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Par Lindholm Clears Unconditional Waivers, Signs In Sweden

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Monday: Lindholm cleared waivers earlier in the day and now Skelleftea AIK has officially announced his signing, indicating that his contract has been terminated by the Boston Bruins. Lindholm’s split from the NHL is no small move either; AIK revealed that his contract is a five-year pact, the remainder of this season and the following four seasons. Lindholm will be 34 years old before he could potentially return to the NHL for the 2025-26 season, likely meaning his time in North America is over after three seasons.

Sunday: The Boston Bruins have placed forward Par Lindholm on waivers today, but likely not for the usual reasons. Having already cleared waivers earlier this season and not in need of a second go-round on the wire, Lindholm’s placement is expected to be a precursor to the termination of his current contract. Swedish news source AftonBladet reports that Lindholm is leaving Boston, who has agreed to his release, and has already come to terms on a multi-year contract with the SHL’s Skelleftea AIK.

There is no doubting that Lindholm’s role in Boston this season has been reduced. Although he was always intended to be a bottom-six depth player when he signed with the club in 2019, Lindholm played in 40 games last season, more than half of the Bruins’ contests. So far this season he has only managed to get into one game, even as the team has dealt with numerous injuries up front. The additions of Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase (who has actually missed most of the season so far) late last season and Craig Smith this off-season have pushed players like Sean Kuraly and Anders Bjork to primarily fourth-line duty. Their roles as top-nine substitutes helped Lindholm get into the action last year. Add in the emergence of Trent Frederic as an NHL regular and Boston’s effort to get other young options like Jack Studnicka, Karson Kuhlman, and Anton Blidh some experience and there has simply been no need for Lindholm so far this year. He is fortunate to have played in even one game, as free agent addition Greg McKegg is still awaiting his debut. If the Bruins stay healthy and Kase returns to action, there isn’t even enough room for both Frederic and Bjork in the lineup, nevertheless Lindholm among others.

Lindholm’s expected departure from the Bruins showcases the difference in mindset between players. He easily could have stayed on in Boston in a taxi squad role and if multiple injuries struck in the bottom-six he may have found his way back into the lineup. Even if that didn’t occur, he could have sat in the press box all season, collecting on his $850K one-way contract, and still may have would up with a Stanley Cup ring given the Bruins’ talented roster. Instead, Lindholm would rather playing consistently and actually contributing to his team’s success, even if that means leaving the NHL altogether. Assuming he clears unconditional waivers, Lindholm will head to Skelleftea and jump right into the SHL stretch run. He is set to join the team currently sitting in fourth place in the league and will skate alongside a number of talented NHL prospects on a young, dynamic Skelleftea lineup. Per AftonBladet, Lindholm is expected to be a major addition and leader for Skelleftea and not only for the remainder of this season, but for “several years”.

Also on waivers today are Montreal’s Paul Byron (link), Detroit’s Danny DeKeyser (link), Columbus’ Gabriel Carlsson, and Carolina’s newly-acquired Alex Galchenyuk. Edmonton’s James Neal has cleared after being waived yesterday.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/15/21

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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. While the league is still waiting for a report from the Edmonton Oilers, here are today’s results for the other 30 teams:

Buffalo – Dylan Cozens, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Rasmus Ristolainen
Colorado –  Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog, Hunter Miska*
Edmonton – TBA
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou
Minnesota –  Jonas Brodin, Brad Hunt, Victor Rask, Carson Soucy, Cam Talbot
New Jersey – Nikita Gusev, Nico Hischier, Dmitry Kulikov, Travis Zajac
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Morgan Frost, Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek
Vegas – Tomas Nosek

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: John Hayden, Arizona Coyotes; Tobias Rieder, Buffalo Sabres; Nick Bonino, Ian Cole, Nico Sturm, Minnesota Wild; Nathan Bastian, New Jersey Devils

Many of today’s CPRA removals were revealed long before the list was published this afternoon. Hayden was in the lineup for Coyotes for their matinee match-up with the Blues, while Bastian joined the Devils in their return to practice this morning and Rieder did the same with the Sabres. Interestingly, McCabe and Montour were also participants in Buffalo practice today, likely indicating that they will come off the list tomorrow. New Jersey’s Gusev and Kulikov skated separately with coaches after practice today, possibly implying that they too will be off the list soon.

After being late to report yesterday, the Colorado Avalanche are responsible for the only CPRA addition today in young goaltender Miska. Otherwise, this is another positive day as the NHL’s COVID numbers continue to trend strongly in the right direction. With the difficult situations in Buffalo, Minnesota, and New Jersey looking like they will soon be resolved, some progress in Philadelphia is seemingly the only thing stopping the league moving on from their recent rash of postponements and lengthy CRPA lists.

