Michael Houser Placed In COVID Protocol
The Buffalo Sabres may not have a healthy goaltender to dress tomorrow night. Michael Houser has been added to the COVID protocol, the latest in a series of unfortunate events to the organization’s netminders.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Malcolm Subban are dealing with long-term injuries. Aaron Dell is suspended and won’t be available until after the All-Star break. Houser is now in the protocol and will be unavailable, meaning the team only has Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski, both coming off injuries themselves, as options this weekend. Anderson hasn’t played in a game since the beginning of November, while Tokarski’s last appearance was November 29. Both are practicing at the moment but it is unclear if they will be cleared to play.
If one of those two is able to play, they will likely have to be the starter against the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Otherwise, the team would have to use an emergency backup as–well, not the backup–or sign someone like Mat Robson to an NHL contract. Robson has played in just seven games for the Rochester Americans, spending most of his season in the ECHL. His current minor league backup, Charles Williams, was signed to a professional tryout just two weeks ago and has hardly any experience at the AHL level.
Even accepting that the team didn’t build a lot of NHL-quality depth at the position before the season began, it’s hard to fathom how so many netminders could be unavailable all at once. Even worse, the team isn’t even at home for the next three games, meaning whoever they bring as an emergency backup will have to travel with them to Arizona, Colorado, and Vegas.
Montreal Canadiens Provide Injury Updates
The Montreal Canadiens must have broken a mirror somewhere because they have had nothing but bad luck this season. The team offered a few more injury updates today, none of the positive variety.
Things start with Jonathan Drouin, who has suffered a wrist injury and is out indefinitely. Drouin was placed on injured reserve last week and hasn’t played since January 20 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team notes that though Drouin did have surgery on his left wrist previously, this injury is to the right. The 26-year-old had 20 points in 32 games this season while seeing a little over 17 minutes of ice time a night.
Next is Joel Edmundson, whose recovery from a lower-back injury is coming along slowly. Edmundson remains out indefinitely, having not even played a single game yet this season. The veteran defenseman has been through a tough year, initially leaving the Canadiens at the beginning of the season to be with his ailing father, who died from lung cancer earlier this month.
Mathieu Perreault has a lower-body injury and will be out three to four weeks. The 34-year-old hasn’t played a game since December 14 and has suited up just 14 times for the Canadiens this season. Signed to a one-year, $950K contract in the offseason, he appeared to be a potential trade deadline chip for the Canadiens if he can get healthy. With the deadline still about seven weeks away, there is time for his return if this recovery period is accurate.
Christian Dvorak is still out with an upper-body injury, but the team confirmed that it is not a concussion. He’s still on injured reserve, however, and will be out at least through the upcoming All-Star break. Dvorak, one of the team’s marquee offseason acquisitions, has seven goals and 16 points in 34 games so far.
Latest On Anaheim GM Search
The Anaheim Ducks are one of the teams that still need to make a decision on who will be their next general manager, and initial interviews have been completed according to Pierre LeBrun on last night’s Insider Trading segment.
What we’re being told is that the Ducks have wrapped up the first round of interviews. They’ve interviewed ten candidates, three in house that we’ve discussed before. Two of the external candidates are Pat Verbeek, assistant GM from Detroit and Ryan Martin, assistant GM from the New York Rangers. The Ducks plan to start second interviews shortly here, they should have a GM in place over the next month.
Jeff Solomon, who currently serves as the interim GM of the team is one of the internal candidates for the full-time job and certainly has his plate full at the moment. Not only is the team searching for a new leader, but preparation will need to begin for the March trade deadline. The Ducks are one of the most interesting teams in the league to watch as that deadline approaches, given their mix of high-end players on expiring contracts and surprising early-season success.
Once again last night Trevor Zegras wowed the world with an impressive show of skill, scoring a lacrosse-style goal with ease partway through the second period. It was the first of two goals he would tally last night, enough to lead the Ducks to victory over the Montreal Canadiens despite a third-period push.
