Five Key Stories: 12/13/21 – 12/19/21
This past week will largely be remembered for two things – a bunch of players being placed into COVID protocol and numerous games being postponed. However, there was some other notable news across the NHL over the past seven days which is highlighted in our key stories of the week.
Labanc Out Long-Term: A tough season for Sharks winger Kevin Labanc has gotten even worse as he will miss the next three months after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury. The 26-year-old had been off to a particularly rough start offensively with just three goals and three assists in 21 games, marking the third straight season that he hasn’t played close to the same pace he had back in 2018-19 when he had 56 points in 82 games, earning himself a four-year, $18.9MM contract in the process. Labanc will be eligible to be placed on LTIR if San Jose needs to free up cap space although that shouldn’t be an issue for them in the short term at least.
Good News To Bad For Spezza: It was an interesting 24 hours or so for Maple Leafs center Jason Spezza. First, his six-game suspension for a kneeing incident on Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk was reduced to four games by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on appeal which is an outcome that doesn’t happen very often. That made him eligible to return right away. However, that good news was quickly tempered as he was placed into COVID protocol less than 24 hours later. Toronto is among the teams who have had their games postponed through the holiday break.
Maurice Resigns: There was a big surprise out of Winnipeg when head coach Paul Maurice suddenly tendered his resignation. It wasn’t related to an off-ice concern, he simply felt he had taken the team as far as he could and that the team would benefit from a new voice. Maurice also indicated that he had less enjoyment at the rink lately with the various COVID protocols. The ‘new’ voice for the Jets is a familiar one with assistant Dave Lowry taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Maurice departs with a 315-223-62 record at the helm of the Jets and sits fourth in NHL history in total games coached with 1,684.
More Selling In Arizona? When the Coyotes started selling off their players, the belief was that there was one untouchable in defenseman Jakob Chychrun. Now, it appears they’re at least open to the idea of moving him as well following a report that they’re gauging the market on the 23-year-old with a hefty asking price. Chychrun’s numbers aren’t the greatest this season – seven points and a league-worst -29 plus/minus rating in 26 games but he’s logging significant defensive minutes on one of the worst teams the league has seen in quite some time; the ugly numbers are to be expected. With a $4.6MM AAV through 2024-25, there will be no shortage of teams interested in acquiring him but will anyone be willing to pay the price? We’ll find out over the months to come.
Fabbri Extension: Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri will be sticking around for the foreseeable future after he agreed to a three-year, $12MM extension. The deal does not contain any trade protection. Fabbri is in his third season with Detroit and has been a capable secondary scorer since being acquired, notching 32 goals and 31 assists in 111 games. If he can stay healthy (and that has been a question mark throughout his career), Fabbri should be able to give the Red Wings a reasonable return on this deal, especially since they’re not dealing with any salary cap issues now or in the next few seasons. Fabbri is one of nine Detroit players that have been in COVID protocol at some point over the past week which has resulted in their games being postponed until after the holiday break.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Tuch, Red Wings, Sgarbossa, Point, Dauphin
The Sabres are set to welcome back winger Alex Tuch for their game on Monday, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The 25-year-old was a big part of the Jack Eichel trade but he has yet to play this season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. With Vegas, Tuch was used in more of a secondary scoring role but with Buffalo, he should get a chance to play a considerably bigger role. He was expected to be back in roughly six months and if he does suit up against Columbus, he’ll have gotten back in just under five months.
More from the Eastern Conference:
- When the Red Wings had their pre-holiday break games postponed, some wondered if there may be more positive tests coming from them. That’s indeed the case as the team announced (Twitter link) that centers Pius Suter and Joe Veleno plus winger Sam Gagner along with assistant video coach Jeff Weintraub in COVID protocol. That brings them up to nine players currently unavailable.
- Capitals center Michael Sgarbossa was a late scratch from their game tonight against Los Angeles and it turns out that it was COVID-related as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been placed in COVID protocol. The 29-year-old was coming off a two-point performance on Friday and has three points in seven games with Washington this season. The Caps did get some good news on that front as well, however, as winger Garnet Hathaway was taken out of protocol.
- The Lightning could be getting a key player back soon after the holiday break. Head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) that center Brayden Point could be reclassified as day-to-day once they return from the break. Point has been out with an upper-body injury for just under a month and was off to a strong start to his season before it occurred with 13 points in 16 games.
