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Vancouver’s Justin Bailey Out For Season After Shoulder Surgery

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The Vancouver Canucks lost some depth to their forwards when the team announced that Justin Bailey underwent successful shoulder surgery, but has no timetable for a return and will miss the rest of the season. The forward was originally injured on Feb. 11 after taking a hit from behind by Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic (no penalty on the play). Bailey has not played since.

While Bailey has appeared in just three games for the Canucks this season and five over the past two years, he was the perfect taxi squad candidate. The 25-year-old is a veteran of the AHL and has proven that he’s excelled at that level after potting 28 goals with the Utica Comets last season. That experience worked perfectly with the taxi squad player and likely would have gotten him more NHL games this season had he not been injured.

Bailey will be a restricted free agent this offseason as his one-year, $750K contract will expire at the end of the season.

Calgary Flames Sign Yan Kuznetsov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Calgary Flames have signed one of their top prospects from the 2020 draft, inking defenseman Yan Kuznetsov to a three-year, entry-level deal. The 19-year-old out of the University of Connecticut will join the Stockton Heat of the AHL.

Kuznetsov was the team’s second-round pick in this past year’s entry draft (50th overall) and already has two years of collegiate experience. The blueliner is best known for his size, standing at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, making him pro ready immediately and is known for his physical play on the boards as well as his long reach. He scored two goals and 11 points as a freshman with the Huskies and followed that up with a goal and six points in 16 games this season.

The defenseman will play in the AHL and since he’s 19 years old, he can play for the Heat for the remainder of the season without burning the first year of his entry-level contract. Kuznetsov will have to undergo a seven-day quarantine to join Stockton.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/30/21

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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

  • Late Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights made a number of roster moves, according to CapFriendly, which includes recalling forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dylan Coughlan, while also calling up goaltender Oskar Dansk on an emergency loan. Dansk was just filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury who got the day off. The team also called up forward Dylan Sikura, defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender Logan Thompson to the taxi squad.
  • Vegas also announced it has assigned center Cody Glass to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, which is somewhat surprising after the forward put up an impressive performance Monday against Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will play a game for Henderson, but something to keep an eye on as Vegas works the salary cap before the trade deadline.

North Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have reassigned three players to the taxi squad, including forwards Adam Brooks and Scott Sabourin as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. All three played in the Toronto Marlies victory over Stockton Monday with Brooks and Liljegren each picking up goals, while Sabourin picked up a five-minute major. The team also assigned forward Nicholas Robertson and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Marlies.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled three players from the taxi squad to the NHL club, including forwards Zac Dalpe and Liam Foudy as well as recalling goaltender Cam Johnson on emergency conditions. That likely means that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo may not be ready to step into backup duties. After clearing waivers, the team has also assigned defenseman Scott Harrington to the taxi squad.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Frans Nielson from the taxi squad, their standard roster moves before a game.
  • With a need of defensive help, the Florida Panthers announced the recall of veteran Anton Stralman to the NHL squad. The 34-year-old has three goals and nine points in 29 games this season.
  • Another day, another shuffle of forwards in Dallas. The team announced that Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and Tanner Kero have all been activated from the taxi squad, while Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad. All four have been transaction fixtures this season.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. After an undisclosed injury to Tristan Jarry, the team may need Lagace closer to home. To make room on the taxi squad, the team has send forward Jonathan Gruden to the WBS Penguins.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Liam O’Brien To One-Year Deal

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Liam O’Brien to a one-year deal. The 26-year-old was signed to an AHL deal during the offseason and has earned himself an NHL deal.

O’Brien signed with the Washington Capitals as an undrafted free agent back in 2014 and while he got a taste of NHL action in his first year with 13 games, he has spent most of his career in the AHL. The forward, in fact, had appeared in 370 AHL games with the Hershey Bears over six seasons. In those 370 games, O’Brien has 63 goals, but also accumulated 638 penalty minutes. In total, he has only appeared in 17 NHL games with Washington

During the offseason, O’Brien inked an AHL deal with the Colorado Eagles and has proved his value to the organization with four goals, eight points and 15 penalty minutes in 12 games and could provide the team with some much needed grit and depth as the Avalanche have been struggling with injuries this season.

Central Notes: Tortorella, Lehtonen, Barkov, McDonagh

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen wasn’t too happy about the two-game sweep the team endured over the weekend to the lowly Detroit Red Wings. In fact, the GM is quite frustrated with the team’s struggles.

“It’s shocking,” Kekalainen said. “Especially to think that we played some of our best hockey just before that (vs. Carolina). To go to Detroit and play like that, get beaten like that twice in a row, is not good.”

However, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that despite the fact that John Tortorella is in the final year of his contract and is likely moving on at the end of the year, the team doesn’t seem intent on removing their head coach.

“It doesn’t look like a team, that’s the way I would put,” Kekalainen said. “I’m sure (Tortorella) is as frustrated as anybody right now. I’ve said it before: It can’t all fall on one guy. Players should have enough professional pride to always try to be at their best, play for the team, play for the logo and play for the organization. Right now we’re not looking like a team like that.”

