The Utah Mammoth are going to be without John Marino longer than they first hoped.
Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports reported that Marino has been downgraded to week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury against the Edmonton Oilers on October 17. He had already missed a week, and the original day-to-day label has given way to a more uncertain timeline. At this point, there’s no assurance he’ll be back before the end of October.
That’s a tough hit for Utah’s blue line. Marino quietly gave them plenty last season, finishing with four goals and 36 points in 80 games.
He opened this year in strong form as well, posting two goals and five points in nine games while logging 20:23 of ice time per night. The Mammoth have recalled Artem Duda to occupy Marino’s roster spot for now, and they may need to lean on one or two depth defenders to get through the stretch.
Elsewhere in the Central Division, Bowen Byram took another step back toward a return for the Chicago Blackhawks. According to WGN’s Charlie Roumeliotis, the 25-year-old was on the ice today in a non-contact jersey. Byram has been out for more than 10 days with an upper-body injury, and in his first six games with Chicago, the Blackhawks’ biggest offseason addition has one assist and a minus-7 rating.
The St. Louis Blues could also be getting some help soon. Lou Korac of The Hockey News reported that Alexey Toropchenko may be back from his upper-body injury as early as Tuesday, though his place in the lineup is not guaranteed if Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki continue to show they belong.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Desperately Need This Line Shakeup To Work
After a rough opening stretch left Chicago at 3-7-0 and coming off back-to-back losses by lopsided scores, Jeff Blashill spent practice reshuffling the forward group and defensive pairings ahead of the visit from Florida. The changes were designed to give the Blackhawks a different look, with the coach clearly searching for a combination that can steady a lineup that has struggled to find any rhythm this season.
Jordan Greenway is part of the answer Blashill is trying, as the big winger was bumped into a more prominent role to bring more size and bite to the top half of the lineup. Andrew Mangiapane also re-entered the mix after coming off injured reserve, while Alec Moore was the odd man out as the staff looked to manage balance and roles more carefully, a reminder that Chicago is still very much in the stage of testing what this forward corps can actually give it. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Rebuild Puts New Pressure On Two Prospects To Break Through
The Blackhawks slow start has only sharpened the focus on the pipeline, with the big club sitting at 3-7 and the Rockford IceHogs off to a 2-5 mark of their own. For a rebuilding team, those records can make every prospect feel a little more urgent, especially when the organization is trying to identify which young players can eventually help change the direction of the roster.
Mason West and Xavier Villeneuve are two names worth keeping on the radar as that pressure builds. West brings the kind of size and two-way profile that fits a long-view rebuild, while Villeneuve has the speed and defensive tools to push for a role if the opportunity opens up on the back end. For Chicago, the bigger question is not whether the future has talent, but which prospects are ready to start forcing their way into the picture. [Read more 🡒]