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Alex Ovechkin

Snapshots: Halak, Ovechkin, Koivu, Hudon

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Veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak and the Boston Bruins are officially parting ways. Halak’s agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed to The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter that Halak will reach unrestricted free agency on July 28 and the Bruins are not expected to be a suitor. The news really should not come as much of a surprise. It’s the dawn of a new day in net in Boston, as young goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Daniel Vladar have been excellent in both the NHL and AHL and look ready to take on regular NHL roles. Swayman in fact took the Boston backup job from Halak over the course of this season and into the postseason. The 2020 Hobey Baker finalist and Mike Richter Award and 2021 AHL All-Star  has already shown flashes of NHL starting potential and could secure the role this season. Vladar, who led the AHL in save percentage and GAA in 2019-20, requires waivers this season, so he too looks locked into an NHL role. Between that duo and Tuukka Rask, who will be sidelined until mid-season but is still a candidate for extension, Halak had no place with the Bruins. With that said, there should be plenty of suitors out there. Halak was an ideal Robin to Rask’s Batman over the past three years, taking on a considerable workload and playing at an elite level, winning the Jennings Trophy with Rask in 2019-20. The 36-year-old has shown signs of decline in the past calendar year, but can still be an above average backup for a contender or a 1B mentor to a young 1A.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is less than two weeks away from reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career but in an interview with Match TV’s Pavel Lysenkov, he expressed confidence that he will be able to reach an agreement to remain with Washington. He also acknowledged the possibility of returning to Dynamo Moscow in the KHL for next season which suggests that a new deal with the Caps isn’t finalized and is simply waiting until after the expansion draft to be filed as many expect will happen with several UFAs next week.  Ovechkin has been adamant about his desire to play in the Olympics and with there still being uncertainty about whether NHL players will participate in 2022, going to the KHL would guarantee him the chance to participate.  Having said that, a return to Washington still is the expected outcome.
  • Former NHL center Mikko Koivu has found his first coaching opportunity as Ilta Sanomat’s Tatu Mullykoski relays that the 38-year-old has been named an assistant coach for Finland’s Under-20 team (their World Junior squad). He replaces Tuomo Ruutu who became part of Florida’s coaching staff earlier this summer.  Koivu spent the first 15 years of his career with Minnesota before joining Columbus for this past season.  However, he hung up his skates after seven games with the Blue Jackets.
  • Pending UFA winger Charles Hudon is looking to return to North America, notes TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 27-year-old opted not to re-sign with Montreal as a restricted free agent and instead spent the season with Lausanne in Switzerland where he had 32 points in 33 games this past season.  Hudon has 41 points in 125 games over parts of five seasons with the Canadiens.

Alex Ovechkin Confident New Contract Will Come With Washington

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The Washington Capitals held their end-of-season media availability today after being knocked out of the first round by the Boston Bruins. One of the most pressing questions, and seemingly one that wasn’t talked about enough this season, was the future of Alex Ovechkin, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. There is no cause for concern, as Ovechkin joked and explained he is confident a deal will get done:

I’m confident. Obviously we still have time, obviously I want to finish my career here. I’m pretty sure we will do something soon. 

Maybe we’ll sign a contract right now, after the media. 

Ovechkin, 35, dealt with injury for really the first time in his career, missing several games down the stretch for the Capitals. He finished with 24 goals and 42 points in 45 games, failing to win the Rocket Richard trophy for just the second time in the last nine years. It was also the first time since 2016-17 season and just the third time in his career that his average time on ice dipped below 20 minutes, with perhaps the cracks of age finally showing on the Russian machine.

Still, a legacy player like Ovechkin isn’t going anywhere. He will almost certainly sign a new multi-year contract with the Capitals and finish his NHL career with the franchise, attempting to chase down Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. In 1,197 career games, Ovechkin now has 730 goals, fifth all-time and 164 behind Gretzky.

The interesting part isn’t whether he will return to Washington, it’s how much it will cost them. Ovechkin is dealing with the negotiation himself, working with owner Ted Leonsis and GM Brian MacLellan directly. The veteran sniper is coming off a 13-year deal he signed in 2008 that carried a cap hit of $9,538,462 and paid him $10MM in each of the last seven seasons. That cap hit actually might go up on his next contract.

