NHL Planning Outdoor Games At Lake Tahoe
Jan 11: The NHL has officially announced the games, confirming the dates reported by Friedman earlier this month. The Avalanche and Golden Knights will play in the “Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday” while the Bruins and Flyers will play in the “Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday.”
Jan 1: On February 20, the NHL is going to Lake Tahoe. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report this morning that the league plans on hosting two outdoor games at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort next month with no fans. The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights will play on February 20, while the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins battle the following day.
Previous reports had the league searching for an outdoor location like this, with Lake Louise, Alberta, and Park City, Utah two that Friedman mentions in today’s piece. While those locations ultimately proved impossible, the league is still getting its outdoor games.
These matches will do something to replace the usual outdoor games that have been canceled for this season. The Winter Classic (originally scheduled for today) and Stadium Series matches were nixed for this season, with Minneapolis and Raleigh expected to host events in the future. Those were obviously supposed to draw huge crowds and drive revenue for the host clubs, something that the Lake Tahoe event isn’t designed for. Instead, it will be a more intimate performance on the golf course, with Friedman reporting that only around 400 people will be involved.
Training Camp Cuts: 01/11/21
Camp cuts will come fast and furious today, with the waiver wire taking dozens and dozens of names in the final day before taxi squad assignments must be made. Remember, just being placed on waivers does not necessarily mean you’ve been cut from the team. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of the team-announced cuts right here:
Buffalo Sabres (via team release):
F Brandon Biro (to Rochester, AHL)
F Steven Fogarty (to Rochester, AHL)
F Brett Murray (to Rochester, AHL)
F C.J. Smith (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Fitzgerald (to Rochester, AHL)
G Dustin Tokarski (to Rochester, AHL)
D Ryan Jones (to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (to Rochester, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):
F Andrei Altybarmakian (to Rockford, AHL)
F Evan Barratt (to Rockford, AHL)
F Matej Chalupa (to Rockford, AHL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (to Rockford, AHL)
F Reese Johnson (to Rockford, AHL)
F Cam Morrison (to Rockford, AHL)
F Tim Soderlund (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michal Teply (to Rockford, AHL)
D Chad Krys (to Rockford, AHL)
D Alec Regula (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michael Krutil (released)
G Cale Morris (released)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release):
G Veini Vehvilainen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Angle (released)
F Justin Scott (released)
D Thomas Schemitsch (released)
G Brad Thiessen (released)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release):
F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
F Mikey Eyssimont (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Ontario, AHL)
F Boko Imama (to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
F Akil Thomas (to Ontario, AHL)
D Daniel Brickley (to Ontario, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (to Ontario, AHL)
D Jacob Moverare (to Ontario, AHL)
D Markus Phillips (to Ontario, AHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matt Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (via team release):
F Mitchell Chaffee (to Iowa, AHL)
F Joseph Cramarossa (to Iowa, AHL)
F Connor Dewar (to Iowa, AHL)
F Brandon Duhaime (to Iowa, AHL)
F Gabriel Dumont (to Iowa, AHL)
F Mason Shaw (to Iowa, AHL)
D Calen Addison (to Iowa, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (to Iowa, AHL)
G Dereck Baribeau (to Iowa, AHL)
G Hunter Jones (to Iowa, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release):
F Nate Schnarr (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Kevin Bahl (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Nikita Okhotiuk (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Reilly Walsh (to Binghamton, AHL)
G Evan Cormier (to Binghamton, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release):
F Josh Currie (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Radim Zohorna (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Kevin Czuczman (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Cam Lee (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Val d’Or, QMJHL)
F Samuel Poulin (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
F Jordan Nolan (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team release):
F Lean Bergmann (to San Jose, AHL)
F Alexander True (to San Jose, AHL)
F Joachim Blichfeld (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
D Ryan Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
G Josef Korenar (to San Jose, AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release):
F Alex Barre-Boulet (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Ross Colton (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jack Finley (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Gage Goncalves (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jimmy Huntington (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Boris Katchouk (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Taylor Raddysh (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Sean Day (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Alex Green (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Dmitry Semykin (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Daniel Walcott (to Syracuse, AHL)*
