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Injury Updates: Crosby, Canadiens, Paul, Ryan

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While it was looking like Penguins star center Sidney Crosby was nearing a return from his core muscle injury, it appears those plans have hit at least a small snag.  The team announced (Twitter link) that although he was scheduled to skate ahead of today’s game in Colorado, he didn’t as he wasn’t feeling well.  The veteran has yet to participate in a full team practice with contact yet so it appears he’ll miss at least another game or two.  Crosby has missed the last 26 games heading into play tonight and still is in the top ten in team scoring with 17 points in as many contests.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • After bouncing between Ottawa and their AHL affiliates over the past few years, Senators winger Nick Paul has been establishing himself as a regular player this season. However, that progress has now been derailed as head coach D.J. Smith told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that Paul is “done for the foreseeable future”  due a lower-body injury sustained on Tuesday.  He has already been ruled out for the next two weeks but it seems like it will be even longer now.
  • Canadiens head coach Claude Julien told reporters, including TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link) that winger Paul Byron has suffered a setback as he works his way back from a knee injury and that he has yet to resume skating. Originally scheduled to be back several weeks ago, Julien acknowledged that winger Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia are now both likely to return before Byron but that those two won’t be back until after the All-Star Game.
  • Kings defenseman Joakim Ryan is expected to return to the lineup at some point on their current five-game road trip that runs through January 18th, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. He has been out with a lower-body injury since late December.  He’s currently on IR and Los Angeles has a full 23-man roster so they will need to make a roster move before they can activate him.

Joel Armia, Paul Byron Out “Week-To-Week”

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The Montreal Canadiens have been struck with some more bad injury news, as head coach Claude Julien told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that both Joel Armia and Paul Byron will be out on a “week-to-week” basis. Armia was injured on Monday night against the Winnipeg Jets, while Byron hasn’t played since the middle of November. The team will get one forward back however, as Jesperi Kotkaniemi is expected to play tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Armia, 26, has been an absolute bargain for the Canadiens since being acquired in a salary dump in 2018. Montreal took Steve Mason and his hefty contract from the Winnipeg Jets and proceeded to buy the goaltender out, but ended up with a depth forward who had just set career highs with 12 goals and 29 points. Right away Armia was a huge addition for the Canadiens, changing the look of their penalty kill while also providing some much needed secondary scoring. Though last season was also cut short to injury, he still provided 13 goals in 57 games.

This year has been even better, with Armia scoring at the best pace of his career. With 12 goals in 35 games he trails only Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher for the team lead, while his 21 points put him fifth among Canadiens forwards. His presence in all situations will be missed dearly, especially as Montreal tries to keep pace with the red hot Toronto Maple Leafs and make up some ground on the bruised Boston Bruins.

Atlantic Notes: Montreal Injuries, Dermott, Senators, Coburn

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While it looked as if Canadiens winger Paul Byron was nearing a return to the lineup as he was taking a regular turn on the fourth line in Friday’s practice, the team announced (Twitter link) that he will not play tonight and will not join them on their upcoming four-game Western Canada road trip.  Byron was initially slated to miss four weeks and had he returned tonight, he would have returned in that timeframe but it appears he’ll miss longer than originally anticipated.  The team also announced that Jesperi Kotkaniemi (concussion) and Victor Mete (lower body) will be on the upcoming trip, suggesting that they’re nearing returns from their respective injuries.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott acknowledged to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that there haven’t been any discussions about a potential contract extension. The pending restricted free agent is still working his way back into form after missing the start of the season due to shoulder surgery and is averaging less than 15 minutes a night which is lower than his averages over his first two seasons.  As a result, Dermott doesn’t appear to be too worried about a new deal just yet, saying that he has “a million other things to worry about”.
  • While the Senators have several quality prospects that are making a push for some NHL time, GM Pierre Dorion told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that they don’t intend to bring them up until there’s a chance for them to make a regular impact. While some teams see value in giving their prospects a taste of the top level, Dorion believes that sending them back and forth can be more detrimental to their development.
  • Tampa Bay defenseman Braydon Coburn is likely out until after the Christmas break, reports Bryan Burns of the Lightning’s team website (Twitter link). The veteran is dealing with a lower-body injury and last played on November 29th.

Surgery Planned For Jonathan Drouin, Paul Byron

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Tuesday: The Canadiens have issued an update on both players. Drouin will be out a minimum of eight weeks, while Byron is expected to miss just four.

