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Archives for April 2021

Anaheim Ducks Demote Trevor Zegras

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No matter how it’s viewed, the Anaheim Ducks have made a unique move. The team has announced that rookie phenom Trevor Zegras has been re-assigned to the AHL. But there’s a catch; Zegras’ demotion is not being viewed as a punishment by the organization, but rather a reward. The team is actually so impressed with the 20-year-old forward’s development that they are shifting him from the wing to his natural center position and simply want to start him in that role with the San Diego Gulls before bringing him back to the NHL squad. The club’s press release stated as follows:

Our goal was to help Trevor transition more smoothly into the NHL, so we started him out on the wing. He’s ahead of  our scheduled progression, and as a result we are moving him to center ice effective immediately. He will need some experience in the AHL first, but our expectation is that he will be back with us in the near future and play center for the Ducks for years to come.

On it’s face alone, it is a stunning move to see Zegras demoted amid a strong first pro season. The 2019 ninth overall pick recorded nine points in eight games in the minors before he was swiftly promoted to the NHL and has added seven points in 17 games with Anaheim since (not to mention 18 points in seven games at the World Juniors before the season.) The cerebral forward looks like a potential first-line center for the Ducks moving forward, as the team acknowledged, so fans assuredly would have been shocked to see him demoted if not for the context. Especially in the midst of another poor season, some may have turned on the team for removing their most exciting young player from the lineup without reason.

Fortunately, the club did make clear their reasons for the move. It is very rare and very refreshing for an NHL team to be so transparent with their developmental path for a player. Whether or not this specific move is needed given Zegras’ ability is beside the point, as the team’s justification is at least logical. As they noted, Zegras may not need much time in San Diego to get comfortable down the middle either. The Boston University product has previously excelled at the position given his elite vision and passing ability. Zegras should be flying with the Ducks again soon.

Snapshots: Hall, Schedule, Kolyachonok

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The Buffalo Sabres could be getting closer to a trade of Taylor Hall, as Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that “there’s a sense talks have escalated.” Dreger doesn’t believe a move is “imminent” but after the New Jersey Devils pulled Kyle Palmieri over the weekend, the precautionary pull is something to watch for.

Hall is one of the top rental targets on the open market and the Sabres need to make sure they get the best package possible before the deadline. Risking him to injury in a lost season doesn’t seem to make much sense.

  • The NHL has issued a schedule update, but it will likely be followed by a further announcement this evening. The change has the Calgary Flames playing against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday April 10, when they are still technically scheduled to meet the Vancouver Canucks. With so many positive test results for the Canucks over the past week—a 17th player was added to the COVID Protocol today—their games on Thursday and Saturday were always unlikely to be played.
  • The Florida Panthers have reassigned Vladislav Kolyachonok from the KHL to the AHL for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick in 2019 and became a regular for Dynamo Minsk this season, recording six points in 46 games. He’ll get his first chance of pro hockey in North America, but isn’t a stranger to these parts; Kolyachonok played two years in the OHL for the Flint Firebirds before returning to the KHL this season.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/05/21

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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 the list for today:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak*
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Joel Armia
Ottawa – Jacob Bernard-Docker, Shane Pinto
Vancouver – Travis Boyd, Jalen Chatfield, Thatcher Demko, Alexander Edler, Adam Gaudette, Travis Hamonic, Jayce Hawryluk, Braden Holtby, Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes, Zack MacEwen, Marc Michaelis, Tyler Motte, Tyler Myers, Antoine Roussel, Brandon Sutter, Nils Hoglander*

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: Anton Khudobin, Dallas Stars; Brendan Lemieux, Los Angeles Kings

Just one more name added to the Canucks list, as Hoglander joins the rest of his teammates in the protocol. Things are still shut down for the team and now the league has made a schedule change that indicates Vancouver’s game this weekend is no longer a target. Irfaan Gaffar of the Fourth Period tweets that Canucks players are being told to stay isolated until Sunday, though there has been no official announcement from the league so far.

*denotes new addition

Alexander Alexeyev Assigned To AHL

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Now that his KHL season has come to an end, Alexander Alexeyev is coming to join the Hershey Bears once again. The Washington Capitals have assigned the young defenseman to the AHL club, returning him to the place where he played so well last season.

Alexeyev, 21, recorded 16 points in 55 games for Ufa Salavat Yulayev this season in the KHL, averaging nearly 18 minutes a night. The 6’4″ defenseman was selected 31st overall by the Capitals in 2018 and had 21 points in 58 games for Hershey last season. Those are both strong campaigns for the mobile Alexeyev, especially given he was drafted more for his polished, calm defensive game than his offensive upside.

