Injury Notes: Ristolainen, Robertson, Teravainen
The Philadelphia Flyers announced tonight that defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen would miss their road contest against the Buffalo Sabres due to an upper-body injury. The Flyers have classified his injury timeline as day-to-day. Ristolainen missed the first two months of the season recovering from offseason surgery, but played in all of the Flyers’ games after making his season debut on Dec. 16. He has been the team’s No. 4 defenseman in terms of ice time this season, averaging 20:59 time on ice per game including usage on both sides of special teams.
Luckily for the Flyers, this new injury to Ristolainen comes as they get Jamie Drysdale back from injured reserve. As a result, they were able to plug Drysdale directly into the right side of their lineup, filling the hole left by Ristolainen’s absence. It’s not an exact one-to-one lineup replacement, as head coach Rick Tocchet moved Noah Juulsen onto Nick Seeler‘s pairing, in the spot Ristolainen occupied Monday night against the Lightning. Drysdale played alongside Emil Andrae. While Ristolainen has dealt with nagging injury issues over the course of his Flyers tenure, the hope will be that this new absence will be brief. He’s a key member of the team’s defense and his efforts will be necessary for the Flyers to stand the best chance of keeping pace in the hotly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.
Other injury updates from around the NHL:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without forward Nick Robertson on a day-to-day basis as he manages a lower-body injury, per TSN’s Mark Masters. Robertson didn’t play yesterday against the Utah Mammoth after appearing to suffer the injury Monday against the Colorado Avalanche. Veteran Calle Jarnkrok drew into Toronto’s lineup in Robertson’s place. The 24-year-old, who was the subject of offseason trade speculation, has had a decent season, all things considered, for the Maple Leafs. He’s scored 10 goals and 22 points, just five points shy of his career-high. He’s produced at that clip despite receiving just over twelve minutes of ice time per game.
- Teuvo Teravainen, a key veteran forward for the Chicago Blackhawks, has suffered an upper-body injury and won’t be available to play in the team’s game tomorrow against the Calgary Flames. Per head coach Jeff Blashill, Teravainen is also questionable to play in the team’s game on Saturday as well. The 31-year-old hasn’t produced at quite the same rate as last season, with 21 points in 45 games. He scored 15 goals and 58 points in 2024-25. He’s nonetheless been one of the more reliable Blackhawks forwards, and is tied for fourth in scoring on the team. He’s also a useful forward on the penalty kill, ranking third among Blackhawks forwards in shorthanded time on ice per game.
Blackhawks’ Teuvo Teravainen Leaves With Upper-Body Injury
The Chicago Blackhawks lost a key winger early in Monday night’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Teuvo Teravainen was ruled out of the game due to an upper-body injury after the first period per a team release. There was no noticeable play where Teravainen was injured. Head coach Jeff Blashill emphasized postgame that Teravainen was injured – not a victim of the flu bug going around the Blackhawks – and that the team will know more about his status on Wednesday per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Teravainen will move forward with an unofficial day-to-day injury designation. With Chicago’s next game not until Thursday, there is a chance he won’t need to miss any time. That will be the outcome Chicago hopes for, as they’re already down Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard due to injury and illness respectively. Teravainen takes his reps right alongside those young stars, often serving as the veteran stop gap behind them. That role has earned Teravainen nine goals, 21 points, and a minus-12 in 45 games this season.
The 31 year old ranks fourth on the Blackhawks in total scoring. He finished third on the team in scoring last year – his first in Chicago – when he totaled 15 goals and 58 points while playing in all 82 games. Before his time in Chicago, Teravainen was a core piece of the Carolina Hurricanes’ top-six, where he challenged 60 points in scoring every season.
