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Archives for May 2021

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/07/21

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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 today’s list:

Colorado – Devan Dubnyk
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov

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: Josh Leivo, Calgary Flames

No new names today, but it was confirmed that Ilya Samsonov is also in the COVID protocol with Kuznetsov. The Capitals goaltender is technically on the taxi squad, so doesn’t need to be listed here. Leivo finally gets cleared and can rejoin the Flames for the last few games of the season, after spending nearly two weeks in the protocol.

*denotes new addition

AHL Announces Pacific Division Playoff Format

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The AHL will only have a postseason in one of the five divisions this season, meaning the Calder Cup will not be awarded. Instead, the Pacific Division will be battling to take home the John D. Chick Trophy in an interesting tournament-style playoff.

All seven teams in the Pacific will compete, but the bottom four—likely the San Jose Barracuda, Colorado Eagles, Ontario Reign and Tucson Roadrunners—will play a single-elimination play-in to determine which one team joins the top three for the best-of-three semifinals. The finals will also be a best-of-three format. The play-in will be held May 18-19, with the semi-final round concluding by May 24. The division finals will conclude by May 29, meaning the trophy is going to be handed out this month. The full breakdown looks like this:

Play-In Series (May 18-19)
Game 1 – Tue., May 18 – #4 vs. #7, 1:00 PT (at Irvine, Calif.)
Game 2 – Tue., May 18 – #5 vs. #6, 7:30 PT (at Irvine, Calif.)
Game 3 – Wed., May 19 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7:00 PT (at Irvine, Calif.)

Semifinal “A” (best-of-3; to conclude by May 24)
Game 1 – #1 vs. Play-In winner (at higher seed)
Game 2 – #1 vs. Play-In winner (at higher seed)
*Game 3 – #1 vs. Play-In winner (at higher seed)

Semifinal “B” (best-of-3; to conclude by May 24)
Game 1 – #2 vs. #3 (at higher seed)
Game 2 – #2 vs. #3 (at higher seed)
*Game 3 – #2 vs. #3 (at higher seed)

Pacific Division Finals (best-of-3; to conclude by May 29)
Game 1 – Semifinal winners (at higher seed)
Game 2 – Semifinal winners (at higher seed)
*Game 3 – Semifinal winners (at higher seed)

*if necessary

The other four divisions decided not to hold playoffs this season, meaning their schedules are coming to an end soon (if not already). The AHL plans on holding a full schedule in 2021-22, starting on October 15.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Cam York, Felix Sandstrom

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May 7: York has been elevated from the taxi squad to the active roster as expected. He will wear No. 45 and make his NHL debut this evening.

May 6: The Philadelphia Flyers may not have much to play for over the last few days, but don’t tell Cam York that. The 20-year-old defenseman has been recalled to the taxi squad and is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday against the Washington Capitals. The team recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom to the taxi squad as well, meaning another NHL debut could be in the works.

York was the 14th overall pick in 2019 and is coming off an outstanding season with the University of Michigan, where he tallied 20 points in 24 games. There was no slowing him down in the AHL, where he immediately found success with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring five points in six games and earning the call-up. There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to York, who will quarterback the second powerplay unit on Friday as well.

An offensive threat every time he touches the puck, York will still need some time before he becomes a top option for the Flyers. Still, he’ll get a chance to dip his toe into the NHL waters here with an eye on cracking the roster out of 2021-22 training camp. With Shayne Gostisbehere suspended for his hit the other night, there is lots of opportunity for York to show what he can do over the last few games.

Sandstrom meanwhile is an interesting prospect in his own right, selected 70th overall in 2015. The Swedish goaltender played in the SHL through the 2018-19 season and spent last year in the ECHL acclimating to the North American game. This year, in nine appearances for Lehigh Valley, he has an .897 save percentage and 3.45 goals-against average. Now 24, Sandstrom is a restricted free agent this summer.

Dustin Brown Out Rest Of Season

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The Los Angeles Kings are technically still alive in the West Division playoff race, but will have to complete the final five games of the season without Dustin Brown. The veteran forward has been ruled out for the rest of the year with an upper-body injury he suffered earlier in the year. The Kings released a statement indicating that he will “continue to undergo treatment and rehabilitation.”

Brown, 36, has had a very strong season for the Kings, scoring 17 goals and 31 points in 49 games. That matches the goal total he had last year in 66 games and actually leads the kings, three ahead of Adrian Kempe. He was part of both wins against the Arizona Coyotes this week that kept the Kings’ playoff hopes alive, playing 17:41 on Wednesday. That will end up being his last appearance of at least the regular season.

