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Gregory Hofmann Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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Jan 14: Hofmann has cleared waivers and will have his contract terminated.

Jan 13: A few days after informing the team that he would not be returning to North America, Gregory Hofmann has been placed on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Blue Jackets had previously suspended Hofmann for not returning, with his Swiss team EV Zug announcing that he would rejoin them once the contract details in the NHL were dealt with.

Hofmann’s one-year, $900K contract with the Blue Jackets will be terminated tomorrow, technically making him an unrestricted free agent. He’ll be staying in Switzerland though, meaning his NHL journey will for now end at 24 games.

Those 24 games were actually relatively productive, as Hofmann recorded two goals and seven points for the Blue Jackets. He leaves as the current +/- leader on the team as well at +6. It’s an unfortunate situation for the Blue Jackets, especially after giving up so little to bring him over to North America in the first place. Last February, the team traded a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for Hofmann’s rights a decade after he was originally selected in the fourth round. The Hurricanes had never been able to sign him, but Columbus was able to bring him over now that he was no longer held to the entry-level system.

What remains on the $900K salary will not be paid out now that he’s gone, but Hofmann technically could sign a new deal with another NHL team at some point in the future. There’s not really any reason to believe he’ll do that though, as he is a star in the Swiss league he now returns to. A veteran of 11 seasons there, he had 41 points in 36 games for EV Zug in 2020-21 and scored the championship-clinching goal in the playoffs to take home his second career title.

Maple Leafs Add Three To COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs had some reinforcements at practice today as Mitch Marner and Pierre Engvall joined the team on the road after spending the last week in the COVID protocol. Unfortunately, their return came with some bad news as well, as Justin Holl, Ondrej Kase, and Nick Ritchie have all been placed in the protocol.

It’s tough timing for Kase, who had just returned from injury and received an opportunity to play with Auston Matthews on the team’s top line. He has played more than 20 minutes in each of the last two games, and though Marner’s return would have cut into that time, his performance for the Maple Leafs this season has been strong enough to command an increased role. In 30 games, the oft-injured Kase has eight goals and 17 points.

For Holl, missing any time could have disastrous implications should the coaching staff decide his replacement can handle the top-four role. The 29-year-old defenseman has had a tumultuous season, including a period as a healthy scratch and trade rumors swirling around his future in Toronto. In 29 games, he has just three points, a far cry from the player who registered 20 last season as part of a shutdown pair with Jake Muzzin.

Ritchie meanwhile was just struggling to stay in the lineup for Toronto and has been a disappointment from game one. His two-year, $5MM contract appears to be a mistake at this point with just two goals and nine points in 33 games. Ritchie’s ice time has been slashed dramatically–he started the year on the first line–to the point of being a healthy scratch earlier this month.

According to David Alter of The Hockey News, Matthews and Michael Bunting are the only two Maple Leafs regulars to not test positive for COVID-19 over the last month.

Troy Terry, Andrej Sekera Placed In COVID Protocol

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Two of the teams playing tonight will be doing so shorthanded, as the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars have both announced COVID-related absences.

For the Stars, it’s Andrej Sekera who has been placed in the COVID protocol meaning Joel Hanley will enter the lineup according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. Sekera joins Alexander Radulov, Denis Gurianov, and Braden Holtby on the sideline for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Jake Oettinger will be in net as the Stars try to build on their last game and get back into the Central Division playoff race.

Sekera is averaging just 14 minutes a night for the Stars in the second season of a two-year, $3MM deal signed in 2020. The 35-year-old will miss at least two games if he has tested positive, as he’ll face a minimum of five days in isolation.

For the Ducks, it is much worse, as Troy Terry is now in the COVID protocol. He joins Vinni Lettieri, Simon Benoit, and John Gibson on the sidelines. While the latter was expected out of the protocol soon, Elliott Teaford of the OC Register reports that Gibson is not with the team in Minnesota. Even just losing Terry is a problem though, given how important he’s been to the Ducks’ attack this season.

The 24-year-old is having one of the most incredible goal-scoring seasons in years, scoring on 24.4% of his shots so far this year. That’s resulted in 22 tallies, nearly twice as many as Terry had in his entire career to this point. Through 38 games he has 36 points, including six just since the start of the new year. If he’s tested positive, he’ll be out tonight, tomorrow against Chicago and potentially next Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Ducks have recalled Jacob Larsson from the taxi squad to the active roster, while assigning Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the taxi squad from the AHL.

