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Injury

Snapshots: Smith, Schenn, Second Round, DiPietro

May 3, 2024 at 8:39 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 1 Comment

Forward Cole Smith was held out of Friday night’s Game 6 lineup due to a lower-body injury, per the team (Twitter link). Smith was replaced by Juuso Parssinen making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Parssinen took on a larger role than Smith’s received, stepping into the team’s second line and bumping Mark Jankowski down the lineup. Only three Predators forwards, including Smith, have failed to record at least one point through their first five playoff games. Parssinen will need to quickly join that list, with Nashville down 3-2 in the series.

The Predators also welcomed Luke Schenn back to the lineup, after he missed Game 5 with illness, shares The Athletic’s Thomas Drance (Twitter link). Schenn’s absence made way for Tyson Barrie to return to the lineup. Barrie brought speed and tempo to the lineup, even recording an assist in Nashville’s eventual 2-1 win. But with elimination so close, the Predators opted for the more physical and defensive presence of Schenn.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL has announced the start times for the Second Round’s Eastern Conference matchups. The round will begin with Game 1 between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers on Sunday, while the Florida Panthers will take on the winner of Toronto versus Boston on Monday. Start times for each of these games haven’t yet been announced. This schedule marks a quick turnaround for Boston or Toronto, while each of Carolina, New York, and Florida will have at least five days off.
  • The Boston Bruins have returned goaltender Michael DiPietro to the minor leagues, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). DiPietro has served as Boston’s emergency third-string goalie for a handful of playoff games, though he’s yet to play his first game as a Boston Bruin. He instead spent all season with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, where he recorded 18 wins and a .918 save percentage in 30 appearances. He’ll now return to a prime role for Providence, as they prepare to take on one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Charlotte, or Hartford in the Atlantic Division’s Semifinals.

AHL| Boston Bruins| Carolina Hurricanes| Florida Panthers| Injury| NHL| Nashville Predators| New York Rangers| Schedule| Snapshots Cole Smith| Luke Schenn| Michael DiPietro| Tyson Barrie

1 comment

Islanders Notes: Lamoriello, Roy, Mayfield, Bortuzzo, Martin, Clutterbuck

May 3, 2024 at 12:38 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

The Islanders held their end-of-season press availability today after being eliminated in the first round in five games at the hands of the Hurricanes. Most notably, general manager Lou Lamoriello confirmed that he and Patrick Roy will be back in their respective roles with the team for 2024-25 (via NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner).

However, Lamoriello said (via Rosner) that no decision has been made other than retaining Roy on next year’s coaching staff. That leaves Benoit Desrosiers’s future, who was appointed by the Isles midseason after Roy was hired to replace the fired Lane Lambert and had worked with Roy on the bench for the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts for the past few years, up in the air. It’s also now unclear if assistants Doug Houda and John MacLean, as well as goaltending coach Piero Greco, will return to the club for 2024-25.

There will be immense pressure on the 81-year-old Lamoriello this offseason to add talent to a solid-structured existing core. The Isles are dangerously approaching permanent mediocrity territory, making the postseason in back-to-back seasons but never coming close to winning a round since their third-round appearance in 2021. He’s been at the helm of the Islanders since 2018, during which time the team has only missed the playoffs once (2022).

Other notable tidbits from the Isles today:

  • After undergoing season-ending surgery in late March, defenseman Scott Mayfield expects to be ready to go for training camp in the fall, he said today (via The Athletic’s Arthur Staple). The 31-year-old revealed he played through a broken ankle that he sustained in the season opener for most of the year, finally getting shut down and placed on LTIR with around six weeks left in the campaign. Playing in 41 games this season, he was limited to five assists and a -7 rating while averaging 18:46 per game, his lowest usage in five years. After inking him to a seven-year, $24.5MM extension last summer, the Islanders are hoping theirs and Mayfield’s decision to put off surgery doesn’t inhibit his skating ability long-term.
  • Pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Robert Bortuzzo would like to stay on Long Island this summer but doesn’t yet have an indication of where extension talks will go, he said today (via Newsday’s Andrew Gross). Lamoriello acquired the veteran shutdown blue liner from the Blues in early December for a 2024 seventh-round pick. After finishing the regular season with no points and a -2 rating in 23 games while averaging 14:19 per night, the 35-year-old isn’t in a position to earn a raise on his previous $950K AAV.
  • The Isles have a pair of much longer-tenured pending UFAs in fourth-line fixtures Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. There had been existing speculation that the aging grinders would consider retirement, but they each said today that won’t be the case (Twitter/X links). Martin’s spent 13 of his 15 NHL seasons in an Islanders uniform, totaling 73 goals and 155 points in 823 games. The 34-year-old played only 9:19 per game this season, his lowest average as an Islander, and registered four goals and eight points in 57 games. Clutterbuck, 36, has appeared in 718 games with the team since 2013 but played in all 82 games this season for the first time, posting seven goals and 19 points while averaging 11:53 per game.

