Ben Bishop suffered a lower-body injury in Monday’s loss to the Penguins, so Vasilevskiy, 20, has been recalled and is expected to back-up Evgeni Nabokov tonight. Vasilevskiy was the 19th overall pick in 2012 and he has gone 8-3-3 with a 2.34 GAA and .918 SV% with Syracuse—this is his first season in North America.
Hedman is on the ice for warmups so all signs are pointing to him returning.
Hedman has been out since early October with a fractured finger but it looks like he will return tonight. He says he is fine so it is up to the coaches whether or not he gets into the lineup. If he plays, get him in your lineup.
Hedman skated as an extra on Friday which suggests that he won’t be in the lineup on Saturday vs. Ottawa. Hedman is nearing a return to the Lightning blue line, but it likely won’t come until Monday now.
McDonagh has been out since November 1st with a separated shoulder, but will be back in tonight paired with Dan Girardi. This is a huge boost for the Rangers blue line. He had three assists in 10 games before getting injured. He is available in 22% of Yahoo leagues and makes for a great add.
Hedman came out for the Lightning’s optional skate with a regular jersey for the first time since fracturing his finger on October 18th. This is a good sign that Hedman will be ready to get back in the lineup on Saturday vs. the Senators.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper ruled Hedman out for Wednesday’s game, but thinks that Saturday is a possibility. Saturday is deemed the best case scenario, but monitor his status as the week goes along. He has been out since October 18th with a fractured finger.
McDonagh has been doing some skating by himself, but today was the first time he has skated with the team since separating his should on November 1st. McDonagh is expected to return to the Rangers blue line in early-December.
Hedman was on the ice for the Lightning’s morning skate, but remains in a no-contact jersey and is around 7-10 days away from returning to the lineup.
Hedman did some shooting today for the first time since breaking his hand. He is still wearing a splint under his glove, but he is now just one to two weeks away from returning to the Lightning blue line.
Hedman has been on the ice recently but still has not been shooting the puck. Until he is cleared for shooting drills, the Lightning’s star defenseman’s return remains a week or two away.
McDonagh, who skated for the first time since being injured on Tuesday, was back on the ice by himself on Wednesday. McDonagh said that he is “coming along” and confirmed that he is on track to return in about two weeks. McDonagh should miss about 5-7 more games.
McDonagh suffered the injury on Saturday on a hit from Evander Kane. This is a tough break for the Rangers, who are already without Dan Boyle because of a broken hand. Expect the Rangers to recall a defenseman later today.
McDonagh separated his shoulder on a hit from Jets' forward Evander Kane halfway through the first period last night. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday where the severity of the separation will be determined. A detailed injury report and timetable will likely be available shortly after. Red Wings' forward Pavel Datsyuk missed one month with a second-degree shoulder separation.
Hedman was injured when he blocked a shot on Saturday and will miss at least one month, possibly longer. He had three goals and four assists in the first five games, so this is a big loss for the Lightning. Expect Anton Stralman to take over on the top power-play unit, with Jason Garrison taking his spot on the second unit.
Hedman suffered the injury while blocking a shot in Saturday's game against Vancouver. The is a tough blow to the Lightning blueline and Hedman fantasy owners. The 23-year-old blueliner had followed up a breakout season with three goals and four assists (seven points) in five games. Don't expect to see him until late November or early December. Jason Garrison will likely see an increased power-play role with Hedman out.
Hedman, who entered Saturday leading all defensemen with seven points, will be evaluated by team medical personnel in Tampa and could miss a significant amount of time. Early speculation is that Hedman suffered a broken hand, which is tough news for a player who was enjoying a hot start. Expect an update later on Sunday.
Kucherov was "sent down" yesterday as a "paper move" to get the Lightning under the cap, but is back with the Lightning today. He is skating on the fourth line with Vladimir Namestnikov and Brett Connolly. He and Namestnikov were sensational during the preseason.
Kucherov was likely sent down as a "paper-move" to help get under the cap before finalizing their 23-man roster. The Lightning did the same thing with Brett Connolly last season so Kucherov should be back with the team soon and in the lineup on Thursday. Kucherov led all players with six goals in the preseason, so expect him to be back.
Paul, 19, was selected in the fourth-round (#101 overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Paul had 26 goals and 20 assists (46 points) in 67 games with the North Bay Battalion (OHL) this season. Paul had a strong postseason as well, posting 18 points (12G / 6A) in 22 games.
