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Darren Helm Enters COVID Protocol

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The Colorado Avalanche had both their games this week postponed already, but that doesn’t mean the COVID testing has slowed down. Darren Helm is the latest to enter the protocol, where he’ll join Mikko Rantanen, Logan O’Connor, and Pavel Francouz. Nazem Kadri joined the team at practice today after exiting the protocol.

Helm, 34, has played in 27 games for the Avalanche this season after signing a one-year, $1MM contract in the offseason. The veteran forward has scored four goals and six points in those games while averaging fewer than 12 minutes a night. Still, when you’re already down several players due to COVID absences, quality depth is hard to come by.

The Avalanche are set to take on the Anaheim Ducks on January 2, a game that Helm would likely miss if he’s forced out with a positive test result. If he is showing any symptoms he’ll be held out for a minimum of ten days. If asymptomatic, two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart could get him out of the protocol early.

NHL Postpones Three More Games

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The NHL has announced three more postponements, including two that involve the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. The following games will have to be rescheduled later in the season:

  • Chicago Blackhawks @ Winnipeg Jets, December 29
  • Dallas Stars @ Colorado Avalanche, December 29
  • Colorado Avalanche @ Dallas Stars, December 31

There have now been 70 games postponed this season, most of them coming since December 13. As of now, the three other games scheduled for tomorrow are still on, though the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning both had players enter the COVID protocol earlier today.

For the Avalanche, Blackhawks, and Stars, this means they will not play again until the new year. Winnipeg still has a game scheduled on December 31 against the Calgary Flames. Not only did Chicago see Marc-Andre Fleury enter the protocol today, but also several members of the Rockford IceHogs, including part of the coaching staff. The rampant spread of positive cases in the AHL is having a huge effect on their NHL affiliates, who haven’t been able to recall enough healthy bodies at times this season.

2022 WJC Participants By NHL Team

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The 2022 World Junior Championships will get underway from Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta on Sunday. As is the norm and to be expected from the top U-20 competition in the world, the World Junior tournament field is loaded with drafted NHL talent. While most nations don’t have the prospect depth to form a roster completely composed of NHL prospects and those that do have opted to include some younger, future draft picks, there are still a whopping 106 drafted players on WJC rosters. Nine of ten WJC have at least one current NHL prospect and six of those nine have at least ten draft picks. Those players come from 30 of the NHL’s 32 teams, with the Carolina Hurricanes leading the way with ten prospects. While enjoying the WJC action in the coming days, keep track of who may one day be playing at the highest level:

Anaheim Ducks (4):
F Mason McTavish, Canada
D Ian Moore, USA
F Sasha Pastujov, USA
D Olen Zellweger, Canada

Arizona Coyotes (1):
F Dylan Guenther, Canada

Boston Bruins (1):
F Fabian Lysell, Sweden

Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Jakub Konecny, Czechia
D Nikita Novikov, Russia
D Owen Power, Canada
F Isak Rosen, Sweden

Calgary Flames (1):
F Matt Coronato, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (10):
F Nikita Guslistov, Russia
D Aleski Heimosalmi, Finland
D Ville Koivunen, Finland
D Scott Morrow, USA
F Zion Nybeck, Sweden
D Joel Nystrom, Sweden
F Alexander Pashin, Russia
F Vasily Ponomarev, Russia
G Nikita Quapp, Germany
D Ronan Seeley, Canada

Chicago Blackhawks (4):
G Drew Commesso, USA
D Wyatt Kaiser, USA
D Michael Krutil, Czechia
F Landon Slaggert, USA

Colorado Avalanche (1):
F Oskar Olausson, Sweden

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Kent Johnson, Canada
D Samuel Knazko, Slovakia
F Martin Rysavy, Czechia
D Stanislav Svozil, Czechia

Dallas Stars (4):
F Mavrik Bourque, Canada
F Daniel Ljungman, Sweden
F Logan Stankoven, Canada
F Albert Sjoberg, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (8):
G Jan Bednar, Czechia
G Sebastian Cossa, Canada
D Simon Edvinsson, Sweden
F Carter Mazur, USA
F Theodor Niederbach, Sweden
F Redmond Savage, USA
D Donovan Sebrango, Canada
D Eemil Viro, Finland

Edmonton Oilers (2):
F Xavier Borgault, Canada
D Luca Munzenberger, Germany

Florida Panthers (5):
F Elliot Ekmark, Sweden
D Kasper Puutio, Finland
F Mackie Samoskevich, USA
F Ty Smilanic, USA
F Justin Sourdif, Canada

