NHL News Roundup: Shesterkin Injury, Ovechkin & More

Ovechkin has had one of the most storied careers in NHL history. He broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal record last season, cementing him as the greatest goal-scorer of all time. But Father Time is undefeated, and Ovechkin is slowing down. It’s early, but his ice time is down to begin this season. He’s averaged just over 14 minutes per game.

The Capitals have a good team and should be in the playoff mix, but their season will also serve as a farewell tour for one of the game’s greats. From his final showdowns with Sidney Crosby to padding his goal record, there’ll be no shortage of Ovechkin storylines this season.

Shesterkin Out for the Season

The other biggest storyline in the NHL last week was the New York Rangers losing Igor Shesterkin for the season due to injury. For those who missed it, Shesterkin injured himself against the Capitals when he awkwardly slid into the post. He needed help getting off the ice and could not put any weight on his right leg.

The Rangers did not confirm what injury Shesterkin suffered, other than that he’ll be out for the season. But Vince Mercogliano, who covers the Rangers for The Athletic, confirmed it’s a knee injury that will require surgery and a lengthy rehab. It’s a devastating blow for a team that’s played well early on. Shesterkin was a significant reason for the team’s strong start, but they’ll have to pivot elsewhere.

For now, prospect Dylan Garand will take over as the Rangers’ No. 1 since Joonas Korpisalo is also out due to injury for a few more weeks. Garand played well in his first start since Shesterkin’s injury, picking up a 6-2 win over the lowly Vancouver Canucks. But it will only get more challenging from here.

Some Rangers fans on social media have suggested the team trade for Connor Hellebuyck, but Elliotte Friedman shot that down on the latest segment of Saturday Headlines. Still, the Rangers could eventually add another goalie, but Garand deserves the first look. He seems to be a promising prospect.

Demidov Out 2-4 Weeks

Shesterkin wasn’t the only player who went down with an injury last week. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov suffered a lower-body injury and will miss the next two to four weeks. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis seems optimistic that his team can make up for Demidov’s loss in the short term.

“I don’t think it impacts the way we’re going to play,” St. Louis said to reporters last week. “If anything, it gives opportunity to somebody else to make some plays. I feel like we have the depth for that, the way our lines are shaped. I’m confident we can keep going knowing that we lost a pretty good piece.”

The Canadiens have gotten off to a so-so start, going 2-2-1 in their first five games. St. Louis is right that the Canadiens have the depth to replace Demidov, but he was a Calder Trophy finalist last season. He’s a key part of the Canadiens’ offense, and they will need him back sooner rather than later in an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division.

Marchand Injured Again

Brad Marchand just returned to the lineup last week after undergoing offseason surgery, but he suffered a new injury almost immediately. Fortunately, the Florida Panthers seem to have avoided a worst-case scenario. He’ll miss six weeks with a lower-body injury, putting him on pace to return around American Thanksgiving.

If there’s a team that can overcome losing a player like Marchand, it’s the Panthers, even with Aleksander Barkov out long-term with his own injury. They have the depth and have been one of the NHL’s best five-on-five teams early on. They should be fine, but another injury or two could put them in a precarious spot.

Flames Waive Zary

A first-round pick in the 2020 draft, Connor Zary hasn’t found his footing with the Calgary Flames. As a result, they waived him last week. He went unclaimed and was sent down to the AHL, where he has one goal in two games.

Zary is under contract through next season at a $3.75 million cap hit, so it’s not surprising he went unclaimed. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad player, though. While it hasn’t worked out with the Flames, he’s averaged 17 goals and 38 points per 84 games for his career. That’s solid middle-six production.

What’s next for Zary? The most likely solution is a trade, and there are teams interested. Friedman reported on Saturday Headlines that multiple teams have called about Zary, with the Canucks being one of them. We’ll see where he ends up, but he’s a good change-of-scenery candidate. He’s 25, entering the prime of his career, and has shown he can be an effective middle-six winger.

Flyers’ Historically Terrible Start

How bad has the Philadelphia Flyers’ start to the season been? At least in the analytics era (2007 to present), it is the worst start to a season a team has had in the last 19 years:

JFresh posted this tweet before last night’s Flyers 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, but the numbers haven’t improved; they hold an expected goals share (xG%) of 31.4 percent. What’s mesmerizing about the Flyers’ start is that there is no silver lining. They’re not generating offense. Nor are they defending well. Their special teams have also struggled.

Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll have done their best to keep games tight, but they can only do so much. The Flyers have to turn it around quickly, or their season could be over before the calendar even flips to November. If they don’t, Rick Tocchet’s job could eventually be on the line.