Prospect Notes: Wright, Holloway, Golden Knights
TSN’s mid-season rankings for the 2022 draft have come out and though Shane Wright remains at the top, it’s a tenuous position. Bob McKenzie, who compiles the list based on a poll of active scouts, writes that the Kingston Frontenacs captain has been underwhelming in the few of many this season after missing all of 2020-21 because of the OHL’s COVID-19 shutdown.
Wright had been a unanimous selection from those scouts in the pre-season ranking but was now listed first by only nine of ten with Russian forward Ivan Miroshnichenko getting the other top vote. In 25 games for Kingston this season, the 18-year-old center has 12 goals and 31 points after scoring 39 goals and 66 points as an exceptional status player in 2019-20.
- Dylan Holloway, the 14th overall pick in 2020 and a member of the Edmonton Oilers, has yet to play in a professional game since signing out of the University of Wisconsin. That will soon change as Holloway has reached a point in his injury recovery that he will soon report to the Bakersfield Condors for game action. A brilliant sophomore campaign with Wisconsin led to an entry-level contract last April for Holloway, one that will see the first year burned whether he plays in the NHL or not this season. Multiple wrist surgeries (and a stint in the COVID protocol) have kept him out so far, but Hollway is now medically cleared for action.
- Scott Wheeler of The Athletic continued his prospect pool rankings with the Vegas Golden Knights at No 22, but noted that this is the first team in what he would call the third tier, closer to the middle third of the league than the bottom. With no Peyton Krebs to take the top spot after he was sent to Buffalo in the Jack Eichel deal, Brendan Brisson of the University of Michigan sits first for the Golden Knights. Brisson is one of several Wolverines that will be suiting up for Team USA at the upcoming Olympics, an impressive accomplishment for a player that nearly slipped out of the first round two years ago. In 2020, Brisson was selected 29th overall by the Golden Knights and has followed that draft with two very strong college seasons.
Early Postponements Could Provide Salary Cap Opportunity
Today marks the first day of the second half of the season, whether it feels like it or not. The 2021-22 campaign began on October 12, 2021, which was 100 days ago, half of this year’s 200-day NHL season. Despite that, teams like the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators have played just 32 of a scheduled 82 games, less than 40 percent of their season. In fact, only the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, and Anaheim Ducks have reached the halfway point in terms of games played, with most teams falling somewhere between 35-38 because of the hundred-plus postponed games in the early part of the season.
With that in mind, there is actually an interesting opportunity for teams that have a condensed schedule in the coming months. Since a player’s cap hit is applied to a team’s finances on a daily basis, anyone acquired today would be added at half of their original average annual value. That is to say, as PuckPedia explains on Twitter, a player with a full-season cap hit of $5MM would only need $2.5MM in cap space from here on out. With more than 60 percent of the games left for some teams, that offers some increased value for any acquisition—basically, they’ll play in more games for the new team than they’re paid for.
There could even be more savings if a team waited until the optimal time. Take the Islanders for example, who like the rest of the NHL had their February Olympic break filled up yesterday with the revised schedule. The team has seven more games before the All-Star break, at which point they will be off for another week. As they head into their February 9 game against the Vancouver Canucks, 120 of 200 days will have passed in the NHL season—60 percent—yet they will have played only 39 games out of 82, not quite 48 percent of the schedule.
While the Islanders are still struggling to even get above .500 and may not be the most likely to take advantage of this opportunity, it is present for other contenders as well. The Minnesota Wild have played just 35 games to this point, the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins just 36. With some smart maneuvering, these teams could get more than half a season of performance from a new player, while paying him quite a bit less.
This opportunity is most apparent for teams that have been able to stay out of long-term injured reserve, accruing cap space all season. The Wild, for instance, are on track to have more than $15MM in deadline cap space according to CapFriendly, obviously enough to add several impact players. The Bruins meanwhile will have more than $8.2MM in deadline cap space, and have played fewer games than all of the other contenders in the Atlantic Division.
In a league where every single dollar has come into focus during a flat-cap period, any advantage is important. For some teams, adding reinforcements for what will be a war of attrition down the stretch could come at a considerable financial bargain.
Colton White, Dillon Heatherington Clear Waivers
Jan 20: White and Heatherington have both cleared waivers, according to Friedman. They can now be assigned to the taxi squad or the minor leagues.