  • Sticking with the Blue Jackets, defenseman Mikko Lehtonen will make his Columbus debut, according to Portzline. The blueliner was acquired from Toronto for goalie prospect Veini Vehvilainen on March 12 and has now passed through quarantine. The highly-touted offensive defenseman was a big signing by Toronto during the offseason, but couldn’t work his way into the lineup there, appearing in just nine games with three assists.
  • Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that star center Aleksander Barkov should return to the team shortly, according to NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. While Barkov was not on the ice Tuesday, Quenneville said he expects him to return at some point during the team’s four-game homestand. Barkov has missed four straight games with a lower-body injury.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh was on the ice for practice Tuesday with the team. However, the blueliner, who has missed three straight games due to a lower-body injury, wasn’t a full participant, rotating in at different times during drills, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. That would suggest that while McDonagh is close to returning to the lineup, he is likely still a few days away from returning to game action

Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

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Although we’re less than three months into the season, the trade deadline is already just three weeks away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the New Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils are near the bottom of the East Division in seventh place, only holding a significant lead over the struggling Buffalo Sabres. The team has been undergoing a solid rebuild and this trade deadline will be no different with several players likely available to be had. Last year, the Devils made quite a few successful deals, picking up an extra two first-rounders to add more talent to their young prospect pool. Expect more of the same this year.

Record

13-16-4, .448, 7th in East Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$22.7MM in full-season space ($36.67MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: NJ 1st, NYI 2nd, NJ 3rd, ARZ 3rd, NJ 4th, BUF 5th, NJ 6th, ARZ 7th
2022: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, CLB 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th

Trade Chips

The biggest name on the trade list is veteran forward Kyle Palmieri, who will be an unrestricted free agent next season. While the team could consider inking Palmieri to a long-term extension, generally long-term deals for players 30 or older rarely work out and Palmieri just hit 30, suggesting that the team might be better off moving him. The winger has been a major piece to the team’s core over the last six years and Palmieri has been as consistent as you can get, scoring at least 24 goals every season — except this one. This year has seen Palmieri’s numbers slide as he has just seven goals and 16 points in 32 games. Some of that can be attributed to playing on a weak team. However there should be quite a few teams who might be willing to pay significantly to get their hands on Palmieri.

The Devils also have another forward who could be on his way out. The team traded for KHL star Nikita Gusev a year ago in hopes of adding an elite scorer to their team. The season didn’t work out, but Gusev had a solid rookie campaign, scoring 13 goals and 44 points. However, things are different one year later. With a new head coach, Gusev’s ice time has dropped more than a minute and the 28-year-old has just two goals and five points in 20 games. With one year remaining on his two-year deal, teams might be eager to bring in Gusev and hope he can spark their team’s offense. At $4.5MM, that might be a costly gamble, but New Jersey has plenty of cap room to retain half that salary.

The Devils also have a number of solid defensemen who could find themselves moved at the trade deadline. The team has Ryan Murray, Dmitry Kulikov and Sami Vatanen available and all three likely could be had for middle-round draft picks. All three will be unrestricted free agents next season. Kulikov ($1.15MM) and Vatanen ($2MM) are both reasonably priced with Murray making $4.6MM for the remainder of the year. However, all could help contending teams with depth — something everyone is looking for for the stretch run.

Others to Watch For: F Andreas Johnsson, D P.K. Subban, F Miles Wood

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – The team has coveted picks more than anything else over the last few years and would like to keep adding top-end picks. The Devils traded away their own second-rounder when it acquired Gusev from the Vegas Golden Knights and wouldn’t mind getting more draft capital. Regardless, with a young core in place and developing around Jack Hughes, the more young talent it can add over the next couple of years will only strengthen the team’s long-term success.

2) Young NHL-ready prospects — The team did pick up a few young players last season at the trade deadline, namely Janne Kuokkanen and Nolan Foote. Kuokkanen has been a pleasant surprise, while Foote has looked good in the AHL. The Devils wouldn’t mind picking up a few more of those types of players who might be able to work their way onto the roster or add depth in their minor league team. With plenty of their young talent ready to develop, bringing in prospects who are close to contributing might be a better than just draft picks.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/28/21

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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 official complete list for today:

Anaheim – Alexander Volkov
Boston – Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly, Brad Marchand
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Eric Staal*
NY Rangers – Brett Howden 
Vancouver – Travis Boyd

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: Brandon Tanev, Mark Jankowski

The Montreal Canadiens added a third player to the list as Staal joins Kotkaniemi and Armia. However, Staal is on the list as he has now begun his seven-day quarantine after arriving in Montreal Saturday. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that if testing tomorrow remains status quo, Montreal should be able to practice late on Monday.

*denotes new addition

Penguins Notes: Trade Wishes, Zucker, Injuries, Crosby

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are faring quite well so far in a competitive East Division with Pittsburgh currently two points back of first place. The Penguins are enjoying a solid season and new President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall are expected to bolster their roster as the trade deadline nears.

