COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/14/21
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. With a full report in on time from all 31 teams, here is the list for today:
Edmonton – Kyle Turris
Los Angeles – Olli Maatta
New Jersey – Will Butcher
NY Islanders – Noah Dobson*, Jean-Gabriel Pageau*
NY Rangers – Phil Di Giuseppe*
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: Jake DeBrusk, Boston Bruins; Marcus Sorensen, San Jose Sharks
It wasn’t quite an even day for the NHL in their battle against the Coronavirus. Boston’s DeBrusk is off the CPRA list after just 24 hours, while Sorenson is removed after a longer stint. However, there are three new additions out of New York in the Islanders’ Pageau and Dobson plus the Rangers’ Di Giuseppe. Pageau in particular was curiously absent from the Isles’ lineup for their Sunday afternoon contest without any explanation from the club, but as assumed he has been sidelined by the league’s COVID Protocol. The team surely hopes it is a case of a false positive or some other minor occurrence, as Pageau is even more important to New York right now given the long-term injury absence of Anders Lee.
*denotes new addition
Anaheim Listening To Offers For Troy Terry
The Anaheim Ducks are in the unenviable position this season of having to not only evaluate which core players to keep or trade, but also which young player to keep or trade. The Ducks’ have built a deep, talented pipeline over the last several years, but continue to get inconsistent and underwhelming effort from many of their top young pros. While there are plenty of younger roster players and prospects that Anaheim is excited about, but also too many that have yet to pan out. So , as the team trudges through another poor season, not only are they fielding offers for veterans like Rickard Rakell, Adam Henrique, and Josh Manson, but they also face pressure to shop players like Danton Heinen, Sonny Milano, Max Jones, Jacob Larsson and more before their value disappears completely.
The latest addition to the latter list appears to be forward Troy Terry. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that he is hearing the Ducks are evaluating whether or not it is time to move on from the 23-year-old forward. Friedman notes that there is some belief around the league that Terry could benefit from a change of scenery. Anaheim is currently listening to those offers, though not necessarily shopping Terry.
A fifth-round draft pick of the Ducks in 2015, Terry flew under the radar as a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program. However, he quickly rose to prominence at the college level with Denver University. Not only did Terry produce back-to-back seasons of 45+ points in his sophomore and juniors years at Denver, but his play earned him a spot with Team USA at the 2017 World Juniors and 2018 Winter Olympics – and Terry was a point-per-game player in both tournaments. After leaving college early to sign with Anaheim, Terry entered the pros with high expectations. Four years later, Terry is still trying to meet those expectations. While the talented winger has dominated in the AHL with 57 points in 55 games, it has been a different story in the NHL, where he has just 12 goals and 35 points in 103 games. With seven points through 22 games so far this year, Terry is matching his 26-point full-season pace from last year. However, as a frequent scratch by the Ducks, even that isn’t a realistic benchmark for the young scorer. Even at his best, Terry is also a complete non-factor in the physical and defensive aspects of the game, making it difficult to slot him in the lineup when he isn’t scoring at a top-six level.
For any team interested in landing Terry, there has to be a plan to put him in positions that take advantage of his offensive ability while limiting his defensive liability. Terry may very well need a change of scenery, but he is not going to work out as a fourth-line player or facing difficult defensive match-ups no matter where he goes. This makes him a difficult player to place. Terry certainly has ample offensive upside, hence Anaheim’s hesitation to move him, but there is a reason that he has not produced or earned a greater role with the Ducks despite seemingly ample opportunity. Terry’s potential availability will be an interesting case to keep an eye on in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
North Division Notes: 2021-22, Quarantine Protocol, Sabourin
Although the North Division was only intended to be a temporary alignment in 2020-21, the all-Canadian grouping has been popular north of the border. As a result, there are a number of teams hoping that the division might stay together for a while longer. Commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant earlier this week that the league will return to its normal divisional alignment next season, albeit with a small shift due to expansion. Yet, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that several Canadian teams are hoping to get at least another year of national competition. Ironically, this only seems likely if there continue to be restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border through the summer and into next season; the same restrictions that are making trade acquisitions difficult for Canadian teams and could prevent the North Division winner from playing at home in the semifinal and potentially the Stanley Cup Final series. However, the teams in favor of the North Division remaining intact feel that the impact could be more important than any ill effects this season. Johnston notes that these teams can feel the excitement within the country of the reignited Canadian rivalries and want to see that expand with fans being allowed back into games, further boosting the focus on the league. However, there is a way for this to be accomplished without the North Division continuing. Discussions earlier this season centered around the value of continuing to push the regional, non-divisional rivalries that have sprouted this season simply by changing the way scheduling is handled, rather than through realignment. Furthering the emphasis on regional play through extra contents between geographically linked teams would not only continue to fuel the rivalries created or rediscovered this season, but is also a way to save money on travel as teams continue to deal with losses this season. Perhaps this is the way to go that will make both the NHL and their Canadian contingent happy.
