Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Morning Player Notes in the Draft (Apr 4)

The Columbus Blue Jackets have four games left this week, trying to claim home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs and they will have to try and do so without rookie defenseman Zach Werenski tonight, as they face the team they need to overtake for the advantage, the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Werenski should find some votes in the Calder Trophy race, as he has been a huge part of the Blue Jackets' success this season, with 11 goals and 47 points in 78 games, but without him, it will be a tough slog for the Jackets.

There is no question that Werenski has been a huge part of Brian's success this season, but as Dale B. draws even with Brian's team on Monday night, the loss of Werenski couldn't have come at a worse time for him.  If Werenski somehow misses the entire week, the projected games advantage gets thrown out the window, while these two pool teams race to the end.

A couple of notes from the Ottawa Senators from Monday night, as they made the move to make Ryan Dzingel a healthy scratch for the game against the Red Wings, a game that they had dropped 5-4 in the shootout.  Dzingel was held pointless in his last seven games, so it should come as no surprise that he would be a healthy scratch.

In the game against the Red Wings, the Senators lost the services of Bobby Ryan, who left the game with an upper-body injury in the 3rd period, not to return.  Tuesday morning didn't see any updates on his status, so we'll wait and see what his availability is for tonight's return game in the home and home series with Detroit.

Dzingel belongs to Dale C. in 19th place and Ryan belongs to Wes in 17th, the two teams separated by 3 points, but that's about all that's left for those two.

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