Los Angeles Kings (6):
F Martin Chromiak, Slovakia
D Brock Faber, USA
D Helge Grans, Sweden
F Samuel Helenius, Finland
D Kirill Kirsanov, Russia
F Kasper Simontaival, Finland

Minnesota Wild (6):
F Marat Khusnutdinov, Russia
D Carson Lambos, Canada
F Pavel Novak, Czechia
D Ryan O’Rourke, Canada
D Jack Peart, USA
G Jesper Wallstedt, Sweden

Montreal Canadiens (3):
D Kaiden Guhle, Canada
F Oliver Kapanen, Finland
F Jan Mysak, Czechia

Nashville Predators (4):
G Yaroslav Askarov, Russia
F Simon Knak, Switzerland*
D Anton Olsson, Sweden
F Fedor Svechkov, Russia

New Jersey Devils (4):
F Alexander Holtz, Sweden
D Luke Hughes, USA
G Jakub Malek, Czechia
D Shakir Mukhamadullin, Russia

New York Islanders (0)

New York Rangers (4):
F Brett Berard, USA
F William Cuylle, Canada
G Dylan Garand, Canada
F Kalle Vaisanen, Finland

Ottawa Senators (5):
F Ridly Greig, Canada
F Roby Jarventie, Finland
D Tyler Kleven, USA
G Leevi Merilainen, Finland
D Jake Sanderson, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (3):
D Emil Andrae, Sweden
F Elliot Desnoyers, Canada
D Brian Zanetti, Switzerland*

Pittsburgh Penguins (3):
G Joel Blomqvist, Finland
G Calle Clang, Sweden
F Kirill Tankov, Russia

St. Louis Blues (3):
F Tanner Dickinson, USA
D Leo Loof, Sweden
F Jake Neighbors, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):
F William Eklund, Sweden

Seattle Kraken (2):
F Matthew Beniers, USA
D Ville Ottavainen, Finland

Tampa Bay Lightning (0)

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
F Roni Hirvonen, Finland
F Matthew Knies, USA
D Topi Niemala, Finland

Vancouver Canucks (1):
F Dmitry Zlodeyev, Russia

Vegas Golden Knights (4):
F Jakub Brabenec, Czechia
D Lukas Cormier, Canada
F Jakub Demek, Slovakia
G Jesper Vikman, Sweden

Washington Capitals (1):
F Oskar Magnusson, Sweden

Winnipeg Jets (4):
F Nikita Chibrikov, Russia
F Chaz Lucius, USA
F Cole Perfetti, Canada
F Daniel Torgersson, Sweden

*Switzerland roster pending finalization on Sunday; team has been in COVID-19 quarantine since Thursday but will be ready to begin tournament and participate as schedule, the Swiss announced.

Colorado Avalanche Could Look For Added Defense Depth

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Despite being tied for the best points percentage in the Western Conference at the holiday break, the Colorado Avalanche haven’t had their ideal start to the 2021-22 season. The team was expected by many to be far and away the best team in the Central Division, but a gigantic rash of injuries to core players has limited them this year.

They’re definitely not alone in that fact, but a few long-term injuries on defense and some concerning numbers from their goaltenders leave the Avalanche with the sixth-most goals against in the conference (91). That’s why The Athletic’s Peter Baugh suggests in a mailbag piece that the team could look to add on defense if the injury situation there doesn’t improve.

Colorado expected both Bowen Byram and Ryan Murray to play some meaningful minutes this year supplementing one of the best 1-2-3 punches in the league on the back end with Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard. They’re both out for indefinite periods of time.

A logical trade partner for them is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have a logjam on defense and are looking to ship out a player to create some roster and salary cap flexibility. Both Justin Holl and Travis Dermott could be moved out, and there’s a decent chance Colorado looks at one of these players.

Holl’s really struggled on both sides of the puck this season (just one assist in 24 games) and was healthy scratched for a few games, but he is playing over 20 minutes a night on one of the better teams in the league. He’s also just one season removed from posting solid defensive results on a shutdown pair with Jake Muzzin. While he hasn’t been able to find that consistency this year, a change of scenery could benefit Holl, who’d also give Colorado some cost certainty as he’s signed through 2023.

