Calle Jarnkrok Out Rest Of Regular Season With Upper-Body Injury
The Nashville Predators have announced that Calle Jarnkrok will be out for the rest of the regular season, after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game. The release does not include any details on a potential playoff return, or a timeline on his recovery. According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, Jarnkrok was seen with his right arm in a sling after the game.
Jarnkrok, 26, has been one of the most versatile players for the Predators all season long. After being a depth center for the team in his first few seasons, Jarnkrok has moved back and forth to the wing whenever the Predators have needed him to, and it has resulted in a career-high 35 points and a +20 rating. He logs more short-handed ice time than any other forward for the Predators, and has even contributed on the powerplay whenever asked.
Though the Predators loaded up down the middle this season by adding Kyle Turris and Mike Fisher, and acquired Ryan Hartman at the deadline to give them another young weapon, losing Jarnkrok will hurt. Nashville looks like the top contender for the Stanley Cup as they head towards the playoffs, but even with their impressive depth can’t take too many hits like this. We’ll see how their lineup shakes out after dealing with the loss, and who steps into the important penalty killing role down the stretch.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 03/15/18
Yes, March Madness is about to open and unless your favorite NHL team is in the thick of a playoff race you might be tempted to turn on some basketball—the staff at Hoops Rumors certainly wouldn’t hold it against you—but there is still a lot going on around the hockey world. We’ll keep an eye on all the minor moves around the league, and update them right here. Check back between halves to make sure you don’t fall behind.
- After Frederik Andersen left last night’s game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team has recalled Garret Sparks under emergency conditions. Andersen is out with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, but there is no indication on how long he’ll be out. Sparks has been arguably the best goaltender in the AHL all season, and will get a chance to at least back up in tonight’s game.
- The Boston Bruins have used two emergency recalls, bringing Anton Blidh and Paul Postma up from the minor leagues. The Bruins are dealing with injuries to Jake Debrusk, Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug, who all left the last game against the Carolina Hurricanes and did not return. It’s not clear which ones will be out for the team, but any of them would be tough blows for a team chasing the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Eastern Conference (and perhaps the league).
Winnipeg Jets Recall Goaltender Eric Comrie
Another goaltender is injured for the Winnipeg Jets, as Michael Hutchinson had to leave last night’s game with an upper-body injury. The team has recalled Eric Comrie under emergency conditions to fill the backup role for the time being, while Hutchinson and Steve Mason remain sidelined. No word yet on how long Hutchinson will be out.
There is also no update yet on the status of Paul Stastny, who didn’t play in the game after suffering some sort of injury in warm up. The Jets were unable to hold off the onslaught of the Nashville Predators, and now sit six points back in the race for the Western Conference top seed. Winnipeg has dealt with goaltender injuries all season, and will have to continue to rely on Connor Hellebuyck to get them through the end of the season and into the playoffs.
Comrie has played two NHL games in his short career, but boasts a solid .918 save percentage at the AHL level this year. The 22-year old second-round pick has developed nicely for the organization over the last few years, and looks poised to take over as the club’s #3 option if Hutchinson goes somewhere else in free agency.
Minor Transactions: 03/14/18
We saw a few more hat tricks last night, as both David Pastrnak and J.T. Miller lit the lamp three times, though the latter couldn’t overcome the Ottawa Senators’ offensive onslaught. Will we see another performance like that tonight in one of the five games on the schedule? As you prepare to watch some hockey tonight, make sure to check back right here where we’ll be keeping track of all the minor moves around the league.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Justin Bailey, bringing up the 22-year old forward after just a few days in the minors. Bailey has four points in eight games for the Sabres this season, and is expected to be a real contributor down the road. His development is something to watch for frustrated Sabres fans over the remaining few weeks.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Dillon Heatherington as they deal with injuries suffered last night. Marc Methot was hit by a shot and had to leave the game after just 7:32 of ice time, but there is no word on how long he’ll be out. Heatherington had one point in five games earlier this season when Methot was dealing with a knee injury, and could be asked to step back in if needed.
- After coming up yesterday under emergency conditions, Calle Rosen has been sent back to the minor leagues. The Toronto Maple Leafs had brought Rosen up as Nikita Zaitsev and Travis Dermott were dealing with illnesses, but will not need his services after all. Dermott returned to the Maple Leafs’ optional skate this morning and should play tonight against the Stars.
- The Ottawa Senators have sent Erik Burgdoerfer back down, even after recording his first NHL point last night. The 29-year old defenseman is nothing more than a depth piece for the Senators at this point.
- As the Pittsburgh Penguins start to get healthier up front, they’ve sent Josh Jooris back to the minor leagues to help Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Jooris played just five minutes in Sunday’s game, given just nine shifts through the entire match.
Steve Mason Out 2-3 Weeks With Knee Injury
It’s been a season to forget for Winnipeg Jets goalie Steve Mason. Mason has suffered two concussions in 2017-18, one in November and one in January, missing a combined 28 games. Now he’s back on the shelf, after playing his first game since early January on Tuesday night, a shutout win against the New York Rangers. In the contest, Mason suffered a lower-body injury which, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, turned out to be a seriously tweaked knee.
