West Notes: Karlsson, Kane, Krug
Edmonton Oilers fans’ dreams of two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson being traded to oil country might have to wait to become a reality. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that a deal between the Oilers and San Jose Sharks for Karlsson is considered “unlikely,” for mainly financial reasons. Pagnotta reports that while the Sharks are willing to retain two or three million dollars off of Karlsson’s deal, the Oilers want the Sharks to retain a more significant portion, around $5MM, if not more.
As a result, Pagnotta says that “it sounds like there haven’t been any recent serious discussions between the two clubs as a result” of those financial disagreements. The rationale for the Oilers to want to acquire Karlsson is very real, as he’s a Norris Trophy frontrunner with 76 points in 58 games. But asking San Jose to take on such a large number of dead cap dollars for the foreseeable future is a major ask, and it’s understandable that the Sharks balked at the prospect of making such a deal. According to Pagnotta, the Oilers could be pivoting to new targets, such as Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg, and Arizona Coyotes blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere.
Some other notes from across the Western Conference:
- As relayed by NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis, Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson gave an update on the team’s situation with top trade candidate Patrick Kane. Davidson said that he is in “constant contact” with Kane’s representatives, but hasn’t yet heard a decision on whether Kane wants to be dealt and is willing to waive his trade protection. While Kane has had some health issues and scored less than he’d likely have hoped he would, his decision on a trade is still one of massive importance, as Kane is likely at or near the top of quite a few contending teams’ trade deadline wishlists.
- The St. Louis Blues announced that defenseman Torey Krug left tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower-body injury. It’s another stroke of bad luck for Krug, who has dealt with lingering injury issues recently. Krug’s performance this season has mirrored the Blues as a whole: inconsistent and largely disappointing. The veteran defenseman, who is on a $6.5MM AAV contract through 2027, has scored just 22 points in 40 games, a decline from last season when he scored 43 points in 64 games. Hopefully, this injury is not connected to what Krug has been dealing with in recent weeks and this absence was just a precautionary measure.
Central Notes: Francouz, Gostisbehere, Krug
It will pretty much strictly be Alexandar Georgiev’s net for the time being in Colorado as Peter Baugh of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that netminder Pavel Francouz will be out for the next three weeks due to a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old is no stranger to missing time as his NHL career high in games played in a single season is only 34. However, Francouz has done rather well this season, posting a 2.53 GAA with a .919 SV% in 15 starts, numbers that are actually a little better than Georgiev. The Avalanche recalled Justus Annunen earlier today and it’s worth noting that their next four games are a pair of back-to-backs but with the youngster having just two career NHL appearances and Colorado only being two points up on a playoff spot, it’s possible that Georgiev will need to play both ends of those contests.
More from the Central Division:
- One of Arizona’s top trade chips should be back in action soon as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports (Twitter link) that blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere could return to the lineup on Sunday. The 29-year-old has missed the last three weeks with an upper-body injury. Gostisbehere has 29 points in 48 games in 2022-23 – a point-per-game output that’s nearly identical to last season – and is in the final year of his contract that carries a $4.5MM AAV. The Coyotes were given a pair of draft picks by Philadelphia to take on his deal back in 2021 and they’re well-positioned to add another pick or two by trading him, likely with salary retention, before the March 3rd trade deadline.
- Blues defenseman Torey Krug is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against Colorado, NHL.com’s Lou Korac notes in his latest piece for Sports Illustrated. The veteran left Tuesday’s game early with an injury but was able to suit up on Thursday. Head coach Craig Berube indicated that the undisclosed issue for Krug is unrelated to the injury he sustained earlier in the week. Krug has 22 points in 38 games so far this season.
Pavel Buchnevich Undergoes Minor Surgery
The St. Louis Blues made the expected moves of activating Torey Krug and Vladimir Tarasenko today, but it came with some bad news. Pavel Buchnevich has been moved to injured reserve after a minor surgical procedure to address an ankle infection. Buchnevich will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break.
Some would argue that there is no more important player to the Blues than Buchnevich, who leads all forwards in ice time and has registered 38 points in 38 games this season. Losing him for any length of time will be difficult, though the team did stress the minor nature of the procedure.
On the bright side, Krug and Tarasenko will return after missing long stretches, helping to cover Buchnevich’s absence. It’s the latter that will be so interesting to watch as the trade deadline approaches and his time in St. Louis potentially comes to an end.
Tarasenko has only ever played for the Blues, and has reached the 30-goal plateau in six of his seven full seasons. This year, when healthy, he has still been excellent, racking up 10 goals and 29 points in 34 games. While he may not be the dynamic, game-changing power forward of a few years ago, Tarasenko would still be an impressive pickup for a contender at the deadline.