There’s also the matter of Dermott, who’s likely a more attractive trade option for Colorado. He’s four years younger than Holl and while he too has struggled offensively (just two points in 19 games), he’s been much less mistake-prone than Holl this year and provides more upside. He’s also signed through 2023 for $500,000 less than Holl, an appealing prospect for a contending and spending team like Colorado.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Colorado Avalanche

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2021-22 season and beyond.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Colorado Avalanche

Current Cap Hit: $81,972,800 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Bowen Byram (two years, $894K)
F Alex Newhook (two years, $908K)

Potential Bonuses
Byram: $2.5MM
Newhook: $850K
Total: $3.35MM

Newhook got a taste of NHL action last season in a limited role but spent most of the early part of this year back in the minors.  However, he has been quite productive since being recalled and is staking a claim to a full-time spot which would give him a chance of hitting at least a couple of his ‘A’ bonuses at just over $212K apiece.  Even with that, however, a bridge contract seems likely in order to preserve some space for the bigger ticket expiring deals at that time.

The same reasoning is likely to be applied to Byram as well.  He is a bit more established than Newhook but his concussion trouble is going to create some hesitance on GM Joe Sakic’s part to commit to a big-money, long-term contract.  If he can stay healthy for a few years, such a move would be more likely but they’re not going to get to that point in 2023.  As for his bonus situation, if he’s able to get cleared to return and can stay in the lineup for a while, he has a chance of meeting the four ‘A’ bonuses, earning $850K of his potential bonuses; the rest are unlikely.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($1.075MM, RFA)
F Andre Burakovsky ($4.9MM, UFA)
G Pavel Francouz ($2MM, UFA)
F Darren Helm ($1MM, UFA)
D Jack Johnson ($750K, UFA)
F Nazem Kadri ($4.5MM, UFA)
G Darcy Kuemper ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Kurtis MacDermid ($875K, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2MM, UFA)
F Valeri Nichushkin ($2.5MM, UFA)

When Colorado acquired Burakovsky, he had shown flashes of top-six ability but he was also quite inconsistent.  The flashes are still there and they are much more frequent now as his production has risen significantly.  He isn’t at a level where he can necessarily command top dollar for wingers but he could jump past the $6MM mark.  Kadri is having quite the contract year and is in the top five in league scoring.  That won’t set him up to get elite center money on the open market – especially with his past – but good centers are always in high demand and short supply.  If he continues at this pace, surpassing $7MM on a long-term deal is a definite possibility.

Nichushkin has been particularly strong in limited action this season but his history since being with the Avs is that he works as a middle-six winger.  The market was a lot better for those players over the summer so a raise into the mid-to-high $3MM range should be doable for him.  Aube-Kubel and Helm could feel the squeeze of a tight cap situation as those spots will probably need to go to players making closer to the minimum next season.  Both could have a case for receiving similar money to what they’re getting now but they may have to go elsewhere to do so; arbitration eligibility could make Aube-Kubel a non-tender candidate.

Murray’s market didn’t really materialize so he opted for a bit of a pillow situation to try to showcase his value on a good team.  It hasn’t gone quite as planned as he has had a limited role when he’s in the lineup and as has been the case for most of his career, staying healthy has been a challenge.  On reputation alone, he could still land somewhere near this price on a one-year deal next summer but it’s hard to see a multi-year commitment heading his way unless the second half goes a lot better than the first.  MacDermid brings plenty of physicality but is best utilized in a depth role which will cap his earnings upside at a level not much higher than it is now.  As for Johnson, he has been a nice bargain pickup for the Avs.  Given his past, however, it’s hard to see him going more than year-to-year at this point although he could land a small raise next summer.

The Avs paid a high price tag to get the final year of Kuemper’s deal and the results have been mixed so far.  Based on his numbers with Arizona, he’s someone worthy of passing $5MM per season.  With Colorado?  Not so much.  A big second half and playoff run can change things but as of right now, he’s someone who could land about $1MM more with teams being hesitant to go past that with him only passing the 30-game mark twice in his career.  Francouz has yet to play an NHL game on this contract which started last season due to injury.  That doesn’t bode well for his future earnings and a cheap one-year deal may be all he can manage.

Two Years Remaining

F J.T. Compher ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Erik Johnson ($6MM, UFA)
F Tyson Jost ($2MM, RFA)
F Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3MM, UFA)

It’s MacKinnon’s contract situation that will make long-term commitments hard to hand out between now and then.  Over the past five years, two players have recorded more points than he has (and they both play for Edmonton).  If there’s anyone that can challenge Connor McDavid for the highest AAV in NHL history, it may very well be MacKinnon.  He’ll hit the open market at 28 so a max-term contract is all but a given (eight years from Colorado, seven from anyone else).  Even if he doesn’t pass the $12.5MM mark, he should come close which would add upwards of $6MM to their payroll.  Until they have a sense of what they can do with their star center, Sakic should be looking at short-term options to ensure they have the flexibility to keep MacKinnon in the fold.

