Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Coyotes’ Travis Dermott Out For The Season With Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have announced that defenseman Travis Dermott will be sidelined for the rest of the season with an upper-body injury. Forward Nick Bjugstad is also facing an upper-body injury, carrying a day-to-day designation (Twitter link). The Coyotes have five games remaining in their season, including a Tuesday night matchup with the Seattle Kraken.

Dermott has been limited to just 50 games this season, with a month-long absence in November headlining an injury-plagued year. It’s been a disappointing start to Dermott’s time in Arizona after he signed a one-year deal with the team this summer. It was his first time signing a free-agent contract, with all of his previous deals coming with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dermott certainly found an improved role in the desert, averaging 17:17 in ice time that flirted with his career-high. But it didn’t lead to improved scoring, as he managed just two goals and seven points, matching the measly scoring he posted in 60 games last year. Dermott will be set to re-enter free agency this summer, with this injury likely not helping his bid for a new team if the Coyotes don’t re-sign him.

Rookie Maksymillian Szuber is expected to make his NHL debut in Dermott’s place. Szuber has recorded six goals and 24 points in 67 games as an AHL rookie, after spending the last three seasons in Germany’s DEL. He’ll become the first skater selected outside of 2022’s top two rounds to play in the NHL. Szuber moving into the lineup removes Arizona’s extra defender, though the team could recall an option like Victor Soderstrom or Vladislav Kolyachonok for added depth.

Blues’ Justin Faulk Week-To-Week, Likely Out For Season

at CDT | by 3 Comments

An upper-body injury is expected to hold Justin Faulk out for an extended time, per Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Dispatch (Twitter link). DeFranks shares that head coach Drew Bannister designated Faulk as week-to-week, adding that he’s likely done for the year. The Blues have four games left in their season.

Faulk left the Blues’ Saturday game early, following a fight with San Jose Sharks forward Luke Kunin. He instigated the fight after a bad hit on teammate Jake Neighbours that also forced an early exit. Bannister designated Neighbours as day-to-day with a resulting upper-body injury on Tuesday, per NHL.com’s Lou Korac (Twitter link).

Faulk has again served as a top defender for the Blues, averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time through 60 games this season. But he hasn’t been nearly as productive as usual, with just two goals and 30 points – a far cry from his 50 points last year. Injuries could be to blame, with Faulk missing significant time in December, January, and February with a nagging lower-body injury. He’ll now end his season having played in his fewest games since 2013, excluding the shortened 2020-21 season where he played in all 56 games.

Faulk’s absence will give Matthew Kessel and Tyler Tucker more lineup security, though they’ll each still compete with Marco Scandella. None of the three have reached 10 points yet, with Scandella’s eight points in 66 games leading the group. Meanwhile, rookies Zach Dean and Zachary Bolduc could hang onto a role with Neighbours out. St. Louis is currently five points back from a Wild Card, and one game in the hole, though they’re not yet mathematically eliminated.

West Notes: Demko, Dunn, McCann, Rantanen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks welcomed starting goaltender Thatcher Demko back to practice on Tuesday and could return him to the lineup as soon as Saturday, head coach Rick Tocchet shares with TSN’s Farhan Lalji (Twitter link). Demko is currently on Vancouver’s long-term injured reserve with a knee injury. He hasn’t played since March 9th, missing Vancouver’s last 12 games.

While Tocchet added that the team wants to be careful in easing Demko back in, there’s no doubting they’re ecstatic to have him back in time for playoffs. Demko’s success has been a big part of the Canucks’ climb up the standings, with the 28-year-old posting 34 wins and a .917 save percentage across 49 appearances this season. He ranks third in the league in wins and fifth in save percentage, among starting goalies.

Demko’s strong performances this season have continued his ascension, with the three-year starter in a good position to receive Vezina Trophy votes for just the second time in his career – joining his seventh-place finish in 2022, after he posted 33 wins and a .915 save percentage in 64 games. But he’ll have bigger goals in mind, with Vancouver poised to make the playoffs for just the third time since 2014.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Both Jared McCann and Vince Dunn will miss the Seattle Kraken’s Tuesday game against the Arizona Coyotes, per team reporter Alison Lukan (Twitter link). Head coach Dave Hakstol shared that both players remain day-to-day, with McCann facing a lower-body injury and Dunn nursing an upper-body injury. The pair have been highly impactful this year, each ranked in the top-three of scoring in Seattle, with McCann boasting a team-leading 60 points in 75 games while Dunn has 46 points in 59 games.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has shared that forward Mikko Rantanen could return on Saturday, per Ryan Boulding of NHL.com (Twitter link). The star winger has been in concussion protocol after taking a heavy hit from Edmonton Oilers defesneman Mattias Ekholm on Friday. Rantanen eclipsed the 100-point mark for the second-straight seaosn this year, currently carrying 40 goals and 102 points through 77 games.

