Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for January 2022

Snapshots: Coyotes, Canucks, Kuzmenko, Pillar

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Coyotes are set to get their top defenseman back in the lineup as Jakob Chychrun has cleared COVID protocol, relays Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic.  Chychrun had been out with an upper-body injury sustained back in December and was close to returning before testing positive.  Head coach Andre Tourigny, defensemen Anton Stralman and Kyle Capobianco, and goalie Scott Wedgewood all also cleared protocols and are with Arizona on their road trip.  However, they will be without winger Antoine Roussel who entered COVID protocol today and will miss at least the next five days.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • While the attendance restrictions in Vancouver have been extended through the middle of February, the Canucks will not be having any games on their upcoming three-game homestand rescheduled, mentions Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma (Twitter link). Vancouver already has seven games that need to be rescheduled with at least some of those changes expected to be announced very soon.
  • Free agent winger Andrei Kuzmenko won’t be deciding on which NHL team he’ll sign with anytime soon. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports in the latest Insider Trading segment that the 25-year-old will wait until the end of his season in Russia before choosing where to sign with.  Kuzmenko is on Russia’s training camp list for the upcoming Olympics and as the second-leading scorer in the KHL, it’s quite likely that he’ll make it.  Ottawa is among the teams known to be interested although Dreger relays that almost every team has at least reached out to his agent (Gold Star’s Dan Milstein) to inquire about Kuzmenko.
  • Wild prospect Josh Pillar was traded from Kamloops to Saskatoon at the WHL trade deadline on Monday. The 2021 fourth-round pick has averaged just over a point per game for the second straight season with 11 goals and 20 assists in 29 games.  However, the two picks the Blazers are receiving are conditional as the winger is currently dealing with a private medical situation and the move was made to allow Pillar to recover closer to home.

2021 Year In Review: November

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

2021 was certainly another eventful year, both on and off the rink.  Over the coming days, PHR will wrap up our look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  Next up is a look at November.

Coaching News: Interim Blackhawks Kyle Davidson wasted little time making a big splash as he fired head coach Jeremy Colliton.  Chicago posted a 87-92-26 record with the 36-year-old behind the bench, a record that didn’t really turn their fortunes around.  Their lone playoff appearance was in the bubble with the expanded format and despite the fact that former GM Stan Bowman made some big additions over the summer (defensemen Seth Jones and Jake McCabe plus goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury), they got off to a 1-9-2 start, prompting the change.  Derek King was named as interim head coach.

Meanwhile, while the Avalanche got off to a bit of a slow start themselves, GM Joe Sakic gave head coach Jared Bednar a vote of confidence with a two-year extension through the 2023-24 season.  He’s in his sixth season behind the bench in Colorado and the Avs have had four straight playoff appearances including three straight second-round trips.  However, that’s as far as they have gotten and expectations will certainly be high in the second half of the season as with many expiring contracts on the horizon, the team they bring back next season may not be as strong as this year’s edition.

Eichel Traded: While it took a lot longer than pretty much everyone would have hoped, Jack Eichel was finally on the move as he was traded to Vegas along with a 2023 third-round pick in exchange for winger Alex Tuch, center Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 second-round selection.  There was no salary cap retention on any player involved in the swap.  Eichel underwent his desired disk replacement surgery soon after the swap and he is already back on the ice, working his way towards a return.  The Golden Knights now have a top center in the fold although they have some salary cap challenges ahead once their team is fully healthy as well.  Meanwhile, Krebs and Tuch represent longer-term building blocks for Buffalo who will be extending their rebuild for a while longer.

Another Record-Breaker: Miro Heiskanen set a new record for the highest AAV given to a defenseman coming off an entry-level contract.  That lasted a few days until Cale Makar broke it.  And now, there’s a new mark to reach as Rangers defenseman Adam Fox signed a seven-year, $66.5MM extension.  The deal carries a $9.5MM AAV and has trade protection in each of the last four seasons, the only ones eligible since those are the only UFA-eligible years.  Fox was the Norris Trophy winner last season and is certainly going to be in the mix for the award again this year as he sits third in scoring among all NHL blueliners with 39 points in 39 games.

GM Departures: Long-time Ducks GM Bob Murray was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into professional conduct.  The next day, he tendered his resignation and indicated he’d enroll in an alcohol abuse program.  Murray had been Anaheim’s general manager since taking over partway through the 2008-09 season, making him one the longest-tenured in that role in the league.  Jeff Solomon is currently the interim GM although Anaheim is now starting the process of looking for a full-time replacement (with Solomon among those in consideration).

