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The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday. After the first few selections, this year’s draft is more unpredictable than ever and you can stay tuned for every pick, trade, and rumbling with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).
Trevor Lawrence is headed to Jacksonville with the first-overall pick, but how many quarterbacks will go off the board before any other position? The New Orleans Saints are trying to get into the top 10, but who will be willing to trade down? Do the Bengals take Oregon tackle Penei Sewell to protect Joe Burrow‘s blindside, or do they give him the best weapon available in LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase? Does Florida’s Kyle Pitts become the next top-10 tight end?
For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.
Mathew Barzal Fined For Diving/Embellishment
The NHL has issued a $2,000 fine to Mathew Barzal for diving/embellishment, meaning that he has been flagged twice this season for the act. The league issued a warning following the first such incident, which occurred on January 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The second happened on April 22 against the Washington Capitals, triggering the fine.
For Rule 64, the supplementary discipline is on a graduated scale that also includes fines for a head coach:
While Barry Trotz is certainly not going to bench a player like Barzal, costing the coach money is never a good idea. The league will be keeping a close eye on the New York Islanders star and his teammates for the rest of the season. Coach fines start kicking in after four are issued to either one player or a club collectively.
Ryan Miller Will Retire After This Season
When the 2021-22 season begins, for the first time in nearly two decades the NHL will not include Ryan Miller. The Anaheim Ducks goaltender has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of 2020-21. In a team release, Miller explained his decision:
It was a dream come true when I played my first NHL game and it has been a privilege to spend 18 years as a professional. I have decided that I am going to retire after the season having been given more time doing what I love than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you to you my teammates and staff, past and present. I’m thankful to so many who made my career possible and helped me on my journey from youth hockey to the NHL. Thank you to my family for supporting me with so much love and enthusiasm.
Now 40, Miller will hang up his pads as arguably the best U.S.-born goaltender in history. He leads all American goaltenders in wins with 390 over his long career, coming in 14th all-time in the category. His career save percentage still sits at .914 even after the last few years, and he has a cabinet full of trophies. The 2001 Hobey Baker Award winner at Michigan State University, he went on to win the AHL Goaltender of the Year and Vezina Trophy along with adding an Olympic silver medal.
Though he never did get a chance to raise the Stanley Cup over his head, Miller has been a constant presence in the NHL for the last generation and has an outside shot of landing in the Hall of Fame at some point. Of the 13 goaltenders ahead of him on the all-time list, only Curtis Joseph (454 wins) and Chris Osgood (401) have been retired long enough to be eligible but are not in the Hall–Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Henrik Lundqvist will all likely get there when eligible.
It is fitting that Miller ends with at least 390 wins, just one ahead of his Buffalo Sabres predecessor Dominik Hasek. Though he may have never reached the spectacular highs of Hasek’s career, Miller’s long, consistent performance is something to marvel. Congratulations on a wonderful career, Ryan!
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/29/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
West Division
- The Colorado Avalanche have returned Keaton Middleton and Adam Werner to the AHL, moving them off the taxi squad after last night’s loss. Werner, who was quite the story last season when he was forced into NHL action without much experience, has a strong .910 save percentage in seven AHL appearances this year. They made several more moves later in the day, per the AHL’s transactions log. Miikka Salomaki, Martin Kaut, and Dan Renouf were all sent from the taxi squad to the minors with Nick Henry and Mike Vecchione being recalled to the taxi squad. Jonas Johansson was also sent to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, suggesting that Philipp Grubauer is ready to return.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Brinson Pasichnuk and Joel Kellman back to the minors while recalling Ivan Chekovich, per the AHL’s transactions log. Pasichnuk made his NHL debut last night against Arizona. Alexander True and Alexander Barabanov were also sent down to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have bumped down a couple of goaltenders, sending Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad and Kevin Mandolese to the AHL. Marcus Hogberg took home the win for the Senators last night, but still allowed three goals on four shots. If Anton Forsberg isn’t ready to re-join the team by Saturday, Gustavsson will likely have to be called back up to the active roster.
- The Winnipeg Jets have sent David Gustafsson from the taxi squad to the AHL, giving him a chance to continue his season with the Manitoba Moose. The 21-year-old forward hasn’t scored yet in four NHL games this season but has 13 points in 14 minor league contests.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will start resting some key players after clinching a playoff spot last night. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports that the team will scratch Jake Muzzin, Morgan Rielly, Nick Foligno, and Jack Campbell while dressing Ben Hutton, Pierre Engvall, Timothy Liljegren, and Michael Hutchinson. The latter two were on the taxi squad, so will need to be recalled to the active roster (though could be done as emergency recalls). With those recalls, Veini Vehvilainen and Teemu Kivihalme were recalled to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, while Nick Robertson was sent to the minors.
