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Snapshots: AHL, PWHPA, Simmonds

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The Utica Comets have had their Friday matchup against the Rochester Americans has been postponed due to COVID protocols, with a make-up date not yet announced. The Americans have been dealing with their own COVID outbreak, but this postponement is apparently due to protocols affecting the Comets.  Rochester hasn’t played since March 10 and is now postponed until at least March 24, their next scheduled game against Utica.

It’s not just those two teams facing a developing situation either. The Grand Rapids Griffins and Chicago Wolves have also had their matchup for tomorrow postponed, though in the release there is some optimism it can be rescheduled soon. In this unique, irregular schedule, minor league players are certainly not experiencing the same kind of grind a normal AHL season entails.

  • The PWHPA has formed a partnership with another NHL team, this time linking up with the St. Louis Blues to play a showcase at the Enterprise Center on April 12. The tour had already partnered with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs previously and have announced this showcase in St. Louis will be the last one before players go to international camps for the women’s World Championships in May. The event will also include a game at the Centene Community Ice Center on April 11.
  • Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Wayne Simmonds’ return from a broken wrist is “imminent” though wouldn’t commit to playing him tomorrow night against the Calgary Flames. Simmonds’ return should have an impact on the trade deadline as the Maple Leafs have been very open about their desire to add a forward down the stretch. When ready, the team will need to activate Simmonds from long-term injured reserve and add his $1.5MM cap hit back to the roster. That move will further complicate an already tight cap situation in Toronto that will make any deadline moves difficult and may force them to send money out at the same time.

NHL Postpones Blues-Kings

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The NHL has been forced to postpone another game, though once again it isn’t because of any COVID-related issues. The St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings will not play their scheduled game this evening thanks to weather conditions in Denver. The Kings, who just finished a two-game set against the Colorado Avalanche, were unable to fly to Los Angeles yesterday. The game does not have a makeup date yet.

This is not the first game postponed due to inclement weather, as the Dallas Stars also went dark for a week while Texas was dealing with a drastic winter storm. In a year that was already incredibly difficult due to the pandemic, weather-related postponements are just another issue the league has had to deal with all season long.

The list of postponements continues to grow, one way or another:

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Mackenzie MacEachern Placed On IR

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  • The Blues announced that they have placed winger Mackenzie MacEachern on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old was frequently shuffled to the taxi squad early on in the season after he cleared waivers but has been on St. Louis’ roster for nearly a full month now.  He has played in 17 games so far this season, picking up a goal and an assist while logging 9:29 per game.

Seattle Kraken Among Teams Restricted In College Free Agency

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The college free agent market has yet to really kick into high gear. Some NCAA teams have already finished their seasons, some of the names attached to those teams are now available, and some have even signed minor league deal. Yet, to date there has not been an NHL signing by a college free agent just yet.

That will all change soon, though. As conference tournaments continue through this weekend and next week, many more seasons will come to an end shortly. For those programs who aren’t a realistic candidate for at-large bid, ranked at least in the top-20 nationally, the next loss will be the final one of the season. This will continue until next Sunday – “Selection Sunday” – when the 16-team field for the NCAA Tournament will be revealed. Any fringe teams holding out hope will learn their fates and those on the outside looking in will join the teams that have already been eliminated in saying goodbye to the 2020-21 season. A week later, all but four of the tourney teams will also be done. By the end of the month, at the latest, college free agency will be in full swing and after the Frozen Four concludes and a National Champion is named on April 10, it is safe to assume that the free agent market will have been picked clean within days. Although college free agency has not yet made its mark this year, by this time next month the majority of the NCAA player rush could be over.

This poses a problem for the NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken. As Darren Brown writes for Sound of Hockey, the Kraken have yet to make their final expansion payment to the league and as such still lack official standing. This means that they cannot yet sign any free agents to contracts for next season. When the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league, they made their inaugural signing, undrafted junior free agent Reid Duke, on March 6. Already beyond that date this year, Seattle is behind on their payment schedule compared to Vegas and it will impact their ability to add prospects. It is believed that the Kraken are on track to make their final payment next month, presumably before the April 12 trade deadline, but by that time it may be too late to cash in on college free agency. If at all possible, Seattle would be best-served to make their final payment as soon as possible.

The delayed trade deadline date could cause some difficulty with college free agent decisions for a number of other teams, too. Normally, the deadline falls two weeks earlier than it will this season and much of the college free agent frenzy takes place after that date. Following the deadline, teams know for sure where they sit in terms of roster limits for the season, which has taken on even more importance in recent years as a key negotiating tactic for young free agents has been the opportunity to sign right away and burn a year off of their entry-level contract. For the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals, all of whom currently have 49 of their maximum 50 contract slots filled, they won’t have that assurance when the market begins to heat up this year. While the Ducks, a seller, have more certainty that they can move a current contract or two to make room for any college free agent signings, the Flyers and Capitals are expected to be buyers and risk leverage in deal-making above all else if they hit the 50-contract maximum by signing a college free agent and sellers know that they must shed a contract to add one at the deadline. The Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues, all at 48 contracts, will also have to be careful with the college free agent market if they plan to add multiple pieces at the deadline. This could all make for an intriguing period of NCAA additions, with some of the usual top suitors potentially playing it safe while teams with more flexibility and opportunity swoop in.

