Flames place Dillon Dube on injured reserve

In advance of their first game in California, the Calgary Flames have made a move to give themselves a bit of roster flexibility. The club has placed forward Dillon Dube on the injured reserve according to the NHL’s media portal.

Dube, 20, left Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks after a scary collision with Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith. Since then, Dube’s been undergoing the NHL’s concussion protocols. Since Dube was injured on Nov. 3, the Flames have placed him on the IR retroactive to that date. Since IR stints are for a minimum of seven days, Dube would be eligible to return to the active roster on Nov. 10. It seems more likely that he would be activated when the Flames return to Calgary, presuming his progression through the concussion protocols is successful.

What this means for the Flames is they have an open roster spot to recall a forward from the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat. They currently have two extra healthy defensemen, but zero extra healthy forwards, leaving them vulnerable to a sudden illness or injury up front.