Late in the month, the Canadiens made a front office change as well, dismissing GM Marc Bergevin along with long-time top scout Trevor Timmins.  It was quite the change of fortunes for Bergevin who just months earlier had been engaged in talks on a contract extension following Montreal’s surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final last summer.  Former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton was brought in to head up a new-look front office.  Montreal operated without a GM for the past month and a half until today’s hiring of Kent Hughes.

Hughes Extension: The first two years of Jack Hughes’ career with New Jersey were fairly quiet as far as first-overall picks go.  However, that didn’t stop the Devils from pursuing a long-term extension with him and they were able to get a deal done, one that will pay the 20-year-old $64MM over the next eight seasons.  The deal will make him the highest-paid forward on the Devils and if he can get to the top-line level that he was projected to reach just a few years ago, this deal has an opportunity to become a team-friendly one towards the end.  The contract buys out four years of UFA eligibility with Hughes receiving a 10-team no-trade clause in each of those.  Hughes is averaging a point-per-game in his first 20 contests this season, a promising improvement over his first two seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Toffoli, Sourdif, Palmieri, Arniel

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that winger Tyler Toffoli will return to the lineup tonight, signifying that he has been activated from injured reserve.  He has missed the past six weeks due to a hand injury but despite that, he only slipped to third in team scoring as he has 17 points in 26 games.  Montreal doesn’t need to make a corresponding roster move to bring him off IR with the placements of Cole Caufield and Joel Armia in COVID protocol earlier today.  Defenseman Kale Clague was also activated from COVID protocol into the second roster spot.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • Panthers prospect Justin Sourdif was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings from Vancouver at yesterday’s WHL trade deadline. A third-round pick in 2020, the winger has 32 points in 24 games this season and now goes to an Edmonton squad that is gearing up for a long playoff run.  Florida has already signed Sourdif to an entry-level contract, one that will slide this season and begin in 2022-23.
  • Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri hasn’t suffered a setback but head coach Barry Trotz told reporters including Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link) that his lower-body injury hasn’t been recovering as anticipated. He pegs the veteran’s health around 80-85% so it would appear Palmieri will be out for a little while longer.  The 30-year-old has struggled considerably this season with just one goal and six assists in 25 games.
  • Capitals assistant coach Scott Arniel has been placed in COVID protocol, reports Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’ll be away from the team for at least the next five days as a result.

Snapshots: Denmark, Harris, Muzzin

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Denmark is the latest participant to announce an Olympic roster for next month’s event, but their’s is a bit more historic. This will be the first time that Denmark has ever participated in hockey after failing to qualify year after year. Last August, Denmark beat Noway in a winner-goes-to-Beijing game that landed them a spot for the first time in history.

The roster includes some familiar names like Mikkel Boedker, Frans Nielsen, Patrick Russell, and Nicklas Jensen, but they will be in a tough group with the Russian Olympic Committee, Czechia, and Switzerland. The full roster can be found here.

  • One of the most interesting things on Kent Hughes’ to-do list as he takes over as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens is trying to sign Jordan Harris, a top collegiate player, captain of Northeastern, and third-round pick that could become an unrestricted free agent later this year. As Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic points out though, Hughes seemingly has a few advantages–or at least some familiarity–in that negotiation. Hughes coached Harris for a time with the Boston Jr. Eagles several years ago, and two of the young defenseman’s college teammates at Northeastern happen to be related to the Montreal GM. Riley Hughes, a seventh-round pick of the New York Rangers (when they were run by Canadiens VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, no less) is an alternate captain at Northeastern, while Jack Hughes is a freshman with the potential to be a first-round pick this spring. With the Canadiens already tweeting out highlights of Harris, you can bet they’ll put on the full-court press to get him signed in the coming months.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will travel to New York to take on the Rangers without Jake Muzzin, as the veteran defenseman suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Blues. Mark Masters of TSN reports that Rasmus Sandin will move up to the second pair in Muzzin’s absence, with Alex Biega re-entering the lineup. Since Justin Holl is still in the COVID protocol, the Maple Leafs will be relying heavily on Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, consecutive first-round picks that haven’t made a huge impact to this point.

NHL To Change Testing Protocols After All-Star Break

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The NHL has announced that it will make some changes to their COVID-19 testing procedures following the All-Star break, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Seravalli reports that asymptomatic players and staff will no longer be tested for coronavirus, provided that COVID-19 rates around the league continue to decline over the next few weeks. Testing will then only happen following symptoms or for cross-border travel.

