Stars Place Five Players In COVID Protocol
Dallas has returned from their holiday break with a sizable batch of COVID-positive tests as well. The Stars announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Miro Heiskanen, center Radek Faksa, plus wingers Jason Robertson, Michael Raffl, and Joel Kiviranta have all been placed into COVID protocol along with two support staff members. They will all now be out for at least the next ten days.
Heiskanen is obviously a significant loss as he is their top defenseman. The 22-year-old has four goals and 14 assists in 28 games this season while leading the Stars in ATOI at 24:32 per game. With Jani Hakanpaa also recently entering COVID protocol, Dallas will need to bring up a blueliner from AHL Texas.
They’ll also have to recall several forwards as they were down to 11 on the active roster with three of their active players entering protocol today (Kiviranta is currently on IR with an upper-body injury). Robertson sits second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 15 assists in 23 games and is the only Star averaging more than a point per game on the season. Faksa has been limited to just two goals in 27 contests but has won an impressive 57% of his faceoffs while Raffl has eight points in 28 games on the season.
Dallas is next scheduled to take to the ice on Wednesday against Colorado pending any other adjustments to the schedule.
2022 WJC Participants By NHL Team
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.
Jani Hakanpaa Placed In COVID Protocol
The small number of teams not currently affected by COVID-related absences has shrunk by one, as the Dallas Stars placed Jani Hakanpaa in the protocol today according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic.
Hakanpaa, 29, has filled a depth role for the Stars this season, averaging just over 15 minutes a night in 28 appearances. The hulking defenseman–who stands 6’6″–is one of the most physical players in the league, routinely separating an opponent from the puck by driving them to the ice. In those limited minutes he has 70 hits, after racking up 215 in last year’s shortened season split between Anaheim and Carolina.
One of the most imposing players in the league, losing Hakanpaa for the next ten days–assuming he tested positive, which was not confirmed by the team–would leave an interesting decision for the Stars management and coaching staff. Top prospect Thomas Harley could be recalled to enter the lineup, but he’s both not the same style of player nor the same handedness as Hakanpaa. Someone like the 6’4″ Alex Petrovic might be a more apt replacement, though he hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2018-19.
Regardless, given the depth role he plays, there shouldn’t be much issue for the Stars if it is limited to just Hakanpaa. The team is set to return to action on Monday against the Nashville Predators.
NHL/NHLPA Pause Cross-Border Travel, Issue Updates On Season And Olympics
The NHL and NHLPA released a joint statement today that the league will postpone any games that require cross-border travel through the holiday break. The 12 postponed games are as follows:
Canadiens @ Islanders (12/20), Ducks @ Oilers (12/20), Blues @ Senators (12/21), Canucks @ Sharks (12/21), Canadiens @ Rangers (12/22), Jets @ Stars (12/22), Oilers @ Kings (12/22), Blues @ Maple Leafs (12/23), Hurricanes @ Senators (12/23), Canadiens @ Devils (12/23), Ducks @ Canucks (12/23), Oilers @ Sharks (12/23)
Adding on these 12 games, there are now 39 games that the league has postponed this year. As instances pop up of players stuck on the wrong side of the border and potentially unable to get home for the holidays, the pause comes now to prevent any future situations like this from occurring.
However, the NHL and NHLPA in today’s statement remained with their stance today against placing a pause on the entire regular-season schedule. The league will continue to monitor COVID outbreaks on teams on a case-by-case basis, stating that they “will be monitoring not only the number and pattern of positive COVID results but also the depth of Club line-ups so as to ensure both the health and safety of the Players and the integrity of League competition.”
The two parties also gave an update on the potential of Olympic participation, stating they’ll reach a final determination within the coming days. They’re “actively discussing the matter” and commit to remaining flexible. The NHL has until January 10, 2022, to opt out of the Olympics without incurring a financial penalty. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculates that an “Olympics without NHL players seems to be a reality,” but doesn’t expect a formal announcement for a few days.
