San Jose says Macklin Celebrini is day-to-day with a lower-body injury
Around the NHL: Macklin Celebrini is day-to-day after crashing into the boards
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Oct 3, 2024, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 2, 2024, 23:08 EDT
The pre-season of injuries has continued.
On Tuesday, the first overall pick in 2024 was injured after crashing into the boards, while three Ottawa Senators players left as a precautionary measure.
Let’s take a look at all of that in the latest Around the NHL.
Macklin Celebrini injured
The question must be asked once again, why is the pre-season so long? It’s not uncommon to see star players get injured and it feels like it’s been happening more often this pre-season. In Tuesday’s game, San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini suffered an injury after crashing into the boards and is listed as day-to-day.
The Sharks selected the 18-year-old centre first overall in the 2024 draft. Last season with Boston University, he scored 32 goals and 64 points as a 17-year-old, winning the NCAA’s Hobey Baker Award.
Hopefully, it’s not a long-term injury.
Ottawa Senators saw three key players leave Tuesday’s game
Celebrini wasn’t the only player injured on Tuesday, as three Ottawa Senators players – Thomas Chabot, Tim Stützle, and Brady Tkachuk all left the game against the Montréal Canadiens.
Ottawa coach Travis Green said Thomas Chabot, Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk — all of whom left with injuries — will be re-evaluated tomorrow. Artemi Panarin also left tonight’s games with an injury, his situation still TBD.
Stützle was hit by Canadiens’ defenceman Arber Xhekaj, prompting him to be tossed out of his second game this pre-season. However, alternate angles show that Xhekaj connected with Stützle’s chest and stick, prompting the stick to hit him in the face.
Here’s another angle of the Arber Xhekaj hit on Tim Stutzle yesterday. It looks like Arber got him on the chest/shoulder, no headshot, then Stutztle’s own stick knocked his helmet off 🧐
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk immediately jumped in to fight Xhekaj, who did not drop the gloves. Tkachuk also left the game after this play.
Arber Xhekaj received a major and a game misconduct for this hit on Tim Stützle
However, it seems as if these moves are precautionary, as Senators’ general manager (and former Calgary Flame) Steve Staios said on a podcast that all three players are okay.
This isn’t Montréal’s first scuffle in the preseason. In last Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, both David Reinbacher and Patrik Laine left the game with knee injuries. The latter suffered a knee-on-knee from Maple Leafs’ forward Cédric Paré. This prompted a response from Xhekaj, as he attempted to fight Paré.
Moreover, earlier in Tuesday’s game, Senators’ forward Ridly Greig hit Canadiens forward Kirby Dach with a questionable hit, leading to a fight between the two players.
Artemi Panarin injured
The New York Rangers can’t stay healthy, as Artemi Panarin was pulled in the first period of Tuesday’s game due to a lower-body injury. After the game, he was still being evaluated but this could also be precautionary.
This isn’t the first time Panarin has left a game due to a lower-body injury, as he left the previous Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear whether or not it’s the same injury. That game also saw Filip Chytil leave after an open-ice hit, but he later returned. Ryan Lindgren fought the player who hit Chytil and suffered an upper-body injury and is out week-to-week.
Moreover, Jimmy Vesey has a lower-body injury and is out for a few weeks. It’s been a tough preseason for the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Boston Bruins claim Jiří Patera off waivers
The Boston Bruins are also having a tough preseason, as star netminder Jeremy Swayman has yet to play a game for the team. That’s because he hasn’t signed an extension and team president Cam Neely’s comments on Monday likely didn’t help matters.
“I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Cam Neely on Swayman.
It was reported on Wednesday by multiple sources that the Bruins claimed netminder Jiří Patera off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks.
The #bruins have claimed goalie Jiri Patera off waivers from Vancouver.
Last season, the 25-year-old goaltender had an .893 save percentage and a 3.98 goals-against average in six games for the Vegas Golden Knights. Selected in the sixth round by the Golden Knights, Patera only played eight National Hockey League games for the 2023 Stanley Cup champions before signing with the Canucks this past off-season.
It’ll be interesting to monitor what happens with the Bruins moving forward.
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