- The Canadiens announced that they’ve placed center Laurent Dauphin in COVID protocol. The 26-year-old was recalled two weeks ago and has three points in five games since then including his first NHL goal in over five years. The team has also shut down their facilities through December 26th.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Los Angeles Kings
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter 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 Los Angeles Kings.
What are the Kings thankful for?
Jonathan Quick playing like the Jonathan Quick of old.
Ten years ago, Quick, then in his prime, was an elite goaltender in the NHL. He led the league in shutouts, had a save percentage of .929 (his career high), and of course then helped lead Los Angeles to the Stanley Cup. However, the last few years, he has battled injuries and poor performance with a save percentage that started with an eight in two of the last three seasons which is at the lower end for a backup let alone a starter. That played a role in Cal Petersen getting a three-year, $15MM extension at the start of the season, giving them some insurance for a declining Quick.
Except Quick isn’t in decline this season. In fact, he has gone back to being one of the elite goalies in the NHL with a save percentage that’s slightly better than the mark he put up a decade ago. That has been the primary reason that the Kings have allowed the seventh-fewest goals in the NHL despite Petersen struggling and Los Angeles being hit hard at times with injuries on the back end. Quick may not be in his prime anymore but he’s certainly playing like he still is.
Who are the Kings thankful for?
Through the good times of a decade ago and the not-so-good times that the last few seasons have been, Kopitar has been his usual reliable self. He produces plenty of points, takes plenty of faceoffs, and often faces top opponents while doing that (although Phillip Danault has taken some of the pressure off of him this season). The captain just does it all for Los Angeles. As the Kings look to stay in the thick of the playoff race in the Pacific Division – they’re five points out at the moment – they’ll need Kopitar to help lead what’s still a fairly young roster. There’s no reason to think he won’t be able to do just that in the second half of the season.
What would the Kings be even more thankful for?
Defensive production. The Kings have just six goals from their defensemen this season, three of which have come from Drew Doughty who has been limited to just 11 games this season due to an early injury and a stint in COVID protocol. The forward group isn’t the strongest in terms of proven NHL talent (more on that shortly) but this is a back end that has the potential to produce more than they have so far. Michael Anderson was productive in college but has just one point this season. Matt Roy was above average in terms of AHL production but he’s still chasing down his first goal of the season. Kale Clague has their third-highest point per game average among blueliners but he’s in Montreal now with Sean Durzi producing at a similar clip since being brought up. There is some room for improvement from their blueliners and that could go a long way towards helping them close the gap in the division.
What should be on the Kings’ Holiday Wish List?
Scoring upgrades. If Los Angeles is going to hang around the playoff picture, they need to score more. Only three players have scored more than six goals so far and only one (Adrian Kempe) has hit the double-digit mark. It’s hard to have much success when a team is only scoring 2.62 goals per game. A top-six winger that can give the Kings a second capable scoring line would be a big addition and could allow them to move Dustin Brown into a more optimal role. With Sean Walker on LTIR for the rest of the year, they have a bit of flexibility to try to add and as LTIR room doesn’t bank like regular cap space does, it’s a need they can try to fill before the trade deadline.
A depth defenseman could also be a worthwhile addition but with Doughty now recovered from his injury, that’s less of a need than it was a month ago. A top-four pickup would go a long way but there aren’t really (if any) available at the price point that they can afford on the cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Brett Connolly Suspended Four Games
The verdict is in for Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly. The Department of Player Safety announced (video link) that they have issued him a four-game suspension for his interference incident on Stars winger Tanner Kero on Saturday.
In the video, it was noted that Connolly tried to argue that it was more of a collision than an intentional body check. However, while the league acknowledged that it wasn’t a full-force collision, it was still a suspendable offense:
It is important to note that Kero was never in possession of the puck on this play and therefore is not eligible to be checked in any manner. Fully aware of Kero’s presence and, with a substantial amount of time to change his path, avoid the contact entirely, move toward the wall to seal off the boards, or do more to minimize the impact on Kero, Connolly braces himself for impact and skates directly through his opponent. And because Kero is never close to being in possession of the puck, he is in no way braced for contact, making him substantially more vulnerable.
In the ruling, the league also acknowledged Kero’s injury as a factor but also that Connolly had no prior history of any fines or suspensions. He will forfeit $70K in salary as a result of the suspension which, as always, goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Two Players Clear Waivers
Sunday: Both Sautner and Provolnev have cleared waivers, with the latter expected to return to Russia immediately.
Saturday: A pair of players are on the waiver wire today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Canucks have placed defenceman Ashton Sautner on waivers while the Coyotes have put blueliner Vladislav Provolnev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.
