Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Players

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Blues, Brodin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens will be without defenseman David Savard and forward Sean Monahan when they take on the Seattle Kraken tonight. Per the team, Savard is dealing with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. At the same time, Monahan has a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated when the team returns to Montreal after their road trip concludes tonight.

Savard is second among Canadiens defensemen this season in points (eight) and average time on ice (22:17). While his defensive play hasn’t been what it was during the end of his time in Columbus, he’s a vital minute-muncher on a youthful Montreal defense. His usage is the highest it’s been in more than five years, so it’ll be testing for the Habs rookies to see if they can handle some increased minutes in his absence. Monahan is also in the middle of a well-documented resurgence, sitting in fourth place on the Habs with 17 points in 25 games this year. He’s also been great in the faceoff circle, winning over 55% of his draws and leading the team in total faceoff wins (177).

  • While the St. Louis Blues are on their way to a convincing road win on Long Island, they did it without a pair of key players in winger Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Torey Krug. Buchenvich was out with a lower-body injury, while Krug missed the game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Craig Berube noted pre-game that both players need further evaluations before “knowing whether the injuries would be more short-term or long-term.”
  • Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason said today that although defenseman Jonas Brodin won’t make his return to the lineup tomorrow, the Swede looked “great” today and is close to returning. Brodin, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, has missed a combined five games this year with this injury and an earlier illness. While known for his defensive prowess, he’s still in the middle of a down year offensively, with just four assists in 19 games.

 

Afternoon Notes: Capitals Injuries, Islanders Injuries, Fraser

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a long period of sustained success, many expected that the Washington Capitals would have to take a step back sooner or later, and it appears that might be happening here in 2022-23. The team currently sits four points back of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference after 26 games, nearly one-third of the season. There is room for optimism though, not just because there’s 56 games left in their season, but much of their struggle can be blamed on injury issues in the first part of the season. While some players have come back, some are still missing and there is, of course, plenty more opportunity for more injuries.

The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir spoke with Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette earlier this afternoon to get updates on a number of Washington injuries. On defenseman Martin Fehervary and goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who both sustained upper-body injuries last night in Calgary, Laviolette tells El-Bashir that both are considered day-to-day. As discussed earlier, this may necessitate a goalie recall from the Hershey Bears, Washington’s AHL affiliate, and El-Bashir later confirmed that Fehervary will not play tomorrow in Edmonton. Finally, on Dmirty Orlov, who’s missed 12 games, the defenseman did skate today with the other Capitals scratches, but is unlikely to play tomorrow, according to El-Bashir. Overall, this seems to be good news for the Capitals, Orlov perhaps inching closer, discussed earlier as well, with Fehervary and Kuemper seemingly not expected to miss too much time.

  • New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert provided a few updates on his injured players ahead of tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. As Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports, both Kyle Palmieri, who is on IR, and Cal Clutterbuck, who is not, remain out of the lineup tonight, Lambert adding that Palmieri has yet to resume skating. Both players are dealing with upper-body injuries. On top of the two veterans, Lambert added that another forward is a game-time decision, not elaborating any further than that. The Islanders had called up forwards Simon Holmstrom, Cole Bardreau, and Hudson Fasching to fill the void, but have since sent Bardreau back to the AHL, recalling Robin Salo earlier this afternoon.
  • A sad bit of news, as the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that longtime scout Barry Fraser passed away this morning at the age of 82. Professionally, Fraser was best known for being an instrumental piece in building the Edmonton Oilers. The entire staff of PHR sends their condolences to Fraser’s family and friends.

Snapshots: Voracek, Capitals Goalies, Vegas Injuries

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Just this Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced injury updates on a number of players, including forward Jakub Voracek, who has been battling lingering effects of a concussion suffered early this season. With that announcement, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen clarified that Voracek did not necessarily have a timetable and that the team was going to give him time to see if his symptoms subsided before a return to the ice was considered. Today, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline published a more in-depth look at Voracek’s situation, speaking personally with Kekalainen on the expectations around the veteran winger, and things may look worse than they had seemed at first.

