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Archives for February 2021

2020 Year In Review: November

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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 November, a month that saw the UFA activity die down but several notable RFAs got contracts in place.

Bridge For Sergachev: With Tampa Bay’s salary cap issues placing significant limitations on what they do this offseason, it came as little surprise that defenseman Mikhail Sergachev had to settle for a short-term contract, ultimately inking a three-year deal with a $4.8MM AAV.  The 22-year-old has quickly become a key part of the back end for the Lightning, notching at least 32 points in each of his first three full NHL seasons, all with Tampa after they acquired him from Montreal back in 2017.  Sergachev will have one year of RFA eligibility remaining with arbitration rights and will be owed a qualifying offer of $5.76MM in 2023.

Boychuk’s Playing Days Over: While he is sitting on LTIR and technically remains under contract, Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk won’t play again as a result of eye injuries sustained late last season.  He took a skate blade to the eye late in the regular season and while he returned for the playoffs, Boychuk took a high hit and was injured again with the end result being optic nerve damage.  The veteran hangs up his skates with 725 career regular season games under his belt between the Avalanche, Bruins, and Islanders while he won a Stanley Cup with Boston back in 2011.

Mantha Signs Long-Term: While several restricted free agents of note opted to file for arbitration, one who didn’t was Red Wings winger Anthony Mantha.  It turns out the reason for it was that the two sides were nearing an agreement and ultimately settled on a four-year, $22.8MM contract.  The deal covers his final remaining RFA years plus his first two years of UFA eligibility, giving Detroit a front-line winger at a good price.  Mantha, when healthy, has shown continual signs of improvement and wound up near the point-per-game mark last season.  However, he had also missed considerable time the last two seasons which certainly didn’t help his negotiating power.

Nyquist Out Long-Term: Columbus was dealt an early blow on the injury front for their 2020-21 season when it was revealed that winger Gustav Nyquist underwent shoulder surgery with a recovery timeline of five-to-six months.  The 31-year-old finished second on the Blue Jackets in scoring last season so his absence is certainly a notable one.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that the procedure was done to fix a nagging issue that had been lingering for years.  With the regular season running into May, Columbus should be able to get him back somewhere around the trade deadline which would give them a big boost for the stretch run.

Strome Gets Two: One of the more intriguing cases for a player being qualified or not was Rangers center Ryan Strome.  The decision is believed to have come close to the deadline but they ultimately tendered the offer, making him arbitration-eligible.  It didn’t get that far though as he agreed to a two-year, $9MM pact, buying out one UFA year in the process.  The 27-year-old had a career year last season while showing chemistry with Artemi Panarin and after a slow start to this season, he has a four-game point streak currently going.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

North Notes: Dubois, Ryan, Dermott

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The wait is almost over for Pierre-Luc Dubois – to practice, that is.  As NHL.com’s Tim Campbell notes, Dubois’ quarantine ends on Saturday, paving the way for him to join the Jets for practice on Sunday.  While he is healthy and clearly itching to get into the lineup, it’s important to note that he hasn’t been on the ice since his trade nearly two weeks ago.  While he has been working out on his own in a hotel room and doing video work, there may be a bit of rust when he hits the ice but despite that, the center is hoping to be in Winnipeg’s lineup for his first available game on Tuesday against Calgary.  Failing that, he should be good to go for the start of a two-game set versus Ottawa on Thursday.

More from the North Division:

  • Flames center Derek Ryan suffered a finger injury while blocking a shot against Winnipeg on Thursday night, relays Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson (Twitter link). The veteran has been sent to the taxi squad a whopping ten times already this season but has been recalled to play in all 10 of their games so far this season, recording an assist while logging just shy of 10 minutes a night.  Ryan would need to clear waivers again before being able to go back to the taxi squad but that can’t be done until he gets the green light to play.  He will be evaluated by a specialist but Gilbertson notes the team is optimistic that the injury isn’t as bad as they initially thought.
  • Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott will be out of Toronto’s lineup on Saturday due to a charley horse, reports Joshua Clipperton of the Canadian Press (Twitter link). The blueliner was injured on his first shift on Thursday, forcing Toronto to play with only five rearguards the rest of the way although it hardly seemed to affect them in a 7-3 win.  Mikko Lehtonen will replace Dermott who is listed as day-to-day.

Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Stepan

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As if there weren’t enough whispers surrounding Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett, his healthy scratch last night did not help. The news emerged well ahead of the Flames’ game on Thursday that Bennett would not play and TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that speculation swelled across the league that this implied Bennett was available for trade. Bennett’s play has improved of late and the player himself even told the media that the scratch came as a surprise. However, with Bennett wanting out of Calgary – though he would not confirm a formal trade request – perhaps the Flames want to look at other internal options who could take Bennett’s place, as well as protect the health of their trade asset. With that said, Dreger warns not to get too excited. He says a trade is certainly not imminent, which harkens back to the Flames own admission that they would not rush to trade Bennett and may not move him at all if they cannot find the right deal.

  • As for the possibility of a trade involving Bennett and another player on the block, New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, there are mixed reports. On Wednesday, Bob McKenzie reported on the NBC Sports broadcast that the Calgary Flames were among four or five teams that had interest in the “reclamation project” that is DeAngelo. A talented, but polarizing player, DeAngelo could be of interest to any number of teams, so even a Calgary team with good defensive depth would not be a major surprise. However, Sportsnet’s Flames beat writer Eric Francis dispelled the rumors of Calgary interest in DeAngelo. He also reiterated that the team will take their time with a Bennett trade and will not rush into a deal for another player on the rumor mill.
  • The other teams mentioned by McKenzie as kicking the tires on DeAngelo: the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings. As rebuilding teams, taking a chance on the talent and youth of DeAngelo makes a ton of sense for any of these clubs. Considering that DeAngelo has already cleared waivers as well, Detroit or L.A. could also convince New York to add a draft pick to the trade, while Anaheim may be more interested in the Rangers retaining some of DeAngelo’s $4.8MM salary.
  • Despite an impressive win over the rival Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, the season has not gone as planned so far for the Ottawa Senators. After adding some veterans to the roster this off-season, the team hoped the influx of experience and talent combined with their considerable youth and upside would result in more wins. Thus far, they have the league’s worst record at 2-8-1. As a result, changes could be coming to the roster. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that one major change could be a quick flip of veteran center Derek Stepan. Stepan was acquired right before training camp in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes but has failed to make much of an impact for the Senators. He has just three points and -7 rating through ten games, averaging just two shots per game and on pace for the worst possession numbers of his career. It is believed that Stepan is as unhappy with his role in Ottawa as the Senators are in his production. A separation could be coming soon  since the veteran still has value across the league, especially on an expiring contract. Stepan, 30, is a durable, two-way center who has scored at a 40-point pace or better in each of nine NHL season prior to last year.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/05/21

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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 Anaheim Ducks have yet to report their results for today. For all 30 other teams, here is the CPRA list for Friday:

Anaheim – TBA
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Jake McCabe
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon, Nico Sturm
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Yegor Sharangovich, Dmitry Kulikov*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, 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: John Marino, Pittsburgh Penguins

The good news: there was no net gain to the CPRA list today. One player was added and one player was removed. For the injury plagued Pittsburgh Penguins blue line, getting Marino back is a major relief. It also removes the Penguins entirely from the COVID doghouse for the time being.

The bad news: a troubling situation in New Jersey gets only worse, as Kulikov joins the long list of players in the protocol. The Devils have seen a number of their coming games postponed and that could easily continue given the sheer number of players still out of action.

*denotes new addition

Minor Transactions: 02/05/21

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It’s opening day in the AHL for a number of teams with more set to get underway this weekend, while others are getting started with training camp. As a result, official rosters continue to be released and a few of these lists have included some surprising names. Follow along with these reveals as well as other minor moves around the hockey world:

  • Operating without an AHL affiliate this year, as the Milwaukee Admirals opted out of the season, the Nashville Predators were expected to share the Chicago Wolves with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, seeing as Carolina is the actual parent club and there are only so many AHL roster spots to go around, it seems Nashville has made other arrangements for some of their other prospects. The newly released training camp roster for the Tucson Roadrunners, affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes, shows that Nashville forwards Michael Carcone and Josh Wilkins have been loaned to the club. Wilkins is in his second season with the Predators organization as an undrafted free agent out of Providence College, while Carcone joined the organization as a UFA this summer and has four seasons of AHL experience under his belt. It’s an unexpected but welcome influx of talent and experienced up front for the Roadrunners.
  • Another former Milwaukee Admiral was a surprise inclusion on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers opening day roster. Per the AHL transactions log, goaltender Ken Appleby has signed with Bridgeport for this season. The former New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets keeper spent last season on an AHL contract and will do so again this year. However, he hopes that he can eventually earn another NHL deal, perhaps even over the course of the season as he did with the Jets in 2018-19. The 25-year-old was stellar in three emergency appearances for the Devils in 2017-18 and has good numbers in the AHL and ECHL over his five-year pro career.
  • A familiar face is joining the Belleville Senators on a PTO in training camp. Veteran defenseman Cody Goloubef has joined the club on a tryout basis, Belleville announced. Goloubef previously played with the AHL Senators in 2018-19 after coming over in a trade with the Boston Bruins, but played exclusively in the NHL with Ottawa and the Detroit Red Wings last year. Seemingly unable to find a new NHL contract, the Ontario native has returned to his most recent AHL home and should have a strong chance at earning a contract. The 31-year-old Goloubef brings 160 NHL game and over 300 AHL games worth of experience to Belleville.
  • Philadelphia Flyers prospect Adam Ginning is preparing to spend at least one more year developing at home in Sweden. Farjestad BK of the SHL has announced an extension with Ginning through the 2021-22 season. The big defenseman, who stands 6’4″ and weighs in at over 200 pounds, has taken a step forward in the SHL this season, already setting a career high in points through just 32 games and asserting himself with the second-most penalty minutes on the team. The club feels that Ginning has pushed himself beyond many of the competing defensemen on the team and has claimed a top role on the blue line. Having claimed that role, he could be in for a special season next year before the Flyers inevitably try to bring him over.

