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Kevin Connauton, Riley Nash Placed On Waivers

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Winnipeg Jets have placed Riley Nash on waivers today, but he won’t be there alone. The Florida Panthers have put Kevin Connauton on waivers as well, after announcing that Gustav Forsling will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip.

Nash, 32, hasn’t played in over two weeks and has zero points in 15 games so far this season. A player that was once a perfect bottom-six center, capable of checking the opponent’s best and chipping in some offense, Nash now looks like he’s on his way out of the league. He’s averaged fewer than nine minutes of ice time when he has been in the Winnipeg lineup, so at this point it makes more sense to give a younger player an opportunity. That, and the Jets are facing a potential suspension for Neal Pionk, meaning they could require some additional defensive depth in the coming days.

Still, he costs only $750K and is a pending free agent, so there certainly wouldn’t be much risk if a team thought Nash could still hold his own at the NHL level. He does have more than 600 games of NHL experience, certainly enough to make him at least a bit intriguing to other teams.

Connauton meanwhile has suited up in 13 games for the Panthers this season after inking a one-year, two-way deal in the offseason. Simply defensive depth at this point in his career, the 31-year-old hasn’t been an NHL regular since the 2018-19 season. In the years since he’s played just 28 games at the highest level, recording just two points in that time.

He too could be claimed if a team is desperate for some defensive help, but more likely he’ll clear as he did last season.

Ottawa Places Pontus Aberg On Unconditional Waivers

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Dec 6: Aberg has cleared waivers and the Senators have announced his contract will be terminated. He becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Dec 5: Pontus Aberg’s North American comeback will be short-lived. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the veteran forward has been placed on unconditional waivers today for the purpose of contract termination. Aberg will return to Europe once clear of the Senators, likely heading back to the KHL where he played last season.

Aberg, 28, returned to North America this season by signing a one-year deal with Ottawa. He had last played in the NHL in 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and even earned a qualifying offer from the team, but opted to head to the KHL in search of greater opportunity. Aberg had only played in five NHL games with Toronto and had only 132 career games over six pro seasons. Though a second-round pick in 2012 and always an impressive performer in the AHL, Aberg had rarely been given a fair shake with five different clubs and likely felt that he could burn his final year as a restricted free agent and better showcase his ability and boost his market value in Russia. He did just that, recording 23 points in 49 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk and attracting an offer from the Senators.

However, it was right back to the same old thing for Aberg this season. The veteran forward failed to crack the Ottawa roster out of training camp, despite the rebuilding club’s apparent lack of depth, and had not been recalled by the Senators either. He has 11 points in 19 games with AHL Belleville, but it seemingly has not put him in line for an NHL opportunity. As frequently is the case, Aberg can very likely get a better contract in the KHL than his AHL salary, which is a palatable trade-off for an older player if NHL action (and pay) does not seem likely. Given his age and track record, this is likely the last of Aberg in North America.

Dmitry Zavgorodniy Assigned To KHL

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After assigning Yan Kuznetsov to the CHL a few days ago, the Calgary Flames have found some extra playing time for another one of their prospects. Dmitry Zavgorodniy has been assigned to HC Sochi in the KHL, which will hopefully give him a bit of a bigger opportunity.

Zavgorodniy, 21, was a seventh-round pick of the Flames in 2018 and signed his entry-level contract a year later. That deal, which slid forward one season, will expire after the 2022-23 campaign. He spent most of last season with the Stockton Heat, scoring four points in 29 games, but has been held scoreless in six appearances for the AHL squad this year.

The most recent of those appearances was weeks ago, as he fell out of the regular rotation even for the bottom six. He’ll now head overseas, but remain under contract with the Flames. A very strong junior player, Zavgorodniy had 29 goals and 67 points in 40 games for the Rimouski Oceanic in 2019-20.

