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Ryan Dzingel, Rudolfs Balcers Enter COVID Protocol

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The Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks have both made several updates to their COVID protocol list, as they prepare for action tonight and tomorrow.

For the Coyotes, Ryan Dzingel has joined Antoine Roussel in the protocol and is unavailable for tonight’s game. A player that has seemingly disappeared entirely the last few years, Dzingel has just four goals and six points in 20 games for the Coyotes in 2021-22. A two-time 20+ goal scorer, he has just 12 goals and 19 points since the start of the 2020-21 campaign and now will have to miss at least three games with this latest absence.

Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports some good news on the Coyotes’ side though, as Jakob Chychrun is expected to play for the first time since December 10. The young defenseman is the subject of much trade speculation, and getting back into game action will only help the Coyotes’ leverage in any negotiation.

For San Jose, it’s a bit of good news and a bit of bad news. The team has activated Alexander Barabanov from the COVID protocol, but replaced him with Rudofs Balcers, who is now unavailable. San Jose recalled Joachim Blichfeld and Adam Raska from the AHL in the meantime.

Balcers, 24, had scored in each of his last two games and now has four goals and 12 points in 27 games for the Sharks this season. Signed to a two-year deal in the offseason that carries a $1.55MM cap hit, his year has been broken up by injuries and illnesses that have limited his playing time. Now he’ll be forced out of the lineup for at least two games.

Snapshots: Rust, Byron, Sharks

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust practiced with the team today after missing their last four games while in COVID protocol, per team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. The Penguins face off against Vegas tomorrow night, but head coach Mike Sullivan said today that he’s unsure whether or not he’ll insert Rust into the lineup. Rust’s yet again been lethal when in the lineup, although he’s been limited to just 15 games this season. He has nine goals and 11 points, on pace for his second career season above a point-per-game pace.

More from around the league:

  • Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme issued a further update today on injured winger Paul Byron, stating that he’s probable to join the team at some point during the upcoming week. Byron’s been absent the entire 2021-22 season after having offseason hip injury, and he was expected to miss about five months. He’s now missed about five-and-a-half, so it’s a good sign that he won’t be out much longer. The 32-year-old winger has 26 points in 75 games over the past two seasons and will provide valuable leadership presence to a struggling Canadiens team.
  • The San Jose Sharks could be getting a pair of players back into the fold. Head coach Bob Boughner said today that goalie James Reimer — who’d been out with a lower-body injury for over a week — and forward Alexander Barabanov, who was on COVID protocol, could be back in the team’s lineup for their Monday night game against Los Angeles. Both Reimer and Barabanov have been valuable parts of an impressive Sharks team this season. Reimer’s posted strong numbers in a tandem with Adin Hill, and Barabanov has 20 points through 32 games.

Snapshots: Hertl, Allen, Byron

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The San Jose Sharks’ unexpected rise back to relevancy this season has answered a lot of questions, but the Tomas Hertl situation still hangs over the team’s heads. On TSN’s Insider Trading program today, Pierre LeBrun says he expects the Sharks to “circle back” with Hertl and give him an extension offer. The pending unrestricted free agent has 31 points in 37 games this season. The team’s lone 20-goal scorer so far is in the final year of a four-year, $22.5MM contract. In the case that Hertl doesn’t agree to an extension prior to the trade deadline, though, LeBrun notes the trade front is still an option. Hertl has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a list of three teams to which he’ll accept a trade. LeBrun believes the New York Rangers would be an option, a team that would obviously be heavily interested in some added forward depth.

Some other notes, this time out of Montreal:

  • After leaving last night’s loss against Boston, Canadiens goalie Jake Allen will be out of the lineup for at least a week, per coach Dominique Ducharme. It’s been a really tough season for Allen, who’s faced injuries and COVID that have limited him to 24 games. He’s Montreal’s undisputed starter, still posting a save percentage above .900 on the worst team in the league. The team has a compressed schedule in the near future, meaning Allen could miss three or four games before he’s ready to dress again.
  • Montreal could be getting a name back from injury soon, though, as forward Paul Byron, who hasn’t played all year due to offseason hip surgery, could be cleared from COVID protocol by the weekend and could join the team on the road. Byron had six points in 22 games last year during Montreal’s playoff run. He’s one of the bigger voices in the room for the Habs, and his leadership presence will be greatly appreciated during this tough season.

