Kevin Connauton, Joseph Woll Activated From Injured Reserve
A pair of preseason injuries are no longer limiting two players that are looking to push for more NHL opportunity this season. PuckPedia reports that the Florida Panthers have activated veteran defenseman Kevin Connauton from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve and CapFriendly reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have done the same with young goaltender Joseph Woll.
Connauton, 33, is just two years removed from being a starter for the Arizona Coyotes and the year before that set a career high with 21 points and 73 games. Yet, the past two years he has been used sparingly, to say the least. Connauton played in only four games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2019-20 and last season suited up for just seven games with the Panthers. Despite his limited NHL time of late, Florida still re-signed the experienced blue liner this summer and at least seem willing to give him a shot at a permanent job by not only activating him to the NHL roster, but making room by demoting priority NCAA free agent addition Matt Kiersted. The Cats are still only carrying seven defensemen with Markus Nutivaara currently on injured reserve, but Connauton may still have to prove he is worthy of a roster spot before Nutivaara returns. With solid depth on the blue line, recently supplemented by the acquisition of Olli Juolevi, Florida needs a reason to keep Connauton on the NHL roster and his seven games last season may not be enough. Getting healthy and back in action as quickly as he did certainly helps his case though.
Woll, 23, may ironically have a better shot at NHL opportunity this season despite having no experience in the league. The 2016 third-round pick, who was a standout at Boston College, has been with the AHL Marlies for the past two seasons and while his numbers aren’t eye-popping, his play continues to draw praise. The Toronto net is far from set and just while Woll was recovering from injury himself, the Leafs lost off-season addition Petr Mrazek to injury. Mrazek signed a three-year deal this summer, but has a history of injury issues. Current starter Jack Campbell and backup Michael Hutchinson are on expiring contracts and will be on the wrong side of 30 as they look for their next deal. Between planning for the future and managing the present, the Maple Leafs have some incentive to give Woll a look – potentially a long look – this season. Now healthy, the young keeper can settle in down in the AHL and hopefully look forward to his NHL debut sooner rather than later.
Minnesota Wild Suspend Ivan Lodnia
There have long been expectations for Ivan Lodnia to get to the pro ranks in North America and now, just when it seemed like he was finally there, it may already be over for the young forward. Lodnia, in the fifth year of his entry-level contract but just the first in which he had planned to play within the Minnesota Wild organization, has been suspended indefinitely. Lodnia opted not to report to the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders after failing to earn a roster spot with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the team has in turn informed Lodnia’s agent that he is on unpaid suspension until he agrees to play in the ECHL – or until the two sides decide on a mutual contract termination.
Lodnia, 22, was once a well-regarded prospect for the Wild, but that status is now in doubt. A 2017 third-round pick, Lodnia had the rare development path of playing for both the U.S. National Team Development Program and in the Canadian major junior ranks with the OHL’s Erie Otters and Niagara Ice Dogs. Lodnia signed his entry-level deal in the same year that he was drafted and proceeded to play at a near point-per-game pace in the OHL that season and even earn some AHL action on an amateur tryout with Iowa. Following a move to Niagara, he succeeded in topping a point-per-game pace in his final two junior seasons. The young forward looked primed to get his start in the AHL last season, but due to the delay in the start of the season he instead was playing in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk and the Wild opted to leave him on loan with the club through the 2020-21 campaign. Lodnia managed only seven points in 27 games with Minsk, but it was it his first pro experience.
One can understand why Lodnia might be confused and frustrated with his current situation. A young forward with strong junior numbers, solid draft pedigree, and pro experience who the team once valued so much that they signed him almost immediately drafting him: why is he not getting a chance in the AHL? While Lodnia does not seem like the caliber of prospect that should be in the ECHL, ultimately it is his job to play where the Wild ask him to play. After a season spent overseas seeing minimal ice time, Minnesota may want him to play top line minutes in the ECHL rather than a depth role in the AHL. The team may also be concerned about him even getting into the Iowa lineup with a full set of a dozen forwards signed to NHL deals who are also currently assigned to the AHL. Not only that, but Iowa’s current forward corps boasts a number of top prospects as well as seasoned veterans. Lodnia may simply be the odd man out right now.
