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Brendan Gallagher, Mikael Backlund Issued Fines

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Both Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher and Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund have avoided suspension, incurring fines for their respective incidents instead.

Gallagher has been given a $2,500 fine for his punch on New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow at the end of another frustrating loss for the Canadiens. He was given a two-minute minor for roughing and a ten-minute misconduct. Notably, the fine is not actually the maximum allowable in this circumstance.

Backlund meanwhile faces a $5,000 fine for his cross-check on Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. The check sent Konecny dangerously into the boards, and resulted in a two-minute minor penalty. In this case, it is the maximum allowable under the CBA.

Both players will have these fines considered when determining any future supplementary discipline.

Aleksander Barkov Will Not Need Surgery, Out Week-To-Week

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When Aleksander Barkov collided with Scott Mayfield last night, leaving him sprawled out on the ice with obvious pain on his face, Florida Panthers fans held their breath. The captain was taken from the game and many feared the worst, but it appears as though there is some good news.

Barkov will not require surgery, according to head coach Andrew Brunette, who spoke with reporters including George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. He will still be out on a week-to-week basis, but Brunette called it a “best-case scenario.”

It’s certainly not ideal to have your captain on the shelf for weeks, but the fact that Barkov won’t go under the knife is a huge win for the Panthers. The team looks like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender through the early part of the season and showed their explosive offense off again last night, potting six goals against the usually-stingy Islanders.

In fact, the Panthers lead the entire league in goals for with 62 through their first 16 games and still have a two-point lead on the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic Division.

They also have several players with experience at the center ice position, including Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Joe Thornton, the latter of which was skating in the third-line pivot spot at practice today as he recovers from his own injury.

AHL Shuffle: 11/17/21

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After a busy Tuesday, it’s back to just a few games in the NHL tonight as six teams will see action. That includes the Washington Capitals, where Alex Ovechkin will try to continue his chase of the all-time goal-scoring leaders. As the Capitals and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:

Atlantic Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres returned Brett Murray to Rochester from his emergency loan today. Murray’s only gotten into one game with Buffalo this season despite bouncing up and down between Buffalo and Rochester all season.

Metropolitan Division

  • With Tyce Thompson moved to injured reserve with an upper-body injury, the New Jersey Devils have recalled Fabian Zetterlund from the AHL. The 22-year-old Zetterlund has nine points in ten games for the Utica Comets this season, and will receive his first taste of the NHL with this recall.

Central Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have returned Ben McCartney to the AHL, without him actually playing during this call-up. The 20-year-old forward has played two games this season for the team, despite being a seventh-round pick in 2020.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

College Hockey Round-Up: 11/16/21

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College hockey in the NCAA has been growing rapidly in recent years into one of the top developmental pathways for NHL talent in the world. Yet, it is still limited by the NCAA’s amateurism rules, which in most cases do not allow any individuals with “professional” experience in their sport to participate in college athletics. In hockey, this prohibits anyone who has played in a Canadian major junior league or European pro league from taking their talents to the NCAA.

However, change could be on the horizon. The NCAA held a Constitutional Convention on Monday, during which they unveiled a working draft of a new, decentralized and deregulated set of rules for the NCAA that will put the power of structure and governance into the hands of each of the three divisions. That will mean little at first, but will almost certainly lead to sweeping changes down the line at the Division I level as they reconsider how they want to be run once separate from Division II and III, which are materially different. Could amateurism rules be one of the major alterations? It sure seems likely. The NCAA has already embraced publicity rights or “NIL” for student-athletes and the rewritten constitution stresses the importance of student-athlete welfare. Division I is also the most financially-driven segment of the NCAA and will have to address a number of fiscal decisions. Is limiting hockey athletes from Division I hockey because they received a stipend in Canada or a few game checks in Europe the best for the athletes? The game? The revenue stream? Probably not on all counts. For now, the 2021-22 season moves along unaffected, but the structure of college hockey could look much different in the not-too-distant future.