Alexander Barabanov Added To COVID Protocol

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The San Jose Sharks will be without Alexander Barabanov for at least the next few days after he was placed in the COVID protocol today. Head coach Bob Boughner confirmed to reporters including Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News that Barabanov did indeed test positive for coronavirus this morning.

He joins Nick Bonino, assistant coach John MacLean, and video coach Dan Darrow in the protocol for the Sharks. It also means that the team is losing another important forward, though Rudolfs Balcers is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow against the New York Rangers. Balcers last played over a month ago and can basically step directly into Barabanov’s spot, though can’t really replace the offense that the 27-year-old Russian has brought since arriving in San Jose.

Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs after failing to earn a full-time spot, Barabanov ran with the opportunity down the stretch and scored seven points in nine games last season for the Sharks. He signed a new one-year, $1MM deal to return to San Jose and this season has proven to be a reliable top-six option. In 32 games he has 20 points, while averaging nearly 17 minutes a night and also taking a regular shift on the powerplay.

Since he’s positive, he’ll miss at least five days in the protocol. That means at least two games missed and more likely three, as the Sharks play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and Los Angeles Kings on Monday.

San Jose Sharks Terminate Evander Kane’s Contract

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Jan 9: Kane has cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of TSN. His contract will be terminated, though the NHLPA intends on filing a grievance on his behalf.

Jan 8: The Sharks are parting ways with Evander Kane as the winger is on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.  The team has released the following statement:

The San Jose Sharks have informed Evander Kane that he has been placed on unconditional waivers with intent to terminate his contract for breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols.

By taking this approach, the Sharks believe that they can get out of the rest of Kane’s contract without any further money owed or cap hit charged.  But with $19MM in salary and signing bonuses owed over the next three seasons plus the remainder of a pro-rated $7MM salary this season, Kane will almost certainly be grieving this in the coming days once he goes unclaimed on Sunday. In fact, the NHLPA has already officially responded to the situation:

We are aware of the San Jose Sharks’ stated intent to terminate Evander Kane’s contract. The NHLPA intends to challenge any such action by filing a grievance.

The 30-year-old had been the subject of multiple investigations in recent months, stemming from gambling and abuse allegations which were ruled to be unsubstantiated.  However, he received a 21-game suspension at the start of the season for using a fake vaccination card and after being cleared to return, was immediately waived and sent to AHL San Jose.  Kane was actually quite productive with the Barracuda, notching eight points in five games before testing positive for COVID in late December.  As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports, the reason for the release stems from a flight that Kane took during his isolation period as well as his return date to the team.

Players being on unconditional waivers during the season isn’t anything new – it happens fairly routinely with players in the minors and teams agreeing to go their separate ways.  It’s also used in the summer during buyout windows; there is no buyout window during the regular season.  But for a team to unilaterally use it to try to get out of a deal is much less common.  Tampa Bay did it with Jake Dotchin back in 2018 but he caught on elsewhere soon after and his grievance was settled ten months later.

The most notable time it was used was when the Kings did it with Mike Richards back in 2015 with the team saying he had committed a material breach of his contract, similar language to what San Jose used in their statement.  That one was also grieved and the two sides eventually settled on a payout of $11MM between 2015 and 2032 with Richards remaining on the Kings’ books through that time at varying rates but well below the original $5.75MM AAV.  On the surface, it would appear that the Sharks could be trying to go a similar route here with any possible settlement being amortized over a long enough period of time to make the cap situation much more desirable than it had would have been if they continued to keep him on the books.  Worth noting, back in 2015, Friedman noted that the NHLPA received assurances that Richards’ situation wouldn’t be considered as a precedent which is something Kane and his camp will certainly be pointing out.

While they will proceed with the termination on Sunday, this situation is almost certainly far from fully being settled.  In the meantime, Kane will technically become an unrestricted free agent upon his release.  If he signs before the March 21st trade deadline, he will be eligible to play in the playoffs while if he doesn’t find a new team right away, he would be eligible to play in the Olympics next month.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Kane was on unconditional waivers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sharks Place Nick Bonino And John MacLean In COVID Protocol

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  • The Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve added center Nick Bonino along with assistant coach John MacLean to the COVID protocol list. They join center Logan Couture and forward Lane Pederson as those that aren’t available for the time being.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: San Jose Sharks

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In the spirit of the holiday season, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season approaches the midway mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the San Jose Sharks.

What are the Sharks thankful for?

A rebound from Erik Karlsson.

