Flames Notes: Gaudreau, Bennett, Ryan
After a dismal 2019-20 campaign in which he posted a career-low in points and took a step back even on a per-game basis, Calgary Flames star forward Johnny Gaudreau looks like his old self early on this season. Gaudreau recorded a point in each of the Flames’ first nine games and has six goals and eleven points total through ten games. With Gaudreau’s elite production back, last year’s trade rumors have all but dried up, writes Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon. Even at a 68-point full-year pace last season, Gaudreau’s $6.75MM AAV contract was a value. However, there was considerable discussion about moving him in the case of his scoring touch continuing to fall off over the remainder of the contract. There was also a lot made of Gaudreau’s connection to the Philadelphia Flyers, his favorite team while growing up in New Jersey, and whether he simply desired a move out of Calgary. However, now that he is back to point-per-game scoring, there seems little chance that Gaudreau is going anywhere before his current contract expires after next season. While there are many who will continue to speculate that Gaudreau will leave for Philadelphia as a free agent – Dixon also notes the possible fit with the New Jersey Devils – he appears to be back in good graces with the Flames and their fans and the organization will do all it can to retain the dynamic forward for as long as possible.
- While the trade rumors are quiet when it comes to Gaudreau, it is the exact opposite for teammate Sam Bennett. Bennett is on the block and while the Flames have said they will take their time with a potential deal, his healthy scratch for the team’s last game somewhat betrays that idea. Whether or not Bennett has formally requested a trade out of Calgary remains unclear, there is seemingly universal agreement that the clock is ticking on the current relationship between he and the Flames. What everyone is not in agreement on however is what the Flames may be looking at in return – or more specifically who. New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo is the only trade target rivaling Bennett on the rumor mill right now and it is easy to see how the two teams may be interest in some sort of swap of the two outcasts. Bob McKenzie was the first to report that Calgary was interested in DeAngelo, but this was refuted by Flames beat writer Eric Francis. The pendulum has now swung back the other way, as The New York Post’s Larry Brooks has responded directly to Francis, stating the contrary. Not only does USA Today’s Vincent corroborate Brooks’ side of the story, he adds that the Rangers are also equally interested in Bennett. While the trade is unlikely to be a simple one-for-one due to salary discrepancy, there could be more to a potential Bennett-DeAngelo swap than some may have initially believed. Either way, both players seem destined for new teams sooner rather than later.
- While head coach Geoff Ward has not yet disclosed his plans for Saturday night’s lineup, per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, he may have no choice but to put Bennett back in. Derek Ryan, who has been invaluable as a bottom-six contributor to the penalty kill and face-off dot so far this year, suffered a finger injury in the Flames’ last game. While the team initially hoped that it was a minor injury and believed Ryan would not miss much time, Ward told the media that Ryan saw a specialist and has been diagnosed with a fracture. Depending on the location and severity, a finger fracture can take two-to-eight weeks to heal. There is currently no timeline for his return and someone will need to take his place in the starting lineup for the time being. Bennett, who is capable of playing a physical, energy role, is the best candidate, so if he is scratched again it will only serve to strengthen the argument that the Flames are protecting their trade asset for a forthcoming deal.
Anton Khudobin To Be Benched For Disciplinary Reasons
When the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Stars take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, it won’t be playoff hero Anton Khudobin starting in net. Or dressing as the backup either, for that matter. Instead, the beloved veteran will sit in the press box, benched by head coach Rick Bowness for disciplinary issues. While Bowness would not disclose the specific reasoning behind Khudobin’s punishment beyond calling it an “internal issue”, per The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks, he did provide a short synopsis of his thoughts on the topic:
You deal with things by communicating and making your feelings known, what is and what isn’t acceptable. I have very few rules, but you damn well better follow them.
The experienced coach clearly is not happy with Khudobin’s actions, as his words express. As a result, highly-touted rookie Jake Oettinger will get his third career start tomorrow with experienced AHLer Landon Bow serving as backup. Both players were in attendance at practice on Saturday; Khudobin was not. The veteran netminder showed up at the end of practice and skated without his teammates. It remains unclear whether Khudobin’s absence was a cause or effect of these ongoing “internal issues”.