 

Latest On Calgary’s Sam Bennett

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Over the last couple of weeks, it has felt like Sam Bennett has had one skate out the door in Calgary. The Flames forward, although he denies formally requesting a trade, was believed to be upset with his role in Calgary and wanting out. This reportedly came as a surprise to the team initially, but it also seemed like they too were working toward moving Bennett, an idea fueled by a healthy scratch for the young forward days after the news emerged. Yet, as Daniel Austin writes for the Calgary Sun, it has suddenly grown very quiet on the Bennett front.

Part of this change, Austin notes, is simply because Bennett’s trade drama also aligned with several injuries up front for the Flames. Derek Ryan, Elias Lindholm, and most recently Mikael Backlund have all been sidelined for various lengths of time. The Flames need Bennett in the lineup right now. The other major change is where exactly in the lineup Bennett has been playing. Amidst the chaos of Bennett’s unknown future with the team, head coach Geoff Ward made the decision to move Bennett to the top line with stars Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Bennett responded to the promotion with his first two goals of the season over the past four games. While Bennett is still struggling this season relative to his past seasons, his teammates, and his expectations as a top-five NHL Draft pick, his play has noticeably picked up of late.

The question of course, as posed by The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek last week, is why the lineup change was made. Was Ward honestly trying to repair the relationship with Bennett by showing him that the organization trusts him and sees his top-six upside despite his recent struggles and historic inability to hold down the role? Possibly, but it does sound like somewhat of a stretch. The alternative reason could be, in light of Bennett’s desire to leave Calgary, that the team decided to showcase his ability for a while in an effort to maximize a possible return. Given that injuries had shuffled the lineup anyhow, this seems like a very plausible reason for the timing of the move.

The underlying issue for the Flames is that, while they honestly may not want to trade Bennett, both sides stand to benefit. As Duhatschek writes, Bennett represented an impending Expansion Draft problem well before his trade request. The Flames can protect, at most, seven forwards from selection in the draft. With a deep and talented forward corps, Gaudreau, Monahan, Lindholm, and of course Matthew Tkachuk are already locks for protection while Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane also seem like safe bets. If Milan Lucic does not waive his No-Movement Clause, that is your group of seven. Even if he does waive, Calgary will still have to decide between Bennett and the younger, more dynamic Dillon Dube. Whichever of the two they don’t protect seems very likely to be the selection of the Seattle Kraken. As a result, the Flames have to wonder why they would keep a disgruntled Bennett this season to either lose him in expansion or to lose Dube instead and hope Bennett’s production and attitude improve moving forward.

Bennett allegedly wants out of Calgary and the Flames have a very valid reason to trade him. Yet, it has grown quiet on the rumor mill. It could be the timing of injuries or the team wanting to extend Bennett’s stint on the top line as they field offers. Either way, this situation seems far from resolved. Without a major boost in production this season or another major injury or transactional shake-up to the roster, it is difficult to see the relationship between Bennett and Flames lasting the season.

Canadiens Expect To Sign Cole Caufield, Jordan Harris After NCAA Season

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The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the biggest surprises thus far in the 2020-21 season and their success has often been fueled by the play of their rookies and other young impact players. The team’s talent pipeline isn’t drying up any time soon either and the club expects to add a pair of top prospects to organization before the end of the current campaign. Speaking with the media today, GM Marc Bergevin all but confirmed that 2019 first-round pick Cole Caufield will turn pro at the end of his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu adds that Bergevin also noted that defenseman Jordan Harris is also expected to sign with the club when he wraps up his junior season at Northeastern University.

Caufield, 20, is easily Montreal’s best unsigned prospect and quite possibly the top non-NHL player in the organization. A record-breaking goal-scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Caufield was the 15th overall pick two years ago and even that felt too low to many scouts and analysts. He has since solidified his status as a dangerous offensive weapon, posting a point-per-game season as a freshman on a disappointing Wisconsin squad last season, winning Big Ten Rookie of the Year. He spurned the pros to return for a second year, and so far that has resulted in a whopping 17 goals and 33 points in 22 games and a top NCAA ranking for the Badgers. Caufield also took home a gold medal at the World Juniors for Team USA, collecting five points along the way. Caufield has not let his small stature slow him down against the older and larger competition at the college level nor against his elite peers at the WJC. The Canadiens expect more of the same once he gets to the NHL, as Bergiven glowed about his ability and his growth this season. Basu notes that while Montreal fans will want Caufield on the NHL roster immediately, Bergevin stated that cap considerations, quarantine timelines, and roster structure will all play a part in determining where the highly-touted prospect begins his pro career.

