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Archives for November 2021

Snapshots: COVID, Olympics, Canucks

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The postponement of the Ottawa Senators’ upcoming slate of games amidst a Coronavirus outbreak in the locker room has certainly raised some flags across the league. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that many are concerned not only about the ongoing crisis the in Ottawa, but about the frequency of cases popping up around the league. With more than 99% of players and all coaches and staff vaccinated, it is alarming how frequently individuals are being forced to enter the NHL’s COVID Protocol. There was talk earlier this season of reducing testing due to many of those in the protocol being asymptomatic, but in Ottawa and recently in San Jose as well, those sidelined by COVID have in fact been very symptomatic. The league had no choice but to postpone Senators games as the roster had been depleted by the sickness sweeping through the locker room and keeping players off the ice for far longer than just a simple formality might for others in the protocol. As Dreger points out though, the league cannot afford multiple postponements such as this. On one hand, the season is already longer than usual due to the Olympic break and on the other the league cannot take the revenue hit of missed games after two consecutive shortened seasons. As of right now, the only steps being taken by the league to combat the COVID issue is to recommend boosters to its players and personnel. However, re-enacted restrictions could be coming down the line if cases continue at this rate.

  • The Olympics could be at risk if the NHL is unable to control their COVID cases and postponements continue. However, Pierre LeBrun does not believe that this conversation is being had just yet. The NHL and NHLPA agreed to terms – with each other and with the IIHF – to return to the Winter Games this year and that remains the plan. However, there is a January 10 opt-out date should the league decide that they need the currently-scheduled break to make up games postponed due to COVID. LeBrun says that there is no hard number that would trigger the NHL to pull out of the Olympics, but it will have to be an ongoing discussion between the league and players’ association. For now, he states that the two sides just met recently to discuss Olympic plans and are moving forward as planned.
  • Also moving forward as planned: the Vancouver Canucks. Patience is wearing thin amongst the fan base as the Canucks are off to another rough start this season, winning just five of their first 16 games and holding a bottom-five scoring differential league-wide. Despite adding more talent this off-season to an already-healthy payroll and largely avoiding injuries to key players thus far, the Canucks again look like they are far from a contender. Dreger reports that GM Jim Benning was called to meet with ownership about a path forward and they ultimately decided… to stay the course. Ownership apparently still believes in the plan that Benning and coach Travis Green have for the team, even though it has yielded few results thus far. Both sides will continue to preach patience to a rabid fan base that is growing tired of continued mediocrity. If things don’t change in Vancouver this season, it won’t be long until ownership joins the malcontents.

Islanders’ Ryan Pulock, Josh Bailey Sidelined

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Just before puck drop of their Tuesday night match-up with the red hot Florida Panthers, the New York Islanders announced that they will be without two key contributors. The team revealed that defenseman Ryan Pulock has suffered a lower-body injury and forward Josh Bailey has been placed in the NHL’s COVID Protocol. It is unclear if either player will be available for the Isles’ next game on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Both Pulock and Bailey skated just last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, implying that Pulock was injured in the game and Bailey likely entered the protocol on account of a positive test, without much opportunity for a close contact outside the locker room. Pulock did record only 16:45 of ice time on Monday, fifth among Islanders defenders and well below his norm, so it should not be a surprise that he is not at full strength. The team did not disclose any details about Pulock’s injury and only noted that he will be re-evaluated once the team returns to New York. Bailey too is on an indeterminate timeline as he goes through the COVID Protocol.

With the Islanders sitting at .500, sharing last place in the Metropolitan Division, the team can ill afford to be without two of their top play-makers. The team is off to a slow start this season and Pulock (2 points, -2 rating in 12 games) and Bailey (6 points, -5 rating in 12 games) are no exception. However, both are still invaluable members of the team. Pulock leads all Islanders in time on ice, while Bailey is logging top line minutes himself. They may not be at the their best right now, but righting the ship will be much more difficult for New York without their stalwart defender and long-time veteran scorer. The Islanders have to hope that Bailey’s stint in the Protocol is little more than a formality and that Pulock’s injury is only minor.

