Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun Returns To IR
The excitement surrounding young Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and his return to the lineup was short-lived. After missing 32 games last season with a knee injury and the beginning of this campaign due to off-season surgery, Chychrun finally got back into to the ‘Yotes lineup on Tuesday night. He even celebrated his return by signing a six-year extension just hours before the game. However, Chychrun was held out of last night’s game, listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered in just his first game back. His bad luck got worse today, as CapFriendly reports that Chychrun has been placed on injured reserve with the upper-body condition and is set to miss even more time.
Chychrun, 20, was the 16th overall pick in 2016 and has shown a well-rounded arsenal of ability even in his limited 119 games over two plus seasons. However, the same concerns expressed when he signed his long-term, $26.7MM contract this week are now amplified even further. Chychrun would be far from the first NHL player to show incredible talent, but simply struggle to stay on the ice. Granted, an injured Chychrun can be placed on IR and does not affect the cap calculations of the Coyotes, a low-budget team anyway. However, if the composition of the team moving forward is built around a dependence on Chychrun’s availability, that could be trouble for GM John Chayka and company. There is also the possibility that reoccurring injuries begin to toll on the style and intensity of Chychrun’s game, especially since the young rearguard has shown a propensity for toughness and grit early on. There is substantial risk in Chycrhun’s new extension and yet another injury only exasperates it.
With Chychrun out, joining Alex Goligoski on the IR, as well as concerns over the availability of Jason Demers, who left last night’s game with a lower-body injury, the Arizona defensive corps is beat up right now. The team recalled Robbie Russo earlier this morning and fortunately still have Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson at 100%. Still, the likes of Kevin Connauton, Jordan Oesterle, and Ilya Lyubushkin will be asked to step up while the team works its way back to full health on the blue line.
Brian Elliott Out Two Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
When the Philadelphia Flyers recalled Alex Lyon from the AHL this morning, it was an indication that every was not alright with starter Brian Elliott. Elliott left the Flyers’ game against the New Jersey Devils last night after appearing to overextend himself going post-to-post in the third period. Elliott was then absent from practice today. While the exact ailment remains unclear, the team announced after practice that he suffered a lower-body injury and will be out approximately two weeks.
Neither Elliott nor the Flyers are strangers to injury. Elliott, 33, has missed more than 50 games due to injury in his NHL career, including 29 games last season alone. In his second year in Philadelphia, injuries have been a reoccurring issue for Elliott, particularly of the lower-body variety. Between Elliott missing time and Anthony Stolarz missing the whole 2017-18 season, Philadelphia was forced to lean on backup Michal Neuvirth, the rookie Lyon, and trade acquisition Petr Mrazek. A season later, only the names and roles have changed. This year it has been Neuvirth limited to just one game due to injury, Lyon hampered with injuries early on, and now another absence from Elliott, while preseason waiver pickup Calvin Pickard has had to stand in as the backup and now starter. With Stolarz and promising rookie Carter Hart also available, the Flyers continue to be saved by their depth these past two seasons, but would enjoy a stretch of health from their starter and primary backup at some point this season.
Through 14 appearances this season, Elliot is 6-7-0 with a .911 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average and he has improved as the season has worn on. His numbers are solid, but look incredible compared to the paltry performance of Pickard thus far. Pickard will have to step up over the next two weeks or more if the Flyers are to survive this stretch, or else Lyon will have to have another miraculous run like last season. Flyers beat writer Bill Meltzer also reports that Neuvirth skated yesterday and may potentially be able to return while Elliott remains sidelined. Whoever is able to take the reins in net in Philadelphia could be one of the team’s heroes this season. With a .500 record thus far, two weeks of poor goalie play could sink the team as they approach the one-third mark of the season.
Minor Transactions: 11/16/18
Friday night in the NHL brings six games across the league including several Eastern Conference teams travelling west. Tyler Seguin will welcome in his former team when Boston comes to Dallas, while Tyler Myers will do the same in Winnipeg when Jack Eichel and the Sabres come to town. As teams prepare, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- Alex Lyon is back up with the Philadelphia Flyers after Brian Elliott suffered another injury, continuing what has become a trend for the club this season. Lyon didn’t get onto the ice during his earlier recall, meaning he’s still looking to make his 2018-19 debut at the NHL level. The 25-year old goaltender is 2-2-0 with a .910 save percentage in the minor leagues this season.
