Lineup Notes: Hoglander, Robertson, Holloway
The Vancouver Canucks will spin the wheel of healthy scratches again tonight, this time sitting down Nils Hoglander for their game against the Minnesota Wild. Conor Garland will be inserted back onto the top line after taking his turn in the press box, according to Harman Dayal of The Athletic, who also tweets out that Tucker Poolman will be a game-time decision.
Hoglander, 21, recorded an assist on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, his only point of the season so far, and has just seven shots on net through four games. The diminutive forward hasn’t been able to replicate the kind of impact he had when he first entered the league in 2021, scoring 27 points in 56 games during the shortened season. While head coach Bruce Boudreau likes the way Hoglander is playing, he told Dayal that “sometimes you look at your opposition and see what you need.”
- The offseason experiment of Denis Malgin on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second line is coming to an end, at least for tonight. According to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, the team will move top prospect Nick Robertson into the lineup to play beside John Tavares and William Nylander, an especially exciting opportunity for the young forward because of the opponent. Robertson’s brother Jason Robertson is in town with the Dallas Stars, making the second time the siblings will face off in the NHL. Despite starting games with the top-six unit, Malgin has averaged just 11:18 through his first four appearances with the Maple Leafs, seeing fewer than nine minutes in a recent loss against the Arizona Coyotes.
- Dylan Holloway isn’t going to play tonight, according to Ryan Rishaug of TSN, who notes that while the young forward is listed as day-to-day, it could be a little while before he returns to the lineup if he’s dealing with a head injury. The Oilers’ prospect got punished by Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin earlier this week in a massive open-ice hit. With Holloway injured, Edmonton will have to go with a roster of just 20 healthy players, unless another move is made (or the young forward ends up on LTIR).
Pacific Notes: Oilers, Benson, Wright
The presence of Dylan Holloway is what ultimately might be the final push for the Oilers to part ways with Jesse Puljujarvi, suggests Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (subscription link). However, when that happens remains to be seen. Nugent-Bowman notes that Edmonton isn’t interested in a futures-based return for Puljujarvi which doesn’t help an already-thin trade market since a lot of teams can’t take on his $3MM AAV. However, while moving Puljujarvi would free up some needed cap space, they’d be taking a risk with promoting Holloway into a prominent role considering he has basically half a pro season under his belt with their AHL affiliate. Long-term, they should take comfort that Holloway could fill Puljujarvi’s spot but it might be a case of later rather than sooner that the youngster pushes Puljujarvi out.
More from the Pacific:
- Still with the Oilers, they’ll be without winger Tyler Benson for a little while with the team not sure how much time he’ll miss, notes Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor (Twitter link). On its own, a player on the fringes of the roster missing time isn’t typically notable in itself but as PuckPedia points out (Twitter link), Benson was on Edmonton’s roster long enough last season to have his cap hit count in full instead of being prorated through season-opening IR. With cap space at a premium for Edmonton, having Benson count in full to start the year if he’s only going to miss a couple of weeks certainly won’t help things.
- While it’s not set in stone just yet, Kraken GM Ron Francis told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link) that he believes Shane Wright will spend the full season in the NHL. Seattle took the center fourth overall back in July which came as a surprise to many as he was viewed as the projected top selection for most of the season. With Matthew Beniers, Yanni Gourde, and Jared McCann all ahead of him down the middle on the depth chart, Wright might not get a lot of playing time early on but that will also allow him to be eased in from a development perspective which, in the long run, might be ideal for the 18-year-old.
Dylan Holloway To Make NHL Debut
With their backs against the wall, the Edmonton Oilers are trying something new. Dylan Holloway will make his NHL debut according to several reports including Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Oilers are also expected to dress Brad Malone in the do-or-die game four, with Kailer Yamamoto unavailable due to injury and Evander Kane suspended.
Holloway, 20, was the 14th overall pick in 2020 and made his professional debut this season with the Bakersfield Condors. The former University of Winsconsin winger had eight goals and 22 points in 33 regular season games, before adding four points in five postseason contests. He figures to challenge for a full-time role with the Oilers next season, given players like Kane, Josh Archibald, Derick Brassard, Colton Sceviour, and Kyle Turris are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Making your NHL debut in the playoffs is something not a ton of players get to experience, though there is a shining example on the other side of the ice. Cale Makar jumped right into the 2019 postseason with the Colorado Avalanche and made an impact immediately, scoring what ended up being the winning goal.
