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COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/30/21

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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 the updated list released today:

Anaheim – Alexander Volkov
Boston – Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly
Los Angeles – Brendan Lemieux
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Eric Staal
NY Rangers – Brett Howden 
Vancouver – Adam Gaudette*

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: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins; Travis Boyd, Vancouver Canucks

As reported earlier, Vancouver’s Gaudette has tested positive for Coronavirus. Whether or not it was an actual positive or a false positive will be determined by additional tests over the coming days, but for now he lands on the CPRA list and some uncertainty surrounds the Canucks.

Of course, with Boyd switching places with Gaudette and Marchand dropping off Boston’s list, this was actually a net positive day in the league’s battle with COVID. Especially when considering that Volkov, Lemieux, and Staal are only on the list due to protocols involving travel, related to their recent trades, there are only six players whose health status is actually unknown. Of those, Parise and Howden have been on the list for some time and could find themselves activated sooner rather than later.

*denotes new addition

Adam Gaudette Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Vancouver Canucks forward Adam Gaudette will be added to the COVID-19 protocol list later today after the Canucks announced that the forward tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday. Gaudette was practicing with the team when he received the news and left the ice immediately.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston reports that Gaudette will be re-tested. If it’s negative, he’ll be tested again on Wednesday. The result of that test will determine the next step for Gaudette. The 24-year-old has struggled this year after posting 12 goals and 33 points last season in 59 games. In 33 games this year, Gaudette has four goals and seven points.

What could be more interesting is how the NHL will handle Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames as there is always the possibility that more players could test positive before the game. Interestingly enough, teammate Jake Virtanen missed practice today due to illness, which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Gaudette’s positive test, but bears watching. The province of BC is dealing with a new wave of COVID-19 cases, which could have an effect on the game.

Travis Boyd was the only other person on the COVID-19 list after being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been serving his quarantine restrictions and now has been cleared and was skating with the team Tuesday.

Snapshots: Canucks, Laine, McCann

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The Vancouver Canucks are shopping around a few of their underperforming forwards, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the Nashville Predators are one of the teams interested in Adam Gaudette. The 24-year-old forward seemed to have a breakthrough season last year for the Canucks, scoring 33 points in 59 games, but was virtually invisible in the postseason and has just two points in 12 games this season. Gaudette is on a one-year, $950K contract this season and will be an arbitration-eligible RFA in the summer.

On the other name that is swirling around, Jake Virtanen, Friedman seems less certain but does note that the Boston Bruins were checking him out at one point. The San Jose Sharks “poked around” in the offseason, which makes sense given it appeared at one point as though Virtanen would not be back with the Canucks this year. The 24-year-old Virtanen still has just one point through 12 games.

  • The recent benching of Patrik Laine was because he “verbally disrespected” a member of the coaching staff, according to both Aaron Portzline of The Athletic and Brian Hedger of the Columbus Post-Dispatch. The young forward and Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella told reporters today that the incident was behind them, and Laine is expected to be back on the top line with Jack Roslovic and Cam Atkinson when the team plays tomorrow. Despite all that has happened this season, Laine still has five goals and six points through five games, a testament to just how impressive his offensive ability can be. His is still a very interesting situation to watch unfold, however, after playing just 11 minutes on Monday night.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Jared McCann a little longer than originally anticipated, as head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today that the young forward will be out “week-to-week” while he deals with a lower-body injury. McCann played just four minutes in the team’s last game before exiting and has five points on the season.

Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Adam Gaudette

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The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Adam Gaudette to a one-year contract that will carry a cap hit of just $950K. Gaudette was a restricted free agent but was not eligible for arbitration this offseason. Vancouver GM Jim Benning released a statement regarding his young forward:

Adam has been an excellent young player for us and we are happy to have him continue his progress for another year in Vancouver. We look forward to his intensity and compete level continuing to be a great source of energy for our team.

Gaudette, 24, was a fifth-round pick of the Canucks back in 2015 but shot up the prospect depth chart with his incredible collegiate performance in 2017-18. The Northeastern University star led the entire country in scoring with 30 goals and 60 points, winning the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s best player. He stepped nearly immediately into the NHL and has spent the majority of his career there, suiting up for 120 games over parts of three seasons.

Unfortunately, Gaudette’s scoring touch didn’t immediately follow him to the NHL, with his first 61 games resulting in just five goals and 12 points. The recent season was much better, however, with the young two-way forward racking up 12 goals and 33 points in just 59 games. He was blanked in 10 postseason appearances but should return as a valuable bottom-six player for the Canucks next season.

Whether he can ever climb his way further up the lineup isn’t clear, but at $950K he doesn’t really need to. Gaudette will be arbitration-eligible next offseason as a restricted free agent.