Harris, 20, may not compete with Caufield on name value and draft stock alone, but can hold his own as a productive collegiate player and promising NHL prospect. A third-round pick in 2018 out of the New England prep school ranks, Harris is skilled, puck-moving defenseman. He made a clean jump from high school to college, recording 13 points in 39 games as a freshman for the Hockey East Champion Huskies, but has improved considerably in each of his last two seasons – 21 points in 33 games last year and 16 points and a career-high five goals through just 15 games this year. He is Northeastern’s No. 2 scorer, a locker room leader, is a big reason why the program finds itself in contention for an NCAA Tournament spot. While he may not have the immediate NHL upside of Caufield or an Alexander Romanov, Harris is another player for Habs fans to get excited about and he may even see some NHL action himself later this year if the situation is right.

Of course, the question of whether Caufield or Harris can make an impact with Montreal this season is very dependent on their NCAA schedule. The NCAA Tournament is not scheduled to begin until March 26 and for Frozen Four teams the season may not end until April 10. While the discrepancy between games played and frequent absences of players this season should make for unpredictable conference and national tournaments, both Caufield and Harris have a chance to make a deep run. Caufield’s Wisconsin Badgers are currently ranked No. 5 in the country and seem like a lock for the NCAA Tournament and a title contender. Harris’ Northeastern Huskies are currently right on the edge of qualification at No. 16, but have another month of regular season games and the Hockey East Tournament to clinch a spot. If Harris is not playing in the national tournament, he should have plenty of time to get to Canada and suit up for the AHL’s Laval Rocket or even the Canadiens over the last six weeks or so of the season. However, if either players’ season stretches deeper into April, leaving less than a month of NHL regular season games available following quarantine, there is less of a chance that they make their Montreal debut, especially Harris but potentially for Caufield as well. Fortunately, the Canadiens will get to see both players in action far beyond just the end of this season.

Olli Jokinen Hired As Head Coach Of Liiga’s Jukurit

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Who needs coaching experience when you have 17 seasons of NHL playing experience on your resume? Jukurit of the Liiga, the top pro level in Finland, has announced that former NHL star Olli Jokinen has been hired as the club’s head coach beginning next season, inking two-year deal with a third option year. Jokinen, who retired from the NHL in 2015, is the founder and head coach of the South Florida Hockey Academy youth program, but has not coached at the professional or junior level.

Jokinen, 42, had enough talent as a player, as well as the respect of his teammates, coaches, and competitors, to warrant this major career move. The 1997 No. 3 overall pick began played his developmental hockey at home in Finland, but jumped to North America to join the Los Angeles Kings right after he was drafted. Thus began an 18-year pro career that included 1,231 NHL games (eight 82-game seasons) with ten different organizations, resulting in 750 career points, an All-Star nod, and many other accolades. Of all of his NHL stops, Jokinen spent the most time with the Florida Panthers, suiting up for the team for seven seasons, including four as captain. Jokinen was also a mainstay on Finland’s international entries, winning a World Junior gold medal and a number of other Olympic and World Championship medals.

Jokinen returned to his adopted home of Florida after retirement and has been working on the other side of the game, coaching top U-16 players at the AAA level in Coral Springs. His own nephew, Sami Jokinen, is a recent graduate of the program and is playing junior hockey for KalPa in Finland. Perhaps he will play for his uncle again in the future as Jokinen now take a major step forward in his coaching career with Jukurit. The team’s history is fitting for Jokinen, as they too are relatively new to the Liiga. A former Mestis powerhouse, Jukurit moved to the Liiga in 2016-17. It has been a difficult transition, as they have missed the playoffs in each of their first four seasons and appear likely to do so again this year. The club is currently in 13th (out of 15) and nine points out of even a play-in postseason berth despite having played several more games. Jukurit has not finished above 13th in the final standings since their first Liiga season.

Fortunately, the addition of Jokinen is not only just for his coaching potential. The veteran NHLer will also be the new face of the franchise when it comes to recruiting free agents and prospects. With upwards of 16 players on expiring contracts or loans unlikely to be back next season, the Jukurit roster should look very different next season and with Jokinen’s help could be much-improved. With Jokinen leading the team and NHL prospects Axel Rindell (TOR) and Henri Nikkanen (WPG) as centerpieces, Jukurit hopes to turn the page on their franchise history and become Liiga contenders.