Lars Eller Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Washington Capitals will not have Lars Eller available to them tonight, as the veteran center has been placed in the COVID protocol. Eller was absent from practice earlier today and listed as questionable, but it’s clear now that he will not play.

The team has not confirmed whether or not Eller has actually tested positive for coronavirus, meaning his length of absence is unclear at this point. After the team takes on the Anaheim Ducks tonight, they are set to travel to Los Angeles, San Jose, and Seattle before returning to Washington. A positive test with symptoms would cause Eller to be held out for a minimum of ten days, ruling him out for the next several games.

Still perhaps unheralded, despite winning a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, Eller is one of the most consistent two-way players on the entire roster. In 15 games this season, all of them without Nicklas Backstrom who has been on injured reserve, Eller has eight points and is averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time. His 119 faceoff wins ties him with Evgeny Kuznetsov for the team lead, with those two carrying the load in the middle of the ice.

Though just one of his points is a goal, it’s easy to bet on Eller’s eventual scoring production. Since his rookie year, when he posted just seven goals in 77 games, Eller has registered at least 12 in every season he has played in at least 47 games. He produced a career-best offensive season with 16 goals and 39 points in just 69 games during the 2019-20 season, and actually was on pace for even better numbers had 2020-21 been a full 82-game schedule.

Without Eller, Backstrom, or Nic Dowd, the team had rookie Connor McMichael in the second-line center position at practice today, with Garrett Pilon and Aliaksei Protas in the third and fourth spots respectively. That’s an extremely young, inexperienced group, meaning the team will have to lean even more heavily on Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Kyle Clifford Traded To Toronto Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded for Kyle Clifford once again, this time sending only future considerations to the St. Louis Blues for the veteran forward. Clifford cleared waivers today, meaning he can be immediately assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

In 2020, the Maple Leafs acquired Clifford along with Jack Campbell in a trade that saw Trevor Moore and two third-round draft picks go the other way. This time it will likely cost them nothing but money, something that not every team wants to spend on a fringe option. Clifford carries a cap hit of $1MM, which can be entirely buried in the minor leagues, but his one-way salary of $1.3MM will be paid to him no matter where he is assigned.

For the Maple Leafs, who are currently in long-term injured reserve space with both Ilya Mikheyev and Petr Mrazek on the shelf, Clifford could actually slide in on the active roster. The team sent Joey Anderson back to the minor leagues yesterday and are carrying only 13 forwards. That said, his cap hit will become trickier to work with once Mikheyev and Mrazek return.

The 30-year-old brings a ton of experience to the table though, along with his familiarity with former teammates like Campbell and Jake Muzzin. Clifford won the 2014 Stanley Cup–his second with the team–alongside Muzzin in Los Angeles and has suited up for nearly 800 games at the NHL level. While he does not bring much offense, Clifford is a physical presence that could give the Maple Leafs a bit of a jolt for their fourth line.

For the Blues, who are getting Oskar Sundkvist back tonight, there just wasn’t room for Clifford any longer. The team had to clear cap space to recall Scott Perunovich and instead of sending Clifford to the Springfield Thunderbirds, will send him back to his home province and former team.

Snapshots: Canucks, Sullivan, Blackwood

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The Vancouver Canucks have allowed 19 goals against in their last three games and now find themselves just three points ahead of the bottom-dwelling Seattle Kraken for last place in the Pacific Division. The team has lost four in a row, eight of their last ten, and now own a -14 goal differential on the year. Things are not going well in Vancouver, to say the least.