AHL Shuffle: 12/06/21

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Six games are on the schedule this evening, including new coaches leading benches in Philadelphia and Vancouver. Mike Yeo will coach his first game as Flyers interim head coach this evening against the Colorado Avalanche, while Bruce Boudreau takes over the Canucks bench against the Los Angeles Kings. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling:

Atlantic Division

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled Olli Juolevi from the AHL, after the young defenseman went down on a conditioning loan earlier this month. Juolevi hasn’t played in the NHL yet this season.
  • Jack Ahcan and John Moore have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who are dealing with several non-COVID illnesses in their group. Moore, who has more than 500 games of NHL experience, has played just 31 games with the Bruins since the start of the 2019-20 season. Oskar Steen has been sent back down to Providence to make room.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have brought Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back up, following Malcolm Subban’s injury the other night. The team is hopeful that Subban’s injury isn’t significant and according to John Vogl of The Athletic, the team is using one of the two goaltender exemptions they’re allowed this season to bring Luukkonen up. That would allow them to carry 24 players on the roster for a short period of time (48 hours).

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Ben Harpur and Matt Luff from the AHL, giving them a pair of new bodies as they hit the road for a four-game trip. Harpur is coming off a conditioning loan, as he’s played just four games for the Predators this season.

Pacific Division

  • The Vancouver Canucks, now led by interim GM Stan Smyl, have recalled Travis Hamonic from the AHL. Hamonic hasn’t played since November 21 as he missed the team’s last road trip due to vaccination status and then curiously was not recalled for Saturday’s home game. The team has previously announced that by the next time they go on the road, Hamonic will be able to travel with the team.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Connor McDavid Avoids Suspension

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According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, the Department of Player Safety is not expected to issue any supplementary discipline to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for his hit on Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe last night. McDavid was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the play.

McDavid, who is not exactly known for his physical play, has actually received supplementary discipline in the past. In 2019 he was suspended two games for his elbow on Nick Leddy and last season he was fined for a similar hit on Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

This time he won’t miss any games, which is an important outcome for the Oilers after the team has dropped two straight. They were beaten 5-1 by the Kings last night and lost 4-3 to the last place Seattle Kraken last Friday. While they’re still firmly in a playoff position, the team couldn’t afford to lose McDavid for any length of time.

Goalie Notes: Lehner, Bishop, Rask

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Jacob Markstrom is a likely candidate for the starting goaltender position for Sweden at the upcoming Olympics, but another promising option was Robin Lehner. That isn’t the case anymore, as Lehner tweeted last night that he will not be attending the Olympics.

Lehner, who has been very open about his struggles with mental health over the years, notes that this is a decision that puts that health ahead of his desire to compete for his country in what he calls a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” The uncertainty around what would happen if an athlete tests positive for COVID-19 while in China is part of why he made the decision.

  • The Dallas Stars are expected to send Ben Bishop to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint this week, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. Bishop hasn’t played since the 2020 bubble playoffs, but is finally getting close to being healthy enough to play again. The 35-year-old netminder is still signed through 2022-23 and carries a $4.92MM cap hit. He’ll become the fourth NHL-level goaltender for the Stars once he’s cleared to return to action, joining Anton Khudobin (who has been on the trade block in recent weeks), Braden Holtby, and Jake Oettinger.
  • There was a pretty impressive emergency backup goaltender at Boston Bruins practice today, as Tuukka Rask joined his former teammates despite still not having an NHL contract. Rask is still working his way back from offseason surgery, and has previously expressed that he would only return to the NHL for the Bruins. For now, he remains unsigned, but that could change at some point in the near future if he shows he’s healthy enough to help the team.

Neal Pionk, Jason Spezza To Have Hearings With Department Of Player Safety

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After what Auston Matthews aptly called a “gong show” last night in the third period of the Toronto Maple Leafs-Winnipeg Jets game, several players are receiving supplementary discipline. Jason Spezza has been offered an in-person (via Zoom) hearing for kneeing Neal Pionk, opening him up to a suspension of more than five games. Spezza has accepted and will meet with the DoPS tomorrow. Pionk will also have a hearing (not an in-person one) for his knee on Rasmus Sandin, which started the festivities. Wayne Simmonds, who was involved in several altercations, has been fined $2,250 for his cross-check on Jansen Harkins.