It’s that success that will complicate things for Solomon and whoever takes over as the new GM. Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, and Josh Manson all present opportunities to secure shiny new draft picks and prospects, but are also part of the backbone of a team that is currently in second place in the Pacific Division. With that in mind, getting a general manager in place sooner rather than later seems prudent.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/28/22
The theme for tonight’s NHL action is retirement, as both Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Zubov will have their jersey numbers retired. Lundqvist’s No. 30 will be raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden, while Zubov’s No. 56 goes up at the American Airlines Center. Those two emotional ceremonies will be followed by a pair of good matchups, with the Rangers taking on the Minnesota Wild and Stars welcoming in the Washington Capitals. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Lassi Thomson to the taxi squad, after he played more than 23 minutes last night for the club. The young defenseman will continue to be moved off the roster between games in order for the Senators to save a bit of salary. Thomson is still on his entry-level contract, which means he earns much less when on the taxi squad or in the minor leagues.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought Carl Dahlstrom back from the AHL to the taxi squad, while sending Alex Biega back the other way. The two depth defensemen are basically handedness-based insurance for the Maple Leafs, and right now the team is still down left-handed Jake Muzzin as he recovers from a concussion.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Gemel Smith from the AHL to the taxi squad and Calvin Pickard from the taxi squad to the active roster. Luke Witkowski has been sent back to the Grand Rapids Griffins to make room.
- The Boston Bruins have promoted Troy Grosenick from the taxi squad. Tuukka Rask was originally set to start tonight in Arizona but has been scratched so Grosenick will serve as Linus Ullmark‘s backup.
Metropolitan Division
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Joe Snively from the taxi squad, as Michal Kempny is unavailable due to entering the COVID protocol. Kempny took part in the team’s morning skate as they prepare for tonight’s game, but will not play.
Central Division
- The Dallas Stars have moved Rhett Gardner to the taxi squad and Anton Khudobin back to the AHL, as they get their regular goaltenders healthy again. Khudobin, 35, has an .898 save percentage in four games with the Texas Stars and an .879 in nine NHL appearances.
- The Winnipeg Jets have made several moves, following their game last night. Leon Gawanke, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Kristian Reichel have all been moved to the taxi squad, while Declan Chisholm and Mikey Eyssimont are going back to the AHL. Kovacevic played just over ten minutes in his NHL debut, recording one shot on goal.
- The Nashville Predators have reassigned Matt Tennyson to the taxi squad. Matt Luff and Cole Smith are headed to the AHL, while Tomas Vomacka has been assigned back to the ECHL. Vomacka, 22, has been often used as a practice goaltender by the Predators but has 12 games played at the ECHL level.
Pacific Division
- The Vancouver Canucks have sent Michael DiPietro and Sheldon Dries back to the AHL, after getting several players back from the COVID protocol yesterday. With Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak back in the net, the team can let DiPietro continue his season in the minor leagues after his short stint filling in.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Evander Kane Signs With Edmonton Oilers
8:16 pm: The team has now made the deal official — Evander Kane is an Edmonton Oiler. The team has yet to confirm the official details of the contract.
4:25 pm: The Edmonton Oilers are expected to sign Evander Kane to a one-year contract, following the conclusion of the NHL’s latest investigation. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the free agent forward will now earn a prorated league minimum salary of $750K, plus a signing bonus of $625K. It will also include a full no-movement clause. Because the deal is being signed partway through the season, Kane’s cap hit will be just over $2.1MM and he will earn a total of $970K.
Kane, 30, was issued a 21-game suspension at the start of the season for a breach of COVID protocols and providing a false vaccination card. When that suspension ended, he was not welcomed back to the Sharks roster, but placed on waivers in order to send him to the minor leagues. Kane played in five games for the San Jose Barracuda, recording eight points, until another COVID-related transgression resulted in his contract being terminated.