Monday: The Montreal Canadiens are about to lose two big parts of their forward group, as head coach Claude Julien told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that both Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron need surgery. Drouin’s will be on his wrist and is set for later today, while Byron suffered a knee injury and will go under the knife tomorrow. Both players are expected to be out “weeks.”

Losing two of your best offensive weapons is never a good thing, but especially not in a season where the Canadiens look like legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. The team is sitting at 11-5-4 through the first quarter of the season, just three points behind the Boston Bruins for Atlantic Division lead.

Drouin was also in the midst of his best season so far in Montreal, with 15 points through his first 19 games. Blessed with incredible puck skills and playmaking ability, there have always been questions about his consistency and commitment to taking the puck to the tougher areas. A lot of those questions had been answered this year and his even-strength production had improved as a result.

Byron meanwhile hasn’t had the kind of offensive success he is used to, but is still one of the team’s most important two-way forwards. After scoring 51 even-strength goals over the last three seasons he has just one on the season.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Marlies, Byron

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The NHL has released their three stars for last week, and Sergei Bobrovsky has taken the top spot after an incredible stretch. The goaltender went 4-0 and stopped 115 of 117 shots to push the Columbus Blue Jackets back into a playoff spot. While there is plenty of speculation over Bobrovsky’s future, he’s obviously committed to helping the Blue Jackets this season. The 30-year old goaltender will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Darcy Kuemper has been awarded the third star after he continued his excellent season in Arizona, but it’s Tyler Bertuzzi who may raise some eyebrows in the second spot. The Detroit Red Wings forward had ten points in four games last week and now has 44 on the season including an impressive 19 goals. Though the team may not have found much success in the standings this year, it’s been an incredible development year for players like Bertuzzi, Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou.

  • With CHL and college seasons coming to an end several junior players will be heading to the AHL. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is one of those players, assigned to the Toronto Marlies while the team has also signed Alex Basso, Zachary Bouthillier and Erik Brown to amateur tryouts. Der-Arguchintsev was the Maple Leafs`third-round pick in 2018 and had 46 points in 62 games for the Peterborough Petes this season. Other CHL players joining their AHL teams are Vladislav Kotkov (San Jose Barracuda) and Matthew Strome (Lehigh Valley Phantoms).
  • The Montreal Canadiens welcomed back an important player today when Paul Byron made his return to practice. The speedy forward had missed two games after fighting MacKenzie Weegar but could make his return in an extremely important game against the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow. The Canadiens are sitting one point behind Carolina for the final wild card spot and may need to win out to qualify for the playoffs.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Johansson, Byron

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While the Senators are in the process of searching for a new President of Hockey Operations, that won’t have any bearing on their looming coaching search, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  The scribe adds that current interim bench boss Marc Crawford is likely to receive serious consideration for the role.  Ottawa has actually seen its points percentage improve since the coaching change, no small feat considering Crawford took over following the trades of Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Dzingel.  Belleville head coach Troy Mann is also likely to be considered for the role given how many young players are pegged to have regular roles for next season and beyond.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Bruins winger Marcus Johansson has had a rough go since joining the team a month ago. He missed time with a lung contusion and hasn’t made much of a mark when he has played with just a lone assist in six games.  With that in mind, Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe suggests that it’s unlikely that Boston will opt to bring back the 28-year-old for next season, barring a strong showing in the postseason.  Johansson has averaged just 12:13 per night so far as they look to determine what his role in the lineup should be heading into the playoffs.
  • Despite looking like he could be out for a while following a fight on Tuesday, Canadiens winger Paul Byron has resumed skating, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). As a result, he could be available for their next game on Tuesday assuming he gets the green light from team doctors.  Montreal has struggled without Byron in the lineup this season and would certainly benefit from his presence as they look to make a late run at a playoff spot.

Eastern Notes: Fritz, Crawford, Daccord, Byron, Strome

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The New York Islanders have lost some depth as forward Tanner Fritz is expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a blood clot in his hand, according to NHL.com’s Cory Wright.

He had a little bit of a blood clot between two fingers, so they had to do some surgery and he’ll be out six to eight weeks. The operation was 100% successful. It’s just the nature of the type of procedure that was done, that it’ll take that bit of time. He’s fine. It’s unfortunate for Tanner, who came in and did so well, but as I said, he’ll be fully recovered.”

