Kyle Okposo Diagnosed With Concussion
Already in the midst of a tough season, the news just got worse for Sabres winger Kyle Okposo. The team announced today that he has been diagnosed with a concussion following a collision with Ottawa winger Bobby Ryan on Thursday and will be out indefinitely.
Okposo is no stranger to concussion troubles recently as he sustained one late last season that resulted in him being in intensive care by the end of it. This one doesn’t seem to be as serious at least as head coach Phil Housley told reporters, including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald, that the team hasn’t given any thought towards shutting him down for the season.
The 29-year-old is in his second season in Buffalo and the results haven’t been particularly strong. In 65 games, he has just 11 goals (his lowest total since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign) which is hardly the production the Sabres were expecting when they committed $42MM over seven years to him back in the summer of 2016.
Okposo is far from the only forward on the shelf in Buffalo. The team is still without center Jack Eichel who has been missing for a month due to a high ankle sprain and has no timetable for his return while wingers Seth Griffith, Evan Rodrigues, and Kyle Criscuolo are all dealing with upper-body issues; Griffth and Rodrigues are day-to-day while Criscuolo is likely out for the rest of the season.
Injuries Piling Up For Pittsburgh Penguins
As the Pittsburgh Penguins march towards the playoffs and an attempt at a third straight Stanley Cup Championship, the injury list is beginning to crowd. The team announced today that Bryan Rust is dealing with a concussion, Dominik Simon is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and that Zach Aston-Reese and Matt Murray are “making progress.”
Obviously there are other players on the Penguins whose absence would be more noticeable, but don’t underestimate the impact of losing several depth players at one time. Rust’s importance to the team is sometimes understated, but with 33 points this season and the ability to play in every situation, he’ll be missed over the last few weeks of the season.
Aston-Reese and Simon have taken turns on the top line at times this season, and will force the Penguins to insert Josh Jooris into the lineup should they not be able to make a quick recovery. Riley Sheahan might end up moving to wing to fill out the line with Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard.
Murray of course is a huge wildcard for the Penguins. The young goaltender has won a Stanley Cup in each of his first two postseasons, but has battled injury throughout his short career. This year he has just a .909 save percentage even when healthy, giving way to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith to try and show that they could be relied upon in a postseason start. The idea of going through the playoffs with two goaltenders with such little experience is probably not what Jim Rutherford was hoping for, but it may be his only option if Murray isn’t able to come back and prove his health. Even if he does return before long, it will be interesting to see if he can ramp up his game once again for the chance to three-peat as Cup champions.
Martin Hanzal To Have Season-Ending Back Surgery
Martin Hanzal‘s first season in Dallas hasn’t gone as expected. After battling injury for much of the year, the Stars today announced that Hanzal will undergo back surgery and is out for the rest of the season. The spinal fusion procedure comes with a recovery timeline of six to seven months, but should not threaten his career.
Hanzal was signed last summer to a three-year, $14.25MM contract as one of the top free agent centers available. The Stars believed they had a solid, big bodied middle-six player who could provide some offense while being responsible defensively, but nothing has gone according to plan. Hanzal’s penchant for injury perked up again, and he’ll finish this season with just 38 games played for the Stars, with a career-low of 10 points registered along the way. He was generally ineffective even when he was in the lineup, but could have been very important as Dallas prepares for a playoff run.
At the deadline, we wrote that the Stars may need to consider adding some center depth due to the inconsistency they’d had at the position. Instead, they lay silent on February 26th and now face the daunting task of heading into the postseason with a patchwork group down the middle. Tyler Seguin is a superstar, and Radek Faksa has shown a good shutdown ability, but beyond that there are question marks galore. Jason Spezza isn’t the same player he was a few years ago, and young options like Devin Shore, Mattias Janmark and Jason Dickinson are anything but experienced. Obviously, they could move Jamie Benn back to the middle if they need to, but that’s far from ideal.
This is just the latest injury for Hanzal, who has played in more than 80 games in a single season just once in his entire career. More often, he spends long stretches on the sideline nursing some sort of ailment, and it will be tough to pencil him into the lineup for the next two years of his contract. Stars fans can hope, but shouldn’t expect him to be around all season, especially after major back surgery and as he heads into his thirties.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Canucks Notes: Boeser, Archibald, Tryamkin
The Vancouver Canucks have had their season turned upside down of late, with Brock Boeser injured for the rest of the year. The star rookie is out for at least four weeks with a small fracture in his lower back, which could cost him more than just the last month of the season.
Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that it is “highly unlikely” Boeser plays in the World Championships this year, though the Vancouver reporter wouldn’t rule it out entirely. Boeser would be one of the top options for the US squad, but might want to just heal completely before getting back on the ice. The tournament starts on May 4th, about eight weeks from the injury.
- Dhaliwal also updates on the status of Darren Archibald, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Apparently the Canucks have not approached the gritty forward with extension talks so far, but his strong recent play has put him in a good position for any future negotiations. The 28-year old has never been given much of a chance at the NHL level, but now has five points in 12 games with the Canucks and doesn’t look completely out of place in this league.
- Lastly, Dhaliwal also spoke with Alexei Volkov, the GM of Nikita Tryamkin‘s KHL team. Tryamkin also likely won’t be heading to the World Championships, and definitely isn’t on his way back to Vancouver. Volkov—who obviously must be taken with a grain of salt since it’s in his interest to keep Tryamkin around—told Dhaliwal there is “zero chance” the hulking defender would be returning next season. Tryamkin has two years remaining on his KHL contract, but could negotiate a buyout to return to the NHL if both sides were open to it.
Morning Notes: Player Poll, Draft Lottery, Matthews
The NHLPA released its annual Player Poll, where it asks members to vote on a variety of things from fastest skater to best role model. Sidney Crosby‘s name was understandably everywhere, leading categories like “most difficult to play against” and even getting some love in the top player of all-time.
Interestingly, the players were also asked which coach they would most like to play for and Joel Quenneville came out on top. With things deteriorating in Chicago, many have wondered whether Quenneville would be back in 2018-19 for the Blackhawks. If the player’s opinions mean anything, there is certainly still an appetite for him to be behind the bench.
- The NHL Draft Lottery is a huge event these days, and with Rasmus Dahlin the top prize the draw will be just as exciting as ever. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the unofficial date that’s being considered is April 28th, which would be less than eight weeks from now. Remember, three non-playoff teams will be selected to move up in the draft, and while the worst team has the best chance, it’s still more likely that someone else takes home the first-overall pick.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are reeling recently, dropping four straight games and looking disjointed without their top forward on the ice. Luckily, the team welcomed Auston Matthews back to the beginning of practice today according to Kristen Shilton of TSN, though he remained in a non-contact sweater. Matthews had completed some work before practice by himself, and is getting closer to a return from the injury that he suffered against the Islanders on February 22nd.
Brock Boeser Diagnosed With Small Fracture, Out Four To Six Weeks
Though he won’t suit up again for the Vancouver Canucks this season, the news is still relatively positive regarding Brock Boeser. The rookie phenom will make a full recovery in just four to six weeks after suffering a soft tissue injury and small non-displaced fracture in his lower back.
Boeser fell hard into the open bench door after receiving a check from Islanders’ forward Cal Clutterbuck, and immediately clutched his back in pain. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance from the rink, but appears to have avoided serious injury.
The 21-year old winger was having a Calder-worthy season with 55 points in 62 games, but will unfortunately not be able to add to those numbers for the rest of the season. While that may confirm Mathew Barzal as the rookie of the year, Canucks fans will be happy that the injury won’t affect Boeser’s ability to contribute next season.
Minor Transactions: 03/06/18
After a relatively quiet Monday night in the NHL, the league is back with nine games on tap tonight including a few huge matchups. The Tampa Bay Lightning try to tighten their grip on the Atlantic Division against the red hot Florida Panthers, while the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators battle in what could be a first-round matchup. As they prepare for these contests later tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor movement around the league.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Sergei Bobrovsky tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, meaning Jeff Zatkoff is on his way up to the NHL. Bobrovsky is just dealing with a minor illness, which likely means Joonas Korpisalo will be in net when the Blue Jackets try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Roope Hintz and goaltender Mike McKenna from the minor leagues, both under emergency conditions. That may be confusing as Hintz was also recalled yesterday, but after the Stars’ game against the St. Louis Blues he was returned to Texas—at least for a few hours. McKenna is on his way up because Ben Bishop is out with a minor injury, giving Kari Lehtonen the starting role for the time being.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced that Kyle Criscuolo is out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, meaning he’s likely headed for injured reserve through the end of the season. The 25-year old forward made his NHL debut this season, and would have been a welcome addition to the Rochester Americans’ playoff run.
