Charlie Coyle Added To COVID Protocol
After the list had already come out for today, Charlie Coyle of the Boston Bruins was added to the COVID Protocol. The veteran forward will not play tonight for the Bruins.
To be clear, inclusion on the CPRA 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
Coyle’s appearance in the protocol does not mean he will be out for any length of time other than tonight’s game, or that there has been any spread throughout the Bruins locker room. Still, it’s concerning at least for tonight, just over an hour before the opening faceoff between the Bruins and Washington Capitals.
Boston will have to go without Coyle, who had been playing well of late and has eight points in 19 games this season. The 29-year-old forward scored two goals in his last game and is an important part of the Bruins’ secondary scoring. The versatile forward has lined up at both center and the wing, while seeing time on both the powerplay and penalty kill.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/03/21
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 league is still waiting on a report from the Ducks and Kings, here is the rest of today’s list:
Anaheim – TBA
Boston – Charlie Coyle*
Los Angeles – TBA
Nashville – Ryan Johansen
Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby
San Jose – Tomas Hertl
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 players have been added to the list today, an especially good sign given Crosby and Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden were forced to miss last night’s game. Though the Pittsburgh superstar remains out, no one else has joined him on the sidelines. The Penguins are back in action tomorrow and Saturday against the Flyers; it is unclear if Crosby will be removed from the list and able to play in either of those games.
(Coyle was added to the list after it was originally published)
*denotes new addition
Jason Zucker Out “Longer-Term”
Mar 3: Zucker has been placed on long-term injured reserve by the Penguins, retroactive to February 23. He will need to miss at least ten games and 24 days.
Feb 25: The Pittsburgh Penguins are dealing with another substantial injury, as head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters this morning that Jason Zucker would be out “longer-term” with a lower-body injury. The veteran forward fell awkwardly into the boards after clipping skates with Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen and stayed down in obvious pain.
Zucker, 29, hasn’t played quite up to his standards this season, but still had seven points in his first 17 games before suffering the injury. His absence leaves a gaping hole in the Penguins lineup, one that isn’t the easiest to fix. Sure, Pittsburgh has other talented forwards, but the team’s depth was already being tested as names like Mark Jankowski, Sam Lafferty, and Colton Sceviour failed to provide much scoring punch.
Luckily, the team is expected to get Jared McCann back before too long. While Sullivan said he will not play tonight, he was a full-contact participant in practice and should be back in the lineup soon.
If Zucker is out long-term, it also may give the Penguins some cap flexibility to make an addition. The team is already in LTIR with some of their other injuries, and Zucker can be added to that group whenever necessary.
Zach Parise To Be Scratched By Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild will not have one of the cornerstones of their franchise in the lineup on Wednesday night, as according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Zach Parise will be made a healthy scratch. This will be the first time Parise has been a healthy scratch since signing a 13-year, $98MM contract to join the Wild in 2012.
The Wild have recalled Gerald Mayhew and Kyle Rau from the taxi squad, as Ryan Hartman is also expected to miss the game with an injury, but the big news here is Parise. Now 36, the star forward has racked up 801 points in a 1,034-game NHL career, including nine this season in 19 games. Russo connects the scratch to the end of Monday’s game, where Parise was on the ice for more than a minute and a half. The Vegas Golden Knights ended up tying the game with Parise on the ice, then winning in overtime.
Parise hasn’t been as effective this season but has long been one of the most marketable players in Minnesota, racking up points and goals on the regular. He’ll be 37 this summer though, and new GM Bill Guerin will have to make some tough decisions. There are still four years remaining on that contract and though it includes a full no-movement clause, Parise actually waived it last year to potentially go to the New York Islanders and rejoin Lou Lamoriello, the executive who drafted him with the New Jersey Devils in 2003.
It’s not at all clear if Parise will be dealt at some point this season, given how difficult it is to trade a contract like his, but there’s an obvious change coming in Minnesota. The team is rejuvenated with a new star at the forefront in Kirill Kaprizov, and they sit in a playoff spot today in the West Division. A scratch may be a one-time thing, but a quick look at Parise’s ice time numbers this season shows a player that is slowly being phased out. After averaging at least 17 minutes a night in every season since his rookie year, he’s well under that mark now and played just 12:42 in a game against the Los Angeles Kings last week.
Parise and teammate Ryan Suter signed identical contracts in that summer of 2012, ones that would not be allowed under today’s CBA. The 13-year deals are so heavily front-loaded that the last three years see just $4MM in total salary paid out. Those numbers mean that Minnesota would be on the hook for recapture penalties if Parise retires early, something that potentially could be out of their hands if he is traded to another team. It does mean however that anyone acquiring him wouldn’t be shelling out the $7.54MM that his cap hit indicates. After this season, just $10MM remains to be paid to the veteran forward.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Penguins, Waite, Fines
The Pittsburgh Penguins are under new leadership, so no one has a clear idea of how they will operate at the upcoming trade deadline. Still, Josh Yohe of The Athletic did his best to create a “most-likely-to-leave” list, ranking the Penguins players and evaluating their future with the organization. While Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin remain in their own categories because of the legacy attachment to the franchise, some other rankings could raise some eyebrows.