When asked whether Khudobin’s benching would last beyond Sunday, Bowness remained non-committal. “We’ll deal with it one day at a time” was all that he would say at this time. With starter Ben Bishop on Long-Term Injured Reserve as he rehabs a knee injury and not expected back until March, Khudobin will obviously return to the Dallas crease at some point and there is no indication at this point that his current issues are anything that would force a trade or any other major move. However, with an off-season approaching in which Khudobin will be exposed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, this could only add fuel to the fire that Khudobin’s time with the Stars could be coming to an end this season. If Bishop returns and appears healthy and Oettinger seems ready to become an NHL backup sooner rather than later, bad blood between Khudobin and Bowness could see the Stars hoping that the Seattle Kraken select the talented veteran keeper. Just a few months ago, that statement would have been unthinkable as the well-liked Khudobin led Dallas to postseason glory. However, something has clearly changed.
Injury Notes: Blues, Armia, Necas, Kase
The St. Louis Blues’ Tyler Bozak, who has been sidelined since January 26th, has finally been retroactively placed on the injured reserve per a team release. Ironically, the Blues waited so long to make the the move that Bozak is already eligible to be activated from IR. However, he is still considered day-to-day and there is not definitive timeline for his return. Bozak has been out with an undisclosed upper-body injury since taking a heavy hit from Vegas’ Mark Stone nearly two weeks ago. Defenseman Marco Scandella has additionally been ruled out for the time being with an upper-body injury, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Scandella was a late scratch for the Blues’ game on Thursday, believed to have been the result of this same nagging injury. Thomas adds that Zach Sanford is also out for the Blues with, of all things in the age of COVID, the flu. Sanford is off to a slow start this season despite playing on the team’s top line recently, but perhaps taking some time to get back to full strength will put him back on track.
- Sanford is not alone in his struggles with the flu. While the virus is certainly the lesser of two evils this season, it is still hampering a return to action for the Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Armia as well. Armia, who was initially sidelined by a concussion, is doing better in that regard, head coach Claude Julien tells TSN’s John Lu. However, he has been unable to skate with the team due to flu symptoms. The team hopes to have Armia back at practice on Monday at the earliest.
- Young Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas has also entered the concussion protocol after suffering an injury on Thursday, reports Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. However, head coach Rod Brind’Amour is not worried that he will miss a considerable amount of time. Specifically, he tells Alexander that Necas is “going to be out for a little while but I don’t think it’s going to be very long.” His injury is only being termed as an “upper-body” ailment.
- The Boston Bruins are hoping to have Jake DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk back before their next game on Wednesday, but it seems Ondrej Kase is still a ways behind in his recovery from a concussion. Head coach Bruce Cassidy tells The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa that Kase has been able to ride the exercise bike, but he has not yet resumed skating. Kase has been out since the Bruins’ second game of the season and is currently on injured reserve. A talented, but injury-prone young forward with a history of head trauma, Kase needs to return to the Bruins lineup and show some durability and consistency and establish chemistry with his team ahead of an off-season in which he will be a restricted free agent and the subject of a difficult Expansion Draft decision.
Anthony Peluso, Kristers Gudlevskis Sign In Slovakia
HC Slovan Bratislava has made a pair of major additions to their roster as they gear up for the stretch run of the Slovakian Extraliga season. The former KHL club, now a powerhouse in the Tipos, lost a number of top young contributors when NHL and AHL training camps opened up, including forward Marian Studenic (NJD), defenseman Cam Lee (PIT), and goaltender Roman Durny (ANA). They also parted ways with former Buffalo Sabres netminder Andrei Makarov due to injury. Yet, the Andrej Meszaros-led team still sits in third place in the Extraliga, three points out of first with a game in hand. With a title in sight and holes to fill, Bratislava has turned to NHL veterans Anthony Peluso and Kristers Gudlevskis.
Peluso, 31, has signed a contract for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, the team announced. Peluso, who is making his first foray into European hockey, was undoubtedly hoping to find a new contract in North America. The former Winnipeg Jets regular, who has also been a member of the St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, and most recently the Calgary Flames, has 148 NHL games and 312 AHL games to his credit over eight pro seasons. Last year, spent with the Bakersfield Condors, was the first season in that span in which Peluso did not play on an NHL contract. Nothing short of consistent, Peluso has been a low-scoring, but physically menacing presence up front at both levels and has managed to make a career out of his grinding style. However, by joining Bratislava he may finally have some opportunity to break free of that role and show that he still has some offensive ability left in him. While the team’s press release mentions the benefits of his physical brand of hockey, they also note that he was brought in as scoring depth up front. While Peluso’s aggressive style is surely taxing, he doesn’t have as much tread on his tires as many players with his age and seasons of experience. Perhaps if he can take on a top role with Bratislava, it will open doors for an NHL contract next season.
