"I have a couple of health concerns and health reasons why I'm working through it a little slower," Blackwood said. "I wanted to check off a couple of boxes, and not rush to do it.
"I've not decided one way or the other whether I'm doing it," he added. "I'm taking a little bit of extra time."
The NHL revealed its COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming season earlier in September. Teams are permitted to suspend unvaccinated players if they can't participate in club activities - such as not being able to play in a city where restrictions are strict - with limited exceptions, including religious and medical reasons.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said on Monday the NHL will not be allowing unvaccinated players to play games in Canada "at this point in time." The Devils don't play in Canada until Dec. 3 against the Winnipeg Jets.
Daly recently estimated 98% of NHL players will be fully vaccinated before the season.
Last week, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said an unnamed player wasn't vaccinated, but the team was working to resolve the situation.
"The players and myself understand. It's something we are working our way through. It's something he is working his way through. Right now it's something we're dealing with that we hope gets rectified," Ruff said, according to The Athletic's Corey Masisak.
Blackwood, 24, posted a .902 save percentage and 3.04 goals-against average last year. Jonathan Bernier is set to join the crease after signing a two-year deal with New Jersey this offseason.
Jalen Smereck, who was the target of a racist gesture in the Ukrainian Hockey League over the weekend, says he won't take the ice again until the player who directed the taunt toward him is expelled.
Smereck shared his thoughts Tuesday on Instagram after receiving support from around the hockey world following the incident.
Deniskin, who plays for HK Kremenchuk, mimed the peeling and eating of a banana in Smereck's direction during a game Sunday.
The IIHF condemned the act the next day. The governing body of hockey pledged that the matter will be investigated and Deniskin will be sanctioned if necessary. UHL general manager Eugene Kolychev said he plans to monitor the probe, which the country's hockey federation will conduct.
Smereck, who is African American, is playing overseas after spending a handful of seasons in the AHL and ECHL.
After clearing Kane in a gambling investigation last week, the NHL continued to focus on him over separate allegations in two subsequent probes.
"Both allege potential wrongdoing by Mr. Kane, one involving serious accusations relating to his past behavior toward Ms. Kane and the other involving allegations of inappropriate behavior potentially jeopardizing the health and safety of club members," the league said at the time about the other inquiries.
While the NHL has established COVID-19 protocols, it hasn't created specific penalties for violations. The league fined the Washington Capitals $100,000 and suspended four of their players - including superstar Alex Ovechkin - four games each for not adhering to the rules earlier this year.
The NHL began zeroing in on Kane after his wife, Anna, accused him in July of gambling on and throwing his own games. Kane denied doing so before the league cleared him on that front, but he has admitted to having a gambling addiction. The 30-year-old filed for bankruptcy in January.
Kane is under contract with the Sharks through 2024-25. He led the team in scoring last season with 22 goals and 27 assists while playing all 56 contests.
Some of the NHL's most potent lines from last season were broken up in free agency, but many of the top forward units remain intact heading into 2021-22.
However, more than a few of the NHL's elite threesomes are still together and primed to overwhelm opponents yet again in the upcoming campaign.
Here are the league's most dangerous lines entering this season.
Statistics guide: GP = Games played together TOI = Total time on ice together GF% = Goals for percentage xGF% = Expected goals for percentage SCF% = Scoring chances for percentage All chart figures are 2021 regular-season numbers as a line at five-on-five unless otherwise indicated
8. Kaprizov-Eriksson Ek-Zuccarello
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
TOI
GF%
xGF%
SCF%
42
21:46
33.33
71.34
63.64
Combined cap hit: $20.25 million
The Minnesota Wild should ice one of the NHL's most versatile forward units in 2021-22, as long as Kirill Kaprizov sticks with Joel Eriksson Ek. Kaprizov, the recently re-signed reigning Calder Trophy winner, will surely build on his stellar rookie year alongside one of the game's most talented two-way players after the pair didn't often play together last season.