- With Zdeno Chara flying back to Boston to be evaluated for his latest injury, the Bruins have recalled Connor Clifton for the first time. The former Quinnipiac University captain is in his second professional season and has four points through 14 games with the Providence Bruins. Clifton signed his first NHL contract in May, after finding just an AHL deal coming out of college.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets needed some help from the minors while they dealt with the flu yesterday, but apparently are feeling better. Zac Dalpe and Jean-Francois Berube have been returned to the AHL while the team recalled Gabriel Carlsson once again. Columbus managed a win even without Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky in the lineup, something Blue Jackets fans will be happy to see given their current contract situations.
- After Jason Demers left with a lower-body injury last night, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Robbie Russo from the minor leagues. Russo played 19 games for the Detroit Red Wings in 2016-17, but spent all of last season at the minor league level and has only played for the Tucson Roadrunners this year. The 25-year old defenseman can move the puck quickly, but hasn’t shown he can be a legitimate NHL option so far in his career.
- The Washington Capitals won’t need to dress an emergency backup again tonight. The team has recalled rookie Ilya Samsonov from the AHL’s Hershey Bears to serve as the backup to now-starter Pheonix Copley. Samsonov, 21, is in his first season in North America and already making his first NHL call-up. The 2015 first-round pick has actually struggled in the AHL thus far, but nevertheless got the call over Hershey starter Vitek Vanecek. Samsonov flew to Denver to meet the team ahead of their game against the Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler was the on-paper demotion to make room for Samsonov, but will remain with the team through their current road trip.
Injury Updates: Bruins, Vilardi, Hertl, Maroon
The Bruins have not had much in the way of good luck when it comes to injuries, particularly on their back end. They can add Zdeno Chara to the list of the walking wounded after he sustained a lower-body injury on Wednesday night and the team has sent him back to Boston for testing. It doesn’t appear any help is on the immediate horizon either; Matt Porter of the Boston Globe notes that of their injured defensemen (which also includes Charlie McAvoy, Kevan Miller, Brandon Carlo, and Urho Vaakanainen), Miller is the only one that is somewhat close to a return but isn’t expected to be ready to play for a few more games. As a result, they project to have a pretty inexperienced unit when they face off against Dallas on Friday night.
More injury notes from what has been a particularly rough day around the league:
- Kings prospect center Gabriel Vilardi has been cleared to participate in full practices, GM Rob Blake told Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks where the team will determine the next step. Although Vilardi can’t play full-time for their AHL affiliate in Ontario, he can go down on a conditioning loan while the Canadian World Junior training camp is roughly one month away and will also be an option for the 19-year-old given his performance at the OHL level last season.
- Sharks winger Tomas Hertl is dealing with a lower-body injury, notes Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Peter DeBoer stated that no surgery is needed and that he won’t be out for weeks so fortunately for San Jose, it appears to be a somewhat minor issue. The 25-year-old is off to a very strong start to his season, collecting 16 points (5-11-16) in 16 games and sits fourth on the team in scoring despite missing three games earlier this month with a head injury.
- In his first game back after spending two games as a healthy scratch, Blues forward Patrick Maroon suffered an upper-body injury. The team announced that they have sent him back to St. Louis for testing and have ruled him out of the final three games on their current road trip. The veteran got off to a good start to his first season in his hometown with six assists in his first nine games but has just one in five contests since then.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Rieder, Vesalainen
The World Junior Championship is just over a month away, and the selection camp for Team Canada will begin on December 10th in Victoria, British Columbia. That camp will decide who takes part in the top junior tournament in the world, and there are already projections being made on who will be attending. Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet breaks down who he believes will be there battling for roster spots, and the group includes plenty of already drafted NHL prospects. Evan Bouchard (Oilers), Noah Dobson (Islanders) and Ty Smith (Devils) highlight an impressive blue line, while Alex Formenton (Senators), Cody Glass (Golden Knights) and Morgan Frost (Flyers) appear in a forward group that is going to have to cut some extremely talented prospects.
Perhaps most notably is the appearance of Alexis Lafreniere, who isn’t eligible for selection until 2020 but is the early favorite to go first overall. Even though he only turned 17 last month, Lafreniere already has 54 goals and 116 points in 81 regular season QMJHL games. Players as young as him often get left out of tournaments like this given they’ll have other chances in the future, but the Canadian brain trust may just have to bring him along like they have other exceptional talents in the past.