Injury Notes: Bozak, Trocheck, Bruins, Kings

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After a month-and-a-half on the sidelines, St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak is finally making some progress toward a return. Speaking to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Craig Berube displayed optimism when discussing the health of his veteran center, who was back at practice on Friday. “He’s gonna get some work here in the next few days and he could be available soon,” Berube said. “It’s good to see him out there and working… making some real good progress.” Bozak has not played since January 26th, when he was forced out of game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an apparent concussion. With the Blue about to embark on a six-game road trip, they will have to decide if bringing Bozak is the right move or if he requires additional time before his return. While St. Louis also just got Vladimir Tarasenko back and Oskar Sundqvist returned from a short-term injury, they could still use all the help they can get. Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, Ivan Barbashev, Robert Thomas, Jacob De La Rose, and more are still among the Blues’ injured.

  • The news on Carolina Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck does not sound as optimistic. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour tells The Athletic’s Sara Civian that Trocheck’s recent upper-body injury will keep him sidelined for “longer than hoped”. The coach held back on providing any definitive timeline, but any long-term absence for Trocheck will be a major loss for the team. In his first full season with the Hurricanes, Trocheck has been a point-per-game player and is tied with Sebastian Aho for the team’s scoring lead. If there is one silver lining for Carolina, it is that the injury occurred before the trade deadline; with a considerable amount of cap space, the ’Canes still have time to bring in help to make up for an extended period without Trocheck.
  • Back on the positive side, the Boston Bruins have been dealing with an onslaught of injuries for some time, but there could be some help on the way. Head coach Bruce Cassidy announced today that veteran defenseman Kevan Miller has resumed skating and is likely to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. Miller has been resting his surgically-repaired knee, but seems like he is ready to get back on the ice. Cassidy also said that defenseman Brandon Carlo is “coming around” and, while he is unsure if it will happen, there is at least some consideration that he could travel as well. This is the first concrete update on Carlo since he was hospitalized by a high hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson, but its seems that Carlo will not be out for a lengthy period as many feared.
  • It’s a scary time for any unknown illness given the shadow of the Coronavirus, so the Los Angeles Kings played it safe and cancelled practice this morning, citing an “illness” spreading around the group. Head coach Todd McLellan and the Kings do not believe that this is COVID, but a seasonal virus. However, the team will wait to see what their latest batch of test results say. Defenseman Olli Maatta is currently on the league’s COVID Protocal Related Absences list, though Alex Iafallo missed the team’s last game with similar symptoms and did not test positive for COVID. Obviously, the hope of all involved is that this is what McLellan believe it to be: some unrelated bug going around the locker room.

St. Louis Blues Extend Jordan Binnington

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The St. Louis Blues have agreed to an extension with goaltender Jordan Binnington, signing him to a six-year deal worth a total of $36MM. Binnington was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season when his current two-year, $8.8MM deal expired. Pierre LeBrun and Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic provide the full breakdown:

  • 2021-22: $4MM salary + full no-trade clause
  • 2022-23: $6MM salary + full no-trade clause
  • 2023-24: $7.5MM salary + full no-trade clause
  • 2024-25: $7.5MM salary + 18-team no-trade clause
  • 2025-26: $6.5MM salary + 14-team no-trade clause
  • 2026-27: $4.5MM salary + 10-team no-trade clause

Binnington, 27, was a huge part of the Blues first Stanley Cup in 2019, taking over the crease partway through the season and posting a .927 save percentage as a rookie. That was good enough for second in Calder, fifth in Vezina, and 10th in Hart voting, but his postseason performance was even more spectacular. Binnington started all 26 games the Blues played and stopped 32 of 33 shots in the deciding game seven.

He earned himself that $8.8MM contract with his play in 2019, but this contract comes after another 69 regular season appearances. In those, Binnington has posted a .911 save percentage, not quite up to the level he showed as a rookie. In last year’s postseason bubble he was not good, losing all five games he played with an .851.

It’s those more recent numbers that will raise a few eyebrows among hockey fans, but the Blues obviously believe Binnington can be their starter long-term. A six-year deal will take him through his age-33 season at a hefty cap hit.

This is the same contract that Jacob Markstrom signed in free agency this season, but the Calgary Flames goaltender is several years older than Binnington. There’s no doubt that the St. Louis netminder can provide plenty of excess value on a contract like this, but it also certainly is no guarantee to age well if his game doesn’t improve quickly.

