Stone Does Not Need Surgery; Janmark Still In COVID Protocol
- The Vegas Golden Knights may have dodged a bullet when it comes to Mark Stone, who won’t need surgery according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. The Golden Knights captain is somewhere “between day to day and week to week” says head coach Pete DeBoer. Mattias Janmark, meanwhile, is still in the COVID protocol and will not be available tomorrow night. DeBoer expects him to be cleared soon.
Snapshots: Krebs, Robertson, Ho-Sang
As the Jack Eichel saga appears to potentially be nearing a conclusion, there’s now constant speculation about potential destinations and a potential return. While the Vegas Golden Knights have long been named as a potential suitor for Eichel, a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen says that the Knights view top prospect Peyton Krebs as untouchable in any Eichel deal. While the Golden Knights do still have some desirable young pieces available in a trade like defenseman Nicolas Hague, none have the potential upside of Krebs. If Vegas is to get an Eichel trade completed, they’ll likely have to give up a massive amount of draft capital in place of Krebs.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Nick Robertson suffered a lower-body injury in tonight’s match with the Toronto Marlies against the Manitoba Moose, per Marlies head coach Greg Moore. Moore notes the extent of the injury is unknown and that Robertson will be assessed tomorrow. It’s a tough blow to the Leafs organization, which is already dealing with significant injuries in all areas. It’s especially concerning considering Robertson missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury. Toronto undoubtedly hopes it’s not a major injury.
- Another Marlies forward is in some injury trouble as Moore also notes that Josh Ho-Sang was held out with a hip issue, but mostly as a precaution. Calling it a ‘maintenance day,’ it’s a smart choice on the Marlies to not risk any further injury. Ho-Sang will be one of the team’s most important contributors considering his NHL experience, and a notable injury setback could negatively affect his chances of getting an NHL contract with the Maple Leafs later this season.
Max Pacioretty To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Thursday’s game against the Kings was a costly one for the Golden Knights. For starters, a 6-2 loss is never ideal but on top of that, their injury list is continuing to grow. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that winger Max Pacioretty is set to miss approximately six weeks with an injury; Jesse Granger of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s a lower-body issue.
This is the latest in what has been a long list of injuries to start the season as the veteran joins forwards Nicolas Roy, Brett Howden, Mattias Janmark (COVID protocol), Alex Tuch, and William Carrier as those out of the lineup. Mark Stone was also injured against the Kings with Friedman noting that Vegas is still awaiting further clarity on his situation.
Pacioretty had been off to a strong start to his season with three points in their opener against Seattle and has been one of their most consistent scoring threats since coming over in a trade from Montreal back in 2018, notching at least 22 goals in each of his three seasons with the Golden Knights while eclipsing the point per game mark for the first time last season when he had 24 goals and 27 assists in 48 games. If Stone winds up missing time as well, their top two scorers from the past two seasons will both be out of commission. Vegas is basically down to just seven healthy forwards on their active roster having sent three players down yesterday and those players (plus others) will almost certainly be recalled before their next game on Wednesday.
Injuries left Vegas in a tough spot last season to the point where they had to dress fewer than 18 skaters at times but that shouldn’t be an issue here. Tuch is currently on LTIR, allowing the Golden Knights to use his $4.75MM towards replacement players and with Pacioretty set to miss the next six weeks, he’ll be eligible to be moved there as well and with a $7MM AAV, there will be more than enough cap room to recall several players to fill their lineup.
Of course, finding healthy players from their AHL affiliate in Henderson is something that’s easier said than done. After making their season debut last night, NHL.com’s Patrick Williams relays (Twitter link) that the Silver Knights are missing a total of 14 players due to injury while the team announced yesterday that head coach Manny Viveiros is taking a non-COVID medical leave of absence and is out indefinitely. It has been a tough start to the season all around in the Vegas organization.
AHL Shuffle: 10/15/21
An increasingly tight salary cap situation for many teams across the league has expectedly led to a lot of wheeling, dealing, and maneuvering early on this season, especially in the recalls and assignments department. We’ll keep track of all of today’s minor NHL to AHL and AHL to NHL roster moves right here.
Atlantic Division
- Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards reports the Panthers re-assigned Chase Priskie and Maxim Mamin to the Charlotte Checkers. Priskie was recalled Thursday prior to the team’s season opener against Pittsburgh but was a healthy scratch. Mamin had previously been listed as a non-roster player. Mamin last played in the NHL with the Panthers in 2018-19, playing seven games, but has played in the KHL ever since.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers are sending forward Jackson Cates back down to Lehigh Valley, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Cates was recalled from the Phantoms Thursday to give the team roster flexibility as their two new waiver claims in Patrick Brown and Zack MacEwen were both unavailable. Yesterday’s other two recalls, Max Willman and Nick Seeler, remain with the team and will likely play in the team’s home opener against Vancouver Friday night.
