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Roster Notes: Drysdale, Pietrangelo, Kurashev, Bonino, Kochetkov

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Although no official announcement has come from the team, CapFriendly indicates that the Anaheim Ducks have placed defenseman Jamie Drysdale on injured reserve retroactively to October 15th. Drysdale has not played in the following three games for the organization, as he has put up two assists while carrying a +2 rating.

As expected, the Ducks are not getting off to a hot start to this season, carrying a 1-4-0 record into tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, there is still plenty to be excited about in Orange County, as the team was able to sign both Drysdale and Trevor Zegras to separate three-year contracts shortly before the start of the season, as well as seeing the second-overall selection of the 2023 NHL Draft, Leo Carlsson, score a goal in his first ever professional game.

Nevertheless, even without indicating any effort to compete for the playoffs this season, Drysdale’s presence will be missed on the blue line. Thin on depth throughout the defensive core at the top level of the organization, there is an argument to be made that Drysdale represents the best of what the Ducks have to offer on defense.

Other roster notes:

  • Having not played since the second game of the season for the Vegas Golden Knights, Jesse Granger of The Athletic is reporting that Alex Pietrangelo is back at practice with the team, skating in a non-contact jersey. In the two games he has played, Pietrangelo has put up one assist, averaging nearly 23 minutes a night. Remarkably, even without the presence of Pietrangelo in the lineup, the Golden Knights are one of only three teams who remain undefeated to start the season.
  • After taking the entire summer to rehab a shoulder injury sustained towards the end of last season, Chicago Blackhawks’ forward, Philipp Kurashev, suffered a wrist injury during training camp before the start of this season, keeping him out of the lineup up to this point. With a serious need for more secondary scoring in their lineup, Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports-Chicago is reporting that Kurashev is looking to make his debut for the team on Tuesday, as they take on the Boston Bruins for the second time this season.
  • Per a team announcement, depth forward for the New York Rangers, Nick Bonino, is considered day-to-day with an illness, and will not practice with the team today. In five games so far with the Rangers, Bonino has gone scoreless, primarily centering the fourth line between fellow teammates Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.
  • After returning him to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL last night, CapFriendly is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes have called goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov back up to the NHL. Suffice it to say, Kochetkov did not get off to the best start with the Hurricanes this season, allowing six goals on 28 shots in his only start against the Colorado Avalanche.

East Notes: Anderson, Stamkos, Guhle, Samuelsson, Bonino

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The Ottawa Senators are expected to sign free agent netminder Craig Anderson to a one-day contract to officially retire as a Sen, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Thursday morning. It will likely come Tuesday, October 24, when the Senators host the Sabres, Anderson’s most recent team.

Anderson is arguably the best netminder in Senators history and certainly the longest-serving starter. After coming over via trade from the Avalanche in 2011, Anderson would go on to record a 202-168-46 record, a .914 save percentage and 28 shutouts in 422 starts and 13 relief appearances. He’s most remembered from the team’s storybook 2016-17 campaign when Anderson returned from a lengthy leave of absence to be with his wife, Nicholle, who was battling cancer. He recorded a sparkling .922 save percentage in the postseason as he guided the Sens to the Eastern Conference Final, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime in Game 7.

He departed the Sens in free agency in 2020, serving as the Capitals’ taxi squad netminder for the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign before heading to the Sabres for the final two seasons of his 20-year, 709-game career. While there was never an official announcement, it became clear at the end of last season that Anderson would not return for a 21st year. PHR wishes him and his family the best in his post-playing career and looks forward to providing more coverage of Anderson’s career when an official announcement is made.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference today:

  • Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters today he expects to make his return to the lineup Thursday night against the Canucks (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina). Stamkos missed the last two games with a lower-body injury after a hot start to the season, already potting two goals and two assists in two contests. His return couldn’t come at a better time for the struggling Lightning, who begin a crucial five-game homestand tonight after going 0-2-1 on an early road trip against key divisional rivals.
  • The Canadiens announced Thursday that defenseman Kaiden Guhle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, likely a wrist ailment. Guhle left Tuesday’s 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the Wild with the injury and has not practiced since. There was some concern in Habs circles that Guhle’s absence would be longer-term, but he appears to have avoided the worst. It’s the second injury to a core Habs player in a matter of days after a dual ACL-MCL injury costed center Kirby Dach the remainder of his 2023-24 season. Guhle, 21, had notched an assist and a +4 rating in three contests, the latter being the second-highest on the team behind Johnathan Kovacevic. Another 21-year-old defender, Justin Barron, is expected to make his season debut Saturday against the Capitals with Guhle out of commission.
  • In more positive news, Sabres head coach Don Granato said today that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has avoided any further absence after leaving Tuesday’s win over the Lightning in the third period and will dress Thursday against the Flames. Samuelsson left the game with an upper-body injury but participated in morning skate today and seems no worse for wear. The 23-year-old is in the first season of a seven-year, $30MM extension signed just over a year ago and leads Sabres defenders with a +2 rating through three contests, adding one assist while averaging over 20 minutes per game.
  • After being listed as day-to-day yesterday morning, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette says center Nick Bonino will be a game-time decision for tonight’s tilt against the Predators. Bonino, who’s still looking for his first point as a Ranger, is dealing with a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old joined the Rangers on a one-year, $800K deal during free agency and has anchored their fourth line alongside a mixture of Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Pitlick and Jimmy Vesey to begin the season.