- As noted, there is more downside than upside for the NHL and Canadian clubs to continued border issues. The most pressing of these problems with the trade deadline approaching is the required 14-day quarantine for anyone crossing into Canada, a major holdup in player acquisitions. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to Health Canada and found that, despite a report earlier this year, there has been no formal request made by the NHL to amend the quarantine rules for trade acquisitions. However, Friedman did not sound optimistic that any such proposal would be accepted anyway. Specifically, players have wondered whether they could avoid the quarantine period if an acquired player has been vaccinated, but Health Canada stated that they do not know enough about the impact of vaccination on transmission to allow such a change. Friedman notes that lobbying efforts continue from the league to strike some sort of agreement with the Canadian government to ease quarantine restrictions, but the likelihood seems low. With the deadline now a month away and nothing formal yet in the works, Canadian contenders will likely have to account for a two-week absence of any new players acquired from their American counterparts.
- It didn’t take long for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Scott Sabourin to make his mark on this season, and not in a good way. After signing with the Leafs in Feburary, Sabourin was assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to get back into game shape and made his season debut against the Laval Rocket on Friday. On Saturday, the Leafs recalled him to their taxi squad, adding a physical, gritty veteran to their group of potential substitutes. Later in the day, the AHL announced that when Sabourin returns to the AHL, he will be suspended for one game; Toronto opted to send him down on Sunday to serve that ban. Sabourin crashed the Laval net late in Friday’s game and started an altercation with multiple opponents and the league deemed this was worthy of a suspension. With a one-game suspension, not to mention 17 penalty minutes, after just one game this year, Sabourin seems to be returning to the aggressive reputation that he has built in his AHL career rather than building on the progress he made as a more composed player with the Ottawa Senators last year.
Trade Deadline Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets
Although we’re just two months into the season, the trade deadline is already a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets franchise is nothing if not hopeful. After 17 years of remaining faithful, the team finally won a playoff series in 2019 and then won another in 2020. Even though their play this season has been disappointing at times, they are still in the running for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division and have a non-zero chance of catching the upstart Chicago Blackhawks and holding off the Dallas Stars.
With that said, this Blue Jackets team is in the bottom third of the league in goals for per game, goals against per game, power play, and penalty kill. Even if they sneak into the playoffs, even if they again wondrously upset the Tampa Bay Lightning, this is not a team with title hopes this year. This is not a team buying at the deadline.
Besides, the Blue Jackets already made their big move this season: the acquisition of two new core pieces in Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. Columbus may not be playing up to their expectations this season, but it has been an odd year – and for this team in particular – and the Blue Jackets are probably best served to just take it easy at the trade deadline. Just as this is not a contending roster, it is equally not a roster in need of a rebuild. Columbus should stay the course. If they receive outstanding offers for their impending free agents or term depth players, they should consider. If they are faced with the opportunity to add a term depth player of their own, they should consider. By and large though, the Blue Jackets should focus on the group they currently have and see if they can sneak into the postseason. This is not a year for Columbus to do anything drastic.