One of the more overlooked stories of this season has been the play of Karlsson, who has rebounded in a big way from his brutal 2020-21 campaign. Through 28 games he has eight goals and 22 points, is still playing more than 23 minutes a night, and has strong possession numbers once again. The 31-year-old isn’t the all-world player he was pre-ankle surgery and he’s not going to win the Norris Trophy, but his rebound is a big reason why the Sharks are competitive this season.

The worry at this point in his career is always injury, and Karlsson is currently on the shelf with an upper-body ailment. He could be back as soon as Tuesday though when the Sharks return for a five-game homestand.

Who are the Sharks thankful for?

James Reimer.

Despite his performances in the last couple of games, there’s no real answer here other than the Sharks’ starter. Reimer’s numbers are coming back to earth, but it’s because of his goaltending that the team is still in the playoff race in the Western Conference.

In 2019-20, San Jose was ranked 30th in save percentage at .895. In 2020-21, that number actually dropped to .891. This season Reimer’s .916 is dragging them up to .910 overall, a respectable number that has them in games most nights.

What would the Sharks be even more thankful for? 

Some roster consistency.

Between injuries, illnesses, and COVID-19 protocol, there have been barely any games this season when the Sharks were icing their best lineup possible. Only three players have suited up for all 35 games–Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, and Nick Bonino–and several important ones have missed as many as seven, a good 20 percent of the season so far.

There have been some great stories in San Jose. Even looking past the likes of Karlsson and Reimer, Alexander Barabanov has become a legitimate top-six option, Logan Couture is having another strong two-way year, and Timo Meier has re-emerged as a premier power forward in the league. All three of those forwards have missed multiple games, forcing the club to shuffle people around into roles they aren’t really built for.

Every team has injuries, certainly, and this season’s battle with COVID has been a struggle for everyone. But with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames coming back to the pack, there’s a real opportunity in the Pacific Division playoff race. A consistent lineup could have the Sharks right in the mix.

What should be on the Sharks’ wish list?

A Tomas Hertl decision.

Despite everything above, there is a real argument to be made in support of trading Hertl–and others–at this year’s deadline, waving the white flag for this season and recouping a huge haul of future assets. It just doesn’t seem that likely while the team is paying Karlsson, Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic a combined $26.5MM for each of the next three seasons. A true rebuild would be difficult and costly with those contracts on the books, meaning unless the Sharks want to see Hertl walk for nothing in the summer, an extension can seem like the only option.

The problem though is what kind of a contract would even keep the 28-year-old forward in San Jose. Can the team afford to lock in another player to a long-term deal that takes him well into his thirties? His cap hit right now is $5.625MM, but on the open market that would likely balloon quite a bit as a center that can score at a 30+ goal pace.

Does a Hertl extension get the Sharks closer to a Stanley Cup? That’s a difficult question to answer given the state of the franchise right now and the realistic outlook over the next few years. It’s one they must make anyway, and soon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sharks, Bruins Announce More COVID Absences

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Jan 5: Tomas Nosek has joined the other Bruins in the protocol, along with one additional staff member.

Jan 4: The San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins have each announced more COVID-related absences. The Sharks have placed Logan Couture and Lane Pederson in the COVID protocol, recalling Adin Hill and Scott Reedy in the process. Alexei Melnichuk has been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda.

Couture, the Sharks captain, was not one of the players who entered the protocol earlier this season, though he also was missing for one of the games they played shorthanded due to a non-COVID illness. He’ll now be sidelined for the next little while, likely missing at least this evening’s game as well as two others in the coming days.

With Hill out, Couture and Pederson will join only Mario Ferraro in the protocol at this time. Head coach Bob Boughner confirmed to reporters including Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News that Couture is positive but has not yet experienced any symptoms. With the league’s new policy, that means he could potentially exit the protocol in five days, should he be able to provide a negative test.

The Bruins meanwhile have placed Jake DeBrusk and three staff members in the protocol, where they will join Karson Kuhlman. DeBrusk has had quite the eventful season so far, with his trade request going public only for the Bruins to put him back in the lineup due to other absences. In the two games the team has played since the holiday break, DeBrusk has taken a regular shift in both, even playing more than 16 minutes on Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Now, as he finds himself in isolation, he’ll be forced to miss at least tonight’s game and likely at least two others in the next few days.

Why The 2022 Trade Deadline Could Be A Seller’s Market

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The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is not exactly imminent. The delayed March 21 date this season is 11 weeks away and a lot can change in that amount of time. However, the end of the holiday trade freeze is the unofficial start to trade season leading up to the deadline. In the first few months of the season there have been ten trades completed, but outside of the Jack Eichel deal there have been very few moves of any substance. That may not change any time soon either.

