COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/13/21
As reported earlier, beginning today, and each day for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, the NHL will be sharing the names of players who are “unavailable” to play or practice due to any number of factors that place them under the league’s COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list of players for today, Wednesday, January 13:
F Lawson Crouse, Arizona Coyotes
F Karson Kuhlman, Boston Bruins
D Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche
F Mikko Koivu, Columbus Blue Jackets
D Christian Djoos, Detroit Red Wings
F Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings
F Gaetan Haas, Edmonton Oilers
F James Neal, Edmonton Oilers
D Markus Nutivaara, Florida Panthers
D Kurtis MacDermid, Los Angeles Kings
G Cal Petersen, Los Angeles Kings
D Sean Walker, Los Angeles Kings
G Alex Stalock, Minnesota Wild
F Mikael Granlund, Nashville Predators
D Luca Sbisa, Nashville Predators
F Justin Richards, New York Rangers
D Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kasperi Kapanen, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Maxim Letunov, San Jose Sharks
D Jordie Benn, Vancouver Canucks
F J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
F Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
*NOTE: The league declined to list any specific members of the Dallas Stars at this time. The team is currently recovering from an extensive breakout.
Dylan Larkin Named Captain Of Detroit Red Wings
It comes with plenty of hype and little surprise; Dylan Larkin is the next captain of the Detroit Red Wings. The team announced the selection today on the eve of their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes. Larkin will be the 37th captain in franchise history, succeeding Henrik Zetterberg who was last to wear the “C.”
From the moment he burst onto the scene in 2015 with his blazing speed and scoring touch, Larkin was destined to take over this role. In the 2015-16 season he scored 23 goals, leading the entire Red Wings team even as a rookie, and trailing only Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in points. It was as obvious then as it is now that Larkin would be the next face of the franchise, following in some heavy footsteps.
Now heading into his sixth NHL season, the 24-year-old becomes captain after scoring 266 points in 389 career games. He hasn’t been able to lead the Red Wings back to the playoffs but will be an anchor in the middle of the rebuild as GM Steve Yzerman starts to fill the roster up with talented youngsters. He has three years left on his current contract, one of just two players signed through the 2022-23 season and his next task will be to help the Red Wings become competitive again.
Given the high draft picks that Detroit has used the last few seasons, picking star prospects like Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, there’s a chance that Larkin isn’t the most talented player on the roster by the end of this contract. But there’s also a chance he gets back to the 32-goal, 73-point performance he had in 2018-19 and puts himself among the league’s all-stars once again.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Training Camp Cuts: 01/12/21
It’s the last day before NHL hockey returns, so teams will have to finalize their rosters and get ready for action. Though most of the heavy lifting was done yesterday, there will still be some cuts made today. We’ll keep track of them right here. This page will be updated throughout the day as more releases come in.
Buffalo Sabres (via team release):
F Andrew Oglevie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Arttu Ruotsalainen (to Rochester, AHL)
D Jacob Bryson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Mattias Samuelsson (to Rochester, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):
F Jeremy Bracco (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jason Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Seth Jarvis (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Chicago, AHL)
F Sheldon Rempal (to Chicago, AHL)
F Drew Shore (to Chicago, AHL)
F Spencer Smallman (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Chicago, AHL)
D Joey Keane (to Chicago, AHL)
D Maxime Lajoie (to Chicago, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to Chicago, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):
F John Quenneville (to Rockford, AHL)
D Anton Lindholm (to Rockford, AHL)
D Nick Seeler (to Rockford, AHL)
G Matt Tomkins (to Rockford, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (via team release):
F Riley Barber (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Kyle Criscuolo (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Turner Elson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Chase Pearson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Evgeny Svechnikov (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominic Turgeon (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brian Lashoff (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Kaden Fulcher (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Pat Nagle (released)
Montreal Canadiens (via team release):
F Brandon Baddock (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex Belzile (to Laval, AHL)
F Joseph Blandisi (to Laval, AHL)
F Laurent Dauphin (to Laval, AHL)
F Jacob Lucchini (to Laval, AHL)
F Joel Teasdale (to Laval, AHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)
F Jordan Weal (to Laval, AHL)
D Otto Leskinen (to Laval, AHL)
D Gustav Olofsson (to Laval, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Laval, AHL)
G Vasili Demchenko (to Laval, AHL)
G Michael McNiven (to Laval, AHL)
G Cayden Primeau (to Laval, AHL)
F Kevin Lynch (to Laval, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release):
F Pascal Laberge (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Linus Sandin (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Tyson Foerster (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Matthew Strome (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Chris Bigras (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Egor Zamula (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Wyatte Wylie (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Felix Sandstrom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Max Willman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Roddy Ross (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team release):
