Malcolm Subban Out Four Weeks
The Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltending depth will be tested, as today they announced that Malcolm Subban would be out for at least four weeks. Subban was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, joining the already injured Marc-Andre Fleury on IR.
Injuries will now have the Golden Knights turning to a combination of Oscar Dansk—who is already with the team—and Maxime Lagace in net, though obviously there is an opportunity to make a move for another goaltender. The team has already been in conversations with teams about their excess of defensemen, something that could now be accelerated due to injury.
It must be noted that the Golden Knights traded Calvin Pickard away earlier this month after he cleared waivers instead of assigning him to the AHL, a move that is looking worse today as the team finds themselves without much NHL experience in the crease.
If the team does call up Lagace, the Chicago Wolves would be left with C.J. Motte as their starter, though there are other options they could use. The St. Louis Blues, who are using the Wolves as a partial affiliate this season, had moved Jordan Binnington to Providence because of the log-jam in net. He could be brought back, although Providence has their own goalie problems while Zane McIntyre is in the NHL filling in for Tuukka Rask.
For those hoping the team will acquire another option, part of the press release from GM George McPhee seems to throw cold water on that option.
Injuries provide opportunities for others and that is the situation we have here. Our top two goaltenders are currently sidelined, so we will now give our AHL goalies the chance to play in their absence. We felt Oscar Dansk performed well in relief on Saturday in his NHL debut.
While the GM is hoping to give his young goaltenders confidence, the idea that they won’t make a corresponding move could change at any moment. Should someone approach them with an interesting offer, it’s unlikely that McPhee would hang up the phone.
NHL Snapshots: MacDonald, Haula, Marchessault, Bennett
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that defenseman Andrew MacDonald will miss four to six weeks with a lower body injury. According to NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer, MacDonald stepped into a path of a slap shot from Edmonton’s Milan Lucic during a penalty killing shift of Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. It hit his knee and MacDonald suffered a deep bone bruise, according to CSN’s Tim Panaccio.
Despite the injury, MacDonald stayed in the game. In fact, after taking the hit and going down, he still forced himself to get up and help clear the puck. The 31-year-old blueliner had a dominant performance against the Oilers, as he recorded three shots on goal, six blocked shots and played the second-most minutes on the team at 22:03.
No corresponding moves have been made, although its possible the Flyers will promote defenseman Samuel Morin, who made the team out of training camp, but was a healthy scratch for four games before he was sent down to Lehigh Valley. In five games with the AHL team, he has put up a goal, three assists, 10 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +3.
- While the Vegas Golden Knights await the injury status of goaltender Malcolm Subban, Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp tweets out that Erik Haula, who was put on injured reserve eight days ago, practiced with the team today and told Carp he is ready to return to the team, but wouldn’t say when. David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that Jon Marchessault, who was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 15, also says he is ready to return to the Golden Knights lineup and said he expects to be activated for Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks after practicing today. The team may reverse their transactions from last week and send Vadim Shipachyov and Alex Tuch back to the AHL. Both Shipachyov and Tuch tallied no points and neither had any shots on goal in Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. Shipachyov received only 10:22 of ice time, while Tuch had 8:49.
- Kent Wilson of The Athletic (subscription required) answers mailbag questions about Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett, who has zero points after eight games. Wilson writes the lack of offense would be acceptable if he was impacting the game in other ways, but that isn’t the case. Bennett, whose first full season showed a lot of promise two years ago when he finished with 18 goals and 18 assists, took a step down last year when he only had 13 goals and 13 assists. Now his numbers look even more bleak. Wilson suggests the team move the 2014 fourth-overall pick to the wing in hopes of helping the 21-year-old’s success and promoting Mark Jankowski, who is tearing up the AHL right now with five goals and four assists in six games.
Florida’s Roberto Luongo Placed On IR
Florida Panther goaltender Roberto Luongo was placed on injured reserve Saturday after suffering an injury to his right hand in 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Sun Sentinel. He left the game after getting injured in the third period, forcing backup James Reimer to take over for the remainder of the game. Reimer finished the game allowing one goal on 12 shots. The injury happened when Pittsburgh’s Conor Sheary sped by and Luongo got his hand caught between him and the goalpost.
