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Luke Hughes Recovering Slower Than Expected From Shoulder Injury

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Highly-touted Devils sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes is recovering slower than expected from his offseason shoulder injury and has been given a new five-to-seven-week timeline from today for his return, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. The Devils initially announced on Sep. 12 that he was expected to miss six to eight weeks with the injury, which doesn’t require surgery, but he’ll no longer be making his season debut in that window.

Still just 21 years old, Hughes made his NHL debut at the tail end of 2022-23 and immediately looked like he belonged with a goal and an assist in a pair of contests. He kept up the momentum in his rookie season last year, posting 38 assists and 47 points in 82 games to tie the Wild’s Brock Faber for the scoring lead among first-year defensemen. He’s considered one of the best U-23 defensemen in the game, and while his -25 rating shows he has room for improvement away from the puck, his possession metrics were far from marking him as a true defensive liability.

Hughes was initially expected to return to action for the Devils in late October or early November, missing the first 10 to 13 games of New Jersey’s regular season. His new timeline puts his return between Nov. 6 and Nov. 20, meaning he could miss up to a quarter of the Devils’ regular-season schedule.

His absence provides a major opportunity for former University of Michigan teammate Seamus Casey, who’s on track to make the opening night roster and his NHL debut when the Devils open their regular season against the Sabres in Prague later this week. The 20-year-old has been skating in a third-pairing role alongside Simon Nemec after leading Wolverines defenders in scoring last year with 45 points in 40 NCAA games. The Devils will also be without Brett Pesce to begin the season while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured fibula back in May, leaving them without two likely top-four pieces for the beginning stretch.

Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar Won’t Make Blackhawks’ Roster

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Recent first-round picks Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar won’t make the Blackhawks’ opening night roster. They were both part of roster cuts the team announced Wednesday and will begin the 2024-25 season on assignment to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

The 20-year-old Korchinski is coming off his first professional season, all of which he spent on the NHL roster. The 2022 seventh-overall pick made the Hawks out of camp last year and logged top-four minutes on a paper-thin Chicago defense. However, it wasn’t the best move for the puck-moving defender’s development. He logged 15 points and a -39 rating in 76 games, posting the worst possession quality metrics of any Blackhawks skater. He’s looked overmatched at times in preseason play this year, too, posting a -3 rating in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to the Wild.

Korchinski starting the season in Rockford is far from unexpected, even after logging so much NHL ice last season. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope reported in August that the organization envisioned Korchinski getting a breather in the minors, and line rushes early on in training camp indicated he was likely on the outside looking in. He’s only a year removed from a prolific junior career with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, where he totaled 133 assists and 148 points in 145 games across four seasons.

Nazar, 20, was taken six spots after Korchinski in 2022 and made his pro debut just a few months back at the tail end of the 2023-24 season. He signed his entry-level contract following an electric sophomore season at the University of Michigan, rebounding for 41 points in 41 games after missing most of his freshman year due to injury. He scored once but had a -4 rating in three NHL contests to end the season with the Hawks.

When both players suit up for the IceHogs later this month, it’ll be their respective AHL debuts. They’ll likely get a longer runway in the minors to get re-acclimated (or straight-up acclimated, in Nazar’s case) to the pro game before being considered for a recall.

With Wyatt Kaiser’s availability for the start of the regular season uncertain after only recently returning to on-ice activities, Nolan Allan and Isaak Phillips have likely won out the two defense spots up for grabs with Korchinski headed to the minors, Pope points out. They’re among the seven healthy defensemen left on the Hawks’ training camp roster. Opening night against Utah on Oct. 8 could mark an NHL debut for Allan, who had 17 points and a +2 rating in 60 games for Rockford last year after going 32nd overall in the 2021 draft.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/24

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We’re in the final stages of teams making sweeping training camp cuts before the true final roster battles come into play. There are only six days to go until opening night, and most teams now only have five to 10 players – if that – to trim from their rosters to comply with the 23-player maximum. We’ll list all of Wednesday’s cuts here.

Last updated 1:33 p.m.