Injury| New York Islanders Cal Clutterbuck| Lou Lamoriello| Matt Martin| Patrick Roy| Robert Bortuzzo| Scott Mayfield

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Jets Notes: Bowness, Monahan, Dillon, Barron

May 2, 2024 at 5:26 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

The Jets’ second-best regular season in franchise history came to an unceremonious end in the postseason, losing in five games to the Avalanche in the first round. That’s led some to wonder if head coach Rick Bowness will be back for his third season with the team next season.

Speaking to reporters today, Bowness confirmed he has a club option for next season on his contract (via The Athletic’s Murat Ates). Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff hasn’t yet decided whether or not to exercise it, and Bowness said today that he still needs to talk with his family and Jets management about his future.

The 69-year-old was away from the Jets twice this season – once in October after his wife was hospitalized and once near the end of the season after undergoing an undisclosed medical procedure. Associate coach Scott Arniel assumed interim head coaching duties on both occasions.

Under Bowness, the Jets have a 98-57-9 record over the past two seasons and have made the playoffs in consecutive campaigns after missing out in 2022. If he doesn’t return to the club for next season, Winnipeg would become the seventh team with an active vacancy at head coach.

Elsewhere from Winnipeg with their season wrapped up:

  • Pending unrestricted free agent center Sean Monahan is open to re-signing, he said today (via the Winnipeg Sun’s Scott Billeck). He told reporters that he “is looking for a place that wants to win,” and his last few months in a Jets uniform evidently satisfied that requirement. Winnipeg picked up the 29-year-old pivot from the Canadiens in early February, parting with their 2024 first-round pick. He gelled well in Manitoba, posting 13 goals and 24 points with a +9 rating in 34 games while locking down the second-line center spot behind Mark Scheifele. Between the Habs and Jets this year, his 59 points in 83 games were his most since his career-best 82-point season with the Flames in 2018-19.
  • Another pending Jets UFA interested in sticking around is defenseman Brenden Dillon, who told reporters today he was frustrated with the lack of extension talks in-season (via Billeck). Dillon, 33, signed a four-year, $15.6MM extension with the Capitals in 2020 but was traded to Winnipeg for a pair of draft picks after one season. He’s been a consistently above-average shutdown defender in that time, accumulating 63 points with a +38 rating and 235 PIMs in 238 games with the Jets. He averaged 18:44 per game this season, fourth among Jets defenders behind Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk.
  • Depth forward Morgan Barron’s previously undisclosed injury, which kept him out of the Avs series, was related to his knee, Bowness said today (via Billeck). He wouldn’t have played had the series extended to seven games. The 25-year-old sustained the knee injury in the team’s penultimate game of the regular season against the Kraken. It was otherwise a strong second season for Barron in Winnipeg, providing solid depth scoring in a fourth-line role with 11 goals and 18 points in 80 games, along with a +10 rating and team-average possession metrics. He has one season left on his contract at a $1.35MM cap hit and will be eligible to sign an extension beginning July 1.

Injury| Winnipeg Jets Brenden Dillon| Morgan Barron| Rick Bowness| Sean Monahan

1 comment

Bruins/Maple Leafs Notes: Matthews, McMann, Toronto Black Aces, Heinen

May 2, 2024 at 11:58 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

Unlike Game 5, we won’t have to wait until warmups of tonight’s Game 6 to know whether star Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will be available. He’s already been ruled out of the lineup as Toronto aims to push the series back to Boston for a Game 7, head coach Sheldon Keefe said this morning (via The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby).

Matthews hasn’t played since the second period of Toronto’s Game 4 loss, missing Game 5 with what multiple reports indicate is a combination of an illness and an undisclosed injury. The Leafs responded well to keep their season alive without him on Tuesday, outshooting Boston 33-28 en route to an overtime win off the stick of rookie Matthew Knies.