In speaking with head coach Paul Maurice, Gulitti reports that Mason underwent surgery today and is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. Michael Hutchinson, who was recalled from the AHL on Thursday while Mason’s condition was still up in the air, will remain in Winnipeg to back up Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck has not just helped to make up for the loss of Mason most of the year, but has thrived in his absence. Although Mason signed a two-year, $8.2MM with the Jets this past summer to presumably start in Winnipeg, that seems unlikely to ever happen given Hellebuyck’s emergence. The 24-year-old has blossomed into one of the top goalies in the league this season, posting a .923 save percentage and 2.38 GAA through 56 games already. Mason’s injury woes have certainly affected him – when healthy he has still struggled, posting a .906 save percentage and 3.18 GAA – but both his absence and poor performance have been non-factors for Winnipeg despite what many would have expected prior to the season.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Mangiapane, NCAA
The NHL released their three stars from last week, and young Patrik Laine leads the way. The Winnipeg Jets sniper still hasn’t turned 20, but is now tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in goals with 40 and is in the midst of an 11-game point streak.
Brad Marchand and Evgeni Malkin fill the other two spots, as both try to hunt down a nomination for the Hart Trophy. Malkin sits just a single point behind Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in scoring with 87, while Marchand now has 69 points in just 53 games. Though sometimes overshadowed by other superstars on their respective teams (Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby usually), both Marchand and Malkin are having outstanding seasons and could meet late in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
- Andrew Mangiapane will miss the rest of the season following shoulder surgery, the latest bad break for a flailing Calgary Flames squad. The team sits just out of a playoff spot and could have lost Matthew Tkachuk to injury after he left Sunday’s game. Mangiapane had been playing with the Stockton Heat in the AHL, but could have been a potential call-up to add some offense to the lineup. Now he’ll have to focus on making the Flames out of camp next season.
- After our Brian La Rose gave some insight on the top names in college free agency, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription needed) has done the same. The prospect guru points to several names who could make an impact in the NHL right away, including Daniel Brickley, the expected top name on the market. Brickley is a solid player in basically every situation, and Pronman explains that he has top-four potential in the NHL.
Minor Transactions: 03/12/18
Another week, another set of playoff-deciding matchups around the NHL. With so few games remaining in the regular season, every single day is of huge significance. We’ll keep track of all the transactions taking place on the fringes of rosters.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have officially recalled Peter Budaj from the AHL after his conditioning stint. The goaltender played a pair of games for Syracuse as part of his recovery from a lower-body injury, but will now stick around in the NHL. That move gives the Lightning three goaltenders for the time being, giving them plenty of opportunity to rest Andrei Vasilevskiy down the stretch.
- Ville Husso is up under emergency conditions for the St. Louis Blues, as Carter Hutton deals with injury. Husso is the heir apparent in St. Louis should Hutton leave in free agency, as the 23-year old has shown he’s more than capable in the AHL. Through 34 games for the San Antonio Rampage, Husso has a sparkling .928 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced that Valentin Zykov has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte. Zykov was just recalled on Sunday and did not see any game action. The 2013 second-round pick has put up prolific numbers in each of the past two seasons with the Checkers, but has only two games with the ‘Canes to show for it all the way back in March 2017.
Injury Update: Stone, Marchand, Duclair, Crawford, Nutivaara, Bishop
Ottawa Senators winger Mark Stone will not be making the trip to Florida for their game against the Panthers on Monday, according to Ottawa Sun’s Don Brennan. Stone suffered a leg injury after colliding with Calgary’s Micheal Ferland on Friday.
Brennan added that Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said today that he did not know whether the injury would keep Stone out of the lineup short-term or long-term. The loss of Stone would be another disappointment in the Senators’ season. Stone has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season. The 25-year-old already has broken his career-high in assists with 42 and is on track to have a career-high in goals. He currently has 22 this season. He was one of the few untouchable players at the trade deadline this season.
- The Boston Bruins announced that Brad Marchand would miss Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an upper body injury. The move has received a lot of attention as the forward was yanked at the last minute before the game, just one day after Marchand had another collision with a player, this time with Chicago’s Anthony Duclair. Many believe the team held him out as a precaution from potential retribution.
- Speaking of Duclair, Tracey Myers of NHL.com writes that Duclair was wearing a walking boot on his right leg this morning. Coach Joel Quenneville said yesterday after the game that Duclair is expected to miss one to two weeks. Myers added that goaltender Corey Crawford is still not skating with the team, although he is working out on his own.
- Steve Gorten of the Columbus Dispatch writes that good news could be coming for two players with the Columbus Blue Jackets as defensemen Dean Kukan and Markus Nutivaara are both practicing in full gear and may be close to returning to the team. Kukan and Nutivaara were both injured in the same game on Feb. 16. Kukan, who has been out with an upper-body injury, has appeared in 10 games for Columbus this year. Nutivaara has been on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He has played in 51 games so far this season with three goals and 15 assists.
