COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/15/21
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 the list so far:
Edmonton – Kyle Turris
New Jersey – Will Butcher
NY Islanders – Noah Dobson
NY Rangers – Phil Di Giuseppe, Pavel Buchnevich*, Adam Fox*
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: Jean-Gabriel Pageau, New York Islanders; Olli Maatta, Los Angeles Kings
For the Rangers, seeing two more names pop up is certainly not a good sign. The team canceled their morning skate today but as of now are still scheduled to take on the Flyers this evening. Perhaps that will change in the next hour, but if not, the team will be without some key players. Fox, in particular, is an important cog who averages over 24 minutes a night and plays on both special teams. In fact, one could argue that he is the team’s most important player given how much he contributes at both ends of the rink. Losing him for tonight is bad, but if he remains on the list for a while the Rangers will be hard-pressed to replace his production.
*denotes new addition
Canucks Notes: Pearson, Virtanen, Hamonic
The Vancouver Canucks have yet to extend a contract offer to pending unrestricted free agent Tanner Pearson according to Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, though his colleague Thomas Drance expects things to get “more serious” this week between the two sides. Pearson, 28, carries a $3.75MM cap hit this season in the last year of a four-year, $15MM deal he signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017. That contract came after Pearson set a career-high in goals with 24, a total he would have exceeded last season with the Canucks had the season not been cut short.
Unfortunately, that outstanding 21-goal, 45-point player that the Canucks had last season hasn’t emerged this time around. Pearson has just five goals and 10 points in 31 games so far, likely costing himself money on his next contract by the day. Still, there’s no doubting how trusted he is by the Vancouver coaching staff, especially after playing at least 19:30 in three of his last four games (including a whopping 22:33 against the Montreal Canadiens last week).
- Jake Virtanen has been shopped around by the Canucks on several occasions, but Irfaan Gaffar of The Fourth Period tweets that the enigmatic forward now may not be moved by the trade deadline unless there is an offer GM Jim Benning “can’t refuse.” Virtanen, 24, has just three goals and hasn’t recorded a single assist in 26 games this season. Trading him now would certainly be selling at the lowest point, but the Canucks are going to need to move out salary somehow over the coming months. Virtanen’s $2.55MM cap hit through 2021-22 now looks like a massive overpay, despite the 18 goals and 36 points he put up last season.
- Travis Hamonic is a player who wants to stay with the Canucks if possible, but knows that he is a little further down the pecking line when it comes to extensions. The veteran defenseman told Ben Kuzma of The Province that he saw Vancouver as a potential long-term fit for his family when he decided to sign a one-year, $1.25MM deal and would love to stick around past this season if possible. The Manitoba native will hit unrestricted free agency again this summer and has been clear in the past that he wants to continue playing in Western Canada. Hamonic holds a full no-trade clause this season.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/15/21
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:
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad. Matt Murray was injured last night in the warm-up, and with Marcus Hogberg still on injured reserve, goaltending duties fell to Joey Daccord for his first NHL win.
West Division
- With an injury to Kyle Rau, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Connor Dewar to the taxi squad. The 21-year-old forward has eight points in 12 games for the Iowa Wild this season, his second professional campaign after being a third-round pick in 2018.
- The Arizona Coyotes have moved Dryden Hunt back to the taxi squad after he logged just nine minutes of ice time last night. Hunt, 25, has played in seven games so far for the Coyotes.
Central Division
- The Carolina Hurricanes have returned both Joakim Ryan and Antoine Bibeau to the AHL, moving both off the taxi squad for now. The Hurricanes won another game last night and now sit at 20-6-1 on the season, the second-best winning percentage in the entire NHL.
- The Dallas Stars have returned Colton Point and Jerad Rosburg to the AHL, while bringing up Landon Bow and Taylor Fedun to the taxi squad. Dallas has flipped their taxi squad players all season to keep them fresh and the Texas Stars will be in action tomorrow night.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Alexandre Carrier and Ben Harpur from the taxi squad, moving Frederic Allard back to it. The Predators are dealing with massive injury concerns at this point in the season and have lost three in a row.