Carolina Hurricanes Hire Justin Williams

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The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have Justin Williams on the ice this season, but he’s still with them. The team announced today that Williams has been hired as a special advisor to general manager Don Waddell. In a release, Waddell explained why they’ve brought Williams back:

Justin has been a major part of the culture change that we’ve undergone here. We’re thrilled to add someone with his experience to our front office.

The 39-year-old Williams retired a few months ago after a long, successful career that included a short stint as the captain of the Hurricanes. Nicknamed “Mr. Game 7” for his outstanding performances in do-or-die situations, he is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion and the 2014 Conn Smythe winner.

Though his play on the ice was excellent, it comes as no surprise that Waddell mentioned his effect on the “culture” in Carolina instead. He was the face (and driving force) of a rebrand for the Hurricanes over the last several years, instituting things like the “Storm Surge” celebrations. He, along with veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, also helped younger players like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov become the stars they are today, protecting and guiding them through their early years in the league.

The Hurricanes are off to a 6-2 start this season and should be a strong contender in the Central Divison. Williams will now be around to help them reach the playoffs once again, even if he isn’t going to be suiting up for any potential game sevens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

AHL Notes: Postponement, Stewart, Sexton

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The AHL is off and running today with an afternoon tilt between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Providence Bruins, but not all the games scheduled for today will go on as planned. Corey Masisak of The Athletic reports that the Binghamton Devils opener has been postponed, meaning they won’t take on the Hershey Bears later this evening.

Like the NHL, the minor league will have to scrape and claw their way through a shortened season, dealing with COVID issues and rescheduling troubles throughout. Still, it’s nice to see some prospects back on the ice today and hockey being played.

  • Colorado Eagles president and general manager Chris Stewart has announced his retirement after nearly two decades with the organization. Stewart, 59, was the Eagles’ first head coach back when they were in the Central Hockey League and helped them transition into the ECHL and then the AHL in 2018. During his tenure, the Eagles have been dominant at times, including winning two consecutive Kelly Cup championships.
  • The Belleville Senators are still working with the Canadian government to start their AHL season, but have announced some new coaches to the staff today. Ben Sexton has been added as an assistant coach, while Justin Peters joins the organization as a goaltending coach. Both Sexton and Peters have only recently retired from their playing careers and will now start their next chapter.

Troy Grosenick, Dominic Toninato Placed On Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers have placed Troy Grosenick on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, just a few days after finally activating him. The Oilers claimed Grosenick off waivers on January 16, but he never did play a game for them. Joining Grosenick on waivers is Dominic Toninato of the Winnipeg Jets, who had previously been placed on long-term injured reserve.

This could suggest that Mike Smith is close to returning for the Oilers, who have leaned heavily on Mikko Koskinen in his absence. Koskinen leads the league in games played, shots faced and minutes this season (not to mention losses and goals against) as he operated as the only real NHL-caliber goaltender on the Edmonton roster. Smith’s return would take some of that pressure off, though it is still not certain that the 38-year-old can really contribute much at this point in his career. Smith has a .900 save percentage over his last two seasons, though has gone 42-28-8 in that time.

Toninato meanwhile was put on LTIR just as the season began after he failed his training camp medicals. He too could be approaching a return, though it’s not clear if he has a role on the Jets NHL roster at this point. The 26-year-old forward did play 46 games for the Panthers last season but seems ticketed for the taxi squad or minor leagues (whenever the Manitoba Moose get started, that is) whenever he is healthy enough to do so.

