Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AHL

NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Alongside the news of three teams opting out, four teams temporarily relocating, and realigned divisions for the coming season, more information continues to emerge following today’s AHL Board of Governors meeting. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates have been informed that there will be no blanket quarantine period for player recalls and reassignments this season. Instead, quarantine measures will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of the circumstances. This will include team protocols, travel logistics, and accordance with local COVID-19 health guidelines.

As Johnston notes, this will make AHL recalls much easier for those teams whose affiliates share a city or even a state or province. Short, safe travel ability and uniform local policies will allow for much shorter quarantine periods. Teams in this situation may even ask their affiliate to maintain the same NHL-level of day-to-day quarantine protocols to make recalls even easier, perhaps even without any quarantine. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks (if and when the team returns home from Arizona) all share a city with their AHL affiliate, as do the New Jersey Devils temporarily. The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins (temporarily), Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins all have their AHL affiliates within state or provincial lines as well.

For those teams with some distance between themselves and their minor league clubs, recalls could remain difficult. Especially for those Canadian teams whose affiliates remain in the U.S. – the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks – quarantine logistics will be a struggle. Johnston points out that for these teams and the American clubs with affiliates elsewhere in the country, travel will be a major obstacle. The one blanket policy for all NHL and AHL players this season is that a seven-day quarantine period is required following a commercial flight. This could also stand to effect any team on a long-term road trip that is desperate enough to make a recall.

However, while this policy will help a great number of teams, it is important to remember that  taxi squads were established for this season to reduce the reliance on AHL recalls, at least as a frequent measure. Regardless of each NHL team’s location relative to their AHL affiliate, most teams will largely use their six-man taxi squad for emergency substitutions and will have options in the meantime should they decide to recall a player who must quarantine.

Three Teams Opt Out Of AHL Season

at CDT | by 15 Comments

The AHL will have a season, but it won’t be with 31 teams. The Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals, and Springfield Thunderbirds have all elected to opt out of the 2020-21 season. All three will return for 2021-22. After a board of governors call today, the league has announced realignment for the upcoming season that will see 28 teams operate in five divisions. Those divisions will be as follows:

Atlantic:

Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Hartford Wolf Pack
Providence Bruins

Canadian:

Belleville Senators
Laval Rocket
Manitoba Moose
Toronto Marlies

North:

Binghamton Devils
Hershey Bears
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Rochester Americans
Syracuse Crunch
Utica Comets
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Central:

Chicago Wolves
Cleveland Monsters
Grand Rapids Griffins
Iowa Wild
Rockford IceHogs
Texas Stars

Pacific:

Bakersfield Condors
Colorado Eagles
Henderson Silver Knights
Ontario Reign
San Diego Gulls
San Jose Barracuda
Stockton Heat
Tucson Roadrunners

Several teams have also secured provisional relocations. The Binghamton Devils will play in Newark, New Jersey; the Ontario Reign will play in El Segundo, California; the Providence Bruins will play in Marlborough, Massachusetts; and the San Diego Gulls will play in Irvine, California.

The league will play a schedule with variable lengths for each division but will have a minimum of 24 games. The league is hoping to start on February 5, though an official schedule has not been announced yet.

The question now becomes what will happen to minor league players for the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, NHL affiliates of Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Springfield respectively. Patrick Williams of NHL.com reports that St. Louis will be sending players to Utica; no word yet on the other two franchises.

Injury Notes: Patrick, Dallas, Colorado, Marchand

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers had a welcome face join them for the first on-ice session of training camp today. Nolan Patrick, who hasn’t played an NHL game since April of 2019, was present and taking part in practice. In fact, he’s even cleared for contact and says he’s feeling better every day as he recovers from the migraine issues that kept him off the ice for so long.

Patrick, the second overall pick from 2017, is still just 22 and could be a big part of the Flyers lineup this season should his health hold. Without any leverage in negotiations, he accepted a one-year contract at his qualifying offer salary of $874,125. Even if he never becomes the top-line center they hoped for, Philadelphia can still certainly use a bargain in the middle-six.

  • The Dallas Stars were without two postseason standouts as camp opened, announcing that Anton Khudobin is still dealing with some immigration issues and Joe Pavelski is listed as day-to-day pending further examination results on an undisclosed injury. Remember, with such a short training camp this year every day is even more important, meaning there may be some extra rust to shake off for Dallas early on.
  • Speaking of missing important time, five Colorado Avalanche players were deemed “unfit to play” today and head coach Jared Bednar wasn’t sure when they would be back. Gabriel Landeskog, Brandon Saad, Erik Johnson, Philipp Grubauer, and Keaton Middelton (AHL contract) were all held out, though the exact reasoning was not given. The first four are obviously extremely important to the Colorado lineup, so hopefully they can get back on the ice before long.
  • While David Pastrnak wasn’t on the ice and will still miss the first part of the regular season, the Boston Bruins had Brad Marchand out there in his familiar place next to Patrice Bergeron. Marchand is coming back from sports hernia surgery in September and explained today that he had been dealing with the injury for the last two and a half years. The veteran forward also spoke about Kevan Miller’s return to the ice with the Bruins, calling him an “animal” and saying that he hasn’t missed a beat. Miller last played an NHL game in April of 2019 and has had multiple major surgeries in the interim. He signed a new one-year, bonus-laden deal with the Bruins in October.