Losing Teravainen to injury would deal yet another blow to a Blackhawks lineup that seems to change every game. The veteran played off of rookies Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis on Monday, bringing an important bit of experience to the high-skill line. If Teravainen can’t go on Thursday, the Blackhawks could move veteran Tyler Bertuzzi into that role, and hope that Bedard can return to his top-line spot next to Ryan Greene and Andre Burakovsky. If Bedard is still under the weather, Chicago will have to bring Sam Lafferty down from the press box. Lafferty has two points in 17 games this season and would take on a bottom-line role.
Evening Notes: Teravainen, Foegele, Greig
The Chicago Blackhawks could be without a top winger in Sunday’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Teuvo Teravainen is questionable due to an undisclosed injury per Scott Powers of The Athletic. Teravainen was not present for the team’s Saturday morning practice.
It is unclear when Teravainen sustained his injury. In any case, he would leave a major lineup hole behind him after playing in more than 20 minutes of ice time in three of his last five games. He has recorded three points and a minus-three in that span, bringing his year-long totals up to 16 points and a plus-four in 24 games. Teravainen has been a core piece of a young Chicago lineup. Should he have to sit, the Blackhawks would be forced to turn towards Landon Slaggert, who has played scant minutes and managed no scoring in his last four appearances. Slaggert has one goal and 12 penalty minutes in 10 games this season.
Other notes from around the league:
- Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele is continuing to progress from a day-to-day, upper-body injury. Head coach Jim Hiller said that Foegele is feeling better but won’t play in Saturday night’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, per Kings’ managing editor Zach Dooley. Foegele has four goals, a plus-two-, and eight penalty minutes in 18 games this season. He has served a third-line role, after posting a career-year with the Kings last season. In what was his first year with the club, Foegele managed 24 goals and 46 points in 82 games, both career-highs. He will continue to carry a day-to-day designation and look to find a path back to production when the Kings take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
- Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig could make his return from injury in Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Stars, head coach Travis Green told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Greig missed his fifth-straight game on Friday. He is working back from a day-to-day, undisclosed injury sustained on November 15th. The 23-year-old center has eight points, 20 penalty minutes, and 25 hits in 19 games this season. He seems to be approaching a true breakout, and could continue that hunt as soon as Sunday.
4 Nations Notes: Tkachuk, Makar, Armia, Teräväinen
One of the more unfortunate substories during Team USA’s victory over Team Canada on Saturday night was the lower-body injury forward Matthew Tkachuk suffered in the third period. He won’t play against Team Sweden tonight, as Dan Rosen of the NHL reported that Tkachuk didn’t practice with the team this morning.
Since they are the only team in the tournament with two regulation wins, there’s not much on the line for Team USA this evening. However, it seems the United States is confident Tkachuk will return for the championship game on Thursday. Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe shared a note from Matthew’s brother, Brady Tkachuk, saying Matthew will be ‘good to go’ for Thursday’s matchup.
It’ll be important for the United States to get Matthew back in the lineup for the championship contest. He scored two goals and one assist in their victory against Team Finland last week and got the all-important matchup against Canada started with a fight against Brandon Hagel off the opening faceoff. Much like they are for their respective NHL clubs, the Tkachuk brothers have quickly become Teams USA’s emotional lifeblood.
Other notes from the 4 Nations Face-Off:
- Another important substory from Saturday night’s rivalry matchup between Canada and the United States was the lack of the former’s top defenseman, Cale Makar. The former James Norris, Calder, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner was dealing with an illness that prohibited him from participating. Unfortunately for Team Canada, there’s no guarantee he’ll return against Team Finland. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski shared that Makar has again been listed as a game-time decision for today’s matchup, meaning a firmer decision will be made closer to puck drop.
- Speaking of Team Finland, the team’s forward grouping will look slightly different. Dan Rosen reported that Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia is replacing Chicago Blackhawks’ Teuvo Teräväinen in this afternoon’s lineup. Teräväinen has gone scoreless throughout the tournament averaging approximately 8:30 of ice time per game.