- The Detroit Red Wings have called up Evgeny Svechnikov and Kaden Fulcher to the taxi squad from the AHL, sending Calvin Pickard back in their place. Svechnikov has played in four games this season for Detroit, scoring four points.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Oskar Steen, Karson Kuhlman, and Jack Ahcan to the taxi squad as they prepare for action tonight. The Providence Bruins are actually going with just 16 skaters today because of the call-ups as they take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
- Rasmus Asplund has been recalled from the Buffalo Sabres taxi squad and will slot into the lineup tonight. Cody Eakin will be made a healthy scratch, while Brandon Davidson has been loaned back to the taxi squad. The Sabres still don’t have access to their AHL players who are quarantining thanks to a positive coronavirus test among the Rochester Americans.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Alex Lyon and Nate Prosser from the taxi squad. The goaltender will serve as the backup tonight as the Flyers will give Brian Elliott the full night off. Lyon, 28, has been in the Flyers organization for years, but mostly gets minor league action. In three appearances last season in the NHL, he posted an .890 save percentage.
Jack Johnson, David Backes Clear Waivers
March 15: Both players have cleared as expected. Johnson and Backes can both be moved to the taxi squad.
March 14: It is a veteran-laded waiver wire today, as according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, David Backes and Jack Johnson have both been placed on waivers today.
Johnson, 34, has seemingly failed again in his latest bounce-back bid, this time with the New York Rangers. Bought out by the Pittsburgh Penguins in October, Johnson signed with the Rangers just a few days later for one year and $1.15MM. In 13 games with New York, he has just a single point, is averaging the fewest minutes of his career, and is once again getting caved in by all possession metrics. It seems clear that his time as a lineup regular should be over and perhaps it now will be with this waiver assignment.
If Johnson clears, $1.075MM of his cap hit can be buried by placing him on the taxi squad or assigning him to the minor leagues. If Vitali Kravtsov is indeed coming to join the team now that his KHL season has concluded, they will need some extra cap space to fit him in.
Backes meanwhile has seen this movie before, given he cleared waivers last season and again in January. The veteran forward brings great leadership and physicality, but just can’t keep up at age-36. In ten games for the Anaheim Ducks this season, he has two goals. If his play wasn’t enough to keep him from a claim, Backes’ contract is. The veteran is in the final year of the five-year, $30MM deal he signed in the summer of 2016 and still carries a cap hit of $6MM. Similarly, $1.075MM can be buried if Backes is placed on the taxi squad or sent to the minor leagues.
Ben Chiarot Undergoes Surgery
The Montreal Canadiens will be without Ben Chiarot for quite some time. The big defenseman underwent surgery on his broken hand today and has been given a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks. Chiarot broke the hand earlier this month, likely when he fought J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks.
Even the low end of six weeks is getting awfully close to the end of the regular season for the Canadiens, who finish up their schedule on May 8. That means the team must find an answer in the top-four and quickly if they want to stay in contention in the North Division. In each of the two games since Chiarot suffered the injury, both losses, Victor Mete has come into the lineup and Joel Edmundson has logged more than 20 minutes. Alexander Romanov, a rookie, also cracked that mark in the team’s most recent game, skating almost all of his 20:33 at even-strength. If that’s the plan going forward, it’s a lot of pressure on the 21-year-old.
There is potentially the trade market, though Chiarot’s specific timeline may actually complicate things further. If he was out for the entire regular season they could simply move his contract to long-term injured reserve (after a call-up to get them right up against the cap ceiling) and use the additional cap flexibility. But given he may come back for a few games before the end of the year, the team will have to be a little more careful about adding salary.
Of course, that is if the Canadiens still have their sights set on a deep playoff run. The team just lost two straight to the team chasing them in the standings, leaving them with just a two-point lead on the Calgary Flames and a three-point lead on the Vancouver Canucks.
If you’re speculating on a potential fit, Mattias Ekholm screams out as the perfect answer for the Canadiens right now. The Nashville Predators defenseman makes just $3.75MM, a hair above Chiarot’s $3.5MM hit, and could slide in right next to captain Shea Weber to make a formidable pair. The Canadiens have plenty of draft capital to spend if they want to, including 14 picks in this year’s event. The one reservation the team may have for Ekholm however is that his contract is through the end of next season. The Canadiens already have plenty of money committed to their defense and will want more opportunity for Romanov moving forward. With some key forwards to re-sign, adding money without shipping some out may not make a ton of sense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
NHL Postpones Blues-Kings
The NHL has been forced to postpone another game, though once again it isn’t because of any COVID-related issues. The St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings will not play their scheduled game this evening thanks to weather conditions in Denver. The Kings, who just finished a two-game set against the Colorado Avalanche, were unable to fly to Los Angeles yesterday. The game does not have a makeup date yet.