 

Five Players Clear Waivers

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Despite some major names being available on the waiver wire over the past 24 hours, all five players have cleared. Montreal’s Paul Byron, Detroit’s Danny DeKeyser, and new Carolina acquisition Alex Galchenyuk were all waived for roster flexibility and will be reassigned to their respective taxi squads. Young Columbus defenseman Gabriel Carlsson has been reassigned to the taxi squad for now but will soon join the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters in order to get some play time. Boston’s Par Lindholm has signed a new contract with the SHL’s Skelleftea AIK and will see his NHL contract terminated. No new players have been placed on waivers today.

Of the group, the player who was quietly the most likely to be claimed was Carlsson. The big 24-year-old blue liner, a 2015 first-rounder, lost his waiver exemption this season and the Blue Jackets did not want to risk him on the wire earlier this season. However, through the first quarter of the campaign he has not seen any NHL game action sitting behind a deep Columbus defense corps. With the AHL season now up and running, the team opted to take the chance with Carlsson in order to get him some play time in the minors and it paid off. The stay-at-home defenseman has played in at least one game for Columbus in each of the past four seasons and will likely be back with the team at some point this year. However, the team will try to avoid another trip through waivers as they might not be so lucky a second time putting the sturdy and affordable defender back up for grabs.

Of course, the bigger names available were Byron, DeKeyser, and Galchenyuk. The Montreal Canadiens, short on cap space but not on forward talent, have been playing Byron in a checking role, making him an expensive fourth liner. The club had been trying to trade the veteran, but there were no takers on his contract despite his solid career numbers. The team hoped that Byron would clear waivers so that they could retain the player, who is absolutely still a serviceable top-nine forward, while also opening up some salary cap space by transitioning him to the taxi squad. Galchenyuk was in fact traded already and just on Saturday as a matter of fact. The skilled forward was dealt by the Ottawa Senators to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-player deal. Playing on an affordable and expiring contract, Galchenyuk was a risk-free acquisition for the ’Canes but was even more valuable if he could be stashed on the practice squad and used in case of emergency in a scoring role. Their plan succeeded and now Carolina simply has to decide whether the now-flexible Galchenyuk is worth more to them on their taxi squad or as a trade asset to flip to another team. The surprise inclusion was DeKeyser, one of the few holdovers of the most recent Detroit Red Wings’ powerhouse teams. DeKeyser has been in decline for several seasons now, but playing for a rebuilding club – especially with limited ice time this season – and dealing with injuries does not make for flattering statistics for anyone. A player who still has the support of his coaches and teammates may end up on the taxi squad but is likely to still be a prominent presence for the organization, especially with another year remaining on his current contract.

Lindholm was the outlier of the bunch. After clearing waivers earlier this season, the underutilized veteran was placed on the wire again to begin the process of a contract termination. Lindholm was not expected to be claimed and even if he had been, there still would have been a conflict with the multi-year contract he just recently signed in Sweden. Lindholm may actually be capable of being a reliable fourth line center in the NHL, but that opportunity was not available in Boston and seemingly nowhere else in the league at the current time, so the veteran will return home.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/15/21

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It’s the beginning of a new week in the NHL with ten games on the docket on Monday, including a matinee match-up between the Blues and Coyotes to cap off their in-season seven-game series. Teams continue to shake up their rosters with regularity this season, with promotions and demotions from the taxi squad to the NHL and AHL and everything in between. Keep track of all today’s moves right here as teams prepare for a fresh slate of games this week:

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that prospect forward MacKenzie Entwistle has been reassigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Entwistle had yet to see any game action with Chicago yet this season, so a move to the minors will get him some much-needed playing time.  CapFriendly adds that Wyatt Kalnyuk and Reese Johnson were recalled from the taxi squad while Adam Boqvist was sent to the taxi squad.
  • As the Tampa Bay Lightning deal with the long-term absences of Anthony Cirelli and Mitchell Stephens, they have recalled reinforcements from the AHL. The team announced that Alex Barre-Boulet and Ross Colton have been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch and assigned to the taxi squad. Both forwards are still seeking their NHL debuts. Moving from the taxi squad down to the minors is goaltender Spencer Martin. CapFriendly adds that Callan Foote and Gemel Smith were also recalled from the taxi squad.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets took a chance by placing young defenseman Gabriel Carlsson on waivers. However, it paid off as he has cleared and can now get some much-needed playing time with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. For the time being, the team has announced that he has been shifted to the taxi squad while forward Stefan Matteau has been recalled to the active roster.
  • Nashville Predators defenseman Frederic Allard has finally returned from his loan to Austria’s Villacher SV. The Predators have reassigned him to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Nashville’s temporary shared affiliate for this season.  The team also announced the recalls of Michael McCarron and Eeli Tolvanen from the taxi squad while returning Ben Harpur to the taxi squad.
  • As expected, Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been reassigned to the taxi squad after being a surprise inclusion on waivers yesterday. The club reportedly wants to keep the long-time Red Wing involved with the team but want to use their roster spots on other players. The first player recalled to get the opportunity to replace DeKeyser is forward Mathias Brome. 
  • With the Hurricanes back in action, they’ve recalled Alex Nedeljkovic from the taxi squad to serve as the backup goaltender, per CapFriendly.  Carolina also recalled defenseman Jake Bean from the taxi squad.
  • The Dallas Stars recalled wingers Joel Kiviranta and Joel L’Esperance from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Kiviranta was sent down just yesterday while L’Esperance has played in three NHL games this season.