Specifically, Yohe sees a potential trade coming for Marcus Pettersson, given the team’s left-handed depth and the young defenseman’s contract situation. Pettersson, 24, signed a five-year extension worth more than $20MM in the middle of last season, before the team brought in Mike Matheson (and his hefty contract). With John Marino‘s new contract kicking in next season the Penguins have quite a bit of capital tied up on defense, which could lead to someone having to be moved out.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced last night that Stephane Waite, the team’s goaltending coach, had been relieved of his duties and Sean Burke would take over as director of goaltending. Montreal GM Marc Bergevin confirmed to reporters including Arpon Basu of The Athletic that Waite was fired during the second period of last night’s game and the decision was not based on anything that happened recently, but a “pattern” that he had noticed. Burke was already under contract with the team through the end of the season and has not been given an extension at this time.
- Nino Niederreiter has been fined $5,000 for his goaltender interference on Juuse Saros last night, the maximum allowable under the CBA. Niederreiter collided with Saros behind the net, making some contact with his head, and the goaltender left the game with an injury. The Carolina Hurricanes forward will avoid suspension, though this incident will be considered during any future supplementary discipline.
Derek Ryan Clears Waivers
March 3: Ryan has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
March 2: According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Calgary Flames have placed checking center Derek Ryan on waivers for the second time this year. He cleared just before the season began and then bounced back and forth between the taxi squad and active roster for the next month, accruing cap space for the Flames on off days. Ryan then suffered an injury but is nearing a return, and to continue that practice, he needs to clear waivers again.
Ryan, 34, has just a single point in ten games this season after failing to crack 30 a year ago. He’s in the final season of a three-year, $9.375MM contract signed in the summer of 2018 but still should be in regular rotation at the bottom of the lineup should he clear tomorrow. The Flames, who have been practicing a delicate salary tight rope walk all season, are trying to bank as much cap space as possible in order to have room for an addition at the deadline. When Ryan was injured, his daily swaps stopped and he was placed on long-term injured reserve instead.
That LTIR designation means he wasn’t able to return for at least ten games and 24 days, both thresholds that have eclipsed recently. Once healthy, he’ll have to be activated, though it’s unclear how exactly the Flames will maneuver the salary cap at that point.
Of course, there is always a chance that someone claims Ryan, though it seems very unlikely. His cap hit, performance and recent injury all point to him sliding through waivers untouched.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/03/21
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
- It’s gameday for the Los Angeles Kings, meaning Tobias Bjornfot has been recalled to the active roster. Drake Rymsha, Daniel Brickley, and Marcus Phillips have all been recalled to the taxi squad from the Ontario Reign, with Sean Durzi and Akil Thomas going down to the AHL. Thomas, 21, is still waiting on his first chance at the NHL level after dominating junior and scoring two goals in his first ten professional games.
- The Anaheim Ducks continued to shuffle their roster and taxi squad around. Per CapFriendly, recalled from the taxi squad are Trevor Zegras, Josh Mahura, and David Backes while Anthony Stolarz was sent from the taxi squad to AHL San Diego. With the four vacancies, Anaheim promoted Maxim Golod, Hunter Drew, and Lukas Dostal to the taxi squad from the Gulls and assigned Max Jones to the taxi squad.
- The Arizona Coyotes have promoted Michael Chaput from the taxi squad to the NHL roster, per CapFriendly. The 28-year-old has played in five games so far this season, averaging 10:53 per night while being held off the scoresheet.
- The Colorado Avalanche recalled Conor Timmins and Logan O’Connor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both recalls were on an emergency basis. Timmins has been held without a point in 14 games this season while O’Connor has two goals in eight contests.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Gerald Mayhew and Kyle Rau from the taxi squad while transferring Marcus Johansson to IR. Mayhew has an assist in three games this season while Rau hasn’t recorded a point in his two games.
- The San Jose Sharks recalled Alexander True and Joachim Blichfeld from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Blichfeld is expected to make his season debut tonight while True made his season debut on Monday.
- The St. Louis Blues promoted Jake Walman and Dakota Joshua from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly with the latter being an emergency recall. Walman has played sparingly in two games this season while Joshua scored in his NHL debut on Monday.