After scoring a franchise-record 69 goals in the regular season, Matthews was held without a point in three of his four appearances in the series thus far. He did have a dominant performance in Game 2, though, factoring in on every goal Toronto scored in a 3-2 win.

His line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi has been the most high-event trio Toronto has iced, leading them in both expected goals for (4.68) and expected goals against (4.83) per 60 minutes, per MoneyPuck. Domi shifted to center between Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner for Game 5, controlling 65.7% of shot attempts and factoring in on defenseman Jake McCabe’s game-opening goal. That trio projects to stay together tonight.

Other updates ahead of Game 6, tonight at 7 p.m. CT:

  • Leafs depth forward Bobby McMann is “progressing” in his recovery from a lower-body injury that’s kept him from making his playoff debut, but Keefe said today he isn’t close to returning and shouldn’t be expected back tonight or for a potential Game 7. McMann, 27, had 15 goals and 24 points with a +13 rating in a career-high 56 appearances in the regular season but hasn’t been a full participant in practice since sustaining the injury on April 10 against the Red Wings.
  • Toronto’s AHL club was eliminated by the Belleville Senators in a best-of-three First Round series in the Calder Cup Playoffs earlier this week. With Marlies players’ seasons done, the Leafs added nine players to their playoff roster, per CapFriendly. Forwards Nicholas Abruzzese, Kyle Clifford, Dylan Gambrell and Alex Steeves; defensemen Mikko Kokkonen, Maxime Lajoie, Topi Niemelä and Marshall Rifai; and goaltender Dennis Hildeby are now available to dress for Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Leafs if needed.
  • Switching over to the Bruins’ side, forward Danton Heinen will not be in the lineup for Game 6 due to an undisclosed injury, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports. He’s listed as day-to-day, and while he hasn’t missed any game action yet in the series, he’s missed some practices over the last few days. Now in his second stint in Boston, the 28-year-old has been riding shotgun on the first line with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrňák for most of the series but has been moved down the lineup after managing a lone assist and a -1 rating in five games. Rookie John Beecher is expected to re-enter the Boston lineup in a fourth-line role alongside Jesper Boqvist and Pat Maroon after being scratched in Game 5.

Boston Bruins| Injury| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions Alex Steeves| Auston Matthews| Bobby McMann| Danton Heinen| Dennis Hildeby| Dylan Gambrell| Kyle Clifford| Marshall Rifai| Maxime Lajoie| Mikko Kokkonen| Nick Abruzzese| Topi Niemela

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Bruins Notes: Carlo, Peeke, DiPietro

May 1, 2024 at 1:08 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo will play in tomorrow’s Game 6 against the Maple Leafs after sustaining an undisclosed injury in yesterday’s Game 5 overtime loss, head coach Jim Montgomery said today (via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman).

Carlo’s last shift ended with 1:55 remaining in the third period. He did not come out with the team for overtime, which ended after Toronto winger Matthew Knies scored 2:26 into the extra frame to keep his team alive in the series, now trailing Boston 3-2. Carlo also did not participate in today’s optional practice, The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan reports.

The 27-year-old shutdown defenseman has had a good series, scoring the game-winning goal in Game 1 and averaging 21:35 per game. He’s managed a +2 rating and 44.5 CF% at even strength despite almost 90% of his zone starts coming in defensive usage. He and partner Hampus Lindholm have logged 64 minutes together in the series, the most of any pairing on either team and have controlled 55% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.

Other updates from the Bruins as they gear up for their second chance to close out the Maple Leafs:

  • Defenseman Andrew Peeke is still multiple weeks away from returning to the lineup, Montgomery said (via Ryan). The deadline acquisition from the Blue Jackets sustained a broken finger in the second period of Boston’s Game 2 loss last week and did not travel to Toronto for Games 3 and 4. If the Bruins advance, he hasn’t been ruled out entirely for a second-round date with the Panthers, but today’s quote indicates he wouldn’t be ready for the beginning of the series. The right-shot blueliner began the postseason in a bottom-pairing role with Kevin Shattenkirk, who did a good job at controlling scoring chances when Montgomery deployed them together in the final weeks of the regular season. Peeke, 26, had two assists and a +1 rating in 15 regular-season games with Boston after the trade.
  • The Bruins recalled goaltender Michael DiPietro from AHL Providence to serve as their designated emergency backup before Game 5 yesterday, per CapFriendly’s transactions log. 25-year-old Brandon Bussi had held the EBUG role for the first four games of the series, but he was returned to Providence over the weekend to start in their Atlantic Division Semifinal series against Hartford in the Calder Cup Playoffs. DiPietro, 24, has a .771 SV% in three NHL appearances with the Canucks spanning from 2019 to 2022. He’s spent the last two seasons in the Bruins organization after they acquired him via trade in October 2022, locking down a full-time AHL role this season with a 2.51 GAA, .918 SV%, four shutouts, and an 18-9-2 record in 30 appearances.