Compher did well in MacKinnon’s absence earlier this season which bolsters his case that he’s capable of being a regular top-six player.  When everyone is healthy for the Avs, however, he isn’t in that situation.  Unless something changes (such as Kadri moving on and Compher moving up a notch on the depth chart), he’ll be hard-pressed to get much more than what he’s making now.  Jost has been a little better this season but is still underwhelming relative to his draft stock.  He’s not consistent enough to be a top-six player and pure bottom-six players without a particular specialty don’t often get big deals.  He’s owed a $2.25MM qualifying offer in 2023 and depending on what happens with MacKinnon, that may be too rich for them.

A few years ago at the start of this contract, Johnson was seeing plenty of time on the top pairing and playing a prominent role.  Now he’s 33 and missed almost all of last season due to injury.  His days of being a fixture on the top pair are over and he’s more of a role player.  He’s actually off to a nice start to his season, showing he has something left in the tank, albeit not at a $6MM level.  If he stays healthy, he could drop to the high-$3MM range or perhaps a bit less if someone wants to give him a longer-term contract, a risk as he’ll be subject to 35+ rules (unless the contract is structured uniformly).

Three Years Remaining

D Devon Toews ($4.1MM, UFA)

A tough cap situation for the Islanders was great news for Colorado as they were able to add Toews for a pair of second-round picks and sign him to a deal that he is outperforming significantly.  He’s up over a point per game this season after notching a career-best 31 last year and is logging nearly 25 minutes a night again.  As a result, Toews is providing top-pairing production while getting paid less than what some teams are paying their third blueliner.  If he continues on this trajectory, doubling his current AAV could be attainable.

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Darcy Kuemper, Cale Makar Placed In COVID Protocol

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7:05pm: At this rate the Avalanche aren’t going to get through the game with a team. Cale Makar has also been placed in the protocol just as the game is starting. The team will be short a defenseman, a forward, and a goalie.

6:41pm: Less than 30 minutes before their game is set to begin, the Colorado Avalanche have announced that Darcy Kuemper won’t be in the net as expected. The goaltender has been added to the COVID protocol, leaving Pavel Francouz to make the start.

Kuemper joins J.T. Compher and Andre Burakovsky who were placed in the protocol just two hours ago, and Devon Toews who went in a few days ago. The team was already expected to play shorthanded upfront, but now appear to need a last-minute replacement to serve as the backup for tonight’s game. They faced a similar situation earlier this season when Kuemper was a late scratch due to injury; Justus Annunen showed up partway through the game that time, but it’s doesn’t look like that’s the plan here. An EBUG–Dustin Smith, according to play-by-play broadcaster Marc Moser–will be the backup.

Not only that, but Francouz himself hasn’t even played in an NHL game since the 2019-20 season. The 31-year-old played four games at the AHL level on a conditioning stint, but was only activated off long-term injured reserve four days ago. He’s now the team’s only option tonight, and perhaps moving forward. If Kuemper has tested positive and is symptomatic, he’ll have to quarantine (on the road) for a minimum of ten days.

Andre Burakovsky, J.T. Compher Enter COVID Protocol

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A day of additions to the league’s COVID protocol list continues. Per The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers, Colorado Avalanche forwards Andre Burakovsky and J.T. Compher entered the NHL’s COVID protocol today.

They join defenseman Devon Toews on the list. He was added two days ago.

Due to salary cap restraints, the Avalanche will play a skater short tonight (11 forwards, 6 defensemen) against the Nashville Predators, who are dealing with a COVID outbreak of their own.

Both Burakovsky and Compher are giant parts of Colorado’s scoring depth this season. They’re both scoring at rates higher than 0.70 points per game, with Compher netting 11 points in 15 games and Burakovsy netting 21 in 25.

With Kurtis MacDermid moving up to play forward for tonight’s game, their defense will be stretched thin. Jordan Gross will be making his Avalanche debut, and young Justin Barron will play in just his second career NHL game.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Cal Burke To NHL Deal

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The Colorado Avalanche added a contract today, converting Cal Burke’s AHL deal into a one-year, two-way NHL deal. Financial terms are currently undisclosed.