Recent Results

While many are already tired of the narrative, it continues to hold true. No. 1 Michigan is the class of the NCAA this season and heavy favorite to win the title. The rest of the top five are certainly not slouches, but they simply pale in comparison to the star-studded Wolverines, who swept rival Michigan State as well as Penn State in recent weeks. They share the best points percentage with only No. 5 Quinnipiac and have the nation’s top offense. Until further notice, no one is passing Michigan up as the top team in the NCAA.

No. 2 St. Cloud State, No. 3 Minnesota State, and No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth are certainly not slouches. The Huskies are a reigning finalist with the best scoring margin and second-best defense in the country. The Mavericks are a top-five offense, uncharacteristic for a typically conservative team, and share the top scoring margin claim with St. Cloud. Duluth has won two and appeared in three of the past four championships and just narrowly missed another appearance last year. Yet, all three programs picked up unexpected losses in recent weeks – the Mavericks’ loss to Ferris State chief among them – which has kept them in Michigan’s shadow.

It is actually No. 5 Quinnipiac that might be the most impressive team behind Michigan of late. The Bobcats top record was boosted by a 4-0 run over the past two weekends of action, while their top-ranked defense remained stout. The top five in the country is new territory for Quinnipiac, but the ECAC program may just be getting started. With a good strength of schedule to go with a leading record, a couple more statement wins could leapfrog the team into the No. 1 conversation (or at least No. 2).

No. 6 North Dakota is also on a run following a surprising loss to Penn State in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game back on October 30. The Fighting Hawks bounced back with sweeps of No. 11 Denver and Miami, establishing themselves as a real threat for the title. No. 14 Notre Dame also went undefeated in its four games over the past two weeks and holds the nation’s top penalty kill. The Fighting Irish just need to beat some fellow top dogs if they want to move up.

Two teams shooting up the rankings are No. 15 UMass Lowell and No. 17 Ohio State. Both teams are taking advantage of some top teams in turmoil in their respective conferences to make a name for themselves. The Riverhawks are undefeated in their past four games, all against Hockey East competition, sweeping Boston University and adding wins against No. 18 Northeastern and No. 19 Boston College. They hold a top-five record in college hockey right now. Ohio State meanwhile has been menacing defensively with a top-five mark, helping to sweep Penn State and split with No. 7 Minnesota. Suddenly the Buckeyes are the third-highest ranked team in the Big Ten and have already shown that they can skate with the Gophers just ahead of them.

Early Hobey Favorites

It’s never too early for MVP talk and even just six weeks into the season there are already some names making cases for the Hobey Baker Award. Denver’s Carter Savoie (EDM) remains out in front with a league-leading 1.7 points per game that fuels the Pioneers’ third-ranked offense. However, there are others closing the gap in the scoring race. Taylor Ward of No. 9 Omaha is quickly becoming a top name to watch on the college free agent market. The senior forward leads the country in goals and is tied with only top-five NHL Draft selection Kent Johnson (CLB) of Michigan in points per game, behind Savoie. Fellow undrafted prospects Drew Worrad of Western Michigan and Matthew Kopperud of Arizona State are also in the scoring race, followed closely by none other than reigning No. 1 overall pick Owen Power.

Power and Johnson and not alone as Wolverines excelling statistically. Matthew Beniers (SEA) is tied for third in goal scoring. Luke Hughes (NJD) is third in scoring among defensemen, while leading the NCAA in plus/minus at +16. His defense partner, Jacob Truscott (VAN), is in second at +14. The problem of course is that the top-ranked team in the country is so stacked that it will be difficult for any one player to make a case for the Hobey Baker. A standout on a top team where NHL talent is more sparse will have a better shot, such as Savoie or Ward or Jake Sanderson (OTT) of North Dakota, who trails only Power in defensive scoring.

In net, there are several goaltenders off to strong starts, but perhaps not quite in the Hobey Baker conversation just yet. Devon Levi (BUF) is on his way though, leading the pack with a .943 save percentage and a second-place goals against average of 1.57. St. Cloud’s David Hrenak (LAK) leads that category with a 1.50 GAA to go along with a .939 SV% that comes in behind only Levi. Perhaps the two most valuable goaltenders thus far though are not even drafted prospects. Matt Murray is back in the starter’s net for UMass and keeping the Minutemen in games with his third-ranked .927 SV% and top-ten GAA. Longtime standout Dryden McKay of Minnesota State unsurprisingly holds a top-five GAA and top-ten SV% as well. Both could draw interest from NHL clubs later this spring, a nice consolation if they aren’t Hobey Baker finalists.