Of course, the Blues still have eyes on the playoffs themselves. Sitting at 23-21-3 on the year, they aren’t out of the Central Division race by any means. Getting two key veterans back should only help that chase, starting tonight with a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Latest On The St. Louis Blues
A pair of valuable assets are very close to returning to the St. Louis Blues lineup, says Inside the Blues’ Lou Korac. Forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Torey Krug are projected to return to the St. Louis lineup when they host the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night.
Both have missed double-digit sets of games, with Tarasenko missing the past ten contests and Krug missing the past 13. Tarasenko returning early from his hand injury well in advance of the March 3 trade deadline could pay dividends for the Blues, allowing him to showcase himself and build on his 70-point full-season pace to increase his potential trade value. The Blues are 6-4-0 in their past ten games without Tarasenko, but they’re still just two games over .500 and 11th in the Western Conference. With a pair of highly-valued pending free agents in Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly, the Blues would be wise to sell if they’re still this far removed from the playoff picture in a month’s time.
Getting Krug back is also important for a defense core slowly getting healthy. He has the highest points per game among all Blues defensemen, just a small bit ahead of normal partner Justin Faulk. His return should allow Niko Mikkola to slot back into a more comfortable bottom-pairing role.
Korac also notes that Tarasenko’s compatriot, Pavel Buchnevich, is questionable for the game against the Sabres with what he described as a “lingering” lower-body injury.
Blues Place Torey Krug On LTIR, Recall Tyler Tucker
The Blues will be without a key member of their back end for the next little while as the Blues announced that they’ve placed defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) due to a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, St. Louis has recalled blueliner Tyler Tucker from AHL Springfield.
Krug was on a nice run offensively leading into the holiday break with five points over his last four games and logged nearly 23 minutes on Friday against Vegas so it’s unclear exactly when the injury was sustained. The 31-year-old has suited up in 31 games for St. Louis this season, notching 17 points, second to only Justin Faulk in terms of production from the back end. Offensive production has been hard to come by beyond those two as their other rearguards have managed just four goals combined this season so Krug’s absence on that side of the ice will certainly be felt.
There is no firm timetable on when Krug might be able to return as the release from the Blues only mentions that he will be re-evaluated in six weeks. Accordingly, it stands to reason that he will likely be out of the lineup longer than that.
As for Tucker, the 22-year-old made his NHL debut last month, getting into four games with St. Louis, picking up six blocks and eight hits along the way. He has spent the rest of the season with the Thunderbirds, collecting 13 points and 45 penalty minutes in 24 contests.
Injury Updates: Letang, Duhaime, Hartman, Mrazek, Krug
When it was revealed that legendary Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffered a minor stroke, the first thoughts most had weren’t hockey-related. Everyone involved, including the Penguins, emphasized the importance of prioritizing Letang’s health over any hockey-related concerns. Now, just 12 days after his health scare, Letang is firmly back in the mix for a lineup spot in Pittsburgh.
Per Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, as relayed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Letang returned to practice and is available for tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. It’s a remarkable turn of events for the veteran defenseman and a development that speaks to the strength, resilience, and immense toughness he’s displayed over the course of his NHL career.
Some other injury updates from across the NHL:
- The Minnesota Wild have been without forwards Ryan Hartman and Brandon Duhaime as they each work back from upper-body injuries. Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, both skaters are expected to return to practice with the Wild next week, when the team returns from its road trip. (subscription link) Hartman’s return is important for the Wild, whose thin crop of centers has forced them into using Sam Steel as their first-line center. Hartman, who scored 34 goals and 65 points last season, should be a better fit for that role, while Duhaime’s return should add some snarl to the team’s bottom-six.
- Chicago Blackhawks starting netminder Petr Mrazek suffered his second groin injury of the season, but thankfully for Chicago, it seems to have been just a minor setback. Per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Mrazek is aiming to return for the Blackhawks’ game against the Washington Capitals.
- The St. Louis Blues are set to get a defenseman back when Torey Krug returns to the ice tomorrow, per Blues coach Craig Berube. (via NHL.com’s Lou Korac) Krug has missed the Blues’ last two games, and his return should help the team shore up a blueline that has surrendered goals at an alarmingly high rate for the past two weeks.
Torey Krug Still Not An Option For St. Louis
The St. Louis Blues have staved off elimination for at least another few days, coming back to beat the Colorado Avalanche in overtime last night on a slapshot from Tyler Bozak. One of the more amazing statistics from that game is how heavily the Blues have leaned on just three defensemen, using Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, and Nick Leddy in all situations. Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo, two of the team’s more veteran options, played just 12:22 and 11:09 last night, while Niko Mikkola saw just over 16 minutes.