This is not the first game postponed due to inclement weather, as the Dallas Stars also went dark for a week while Texas was dealing with a drastic winter storm. In a year that was already incredibly difficult due to the pandemic, weather-related postponements are just another issue the league has had to deal with all season long.
The list of postponements continues to grow, one way or another:
Anders Lee Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury
March 14: Lee has officially been placed on long-term injured reserve, meaning not only will he be out a while, but the Islanders will also receive some salary flexibility. Lee’s cap hit of $7MM gives the team plenty of room to make a deadline addition, so long as he’s not coming back before the end of the regular season.
March 12: The New York Islanders managed to hold on and win against the New Jersey Devils last night, but it came at a cost. Captain Anders Lee left the game in the first period and is now out “indefinitely” with a lower-body injury. Lee got tangled up with Devils forward Pavel Zacha and stayed down for a good while, obviously favoring his leg. The Islanders will not provide a further update.
If he is gone for any substantial amount of time, it’s a huge blow to the Islanders who have managed to climb all the way to the top of the East Division standings. Sitting at 17-6-4 through the first half of the season, Barry Trotz’ group also holds the best goal differential in the division and is currently on a seven-game winning streak. A big part of that success has been Lee, who leads the team with 12 goals and is second behind only Mathew Barzal in points.
In fact, those 12 goals tie Lee for 13th in the entire league, right alongside names like Kyle Connor, Mikko Rantanen, and Steven Stamkos. On a team that prides itself on getting contributions from everyone in the lineup instead of a few superstars, his standout ability to put the puck in the net is extremely important.
The Islanders are back in action for a back-to-back in New Jersey over the weekend and don’t seem likely to have the captain in the lineup.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Josh Dunne
The Columbus Blue Jackets have dipped their toes into the college free agent waters, signing Josh Dunne to a two-year entry-level contract. Dunne’s deal will start this season and has been immediately assigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 22-year-old served as captain for Clarkson University this season, though played just 14 games due to injury.
This isn’t the first time Dunne’s name has been thrown around by NHL teams. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports, the young forward was highly sought after last spring after an outstanding sophomore campaign that saw him win the ECAC Best Defensive Forward award. The 6’4″ center may not project to be a top-line player at the next level, but a commitment to both ends of the rink and good hands around the net are a mix that scouts love in undrafted free agents.
If Dunne is looking for guidance on his transition, he needs to look no further than the Blue Jackets front office. GM Jarmo Kekalainen also played at Clarkson as an undrafted forward before signing with the Boston Bruins in 1989. While things have changed a bit since then, even Kekalainen’s modest 55-game NHL career would be a win for Dunne.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/14/21
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
- Dryden Hunt has been recalled from the Arizona Coyotes taxi squad, the first time he’s been back with the main roster since last month. The 25-year-old forward has two points in six games with the Coyotes this season.
- The Los Angeles Kings have made multiple moves, as has been the norm for the team this season, but it’s just one variety of transaction today. L.A. announced that forward Lias Andersson and defensemen Tobias Bjornfot and Daniel Brickley have all been recalled from the taxi squad.
- The San Jose Sharks have moved center Joel Kellman and winger Stefan Noesen to the minors, notes Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. They have played in four and five games respectively this season and have yet to record a point. Those assignments created extra taxi squad space which was used on forwards John Leonard, Fredrik Handemark, and Antti Suomela along with defenseman Fredrik Claesson, per CapFriendly.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned goalie Olle Eriksson Ek to the minors, per the AHL’s transactions log. Additionally, the Ducks sent defensemen Andy Welinski and Kodie Curran along with forward Vinni Lettieri to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Colorado Avalanche brought up defenseman Greg Pateryn and forward Logan O’Connor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players were in the lineup against Los Angeles today.
- The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Luke Johnson from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. His presence was needed due to Marcus Johansson‘s continued unavailability with the veteran remaining on IR a little longer.