Blackhawks Notes: Teräväinen, Commesso, Frost
A few teams have alternated the dubious distinction of last place this season, but after dropping three in a row for the second time, the Blackhawks now hold that honor with a 6-12-1 record and .342 points percentage.
That skid has the team getting “less confident for sure,” free-agent returnee Teuvo Teräväinen told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday. He said the team’s lack of scoring is frustrating – an understandable sentiment considering he has just one goal on 28 shots in his last 16 games after starting the year with three goals in three outings.
“I’ve got to work harder or something,” Teräväinen continued. “I’m chasing the game a lot. [My] confidence is just getting lower and lower — like everybody, I feel like — but it’s just how it is.” Chicago’s 2.32 goals per game are 31st in the league, ahead of only the Predators. Their 19.6% power-play success rate, though, is exactly middle of the pack.
Other items of note from Chicagoland:
- With Petr Mrázek back in goal tonight after a brief personal leave, the Blackhawks have returned Drew Commesso to AHL Rockford, per the NHL’s media site. Chicago recalled the 22-year-old on Tuesday to back up Arvid Söderblom against the Stars, but he didn’t enter the game. It’s the third Blackhawks game he’s sat on the bench for this season without playing. Their current lone AHL recall option with Laurent Brossoit on the shelf has a 3.71 GAA, .854 SV%, and a 2-4-0 record in six games for Rockford this season.
- Keep Flyers center Morgan Frost in mind as a potential trade pickup for Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet opined Thursday. Frost is now fully in trade speculation after sitting in the press box for four of Philadelphia’s last five games, and the 25-year-old has just one goal and six points in 16 games on the year and is seeing his lowest average ice time since the 2021-22 campaign. The Blackhawks are casting a wider net in their search to add down the middle, but Friedman zeroed in on Frost as an age-appropriate option for their rebuild without too high of an acquisition cost.
Blackhawks Expected To Sign Teuvo Teravainen
The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to sign winger Teuvo Teravainen to a three-year, $16.2MM contract, shares PuckPedia (Twitter link).
This move reunites Teravainen with where it all began, having been selected by the Blackhawks 18th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. Teravainen was drafted out of Finland’s Liiga, where he played two additional following his draft selection. The 2014-15 season marked Teravainen’s first full year in North American pros, and he managed it to good effect, earning an NHL role after posting 25 points in 39 games. The Blackhawks struggled to place the young and relatively inexperienced Teravainen in the lineup, but he still found his way to strong scoring – netting nine points in 34 regular season games and then lighting up for 10 points in 18 postseason games as the Blackhawks chased the 2015 Stanley Cup.
The performance during Chicago’s cup run turned Teravainen into a fan favorite, with Chicago eager for his first full NHL season in 2015-16. But Teravainen couldn’t hold onto his groove despite the anticipation, netting just 35 points in 78 games. Perhaps seeing their chance to sell high, Chicago dealt Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes, receiving a second and third-round pick in return, used on prospects Artur Kayumov and Keith Petruzzelli, respectively.
But Chicago was quickly forced to eat their words, as Teravainen posted 42 points in his first year with the Hurricanes, then exploded for 64, 76, and 63 points over the next three seasons. Each year was marked with high goal-scoring, including two 20-goal years. That’s the pace that Teravainen has held onto ever since, with last year’s 37 points in 68 games marking the lowest he’s scored when healthy in Carolina. Even then, he quickly rebounded, netting 25 goals and 53 points in 76 games this season. He added six points in 11 playoff games, pulling himself back into the scoring light after a down year.
He’ll now get a shot at potentially playing with Connor Bedard in a first-line role and is a major boon to their wing depth, joining Tyler Bertuzzi as their high-profile additions today.
Free Agency Notes: Stamkos, Stephenson, Toronto, Tanev, Teravainen
As the Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to clear out the necessary cap space to retain their captain Steven Stamkos, another team may have entered the fray. In a list of news items around the league as the hockey world heads into the offseason, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Subscription Required) indicates the Nashville Predators will attempt to sign the star forward if he hits the free agent market on July 1st.