So good in fact that just today, Max Bultman of The Athletic included Alexeyev as a reserve in his projected 2022 Russian Olympic roster. While that may still be an optimistic take on a young defender that hasn’t proven anything against NHL talent, it speaks to just how much positive momentum Alexeyev has built since his draft. If he continues to show that he has taken another development step, perhaps he can even push for playing time in Washington this season.

Signed to an entry-level deal just after his draft, the 2020-21 campaign will be his first of three years under contract for the Capitals regardless of where he finishes the season. He’ll be in the mix for a role right out of training camp next season if he doesn’t earn one down the stretch.

Avalanche Sign Nate Clurman To Entry-Level Deal

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April 5: Clurman has officially signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Avalanche. He will report to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.

March 30: With the college season slowly coming to a conclusion, there are quite a few names ready to join the Colorado Avalanche shortly. That group could include players like Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta. However, the first signing is expected to happen shortly as DNVR Sports AJ Haefele reports that Colorado is expected to sign Notre Dame defenseman Nate Clurman to an entry-level deal. No terms have been revealed.

Clurman spent three years at Notre Dame as a shutdown defenseman with excellent skating skills and served as team captain this past season. He even showed off a little offense, scoring four goals and seven points in 27 games, which may not seem like much, but considering he went scoreless for his first two college seasons, that’s a plus. Clurman was a key cog for the Fighting Irish, but their season ended prematurely as Notre Dame was forced to withdraw from the NCAA tournament due to COVID-19 protocols.

The six-foot-2, 200-pound blueliner was a sixth-round pick in 2016 and is expected to step into the AHL immediately with the Colorado Eagles after he officially signs his contract.

Florida Panthers Extend Mason Marchment

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The Florida Panthers have signed Mason Marchment to a one-year extension for the 2021-22 season, keeping him in the organization. Marchment would have become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season given how few NHL games he has played to this point. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports the deal is worth $800K. Florida GM Bill Zito released a short statement explaining why the team has re-signed Marchment:

Mason has taken full advantage of his opportunity this season and we are pleased to have signed him to a contract extension. In his first full NHL season, he has proven himself to be a versatile forward who provides our team with a combination of size, skill, and character. We are excited for Mason to take the next step in his career with our organization.

The 25-year-old seemed like an afterthought when he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, arriving in Florida in exchange for Denis Malgin. He had played just four NHL games to that point and spent the rest of the 2019-20 season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, failing to register a goal in six games. The Panthers brought him back on a one-year two-way contract though, and Marchment seized an opportunity to establish himself as an NHL player. In 22 games this season he has seven points, even skating beside Aleksander Barkov on the top line for short periods.

Undrafted, Marchment was a development project by Maple Leafs organization and spent time in the ECHL before becoming a regular for the Toronto Marlies. Eventually, he learned how to use his 6’4″ frame and natural antagonizing abilities—inherited from his dad, Bryan Marchment—to carve out a versatile role for the AHL club. It’s that same in-your-face role that has made Marchment a favorite of the Florida organization and now led to a new deal.

Jaroslav Halak Enters COVID Protocol

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After Jake Debrusk came off the COVID Protocol Related Absences list yesterday, the Boston Bruins had a clean slate and everyone available to them. No more, as according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com, Jaroslav Halak has tested positive for coronavirus. That will put him into the protocol whether or not it is determined to be a false positive down the line, meaning he won’t be available tonight. As Benjamin points out, Dan Vladar was expected to start anyway, but will now likely have Jeremy Swayman backing up.

Halak, 35, has been his dependable self this season, posting a .910 save percentage in 17 appearances. That’s actually more work and better results than Tuukka Rask, who has been dealing with various injuries almost the whole year. Halak has been one of the most reliable goaltenders in the league for his whole career, only posting a season save percentage under .908 once since his rookie year in 2006-07. You can’t ask much more from a backup goaltender.

That, in addition to the fact that Rask is still unavailable, makes this absence concerning for the Bruins. If Halak misses substantial time, Boston will have to hope that Vladar can hold the fort. Benjamin reports that Rask will not play tonight or tomorrow but is expected to travel with the team on the three-game road trip.

Luke Johnson, Jacob de La Rose Clear Waivers

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April 5: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 4: A pair of depth forwards hit the waiver wire today, added by a couple of competing West Division contenders no less. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Minnesota Wild’s Luke Johnson and the St. Louis Blues’ Jacob de La Rose have been waived. Edmonton’s Joakim Nygard, the only player on waivers on Saturday, has cleared.

