Evening Notes: Oilers, Faksa, Fabbri
Sam Gagner’s contract with the Edmonton Oilers has officially been registered today and the 34-year-old was called up by the team to their NHL roster (CapFriendly). The move coincided with winger Adam Erne clearing waivers and being assigned to the club’s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors. Gagner will begin his third stint with the Oilers after missing the end of last season and training camp with a hip injury.
The former sixth overall pick played three AHL games last week picking up a goal and four assists while driving a lot of the offense for the Condors. The Oilers will be looking for him to provide depth scoring for a lineup that has appeared top-heavy this season. Gagner has been a solid offensive contributor throughout his career despite bouncing around the league to seven different teams during his 16-year NHL career.
For Erne, he returns to the AHL after going scoreless in six games for the Oilers this season. The 28-year-old split last season between the NHL and AHL in the Detroit Red Wings organization. He posted five points in nine AHL games last season while registering eight goals and 10 assists in 61 NHL games.
In other evening notes:
- Dallas Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine is reporting that Stars forward Radek Faksa will miss tonight’s game with what is being described as an upper-body injury. Faksa skated with the team yesterday before leaving on their road trip and by all accounts seemed fine. No word yet on what has changed between then and now or any specifics on the ailment. Faksa is off to a slow start offensively this season with no points in seven games, however the Stars are off to a torrid 5-1-1 start thanks in part to Faksa’s penalty killing and defensive acumen.
- Detroit Hockey Now writer Kevin Allen is reporting that Robby Fabbri of the Detroit Red Wings returned to practice today and could be coming off the injured reserve sooner rather than later. Fabbri is ahead of schedule according to Allen but will still miss the Red Wings next two games. The 27-year-old has dressed in just a single game this season and has one goal thus far. He has been sidelined with a lower-body issue but could return next week against the New York Rangers or Montreal Canadiens.
Flyers’ Carter Hart Leaves Game And Will Not Return
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart left tonight’s game with an apparent mid-body injury and will not return. The Flyers tweeted the news just moments ago after Carter left the game in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres. Hart allowed two goals on five shots to start the game after he appeared to injure himself early in the first period. He stayed in the game and looked as though he would try to gut it out, but ultimately decided better of it and exited around the ten-minute mark.
It’s always hard to pinpoint exactly when an injury occurred but the likeliest event in this case was when Sabres forward Kyle Okposo appeared to fall on Hart. The 25-year-old received a visit from the trainer but remained in net and was slow to get up off the ice on several occasions before he was removed from the game.
Sam Ersson took over duties in the Flyers net and could end up seeing a lot more playing time if Carter is out for any length of time. Ersson has struggled in back-to-back starts after winning the backup job in training camp. The 24-year-old is currently sporting a .760 save percentage and 5.91 goals against average entering action tonight. If the Hart injury is of the serious variety, the Flyers could also call up Felix Sandstrom from his conditioning stint with AHL Lehigh Valley and have Cal Petersen stashed in the AHL as well.
This is an important season for Hart as he looks to bounce back from three consecutive disappointing seasons after starting his career with such promise. The Sherwood Park, Alberta native has been terrific for the Flyers in this young season posting a 4-3 record with 2.30 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. He has been largely responsible for the Flyers surprising, albeit unspectacular start to the season.
Metropolitan Division Notes: Hischier, Gudbranson, Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted today that Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald doesn’t think that center Nico Hischier will be travelling with the team on their upcoming four-game road trip. Fitzgerald has reportedly talked with New Jersey’s medical staff and Hischier is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis. The ailment is being called an upper-body issue at this time and could it keep Hischier out of action for the next four games. That would mean that his earliest return date would be November 10th against the Washington Capitals.
The former first-overall pick is off to a slow start this season with just two goals in his first seven games after putting up 31 goals and 49 assists in 81 games last season. His lack of offense hasn’t hurt the Devils thus far as the team is off to a 5-2-1 start and currently sits third in the Metropolitan Division. If Hischier is sidelined for some time it is possible that former NHL regular Chris Tierney could fill in during his absence.
