He left Friday's win over the New York Islanders late in the second period after taking a Thomas Hickey slash and then crashing into the boards. He left the ice holding his arm and didn't return. Hickey was given a slashing minor.
Kuznetsov ranks second among Capitals skaters with 71 points in 71 games this season. He leads the club with 50 assists.
Tanev, known more for his defensive abilities than his offensive prowess, has two goals and 11 points in 38 games this season. He hasn't scored Oct. 12, which is ironic because the Canucks have gone over a week without a goal.
While it's unlikely Tanev helps the team bust out of their offensive funk, he will no doubt provide stability to a blue line that will need it against a Sharks team coming off a seven-goal performance Friday against the Flames.
Ilya Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL this summer and play for "several more years," he told Russia's state sports channel Match TV, according to CBC.
The 34-year-old added that if he doesn't return to the NHL to try and win a Stanley Cup, "I won't forgive myself for it when I get older."
For now, Kovalchuk's top priority is winning another Gagarin Cup with his KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg, but will "examine offers" from the NHL this summer.
He added that he wants to join the prestigious Triple Gold Club as a player to win an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and a Stanley Cup. He won gold with the OAR at PyeongChang 2018, has two World Championship gold medals, but a Stanley Cup ring still eludes him.
Kovalchuk, who last played in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils in 2012-13, has 816 points in 816 career NHL games.
The Maple Leafs sit five points behind the Boston Bruins (with two more games played) for second place in the Atlantic Division, but are 14 points ahead of the Florida Panthers. With the third spot in the division all but secured, there's been no reason to rush Matthews back into the lineup.
The Leafs have gone 4-2-2 in their most recent stretch without Matthews. Despite playing in just 53 of the team's 71 games, he still ranks second on the team with 28 goals and third with 50 points.
The promotion will feature several matches hosted by Coastal Championship prior to puck drop, as well as a live edition of the "Something to Wrestle" podcast with former WWE star Bruce Prichard, a.k.a. Brother Love, and Conrad Thompson after the game. The duo will be joined by a surprise guest for their first-ever appearance in South Florida, according to Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald.
@WWE fans Roberto Luongo (star goalie) and Keith Yandle (star defenseman) are ready for @FlaPanthers Pro Wrestling Day and those Oilers from Edmonton ... Alberta, Canada. A St. Patrick's Day Massacre - nWo style. Puck drop kicks 2 p.m. today at BB&T Center in Sunrise. #GoPantherspic.twitter.com/g2OwaQjEyL
Despite missing well over a month, Eichel still leads the team with 22 goals and 53 points.
The Sabres currently sit dead last in the NHL with 56 points, so it's possible Eichel could play his team out of the league's basement, hurting his team's chances to obtain the No. 1 overall pick and select Rasmus Dahlin.
The New York Islanders' poor goaltending and awful defensive play have been under the microscope all season. The club ranks dead last in goals against per game, shots against per game, scoring chances against per game, and high-danger scoring chances against per game, per Natural Stat Trick. This comes despite the fact they have one of the league's most dynamic offenses.
However, it appears help in regard to goal prevention could be coming. Ilya Sorokin, a third-round pick of the Islanders in 2014, is having a lights-out postseason for CSKA Moscow over in the KHL.
For those counting at home, that equates to a 0.20 goals-against average and a .999 save percentage. These are downright ridiculous numbers that don't appear to be a fluke, either. He was the KHL's goalie of the year in 2015-16 and has backed it up with two solid regular seasons:
Season
Age
GP
GAA
SV%
SO
2015-16
20
28
1.06
.953
10
2016-17
21
39
1.61
.929
5
2017-18
22
37
1.59
.934
10
The only problem is Sorokin is signed through the 2019-20 season in the KHL, so unless that deal breaks, or has an out clause (which isn't uncommon with KHL contracts), it could be another couple years before Sorokin makes his way over to North America.
It's hard to argue this isn't the best-ever crop of Finnish players in the NHL. Given that the country has always had a stable of elite netminders, the Finns likely would've been a force to be reckoned with had the NHL participated in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.
However, the average age of the seven players is just 22.3, so it's safe to say Finland will be in good shape for the next international best-on-best tournament, whenever that may be.