COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/22/21
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:
Colorado – Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi, Mikko Rantanen
New Jersey – P.K. Subban
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
Great news for the NHL as the number of players in the COVID protocol remains at four. Colorado will resume their season tonight against the Blues and though they’ll be without three key players, it is good news just to be hitting the ice again.
*denotes new addition
Luke Hughes To Resume Skating Next Month
For teams already out of playoff contention (and even some that may still be holding on), the 2021 Entry Draft is the next beacon of shining light in the darkness that has been this season. It offers a chance to add talent and excitement to the organization, to continue or kickstart a rebuild, or to supplement an underperforming lineup. Owen Power, the 6’5″ University of Michigan defender was the consensus top choice in Bob McKenzie’s mid-season rankings for TSN, but there’s a familiar hockey name just a few spots down.
Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes was ranked fifth in McKenzie’s list, which is compiled by polling active scouts around the league. Unfortunately, Hughes won’t be able to show what he can do at the upcoming U18 World Championships as he suffered a lacerated tendon in his foot during a game in March for the U.S. National Team Development Program. He needed surgery to repair it, a tough break for a player looking to impress as many scouts as possible ahead of his draft.
Sometimes prospects that suffer late-season injuries end up sliding considerably on draft day, but that isn’t expected to happen with the 17-year-old defenseman. Hughes will begin skating next month according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com, and the director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr believes he has already played in enough games this season to prove he should be a top selection.
Coincidentally, Hughes is planning on joining Power at Michigan next season (should the latter stay for a sophomore year), following his brother Quinn who played two seasons of college hockey for the Wolverines before bursting onto the NHL scene in 2019. Unlike Quinn though, Luke isn’t just an undersized puck-carrier. The younger Hughes already stands 6’2″ and seems to keep growing every time he steps on the ice, with a frame that looks like it will fill out to make him an imposing physical presence as well as an elite skater like his brothers. While his offensive upside may not be quite as high as his brother, teams should be excited about getting a chance to add him near the top of June’s draft and feel comfortable that he’ll be healthy enough to have a full offseason of training.
Conor Garland Out Week-To-Week
It’s been a bad little while for the Arizona Coyotes. Despite still technically holding onto the final playoff position in the West Division, you can bet they won’t have it much longer. The Coyotes are now 20-22-5 on the season, have gone 3-7 in their last ten, and are only ahead of the St. Louis Blues in total points, not points percentage. The Blues aren’t playing very well either, but do have four games in hand on the Coyotes and sit one point back. So do the Los Angeles Kings, who are just five points back, while the San Jose Sharks have one game in hand and are just four back even after a seven-game losing skid.
The race for the final spot in the West seems to be one of futility and now the Coyotes are losing one of their most important forwards at the worst time. Conor Garland has been designated as “week-to-week” with his lower-body injury, not a great sign with just a few weeks left in the regular season. Arizona has just nine more chances to add points to the total and two of those matches are against the Vegas Golden Knights, who became the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff position last night.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the Garland news is that he wasn’t even injured in a game. The shifty forward suffered the lower-body injury (which is believed to be his knee) at practice, leaving the ice on Tuesday and missing last night’s game (a 4-1 defeat). Garland is one of the more unappreciated talents in the league and arguably Arizona’s most consistent forward, with 10 goals and 32 points in 45 games this season. That trails just Phil Kessel‘s 35 and means that losing Garland is a huge blow to the Coyotes’ offense.
Debut Notes: Jones, Luukkonen, Foligno
The New York Rangers will have another exciting young defenseman in the lineup tonight when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Head coach David Quinn confirmed that Zac Jones will make his NHL debut, skating on the right side with Libor Hajek. Jones recently signed his entry-level contract after winning the national championship with UMass and will jump right into the fire of the NHL.
The 20-year-old defenseman scored 24 points in 29 games this season for the Minutemen and has quickly risen from mid-round lottery ticket to potential impact NHL player. Selected in the third round in 2019, the 5’10” Jones is a dynamic playmaker who glides smoothly around the ice controlling play in every inch of the rink. It’s hard to expect him to be as dominant right away for the Rangers, but he’ll get his first chance to show what he can do tonight.
