Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

MacKenzie Blackwood

Morning Notes: Blackwood, Crosby, Maple Leafs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

One of the interesting storylines to follow when it comes to potential Olympic participation was the goaltending competition for Team Canada. The long list had six names, including Carey Price, but it’s not at all clear who will actually be selected for the final roster. Mackenzie Blackwood was one of those listed, but his status was up in the air because to participate at the Olympics, a player needs to be fully vaccinated. To this point, Blackwood had declined the COVID-19 vaccination.

That has changed now, as Mike Morreale of NHL.com confirms Blackwood received his first shot at the end of last week and is on track to be fully vaccinated before the New Jersey Devils take their first road trip to Canada in early December. Blackwood will now be eligible to play for Team Canada as well, should he be one of the goaltenders selected.

  • Sidney Crosby was back practicing with the main group after some more individual work today, as the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to roll without their captain. The veteran forward is inching toward a return, though it’s not clear yet if he’ll be ready for tomorrow’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jeff Carter and Kris Letang, who are in the COVID protocol, were both absent, while Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust skated before practice.
  • After an embarrassing loss to the Penguins over the weekend, the Toronto Maple Leafs have overhauled their lines according to Mark Masters of TSN, splitting up Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The team also had injured goaltender Petr Mrazek on the ice with the main group, as he works his way back from a groin injury. The Maple Leafs haven’t scored more than three goals in a single game yet this season, and have just 12 total in six games.

East Notes: Smith, Norlinder, Daws

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils will get some reinforcement on the defensive end tonight as second-year ’D’-man Ty Smith will make his season debut tonight after missing the first week-and-a-half with injury, per the team. A move prefaced by the waiving and subsequent assignment of Colton White to the AHL’s Utica Comets, Smith likely makes his season debut on a pairing with Damon Severson. The Devils are now at full strength on defense for the first time this year, and the new-look group that also includes Ryan Graves and Dougie Hamilton will get a real chance to shine tonight at home against the Buffalo Sabres as the team looks to improve to a 3-1-0 record. Smith finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting last season, scoring two goals and 21 assists in 48 games.

More notes from today in the Eastern Conference:

  • Per The Athletic’s Marc-Antoine Godin, Canadiens defense prospect Mattias Norlinder will resume skating this week after missing the beginning of the 2021-22 season. While he’s loaned to Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League this season, the Habs prospect had a strong camp and this year is an important one in his development. A third-round pick of the squad in 2019, Norlinder had a respectable 10 points in 37 games last year in Sweden and looks to continue his growth on a defense core that also includes the Detroit Red Wings’ Simon Edvinsson and former NHLer Christian Folin.
  • Netminder Nico Daws is making his NHL debut tonight for the New Jersey Devils, the team announced this morning. With Mackenzie Blackwood still on injured reserve and Jonathan Bernier still day-to-day with a lower-body injury, a tandem of Daws and Scott Wedgewood will have to do it for now in Jersey. Wedgewood allowed four goals in a loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday, so the team will give Daws a chance tonight to show what he can do. The 20-year-old was drafted 84th overall in 2020.

Snapshots: Olympics, Blackwell, Crosby

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Each country participating in the upcoming Olympics had to submit their long list of 50 skaters and five goalies by last Friday.  While those lists weren’t made public, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment that Canada was granted a special exemption to add a sixth goaltender to their list in Canadiens netminder Carey Price who is currently out indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.  The other five goalies are Darcy Kuemper, Carter Hart, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Binnington, and Mackenzie Blackwood.  Canada’s Olympic committee recently announced a vaccination mandate in order to participate which makes Blackwood’s presence on here noteworthy as he is believed to be one of the four NHL players currently not vaccinated.  LeBrun mentions that the Devils’ goalie is working through the process of getting that done which should make him eligible to participate in the tournament in February if selected.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Kraken center Colin Blackwell has resumed light skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury that kept him out of training camp, notes Marisa Ingemi of the Seattle Times. He’s hoping to avoid surgery but it appears he’s still a few weeks away from returning.  Blackwell was selected back in expansion after picking up 12 goals and 10 assists in 47 games (all career highs) last season with the Rangers.
  • Penguins center Sidney Crosby returned to practice today after missing the last four team skates, relays NHL.com’s Wes Crosby. He indicated that he has yet to go through any physical or faceoff drills which will need to happen before he can return.  Crosby, who is working his way back from wrist surgery that carried a minimum recovery time of six weeks, has missed just more than that and hasn’t pegged a target date for him to make his season debut.

