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Eric Staal Signs AHL PTO

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As reported yesterday, the Iowa Wild have signed veteran center Eric Staal to an AHL professional tryout agreement, giving him a chance to tune up his game in preparation for the Olympics next month. Staal also hopes to earn an NHL agreement after the international tournament, though that is obviously a little further down the line.

Now 37, Staal has only ever played one season in the AHL and that was during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. That year he suited up for the Lowell Lock Monsters, recording 77 points in 77 games on a roster that also included names like Chuck Kobasew, Mark Giordano, and Cam Ward. More than 1,200 NHL games later and Staal is now heading back to the minors, if only for a handful of games.

The Wild play the next two nights at home against the Chicago Wolves, before welcoming in the Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose next week. It remains to be seen whether Staal will travel with the team when they hit the road for three games later this month. Canada’s first Olympic game is scheduled for February 10 against Germany, though the official roster has not yet been announced.

Paul Stastny Enters Protocol; Cole Perfetti Recalled

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The Winnipeg Jets have lost another key player, as Paul Stastny joins his teammates in the COVID protocol. It’s not all bad though, as the team has recalled Cole Perfetti from the taxi squad under emergency conditions. The team has also brought Mikhail Berdin, Jeff Malott, and Austin Poganski from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies ahead of tonight’s game.

Stastny joins Kristian Reichel, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jansen Harkins, Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley, Nathan Beaulieu, and Dylan DeMelo in the protocol, sapping the Jets of a huge amount of depth before returning to the ice. The team hasn’t played since a 7-1 bloodbath against the Colorado Avalanche on January 6 and after tonight won’t have another game until January 18.

With that light schedule, it does give them a chance to work through this recent COVID outbreak and get some players back. Harkins and DeMelo could both play tonight depending on health, but Stastny certainly won’t. The veteran center actually has 16 points in 24 games this season, a strong pace despite having turned 36 a few weeks ago. He’s been mostly playing on the wing after a long career in the middle of the ice, but has still been a solid contributor. Losing that, along with so many others, will make it a tough test against the upstart Red Wings this evening.

Later in the day, head coach Dave Lowry announced some further bad news. Brenden Dillon and Eric Comrie have both been added to the COVID protocol, leaving the Jets even further shorthanded.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Michael Houser; Update Injury Statuses

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The Buffalo Sabres are going to have a goaltending tandem of Aaron Dell and Michael Houser for a while. The team has signed the latter to a new one-year contract worth $750K at the NHL level, after announcing that Malcolm Subban, Dustin Tokarski, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are all out at least on a week-to-week basis. Subban will be even longer than that, as he’s listed month-to-month with an upper-body injury. Craig Anderson remains out month-to-month as well.

Houser, 29, was in a similar situation last season when he signed a one-year, league-minimum deal with the Sabres on March 19 to provide some emergency cover. The organization has refused to add more NHL depth to the position and now will be stuck once again with a netminder who has spent more time in the ECHL than the AHL.

Over a long mostly minor league career, Houser has made 213 appearances in the ECHL, 88 in the AHL, and four in the NHL. His save percentages at all three are above .900, but it’s hard to believe he could really carry the load for the Sabres and have them stay competitive in the tough Atlantic Division.

Dell meanwhile has also been recalled from the AHL, while Jack Quinn and Casey Fitzgerald were sent back to Rochester. The 32-year-old veteran netminder has been brutal this season during his time in Buffalo, posting an .872 save percentage and 4.52 goals-against-average. He’s been better in the AHL, but his time in the NHL appears to be running out.

