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Archives for May 2021

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/06/21

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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 so far:

Calgary – Josh Leivo
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: None

No new players hit the list, but Kuznetsov remains out for the Capitals. This is his third day in the protocol and certainly makes his status for tomorrow’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers uncertain. Still, this can be considered something of a win for the NHL as they try to get as close to clear as possible before the playoffs begin.

*denotes new addition

Snapshots: Kempny, Dach, Danforth

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The Washington Capitals have sent Michal Kempny to the AHL Hershey Bears on a long-term injury conditioning stint, suggesting that the defenseman is closing in on a return. In October, Kempny underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon suffered in offseason training and was given a six to eight-month recovery timeline. He has been skating with the Capitals for the last little while, but it was still unclear if he would actually play this season.

A conditioning stint would indicate that the 30-year-old Kempny may actually be able to play for Washington, at least once the playoffs start. The team does not have the cap space to activate him from LTIR right now, but that issue would go away in the postseason when the salary cap ceiling is lifted. Where he fits into the lineup at this point isn’t clear, especially coming off such a long injury, but adding depth at the position for the playoffs is never a bad thing.

  • Speaking of coming off a long injury, Chicago Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach won’t play again this season after reaggravating the problem in his wrist. Dach “continues to have some post-operative discomfort” according to team physician Dr. Michael Terry and he will be held out the final three games of the year. The 20-year old forward didn’t make his season debut until March 27, but that was much earlier than his initial timeline suggested. The team didn’t hold him back, letting Dach play more than 20 minutes in each of his first two games of the year. While there’s no guarantee this situation could have been avoided, it is a frustrating end to a disappointing season for the young forward. After scoring 23 points in 64 games as a rookie, Dach will finish this year with two goals and 10 points in 18 games.
  • Interested in seeing what all the fuss is about with new Columbus Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth? Tune into the IIHF World Championship later this month, where Danforth is expected to represent Canada according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. The undrafted 28-year-old signed his first NHL deal just a few days ago after three dominant seasons overseas. Danforth recorded 23 goals and 55 games in the KHL and will get to test his skills alongside some other NHL players at the tournament.

Pavel Buchnevich Suspended One Game

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The Department of Player Safety has decided that New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich will have to sit out, giving him a one-game suspension today after his high stick on Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha. The incident occurred last night in the brawling rematch between the two clubs and earned Buchnevich a five-minute major and game misconduct. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that while we agree that Buchnevich’s actions are defensive in nature, players are not excused from following league rules because of the actions of their opponent. While Mantha’s actions may have been provacative, Buchnevich is not permitted to respond to that provacation with a reckless and forceful strike directly to the face of an opponent.

As the league notes, Buchnevich has never been suspended or fined in his 300-game NHL career. Mantha also did not suffer a serious injury on the play. Both of those things would have factored into the decision to hand out the one-game suspension.

The Rangers of course will not be happy with this decision, given how publicly they called out DoPS head George Parros earlier this week for his decision to not suspend Washington forward Tom Wilson. The team called that a “horrifying act of violence” that went basically unpunished (Wilson did receive a $5,000 fine for his punch on Buchnevich). At his introductory press conference today, new Rangers president and GM Chris Drury said he expected Buchnevich to be gone for the rest of the season. The Rangers have two games left, meaning he could actually play in the season finale against Boston on Saturday.

Canucks, Devils To Relocate AHL Teams

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May 6: The AHL Board of Governors has approved the relocations to Abbotsford and Utica, from Utica and Binghamton respectively. The new divisional alignment will be announced at a later date, but Vancouver will be using Abbotsford and New Jersey using Utica for the 2021-22 season.

In addition, Utica and New Jersey have announced a new ten-year affiliation agreement. The organization will remain the Utica Comets, but jersey designs and colors will be revealed later in the year.

May 4: Amidst speculation that their current AHL affiliate in Utica will become New Jersey’s affiliate next season, Vancouver has found a new home for their prospects.  The Canucks announced today that they will move their AHL squad to Abbotsford for next year, pending approval from the AHL’s Board of Governors on Thursday.  Team owner Francesco Aquilini released the following statement:

With momentum starting to build, we are pleased to confirm our goal to bring our AHL franchise and Canucks prospects home to the City of Abbotsford. The move would bring significant opportunities for both our team and the community and it would begin a new chapter, bringing Canucks hockey to even more fans throughout the Lower Mainland.

Vancouver intends to operate the team out of the Abbotsford Centre which hosted Calgary’s AHL team from 2009 through 2014 after previously playing in Moline, Illinois.  Travel was a concern as they were the westernmost city in the league and eventually, Calgary opted to head to New York.

Interestingly enough, the Canucks are taking the opposite approach, leaving New York to go to Abbotsford.  Clearly, the fact that they’ll be able to have their AHL prospects in the same province is certainly ideal from a development standpoint but travel shouldn’t be as significant of a concern now with there now being an entire Pacific Division.  At first glance, it would seem likely that Abbotsford would join that group, making it an eight-team division for next season with Palm Springs set to join that group for 2022-23.

Mikko Rantanen Fined For Diving/Embellishment

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The NHL has issued a $2,000 fine to Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen for diving/embellishment, meaning that he has been flagged twice this season for the act. The league issued a warning following the first such incident, which occurred on March 23 against the Arizona Coyotes. The second happened on April 30 against the San Jose Sharks–an incident which resulted in a tripping penalty for Mario Ferraro–triggering the fine.