The 38-year-old goaltender has struggled early on in the season in four starts. His 3.55 GAA, despite the small sample size, has been disappointing, especially after a down year a season ago when he had a 2.68 GAA.
Now, Reimer will take over in net for the time being. The 29-year-old backup split much of last season with Luongo as Reimer made 42 appearances and often outplayed the veteran. Reimer finished last year with a 2.53 GAA, but a respectable .920 save percentage. This year, Reimer has made three appearances with a 4.11 GAA and a .880 save percentage.
The team already recalled Harri Sateri from the Springfield Thunderbirds this morning. The 27-year-old signed with Florida this offseason after spending the last three years playing in the KHL.
Injury Updates: Marchessault, Raanta, Eaves, Bouwmeester
Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault is progressing well from his lower-body injury and is expected to skate today, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, in order to activate him off injured reserve in the coming days, the team would need to free up a roster spot and the only waiver-exempt skaters are center Vadim Shipachyov and winger Alex Tuch, both of whom have played well since being recalled so Vegas will soon have a difficult decision to make. Schoen also notes that center Erik Haula is set to start skating today as he continues to recover from his lower-body issue.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta is slated to skate today and will accompany the team on their upcoming five-game road trip, reports Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. Raanta has made just three appearances this season as a result of multiple lower-body problems, including one that sidelined him for the preseason and the regular season opener. His current lower-body injury is not related to the one from last month, however.
- Ducks winger Patrick Eaves was sent to see a specialist on Friday as he continues to deal with a lingering lower-body injury that has resulted in him playing just twice this season, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. While he continues to be listed as day-to-day, the fact they’ve sent him to see a specialist would suggest that there’s a chance he could be out for a little longer than that.
- Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester hasn’t started skating since suffering a fractured ankle back in mid-September and Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription required) suggests that a tendon issue may be causing the recovery to go longer than expected. There was no initial timetable given for how long he might be out of the lineup so it’s difficult to tell if he has suffered a setback. When healthy, the 34-year-old is a big part of their back end, logging over 22 minutes per game in each of his five seasons with the team.
Sabres Place Gorges On IR, Recall Redmond
The struggling Sabres continue to take hits. At 1-5-2, Buffalo is no longer win-less like the Arizona Coyotes, neither are they the worst team even in the Atlantic, having passed up the Montreal Canadiens. However, four points in eight games is nothing to write home about and now the injuries are starting to pile up. Zach Bogosian doesn’t appear to be close to a comeback, and the team recently recalled Taylor Fedun with Jacob Josefson also sidelined. The latest addition: veteran defenseman Josh Gorges, who the team placed on injured reserve this morning.
While the team did not specifically address what is ailing Gorges in the press release, a recent article by Buffalo News’ John Vogl updated the injury statuses of several players, including Bogosian, Josefson, another downed defender Justin Falk, and yet another concern, banged up forward Zemgus Girgensons. In the piece, Vogl asks coach Phil Housley about Gorges’ condition, which the bench boss describes as a “lower-body injury”. While this is not much to go off of, more details can be expected the longer that Gorges’ absence lasts.
In the meantime, Buffalo has recalled defenseman Zach Redmond from Rochester of the AHL. Redmond was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this month for Nicolas Deslauriers and will make his Sabres debut should he get into one of their upcoming games, perhaps even tonight against the Boston Bruins. While by any metric Redmond is a replacement-level player, his 16 games with the Canadiens last season was a bit of an outlier compared to his recent experience. Redmond played a semi-regular role for the Colorado Avalanche in 2014-15 and 2015-16, skating in 59 and 37 games respectively and posting a total of 26 points and a 115 blocked shots. Redmond is capable of stepping up and being a reliable man on the back end for Buffalo – and they need it. The Sabres currently rank 29th in points percentage and goal differential and are on a course for another disappointing season. Gorges has undeniably lost a step in recent years; perhaps Redmond can be the surprise catalyst in his place that gets the Buffalo blue line back in shape.
