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Archives for February 2021

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/19/21

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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 are today’s results:

Minnesota – Andrew Hammond
New Jersey – Nico Hischier
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek
Vegas – Tomas Nosek

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: Samuel Girard, Colorado Avalanche; Hunter Miska, Colorado Avalanche

No new additions today and the total is down to 11 after the Avalanche have cleared the board. The league continues to trend in the right direction, though has to remain vigilant throughout the season.

Snapshots: Rescheduling, Avalanche, Wild, Thompson

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In a season that has been disrupted by several COVID-19 outbreaks and historically-bad weather in Texas, the NHL schedule maker has been forced to constantly snip and edit things to fit in all 56 games. Today, the league announced that tomorrow’s game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes will be postponed to another date, with the Hurricanes taking on Tampa Bay Saturday night instead. The Lightning and Hurricanes were already set to start a three-game series on Monday, meaning they’ll now face each other in four consecutive games. The Blackhawks-Hurricanes game? It doesn’t have a date yet.

Some more updates from around the league:

  • The Colorado Avalanche have almost everyone available for tomorrow’s outdoor game at Lake Tahoe, including captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Samuel Girard, who were recently on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list. That doesn’t necessarily mean Girard, who was still on the list as of yesterday, will play but he is eligible to. According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, Cale Makar is still a game-time decision as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury.
  • The Minnesota Wild also welcomed back several familiar faces to practice today, now that the team is down to just Andrew Hammond on the COVID Protocol list. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Dakota Mermis, Luke Johnson and Kyle Rau have all been sent to the taxi squad to make room for the returning players, though Calen Addison will currently stay on the active roster.
  • Nate Thompson has been activated from injured reserve by the Winnipeg Jets and he is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the team faces off against the Vancouver Canucks. Thompson has played just four games for the Jets this season after signing a one-year, $750K deal in October. The veteran forward is expected to take the spot of Kristian Vesalainen, who is still looking for his first NHL goal.

Ivan Barbashev Out At Least Six Weeks

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The St. Louis Blues will be without Ivan Barbashev for at least six weeks after he suffered a left ankle injury in last night’s game. The team says he will be re-evaluated at that time, meaning it could be even longer. In a corresponding move, the Blues have recalled Nathan Walker from the AHL and moved Barbashev to injured reserve.

The 25-year-old forward had six points in 17 games on the season and was being used more and more by head coach Craig Berube of late. Versatile and talented, he’ll be a tough player to replace even for the West-leading Blues. Six weeks means he’ll miss close to 20 games, more than a third of the shortened season.

Not only does that remove a piece of the Blues lineup as they try to secure their position, but for Barbashev, it means this injury could cost him real dollars too. The young forward is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year and still hasn’t experienced much of an offensive breakout. With just 83 points in 249 games so far in his career, his arbitration case won’t be very strong. That’s a silver lining for the Blues, but they would obviously want him in the lineup instead of rehabbing an injured ankle.

Latest On Ryan Getzlaf’s Future

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The Anaheim Ducks lost again last night, adding just a single mark to the goals for column that they have struggled so much to fill this season. The team has just 33 goals in 17 games, the fewest on a per-game basis in the league and a historically low rate. They do have some offensive weapons pushing for a call-up but some wonder if the team should be selling off some expiring or aging assets to rebuild for the future. When you scroll over the Ducks’ CapFriendly page looking for potential trade chips, one name might stick out above all the rest: Ryan Getzlaf.

The 35-year-old center is on the last season of the eight-year, $66MM contract he signed in 2013 and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. That could potentially make him an attractive piece on the market, especially since he isn’t actually earning the $8.5MM cap hit that his contract carries. Getzlaf is owed just $6MM for the 2020-21 season, and half of that was in a signing bonus. That means he would come at a considerable discount for a cash-strapped contender, though obviously, the cap structure would need to work.

Hold that thought. Getzlaf also has a full no-movement clause in his contract and Frank Seravalli of TSN reported last night on Insider Trading that the Ducks have no plans to ask him to waive it at this time. The only way the veteran forward would be on the move is if he asked for a trade to go chase a Stanley Cup. That chase, which is so alluring to many of the league’s greatest players as they get to the twilight of their career, may not be so for Getzlaf, who already won a championship in 2007 with the Ducks.