For Rule 64, the supplementary discipline is on a graduated scale that also includes fines for a head coach:

While Jared Bednar is certainly not going to bench a player like Rantanen, costing the coach money is never a good idea. The league will be keeping a close eye on the Colorado star and his teammates for the rest of the season. Coach fines start kicking in after four are issued to either one player or a club collectively.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/06/21

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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 Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Frederik Andersen to the AHL on a conditioning loan, where he is expected to play half a game for the Toronto Marlies. Meanwhile, they’ve returned Mac Hollowell to the AHL while recalling Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to the taxi squad.

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have completed their usual goalie swap, sending Kevin Boyle to the AHL and recalling Kaden Fulcher to the taxi squad. The team has bounced the two back and forth for the last several weeks.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Minnesota Wild Sign Daemon Hunt, Ryan O’Rourke

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The Minnesota Wild have inked a pair of draft picks, signing Daemon Hunt and Ryan O’Rourke to three-year entry-level contracts. The deals are for the 2021-22 season, but both young players will see those contracts slide unless they manage to crack the Minnesota roster.

Both of the young players got their first taste of professional hockey this season, suiting up for the Iowa Wild of the AHL. O’Rourke has spent the whole season there as the OHL never resumed, recording seven points in 28 games. The 18-year-old defenseman was selected 39th overall in 2020 after a strong pair of seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and will likely return to the Soo for the 2021-22 season.

Hunt meanwhile had a taste with Iowa before returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors for the shortened WHL campaign but is now back in the AHL on an amateur tryout. The 18-year-old defenseman had 18 points in 23 games for Moose Jaw this year, showing some nice offensive growth. Hunt was selected 65th overall, Minnesota’s fourth pick of the 2020 draft.

With Marco Rossi’s career still somewhat uncertain thanks to medical complications, Hunt and O’Rourke could become even more important pieces of Minnesota’s 2020 draft class. Both will likely return to the CHL next season to continue their development, but now have NHL deals to celebrate.

New York Rangers Issued $250,000 Fine

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The New York Rangers have received a $250,000 fine from the NHL for their public comments on Tuesday, following the decision from the Department of Player Safety to not suspend Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson. The team called for the dismissal of DoPS head George Parros and will now pay a fine 50 times greater than the one they issued to Wilson in the first place.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released this statement:

Public comments of the nature issued by the Rangers that were personal in nature and demeaning of a League executive will not be tolerated. While we don’t expect our Clubs to agree with every decision rendered by the Department of Player Safety, the extent to which the Rangers expressed their disagreement was unacceptable. It is terribly unfair to question George Parros’ professionalism and dedication to his role and the Department of Player Safety.

The Rangers have been a whirlwind of chaos since Wilson punched Pavel Buchnevich and threw Artemi Panarin to the ground on Monday night. They followed the statement by firing president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton, though senior advisor Glenn Sather told reporters again today that the two incidents had nothing to do with each other. Last night, the Rangers tried to take matters into their own hands by responding physically in a rematch with the Capitals, taking more than 80 minutes in penalties. Buchnevich also is expected to receive a suspension after high-sticking Capitals forward Anthony Mantha.

The league has issued fines like this in the past. During the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs the San Jose Sharks were fined $100,000 for GM Doug Wilson’s comments on the suspension given to Raffi Torres. In that case, it was a manager defending the actions of one of his players, but the two situations are still very similar when it comes to the punishment handed down by the league.

At the very least, this indicates that the league is standing behind Parros and his department leadership (though that should come as no surprise).

Ryan Poehling To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

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It wasn’t so long ago that Ryan Poehling was the star prospect for the Montreal Canadiens. On this day two years ago, after a strong junior season at St. Cloud State, Poehling burst onto the scene in his NHL debut, scoring three goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played just 11:22 that night, but expectations and excitement exploded, with many believing he would never leave the Canadiens lineup again.

After all, this was the 25th overall pick from 2017 and Poehling had the size and skill necessary to succeed at the NHL level. Now, two years later, Poehling has been passed on the prospect depth chart by several exciting Canadiens forwards and spent all of 2020-21 in the minor leagues. His AHL season is ending early, as the team announced he suffered a wrist injury that will require surgery.

Now 22, Poehling was dominant for the Laval Rocket this year. He scored 11 goals and 25 points in 28 games, leading the team in both categories. In his last game, which occurred on April 24, he had three assists and was the game’s first star.

Following the injury, Poehling now enters an uncertain offseason. He will be a restricted free agent for the first time but is not eligible for arbitration. His waiver-exempt status will not expire next year, meaning he could be on the way down the minor leagues once again. Luckily, because of his age when he made that 2019 debut, he is still exempt from the expansion draft and will not require protection. He’ll need a new contract through and with just five points in 28 career NHL games, doesn’t have much leverage to ask for a raise.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Jakub Galvas

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed prospect Jakub Galvas to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin in the 2021-22 season. The deal carries an average annual value of $867,500 and keeps Galvas from becoming an unrestricted free agent. Had Chicago not signed him by June 1, he would have hit the open market.

Galvas, 21, was originally selected 150th overall in 2017, but his game has come a long way since then. The Czech defenseman suited up twice for his country at the World Juniors and transitioned to the Finnish Liiga in 2019, taking on tougher competition and faring admirably. Though he will never overcome his size deficiencies—Galvas measures in at 5’11” 161-lbs—he’s learned to navigate professional hockey as a small player and use his elusiveness to his advantage. In 47 games with Jukurit this season he registered 11 points.

It’s hard to know if he will ever be able to handle the grind of an NHL game, but Chicago at least believes that he was worthy of an entry-level deal. He’ll join a growing list of young defensemen in the Blackhawks system that must battle for playing time in the coming years.

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