The action starts early today as the Flyers visit the Sabres for a 1:00pm local time puck drop to kick off the Saturday slate. Ten more games will follow over the course of the day and night, highlighted by the Battle of Alberta between the Flames and Oilers. With a total of 16 games on the docket this weekend, teams will be busy tweaking their rosters. Keep up with all of the recalls and reassignments right here:
Atlantic Division
- Call it a waivers loophole if you like, but the Detroit Red Wings have reassigned recently claimed forward Gemel Smith to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. They have done so legally via a conditioning loan. Smith landed on waivers as the Tampa Bay Lightning attempted to activate him from season-opening injured reserve, so Detroit is using the fact that he has yet to play this season in order to move him to the minors for the time being. Of course, this is a short-term loan and the elder Smith will have to earn a full-time role on the Red Wings if he wants to play with younger brother Givani Smith and avoid the wire again.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are adding some insurance in net without costing Michael Hutchinson or Joseph Woll AHL starts. The team has recalled Erik Kallgren to the taxi squad from the AHL Marlies, making him the de facto third-string behind Jack Campbell and the injury-prone Petr Mrazek. The Leafs’ goaltending situation has been in flux much of the season, with Mrazek, Hutchinson, and Woll all making NHL appearances. The result has been Kallgren getting the lion’s share of starts in the AHL, though the Marlies have actually seen six different keepers so far this year.
- Jacob Bernard-Docker is up from the taxi squad yet again and this time he is joined by Clark Bishop. The Ottawa Senators announced that the duo have been recalled to the active roster ahead of back-to-back match-ups this weekend.
- After being reassigned to the taxi squad on Friday, Brett Murray is back with the Buffalo Sabres today, the team announced. Murray has played well at the NHL level this year in just his third pro season, recording six points in 18 games despite a limited role. He will likely remain the Sabres’ first recall option up front this season.
- According to the New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver, forward Jesper Froden is on his way up to the Boston Bruins taxi squad from AHL Providence. He made his NHL debut earlier this season and has 20 points in 29 games with Providence.
- The Florida Panthers are moving players down, assigning defenseman Chase Priskie to the taxi squad and goalie Evan Fitzpatrick to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Priskie made his NHL debut this season, while Fitzpatrick was signed for goalie depth earlier this month.
Metropolitan Division
- Reinforcements are on the way to Philadelphia’s forward corps as the team announced that Wade Allison and Jackson Cates have been recalled from the taxi squad. Amidst a ten-game winless streak and with any shot at the postseason slipping away, combined with a litany of injuries, the Flyers will be looking to use more of their prospect depth the rest of the way, especially up front. Cates, who has already played in seven games with Philly this season, and Allison, who has only played in seven AHL games but has three goals to show for it, are first up.
- The New York Rangers are shuffling up their practice squad composition. The team has announced that goaltender Tyler Wall has been returned to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack with defenseman Tarmo Reunanen and veteran forward Anthony Greco promoted to the taxi squad. Wall was in need of some game action after a stint on the practice squad, while Reunanen and Greco have earned time with the NHL group. Greco is second among Wolf Pack forwards in scoring and Reunanen holds the same place among club defensemen.
- Columbus has sent forward Liam Foudy down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the team tweeted today. He went pointless in his lone NHL game this season.
Central Division
- The good news for the Winnipeg Jets is that captain Blake Wheeler is back, activated from the injured reserve. The bad news is that the team announced the move as corresponding with Nikolaj Ehlers moving to long-term injured reserve. Young forward Kristian Reichel has also been reassigned to the taxi squad. The Jets have had a light schedule of late with just four games (three of them losses) in the past two weeks, but need to overcome the loss of Ehlers and find their groove with the Bruins, Penguins, Panthers, and Blues on the docket this week.
- There is no shortage of Chicago Blackhawks updates today as team beat writer Carter Baum revealed numerous moves. Firstly, forward Jujhar Khaira and defenseman Riley Stillman have been placed on injured reserve. Fortunately not all health news was bad as forward Brett Connolly has been activated to the Chicago roster. Youngsters Wyatt Kalynuk and Cale Morris have been recalled to the taxi squad while forward Mike Hardman goes the other way to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
- As has occurred frequently this season, Dallas Stars forward Riley Damiani is on the move. This time, he’s headed back to the minors to suit up for AHL Texas.
Pacific Division
- The Seattle Kraken will let forward Alexander True get some play time down in the minors. The club has announced that True has been reassigned from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, the Kraken’s temporary shared affiliated. True, 24, has been held scoreless in eight games with Seattle this season but has 18 points in 22 AHL games.
- A trio of players have been added to the Vancouver Canucks roster. Experienced forwards Justin Bailey and Sheldon Dries have been recalled from the taxi, while young goaltender Michael DiPietro was made an emergency recall as well. Ironically, it is a defenseman that will be missing from the roster in a corresponding move, as Guillaume Brisebois has been placed on injured reserve.
- The team additionally activated defenseman Ashton Sautner from COVID protocol, immediately assigning him to Abbotsford.
This post will be updated throughout the day.