So when reports surfaced over the weekend that the team owner was on the road trip, some eyebrows were raised around the league. Would the team make a change in the front office if things didn’t turn around quickly? No, apparently not yet. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweets that though owner Francesco Aquilini is meeting with general manager Jim Benning this afternoon, he does not expect to make a change at the position. Friedman writes that the meeting is just to “understand why the team is losing and address it.” The Canucks are scheduled to welcome in the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, and Chicago Blackhawks on their current three-game homestand.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres tonight and will have Mike Sullivan behind the bench, but the head coach won’t be able to travel with the team to Montreal for Thursday’s matchup against the Canadiens because of COVID restrictions. Sullivan has been cleared from the league’s protocol, but hasn’t eclipsed the 14-day period that the Canadian government requires. Luckily, Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin, who both recently exited the protocol, will be eligible to travel and play.
  • Mackenzie Blackwood has cleared the concussion protocol and is available to play for them on Thursday if necessary. Blackwood collided with Kaapo Kakko in the third period of Sunday’s game, causing a concussion spotter to pull him from the match. He told reporters today that his neck is a little sore, but he practised in full today and appears ready to return.

Kyle Clifford Placed On Waivers

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Nov 16: Clifford has cleared waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He can now be assigned to the AHL.

Nov 15: The St. Louis Blues have placed Kyle Clifford on waivers, according to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet. With Scott Perunovich’s recall, the team needed to clear more than $900K in cap space if they wanted to activate Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve. Clifford, who makes $1MM this season, could be loaned to the minor leagues should he clear waivers, completely burying his cap hit.

Clifford, 30, has only played two games for the Blues this season, spending nearly two weeks in the COVID protocol. The fourth-line forward did register a point in one of those two matches, but has very limited offensive upside. That, added to the fact that he makes more than league minimum, makes him an unlikely claim candidate, though perhaps a team believes he can add some extra toughness to their bottom-six. There’s certainly a case for the experience factor, as Clifford has played in more than 700 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup twice with the Los Angeles Kings.

Sundqvist is a much more useful player though, and given Perunovich’s incredible start in the minor leagues, it was hard to justify keeping him down any longer. Making room for the young defenseman could potentially cost them Clifford, but with the team on a three-game losing streak and falling behind in the Central Division race, something needed to be changed.

AHL Shuffle: 11/16/21

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Eleven games are on the docket around the NHL this evening, including a prime Canadian matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers. The last time these two teams faced off, the Oilers were swept out of the playoffs, losing a heartbreaking triple-overtime game to end their season. With tonight’s game the first half of a home-and-home between the two teams, there’s certainly going to be some intensity on the ice. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Divison

  • With Sammy Blais injured, Greg McKegg has been recalled from the AHL for the New York Rangers. McKegg has already played eight games for the Rangers this season, meaning if he plays another two he’ll have to clear waivers again to return to the minor leagues. The 29-year-old does not yet have a point this season.
  • After Ryan Ellis was placed on injured reserve, Nick Seeler was recalled under emergency conditions by the Philadelphia Flyers. Seeler has been up before, but now may be called on for a while longer with Ellis listed as week-to-week.

Central Division

  • Those Jets have sent Dylan Samberg to the AHL, suggesting he’s ready to return to action after dealing with injury through the first part of the season. Samberg hasn’t played at all so far, but was right on the cusp of making his NHL debut when last season ended. The 22-year-old defenseman had seven points in 32 games for the Manitoba Moose last year.

Pacific Division

  • With Jonathan Marchessault unavailable, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Paul Cotter and Sven Baertschi from the minor leagues. Cotter, 22, is an exciting prospect for the team that has worked his way from fourth-round pick to NHL option in just three years.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Gabriel Vilardi to the AHL, suggesting he’s ready to get back on the ice. The young forward hasn’t played since the end of October, and had just one goal in seven games for the Kings.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Dion Phaneuf Announces Retirement

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Though he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2018-19 season and is still technically on the books for both the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings, Dion Phaneuf has announced his retirement. The veteran defenseman released a long statement thanking his family, friends and the teammates he made along the way. In it, he gives special mention to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who hosted his retirement ceremony today:

A great thanks to the entire Toronto Maple Leafs organization, their ownership and leadership  Larry Tanenbaum and Brendan Shanahan  for providing me with this opportunity to retire with such love and support here in Toronto. It was a special honour to represent the Maple Leafs as team captain a point of pride and honour that I will carry with me forever.