Record
11-12-6, .483, 5th in Central Division
Deadline Status
Opportunistic Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$1.571MM in full-season space ($7.01MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 43/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2021: CLB 1st, CLB 3rd, CLB 4th, CLB 5th, NJD 5th, CLB 6th, CLB 7th
2022: CLB 1st, CLB 2nd, CLB 4th, CLB 6th, ANA 7th
Trade Chips
The Blue Jackets are sitting on a pair of prime time impending free agents, but unlike 2019, when Columbus couldn’t bear to let Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky go without loading up and going for a run, the team has a different reason this time around to think twice about parting ways with their most valuable pieces. Nick Foligno and David Savard bleed Jackets blue. The former is the captain and the latter is a career Blue Jacket and the longest tenured player on the team. There is certainly some discussion in the front office about whether it is really worth it to part with either player. Of course, much of that also revolves around extension talks. If this is the end of Foligno and/or Savard in Columbus anyway, then the team should trade them. However, if either one wants to remain with the club in the future, likely re-signing after expansion, it could be better for all parties if they held on to them. Foligno especially, as the locker room leader for a team that is still within reach of a playoff spot, has value on the team this season, perhaps more than he would to any other team in the league. Foligno is also having a down year offensively and may not command a great return. Savard, on the other hand, is extremely valuable to a great many teams as an experienced shutdown defender on the right side. Yet, he also fits perfectly as a complement to the Blue Jackets’ more offensive-minded, puck-moving top pair and the team surely hopes that he wishes to remain in that role moving forward.
Fortunately for Columbus, they aren’t without other valuable rentals if Foligno and Savard stay put, albeit to a lesser extent. First-time Blue Jackets Michael Del Zotto and Mikhail Grigorenko could be nice depth additions for contenders, as could bottom-six center Riley Nash. None of them have had especially noteworthy seasons, but are useful additions nonetheless. Del Zotto especially is affordable and experienced – a nice acquisition for a cap-strapped team in need of skill on the blue line.
Among term players, there are certainly already some calling for the trade of Max Domi. The off-season acquisition, who signed a two-year extension with the team, has been nothing short of underwhelming this season. However, is there any upside to trading him now? Domi, who already has a reputation for not lasting long with teams, may be at the lowest point in trade value in his career. Especially in a cap-strapped climate, the Blue Jackets would almost certainly not get back fair value. The optics would also be bad, as counterpart Josh Anderson has found immediate success with the Montreal Canadiens. Columbus would be much better off to hold on to Domi and see if he can improve next season before making a decision on his future. Unless, of course, someone blows them away with an offer. Domi was expected to fill a hole down the middle for Columbus, so any deal to move him out right now should aim to bring another talented center in.
Despite a recent extension in February, there is a more logical reason to potentially move defenseman Dean Kukan. Kukan has missed some time this season, but has played well when healthy. As one of the top candidates to be selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, the Blue Jackets may choose instead to get value back for the blue liner if there is interest. Of course, they may also just hold out hope that Seattle goes in a different direction.
Of course, the big move that Columbus could make is to break up their young goalie tandem. With both Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins set to hit free agency after next season, there is some question as to the viability of retaining both beyond that point. Either one would certainly draw interest on the trade market, though a deal is more likely in the off-season. Specifically, when it comes to Korpisalo, there may be limited demand around the league for adding an eligible goalie prior to the expansion draft rather than after. His market would likely be improved in the summer. If the Blue Jackets decide to make a big change in net at the deadline rather than waiting for the summer, it is more likely to be Merzlikins on the move.
Others to Watch For: D Scott Harrington ($1.633M, UFA 2022), D Gabriel Carlsson ($725K, RFA 2022), D Adam Clendening ($700K, UFA), F Ryan MacInnis ($700K, Group 6 UFA)
Team Needs
1) Draft Picks and Prospects – Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets are still feeling the effects of their all-out approach at the 2019 trade deadline, as well as some other moves they have made. They have not had many high-value picks over the past two years and are still without some key selections moving forward, including a second-rounder this year and a third-rounder in 2022. With many of their top prospects having graduated to the pros as well, Columbus has a young NHL roster, but a lacking pipeline. In fact, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked it 27th overall in the league, which would be easier to swallow if the team was performing better. Whether by picks or by prospects, the Blue Jackets need to try to replenish the system.
