COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/08/21
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. While Edmonton and Pittsburgh are still listed as TBA, the rest of the league is in:
Buffalo – Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen
Chicago – Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Edmonton – TBA
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Ian Cole, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, Brad Hunt, Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon, Nico Sturm, Victor Rask*, Carson Soucy*
New Jersey – Nathan Bastian, Jesper Bratt, Eric Comrie, Nikita Gusev, Jack Hughes, Andreas Johnsson, Dmitry Kulikov, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Kyle Palmieri, Damon Severson, Yegor Sharangovich, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Pavel Zacha, Travis Zajac, Connor Carrick*, Nico Hischier*, Sami Vatanen*
Philadelphia – Travis Sanheim
Pittsburgh – TBA
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Jakub Vrana
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: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals; Ilya Samsonov, Washington Capitals; Adam Boqvist, Chicago Blackhawks
Dahlin was technically added late last night, joining the rest of the Sabres on the list. More games for Buffalo, New Jersey, and Minnesota were postponed today.
After being removed only yesterday, Vatanen re-appears on the Devils list today. Carrick is also there after previously appearing due to him leaving the league’s protocols to attend the birth of his child. The Devils are now up to 19 players, the largest number by any team this season.
*denotes new addition
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/07/21
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 the CPRA list for Sunday:
Anaheim – TBA
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Jake McCabe, Dylan Cozens, Curtis Lazar, Casey Mittelstadt*
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog, Samuel Girard*
Dallas – TBA
Florida – TBA
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon, Nico Sturm, Ian Cole, Brad Hunt*
New Jersey – Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Yegor Sharangovich, Dmitry Kulikov, Eric Comrie*
Philadelphia – Travis Sanheim*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov, Jakub Vrana
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: Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils
Sanheim was put into COVID protocol earlier in the day for COVID-19 and while that doesn’t necessarily mean he tested positive, he at least could have been seriously exposed. However, the NHL announced that they conducted rapid testing for all Flyers players, coaches and staff before their afternoon game with the Washington Capitals. All tests came back negative and the game was still played.
*denotes new addition
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/06/21
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 the CPRA list for Saturday:
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Jake McCabe, Dylan Cozens*, Curtis Lazar*
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon, Nico Sturm, Ian Cole*
New Jersey – Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Yegor Sharangovich, Dmitry Kulikov
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov, Jakub Vrana*
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: Connor Carrick, New Jersey Devils; Pierre-Luc Dubois, Winnipeg Jets
It should come as little surprise that the Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Wild, two teams that have had games postponed due to COVID outbreaks, have new additions to the CPRA list. The Sabres are up to seven players, as well as head coach Ralph Krueger, in the protocol. Minnesota has eight players on the list now, including Cole who was added late last night, presumably following a positive test.
The surprise addition to list is Vrana for the Capitals. Washington has had the one incidence of COVID Protocol violation, one that cost them $100K and landed four players on the list, but otherwise had been unaffected. Yet, Vrana is now out of action with no word yet on the cause.
If there is any good news in regards to the Coronavirus in the NHL today, it is that all Vegas Golden Knights coaches were finally back at practice today after the entire staff had previously landed in the protocol. The New Jersey Devils also add one more player to their thin active list as Carrick, who had merely left the team for the birth of his child, has timed out of the protocol.
*denotes new addition
Curtis Lazar Signs With Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have decided that Curtis Lazar played well enough to keep around, signing him to a new two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $800K and allow Lazar to avoid restricted free agency this offseason.
Now 25, Lazar is on his third NHL organization since being the 17th overall pick in 2013. Never developing into the dominant power forward that some expected, he did seem to find a home in the Sabres bottom-six this season. Scoring 10 points in 38 games was obviously enough to show he deserved a new deal, one that will keep him an inexpensive option for head coach Ralph Krueger.
Amazingly, Lazar becomes just the fifth Sabres forward under contract for the 2020-21 season. While prospects like Dylan Cozens are expected to take a roster spot, it’s rare that you see an NHL team with so many pending free agents in one year. Wayne Simmonds, Vladimir Sobotka, Jimmy Vesey, Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson and Michael Frolik are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while Dominik Kahun, Tage Thompson, Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart are all restricted free agents.
That will situation will offer a ton of flexibility for new GM Kevyn Adams as he looks to right the ship and fix a culture that has resulted in only losses over the last decade. The last time the Sabres went to the playoffs was 2011, something they’ll try to change quickly.
Nominees Announced For 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2019.
Past winners of the award include Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014) and Josh Harding (2013).