Predators Activate Yannick Weber, Place Nick Bonino On IR
While defenseman Ryan Ellis is still several months away from returning to Nashville’s lineup as he continues to recover from knee surgery back in September, the Predators are set to welcome fellow blueliner Yannick Weber to the lineup as they announced that he was activated off injured reserve following practice on Friday.
Weber last played on October 12th against the Stars where he was injured in a collision with center Martin Hanzal. The Preds opted to wait until Tuesday to place him on IR, however, they back-dated the placement so that he wouldn’t have to spend the minimum one week with that designation. Through four games this season, Weber has been held off the scoresheet while averaging just over ten minutes per game in ice time.
To make room on the roster for him, the team placed center Nick Bonino on IR. He suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday and while it’s not specified in the announcement, it’s likely that Bonino’s placement was similarly back-dated which would make him eligible to be activated following the weekend. This is already the second time he has missed action since joining Nashville as he missed all of the preseason while recovering from a fractured tibia sustained during the Stanley Cup Final with Pittsburgh.
Snapshots: Wiercioch, Avalanche, Svechnikov, Schneider
The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Patrick Wiercioch from the AHL, likely to help replace Erik Gudbranson who is now serving a one-game suspension. While there is no guarantee Wiercioch gets into the lineup—Alex Biega was already up as the team’s extra defenseman—he’ll provide some more depth as the team continues their east coast road trip. Vancouver is in Buffalo today and Wiercioch is already with the team, thanks to the team affiliate Utica’s close proximity.
Wiercioch signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Canucks this summer after playing last year with the Colorado Avalanche, but was cut at the end of training camp. In two games with Utica, the 27-year old has one goal and no assists. An NHL veteran, Wiercioch has 268 games under his belt at the highest level and actually hadn’t seen the minor leagues in some time. Should he show that he’s ready to continue in the NHL, the Canucks could potentially keep him around even after Gudbranson returns.
- The Colorado Avalanche got some bad news, as both J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost will be out for a while following injuries on Thursday night. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Jost will miss two to three weeks while Compher is out indefinitely with a broken thumb. It’s a tough blow for a team that was experiencing a good start to the season, and injury to insult after the league admitted they were wrong on the offside challenge last night.
- Potential first-overall draft pick Andrei Svechnikov was lighting it up in the OHL this year, but will have to put his exploits on hold for the next two months. As Bob McKenzie of TSN reports, the young forward broke his hand while playing for Barrie and will need surgery. He’s expected to be out eight weeks. While the injury certainly puts a damper on his draft year, there is little chance of him dropping out of the first few spots unless the hand injury proves to limit his play after recovery. Svechnikov had ten goals and 14 points in his first ten games, and was already proving to be one of the most dynamic players in junior hockey at the age of 17. His size, speed and skill give him franchise-altering potential, and he’ll likely still be on display at the World Junior Championships at the end of December and early January.
- The New Jersey Devils have placed Cory Schneider on injured reserve retroactive to October 19th, and recalled Scott Wedgewood. While normally this would be devastating for the Devils, after tonight they don’t play again until next Friday. Schneider is expected to be activated in time for that game. For now, Wedgewood will back up Keith Kinkaid in the Devils’ matchup tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
Adam McQuaid To Undergo Surgery On Broken Fibula
The Boston Bruins announced some bad injury news today, as Adam McQuaid has suffered a broken right fibula and will require surgery. The defenseman will have the surgery on Monday, and is out for approximately eight weeks. McQuaid broke the lower leg bone on Thursday night against Vancouver.
Losing McQuaid will put even more strain on a defense corps that is already relying on youngsters Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy. While he’s by no means an offensive dynamo, McQuaid has provided reasonably effective minutes for the team since entering the league in 2009-10. Without him, the team will likely have to turn to Paul Postma, who was signed this summer as a depth piece.
The team does have other young defensive prospects in Jakub Zboril, Matt Grzelcyk and Jeremy Lauzon, but inserting another rookie into the lineup on a full-time basis would be a tough ask. That said, Postma himself has a spotty record in the NHL during his career, and only really became a full-time option last season when he played 65 games for the Winnipeg Jets. The 28-year old has 191 games under his belt, but likely couldn’t take on big minutes on a nightly basis.
