Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for October 2021

Five Key Stories: 10/25/21 – 10/31/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It was a busy week in the hockey world both on and off the ice.  Away from the rink, the results of the John Doe (later revealed to be Kyle Beach) sexual assault investigation were made public with some significant departures coming soon after.  Meanwhile, there were some notable injuries and extensions as well which are all highlighted in the top stories of the week.

Changes In Chicago: The aforementioned investigation showed that Blackhawks executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac were aware of what happened having been part of a seven-executive meeting to discuss it.  At the time the results of the investigation were released, it was announced that Bowman (who had been one of the longer-tenured GMs in the league) and MacIsaac (Senior VP of Hockey Operations) were no longer with the organization; Bowman officially stepped aside.  Soon after, it was revealed that he stepped aside from his GM role with USA Hockey for the upcoming Olympics as well.  Kyle Davidson has assumed the interim GM duties for the Blackhawks.

Coaching Change In Florida: Also in that meeting was then-head coach Joel Quenneville.  He had since moved onto Florida and while he was behind the bench for the Panthers for the first game after the report came out, it would be his last as he resigned soon after a meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman.  Assistant Andrew Brunette has taken over on an interim basis while a search is underway to find their next bench boss.  Meanwhile, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, who was part of that meeting as well, will not be disciplined by the NHL.

Rielly Sticks Around: One of the questions for the Maple Leafs heading into training camp was whether or not they’d be able to afford an extension for defenseman Morgan Rielly and still have their four forwards that take up roughly half the salary cap on their books.  It appears they’re going to try to do just that as Toronto inked the blueliner to an eight-year, $60MM extension.  The $7.5MM AAV means that they will have roughly $48MM tied up in just five players for next season which will be tricky to navigate.  However, the core of their back end is also now intact for a little while as Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie are all signed through 2023-24 which should give them some stability on that front.

Kucherov Out Again: Nikita Kucherov is back on LTIR once again as he will miss eight to ten weeks after undergoing a successful procedure to repair an undisclosed leg injury.  Kucherov notably missed all of last season with a hip issue before returning to help lead Tampa Bay to their second straight Stanley Cup with the team being able to spend his $9.5MM AAV on replacements to bolster their roster.  With Kucherov expected to return later this season, that won’t be the case this time around as they’ll need to get back to cap compliance to activate him.  The 28-year-old had a goal and three assists in three games before suffering the injury.

Banged Up Kings: Los Angeles is a little shorthanded on the back end now with two of their top defenders out long term.  Drew Doughty, their top blueliner, won’t skate for six weeks with the hope that he’ll be able to return at the end of December.  Meanwhile, Sean Walker, one of their other right-shot rearguards, is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL.  Both players are eligible to go on LTIR and in Walker’s case, they’ll be able to spend his $2.65MM AAV to try to add a replacement, a search that has already begun.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Kraken, Backstrom, Avalanche

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The list of people in COVID protocol continues to grow as prior to their game against the Rangers tonight, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that center Jared McCann and assistant coach Paul MacFarland have both entered the protocol.  McCann is off to a nice start to his season, leading Seattle in points with three goals and four assists through their first eight games while logging 16:24 per night, the highest ATOI of his career.  It’s the second time he has been in COVID protocol this season having been part of the group that was in there just before the regular season got underway.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip, he won’t be taking part in any practices and will continue to work on his own, relays NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The veteran is eligible to be activated off LTIR on Saturday but if he is still just able to skate on his own, it stands to reason that he won’t be cleared to return at that time.
  • The lower-body injury that took Avalanche winger Andre Burakovsky out of Saturday’s contest has left him listed as day-to-day, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 26-year-old is off to a slow start this season with just a goal and three assists in eight games.  Baugh adds that winger Mikko Rantanen, who has missed two straight games with a lower-body injury of his own, is also listed as day-to-day.

Ryan Getzlaf Sets Anaheim Ducks Franchise Points Record

at CDT | by 6 Comments

In what could be potentially his last season in the NHL, Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf set the team’s all-time points record today with his 989th point. In doing so, he passed previous record holder Teemu Selanne.

The 36-year-old center, historically known for his playmaking ability, set the record with a primary assist on a Troy Terry breakaway game-winning goal today in a 4-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens.

While there was some speculation about Getzlaf’s future playing status this offseason, the longtime Ducks captain signed a one-year, $3.0MM deal on July 28, 2021, to stay with the team. Getzlaf’s had a hot start this season, notching seven assists in 10 games while averaging over 18 minutes a game still. It looks to be a solid uptick on last year’s production, where he had just 17 points in 48 games, the lowest totals of his career.

Getzlaf’s played in every Ducks season post-lockout, he’s now had eight seasons with 50+ assists. He’s played over 1,100 games as a Duck and his 17 seasons in Anaheim eclipse Selanne’s 15 years.

