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2020 Year In Review: September

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2020 was certainly a unique year away from the rink.  However, it was also a year that featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more.  We continue our look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  Next up is September, a month that had many teams entering offseason mode and there was plenty of activity as a result.

Canadiens Strike Early: Rather than wait for free agency to try to fill all of their roster holes, the Canadiens opted to make some early trades to get a head start on their shopping.  First, they acquired Jake Allen from St. Louis for a third-round pick and a swap of seventh-rounders to give Carey Price a reliable backup goaltender to work with.  Then, after picking up the negotiating rights to pending UFA Joel Edmundson, they inked the blueliner to a four-year, $14MM contract.  They then started to work on their early contract extensions, signing defenseman Jeff Petry to a four-year, $25MM extension.  GM Marc Bergevin has long been a believer of building from the net out and these moves certainly continued that trend.

GM Hirings: The two GM vacancies around the league were both filled.  First, Florida hired Columbus assistant GM and former agent Bill Zito as their new general manager, replacing Dale Tallon who had been with the team for more than a decade.  Zito wasted little time making his first big move, acquiring Patric Hornqvist from Pittsburgh for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour.  Arizona then found their new GM, bringing in former St. Louis assistant Bill Armstrong for that role.  He took the place of John Chayka who abruptly resigned back in July in what appeared to be an attempt to go elsewhere in one of the more bizarre situations of 2020.  As it turns out, the fallout for that one wasn’t finalized until just yesterday.

End Of An Era: While it had been expected for a while especially following the emergence of Igor Shesterkin between the pipes, it was still notable that the Rangers bought out the final year of Henrik Lundqvist’s contract, ending his tenure with New York after 15 seasons.  The veteran is their all-time leader in games played, wins, saves, and shutouts but his $8.5MM AAV was simply too rich for the Rangers considering he was likely to be their third-stringer in 2020-21.  Instead, they opted for the buyout which saved them $3MM in cap room for this season though it also increased their dead money on the books to nearly $13MM, a number that doesn’t even consider their bonus cushion limitations.

Brodin Extension: Minnesota decided that defenseman Jonas Brodin is very much in their long-term plans, signing the veteran to a seven-year contract extension that carries a $6MM AAV.  The 27-year-old has never been an offensive dynamo – he had a career-best 28 points last year – but he remains one of the more unheralded defensive defensemen in the league.  Notably, Brodin also received a no-move clause which ensures that he’ll be protected from Seattle in this summer’s expansion draft.  Considering teams typically only opt to protect three defenders and Brodin joins Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter as guaranteed protectees due to their NMCs, this contract also calls Mathew Dumba’s long-term future with the Wild into question.

Coaching Hires: It wasn’t just GM positions getting filled in September.  Calgary lifted the interim tag off of Geoff Ward, promoting him to the full-time role while San Jose did the same with Bob Boughner with neither move coming as much of a surprise.  Meanwhile, Washington found their new bench boss, hiring veteran Peter Laviolette as their new head coach, replacing Todd Reirden who was let go after two seasons (he subsequently went back to Pittsburgh as an assistant).  After going with a first-time head coach with Reirden, Laviolette falls in the veteran category with more than 1,200 games of head coaching experience in the NHL with the Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, and Predators.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Islanders Place Anthony Beauvillier On IR

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The Islanders will be without one of their top-six wingers for at least the next week as the team announced (Twitter link) that they have placed Anthony Beauvillier on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.  Arthur Staple of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that the placement is retroactive to Monday but even so, Beauvillier will miss at least the next four games.  Kieffer Bellows has been recalled from the taxi squad in a corresponding move.

Beauvillier had a career year in 2019-20 with 39 points in 68 games along with 14 more in 22 postseason contests (including nine goals which tied for the team lead) but that hasn’t carried over into this season.  Through five games in 2020-21, the 23-year-old has just a single assist that was recorded back in the season opener while also managing just four shots on goal after averaging nearly two per game last season.

As for Bellows, the 22-year-old has actually played in all but one of New York’s five games so far this season but has been making regular appearances in our taxi squad shuffle posts as he has been moved up and down with regularity.  Although he has shown some offensive upside in the past which helped him get selected 19th overall in the 2016 draft, he has been deployed on the fourth line this season.  However, with Beauvillier out, Bellows may get his chance to play a bigger role for the time being.

St. Louis Blues Engaging In Trade Talks On Vince Dunn

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After the St. Louis Blues lost 6-3 to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, head coach Craig Berube took the podium to answer questions. When asked about Vince Dunn’s tough night, he let slip some of his feelings on the defenseman’s rough night.