Notably, Seravalli adds that 73% of NHL rosters have tested positive this season and approximately 60% in the last five weeks. The NHL already had protocols in place to stop testing players for 90 days after their positive case. The current procedures are in place through February 3, while the NHL and NHLPA will meet before January 31 to review and approve the proposed changes.

In a press release, the league has confirmed the potential changes and listed them as follows:

Testing Protocol: The plan is to continue the current testing Protocol through Feb. 3. Provided positive test results continue to decline within the NHL, and pending review and agreement by Jan. 31 by the NHL’s and NHLPA’s medical experts, the Protocol will be updated as follows:

i. There will be no testing of Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff during the All-Star break (including for participating Players and staff), unless needed for travel or development of symptoms.

ii. There will be a single test upon re-entry to Club facilities post-All-Star, after which there will no longer be asymptomatic testing, or testing of Fully Vaccinated close contacts.

iii. Thereafter, testing will continue only on a limited “for cause” basis in Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff who develop symptoms or require testing for cross-border travel.

iv. The post-COVID “testing holiday” will remain at 90 days, but symptom-based testing can still be done at the team physician’s discretion. Testing for cross-border travel post-COVID will be dictated by the relevant health authority, which is currently 90 days for entry to the U.S. and 180 days for entry to Canada.

Taxi squads, which were introduced in late December as teams were struggling to ice full rosters, are scheduled to disappear again after each team’s final game before the All-Star break. Whether they are maintained past that is still unclear at this point. Friedman reports that a revised schedule for the February Olympic break is expected as early as tomorrow. More than 100 games have been postponed so far.

Kevin Hayes Undergoes Procedure, Out 3-4 Weeks

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that center Kevin Hayes underwent a procedure this morning to drain fluid from his adductor region. He will miss the next three to four weeks, another pump in what has been a nightmare season for the veteran forward.

Hayes has played in just 20 games this season, including last night’s loss to the New York Islanders. He has just three goals and nine points while dealing with several stints on injured reserve and a bout with COVID-19. All of that followed the tragedy of his brother’s death in the offseason, when Jimmy Hayes suddenly passed away.

Speaking about his teammate, Scott Laughton told reporters including Jordan Hall of NBCS Philly that he “commends him for playing through what he has” and called him an incredible teammate. With a three to four-week absence now in front of him, Hayes will miss at least the next seven games and likely many more, as the scheduled Olympic break is filled with previously postponed matches.

It’s been a disaster for Philadelphia this season and the lack of a full-strength Hayes has been a big part of that. In his first two seasons with the Flyers, he registered 35 goals and 72 points in 124 games, playing on both the powerplay and penalty kill. The team is now 13-18-7 on the year and owns the third-worst goal differential (-34) in the Eastern Conference. Now on an eight-game losing streak, they’ll have to find a way to get back in the win column without Hayes in the lineup.

Bo Horvat, Mike Reilly Placed In COVID Protocol

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have both announced new additions to the COVID protocol today, obviously affecting their lineup for tonight’s action.

In Vancouver, it’s captain Bo Horvat that is now unavailable to the club, as they look to try and put another dash in the win column this evening. Horvat was a huge part of the team’s win Sunday night against the Washington Capitals, scoring the game-winning goal and registering an assist in more than 20 minutes of ice time. Those two points took his season total to 23 in 38 games, good for fourth on the team and third among forwards.

His absence will be felt all over the ice but perhaps most in the faceoff dot, where he takes more than twice as many draws as anyone else on the Canucks roster. In fact, Horvat leads all NHL players in faceoffs this season, taking 891 through 38 games so far. His 503 wins sit just barely behind Patrice Bergeron for the league lead; the Bruins captain has an incredible 63% win rate this season.

Boston meanwhile will be without Mike Reilly, who enters the protocol after playing more than 21 minutes on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators (Nashville will face Vancouver tonight). The 28-year-old defenseman has found a home with the Bruins, where he has seen more ice time than anywhere else on his NHL journey and contributes in all situations. While he has just nine points in 32 games this season, Reilly’s puck-moving ability is an important piece of the puzzle for Boston.

Luckily, Matt Grzelcyk is set to return after his own stint on the COVID protocol, meaning the Bruins won’t really miss a beat. Urho Vaakanainen will also be afforded a bit more time with the big club, something he has taken advantage of in recent days. The young defenseman will skate beside Charlie McAvoy and very well could break the 20-minute mark for the fourth consecutive game.