F Kurtis Gabriel (to San Jose, AHL)
F Antti Suomela (to San Jose, AHL)
D Trevor Carrick (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nick DeSimone (to San Jose, AHL)
D Fredrik Claesson (to San Jose, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release):
F Sam Anas (to Utica, AHL)
F Dakota Joshua (to Utica, AHL)
F Tanner Kaspick (to Utica, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Utica, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Utica, AHL)
F Jake Neighbours (to Utica, AHL)
F Evan Polei (to Utica, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Utica, AHL)
F Nathan Walker (to Utica, AHL)
D Scott Perunovich (to Utica, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Utica, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Utica, AHL)
D Tyler Tucker (to Utica, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to Utica, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Utica, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Utica, AHL)
F Matthias Laferriere (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
Vancouver Canucks (via team release):
F Jonah Gadjovich (to Utica, AHL)
F Lukas Jasek (to Utica, AHL)
F Kole Lind (to Utica, AHL)
F Will Lockwood (to Utica, AHL)
D Josh Teves (to Utica, AHL)
D Jett Woo (to Utica, AHL)
G Jake Kielly (to Utica, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release):
F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
F Phillippe Maillet (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
D Paul Ladue (to Hershey, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (to Hershey, AHL)
Red Wings Loan Filip Larsson To Denmark
Red Wings goaltending prospect Filip Larsson won’t be coming back to North America after all. After being loaned to Almtuna in Sweden to start the season, he was expected to come back and battle for playing time in the AHL with Grand Rapids. That isn’t the plan anymore, as the Metal Ligaen in Denmark announced that Detroit has loaned the netminder to Frederikshavn for the remainder of the season.
The 22-year-old played in six games in the Allsvenskan this season, posting a 3.54 GAA along with a .883 SV%, numbers that weren’t going to give him any momentum heading into AHL training camp. And after splitting last season between Grand Rapids and ECHL Toledo, it certainly looks as if he would have been the odd one out, especially with six other goalies under contract.
Viewed as a potential higher-end prospect after a dominant freshman season with Denver of the NCAA in 2018-19, things haven’t gone as well for Larsson since then. But at his age, playing time is critical and he will have to head over to Denmark to get a chance for more game action. He’s expected to report to his new team early next week.
Red Wings Claim Christian Djoos Off Waivers
The first waiver claim of the year is in as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Red Wings have claimed defenseman Christian Djoos off waivers from Anaheim.
The 26-year-old split last season between Washington and Anaheim after he was dealt to the Ducks just before the trade deadline in exchange for winger Daniel Sprong. Djoos suited up just twice for the Capitals but was a regular in Anaheim’s lineup after the trade, playing in nine games while logging more than 20 minutes a night. He spent most of the season prior to the trade in the minors, putting up five goals and 27 assists in just 42 games with AHL Hershey.
Djoos signed a one-year, $1MM deal with Anaheim during the stoppage for the pandemic, a deal that actually saw his salary drop by $250K. Had he cleared waivers, his entire cap hit would have been removed off the Ducks’ books in the minors but it’s now gone entirely with him out of the organization.
Instead, he’ll now join a new-look Detroit back end that also now has veteran Marc Staal plus free agent acquisitions Troy Stecher and Jonathon Merrill in the group. Djoos will likely battle Merrill and returnee Alex Biega for playing time and could now have the opportunity to play a more regular role after spending most of last year in the minors.
NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls
Alongside the news of three teams opting out, four teams temporarily relocating, and realigned divisions for the coming season, more information continues to emerge following today’s AHL Board of Governors meeting. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates have been informed that there will be no blanket quarantine period for player recalls and reassignments this season. Instead, quarantine measures will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of the circumstances. This will include team protocols, travel logistics, and accordance with local COVID-19 health guidelines.
As Johnston notes, this will make AHL recalls much easier for those teams whose affiliates share a city or even a state or province. Short, safe travel ability and uniform local policies will allow for much shorter quarantine periods. Teams in this situation may even ask their affiliate to maintain the same NHL-level of day-to-day quarantine protocols to make recalls even easier, perhaps even without any quarantine. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks (if and when the team returns home from Arizona) all share a city with their AHL affiliate, as do the New Jersey Devils temporarily. The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins (temporarily), Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins all have their AHL affiliates within state or provincial lines as well.
For those teams with some distance between themselves and their minor league clubs, recalls could remain difficult. Especially for those Canadian teams whose affiliates remain in the U.S. – the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks – quarantine logistics will be a struggle. Johnston points out that for these teams and the American clubs with affiliates elsewhere in the country, travel will be a major obstacle. The one blanket policy for all NHL and AHL players this season is that a seven-day quarantine period is required following a commercial flight. This could also stand to effect any team on a long-term road trip that is desperate enough to make a recall.
