Injury Updates: Pacioretty, Wild, Stars, Petry
Vegas could get a key player back for tomorrow’s contest against Arizona as Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal relays that winger Max Pacioretty is listed as a game-time decision. The veteran has missed nearly a month with an undisclosed injury, continuing what has been a tough year on the injury front as he has been limited to just 29 games. However, the 33-year-old has been quite productive when he has been in the lineup as he has 15 goals and 14 assists. With the Golden Knights sitting two points out of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference heading into Friday’s slate of games, Pacioretty would undoubtedly give them a big boost as they look to get into the postseason.
Other injury updates from around the NHL:
- The Wild could get a pair of players back for Sunday’s game against Los Angeles as Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Jon Merrill and winger Matt Boldy could both be back. Both players suffered upper-body injuries at the end of March and while Merrill has seen his role scaled back a little bit lately, Boldy has played a crucial role for Minnesota since being recalled in January, collecting 27 points in 35 games.
- Stars defenseman Esa Lindell plus wingers Jacob Peterson and Denis Gurianov have all been upgraded to game-time decisions for their game on Saturday against New Jersey, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. Each player has missed the last three games, Lindell due to an upper-body injury, Peterson a lower-body injury, and Gurianov an illness. Dallas has a two-point lead on Vegas for the final Wild Card spot in the West and getting those three back will only help their cause.
- The Canadiens could get defenseman Jeff Petry back for Saturday’s game against Toronto, mentions TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the last two weeks with a lower-body injury, the latest frustration in what has been a tough season as the 34-year-old has struggled considerably, notching just 16 points in 57 games while Montreal wasn’t able to find a suitable trade for him at the deadline last month.
Minnesota Wild Recall Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi
It’s time for the kids to have an impact in Minnesota. The Wild have recalled both Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi to the taxi squad, with both expected to make their NHL debuts against the Boston Bruins this Thursday.
The Wild are currently in free fall from the top of the Central Division, losing their last five games and dropping to third place behind the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators. They’re also without Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway for the time being, opening room for the top prospects to step in and contribute.
Boldy, selected 12th overall in 2019, is the only top-20 player from his draft that has yet to make an appearance at the NHL level. The 20-year-old forward has 28 points in 24 games for the Iowa Wild since signing out of Boston College last year, though only ten of those appearances have come this season. Boldy suffered a broken ankle in October as he was trying to crack the Minnesota roster out of training camp.
Rossi meanwhile was picked even higher, ninth overall in 2020. The 20-year-old center was start the 2020-21 campaign in Switzerland, but a bout with COVID revealed a myocarditis diagnosis that kept him out the entire season. It wasn’t at all clear whether Rossi’s career would continue, with the young forward telling Michael Russo of The Athletic how frightening the diagnosis was:
Every time before I went to sleep, I was so scared that I won’t wake up anymore. Every night, before sleep, I was really sad and always crying because I was scared of that. I told my parents, ‘Could you sleep right next to my bed and be here ’til I fall asleep?’ And every day I woke up in the morning, I was so glad that I woke up. It was really hard.
Now healthy and playing every day in the AHL, Rossi has picked up right where he left off in 2020. Through 21 games with Iowa, he has 23 points, routinely controlling the game with his strong two-way play.
The two youngsters may not be up for the rest of the season, but it will be exciting for Wild fans to see them take the ice in a Minnesota sweater for the first time.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Greeley, Wild
The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Jordan Kyrou taking home the top spot. The St. Louis Blues forward had seven points in two games, including a four-point effort in the Winter Classic. With 79 points in 128 career games, including 32 in 29 this season, the 2016 second-round pick is establishing himself as a top offensive performer in the NHL.
Second and third place went to Jack Hughes and Jonathan Huberdeau respectively, after their own outstanding weeks. The New Jersey Devils center had eight points in three games and figured into two more overtime victories for the club. Huberdeau meanwhile continues his incredible run and is now up to 41 points in 32 games this season.
- The Dallas Stars have hired Steve Greeley as their new Director of Hockey Strategy/Scouting and Development, bringing him in to oversee the club’s analytics department. Greeley was previously an assistant general manager with the Buffalo Sabres under Jason Botterill and an assistant director of player personnel with the New York Rangers.
- The Minnesota Wild may be giving a young prospect their first chance at the NHL level, as Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets Matt Boldy and/or Marco Rossi could be coming up for Thursday’s game. The Wild placed Jordan Greenway in the COVID protocol today and are already without Joel Eriksson Ek. Boldy, as Russo points out, is the only top-20 pick from 2019 yet to play in an NHL game, while Rossi is only a year removed from his myocarditis diagnosis which put his career on pause.
Matt Boldy Activated, Assigned To AHL
After breaking his ankle and missing the first part of the season, Minnesota Wild prospect Matt Boldy is ready to return to action. The team has activated the young forward off the injured non-roster list and assigned him to the Iowa Wild. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Boldy is expected to make his season debut this weekend for Iowa.
After signing his entry-level contract near the end of last season, Boldy stepped into the AHL and showed he could dominate that level just as much as he did in college. Through 14 games for Iowa, he registered 18 points and looked like he might be ready to step directly into the NHL for the 2021-22 season. The 12th-overall pick in 2019, Boldy was having a strong camp until his injury, which was originally given a four- to six-week recovery timeline.
Now, as he returns from the injury, he’ll have to get up to speed at the minor league level once again. How long he’ll stay down there remains to be seen, but with Minnesota in a strong position and winning their share of games, there isn’t a rush to bring him up. The team is 10-5-0 on the year and sits second in the Central Division, despite losing last night to the San Jose Sharks.