Sautner, whose previously-reported deal from earlier today is now official, was set to join Vancouver for their game tonight against Toronto. However, Vancouver announced (Twitter link) that both this game and Sunday’s contest against Arizona have been postponed so it appears they may not need the 27-year-old after all which likely has led to him being waived so quickly after being signed.
As for Provolnev, he signed a one-year deal with the Coyotes back in March after spending the past five years as a regular in the KHL. However, the 26-year-old was sent to AHL Tucson soon after the season started and hasn’t been recalled since. In 17 games with the Roadrunners, he has one assist along with 10 penalty minutes and a team-worst -17 plus/minus rating. The move suggests that he will likely head back to the KHL once he clears on Sunday and Arizona will free up a contract slot, bringing them to 45 out of the maximum of 50.
COVID Notes: Sundqvist, Flames, Protocol, World Juniors
The Blues have placed center Oskar Sundqvist in COVID protocol, per a team release. It has been a tough year for the 27-year-old who missed 14 games at the beginning of the season due to a knee injury and Sundqvist has struggled to produce when he is in the lineup, collecting just a goal and three assists in 16 games. St. Louis had been carrying an extra forward on their active roster so they won’t necessarily have to bring anyone up from AHL Springfield to cover for Sundqvist’s absence which will last for at least the next ten days.
Other COVID news from around the hockey world:
- The Flames announced (Twitter link) that they did not have any positive tests among their players or staff yesterday. That’s certainly notable considering that they have 19 players and 13 staff in COVID protocol at the moment and this is the first day since Sunday that they didn’t have a single positive test among their group. Calgary has had their games postponed through the holiday break although it wouldn’t be surprising if another game or two get postponed after it to allow some of their players to have a chance at being ready to return after serving their quarantine period.
- The NHL and NHLPA jointly announced a return of the enhanced COVID protocols through at least January 7th. Among the highlights are daily testing, a reduction of in-person meetings, and dining restrictions. The full document can be found here.
- As a result of the recent increase in positive tests, Hockey Canada announced that the first four days of World Junior pre-tournament games have been cancelled. Originally, each country was supposed to play in at least two exhibition contests but that won’t happen now. There remains a possibility for pre-tournament contests to be held on December 23rd and 24th.
Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Shesterkin, Nemeth, Hurricanes
The Flyers announced that they’ve placed Max Willman and a staff member in COVID protocol. The 26-year-old has been a feel-good story for Philadelphia this season as he made his NHL debut this season and has chipped in with two goals and an assist in a dozen games. Willman was originally drafted by Buffalo back in 2014 but didn’t sign. He becomes the second Flyer currently in COVID protocol joining center Morgan Frost.
Meanwhile, goaltender Carter Hart will be unavailable for tonight’s game against Ottawa due to an undetermined illness. The team announced (Twitter link) that Felix Sandstrom has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley to serve as Martin Jones’ backup. They will get some help on the injury front, however, as winger Joel Farabee will return to the lineup after missing the last seven games due to a shoulder injury. The 21-year-old has seven goals in 21 games so far this season.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is ready to return from his lower-body injury as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been activated off injured reserve with Keith Kinkaid being returned to AHL Hartford in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old missed just over two weeks with the injury and had been off to a strong start to his season with a 2.05 GAA and a .937 SV% in 18 games. Kinkaid, meanwhile, picked up the victory on Wednesday against Arizona.
- From that same announcement, Rangers blueliner Patrik Nemeth has been placed in COVID protocol. The 30-year-old had played in all 30 of New York’s games to this point, recording two assists along with 57 blocked shots while logging just over 17 minutes per game. He’ll miss the next ten days.
- Carolina won’t be getting any help on the injury front for a little while as Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes’ team site relays (Twitter link) that winger Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jalen Chatfield aren’t close to returning from their respective lower-body injuries. Martinook has been out for a little more than two weeks and head coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged that the 29-year-old could start skating soon but still will need a fair bit of time before he’s able to come back. Meanwhile, Chatfield’s injury was more recent, sustained back on Sunday against his former team in Vancouver.
