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Alex Goligoski Expected To Be Traded Before Deadline

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As trade talks heat up, one player that certainly seems more likely than not to be finishing the season on a different team is veteran defenseman Alex Goligoski. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Arizona Coyotes are listening to offers for Goligoski and are expected to move him before the trade deadline in six weeks. Goligoski was also listed at No. 22 on The Athletic’s Trade Deadline Board and labeled “the most attractive” of Arizona’s five impending free agent defensemen.

Goligoski, 35, is in the final season of a five-year, $27.375MM contract that he signed with Arizona back in 2016. Although Goligoski has enjoyed some of his best seasons over the course of the contract, Seravalli states that there have been no extension talks with the Coyotes and Goligoski is expected to hit free agency this summer. With Arizona currently at .500 and sitting in sixth place in the West Division, looking unlikely to contend for a playoff spot, Goligoski is worth far more as a trade chip than he is remaining on the roster.

The Coyotes, uniquely in need of draft picks this year, stand a good chance of getting a nice return for Goligoski. Seravalli believes that there is already interest in the mobile defenseman and that interest could grow as the deadline grows closer. Goligoski brings experience and ability to any team willing to give up the pieces needed to get him. And while his contract carries a $5.475MM AAV, Goligoski is only making $4MM in actual salary, which could appeal to teams that are being careful about their finances. Seravalli also points out that teams are impressed by Goligoski’s ability to eat minutes, even late in his career, as well as his versatility as a left-shot who is equally comfortable on the right side. All these factors could produce a wide pool of suitors of Goligoski in the coming weeks.

Oilers’ Alex Chiasson Suspended One Game

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After a hearing earlier today, the decision has come down from the NHL Department of Player Safety and Alex Chiasson has received a one-game suspension. The Edmonton Oilers forward exchanged words with Toronto Maple Leafs counterpart Jimmy Vesey after the final whistle on Monday night but took the skirmish too far with a cross-check to the head area. Chiasson technically received a major penalty and misconduct, but served neither with the game over. The league justly ruled that he thus deserved additional discipline:

Chiasson raises his stick, pulls it back, and delivers a sharp check to the neck of Vesey. This is a cross-check… What elevates this play to supplemental discipline is the fact that it is done after the game is over and for no legitimate hockey reason. This is not a hockey play. This is a forceful, high cross-check delivered to an opponent after the game has ended.

Player Safety does note that Chiasson has no previous history of league discipline, having never received a fine or suspension in his nine-year, 536-game career. This was likely a significant factor in Chiasson’s blatant post-game penalty not rising to the level of a multi-game suspension.

The Oilers will now be without Chiasson for Wednesday night’s re-match with the Leafs, the third straight game between the two teams. After losing the first two of this in-season series, shut out in both, Edmonton will have to try to right the ship without the help of Chiasson. Fortunately, Chiasson hasn’t been a key factor in the Oilers’ success this season anyhow; the 30-year-old has just seven points and has struggled to get shots on goal and create offense. Chiasson cleared waivers earlier this season, implying Edmonton was okay with losing him for nothing – a scenario they now face on Wednesday.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/02/21

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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. Here is today’s list:

Nashville – Ryan Johansen*
Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby*
San Jose – Tomas Hertl

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; Patrik Nemeth, Detroit Red Wings; Kaapo Kakko, New York Rangers

The big story today is Crosby, who we learned this morning would not be available for Pittsburgh’s game tonight. It is not clear why exactly Crosby is on the list, but he’ll miss at least tonight. Also missing the game is assistant coach Todd Rierden. The Penguins announced he is additionally unavailable due to COVID protocol and will be replaced on the bench by development coach Ty Hennes.

Johansen’s appearance is also a tough blow for the Predators, who recently lost Ryan Ellis and Luke Kunin to injured reserve. Nashville is likely headed into sell-off mode as the deadline approaches.

Three names coming off is another strong day, though the two new ones obviously generate some concern. Still, to see the Coyotes, Red Wings and Rangers clear their boards entirely is encouraging.

*denotes new addition

Nashville Predators Issue Injury Updates

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The Nashville Predators won’t have some key players in the lineup for the next while. Ryan Ellis has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and will be out for the next four to six weeks. Luke Kunin will join him on IR with a lower-body injury and is out for two to four weeks. Ryan Johansen, who only made it back from IR a week ago himself, is now in the league’s COVID Protocol. The team has recalled Tanner Jeannot, Mathieu Olivier, Eeli Tolvanen, and Alexandre Carrier from the taxi squad.