Trouble Brewing In Beantown

The hotbed of college hockey has grown cold with two historic programs struggling immensely this season. Sure, No. 16 Harvard and No. 18 Northeastern wish they were ranked higher, but it is No. 19 Boston College and unranked Boston University who are of real concern. Perennial favorites loaded with NHL talent, both the Eagles and Terriers are falling well short of expectations.

BC is 6-5-1 to begin the year and only their preseason rank and their (barely) winning record is keeping them ranked. The Eagles have dropped games to lowly programs like Bentley, Colorado College, and Merrimack while picking up half of their wins against the likes of Holy Cross, Vermont, and Merrimack again. Boston College has ten NHL draft picks on the roster, which ranks sixth in college hockey. It’s actually slightly low for the team and doesn’t include any first rounders, but even in an off year the Eagles should be outperforming their current record, especially considering the light schedule. Of the two, BC is more likely to turn their season around, but showed few signs of life in their last game, a convincing loss to UMass Lowell.

BU is in far worse shape. The Terriers have struggled to find sustained success for several years now, but this is a new low. The team is 4-7-1 and has long since left the national rankings. In fact, they received only three voting points in the latest poll. Boston University was swept by Northern Michigan and split series with Merrimack and Sacred Heart, which account for two of their three regulation wins on the year. With 14 NHL prospects in the program, the Terriers trail only Minnesota for the most in the NCAA. Unlike BC, the group includes two first-round picks, as well as four second-round picks, and an average draft position in the late third round. If all of those players have the seal of approval of pro clubs, it isn’t a recruiting problem for BU. Head coach Albie O’Connell’s seat was already hot entering this season; it’s on fire now. Recently hired assistant Jay Pandolfo, who left the Boston Bruins for his alma mater, could be getting the call soon.

With the growth of the college game, it is refreshing to see some other programs with top rankings and national headlines so far this season, but there will always be a draw for historic programs like BC and BU. For the good of NCAA hockey, hopefully the two Boston powerhouses and their talented rosters figure it out soon.

Snapshots: COVID, Olympics, Canucks

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The postponement of the Ottawa Senators’ upcoming slate of games amidst a Coronavirus outbreak in the locker room has certainly raised some flags across the league. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that many are concerned not only about the ongoing crisis the in Ottawa, but about the frequency of cases popping up around the league. With more than 99% of players and all coaches and staff vaccinated, it is alarming how frequently individuals are being forced to enter the NHL’s COVID Protocol. There was talk earlier this season of reducing testing due to many of those in the protocol being asymptomatic, but in Ottawa and recently in San Jose as well, those sidelined by COVID have in fact been very symptomatic. The league had no choice but to postpone Senators games as the roster had been depleted by the sickness sweeping through the locker room and keeping players off the ice for far longer than just a simple formality might for others in the protocol. As Dreger points out though, the league cannot afford multiple postponements such as this. On one hand, the season is already longer than usual due to the Olympic break and on the other the league cannot take the revenue hit of missed games after two consecutive shortened seasons. As of right now, the only steps being taken by the league to combat the COVID issue is to recommend boosters to its players and personnel. However, re-enacted restrictions could be coming down the line if cases continue at this rate.

