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Five Key Stories: 12/13/21 – 12/19/21

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This past week will largely be remembered for two things – a bunch of players being placed into COVID protocol and numerous games being postponed.  However, there was some other notable news across the NHL over the past seven days which is highlighted in our key stories of the week.

Labanc Out Long-Term: A tough season for Sharks winger Kevin Labanc has gotten even worse as he will miss the next three months after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury.  The 26-year-old had been off to a particularly rough start offensively with just three goals and three assists in 21 games, marking the third straight season that he hasn’t played close to the same pace he had back in 2018-19 when he had 56 points in 82 games, earning himself a four-year, $18.9MM contract in the process.  Labanc will be eligible to be placed on LTIR if San Jose needs to free up cap space although that shouldn’t be an issue for them in the short term at least.

Good News To Bad For Spezza: It was an interesting 24 hours or so for Maple Leafs center Jason Spezza.  First, his six-game suspension for a kneeing incident on Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk was reduced to four games by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on appeal which is an outcome that doesn’t happen very often.  That made him eligible to return right away.  However, that good news was quickly tempered as he was placed into COVID protocol less than 24 hours later.  Toronto is among the teams who have had their games postponed through the holiday break.

Maurice Resigns: There was a big surprise out of Winnipeg when head coach Paul Maurice suddenly tendered his resignation.  It wasn’t related to an off-ice concern, he simply felt he had taken the team as far as he could and that the team would benefit from a new voice.  Maurice also indicated that he had less enjoyment at the rink lately with the various COVID protocols.  The ‘new’ voice for the Jets is a familiar one with assistant Dave Lowry taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.  Maurice departs with a 315-223-62 record at the helm of the Jets and sits fourth in NHL history in total games coached with 1,684.

More Selling In Arizona? When the Coyotes started selling off their players, the belief was that there was one untouchable in defenseman Jakob Chychrun.  Now, it appears they’re at least open to the idea of moving him as well following a report that they’re gauging the market on the 23-year-old with a hefty asking price.  Chychrun’s numbers aren’t the greatest this season – seven points and a league-worst -29 plus/minus rating in 26 games but he’s logging significant defensive minutes on one of the worst teams the league has seen in quite some time; the ugly numbers are to be expected.  With a $4.6MM AAV through 2024-25, there will be no shortage of teams interested in acquiring him but will anyone be willing to pay the price?  We’ll find out over the months to come.

Fabbri Extension: Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri will be sticking around for the foreseeable future after he agreed to a three-year, $12MM extension.  The deal does not contain any trade protection.  Fabbri is in his third season with Detroit and has been a capable secondary scorer since being acquired, notching 32 goals and 31 assists in 111 games.  If he can stay healthy (and that has been a question mark throughout his career), Fabbri should be able to give the Red Wings a reasonable return on this deal, especially since they’re not dealing with any salary cap issues now or in the next few seasons.  Fabbri is one of nine Detroit players that have been in COVID protocol at some point over the past week which has resulted in their games being postponed until after the holiday break.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Tuch, Red Wings, Sgarbossa, Point, Dauphin

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The Sabres are set to welcome back winger Alex Tuch for their game on Monday, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  The 25-year-old was a big part of the Jack Eichel trade but he has yet to play this season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.  With Vegas, Tuch was used in more of a secondary scoring role but with Buffalo, he should get a chance to play a considerably bigger role.  He was expected to be back in roughly six months and if he does suit up against Columbus, he’ll have gotten back in just under five months.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • When the Red Wings had their pre-holiday break games postponed, some wondered if there may be more positive tests coming from them. That’s indeed the case as the team announced (Twitter link) that centers Pius Suter and Joe Veleno plus winger Sam Gagner along with assistant video coach Jeff Weintraub in COVID protocol.  That brings them up to nine players currently unavailable.
  • Capitals center Michael Sgarbossa was a late scratch from their game tonight against Los Angeles and it turns out that it was COVID-related as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been placed in COVID protocol. The 29-year-old was coming off a two-point performance on Friday and has three points in seven games with Washington this season.  The Caps did get some good news on that front as well, however, as winger Garnet Hathaway was taken out of protocol.
  • The Lightning could be getting a key player back soon after the holiday break. Head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) that center Brayden Point could be reclassified as day-to-day once they return from the break.  Point has been out with an upper-body injury for just under a month and was off to a strong start to his season before it occurred with 13 points in 16 games.
  • The Canadiens announced that they’ve placed center Laurent Dauphin in COVID protocol. The 26-year-old was recalled two weeks ago and has three points in five games since then including his first NHL goal in over five years.  The team has also shut down their facilities through December 26th.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Los Angeles Kings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Los Angeles Kings.

What are the Kings thankful for?

Jonathan Quick playing like the Jonathan Quick of old.

Ten years ago, Quick, then in his prime, was an elite goaltender in the NHL.  He led the league in shutouts, had a save percentage of .929 (his career high), and of course then helped lead Los Angeles to the Stanley Cup.  However, the last few years, he has battled injuries and poor performance with a save percentage that started with an eight in two of the last three seasons which is at the lower end for a backup let alone a starter.  That played a role in Cal Petersen getting a three-year, $15MM extension at the start of the season, giving them some insurance for a declining Quick.

