With it being so early in the season, teams are hesitant to make any moves as they get a feel for what they currently have on their rosters. With that in mind, some of the bigger news of the week has come from other fronts.
COVID Trouble: A handful of teams have had players enter COVID protocol in the early going this season. There were quite a few more this past week with Winnipeg forwards Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, St. Louis winger Brandon Saad, Pittsburgh blueliner Kris Letang, and Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane among those missing time due to being in the protocol. While there have been suggestions that the league might tone down the testing, weeks like this could put those plans on hold fairly quickly.
Gourde Returns Early: When Seattle selected Yanni Gourde from Tampa Bay in expansion, the enthusiasm was tempered down when it was revealed that he’d miss four months due to shoulder surgery. Instead, he only missed four games as he was activated off IR which is well before even the most optimistic of timelines for recovery. Gourde isn’t getting eased into action either as he has logged more than 22 minutes per game in each of his two appearances so far.
Kane Suspension: Following a series of investigations by the NHL into Sharks winger Evander Kane, the league levied a 21-game suspension to the 30-year-old for an established violation of, and lack of compliance with, the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 Protocol. The league didn’t identify what the exact violation was but there were reports earlier this month that he was being investigated for using a fake vaccination card. Also in the announcement from the league was a statement that allegations regarding domestic abuse could not be substantiated. Kane, who is not appealing the ban, is now ineligible to play until November 30th.
Heading Overseas: Veteran center Artem Anisimov was unable to catch on with another NHL team following being released from his PTO with Colorado so he has elected to go back to the KHL, inking a one-year deal with HC Lokomotiv. That’s the program that Anisimov started out going back to his junior-aged days and he last suited up there during the lockout in the 2012-13 season. If it’s the end for Anisimov in North America, he’ll wind up with 376 points in 771 career NHL contests, a pretty good return on a late second-round pick which is where the Rangers selected him back in 2006.
Hughes Injured: The strong start for Devils center Jack Hughes has been put on hold for a while with the announcement that the 20-year-old has suffered a disclosed shoulder and is out indefinitely. Hughes had three points in his first two games including an overtime winner but will not need surgery. It’s a contract year for the 2019 top pick so there is a lot on the line when he’s able to return as a long-term pact similar to the one Nico Hischier signed back in 2019 could be a possibility if he winds up not missing much time and has a productive 2021-22 campaign.
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