Brendan Lemieux Recalled, Adam Lowry Placed On IR
The Winnipeg Jets have brought Brendan Lemieux up from the minor leagues to replace Adam Lowry, who has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to October 12th. Lowry is dealing with an upper body injury, and didn’t play on Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Lemieux—the son of famed NHL pest Claude Lemieux—was the Buffalo Sabres’ second-round pick in 2014, 31st overall. He was included in the Evander Kane/Tyler Myers swap in 2015 while still unsigned, but inked with the Jets and eventually began his professional career in 2016-17. Scoring just 19 points last year for the Manitoba Moose, he showed off his bloodlines with 130 penalty minutes. This year, his offensive upside has shown off in the first few games, scoring five points through his first four contests. This is a prospect who scored 41 goals in 57 games for the Barrie Colts as an 18-year old, and there is plenty of potential left in the tank.
Lowry had been held scoreless through the first four games, but is an interesting piece going forward for the Jets. After scoring 15 goals last season, the 6’5″ forward seemed poised to take another step forward offensively. After all, he’s only 24 and has shown an ability in the minor leagues. His role down the middle is secure for now, but the team will need to find other answers at the center position for the time being.
Defensive Notes: Karlsson, Nemeth, Schlemko
The Ottawa Senators will welcome back their captain and best player tomorrow night against the Vancouver Canucks, according to head coach Guy Boucher (via Ian Mendes of TSN). That’s a huge step for the Senators, though they haven’t seemed to need it yet. Ottawa is still undefeated in regulation, and have won their last two games with a combined score of 12-1.
Still, Karlsson is among the top handful of players in the league and will really stabilize a defense corps that has had some moving parts throughout the first few games. Nine different defensemen have already suited up for at least one game, with a ton of responsibility being heaped on the trio of Dion Phaneuf, Cody Ceci and Fredrik Claesson. Each of them are averaging at least 21 minutes a night, something that will likely change with as Karlsson gets his legs under him. Last year the captain averaged almost 27 minutes while finishing second in Norris voting.
- Patrik Nemeth has left the Colorado Avalanche on their road trip and flown back to Denver for more tests according to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver. Nemeth suffered a shoulder injury while fighting former teammate Tyler Seguin in a game on Saturday night. Nemeth, who was claimed off waivers just before the season started, has been one of the Avalanche’s best defensemen in the early going.
- David Schlemko was expected back in the Montreal lineup this week, but is not with the team in San Jose according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The Canadiens take on the Sharks tomorrow night and then will head to Anaheim and Los Angeles before returning home. The 30-year old played one game on a conditioning stint in Laval and was immediately recalled to the team, but still hasn’t suited up for the Canadiens this season.
Winnipeg Jets Place Perreault On IR, Recall Connor From AHL
The Winnipeg Jets have made a roster move today, moving Mathieu Perreault to the injured reserve list, while recalling promising young forward Kyle Connor from the AHL. Connor was in contention to crack the squad out of camp, and will get his chance to stick in the NHL after putting up five quick points to start his minor league season. Perreault suffered a lower-body injury in the third period against the Hurricanes on Saturday, and did not return to the game. Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun reports that he’ll miss approximately four weeks.
Connor is another in a long list of exciting Jets prospects. Selected 17th-overall in 2015, the 20-year old forward went to the University of Michigan for a single season where he put up an incredible 71 points in just 38 games. After somehow losing the Hobey Baker trophy to Rangers’ forward Jimmy Vesey, Connor turned pro and started showing off in the AHL. Scoring 25 goals and 44 points as a minor league rookie, he did enough to earn 20 games in the NHL last season as well. Though he recorded just five points at the highest level, the skill is very apparent when watching Connor play.
He’ll have big shoes to fill in Perreault, who has been one of the most consistent producers for Winnipeg for several years. During his three-year tenure, Perreault has recorded seasons of 41, 41 and 45 points despite never suiting up for more than 71 games. That injury trend looks like it will continue now with a stint on the IR, even after another solid start to the year. Perreault had three points in the first five games for the Jets. Four weeks would take him out for the next eleven games, though obviously he could return sooner (or later).
