Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim Added To COVID Protocol
The Philadelphia Flyers’ nightmare season never ends. Today, the team has placed Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim in the COVID protocol, making them unavailable to the team for tomorrow’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team has also loaned Felix Sandstrom and Kirill Ustimenko back to the AHL, clearing room for additional taxi squad recalls if necessary.
Konecny and Sanheim join Ivan Provorov, Nick Seeler, Claude Giroux, and Jackson Cates in the protocol, while several other key players remain out with injuries. Importantly, both new COVID additions played yesterday, logging 19 and 24 minutes respectively against the Anaheim Ducks. That wasn’t enough to help the Flyers win, however, as they continue to struggle through this disappointing season.
Now 13-14-6 on the year, Philadelphia will have to try to navigate the next little while without nearly their entire core. If Konecny and Sanheim tested positive, they will miss at least two games. Already the club had turned to young players like Cam York and Morgan Frost to carry some of the load, but now even more depth will be needed from the minor leagues.
Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Alex Nylander
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be the next team that tries to get an NHL player out of Alex Nylander. They’ve acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Sam Lafferty.
The one-for-one deal will see Nylander leave the Blackhawks organization after just 65 regular season games. Selected eighth overall in 2016, he arrived in Chicago after a trade from the Buffalo Sabres in 2019, played the entire 2019-20 season before suffering a major knee injury that kept him out all of last year. Through 23 games in the minor leagues this season, he has eight goals and 12 points.
A dynamic forward in Sweden and the OHL, Nylander managed just 19 games with the Sabres before being shipped out of town for Henri Jokiharju. His work ethic has been questioned at times (rightly or wrongly), while his consistency has always been an issue. Even in the minor leagues there have been times where he disappears, and so much time off due to the knee recovery has not helped. There is still upside in the 23-year-old, something that the Penguins will obviously try to coax out, but it’s beginning to seem like Nylander has missed his opportunity to be an impact player at the NHL level.
That seems to be Chicago’s take, as Lafferty represents a depth option without much upside. The 26-year-old forward has 94 games under his belt at the NHL level, with six goals and 21 points to show for it. None of those six goals have come since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, with him seeing far less ice time in Pittsburgh over the last two seasons. In fact, he’s played just ten games this year despite Pittsburgh dealing with many injuries and averages fewer than nine minutes even when he gets into the lineup.
Nylander will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and remain in Pittsburgh’s control as long as the team issues him a qualifying offer. That’s no guarantee, though the threat of arbitration is still a year away due to his lost season.
Connor McDavid, Two Other Oilers Enter COVID Protocol
Though there was some hope that Connor McDavid‘s positive COVID-19 test would not be confirmed today, Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett announced that the superstar center has now entered the protocol and will be unavailable for the team tonight when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even worse, Tippett announced that Derek Ryan and Tyson Barrie have also entered the protocol. Zack Kassian has been activated, while. Ilya Konovalov has been moved to the taxi squad.
Losing McDavid at any point of the season is bad news, but especially so for the reeling Oilers right now. The team has lost four in a row, eight of their last ten, and are in danger of slipping even further down the Pacific Division standings. At 18-13-2 on the year, they are in fourth place but just a few points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and surging Vancouver Canucks.
With losing often comes controversy, and the question of a coaching change has been brought up by the media in recent days. That was the focus on social media again this morning after Mikko Koskinen‘s response to being criticized by Tippett. The coach was asked directly about the situation between him and his goaltender, explaining to reporters including Ryan Rishaug of TSN that his comments were taken out of context. Mike Smith will start in goal tonight for the undermanned Oilers.
Not only is McDavid missing though, but also Ryan and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, meaning the team will be very short on capable centers this evening. Leon Draisaitl will be asked to carry an even heavier load, while Ryan McLeod likely becomes the team’s default second-line option. Nugent-Hopkins was moved to injured reserve today.
Luckily, the team only has tonight and one more game currently scheduled before January 18, meaning McDavid and the others shouldn’t miss much actual action.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Sharks, Bruins Announce More COVID Absences
Jan 5: Tomas Nosek has joined the other Bruins in the protocol, along with one additional staff member.
Jan 4: The San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins have each announced more COVID-related absences. The Sharks have placed Logan Couture and Lane Pederson in the COVID protocol, recalling Adin Hill and Scott Reedy in the process. Alexei Melnichuk has been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda.
Couture, the Sharks captain, was not one of the players who entered the protocol earlier this season, though he also was missing for one of the games they played shorthanded due to a non-COVID illness. He’ll now be sidelined for the next little while, likely missing at least this evening’s game as well as two others in the coming days.