  • The Olympics could be at risk if the NHL is unable to control their COVID cases and postponements continue. However, Pierre LeBrun does not believe that this conversation is being had just yet. The NHL and NHLPA agreed to terms – with each other and with the IIHF – to return to the Winter Games this year and that remains the plan. However, there is a January 10 opt-out date should the league decide that they need the currently-scheduled break to make up games postponed due to COVID. LeBrun says that there is no hard number that would trigger the NHL to pull out of the Olympics, but it will have to be an ongoing discussion between the league and players’ association. For now, he states that the two sides just met recently to discuss Olympic plans and are moving forward as planned.
  • Also moving forward as planned: the Vancouver Canucks. Patience is wearing thin amongst the fan base as the Canucks are off to another rough start this season, winning just five of their first 16 games and holding a bottom-five scoring differential league-wide. Despite adding more talent this off-season to an already-healthy payroll and largely avoiding injuries to key players thus far, the Canucks again look like they are far from a contender. Dreger reports that GM Jim Benning was called to meet with ownership about a path forward and they ultimately decided… to stay the course. Ownership apparently still believes in the plan that Benning and coach Travis Green have for the team, even though it has yielded few results thus far. Both sides will continue to preach patience to a rabid fan base that is growing tired of continued mediocrity. If things don’t change in Vancouver this season, it won’t be long until ownership joins the malcontents.

Islanders’ Ryan Pulock, Josh Bailey Sidelined

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Just before puck drop of their Tuesday night match-up with the red hot Florida Panthers, the New York Islanders announced that they will be without two key contributors. The team revealed that defenseman Ryan Pulock has suffered a lower-body injury and forward Josh Bailey has been placed in the NHL’s COVID Protocol. It is unclear if either player will be available for the Isles’ next game on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Both Pulock and Bailey skated just last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, implying that Pulock was injured in the game and Bailey likely entered the protocol on account of a positive test, without much opportunity for a close contact outside the locker room. Pulock did record only 16:45 of ice time on Monday, fifth among Islanders defenders and well below his norm, so it should not be a surprise that he is not at full strength. The team did not disclose any details about Pulock’s injury and only noted that he will be re-evaluated once the team returns to New York. Bailey too is on an indeterminate timeline as he goes through the COVID Protocol.

With the Islanders sitting at .500, sharing last place in the Metropolitan Division, the team can ill afford to be without two of their top play-makers. The team is off to a slow start this season and Pulock (2 points, -2 rating in 12 games) and Bailey (6 points, -5 rating in 12 games) are no exception. However, both are still invaluable members of the team. Pulock leads all Islanders in time on ice, while Bailey is logging top line minutes himself. They may not be at the their best right now, but righting the ship will be much more difficult for New York without their stalwart defender and long-time veteran scorer. The Islanders have to hope that Bailey’s stint in the Protocol is little more than a formality and that Pulock’s injury is only minor.

Lars Eller Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Washington Capitals will not have Lars Eller available to them tonight, as the veteran center has been placed in the COVID protocol. Eller was absent from practice earlier today and listed as questionable, but it’s clear now that he will not play.

The team has not confirmed whether or not Eller has actually tested positive for coronavirus, meaning his length of absence is unclear at this point. After the team takes on the Anaheim Ducks tonight, they are set to travel to Los Angeles, San Jose, and Seattle before returning to Washington. A positive test with symptoms would cause Eller to be held out for a minimum of ten days, ruling him out for the next several games.

Still perhaps unheralded, despite winning a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, Eller is one of the most consistent two-way players on the entire roster. In 15 games this season, all of them without Nicklas Backstrom who has been on injured reserve, Eller has eight points and is averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time. His 119 faceoff wins ties him with Evgeny Kuznetsov for the team lead, with those two carrying the load in the middle of the ice.

Though just one of his points is a goal, it’s easy to bet on Eller’s eventual scoring production. Since his rookie year, when he posted just seven goals in 77 games, Eller has registered at least 12 in every season he has played in at least 47 games. He produced a career-best offensive season with 16 goals and 39 points in just 69 games during the 2019-20 season, and actually was on pace for even better numbers had 2020-21 been a full 82-game schedule.

