Preseason rosters are tightening, but Friday’s rink notes brought fresh injury questions in Minnesota, Vancouver and Buffalo, while Dallas welcomed Tyler Seguin back into game action for the first time since knee surgery.
Key takeaways
- Wild defenseman Brock Faber left after two periods against Dallas following a puck to the head.
- Canucks forward Filip Chytil is considered week to week after a hard fall into the boards against Edmonton.
- Dallas center Tyler Seguin logged 13:57 and finished plus-1 in his preseason return from a torn right ACL.
- Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon is undergoing evaluation for an upper-body issue suffered versus Detroit.
- Vancouver added goaltender Leevi Merilainen on a waiver claim from Ottawa, and Buffalo signed Matt Grzelcyk for defensive depth.
Faber and Chytil create injury concerns
Faber was struck by a point shot with 9:36 remaining in the second period of Minnesota’s 2-1 preseason loss to the Stars. He remained on the ice briefly, then got to the bench without assistance. The defenseman took another shift and completed the period before the Wild held him out for the third.
Coach John Hynes said the decision was partly precautionary, though he acknowledged that any head-related incident requires attention. Hynes said the club did not yet know whether Faber’s injury was significant. Minnesota opens its regular season at Nashville on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
In Vancouver, Chytil will miss time after injuring his right shoulder during Thursday’s 2-1 preseason defeat to the Oilers. At 14:54, Chytil was chasing a loose puck toward the corner when contact with an Edmonton player led him to collide with referee Riley Brace’s skates. He went hard into the boards shoulder-first.
General manager Ryan Johnson said Chytil was in good spirits Friday and described the outlook as week to week, with nothing currently considered alarming. The spill nonetheless adds to a difficult recent stretch for the 26-year-old forward. He appeared in only 12 games last season after a concussion six games into the schedule. Migraines followed his late-January return, and he later suffered a fractured cheekbone when a teammate’s shot struck him in practice during the February Olympic break.
The Canucks also picked up Merilainen from the Senators. The 24-year-old netminder played 20 games for Ottawa last season, posting an 8-10-1 record, a 3.51 goals-against average and an .869 save percentage. Across three NHL seasons, he has appeared in 34 games.
Seguin returns as Buffalo manages its roster health
Seguin’s return gave Dallas a positive note in its road win over Minnesota. The veteran forward had not played since Dec. 2, when he tore the ACL in his right knee during an overtime loss to the New York Rangers. Surgery followed Dec. 16, putting him on the usual nine-month recovery track.
Before the injury, Seguin had seven goals and 10 assists in 27 games, with a plus-10 rating. After Friday’s 13:57 preseason outing, he said the experience felt like playing his first game again and called it both a relief and a lot of fun.
Dallas kept Matt Duchene out for maintenance and held Colin Blackwell out with a lower-body issue. Coach Glen Gulutzan expects both forwards to be available for the Stars’ Oct. 2 season opener against the St. Louis Blues.
Buffalo, meanwhile, is waiting on Lyon after he was hurt in the first period of Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit. Lyon had sprawled forward to secure a loose puck, then flexed his left arm before immediately heading off. Colten Ellis took over in goal.
Forward Jiri Kulich sat out Friday’s practice for maintenance after leaving Thursday’s game midway through the second period as a precaution. The Sabres expect him to either skate or play in Saturday’s preseason finale.
Defenseman Olen Zellweger, recovering from a concussion, skated Friday and is scheduled to be back on the ice Saturday. Coach Lindy Ruff expects him to be ready sometime next week.
Buffalo also added Grzelcyk on a one-year contract worth $850,000, giving the blue line another experienced option. The 32-year-old defenseman recorded 12 assists in 69 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season.