The executive acknowledged to Portzline that Voracek may very well be looking at an earlier retirement than expected. Kekalainen added “I’m more worried about him having a normal life.” Lingering concussion issues are always a serious concern for any player and team in whatever sport it may be, however the original news that the team was giving him time away appeared to be more of a long-term injury concern. With today’s report though, it seems a return to the ice might not even be a guarantee. Voracek, 33, is a veteran of 15 NHL seasons including this one, five as a Blue Jacket and 11 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

  • The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, announced this afternoon that they’ve signed goaltender Justin Kapelmaster to a PTO ahead of their game today. Normally, we’d put this news in a Minor Transactions piece, however NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti makes an interesting observation with impact on the Capitals. As Gulitti writes, the PTO could mean that one of Hershey’s goaltenders is headed to Edmonton to meet the Capitals after starting netminder Darcy Kuemper left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. Washington currently has Zachary Fucale and Hunter Shepard under contract and playing for the Bears, along with Charlie Lindgren already on the NHL roster.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced, via head coach Bruce Cassidy, that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will miss tomorrow night’s game in Boston against the Bruins, while forward Jack Eichel will be a game-time decision. Pietrangelo has missed the last three games for Vegas for undisclosed personal reasons, last playing November 26th. While the reason for the absence isn’t any clearer than that, Vegas does return home after Monday’s game, which may be a preferred time for the defenseman to rejoin the team, as opposed to meeting them on the opposite coast for the one game. As to Eichel, the nature of his absence is still unclear.

Evening Notes: Zetterlund, Boqvist, Lehkonen, 2024 All Star Game

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The New Jersey Devils remarkable season is becoming more and more real each day. At first a nice story, then a “prove it,” then “what next,” the 19-4-1 Devils now sit among the NHL’s most elite teams this season with little evidence they’re slowing down. The team had another busy offseason, however the bulk of the talent on the roster isn’t much different than the same group that put up just 63 points last season. One of the several changes that has seemingly turned the tide in New Jersey is the development of some of their less-heralded prospects, including forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Jesper Boqvist.

As the Devils’ own Amanda Stein profiles, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff recently pulled both players aside and informed them that they should “get a place.” In other words, the two had been living in the team hotel in New Jersey without a permanent home, neither considered a firm part of the roster. However, a player being told to find a more permanent living situation implies that their spot on the roster is fairly safe. New Jersey had certainly hoped that both players could be a part of the long-term plan for them, however neither had really secured that status just yet. Now, 24 games into the season entering tonight, the Devils have found a winning recipe, and while it includes big names like Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, it’s also quite clearly been impacted as well by players like Boqvist and Zetterlund.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have had to weather more than their fair share of injuries this year and much to their credit, the reigning Cup champions have been able to keep themselves in playoff position despite the injuries. However, the team was dealt another tough blow during tonight’s contest against the Boston Bruins with winger Artturi Lehkonen leaving the game with an undisclosed injury, says Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Acquired at last season’s trade deadline, Lehkonen has fit in well during his time in Colorado and is currently enjoying a phenomenal breakout season, tallying seven goals to go with 11 assists in 21 games coming into tonight.
  • With the postponement of the 2024 World Cup of Hockey, the NHL will need to find a host for their All Star Game and of course, won’t have an issue finding interested parties. On this evening’s 32 Thoughts portion of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that there is expected to be a good amount of interest in hosting from Canadian teams, with Toronto being one that is expected to make a bid. Friedman added that there are some who have wondered if the NHL would consider a rotation of 7-to-10 cities where players may want to travel to during the winter months (presumably the warm climates of the American south and the west coast), but as Friedman adds, that’s not of interest to the league. The last All Star Game to be held north of the border was Ottawa back in 2012, with Montreal in 2009 before it.