2) A Term Forward – The shrewd GM that he is, don’t be surprised to see Jarmo Kekalainen try to address the Expansion Draft ahead of the deadline. Assuming their most likely protection scheme and choices, the Blue Jackets are currently short one forward to meet the exposure quota that the draft demands, unless they re-sign Nash or Grigorenko, UFA’s they could instead trade, or Kevin Stenlund, who would also need to play regularly down the stretch to meet the games played criteria. Those options aren’t ideal and the Blue Jackets could just as easily find a player to trade for at a low price who covers them for expansion, but could also play a role next season if not selected. Although Columbus shouldn’t be a typical buyer at the deadline, an additional forward could also help in their continued pursuit of a playoff spot, especially if they move one or more of their impending free agents up front. Again, center is the team’s biggest positional need, but not necessarily the priority here in adding a player they plan to expose in expansion.
Anders Lee Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury
March 14: Lee has officially been placed on long-term injured reserve, meaning not only will he be out a while, but the Islanders will also receive some salary flexibility. Lee’s cap hit of $7MM gives the team plenty of room to make a deadline addition, so long as he’s not coming back before the end of the regular season.
March 12: The New York Islanders managed to hold on and win against the New Jersey Devils last night, but it came at a cost. Captain Anders Lee left the game in the first period and is now out “indefinitely” with a lower-body injury. Lee got tangled up with Devils forward Pavel Zacha and stayed down for a good while, obviously favoring his leg. The Islanders will not provide a further update.
If he is gone for any substantial amount of time, it’s a huge blow to the Islanders who have managed to climb all the way to the top of the East Division standings. Sitting at 17-6-4 through the first half of the season, Barry Trotz’ group also holds the best goal differential in the division and is currently on a seven-game winning streak. A big part of that success has been Lee, who leads the team with 12 goals and is second behind only Mathew Barzal in points.
In fact, those 12 goals tie Lee for 13th in the entire league, right alongside names like Kyle Connor, Mikko Rantanen, and Steven Stamkos. On a team that prides itself on getting contributions from everyone in the lineup instead of a few superstars, his standout ability to put the puck in the net is extremely important.
The Islanders are back in action for a back-to-back in New Jersey over the weekend and don’t seem likely to have the captain in the lineup.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Josh Dunne
The Columbus Blue Jackets have dipped their toes into the college free agent waters, signing Josh Dunne to a two-year entry-level contract. Dunne’s deal will start this season and has been immediately assigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 22-year-old served as captain for Clarkson University this season, though played just 14 games due to injury.
This isn’t the first time Dunne’s name has been thrown around by NHL teams. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports, the young forward was highly sought after last spring after an outstanding sophomore campaign that saw him win the ECAC Best Defensive Forward award. The 6’4″ center may not project to be a top-line player at the next level, but a commitment to both ends of the rink and good hands around the net are a mix that scouts love in undrafted free agents.
If Dunne is looking for guidance on his transition, he needs to look no further than the Blue Jackets front office. GM Jarmo Kekalainen also played at Clarkson as an undrafted forward before signing with the Boston Bruins in 1989. While things have changed a bit since then, even Kekalainen’s modest 55-game NHL career would be a win for Dunne.
Jake Gardiner Clears Waivers
March 14: Gardiner has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the taxi squad.
March 13: Jake Gardiner‘s tenure in Carolina hasn’t gone particularly well. He has underwhelmed offensively, been in and out of the lineup at times and now he finds himself on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report (Twitter link).
The 30-year-old is in his second season with the Hurricanes and after being a core defenseman over most of his eight seasons with Toronto, he has been more of a depth player with Carolina with his offensive numbers and playing time taking big dips as a result. So far this season, Gardiner has yet to score while recording seven assists in 17 games. Meanwhile, his average ice time has dipped below 16 minutes a game to just 15:48, surpassing his previous career-low which was set last season. Clearly, this isn’t the return they were expecting when they gave him a four-year, $16.2MM contract in September of 2019.
