The latest injury updates across the National Hockey League provide critical insights into player availability for several teams as the season progresses:
Chicago Blackhawks
Forward Andrew Mangiapane has made his return to the Blackhawks’ lineup after missing nine consecutive games due to an undisclosed injury.
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch indicated that star forward Leon Draisaitl might not be fully recovered for the commencement of the playoffs. Knoblauch stated, “Leon is going to be on the ice this week and I don’t anticipate him playing any games in the regular season, and in the playoffs, sometime in the first round if things go well.” He did not completely rule out Draisaitl’s participation in the first game of the playoffs but expects his return to occur sometime within the first round, aligning with previous projections for his comeback around the end of the regular season or the start of the postseason.
Nashville Predators
Predators defenseman Nicolas Hague was absent from the previous night’s game. He sustained an upper-body injury on Saturday and is currently listed as day-to-day.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are managing several injury concerns:
- Forward Anthony Cirelli missed last night’s game and is considered day-to-day.
- Forward Brandon Hagel was out for his third consecutive game.
- Coach Jon Cooper described the status of forward Pontus Holmberg as “not good.” Cooper also expressed strong disapproval regarding an incident involving the penalty box door, stating, “I don’t know who’s working the penalty box over there, but that I don’t know if they should keep their job after what happened there, like leaving the door open, I could have hurt anybody on either team, and those are just dangerous situations.” This comment suggests Holmberg’s injury may have resulted from an issue with the penalty box door.
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks coach Adam Foote provided updates on two key players:
- Goaltender Kevin Lankinen is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Foote believes this injury is a cumulative effect from a demanding stretch of games and hopes for a swift recovery.
- Forward Evander Kane has been “fighting something” for several weeks, an issue he has been managing as he approached and participated in his 1,000th career game and its associated presentation.
Winnipeg Jets
Forward Nino Niederreiter has returned to the Jets’ lineup after missing 20 games due to a lower-body injury.