In January, Frank Seravalli wrote for TSN that Ovechkin’s pre-pandemic ask was a $12.5MM per-year salary. That number would tie him with Connor McDavid as the league’s top earner, and though the flat cap situation may have changed things, the eventual deal is still expected to be quite large. That is going to make it tough for the Capitals, who already have more than $72MM committed to next season and will likely need to make other changes after getting bounced in the first round.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Ovechkin, Penguins, Hart, Lafreniere

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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.

East Notes: Lundqvist, Ovechkin, Cozens, Senyshyn

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When Henrik Lundqvist was told he required open-heart surgery late last year, he was understandably ruled out for the season.  Last month, he resumed on-ice activities and thoughts of a possible return started to trickle in.  Speaking with reporters yesterday including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan acknowledged that he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the 39-year-old coming back though he qualified his statement by noting that Lundqvist playing remains “highly unlikely”.

With the Capitals using youngsters Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov this season, the idea of adding a veteran third goalie (even with Craig Anderson on the taxi squad) has come up.  While Lundqvist is still months away from making a decision about whether or not he could return, it’s now an option that can’t be ruled out entirely.  Even at that, that’s great news for him and just possibly for Washington eventually as well.

More from the East Division:

  • Also from Pell’s piece, MacLellan didn’t provide much of an update on the status of extension talks for captain Alex Ovechkin. He did express optimism that a deal will eventually get done with both sides needing to find the “sweet spot” that they can agree on.  Ovechkin is off to a bit of a slower start by his standards with nine goals in 22 games although he’s only one off the Capitals lead in that department.
  • Sabres forward Dylan Cozens is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The rookie is being evaluated to determine the severity of the issue, one that occurred early in the third period on Thursday against Pittsburgh.  The 20-year-old has just five points in 20 games this season as he adapts to NHL action but had been subbing as the top center for Jack Eichel the last couple of games.
  • Zach Senyshyn’s season debut with the Bruins on Thursday will be his last NHL contest for a bit. Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty notes that the winger suffered an upper-body injury in that game with head coach Bruce Cassidy stating that “he’s going to miss some time”.  The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in 2015 but has been limited to just seven games at the top level so far.

Snapshots: Bennett, Niemela, Ovechkin

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Sam Bennett is expected to be a healthy scratch again tonight for the Calgary Flames, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Bennett, whose agent made it clear that a change of scenery would be welcome earlier this season, has been on quite the roller coaster. Suiting up on the fourth line one game, the first line beside Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau another, to finding himself in the press box watching, there has been very little consistency to his 22 games.

Still, there’s just not enough offensive production from Bennett no matter where he is plugged in. With just three goals and four points on the year, he is once again disappointing the Flames, who have now waited nearly seven years for Bennett to fulfill his fourth-overall status. His best offensive season was his rookie year when he scored 18 goals and 36 points.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t have Topi Niemela in the system next season, as the young defenseman has signed a one-year extension with his Finnish club for the 2021-22 season. Niemela, 18, was the 64th pick in the 2020 draft but has already seen his stock rise after being named the best defenseman at the recent World Junior tournament. He has recorded four points in 15 games for Karpat this season and will stay overseas for at least another year.
  • Trent Frederic might not be so quick to get in Alex Ovechkin’s face the next time they meet, after a spearing incident last night. Ovechkin has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for “cup-checking” Frederic after the two had several meetings throughout the game. Frederic, who fought Tom Wilson earlier this season, had challenged Ovechkin earlier in the game, but the veteran spurned the offer. The young Bruins forward has shown a willingness to engage anyone in the league but still hasn’t added much offense—just two goals and three NHL points—since being selected with the 29th pick in 2016.

Washington Capitals Activate Alex Ovechkin

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Even without four of their best players, the Washington Capitals have stayed at the head of the East Division, undefeated in regulation through their first eight games. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov have missed the last several contests after a hotel room gathering got all four placed on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list. Today, both Ovechkin and Orlov were taken off the list, returned to practice, and now the former has also been added to the active roster. Ovechkin had been designated non-roster since the incident, but now will be eligible to play tonight as Daniel Carr heads to the taxi squad.

Orlov could also be in the lineup tonight when the Capitals take on the Boston Bruins, but he was never moved off the roster so did not need any activation.

Carr, 29, played in two of the games that the other four missed, scoring the first assist of his Capitals career in the process. The depth forward has only played 113 games at the NHL level and will have to wait patiently for his next opportunity through injury or illness.