Things kicked off with Pionk’s hit on Sandin, which went unpenalized by the on-ice officials. The Maple Leafs, incensed by the hit that took out their young defender–Sandin left the game immediately and did not return–had several responses, including Spezza’s targeted hit on Pionk while he was in a vulnerable position.

With the in-person hearing offered, Spezza could be facing a suspension of more than five games. That would open him up for an appeal process as well which would be presided over by a neutral arbitrator. Pionk meanwhile can only receive a maximum of five games, though that is unlikely given the precedent for dangerous kneeing incidents.

Simmonds escapes suspension, as his incidents were penalized by the on-ice officials and did not rise to the level of further supplementary discipline. His fine in this case is the maximum allowable under the CBA.

Garnet Hathaway, Marc Staal Enter COVID Protocol

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The Washington Capitals have lost a third player, as Garnet Hathaway finds himself in the league’s COVID protocol. The 30-year-old forward is expected to be unavailable for tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Hathaway joins Trevor van Riemsdyk and Nic Dowd in the protocol and on the sidelines as the team prepares for action. In Saturday’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hathaway played more than 16 minutes, something that is becoming routine lately as the Capitals deal with injuries and illnesses. With seven goals in 25 games, he’s also off to the best start of his career and could quickly eclipse the 11 goal total that stands as his career-high.

The team has not confirmed whether or not Hathaway has tested positive for coronavirus, but if he has and is experiencing any symptoms, he’ll be away from the club for a minimum of ten days. Hopefully, this outbreak stops there and the Capitals don’t lose any other players in the near future.

The Detroit Red Wings have also announced a player absence, indicating that Marc Staal has been added to the COVID protocol. Staal played nearly 19 minutes on Saturday against the New York Islanders and has actually been a relatively solid contributor for the Red Wings this season. His absence–which has not been confirmed as a positive test–would open the door for Danny DeKeyser’s return to the lineup after exiting the protocol in recent days.

Should Staal miss ten days after a positive test, he’d be out for the team’s next five games at least.

Philadelphia Flyers Fire Alain Vigneault

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The Vancouver Canucks aren’t the only ones making a coaching change. Alain Vigneault has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Vigneault is under contract through the 2023-24 season and is one of the highest-paid coaches in the league with a $5MM salary. Assistant coach Michel Therrien has also been relieved of his duties. Mike Yeo will take over as interim head coach for the time being.

Vigneault, 60, was hired by the Flyers in 2019 after a few years away from the game, and had the team playing incredibly well in his first season behind the bench. Philadelphia posted a 41-21-7 record through the first 69 games of the 2019-20 season before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the NHL. When the Flyers returned for the bubble playoffs things didn’t look quite as good, but they still reached game seven of the second round against the New York Islanders after dispatching the Montreal Canadiens. Since that 4-0 defeat against the Islanders, in which they generated just 16 shots despite having won both game five and game six in overtime to extend the series, the Flyers haven’t looked the same.

The team posted a 25-23-8 record in 2020-21, missing the playoffs entirely by finishing sixth in the East Division. The Flyers were the only team in the entire NHL to allow more than 200 goals against in the shortened season, routinely seeing big, crooked numbers put up against them. Combine that with the fact that they scored only 163 and even those 25 wins seem like an unlikely total.

This year, things haven’t been much better. Philadelphia has lost eight in a row, are 1-7-2 in their last ten and were just embarrassed on home ice last night. A 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Carter Hart getting pulled after five goals on 15 shots was the dagger, in this case, as Vigneault will not get another chance to break the streak and turn things around.

He will be paid handsomely though, as relieving a coach of their duties in the NHL does not break their contract. He’ll be paid by the Flyers for the next two and a half years unless another team buys out part of the contract in order to hire him for their own team. The obvious speculation would land on a return to the Montreal Canadiens, who not only have leaned toward French-speaking head coaches but also now have an extra connection to Vigneault through the executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, who worked with him (and fired him) in New York.

