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Kris Letang

East Notes: Capitals, Penguins, Drouin

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Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette gave updates today on some of his injured players, noting that defenseman Nick Jensen will be a game-time decision tonight against the St. Louis Blues. He also mentioned that forward Sonny Milano will draw back into the lineup after missing two games with a non-COVID illness.

Jensen has been Washington’s de facto number-one defenseman for much of the season with John Carlson out due to injury, although that title has now been usurped by youngster Rasmus Sandin. The 32-year-old is ailing from an undisclosed injury and also missed three games with an upper-body issue earlier in the month. He has a career-high 24 points in 66 games and recently signed a three-year, $12.15MM extension with Washington.

Milano, a productive early-season pickup for the Caps, is projected to skate on a line with Nicklas Bäckström and Craig Smith in his return.

More notes out of the Eastern Conference today:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins were without their top two right-shot defensemen at practice today, and head coach Mike Sullivan issued updates on both players. Kris Letang had a maintenance day, and Jeff Petry is still being evaluated, leaving last night’s game against the New York Rangers after taking an elbow to the face from winger Tyler Motte. The two veterans are Pittsburgh’s highest-scoring defensemen this season, despite both missing significant time with multiple injuries.
  • Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin was held out from practice today after missing a team meeting this morning, according to head coach Martin St. Louis. As a consequence, St. Louis said he may also opt to scratch Drouin for tomorrow’s game against Tampa, his former team. The 27-year-old forward has one goal and 24 assists in 45 games this year.

Penguins Injury Notes: Petry, Bonino, Poehling

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For the second straight game, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the services of defenseman Jeff Petry. The 35-year-old played just three shifts in the first period before he exited the game after taking an elbow from Tyler Motte. Petry also exited Tuesday nights 6-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens with an apparent injury. Petry’s injury luck in the last two games has forced the Penguins defense to play shorthanded in back-to-back games, leaning heavily on Kris Letang who himself has dealt with a series of health issues this season.

If Petry is out for any length of time it would be likely that recent healthy scratch Chad Ruhwedel would draw back into the Penguins lineup. The Penguins do have Mark Friedman and Ty Smith stashed in the minors but would need to move Nick Bonino onto LTIR to call up either player. Ty Smith was quite good in limited NHL action earlier this season, however the young defenseman is still week-to-week with a facial fracture.

In other Penguins injury news:

  • Seth Rorabaugh is reporting that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told tonight’s MSG broadcast that Pittsburgh expects center Nick Bonino to be back by the playoffs. Bonino was re-acquired on trade deadline day by the Penguins to center their fourth line but was only able to dress in a handful of games after spending most of the season with the San Jose Sharks. Jeff Carter has taken Bonino’s spot on the fourth line in recent games but has struggled mightily going -4 in just 8:28 of ice time on Tuesday against Montreal.
  • Ryan Poehling did return to action tonight after missing over a month with a lingering upper body injury. The young forward saw duty on the fourth line next to Jeff Carter and Josh Archibald. Poehling’s return could create an interesting situation on the Penguins fourth line should Jeff Carter continue to struggle. Poehling was centering the unit earlier in the season prior to the injury and showed good chemistry with Drew O’Connor and Danton Heinen.

Kris Letang Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have their defensive leader back, activating Kris Letang from injured reserve. The veteran hasn’t played since December as he dealt with an injury and the death of his father.

To make room, the team has moved Jan Rutta to long-term injured reserve and Kasperi Kapanen to regular injured reserve. Both moves are retroactive, meaning they can be activated whenever ready to return.

Letang, 35, has been in and out of the lineup all season, playing just 29 games to this point. Incredibly, his 16 points during those games still lead all Penguins defenders, showing just how important he is to the group. While his average ice time is slightly down, Letang still sees more than 24 minutes a night playing in all situations.

The Penguins are welcoming in Florida this evening, as they try to get things rolling in the right direction. The 23-15-8 record they have so far is only good enough for fifth in the Metropolitan Division, though they do have some games in hand on Washington, who are immediately ahead of them.

Without Letang, the race for the playoffs would be incredibly difficult. Even at his age, he completely changes the look of the Pittsburgh defense corps and allows the others to fit into a more comfortable spot in the lineup. While there may be some rust, his return is a welcome one for Penguins fans.

