The Walking Wounded: NHL Stars Hit The Ground Running After Long Injuries
Matthew Tkachuk (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
When we think of NHL players returning from injury just in time to help their team in the playoffs, we usually think of Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov or Mark Stone.
Those three players seem to evoke the most wrath from rival fan bases after their teams discovered new ways of pumping up their playoff rosters by leveraging long-term injured reserve to unprecedented levels.
Though he is still dealing with chronic issues, Stone only missed two games after Christmas this year. His 66 games played were the most for him since the year he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, 2018-19. And Vegas was pretty healthy this year. William Karlsson missed two months, but he was back by late March, just before Shea Theodore returned from the arm injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
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Elsewhere, though, other teams got some big boosts from less-familiar faces in Round 1. Here's a look at some of the most impactful injury returns:
Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Colorado Avalanche
His team didn't advance, but Landeskog's return after three grueling years of surgeries and rehab was the feel-good story of the first round. Best of all, the Colorado Avalanche captain played just like he always has, with an aggressive jolt of energy.
Landeskog averaged a solid 17:13 of ice time after his Game 3 return. He finished with four points and a plus-four over five games.
Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Florida Panthers
A groin injury at the 4 Nations tournament ended Tkachuk's regular season at 52 games. But the super-pest returned with a bang in Game 1, setting the tone for the Panthers with three power-play points on the way to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning – in Tampa, no less.
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Starting Round 2, Tkachuk saw a playoff-high 19:06 of ice time in Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's now up to six points in six games.
As for Matthew's brother, Brady Tkachuk, his playoffs are over, but he collected seven points against the Leafs while battling a hip issue that had nagged him since 4 Nations and an upper-body problem that cost him eight games near the end of the year.
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Evander Kane, John Klingberg, Trent Frederic, Edmonton Oilers
After missing the entire regular season while he got a laundry list of ailments addressed, Kane added another threat to the Edmonton offense when he returned in Game 2 of the first round.
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It didn't take long for him to get his feet under him. He chipped in a goal and an assist to help the Oilers get their first win of the series in Game 3, added another in Game 5, and delivered the pass that set up the game-winner from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in Game 1 of the second round against Vegas.
If Kane's return has been welcome, John Klingberg's early contributions have been downright surprising. His 2023-24 season lasted barely a month before he was shut down for hip surgery, and when he signed with Edmonton in January, he managed just 11 regular-season games. But Klingberg also joined the Oilers' series against the Kings in Game 2 and instantly formed an airtight shut-down defense pairing with Jake Walman.
Then there's Trent Frederic, essentially acquired on spec from the Boston Bruins at the deadline while he was out with a lower-body issue. The big 27-year-old only logged 7:10 of ice time in one game with the Oilers before the end of the regular season. But he was ready for Game 1 and has brought a dose of bottom-six grit that the Oilers didn't have elsewhere in their lineup.
Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars
Still no Miro Heiskanen for the Stars, but Jason Robertson could return from a Game 82 knee injury for Game 1 against Winnipeg on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, Tyler Seguin has been chipping in, even though his body has been through some things over the last few years.
After essentially duct-taping himself together to get to the Stanley Cup final in the 2020 bubble, Seguin missed almost the entire 2020-21 season following hip surgery. This year, he went under the knife for a hip issue again in December, but he looked like he hadn't missed a beat when he put up an assist in his return for the last game of the regular season.
In Round 1, Seguin averaged 14:55 a game and chipped in four points, including the overtime-winner in Game 3.
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