There’s also the fact that he’s not the same Hart Trophy-level star that he once was, meaning the return wouldn’t likely be a big one. Getzlaf has just six points through 15 games, including zero even-strength goals. His ice time is down and he’s now just playing a support and leadership role as the team transitions to the next wave of talent.

As of now, it doesn’t appear as though he’ll be on the block. But Seravalli points out that could change if he “raises his hand” and tells the Ducks he wants to chase another ring.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/19/21

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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.

West Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled goaltender David Tendeck all the way from the ECHL, assigning him to the taxi squad. Aaron Ness has been moved down to the AHL to make room. Antti Raanta did not skate today after being listed as day-to-day yesterday, meaning the team needed an extra goaltender. Tendeck, 21, has a .913 save percentage through 13 games for the Rapid City Rush.
  • Brendan Guhle remains on injured reserve for the Anaheim Ducks, but the club has assigned him to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls on a Long-Term Injury Conditioning Loan. Joining him in the minors is fellow defender Kodie Curran, who has been demoted from the Ducks’ taxi squad.

North Division

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Liam Foudy and Adam Clendening to the AHL, recalling Gavin Bayreuther to the taxi squad. Foudy has just three points in 12 games this season and doesn’t look quite ready to contribute on a nightly basis. After only turning 21 a few weeks ago, he has plenty of time to continue his development.
  • In their daily move, the Nashville Predators have recalled Ben Harpur from the taxi squad, re-assigning Michael McCarron and Eeli Tolvanen in the process. The team has fliped these three back and forth almost every day for the last week.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Mutual Interest Between Sabres And Taylor Hall Regarding A Contract Extension

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When Buffalo surprisingly signed Taylor Hall to a one-year, $8MM contract in October, speculation already started as to whether or not the winger would make it through the year with the Sabres.  If the team struggled in the Atlantic Division (the signing came before the move which now has them in the East Division), he’d become a plausible rental trade deadline candidate.  However, it appears neither side has any interest in things getting to that point as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link) that there is mutual interest in a contract extension.

Midway through last season, he was acquired by Arizona in the hopes of pushing the Coyotes to a lengthy postseason run.  Hall, meanwhile, was hoping that the change of scenery would see him improve his offensive numbers and really bolster his value heading to the open market.  Neither really happened.  Arizona did make the postseason and get through the qualifying round but that was predominantly on the back of Darcy Kuemper.  Meanwhile, Hall’s point per game rate dipped in the desert and went slightly lower in the playoffs though he did manage two goals and four assists in nine games.

As a result, his market was much softer than expected.  Two years ago, it looked as if he could be like Artemi Panarin and land a multi-year deal worth more than $10MM per year but he couldn’t come close to that.  As a result, he pivoted towards the one-year pact that landed him with Buffalo in the hopes that the opportunity to play alongside Jack Eichel would allow him to improve his offensive output and give him a better shot at a stronger market this summer.  Unfortunately for both Hall and the Sabres, that hasn’t happened as the 29-year-old has just one goal through 12 games heading into play on Thursday though he ranks second to Eichel in assists with eight.

That type of offensive performance doesn’t lend itself towards matching let alone beating his $8MM price tag which makes it interesting that he’d be open to an extension at this time given that his marketability isn’t as strong as he was hoping it’d be let alone the fact that the Sabres have struggled considerably this season.  Him showing a willingness to sign would seemingly work in Buffalo’s favor at this point although they’d still likely need to come close to his current AAV to justify Hall foregoing another shot at the open market.

While there is mutual interest in getting something done, it will take a while before they’ll be allowed to do so.  Since Hall signed a one-year contract, there is a restriction on how quickly he can sign an extension.  Normally, that deadline is January 1st which is nearly three months into a typical regular season but that’s with free agency coming in the summer.  Since the UFA market came in mid-October, this year’s allowable extension date is March 12th, just two months into the year.  That comes one month before the trade deadline so if they can’t get a deal in place around that time, Buffalo will only have a few weeks to decide whether to keep Hall or trade him.  It’s a narrow window to work with but with a shortened schedule, decisions are being made a bit quicker this season and this case will be no exception.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Karlsson, Lehner, Parayko, Walker

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The Sharks will be without defenseman Erik Karlsson for at least the next two games, notes Jon Williams of NBC Sports Bay Area.  The veteran is dealing with another groin injury though it’s not believed to be related to his previous groin injuries.  Nevertheless, head coach Bob Boughner indicated yesterday to reporters, including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, that Karlsson’s injury is a nagging one that he had been playing through.  However, with just four assists in 13 games this season, it’s certainly fair to wonder if the veteran would be better served by sitting for a little while and trying to come back at full strength.  With a record-setting $11.5MM AAV, San Jose needs much more offense than they’ve received from Karlsson thus far and perhaps this groin issue is at least partially to blame.