Carolina Hurricanes (per the team’s Walt Ruff)

G Spencer Martin (to AHL Chicago, pending waivers)

Chicago Blackhawks (per Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports)

D Louis Crevier (to AHL Rockford)
D Kevin Korchinski (to AHL Rockford)
F Frank Nazar (to AHL Rockford)
F AJ Spellacy (to OHL Windsor)

Colorado Avalanche (per team announcement)

D Jack Ahcan (to AHL Colorado, pending waivers)
D Sean Behrens (to AHL Colorado)
F Jean-Luc Foudy (to AHL Colorado)
F Jere Innala (to AHL Colorado)
F Jayson Megna (released from PTO to AHL Colorado)
G Trent Miner (to AHL Colorado)
F Matthew Phillips (to AHL Colorado, pending waivers)
F Jason Polin (to AHL Colorado)
D Calle Rosén (to AHL Colorado, pending waivers)
F Matthew Stienburg (to AHL Colorado)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Trey Fix-Wolansky (to AHL Cleveland, pending waivers)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Anton Blidh (to AHL Hartford)
G Louis Domingue (to AHL Hartford)
D Casey Fitzgerald (to AHL Hartford)
G Dylan Garand (to AHL Hartford)
D Brandon Scanlin (to AHL Hartford)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)

F Avery Hayes (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Dan Renouf (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)

F Andrew Poturalski (to AHL San Jose)
F Scott Sabourin (to AHL San Jose)
F Colin White (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)

Utah Hockey Club (per team announcement)

F Tij Iginla (to WHL Kelowna)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

D Robert Hägg (to AHL Henderson)
F Mason Morelli (to AHL Henderson)
G Akira Schmid (to AHL Henderson)

Lightning Recall Dylan Duke

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Forward Dylan Duke will get another look in the preseason with the Lightning. He won’t make the opening night roster after being cut from camp on Sunday, but he’s been recalled ahead of tonight’s exhibition game against the Panthers, the team announced.

The 21-year-old is slated to play most of his first professional season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, although there’s a decent chance he’ll be near the top of Tampa’s list for mid-season call-ups. His showing in tonight’s contest will likely go a long way toward determining that.

A fourth-round pick back in 2021, the Ohio native has played the last three seasons on a star-studded University of Michigan squad. He ramped up his production every year, topping out with 26 goals, 23 assists, and 49 points in 41 games in 2023-24. He finished third on the team in scoring behind the Blue Jackets’ Gavin Brindley and the Penguins’ Rutger McGroarty and earned himself a spot on the Big 10 Conference’s Second All-Star Team.

Duke joined the Crunch for the final few games of the regular season and the playoffs, posting a combined two assists and a -1 rating in eight contests. He’ll be looking to make a much greater offensive impact after a summer of training. The sniper is under contract through 2026-27 and can play both left wing and center, although he’ll likely suit up at the former if he lands a full-time NHL role.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens-Senators, Guhle, Red Wings

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No supplemental discipline is expected after a flurry of controversial hits and injuries in last night’s Canadiens-Senators preseason tilt, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

The fireworks started late in the first period when Ottawa forward Ridly Greig elevated his arms to lay a blindside hit on Montreal center Kirby Dach, receiving an interference minor and briefly knocking him out of the game. Dach would return, but that didn’t stop Habs defender Arber Xhekaj from charging Sens star Tim Stützle with a similar hit midway through the second period, earning himself an interference major and a game misconduct. He also received matching minors with Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk after the play. Neither Stützle nor Tkachuk returned to the contest with upper-body injuries, per the team.

Dach and Greig brawled during the third after the former returned to the game. Both players received fighting majors and 10-minute misconducts. Dach also received an extra minor for interference on the play. The Xhekaj hit on Stützle was likely most prone to a potential suspension. Still, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety believes the game misconduct assessed on the play was appropriate on its own.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Staying with Montreal, defenseman Kaiden Guhle is skating in a regular jersey at Wednesday’s practice, per Engels. It’s the first time he’s done so since having his appendix removed at the beginning of training camp. The 2020 16th overall pick signed a six-year, $33.3MM extension to remain a Canadien for the long haul in July, but he’ll still play out this season under the final year of his entry-level contract. The Edmonton native has quickly established himself as a top-four defender, averaging 20:51 per game last season and adding 22 points (6 G, 16 A) with a -8 rating in 70 contests.
  • Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde is “very impressed” with how forward prospects Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, and Carter Mazur have performed in training camp, he told The Athletic’s Max Bultman. “They’ve kind of played into my optimistic vision of them,” he added. “I like all three. I think I’ve stated that quite a bit over the last year, year and a half, and they’ve done nothing to disappoint.” The trio are still long shots to make the opening night roster with some crowded roster math working against them, but it’s clear they’ll be at the top of the list for in-season call-ups and should each get at least a few NHL reps this year.