Burke, a Notre Dame graduate, signed with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles in 2020-21 after going undrafted through his collegiate career. He had a slow start to his professional career with just two goals and nine points in 33 games, but he’s taken a huge step forward this season with 14 points in 19 games.

The 24-year-old Massachusetts native still has to compete with a lot of forward depth in the Avalanche organization before getting an NHL shot, though. There are five forwards with the Eagles who have gotten into NHL action with Colorado this season.

It’s most likely that Burke stays in the AHL this season barring any unforeseen circumstance, but the contract puts him into restricted free agent status with Colorado at the end of the season.

Barzal, Toews, Marchand Placed In COVID Protocol

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Just when the New York Islanders thought they were out of the woods, another huge COVID-related blow is struck. Head coach Barry Trotz announced that Mathew Barzal will not play tonight for the Islanders after being placed in the COVID protocol.

Not to be outdone is the Colorado Avalanche, who have faced their own COVID issues this season. Devon Toews, who was recently named third star of the week after an outstanding set of performances is also in the protocol. The Avalanche have recalled top prospect Justin Barron from the Colorado Eagles to replace Toews on the roster.

The Boston Bruins have their own issues as Brad Marchand has been placed in the protocol as well. Unfortunately, Marchand was present at morning skate today, as his test results must have come back afterward. The Bruins notably played the Flames on Saturday, just before Calgary’s season was halted due to a serious outbreak.

With no offense meant to Ryan Lomberg or Craig Smith, who were put in the protocol this morning, the absences of Marchand, Barzal, and Toews are much more important to their respective teams. The Islanders have been desperately trying to climb out of an early-season hole dug by injury, illness, and scheduling. Without Barzal they’ll take on the reeling Detroit Red Wings, a team that has lost three in a row but is still ten points ahead of them in the standings (having played five more games). The star center was on a six-game point streak and now has 17 in 23 games this season.

Toews meanwhile has been playing at an elite level this season, racking up 20 points in 16 games so far while logging nearly 25 minutes a night for the Avalanche. Colorado has won four straight thanks to his help and find themselves skyrocketing up the Central Division standings. In fact, the Avalanche are now tied with the Calgary Flames for the best goal differential in the Western Conference at +25 and are within a single point of second place in the Central.

You might think after Toews, Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, and Bowen Byram that the Avalanche don’t have any more mobile, high-ceiling defenders in the system, but you’d be wrong. Barron, the 25th overall pick in 2020, has nine points in 14 games for the Eagles this season and will now get a chance to show what he can do in the NHL. The 20-year-old represents another wave of exciting talent for the Avalanche, though his debut wasn’t expected this soon.

Marchand is off to another outstanding start this season with 11 goals and 27 points, as he seemingly continues to improve despite entering his mid-thirties. The 33-year-old forward is arguably the most important forward on the Bruins roster, given he leads the team in scoring, plays the most minutes and continues to get under the skin of opponents. The Bruins are set to play the Golden Knights this evening, but will now be missing two important wingers.

For Barzal, Marchand, and Toews, if they have tested positive for coronavirus and are experiencing any symptoms, they’ll be held out a minimum of ten days.

Florida Panthers Claim Jonas Johansson

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The Florida Panthers have grabbed a bit of extra goaltending depth, claiming Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It’s obviously an interesting decision for a team that already has Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight on the roster, but with the latter struggling in his last game, perhaps the team believes he needs some time in the minor leagues. Knight has never suited up in the AHL, stepping right from the NCAA to the NHL last season for the Panthers after developing into one of the top goaltending prospects in the world. The 20-year-old has played in 12 games this season and has a .904 save percentage.

With Bobrovsky taking the bulk of the work so far–and looking rejuvenated after a pair of underwhelming seasons–allowing Knight to play games at the AHL level might not be the worst thing for his development. There also could be a nagging injury for one of their goaltenders or just another plan that requires Johansson’s services for the time being.

The Panthers have plenty of cap space thanks to the long-term injured reserve placement of Markus Nuutivara and Noel Acciari, but they will need to make a roster move to open a spot for Johansson. The team is currently at 23 bodies, including 14 forwards and seven defensemen.

For Colorado, losing Johansson certainly isn’t ideal. The team does have Pavel Francouz coming back, but they’re now quite thin at the position. Justus Annunen was forced to make his NHL debut recently when Darcy Kuemper suffered an injury, but the young netminder doesn’t appear ready for the highest level. Should Kuemper or Francouz suffer a setback, the team will be scrambling for help once again.

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