Gotta play better. Can’t get walked one-on-one. I dunno. We’ll keep that in house and talk to him about it. 

It seems as though the house is leaky, as both Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Frank Seravalli of TSN reported on trade talks the team has had revolving around the young player. Friedman writes that there were a “lot of trade talks about him” before the team signed Dunn to a one-year, $1.875MM deal and notes that the Blues are believed to be looking for a first-round pick in return. Seravalli meanwhile admits it’s not “inevitable” that the team trades him, reports that the Blues have engaged with teams in discussions about him, and suggests Dunn’s “time might be done” in St. Louis.

Dunn, 24, has struggled in the defensive end of the rink but posted seasons of 24, 35, and 23 points through the first three years of his career. The 2015 second-round pick is a strong offensive weapon that could be valuable to a team that can offer sheltered minutes with the right partner. That appears to not be in St. Louis anymore, though obviously it’s not clear when a trade will be completed, if at all.

In the meantime, it appears as though he may be a healthy scratch or at least lose his powerplay duties for the Blues this evening. Berube explained his reasoning even further to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, saying that Dunn “has to keep the game in front of him more than anything” and limit the turnovers he has been known to give up.

Anaheim Ducks Looking For Scoring Help

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The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the most anemic offenses in the league this season, scoring just 11 times in six games. Perhaps most notable is the complete lack of effectiveness with the man-advantage, where they have been outscored 1-0 on the season thanks to a shorthanded goal by Ryan Hartman of the Minnesota Wild. The fact that they’re 2-2-2 with such poor offensive production could be seen as something of an encouraging sign if they are able to fix what ails them at the dangerous end of the rink.

It comes as no surprise then when Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the Ducks are looking for scoring help. When 31-year-old Carter Rowney—he of 58 career NHL points—is your team scoring leader, there’s reason for upgrade.

Yes, the easy answer may be to recall Trevor Zegras and feed him as many minutes as possible, but the Ducks obviously have a plan for their top forward prospect’s development path. For now, that’s the minor leagues, as he prepares with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. If you’re another team’s front office that wonders if you could steal Zegras away in exchange for a proven scorer, understand that Friedman also reports that neither he nor Jamie Drysdale were included in Anaheim’s offer for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Part of the problem is that many of the other young forwards that Anaheim was hoping would take the next step, seemingly haven’t. Max Comtois has three goals in six games (to lead the team), but Sam Steel, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, and Troy Terry have all failed to register a single goal through the early part of the season. Even older additions like Danton Heinen and Sonny Milano have been held off the scoresheet in the games they’ve been part of, leading to an almost laughable points chart that includes Rowney and fellow journeyman forward Nicolas Deslauriers at the top.

Where they can find that scoring help isn’t clear. It’s not like teams are just handing out top offensive talents at this point in the season, meaning the Ducks—and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are also apparently looking for help at forward—may have to dig deep to find a fit. For a team that will have a tough time competing for the Stanley Cup, sacrificing future assets or young players seems like a mistake. Whether the Ducks know they are a rebuilding club—or are willing to act like one—is another question entirely, given it has now been several years since the club had any postseason success. In 2018 the team finished with 101 points and made the playoffs, only to lose four straight games to the San Jose Sharks in the first round. They’ve gone 66-72-21 since then and should perhaps be looking at selling, not buying, even in a shortened season.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/26/21

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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 Los Angeles Kings and 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
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
New Jersey – Jesper Bratt, Mackenzie Blackwood
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
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: Blake Comeau, Dallas Stars; Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes

After missing the first part of the season following 17 players testing positive, the Stars appear to be out of the woods. This is the first day since their season began that they do not have a player listed. The Hurricanes also received some good news, as Staal, the first positive test among their group, has been removed from the list.

This also marks the first day in quite some time that the list did not have any new player additions. However, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Vegas Golden Knights will be isolating their coaching staff. GM Kelly McCrimmon will take over coaching duties for the time being and is expected to be joined by the Henderson Silver Knights staff. The move was made out of “an abundance of caution,” not necessarily a positive COVID-19 test result. This is certainly not the first time behind a bench for McCrimmon, who was the head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL for long stretches spanning over several decades.