West Notes: Canucks, Galchenyuk, DeMelo

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Back at the trade deadline, teams were asking the Canucks for either defenseman Brogan Rafferty or center Adam Gaudette to take Loui Eriksson’s contract off Vancouver’s hands, reports Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic (audio link).  Eriksson still has two years left on his contract after this one and while his salary dips (only $8MM is owed over the next two seasons), his $6MM cap hit is even more of an issue now with the salary cap levelling off for 2020-21.  If the cost to get out of the contract was a promising youngster back then, it certainly stands to reason that the price to escape from Eriksson’s contract is only going to be higher now with many more other teams soon facing cap crunches of their own.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Wild forward Alex Galchenyuk was quietly off to a decent start with Minnesota before the pandemic hit. He had been shifted back to center and put up three goals and four assists in 14 games before things were shut down.  In doing so, he may have restored a bit of value heading into free agency but he told Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press that he’s not thinking about the open market at this time.  However, he indicated that he’s hopeful to remain in Minnesota for next season.  Having said that, he’ll quite likely be looking at a considerable dip from his current $4.9MM AAV considering he only had 24 points in 59 games between the Wild and Penguins this season.
  • Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo wound up playing an important role with Winnipeg after being acquired from Ottawa, logging more than 21 minutes a night before the shutdown. Despite his limited experience with the team (just ten games), he told Postmedia’s Ted Wyman that he could see himself re-signing with the team this offseason.  The 27-year-old is currently on a bargain salary of just $900K and even with the flattened cap, he’s well-positioned to earn a nice raise on the open market.

Stretch Run Storylines: Vancouver Canucks

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As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks.  Assuming the regular season continues (something the league remains hopeful of doing), there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run.  Over the weeks ahead, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team.  We continue our look at the Pacific Division with Vancouver.

The Canucks have been a team trying to pry their way into the playoffs after several years of rebuilding. The team even took that next step, trading their first-round pick last offseason to Tampa Bay in exchange for goal-scoring forward J.T. Miller, a deal that paid off as he leads the team in scoring with 72 points and is tied for the team lead in goals with 27. The team has been in the playoff race all season, but might have some challenges in the months ahead.

Playoff Race

The Canucks have 78 points at this point in the season and currently, based on points percentage, they would be the first wildcard team if the season ended today. That’s great news, but if the regular season resumes and is based on points, the Canucks would be out of the playoffs, meaning they would need to prove they can overcome teams like Nashville and Winnipeg, among others, to squeak into the playoffs.

Vancouver does have the advantage of being a young team that might have a better shot of jumping out quickly like it did when the regular season started and the Canucks dominated the Pacific Division for the first couple months of the season. Players like Quinn Hughes would be playing as if he was a second-year player and should be able to provide even more stability in their back end to help the team gain their way into the playoffs. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who was on LTIR before the suspension of play, is already fully healed from his knee injury, and ready to go — another big plus.

Pending UFAs

The team does have quite a bit offseason work to complete this season. The team has to lock up Markstrom to a long-term deal. The UFA could be one of the bigger names on the goalie market for teams, although he recently told Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, that he has no intention of playing for another team and wants to re-sign in Vancouver, which is good news for Canucks fans. The 30-year-old had his best season to date with a 2.75 GAA and a .918 save percentage.

However, the team has other issues, which could be challenging, considering the team is capped out. Barring a compliance buyout that could save them, the Canucks may have to make some significant moves to stay under a cap that likely won’t increase this offseason. The team also must consider contracts for veteran defenseman Chris Tanev as well as trade-deadline acquisition Tyler Toffoli, who looked exceptional in 10 games, scoring six goals and 10 points in a Vancouver uniform. That doesn’t even consider the team’s RFAs for next season, including Jake Virtanen, Adam Gaudette, Troy Stecher and Tyler Motte.

Hughes For Calder?

Hughes will have chance to walk away from the offseason with some hardware as it looks more and more like a two-person race for the Calder Trophy, for the best rookie. While many feel that Cale Makar was the runaway leader for the trophy, the play of Hughes in the second-half of the season has been exceptional and could be enough to vault himself past Makar in the running. Hughes did win our PHR poll in March by quite a landslide.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL Announces Player Gaming Challenge

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The NHL is trying desperately to stay relevant even as their season sits in limbo and have today announced a new feature for fans to tune into. The NHL Player Gaming Challenge will be a tournament of EA SPORTS NHL 20 games featuring players from each of the 32 organizations. The tournament will go for four weeks starting on April 30th. The league and EA will donate a combined $100,000 in support of COVID-19 relief.

Because the Seattle expansion franchise doesn’t have any players to represent them at this point, Luke Willson from the Seattle Seahawks of the NHL will carry the torch.