- Per the team, the New Jersey Devils activated forward Tyce Thompson off injured reserve and have assigned him to the Utica Comets. The brother of Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, Tyce made his NHL debut last season, scoring one assist in seven games.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned 2020 first-round pick Yegor Chinakhov to the Cleveland Monsters. Likely to see another call-up at some point this season, Chinakhov will make his North American debut with Cleveland soon.
- Greg McKegg has been recalled by the New York Rangers after Ryan Strome‘s placement on the COVID protocol list. He’ll draw into the lineup Saturday against Montreal as the team has only 12 active forwards.
Central Division
- The Avalanche’s Jayson Megna has been sent down to the Colorado Eagles, notes The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Megna drew into Colorado’s lineup on Wednesday against Chicago in the place of Nathan MacKinnon, who remains on COVID protocol. Megna could be recalled again soon, as Baugh reports it could just be a salary cap maneuver.
- Soon is apparently today, as Megna has rejoined the big club along with Stefan Matteau and Dylan Sikura, with the Avalanche sending Alex Newhook down to the Eagles. A peculiar transaction, you can expect more paper shuffling before the team’s game Saturday against the St. Louis Blues.
Pacific Division
- The Vegas Golden Knights assigned Peyton Krebs, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Jake Leschyshyn to the Henderson Silver Knights ahead of the team’s season opener tonight. All three played in Thursday night’s 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and they’ll likely be recalled soon as the team continues to deal with injuries and absences in the bottom six.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Mattias Janmark Unavailable Due To COVID Protocol
The Vegas Golden Knights kick things off tomorrow against the Seattle Kraken, the second game of the 2021-22 regular season. Unfortunately, it looks like they may be missing one of their forward options. Mattias Janmark was unavailable to the team today because he has been put in the league’s COVID-19 protocol.
As a reminder, inclusion in the protocol 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 COVID Protocol Related Absences list–which actually won’t be released for the first time until tomorrow–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.
Janmark has not had a good camp with the Golden Knights, who signed him to a one-year, $2MM contract this offseason after a trade brought him to Vegas last season. The 28-year-old was playing on the fourth line recently, not exactly what was expected of a player that made such a strong impression in the playoffs and was supposed to add some valuable depth scoring to the lineup.
His addition to the protocol so close to the regular season is a reminder that there will still be lineup disruptions throughout the year, even for those players and teams that are fully vaccinated. It is not clear yet how long Janmark will be unavailable.
Barre-Boulet, Brooks, Brown Claimed Off Waivers
Three players were claimed off waivers today, just before opening night rosters are submitted. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Seattle Kraken claimed Alex Barre-Boulet from the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens claimed Adam Brooks from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers claimed Patrick Brown from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Washington Capitals also re-claimed Axel Jonsson-Fjallby from the Buffalo Sabres and assuming they were the only team to put in a claim, can now send him directly to the minor leagues. The other 39 players placed on waivers yesterday have cleared.
Barre-Boulet seemed the likeliest player to be claimed among yesterday’s group, as the 24-year-old has not only shown extremely well at the minor league level, but also is signed at league minimum for the next three seasons. The former Lightning prospect signed a three-year deal in July that pays him $750K at the NHL level this year and next, and $775K in 2023-24 when the minimum increases. That alone makes him valuable and he’ll now get a chance to show exactly what he can do in Seattle, rather than be blocked by countless talented teammates in Tampa Bay.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Barre-Boulet was a superstar in the QMJHL but lacks the size of a traditional NHL player. That certainly hasn’t held him back in the AHL, as he has posted 136 points in 144 games for the Syracuse Crunch since turning pro. That includes eight goals in just ten games last season, which helped elevate him to the NHL level where he played in 15 games for the Lightning. Though he is by no means a lock to produce for the Kraken, it was an easy choice to add his talent to the organization when it came available.
Brooks too seemed like an inevitable loss for the Maple Leafs when they decided to place him on waivers instead of Michael Amadio yesterday. Toronto will lose their depth forward to the rival Canadiens and could see him on the other side of the ice quickly. Montreal will travel to Toronto on Wednesday for their season opener, though it’s not clear if Brooks will step directly into the lineup. The 25-year-old has always seemed to play well when given the chance–that just hasn’t been very often. He has played just 18 regular season games for the Maple Leafs thus far, registering eight points.
