Coyotes Add Travis Boyd, Matias Maccelli To COVID Protocol
The latest victims of the Coronavirus surge across the NHL come from the desert. Ahead of their Tuesday night game against the San Jose Sharks, the Arizona Coyotes have announced that forwards Travis Boyd and Matias Maccelli have in the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol. The ‘Yotes do not play again until January 2, so this could be the only missed game for the duo.
This news is still brutal for Maccelli though, who was set to make his NHL debut tonight. Arizona had expressed its excitement for the rookie forward to join the team just earlier this afternoon. Yet, in the current state of the NHL even the reinforcements are no safe bet to make it into the lineup. Maccelli has been a point-per-game player for the Tucson Roadrunners this season and was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for November, so it is understandable why the rebuilding Coyotes are eager to get the promising 21-year-old into some NHL action.
Boyd is quietly one of the Coyotes’ top players this season. Admittedly, the last-place squad is not scoring many goals, but Boyd is still second on the team with seven tallies as well as fourth in points and first with an unbelievable (though unsustainable) 29.2% shooting percentage. Arizona is fortunate that this is likely just a one-game absence, as they can ill-afford to lose Boyd for an extended period of time.
Mike Smith, Jujhar Khaira Nearing Return From Long-Term Injuries
Two of the NHL’s more high-profile injury absences should be coming to an end shortly. Both Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith and Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira are in play to return to their respective lineups this week. Sportsnet reports that Smith will be “available” on Wednesday, while relaying an Associated Press story that has Khaira could be ready to go on Saturday.
Smith, 39, has had a season to forget thus far but hopes that he can stay healthy the rest of the way for the Oilers. The veteran netminder has been out of the lineup for over two months with an undisclosed lower-body injury, which he calls “one of the most difficult injuries of my career”. Smith was injured back on October 19 in just his third start of the season and has not played since. He returned to practice briefly last month before returning to the injured reserve. This sounds less like an in-game injury and more like a nagging issue that became too much to handle, but has since been resolved to some extent. While Smith sounds eager to resume play, Edmonton will not attempt to rush him back yet again, which is likely why the team has not yet named a starter for Wednesday. Smith was excellent for the Oilers last season and will be a key piece of their success this season, but with rookie Stuart Skinner playing well behind serviceable starter Mikko Koskinen, the team does not need to rush Smith back or overwork him either.
The former Oiler Khaira, in his first season with Chicago, has neither the name recognition of Smith nor the lengthy recovery time. However, any time a player is stretchered from the ice his injury status becomes headline news. This was the case with Khaira, who was knocked out by a check from New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba on December 7. Khaira was sent to the hospital and has been on the injured reserve since while going through the NHL’s concussion protocol. Fortunately, it seems the big winger has dealt with what appeared to be a serious head injury rather well. If Khaira does suit up on Saturday, it will be just three-and-half weeks since he suffered the concussion, a stretch made even more tolerable for both he and the Blackhawks by postponements that have kept Chicago out of action since December 18. Khaira has missed just five games as a result.
NHL Announces More Postponments
The count is now 80. The league has postponed another match this week, this time between the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The Islanders continue to place new players in the COVID protocol–Brock Nelson went in today.
There have also been nine games postponed due to attendance restrictions in Canadian markets. The following will be rescheduled for later this season:
- Pittsburgh @ Ottawa, December 31
- Winnipeg @ Calgary, December 31
- Carolina @ Toronto, January 3
- Washington @ Montreal, January 4
- Toronto @ Montreal, January 6
- Buffalo @ Montreal, January 8
- Seattle @ Winnipeg, January 8
- Columbus @ Montreal, January 10
- Minnesota @ Winnipeg, January 10
The game between Bruins and Canadiens originally scheduled in Montreal on January 12 will now be played in Boston. A make-up date for the Bruins-Canadiens game that needs to be played in Montreal will be announced at a later date.
The Islanders are expected to get two players out of the protocol tomorrow but still will have Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, Cal Clutterbuck, Zach Parise, and Oliver Wahlstrom unavailable tomorrow. The Red Wings, meanwhile, added Lucas Raymond and Nick Leddy on Sunday and have several other players still in the protocol.
For the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, in particular, moving home dates to later this season would give them a chance to collect some if not all of the expected revenue. With the players still owing a huge amount of escrow debt to the owners, keeping hockey-related revenues as high as possible is important if the league is to rebound to the high levels commissioner Gary Bettman explained earlier this month.
Trevor Zegras Placed In COVID Protocol
Hockey fans will have to wait a little while for the next Trevor Zegras highlight, as the Anaheim Ducks have placed their dynamic playmaker in the COVID protocol. Zegras joins Max Comtois and Sam Steel, who were added to the protocol on Sunday.
