"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.
Unrestricted free-agent defenseman Sami Vatanen is taking his talents to Switzerland.
The Geneve-Servette Hockey Club of the National League announced it has signed the 30-year-old until the end of the 2021-22 season.
Vatanen most recently suited up for the Dallas Stars after the team picked him up off waivers in April. He didn't register a point over nine contests while averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time per game.
Prior to that brief stint, the blue-liner spent four seasons with the New Jersey Devils beginning in 2017-18. Vatanen also enjoyed a postseason run with the Carolina Hurricanes after being traded in 2020, notching three points over seven games. He then re-signed with the Devils on a one-year deal.
Vatanen has recorded 200 points over 473 career NHL games since becoming the Anaheim Ducks' fourth-round pick in 2009.
Luc Tardif has been elected as the new IIHF president, the federation announced Saturday.
The French hockey official is succeeding longtime president Rene Fasel, who held the position for 27 years and didn't stand for re-election. Tardif beat out Franz Reindl by 67 votes to 39 in the fourth round.
Tardif has been president of the French Ice Hockey Federation since 2006.
"Believe me, I will do everything to be at the level of your expectation. I'm committed to open up our beautiful sport, to promote it, to defend it, to prepare it for the future but above all to respect it with dignity," Tardif said.
Prior to his election, Tardif underlined the importance of helping international hockey bounce back from losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The change comes just five months before the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. It was announced earlier this month that, after missing the 2018 Games, NHL players will return to the biggest international stage.
Fasel, a dentist and former amateur player, helped bring NHL players to the Olympics for the first time in 1998.
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shuffling of the NHL landscape in 2020-21, the league is back on track this season. Farewell to all the think pieces about whether the all-Canadian North Division was good or not. Goodbye to the intense fight for first place in the West Division.
It's time to welcome back the good old Pacific, Atlantic, Metropolitan, and Central divisions. Here's how the NHL's realigned realigned divisions stack up, from weakest to strongest.
4. Pacific
Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / Getty
Team
2020-21 Record
Goal Diff.
Playoffs
Golden Knights
40-14-2
+67
Lost in semifinals
Oilers
35-19-2
+29
Lost in 1st round
Flames
26-27-3
-5
Did not qualify
Canucks
23-29-4
-37
Did not qualify
Kings
21-28-7
-27
Did not qualify
Sharks
21-28-7
-48
Did not qualify
Ducks
17-30-9
-53
Did not qualify
Kraken
N/A
N/A
N/A
Congratulations to the Golden Knights on making the playoffs for the fifth straight season in 2021-22.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, but the Golden Knights won't even have to compete with the Avalanche for the division's top spot like they did last year. Between the Sharks, Ducks, Kings, and Canucks, the Pacific is home to four teams that were among the league's bottom 10 in goal differential last season.
The Oilers will likely be Vegas' biggest competition since they employ Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the league's highest-scoring duo in 2020-21. The picture gets hazier for Edmonton on the back end - the team didn't get any help for 39-year-old goaltender Mike Smith and its defense took a hit with the losses of Ethan Bear and Adam Larsson.
Beyond the Golden Knights and Oilers, the Pacific is open. Hockey in California is in a rebuilding phase, but the Kings are in a position to surprise thanks to their additions of Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson.
The Canucks and Flames will be looking for redemption after missing the playoffs. Vancouver will want a clean slate after a season riddled with COVID-19 issues, while Calgary will need to cope without Mark Giordano's leadership.
Meanwhile, the Kraken probably won't stun the league like the Knights did in their inaugural season, but they're still an unknown quantity.
3. Central
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
Team
2020-21 Record
Goal Diff.
Playoffs
Avalanche
39-13-4
+64
Lost in 2nd round
Wild
35-16-5
+21
Lost in 1st round
Predators
31-23-2
+2
Lost in 1st round
Jets
30-23-3
+16
Lost in 2nd round
Blues
27-20-9
-1
Lost in 1st round
Stars
23-19-14
+4
Did not qualify
Coyotes
24-26-6
-23
Did not qualify
Blackhawks
24-25-7
-25
Did not qualify
Beyond the Avalanche at the very top, the Central is looking a little crowded - five of these teams made the playoffs in 2020-21, and two of the squads that didn't qualify were the Stars, who are getting Tyler Seguin back, and the Blackhawks, who have improved exponentially after adding Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury.