East Division

  • With an influx of healthy players coming off the CPRA list, the New Jersey Devils have announced a flurry of moves. Goaltender Aaron Dell has been recalled from his conditioning loan and added to the active roster, finally joining the team after being claimed on waivers earlier this season. Goaltender Gilles Senn has thus been demoted from the taxi squad to AHL Binghamton, as has defenseman Josh Jacobs. Replacing them on the taxi squad for now are forwards Mikhail Maltsev and Brett Seney, recalled from the junior Devils. This will not be the last of the moves for a New Jersey, who have a roster overhaul on their hands after leading the league in COVID-related absences.
  • The Washington Capitals have flipped goaltenders, per CapFriendly.  Craig Anderson has been returned to the taxi squad while Zach Fucale has been recalled.  Ilya Samsonov is nearing a return so they won’t need to carry one of these two on the active roster for much longer.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forwards Maxim Sushko and David Kase from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. As Philly battles through an ongoing COVID breakout, they need all the help they can get with games scheduled for later this week.  CapFriendly adds that Connor Bunnaman has also been recalled.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have pushed a number of players up the depth chart as they prepare to return to action with several players still sidelined with COVID. Steven Fogarty, William Borgen, and Brandon Davidson have been recalled to the active roster from the taxi squad, while forwards Rasmus Asplund and Andrew Oglevie have been promoted to the AHL’s Rochester Americans to replace them on the taxi squad.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned Trent Frederic to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 23-year-old has played in all 14 games this season but has frequently been sent down on non-game days to bank some cap room.
  • Oliver Wahlstrom is back up with the New York Islanders, per CapFriendly.  The winger has frequently been moved back and forth this season and has a goal in six games so far this season.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent veteran forward Michael Frolik to the AHL’s Laval Rocket for a conditioning stint. Frolik will spend the week in the minors and will be reassigned to the Montreal taxi squad on Saturday. The 32-year-old free agent addition has yet to play this season. Replacing Frolik on the taxi squad is Paul Byron, who cleared waivers today.  CapFriendly adds that Jesperi Kotkaniemi was recalled from the taxi squad while Hayden Verbeek was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Laval.
  • After being promoted from the AHL to the taxi squad yesterday, Joey Daccord is now moving up again. The Ottawa Senators announced that he has been recalled to the active roster and will dress as the backup for the team’s game tonight. This would imply that the injured Matt Murray is still not ready to return to action.
  • Jansen Harkins has been activated from the injured reserve and has rejoined the Winnipeg Jets. The young forward is expected to draw back into the lineup immediately.
  • After clearing waivers on Saturday, James Neal has been reassigned to the taxi squad by the Edmonton Oilers. In a corresponding move, his roster spot will be taken by Devin Shore, who has been recalled from the taxi squad.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from the taxi squad.  The blueliner has been shuffled back and forth in recent days and made his NHL debut over the weekend.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Travis Boyd from the taxi squad while activating Joe Thornton from LTIR, per CapFriendly.  To make room on the roster, Alexander Barabanov and Scott Sabourin were returned to the taxi squad.