F/D Luke Witkowski (to Syracuse, AHL)*
G Spencer Martin (to Syracuse, AHL)*
Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release):
F Kenny Agostino (to Toronto, AHL)*
F Joey Anderson (to Toronto, AHL)
F Pierre Engvall (to Toronto, AHL)
F Nic Petan (to Toronto, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Toronto, AHL)
D Teemu Kivihalme (to Toronto, AHL)
D Timothy Liljegren (to Toronto, AHL)
D Martin Marincin (to Toronto, AHL)*
D Calle Rosen (to Toronto, AHL)*
G Michael Hutchinson (to Toronto, AHL)
F Justin Brazeau (to Toronto, AHL)
F Rourke Chartier (to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Gaudet (to Toronto, AHL)
F Scott Sabourin (to Toronto, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via team release):
F Jake Leschyshyn (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jack Dugan (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Henderson, AHL)
F Peyton Krebs (to Henderson, AHL)
D Kaedan Korczak (to Henderson, AHL)
D Jimmy Schuldt (to Henderson, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Henderson, AHL)
D Connor Corcoran (to Henderson, AHL)
G Logan Thompson (to Henderson, AHL)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release):
F Kody Clark (to Hershey, AHL)
F Brett Leason (to Hershey, AHL)
F Garrett Pilon (to Hershey, AHL)
F Joe Snively (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release):
F Joona Luoto (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Skyler McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Declan Chisholm (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Johnathan Kovacevic (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Cole Kehler (released)
*Must clear waivers first.
Alec Martinez Unconcerned About Expiring Contract
Defenseman Alec Martinez was the big addition for the Golden Knights at last year’s trade deadline and he fit in quite well with his new team. Now, the 33-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension. For the time being at least, that doesn’t seem to be on the forefront, as he told reporters including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls
Alongside the news of three teams opting out, four teams temporarily relocating, and realigned divisions for the coming season, more information continues to emerge following today’s AHL Board of Governors meeting. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates have been informed that there will be no blanket quarantine period for player recalls and reassignments this season. Instead, quarantine measures will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of the circumstances. This will include team protocols, travel logistics, and accordance with local COVID-19 health guidelines.
As Johnston notes, this will make AHL recalls much easier for those teams whose affiliates share a city or even a state or province. Short, safe travel ability and uniform local policies will allow for much shorter quarantine periods. Teams in this situation may even ask their affiliate to maintain the same NHL-level of day-to-day quarantine protocols to make recalls even easier, perhaps even without any quarantine. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks (if and when the team returns home from Arizona) all share a city with their AHL affiliate, as do the New Jersey Devils temporarily. The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins (temporarily), Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins all have their AHL affiliates within state or provincial lines as well.
For those teams with some distance between themselves and their minor league clubs, recalls could remain difficult. Especially for those Canadian teams whose affiliates remain in the U.S. – the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks – quarantine logistics will be a struggle. Johnston points out that for these teams and the American clubs with affiliates elsewhere in the country, travel will be a major obstacle. The one blanket policy for all NHL and AHL players this season is that a seven-day quarantine period is required following a commercial flight. This could also stand to effect any team on a long-term road trip that is desperate enough to make a recall.
However, while this policy will help a great number of teams, it is important to remember that taxi squads were established for this season to reduce the reliance on AHL recalls, at least as a frequent measure. Regardless of each NHL team’s location relative to their AHL affiliate, most teams will largely use their six-man taxi squad for emergency substitutions and will have options in the meantime should they decide to recall a player who must quarantine.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Lukas Cormier
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed one of their 2020 draft picks, inking Lukas Cormier to a three-year entry-level contract. The young defenseman plays for the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL and was selected 68th overall in October.
Cormier, 18, is currently first among all QMJHL defensemen in scoring with 21 points in his first 13 games, a huge jump from the 36-point totals he has put up the last two seasons. One of the final cuts from Team Canada for the World Juniors, he is already living up to, or perhaps exceeding, the expectations the Golden Knights had when they used an early third-round pick on him a few months ago.
