All posts by Kyle Cushman

Canadiens’ Savard out indefinitely with upper-body injury

Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.

Savard logged 16:54 and had an assist in Monday's win against the Buffalo Sabres. He exited the contest and didn't return after a remarkable shift on the penalty kill in which he blocked multiple shots despite losing a skate blade.

The 33-year-old hasn't played a full season since 2018-19 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He's missed 40 games over the past two years since signing with the Canadiens in 2021.

Montreal is already without Kirby Dach for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign after he tore his right ACL and MCL.

The team recalled blue-liner Gustav Lindstrom on an emergency basis on Tuesday.

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Kraken’s Burakovsky out 6-8 weeks with upper-body injury

The Seattle Kraken will be without forward Andre Burakovsky for six-to-eight weeks due to an upper-body injury, general manager Ron Francis told The Seattle Times' Geoff Baker.

Burakovsky was injured following a hit from New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba on Saturday. He left the game and didn't return after playing only 6:05.

Trouba was assessed a minor penalty for boarding.

Burakovsky has two assists in six contests this season, both of which came against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

The 28-year-old tore his groin in February, which prematurely ended his first season with the Kraken. He was the team's leading scorer at the time of the injury with 39 points in 49 contests.

Seattle has already been without forward Brandon Tanev since the season opener when he was hit in the head by the Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden.

The Kraken are sixth in the Pacific Division amid a disappointing 1-4-1 start to the campaign.

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Report: Anderson to sign 1-day contract to retire a Senator

Craig Anderson will sign a one-day contract with the Ottawa Senators to retire as a member of the team, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

Anderson is expected to drop the puck for the Senators' Tuesday contest against the Buffalo Sabres.

The 42-year-old announced his intention to retire after the final game of the 2022-23 season, a 4-3 overtime victory with the Sabres against Ottawa.

Anderson spent 10 seasons of his 20-year NHL career with the Senators. He played 435 games with Ottawa after joining the team in a 2011 trade with the Colorado Avalanche for Brian Elliott. Anderson posted a 202-168-46 record and a .914 save percentage with the Sens.

He's the team's franchise leader in games by a goaltender and wins.

Anderson made the postseason four times with the Senators. He started during Ottawa's 2017 run to the conference finals, narrowly losing in Game 7 double overtime against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Only Patrick Lalime played more playoff games as a Sens netminder than Anderson, and the two are tied for the most postseason wins in team history. Anderson's .928 playoff save percentage is the best mark by an Ottawa goalie.

Anderson was hired by the Sabres as a hockey liaison Thursday.

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Canadiens’ Dach exits early vs. Blackhawks with lower-body injury

Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach exited Saturday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks after sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period.

Dach appeared to be injured on a hit from Jarred Tinordi, which sent the 22-year-old into the opposition bench.

Dach played only 4:40 before departing.

The 2019 third overall pick was limited to 58 games last season due to an injury. Dach hasn't played a full season since making his NHL debut in 2019.

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Knights’ Howden assessed match penalty for hit to head of Kraken’s Tanev

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev on Tuesday night.

Howden caught an unsuspecting Tanev up high in the third period.

Tanev left the game after the collision. The decision to assess a five-minute major was upheld after review. The Kraken didn't score on the subsequent power play.

Howden hasn't received supplementary discipline in his NHL career.

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Senators surprised by Norris’ prolonged absence: ‘Never seen this coming’

Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith admitted the team is surprised by Josh Norris' continued absence.

"Everyone involved never seen this coming," Smith said Saturday, according to The Athletic's Ian Mendes. "We all thought Josh would go through a little bit of practice, take a few bumps, and get in an exhibition game, and away we'd go. And that just didn't happen."

Norris was limited to just eight games last season due to a shoulder injury. He returned to the Senators' lineup in January but only appeared in three contests before being shut down for the remainder of the campaign to undergo surgery.

"With injuries, things happen sometimes where maybe it didn't rehab quite the way they expected," Smith said. "Everyone involved is not willing to let him go out there and play."

Norris was anticipated to play in the preseason but has yet to receive clearance from the medical staff.

