Pouliot, 20, was selected eight overall by the Penguins in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The young defenseman has been rehabbing after offseason shoulder surgery and his return to the AHL likely means that he is ready to get back to playing hockey. This will be his first year of professional hockey after wrapping up his fourth year of juniors with 70 points (17G / 53A) in 58 games in 2013-14.
Bertuzzi, 19, is the nephew of former Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi and was the Wings' second round pick (58th overall) in 2013. He is in his fourth season with the Guelph Storm of the OHL and has started the season with one goal and four assists (five points) in six games. He had 34 points (9G / 25A) in 29 games last year.
Ellis, 23, had six goals and 21 assists (27 points) in 80 games last season. He was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and has tremendous offensive upside. Ellis is undersized, but will be a key member of the Predators power-play for years to come.
The Blackhawks signed Jonathan Toews to the exact same contract. The deal does not kick in until the 2015-16 season, but the annual cap-hit will be the highest in the league. When Kane and Toews joined the Blackhawks they had not reached the Finals since 1992, but since drafting Kane (first overall) in 2007 they have won two Stanley Cups and reached the Western Conference Final two other times. Kane tallied 29 goals and 40 assists (69 points) in 69 games last season. Kane went on to post 20 points (8G / 12A) in 19 postseason games. Kane has some of the best hands in the NHL and will be one of the first right wingers off of the board this season.
Kane missed the final 12 games of the regular season after suffering a sprained knee. Kane said he felt ‘’pretty good’’ after Monday’s workout. But he acknowledged ‘’we’ll know a little bit more’’ after practicing with the team Tuesday and Wednesday. Even then, until Game 1, the status of Kane’s recovery will be up in the air.
Teravainen has only played in three games since arriving to Chicago. He has not recorded a point, only four shots and one hit. Sending him to the AHL will give him a chance to play a bunch on minutes and get more acclimated with the North American game. There's no doubting this kid's talent, but he won't improve by sitting in the press box every night. He is a top prospect, with a very bright future ahead of him.
Kane will miss the rest of the regular season, but if he does get back onto the ice this week, he will have two weeks to get ready for the post-season. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season, so he will look to win two in a row this year.
Teravainen will slide out of the lineup in the second game of a back-to-back which means Peter Regin will dress. #TeuvoMania has averaged 12:44 TOI with no shots, no penalty minutes and no points in his first two NHL games. He is not showing up on the stat sheet yet, but the Blackhawks are pleased with the young Finns playmaking ability and are simply giving him the night off.
Teravainen is expected to open up his NHL career as the third line centre with Brandon Saad and Ben Smith on his wings. He come over from Finland where he finished tied for sixth in the league with 44 regular-season points. He had nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games.
After sitting on Sunday, it looks like Teravainen will slide into the lineup tonight vs. the Stars. There is no word what line he will play on, but we will update when the Blackhawks hit the ice for their gameday skate.
Teravainen will also be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. Head coach Joel Quenneville said Teravainen will likely make his NHL debut against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Teravainen was recalled from Jokerit in Finland's Liiga on Friday.
It is very unlikely that Teravainen will be in the lineup on Friday, but with the injury to Patrick Kane (knee), it definitely opens the door for the talented Finn to potentially move into a top-6 role relatively quickly. He is undersized, but tremendously skilled, something other NHL teams probably don't think the Blackhawks need.
Kane's placement on LTIR means he has to miss the next 24 days of play which spans until the end of the regular season for the Hawks. If you are in a one-year format, Kane can be dropped. The Blackhawks are confident that Kane will be ready to go for game-1 of the playoffs. Teuvo Teravainen will join the Blackhawks today, could be a fill-in for the injured Kane.
The 19-year-old Teravainen is considered the organization's top prospect. He completed his season in Finland on Sunday when his team, Jokerit, was eliminated from the playoffs in the Liiga. He finished tied for sixth in the league with 44 regular-season points. He had nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games. The Blackhawks may choose to be careful in rushing Teravainen to the NHL to give him time to adjust to being in the United States and reduce any high expectations placed on him right away. However, the injury to Patrick Kane last night, could open the door for Teravainen.
Kane could be in danger of missing the remainder of the regular season, which would be a huge blow to your fantasy roster. Kane's left leg was hit after teammate Sheldon Brookbank checked Blues forward Brendan Morrow to the ice along the boards. Morrow hit Kane's left leg and he fell awkwardly to the ice. The three-week mark would have him back on April 10th, with the regular season wrapping up on April 13th, it is tough to see him playing again before the playoffs.
Teravainen, 19, was drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round (19th overall) in 2012, had nine goals and 35 assists (44 points) in 48 games with Jokerit this season. . He signed an entry-level deal with the Blackhawks in August. According to a source, Finland is expected to give Teravainen its blessing to play for the Blackhawks and provide him an opportunity to be a part of the Stanley Cup playoffs instead of asking him to play for his country in the World Championship.
Kane found out about his grandfather Donald's death just before the Blackhawks' 5-3 victory over the Kings that night. He went on to record two goals and an assist, pointing to the sky after his first goal of the night to honor his grandfather. Friday is the Blackhawks last game before the Olympic break, so up next for Kane is Sochi with Team USA. Look for him to be back on the ice with the Blackhawks on February 27 in New York.
Weber participated in the Predators morning skate which is a good sign that he will be in the lineup tonight. Monitor his status around 7:30 p.m. EST when warmups is scheduled to start.
Weber was injured on Tuesday, but his presence on ice this morning suggests that he will be in the lineup tonight vs. New Jersey. Expect an update after the skate.
Weber left Tuesday night's 4-3 win at Winnipeg 3:28 into the third period and did not return. The Predators took Wednesday off, and Weber was not seen in the locker room after practice Thursday. The Predators will leave his status as day-to-day an reevaluate him on Friday.
