AHL Shuffle: 12/14/21
It’s an extremely busy Tuesday in the NHL with 13 games on the schedule. Even while teams deal with COVID absences–including some pretty important ones–the league will soldier on with games as it tries to battle through this season. With injuries and illnesses building up, there will be several recalls and reassignments across the NHL today. We’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Aleksi Heponiemi once again, as they deal with the loss of Ryan Lomberg to the COVID protocol. Heponiemi, a second-round pick from 2017, played in nine games last season for the Panthers but has yet to make his 2021-22 debut. In 21 games for the Charlotte Checkers, he has 13 points.
- With Brad Marchand and Craig Smith placed in the COVID protocol, the Boston Bruins have made a pair of recalls from the minor leagues. Jack Studnicka and Oskar Steen are back up to help out the big squad for the time being.
Metropolitan Division
- The Carolina Hurricanes, missing Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, have recalled the AHL scoring leader Andrew Poturalski from the Chicago Wolves. The 27-year-old forward has 34 points in 23 games this season and can slide into an offensive role for the Hurricanes right away. Undrafted, Poturalski has played just two games at the NHL level, both coming with Carolina back in the 2016-17 season.
Central Division
- After Anton Khudobin cleared waivers, he has been assigned to the Texas Stars of the AHL. Dallas has recalled Riley Damiani and Ty Dellandrea in his place, while moving Roope Hintz to injured reserve. Damiani, 21, has been great since entering the AHL last season, scoring 54 points in 57 games. The fifth-round pick would be making his NHL debut if he’s gets into the lineup.
- Janis Moser has been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes, a nice reward for a 21-year-old defenseman that has made an excellent transition to North American hockey. Selected 60th overall in 2021, Moser has 12 points in 18 games for the Tucson Roadrunners and appears to have been completely overlooked when he went undrafted during his first two years of eligibility.
Pacific Division
- The Seattle Kraken have recalled Max McCormick from the Charlotte Checkers, giving them another forward to plug into the lineup tonight against San Jose. McCormick has played five games so far this season, held scoreless throughout.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Barzal, Toews, Marchand Placed In COVID Protocol
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.
Bill Guerin Named GM Of U.S. Olympic Team
It had been quite some time since Stan Bowman was removed from the general manager position with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team, but there had been no official replacement named. Until now that is, as Bill Guerin has been introduced as the new GM, with Chris Drury named an assistant. The two will work with John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant director of hockey operations at USA Hockey, to build out the roster.
Guerin had been an assistant GM before Bowman’s scandal forced his removal from the program, and was the obvious choice to take over the reins. He spoke with the media today and called it the “dream of a lifetime” though his appointment does not guarantee that NHL players will decide to go to the tournament in Beijing next year. The Minnesota Wild GM told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic that he has been in touch with Jack Eichel‘s agent to discuss the Vegas Golden Knights forward’s status in regards to the Games.
Vanbiesbrouck meanwhile explained that if the NHL players decide not to go, the team will have to look at AHL, NCAA and international talent. His full focus currently is on the NHL and as Nick Cotsoniko of NHL.com tweets, it appears as though USA Hockey is proceeding as if the NHL will be participating.
Guerin of course has already been an Olympian, representing the U.S. on three occasions during his long playing career. He won a silver medal in 2002 at the Salt Lake City tournament. Drury too was a three-time Olympian during his playing days, and has been USA Hockey’s choice for GM of the World Championship team in both 2019 and 2021.
Ryan Lomberg, Craig Smith Enter COVID Protocol
While we wait on news from Calgary on the Flames’ situation, two players from the Atlantic Division are dealing with their own quarantines. The Florida Panthers have announced that Ryan Lomberg will be unavailable tonight due to COVID protocols, while the Boston Bruins announced that Craig Smith has been placed in the protocol.
Neither team confirmed whether or not the players have tested positive, but if they have and are experiencing any symptoms they will be held out a minimum of ten days. The Panthers are set to play the Ottawa Senators this evening and will have to do so without Lomberg, while the Bruins are welcoming in the Vegas Golden Knights without Smith’s help.
The spread of COVID across the league continues, though to this point there have been only three teams that required postponed schedules. Still, the prospect of Olympic participation seems more and more unlikely with each positive case. The league continues to try and navigate the schedule without disruption, meaning for teams like Florida and Boston, they’ll have to make due with a little less depth for the time being.
Russia Announces 2022 WJC Roster
The 2022 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, set to kick off on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. Canada, Sweden, Finland, and others have already named their teams, and today, Russia has joined them.
