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West Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Johnson, Vegas, San Diego Gulls

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While there was some concern that he might miss significant time, Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who took a big hit from San Jose’s Evander Kane (video here), Saturday, is considered to be day-to-day with a lower-body injury, although he is expected to skip the road trip to Las Vegas, according to azcsports’ Jose Romero. That likely means he will miss at least two games.

Ekman-Larsson was forced to leave the game and only played 17:11 Saturday, but still managed to pick up three assists. No word on who will be recalled to replace him, but Coyotes’ insider Craig Morgan believes it will either be Kyle Capobianco or Jordan Gross.

  • The Colorado Avalanche got some good news as veteran defenseman Erik Johnson returned to the Avalanche after missing training camp, while dealing with a positive COVID-19 test and quarantining,” according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. He is now practicing with the team, although he may need a few more days to get back into game shape. “I had some symptoms, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that big a deal compared to what some people are dealing with. I just consider myself lucky to recover,” Johnson said.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights, who played the first two games of the season with just five defensemen could be ready to make a change. The team’s new practice lines suggest the team could be ready to use Nicolas Hague as their sixth defenseman, despite the team’s success. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger writes that head coach Peter DeBoer likes what he’s seen from his five-man defense, but also said he’s worried about the workload that might create on them. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo played 29:26 Saturday, a lot to ask out of any blueliner.
  • The San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, announced they have postponed Sunday’s exhibition game against the Ontario Reign out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19 protocols. This was supposed to be the second exhibition game. The first game, originally scheduled for Saturday, was postponed as well. This game was pushed back for the same reasons. The team will make a decision at a later date on when to play these game.

COVID Notes: Kapanen, Granlund, Gulls-Reign

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Pittsburgh Penguins off-season re-acquisition Kasperi Kapanen has not yet been on the ice with his teammates, but his return is imminent. Kapanen was removed from the NHL’s COVID Protocol on Friday but was still held out of practice on Saturday. However, Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that Kapanen took his fourth COVID test today and a fourth negative result will make it his final test. He will be able to re-join the team immediately, with head coach Mike Sullivan stating that they will have him in uniform as quickly as they can once that test result is received. Kapanen, 24, recorded 80 points combined over the past two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and is expected to skate with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel on the Penguins’ top line.

  • Mikael Granlund remains on the NHL’s COVID Protocol list for the Nashville Predators, but progress is being made toward getting him on the ice. Granlund’s return to Nashville was initially delayed due to immigration issues that caused him to miss all of training camp. According to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan, he has now arrived in Nashville and has begun the mandated quarantine following commercial travel. At no point has Granlund tested positive for Coronavirus and he should be eligible to return to the lineup as soon as his quarantine ends. Head coach John Hynes has stated that he expects Granlund to return to a top-six role for the Predators after he recorded 30 points in 63 games last season, more than half of which came after Hynes took over.
  • The San Diego Gulls and Ontario Reign, AHL affiliates of the Anaheim Ducks and L.A. Kings respectively, had intended to begin their preseason tonight with an exhibition game in Irvine, California. However, that game has been canceled due to precautions related to Coronavirus and in adherence with local health protocols. The two teams are scheduled to play on Sunday as well, but no determination has been made on that game yet.

Ben Hutton Signs With Anaheim Ducks

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The Anaheim Ducks have officially signed Ben Hutton to a one-year contract for the rest of the season. The deal is worth $950K according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. It was clear that a deal was coming when Hutton appeared on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list yesterday. It’s not clear when he will be removed from that list so that he’s available to play, but the Ducks have finally announced the deal.

Hutton, 27, was one of the players that felt an offseason squeeze, forced to sign a professional tryout despite a relatively impressive NHL resume. While he likely shouldn’t be deployed on a top pairing, Hutton has nearly 350 games of experience and has averaged just under 20 minutes a night over his five-year career. In 2019-20 he played in 65 games for the Los Angeles Kings and registered 16 points, while putting up strong possession numbers once again.

The Ducks relied heavily on their top two pairs last night to open the season, with Cam Fowler, Kevin Shattenkirk, Josh Manson, and Hampus Lindholm all logging at least 20 minutes. If Hutton can add a little depth to the bottom-pair rotation perhaps they won’t have to put so much responsibility on those top names, at least not every game.