- Injury season is alive and well in the NHL, and the Edmonton Oilers aren’t going to be left out. Tobias Rieder will be out a month with an upper-body injury, taking away some wing depth for the team as they try to get things back on track after a few hiccups in recent games. Edmonton had lost four straight before defeating the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, and are getting ready for a Battle of Alberta against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. The team recalled Patrick Russell earlier today, conspicuously leaving Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto in the minor leagues.
- After Jokerit acquired the rights to Kristian Vesalainen from SKA St. Petersburg today in the KHL, a report surfaced that the Winnipeg Jets prospect would be leaving the Manitoba Moose to return to Finland next week. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun did confirm that Vesalainen has an out clause in his contract for this season, but couldn’t get any confirmation from the team or head coach Paul Maurice. The 19-year old forward has played five games with the Jets and eight with the Moose this season, but does have the option to go overseas if he wants to spend this season back in Finland. That outcome obviously wouldn’t be ideal for Winnipeg, who would likely much rather have him close at hand to watch over his development.
Viktor Arvidsson Out Six To Eight Weeks With Broken Thumb
The Nashville Predators only just got Viktor Arvidsson back off injured reserve before having to send him back with a new injury, and today they revealed how long he’ll be out for. Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports that Arvidsson will miss six to eight weeks with a broken thumb, meaning the talented forward could very well be out of the lineup for the rest of 2018.
Arvidsson is one of the heartbeats of the Predators offense, and was off to a great start this season with eight goals and 13 points in his first 13 games. That put him well on his way to another 30-goal season, and may have even gotten him over the 61-point mark he’s hit the last two seasons. Now, by missing two months in the middle of the season he will almost assuredly miss both of those milestones. The Predators will suffer because of it, especially given the fact that P.K. Subban has also been moved to injured reserve and will be out at least a week. The team still sits in first place in the Central Division, but is at risk of being caught by the Minnesota Wild or Winnipeg Jets, both currently within four points.
The 25-year old’s return will feel like a trade deadline acquisition for the Predators, who despite wanting to win the Central are focused on the postseason this year. The team is once again considered a favorite for the Stanley Cup, but will need all hands on deck to defeat some of the other powerhouses in the Western Conference. Subban and Arvidsson are key players who absolutely must be healthy by the time the playoffs roll around, meaning the team will surely play it slow with their recovery timelines.
Cam Fowler Suffers Complex Facial Fracture
The Anaheim Ducks have lost a key member of their blue line, as last night the team announced that Cam Fowler is headed for surgery to correct a complex facial fracture suffered when a puck struck him. The surgery is scheduled for Friday, but Fowler will be out for some time as there is damage to his orbital bone, cheekbone and upper jaw bone. To add insult to injury, the Ducks were picked apart by the Vegas Golden Knights last night and have to welcome in the red hot Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche over the next few days.
Fowler, 26, is in the first season of his new eight-year extension, and was off to a great start with ten points in his first 19 games. That had him on pace to break his previous career-high of 40 points, though he and the rest of the Ducks have struggled in their own end this year. Since John Gibson has kept them in games with excellent goaltending, their middling record betrayed some bad play to start the season. Even now as they start to get things organized they’ll face a big challenge with Fowler out of the lineup, given that he has been averaging close to 25 minutes of ice time this season.
It’s not clear exactly how long he’ll be out, but the Ducks will now have to find someone else to take on those minutes. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote yesterday (subscription required), Anaheim may actually have already been looking to acquire a defenseman despite rumors about the availability of Brandon Montour in a potential William Nylander swap. With Fowler now out that search to add some help to the blue line may be increased.
Braden Holtby Out, Capitals To Dress Emergency Backup
In an unexpected twist, the Washington Capitals – on the road in Winnipeg to face the Jets tonight – will be without starting goaltender Braden Holtby. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan was the first to report that Holtby had been ruled out and that backup Pheonix Copley would get the start, with an emergency backup suiting up for the Caps. TSN’s Brian Munz adds that it is an upper-body injury for Holtby, although it remains unclear how and when the injury occurred and to what extent.
Washington will put their trust in Copley for a second game in a row, as the 26-year-old gets set to make just his eighth career NHL appearance. Copley won the Capitals’ backup job by default in training camp, but has performed up to expectations thus far. In five games, he has three wins, a .904 save percentage, and a 2.91 goals against average. However, Copley faces a tough test, going up against the talented Jets after facing the Minnesota Wild just last night.
