Raw Charge
Summary
Lightning News Not only did the Lightning lose the game on Sunday to Winnipeg, they also lost forward Brayden Point to injury just as he started warming up. His injury was hard to catch in the game and even harder to find out what it could be or how long he’ll be out. The coaching staff didn’t seem to make it sound like too big of a deal, but Point was put on Injured Reserve in the meantime and will be out at least until this weekend. [ Raw Charge ] That injury opened the door for Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly. O’Reilly is in his first season of professional hockey and has recorded two goals and two assists with the Syracuse Crunch. The young forward (born in 2006 if you can believe it) was brought over in a trade with Edmonton and is looking to make his mark in the NHL. [ Raw Charge ] On the other side of injury news, forward Yanni Gourde finally made his season debut a month ahead of schedule after offseason hip surgery. Gourde played in all 82 games last year and talks about the wear and tear that grind can do to your body. Gourde wasn’t the first player to elect for the Birmingham hip resurfacing surgery but it is still rare for players to do so. Yanni was determined to return ahead of the expected December timeframe, which exceeded all expectations but his own. [ NHL ] Charle-Edouard D’Astous has been a spark for the Lightning for the last two seasons and is playing some of the best hockey of his career right now. D’Astous is showing signs of having a breakout year for the Lightning. Could he follow along the same path that Darren Raddysh freshly paved with the Lightning? [ The Hockey News ] Other than being wildly wrong about Sam O’Reilly’s recap, it was a decent episode. Justin and Jason chat about the weekend, and special guest Jonah Ahrens joins them to preview the Buffalo game tonight. It’s the latest episode of Backchecking the Bolts. Like, subscribe, tell your friends about it. Also available at your favorite podcast platforms. [ YouTube ] League News Connor Hellebuyck seems to have found himself a new home in New Jersey, and it didn’t take long for his return to Winnipeg as the Devils and Jets met in Winnipeg last night. The Devils opted to start backup Jake Allen over Hellebuyck which didn’t go over well with Jets fans as they berated Hellebuyck at every opportunity. Newly acquired goaltender Nico Dawes and forward Dawson Mercer had big games against their former team with two goals for Mercer while Dawes made 19/21 saves in Winnipeg’s 4-2 victory. [ NHL ] Things have gotten downright weird in the NHL with so many trade demands this year. Philadephia forward Matvei Michkov is the latest name to hit the rumor mill as it appears he’s unhappy in Philly and wants out. Former Lightning goaltender Kevin Weekes went public with breaking news that Michkov has requested a trade, but Flyers management has said otherwise. [ Broad Street Hockey ] Darren Raddysh scored his first goal with the Toronto Maple Leafs last night in Toronto to open the scoring against the Colorado Avalanche, but it wasn’t enough as the Avs took down the Leafs by a 6-3 final score. The Leafs have now dropped four straight and it looks like it will be another long season in Toronto. [ Mile High Hockey ] The 2026 class of Hall of Famers were inducted yesterday. Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk and Cindy Curley were the latest players to be etched in history, and Brian Burke was inducted in the builder category. Jon Cooper was in attendance to celebrate Burke, who mentored him as a young Tier II junior coach in USA Hockey. Burke is one of the best hockey guys around and it’s nice to see him rewarded with a HOF blazer. The entire class came from many different paths and overcame long odds to make it in the Hall of Fame. [ Sposrtsnet ] Two more professional franchises join the ever-growing list of “brand identities” (which we suppose is the current lingo for mascots) that don’t end in a “s”. The Detroit Clutch and Hamilton Havoc were announced, a long with the Vegas Vanguards and San Jose Sea Lions, as the identities for the PWHL franchises that will begin play this season. Congratulations and welcome to the writers covering the Clutch and Havoc, and enjoy deciding if you’re going to refer to them with proper grammar, or with what sounds better. [ The Ice Garden ]