The Sabres, now 10-19-6 on the season, have lost six straight and now own a -33 goal differential.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/12/22

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Just three games grace the NHL schedule this evening. They include a bitter rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, an expansion team trying to figure out how to win, and Auston Matthews returning to Arizona to inspire the next generation of hockey fans in the desert. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent Cameron Hillis to the AHL, after he made his NHL debut much earlier than expected. Hillis has played six games at the ECHL level this season, but with so many injuries and COVID-related absences in Montreal, was needed to fill in for a game. According to the AHL transactions page, Laurent Dauphin will come up in his place.
  • The Boston Bruins have officially sent Jeremy Swayman back to the minor leagues, after signing Tuukka Rask yesterday. He’ll head to Providence, while Tyler Lewington, John Moore and Urho Vaakanainen–the latter two who were moved off the roster to fit in Rask’s salary–are back up with the team now.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Drew O’Connor to the main roster and Filip Hallander to the taxi squad, as they continue to deal with some COVID-related absences. O’Connor, 23, has five points in 20 games this season. Hallander, 21, is still waiting on his NHL debut.

Central Division

  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled Kevin Czuczman to the taxi squad, as they prepare for Friday’s tilt against the Anaheim Ducks. Michael Russo of The Athletic explains that the team is hoping Alex Goligoski clears the COVID protocol early enough to play in that match, but needed an extra body anyway.
  • The Nashville Predators have assigned Tommy Novak to the AHL, though that could just be until they play again tomorrow. Novak has suited up in 27 games for the team this season, scoring one goal and seven points. Later in the day, the team also reassigned Matt Luff and Cole Smith to the taxi squad.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have added Declan Chisholm to the taxi squad, giving them an extra defender as they hit the road to Detroit. The 22-year-old Chisholm has 14 points in 27 games for the Manitoba Moose in his second professional season.
  • Lukas Reichel has been recalled and added to the Chicago Blackhawks taxi squad, which suggests he could make his NHL debut in the coming days. The top prospect has scored 20 points in 20 games for the Rockford IceHogs in his first season of North American hockey. The team has also moved Nicolas Beaudin to the taxi squad while loaning Kurtis Gabriel, Mike Hardman, Josiah Slavin, Cale Morris and Arvid Soderblom to the AHL.
  • The Arizona Coyotes recalled defensemen Victor Soderstrom, Vladislav Kolyachonok, and goalie Ivan Prosvetov to the active roster from the taxi squad. With three defensemen in COVID protocol, the team needed extra bodies quickly. Prosvetov will back up Karel Vejmelka with Scott Wedgewood in protocol.

Pacific Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Logan Thompson, Dylan Ferguson, Daniil Miromanov, Jonas Rondbjerg and Jake Leschyshyn to the AHL, as they don’t play again until January 17. These players can get some time in at the AHL level–while also costing the Golden Knights a little less in the meantime.
  • The Seattle Kraken have recalled Max McCormick from the taxi squad under emergency conditions, as Morgan Geekie is out with an upper-body injury. McCormick has played in eight games for the Kraken this season but is still looking for his first point in a Seattle uniform.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Samuel Fagemo back to the AHL from the taxi squad, where he can continue his season on Friday. The young forward has been involved in a ton of bouncing up and down lately, but has yet to play a game in the NHL.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Senators Place Stutzle In Protocol, Send Daoust To QMJHL

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The Ottawa Senators have announced a pair of very different transactions for two of their young players. Tim Stutzle has been placed in the COVID protocol, likely ruling him out for the team’s return to action on Thursday. Stutzle joins Anton Forsberg in the protocol and leaves just Brady Tkachuk and Artem Zub as the regular Senators that haven’t been in the protocol this season.

Still just 19, Stutzle has 15 points in 29 games this season and 44 in 82 career matches. That’s an impressive start for the 2020 third overall pick, but it still hasn’t resulted in much success for the team overall. Ottawa is just 9-18-2 on the season despite general manager Pierre Dorion suggesting in the offseason that the rebuild is over. The team hasn’t played since January 1 thanks to COVID concerns and attendance restrictions but will be back in action on Thursday against the Calgary Flames.

While Stutzle has an isolation period to look forward to, a future teammate is looking at a much more exciting prize. The Senators have loaned Philippe Daoust to the Saint John Seadogs of the QMJHL where he will chase a Memorial Cup after starting the year with the Belleville Senators. The 20-year-old forward has five points in 15 games with Belleville this season, but after the Sea Dogs acquired his rights a few days ago it was clear that he would be heading back to junior hockey to finish the year.