NHL Down To Four Unvaccinated Players

at CDT | by 39 Comments

The NHL expected that 98% or perhaps even 99% of their players would be vaccinated against the Coronavirus before the start of the 2021-22 season. It seems that they have somehow bettered that mark. Commissioner Gary Bettman has revealed that there are currently only four unvaccinated players in the league. This is understood to mean that all but four of the roughly 736 players on NHL rosters as of yesterday’s deadline are vaccinated – 99.5% of all players. Bettman spoke to his appreciation and respect for how the players have handled the pandemic in many ways over the past two years:

Throughout all of this, we had great collaboration and cooperation with the players and Players’ Association. This doesn’t happen to get to this point without that collaboration and cooperation. Yes, the players have stepped up to get vaccinated, but even thinking about how the players had to function the last two years, to go into the bubble… Having to adhere to the protocols last season so we could administer 330,000 tests to keep everybody healthy. The fact that we were in the bubble and I think we did 35,000 tests and didn’t have one positive. Everybody banded together to do the right thing. Maybe that’s why hockey is the ultimate team sport.

Of those four players, two have previously been confirmed as New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who has at least considered receiving the vaccine, and Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi. While Montreal Canadiens forward Jesse Ylonen is also unvaccinated and veteran Vancouver Canucks defenseman Travis Hamonic has been speculated as such as well, neither are considered to be part of this group of four as they are both currently in the AHL.

Bettman also noted that all team personnel and all officials are vaccinated. As a whole, the NHL is about as close to full protection against COVID-19 as could reasonably be expected, not to mention lightyears ahead of the other top North American pro sports leagues.

And yet, Coronavirus will continue to play a part in this NHL season. The Seattle Kraken have already dealt with numerous players entering the COVID Protocol before they can even play their first game in the league, while individual players like Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Vegas’ Mattias Janmark are also sidelined by positive tests. The league and its players have done their best to this point, but will have to continue to adhere to COVID Protocol policies and procedures as all involved hope to play a full and uninterrupted schedule this season.

COVID Notes: Blackwood, Bednar, Jarnkrok

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils didn’t actually end up playing last night due to an electrical issue in the rink, but there was an issue with the roster even before the scoreboard went dark. Mackenzie Blackwood, who was originally scheduled to play the first two periods for the Devils, didn’t hit the ice with the team for warmup. Corey Masisak of The Athletic reported this morning that it was because Blackwood, one of the handful of players who have decided not to be vaccinated, had inconclusive COVID-19 test results. According to Masisak, the team is expecting to know for sure one way or the other on Blackwood’s status by Sunday.

When both Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier were missing from today’s practice, speculation ramped up that it was because he would be a close contact as the other goaltender. That is not the case, as Bernier was taking a maintenance day, not because of anything to do with Blackwood’s status. While testing positive is certainly a possibility for every player in the league, vaccinated or not, the fact that Blackwood has declined means that should he miss regular season action because of a positive case, the Devils could suspend him without pay.

  • If there was any hope that Jared Bednar would be back quicker than expected from his positive test, it didn’t come true today. Bednar was still absent from Colorado Avalanche practice today according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, with skills coach Shawn Allard leading the drills instead. When the Avalanche announced Bednar’s status earlier this week, they included that he would be out for the team’s final two preseason games. One of those came yesterday, a loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars, and the other comes tomorrow in the back half of the home-and-home.
  • The Seattle Kraken haven’t had Calle Jarnkrok on the ice the last few days, and today head coach Dave Hakstol explained why. Jarnkrok has been put into the league’s COVID protocol, meaning he can’t join his teammates on the ice and is out indefinitely. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times confirms that Jarnkork is vaccinated, meaning that he will be able to return once he registers a confirmed negative test. It is not clear if Jarnkrok tested positive, only that he has entered the protocol for some reason.

Snapshots: Blackwood, Coyotes, Dach

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The New Jersey Devils were one of the teams to announce during the start of training camp that a player in their organization was unvaccinated, and today Mackenzie Blackwood confirmed that it was him. When speaking with media including Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, Blackwood explained that he hasn’t decided whether or not he will be vaccinated in the future, but has “a couple of health concerns and health reasons” why he has not received it yet.

