COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/25/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:
Calgary – Josh Leivo
Colorado – Joonas Donskoi, Mikko Rantanen
New Jersey – P.K. Subban, Jonas Siegenthaler
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: None
No news is good news on this front as while no one came off, there were no newcomers to the list either. Of the five on the list, Donskoi has been on the longest going back to the 16th but he still should be on there for a few more days at least. Accordingly, barring Leivo or Siegenthaler’s tests being false positives, there shouldn’t be anyone coming off the list over the next few days.
*denotes new addition
Blue Jackets Believed To Be Showing Interest In Justin Danforth
With KHL contracts officially expiring at the end of the month, there should be a few players signing NHL deals soon after. One of those could be winger Justin Danforth who Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the Blue Jackets are believed to be interested in.
The 28-year-old played his NCAA career at Sacred Heart before turning pro in 2017, inking a minor league tryout with the Islanders’ AHL team before catching on with Buffalo’s affiliate soon after. However, after spending the majority of the 2017-18 campaign in the ECHL, Danforth opted to go overseas.
That decision definitely proved to be the right one. He spent two years with Lukko in Finland’s SM-liiga, leading the team in scoring both seasons and the entire league in scoring last season with 27 goals and 33 assists in just 56 games. That helped him land an opportunity in the KHL with Vityaz Podolsk this season where he again made the most of it. His 23 goals and 32 helpers in 58 games led the team in scoring while slotting him sixth overall league-wide. Clearly, he has done enough to get himself on the NHL radar.
Because he’s already 28, Danforth is not subject to NHL entry-level restrictions which gives him a bit more flexibility to work with as he looks for his first contract although the deal can’t have any performance bonuses in it either. On the surface, Columbus would make sense for the winger as they have struggled mightily when it comes to scoring this season, as they’re averaging less than 2.5 goals per game. Even though he’s a late bloomer which carries some uncertainty, Danforth could be a good fit for the Blue Jackets when he’s eligible to sign in May.
Coyotes Prospect Carson Bantle Transfers To Wisconsin
The NCAA transfer portal has been a busy one this year with the expectation of the implementation of allowing players to transfer once without having to sit out. Arizona prospect Carson Bantle entered the portal three weeks ago and has found his new school, announcing via Twitter that he is transferring to Wisconsin for the 2021-22 season.
The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Coyotes back in October (142nd overall) after a point per game season with Madison of the USHL. However, that production didn’t follow him to Michigan Tech as he had just two goals and an assist in 19 games with the Huskies this season while playing a limited role.
Obviously, Bantle is making the move with an eye on getting a bigger opportunity with the Badgers, one that should materialize. Wisconsin has already lost its top four scorers from this season (Cole Caufield, Linus Weissbach, Dylan Holloway, and Ty Pelton-Bice) to the professional ranks over the past month so there will definitely be a chance for more playing time there next year.
Snapshots: Schwartz, Gostisbehere, Glass
The St. Louis Blues and Jaden Schwartz are interested in getting together for an extension as the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent nears free agency. However, after failing to come to an agreement before the trade deadline. However, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford and Shayna Goldman (subscription required) note that Schwartz might have a hard time earning a big contract this offseason considering the flat cap as well as Schwartz’s inconsistent year.
The 29-year-old Schwartz will be seeking a big contract this offseason, but after a 22-goal season in 2019-20, he has just six goals in 30 games this year. Despite that, the Blues remain interested in bringing back Schwartz.
“I don’t want to get into specifics,” general manager Doug Armstrong said after the trade deadline. “But Jaden is a player who we talked about earlier that is a primary player for us that we’d like to keep here. Nothing has changed since then, or until the day that we hopefully get him signed.”
Schwartz, who is currently wrapping up a five-year, $26.7MM contract ($5.35MM AAV) is still considered a top-six player and should still be for some time and his dip in production is nothing new as he has always been an inconsistent player who is capable of getting red-hot at any time. However, with the flat cap and the number of teams offering much less term than usual years, it’s possible that Schwartz will have to accept a slight raise for fewer years if he wants to stay in St. Louis.