Daoust, selected 158th overall in 2020, was outstanding for the Moncton Wildcats in the shortened 2020-21 season, scoring 28 points in 21 games. The Sea Dogs acquired him as part of a ten-piece trade last week as they load up for a championship run. The 2022 Memorial Cup is set to be held in Saint John, meaning the host club will get an automatic entry.

Not yet signed to his entry-level contract, Daoust was playing for Belleville on an AHL deal and will still be in line for a three-year NHL deal whenever he does sign with Ottawa.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/11/22

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Despite the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers game getting canceled late last night, there’s still a full slate of matches on the books for tonight. Seven games including the red-hot Colorado Avalanche taking on the Nashville Predators, Evgeni Malkin potentially making his return, and the Bruce Boudreau-led Vancouver Canucks trying to continue their climb up the Pacific Division standings. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Brett Murray to the taxi squad, giving them another body as they deal with COVID absences. Alex Tuch and Kyle Okposo are out of the protocol and on the ice, but are not expected to play tonight according to John Vogl of The Athletic.
  • The Boston Bruins have returned Troy Grosenick and Steven Fogarty to the AHL, while also ending Tuukka Rask’s PTO with the Providence Bruins. That suggests that an NHL deal could be coming down the pipe for Rask, who has yet to actually play a game this season.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Remi Elie to the Syracuse Crunch, sending him back down after just one game with the big club. The 26-year-old winger has nine points in 13 games with Syracuse this season.

Metropolitan Division

  • The New York Rangers have recalled Tyler Wall to the taxi squad, giving them an extra netminder for the time being. Wall, 23, has split this season between the AHL and ECHL, posting a .900 save percentage in eight games with the Jacksonville Icemen. Later in the day, they sent Wall, Tarmo Reunanen, and Nils Lundkvist back to the AHL while recalling Braden Schneider. If Schneider gets into a game, he’ll be making his NHL debut after just 26 career games in the minor leagues.
  • After his third career start didn’t go quite as well as the first two, Zach Fucale has been sent back to the AHL by the Washington Capitals. The club will go back to Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov, but now at least know that Fucale can handle himself at the NHL level.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially activated Evgeni Malkin from injured reserve, but needed a few additional players for tonight’s game as they deal with COVID-related absences. Louis Domingue, Anthony Angello and Radim Zohorna have all been recalled to the main roster.

Central Division

  • Mikhail Berdin has been sent back to the Manitoba Moose from the Winnipeg Jets taxi squad, where he can play tomorrow night. The Moose are one of the best teams in the AHL this season but it’s not necessarily because of Berdin, who has just an .896 save percentage in 16 appearances. Now that he’s out of COVID protocol, the Jets have also sent Arvid Holm to the AHL.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have made several recalls to fill in for their COVID placements, bringing up Victor Soderstrom, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Ivan Prosvetov to the taxi squad. Soderstrom, 20, is one of the top defensive prospects in the world and has played in nine games for the Coyotes this season. Selected 11th overall, he has 12 points in 17 games at the minor league level.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled both Nathan Walker and Calle Rosen to the taxi squad, with more changes likely coming before game time on Thursday. The Blues are dealing with several COVID-related absences and will need to make adjustments, though this time around the league has rules that help out in emergency recall situations.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Cole Smith and Matt Luff to the active roster, the former coming directly from the AHL. Smith, 26, is only in his second season of professional hockey but has 17 points in 27 games for the Milwaukee Admirals and has played in two games for the Predators.