Part of that discrepancy between the top and bottom of the defense corps is because of Torey Krug‘s absence, a player that would normally slide in with that top group and take on huge minutes. Krug hasn’t played since game three of the first round though, leaving the match against the Minnesota Wild with a lower-body injury after just six shifts.
Despite being back on the ice again today, Krug won’t be an option for the Blues tomorrow or in a potential game seven, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. There is a chance he could return next series, though thinking that far ahead certainly isn’t really productive for St. Louis at this point. The team has a lot of work to do if they want to come back and take the series from Colorado, meaning Faulk, Parayko, and Leddy will need to carry the load a little longer.
There will be an eye on who actually enters the lineup behind them though. The team had been using seven defensemen and dressing both Calle Rosen and Scott Perunovich earlier in the series, the latter mostly for powerplay duty. With another do-or-die situation tomorrow night, head coach Craig Berube will have to decide which mix to use for the handful of minutes those depth spots are receiving.
West Notes: Second Round Schedule, Blues, Glendening
Even with so many Game 7s on the calendar this weekend, we’re starting to receive some clarity on the upcoming Second Round schedule. NHL.com writer Lou Korac reports that it “sounds like” the Second Round matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues will start Tuesday, May 17.
With that said, there’s a strong potential we could see an off day with no games on Monday. The only series that could begin on Monday without a team playing back-to-back is the matchups between the Florida Panthers and the winner of tonight’s Game 7 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. With the league strictly using an alternating schedule of games during the First Round, it’s not outlandish to say that it’s either two games or no games on Monday night.
- Blues head coach Craig Berube said today that both defensemen Torey Krug and Marco Scandella are “maybe possibilities” to play in their upcoming series against Colorado. The Blues will already be in tough against the Western Conference-leading Avs, but aiming to win without their best defenseman seems like an impossible task. Krug had three points in three games against the Minnesota Wild in the First Round prior to his injury, while Scandella was limited to two games with a lower-body injury.
- Dallas Stars forward Luke Glendening will be a game-time decision for Game 7 after being knocked out of the game by a hit from Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov, which earned him a hearing with the Department of Player Safety. Stars writer Mike Heika notes that while Glendening did clear concussion protocol after the hit, he suffered a lower-body injury on the play which is currently limiting him. Glendening has no points in the series with a -2 rating.
Marco Scandella Leaves Game With Lower-Body Injury
Make that four regular defensemen out of the lineup for the St. Louis Blues. On the TBS broadcast of the game, it was revealed that Marco Scandella would not return to Game 4 of the First Round Series between the Blues and the Minnesota Wild with a lower-body injury.
Fortunately for the Blues, youngster Scott Perunovich was ready to go for today’s game after almost four months’ worth of inactivity, permitting them to dress seven defensemen. However, this now means the entirety of the Blues’ top three left defensemen are out of the lineup (Scandella, Torey Krug, Nick Leddy). Right-shot man Robert Bortuzzo is out of the lineup as well.
It’s an incredible turn of bad luck for the Blues, who had a strong start to Game 4 but trail in the series 2-1. Against a team like the Wild who can roll three lines, that many injuries on defense are almost a death sentence for the Blues.
They’ll need Perunovich, Calle Rosen, and Niko Mikkola to step up in a big way, in addition to whatever goalie is in net, in order for the Blues to come back in the series and complete what at this point would be a very large upset.
Injury Notes: Saros, Blues, Kings
Nashville Predators star goaltender Juuse Saros will remain out of the lineup as the Predators look to avoid a sweep tomorrow, per head coach John Hynes. The team will likely continue to roll with Connor Ingram in the net with veteran David Rittich backing him up.
Hynes noted during his availability this morning that Saros is skating now as he recovers from a lower-body injury, but his activities are still limited. Ingram has performed admirably in a tough situation, putting up a .919 save percentage in two starts (three appearances). While Saros could likely amass somewhat better numbers, the Avalanche have hemmed the Predators at every turn and look to be the only team to sweep their way into the Second Round.
- The St. Louis Blues are dealing with a triple threat in terms of defense injuries today. Head coach Craig Berube says Torey Krug, Nick Leddy, and Robert Bortuzzo are all out for Game 4 in just a few minutes against the Wild. While the outlook on Krug is not positive, the Blues hope Leddy and Bortuzzo can return to the lineup as soon as possible to help reinforce a weary and inexperienced blueline. However, young defenseman Scott Perunovich took warmups and could play his first game since January 15.
- Viktor Arvidsson remains out for the Los Angeles Kings tonight, and he could be joined by fellow forward Carl Grundstrom. Head coach Todd McLellan said the Swede is a game-time decision for Game 4 as the Kings look to get a home win to even the series at two games apiece. Grundstrom had no points in two games already in this series.