Ovechkin meanwhile returns to a season that started with a bang, recording five points in his first four games. The legendary winger has led the league in goals for seven of the past eight seasons and likely won’t take very long to notch his second of the season. Perhaps the days off will even keep him healthier in the long run, especially as the 35-year-old navigates a condensed season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/30/21

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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 today’s group:

Carolina – Jesper Fast
Chicago – Nicolas Beaudin*, Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter*, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor Carrick*, Aaron Dell, Travis Zajac
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

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: Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes; Dmitry Orlov and Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Of today’s new additions to the list, a growth in the group of Blackhawks should not come as much of a surprise after the team canceled practice today in response to growing concerns about COVID. Both Beaudin and Carpenter played in Chicago’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, but the hope is that no other players or staff were infected at that time and the cancellation of practice will stop any further spread and hopefully prevent the Blackhawks from being the next team to see games postponed.

As for Carrick, the Devils defenseman left the team to return home to his wife for the birth of their child. While this departure falls under the COVID protocol, it does not pose a threat to any other team members. The Devils do however still have several other players on the list.

*denotes new addition

Snapshots: Sabres, Capitals, Blues

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Sabres winger Sam Reinhart is dealing with an upper-body injury, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  While he didn’t leave Thursday’s game, he was absent from practice on Friday and he will at least miss today’s game while his availability for Sunday’s rematch against New Jersey is still up in the air.  The 25-year-old is off to a good start this season with three goals and three assists in eight games and will be a restricted free agent for the final time this summer.

Meanwhile, Lysowski adds (Twitter link) that prospect Jack Quinn is dealing with an upper-body injury of his own.  He’s currently on the taxi squad but the Sabres may send him to AHL Rochester once he recovers.  While he’s still junior-aged, Quinn can go to the minors as long as the OHL season continues to be delayed.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov have been cleared from the CPRA list, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The two took part in Washington’s morning skate today but Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov weren’t, meaning their time on the list will continue.  Meanwhile, Pell adds in a separate tweet that center Lars Eller also skated earlier today in a non-contact sweater after missing Thursday’s contest due to an upper-body injury.
  • The Blues will be without center Tyler Bozak for their two games this weekend against Anaheim, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was injured on a hit from Vegas winger Mark Stone on Tuesday night, one that had St. Louis hoping for some sort of supplemental discipline although none was coming.  Sammy Blais will take Bozak’s spot in the lineup.  As for defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, he’s expected to take the gameday skate today with head coach Craig Berube hoping that he’ll be available on Sunday.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/29/21

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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. The list is in:

Carolina – Jaccob Slavin, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine*
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Aaron Dell, Travis Zajac*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

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: Warren Foegele, Carolina Hurricanes; Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes; Jordan Martinook, Carolina Hurricanes; Curtis McElhinney, Tampa Bay Lightning; Tucker Poolman, Winnipeg Jets

Zajac’s appearance comes as no surprise after the Devils announced this morning he would not travel with them to their next two games. He joins Blackwood and Dell on the sidelines. Lizotte’s addition is a bit concerning, given that he took part in last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild after Athanasiou was already ruled out.

The big news is the three Carolina players that are out of the protocol, along with Laine finally arriving in Columbus to start his 48-hour quarantine.

Importantly, no other Golden Knights players appeared on the list today, a good sign that they can potentially get back on the ice in the coming days. The league had reserved judgement on their next few games after postponing Thursday’s affair against the St. Louis Blues. Pietrangelo remains the only player held out, though their training facilities are still locked down.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/28/21

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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. The Montreal Canadiens are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:

Carolina – Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Aaron Dell*
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo*
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Tucker Poolman, Pierre-Luc Dubois

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

The huge news is obviously Pietrangelo, who is the mystery player that has caused the Golden Knights and Blues to postpone their game this evening. The former St. Louis captain played on Tuesday night against his old team, but now finds himself out along with the rest of the Golden Knights coaching staff. It is not clear if Pietrangelo has tested positive or how long he will be held out. The Blues do not have anyone listed and took their morning skate as usual today.

Athanasiou’s appearance is also news, after playing on Tuesday night in Minnesota. The speedy forward has been one of the Kings’ best players so far with five points in seven games, but now will at least miss tonight’s rematch against the Wild.

Dell’s appearance is actually good news for the Devils, as he arrives in New Jersey and can start his quarantine after being claimed off waivers earlier this month.

*denotes new addition

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