Afternoon Notes: Bellemare, Barkov, Gaudreau, Soderblom

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As they navigate a cap crunch that has seen key pieces of their core stripped away one by one over time, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had to get more and more creative filling out their lineup. The organization has used a mix of young players in their system developed to their liking and affordable veterans with a winning pedigree to round things out. One of those players is 37-year-old Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who the team signed to a two-year deal back in 2021.

Recently, Bellemare has been away from the team on a personal leave of absence, the root of which is unknown. Earlier today, Tampa Bay Times reporter Eduardo Encina spoke with Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who confirmed that Bellemare will join the team on their upcoming road trip, which will travel through Buffalo, Boston, and Philadelphia. It’s unclear if Bellemare, who last played on Monday, is expected to play on this trip. Although the veteran hasn’t been out very long, it’s possible due to the leave that he may not have been able to continue skating regularly and could need an extra couple days to be ready.

  • Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss the team’s next two games due to illness, says Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards. The nature of Barkov’s illness is unknown, but apparently is serious enough that not only can Barkov not play in tomorrow’s game in Edmonton and Tuesday’s in Calgary, but the forward is not traveling with the Panthers for the Alberta leg of the road trip. After Tuesday, Florida will head out to Vancouver for a Thursday evening matchup with the Canucks, a game which Barkov has not been ruled out for. Barkov missed yesterday’s game against the St. Louis Blues with this same illness.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau did not practice today due to an unknown illness, says Jeff Svoboda of BlueJackets.com. Per Svoboda, Columbus head coach Brad Larsen said he’ll know more tomorrow about Gaudreau’s availability for tomorrow night’s game. Gaudreau has not missed any games thus far with the illness. While the team is struggling this year, the first-year Jacket has not, posting 20 points in 20 games to date.
  • Detroit Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom is still not practicing, reports Michigan Live’s Ansar Khan. At last report on November 21st, Soderblom was still listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, though head coach Derek Lalonde then said Soderblom’s return could take “some time.” The rookie has two points, both goals, in 13 games this season, but has not played since November 8th due to the injury.

Evening Notes: Wright, Okposo, Konecny, Kochetkov

at CDT | by 3 Comments

It hasn’t been the start to his career that many thought it would be for Shane Wright. At times thought to be the consensus number one overall pick in the 2022 draft, Wright slipped to number four, selected by the Seattle Kraken. Given Seattle’s continued push to build and add more veteran scoring to the lineup and the state of Wright’s development, a return to the OHL seemed possible, if not likely, at the start of this season. Instead, the Kraken elected to keep Wright around. That decision wasn’t what has raised many eyebrows though, instead Seattle’s choice to scratch Wright in a majority of their games and give him little ice time when they have played him, has drawn some confusion from around the league.

Tonight on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek attempted to shed light on what Seattle may be planning for and what fans might be able to expect going forward. As Marek explains, the team needs to make Wright a healthy scratch five games in a row in order to be able to send him on a 14-day conditioning stint in the AHL (much like the Los Angeles Kings and Brandt Clarke are doing right now). The team tried to do this earlier in the season, but got cut off after four games due to a Jared McCann injury and needed to reset the clock, Marek believes. Tonight would mark Wright’s fifth game in a row scratched after the reset, which could allow for the forward to be sent on a conditioning stint tomorrow with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle’s AHL affiliate, where he could play in five AHL games before being recalled on December 4th. After that, Seattle has just one game before camp opens up for Team Canada for the World Junior Championships, where Seattle could opt to send Wright. This plan isn’t set in stone or even confirmed by Seattle, but is interesting logic, as Marek suggests.