West Division

  • With a number of players still sidelined due to COVID but a game coming up on Tuesday night, the Minnesota Wild have to make some moves. Fortunately for the team, some non-COVID players are also getting healthy just in time. The team has announced that defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Mats Zuccarello have been activated from the injured reserve. Additionally, goalie Andrew Hammond, forward Luke Johnson, and defenseman Dakota Mermis have been promoted to the active roster from the taxi squad. Taking their places, up from AHL Iowa, are goalie Dereck Baribeau and forwards Joseph Cramarossa and Mason Shaw. 
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have demoted forward Patrick Brown and goaltender Logan Thompson to the AHL’s newest team, the Henderson Silver Knights. Neither player appears to be in Vegas’ NHL roster plans this season but made a brief appearance on the taxi squad.
  • The Colorado Avalanche shuffled their reserve defenseman, per CapFriendly.  Dan Renouf has been recalled from the taxi squad while Dennis Gilbert goes down to make room.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have shuffled their goalie depth chart, per a team release. The re-claimed Troy Grosenick has been recalled from the AHL’s Ontario Reign and assigned to the taxi squad. He bumps young Jacob Ingham down to the minors. Either goalie would require an injury to the NHL tandem of veteran Jonathan Quick and future starter Cal Petersen in order to play at the top level this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton and winger Noah Gregor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players have been shuffled back and forth in recent days.
  • As they’ve done almost every day lately, the Anaheim Ducks made another lengthy set of moves, per CapFriendly.  The team recalled Sam Steel, Max Jones, and Andy Welinski from the taxi squad while demoting David Backes to the taxi squad.  Anaheim also promoted Chase De Leo from AHL San Diego to the taxi squad.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Mackenzie MacEachern and Austin Poganski from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both were sent down yesterday.

Five Key Stories: 2/8/21 – 2/14/21

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After a relatively quiet first week of February, there were several big headlines around the NHL over the past seven days which our highlighted in our key stories of the week.

Virtanen On The Block: It has been a tough season for Canucks winger Jake Virtanen.  Despite getting a two-year, $5.1MM deal over the offseason, his hold on a full-time spot always seemed tenuous.  His early-season performance (just one goal in 13 games) has had him as a healthy scratch already and it appears that GM Jim Benning is open to giving him a change of scenery as he is being shopped around the league.  Still just 24, Virtanen had a career year last season with 18 goals and 18 assists in 69 games and has the ability to be an effective middle-six forward.  However, his consistent inconsistency and slow start have Benning trying to make a deal when his value is rather low.

Pittsburgh Hires: The Penguins were looking to move quickly to find former GM Jim Rutherford’s replacement and they did just that.  However, they didn’t just find a new GM in Ron Hextall, they also added a new President of Hockey Operations in Brian Burke.  Hextall comes over from Los Angeles where he was working in their front office but he was at the helm of the Flyers from 2013-2018.  Burke, meanwhile, last served in the NHL as Calgary’s President of Hockey Operations, leaving that post also in 2018.  Patrik Allvin had been serving as interim GM during the search and will now resume his old role.

Senators-Hurricanes Swap: Carolina and Ottawa decided to swap some underachieving veterans with the Sens bringing back winger Ryan Dzingel in exchange for winger Alex Galchenyuk and center Cedric Paquette.  Dzingel had two straight 20-goal seasons with Ottawa but has struggled away from the Senators over the past two years, notching just 14 goals in 96 games with Columbus and Carolina.  Paquette had seen limited playing time in Ottawa after coming over in a salary cap-motivated move from Tampa Bay but should factor into Carolina’s fourth line before too long.  As for Galchenyuk, his immediate future is in question as the 2012 third-overall pick was waived by the Hurricanes today.  If he isn’t claimed, he’ll likely wind up on their taxi squad.

Changes In Arizona: It wasn’t that long ago that John Chayka left Arizona’s front office, abruptly resigning his role as GM.  Steve Sullivan took over on an interim basis before Bill Armstrong was brought in.  Now, Sullivan is out as well as he was fired by the team who also announced that the position will not be filled this season.  Sullivan had been with the Coyotes since 2014 in a variety of roles but will now be looking for opportunities elsewhere.

Koivu Retires: Mikko Koivu’s time away from Minnesota was short-lived.  After struggling in the early going this season with Columbus as he worked his way back from a battle with COVID-19, the 37-year-old decided to call it a career, announcing his retirement.  Koivu was a key two-way center for the Wild for many years and leaves with 1,035 career NHL regular season games, all but seven of which were with Minnesota and is one of only 150 players in league history with at least 500 career assists.  While the Blue Jackets gave Koivu a one-year, $1.5MM contract, it won’t count on their books for the remainder of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Updates: Makar, Dubois, Thornton, Backlund

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While Colorado is back in action today for the first time in 12 days, they’re doing so without the services of their top offensive threat from the back end as Cale Makar is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.  Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters, including Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, that he’s not quite sure how the injury happened.  Makar participated in three practices with the Avalanche this week as they worked their way up to today’s game but Bednar allowed for the possibility that the injury occurred away from the rink as well.  Makar is averaging just over a point per game this season and was on a five-game point streak before their schedule was paused and he will have to wait a little while longer to try to extend it.

