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T.J. Oshie

Injury Notes: Murray, Bowers, Red Wings, Capitals, Kravtsov

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs elected to overhaul their goaltending group this offseason, the biggest question aside from rebound performances from Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, would be health. Thus far, the team has seemingly received a positive answer when it comes to performance from both goaltenders, but health has been an issue. Murray found himself on LTIR with an abductor injury after just one game and last weekend, Samsonov found himself on IR with a knee injury suffered on a Brad Marchand penalty shot. After the emergency signing of AHL netminder Keith Petruzzelli, the team has relied on Erik Kallgren to shoulder the load while waiting for one of Murray or Samsonov to return.

Earlier today, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe provided a brief update on Murray when he spoke with the media, including The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. Per Keefe, Murray is doing well physically and has even been cleared to play. However, Keefe says, Murray is not quite ready to return, with the organization’s performance team waiting to see a few more things before they believe he can return to game action. Although Murray’s return can’t come soon enough for Toronto, assuring the netminder is 100% ready for game action is key. Even if he’s completely healthy, as he appears to be, Murray has been out of game action for a month, a considerable amount of that time spent not receiving the daily work and repetition necessary to be a competitive NHL goaltender. Had Murray been rushed, Toronto might find itself with a healthy Murray, but not the one they need.

  • It’s been a long road for forward Shane Bowers between being a first-round pick in 2017 and his NHL debut on Thursday night, and unfortunately, he’ll have to wait a while longer to play in NHL game number two. The 23-year-old suffered an upper-body injury after just 1:46 of time-on-ice Thursday and is now out long-term. According to Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now, who spoke to Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, Bowers is expected to miss six weeks. The injury is surely a tough break for Bowers both physically and mentally, however after several years of sub-par performance that interrupted his development, he had been off to a strong start in 2022-23, recording six points in ten AHL games. That performance, combined with his once-high prospect status is something the Avalanche will surely keep in mind as he works his way back.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have had themselves an up-and-down start to the season, currently holding a record of 7-4-3. While many had high hopes for the team after a busy offseason, their record through 14 games may be better than it seems given the team’s difficult injury issues early on. In fact, some of those injury woes may be resolving themselves shortly, says Michigan Live’s Answer Kahn. As Kahn writes, rookie forward Elmer Soderblom, who missed Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers, is still considered day-to-day. Defenseman Jake Walman, who had shoulder surgery this offseason, is expected to return to the lineup and make his season debut at some point during Detroit’s four game road trip, which begins tonight in Los Angeles against the Kings and concludes a week from tonight against the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who suffered a broken hand just two games into the season, is expected to return Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
  • Despite placing him on IR just yesterday, Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov skated at optional practice this morning and will be joining the team on its upcoming road trip, says NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Washington’s road trip begins tomorrow in Tampa Bay against the Lightning and concludes Thursday at the St. Louis Blues. Orlov, who was injured last Saturday, is eligible to come off of IR as soon as tomorrow, as the placement was back-dated to the injury, however it’s unclear what Washington’s plan is exactly. The team had placed Orlov on IR in order to make room for fellow defenseman John Carlson, who the team activated yesterday. Should they wish to activate Orlov, a corresponding roster move would be necessary. Not joining the Capitals on their trip is forward T.J. Oshie, who is on IR dealing with a lower-body injury.
  • New York Rangers forward Vitali Kravtsov will not play tonight when the Rangers take on the Predators in Nashville. The forward is dealing with a stomach bug, reports Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Kravtsov, 22, has just one point in six games so far in his return to North America.

Washington Capitals Recall Sonny Milano, Place Three On Injured Reserve

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As announced in a team release today, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Sonny Milano, forward Garrett Pilon, and defenseman Lucas Johansen from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. All three players will travel with the team to Detroit for the team’s game tomorrow against the Red Wings.

In a corresponding move, the team has also placed forward T.J. Oshie, defenseman John Carlson, and forward Beck Malenstyn on injured reserve. Forward Connor Brown was also moved to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after undergoing potentially season-ending ACL surgery earlier this week.