Team Russia:
G Yaroslav Askarov (NSH)
G Yegor Guskov (undrafted)
G Maksim Motorygin (undrafted)
D Kirill Kirsanov (LAK)
D Arseni Koromyslov (2022 draft eligible)
D Nikita Smirnov (undrafted)
D Vladimir Grudinin (2022 draft eligible)
D Nikita Novikov (BUF)
D Yegor Savikov (undrafted)
D Kirill Steklov (undrafted)
D Shakir Mukhamadullin (NJD)
F Semyon Demidov (undrafted)
F Matvei Michkov (2023 draft eligible)
F Fyodor Svechkov (NSH)
F Ivan Didkovsky (undrafted)
F Kirill Tankov (PIT)
F Marat Khusnutdinov (MIN)
F Nikita Chibrikov (WPG)
F Nikita Guslistov (CAR)
F Ivan Zinchenko (undrafted)
F Dmitry Zlodeyev (VAN)
F Vasily Ponomaryov (CAR)
F Alexander Pashin (CAR)
F Pavel Tyutnev (undrafted)
F Danila Yurov (2022 draft eligible)
Russia is notoriously stingy when it comes to allowing draft-eligible players to make the team, usually choosing instead to bring along the more polished, committed, 19-year-old national program options. That always means they bring along quite a few undrafted names, but this year the roster is actually dotted with some unique talents.
Michkov will draw all the attention as he goes up against Canada’s Connor Bedard, the two players in the running for the first-overall pick in 2023. But Yurov and Koromyslov should also be watched as potential high picks in the upcoming draft.
Interestingly, the team does not include Ivan Miroshnichenko, who is also expected to go in the early parts of the 2022 draft. It also does not include players like Yan Kuznetsov or Daniil Chayka, top prospects playing in North America. On those cases in particular, head coach Sergei Zubov had this to say:
It was a tough decision to make. We held an individual conversation with each player who left our group, thanking all of them for their efforts. Ivan Miroshnichenko wasn’t picked? He isn’t in the best physical condition at the moment. We haven’t chosen any players from the North American leagues? We were watching Yan Kuznetsov and Daniil Chayka, but we came to the conclusion that the players who have been training with us here in Russia are stronger defensively. The strongest players have been picked.
Detroit Red Wings Extend Robby Fabbri
Ever since Robby Fabbri arrived in Detroit early in the 2019-20 season, it has been obvious that he is perfect fit with the Red Wings. Now the team has made sure that he won’t be playing anywhere else any time soon. The Red Wings have announced a three-year, $12MM contract extension with Fabbri, keeping the 25-year-old forward under contract through the 2024-25 season. Fabbri had been scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Since Fabbri was acquired by Detroit from the Blues (regrettably for St. Louis in exchange for Jacob de La Rose), he is third in scoring for the club. Even more impressive is that he has accomplished this despite missing 26 games last season. Overall, Fabbri has 32 goals and 63 points in 110 games with the Red Wings. Though health has been an issue for Fabbri throughout his career, when on the ice he is an effective offensive weapon and has carved out a crucial top-six role for himself on a club looking to transition from rebuild to relevance. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Fabbri has not missed any time so far this season and Detroit has taken a major step forward, with Fabbri on pace for over 20 goals and 40 points.
Moving forward with the Wings, Fabbri will remain a part of a talented group of core forwards with room still to grow alongside Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Jakub Vrana. Detroit is projecting improvement from Fabbri with the $4MM AAV on his new deal, an improvement on his current $2.95MM, but it is easy to see Fabbri’s numbers continuing to rise if he stays healthy. Additionally, with a vast number of talented younger players either on the roster or on the way soon, this group will also be the leadership unit for the Red Wings up front, which is also contributed to the value calculation of Fabbri’s new deal. A fan favorite who plays hard and puts up points, extending Fabbri was an easy decision for GM Steve Yzerman as he continues to shape his rebuilding club for future success.
Jim Rutherford Won’t Rush To Hire GM, Make Trades
Since the Vancouver Canucks cleaned house on December 5, firing GM Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green, among others, the team is 4-0-0. While new head coach Bruce Boudreau may have made a difference behind the bench in those contests, new President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford has barely been on the job since his hiring was formally announced on Thursday. It just goes to show that the Canucks roster is not in need of a complete teardown. Changes can be made, and knowing Rutherford they certainly will, but the Hall of Fame executive will not make any snap judgements. As a result, Rutherford told the media today, including NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley, that he will not rush to hire a GM nor to make any trades.
The interim GM as well, Rutherford was hired with the intention of overseeing the Canucks’ front office rather than running the day-to-day. He has others in mind for that role, stating that there are 40 names currently on the list to possibly be the next Vancouver GM. Rutherford won’t rush the decision though and will instead take his time with trimming the list. “I’m not here to be the general manager, but I’m capable of doing the job,” Rutherford said. “I would like to get somebody in place sooner than later, but if it’s not in the near future it’s OK. We want to try to get it right.” Rutherford mentioned that he will consider both former GMs and current Assistant GM’s for the role and wants to find someone that he works well with, whether that be an experienced mind who would be more of an equal partner or instead someone that he can mentor and mold.