The Bruins evened up their record at 3-3 yesterday with a win over the Canucks, welcoming both Patrice Bergeron and David Backes back into the lineup. Bergeron made an immediate impact with four points, but the team is still dealing with injuries throughout their lineup. Ryan Spooner and Tuukka Rask are both out, and with McQuaid joining them the team’s depth at important positions will be tested.
Minor Notes: Mironov, Van Riemsdyk, Svechnikov
The Colorado Avalanche have sent Andrei Mironov to the San Antonio Rampage on a conditioning stint according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. Mironov has been a healthy scratch for the Avalanche since the first game of the season, but as Mike Chambers wrote Tuesday for the Denver Post, was becoming acclimated to North America with the help of the other Colorado Russian-born players.
Now, he’ll have to fend for himself so to speak in the minor leagues as he tries to learn the defensive game on smaller rinks. Mironov was drafted in the fourth round a few years ago, but has shown solid upside as a potential shutdown defender. After playing five seasons in the KHL, Mironov signed with the Avalanche this spring to start his North American career.
- Trevor van Riemsdyk has been activated as expected by the Carolina Hurricanes after recovering from a concussion suffered in the season-opener. The team had experimented with Trevor Carrick, but will likely plug van Riemsdyk back into the lineup tonight against the Calgary Flames. They had been carrying just six defensemen after sending Carrick back to the AHL, meaning there will be no corresponding move necessary.
- Evgeny Svechnikov is also healthy after an injury held him out of the first part of the season. The difference is that Svechnikov has been sent to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin his season, not quite ready for the NHL just yet. Svechnikov made his NHL debut last season when he got into two games for the Detroit Red Wings, but was instrumental in the Griffins’ Calder Cup victory. In 93 total minor league games last year, the first-round pick scored 63 points. He’ll likely make it up to the NHL before long if he shows he’s healthy.
- When the Buffalo Sabres brought in Jason Botterill as GM this summer, he promised that more emphasis would be placed on the Rochester Americans and their success. The organization has made another move to try and beef up the Amerks, bringing Stuart Percy in on a professional tryout. Percy was a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011, and has found solid success in the minor leagues previously. The Buffalo GM is intimately familiar with his game, as he played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last year, who Botterill ran for the Pittsburgh organization.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have completed another goalie transaction, flipping Maxime Lagace for Oscar Dansk according to our friends at Roster Resource. Lagace didn’t get into a game as Malcolm Subban has taken the reins in Vegas, and this move likely allows both goaltenders to stay fresh.
Tuukka Rask Diagnosed With Concussion
As many had feared, Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask has been diagnosed with a concussion and will follow the league’s protocols before getting back on the ice. The injury happened in practice when Anders Bjork crashed into the goaltender. Anton Khudobin will take the Bruins net tonight with Zane McIntyre on the bench backing him up.
Rask has dealt with minor injuries over the last few years but has still been able to start at least 64 games for the Bruins in each of the last three seasons. The clear number one in town, the 30-year old won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best netminder in 2014 and has been one of the league’s most consistent for some time. In the summer of 2013, he signed an eight-year, $56MM contract which tied him with Pekka Rinne at the time for the league’s highest-paid goaltender.
While it’s unclear when Rask will return, his play this season hadn’t been up to his high standards. In four starts he had allowed 12 goals on 102 shots for an .882 save percentage, leading his team to a 1-3 record. Unfortunately for the Bruins and Rask, he’ll have to wait at least a few days to try and right those numbers. While the concussion protocol varies widely, Khudobin will likely have the net for tonight and Saturday. The team then doesn’t play until Thursday, a nice bit of scheduling as they also look to get Patrice Bergeron back into the lineup.
Speculating on the effect of concussions is a fool’s errand, as players react in a wide spectrum after sustaining head injuries. Rask was pulled from a game last year after taking a puck to the neck against the Nashville Predators, but passed the tests and played two days later. It will be important to watch when he returns to practice, and how he feels the next day.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images