Despite a winning record through four games of a five-game roadtrip, the Anaheim Ducks have suffered losses on the injury front.
After a scheduled off day in Florida on Sunday, Mikael Granlund (lower-body), Radko Gudas (lower-body) and Chris Kreider (illness) all did not skate at Ducks practice on Monday, according to a team source. All three are considered day-to-day.
Anaheim takes on the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Ducks (4-3-1, 9 points) are 2-1-1 heading into the finale of their eastward road trip.
Kreider has missed the last three games in Nashville on Tuesday, Boston on Thursday and Tampa Bay on Saturday and hasn’t been skating in practices or morning skates. Gudas was officially ruled out following the first period in Boston. Granlund was marked out after the first period in Tampa Bay.
All three mark significant losses, as the Ducks started to hit an early stride now just eight games into the season.
Kreider led the team in goals prior to his illness. He is still second in goals (4) behind Cutter Gauthier (5) and is still the only player with more than one power play goal with a team-high three.
Gauthier moved up to Kreider’s spot on Leo Carlsson’s left wing, and Frank Vatrano slid into Kreider’s netfront spot on the power play.
Gudas had been a steady blueline partner for Jackson LaCombe to begin the season, but he had been swapped with Drew Helleson to play the right side with Pavel Mintukov. The Ducks captain had earned praise for a return to defensive form following a down year last season and recovery from a lingering knee issue.
Gudas did go hard into the boards late into the first period in Boston, but hopped up quickly to defend the front of the net. However, he was slow to get up from the ensuing scrum. He was seen walking in the Ducks visitors hallway at TD Garden postgame with some treatment for that lower-body injury.
Jacob Trouba has carried the load in Gudas’ absence, leading the Ducks in ice time with over 28 minutes in Boston and over 27 minutes in Tampa Bay. Ian Moore drew into Gudas’ spot alongside Mintyukov in Tampa Bay.
Granlund had just seemingly hit his stride with a career-high and team record-tying five-point night in Boston, but the Finnish free agent signing sustained a non-contact lower-body injury in Tampa Bay. Granlund had tied for the team lead in points (8) with his two-goal, three-assist performance against the Bruins centering Nikita Nesterenko and Troy Terry for the second straight game.
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville went with a wide variety of line combinations in the final two periods against the Lightning to cover the gap without Granlund.
On the positive side, bottom-six utility forward Jansen Harkins was activated from injured reserve on Saturday a few weeks before the end of his scheduled recovery window from an upper-body injury. He had practiced in a non-contact jersey for over a week before his activation.
Ryan Strome remains on injured reserve for an upper-body injury suffered prior to the season opener. The Ducks had said Strome may join Anaheim for practice on this road trip, but with just one game remaining, it seems highly unlikely.
The Ducks return to Orange County on Halloween night, Friday against the Detroit Red Wings.