Calvin De Haan Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine

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Not only does the Department of Player Safety have a hearing with Ross Johnston of the New York Islanders today, but some more supplementary discipline was on their plate. Calvin de Haan of the Chicago Blackhawks has earned a $2,500 fine for a dangerous trip on Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield.

The incident in question happened partway through the third period as Caufield tried to skate around the Blackhawks’ net. The trip, which appeared to be a clear slew-foot, went unpenalized by the on-ice officials. The league has been seeing a huge increase in these kinds of incidents this season, with Brad Marchand and Kevin Labanc both earning slew-footing suspensions and P.K. Subban earning multiple fines.

There are some who credit the crackdown on cross-checking as the reason why these trips have seemingly increased, though obviously, the league believes something like this is not worthy of a suspension. Caufield did not suffer a serious injury on the play. While it isn’t a suspension, the incident will still be considered in any future disciplinary decisions involving de Haan.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/14/22

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Three games are on the NHL schedule this evening, including a key Western Conference matchup between the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild. The Ducks have maintained their grip on second place in the Pacific, while the Wild have dropped down to fourth in recent weeks in a competitive Central. With their eyes set firmly on the postseason, both teams will be preparing for tonight’s matchup closely. As they and others make changes, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Jacob Bernard-Docker back to the taxi squad, given it is an off day. The young defenseman could be back up tomorrow, but sending him down for the day will save the team a bit of money. The 21-year-old has played in four games so far this season, recording one point.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have assigned Laurent Dauphin and Corey Schueneman to the taxi squad, as they have a few days off before their next game. Montreal will take on the Arizona Coyotes on Monday, a battle of the two worst teams in the league.
  • The Florida Panthers have returned Aleksi Heponiemi and Owen Tippett to the AHL, raising some eyebrows about the latter’s future with the team. Tippett, 22, has 11 points in 33 games with the Panthers this season but will now have to continue his year in the minor leagues.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Hunter Shepard from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them an extra practice goaltender. Shepard, 26, has spent more time in the ECHL than the AHL since turning pro, including nine games for the South Carolina Stingrays this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Nolan Foote back to the AHL from the taxi squad, where he can continue his sophomore season. The 21-year-old has just ten points in 22 games for the Utica Comets.

Central Division

  • Hunter Miska has been recalled to the Colorado Avalanche taxi squad, as the team prepares for action tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. Colorado will be heading to Arizona for the second half of the home-and-home tomorrow night.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have sent Josiah Slavin, Ian Mitchell, and Nicolas Beaudin back to the AHL, giving the Rockford IceHogs a boost before their games against the Cleveland Monsters today and tomorrow. Slavin, the younger brother of Jaccob Slavin, made his NHL debut this season and has played in ten games for the Blackhawks.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned Arvid Holm, Simon Lundmark, Jeff Malott and Austin Poganski to the AHL, giving the Manitoba Moose a bit of a boost. Mikhail Berdin meanwhile has been added to the taxi squad.

Pacific Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have moved Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Samuel Fagemo, and Jacob Moverare to the taxi squad from the active roster while recalling Jacob Ingham and Austin Strand from the Ontario Reign. Fagemo, 21, made his NHL debut last night, recording one shot in just under 12 minutes of ice time.
  • Nick Merkley has been sent to the AHL, ending his time with the San Jose Sharks for the time being. With Nick Bonino back, the Sharks didn’t really have room for Merkley on the roster and the taxi squad isn’t really important while the team is at home. Merkley has 16 points in 19 games so far this season with the San Jose Barracuda.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Lukas Dostal from the taxi squad.  He’ll serve as the backup goalie tonight against Minnesota with John Gibson not yet ready to return.  Dostal won his NHL debut on Sunday against Detroit.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Pavel Buchnevich Enters COVID Protocol

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The St. Louis Blues have lost another key player, as Pavel Buchnevich is now in the league’s COVID protocol. Buchnevich played more than 21 minutes last night against the Seattle Kraken. The team has recalled Dakota Joshua under emergency conditions to fill the roster spot, while Alexei Toropchenko and Calle Rosen have been assigned to the taxi squad.

Buchnevich, 26, actually scored the winner last night against the Kraken, his 14th goal of the season in just 34 games. A trade from the New York Rangers in the offseason has given him an even bigger offensive opportunity and the third-round pick has run with it, scoring 35 points already. That’s just 13 shy of his career-high, a number he set last season in just 54 games.

