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COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/29/21

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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. The list is in:

Carolina – Jaccob Slavin, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine*
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Aaron Dell, Travis Zajac*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

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: Warren Foegele, Carolina Hurricanes; Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes; Jordan Martinook, Carolina Hurricanes; Curtis McElhinney, Tampa Bay Lightning; Tucker Poolman, Winnipeg Jets

Zajac’s appearance comes as no surprise after the Devils announced this morning he would not travel with them to their next two games. He joins Blackwood and Dell on the sidelines. Lizotte’s addition is a bit concerning, given that he took part in last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild after Athanasiou was already ruled out.

The big news is the three Carolina players that are out of the protocol, along with Laine finally arriving in Columbus to start his 48-hour quarantine.

Importantly, no other Golden Knights players appeared on the list today, a good sign that they can potentially get back on the ice in the coming days. The league had reserved judgement on their next few games after postponing Thursday’s affair against the St. Louis Blues. Pietrangelo remains the only player held out, though their training facilities are still locked down.

*denotes new addition

Minor Transactions: 01/29/21

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It’s two weeks into the NHL regular season, but things are still just ramping up in the minor leagues. The AHL is set to open next weekend and teams are starting to reinforce their rosters with some players that might have otherwise signed two-way NHL contracts. As those moves come in, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor transactions right here:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed Remi Elie and Nicholas Welsh to one-year, AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season. Elie, 25, has played in more than 100 NHL games including 72 in the 2017-18 season with the Dallas Stars. He’s has spent the majority of the last two seasons with Rochester, scoring 13 points in 34 games last season. Welsh, just 23, was last seen playing in Slovakia where he failed to register a point in six games. The former QMJHL standout spent two years at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Michael Joly and Dylan MacPherson to professional tryouts, while inking Brett Brochu to an amateur tryout. Brochu is probably the most interesting name of the bunch, given his historic success as the starter for the London Knights of the OHL last season. His 32 wins set the OHL record for most by a 16 or 17-year-old rookie, but Brochu still went undrafted thanks to his diminutive stature. While the OHL continues to wait out the current COVID situation in Ontario, Brochu will get a chance to test his skills against professionals.
  • Mason McTavish, one of the players NHL Central Scouting believes has a chance to be selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has officially been loaned to EHC Olten in Switzerland until further notice. The 17-year-old forward scored 29 goals and 42 points in just 57 games last season as a rookie for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL.
  • After playing in 20 games with Geneve Servette in Switzerland, Damien Riat is headed to the AHL to join the Hershey Bears. The Washinton Capitals prospect was a fourth-round pick in 2016 but hasn’t come to North America yet. In those 20 games, Riat had 18 points, his best performance so far in a professional career that actually spans back to the 2015-16 season.

Snapshots: Zajac, Laine, Pastrnak

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The New Jersey Devils have announced that Travis Zajac has been placed on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list, which will be released later today. He joins Mackenzie Blackwood as Devils that won’t make the trip to Buffalo for their matches this weekend due to the protocol. Head coach Lindy Ruff explained that the team isn’t making any excuses while they deal with the absence of some top players:

I think we’re becoming accustomed to it. We start the year without [Jesper] Bratt and Nico [Hischier]. But I think every team is dealing with those situations. It’s no excuse.

Zajac, who was supposed to celebrate his 1,000th regular season game this weekend, will have to wait for at least a little while. The 35-year-old forward has two goals in his first seven games.

