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Tucker Poolman

Injury Notes: Norris, Ekholm, Poolman

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The Ottawa Senators’ playoff hopes were dashed last season in large part due to the absence of second-line center Josh Norris from the lineup. A shoulder injury sustained during training camp limited him to just eight games, but the team hoped he’d be fully ready to go this season after shutting him down for the 2022-23 campaign in January. That may not be the case, as general manager Pierre Dorion said today Norris will wear a non-contact jersey to begin training camp after tweaking something partially related to his shoulder during a captains’ skate last week.

“Josh doesn’t want to wear [the non-contact jersey], but he’ll wear one for a short period of time,” Dorion said. “If the regular season was starting, he’d be playing, just being extra cautious with ongoing rehab.” The 24-year-old centerman is entering the second season of an eight-year, $63.6MM extension signed in July 2022. In 2021-22, his last mostly healthy season, he notched 35 goals and 55 points in 66 contests.

Some other unfortunate injury news as some teams return to the ice for main camps today:

  • Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm is dealing with a minor hip flexor injury and won’t be a full participant when the team’s training camp begins tomorrow, general manager Ken Holland informed reporters, including TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. It’s unclear whether this is an injury that was sustained last season and hasn’t fully healed or whether it’s something Ekholm sustained during the offseason. He didn’t miss any games after coming over from the Nashville Predators prior to last season’s trade deadline. The 33-year-old Swede, who has three seasons remaining on a deal carrying a $6.25MM cap hit, notched five goals and 21 points in 33 regular-season and playoff games in an Oilers jersey to close out the previous campaign. He is once again expected to play a pivotal top-four role and remains a valuable second-pair partner to growing power-play dynamo Evan Bouchard.
  • The Vancouver Canucks confirmed the expected news that defenseman Tucker Poolman will begin the season on long-term injured reserve and won’t attend their training camp. Poolman has suffered from migraines stemming from concussions for multiple seasons and last suited up for the Canucks at the beginning of 2022-23. He’s played in just 43 games for the Canucks since signing a four-year, $10MM contract with them in free agency in 2021.

Pacific Notes: Zegras, Sharks, Poolman

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Ducks center Trevor Zegras is the most prominent of the 13 remaining restricted free agents.  The 22-year-old is coming off his second straight season of 60-plus points after putting up 23 goals and 42 assists in 81 games and has a track record that could help land him a long-term agreement.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggests (audio link) that the likelier outcome at this point is that the two sides work out a bridge agreement.  The market for a long-term deal is somewhat well-defined at this point with some recent comparables (including Nick Suzuki and Joshua Norris) checking in around the $8MM mark.  If that number doesn’t work for one or both sides, a short-term agreement would likely come in closer to $5MM while giving Zegras arbitration eligibility after it expires.

More from the Pacific:

  • The Sharks had shown interest in defenseman Erik Gustafsson at the beginning in free agency, reports Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Had San Jose been able to complete an early Erik Karlsson trade, they likely would have turned to Gustafsson to help replace some of the lost production.  However, the delay in getting the trade done on July 1st resulted in Gustafsson not taking any chances as he instead signed a one-year deal with the Rangers.  San Jose could certainly benefit from adding a blueliner with some offensive ability but at this stage of free agency, those options are quite limited.
  • While it looks like the Canucks will have Tanner Pearson available for training camp, the same can’t be said for defenseman Tucker Poolman. CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reported in a recent appearance on Sekeres and Price (Twitter link) that Poolman isn’t cleared to return yet as he continues to deal with concussion symptoms.  The blueliner doesn’t want to retire and has sought out several medical opinions but after playing in just three games last season and the fact the symptoms continue, it’s hard to see him coming back in the near future.  As a result, Poolman and his $2.5MM AAV will remain LTIR-eligible in October when Vancouver has to submit their cap-compliant roster.

Tucker Poolman Not Expected To Return This Season

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The Vancouver Canucks press conference with Jim Rutherford has resulted in several major news items, including the fact that he will be performing “major surgery” on the roster before next season.

Another was the status of Tucker Poolman, who has been on long-term injured reserve since October. Rutherford explained that he does not believe Poolman will return this season, though they are still waiting on the evaluation of some specialists on his future.

Poolman, 29, is signed through the 2024-25 season and carries a $2.5MM cap hit. That contract was one signed by the previous management group, and one that quickly looked like a mistake. The former Winnipeg Jets defenseman has played just 43 games for the Canucks, and is averaging fewer than 17 minutes of ice time when he’s in the lineup.

He has just four points as a Canuck, and never has looked like the right-shot solution that the team desperately needs.

Given that Rutherford mentioned buyouts, it is important to note that an injured player cannot go through that process. If the team wants to move on in that manner, Poolman will have to be cleared medically in the coming months.

