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Five Key Stories: 04/12/21 – 04/18/21

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The trade deadline has come and gone and while it wasn’t as busy as some had hoped for, some notable players changed teams.  Unsurprisingly, those moves dominate the top stories of the week but the full deadline recaps can also be found below:

East Division
West Division
Central Division
North Division

Mantha To Washington: With Anthony Mantha having a tough season and three years left on his contract, he wasn’t viewed as a likely candidate to be dealt.  Instead, just before the deadline hit, Detroit struck a deal to send the winger to Washington in exchange for Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, plus first and second-round picks.  One of those selections likely was included to get the Red Wings to take the remaining two years of Panik’s deal after he cleared waivers.  Mantha and Vrana have had similar production over the past few years but Mantha’s size and upside are definitely intriguing and he has made quite the first impression, scoring in each of his first four games.  Meanwhile, our readers certainly like the trade for Detroit with over 79% giving them an A grade in our poll.

Extensions: A pair of potential trade candidates were taken off the market on Monday.  First, the Kings reached a four-year, $16MM extension with Alex Iafallo.  The undrafted college free agent has worked his way onto the top line in Los Angeles and a top-liner for a $4MM AAV is decent value.  Less than an hour later, the Flyers agreed to a five-year, $15MM deal with Scott Laughton.  The 26-year-old has spent his entire NHL career – spanning parts of eight seasons – with the Flyers and while he isn’t a significant offensive producer, he plays a strong all-around game, becoming a useful part of their core in the process.  Later in the week, likely using Laughton’s pact as a template, the Jets then inked Adam Lowry to a five-year, $16.25MM contract.  The gritty center was going to be one of the more intriguing pivots on the open market this summer but instead will stick it out in Winnipeg where he has become an integral part of their third line.

Hall To Boston: Taylor Hall had been viewed as a prominent rental that was going to be on the move at the deadline basically from the moment he signed with Buffalo.  While he has had a rough season and had just two goals with the Sabres and an $8MM price tag, there were several teams interested in his services.  However, Hall was able to leverage his no-move clause to go to his preferred destination in Boston, being traded there along with Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork and a second-round pick with Buffalo retaining half of Hall’s salary.  Hall should give the Bruins an upgraded second line down the stretch if he does well and he’s off to a good start with two goals and an assist in four games.  Meanwhile, the rebuild in Buffalo continues with the Sabres hoping that a change of scenery can unlock some of Bjork’s potential.

More COVID Issues: The ongoing pandemic claimed some more games on the schedule as Colorado had three of their games postponed after Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi, and Bowen Byram landed on the CPRA list.  For the time being, the plan is for them to resume skating on Wednesday and their missed contests have yet to be rescheduled.  Meanwhile, Vancouver’s return was also briefly delayed following some concerns being voiced by J.T. Miller; instead of starting on Friday, they resumed play on Sunday.  That resulted in more than a dozen changes to the North Division schedule including the regular season for that division being extended to May 19th.

Carter To Pittsburgh: Another player that wasn’t expected to be on the move was Jeff Carter.  He had spent parts of ten years in Los Angeles and with another year left on his deal at more than $5.2MM, there wasn’t expected to be much trade interest.  However, the Penguins were able to get a deal done and get him to waive his no-trade protection, acquiring the 36-year-old for a pair of conditional draft picks, a 2022 third-rounder and a 2023 fourth-rounder.  The first pick can upgrade a round if Pittsburgh makes the Stanley Cup Final this season with Carter playing in half of their playoff games while the second will upgrade by a round if he plays 50 games next season.  Carter gives Pittsburgh some needed depth down the middle and was a big part of two Cup-winning teams with the Kings.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Newhook, Smith, Hardman