Blackhawks’ Brett Connolly To Face Player Safety Hearing
It was a scary scene in Dallas on Saturday night as forward Tanner Kero had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher early in the first period following a vicious collision along the boards. Kero was unconscious when he left the ice, surrounded by the entire Stars roster, but fortunately the team announced shortly thereafter that he was “conscious, alert, and responsive.” Kero was transported to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment. There has been no further update from the team.
The guilty party in the incident was Blackhawks forward Brett Connolly. The physical winger hit Kero along the boards as the puck was being cleared out of the Stars’ defensive zone. Though the puck was near Kero, he did not have a reasonable opportunity to play it. Connolly’s check was unexpected and blindsided Kero (video). Connolly received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct as a result.
However, that may not be the end of his discipline. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Connolly will face a hearing today to further evaluate the play in question. While Connolly did already serve essentially a full-game suspension, having been handed a game misconduct just a few minutes into the contest, there is reason to believe that an actual suspension could still be coming. The severity of Kero’s injury could be taken into account, as could the optics of the interference call – hitting a defenseless player. The counter argument is that Connolly has no history with Player Safety. A decision should arrive later today.
Andreas Borgman Clears Unconditional Waivers
Dec 16: TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Borgman has cleared unconditional waivers, paving the way for his termination and return to Sweden.
Dec 15: The Dallas Stars have placed Andreas Borgman on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The defenseman has spent the entire season to this point at the minor league level.
When he does clear, Borgman is expected to return to the SHL, where Sportbladet recently reported he has agreed to a long-term contract. If the deal, which would extend through the 2025-26 season, is finalized, it would likely spell the end of Borgman’s NHL career. The 26-year-old came over in 2017 to join the Toronto Maple Leafs and played 48 games for the team, but has been limited to mostly minor league duty ever since.
In 2020-21 he suited up seven times with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but this year after signing a one-year deal with Dallas, he’s been stuck with the Texas Stars. A smaller defenseman who nevertheless plays like a big one, Borgman never was able to find a fit at the NHL level. Terminating his deal will cost him the rest of the $375K minor league guarantee but will allow him to play a bigger role back in the SHL. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News also tweets that Borgman has been dealing with a personal issue in Sweden, hopefully, one that can be resolved now that he’s heading home for good.
Anton Khudobin Clears Waivers
Dec 14: Khudobin has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL, according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic.
Dec 13: The Dallas Stars looked like they were going to have four healthy NHL goaltenders, but after Ben Bishop‘s comeback bid ended in further injury, that logjam seemed to be relieved. Still, the team has decided that there needs to be room for Jake Oettinger in the NHL, and has placed Anton Khudobin on waivers.
It’s a surprising fall from grace for a goaltender that just over a year ago was helping lead the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals, appearing in 25 games for Dallas during the 2020 playoffs. Khudobin was signed to a new three-year, $10MM contract after that performance but could now find himself on the way out of town before the second season is even complete.
That $3.33MM cap hit will likely scare off plenty of teams around the league, especially because the 35-year-old netminder has an .873 save percentage in seven appearances this season. But for some–perhaps the Buffalo Sabres, who have been linked to the goaltender in trade rumors recently–Khudobin’s long history of success could be enough to swallow the rest of his contract. After all, this is a veteran that has a .916 save percentage in 257 career appearances. In fact, this is the first time in his career that Khudobin has posted a save percentage under .900 or a goals-against average over 2.72, a career that spans 13 years.
There’s also a chance that clearing waivers would improve Khudobin’s trade value for the Stars, as any acquiring team would then have the ability to stash him in the minor leagues. Of course, that only buries $1.125MM of his cap hit and the fact that he’s still signed for next season makes it more difficult for contenders.
If it’s the end of his run in Dallas, it’ll go down as his most impressive stop so far. Whether he can replicate it elsewhere still remains to be seen.
Stars Recall Ben Bishop From Conditioning Loan, Playing Career To End
Ben Bishop‘s attempt to return to the crease for the Stars has come to an end. The team announced this morning that they’ve recalled the netminder from his conditioning assignment with AHL Texas but that he will remain on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) due to his current knee injury. Later in the day, Stars GM Jim Nill told Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that Bishop’s playing days are over:
“It’s no secret, he has a degenerative knee injury, and he went down there, he wanted to be a big part of this. He wanted to do everything he could to get back. In the end, by going through the process, going down there and playing, he found out that it’s the end of his career.”