- The Vegas Golden Knights recalled Oscar Dansk and Dylan Coghlan from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Dansk’s recall means that Robin Lehner isn’t quite ready to return while Coghlan has played in nine games this season but logged just over eight minutes on Monday night. Logan Thompson was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Henderson to comply with the three-goalie rule.
North Division
- Glenn Gawdin has been returned to the AHL by the Calgary Flames after a five-game stint with the big club. The 23-year-old Gawdin is quite the story of perseverance and will get another NHL chance at some point. For the Stockton Heat, who are losing Connor Zary back to his WHL team, Gawdin’s appearance will be most welcome.
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Micheal Haley and Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad, which could potentially open the door for Ryan Dzingel to make his return after making it through his quarantine. The Senators lost to the Canadiens last night but are still playing better of late, going 6-4 in their last ten.
- The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Joakim Nygard from the taxi squad with Patrick Russell being sent to the taxi squad in a corresponding move. Both wingers have played in four games so far this season with Russell leading in points with one assist to Nygard’s zero.
- The Montreal Canadiens assigned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. It’s a move they’ve made several times in recent days since he cleared waivers but he’s likely to be recalled on Thursday. Cam Hillis was returned to AHL Laval in a corresponding move.
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned Brandon Pirri and Lucas Carlsson to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, after activating Carlsson from injured reserve. The 23-year-old defenseman had been dealing with a groin injury and likely needs some games to get back up to his previous level. In ten games this season, Carlsson has yet to record a point.
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Mathias Brome and Evgeny Svechnikov back to the taxi squad after another loss last night. Detroit now sits at 7-15-3 on the season, but ultimately that is exactly where they want to be in a rebuild. The team isn’t going to make the playoffs this season but will get another high draft pick to add to the prospect pipeline.
- The Nashville Predators have made their usual daily move, sending Tanner Jeannot, Mathieu Olivier, and Ben Harpur to the taxi squad. The Predators lost again last night, having injuries mounting to their best players and trade rumors swirling about the rest of the roster.
- The Dallas Stars have assigned Taylor Fedun and Tanner Kero to the taxi squad after last night’s loss against the Lightning. Dallas starts a two-game series against the Blue Jackets tomorrow, at which point they’ll likely make a corresponding move.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have once again returned Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Bean to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The two have been shuffled back and forth regularly over the past several weeks and will almost certainly be recalled on Thursday for their next game against Detroit.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning returned Ross Colton to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 24-year-old has a goal in two games so far this season.
East Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Frederick Gaudreau back to the minor leagues while moving Drew O’Connor, Josh Currie, and Anthony Angello onto the taxi squad. With the team also moving Jason Zucker to long-term injured reserve, they have a little cap flexibility if they want to go after someone through trade.
- The Boston Bruins made several roster moves in advance of their game versus Washington, per CapFriendly. Trent Frederic and Urho Vaakanainen were recalled from the taxi squad while Greg McKegg was sent back to the taxi squad. Additionally, Zach Senyshyn was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Providence.
- The Buffalo Sabres returned Jacob Bryson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The rookie has certainly held his own in Buffalo’s lineup over the last ten days, averaging nearly 18 minutes per night over his first four NHL contests.
- Oliver Wahlstrom‘s daily shuffling continues as the New York Islanders assigned him back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 20-year-old is on a five-game point streak and will undoubtedly be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Buffalo.
- The New York Rangers loaned Igor Shesterkin, Libor Hajek, and K’Andre Miller to the taxi squad in their normal off day cap-saving moves, per CapFriendly. Keith Kinkaid was recalled to the active roster to meet the two-goalie minimum while Ty Ronning was loaned from the taxi squad to AHL Hartford.
- The Philadelphia Flyers assigned Connor Bunnaman to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, DeAngelo, Draft
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the current kings of the NHL, leading the league standings and by a decent margin. In a rare season in which the Leafs don’t have to go through the Tampa Bay Lightning and more importantly the dreaded Boston Bruins early in the playoffs, Toronto is understandably excited about their prospects and willing to load up before the deadline to give themselves their best shot at a title. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team’s current focus is on bolstering their forward corps. He states that the goal is to add a middle-six forward prior to the trade deadline and, if possible, one that could line up at center on the third line or shift to wing and play higher in the lineup. One potential fit that continues to be linked to Toronto is Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund, if you can call him “middle-six”. On a struggling Predators team, Granlund has been one of the few highlights, leading all Nashville forwards in ice time, blocked shots, and Corsi For and second only to Filip Forsberg in scoring. Dreger believes that Granlund, an impending free agent, will absolutely be available as the Predators seem poised to begin a fire sale of sorts and he could be the ideal pick-up for Toronto as a luxury depth addition – a current top-line forward moving into a middle-six role. Of course, given Granlund’s strong play there will be other suitors and Toronto will certainly take a look at additional options should a Granlund deal not prove to be viable.
