NHL Announces Critical Dates, Medical Protocols, Rule Change
The NHL has officially released the list of critical dates for the upcoming season. Though many of these have been previously reported, they are now locked in place for the league.
December 31: Training camps open for seven non-playoff teams from 2019-20.
January 3: Training camps open for 24 playoff teams from 2019-20.
January 13: 2020-21 regular season begins.
April 12: Trade deadline (3pm ET)
May 8: Last day of regular season.
May 11: Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.
July 9: Last possible day of Stanley Cup Final.
July 17: Deadline for expansion protection lists (5pm ET).
July 21: Seattle Kraken expansion draft (8pm ET).
July 23: Round 1 of NHL Entry Draft.
July 24: Rounds 2-7 of NHL Entry Draft.
July 28: Free agent signing period begins (12pm ET)
In addition to the critical dates, the league has issued a rule change for the upcoming season. Rule 83.1, which is the off-side rule, now includes:
A player is on-side when either of his skates are in contact with the blue line, or on his own ide of the line, at the instant the puck completely crosses the leading edge of the blue line. On his own side of the line shall be defined by a “plane” of the blue line which shall extend from the leading edge of the blue line upwards. If a player’s skate has yet to break the “plane” prior to the puck crossing the leading edge, he is deemed to be on-side for the purpose of the off-side rule.
This “in the air” clarification has been speculated on for years and will likely reduce the number of challenges used by coaches.
The league has also released its transition rules and medical protocols, which include some clarification to what happens to a player if he tests positive for COVID-19. In that case, the player will be eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve.
Washington Capitals Sign Conor Sheary
The Washington Capitals have added another former rival to the lineup, signing Conor Sheary to a one-year deal worth $735K. The former Pittsburgh Penguins forward was an unrestricted free agent.
Sheary’s 23-goal season with the Penguins in 2016-17 may seem like a long time ago, but he can still provide useful depth on a reasonable contract. The Capitals should be very familiar with him, having met three times in the playoffs in the past and watching him lift the Stanley Cup above his head twice.
There’s value in playoff experience, but it’s certainly not clear exactly where Sheary can fit into the Capitals lineup right away. The team has ten forwards making at least $1.5MM this season and penciled into the lineup, with others like Nic Dowd and Daniel Sprong both on multi-year one-way deals. Then there are the young players, like Connor McMichael who could push for a roster spot when he returns from the World Juniors.
Still, with taxi squads confirmed for the season, many teams will need to carry extra depth forwards like Sheary who don’t need any additional development and can step into a top-six role in a pinch.
Though the exact salary cap rules for the taxi squad isn’t clear, it does appear to have opened up some more flexibility for teams like the Capitals who are technically over the cap ceiling at the moment. The $82.5MM estimate that CapFriendly lists does still include Henrik Lundqvist‘s $1.5MM, but even if he is removed, his replacement will still take up a good chunk of that amount.
Sheary meanwhile likely sees a contract with the Capitals as an opportunity to get his career back on track after a stumble in Buffalo. The undersized winger had 45 goals in his first 184 games with the Penguins but has scored just 24 in 141 since.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Erik Cernak, Jan Rutta
The Tampa Bay Lightning have reached agreements with a pair of free agent defensemen, signing Erik Cernak and Jan Rutta. Cernak’s new three-year contract will carry an average annual value of $2.95MM, while Rutta’s two-year pact will come in at a $1.3MM AAV.
‘How can the Lightning afford that,’ you might ask yourself, but reports have recently surfaced that the team could potentially be without Nikita Kucherov to start the year. If the superstar is forced onto long-term injured reserve, the team could potentially use his $9.5MM in cap space for replacements. The move would be complicated, especially if Kucherov returned at some point during the regular season, but could give the Lightning the flexibility needed to sign these two and the still restricted free agent Anthony Cirelli.
Cernak, 23, is another success story for the amateur scouting department, as he was acquired by the team before he ever played a professional game. Selected 43rd overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2015, Cernak was part of the surprising Ben Bishop trade in 2017 that saw the veteran netminder head across the country as Andrei Vasilevskiy took over the top job. Bishop would only end up playing in seven total games for the Kings, who still had Jonathan Quick, and would then sign with the Dallas Stars in the offseason.
The Lightning would continue Cernak’s development in the minor leagues, but it took just one AHL season for him to show he was ready for the next step. The dependable, big-bodied Slovak has played 125 regular season games over the last two seasons in Tampa Bay and was a big part of the team’s Stanley Cup run this summer. While he’ll likely never be a big point producer, he balances out the back end and allows more offensive players to take some chances.
Rutta meanwhile was never drafted, but the Lightning acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019 as part of a depth defender swap. Sending the disappointing Slater Koekkoek—who had been a tenth overall pick—the other way, Rutta became a valued member of the Lightning and has now signed two new deals with the team.
