Although the 2019-20 season ended when the Flames were beaten by the Dallas Stars during round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, there’s some lingering news emerging from the team. Specifically, a number of players were injured during the playoffs – some we’ve been surprised to hear later.
In this edition of Calgary Flames News, I want to update the injury reports that have come from the team. Not that players are waiting to re-enter games any time soon, however Flames fans might care.
Related: Calgary Flames News & Rumors: Who’s Staying, Who’s Leaving?
Some Surprises Among the Injured
We knew that Matthew Tkachuk was injured, however we didn’t know until after the postseason was shut down that other players were injured but still played. In this section, I’ll update Tkackuk and the status of Sam Bennett and Rasmus Andersson.
Player One: Matthew Tkachuk Feels Better After Missing with Concussion
Matthew Tkachuk said Wednesday that he feels much better after suffering concussion symptoms and, for whatever it’s worth, he believes he could have returned from a concussion “right around now.” Finally, after being coy about what injury Tkachuk suffered, Flames GM Brad Treliving noted that it was – indeed – a concussion.
Tkachuk missed the final four games of Calgary’s first-round series against the Stars. He had a goal and an assist in six postseason appearances after he led the Flames with 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 69 matches during the regular season. However, his value isn’t always measured on the score sheet. Tkachuk seems to be the heart and soul of the team. They lose something when he’s unable to play.
Tkachuk noted that he’s confident he was trending in the right direction in his recovery and he could have been back if the Flames were to have advanced. As always he stood up for his teammates and, specifically, he believed the criticism pushed towards teammates Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan after Calgary’s elimination was totally off-base.
Player Two: Sam Bennett Played Injured During the Postseason
We just found out that Sam Bennett, who had a second good postseason in a row, had played throughout the postseason with a torn triceps. Bennett led the Flames in goal-scoring with five and tied Sean Monahan for the team lead with eight points in 10 postseason games.
Bennett, even with a torn muscle, also led the team – and, in fact, still ranks first in the NHL with 54 hits. He’s a tough guy.
Player Three: Rasmus Andersson Played Injured During the Postseason
It seems to be a constant refrain, but Bennett wasn’t alone in playing injured. We just found out that Rasmus Andersson played during the postseason with a broken foot.
Who would have known? Andersson played really well during the postseason and scored three goals and five points in 10 games. He also ranked second on the Flames’ roster in average ice time per game (21:27).
Related: Gaudreau Says He Does Not Want to Be Traded
Non-Injury News: Andrew Nielsen Signs in Austria
In other news around the team that wasn’t specifically about injuries, defenseman Andrew Nielsen signed with EHC Linz in Austria. Nielsen had been drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, however the young defenseman never played in the NHL.
Nielsen had been traded in November 2018 to Calgary for Morgan Klimchuk, then had played two seasons with the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He scored five assists in 45 games in 2019-20.
The Flames could still qualify him if they still wanted to own his rights if he were to try to return to play again in North America. However, that isn’t likely. He simply doesn’t fit into the organization’s plans. Good luck Andrew.