Currently, Holloway is the third highest pick from the 2020 draft to have yet to suit up for an NHL game, following just Jake Sanderson and Yaroslav Askarov. That will change tonight, when he tries to help keep the Oilers alive in the Western Conference Finals.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Seven Players
The Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs on Friday, and as a result, the Oilers became free to call up players without fear of their absences negatively impacting their affiliate team. Today, the Oilers announced that they have called up seven players from the Condors, a group that will form the team’s “Black Aces,” or players who practice, travel, and remain ready for their NHL teams but typically do not see game action. Those seven players are:
- Stuart Skinner
- Philip Broberg
- Markus Niemelainen
- Dmitri Samorukov
- Dylan Holloway
- Seth Griffith
- Brad Malone
Perhaps the most significant name there is the goaltender, Skinner. In the unfortunate and unlikely circumstance that the Oilers’ starting goaltender, Mike Smith, gets injured or is otherwise unable to play, it’s possible that coach Jay Woodcroft could prefer to start Skinner over backup Mikko Koskinen, given their respective performances in the regular season. Koskinen played in 45 games this regular season and had a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against-average. Skinner, on the other hand, posted a .913 save percentage this year, albeit in only 13 games of work at the NHL level.
The Oilers are obviously hoping that they won’t have to make such a choice, but now with Skinner and some top prospects such as Broberg, Holloway, and Samorukov in the fold, they have some more options in case this version of the Battle of Alberta proves to be especially violent.
Injury Notes: Girard, Coyotes, Oilers, Walman
According to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, the Colorado Avalanche will have defenseman Samuel Girard back in the lineup tonight, the first time since March 8th (link). Girard’s return comes at a good time for Colorado, who were already missing Ryan Murray on the left side before seeing Devon Toews go down last night after blocking a shot against the Winnipeg Jets. Though Toews is expected to be okay after the shot block, it’s unclear if he will have to miss any time.
Getting the 23-year-old Girard back in the lineup also helps to lengthen an already stellar Avalanche defense group as the team looks to get into a groove heading into the playoffs. Colorado is currently first in the entire NHL with 108 points, two ahead of the Florida Panthers, and 13 points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the top spot in the west. After a career year in 2020-21 with 32 points in 48 games, Girard has taken a small step back, having 27 points in 56 games this season, but has been a steady and reliable presence on the back-end for a dominant Avalanche team.
- There is positive injury news out in the desert, as Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny announced that defenseman Janis Moser is on the Coyotes’ road trip and is now considered day-to-day for the team (link). It’s unclear when exactly Moser, who has not played since March 15th, will return, but having the young defenseman return to finish out the season would be much-welcomed for Arizona. The Coyotes also expect prospect Jack McBain to make his NHL debut soon, says Tourigny. McBain, who the Coyotes acquired from the Minnesota Wild on March 21st, and signed on March 23rd, has been unable to play due to injury. Tourigny points to Arizona’s games at Vancouver and Calgary next week, or the following week at home as possible dates of McBain to debut. The 22-year-old spent this season and three prior as a standout for Boston College in the NCAA.
- Edmonton Oilers’ prospect Philip Broberg is expected to return from injury within the next two weeks for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, says Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Athletic (link). Broberg, who has split time between Bakersfield and Edmonton, has been out since March 18. Another Oilers prospect, Dylan Holloway, did not play last night and is expected to be out at least through this weekend, says Nugent-Bowman. A return timetable is not yet clear for Holloway, however Nugent-Bowman does believe that Holloway will make his NHL debut before the end of the season (link). The 14th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by Edmonton, Holloway has eight goals and thirteen assists in 32 games this season for Bakersfield.
- From Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, defenseman Jake Walman is out of the lineup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury (link). Walman has been a reliable defenseman for both the Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues this season, coming to Detroit from St. Louis in the Nick Leddy trade back in March. No timetable for Walman’s return has been made available yet.
Prospect Notes: Wright, Holloway, Golden Knights
TSN’s mid-season rankings for the 2022 draft have come out and though Shane Wright remains at the top, it’s a tenuous position. Bob McKenzie, who compiles the list based on a poll of active scouts, writes that the Kingston Frontenacs captain has been underwhelming in the few of many this season after missing all of 2020-21 because of the OHL’s COVID-19 shutdown.
Wright had been a unanimous selection from those scouts in the pre-season ranking but was now listed first by only nine of ten with Russian forward Ivan Miroshnichenko getting the other top vote. In 25 games for Kingston this season, the 18-year-old center has 12 goals and 31 points after scoring 39 goals and 66 points as an exceptional status player in 2019-20.
