After missing nearly the entire month of March with an upper-body injury, Luke Kunin is finally healthy and has been activated from injured reserve. In his first season with the Nashville Predators, Kunin got off to a slow start with just five points in his first 17 games – almost half of his scoring pace from last season with the Minnesota Wild – and has since been sidelined for the past 13 games. He hopes to return to the lineup and make an impact for a team that desperately needs it. After all, Kunin’s five points are still a top-12 mark among Predators forwards even after he missed close to half the season so far. Nashville needs the 23-year-old to be at his best and to help those around him improve as well if it wants any hope of climbing into a playoff spot in the Central Division.
- The New York Islanders have had to make a split decision Saturday in order to accommodate an injury. Earlier Saturday morning, head coach Barry Trotz stated that forward Michael Dal Colle had suffered a lower-body injury and would be unable to suit up for the team’s next two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, Trotz did not indicate that Dal Colle would need any more time than that. But due to a roster crunch, Dal Colle will have to sit longer than that. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reported Saturday night that Dal Colle has been placed on injured reserve so that the Isles could recall a replacement in young Kieffer Bellows. This means Dal Colle will be out of commission for at least 10 days, beyond just the original two-game timeline.
- One player who will really be out long-term is Blue Jackets prospect Trey Fix-Wolansky. Columbus has announced that the 2017 draft pick suffered a right ACL injury in an AHL game earlier this month and has undergone surgery to repair the damage. The estimated timeline for his recovery is six months, but ACL tears have been known to sideline hockey players for longer than expected. Fix-Wolansky, an undersized winger, has shown some impressive offensive upside in his young pro career, but this injury could be a setback in his pursuit of an NHL role.
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