Without a GM in place, Rutherford also does not expect to make any trades in meantime. Again, he is permitted to make a move and has more experience in doing so than just about anyone on the planet, but will not rush to change the roster that he just recently inherited and wants to take time to evaluate:
I’m not in a hurry to make a trade. I’ve already got calls. I got calls before I got to Vancouver: ‘I like this player, I like that player, give me a call if you decide to move somebody.’ If somebody calls and something pretty good comes along that we think improves our team now and in the long run, yeah, we’ll take a look at it. But I’m not going to be making a lot of calls. My focus immediately will be to get this restructured and get people in place, because the stronger the hockey department is off the ice, it will make the team stronger on the ice… There’s work to be done here. There’s holes in the lineup, areas that have to be worked on… [but] I want to be careful with our trades.
While Rutherford largely spoke in generalities about his opinions on the current construction of the roster and his plans to improve, he did note that buying, in the typical sense of the word, is “not the cycle we’re in.” In fact, Rutherford stated that his early-round draft picks will be untouchable, as will some of his younger standouts. The one name specifically mentioned as off limits was starter Thatcher Demko, but as Rutherford watches the Canucks – especially if they keep winning – that list is likely to grow. Once Rutherford has his new GM and has had enough time to properly evaluate the roster, it seems like his plan is probably to re-tool by moving some of the veteran Canucks off the roster. A new voice and new plan in the front office is already exciting for Vancouver and their fans, but more fireworks are coming – just not quite yet.
Roster Notes: Lehkonen, Korpisalo, Maple Leafs
As the Montreal Canadiens continue to falter in 2021-22, now last in the Eastern Conference and leading the league in goals allowed, a fire sale seems imminent for the franchise. As pundits across North America discuss who could be moving on from the Habs, a story has emerged from TVA’s Renaud Lavoie about one potential candidate who was nearly moved last season. Lavoie reported on their air on Saturday that the Canadiens and St. Louis Blues had a deal in place for forward Artturi Lehkonen at the deadline, which would have seen Sammy Blais go the other way. However, a condition of the deal was an extension for Lehkonen, then an impending restricted free agent, and the restricted free agent refused to agree to a new contract with the Blues, nixing the trade. The 26-year-old ended up re-signing for just one year with Montreal this summer and will be an RFA once more this off-season. However, it seems more and more unlikely that he will be negotiating with the Habs once again, as Lehkonen’s scoring is up from last season, making him an attractive trade piece for the Canadiens. Although Blais is now a member of the New York Rangers, the Blues could still be a suitor for Lehkonen with a different offer if they can make the cap implications work. The forward could be seen as a rental or as a long-term investment which should provide a deep pool of potential trade partners for the new front office administration in Montreal.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets could be forced to make a significant roster move later this season, but hopefully it does not come to that. The Finnish government released a list of names this week that included professional athletes who had not completed their required military service. All male citizens of Finland are conscripted to serve a certain number of days – 165, 255 or 347 days depending on the assignment – of military service and must meet this requirement between the ages of 18 and 28. Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo turns 28 this spring and has yet to complete any of his required service. Korpisalo tells The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that he regrets putting it off, but he has had his in-season obligations every year since he was 18 and never wanted to disrupt his off-season training schedule in the summers. The Finnish government stated that those athletes who had not yet met this civic duty would be enlisted to begin service on April 11, 2022. Well, Columbus’ regular season does not end until April 29 and the team currently sits just one spot outside of playoff position as well. Korpisalo’s response to the possibility of missing time because of conscription: “If they want to come get me, come get me. I’m not leaving during my season.” Hopefully it doesn’t reach that point for Korpisalo and the Jackets, but it does seem like the goaltender at least plans to serve his time this summer. He has little choice as the Finnish government will not renew his passport if he does not complete his required service before turning 29, making it impossible for him to travel to North America let alone play in the NHL. This is especially concerning for Korpisalo this summer, when he will be an unrestricted free agent. While the veteran keeper expects that a “special arrangement” will be made that allows him to complete his current season, serve his time in the off-season, and be ready for next season, wherever that may be, the last-minute nature of the situation could still prove problematic. This likely isn’t the last we have heard about Korpisalo’s military requirements and its impact on his playing career.