  • Also from tonight’s 32 Thoughts, Marek touches on Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo, who is in the final year of a seven-year, $42MM contract he signed during the 2016 offseason. When the team named him captain just before the start of the season, both sides appeared interested in continuing their relationship with one another. Even if true, Marek says that neither side is currently in a hurry to get an extension done. That doesn’t necessarily mean a new deal to keep Okposo in Buffalo won’t happen, but could point to both sides wanting to avoid distraction, especially as the team struggles, losing their eighth game in a row tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, or to simply give both sides more clarity on Okposo’s specific value. Once a star in the NHL, Okposo’s production dropped off significantly over the life of this contract, but a recent bounce-back has breathed new life into Okposo’s career.
  • Marek also discussed the upper-body injury to Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. It’s believed Konecny suffered the injury Thursday and was ruled out of tonight’s game. Losing their points leader, even for one game, was bad enough for the Flyers, but now according to Marek, Konecny is expected to miss a couple of weeks, if not longer. The Flyers, who have outperformed expectations this season, have done so in large part thanks to Konecny’s 19 points in 17 games.
  • Per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has switched agents. The netminder will now be represented by agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Milstein manages a number of high-profile NHLers, but is perhaps best known for representing a large portion of the NHL’s Russian players, which would now include the exciting Hurricanes prospect. The 23-year-old has played in just five NHL games in his career, nine counting the playoffs, but is in the final year of his entry-level contract.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Kevin Shattenkirk

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Good news this evening on the injury front for the struggling Anaheim Ducks, as the team announced it has activated defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk off of injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game in St. Louis against the Blues. As well as activating Shattenkirk, Anaheim has re-assigned defenseman Drew Helleson to the San Diego Gulls, their AHL affiliate. The moves leave Anaheim with 22 players on their roster.

Getting Shattenkirk back into the lineup isn’t exactly a game-breaker for Anaheim, who comes into tonight with a 5-11-1 record, however reinserting the veteran onto a young team should pay some dividends. As the team tries to put their rebuild in the rearview mirror, lead by an exciting young core, players like Shattenkirk will be vital to bring their reliable play and influence the next generation. Still worth noting, the 33-year-old isn’t just a source of veteran leadership, having found new life on the blueline with Anaheim, playing a well-rounded defensive game, as compared to the offensive powerhouse he was in his earlier days.

As for Helleson, who was recalled earlier this week, he’ll have to wait a while longer for his first taste of NHL game action. The 47th overall selection of the 2019 draft by the Colorado Avalanche, Helleson was dealt to Anaheim last season in the deal for Josh Manson. Soon after being dealt, Helleson signed his ELC with Anaheim and made his pro debut with San Diego. In 13 AHL games to start this season, Helleson has a goal and an assist

Evening Notes: Quenneville, Warmups, Ehlers, DeMelo

at CDT | by 3 Comments

To describe the last year or so for the reigning President’s Trophy winners, in part, as a “coaching carousel” would certainly surprise those not following too closely along, but that is more or less a fair description for the Florida Panthers. It was just over a year ago that the then 7-0-0 Panthers fired head coach Joel Quenneville amidst the fallout of the Chicago Blackhawks scandal. Replacing Quenneville would be assistant coach Andrew Brunette, who lead the team to a 51-18-6 record under his watch, as well as a first round win over the Washington Capitals. Brunette would go on to be a Jack Adams Award finalist, but ultimately replaced by now head coach Paul Maurice. Brunette ultimately took an assistant job on Lindy Ruff’s staff with the New Jersey Devils, and many wondered if Quenneville might try to jump back into the mix, if he even could.

On today’s installment of TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger reported that Quenneville is hoping to return “sooner rather than later,” but how soon that could be is unclear. For one, Dreger says, the team hiring him would have to go through the Florida Panthers first. That may not be much of an issue, however Quenneville himself would also have to go through the NHL Commissioner’s Office to be cleared to coach in the league again. According to Dreger, some believe that might not happen until next season. Although that might be a while to wait for Quenneville, considering there had been speculation he may never return to the NHL, a return as soon as next season, just about two years after Florida let him go, may very well be a best case outcome for the coach.

