Snapshots: Blues, Schenn, Bally Sports
The St. Louis Blues had a resounding win last night over the Florida Panthers, but it came at a cost. Both forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Torey Krug left the game with injuries, and they could be without both tomorrow against the New Jersey Devils, says head coach Craig Berube.
Berube confirmed Saad, who’s dealing with an upper-body injury, will miss the game. Krug is questionable with a lower-body injury. Both players have already missed chunks of the season with injuries, contributing to the Blues’ mediocre record. Saad’s injury opens the door for veteran Josh Leivo, who has four goals and 13 points in 38 games, to step into a top-six role for the time being. Neither Saad nor Krug have a timeline for their injuries, although Krug’s is obviously a short-term absence.
- Despite other hot-commodity defensemen being scratched for asset protection, Vancouver Canucks defender Luke Schenn doesn’t expect the same treatment. Schenn told reporters that he “expects to be playing every night” ahead of the March 3 trade deadline, despite multiple teams having reported interest in the stay-at-home defenseman. The 33-year-old has 18 points and a +5 rating in 53 games this season.
- The NHL Board of Governors had an emergency meeting today to discuss the financial struggles of Bally Sports Network’s parent group, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Diamond Sports, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, operates the Bally Sports umbrella of regional sports networks that broadcasts the home games of many U.S.-based teams. Today, they skipped a debt payment of $140MM as the organization nears bankruptcy. A potential sudden, unexpected lack of TV revenue is certainly a bit of financial concern for the league.
Timo Meier Trade Talks "Accelerating," Devils Want Extension
The latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading saw analysts such as Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston discuss some of the highest-profile names available on the market ahead of the trade deadline. One of those is San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier, and LeBrun gave significant updates on the two apparent frontrunners for his services: the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.
On the New Jersey front, LeBrun says things are heating up, with talks accelerating between the two parties over the last 48 hours. Meier’s status as a pending restricted free agent is likely jamming up the works in getting a trade finalized, though, as LeBrun reports the Devils’ interest in Meier hinges on an extension as part of the trade. That’s a complicating factor, as LeBrun reported days ago that the Sharks have not yet permitted Meier’s agent, Claude Lemieux, to discuss potential extension terms with interested teams.
Jack Hughes, Brendan Smith With Team On Road Trip
- In positive news for New Jersey Devils fans, team reporter Amanda Stein confirms that center Jack Hughes and defenseman Brendan Smith are with the team on their current road trip, taking them through the Midwest and northeast United States over the next week. It’s a somewhat expected tidbit about Hughes, who’s listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury sustained in the past few days. While a return to action during their four-game road trip seems unlikely, it’s a good sign that he’s well enough to stay with the team. Smith is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury as of Thursday.
Jack Hughes Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury
Of all the breakout performances this season, the most impressive might be Jack Hughes. The New Jersey Devils star leads the league in even-strength goals with 29, and has 67 points through 50 games this season. Unfortunately, that performance will be put on hold for a while. Hughes is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Head coach Lindy Ruff did tell reporters, including Amanda Stein, that he believes it will be on the shorter end of week-to-week, but for now, he’ll be without his best offensive weapon.
The first-overall pick from 2019 showed that he could be a difference-maker last year when he posted 26 goals and 56 points in 49 games but has taken his play to a whole new level in 2022-23. With 35 total goals, he trails only Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak, and his 67 points put him ninth in league scoring.
One of the concerns about Hughes when he came into the league was his durability, given his slight frame and position. He has so far proven those concerns valid, missing a good chunk of last season and now hitting the sideline once again. While this injury doesn’t seem long-term, it is at least something to keep an eye on as his career continues. Talent-wise, there are only a handful of players in the league that can keep up with Hughes, but he needs to stay on the ice to be able to lead the Devils.
It comes at a particularly disappointing moment, given his recent play. Hughes has only been held scoreless three times in his last 30 games and is currently on a nine-game streak totaling 18 points. The Devils are also about to go on a four-game road trip after tonight’s match against the Seattle Kraken – one they’ll have likely have to complete without Hughes’ help.