- Dylan Holloway, the 14th overall pick in 2020 and a member of the Edmonton Oilers, has yet to play in a professional game since signing out of the University of Wisconsin. That will soon change as Holloway has reached a point in his injury recovery that he will soon report to the Bakersfield Condors for game action. A brilliant sophomore campaign with Wisconsin led to an entry-level contract last April for Holloway, one that will see the first year burned whether he plays in the NHL or not this season. Multiple wrist surgeries (and a stint in the COVID protocol) have kept him out so far, but Hollway is now medically cleared for action.
- Scott Wheeler of The Athletic continued his prospect pool rankings with the Vegas Golden Knights at No 22, but noted that this is the first team in what he would call the third tier, closer to the middle third of the league than the bottom. With no Peyton Krebs to take the top spot after he was sent to Buffalo in the Jack Eichel deal, Brendan Brisson of the University of Michigan sits first for the Golden Knights. Brisson is one of several Wolverines that will be suiting up for Team USA at the upcoming Olympics, an impressive accomplishment for a player that nearly slipped out of the first round two years ago. In 2020, Brisson was selected 29th overall by the Golden Knights and has followed that draft with two very strong college seasons.
Oilers Notes: Yamamoto, Holloway, McDavid
The Edmonton Oilers have announced that Kailer Yamamoto was pulled from practice this morning because of a positive result on a rapid COVID-19 test. He is currently in the protocol, but will await further results to confirm his status. Should he test negative moving forward, he would not need to face the mandatory five-day isolation period.
Yamamoto, 23, has been relatively underwhelming this season even if he is one of the team’s most reliable forwards. With just seven goals and 12 points in 34 games, the young forward isn’t producing anywhere near the 2019-20 rate that made him so exciting to watch. With a contract negotiation and potential arbitration right around the corner, a strong second half would certainly go a long way for his financial future.
- Speaking of exciting young Edmonton forwards, it’s been a challenging year for prospect Dylan Holloway. After fracturing his wrist while playing for the University of Wisconsin, he underwent surgery in March 2021. Several months later and he was under the knife a second time after consulting with specialists, meaning he’s been away from the game for quite some time. Today, Holloway joined the team at practice and was a “full participant.” Selected 14th overall in 2020, Holloway blew up at Wisconsin last season, scoring 35 points in 23 games while also taking home the silver medal with Canada at the World Juniors. Now 20, he’s in the first year of his entry-level contract and could be activated whenever healthy enough to contribute.
- Head coach Dave Tippett confirmed that Connor McDavid, Tyson Barrie, and Derek Ryan are eligible to exit the COVID protocol on Sunday, should they be able to provide negative test results. That would make them available to the team for Monday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, though nothing is certain at this point.
Edmonton Oilers Issue Injury Updates
The Western Conference-leading Edmonton Oilers had a number of names back at practice on Monday, but head coach Dave Tippett was quick to qualify these appearances. As the Oilers look to stay hot and cement themselves as the team to beat out west, they want to be at full strength and are heading in the right direction. However, some players are further along than others in their recoveries.
Defensemen Darnell Nurse and Duncan Keith are the closest to returning to the lineup, per Tippett. Keith has been dealing with a nagging upper-body injury that was reaggravated early last week and has sidelined him since. Nurse landed on injured reserve two weeks ago with a broken finger, but appears ready to go. While Tippett stated that Nurse needs to be officially cleared by the team’s medical staff, which could keep him on the shelf through his three-week recovery timeline, Keith is more of a matter of how he is feeling and when he personally believes he is ready to return. Nurse is the Oilers’ leader in average time on ice while Keith is unsurprisingly the team leader in career time on ice, so Edmonton is eager to get both back on the blue line.
Also within a week or so of returning is forward Devin Shore. While not quite ready to return just yet from an undisclosed upper-body injury, Tippett did not rule out that he could return next week. Though Shore has played a limited role for the Oilers so far, the 27-year-old forward is a useful piece for a team constantly looking for depth up front.
They could receive more reinforcements up front at some point from rookie Dylan Holloway as well. However, of all the players back on the ice at practice, Holloway is the furthest from returning. Holloway initially suffered a fractured wrist back in March which required surgery in September, with Holloway receiving a three-month recovery timeline. Tippett expects the 2020 first-round pick to see his recovery through in full, making it unlikely that he plays at all in December. Still, the fact that he is back skating is encouraging for the Oilers, who would very much like to see the talented young forward in NHL action.