Between the contract and below-average performance, it’s seemingly all but a foregone conclusion that Gardiner will clear at 11 AM CT on Sunday where he’ll be free to be shuffled to the taxi squad. Several teams have placed underachieving, high-priced veterans on waivers in recent weeks for that very purpose, to free up some cap and roster flexibility while bringing the player back onto the active roster for games they’ll be playing in. At this stage, it would seem as if Gardiner will follow that path; this isn’t a case where his time with Carolina will be over.
As for how much cap room they would save when Gardiner eventually is sent to the taxi squad, they would only free up a prorated $1.075MM on the days he’s not on the active roster. But with the Hurricanes looking as if they’ll be a buyer once again at the trade deadline, any extra cap room would go a long way.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/14/21
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
- Dryden Hunt has been recalled from the Arizona Coyotes taxi squad, the first time he’s been back with the main roster since last month. The 25-year-old forward has two points in six games with the Coyotes this season.
- The Los Angeles Kings have made multiple moves, as has been the norm for the team this season, but it’s just one variety of transaction today. L.A. announced that forward Lias Andersson and defensemen Tobias Bjornfot and Daniel Brickley have all been recalled from the taxi squad.
- The San Jose Sharks have moved center Joel Kellman and winger Stefan Noesen to the minors, notes Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. They have played in four and five games respectively this season and have yet to record a point. Those assignments created extra taxi squad space which was used on forwards John Leonard, Fredrik Handemark, and Antti Suomela along with defenseman Fredrik Claesson, per CapFriendly.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned goalie Olle Eriksson Ek to the minors, per the AHL’s transactions log. Additionally, the Ducks sent defensemen Andy Welinski and Kodie Curran along with forward Vinni Lettieri to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Colorado Avalanche brought up defenseman Greg Pateryn and forward Logan O’Connor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players were in the lineup against Los Angeles today.
- The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Luke Johnson from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. His presence was needed due to Marcus Johansson‘s continued unavailability with the veteran remaining on IR a little longer.
- The St. Louis Blues assigned forward Dakota Joshua and Steven Santini to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Additionally, the Blues sent winger Sam Anas back to the minors.
- The Vegas Golden Knights sent defenseman Dylan Coghlan and winger Patrick Brown to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Just days after recording a hat trick, it’s expected that Coghlan will be recalled before Monday’s game against San Jose.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Mathias Brome from the taxi squad as they prepare for their early evening game against the Hurricanes. Detroit actually won their last game against the Lightning, scoring six goals in the process. Brome wasn’t part of that game, but it looks like he will draw back in today. Following the game, he was sent back to the taxi squad.
- Alexander Radulov is back with the Dallas Stars. The team announced that the big scoring forward has been activated from the Injured Reserve. To make room for Radulov’s addition on the active roster, fellow forward Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad.
- After clearing waivers, the Carolina Hurricanes sent defenseman Jake Gardiner to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, while recalling forward Morgan Geekie and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Both Geekie and Nedeljkovic have been making near-daily appearances on these lists this season.
- The Nashville Predators returned defensemen Ben Harpur and Alexandre Carrier to the taxi squad. Carrier scored his first career NHL goal on Saturday while Harpur has played in nine games so far this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning sent defenseman Luke Schenn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The move doesn’t bank them any extra cap space since they’re already in LTIR but it extends Schenn’s waiver exemption.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins recalled forwards Karson Kuhlman and Oskar Steen as well as defenseman Jack Ahcan to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. The moves are dated for Monday which signifies that Boston will be recalling multiple players up from the taxi squad in advance of their game against Pittsburgh. Some of those players will likely be defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, Anton Blidh, and Daniel Vladar who were all sent to the taxi squad today, per CapFriendly.
- The New York Rangers have returned forward Morgan Barron to AHL Hartford, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 22-year-old has five goals in just eight games with the Wolf Pack in his first professional season. They also assigned defensemen Libor Hajek and K’Andre Miller, forward Kaapo Kakko, and goalie Keith Kinkaid to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The New York Islanders recalled forwards Leo Komarov and Austin Czarnik from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veterans cleared waivers earlier in the year and have been shuffled back and forth with some regularity since then.