Jamie Thomas of JetsTV first reported the move on Twitter.
Ducks Notes: Slashing Penalties, Getzlaf, Gibson, Miller
The Anaheim Ducks are holding steady at 2-2-1, but after a 3-1 loss to last year’s cellar-dwelling Colorado Avalanche on Friday, many feel that coach Randy Carlyle might point to their struggling power play, but according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, it’s the team’s inability to adjust to the NHL changes in slashing penalties.
The NHL has made changes to the slashing penalties in order to reduce them due to the number of injuries that have cropped up over the years. However, Anaheim seems to have missed the memo, according to Stephens, who writes that 12 of the 27 penalties the team has taken this year are for slashing, nine of which have come in the last two Ducks’ games and six against the Avalanche on Friday.
“Discipline has got to be adhered to, especially to the rules when they do change,” Carlyle said. “And there is a learning curve. But the learning curve should have taken place during training camp.”
Carlyle went on to suggest the reason the team has so many slashing calls is due to the team playing too much in their own defensive zone. Several players have been hit with multiple infractions, including defensemen Cam Fowler and Brandon Montour as well as forwards Rickard Rakell and Antoine Vermette.
- Stephens, in the same piece, also writes that Ryan Getzlaf, who missed Friday’s game against the Avalanche is an unknown for today’s game against the Sabres. The 32-year-old center aggravated a lower-body injury earlier this year and has only suited up for two games this year. The scribe writes that it wouldn’t be surprising if the team holds him back today since the team has a four-day break before their next game.
- Starting goaltender John Gibson is also questionable for today’s. The veteran was hurt on a shot he took in pre-game warm ups on Friday and he was removed after the first period. Stephens said the injury was to either the hands or wrist, but couldn’t get that confirmed. Journeyman Reto Berra took over since goaltender Ryan Miller was not available.
- Stephen writes that Miller is edging closer to returning to the team and should be ready to dress soon, but it won’t be for tonight, according to The Buffalo News Mike Harrington. Miller, who came over from Vancouver to backup Gibson in the offseason, suffered a wrist injury in the preseason and has not dressed yet for Anaheim.
Golden Knights Place Fleury, Marchessault On IR
The Las Vegas Golden Knights may have had a nice start to their inaugural season, but Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweeted that the team just placed two of their best players on injured reserve today in Marc-Andre Fleury and Jon Marchessault. No word on how serious their injuries are. The Golden Knights confirmed the transactions and announced they will call up prospect Alex Tuch and goaltender Maxime Legace from Chicago of the AHL.
The loss of Fleury, who has been the face of the franchise, is devastating to a team who lacks a solid backup goaltender. Fleury has helped lead Vegas through their first three victories, but the goaltender took a knee to the head from Anthony Mantha in the middle of Friday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. While nothing has been officially declared by the Golden Knights about his injury, rumors that he has suffered a concussion have surfaced. Fleury has had multiple issues with concussions in his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, so the team will likely be cautious with the 32-year-old veteran. He was having a good season so far in four games with Vegas, as he 2.48 GAA and a .925 save percentage. If you remove the last period he played (coincidentally, after he took the knee to the head), those numbers would be even better as he allowed four goals in that one period alone.
For the time being, the team will have to put their faith in backup Malcolm Subban. In fact, Subban will start tonight against his former team, the Boston Bruins. Just 12 days ago, Vegas decided to claim Subban from the Bruins and place their veteran backup, Calvin Pickard, on waivers. Pickard cleared waivers and the Golden Knights traded him to Toronto in exchange for prospect Tobias Lindberg and a 2018 sixth-round pick three days after that. Subban has little NHL experience. He played one partial game back in 2014-15 and another partial game last year, totaling 62 minutes and allowed three goals in each outing. In the preaseason this year for the Bruins, Subban played in four games, finishing with a 2.71 GAA and a .889 save percentage.
