League Notes: Hurricanes, 2021-22 Schedule, Canadian Rivalries
On Monday night, the Carolina Hurricanes answered a common question from many fans: what happens if you can’t fit under the salary cap? With four players injured (all unrelated to COVID), including late scratch Vincent Trocheck, but none who they were willing to lose for 24 days by shifting to Long-Term Injured Reserve, the ‘Canes found themselves in a conundrum. The team had fewer than 18 healthy skaters to ice a full lineup, but also had less cap space available than even a minimum salary contract whom they could recall. As a result, Carolina took the ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets – in front of rookie goalie Alex Nedeljkovic in the second game of a back-to-back no less – with just eleven forwards and six defensemen.
By playing this game short-handed, the Hurricanes have now established that they are in an “emergency” state. Following Monday’s match-up, the team will now be eligible for an emergency roster exception in accordance with the CBA. This will allow them to go over the salary cap moving forward, if need be, to recall a player making less than $1MM AAV. This roster exception can be used until such time that they can get one of the four players healthy or opt to give themselves more flexibility by transferring one or more of the injured players to LTIR.
- In putting together the delayed and shortened 2020-21 season, one of the main objectives of the NHL was to make sure that the 2021-22 season would not be impacted in any way. They formulated the length and scheduling of the current campaign to ensure that next season started on time and ran normally. Well, that plan seems to be somewhat on track. Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga reports that the league is anticipating a start date of Wednesday, October 13 for the 2021-22 regular season. Opening day is typically the first Wednesday in October, but the current plan is to open on the second Wednesday, extending the off-season by one week. All things considered, this is still an ideal result however as the off-season will still be shorter than usual. The postseason is expected to extend into July and free agency is scheduled to open nearly a month late on July 28. One extra week will hopefully allow for off-season transactions to be given a fair amount of latitude, especially as teams deal with the repercussions of the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, and will not rush training camp and the preseason either.
- One of the highlights of the makeshift 2020-21 season structure has been the all-Canadian North Division. The realigned division is only a temporary fix, but the constant battling between Canada’s seven teams, which has been accompanied frequently by high-scoring affairs, has been not only by fans but also by the teams themselves. Players, coaches, executives, and owners of the Canadian clubs are all feeling the increased excitement surrounding their games, even without fans in the building. This begs the question: how can the NHL keep this up? An all-Canadian division does not seem feasible beyond this season, but The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun posits that scheduling could be better implemented to encourage rivalries, like those seen in the North Division this year. Rivalry is the key too; LeBrun notes that the North Division is not the strongest, nor does it contain any of the teams that he sees as the top candidates to win the Stanley Cup this year. Instead, there is simply an excitement about teams from Eastern and Western Canada getting to play each other far more frequently than in a standard campaign. Perhaps the residual effect of the current temporary divisions will be a focus on more regional match-ups moving forward. There will always be an emphasis in the NHL on divisional play as well as on every team facing every other team at least once each year. However, more Canadian clashes, Bible Belt battles, and Northeast fixtures could help to use those extra games in the schedule to maintain some of newfound emphasis on regional rivalries.
Injury Notes: Blues, Armia, Necas, Kase
The St. Louis Blues’ Tyler Bozak, who has been sidelined since January 26th, has finally been retroactively placed on the injured reserve per a team release. Ironically, the Blues waited so long to make the the move that Bozak is already eligible to be activated from IR. However, he is still considered day-to-day and there is not definitive timeline for his return. Bozak has been out with an undisclosed upper-body injury since taking a heavy hit from Vegas’ Mark Stone nearly two weeks ago. Defenseman Marco Scandella has additionally been ruled out for the time being with an upper-body injury, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Scandella was a late scratch for the Blues’ game on Thursday, believed to have been the result of this same nagging injury. Thomas adds that Zach Sanford is also out for the Blues with, of all things in the age of COVID, the flu. Sanford is off to a slow start this season despite playing on the team’s top line recently, but perhaps taking some time to get back to full strength will put him back on track.
- Sanford is not alone in his struggles with the flu. While the virus is certainly the lesser of two evils this season, it is still hampering a return to action for the Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Armia as well. Armia, who was initially sidelined by a concussion, is doing better in that regard, head coach Claude Julien tells TSN’s John Lu. However, he has been unable to skate with the team due to flu symptoms. The team hopes to have Armia back at practice on Monday at the earliest.
- Young Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas has also entered the concussion protocol after suffering an injury on Thursday, reports Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. However, head coach Rod Brind’Amour is not worried that he will miss a considerable amount of time. Specifically, he tells Alexander that Necas is “going to be out for a little while but I don’t think it’s going to be very long.” His injury is only being termed as an “upper-body” ailment.
- The Boston Bruins are hoping to have Jake DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk back before their next game on Wednesday, but it seems Ondrej Kase is still a ways behind in his recovery from a concussion. Head coach Bruce Cassidy tells The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa that Kase has been able to ride the exercise bike, but he has not yet resumed skating. Kase has been out since the Bruins’ second game of the season and is currently on injured reserve. A talented, but injury-prone young forward with a history of head trauma, Kase needs to return to the Bruins lineup and show some durability and consistency and establish chemistry with his team ahead of an off-season in which he will be a restricted free agent and the subject of a difficult Expansion Draft decision.