One other thing to remember with Hutton in Anaheim is that he could be another trade deadline piece for them to flip. The one-year, low-money deal will be attractive to contenders partway through the year, especially if he’s able to prove he can still play at a high level.

Ben Hutton To Join Anaheim Ducks On PTO

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After losing some of their depth when the Detroit Red Wings claimed defenseman Christian Djoos on waivers Saturday and the injury to Brendan Guhle, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Anaheim Ducks are expected to sign unrestricted free agent Ben Hutton to a professional tryout agreement.

The 27-year-old blueliner, who spent last year with the Los Angeles Kings, has been a full-time player in the league for five years, four with the Vancouver Canucks. However, the Canucks opted not to offer Hutton a qualifying offer in 2019, prompting him to sign with the Kings and now leaving him on the free agent market. While hardly a top-four paring defenseman, Hutton provides solid depth as a third-pairing defenseman with both power play and penalty kill experience.

Regardless, Hutton has remained on the market through the offseason and training camp. Rumors that New Jersey and Boston were both interested in bringing the defenseman on board, but neither team pulled the trigger. Now Hutton will challenge for a spot on the Ducks roster.

Anaheim is set at the top four with Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk on the first pairing and Josh Manson and Cam Fowler on the second pairing. The third pairing is wide open with Jacob Larsson the leading candidate to take one of the final spots, while Hutton will likely fight it out with Jani Hakanpaa, Kodie Curran, Simon Benoit and Josh Mahura. Hutton also could eventually be put on waivers to be put onto the taxi squad, like the Ducks had hoped to do with Djoos. Considering no one was interested in signing Hutton to a PTO before, it would make sense that no one would claim him then.

Red Wings Claim Christian Djoos Off Waivers

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The first waiver claim of the year is in as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Red Wings have claimed defenseman Christian Djoos off waivers from Anaheim.

The 26-year-old split last season between Washington and Anaheim after he was dealt to the Ducks just before the trade deadline in exchange for winger Daniel Sprong.  Djoos suited up just twice for the Capitals but was a regular in Anaheim’s lineup after the trade, playing in nine games while logging more than 20 minutes a night.  He spent most of the season prior to the trade in the minors, putting up five goals and 27 assists in just 42 games with AHL Hershey.

Djoos signed a one-year, $1MM deal with Anaheim during the stoppage for the pandemic, a deal that actually saw his salary drop by $250K.  Had he cleared waivers, his entire cap hit would have been removed off the Ducks’ books in the minors but it’s now gone entirely with him out of the organization.

Instead, he’ll now join a new-look Detroit back end that also now has veteran Marc Staal plus free agent acquisitions Troy Stecher and Jonathon Merrill in the group.  Djoos will likely battle Merrill and returnee Alex Biega for playing time and could now have the opportunity to play a more regular role after spending most of last year in the minors.

Brendan Guhle Out Six Weeks

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Though it may get lost in the shuffle as the league deals with COVID-19 outbreaks, the Anaheim Ducks had some unfortunate news of their own today. Brendan Guhle has been ruled out for the next six weeks with a sprained MCL, essentially ending the training camp battle he was in for a roster spot.

The 23-year-old Guhle came to Anaheim in a trade nearly two years ago that saw Brandon Montour go to the Buffalo Sabres. Splitting time between the NHL and AHL, he performed adequately and looked to have an inside track on a roster spot (even if it was perhaps as the seventh defenseman) this season. The Ducks even put Christian Djoos on waivers today, indicating that he’ll likely start on the taxi squad or in the AHL.

Now, Guhle faces a tough rehab and the idea of overtaking a teammate mid-season if he wants to secure playing time. Six weeks puts him back on the ice deep into February, when a good chunk of the season has already passed. That’s a tough break in an already shortened schedule and could very well mean that Guhle will not eclipse the career-high of 30 games played he set last season.