Nick Bonino Day-To-Day With Lower Body Injury

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The New York Rangers have announced that Nick Bonino, who did not practice with the team on Wednesday, is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Bonino has appeared in all three Rangers games so far this season and currently sits without any scoring.

The Rangers signed Bonino to a one-year, $800K contract on the first day of free agency this summer. Bonino split time between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, playing in a total of 62 games and recording 19 points. His reunion with the Penguins was cut short when Bonino suffered a lacerated kidney that required Pittsburgh to place him on long-term injured reserve. This was an upsetting blow for Bonino, who was making his return to Pittsburgh for the first time since serving on their back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2015-16 and 2016-17. His LTIR designation walked him to free agency, where New York scooped him up.

Bonino is an 826-game veteran of the NHL who’s turned into a journeyman over recent years. After appearing in parts of five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks to start his career, Bonino has gone on to play with six other clubs over the course of his 15-year career. His career-high in scoring came during the 2013-14 campaign, when Bonino netted 22 goals and 49 points. He hasn’t recorded another 20-goal season, although he has had five other seasons of 15 or more goals.

The Rangers, who boast $675K in cap space, could likely afford to recall a player if Bonino was set to miss game time. They could also turn towards Jimmy Vesey, who is currently operating as the team’s 13th forward. Bonino will look to be healthy before the Rangers’ next game, on Thursday, October 19th.

New York Rangers Sign Nick Bonino

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The New York Rangers have added yet another experienced veteran forward, this time securing two-time Stanley Cup champion Nick Bonino on a one-year contract. The deal is worth $800K, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston.

Even in the latter stages of his career, the 35-year-old Bonino has posted great defensive results in a bottom-six checking role and looks to be a solid fit as a fourth-line center in New York, a position that saw some tumultuous times for the team last season. Bonino posted 10 goals and 19 points in 59 games with the Sharks before a deadline day deal to his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, but his second stint there lasted just three games before he sustained a lacerated kidney.

The Rangers will be his second Eastern Conference team after spending most of his career in the West. He’ll fill a role well at the bottom of their lineup, and it’s an acquisition made with the postseason in mind. Bonino’s done some of his best work there, putting up 48 points in 105 career playoff games.

USA Hockey Announces First 22 Players For 2023 Worlds

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The first 22 players that will compete for Team USA at the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championship have been named, with an interesting mix of NHL experience and college excitement.

Lane Hutson is the youngest player in the group at just 19 years old, and he’ll be sharing the ice with 35-year-old Nick Bonino, the oldest. General manager Chris Clark released the following:

The depth of our player pool is reflected with our team and we’re excited about the group we have to represent our country at the world championship. We’ve got a great mix of experience and youth and most of our players have represented the U.S. before and know what it takes to be successful at a world championship.

The team will start training on Saturday in Munich, before a pre-tournament game on Tuesday. The tournament schedule for the U.S. begins next Friday, against Finland.

Here’s a look at the 22 players that have made the team so far:

G Casey DeSmith
G Drew Commesso
G Cal Petersen

D Henry Thrun
D Connor Mackey
D Ronnie Attard
D Dylan Samberg
D Scott Perunovich
D Lane Hutson
D Nick Perbix

F Samuel Walker
F Drew O’Connor
F Luke Tuch
F Nick Bonino
F T.J. Tynan
F Cutter Gauthier
F Sean Farrell
F Anders Bjork
F Matthew Coronato
F Conor Garland
F Alex Tuch
F Carter Mazur

East Injury Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí, Bonino

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Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron participated in an optional morning skate today and will be a game-time decision tonight, said NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson.

Bergeron, 37, hasn’t suited up in the playoffs, missing four games with an illness and upper-body injury. It hasn’t slowed the Bruins down much, though, as they’re in position to advance to the Second Round tonight with a win in Game 5. The skill and calming presence of Bergeron certainly boosts their chances.

If Bergeron does return to the lineup tonight, he’ll do so with some different linemates. After spending most of the regular season positioned between Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on the team’s first line, Bergeron took line rushes between Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrňák yesterday.

