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Injury Updates: Forsberg, Hjalmarsson, Cozens, Penguins

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The Predators have made plenty of progress in the Central Division standings in recent weeks despite a long list of injuries.  That list has grown as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Filip Forsberg is now listed as week-to-week due to the upper-body injury that has caused him to miss the last three games.  Forsberg leads Nashville in scoring with 29 points (11-18-29) in 34 games and on a team that isn’t scoring much, his absence will be felt.  Forsberg joins Brad Richardson, Matt Duchene, Ryan Ellis, Mark Borowiecki, and Luca Sbisa as players that are listed as being out week-to-week.

More injury news from around the league:

  • Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has suffered a setback as he works his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link). The veteran was injured last Monday and while the hope was that he’d be back soon, he did not accompany Arizona on their nine-game road trip.  Hjalmarsson has four assists in 29 games so far this season.
  • Sabres forward Dylan Cozens could return as soon as next week after sustaining an arm injury on Monday night, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. It has been a trying year for the rookie as he has been limited to just four goals and two assists in 25 games while missing four games with another upper-body injury earlier this month.
  • Penguins forwards Brandon Tanev and Teddy Blueger returned to practice today, reports Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Tanev has missed nearly two weeks due to an upper-body injury while Blueger has missed just over two weeks with an upper-body issue of his own.  It’s not all good news on the injury front for Pittsburgh, however, as goalie Tristan Jarry didn’t skate with the team.  He left Monday’s game after the first period with an upper-body injury and is currently listed as day-to-day.

NHL Postpones Calgary-Vancouver Game

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The NHL has decided to ere on the side of caution as a result of Adam Gaudette’s positive COVID-19 test.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that tonight’s game between the Canucks and Flames has been postponed.  The league has subsequently released the following statement:

The National Hockey League announced today that, as a result of two Vancouver Canucks Players (including one Player who was added to the COVID Protocol List after it was released at 5:00 p.m. ET today) as well as a member of their coaching staff entering the NHL’s COVID Protocols, the team’s game tonight against the Calgary Flames will be postponed. The decision was made by the League’s, NHLPA’s and Club’s medical groups. The League will provide a further update tomorrow.

This is a light week on the schedule for Vancouver as they’re just coming off of a week-long break and aren’t scheduled to play again until they begin a seven-game road trip in Edmonton on Saturday.  Clearly, that may not begin as scheduled now.  As for Calgary, they’re also set to play Edmonton next with their next game scheduled for Friday.  With the Canucks being the team with someone on the CPRA list, the Flames could still continue on with their schedule.

The North Division recently had recently undergone a substantial schedule reshuffling as a result of Montreal’s COVID-19 situation with the Canadiens only getting cleared to resume their schedule last night.  With those changes, the regular season was extended to May 11th so the league may need to use that extension to get this game in now although if Vancouver is forced to postpone other games, it could result in another sizable scheduling shakeup over the coming days as well.

Sharks Open To Adding Salary In Trades

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With so many teams up against the salary cap this season, the trade deadline is going to largely be about clearing out money.  Some of the teams with surplus cap space don’t appear to be willing to use it but as Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link), the Sharks are letting teams know that they’re willing to take on money as long as it comes with another asset or two in the process.

San Jose isn’t a typical buyer in terms of their placement in the West Division where they sit tied for sixth place and are six points out of the final postseason spot which is currently held by St. Louis.  However, with the team having the ability to add more than $8MM in contracts per CapFriendly, they could certainly pick up a player or act as a third-party facilitator in which they acquire a player and retain part of the contract before flipping him to a third team.

The Sharks have more than $68MM tied up in payroll commitments for 2021-22 already to just 13 players which is going to limit what they can do.  In order to keep what little space they have available, GM Doug Wilson would be wise to restrict himself to taking or retaining on expiring contracts.  It’s worth noting that they have not used any of their three salary retention slots for this season.

As a result of several win-now moves made in recent years, San Jose’s prospect pool has been weakened and they don’t have a full complement of draft picks in either the 2021 or 2022 drafts.  While teams technically can’t buy draft picks, it certainly seems as if the Sharks may be willing to get creative to ultimately accomplish just that.

Flyers Sign Cam York

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It has been a day where several NCAA players have signed their entry-level contracts.  The Flyers have joined in on the action, announcing the signing of defenseman Cam York to a three-year, entry-level deal.  Financial terms of the pact were not released but the contract will begin this season.  GM Chuck Fletcher released the following statement about the move;

We are pleased with Cam’s development and believe he is ready to take the next step with our organization. He was one of the top collegiate defensemen at the University of Michigan and was instrumental in helping lead the United States to the gold medal at this year’s World Junior Championships.