The full list of participants:

Anaheim Ducks: Cam Fowler

Arizona Coyotes: Conor Garland, Clayton Keller

Boston Bruins: Jake Debrusk, Charlie McAvoy

Buffalo Sabres: Brandon Montour

Calgary Flames: Noah Hanifin, Matthew Tkachuk

Carolina Hurricanes: Warren Foegele

Chicago Blackhawks: Drake Caggiula, Alex DeBrincat

Columbus Blue Jackets: Elvis Merzlikins, Zach Werenski

Colorado Avalanche: J.T. Compher

Dallas Stars: Stephen Johns, Jamie Oleksiak

Detroit Redwings: Madison Bowey, Anthony Mantha

Edmonton Oilers: Caleb Jones, Darnell Nurse

Florida Panthers: Jonathan Huberdeau

Los Angeles Kings: Michael Amadio, Blake Lizotte

Minnesota Wild: Devan Dubnyk, Jordan Greenway

Montreal Canadiens: Victor Mete, Nick Suzuki

Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg

New Jersey Devils: MacKenzie Blackwood

New York Islanders: Matt Martin

New York Rangers: Chris Kreider

NHL Seattle: Luke Willson, Seattle Seahawks (NFL)

Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk, Chris Tierney

Philadelphia Flyers: James van Riemsdyk

Pittsburgh Penguins: Zach Aston-Reese, Bryan Rust

San Jose Sharks: Evander Kane, Marcus Sorensen

St Louis Blues: Colton Parayko, Robert Thomas

Tampa Bay Lightning: Tyler Johnson

Toronto Maple Leafs: Zach Hyman

Vancouver Canucks: Thatcher Demko, Adam Gaudette

Vegas Golden Knights: Ryan Reaves, Alex Tuch

Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov

Winnipeg Jets: Anthony Bitetto, Kyle Connor

Select games can be seen on NBC Sports and Sportsnet ONE. All matches will also air within NHL Network’s on-air programming or its Twitch channel.

Canucks Place Brandon Sutter On Injured Reserve

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As the story of Brandon Sutter’s recent injury has unraveled, the extent of the injury has in fact become less clear. After Sutter was forced out of Tuesday night’s game between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that the veteran center was in good spirits and said his unknown ailment was “only minor”. GM Jim Benning backed that claim, stating that Sutter would go in for an MRI on Wednesday morning, but that he was hopeful that he wouldn’t miss much time. Yet, as Wednesday wore on, the Canucks made not one but a pair of additions up front, recalling Zack MacEwen and, more notably, a center in Tyler Graovac. As if the hint wasn’t enough that Sutter’s status wasn’t positive, TSN’s Jeff Paterson now points out that Sutter has officially been placed on the injured reserve.

While the move is retroactive to Tuesday, it still leaves Vancouver without Sutter for at least the next four games. He must spend a minimum of ten days out of the lineup while on IR, meaning he will miss match-ups with the Colorado Avalanche, two with the Dallas Stars, and a rematch with the Predators. He will also still be on the shelf when the Canucks depart on a six-game road trip, raising some question over whether he would meet the team on the road if healthy or if he could potentially miss another four games while waiting to make his return at home. Sutter has quietly played an important role for the resurgent Canucks this season, as he is currently fifth on the team in goals and leads all forwards in plus/minus. Somewhat surprisingly, with eight points through 19 games, Sutter was on pace for 35 points through a full 82-game season this year, which would have been the second-best scoring campaign of his career and his best in Vancouver. This injury will likely limit that upside, but Sutter has already surpassed his six total points from last year and could challenge his 26 points from the year before.

Even more so than just Sutter alone, the Canucks real challenge is dealing with both he and Jay Beagle being sidelined at the moment. Beagle missed Tuesday night’s game due to stiffness and there has been no word on his condition either. The duo are both key two way centers and the team’s top penalty killers, not to mention responsible for a majority of face-offs. Without a timeline for either veteran to return to the lineup, Vancouver will have to prepare as if they need a long-term solution for their lack of defense and experience down the middle. The rugged, physical Graovac hopes to help out while on recall, while Adam Gaudette lined up at center on Tuesday and will likely remain there. Johnston also writes that Antoine Roussel, another established two-way contributor, has begun skating with his teammates and could make his return to the lineup after a conditioning stint in the AHL. The Canucks hope it won’t take that long for Sutter or Beagle to return to the lineup, but for now that remains a mystery and the team must get ready for a busy stretch without two key veteran leaders.

