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
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/05/21
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. The Anaheim Ducks have yet to report their results for today. For all 30 other teams, here is the CPRA list for Friday:
Anaheim – TBA
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Jake McCabe
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
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, 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
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: John Marino, Pittsburgh Penguins
The good news: there was no net gain to the CPRA list today. One player was added and one player was removed. For the injury plagued Pittsburgh Penguins blue line, getting Marino back is a major relief. It also removes the Penguins entirely from the COVID doghouse for the time being.
The bad news: a troubling situation in New Jersey gets only worse, as Kulikov joins the long list of players in the protocol. The Devils have seen a number of their coming games postponed and that could easily continue given the sheer number of players still out of action.
*denotes new addition
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/04/21
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. Today, commissioner Gary Bettman announced some in-arena adjustments for the league to follow, but also released a statement on the current situation:
With about 20 percent of our season played, we are mindful of the fact that we might be seeing a more aggressive transmission of the virus and will continue to make adjustments to our Protocols as we consult on a daily basis with, and adhere to, the recommendations of our medical advisors.
It is important to note that, while we have seen almost 100 players enter our COVID Protocols, fewer than half have done so because of confirmed positive tests – and, among that group, many have not been symptomatic. Our priority has been and will continue to be to act conservatively with an abundance of caution, understanding that there are many things about the transmission of COVID-19 that are still being discovered. As a result, we won’t hesitate to take additional measures as indicated by what we are learning and as directed by our medical advisors.
Here is the CPRA list for today:
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Jake McCabe*
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*
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, 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
Pittsburgh – John Marino
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: Filip Zadina, Detroit Red Wings; Aaron Dell, New Jersey Devils;
Of course, the list does not include Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger, who has also tested positive and is isolating away from the team. McCabe joins four other important members of the Sabres that are sitting out, though it is not clear how many have actually tested positive.
The addition of Landeskog is also important to note, given that the Avalanche are not shutdown like the Minnesota Wild, their last opponent and have a game scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The team is already dealing with a long list of injuries and now will likely be without their captain as well.
It is important to note that Dell wasn’t actually on the list because of the outbreak among the Devils, but because of quarantine rules after he was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, he still won’t get to practice with his new team until the Devils go back to work.
*denotes new addition
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/03/21
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. The list for today:
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour*, Tobias Rieder*
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Tyson Jost*
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Detroit –Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad*, Nick Bonino*, Joel Eriksson Ek*, Marcus Johansson*, Jared Spurgeon*
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, Nathan Bastian*, Nikita Gusev*, Yegor Sharangovich*
Pittsburgh – John Marino*
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: Sam Gagner, Detroit Red Wings; Jonathon Merrill, Detroit Red Wings; Kaapo Kakko, New York Rangers
The big news is the addition of five players from Minnesota and one from Colorado, who played each other last night (and twice before that). Tomorrow’s game between the two clubs is expected to be postponed, but it is not clear yet how many matches will be affected.
The Devils are up to 17 players on the list as they deal with the biggest outbreak of the regular season, while the Sabres–who played the Devils on the weekend–are now up to four. Both teams currently have all activities suspended and games postponed.
Marino’s placement for the Penguins comes at a brutal stretch while they’re without almost all of their top options on defense, though again it is not clear if he has tested positive or how long he will be kept away from the team.
*denotes new addition
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/02/21
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. 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
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
Injury Notes: Johns, Strome, Palmieri
The Dallas Stars have recalled Stephen Johns from his assignment in the minor leagues, but the veteran defenseman remains on long-term injured reserve for the time being. Johns is trying to work his way back from post-traumatic headaches that have kept him out for more than a year.
Johns did make his return to game action for the Texas Stars, playing in two games for the AHL club. Even though he’s never been a very dangerous offensive player, he recorded four points in those two games and was a +5. His return would be a real boost for a Dallas team looking like potential Stanley Cup contenders at this point in the season.
- Dylan Strome has been placed on injured reserve by the Chicago Blackhawks, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll miss any more time than expected. The designation is retroactive to January 7th, meaning he can be activated at any time. The team has brought up Brandon Hagel in the meantime. The 21-year old Hagel has 13 goals in 38 games this season for the Rockford IceHogs.
- Michael McLeod is up for the New Jersey Devils, who placed Kyle Palmieri on injured reserve. Palmieri was supposed to be the Devils’ All-Star representative but has already been ruled out thanks to a left foot injury. McLeod, the 12th overall pick from 2016, has 18 points in 32 games for the Binghamton Devils this season.
Minor Transactions: 12/15/19
After a full slate of game Saturday night, the NHL quiets down on Sunday with just eight teams in action. Regardless, many teams will start making moves before the league’s Holiday Roster Freeze that kicks in on Thursday, Dec. 19. Keep your eyes this transaction page throughout the day to catch every team’s moves:
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have assigned forward Julien Gauthier to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 22-year old and former first-round pick in 2016 picked up his first career NHL point Saturday in Carolina’s victory over Calgary. Gauthier has fared well in the AHL this season with 10 goals in 22 games after a 27-goal season a year ago. He has now five NHL games to his career.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have recalled center Lukas Vejdemo from the Laval Rocket of the AHL, while re-assigning defenseman Otto Leskinen. Vejdemo is the Rocket’s second-leading scorer with eight goals and 16 points. The 23-year-old is in his second season in North America, having scored 13 goals and 29 points last season and looks to be exceeding that mark. If he can get into a game, it will be his NHL debut. Leskinen made his NHL debut on Dec. 5 and played in five games with Montreal. He failed to record a point in that time, but did contribute 13 hits.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they loaned forward Pontus Aberg and defenseman Martin Marincin to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. While the move could be just a simple paper transaction, it’s also possible the team hopes it can get back forward Trevor Moore, which would require the move.