Elsewhere in the West Division:

  • Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner isn’t expected to travel with the team for this weekend’s outdoor game at Lake Tahoe, reports David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). However, he is expected to return to the Vegas lineup sooner than later.  Lehner last played on February 7th and has been battling an upper-body injury.  Marc-Andre Fleury has been quite strong in his absence as he tries to retake his former number one role.
  • While the Blues are getting Marco Scandella and Torey Krug back tonight from their respective upper-body injuries, it’s not all good news for their back end as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch relays that Colton Parayko’s nagging injury is enough to keep him out of the lineup. The 27-year-old was expected to have a big season following the departure of Alex Pietrangelo but has managed just a goal and seven assists through 16 games and was only able to play 15 minutes on Monday against Arizona.
  • The Kings are close to welcoming back Sean Walker to their lineup as Lisa Dillman of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the defenseman is expected to play at some point on their six-game road trip. The 26-year-old has missed the last six games after undergoing nasal surgery after he took a slapshot to the face in late-January.

Blues Hoping To Sign Jordan Binnington To Contract Extension

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Two years ago, Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington surprised many by taking over the starting job in St. Louis, eventually leading them to a Stanley Cup title.  However, with no real track record of success before that point, the two sides eventually agreed on a two-year, $8.8MM contract, a deal that gave the Blues some financial wiggle room but also allowed the netminder to reach unrestricted free agency in his prime.  That comes this summer and not surprisingly, GM Doug Armstrong told Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription link) that their intent is to work out an extension with their top goalie:

Yeah, we try and keep (contract negotiations) behind closed doors. But you know, we drafted him, and he took the long road to get here, but since he’s been here, we’ve had success, and obviously we’re hoping to find a way to keep him here.

If you look at this age and you look at what he’s accomplished, you know most teams have a No. 1 guy, and we have a No. 1 guy. Certainly, if he’s not here, we’re going to have to go find another partner for Husso. So our goal is to keep him here, obviously.

Binnington is off to a strong start this season with a 2.37 GAA and a .918 SV% through his first dozen starts, numbers that are a bit better than his 2019-20 performance (2.56 GAA, .912 SV%).  Those are certainly number starting-caliber numbers and with that means a sizable raise is coming.  Rutherford reports that the expectation around the league is that the 27-year-old is in line for a deal between five and seven years with a price tag between $5.5MM and $6.5MM.

That falls in line with several deals that starters received over the offseason including Jacob Markstrom, six years, $36MM, Robin Lehner (five years, $25MM), and Matt Murray (four years, $6.25MM).

Cap space will be tough to come by for St. Louis, however.  They have $59MM in commitments to just 12 players for next season, per CapFriendly, with the cap not expected to go up.  Spending a quarter of that or more on Binnington – or a replacement goaltender – really will make things difficult in terms of filling out the rest of the roster with Jaden Schwartz and Mike Hoffman among the other notable pending unrestricted free agents.  However, given Binnington’s importance to the Blues, it’s a price that Armstrong would be wise to pay even though it will present even more salary cap challenges in the near future.  But for now, he isn’t commenting on the status of any possible talks.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/18/21

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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 are today’s results:

Colorado –  Samuel Girard, Hunter Miska
Minnesota – Andrew Hammond*
New Jersey – Nico Hischier
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek
Vegas – Tomas Nosek

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: Andreas Athanasiou, Los Angeles Kings; Morgan Frost, Philadelphia Flyers, Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild; Victor Rask, Minnesota Wild; Carson Soucy, Minnesota Wild; Cam Talbot, Minnesota Wild

Hammond is the only new player today, added in the wake of the rest of Minnesota’s names coming off the list. It’s a good sign that names like Brodin are coming off, but at least a little concerning that another new name has been added. Los Angeles finally has no one on the list after Blake Lizotte and Athanasiou have come off the last few days, and the Flyers list has shrunk again as well.

It seems things are trending in the right direction. Hopefully, it can stay that way.

*denotes new addition

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