Snapshots: Three Stars, Bjugstad, Beijing
It was a western Canada sweep of the NHL’s Three Stars for this week, as young Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko took home the league’s top honors while Edmonton Oilers superstar teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl earned the second and third stars, respectively. Demko, who the Canucks are hoping can establish himself as their starter of the future this season, certainly played the part this week. He won all three of his starts, allowing just three goals total – one per game – on 103 shots. A 1.00 GAA and .971 save percentage are more than worthy enough of first star status. Meanwhile, McDavid and Draisaitl put up monstrous numbers that have somehow become commonplace for both. The duo combined for seven goals and 24 points in just four games. Somehow the Oilers won just two of their four contests.
- Nick Bjugstad‘s wallet is now $5,000 lighter. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that the Minnesota Wild center has received the maximum fine allowable for cross checking. The incident in question occurred on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Ryan Graves was the victim, taking a high cross check early in the second period. While the intent of the check was questionable at best, as Bjugstad battled Graves in front of the net, there is no denying that he delivered the check to Graves’ head area. That was all it took for the big pivot to earn a maximum fine.
- When the NHL returns to the Winter Olympics next year, they will do so on a more familiar ice surface. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun relays word from IIHF President Rene Fasel that the ice surface that will be used in Beijing will be North American in size. The IIHF has previously discussed using these smaller rink dimensions in competition after exclusively using the international dimensions in the past and the 2022 Winter Olympics will be the debut of this change. This does not imply that all future Olympic competitions will be played on a North American surface, but it does open the door for IIHF competition to be played on varying rink sizes, possibly as decided by the hosts.
Mirco Mueller Signs In SHL
One of the last notable unsigned NHL free agents has found a new home for this season. Defenseman Mirco Mueller, most recently of the New Jersey Devils, has moved on from pursuing an NHL contract to sign in Sweden. The SHL’s Leksands IF has announced a contract with Mueller for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.
Mueller, 25, was arguably the best unsigned blue liner left on the open market prior to this signing. Among current free agents, Mueller trailed only veteran Ron Hainsey in games played, time on ice per game, and points. That wasn’t even a career-best season either, as Mueller posted personal highs across the board in 2018-19 with 11 points, 75 hits, and over 18 minutes per night in 53 games with the Devils.
While Mueller’s defensive efforts over the years deserve some scrutiny, he had been a good semi-regular defenseman for quite a few years with New Jersey and the San Jose Sharks. Still growing into his game, the young defender seemed like a player that an NHL team would have been willing to take a shot on. Instead, he should step into a major role for Leksands for the rest of the year. The team, which is in the middle of the pack in the SHL this year, boasts some talented former NHL forwards scoring at an impressive clip, such as Carter Camper, Carter Ashton, and Peter Cehlarik. However, they have not received much production from the blue line, an area where Mueller will be of major assistance. Given his age, NHL experience, a potential production in the SHL over the rest of the season, Mueller could be back in North America before too long.
Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Goaltending
Following up on a report yesterday that the Calgary Flames were “blindsided” by rumors of forward Sam Bennett‘s discontent with his current situation, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported during this evening’s edition of “Insider Trading” that the club is in no rush to trade the young forward. Of course, Bennett has not formally requested a trade anyhow and the Flames are not feeling any pressure to rush into a move. Instead, Dreger states that this is a matter of “if” rather than “when” as it pertains to a Bennett deal. Calgary will only trade Bennett, the 2014 fourth overall pick, if they can find a perfect fit. Otherwise, they expect to retain the forward. Dreger notes than many within the organization still feel that Bennett can be an impact player and would rather work through the issues of his role on the team rather than move him, especially at discount price. One way or another, the time is coming for the Flames to make a decision on Bennett; if he is not traded this season then the team will need to fully commit by protecting him in the upcoming Expansion Draft. If not, they risk a strong chance of losing him for nothing to the soon-to-be division rival Seattle Kraken.
- While he may have cleared waivers on Monday, and amidst some ugly rumors at that, there is no shortage of interest in New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. While he may not play for the Rangers ever again, per the team’s own pronouncement, he most certainly will continue to play in the NHL. Dreger reports that there is “a ton of interest” in DeAngelo on the trade market. He feels that a resolution to his fall out with the Rangers is imminent, expecting a trade within the next few days. DeAngelo’s ability, especially in the offensive aspects of the game, are clear, but some felt that his clearance on the waiver wire might have indicated that teams were hesitant to take on the alleged behavioral issues. Instead, it seems teams were more inclined to DeAngelo clear waivers to gain that extra layer of flexibility, as well as to gain the possibility of receiving additional trade capital or possibly some retained salary in a trade with the Rangers.