Ellis, 30, carries a heavy load for the Predators every night, averaging nearly 25 minutes a game this season. He has just nine points in 21 games—a slight step down from the incredible pace he set last season with 38 in 49—but incredibly, that actually ties him for third on the team. Nashville has received almost no offensive contribution from half their lineup, with Filip Forsberg the only forward who has generated points on a regular basis. Losing Ellis means losing one of the team’s best players at both ends of the rink.

Kunin certainly can’t claim to be one of the team’s best, as his early tenure in Nashville has been one of disappointment. After posting 15 goals and 31 points in 63 games last season for the Minnesota Wild, he has just five points in 17 games for the Predators and has seen his minutes vary wildly. Overall, his contribution hasn’t been what the team expected when they dealt Nick Bonino and a pair of draft picks for him last fall. The fact that he’ll now miss at least two weeks in a shortened season certainly won’t help the team squeeze out any excess value.

Johansen of course has been an even bigger disappointment, if only because of what he costs the Predators against the cap. The $8MM center hasn’t scored a goal this season and has just five points through 14 games, though his possession metrics have been strong when he’s in the lineup. The fact that Johansen hasn’t broken the 15-goal mark since getting to Nashville is a big reason why the team’s offense has never seemed quite up to snuff, given that he had 59 goals in the two seasons before being acquired. It’s not clear at all how long he will be on the COVID Protocol list, but that zero will remain in the goal column for now.

The Predators have won their last two games but still sit at 10-11-0 on the year and now have to deal with the absence of Ellis for at least a month. Rumors had already begun to swirl about the fact that they may be sellers at the deadline and this news certainly won’t put an end to them. The team is set to face the Carolina Hurricanes tonight before starting a two-game series against the division-leading Florida Panthers on Thursday evening.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Rutherford, Tortorella, Wolf

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It’s still not exactly clear what made Jim Rutherford suddenly resign his post as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this year. Given that he still has “the bug” to help a front office, as he told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently, some have wondered if there was perhaps a philosophical disagreement between Rutherford and his Pittsburgh bosses. When asked on the Cam and Strick Podcast about whether he had tried to trade Kris Letang but ownership stopped it, the legendary executive denied any rumors:

Nope. Not accurate. As a matter of fact, I’ve said publicly a few times. Because you get to a point in a player’s career–should you trade ’em, get something young for them or not–but I’ve actually took the position that because the core guys won Stanley Cups, three Stanley Cups, that [Sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin and Letang should play their whole career in Pittsburgh. I wish I could say the same thing about [Marc-Andre] Fleury, but we got squeezed on the cap at an earlier time. But those four guys should have played their whole career in Pittsburgh. There’s three of them still there. That’s how I felt then, that’s how I feel now.

If Letang and Malkin are to play their whole careers in Pittsburgh, they’ll need new contracts before long. Both players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the 2021-22 season. Crosby meanwhile is signed through 2024-25, which potentially could cover the end of his career already. He’ll be 34 this offseason, meaning his contract takes him through his age-37 season.

  • John Tortorella got the infamous vote of confidence from his general manager earlier today, as Jarmo Kekalainen explained he isn’t looking to make changes to the coaching staff and trusts this group to get the Columbus Blue Jackets out of their recent slump. The Blue Jackets have lost five straight and sit fifth in the Central Division, only ahead of the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars (who have only played 16 games, the fewest in the entire league). Tortorella, though respected as a strong systems coach that can get a lot out of a mediocre roster, has been known to eventually have players tune him out in his previous stops. Kekalainen, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes, hasn’t seen that kind of thing yet. A Stanley Cup champion with the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning, Tortorella has been the head coach of the Blue Jackets since the 2015-16 season and has had a winning record in each season with the club.
  • Dustin Wolf has been reassigned back to the WHL, re-joining the Everett Silvertips after a short taste of professional hockey. The 19-year-old goaltender played three games for the Stockton Heat, winning two of them and posting an .895 save percentage. A seventh-round pick in 2019, Wolf is an extremely intriguing prospect trying to break through despite a significant disadvantage–he stands a (generous) 6’0″ and would be one of the smallest goaltenders in the NHL, should he ever make it. So far that size discrepancy hasn’t stopped him, winning CHL Goaltender of the Year and recently taking home a World Junior gold medal. Now that the WHL is returning, Wolf is no longer eligible to play in the AHL.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/02/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day.

West Division

North Division

  • After it was announced that Derek Stepan will miss the rest of the regular season, the Ottawa Senators have made a few roster moves. Erik Brannstrom and Micheal Haley have been recalled from the taxi squad. Braydon Coburn and Matthew Peca have taken their place. Filip Gustavsson has been recalled from the AHL.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Cam Hillis from the AHL, sending him to the taxi squad. The 20-year-old forward is another interesting prospect in the Canadiens system, selected 66th overall in 2018 and coming off an outstanding OHL campaign in 2019-20. He failed to score in his professional debut for the Laval Rocket, but had 83 points in 62 games for the Guelph Storm last season.
  • Tucker Poolman is healthy and has been activated from the injured reserve. The Winnipeg Jets have sent Logan Stanley down to the taxi squad to open up a spot on the blue line.

