabilizing presence to a group that has so many talented offensive weapons. His absence was felt most in the playoffs when the team missed his physical style and this year has been no different.

The Czech defender recorded just nine points in 41 games with the Sharks, but was still named the team’s Rookie of the Year thanks. He’ll be welcomed back as the Sharks try to somehow right the ship this season.

Through the first 15 games of 2019-20, San Jose sits with a 4-10-1 record and look like one of the worst teams in the entire NHL. That record includes the five-game losing streak that they are currently on and has them sitting ahead of only the Ottawa Senators in the standings. Though Simek can’t be the entire answer, getting him back in the lineup will at least help things move in a more positive direction.

Eastern Notes: Rangers’ Goalies, Barzal, Hedman

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The New York Rangers will soon find themselves with a problem, albeit a good problem. The team has three NHL-level goaltenders now with the emergence of Alexandar Georgiev, who has established himself as a solid NHL goaltender at the very least. Throw in longtime Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, who still has one year remaining on his contract, and top prospect Igor Shesterkin, who is looking sharp in the AHL, and the team will have a problem sooner or later, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello.

The scribe notes that the simple solution of trading the aging Lundqvist to a playoff contender is extremely unlikely as Lundqvist has made it clear he doesn’t want to be traded and his $8.5MM AAV would be difficult to move even if he wanted to go to a contender.

The 23-year-old Georgiev has been exceptional in six starts this season for the Rangers, which includes a current string of three straight starts. He has a 3-2-1 record with a 2.27 GAA and a .933 save percentage, while Lundqvist hasn’t been nearly as impressive with a 2-3 record in six appearances, but a 3.58 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Throw in the impressive start by Shesterkin, who the team finally brought over from the KHL this summer, as the 23-year-old is 5-2 in seven appearances with the Hartford Wolf Pack, with a 1.83 GAA and a .932 save percentage and the team could be forced to make some important decisions at some point.

You can’t have three NHL goaltenders, however, so a trade of one of the young kids could be a potential option down the road.

  • Despite considering himself to be a pass-first player, New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal has been encouraged to score more goals. Head coach Barry Trotz has made it clear to the 22-year-old that he must focus more on scoring this year. The center did just that, making changes to his stick this summer to give him a better scoring opportunity, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. “I just made it a little whippier and changed my curve a little bit, put a little more hook on it,” Barzal said. “Not too drastic, just a little nick on it. It gives me a little toe to suck it in and shoot it a little better.”
  • NHL.com’s Shawn P. Roarke writes that Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is hopeful that he will play Friday in the first game of the 2019 Global Series against Buffalo in Stockholm, Sweden. Hedman suffered a lower-body injury last Tuesday and was placed on injured reserve. A celebrity in Sweden, Hedman would obviously like to play. However, he’ll have to prove that he’s healthy, according to head coach Jon Cooper. “I think we are all hopeful, but he is going to have to get on the ice pretty soon if we are going to see him,” Cooper said Sunday.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Ryan Poehling

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The Montreal Canadiens announced they have recalled top forward prospect Ryan Poehling from the Laval Rocket of the AHL. To make room for the 2017 first-round pick, the team transferred center Jesperi Kotkaniemi to injured reserve, suggesting he may be out a bit longer.

Poehling made quite an impression on Canadiens’ fans last season after finally signing with the franchise after three years at St. Cloud State. He got into the team’s final regular season game and registered a hat trick and the shootout winner. The 20-year-old did not make the team out of training camp like many had been predicted. Instead he was assigned to Laval where he was posted three goals and five points in 13 games. This will give the young forward a chance to prove himself for the Canadiens, who have fared well with a 7-5-2 record. Poehling is expected to join the Canadiens at practice on Monday.

As for Kotkaniemi, the 19-year-old center has already missed the last two games for Montreal with a groin injury and it looks like it might be a while longer. Kotkaniemi has struggled offensively this year, scoring two goals and three points in 12 games and the 2018 third-overall pick has seen his playing time slip a little.

Pacific Notes: Sharks Roster, Lucic, Larsson, Richardson

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With a drastically poor start, the San Jose Sharks find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific Division 4-10-1 record, tied for the second-worst record in the NHL. That wasn’t what most people expected at the start of the season and Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News wonders when change might start happening if the team doesn’t quickly turn things around.

The team is currently in the midst of dropping five straight and being outscored 22-8 in that span. The scribe writes that while the Sharks haven’t had too many poor starts in the last 15 years, general manager Doug Wilson hasn’t sat and watched often. The team made some small moves to shake things up in 2015 when they started 0-5-1, but also made bigger moves back in 2005 when they went out and acquired Joe Thornton to shake up the team.