Regardless of how Copley performs this evening, it’s fair to say that he will stay in net barring an injury. The Capitals will dress local emergency backup Gavin McHale as their second-string option tonight, reports Caps radio host Ben Raby. McHale is the goaltending coach for the women’s hockey team at the nearby University of Manitoba. The 31-year-old is a Manitoba alumni himself and played two seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Lethbridge Hurricanes. Even at a hulking 6’7″, Washington is unlikely to stick McHale in the net unless there are extremely extenuating circumstances.
Meanwhile, the concern for the Capitals is far beyond just one result and no one will blame them for dropping tonight’s match-up in Winnipeg, as they were underdogs even with Holtby in net. Instead, the focus is on the starter and his injury moving forward. Perhaps more than any team in the NHL this season, Washington can ill-afford a long-term injury to their starting goaltender. Khushudyan indicates that the injury is not serious and Holtby is considered “day-to-day”, but the ailment is enough that he could not even dress as the backup tonight. We will likely know more in the coming days.
Shea Weber Ahead Of Schedule With Injury Rehab
After 33-year-old Shea Weber underwent knee surgery this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens announced an expected return date of mid-December and even that seemed optimistic. Yet, Weber practiced with the team for the first time this week and now a mid-December return looks very realistic if not excessive. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Weber is considered to be “two weeks ahead” of schedule and could possibly make his season debut by the end of November or first week of December.
Weber is entering his third season with the Canadiens since coming over from the Nashville Predators in the blockbuster trade that sent P.K. Subban packing. Weber’s first season in Montreal was a huge success; the six-time All-Star registered 42 points and a +20 rating in 78 games. Last season was quite different, as the torn meniscus in his right knee limited Weber to just 26 games.
When Weber returns to the ice, it will likely be more than eleven months since his last game action. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu asks the fair question of whether or not the Canadiens should expect Weber to be the same player when he returns. Perhaps the even better questions should be just how much Montreal should ask of Weber once he is deemed healthy. Normally, a player of Weber’s age and experience is often expected to jump right back in to his regular role. However, Weber still has eight years left remaining on his contract and the Habs need to consider his long-term health just as much as his immediate impact. Allowing the veteran to ease back into his role gives the team the best chance to once again enjoy his Norris-caliber play, even if it is not this season. Montreal is certainly excited to have Weber back, but considering how well the team has played early on this year, they can afford to give their captain all the time he needs to get back to full strength.
Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Could Make More Moves
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings kicked off the winter trade season with a deal today that swapped Tanner Pearson for Carl Hagelin, but there’s no reason things will stop there. In today’s 31 Thoughts column by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the venerable insider notes that more may be coming from both franchises.
On Pittsburgh, Friedman speculates about a potential “lateral” deal between the Penguins and Anaheim Ducks similar to the one they completed in 2016, which is how Hagelin arrived in the first place. Though he doesn’t go so far as to name players who might be involved in such a move, he notes that “the rumored names” were not swapped today in the deal with Los Angeles.
Interestingly, the next point Friedman makes is about how recent draft pick Calen Addison has generated plenty of interest from other teams. That obviously wouldn’t be a “change of scenery” deal given Addison’s youth and huge upside, but may indicate that teams are hoping that GM Jim Rutherford will be going all-in this season and dealing away some of his top prospects. Addison, an undersized but incredibly gifted right-shot defenseman, was selected 53rd in June, and is off to a great start with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL.
Los Angeles meanwhile is at the other end of the competitive spectrum this season, as they find themselves almost out of the playoff race already. With Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell both going down to major knee injuries and the team already firing head coach John Stevens, it may be time to start selling off assets and retooling for next season. Friedman notes that the “list of players Los Angeles is willing to move is growing” though doesn’t give any specifics. The Fourth Period also reported today that the Kings are “exploring the market” on Tyler Toffoli, while Jake Muzzin has also been discussed with teams.
This trade talk surrounding the Kings comes on the same day that top prospect Gabe Vilardi has been cleared for full practice, as he works his way back from injury to try and really start his professional career. Vilardi, the 11th overall pick in 2017, hasn’t played at all this season because of his back injury, but according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times will be evaluated again in a couple of weeks. The existence of prospects like Vilardi—who holds immense offensive potential—could make it even more appealing for the Kings to sell off some of their expiring or ineffective assets and start the process of a short rebuild. While the team is still committed with big contracts to the likes of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, they are currently sitting well behind the rest of the Pacific Division and last in the entire NHL with just a 5-11-1 record on the year.