Injury Notes: Scheifele, Schmaltz, Fast, Hamilton
The Winnipeg Jets may have lost their top center and top sniper in the same game, as both Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine left last night’s test against the Calgary Flames with an injury. Scheifele’s in particular looked serious, as he collided with Matthew Tkachuk and fell to the ground bellowing in pain. The hit got quite the response from head coach Paul Maurice, who indicated today that both players were still undergoing examination, and updates would be issued later in the day.
If the Jets do lose Schiefele for the rest of the qualification round they’ll have to figure out an answer on the top line and find a way to dig themselves out of the early hole after losing to Calgary last night. Here’s more info about injuries around the league:
- Nick Schmaltz will not play in game one for the Arizona Coyotes after taking a high hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the exhibition match. Schmaltz, the Coyotes leading scorer from the regular season, played in four playoffs games with Chicago in 2017 but hasn’t seen the postseason since. Youngster Barret Hayton will be making his own playoff debut after suiting up just 20 times this season.
- The New York Rangers are still not sure of Igor Shesterkin‘s availability for game two according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, but will not have Jesper Fast in the lineup. Fast was hit hard by former teammate Brady Skjei and was forced from yesterday’s game after just a minute of ice time. The depth winger is a key part of the Rangers leadership group and recorded 29 points in 69 games this season.
- Dougie Hamilton is getting better according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, but won’t be in the lineup for Carolina tomorrow. The Hurricanes did just fine without their top offensive defenseman, but relied heavily on their top two pairings—Jake Gardiner played just 11:55 while Jaccob Slavin logged 24:40.
Injury Notes: Hamilton, DeAngelo, Carlson
Dougie Hamilton won’t be in the lineup when the Carolina Hurricanes open their qualification round against the New York Rangers tomorrow. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour told team reporter Michael Smith that Hamilton is still unfit to play, although he is “getting better” after suffering an injury in training camp.
Martin Necas, the other important player that has been sitting out for the Hurricanes, could be in the lineup after looking “really good” at practice. Losing Hamilton is a big deal for a team that is already operating without Brett Pesce as he continues to rehab. Remember the qualification rounds are a best-of-five, with the Hurricanes playing the first three games by Tuesday.
- The Rangers may be without their own right-handed defenseman, however, as Tony DeAngelo didn’t practice today and is a game-time decision for tomorrow. While he is sometimes overlooked among the top offensive defensemen in the league, DeAngelo did have 53 points in 68 games this season, good enough for fourth on the entire Rangers roster.
- Though they won’t have Ilya Samsonov, the Washington Capitals are expected to have John Carlson back in the lineup for the round-robin. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that Carlson should be skating with the team tomorrow and play on Sunday. Carlson had to leave the team’s exhibition game after falling awkwardly into the boards.
Ilya Samsonov Injured, Did Not Pass Physical
If Braden Holtby wants to improve his free agent stock, here’s his chance. Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters today including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that Ilya Samsonov suffered an off-ice injury in Russia during the pause and failed his physical after returning to North America. Pell tweets that Samsonov “should be good to go for the start of next season.”
An injury to Samsonov makes a tough decision for the team as to who will start in their round-robin. Holtby obviously has the experience and was the goaltender who helped carry the team to a Stanley Cup in 2018, but is also coming off his worst season as a professional. The 30-year old goaltender posted just an .897 save percentage in 48 appearances, seeing his goals-against average balloon to 3.11.
That kind of performance paled in comparison to the .913 save percentage that Samsonov recorded in his first year in the NHL, when he went 16-6-2 in 26 appearances. The 23-year old netminder was simply better than Holtby and likely would have pushed for a chance to take the net in the playoffs.
This week in their exhibition game, the Capitals had Vitek Vanacek serve as the backup for Holtby but they also have Pheonix Copley who played 27 games for them in 2018-19. They’ll have options should Holtby struggle, but not ones quite as exciting as Samsonov.
Injury Notes: Carlson, Ritchie, Johnsson
The Washington Capitals were without Norris Trophy finalist John Carlson at practice today after he left yesterday’s game. Carlson fell awkwardly into the boards after a collision, but head coach Todd Reirden told reporters today including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that the hope is to have him back on the ice on Saturday.
Losing Carlson would be a huge blow for the Capitals, though they do have the round-robin games to prepare before getting into elimination territory. The 30-year old had 75 points in 69 games this season to lead all defensemen.
- Nick Ritchie was back on the ice for the Boston Bruins at their optional practice this morning, along with a good number of other players. The deadline addition won’t play tonight for the team when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, but is obviously getting closer to a return for the team. Ritchie came over from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Danton Heinen and had two points in seven games before the shutdown.