While the 27-year-old Fritz has only appeared in eight games for the Islanders this season, he was recalled on March 21st after veteran Valtteri Filppula was injured, giving Fritz the opportunity to play in the team’s last three games. Fritz was averaging only 10:49 of ice time with the Isles, but has been solid with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL where he has 12 goals and 37 points in 57 games. As for Filppula, head coach Barry Trotz said that he has been skating, but there is still no timetable for his return.

  • Expect Ottawa Senators interim coach Marc Crawford to be a serious candidate for the team’s head coaching position, according to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. While general manager Pierre Dorion has a list of many candidates, the team won’t allow their search for a president of hockey operations to interfere with their hunt for a head coach. Crawford deserves consideration for that position as he has made a difference on the Senators’ young squad. Belleville head coach Troy Mann is another serious candidate for the Senators’ coaching vacancy.
  • Garrioch reports that Dorion and goaltending coach Pierre Groulx watched Arizona State goaltender Joey Daccord Saturday and are expected to try to sign the collegiate goaltender. Daccord had a breakout year with Arizona State as the junior put up 21 wins, a 2.36 GAA and a .926 save percentage. He was the team’s seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft.
  • TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron, who has missed two games with an upper-body injury, was back on the ice Sunday, but still needs to pass some tests before he is cleared to play. The 29-year-old Byron has 15 goals and 30 points in 54 games and could be available to play for Montreal on Tuesday if all goes well.
  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced that prospect Matthew Strome has been reassigned from his OHL team, whose season recently ended. Strome, the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, just wrapped up his fourth year with the Hamilton Bulldogs, posting 28 goals and 79 points. He signed his entry-level contract in March of 2018 and will finish out the season with the Phantoms.

Snapshots: Lehtera, Red Wings, Byron

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Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera was convicted Wednesday of buying cocaine, according to Tricia L. Nadolny and Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lehtera had been charged in Finland with the offense earlier this season, and has been sentenced to a four-month suspended prison sentence. He will not serve any time in jail as long as he is not arrested again before October 2021.

The Flyers placed Lehtera on waivers in early February and sent him to the AHL where he has played five games. His contract is set to expire at the end of this season, at which point he will become an unrestricted free agent. It is not clear what this conviction will mean for his playing career, though early reports out of Finland say he will be appealing the decision.

  • The Detroit Red Wings likely won’t see either of Michael Rasmussen or Jacob de La Rose on the ice again this season. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive that de La Rose saw a specialist today about his accelerated heart beat, and Rasmussen is unlikely to return from his upper-body injury before the end of the year. The Red Wings have just six games left in their season and are currently sitting in 29th place in the NHL.
  • Paul Byron will not travel with the Montreal Canadiens to Columbus after suffering an injury in a fight last night. Byron took on MacKenzie Weegar of the Florida Panthers and was knocked down with a hard punch. After stumbling to the bench he did not return. Byron’s agent told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) his thoughts on how fights like these have no business in the game today, explaining that the only reason for it was a hit from earlier in the season. Byron received a three-game suspension for the hit in January. It is unclear when the speedy forward will return to the Montreal lineup.

Minor Transactions: 02/25/2019

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With the trade deadline upon us, roster restrictions have now been lifted so there should be an influx of recalls today.  On top of that, there should be plenty of “paper transactions” post-deadline as teams send down and then recall players in order to preserve their AHL postseason eligibility. Only players on AHL rosters at 3pm ET are eligible to play in the league’s playoffs. While all eyes are on the deadline, today is also one of, if not the, busiest day of the season for minor transactions. Try to keep up right here:

  • The Canadiens announced the recall of winger Dale Weise from Laval (AHL). He was sent down last week to accommodate the return of Paul Byron from IR but this move was expected with the 23-man roster limit now removed.  Weise played in three games with the Rocket, scoring twice.  He will likely battle for fourth line ice time down the stretch.
  • The Devils have shuffled their forward group, announcing that they have sent wingers Joey Anderson and Brett Seney to AHL Binghamton while recalling forwards Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, and John Quenneville. Anderson has just three points in 19 NHL games this season while Seney has spent the bulk of the year in New Jersey, collecting 13 points in 50 NHL contests.  McLeod, a 2016 first-rounder, has played just once with the big club this season but sits second on Binghamton in scoring and should now get a longer look to assess his development.  Bastian has also played just once in New Jersey but leads Binghamton in goals with 17 in 56 games.  They also announced that goalie MacKenzie Blackwood has been recalled from Binghamton following the trade of Keith Kinkaid, as well as defenseman Egor Yakovlev, with Eric Gryba heading back to the AHL.
  • For the time being at least, the Senators have re-assigned defenseman Cody Goloubef, centers Logan Brown and Filip Chlapik, and winger Drake Batherson to Belleville of the AHL, per a team announcement.  The team also made forward Rudolfs Balcers and defenseman Christian Wolanin paper transactions for the inevitable reality of last-place Ottawa having an early end to their season, but Belleville continuing on to the postseason.
  • The Flyers have brought back defenseman Samuel Morin from his conditioning stint with AHL Lehigh Valley.  He has been working his way back from ACL surgery from an injury sustained in the minor league playoffs back in May and played in a pair of games with the Phantoms.  It’s likely that Morin won’t be thrown into action with Philadelphia right away but with the roster limit gone, they can have him on the active roster from here on out. The team also made defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Corban Knight paper transactions. The young Myers was the top defender for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantom prior to his recall, while Knight is an experienced AHLer who can lead a team. Their return for the postseason would be a major boost for the Phantoms.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Donovan from the AHL, placing Dan Hamhuis on injured reserve. Donovan is leading all Milwaukee Admirals defensemen in scoring with 29 points through 55 games, but hasn’t played an NHL game since 2014-15.
  • Christian Dvorak has officially been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners, meaning he’ll be back on the ice for the Arizona Coyotes soon. The young forward has missed the entire season up to this point, but could give the Coyotes a much needed offensive boost down the stretch.
  • Matt Luff was recalled by the Los Angeles Kings today, only to be returned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign later on alongside Michael Amadio. It’s unclear if this move was intended for AHL postseason means, seeing as the Reign are in last place in the entire league and aren’t going to be heading to the postseason.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have returned goaltender Marek Mazanec and forward Zack MacEwen to the AHL’s Utica Comets, the team announced. Mazanec’s demotion is good news for the Canucks; Thatcher Demko has been cleared for action and will dress for the Canucks as the backup tonight.
  • Teddy Blueger has been reassigned to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, but could be on his way back up shortly. With Tanner Pearson shipped out of town, Pittsburgh needs another forward and Blueger has been the next man up. He should get a chance at regular minutes down the stretch.
  • Collin Delia will return to the minors upon the activation of Corey Crawford, Chicago announced. Delia has performed admirably in net during Crawford’s absence and even earned a contract extension with his play, but needs the starts available in the AHL rather than sitting behind Crawford and Cam Ward.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs trading away Par Lindholm today, stating their desire to open up regular NHL minutes for Trevor Moore, it is no surprise that Moore was an emergency recall by the team. Moore has been the epitome of consistency through his time with the University of Denver and AHL Marlies and now hopes to bring that same dependable production to the NHL.
  • The Arizona Coyotes made a pair of paper transactions, assigning defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and forward Conor Garland to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners – to ensure their AHL postseason eligibility – and then called them back up.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes followed suit, making forwards Saku Maenalanen and Warren Foegele paper transactions, so that they may compete with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers if need be.
  • The Dallas Stars are without Mats Zuccarello after just one game with the trade addition. To fill his roster spot for the time being, the team has recalled Denis Gurianov from AHL Texas. Gurianov has shown flashes, but inconsistency in the pros, but now Dallas needs him to be a reliable option over the next four weeks.
  • Daniel O’Regan seemed like a likely trade candidate as a young impending free agent who has not been a fit in Buffalo. The Sabres even showcased him this past week, but to no avail. The deadline has come and gone and Regan is still a Sabre, or more accurately a Rochester American after being demoted today. Tage Thompson was a paper transaction for the club.
  • Dylan Sikura was made a paper transaction by the Chicago Blackhawks, as well. While the team would like to see what he can do in the NHL over the next month, the Blackhawks are trending away from the postseason, making Sikura’s best bet at postseason play a return to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The move today maintains his eligibility to do so.
  • The Colorado Avalanche made dependable depth forward Sheldon Dries a paper transaction, but the reassignments of fellow forwards A.J. Greer and Andrew Agozzino were not just formalities. The pair will head back to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, having presumably lost their roster spots to the healthy Colin Wilson and the acquisition of Derick Brassard.
  • Goaltender Harri Sateri, defenseman Filip Hronek, and forward Filip Zadina were all made paper transactions by the Detroit Red Wings. Sateri and Hronek are currently filling in as injury replacements and will likely return to the AHL for real in short time, but Detroit wants to see what top prospect Zadina can do in the NHL down the stretch. The Red Wings surely won’t be making the playoffs though, so they made sure the trio can all still experience a postseason run this year.
  • The Edmonton Oilers made veteran minor league forwards Brad Malone and Josh Currie paper transactions. The duo is currently helping out in the NHL, but with the Oilers’ playoff hopes all but dead, their major role the rest of the way will likely be as experienced leaders guiding the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors into the postseason.
  • Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin, and new addition Ryan Donato were all made paper transactions today by the Minnesota Wild. The trio is very much part of the Wild’s immediate plans this season, as well as their future, but Minnesota may not make the playoffs this year and the forwards could benefit from making a run with AHL Iowa.
  • New York Islanders defenseman Devon Toews was another paper transaction. Toews has carved out a role for himself with the club, which currently leads the Metropolitan Division, but should be be available to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers come playoff time, a return to the team at a critical time would only further his development.
  • Lukas Radil was a paper transaction for the San Jose Sharks today. The Sharks are hoping to make a deep playoff run this year, but on the off chance that doesn’t materialize, the experienced forward Radil would be of benefit to the AHL Barracuda.
  • The Vancouver Canucks currently have defensemen Ashton Sautner and Guillaume Brisebois on the roster as the team battles injuries. However, to make sure the AHL’s Utica Comets were not stripped of two of their top defenders this season, Vancouver made the pair paper transactions today.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have reassigned defenseman Tucker Poolman to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today. The move was expected after the Jets traded for not one but two defenseman today. The move also serves to ensure Poolman can play in the AHL postseason if need be. The same goes for forward Mason Appleton, who was also sent down.
  • Peter Cehlarik and Karson Kuhlman have both been returned to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, but it remains unclear if this is a paper transaction or an actual move by Boston. With the deadline passed and roster restrictions nullified, one would think that Cehlarik and Kulhman – who have both player regular minutes for the Bruins of late – would be back up. However, no such move has been made and perhaps the team simply wants to give the duo some more ice time in the minors now that their NHL roster includes several more veteran members up front.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have demoted defenseman Andy Welinski and forward Sam Steel in favor of defenseman Korbinian Holzer and goaltender Angus Redmond. The move may have something to do with AHL playoff eligibility, but more than anything it is about Redmond’s recall. The Ducks, who continue to struggle with injuries in net, will dress Redmond as their backup tonight with Ryan Miller sidelined with a lower-body injury. It is the first NHL experience for a keeper who has played almost exclusively in the ECHL as a pro.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/19

