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Paul Stastny Enters Protocol; Cole Perfetti Recalled

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The Winnipeg Jets have lost another key player, as Paul Stastny joins his teammates in the COVID protocol. It’s not all bad though, as the team has recalled Cole Perfetti from the taxi squad under emergency conditions. The team has also brought Mikhail Berdin, Jeff Malott, and Austin Poganski from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies ahead of tonight’s game.

Stastny joins Kristian Reichel, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jansen Harkins, Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley, Nathan Beaulieu, and Dylan DeMelo in the protocol, sapping the Jets of a huge amount of depth before returning to the ice. The team hasn’t played since a 7-1 bloodbath against the Colorado Avalanche on January 6 and after tonight won’t have another game until January 18.

With that light schedule, it does give them a chance to work through this recent COVID outbreak and get some players back. Harkins and DeMelo could both play tonight depending on health, but Stastny certainly won’t. The veteran center actually has 16 points in 24 games this season, a strong pace despite having turned 36 a few weeks ago. He’s been mostly playing on the wing after a long career in the middle of the ice, but has still been a solid contributor. Losing that, along with so many others, will make it a tough test against the upstart Red Wings this evening.

Later in the day, head coach Dave Lowry announced some further bad news. Brenden Dillon and Eric Comrie have both been added to the COVID protocol, leaving the Jets even further shorthanded.

Chris Wideman To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Montreal Canadiens are already down more than half their roster due to injuries and illnesses but are about to lose someone else. Chris Wideman will have a hearing today with the Department of Player Safety regarding the incident with Boston Bruins forward Erik Haula last night.

In a scrum during the third period of a 5-1 blowout, while both players were being restrained by officials, Wideman appeared to deliver a head-butt to Haula’s face. He ended up with two penalties on the play, though both were listed for actions against Brandon Carlo, not Haula.

Recently, the 32-year-old Wideman was actually listed as a potential All-Star candidate by writers from NHL.com, after his relatively strong start to the season. The veteran defenseman returned after a year in the KHL to record nine points in 23 games for the Canadiens so far, but still only plays under 15 minutes a night for the struggling club. If he receives a suspension, he’ll be taken out of a lineup that is already missing wide swaths of talent, including seven players that are in the COVID protocol.

Goaltender Jake Allen also suffered an injury last night, leading to several Canadiens transactions. Cayden Primeau has been recalled from the taxi squad under emergency conditions, while Michael McNiven is up from Laval to take his spot on the taxi. Brandon Baddock and Louis Belpedio have been loaned back to Laval, while Kale Clague has exited the protocol and will rejoin the team.

2022 NHL All-Star Game Rosters To Be Revealed Tomorrow

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The four divisional rosters for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game will be revealed Thursday exclusively on ESPN’s SportsCenter program, the TV network tweeted today. The reveal program will be hosted by Steve Levy, along with analysts and former NHLers Chris Chelios and Mark Messier.

Each division’s roster features nine skaters and two goaltenders, and the tournament continues to be played in a 3-on-3 format. The coaches for the four divisions have already been named — Andrew Brunette (Atlantic), Rod Brind’Amour (Metropolitan), Jared Bednar (Central), and Peter DeBoer (Pacific).

All but one player from each division will be revealed during the roster announcement. Fans have the opportunity to vote for the last player on each squad, known as the Last Men In voting campaign. Details for that will also be revealed during the show.

The All-Star weekend takes place February 4 and February 5.

USA Hockey Notes: Sanderson, Beniers, Brisson

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Ahead of USA Hockey’s roster unveiling tomorrow of the 25-man contingent that will head to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, a few names of players named to the team are leaking today. Per the Grand Forks Herald’s Brad Elliott Schlossman, one of those players is University of North Dakota defenseman (and Ottawa Senators prospect) Jake Sanderson. Sanderson, the fifth overall pick in 2020, has 22 points through 17 games as an assistant captain at UND. He’ll undoubtedly be a huge part of Team USA’s blueline in Beijing.

More Olympic notes for USA Hockey:

  • Seattle Kraken prospect Matty Beniers will also be on the final roster, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports. The 6’1″, 174-lb center is enjoying a great sophomore season at the University of Michigan with 26 points in 22 games. He’ll also likely be one of the team’s big go-to players without NHL talent on the team.
  • A second University of Michigan player will be going, per Wheeler — Vegas Golden Knights pick Brendan Brisson. The team’s 29th overall pick in 2020 has 27 points in 23 games there this year, and while he might not play as prominent a role as Beniers on the team, he’s a great two-way center who should be a great energy player for Team USA.