Devils’ Jack Hughes To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The New Jersey Devils have announced that star centerman Jack Hughes will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on April 10th (Twitter link). His season will come to a close after just 62 games, with Hughes scoring 27 goals and 74 points.

This news finally brings an end to what’s been an injury-riddled year for Hughes. He missed two weeks of action in November with a right shoulder injury and earned a spot on injured reserve for one month in January with another upper-body injury. And while Hughes has been consistently in the lineup since February 8th, he hasn’t seemed to be in full health – shying away from physicality and not taking a single faceoff since his last injury.

But even when hobbled, Hughes was still a dominant player for the Devils. He’s scored 29 points in 30 games since February 8th, while averaging 21:28 in ice time. That ranks Hughes second on the team in scoring in that span, behind Nico Hischier and tied with Timo Meier. It also ranks him in the top 30 in league scoring over the last two months.

New Jersey has gone 31-31 with Hughes in the lineup, compared to 6-10 in the games he’s missed, and 12-16 since his return from injured reserve. They’ll now have to finish the year off without him, though there’s not much left to fight for – with New Jersey sat five points, and five spots, away from an Eastern Conference Wild Card. Nolan Foote is expected to make his season debut in Hughes’ absence on Tuesday. Foote has missed a large portion of the season with an upper-body injury suffered during the preseason. He’ll be playing in his 20th career NHL game, and his first since March of 2023.

Devils Notes: Hughes, Marino, Foote

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils will be without star forward Jack Hughes tonight, and potentially longer according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Officially, Hughes will be out tonight with an undisclosed injury, and head coach Travis Green alluded to the idea that Hughes could miss the remainder of New Jersey’s regular season.

It will be the second time in three seasons that Hughes will have his season significantly shortened by injury, as his last complete year came back in the 2020-21 NHL season, although he did compete in 78 games last year. If Hughes is indeed done for the remaining schedule, he will have finished with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games, the second-highest points-per-game mark of his young career.

In a season to forget for the Devils organization, the team will only be able to finish with a maximum of 87 points, a 25-point drop off from just a season ago. With 16 games missed on the season, New Jersey has only been able to procure a 6-9-1 record without their top player this season, partially leading to their fall in the standings.

Other Devils notes:

  • After having missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, it appears that defenseman John Marino could be returning tonight for the Devils (X Link). Much like Hughes and several other members of New Jersey’s roster, Marino has missed a handful of games across the season due to injuries. When healthy, Marino has been able to suit up in 71 games for the Devils up to this point, scoring four goals and 29 points overall while averaging 20:51 of ice time per night.
  • Now that Hughes has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game, team reporter for the Devils, Amanda Stein, is reporting that forward Nolan Foote could be making his season debut with the club. Having recently been activated from Season Opening Injured Reserve on March 11th, Foote has only managed four games for the team’s AHL affiliate altogether this season, scoring three goals and four points in a small sample size.

Arizona Coyotes Recall Jan Jenik

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Before the team’s game tonight against the Seattle Kraken, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jenik from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, on an emergency loan. The news of Jenik’s call-up likely means that forward Barrett Hayton will not be able to make his return to the lineup in tonight’s contest.

This transaction will mark Jenik’s third call-up of the season, with the last coming in mid-November. During that callup, Jenik was able to play in his first and only game of the season for Arizona, registering zero points in just 8:21 of ice time.

In what has become a recurring theme throughout his tenure with the Coyotes organization, Jenik has been given a much larger opportunity and thus has produced much better in Tucson. In 54 games for the Roadrunners this season, Jenik has scored 16 goals and 36 points, good for third on the team in scoring.

Even though his season down in the minors has been respectable, it is a marketable drop-off from his recent production in Tucson. Over the last two years prior, Jenik has scored 24 goals and 70 points in 81 games, a 0.20 PPG increase compared to his current output.

Still, with the Coyotes still maintaining 12 healthy forwards on their active roster despite Hayton’s absence, it is unlikely that Jenik will be able to build upon his 2023-24 season at the NHL level. When Hayton is healthy enough to return to the lineup, Jenik will rejoin the Roadrunners for the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, as they have already clinched a postseason nod in the AHL’s Pacific Division.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Dylan Holloway

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Before their potential playoff preview matchup tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled some forward depth from AHL Bakersfield. A few moments ago, the Oilers recalled forward Dylan Holloway from the Bakersfield Condors, per a team announcement.