Yeo, who takes over as interim head coach, will be on his third stint leading a bench in the NHL. His first was with the Minnesota Wild under now-Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher, where he made the playoffs in three of five seasons. He then took over in St. Louis but was let go before two full years had even played out, with Craig Berube taking his place and leading the Blues to a Stanley Cup championship. Overall, his record as a head coach in the NHL sits at 246-181-55.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was first to break the news. 

Five Key Stories: 11/29/21 – 12/5/21

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The end of November brought forth some notable news around the NHL which is highlighted in our key stories of the week.

Five For Biting: Kings winger Brendan Lemieux was hit with a record-setting suspension, receiving a five-game ban for biting Senators winger Brady Tkachuk.  The previous high for a suspension for biting was three games.  The league’s ruling was limited to the initial occurrence although they acknowledged that there was circumstantial evidence that it may have occurred more than once.  Lemieux has sat the first two games of the suspension and won’t be eligible to return until Saturday against Minnesota.

Khudobin Available: With Dallas having a capable tandem between the pipes in veteran Braden Holtby and youngster Jake Oettinger plus Ben Bishop working his way back towards returning, Anton Khudobin appears to be the odd one out as he has reportedly been made available.  It was only two seasons ago that the 35-year-old led the league in save percentage at .930, albeit in only 30 games but since then, his performance has gone in the wrong direction.  Through his first seven appearances this season, Khudobin has a 3.73 GAA with a save percentage of just .873 which certainly won’t help his trade value.  He’s in the second season of a three-year deal with an AAV of $3.33MM which won’t be easy for many teams to take on without offsetting money the other way.  Of course, the Stars need to clear the full contract to get closer to being able to afford to activate Bishop so it may take a while for a trade to materialize.

Hughes Extension: On the ice, it hasn’t been a fun season for Devils center Jack Hughes.  A shoulder injury has limited him to just five games so far although he was able to return to the lineup on November 30th.  Of course, the bigger news for him and New Jersey on that day is that the 20-year-old signed an eight-year, $64MM contract extension.  The first overall pick in 2019 has just 56 career points in 122 games so there is definitely some risk on the part of the Devils.  However, if he progresses into the top-line center as they believe he will, it’s a contract that should be a team-friendly one by its conclusion.  The deal buys out his first four seasons of UFA eligibility and those years also carry a 10-team no-trade clause.

DeBrusk Wants Out: Off to another tough start with Boston, winger Jake DeBrusk is hoping a change of scenery could get him going and he has asked for a trade.  The 25-year-old scored 62 goals in his first three NHL seasons which earned him a two-year, $7.35MM deal that carries a $4.85MM qualifying offer this summer.  However, since then, he has scored nine times in 61 games which has resulted in him dropping down the depth chart, putting him in danger of being non-tendered in the process.  Despite his struggles, there has been considerable interest so the Bruins will have some options.  That said, his cap hit will make it tough to make a move happen without them retaining or taking a contract back.  The holiday roster freeze begins on December 20th so there is some time for GM Don Sweeney to try to get a move done before the holidays.

Changes In Vancouver: The Canucks have cleaned house, firing head coach Travis Green, assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner, general manager Jim Benning and assistant general manager John Weisbrod. Bruce Boudreau will take over behind the bench, while Stan Smyl will serve as interim GM. Boudreau has coached nearly 1,000 career NHL games with the most recent coming with Minnesota in the 2019-20 season and will be tasked with getting Vancouver back on track in a season where they have struggled considerably early on.  He will receive a two-year deal that matches the length of Green’s contract.  He departs the Canucks after parts of five seasons behind the bench with a 133-147-34 record and one playoff appearance. Benning meanwhile had been with the team since 2014 and had made the playoffs just twice in his eight years at the helm. Things have gone considerably downhill since the 2020 bubble, with the team finding themselves near the bottom of the league standings this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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