Whatever the reasons, Minnesota has the right to assign their prospects where they see fit and to suspend them if they do not report. Per Russo, Lodnia is currently at home and still debating whether he will report to Iowa City or not and will remain suspended until there is a shift in the status quo. If no resolution can be reached, Lodnia’s contract could be terminated, making him a free agent. It’s an interesting possibility given that, on paper, he still looks like a good prospect and may not be the typical clean waive-and-terminate if other NHL teams are interested. However, Lodnia’s insistence on playing where he wants and not where the team needs him could be a turn off to rival clubs. With KHL experience already on his resume, perhaps a termination could lead to a return to Europe like so many do, though it would be a disappointing result for a long path toward NHL relevance for Lodnia.
Evander Kane Suspended 21 Games
The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 regular season games without pay, for an established violation of, and lack of compliance with, the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 Protocol. The league also released the following statement regarding the other allegations that were under investigation:
The National Hockey League also announced today that its concurrent investigation into allegations of domestic abuse made against Kane by his estranged wife, Deanna, could not be substantiated.
On October 6, Josh Dubow of the Associated Press reported that Kane was being investigated for allegations that he used a fake vaccination card. The league did not specify how the protocol was breached and indicated it would not comment further. Kane has already been away from the Sharks for the entire preseason as the investigations continued, and will now be ineligible to play for them until their game on November 30.
It has been an extremely tumultuous offseason for the Sharks and their star forward, as Kane has now been involved in three separate league investigations. Though he has been cleared in two of them, this long suspension means he won’t be able to help them for quite some time. Whether the two sides will reunite down the road is unclear, especially after a protocol violation that brought about this severe suspension.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Kane is not expected to appeal the suspension. Kane has released the following 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.
The Sharks have released a statement of their own on the extended loss of one of their top players and notably will not comment again until after the suspension is over:
While we are encouraged by Evander’s commitment to moving forward, we are extremely disappointed by his disregard for the health and safety protocols put in place by the NHL and NHLPA.
Max Domi Out 2-4 Weeks With Rib Fracture
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Max Domi for the next few weeks after placing him on injured reserve today with a fractured rib. The injury, which Domi suffered in Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken, is expected to keep him out between two and four weeks.
Domi was off to a great start for the Blue Jackets, with four points in his first two games. He played just over ten minutes in the game on Saturday, but was still on the ice when Patrik Laine scored the overtime winner. He’ll now miss at least the rest of the month, which would be six games for the Blue Jackets.
The depth of the Columbus organization is already being tested, as both Domi and Emil Bemstrom have sustained serious injuries in the early going. The team is expected to insert top prospect Yegor Chinakhov into the lineup to make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings, after he was recalled yesterday.
Chinakhov, 20, was the 21st overall pick in 2020 and scored in his AHL debut (on his only shot) on Saturday night.
Cody Glass Assigned To AHL
This summer, the Nashville Predators decided to move Ryan Ellis, a franchise icon who had played more than 560 games for the team and was so important to the team that in 2017, when asked who should be the next captain of the team, Roman Josi (who was eventually awarded the “C”) said his fellow defenseman instead of himself. Ellis was made an “associate captain” at the time, showing just how highly the organization and team thought of him. When it became obvious that their cap situation was going to be difficult to navigate moving forward, Ellis was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick. Immediately, Patrick was flipped to his old junior coach Kelly McCrimmon and the Vegas Golden Knights, in exchange for Cody Glass.
Glass had failed to establish himself as a regular in the loaded Vegas forward group, with just 66 NHL games under his belt entering this season. He had scored nine goals and 22 points in that time, but had also only suited up for a handful of AHL games each season. The hope was that in Nashville, he could take a bigger role, which could help his NHL career take off.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened to this point and today the Predators assigned Glass to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. To explain the move, Predators head coach John Hynes said that the best thing for Glass right now would be to play first-line minutes at the minor league level:
So, we had a good talk with him yesterday, we feel like he’s going to be a real important guy for us, but right now what’s best for him is to be able to go play in Milwaukee, play top-line center minutes, play first powerplay minutes, get some touches and be able to produce and play a big role, work on his faceoffs and get himself up and running a little bit better.