There seems to be something of a trend in Philadelphia, where Brown will be the latest Boston College alumni to join the roster. He played college hockey with both Kevin Hayes and Cam Atkinson, winning the national championship in 2012 with the former. He adds plenty of pro experience but not a lot at the NHL level, given he’s only suited up for 33 regular season games. Incredibly, that total has almost been matched by his postseason experience, where he has played in 22 games the last three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and Golden Knights.
Golden Knights Recall Jonas Rondbjerg and Jake Leschyshyn
- Vegas’ AHL affiliate in Henderson revealed (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights have brought up forwards Jonas Rondbjerg and Jake Leschyshyn from the Silver Knights for their final preseason game tonight versus San Jose.
Vegas Golden Knights Recall Three Skaters
The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they’ve recalled Jonas Rondbjerg, Daniil Miromanov, and Jake Leschyshyn ahead of tonight’s preseason contest against the Colorado Avalanche. The trio of two forwards and one defenseman could suit up tonight on the road as the Golden Knights continue their preseason schedule.
Rondbjerg, Leschyshyn, and Miromanov were all assigned to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights on Saturday as part of a larger cut from Vegas’ training camp roster.
None of the three skaters are expected to crack the opening-night lineup, and their recall gives the Knights some extra roster flexibility for tonight’s game. It’s extremely likely that they’re re-assigned to Henderson within the next few days.
That isn’t to say that some of these names aren’t intriguing — especially Miromanov’s. The 24-year-old undrafted free agent can play both defense and wing and is the most likely out of these three names to get called up this year if injuries strike. Miromanov’s now had multiple years of professional experience in the KHL, Czech Extraliga, ECHL, and AHL. He impressed with HK Sochi in the KHL last season, tallying 10 goals and 29 points in 58 games. His versatility and professional experience make him a viable candidate.
Leschyshyn and Rondbjerg are both products of the Knights’ inaugural 2017 draft class, picked in the second and third rounds respectively. They’ve both garnered at least a year of AHL experience, but need more development time before they’re considered for a call-up.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/21
It should be another busy day on the training camp cut front as teams continue to whittle down their rosters in advance of opening night. We’ll keep track of the cuts here.
Boston Bruins (via team release)
G Callum Booth (to Providence, AHL)
G Jeremy Brodeur (to Providence, AHL)
D Jack Dougherty (to Providence, AHL)
F Ian McKinnon (to Providence, AHL)
D Andrew Peski (to Providence, AHL)
F Eduards Tralmaks (to Providence, AHL)
F Alex-Olivier Voyer (to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)
D Nick Boka (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Matthew Cairns (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Mitch Eliot (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Dominic Franco (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Mat Robson (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Ryan Scarfo (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Josh Teves (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Peter Tischke (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
F Dominik Bokk (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Blake Murray (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jesper Sellgren (to Chicago, AHL)
G Eetu Makiniemi (to Chicago, AHL)
G Beck Warm (to Chicago, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via Mark Lazerus of The Athletic)
G Tom Aubrun (to Rockford, AHL)
F D.J. Busdeker (to Rockford, AHL)
F Liam Folkes (to Rockford, AHL)
F Carson Gicewicz (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kale Howarth (to Rockford, AHL)
F Riley McKay (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dylan McLaughlin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Garrett Mitchell (to Rockford, AHL)
G Cale Morris (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ryan Stanton (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
F Chris Wilkie (to Rockford, AHL)
F Chad Yetman (to Rockford, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team release)
F Jeremy Gregoire (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Anthony Louis (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
D Max Martin (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
F Josh Melnick (released from PTO, to Texas, AHL)
G Colton Point (to Texas, AHL)
G Adam Scheel (to Texas, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via team release)
F Adam Cracknell (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Vincent Desharnais (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Luke Esposito (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F James Hamblin (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Philip Kemp (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Michael Kesselring (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Brad Malone (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Markus Niemelainen (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Olivier Rodrigue (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
F Karen Bachman (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Henry Bowlby (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Grigori Denisenko (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Max Gildon (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Aleksi Heponiemi (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Logan Hutsko (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Justin Nachbaur (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Serron Noel (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Cole Schwindt (to Charlotte, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Brayden Burke (to Ontario, AHL)
