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Injury Notes: Laine, Matthews, Tarasenko

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The Winnipeg Jets have avoided a crushing blow after Patrik Laine was forced from their game after blocking a shot. Laine isn’t expected to miss a lot of time with the injury, if any at all.

The young sniper is having an outstanding season, but fell one behind Alex Ovechkin last night for the league-lead in goals. Though winning the Maurice Richard trophy would obviously be a nice prize, he and the rest of the Jets have their sights set on an even bigger trophy. The Jets are fighting through injuries to several of their key players, but are still one of the favorites in the Western Conference as the playoffs approach.

  • Auston Matthews, the only player selected ahead of Laine in the 2016 draft, is also nearing a return for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The young center proclaimed himself ready to go after a 10-game layoff due to a shoulder injury, but head coach Mike Babcock wouldn’t go that far. The final decision on Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev for Thursday’s game will come after the morning skate, but both seem poised to return to the lineup.
  • Vladimir Tarasenko is expected miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury, during a crucial time for the St. Louis Blues. The team is entering must-win territory with their last ten games as they sit three points back of the final wildcard spot with two additional teams between them and a playoff spot. That’s a tough hill to climb with so few games remaining, and losing Tarasenko is especially damaging. The 26-year old has had a down year by his standards, but is still second on the club with 58 points.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hanifin, Trouba

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The NHL released their three stars for last week, and leading the way was Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues. After starting the season in the conversation for the Norris trophy, Pietrangelo’s point production dropped off a bit in the middle of the season and the Blues’ record suffered because of it (and other things). Now, with the team surging into the playoff picture once again, Pietrangelo has been front and center with 11 points in his last five games. Back in the top ten in points from defensemen, the Blues captain is now just two away from setting a new career high.

Rounding out the stars are Nathan MacKinnon and Curtis McElhinney, two players at opposite ends of their careers. MacKinnon is just hitting his stride and becoming the superstar everyone expected him to be, while McElhinney is showing there is still some fight left in a 34-year old goaltender. The Maple Leafs netminder was forced into the starting role when Frederik Andersen went down, and now leads the NHL in save percentage at .935.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that Noah Hanifin suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely, likely meaning his season is finished. Hanifin had another solid season in Carolina, posting 29 points in 71 games, but still wasn’t given the responsibility of a top pairing defenseman. The fifth-overall pick is a very interesting case to watch this summer, as he’s a restricted free agent and will be one of the first and most important negotiations of whoever takes the Hurricanes’ GM job. There has been talk over the last few years that perhaps Hanifin would be dangled as bait for a star forward, but the Hurricanes need to be careful they don’t trade away a budding #1 defenseman as he’s still just 21 years old.
  • Speaking of good young defensemen, the Winnipeg Jets will know more about Jacob Trouba’s condition over the next few days after he took a crushing hit from Jamie Benn on the weekend. Trouba left the game in the third period and saw specialists today while under the concussion protocol. Luckily, if you can call it that, the Jets may get Dmitry Kulikov back sooner than expected, as the defenseman has elected not to have back surgery just yet. Kulikov was originally ruled out eight weeks, but could be back in three or four according to the team. With the Jets looking like Stanley Cup contenders for the first time, they can use all the help they can get.

Injury Notes: Winnipeg Injuries, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Hutton, Kamenev

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Despite just having lost defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to injury, the Winnipeg Jets look to be gaining several other names back. The team, which seems to have been hampered by multiple injuries over the past couple of months, could be getting three players back on Sunday.

JetsTV’s Jamie Thomas tweets that forwards Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry along with defenseman Toby Enstrom are likely to play if they feel good tomorrow. Scheifele has missed five games due to an upper-body injury, while Lowry’s upper-body injury has prevented him from playing in a game since Feb. 1. Enstrom has missed eight of his last nine games with the Jets with what is believed to be a lower-body injury.

Thomas also mentions that the team’s goalie situation isn’t improving as quickly. Backup goaltender Steve Mason, who had his knee scoped earlier this week is still on a tw0 to three-week timeframe and is not likely to return until April. He has just played in 12 games so far this year due to multiple injuries. Michael Hutchinson, out with a concussion, is active and riding a stationary bike, but there is no timetable yet for his return.

  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk did not join the team for their two-game road trip to Las Vegas and Arizona Sunday and Monday. The 20-year-old had already missed the past two games and is not expected to be back until at least Wednesday. He has been out with a possible concussion he sustained Sunday against the New York Islanders.
  • The Washington Capitals announced that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will be out Sunday with an upper-body injury and will be listed as day-to-day. He was injured in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders after being tripped by Thomas Hickey. The 25-year-old has been one of the key constants for the Capitals as he already has a career-high in goals scored with 21 and is closing on his career-high for points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks will be without defenseman Ben Hutton Saturday as he will miss the game due to a foot infection, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. The third-year blueliner has played 59 games this season and averages 18:27 ATOI.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Vladislav Kamenev on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, after he has spent the last three games playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. No word on if he re-injured his arm, which he broke back in November.