Boston Bruins| Injury| Transactions Andrew Peeke| Brandon Carlo| Michael DiPietro

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Capitals Notes: Oshie, Backstrom, Extensions, Bear

April 30, 2024 at 4:54 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 5 Comments

Veteran forward T.J. Oshie told the media on Tuesday that he’ll need reassurance that injuries won’t be an issue before he decides on if he’ll play next season, shares Monumental Sports’ Tarik El-Bashir in a video of the press scrum (Twitter link). Oshie has one season remaining on the eight-year contract he signed with the Capitals in 2017. He was limited to just 56 games this season, bearing with a nagging back issue that ended his season a few weeks early last year. Oshie also shared that he broke his left hand on a hit from New York Ranger Matt Rempe in Game 3 and played through the injury in Game 4.

Back injuries late in a career always deserve extra care, as most veterans can attest to. So it makes sense that the 37-year-old Oshie could hesitate to push himself much more. He’s done it all throughout his 16-year NHL career, winning the 2018 Stanley Cup and representing America at one Olympic Games and three World Championships or World Cups. He polished off his résumé by reaching the 1,000-game mark this season, a feat he was eager to achieve. Oshie seems open to working his way back to full health, though Caps fans will have to hope he’s able to overcome his long battle with his back injury.

Other notes out of D.C.:

  • Oshie’s fellow assistant captain Nicklas Backstrom is also facing injury questions next season, with general manager Brian MacLellan saying he expects Backstrom to remain on LTIR, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). Backstrom attempted to come back from back from hip resurfacing surgery this past season, but only managed eight games before his hip issues flared back up. The hip injury has forced Backstrom out of 152 games over the last three seasons, including ending his 2022-23 season in January. The Capitals will continue to receive $9.2MM in LTIR relief with Backstrom remaining sidelined.
  • MacLellan also shared that the team has engaged forwards Beck Malenstyn and Connor McMichael in extension conversations, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Both McMichael and Malenstyn carved out daily roles this season, playing in 80 and 81 games and scoring 33 and 21 points respectively. While they rotated around the lineup, especially in response to Washington’s injury bug, both players found a home on the team’s third line. They’re each set to become restricted free agents on July 1st, coming off deals that paid them just above the league minimum. They’re not likely to cost too much more on new deals, though the Capitals will still have to be careful with the money they hand out, with just $6.685MM in projected cap space this summer.
  • Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear has exited the NHLPA Player’s Assistance Program, per Silber (Twitter link). Bear entered the program in late March, missing out on Washington’s last 11 regular-season games. After recovering from shoulder surgery, Bear signed a two-year contract with Washington in late December. He’ll look to vindicate that deal and its $2.0625MM price tag with a strong return next season.

Brian MacLellan| Injury| Players| Washington Capitals Beck Malenstyn| Connor McMichael| Ethan Bear| Nicklas Backstrom| T.J. Oshie

5 comments

Atlantic Notes: Matthews, Lomberg, Brazeau

April 29, 2024 at 3:36 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is traveling with the club back to Boston after missing the third period of Game 4 due to illness, but head coach Sheldon Keefe still won’t commit to him being available in a must-win Game 5. Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN’s Kristen Shilton, Keefe said the team is “hopeful he’s available and feeling good and back to himself.”

Matthews, 26, has been dealing with an illness for most of the last week, keeping him from being a full participant in practice with the club ahead of their losses in Games 3 and 4. He’s tied for the team lead in scoring in the series with a goal and two assists, all of which came in their Game 2 win in Boston. They now trail the Bruins 3-1 and need to win three straight to make it to the second round in back-to-back years for the first time since a four-year run between 1999 and 2002.

