Arizona Coyotes defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson is nursing an upper-body injury and will not play in Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. AZ Coyotes Insider reporter Craig Morgan broke the news via his Twitter account on Tuesday.
Nik Hjalmarsson will not play tonight against Colorado. Jason Demers will replace him in the lineup.
Also, Antti Raanta is hurt again. Not sure of the extent/timetable
Adin Hill was slated to start tonight anyway, but Ivan Prosvetov will be the backup. https://t.co/VncxYVTjSS— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) March 23, 2021
Niklas Hjalmarsson Injury Sidelines Him For Avalanche Game
Hjalmarsson left Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Avalanche in the third period. He did not return to the game. At the time, it was unclear what had caused the injury and head coach Rick Tocchet did not provide an update on the defenceman’s status during the post-game press conference.
Before sustaining this latest injury, Hjalmarsson had missed three games this season with a few minor knocks. In 29 games, the 14-year veteran has four assists and is fourth on the team in shot-blocking (44). Although, where Arizona will miss him most going forward is on the penalty kill. Hjalmarsson is an integral part of the Coyotes PK unit which currently ranks seventh in the league with an 84.26 percent success rate.
What This Means Going Forward
Hjalmarsson’s absence will mean that Jason Demers returns to the starting roster. He will likely slot in on the third-pair alongside Jordan Oesterle. Demers last played a week ago in the Coyotes 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Overall this season, he has two points in 21 games and is third on the team in penalty minutes (18). His best performances seem to come alongside Oesterle with the two acting as an effective shutdown pair. Arizona has outscored opponents 4-1 with both players on the ice.
As it stands, Arizona is currently six points out of a playoff spot in sixth place. In spite of this, the team’s status for the upcoming deadline has yet to be decided. However, given their lack of draft capital, the Coyotes would do well to start stockpiling future picks. Arizona’s first selection in the 2021 draft is in the second round after they lost their first-rounder for violating combine policy.
The Coyotes have a number of expiring contracts, particularly on the backend, which could bring back a whole host of draft compensation.
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