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Archives for January 2021

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Provorov, Hutton, Pastrnak

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Although his entry-level contract expires after this season, Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators are not rushing into contract talks. Tkachuk spoke with the media on Wednesday, including The Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren, and stated that he was happy with the club and not worried about negotiating an extension. “We’re not really talking about (a new contract),” Tkachuk said, “I don’t think that’s the focus for both sides. Our goal right now is to do everything we can to make the playoffs.” Neither side really has much to worry about anyhow. Tkachuk has continually stated that he enjoys playing for the team and living in Ottawa and seems committed to a long-term future with the Senators. And with more than $34MM in projected cap space for next season and few existing long-term contracts to worry about, the club should have no problem giving their young centerpiece whatever he wants in order to ensure a lengthy extension of their relationship.

  • No league discipline is coming for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in regards to a net front collision that injured Buffalo Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton on Tuesday. The play in question did look like it was at least partially caused by Hutton’s teammate, Brandon Montour, and there is not nearly enough evidence for NHL Player Safety to state that Provorov was definitively at fault. That hasn’t stopped Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger from publicly stating his disappointment with the situation, though. Krueger tells The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor that Provorov’s actions were purposeful: “if you look at the way the elbow comes extended, you know what you’re doing.” Krueger believes his team has already been the victims of several bad hits to the head so far this season and is clearly to get some extra attention for the next time such a situation arises. Hutton continued on in the game following the collision, but did not return after the second intermission and is currently questionable for the Sabres’ next game.
  • The Boston Bruins’ scoring woes are one of the early season’s biggest stories, but help is on the way. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin writes that David Pastrnak is ahead of schedule in his recovery from off-season hip surgery. Initially expected to return around mid-February, Pastrnak has already re-joined practice as a non-contact participant. Head coach Bruce Cassidy now expects that he could return to action as early as late next week. The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner will be a welcome addition to a team that has yet to produce an even strength goal through three games.

NHL Fines Washington Capitals $100K For Violating COVID Protocol

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UPDATE: For some context as to why the league took the Capitals’ violation so seriously, just look at the caliber of the players at fault. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, and Ilya Samsonov appeared on the NHL’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list today, implying that the group including the captain and starting goalie were the perpetrators of the COVID violation.

The Capitals have released a statement lamenting the actions of their players. Ovechkin himself also released a statement of regret that he and his teammates socialized in their hotel room rather than in approved locker room areas.

 

The NHL is not fooling around when it comes to protecting its players and staff as well as its 2020-21 season from the Coronavirus pandemic. The league has announced this evening that the Washington Capitals have been fined $100K for violations of the NHL COVID-19 Protocols. The Capitals are the first team to face discipline related to the league’s COVID policies.

As might be expected, the perpetrators in this case were the Washington players. The league reports that the Capitals were cited for “social interaction among team members who were in close contact and who were not wearing face coverings.” While the players obviously interact with one another on the ice and on the bench during games and practices, the league has asked that all additional exposure be limited – a request that the Capitals did not adhere to.

Especially in a season in which revenue will be slashed considerably due to the lack of fans in the stands, a $100K fine is no small thing for owner Ted Leonsis and his team. The NHL has made an example of the Capitals to show that there will not be any leniency, even for a first offense, when it comes to COVID protocol. The hope is that this message comes through clearly around the league as the NHL hopes to get through the current season without issue in the midst of an ongoing public health crisis.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/20/21

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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. Other than the Montreal Canadiens, listed as TBA, and the Dallas Stars, the other 29 teams are covered on 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 Wild – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Jesper Bratt*
NY Islanders – Josh Bailey*
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
Washington Capitals – Evgeny Kuznetsov*, Dmitry Orlov*, Alex Ovechkin*, Ilya Samsonov*
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

Players removed today: Eric Comrie, New Jersey Devils; Blake Coleman, Tampa Bay Lightning.

As for the missing teams, the Canadiens are on the road in Vancouver and have until 5:00pm local time to report, but are not expected to have any players in the 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.

*denotes new addition

Minor Transactions: 01/20/21

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The NHL taxi shuffle chugs along while several other prominent names change addresses overseas. There were plenty of other minor transactions today too, the notable ones we will include here:

  • Matt Donovan, who played the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, has signed with HV71 in Sweden. The 30-year-old defenseman is no stranger to the SHL, having spent two seasons with Frolunda a few years ago, even winning the Champions League in 2017. A veteran of just 69 NHL contests, he’s another example of the roster squeeze happening across professional hockey.
  • The Hershey Bears have added Rob O’Gara and Reece Willcox on professional tryouts as they prepare for the regular season in the AHL. O’Gara, 27, played 30 games in the NHL during the 2017-18 season but has spent the last two seasons entirely in the minor leagues. The 6’4″ defenseman had six points in 25 games last season.
  • Three Chicago Blackhawks draft picks have signed tryout contracts with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL as they continue to wait for their junior seasons to resume. Cole Moberg, the only one of the three that is old enough to be eligible to play in the AHL, has signed a professional tryout, while Michael Krutil and Isaak Phillips have both agreed to amateur tryout agreements. None of the three have entry-level NHL contracts yet, but could certainly help their case with a strong performance in Rockford.
  • Donovan Sebrango, who was selected in the third round by the Detroit Red Wings a few months ago, has signed an amateur tryout with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 19-year-old defenseman played four games earlier this season in Slovakia, but will now join the AHL club as he waits for an OHL season that still is not confirmed.

Poll: Which NHL Team Is Better Than You Expected?

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The NHL season is only a week old, but already we have seen some impressive performances. Who would have expected Bobby Ryan to lead the league (tied with Travis Konecny) in goals at this point, scoring four times in his first three games? What about Jack Hughes, the disappointing first-overall pick that has burst back into the limelight with an outstanding three matches. Hughes is tied for the league lead in points and is averaging 20 minutes a night for the 2-0-1 New Jersey Devils.

That record is one of the early storylines, as the Devils sit in an East Division playoff spot through the first week. It’s far too soon to jump to conclusions, but that has never stopped hockey fans before. The Florida Panthers have had their season interrupted twice now by COVID-19 outbreaks on other teams, though the 2-0 start they managed to fit in between certainly has new GM Bill Zito smiling. The Chicago Blackhawks decided to go without a proven starter in net and have so far given up the most goals in the entire league as they continue to search for their first win.

The New York Islanders, like they always seem to do, have seen some incredibly low-event hockey through their first few matches. Five goals for, five goals against in three games—can that stingy play lead them down a long playoff road? What about Kirill Kaprizov’s Minnesota Wild (it seems we may be able to call them that already), who have two wins and a positive goal differential after week one? Has the Russian star turned the perennially-mediocre into must-watch television?

Before the games get started this evening, give us your thoughts. Vote below on which team (or teams, you can select more than one) is better than you expected after seeing them a few times this season. Share your reasoning in the comment section!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Overseas Notes: Kostitsyns, Brown, Boychuk

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Today was a busy day overseas for former NHL players, with several familiar names inking new deals. Both Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Kostitsyn have found new teams, though will not be together this season. Sergei, 33, has signed with the Bratislava Capitals in the ICEHL for the rest of the year as he returns from a back injury that kept him out in 2019-20. Once a 50-point man in the NHL with the Nashville Predators, he has been playing in the KHL since 2013.

His older brother Andrei also has a new deal, this time leaving Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL for Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech league. The 35-year-old had 10 points in 24 KHL games this year but will try a new league for the first time since leaving the NHL in 2012.

  • J.T. Brown, who spent all of last season with the Iowa Wild of the AHL, is off to Sweden to play for IF Bjorkloven of the second tier. The former Tampa Bay Lightning forward has 365 career NHL games under his belt but finds himself looking for work like so many other fringe players. Brown had 22 points in 62 games for Iowa last year, while racking up 55 penalty minutes. He’ll be joined by Francis Perron, who has at times been a standout in the minor leagues but never did get an NHL opportunity. The 24-year-old had 18 points in 42 games last season with the Utica Comets and will now test his skills overseas.
  • Zach Boychuk, who last played in the NHL during the 2014-15 season and has spent the last several years in the KHL and NLA, will now be suiting up for Eisbaren Berlin in the German DEL. Originally a first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008, the 31-year-old Boychuk had 13 points in 15 games for HC Fribourg-Gotteron last season.

More Carolina Hurricanes Games Postponed

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12:00pm: The league has officially postponed the Hurricanes’ next two games. They have also released the following statement:

As an appropriate precaution, the team’s training facilities have been closed, effective immediately, and will remain closed for Players until further notice. The League is in the process of reviewing and revising the Hurricanes’ regular season schedule. The Hurricanes organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies.

9:55am: The Carolina Hurricanes did not play last night due to several key players testing positive for COVID-19, the second half of a two-game series with the Nashville Predators postponed indefinitely. Now, Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that the team’s next two games will also be postponed. Though the league has not announced it officially, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has also heard this possibility, meaning the Florida Panthers won’t be coming in for games tomorrow and Saturday.

The Panthers of course already saw their schedule changed when the Dallas Stars had a training camp outbreak, leading to the postponement of several early-season games. Florida has only played twice and now will likely have to wait until next Tuesday, Jan 26 to continue their 56-game campaign.