The Kings, who sit at 21-24-6 on the season, are eight points back of the St. Louis Blues with five games left, meaning they likely won’t make the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The team hasn’t had a winning record since 2017-18, John Stevens’ only full year as head coach. Brown has been effective but will turn 37 in November and has just one year left on his current contract, meaning the end of his time in Los Angeles is coming soon, one way or another.

Zack MacEwen To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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For the second time in a few weeks, a Vancouver Canucks player is having a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for kneeing. Zack MacEwen has a hearing today after a hit that occurred in last night’s game against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.

This one is a little different than the incident with Alexander Edler earlier this season (which resulted in a two-game suspension) as Nurse was already down on the ice when MacEwen appeared to extend his leg to hit him again. The two were battling all night, even dropping the mitts and fighting in the third period.

Nurse did not suffer a serious injury from the knee, but MacEwen will likely be sat down for at least one game. The Canucks play the Oilers again tomorrow night, meaning the two will not be able to continue their war right away. The two teams do play again on May 15 however, meaning there could be some more shenanigans on the horizon.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/07/21

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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 Ottawa Senators have recalled Cody Goloubef from the AHL, adding him to the taxi squad. Goloubef hasn’t gotten into a single NHL game this season but has played 160 in the past, picking up a handful of appearances each season. The 31-year-old has five points in 25 games for the Belleville Senators this year.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have assigned Patrick Russell to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 28-year-old saw his first NHL action in nearly two months on Thursday, logging 10:31 in Edmonton’s loss to Vancouver.

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Givani Smith from the AHL to the taxi squad after spending nearly a month in the minor leagues. Smith, 23, has played 15 games for the Red Wings this season, collecting one goal and four points. A few hours later, the Red Wings recalled Smith, Mathias Brome and Joseph Veleno from the taxi squad to the active roster.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Matiss Kivlenieks to the active roster under emergency conditions, giving them another goaltender for the game tonight against Detroit. Kivlenieks has yet to appear in an NHL game this season.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes returned Morgan Geekie to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 22-year-old has been a regular for large chunks of the season and has played in 34 games, picking up two goals and an assist.

East Division

  • The New York Rangers have returned Jonny Brodzinski to the AHL from the taxi squad, even though Hartford’s season ended yesterday. Armed with a cannon of a shot, Brodzinski has always scored at a high rate in the minor leagues. In the NHL though, he has just 13 points in 62 career games.
  • After the Pittsburgh Penguins ruled out both Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith today with injuries, Alex D’Orio was recalled from the AHL under emergency conditions. Maxime Lagace is expected to make the start in the final game of the season, while Jarry and DeSmith are both expected to be ready for the playoffs.
  • The New Jersey Devils have assigned Brett Seney and Colton White to Binghamton of the AHL from the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log.  White has placed twice for New Jersey this season while Seney hasn’t seen any NHL action.  Their demotions were to make room for Matt Tennyson and Marian Studenic who were both sent down to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • With the Boston Bruins off tonight, they’ve returned Jeremy Swayman to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Swayman has been dominant in his first taste of NHL action, winning seven of nine games while posting a 1.44 GAA with a .946 SV%.  Cameron Hughes was also sent to the minors.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Niklas Hjalmarsson Considering Return To Sweden

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Veteran defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is nothing if not loyal. In his 14-year NHL career, Hjalmarsson has never once tested the free agent market. Instead, he has always signed an extension with his current team, each time arguably below market value as well. Hjalmarsson spent a decade in Chicago to begin his career, playing a key role in three Stanley Cup championships. Then, after the team traded him to the Arizona Coyotes, Hjalmarsson again decided to re-sign with his team, despite an unfamiliar rebuild underway in the desert. This season, in the final year of his current contract, Hjalmarsson even told the Coyotes that he would not waive his No-Movement Clause, opting instead to stick it out with his team.

It should come as no surprise then that, with the 33-year-old finally expected to become a free agent this summer, he is considering a return to a former team. No, not the Blackhawks. Swedish new source AftonBladet reports that Hjalmarsson is considering a return to the SHL’s HV71, the club with whom the blue liner played his developmental hockey. Hjalmarsson spent four seasons with HV71 before making the move to North America in 2007, but clearly the club has not forgotten their star alumnus. The report quotes the club’s GM, Johan Hult, as stating that Hjalmarsson is a “dream recruit”. Hult also notes that he has met with Hjalmarsson multiple times – at his home near HV71’s Jonkoping no less – to discuss the possibility of this move.