Except Quick isn’t in decline this season.  In fact, he has gone back to being one of the elite goalies in the NHL with a save percentage that’s slightly better than the mark he put up a decade ago.  That has been the primary reason that the Kings have allowed the seventh-fewest goals in the NHL despite Petersen struggling and Los Angeles being hit hard at times with injuries on the back end.  Quick may not be in his prime anymore but he’s certainly playing like he still is.

Who are the Kings thankful for?

Anze Kopitar.

Through the good times of a decade ago and the not-so-good times that the last few seasons have been, Kopitar has been his usual reliable self.  He produces plenty of points, takes plenty of faceoffs, and often faces top opponents while doing that (although Phillip Danault has taken some of the pressure off of him this season).  The captain just does it all for Los Angeles.  As the Kings look to stay in the thick of the playoff race in the Pacific Division – they’re five points out at the moment – they’ll need Kopitar to help lead what’s still a fairly young roster.  There’s no reason to think he won’t be able to do just that in the second half of the season.

What would the Kings be even more thankful for?

Defensive production.  The Kings have just six goals from their defensemen this season, three of which have come from Drew Doughty who has been limited to just 11 games this season due to an early injury and a stint in COVID protocol.  The forward group isn’t the strongest in terms of proven NHL talent (more on that shortly) but this is a back end that has the potential to produce more than they have so far.  Michael Anderson was productive in college but has just one point this season.  Matt Roy was above average in terms of AHL production but he’s still chasing down his first goal of the season.  Kale Clague has their third-highest point per game average among blueliners but he’s in Montreal now with Sean Durzi producing at a similar clip since being brought up.  There is some room for improvement from their blueliners and that could go a long way towards helping them close the gap in the division.

What should be on the Kings’ Holiday Wish List?

Scoring upgrades.  If Los Angeles is going to hang around the playoff picture, they need to score more.  Only three players have scored more than six goals so far and only one (Adrian Kempe) has hit the double-digit mark.  It’s hard to have much success when a team is only scoring 2.62 goals per game.  A top-six winger that can give the Kings a second capable scoring line would be a big addition and could allow them to move Dustin Brown into a more optimal role.  With Sean Walker on LTIR for the rest of the year, they have a bit of flexibility to try to add and as LTIR room doesn’t bank like regular cap space does, it’s a need they can try to fill before the trade deadline.

A depth defenseman could also be a worthwhile addition but with Doughty now recovered from his injury, that’s less of a need than it was a month ago.  A top-four pickup would go a long way but there aren’t really (if any) available at the price point that they can afford on the cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brett Connolly Suspended Four Games

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The verdict is in for Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly.  The Department of Player Safety announced (video link) that they have issued him a four-game suspension for his interference incident on Stars winger Tanner Kero on Saturday.

In the video, it was noted that Connolly tried to argue that it was more of a collision than an intentional body check.  However, while the league acknowledged that it wasn’t a full-force collision, it was still a suspendable offense:

It is important to note that Kero was never in possession of the puck on this play and therefore is not eligible to be checked in any manner.  Fully aware of Kero’s presence and, with a substantial amount of time to change his path, avoid the contact entirely, move toward the wall to seal off the boards, or do more to minimize the impact on Kero, Connolly braces himself for impact and skates directly through his opponent.  And because Kero is never close to being in possession of the puck, he is in no way braced for contact, making him substantially more vulnerable. 

In the ruling, the league also acknowledged Kero’s injury as a factor but also that Connolly had no prior history of any fines or suspensions.  He will forfeit $70K in salary as a result of the suspension which, as always, goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Injury Notes: Wilson, Stone, Boyle

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According to The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, the Washington Capitals placed right wing Tom Wilson on injured reserve, although the move is retroactive to December 10. He hasn’t played the last week as he deals with an upper-body injury. Due to the retroactive nature of the move, he can be activated at any time. The team needed to free up roster space for Garnet Hathaway, though, who came off COVID protocol today, and moving Wilson to injured reserve accomplished that. Wilson’s day-to-day status hasn’t changed. He has nine goals and 15 assists in 27 games this season, on pace for a career-high in points.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • Many Vegas Golden Knights fans were concerned when captain Mark Stone missed today’s game with an upper-body injury due to his lengthy absence earlier in the season. However, head coach Peter DeBoer said after the game today that he doesn’t expect Stone to be out long-term. That’s great news for a Vegas team that’s finally getting on a roll after a nightmarish season in terms of health. The team now sits atop the Pacific Division, the place many expected them to be before an injury bug bit the team hard. The captain’s been red-hot recently, scoring four goals and 17 assists in 18 games.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brian Boyle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight against the New Jersey Devils, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed. Pittsburgh somewhat unexpectedly added Boyle, who didn’t play at all in 2020-21, to the roster prior to training camp with injuries to both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin limiting them down the middle. Boyle’s gotten into 19 of Pittsburgh’s 29 games, scoring three goals and providing a good defensive game.