With Hill out, Couture and Pederson will join only Mario Ferraro in the protocol at this time. Head coach Bob Boughner confirmed to reporters including Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News that Couture is positive but has not yet experienced any symptoms. With the league’s new policy, that means he could potentially exit the protocol in five days, should he be able to provide a negative test.
The Bruins meanwhile have placed Jake DeBrusk and three staff members in the protocol, where they will join Karson Kuhlman. DeBrusk has had quite the eventful season so far, with his trade request going public only for the Bruins to put him back in the lineup due to other absences. In the two games the team has played since the holiday break, DeBrusk has taken a regular shift in both, even playing more than 16 minutes on Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Now, as he finds himself in isolation, he’ll be forced to miss at least tonight’s game and likely at least two others in the next few days.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/05/22
Just two games on the NHL schedule this evening after a full slate last night. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers will do battle in an all-Canadian matchup, while the St. Louis Blues travel to Pittsburgh to battle the Penguins. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling:
Atlantic Division
- Ahead of their game, the Maple Leafs have sent Kyle Clifford to the taxi squad, a good sign that Auston Matthews will be ready to go. Matthews took the morning skate after initially receiving a positive COVID result on a rapid test earlier this week. After testing negative yesterday, his presence at the skate suggests that he has been cleared to return to action.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have returned Darren Raddysh to the AHL, after making his NHL debut a few days ago. Raddysh played in two games for the Lightning and failed to record a point.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Riley Barber, Luke Witkowski, and Kaden Fulcher from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies as they head west. Detroit will take on the three California teams before returning home later this month.
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Max Guenette and Lassi Thomson to the AHL, while moving Logan Shaw to the taxi squad. Thomson, 21, has played in 12 games for the Senators this season and has three points.
Metropolitan Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Cam Johnson from the taxi squad back to the minor leagues, though it’s still kind of a promotion for the netminder. Johnson had been playing in the ECHL when he got the call to the NHL taxi squad and will only be going back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for the time being. Meanwhile, the club has recalled Jake Christiansen and Liam Foudy from the AHL to the taxi squad.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Michael Sgarbossa to the taxi squad once again, after sending him down just yesterday. The veteran minor leaguer has 14 points in 15 games this season for the Hershey Bears.
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Nicolas Beaudin to the taxi squad while assigning Brett Connolly there from the active roster. Kurtis Gabriel and Alec Regula are headed back to the Rockford IceHogs, where they can take part in this weekend’s back-to-back matches.
- Matt Luff might not get a chance to play his former team tomorrow night, as the Nashville Predators have moved him back down to the taxi squad. Luff has played four games for the Predators this season after spending several years as a member of the Los Angeles Kings organization.
- After he cleared waivers, Zane McIntyre has been loaned back to the Iowa Wild. The Minnesota Wild meanwhile have recalled Andrew Hammond from the taxi squad under emergency conditions and moved Hunter Jones up to the taxi squad from the AHL.
- The Colorado Avalanche reassigned forwards Callahan Burke, Mikhail Maltsev, and goalie Hunter Miska to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles from the taxi squad today. Maltsev’s the only one of them that has NHL games under their belt this season.
Pacific Division
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled prospect Adam Raska, a 20-year-old forward that has impressed in his first year of North American pro hockey. A seventh-round pick in 2020, Raska has six points in 21 AHL games but plays a physical, bang-and-crash style that made him a preseason fan favorite.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Jacob Larsson, while sending Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Bryce Kindopp, Danny O’Regan, and Greg Pateryn to the AHL from the taxi squad. Lukas Dostal will come up from the AHL to the taxi squad for the time being.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Ottawa Senators Remove Three From COVID Protocol
Jan 5: Ennis, Norris, and Paul have all cleared the protocol and can rejoin their teammates at practice. With the team now off until January 8, the Senators will hopefully be mostly out of the woods.
Jan 3: The Ottawa Senators have added three more players to the COVID protocol, as Thomas Chabot, Zach Sanford, and Chris Tierney are now unavailable. With the extra roster spots, they have recalled Michael Del Zotto from the AHL and added Scott Sabourin to the taxi squad.
The Senators now have nine players in the protocol, though Anton Forsberg is expected to clear tomorrow. Joshua Norris, Tyler Ennis, Dillon Heatherington, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Nick Paul are all on the sidelines, along with assistant coach Bob Jones and three members of the support staff.
Nearly every member of the Senators roster has now spent time on the COVID list at one point or another this season. Ottawa is set to play next on January 6 against the Seattle Kraken, but will be seriously shorthanded.
Ross Colton Enters COVID Protocol
The Tampa Bay Lightning can’t escape the protocol, it seems. Just as they had Cal Foote and Taylor Raddysh re-join the team, another young player has been ruled out. Ahead of tonight’s game, Ross Colton has been placed in the COVID protocol according to team reporter Bryan Burns.