Though Blackwood will be held to stricter protocols because of his status, the Devils won’t be forced to go without him at the start of the season like some other teams with unvaccinated players. New Jersey is not scheduled to travel to Canada until a December 3 game against the Winnipeg Jets, meaning there would still be time for the young goaltender to receive a league-approved vaccine in time to accompany them on the road trip if he chooses to do so. Blackwood was one of the players to test positive for Coronavirus earlier this year, missing several games.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have hired David Oliver and Scott Pellerin as pro scouts, adding to a scouting department that has experienced a complete overhaul since general manager Bill Armstrong took over the front office. Oliver has spent the last several years as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers, and before that worked for years with the Colorado Avalanche organization. Pellerin meanwhile was previously the Toronto Maple Leafs’ director of player development and had been with the club for seven years.
  • While Kirby Dach is busy preparing for an important season with the Chicago Blackhawks, little brother Colton Dach is heading to a new team in the WHL. The 18-year-old forward, who was picked 62nd overall by the Blackhawks this year, has been traded from the Saskatoon Blades to the Kelowna Rockets. Colton Dach has not yet signed his entry-level with the Blackhawks, but is another big-bodied two-way player that has a legitimate future in the middle of the ice. He had 11 goals and 20 points in 20 games for Saskatoon last season, but will try to build on that this time around in Kelowna.

Devils’ Gilles Senn Signs In Switzerland

at CDT | by 1 Comment

As had been speculated of late, New Jersey Devils goaltender Gilles Senn has decided to take his talents back home to Switzerland. Reportedly upset with his role in the organization this season, playing exclusively with AHL Binghamton, the 25-year-old restricted free agent was rumored to be available to Swiss NLA clubs and a return to long-time club HC Davos was the expected landing spot. Davos has now confirmed those expectations, announcing a new three-year deal with Senn.

While the Devils are not particularly deep in net behind Mackenzie Blackwood, especially with Scott Wedgewood and Aaron Dell heading for the open market, the loss of Senn should not make much of an impact. Although the Swiss standout was an exciting signing for the club in 2019 and even played in two NHL games in his first North American season, Senn has done little to impress with his AHL play over the past two years. He recorded an .899 save percentage and 3.06 GAA in 44 games with Binghamton and won just three of his 17 appearances in a poor 2020-21 campaign. Senn was very unlikely to be in the running for the backup job next season as a result. In fact, there is a chance that New Jersey may not have even extended a qualifying offer his way this summer. Senn’s departure now allows for promising prospects Akira Schmid and Nico Daws to potentially battle for AHL appearances right away as they are expected to turn pro for this coming season.

As for Senn, his new contract may keep him with Davos through the 2023-24 season, but it doesn’t completely rule out an NHL return down the road. At 28 years old when his deal expires and already possessing some North American experience, Senn could remain an intriguing option. However, teams have now seen him play in the AHL and NHL and some of the mystery is gone. Senn will have to play very well in Switzerland over the next few years if he wants a realistic chance at seeing NHL action again in his career.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/02/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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 Anaheim Ducks are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:

Anaheim – TBA
Buffalo – Taylor Hall*, Rasmus Ristolainen* 
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter; Lucas Wallmark
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit – Sam Gagner, Jonathon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes*, Damon Severson*, Ty Smith*, Matt Tennyson*, Jesper Bratt*
NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko
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: Jesper Fast, Carolina Hurricanes; Nicolas Beaudin, Chicago Blackhawks; Alex DeBrincat, Chicago Blackhawks; Adam Erne, Detroit Red Wings; Robby Fabbri, Detroit Red Wings

The huge news today is the exploding outbreak in New Jersey, where now 14 players are listed in the COVID Protocol. The Sabres, who played the Devils on Sunday (and Saturday) before they were shut down, also now have two players listed and have shutdown their own operation for the rest of the week.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/01/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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 – Nicholas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter; Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jonathon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson*, Janne Kuokkanen*, Michael McLeod*, Pavel Zacha*
NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko*
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: Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets

The big news is the huge outbreak in New Jersey, where three games have been postponed because of the ten players on the CPRA list. The Devils will not play for the next week, though obviously test results could extend that even further. Several of these players took part in yesterday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, but thankfully no Sabres players were included here today. It’s important to remember that at least some of the Devils listed are because of travel protocols (Vatanen, Dell), or, in the case of Carrick because he left the team for the birth of a child.

Laine meanwhile hit the ice today for the first time since his trade to the Blue Jackets after serving his 48-hour quarantine. He’s expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night to make his Columbus debut.

Kakko too was added today for the Rangers, who recalled Jonny Brodzinski from the AHL earlier today. The young forward has two goals in eight games and will now miss some time as he moves through the protocol. The Rangers play this evening against the Penguins and Thursday against the Capitals.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/31/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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 – Nicholas Beaudin; Adam Boqvist; Ryan Carpenter; Alex DeBrincat; Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine
Dallas – Andrej Sekera*
Detroit – Adam Erne; Robby Fabbri; Sam Gagner; Jonathon Merrill; Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – TBA
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood; Connor Carrick; Aaron Dell; Kyle Palmieri*; Sami Vatanen*; 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

No word yet on the status of Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte who were both on the list Saturday, but the list now says TBA, suggesting the two could be activated soon.

*denotes new addition

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top