Word circulated over the weekend that the lower-body injury Tanner Jeannot suffered against the New York Islanders wasn’t going to be as “bad as it could have been”. Primarily, it was Elliotte Friedman who mentioned it on Hockey Night in Canada:
Elliotte Friedman talking Jeannot on HNIC says there's lots of secrecy this time of year, "but the word is it isn't as bad as it could've been…There's still no guarantee he's going to be ready to face TOR in playoffs, but the word is it wasn't as serious as it could've been."
— Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn) April 9, 2023
On Monday, Coach Cooper was asked about the injury to one of his newest forwards and he pretty much confirmed that there may be hope for Jeannot to return at some point:
#Bolts head coach Jon Cooper says Tanner Jeannot is “more than day-to-day. Hopefully he’ll be back here at some point in the playoffs.”
When asked if he expects Jeannot to miss all of Round One, Cooper said, “I don’t want to say that, but I don’t expect him to play Game One.”
— Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn) April 10, 2023
That is wonderful coach speak for “we’re not quite sure when he’s going to be back”. Is this good news? Yes, in the sense that the injury isn’t as serious as it looked when Scott Mayfield pushed him backwards with his knee caught underneath him.
Still, there are always games being played at this time of year and a vague answer like the one Coach Cooper gave speaks to that obfuscation. All we have to do is rewind the calendar to the bubble playoffs and the continued non-answers that reporters (over Zoom call, remember those? Good times!) received when asked about the status of Steven Stamkos and his core injury.
Would Jeannot be a big help in a series against Toronto? Yes, but is it worth rushing him back when he’s not ready? No. Of course, we all know players will skate with a broken leg if a team would let them. So it’s on the organization to make sure he’s at a point where he won’t do any more damage to his leg if he was to return. The Lightning have tended to lean in the direction of safety when it comes to their injured players.
We’ll likely see the same pattern we usually see with injured players. First we’ll see some reporter’s cell phone photos of him skating by himself during or after practice.. Then he’ll show up in a no contact jersey on their off-day practices. A morning skate and a “we’ll see how he feels tomorrow” quote. Then he’ll pop up in warm-ups and hopefully be good to go.
In the meantime, it’s next skater up time. For the rest of the regular season it will likely by Mikey Eyssimont. The other trade deadline pickup plays a similar physical, hit-everything-that-moves, style of game. If he shows that he can be effective over these last two games, he might earn a spot in the starting line-up for Game One. If not, Coach Cooper may elect to go with an 11/7 rotation (especially on the road).
Lightning News
Historic season comes with heartache for Bellemare [Tampa Bay Times]
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is the Masterton Nominee for this year as the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport.” With what he’s been through this season, he is a worthy nominee.
Syracuse Crunch make it to the playoffs [Raw Charge]
The Crunch keep their streak of playoff appearances under Coach Groulx alive. They’ve made it every year he’s been behind the bench (excluding the weird opt-in playoffs during the COVID days).
Brian Boyle joins the Block Party
Hockey News
The 2022-23 Masterton Trophy nominees announced [Daily Face Off]
Matt Larkin lists all 32 nominees and their bios. Spoiler, pretty sure Kris Letang is going to win this one.
The NHL Three Stars of the Week [NHL Public Relations]
Alex Lyon is having himself an interesting little season down in South Beach. He may be the reason they sneak into the playoffs. With an overtime loss (in which Lyon made 23 saves on 25 shots) and an Islanders loss, the Panthers moved into the top Wild Card spot.
Maple Leafs forced to sign another amateur goalie after NHL blocks attempted recall [The Athletic]
It looks like the league put a stop to the Leafs cap shenanigans. They sent backup goaltender Joseph Woll down to have room to sign Matt Knies, and then tried to call Woll back up under “emergency circumstances” since they didn’t meet the roster minimum of less than 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders. Since Woll wasn’t hurt or sick, it looks like the league (who hasn’t officially commented) shot the move down. Whoops. It’s still in doubt if Woll will be able to recalled for their game against the Lightning tonight.
Shane Wright assigned to Coachella Valley [Davy Jones’ Locker Room]
It’s been a long, weird season for the 4th overall pick in the 2022 draft. From the NHL to the CHL to the World Juniors and now to the AHL. After the number one seeded Windsor Spitfires were swept by the eighth seeded Kitchener Rangers, Wright was eligible to join the Firebirds as they chase the Calder Cup.
Magnus Chrona signs with the San Jose Sharks [University of Denver]
Old friend Magnus Chrona had a really strong season and career for the University of Denver. Now the former Bolts prospect will ply his goaltending trade at the pro level as he signed a two-year entry level deal with the San Jose Sharks. Had he not signed he would have been a free agent in August.
It was Milestone Monday:
Erik Karlsson became the first defense to crack 100 points since 1992.
Joe Pavelski hit 1,000 career points as he scored against Detroit.
Claude Grioux also hit 1,000 points with a game-winning goal for Ottawa.