Interesting enough, NBC Sports Adam Gretz reports that the two new executives are both well known for their appreciation of size on their teams and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Penguins were seeking help in that direction as the trade deadline approaches. While the team doesn’t have the firepower to trade for any big names on the market, the scribe believes that a realistic target may be Detroit’s Anthony Mantha.

The 26-year-old Mantha could be a good find as the winger has struggled in the last couple of seasons with injuries being the main culprit. This year, Mantha has just nine goals and 16 points in 34 games and might prove to be a good trade chip if general manager Steve Yzerman chooses. However, for the Penguins to add Mantha, they would have to unload a significant amount with few assets but a handful of prospects and almost no picks as the Penguins have already traded away their  first, third, fourth and sixth-round picks for 2021.

  • Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan reports that winger Jason Zucker practiced fully Sunday and is close to returning to the Pittsburgh lineup at some point this week, according to Wes Crosby of NHL.com. Zucker skated in a non-contact sweater Saturday, so Sunday was a step up. The 29-year-old has four goals and seven points in 17 games, but will have to be activated from long-term injured reserve before he can play.
  • Crosby also notes that forwards Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev were on the ice Sunday with skills and development coach Ty Hennes. Tanev reportedly cleared the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Sunday, but didn’t practice with the team as he is still rehabbing from an upper-body injury. He remains day-to-day, but is also close. Blueger was placed on injured reserve on March 18 with an upper-body injury and was listed as week-to-week.
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) suggests Sidney Crosby, while a longshot, as a potential candidate for the Hart Trophy. The scribe writes that despite a number of significant candidates for the award like Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews, Crosby could be an outside candidate. The 33-year-old center has 14 goals and 39 points in 34 games and has been a key leader for an impressive Penguins team that has been without Evgeni Malkin for much of the season.

NHL Reschedules Multiple Games; Regular Season To Extend To May 11

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The NHL announced the following updates to the schedule. rescheduling 19 games that will push the NHL regular season back to May 11. The NHL playoffs were originally supposed to start on May 11, but considering the type of season that many were expecting, a few days delay isn’t a big deal.

NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that the NHL intends to start the playoffs as soon as possible, potentially on May 12 with teams playing on the 10th and 11th starting a few days later.

  • Game #498, Edmonton at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 22, is now scheduled for March 30 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #714, Washington at Boston, originally scheduled for April 20, is now scheduled for April 11 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #686, Calgary at Montreal, originally scheduled for April 16 at 7 p.m. ET, will now start at 6 p.m. ET
  • Game #546, Ottawa at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 28, is now scheduled for April 17 at 4 p.m. ET
  • Game #483, Boston at Buffalo, originally scheduled for March 20, is now scheduled for April 20 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #726, Toronto at Winnipeg, originally scheduled for April 21 at 8 p.m. ET, will now start at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #721, Montreal at Edmonton, originally scheduled for April 20, is now scheduled for April 21 10 p.m. ET
  • Game #736, Montreal at Calgary, originally scheduled for April 22, is now scheduled for April 23 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #761, Montreal at Calgary, originally scheduled for April 26 at 10 p.m. ET, will now start at 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Game #760, Edmonton at Winnipeg, originally scheduled for April 26 at 8 p.m. ET, will now start at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #564, Montreal at Ottawa, originally scheduled for March 30, is now scheduled for May 5 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #847, Montreal at Toronto, originally scheduled for May 7, is now scheduled for May 6 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #510, Edmonton at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 24, is now scheduled for May 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET
  • Game #841, Tampa Bay at Florida, originally scheduled for May 6, is now scheduled for May 10 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #529: NY Islanders at Boston, originally scheduled for March 23, is now scheduled for May 10 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #833, Toronto at Ottawa, originally scheduled for May 5, is now scheduled for May 10 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game #456, St. Louis at Los Angeles, originally scheduled for March 15, is now scheduled for May 10 at 10 p.m. ET
  • Game #526, Edmonton at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 26, is now scheduled for May 11 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #653, Boston at Washington, originally scheduled for April 11, is now scheduled for May 11 at 7 p.m. ET

The scheduling changes will affect a number of teams that have lost games due to COVID-19 protocols as well as teams that were originally expected to play those teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Alex Steeves To Entry-Level Deal

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed undrafted college free agent Alex Steeves to a three-year entry-level deal that starts next season. The 21-year-old forward prospect out of Notre Dame was considered one of the most highly sought after free agents.

Here is the contract breakdown (via PuckPedia):

2021-22: $750K Salary, $75K Signing Bonus, $80K minors
2022-23: $750K/$75K/$80K
2023-24: $775K/$77.5K/$80K

Steeves’ season came to an abrupt end after COVID-19 protocols ended Notre Dame’s season early three days ago. Despite going undrafted, Steeves has been quite successful for the Fighting Irish, scoring 26 goals and 60 points over his sophomore and junior seasons. He tallied 15 goals and 17 assists this past year in 29 games and was ready to go pro. The New Hampshire native has being heavily recruited, but a chance to play for the Toronto organization might have been too much for him.

While Steeves’ contract is expected to start for the 2021-22 season, there is no early word yet on whether he might sign an amateur tryout with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, but that is certainly a possibility.

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