Amerks' McCabe returns on weekend, Pysyk done for year

Believe it or not, there was encouraging news on the injury front for the Rochester Americans this week.

But there also was confirmation of earlier bad news.

While rookie defenseman Jake McCabe will return to the lineup on the weekend, Amerks coach Chadd Cassidy said third-year defenseman Mark Pysyk won't play again this season.

McCabe has missed four weeks due to what is presumed to be a concussion. He won't play in Wednesday's 7 p.m. game at Utica — he suffered the injury in a March 4 road game against the Comets — but is slated to play Friday at Iowa.

Pysyk has been out of the lineup since his Feb. 28 collapse during a three-on-three basketball game with teammates.

He had been working out in hopes of making a return in mid-March, but didn't feel quite right as the intensity of training sessions increased.

Both Pysyk and the team say doctors haven't found any reason for his collapse, or for why he doesn't feel 100 percent after physical activity.

Cassidy suggested on March 22 that Pysyk might be shut down for the rest of the season. He made it official on Tuesday.

"He's not even back skating and he won't play this year," Cassidy said following practice on Tuesday. "He's not able to do full workouts. The fact he had a setback, what, 10 days after he had been working out, that's a red flag right there."

The done-for-the-year list is lengthy. Rookie left winger William Carrier was added over the weekend when he hurt his hand, then his shoulder, in Saturday's 2-0 victory at Syracuse.

Right winger Brayden Irwin will require off-season shoulder surgery after he was hurt the weekend of March 20-21.

Thus, there's not much left of the lineup. Of the 16 point-producers, 12 are either on recall, injured or, in the case of Joel Armia, gone because of trade.

Newcomer Jayden Hart, signed to a tryout contract Thursday out of the Western Hockey League, played all three games last weekend and scored a goal. He wasn't out of place, Cassidy said.

Defenseman Matt Prapevessis also signed a tryout last week out of Bemidji State and played the three weekend games. His newness to the AHL was apparent but the coaches liked what he did.

"He kept it really simple," Cassidy said. "I think he has more to offer and as he gets comfortable we'll probably see it."

KEVINO@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/@kevinoDandC