Coyotes C Christian Dvorak will debut Tuesday vs. Panthers
Feb 26, 2019, 11:15 AM | Updated: 11:18 am
Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak (18) shoots around Vegas Golden Knights left wing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, March 28, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
(AP Photo/John Locher)
The Arizona Coyotes on Monday recalled center Christian Dvorak from AHL Tucson, where he was serving a conditioning stint as he recovers from an injury that’s kept him from playing in an NHL game yet this season.
Dvorak will make his debut Tuesday against the Florida Panthers and will likely play on a line with Richard Panik and Conor Garland, reports 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.
His return is a welcome one. The Coyotes have been riddled with injuries all season, particularly at their center position, and Dvorak will give the team a boost at that spot.
Dvorak’s start to this season was expected to be delayed with a lower-body injury, but things took a turn for the worse when he tore a pectoral muscle during rehab. He had surgery to repair the injury in October.
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The 23-year-old center has played two NHL seasons with 78 games each, scoring 15 goals each season, putting up 33 and 37 points, respectively. He was drafted 58th overall in 2014.
The Coyotes made room for Dvorak on Monday by trading fellow center Jordan Weal to the Montreal Canadiens for another center, Michael Chaput. But while Weal would’ve had to clear waivers to be assigned to Tucson, Chaput was already in the minors and was set to report to Tucson, per ArizonaCoyotes.com’s Dave Vest.
Dvorak played two games during his conditioning stint, which officially began when he was assigned to the Roadrunners on Feb. 18. The NHL collective bargaining agreement stipulates that conditioning loans can not last longer than two weeks.
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