It’s hard to find a more exciting player in the league right now, as Zegras constantly attempts–and often completes–passes that are rarely seen in the NHL. It’s not just his behind-the-net flip to Sonny Milano either, but routine plays he turns into outstanding chances for his linemates. With 25 points in 30 games this season he’s a big reason why the Ducks are tied for first place in the Pacific Division and looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
If Zegras tested positive, he’ll most likely miss the next few games for Anaheim as he isolates away from the team. The Ducks are set to go on the road for two games after tonight’s match, before returning for another four-game homestand in early January. Without their talented youngster, Ryan Getzlaf and the rest of the group will have to pick up the slack and keep the Ducks humming along at the top of the Pacific.
Darren Helm Enters COVID Protocol
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.
Florida Panthers Add Jonathan Huberdeau, Three Others To COVID Protocol
Dec 28: Olli Juolevi is the latest Panther to enter the protocol, joining the four added on Sunday who are still unavailable.
Dec 26: The Florida Panthers announced Sunday afternoon that wingers Jonathan Huberdeau and Owen Tippett, center Eetu Luostarinen, and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
An expected day of COVID news continues as teams return to practice after the holiday break. It now makes 12 Florida players in COVID protocol. Wingers Frank Vatrano, Carter Verhaeghe and Ryan Lomberg, center Sam Bennett, and defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Radko Gudas, and Brandon Montour were already in protocol.
After the NHL postponed all games on December 27, the team was supposed to return to play on December 29 against the New York Rangers. With these four skaters at the least likely being unavailable for this game, it’s entirely a possibility that the game could get postponed as well.
It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the NHL could postpone the entire schedule further as these cases continue to come in. Nearly every team’s roster is seriously affected by COVID cases at this point.
For the Panthers though, returning to play without these four is tough. Huberdeau is their team leader in scoring with 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points through 29 games, while Tippett and Luostarinen have been good depth pieces, combining for 19 points in 29 games each. Weegar is playing nearly 24 minutes a night and is an integral part of the defense.
Devante Smith-Pelly Signs AHL PTO
With a growing list of COVID absences in the organization, the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket have turned to alumni to save the day. Devante Smith-Pelly, who played parts of two seasons for Montreal several years ago, has signed a professional tryout contract with Laval.
Smith-Pelly, 29, had a long, productive career in the NHL, spanning more than 400 games between the regular season and playoffs. He even won a Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, scoring two playoff game-winning goals along the way. The bang-and-crash forward last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season with Washington, before spending 2019-20 in the KHL and last year in the AHL with the Ontario Reign.
Like with some of the other former NHL players signing odd contracts around the world, one has to wonder whether this contract for Smith-Pelly could actually be a precursor for bigger things. The Olympics are coming in a few months and without NHL participation, Canada will be looking for players to represent the country in Beijing that are currently not contracted to an NHL club. A PTO or an AHL deal should allow Smith-Pelly to participate if he finds himself on Hockey Canada’s radar.
If that ever did occur, it would be a redemption story for the Scarborough native. In 2011, Smith-Pelly had made the Anaheim Ducks out of camp but was loaned to the Canadian World Junior team when the tournament arrived. He was supposed to play a huge role for the club and was named an alternate captain ahead of the event. Unfortunately, while blocking a shot during a game that Canada won easily–the kind of heart-and-soul play that Smith-Pelly would become known for–he suffered a broken foot and would not play again the rest of the tournament. Since then, he hasn’t had another chance to suit up internationally.
Ottawa Senators Recall Matt Murray
Out of pure necessity, the Ottawa Senators have recalled Matt Murray from the AHL. Both Filip Gustavsson and Anton Forsberg are in the COVID protocol, leaving the team without a goaltender on the active roster.
With the Senators off until Friday, there is a chance that Gustavsson could be activated in time to play. But even if he has experienced mild or no symptoms, it may be wise to give him a few days of practice before putting him back in the net. That would leave Murray as the only option, despite him not proving much has changed in the weeks since he was sent to the AHL.
The 27-year-old netminder, who has two Stanley Cups and a hefty contract to his name, was sent to the AHL after another poor start to the season. Since arriving in Ottawa, Murray has an .892 save percentage in 33 appearances, winning just ten of those games. Those numbers improved during his time in the minor leagues, but he was only able to appear in two games for the Belleville Senators given their own COVID issues. The fact that he only faced 61 AHL shots certainly doesn’t inspire much confidence that he’s turned around his game.
Still, the absolute best outcome here for the Senators is Murray playing well enough to stay in the NHL. With a contract that carries a $6.25MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, getting some value out of the veteran netminder is imperative.
