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Minnesota Wild Activate Victor Rask From Injured Reserve

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The Minnesota Wild gave up a lot to acquire Victor Rask earlier this season, but have only received ten games out of the 26-year old center after he suffered an injury and was forced out of the lineup. That’s about to change, as Rask has been activated from injured reserve today and is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight.

Rask was supposed to come into Minnesota and help them strengthen the middle of the ice, but had just two points through those ten games before going on injured reserve. In fact, he’d been demoted to the fourth line and played just over seven minutes in each of the games before his injury, a stark difference to the impact that Nino Niederreiter has made for the Carolina Hurricanes. Niederreiter, who was traded straight up for Rask, has 21 points in 22 games with the Hurricanes including 11 goals.

A return to form for Rask would be a huge addition for the Wild, who are currently in the midst of a last-second playoff race. The team has changed several of their key players this season but now sit in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, just a point ahead of the hard charging Arizona Coyotes. If Rask could once again become the 48-point center he was in 2015-16 the Wild may have a good shot at doing some damage in the post season, but he’ll have to prove he’s healthy enough to contribute at all first.

St. Louis’ Tarasenko Out, Will Be Re-Evaluated In 10 Days

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The St. Louis Blues have shut down Vladimir Tarasenko for at least 10 days as the team announced today that the star forward will be out with an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated after that.  The injury was sustained on Thursday night against the Kings.

Considering he won’t be re-evaluated for a week and a half, the actual timeline of the injury is likely longer than that.  With only four weeks left in the season, there’s a good chance the 27-year-old will miss at least half of their remaining 14 games.

Tarasenko had been the subject of trade speculation at times this season but despite that, he still ranks first on the Blues in goals (28) and second in points (58) with only Ryan O’Reilly ahead of him.  He has been particularly hot as of late with 34 points over his past 26 games but fortunately for St. Louis, their run over the past couple of months has given them a little bit of a cushion to work with in the Central Division.  They sit four points ahead of Dallas for the third seed and are six points up on Arizona, the first team on the outside looking in at a Wild Card spot in the West.

Snapshots: Hart, Forsberg, Ferland, Debrusk, Hirose

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The Philadelphia Flyers got some good news as it looks like rookie goaltender Carter Hart is healthy once again and could find himself in net as early as Monday against the Ottawa Senators, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi.

Hart has been out since Feb. 21 with an ankle injury, but he was also coming off two of his worst performances, having been pulled in back-to-back games in which he allowed three goals on just six shots in both appearances. If the team opts to start him against Ottawa, it would be an opportunity to ease him back into the lineup as the Senators are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games.

The 20-year-old Hart is having a impressive season considering he was not meant to spend it in the NHL. Originally slated to spend his first professional season in the AHL, he appeared in just 18 games before being promoted alongside interim head coach Scott Gordon when he was hired. Since then, Hart was helped the Flyers rebound from a tough start with a 13-8-1 record with a 2.79 GAA. While that number doesn’t stand out, his .917 save percentage does.

  • Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean writes that Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg missed Saturday’s game and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to the team. Forsberg missed practice Thursday and Friday, but was believed to be available for Saturday’s game, but didn’t play in the end. Forsberg missed 19 games with an upper-body injury earlier this season, although there is no word on whether this injury is related to that one. The 24-year-old has 22 goals and 41 points in 52 games this season.
  • Michael Smith of NHL.com reports that Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not travel with the team on their three-game roadtrip that started in Nashville today, according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Ferland has been having a solid season, putting up 17 goals and 35 points in 52 games. The 26-year-old has played under 14 minutes combined over the last two games.
  • The Boston Bruins’ Jake Debrusk is expected to miss a few more games as the forward is still in a walking boot, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. While he’s expected to miss this weekend’s games, he could be back not long after that as head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Debrusk was the closest, of all their injured players, to return.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that the Los Angeles Kings are interested in undrafted Michigan State forward Taro Hirose, currently the NCAA leading scorer. According to Rosen, Hirose is friends with Kings’ prospect James Anderson-Dolan and could be convinced to sign with L.A. although there is no word on whether the junior forward is ready to leave college. He has 16 goals and 37 points this season for Michigan State.

With Michigan’s Exit, Quinn Hughes Is Free To Sign With Vancouver

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With the University of Michigan getting eliminated from the first round of the Big 10 Tournament Saturday in a best-of-three series with the University of Minnesota, the Vancouver Canucks are suddenly hoping to see the next phase of the future arrive as their 2018 first-round pick Quinn Hughes, the seventh-overall pick, is now free to sign with the team.

Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Hughes will talk things over with his parents and coaches before deciding on whether he will turn pro with tomorrow likely having more clarity on his future. Canucks’ general manager Jim Benning said the team will do everything they can to bring him aboard.

“We’ll get right on it,” Benning said (via Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma). “We wanted him to concentrate on the weekend and his team, and we’ll contact the adviser and family and see what their intentions are and go from there.”

While there is no guarantee that Hughes will sign with Vancouver, many reports over the past few months suggest that the 19-year-old blueliner is ready to come to the NHL and with Vancouver’s issues on defense, it’s possible that if he signs quickly, he could be playing for the Canucks as early as Wednesday.

