Minor Transactions: 01/06/18
As is typically the case, Saturday will be a busy day around the league with nine games on tap so there is bound to be a fair bit of roster shuffling. We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.
- St. Louis announced that they have recalled defenseman Jake Walman from Chicago of the AHL. To make room for him on the roster, they have transferred blueliner Vince Dunn (illness) to injured reserve. Walman, one of the better prospects for the Blues, is in his first full professional campaign and has 13 points (2-11-13) in 34 games at the minor league level this season.
- The Senators revealed via Twitter that they have called up center Colin White from AHL Belleville. This will be his first stint with the team this season; although he was expected to contend for a roster spot in training camp, he broke his wrist early on which set things back. His first season at the minor league level has been rather bumpy as he has 13 points (5-8-13) in 27 games to go along with a team-worst -15 rating. White is expected to take the place of Nate Thompson, who was injured on Friday night against San Jose.
- The Capitals have brought back defenseman Madison Bowey and winger Jakub Vrana from Hershey (AHL), via the AHL’s transactions page. Neither move comes as a surprise as they were just sent down yesterday in an effort to free up a little bit more cap space. For perspective, it’s the fourth time they’ve been sent back and forth since December 17th.
- The Islanders annouced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Anthony Beauvillier from AHL Bridgeport on an emergency basis. The move comes on the heels of New York losing both Josh Bailey and Andrew Ladd to injury last night. The 2o-year-old has spent the majority of the season with the Isles, picking up four goals and three assists in 31 games. He has a pair of goals in two minor league contests.
- The San Jose Sharks activated winger Barclay Goodrow from injured reserve late last night and assigned winger Marcus Sorensen to the San Jose Barracuda, according to Elite Prospects. Goodrow has been in and out of the lineup with a lower-body injury for a couple of months now. He has two goals and two assists in 10 games this year. The 25-year-old Sorensen had three goals in 13 games for the Sharks this season. He has five goals and nine assists in 17 games for the Barracuda.
Mike Hoffman A Fit With San Jose?
- Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area believes that Senators winger Mike Hoffman could be a good fit with the Sharks. San Jose never replaced Patrick Marleau when he signed with Toronto which has left a void in their top-six since then. Youngsters such as Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier have taken strides this season but they’re best served to be more as complementary pieces at this stage of their careers. San Jose also has the room to absorb Hoffman’s $5.1875MM cap charge for not only this season but beyond, something that can’t be said for a lot of teams that are looking to buy right now.
Deadline Dilemma For The San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks put on another impressive performance last night against the struggling Montreal Canadiens, beating them 4-1 for their fourth win in five games. That recent success has pushed San Jose into third in the Pacific Division, and right in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. With that position though will come some tough decisions for the Sharks as we head towards the trade deadline, and teams around them start to load up for a postseason run.
On one hand, the Sharks are in an enviable position. After Patrick Marleau walked in the offseason, and David Schlemko was taken from them in the expansion draft, the front office finds themselves with plenty of cap room to work with. In fact, CapFriendly projects the Sharks could add around $23.5MM of contracts at the trade deadline and still be cap-compliant. That’s an incredible asset when looking to take a swing at a Stanley Cup run, and could prove useful in the coming months.
However, there is a larger problem that the Sharks must face when considering any deal. After adding the last few years, the team is without its second or third round picks in the 2018 draft, and don’t have a real glut of blue-chip prospects knocking down the door for an NHL job. More than that, their three key pieces up front are all unrestricted free agents either this summer or next, and starting next season they’ll have $15MM tied up in two defenders on the wrong side of 30.
In fact, if you look at the team’s salary structure, draft stockpile, and prospect cupboard independent of their record this season, one might come to the conclusion that they need to consider selling instead of buying. They have several expiring (or near-expiring) assets that could still bring back impressive value, and might have a gap in young impact players coming through the system to replace them.
That consideration of course is not independent of the on-ice success, but rather inherently tied to it. What else is there to sell your future for than immediate success, and the Sharks have experienced that for some time, even if the Stanley Cup itself has remained slightly out of reach. The option of mortgaging even more assets for help now can be quite tempting, especially once other teams starting doing the same.
So what will be the Sharks’ solution? Kevin Kurz of The Athletic doesn’t believe they even have the assets to add a big name, and would expect more of a bottom-six forward to be the prize if anything. In his most recent mailbag, Kurz addressed the upcoming deadline:
Can they make a trade that will impact the team? Sure. Do they have the pieces to make a major acquisition, along the lines of — just as an example — Evander Kane? I don’t see it.
