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Archives for April 2021

Latest On Tampa Bay’s LTIR Situation

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Since before the start of the season when they acquired the rights to injured players Marian Gaborik and Anders Nilsson from Ottawa, the Lightning have been tap-dancing around their LTIR cap ceiling in order to stay cap-compliant.  That took another turn earlier this week when it was quietly revealed that center Steven Stamkos was transferred to LTIR retroactive to April 9th due to a lower-body injury.

With that placement, some have wondered if that could pave the way for winger Nikita Kucherov to return earlier than expected from his hip injury.  The veteran has been skating for several weeks now – albeit in a non-contact capacity – and while he was ruled out for the entire regular season before the year even started, he is expected to be ready for the playoffs.

However, as Bryan Burns of the Lightning’s team site notes, that’s not likely to be the case.  The team currently lacks the salary cap room to activate Kucherov even with Stamkos on LTIR although that could be alleviated with forwards Alex Barre-Boulet and Ross Colton being sent down.  They also expect defenseman Jan Rutta to return and will need to free up room for that move to be made and will need to send those waiver-exempt players down to accommodate it.

Plus, as head coach Jon Cooper notes, they aren’t yet ruling Stamkos out from returning this season and the injury is unrelated to the core muscle trouble that kept him out of the bubble last summer aside from three shifts (of which he scored on one of them).  He’s already out until at least May 3rd due to LTIR requirements that say a player must miss 10 games and 24 days which means there will only be four games left in the season by the time he’s able to come back so at best, he’ll have limited game action before the playoffs.

The fact that they didn’t make the retroactive placement for Stamkos before the trade deadline is telling that they expect him back; Burns notes on Twitter that their hope is that he’ll be able to be back on the ice within the next week and a half.  Had they believed he was out for the rest of the regular season, they could have taken on David Savard’s contract without needing the extra salary cap retention that Detroit provided.  While it appeared that an avenue had been created for Kucherov to return, that’s not likely to be the case.  Instead, Tampa Bay will be continuing to deftly navigate their cap situation right down to the end of the regular season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Teravainen, Red Wings, Reichel

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Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen practiced with the team for the first time as he works his way back from a concussion that has sidelined him for all but one game over the past two months, reports Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.  The 26-year-old is a big part of Carolina’s offense and would certainly be a huge addition for the stretch run for their battle for first in the Central Division.  Head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated that the final call on when the winger returns will be Teravainen’s and considering this was only his first practice back, he’s likely still at least a few days away.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • The Red Wings have ruled out wingers Robby Fabbri and Evgeny Svechnikov for tonight’s game against Chicago, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). Fabbri has missed more than two weeks with an upper-body injury but has resumed skating while Svechnikov was injured in Thursday’s morning skate and is listed as day-to-day.
  • Still with Detroit, prospect Joe Veleno should be recovered from the concussion that caused him to miss the final three weeks of his SHL season by the time his quarantine period is done, mentions Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. The 21-year-old was a first-rounder of the Red Wings back in 2019 and played in 46 games with Malmo this season, recording 20 points while spending time both at center and on the wing.  While he’s reporting to AHL Grand Rapids for the time being, head coach Jeff Blashill suggested that Veleno could see some NHL action down the stretch as well.
  • The Blackhawks are hoping to bring 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel to North America next season, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The forward had a strong season with Berlin in the DEL with 27 points in 37 regular season games with their playoffs getting underway this coming week.  As Pope notes, Chicago is stockpiling a surplus of forwards which gives them lots of depth and perhaps some chips to try to move this summer.

Blue Jackets Sign Carson Meyer

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The Blue Jackets have put pen to paper with one of their former prospects, announcing the signing of Carson Meyer to a one-year, entry-level deal for the 2021-22 season.  Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The 23-year-old was a sixth-round pick (179th overall) of Columbus back in 2017 but didn’t sign with them when his NCAA career came to an end last year, making him an unrestricted free agent in August.  Meyer split his college career between Miami University of Ohio and Ohio State, spending two seasons with each school and was much better with the latter than the former, notching 53 points with Ohio State after putting up 36 over his first two years.

However, Meyer wound up signing a minor-league deal with the Blue Jackets in October after testing the market, effectively keeping him in the organization.  He has done well in limited action with AHL Cleveland this season, potting five goals along with seven assists in just 13 games which was good enough to earn him an NHL contract after all.  Given his limited professional action, Meyer is likely ticketed to go back to the Monsters next season but will now have the opportunity to be recalled if he plays at a similar level.

Kyle Okposo Out For The Season

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It has been a tough season for the Sabres, particularly veteran winger Kyle Okposo.  His season has now come to a premature end with the team announcing that Okposo has undergone surgery to repair a broken bone in his cheek and will miss the remainder of the season as a result.  The injury was sustained on Thursday after a dump-in attempt hit him in the cheek.