This deal also will impact those to come. Names like Frederik Andersen, Philipp Grubauer, and Petr Mrazek are all unrestricted free agents this offseason and still young enough to land long-term deals like this one.

For St. Louis though, this at least secures the position for the time being. Ville Husso is also signed for next season at a reasonable amount, but the other goaltenders in the system are still very young and unproven. There’s no question now, it’s Binnington’s net in St. Louis.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was first to report the deal.

More to come…

Blues Activate Vladimir Tarasenko From LTIR

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The Blues are getting a big boost to their lineup for their game versus Los Angeles tonight as the team announced that winger Vladimir Tarasenko has been activated off LTIR and will be in the lineup for his season debut.  He had missed the entire season so far due to shoulder surgery and this will be his first regular season game in nearly 17 months.

When he has been in the lineup, Tarasenko has been one of the more consistent scoring threats in the league.  Between 2014-15 and 2018-19 (before the injuries began), he had at least 33 goals in every one of them, averaging just over 36 per year, making him a reliable top-liner in St. Louis’ lineup.

Of course, it would be hard to expect that from the 29-year-old now with how much time he has missed.  He played in just ten regular season games last season plus four more in the bubble so there is definitely going to be some rust to work off.  Fortunately for him and the Blues, the team is sitting in second place in the West Division and are eight points ahead of fifth-place Los Angeles.  They don’t necessarily need Tarasenko to step in and play a big role right away; they’ll be able to ease him in and allow him to work his way up.

Heading into the season, one of the storylines for Tarasenko’s eventual return was going to be how they would get back into salary cap compliance.  However, that has effectively been mitigated for now with so many other injuries.  Tyler Bozak, Carl Gunnarsson, and Ivan Barbashev have all been placed on LTIR in recent weeks with their combined cap hits ($8.225MM) exceeding that of Tarasenko’s $7.5MM while Alex Steen ($5.75MM) is also there.

With St. Louis carrying the maximum 23 players on their active roster, they needed to make a move before they could activate Tarasenko.  That move is the placement of Colton Parayko on regular injured reserve.  The blueliner has missed eight straight games due to an upper-body injury and is eligible to be activated at any time but considering he’s not with the team on their current road trip, that’s unlikely to be happening soon.  Assuming he misses another two games as expected, he could also be transferred to LTIR if they need to.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Trade Board, Joshua, Three Stars

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It’s March now and the NHL trade deadline is just over a month away. Names like Mattias Ekholm have already been thrown around as potential difference-making acquisitions, but making deals won’t be easy. Still, that won’t stop people from speculating on who will switch teams later this season.

Today, The Athletic released its “Big Board” curated by Craig Custance and Eric Duhatschek, including 26 players that could be dealt by the deadline. The list includes Ekholm, but also Jack Eichel, despite the piece still suggesting that a deal for the Buffalo Sabres captain would be much more likely in the offseason if it happens at all. The rest of the list is good reading and includes some names that may surprise.

  • The St. Louis Blues are expected to have Dakota Joshua in the lineup tonight centering the fourth line between Kyle Clifford and Mackenzie MacEachern. Joshua was acquired for future considerations from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019 following four years at Ohio State University, and quickly signed his entry-level deal. Now, less than two years later and after a stint in the ECHL, the 24-year-old is about to make it to the NHL. Jacob de La Rose, who previously skated in that fourth line spot, is out with a lower-body injury that head coach Craig Berube says will keep him out for a “significant time.”
  • Andrei Vasilevskiy is the NHL’s First Star for last week after stopping 79 of 81 shots he faced. The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner is looking like he might take home another one as he currently leads the league in wins with 12 and is second in save percentage at .938 (Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury leads the way at .941). Patrick Kane and Mats Zuccarello are last week’s second and third stars. Kane scored the 400th goal of his career yesterday, becoming the 100th player in league history to hit that milestone.

St. Louis Blues Sign Colten Ellis

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The St. Louis Blues have signed another draft pick, inking Colten Ellis to a three-year entry-level contract that will start in the 2021-22 season. Today was the first day teams could sign draft picks for next season.

Ellis, 20, plays for the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL, where he has a .922 save percentage this season. He was the Blues third-round pick, 93rd overall, in 2019 and his draft rights would have expired in June had they not reached a deal.

The 6’1″ goaltender has had a strong junior career and will have to make the transition to the professional ranks next season. That’s not always easy, but the Blues obviously believe his development has been strong enough to warrant an NHL deal.

Blues Place Jacob De La Rose On IR

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  • The Blues have placed center Jacob de la Rose on injured reserve, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He suffered a lower-body injury early in yesterday’s wild game against San Jose.  While de la Rose cleared waivers to start the season, he had been a regular on the fourth line for the past three weeks, averaging just under 10 minutes per name, a total that’s slightly skewed by his early exit on Saturday.  He’s the sixth Blue on either regular IR or LTIR with Vladimir Tarasenko being the closest to returning.

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