Nico Hischier, Ryan Graves Placed In COVID-19 Protocol
The New Jersey Devils announced that Nico Hischier and Ryan Graves were placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol today, and they’re unavailable for tonight’s game against the New York Islanders.
It’s a huge loss for this Devils team against a slumping, albeit still sound Islanders team. It’s always tough to lose your captain, even more so when you throw a first-pairing defenseman out of the mix as well just minutes before puck drop.
Hischier is New Jersey’s top center and has continued his sound two-way game into this season, scoring 16 points through 25 games while averaging 19:17 per game. Commonly playing between Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt, his line is enjoying offensive success.
Graves has been entrusted with tough minutes in his first year as a Devil, forming the top pair alongside free-agent acquisition Dougie Hamilton. Graves isn’t being counted on for offense but still has a respectable 10 points through 25 games.
If not false positives, Hischier and Graves could miss at least seven days while in protocol.
Anaheim Ducks Activate Ryan Getzlaf
The Anaheim Ducks have activated forward Ryan Getzlaf from injured reserve, according to The Orange County Register’s Elliot Teaford. He could be in for Saturday night’s game against Pittsburgh.
The Ducks captain originally went on injured reserve about a week ago, where he was classified as week-to-week. It’s a much swifter return to the lineup than expected.
Now 36, Getzlaf was enjoying a renaissance year with 20 points in just 23 games prior to his injury. He’s been an integral part of an unexpected resurgence for the 15-8-5 Ducks, who sit second in the Pacific Division.
Buddy Robinson, who’s played in just three games this season and is the only active Ducks forward to average under 10 minutes per game, is a likely candidate to sit out.
Getzlaf’s return is even more important considering the added absence of Adam Henrique, who’d been flanking Getzlaf along with Troy Terry this year. Vinni Lettieri and Sam Steel have filled in for the two of them alongside Terry, so the Ducks will have some lineup shuffling to do with their captain’s return.
Pacific Notes: Stephenson, Canucks, Russell
After missing Friday’s game against Philadelphia for personal reasons, Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson should be available for Sunday’s home tilt against the Minnesota Wild, according to head coach Peter DeBoer. Stephenson’s brought lights-out play for a Vegas team that’s needed him this season with a slew of injuries, producing at a career-best pace with 22 points in 25 games. All that’s been done while playing steep minutes (19:48 a game) and spending time without his usual pair of elite wingers in Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. That line’s been reunited as Pacioretty and Stone are back healthy, and after Keegan Kolesar filled in down the middle for one game, Stephenson will return to his place atop the center depth chart for Vegas.
More from the Pacific Division:
- There are some injury updates for the new and improved Vancouver Canucks under Bruce Boudreau, as the new head coach said today that Oliver Ekman-Larsson should be back next week, while Travis Hamonic is expected to miss two to three more weeks. While the team is undefeated under Boudreau, they’re facing a significant list of injuries. However, neither Ekman-Larsson nor Hamonic have been particularly impactful to start the year. Ekman-Larsson has just five points in 26 games to start his Vancouver career, a far cry from his peak of consistent 40-point campaigns. Hamonic has just an assist in nine contests as he’s found his way up and down between the NHL and AHL.
- Injury news isn’t improving for the Edmonton Oilers defense, as head coach Dave Tippett notes that Kris Russell will be out for a couple of weeks. He joins Duncan Keith and Slater Koekkoek as Edmonton’s inactive blueliners. He’d been playing in an increased role with those injuries, but that responsibility now falls back on the shoulders of young defensemen Philip Broberg and William Lagesson.
Jason Spezza Suspended Six Games For Kneeing
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza was suspended six games by the NHL Department of Player Safety Tuesday for kneeing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk.
In determining the length of the suspension, according to the explanation video, the Department does take into account the play leading up to this that resulted in a two-game suspension for Pionk.