The 33-year-old has steadily seen his offensive output drop since joining Buffalo as an unrestricted free agent back in 2016, a trend that continued this season.  Okposo posted just two goals and 11 assists in 35 games, career lows in any of his thirteen full-time NHL seasons which is hardly the type of return they are expecting for someone carrying a $6MM AAV.  That deal still has two years remaining on it and a front-loaded, signing bonus-heavy structure that makes buying it out cap prohibitive.

Even so, it’s an avenue that GM Kevyn Adams may be wise to consider this summer.  Per CapFriendly, it would yield a $5MM cap charge in 2021-22 which only frees up $1MM on the cap but it’s possible that those savings could still allow them to bring in a better player for next season.  From there, the penalty wouldn’t be as steep with a $3MM charge in 2022-23 before dropping to $1MM for 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Meanwhile, Steven Fogarty was recalled from the taxi squad to take Okposo’s spot on the active roster.  The 27-year-old is in his first season with Buffalo and has a goal and two assists in eight games so far.  In a corresponding move, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was promoted to the taxi squad.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/17/21

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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 swapped taxi squad goalies, recalling Kevin Boyle from AHL Grand Rapids while assigning Kaden Fulcher to the Griffins, per a team release. Boyle last saw NHL action with Anaheim in 2018-19 and has just nine AHL games played this season while Fulcher has one career NHL appearance but hasn’t played at all this year while suiting up just twice in the ECHL last season.  The team later tweeted that veteran Frans Nielsen was also recalled from the taxi squad and added that top prospect Joe Veleno, just recently brought over after his season ended in Sweden, will replace Nielsen on the taxi squad after being recalled from the AHL.
  • The Florida Panthers have loaned Aleksi Heponiemi, Lucas Carlsson, and Brady Keeper to AHL Syracuse, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Scott Wilson and Cole Schwindt have been recalled in corresponding moves.  Carlsson was part of the five-player trade that saw Brett Connolly go to Chicago last week.
  • Matt Duchene has been activated from the injured reserve and is set to re-join the Nashville Predators’ lineup tonight. Joining him on the active roster will be forward Tanner Jeannot, who was reassigned to the taxi squad yesterday but is back up today.
  • The Dallas Stars have shuffled forwards just about every day this season. Today, the move is Nick Caamano being recalled from the taxi squad.

East Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced the recall of Carsen Twarynski from the taxi squad. The winger has been up with Philadelphia six other times this season but has played in just four games with the Flyers plus two more in the minors.  He’ll take the place of Tanner Laczynski who is out with a lower-body injury.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have returned Michael McNiven to AHL Laval. The move suggests that Carey Price is now ready to play after missing nearly two weeks with a lower-body issue.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Dominik Simon, Alex Petrovic, and Adam Ruzicka to AHL Stockton, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The Heat, who are based in Calgary this season, play this afternoon and after that, those players will likely be recalled. Justin Kirkland was recalled to Calgary’s taxi squad to bring it back to the minimum four players.
  • Joakim Nygard is on his way back up to the NHL roster, as the Edmonton Oilers announced that he has been recalled from the taxi squad. Nygard has only played in six games with the Oilers this season after suiting up for 33 in his rookie year.

West Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

North Notes: Pettersson, DiPietro, Pinto, Koekkoek

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Earlier this week, the Canucks were hopeful that Elias Pettersson would be able to return to their lineup when they returned to the ice and it was only pending a sign off from a specialist to give him the green light.  That won’t be happening.  Instead, GM Jim Benning told reporters, including NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley, that the visit to the specialist has yielded a longer recovery timeline including the possibility that Pettersson doesn’t come back this season after all.  It has been a tough year for the 22-year-old who had a big slump early in the season and now could wind up missing more than half the year with this wrist injury.  He’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

More from the North Division:

  • Also from Woodley’s column, goaltender Michael DiPietro is expected to be on Vancouver’s roster when they play against Toronto on Sunday. While Benning wouldn’t identify which goalie isn’t ready to return, he suggested that DiPietro, who hasn’t played a game at any level in more than 13 months, could see some action which implies that whichever netminder out of Braden Holtby or Thatcher Demko doesn’t dress then could be out for a little while.  The 21-year-old has two career appearances with the Canucks, allowing eight goals on 31 shots.
  • Top Senators prospect Shane Pinto will make his NHL debut this afternoon against Montreal, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 20-year-old turned pro after a strong season with North Dakota where he posted 15 goals and 17 assists in 28 games, opting to forego his final two years of college eligibility.
  • Oilers defenseman Slater Koekkoek is still several weeks away from returning to the lineup, the team announced (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has been out for nearly two months with a broken collarbone but is expected to start skating with the team in the coming days.  Koekkoek is currently on LTIR but at the moment, they have enough space remaining to activate him when he’s ready.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Dylan Holloway

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6:50pm: NHL insider John Shannon reports that Holloway’s contract will begin in 2021-22, so even if his thumb does heal in time, he won’t be playing for the Oilers until next season.