Jack Hughes Has "Upper-Body Soreness," Takes Maintenance Day
- Due to what the New Jersey Devils have called “upper-body soreness,” superstar center Jack Hughes did not participate in practice today, taking a maintenance day. Already soaring past his career highs with 35 goals and 67 points in just 50 games, Hughes’ point production, even-strength goal-scoring, and excellent defensive metrics have helped propel the Devils into contender status. Having lost just twice in regulation since the New Year, New Jersey is in a comfortable standings position.
New Jersey Devils Activate John Marino
For the first time since December 20, the New Jersey Devils will have John Marino back in the lineup. The team activated the defenseman from injured reserve and will dress him tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.
With Marino in the lineup this season, the Devils are 21-9-2. His steady defensive presence has fit in perfectly with the young group, and further opens up talent like Dougie Hamilton to flourish offensively. Averaging more than 21 minutes a night, the offseason acquisition looks like a core piece to build around, and one that is likely going to outperform his reasonable contract.
Marino is signed through the 2026-27 season at a $4.4MM cap hit, joining Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler as Devils defensemen with long-term deals. His presence may mean the team can afford to lose Damon Severson in the summer – or even potentially trade the pending free agent at the deadline should the right deal present itself.
First, Marino must show that he can immediately make the same impact upon his return. It’s been more than six weeks since he played, and the Devils are in a different situation. No longer the Metropolitan Division leaders, they will have to keep fighting off the charging New York Rangers to maintain home ice advantage in the first round.
Latest On Devils, Vladimir Tarasenko
- It has been widely reported that the New Jersey Devils are seeking to upgrade their forward corps by adding a top-six winger this deadline season. One option for the team could be St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman spoke on the 32 Thoughts podcast about this, stating that the Devils have had interest in acquiring Tarasenko in the past. Timo Meier‘s name is also in the mix, but now it seems possible that the Devils could be targeting Tarasenko as well.
Plan Is For Luke Hughes To Join Devils After College Season
- Devils assistant GM Dan MacKinnon confirmed to NJ Advance Media’s Ryan Novozinsky that the plan is for defenseman Luke Hughes to turn pro once his season at Michigan comes to an end. The 19-year-old was the fourth-overall pick in 2021 and has 26 points in 25 games so far for the Wolverines. He’d be an intriguing option for New Jersey down the stretch and in the postseason as he’d definitely be another offensive weapon on their back end. MacKinnon also confirmed that 2020 first-rounder Shakir Mukhamadullin will join AHL Utica once his season with Salavat Yulaev of the KHL comes to an end. The 21-year-old has five goals and 15 helpers in 55 games so far.
Devils Assign Nikita Okhotyuk To AHL
After being up with New Jersey for more than a month on what started as an emergency loan, Nikita Okhotyuk’s time with the Devils has come to an end for now as the team announced (Twitter link) that the defenseman has been assigned to Utica of the AHL.
The 22-year-old got into ten games with New Jersey and saw action in a particularly limited role as he averaged under 12 minutes a night. Okhotyuk picked up his second career NHL goal earlier this month and also chipped in with 31 hits and nine blocked shots. He has been a bit more productive with the Comets, picking up two goals and four assists in 17 contests at the AHL level.
With this assignment, the Devils are down to just six healthy defenders on their roster. However, John Marino has been skating for a couple of weeks and was upgraded to day-to-day last weekend so it’s possible that he’ll be ready to be activated for their next game after the All-Star break against Vancouver. Otherwise, Okhotyuk or someone else will likely be getting recalled a little more than a week from now.
Devils Interested In Timo Meier?
San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier could be one of the most in-demand names on the trade market as we inch closer to the deadline, and potential suitors for his services are starting to become clearer. On TSN’s Insider Trading program, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun revealed that he had interviewed New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald and that in the interview Fitzgerald confirmed the Devils’ interest in acquiring a top-six winger.
On Insider Trading, LeBrun added that Meier would “fit exactly what the Devils want” in a top-six forward, especially given that there is the potential for any team acquiring Meier to retain him beyond just this season. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta noted that the Devils have not had any recent contract talks with pending RFA winger Jesper Bratt and his representatives. While Pagnotta did clarify that the Devils and Bratt still have a mutual interest in getting an extension hammered out, it is fair to wonder what kind of implications the team’s interest in Meier could have on Bratt’s future in New Jersey.