The undersized defenseman has been a known commodity for a while, picked fourth overall in the 2018 QMJHL draft and ranked 32nd overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting heading into the NHL draft. Some might say he even slipped when he was still available in the third round, but the Golden Knights certainly aren’t complaining. A member of Team Canada at the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky, he’ll likely be a contender for a WJC spot a year from now, when he’s still just 19 years old.
Calgary Flames Sign Garret Sparks To PTO
When the ECHL’s daily transactions today listed Orlando Solar Bears goaltender Garret Sparks as being recalled by the Calgary Flames, it left many puzzled. After some digging, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was among those to clarify that Sparks has signed a PTO with the Flames and will join the team for training camp.
Sparks, 27, spent this past season with the Vegas Golden Knights and even made an appearance with the team. However, he otherwise spent the entire season in the AHL and had fewer starts and lesser numbers than starter Oscar Dansk. A former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect and occasional backup, Sparks actually has nearly 40 NHL games on his resume as well as very strong career AHL numbers. Yet, in recent years he has failed to capitalize on his NHL chances and has outgrown the prospect label, leaving few options for the unrestricted free agent this off-season. Sparks signed with Orlando earlier this month without any better opportunities at the time.
Sparks now has a second chance to get back into the NHL this season as he is set to attend camp with Calgary. The Flames are set in the NHL with big free agent addition Jacob Markstrom and incumbent David Rittich, but Sparks could still be of value in some other roles. Sparks is likely to compete with fellow veteran Louis Domingue to get the nod as the team’s taxi squad goalie this season. The new roster fixture allows a select group of players to travel and practice with the NHL roster without counting toward roster limits and with salary being treated as if they were in the minors. However, these players – and especially the No. 3 goalie – may not see much game action this season, so the slot is better used on a veteran than a prospect in need of appearances like Artyom Zagidulin or Tyler Parsons. Even if the Flames opt to go with Domingue for the taxi squad, they may still want to sign Sparks as a second AHL goalie. It is still unclear if Zagidulin will be recalled from his loan to the KHL to play in the AHL this year, but if not there will be a hole alongside Parsons for the Stockton Heat.
McCrimmon: Golden Knights Fully Healthy For Training Camp
- Back in October, the Golden Knights indicated that goaltender Robin Lehner would be undergoing shoulder surgery but that procedure won’t stop him from being ready for training camp as GM Kelly McCrimmon told reporters, including Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that the team is fully healthy heading into camp. That news is also notable for sophomore center Cody Glass who has clearly fully recovered from his knee surgery back in March. McCrimmon also indicated that prospect Peyton Krebs, who is currently with Canada at the World Juniors, will get an opportunity to be evaluated at camp. The 19-year-old isn’t AHL-eligible as things stand but he could be a taxi squad option while waiting for the WHL to start their season.
Deryk Engelland Announces Retirement
One of the most beloved players in Vegas Golden Knights (short) history has decided to hang up his skates. Deryk Engelland has retired from playing professional hockey after 11 seasons in the NHL. He will remain with the organization as Special Assistant to the Owner, Bill Foley, who released a statement:
Deryk Engelland epitomizes what it means to be a Golden Knight. A no-ego, selfless, hardworking player who has an unwavering commitment to protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Since he joined our organization in 2017, Deryk’s service to our community has been exemplary. On behalf of the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization, we would like to congratulate Deryk on an outstanding career. He has made an indelible mark on our city and we are excited for this next chapter, as he stays with the Golden Knights family and continues the outstanding work he has done in our community.
Engelland was never a top player in the NHL, but he had a special connection to Las Vegas that helped the franchise get off the ground immediately in 2017. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in 2000, he spent the first two seasons of his professional hockey career with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. After stops in Lowell, South Carolina, Hershey, Reading, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh, and Calgary, he made it back when he was picked in the expansion draft—though he had never really left in the first place. His familiarity with the city allowed him to help the new players feel comfortable as they went to the expansion franchise, but it was his words to a packed arena on October 10, 2017 that cemented him as a Vegas legend.