If Matthews is unable to go, Max Domi will slide over from the wing to center the first line, flanked by Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner, as suggested by today’s line rushes in practice. Connor Dewar projects to return to the lineup in a fourth-line role after being scratched in Game 4.

Other updates from the Atlantic’s contingent of postseason teams:

  • Panthers enforcer Ryan Lomberg has been cleared to return from an illness but will remain scratched for Game 5 against the Lightning tonight, the team’s Jameson Olive indicates. Head coach Paul Maurice said yesterday that Lomberg was “down pretty hard” and will need a few more days to return to a game-ready conditioning level. The 29-year-old last played in Florida’s 3-2 Game 1 win, recording one shot in 6:32 of ice time. He had five goals and two assists in 75 games of regular-season action, as well as 80 PIMs.
  • Bruins winger Justin Brazeau is an option to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in tomorrow’s Game 5, head coach Jim Montgomery said (via The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan). The 26-year-old rookie practiced without any non-contact designation today, a quicker recovery than expected after previously being ruled out for the entirety of the first round. He’s been out since the beginning of the month with an upper-body injury, causing him to miss the final six games of the regular season. After spending most of the season on a minor-league contract with AHL Providence, he has five goals and seven points while averaging 11:07 in 19 games with Boston since signing a two-year, two-way deal in mid-February.

Boston Bruins| Florida Panthers| Injury| Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews| Justin Brazeau| Ryan Lomberg

1 comment

Snapshots: Larsson, Yurov, Oshie

April 29, 2024 at 2:26 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 1 Comment

Swedish goaltender Filip Larsson has announced he is leaving the SHL’s Leksands IF to pursue an NHL contract, as reported by the team (Twitter link). Larsson just wrapped up his first full season in the SHL, posting an admirable 19 wins and .920 save percentage through 28 regular season games. It was tied for the highest save percentage in the SHL among goalies with 20 or more starts, alongside veteran Lars Johansson, who posted a .920 in 40 games.

Larsson, 25, was formerly a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, hearing his name called in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He came over to America in the subsequent season, playing one year with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm before moving to the University of Denver for a year. He posted strong stats through both juniors and college, posting a .941 and .932 save percentage in the respective seasons. However, his strong performances fell flat when Larsson turned pro in the 2019-20 season. He spent the bulk of the year as a backup searching through starts in the AHL and ECHL – ultimately posting a .843 in seven AHL games and a .910 in 10 ECHL games.

Larsson moved back to Sweden for the 2020-21 COVID season and has since climbed the ranks through Sweden’s second-tier league, the HockeyAllsvenskan. He recorded 30 wins and a .918 save percentage across three seasons and 60 games in the league. Those appearances, and one spot start in the SHL, were all Larsson had to go on when he took on Leksands’ starting role this year. And he still performed well, even adding a .929 save percentage through five postseason appearances. Rather than settle down too much, Larsson is now trying to seize that momentum and make a return to North American pros. While his track in North America could’ve been better, Larsson has shown exactly what he’s capable of with dominant years throughout Swedish hockey. He’ll undoubtedly be a free agent to follow, with so many NHL teams vying for new and impactful goaltending.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Top Minnesota Wild prospect Danila Yurov is reportedly set to sign a one-year extension in the KHL as soon as tomorrow, per Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). This news comes after Yurov completed his championship run with Magnitogorsk Metallurg. He led the team in regular season scoring, with 21 goals and 49 points in 62 games, and added nine points in 23 playoff games. Minnesota drafted Yurov as the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and they will now have to wait one more year to bring him to North America.
  • It was revealed after their Game 4 loss that Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie played through the elimination game with a broken hand, shares The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber (Twitter link). It was linemate Dylan Strome who revealed Oshie’s injury while praising him for being such a great teammate. Strome added that fans don’t know the full extent of things Oshie has to do to prepare for a game, which certainly makes sense after the veteran forward suffered a seemingly endless string of injuries this year. He was limited to just 52 games this season, scoring 12 goals and 25 points. He has one year left on his deal, but after reaching 1,000 games and battling through injuries, there’s a chance the 37-year-old Oshie could bring his career to a close. On that idea, Strome says, “If it is his last game, he’s a hell of a warrior, hell of a guy. Everything you can ask for in a teammate.”

