Sabres Undecided On Zach Benson Past Nine Game Trial
Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Granato recently spoke on the team’s plans with rookie forward Zach Benson, who is nearing a return from injury after dealing with a lower-body injury that earned him a spot on injured reserve a couple of weeks ago. Granato shared that the team has yet to decide whether to keep Benson with the NHL club or not and that his first three games back from injury will be “huge” in informing that decision. Benson currently sits at six NHL games played this season and will burn a year of his entry-level contract if he plays in a 10th game. If he doesn’t stick in the NHL lineup, Benson will be returned to the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild, where Sabres teammate Matthew Savoie was just assigned.
Benson has been a surprise going back to last summer when he fell to the Sabres at 13th overall despite many public scouting outlets touting him as a top 10, or even top five, pick in the draft class. He continued to raise eyebrows with a stellar showcase at the Sabres’ training camp, earning an immediate spot on the NHL roster as a 5’9″ 18-year-old. But he’s only managed two points in the six NHL games he’s appeared in while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. It’s been a slow start in terms of production but the Sabres are clearly fans of how Benson is adjusting, with Granato adding that there’s a “clear comfort level there.” They will have a small sample of games, coming off an injury, to get a final assessment of Benson before they’ll need to decide if they want to keep him for the season.
The Sabres are expecting Benson, as well as Alex Tuch and Eric Comrie, to return to the lineup on Friday.
Evening Notes: Lehkonen, Xhekaj, Meier
Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen’s upper-body injury is a neck injury. Previous reports had the 28-year-old dealing with an upper-body injury, but Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Baugh the news today. The early reports come with no timetable for a potential return, or any specifics about how severe the ailment is. The Avalanche have put Lehkonen on LTIR which means the earliest he can return is December 5th against the Anaheim Ducks.
Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that Lehkonen is currently in a neck brace after suffering a scary fall in a game last week against the Seattle Kraken, which is certainly not a great sign. Lehkonen’s mother has also flown to Colorado which indicates that he could need assistance over the upcoming weeks. Lehkonen is a player who plays a lot of important minutes for the Avalanche in all types of situations. He has three goals and five assists so far this season in 12 games.
In other evening notes:
- The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj left tonight’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old suffered the apparent injury after taking a huge hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev in the second period. Xhekaj appeared to be favoring his left shoulder as he left the ice, but the team has yet to comment on the nature of the injury. Xhekaj scored his first goal of the season earlier this week and has three points in 16 games for the Canadiens.
- Star-Ledger reporter Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters tonight that Devils forward Timo Meier will be out of the lineup on a short-term basis. What exactly that means remains to be seen but it is probably a safe bet that Meier won’t be in the lineup on Saturday night when the Devils are home to the New York Rangers. The 27-year-old is in his first full year with the Devils and has five goals and six assists in 14 games. He did not dress in tonight’s 5-2 Devils victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Penguins Loan John Ludvig And Alex Nedeljkovic To AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they’ve loaned defenseman John Ludvig and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The loan is for a conditioning stint so both players can get back up to game speed before they rejoin the NHL Penguins. Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that both players will be eligible to join the team on Sunday to play NHL games.
Ludvig and Nedeljkovic are both currently on long-term injured reserve and have already joined the Penguins in full practices before their AHL assignment. The Ludvig news is not surprising given that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has stated before that Ludvig would have a conditioning assignment, but Nedeljkovic was a bit of a surprise. The Penguins may have opted to allow him more time given that third-string goaltender Magnus Hellberg has filled in admirably for Nedeljkovic. Hellberg has a .922 save percentage in three appearances with a 1-0-0 record.
Ludvig suffered a concussion in his NHL debut on October 24th against the Dallas Stars and hasn’t dressed in a game since. The 23-year-old was a waiver claim before the start of the season and is one of the few Penguins defensemen who offer a bit of sandpaper. The Penguins currently have seven defensemen on their NHL roster and have used Ludvig’s LTIR to call up Vinnie Hinostroza who has been very good on the team’s rejuvenated fourth line.
The Penguins’ third defensive pairing has been a revolving door all season with Ryan Shea and Chad Ruhwedel currently occupying the final pair. Pierre-Olivier Joseph started the year on the left side, but hasn’t been able to hold down a spot and has struggled when he has been re-inserted into the lineup. The Penguins also have Ty Smith in the minors as well as Will Butcher who is injured. Ludvig will give the Penguins further roster options but could also complicate their current roster construction when he is recalled.
