THN.com/podcast. From THN On The 'E': Flyers' ECHL Affiliate, Future Considerations and More Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk1ODMzMDQzNDgxNTM1OTY5/usatsi_19773207.jpg] In a fast-paced, physical game like hockey, injuries are a fact of life. But in the run-up to the NHL trade deadline each season, they take on added significance. Playoff-bound clubs looking to add talent must do their due diligence to ensure the players they're looking to acquire aren't dealing with lingering issues that could limit their effectiveness — and hope their targets can stay healthy through deadline day and beyond. And while buyers have been identifying areas for upgrades and mapping out cap-space strategies for the better part of the season, a new injury to a key player that's already in the fold can still trigger a change of plans. For their part, sellers want to keep their prime assets as healthy as possible while showcasing those players in the best possible light. With less than three weeks remaining until the March 3 trade deadline — yes, it's on a Friday this year — here are the biggest injury issues that currently affect the trade-deadline landscape. THE TRADE BAIT Using TSN's trade bait board [https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-hockey-s-trade-bait-list-1.203546] for reference, injury questions do pop up among the top targets on their list, which was last updated on Feb. 3. At No. 1, San Jose's Timo Meier remains healthy and productive, averaging close to a point per game over nearly 20 minutes of ice time. No. 2 defenseman Jakob Chychrun has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, including 16 games missed with a wrist issue to start this season. Perhaps that's part of the reason why the Arizona Coyotes didn't want to leave any room for speculation that their top trade chip might not be healthy when they scratched him ahead of their Saturday-night matchup against the St. Louis Blues. The Coyotes have waited a long time for someone to meet their lofty asking price for Chychrun, and the scratch suggests that a deal may finally be imminent. The Los Angeles Kings have long been rumored to have interest but had a special night planned on Saturday as they held the ceremony to retire Dustin Brown's No. 23 and unveil his statue. If Rob Blake is indeed bringing in Chychrun, it would make sense to delay an announcement and let Brown have his moment in the spotlight. In Chicago, Patrick Kane sits at No. 3 on the TSN list, and Jonathan Toews is at No. 7. Both impending UFAs have Stanley Cup pedigrees, heavy cap hits and no-movement clauses, which will allow them to help determine if and where they'll be traded. There's been plenty of chatter about the hip issue that is said to be slowing down Kane this season. He has only missed three games back in early January, but his nine goals in 48 games and 5.8 shooting percentage are decidedly un-Kane-like numbers. Emily Kaplan of ESPN [https://twitter.com/emilymkaplan/status/1623773120116011010] reported that concerns about Kane's health were part of the reason why the New York Rangers decided to pull the trigger and acquire Vladimir Tarasenko earlier this week. "Just if things are going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," said Kane [https://www.nhl.com/news/patrick-kane-was-intrigued-by-possibility-of-trade-to-new-york/c-340904384] of the Rangers' acquisition. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal." Then there's Toews, whose leadership and league-leading faceoff numbers [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-stat-pack-jonathan-toews-leads-faceoff-aces-with-a-career-high] could help a playoff contender — if he's healthy. Toews has missed the Blackhawks' last three games with illness but is expected to get back into the lineup next week [https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/blackhawks/ct-chicago-blackhawks-jonathan-toews-illness-20230210-irpoo3gadjawll7cuqnobr42ou-story.html]. After dealing Tarasenko, it remains unclear whether the St. Louis Blues will also part ways with their captain, Ryan O'Reilly, who's also an impending UFA. The 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner did boost his potential trade value on Saturday when he returned to action with the overtime-winner against Arizona after missing six weeks with a broken foot. The Vancouver Canucks have also logged one big deal already, trading captain Bo Horvat. They got a bit of a scare when No. 10 trade target Luke Schenn was injured at Madison Square Garden earlier in the week and was scratched with an upper-body issue against the New York Islanders on Thursday. But the hard-hitting right-hander was back in the Canucks lineup on Saturday and logged a solid 16:48 against the Detroit Red Wings. Let the bidding resume. THE REGRETS For an example of what happens when a seller doesn't act quickly or cautiously enough with their assets, consider Gustav Nyquist. An impending UFA, the 33-year-old had 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets this year. Then, he went down with a shoulder injury on Jan. 25, which is expected to keep him sidelined for the rest of the season. The last time Nyquist approached free agency, the Red Wings received second and third-round picks from the San Jose Sharks for him in 2019. It was a pure rental, as he went on to sign with the Blue Jackets, but he did chip in 11 points as the Sharks reached the Western Conference final — and they haven't made the playoffs since. THE BUYERS The Carolina Hurricanes thought they gamed the deadline-acquisition system when they traded for Max Pacioretty last July. A proven scorer, he was stashed on injured reserve while he recovered from Achilles surgery and was expected to be ready in time for the playoffs. But after three goals in his first three games with Carolina, Pacioretty was back on the shelf by late January after re-injuring his Achilles tendon — a long-term issue. The Hurricanes have powered through the year as one of the top teams in the league. With Pacioretty's salary-cap space open, they have room to upgrade their offense — again — before March 3. Over in Vegas, the Golden Knights are in a battle to just get into the playoffs, again. And while Logan Thompson has been impressive over the last year as an undrafted career minor-leaguer who has held his own in net, GM Kelly McCrimmon could well have been thinking he might need an upgrade even before Thompson went down with a leg injury on Thursday, which now has him out week-to-week. Even with the Thompson setback, the Golden Knights are 2-0-0 since coming out of the all-star break. They're back in first place in the neck-and-neck Pacific Division. Meanwhile, two teams looking to make a playoff splash have just lost their top scorers with week-to-week injuries. Jack Hughes was on a tear for New Jersey, with 28 goals and 46 points in 30 games since U.S. Thanksgiving, before he went down with an upper-body issue. And Andre Burakovsky was leading the prolific Seattle Kraken with 39 points in 49 games before suffering a lower-body injury during his first shift back after the all-star break last Tuesday. The Devils and the Kraken are both rich in offensive talent. But the Devils, in particular, are rumored to be looking to upgrade and have been said to be pursuing Meier. The tricky part for these teams will be to try to assess the severity and timeline of Hughes and Burakovsky's injuries. The clock is ticking before Tom Fitzgerald and Ron Francis need to lock in their final answers as they prepare to head to the playoffs. Finally, since Cale Makar replacements are not exactly available on the open market, the Colorado Avalanche must be crossing their fingers that their 2022 Conn Smythe winner will recover quickly after this hit from Pittsburgh's Jeff Carter. Makar is currently listed as day-to-day and has missed the last two games for the Avs, who are currently clinging to a playoff spot. Colorado has welcomed Bowen Byram and Valeri Nichushkin back to its lineup since the all-star break. However, the Avalanche still wait for defenseman Josh Manson and captain Gabriel Landeskog to return from their injuries.
