Kamal Ghorui
The NHL teams face critical injury decisions because their schedules are becoming more demanding, while multiple lineup decisions on Monday will affect divisional standings. The coaches across the league spend their time between Anaheim’s Mason McTavish situation and Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark status because they need to protect their players’ health during the ongoing season.Injuries maintain their influence over team lineups, which affects teams that either pursue playoff spots or seek to overcome their current performance difficulties. The team expects players to return from injury, although some players will need to be evaluated on their status for upcoming games this week.
Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s close to returning?
Anaheim Ducks- Mason McTavish is doubtful for Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, according to coach Joel Quenneville, because he has missed his third consecutive match due to an upper-body injury. McTavish last played on Jan. 21 and has 30 points in 49 games this season.Chicago Blackhawks- Teuvo Teravainen is nearing a return after he skated during Sunday’s practice while wearing a non-contact jersey. Coach Jeff Blashill said the forward is definitely close to return though he’ll need a full practice before being cleared. The Chicago forward group depends on Teravainen because he has missed six games.Ottawa Senators- Linus Ullmark will start his first game since December 27 at some point during this week. Senators coach Travis Green said after Sunday’s win that a return is possible but not guaranteed yet. The team plans to proceed carefully, according to coach Travis Green, because Ullmark’s presence would stabilize the Ottawa goalie situation throughout their busy schedule.Philadelphia Flyers- Rasmus Ristolainen is expected to return on Monday from an upper-body injury after he missed six games. Goalie Dan Vladar also skated and is close to returning, with coach Rick Tocchet indicating he should be back later this week.Edmonton Oilers- Kasperi Kapanen will return to the team on Monday after missing three games because of a lower-body injury. The Oilers will also give Josh Samanski his NHL debut, adding a fresh face to the lineup.New York Islanders & Colorado Avalanche- Ryan Pulock will not participate in Monday’s game, while Devon Toews remains unavailable for the Avalanche due to his ongoing recovery process, which the team is handling with extra caution.The upcoming days will determine how teams handle their player injuries and player returns, which will affect their current momentum. The upcoming weeks will determine team performance because health conditions will become crucial for success or failure.