Matt Martin Out Day-To-Day, Gauthier Sick
The New York Islanders have announced that forward Matt Martin is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight against the Seattle Kraken. Martin played just 7:11 last night in the Islanders overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks which is below the 8:27 he has averaged this season.
Martin has a goal and an assist in 14 games to start the season and has seen his usage dip considerably which is unusual given that he is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He has been less physical than he typically has been in the past averaging just over two hits a game which is a steep drop from the almost four hits he averaged a game last year.
No word on what specifically is keeping Martin from the lineup or if he will be able to dress for the Islanders on Saturday when they take on the Calgary Flames.
The Islanders also announced that forward Julien Gauthier is out with an illness and will miss tonight’s game in Seattle. Gauthier has been a healthy scratch more often than not this season so its hard to say whether or not he will dress when he recovers and is good to play again. The 26-year-old has no points in two games this season and the team has struggled immensely when he has been deployed for New York.
The Islanders are 5-6-4 to start the season and have already dealt with a ton of injuries just a month and a half into the regular season. They were relatively healthy going into last night’s game and can ill afford to lose any regular starters at this point.
Carolina Hurricanes To Send Ryan Suzuki To AHL
Going down with a shoulder injury shortly before the opening of the regular season, Ryan Suzuki had been on the Season-Opening Injured Reserve for the Carolina Hurricanes through the first month of the year. Now that he is healthy, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal reports Suzuki has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.
Suzuki, who was a first-round selection of Carolina back in the 2019 NHL Draft, will be joining Dylan Coghlan and Jamieson Rees in Springfield as the only other members of the Hurricanes organization.
For a number of reasons, Suzuki has failed to move up the depth chart in Carolina, spending the last three seasons with the team’s former AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In what was his most productive season last year, Suzuki would score 13 goals and 19 assists in 50 total games.
In Springfield, Suzuki will now find himself on a team competing in a hotly contested North Division in the AHL. However, Suzuki will be competing for minutes of his own, as the Thunderbirds have formed one of the AHL’s best top lines in the game through Adam Gaudette, Matthew Peca, and Nathan Walker.
Predators Assign Del Gaizo To AHL, McDonagh Set To Return
Playing without one of their best defensemen, Ryan McDonagh, since their November 2nd game against the Seattle Kraken, the Nashville Predators are expected to get him back in the lineup according to Michael Gallagher of Nashville Hockey Now. In the same update, Gallagher confirms the Predators have sent defenseman Marc Del Gaizo to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, to make room for McDonagh on the blue line.
So far, this year, McDonagh has played in 10 games for Nashville in his second season with the organization, tallying two assists while averaging exactly 20 minutes of ice time per night. In McDonagh’s absence, the Predators have produced a 1-4-0 record, being outscored by five goals over that span.
Receiving a call-up shortly after it was announced McDonagh would be out with a lower-body injury, Del Gaizo did well in his first few games in Nashville. In five games, playing on the team’s bottom defensive pairing, Del Gaizo chipped in with three assists and carried a +2 rating over that time. Nevertheless, for the time being, he will return to Milwaukee, where has spent the entirety of the last two seasons.
Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Jack Ahcan to the NHL lineup, as the team is uncertain of whether Josh Manson will be able to travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Head coach Jared Bednar shared that Ahcan provides an additional body in the event that Manson can’t go. Manson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The team returns to Colorado next Wednesday.
Ahcan has played in 14 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to start the season, netting one goal and six points, 16 penalty mintues, and a -3. His scoring is tied for second among the team’s defensemen, with Caleb Jones also netting six points – all assists – through 12 games. Ahcan is in his first year in the Colorado organization, after spending the last three years in the Bruins’ depth charts. Boston signed the undrafted Ahcan following the close of St. Cloud State’s 2019-20 season. The defenseman would go on to play in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL in his first season as a pro: the shorted 2020-21 campaign. He went without a point in the three NHL games he received that season, recording a -3.
Boston would give Ahcan six more NHL games in the 2021-22 season. He scored his first NHL goal during that stretch but still found himself on the wrong side of the scoresheet, again recording a -3. He spent all of last season in the AHL, netting 36 points, 24 penalty minutes, and a +5 in 68 games. The performance was enough to earn a two-year, two-way contract carrying a total value of $1.6MM from the Avalanche this summer.