Now word what Wilson might do now, but the team likely will make some smaller roster moves to start. Assuming he stays healthy during his AHL game Sunday, the Sharks are likely to recall defenseman Radim Simek and place him next to Brent Burns, moving rookie Mario Ferraro next to Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The team may also recall rookie Lean Bergmann, who has looked sharp in four games with the Barracuda with three goals and three assists, and could help the team’s fourth line.

However, if things don’t start to improve soon, don’t be surprised if Wilson begins to make major changes to the roster. Also of note, the Sharks do not have their first-round pick this year as they traded it to the Ottawa Senators for Erik Karlsson back in 2018.

  • NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that Calgary Flames winger Milan Lucic, who hit Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Kole Sherwood late on a play, already had his hearing today. There has been no word on the league’s decision yet, which could come later today, but Shannon mentions that Lucic is not considered to be a repeat offender. He was last suspended in 2016, although he was fined last year. That will likely be considered by the league when they make their decision.
  • Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal writes that Edmonton Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson, who suffered a fractured fibula after playing in just one games this season, is now skating and could be back in two or three weeks. Larsson, the team’s best defensive defenseman, was projected to miss six to eight weeks after suffering the injury.
  • The Arizona announced earlier today they have recalled Michael Chaput to take the place of injured forward Brad Richardson. However, The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that to make room for Chaput, the Coyotes have placed Richardson on injured reserve, retroactive to his injury date, which means he can be activated whenever he is ready.

Injury Notes: Sabourin, Backes, Anisimov, Brown, Zibanejad

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After a brutal hit in which Ottawa Senators Scott Sabourin and David Backes collided into each other which saw Sabourin lose consciousness and fall face first into the ice (video here), Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said this morning that Sabourin has a fractured nose and is expected to be released from the hospital today, according to Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren.

Sabourin went down hard and laid motionless on the ice for quite some time in Saturday’s game against Boston. However, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was carted out and then later was reportedly awake and speaking to attending doctors.

Warren also noted that forward Artem Anisimov is expected to join the team in New York on Monday, but whether he will play against the New York Rangers remains to be seen, although head coach D.J. Smith said it’s possible he plays. He is also a better possibility to play Tuesday against the Islanders.

The news on Logan Brown isn’t as good. Warren reports that the young forward will return to Ottawa for tests and will be “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury. He left Saturday’s game after taking a slash to the arm.

On the other side of the ice, Backes stayed with Sabourin while he was being attended to, but also looked shaken up and also went the locker room once play resumed and didn’t return. Head coach Bruce Cassidy reported that Backes came into the facility this morning to get checked out.

“Doing a little better than last night,” said Cassidy (via the Bruins). “He’s doubtful for the next couple of games.”

With Backes out, it looks like the Bruins could get back forward Brett Ritchie, who was seen skating today with John Moore and Kevan Miller. If Ritchie is ready, according to the Bruins, he will go in tomorrow.

  • The New York Rangers could get some good news. Center Mika Zibanejad was skating on his own Sunday, although he did not practice. Head coach David Quinn did not rule him out for being ready for Monday’s game against Ottawa, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Quinn said he will have to consult with the medical staff before a decision can be made. The team’s top center has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, although the team has coincidentally won both games without him.
  • After missing Saturday’s game due to a lower-body injury, Newday’s Andrew Gross reports that defenseman Nick Leddy will remain day-to-day, although he could return as early as Tuesday against the Senators.

Pittsburgh Penguins Place Patric Hornqvist On Injured Reserve

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While injuries are nothing new for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team took another hit Sunday when the team announced that winger Patric Hornqvist will be placed on injured reserve and is expected to be out “longer term” with a lower-body injury. Hornqvist left Saturday’s game in the third period and did not play in overtime.

That’s bad news as Hornqvist has been an important piece to the Penguins’ offense as he is tied for second on the team with five goals this season and will be missed on the team’s top-six. The news comes just as another player returned Saturday. The team has been without Evgeni Malkin since Oct. 5, but the star forward made his return against Edmonton in their overtime loss on Saturday. Malkin played 19:45, despite not registering a point. However, the loss of Hornqvist doesn’t help a team that has lost four of their last six

The 32-year-old Hornqvist had a somewhat disappointing season last year with 18 goals and 19 assists, both career lows. However, Hornqvist looked better early this season, posting five goals and 10 points in 14 games as well as six points in the last seven games. Bryan Rust is expected to fill Hornqvist’s role on the second line for the time being.

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