Carl Dahlstrom Clears Waivers
Mar 24: Dahlstrom has cleared waivers, per CapFriendly, clearing the way for him to be assigned to the Marlies.
Mar 23: While you don’t see players on waivers very often after the trade deadline passes, it happens occasionally. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Carl Dahlstrom on waivers, indicating that the veteran defenseman is ready to play after a long absence.
Dahlstrom, 28, suffered a serious shoulder injury in training camp that required surgery and has yet to play this season. By clearing waivers, he can be assigned directly to the Toronto Marlies, where he can get up to game speed.
Dahlstrom played three games for the Maple Leafs last season, but was a regular in the Marlies lineup, scoring 14 points in 49 games. While Toronto likely won’t need him for the NHL playoffs after acquiring so much defensive depth at the deadline, he does represent a potential emergency option should they suffer several injuries down the stretch.
His one-year, two-way contract will expire at the end of this season, making him an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Vegas Golden Knights Issue Injury Updates
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without a trio of key players in a pivotal divisional matchup tomorrow against the Edmonton Oilers. The team announced that forward Reilly Smith and goalie Logan Thompson have left their road trip and returned to Vegas to be evaluated for injuries, while defenseman Alec Martinez has returned to Vegas for personal reasons.
Both Smith and Thompson left last night’s win against the Calgary Flames with injuries. Smith did not return to the game after taking a hit along the boards from Flames forward Walker Duehr, while Thompson left late in the third period with a lower-body injury, potentially reaggravating the ailment that had kept him out for almost 20 games. It’s not a good sign for either that they needed to depart the road trip early to receive evaluations.
They’ll also be without Martinez for an unknown length of time, which is no small absence. Martinez has been critical this season, recording 13 points in 67 games and leading the team with a +21 rating on the top pairing alongside Alex Pietrangelo. Smith has again been one of Vegas’ most consistent scorers, tallying 51 points in 71 games.
Vegas has a tough schedule ahead of them, with four of their next five games against the red-hot Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild. They’ll need netminders Jonathan Quick and Laurent Brossoit, who’ve both been good for Vegas in limited samples this year, to carry their weight to keep Vegas’ cushion atop the Pacific Division.
Wild Injury Notes: Nyquist, Klingberg, Kaprizov
Forward Gustav Nyquist took part in his first practice with the Minnesota Wild on Friday as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports.
Nyquist, 33, was acquired by the Wild from the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 28 but has yet to play a game for his new team. He’s been sidelined since the end of January with a shoulder injury, coming after he missed the entire 2020-21 season due to shoulder surgery. There was a chance that Nyquist was done for the remainder of this season as well. Now, with his recovery beginning to progress, the Wild can begin to hope he’ll be ready for playoff action or potentially a few games at the tail end of the regular season.
Some more Wild injury updates as reported by Russo today:
- Defenseman John Klingberg will miss his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Klingberg will see team doctors today, per Russo, as the Wild prepare for a home game against Chicago tomorrow. The 30-year-old has a goal and three assists in nine games since joining the Wild at the trade deadline.
- There was additional negative news from Russo, as he reports Kirill Kaprizov is still not skating and is not expected to join the team on their upcoming road trip. Kaprizov has missed seven games with a lower-body injury expected to keep him out for four weeks, which would put him on track to return the week of April 3. With less than two weeks to go until that projected to return, it’s seeming the superstar winger may miss more time than originally expected.
Minnesota Wild Reassign Sammy Walker
The Minnesota Wild have reassigned forward Sammy Walker to their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, the team announced Friday.
Walker, 23, has appeared in eight games this season, two of them coming since he was recalled earlier this month. He’s recorded a goal in those eight appearances, averaging 10:25 per game. The Minnesota-born rookie has spent his first pro season mostly with Iowa, where he’s exploded for 25 goals and 20 assists in 50 games.
He now heads back to Iowa for the stretch run, where he’ll likely remain for the rest of the season as the Wild get healthier. While they haven’t clinched a playoff spot, they have a solid cushion, and Walker is slated to get his first pro hockey experience in the postseason beginning next month.
While viewed as undersized by some, the incredibly speedy forward has proven his game translates to the pro levels this season. He was one of the most consistent players in college hockey during his time at the University of Minnesota, where he spent four seasons before signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the Wild in free agency last August.
Josh Anderson Out For Season With Ankle Sprain
The Montreal Canadiens announced late Thursday night that forward Josh Anderson will miss the remainder of the season due to a high ankle sprain.
Canadiens VP of Hockey Communications, Chantal Machabee, adds that Anderson will not receive surgery. Anderson suffered the injury late in the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday after Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev hit Anderson into an empty net, resulting in his right foot colliding with the post. He did not play in yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins with what was deemed a lower-body injury, with the official announcement on his status coming postgame.
The 28-year-old winger had been one of three Canadiens players to hit 20 goals this season, including the injured Cole Caufield. He finishes his season with 21 goals and 11 assists in 69 games.
Anderson’s injury adds to a well-documented laundry list of absent Canadiens players, with Montreal’s injuries over the past two seasons taking a significant toll on the team. He joins Caufield, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Juraj Slafkovsky, Paul Byron, and Sean Monahan on the list of injured Montreal forwards.
As a silver lining, it does mean more ice time for young players who have done well this season, including Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Jesse Ylonen, and potentially current Harvard standout Sean Farrell, who’s expected to sign his entry-level contract with the team after Harvard’s run in the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament concludes.