Though he only played in 33 regular season games and five playoff contests, Rutta is a perfect depth option for the Lightning that can move in and out of the lineup this season, or even spend some time on the taxi squad. Tampa Bay brought back Luke Schenn on an inexpensive contract for a similar reason, but did lose names like Kevin Shattenkirk and Zach Bogosian from their championship roster.
Make no mistake, this is a difficult puzzle for the Lightning to put together even with the Kucherov news. The team is now quite a bit over the salary cap ceiling and still has Cirelli to sign (not to mention Mathieu Joseph and Alexander Volkov).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Joe Veleno, Moritz Seider To Remain In Europe
Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman held a conference call with reporters (video link via the Detroit Free Press) and among the major announcements was that both Joe Veleno and Moritz Seider will be staying in Sweden until the end of the SHL season instead of returning for training camp. Filip Zadina, Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, and Mathias Brome, who are all also out on loan, will be brought back.
Veleno, 20, is playing for Malmo in the SHL where he has 11 points in 21 games so far. The 30th overall selection in 2018 had an up-and-down AHL debut last year when he scored 23 points in 54 games, but still has a very high ceiling as a two-way center that could be a staple in the Red Wings lineup for years to come. Leaving him in Europe certainly would suggest that the Red Wings believe he has more developing to do before really pushing for an NHL roster spot, though Yzerman did note there are still so many questions about what the AHL season will look like this season.
Seider meanwhile is still just 19 but is looking right at home at the SHL level. Playing with Rogle, he has 12 points in 17 games and was not released to the German World Junior squad. Selected sixth overall in 2019 to the surprise of many, Seider has quickly become one of the top prospects in the entire world and is a key to the Detroit turnaround. The 6’4″ defenseman has all the attributes of a true number one option, meaning his development is absolutely crucial to the Red Wings.
Speaking about all of the players who have suited up overseas, Yzerman noted that though playing in Europe has likely sharpened the games of Zadina and others, it isn’t the NHL and they’ll still have to prove themselves on this side of the pond.
It’s important to remember too, that though they will stay for the rest of the year, Veleno and Seider could potentially be late-season recalls for the Red Wings once things end overseas. The SHL regular season schedule completes at the beginning of April while the NHL regular season isn’t expected to be completed until May.
Deryk Engelland Announces Retirement
One of the most beloved players in Vegas Golden Knights (short) history has decided to hang up his skates. Deryk Engelland has retired from playing professional hockey after 11 seasons in the NHL. He will remain with the organization as Special Assistant to the Owner, Bill Foley, who released a statement:
Deryk Engelland epitomizes what it means to be a Golden Knight. A no-ego, selfless, hardworking player who has an unwavering commitment to protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Since he joined our organization in 2017, Deryk’s service to our community has been exemplary. On behalf of the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization, we would like to congratulate Deryk on an outstanding career. He has made an indelible mark on our city and we are excited for this next chapter, as he stays with the Golden Knights family and continues the outstanding work he has done in our community.
Engelland was never a top player in the NHL, but he had a special connection to Las Vegas that helped the franchise get off the ground immediately in 2017. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in 2000, he spent the first two seasons of his professional hockey career with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. After stops in Lowell, South Carolina, Hershey, Reading, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh, and Calgary, he made it back when he was picked in the expansion draft—though he had never really left in the first place. His familiarity with the city allowed him to help the new players feel comfortable as they went to the expansion franchise, but it was his words to a packed arena on October 10, 2017 that cemented him as a Vegas legend.
Nine days earlier, just before the season started, Las Vegas had been shaken by a mass shooting that killed 58 people. Engelland stood at center ice before the first home game in franchise history and delivered a short, emotional speech.
Like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home. I met my wife here. Our kids were born here. I know how special this city is. To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you. To all the families and friends of the victims, we’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.
At 4:18 of the first period, Engelland scored the second goal on home ice in Golden Knights history. It was just the 23rd of his career.
Morning Notes: Chara, Gauthier, Nolan
Zdeno Chara remains unsigned with just a few weeks until the regular season, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking anywhere other than Boston for his next deal. Matt Keator, Chara’s agent, told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic yesterday that more than 20 teams have reached out on the veteran defenseman, but his focus is still on the Bruins.
Given Keator even mentioned that Chara “still has the option to retire,” it seems very unlikely that the 43-year-old plays for anyone else this season. Still, it’s not a guarantee that the Bruins even have room for him. Team president Cam Neely told reporters including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com that they “do want to take a look” at some of the younger, left-shot defensemen in the system, while also wavering on whether he thinks Chara would even want to return for the condensed season.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs decided not to give Frederik Gauthier a qualifying offer this offseason, bringing in more veteran options like Joe Thornton as depth down the middle. Now, the 25-year-old center could be heading for a professional tryout with the Arizona Coyotes, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Gauthier was never expected to be much of an offensive threat, even when picked 21st overall in 2013, but he has just 31 points in 176 NHL games and doesn’t skate well enough to be a true checking center. If he decides to take the PTO, he’ll have a tough battle on his hands in a crowded Arizona bottom-six.