Minor Transactions: 10/31/31

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s a slow news Sunday at the NHL level, save for a slew of COVID-19-protocol-related absences, but that doesn’t mean there’s no movement at any level of the hockey world. Keep up with a list of today’s minor transactions right here:

  • The AHL’s Belleville Senators have returned netminder Tyler Parks to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, per the Senators’ Twitter. Parks was called up to the Senators as the Ottawa Senators organization faced some goalie injuries, including Matt Murray at the NHL level and Mads Sogaard at the AHL level. As Sogaard is healthy and Murray is close to returning, Belleville has a full goalie roster once again and Parks is the odd man out. Parks didn’t make an appearance with Belleville during his callup.
  • The ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets have loaned defenseman Matt Murphy to Belleville, as listed on the ECHL’s transactions page. The 26-year-old Murphy was a Memorial Cup champion in 2013 with the Halifax Mooseheads, his second year in the CHL. After a solid college career with the University of New Brunswick, Murphy is now a reigning Kelly Cup champion with the Komets. In a brief AHL loan last year, Murphy had an assist in two games with the Chicago Wolves.
  • Per ECHL Week, the Rapid City Rush claimed forward Brett Gravelle off waivers from the Iowa Heartlanders today. A 25-year-old native of Forest Lake, Minnesota, Gravelle is playing in his first season of ECHL hockey. He had a three-point game in his only appearance with Iowa, a promising sign after similarly successful stints at lower levels of professional hockey.

Los Angeles Kings Place Viktor Arvidsson, Gabriel Vilardi In COVID-19 Protocol

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Los Angeles Kings placed forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Gabriel Vilardi in COVID-19 protocol just minutes ahead of puck drop of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, per the team’s public relations department.

Arvidsson has had a decent start to his Kings career, scoring two goals and five points in eight games while averaging 18:25 per game, his most in three seasons. He’s posted great possession numbers to begin the season and has been a remarkable complement to the team’s top-six forward group.

Vilardi has just one goal in seven games after a strong rookie season last year, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 54 games. He’s struggled to play meaningful minutes with the addition of Phillip Danault to the team, averaging just 12:58 per game as compared to 14:45 in 2020-21.

They’re big losses that add to a long list of crucial absences for the Los Angeles Kings, which includes Drew Doughty and Sean Walker on the back end.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Lightning, Watson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens are facing two big game-time decisions for Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks in defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Brendan Gallagher, as reported by The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu notes that Sami Niku will draw in for Petry if he’s unavailable, while Jake Evans, who’s still not 100 percent in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, would play in place of Gallagher if needed. It’s tough news for an already banged-up team that also lost Mathieu Perreault to injury today for two-to-three weeks. Petry and Gallagher have both had extremely slow starts, as Petry has no points through nine games with Gallagher has just a goal and an assist. It’ll undoubtedly force a lineup shakeup for Sunday’s game.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The status of Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Boris Katchouk is uncertain for Monday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Stamkos was absent from practice Sunday, taking a maintenance day, and head coach Jon Cooper is “hopeful” he’ll play Monday night but isn’t certain. Katchouk was hurt in practice Sunday and could be out longer. The 23-year-old forward has gotten into four games this season and is still searching for his first NHL point.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson is close to returning and could be ready for the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, per head coach D.J. Smith. Watson hasn’t played this season due to an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The return comes slightly ahead of the four-week timeline issued on October 10th. He could draw into the lineup in place of Logan Shaw, who’s registered no points in seven games while playing just 8:08 per game.

Mathieu Perreault Out Two To Three Weeks With Eye Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Montreal Canadiens forward Mathieu Perreault will miss two to three weeks of game action due to an eye injury, per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme mentions that the injury to Perreault did not occur during the team’s last game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, and Perreault had instead been playing through the injury for some time. Team doctors determined that Perreault would miss the aforementioned time period after a consultation.

Perreault had moved to the center position in recent games as Jake Evans has been absent from the lineup with a day-to-day status, playing between Tyler Toffoli and Cole Caufield. The Quebec native has done well early in his Montreal tenure, scoring four points (including a hat trick) in eight games. That’s tied for fourth in points on the Habs.

The 34-year-old Perreault makes a homecoming to Montreal this season after a 12-season NHL career split between the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, and mainly, the Winnipeg Jets. Perreault signed a one-year, $950,000 contract with Montreal in late July after a seven-year tenure with Winnipeg.