Blackhawks Announce Several Injury Updates
The Chicago Blackhawks have shared that Nikita Zaitsev will be away from the team until early next week, at the earliest, as he’s taking time away for personal reasons. The team also placed defenseman Jarred Tinordi on injured reserve with an oblique injury. He and forward Andreas Athanasiou, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, are both considered week-to-week.
The Hawks have recalled Filip Roos to the NHL lineup in response to Zaitsev’s absence. Chicago is also without Taylor Hall, who has been day-to-day with a lower-body injury and returned to practice on Wednesday.
The quartet of Tinordi, Athanasiou, Zaitsev, and Hall have served as go-to lineup pieces for Chicago early on, with each player appearing in five or more games. Hall has played the most prominent role, averaging a little over 16 minutes of ice time and four points through eight games. Tinnordi and Zaitsev have operated as bottom-pairing defenders, with each player averaging roughly 14 minutes of ice time and scoring one point. Athanasiou has averaged the least ice time of the group, playing just under 13 minutes of ice time through 11 games and scoring four points. This is despite Athanasiou playing with the team’s middle-six in the games he’s appeared in, with half of his ice time being played alongside rookie Lukas Reichel.
Despite the long list of injuries, recalled defenseman Filip Roos is expected to slot in as the team’s seventh defenseman – playing behind AHL teammates Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips. He is the team’s only healthy extra player for Chicago’s Thursday night game against Tampa Bay, as Hall is expected to sit out of the match.
Injury Notes: Devils, Canadiens, Sabres
New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff shared that winger Timo Meier will be a game-time decision for the team’s Thursday night matchup, after sustaining an injury in the team’s recent win over the Winnipeg Jets. Ruff also added that Jack Hughes is progressing but isn’t ready for a return just yet.
These are tough updates to a Devils team that’s already suffering because of injuries. Meier is one of three healthy Devils forwards with 10 or more points through the team’s first 14 games. His absence would mark yet another blow to the team’s top six, which is currently missing Hughes and Nico Hischier. The Devils have taken a committee approach to replacing their top two centers, giving Michael McLeod, Dawson Mercer, and Erik Haula more ice time as a result. Haula has been the most productive of the trio, netting five goals and eight points in 13 games, while McLeod has managed six points in 14 games of his own. Mercer is the odd-man-out, with three goals serving as his only scoring this season.
Other injury notes:
- The Montreal Canadiens have shared that Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will miss the team’s Thursday night matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Habs will turn to Michael Pezzetta to fill in. The 25-year-old winger has two points in 12 NHL games this season.
- Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch has shared that he will be a “coach’s decision” for the team’s upcoming matchup against Winnipeg. The team’s head coach Don Granato responded by saying that whether to play Tuch or not will be a very easy decision, insinuating that the winger will return to action on Friday.
Columbus Expected To Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky
The Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to recall forward Trey Fix-Wolansky from the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Fix-Wolansky has recorded 16 points through 11 games with the Monsters, leading the team in both points and assists. He also ranks fifth in the AHL in points, despite being tied for the fewest games played of anyone in the top 10.
Fix-Wolansky has appeared in 15 NHL games over the course of the last two seasons, scoring two goals and one assist. It’s been a modest showing at the top level, despite Fix-Wolansky showing consistent scoring ability in the minors. In addition to his team-leading tallies this year, Fix-Wolansky also scored 71 points in 61 games last season, again good for the lead spot in Cleveland. In fact, Fix-Wolansky scored over 30 points more than Justin Richards, who ranked second.
The Blue Jackets bring Fix-Wolansky to the NHL lineup in response to centerman Jack Roslovic suffering an ankle injury that’s expected to hold him out for the next six weeks. Roslovic has appeared in 14 games this season, scoring six points and recording a -6. The 24-year-old Fix-Wolansky will become the fourth rookie in the Blue Jackets lineup, if he’s able to slot in, joining Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Voronkov, and David Jiricek. Columbus has gotten exciting play out of their rookie forwards so far, with Fantilli ranked second on the team in scoring with nine points in 16 games and Voronkov not far behind with seven points in 10 games. Jiricek hasn’t found the same early success, though, netting only three points in the 11 games that he’s played this year.