- Speaking of players returning, Andreas Johnsson took part in special teams practice for the Toronto Maple Leafs today. The depth winger was given a six-month recovery timeline in February when he underwent knee surgery and could potentially return for Toronto should they get a little deeper into the playoffs.
Snapshots: Bubble Life, Belzile, Omsk
Life in the NHL is different these days, with regular afternoon games, no fans in the stands and a lockdown outside the rink. If the Stanley Cup playoffs weren’t unpredictable enough, things are sure to amaze this year when teams come together in the early rounds.
Though the league has done everything possible to make the players as comfortable as possible there are bound to be some oddities. Marcus Foligno of the Minnesota Wild will be giving fans an inside look at “bubble life” in Edmonton with a diary for The Athletic, and in his first edition, perhaps unsurprisingly, he mentions that most of the players took advantage of a Tim Hortons pop-up truck on day one. The continuing diary is sure to be interesting, though fans will have to hope the Wild make it through the qualifying round.
- After taking a punishing hit from Jake Muzzin last night, Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Belzile did not participate today at practice. Belzile played under two minutes thanks to the hit, which forced him out of the game after he slammed his head into the boards. As with any injury these playoffs, the exact diagnosis is not expected to be released publicly.
- After reporting earlier today that SKA St. Petersburg had shut down training camp temporarily, Rick Dhaliwal of TSN gives us some more news on the KHL COVID-19 situation. According to Dhaliwal, up to 20 players on Avangard Omsk have been “infected” and most of the team is being quarantined. Reid Boucher, who signed with the club for 2020-21, had not yet arrived.
Morning Notes: Pastrnak, Hamilton, Colorado
Exhale, Boston Bruins fans. David Pastrnak is back. The superstar winger is expected to practice with the team today in Toronto as they prepare for their round-robin games. Pastrnak has been sitting out after coming in contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. Ondrej Kase, who has also been sitting out, has not yet joined the team in Toronto and will hopefully meet them at a later date. Remember, Kase will be subject to a four-day hotel quarantine after arriving in Toronto–whenever that is.
The Bruins will start their official games on Sunday when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers, trying to lock up the top seed that they held when the season was paused. They’ll have to watch and see who comes out of the qualification round before knowing which team is their first-round matchup.
- It could potentially be the Carolina Hurricanes, but winning that qualification round may be a bit tougher for Rod Brind’Amour‘s squad, given that they’re still missing Dougie Hamilton. The defenseman suffered an apparent injury last week during training camp and is still “unfit to play” according to his head coach. Hamilton is on the 31-man roster for the Hurricanes, which also includes Brett Pesce who is dealing with his own injury rehab. Pesce underwent shoulder surgery in March that gave him a four-to-six month recovery timeline.
- Speaking of interesting 31-man rosters, the Colorado Avalanche included several young players that could be interesting difference-makers if inserted into a lineup. Shane Bowers, Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins all made the cut, while Vladislav Kamenev did not. Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic examines what exactly that means for the future of each prospect, while also looking at other pressing issues for the Avalanche like the goaltending battle between Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer.
Snapshots: Lightning, Robertson, Blackhawks, Ehlers, Nurse
The Tampa Bay Lightning is traveling to Toronto, but will be doing so without their star defenseman. Victor Hedman will not be traveling with the team, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith, due to personal reasons at his own request. However, he is expected to meet up with the team on Friday and is expected to participate in all three round-robin games. The blueliner did practice Saturday and is expected to work with strength coach Mark Lambert. He is expected to be tested regularly while in Tampa Bay.
The team did release its roster as NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that the team will only bring 28 players with them to Toronto. Including the team’s normal 25-man roster, the team is only adding forwards Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Also, head coach Jon Cooper said that Steven Stamkos remains day-to-day and is not expected to participate in the exhibition game, according to Smith. The veteran is hoping to be more involved in practice once the team gets to Toronto. “It’s still in the window of time to get him back,” said Cooper.
- TSN’s Mark Masters writes that if 19-year-old Nick Robertson hopes to get into the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff lineup, he must show that he can be comfortable on the ice in their upcoming exhibition game. The team’s 2019 second-round pick had an impressive junior campaign and has impressed the team enough to keep him on the playoff roster for the upcoming 24-team tournament. What might be more surprising is that the youngster continues to get third-line looks during practice. “He needs to look comfortable,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He needs to make an impact on the game, be it through his work ethic and enthusiasm or his ability to create some offence and capitalize when he gets chances. All those kinds of things … We’re just really looking to see if he can be comfortable and be himself and then see how it all sorts itself out in terms our other players.”