Vancouver Canucks Place Tucker Poolman On LTIR

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4:37 pm: Just a few hours later, Poolman has now been moved to long-term injured reserve, according to the team. Hughes, who was listed as week-to-week earlier in the day, has been moved to injured reserve so the Canucks can recall another defenseman from the AHL – Noah Juulsen, who has a -1 rating in two games this year with the Canucks. Assuming the LTIR placement is retroactive to October 18, Poolman is ineligible to return until November 11.

12:50 pm: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman has been moved to injured reserve, and the team has recalled Guillaume Brisebois in his place. Poolman was listed as a game-time decision for the team’s game on Saturday but didn’t end up playing. His IR placement can be retroactive to the last time he did play (Oct 18), meaning he can be activated in just a few days if deemed healthy.

The 29-year-old just can’t seem to stay healthy and has played in just 43 games since signing a four-year, $10MM contract in 2021. Poolman has just four points in those games and has averaged fewer than 17 minutes a night as a Canuck. With the team in the midst of a firestorm of criticism after an 0-4-2 start (that has included blowing several multi-goal leads), his absence certainly won’t help things.

In his place is Brisebois, a 25-year-old that has just ten NHL games to his name. The third-round pick from 2015 is still looking for his first point at the highest level, but does at least bring some of the same defensive attributes that Poolman offers. With Quinn Hughes also missing today’s morning skate, the Canucks are potentially icing a defense group that looks anything but imposing. Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports that Brisebois is skating with Luke Schenn, Kyle Burroughs is with Jack Rathbone, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tyler Myers make up the veteran portion of the blue line.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Noah Juulsen, Assign Sheldon Dries To AHL

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The Vancouver Canucks and GM Patrik Allvin announced a pair of corresponding moves this afternoon. The club has recalled defenseman Noah Juulsen from the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL and in turn has assigned forward Sheldon Dries to Abbotsford. No other related moves have been made.

Although the moves seems to be a simple swap of a forward for a defenseman, it does come on the back of defenseman Tucker Poolman leaving Vancouver’s game yesterday with an undisclosed injury. While Poolman hasn’t been placed on IR, it appears the Canucks feels the need to add another person to their blueline for now. Poolman has been dealing with migraine issues for a while now, but appeared to finally turn a corner, skating in each of Vancouver’s first two games. One would certainly hope whatever was ailing Poolman yesterday is not another long-term issue.

Juulsen, a former first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, has played parts of four NHL seasons with Montreal, Vancouver, and the Florida Panthers. Like Poolman, Juulsen is a right-handed shot, minimizing the overall impact the change could have. Dries hadn’t played in either of Vancouver’s first two games this season, but will likely get a chance to play top minutes with Abbotsford if he stays long enough. The forward was among the very best in the AHL last season, scoring 35 goals along with 27 assists in just 54 games.

Tucker Poolman’s Health Status Still Uncertain

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After signing a four-year, $10MM contract with the Vancouver Canucks last offseason, defenseman Tucker Poolman was limited to just 40 games in his first campaign in British Columbia. Dealing with migraines and post-concussion symptoms throughout the season, Poolman had just three points all year and played just 17 minutes per game.

There is some optimism on Poolman’s health status, though, although it remains to be seen whether or not he’s healthy enough to play once the high-intensity training camp environment begins. His agent, Dean Grillo, noted to The Province’s Ben Kuzma that Poolman has indeed been training and skating all offseason, slowly trying to work his way back up to game readiness without inducing a recurrence of concussion symptoms.

As Kuzma notes, headaches and migraines have been a persistent issue for Poolman throughout his career, with various degrees of linkage to concussions. With other injuries such as major shoulder surgery and shot-blocking-related ailments, the 29-year-old Poolman has faced a lot of adversity in his NHL career.

If Poolman can’t return to start the season, expect Kyle Burroughs to get some more reps in the NHL as a third-pairing, defensive-minded body. Burroughs had five points in 42 games last season with Vancouver.

Tucker Poolman Placed On LTIR; Arturs Silovs Recalled

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The Vancouver Canucks are not technically eliminated from the postseason. When Timo Meier scored with 0.9 seconds left for the San Jose Sharks, who then went on to win in a shootout against the Vegas Golden Knights, the slimmest sliver of hope was saved for the Canucks. If they win out, the Golden Knights beat the Dallas Stars tonight and then both of those teams lose the rest of the way, the Canucks would get in on a complicated tie-breaker. It’s not much, but it’s hope.

Unfortunately, it appears they’ll have to do their part without Thatcher Demko, at least for tonight. The team has moved Tucker Poolman to long-term injured reserve in order to recall Arturs Silovs from the minor leagues. Silovs is expected to serve as the backup for Spencer Martin tonight, as Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV tweets that Demko is dealing with an undisclosed injury.

The 21-year-old Silovs has never played a game at the NHL level and has just 11 appearances in the AHL, not many of which have gone very well. He’s spent more than half of this season with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions, where he has a .920 save percentage in ten appearances.