Sending a young player to the minor leagues to continue his development with big minutes on the first line is nothing new, but it’s not usually done with a 22-year-old sixth-overall pick that has spent most of his professional career to this point in the NHL. Glass will turn 23 this season (next April) and is on the final year of his entry-level contract. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, though not eligible for arbitration.
There’s even more pressure on the Predators to prove that Glass was the right choice, because of what they gave up for him. While Ellis plays huge minutes in Philadelphia–28:20 with two assists in his first match–Predators’ fans will have to wait and hope this slow, developmental approach with their new forward will pay off.
Canucks’ Travis Hamonic Takes Leave Of Absence
2:20pm: The Canucks have issued a statement, though it doesn’t clear much up:
General Manager Jim Benning announced today that defenseman Travis Hamonic has been placed on a temporary leave of absence. The mutually agreed upon leave of absence will give Travis time as he works through his personal matters. The team asks that media respect Travis’ privacy and the club will not be making any further comments on the matter at this time.
CapFriendly clarifies, explaining that in the case of a leave of absence, his cap hit is entirely removed. With regards to the cap, this functions the same as suspended without pay. Satiar Shah of Sportsnet tweets that the Canucks’ preference is still to have Hamonic join the club this season, whenever he is able.
11:45pm: The Vancouver Canucks placed Travis Hamonic on waivers before the start of the season, after the veteran defenseman failed to appear at training camp because of a personal issue. The team did not expand on what exactly was keeping him away from the team, but decided to assign Hamonic to the minor leagues instead of suspending him. He hasn’t actually joined the Abbotsford Canucks yet, and today CapFriendly reports that Hamonic has now been suspended by the team.
When Vancouver moved him to the minors, it buried $1.125MM from his $3.0MM cap hit, giving them some extra room. He would have still received his salary, however, despite not playing any games to this point. Now he will be suspended without pay and his entire cap hit will come off the books.
The last time Canucks GM Jim Benning spoke directly about the situation, he told reporters that the personal issue was “bigger than what you guys think it is” and that they were helping Hamonic get the help he needed. There has been wild speculation, but it is not confirmed what is keeping him away from the ice. Hamonic was one of the few players to opt-out of the 2020 bubble playoffs but played 38 games for the Canucks last season.
Vancouver is already operating in long-term injured reserve space early this season, with Micheal Ferland, Brandon Sutter, and Brady Keeper all given the designation last week. Even so, they were very tight to the ceiling and wouldn’t have been able to deal with many short-term injuries very easily. Reducing Hamonic’s cap hit to zero allows them to make other recalls if necessary, as CapFriendly now has their unused LTIR relief pool at $1.95MM.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Faksa, Rust
The NHL has announced the Three Stars for week one of the NHL season, and it’s a throwback to years gone by. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings takes home the top spot after recording four goals and seven points in two games. The Kings’ captain is off to an outstanding start in his 16th season and currently leads the league in both goals and points.
Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos get second and third respectively, after similarly brilliant starts. That means the best players in the league this week were a trio that has 3,174 games in the league and five Stanley Cup championships. For all the talk the last few years about it becoming a young man’s league, Kopitar, Ovechkin, and Stamkos are still performing at an elite level.
- Dallas Stars forward Radek Faksa has escaped suspension for his slash on Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle, but will have to pay $5,000 in a fine for the incident. That’s the maximum allowable fine under the current CBA, but Faksa won’t have to miss any games. Stutzle, who left the game temporarily, didn’t suffer a major injury on the play, which likely kept a suspension off the table. The incident will be on Faksa’s record though, and considered in any future supplementary discipline.
- Bryan Rust is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury, according to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. The Penguins are 2-0-1 through the first three games of the season, first in the NHL despite the absence of several top players. Sidney Crosby won’t play on Tuesday but is approaching a return, and Evgeni Malkin has started a skating program as he continues his rehab. Rust, meanwhile, looks to be out for a little while following his strong start to the season.
AHL Shuffle: 10/18/21
We’re not even a week into the regular season and already there have been two teams forced to play shorthanded due to cap restraints and injury. The Toronto Maple Leafs used Ryerson University goaltender Alex Bishop as the backup on Saturday, while the Colorado Avalanche dressed just 19 players. With so many teams pushed right up against the cap ceiling, the daily up-and-down of minor league transactions won’t stop anytime soon.
