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Travis Konecny

Snapshots: Konecny, Dubois, Hill

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had another extremely disappointing season, and despite the best efforts of veteran head coach John Tortorella to get the most out of his talent-deficient roster, the team currently sits 25th in league standings with just 24 wins in 64 games. The team’s form this season has prompted Flyers management to acknowledge that returning to contention won’t be a quick fix, and that longer-term development is likely needed. This has led many to wonder if the Flyers would consider trading one of the few bright spots of their season, Travis Konecny, over the summer.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote in a recent piece that “at least one contender” was “planning on making an aggressive trade offer [for Konecny] before the trade deadline” before Konecny got injured. (subscription link) He adds that his expectation is that the Flyers “will listen on him ahead of the draft” to see what sort of value he holds on the trade market. Despite playing just 52 games due to injury, Konecny remains the Flyers’ leading scorer with 54 points in 52 games. He plays the kind of fast, hard-nosed game that many teams covet, and is on an affordable $5.5MM cap hit through 2024-25. While it’s obviously far from a given that Konecny is traded, he’s possibly the best trade asset the team could cash in on to fast-forward a rebuild.

  • LeBrun also touched on the current status of Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois and his future in Manitoba. Since the Jets are hoping they can put together a lengthy playoff run, the focus has been on the rest of the season rather than on Dubois’ future. But regardless of the team’s current priorities, LeBrun writes that he believes Dubois is “headed toward an offseason trade, just like Matthew Tkachuk a year ago from Calgary.” LeBrun adds that the Montreal Canadiens, who were rumored to be after Dubois last summer, would likely have interest once again. It’d be a shame for Winnipeg to lose Dubois, 24, and his near point-per-game production, but if he does have his heart set on leaving as a free agent in the summer of 2024, perhaps recouping some valuable assets via trade this summer could be the wisest way forward.
  • Vegas Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill is dealing with a lower-body injury that could impact his availability for the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, according to AT&T SportsNet’s Ashali Vise. The Golden Knights have dealt with major injury issues in their crease in recent weeks, injuries that led to the team acquiring legendary goaltender Jonathan Quick from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hill has played well in 27 games for the Golden Knights this season, posting a 16-7-1 record, 2.45 goals-against-average, and .916 save percentage, but injuries have been a lingering issue in the past few seasons. Hill has been extremely impressive as of late, saving a combined 91 shots in his last two starts. Hopefully, for Hill and the Golden Knights, this injury is just a minor setback and not something that has a major impact on his availability moving forward.

Metropolitan Notes: Fletcher, Konecny, Engvall, Barzal, Domi

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Speaking with reporters today (video link), Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher discussed his plans for the upcoming trade deadline.  Unsurprisingly, the team plans to sell and he acknowledged that the bulk of the discussions so far have been regarding players on expiring contracts, particularly winger James van Riemsdyk.  However, he made a point to say that he doesn’t intend for the team to go into a scorched-earth rebuild which suggests that Philadelphia’s deadline activity could be somewhat limited if they primarily deal with moving players on expiring contracts.  Fletcher also mentioned that they don’t plan to add too many players from Lehigh Valley to allow them to continue to battle for a spot in the AHL playoffs.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Also from Fletcher’s press conference, he indicated that winger Travis Konecny is going to miss at least a few more weeks due to his upper-body injury. With the Flyers not heading for the playoffs, the GM indicated that it’s possible that there isn’t enough time for him to return this season.  The 25-year-old is seven points shy of matching his career-high of 61 but at this point, it doesn’t seem likely that Konecny will be able to get there.
  • While the Islanders quickly signed Bo Horvat to a contract extension after acquiring him, don’t expect that to be the case for their latest acquisition in Pierre Engvall. GM Lou Lamoriello told Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link) that they’ll “take one thing at a time” with the winger but acknowledged that he’s someone that he’d like to keep beyond this season.  Engvall, who carries a $2.25MM AAV, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has 21 points in 58 games so far.
  • In a separate tweet, Gross relays that center Jean-Gabriel Pageau has resumed skating as he works his way back from an upper-body injury that has kept him out for the last two and a half weeks. Pageau has 29 points in 58 games this season and plays more minutes than any Islanders forward on the penalty kill, a unit that’s one of the strongest in the league; getting him back would certainly be a boost to a New York squad that’s trying to hold onto a Wild Card spot.
  • A year ago, the Hurricanes acquired Max Domi as a rental player just before the trade deadline. In his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link), Pierre LeBrun reports that Domi is once again on Carolina’s radar heading into this week’s deadline.  The 27-year-old had seven points in 19 games with the Hurricanes last season and has been quite productive with the Blackhawks this year, notching 49 points in 59 games.  Accordingly, the price that it will take to get him this time around should be considerably higher than the mid-round prospect and a minor leaguer that it cost them in 2022.