In addition to Stamkos, LeBrun notes that the Predators will also look into the market for Chandler Stephenson this summer as the team looks to add some punch to their lineup. As one of the most active teams of last year’s free-agent period; Nashville does not appear content to be a fringe contender next season. Even without Stamkos or Stephenson on the roster last season, Nashville was one of the best offensive teams in the league as they finished 10th in the NHL with a GF/G average of 3.24.
The Predators may be better served in putting most of their efforts toward Stephenson, as Stamkos will likely look for a team closer to Stanley Cup contention if he decides to leave Tampa Bay in the first place. In any case, money will not be a factor in the negotiations for either player as Nashville owns just north of $26MM of cap space heading into the summer. According to EvolvingHockey, Stephenson will command a four-year deal with a salary of $6.1MM while Stamkos is projected to get a three-year contract with an AAV of $8.4MM.
Other free agency notes:
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- There is no question that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to add to their defensive core this offseason. However, as Pierre LeBrun reports, the team has not ruled out extending some of their current defensemen who are set to hit unrestricted free agency next Monday. That list would include Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin, Mark Giordano, and T.J. Brodie although all signs indicate that the latter’s time in Toronto has ended. Edmundson and Lyubushkin are both physical defensemen who like to play with an edge while Giordano is a stabilizing presence on the back end. Depending on the cost, the Maple Leafs may decide to keep some of their current pieces around for next season.
- Chris Tanev is looking to cash in on a solid 2023-24 NHL season as Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle of The Athletic (Subscription Required) report the veteran defenseman is looking for a four-year contract this offseason. The veteran defenseman is already engaged in contract discussions with the Dallas Stars on a new deal, but it is unknown how long the organization is willing to go on his next contract. If Tanev makes it to the open market, plenty of defensive-needy teams will be interested in his services, but the pack may thin out if teams are unwilling to make that long of an arrangement.
- With the team’s sole focus on retaining Jake Guentzel before July 1st, it appears the Carolina Hurricanes will not make an offer to Teuvo Teravainen and he will hit the open market as suggested by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Teravainen has quietly been one of the most effective players on the Hurricanes for eight years and should receive plenty of interest once free agency opens up. If his time in Carolina has ended, Teravainen will have amassed a total of 555 games in Carolina while scoring 137 goals and 415 points overall.
East Notes: Teräväinen, Oshie, Jeannot
Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teräväinen didn’t travel with the team on their road trip and will be out for Saturday’s contest against the Maple Leafs, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The playmaking winger didn’t appear to sustain anything serious during his last showing, a win over the Panthers on Thursday. He logged a +1 rating and three shots on goal in the game, playing 16:01 – normal usage for the top-six fixture. A pending UFA nearing completion of his five-year, $27MM extension signed with the Canes in 2019, Teräväinen has reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his career and has 47 points in 66 games on the season, right around his career-average pace. He’s back on the upswing after a 2022-23 season where he struggled to produce, recording 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points in 68 games. It was his worst scoring pace since the 2016-17 campaign, his first in Carolina.
With Teräväinen sidelined, Jesper Fast took line rushes in a first-line role alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov and will likely occupy that role tonight with youngster Jack Drury also dealing with a lower-body injury. Fast, 32, has six goals and 17 points in 63 games this season and still carries solid value as a competent defensive winger.
Elsewhere out East:
- Capitals veteran T.J. Oshie‘s 1,000th game in the league may be on hold. The 37-year-old sustained an upper-body injury in practice on Saturday morning and will be a game-time decision tonight against the Canucks, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post). The 2018 Stanley Cup champion has been plagued by injuries this season, missing 24 of Washington’s 65 games with lower and upper-body injuries. When in the lineup, they’ve dragged down his ability to contribute on the scoresheet. His 11 goals and 19 points in 41 games work out to 0.46 points per game, the lowest rate of his remarkably consistent 16-year career. Possession control has been an issue this season as well – his 46.4 CF% at even strength is also a career-low. Despite that, he’s still logging consistent top-six usage, averaging 16:33 per game.
