Bayreuther, Liljegren Placed In COVID Protocol
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs will be missing a pair of depth defenders for the next little while, as Gavin Bayreuther and Timothy Liljegren have been placed in the COVID protocols. For both teams this is something of a setback, given they’ve activated several players over the last few days and are preparing to resume their seasons in the coming days.
Bayreuther, 27, joins Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eric Robinson, and Joonas Korpisalo in the protocol for Columbus as the Blue Jackets get ready to take on the Nashville Predators tomorrow night. The veteran minor league defenseman has played 17 games this season, nearly matching his previous career total with five assists. Even though he’s been in the lineup, he’s not playing much, averaging just over 14 minutes a night on the year and just 12 in his last five matches.
Liljegren meanwhile joins William Nylander, Ilya Mikheyev, David Kampf, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and Petr Mrazek in the protocol for the Maple Leafs, a team that saw almost the entire roster go on over the holidays. Toronto hasn’t played a single game since December 14 and won’t hit the ice until Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.
The 22-year-old Liljegren has played in 19 games for the team this season, even logging more than 21 minutes in the team’s last game. A first-round pick in 2017, he’s barely played in the NHL to this point, totaling just 32 contests over parts of three years.
Notably, Liljegren and Bayreuther could now be facing different protocol rules after the NHL slightly changed their isolation periods for U.S.-based teams. Neither player has been listed as a confirmed positive by his team and no details on symptoms have been revealed.
Mike Smith Activated From Injured Reserve
The Edmonton Oilers have their starter back, as Mike Smith has been activated from injured reserve. The veteran goaltender will retake his place in the Oilers crease, while Stuart Skinner returns to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. The Oilers have also moved Philip Broberg and young goaltender Ilya Konovalov to the taxi squad.
Smith, 39, has played in just three games this season after suffering an early injury and then experiencing a setback in his recovery. He did stop 92 of 100 shots during that short period at the beginning of the year, continuing his strong play from last season, but it will be a whole new set of expectations after missing so much time. The team received some admirable performances from Mikko Koskinen and Skinner–the latter had a .916 in ten appearances–but it’s Smith that will likely take the team to the next level, should they be able to get there.
The Oilers have gone 4-6 in their last ten and slipped to fourth place in the Pacific Division but still have plenty of time to catch the teams ahead of them. They’ll take the ice tonight against the St. Louis Blues before traveling to the east coast to play the Devils, Islanders, Rangers, and Maple Leafs in quick succession. Smith will obviously be handling the lion’s share of the work, though it remains to be seen where his game is after more than two months off.
Montreal Canadiens Add Five Players To COVID Protocol
Dec 29: After getting in one game last night, the Canadiens have placed two more in the COVID protocol today. Paul Byron and Cayden Primeau are both now unavailable and join the rest of the absences in the protocol. Byron was closing in on a return from injury and Primeau was expected to play this weekend with Allen unavailable. McNiven will now likely be recalled to backup Sam Montembeault.
Dec 27: The Montreal Canadiens have added another five players to the COVID protocol today, recalling a handful of replacements in the process. Jake Allen, Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, Jeff Petry, and Chris Wideman have entered the protocol, along with goaltending coach Eric Raymond. The team has recalled Cayden Primeau and Corey Schueneman to the active roster, while also bringing up Brandon Baddock, Gianni Fairbrother, Cam Hillis, and Michael McNiven to the taxi squad. The team will travel to Florida where they are currently scheduled to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night.
The new five will join Laurent Dauphin, Mike Hoffman, Artturi Lehkonen, and Tyler Toffoli, who were already in the protocol. The team also has almost countless injuries, meaning it’s not quite the full Montreal experience heading to face the Lightning. In a lost season for the Canadiens, nearly everything that could have gone wrong has, and they find themselves near the very bottom of the league standings.
If the games are played as scheduled, the team will no longer have to play short after the league amended the salary cap and emergency exception rules yesterday. Still, these recalls bring them close to the organizational limit; Primeau and McNiven were the only two other goaltenders in the organization signed to NHL contracts.
NHL Changes COVID Protocols, Isolation Period
After the CDC recently updated and shortened recommended isolation periods in the U.S., some sports leagues have followed suit. While there has been plenty of discussion about whether the NHL would be able to since some of their teams reside in Canada, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the league has done just that.
Provided it is allowed by local health authorities, the isolation period has been shortened to five days for vaccinated players and staff. In the release, it explains the process that it will now use for a confirmed positive case of COVID-19:
- Isolate for 5 days.
- If you have a fever, continue to isolate until your fever resolves.