- The Calgary Flames have brought up Byron Froese from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veteran hasn’t seen any NHL action since mid-February and has a goal in six games this season.
- The Vancouver Canucks have sent Arturs Silovs back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Silovs is currently serving as Vancouver’s third-string option to allow Michael DiPietro to see some regular playing time in the minors.
Central Division
- As expected, Joseph Veleno has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings and will be back in the lineup tonight. The team has recalled Hayden Verbeek to the taxi squad once again.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Max McCormick and Morgan Geekie from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players have frequently been shuffled back and forth this season and as emergency recalls, will likely be returned to the taxi squad on Friday.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins have returned Jack Ahcan to the AHL, giving him to Providence for their game this afternoon. The 23-year-old defenseman has nine points in 15 games for the P-Bruins this season, his first year of professional hockey after a long career at St. Cloud State.
- The Philadelphia Flyers are giving Yegor Zamula a second look as they’ve once again recalled him from the taxi squad. The 21-year-old logged over 19 minutes in his NHL debut on Tuesday. Felix Sandstrom and Derrick Pouliot were also recalled to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Kevin Bahl and A.J. Greer from AHL Binghamton, per the AHL’s transactions log. Bahl’s promotion is actually straight to the NHL roster, paving the way for him to make his NHL debut tonight. Connor Carrick was also recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Buffalo Sabres have brought back Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 22-year-old will make his third career NHL start tonight against Boston.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/28/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:
Anaheim – Adam Henrique
Calgary – Josh Leivo
Detroit – Adam Erne*
New Jersey – P.K. Subban, Jonas Siegenthaler
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: None
The NHL can’t quite get the COVID list down to zero, as Erne joins a few other players on Wednesday. The Red Wings forward played last night against the Blue Jackets, so the situation with both teams is one to monitor over the next few days. The 26-year-old has actually had a decent season, setting a new career-high in goals with 11 and seeing more ice time than he ever has.
*denotes new addition
San Jose Interested In Re-Signing Matt Nieto
Do you know the way to San Jose? Matt Nieto sure does. The depth forward found his way back to the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent last offseason, signing a one-year, $700K deal with the team that drafted him in 2011. Now Nieto is approaching UFA status once again and may end up staying where it all began. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic tweets that though the 28-year-old may not play again this season due to injury, the Sharks are interested in bringing him back “if the price is right.”
Even if he signs for the league minimum again Nieto would be getting a raise, as that number increases to $750K for the 2021-22 campaign. It hasn’t been a particularly productive season, with just five goals and seven points in 28 games, but when healthy he was a big part of the penalty kill. Nieto led all Sharks forwards in average shorthanded ice time this season at 2:46, just a few seconds behind team-leading Brent Burns (2:57). A reliable penalty killer for the league minimum is valuable, even if it doesn’t bring much excitement.
There is still some offensive upside in the veteran of 500 NHL games too. Nieto has recorded at least 21 points in five of his seven seasons before this shortened year and reached a career-high of 15 goals during 2017-18 with the Colorado Avalanche. This year’s goal-scoring rate would have actually taken him very close to that mark if kept up over 82 games, meaning he could be a bargain depth option for the Sharks come next season.
They’ll need that kind of bottom-of-the-lineup production if San Jose is to be competitive in 2021-22, as their cap continues to be strangled by expensive long-term contracts for aging veterans. If GM Doug Wilson is unable to shed any of those big-ticket deals, there isn’t a whole lot of change he can make to the roster. The Sharks already have nearly $68.5MM committed to next season for just 13 players and the salary cap is not expected to go up from the $81.5MM it was this year.
Avangard Omsk Wins Gagarin Cup
The Gagarin Cup has been awarded to Avangard Omsk for the first time in franchise history, defeating CSKA 1-0 in the deciding game six. While the championship obviously doesn’t have a direct impact on the NHL, it signals the end of the KHL season for several interesting prospects that could end up in North America shortly.
Klim Kostin, the 21-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect who just lifted the trophy, is expected to come over and rejoin his NHL team as soon as possible, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kostin is already under contract with the Blues and was just on loan to the KHL.
Max Shalunov is a different story, as he would need to sign a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Originally drafted way back in 2011, the 28-year-old Shalunov’s draft rights never did expire because he never signed an NHL contract. The KHL and NHL do not have an official transfer agreement, so KHL draft rights are held indefinitely. The veteran winger has been a strong performer for years in Russia and could be a nice addition to the Blackhawks organization if they can get him to finally sign.