- The Lightning will again be without Tanner Jeannot as they exercise caution in his return from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out for most of the last two months, head coach Jon Cooper said (via Chris Krenn of the team’s official site). Indications pointed toward Jeannot returning from his absence earlier this week, but his return has now been delayed twice ahead of a rivalry matchup with the Panthers tonight. Cooper said they’re aiming for Jeannot to return at some point over their West Coast road trip, meaning there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready for Tuesday’s matchup in Vegas, either. Jeannot attempted to return from the injury, which he sustained early in January, during a Feb. 13 contest against the Bruins but played less than six minutes before sustaining an aggravation. When in the lineup, the 26-year-old has been limited to six goals and 12 points in 42 games with a -11 rating.
Metropolitan Notes: Carter, Teravainen, Stillman
After struggling for most of last season in Pittsburgh, many have speculated that retirement could soon be on the horizon for Penguins forward Jeff Carter. He told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he has not yet given any thought as to whether this season – his 20th in the NHL – will be his last. The 38-year-old played in 79 games last season, his highest total since 2016-17 but managed just 13 goals and 16 assists while seeing his playing time drop under 14 minutes per game. Early indications in training camp are that it might be dropping again as he has lined up as a fourth line winger so far which wouldn’t be a great return on a deal that carries a $3.125MM cap hit for the upcoming season.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen dealt with a thumb injury last season that caused him to miss part of the playoffs as well. While he was able to return for the final game of the postseason and is a full participant in training camp, the winger told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that while his thumb feels pretty good, he doesn’t believe it will truly get back to ‘normal’. The 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and will be looking for a big year whether it’s with Carolina or elsewhere; significant talks on an extension have yet to begin.
- Devils prospect Chase Stillman will be out for multiple weeks after being injured in New Jersey’s prospect tournament, relays Ryan Novozinsky of the Newark Star-Ledger. The 20-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2021 (29th overall) and will be making his professional debut this season after spending last year with OHL Peterborough where he had 48 points in 59 games in 2022-23.
Hurricanes Notes: Pesce, Teravainen, DeAngelo
Hurricanes blueliner Brett Pesce has switched agents, reports Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. After working with Edge Sports Management, the defenseman is now represented by Wasserman’s Judd Moldaver. The timing of the change is notable since the 28-year-old is entering the final year of his contract. Pesce has emerged as a quality top-three defender over the past few years and set a new career-high in points last season with 30. He’s undoubtedly in line to land a sizable raise on his current $4.025MM AAV but with Brady Skjei also in need of a new deal, Carolina probably won’t be able to afford to keep both. Pesce made it clear that his preference is to remain with the Hurricanes but earlier this summer, GM Don Waddell noted that the team wasn’t close to re-signing any of their pending UFAs.
Elsewhere in Carolina:
- Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer wonders if Carolina would be better off just letting winger Teuvo Teravainen play out the final year of his deal and then move on next summer. The 29-year-old is coming off a down year that saw him score just 12 goals in 68 games but has a good enough track record that it would still cost more than his current $5.4MM AAV to extend him. With Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis both restricted free agents next summer, they may need Teravainen’s money to get those two locked up to long-term agreements.
- In his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link), Cory Lavalette sat down with blueliner Anthony DeAngelo, a mid-summer signing after his contract was bought out by Philadelphia. Despite their strong defensive depth, he opted to go back to an organization that he was comfortable with over one where he would have had a better shot at a bigger role and more playing time. After what he called a season full of inconsistent play with the Flyers, he’ll be looking to stabilize things somewhat before testing the market again next summer.