 

NHL Shuts Down Detroit Red Wings Through Holiday Break

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The NHL announced today that due to continued COVID spread within the organization, the league has shut down the Detroit Red Wings through the holiday break.

Detroit’s facilities will be closed through at least December 26, the last day of the holiday break. Until then, players and staff have effectively been sent home.

As a result of the shutdown, Detroit’s game originally scheduled for Thursday against the Minnesota Wild is postponed. It’s the 40th NHL game to be postponed this season, further casting Olympic participation into doubt.

There are six Detroit players currently in COVID protocol – Filip Zadina, Carter Rowney, Givani Smith, Michael Rasmussen, Robby Fabbri, and Alex Nedeljkovic. Due to the nature of the release, it’s possible that more additions will be announced later tonight.

The Red Wings will come out of the holiday break with a 15-13-3 record and .532 points percentage, which is the fifth-best in the Atlantic Division.

Detroit’s shutdown was originally reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

NHL/NHLPA Pause Cross-Border Travel, Issue Updates On Season And Olympics

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The NHL and NHLPA released a joint statement today that the league will postpone any games that require cross-border travel through the holiday break. The 12 postponed games are as follows:

Canadiens @ Islanders (12/20), Ducks @ Oilers (12/20), Blues @ Senators (12/21), Canucks @ Sharks (12/21), Canadiens @ Rangers (12/22), Jets @ Stars (12/22), Oilers @ Kings (12/22), Blues @ Maple Leafs (12/23), Hurricanes @ Senators (12/23), Canadiens @ Devils (12/23), Ducks @ Canucks (12/23), Oilers @ Sharks (12/23)

Adding on these 12 games, there are now 39 games that the league has postponed this year. As instances pop up of players stuck on the wrong side of the border and potentially unable to get home for the holidays, the pause comes now to prevent any future situations like this from occurring.

However, the NHL and NHLPA in today’s statement remained with their stance today against placing a pause on the entire regular-season schedule. The league will continue to monitor COVID outbreaks on teams on a case-by-case basis, stating that they “will be monitoring not only the number and pattern of positive COVID results but also the depth of Club line-ups so as to ensure both the health and safety of the Players and the integrity of League competition.”

The two parties also gave an update on the potential of Olympic participation, stating they’ll reach a final determination within the coming days. They’re “actively discussing the matter” and commit to remaining flexible. The NHL has until January 10, 2022, to opt out of the Olympics without incurring a financial penalty. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculates that an “Olympics without NHL players seems to be a reality,” but doesn’t expect a formal announcement for a few days.

COVID Notes: Islanders, Oshie, Danault

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The New York Islanders have added two more names to the NHL COVID Protocol ahead of their matinee on Sunday afternoon. Veteran forward Matt Martin and rookie defenseman Robin Salo have been placed in the league’s protocol, the Isles announced. They join Mathew Barzal in the protocol, with Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock still sidelined due to injury. For a team still unable to hit their stride this season, the losses of a checking forward and depth defenseman still hurt as the team cannot afford to be so short-handed if they want to start winning games.

Two Players Clear Waivers

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Sunday: Both Sautner and Provolnev have cleared waivers, with the latter expected to return to Russia immediately.

Saturday: A pair of players are on the waiver wire today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Canucks have placed defenceman Ashton Sautner on waivers while the Coyotes have put blueliner Vladislav Provolnev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

Sautner, whose previously-reported deal from earlier today is now official, was set to join Vancouver for their game tonight against Toronto.  However, Vancouver announced (Twitter link) that both this game and Sunday’s contest against Arizona have been postponed so it appears they may not need the 27-year-old after all which likely has led to him being waived so quickly after being signed.

As for Provolnev, he signed a one-year deal with the Coyotes back in March after spending the past five years as a regular in the KHL.  However, the 26-year-old was sent to AHL Tucson soon after the season started and hasn’t been recalled since.  In 17 games with the Roadrunners, he has one assist along with 10 penalty minutes and a team-worst -17 plus/minus rating.  The move suggests that he will likely head back to the KHL once he clears on Sunday and Arizona will free up a contract slot, bringing them to 45 out of the maximum of 50.

Winnipeg Places Blake Wheeler On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Winnipeg Jets have been missing captain Blake Wheeler for more than a week with an undisclosed lower-body injury, but there had been no update on the club as to how long he might remain out. Context has now arrived, as the team has announced that Wheeler has been placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve. The Jets have recalled forwards Kristian Reichel and C.J. Suess to help backfill the forward corps in Wheeler’s absence.

Wheeler was initially injured on December 10 against the Vancouver Canucks in a collision in front of the net. Wheeler went down holding his knee and in obvious pain. The initial belief was that Wheeler could miss multiple weeks with the undisclosed injury and the move to LTIR would back that up that timeline, if not extend it.

Although Wheeler has only one goal on the season, far from normal for the experienced scorer, he still has 17 points in 22 games, making him the third-best per-game scorer for a Jets team that is struggling to meet expectations this season. Currently sitting in sixth in the Central Division and outside of the playoff picture, Winnipeg will be hard-pressed to turn their season around with Wheeler sidelined and will be hoping for a speedy recovery.

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