Pacific Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have moved Samuel Fagemo and Jacob Moverare to the taxi squad once again, a near-daily transaction for the club. Moverare finally made his NHL debut but Fagemo still hasn’t, despite being recalled several times. The 21-year-old forward does have ten goals and 14 points in 26 games for the Ontario Reign this season.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have loaned Markus Niemelainen to the AHL, though the big defenseman showed well in his NHL opportunity and could be back before long. The 23-year-old Niemelainen has played in seven games this season, and though he is still looking for his first NHL point, it’s the 6’5″ presence that was so impressive.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/10/22

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Despite many more additions to the COVID protocol, the NHL actually does have three games on the schedule for this evening. With a full slate of games coming on Tuesday as well, teams around the league will be preparing their rosters for action. As they do, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens have returned Jean-Sebastien Dea and Michael McNiven to the Laval Rocket, as they start to get some players back from the COVID protocol. The Canadiens haven’t played since January 1 and won’t be involved in a game until Wednesday, when they finally get their nightmare season back underway.
  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Filip Gustavsson back to the Belleville Senators, suggesting that Anton Forsberg is ready to return. The interesting part is that Matt Murray is staying up for the time being, with the younger Gustavsson returning to play in the minor leagues.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • Riley Damiani and Adam Scheel have been returned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, after the former failed to get into his second NHL game yesterday. Damiani took warmup with the team but then sat out and will have to wait for his next opportunity with the club.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Tage Thompson Placed In COVID Protocol; Jack Quinn Recalled

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The Buffalo Sabres could have another debut on the horizon, as Jack Quinn has been recalled to the taxi squad and was on the ice at practice today. His appearance could be explained by the absence of Tage Thompson, who was moved to the COVID protocol. Quinn skated on a line with Dylan Cozens and Vinnie Hinostroza according to John Vogl of The Athletic, suggesting he could play tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Quinn, 20, was the eighth overall pick in 2020 and has so far spent his professional career entirely in the minor leagues. The AHL has posed no issue, however, as the talented youngster has 26 points in 20 games this season for the Rochester Americans and looks poised to make an impact at the higher level.

If he does replace Thompson in the lineup tomorrow and make his debut, he’ll have some big shoes to fill. The 24-year-old Thompson has found his game this season with 12 goals and 23 points in 34 games, good enough to lead the Sabres in both categories. Despite standing 6’7″, the hulking winger actually plays more of a skill game and is on pace to more than double his previous career totals.

Unfortunately, he’s not the only Sabre in the protocol at the moment. Thompson joins Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and Kyle Okposo on the sideline for tomorrow’s game.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Jack LaFontaine

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It’s not often that you see an NHL team sign a college prospect during the season, but with the Carolina Hurricanes desperately searching for goaltending depth that’s exactly what has happened. Jack LaFontaine, the reigning Mike Richter Award winner and current starting goaltender for the University of Minnesota, has signed his one-year entry-level contract, leaving the college level behind.

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement:

As the reigning Mike Richter Award recipient, Jack has proven he’s ready to take the next steps in his career. We love his athleticism and consistency and can’t wait for him to start his professional career.

LaFontaine is no longer eligible to play in the NCAA and will join the Hurricanes organization immediately. His entry-level deal comes with a prorated NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $70K, and a signing bonus of $88.5K (the release originally indicated LaFontaine had received a $250K bonus, but entry-level signing bonuses are capped at $92.5K).

Already 24, it’s been nearly six years since LaFontaine was selected 75th overall by the Hurricanes in 2016. The 6’3″ netminder debuted for the University of Michigan the following season, but after two years in a rotating goaltending platoon, he left the Wolverines and played a year with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL, winning the league’s top goaltender award. He joined Minnesota in 2019-20 and posted a .919 save percentage in 25 starts, but it was 2020-21 when he really excelled.

Last season he posted a 22-7 record with a .934 save percentage, winning the NCAA top goaltender award and finishing as a finalist for the Hobey Baker. He was a first-team All-American, won the Big Ten tournament MVP, and looked poised to make the jump to professional hockey. Instead, he used the additional year of availability offered because of COVID to return to Minnesota for this season and was named a co-captain of the Golden Gophers.