Unfortunately, the recall might be met with some bad news, as radio commentator for the Oilers, Bob Stauffer, is reporting that Connor McDavid is not on the ice for practice. This update does not necessarily mean that McDavid is out with any major concerns, but it is an uncharacteristic move by the team’s captain, nonetheless.

Recovering from a knee injury suffered earlier in the season, Holloway has been the recipient of a few call-ups with the Oilers since returning in January but has not been very productive at the NHL level since then. In 18 games with Edmonton since returning to the organization, Holloway has scored two goals and three points in total, averaging 10:47 of ice time per game.

With the Condors, Holloway has been much more productive, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in 18 games. Thanks to the offensive help provided by Holloway down the stretch, Bakersfield was able to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs for the fifth year in a row.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Juha Jaaska To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Tapping into the European free-agent market, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought in forward Juha Jaaska to a one-year, $775K contract. The contract will begin at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, any Jaaska will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.

For the last eight seasons, Jaaska has been a full-time member of HIFK, an organization in the Finnish Liiga. Over 310 games overseas, Jaaska scored 51 goals and 142 points in total while also chipping in 11 goals and 22 points in 55 playoff games.

Over his eight years with the organization, Jaaska and HIFK were able to play in five bronze medal games in the Finnish Liiga playoffs but were only able to win two of those series. Outside of those two medal finishes, HIFK was unable to reach any further in the playoffs over the last eight seasons.

Even though he was never on pace to capture any scoring awards overseas, Jaaska has been a very consistent player for HIFK throughout his tenure and has developed into an intense forechecker. When asked about the signing, General Manager of the Hurricanes, Don Waddell, said, “Juha is a veteran forward who brings energy and intensity to every shift. He’s performed consistently in Finland, and we’re excited to see what he can do in North America.”

Since Carolina is projected to lose some depth at the bottom of their lineup this offseason, Jaaska should have an opportunity to make the team out of training camp. Especially with a league minimum contract, the Hurricanes could take advantage of the additional cap flexibility to be more aggressive in signing Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis this summer.

Arber Xhekaj Out For Season, Christian Dvorak Returning Tonight

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj is out for the rest of the season and will undergo shoulder surgery tomorrow. The 23-year-old hasn’t played in almost a week and will have his left shoulder operated on; the Canadiens believe he will be ready for training camp next season.

Xhekaj will finish his second NHL season with 44 games played and has tallied three goals and seven assists to go along with a +6 plus/minus. The native of Hamilton, Ontario saw his average ice time increase by about 40 seconds a game, and made some improvements to his defensive game, but still struggled with turnovers. The Canadiens did increase his powerplay ice time to roughly one minute per game, but he couldn’t capitalize on it and recorded no powerplay points this season.

In other Canadiens news, center Christian Dvorak will return to the lineup tonight for the first time since December 30th. The 28-year-old had surgery on January 5th to repair a torn pectoral muscle and will dress against the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s been a tough stretch for Dvorak as injuries and inconsistency have limited his impact this season as he has just three goals and four assists in 25 games. Dvorak was never an analytics darling but his underlying numbers have fallen off since joining the Canadiens three seasons ago.

Vegas Activates Hertl Off IR, Assign Two Others

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights officially activated Tomas Hertl off the injured reserve last night which sparked a series of roster moves so that the team could insert the forward into their lineup while remaining cap compliant. The 30-year-old Hertl was acquired by Vegas from the San Jose Sharks back on March 8th in a move that surprised the hockey world. Hertl played 20:20 last night in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks and did notch an assist. The game was the 49th of Hertl’s season and the first of his career in a jersey other than a Sharks jersey. On the season, Hertl has now posted 15 goals and 20 assists and is -27.

The Golden Knights made two other moves last night, first moving forward William Carrier back to the LTIR as he hasn’t played since March 25th due to an upper-body injury. Carrier was placed on LTIR exactly one month ago but returned in March to play six games before being injured again. Carrier has struggled this season with just six goals and two assists in 39 games.

Vegas also assigned rookie forward Brendan Brisson to their AHL affiliate in Henderson. The move was a clear financial move to be cap compliant as Brisson has been solid in limited NHL action this season with two goals and six assists in 14 games. Brisson only dressed in one game during his most recent recall and has points in four straight NHL games.

Vegas currently sits in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference and is a point back of the Los Angeles Kings for third spot in the Pacific Division.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top