- CapFriendly reports that the New Jersey Devils have assigned center Michael McLeod to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. McLeod had an impressive performance Saturday in the Devils’ victory over Arizona. Playing center for the team for the first time ever, the 21-year-old picked up two assists and a plus-two rating in the game, suggesting he might be ready for more extensive callups at a later time. McLeod has 13 points in 24 games with Binghamton.
- The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark reports that the Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Anton Lindholm from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Lindholm will fill in for defenseman Cale Makar, who was recently put on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old Lindholm has appeared in 23 games with the Eagles, scoring one goal and two points.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the have assigned forward Mitchell Stephens to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The 22-year-old forward made his NHL debut on Dec. 9 and has appeared in four games. While he didn’t register a point, Stephens was useful in the faceoff circle where he 18-of-26 (69.2 percent). He will return to the Crunch where he had five goals and 10 points this season.
- The Vancouver Canucks have activated forward Tyler Motte from injured reserve and made space for him by assigning forward Zack MacEwen to the Utica Comets, the team announced. Motte suffered a lower-body injury on Oct. 25 and was expected to be out for four weeks. It’s taken quite a bit longer, but the 24-year-old is expected to join the team. He has only appeared in six games for the Canucks this season with one assist. The 23-year-old MacEwen has appeared in eight games with Vancouver, posting a goal and an assist.
- As the Ottawa Senators continue to shuffle young players to and from the NHL, the latest move comes with Jonathan Davidsson being returned to AHL Belleville. Davidsson, acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, has played in six games with Ottawa this season, recording just one point. He has four points in eleven games with Belleville and, in just his first season in North American, will benefit more from a large role in the AHL. than his limited action with Ottwa.
Minor Transactions: 12/10/19
The NHL already saw a coach fired for unprofessional conduct this morning and now prepares for a busy evening with 12 games on the schedule. There’s no slowing down as we head into the middle of December. As teams prepare for all the action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- Mason Appleton has been reassigned by the Winnipeg Jets as they get set to take on the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The 23-year old forward has played in nine games for the team, but will now return to the AHL where he spent much of the last two seasons.
- With Nico Hischier still sick, he has been placed on injured reserve in order to recall Michael McLeod from the minor leagues. The New Jersey Devils’ center’s designation is retroactive to December 5th, meaning he can come off as soon as he’s healthy enough to return.
- The Colorado Avalanche have returned Adam Werner to the minor leagues, meaning Philipp Grubauer must be healthy enough to return to action. The Avalanche relied on Werner earlier this season as an emergency fill-in, but his place is in the AHL at this point in his career.
- Just like most of the other days this season, Cory Conacher has been flipped by the Tampa Bay Lightning–this time to the AHL. Conacher has been bounced back and forth all year, but this move is a little more interesting thanks to the presence of Mitchell Stephens. After making his debut last night, Stephens will stay on the roster for the time being.
- Speaking of debuts, the Calgary Flames have recalled Matthew Phillips from the minor leagues and will insert him into the lineup tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. Phillips is one of the AHL’s most dynamic offensive weapons this season, but stands just 5’8″ 160-lbs.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/19
We’re getting closer and closer to the start of the regular season and teams are making their final cuts. We’ll keep track of them right here. Keep checking back throughout the day as this page will be updated regularly.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
F Lane Pederson (to Tucson, AHL)
D Jordan Gross (to Tucson, AHL)
D Kyle Capobianco (to Tucson, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Nicholas Caamano (to Texas, AHL)
F Rhett Gardner (to Texas, AHL)
F Jason Robertson (to Texas, AHL)
D Thomas Harley (to Mississauga, OHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
G Kaden Fulcher (to Toledo, ECHL)
F Matthew Ford (released from PTO)
F Josh Kestner (released from PTO)
F Troy Loggins (released from ATO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Marcus Crawford (released from PTO)
D Charle-Edouard D’Astous (released from ATO)
D Alec McCrea (released from ATO)
G Pat Nagle (released from PTO)
Los Angeles Kings (per team release)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
F Nathan Bastian (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Michael McLeod (to Binghamton, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Steven Fogarty (to Hartford, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F Gerry Mayhew (to Iowa, AHL)
F Nico Sturm (to Iowa, AHL)
F Drew Stafford (released from PTO)
Vancouver Canucks (per team release)
F Zack MacEwen (to Utica, AHL)
D Jalen Chatfield (to Utica, AHL)
F Tyler Graovac (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
G Richard Bachman (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
F Andrei Chibisov (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Michael Spacek (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Vesalainen (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Logan Stanley (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)