Of course a debut will also depend on Hughes health as well. The defenseman blocked a shot late in Friday’s playoff opener and played injured in Saturday’s game. While there is no word on the severity of the injury, he received x-rays and still played, but finished the game with a minus-2 rating. The injury could prevent him from making a quick debut, assuming he signs, as the team would probably prefer to debut him when he is fully healthy considering that Vancouver has fallen far behind for a potential playoff spot and likely has little to play for. Regardless, Hughes is considered to be one of the top prospects in the NHL, who led Team USA to a silver medal in the World Junior Championships and five goals and 33 points in 32 games with Michigan. A top skater, Hughes should provide Vancouver with a top-notch all-around defender, who should finally give the Canucks a quarterback to their power play and an defenseman that can generate some offense. Currently, the team’s top offensive threat is Alexander Edler, who has seven goals and 22 points.

Coincidentally, Vancouver has the potential to add a second player with Michigan’s loss as the team could get Hughes’ teammate William Lockwood, the team’s third-round pick from 2016. Lockwood, a junior, had a breakout season as he posted 16 goals this year with the Wolverines. He tallied eight goals as a freshman and just four in an injury-marred sophomore year. One other significant name that could also be signed away is Josh Norris, the key prospect that the Ottawa Senators acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade this summer. Norris, the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft, scored 10 goals and 19 points in his sophomore season.

 

Pacific Notes: Ritchie, Neal, Virtanen, Wagner

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Anaheim Ducks forward Nick Ritchie has been fined $4,121.86, the maximum-allowable fine under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Christian Folin.

The hit (video here) came in the first period of Anaheim’s 8-2 victory Friday over Montreal in response to an earlier hit when Folin delivered a high hit on rookie Troy Terry earlier in the game. The 23-year-old was assessed a two-minute minor for interference for the hit. Ritchie has been in trouble before, getting suspended for one game back in 2017 after punching Chicago’s Michal Rozsival.

  • Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg reports that Calgary Flames forward James Neal, who has been out since Feb. 14 with a lower-body injury, has begun skating again, although Flames head coach Bill Peters said that he still has a little way to go before returning. Despite the team being in first place and having a solid season, it’s been with little contribution from Neal, who the team signed to a five-year, $28.75MM free-agent deal this summer. Neal has struggled with injuries this year and hasn’t produced, posting just five goals and 15 points in 55 games in his first year with Calgary.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced that forward Jake Virtanen will return tonight against Vegas. The 22-year-old has been out with a fractured rib since Feb. 13. The 2014 sixth-overall pick has improved on his rookie campaign with 12 goals and 22 points in 58 games, while averaging a career-high 14:49 of ATOI. He won’t be eased into the lineup either as he is expected to join the Canucks’ top line right away as well as the team’s second-line power play unit.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes the Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner, who has been out for a week with a lower-body injury, may not be back soon. The 21-year-old rookie skated Friday in a track suit, but isn’t just ready to return to the lineup. “He’s probably more than a week out, I think,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “Maybe close to a week, but when you’re not skating (in gear) right now, you’ve got to be skating to be close, and he’s not that close.” Wagner has nine goals and 16 points in 49 games.

 

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Jan Rutta

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UPDATE: Smith reports that defenseman Anton Stralman is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. It’s not exactly an injury that screams play time for Rutta, so the newly-acquired defenseman is likely up in Tampa Bay as insurance for the time being. In the meantime, he can practice with the team and get the feel for his new teammates and coaches. If Stralman’s absence ends up being longer than expected, perhaps Rutta will make his return to NHL action.

 

It’s been a long time coming, but the moment is finally here. Defenseman Jan Rutta, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in early January, has finally been called up by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, with whom Rutta has played exclusively since the deal was made, were the ones to break the news, but note that GM Julien BriseBois initially announced the move. 

Rutta, 28, is in his second NHL season after coming over from the Czech Republic ahead of the 2017-18 season. The big, two-way defender played in 57 games for the Blackhawks last season, notching 20 points, and despite spending the last three months in the minors, has 23 NHL games to his credit this year as well, along with six points. In 26 AHL games this year, eight of which came with the Rockford Ice Hogs, Rutta has twelve points. Since joining the Crunch, Rutta has been a dependable defensive presence for the team and has logged an impressive +15 rating. While it helps that Syracuse is a good team this season with the second-best record in the AHL, Rutta has done enough to show that he can be an NHL asset and perhaps a contributor to a playoff run.

As for why the call-up has finally come, The Athletic’s Joe Smith notes that the timing is a surprise and to his knowledge no Lightning defenders are currently injured. Tampa Bay has had the cap space to recall Ruuta if need be, but lacked the roster space – part of the reason they traded Slater Koekkoek in the first place to acquire Ruuta. However, with the trade deadline passed and roster limits eliminated, Ruuta was free to be recalled. It remains unclear where he fits barring an unreported injury, however. The Lightning have seven defensemen who have played more than 41 games this season already and Ruuta is not about to replace any of them in head coach Jon Cooper’s blue line rotation. Yet, the veteran defenseman is probably content just to be back at the NHL level in a season that has surely not gone as he expected.

