Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov fined $5K for kneeing Flyers' Scott Laughton

Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is a little lighter in the wallet Saturday after the Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined him $5,000 for a kneeing incident on Philadelphia center Scott Laughton on Friday. It is the maximum fine allowable in the CBA. There was no penalty called when it occurred early in the second period while Svechnikov added a goal late in the third period. It’s the first time the 21-year-old has been fined in his brief career, and the money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

More from the Metropolitan:

• The Flyers have been hit hard by injuries to their centers, and that list is going to grow again as head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters, including Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link), that Nate Thompson appears to have a dislocated shoulder. He will be undergoing imaging to confirm that. The veteran joins Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard and Patrick Brown as middlemen who are unavailable to Philadelphia due to injury.
• Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette is hoping to have center Lars Eller back for Sunday’s contest against Carolina, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. The veteran has missed six straight games while in COVID protocol but was able to participate in a full practice Saturday. With Nicklas Backstrom missing the entire season so far, Eller has been called upon to play a bigger role as he is averaging a career-high 17:18 per game in 15 contests while recording a goal and seven assists.
• Penguins winger Bryan Rust was a late scratch from Friday night’s game due to a lower-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). His availability for Saturday night’s contest versus Montreal is not yet known. The 29-year-old has been limited to just a dozen games this season due to injury but has still managed nine points while averaging more than 18 minutes a night of playing time.