Oshie is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury suffered last Saturday. He is technically eligible to return for Saturday’s home game against Arizona, but without a timeline, there’s no telling when he’ll be back. The fact that he was not moved to LTIR along with Brown is somewhat promising, suggesting that he may not be out for more than a few weeks.

Carlson also left the same game Saturday with a lower-body injury, although his status remains day-to-day. Assuming his injured reserve placement is retroactive, he could return Saturday against Arizona, but the IR placement is confirmation that he’ll miss his third straight game tomorrow against Detroit.

Malenstyn left last night’s overtime loss against Vegas with an upper-body injury. He was recalled to the team in mid-October in the absence of Brown.

After notching 34 points in 66 games last year as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, it was rather shocking that no team signed Milano before training camps started, and it was nearly as surprising when he cleared waivers when Washington signed him. In five games in the AHL, Milano’s notched two goals, an assist, and three points. He could potentially draw into the lineup in Malenstyn’s absence, although the team also had Connor McMichael as a healthy extra.

Pilon, 24, has five points in seven games to start the AHL season, his fifth with Hershey. Johansen, the 28th overall selection in 2016, missed the majority of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to injury and has a goal in six games with Hershey in 2022-23. The team had no extra healthy defensemen with Carlson out.

T.J. Oshie Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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The Washington Capitals haven’t updated T.J. Oshie’s status after exiting Saturday’s game early other than to tell reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that he is out indefinitely. Oshie did not travel with the team to Carolina and will not play in tonight’s game.

John Carlson is also out with a lower-body injury and will not play tonight, but the team designated him as day-to-day. That suggests Oshie’s indefinite timeline is longer than that, a substantial blow for a team that is already without Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, Connor Brown, and Carl Hagelin due to various injuries. With Oshie exiting early, Conor Sheary played a season-high 18:55 in the win over Nashville.

The 35-year-old Oshie had scored five points in his first six games of the season but was held off the scoresheet in the two games previous to Saturday’s tilt. The veteran winger still plays a ton for the Capitals, including as a key part of their first powerplay unit. Hopefully, this new injury isn’t one that keeps him out too long, especially given his experience last season.

Oshie played just 44 games and had the worst statistical season of his career, scoring just 11 goals and 25 points. Signed through 2024-25, getting him back to full strength will be important for the Capitals’ contention in the Metropolitan Division.

Injury Notes: Slafkovsky, Nichushkin, Lyubushkin, Stepan, Capitals

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Some good news is abound tonight for Montreal Canadiens fans, as 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky is returning to the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Slafkovsky had not played in nine days.

The Slovak phenom suffered the injury after getting hit hard by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown, but then immediately proceeded to score his first NHL goal, leading to what was an intense stare during his goal celebration. It was then reported earlier this week that Slafkovsky was undergoing tests on an upper-body issue, but they appear to have concluded that it was nothing major. The goal is his lone NHL point so far through five games.

  • Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will miss his second straight game tonight with a lower-body injury, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Nichushkin remains day-to-day and the team’s “hope” is that he rejoins the squad for their first practice in Finland, ahead of their Global Series matchup next week against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Tampere. Despite missing a game already, Nichushkin still holds the team lead in goals (seven) and points (12).
  • Half of the Buffalo Sabres blueline is out of game action now. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Ilya Lyubushkin is not playing tonight due to a lower-body injury, with Lawrence Pilut drawing back into the lineup in his place. Lyubushkin missed a game earlier in the season with a lower-body injury, and it’s unclear whether the two are related. He has one assist in six games to begin his Sabres career.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced tonight that forward Derek Stepan would not return to their game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Per the team, Stepan suffered an upper-body injury. We will likely receive more information on the nature of Stepan’s absence tomorrow.
  • The Washington Capitals have issued two injury updates of their own. Per a team announcement, both John Carlson and T.J. Oshie are doubtful to return to tonight’s contest against the Nashville Predators due to lower-body injuries. Like with Stepan, we will likely get more information on these injuries tomorrow.