More injury news from around the league:

  • The Jets aren’t expected to have center Pierre-Luc Dubois in the lineup on Monday against Edmonton, reports Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe (Twitter link). He missed Saturday’s contest versus Ottawa due to a lower-body injury and it appears it will cost him a second game as well.  Head coach Paul Maurice indicated that Dubois will travel with the team which suggests they expect him back at some point on this four-game road trip.
  • The Maple Leafs are expected to welcome back Joe Thornton for their opener against Ottawa on Monday, relays Postmedia’s Lance Hornby. The 41-year-old suffered a fractured rib in Toronto’s fifth game of the season and was immediately placed on LTIR.  Assuming he is able to play tomorrow, he’ll wind up missing just the minimum amount of time.  Thornton has a goal and an assist so far this season which has mostly been spent on the left wing of their top line after playing down the middle for the last two decades.
  • While Flames center Mikael Backlund left Saturday’s game against Vancouver early with a lower-body injury, it doesn’t appear as if he’ll be out for long. Head coach Geoff Ward told reporters, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link), that Backlund is already feeling better today and will be re-evaluated on Monday.  Calgary is back in action for the fourth and final game of this stint versus Vancouver on Monday night.

PHR Mailbag: Senators, Flyers Defense, Bruins, Dubois, Kotkaniemi, Necas, Predators, Quinn, Penguins

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Ottawa’s slow start, Philadelphia’s defensive concerns, Boston’s trade deadline approach, comments on several young centers, David Quinn’s future with the Rangers, plus Pittsburgh’s defense situation and their quiet start to the season.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag.

JDGoat: Who is on the hotter seat right now, D.J. Smith or Pierre Dorion?

Can I choose neither of them?  What has played out in Ottawa so far this season can’t be considered all that surprising.  Yes, Matt Murray’s struggles early on were a bit odd which contributed to them getting run out of the rink a few too many times but he has been better since then and the Sens have been more competitive the last couple of weeks.

Heading into this season, everyone knew there were going to be growing pains.  There are six teams in the North Division that have win-now aspirations with Ottawa being the one with an eye on the future.  The divisional reshuffling didn’t do them any favors, that’s for sure.  Dorion has been able to get this far in his rebuilding plan so there’s not much point in changing course now.  Smith has been the head coach for less than 100 games with a roster that isn’t up to par with that of the top teams in the division.  That’s hardly enough time to assess whether he’s really the right fit for the job.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Senators though.  I think they can be one of the more under-the-radar teams in the second half of the season as their many youngsters settle in and start getting adjusted to day-to-day NHL life.  I expect they’ll win more than many expect down the stretch.  That will be a better measuring stick for Smith’s coaching ability and how Dorion’s long-term plan is coming along.

DarkSide830: What’s Philly’s best solution to their defense issues?

Short of dragging Matt Niskanen away from his ice fishing in retirement, you mean?  When everyone is healthy, I’d try to limit the number of games that Erik Gustafsson and Shayne Gostisbehere play.  They’re both capable offensive weapons but neither are particularly adept in their own end.  You can get away with one in but if both are, they run the risk of some defensive issues (against the upside of a bit more production).

I don’t think there is much they necessarily can do.  Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers are still pretty young and there are going to be growing pains.  Even Ivan Provorov’s 24, the same age as Myers.  There’s still some defensive development that’s going to come when the core of the back end is as young as it is.  They basically have to ride it out.

What will help is that Sean Couturier’s back.  He’s not a defenseman but any time you add a Selke winner to your lineup, good things are going to happen.  Couturier knows the defensive coverages and knows where to be but perhaps more importantly, where others should be and he can call that out on the ice.  There’s a lot of value in that.  Philadelphia undoubtedly missed his offensive production while he was out but he’ll be a huge difference-maker defensively as well which will give the Flyers a big boost.

VonBrewski: Much to my surprise, the Bruins have done well out of the gate. So, I have two questions. Can they trade John Moore to free up cap space? And who do they target at the trade deadline? Thank you for what you do.

You’re not going to like the answer to the first question.  No, they can’t move Moore to free up cap space.  He’s best utilized as a sixth or seventh option.  In this marketplace, that’s someone making $1MM or so, not $2.75MM for this year plus two more.  That’s just too much money for a depth player and even if they retained half of the contract, they’re not going to find many takers.  Could they move him for another similarly-priced underachiever?  There’s a slightly higher chance of that happening but the likeliest scenario is he sticks around.

As for who they target at the deadline, that’s hard to call at this point considering how few teams are out of the playoff picture at this point.  There’s Ottawa, Detroit, and, well, that’s about it.  Every other team is within five points of a playoff spot so right now, we don’t know who most of the sellers will be.