York was Philadelphia’s first-round pick (14th overall) back in 2019 out of the U.S. National Development Team where he averaged more than a point a game which is quite impressive for a blueliner.  While he wasn’t able to maintain that production in his two years at Michigan, he was still quite productive and notched 20 points (4-16-20) in just 24 games for the Wolverines this season which was enough to show Fletcher that he was ready to make the jump to the professional ranks.

As a result of the contract starting this season, York will be eligible to play for the Flyers down the stretch and into the playoffs if they’re able to get back into a top-four spot in the East Division.  More likely, however, is that he gets his feet wet with AHL Lehigh Valley.

It has been a busy few days for players picked in the middle of the first round in that 2019 draft.  All five selections from 12 through 16 played in college this season and have signed entry-level deals since Saturday.  Joining York out of that group are Cole Caufield (Montreal) who signed Saturday, Matt Boldy (Minnesota) who signed yesterday, as well as Spencer Knight (Florida) and Alex Newhook (Colorado) who all inked their first deals earlier today.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/31/21

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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:

Anaheim – Alexander Volkov
Boston – Jake DeBrusk
Los Angeles – Brendan Lemieux
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Eric Staal
NY Rangers – Brett Howden 
Vancouver – Adam Gaudette

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: Sean Kuraly, Boston Bruins

Kuraly coming off means it’s another good day for the NHL, even though Adam Gaudette’s positive test was confirmed today. The Vancouver forward will miss a minimum of ten days, but hopefully, no more positive results will show up among the Canucks roster.

*denotes new addition

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Odeen Tufto

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While the rest of the hockey world focuses on some high-profile college talent signing their entry-level contracts, the Tampa Bay Lightning have announced a more under-the-radar signing. Odeen Tufto has signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Lightning for the 2021-22 season and will report to the Syracuse Crunch on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season.

Tufto, 24, was one of the top undrafted college free agents after an incredible senior season that saw him score 47 points in just 29 games. That mark was good enough to make him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, but it isn’t all that much different than his other three seasons for Quinnipiac University. The 5’7″ forward put up totals of 41, 42 and 38 points in his first three years, meaning he’ll leave college with 168 points in 139 appearances. His 39 assists led the nation this season and he served as captain for Quinnipiac.

While he doesn’t project the same as someone like Cole Caufield, the only NCAA player to score more points than him this season, Tufto is a sneaky depth pickup for an organization that has never been afraid of adding undersized forward talent. The Lightning have made stars out of players like Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde, neither of whom were drafted despite elite offensive numbers in junior. It’s a long shot, but perhaps the Tampa Bay development staff can coax a similar performance out of Tufto, who has scored a boatload of points at every stop so far.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Alex Newhook

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Boston College has lost another key member as the Colorado Avalanche have convinced Alex Newhook to sign his three-year entry-level deal, ending his college career. The top prospect will leave BC after just two seasons and turn pro, giving the Avalanche another explosive weapon to build around. His contract will kick in for this season, meaning the first year will be burned and he’s available to play once through COVID protocols. CapFriendly reports the breakdown of the deal is as follows:

2020-21: $875K salary (including performance bonus), $50K in performance bonuses
2021-22: $925K salary (including performance bonus), $850K in performance bonuses
2022-23: $925K salary (including performance bonus), $850K in performance bonuses

Newhook, 20, was the 16th overall pick in 2019 and dominated the college circuit in his freshman campaign. The winner of the Tim Taylor Award as rookie of the year in 2020, he scored 32 points in 34 games. It was an outstanding debut, but unfortunately, Newhook managed just 12 contests for BC in his sophomore season due to an injury suffered at the World Juniors and reaggravated in early January. Still, he put up seven goals and 16 points in those 12 games, showing exactly why he’s considered one of the top offensive prospects in the world right now.

In fact, back in October, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic listed Newhook 11th among the top-50 drafted prospects, down from fourth before the 2020 draft was held. “Power and explosiveness” is what Wheeler wrote about Newhook then, and indicated he has “no concerns” about the young forward’s future as a top-six option in the NHL.