The 35-year-old missed all of last season due to the injury plus the first couple of months of 2021-22. He made one appearance with Texas and it didn’t go well as he allowed eight goals on 26 shots and clearly, something didn’t go right with his knee with Bishop asking Dallas to end the conditioning loan early and shut him down. The netminder is scheduled to speak to the media on Tuesday.
His playing days come to an end with 413 games played for five different teams. He was a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist and posted a 2.32 GAA along with a save percentage of .921 along with 33 shutouts. He is signed through next season with a $4.916MM AAV and will remain on LTIR during that stretch.
From a cap perspective, this lessens their need to try to move veteran goaltender Anton Khudobin. While he’s clearly the odd man out in their goaltending trio at the moment, they would have needed to clear his contract off the books outright plus free up a bit more room in order to activate Bishop. With that not happening anymore, they can now afford to be more patient in looking for the right return and will be able to take a player back instead of needing to clear his entire $3.33MM AAV off the books. Dallas made Khudobin available earlier this month after Jake Oettinger came up from the minors and has been quite dominant in his first seven appearances, posting a 1.52 GAA with a .951 SV%.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: COVID Protocols, Rangers, Kane
Even with over 99% percent of players and 100% of staff being vaccinated against the Coronavirus, the NHL has still been faced with constant issues battling COVID-19 this season. While only two teams have had games postponed due to COVID outbreaks, 19 different teams have had to enter heightened COVID protocols at some this season. As a result, the league is contemplating stricter protocols for all teams if the virus continues to be a problem. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly tells TSN’s Chris Johnston that the NHL is currently working with league doctors to evaluate their COVID numbers and current protocols to see if changes can improve the state of the league’s battle with COVID. The NHL then plans to meet with the NHLPA soon to share their findings and to discuss options to better protect players and staff, as well as the league product. The COVID conversation will also impact the Olympic question, with understandable concerns from the league and players’ association about sending their stars to China given the ongoing spread of virus despite vaccination measures. The deadline for the NHL to pull out of the Winter Games in Beijing is January 10, so the upcoming meeting with the NHLPA could be a critical juncture for a decision.
- Despite the havoc that the Coronavirus has wreaked on the past two NHL seasons (and counting), team valuations have somehow not just held strong, but in fact increased. Forbes published their 2021 NHL team values today with the impressive headline that the New York Rangers have become the league’s first $2 billion team. The Original Six franchise in the biggest market in North America increased in value by 21% from 2020 without making and significant improvement in their on-ice product. It bodes well for another potential jump next year, with the Rangers currently holding the best record in the Metropolitan Division. Unsurprisingly, New York is followed by fellow Original Six members in the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins. Yet, it is not just the storied franchises who continue see growth in their value. On average, each team improved in value by 32% this year following a 2% dip the year before. The factors contributing to these soaring numbers are the league’s new media contract, their many new facilities, and of course the addition of their newest team, the Seattle Kraken. The recent sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins for $900 million also provided Forbes’ Mike Ozanian with a very up-to-date benchmark of actual real world value of a top franchise. While the optics of the past couple seasons – canceled games, limited attendance, temporary realignment – may portray a struggling league, the NHL has actually excelled in the face of adversity in their battle with COVID-19.