Nine days earlier, just before the season started, Las Vegas had been shaken by a mass shooting that killed 58 people. Engelland stood at center ice before the first home game in franchise history and delivered a short, emotional speech.
Like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home. I met my wife here. Our kids were born here. I know how special this city is. To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you. To all the families and friends of the victims, we’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.
At 4:18 of the first period, Engelland scored the second goal on home ice in Golden Knights history. It was just the 23rd of his career.
Snapshots: Vegas, Liiga, Sandin
The Vegas Golden Knights have been in the news the last few days after multiple reports surfaced about the potential trade availability of Max Pacioretty. Golden Knights owner Bill Foley threw a bit of cold water on those rumors when he spoke with 8 News Now, saying that though the team does have some cap issues to resolve, they’re not “shopping” Pacioretty.
Still, Foley isn’t the general manager and happened to do the interview from Hawaii, meaning the reports that the Golden Knights have discussed a Pacioretty trade could still hold some truth. Quite frankly, even if they’re not shopping the veteran forward it would be silly not to at least explore trade scenarios, given the team will have to cut salary somehow before the start of the year. The cap ceiling isn’t going anywhere soon and the Golden Knights not only have more than $82MM committed to this season, but also nearly $76MM committed already to 2021-22. The 32-year-old Pacioretty carries a $7MM cap hit for each of the next three years.
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that when Finland’s Liiga returns from the current COVID-pause it is in, every player will be required to wear a full face shield in an attempt to reduce the risk of infection. As Johnston notes, the idea of wearing full face shields is not under consideration for the NHL. Not that many players would choose to wear one anyway, but full shields or cages are currently not allowed in the NHL unless medically required.
- Speaking of Johnston, in a piece for Sportsnet today he also caught up with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who has been working hard in his nine-month break to add strength in an attempt to crack the NHL squad. Sandin played in 28 games for the Maple Leafs last season but did not hit the ice in their postseason qualification round and looks like the odd man out after some offseason additions. The 20-year-old was selected in the first round two years ago and has looked dominant against junior-aged players (and even minor leaguers), but is sometimes outmatched physically at the NHL level. If that changes, he could push for a role on Toronto’s rebuilt blueline this season, especially if the rosters are expanded.
Snapshots: Pacioretty, Hoffman, Kase, Sweden
News broke yesterday that the Vegas Golden Knights have had trade discussions regarding Max Pacioretty and the hockey world, desperate for any news right now, exploded with potential scenarios. Fans of nearly every team in the league pictured the 30-goal scorer in their uniform, but Jesse Granger of The Athletic believes that the Golden Knights shouldn’t rush into anything. Though he lists Pacioretty alongside Jonathan Marchessault and Marc-Andre Fleury as three names Vegas has considered moving, he reasons that it would be a step in the wrong direction to trade the former Montreal Canadiens forward due to a lack of scoring throughout the roster.
Tucked away in the piece is another note, however, and that is the Golden Knights have had no communication with Mike Hoffman‘s camp. The free agent sniper was listed as a potential target by Frank Seravalli of TSN when he broke the Pacioretty news yesterday, but it appears as though that may not be the case. The Golden Knights could obviously make contact if they do move a contract like Pacioretty’s $7MM cap hit, but time is running out for Hoffman to sign with a team before training camp starts in a few weeks.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned David Kase to the Czech National Team for the upcoming Channel One Cup, which starts next week. Kase had been on loan with HC Karlovy Vary but will get a chance to compete for his country at the international tournament. At some point, the 23-year-old should be expected to return to North America to quarantine and then take part in NHL training camp, but given the tournament isn’t over until December 20, it won’t be for a little while.
- More bad news for the Swedish World Junior team as the goaltending coach has also tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth staff member in the last few days. At this point, anyone that has tested positive is not supposed to be allowed to travel to the bubble in Edmonton for the tournament, while others are not supposed to be added to the traveling party. That leaves Sweden without several key coaches, including head coach Tomas Monten and assistant Anton Lundberg. At this point, given that several players were also excluded due to positive tests, it’s not clear if Sweden will even be able to take part.