He’ll have to crack one of the league’s deepest forward units, but the Avalanche do have some big names coming off the books soon enough. Gabriel Landeskog is a free agent this summer, though he’s expected to re-sign at some point given his status with the franchise, but so are Brandon Saad, Matt Calvert and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin are all up after the 2021-22 season, meaning the team will have plenty of room for Newhook if he proves himself worthy of a full-time spot by then.

Dallas Stars Sign Jordan Kawaguchi

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One of the top undrafted college free agents has found a home, as the Dallas Stars have signed Jordan Kawaguchi to a one-year entry-level contract. The 23-year-old forward recently finished his senior season at the University of North Dakota where he served as captain. He’ll report first to the Texas Stars of the AHL for the rest of this season on an amateur tryout before his entry-level deal kicks in for the 2021-22 season. CapFriendly reports that the deal will pay him a pro-rated $750K salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, and contains $82.5K in performance bonuses.

Kawaguchi, who is actually a cousin of former NHL forward Devin Setoguchi, has done nothing but score since he arrived at UND in 2017. Through his 136 college games, he recorded 126 points including 36 this season in just 28 appearances. The 5’9″ center was an offensive weapon for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL too before going to the NCAA, but went undrafted multiple times.

Now, after impressing for so long, Kawaguchi will get a chance to show what he can do at the professional level. The run of AHL games down the stretch is a great chance for him to show he is not just another undersized college scorer and could be a valuable asset to the organization. At the end of his one-year deal in 2022, he’ll be a restricted free agent.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/31/21

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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

North Division

  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Tyler Graovac from the taxi squad, giving them another forward option as Adam Gaudette remains in the COVID protocol. Graovac has played two games for the Canucks this season but is still looking for his first point.
  • After signing his entry-level deal yesterday, Yan Kuznetsov has been sent to the minors by the Calgary Flames per CapFriendly. The 19-year-old defenseman had six assists in his sophomore season with Connecticut before turning pro.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Alex Galchenyuk from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, with Timothy Liljegren being sent down to the taxi squad.  Galchenyuk has three assists in five games with Toronto since being recalled earlier this month.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Cam Johnson back to the taxi squad after recalling him yesterday under emergency conditions. Columbus didn’t end up needing him, getting a 37-save performance from Elvis Merzlikins instead. Johnson is really just a practice goaltender at this point and hasn’t even seen the AHL since the 2018-19 season.
  • As usual on off days, the Detroit Red Wings have moved a few players to the taxi squad. Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Frans Nielsen are all off the active roster for now, but it won’t be a surprise when several (if not all three) are recalled again tomorrow.
  • Ty Dellandrea and Justin Dowling have been moved to the Dallas Stars taxi squad after today after the former played for the team last night. The Stars are off after their overtime loss to the Predators and now sit at 11-12-10 on the season.
  • The Florida Panthers have promoted Brady Keeper to the taxi squad. The blueliner has two goals and an assist in nine games this season with AHL Syracuse.
  • The Nashville Predators have sent Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad. The forward has played in 25 games this season and with them having so many injuries, he’ll likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Dallas.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Luke Schenn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The veteran has played in 20 games so far this season, logging just over ten minutes per game on Tampa Bay’s back end.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Stan Bowman Named GM Of 2022 U.S. Olympic Team

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The 2022 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team will be led by Chicago Blackhawks’ Stan Bowman, who was announced as the general manager today. He’ll be joined by Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, who will serve as an assistant GM for the event. Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey, released a statement regarding the hire:

We could not be happier to have the combination of Stan and Bill, with the support of John Vanbiesbrouck, guiding our men’s Olympic team. We have a deep talent pool thanks to so many people, including volunteers at the grassroots level across the country, and it’s great to have the leadership and expertise that Stan and Bill bring in building our team.

Though it is not official yet that NHL players will be competing at the 2022 Olympics, Kelleher remains “hopeful and optimistic” according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times. The team will have an orientation camp this summer and the official roster will be named around New Year’s Day, 2022. If NHL players do go, the U.S. team could potentially be one of the tournament favorites, given the high-end talent that can lead the way. Names like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Quinn Hughes can join some of the more veteran players like Patrick Kane and John Carlson who were present at the 2014 Games, the last time NHL took part.

Bowman doesn’t have much international experience but will have Guerin to lean on, who actually competed at three different Olympics as a player. Guerin took home a silver medal in 2002 and has previously been an AGM with Team USA at the World Championships.

If the NHL decides not to go, Bowman and Guerin will actually not be managing the team, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. USA Hockey has a backup plan if that is the case and will have to “adjust accordingly.”

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