The league conducted an additional investigation into his actions in the minor leagues. They released the following:
The report prepared in connection with the investigation, which was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, concluded that there was insufficient evidence to “conclusively find that Mr. Kane knowingly made misrepresentations regarding his COVID-19 status or test results in connection with his international travel.”
As a result, the League has determined not to pursue any additional League-imposed discipline against Kane at the current time.
That means he was free to join any team in the NHL and play immediately, a condition the Oilers needed in order to sign him today. Edmonton was immediately linked to Kane when he became a free agent, with general manager Ken Holland quickly confirming that he had been in touch with agent Dan Milstein. While the Washington Capitals were linked to Kane in recent days, the Oilers always seemed like the frontrunner to land his services–services which are desperately required as the team tries to get back into the Pacific Division playoff picture.
There’s no doubt that Kane is a force on the ice. Over his 769 career regular season games, the 6’2″ forward has racked up 264 goals and 506 points, including an outstanding 22-goal, 49-point campaign in last year’s shortened season. He’s also twice led the league in penalty minutes, delivered more than 1,700 hits and averaged close to 19 minutes a game throughout his long career.
That is a heck of a player to plug in beside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl (or both) for the stretch run, especially at such a low cost. But there is risk, obviously, given his history of off-ice issues. Just last offseason, Kane was involved in three different investigations, as allegations of gambling on NHL games, domestic abuse, and COVID-related infractions all surfaced. Though he was cleared of the first two, the NHL came down hard for the third, handing out the 21-game ban that effectively ended his time with the Sharks. When the suspension was announced, Kane released a statement through the NHLPA:
I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols. I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for. During my suspension, I will continue to participate in counseling to help me make better decisions in the future. When my suspension is over, I plan to return to the ice with great effort, determination and love for the game of hockey.
Just two months later though, he allegedly broke protocols again by traveling to Vancouver during a period of mandatory isolation following a positive COVID result. The NHLPA has filed a grievance on Kane’s behalf after the Sharks used this latest breach to terminate his contract, one which now seems to have merit based on the findings of the NHL’s latest investigation.
For now, Kane joins the Oilers on a short-term deal once again looking to prove he can be a reliable, valuable member of an NHL organization. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Edmonton Oilers Place Tyson Barrie On IR, Activate Zach Hyman From Protocol
The Edmonton Oilers announced a flurry of roster moves Thursday night. Left wing Zach Hyman has come off COVID protocol, defenseman Tyson Barrie lands on injured reserve, defenseman William Lagesson comes to the active roster to replace him, and goalie Olivier Rodrigue comes up from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to the team’s taxi squad.
Hyman hasn’t played much in the last month or so due to injuries and COVID protocol, so his return to the lineup is much-anticipated. Through 32 games, the first-year Oiler has 11 goals and 20 assists for 21 points on the year. He’s one of four Oilers with ten goals, joining Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Jesse Puljujarvi.
Barrie exits the lineup just as the team’s defense had returned to full health. While not the world-beating production he had last year, Barrie still has 17 points in 35 games, playing mostly in a shielded role more suited to his defensive weaknesses.
The Oilers will likely have Lagesson enter the lineup, but he’s been used sparingly this year. In just 10 games, the Swedish defenseman has two assists and is averaging a meager 11:31 per game.
Rodrigue, the team’s 62nd overall selection in 2018, has a .886 save percentage in 13 games with Bakersfield this year.
Injury Notes: Stars, Ducks, Golden Knights, Devils
Dallas Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara reports from team practice that defenseman John Klingberg and center Radek Faksa took the ice today after missing time with an upper-body injury and non-COVID-related illness, respectively. Klingberg missed the team’s last game, a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Faksa missed that game and the night prior against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be huge returns to the Stars lineup, especially Klingberg. With the Swedish defenseman reportedly requesting a trade out of Dallas, every game (and every good play) matters for Dallas to recoup as much value as possible if a trade occurs.