Dmitry Kulikov Out Eight Weeks Following Back Surgery

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When Dmitry Kulikov was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury last week, it seemed completely innocuous. Now, it appears to be anything but and potentially season-altering for the Winnipeg Jets. Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds reports that Kulikov is undergoing back surgery and will be out about eight weeks. For perspective, that would be a return around May 12th, most likely the conference finals round. This is likely season-ending surgery for Kulikov and Winnipeg hopes it won’t contribute to a premature end to their 2017-18 run as well.

For those trying to think of when Kulikov could have suffered such a major injury, you would have to go all the way back to the 2016-17 preseason. Then a newly-acquired Buffalo Sabre, Kulikov suffered a back injury before the season even began and dealt with repercussions all year. Kulikov missed 35 games due to injury last year, at least 22 of which were officially credited to his back, and landed on injured reserve twice. Now, Reynolds adds, the lingering issue has returned to plague him again. In his first season of a three-year deal with the Jets, one has to wonder what the future looks like for Kulikov as this back problem continues to stick around.

Until this point, Kulikov has been relatively healthy for Winnipeg, skating in 62 games thus far. Kulikov has fit in nicely for the Jets, far exceeding his performance in Buffalo last season. His numbers may not jump off the page, offensively or defensively, but as a third-pair pair blue liner he has done everything asked of him, including playing a solid game in his own zone and possessing the puck safely. While his absence may not hurt as much as the loss of a Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien, or Tyler Myers would for the rest of the year, it will certainly be felt. Especially with Toby Enstrom already on the shelf as well, the Jets are hurting for the strong defensive depth they began the year with. More pressure will certainly fall on the likes of Tucker Poolman and Joe Morrow for the remainder of the year, as Winnipeg looks to keep injuries from slowing down an incredible campaign.

Jets Notes: Hendricks, Hutchinson, Trouba

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The Winnipeg Jets are in an unfamiliar position, firmly in a playoff spot with 12 games left to play. With 92 points, they trail only the Vegas Golden Knights and the Nashville Predators for the Western Conference lead, and are poised to do some damage in the postseason for the first time in their history. Still, that is only if they can stay healthy over the next few months. That’s not something that has come easily to the Jets of late, and Jamie Thomas of JetsTV gives us updates on several players.

  • Matt Hendricks has played 60 games for the Jets this season as a fourth-line veteran presence, giving the team some valuable leadership and chipping in offense now and again. That role will have to go to someone else, as Hendricks is out six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury. That takes him out through the end of the season and much of the playoffs, meaning there is more ice time for the younger players in Winnipeg. Despite his near 600 games in the NHL, the 36-year old Hendricks has played in only 34 playoff games and none in the last five years.
  • Luckily, it’s not all bad news in Winnipeg. There is a possibility that Jacob Trouba makes his return in tonight’s game which would be his first since January 15th. Trouba is a huge part of the Jets lineup, and with Dmitry Kulikov out with a minor injury his return would be extremely important. Trouba is up for another contract this summer, and an impressive playoff performance could increase his cost even more.
  • Michael Hutchinson was forced out of Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators after three quick goals, but has now been diagnosed with a concussion. That’s the second goaltender out for the Jets, joining Steve Mason who is working his way back from a knee injury. Connor Hellebuyck will be relied upon even more, while Eric Comrie is the backup for the time being.

Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2018 Hobey Baker

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The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is given to the most outstanding player in collegiate hockey, and has a long list of excellent NHL players among previous winners. Will Butcher, Jimmy Vesey, Jack Eichel and Johnny Gaudreau are the latest to take home the award, while others like Brendan Morrison, Paul Kariya and Chris Drury have been honored in the past.

Earlier this year, 67 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.

The top-10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization who owns their draft rights in parenthesis:

Henrik Borgstrom, University of Denver (Florida Panthers)

Ryan Donato, Harvard University (Boston Bruins)

Matthew Galajda, Cornell University

Adam Gaudette, Northeastern University (Vancouver Canucks)

Dylan McLaughlin, Canisius College

Cale Morris, University of Notre Dame

Colton Point, Colgate University (Dallas Stars)

Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State University

Dylan Sikura, Northeastern University (Chicago Blackhawks)

C.J. Suess, Minnesota State University-Mankato (Winnipeg Jets)

Winnipeg Jets Recall Goaltender Eric Comrie

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Another goaltender is injured for the Winnipeg Jets, as Michael Hutchinson had to leave last night’s game with an upper-body injury. The team has recalled Eric Comrie under emergency conditions to fill the backup role for the time being, while Hutchinson and Steve Mason remain sidelined. No word yet on how long Hutchinson will be out.