Minor Transactions: 10/27/19

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The Heritage Classic was a snowy affair that ended in an overtime win for the Jets over the Flames, while the Stanley Cup re-match was an unexpectedly lopsided shutout for the Bruins over the Blues. Both Boston and St. Louis are back in action for an unusually busy Sunday this early in the NHL season. The six-game slate begins at 2:00pm local time in Edmonton, as the Oilers host the visiting Panthers, and ends later tonight with the Ducks facing the Golden Knights in a battle of 7-5 Pacific Division rivals. As a dozen teams stay occupied with action throughout the day, follow along with the moves made in anticipation of and response to those contests, as well as other clubs preparing for the week ahead:

  • After demoting him just yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Will Borgen has been promoted. This was likely a matter of ice time for Borgen, given how quickly the 22-year-old rearguard was reassigned and then recalled after last night’s games. Borgen has yet to play in the NHL this season and was passed over again Friday night, as John Gilmour made his season debut on the Buffalo blue line. Instead, Borgen returned to Rochester and suited up for the Americans. Borgen has also been held without a point in eight AHL games, so the Sabres need to find a way to jump-start the St. Cloud State product’s season.
  • A familiar name is back in action, as the AHL’s Belleville Senators have signed defenseman Frank Corrado to a professional tryout offer. Corrado, 26, has played in 76 NHL games over his six-year pro career with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins. However, he has not played in a game at the top level since 2017-18, spending all of last season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Unsuccessful in landing a two-way contract in the off-season, Corrado now seems determined to simply prove that he still has value in North America on a PTO with Belleville. Frequently the “next man up” in his pro career, Corrado failed to ever fully take advantage of his NHL opportunities, but remains and experienced and capable depth option. He could prove himself to the Senators organization and land a contract before too long.
  • After beginning the season on the injured reserve, Anaheim Ducks prospect keeper Angus Redmond is finally healthy and has been loaned to the ECHL’s Allen Americans. This is a big year for Redmond, who is in the final season of his entry-level contract. The 24-year-old gave up on his NCAA career after just one stellar season at Michigan Tech by signing with the Ducks, but has largely failed to impress in the two years since. It has not been any help that Anaheim does not have an ECHL affiliate, meaning Redmond has bounced around the ECHL in his pro career, with Allen being his sixth different team. Redmond would like some consistency, which could come with a promotion to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, and is in luck as Anthony Stolarz and Kevin Boyle are both off to a rocky start. However, he’ll first have to prove he is healthy and at the top of his game at the “AA” level. If Redmond cannot earn some AHL starts this year, and perform well in those appearances, this could very well be his final season on an NHL contract.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have returned goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Kahkonen was recalled on an emergency basis on Wednesday, but never made an appearance in the game and any hope for his NHL debut will have to wait. Kahkonen has struggled in four game with the Iowa Wild despite posting four wins. He also has a .886 save percentage in those games as well.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled Filip Chlapik from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. The 22-year-old has already appeared in one game for Ottawa this season as he has one assist in that game. The former second-round pick in 2015, Chlapik has shown potential, but hasn’t been able to do that in the NHL. He scored 16 goals and 18 assists last year in 57 games with Belleville and has one goal in six games this season so far.
  • One day after being recalled by the Nashville Predators, the team announced they have assigned forward Anthony Richard to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Richard did get a chance to play in his first NHL game of the season Saturday, but only played 4:10, although he got two shots off in that time. Richard has played seven games in Milwaukee and has a goal and an assist.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled center Adam Gaudette from the Utica Comets of the AHL. Gaudette surprised several when he made the team out of training camp after an impressive preseason. However, he rarely played, appearing in just three games and tallying one assist. He was assigned to Utica Thursday, but scored a goal Saturday night for the Comets. Gaudette played 56 games for Vancouver last season.

Adam Gaudette Sent To AHL

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The Vancouver Canucks have sent forward Adam Gaudette to the minor leagues, deciding that it is more important to get him into some game action. Gaudette hasn’t played in almost two weeks, suiting up just three times so far for the Canucks this season.

The 23-year old was a fifth-round pick in 2015, but quickly became one of Vancouver’s top prospects after dominating collegiate competition while at Northeastern University. Gaudette scored 112 points in 116 games over three seasons, culminating in a Hobey Baker award as the nation’s top college player in 2018. Since then he has played in 64 games for the Canucks, though they haven’t gone quite as well.

After impressing again in training camp this season Gaudette was given a chance to play early on, but he struggled and was quickly moved out of the lineup. If he is ever to become the legitimate middle-six NHL forward that the Canucks believe he can be, sitting in the press box every night isn’t going to get him there.

Gaudette will join a Utica Comets team that is off to a 5-0 start this season, led by Reid Boucher’s eight goals and a stifling defensive core. The team will only become that much more dangerous with him in the lineup, especially after he proved he could dominate at the AHL level last season with 11 points in 14 games.

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