Hjalmarsson could be seen heading to the bench hunched over in discomfort.Capobiano made the Coyotes’ team for the 2019-20 opener but was sent to Tucson before this weekend.
He and Ilya Lyubushkin could be the most leaned-upon Arizona players with Hjalmarsson missing time.The defenseman was removed from the road game against the Colorado Avalanche following the first period with what the team is calling a lower body injury.Hjalmarsson has a goal scored in four games and averaged 14:54 of ice time, a number that so early in the year is skewed after he suffered his fibula injury in the first period Saturday.With Hjalmarsson out for a significant period of time, the Coyotes could potentially turn to defenseman Kyle Capobianco, who is currently with the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL.“That’s a big loss for us. Niklas Hjalmarsson, D, Arizona Coyotes, stats and updates at CBSSports.com. This year, he has just seven assists in 56 games. The blueliner has logged just 17:55 of ice time per game to start the season, well off his 2017-18 minutes (20:42), but that could just be the team taking a cautious approach after the Swede missed time during the preseason. Hjalmarsson will not return to Thursday's game against the Hurricanes due to a lower-body injury. The Swede should continue to be valuable on the ice, but it's not likely to translate well in the fantasy game.Hjalmarsson was in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 12 after missing three months with a broken leg.
Coyotes' Niklas Hjalmarsson exits game with lower body injury “That’s a big loss for us.
Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet might have cringed as Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson limped to the bench, but that's a reaction Tocchet has … If there's a specific need for blocks, HJalmarsson is one of the best for the category; otherwise, he's a fantasy non-factor.It was Hjalmarsson's first point of the year, having been held off the scoresheet in his previous two outings. “We’re going to miss Nik if he’s out for a bit.” The 31-year-old blueliner was only able to appear in 48 contests last campaign due to a number of different injuries, but if he's able to stay healthy this year, he should approach the 20-point mark and average over 20 minutes of ice time per game while skating on the Coyotes' top pairing.Hjalmarsson's heavy role in shorthanded situations -- he averages 3:28 of ice time on the penalty kill per game -- is not conducive to the defenseman wowing the masses in the fantasy realm.
The 32-year-old blueliner has been sidelined since mid-October due to a lower-leg injury.© 2005-2020 CBS INTERACTIVE. Hjalmarsson had 10 points (all assists) in 82 games last season, while blocking a career-high 187 shots. The 32-year-old blueliner has been sidelined since mid-October due to a lower-leg injury… However, he added three blocks to his total Tuesday, and now has 118 for the year. Ultimately, this injury is a bigger loss on the ice than in fantasy. The Swedish defender is a shot-blocking machine -- he had 187 in 82 games last season.
The 32-year-old logged just under 17 minutes of ice time, including a team-leading 2:34 on the penalty kill.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) He produced one goal and eight assists in that span, but his bread and butter should always come in the form of blocked shots. Nik is a good defenseman,” head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters after the game.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Injuries were largely to blame for Hjalmarsson only appearing in 48 games last season. With only 10 assists in 66 games, Hjalmarsson hasn't produced enough to warrant a roster spot on most fantasy squads.Hjalmarsson is traveling and practicing with the team, so although he'll almost certainly miss Arizona's next three games, he could be ready to go Sunday against the Penguins.
Hjalmarsson isn't expected to be an offensive threat -- he starts 64.4 percent of shifts in the defensive zone --so these defensive contributions will keep him in the top four for the foreseeable future.The Swede has two helpers in his last three games, but that only puts him at five points through 25 appearances this season.