- Ilya Mikheyev appears to be getting closer to a return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. The Hockey News’ David Alter reports that both Mikheyev and defenseman Travis Dermott will be evaluated on Tuesday for a potential return against the Edmonton Oilers. Getting the skilled forward back from Long-Term Injured Reserve will be a nice boost for the Leafs, but it of course raises questions as well. Toronto is currently $4.9MM over the salary cap, but this is permissible given the LTIR usage afforded by Mikheyev and Mitch Marner. However, once Marner is healthy as well, a roster crunch will set in for the Leafs if no more extended injuries have arisen. Even if no one is on injured reserve at the time and the likes of Alex Steeves and Kyle Clifford have likely been bumped from the roster to accommodate the additions up front of Mikheyev and Marner, the team will still be over the salary cap. If the Leafs want to carry the full 23 skaters, they will need to save room for at least a minimum $750K contract too. This could result in a notable player being traded or waived in order to become cap compliant. For a number of bottom-six forwards, the return of Mikheyev is a warning and they have until Marner returns to prove that they belong on the team or else could be the one forced out of town.
Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis Enter COVID Protocol
The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis have both entered the COVID protocol. Though the team did not confirm whether or not they have tested positive, both players–plus a member of the training staff–will be remaining in Vancouver as the team travels to Minnesota, suggesting they have.
Notably, the Hurricanes played the Calgary Flames on Thursday, a team that has now been shut down due to a massive outbreak. Carolina played two more games between then and now, visiting the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Aho actually didn’t play in the game against Vancouver, missing it with an “illness”, but Jarvis did, playing a career-high of 17 minutes against the Canucks.
This isn’t the first time that the Hurricanes have dealt with brutal COVID-related absences either. The team lost Ethan Bear, Brett Pesce, and Tony DeAngelo all at the same time earlier this season, with the latter two only expected to make their return tomorrow night. It’s a good thing they are, too, because the Hurricanes don’t have the cap space to make any additional recalls. Like other teams, they would have been forced to play shorthanded if any other injuries cropped up. Instead, the team has sent Maxime Lajoie back to the AHL as the two defensemen rejoin the club in Minnesota.
Still, losing Aho and Jarvis will take a big bite out of the Hurricanes’ top-six. Aho is fresh off a second star of the week award after extending his multi-point game streak to five, and easily leads the team with 32 points in 26 games. Jarvis meanwhile has been a little less reliable as an offensive piece with 11 points in 20 games, but is still just 19 years old and getting his feet wet at the NHL level. The youngster hasn’t scored a goal in his last 11 games and will now face a quarantine period before he can get back on the ice if he has indeed tested positive.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Barkov, Bordeleau
The NHL has released the Three Stars for last week, with Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko leading the way. Demko went 4-0 with a .962 save percentage under new head coach Bruce Boudreau, allowing just five goals on 133 shots. The old adage of “show me a good coach, I’ll show you a good goalie” may be coming true here for the new bench boss, but Vancouver fans certainly aren’t complaining about the wins that are coming because of Demko’s strong play.
Second and third place have gone to Sebastian Aho and Devon Toews, respectively, after their own outstanding weeks. The Carolina Hurricanes star had five goals and seven points in three games, continuing a streak of multi-point games that has now reached five. Aho is up to 15 goals and 32 points on the season and looks poised to finish above a point-per-game for the third time in his career. Toews meanwhile continues to fly under the radar in terms of nationwide recognition, as he stars–yes, stars–for the Colorado Avalanche. The 27-year-old defenseman is averaging almost 25 minutes a night this season (including 29:14 in his last game) and now has 20 points in 16 games. That actually puts him first among defensemen in points/game, even ahead of partner Cale Makar. It also has Toews 10th among all defensemen in scoring despite playing so many fewer games than the leaders (Adam Fox, who leads all defensemen, has played 11 more games than Toews).
- It’s bad news for Aleksander Barkov, as he heads back to injured reserve after just one game back. That’s the move to clear room for Jonas Johansson, claimed today off waivers, but it’s a tough blow for the Atlantic-leading Florida Panthers. After losing last night to the Colorado Avalanche with Barkov out of the lineup, the Panthers are now tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs with two games in hand for the division crown. Unfortunately, Barkov will now have to miss at least seven days from his last game, meaning he won’t be available tomorrow night either. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out this time.
- It was announced over the weekend that Thomas Bordeleau won’t be competing for the U.S. at the upcoming World Junior tournament, and Eric Leblanc of RDS reports that it’s because the young forward tested positive for COVID-19. It’s a devastating outcome for the San Jose Sharks prospect, who missed last year’s tournament as well because his roommate–John Beecher–received a false positive just before the event began. Bordeleau is off to another great season with the University of Michigan, scoring 19 points in his first 18 games. This was his last chance at the World Juniors, as he’ll turn 20 in early January.