Like Chicago, the Jets filled some pretty big holes this summer after shoring up their blue line with Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt and look poised to challenge for a playoff spot.
Additionally, the Wild are certainly a better team with Kirill Kaprizov, and their future outlook is stronger with him in the mix on a five-year deal.
However, the Central falls short when considering that some teams either got worse in the offseason or have too many question marks for anyone to really figure out what these clubs actually are.
After stumbling into the playoffs, the Predators started their rebuild and parted ways with several franchise mainstays like Arvidsson, Ryan Ellis, and Pekka Rinne.
The Coyotes, the newest members of the Central Division, are where other teams' unwanted contracts went to die this offseason. Hopefully, they can find a new arena.
2. Metropolitan
Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / Getty
Team
2020-21 Record
Goal Diff.
Playoffs
Hurricanes
36-12-8
+43
Lost in 2nd round
Penguins
37-16-3
+40
Lost in 1st round
Capitals
36-15-5
+28
Lost in 1st round
Islanders
32-17-7
+28
Lost in semifinals
Rangers
27-23-6
+20
Did not qualify
Flyers
25-23-8
-38
Did not qualify
Blue Jackets
18-26-12
-50
Did not qualify
Devils
19-30-7
-49
Did not qualify
Death, taxes, and the Penguins and Capitals being playoff threats in the Metropolitan Division. They've recently been joined by the Islanders, who've been the postseason bridesmaid but never the bride, running into a brick wall known as the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round two years in a row.
The Hurricanes are perhaps the most interesting case in the Metro. They finished first in their division last season but followed it up with a less-than-desirable offseason during which they lost defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Calder Trophy nominee Alex Nedeljkovic. How they respond to that will be the key to their season.
Couple that with the fact that Washington's core is aging and Pittsburgh will start the season without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (all while banking on goaltender Tristan Jarry rebounding from a downright horrific postseason) and there just might be some wiggle room in the Metropolitan.
The Rangers enter the season with higher expectations, the reigning Norris winner in Adam Fox, and a grittier lineup. The Flyers revamped their defense after a frightful 2020-21 campaign and will hope for a better performance from goalie Carter Hart. Even the Devils are going to be harder to play against after scooping up Hamilton in free agency.
If the Blue Jackets are going to join the party, defenseman Zach Werenski will have to handle some serious pressure as the new No. 1 blue-liner, while Patrik Laine will have to put up or shut up.
1. Atlantic
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
Team
2020-21 Record
Goal Diff.
Playoffs
Panthers
37-14-5
+36
Lost in 1st round
Lightning
36-17-3
+34
Won Stanley Cup
Maple Leafs
35-14-7
+39
Lost in 1st round
Bruins
33-16-7
+32
Lost in 2nd round
Canadiens
24-21-11
-9
Lost in final
Senators
23-28-5
-33
Did not qualify
Red Wings
19-27-10
-44
Did not qualify
Sabres
15-34-7
-61
Did not qualify
It's impossible to not put the division that has both 2021 Stanley Cup finalists in the No. 1 spot. With a strong supporting cast that includes the Maple Leafs, Bruins, and Panthers, the Atlantic Division is gearing up to be a slugfest. Four of these squads were among the league's top 10 in the standings last season.
Though the Lightning lost the heart of their offensive depth this offseason, they didn't lose any of their star power and look like major contenders again.
It's hard to gauge what the Canadiens will be without Shea Weber, but hoping to fill his skates is Stanley Cup champ David Savard, and the team boasts more offensive toys like Mike Hoffman.
The contending Leafs and Bruins have some roster questions to answer - both will have to adapt after losing key forwards in Zach Hyman and David Krejci, respectively. There's uncertainty surrounding Tuukka Rask's status, but Boston has filled his absence with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. The Panthers are dealing with goaltending issues of their own after Chris Driedger went to Seattle.
Following the juggernauts at the top, the bottom of the Atlantic tells a different story. The headache-inducing Senators will want to build on their strong finish to the 2020-21 season, while the Red Wings are one year closer to being scary. Detroit will likely get some better goaltending with Nedeljkovic in the crease.
At least there's another high draft pick in the Sabres' future.
The pact will pay Niku $750,000 in the NHL and $425,000 at the AHL level with a guaranteed salary of $475,000.