- One player who is likely more familiar with financial terms that he ever hoped is San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane. The controversial star has had quite the year with bankruptcy proceedings, a league investigation into illegal gambling, a league suspension for COVID Protocol circumvention and more. Kane has seemingly been losing money at every turn. However, he is now off his suspension and – though reassigned to the AHL – ready to get back on the ice and earning his pay check. Well, maybe not so fast. Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the organization is not yet ready to give Kane any game action, even with minor league Barracuda. Pashelka writes that concerns about his conditioning, having missed training camp and the first quarter of the season, have limited Kane in practice and will keep him from competiting again this weekend. Pashelka also mentions an undisclosed injury and quotes Kane as being on board with a slow approach to returning to play. However, the scribe also touches on what is likely the root cause of Kane’s inaction: trade value. It does not appear as if Kane is welcome back in the Sharks’ locker room, but with three years remaining on a hefty contract, he needs to play somewhere. The consistent scoring forward is an established asset: high-end ability on the ice, red flags off the ice. San Jose is working the phones to find a new fit for Kane and won’t gain any leverage by having play in AHL game. However, they could lose out if he is injured. As a result, Kane could be used sparingly until he is eventually dealt elsewhere.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Dallas Stars
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Dallas Stars.
What are the Stars thankful for?
The 2017 Anaheim Ducks.
Hear this one out. At the 2017 deadline, the Stars traded Patrick Eaves, then on a one-year, $1MM deal, to the Ducks in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Eaves was in the midst of a career year, scoring 21 goals in his first 59 games with the Stars and making him a prime deadline target. He’d go on to rack up another 11 goals in 20 regular season games for Anaheim, but it was the postseason performance that the Stars were interested in. If the Ducks made it to the third round and Eaves played in at least 50% of the games to that point the Stars would receive Anaheim’s first-round pick in 2017. Otherwise, it would be a second-rounder.
The Ducks ended up making it to the Conference Finals, but it wasn’t because of Eaves. He ended up playing in just seven games through the first two rounds, still enough to cover that 50% threshold. The team had needed 11 games to get through those series against the Flames and Oilers, squeaking out a 2-1 win in game seven to ensure the Stars would have an extra first-round pick.
That pick, which ended up being 26th overall, was used on Jake Oettinger. He joins Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson as the team’s first three selections that year and arguably the three most important pieces of Dallas’ future at this point. The 22-year-old Oettinger currently has a .951 save percentage at the NHL level this year and a perfect 5-0 record.
Who are the Stars thankful for?
It’s not very often that a team could consider a player like John Klingberg a bit redundant, but that’s exactly the situation in Dallas as Heiskanen has completely taken over control of the Stars’ blueline. The third-overall pick from that 2017 draft, Heiskanen averages close to 25 minutes a night, has 16 points in 22 games, and makes the whole machine turn. While some may overlook him because of the market he plays in or the style in which he effortlessly floats around the ice, Heiskanen is a legitimate star in the league and will be a leader in Dallas for a long time.
Need even more reason for thanks? The Philadelphia Flyers could have had Heiskanen (or Cale Makar, which is another story) at the draft, but selected Nolan Patrick second overall instead, leaving the smooth-skating Finn for the Stars to snap up.
What would the Stars be even more thankful for?
Denis Gurianov‘s consistency to come back.
In 2019-20, the Stars gave Gurianov his first full-time shot in the NHL and he rewarded them with strong, powerful play. Even though he wasn’t seeing a ton of ice time, he was always a threat to score, tallying 20 goals in 64 games. Perhaps the fact that he had just nine assists during that stretch should have been a warning sign, but the 12th overall pick from 2015 has been frustratingly inconsistent–at least in terms of goal scoring–since.
He posted just 12 tallies last season and there were stretches of up to 15 games where he failed to put one in the back of the net. This year he has just four goals and eight points in 21 games, not exactly what they were expecting from that impressive rookie. Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson are the present and future of the Stars offense, but it sure would be helpful to have Gurianov living up to his draft pedigree. He’d benefit from it too, given he’s going to be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer.
What should be on the Stars’ Holiday Wish List?
A “hockey trade” for one of their goaltenders.
The Stars have too many goalies. Oettinger can’t even get playing time because of the red hot Braden Holtby who has become the starter, while Anton Khudobin has struggled in his part-time role. That’s not even mentioning Ben Bishop, who is on a conditioning stint and will be ready to return to action in a few days.
The Stars need more offense and several teams around the league need goaltending, but the crunch is coming for Dallas. If they can work out a way to leverage one of these talented netminders into another forward (especially one that can play center when needed), this hot streak they’re on may not end anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images