Jan 19: The New Jersey Devils have placed Colton White on waivers today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, but he won’t be alone. The Ottawa Senators have also placed Dillon Heatherington on waivers. William Lagesson of the Edmonton Oilers, on waivers yesterday, has cleared and can be sent to the minor leagues.
White, 24, already cleared waivers at the beginning of the season but has spent enough time on the active roster to need them again. In eight games with the Devils this year, he has two points while averaging just over 12 minutes a night. A fourth-round pick from 2015, the minor league defenseman is headed for Group VI unrestricted free agency in the summer, given he only has 19 NHL games under his belt to this point. After Lagesson cleared, it seems unlikely that White would earn a claim, meaning he’s probably headed to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
In Heatherington’s case, waivers is nothing new. He cleared at the beginning of this season and twice in previous years, as a depth defenseman without much NHL experience. In fact, nine of his 20 career games have come this season with the Senators, though none of those have been since the middle of December. With so many younger players fighting for playing time on the Ottawa back end, Heatherington’s time on the active roster is likely over.
He too will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer after signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Senators in July. That deal carries a league-minimum $750K cap hit, meaning he at least could be a target for a team dealing with COVID-related absences that needs a short-term replacement.
Stone, Hague Added To Protocol; Pacioretty Nearing Return
The Vegas Golden Knights had a few absences and one notable addition to the morning skate today, as both Mark Stone and Nicolas Hague were missing due to COVID protocols. Neither will play tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Still, it wasn’t all bad news as Max Pacioretty was on the ice taking part and will travel with the team–and could even play–on their upcoming road trip. Vegas heads to Washington for a match on Monday, the first in a four-game road trip.
Losing Stone is obviously a huge blow, as the 29-year-old is arguably the team’s most important forward. Named captain just over a year ago, the two-way winger brings point-per-game production while being one of the most celebrated defensive players in the league. He’s finished in the top five for Selke Trophy voting in each of the last three seasons, including being a finalist in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. With seven goals and 26 points in 23 games this season he’s off to another strong start, even with the missed time due to injury.
Hague too is an important piece, though he was already out with an injury and hasn’t played since December. The 6’6″ defenseman has developed into a reliable option for the Golden Knights, averaging more than 18 minutes a night behind the team’s top options. In 32 games Hague has even collected 13 points, all of them coming at even-strength.
It’s Pacioretty’s appearance that will raise some eyebrows though, as the Golden Knights continue to approach a tricky cap situation. Jack Eichel is skating and scheduled to return to the lineup in another month or so, by which point the team will need some extra cap space to activate him. Pacioretty’s injury would have afforded them some additional time if he was still out when Eichel returned, but that obviously won’t be the case if he’s ready to play on the upcoming road trip. The 33-year-old winger scored 12 goals and 21 points in his first 16 games, but underwent wrist surgery in December. At that point he was ruled out indefinitely; now just three weeks later he appears on the brink of a return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Finland Announces 2022 Olympic Roster
With just three weeks until the 2022 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament gets underway, rosters are being finalized by all the participating countries. Finland is the latest to reveal who will represent their country in Beijing next month, announcing a roster filled with names that are familiar to NHL fans. While the best league in the world won’t be going to the international event, there’s still plenty of NHL experience that will hit the ice.
The full roster:
G Harri Sateri
G Frans Tuohimaa
G Jussi Olkinuora
D Ville Pokka
D Niklas Friman
D Mikko Lehtonen
D Valtteri Kemilainen
D Juuso Hietanen
D Petteri Lindbohm
D Sami Vatanen
D Atte Ohtamaa
F Marko Anttila
F Miro Aaltonen
F Niko Ojamaki
F Joonas Kemppainen
F Hannes Bjorninen
F Toni Rajala
F Valtteri Filppula
F Markus Granlund
F Sakari Manninen
F Teemu Hartikainen
F Leo Komarov
F Samu Maenalanen
F Iiro Pakarinen
F Harri Pesonen
One thing that immediately sticks out about this group is how it is made up entirely of veteran players, those including several in their mid-thirties. Young options like Topi Niemela or Joakim Kemell, who are both leading players in Liiga, were not included. Experience is the choice here as the Finns try to reach the medal round once again. In 2018, Finland finished sixth after being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Canada.
Buffalo Sabres Update Several Injuries
Every week it seems like the Buffalo Sabres announce several new long-term injuries, and this week was no different. The team gave an updated injury report which now lists Kyle Okposo as week-to-week following a hit from Erik Brannstrom on Tuesday night. Head coach Don Granato told reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic that Okposo did not suffer a concussion on the play, but is out with “bumps and bruises.”