Jordan Staal, who tested positive last week, was joined by Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, and Teuvo Teravainen on yesterday’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list. Staal remains in Detroit isolating where his test was taken, while the other four have been left in Nashville for the time being.

Whether the Hurricanes will be able to resume their season in time for the Tampa Bay series next week is not clear at this point.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/20/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The New Jersey Devils finally have Eric Comrie out of the COVID protocol and have added the goaltender to the active roster. In response, Gilles Senn, who had been serving as the third goalie on the taxi squad, has been sent to the minor leagues. In his place, the team has added defensive prospect Kevin Bahl to the taxi squad.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have moved Ville Heinola and Kristian Vesalainen back to the taxi squad while assigning David Gustafsson to the Manitoba Moose. On off days, you’ll often see the Jets rotate players on entry-level contracts through the taxi squad to save money, though this also could be opening up a spot for Tucker Poolman to return from the CPRA list or another transaction.
  • With concerns that Philippe Myers could miss considerable time after leaving last night’s game with an injury, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Derrick Pouliot to the taxi squad. The 27-year-old defenseman played two games last season for the St. Louis Blues, spending most of the season in the AHL and recording 39 points in 58 games. The eighth-overall pick in 2012, Pouliot has 202 NHL regular season games to his name.
  • The Nashville Predators have sent Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad, returning Ben Harpur to the AHL in the meantime. Olivier has played in two games this season and seemed likely to stay in the lineup for last night’s match, but the game was postponed due to several positive COVID-19 results on the Carolina Hurricanes. The 23-year-old has yet to record his first NHL goal through the first ten games of his career.
  • Sam Montembeault has been sent to the Syracuse Crunch by the Florida Panthers, as the team waits out another COVID-related break in the schedule. The team has moved Riley Stillman into the resulting taxi squad spot for the time being, allowing them to save some cash and cap space while they wait to get back on the ice.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have returned young defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and off-season addition Lias Andersson to the taxi squad. Veteran Mark Alt replaces Bjornfot on the active roster while forward Boko Imama has been reassigned from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Ontario Reign. The Kings seem as if they will take advantage of their nearby affiliate to switch up their active roster and taxi squafd fequently when playing at home.

This page will be updated throughout the day as more moves are officially announced. 

Canucks Announce Loan Agreement With AHL’s Manitoba Moose

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Given the ongoing border restrictions related to the Coronavirus pandemic, there was always a sense that Canadian NHL clubs maintaining their American AHL affiliates could pose problems this season. The Vancouver Canucks however have found a work-around. The team has announced that they have reached a loan agreement with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose that will allow them to assign players to the Winnipeg Jets’ affiliate this season. The Canucks will also continue to maintain their relationship with their own AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, who are also receiving players from the St. Louis Blues this year.

By striking a deal with the Moose, the Canucks have essentially added yet another level of recall ease this season. Beyond their active roster, the Canucks already have their six-man taxi squad who can be recalled immediately. They now have a second layer of players who will be assigned to Manitoba and will require just a seven-day quarantine before joining the NHL club. This initial group will include Tyler Graovac, Ashton Sautner, and Arturs Silovs, per the team release. Finally, they will have a younger, developmental group remaining in Utica who, if absolutely necessary, can be recalled but will require a fourteen-day quarantine period in accordance with federal regulations.

Now that this relationship is in place between Vancouver and Manitoba, the next question becomes whether the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers will also explore a similar arrangement. While four of the seven Canadian teams have AHL affiliates within their own national borders and the Canucks are now linked with one of those clubs, the Flames and Oilers still have American affiliates and face the same inconvenient federal quarantine policy should they need to make a recall beyond their taxi squad. Manitoba, the farthest west of the four Canadian AHL teams, would also be the most reasonable for the Alberta clubs, but should the Jets nix the idea of yet another rival stealing play time from their prospects, there are affiliates in Binghamton, Laval, and Toronto that could serve the same purpose.

NHL Pulls Current Batch of “Tracking” Pucks

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The NHL and its coaches and players are unhappy with one of its newest innovations. Microchipped “tracking” pucks, first introduced in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, were intended to bring the league into a new age of technological analysis. However, the current batch of pucks is different than those used seamlessly in the postseason – and people can tell.

NBC Sports reports that a number of players and coaches have complained to the league about the new pucks, which were finished differently than the playoff batch. This included Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault, who claimed the pucks “didn’t slide as well”, and Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who commented the pucks were “bouncing everywhere.” As a result, the NHL has announced that the pucks have been pulled from gameplay, beginning with Tuesday night’s contests. Pucks from last season will be used for the time being.

Fortunately, the league does expect that new tracking pucks will be ready for action soon. The new batch will also undergo testing before being rolled out. Puck tracking information has long been desired in the NHL and they will work hard to make sure they can get that data back as soon as possible.

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