  • Another player that will have to wait the weekend before joining his teammates is Patrik Laine, who is finally on his way to Columbus this afternoon after acquiring his U.S. work visa. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports, Laine will face a 48-hour minimum quarantine period before he’s cleared to play after arriving in Columbus, but he is expected to debut on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. Because he was dealing with a minor injury at the time of the trade, Laine actually hasn’t played since January 14, seeing very little practice time during that stretch at all. Though the Blue Jackets coaching staff were sending him video work to study, he won’t have much time to prepare if he’s in the lineup Tuesday night.
  • David Pastrnak has declared himself fully healthy and ready to get back into the Boston Bruins lineup, a huge boost to a team that is already finding plenty of success without him. The Bruins are now 5-1-1 on the season and have scored 18 goals in their last four games, all wins. The return of Pastrnak will only make the team stronger as they continue their quest for an East Division title. Boston is currently two points behind the Washington Capitals, who are undefeated in regulation this season.

Madison Bowey Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

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Jan 29: Bowey has cleared waivers and was quickly assigned to the minor leagues.

Jan 28: The Chicago Blackhawks have signed free agent Madison Bowey to a two-year contract that will run through the 2021-22 season. This season will be a two-way deal with an NHL salary of $700K, while next is a one-way contract worth $750K. That means he’ll carry a cap hit of $725K for the Blackhawks, who immediately placed him on waivers. Should Bowey clear, he can report directly to the AHL or taxi squad (pending COVID protocol).

Bowey, 25, was not issued a qualifying offer from the Detroit Red Wings in the offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent. He had recently signed a minor league PTO with the San Diego Gulls, but will now have a full NHL contract for this season and next. At the expiry of this deal, Bowey will be a UFA once again.

If you’re wondering why the team signed Bowey for two years, CapFriendly offers up a potential explanation. By playing in one more NHL game, Bowey will meet the minimum exposure requirements for the upcoming expansion draft, something that previously only Connor Murphy did for Chicago. Every team must leave at least one defenseman unprotected who has played a certain number of games over the past two seasons and is under contract for 2021-22. Once he gets into the lineup, Bowey will now fill that requirement, even though it seems very unlikely that Seattle would actually pick him.

