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Jason Zucker

East Notes: Zucker, Pandolfo, Devils

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker has struggled with injuries all season long, as the 30-year-old was limited to just 41 games during the regular season. Despite that, it looks like Zucker will be healthy enough to slot into the Penguins’ lineup for Game 2 tonight against the New York Rangers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike DeFabo. Zucker could replace Rickard Rakell in the lineup, who was injured in Game 1’s triple-overtime win.

Game 2 will be a tougher outing for the Penguins, as NHL journeyman Louis Domingue, third on the team’s goalie depth chart, looks to start his first career playoff game. Zucker last played on April 26 before leaving that game with a lower-body injury. If Zucker can’t play, it’s likely youngster Drew O’Connor will make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.

  • While the Boston Bruins struggle in the First Round against the Carolina Hurricanes, a former coach is getting put in the spotlight today. Longtime NHLer Jay Pandolfo was named as the 13th head coach of the Boston University Terriers today, just one season after he departed the Bruins organization as an assistant coach. Pandolfo was a member of Boston’s coaching staff from 2014-2021, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. Now, after one season as the associate head coach at BU, he’ll get the chance to lead the team himself. In Pandolfo’s final season as a player at BU, 1995-96, he torched the college circuit as the team’s captain with 38 goals and 67 points in just 39 games.
  • New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald today left the door open on trading the team’s 2022 first-round draft choice, specifically to upgrade the team’s goaltending situation. The Devils were a much better team than their record indicated this season, largely because of injuries in the crease to both Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier. With Bernier’s playing future uncertain and Blackwood not emerging as a true no. 1 goalie just yet, the team will look to add an established body to the crease to help propel them toward a playoff spot. A weak free-agent market leaves the Devils with few choices there, so a trade is the most likely option for the Devils to be able to upgrade.

Playoff Injury Notes: Penguins, Wild, Nurse

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced, per Head Coach Mike Sullivan, that forward Jason Zucker and goaltender Tristan Jarry have been updated as day-to-day, though they are not expected to play in at least the next couple of games (link). Having the two players come back into the lineup would be a major step for Pittsburgh, with Zucker increasing their forward and scoring depth, a crucial key to playoff success, and Jarry of course being their number one goaltender. Though it appears neither will be able to go for the Penguins in Game 1 or 2 in New York against the Rangers, they could look to Game 3 at home on Saturday night as a return for the pair.

Zucker has dealt with his share of injuries this season, ultimately playing in just 41 of the Penguins 82 games this season, recording 17 points in the process. The veteran forward had been playing down the stretch for Pittsburgh, but was injured early in Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and has not played since. Jarry had been having a stellar season in net for the Penguins, posting a 2.42 goals-against average and .919 save-percentage, however he was declared week-to-week on April 16th after last playing April 14th against the New York Islanders, a game in which he did play the full 60 minutes.

  • The Minnesota Wild could be due to get a couple of key pieces in the lineup in time for their playoff series against the St. Louis Blues. As The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports, both Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno practiced this morning for the Wild (link). Zuccarello has done well to stay healthy for a majority of this season, however he has not played since April 22nd after suffering a lower-body injury.  Foligno on the other hand was only injured on Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche, the Wild’s final game of the season. As encouraging as the news is, the Wild have not confirmed whether either player will be available for Game 1 on Monday night. Having both players in the lineup is crucial for the Wild, as both earned career-highs in points this season, with Zuccarello ranking third on the team in points and Foligno considered one of the better two-way players in the sport.
  • According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Edmonton Oiler’s defenseman Darnell Nurse was on the ice practicing this morning (link). The star defenseman had been injured in the Oilers April 22nd game against the Colorado Avalanche and has not played since. This news is definitely encouraging for Edmonton, but according to Derek Van Diest of Postmedia, Nurse was still non-committal about whether or not he’d play in Game 1 Monday night (link). While much of the attention in Edmonton goes to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and for good reason, Nurse is an essential component for the Oilers, logging 25 minutes per night on the backend, contributing shutdown defense to go along with quality offensive production.