In other Metropolitan notes:
- Columbus Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger tweeted today that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson has again missed practice. This is the second day in a row that the Ottawa, Ontario native did not skate after playing in Monday night’s game against the Dallas Stars. The 31-year-old was questionable for that game after taking a puck to the foot against the New York Islanders on Saturday night but did play in the 5-3 loss. Gudbranson has no points in nine games thus far this season but has averaged over three blocked shots a game.
- Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted today that Vasily Ponomarev and Ryan Suzuki are both very close to returning to action and will likely be assigned to the AHL shortly after they do. Ponomarev suffered a knee injury in September and started the season on the injured reserve. Last season he played for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL posting 24 goals and 22 assists in 64 games. Suzuki on the other hand has been dealing with a shoulder injury that has kept him off the ice. He also spent last year with the Wolves in the AHL posting 13 goals and 19 assists in 50 games. Carolina doesn’t currently have an AHL affiliate now meaning that both players could find themselves on different teams once they are assigned to the AHL.
Panthers Injury Notes: Bennett, Ekman-Larsson, Rodrigues
The Florida Panthers have shared injury updates to three recently hurt players, announcing that Oliver Ekman-Larsson is likely to play, Evan Rodrigues is hopeful, and Sam Bennett is likely out for the team’s Thursday night matchup against the Detroit Red Wings.
More specifically, head coach Paul Maurice said that Bennett will miss a little more time than a typical day-to-day designation would suggest, although the injury isn’t as severe as the one that delayed Bennett’s start to the season.
Bennett’s injury is a tough one to stomach. The 27-year-old centerman was in his first game back from injury but hurt his left leg – seemingly his left ankle – in a net-front scrum with Boston’s Hampus Lindholm. He is now set to miss even more time, making this season the sixth time that Bennett has appeared in fewer than 75 of his team’s games through his nine-year NHL career.
The injury is especially tough given how successful Bennett has been with the Panthers. He tallied a modest 40 points in 63 games last season but exploded for 15 points and 60 penalty minutes in 20 playoff games – operating as a key piece of Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals. He set his career-high in scoring in the 2021-22 season – his first full year with the Panthers – when he scored 28 goals and 49 points in 71 games.
Luckily, it doesn’t seem like Florida will be missing any other key pieces. Ekman-Larsson, who has three points in eight games this season, is good-to-go after taking a sucker punch from Charlie McAvoy. The punch earned McAvoy a four-game suspension that he’s in the process of serving. As for Rodrigues, Maurice said that the team was taking precaution in holding him out of Wednesday’s practice, and he should be good for Thursday night’s game.
Nicolas Hague Out With Injury Through The Weekend
Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy shared that defenseman Nicolas Hague will be out with a lower-body injury until at least next week. Hague was slow to get up after a collision in the team’s October 30th game. He seemed fine in the moment but is now set to miss at least three games, with Vegas playing on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
While Hague’s absence is certainly not ideal, the Golden Knights are certainly not strangers to injured defensemen. Hague joined Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb as the only Vegas defenders to play in all of the team’s games this season – a streak that now belongs solely to Theodore and McNabb. As a result of the slew of injuries, the team has already cycled through eight different defenders this season. They also have Zach Whitecloud and Daniil Miromanov on injured reserve, adding to their list of NHL defensemen to keep in mind.
And while Vegas is certainly capable of filling his role, the loss of Hague is still tough to swallow. He ranks fourth on the blue line in scoring, with three points through 10 games so far this season. He’s managed those numbers while operating comfortably on Vegas’ second pair, averaging 19 minutes of ice time through the early season. Hague, 24, is in his fifth season of NHL action. He was the fourth prospect that Vegas ever drafted, going 34th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Hague is one of eight players from Vegas’ 2017 draft class to play NHL games – an impressive feat for the franchise’s inaugural draft.