Selected ninth overall by the Calgary Flames in 2003, Phaneuf was a throwback defenseman who at his peak could compete in any style of hockey. The 6’4″, left-shot powerhouse was a star for the Red Deer Rebels, scoring goals and racking up penalty minutes with big hits and tough fights. By the time he made his debut with the Flames in 2005 he was already a well-known name in Canada thanks to his performances at the World Juniors, but his first taste of the NHL put him on the map for all hockey fans. With 20 goals and 49 points in his rookie season, he finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting and only failed to win the Calder Trophy because there were a couple of players named Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby entering the league.

In 2007-08 Phaneuf would reach a career-high of 60 points, while also racking up 182 penalty minutes as he fearlessly patroled the Calgary blue line. He’d finish second in Norris voting that year, trailing only legendary defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who was taking home the trophy for the sixth time in seven years. That was the closest Phaneuf would get, but he still had a long career ahead of him, including his captaincy in Toronto. Overall, he played in 1,048 regular season games, racking up 494 points, 1,345 penalty minutes and more than 2,000 hits.

In 2019, the last two years of his contract were bought out by the Kings, meaning he’ll still receive a paycheck through 2022-23. The Senators had been retaining salary on the deal, so both franchises carry a part of Phaneuf’s cap hit for this season and next.

Jonathan Marchessault Placed In COVID Protocol

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Things are going from bad to worse for the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has placed Jonathan Marchessault in the COVID protocol, making him unavailable for the time being. He joins William Carrier, who was put in the protocol yesterday. In their place, Paul Cotter and Sven Baertschi have been recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights.

Notably, not only was Marchessault active against the Vancouver Canucks a few days ago, but he also attended the Las Vegas Raiders game on Sunday alongside Robin Lehner. For now, the team appears to have their starting goaltender available for tonight’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, but an outbreak in the Golden Knights room would devastating for a team that has already dealt with major injury issues this season.

In fact, it was only a few days ago that the team’s captain, Mark Stone, returned to the lineup after missing a good chunk of the early season. Max Pacioretty, Zach Whitecloud, and Nolan Patrick are still sidelined, along with the newly acquired Jack Eichel.

Perhaps that’s a silver lining, in that several young players have already had to step up early on. Cotter, for instance, made his NHL debut and scored one goal in two appearances, just a few years after going in the fourth round. He’ll get another opportunity now with Marchessault out, though his fellow call-up certainly has the experience factor. Baertschi has 291 regular season games under his belt and was even an 18-goal scorer in 2016-17 with the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old has eight points in 12 games with Henderson this season as he tries to climb his way back to the NHL.

Sammy Blais Suffers Torn ACL, Out Rest Of Season

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The New York Rangers will be without one of their offseason acquisitions, as several reports including Larry Brooks of the New York Post indicate Sammy Blais has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The injury occurred Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils, when Blais collided with P.K. Subban. Brooks adds that surgery on the knee will have to wait a few weeks for the swelling to subside. The team has now confirmed the injury, noting that Blais faces a six to eight-month recovery. Greg McKegg is back up from the AHL.

Blais, 25, was the player the Rangers received in exchange for Pavel Buchnevich earlier this year. He found a nice role in the team’s lineup adding his patented physicality, but was still looking for his first New York goal. In 14 games Blais had four points, 17 penalty minutes, and 37 hits.

It’s not that the Rangers are losing a forward that logs 18 minutes a night and carries the offense, but Blais was a perfect representation of the kind of hockey the new front office wanted to play. ’Hard to play against’ could describe the 6’2″ forward, a goal that general manager Chris Drury and staff had chased all offseason. Now with this injury, they’ll have to find someone else to take his minutes in the middle of the roster. Blais had been averaging close to 14 minutes a night through the first month of the season, including some time on the powerplay.

Though he carries a $1.5MM cap hit that could be moved to long-term injured reserve, the Rangers aren’t pushing the salary cap ceiling this season and will likely move him to normal IR. That said, the young forward is heading into an arbitration year as a restricted free agent, meaning he’ll have almost no leverage to bring up after a lost year. The Rangers could potentially get a slight discount because of this injury, a small silver lining given they have massive extensions for Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad kicking in next season and will need all the cap space they can get.

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