In Perreault’s absence, the team will likely rely more on Adam Brooks to get into some games after being claimed off waivers prior to the season from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

AHL Shuffle: 10/31/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There’s a light schedule on this Halloween Sunday, with only five games on the NHL’s docket. Nevertheless, there should be some action on the recall and reassignment front as teams deal with short-term roster absences. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Cal Foote from his conditioning stint with the Syracuse Crunch today, per a team release. The 22-year-old, who’s arguably Tampa Bay’s top defense prospect, hasn’t played in the NHL yet this season after undergoing finger surgery during training camp. He’ll likely draw into the lineup on the team’s third pairing with Mikhail Sergachev, letting veteran Andrej Sustr, who’s averaged just 10:48 per game in seven contests, return to the press box or minors.
  • According to Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, the Florida Panthers are re-assigning forward Zac Dalpe and defenseman Chase Priskie to the Charlotte Checkers. Dalpe was recalled just yesterday but was forced into action with Sam Bennett unable to go. Priskie’s shuffled up and down multiple times this season due to him not being waiver-eligible but hasn’t gotten into game action yet with the Panthers.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs returned goalie Michael Hutchinson to the Toronto Marlies yesterday. Petr Mrazek is once again healthy and after playing against the Detroit Red Wings last night, Hutchinson’s emergency recall is now over.
  • Forward Jack Studnicka has been returned to Providence by the Boston Bruins, according to the AHL’s transactions page. Studnicka, one of their top forward prospects, has one assist in three games with the big club this season.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, per the team. The move comes after Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel were added to the COVID-19 protocol today. Joseph will likely make his season debut during this call-up after notching five points in 16 games with Pittsburgh last year, his first NHL action.

Central Division

  • St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube says that the team will recall goalie Joel Hofer from the Springfield Thunderbirds after Ville Husso entered COVID-19 protocol today. The 21-year-old Hofer was a fourth-round selection by the Blues in 2018 and could make his NHL debut this coming week as the team’s next two games fall on back-to-back nights. A WHL and World Junior champion, Hofer’s started strong with a .936 save percentage and 3-0-1 record in Springfield this year.

Pacific Division

  • The Anaheim Ducks recalled Sam Carrick from the San Diego Gulls after announcing forward Jakob Silfverberg entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol today, per The Athletic’s Eric Stephens. The news comes after Silfverberg’s mysterious brief disappearance from the Ducks’ public roster yesterday. This is Carrick’s second NHL stint this season, playing 9:51 in his only game with the Ducks in 2021-22.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Ville Husso Placed In COVID Protocol

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The St. Louis Blues didn’t have Ville Husso on the ice at practice this morning, and it’s because he has been added to the COVID protocol. He joins Ryan O’Reilly, who has been unavailable the last several days. Brandon Saad, who had previously been in the protocol, rejoined the team this weekend and was on the ice this morning. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweets that his colleague and former pro goaltender Mike McKenna will strap on the pads again to help out the Blues at practice.

If Husso is a confirmed positive and held out for the next little while, the Blues will need to find a new backup goaltender for their games later this week. The team is off until Wednesday, giving some flexibility for testing, but it seems likely that Charlie Lindgren could be recalled for the first time this season. The 27-year-old Lindgren signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blues this summer after hitting free agency, and has played in two games for the Springfield Thunderbirds so far.

There have been many players ruled out because of COVID testing this year, but goaltenders, in particular, are obviously a tough situation for any team. This is exactly why some clubs expressed a desire to keep a taxi squad of sorts for that specific position, allowing every team to travel with a third netminder. If the Blues were playing in Los Angeles tonight instead of Wednesday, it may have been difficult to get someone across the country in time–McKenna’s appearance at practice exemplifies that.

Aatu Raty Changes Liiga Teams

at CDT | by 1 Comment

A few years ago, Aatu Raty was on track to challenge for the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft. That seems insane now, given how far he fell this fall, but it’s true–the young Finnish forward was a hugely touted minor and junior prospect, who made his Liiga debut in 2019-20 and starred at the World Junior Championship despite being the youngest player in the tournament. Unfortunately, the years since haven’t been nearly as successful, stuck at the bottom of the lineup for Karpat and left off last year’s WJC team altogether. Raty ended up going 52nd overall to the New York Islanders, nearly dropping all the way to the third round.

Now, after another brutal start to his Liiga season, with just one point and barely any playing time in six games, Raty is getting a new opportunity. Karpat has officially announced a move that will send Raty (along with Veli-Matti Tiuraniemi) to Jukurit in exchange for Axel Rindell, a Toronto Maple Leafs sixth-round pick.

To be clear, this isn’t a move to a contender for Raty. In fact, Karpat is one of the most consistently powerful teams in Liiga, while Jukurit certainly doesn’t stand in that category. This season, the former is near the top of the table once again, while the latter is struggling to reach a .500 winning percentage. That’s exactly the point though, as Raty should be given a much bigger role in the Jukurit lineup and hopefully will be able to get his development back on track.

The Islanders signed Raty to a three-year entry-level deal in August, but loaned him back overseas after a few preseason appearances. They likely had at least some sort of influence on the move, hoping to get their young forward more playing time. They could technically recall him and put him in the AHL if they felt it was a better option, though current success at that level seems unlikely for the 18-year-old.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top