Gudlevskis, 28, has also signed with Slovan for the remainder of the 2020-21 season after beginning the year with Villacher SV of the IceHL. Although Gudlevskis has not played in North America since 2017-18, he has been linked to an NHL comeback in every off-season since. The former Tampa Bay Lightning backup, who finished his first NHL tenure under contract with the New York Islanders, has played at a high level since moving to Europe. Posting strong numbers first in the KHL and then last season in the German DEL, Gudlevskis has shown that he is a capable keeper and at his age still has plenty of quality years left in him. However, he has never been a workhorse which may be limiting his upside in the eyes of NHL suitors. Will he get that opportunity in Bratislava? With Makarov and Durny gone, the team was forced to bring in another goaltender to pair with Tyler Parks. The long-time ECHLer has actually been stellar so far this season, but Gudlevskis’ experience may make him the go-to guy down the stretch and in the postseason. If that occurs, perhaps he will finally be able to make the jump back to North America this off-season.
PHR Mailbag: COVID, Hurricanes, DeAngelo, Senators, Blackhawks, Benning
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the COVID-19 situation around the league, Carolina’s goaltending situation, what’s next for Anthony DeAngelo, Ottawa’s early defensive struggles, surprises in Chicago, and Jim Benning’s future in Vancouver. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.
MoneyBallJustWorks: When does the NHL start to get concerned about the # of COVID cases and rescheduling of games?
aloop: Is the league okay with (should it happen) having teams who have played less than 56 games in the playoffs? Or if the Olympics get nixed again (as was the rumor a few weeks ago) are they okay with extending the season, so long as they can get the 2021-2022 season started on time?
I think they’re already starting to get concerned. It’s one thing to have a team or two being in a situation where games are being missed but we’re currently at four (Buffalo, Colorado, Minnesota, and New Jersey) and Vegas only ended their pause just yesterday. It’s not good from a health and safety standpoint both in terms of having more players getting the virus but also in terms of having those teams trying to complete their schedule in a shortened timeframe. Even with reduced travel, that’s not ideal. While they undoubtedly knew this was a possibility, they’re certainly not happy with the current state of things.
With regards to the number of games played, the goal, of course, remains for everyone to play 56 games and it’s believed they feel they have a buffer of a week or so after the season that they can reschedule games if necessary. What helps is that the playoffs are divisional so it’s not as if there is a crossover/Wild Card possibility as there typically is. Teams in a division where everyone plays all of their games won’t be affected if another division doesn’t unless the league uses that buffer week and delays the start of the playoffs. If they can’t get all of the games in, they could go by points percentage or even a play-in series in that buffer week. We’re still more than three months out from the end of the season so this is a decision they hope they won’t need to make for a while.
The rumor of the Olympics being cancelled again for this summer has been debunked and all indications are that they’re going to try to hold them. Of course, in this environment, things can change in a hurry. In your scenario, I suppose that could buy them a bit more time to fill out the regular season if need be if teams need to get games in but otherwise, they’re going to stick with the plan. The priority is getting 2021-22 underway at close to the usual start time and it already looks like a very quick offseason schedule. Compressing that any further is going to result in some pushback so I don’t see the league wanting to go further in the summer even if they’re able to.
SpeakOfTheDevil: How could things have gotten so bad for the Devils who now have 14 players in COVID protocol? Does the league make adjustments to the protocol now? Who loses their job for this epic blunder?
We’re up to 16 now for New Jersey although they’ve had two come off in recent days. We highlight it in each of our daily CPRA pieces but I’ll mention it here as well – someone’s presence on this list doesn’t necessarily mean they have the virus. Of the 16 the Devils have, there’s a pretty good chance most don’t. Instead, they’re a close contact of someone who does have it so erring on the side of caution, those players are also quarantining. Optics-wise, it’s not pretty, but this probably isn’t costing anyone their job. They knew this was a possibility when they decided to make the list available to the public.
From a protocol standpoint, we’ve seen some tweaks in recent days with regards to removing the glass behind the benches to create more of an open environment, further restrictions on in-person team meetings, and even arrival time in an attempt to limit in-arena player interactions though that last one didn’t go over well with the players. Rapid tests in addition to the usual PCR ones are also under investigation. More modifications are almost certain to come in the weeks and months ahead as more information is gathered.
mikedickinson: Mrazek out for a bit in Raleigh. Do they make a move or roll with Reimer and Ned in net? The team has been great this season and really think they can make a run.