- If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave isolation:
i. after a lab-based PCR test that is negative or that has a CT value >30, or two negative molecular point of care tests collected >2 hours apart
AND
ii. medical clearance from your Club physician
AND
iii. providing such an exit is permitted by your local health authority - You shall continue to always wear a mask around others for 5 additional days, other than for practices and games
- All other aspects of the Protocol apply, including the criteria for cardiac screening.
The league will re-evaluate these new measures in 14 days, but for now, it could drastically affect the number of games missed by positive cases that experience mild symptoms. Players will still need to test negative to get out of the protocol–something that is different than the NFL, for instance–but there’s at least a chance that they return earlier than previously expected.
Of note, this does not appear to be in effect for Canadian teams or change the 14-day travel restrictions for players who have tested positive. If they have tested positive, they would not be able to accompany their team to Canada for the following two weeks even if they have left the league’s shortened protocol.
Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues Complete Minor Trade
The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues have completed a minor trade, with Will Bitten and Nolan Stevens changing organizations.
The Wild will receive Stevens, a 25-year-old forward that has 12 points in 20 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season, his fourth in the AHL since signing out of Northeastern University. Standing 6’3″, he offers some size and skill as a potential depth player for Minnesota. More likely though he’s headed for Iowa where he can continue his season in the AHL. Stevens is on a one-year, two-way contract that carries a cap hit of $750K at the NHL level.
For St. Louis, Bitten comes to town after scoring eight points in 23 games for the Wild. A third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, he is still just 23 but has yet to make an appearance at the NHL level. Like Stevens, Bitten is on a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild but his actually carries a cap hit of $840K at the NHL level–not exactly the easiest to fit in for a team like St. Louis that is battling cap issues.
In all likelihood, both players spend the majority of the season in the minor leagues, perhaps seeing some time on the taxi squad if needed.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/29/21
The return from the holiday break brought plenty of offense around the NHL last night, with 32 goals (plus a shootout winner) in just three games. Six more are on the table for this evening, meaning we could see the red lamp light quite a few more times. As teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Remi Elie to the taxi squad, giving them another forward as they travel to Sunrise to take on the Panthers tomorrow night. The Lightning narrowly escaped with a win against the Canadiens last night, but in positive news, Brayden Point appeared to hit the ground running with two goals and three points in his return.
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Luke Witkowski and Victor Brattstrom back to the AHL from the taxi squad, giving the Grand Rapids Griffins some extra bodies. Brattstrom, 24, has split the season–his first in North America–between Grand Rapids and the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought Michael Hutchinson up to the taxi squad, while sending Joey Anderson, Kyle Clifford, Carl Dahlstrom, Filip Kral and Kristians Rubins down to the Toronto Marlies. The Marlies are expected to return to action tomorrow night for the first time in more than two weeks and will now have several key players back in the lineup.
Metropolitan Division
- After clearing waivers today, Washington Capitals forward Michael Sgarbossa has ended up on the taxi squad. Brett Leason and Alex Alexeyev meanwhile have been recalled to the active roster, while the team has activated Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, and Tom Wilson.
- Stefan Noesen has been assigned to the Carolina Hurricanes taxi squad, as he continues to be a top injury replacement option for the team. In 23 games with the Chicago Wolves, Noesen–who does have over 200 NHL games played–has 24 points.
- Gerald Mayhew and Felix Sandstrom have both been recalled from the taxi squad. Sandstrom, 24, has not yet made an NHL appearance and has a 3-7-3 record in 15 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season.
Central Division
- The Minnesota Wild have officially recalled Calen Addison to their taxi squad, with the expectation that he will slide onto the active roster to replace Jonas Brodin this weekend. Brodin entered the COVID protocol yesterday, meaning the Wild will be without several key players for the Winter Classic.
- The Arizona Coyotes have made a whole bunch of transactions after last night’s game. The team has assigned Blake Speers and Jan Jenik to the taxi squad, Michael Carcone and Vladislav Kolyachonok to the AHL, and moved Bokondji Imama and Josef Korenar back to the AHL from the taxi squad. Alex Galchenyuk has been activated to take one of the roster spots.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Alexei Toropchenko from the AHL to the active roster and expect to have him in the lineup tonight. The young forward has played in three games so far this season but is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron from the taxi squad. They’ve also recalled Tomas Vomacka all the way from the ECHL to join the taxi squad, giving them an extra goaltender for the time being.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have activated Cal Petersen from the COVID protocol, meaning Garret Sparks can be loaned back to the AHL. He won’t be going alone though, as Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Martin Frk, and Jacob Moverare will also all report back to the AHL.