There hasn’t been a skater claimed since the start of the season, but Grosenick perhaps could be claimed once again. The 31-year-old has been a strong minor league option for many years, including posting a .920 in 33 appearances with the Milwaukee Admirals last season. For teams like Toronto, Carolina or Colorado who are dealing with injuries, claiming Grosenick could represent a chance to add some goaltending depth for the next little while.

Chris Drury Promoted To Associate General Manager

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The New York Rangers have given Chris Drury a shiny new title, promoting him from assistant general manager to associate general manager. He will remain general manager of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The team explains that in his role, Drury will “continue to assist Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton on all player transactions and contract negotiations.”

Drury had recently been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins GM search, before suddenly removing himself from contention earlier this week. In all likelihood, this promotion is the reason why.

For the Rangers, losing a promising young executive like Drury to a rival like Pittsburgh would have been unwise. The 44-year-old Drury was not only a star player in the NHL, with a Stanley Cup championship and two Olympic medals, but he was a Rangers captain and has been a rising star since joining the management side. In 2019 he was even tapped by USA Hockey to GM the World Championship squad and was set to have the same role in 2020 before the tournament was canceled.

At some point down the line, Drury will become a GM in the NHL. It will be interesting to see whether that is in New York at some point, with Gorton either departing or moving into a different role. They won’t be able to keep Drury around forever if he truly wants control of a franchise.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/05/21

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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

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Givani Smith from the taxi squad while removing Filip Zadina from the COVID Protocol. Zadina is expected to be back in the lineup tonight when the Red Wings take on Tampa Bay, skating on a top line with Dylan Larkin and Bobby Ryan.
  • The Florida Panthers have loaned Aleksi Heponiemi to the AHL for the time being, while recalling Owen Tippett from the taxi squad for tonight’s game. Heponiemi scored a single goal (an overtime winner in fact) during his three games this season.
  • Mathieu Olivier is back up for the Nashville Predators. The team has recalled the physical forward from the taxi squad, a frequent move so far this season.
  • The Dallas Stars have returned Jason Robertson to the taxi squad after he joined the club for their game on Thursday night. The prolific junior goal scorer is still looking for his first NHL tally through six games, three last year and three so far this year.

East Division

  • Martin Fehervary has been sent from the Washington Capitals taxi squad to the minor leagues, as the Hershey Bears prepare to start their season tonight. Fehervary played in 56 games for the Bears last season, recording 14 points. The 21-year-old hasn’t seen any NHL time this season.
  • There is some concern for the health of Philadelphia Flyers young starter Carter Hart after the goalie was shaken up at the team’s morning skate and now Alex Lyon has been recalled on an emergency basis from the taxi squad ahead of Friday night’s game. Forward Connor Bunnaman has also been added from the taxi squad.  CapFriendly adds that Samuel Morin was recalled from the taxi squad.

North Division

  • The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned David Gustafsson to the taxi squad, moving Cole Perfetti from the taxi squad to the AHL in the process. Gustafsson, 20, has played in four games this season but has yet to register a point. The Jets don’t play again until Tuesday, at which point they could have Pierre-Luc Dubois in the lineup for the first time. Dubois’ quarantine is scheduled to end on Saturday.  CapFriendly adds that Kristian Vesalainen has also been sent to the taxi squad.
  • Loui Eriksson has been activated by the Vancouver Canucks, the team announced. The veteran forward has yet to make his season debut for the team. Eriksson will take the roster spot of Josh Bailey, who has been moved to the taxi squad.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have once again returned Corey Perry to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  They have been shuffling him back on non-game days over the past couple of weeks and he will likely be recalled and play in his seventh game of the season before Saturday’s rematch against Ottawa.

West Division

  • With the Minnesota Wild currently out of action due to COVID and the AHL’s Iowa Wild about to get their own season started, the team has shifted a number of players around. Minnesota announced that forwards Luke Johnson, Gerald Mayhew, and Kyle Rau have been moved from the active roster to the taxi squad, while fellow forwards Will Bitten and Mason Shaw have been reassigned from the taxi squad to Iowa.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced several roster moves.  Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Mark Alt, and Austin Strand were all recalled from the taxi squad while Lias Andersson was moved down to the taxi squad.  Meanwhile, Matt Luff was activated off injured reserve and remains on the NHL roster.
  • The Anaheim Ducks recalled defenseman Hunter Drew to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly with Vinni Lettieri being sent to AHL San Diego in a corresponding move.  Drew started the season in Slovakia where he had 16 points in 20 games along with a whopping 111 penalty minutes.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

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