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Sebastian Aho

NHL Names Eastern Conference All-Stars

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Sportsnet is reporting that the NHL has named the first 16 selections from the Eastern Conference. These players will appear in the NHL All-Star Game that will take place February 3rd in Toronto.

The game will be held in Canada for the first time since 2012 when it was held in Ottawa. Toronto hasn’t hosted the game since 2000 and it will be highlighted by Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews who was named alongside 15 other Eastern Conference players.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, all of whom will be named this evening. After which the final 12 players will be decided by a fan vote on NHL.com as well as several of the NHL’s social media platforms.

The initial Eastern Conference players are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: RW David Pastrnak (3rd appearance)
Buffalo: D Rasmus Dahlin  (1st appearance)
Detroit: RW Alex DeBrincat (1st appearance)
Florida: C Sam Reinhart (1st appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (3rd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (4th appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (5th appearance)
Toronto: C Auston Matthews (3rd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: F Sebastian Aho (1st appearance)
Columbus: C Boone Jenner (1st appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (3rd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Mathew Barzal (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (2nd appearance)
Philadelphia: C Travis Konecny (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (6th appearance)
Washington: LW Tom Wilson (1st appearance)

The first 16 Western Conference all-stars will be named during the first intermission of tonight’s matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

More to come…

Snapshots: Aho, Pacioretty, Rangers Injuries

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The New York Islanders have activated defenseman Sebastian Aho off of injured reserve and are expecting him to return for the team’s Wednesday night game. Aho has missed the team’s last eight games with an upper-body injury.

The Islanders are facing a slew of injuries to their blueline, recalling Grant Hutton to the NHL lineup on Wednesday to replace Scott Mayfield, who was announced as day-to-day with an injury of his own. Mayfield joins Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech on the list of inactive Islanders’ defenders. The team also acquired Robert Bortuzzo via trade, adding to their depth on the back end.

Aho’s return gives New York a small boost. The 27-year-old defenseman has appeared in 19 games this season, netting four assists, six penalty minutes, and a -3. While Aho made his NHL debut in the 2017-18 season, it wasn’t until last year that he played in more than 40 games in one season. He totaled 23 points, 22 penalty minutes, and a +9 through 71 games in the 2022-23 season, ranking fourth among Islanders defenders in scoring.

Other notes from around the league:

Morning Notes: Eklund, Connor, Hutton

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Top San Jose Sharks youngster William Eklund was held out of the team’s Sunday night shootout-loss versus the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury. No further update was provided about the 21-year-old’s injury.

Eklund narrowly avoids the ‘rookie’ title this season, as playing more than six games in each of the last two seasons removes his eligibility. Regardless, he’s performed well for the Sharks this season, netting six goals and 13 points in 27 games. Four of these points have come in just his last two games – both overtime wins. The 21-year-old has managed this production while serving in a second-line role on the resurging Sharks. Eklund would be tied for seventh in rookie scoring with Philadelphia’s Bobby Brink, if he were eligible.

Eklund has totaled 44 career NHL games since making his debut in 2021-22. He’s managed eight goals, 20 points, and 20 penalty minutes in that span, also recording a career -16. The Sharks drafted Eklund seventh overall in the 2021 NHL Draft,

 

Other notes from around the league:

Metro Notes: Joseph, Islanders, Gudbranson, Kakko

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Having been on the injured reserve since November 18th, it appears that defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, is healthy enough to return, as the team announced they have sent Joseph on a conditioning loan to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He will now be in the AHL for a maximum of 14 days, meaning he will have the opportunity to play in five games in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Last season, Joseph looked to have finally cracked the Penguins roster full-time, playing in 75 games and scoring five goals and 21 points. He did spend a couple of games factoring into Pittsburgh’s powerplay, while also providing solid possession and defensive metrics as well.

With fellow defenseman Chad Ruhwedel set to miss a few weeks with a lower-body injury, the Penguins could certainly use the return of Joseph as soon as possible. Even upon return, with Pittsburgh already carrying a more than adequate top-four in their defensive core, the return of Joseph will allow the team to be more comfortable giving their bottom-pairing important minutes of the game.

Other notes:

  • Although the two did play in the New York Islanders’ most recent game only three days ago, forward Brock Nelson and defenseman Noah Dobson were absent in yesterday’s practice and were listed as day-to-day with undisclosed concerns. Nevertheless, the team announced today that both players would be in the lineup for tonight’s game, while also indicating that defenseman Sebastian Aho is close to making his return as well. It is positive news for New York, who even though it might only be for a game or two, can not afford to miss two of their better offensive players.
  • Team reporter for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jeff Svoboda, reports that defenseman Erik Gudbranson will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, as he is suffering from an illness. Mostly known as a defensive-style defenseman, even with less ice time per night, Gudbranson is producing better offensively this year for the Blue Jackets, scoring two goals and nine points in 26 games.
  • Missing the last three games for the New York Rangers with an undisclosed injury, it does not appear forward Kaapo Kakko is close to a return. After practice today, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported that Kakko has not yet resumed skating. After seemingly having a breakout season last year, Kakko is once again failing to produce up to his draft selection, scoring one goal and three points through 20 games this season.