Injury Notes: Konecny, Raymond, Hall

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It’s been a week since Travis Konecny went down to an upper-body injury, and the Philadelphia Flyers still haven’t released an official timeline for his return. Today, head coach John Tortorella gave reports at least a bit of an update, explaining to Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that Konecny would be out for an extended period.

As much as Tortorella and the rest of the Flyers don’t want to admit it, removing Konecny from the lineup may actually be a good thing. The 25-year-old is the team’s best offensive (and perhaps all-around) player, with 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games this season. His absence has been evident over the last few games, including a 5-2 loss to the bottom-dwelling Montreal Canadiens and a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of the rival New Jersey Devils. As the Flyers drop toward the bottom of the standings, they rise closer to the top of the draft lottery odds.

  • Lucas Raymond has been activated from injured reserve by the Detroit Red Wings, with Jordan Oesterle taking his place to clear the roster space. The young Raymond returns to a surging Red Wings group within three points of an Eastern Conference wildcard position with a home-and-home on tap with the Ottawa Senators, starting this evening. Soon to turn 21, Raymond has 15 goals and 33 points in 50 games this season.
  • Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reports that Taylor Hall has left the Boston Bruins traveling party and returned for evaluation and treatment of a lower-body injury. He’ll miss at least the next two games, meaning they’ll need someone else to take his spot in the lineup. Hall was already playing fewer minutes of late, receiving fewer than 14 in each of his last three games.

Flyers Recall Elliot Desnoyers

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The Flyers are giving one of their more promising prospects his first taste of NHL action as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Elliot Desnoyers from Lehigh Valley of the AHL.  He will make his NHL debut tonight against New Jersey.

The 21-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Philadelphia back in 2020 (135th overall) but has certainly outperformed his draft stock since then.  He became an impact scorer at the major junior level after being drafted, recording 137 points in 108 games with Halifax of the QMJHL after being selected which helped him earn a spot on Canada’s entry into the World Juniors last summer.

This season, Desnoyers has made the adjustment to playing in the pros and has done quite well, leading the Phantoms in scoring with 19 goals and 17 assists in 48 games.  He’ll now get a chance to see if that scoring touch can translate to the NHL level.

To make room for Desnoyers on the roster, the Flyers placed winger Travis Konecny on injured reserve.  He suffered an upper-body injury on Monday against Calgary and there’s no timeline for how long he’ll be out.

Snapshots: Ovechkin, Konecny, Schmid

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Alex Ovechkin is expected back in the Washington Capitals lineup later this week. Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports that the Capitals star will return to the Washington area on Wednesday and could make his return to the lineup as soon as Thursday night. The Russian sniper has been away from the team since February 12th, dealing with the death of his father, Mikhail.

