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Mikko Koivu

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/19/21

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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. Though a few of the west coast teams are still TBA, here is today’s list:

Carolina – Warren Foegele*, Jordan Martinook*, Jaccob Slavin*, Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen*
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri
Florida – Juho Lammikko
Minnesota – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Eric Comrie
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay – Blake Coleman, Curtis McElhinney
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg, Tucker Poolman

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

The big news for today is the four new Carolina Hurricanes players, which have been confirmed as positive test results by several reporters including Frank Seravalli of TSN. The Hurricanes will not play today’s scheduled game, but it is not immediately clear how long these players will be out. Staal was already on the list and has missed the last two games.

Among the players that were removed today are Markus Nutivaara and Jordie Benn.

As has been the case so far this season, the league declined to identify anyone from Dallas and will hold off on doing so until they are able to play in their first game, now scheduled for January 22. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/18/21

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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 early game between Detroit and Columbus has a few players held out, but the full list will be updated later this evening:

Carolina – Jordan Staal
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Detroit – Adam Erne*, Robby Fabbri*
Florida – Juho Lammikko*, Markus Nutivaara*
Minnesota – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Eric Comrie
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay – Blake Coleman*, Curtis McElhinney
Vancouver – Jordie Benn
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg, Tucker Poolman

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

The big newcomer is Coleman, who has played two games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season but now appears on the list alongside McElhinney. The Lightning don’t play until Thursday because of the rescheduled games against Dallas, so Coleman will be one to keep an eye on this week.

As has been the case so far this season, the league declined to identify anyone from Dallas and will hold off on doing so until they are able to play in their first game, now scheduled for January 22. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/17/21

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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. Today’s list is as follows:

Carolina – Jordan Staal
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Detroit – Christian Djoos
Minnesota – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Eric Comrie
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay – Curtis McElhinney
Vancouver – Jordie Benn
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg; Tucker Poolman

No new names were added to the list. J.T. Miller did clear and has joined the Canucks in Alberta.

As has been the case so far this season, the league declined to identify anyone from Dallas and will hold off on doing so until they are able to play in their first game, now scheduled for January 22. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/16/21

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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.  Today’s list is as follows:

Carolina – Jordan Staal
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Detroit – Christian Djoos
Minnesota – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Eric Comrie
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay – Curtis McElhinney*
Vancouver – Jordie Benn; J.T. Miller
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg; Tucker Poolman*

*denotes new addition

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

As has been the case so far this season, the league declined to identify anyone from Dallas and will hold off on doing so until they are able to play in their first game, now scheduled for January 22. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/13/21

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As reported earlier, beginning today, and each day for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, the NHL will be sharing the names of players who are “unavailable” to play or practice due to any number of factors that place them under the league’s COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list of players for today, Wednesday, January 13:

F Lawson Crouse, Arizona Coyotes
F Karson Kuhlman, Boston Bruins
D Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche
F Mikko Koivu, Columbus Blue Jackets
D Christian Djoos, Detroit Red Wings
F Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings
F Gaetan Haas, Edmonton Oilers
F James Neal, Edmonton Oilers
D Markus Nutivaara, Florida Panthers
D Kurtis MacDermid, Los Angeles Kings
G Cal Petersen, Los Angeles Kings
D Sean Walker, Los Angeles Kings
G Alex Stalock, Minnesota Wild
F Mikael Granlund, Nashville Predators
D Luca Sbisa, Nashville Predators
F Justin Richards, New York Rangers
D Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kasperi Kapanen, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Maxim Letunov, San Jose Sharks
D Jordie Benn, Vancouver Canucks
F J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
F Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets

*NOTE: The league declined to list any specific members of the Dallas Stars at this time. The team is currently recovering from an extensive breakout.

Snapshots: Stuetzle, Thornton, Duclair, Spurgeon

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The Ottawa Senators have already been in camp for several days already, but the team will get another big name player into camp soon as 2020 first-round pick Tim Stuetzle arrived in Ottawa Saturday night. The 18-year-old is coming off an impressive performance at the World Junior Championship after he led Team Germany to one of the countries best finishes ever. After a seven-day quarantine, he will join his team and is likely to start his NHL career, according to the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch.

“I hope I’m going to play in the NHL this season, that’s 100% my goal and I will work very hard for that,” Stuetzle told reporters in Edmonton following Germany’s elimination in the quarterfinals.

Stuetzle finished the World Juniors with five goals and 10 points in five games. The third-overall pick, who signed his entry-level deal last week, is likely going to play wing for the Senators this season.

Blue Jackets Sign Mikko Koivu

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2:25PM: The Blue Jackets have made the deal official, announcing a one-year deal at the previously-reported $1.5MM price tag.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen released the following statement:

Mikko Koivu has been a very consistent, productive two-way player in the National Hockey League for many years. He is a great leader, has impeccable character and will be a valuable addition to our young team. We are very excited that he has chosen to continue his career as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

1:16 PM: Columbus has changed up their center depth this offseason already with the acquisition of Max Domi from Montreal and the signing of Mikhail Grigorenko.  Their changes down the middle may not be done yet, however, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Blue Jackets are in discussions with UFA center Mikko Koivu.  John Matisz of The Score adds (via Twitter) that a one-year, $1.5MM deal is expected.

The 37-year-old is on the lookout for a new team after Minnesota informed their now-former captain that they wouldn’t be retaining him after Koivu spent the last 15 years with the Wild.  He’s coming off of a quiet season offensively with just four goals and 17 assists in 55 games; his 21 points matched his previous career-low set back in his rookie season in 2005-06.  But the Blue Jackets (or any suitor) wouldn’t be looking for offense from Koivu at this stage of his career.  Instead, he’d be deployed in more of a defense-first role while he’s still above average at the faceoff dot.