Large Group Of Players Placed On Waivers

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With just a few days before the start of the regular season, a huge number of players have been placed on waivers. The full list includes:

Anaheim Ducks: 

Anthony Stolarz
Andy Welinski
Christian Djoos
Andrew Poturalski
Chase De Leo
Vinni Lettieri
Sam Carrick
Andrew Agozzino
David Backes

Carolina Hurricanes:

Antoine Bibeau
Steven Lorentz
Spencer Smallman
Jeremy Bracco
Gustav Forsling
Drew Shore
Max McCormick

Colorado Avalanche:

Jacob MacDonald
Dan Renouf
Kyle Burroughs
Mike Vecchione
T.J. Tynan
Miikka Salomaki
Jayson Megna
Sheldon Dries

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Nic Petan

These massive waiver placements are no different than the normal training camp cuts that would occur in late-September in a normal year. Should they clear, these players will be eligible to report to the taxi squad or AHL. There are a few names that stand out from the crowd though.

Backes, a veteran of 950 NHL games, still carries a $6MM cap hit on the final season of the five-year, $30MM contract he signed with the Boston Bruins in 2016. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, this is not a move by the Ducks to try and rid themselves of Backes, but create some additional flexibility. At any rate, his contract basically makes him waiver-proof as no other team would want to take it on at this point in the season.

Bracco, a former top prospect that scored 79 points in 75 games for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL as recently as 2018-19, has seen his development stall and finds himself on the outside looking in for the Hurricanes once again. Djoos, once an up-and-coming defenseman in the Washington Capitals system, is now 26 and available to the whole league, should they want to take a chance.

Ducks Sign Anthony Stolarz To Two-Year Extension

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Thursday: Anaheim officially announced the two-year extension for Stolarz.

Wednesday: The Ducks have locked up their insurance goalie and fulfilled an expansion draft requirement in the process.  CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they have signed netminder Anthony Stolarz to a two-year contract extension worth $950K per year.  It is a one-way pact in both seasons.

The 25-year-old joined Anaheim last offseason after signing as a Group VI unrestricted free agent from Philadelphia.  He ultimately had a similar role as he did with the Flyers as he was their third-string option and spent the majority of the season with AHL San Diego as a result, compiling a 2.66 GAA with a .922 SV% in 39 games.  He did get into one game with the Ducks, allowing two goals on 36 shots in a losing effort to St. Louis back in March.

Stolarz has 26 career NHL games under his belt so it’s quite possible that he’ll be in the mix for the number two spot behind John Gibson with Ryan Miller going year-to-year at this stage of his career.  However, the primary impetus for this contract would appear to be the looming Seattle expansion draft.  The only signed goalie that was eligible for exposure (each team must leave one unprotected) was Gibson and clearly, they intended to protect him.  Giving Stolarz a new deal paves the way for them to unprotect him and ensure Gibson stays put and for agreeing to do so, Stolarz gets a small raise and a couple of years of job security, even if he winds up being as the third-string option throughout.

Snapshots: Bratt, WJC Prospects, Kerfoot

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The New Jersey Devils could be without Jesper Bratt to start the season, as the restricted free agent is still unsigned. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the 22-year-old forward is still in Sweden, noting that it would be tough even now to get in on time with visa complications and quarantine. Even those things would need a contract to be worked out first, something that may not be all that close. Friedman writes that though the two sides are still communicating there is “not a ton of talk, and there’s a bit of a gap at this time.”

Bratt, who was a sixth-round pick just a few years ago, has been one of the bright spots on a Devils team that has struggled the last few seasons. Though his play has certainly not been consistent, he still put up 16 goals and 32 points in just 60 games last season and figures to play a top-six role on the team this year once he signs. Of course, every day he misses leaves the door open for other players to impress, including newcomer Andreas Johnsson who has been skating next to Jack Hughes and Kyle Palmieri so far.

  • Speaking of missing time, several prospects at the World Junior Championship will waste none at all after their championship game this evening. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Tobias Bjornfot will all be on a chartered flight back to Southern California to join the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings respective training camps. Because they are coming out of the bubble and will not be flying commercial, McKenzie reports that these players will likely not have to quarantine for seven days (though they will still have to adhere to NHL testing protocols). The same process will take Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn to Buffalo Sabres camp.
  • Injuries are already popping up around the league and in Toronto the Maple Leafs could be without Alexander Kerfoot the next few days. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that Kerfoot is day-to-day after suffering an injury today in practice. The Maple Leafs had split their training groups quite distinctly, meaning if Kerfoot is held out it would open the door for one of the expected non-roster players to get a chance.

NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls

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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.

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