Snapshots: Doughty, Pettersson, McIlrath
The Los Angeles Kings got a comfortable win last night against the Montreal Canadiens, but those two points may have come with a price attached. Today the team announced that top defenseman Drew Doughty would not be playing tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is out with a lower-body injury and his status is considered day-to-day.
The loss of Doughty is significant due to just how heavy of a role he has been playing on the Kings’ blueline. The 33-year-old Norris Trophy winner has 17 points in 30 games so far this year and is also shouldering by far the heaviest workload of minutes on the Kings’ roster. Doughty averages over 26 minutes per night, including three on the power play and two on the penalty kill. With Doughty out, Tobias Bjornfot looks set to step into the lineup.
For some other notes from across the NHL:
- Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau told the media today, via The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that star centerman Elias Pettersson was sick today and was sent home from practice. While this is likely just a normal illness that anyone might deal with over the course of a winter, Pettersson’s health is a situation to monitor given his importance to the Canucks. In 28 games this season Pettersson has 34 points and has also played some of the best defensive hockey of his career.
- Just after they recently called him up, the Washington Capitals sent Dylan McIlrath back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. This move takes away the possibility of McIlrath playing in his first NHL game since 2019-20. McIlrath has spent this season as a top-four defenseman in Hershey, scoring five points in 22 games.
Eeli Tolvanen Placed On Waivers
According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Nashville Predators have placed former top prospect Eeli Tolvanen on waivers this afternoon. While the merits of putting the once-elite prospect on waivers could be debated, the move is also interesting in that it comes roughly an hour after the team learned it would be losing forward Michael McCarron for an indefinite period of time as he enters the Players Assistance Program. No corresponding move related to either player, has been announced at this point.
The 30th overall selection in 2017 by Nashville, Tolvanen quickly became one of the game’s more exciting prospects in short order. Considered a pure sniper, the winger was expected to change the face of Nashville’s offense and add a compliment to already-established stars like Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Johansen. Now 23, Tolvanen hasn’t exactly been a bad NHLer, but hasn’t lived up to the hype that had been surrounding him when he came into the league. This season, the forward has four points, two goals and two assists, in 13 games. For his 135 game NHL career, he has 25 goals and 26 assists.
Seeing a player with Tolvanen’s career path hit waivers surely isn’t unprecedented, however some may argue that the decision feels a bit soon, given his age and especially his track record of performance at the NHL level. In other words, though he’s not the player many were hoping for, he has shown he can certainly play at this level and at 23, there could be room to grow from it. Tolvanen’s placement does feel similar to the New York Islanders waiving of Kieffer Bellows earlier this year. Once one of their top prospects, Bellows put up 19 points in 45 games last season, then after suiting up for one game with the Islanders in 2022-23, was placed on waivers, claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Artturi Lehkonen Returning To Colorado Avalanche Lineup
After suffering a concussion on December 3rd, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected back in the lineup for this afternoon’s contest on the road in St. Louis against the Blues, says Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Lehkonen was never placed on IR with the injury, missing three games and seven days total. At last report on Thursday, the veteran had been placed in concussion protocol. According to Durando, Lehkonen will skate on the top line this afternoon alongside Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin.
Colorado’s injury woes this season have been well reported, the consistent and significant injuries sending the reigning Stanley Cup Champions into a fight for a playoff position even at the one-third mark of the season. After losing Nichushkin for over a month, the team then found out they’d be without perennial Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon for four weeks, only compounding the issue. Beyond just their stars, which also includes Gabriel Landeskog, who has yet to play this season, Colorado has lost a number of secondary and depth options for small and large portions of the season.
Lehkonen has been one of the bright spots for the Avalanche so far this season, recording seven goals and 11 assists through 22 games, well on his way to a career-year. The team will need him to keep that scoring pace up in order to do their best to navigate other injuries, like MacKinnon’s, but it’s not yet known what sort of lingering effect, if any, will come with the concussion.
Staying on the injury front, Durando adds that Darren Helm and Evan Rodrigues are not yet ready to return to the lineup. Helm, who has yet to play this season, has been close to returning and was even a possibility to play this weekend, but will clearly need to wait a little bit longer to make his season debut. Rodrigues hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury against the Vancouver Canucks back on November 23rd, but had been a bright spot amid the injuries, with nine points in his first 18 games for Colorado.
Michael McCarron Enters Players Assistance Program
The NHL and NHLPA jointly announced this afternoon that Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron has entered the Players Assistance Program effective immediately. McCarron will be away from the team for an indefinite amount of time while he receives the care he needs through the program.