"We thought he was going to play the game at home against Winnipeg (on Sept. 29), and he wasn't cleared or allowed to play," Smith said. "Then, we thought he would play against Pittsburgh (on Oct. 2). Same thing. At this point, I'm just told he's unable to play.

"Never did we think that possibly we'd start the year without him, and it certainly looks that way."

Smith didn't give a timeline for Norris' return.

In addition to Norris' absence, Ottawa has yet to sign forward Shane Pinto to a new contract. The 22-year-old is the last remaining unsigned restricted free agent.

The Senators play their final preseason game on Saturday before commencing the regular season on Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

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Panthers send Knight to AHL’s Checkers

The Florida Panthers assigned goaltender Spencer Knight to the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, the team announced Friday.

Knight posted a .901 save percentage in 21 games with the Panthers last season. He left the team in February to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. In September, Knight told The Hockey News' David Dwork that he checked into the program due to his battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The 22-year-old rejoined the team over the summer, participating in the team's development camp. Knight's appeared in three preseason contests and has a .918 SV% in those games.

"This wasn't a training camp decision," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told team reporter Jameson Olive. "This is something we looked at from the start. He's made progress in his program. He feels good and looked fantastic. ... But we need him in a No. 1 position and to run his program."

The three-year, $13.5-million contract Knight signed in September 2022 commences this season. Despite his $4.5-million cap hit, he doesn't require waivers to be sent down. Knight has only played 59 NHL games in three seasons, and waivers are required after 80 contests or five professional seasons based on the signing of an entry-level contract, according to CapFriendly.

The Panthers will commence the season with Anthony Stolarz as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup. The 29-year-old signed a one-year contract worth $1.1 million on July 1 after posting a .899 SV% in 19 appearances with the Anaheim Ducks last season.

Florida begins its regular season on Oct. 12 against the Minnesota Wild.

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Wild’s Spurgeon out week-to-week with upper-body injury

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon is out week-to-week after sustaining an upper-body injury in Thursday's preseason game, the team announced Friday.

Spurgeon left Minnesota's contest versus the Chicago Blackhawks with 59 seconds remaining in the first period and didn't return. He appeared to sustain the ailment in a collision with Blackhawks forward Reese Johnson:

Spurgeon scored 11 goals and 34 points in 79 contests last season with the Wild. He earned Norris Trophy votes for the fifth time in seven years with his excellent two-way play.

The Wild commence their regular season on Oct. 12 against the reigning Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers.

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Leafs’ Nylander willing to negotiate contract extension during season

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander isn't shutting the door on in-season contract negotiations.

The 27-year-old gave his agent permission to continue contract talks with the Maple Leafs throughout the 2023-24 campaign, he told The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.

Nylander is coming off a career-high 40 goals and 87 points last season. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career next summer.

He indicated he doesn't want updates on negotiations until the two sides are nearing an agreement.

The last time Nylander was on an expiring contract, he opted not to negotiate during the season. The result was a drawn-out process that carried all the way until the restricted free-agent signing deadline of Dec. 1, when he ultimately signed a six-year, $45-million deal.

"(I was) just focusing on playing," Nylander said. "I don't remember what I was thinking at that point."

Toronto general manager Brad Treliving failed to sign Johnny Gaudreau to an extension while he was at the helm of the Calgary Flames in 2022. Gaudreau and Nylander have the same agent.

The Maple Leafs signed Auston Matthews to a four-year contract extension with a record $13.25-million cap hit in August.

Nylander's entering his ninth season with Toronto after being drafted by the team eighth overall in 2014. He's accumulated 177 goals and 430 points in 521 contests with the Maple Leafs.

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Ducks sign Drysdale to 3-year deal worth reported $6.9 million

The Anaheim Ducks signed defenseman Jamie Drysdale to a three-year contract, the team announced Thursday.

The pact carries an average annual value of $2.3 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

A torn labrum limited Drysdale to only eight games last season. The 21-year-old was a restricted free agent with no arbitration rights and wasn't eligible for an offer sheet due to a lack of professional seasons.

Drysdale, the 2020 sixth overall pick, tallied four goals and 32 points in 81 contests in 2021-22.

Anaheim signed its other restricted free agent, Trevor Zegras, to a three-year contract with a $5.75-million cap hit on Oct. 2.

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