Buffalo Sabres Recall Three Players
Play the kids! The Buffalo Sabres have made some interesting recalls today, bringing up Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka, and Arttu Ruotsalainen. With several players in the COVID protocol and the Sabres set to resume their season tomorrow night, the young prospects could get a chance to show what they can do at the NHL level.
Coincidentally, this means that Krebs will likely make his Sabres debut in the same game as Alex Tuch, who has recovered from injury and will be in the lineup tomorrow night. The pair of forwards came to Buffalo in exchange for Jack Eichel last month (along with draft picks) and will be under the microscope as they make their debuts. While Tuch has been rehabbing, Krebs has been lighting it up at the AHL level, scoring 14 points in 16 games with the Rochester Americans. The 17th overall pick in 2019, Krebs is potentially a long-term option for the Sabres down the middle of the ice.
Peterka meanwhile has been wowing Rochester fans all season, scoring 20 points in 23 games as an AHL rookie. The 19-year-old forward was the 34th overall pick in 2020 and is in his first season in North America. Notably, he could be playing for Germany at the World Juniors right now but was left off the roster to continue his development in the Sabres system, as he’d already competed in the tournament twice previously. It has proved to be a good decision as it looks like he’ll get his NHL debut a few weeks ahead of his 20th birthday.
Ruotsalainen, 24, has been in the Sabres system for two years now after signing as an undrafted European free agent in 2019 and coming over to North America last season. In 33 games at the NHL level he has seven goals and 10 points, impressing whenever given regular offensive playing time. The 5’9″ forward doesn’t exactly come with the same kind of excitement that Krebs and Peterka bring, but could still help the Sabres fill out the lineup in the coming days and weeks.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/28/21
The NHL is set to return to action today, with three games still scheduled for this evening. While nothing is set in stone anymore, it appears as though the season is finally set to resume. With that in mind, there will be more taxi squad shuffling all across the league as teams prepare, with players coming in and out of the COVID protocol. We’ll keep track of all the taxi squad moves right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have added Louis Belpedio to their taxi squad who has joined them in Tampa Bay ahead of the game tonight. Belpedio, 25, has eight points in 24 games with the Laval Rocket this season and does have four games of NHL experience in his career.
- As the Toronto Maple Leafs get players out of the COVID protocol, they’re making some changes to the taxi squad. Kristians Rubins has been added, while Brett Seney, Alex Steeves, and Joseph Woll have cleared it completely and were assigned to the Toronto Marlies.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers have recalled Morgan Barron, Jonny Brodzinski, Tim Gettinger, Adam Huska, Zac Jones, and Matthew Robertson to the taxi squad, showing off some of their organizational depth on defense especially. Robertson, 20, isn’t often mentioned when discussing the Rangers’ youngsters, but he too was a relatively high draft pick, selected 49th overall in 2019. The 6’4″ defenseman has five points in 23 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this season, his first as a pro.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned Kasper Bjorkqvist, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Juuso Riikola, and Louis Domingue to the taxi squad, four players that represent some strong depth for the organization. Joseph’s placement is perhaps the most surprising, given how important his development still is, but he’s proved already that he’s too good for the AHL. The 22-year-old defenseman has 11 points in 16 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. (UPDATE: According to Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Joseph actually tested positive for COVID today and will not be recalled).
- The New Jersey Devils have assigned Jesper Boqvist and Kevin Bahl to the taxi squad, giving the team some more young talent to practice with in the coming weeks. Bahl, 21, has played four games for the Devils this season and 11 since arriving in a trade from the Arizona Coyotes in 2020.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Cam York, but it’s only to the taxi squad. The top prospect played three games for the Flyers last season but has spent this entire year in the minor leagues to this point.
Central Division
- The Winnipeg Jets have added Mikey Eyssimont to their taxi squad, taking it to two players for the time being. Ville Heinola was recalled to it yesterday, but with another Jets game postponed, they won’t play until Friday. (Update: Heinola has subsequently been loaned back to the Manitoba Moose)
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Matias Maccelli straight from the AHL to the NHL, where he’s expected to make his debut tonight. The 21-year-old forward has 21 points in 21 games for the Tucson Roadrunners in his first season in North America.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad, while sending Cody Glass all the way to the AHL. Glass, the sixth overall pick from 2017, has played just four games for Nashville this season.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Martin Frk, Jacob Moverare, and Alex Turcotte from the taxi squad, while also pulling Jaret Anderson-Dolan straight from the AHL to the NHL roster. The Kings are set to play the Vegas Golden Knights this evening, where Turcotte could potentially make his NHL debut.
- The Seattle Kraken have recalled both Kole Lind and Joey Daccord to the taxi squad, where they can provide a little insurance for the banged-up expansion team. Daccord leaving the Charlotte Checkers leaves them with Christopher Gibson and Devan Dubnyk, the latter of who is still there on a professional tryout.
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