Central Division

East Division

  • The Boston Bruins have sent Karson Kuhlman to the AHL, where he’s currently playing for the Providence Bruins in an afternoon matchup. Kuhlman, 25, has played three games for Boston this season.
  • Ty Ronning has been recalled by the New York Rangers and placed on the taxi squad. The 23-year-old forward has one goal in two games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this season.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Sidney Crosby Placed In COVID Protocol

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There will be a new name on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list when it comes out later today, and it’s a big one. Sidney Crosby has entered the league’s protocol according to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan and will not be available for tonight’s game. The team did not have a morning skate today because of the protocol.

To be clear, this does not necessarily mean that Crosby has tested positive for coronavirus. 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

The Penguins appear to still be on for tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers and will have Tristan Jarry in the net. Mark Jankowski will also not be available and remains listed day-to-day with an injury. He skated this morning on his own but is not quite ready.

The CPRA list is released at 5pm ET every day.

Alex Chiasson To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety has some work to do and the Edmonton Oilers may have to make a lineup change. Alex Chiasson has a hearing today to determine supplemental discipline for his cross-check on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jimmy Vesey. The incident occurred at the very end of last night’s game and resulted in both a major penalty and misconduct for Chiasson, though he needed to serve neither due to the game being over.

It’s not clear at this point if Vesey suffered an injury on the play. The Oilers were visibly frustrated at the end of the game after losing two straight to the Maple Leafs, failing to score a goal in either game. Chiasson will, in all likelihood, pay for that frustration by having to sit out at least a game and forfeit part of his salary.

In this unique schedule, the two teams will actually do battle again tomorrow night. The Oilers will be forced to make at least one change to their lineup, though perhaps that was coming anyway after being shutout in consecutive games.

Derek Stepan To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that Derek Stepan will not return this season from the shoulder injury he suffered last month. The full statement from GM Pierre Dorion:

Following a review and assessment by the team’s medical staff, it has been determined that Derek requires a surgical procedure to repair a damaged labrum that he incurred in dislocating his left shoulder. A procedure is scheduled to take place later this week which will see him miss the remainder of our season but it is expected that he be fully recovered ahead of next season. Our medical staff will remain in regular contact with Derek and his doctors as he continues his recovery.

The veteran center had been working with the team on a potential trade that would take him closer to his family, but clearly this wasn’t the way he wanted to be taken out of the Senators lineup. Stepan will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and though Dorion explains he is expected to be fully recovered, this certainly won’t help him at the negotiation table.

Acquired just before the season began, Stepan scored six points in 20 games with the Senators. It appears as though his time with the club will appear as an odd footnote on his career unless they decide to bring back the 30-year-old center in the offseason. That wouldn’t make a lot of sense for a team bursting with young forward prospects, but Stepan has always been respected as a leader and support piece in the locker room. More likely he’s headed to his next destination after a few disappointing seasons, ready to prove his career isn’t over.

Stepan’s contract technically still could be traded, if a team feels it could glean some cap flexibility by placing him on long-term injured reserve. But he won’t play again this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 03/01/21

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As a strange season continues, with leagues around the globe at different places in their respective seasons, it does not appear as if there will ever be a shortage of noteworthy transactions. Here is the latest group of minor moves:

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned a pair of prospects back to their junior clubs in the WHL, with the league finally getting back to work. Gage Goncalves and Jack Finley, both under contract, as well as fellow Tampa draft pick Jaydon Dureau had all been playing in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, albeit with four total appearances between them. All three will have a greater role as leaders of their junior teams. The trio are all staying in the U.S., as Goncalves returns to the Everett Silvertips, Finley to the Spokane Chiefs, and Dureau to the Portland Winterhawks.
  • The Laval Rocket and forward Kevin Lynch have agreed to a mutual contract termination. Laval revealed that Lynch and his family simply wished to return home to the U.S., so the Michigan native may still wind up with another club this season. Lynch, 29, is a veteran of over 200 AHL games and previously played on a two-way contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19.
  • New York Rangers prospect Leevi Aaltonen does not appear too eager to begin his North American career any time soon. The 2019 fifth-round pick just moved to a new Liiga team, Kookoo, for the remainder of this season, the club announced. However, the new contract also includes an additional two years, keeping him under contract in Finland through the 2022-23 season. Fortunately, the Rangers have until June 1, 2023 to sign him to an entry-level contract before they would lose his rights. Aaltonen seems comfortable maximizing his development time at home in Finland before making that decision.

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