Atlantic Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Joseph Woll to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, a good sign that he’s nearing a return from the injury that kept him out most of the preseason. The young goaltender posted an .892 save percentage in 15 games for the Marlies last season. With the injury to Petr Mrazek and Michael Hutchinson‘s recall, the Marlies will need the goaltending depth in the coming weeks.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Nick Seeler from the AHL once again, already his fourth transaction since clearing waivers on Oct 11. The depth defenseman played in one game so far for the Flyers and will likely fill in whenever someone is injured this season. Rasmus Ristolainen was skating this morning but is not expected to play tonight.
Central Division
- Those Avalanche have made several changes to work around their cap troubles, including recalling Mikhail Maltsev and Martin Kaut from the AHL. Dylan Sikura has been sent down in their place, while both Pavel Francouz and Stefan Matteau have been moved to long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche have a little more flexibility now because of those LTIR placements, but it will be a difficult cap dance all season long.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Tommy Novak from the AHL, sending Cody Glass to the minor leagues in his place. Novak has never played a game at the NHL level, but does have strong production in the minors and even registered three points in his first game for the Milwaukee Admirals this season. Glass meanwhile failed to record a point in either of the first two games for Nashville after an offseason trade brought him to the Predators.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Mike Hardman from the AHL, moving Ian Mitchell down to make room. The swap adds a forward to the mix for the team’s home opener tomorrow night, where the Blackhawks will need to turn around a ship that is already taking on water just three games into the year.
- The Arizona Coyotes have loaned Vladislav Provolnev to the Tucson Roadrunners, recalling Dysin Mayo in his place. The 26-year-old Provolnev was signed out of the KHL but has not played a game yet for the Coyotes. Mayo on the other hand has spent more than five years in the minors for the organization without suiting up for an NHL game.
Pacific Division
Ilya Kovalchuk Named GM Of Russian Olympic Team
The Russian entry to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, will feature many familiar faces on the ice. Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy were named as the first three players on the roster earlier this month, with many more NHL talents to come. Those familiar faces won’t stop on the roster though, as the coaching staff and front office are also filled with names many North American hockey fans will know.
Ilya Kovalchuk has been named general manager of the squad, according to KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer. He joins head coach Alexei Zhamnov, as well as assistants Sergei Gonchar, Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Kudashov, and Evgeni Nabokov on the quest for Olympic gold.
Kovalchuk, 38, spent last season in the KHL playing for Avangard Omsk when he failed to find an NHL deal. Despite being very open about his desire to win a Stanley Cup before he retired, he was forced to settle for another Gagarin Cup championship, his third in an outstanding career. One of the most impressive goal-scoring talents in NHL history, he’ll now start a new chapter in the front office, trying to help his country win another Olympic gold. Kovalchuk was the tournament MVP in 2018 when the Russians won, though no NHL players were eligible to attend that event.
Snapshots: Krebs, Robertson, Ho-Sang
As the Jack Eichel saga appears to potentially be nearing a conclusion, there’s now constant speculation about potential destinations and a potential return. While the Vegas Golden Knights have long been named as a potential suitor for Eichel, a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen says that the Knights view top prospect Peyton Krebs as untouchable in any Eichel deal. While the Golden Knights do still have some desirable young pieces available in a trade like defenseman Nicolas Hague, none have the potential upside of Krebs. If Vegas is to get an Eichel trade completed, they’ll likely have to give up a massive amount of draft capital in place of Krebs.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Nick Robertson suffered a lower-body injury in tonight’s match with the Toronto Marlies against the Manitoba Moose, per Marlies head coach Greg Moore. Moore notes the extent of the injury is unknown and that Robertson will be assessed tomorrow. It’s a tough blow to the Leafs organization, which is already dealing with significant injuries in all areas. It’s especially concerning considering Robertson missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury. Toronto undoubtedly hopes it’s not a major injury.
- Another Marlies forward is in some injury trouble as Moore also notes that Josh Ho-Sang was held out with a hip issue, but mostly as a precaution. Calling it a ‘maintenance day,’ it’s a smart choice on the Marlies to not risk any further injury. Ho-Sang will be one of the team’s most important contributors considering his NHL experience, and a notable injury setback could negatively affect his chances of getting an NHL contract with the Maple Leafs later this season.