Niku will wear the number vacated by former Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who joined the Carolina Hurricanes in early September after signing an offer sheet with the club in late August.
The decision to end the 24-year-old's time with Winnipeg was reportedly mutual. Niku was named the AHL's defenseman of the year in 2017-18, but he ultimately failed to make an impact with the Jets. He suited up for 54 NHL games over the course of four seasons and registered two goals and eight assists over that span.
The Jets selected him in the seventh round of the 2015 draft.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes took a moment to acknowledge his late brother Jimmy while speaking to the media for the first time at camp Friday. One thing is for certain: Jimmy will be on Kevin's mind all season long.
"It's gonna be weird stepping on the ice for the first time knowing that my brother's not there. I'm sure a lot of people say this, but he honestly was my biggest supporter," Kevin said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi.
He added, "It's something that I'll miss, and it's something that I think will really push me this year when I'm having bad days or bad games, or not playing up to how the fans want me to here. I'll probably just think of my brother and he'll, hopefully, push me through."
Jimmy died in August at the age of 31. Kevin paid tribute to him the day after his death, calling Jimmy his "best friend."
Kevin admitted Friday that he doesn't think his life will ever be the same without Jimmy, who seemed to have a knack for standing up for his younger brother.
"If I had a bad game, (Jimmy said) it was (Alain Vigneault's) fault, not mine. If I wasn't playing a lot of minutes, he wanted to talk to AV, he wanted to talk to Chuck (Fletcher)," Kevin joked.
Above all, Kevin said he was "totally taken aback" from the support he's continuously received from the hockey community.
"It is really nice being in Philly with these guys and being around the team," he said.
"It feels really good to be back," he told reporters as the Blackhawks opened their training camp on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Scott Powers. "It's a brand new group in so many ways. It's a fresh start for the other guys, but for me especially."
The 33-year-old dealt with chronic immune response syndrome last season. The veteran was ruled out indefinitely in December 2020, saying at the time he was feeling "drained and lethargic."
Though Toews said he would love to play in the Blackhawks’ season opener, the center doesn't want to get ahead of himself since he's not yet "firing on all cylinders."
"I'm just taking it one day at a time, that's all I can really handle right now," he said. "I kind of got into the whole 'goals vs. expectations' thing and I had to think about that for a minute, but that’s my goal. I think I just have to keep being patient."
Toews has spent his entire career in Chicago. He's notched 815 points over 943 contests.
New York Islanders prospect Bode Wilde confirmed he is not at the team's training camp because he has chosen not to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
"Hoping my human rights are enough to let me play ... what a world," the 21-year-old defenseman wrote in a comment on Instagram, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said earlier this week that there was one minor-league player who wouldn't get vaccinated and the team planned for that person to play elsewhere this season.
"We will not allow any player in our organization (to) participate unless they are vaccinated," Lamoriello said, according to the New York Post's Mollie Walker.
The Islanders selected Wilde in the second round of the 2018 draft. He spent the 2020-21 season with the team's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, and registered six points in 22 games.
Minnesota star Kirill Kaprizov seems just as relieved to put his contract negotiations behind him as Wild fans are.
"Obviously, it was stressful," Kaprizov said through a translator, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo. "The whole process was hard. Coming out of last season, I thought things would get done a little bit quicker. But these things take time. I completely understand.
"I'm really happy that I'm here now and I can just focus on hockey. Obviously extremely happy to be a part of the Minnesota Wild."
Kaprizov put pen to paper on a five-year, $45-million deal Tuesday following a summer full of obstacles, including a threat that the 24-year-old would sign with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.
When asked about the validity of that threat during his press conference with general manager Bill Guerin, the 2021 Calder Trophy winner said there was "no chance" he would have played in Russia this season.
Getting Kaprizov to stay in Minnesota was the most vital part of the Wild’s offseason. He stunned the league with 51 points in 55 games and he apparently isn't worried about a sophomore slump.
"There's not pressure, because now it's easy for me when I signed," Kaprizov said in English. "Now I just want to play. You know, it's like, 'Whew.' It's hockey."
Before signing his new deal, Kaprizov secretly flew to Florida so he could quarantine and receive an NHL-approved COVID-19 vaccination in hopes that he wouldn't have to miss any time in training camp.
On-ice sessions begin Thursday and Kaprizov is currently skating on his own. He needs one more negative test to join the team Friday, per Russo.