- Trade talks have quieted down on New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, as it seems that teams do not want to make the financial commitment this year and next to the polarizing defenseman despite his obvious ability. Yet, DeAngelo wants to get back on the ice. He was told that his time with the Rangers was over and, per TSN’s Frank Seravalli, that extends to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack as well. New York has informed DeAngelo that he will not be assigned to their affiliate; however, they are willing to loan him out to another AHL team. Seravalli reports that DeAngelo and his representation are currently in the process of trying to find a spot for him to play out the rest of this season in the minors. In the big picture, the fact that it has come to this means that a trade elsewhere seems highly unlikely. Expect DeAngelo to be bought out this summer and take a short-term “show me” deal elsewhere.
- Even as the Canadian junior leagues continue to work towards a full return to play, there are concerns about the 2021 NHL Draft and the pressure on teams due to the lack of complete information on eligible prospects. While European leagues, American junior leagues, and the NCAA have all had some semblance of a full season, the same cannot be said for Canada, the largest producer of NHL talent. A number of teams have expressed support for postponing the draft until later this year or even next year and a number of option have been proposed. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stated on a recent radio appearance that this change is easier said than done. Due to all of the language pertaining to draft eligibility and rights, all collectively bargained, it will be difficult to postpone the draft, even if it is in the best interests of the teams and many prospects. Friedman notes that the NHLPA presented the league with a number of issues that would need to be addressed before the draft could be delayed and Friedman hears that that there simply may not be enough fight on the league side to figure out the many solutions. Dreger reports that, one way or another, answers are needed soon and there could be a meeting as early as Thursday to discuss all issues and options.
Alex Goligoski Expected To Be Traded Before Deadline
As trade talks heat up, one player that certainly seems more likely than not to be finishing the season on a different team is veteran defenseman Alex Goligoski. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Arizona Coyotes are listening to offers for Goligoski and are expected to move him before the trade deadline in six weeks. Goligoski was also listed at No. 22 on The Athletic’s Trade Deadline Board and labeled “the most attractive” of Arizona’s five impending free agent defensemen.
Goligoski, 35, is in the final season of a five-year, $27.375MM contract that he signed with Arizona back in 2016. Although Goligoski has enjoyed some of his best seasons over the course of the contract, Seravalli states that there have been no extension talks with the Coyotes and Goligoski is expected to hit free agency this summer. With Arizona currently at .500 and sitting in sixth place in the West Division, looking unlikely to contend for a playoff spot, Goligoski is worth far more as a trade chip than he is remaining on the roster.
The Coyotes, uniquely in need of draft picks this year, stand a good chance of getting a nice return for Goligoski. Seravalli believes that there is already interest in the mobile defenseman and that interest could grow as the deadline grows closer. Goligoski brings experience and ability to any team willing to give up the pieces needed to get him. And while his contract carries a $5.475MM AAV, Goligoski is only making $4MM in actual salary, which could appeal to teams that are being careful about their finances. Seravalli also points out that teams are impressed by Goligoski’s ability to eat minutes, even late in his career, as well as his versatility as a left-shot who is equally comfortable on the right side. All these factors could produce a wide pool of suitors of Goligoski in the coming weeks.
Oilers’ Alex Chiasson Suspended One Game
After a hearing earlier today, the decision has come down from the NHL Department of Player Safety and Alex Chiasson has received a one-game suspension. The Edmonton Oilers forward exchanged words with Toronto Maple Leafs counterpart Jimmy Vesey after the final whistle on Monday night but took the skirmish too far with a cross-check to the head area. Chiasson technically received a major penalty and misconduct, but served neither with the game over. The league justly ruled that he thus deserved additional discipline:
Chiasson raises his stick, pulls it back, and delivers a sharp check to the neck of Vesey. This is a cross-check… What elevates this play to supplemental discipline is the fact that it is done after the game is over and for no legitimate hockey reason. This is not a hockey play. This is a forceful, high cross-check delivered to an opponent after the game has ended.
Player Safety does note that Chiasson has no previous history of league discipline, having never received a fine or suspension in his nine-year, 536-game career. This was likely a significant factor in Chiasson’s blatant post-game penalty not rising to the level of a multi-game suspension.
The Oilers will now be without Chiasson for Wednesday night’s re-match with the Leafs, the third straight game between the two teams. After losing the first two of this in-season series, shut out in both, Edmonton will have to try to right the ship without the help of Chiasson. Fortunately, Chiasson hasn’t been a key factor in the Oilers’ success this season anyhow; the 30-year-old has just seven points and has struggled to get shots on goal and create offense. Chiasson cleared waivers earlier this season, implying Edmonton was okay with losing him for nothing – a scenario they now face on Wednesday.