Marchessault, who has been playing on the Golden Knights top scoring line, is listed out with a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old wing scored 30 goals for the Florida Panthers last year before being claimed by Vegas in the expansion draft. He so far has just one goal in the team’s first four games. He will be replaced by Tuch, who was one of the top players for Vegas in the preseason. A physical player, Tuch was praised for his work on the boards and gritty, hard-working style. He was forced to go to Chicago because he was waiver-eligible on a roster full of non-waiver eligible players. Tuch has taken advantage of his time in Chicago. In three games with the Wolves, Tuch had four goals and an assist. The 21-year-old was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Wild back in 2014.
The team also recalled Lagace to be the team’s backup. Lagace, 24, has spent the last few years going back and forth between the AHL and the ECHL. He played for the Texas Stars last year in the AHL and played in 32 games, putting up a 3.56 GAA and a .883 save percentage. This year for the Wolves, Legace has allowed eight goals in two games with a 4.05 GAA.
Sabres Call Up Justin Bailey
The Buffalo Sabres may only be five games into the season, but they are already in a must-win situation with only one point to show for their efforts. Buffalo is tied with Arizona for the worst record in the league at 0-4-1 and for the worst goal differential at -11. It’s also been a top-heavy effort, with 20 of the 28 player points so far coming from just three players: Jack Eichel, Evander Kane, and Jason Pominville. It’s clear that Buffalo needs balance and they need talent if they are to go anywhere in 2017-18.
Looking for that spark, the Sabres have announced this morning that they have recalled young forward Justin Bailey from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The 22-year-old was a 2013 second-round pick and at 6’4″, 214-lbs., has grown into a physical, power forward. In 40 NHL games over the past two seasons, Bailey has only recorded four points, but down in the minors he has continued to be a proven goal-scorer just as he was in the OHL. With little reason to not play any promising, young players, it appears now could finally be the time for Bailey to stick in Buffalo. The team is in dire need of energy and ability, both of which Bailey has in spades. While Kane and, to some extent, Zemgus Girgensons both play a power forward game, the Sabres lost a ton of physicality in the off-season departures of Marcus Foligno and William Carrier. The top-nine needs another big body who can crash the net and make things happen. If Bailey is ready to step up at the highest level, he is well-suited to fill that role and could develop into a key piece of the Sabres’ 2017-18 campaign.
The down side to Bailey’s promotion is that it is due to the opening of a roster spot. The Sabres have additionally placed defenseman Zach Bogosian on the injured reserve. Bogosian has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury suffered in the preseason and doesn’t appear to be returning any time soon. A very capable defenseman who provides a boost to any lineup, Bogosian unfortunately is simply not in the lineup enough. The 26-year-old blue liner has not played more than 65 games in a season since he was a teenager with the Atlanta Thrashers. In 2016-17, he suited up for just 56 games and posted a career-low 11 points. Bailey might be a big help for the Sabres, but they also need a healthy, effective Bogosian if they want to maximize their production this season.
Alex Edler Expected to Miss 4-6 Weeks
The Vancouver Canucks tweeted that head coach Travis Green announced defenseman Alexander Edler will miss four to six weeks with an MCL strain. He had suffered what then was referred to a “lower body injury” after Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets when he attempted to hit Jets’ forward Mark Scheifele against the boards, but injured himself instead.
Edler is no stranger to injuries. He missed time in November of last season when he fractured his index finger and then missed more time when he fractured his leg in February. He only managed to get into 68 games last year and 52 games in 2015-16 due to a fractured fibula. The blueliner has only managed to play in a full 82-game season once in his career, back in 2011-12.
The 31-year-old defenseman has played in three games, picking up one assist so far this year. He was averaging more than 24 minutes of ice time in each of the first two games before getting injured in Thursday’s game.
Green also said that defenseman Derrick Pouliot will be making his Vancouver debut today to fill in for Edler. Pouliot, acquired at the beginning of the season from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, has not played a game yet for Vancouver. The team decided to roll the dice with Pouliot when they traded for him as the former eighth overall pick in 2012 has potential, but hasn’t been able to carve out a regular role in the NHL yet. He had seven goals and 23 points in 46 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last year, while putting up no points in 11 games for Pittsburgh.