Yegor Chinakhov, the youngest of the three most notable players involved in the final, was just selected 21st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. A decision will now be made by the 20-year-old forward whether to sign his entry-level deal or stay in Russia a while longer.
The win was also an impressive achievement for Bob Hartley, who now has a Gagarin Cup, a Stanley Cup, a Calder Cup, an NLA title, a QMJHL championship, and a CJHL championship as a head coach. Quite the resume for the veteran coach, who was last in the NHL during the 2015-16 season with the Calgary Flames.
Snapshots: NWHL, Kekalainen, Boqvist
The NWHL has officially announced a salary cap increase to $300,000 for each team, doubling the cap that it had previously used. Commissioner Tyler Tumminia released the following statement on the increase:
The NWHL is committed to its vision of providing opportunities for elite women’s hockey players to earn a living playing the game they love. This increased investment by ownership, especially following a challenging and shortened season, is a significant step forward and exemplifies the strength of our league and our developing business model as we continue to advance professional women’s hockey and inspire the next generation of female athletes.
The league is coming off a successful conclusion to its shortened 2020-21 campaign, which dealt with continual delays and cancellations that threatened to keep the Isobel Cup off the ice. In late March, the playoffs were broadcast on NBCSN for the first time, with hundreds of thousands watching the Boston Pride take home the championship. Just a few days ago, it was announced that the 2021 NWHL Draft will be held virtually on June 29, broadcast live on Twitch, the league’s streaming partner.
- Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has a tall order of building his NHL team back to relevance, but some of his time will also be spent representing his country. The veteran executive has been named assistant general manager of Team Finland for next year’s Winter Olympics, helping former NHL forward and Finland GM Jere Lehtinen in the selection of players. Of course, there are a few names on the Columbus roster currently that could be considered for the team, most notably sniper Patrik Laine. The 23-year-old Laine has had the worst season of his career so far this year, scoring just 12 goals and 21 points in 42 games, 18 of which came with the Blue Jackets after an early-season trade. Newcomer Mikko Lehtonen could be in the running after dominating in the KHL, and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo could make it depending on what happens with aging netminders like Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have not yet announced a recovery timeline, but don’t expect to see Adam Boqvist back on the ice this season. Head coach Jeremy Colliton told reporters including those at The Athletic that the young defenseman suffered a broken wrist in last night’s game. It is unclear yet how long he’ll be out, but Colliton explained this morning that he does not believe Boqvist will need surgery.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/28/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
West Division
- The Minnesota Wild have assigned Hunter Jones to the taxi squad, while Andrew Hammond deals with an upper-body injury. Hammond has been listed as day-to-day, meaning Jones’ stay with the squad may not be very long.
- The Los Angeles Kings have officially recalled Lias Andersson and Quinton Byfield from the taxi squad, putting them both in the lineup tonight. Byfield will make his NHL debut after scoring 20 points in 30 minor league games.
North Division
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Jack Rathbone to the taxi squad once again, though it’s not exactly clear when he had been sent back. Regardless, the former Harvard star is still waiting to receive his NHL debut after signing last spring.
- The Winnipeg Jets have made a whole boatload of transactions, sending Mikhail Berdin and Luke Green to the AHL while recalling Eric Comrie, Ville Heinola, Marko Dano, David Gustafsson and Dominic Toninato to the taxi squad.
Central Division
- After a solid debut last night, Joseph Veleno has been moved back to the Detroit Red Wings taxi squad. Hayden Verbeek has been moved back to the AHL in the process, but this isn’t something permanent. Veleno will likely be back up tomorrow when the Red Wings take on the Hurricanes, but moving him to the taxi squad in the meantime saves the team a bit of cash.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils announced that they have assigned Marian Studenic and Colton White to the AHL, though Fabian Zetterlund has also been returned on loan according to the AHL transactions page. That leaves the team’s taxi squad quite thin, meaning there are either call-ups coming or players are being moved off the active roster.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Jonathan Drouin Takes Leave Of Absence
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Jonathan Drouin will take an indefinite leave of absence for the team for personal reasons. The team has asked everyone to respect his privacy and placed him on long-term injured reserve. Drouin hasn’t played since April 21 against the Edmonton Oilers, missing the last three games. That means he could be placed on LTIR retroactive to his last appearance, and could potentially return before the end of the season after missing his mandated ten games.
It has been a difficult season performance-wise for Drouin, who has just two goals in 44 games this season. After the announcement, there was an immediate outpouring of support on social media from fans and media alike, wishing him the best as he deals with whatever is going on.
With Drouin on LTIR, the Canadiens shouldn’t run into any more cap issues in relation to Cole Caufield or Jake Evans and could use the two young forwards down the stretch. Both were on the ice at morning skate according to John Lu of TSN as the team prepares for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening.