In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Vancouver Canucks have strategically moved goaltender Thatcher Demko to LTIR. Does that change his recovery timeline? Meanwhile, Ethan Bear has taken an indefinite leave from the Washington Capitals. Is Corey Perry looking to re-sign in Edmonton after this season ends? The Calgary Flames plan to sit down and talk with Jacob Markstrom about his future with the team. Finally, injury updates out of Toronto suggest Mitch Marner isn’t close to coming back and the team will also be without Morgan Rielly.
Demko On LTIR for Cap Reasons
General Manager Patrik Allvin revealed that goaltender Thatcher Demko has been retroactively placed on LTIR, while forward Arshdeep Bains has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL). Demko won’t be eligible to play until April 6. That doesn’t mean he will play by then, but Rick Dhaliwal says there’s nothing to fear when it comes to Demko.
Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the move to put Thatcher Demko on LTIR was cap related so that the organization would have room to recall players. He added that Demko’s injury timeline hasn’t changed and he isn’t concerned that six games won’t be enough for him to get sharp. Asked about a timeline, “I think there’s a date. But I don’t have a hard date right now. There’s a game plan.”
Bear Entering NHL Player Assistance Program
The NHL and NHLPA announced that defenseman Ethan Bear will enter the NHL Player Assistance Program and will return to the Capitals when he’s cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.
Related: NHL Projected Lineups, Starting Goalies, Injuries, Updates
The 26-year-old forward has tallied one goal and four points across 24 games this season. After recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the IIHF World Championship, he inked a two-year, $4.125-million deal with Washington on Dec. 28. Recently, Bear has been sidelined as a healthy scratch, with his last game action dating back to March 13 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Corey Perry’s Future With the Oilers
It’s not clear what Corey Perry is looking to do next season, but the belief is he intends to keep playing. According to Frank Seravalli, “From knowing Corey Perry a bit, part of his process is that he is going to keep playing his game until somebody takes it away from him kicking and screaming.”He adds that Perry might be looking for some stability. “He likes to get set up in a place and understand what the expectations are, what the coaching staff is like and what the environment/teammates are like. More often than not, he’s wanted to stay at his previous teams.”
Does that mean he’ll look to stay with the Edmonton Oilers? It’s hard to know at this point because of the uncertainty about the Oilers’ plans. The organization isn’t even sure who the general manager will be next season.
Flames to Let Markstrom Decide What He Wants to Do
Seravalli also reports that Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy said he’ll be talking to goaltender Jacob Markstrom after the season. The plan is to lay out where the organization is going and how Markstrom fits into their transition period. If Markstrom wants to move on after that conversation, the Flames will cross that bridge.
Sign up for our Daily NHL News & Rumors Substack newsletter
“We need to sit down and talk,” Conroy said. “I need to see where Marky’s head is at – if I can add something, see what he is thinking. We just need to sit down and have a conversation after the season. Right now I just want him to play and focus, he’s been banged up a little bit, and hopefully, he is back soon.”
Marner and Rielly Out for the Maple Leafs
According to reports, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe says Mitch Marner will remain out the next two games but will rejoin practice on Friday. In other words, he won’t be playing this week but could eye a potential return sometime next week. Marner has already missed eight games with a high ankle sprain.
Meanwhile, Morgan Rielly is questionable for Thursday’s game. The belief is, the Leafs don’t see a need to rush him. If he’s not 100 percent, they’ll have him rest as long as he needs.