Krebs, Tuch, Bjork Enter COVID Protocol
So much for the Jack Eichel trade already paying off for the Buffalo Sabres. Just a few days after making their Buffalo debuts, Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch have both been placed in the COVID protocol. Anders Bjork has entered with them.
Krebs and Tuch managed just three games with the Sabres since their recent activation with the two connecting on a powerplay marker in Saturday’s game against the Boston Bruins. They represent the biggest parts of the Eichel trade that went down earlier this season and a huge chunk of the team’s future moving forward.
Bjork too is a regular with the Sabres, though his five points in 29 games are certainly not what the team was hoping for this season. The 25-year-old forward had six in 13 games down the stretch for Buffalo last season but has seen his minutes slashed dramatically and his role on the team diminished.
With Kyle Okposo and Casey Fitzgerald already on the protocol, the Sabres are now severely shorthanded as they wait for the San Jose Sharks to come to town on Thursday. Luckily, the team isn’t scheduled to play again after that game until January 11, meaning several of these players could exit the protocol if they are experiencing no symptoms.
Minnesota Wild Recall Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi
It’s time for the kids to have an impact in Minnesota. The Wild have recalled both Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi to the taxi squad, with both expected to make their NHL debuts against the Boston Bruins this Thursday.
The Wild are currently in free fall from the top of the Central Division, losing their last five games and dropping to third place behind the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators. They’re also without Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway for the time being, opening room for the top prospects to step in and contribute.
Boldy, selected 12th overall in 2019, is the only top-20 player from his draft that has yet to make an appearance at the NHL level. The 20-year-old forward has 28 points in 24 games for the Iowa Wild since signing out of Boston College last year, though only ten of those appearances have come this season. Boldy suffered a broken ankle in October as he was trying to crack the Minnesota roster out of training camp.
Rossi meanwhile was picked even higher, ninth overall in 2020. The 20-year-old center was start the 2020-21 campaign in Switzerland, but a bout with COVID revealed a myocarditis diagnosis that kept him out the entire season. It wasn’t at all clear whether Rossi’s career would continue, with the young forward telling Michael Russo of The Athletic how frightening the diagnosis was:
Every time before I went to sleep, I was so scared that I won’t wake up anymore. Every night, before sleep, I was really sad and always crying because I was scared of that. I told my parents, ‘Could you sleep right next to my bed and be here ’til I fall asleep?’ And every day I woke up in the morning, I was so glad that I woke up. It was really hard.
Now healthy and playing every day in the AHL, Rossi has picked up right where he left off in 2020. Through 21 games with Iowa, he has 23 points, routinely controlling the game with his strong two-way play.
The two youngsters may not be up for the rest of the season, but it will be exciting for Wild fans to see them take the ice in a Minnesota sweater for the first time.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/04/22
Eight games grace the NHL schedule this evening, as things start to get back to normal across the league. The Calgary Flames will face a shorthanded Florida Panthers team, while the defending champions try to get back in the win column against a Zach Werenski-less Blue Jackets’ squad. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- With Nikita Kucherov approaching a return, the Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Gabriel Fortier back to the AHL. Fortier, 21, has one goal in ten games for the Lightning this season, his first in the NHL.
- The Florida Panthers have assigned Aleksi Heponiemi to the taxi squad, as they prepare for action without the likes of Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, or Mason Marchment. Heponiemi, 22, has played two games for Florida this season.
Metropolitan Division
- Tarmo Reunanen has been recalled to the New York Rangers taxi squad. The team has also moved Matthew Robertson back to the AHL, without the young defenseman actually appearing in the NHL. Robertson, 20, has five points in 23 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack in his first year of professional hockey.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Aliaksei Protas from the AHL, while sending Lucas Johansen, Michael Sgarbossa, Pheonix Copley, and Alexander Alexeyev to the minor leagues. Protas has been a nice find for the Capitals so far, registering six points in 22 games just two years after dropping to the third round of the draft.
- With Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov entering COVID protocol today, the Philadelphia Flyers recalled forwards Gerald Mayhew and Max Willman as well as defenseman Cam York to the active roster from the taxi squad.
Central Division
- Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli is back with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, per the team. He didn’t get into a game during his call-up, and he’s still looking for his first NHL action, but he’s impressed with 21 points through 21 games in Tucson this year.