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes that Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop, who has been out since Mar. 5 with a knee injury, skated today with no pads and is scheduled to skate tomorrow with pads. No word on how soon, the veteran goaltender is expected to return. The 31-year-old has played 51 games for Dallas, posting a 2.49 GAA and a solid .917 save percentage.
Injury Notes: Marchand, Duclair, Vatrano, Klefbom, Smith, Avalanche, Seeler
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand could miss some time — not due to injury — but after another incident in which the forward collided with Chicago Blackhawks winger Anthony Duclair in Saturday’s game. You can see the video here. While on the surface it does look as if Marchand was attempting to avoid Duclair, one has to wonder how the Department of Player Safety will treat the incident after numerous incidents this season. A repeat offender, Marchand served a five-game suspension back in January for concussing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson.
Marchand was given a two-minute interference penalty on the play, but Duclair was forced to exit the game as he suffered a knee injury. The Blackhawks later announced that he will not return for the rest of the game and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that he will miss one-to-two weeks.
- Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel writes the Florida Panthers have activated forward Frank Vatrano and will make his Panthers debut Saturday night. Vatrano, who was acquired a week before the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick, will attempt to find his game with the rising Panthers despite missing some time with a high ankle sprain. He is slated to appear on the team’s second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau as the team hopes Vatrano could be a valuable addition to their core. After putting up 39 goals in 45 career AHL games, he has struggled in the NHL. With Boston, the 23-year-old had just two goals in 25 games this year and often found himself scratched.
- Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd MacLellan said defenseman Oscar Klefbom will miss the next two games to undergo a “minor procedure.” With rumors that Klefbom was been playing injured for much of the year, the eventual question will be whether the team should shut him down in the near future.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp writes that center Reilly Smith was sent back to Las Vegas after he sustained an upper body injury during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is not playing today and is not expected to be ready for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Smith is having a career year with 22 goals and 38 assists in his first year with Vegas.
- Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes that the team intends to start Jonathan Bernier today after Bernier has missed the past 10 games with a head injury. Starter Semyon Varlamov has struggled recently having allowed 11 goals in the past three games. The scribe also writes that defenseman Erik Johnson skated Friday in a non-contact jersey. He hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 18. There is no timeline for Johnson, according to head coach Jared Bednar. Forward Vladislav Kamenev, who broke his arm in November after being acquired from Nashville, practiced Friday and is likely to be sent to the AHL for a couple of games on a conditioning stint.
- Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that defenseman Nick Seeler, who has been dealing with a right bicep strain and the flu, is improving, but did not travel with the team to Vancouver and would only join the team in Edmonton if there is an injury on defense before then.
Snapshots: Coaching Changes, Marchand Fine, McDonagh Debut
Buried in the news of Ron Francis being replaced as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes was the fact that it was the first major personnel decision of the 2017-18 season. It’s March, well beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and there has been just one general manager fired (but promoted) and still no coaches. It’s rare to see so much inactivity, but it can likely be linked to the fact that the league’s worst teams – Arizona, Buffalo, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal – all have first- or second-year coaches: Rick Tocchet, Phil Housley, Guy Boucher, Travis Green, and Claude Julien respectively. Unsurprisingly, USA Today’s Kevin Allen lists the head coaches of four of the next five worst teams as being on the hot seat as the end of the season approaches. That includes the Edmonton Oilers’ Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings’ Jeff Blashill, the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters. The most obvious inclusion on this list is Peters, who has an owner looking to make changes and soon a new GM, and has also struggled to get the most out of his talented roster. Quenneville would be the biggest news, should he be removed, as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, since 2008, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The last name on the list who doesn’t quite fit the pattern is the Washington Capitals’ Barry Trotz. Trotz has yet to be offered a contract extension and his future could depend on the Caps’ playoff success this season. However, as Allen states, Trotz would be the prime coaching candidate this summer if he isn’t retained by Washington. As of right now, all of these coaches are safe, but things could change quickly with the season coming to a close. In the meantime, if you would like to apply for the open Hurricanes GM position, here you go.
- One thing that there has been plenty of in the league this season has been punishment handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, as the league has focused on cracking down on certain penalties. A player who has gained plenty of attention, fair or not, has been Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand has finally spoken out after his most recent hit, a $2,000 fine for diving. Marchand spoke to the media, saying things like “it’s a small amount of money”, “it’s a joke”, “it’s pretty stupid” and “I don’t care about this.” He did go a step further though, adding “how are they (Player Safety) to tell …they go from being players to management and running the league pretty quickly and forget how to play the game.” While Marchand doesn’t seem to care much about a very minor fine, he is making a point that any fine for diving, the most subjective call in the game, is somewhat unreasonable, especially when the call comes from those who were not even present at the game.
- While the Bruins are continuing to win behind three straight game-winners from Marchand, their rivals in the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy race, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to win as well. They’ll get even better starting tonight, as their huge trade deadline acquisition, Ryan McDonagh, is set to make his debut with the team tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper told beat writer Bryan Burns that McDonagh is ready to go, after dealing with an upper-body injury for more than a month. McDonagh’s addition to the Bolts blue line makes them a scary team for anyone to go up against and that includes the Bruins, who play Tampa three more times this season and could very well meet them in the second round of the playoffs.