As outlined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it is important to note the prior events in this game which occurred that led to this play. A little over a minute before this incident occurred, Pionk injured Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin with a knee-to-knee check, a hit for which Pionk has been suspended. Spezza acknowledges that he was aware that the player he was checking was Pionk.
Additionally, the explanation video from the Department outlines a series of arguments made by the Leafs and Spezza in Tuesday’s hearing in defense of the player.
First, the Maple Leafs argued that this is not kneeing. We disagree, as this is clearly a case in which Spezza’s leading knee makes direct and forceful contact with his opponent. We also note that there is past precedent of our Department penalizing knees to an opponent’s head under the kneeing rule. Second, both the Maple Leafs and Spezza argued that Pionk is eligible to be checked on this play, and we agree. While every play is different, there is no league rule against hitting a player who is low to the ice, provided the hit is delivered in an otherwise legal fashion. However, it is important to note that it is often extremely difficult to deliver a legal check to a player in a vulnerable position, and the onus remains on the player throwing the check to adjust himself to ensure the hit is delivered legally… Finally, Spezza argued that he would have been able to deliver this check legally had Pionk not fallen further toward the ice, materially changing the position of his head after Spezza had already committed to the hit. We do not agree.
The Department goes on to acknowledge the fact that Spezza has no suspension history in his 19-year NHL career, but believes that the retaliatory nature of the play warrants the suspension.
Ultimately, while we believe that Spezza’s long history of clean play supports his argument that he does not intentionally drive his knee into the head of Pionk, this is a play in which he is attempting to enact forceful retribution on a player who was in a vulnerable position.
Pionk did indeed suffer an injury on the play as alluded to in the video. He was placed in concussion protocol today as a direct cause of the Spezza knee.
However, it may not be the end of the road for this story. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Spezza plans on appealing the suspension, which will go directly to Commissioner Gary Bettman. Spezza then has the option to elect for an independent arbitrator.
Minor Transactions: 12/07/21
It’s a busy Tuesday night on the NHL slate. The status quo continues with a variety of injuries and illnesses, so movement stays a constant across the hockey world. Here’s a list of today’s minor transactions:
- There’s some junior trade action today in the OHL. 18-year-old Jacob Maillet was traded by the Guelph Storm to the Windsor Spitfires today in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2024 12th-round pick. Maillet, a natural center, has a big 6′ 1″ frame but hasn’t been able to find his offensive touch so far in his junior career. After three goals and 12 points through 74 OHL games, he’ll look for a new start in Windsor.
This list will be updated throughout the day
Three Players Out Tuesday For Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators will play Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with an injury-hampered lineup. Per the team, goalie Juuse Saros and defensemen Matt Benning and Mattias Ekholm are all unavailable for the tilt against Detroit.
Saros and Ekholm are both out with non-COVID-related illness, a growing trend across the NHL as cold and flu season hits. Benning is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Benning played all of Nashville’s last game, a win against the Montreal Canadiens. He had an assist in 15:51 of ice time. The nature of the upper-body injury is unknown.
The losses of Saros and Ekholm are tough to swallow. Saros has once again been the rock of this Predators team that still finds itself in playoff contention with a .921 save percentage in 20 games played. Ekholm, while he hasn’t produced much on the scoresheet (just five assists), is second on the team in ice time per game (23:18).
David Rittich gets the start in goal in place of Saros, while call-up Connor Ingram will serve as the backup. Ben Harpur and Philippe Myers re-enter the lineup in place of Benning and Ekholm.
Ducks Captain Ryan Getzlaf Out Week-To-Week
12/5: The Ducks have transitioned Getzlaf to the injured reserve, the team announced. In his place, the team has recalled young two-way center Benoit-Olivier Groulx from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Anaheim did not issue any update to Getzlaf’s condition, but the IR stint will keep him out a week minimum- though they also did not disclose if the placement was retroactive to the initial date of Getzlaf’s injury on Tuesday.
12/3: Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per a team tweet.