In terms of what I’d be expecting GM Don Sweeney to look for, I’d still have a proven left defenseman at the top of the list.  They’re getting good results from Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Lauzon which lessens the short-term need but if you’re a team with eyes on a long playoff run, can you have two near-rookies in big roles?  I’m sure they’d feel more confident with a more proven option.  Beyond that, there’s still a need for secondary scoring help despite the fact they’ve tried to address it so many times already.

One element that really works in Boston’s favor is the salary cap.  Many contenders are right up against it while they are pegged to be nearly $3MM under it.  Come trade deadline time, that’s worth roughly $13MM in full-season cap hits which would give them a huge boost in terms of being able to actually afford a big-ticket acquisition without having to offset money somehow.  Lots can change and injuries can cut into that in a hurry but the benefit to not adding much in the offseason is that they’ll have the ability to make some in-season pickups without much difficulty.

The Duke: What are your short- and long-term thoughts regarding PLD, Kotkaniemi, Necas and Ingram/Nashville’s goaltending?

Pierre-Luc Dubois – I don’t think this was the preferred destination he had in mind when he wanted out but I like the fit with Winnipeg.  He was pushed into the 1C role by default in Columbus but would have been better served with a more proven option in front of him to help him develop.  He’ll get that benefit now with Mark Scheifele ahead of him on the depth chart.  It may not be great for his short-term numbers but in the long run, he’ll be better prepared for his next chance at being the top center.  I don’t expect that opportunity will be with the Jets though.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi – The exploits of his linemate in Tyler Toffoli have helped keep the spotlight off of him in what has been a fairly quiet start to the season with just a goal and six assists in 14 games.  He has progressed a bit from last season’s disaster which Montreal has to be content with although they quietly were likely hoping for a bigger leap on the offensive front.  He’s still one of the youngest players in the league despite this being his third season (he’s still only 20) so there is plenty of development to go.  I’m not overly confident that he can become Montreal’s top center of the future which they were hoping for when they drafted him third overall in 2018 but with the acquisition and emergence of Nick Suzuki, there’s at least a bit less pressure on Kotkaniemi.  If Suzuki eventually becomes that 1C and Kotkaniemi falls in behind him, the Canadiens should be in good shape.

Martin Necas – He has slowly and steadily progressed so Carolina has to be pleased with what they’re getting from him early on with his ice time up around 18 minutes per game.  A player four years removed from being a first-round pick being in the top six is a more than acceptable development timeline.  I do, however, wonder about his long-term position.  He was supposed to be a key center of the future but things have changed since then.  Sebastian Aho has adapted perfectly to playing down the middle, Jordan Staal is still around, and they added Vincent Trocheck at the trade deadline.  While the latter came at a price tag that was too good to pass up on, there’s an opportunity cost in that it takes away reps at center for Necas.  I’d like to see them find a way to move him to center at times this season, even if it means dropping him down to the third line as, from a long-term development standpoint, they’d be better off if he’s at least comfortable at center in the NHL.

Connor Ingram – While not having him as their insurance policy hurts (he’s in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program), I don’t think it changes much in the short-term.  Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros were going to be the tandem one way or the other this season.  Long term, Yaroslav Askarov is the starter of the future and that still hasn’t changed.  I suspect they were hoping Ingram could be the backup next year and that could still happen – these program entries don’t come with defined absence times so it is possible that he’s back at some point this season.  If not, it pushes them to ask Rinne to stick around for another year or they turn to free agency for a veteran replacement.

MZ311: If NYR ends up firing Quinn (big mistake if they do), who do you see as the long-term successor?

First, I don’t expect David Quinn to be let go.  While the acquisition of Artemi Panarin and the late-season playoff push have raised expectations, this is still not a team that’s quite ready to contend just yet.  There are still plenty of young players going through the ups and downs of developing at the NHL level.  That’s not necessarily a coaching flaw but a reality that most young players face, even the higher-end prospects.  I believe John Davidson and Jeff Gorton are patient enough to recognize that and if they are, there’s little reason to make a coaching change.

But for the sake of the question, let’s say they do.  Is a veteran like Mike Babcock or Bruce Boudreau a good fit for a team that’s still developing a lot of youngsters?  Probably not.  Gerard Gallant is still out there but even he’s a coach that probably benefits from a more veteran-laden team.  None have particularly long shelf lives either and the Rangers will want someone for longer than that instead of a quick fix.  I believe Kris Knoblauch, their coach at AHL Hartford, is their preferred eventual replacement for Quinn but this is only his second season and neither of them are full campaigns.  With Knoblauch not being ready though, it’s hard to see Quinn being let go anytime soon.

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