*D Kale Clague (to Ontario, AHL)
F Jacob Doty (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Martin Frk (to Ontario, AHL)
D Cameron Gaunce (released from PTO to Ontario, AHL)
D Helge Grans (to Ontario, AHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Ontario, AHL)
F Adam Johnson (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Arthur Kaliyev (to Ontario, AHL)
F Brett Kemp (released from ATO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
G John Lethemon (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
*D Jacob Moverare (to Ontario, AHL)
G Lukas Parik (to Ontario, AHL)
F Nikita Pavlychev (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
D Markus Phillips (to Ontario, AHL)
F Johan Sodergran (to Ontario, AHL)
*G Garret Sparks (to Ontario, AHL)
D Jordan Spence (to Ontario, AHL)
*F Brett Sutter (released from PTO, to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)
*F T.J. Tynan (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matt Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (via team Twitter)
F Danick Martel (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
G Kevin Poulin (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
D Jeremy Groleau (to Utica, AHL)
G Mareks Mitens (to Utica, AHL)
F Ryan Schmelzer (to Utica, AHL)
D Michael Vukojevic (to Utica, AHL)
New York Rangers (via The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello)
*D Mason Geertsen (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)
D Xavier Bernard (to Belleville, AHL)
F Philippe Daoust (to Belleville, AHL)
F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Belleville, AHL)
F Roby Jarventie (to Belleville, AHL)
D Zac Leslie (to Belleville, AHL)
D Vincent Sevigny (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mads Sogaard (to Belleville, AHL)
F Matthew Wedman (to Belleville, AHL)
D Colby Williams (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia)
D Quinn Schmiemann (released from ATO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Kirill Ustimenko (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Jackson van de Leest (released from ATO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
D Niclas Almari (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Raivis Ansons (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Matt Bartkowski (released from PTO)
F Jordy Bellerive (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Cam Lee (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Filip Lindberg (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Kyle Olson (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Will Reilly (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Felix Robert (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team release)
F Joel Kellman (to San Jose, AHL)
D Artemi Kniazev (to San Jose, AHL)
F John Leonard (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
G Alexei Melnichuk (to San Jose, AHL)
F Nicholas Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to San Jose, AHL)
D Brinson Pasichnuk (to San Jose, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
*G Antoine Bibeau (SEA)
*D Connor Carrick (SEA)
*D Cale Fleury (SEA)
F Luke Henman (to Charlotte, AHL)
*D Gustav Olofsson (SEA)
F Scott Wilson (released from PTO)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
F Zach Bolduc (to Quebec, QMJHL)
G Will Cranley (to Ottawa, OHL)
D Tyson Galloway (to Calgary, WHL)
*F Tanner Kaspick (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mathias Laferriere (to Springfield, AHL)
D Griffin Luce (to Springfield, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Springfield, AHL)
*F Matthew Peca (to Springfield, AHL)
*F Nolan Stevens (to Springfield, AHL)
F Nathan Todd (to Springfield, AHL)
F Alexei Toropchenko (to Springfield, AHL)
F Keean Washkurak (to Springfield, AHL)
D Josh Wesley (to Springfield, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via team release)
F Paul Cotter (to Henderson, AHL)
F Daniel D’Amato (to Henderson, AHL)
D Peter DiLiberatore (to Henderson, AHL)
F Pavel Dorofeyev (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jack Dugan (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Henderson, AHL)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Henderson, AHL)
D Zack Hayes (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Henderson, AHL)
D Kaedan Korczak (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jake Leschyshyn (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (to Henderson, AHL)
F Maxim Marushev (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lynden McCallum (to Henderson, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (released from PTO, to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Miromanov (to Henderson, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jiri Patera (to Henderson, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mason Primeau (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jonas Rondbjerg (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Thomson (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team Twitter)
F Kody Clark (to Hershey, AHL)
*D Cody Franson (to Hershey, AHL)
*F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
F Kale Kessy (to Hershey, AHL)
*D Dylan McIlrath (to Hershey, AHL)
F Mason Morelli (to Hershey, AHL)
G Hunter Shepard (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Eddie Wittchow (to Hershey, AHL)
*-pending the player clearing waivers
Robin Lehner Pulled Thursday For Precautionary Reasons, Injury Not Believed To Be Serious
While Robin Lehner left Thursday’s game after two periods due to injury, Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters, including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that the decision to pull him was more precautionary than a sign of a significant injury. Lehner will be counted to carry on a much bigger workload this season with Laurent Brossoit now the backup for the Golden Knights so it’s certainly understandable that DeBoer erred on the side of caution in Lehner’s first appearance of the preseason.