Metropolitan Notes: Kuraly, Penguins, Sheary, MacEwen

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The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they have placed center Sean Kuraly in COVID protocol which means he will not play tonight against Detroit.  The team has been dealing with the virus lately with both head coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Steve McCarthy entering the protocol late last month (they have since returned) while associate coach Pascal Vincent entered on Monday.  Kuraly has had a good first season with his hometown team, posting career highs in goals (12), points (28), faceoff wins (580), and hits (216) over 72 games.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Penguins will welcome winger Jason Zucker back to the lineup this afternoon as he has recovered from his knee injury, relays Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). The veteran returned to the lineup at the end of March after missing more than two months following core muscle surgery but suffered the knee injury that very same game.  It has been a frustrating year for Zucker to say the least as he has been limited to just 32 games, collecting just eight goals and six assists.  Meanwhile, while winger Brock McGinn is getting closer to returning from the upper-body injury that has held him out for the last month, he isn’t quite ready to play just yet.
  • Washington winger Conor Sheary will miss today’s game against Pittsburgh due to a non-COVID illness, notes Mike Vogel of the Capitals’ team website (Twitter link). He didn’t take part in Friday’s practice or travel with the team.  Sheary has been a quality secondary scorer for Washington this season, collecting 35 points in 60 games.
  • Flyers winger Zack MacEwen has been cleared by team doctors but will need some time before rejoining Philadelphia’s lineup, mentions Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). He last played last weekend and suffered a head injury in a fight.  He has seven points and 101 penalty minutes in 66 games this season.

Snapshots: Sateri, Ho-Sang, Zucker

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The Arizona Coyotes had Harri Sateri on the ice today for the first time, after claiming him last month from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sateri, 32, is expected to make his debut tomorrow night, head coach Andrew Tourigny told reporters including Jose M. Romero of AZ Central. It will be the first NHL appearance for Sateri since 2018, when he played in nine games for the Florida Panthers, and a potential showcase for keen-eyed suitors.

Sateri is expected to try and land another NHL contract this summer, after spending the last three seasons in the KHL. Originally selected 106th overall in 2008 by the San Jose Sharks, the veteran netminder has a .923 save percentage over 260 career games in the KHL, a .905 over 198 games in the AHL, and a .911 in nine games in the NHL. If he can show well down the stretch, he’ll be an interesting name to consider this offseason.

  • Joshua Ho-Sang wasn’t able to parlay his Olympic appearance into an NHL contract this season, and he’ll have new representation when he tries again in the summer. The Toronto Marlies forward has switched agencies and is now represented by Gold Star Hockey. While he still seems to be highly regarded by hockey fans, Ho-Sang has unfortunately not been able to find much success since being drafted 28th overall in 2014 by the New York Islanders. The supremely-skilled winger has 15 goals and 28 points in 38 games with the Marlies and is another interesting name to keep an eye on this summer, if even just in a minor league depth role.
  • Jason Zucker, who looked as though he may be out for the year when he was helped off the ice recently, is actually only considered day-to-day and will travel with the Pittsburgh Penguins on their road trip. Zucker skated in a regular sweater today at practice and met with reporters afterward, explaining that he feels excited about the end of the year now that he’s been back on the ice. The 30-year-old forward has played 32 games this season, just two of those coming since December 19.

Injury Notes: Crouse, Heiskanen, Labanc, Zucker

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It’s bad news for Lawson Crouse and the Arizona Coyotes, as Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that the forward suffered a broken bone in his hand when blocking a shot last night. Crouse, 24, was having the best season of his career, setting career highs in goals (20) and points (34) through 65 games. The big winger is also a restricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning every goal he scores meant a bigger ask through the arbitration process, if not extended before then.

Morgan adds that Crouse is expected to undergo further evaluation this week, but could miss the rest of the season. Here are some more injury notes from around the league:

  • Miro Heiskanen will be back for the Dallas Stars tonight, head coach Rick Bowness told reporters including Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. He won’t carry his normal load, playing just 15-17 minutes with “situational” partners, as he returns from a bout with mononucleosis. The 22-year-old defenseman normally plays close to 25 minutes, but hasn’t suited up since March 2, and will be eased back into the lineup. It’s certainly good timing for the Stars, who have gone 5-5 in their last ten and risk losing their place in the Western Conference playoff chase if they can’t get back in the win column.
  • San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc could be in the lineup as soon as this weekend, according to Corey Masisak of The Athletic, but the forward will consult with the doctor who performed his recent surgery before being completely cleared for action. Labanc went under the knife in December to repair a dislocated shoulder and has played just 21 games so far this season.
  • Jason Zucker has been cleared for contact and re-joined the Pittsburgh Penguins group in a regular sweater today. Head coach Mike Sullivan called it a “significant step in the process” for the veteran forward, who has played just one game since the middle of December and just 31 total this season. Notably, the Penguins were 13-2-1 in the last 16 games Zucker played before going down to injury and will certainly look like an even deeper forward group when he’s back at full-strength.