  • Also from today’s Insider Trading, TSN’s Chris Johnston broke the news of an interesting new rule change: effective immediately, players must wear their helmets during warmups. The rule does come with a grandfather clause, allowing any player who made their debut prior to the 2019-20 season to continue to make that decision for themselves, however all players who debuted in that season or later, and all future players, must abide by the rule. Johnston adds that this rule was a recommendation from the NHL/NHLPA Committee on Concussions. While warmups are far from an injury magnet, it’s not unheard of for players to get hurt.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have been off to an impressive start this season, going 9-4-1 early on. However, behind the success have been some troubling injury concerns. Star winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who was originally expected to only miss a few games, is still not an option for the team, and surgery is a possibility, added Dreger on Insider Trading. Dreger cautioned that nothing was decided yet, but Ehlers had had a few consultations with different doctors and that surgery could possibly be an option. That wouldn’t necessarily be a devastating blow to Winnipeg or Ehlers, depending on the circumstances behind it, but is far removed from the short-term injury it appeared to be at first. Dreger adds that Winnipeg, who is without forwards Mason Appleton, Morgan Barron, and Ehlers, are hoping to fill the gaps internally, but could be considering some trade options.
  • Sticking with those Winnipeg Jets, defenseman Dylan DeMelo did not take warmups tonight and was instead replaced in the lineup by Kyle Capobianco. Swapping out one player for another is usually no big deal, but Scott Billeck of The Winnipeg Sun adds that while the circumstances are unknown, DeMelo is not playing nor is he healthy scratch tonight. That doesn’t necessarily guarantee DeMelo is hurt, but it is a point of concern worth following.

Injury Notes: Allison, Bowers, Knyzhov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A trio of roster transactions involving injured players were made tonight, starting with the Philadelphia Flyers. According to CapFriendly, the team has moved forward Wade Allison to injured reserve, signifying he’ll miss at least five more days with a lower-body injury.

Allison was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 12 and will miss at least the team’s upcoming three-game road trip against Columbus, Boston, and Montreal. The 25-year-old left Saturday’s game against Ottawa after laying a hit on Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, and The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor reported yesterday that Allison won’t miss too much time. Through 14 games this season, Allison has contributed three goals and an assist.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have moved forward Shane Bowers to injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, freeing up a roster spot for any potential call-ups. On Saturday, Bowers was given a six-week timeline by head coach Jared Bednar after sustaining an upper-body injury 1:46 into his NHL career. The team did not have any extra roster spots for healthy players, with all non-dressed players out with injuries.
  • The San Jose Sharks have also moved defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to long-term injured reserve. Knyzhov, 24, has not played hockey since suiting up for all 56 games of the shortened 2020-21 season. A groin injury kept him out for the entirety of 2021-22, and an Achilles injury is expected to keep him out until mid-February.

Jakob Chychrun, Nick Schmaltz Set To Return Next Week

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes are about to get some reinforcements after an already impressive stretch of play, at least compared to expectations. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun and forward Nick Schmaltz are set to return to the lineup next Monday when the Coyotes take on the Nashville Predators, according to general manager Bill Armstrong, who spoke with PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan.

As previously reported, though, it seems like Chychrun won’t play more than a handful of games as a Coyote this year. Trade speculation around him has been constant for around a year, and as of the last notable update almost a month ago, the Coyotes’ asking price for the young defender remains on the high side. He’s missed the first month of the season with an ankle injury that kept him out of the end of last season, as well as a separate wrist injury sustained late last month. The 24-year-old is coming off a down season but had 41 points in just 56 games during the 2020-21 campaign. The 16th overall pick in 2016 is a legitimate top-four defenseman regardless, and players like him don’t come around on the trade market often.

Schmaltz, who had a resurgent campaign last year with 59 points in 63 games, left the team’s season opener in the first period. He’s been out since with an upper-body injury.

In an anticipatory transaction, the Coyotes today also sent down forward Laurent Dauphin to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. The minor-league veteran played just one game with the Coyotes this year, but has eight points in eight games with Tucson.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top