Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/31/21

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.

North Division

• The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Artem Zub from the taxi squad. The 25-year-old blueliner has spent the last six years playing in the KHL and chose to sign with the Senators in May after a breakout campaign in 2019-20 when he scored 13 goals for SKA St. Petersburg. The team had an open spot after sending Filip Chlapik to the taxi squad recently. Zub could make his NHL debut, filling in for the injured Thomas Chabot who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
• The Montreal Canadiens have moved Corey Perry to the taxi squad, according to CapFriendly. Perry has appeared in three games for Montreal, scoring a goal and an assist.
• The Edmonton Oilers announced a series of roster moves.  Gaetan Haas was activated off injured reserve while Stuart Skinner was recalled from the taxi squad.  Coming off the NHL roster are veteran forwards Tyler Ennis and Devin Shore as both were sent to the taxi squad.
• The Calgary Flames have returned Derek Ryan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly while recalling Buddy Robinson to the active roster.  Calgary has been shuttling Ryan back and forth after he cleared waivers at the end of the training camp, allowing them to bank a little extra cap space.  He should be recalled again on Monday.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs made several taxi squad moves according to CapFriendly.  Pierre Engvall, Jason Spezza, and Michael Hutchinson were all assigned to the taxi squad with Rasmus Sandin and Adam Brooks being recalled.

East Division

• The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled forward Casey Mittelstadt from their taxi squad. Usually swapped for Dylan Cozens, the team now has both on the NHL squad. That could be bad news for Sam Reinhart, who missed Saturday’s game due to injury and is expected to be out again Sunday. Mittelstadt has appeared in one NHL game this season.
• The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forwards Jesper Boqvist and Mikhail Maltsev from the taxi squad and have assigned Nicholas Merkley back. Boqvist has appeared in four games for the Devils this year, but hasn’t registered a point. Maltsev is expected to make his NHL debut. He played his lone season in North America last year with the Binghamton Devils in the AHL. Merkley played in three games with one assist.
• The New York Islanders have sent three players to their taxi squad, including forwards Kieffer Bellows, Leo Komarov and Oliver Wahlstrom, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. The team also recalled three players, including goaltender Ilya Sorokin, Austin Czarnik and Dmytro Timashov. Sorokin is likely to get the start Sunday, while Czarnik and Timashov could be making their season debuts.
• On top of today’s placement of Anthony DeAngelo on waivers, the New York Rangers also sent Kaapo Kakko and K’Andre Miller to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two will be recalled on Monday.  To make room on the taxi squad, Gabriel Fontaine was assigned to AHL Hartford.
• The Philadelphia Flyers have returned Samuel Morin to the taxi squad according to CapFriendly.  He suited up on Saturday after Travis Konecny was surprisingly scratched, logging 5:31 on the fourth line.

Central Division

• The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forward Givani Smith from their taxi squad. The winger has appeared in three games for the Red Wings this year with an assist. The team then followed that up, announcing the team has assigned forward Chase Pearson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL to the taxi squad to replace Smith. The 23-year-old Pearson was a fifth-round pick back in 2015 and has been with the Griffins for one season.
• The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Drew Shore and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from their taxi squad. The team also placed forward Max McCormick on injured reserve after colliding with goaltender Petr Mrazek Saturday. Shore hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2016-17 season, spending the last four years of his career between the NL and the KHL. Nedeljkovic was considered the goalie of the future, but has yet to earn himself a full-time roster spot with the Hurricanes and was recently placed on waivers.
• Reese Johnson has been recalled from Chicago’s taxi squad, reports Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The forward had eight points in 52 games with AHL Rockford last season along with 63 penalty minutes and is making his NHL debut tonight.
• The Colorado Avalanche have promoted defenseman Jacob MacDonald from the taxi squad, notes Peter Baugh of The Athletic.  He’s taking the place of Erik Johnson who suffered an upper-body injury last game.  To stay cap compliant, Kiefer Sherwood was sent to the taxi squad, meaning the Avs are playing a skater short tonight.
• The Nashville Predators have assigned Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad, CapFriendly reports.  While he has played in six games for the Preds this season, he has also been sent to the taxi squad six separate times over the last three weeks.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning have loaned Luke Schenn and Christopher Gibson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Schenn has been shuffled back and forth several times this season while Gibson shouldn’t be needed now that Curtis McElhinney has been taken off the CPRA list.

West Division

• The Arizona Coyotes announced that defenseman Victor Soderstrom has been assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. This was an expected move for the 11th-overall pick in 2019. Soderstrom came over to North America this season but was always expected to spend most of the season in the AHL. The 19-year-old did make two NHL appearances this year filling in for an injured Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but has been a healthy scratch since.
• The Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Arthur Kaliyev and defenseman Austin Strand have been recalled from the Ontario Reign of the AHL and moved to the team’s taxi squad. The team also has re-assigned forwards Samuel Fagemo and Boko Imama from the taxi squad to Ontario.
• The Anaheim Ducks have recalled center Andrew Agozzino from San Diego of the AHL, per a team release.  To make room on the roster, defenseman Josh Mahura has been sent to the Gulls.  Meanwhile, CapFriendly reports that Isac Lundestrom has been sent down to the taxi squad just one day after being recalled.