Snapshots: Stastny, Hall, Phantoms

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Back in October, the Winnipeg Jets made a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights to bring Paul Stastny north. In return, the Golden Knights received Carl Dahlstrom and a conditional fourth-round pick that was tied to games played by the veteran center. In essence, the condition was to provide some security for the Jets in case the 2020-21 season never happened, since Stastny is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent later this summer.

All he had to do was complete five games, which happened earlier this week when Stastny played against the Ottawa Senators. He happened to score his first goal of the season and record a pair of assists, not a bad effort for the game that caused a fourth-round pick to change hands. The selection is Winnipeg’s pick from the 2022 draft, which will now belong to the Golden Knights.

  • It appears as though Curtis Hall’s collegiate career is over, as AHL reporter Mark Divver tweets that the Yale University forward has signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. Hall, 20, was a 2018 fourth-round pick of the Bruins and scored 17 goals and 27 points in 28 games last season for Yale. The 6’3″ center could be a valuable depth piece this season if he has indeed signed his ELC. UPDATE: Hall has actually only signed a one-year AHL deal, according to Divver. That would still end his college career but doesn’t start his ELC this season.
  • Speaking of depth, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have added plenty of experience today by signing Chris Mueller to a professional tryout and Garrett Wilson to an AHL contract. Mueller, 34, has been a regular at the AHL level since the 2008-09 season and won the Calder Cup in both 2014 and 2018. He split last season between the Syracuse Crunch and San Diego Gulls, scoring 38 points in 60 games. Wilson, 29, has logged more than 400 AHL games of his own, including 51 last season with the Toronto Marlies. A physical forward that isn’t afraid to drop the gloves, he’s managed to rack up 205 points and 586 penalty minutes during his time in the minor league.

Jack Campbell Out “Weeks” With Leg Injury

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The Toronto Maple Leafs lost some of their goaltending depth when Aaron Dell was claimed off waivers earlier this season, and now the position group will be tested even further. Jack Campbell will be out “weeks” with a leg injury according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who spoke to reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN before tonight’s matchup against the Calgary Flames. That means Michael Hutchinson is once again the team’s backup, while Joseph Woll has been recalled to the taxi squad.

Despite winning five of their first seven games and sitting tied for first place in the North Division, the Maple Leafs will shake up the lineup tonight with several changes. Travis Dermott, Jason Spezza, and Alexander Barabanov are all expected to come out in favor of Mikko Lehtonen, Joey Anderson, and Travis Boyd, the latter two getting their first game action of the season. Toronto has been outscored at even-strength this season and is looking to change that, though much of the responsibility will still fall to the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.

Campbell seemed to suffer the injury late in Monday’s game, just before the Matthew Tkachuk incident that incensed so many Maple Leafs fans. The 29-year-old had been oh-so-good for Toronto since arriving last season, posting a .917 save percentage in eight appearances. That’s not necessarily out of character, even if Campbell hasn’t quite lived up to the 11th-overall pick that the Dallas Stars used on him in 2010. Over 66 NHL games, he now has a .916 save percentage and was likely on his way to earning more playing time from the Maple Leafs.

Hutchinson meanwhile flamed out in Toronto a year ago, but managed to get his career back on track with the Colorado Avalanche when he was forced into action in the postseason bubble. In four appearances the journeyman netminder had a .910, leading to the Maple Leafs bringing him back as the fourth-string option this offseason. That four has turned into a two in the span of a week, meaning Frederik Andersen will need to carry the net for the next while.

Tyler Ennis, Greg Pateryn Clear Waivers

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Jan 26: Ennis has cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic adds that Pateryn also cleared.

Jan 25: The Edmonton Oilers have placed Tyler Ennis on waivers, following another scoreless outing last night in which he played just over six minutes. Ennis has yet to register a point on the season. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also reports that Greg Pateryn of the Colorado Avalanche has been placed on waivers.

Ennis, 31, signed a one-year deal in the offseason to remain with the Oilers after fitting in quite nicely down the stretch last season. In nine regular season games following a trade from the Ottawa Senators, the undersized forward scored four points. In the postseason he was also effective, scoring two points in three qualification games. This season, however, he’s been pushed further and further down the lineup, playing in just four of the team’s seven games and registering just two shots on goal.

Pateryn meanwhile was only acquired by the Avalanche a few days ago, in a cap-clearing move with the Minnesota Wild. He’s played three games since then, but it’s easy to see why the team has decided to put him on waivers. Not only will his $2.25MM salary likely keep him free from claim, but the team has already gained full confidence in youngster Bowen Byram and because of it have too many defensemen. Moving Pateryn to the taxi squad would save cap space while still allowing him to move into the lineup whenever needed.

