NHL Announces Full 2020-21 Schedule
Jan 4: The league has added start times to the entire schedule, including that Pittsburgh-Philadelphia opener that will begin at 4:30pm CT on January 13. Two other games were moved, but the schedule has for the most part maintained its original integrity. Just over a week remains until the games matter and the race through a shortened season commences.
Dec 23: The NHL has announced the full schedule for the upcoming season, kicking things off with a five-game slate on January 13. Things will start with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers renewing an old rivalry in game one of the 2020-21 season while the Tampa Bay Lightning will also raise the Stanley Cup banner against the Chicago Blackhawks on opening night. Montreal-Toronto, Vancouver-Edmonton, and St. Louis-Colorado make up the rest of an explosive return for NHL hockey.
The full schedule can be seen here, but below is every team’s season opener:
North Division:
Calgary Flames (@ WPG) – January 14
Edmonton Oilers (vs VAN) – January 13
Montreal Canadiens (@ TOR) – January 13
Ottawa Senators (vs TOR) – January 15
Toronto Maple Leafs (vs MTL) – January 13
Vancouver Canucks (@ EDM) – January 13
Winnipeg Jets (vs CGY) – January 14
West Division:
Anaheim Ducks (@ VGK) – January 14
Arizona Coyotes (vs SJS) – January 14
Colorado Avalanche (vs STL) – January 13
Los Angeles Kings (vs MIN) – January 14
Minnesota Wild (@ LAK) – January 14
San Jose Sharks (@ ARI) – January 14
St. Louis Blues (@ COL) – January 13
Vegas Golden Knights (vs ANA) – January 14
Central Division:
Carolina Hurricanes (@ DET) – January 14
Chicago Blackhawks (@ TBL) – January 13
Columbus Blue Jackets (@NSH) – January 14
Dallas Stars (@ FLA) – January 14
Detroit Red Wings (vs CAR) – January 14
Florida Panthers (vs DAL) – January 14
Nashville Predators (vs CBJ) – January 14
Tampa Bay Lightning (vs CHI) – January 13
East Division:
Boston Bruins (@ NJD) – January 14
Buffalo Sabres (vs WSH) – January 14
New Jersy Devils (vs BOS) – January 14
New York Islanders (@ NYR) – January 14
New York Rangers (vs NYI) – January 14
Philadelphia Flyers (vs PIT) – January 13
Pittsburgh Penguins (@ PHI) – January 13
Washington Capitals (@ BUF) – January 14
The schedule does not include game times; those are expected to be assigned next week. The 56-game schedule is littered with back-to-back situations for all the teams in the league, meaning just as expected, depth (especially at the goaltending position) will be extremely important this season.
Darren Archibald Signs In Austria
The North American portion of Darren Archibald‘s professional hockey career is over, at least for now. After spending last season with the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators of the AHL, Archibald has taken his talents to Europe and signed with the Vienna Capitals of the Austrian ICEHL.
Now 30, Archibald is an excellent example of how dedication and work ethic can eventually result in success. Undrafted, he spent his first two professional seasons bouncing between the AHL and ECHL, spending just as much time with the Kalamazoo Wings as the Chicago Wolves. After his entry-level deal expired without any time at the NHL, Archibald inked another one-year deal with the Canucks and worked hard to earn a shot. That chance came in October of 2013 when he made his NHL debut at the age of 23. A few days later, Archibald would record his first NHL point against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
Though his career has still mostly been spent at the AHL level, Archibald scored 14 points in 55 career NHL games, all of them coming with the Canucks. He’ll now take a journey familiar to undrafted players and suit up overseas for the next chapter of his hockey career.
Snapshots: Laine, Dubois, Barzal, Kunin
Training camp is underway all across the league and with it comes vast speculation on the future of discontented young stars. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reached out to several front office executives for their take on the Pierre-Luc Dubois and Patrik Laine situations, which are seemingly destined for trades at some point down the line. Both Dubois and Laine have expressed a desire for a “change of scenery,” though both are under contract and reported to Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets camps respectively.
That speculation seems to all lead to one point, and that is the team trading the best player in a deal is usually the one that loses. Columbus and Winnipeg will both have an extremely tough time winning any trade that includes Dubois or Laine (although, swapping them directly has also been mentioned).
- At least Dubois and Laine have contracts, which can’t be said about Mathew Barzal as New York Islanders camp opened today. Barzal was on the team’s training camp roster but not on the ice, and Arthur Staple of The Athletic updates the situation with his report that talks continue between the two sides. Head coach Barry Trotz spun the news in a different direction, noting that while Barzal is out there is an opportunity for other players to impress.
