NHL teams who’ve already locked up playoff spots - or virtually have done so - might want to rest players to cut down on fatigue. Doing so might also be useful just in helping them to avoid new injuries.
Saturday’s been a tough one in that regard, especially for defensemen. Let’s rattle off a few of the troubling names.
- The Minnesota Wild have tempered his ice time a bit over the years, yet Ryan Suter still came into tonight with the highest time on ice average in the NHL at right under 27 minutes (26:54). When you lean on a blueliner that much and for so many years, maybe you’re rolling the dice that something like this might happen:
Ryan Suter's foot goes into the boards awkwardly. He needed to be helped off the ice. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/Q2G79preAv
— Giles Ferrell (@gilesferrell) April 1, 2018
The Wild haven’t provided an update regarding Suter just yet, but one would assume that they’ll play it very safe as the regular season winds down. The question is: was there too much damage already done?
- Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said that Travis Dermott will undergo some tests after needing help off the ice after a blocked shot. The Maple Leafs may know more about Dermott on Sunday, or maybe a bit later. The good news is that Babcock said that X-rays were negative.
Babcock has been easing Dermott into the lineup (16:20 ATOI), but he’s been playing well when called upon, with nice possession stats in particular.
PHT’s also covered:
- A scary injury for Victor Antipin, who needed to leave the Sabres - Predators game on a stretcher.
- Another potentially serious injury, as Boston Bruins blueliner Brandon Carlo was stretchered off earlier on Saturday.
Keep an eye on PHT for updates regarding these situations and more, whether teams provide more information later on Saturday, sometime on Sunday, or perhaps into this coming week. Hopefully each instance isn’t as bad as they looked.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.