The team has told Ovechkin to take the time he needs before returning to the lineup, but Kaplan reports that he will likely return either Thursday or Saturday. The Capitals host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday before taking on the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. Ovechkin has continued his torrid goal-scoring pace this season with 32 goals and 54 points in 54 games played. He will look to boost the Capitals playoff chances upon his return as they sit just outside the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

  • Travis Konecny will miss tonight’s Philadelphia Flyers contest against the Edmonton Oilers. Flyers beat reporter Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports Konecny has an upper-body injury and will be assessed by medical staff when the team returns home. The Flyers wrap up a four-game western road trip tonight and will be looking to tighten things up defensively after allowing 15 goals in the previous three games. They will miss Konecny’s presence as he is the team’s leading scorer with 54 points this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils have called up goaltender Akira Schmid from the AHL’s Utica Comets as per a team release. Devils reporter Amanda Stein added Mackenzie Blackwood tweaked something in practice this morning, so Schmid will serve as Vitek Vanecek’s backup when the Devils face the Montreal Canadiens tonight.

Travis Konecny Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Philadelphia Flyers have moved Travis Konecny to injured reserve with an upper-body injury, while recalling Egor Zamula from the minor leagues to take his roster spot.

Konecny has not played since November 17, meaning a retroactive placement on IR would allow him to be activated whenever healthy. The forward was on the ice today (along with James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton), rehabbing his injury.

Zamula, meanwhile, is back after a short stint in the minor leagues. As Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic explains, the young defenseman was only sent down because of the Flyers’ busy schedule, which didn’t allow for much practice time.

Now at home for five games that all have at least one day between them, there will be plenty of time for Zamula to get on the ice with the rest of the NHL squad, even if he still ends up a healthy scratch at times.

The Flyers have lost ten in a row and now sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Reaves, Konecny, Popugayev

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There could be some much-needed help coming on the injury front for the Capitals as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays (Twitter link) several updates.  First, winger T.J. Oshie skated before practice today and could rejoin the team tomorrow.  The 35-year-old has missed the last ten games due to a lower-body issue and had five points in nine games prior to the injury.

Meanwhile, center Nicklas Backstrom also took part in the skate before practice.  He is attempting to work his way back from hip resurfacing surgery back in June.  He’s not expected to skate tomorrow and there remains no timetable for his return but the fact he’s skating now is a promising sign that he might be able to come back at some point this season.

Lastly, winger Tom Wilson has also started skating on his own lately as he works his way back from ACL surgery back in May.  There is no timetable for his return as well but the recovery period for that injury typically ranges from six to eight months and he’s already past the short end of that timeline.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • For years, Rangers winger Ryan Reaves has been a consistent presence on the fourth line for several teams. However, that hasn’t been the case this season as he has only played in three games so far this month, spending the rest of the time as a healthy scratch.  Accordingly, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that New York could opt to waive the 35-year-old in order to free up some extra cap space both now and at the trade deadline.  They wouldn’t be able to clear his entire $1.75MM cap hit off the books if he was to be sent to AHL Hartford (they’d only get a prorated $1.125MM in space) but if he’s going to continue to have a limited role, it’s a move they’ll have to seriously consider.
  • Flyers winger Travis Konecny won’t play tonight in Montreal as he has returned to Philadelphia to be evaluated for his upper-body injury, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury is believed to be to his hand and was sustained on Thursday against Boston.  Konecny had been off to a very strong start to his season as he leads the team in scoring with 19 points in 17 games.  Now, he joins a long injury list up front that includes Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson, and James van Riemsdyk, among others.
  • Devils prospect Nikita Popugayev has been traded in the KHL as SKA St. Petersburg announced that they have acquired the winger from Sochi in exchange for cash considerations. The 23-year-old has already set new career highs offensively with nine goals and five assists through 28 games which could get him back on the NHL radar this summer.  Popugayev’s contract in Russia runs through this season with New Jersey retaining his rights indefinitely due to there being no transfer agreement in place with the Russian Federation.