Getzlaf appeared to suffer the injury about halfway through the first period in Tuesday night’s 5-4 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings. He took just four shifts and played 2:48 before exiting the game. The captain didn’t play Wednesday night against Vegas.
The 36-year-old Saskatchewan native has already eclipsed his point total from last season, scoring a goal and 19 assists for 20 points in 23 games. He was playing 19:01 per game, his most ice time in three years.
Needless to say, the leading scorer in Ducks history has been a huge part of his team’s unexpected success so far this season. He and Troy Terry have teamed up for a combined 45 points already this season, guiding the Ducks to a 13-8-3 start.
With Getzlaf out, it looks like 23-year-old Sam Steel will get a chance on the top line between Terry and Adam Henrique. The 2016 first-round pick has just five points in 17 games this year, but it’s a big opportunity for him to demonstrate he still has the ability to be an NHL player.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Darnell Nurse
A big boost for an Alberta team is coming, as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been activated from injured reserve.
Nurse, undoubtedly Edmonton’s best defenseman, has been out since November 19 with a finger injury. While he’s been held goalless this season, he has 11 assists in 16 games while playing over 26 minutes a night.
It’s a huge deal for the Oilers’ defense, which is currently missing its entire left side of regulars. Duncan Keith and Slater Koekkoek remain sidelined with separate injuries. With Cody Ceci on protocol as well, it was an undermanned group going to battle for them.
The team’s goalies have been up to the task in their absence, as Mikko Koskinen‘s .914 save percentage and Stuart Skinner‘s .921 mark have both been good enough to keep them afloat.
Nurse brings reinforcements for a tough schedule ahead, as after their game against Los Angeles tonight, the Oilers play four straight against Carolina, Boston, Minnesota, and Toronto.
AHL Shuffle: 12/05/21
It’s a perfect, snowy Sunday morning for hockey across much of Canada and the northern United States. As the NHL gears up for a six-game slate tonight, expect there to be some moves in the recall and reassignment department. Keep up with a list of today’s movement between the AHL and NHL today right here:
Atlantic Division
- After recalling forward Oskar Steen and defenseman Jack Ahcan from AHL Providence on Saturday, the Boston Bruins have returned the duo to the minors today, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Only Ahcan played against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, a last-minute replacement for the ill Charlie McAvoy.
- In order to make room for Kyle Clifford, who was seemingly floating in the ether on neither the NHL or AHL roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Michael Hutchinson to the AHL Marlies. With Petr Mrazek also in the AHL on a conditioning loan, this leaves impressive youngster Joseph Woll on the Maple Leafs roster as the understudy to starter Jack Campbell.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have activated forward Patrick Brown from the injured reserve and have given him Max Willman‘s roster spot. The team announced that Willman has reassigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in order to activate Brown, who has only played in six games since being claimed off waivers earlier this year.
Central Division
- In response to activating Riley Stillman from injured reserve, the Chicago Blackhawks sent defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk down to the Rockford IceHogs this morning. The 24-year-old undrafted left-shot defenseman had no points in three games this season with the big club. He’ll return to Rockford, where he’s got a very strong 13 career points in just 12 games.
Pacific Division
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Chicago Blackhawks Activate Riley Stillman From Injured Reserve
After spending the last week and a half on the shelf with a left knee injury, defenseman Riley Stillman was activated from injured reserve today by the Chicago Blackhawks according to a team tweet.
In a corresponding move for roster space, the team assigned defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Stillman is in his first full season with the Blackhawks organization after being acquired from the Florida Panthers last season as part of the Brett Connolly trade. He promptly signed a three-year, $4.05MM extension with the team in April.
He’s struggled to find an everyday role with Chicago this season, however. Stillman has two points in 12 games but is averaging only 14:11 per game, compared to the 18:13 he averaged after the trade last season.
Still, he’s made a decent impact on both sides of the puck and could see an increase in playing time under a new head coach in Derek King. He’ll likely draw back into the lineup Sunday against the New York Islanders.