Gabriel Landeskog Out Four To Six Weeks

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The Colorado Avalanche are trying their best to fight for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but will now have to do it without the services of their captain. Gabriel Landeskog will be out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, essentially ending his regular season.

Colorado currently sits just four points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final wild card spot, and are the only non-playoff team with a positive goal differential in the Western Conference. A huge part of that differential though has been the play of Landeskog and his usual linemates, All-Stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. That trio (though not always lining up together) has been the driving force behind any Avalanche success all season. The 26-year old Landeskog had already set career highs with 33 goals and 69 points this season, and had scored a league-leading nine game winners.

In fact, by nearly any metric or statistic Landeskog was in the midst of the best season of his career. There are few players who can impact the game in the same number of ways he can, engaging physically while still being an excellent offensive weapon. A loss like this will not only be felt on the ice, but in the locker room as well. His leadership qualities are heralded as some of the best in the league, leading to him being named captain at just 19 years old—the youngest in history at the time.

All hope is not lost for Colorado, but the idea of them catching Minnesota and doing any damage in the playoffs is certainly more daunting now. The team will play their final game of the season almost exactly four weeks from today, meaning he very well could miss the first round of the postseason if they do somehow pull it off.

Of course, some Avalanche fans will be excited even through the disappointment of seeing Landeskog go down. The team still holds the Ottawa Senators first-round pick in addition to their own, and would have two shots at first overall in the draft lottery if they miss the playoffs. The possibility of getting the top two picks in the draft doesn’t come around often, even if it would be a minuscule chance at this point.

Erik Karlsson Expected Back For Playoffs

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The San Jose Sharks haven’t had Erik Karlsson in the lineup for the past three games (all wins) and shouldn’t expect him back “anytime soon.” That’s what Karlsson told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, but the star defenseman did say he would be back in time for the playoffs. Karlsson is dealing with a groin injury and hopes to get back on the ice for at least a few games before the Sharks start their first round playoff series.

When healthy, Karlsson has been an incredible performer for the Sharks, who currently sit just a point back of the Calgary Flames for first place in the Pacific Division. His 45 points ranks 12th in the NHL among defensemen despite him playing only 52 games—teammate Brent Burns leads the league with 73 points in 67 games—and he has logged an average of more than 24 minutes for the Sharks even including his last two games where he was extremely limited. There’s no doubt the Sharks are better with him in the lineup, and will hope to get him back on the ice to shake off the rust before an important playoff series starts.

Remember that Karlsson remains unsigned and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Showing he is healthy and playoff capable will go a big way to dissuade any hesitation to sign him, be it from the Sharks or another team on the open market. The last time the 28-year old was in the postseason was 2017, when he recorded 18 points in 19 games and pulled the Ottawa Senators within one goal of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

Depleted Devils Missing Several Players

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The New Jersey Devils have lost four straight games and are firmly positioned at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. That lack of success has only been furthered by injury lately, as the team is missing a huge chunk of their regular skaters. Team reporter Amanda Stein details all those who are missing practice today as the team prepares for their trip to Washington. Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Miles Wood, Kevin Rooney, Nathan Bastian, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller are all absent. John Quenneville and Kyle Palmieri who have missed games recently due to injury both took part.

The Devils will take on the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers in a back-to-back situation over the next two days, and very well could find themselves slipping even further down the standings over the next month. With so many injuries and other key players shipped out at the deadline, it appears as though New Jersey might have another good shot at the draft lottery this season. They are currently ahead of just Ottawa, Detroit and Los Angeles in the “Lose for Hughes” race.

Hall’s absence is the most notable obviously, as the reigning Hart Trophy winner continues his rehab from minor knee surgery. With just a single season left on his current contract, many have wondered about Hall’s future in New Jersey. GM Ray Shero unequivocally told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) that he did not consider trading his offensive star at the deadline, and that he will approach Hall this summer to try and work out a contract extension.

New York Islanders Recall Christopher Gibson

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The New York Islanders won in a shootout over the Ottawa Senators last night, but may have lost a key part of their team in the process. Robin Lehner was injured on a collision with Brady Tkachuk, and though there is no word yet on how serious the injury is, Christopher Gibson has been recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Gibson’s recall is under emergency conditions, meaning it won’t take up one of the post-deadline recalls but also means Lehner is still dealing with an injury of some sort.

Gibson, 26, has played in one game with the Islanders this season but has once again spent the majority of his year in the minor leagues. Originally selected in the second round of the 2011 draft, he has never quite been able to crack an NHL roster for very long. In his career, Gibson has played in just 13 NHL contests and has a .901 save percentage.

If Lehner’s injury keeps him out for any length of time, it will be Thomas Greiss who attempts to guide the Islanders to a Metropolitan Division title. The Washington Capitals are currently tied with the Islanders at 83 points (with an identical record to boot) while the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets are all still within striking distance. Lehner has been outstanding this season and is a huge reason the Islanders are where they are, posting a .927 save percentage through 38 games.

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