I don’t think they’ll make a move for a few reasons. One, things are going well and they could certainly stand to get a longer look at Alex Nedeljkovic to see if he could realistically be the number two option for next season with both Petr Mrazek and James Reimer set to hit unrestricted free agency next season.
The second reason is that Carolina’s system doesn’t exactly allow a lot of shots. They’re 29th in the league in shots allowed per game at just 26.0 with Vegas and Boston allowing fewer. The Hurricanes aren’t a team that really needs goaltenders to steal a lot of games of them; they just need adequate goaltending most nights. Since joining them, Reimer has been capable of giving them that most of the time.
And even if they really could benefit from adding another netminder, there isn’t really anyone available that makes any sense for Carolina. The waiver market the first three weeks has seen every goalie get plucked up to the point where more teams are just biting the bullet and carrying three on the active roster. Knowing it’s that much harder to add that depth, the cost is going to be even more prohibitive.
Surgery went well for Mrazek and while there’s no timetable for his return, it certainly sounds like he’s expected back this season. In the meantime, they’ll have to ride it out with what they’ve got.
met man: Who do you think will eventually wind up with DeAngelo and what type of return, if any will the Rangers get?
I know there was a report earlier this week suggesting something could be done sooner than later but I don’t see it happening. It’s not that I don’t think there’s anyone interested – there clearly are – but in a normal year, finding a trade for someone with a $4.8MM price tag for multiple years is tricky. This season, with half the league in LTIR already and others shuffling players back and forth to and from the taxi squad to stay compliant, there are so few realistic trade options out there.
The Rangers certainly don’t have much leverage to command much of a return but they have the right to be very picky. As DeAngelo is just 24, a buyout on the final year would only be at a one-third rate, not the usual two-thirds. If they went that route, his cap hit in 2021-22 would only be $383K and 2022-23 would be $883K. Knowing that, GM Jeff Gorton probably isn’t going to have much interest in putting any significant amount of retention on DeAngelo’s contract to move him knowing the buyout is in his back pocket. That will also limit their willingness to take a pricey contract back beyond this season to offset money.
When this all happened, Detroit was the team that came to my mind as a realistic trade candidate. They have ample cap space and DeAngelo is young enough to conceivably become part of their core if everything went well. And if it didn’t go well, the buyout cost isn’t that prohibitive. They also have Marc Staal who was DeAngelo’s partner last season when he had a career year so reuniting the two could certainly make a lot of sense for them. They have some expiring veteran contracts that could eliminate (or at least reduce) the request for New York to retain salary as well; someone like Darren Helm ($3.95MM) comes to mind. Something like DeAngelo and a few hundred thousand of retention (up to or near what next season’s buyout cost would be) for Helm would at least give New York a roster forward in return which is a little better than having him sit out the rest of the year while waiting for a buyout and Detroit would get a possible short-term upgrade on the back end for a minimal cost. If a trade happens, that’s the type of move I’d expect.
JDGoat: How do you see the Senators fixing their defence moving forward?. Everybody brought in this past offseason has failed miserably. Do they just have to wait and pray on Sanderson, Bernard-Docker, and the rest of their prospect pool or are there external options that make sense?
They’re off to the right start with Artem Zub starting to play now and Erik Brannstrom finally being recalled. Are those players long-term fixtures? Maybe, maybe not. (They’re certainly hoping Brannstrom is given he was the centerpiece in the Mark Stone trade.) But I can tell you that Braydon Coburn certainly isn’t in the long-term plans so there was no reason to have him in the lineup ahead of one of those two, especially in a year where they’re expected to go through some developmental growing pains. They finally saw the writing on the wall when they waived him earlier this week.
I wouldn’t be surprised if GM Pierre Dorion has kicked the tires on more of an impact defender going back to the offseason with an eye on making a trade that’s similar to the Matt Murray one where they brought in a core piece while using some of their pick and prospect surplus although the fact nothing happened tells me they didn’t find the right match. I expect that to continue to be explored – even if they stay in the North Division basement – as they’re not in a spot where they can be picky about when they can acquire that player. If they can get a core defender in a trade, they need to do it even if they’re looking at high draft lottery odds.
The long-term plan is to have some of those younger prospects eventually graduate and form a back end with Thomas Chabot, Brannstrom, probably Nikita Zaitsev since he’s signed through 2023-24, and one external trade or free agent signing. Between now and then, they’re probably just going to use this season to evaluate some of their ‘fringe’ options in players like Zub, Josh Brown, and Mike Reilly to see if any of them are worth keeping around to put with that planned group for a few years from now.