Jeff Petry, Tristan Jarry Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting both Jeff Petry and Tristan Jarry back, activating the pair from injured reserve today. To make cap and roster room for their return, Kris Letang has been moved to long-term injured reserve, Jan Rutta has been moved to regular injured reserve, and Dustin Tokarski and Taylor Fedun have been reassigned to the AHL.

It’s been more than a month since Petry appeared in a Penguins lineup, last playing on December 10 against the Buffalo Sabres. The 35-year-old defenseman had been seeing a ton of ice time for the club, averaging over 26 minutes in the five games previous to his injury. While that kind of usage may not immediately come into play, Petry’s return is an important one for the Penguins, who have struggled to get much consistent offense from their blueline this season.

Despite missing a month, Petry is still just one point behind Marcus Pettersson for second among Penguins defenders and sits ahead of Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Brian Dumoulin, and Rutta, who have all played at least 40 games. The veteran was practicing with the first powerplay unit today, as they await the return of Letang.

Jarry, meanwhile, hasn’t played since being pulled from the Winter Classic after just 15 minutes of action against the Boston Bruins. The 27-year-old netminder had been struggling for a few games before that outdoor action, and now hopefully will get his game back on track after spending the last few weeks on the sideline.

Through 25 appearances, Jarry has posted a .918 save percentage, almost exactly in line with last season’s performance that earned him some down-ballot Vezina consideration. Given his status as a pending unrestricted free agent, Jarry is essentially playing for his next contract and can’t be missing huge chunks of the season if he can help it.

Letang and Rutta have both been moved to injured reserve retroactively, meaning they can return much sooner. Letang’s LTIR stint is backdated to December 28, meaning his 24-day window is almost up. Rutta’s is backdated to January 14, meaning his seven-day minimum is also about to expire.

Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Letang, Luukkonen

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The Edmonton Oilers are getting Evander Kane back tonight, and while that is a good thing for most of the lineup, it’s not for everyone. There are rumblings that Jesse Puljujarvi could be a healthy scratch tonight, and Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the team recently had discussions with other teams about the big Finn.

Puljujarvi, 24, continues to be a strong defensive presence for the Oilers but just can’t seem to score, with just four goals and ten points this season. The fourth-overall pick from 2016 has 50 total goals in his 304-game NHL career, and carries a $3MM cap hit this season on a one-year deal.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have taken Kris Letang off the non-roster list after he returned to the team, but have moved him to injured reserve. The move is retroactive to December 28, meaning he can come off IR whenever ready to return from his lower-body injury. Letang won’t play on Wednesday but is listed as day-to-day.
  • The carousel continues in Buffalo, where Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been sent down and Peyton Krebs recalled, ahead of their game tonight. Luukkonen started last night for the Sabres so was never going to play tonight, meaning they can dress Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson instead, while taking Krebs along to Chicago.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Letang, Gonchar

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Seattle Kraken goaltender Martin Jones taking top spot. The honor continues what has been an incredible run for the 33-year-old netminder. In each of the last three seasons (two with the San Jose Sharks and one with the Philadelphia Flyes), Jones has failed to eclipse 17 wins. This year, through 31 appearances, he has 21. That is despite putting up a save percentage – .895 – that is actually slightly lower than any he has posted in the past. Jones has faced more than 30 shots just five times this season.

Second and third went to two wingers at very different stages of their careers. Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings is just trying to establish himself as a consistent presence in the league, while Nikita Kucherov continues on his Hall of Fame track. Each one collected three goals and seven points in three games last week.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are expecting Kris Letang to return to the team in the next few days. The veteran defenseman was away dealing with the death of his father, and hasn’t played since December 28. The Penguins have 40 games left in the season, and Letang needs to play in 30 of them to reach 1,000 for his career.
  • Sergei Gonchar, who last coached in the NHL during the 2019-20 season, may be on his way back to join Rick Tocchet with the Vancouver Canucks, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. While Tocchet’s hiring isn’t official, Friedman seems to believe it is inevitable at this point, suggesting it could happen within the next few weeks. Today, Jim Rutherford admitted that he had been in contact with potential replacements.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Dustin Tokarski

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After Tristan Jarry left yesterday’s Winter Classic with an injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Dustin Tokarski from the minor leagues. The team has not moved Jarry to injured reserve to make room for the transaction; instead, Kris Letang has been designated non-roster while he is with family following the death of his father.