- The St. Louis Blues assigned forward Dakota Joshua and Steven Santini to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Additionally, the Blues sent winger Sam Anas back to the minors.
- The Vegas Golden Knights sent defenseman Dylan Coghlan and winger Patrick Brown to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Just days after recording a hat trick, it’s expected that Coghlan will be recalled before Monday’s game against San Jose.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Mathias Brome from the taxi squad as they prepare for their early evening game against the Hurricanes. Detroit actually won their last game against the Lightning, scoring six goals in the process. Brome wasn’t part of that game, but it looks like he will draw back in today. Following the game, he was sent back to the taxi squad.
- Alexander Radulov is back with the Dallas Stars. The team announced that the big scoring forward has been activated from the Injured Reserve. To make room for Radulov’s addition on the active roster, fellow forward Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad.
- After clearing waivers, the Carolina Hurricanes sent defenseman Jake Gardiner to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, while recalling forward Morgan Geekie and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Both Geekie and Nedeljkovic have been making near-daily appearances on these lists this season.
- The Nashville Predators returned defensemen Ben Harpur and Alexandre Carrier to the taxi squad. Carrier scored his first career NHL goal on Saturday while Harpur has played in nine games so far this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning sent defenseman Luke Schenn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The move doesn’t bank them any extra cap space since they’re already in LTIR but it extends Schenn’s waiver exemption.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins recalled forwards Karson Kuhlman and Oskar Steen as well as defenseman Jack Ahcan to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. The moves are dated for Monday which signifies that Boston will be recalling multiple players up from the taxi squad in advance of their game against Pittsburgh. Some of those players will likely be defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, Anton Blidh, and Daniel Vladar who were all sent to the taxi squad today, per CapFriendly.
- The New York Rangers have returned forward Morgan Barron to AHL Hartford, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 22-year-old has five goals in just eight games with the Wolf Pack in his first professional season. They also assigned defensemen Libor Hajek and K’Andre Miller, forward Kaapo Kakko, and goalie Keith Kinkaid to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The New York Islanders recalled forwards Leo Komarov and Austin Czarnik from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veterans cleared waivers earlier in the year and have been shuffled back and forth with some regularity since then.
- With an off day, the Philadelphia Flyers returned defenseman Nate Prosser and forward Andy Andreoff to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. With their next game set for Monday, there’s a good chance one (if not both) will be recalled for that one.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins sent forwards Anthony Angello and Colton Sceviour to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Sceviour picked up his first point in nearly two months earlier in the week.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Clark Bishop and Matthew Peca from the taxi squad. Bishop made his season and Ottawa debut on Friday against Edmonton while Peca has an assist in five games so far this season.
- The Calgary Flames recalled Dominik Simon from the taxi squad while sending forward Derek Ryan and defenseman Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both Ryan and Kylington were in the lineup in Saturday’s victory over Montreal.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Kenny Agostino back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 28-year-old made his Toronto debut on Thursday, playing just over four minutes against Winnipeg.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Jack Eichel Dealing With Upper-Body Injury
Saturday: While head coach Ralph Krueger was unable to disclose a timeline, he did tell reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic that Eichel is out “for the foreseeable future” and that he is unable to put a date on how long he will be out. Krueger also declined to specify if his top center needs surgery or just rest.
Tuesday: The Buffalo Sabres don’t need any more bad news, but they got some anyway. Jack Eichel will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that there are “rumblings” that he could be out for longer. Eichel was seen grabbing his neck over the weekend after being pushed into the boards behind the New York Islanders net, though it is not clear if that is the injury he is currently dealing with.
At Sabres practice, Dylan Cozens has moved into the first-line center role between Taylor Hall and Sam Reinhart according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. While that is certainly exciting for the young forward and his fans, losing Eichel for any significant length of time would all but guarantee that the Sabres season is over. The team is already sitting in last place in the NHL with just six wins in 23 games.
This has been a season to forget for Eichel personally too, even though he does have 18 points in 21 games. Only two of those are goals, one of which was a powerplay marker. That means the $10MM center has exactly one even-strength goal on the year, a huge reason why the team is struggling so much. Even Eichel’s ice time has come down this season, which has had some speculating over whether he was already playing hurt.
It’s injury to insult now the Sabres these days, who can’t seem to find a silver lining in anything that happens. The team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers this evening.