Darren Archibald Signs In Austria

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The North American portion of Darren Archibald’s professional hockey career is over, at least for now. After spending last season with the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators of the AHL, Archibald has taken his talents to Europe and signed with the Vienna Capitals of the Austrian ICEHL.

Now 30, Archibald is an excellent example of how dedication and work ethic can eventually result in success. Undrafted, he spent his first two professional seasons bouncing between the AHL and ECHL, spending just as much time with the Kalamazoo Wings as the Chicago Wolves. After his entry-level deal expired without any time at the NHL, Archibald inked another one-year deal with the Canucks and worked hard to earn a shot. That chance came in October of 2013 when he made his NHL debut at the age of 23. A few days later, Archibald would record his first NHL point against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.

Though his career has still mostly been spent at the AHL level, Archibald scored 14 points in 55 career NHL games, all of them coming with the Canucks. He’ll now take a journey familiar to undrafted players and suit up overseas for the next chapter of his hockey career.

Taylor Leier, Jack Rodewald Sign In Czech Republic

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A pair of former NHL players have decided to take their services overseas as NHL.com’ Brennan Klak reports that former Philadelphia Flyers forward Taylor Leier and former Ottawa Senators forward Jack Rodewald have signed with HC Ocelari Trinec of the Czech Republic.

Neither player saw NHL action last season. Leier hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2017-18 season when he played in 39 games for the Flyers. He scored one goal and tallied five points that year, but spent 2018-19 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL and then was swapped to Buffalo at midseason for Justin Bailey. The 26-year-old never played for the Sabres, however, spending the next year and half with the Rochester Americans. He appeared in just 27 games for the Americans last season, posting 11 goals and 17 points.

The 26-year-old Rodewald played with the Senators more recently, getting into six games in 2018-19, but has only appeared in 10 total NHL games. He signed with Ottawa in 2017 and showed well in his stints with the Belleville Senators of the AHL, scoring 23 goals in 2018-19, prompting his call-up to Ottawa. However, the Senators decided to trade Rodewald to Florida last season for collegiate forward Chris Wilkie. However, Rodewald struggled with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, posting just five goals in 43 games.

Prospect Notes: Lodnia, Khovanov, Kravtsov, Andersson

at CDT | by 7 Comments

A pair of Minnesota Wild forward prospects currently on loan in Russia will go different ways for the rest of the season. Ivan Lodnia, the team’s third-round pick in 2017, will leave the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk to return to North America in time for the Iowa Wild’s AHL camp later this month, reports The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Lodnia is in his first pro season after five years in the OHL and has seven points through 27 KHL games thus far. The skilled American forward is expected to spend the rest of his season in the AHL, but could push for an NHL look late in the year if he impresses with Iowa. Meanwhile, 2018 third-round pick Alexander Khovanov will stay in Russia for the rest of the year. Currently on loan to the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan, who in turn have loaned him to the minor league VHL, Khovanov has 15 points in 16 VHL games after getting blanked though seven KHL games. Also a first-year pro, Khovanov scored 99 points in the QMJHL last year but is not as far along in his development as Lodnia and can take the rest of the year to work on his game in his native Russia.

  • As expected, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton has confirmed to the media that prospect forward Vitali Kravtsov will remain in Russia through the end of the KHL season. Kravtsov is currently on loan to his longtime KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk and he is currently finding success with 12 goals and 17 points in 34 games. Gorton stated that the team felt Kravtsov’s development was better served by letting him play out the KHL season given this success. However, the team will explore bringing Kravtsov back once the KHL season is complete. The 21-year-old Kravtsov, the No. 9 overall pick in 2018, played in 39 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack last season but has yet to make his NHL debut.
  • A teammate of Kravtsov’s in Hartford early last year, Lias Andersson also finished the season in Europe. Andersson tells The Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris that he had planned to spend the entire 2020-21 season back in Sweden with the SHL’s HV71. However, an off-season trade from the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings changed his mind. Andersson now plans to spend the whole season in North America, regardless of his role within his new organization. For what it’s worth, Andersson notched 11 points in 19 games while on loan to HV71 so far this season and personally feels that his game has improved, so perhaps he can finally carve out a regular NHL role with the young Kings squad.