- Barzal has a spot locked up whenever he returns, but an absence may not be so beneficial to Luke Kunin, who is still without a contract with his new team, the Nashville Predators. Kunin will not report to Predators camp without one, according to Adam Vingan of The Athletic, though the team remains hopeful a deal will be made soon. The 23-year-old forward arrived in a trade from the Minnesota Wild earlier this offseason after finally establishing himself as a full-time NHL player last year, scoring 31 points in 63 games.
Dmytro Timashov Joins Islanders Camp
The New York Islanders, notorious for failing to announce contract details, had another surprise as the on-ice portion of training camp opened today. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday, recently acquired restricted free agent Dmytro Timashov joined his new teammates. That means Timashov has signed a contract of some sort, whether it be a new NHL deal or perhaps a professional tryout.
The 24-year-old forward was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last month, brought to New York for nothing more than future considerations. In 44 career NHL games, he has just nine points but does have a certain familiarity with GM Lou Lamoriello from their time together in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
Timashov’s contract should be officially announced at some point, along with Mathew Barzal who was also listed on the Islanders’ training camp roster (but has not appeared on the ice yet). Notably, that roster also included Tom Kuhnhackl who had not yet been announced as a re-sign, but could also be participating on a professional tryout.
As always, Lamoriello’s group is the most secretive in the NHL. For now, Timashov at least is taking part.
David Warsofsky Clears Waivers
Saturday: Warsofsky has cleared waivers, CapFriendly reports.
Friday: The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed David Warsofsky on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The minor league defenseman was included in the Kasperi Kapanen trade earlier this summer, coming to Toronto from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Warsofsky, 30, actually has 55 games of NHL experience under his belt, but likely won’t be seeing the league this season as he finds himself quite a way down the Maple Leafs depth chart. The veteran minor leaguer served as captain for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season, recording 33 points in 51 games, and will likely serve a leadership role with the Toronto Marlies whenever the AHL gets underway.
That is of course unless he is claimed for whatever reason, something that potentially could happen a little more often this year once the season gets underway. Teams will likely be scrambling for depth throughout the condensed schedule, even with the added benefit of taxi squad players. Warsofsky, who last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season, could be a valuable emergency option for Toronto or someone else.
Boo Nieves To Attend Tampa Bay Training Camp
Rangers South continues. The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Boo Nieves to a professional tryout and will have him attend training camp with the team. The veteran forward has spent the last several years with the New York Rangers but became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Nieves, 26, was the 59th overall pick of the 2012 draft and spent four seasons at the University of Michigan before joining the Rangers organization. Since making his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season he has played in 76 total contests, barely qualifying for the Group VI threshold that allowed him to avoid restricted free agency. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t seem to have helped his case much as he now tries to secure an NHL contract with the Lightning, or at least demonstrate to another team around the league that he can still be a valuable depth piece.
The 6’3″ forward does have 19 points in those 76 games, despite averaging fewer than ten minutes of ice time. He also recorded 27 points in 43 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season, meaning at the very least he should be able to help an AHL squad somewhere around the league. Still, with brutal possession numbers and a loaded forward group ahead of him in Tampa Bay, it seems unlikely that he’ll see any NHL playing time even if he does earn a two-way contract.
Snapshots: Smith, Sexton, Eichel
The Chicago Blackhawks will start training camp in a few days and, perhaps surprisingly, Zack Smith will be there. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke to Smith’s agent today and reports that Smith is healthy and plans to be in camp this year, fighting for a roster spot with everyone else. The veteran forward hasn’t played in nearly a year, last hitting the ice on February 12, 2020, before back surgery put him on the shelf.
Earlier this week it was also reported that Andrew Shaw is healthy and will be attending camp, meaning suddenly the Blackhawks have a pair of NHL forward that weren’t being penciled into the lineup just a few months ago. That’s good news, especially given the recent losses the team has experienced, with Kirby Dach, Jonathan Toews, and Alexander Nylander all ruled out, perhaps for the entire season. Shaw and Smith are certainly not replacements for those names, but they at least can provide a little depth to a reeling squad.
- The Minnesota Wild have hired Randy Sexton as Senior Advisor to the General Manager, where he will re-join former colleague Bill Guerin. The two spent years together with the Pittsburgh Penguins when Guerin was first a development coach, then an AGM, and Sexton the team’s director of amateur scouting. More recently Sexton was an AGM for the Buffalo Sabres, working with Jason Botterill, another former Pittsburgh executive, but was swept out with everyone else when changes were made this summer.
- Speaking of Buffalo, things didn’t get off to a good start today, though it’s not time to panic just yet. Jack Eichel missed the first on-ice session of training camp due to an upper-body injury and is listed day-to-day in his recovery. Interestingly, that left Casey Mittelstadt and Riley Sheahan rotating through the first line center spot between Taylor Hall and Victor Olofsson. Sheahan of course is in camp on a PTO trying to make a name for himself, so today was a nice opportunity to make an early impression. The team also didn’t have Linus Ullmark on the ice thanks to an immigration issue that pushed back his quarantine period. Buffalo expects the goaltender to join them in the next few days.