Colton, 25, has played in all 34 games for the Lightning this season, registering four goals and 14 points while averaging just under 14 minutes a night. The fourth-round pick is another example of Tampa Bay’s strong development system, which turned a depth prospect into a full-time NHL contributor–one with a Stanley Cup-winning goal to boot.
The Lightning actually sent Gabriel Fortier back to the AHL earlier today, likely not something they would have done had they expected Colton to be unavailable. Raddysh could enter the lineup after clearing the protocol and is once again listed on the active roster.
NHL Makes Several Schedule Adjustments
The NHL has announced five schedule changes as it continues to try and work through dozens of postponements and attendance restrictions in Canadian markets. The following changes have been made:
- Game #693, Columbus @ NY Islanders on January 18 – to be postponed with a rescheduled date announced at a later time
- Game #694, Detroit @ Philadelphia on January 18 – to be postponed with a rescheduled date announced at a later time
- Game #340, NY Islanders @ Philadelphia previously scheduled for November 30 will now be rescheduled for January 18 @ 7:00 p.m. ET
- Game #723, NY Islanders @ Toronto currently scheduled for January 22 will be rescheduled for April 17 @ 7:30 p.m. ET
- Game #1211, Toronto @ NY Islanders currently scheduled for April 17 will be rescheduled for January 22 @ 7:00 p.m. ET
These are just the latest in what will be an ongoing stream of changes for the rest of the season as the league tries to squeeze in games whenever possible. There will be many more of these announcements to come.
Snapshots: Rask, Matthews, Team Canada
Unrestricted free agent goaltender Tuukka Rask still needs to be medically cleared to return to action, but that could come as early as this weekend according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. The return would likely come at the AHL level for the Providence Bruins, who play against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday and Sunday.
Rask, 34, hasn’t played a game in the AHL since the 2008-09 season when he went 33-20-4 for Providence and led them to the Eastern Conference Finals. He would likely sign a professional tryout contract in order to suit up at that level, as an NHL contract would require him to pass through waivers before being assigned to Providence. A conditioning loan, which would be another potential way of getting him time in the AHL while under an NHL contract, would not remove Rask from the 23-man roster, meaning Boston would be at a disadvantage while the veteran goaltender got up to speed. A PTO for Providence doesn’t have these restrictions, meaning there could be one coming down the pipe in the next few days if he’s cleared.
- Auston Matthews‘ positive COVID result from a rapid test yesterday was not confirmed today, as his PCR result returned negative. While he was still held out from practice, there is still a chance he avoids the protocol and can play for the team tomorrow night. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet that they are awaiting the results of another test that should be known tomorrow morning.
- The Canadian women’s hockey team will not play again before the Olympics as they try to avoid any further COVID-19 cases. According to the Canadian Press, the group will enter a bubble for the next few weeks in order to ensure they can all travel to Beijing in time for the tournament, which kicks off on February 2–actually a few days ahead of the opening ceremonies. The team must make three cuts from the 26 players they currently have, but will no longer play the tune-up matches against the United States or the AJHL.
Latest On Anaheim Ducks GM Search
The Anaheim Ducks are one of several teams around the league currently searching for a new general manager after Bob Murray resigned from the position in early November. In his place, vice president of hockey operations Jeff Solomon was named interim GM and ownership indicated that a “methodical, extensive search” would begin to fill the position.
Now, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that a search committee has been formed, which includes a few familiar names for Ducks’ fans. CEO Michael Schulman and president of business operations Aaron Teats will be joined by Scott Niedermayer and Paul Kariya on the committee, which will also include owners Susan Samueli and Henry Samueli.
It’s difficult to find two more beloved figures in franchise history than Niedermayer and Kariya. The pair of Hall of Fame players had huge impacts on the success of Anaheim, with the former leading them to the organization’s only Stanley Cup. Niedermayer won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2007 and raised the Cup for the fourth time in his career after averaging just shy of 30 minutes per game on the Ducks’ championship run.
Kariya meanwhile was the franchise’s first superstar, entering the league in 1994 after his stint with the Canadian national team. He scored 39 points in 47 games as a rookie but would find a running mate in Teemu Selanne the following year and never look back. In 606 games for Anaheim, Kariya would score 300 goals and 669 points.
Yesterday, when discussing the multiple GM vacancies around the league on The Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet noted that unlike some of the other spots, Anaheim has some big roster decisions to make in the coming months. Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm, and Josh Manson are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and could bring back big returns should the Ducks decide to trade them at the deadline, while captain Ryan Getzlaf is also on just a one-year deal with the team. Anaheim has been good enough to perhaps consider adding, not subtracting at the deadline, but that kind of a decision would certainly be one that–in an ideal world at least–should be made by the team’s next GM.