Metropolitan Notes: Haula, Fox, Rust

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New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted today that forward Erik Haula did not practice with the team today after suffering an injury on Saturday night. Haula was forced to leave the Devils 7-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres with an undisclosed ailment. The 32-year-old did not join the team on the bench for the third period leading to speculation about what might have happened to the native of Pori, Finland.

Haula has found a home in New Jersey after bouncing around to four different teams between 2019-2022. In 18 games this year Haula has six goals and six assists which is well above his average point production per game. His hot start can be credited to a shooting percentage of 17.1% which is well above his career average of 12%.

Star-Ledger reporter Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Haula probably won’t be available for the team’s game tomorrow night which would be another blow to a Devils team who have already sustained injuries to much of their forward group, including Timo Meier and Tomas Nosek who were also absent from practice this morning as they continue to deal with ongoing ailments.

In other Metropolitan notes:

  • Mollie Walker of the New York Post is reporting that New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox was an active participant in the team’s practice this morning and is eligible to return to the Rangers lineup on Wednesday night when they take on the Detroit Red Wings. The native of Jericho, New York was placed on the injured reserve after suffering an injury on November 3rd when he was hit by Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho. Fox had been on a torrid pace to start the season with three goals and eight assists in the first 10 games of the Rangers season. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner will add a jolt to a Rangers team that sits tied for first in the league with a 15-3-1 record to start the season.
  • Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust was a full participant in Penguins practice this morning and he attempts to work his way back into the lineup after missing the team’s last three games with a lower-body injury. Rust practiced on the team’s top line along with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and took reps of the Penguins’ first power play unit signalling that a return could come sooner than later. Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting that Rust told reporters that he could play tomorrow night when Pittsburgh visits the Nashville Predators, but nothing is official yet. The Penguins could certainly use Rust back as they’ve had Drew O’Connor filling in during his absence. O’Connor did have an assist in Saturday night’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he lacks the offensive upside that Rust brings to the Penguins top-6 forward group.

Islanders Place Sebastian Aho On Injured Reserve

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The New York Islanders announced on Monday that defenseman Sebastian Aho has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to last Friday. As of now, no corresponding recall has been made. Aho was injured early in the team’s Friday night game, along with fellow defender Adam Pelech. Both players have since been placed on IR, with Pelech being put on long-term injured reserve.

Aho has appeared in 19 games so far this season, netting four assists, four penalty minutes, and a -3. He’s also managed 18 shots and nine hits. This year becomes the fifth season that Aho has played in the NHL and follows up a strong 2022-23 season that saw the defenseman score 23 points and record a +9 in 71 games. Aho is in the last year of a two-year, $1.6MM contract extension signed last summer.

The 27-year-old Aho was originally drafted by the Islanders in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, after scoring 30 points in 50 SHL games in the 2016-17 season. He immediately came over to the NHL, playing in 22 NHL games in the following 2017-18 season. He’s managed 151 career games throughout his five-year career, scoring nine goals and 45 points.

This news knocks the Islanders down to just six healthy NHL defensemen, including recent waiver claim Mike Reilly. Reilly has yet to make his debut with the Islanders but did appear in two games with the Florida Panthers earlier in the year, going without a point while also recording two penalty minutes and a -2. The Islanders become the sixth NHL team that Reilly has been apart of. The 30-year-old defender originally signed a one-year, $1MM contract with Florida on July 1st, after being bought-out by the Boston Bruins.

Injury Notes: Kraken, Sharks, Sebastian Aho

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Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol shared that Brandon Tanev’s status for the team’s upcoming four-game road trip is still up in the air. Tanev is working back from a lower-body that had him expected to miss four-to-six weeks in mid-October. It’s been five weeks and it seems his status is progressing enough to earn a questionable tag.

Hakstol also shared that goaltender Philipp Grubauer will join the team on the road trip. Grubauer was placed on injured reserve in early November and activated off of it on November 18th. He played in two games after being activated but then suffered an undisclosed injury that held him out of the team’s last two games. If Grubauer slots in for the road trip, fans can expect Chris Driedger to be reassigned to the AHL.

The early season injury has held Tanev out of all but eight games this season. He managed two goals in those games, also recording nine penalty minutes and a -3. He scored 35 points in 82 games with Seattle last season. Grubauer has played in 12 games this year, setting a .885 save percentage and 3.36 goals-against-average. Both metrics are a step down from his totals last season when he recorded a .895 save percentage and 2.85 GAA in 39 games.

More injury news from around the league:

Rangers’ Fox Leaves Game And Won’t Return

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The New York Rangers have tweeted that superstar defenseman Adam Fox has left tonight’s contest against the Carolina Hurricanes and will not return due to a lower-body injury. Fox collided with Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho in what appeared to be a shin-on-shin incident and left with about 7:51 left in the first period of the affair. Fox played two more shifts after the collision and looked to be laboring before exiting with about 5:30 left in the first period.