More from the Eastern Conference this morning:

  • While the team may get Bergeron back tonight, they won’t have David Krejčí’s services. He’s been ruled out for Game 5, head coach Jim Montgomery said. The veteran playmaker had a strong performance in Game 1 of the series, recording an assist, but had a rough Game 2 (no points, -3 rating) and missed Games 3 and 4 with an upper-body injury. It means additional usage for his countryman, Pavel Zacha, who has four assists in four games against Florida.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t in the playoffs, but they did make a roster move yesterday. After a scary injury that kept him out for the last few weeks of the season, Nick Bonino was taken off long-term injured reserve yesterday, CapFriendly reports. After re-joining the Penguins at the trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks, the veteran suffered a lacerated kidney in his third game with the team and missed the final 18 games of the season. The 35-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Injury Notes: Penguins, Hart, Schenn

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently locked in a battle against the Florida Panthers for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and they sit just one point behind Florida with a game in hand at the time of writing. They’ve kept themselves in the race despite facing some major injury losses, although it now seems that reinforcements could be on the horizon.

Today, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told the media, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh, that four significant injured Penguins all skated today and could return before the conclusion of the regular season. Those four Penguins are Dmitry Kulikov, Marcus Pettersson, Jan Rutta, and Nick Bonino. The additions of Kulikov, Pettersson, and Rutta back into the lineup in particular could help Pittsburgh as goaltender Tristan Jarry struggled in the month of March, and adding three significant contributors back to the defense in front of him could help Jarry return to form in time for some crucial late-season games or even the first round of the playoffs, should they make it.

Some other injury notes:

  • Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart has been out since his March 25th shutout over the Detroit Red Wings, but don’t expect Hart’s absence to extend for the rest of the season. Flyers head coach John Tortorella was asked if Hart’s injury would be season-ending, and he responded with a definitive “no,” per The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. While Hart’s absence has given the team the opportunity to take an extra look at Felix Sandstrom, getting Hart back into the crease before the end of the season would allow him to put some finishing touches on what has been an impressive season.
  • St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn had a bit of an injury scare during today’s game against the Boston Bruins, but seems to have moved past it. As covered by The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Schenn took a skate to the hand, and then left to the locker room with a team athletic trainer to repair some damage caused by what may have been a high stick. Schenn did return to the ice, though, and managed to notch an assist on teammate Jordan Kyrou’s goal despite a cut finger and having stitches on his face, per Rutherford. It seems what has hurt Schenn this game won’t keep him out of any future contests, but given his importance to the Blues as a whole (he has 21 goals and 59 points this season) his status may be worth monitoring.

Penguins Notes: Jarry, Petry, Bonino

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Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry’s current absence is related to a new lower-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed to reporters on Monday. The injury is not an aggravation of Jarry’s previous lower-body injury, which cost him seven games in January.

Jarry was healthy enough to dress as the backup for Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals but has not played since last Wednesday. Casey DeSmith stopped 31 of 34 shots against Washington on Saturday to guide the team to a much-needed 4-3 win. Jarry’s injury troubles have been countered by DeSmith’s strong play in the month of March, recording a .921 save percentage in seven appearances to help keep the Penguins in playoff position. In contrast, Jarry’s save percentage has dipped to .908 on the season as he continues to battle injuries.

More notes from Sullivan on the status of his injured players today:

  • Defenseman Jeff Petry’s availability for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings remains uncertain. Sullivan announced that Petry’s status will be a game-time decision after the 35-year-old blueliner has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury. Petry himself told reporters that today’s practice was “a step forward,” but wouldn’t comment on his status for Tuesday.
  • Center Nick Bonino skated before practice on Monday, according to Sullivan. Acquired at the trade deadline, Bonino played just three games back in a Penguins uniform before a kidney laceration landed him on long-term injured reserve. It’s a good sign for the veteran center’s long-term health that a return to the ice seems to be a nearing possibility.

Penguins Place Nick Bonino On LTIR, Recall Mark Friedman

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Injuries have tested Pittsburgh’s already tricky salary cap situation in recent games and with the back end being banged up at the moment, reinforcements were needed.  The Penguins created some short-term cap space to create room for a recall as they announced that center Nick Bonino has been placed on LTIR while recalling blueliner Mark Friedman from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Last weekend, the team revealed that Bonino suffered a lacerated kidney in just his third game with the team.  While he had been released from the hospital, he was still ruled out as week-to-week.  That now changes to 10 games and 24 days from the date of injury, the minimum requirements for a player to be placed on LTIR.  Given the initial timeframe, it’s still possible that Bonino is able to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season.

With the placement, Pittsburgh adds $1.025MM to its LTIR pool; while Bonino’s true cap hit is double that amount, Montreal held back an additional $1.025MM as part of a three-team trade at the deadline earlier this month.

That move allows Pittsburgh to be able to afford Friedman’s $775K cap hit on their active roster.  The 27-year-old has played in 11 games with the Penguins this season in a depth role plus another 24 in the minors where he has a goal and five assists in 24 contests.

Notably, the Penguins are still only able to afford just this one recall as the leftover difference between Bonino’s cap hit and Friedman’s plus the $375K they had in their pool before this move (per CapFriendly), is just $625K which is below the $750K league minimum.  Accordingly, if more recalls will be needed, they’re going to have to get quite creative to make it happen.

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.

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