Injury Notes: Couturier, Oshie/Orlov, Blueger

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Good news for Philadelphia Flyers fans will be shining beacons of bright light this season, given the team’s expected poor performance on the ice. Good news is exactly what they got today, though, at least on the health front. Sean Couturier, when it was originally speculated he could miss the entire season with a back injury, returned to the ice today, albeit skating on his own.

Couturier’s status remains week-to-week. However, he said today that he’s “feeling a lot better,” and he could be on track for the six-to-eight-week timeline Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported last month when the news broke. If that’s the case, Couturier could make his season debut sometime in November and hopefully stay healthy for the rest of the year. Nothing is confirmed, though, especially with an injury of a delicate nature such as a back ailment. Goaltender Felix Sandstrom, who is projected to serve as Carter Hart’s backup this season, also skated today after a week-long absence due to injury.

  • Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie is feeling “ready to go” after suffering an upper-body injury during the preseason, but he’s yet to be cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to play. His status for the team’s season opener on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is in a similar situation with a lower-body injury, meaning Washington could be without a top-nine forward and top-four defenseman, at least for opening night. Those injuries are in addition to the absences of Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, who the team confirmed are headed for long-term injured reserve this morning.
  • According to Pittsburgh Penguins beat reporter Shelly Anderson, forward Teddy Blueger stayed in a no-contact jersey in today’s practice, lowering the likelihood of his availability for the team’s first game on Thursday. Blueger has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury since September 28. The capable Latvian bottom-six center had 28 points in 65 games last year.

Snapshots: Oshie, Richardson, University of Denver

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Washington Capitals’ forward T.J. Oshie will return to the lineup tonight after missing the previous four games due to injury. Oshie’s return is a welcomed sight for the Capitals, who sit comfortably in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 82 points, 14 ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but are fighting for every inch of playoff seeding in the East.

Oshie has struggled with injuries, playing in just 28 of the Capitals’ 66 games this season. Still, the 35-year-old is a vital piece of Washington’s core as a key contributor with 20 points in those 28 games, including three goals and four assists on the Capitals’ powerplay.

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that Assistant Coach Luke Richardson was placed in COVID protocol and will miss tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Richardson, who turned 53 today, is in his fourth season behind the bench for Montreal, but is likely to miss at least a few games as he is in protocol.
  • Earlier today, University of Denver’s men’s hockey team secured their spot in the NCAA’s Frozen Four with a 2-1 win over Minnesota-Duluth. The game-winning goal for Denver was scored by 2020 Edmonton Oilers’ fourth-round pick Carter Savoie, who has 44 points in 37 games this season for Denver. Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect Bobby Brink, who has also starred for Denver, has been speculated to join the Flyers after his NCAA season ended, but will have to wait a little longer on his NHL debut.

Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Smith, Korpisalo, Parise, Oshie

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The Rangers are among the teams that have done some research into Coyotes winger Phil Kessel, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports.  The 34-year-old is in the final season of his contract with Arizona carrying a $6.8MM cap hit, one that few playoff-bound teams other than New York can actually afford without requiring retention.  Kessel has just six goals in 60 games but has chipped in with 31 assists to sit fourth in team scoring.  Kaplan notes that Arizona’s asking price earlier in the season was a third-round pick which would be a reasonable price to pay to add some extra offensive depth on the wing.  The Rangers already made a move like that this week with the acquisition of Frank Vatrano but they still have cap and roster space to add more help on that front.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith returned to the lineup on Thursday after suffering a broken skull, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal notes that the veteran still hasn’t fully regained his hearing in his left ear. It is expected to gradually improve over time and shouldn’t require surgery but it’s something Smith will have to play through for the time being.
  • The Blue Jackets haven’t had much interest in goaltender Joonas Korpisalo so far, notes Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. Earlier in the season, they had hoped to pick up a second-round pick or a third rounder for his services but Seravalli pegs their asking price at a late-round selection now.  It has been a tough year for the pending UFA as he has a save percentage of just .880 in 20 games this season, 22 points below his career average.
  • Islanders winger Zach Parise told reporters, including Newsday’s Andrew Gross, that he’s hoping to return to the team next season. The 37-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and with a base cap hit of just $750K, he’s someone that could be moved to a contender looking for extra forward depth.  After a quiet start to the season, Parise has improved offensively in recent weeks, collecting a dozen points in 21 games since the start of February.
  • Capitals winger T.J. Oshie was a late scratch for tonight’s game against Carolina. The team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.  This is now the sixth instance that has caused Oshie to miss time this season and as a result, he has been limited to just 28 games although he has managed to record 20 points.