- Another player that will be fighting for an NHL job is Jordan Nolan, who signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier this month but will be invited to training camp with Pittsburgh according to GM Jim Rutherford. Nolan could earn himself another NHL contract with a strong camp, despite not playing a single game above the AHL last season. The powerful winger does have more than 400 games at the NHL level in his career but has never recorded more than ten points in a single season.
Florida Panthers Sign Sam Montembeault
The Florida Panthers have signed goaltender Sam Montembeault to a new one-year, two-way contract. Montembeault is one of a few restricted free agents the Panthers still have to sign before the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
Now 24, Montembeault has still yet to really prove he can handle an NHL workload but comes into the season as the third-string option in Florida. Through 25 NHL appearances, he has posted an .892 save percentage but was overtaken by Chris Driedger last season as the backup for Sergei Bobrovsky. Though his new deal is a two-way contract, it seems likely that Montembeault serves as the taxi squad goaltender in Florida unless they bring in a more veteran option.
Originally picked in the third round of the 2015 draft, Montembeault still has all the raw ability to take the next step. Should the Panthers face injury or the inconsistent play Bobrovsky showed last season, perhaps he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in 2021.
Drake Caggiula Signs With Arizona Coyotes
6:15pm: The Coyotes have made the deal official, announcing the signing of Caggiula. The team also confirmed the reported one-year and one-way terms, but did not disclose financial details. New Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong called his latest addition a “hard-working, versatile forward and a strong skater” in the team’s release.
4:00pm: The Arizona Coyotes are expected to sign unrestricted free agent Drake Caggiula to a one-year deal according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds that the deal will likely be for $700K, a nice bargain for a useful depth player.
Caggiula, 26, was left unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason, making him a UFA. He scored just 15 points in 40 games during the 2019-20 season, but nine of those were goals. The undrafted forward has shown a knack for scoring despite limited minutes, registering seasons of 13 and 12 goals previously.
A $700K salary will be less than half of what Caggiula made last year, another example of how the COVID-19 financial climate is affecting players on the fringes of NHL rosters. Where Caggiula really fits in Arizona isn’t clear, but with taxi squads, he is a perfect depth option for the league minimum.
Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators Complete Minor Trade
The Ottawa Senators have acquired Zach Magwood from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Michael Carcone, swapping minor league forwards before training camp opens. Both players are in the last year of their respective two-way contracts.
Magwood, 22, went undrafted out of the OHL but signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Predators in 2018. After spending most of the 2018-19 season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, he was sent down to the ECHL for much of last season. At the lower level, Magwood dominated, scoring 47 points in 51 games for the Florida Everblades. He’ll now have to fight for a spot with the Belleville Senators if he wants to stay in the AHL this time around.
Carcone meanwhile is also an undrafted signing, though his professional career so far has been a tumultuous ride. Originally signed by the Vancouver Canucks in 2016, this is now Carcone’s third time being traded. The Canucks originally sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 2018 trade for Josh Leivo and then he was included in the Cody Ceci–Connor Brown swap last year between Toronto and Ottawa. A solid AHL performer, he had 27 points in 59 games for Belleville last year but has still not made it to the NHL.
Neither player figures into the NHL plans for this year, though Carcone does have quite a bit more experience at the AHL level.
Schedule Notes: NHL, QMJHL, WHL
Teams around the NHL have started to receive potential 2021 schedules according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, and they include some very interesting oddities. For one, Johnston tweets that games have been grouped in two-game series against the same opponent but he has heard of three or even four-game segments as well. Several other reports including from Mark Spector of Sportsnet have indicated that the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks will play each other ten times, hitting the ice against the other Canadian teams just nine times. The All-Canadian division of course has one fewer team in it, leading to the different schedules.
Some other scheduling notes:
- Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wondered about the trade deadline in his recent column, noting that though it is scheduled for April 12, Canada-U.S. border restrictions could complicate things this year. Players acquired from a team based in the U.S. would likely face at least a two-week quarantine if joining a Canadian team for instance, making him quite a bit less valuable in a deadline deal.
- Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com that players recalled from the AHL will have to go through the “taxi squad” period and quarantine for at least seven days before joining the NHL club, meaning there will be no day-of recalls this season. That too will complicate things this season and make teams think hard about who they want to include with their extra roster spots.
- The QMJHL has announced that their season will not resume until January 21 at the earliest, with the Quebec-based teams starting the next day. There hasn’t been a game played since the end of November due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, meaning it will be nearly two months between competitive action for many prospects.
- The WHL draft meanwhile, which is normally scheduled for May, has now been moved to December for the upcoming year. As the league explained today, the decision was to give 2006-born players more time to be evaluated in competitive situations. The 2021 WHL Cup, which is a showcase for WHL draft-eligible players (not NHL draft-eligible) will be held in October.