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced they will be without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for seven to 10 days with an MCL sprain. He was injured Friday against the New York Rangers, but played 20:17 and finished the game. Samuel Morin replaced him in the lineup Sunday, but head coach Alain Vigneault said the team is considering recalling defensemen Cam York or Egor Zamula from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL with the idea to see one or both in action with nine games remaining in the regular season. Gostisbehere has eight goals and 16 points in 37 games for the Flyers.
- SinBin Vegas’ Steve Carp writes that while watching Vegas Golden Knights center Cody Glass while he plays with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, that the 22-year-old is struggling with confidence. Carp writes that the center is playing well with two goals and five points in seven games, but the former sixth-overall pick in 2017 should be a dominant presence and isn’t. Of course, with injuries mounting in Vegas, the team likely will have to recall Glass after recent injuries to Tomas Nosek and Nicolas Roy.
Central Notes: Blue Jackets, Stamkos, Galvas, Reichel
With the regular season slowly coming to an end, there have been plenty of speculation regarding what the Columbus Blue Jackets intend to do about their coaching situation. While the team still has head coach John Tortorella under contract, that deal will expire at the end of the season and so far there hasn’t been a new extension, suggesting the team may be looking in a different direction.
In his most recent mailbag, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes while there is no guarantee that Tortorella is on his way out as the team could easily choose to re-sign him, the growing suggestions that the team will instead bring in former coach Gerard Gallant is highly unlikely. Gallant, who has become quite a big-name coach since leaving Columbus, could command a salary in the $4MM range, something the Blue Jackets likely would never meet with the scribe adding that the $2.5MM that Tortorella is making could be one of the reasons why Columbus may be looking for a new coach for 2021-22.
In fact, Portzline suggests that one candidate who could have some merit as a coaching candidate is former Columbus player Luke Richardson.
- Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that forward Steven Stamkos remains on schedule with his recovery from a lower-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. While the initial diagnosis stated that he needed seven to 10 days, it’s already been eight days, suggesting he will not be ready to return on time. However, Cooper said that with three weeks left before the playoffs, Stamkos will be ready. He added that Nikita Kucherov also remains on schedule to return by the playoffs, although he has yet to be cleared for contact.
- The Atheltic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes that the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to sign a couple prospect in the coming weeks, including 2017 draft prospect Jakub Galvas. The defenseman must sign a contract before July 1 or the team loses his rights. He has spent the last two years playing in the Liiga and has scored four goals and 27 points combined over two seasons. Powers adds that the team is also working to sign their 2020 first-round pick, German forward Lukas Reichel, to an entry-level deal. Reichel has 10 goals and 27 points in 38 games in the DEL this season.
North Notes: Senators Goalies, Scheifele, Oilers
The Ottawa Senators seem to be running short on goaltenders. That became apparent Saturday when scheduled starter Anton Forsberg suffered an injury during warmups, forcing Matt Murray into net against the Canucks. However, Murray got tangled up with Jake Virtanen early in the second period and was forced to leave the game himself, leaving Marcus Hogberg as the only remaining goaltender.
In a unusual scare, Hogberg and Nikita Zaitsev collided within 10 seconds of Hogberg’s appearance in the game, scaring the coaching staff. Hogberg was OK and finished out the game, but with no emergency backup goalie in place due to COVID-19 restrictions, who would have taken Hogberg’s place had he been injured?
The Athletic’s Ian Mendes (subscription required) writes that while the team did consider goaltending coach Zac Bierk, but the team settled on putting the pads on Artem Anisimov, who was on the taxi squad, instead.
