Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl will be unavailable this week as he deals with an injury.
The 31-year-old suffered a shoulder injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Mar. 23 after he was pushed from behind and crashed into the boards. The initial reaction was an unpleasant one, and the Golden Knights are yet to release any positive news about the injury.
Following the Golden Knights' practice, HC Bruce Cassidy confirmed that Hertl would remain out, forcing him to miss games against the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames.
In 70 games, the skilled Czech forward has scored 31 goals and 59 points, tying him for the team lead in goals with linemate Pavel Dorofeyev.
The Golden Knights are on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot and are inching closer to locking up first place in the Pacific Division, which is allowing them to be patient with Hertl's recovery, but nerves are beginning to settle in about his chances of being ready for the start of the playoffs.
Alex Pietrangelo was a participant in practice today, taking line rushes alongside healthy scratch Ben Hutton, indicating that he isn't quite ready to hop back into the lineup. While things can change, and he hasn't been officially ruled out of tomorrow's fixture, all signs lead to Kaedan Korczak remaining in the lineup for Pietrangelo.
Ilya Samsonov has also sustained an injury and has been announced day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Akira Schmid has been called up to replace him as the back-up goaltender.
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It’s been 70 years since Stan Fischler got his first paying job covering the NHL – and he’s still at it on his 93rd birthday.
‘The Maven,’ who turns 93 on March 31, got started writing about the New York Rangers in 1954-55. He began writing for The Hockey News not long after when co-founder Ken McKenzie reached out to him.
Since then, his career has earned him a place in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy in 2007 for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. He also won seven Emmy Awards during his television broadcasting career of more than 40 years, covering the Hartford Whalers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.
The Islanders, in particular, named its press level at new UBS Arena after Fischler in October 2022, featuring a collection of his articles, equipment and photographs. Fischler has also gifted the Islanders his hockey library, featuring more than 90 books.
“Perhaps the most astonishing – at least to me – aspect of this personal saga is that I've never tired of talking or writing hockey,” Fischler wrote in his birthday column on The Hockey News’ Rangers site on Monday.
Fischler continues to cover the Rangers for The Hockey News, often writing multiple articles daily.
“This man is a phenomenon, plain and simple,” longtime New York Mets radio play-by-play commentator Howie Rose wrote on X. “However controversial and acerbic he might have been during his career (might have?) his love for hockey always shone through. Proud to call him a longtime friend who is worthy of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson award.”
Fischler thanked everyone for their birthday wishes as well.
“A million thanks to all for the happy birthday wishes,” he posted to X. “It’s on to 94, but gotta enjoy 93 for a dozen months.”
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a move, seemingly, to clear up a spot on their active NHL roster.
On Monday, forward Emil Bemstrom was placed on waivers. In 13 NHL games with the Penguins this season, Bemstrom registered one point.
The 25-year-old Swedish forward was traded to Pittsburgh on Feb. 22, 2024, from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional draft pick. He was re-signed on a one-year deal this summer by the Penguins, and he is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) this summer.
In 37 total games with the Penguins since last year's deadline, he had three goals and six points.
Since Bemstrom was on the roster for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - on deadline day, he is able to rejoin WBS for the team's Calder Cup run if he clears waivers on Tuesday. Waivers was required because he appeared in more than 10 NHL games.
WBS Penguins Lose 5-2, Split Weekend Series With CheckersThe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' quest for 40 wins will have to wait another day, as the Charlotte Checkers avenged a 5-3 loss on Saturday by returning the favor in Sunday's rematch with a 5-2 victory.
In 43 AHL games this season, Bemstrom racked up 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games and was named an AHL All-Star.
Once Bemstrom either clears waivers or is claimed by another NHL club, the Penguins will have a roster spot opened up. With the NCAA season - aside from the Frozen Four - wrapped up, it remains to be seen whether or not the Penguins target a collegiate free agent.
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The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Akira Schmid from the Henderson Silver Knights as they deal with a possible injury concern with Ilya Samsonov.
Samsonov was scheduled to start on Saturday against the Nashville Predators but was replaced by Adin Hill due to something "tightening up."
"Sammy just wasn't able to go," he said. "Something tightened up. So that was that. It was not going to be Hilly. We tend not to play a guy back-to-back, especially this time of year. But that was the choice we were left with, and good on him." HC Bruce Cassidy added he had "no idea ... because it's something we expected to play right up until 5:10, or something. So hopefully not. Once we get back, it'll be re-evaluated."
Hill stepped into the crease and was phenomenal, turning away 23 of the 24 shots he faced en route to a 3-1 win.
Samsonov has played in 28 games during his first season with the Golden Knights, posting a 16-9-3 record, as well as a .892 SV% and a 2.78 GAA. Following Monday's practice, Cassidy stated that the 28-year-old is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Schmid has played in one NHL game this season, coming in relief of Adin Hill against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 11, where he turned away all 12 shots he faced. In 30 AHL games with the Silver Knights, the 24-year-old has recorded a 9-18-4 record, including a .886 SV% and a 3.58 GAA.
The Golden Knights return home from a three-game road trip to take on the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday before a highly anticipated matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. The Golden Knights play a back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, and the Calgary Flames on Sunday, and that could be when Schmid gets into NHL action if Samsonov remains out.
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