While he’ll miss tomorrow’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Monday’s match against the Nashville Predators, Buchnevich could potentially exit the protocol before the Blues head out on the road next week. In the meantime, the team will need to find a different option on the top line and someone to replace Buchnevich on the powerplay and penalty kill.

Ross Johnston To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety has some more work to do. The league has announced that Ross Johnston of the New York Islanders will receive a hearing today for his illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward A.J. Greer. The incident happened early in the first period of last night’s game and resulted in a two-minute minor penalty.

Greer did not seem to suffer a serious injury on the play and eventually returned, though the Devils’ coaching staff indicated to reporters after the game that he was still being evaluated by the medical staff. Johnston meanwhile earned another roughing penalty later in the game and will now face stiffer consequences for the first period hit.

The DoPS has handed out two suspensions so far in 2022 and will likely now have a third, given the usual outcome of hearings. Some may remember Johnston’s 15-game suspension in junior, but that will not be taken into account here. In his 95-game NHL career, Johnston has not yet been suspended.

Rangers Place Alexis Lafreniere In COVID Protocol

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Per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere is now in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Forward Lauri Pajuniemi is now on the active roster, being recalled from the taxi squad today.

Lafreniere continues to struggle to work his way out of a depth role on this Rangers team, but he has 11 points through 37 games this season. Anthony Greco will draw into the lineup for his first game of the season.

Assuming Lafreniere is only subject to the five-day quarantine, he’ll only miss two games and be ready for the January 19 game against Toronto.

He’s the fourth Ranger to enter COVID protocol right now. Forwards Julien Gauthier, Barclay Goodrow, and Ryan Reaves were put on the list earlier in the week.

Snapshots: Hertl, Allen, Byron

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The San Jose Sharks’ unexpected rise back to relevancy this season has answered a lot of questions, but the Tomas Hertl situation still hangs over the team’s heads. On TSN’s Insider Trading program today, Pierre LeBrun says he expects the Sharks to “circle back” with Hertl and give him an extension offer. The pending unrestricted free agent has 31 points in 37 games this season. The team’s lone 20-goal scorer so far is in the final year of a four-year, $22.5MM contract. In the case that Hertl doesn’t agree to an extension prior to the trade deadline, though, LeBrun notes the trade front is still an option. Hertl has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a list of three teams to which he’ll accept a trade. LeBrun believes the New York Rangers would be an option, a team that would obviously be heavily interested in some added forward depth.

Some other notes, this time out of Montreal:

  • After leaving last night’s loss against Boston, Canadiens goalie Jake Allen will be out of the lineup for at least a week, per coach Dominique Ducharme. It’s been a really tough season for Allen, who’s faced injuries and COVID that have limited him to 24 games. He’s Montreal’s undisputed starter, still posting a save percentage above .900 on the worst team in the league. The team has a compressed schedule in the near future, meaning Allen could miss three or four games before he’s ready to dress again.
  • Montreal could be getting a name back from injury soon, though, as forward Paul Byron, who hasn’t played all year due to offseason hip surgery, could be cleared from COVID protocol by the weekend and could join the team on the road. Byron had six points in 22 games last year during Montreal’s playoff run. He’s one of the bigger voices in the room for the Habs, and his leadership presence will be greatly appreciated during this tough season.

Kirby Dach, Dylan Strome Enter COVID Protocol

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5:38 pm: The placements are now official, according to The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus.

5:27 pm: NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis reports that Chicago Blackhawks forwards Kirby Dach and Dylan Strome entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol today, meaning they’re unavailable for tonight’s contest against Montreal.

Dach is a humongous loss for this Blackhawks team. The 20-year-old center is averaging 19:34 per game, a great indicator of the trust placed in him by the team’s coaching staff. He has six goals and eight assists for 14 points through 36 games.

Strome was a healthy scratch at many points during the beginning of the season, but he’s found himself in the lineup more often under new head coach Derek King. Through 26 games, he has three goals and seven assists for 10 points.

In their absences, forward Sam Lafferty could draw in and make his Blackhawks debut. The team acquired Lafferty over a week ago (January 5) from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander.

If Strome and Dach are subject to just a five-day quarantine, they could return on January 21 against Minnesota.

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