Boo Nieves To Attend Tampa Bay Training Camp

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Rangers South continues. The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Boo Nieves to a professional tryout and will have him attend training camp with the team. The veteran forward has spent the last several years with the New York Rangers but became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Nieves, 26, was the 59th overall pick of the 2012 draft and spent four seasons at the University of Michigan before joining the Rangers organization. Since making his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season he has played in 76 total contests, barely qualifying for the Group VI threshold that allowed him to avoid restricted free agency. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t seem to have helped his case much as he now tries to secure an NHL contract with the Lightning, or at least demonstrate to another team around the league that he can still be a valuable depth piece.

The 6’3″ forward does have 19 points in those 76 games, despite averaging fewer than ten minutes of ice time. He also recorded 27 points in 43 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season, meaning at the very least he should be able to help an AHL squad somewhere around the league. Still, with brutal possession numbers and a loaded forward group ahead of him in Tampa Bay, it seems unlikely that he’ll see any NHL playing time even if he does earn a two-way contract.

Clark Bishop, Alexandre Alain Clear Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

January 1: Both players have cleared waivers. Alain’s contract can now be terminated.

December 31: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, though the reasoning is a bit different for each. Clark Bishop has been placed on regular waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, while Alexandre Alain of the Montreal Canadiens has hit unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Alain has decided to pursue full-time studies and reconsider his future in professional hockey. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin released a glowing statement of the prospect, even if he is about to become an unrestricted free agent:

Alexandre embodies several values that are important to our team. Besides having an impeccable attitude and being a proud competitor, he is an excellent teammate appreciated by all. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

The 23-year-old Alain signed an entry-level contract in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has spent the last two seasons playing with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. In 60 games last year, he recorded 11 goals and 24 points. His decision today may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time that academic achievement has been attached to Alain’s hockey career. In 2018, he won the QMJHL Scholastic Player of the year award and was given the Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence and Merit by the Canadiens, which is presented to amateur hockey players who best combine hockey performances and academic achievement.

Bishop meanwhile is a 24-year-old depth forward for the Hurricanes, who played five games at the NHL level last season but spent most of the year in the AHL. That’s likely where he’s headed once again, though the early waiver placement is interesting and could suggest that he has a chance to play overseas like Roland McKeown who cleared waivers today. At any rate, his chance of being a full-time player for the Hurricanes this season is low.

Nashville Predators Recall Three From European Loans

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have recalled Eeli Tolvanen, Yakov Trenin, and Connor Ingram from their overseas loans, with training camp set to start in a few days.

Tolvanen, 21, had been playing with Jokerit in the KHL once again, this time scoring 13 points in 25 games. That’s a much slower pace than he set in 2017-18 when he was the talk of the hockey world, tallying 25 goals and 43 points in 60 total games with the Finnish club. Given how, for lack of a better term, average his two seasons in North America have gone since, the depressed offensive totals this year are a little bit concerning. Still, the Predators have a lot of faith in the 2017 first-round pick and he should receive another shot at making the NHL squad.

Trenin, 23, is one of the players he might have to beat out, though he doesn’t play the same type of game. The 2015 second-round pick worked his way through several years in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Admirals before making his NHL debut in 2019-20, suiting up 21 times for Nashville. He’s been playing with SKA St. Petersburg this season, where he has seven points in 21 games. Unlike Tolvanen however, Trenin is not waiver-exempt any longer and would need to clear to even head to the taxi squad, perhaps giving him a leg up for the roster competition.

Ingram, 23, is one of the league’s more intriguing goaltending prospects. Despite dominating at almost every level so far, he mysteriously flamed out of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization and was sent to the Predators for a 2021 seventh-round pick (in 2019 mind you). He was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL once again last season, posting a 21-5-5 record and a .933 save percentage, leading to a three-year contract extension in March. Ingram has been playing in the Swedish second tier, but will likely be the starter for Milwaukee again as he is still waiver-exempt.

J-F Berube Signs AHL Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Jobs are dwindling fast, so for many veteran players, AHL deals may be the only opportunity left. That’s the case for Jean-Francois Berube, who has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign for the upcoming season. Berube became an unrestricted free agent this offseason after his one-year contract with the New York Rangers expired.

Berube, 29, has 34 games of NHL experience, mostly with the New York Islanders, but hasn’t seen that level since 2018. The last two seasons he has been exclusively an AHL netminder, playing for the Cleveland Monsters, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and Hartford Wolf Pack. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been very effective at any of those stops, with a .906 with the Phantoms coming in as his best save percentage between the three.

For at least this season, he’ll have to work in the minor leagues with no chance of call-up, unless his deal is converted into an NHL contract at some point. That will likely be the case for many veterans who haven’t had much recent success, as the financial climate forces teams to pinch pennies where they can.

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