Clark Bishop, Alexandre Alain Clear Waivers
January 1: Both players have cleared waivers. Alain’s contract can now be terminated.
December 31: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, though the reasoning is a bit different for each. Clark Bishop has been placed on regular waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, while Alexandre Alain of the Montreal Canadiens has hit unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Alain has decided to pursue full-time studies and reconsider his future in professional hockey. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin released a glowing statement of the prospect, even if he is about to become an unrestricted free agent:
Alexandre embodies several values that are important to our team. Besides having an impeccable attitude and being a proud competitor, he is an excellent teammate appreciated by all. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.
The 23-year-old Alain signed an entry-level contract in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has spent the last two seasons playing with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. In 60 games last year, he recorded 11 goals and 24 points. His decision today may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time that academic achievement has been attached to Alain’s hockey career. In 2018, he won the QMJHL Scholastic Player of the year award and was given the Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence and Merit by the Canadiens, which is presented to amateur hockey players who best combine hockey performances and academic achievement.
Bishop meanwhile is a 24-year-old depth forward for the Hurricanes, who played five games at the NHL level last season but spent most of the year in the AHL. That’s likely where he’s headed once again, though the early waiver placement is interesting and could suggest that he has a chance to play overseas like Roland McKeown who cleared waivers today. At any rate, his chance of being a full-time player for the Hurricanes this season is low.
Trevor Lewis Signs PTO With Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have released their training camp roster and among the players are a trio of professional tryouts. The most notable of these is veteran forward Trevor Lewis, who has to this point played his entire 674-game career with the Los Angeles Kings. Cole Kehler and Jimmy Oligny will also attend camp on PTOs.
The 33-year-old Lewis has always been an interesting player for the Kings. Though his best offensive season was still limited to 14 goals and 26 points, he has been an integral part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams with his versatility and defensive ability. Even with those paltry scoring totals, this isn’t a player who was limited to the fourth line or given only a handful of minutes each night. On the contrary, Lewis lined up beside all kinds of different teammates over the years, moving up and down the roster doing whatever was asked.
That is of course until last season when his playing time was drastically cut, even losing his leading role on the penalty kill for much of the year. Now in Winnipeg, he’ll have to try and show why the Kings coaching staff felt so comfortable throwing him over the boards for the last decade. Where he would fit in the Jets lineup certainly isn’t clear, but if there’s anything left to give, you know the savvy veteran will bring his best.
Kehler, 23, played most of last season with the Fort Wayne Komets but actually did spend eight minutes in the Ontario Reign net. The former WHL goaltender was an undrafted free agent signing when he inked an entry-level deal in 2017, but was not issued a qualifying offer from the Kings at the end of last season. He’ll try his luck with the Jets organization this time, trying to catch a new contract and keep his professional career moving forward.
Oligny, 27, has been playing with the Manitoba Moose for the last two seasons and is likely headed back there this year when things open up in the AHL. His presence at Jets camp is likely just to fill out the defensive ranks, though perhaps if he performs well enough he could land an NHL two-way deal.
Nashville Predators Recall Three From European Loans
The Nashville Predators have recalled Eeli Tolvanen, Yakov Trenin, and Connor Ingram from their overseas loans, with training camp set to start in a few days.
Tolvanen, 21, had been playing with Jokerit in the KHL once again, this time scoring 13 points in 25 games. That’s a much slower pace than he set in 2017-18 when he was the talk of the hockey world, tallying 25 goals and 43 points in 60 total games with the Finnish club. Given how, for lack of a better term, average his two seasons in North America have gone since, the depressed offensive totals this year are a little bit concerning. Still, the Predators have a lot of faith in the 2017 first-round pick and he should receive another shot at making the NHL squad.
Trenin, 23, is one of the players he might have to beat out, though he doesn’t play the same type of game. The 2015 second-round pick worked his way through several years in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Admirals before making his NHL debut in 2019-20, suiting up 21 times for Nashville. He’s been playing with SKA St. Petersburg this season, where he has seven points in 21 games. Unlike Tolvanen however, Trenin is not waiver-exempt any longer and would need to clear to even head to the taxi squad, perhaps giving him a leg up for the roster competition.
Ingram, 23, is one of the league’s more intriguing goaltending prospects. Despite dominating at almost every level so far, he mysteriously flamed out of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization and was sent to the Predators for a 2021 seventh-round pick (in 2019 mind you). He was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL once again last season, posting a 21-5-5 record and a .933 save percentage, leading to a three-year contract extension in March. Ingram has been playing in the Swedish second tier, but will likely be the starter for Milwaukee again as he is still waiver-exempt.