- The Dallas Stars have reassigned Ty Dellandrea, Rhett Gardner, Riley Tufte, and Adam Scheel from the taxi squad to the Texas Stars, giving them some extra bodies for their games this weekend.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned Martin Frk and Jacob Moverare from the AHL to the taxi squad. Moverare, despite still waiting for his first NHL opportunity, has been involved in ten transactions since the middle of December, bouncing up and down on a near-daily basis.
- The Seattle Kraken reassigned forward Kole Lind and goalie Joey Daccord to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers today, according to a team tweet. The two have combined to play seven games at the NHL level this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Jeremy Lauzon, Alex Wennberg Placed In COVID Protocol
Jan 3: The Kraken have now added Alexander Wennberg to the protocol, joining Lauzon. The team already had their upcoming game against the Ottawa Senators postponed, meaning they will have time to get both back before their next game on January 10, should they test out of the protocol.
Jan 1: The Seattle Kraken have Vince Dunn and Ryan Donato back from the COVID protocol today as they took morning skate, but it’s not back to full strength just yet. The team still has Mason Appleton unavailable and he’ll now be joined on the sidelines by Jeremy Lauzon, who has entered the protocol today.
Lauzon, 24, was the Kraken pick from Boston in the expansion draft and he has played 27 games for the team this season. A second-round selection from 2015, the young defenseman still hasn’t quite come into his own at the NHL level. He does provide a level of physical play that the Kraken defense has become known for, ranking third on the team in hits and first in penalty minutes, but Lauzon has just five points so far on the year.
Notably, Lauzon has avoided Group VI unrestricted free agency by landing a regular gig with the Kraken to start the year. He had just 76 matches to his name before this season, with 80 being the threshold to avoid UFA status. Instead, he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer coming off his two-year deal from 2020. Arbitration-eligible, a good showing this season could result in a healthy raise should the Kraken decide he’s worthy of a qualifying offer.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Greeley, Wild
The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Jordan Kyrou taking home the top spot. The St. Louis Blues forward had seven points in two games, including a four-point effort in the Winter Classic. With 79 points in 128 career games, including 32 in 29 this season, the 2016 second-round pick is establishing himself as a top offensive performer in the NHL.
Second and third place went to Jack Hughes and Jonathan Huberdeau respectively, after their own outstanding weeks. The New Jersey Devils center had eight points in three games and figured into two more overtime victories for the club. Huberdeau meanwhile continues his incredible run and is now up to 41 points in 32 games this season.
- The Dallas Stars have hired Steve Greeley as their new Director of Hockey Strategy/Scouting and Development, bringing him in to oversee the club’s analytics department. Greeley was previously an assistant general manager with the Buffalo Sabres under Jason Botterill and an assistant director of player personnel with the New York Rangers.
- The Minnesota Wild may be giving a young prospect their first chance at the NHL level, as Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets Matt Boldy and/or Marco Rossi could be coming up for Thursday’s game. The Wild placed Jordan Greenway in the COVID protocol today and are already without Joel Eriksson Ek. Boldy, as Russo points out, is the only top-20 pick from 2019 yet to play in an NHL game, while Rossi is only a year removed from his myocarditis diagnosis which put his career on pause.
Senators-Kraken Game Postponed
The NHL has postponed another match, this time between the Ottawa Senators and Seattle Kraken on January 6. The Senators placed several new players in the COVID protocol earlier today.
By postponing this game, the Senators are now off until January 8, at which point they should have several players back from the protocol. This is not the first time that Ottawa has dealt with postponements; quite the opposite, in fact, as the team has seen games rescheduled for both COVID outbreaks and attendance restrictions.
The Kraken are now off even longer, as they don’t have another game scheduled until a week from now. That means they will have played just three games between December 18 and January 10.
There have been more than 90 postponements so far through the first half of the season.
Dallas Stars Activate 10 Players
Jan 3: The Stars have activated ten players today, leaving only Benn in the protocol.
Dec 29: The Dallas Stars have placed Jamie Benn, Luke Glendening, and Ryan Suter in the COVID protocol, raising their number of absent players to 11. The team has also placed an additional support staff member into the protocol, raising that number to three.
The new trio joins Radek Faksa, Jani Hakanpaa, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Joel Kiviranta, Esa Lindell, Michael Raffl, and Jason Robertson in the protocol, explaining why the Dallas games against Colorado were both postponed already. The Stars aren’t scheduled to play until Sunday, at which point they could potentially have some of these players eligible again.