Metropolitan Notes: Jenner, Werenski, Connauton, Konecny, Clutterbuck

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Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner will not require surgery for the back injury that kept him out for the final seven weeks of the season, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link).  He’s expected to be able to have a full summer of training and be ready for training camp in the fall.  The 28-year-old had a strong year offensively, notching 23 goals and 21 assists in just 59 games, the highest per-game rates of his career.  While his current contract is expiring this summer, Jenner signed a four-year extension last July at the same $3.75MM price tag.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with Columbus, Portzline reports in a separate tweet that defenseman Zach Werenski underwent surgery this week to repair a broken nose. The procedure may keep him out of playing for the United States at the upcoming World Championships.  Werenski led all Blue Jackets blueliners in scoring this season with 11 goals and 37 assists in 68 games; his assist and point totals were both career bests.
  • Flyers defenseman Kevin Connauton told reporters, including Sam Carchidi of Philadelphia Hockey Now (Twitter link) that surgery won’t be needed on his knee injury that kept him out towards the end of the year. The 32-year-old played in 39 games this season between Florida and Philadelphia and is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • Flyers winger Travis Konecny has declined an invitation to play for Canada at the upcoming World Championships, notes Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 25-year-old came one assist shy of reaching his career high in assists with 36 this season but also had his lowest goals per game rate since his rookie campaign.
  • Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck is expected to be ready to return next season, mentions Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). The 34-year-old has been out since just before the trade deadline with a shoulder injury, one that ruled out any chance of him being traded.  Instead, New York signed him to a two-year extension, one that cuts his cap hit in half from 3.5MM to $1.75MM.

Injury Updates: Kase, Flyers, Sanderson, Drouin

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Maple Leafs winger Ondrej Kase has been ruled out for Toronto’s two games this weekend, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link).  However, while it looked like the 26-year-old suffered a concussion on a hit last Saturday, head coach Sheldon Keefe was quick to point out that Kase hasn’t been diagnosed with anything just yet.  Kase has a long concussion history and it stands to reason that they’ll err on the side of caution when it comes to his health.  He has yet to be placed on LTIR but with defenseman Jake Muzzin getting closer to returning, that may still happen over the coming days.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • The Flyers announced (via Twitter) that winger Travis Konecny is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The 25-year-old has very quietly been on an impressive run in recent weeks, picking up 18 points in 20 games going back to the start of February.  Meanwhile, winger Oskar Lindblom returned after missing Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury.
  • The Senators will be waiting a while to get top prospect Jake Sanderson in their lineup as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The youngster underwent hand surgery earlier this month that will keep him out for four-to-six weeks, putting his availability for the stretch run in question.  Ottawa’s team doctors are set to evaluate him which will give them an idea as to whether or not he’ll be able to suit up for a few games down the stretch.  Even if he doesn’t play, the first year of his contract will be burned if Ottawa signs him to a deal that begins this season instead of in 2022-23.
  • On top of being in COVID protocol for a close contact, the Canadiens announced that winger Jonathan Drouin has been placed on IR with an upper-body injury and is out indefinitely. The 26-year-old had just returned to the lineup after missing 22 games with a wrist issue and it’s unclear if this injury is related to that one or something different altogether.

Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim Added To COVID Protocol

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The Philadelphia Flyers’ nightmare season never ends. Today, the team has placed Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim in the COVID protocol, making them unavailable to the team for tomorrow’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team has also loaned Felix Sandstrom and Kirill Ustimenko back to the AHL, clearing room for additional taxi squad recalls if necessary.

Konecny and Sanheim join Ivan Provorov, Nick Seeler, Claude Giroux, and Jackson Cates in the protocol, while several other key players remain out with injuries. Importantly, both new COVID additions played yesterday, logging 19 and 24 minutes respectively against the Anaheim Ducks. That wasn’t enough to help the Flyers win, however, as they continue to struggle through this disappointing season.

Now 13-14-6 on the year, Philadelphia will have to try to navigate the next little while without nearly their entire core. If Konecny and Sanheim tested positive, they will miss at least two games. Already the club had turned to young players like Cam York and Morgan Frost to carry some of the load, but now even more depth will be needed from the minor leagues.

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