THW Daily - Rangers’ Depth Takes a Hit With Key Injuries & Possible Trade Candidates in Montreal
Also, a quarter-season review for the Avalanche, a goaltender transaction in Buffalo & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have the Rangers’ depth taking a hit with key injuries, possible trade candidates in Montreal, a quarter-season review for the Avalanche, and much more.
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Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Colorado Avalanche 2023-24 Quarter-Season Review
November 29, 2023 by Marko Zlomislic
With their emphatic 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 27, the Colorado Avalanche officially crossed the quarter-point of their 2023-24 campaign and improved their record to 15-6-0. They hold a two-point lead atop the Central Division and are within two points of the Vegas Golden Knights for pole position in the Western Conference with two games in hand.
The Avalanche’s season has, to date, been a tale of three distinct streaks. They first strung together six consecutive wins to start October while outscoring their opponents 27-12, conjuring up comparisons to the dominant 2021-22 Stanley Cup-winning team.
Rangers’ Depth Takes Hit With Chytil & Kakko Injuries
November 29, 2023 by Lucas Standel
Last season, the New York Rangers were one of the healthier teams in the NHL. They did not lose many players to injuries and did not lose players for long periods of time. Now, as this season has progressed, they have been hit with the injury bug on multiple occasions. Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin and Filip Chytil were all injured in the same game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
While Shesterkin has returned and Fox is likely to return for the team’s next game, Chytil is still out and now they have another injured forward. Kaapo Kakko injured his leg during the last game against the Buffalo Sabres. With both him and Chytil being placed in long-term injured reserve (LTIR), the Rangers’ forward depth has taken a massive hit. How will they fare without two of their top-six forwards for the foreseeable future?
Sabres Sending Levi to AHL Is the Right Move
November 29, 2023 by Matthew Morris
Since he debuted at the end of last season, Devon Levi has been the center of attention for the Buffalo Sabres. The hype for him has been through the roof and fans are desperately hoping that he’ll be the solution to the woes the team has endured in goal since Ryan Miller’s departure nearly 10 years ago.
The Sabres rolled the dice before the season when head coach Don Granato named Levi their starting goaltender, but to this point the results haven’t been as expected in spite of the promise he continues to show. With the calendar approaching December, the team was forced to make a change and on Tuesday they announced that Levi was loaned to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Weird Game, Gregor, Woll & Hildeby
November 29, 2023 by The Old Prof
In a bizarre turn of events, the Toronto Maple Leafs won a 2-1 shootout victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night (Nov. 28) after both goalie Joseph Woll and winger Noah Gregor briefly left the ice before having to return for the surprising and (for Toronto) successful shootout conclusion.
The event unfolded after Florida’s Evan Rodrigues seemed to win the game in the shootout’s fifth round. However, Rodrigues’ goal was reversed when, after a video review, it was noted that he had touched the puck twice on his deke to the forehand. Obviously, and it’s something I didn’t know, that’s a no-no. Hence, the unexpected turn of events.
3 Canadiens Listed as Trade Candidates by Insider
November 29, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
Heading into the 2023-24 season, the Montreal Canadiens had low expectations. This is entirely understandable, as they are a rebuilding club that still has some things to work through before they become legitimate playoff contenders. So far this season, they have a 9-10-2 record and have won just four out of their last 10 games. Because of this, they already look like they will be sellers at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
NHL insider Chris Johnston recently released a trade board for The Athletic, and three Canadiens were among the players listed (from ‘NHL trade board 2023-24: The latest on all the top targets from Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 11/29/23). Let’s discuss each of them now.
Ducks News & Rumors: Gudas, Lyubushkin, Hagg, Sidorov & More
November 29, 2023 by Corey Abbott
The Anaheim Ducks have lost seven straight contests following a hard-fought 3-1 defeat against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (Nov. 28). The shine of the Duck’s promising 7-4-0 start to the season has faded, but ups and downs should be expected as the team continues to march down the path of what has the makings of a promising rebuild.
For now, the Ducks should be much more concerned with a growing list of injured defensemen as well as the struggles of the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL). We’ll cover that and other topics in the latest news and rumors roundup.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Minnesota Wild - 6 Minnesota Wild Prospect Hopefuls for 2024 WJC
St. Louis Blues - Blues’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Goaltending, Buchnevich, Scandella & More
Calgary Flames - Flames News & Rumors: Zadorov, Trade Candidates & Oesterle
NHL News & Rumors - Blackhawks, Canucks, Maple Leafs, Flames
From TSN - WHL to name Near as next league commissioner on Thursday
From Sportsnet - Canucks’ Boeser shows how far he’s come one year after trade request
From ESPN - Wild end 7-game slide with win in first game under Hynes
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