Unfortunately, the bad news didn’t end there. Colin Miller, who was still listed as week-to-week on the update, underwent surgery and will miss six weeks. The 29-year-old defenseman played just a few days ago and had been discussed as a strong trade deadline chip for the Sabres. Miller is a pending unrestricted free agent, right-handed, and has nearly 400 games of NHL experience. That made him an attractive option, but he’ll now have to work through rehab and get back to full strength if Buffalo really wants to cash in.
Meanwhile one of their own trade acquisitions, Malcolm Subban, also had surgery and is likely out for the rest of the season. The 28-year-old netminder was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last month for nothing more than future considerations but will end with just four appearances for the team. Given Subban is also a pending unrestricted free agent, it’s a tough blow that could see him struggling to find an NHL contract in the summer. In those four games, he posted a .871 save percentage and now holds a .898 for his 86-game NHL career.
Vinnie Hinostroza, who has been a nice story for the Sabres this season with eight goals and 17 points in 36 games, will miss about three weeks with his lower-body injury. The Sabres have recalled Jack Quinn today, who appears to be ready for an extended look at the NHL level because of how many injuries the team is currently dealing with.
Los Angeles Kings Recall Quinton Byfield
The second-overall pick from 2020 is on his way back to the NHL. Quinton Byfield has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings and is expected to make his season debut tonight against the Colorado Avalanche.
Byfield, 19, played six games for the Kings last season, recording a single point while averaging just over 15 minutes a night. The 6’5″ center suffered an ankle fracture in October during a preseason game that stole his spot on the opening night roster, but after 11 games in the minor leagues to get his legs back under him, Byfield is ready to make his return to the NHL.
Notably, Byfield’s entry-level contract could actually slide again if he fails to play ten NHL games this season. With the Kings in a competitive position in the Pacific Division though–currently second behind the Vegas Golden Knights–it seems likely that he would stay in the Los Angeles lineup if he’s one of the team’s best 12 forwards and can help them win.
An impressive mix of size and skill, there were many at the time of the 2020 draft that indicated Byfield actually had a higher ceiling than Alexis Lafreniere, the first-overall pick by the New York Rangers. With Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault already in place as two elite defensive centers, Byfield should be able to play some more sheltered offensive minutes as he gets comfortable at the NHL level. That is of course if he plays center at all, given the team’s glut of other young options down the middle.
There have already been 12 players from the 2020 draft to score a goal at the NHL level, with Lafreniere leading the bunch. Lucas Raymond, who went fourth overall to the Detroit Red Wings has a good shot at the Calder Trophy this season, while Anton Lundell–12th to Florida–is a key part of one of the best teams in the NHL. Byfield’s development is key for the Kings if they want to take a step toward real Stanley Cup contention, and getting him back in the NHL lineup will be the first test.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/20/22
Nine games grace the NHL schedule this evening, as we inch closer to next month’s All-Star break. A lot of eyes will be on the Edmonton Oilers after this week’s press conference dust-up, as they take on the powerhouse Florida Panthers, trying to snap out of their long losing streak. As they and other teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Jack Quinn to the taxi squad, and have the young forward practicing on the top powerplay unit. Buffalo won 3-1 over the Senators earlier in the week and now sit at 12-20-7 on the year. Later in the day, Quinn was recalled to the active roster and Brett Murray was reassigned to the AHL.
- The Boston Bruins have returned Kyle Keyser and Steven Fogarty to the AHL from the taxi squad, as the Providence Bruins prepare for action tomorrow night. The minor league team is off after that all the way to February 11, meaning there could be some additional recalls in the coming days.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Jacob Bernard-Docker and Clark Bishop from the taxi squad, following Dillon Heatherington clearing waivers. Heatherington has now been sent to the taxi squad.
- Tampa Bay will not have to play with four defensemen tonight, after recalling Fredrik Claesson to the taxi squad today. Of course, that’s depending on who stays healthy heading into tomorrow’s match against the Anaheim Ducks.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Maxim Mamin and Matt Kiersted from the taxi squad ahead of tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Mamin, 27, has played in 20 games this season for the Panthers, scoring five goals and seven points.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minors from the taxi squad. Between spending some time as the backup for the Maple Leafs, the COVID pause, and the recreation of the taxi squad, he has played just once since late November.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers have recalled Jonny Brodzinski, Tim Gettinger, and Zac Jones to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies for their short road trip. The Rangers are off to Carolina for a game tomorrow before returning home to take on the Coyotes on Saturday.