There was no penalty on the play, which was a collision in which Fox thought that Aho may have stuck his leg out. In the video, it doesn’t appear as though Aho moves his knee or attempts to change the course of his blade. Aho does appear to attempt to engage Fox physically but misses him with his upper body causing their legs to collide.

In any event, it’s an unfortunate outcome for Fox and the Rangers as the young defenseman came into tonight’s game tied for the lead in scoring amongst all NHL defensemen with three goals and eight assists in 10 games. Fox finished second in Norris Trophy voting last season behind eventual winner Erik Karlsson as the native of Jericho, New York posted 12 goals and 60 assists in 82 games.

In the absence of Fox, it appears that fellow defenseman Erik Gustafsson will take over Fox’s role on the Rangers top powerplay. While Gustafsson is a competent offensive contributor, his capabilities with the man advantage are a massive drop off from that of the 2021 Norris Trophy winner. Gustafsson had seven goals and 35 assists in 70 games last season with 14 of those points coming with the man advantage.

The Rangers don’t play until Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild and one would have to think there should be an update on Fox’s injury status prior to the puck drop in Minnesota Saturday night.

Hurricanes Notes: Svechnikov, Aho, Andersen

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While he wasn’t ready for the beginning of the regular season as once expected, Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is still making positive strides in his recovery from a major knee injury sustained in March. Today, he shed the no-contact designation at Hurricanes practice for the first time, relays team editorial content producer and reporter Walt Ruff.

Svechnikov is still within the bounds of his initial six-to-nine-month recovery timeline, and while it’s disappointing he wasn’t ready to play on opening night, he hasn’t sustained any setbacks and is likely on track to make his season debut before the end of the month. Remarkably, scoring goals hasn’t been Carolina’s issue in Svechnikov’s absence. Instead, it’s been keeping them out – their 30 goals against in 2023-24 is the worst in the league by a significant margin. That’s far from what anyone expected after the Hurricanes, already revered as one of the better-structured teams in the league, added Dmitry Orlov to their blueline this summer and retained a goalie trio of Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta that’s done well for them in recent campaigns.

Other notes from Carolina today:

  • The Hurricanes have had to play their last two outings without their two best point-producing forwards, as number-one center Sebastian Aho has joined Svechnikov on the injured list for the past three games. After notching a goal and two assists in his first three contests, Aho was a full participant in today’s practice, says Ruff, and the door is open for him to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Lightning. Teuvo Teräväinen has played fill-in duty on the team’s top line in Aho’s absence, centering Michael Bunting and Martin Necas. The 29-year-old has four goals in six games after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
  • Ruff also relays that the injured Andersen is indeed close to a return, making an appearance at today’s practice that followed the return of Kochetkov on loan to AHL Syracuse. Andersen was injured in a recent game against the Sharks after taking a puck to the face. The 34-year-old Dane has struggled in three appearances so far this year, but he’s still been the best out of the Canes’ netminders, leading the team with a .855 SV% and 4.15 GAA.

Injury Updates: Hurricanes, Boldy, Granlund, Bertuzzi

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The Hurricanes are likely to be without center Sebastian Aho tonight against Colorado, relays NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link).  The 26-year-old has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury but skated after the game-day skate today, suggesting he won’t be out much longer.  Aho has three points in his first three games so far this season and is coming off his fourth season out of the last five with at least 30 goals.

Meanwhile, while goaltender Frederik Andersen also took part in the morning skate today, he, too, isn’t expected to be available for this game.  He exited Tuesday’s game in San Jose early after taking a shot off the mask and hasn’t suited up since.  The Hurricanes brought up Pyotr Kochetkov earlier this week and he is currently serving as the backup to veteran Antti Raanta.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Wild winger Matt Boldy skated on Friday for the first time as he works his way back from an upper-body injury sustained earlier this week in Toronto, notes John Shipley of the Pioneer Press. However, head coach Dean Evason was quick to point out that this doesn’t mean that Boldy is nearing a return; the week-to-week designation remains.  The 22-year-old had 31 goals last season and will be a big part of Minnesota’s attack when he’s able to return.
  • While Sharks forward Mikael Granlund is on San Jose’s five-game road trip, there’s still no timeline for when he might return, mentions Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. The 31-year-old played in the season opener but has been out with a lower-body injury since then; with Logan Couture still out, San Jose is down two of their top veterans.  Granlund has already been on IR for the minimum of seven days and will be eligible to return as soon as he is cleared.
  • After being a game-time decision on Thursday, Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi will suit up tonight in Tampa Bay, mentions TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe recently mentioned that Bertuzzi isn’t fully healthy which left his status for today’s game in question.  The 28-year-old is off to a quiet start with his new club, recording just one point (a goal) through his first four games.

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