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With Avalanche top prospect Alex Newhook turning pro late last month, it looked as if he’d become an interesting late-season recall option if for no other reason than to get his feet wet in the NHL before the playoffs.  However, head coach Jared Bednar told Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that the plan for the 20-year-old is to remain in the AHL for the rest of the season.  Newhook, the 16th pick in 2019, had 16 points in just a dozen games with Boston College this season while picking up six more in six contests at the World Juniors.  As Colorado will need to inject some cheaper players into their lineup for next season, he should have an opportunity to push for a roster spot in training camp but it appears that will be his first crack at an NHL opportunity.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Golden Knights winger Reilly Smith left this afternoon’s game against Anaheim in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Following the game, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters, including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the forward is day-to-day.  Smith has had a quieter year offensively with nine goals and seven assists in 44 games after putting up at least 53 points in each of his first three seasons with Vegas.
  • Blackhawks winger Mike Hardman is expected to see some game action with Chicago before the end of the season, notes Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 22-year-old signed late last month with a commitment to play this season and was able to get that offer with several other teams showing interest.  Hardman had 22 goals over his two seasons at Boston College.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/18/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Matt Roy, Los Angeles Kings, Nate Schmidt and Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks

It was a good day for the list today with no new additions and three players coming off, including the last two for Vancouver as the Canucks get back in action today although neither are obviously in the lineup.  As for Roy, he had been on the list for two full weeks and will now be cleared to rejoin Los Angeles for the stretch run.  Of the remaining ten players on the list, all but Colorado’s three are for quarantining after joining a new team which means this list is in the best shape it has been in for quite some time.

*denotes new addition

Central Notes: Duchene, Hinostroza, Nylander, Werenski

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While not mathematically eliminated, when center Matt Duchene was placed on injured reserve on March 6, the Nashville Predators were a team that wasn’t going to the playoffs. However, without Duchene, the team went on a impressive run and currently sit fourth in the Central Division. While the team didn’t get better without Duchene in the lineup, the 30-year-old center now returns to the team (after missing almost six weeks due to a lower-body injury) and many eyes will be on him.

The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that Duchene needs to prove his value to the team. Duchene, who signed a seven-year, $56MM contract in July of 2019, hasn’t lived up to his end of the contract so far after two years. He was expected to step in and solve the team’s second-line center issues, but instead he has struggled. He scored an underwhelming 13 goals and 42 points last year in 66 games and has struggled even more with just three goals and eight points in 24 games. With five more years of Duchene at $8MM per season, the team has to hope they can get Duchene going in hopes of potentially convincing a team, such as the Seattle Kraken to take him.

  • It looks like Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman may have found himself a gem in recently acquired forward Vinnie Hinostroza. Acquired from Florida for middling prospect Brad Morrison, Hinostroza returned to his former team only to already post five assists in his first six games with Chicago. Originally added as a depth option, the Blackhawks could see a potential longer future with him. Hinostroza will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • Sticking with the Hawks, forward Alexander Nylander tweeted out himself that he is skating again. The 23-year-old forward was injured during the playoffs last season, suffering a torn meniscus, and hoped that rest would be enough to be ready for this season. In December, he decided instead to have surgery on his knee instead and was given a recovery timetable of four to six months. Now with four months done, Nylander looks like he’s slowly progressing.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that defenseman Zach Werenski, who was deemed out for the rest of the season due to a sports hernia, had successful surgery Wednesday. The recovery time for the surgery is expected to be six to eight weeks, ensuring that Werenski should be back for the start of training camp next season.

Matthews, Nylander Expected To Return To Maple Leafs’ Lineup

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will get a boost on Sunday as both Auston Matthews and William Nylander are expected to return against the Vancouver Canucks, according to Toronto Star’s Mark Zwolinski.

Matthews missed one game due to a wrist injury, but many feared that his wrist could keep him out longer. However, the 23-year-old skated at full speed at practice Saturday and now has been cleared to go on Sunday. Matthews has 32 goals and 53 points in 40 games this season.

Nylander has been on the COVID protocol list and has missed five games, but has tested negative since coming in contact with a person with COVID-19. The 24-year-old skated Saturday on the second line and is ready to go despite the layoff.

