NHL News: Evander Kane game-time decision, Juraj Slafkovsky on IR, and more
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The Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday activated forward Evander Kane, who has missed most of the season due to a wrist injury. He is a game-time decision against the Seattle Kraken tonight.
In addition, they placed forward Kailer Yamamoto (undisclosed) and defenseman Ryan Murray (back) on long-term injured reserve.
Evander Kane activated
Kane, 31, hasn’t played since Nov. 8, when he fell to the ice in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and an opposing player accidentally slashed his wrist with a skate blade. In 14 games prior to the injury, Kane had five goals and eight assists.
“I feel good right now,” Kane said after practice Monday. “I’ve been itching to get back, 3 1/2 weeks ago. … hopefully we can get some good news here. … We’ll see what the doctors say.”
NHL.com
The Oilers signed Kane as a free agent on Jan. 27, 2022, and he tallied 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in 43 regular-season games for the Oilers and 17 points (13 goals, four assists) in 15 playoff games. He signed a four-year, $20.5 million deal with the Oilers on July 13.
Yamamoto last played Wednesday in a 6-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks, and Murray hasn’t played since Nov. 21 at New Jersey.
Yamamoto, 24, has posted four goals and eight assists in 31 games this season while Murray, 29, has three assists over 13 contests.
Coach Jay Woodcroft said Tuesday that both players are “weeks” away from a return.
Juraj Slafkovsky on IR
Montreal Canadiens rookie forward Juraj Slafkovsky was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
Slafkovsky, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, is nursing a lower-body injury.
The 18-year-old Slovak logged 9:04 of ice time in his most recent game, a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday. He has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 39 games this season.
Also on Tuesday, the Canadiens placed Joel Armia (upper body) and Jake Evans (lower body) on injured reserve and fellow forward Sean Monahan (lower body) on long-term injured reserve.
Armia, 29, has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 32 games this season.
Evans, 26, exited Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders in the first period. He has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 43 games.
Monahan, 28, has been sidelined since Dec. 5 because of a lower-body injury. He has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 25 games this season.
The Canadiens recalled forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Rem Pitlick from Laval of the American Hockey League.
Harvey-Pinard has 25 points (15 goals, 10 assists) in 37 games with the Rocket, and Pitlick has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 18 games in the AHL. Pitlick also has one goal in 14 games with the Canadiens this season.
Sabres hire new COO
The Buffalo Sabres named John Roth as chief operating officer of the team as well as Pegula Sports & Entertainment on Tuesday.
Roth will be in charge of the Sabres’ day-to-day business operations. He spent the past 24 years working for Fidelity Investments.
His hiring comes while Sabres and Buffalo Bills president Kim Pegula continues to battle health issues. She was first hospitalized in mid-June in Florida and her ailment hasn’t been disclosed publicly.
The Buffalo News reported Tuesday that a spokesperson for the Sabres said the hiring of Roth was unrelated to Kim Pegula’s health, although she has spent time away from her duties.
Sabres co-owner Terry Pegula was pleased to add Roth to the organization.
“Over the past 12 years of knowing and working with John, he has continuously shown exemplary leadership traits and I am thrilled to officially welcome him to our organization,” Terry Pegula said in a news release. “He brings to the table a vast wealth of knowledge and business experience that will greatly benefit both PSE and the Sabres as he oversees the day-to-day operations of the business side of the organizations.
“I will continue to work directly with (general manager) Kevyn Adams leading the hockey side of our organization and know that John is looking forward to helping continue to grow the culture that Kevyn has built within the team.”
Roth said he is eager to become part of the sports scene in the Buffalo area.
“The passion surrounding Buffalo sports is second-to-none. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to lead the day-to-day business operations for both PSE and the Buffalo Sabres while continuing to foster deep connections between our organizations and the passionate fans in Western New York,” Roth said in a statement. “I am appreciative of the support the Pegulas have shown me and will work diligently to further their vision for our organizations.”
Kim Pegula, 53, and husband Terry, 71, bought the Sabres in 2011 for $189 million and the Bills in 2014 for $1.4 billion. Their daughter, Jessica, is the No. 3-ranked women’s tennis player in the world and currently playing at the Australia Open.
–Field Level Media