However, while this policy will help a great number of teams, it is important to remember that taxi squads were established for this season to reduce the reliance on AHL recalls, at least as a frequent measure. Regardless of each NHL team’s location relative to their AHL affiliate, most teams will largely use their six-man taxi squad for emergency substitutions and will have options in the meantime should they decide to recall a player who must quarantine.
Red Wings Likely To Be Cautious With Danny DeKeyser's Minutes
- Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser took part in a full practice today for the first time since suffering a back injury back in October of 2019, relays Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. The team intends to be cautious with his playing time early on considering how much time he has missed so while he has logged over 20 minutes a night in each of the last seven seasons, it seems unlikely that he will see that much action early on in 2020-21.
Red Wings Recall Five From Loans
With their training camp starting on Thursday, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they have brought back several players from their respective international loans. Forwards Mathias Brome, Michael Rasmussen, and Filip Zadina, as well as defensemen Filip Hronek and Gustav Lindstrom, are all on their way back to Detroit to participate in camp.
Brome signed with Detroit back in April as an undrafted free agent, inking a one-year, entry-level deal worth $925K plus another $212.5K in performance bonuses. The 26-year-old had 17 goals and 26 in 52 games with SHL Orebro last season and was loaned back there to start this year. While he had just four goals in 23 games, he’s tied for fifth in the league in assists with 16. Brome is expected to push for a roster spot with the Red Wings in camp.
Rasmussen spent the majority of 2018-19 with Detroit as he was too young to be assigned to the minors but he was eligible to play with AHL Grand Rapids last season and he spent the entire year there, picking up seven goals and 15 assists in 35 games. He was on loan to Graz in Austria and was relatively productive offensively with five goals and 11 assists in 18 contests along with collecting 42 penalty minutes. He remains waiver-exempt but with the AHL still more than a month away from starting, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him break camp with Detroit, even if it’s in a taxi squad role.
As for Zadina, he split last year between the Red Wings and Griffins and put up similar numbers at both levels (8-7-15 in 28 NHL games, 9-7-16 in 21 AHL contests). He produced at a slightly better rate with Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Extraliga, notching eight goals and six helpers in 17 games prior to today’s recall. He should be given a long look to break camp with Detroit but if he doesn’t make it, he’s a candidate to at least start on the taxi squad as well.
There is no such uncertainty with Hronek’s situation. He has already established himself as Detroit’s top defenseman which made it a bit intriguing that the Red Wings opted to loan him out in the first place given the potential for injury. He was dominant with Hradec Kralove of the Czech Extraliga, putting up 10 goals and 13 assists in 22 games, getting his contract year off to a good start.
Lindstrom made his NHL debut last season, getting into 16 games with Detroit where he had one assist while putting up five helpers in 45 AHL contests as well. He logged more than 16 minutes a night in ice time with the Red Wings but with the additions of Marc Staal, Troy Stecher, and Jon Merrill, he may have to wait for injuries to hit to get his next NHL opportunity, making him another taxi squad candidate to start as well. Lindstrom had 11 assists in 20 games with Almtuna of the Allsvenskan in Sweden.
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.
Snapshots: Lindblom, Zadina, Saarela
One year after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom is still cancer-free. The young man had his second checkup and scans were clear, according to his girlfriend on Instagram. The news received an outpouring of congratulations from all over the hockey world as teammates, opponents, and fans all want to see Lindblom back on the ice.
The 24-year-old forward was off to a blistering start in 2019-20 before his diagnosis, scoring 11 goals and 18 points in the first 30 games of the season. To the surprise of many, he made an emotional return for the Flyers in the postseason bubble, playing in two games during their second-round series against the New York Islanders. One of the most natural goal-scorers on the Flyers roster, his return should give the team quite a boost this season should his health remain intact and his play goes back to previous levels. From everyone here at PHR, congrats Oskar!
- Filip Zadina is on his way back to Detroit to join the Red Wings for training camp, leaving HC Ocelari Trinec after scoring 14 points in 17 games in the Czech Republic. The 21-year-old forward hasn’t yet made his mark at the NHL level but should have an inside track for a roster spot this year. In 37 games with the Red Wings, Zadina has nine goals and 18 points.
- Chicago Blackhawks fourth-round pick Antti Saarela won’t be coming to North America for a while yet after his club team exercised an option year for 2021-22. The 19-year-old forward still has a lot of development to do anyway, so staying in Europe another year probably isn’t very upsetting for the Blackhawks anyway. He has shown improvement this year though, scoring ten points in 17 games, nearly reaching his total from last season already.