Kings Claim Troy Grosenick Off Waivers
After just getting through quarantine protocols, Troy Grosenick is heading back to where his season began. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Kings have claimed the netminder off waivers from Edmonton.
The 31-year-old was originally signed by Los Angeles early in unrestricted free agency in October to serve as their third-string option behind Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen. Once Petersen was cleared shortly after the start of the regular season, Grosenick was waived for the purposes of sending him to the taxi squad but Edmonton claimed him with Mike Smith being injured though Grosenick had to serve a two-week quarantine period before he could suit up as Mikko Koskinen’s backup.
If Los Angeles was the only team to claim Grosenick, they will be able to send him to their taxi squad since they were the team that originally had and waived him. Otherwise, he’ll have to remain on the NHL roster or go through waivers again if they want to send him down.
The veteran has just two games of NHL experience, both with San Jose back in 2014-15 and has effectively been an AHL starter since then. Last year, he played in 33 games with AHL Milwaukee, posting a 2.29 GAA with a .920 SV% along with two shutouts which helped him earn a small raise at the AHL level in his one-year, two-way deal worth $700K in the NHL and $350K in the minors.
Meanwhile, Friedman adds in a separate tweet that Jets forward Dominic Toninato went through waivers unclaimed and that there wasn’t anyone placed on waivers today.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/06/21
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.
Central Division
- Givani Smith‘s recent shuffle continues as the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent the winger back to their taxi squad. Smith played 12:29 for Detroit last night against Tampa Bay and has two assists in five games so far this season.
- The Nashville Predators have returned Mathieu Olivier to the taxi squad along with fellow forward Eeli Tolvanen. To make room on the taxi squad list, forward Sean Malone has been assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, one of the two minor league clubs tied to the Predators this season in lieu of their own missing affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
- The Dallas Stars have swapped out some of their forward options as they continue to work out their best cominations early on this season. Heading to the active roster is rookie Ty Dellandrea as well as Tanner Kero, while Nick Caamano and Joel L’Esperance will take their places on the taxi squad. Dellandrea and Kero have a combined four points in 12 games so far while Caamano and L’Esperance have been held scoreless in a combined 11 games, thereby earning the former pair another shot.
- Zach Werenski has hit the injured reserve for the Columbus Blue Jackets with an undisclosed lower-body injury, but the defenseman is only expected to miss a week or two. Taking his roster spot for now is young forward Liam Foudy, the team announced.
East Division
- The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Drew O’Connor from the taxi squad. The 22-year-old has played in four games so far with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist. The Pens also activated defenseman Mike Matheson off IR.
- The Rangers have sent goaltender Keith Kinkaid to AHL Hartford from the taxi squad, per the AHL’s Transactions list. The veteran signed a two-year deal with New York this past offseason though he has yet to suit up this season. Adam Huska has been recalled to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.
North Division
- The Canucks have recalled winger Justin Bailey from the taxi squad, the team announced via Twitter. Going down to make room for Bailey is defenseman Olli Juolevi. Bailey has yet to play this season while Juolevi has played in seven games with Vancouver, scoring once while averaging just under 13 minutes per game.
- Calgary has opted to bypass the taxi squad for their latest recall, announcing (Twitter link) that center Byron Froese has been recalled from AHL Stockton. There’s an opening in the lineup following Derek Ryan‘s injury and Froese could fill that spot if the Flames opt to hold out Sam Bennett in the hopes of finding a suitable trade for him.
- The Canadiens have once again recalled winger Corey Perry from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. He has suited up in the last six games for Montreal, recording a goal and two assists.
- Ethan Bear has been placed on injured reserve by the Edmonton Oilers with an undisclosed injury that has kept him out of action since late last month. Combined with the loss of Troy Grosenick on waivers, the Oilers had two open spots on the roster. They have recalled Stuart Skinner to replace Grosenick as backup goaltender until Mike Smith becomes available, while forward Jujhar Khaira has been added as well to provide depth up front.
- After he cleared waivers, the Winnipeg Jets have activated forward Dominic Toninato from Long-Term Injured Reserve and assigned him to the taxi squad. The free agent addition is coming off a career season with the Florida Panthers but has his work cut out for him to find his way into a deep Winnipeg forward corps.