“I’m expecting him to play just as if he didn’t miss anything,” Keefe said of Nylander.

Nylander has 13 goals and 30 points in 39 games this season.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Ilya Lyubushkin To One-Year Extension

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With five defenseman expected to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, the Arizona Coyotes have cut that number down to four as they have signed Ilya Lyubushkin to a one-year extension at $1.35MM, according to Coyotes’ reporter Craig Morgan. The deal is all base salary, according to PuckPedia.

The 27-year-old was originally signed by Arizona in 2018 to a one-year, entry-level contract after five years in the KHL, and has subsequently inked two more one-year deals each year. Now, make it four one-year deals. The 6-foot-2 Lyubushkin appeared in 41 games in 2018-19, 51 last year and despite having some visa issues, forcing him to start the season late, has appeared in 31 games so far this season.

While not an offensive defenseman by any means, Lyubushkin has proven to be a solid defense player on the blueline, who is adept at blocking shots (52 blocks in 31 games) and doling out hits (77). With so many defenseman likely leaving via free agency for the 2021-22 season, the team wanted to ensure that they could depend on Lyubushkin for at least one more season as a third pairing defenseman.

 

Vancouver Canucks Make Several Roster Moves

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With their first game about to get underway later tonight after a COVID-19 outbreak shut down the Vancouver Canucks for three and a half weeks, the team had to make several roster moves to fill up their roster. With a number of players still not ready, the team announced they have recalled a number of players, including forwards Tyler Graovac and Kole Lind, defenseman Guillaume Brisebois, and goaltender Michael Dipietro, all on emergency conditions. The team has also activated Tanner Pearson off of injured reserve, while loaning Brogan Rafferty to the taxi squad.

The Canucks, who had more than 20 positive tests within the organization during the epidemic, still have a number of players out, forcing the team to bring up numerous taxi squad players to fill the void against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight until players are able to return.

The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Brisebois and Jalen Chatfield are expected to play Sunday, while Lind and Ashton Sautner will participate in pre-game warmups, but neither is expected to play. Pearson is expected to return. He has been out since March 17 with a lower-body injury and should give the team a much-needed boost on offense.

North Notes: Canadiens, Foligno, Hutton, McLeod

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Despite being lauded for his trade deadline moves, Montreal Canadiens general manager finds that his team is struggling, much because of the team’s sudden roster inflexibility. The team has already used up all but one of their post-deadline recalls, bringing up Xavier Ouellet, Alexander Romanov and Paul Byron immediately after making the trades to acquire Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson as well as putting defenseman Victor Mete on waivers (and losing him to Ottawa). Most of these moves were made to accommodate the loss of Mete and the pending additions of Merrill and Gustafsson, both who have to quarantine for seven days before being able to join the team.

Now, with just one recall remaining and quite a few games left to go this season, head coach Dominique Ducharme doesn’t have many options to make roster moves, according to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required). One significant issue the team could address is the sudden poor play of Eric Staal. Despite scoring the game-winning goal in his debut, Staal has struggled in the seven games he’s played since, scoring no points with just seven shots and boasting a minus-eight plus/minus. However, the team doesn’t have the ability to replace him in the lineup for a game or two with energy-man Jake Evans, who currently is sitting on the taxi squad since they are not ready to use their final recall.

That leaves the team with multiple roster issues for the next few weeks until the team is ready to spend their final recall.

  • Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby writes that Toronto Maple Leafs’ newly acquired Nick Foligno and Ben Hutton will have their seven-day quarantine expire in a couple of days. However, it remains unknown whether either player would join the team for their five-game road trip that starts today due to their quarantine as well as the recent COVID-19 breakout that forced the postponement of three Toronto Marlies’ games. Of course, getting both Foligno and Hutton into the Toronto lineup so both can pick up their system is crucial.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that the Edmonton Oilers have another internal candidate they should consider when it comes to boosting their offense: Ryan McLeod. The 2018 second-round pick has had a great season in the AHL so far with 14 goals and 28 points in 28 games. At $834K and the ability to play center, he could be a valuable chip for the team as the playoffs approach.