Murray is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
- Much of the Winnipeg Jets season could find itself in the reaction of center Mark Scheifele, who was benched in the middle of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scheifele was benched for 17 minutes during the second and third periods while being on the ice during John Tavares‘ goal, which gave the Maple Leafs a two-goal advantage. Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe writes that the team needs Scheifele to be at his best and the benching on national TV was meant to make a point. However, it is up to Scheifele and how he will respond. He was given a chance to return to the ice in the third period and performed well, according to Wiebe, although the star did not speak to the press after the game.
- Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to make his Oilers’ debut on Monday, according to Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels. Kulikov was acquired at the trade deadline for a conditional 2021 fourth-round pick and has sat out the mandatory quarantine period. Tippett added that rookie Ryan McLeod has also completed his quarantine period since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. The coach said McLeod was likely to play on Monday as well at the center position. The 21-year-old had 14 goals and 28 points in 28 AHL contests.
East Notes: Ovechkin, Penguins, Hart, Lafreniere
The Washington Capitals were without star forward Alex Ovechkin, who missed his first game Saturday (due to injury) since May 5, 2015 due to a lower-body injury. His ability to stay healthy throughout his career is one reason why many people believe that the 35-year-old has a chance to break the goals scored record (held by Wayne Gretzky). However, the forward will be a game-time decision on Tuesday against the Islanders as well, according to NHL.com.
“I think with some injuries, you don’t know what’s going to go on, whether somebody’s going to be available or not available and that’s why I think people say ‘day to day’, because they’re unsure,” Washington coach Peter Laviolette said Saturday. “Will he be there for the next game? I’m not sure at this point, so we’ll err on the side of caution at this point in the season. We’re not going to risk anything as we head towards the playoffs, but hopefully he continues to improve.”
Ovechkin left late in the third period of Thursday’s game with the Islanders due to the injury. He has 24 goals in 43 games this season and sits sixth on the NHL all-time goals leaders with 730, just one short of tying Marcel Dionne.
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said (via the Penguins) that injured players Evgeni Malkin, Brandon Tanev and Frederick Gaudreau all skated Sunday morning with the taxi squad. While the coach admitted they all are making progress, he said their status with the team has not changed. Malkin has been out with a lower body injury since March 16. Tanev has appeared in just two games since March 18 with an upper-body injury, while Gaudreau has been out since April 11 with a lower-body injury.
- With just nine games remaining in the Philadelphia Flyers season, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ed Barkowitz writes that one of the key things to watch is the return and the play of young goaltender Carter Hart. However, head coach Alain Vigneault has not indicated when Hart will return from the mild knee sprain he suffered on April 15, suggesting it might be a bit longer before he returns to the ice. The team is 1-2-1 without him since the injury.
- The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) writes that New York Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere looked impressive Friday when he was promoted to the top line next to Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich when Chris Kreider sat out, scoring a goal and an assist in the process. The scribe writes that the team might benefit during the final stretch of games remaining this season to see what Lafreniere can do on the top line.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/25/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
North Division
- The Vancouver Canucks are expected to assign goaltender Michael DiPietro to Utica of the AHL, according to Canucks writer Rick Dhaliwal. Dipietro has been serving as the team’s third goaltender and is on an emergency loan. The netminder has yet to appear in a game in the 2020-21 season and would be best off getting playing time in the AHL where he had a 2.79 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 36 appearances last season. UPDATE: The Canucks have officially loaned DiPietro to Utica.
East Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have swapped out some prospects as the team announced it has recalled defenseman Egor Zamula and goaltender Felix Sandstrom from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL to the taxi squad. The team has also assigned defensemen Linus Hogberg and Mason Millman from the taxi squad to Lehigh Valley.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have swapped out goaltenders. The team announced that it has added Daniil Tarasov to the taxi squad, while assigning Matiss Kivlenieks to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Tarasov, one of the team’s top prospects, has struggled in four appearances since arriving from the KHL as he has a 3.23 GAA and a .883 save percentage.