- With an off day, the Philadelphia Flyers returned defenseman Nate Prosser and forward Andy Andreoff to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. With their next game set for Monday, there’s a good chance one (if not both) will be recalled for that one.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins sent forwards Anthony Angello and Colton Sceviour to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Sceviour picked up his first point in nearly two months earlier in the week.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Clark Bishop and Matthew Peca from the taxi squad. Bishop made his season and Ottawa debut on Friday against Edmonton while Peca has an assist in five games so far this season.
- The Calgary Flames recalled Dominik Simon from the taxi squad while sending forward Derek Ryan and defenseman Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both Ryan and Kylington were in the lineup in Saturday’s victory over Montreal.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Kenny Agostino back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 28-year-old made his Toronto debut on Thursday, playing just over four minutes against Winnipeg.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/13/21
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. Though the complete update came in late, here is the list for today:
Boston – Jake DeBrusk*
Edmonton – Kyle Turris
Los Angeles – Olli Maatta
New Jersey – Will Butcher
San Jose – Marcus Sorensen
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
Although a new name was added to the CPRA list today while none were subtracted, the NHL is still operating at a low number and have avoided any team-wide breakouts for weeks now. The few cases at a time in recent weeks seem to be limited to isolated infections or, in many case, false positives. The last Boston Bruins to enter the COVID Protocol, Charlie Coyle, was found to be the victim of a false positive and was back in action after just two days. The injury-plagued Bruins expect and hope that the same will be true with DeBrusk.
*denotes new addition
Seattle Kraken Among Teams Restricted In College Free Agency
The college free agent market has yet to really kick into high gear. Some NCAA teams have already finished their seasons, some of the names attached to those teams are now available, and some have even signed minor league deal. Yet, to date there has not been an NHL signing by a college free agent just yet.
That will all change soon, though. As conference tournaments continue through this weekend and next week, many more seasons will come to an end shortly. For those programs who aren’t a realistic candidate for at-large bid, ranked at least in the top-20 nationally, the next loss will be the final one of the season. This will continue until next Sunday – “Selection Sunday” – when the 16-team field for the NCAA Tournament will be revealed. Any fringe teams holding out hope will learn their fates and those on the outside looking in will join the teams that have already been eliminated in saying goodbye to the 2020-21 season. A week later, all but four of the tourney teams will also be done. By the end of the month, at the latest, college free agency will be in full swing and after the Frozen Four concludes and a National Champion is named on April 10, it is safe to assume that the free agent market will have been picked clean within days. Although college free agency has not yet made its mark this year, by this time next month the majority of the NCAA player rush could be over.
This poses a problem for the NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken. As Darren Brown writes for Sound of Hockey, the Kraken have yet to make their final expansion payment to the league and as such still lack official standing. This means that they cannot yet sign any free agents to contracts for next season. When the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league, they made their inaugural signing, undrafted junior free agent Reid Duke, on March 6. Already beyond that date this year, Seattle is behind on their payment schedule compared to Vegas and it will impact their ability to add prospects. It is believed that the Kraken are on track to make their final payment next month, presumably before the April 12 trade deadline, but by that time it may be too late to cash in on college free agency. If at all possible, Seattle would be best-served to make their final payment as soon as possible.
The delayed trade deadline date could cause some difficulty with college free agent decisions for a number of other teams, too. Normally, the deadline falls two weeks earlier than it will this season and much of the college free agent frenzy takes place after that date. Following the deadline, teams know for sure where they sit in terms of roster limits for the season, which has taken on even more importance in recent years as a key negotiating tactic for young free agents has been the opportunity to sign right away and burn a year off of their entry-level contract. For the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals, all of whom currently have 49 of their maximum 50 contract slots filled, they won’t have that assurance when the market begins to heat up this year. While the Ducks, a seller, have more certainty that they can move a current contract or two to make room for any college free agent signings, the Flyers and Capitals are expected to be buyers and risk leverage in deal-making above all else if they hit the 50-contract maximum by signing a college free agent and sellers know that they must shed a contract to add one at the deadline. The Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues, all at 48 contracts, will also have to be careful with the college free agent market if they plan to add multiple pieces at the deadline. This could all make for an intriguing period of NCAA additions, with some of the usual top suitors potentially playing it safe while teams with more flexibility and opportunity swoop in.