His departure after 20 games is somewhat shocking, though things hadn’t been going quite as well this time around. LaFontaine has a .900 save percentage through 20 games with a 12-8 record. That’s where his college career will end, leaving Minnesota with Justen Close and Brennan Boynton in net. Of course, the Gophers would have had Jared Moe, a Winnipeg Jets sixth-round pick, but he transferred to Wisconsin (where he has a .922 in 17 games) when LaFontaine decided to return.

With Antti Raanta injured, the Hurricanes went with Alex Lyon in net last night against the Florida Panthers but have organizational depth issues into the low minors as well. Eetu Makiniemi and Beck Warm are both currently injured, leaving the Chicago Wolves scrambling to sign goaltenders to professional tryouts just to ice a roster. LaFontaine will help ease those issues, whether he ends up at the AHL or NHL level. He’ll also get to burn through his entry-level deal this season, making him a restricted free agent in the summer.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/09/22

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After a busy Saturday slate, it’s a quiet day across the NHL. Just two games are on the schedule, though the results could be impactful nonetheless. Two teams currently in playoff position and two teams just outside the postseason picture square off as the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars meet this afternoon in a Central Division clash and the Anaheim Ducks host the Detroit Red Wings later tonight. For the other 28 teams, today will be used to plan for the week ahead, which could produce a busy day for roster moves even without much action on the ice. Keep up with these transactions here:

Atlantic Division

  • While many of the Montreal Canadiens’ COVID Protocol placements were back on the ice for practice today, several more remain out leaving the club shorthanded for a while longer. As a result, forward Jean-Sebastien Dea has been recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket, the Habs announced. The Laval native has eight goals in 24 AHL games so far this season, but has not yet had an opportunity to make his mark in Montreal. Later on, the team announced that Michael McNiven has gone to Laval, while Cayden Primeau will be assigned to the taxi squad.
  • The Florida Panthers have added Chase Priskie and Matt Kiersted to the taxi squad, two depth defenders that have filled in when necessary this season. Priskie, 25, has played his first two NHL games, while the 23-year-old Kiersted has suited up in five.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned goaltender Jean-Francois Berube to the taxi squad. Berube had been up with the NHL group on an emergency recall with Elvis Merzlikins dealing with a minor lower-body ailment, but will now resume his No. 3 role. While the veteran keeper is seemingly on an NHL depth chart every year, Berube has in fact not played in an NHL game since 2017-18.
  • Veteran defenseman Colin White and rookie forward Nolan Foote are on their way to the taxi squad in New Jersey. The Devils announced that the duo has been assigned to their reserve group. The pair have only played in nine combined games this season, but could have more opportunities while on the taxi squad.

Central Division

  • The Winnipeg Jets were busy this morning, announcing the movement of six talented young players. Forwards Cole Perfetti, Kristian Reichel, and C.J. Suess have been reassigned from the NHL roster to the taxi squad. In a corresponding reshuffling, goaltender Mikhail Berdin and defensemen Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg have been reassigned from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Riley Damiani from the taxi squad and will have him in the lineup this afternoon against the St. Louis Blues. Damiani, 21, scored in his NHL debut earlier this season and has 18 points in 23 games for the Texas Stars this year.
  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Matt Luff to the taxi squad once again while moving Matt Tennyson and Tomas Vomacka to the AHL. Luff continues to be bounced up and down between the taxi squad and active roster on a near-daily basis.

Pacific Division

  • Justin Bailey has lost his spot on the Vancouver Canucks’ taxi squad, at least for now. The team announced that the forward has been reassigned to AHL Abbotsford, where he has 13 points in 18 games this season. However, it’s Bailey’s zero points in ten NHL games that has him back in the minors.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have completed their usual daily transactions, loaning Martin Frk to the taxi squad, activating Alex Turcotte from the COVID protocol, and Austin Wagner was loaned to the AHL.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Brayden Tracey from San Diego of the AHL while removing Ryan Getzlaf from COVID protocol.  To make room for them on the roster, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Jacob Perreault were assigned to the taxi squad.  Tracey, a 2019 first-round pick, will make his NHL debut tonight.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

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