- The Florida Panthers have added a pair of forwards to their NHL squad as the team has recalled Grigori Denisenko and Aleksi Heponiemi from the taxi squad, according to the AHL transaction page. Denisenko has appeared in two games this season for the Panthers, while Heponiemi has a goal in three games in Florida.
West Division
- The Vegas Golden Knights have flipped taxi squad goaltenders. Their AHL affiliate in Henderson announced that Logan Thompson has been recalled to the taxi squad with Oscar Dansk heading to the Silver Knights. Dansk has made just six starts this season (five in the AHL and one in the NHL) and could certainly benefit from a bit of playing time. Thompson, meanwhile, has played in 20 minor league contests this year while making his NHL debut, playing eight minutes in relief last month.
- The Los Angeles Kings have sent Lias Andersson and Daniel Brickley back to Ontario of the AHL per the AHL’s transactions log. Andersson got into their minor league contest today. Bokondji Imama was recalled to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Frederik Gauthier and Ivan Prosvetov to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. Gauthier has played in just two games with Arizona this season while Prosvetov has made three appearances over the past month, posting a save percentage of just .824.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Riley Stillman To Three-Year Extension
The Chicago Blackhawks announced early this morning that they have inked Riley Stillman to a three-year, $4.05MM contract extension ($1.35MM AAV). The defenseman was acquired at the trade deadline from Florida and was to be a restricted free-agent this summer.
“Having a young, physical defenseman like Riley in the fold is exciting for the future of our team,” said Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Stan Bowman. “He is growing into an excellent all-around defenseman and that continued development is something we look forward to seeing firsthand. We love his size, and his toughness adds another piece to our defense.”
While many considered Stillman to be a throw-in to the deal in which the Blackhawks took on the contract of Brett Connolly from the Panthers along with Lucas Wallmark and acquiring the rights to Henrik Borgstrom for Lucas Carlsson, Stillman has been impressive in Chicago in his short stay so far. The blueliner has only appeared in six games for the Blackhawks, but has been impressive defensively with 16 hits and eight blocks so far. He is also very good on the penalty kill and at $1.35MM for the next three years, presents the team with a solid depth option for the future. Of course, offense is not his strength as the 23-year-old has no goals and just five assists in 49 career NHL games.
In fact, it appears that the signing of the defensive-minded Stillman, the son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, could signal the end for soon-to-be restricted free-agent Nikita Zadorov, who could be too expensive for the team to retain.
Stillman was a fourth-round pick in 2016 of the Panthers, and looked like he was starting to break through Florida’s lineup last year after appearing in 34 games. However, he fell out of favor with head coach Joel Quenneville as he appeared in just eight games with the Panthers this year before he was traded.
Columbus Notes: Chinakhov, Jaskin, Contracts
The Columbus Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from postseason contention earlier this week, meaning there isn’t a lot left to watch in their last seven games. The team has lost eight straight, has several key players already on the shelf due to injury, and traded their captain at the deadline. Still, young players are the ones to be excited about as they attempt to establish themselves for the future.
Another one of the team’s top prospect could be in North America soon, as Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports that a decision will be made by Yegor Chinakhov after the Gagarin Cup Finals on whether to sign an entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets. The series is currently tied 2-2 between CSKA and Chinakhov’s Avangard Omsk.
- Reports have surfaced recently about Dmitrij Jaskin‘s desire to return to the NHL next season, but it won’t be with the Blue Jackets. Hedger reports that Columbus is not on Jaskin’s list of potential destinations. The 28-year-old forward has scored 123 points in his two seasons in the KHL and has been linked to the Arizona Coyotes.
- One of the interesting notes after a busy trade deadline is how many contracts the Blue Jackets have shed to this point. Columbus is last in the league with just 41 NHL deals handed out, including just six signed players who are not either on the active roster, injured reserve, or taxi squad. With 17 of those contracts set to expire at the end of this season, GM Jarmo Kekalainen has a lot of work to do (and a lot of flexibility) in order to fill out the organizational depth chart.