Philadelphia Flyers Activate Three From COVID Protocol

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The Philadelphia Flyers got a huge boost ahead of tomorrow’s game against Boston, as Philly Hockey Now’s Sam Carchidi reports that defensemen Ivan Provorov, Justin Braun, and forward Travis Konecny came off the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol today.

While Philadelphia is happy to get three important players back into the lineup, it’s especially crucial for Thursday’s game. It’s the second night of a back-to-back series for the Bruins, but goalie Tuukka Rask is expected to make his season debut and take advantage of the home-ice momentum.

Provorov leads all Flyers in ice time per game (24:25) and leads Flyers defensemen in points (13), returning to stabilize a blue-line that’s suffered all season. Braun’s return also shouldn’t be overlooked – he’s likely the best defensive defenseman the Flyers have. He’ll likely return on a pairing with young Cam York.

Konecny is one of the forwards that the Flyers would like to see some more production out of. After being one of the team’s best point producers over the past few years, he has just five goals and 14 assists in 33 games. He’s hoping for a hot streak after his return.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Tampa Bay Lightning

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In the spirit of the holiday season, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season approaches the midway mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

What are the Lightning thankful for?

The most stable management/coaching group in the NHL.

When Steve Yzerman stepped down as Lightning general manager in 2018, it could have been a death knell for the organization. Many other front offices would have crumbled, losing their respected leader just a month before the season began. After all, the team’s head coach was also in his last year under contract, and following Yzerman to Detroit could have been an appealing idea for many of the organization’s brightest minds. Instead, with his former boss’s support, Julien BriseBois stepped into the big chair, doubling down on the structure and stability that the Lightning had built as a franchise.

It’s not just the coaching staff–which is led by one of the best in the game in Jon Cooper–or the management team, who routinely sign players at a small discount because of the market and team success. It goes right down to the scouting staffs and development teams, who have again and again churned out NHL talent from players who were otherwise overlooked. Of the 12 forwards currently penciled into the Lightning lineup, nine of them were drafted by the team. Just one of those nine was in the first round (Steven Stamkos, first overall in 2008).

Who are the Lightning thankful for?

Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Even though the Lightning roster is strong from top to bottom, everything comes down to the goaltender. Vasilevskiy is in the middle of a Hall of Fame career and once again leads the NHL in wins with 20 this season. Should he finish at the top of that category, it would be for the fifth straight season. A Vezina finalist or winner in each of the last four seasons, Vasilevskiy now has a 210-89-22 record in the regular season. He has a .920 career save percentage, which he has eclipsed in three of the past four seasons.

When he missed some games earlier this year, it was obvious how much of a difference he makes. Brian Elliott, Maxime Lagace, and Hugo Alnefelt combined to stop just 234 of 267 shots–an .876 save percentage.

What would the Lightning be even more thankful for?

Continued health for Stamkos.

One of the best stories of the season has been the re-emergence of Stamkos as one of the league’s superstars. Finally healthy again, he has 17 goals and 44 points in 37 games, is playing center on a regular basis again, and looks like the player that was routinely on Hart Trophy ballots at the end of the year. It’s been a trying career for Stamkos, suffering brutal fluke injuries at the worst times. But after missing out on Olympic rosters, the 2020 Stanley Cup run (save for that one, incredible performance), and countless additional points over his 14-year career, the captain looks like he’s ready to get back on those ballots once again.

What should be on the Lightning’s wish list?

A backup goaltender.

There’s no money on the cap chart, and if we’re being honest the Lightning probably don’t have a great shot at a third Stanley Cup if Vasilevskiy gets injured, but acquiring a backup for the stretch run still seems necessary. Elliott just hasn’t been good enough to trust on a regular basis and the risk of overworking Vasilevskiy is still there, especially in what could be a condensed schedule down the stretch due to postponements. The Lightning have played the most games in the league, but that doesn’t mean they won’t suddenly have a handful of games pushed back at any moment.

Another defenseman would be nice, and BriseBois is always on the lookout for additional cheap forwards that can play a specific role, but the biggest weakness on this team right now is whenever Vasilevskiy isn’t in the net. A capable backup could go a long way to making sure he’s fresh and playing his best when the first round begins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alexander Barabanov Added To COVID Protocol

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The San Jose Sharks will be without Alexander Barabanov for at least the next few days after he was placed in the COVID protocol today. Head coach Bob Boughner confirmed to reporters including Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News that Barabanov did indeed test positive for coronavirus this morning.

He joins Nick Bonino, assistant coach John MacLean, and video coach Dan Darrow in the protocol for the Sharks. It also means that the team is losing another important forward, though Rudolfs Balcers is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow against the New York Rangers. Balcers last played over a month ago and can basically step directly into Barabanov’s spot, though can’t really replace the offense that the 27-year-old Russian has brought since arriving in San Jose.

Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs after failing to earn a full-time spot, Barabanov ran with the opportunity down the stretch and scored seven points in nine games last season for the Sharks. He signed a new one-year, $1MM deal to return to San Jose and this season has proven to be a reliable top-six option. In 32 games he has 20 points, while averaging nearly 17 minutes a night and also taking a regular shift on the powerplay.

Since he’s positive, he’ll miss at least five days in the protocol. That means at least two games missed and more likely three, as the Sharks play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and Los Angeles Kings on Monday.

Snapshots: Staal, Carter, Reichel

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It wasn’t so long ago that Eric Staal was scoring 42 goals during the 2017-18 season for the Minnesota Wild. A 22-goal and a 19-goal campaign followed, but then 2020-21 was a mess. He started with the Buffalo Sabres before ending up with the Montreal Canadiens, struggling in both cities.

Now, as he prepares to represent Canada at the Olympics instead of playing in the NHL, Staal is expected to sign an AHL professional tryout contract with the Iowa Wild, according to Ken Campbell of Hockey Unfiltered. Staal hasn’t been officially named to the roster yet, but without any professional games to his name this season he’ll need some sort of competitive action to prove he’s ready.

  • Speaking of Canadian Olympians getting closer to the end of their playing days, Jeff Carter recently turned 37 and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. When Josh Yohe of The Athletic asked him about whether or not tomorrow’s Pittsburgh Penguins game would be the last time Carter plays in Los Angeles, the veteran forward suggested he is still hoping to play a few more years. Carter is having another strong year for the Penguins with 11 goals and 20 points in 29 games, and certainly appears as though there is more for him to give over the next few seasons. Now going on more than 1,100 games at the NHL level, the veteran forward will be an interesting case to follow this offseason should he hit the open market.
  • On the other end of the spectrum is Lukas Reichel, who was recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks taxi squad today. Interim head coach Derek King confirmed to reporters including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago that Reichel’s NHL debut will come tomorrow night and it certainly seems like he’ll be a legitimate part of the gameplan. The 20-year-old forward was practicing with Patrick Kane and Dylan Strome today, but King did caution that “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” in terms of developing prospects, and that he’ll likely be sent back down after a few games. Reichel has 20 points in 20 games in Rockford and was the 17th overall pick in 2020.

Kyle Turris Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Edmonton Oilers have placed Kyle Turris in the COVID protocol, likely taking him out of consideration for their game this weekend against the Ottawa Senators. If Turris tested positive he’ll be kept out a minimum of five days.

While Oilers fans aren’t wishing him any ill health, they also likely won’t be that disappointed by the announcement that Turris is coming out of the lineup. The 32-year-old forward has just four points in 21 games this season and just nine since he arrived in Edmonton in 2020.

Once a dynamic offensive player, Turris is far from that at this point in his career and averages fewer than nine minutes of ice time when he does get into the lineup. His absence now is only painful because of the number of other missing players they have. Warren Foegele, Tyler Benson, Brendan Perlini, Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Archibald, Dylan Holloway, Slater Koekkoek, Evan Bouchard, and Ilya Konovalov are also all in the protocol, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is injured.

Montreal Canadiens Claim Rem Pitlick

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The Montreal Canadiens have added a little bit of forward depth, claiming Rem Pitlick off waivers from the Minnesota Wild. It’s the second time that Pitlick has been claimed this season, after the Wild took him from the Nashville Predators at the beginning of the year.

It’s certainly an interesting claim for the Canadiens, who have been ravaged by injuries this season and don’t have a lot to play for down the stretch. Pitlick, 24,  is a capable offensive player with 11 points in 20 games for the Wild this season but wasn’t being used very much in the more competitive matchups. In fact, in three of his last four games for Minnesota, Pitlick had seen less than seven minutes of ice time.

That likely won’t be the case in Montreal, where he’ll suddenly be among many other forwards that have as little NHL experience as him.

It’s also a familiar name for the Canadiens organization, given they selected his brother Rhett Pitlick in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. That Pitlick, still just 20 years old, is in his freshman season for the University of Minnesota.

Adding relatively young talent through whatever means is necessary for the Canadiens as they look to turn around a franchise that hit rock bottom this season. Even if Pitlick doesn’t turn out to be more than he has shown to this point, he is still an asset that they grabbed for nothing more than the low cost of a waiver claim.

Unfortunately, despite him being 24, Pitlick is likely headed for unrestricted free agency in the summer. With just 31 games played to this point in his career, he’ll qualify for Group VI UFA status should he fail to play in 49 more this season (the Canadiens have 48 remaining).

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