Poolman, meanwhile, has played in just one game since January and lasted just seven shifts. The 28-year-old defenseman was signed to an inexplicable four-year contract in the offseason and averaged 17 minutes a night through the first half of the season, recording three points in 40 games overall. His first year with the Canucks has certainly not gone to plan, and the team has been much better without him on the ice (though he hasn’t had much of a chance to play for head coach Bruce Boudreau, who turned the team around and has them this close to the playoffs).

For Martin, it is a bit of a showcase for next season, when he figures to be the regular backup for Demko at the NHL level. The 26-year-old netminder signed a new two-year, one-way contract extension earlier this month and Jaroslav Halak’s deal will expire at the end of the season. With Michael DiPietro likely needing more time in the minor leagues before he really pushes for an NHL opportunity, it’s likely Demko-Martin for 2022-23, unless the team acquires another option in net. So far, so good, as Martin had a .958 save percentage in three appearances earlier this season.

Nils Hoglander, Tucker Poolman Could Be Out For Season

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau spoke to reporters today, saying that he believes forward Nils Hoglander and defenseman Tucker Poolman could be done for the 2021-22 season with respective injuries.

Hoglander, 21, last played on March 15th against the New Jersey Devils. He was listed as day-to-day with a groin injury two days later, and his status was downgraded to week-to-week on March 30th. Poolman, a first-year Canuck, returned to the Canucks lineup on April 3rd after missing over two months but played just 4:25 in that game. He’s out with an upper-body injury.

While the Canucks, who now sit eight points out of the second Wild Card spot, had very little hope of making the playoffs, these compounding injuries worsen their scenario. While Hoglander has been in and out of the lineup, occasionally scratched, he still has more points this season than any current member of Vancouver’s bottom-six (10 goals, 18 points in 60 games). Not having him as an option for some depth goal-scoring takes away from a position of need.

Poolman, while many initially balked at his $2.5MM cap hit (and rightfully so), had put together by far the best defensive performance of his career so far prior to going down with an injury. He did have just three points in 40 games, but Poolman has never carried much of any offensive upside.

Canucks Activate Tucker Poolman, Jason Dickinson Off Injured Reserve

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As the Vancouver Canucks attempt to chase down a Western Conference wild card spot, they are set to add two formerly injured players back into the fold. The team has announced that defenseman Tucker Poolman and forward Jason Dickinson have been activated off of injured reserve. Dickinson has been out since February 24th when he suffered a lower-body injury, and Poolman has been out since January 27th due to issues with headaches and migraines.

These two players have now been out for a not-insignificant amount of time just as the Canucks entered a crucial part of their season. They both are new arrivals to Vancouver, having each come aboard this past offseason. Dickinson was acquired from the Dallas Stars for a 2021 third-round pick, and Poolman was signed from the Winnipeg Jets as an unrestricted free agent to a contract costing $2.5MM against the cap each season through 2024-2025.

Before their injuries, each player was going through an underwhelming first season in Vancouver. Dickinson, 26, has only three goals and six points in his 49 games this year, which is 10 point pace, a significant decline from his usual form of around 20 points per season. Dickinson’s ice time has also declined from over 16 minutes per game last season to only 13:01 per game in Vancouver. Poolman, 28, is not known for his offense from the back end, and he has three points in 39 games this year. Poolman averaged just over 17 minutes per game before his injury and could help give coach Bruce Boudreau options on the team’s bottom pairing.

Both players are likely headed back into the lineup with significant motivations to salvage something positive from this season. The Canucks’ playoff odds are getting longer with each passing game, but they still have a chance. The impact of strong performances from any player is magnified in these circumstances, so as fresh arrivals off of injured reserve Dickinson and Poolman each have the opportunity to re-write the narratives surrounding their tenures in Vancouver, to improve their standing with fans who have been thus far left wanting more.

Snapshots: Canucks, Johnson, Canadiens, Nugent-Hopkins

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The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed defenseman Kyle Burroughs on injured reserve while transferring blueliner Tucker Poolman to LTIR.  Burroughs has had his first taste of extended NHL action this season, playing in 36 games while collecting five points and was injured last weekend against Anaheim.  The move was made to open up the roster spot for yesterday’s recall of Phillip Di Giuseppe.  As for Poolman, he will be eligible to return at any time if the placement is retroactive to his injury in late January but it temporarily adds his $2.5MM to their LTIR pool, enabling them to recall other players if there are more injuries in the near future.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Blackhawks are expected to get center Tyler Johnson back in the lineup on Thursday against Edmonton, notes Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Johnson underwent artificial disk replacement surgery back in December, the same neck surgery Jack Eichel had.  The veteran last played in late October and has a goal and two assists in eight games this season, his first with Chicago.
  • The Canadiens are expected to hire Adam Nicholas in a player development role, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Nicholas has worked as a skills consultant with Toronto since 2019 and is the founder of a player development company called Stride Envy.
  • Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins left today’s game with an upper-body injury with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector suggesting (via Twitter) that it looks like a shoulder issue. He took a hit from Florida’s Ryan Lomberg in the first period.  Nugent-Hopkins only has seven goals in 45 games this season but still sits third on Edmonton in points thanks to his 30 assists.

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