Below are the nominees from each team:
Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Miller
Arizona Coyotes – Conor Garland
Boston Bruins – Kevan Miller
Buffalo Sabres – Curtis Lazar
Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano
Carolina Hurricanes – James Reimer
Chicago Blackhawks – Corey Crawford
Colorado Avalanche – Ryan Graves
Columbus Blue Jackets – Nathan Gerbe
Dallas Stars – Stephen Johns
Detroit Red Wings – Robby Fabbri
Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid
Florida Panthers – Noel Acciari
Los Angeles Kings – Jonathan Quick
Minnesota Wild – Alex Stalock
Montreal Canadiens – Shea Weber
Nashville Predators – Jarred Tinordi
New Jersey Devils – Travis Zajac
New York Islanders – Thomas Hickey
New York Rangers – Henrik Lundqvist
Ottawa Senators – Bobby Ryan
Philadelphia Flyers – Oskar Lindblom
Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin
San Jose Sharks – Joe Thornton
St. Louis Blues – Jay Bouwmeester
Toronto Maple Leafs – Zach Hyman
Vancouver Canucks – Jacob Markstrom
Vegas Golden Knights – Shea Theodore
Washington Capitals – Michal Kempny
Winnipeg Jets – Mark Letestu
Three finalists and the winner will be named at a later date.
Minor Transactions: 12/26/19
The NHL returns to action tomorrow with an 11-game slate, meaning 22 teams will have to shake off the rust of a three-day break from both game play and practice. In preparation for this return, a few teams have made small moves today, within the limits of what is allowed during the league’s Holiday Roster Freeze. Follow along here:
- The Buffalo Sabres announced that forward Curtis Lazar has been returned to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Lazar, who signed with the Sabres as a free agent this summer, has only played in eight games with the team versus 18 with Rochester. While his AHL production has been good, Lazar has been limited to just one point with Buffalo. The Sabres continue to seek offense, but clearly don’t feel that Lazar is a solution.
- Cam Atkinson is headed to the injured reserve and the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Jakob Lilja to replace him on the roster for the time being. Columbus also called up center Ryan MacInnis and defensemen Gabriel Carlsson and Adam Clendening on an emergency basis, implying that Atkinson’s is not the only absence that the team is expecting when they return to action. As for Atkinson, his IR placement is retroactive to December 19th, making him eligible for activation on Sunday. However that won’t be the case, as the team added that the expected timeline for his recovery from an ankle sprain is two to three weeks.
Minor Transactions: 12/20/19
It’s always a date to circle on the NHL calendar when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers meet, as battles between Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid never fail to impress. Unfortunately tonight one side will be without their superstar as Crosby continues to recover from injury, meaning Evgeni Malkin and company will have to try and hold off McDavid on their own. That is just one of the four matchups this evening, and as teams prepare we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- It’s not just Crosby who is hurting for the Penguins, meaning they needed even more bodies from the minor leagues today. The team has recalled Thomas Di Pauli and Kevin Czuczman from the AHL in time for tonight’s game.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Brian Gibbons back to the minor leagues. Gibbons has been the team’s insurance forward all season, bouncing up and down whenever they need another body. The 31-year old has played in 15 NHL games, but hasn’t scored a single point.
- David Kase has been sent back to the minor leagues after just a single day in the NHL. This is already Kase’s fourth transaction this month, serving as an insurance policy for the Philadelphia Flyers on game days.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Curtis Lazar after Jack Eichel was made a late scratch last night. The captain was out with an upper-body injury, technically ending his 17-game point streak.
- Yakov Trenin has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators, who will conclude their road trip with a date against the Boston Bruins tomorrow. Trenin, 22, has played in six games with the team this season but has been a force in the AHL.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled both Jakob Lilja and Ryan MacInnis from the minor leagues. MacInnis, 23, has actually still not made his NHL debut despite being a second-round pick from 2014 and playing regularly in the minor leagues.
- Zack MacEwen has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, after Josh Leivo was injured in last night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. MacEwan has become a favorite call-up of the Canucks after signing as an undrafted free agent, with eight games already played in the NHL this season.
Minor Transactions: 12/03/19
There are ten games on the schedule for this evening around the NHL, including a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final when the Carolina Hurricanes travel to take on the Boston Bruins. The Bruins haven’t lost a game in regulation in nearly a month, while the Hurricanes are still battling to hold onto a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. As they and the rest of the league prepares for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- Nicolas Roy has been returned to the minor leagues by the Vegas Golden Knights, after his latest emergency recall. Roy has actually played in seven games for the NHL club this season, recording three points and six penalty minutes.
- Curtis Lazar too has been sent to the minor leagues, this time by the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year old has been great in the AHL, but still can’t find a level of consistency in the NHL that warrants a full-time roster spot.
- With the Toronto Maple Leafs back in action tonight, Martin Marincin is back up to serve as insurance. The team likely won’t insert the lanky defenseman into the lineup unless an injury occurs, but now that he has cleared waivers he can pop up and down on game days.
- Robin Lehner must have felt better this morning, as the Chicago Blackhawks returned Kevin Lankinen to the minor leagues. The young goaltender was recalled when Lehner was experiencing flu-like symptoms, but won’t get a chance to see any NHL action.