4:05pm: One of the most impressive players in college hockey has decided that two years is enough. Dylan Holloway has turned pro and signed his entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. It is not immediately clear whether the contract is for this season or next. Since he turns 20 in late September, Holloway’s three-year deal will not be eligible to slide, meaning if it is for 2020-21, the first year will be burned no matter where or how many games he plays this spring. Alternatively, if it begins in 2021-22 he would not be eligible to play for the Oilers this season, though could still join the Bakersfield Condors on an amateur tryout. The young forward is currently dealing with a broken thumb suffered at the end of his college season, so he can’t play for either of them at the moment.

Holloway, 19, was the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft and exploded at the University of Wisconsin, registering 11 goals and 35 points in 23 games. He was named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for his performance, though teammate Cole Caufield would eventually take home the trophy. Caufield also got the better of Holloway at the World Junior tournament, where the latter’s Team Canada finished with a silver medal.

If you hadn’t already started to respect the AJHL as a breeding ground for top NHL prospects from Cale Makar’s emergence, Holloway might be able to change your mind. The Alberta native decided not to play in the WHL to maintain his NCAA eligibility and scored 40 goals and 88 points for the Okotoks Oilers in 2018-19, earning AJHL MVP honors. He also was part of the Canadian contingent that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky in 2018, playing on a powerhouse squad with the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Bowen Byram, and Dylan Cozens.

Because he turned 18 just a few days after the cutoff for the 2019 draft, Holloway is a more advanced player than some of his 2020 contemporaries. That is only magnified by the fact he has already played two years of NCAA hockey, developing from a talented but inconsistent freshman to a dominant sophomore. His puck protection skills have hit a new level and he was one of the most reliable two-way players on a strong Wisconsin roster.

There’s a real chance that Holloway could grab a spot on the Oilers roster right now if healthy, but at very worst he’ll be in the mix for a full-time spot in 2021-22.

Lucas Raymond Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed another impressive young forward, reaching a three-year entry-level contract with Lucas Raymond. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 season and, according to PuckPedia, carry a cap hit of $925K. The contract includes up to $850K in Schedule “A” performance bonuses and $1.65MM in Schedule “B” bonuses each season.

Raymond, 19, was the fourth-overall pick in the 2020 draft behind the trio of Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, and Tim Stutzle. The Swedish forward spent this season in the SHL, once again suiting up for Frolunda. In his second full season for the professional club, he was given even more responsibility and ended up with 18 points in 34 games.

While that number doesn’t jump off the page, there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to Raymond’s offensive upside. The 5’10” winger has brilliant vision and routinely creates space for his teammates by drawing defenders into him before finding a passing lane. He’s best with the puck on his stick, carrying it through traffic or protecting it in the offensive zone. His future will likely be riding shotgun with the Red Wings best goal scorer, racking up points while still being a dangerous shooter in his own right.

Of course, there’s still development to go for the top pick, but getting Raymond under contract means we may see him in the NHL as soon as next season. The fact that he has years of professional experience will only help his transition to the NHL or AHL in 2021-22, should the Red Wings decide that North America is best for him. Of note is the fact that since Raymond’s birthday falls in March, his contract will be able to slide even next season–meaning he will have to play in at least 11 NHL games in 2021-22 to burn the first year.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/16/21

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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:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi*
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton
Vancouver –  Nate Schmidt, Jake Virtanen

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: William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs; Nils Hoglander, Vancouver Canucks

Donskoi is the new player that tested positive for the Avalanche, leading to the NHL postponing two games and shutting down the Colorado facilities. Of note, Donskoi played in Monday’s game against the Coyotes but did not take part in Wednesday’s game against the Blues. His absence in that match was explained as him feeling “under the weather” after receiving the vaccine earlier in the week, but he has now tested positive for coronavirus.

The Maple Leafs and Canucks have both had a player clear the protocol, just as the game between the two teams originally scheduled for tomorrow was pushed back.

*denotes new addition

Ottawa Senators Sign Cole Reinhardt

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The Ottawa Senators have signed another prospect, inking Cole Reinhardt to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2021-22 season, but Reinhardt is already playing with the Belleville Senators on an amateur tryout. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a statement on the signing:

We’ve been exceedingly happy with Cole’s play this season. For someone who was just recently drafted, he’s already showcased a great combination of strength and speed in addition to excellent hockey sense, which is likely his best attribute.

Reinhardt, 21, was passed over entirely the first two times he was eligible for selection in the NHL Entry Draft, but managed to land himself a sixth-round selection last October. The Senators used the 181st overall pick on the Brandon Wheat Kings forward, who had shown steady improvement offensively and recorded 31 goals and 55 points last season. Impressively, Reinhardt hasn’t looked out of place in the AHL, scoring seven points in his first 21 games with Belleville.

That performance has earned an NHL deal, though obviously, that doesn’t guarantee an opportunity will come at the highest level. Reinhardt will have to continue to work and develop his game, relying on the hockey sense that Dorion points out to create offensive chances for himself and his linemates. If the Senators are able to coax an NHL player out of their last selection in the 2020 draft, imagine how impressive the class–which had three first-round picks including Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson in the top-5–will be.

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