- Brandon Cain of NHL.com reports that the Chicago Blackhawks will take four goaltenders with them to Edmonton for the upcoming 24-team tournament. That is necessary due to the status of veteran Corey Crawford, who recently admitted he tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the first 12 days of training camp. While he has been cleared and participated in a full practice Saturday, that doesn’t mean he’s in game shape for the tournament. The team also will bring Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen.
- NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton reports that Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who was forced to leave Thursday’s scrimmage due to an undisclosed injury, was back at practice Saturday before the team leaves for Edmonton. He is expected to take on a second-line role with the team after scoring 25 goals in 71 games this year.
- Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that Edmonton Oilers fans don’t need to worry about the fact that defenseman Darnell Nurse was forced to sit out Saturday’s team scrimmage with an undisclosed injury. The scribe described the injury as something he “tweaked” during practice earlier in the week. He’s expected to be ready to go.
Hurricanes Notes: Hamilton, Drury, Necas, Pesce
Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton was expected to be a key addition to Carolina’s lineup for the postseason. However, he has missed the last several practices and it seems that he’ll be out for a little while longer. Sara Civian of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the injury is not a recurrence of his broken leg that shelved his season prematurely and that the estimated recovery period is weeks instead of months. That would shelve him for their upcoming series against the Rangers at a minimum plus likely the first round if they make it that far. His absence should allow Sami Vatanen, a trade deadline acquisition that has yet to make his debut with the team, to potentially debut on their top pairing.
More from Carolina:
- Prospect Jack Drury is expected to leave Harvard and play in Vaxjo of the SHL next season, reports Johan Svensson of SportExpressen. The 20-year-old had a stellar season with Harvard and still has two years of college eligibility left. However, with the pandemic expected to cancel sports there until January at the earliest, their season is in some jeopardy so if Drury wants a guaranteed chance at playing, turning pro is the only way to go. While he could sign with Carolina, the start of the 2020-21 AHL season is going to be delayed as well so going to Sweden will ensure that he’ll be suiting up in September. Svensson adds that several SHL teams were vying for Drury’s services.
- Center Martin Necas did not participate in practice today, notes Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. As is the new standard, there is no further information available than that. The 21-year-old had been skating with the team earlier in the week.
- While defenseman Brett Pesce will not be available for their series against New York, he was included on Carolina’s playoff-eligible roster, Alexander relays (Twitter link). Pesce suffered a shoulder injury just before the trade deadline which helped prompt the Hurricanes to acquire both Vatanen and Brady Skjei at the trade deadline.
Ilya Samsonov Out For The Postseason
One of the more notable absences during training camp has been Washington goaltender Ilya Samsonov. It turns out that his injury that was suffered before camp will be enough to hold him out for the entire postseason as the team announced to reporters, including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post (Twitter link) that he will remain in Washington to undergo treatment and was not on the playoff-eligible roster that was submitted on Friday.
That means that veteran Braden Holtby will be the starter this postseason. The veteran is coming off the worst statistical season of his career as he posted a 3.11 GAA with a .897 SV% in 48 appearances for the Caps. Those numbers are below the league average for a backup let alone a starter. That had presented the possibility that Samsonov, their goalie of the future, would get a chance to play in the playoffs but that’s clearly not an option now.
This will give Holtby one last chance to boost his value before hitting the open market in October as an unrestricted free agent. Given the cap crunch and Samsonov’s presence, it seems quite unlikely that the Capitals will be able to retain him this summer.
Meanwhile, the Capitals will likely use these next two weeks to determine who will serve as Holtby’s backup. Pheonix Copley, last year’s backup, is the presumptive favorite while Vitek Vanecek, who had the better numbers this season with AHL Hershey, is also in the mix.
Washington has also made their final cuts to get down to the 31-player roster. Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that forwards Shane Gersich and Garrett Pilon are the ones that will not participate in the postseason. Both players played exclusively in the AHL this season.
Brent Seabrook Won’t Return This Season
The Blackhawks will be down at least one veteran defenseman for their Qualifying Round series against Edmonton as Brent Seabrook told reporters today, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that he will not be part of the roster that reports to the bubble later this weekend.
The veteran has had a rough year, to put it lightly. He struggled considerably to start the season as his playing time dipped to 18:09 per game, a career low while his offensive output plummeted to just three goals and an assist in 32 contests. At that time, he was shut down for the rest of the season due to injury. Since then, Seabrook has had surgery on both hips and his right shoulder.
He resumed skating recently in the hopes of being available for their series against the Oilers but there would have been some risk in asking him to come back quicker than originally anticipated. Instead, Seabrook will use the rest of this offseason to get ready for the 2020-21 campaign. With training camps for that being roughly three months away as things stand, he should be ready to go. Considering he still has four years left on his contract after this season with a $6.875MM cap hit, Chicago will certainly be hoping that with the extended recovery time, Seabrook will be able to provide more than third pairing minutes moving forward.