Finally, the most high-profile injury in Edmonton this season has belonged to expected starting goaltender Mike Smith. Smith landed on injured reserve in October and it was unclear how long the veteran netminder would remain on the shelf. The situation became more muddied earlier this month when he suffered a setback just as he was expected to return. Well, Smith has been on the ice four days in a row now according to Tippett, including taking live shots for the first time today. With Mikko Koskinen playing well, the Oilers won’t rush the 39-year-old Smith back into action, but it seems like he is poised to return sooner rather than later.
Dylan Holloway Undergoes Wrist Surgery
Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Holloway was one of the biggest names to watch at training camp this season after signing his entry-level contract and turning pro earlier this year. Now he’ll miss rookie and the main training camp after undergoing a second wrist surgery. The Oilers have announced that during the recovery process for his previous procedure, which was to repair a scaphoid fracture he suffered during his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, it was determined that he required further surgery. Holloway will now face a recovery timeline of at least three months.
Still just 19, Holloway was the 14th overall pick in 2020, selected after a good-but-not-great rookie season at Wisconsin. That proved to be quite the pick as he exploded in his second year, scoring 11 goals and 35 points in just 23 games. While he did get some time playing beside college phenom Cole Caufield, it wasn’t a case of being carried by a more effective linemate; Holloway centered the Badgers second line for most of the season, while Ty Pelton-Byce benefited from the talents of the Montreal Canadiens’ sniper.
This surgery was a troubling setback for the young forward, who was set to at least make his professional debut in the minor leagues this season, if not the NHL. While there is obviously still plenty of time for him to develop and contribute for the Oilers, missing another three months right now is probably the worst thing that could have happened. Hopefully this latest procedure is the last he’ll need for a while.
Injury Notes: Matthews, Holloway, Kesler
Only fours weeks in to a “minimum” six-week recovery period following impromptu wrist surgery, Auston Matthews is hopeful that he will be at full strength to begin the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs star tells NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that his rehab is “coming along well”, though there are still several major steps to go. Matthews remains in a splint and remains at least a couple of weeks from moving beyond that stage of his recovery to actually testing his wrist and building his strength back up. Matthews claims that the injury, which plagued him for much of last season, is not serious, but he is happy that he decided to address it this summer after the pain had returned during his early off-season workouts. Hopefully an elective surgery for a “not serious” injury doesn’t impact the start of Matthews’ season, but as of right now he does not believe that will be the case. Matthews tells Zeisberger that he plans to resume skating this week and then take his wrist rehab “day by day” as the season approaches. The Leafs open up training camp and begin preseason play within Matthews’ minimum recovery window, so that is surely to impact his preparation for the season, but if the reigning Rocket Richard winner is at least healthy by Toronto’s October 13 opener with no more lingering wrist discomfort, then the surprise surgery will have been the right choice on all accounts.
- The Edmonton Oilers are not expecting to see much from top prospect Dylan Holloway in their upcoming rookie camp as the talented forward is still working his way back from a broken thumb. Holloway suffered the injury at the end of the collegiate regular season, but continued on with the University of Wisconsin having qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers only lasted two games, but it still delayed Holloway’s surgery into April. This was expected to still be enough time for him to be fully healed by now, but instead Holloway is still being bothered, reports The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. Holloway had x-rays done last week and is awaiting and evaluation from the Oilers’ medical staff. He is listed on the camp roster, but unlikely to partake in much if any action. Instead, he will hope to be healed up in time for NHL camp in two weeks. Holloway’s thumb injury cost him a chance to finish out last season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and gain some pro experience, so the skilled forward may be looking at a slow start to the season in the minors anyhow before getting a look in Edmonton.
- Though it may seem obvious by now given that he has not played in two years and now is working as a volunteer coach, Ryan Kesler is officially acknowledging that he does not expect to play in the NHL again. The veteran forward spoke with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman and stated that he does not see his body getting back into playing condition again. “And to be honest, I’m still a far way away to even coming close,” Kesler said. Suffering through injuries to both hips, Kesler was slowed even before being sidelined. He tells Kimelman that he lost his drive and love for the game for some time as he dealt with constant pain and lacking results and he tried to keep playing. Now, with one year remaining on his contract with the Anaheim Ducks, Kesler continues to rehab and work toward getting back into a place that he is happy with, but acknowledges that he cannot be an NHL player again, nevertheless live up to his own reputation. Hopefully Kesler can get to a point that he is at least comfortable skating and can continue to be on the ice as a coach.