A busy night in the NHL yields more injury news:
- The Anaheim Ducks get two key contributors back tonight versus Montreal, activating center Adam Henrique from injured reserve and defenseman Josh Manson from COVID-19 protocol. Both return to prominent roles in the lineup, with Henrique’s 16 points in 24 games likely to help boost a stagnating Ducks offense as of late. To make room on the active roster, the team reassigned defensemen Jacob Larsson and Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad and Brendan Guhle to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
- Two gigantic contributors are returning to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith make their returns tonight, per the Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson. Pacioretty’s rarely been healthy this year, but when he has, he’s scored at a torrid pace, netting 12 goals and 21 points in 16 games. Smith, coming off COVID protocol, has a respectable 29 points in 41 games.
- The New Jersey Devils got some good news with defenseman Ty Smith coming off injured reserve today, but he’s been replaced on the list by center Michael McLeod. Despite Smith’s strong rookie campaign last season, he’s having a serious sophomore slump with poor defensive numbers and just 10 points in 33 games to show for it. Hopefully, a reset can help jumpstart an improvement in play for the 21-year-old. The Devils will miss McLeod and his 11 points and 41 games in a depth role.
Kyle Palmieri Removed From Injured Reserve
The New York Islanders tweeted Thursday night that the team removed forward right wing Kyle Palmieri from injured reserve, replacing him with center Austin Czarnik, who lands on the list with an upper-body injury retroactive to January 22nd.
Palmieri’s last game was over a month ago, leaving December 16th’s game against the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury after 12 shifts and 9:12 of ice time. The team originally classified Palmieri as day-to-day with a lower-body injury but ended up spending nearly a month on injured reserve after landing there on December 30th.
Despite continuing to receive top-six minutes this season, Palmieri’s having the worst statistical season of his career since becoming a full-time NHL player. While still serviceable defensively, Palmieri’s totals plummeted to just one goal and six assists for seven points in 25 games.
Bad luck is definitely a factor in this non-ideal 2021-22 season for the Islanders and Palmieri, though. He’s shooting at a rate of just 1.8%, unsustainably low compared to his career average of 12.1%. Since joining the Islanders at last season’s trade deadline, he’s now shot at just 3.4% during the regular season.
In his return to the lineup, Palmieri will continue to get a chance in the team’s top-six, playing with Anthony Beauvillier and Brock Nelson on the second line, per Newsday’s Andrew Gross.
The severity and timeline of Czarnik’s injury are unknown. He could come off injured reserve as soon as February 1st. Czarnik has proved valuable to the Islanders in a depth role this year, producing well with five points in 11 games. His +5 rating leads Islanders forwards.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 01/27/22
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
Justin Abdelkader Released From PTO, Will Join U.S. Olympic Team
Jan 27: After just three games with the Griffins, Abdelkader is off to Beijing. He has been released from his PTO and will join the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing as an alternate. Abdelkader could be added to the roster if the team runs into injury or COVID-related issues. He did not record a point in his three AHL contests.
Jan 21: It’s been more than a decade since Justin Abdelkader last took the ice for the Grand Rapids Griffins. That stretch will end in the coming days after the veteran forward signed an AHL professional tryout with the Detroit Red Wings affiliate.
Abdelkader, 34, played last season for EV Zug in Switzerland and last suited up for an NHL game during the 2019-20 season. The veteran forward spent his entire career with the Red Wings organization, playing in 739 regular season games and racking up 252 points. A member of Team USA several times, Abdelkader served as captain for last summer’s World Championship squad that finished third, taking home a bronze medal in the process.
This might have seemed like an attempt to get onto the U.S. Olympic squad had it happened a few weeks ago, but the roster for that group was already announced. Instead, it appears more like a comeback attempt for a player who isn’t so far removed from NHL action.
Still, Abdelkader was a shell of his former self in 2019-20 with the Red Wings and failed to record a single goal in 49 outings. A stint with the Griffins won’t necessarily turn into anything more than that.