Of course, Hult admits that the move is dependent on Hjalmarsson not being blown away by an NHL offer this summer. It will be interesting to see what kind of attention, if any, Hjalmarsson draws in the off-season. Formerly a dominant two-way defenseman, Hjalmarsson’s game has slipped over the past few years. With two games left in his 2020-21 season, the veteran defenseman is on pace to record career-lows (among his full NHL seasons) in points per game, plus/minus, and time on ice per game, while his blocks, hits, takeaways, and possession numbers are all down as well. With that said, veteran presence still has value and contenders could still see Hjalmarsson as an experienced third-pair option – at the right price. However, the potential to return home to HV71 to play a major role may be more enticing to Hjalmarsson than chasing a fourth Cup as a depth piece. With the regular season ending soon, we could know shortly what Hjalmarsson’s next step may be.

Coaching Notes: Tocchet, Green, Brind’Amour

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It seems that Rick Tocchet’s days as the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes could be numbered. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that there is growing speculation that Tocchet and the ’Yotes will part ways this off-season. Tocchet’s contract expires at the end of the season and Dreger does not believe that it will be extended. If not for the NHL’s expanded playoff structure last season, Tocchet would have failed to make the playoffs in each of his four seasons as the bench boss in Arizona. The team was statistically eliminated from contention this season with last night’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings, marking the end of what at one time looked like a promising playoff push. However, this is the third consecutive season that the ’Yotes have remained in the playoff picture until the very end of the season. Last year, it earned them a play-in series berth which the team turned into an upset win over the Nashville Predators and a first-round match-up with the Colorado Avalanche. Considering that Tocchet took over a team that finished last in the Pacific Division in his first season, three years of fringe contention and a play-in series win is far from failure for the veteran coach. Dreger does not definitively state that the separation is a unilateral decision by Arizona and it could be that this is an amicable breakup coming between Tocchet and the team. A highly-regarded assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins before joining the Coyotes, Tocchet should have no problem finding a job this summer and it could be that both sides equally want a fresh start.

  • Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green is still waiting for his contract extension. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that a resolution is expected to come before the end of the season – which for the Canucks is still almost two weeks away – but he adds that there has not been any change to the status quo of late. Green, like Tocchet, took over a struggling team in 2017-18 and has improved the group, including finishing third in the Pacific Division last season and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. While the current campaign has not gone as planned, with Vancouver on the verge of statistical elimination even with a number of games in hand on their North Division competitors, the organization is happy with Green and LeBrun notes that there continues to be mutual interest in a new multi-year deal. With that said, Green is among the bottom-third of coaches in terms of compensation and is seeking a raise, but LeBrun reports that the Canucks have not improved their offer recently. If the two sides truly want to get a deal done before the end of the regular season, they need to get to work.
  • Rod Brind’Amour is another coach who is awaiting a contract extension and there is little doubt that the leader of the President’s Trophy favorites will get a new, long-term deal. However, Dreger notes that the Hurricanes want to get the new deal done before the postseason, which leaves little time to work out the details. Brind’Amour has previously stated that he wants all of his fellow coaches and support staff to also have new deals finalized before he inks his own deal, so the Carolina Hurricanes have a number of negotiations to complete over the next week or two.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Valtteri Puustinen

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have inked a very interesting prospect, signing Valtteri Puustinen to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 campaign and keeps Puustinen from becoming an unrestricted free agent next month. Penguins assistant GM Patrik Allvin released a short statement on his newest player:

Valtteri is a skilled forward with a great shot who utilizes his speed to play the style of game that we want to play here in Pittsburgh. He’s really matured as a player over the last couple of years playing with HPK and the Finnish national team, which is really exciting for us.

You wouldn’t expect Puustinen to be a seventh-round pick if you’d watched him this season, racking up goals and points for HPK in Finland’s Liiga. The 21-year-old scored 21 goals in 51 games, good enough for eighth in the league. That performance followed his breakout 2019-20 campaign when he scored 40 points in 54 games, a number he topped by one this time around.

If there is anything that will continue to hold Puustinen back it’s his size, as he comes in at just 5’9″.  That has become less of a concern in recent seasons but there’s no overlooking the fact that he will be outmatched physically at the NHL level. If he’s to make it, he’ll likely have to first prove that his strong offensive awareness can lead to production at the AHL level.

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