Kaprizov meshed well with Mats Zuccarello in nearly 500 minutes at five-on-five, and Eriksson Ek - who finished fourth in Selke Trophy voting - also posted excellent underlying numbers individually as he did with previous longtime linemates Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno in 2021. The center's new line should more than control play, and if Kevin Fiala gets bumped up to Zuccarello's place, it'll be even more efficient.
7. DeBrincat-Johnson-Kane
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Combined cap hit: $21.9 million
Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat didn't drive possession last season despite their individual exploits, but the Chicago Blackhawks' poor defense and goaltending were major reasons for that. The team should improve in both areas this season with Seth Jones and Jake McCabe solidifying the blue line and 2021 Vezina Trophy recipient Marc-Andre Fleury manning the crease.
If Kane is his usual high-flying self and DeBrincat comes close to duplicating his third-place finish in the goal-scoring race last season, it might not matter who skates between them.
For now, the newly acquired Tyler Johnson is that center. The 31-year-old brings positive underlying numbers and a championship pedigree to Chicago. The club may eventually give Kirby Dach or Jonathan Toews the role, but even with Johnson as its No. 1 pivot, this line should be among the NHL's most effective.
6. Ritchie-Matthews-Marner
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
Combined cap hit: $25.04 million
This is the most expensive line on this list, but it warrants inclusion because it includes arguably the NHL's best shooter and one of the league's top passers. Auston Matthews has a strong case as the former after outpacing all NHL skaters with 41 goals over 52 games last season, while Mitch Marner ranked fourth in the NHL in assists and points.
Offseason signing Nick Ritchie will get the first crack at top-line duties for the Maple Leafs. His size and net-front abilities should be a good fit on the otherwise skilled unit. Matthews and Marner authored goals for, expected goals for, and scoring chances for percentages above 60 at five-on-five as a duo in 2021. As long as Matthews returns to full health as expected, that should continue.
5. Hyman-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Combined cap hit: $19.18 million
Connor McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi outperformed teammates Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto in terms of underlying numbers last season. While Hyman could join the latter duo with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins skating on the top unit, it's more conceivable that the Oilers will put their big offseason signing on the top line.
Hyman's tenacity and puck retrieval skills could help McDavid improve on his remarkable Hart Trophy campaign, especially given the chemistry the reigning MVP already displayed with Puljujarvi. That pair produced favorable analytic figures while playing more than 550 minutes together at five-on-five last season. So it should have no problem exceeding, or at the very least replicating, those numbers with Hyman in the fold.
4. Pacioretty-Stephenson-Stone
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
TOI
GF%
xGF%
SCF%
42
442:10
69.09
56.78
55.96
Combined cap hit: $19.25 million
Much has been made about the Vegas Golden Knights' deficiency at center, but they still managed to boast one of the league's very best lines in spite of that. Of course, having talented wingers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone certainly helps make up for Chandler Stephenson being less than elite, but he drove possession in his own right last season, too. Nolan Patrick's arrival could inspire some line-juggling, but look for the team to keep its top line together to start the campaign.
As a whole, the trio produced a better goals for percentage than any other line on this list that played together in 2021, but its expected goals for rate - while still favorable - was more comparable to the others featured here. While this group may have benefited from some puck luck, it still produced at rates that made it one of the league's best lines.
3. Palat-Point-Kucherov
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
TOI
GF%
xGF%
SCF%
23
264:49
60.87
54.58
52.33
Stats above are from 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Combined cap hit: $21.55 million
Nikita Kucherov missed the entire 2021 regular season. But considering what he and his linemates accomplished upon his return this spring, as well as how well they've clicked in the past, there's no denying the immense impact Kucherov can have alongside Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat.
Kucherov led the NHL in playoff assists and points in 2021, while Point topped all skaters in postseason goals as the Lightning claimed their second straight title. These three Bolts also excelled together in 2019-20, when they posted a 66.67 goals for percentage, 61.09 expected goals percentage, and 61.73 scoring chances for percentage in just over 369 minutes at five-on-five across 63 games.
2. Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
TOI
GF%
xGF%
SCF%
45
431:52
66
64.03
64.27
Combined cap hit: $19.67 million
The Boston Bruins' vaunted top unit of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak remained formidable in 2021, and no one should expect anything less in the upcoming campaign. It didn't log as much ice time at five-on-five as the No. 1 group on this list despite spending a few more games together last season, but this perennial powerhouse continued to cause major damage.
It's remarkable that these three continue to be so effective at driving play and taking care of both ends of the ice, especially considering Bergeron is 36 and Marchand is 33. Bergeron is a pending unrestricted free agent, and Pastrnak is only on the books through 2022-23, but for the time being, this ever-dangerous line still ranks among the NHL's absolute best.
MacKinnon is clearly the catalyst of this explosive unit, but Rantanen has blossomed into a superstar in his own right. The Finnish winger notched 30 goals and 36 assists last year, or 47 markers and 57 helpers over an 82-game pace. Landeskog, the Avalanche captain, provides physicality in addition to scoring as a perfect complement to his more offensively gifted linemates.
The best part for Colorado is all three players are still in their primes or just entering that stage. MacKinnon just turned 26 (though he'll need a new contract after 2022-23), Rantanen will be 25 in late October, and Landeskog - who signed an eight-year deal to stick around in July - will turn 29 in November. As long as MacKinnon ultimately re-signs, the trio's ages all but guarantee the ultra-productive forward group will remain among the league's most feared for years to come.
The incident occurred in the second period of Sunday's exhibition clash between the two clubs. Greig played the puck in the defensive zone and caught an oncoming Dubois up high with an errant stick.
Greig catches Dubois up high.
Ehlers had a scare earlier and now Dubois goes off in pain. I was surprised that Winnipeg played so many of their key players tonight. pic.twitter.com/V24Pi5SHHO
Greig was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play.
The Senators drafted Greig 28th overall in 2020. The 19-year-old is a candidate to make the team out of training camp, but his NHL debut - whenever it may be - will be delayed at least one game.
In contrast to a new NBA policy, the NHL will not allow unvaccinated players to enter Canada to play in games.
Sportsnet's Michael Grange shared the NBA's edict Monday and indicated the NHL would use the same exemption, which was already granted to MLB's Toronto Blue Jays.
Opposing NBA players who are unvaccinated will able to enter Canada/play in Toronto vs. Raptors under a ‘National Interest Exemption’ (covers MLB and NHL too) but will require testing upon entry, league-mandated testing while here and be restricted to hotel and arena.
Daly recently said he expects 98% of NHL players to be fully vaccinated by the start of 2021-22, which would leave 10-15 players across the league failing to meet the standard.
The NHL finalized its COVID-19 protocols in early September. They include a mechanism for suspending unvaccinated players with certain exceptions, including religious and medical reasons.
Several players, including Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and Columbus Blue Jackets enforcer Zac Rinaldo, are not fully vaccinated. The Blue Jackets declined to invite Rinaldo to training camp as a result.
A pair of assistant coaches - Rocky Thompson with the San Jose Sharks and Sylvain Lefebvre with the Blue Jackets - were removed from their respective staffs for not adhering to the protocols.
Last week, we broke down how you can use a sportsbook's regular-season win-total markets as a starting point for creating your own team ratings. If you're not quite ready for the pop quiz, don't worry. We're still a ways away from formulating our own ratings, but at least we know how sportsbooks value those teams. If you disagree, good news: You can bet on it!
Before you bet on regular-season games, though, we need to factor in the missing piece of how moneylines are made - home-ice advantage.
Applying standard home-ice advantage to moneylines
Since last year was such a mess, with teams allowing different numbers of spectators, I'm not using the 2021 season to calculate home-ice advantage. Instead, I'm using the two seasons pre-pandemic, during which home teams were 1,260-1,094. That means that, on average, home teams are 3.5% more likely to win, and teams on the road are 3.5% less likely to win.
