Tampa Bay’s Emil Lilleberg was out of practice this morning, and the early read is that he’s dealing with an undisclosed injury after leaving last night’s win over Washington with 10:30 of ice time.
Eduardo A. Encina of The Tampa Bay Times observed Lilleberg’s absence, and Encina later reported that the defenseman will be further evaluated today. That should give the Lightning a clearer picture of whether he’ll be available for tomorrow’s home game against the Flyers.
The sequence from last night points to the likely issue. Tampa Bay was already skating with seven defensemen, and Lilleberg exited after a fight with Washington’s 6’7″ Vincent Desharnais following a fairly routine net-front scrum.
The 6’3″ Lilleberg handled himself well in the bout, though that’s probably where the trouble started. The Norway native has never shied away from that side of the game; he piled up more than 100 penalty minutes in his first full NHL season two years ago.
Lilleberg has given Tampa Bay some bite on the bottom pair since arriving as a free agent out of the SHL three years ago. He was originally drafted 107th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021, and last season he logged 96 hits in just 50 games while battling injuries.
Detroit had its own defensive shuffle in a matinee against Winnipeg, using seven defensemen as well, according to Ansar Khan of Michigan Local News. Andreas Englund made his Red Wings debut as the extra body and played 7:15, while forward Carter Mazur was scratched.
Englund, now 30, has built a career as a stay-at-home defenseman who can bring some sandpaper. He split last season between the AHL and NHL in the Predators organization, with a 52/3 split in appearances, and after spending the season with Milwaukee he signed a one-way deal with Calgary worth $900k.
He didn’t make the Flames, hit waivers, and Detroit grabbed him. The Swede is now with his sixth NHL club, or seventh if you count the preseason stint with Calgary, and he fits the mold teams keep coming back to: big at 6’4″, willing to play heavy, and able to fight when needed.
That profile could matter in Detroit beyond a temporary fill-in. With yesterday’s report that Simon Edvinsson reportedly wants to move on, Englund may wind up being more than just a short-term patch for the Wings.
Colorado also stayed busy on the blue line front, though their situation looks a little more stable. Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux were full participants in practice today, according to Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano, which lines up with yesterday’s update that a return was coming soon. Captain Gabriel Landeskog was not on the ice, but Montano later said it was only a maintenance day.
The Avalanche have been rolling with seven defensemen in their first two games because of those missing bottom-six forwards, and the setup has worked. Colorado is 2-0 and has outscored Los Angeles and St.
Louis by a combined 14-5, with none of those goals coming on misleading empty-netters. With three days off before Wednesday night’s game in Winnipeg, it looks safe to expect O’Connor and L’Heureux back in the lineup, which would leave extra defenseman Noah Juulsen out.
Juulsen, an offseason addition, has yet to record a point and logged 10:55 last night, the lowest total among Colorado’s seven defensemen.
In Other News...
Red Wings Suddenly Have A Marco Kasper Concern After Opening Night
Marco Kaspers opening night with the Red Wings already came with a jolt, and now Detroit has a little more reason to keep an eye on its young center. Kasper is dealing with an upper-body injury, which is the kind of early-season issue that can quickly alter a teams plans, especially for a player still trying to carve out a bigger role.
The concern is not just the absence itself, but how it arrived in a game where Kasper was involved physically and left the kind of impression that tends to linger beyond the final buzzer. Detroit is still sorting through its lineup options, and with the schedule moving fast, the Red Wings are already facing an immediate question about how long they may have to manage without him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Have Another Core Player Standoff To Solve
The Red Wings are already juggling enough uncertainty, and now another young piece of their future has become part of the picture. Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent on the back end, is in a standoff with Detroit as the club continues to push for an extension while the players side is not engaged in talks. With Dylan Larkins trade request still hanging over the roster and no permanent general manager in place, the organization suddenly has another core decision to navigate.
Edvinssons situation is especially notable because he has already returned to Sweden and is back with Frolunda HC after training camp. For Detroit, that only adds to the awkward timing of a negotiation that is supposed to help settle the blue lines future, not cloud it further. Instead, the Wings are left trying to sort out whether one of their promising defensemen will eventually be part of the long-term plan or become the next unresolved issue on a team that cant afford many more. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face One Costly Question In Any Lucas Raymond Pursuit
Detroits summer has already carried enough turbulence to make any new trade rumor land with extra force. With captain Dylan Larkin already having asked out and defenseman Simon Edvinsson still unsigned while reportedly preferring a move, the Red Wings are staring at a messy stretch in which almost anything feels possible as the organization tries to sort out its next direction.
That is why the Lucas Raymond chatter has drawn so much attention, especially with Edmonton floated as a possible partner if Detroit ever decides to take a bigger swing at a rebuild. Any pursuit would have to clear a steep price, and the kind of return being discussed would be the sort of package that forces both sides to think hard about timing, fit, and how much pain they are willing to absorb for a player with Raymonds upside. [Read more 🡒]