Injury Updates: Martinez, Murray, Wild, Oshie

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It appears that the Golden Knights will soon be getting a key defenseman back in their lineup.  In an interview with SinBin.Vegas (audio link), owner Bill Foley indicated that Alec Martinez was nearing a return had it not been for the veteran contracting COVID-19.  Martinez has been out since mid-November with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss at least ten days due to his protocol placement, meaning it’s not an asymptomatic case so he won’t return until the middle of next week at the earliest.  Martinez and his $5.25MM AAV are currently on LTIR and Vegas will likely need to transfer winger Max Pacioretty onto LTIR in order to activate the blueliner back onto the active roster.

Other injury news from around the league:

  • Avalanche defenseman Ryan Murray left Friday’s victory over Arizona with an upper-body injury, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The oft-injured 28-year-old has struggled with Colorado this season, averaging just over 14 minutes per game in 21 contests.  The expectation is that Kurtis MacDermid, who had been playing on the wing recently, will now go back to his natural position on the back end to take Murray’s place.
  • The Wild could get defenseman Jared Spurgeon and goaltender Cam Talbot back in the lineup for their upcoming home-and-home set against Chicago, suggests Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Those games are slated for Friday and Saturday of next week.  Spurgeon has missed the last three weeks with a lower-body injury while Talbot has missed nearly two weeks with a lower-body issue of his own.
  • The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that winger T.J. Oshie sustained an upper-body injury in today’s game against the Islanders. It has been a tough season for the veteran from a health perspective as he has already missed time due to three separate injuries while missing a game in COVID protocol.  In between all of those, the 35-year-old has been fairly productive with 13 points in 17 games.

Injury Notes: Kucherov, Balcers, Capitals

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After today’s shutout loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper said after the game that injured forward Nikita Kucherov “is getting close” to returning, and the team hopes to have him back by the middle of the month. He was originally expected to miss two months after sustaining a lower-body injury after just three games this year, but that’s now turned into three months. He was averaging nearly 21 minutes a game and had four points in those three games, not missing a beat despite playing so little hockey over the past two years.

More injury notes from around the NHL:

  • San Jose Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury back on December 5, but he’s still not back in the lineup. Sharks reporter Curtis Pashelka reports, however, that Balcers is still 1-2 weeks away from returning to the lineup. The Latvian forward had played well to start the year, tallying 10 points through 24 games. He’s developing into a solid middle-six piece for the Sharks, one that they’d like to get back into game shape as soon as they can.
  • The Washington Capitals are missing two big names in Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie from today’s game against New Jersey, as they were held out of the lineup with non-COVID illnesses. Backstrom and Oshie have combined for just 19 games this season, so missed games are nothing new for them. They’ve both been productive when in the lineup, though, and at this point, it seems as though this may be the light at the end of the tunnel for them.

COVID Notes: Islanders, Oshie, Danault

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The New York Islanders have added two more names to the NHL COVID Protocol ahead of their matinee on Sunday afternoon. Veteran forward Matt Martin and rookie defenseman Robin Salo have been placed in the league’s protocol, the Isles announced. They join Mathew Barzal in the protocol, with Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock still sidelined due to injury. For a team still unable to hit their stride this season, the losses of a checking forward and depth defenseman still hurt as the team cannot afford to be so short-handed if they want to start winning games.

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