The Chicago Blackhawks' and Calgary Flames' point totals are currently lined within a point of each other in the middle of the league. They're nearly equally average, so they're a good matchup to use as an example.
The Flames' win probability is 50.5%, so the fair price for Blackhawks versus Flames on neutral ice is: CGY -102/CHI +102
Multiply the 3.5% advantage for home ice with the Flames' 50.5% win probability and we get 54%. So the fair price with the Blackhawks in Calgary would be CHI +139/CGY -139.
When the scene shifts to Chicago, and we add 3.5% to the Hawks' 49.5% neutral win probability to get to 53%, a fair price becomes: CGY +132/CHI -132.
As we discussed last week, sportsbooks then add their hold to the line, creating a straddle that would look like something like this:
Matchup
Road
Home
Blackhawks @ Flames
CHI +130
CGY -150
Flames @ Blackhawks
CGY +120
CHI -140
It means different things for different teams
But wait, there's more! Not every team has the same home-ice advantage.
Here are five notable teams when it comes to their home-ice advantage and their records on the moneyline:
Team
Home (2018-20)
Road (2018-20)
Win% Diff.
Colorado Avalanche
38-35
41-37
+0.1%
Toronto Maple Leafs
41-34
41-36
+1.5%
Boston Bruins
51-25
42-34
+11.8%
Chicago Blackhawks
35-40
33-44
+3.8%
Ottawa Senators
36-42
18-57
+22.2%
The Avs are rated highest in the league, but what makes them such heavy favorites when they play at home has little to do with them playing better in Denver. They play really well everywhere, so there shouldn't be much change to their valuation based on where the game is.
The Maple Leafs won't appear much on the list of my best bets this year, and they never have - they're routinely overvalued in the market. However, they are very similar to Colorado in their home/road symmetry. So why would we give them any extra value when they're playing in Toronto in their typical Saturday night slot?
On the flip side, people think the Bruins are a lock to win any time they play at home ... and they're kind of right. Boston is a different team at home, proving you can't just blindly assign the same home-ice value for every team. While it'd be excessive to assume the Bruins will continue to have an 11.8% advantage at TD Garden, they should get a much bigger bump than the standard 3.5% swing.
We used the Blackhawks in the first instalment of this series because they represent the average NHL team according to the point total markets. They also have an almost exactly league-average home-ice advantage in the two seasons pre-pandemic.
Finally, while we used the Coyotes as an example of a bad team in our last class, I'll use the markets' fourth-worst team here. The Senators are a pet project for me this season, as their finish to the 2021 season provides some hope. For the purposes of this article, however, the fact they're 22.2% more likely to win at home than on the road as a below-average team offers an important reminder: A team can be bad and still have a big home-ice advantage relative to its neutral-ice state.
Next Monday, we put it all together, taking what we know about making moneylines and home-ice advantage and applying it to our own ratings to find some value this season.
Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
The IIHF decried a racist gesture made by a white player toward a Black one in the Ukrainian Hockey League over the weekend.
On Sunday, HK Kremenchuk forward Andri Denyskin mimed peeling and eating a banana in the direction of HC Donbass defenseman Jalen Smereck.
"The IIHF condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of Andri Denyskin," the international governing body of hockey said Monday in a statement. "There is no place for such a blatantly racist and unsportsmanlike gesture in our sport and in society."
"This a direct assault on the ideals and values of our game, and we will ensure that all necessary ethics violation investigations occur to ensure that this behaviour is sanctioned appropriately," the IIHF added.
UHL general manager Eugene Kolychev committed to monitoring the probe, which the Ukrainian hockey federation will oversee.
Being General Manager of @uhlua I declare that there is no place for #racism in Ukrainian professional hockey#UHL will follow closely the investigation of Disciplinary Committee in Federation of Hockey in Ukraine into the case of racist abuse aimed at @jalen_smereck#stopracismpic.twitter.com/Ragx38GyTx