Carolina Hurricanes Hire Justin Williams
The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have Justin Williams on the ice this season, but he’s still with them. The team announced today that Williams has been hired as a special advisor to general manager Don Waddell. In a release, Waddell explained why they’ve brought Williams back:
Justin has been a major part of the culture change that we’ve undergone here. We’re thrilled to add someone with his experience to our front office.
The 39-year-old Williams retired a few months ago after a long, successful career that included a short stint as the captain of the Hurricanes. Nicknamed “Mr. Game 7” for his outstanding performances in do-or-die situations, he is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion and the 2014 Conn Smythe winner.
Though his play on the ice was excellent, it comes as no surprise that Waddell mentioned his effect on the “culture” in Carolina instead. He was the face (and driving force) of a rebrand for the Hurricanes over the last several years, instituting things like the “Storm Surge” celebrations. He, along with veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, also helped younger players like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov become the stars they are today, protecting and guiding them through their early years in the league.
The Hurricanes are off to a 6-2 start this season and should be a strong contender in the Central Divison. Williams will now be around to help them reach the playoffs once again, even if he isn’t going to be suiting up for any potential game sevens.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Petr Mrazek Undergoes Thumb Surgery
The Carolina Hurricanes will be without their starting goaltender for the next while after Petr Mrazek underwent surgery on his right thumb. His exact recovery timeline is still to be determined.
Mrazek, who turns 29 later this month, was off to an outstanding start this season with a league-leading .955 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average in his first four games. While numbers like that would be almost impossible to maintain, he was the obvious choice to take on the majority of work in Carolina, especially after the strong performance he put on in last summer’s playoffs. Mrazek has always been a streaky netminder, but with unrestricted free agency coming up again after this season, playing well was more important than ever.
Now he’ll hand the net over to James Reimer, who has been a much more consistent, if still underwhelming option throughout his career. His .915 save percentage this season sits almost exactly where his career numbers lie, while he too played well in last year’s postseason. Having a goaltender with 367 career starts as a backup plan is better than nothing, though obviously, the team would rather have a healthy Mrazek competing for the net.
For now, Alex Nedeljkovic will serve as the backup, though he has still not seen the ice this season and the Hurricanes have always appeared hesitant to really give him some runway at the NHL level. The 2019 AHL Goaltender of the Year has just six NHL appearances and cleared waivers earlier this season when exposed to the rest of the league. Nedeljkovic doesn’t have the prototypical size for an NHL netminder, standing just 6’0″, but has stopped the puck at every level so far. Given he is a potential Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer as well, this chance could be a showcase for his future.
Injury Notes: Mrazek, Letang, Thornton
The Carolina Hurricanes are going to be without starting goaltender Petr Mrazek for longer than initially thought. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today that the injury suffered against the Dallas Stars on Saturday is “more serious” than they originally believed and Mrazek may even require surgery. That’s terrible news for a goaltender who was leading the league with a .955 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average through his first four appearances. Mrazek had already recorded two shutouts on the year and looked to be playing at an entirely different level in the early going.
For the Hurricanes, it means James Reimer will take most of the load, while minor league netminder Alex Nedeljkovic will get a chance to serve as the primary backup. The 25-year-old Nedeljkovic was placed on waivers earlier this season but the Hurricanes managed to hold onto him. He has just six appearances at the NHL level but won the AHL Goaltender of the Year award in 2019, leading the Charlotte Checkers to a Calder Cup.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t have Kris Letang in the lineup tonight as the star defenseman continues to be evaluated for an injury he suffered on Saturday night. The Penguins have lost almost all of their defensive depth to injury this season, but at least one silver lining continues to grow. Pierre-Olivier Joseph has been a shining light for the team in the early going and logged nearly 26 minutes against the New York Rangers on Saturday in just his fifth NHL game. He’ll be asked to carry a heavy load if Letang is out long-term, given the lack of offensive upside many of the other options possess.
- Joe Thornton and Nicholas Robertson were both on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs today as they continue to work their way back from injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that nothing has changed in the recovery timelines originally given, which were a minimum of four weeks. The Maple Leafs have a few days off before resuming the grind of the condensed season on Thursday in the first of three straight games against the Vancouver Canucks.
Carolina Hurricanes Recall Several Players
The Carolina Hurricanes are back in action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but as of yesterday several players still remained on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list. With that in mind, the team has made a large number of transactions, starting with the recall of Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz, Max McCormick, and Jake Bean from the taxi squad. The team has also recalled Sheldon Rempal directly from the AHL to the active NHL roster, while adding Drew Shore and Joey Keane to the taxi squad.
The Hurricanes were forced to postpone several games after Jordan Staal, Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Teuvo Teravainen, and Jesper Fast all found themselves on the CPRA list. Of that group, only Staal had been removed as of yesterday.