Tokarski, 33, has spent the entire season at the AHL level but has been excellent for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. With a .926 save percentage in 18 appearances, it’s one of his best performances to date in what has been a long successful career. The veteran netminder should be able to contribute if called upon, though Casey DeSmith will likely carry most of the load if Jarry is out for a little while.

DeSmith has a .911 save percentage in 13 appearances, though incredibly, nine of those have been losses. The 31-year-old has a career .915 and has been one of the most consistent backups in the league since debuting in 2017-18.

Still, losing Jarry is obviously a big blow. The 27-year-old netminder has been strong this year, winning 15 of his 25 appearances and posting a .918 save percentage. Not only does he have the Penguins to perform for, but he’ll also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning he’s playing for a contract. Time on the shelf will obviously hurt those negotiations, though it is a good sign that he wasn’t placed on injured reserve.

There is no timeline for Letang’s return at this point.

Kris Letang Away From Penguins For Personal Reasons

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As the Pittsburgh Penguins were preparing to take on the Boston Bruins at today’s Winter Classic there was a notable absence. Kris Letang did not skate with the group yesterday in the televised practice, and will not play this evening. Head coach Mike Sullivan explained that Letang has traveled back home to be with his family after his father passed away recently.

Letang, 35, is also dealing with a lower-body injury and has had quite a tumultuous season. He suffered a stroke (the second of his career) and was back on the ice just a few days later. Not quite playing to his standards, he has just 16 points in 29 games so far this season.

Still, he is the team’s most important defender, and losing him for any length of time will have a serious effect on the Penguins’ back end. Hopefully, he will be able to return relatively soon, though the team won’t rush him back. On behalf of the team, Sullivan told reporters that he wants to “express our sincere and deepest sympathy for him during this time.”

Mark Friedman and Ty Smith were both in the lineup at practice yesterday, skating with Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Brian Dumoulin respectively. Smith was also running the first powerplay unit, according to Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Top Rookie, Penguins, Zohorna

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With the calendar turning to January, the NHL announced its Three Stars for December.  Taking home the top spot was Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, whose 13 goals last month moved him up into second in all-time NHL goals as he now sits at 806, 88 behind Wayne Gretzky for the record.  Oilers center Connor McDavid was the second star after leading the league in goals (14) and points (31) while tying for the lead in assists (17) and is the first player this season to record 30 points in a month.  Sabres center Tage Thompson was the third star after picking up 22 points in 11 games while helping Buffalo pick up eight wins to get back within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The NHL also revealed the Rookie of the Month for December with Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov getting the nod. The 23-year-old posted a 1.63 GAA along with a .939 SV% and two shutouts in eight appearances last month, just weeks after inking a four-year, $8MM contract extension that kicks in next season.
  • Penguins defenseman Kris Letang accompanied the team to Boston in advance of tomorrow’s Winter Classic but didn’t practice and remains listed as day-to-day, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. At this point, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to suit up in the outdoor game.  Meanwhile, blueliner Chad Ruhwedel was a participant in practice, albeit in more of a reserve capacity.  He has been out for the last two games and could be available to suit up against the Bruins.
  • Radim Zohorna has been shuffled back and forth off Calgary’s roster in recent days and that trend continued today as FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike relays (Twitter link) that the Flames have sent Zohorna back to AHL Calgary. The 26-year-old has played in five NHL games this season and will likely be recalled in advance of their next game on Tuesday.  For each day Zohorna is in the minors, the Flames are banking a little over $4K in cap space while extending his waiver exemption as he’ll remain exempt until he plays in ten NHL games or is on Calgary’s roster for 30 days.

Injury Notes: Wild, Penguins, Zub

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A mixed bag of news is coming out of Minnesota Wild practice this morning. The Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan reports Joel Eriksson Ek is absent from practice, although injured forwards Brandon Duhaime and Marcus Foligno are skating.

Eriksson Ek has been invaluable to Minnesota, even more so on both sides of the puck this year. He’s on pace for a career year offensively, recording 27 points through 35 contests (tied for third on the team). Duhaime has been very limited this year, playing in just 14 games due to two separate upper-body injuries. On the other hand, Foligno has been out with an undisclosed injury since December 22.

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