If he does come up, the Wild would be adding a big, talented winger with a history of racking up points at every level. The 6’2″ Boldy had 31 points in just 22 games during his sophomore (and final) season with Boston College, making him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He also took home a World Junior gold medal, scoring five goals in seven games. For now, the focus will be on making sure he’s healthy enough to get his career back on track, but in time the Wild will have another exciting forward to add to the group.
Matt Boldy Out Four To Six Weeks With Ankle Fracture
Matt Boldy’s quest to earn a spot with the Wild to start the season has come to an early end as the team announced (Twitter link) that he will miss four-to-six weeks due to a left ankle fracture. The injury was sustained in Thursday’s game against Chicago. Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the news, while still disappointing, is better than the team was initially expecting.
The 20-year-old is one of Minnesota’s top prospects after being the 12th-overall pick back in 2019. Boldy wrapped up his college career last season at Boston College with 31 points in 22 games to lead the Eagles in scoring before turning pro and finishing up the year in the minors with AHL Iowa. He averaged over a point per game there as well with 18 points in 14 contests, putting him in a spot to make a legitimate push for a regular role in Minnesota’s lineup coming into training camp.
Instead, Boldy will be placed on season-opening injured reserve and since he is on a two-way contract and didn’t spend any time on the NHL roster, the SOIR designation will keep him off the salary cap while he’s injured. Once recovered, he’ll likely need to return to Iowa and wait for an injury to arise before making his NHL debut.
Latest On Jack Eichel’s Trade Market
While Jack Eichel‘s potential trade availability has dominated the headlines in recent weeks, there has actually been very little concrete information to come out about his market. The assumption is that every team will at least kick the tires on the superstar forward, but also that the Buffalo Sabres will have a hefty asking price that some may not want to pay and many others simply won’t be able to. The remaining group of possible landing spots could be small. To this point though, there has been little word on which teams fall into which categories – until now.
One team very much in the mix for Eichel is the Minnesota Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo has confirmed that Wild GM Bill Guerin has opened trade talks with the Sabres’ Kevyn Adams. Minnesota had a strong, resurgent season but still lacks star power at the center position, so it is no surprise that Guerin is interested. The Wild already have their plate full with extensions for Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and Joel Eriksson Ek, but it stands to reason that a potential Eichel trade would likely see one of the latter two heading to Buffalo. Russo points out that the salary cap would necessitate another roster player likely moving as well, while a top prospect such as Marco Rossi or Matthew Boldy would certainly be part of the package too. It’s a heavy price to pay – and that might not even be the full ask – but Buffalo knows that someone will pay up for Eichel. Russo warns that the Wild are an up-and-coming team and need to be completely sure of Eichel’s health status before making the expensive, long-term commitment and franchise-altering decision to acquire him.
Not everyone is willing to take that risk and the Columbus Blue Jackets are one of them. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been busy working the phones and analyzing the trade market and Eichel has of course earned “due diligence.” However, he indicated that this was the extent of his trade talks with Adams. Portzline reports that a key piece of the Sabres’ asking price is a center with first-line potential and the Blue Jackets do not have anyone who fits that description. To make up for that deficit, Columbus’ would likely have to pay an exorbitant price to acquire Eichel. The likely package would include at least the No. 5 overall pick, if not multiple first-rounders, multiple young roster players, probably including goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, and a top prospect or two. That cost doesn’t make much sense for a team that, at best, is re-tooling but could be considered rebuilding. Portzline suggests that another Sabre, Sam Reinhart, has also been linked to the Blue Jackets and would be a better fit in many ways.
Other suitors are expected to include the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers, but so far those organization have not let any details of their pursuit slip out. There is of course also the chance that Buffalo simply retains Eichel, as a fair return could be very difficult to come by. Until then though, this is a storyline that will continue to dominate the off-season.
Minnesota Wild Sign Matt Boldy To ELC
The Minnesota Wild have reached an agreement on an entry-level contract with one of their top prospects. 2019 first-round pick Matt Boldy has decided to forego the rest of his NCAA eligibility and depart Boston College for the pros. The Wild have announced a three-year deal with Boldy that begins this season. Financial terms were not disclosed. He will report immediately to the AHL’s Iowa Wild to begin his pro career.
Boldy, 19, just completed a terrific sophomore season at BC, although he surely would have liked to see the Eagles reach the Frozen Four. He did plenty to help them all season long, though; Boldy led a deep BC team across the board with 11 goals, 20 assists, and 31 points in just 22 games. He had enjoyed a nice freshman campaign, but took a major leap forward this season, asserting himself as one of the best players in college hockey. In fact, Boldy finished fifth in points per game in the NCAA this season. Boldy’s skating has improved to match his impressive offensive instincts, hands, and shot, making him a well-rounded offensive weapon. The big forward, who exclusively played on the wing this year after struggling at times at center last season, is not only a dangerous scorer either. Boldy wins puck battles with his size and tenacity and seems to never be caught out of position.
It is not a reach to say that Boldy projects as an NHL top-six forward with both power play and penalty kill ability. The two-way forward is young, but has the size and the IQ of a much more experienced player. While he may head to Iowa at the outset, Boldy will be in Minnesota in no time. The Wild have a good thing going this season, but could desperately use a power play difference-maker. If he takes to the pro game quickly, Boldy’s net front presence and scoring ability could immediately make him invaluable to his team. Even if Boldy doesn’t really take on a major role in Minnesota until next season, he still joins Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, Jordan Greenway, and Joel Eriksson Ek (and eventually Marco Rossi too) in a young, exciting forward core that could make the Wild competitive for years to come.