West Division
- With the St. Louis Blues placing Tyler Bozak on injured reserve, the team created a second open spot on the active roster. To fill those holes, they have recalled forward Mackenzie MacEachern and defenseman Jake Walman from the practice squad. Both are expected in the lineup for the Blues on Saturday afternoon.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
NHL Makes Numerous East Division Schedule Changes
With several teams in the East Division being hit with COVID-19 related postponements, the NHL announced a series of schedule changes. In total, 27 games have been rescheduled but it’s worth noting that all of the games are scheduled to be completed before the end of April which means there is no impact to the scheduled end of the season. The full list of changes is as follows:
East Notes: Penguins Injuries, Rangers, Quinn
The Penguins have been hit hard by the injury bug so far this season but help is on the way. On top of John Marino being removed from the CPRA list, fellow blueliners Kris Letang and Mike Matheson were full participants in practice today and should be available to play on Saturday, notes Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh has been forced to use 11 different defenders in the early going this season with just ten games played so far.
Meanwhile, Vensel adds that winger Zach Aston-Reese also travelled with the team on the second leg of their road trip with head coach Mike Sullivan suggesting that he will be a game-time decision at some point in this three-game stretch. The 26-year-old has yet to play this season while recovering from shoulder surgery and will need to be activated off LTIR before being allowed to return.
Elsewhere in the East Division:
- While there are several teams believed to be interested in Blues defenseman Vince Dunn, the Rangers are not among them, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. New York certainly has a need on their back end – particularly on the offensive side of things – following the dismissal of Anthony DeAngelo but for now at least, they’re staying away. St. Louis is seeking a first-round pick for Dunn who is making an affordable $1.875MM this season but will be a restricted free agent again this summer and will have arbitration eligibility this time around.
- Although the Sabres were hoping to have one of their top prospects in Jack Quinn available for their AHL season-opener, that wasn’t the case. As Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News details, with Quinn being on Buffalo’s taxi squad just before their schedule was put on pause, he must now go through the same quarantine protocols as the NHL squad even though he hadn’t skated with them for a while due to an upper-body injury. Accordingly, his pro debut will have to wait a little longer.
2020 Year In Review: November
2020 was certainly a unique year away from the rink. However, it was also a year that featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more. We continue our look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is November, a month that saw the UFA activity die down but several notable RFAs got contracts in place.
Bridge For Sergachev: With Tampa Bay’s salary cap issues placing significant limitations on what they do this offseason, it came as little surprise that defenseman Mikhail Sergachev had to settle for a short-term contract, ultimately inking a three-year deal with a $4.8MM AAV. The 22-year-old has quickly become a key part of the back end for the Lightning, notching at least 32 points in each of his first three full NHL seasons, all with Tampa after they acquired him from Montreal back in 2017. Sergachev will have one year of RFA eligibility remaining with arbitration rights and will be owed a qualifying offer of $5.76MM in 2023.
Boychuk’s Playing Days Over: While he is sitting on LTIR and technically remains under contract, Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk won’t play again as a result of eye injuries sustained late last season. He took a skate blade to the eye late in the regular season and while he returned for the playoffs, Boychuk took a high hit and was injured again with the end result being optic nerve damage. The veteran hangs up his skates with 725 career regular season games under his belt between the Avalanche, Bruins, and Islanders while he won a Stanley Cup with Boston back in 2011.
Mantha Signs Long-Term: While several restricted free agents of note opted to file for arbitration, one who didn’t was Red Wings winger Anthony Mantha. It turns out the reason for it was that the two sides were nearing an agreement and ultimately settled on a four-year, $22.8MM contract. The deal covers his final remaining RFA years plus his first two years of UFA eligibility, giving Detroit a front-line winger at a good price. Mantha, when healthy, has shown continual signs of improvement and wound up near the point-per-game mark last season. However, he had also missed considerable time the last two seasons which certainly didn’t help his negotiating power.
Nyquist Out Long-Term: Columbus was dealt an early blow on the injury front for their 2020-21 season when it was revealed that winger Gustav Nyquist underwent shoulder surgery with a recovery timeline of five-to-six months. The 31-year-old finished second on the Blue Jackets in scoring last season so his absence is certainly a notable one. GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that the procedure was done to fix a nagging issue that had been lingering for years. With the regular season running into May, Columbus should be able to get him back somewhere around the trade deadline which would give them a big boost for the stretch run.
Strome Gets Two: One of the more intriguing cases for a player being qualified or not was Rangers center Ryan Strome. The decision is believed to have come close to the deadline but they ultimately tendered the offer, making him arbitration-eligible. It didn’t get that far though as he agreed to a two-year, $9MM pact, buying out one UFA year in the process. The 27-year-old had a career year last season while showing chemistry with Artemi Panarin and after a slow start to this season, he has a four-game point streak currently going.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.