AHL| Free Agency| HockeyAllsvenskan| Injury| KHL| Minnesota Wild| NHL| USHL| Washington Capitals Danila Yurov| Filip Larsson| T.J. Oshie

1 comment

Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner

April 29, 2024 at 11:34 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche have recalled veteran forward Chris Wagner back to the NHL roster. He’ll provide added depth as the team addresses Joel Kiviranta’s lower-body injury, which has the winger out day-to-day. The Avalanche originally filled the spot with Russian prospect Nikolai Kovalenko, who made his NHL debut in Game 4. Kovalenko moved to America following the end of the KHL season and posted four points through six AHL games before being recalled ahead of yesterday’s game. He received just seven minutes of ice time in his debut, with four hits marking the only change to his stat line.

Kovalenko is an exciting young prospect who could provide a spark should the Avalanche need it. But their 5-1 win in Game 4 made it clear that the lineup’s top-end can handle the scoring and that the bottom six should instead focus on defense and physicality. That’s exactly what the Avalanche will get in Wagner, who’s served as a depth checking-forward able to make spot starts in the NHL for much of the last decade. Wagner only has 65 points in 373 career games, but he’s proven to be a stout fourth-liner capable of making a consistent impact on his own side of the ice.

That could be the trait Colorado needs as they approach a chance to clinch the series in Game 5. Wagner joins Kovalenko, Kiviranta, and Jonathan Drouin – the latter two both injured – as Colorado’s extra forwards. While exactly when the pair of injured forwards will return isn’t clear yet, it will be interesting to see which healthy scratches earn a spot in the lineup when everyone is at full strength. The Avalanche now carry a healthy of skill, two-way reliability, and bruting defense in their extras, giving them a chance to build lineups that can fit a lot of different approaches.

AHL| Colorado Avalanche| Injury| NHL Chris Wagner

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West Notes: DeSmith, Namestnikov, Kiviranta, Hague

April 28, 2024 at 5:46 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Casey DeSmith isn’t on the game roster for Canucks in today’s Game 4 against the Predators, forcing Vancouver to turn to third-string Arturs Silovs for his first playoff start with Thatcher Demko already hurt. It doesn’t appear the Canucks expect DeSmith out for long, however, as he was only termed day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There was further evidence to the fact shortly after the game started, as The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports DeSmith was still the Canucks’ designated emergency backup for today’s game.

The 32-year-old would only be eligible to play if Silovs and backup Nikita Tolopilo suffered in-game injuries. Otherwise, holding DeSmith out of game action points to his absence as being more precautionary than anything else, hoping to avoid aggravating whatever he’s dealing with. Assumedly, he’ll be back in action for elimination games later in the series after putting up a .911 SV% in two postseason games thus far.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov left today’s Game 4 loss to the Avalanche after a Nate Schmidt slapshot hit him in the side of the head in the middle of the third period. He remained on the ice for nearly a minute and was able to skate off with the assistance of trainers, not requiring a stretcher. He’s still been transported to a Denver hospital for evaluation, reports Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano. Winnipeg head coach Rick Bowness had no update on Namestnikov’s health postgame other than confirming he was taken to a hospital. The 31-year-old had a goal and a -2 rating in the first three games of the series, which the Jets now trail 3-1.
  • The Avalanche were without winger Joel Kiviranta in today’s win, paving the way for 24-year-old Nikolai Kovalenko to make his NHL debut after being recalled from the AHL less than an hour prior to puck drop. Speaking with reporters postgame, Avs head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Kiviranta’s absence was injury-related, calling him day-to-day with a lower-body issue (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). The 28-year-old had worked his way into a third-line role, a domino effect due to Jonathan Drouin being out for the series. He started the season on a PTO and subsequent AHL contract but inked a major-league deal with Colorado in November. He has one assist and a +2 rating in three games against the Jets this postseason.
  • The Golden Knights expect to be without defenseman Nicolas Hague again in tomorrow’s Game 4 against the Stars, head coach Bruce Cassidy said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster). He sustained a lower-body injury in the third period of Vegas’ Game 1 win and has yet to return to practice. The 25-year-old’s third-pairing duties have been assumed by veteran Alec Martinez, who began the postseason on the outside looking in after the Golden Knights’ trade deadline acquisition of Noah Hanifin pushed him down the depth chart. Hague made 73 appearances in the regular season, accumulating two goals and 12 points.

Colorado Avalanche| Injury| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Casey DeSmith| Joel Kiviranta| Nicolas Hague| Vladislav Namestnikov

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