An active trade deadline requires there to be identifiable buyers and sellers and they must be willing and able to deal. Buyers should not be an issue this season; the eight teams currently in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference may be locked in, as nearly 100 percentage points separate the eighth and ninth team in the conference standings, while the Western Conference includes 13 teams with .500+ records. Therein begins the sellers problem though. Only three teams out west look like potential sellers right now, while there could be more teams willing to sell in the east but many are in a rebuild and don’t have much to offer, while others are merely lacking impact rentals. There are also a number of fringe teams that probably should be sellers, but are close enough to a playoff berth that would mean so much to their players and fan base that they may hold out.

The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek notes another wrinkle that could limit sellers: five teams are currently operating with an interim GM. The Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks have hired new heads of their respective front offices in Jeff Gorton and Jim Rutherford, but neither has in turn hired his GM yet and seem unlikely to make major moves independently. This could take Gorton’s Canadiens, one of the most obvious sellers on paper, off the market. Rutherford’s Canucks hope to be in the playoff race, but he has already vowed that the team will either sell or stand pat this season and the longer it takes to hire a GM, the more likely it will be the latter. The Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks are all operating with temporary GMs, all of whom have limited experience. Chicago and Anaheim fired their most recent GMs and have internal replacements for the time being, while San Jose GM Doug Wilson is currently away from the team for medical reasons. As Duhatschek points out, the likes of Kyle Davidson, Jeff Solomon, and Joe Will are not only new to the GM position, but lack the relationships around the league to make impact moves. So while the Blackhawks look like bona fide sellers and the Sharks and possibly the Ducks could get to that point, will they actually be willing to make trades?

The Seattle Kraken also fall into a category all their own. The NHL’s newest team was just put together in its entirety this off-season. Although they struggled mightily all season and do possess a number of expiring contracts, it remains to be seen if GM Ron Francis is ready to blow it up.

On top of all of this, the rental market among potential sellers is not strong. Of the top 20 impending UFA’s in per-game scoring this season, zero are on teams with sub-.500 records and just three are on teams not currently in a playoff spot. Expand that to the top 50, and only ten players are on sub-.500 teams: Phil Kessel, Travis Boyd, and Johan Larsson for Arizona, Vinnie Hinostroza for Buffalo, Chris Wideman for Montreal, P.K. Subban for New Jersey, Tyler Ennis for Ottawa, and Calle Jarnkrok, Colin Blackwell, and Mark Giordano for Seattle. Even if valuable defensemen like Ben Chiarot and Colin Miller or even a future Hall of Fame goaltender like Marc-Andre Fleury are considered, it’s not exactly an inspiring list for teams adding at the deadline. More importantly, it’s a short list for a potentially large group of buyers.

For those teams looking to make a meaningful trade this season, the conundrum is when to make a move. On one hand, with a small group of exciting targets it may be beneficial to make a trade early and possibly avoid the high prices of deadline bidding wars. On the other hand, the pool of sellers could also expand closer to the deadline and prices could drop if there is a flood of supply to meet the demand. Until that happens though – if it even does – there will be few moves to make early on and quite possibly right up to the deadline. Serious contenders should be prepared to pay up or sit tight this season.

Injury Notes: Kucherov, Balcers, Capitals

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After today’s shutout loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper said after the game that injured forward Nikita Kucherov “is getting close” to returning, and the team hopes to have him back by the middle of the month. He was originally expected to miss two months after sustaining a lower-body injury after just three games this year, but that’s now turned into three months. He was averaging nearly 21 minutes a game and had four points in those three games, not missing a beat despite playing so little hockey over the past two years.

More injury notes from around the NHL:

  • San Jose Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury back on December 5, but he’s still not back in the lineup. Sharks reporter Curtis Pashelka reports, however, that Balcers is still 1-2 weeks away from returning to the lineup. The Latvian forward had played well to start the year, tallying 10 points through 24 games. He’s developing into a solid middle-six piece for the Sharks, one that they’d like to get back into game shape as soon as they can.
  • The Washington Capitals are missing two big names in Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie from today’s game against New Jersey, as they were held out of the lineup with non-COVID illnesses. Backstrom and Oshie have combined for just 19 games this season, so missed games are nothing new for them. They’ve both been productive when in the lineup, though, and at this point, it seems as though this may be the light at the end of the tunnel for them.

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