- Most NHL teams prepared for an unusually dense schedule this season by ensuring that they had a concrete goalie tandem and in many cases additional depth in net. However, for those with remaining concerns or those who have been impacted by injury, the need for multiple options at net minder is about to become even more crucial. Dreger reports that with the growing frequency of COVID-related postponements across the league, the NHL is going to have little option but to hand a number of teams very difficult make-up schedules toward the latter half of the season. Specifically, Dreger notes that there is a real chance that teams will face five games in a seven night span, perhaps even on several occasions. A capable No. 2 and a reliable No. 3 in case of injury will be absolutely necessary with no starter being able to handle such a heavy workload. With few options remaining on the free agent market, trade talks will likely heat up for those contending teams who need the wins more than others with goalies to spare.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/02/21
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. The Anaheim Ducks are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:
Anaheim – TBA
Buffalo – Taylor Hall*, Rasmus Ristolainen*
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter; Lucas Wallmark
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit – Sam Gagner, Jonathon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes*, Damon Severson*, Ty Smith*, Matt Tennyson*, Jesper Bratt*
NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois
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: Jesper Fast, Carolina Hurricanes; Nicolas Beaudin, Chicago Blackhawks; Alex DeBrincat, Chicago Blackhawks; Adam Erne, Detroit Red Wings; Robby Fabbri, Detroit Red Wings
The huge news today is the exploding outbreak in New Jersey, where now 14 players are listed in the COVID Protocol. The Sabres, who played the Devils on Sunday (and Saturday) before they were shut down, also now have two players listed and have shutdown their own operation for the rest of the week.
*denotes new addition
Buffalo Sabres Games Postponed Through February 8
The NHL has not only postponed tonight’s Buffalo Sabres game, but all of their games through February 8. That includes another game against the New York Islanders on Thursday and two against the Boston Bruins (Saturday and Monday). The decision was made after two players—Rasmus Ristolainen and Taylor Hall—entered the league’s COVID Protocols.
The Sabres training facilities have been closed, effective immediately and will remain so until further notice. The schedule is still being reviewed as the situation progresses.
Buffalo was reportedly “furious” with a lack of information when they played the New Jersey Devils over the weekend, including hitting the ice against several players that entered the league’s COVID Protocol Related Absences the next day. John Vogl of The Athletic writes that the Sabres requested more information on the health of the Devils from the NHL, but that request was denied. Kyle Palmieri played on Saturday before hitting the CPRA list on Sunday, while Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod and Pavel Zacha played in both games before being listed on Monday.
They’ll now miss at least four games that will need to be fit into the schedule down the road.
Morgan Frost To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
The Philadelphia Flyers gave an update on several injured players today, including young forward Morgan Frost. GM Chuck Fletcher explained to reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that Frost will undergo shoulder surgery and will be out “months,” perhaps even for the rest of the 2020-21 season. Prospect Wade Allison had ankle surgery and is still four to five weeks away, while Sean Couturier is still seven to ten days away from rejoining the lineup.
More than anything, it’s a tough blow for the 21-year-old Frost who still hasn’t established himself as a regular in the NHL after being the 27th overall pick in 2017. The undersized forward dominated the OHL in the two seasons following his draft and played in 20 games for the Flyers last season, but registered just seven points. He was scoreless in two contests this year, which could be the only two games he plays given the seriousness of his injury.
Frost is still under contract for next season, but now faces the very real possibility of heading into a 2022 offseason as a restricted free agent without much NHL time under his belt. While some may consider that a blessing for the Flyers, who will likely be able to re-sign the young forward for a relatively small amount, they would certainly rather have him playing and developing this season.
Allison, who was a second-round pick in 2016, is only just trying to get his professional career started after spending the last four seasons at Western Michigan University. The 6’2″ forward signed a two-year entry-level contract last March but hasn’t been able to play a game since his college career ended. Waiting another four or five weeks means he won’t get much time in the AHL this year, as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms already have only 38 games on the schedule that starts this weekend.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/02/21
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.
North Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs added Nic Petan to their practice group today, and head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that he would be in the mix for the fourth line rotation moving forward. Petan, 25, has played in just 21 NHL games since arriving in Toronto during the 2018-19 season but was a dominant offensive piece in the minor leagues last year.
- The Edmonton Oilers have sent Stuart Skinner back to the taxi squad, while recalling Evan Bouchard who is expected to make his season debut. The Oilers look like they will go with seven defensemen tonight, making James Neal a healthy scratch despite his recent two-goal game. Alex Chiasson, who cleared waivers, has not been moved to the taxi squad and is expected to play.
West Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Lias Andersson, Arthur Kaliyev, Mark Alt, and Austin Strand from the taxi squad while completing several other transactions. Sean Walker was placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 16, Alex Turcotte was activated and assigned to the AHL and Martin Frk was activated off injured reserve. Boko Imama and Sean Durzi were recalled from the AHL to the taxi squad.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Patrik Laine and expect him to debut tonight for the team. To make room, Kevin Stenlund has been moved to injured reserve retroactive to his last appearance. The team has also swapped Matiss Kivlenieks and Cam Johnson again between the AHL and taxi squad, a move that seems like it’s going to be repeated throughout the season.
- Just like every other day, the Nashville Predators have made a swap, sending Mathieu Olivier and Eeli Tolvanen back to the taxi squad. Tolvanen played in his first game since 2018 last night and scored, though it came in a losing effort. The 21-year-old now has two goals and three points in eight career games at the NHL level.
- Tanner Kero and Joel L’Esperance have been recalled by the Dallas Stars, while Ty Dellandrea heads back to the taxi squad in their place. The Stars take on the Blue Jackets tonight in just their seventh game of the season after missing the first chunk due to COVID postponements.
East Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins had some new faces on the ice today as Mike Matheson and Zach Aston-Reese returned, which could explain why Will Reilly was sent to the AHL and both Drew O’Connor and Kevin Czuczman were assigned to the taxi squad. The Penguins don’t play again until Saturday thanks to the Devils COVID outbreak, meaning they have a few days to get a little healthier before resuming their season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Nathan MacKinnon Out Week-To-Week
The Colorado Avalanche are off to a relatively good start to the season, sitting at 6-3-1 through their first ten games and second in goal differential at +13. A big part of that success has been because of the play of Nathan MacKinnon, who scored 14 points in those ten games and generated 41 shots on goal. Unfortunately, MacKinnon suffered an injury against the Minnesota Wild, one that will now keep him out on a week-to-week basis, according to Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post.
While he’s clearly the biggest blow, MacKinnon won’t be the only player out for the Avalanche. Pavel Francouz, Erik Johnson, Devon Toews, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Matt Calvert are also all out “week-to-week,” according to head coach Jared Bednar. It’s no wonder the team tweeted “depth is the name of the game tonight.”
The Avalanche have plenty of other star power, but that’s a long list of important players to be sidelined all at once. The team takes on the Wild again tonight and Thursday before a two-game series against the division-leading St. Louis Blues on the weekend.
Alex Chiasson Clears Waivers
Feb 2: Chaisson has cleared, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The veteran forward can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
Feb 1: The Edmonton Oilers have placed veteran forward Alex Chiasson on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Chiasson has been a healthy scratch at times this season and played just 11 minutes last night in Edmonton’s game against the Ottawa Senators.
It wasn’t so long ago that Chiasson arrived in Edmonton after winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals and put up a career-high 22 goals. During that first year with the Oilers in 2018-19, he played a pivotal role on the powerplay, banging in eight goals and adding another seven assists with the man-advantage. Last season his numbers dropped to just 11 goals and 24 points in 65 games, while his even-strength ice time was also slashed considerably. That trend has continued this season where he currently ranks ahead of only Devin Shore and Jujhar Khaira in average 5-on-5 time.
If he’s not being used, it doesn’t make much sense for the Oilers to keep Chiasson and his $2.15MM contract on the active roster while they deal with a tight cap situation. If moved to the taxi squad or minor leagues, $1.075MM of his cap hit would be buried.
That is of course unless another team takes him, which could be an interesting move for a rebuilding club that has some extra cap room. Chiasson is scheduled become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning he could potentially be a deadline trade chip that a Cup contender would be interested in. For those like the Ottawa Senators or Detroit Red Wings, who are already likely out of the playoff race after long losing streaks to begin the season, claiming Chiasson with the intention of flipping him down the road could result in an extra asset, even if it’s not a substantial one.
More likely though is that Chiasson clears waivers like every other skater since the start of the season, allowing the Oilers to keep him as some valuable depth.
NHL Postpones Sabres-Islanders
The NHL has postponed another game, this time between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders tonight. The release explains as follows:
The National Hockey League announced that tonight’s Buffalo Sabres vs. NY Islanders game is being postponed due to the League’s COVID Protocol. Due to weather conditions yesterday, the Sabres altered their travel schedule so as to fly today to New York. So that required COVID contact tracing and testing protocols can be completed appropriately, the decision has been made to re-schedule the game for a future date.
The Sabres recently played the New Jersey Devils, who have experienced a COVID outbreak and had ten players on yesterday’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list. John Vogl of The Athletic tweets that a source has told him “Buffalo is furious” and that the Sabres asked the league for more information when Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri were added to the list but did not receive it.
This will be the 15th game postponed so far this season and fourth in the East Division just over the past two days. The Devils will be shut down for at least a week while they try to contain the spread. The Sabres are scheduled to play the Islanders again on Thurdsay, before heading to Boston for a Saturday night game against the Bruins.