Scott Laughton Placed On Injured Reserve
The Philadelphia Flyers will be without Scott Laughton for the next little while and have placed him on injured reserve. Laughton is dealing with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss two weeks, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com.
In his place, the team has recalled Jackson Cates from the AHL. The team also released injury updates on several other players. Travis Konecny will be out 10-14 days with an upper-body injury, Wade Allison is out two or three weeks with a hip pointer, and Cam Atkinson remains week-to-week. Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk are still on their respective schedules after surgery.
Laughton, 28, was seeing more ice time than ever before in his career, averaging more than 19 minutes a night through his first 18 appearances. That resulted in seven points on the year to go along with his regular brand of physical hockey.
He had been moved to wing recently, a move that the team also made with Kevin Hayes last night, with head coach John Tortorella explaining that he trusted Noah Cates more defensively in the middle of the ice.
That position has been a challenge this season for the Flyers, who don’t have a single center even above 48% on faceoffs and few players living up to their potential. Hayes and Konecny lead the team in scoring with 19 points but beyond those two and Owen Tippett, no other player even has five goals on the year.
Jackson Cates, the older of the two brothers, was scoreless in three games with the Flyers earlier this year. In 11 contests with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he has scored four goals and seven points.
Matej Blumel Returned To AHL
After playing just seven shifts in a game last night, Matej Blumel is on his way back to the minor leagues. The Dallas Stars have returned the young forward to the Texas Stars, who play three times in the next four days.
Blumel, 22, has suited up six times for Dallas this season but saw his ice time drop to just 4:28 last night, resulting in a blank scoresheet. He failed to record a hit, shot, or block, let alone any points in the shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
While the team could call him back up quickly – that has been the strategy so far, with Blumel bouncing back and forth every few days – it does seem like he has been worked out of the regular rotation. If that’s the case, Blumel might be better off playing more minutes in the AHL for the time being.
Morgan Rielly Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Toronto Maple Leafs are without their top three defensemen now, after Morgan Rielly exited last night with a knee injury. Rielly has been quickly moved to long-term injured reserve, with Darren Dreger of TSN tweeting that there are “rumblings” of a grade 1 or 2 MCL injury. That would come with a four to six-week recovery, according to Dreger.
In his place, the team has recalled Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell from the AHL.
At a very minimum, the veteran defenseman will miss 10 games and 24 days with his LTIR placement. Given he is expected back this season, the cap flexibility awarded with this move is temporary. The Maple Leafs could not for instance replace Rielly’s cap hit with an external option, as they’ll need it to activate him again down the road.
With Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie out all at the same time – the latter was on the ice before practice today testing out his oblique injury – the Maple Leafs are in a tough spot. The team’s most reliable defender becomes 39-year-old Mark Giordano, with some mix of Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, and Jordie Benn behind him.
Mete obviously has plenty of NHL experience as well, but Hollowell would be making his debut should he get into the lineup.
With that in mind, there will be plenty of speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs in the next few weeks. The team had already been linked to several defensemen around the league, and if Muzzin is out for the rest of the season, as expected, they do have a bit of cap room to work with.
New Jersey Devils Send Holtz, Bahl To AHL
In the midst of a 13-game winning streak, the New Jersey Devils aren’t about to change the lineup. So young players that are unable to get any action will need to play somewhere. Today, Alexander Holtz and Kevin Bahl have both been loaned back to the Utica Comets of the AHL.
Holtz, 20, was the seventh overall pick in 2020 and has shown flashes of offensive brilliance in his limited NHL experience. It has been limited though, with the young forward only making it into four games this season and 13 overall.
Last year, Holtz was a dominant force for the Comets, scoring 26 goals and 51 points in 52 games. He was obviously going to outgrow the minor leagues but with an inconsistent NHL performance, found himself on the outside looking in as things started to go right in New Jersey. While he may already be better than the vast majority of AHL players, he needs to play somewhere.
Bahl, meanwhile, brings a rather similar story. The hulking 6’6″ defender was beating up on AHL competition last season, and ended up seeing 17 games with the Devils. This year, after New Jersey made several additions to the blue line, he’s been limited to just three. It doesn’t do the 22-year-old much use sitting in the press box every night, even if there is some value in practicing with the big club.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see one or both back soon, but this will allow them to get back in the swing of things and shake off any rust that may have accumulated.
Colorado Avalanche Suspend Danila Zhuravlyov, Returns To Russia
Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Danila Zhuravlyov has been suspended by the team and will return home to Russia, as announced today. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports the suspension is not related to any on-ice or off-ice incident, but rather comes as a result of his returning to Russia for “personal and family-related reasons.”
There had been rumors swirling of Zhuravlyov potentially returning to his home country for the past month, mainly from Russian outlets. Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express reported last week that Zhuravlyov’s former KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, was aiming to have the 22-year-old return to the club.