…
My guess is that while another bottom six forward could be acquired for a reasonable price, the Sharks’ roster won’t look all that different after the trade deadline. They will have to hope that guys like [Timo] Meier, [Marcus] Sorensen and Kevin Labanc keep improving.
The option of standing still and hoping this roster is enough to make an impact in the playoffs is obviously a reasonable one, given their recent success. But a partial sell shouldn’t be overlooked. We’ve talked about the potential value of Aaron Dell before, and Kurz details how Paul Martin—another contract that will expire in the summer of 2019—could be a piece they move at some point.
Regular season success shouldn’t ever be considered a bad thing. But the Sharks’ front office has to be very careful how much a few wins sway their overall perception of the roster and organizational depth. They’ll be a very interesting team to watch as the deadline approaches, even if they do eventually decide to sit tight.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Notes: Couture, Hjalmarsson, Callahan, Compher, Kadri
The San Jose Sharks look like they will be getting one of their top scorers back soon, possibly even tonight, as head coach Peter DeBoer stated center Logan Couture is a game-time decision, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. In fact, since Couture has been practicing on the team’s power play, Kurz believes that he is probable to play against Dallas tonight.
Couture was reportedly working out in practice yesterday without wearing an orange non-contact jersey, suggesting he could be close to returning. The 28-year-old has missed the past four games with a concussion. He leads the team with 15 goals and is tied for the team lead in points with Joe Thornton with 26. The team, however, has fared well without him as they have won three of those four games Couture has missed.
- Dave Vest of NHL.com writes that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who has been out with an upper-body injury for more than a month, could be returning to action soon. He practiced with the team Saturday. “He’s actually feeling better,” head coach Rick Tocchet said. “I don’t have an exact time frame, but he’s had some really good days the past couple days.”
- Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Tampa Bay Lightning winger Ryan Callahan was participating in practice with the penalty killing unit today. Smith adds that he believes Callahan will be ready sooner than one week. Callahan has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old has just one goal and five assists this year, but is the team’s top penalty killer.
- BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater tweets that Colorado Avalanche forward J.T. Compher will be out the rest of the week with an upper-body injury and with a week-long bye after that, it’s likely the team won’t see the 22-year-old until Jan. 13. He was injured in Friday’s game against the Islanders. Compher has seven goals and six assists in 31 games this season.
- Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reports that Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri will miss his second-straight game today against Vegas with an upper-body injury he suffered Thursday against Arizona. The 27-year-old has 13 goals so far this season in 38 games.
Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?
In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?
As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
- Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
- John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
- Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
- Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
- Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
- Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
- Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
- Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
- Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
- Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
- Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
- Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
- Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
- Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
- Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
- Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
- Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
- Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
- John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
- William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
- Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
- Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
- Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
- Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
- P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
- Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
- Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
- Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
- Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
- Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
- Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
- Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
Paul Martin To Remain Scratch For Time Being
- Sharks blueliner Paul Martin has been a healthy scratch since being cleared to return to the lineup and head coach Peter DeBoer told Paul Gackle of the Mercury News that this will continue for the time being. San Jose is carrying eight defensemen for the time being and the expectation is that they will try to utilize all eight of them but barring injury, Martin appears to be on the outside looking in at their top-six. With another year remaining on his contract at $4.85MM, he’s someone that they could look to try to include in a trade in the coming weeks although his lack of playing time and age (36) will make that a harder move to make.
Blichfeld, Halbgewachs Sign Entry-Level Contracts With San Jose Sharks
After the Danish World Junior team was dismantled by Finland earlier today, one player at least has something to celebrate. Joachim Blichfeld has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. Blichfeld was selected in the seventh round in 2016, and plays with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL when not representing Denmark internationally.
From the Sharks press release:
Joachim is a natural goal scorer and can change a game with his shooting ability and hockey sense. He has proven to be one of the top goal scorers in the Western Hockey League and his puck possession game fits well with the way we want to play. We’re excited to see Joachim continue to evolve as a player.
Jayden Halbgewachs has also signed an entry-level deal with the Sharks, after going undrafted despite starring for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. Halbgewachs is only 5’8″ 160-lbs, but scored 101 points last season and already has 61 through his first 36 games this season.
GM Doug Wilson also had high praise for Halbgewachs:
Jayden is the top goal scorer in Canadian major juniors and has been one of the top point producers in the WHL over the last two season. His combination of elite speed, high-end skill and ability to pressure both ends of the ice make him a dangerous player who makes others around him better. We’re excited he is joining our organization.