Without Eller, Backstrom, or Nic Dowd, the team had rookie Connor McMichael in the second-line center position at practice today, with Garrett Pilon and Aliaksei Protas in the third and fourth spots respectively. That’s an extremely young, inexperienced group, meaning the team will have to lean even more heavily on Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Kyle Clifford Traded To Toronto Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded for Kyle Clifford once again, this time sending only future considerations to the St. Louis Blues for the veteran forward. Clifford cleared waivers today, meaning he can be immediately assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

In 2020, the Maple Leafs acquired Clifford along with Jack Campbell in a trade that saw Trevor Moore and two third-round draft picks go the other way. This time it will likely cost them nothing but money, something that not every team wants to spend on a fringe option. Clifford carries a cap hit of $1MM, which can be entirely buried in the minor leagues, but his one-way salary of $1.3MM will be paid to him no matter where he is assigned.

For the Maple Leafs, who are currently in long-term injured reserve space with both Ilya Mikheyev and Petr Mrazek on the shelf, Clifford could actually slide in on the active roster. The team sent Joey Anderson back to the minor leagues yesterday and are carrying only 13 forwards. That said, his cap hit will become trickier to work with once Mikheyev and Mrazek return.

The 30-year-old brings a ton of experience to the table though, along with his familiarity with former teammates like Campbell and Jake Muzzin. Clifford won the 2014 Stanley Cup–his second with the team–alongside Muzzin in Los Angeles and has suited up for nearly 800 games at the NHL level. While he does not bring much offense, Clifford is a physical presence that could give the Maple Leafs a bit of a jolt for their fourth line.

For the Blues, who are getting Oskar Sundkvist back tonight, there just wasn’t room for Clifford any longer. The team had to clear cap space to recall Scott Perunovich and instead of sending Clifford to the Springfield Thunderbirds, will send him back to his home province and former team.

Snapshots: Canucks, Sullivan, Blackwood

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The Vancouver Canucks have allowed 19 goals against in their last three games and now find themselves just three points ahead of the bottom-dwelling Seattle Kraken for last place in the Pacific Division. The team has lost four in a row, eight of their last ten, and now own a -14 goal differential on the year. Things are not going well in Vancouver, to say the least.

So when reports surfaced over the weekend that the team owner was on the road trip, some eyebrows were raised around the league. Would the team make a change in the front office if things didn’t turn around quickly? No, apparently not yet. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweets that though owner Francesco Aquilini is meeting with general manager Jim Benning this afternoon, he does not expect to make a change at the position. Friedman writes that the meeting is just to “understand why the team is losing and address it.” The Canucks are scheduled to welcome in the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, and Chicago Blackhawks on their current three-game homestand.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres tonight and will have Mike Sullivan behind the bench, but the head coach won’t be able to travel with the team to Montreal for Thursday’s matchup against the Canadiens because of COVID restrictions. Sullivan has been cleared from the league’s protocol, but hasn’t eclipsed the 14-day period that the Canadian government requires. Luckily, Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin, who both recently exited the protocol, will be eligible to travel and play.
  • Mackenzie Blackwood has cleared the concussion protocol and is available to play for them on Thursday if necessary. Blackwood collided with Kaapo Kakko in the third period of Sunday’s game, causing a concussion spotter to pull him from the match. He told reporters today that his neck is a little sore, but he practised in full today and appears ready to return.

Kyle Clifford Placed On Waivers

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Nov 16: Clifford has cleared waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He can now be assigned to the AHL.

Nov 15: The St. Louis Blues have placed Kyle Clifford on waivers, according to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet. With Scott Perunovich’s recall, the team needed to clear more than $900K in cap space if they wanted to activate Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve. Clifford, who makes $1MM this season, could be loaned to the minor leagues should he clear waivers, completely burying his cap hit.

Clifford, 30, has only played two games for the Blues this season, spending nearly two weeks in the COVID protocol. The fourth-line forward did register a point in one of those two matches, but has very limited offensive upside. That, added to the fact that he makes more than league minimum, makes him an unlikely claim candidate, though perhaps a team believes he can add some extra toughness to their bottom-six. There’s certainly a case for the experience factor, as Clifford has played in more than 700 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup twice with the Los Angeles Kings.

Sundqvist is a much more useful player though, and given Perunovich’s incredible start in the minor leagues, it was hard to justify keeping him down any longer. Making room for the young defenseman could potentially cost them Clifford, but with the team on a three-game losing streak and falling behind in the Central Division race, something needed to be changed.

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