There is also no update yet on the status of Paul Stastny, who didn’t play in the game after suffering some sort of injury in warm up. The Jets were unable to hold off the onslaught of the Nashville Predators, and now sit six points back in the race for the Western Conference top seed. Winnipeg has dealt with goaltender injuries all season, and will have to continue to rely on Connor Hellebuyck to get them through the end of the season and into the playoffs.

Comrie has played two NHL games in his short career, but boasts a solid .918 save percentage at the AHL level this year. The 22-year old second-round pick has developed nicely for the organization over the last few years, and looks poised to take over as the club’s #3 option if Hutchinson goes somewhere else in free agency.

Steve Mason Out 2-3 Weeks With Knee Injury

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It’s been a season to forget for Winnipeg Jets goalie Steve Mason. Mason has suffered two concussions in 2017-18, one in November and one in January, missing a combined 28 games. Now he’s back on the shelf, after playing his first game since early January on Tuesday night, a shutout win against the New York Rangers. In the contest, Mason suffered a lower-body injury which, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, turned out to be a seriously tweaked knee.

In speaking with head coach Paul Maurice, Gulitti reports that Mason underwent surgery today and is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. Michael Hutchinson, who was recalled from the AHL on Thursday while Mason’s condition was still up in the air, will remain in Winnipeg to back up Connor Hellebuyck. 

Hellebuyck has not just helped to make up for the loss of Mason most of the year, but has thrived in his absence. Although Mason signed a two-year, $8.2MM with the Jets this past summer to presumably start in Winnipeg, that seems unlikely to ever happen given Hellebuyck’s emergence. The 24-year-old has blossomed into one of the top goalies in the league this season, posting a .923 save percentage and 2.38 GAA through 56 games already. Mason’s injury woes have certainly affected him – when healthy he has still struggled, posting a .906 save percentage and 3.18 GAA – but both his absence and poor performance have been non-factors for Winnipeg despite what many would have expected prior to the season.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Mangiapane, NCAA

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The NHL released their three stars from last week, and young Patrik Laine leads the way. The Winnipeg Jets sniper still hasn’t turned 20, but is now tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in goals with 40 and is in the midst of an 11-game point streak.

Brad Marchand and Evgeni Malkin fill the other two spots, as both try to hunt down a nomination for the Hart Trophy. Malkin sits just a single point behind Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in scoring with 87, while Marchand now has 69 points in just 53 games. Though sometimes overshadowed by other superstars on their respective teams (Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby usually), both Marchand and Malkin are having outstanding seasons and could meet late in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Minor Transactions: 3/10/18

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There are eleven games on the docket today, including action for each of the league’s top eight teams and a match-up with major wild card implications in Blues-Kings. As teams continue to push toward the playoffs and jockey for position, here are the roster transactions being made before a busy day:

  • Last night, the Colorado Avalanche recalled defenseman David Warsofsky from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. The 27-year-old journeyman rearguard is in his fifth NHL season, but has seen less and less of the NHL ice as the years have gone on. Thus far in 2017-18, Warsofsky has suited up for just six games for the Avs and hasn’t done much to prove he deserves more, with zero points to his credit, zero hits, and just two shot attempts per game. Currently the eighth defenseman in Denver, don’t expect Warsofsky to be the spark that ignites a playoff-clinching stretch run for Colorado.
  • Ahead of their Original Six matinee match-ups today and tomorrow versus the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks added some grit to their lineup in the form of John Hayden. The team announced this morning that they had called up Hayden from AHL Rockford and he will play this afternoon in Boston. The move was an emergency recall, with Vinnie Hinostroza dealing with family issues, but also a timely addition for Chicago. With Tommy Wingels gone, ironically to the Bruins, the ’Hawks could use a degree of toughness, which the 6’3″, 220-lb Hayden certainly brings. The Yale product has 11 points in 39 games with Chicago this year, as well as 103 hits and 43 penalty minutes.
  • Another Central Division moves comes from the Winnipeg Jets, who have brought back Tucker Poolman. It was a brief demotion for the young defenseman, who has spent much of the season as an extra man for the Jets. Poolman, playing in his first pro season out of the University of North Dakota, has played in 15 games with Winnipeg, recording just one point, and 17 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose crammed into several short trips, where he has posted 10 points.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced they have recalled journeyman defenseman Chris Butler from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL today under emergency conditions. Butler has been up and down several times this season, but has only appeared in two games for the Blues. While there is no official word on who is out, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmerman writes that defenseman Robert Bortuzzo did not practice Friday.

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