- It likely won’t be tonight, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is getting close to his NHL debut as well. The Buffalo Sabres goaltending prospect will back up Dustin Tokarski for the team tonight but is expected to start tomorrow’s game against the Boston Bruins in the second half of a back-to-back. The 22-year-old netminder has long been a top prospect and was selected 54th overall in 2017. In his one year of CHL hockey, he not only won the OHL Goaltender of the Year award but the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s most outstanding player as well. He has been slowly built up in the Sabres development system since, spending time in the ECHL, AHL and even a short time back in Finland, but now will get his chance to see some NHL rubber.
- If you could pick a pair of linemates to skate beside in your first game for a new team, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner aren’t bad choices. That’s what Nick Foligno is expected to get tonight as he makes his Toronto Maple Leafs debut, after serving his seven-day quarantine. Foligno came off the COVID Protocol Related Absences list and is ready to go, but tried to temper expectations by noting he hasn’t played in ten days. Expectations be damned; the Maple Leafs need a more consistent effort from their group after losing the last five games and barely holding onto their North Division lead.
Jack Quinn Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
11:45am: The Sabres have announced that the surgery to repair a hernia was successful and confirmed that Quinn will miss the rest of the season. His recovery timeline has been put at six weeks, meaning he should be fully healthy by the time training camp starts for 2021-22.
10:30am: When the OHL season was officially canceled, it was good news for players like Jack Quinn. The Buffalo Sabres prospect could continue playing in the AHL where he is not usually eligible, speeding up his development timetable by playing against professionals on a nightly basis. For Quinn specifically, the news isn’t so great. Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News is reporting that the young forward will undergo season-ending surgery on a lower-body injury that he has been dealing with for months. Because the decision was made now, Quinn will have time to train this summer after his recovery.
Though he might have just two goals in 15 games at the AHL level, the 19-year-old Quinn was coming along quite nicely in his post-draft year. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News notes that the young forward had been playing center for the Rochester Americans and was likely in line to make his NHL debut at some point near the end of the season. The 8th overall pick in 2020, Quinn’s year will end with just nine points in 15 AHL games, though he also did take home a silver medal as part of Team Canada at the World Juniors.
It’s not an entirely lost year, but it certainly hasn’t been an easy one. Remember that Quinn and his Ottawa 67’s were denied an opportunity to play for a Memorial Cup in 2020. The team was 50-11-1 on the season, with Quinn and Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi dominating on different lines. Now, a year later Quinn’s season comes to a disappointing end again.
Important to note that because he will not play seven games in the NHL this season, Quinn’s entry-level contract will slide forward a season. He will now be scheduled to reach restricted free agency after the 2023-24 season.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/22/21
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
North Division
- The Winnipeg Jets have reorganized their taxi squad today, sending Nelson Nogier, Joona Luoto and Dominic Toninato down to the AHL. C.J. Suess and Luke Green have been recalled from the Manitoba Moose to take their place for the time being.
- The Vancouver Canucks have returned Guillaume Brisebois to the Utica Comets after he spent some time filling in on the taxi squad and even playing for the NHL team a few days ago.
- Stefan Noesen showed up at Toronto Maple Leafs practice today, joining the taxi squad now that his quarantine is over. The depth forward had been in the minor leagues for the Sharks before a trade brought him to Canada at the deadline.
Central Division
- Just like most days, the Detroit Red Wings have flipped their practice goaltenders, sending Kaden Fulcher to the taxi squad and Kevin Boyle to the AHL.
East Division
This page will be updated throughout the day
NHL Issues More Schedule Updates
The NHL schedule maker has completed another shift, moving things around to try and fit in 56 games for all 31 teams. The Colorado Avalanche were the team that precipitated changes this time thanks to their recent COVID situation, but other teams in the West Division will also be affected.
