In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Shea Theodore‘s injury could hold him out a bit longer than expected, and he could be out until the playoffs. Elsewhere, the New York Islanders are receiving calls on center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and a few teams are in the mix. Finishing off, Cale Makar is dealing with an illness, and Thomas Harley is on standby to play for Team Canada.
Golden Knights’ Theodore Could Hit LTIR
After suffering an upper-body injury in the first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, it was quickly announced that he would not return for Team Canada during the tournament, and is listed as week-to-week. On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman stated that from the best he can tell, the injury timeline seems to be pretty close to the playoffs.
Of course, what other team would this happen to other than the Golden Knights?
In the past, the Golden Knights have made big additions at the trade deadline after placing a player on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), including their captain, Mark Stone. While people will point to things being quite convenient, there is an extensive process to check if a player has a legitimate injury or not, and the league has been thorough about this.
Related: Golden Knights at the Break: 23 Thoughts on 23 Players From Eichel to Saad
If Theodore is placed on LTIR and is unable to rejoin the team until the playoffs, that is a huge loss for the Golden Knights. He has been fantastic this season, and they rely on his play for well over 20 minutes every night. He has a cap hit of $7.425 million, so it would give the Golden Knights lots of wiggle room to add between now and the trade deadline.
Teams Calling on Pageau
In 2020, the Islanders acquired Pageau from the Ottawa Senators for a first and second-round draft pick,and he has been a great middle-six center for them since that deal. Now that it looks like the Islanders are going to be sellers at the deadline, moving someone like Pageau makes sense. He is 32 years old, is a good defensive player, and can post 15 goals and 40 points fairly regularly.
Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News reported that teams are calling the Islanders on Pageau, and specifically named the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers.
Pageau has one more season after this one at $5 million, and if the Islanders are willing to retain some money on him, he could be a very attractive deadline piece who wouldn’t serve as just a rental. Both the Golden Knights and Oilers are very strong at center, but teams that want to become unstoppable are always looking to improve, even if it is hard to point out a hole on the team.
Makar & Others Sick, Harley May Fill in for 4 Nations
After the injury to Theodore, Team Canada is down to just six defensemen, and the availability of Makar could be in question. Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper revealed that Makar was battling an illness and there is a chance he may not be able to play in the Feb. 15 game against the United States. For a player to miss the ultimate international rivalry game, they have to be pretty sick. Some players, including Brady Tkachuk, said that this game is going to be the biggest game of his career.
Friedman clarified some rules on roster management, and while the deadline to add players was the day before the tournament started, if the Canadian team is without six defensemen, they can ask someone to come play. They have already asked Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley to be on standby in Boston so that when the team heads there on Sunday, they have a backup if needed. Now, with Makar’s availability in question, he has been given permission to go to Montreal to play if he is needed. Harley isn’t eligible to practice or skate with the team, but if they need another defenseman, he can step in.
Harley has had an outstanding season with the Stars, and that gets overshadowed by having a player like Miro Heiskanen on the back end too. He is certainly deserving of a spot on the team, and as Friedman always says, one player’s injury is another player’s opportunity. Canada is obviously hoping that Makar is healthy and able to play, as he is not only one of the best defensemen but one of the best players in the league.
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