With the NHL (slightly) relaxing the isolation rules, teams like the Stars could get players back after just five days, should they be able to provide a negative test. While that’s obviously not a guarantee, in this case, it at least opens up the window a bit for a quick return after ending up in the protocol. For the Stars, who are now missing four of their regular defensemen, it would certainly be a welcome change.
Kyle Okposo, Casey Fitzgerald Enter COVID Protocol
Despite being on the ice to start Buffalo Sabres practice, Kyle Okposo has now entered the COVID protocol. He will not be alone, however, as Casey Fitzgerald will also enter the protocol.
It’s terrible timing for Okposo, who has rejuvenated his career this season playing under Don Granato. The 33-year-old forward has 21 points in 33 games, a total that has already surpassed his numbers from each of the last two seasons. In fact, Okposo hasn’t cracked the 30-point mark in a season since 2017-18, something he should easily do by the end of the year.
For now, if he tested positive he’ll be out for at least the next several days meaning in all likelihood he’ll miss Thursday’s match against the San Jose Sharks.
Sam Reinhart, Mason Marchment Added To COVID Protocol
The Florida Panthers will be without two forwards for their next game, as both Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment have been added to the COVID protocol. The team has also placed assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu in the protocol.
Reinhart and Marchment will be unavailable for tomorrow’s match against the Calgary Flames and, if they tested positive, Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars, but shortened isolation periods could mean those are the only two they miss. Olli Juolevi, who had been in the protocol, was back at practice today for the Panthers.
The Panthers are also without Sam Bennett after his recent suspension, meaning they’ll be shorthanded as they head into a tough matchup against the Flames. Reinhart has been excellent of late, scoring 13 points in 10 games since the start of December and climbing to second place among all Panthers with 26 points in 32 games on the season.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/03/22
There is just one game on the schedule for the NHL tonight, as the Edmonton Oilers travel to New York to try and slow down the Rangers. Edmonton is in freefall after a hot start while the Rangers are continuing to ride the outstanding goaltending of Igor Shesterkin. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- With Jake Muzzin expected to return for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Teemu Kivihalme has been moved off the taxi squad and back to the AHL. Muzzin’s return will likely bump Alex Biega back to the taxi after he played in Saturday’s game against the Senators.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Alex Barre-Boulet and Maxime Lagace to the AHL, giving the Syracuse Crunch a boost as players come off the NHL’s COVID list. Andrei Vasilevskiy made his return to the Tampa Bay crease last night, and though he showed some obvious rust, there’s no need for Lagace any longer.
Metropolitan Division
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Stefan Noesen and Alex Lyon to the AHL, moving them off the taxi squad for the time being. With the Hurricanes off until Friday, the pair can get in some time with the Chicago Wolves this week.
- Pierre-Olivier Joseph has been activated from the COVID Protocol, but not back to the NHL roster. The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned the young defender to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but he will be the next man up should a need arise on the NHL blue line.
Central Division
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Tennyson to the taxi squad, adding another experienced body to the traveling group. The Predators are headed on a three-game road trip that starts tomorrow night.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Mikhail Maltsev and Hunter Miska to the taxi squad, while sending Trent Miner back to the AHL. Maltsev, 23, has 17 points in 23 games for the Colorado Eagles this season but is still looking for his first point with the Avalanche.
- With Cam Talbot suffering an injury in the Winter Classic, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Andrew Hammond to the team’s taxi squad. Calen Addison, who was recalled to replace Jonas Brodin in the game, has also been loaned back to the taxi squad.
- Riley Tufte is getting the call, but not quite to the NHL roster. The Dallas Stars have announced that the young forward has been moved from AHL Texas to the taxi squad. The hulking forward has played in five games with Dallas this season in a fourth line role, but has also flashed some scoring ability in the minors.
Pacific Division
- Ashton Sautner and Spencer Martin have been sent back to the AHL from the Vancouver Canucks taxi squad, given the team doesn’t play again for another week.
- The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned Jan Jenik from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Jenik has suited up for three games with the ‘Yotes this season, but only for about 20 total minutes of ice time and zero points. The young forward needs some more seasoning in the minors before he can make an impact at the next level.
This page will be updated throughout the day