Indeed, the Sharks have added two excellent goal scorers to their stable of prospects. The pair has 48 this season in just 52 games, and should add some punch to the minor leagues when they make the jump to the professional ranks in 2018-19.
Veteran Free Agent Contracts Not Working Out Well In 2017-18
There is no doubt that the game of hockey is getting faster and, as a result, younger. Yet, in 2016-17 that didn’t stop 44-year-old ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr from outscoring his age, 40-year-old Matt Cullen and 37-year-old Chris Kunitz from contributing to a second straight Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup title, 39-year-old Zdeno Chara from skating in more than 23 minutes per game, or 36-year-old Henrik Zetterberg and 37-year-old Joe Thornton from finishing among the league’s best in assists. Several teams who witnessed the impact that older players had on their teams last year went out and signed older free agents this summer in hopes of a repeat performance. It hasn’t happened for most of those teams. The majority of players age 36 and older who signed with new teams this off-season have struggled to meet expectations.
Jagr, of course, is the poster boy of the anti-youth movement. The 28-year NHL veteran has somehow remained consistent throughout his career even into his mid-40’s, but despite a 46-point campaign last year, got little attention this summer and it looked like his illustrious career was over. However, the Calgary Flames swooped in at the last minute, signing Jagr to a one-year deal in early October. At $2MM for the year, it was a low-risk, high-upside singing. Yet, through 36 games, that upside has not shown up. Jagr has only been healthy for 19 games, in which he has only one goal and six assists. Even if Jagr was magically healthy for each of the Flames remaining games this season, he would be on pace for a career-worst 24 points. It seems that Jagr’s days are finally done.
He’s not alone though. The Penguins aging role players also decided to leave Pittsburgh this off-season, with Cullen heading home to Minnesota to join the Wild and Kunitz chasing a fourth Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both players have been nothing short of a disappointment so far. Cullen, who was a major contributor to the Pens’ success last year as a dependable checking center and 30-point scorer. So far with the Wild, Cullen has been a non-factor offensively (7 points) and defensively (team worst -11) through 35 games and was even a healthy scratch earlier this month. Despite the incredible talent around him, Kunitz has just 10 points this season, a pace which is a far cry from his recent back-to-back 40-point seasons.
Who else is on the list? Defenseman Mark Streit was a complete disaster in Montreal, released by the Canadiens after just two games. Journeyman goalie Michael Leighton hasn’t done much better, already on his third team in 2017-18 and without an NHL appearance thus far. Despite the time-tested theory that Radim Vrbata always performs his best in Arizona, the aging scorer bolted the Coyotes for the Florida Panthers, who so far have only received 12 points and 29 games from the signing.
The jury is still out on a few veterans. Francois Beauchemin returned home to Anaheim this summer and many expected him to improve his game back on a familiar roster. While Beauchemin’s 7 points through 30 games pale in comparison to the better seasons of his career, it’s similar to the production he showed last year with the Colorado Avalanche. With the Ducks struggling as a team, it seems fair that Beauchemin’s play has also been a bit lacking. That hasn’t been the case for Ryan Miller, another aging addition in Anaheim. His .928 save percentage and 2.23 GAA has been very good. However, Miller has only gotten the win in four of his ten appearances and missed much of the early season due to injury. Miller has performed better than the rest of his team, but had he been healthy it may have reversed the Ducks’ fortunes early on. Matt Hendricks has already matched his point total with the Edmonton Oilers last season now with the Winnipeg Jets last season. He’s playing a valued energy role and the Jets likely don’t have many gripes. With that said, Hendricks needed only seven points to match that total from a down year in 2016-17 and has a been playing a less-physical game than he has in the past. Hendricks hasn’t been bad, but Winnipeg would undoubtedly rather see 2014-15 Hendricks, who posted 16 points and 220 hits.
The one team who has had great success with veteran signings in 2017-18 is the Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose Sharks legend Patrick Marleau chose to sign in Toronto, leaving the only team he had ever played for, but the Leafs had to give him three years and $18.75MM to get it done. So far, it hasn’t been a bad investment. Marleau has 19 points in all 36 games, including 12 goals, and the 38-year-old should easily reach 40 points for the 18th time in his career. However, the real breakout veteran performance has been from the 36-year-old Ron Hainsey, whose signing was initially panned by many. Yet, Hainsey is on pace for one of, if not the best offensive campaigns of his career with 15 points so far. Forming a dynamic duo with Morgan Rielly, Hainsey seems rejuvenated late in his career and it has shown in an improvement on Toronto’s back end. But even the Leafs weren’t perfect though; the signing of Dominic Moore has been a disappointment. Moore has only nine points and has been a frequent scratch after a season with the division rival Boston Bruins in which he put up 25 points and played in all 82 games.