Evening Notes: Salary Cap, CBA, Suter

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TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the media that the early ballpark projections for the salary cap next season have pegged the number at $92.5MM. The $4.5MM increase would be sizable in comparison to previous summers but Bettman cautioned that the number was very preliminary.

The NHL salary cap for this season is set at $88MM and with hockey-related revenues rising once again, it could lead to a significant salary cap increase when the NHL and NHLPA renegotiate the next collective bargaining agreement. Until that time the salary cap will likely keep climbing by a few million dollars each year, which should help some of the teams who have struggled with salary cap issues in recent years.

In other evening notes:

  • Bettman spoke about those upcoming collective bargaining agreement talks telling the media that the NHL plans to begin those conversations with the NHLPA in the new year (as per Pierre LeBrun of TSN). One of the items on the docket will be reducing the number of pre-season games to four and potentially adding two regular-season games to the schedule (as per LeBrun). The news isn’t overly surprising given the recent run of injuries during the pre-season, and the fact that fans appear to be largely disinterested in the preseason games this week.
  • Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter was injured in last night’s preseason game and is being evaluated by the team’s medical staff (as per Canucks play-by-play voice Brendan Batchelor). Suter was banged up in a scrum with Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry after Perry dropped his gloves following a hit on teammate Connor McDavid. Suter tried to avoid the confrontation, which didn’t look all that physical but caused some discomfort for the 28-year-old. Suter is entering the final season of a two-year $3.2MM contract that he signed last summer and is expected to center the Canucks fourth line this season.

Metro Notes: Panarin, Karlsson, Vilen

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The New York Rangers have announced that forward Artemi Panarin will not return to their preseason game tonight against the Devils due to a lower-body injury. Panarin suffered a similar fate last week in the Rangers second preseason game against the Islanders when he also left due to a lower-body injury. Panarin returned after missing a practice day and told the media he had left that game to err on the side of caution.

The extent of Panarin’s injury remains in question as the Rangers’ tweets have been vague thus far. Given the fact that it is just preseason, the Rangers could be exercising an abundance of caution with their superstar. Panarin has been relatively durable since joining New York, missing just seven games in the past three seasons. The 32-year-old finished fourth in NHL scoring last season with 49 goals and 71 assists in 82 games.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson took a positive step today and skated for the first time in almost a week. Karlsson has missed all of Penguins training camp after suffering an apparent upper-body injury and took time away from the ice which created a murky picture around his injury. Today, the mood seemed more optimistic after Karlsson’s solo skate, and it seems possible that Karlsson could get back into the Penguins lineup before they start the regular season on October 9th against the Rangers.
  • New Jersey Devils defenseman Topias Vilén suffered an upper-body injury last night in a preseason game against the New York Rangers and will miss the next 3-4 weeks (as per New Jersey Devils reporter Catherine Bogart). The 21-year-old joins a growing list of Devils defensemen who are dealing with injuries alongside Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, and Santeri Hatakka. The Finnish defender was unlikely to start the season in the NHL, but with the injury, he will start the AHL season a few weeks late.

Pacific Notes: Nurse, Jarventie, Lehner

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Edmonton Oilers reporter Tony Brar tweeted that Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will most likely play tomorrow. Nurse has missed Edmonton’s first six preseason games to rest an undisclosed injury. Nurse might have missed some games, but he has been on the ice skating during his absence as he can ill afford to start slowly this year after a difficult 2023-24 season.

