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NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup: McDavid, Tkachuk, Hughes, Shesterkin

NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup (Feb 21): Injury updates plus news on Matthew Tkachuk, while McDavid has a quick turnaround.

Welcome to today’s NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup (February 21). Each morning, we’ll bring you three key NHL stories. Here, you can stay updated on the latest team wins and losses, trade talk, and player news from around the NHL. 4 Nations players like Connor McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk rejoin their NHL teams with very little turnaround time. How will this affect franchises as the season winds down and the trade deadline approaches?

Will players like McDavid be able to shift their focus from best-on-best to meaningful regular season games? Is Thackuk severely injured? How will the play of certain players affect their trade status over the next two weeks?



Will McDavid, Bennington, or Hellebuyck Jump Right Back Into Games?

Andy Strickland writes, “Winnipeg visits St. Louis Saturday. I wouldn’t expect Hellebuyck or Binnington to play, but who knows, the Blues have back-to-back games over the weekend.” He also adds that Kyle Connor will be angry as he was scratched in the final game between Team USA and Team Canada.

Connor McDavid said he didn’t forsee taking a game off, but joked it might depend on how late into the night Team Canada’s party went on Thursday. The turnaround time for the Oilers is short as they have a game versus the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.

Why the NHL would choose to resume games so quickly after the break is a head-scratcher, but there isn’t much time for players to come down from the high of winning or the sting of losing.

Matthew Tkachuk Injured

Matthew Tkachuk’s availability for the 4 Nations Championship final was a major talking point, and his limited ice time only fueled speculation about how badly he was hurt and if he should have played. The Florida Panthers star played just 6:47 in the final game before sitting out most of the third period and overtime. Following the game, Michael Russo reported that Tkachuk was “limping very badly” as he exited the rink.

Matthew Tkachuk Panthers traded by the Flames
Matthew Tkachuk was injured and didn’t play much in the final 4 Nations game. What now for the Panthers?

Tkachuk’s toughness has never been in question but his presence in the lineup despite an apparent injury should be questioned. Should he have been scratched in favor of a healthier option, such as Tage Thompson, Jason Robertson, or Kyle Connor? “Matthew Tkachuk has an impact on our team in such a way that even if he wasn’t 100 percent and we weren’t able to utilize him for a lot of the game, his presence on the bench and in the locker room means so much to this group,” Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s all heart. He’s a heart-and-soul guy.”

With reports suggesting Tkachuk was battling a groin injury, his limited role raised concerns about whether Team USA would have been better off dressing a fully healthy player for such a crucial game. As the NHL season resumes, one has to wonder how the injury will impact the Panthers moving forward.

Injury Updates: Shesterkin Nears Return, Lauzon Out for Season

Several NHL teams received key injury updates as the league resumes play after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The New York Rangers could have goaltender Igor Shesterkin back this weekend after he fully participated in practice. Shesterkin, out since Feb. 8 with an upper-body injury, is expected to be available for games against Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad, who played for Sweden at the 4 Nations, skated on his own and will likely practice Friday.

In Vancouver, Quinn Hughes (undisclosed) will practice Friday, with hope he can return Saturday against Vegas. The Canucks’ captain has been out since Jan. 31.

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier (oblique) may return against Dallas on Saturday after missing six games.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators announced defenseman Jeremy Lauzon will miss the rest of the season due to a lower-body injury.

Related: NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup: Canucks, Jets & Oilers

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