While Pateryn may be a tough claim, Ennis could draw some interest from around the league. Already speculation has erupted out of Toronto, where the Maple Leafs are looking for a forward addition. Toronto has an obvious connection to Ennis, having spent the 2018-19 season together, one that rejuvenated his career after multiple injuries. Still, given his salary of $1MM he would be a tougher fit for the cap-strapped Maple Leafs than some of their other $700K forwards.

Filip Chytil Out Four To Six Weeks

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The New York Rangers have lost one of their young forwards for at least a month, announcing today that Filip Chytil will be out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury. The injury likely occurred when Chytil collided with Evan Rodrigues, a hit that left the Pittsburgh Penguins forward injured as well.

Chytil, 21, has still not experienced a breakout season with the Rangers, but was off to quite a strong start in his third year. The young forward was the team’s third-line center and had three points through his first four games, averaging just over 14 minutes a night. The team will have to find a replacement now as they try to climb out of the bottom of the East Division.

The Rangers have lost three straight and still haven’t received any contribution from first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, who is still looking for his first NHL point. Losing a core piece like Chytil, even if he still hadn’t reached his potential, is concerning for a team that was already struggling. Even more weight will be placed on the shoulders of some of their veteran players to get things turned around.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/26/21

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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.

  • Following the news that Evan Rodrigues is out “longer-term,” the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Drew O’Connor from the taxi squad today. The forward will make his NHL debut this evening against the Boston Bruins after signing an entry-level contract last March. O’Connor, 22, was an undrafted college free agent signing after he scored 33 points in 31 games for Dartmouth last season. In seven games for Manglerud of the Norweigian league earlier this season, he recorded ten points.
  • The Washington Capitals have called up Michael Sgarbossa from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them another experienced hand as they continue to navigate a COVID-stricken roster card. Sgarbossa has 50 games of NHL experience but has played eight years of professional hockey and could step into the lineup if necessary. Later in the day, Sgarbossa was elevated again, this time to the NHL roster along with Daniel Carr. Connor McMichael and Brian Pinho have been sent to the taxi squad.
  • Dylan Cozens has been recalled from the Buffalo Sabres taxi squad, with Casey Mittelstadt replacing him there. Remember that if Cozens plays in two more games this season, his entry-level contract will officially kick in for the 2020-21 season, making him an RFA in 2023. Should he play just one more game and spend the rest of the year in the minor leagues or junior, the contract would slide a year forward again.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Nathan Gerbe back to the taxi squad, meaning Stefan Matteau is on his way back to the AHL. Gerbe has played in just one game so far this season, but did manage to record a point. He’ll remain a strong depth option for the team throughout the year.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Jacob de La Rose from the taxi squad, while recalling Scott Perunovich from the AHL. The Blues will take on the Vegas Golden Knights later tonight. Perunovich, who had previously been rehabbing an injury, could be ready to go after taking the optional skate this morning with St. Louis.
  • Jordan Gross is going back into the Arizona Coyotes lineup, recalled from the taxi squad today. That means Victor Soderstrom is back out, moved back to the taxi squad as he continues his development. Soderstrom played two games for the Coyotes but is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • The Winnipeg Jets could make a lineup change this evening, after recalling Kristian Vesalainen from the taxi squad. The Jets will take on the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of Sunday’s loss. Winnipeg is currently sitting in third place in the North Division, two points back of the tied leaders.
  • Taro Hirose and Givani Smith have both been recalled from the Detroit Red Wings taxi squad, giving them another few options as they continue to deal with a COVID-19 situation. As of yesterday, the team had five players on the CPRA list, including four forwards.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Connor Bunnaman and Samuel Morin from the taxi squad, while also activating Shayne Gostisbehere. The veteran defenseman is expected to make his season debut after spending the last stuck in the COVID protocol. Gostisbehere recorded just 12 points last season, far from his career pace and a significant disappointment. With the Flyers struggling to find the right mix of defensemen though, he’ll be welcomed back with open arms.
  • After Tyler Ennis cleared waivers earlier today, the Edmonton Oilers have moved him and Devin Shore to the taxi squad. Forwards Juhar Khaira and Patrick Russell have been recalled, giving the group a different look in the bottom-six.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier back from the taxi squad, reversing the move they made three days ago.  As a waiver-exempt forward, Olivier, who has played in three games for the Preds this season, will likely continue to be shuffled back and forth throughout the season.

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