Which rookie goalies seem to really be shining lately? I know it's only been around seven games, but there have been some good ones. -- @xavierk414
It's a small sample size, but rookie goalies including Kaapo Kahkonen of the Minnesota Wild and Vitek Vanecek of the Washington Capitals have thrived after been pushed into larger roles than anticipated. Kahkonen is 2-2-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in four games (three starts). Vanecek is 3-0-2 with a 2.70 GAA and .918 save percentage in five games (all starts).
Kahkonen would've been the Wild's third goalie entering training camp if backup Alex Stalock hadn't sustained an upper-body injury in the offseason. The 24-year-old was suddenly Minnesota's starter after Cam Talbot sustained a lower-body injury in the first period against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 22.
Vanecek was similarly slated to be Washington's No. 3 goalie before Henrik Lundqvist's announcement Dec. 17 that he's unable to play because of a heart condition. The 25-year-old became the starter with Ilya Samsonov in quarantine since Jan. 20 in accordance with NHL COVID-19 protocols.
Another example is Kevin Lankinen, the 25-year-old rookie battling Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia for playing time with the Chicago Blackhawks. Lankinen stopped 55 of 58 shots in getting his first two NHL wins against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 22 (4-1) and Jan. 24 (6-2).
With the League-mandated quarantines following trades and work visa issues, do you see a potential unofficial trade deadline happening prior to the actual deadline? -- @Rob_Oswald
The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline on April 12 is four weeks before the regular season is scheduled to end May 10. So it would be understandable if teams attempt to complete trades early so the acquired players can play more games during the push to qualify for the playoffs or have more time to get comfortable before the postseason.
A player requiring a new work visa after being traded from a Canada-based team to one in the United States, or vice versa, can sometimes be part of the process, depending on his nationality, during a normal season. But with the necessary COVID-19 protocols in place for this season, it will be interesting to see if teams try to expedite trades because of the possibility that a player will need to quarantine after changing teams.
For example, Canada's quarantine rules require
Pierre-Luc Dubois
to isolate for 14 days after the Jets acquired the center in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for right wing Patrik Laine and center Jack Roslovic on Saturday. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the Jets requested the period be reduced to seven days, but if the request isn't granted, this could impact how the seven Canada-based teams approach the trade deadline.
If a team wants a player to help it qualify for the playoffs, waiting 14 days after the trade before the player is available to practice or play, might be a deterrent. Even a seven-day quarantine period might push GMs to be more proactive.
But the teams who will be sellers might not be as eager to pull the trigger early, particularly if they're unsure they want to give up on qualifying for the playoffs. So that will be a fascinating dynamic to follow.