Among the recalls, all but Lorentz have already played in the NHL, with Geekie even playing two games this season. The 24-year-old Lorentz broke out last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, scoring 23 goals and 46 points in 61 games. Selected 186th overall in 2015, the 6’4″ forward has worked his way up through the minor league system, first spending time in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades. If he makes his NHL debut this evening, it will be quite the climb for the former Peterborough Petes player.
The team is expected to have Lorentz skate beside Staal and Ryan Dzingel on the third line, while McCormick, Geekie and Rempal make up the fourth unit. Bean, who was one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire AHL last season, will finally get another chance at the NHL level. The 13th overall pick in 2016, Bean has been stuck behind a deep NHL defensive group and has just two games to his name with the Hurricanes.
Jeremy Bracco Clears Unconditional Waivers
Jan 27: Bracco has cleared waivers and had his contract terminated, according to CapFriendly.
Jan 26: After clearing waivers earlier this month, Jeremy Bracco finds himself there again. The Carolina Hurricanes’ forward has been loaned to KalPa in Finland for the rest of the season, while also being placed on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Should a contract termination follow, the young forward would be an unrestricted free agent once again.
Bracco, 23, has dominated the AHL at times, including a 79-point season in 2018-19 that seemed destined to earn him a call-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. When an NHL debut never came and the Maple Leafs decided not to issue him a qualifying offer, Bracco was a free agent looking for work. He ended up signing quickly with the Hurricanes, inking a one-year, two-way deal in mid-October.
Now, with the prospect of another AHL season on the horizon, he’ll face a new challenge overseas instead. The talented playmaker still has tremendous offensive upside, but desperately needs to fill out the other parts of his game if he’s to ever live up to his second-round billing.
NHL Postpones Another Carolina Hurricanes Game
The NHL has decided to postpone another Carolina Hurricanes game, moving tomorrow’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning to next month. The Hurricanes are still dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19 and have now had four games postponed. The league also announced the rescheduling of seven games, including those already missed between the Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. As a result, the Panthers, who also had games rescheduled at the beginning of the season thanks to an outbreak on the Dallas Stars, now have 54 games scheduled in the next 102 days.
The changes are as follows:
Game #52, Carolina at Nashville, originally scheduled for Jan. 19, is now scheduled for Tuesday, March 2 at 8 p.m. ET
Game #62, Florida at Carolina, originally scheduled for Jan. 21, is now scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. ET
Game #76, Florida at Carolina, originally scheduled for Jan. 23, is now scheduled for Sunday, March 7 at 5 p.m. ET
Game #97, Tampa Bay at Carolina, originally scheduled for Jan. 26, is now scheduled for Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. ET
Game #255, Columbus at Carolina, originally scheduled for Feb. 16, is now scheduled for Monday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. ET
Game #256, Florida at Tampa Bay, originally scheduled for Feb. 16, is now scheduled for Monday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. ET
Game #296, Carolina at Tampa Bay, originally scheduled for Feb. 22, is now scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. ET
More Carolina Hurricanes Games Postponed
12:00pm: The league has officially postponed the Hurricanes’ next two games. They have also released the following statement:
As an appropriate precaution, the team’s training facilities have been closed, effective immediately, and will remain closed for Players until further notice. The League is in the process of reviewing and revising the Hurricanes’ regular season schedule. The Hurricanes organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies.
9:55am: The Carolina Hurricanes did not play last night due to several key players testing positive for COVID-19, the second half of a two-game series with the Nashville Predators postponed indefinitely. Now, Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that the team’s next two games will also be postponed. Though the league has not announced it officially, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has also heard this possibility, meaning the Florida Panthers won’t be coming in for games tomorrow and Saturday.
The Panthers of course already saw their schedule changed when the Dallas Stars had a training camp outbreak, leading to the postponement of several early-season games. Florida has only played twice and now will likely have to wait until next Tuesday, Jan 26 to continue their 56-game campaign.
Jordan Staal, who tested positive last week, was joined by Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, and Teuvo Teravainen on yesterday’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list. Staal remains in Detroit isolating where his test was taken, while the other four have been left in Nashville for the time being.
Whether the Hurricanes will be able to resume their season in time for the Tampa Bay series next week is not clear at this point.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/19/21
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. Though a few of the west coast teams are still TBA, here is today’s list:
Carolina – Warren Foegele*, Jordan Martinook*, Jaccob Slavin*, Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen*
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri
Florida – Juho Lammikko
Minnesota – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Eric Comrie
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay – Blake Coleman, Curtis McElhinney
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg, Tucker Poolman
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
The big news for today is the four new Carolina Hurricanes players, which have been confirmed as positive test results by several reporters including Frank Seravalli of TSN. The Hurricanes will not play today’s scheduled game, but it is not immediately clear how long these players will be out. Staal was already on the list and has missed the last two games.
Among the players that were removed today are Markus Nutivaara and Jordie Benn.
As has been the case so far this season, the league declined to identify anyone from Dallas and will hold off on doing so until they are able to play in their first game, now scheduled for January 22. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars.
*denotes new addition