If Koivu does sign with Columbus, it could allow them to shift Boone Jenner back to the wing which is a position he’s quite familiar with having spent several seasons on the left side in the past.  That would then presumably allow Koivu to slide into a third-line role which is a better fit for him.  Of course, that’s why he had to take a sizable cut in pay from the $5MM salary he received last season for a deal to make sense for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus has a little more than $14MM in cap space to work with after clearing out Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara just before free agency.  However, most of that money will be earmarked for top center Pierre-Luc Dubois and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov but that leaves enough for them to get a deal done with Koivu without really affecting their plans to re-sign their youngsters.

West Notes: Rask, Blues, Coyotes

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The Wild will not buy out center Victor Rask, GM Bill Guerin told Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 27-year-old has struggled mightily over his two seasons in Minnesota, compiling just 16 points in 66 games while being a frequent healthy scratch along the way.  That’s hardly production that’s worthy of a $4MM price tag for two more years which made him a strong candidate to be released.  Instead, they’ll hold onto Rask and hope that he’ll be able to rebound and perhaps fill one of the vacancies created by the departures of Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch posits that the Blues will likely add a veteran goaltender in free agency. While the team has high hopes for Ville Husso, he has yet to play at the NHL level and they’re counting on him to be a capable backup for Jordan Binnington.  Adding a veteran third-string option that could start out at the AHL level but be brought up if Husso struggles or injuries arise would be a wise move although getting someone that may be willing to leave some NHL money on the table in favor of a higher two-way deal (or a fully guaranteed one-way contract) will be important with their salary cap situation.
  • The front office changes continue in Arizona as new GM Bill Armstrong makes his mark. Just days after firing scouting director Lindsay Hofford, the Coyotes have parted ways with assistant to the GM Jake Goldberg, reports Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link).  The 30-year-old had been promoted to that role this season after spending the previous two years as their director of hockey operations.

Snapshots: Entry Draft, Daccord, Koivu

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The NHL Entry Draft is just around the corner and the Ottawa Senators will be almost living at the (virtual) podium. Ottawa owns seven picks in the first two rounds including the third and fifth overall selections. Jeff Marek gave his thoughts on that fifth pick in today’s 31 Thoughts podcast for Sportsnet, including some interesting names that may be in play.

Five’s gonna be interesting. I’m told there are three different beliefs in that organization.

There is the “let’s take a defenseman here.” There is a belief that that would be Jake Sanderson, Geoff Sanderson’s kid. There is another belief within the organization that they are thin on the right side as it comes to prospects after players like Drake Batherson. That Jack Quinn, who was a 50-goal scorer two-way player with the Ottawa 67’s, the local boy, might be the right fit for Ottawa…and then the wildcard in all of it is the goaltender.

Yaroslav Askarov, that goaltender Marek mentions, is one of the more interesting prospects to follow in the draft given the wide-ranging opinions on where netminders should be taken in the draft. In the same podcast, Elliotte Friedman suggests that even the New Jersey Devils would consider Askarov at seven, despite having Mackenzie Blackwood in the organization already.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have named Brian Daccord special assistant to the general manager and director of goaltending operations. Daccord comes to Arizona by way of Toronto after spending the last several seasons with the Maple Leafs. Father of Ottawa Senators goalie prospect Joey Daccord, Brian comes with plenty of experience in professional hockey including seven years as the goaltending coach for Adler Mannheim in the DEL.
  • Mikko Koivu’s time in Minnesota may be over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his playing career is done. Koivu told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic that he is returning to Finland to start training as if he is playing in 2020-21, though he hasn’t made a decision on his future just yet. Koivu, 37, scored just four goals in 55 games for the Wild this season and has played in nearly 1,100 games over a long career.

Minnesota Wild Will Not Re-Sign Mikko Koivu

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In an almost unprecedented move, the Minnesota Wild have publicly announced that they will not re-sign captain Mikko Koivu, a pending unrestricted free agent. His 15-year career with the team will end with a press release from GM Bill Guerin:

[Koivu’s] hard work, dedication and team-first mentality will be extremely difficult to replace in our lineup. Off the ice, Mikko’s impact in the State of Hockey was immeasurable as he went out of his way to make a positive impact on so many people in our community, including his charitable contributions to Children’s Minnesota.

We thank Mikko for everything he has done for our organization and wish him and his family the best in the future.

Koivu, 37, debuted with the Wild in 2005 and has played his entire 1,028-game NHL career with the organization, serving as captain the last eleven seasons. The sixth-overall pick from 2001 amassed 709 points during that time, reaching the postseason on nine different occasions.

In recent years, Koivu’s offensive production has deteriorated immensely, resulting in a career-low of just four goals and 21 points this season. While the 6’3″ center was still a capable defensive presence, it was obvious that his time in the Minnesota lineup was coming to an end.

This move continues what has been a busy offseason for Guerin as he desperately tries to reshape the Wild and get younger throughout the roster. Eric Staal was dealt earlier this week for a younger Marcus Johansson, while Nick Bjugstad was also brought in to compete for minutes down the middle. If the trade rumors surrounding Matt Dumba and Devan Dubnyk are to be believed, there are more changes coming for Minnesota in the coming weeks.

For Koivu, he now must decide whether or not to continue his career elsewhere and if so whether that elsewhere is in the NHL or overseas. Earlier this month Michael Russo of The Athletic profiled the forward, examining his near-endless Minnesota records and future options. That included a potential non-playing role with the organization, though it doesn’t seem like that is going to happen right away given today’s statement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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