- The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Ashton Sautner and Spencer Martin to the team’s taxi squad, after two players entered the COVID protocol today. The pair will give them some extra bodies on the current road trip, including an additional goaltender just in case. Martin, 26, has three NHL games under his belt but has been excellent for the Abbotsford Canucks this season, going 5-0-1 with a .930 save percentage.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Jacob Bryson Enters COVID Protocol
The Buffalo Sabres have made a few transactions today after Jacob Bryson entered the COVID protocol. The team has recalled Casey Fitzgerald to the active roster while moving Ethan Prow up to the taxi squad. (UPDATE: Prow has been recalled from the taxi squad ahead of the game, while Alex Tuch was activated from injured reserve)
Bryson joins Vinnie Hinostroza, Zemgus Girgensons, Jeff Skinner, Mark Jankowski, Dylan Cozens, and head coach Don Granato in the protocol, who will all be unavailable for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Like any team trying to play through a COVID outbreak, it will drastically limit the depth available for the Sabres as they restart their season.
Bryson, 24, has played in 29 games for the Sabres this season, quietly establishing himself as a reliable option for the team on defense. The undersized skater is averaging almost 20 minutes a night and has seven points in those 29 games.
Notably, Fitzgerald will be playing in front of a familiar face tonight as the Sabres take on the Devils. Tom Fitzgerald was in the crowd as a supportive father for Casey’s NHL debut earlier this season but will now watch as the general manager of the opponent. Tom played nearly 1,100 games in the NHL–Casey’s working on number 2.
Kasperi Kapanen Enters COVID Protocol
The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Kasperi Kapanen in the COVID protocol, raising their current number to eight if you count Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who tested positive just after being recalled to the taxi squad yesterday. Sam Lafferty is also absent from the team with a non-COVID illness.
Kapanen joins Joseph, Dominik Simon, Teddy Blueger, Evan Rodrigues, Mike Matheson, John Marino, and Tristan Jarry in the protocol, with the latter six all going in on December 27. That leaves the Penguins quite a bit shorthanded for the moment, though given the postponements that have already happened they won’t play again until Sunday.
Still, that doesn’t give any of these players time to exit the protocol if they’re serving the usual ten-day quarantine. Kapanen and the others will likely miss Sunday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, leaving the team with some work to do in order to put together a competitive roster. With Jason Zucker out with an injury as well, the depth will be tested in Pittsburgh.
NHL Announces More Postponments
The count is now 80. The league has postponed another match this week, this time between the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The Islanders continue to place new players in the COVID protocol–Brock Nelson went in today.
There have also been nine games postponed due to attendance restrictions in Canadian markets. The following will be rescheduled for later this season:
- Pittsburgh @ Ottawa, December 31
- Winnipeg @ Calgary, December 31
- Carolina @ Toronto, January 3
- Washington @ Montreal, January 4
- Toronto @ Montreal, January 6
- Buffalo @ Montreal, January 8
- Seattle @ Winnipeg, January 8
- Columbus @ Montreal, January 10
- Minnesota @ Winnipeg, January 10
The game between Bruins and Canadiens originally scheduled in Montreal on January 12 will now be played in Boston. A make-up date for the Bruins-Canadiens game that needs to be played in Montreal will be announced at a later date.
The Islanders are expected to get two players out of the protocol tomorrow but still will have Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, Cal Clutterbuck, Zach Parise, and Oliver Wahlstrom unavailable tomorrow. The Red Wings, meanwhile, added Lucas Raymond and Nick Leddy on Sunday and have several other players still in the protocol.
For the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, in particular, moving home dates to later this season would give them a chance to collect some if not all of the expected revenue. With the players still owing a huge amount of escrow debt to the owners, keeping hockey-related revenues as high as possible is important if the league is to rebound to the high levels commissioner Gary Bettman explained earlier this month.
Trevor Zegras Placed In COVID Protocol
Hockey fans will have to wait a little while for the next Trevor Zegras highlight, as the Anaheim Ducks have placed their dynamic playmaker in the COVID protocol. Zegras joins Max Comtois and Sam Steel, who were added to the protocol on Sunday.
It’s hard to find a more exciting player in the league right now, as Zegras constantly attempts–and often completes–passes that are rarely seen in the NHL. It’s not just his behind-the-net flip to Sonny Milano either, but routine plays he turns into outstanding chances for his linemates. With 25 points in 30 games this season he’s a big reason why the Ducks are tied for first place in the Pacific Division and looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
If Zegras tested positive, he’ll most likely miss the next few games for Anaheim as he isolates away from the team. The Ducks are set to go on the road for two games after tonight’s match, before returning for another four-game homestand in early January. Without their talented youngster, Ryan Getzlaf and the rest of the group will have to pick up the slack and keep the Ducks humming along at the top of the Pacific.