East Notes: Van Riemdsyk, Clutterbuck, Canadiens, Bruins
The Hurricanes have placed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on injured reserve with a concussion, the team announced. The concussion dates back to their season opener last Saturday when he fell and crashed hard into the boards and he did not play in their other game on Tuesday. Though they didn’t specify it, it’s likely that the placement was backdated to last weekend which would allow them to activate van Riemsdyk as early as Sunday if he recovers quickly although he’s not currently with the team on their road trip. Taking his place on the roster is blueliner Trevor Carrick, who has been recalled from Charlotte of the AHL. Carrick has played three games in the minors so far this season, collecting a pair of assists.
More from the Eastern Conference:
- Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck is expected to return to the lineup tonight after missing the last three games with a hip injury, reports Newsday’s Arthur Staple. He may wind up replacing winger Jordan Eberle in the lineup after he missed practice on Friday with an undisclosed injury. Staple adds that winger Alan Quine, who has been out since September 12th with an upper-body issue, was a full participant in practice and that an AHL conditioning stint could be in the works in the coming days.
- Despite missing Friday’s practice with the flu, Canadiens winger Alex Galchenyuk told reporters, including TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link) that he will tonight against Toronto. Meanwhile, the team noted via Twitter that center Tomas Plekanec will be a game-time decision as he is also battling the flu.
- Bruins center David Backes has started to skate and train in recent days but head coach Bruce Cassidy suggested to Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald that there is still a possibility that Backes will need surgery. Backes has yet to play this season due to diverticulitis. Still with Boston, Cassidy noted to Harris that although center Patrice Bergeron skated on his own on Friday, he’s listed as doubtful for tonight’s game versus Arizona.
Capitals Place Matt Niskanen On LTIR, Recall Madison Bowey
The Capitals have placed defenseman Matt Niskanen on long-term injury reserve, the team announced via Twitter. Niskanen suffered an upper-body injury during Friday’s game against the Devils and did not return. Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports Washington specifies (Twitter link) that it’s a left hand or thumb injury. The team hasn’t revealed how much time he will miss but the LTIR placement will keep him out for at least the next ten games and 24 days.
Losing Niskanen is a big blow for a Washington defense corps that lost a good chunk of their depth over the offseason with the departures of Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner through free agency plus Nate Schmidt in expansion to Vegas. Niskanen has been a consistent minutes-eater throughout his time with the Capitals, logging over 22 minutes a night over his first three years with the team. He has an assist in five games so far this season.
The injury opens up an opportunity for one of Washington’s top prospects, blueliner Madison Bowey, to make his NHL debut as the team announced that he has been called to take Niskanen’s place. Bowey, a second-round pick (53rd overall) in 2013, is in his third professional season which, until now, had entirely been spent at the AHL level with Hershey.
Injury Updates: Draisaitl, Martinez, Jost, Miller
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl will miss Saturday’s game against Ottawa and possibly longer with an eye injury and a potential concussion, head coach Todd McLellan told reporters, including Postmedia’s Robert Tychkowski. Draisaitl has missed the last three practices with his eye being swollen to the point where it was impairing his vision but McLellan suggested there could be more to the injury, noting that they are waiting to hear more about his condition and how it might affect his head. Fresh off his eight-year, $68MM contract, the 21-year-old has played a big role once again early on for Edmonton with three points in as many games while averaging over 20 minutes a night of ice time.
More injury notes from around the NHL:
- Kings defenseman Alec Martinez participated in a full practice with the team today and is expected to be activated off injured reserve in time for Saturday’s game against Buffalo, notes Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Martinez suffered a lower-body injury late in the final practice before the regular season got underway and will be a big addition to their back end after collecting 39 points while averaging nearly 22 minutes per game in 2016-17.
- Avalanche center Tyson Jost will miss at least the next two games with a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise sustained in a collision on Tuesday against Boston, reports BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater. The 19-year-old could be available to return as soon as next Tuesday, Dater adds. Jost is off to a good start in his first full NHL season with a goal and an assist through four games.
- Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller expects to be taken off IR in the near future, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. He has been dealing with a wrist issue that only allowed him to make one preseason appearance and none in the regular season. Miller has now rejoined Anaheim for practices, splitting shots faced with current backup Reto Berra but there is still no firm timetable for his return to the lineup.