In the meantime, the 6’2″ defenseman also gives Chicago some added depth at the position and means that some of their younger options could get playing time in the minor leagues. The team is currently carrying only four players on their taxi squad and could use Bowey in that role all season, moving in and out whenever injuries occur.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/29/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have moved both Connor Bunnaman and Nate Prosser back to the taxi squad after last night’s game. Prosser, playing in his first game for the Flyers, scored a goal and played a little more than 13 minutes. The Flyers can bank cap space on off days by moving players back to the taxi squad, while also pausing Prosser’s waiver clock in between games.
  • Michal Teply and Anton Lindholm have been recalled from the AHL to the taxi squad for the Chicago Blackhawks, filling the two empty spots they had open. Madison Bowey, who is on waivers today, will likely be sent directly to the AHL if he clears after inking a two-year deal.
  • Riley Barber is no longer on the Detroit Red Wings taxi squad, sent instead to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The 26-year-old forward is a star at the minor league level, scoring 37 points in 46 games last season and 31 goals the year before. He hadn’t played in the NHL yet this season.
  • After making his season debut last night, Filip Chlapik has been moved back to the Ottawa Senators taxi squad. The young forward played just over seven minutes and recorded one shot and one hit. The team saves money by moving him to the taxi squad on off days, while also pausing his waiver clock. He could be back up on Sunday for the team’s next game.
  • The Dallas Stars have moved Rhett Gardner and Joel L’Esperance back to the taxi squad, while sending top prospect Thomas Harley to the minor leagues. Harley, 19, was the 18th overall pick in 2019 and actually made his NHL debut in the postseason bubble. He hasn’t played this season but is expected to be a big part of the Stars blue line down the road.
  • The Minnesota Wild have moved Gerald Mayhew back onto the taxi squad, sending Dereck Baribeau and Louis Belpedio down to the AHL in the process. Mayhew, 28, hasn’t played yet this season but is a prolific minor league goal scorer that could potentially get into the lineup should Kevin Fiala end up suspended later today.
  • The New York Rangers have made several roster moves, per CapFriendly.  In cap-saving moves, Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, and Colin Blackwell were all sent to the taxi squad while Tim Gettinger was moved from the taxi squad to the minors to make room for those assignments.  Those moves will all likely be reversed on Saturday.  Meanwhile, defenseman Matthew Robertson was sent back to Edmonton of the WHL with that division getting cleared to start their junior season.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have assigned Andy Welinski and Vinni Lettieri to the taxi squad with Josh Mahura and Isac Lundestrom heading from the taxi squad to AHL San Diego, according to CapFriendly.  Welinski has suited up in three games with Anaheim this season and Lettieri once; both could be recalled as soon as tomorrow with a game against St. Louis on the schedule.
  • As expected, Montreal has sent Corey Perry back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The veteran recorded an assist against Calgary on Thursday night but was sent down today for cap purposes.  He’ll be recalled on Saturday for the second game of the set against the Flames.
  • The New York Islanders have recalled Ilya Sorokin from the taxi squad, reports Arthur Staple of The Athletic.  He had been sent down to free up money for Oliver Wahlstrom’s recall for Thursday’s game but the winger has been moved back to the taxi squad as has Kieffer Bellows.
  • Karson Kuhlman and Anton Blidh have been recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  With Jack Studnicka not participating in practice, there could be an opening for one of those two to suit up tomorrow.  Meanwhile, Daniel Vladar was re-assigned to the taxi squad with Callum Booth dropping down to the minors in a corresponding move.
  • The Calgary Flames have papered Derek Ryan back to the taxi squad according to Ryan Pike of the Sporting News.  He has been shuffled back and forth all season to free up cap room and he’ll almost certainly be recalled in advance of Saturday’s game against Montreal.
  • The Colorado Avalanche made several moves today according to CapFriendly.  Logan O’Connor was recalled on an emergency basis while Matt Calvert was transferred to injured reserve.  Meanwhile, Sheldon Dries, Shane Bowers, and Jacob MacDonald were all recalled to the taxi squad.
  • Jaret Anderson-Dolan has been moved from the Kings to the taxi squad per a team announcement.  Meanwhile, Lias Andersson was also shuffled back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  It is the fourth time already this season that Andersson has been sent down though on two of the other three occasions, he was recalled the next day.
  • The San Jose Sharks were quite busy today, according to CapFriendly.  Kurtis Gabriel and Josef Korenar were recalled to the taxi squad from the AHL while Noah Gregor went from the Sharks to the taxi squad.  Meanwhile, Jacob Middleton, John Leonard, Fredrik Handemark, Joel Kellman, Alexei Melnichuk, Nicolas Meloche, Brinson Pasichnuk, and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel were all sent to the minors.  The first three were from San Jose and the rest were from the taxi squad.
  • After being recalled under an emergency exception yesterday, Christopher Gibson was returned to the Lightning’s taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He has been serving as Tampa Bay’s backup goalie while Curtis McElhinney was on the CPRA list.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their daily cap movement as CapFriendly reports that Jason Spezza and Michael Hutchinson were sent to the taxi squad while Joey Anderson was added to the active roster.  Spezza is on a three-game point streak and is expected to be recalled for Saturday’s game against Edmonton.

Jake Neighbours Assigned To WHL

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In the first of what will soon be a cascade of moves, Jake Neighbours has been assigned to the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. With the junior league being granted approval to play in the province of Alberta yesterday, things are moving forward on a season that starts in just under a month. Neighbours, like many top prospects, was caught in limbo somewhere between junior and the minor leagues. The 18-year-old first-round pick likely needs more time before joining the AHL and playing against professionals on a regular basis, but didn’t have a junior league to go back to until the WHL started up again.

Of course, that doesn’t mean all prospects will be going back. Only the five WHL clubs in Alberta have announced their restart plans as the league continues to work on approval in the other provinces and states that house teams. It also doesn’t have anything to do with the OHL, which is still in a holding pattern waiting for the Ontario government to loosen restrictions. The Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators don’t even have official approval yet, let alone a junior hockey league spread out across the entire province (and some of the bordering states).