East Notes: Penguins, Tuch, Rangers, Murray

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Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith has turned his season around over the past six weeks, posting a 2.18 GAA along with a .933 SV% in six appearances.  In doing so, Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that the netminder has done enough for the team to focus on other upgrades at the trade deadline, especially with the list of affordable veteran upgrades being relatively short.  Pittsburgh is currently well into LTIR with winger Jason Zucker set to be back before the end of the season – he resumed skating today, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – so they’re not really able to use his freed-up space at the deadline.  With limited resources, GM Ron Hextall may be better off trying to upgrade a regular depth spot in the lineup over DeSmith, a player who shouldn’t see much (if any) playing time when the playoffs roll around.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • Sabres winger Alex Tuch left today’s game against Los Angeles after crashing into the post. Fortunately, following the game, head coach Don Granato told reporters, including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) that the post-game testing was “as positive as it can be”.  Tuch has certainly impressed after being acquired from Vegas and has collected seven goals and 16 assists in 25 games with Buffalo this season.
  • While the Rangers have been perceived as a team that has some quality trade assets, Newsday’s Colin Stephenson questions how many of those can realistically be moved. The situation between Russia and Ukraine raises questions about whether or not a team will be able to get Vitali Kravtsov out of Russia if they were to trade for him while some of their younger roster players that could move in the right trade – such as goalie Alexandar Georgiev and even forward Filip Chytil – have been inconsistent.  Even with those questions, GM Chris Drury still has ample prospect capital to deal from over the next couple of weeks if he wants to add some players to help New York for the playoffs.
  • The Senators have placed goaltender Matt Murray on injured reserve, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). He had a tough outing against Arizona on Saturday, allowing all eight goals but played the full game.  Anton Forsberg will take over as Ottawa’s starter for the time being while Filip Gustavsson was brought up from AHL Belleville earlier today.  Forsberg has been speculated as a possible trade candidate but if Murray is out for an extended period of time, that could change.

Snapshots: Capitals, Penguins, King

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Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan gave a variety of updates in a midseason presser today, recapped in this article by The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell. First and most concerning is the health status of winger Carl Hagelin, who was hit in the eye with a stick during yesterday’s practice. MacLellan called the injury “serious,” and Hagelin has had surgery within the past day. MacLellan says the examination went in a positive direction, but that the next steps for Hagelin are “still to be determined.” However, it’s possible that winger Anthony Mantha could return to the lineup this week in Hagelin’s absence. Mantha had six points in 10 games this season before going down with a shoulder injury.

More notes on this Wednesday evening:

  • As the Pittsburgh Penguins embark on a tough schedule ahead with a long string of games against playoff teams, they could be getting two reinforcements back in the lineup. Head coach Mike Sullivan says center Teddy Blueger is now taking full-contact practices but will need a few practices more before he’s ready to return the lineup. Winger Jason Zucker “isn’t as close” as Blueger, but will likely return to practice soon. Blueger has been out since late January with a broken jaw, while Zucker has been out with an upper-body injury since around the same time.
  • Newly-named Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson called interim head coach Derek King “definitely a viable candidate” to be the team’s next permanent head coach today. While Blackhawks fans may be frustrated that their management crew won’t see fresh faces, the rebuilding team has kept up a .500 points percentage under King, an impressive feat considering a weak roster and some tough injuries. It would be King’s first NHL head coaching role.

Jason Zucker Undergoes Surgery

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The Pittsburgh Penguins lost Teddy Blueger to surgery yesterday and now they’ve announced another forward will be out long-term. Jason Zucker underwent successful core muscle surgery today at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.

Zucker, who had played just one game since December 19, is listed out week-to-week at this time, but the Penguins say that they will have a more accurate timeframe for his recovery in the coming days.