Johnson, 26, cleared waivers early this season, but his most recent outing with Minnesota marked the ten-game limit that necessitated another go-round. The former Chicago Blackhawks prospect, now in his second season with the Wild, is unlikely to be claimed. Johnson has one point in 28 career NHL games and has yet to record a point with Minnesota in two years. While his minor league production has previously been impressive, he has only played in two games with AHL Iowa this season, spending most of his time on the Minnesota taxi squad. And that is where Johnson is likely to remain for much of the remainder of this season.

De La Rose, 25, could be more of a risk, albeit is still unlikely to be claimed. The 2013 second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens was claimed the very first time he was waived, snagged by the Detroit Red Wings back in 2018. Detroit then traded de La Rose to the Blues early last season in a one-for-one deal to land Robby Fabbri, a swap that has worked out nicely for the Red Wings. In St. Louis, de La Rose has failed to make much of an impact and has been slowed by injuries as well. While his offensive game has never reached his draft expectations, de La Rose’s physical contributions have also slipped this year, leading to a career-low in ice time. For the Blues, it likely no longer made sense to reserve an active roster spot for the Swedish forward. Whether another team sees enough ice time to make a claim remains to be seen, but it would not be a major loss for St. Louis if it does happen.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/05/21

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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

  • The Los Angeles Kings have moved Matthew Villalta back to the AHL, recalling Troy Grosenick and Sean Durzi to the taxi squad once again. Durzi looked poised to make his NHL debut over the weekend but instead had to watch again and wait patiently while the Kings move players in and out. The 22-year-old defenseman has 13 points in 24 games for the Ontario Reign this season.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Alex Formenton and Filip Gustavsson from the taxi squad as they prepare for action tonight in Winnipeg. The team is coming off an impressive win in Montreal on Saturday night and now actually sit just five points out of fifth in the North.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have moved Liam Foudy back to the taxi squad after their listless performance against the Panthers last night. There were high hopes for the 21-year-old Foudy this season, but he has just three points in 16 games and is still looking for his first NHL (regular season) goal.
  • After a huge win over the Lightning yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have moved Frans Nielsen, Michael Rasmussen, and Givani Smith to the taxi squad. The Red Wings always do this on off days to save some cap and cash with players that have cleared or are ineligible for waivers. Several, if not all three, will be back up tomorrow.
  • The Dallas Stars have moved Landon Bow, Nicholas Caamano and Ty Dellandrea to the taxi squad, while sending Colton Point to the AHL. Point is no longer needed because Anton Khudobin has been activated from the COVID protocol.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned Radim Zohorna and Drew O’Connor to the taxi squad, pushing Maxime Lagace to the AHL to make room. Zohorna, 24, was a great story last month when he scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, but has just one other appearance.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Samuel Morin and Shayne Gostisbehere from the taxi squad. When Gostisbehere cleared waivers recently, the Flyers explained that it was more about roster flexibility than punishing him for poor play. He’ll make his return to the lineup tonight against the Bruins.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have added Arttu Ruotsalainen to the taxi squad, sending Jean-Sebastien Dea to the Rochester Americans. Ruotsalainen has 13 points in 13 games with the Amerks this season, his first in North America after several outstanding years in Finland.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Nashville Predators Sign Grant Mismash

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The Nashville Predators have signed Grant Mismash to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin in the 2021-22 season, following his senior season at the University of North Dakota. Mismash actually could have become an unrestricted free agent had he waited until August, but will sign with the team that picked him back in 2017.

Mismash, 22, was a second-round pick back then, coming out of the U.S. National Team Development Program where he played alongside names like Josh Norris, Quinn Hughes, and Brady Tkachuk. Instead of turning pro at any point, he spent all four years at UND, developing his game and becoming a leader for the program. This season, he scored 10 goals and 19 points in 20 games on a team loaded with future NHL talent and joins several teammates in signing his ELC.

The Predators are dying for a little more homegrown offensive firepower, but it likely won’t come from Mismash. His role in the NHL is likely as an agitating bottom-six option that will only chip in a goal every now and again. That can still be a valuable piece, especially if his penalty-killing skills can continue to develop, but the young forward is unlikely to be an impact offensive player at the next level. Last summer, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic suggested a player like Scott Laughton would be Mismash’s ceiling but noted that he would have to prove himself in the AHL first.

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