Ducks Recall Stalock As Gibson Is Day-To-Day With Injury
The Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Alex Stalock on an emergency basis, as goaltender John Gibson is out day-to-day with injury. Rookie goaltender Lukáš Dostál will fill in as the team’s starter in Gibson’s absence.
Dostal takes on the starter role only hours after being named the NHL’s ‘Rookie of the Month’ for his October performance. The 23-year-old goaltender appeared in five games in October, setting a 4-1-0 record and saving 152 of the 165 shots that he faced, good for a .921 save percentage; a stat that ranks 10th in the NHL among goalies with five or more games played. He was just two games shy of losing his rookie eligibility, playing in 23 NHL games prior to this season. He recorded a dismal 5-12-3 record in those games, although his .902 save percentage spoke to the potential for strong future showings. That potential is certainly shining through now, with Dostal poised for a great opportunity as long as Gibson remains out.
Interim backup Alex Stalock is continuing his journeyman career with a call-up to the Anaheim Ducks – now his fourth NHL team. With three games for the San Diego Gulls this season, Stalock has now played for seven different AHL clubs as well – although two of those teams were different affiliates of the San Jose Sharks. Either way, it’s been a winding career for the 36-year-old Stalock, who was originally picked 112th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. He will become the 11th player from that draft class to play this season, if he finds his way into Anaheim’s crease.
Ottawa Senators Fire General Manager Pierre Dorion
The Ottawa Senators have relieved general manager Pierre Dorion of his duties. The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after it was announced that the team would lose a First Round pick for their mishandling of Evegnii Dadonov‘s trade away from the club.
This was the last straw for Ottawa, says Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, as the club has faced a string of bad news and scandals to start the season. Only last week it was announced that Shane Pinto would face a 41-game suspension for going against the NHL’s betting policy. This comes after a laborious contract negotiation with the restricted free agent that carried into the regular season.
Ottawa is off to a fine enough start to the season, despite the off-ice theatrics, with a 4-4-0 record through their first eight games and the seventh-most goals in the NHL. They’re being championed, once again, by the powerful duo of Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk – the former leading the team in assists (8) and the latter leading them in goals (6). The two have spent 123 minutes of ice time together and have been on the ice for 12 of Ottawa’s 32 goals so far this season. Their even-strength line is rounded out by Claude Giroux, who has nine points of his own through the team’s eight games.
Dorion was also the man to bring in free agent Vladimir Tarasenko, whose brought a defiant punch to the team’s second line, with three goals and nine points. With Dorion now out of the picture, all attention turns towards who the Senators may entertain as his replacement. New team owner Michael Andlauer announced that Dorion has stepped down and Steve Staios will take over general managing duties in the interim at a press conference on Wednesday.
Avalanche Release Multiple Injury Updates
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has released an update on a slew of players in preparation for the team’s Wednesday night matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Bednar shared that newcomers Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar are likely to miss the matchup, while Cale Makar and Bowen Byram are game-time decisions. Drouin and Tatar were the last two skaters on the practice ice for Colorado, hinting that they could be leaning towards sitting out. If they do miss time, Bednar hinted at Kurtis MacDermid drawing into the lineup.
Drouin and Tatar have both played in all eight games for Colorado this season, with very different results. Drouin is off to a slow start, netting a sole assist on the season while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per game. Tatar has served in a similar role to Drouin – averaging 12 minutes of ice time each game – but has managed four assists. The duo are two of three Colorado forwards that haven’t scored a goal yet this season – Andrew Cogliano being the other.
Bednar said yesterday that one of Byram or Makar would likely sit out of the team’s Wednesday outing. Which defender may miss time is, unfortunately, unclear. While Byram has made an impact through the early going, he doesn’t bring the takeover ability that Makar can.