The NHL has been an increasingly difficult place for mediocre older players to find work. There has been a movement toward younger rosters, with veterans settling for minimum contracts, tryouts, or simply heading to Europe. Yet, exceptions continue to be made, especially for some talented older players. After the results this elderly free agent group has shown, veteran signings – especially those demanding big money and term – will surely become even less frequent.
Minor Transactions: 12/23/17
Though the roster freeze is in effect, there still will be some roster movement today. Anyone recalled after December 11th is eligible to be sent back down as late as today while players can still be recalled for any reason. Considering there are 15 games on the slate before the NHL shuts down for its holiday break, there will likely be a few players getting summoned before the day is through.
- The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have officially recalled goaltender Daniel Taylor from AHL Belleville. The move comes on the heels of Craig Anderson being unable to dress for tonight’s game as a result of an illness. It’s likely that Taylor will be sent back down immediately following the game before the full roster freeze takes effect.
- Rasmus Andersson’s stint with Calgary lasted all of one day as he has been sent back to Stockton of the AHL, per a team release. The Flames are the lone team not in action today so his services won’t be needed until December 28th at the earliest. Andersson did not dress for yesterday’s game against Montreal which means he was up only in case someone was injured in the warmup. With 16 points in only 22 minor league games, the 21-year-old will likely get another look with the big club at some point this season.
- The Coyotes announced a trio of roster moves. Defenseman Andrew Campbell has been recalled from Tucson of the AHL while blueliner Joel Hanley and winger Nick Merkley have been sent down. Campbell last saw NHL action in 2015-16 with Toronto and will likely serve as injury insurance for their game tonight against Colorado. Hanley has seen action in four NHL contests this season, averaging a little under 11 minutes per night while Merkley made his NHL debut earlier this week after being one of their top scorers at the minor league level.
- CapFriendly tweets that Ottawa Senators center Zack Smith has been placed on injured reserve. The 29-year-old forward was reported yesterday to be out for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury. Smith has two goals and six assists in 24 games this season.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Jack Campbell from the AHL’s Ontario Reign on an emergency basis tonight. There is no word on whether Jonathan Quick or Darcy Kuemper are unable to go later tonight against the San Jose Sharks and it could be that Cambell’s call-up is simply precautionary. The Kings also announced that Kyle Clifford has been placed back on injured reserve, retroactive to December 16th. Clifford has missed most of the season with an upper-body injury.
Injury Notes: Wennberg, Martin, Folin, Vilardi
The Columbus Blue Jackets might be without one of their young centers, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that head coach John Tortorella didn’t acknowledge what the injury is, but said Alexander Wennberg is “probably out a while.”
The team already with multiple injuries at the center position with Brandon Dubinsky out as well as the fact that Wennberg himself has already missed significant time with injuries. The 23-year-old center had a breakout year last season when he put up 13 goals and 59 points, but this year has already missed several weeks with an upper-body injury in November. He has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games this season and hasn’t been as effective this year, often playing on the team’s third line.
Portzline also tweets that defenseman Zach Werenski is still out with no updates. In other injury news around the league:
- San Jose Sharks defenseman Paul Martin‘s two week conditioning stint is up (it actually expires Sunday) and he has been recalled. However, it doesn’t look like he will be placed into the Sharks lineup anytime soon. An Associated Press article in the New York Post reported Friday night that Martin had a setback from his recovery from ankle surgery, although the injury is not a recurrence of the same injury. However, there is no timeline for his return. Martin played four games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, the first four games he’s ever played in the AHL in his entire career. The 36-year-old defenseman had one assist in that span.
- Fox Sports Jon Rosen tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Christian Folin remains out after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to a lower-body injury. According to Rosen, Kings’ head coach John Stevens said, “He hasn’t really started skating again yet, but we’ve got the break coming here. We want to just let everything settle down, get him going again after the break. I would hope he starts skating after the break, but we’ll see.”
- Rosen also tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ 2017 first-round pick Gabriel Vilardi, who has been out with a back injury since the start of the season, is expected to be cleared to play in games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL on Dec. 28. Vilardi was the 11th-overall pick after scoring 29 goals for the Spitfires last season and has missed the entire year so far.