East Notes: Granato, Halak, Islanders, Chara

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The Buffalo Sabres seem like a different team since Ralph Krueger was fired and replaced with interim head coach Don Granato. While it was believed that Granato was strictly holding the fort down for the remainder of the season until the team could hire more experienced NHL coach, there are many voices suggesting that the Sabres may have already found their coach of the future in Granato.

In fact, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington notes that the team has played well under Granato, who has stressed the need for the players to have fun and has already made a positive impression on the play of Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson. He has practiced the team hard since taking over and while his team started at 0-5-1, he has turned the team around since then and has a 5-3-2 record since that point. His style of coaching is quite a bit different than the defense-first style of Krueger and the players seem to be responding to it, suggesting that Buffalo should hold onto what it has.

  • After getting back Tuukka Rask recently, the Boston Bruins could be close to getting back another goaltender shortly as head coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday that Jaroslav Halak has been skating on his own and could be eligible to return to the team on Monday. Halak was removed from the COVID Protocol list Saturday after having missed two weeks. The 35-year-old has been solid for the Bruins this season in 17 appearances, boasting a 2,44 GAA and a .910 save percentage and should help stabilize the net even more in Boston.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that the injuries to both Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck are considered to be closer to day-to-day as opposed to week-to-week, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. However, he added that there isn’t a clear timeline for the return of either player. Bailey and Clutterbuck are expected to miss their second-straight game Sunday with a undisclosed injuries. Bailey has six goals and 25 points in 43 games so far this season, while Clutterbuck has three goals, nine points and 147 hits on the team’s fourth line this year.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara missed his first game of the season Sunday after taking some painful shots off his body Saturday against Philadelphia, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. He is considered day-to-day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/18/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

Central Division

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins added to their roster as they announced they have recalled forward Anthony Angello from the taxi squad. The 25-year-old has two goals and four points in 19 games but hasn’t appeared in a game for the Penguins in more than two weeks. The Penguins have also activated defenseman Mark Friedman off of injured reserve. He has not played in a game since March 4 as he has been recovering from an upper-body injury. UPDATE: The Penguins announced that Angello has been re-assigned to the taxi squad after their game against the Buffalo Sabres Sunday.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled defenseman Mattias Samuelsson from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The team has also assigned forward Steven Fogarty to the taxi squad, while C.J. Smith has been assigned to Rochester. Samuelsson, the team’s 32nd overall pick in 2018, will make his NHL debut Sunday.
  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled top prospect Nolan Foote with the intention of having him make his NHL debut Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. Foote, acquired in the Blake Coleman trade last season, has six goals and 16 points in 20 games with Binghamton of the AHL this season. The team has also returned Ben Street to the taxi squad, according to the AHL Transactions page.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators made some roster moves as the team announced they have assigned forward Jack Kopacka from the taxi squad to the Belleville Senators. The team has also sent Vitaly Abramov and Cody Goloubef from the taxi squad to Belleville of the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames have made a few roster moves, according to the AHL Transaction page. The team has recalled center Dominik Simon from the taxi squad while assigning forward Justin Kirkland from the taxi squad to the Stockton Heat.
  • Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that the Edmonton Oilers have recalled center Ryan McLeod from the Bakersfield Condors to the team’s taxi squad, suggesting the Oilers might be ready to promote the young center to the NHL squad soon. McLeod has had a breakout season this year with 14 goals and 28 points in 28 games.

West Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled forward Tyler Madden from Ontario of the AHL while sending defenseman Cole Hults down, per the AHL’s transactions page.  Madden has a goal and three assists in 12 games with the Reign in his first professional campaign while Hults, who is also in his rookie pro year, has a goal and four assists in 19 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

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