It’s another blow that the red-hot Penguins will need to sidestep as they continue their march up the Metropolitan Division standings, but one that isn’t exactly as devastating as it would have been in Zucker’s early career. In Pittsburgh, he hasn’t really ever been healthy or productive, save for the short stretch after being acquired in 2020, before the original COVID shutdown. In the two seasons since, Zucker has recorded just 31 points in 69 games. Just 13 of those have coming in 2021-22, meaning this isn’t really a key offensive player being pulled from the lineup.

Still, with Zucker earning $5.5MM against the cap, there was hope he would still find the level that made him a 33-goal scorer in 2017-18 with the Minnesota Wild and help the Penguins over the hump. He’s now on long-term injured reserve which opens up some cap space until he returns, but Pittsburgh certainly isn’t getting the kind of production they hoped for when they traded Calen Addison and a first-round pick (and Alex Galchenyuk) to the Wild.

It will be interesting to see what the timeline for Zucker is in the coming days, and when exactly he is expected back in the lineup. Core muscle surgeries are notorious for having negative effects on performance well after a player has been medically cleared to return, meaning the Penguins could probably use that $5.5MM more effectively as the trade deadline approaches should Zucker face a months-long recovery.

Injury Notes: Zucker, Allison, Raffl, DeMelo

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According to CapFriendly, the Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Jason Zucker back on long-term injured reserve after returning from injury for just one game. He played last Monday against the Vegas Golden Knights, so the team placed him retroactive to January 17th. He’ll now have to miss another 10 games and 24 days, of which he’s already missed two and five, respectively. Zucker had been on LTIR for almost a month already after suffering a lower-body injury. He is once again week-to-week. Zucker is again struggling during his second full season in Pittsburgh, posting just 13 points in 31 games.

More injury news from around the league on this Sunday:

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Wade Allison suffered an MCL sprain during yesterday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, per head coach Mike Yeo. Allison, one of Philadelphia’s better forward prospects, had already suffered an ACL tear that kept him out at the beginning of the 2020-21 season. Yeo notes, that he believes this MCL injury is on a different knee. It was Allison’s first game of the season for the Flyers after posting four points in seven games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He’s listed as week-to-week.
  • Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness says forward Michael Raffl is out between 10 days and two weeks with a lower-body injury. Raffl’s seen a lot of ice time this year, his first in Dallas, in a checking role alongside Radek Faksa and Luke Glendening, posting nine points in 37 games. Dallas will need to call up a forward to replace him, likely Rhett Gardner or Riley Tufte.
  • Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo sustained an upper-body injury during yesterday’s loss against Boston, per team play-by-play man Dennis Beyak. DeMelo has just four points through 36 games but has still been above the norm defensively. There’s no current timeline for his return.

East Notes: Brannstrom, DeBrusk, Zucker, Bryson

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While Ottawa finds themselves well out of the playoff picture again, Postmedia’s Ken Warren posits that there are still a few players with a lot to play for down the stretch.  One of those is defenseman Erik Brannstrom.  The centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade, the 22-year-old has struggled considerably in Ottawa and has spent most of this season in the minors.  Warren suggests that Jake Sanderson is likely to join the Senators following his college season which could push Brannstrom further down the depth chart to the point where the 15th pick in 2017 could soon be trying to showcase himself for other teams.  Brannstrom is in his final season of waiver exemption and will be a restricted free agent this summer and if he’s made available, he could be an intriguing trade chip for GM Pierre Dorion.

More from around the East:

  • With Boston off to a hot start to 2022 and nothing happening in terms of Jake DeBrusk’s trade request, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters including Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe that he’s not sure if the request still stands at this point. The 25-year-old has just five goals and five assists in 30 points this season and a change of scenery certainly couldn’t hurt at this point.  However, with his performance not exactly boosting his value, Dupont argues that DeBrusk may be better off realizing that his best situation might be his current one, especially with the Bruins on a run at the moment.
  • Penguins winger Jason Zucker is listed as a game-time decision for their game on Monday in Vegas, notes Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 30-year-old has missed nearly a month due to a lower-body injury that he was trying to play through before being shut down.  He was off to a tough start before the injury with just four goals and seven assists in 30 games but he’s an intriguing addition to a Pittsburgh attack that is getting pretty close to being fully healthy.
  • Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson will miss at least the next two games due to his upper-body injury, relays Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). The 24-year-old sophomore has logged close to 20 minutes a game on Buffalo’s back end this season while collecting seven assists and 34 blocks in 32 games.

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