McCarron will be eligible to return to on-ice activity once cleared by the program administrators, per the release. His care will be administered pursuant to the NHL/NHLPA assistance program.
The 27-year-old, a former first-round pick, has played parts of six seasons with Nashville and the Montreal Canadiens. The forward has split this season between the AHL and NHL, last playing on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Everyone here at PHR wishes McCarron the very best while he gets the help he needs.
Injury Notes: Capitals, Jets, Krug
It’s been a tough season thus far for the Washington Capitals, who sit three points out of the New York Rangers and a Wild Card spot in the East and six points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes for a spot in the Metropolitan Division. No team will ever make excuses, however injuries have been unrelenting for Washington even before the puck dropped on the 2022-23 season. The organization expected a tough go of it early on without some of their stars and all things considered, 30 points in 29 games is not half bad. They’ll have to have a strong season the rest of the way to get into the postseason, but as of right now, injury updates look positive.
Earlier today, the Capitals placed defenseman Alexander Alexeyev and goaltender Darcy Kuemper on IR and recalled defensemen Lucas Johansen and Dylan McIlrath. For Kuemper, that’s not expected to be much of an issue, eligible to come off of IR as soon as Tuesday, and according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, the netminder participated in the team’s morning skate today for the first time since suffering the injury. Also from Gulitti, veteran Dmitry Orlov, who has not played since November 5th due to a lower-body injury, also skated this morning. Perhaps the best news, even if nothing is imminent, is forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson skated this morning in non-contact jerseys, traveling with the team on the road for the first time this season, which appears to be the norm going forward. Both core pieces of this generation’s Capitals squad, getting either back in the lineup would be a massive boost not only to on-ice production, but to off-ice morale too. Still, one bit of bad news, both Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary did not skate this morning, and fellow defenseman Erik Gustafsson left practice early, head coach Peter Laviolette telling Gulitti the Capitals and Gustafsson are “working through some things.”
- The Winnipeg Jets will be without forward Saku Maenalanen and defenseman Logan Stanley when they take on the Capitals this evening says Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun. No update beyond that was given by associate coach Scott Arniel. Billeck adds that the Jets are trying to get an additional player called up from the Manitoba Moose to join the Jets at home this evening. Billeck adds the Moose, who actually share an arena with the Jets, are on their way to Calgary, however getting a player back from Calgary to Winnipeg by tonight shouldn’t be an issue. As for the injured players, Maenalanen has impressed in a depth role for the Jets this year, recording six points in 25 games, averaging 11:30 a night, his first NHL action since a stint with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2018-19. Unfortunately for Stanley, who missed a-month-and-a-half, was able to play just two games after coming back before being forced out of the lineup once again.
- The St. Louis Blues confirmed defenseman Torey Krug would rejoin the lineup Sunday after missing two games with an upper-body injury. The veteran, much like his Blues, has had a shaky start to 2022-23, recording 11 points in 24 games, but comes with a -22 rating, the worst mark in the league. Even amid his struggles, if the Blues hope to re-write their 2022-23 story, it’s more likely than not that Krug will have to be part of the solution, and having him in the lineup would be a start. Though Krug is back, forward Pavel Buchnevich, who also hasn’t played since December 5th, will not play this afternoon, the Blues announced.
Washington Capitals Place Alexeyev, Kuemper On IR; Recall Johansen, McIlrath
11:28 am: According to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, the Capitals have indeed made those corresponding moves. Alexeyev, as well as goaltender Darcy Kuemper, have both been placed on IR. Kuemper’s IR placement shouldn’t come as too much of a concern, as it is retroactive to December 3rd, meaning he could come back as soon as Tuesday when the team is in Chicago to take on the Blackhawks.
10:44 am: The Washington Capitals announced they’ve recalled a pair of defensemen in that of Lucas Johansen and Dylan McIlrath from the Hershey Bears, their AHL affiliate. While no other corresponding moves were formally announced, the Capitals’ roster is already full at 23 players. The moves could signal an IR stint for defenseman Alexander Alexeyev, who suffered an upper-body injury in Friday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Despite being at 23 skaters, the Capitals had just six defenseman before the recalls, which included Alexeyev.
Notably, these two recalls seem to cap off a morning of defenseman shuffling in the Capitals organization. Earlier, the Hershey Bears announced they’ve recalled defenseman Martin Has from the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. That recall came not only with Johansen and McIlrath’s recalls in mind, but after the Bears lost defenseman Bobby Nardella during the first period of last night’s game with an undisclosed injury. For Has, 21, he could have a chance to take the next step in his development after a solid start to this season in the ECHL with three points in 14 games. This is the defenseman’s first professional season in North America, spending last season with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.
Johansen, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Capitals back in 2016, but has played in just two NHL games to date, one in each of the last two seasons. He may not have hit the ceiling expected of him as a first-round selection however he has turned into a solid defenseman at the AHL level. Given Washington’s injury issues on defense this season, which include Alexeyev and Dmitry Orlov, both left-handed, the left-handed Johansen may get a chance to shine.
McIlrath, 30, is a longtime veteran of the AHL and NHL as well. The former 10th-overall pick back in 2010 to the New York Rangers, has played in 66 NHL games total, spread over six different seasons between the Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Detroit Red Wings. The veteran hasn’t played in the NHL since 2019-20, when he got into 16 games with Detroit. This is McIlrath’s second season with Hershey, recording just five assists in 22 games to start this season, but does have a respectable 36 penalty minutes in that span, playing the role of physical shutdown defenseman.
Interestingly, McIlrath did appear to have a two game NHL suspension awaiting him upon his recall. He had been suspended during the 2021 preseason for two preseason games and two regular season games, but hadn’t played in the NHL, during the regular season, since. However, as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports, according to the Capitals organization, the NHL and NHLPA reached a settlement agreement this fall that allowed McIlrath’s two regular season games to be served during this preseason. Thus, McIlrath should be eligible to play tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, should Washington choose to dress him. Gulitti was also the first to raise the question about the suspension.
Buffalo Sabres Make Several Roster Moves
December 11: The Sabres announced that they have returned Murray on loan to Rochester after yesterday’s recall. Murray did not play in last night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played in the NHL since last season, though he has been impactful as a member of the Americans.
December 10: The Buffalo Sabres have announced four roster moves in advance of tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. First, they placed defenseman Henri Jokiharju and forward Vinnie Hinostroza on injured reserve. To fill those two roster spots, the team recalled forward Brett Murray and defenseman Kale Clague from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Per Sabres coach Don Granato, as relayed by Noted Hockey’s Joe Yerdon, Jokiharju is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. That’s a major loss for the Sabres as they look to climb back into the Wild Card race.
While Jokiharju’s offensive production (four points in 16 games) isn’t anything to write home about, he was playing over 20 minutes per night (fourth-most on the Sabres) and playing nearly three minutes on the penalty kill per game on the Sabres’ top penalty kill unit.
In Jokiharju’s place, the Sabres bring up Clague, who they signed this offseason to a one-year, $750K two-way deal. Clague has split time between Buffalo and Rochester this year, scoring six points in 14 AHL games and one point in seven NHL games.
In his NHL action so far this year Clague has played just under 16 minutes a night with no penalty-killing time, meaning Granato will need to look to his current stable of blueliners to fill the void left by Jokiharju’s injury.
Hinostroza, 28, is placed on injured reserve just a week after Granato said, per The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, that he had been nursing a day-to-day minor injury. The former Chicago Blackhawk has eight points in 15 games so far this season while playing in a limited role.
He’ll be replaced on the roster by Murray. The 24-year-old was a 2016 fourth-round pick of the Sabres out of the CCHL’s Carleton Place Canadians and signed in Buffalo after a two-year collegiate career as a Penn State Nittany Lion, as well as a final year in the USHL in 2018-19. Murray has nine goals and 15 points in 22 AHL games so far this year and scored six points in 19 NHL games last season.
Morning Notes: Puljujarvi, Heritage Classic, Matheson
Earlier this week, an interview with Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi in a Finnish newspaper came out, with Puljujarvi saying in sum that he wants to be a productive first line forward, but isn’t sure if he can do that in the NHL. His frustration and lack of confidence is a bit understandable, the former fourth-overall pick struggling to just six points in 28 games to start the season. Last night on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman gave an update on the winger and where things stand with Edmonton. According to Friedman, the Oilers and Puljujarvi’s representatives agreed before the season that if things did not go well for Puljujarvi, that Edmonton would try to move him.
It’s not exactly a new story that Edmonton would be interested in moving on from Puljujarvi, the team trying to do so this summer for salary cap purposes, but now it appears both sides are interested in the idea for the benefit of the player. Friedman adds that he does expect the trade to happen eventually, but that it might take time. One reason for this is Edmonton’s injury issues at forward and the fact that they don’t currently have any salary cap issues, at least not until Evander Kane returns to the lineup. There’s no doubt Puljujarvi has struggled to meet expectation this season, however he still can be better than some alternatives while the team works through its injury troubles.
- Also from Hockey Night In Canada’s 32 Thoughts last night, the NHL has confirmed that the Heritage Classic will be returning to Edmonton next season. The game is expected to be played at Commonwealth Stadium sometime in October and will feature a Battle of Alberta between the Oilers and the Calgary Flames.
- After he didn’t play last night against the Los Angeles Kings, the Montreal Canadiens confirmed that defenseman Mike Matheson is in-fact injured, dealing with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to be as bad as the abdominal injury that kept him out the first 17 games of the season., the team announcing the injury as day-to-day. The veteran has only played in nine games so far this season while dealing with injury, but does have an impressive six points in that span. Matheson is in his first season with Montreal after coming back the other way from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Jeff Petry trade.
Snapshots: Schenn, Chychrun, Muzzin
Few players currently active in the NHL have had as stunning career revivals as Luke Schenn has had in recent years. Just a few seasons ago the 2008 fifth-overall pick would be known to most as a Toronto Maple Leafs draft disappointment who ultimately settled in as a bottom-of-the-lineup depth defenseman. Then Schenn signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, won two Stanley Cups, and went to Vancouver where he has become a steady rock on an otherwise volatile defense. Now, his agent is singing Schenn’s praises on social media as a potential trade deadline acquisition for a contending team.
According to Schenn, though, a trade isn’t his first choice for how to proceed on his expiring contract. Per The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, Schenn “wants to re-sign with the Canucks” and has said that his top priority “is to be part of a winning team” in Vancouver. (subscription link) Can the Canucks devote some of their limited financial flexibility to Schenn, who for all his virtues remains a 33-year-old physical defenseman? Schenn’s side of the equation seems settled, so the open question is whether Schenn’s interest in signing an extension is shared by his team.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- The Jakob Chychrun situation in Arizona remains unsettled, as the team has still not found a suitable trade deal for their star defenseman. Per PHNX’s Craig Morgan, they’re not going to budge on their asking price any time soon. According to Morgan, that price is two first-round picks and a second-rounder or a “good prospect,” and teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, and Florida Panthers, among others, are “still believed to be in the mix.”
- The Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran penned a closer look at the Maple Leafs’ situation with defenseman Jake Muzzin, examining not only whether he can return from the neck injury that sidelined him, but whether he should. Based on the comments of the health experts McGran interviewed, it seems Muzzin is facing the choice of whether to potentially risk his long-term personal health in order to get back on the ice.
Injury Updates: Letang, Duhaime, Hartman, Mrazek, Krug
When it was revealed that legendary Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffered a minor stroke, the first thoughts most had weren’t hockey-related. Everyone involved, including the Penguins, emphasized the importance of prioritizing Letang’s health over any hockey-related concerns. Now, just 12 days after his health scare, Letang is firmly back in the mix for a lineup spot in Pittsburgh.
Per Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, as relayed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Letang returned to practice and is available for tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. It’s a remarkable turn of events for the veteran defenseman and a development that speaks to the strength, resilience, and immense toughness he’s displayed over the course of his NHL career.
Some other injury updates from across the NHL:
- The Minnesota Wild have been without forwards Ryan Hartman and Brandon Duhaime as they each work back from upper-body injuries. Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, both skaters are expected to return to practice with the Wild next week, when the team returns from its road trip. (subscription link) Hartman’s return is important for the Wild, whose thin crop of centers has forced them into using Sam Steel as their first-line center. Hartman, who scored 34 goals and 65 points last season, should be a better fit for that role, while Duhaime’s return should add some snarl to the team’s bottom-six.
- Chicago Blackhawks starting netminder Petr Mrazek suffered his second groin injury of the season, but thankfully for Chicago, it seems to have been just a minor setback. Per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Mrazek is aiming to return for the Blackhawks’ game against the Washington Capitals.
- The St. Louis Blues are set to get a defenseman back when Torey Krug returns to the ice tomorrow, per Blues coach Craig Berube. (via NHL.com’s Lou Korac) Krug has missed the Blues’ last two games, and his return should help the team shore up a blueline that has surrendered goals at an alarmingly high rate for the past two weeks.