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The NHL is busy tonight with nine games on the schedule, including a Central Division battle between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. With the St. Louis Blues on a ten game winning streak, the Stars are just trying to keep pace in the playoff race while the Predators try to hold onto second spot. As teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman as Dustin Byfuglien deals with another injury. Byfuglien will miss the next few games, meaning Poolman is up to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. The 25-year old has played 30 games for the Manitoba Moose this year, but is still waiting to make his season debut in the NHL.
  • Ashton Sautner has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks as they deal with several injuries to their defense corps. Sautner, 24, played in five games for the Canucks last year but has spent this entire season in the minor leagues.
  • With Victor Rask moved to injured reserve, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Cal O’Reilly from the AHL. O’Reilly has 38 points in 43 games with the Iowa Wild this season and has long been an exceptional minor league player. The 32-year old has yet to make his season debut for Minnesota. UPDATE: O’Reilly has been sent back to the minor leagues already.
  • Dale Weise is on his way back to the minor leagues, this time to make room on the roster for Paul Byron. The Montreal Canadiens have activated Byron from injured reserve, a huge boost to their team as they search for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
  • Blake Coleman has been activated from injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, meaning the end of the run for Nick Lappin. The Devils sent Lappin back to the AHL today after just three games in the NHL.
  • Jan Rutta has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning as Victor Hedman deals with a minor injury. Mathieu Joseph has been returned to the AHL to make room on the roster for another defenseman. Hedman is not expected to be out long.

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