Max Pacioretty, Victor Mete Out Up To Six Weeks
The Montreal Canadiens season has not gone according to plan. Carey Price and Shea Weber have both dealt with injuries all season, and now captain Max Pacioretty has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a knee injury. Pacioretty suffered the injury on Friday night against the New York Islanders after going down awkwardly, and could now miss the remainder of the regular season. Victor Mete, the shining young light in an otherwise unfortunate season, will also be out six weeks with a fractured finger. That puts an end to an encouraging rookie season, that included a gold medal at the World Juniors.
If Pacioretty does miss the rest of the season, it might mean Friday was his final game in a Montreal uniform. Rumored to be on the trade block for some time, if there is no extension talks planned for this summer the Canadiens might be better off moving their captain at the draft for a premium of young assets. Pacioretty will also fail to crack 30 goals for the first time since the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, registering just 17 this year in 64 games. Even with his depressed numbers, Pacioretty should command a large price on the trade market if he’s moved, as he is still a potential 30-goal man that carries just a $4.5MM cap hit for the 2018-19 season.
For Mete, it is a disappointing end to an otherwise impressive start. Though he has recorded just seven points in 49 games, simply making the team straight out of junior was an unexpected accomplishment. The 19-year old was just a fourth-round pick in 2016, but skipped the minor leagues and stuck with Montreal for almost the whole season. Though they allowed him to play for Canada at the World Juniors, injuries forced them to keep him in the NHL afterwards where he has acquitted himself quite well. Though there could potentially be some development time in the AHL when eligible next season—the only option was to return him to the OHL this year—Montreal fans can pencil the young puck-moving defenseman into their lineup for years to come.
Without Pacioretty and Mete, the Montreal lineup looks more and more like an AHL squad trying to keep their heads above water. Sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference, they should have another chance at drafting in the top-5 this June and adding a blue chip prospect to their cupboards.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jay Bouwmeester Out Rest Of Season
If the St. Louis Blues are going to make a late push for the playoffs, they’ll have to do it without their most experienced defenseman. The team announced today that Jay Bouwmeester will be out for the remainder of the season dealing with his hip injury, and faces a four to six month recovery timeline. Scottie Upshall is also in danger of losing the rest of the year, and will be re-evaluated in four weeks after suffering an MCL sprain.
Bouwmeester had been dealing with an injury to his hip for some time, but ended up leaving Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars after playing just 9:46. The 15-year NHL veteran will have a long rehab in front of him, but hopefully will be ready for the beginning of the 2018-19 season. He’ll be 35 when the Blues start their year in October, and on the final season of his current contract that carries a $5.4MM cap hit.
Upshall, 34, turned a professional tryout with Vancouver into another contract with the St. Louis Blues this year after injury struck their team in training camp. Despite being expected to be an extra forward, he’s played in 61 games and actually has contributed 18 points. The physical, energy-filled forward has been an effective checking line player for his entire career, playing in 757 NHL games. He’ll have to fight to get another one-way contract next season, but has never been one to underestimate.
Vancouver’s Baertschi Likely Done For Season
The Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green announced that winger Sven Baertschi has a separated shoulder and is most likely done for the season. The injury occurred in the Canucks game against the Nashville Predators Friday when Baertschi was took a hit from Predators’ defenseman Alexei Emelin early in the game and was forced to leave.
The 25-year-old Baertschi has struggled with injuries this season as he missed almost a month in December when he was hit in the jaw with a puck. He has had a good season when healthy as he has 14 goals and 15 assists in 53 games, which was on pace for a career high. However, he has never played a full season in the NHL as 69 games is his career high, back in 2015-16. He missed almost a month last season when he suffered a concussion.
The injury may also not help him in his negotiations with the Canucks as Baertschi will be a restricted free agent this summer. The team must decide whether Baertschi is part of the team’s future or whether they should move him. He is wrapping up a two-year, $3.7MM deal he signed in 2016.