The Avalanche are now faced with the decision of whether to ice 12 forwards and six defensemen, or 11 forwards and seven defensemen – given the injuries to two top-nine forwards. MacDermid is likely to play regardless of what decision Colorado makes here – either slotting in on offense or defense depending where they need support. If Colorado decides to ice 11 forwards, Caleb Jones will draw in as the seventh defender. If they ice 12 forwards, Riley Tufte is expected to make his Avalanche debut. Both players were recalled to the NHL lineup yesterday.
Wild Provide Injury Update On Boldy, Spurgeon
The Minnesota Wild had a pair of injured players return to the practice ice on Wednesday, with Jared Spurgeon skating for half an hour and Matt Boldy returning in full. Frédérick Gaudreau has yet to return, though. Wild head coach Dean Evason shared that the plan is for Boldy to play in Minnesota’s Thursday night game, while Spurgeon is still working his way back.
Minnesota currently reps a 3-4-2 record and the ninth-most goals-for in the league. Both of those metrics should start looking stronger with the return of 22-year-old Boldy, who scored 31 goals and 63 points in 81 NHL games last season. The winger has become a focal point of the Wild offense, averaging 18-and-a-half minutes of ice time each game last year – a pace he maintained this year until his upper-body injury limited his playing time in his last matchup. Boldy has two points through two games so far this season.
And while Boldy’s return is exciting, the Wild lineup won’t look right until Spurgeon is back in the mix. The team captain has become a pinnacle two-way defender in the NHL, proving the value that defenders under 5’10” can provide if they have the right skill set. But Spurgeon has yet to play at all this season, suffering from an upper-body injury sustained in training camp. The Wild placed Spurgeon on long-term injured reserve, retroactive to the start of the season, on October 25th. This means that the soonest he could return is November 4th. He seems on pace to challenge that return date with a return to practice on Wednesday.
Latest On Morgan Frost
At this early juncture in the 2023-24 NHL season, a look at Philadelphia Flyers center Morgan Frost‘s stat line might raise some eyebrows. Despite putting together a breakout season of sorts in 2022-23 and being entirely healthy so far this year, Frost has played in just three total contests, tied for the fewest among Flyers skaters this season.
This has led to speculation in some parts that the Flyers might be looking to trade Frost, 24, as his six consecutive games spent as a healthy scratch would seem to indicate that he no longer held a place in the Flyers’ long-term plans.
That speculation appears to not be grounded in the reality of the situation, though, according to a report from The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. (subscription link) Kurz reports from a league source that the Flyers ” aren’t looking to move” Frost to another team, and “haven’t engaged in any serious discussions” on a Frost trade. Moreover, Kurz adds that the Flyers still view [Frost] as one of the young players they want to grow with the organization” as the team continues its rebuilding plan.
It appears that Frost’s lengthy stay in the press box was more due to the newfound depth the Flyers have at the center position rather than any mistake Frost had made in the two games he played to start the season.
With Sean Couturier once again healthy, the Flyers boast a deep group of pivots that also includes veteran Scott Laughton and Noah Cates.
Couturier is inarguably the team’s top center, but the issue for Frost has been more about Laughton and Cates. Both players scored at a comparable rate to Frost last season while also providing considerably more on the defensive side of the equation.
Laughton is a widely respected veteran with a well-known commitment to two-way hockey, while Cates was so impressive in his rookie season that he even garnered consideration on the Selke Trophy ballot.
With offseason signing Ryan Poehling offering more speed and grit than Frost could provide centering Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Deslauriers on the Flyers’ fourth line, it becomes easier to see why Frost hasn’t been able to crack head coach John Tortorella’s nightly lineup.
Tortorella did get Frost back into the mix for their last game, placing him in the second-line center role between Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster. That shifted Laughton down to the fourth line and Poehling to the press box, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the Flyers stick with that arrangement or choose to return Frost to healthy scratch status.
In any case, the Flyers’ decent 4-4-1 start has been partly off the back of their increased depth at the center position. It’s that depth — rather than any desire to make a change-of-scenery trade, according to Kurz’s reporting — that has caused Frost’s frequent healthy scratches so far this season.
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