For Neighbours in particular though, this is good news. The young winger scored 23 goals and 70 points in 64 games last season and likely would have been in over his head in the AHL. Now, the Calgary native can remain in Alberta and continue his development against players his own age, at least for the 24-game schedule they have planned. After the WHL season is over, Neighbours and any other prospects will be able to assigned to the minor leagues again (should there still be games to play).

His entry-level contract, which was signed in October, will slide forward for this season and could again next year should he not be in the NHL.

Kevin Fiala To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety has announced it will hold a hearing today with Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala to determine supplemental discipline for his hit on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy. Fiala drove Roy hard into the boards from behind, receiving a five-minute major and game misconduct for the play.

The Kings had to help Roy off the ice and he did not return. An injury will be taken into account when the hearing occurs, which is very likely to result in a suspension of some sort. Fiala does not have any history of suspension.

Minnesota will have to find a short-term replacement for their star winger, who had already scored in the game. Fiala is coming off an outstanding 2019-20 season where he scored 54 points in 64 games, but has been snakebitten to start the year. Despite generating 30 shots on net, he has just three goals and no assists.

Snapshots: Penguins, Lapointe, WHL

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The vacant general manager position in Pittsburgh is a tricky but appealing role for many executives around the hockey world, and Pierre LeBrun rattled off an early list of candidates on the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading. Jason Botterill, Chris Drury, Mark Hunter, Tom Fitzgerald, Ron Hextall, Peter Chiarelli, Scott Mellanby, Mike Gillis, Laurence Gilman, John Ferguson, and Mike Futa are all on Pittsburgh’s radar and LeBrun believes the team wants to have the next GM in place over the next few weeks.

In the same segment, Darren Dreger speculates on the future of Pittsburgh’s star players and believes whoever comes in would owe it to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang to have a conversation about the direction of the franchise. Don’t jump to conclusions and think that Crosby is all of a sudden on the trading block, given CEO David Morehouse’s claim that the team is still in “win-now” mode, but if Pittsburgh misses the playoffs this season they will be a fascinating situation to keep an eye on.

  • One front office member likely not on that list of candidates? Martin Lapointe, who has signed a three-year extension with the Montreal Canadiens to continue as director of player personnel through the 2023-24 season. Lapointe will also take on the role of director of amateur scouting, making him even more integral to the operation in Montreal. The former NHL forward was first hired as director of player development in 2012 and has worked his way up the front office ladder. He is on track to be a GM of his own down the road if he wants to be.
  • The WHL has been granted approval to return to play in the province of Alberta, starting their season on February 26. The five WHL clubs based in Alberta—the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Calgary Hitmen—will form the Central Division and play a 24-game regular season entirely within the province. The league continues to work with the health officials in the other provinces and states to try and establish a start date for East, B.C., and U.S. divisions this season. There are WHL teams based in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Washington, and Oregon.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/28/21

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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. The Montreal Canadiens are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:

Carolina – Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Aaron Dell*
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo*
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Tucker Poolman, Pierre-Luc Dubois

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: None

The huge news is obviously Pietrangelo, who is the mystery player that has caused the Golden Knights and Blues to postpone their game this evening. The former St. Louis captain played on Tuesday night against his old team, but now finds himself out along with the rest of the Golden Knights coaching staff. It is not clear if Pietrangelo has tested positive or how long he will be held out. The Blues do not have anyone listed and took their morning skate as usual today.

Athanasiou’s appearance is also news, after playing on Tuesday night in Minnesota. The speedy forward has been one of the Kings’ best players so far with five points in seven games, but now will at least miss tonight’s rematch against the Wild.

Dell’s appearance is actually good news for the Devils, as he arrives in New Jersey and can start his quarantine after being claimed off waivers earlier this month.

*denotes new addition

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