- Cory Conacher is up in Tampa Bay, as the Lightning prepare for their game against the Nashville Predators. The move is likely done so that they’ll have an option if Alex Killorn can’t go tonight, though Conacher has plenty of experience if he’s forced into the lineup.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Josh Mahura and Max Comtois, while sending Max Jones back to the AHL. Jones has just five points in 23 games this season for the Ducks, but may get a chance to get his game back on track in the minor leagues. The Ducks’ young forwards are all having a tough go in the NHL this season but have plenty of time to grow and develop.
- Filip Zadina and Taro Hirose have been sent to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings, as the team doesn’t play again until Saturday. Zadina is a key part of the team’s future and actually has an assist in each of the last two NHL games he has played.
- The Edmonton Oilers have made several changes, recalling Joel Persson while assigning Caleb Jones and Stuart Skinner to the minor leagues. Matt Benning has also been moved to injured reserve. With Skinner heading back to the AHL, Mike Smith must be healthy enough to at least serve as a backup for the Oilers.
Vladimir Sobotka Out Four To Six Weeks
The Buffalo Sabres Have made several announcements in regards to their injury situations today, including one on Vladimir Sobotka. The veteran forward will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury following the low hit from Nikita Kucherov that occurred in Sweden at the Global Series games. The team will however get Zach Bogosian and Marco Scandella back at practice today as they get closer to a return, and have recalled Curtis Lazar from the AHL.
While Sobotka’s absence was expected after he was helped off the ice, the return of Bogosian and Scandella is an important step if the Sabres want to move out some of their defensive depth for help up front. When both return the team has at least nine NHL-caliber defensemen, with other names like Lawrence Pilut and William Borgen waiting for their next chance in the minor leagues.
Lazar may get some time in Sobotka’s spot, but it’s obvious why the Sabres are looking to add another forward to the mix. The team has lost five straight after their hot start and have scored just eight goals during that stretch, obviously not enough to compete in the high-flying Atlantic Division.
Minor Transactions: 10/13/19
The Oilers and Avalanche stayed undefeated and the Senators stunned the Lightning on Saturday, which featured a busy slate of 14 games. As usual, Sunday is somewhat quieter, but tonight’s three match-ups feature two Pacific Division rivalry games and a battle between injury-bitten clubs as the Jets host the Penguins. As teams react to yesterday’s games and prepare for tonight and the week ahead, follow along with all of the roster transactions right here:
- Fresh off of an inspired first win of the season over the reigning President’s Trophy winners, the Ottawa Senators are getting ready to welcome a veteran asset back to the lineup. The team announced that rookie forward Vitaly Abramov has been reassigned to AHL Belleville. In his place, Mikkel Boedker is expected to return to the lineup, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Boedker left the team’s season opener with an injury and has not played since, but seems ready to return and contribute. The 29-year-old is hoping to re-discover his 50-point form as he’s expected to play a larger role in Ottawa this year compared to last.
- The Minnesota Wild are still searching for their first point on the season – they are the only team without one – and are calling in reinforcements. The team announced that they have recalled forward Gerry Mayhew from the minors. Mayhew’s recall has been much-anticipated after he broke records in AHL Iowa last year with 27 regular season goals and nine postseason goals in just eleven games. A standout at Ferris State University, Mayhew’s production has actually improved at the pro level. The 26-year-old recorded 60 points last year for Iowa and already has six points through five games this year. The Wild hope that he again excels against elevated competition in his first NHL call-up. The team could certainly use the help. The Minnesota Wild also announced that prospect Ivan Lodnia has been assigned from the Iowa Wild of the AHL to his junior team, the Niagra Ice Dogs of the OHL. The 20-year-old hasn’t played a game with the Iowa Wild and will instead play an overage season in the OHL. Drafted in the third-round of the 2017 draft, Lodnia appeared in just 41 games last year, posting solid numbers, however, 17 goals and 45 points. Lodnia appeared in six regular season games at the end of the 2018-19 season, but failed to register a point.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Curtis Lazar from the Rochester Americans of the AHL, according to The Athletic’s Joe Yerdon. With a four-game schedule coming up this week, which includes a three-game road trip to California, the team needed some extra forward depth, especially after the injury to Conor Sheary. Lazar spent all of last season in the AHL with the exception of one game with the Calgary Flames. He’ll likely be used as a healthy scratch, but could work his way into one game.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Brian Gibbons from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 31-year-old forward has fared well in the AHL with a goal and four points in four games. He spent all of 2018-19 in the NHL, playing 44 games (two goals and five points) with the Anaheim Ducks before being traded to Ottawa where he posted six goals and 14 points in 20 games. He will likely be there to provide depth after the injury to Jordan Martinook.