Patrik Laine Out 2-4 Weeks With Triceps Strain
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine is expected to miss two to four weeks due to a triceps strain suffered in practice Thursday, according to the team. The 24-year-old Finnish forward has been one of the team’s best players this season when healthy, recording 52 points in 55 games.
Head coach Brad Larsen told reporters Friday that Laine sustained the injury taking a shot during the last drill of yesterday’s practice.
It’s an unfortunate break for Laine, who had four assists in his last two games after an unexpected move to center. The natural winger had looked comfortable in the middle of the ice, also recording a +3 rating, but struggled in the faceoff circle.
The potentially season-ending triceps strain adds to an already injury-littered campaign for Laine. He’s missed a combined 12 games due to a sprained elbow and sprained ankle sustained earlier in the season.
Laine has found his stride in Columbus over the past two seasons, recording 48 goals and 108 points in 111 games since 2021 without much team success. He’s quickly cemented himself in Columbus’ long-term plans and should be an important offensive piece alongside a growing young pool of impressive forwards.
With Laine out of the fold, Emil Bemstrom is likely to draw back into the lineup for tonight’s matchup against the New York Islanders.
West Notes: Thompson, Kurashev, Canucks
Despite a big win for the Vegas Golden Knights against a divisional rival last night, there was a concerning setback near the end of the game. Goalie Logan Thompson, who was making his first appearance in 18 games after being sidelined with a left leg injury, left the team’s 3-2 win against the Calgary Fames with a lower-body injury.
Thompson left the game with less than 10 minutes remaining after making 37 saves on 39 shots. He was replaced by Jonathan Quick, who stopped all five shots he faced, helping the Golden Knights extend their lead atop the Western Conference. The team has not yet issued an update on Thompson’s status, but it’s something to watch out for in the coming days as the Pacific Division leaders approach the playoffs without the full health of their starter. It’s worth noting that in Thompson’s absence, Quick has been much-improved since joining the Golden Knights, posting a 5-1-0 record and a .908 save percentage.
More updates from the Western Conference on Friday:
- Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev left last night’s game against the Washington Capitals with an undisclosed injury, per the team. Kurashev had just two shifts before exiting the game less than five minutes in, seemingly due to a hit from Capitals winger Tom Wilson. The 23-year-old Swiss forward has set career highs for the struggling Blackhawks this season, with 25 points in 70 games.
- Vancouver Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen is likely to miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, according to head coach Rick Tocchet. The 25-year-old blueliner has played in just 12 NHL games this season but has 20 points in 49 games at the AHL level. In addition, defenseman Guillaume Brisebois was an injury-related scratch last night against the San Jose Sharks, and Christian Wolanin, who signed a two-year extension yesterday, left last night’s game after just three shifts. The Canucks have not provided an update on Brisebois or Wolanin’s conditions.
Filip Hallander Reassigned To AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced forward Filip Hallander has been reassigned to the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. It puts an end to a wild day for the young forward. Hallander was called up by the Penguins this morning and head coach Mike Sullivan said him and Dustin Tokarski, who was also recalled, would hopefully be arriving by game time.
Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports later reported that both Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker were game-time decisions for the Penguins game against the Dallas Stars. Both of them took warmup and were then in the lineup, so the team had no room for Hallander. His recall was a precaution in case one of the veteran wingers was not able to play tonight.
Tokarski did not take part in the warmup and Rob Rossi of The Athletic reported he was yet to arrive in Dallas as of game time. This means Hallander was reassigned before he ever joined the team today as he would have been travelling with Tokarski.
Hallander, a 22-year-old forward, has spent most of the season in the AHL. He has played 40 games with Wilkes Barre/Scranton and scored 11 goals and 33 points. He has already played two NHL games with the Penguins this season, and one more in 2021-22, but is yet to register his first NHL point.
Injury Notes: Jarry, Thomas, Deslauriers
Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports the Pittsburgh Penguins are dealing with another goaltender injury. Tristan Jarry has a lower-body injury and will not play this evening when the Penguing travel west to take on the Dallas Stars. Jarry missed about a month in late January and into February with a lower-body injury and it appears he may be dealing with something similar yet again. There is no timeline for his return at this point.
Jarry is not having his best season to date. He has put up a 2.98 GAA and a .908 SV% in 40 games played. The 27 year old was much better last season when he posted a 2.42 GAA and a .919 SV% along with a 34-18-6 record. The Penguins could use that version of Jarry down the stretch as they try to hang on to a playoff spot. They are currently one point ahead of the Florida Panthers for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.
- Eyebrows were raised St. Louis when Robert Thomas of the Blues was made a late scratch. However, the team announced he was going to be held out of tonight’s contest with an illness. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Logan Brown took the spot in the lineup after Thomas completed pregame warmups so it was a last-minute decision of the team. It does not appear to be something that will keep the star forward out of the lineup for long. The 23-year-old center has 16 goals and 60 points in 67 games this season.
- Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports Nicolas Deslauriers was held out of the Philadelphia Flyers lineup with an upper-body injury. Deslauriers is in the first season of a four-year contract that pays him $1.75MM per year. The gritty winger has scored five goals and 11 points in 70 games for the Flyers this season.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
With trade season in the rearview mirror, all the focus now is on playoff positioning and the occasional college free-agent signing. It’s the time of year that’s exciting for some and a slog for others, namely at the bottom of the standings. With the regular season wrapping up, though, it’s time for the next edition of the #PHRMailbag as the playoffs (or offseason for the unlucky teams) swing into view.
Our last mailbag focused on all the non-deadline-related questions that came in during what was a busy trade period.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.