The Oilers are firmly in their Stanley Cup window and need everything they can get from the 29-year-old especially when he is counting $9.25MM against the salary cap. Nurse has historically been a solid two-way defenseman for Edmonton but struggled considerably last year, especially in the playoffs where his even-strength play fell off a cliff.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic tweeted that Oilers forward Roby Jarventie will be out for a few days beyond the season-opening rosters being finalized and then will go to the AHL. The 22-year-old has been dealing with a knee injury that has kept him out of training camp and will be looking to build on a successful albeit brief AHL run last season with the Senators. Jarventie had nine goals and 11 assists in 22 AHL games last season with the Belleville Senators and a single assist in seven NHL games. Edmonton acquired Jarventie (along with a fourth-round pick) in a trade that sent Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson to Ottawa.
  • ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski tweeted that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says there will be more information about Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner later this week. Lehner was deemed unfit to play just two weeks ago and didn’t report for training camp. At the time, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said that “”There are unique circumstances surrounding this situation that the NHL, the NHLPA and the club are currently working through. Collectively, we are assessing our next steps and when we have more to say, we will.” One would have to assume that the news later this week will be a follow-up to McCrimmon’s comments from September 19th.

Pacific Notes: Zegras, Terry, Kartye

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The Anaheim Ducks are looking for a bounceback year from forward Trevor Zegras after an offseason of trade rumors surrounding the youngster. In a lengthy interview with James Murphy of RG.org Anaheim’s head coach, Greg Cronin publicly called out Zegras to add another level to his game.

“It’s like anything. You learn to ride a bike, and you’ve never ridden a bike before, and you get up, and you gotta keep riding it until you learn how to conquer it. The competition for him hasn’t been at the top of the value system – and I don’t mean he doesn’t compete at all – but does he compete in those areas where he’s not really comfortable competing? Like net-front battles or wall battles. He’s so skilled and talented that he can use his stick as a tool to create offense. So, we’re just asking him to be a little stiffer in those areas I identified“.

It may be a make-or-break year for Zegras as the young forward has struggled to respond positively to Cronin’s system. Zegras was limited by injuries in the 2023-24 season but only scored six goals and 15 points in 31 contests. The 2024-25 season will mark a transitionary period for the Ducks as the organization’s young prospects are fully expected to carry most of the responsibility. Zegras’ competition level in the upcoming season, or lack thereof, may lead Anaheim to pull the trigger on a trade.

Other Pacific notes:

  • The Ducks will be without their first-line right-winger for the next few days as Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports Troy Terry is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There shouldn’t be any concern about his availability for Anaheim’s regular season opener but he has not been on the ice for the past few days. Terry has been one of the most consistent forwards for the Ducks during their rebuild finishing first or second on the team in scoring over the last three years.
  • There are no concerns for Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye who took a maintenance day this afternoon while dealing with a minor ailment (X Link). Kartye is developing into a strong depth scorer for the Kraken after winning the AHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2022-23. He finished his rookie campaign last year with 11 goals and 20 points in 77 games and is again expected to fill an important role in Seattle’s bottom-six.

Patrik Laine Out Two To Three Months With Knee Sprain

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In a somewhat positive development for Patrik Laine and the Montreal Canadiens, the organization announced he would be out for two to three months with a knee sprain and would not require surgery. There was some speculation that Laine may have had damage to his anterior cruciate ligament but it appears that he and the Canadiens have avoided the worst-case scenario.

Laine’s injury came during the team’s game on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs when he was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee collision with Toronto depth forward Cédric Paré. He laid on the ice several minutes after the hit, could not skate under his power, and left the game on crutches.

It’s still an unfortunate turn of events for Laine who was looking to rebuild his career after an offseason trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The former second-overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft dealt with multiple injuries last year with the Blue Jackets limiting to only 18 games before finishing the season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

He was expected to be a major fixture in the Canadiens’ top six this season but will now have to wait until at least December to make an impact. He’s only two years removed from scoring 48 goals and 108 points in 111 games in Columbus from 2021-2023. If he hypothetically returns to the ice at the soonest possible date on December 1st he will still be able to suit up in 59 games for Montreal if he stays healthy for the remainder of the year.

It marks the second major injury to the Canadiens organization in the last few hours with the team also announcing defensive prospect David Reinbacher would miss most of the 2024-25 season after knee surgery. Laine’s luck avoiding a similar injury needing surgery likely saved his first year in Montreal.

The team still has a sizeable hole to fill on the right side of the second line. Familiar faces such as Brendan Gallagher or Josh Anderson will most likely fill that role until Laine is ready to return. No matter who the Canadiens pick to fill the newfound void they will find difficulty in internally replacing Laine’s ability to put the puck in the net.

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