NHL Announces 2022 All-Star “Last Men In”

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL All-Star rosters were revealed a few days ago, with one final spot open for each division. Those spots were filled by the “Last Men In” today following a fan vote.

For the Atlantic Division, the last man in is Steven Stamkos, captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the team’s third All-Star. He’ll join Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy at the event, which will be held on the weekend of February 4-5. Stamkos is having a brilliant bounce-back season with 18 goals and 46 points in 39 games.

In the Metro, Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers was the vote-in choice, but due to personal reasons, he will not be attending. Instead, Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins will take his place. While refusing an All-Star appearance is normally a one-game suspension, that does not appear to be the case for Zibanejad. Guentzel is certainly a worthwhile replacement, as he is currently tied for seven in the league with 20 goals and has scored them in just 32 games.

For the Central, the obvious choice was Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri and the fans did not disappoint. Fifth in the league with 49 points this season, Kadri is having a career year and arguably deserved the All-Star bid ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who will also be there (along with Cale Makar, making it three for the Avalanche).

Another obvious snub when the lists were announced will be rectified as Troy Terry was the Pacific’s last man in, celebrating his breakout season. The 24-year-old forward sits sixth in league scoring with 22 goals in just 38 games, more than doubling his previous career total.

Alex Belzile, Cam Dineen Clear Waivers

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Jan 18: Both Belzile and Dineen have cleared waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Jan 17: The Montreal Canadiens are getting some reinforcements in the coming days, meaning some players must be moved off the roster. Today it’s Alex Belzile who has been placed on waivers, according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet. He’s not alone though, as Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that Cam Dineen of the Arizona Coyotes has also been placed on waivers today.

In Montreal, Josh Anderson will be back in the lineup today, Tyler Toffoli is expected back this week and Paul Byron will soon rejoin the team. Brendan Gallagher is also on track to return in one or two weeks, meaning the Canadiens will finally have some semblance of the roster they expected at the start of the season. All that means for Belzile is it’s time to go, either to the taxi squad or back to the minor leagues.

The 30-year-old minor league journeyman made his NHL debut in the 2020 bubble and has suited up 11 times for the Canadiens this season, but is still looking for his first NHL goal. In 16 games for the Laval Rocket before his most recent call-up, he had 11 points. An undrafted forward who spent years in the ECHL near the start of his pro career, Belzile serves as nothing more than injury insurance at this point.

Dineen meanwhile is at the opposite end of his career. Still just 23, he was a third-round pick of the Coyotes in 2016 and made his NHL debut this season. In 14 games, the left-shot defenseman has four points. Passed over on the prospect depth chart by several other defensemen in the Arizona system, Dineen’s placement on waivers doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

Still, given his relative youth and inexpensive price tag, he perhaps could be snagged by another team dealing with defensive injuries or absences. He is currently signed to a one-year, two-way deal that carries a cap hit of just $750K.

Fowler, Stolarz, Manson Placed In COVID Protocol

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Jan 18: Elliott Teaford of the OC Register tweets that Josh Manson, assistant coach Geoff Ward, and video coach Joe Piscotty have now also been placed in the COVID protocol. With the Ducks off until tomorrow, they haven’t announced any activations but did send Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the AHL.

Jan 15: The Anaheim Ducks won’t have John Gibson in net tonight and they won’t have Anthony Stolarz either. The latter has joined the former in the COVID protocol, leaving Lukas Dostal and the recently recalled Olle Eriksson Ek as the two goaltenders on the active roster.

The worries don’t end there, however, as Cam Fowler has also been placed in the COVID protocol. The Ducks have recalled Vinni Lettieri and Greg Pateryn along with Eriksson Ek as they try to fight through this newest outbreak. Brendan Guhle is expected to enter the lineup in Fowler’s place.

Anaheim has lost two in a row and now seven of their last ten, but remain in second place in the Pacific Division. A big part of that is the fact that they’ve already played 40 games though, meaning they’ll need to get back on track here or risk dropping quickly down the standings.

Stolarz has been exceptional in relief of Gibson this season, posting a .919 save percentage through 13 games. In fact, since arriving in Anaheim in 2019-20 there hasn’t been much to complain about. In 22 appearances, the 27-year-old netminder has posted a .923 save percentage in a Ducks sweater. Dostal and Eriksson Ek meanwhile have a combined two games at the NHL level.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top