- With Jakub Voracek coming off the COVID list, the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Liam Foudy to the taxi squad. Foudy made his season debut a few days ago after spending the early part of the season with Cleveland in the AHL.
Central Division
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Kevin Czuczman from the taxi squad. Michael Russo of The Athletic suggests that since Hunter Jones was not added to the taxi squad, Cam Talbot could be traveling with the team to Chicago.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Tennyson from the AHL, giving them another defenseman for tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Tennyson, 31, has 165 games of NHL experience, though none of them have come this season.
- Riley Damiani is back up from the taxi squad for the Dallas Stars, and he’s coming along with Rhett Gardner this time. The two have been involved in several transactions this month as the team continues to bounce names up and down, collecting cap space and saving salary. Later on, Gardner was returned to the taxi squad.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have activated Carl Grundstrom from the COVID list and will insert him into the lineup this evening. Jacob Moverare has also been recalled to the active roster from the taxi squad, as the team prepares for a match against the Colorado Avalanche.
- With Thatcher Demko‘s status uncertain as the Vancouver Canucks wait for additional COVID testing results, the team has recalled Michael DiPietro to the taxi squad. DiPietro could be asked to play tomorrow night should Demko be ruled out.
- The Edmonton Oilers have moved Zach Hyman to the COVID protocol, joining Stuart Skinner and Josh Archibald. One player that isn’t in the protocol anymore is Kyle Turris, activated today. Kris Russell has also been activated from injured reserve while Ilya Konovalov has been officially recalled to back up Mikko Koskinen in Skinner’s absence.
- With Morgan Geekie being activated off injured reserve, the Seattle Kraken have returned Alexander True to the taxi squad. True has played in eight NHL games so far this season, being held off the scoresheet in just over eight minutes per game of playing time.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Martin Necas, Jordan Martinook Enter COVID Protocol
Jan 20: The Hurricanes have now placed Jordan Martinook in the protocol, removing another forward from the mix for a few days. Martinook played a little less than 13 minutes on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, recording his seventh point of the season.
Jan 17: After wowing the crowd with an impressive goal on his birthday this weekend, Martin Necas will have to enter isolation. The Carolina Hurricanes forward has been placed in the league’s COVID protocol, just 40 minutes after the team released a video celebrating his 100th NHL point.
Necas, 23, has registered those 100 points in just 158 career games, including 21 in 33 this season. Like most of the Hurricanes these days, strong possession numbers have resulted in good offensive results for the young forward, despite seeing limited time on the powerplay as part of the second unit.
Luckily, the Hurricanes play only twice this week. Games tomorrow and Friday are likely out of the question for Necas if he tested positive for coronavirus, but there would be a chance he’s eligible to return on Saturday. Even if it is three games he misses, the Hurricanes are a strong enough group that they have in-house replacements for his minutes.
Team reporter Walt Ruff tweets that Nino Niederreiter has moved into Necas’ spot on the second line at practice today, with Derek Stepan jumping in on the fourth line. Jaccob Slavin, who was in the protocol the last few days, has joined the group.
Dmitry Orlov Suspended Two Games
The Department of Player Safety has handed out a two-game suspension to Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov for his knee-on-knee hit on Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers last night. As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that while Ehlers is attempting to move around Orlov on this place, this is not a case where an exceptionally sharp or sudden movement by a player receiving a hit turns a potential full body check into a leg-on-leg contact. The two players are moving slowly enough that Orlov has time to recognize that Ehlers is changing position, and he responds to this by thrusting his arms and knee out wider to attempt to get a piece of Ehlers.
While this is a common response from defensemen, on this play the only contact Orlov is able to make is direct, forceful, knee-to-knee contact. If Orlov wants to initiate contact on this play, he must ensure that he is able to make more substantial upper-body contact, rather than having the force of the blow concentrated on his opponent’s knee.
The fact that Ehlers suffered an injury on the play was taken into consideration. Jets head coach Dave Lowry already ruled the forward out for the rest of the team’s road trip and explained that he is undergoing further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury. Orlov was also not penalized by on-ice officials.
Though he does have a suspension on record, the league decided that Orlov does not have any relevant disciplinary history in this case as his previous ban was for boarding in 2014. Now, he’ll have a second suspension on the books, one that will be taken into account when determining punishment for any similar incidents. Orlov will miss games against the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators in the coming days.