NHL Postpones Predators And Bruins Games Through Holiday Break, Postpones Three Other Games
As expected, there have been more postponements around the league as a result of the sharp increase in players testing positive for COVID-19. The league announced that the Bruins and Predators have had their games postponed through the holiday break while three other contests this weekend have been postponed including tonight’s Canucks-Maple Leafs contest. A full summary of the postponed games by team from today’s announcement is as follows:
Arizona: Dec. 19 at Vancouver
Boston: Dec. 19 at Ottawa, Dec. 21 vs Carolina, Dec. 23 vs Colorado
Nashville: Dec. 19 at Carolina, Dec. 21 vs Winnipeg
Seattle: Dec. 19 vs Toronto
Toronto: Dec. 18 at Vancouver, Dec. 19 at Seattle
Vancouver: Dec. 18 vs Toronto, Dec. 19 vs Arizona
These postponements come on the heels of Calgary, Colorado, and Florida all having their games postponed yesterday through the holiday break plus tonight’s Boston-Montreal contest. No games have been rescheduled at this time.
The NHL has a window to withdraw their participation from the upcoming Olympics as a result of the outbreak that has hit the league now and with five teams currently out of action plus the Senators and Islanders having missed games earlier this season due to COVID, it will be interesting to see if they’re able to reschedule all of those games without needing to use the three-week break for the Olympics. The NHL can withdraw without financial penalty if the decision is made January 10th or earlier.
Kings Place Cal Petersen In COVID Protocol
The Kings announced (Twitter link) a trio of roster moves on Saturday, headlined by the placement of goaltender Cal Petersen in COVID protocol. To replace him on the roster, Jacob Ingham was recalled from ECHL Greenville while defenseman Jordan Spence was sent back to AHL Ontario.
Petersen has gotten off to a fairly quiet start to his season, posting a 3.10 GAA along with a save percentage of just .893, numbers that are considerably worse than last season when his performance earned him a three-year, $15MM extension back in September that gets underway next season. As a result, he has been ceding starts to Jonathan Quick as of late with the veteran off to a stellar start to his campaign. It should be Quick’s net to run with through the holiday break at a minimum as a result of this news with Petersen set to miss at least ten days.
Ingham hasn’t been able to duplicate the success he had at the end of his OHL career in the pros and has spent the bulk of the season at the ECHL level for the second year in a row. His numbers with the Swamp Rabbits haven’t been the best either – a GAA of 3.28 with a .894 SV% in nine starts. However, promoting him allows the Kings to keep their AHL goaltending intact for the time being.
As for Spence, he was just recalled on Friday and heads back to the minors before even being on the roster for a single game. The 20-year-old is in his first professional year and has eight assists in 18 games with the Reign so far this season.
AHL Shuffle: 12/18/21
Saturday was originally set to be a busy day on the NHL schedule with ten games on the docket but COVID-related postponements have dropped that to six for the time being with more postponements appearing to be coming. Nevertheless, there still will be some roster activity around the league which we’ll keep track of here.
Atlantic Division
- The Bruins have returned forward Jack Studnicka and goaltender Kyle Keyser to AHL Providence, per the AHL’s transactions log. With Boston now off through the holiday break, they can be sent down to allow the team to bank some much-needed cap space. Later in the day, the Bruins announced that winger Jesper Froden was also sent back to Providence.
Metropolitan Division
- With the Panthers now off until after the holiday break, they’ve assigned defensemen Chase Priskie and Matt Kiersted plus forwards Cole Schwindt, Grigori Denisenko, and Aleksi Heponiemi to AHL Charlotte, per an announcement from the Checkers. The move allows Florida to get out of LTIR and bank some cap space while allowing their prospects to play before the AHL has their pause.
- The Capitals announced that they’ve sent goaltender Zach Fucale back to Hershey of the AHL. He had been recalled on Friday but was not in uniform for their game against Winnipeg. Fucale made his NHL debut last month, posting a 21-save shutout versus Detroit and has a 2.80 GAA with a .889 SV% in eight games with the Bears this season.
Central Division
- The Blackhawks have recalled defenseman Ian Mitchell from AHL Rockford, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). After being a regular for the bulk of last season, the 22-year-old has been limited to just six games with Chicago so far and has instead spent most of the year with the IceHogs where he has 12 points in 19 games.
- The Nashville Predators, per a team tweet, re-assigned forwards Rocco Grimaldi, Mathieu Olivier, Kole Sherwood, and Cole Smith to the Milwaukee Admirals. As the team is shut down through the holiday break, this gives them some salary cap flexibility and could allow those four to get into game action.
Pacific Division
- Per a news release, the Anaheim Ducks re-assigned defenseman Jacob Larsson and forward Buddy Robinson to the San Diego Gulls. Larsson hasn’t gotten into an NHL game yet this year, but has seven assists in 19 games with San Diego. Robinson has two points in six games with the big club.
This post will be updated throughout the day.