The changes are as follows:
- Game #191, Colorado at St. Louis, scheduled for April 20, is now scheduled for Monday, April 26 at 7 p.m. ET
- Game #762, St. Louis at Minnesota, scheduled for April 26, is now scheduled for Thursday, April 29 at 8 p.m. ET
- Game #207, St. Louis at Minnesota, scheduled for May 12, is now scheduled for Saturday, May 1 at 8 p.m. ET
- Game #764, Colorado at Vegas, scheduled for April 26, is now scheduled for Monday, May 10 at 10 p.m. ET
- Game #688, Los Angeles at Colorado, scheduled for April 16, is now scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 at 9 p.m. ET
- Game #790, Minnesota at St. Louis, scheduled for April 30, is now scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET
- Game #162, Vegas at San Jose, scheduled for May 10, is now scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 at 9 p.m. ET
- Game #704, Los Angeles at Colorado, scheduled for April 18, is now scheduled for Thursday, May 13 at 9 p.m. ET
- Game #803, Minnesota at St. Louis, scheduled for May 1, is now scheduled for Thursday, May 13 at 8 p.m. ET
Of note, two games are now scheduled for May 13, extending the regular season for all four teams involved. The original plan was to have the season done by May 8, but that is obviously out the window after many of the league’s teams have experienced coronavirus outbreaks.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/21/21
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:
Colorado – Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi, Mikko Rantanen
New Jersey – P.K. Subban
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: Dmitry Kulikov, Edmonton Oilers; Erik Gustafsson, Montreal Canadiens; Nick Foligno, Toronto Maple Leafs; Ben Hutton, Toronto Maple Leafs
Today’s report is about as good as the NHL could have hoped for. Just four names remain and the Avalanche did not have any further positive test results. Colorado is getting ready to return from their short shutdown, though they’ll still have to operate without three important players.
For the Maple Leafs, their trade deadline acquisitions have cleared, meaning they can use Foligno to help fill the role left by the injured Zach Hyman and Hutton to fill that left by Zach Bogosian. The team is coming off two embarrassing losses to the Canucks and will take all the help they can get.
*denotes new addition
Max Veronneau Staying In Sweden
When Max Veronneau‘s career at Princeton came to an end, there were more than 25 NHL teams trying to sign the undrafted free agent. He ended up inking a two-year entry-level deal with his hometown Ottawa Senators and entered their lineup almost immediately. At the end of the 2018-19 season, he played in 12 NHL games, recording four points.
Unfortunately, that was the highlight of his professional career so far. The next season Veronneau would find himself stuck in the minor leagues and then eventually traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he would play just three games for the Toronto Marlies before the COVID crisis shut down the AHL. At the end of the season, the Maple Leafs decided not to extend him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent once again.
He ended up going to Sweden to play for IK Oskarshamn, where he got back to the scoring ways he had been so used to in his college career. Though 25 SHL games, the 25-year-old forward recorded 12 goals and 18 points. Now, with a decision to make on where to take his career, Veronneau will stay in Sweden for a while longer. He has signed a two-year deal with Leksands IF that will keep him in the SHL through the 2022-23 season.
Connected at various times to teams like the Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings, Veronneau’s decision to sign in Ottawa has certainly sent his career in an interesting direction. He’ll be a player to watch when he hits free agency again in two years, though perhaps just as a depth player if he decides to bring his talents back to North America.
Oskar Back Signs With Dallas Stars
12:30 PM: The Stars have made the deal official. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
11:54 AM: Though the team has yet to make an official announcement, Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas News reports that the Stars have signed Oskar Back to his entry-level contract. The young forward recently finished his second full season in the SHL and will be signing a three-year deal.
Back, 21, recorded four goals and 14 points in 52 games for Farjestad BK, but more importantly, continued his development as a top checking forward. That’s where his future lies if he is to ever crack an NHL roster, using his size and mobility to shadow the other team’s best players. Selected 75th overall in 2018, there’s not a ton of offensive upside in Back, but the Stars obviously believe he can still be an asset to the organization at some level.
The Stars have just 26 player contracts handed out for next season, with a ton of players hitting free agency in one form or another. Back should be able to find room in the minor leagues to play substantial minutes unless the team feels it necessary to send him back to the SHL for further development. At any rate, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in a Dallas uniform pretty quickly, though his potential to play more than just a fourth-line role is limited.