A 2018 fifth-round selection of the Avalanche, Zhuravlyov made his North American debut this season and registered an assist in 14 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He demonstrated solid defensive upside in the past handful of seasons with Kazan.
Zhuravlyov’s entry-level contract runs through the 2023-24 season. If it becomes clear that Zhuravlyov will not return to the Avalanche organization, a mutual termination is entirely possible.
Latest On Cam Atkinson
The Philadelphia Flyers are decimated by injuries once again, this time to their forward corps. They’re dealing with six lineup regulars sitting on the shelf – including Cam Atkinson, who’s not technically on injured reserve but is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained during training camp.
A more definite timeline is coming into view now, though. The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco relays from a team source that the team hopes Atkinson can make his season debut before New Year’s Day.
When exactly that return happens is still anyone’s guess, though. Di Marco reports that the organization is unsure whether Atkinson’s return could come within the next week or within the next month. It’s evident that the Flyers are being cautious, especially considering the team’s recent string of poor injury luck.
Atkinson is still waiting to be reunited for a regular-season game with head coach John Tortorella, who mentored Atkinson throughout the majority of his 10 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 2018-19 under Tortorella, Atkinson enjoyed a career-best 41-goal, 69-point season.
Despite a rocky year for the rest of the Flyers last year, though, Atkinson actually had his best performance since that season in Columbus. His 23 goals, 27 assists, and 50 points were all second on the Flyers.
While the Flyers’ record is much-improved this season under Tortorella, it’s due in large part to the spectacular play of Carter Hart in goal. The Flyers’ goal-scoring ranks 26th in the NHL, with 46 through 18 games. The team sits at just .500 and remains a long shot for the playoffs, but Atkinson returning and providing a 25-to-30-goal pace would improve their waning chances.
Injury Notes: Parayko, Kassian, Red Wings
The St. Louis Blues are streaking – again. They’ve nearly wiped out a franchise-record eight-game losing streak by rattling off six straight wins, the latter half of which have come without defenseman Colton Parayko in the lineup. Considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Parayko will be a game-time decision tonight when the Blues take on the Anaheim Ducks.
Berube even went so far as to say he was “confident” that Parayko would be back in the lineup, but still, it’s not assured. He’ll be an important piece for the Blues this season as he enters the first season of his eight-year, $52MM contract extension. His defensive play this year has been better than his -9 rating would suggest, with his sample size being weighed down by poor goaltending during the Blues’ losing streak. Tyler Tucker will draw out in place of Parayko after playing his first three NHL games, and Vladimir Tarasenko will miss a second straight game with an undisclosed illness.
- In activating Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz from injured reserve, the Arizona Coyotes have replaced them with forward Zack Kassian to stay under the 23-player roster limit, according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Kassian has not played since November 1 and is still day-to-day with a lower-body injury, even though he’s missed nearly three weeks now. He’s eligible to return at any time given he’s well past the seven-day injured minimum required to be on IR, although the team will need to send someone down to accommodate.
- Forward Elmer Soderblom remains day-to-day for the Detroit Red Wings despite not playing for weeks, per head coach Derek Lalonde today. Lalonde said Soderblom’s return from a lower-body injury is “probably going to take some time,” and there’s still no clear indication when the rookie could return. Defenseman Gustav Lindstrom could play this week, though. The Swede is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Who are the Hurricanes thankful for?
The Hurricanes have a 10-5-3 record through 18 games. It isn’t bad by any means, but there are some unexpected issues rearing their ugly heads, especially in terms of depth scoring and goaltending. But after generating some criticism last season for a step back in production, even getting tossed around in trade rumors, Necas has stepped up in a big way to help buoy the team through a rough stretch.
Necas sits in the team lead in assists (14) and points (22), seeing the majority of his time on a unit with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Andrei Svechnikov. He’s been elevated to the top unit alongside Sebastian Aho in Teuvo Teravainen‘s injury-related absence, scoring three points in four games there. Necas is averaging over 19 minutes a game, posting solid possession numbers in the process, and is looking every bit as strong as his 12th-overall in 2017 billing suggests.
He’s had to generate a lot of that offense on his own, too. While Svechnikov is plugging along with 12 goals in 18 games, Kotkaniemi, his usual center, has an eye-widening three points on the year. Necas isn’t shooting much higher than his career average, either, with his 14 percent mark this season just 1.5 percent over his 12.5 percent mean.
He can’t and shouldn’t be expected to do it all by himself all season, though. They need considerably more out of a healthy Teravainen, Seth Jarvis, and Paul Stastny on the scoresheet. Their defense has been contributing, sitting sixth in the league in goals against despite subpar goaltending. If the Hurricanes are going to push through on a deep playoff run, those players simply need to do better.
What are the Hurricanes thankful for?
Good drafting and a good farm system.
Their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, won the Calder Cup last season. That success is already paying off in the NHL this year, with minor-league vet Stefan Noesen playing some resurgent hockey in an unexpected NHL opportunity due to injuries.
Chicago’s had youngsters step up in the absence of Noesen and Andrew Poturalski, who signed with the Kraken, who both had 100-point campaigns last year. Jamieson Rees is taking a huge step forward in his development, leading the team with 13 points in 14 games. He could be a call-up option if things continue to sour for Carolina’s depth forwards.
What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?
An early Max Pacioretty return.
14 years into his NHL career, Pacioretty remains a bona fide top-line winger. He’s played just a combined 87 games over the past two years though, and an offseason Achilles tear was expected to keep him out past the All-Star break.
That may still be the case, but Pacioretty did return to the ice this week in an unexpected development. The 34-year-old had 37 points in 39 games last year on the Vegas Golden Knights despite dealing with intermittent injuries throughout the season. An earlier return to the ice, if nothing else, could allow some other depth Hurricanes to play lower in the lineup and get more advantageous matchups. Either way, Pacioretty’s return from LTIR is bound to work toward solving this team’s biggest problem.
What should be on the Hurricanes’ holiday wish list?
Last year’s version of Frederik Andersen.
Carolina’s defense has been elite this season, and they’ve needed to be. Andersen is historically prone to slow starts, yes, but it’s a measurable achievement to post a sub-.900 save percentage on such a defensively stout team. That’s what Andersen’s managed to do, recording a .891 mark through eight starts.
He’s been out with a lower-body injury since November 8 and remains day-to-day. Pyotr Kochetkov has been a saving grace in the meantime, recording a 2-0-1 record and a .943 save percentage in three appearances.
They’ll need goaltending in the playoffs, especially in an Eastern Conference ripe with strong possession teams similar to Carolina. Unless Kochetkov is able to break out as a starting option earlier than expected, Andersen needs to improve his play.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
More On Tyler Myers Trade Speculation
Over the weekend, reports emerged that the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators had discussed a potential Tyler Myers–Nikita Zaitsev swap. The talks didn’t get far enough to approach either player to waive their no-trade clause, but it still caused plenty of speculation over whether the Canucks will try to move on from their big defenseman.
Today, while discussing the particulars on CHEK TV, Rick Dhaliwal explained how difficult it will be to move Myers.
Here’s the problem. Myers has a $5MM signing bonus coming his way on July 1. That’s tough for any team to digest. That’s maybe why Ottawa is asking for a sweetener, something the Canucks are not in the mood to give up.
The Canucks are already without their 2024 second-round pick because of a trade that sent Jason Dickinson to the Chicago Blackhawks and do not appear to be in any position to start handing out more future assets. The team is struggling to stay in the Pacific Division race (despite some recent success) and likely could get Myers off the books much easier if they waited until after that $5MM signing bonus is paid out.
The 32-year-old defenseman is only signed through 2023-24 at a $6MM cap hit, meaning any acquiring team next summer would get him for just $1MM in actual salary. With a 10-team no-trade clause, Myers does have some say in where he ends up.
Vancouver could use that cap space next season, as J.T. Miller‘s extension comes into effect and captain Bo Horvat needs a new deal. Even Andrei Kuzmenko, who has been one of the team’s more consistent offensive pieces, could factor into the financial planning as he too is a UFA after his one-year entry-level deal expires.
Moving Myers this year would obviously help, given the team is currently deep into LTIR space and will be in an extremely tight cap situation when Tucker Poolman and Travis Dermott are ready to be activated. But it might not be possible at this point, especially given his recent decrease in responsibility.
Myers has seen fewer than 19 minutes in each of the last three games and is now averaging fewer than 21 on the season for just the second time in his 14-year career.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Heinola, Samuelsson
The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, and first place went to one of the game’s legendary players. Sidney Crosby is back on top after scoring 11 points in four Pittsburgh Penguins matches, passing Bryan Trottier for 17th on the all-time points list. With 64 more points, he will become just the 15th player in NHL history to record 1,500 in a career.
Second and third place went to Pavel Buchnevich and Martin Jones, respectively, after their own impressive weeks. The St. Louis Blues forward had seven points in four games to help power the incredible turnaround that now has them on a six-game winning streak and sitting fourth in the Central Division. Jones, meanwhile continued his resurgent season and now carries a .913 save percentage through 15 appearances.
- The squeaky wheel is getting some grease in Winnipeg, where the Jets will dress Ville Heinola for the first time this season. Earlier this month, Heinola’s agent publicly requested some additional playing time for his client, who has been stuck in limbo somewhere between leagues for much of his professional career. Now 21, Heinola has seven points in 11 games for the Manitoba Moose but will make his season debut against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, according to Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun.
- Speaking of getting a defenseman into the lineup, the Buffalo Sabres are expecting to have Mattias Samuelsson dressed tomorrow night. The team has gone into a tailspin since he was injured earlier this season and is currently on an eight-game losing streak. Buffalo went 4-1 with Samuelsson, who signed a seven-year extension in early October.