Tuukka Rask Officially Signs PTO With AHL’s Providence Bruins
Jan 7: Rask’s return to the P-Bruins will have to wait. The AHL has announced that games originally scheduled for tonight and Sunday will now be moved to April due to COVID-19 protocols affecting the Phantoms, meaning there are no Providence games until January 14 against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Maine Mariners, Boston’s ECHL affiliate, play the Adirondack Thunder tonight, tomorrow and Sunday, so perhaps there is a chance that Rask sees action there instead.
Jan 6: After being rumoured this past week, unrestricted free agent goalie Tuukka Rask is officially on his way to making a comeback in Boston. The Bruins announced this morning that he’s signed a professional tryout agreement with their AHL affiliate in Providence.
Rask will play his first AHL game in 13 years when he starts for Providence against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms tomorrow. His last season with Providence was in 2008-09, where he played in 57 games and posted a 33-20-4 record and .915 save percentage.
The 34-year-old Rask didn’t sign a contract with the Bruins this offseason after he underwent hip surgery, which left his playing future uncertain. Once it became clear that Rask would be able to return to NHL hockey, the NHL granted Rask and the Bruins an exemption, allowing Rask to use the Bruins’ facilities while unsigned to assist in his recovery.
His return casts some serious uncertainty over what the Bruins’ goalie depth chart could look like, however. The plan always seemed to be, at least after signing Linus Ullmark to a big-money deal this offseason, that Jeremy Swayman would head down to Providence to make room for Rask as he doesn’t require waivers.
That’s a tough decision to make at this point in the season, though. Swayman’s put up better stats than Ullmark this season and has received nearly equal usage, with Swayman putting up a .920 save percentage in 15 starts and Ullmark putting up a .917 in 14 starts.
It’s a decision to make later, though. For now, Bruins fans and staff are happy to have Rask back with the team, and Rask is certainly happy to get one more shot, maybe his last, at a Stanley Cup ring.
When Rask eventually plays for Boston this season, though, it will be the return of a living legend to the Bruins crease. He’s first in franchise history in terms of games played (560), wins (306), and save percentage (min. 50 games) (.921).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/07/22
Just two games on the schedule this evening as the league continues to miss matches due to COVID and attendance restrictions. Still, both should be pretty great matchups as four current playoff teams do battle. Elias Lindholm will lead the Calgary Flames against his old club in Carolina, while the Washington Capitals will avoid facing Vladimir Tarasenko when they travel to St. Louis. As those clubs and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Troy Grosenick and Steven Fogarty from Providence to the taxi squad, as they prepare to go on the road for the next two games. Boston will play in Tampa Bay tomorrow and Washington on Monday.
- The Ottawa Senators have assigned Clark Bishop to the taxi squad and Logan Shaw to the AHL, as several players return from the COVID protocol. Thomas Chabot, Dillon Heatherington, Zach Sanford, and Chris Tierney all joined the club at practice this morning.
Metropolitan Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Scott Harrington back to the minor leagues, where he will join the Cleveland Monsters. Harington, who hadn’t seen the AHL since the 2016-17 season, has played three games for Cleveland this year. The team has also assigned Jake Christiansen to the Monsters.
- The New Jersey Devils have assigned Alexander Holtz and Kevin Bahl to the AHL, while recalling A.J. Greer and Colton White to the taxi squad. Holtz, one of the team’s top prospects, has 10 points in 11 games for Utica this season.
- The Washington Capitals have reassigned Michal Kempny to the taxi squad, while adding Dennis Cholowski and Martin Fehervary to the active roster. T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom, despite practicing with the team, have been moved to injured reserve and will not travel to St. Louis as they work back from a non-COVID illness. Later in the day, the team recalled Michael Sgarbossa and Zachary Fucale from the taxi squad.
- The New York Rangers have recalled Jonny Brodzinski and Tim Gettinger from the taxi squad, moving Dryden Hunt to injured reserve. Zac Jones has also been moved back to the taxi squad as the Rangers needed a way to add some forward depth while Julien Gauthier deals with the COVID protocol.
Central Division
- Following the injury to Kirill Kaprizov, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Kyle Rau to the taxi squad. Kaprizov is expected to miss at least one game, with further evaluation still ongoing to determine how long he’ll be out of the lineup.
- The Nashville Predators have reassigned Matt Luff to the taxi squad once again, his fourth transaction in the last four days. The 24-year-old forward played and scored last night for the Predators, despite seeing just seven minutes of ice time.
- The Dallas Stars have assigned Thomas Harley to the Texas Stars, giving the 20-year-old defenseman a chance to play at the minor league level once again. Harley has played in eight games for Dallas but 17 for Texas this season.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have assigned Samuel Fagemo to the taxi squad, after he failed to dress for last night’s game. Fagemo has yet to make his NHL debut since being drafted 50th overall in 2019.
- Forward Adam Ruzicka is back on Calgary’s active roster, coming up from the taxi squad. Ruzicka scored his first NHL goal earlier this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Michael Krutil Signs In SHL
It appears as though Michael Krutil will not be returning to the Rockford IceHogs now that the World Junior Championship has been canceled. The young defenseman has signed a contract for the rest of the season with the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League.
Krutil, 19, played seven games with Rockford before being loaned to Czechia for the junior tournament but ended up failing to get into a single game before the event was shut down due to COVID concerns. Selected 110th overall in 2020, he hasn’t actually signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks yet and had been playing on an AHL deal.
A blend of size and skill, the 6’3″ defenseman had three points in 21 games for the IceHogs last season as an 18-year-old, suiting up as one of the youngest players in the entire league. Now in Sweden, he’ll have a better chance to show off some offensive upside or at the very least, play more minutes than he was receiving in Rockford.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/06/22
It’s a busy Thursday with 11 games on tap tonight. With that, you can bet that many teams will be shuffling their rosters and lining things up to be ready for when the puck drops. You can keep track of all of those roster moves right here.
Atlantic Division
- Per a team release, the Buffalo Sabres reassigned forward Ryan MacInnis to the taxi squad from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. MacInnis has yet to appear in a Sabres uniform, but he’s been bouncing up and down between the taxi squad and Rochester since the system was re-implemented last month.
- The Sabres have now brought up MacInnis from the taxi squad, making him available for tonight’s game.
- As the team gets healthier on defense, the Ottawa Senators assigned defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the taxi squad from the active roster and moved Michael Del Zotto to the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Bernard-Docker was previously in COVID protocol, while Del Zotto was recalled out of necessity due to a lack of healthy defensemen.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled forward Remi Elie from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, assigning him to the taxi squad today. Elie got into one game with the Lightning earlier this season when the team was hit hard by COVID-related absences.
- Boston’s Urho Vaakanainen is back in the NHL on an emergency basis. One of the team’s top defense prospects, he has eight points in 23 games with the AHL’s Providence Bruins this season.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers recalled forward Connor Bunnaman and defenseman Yegor Zamula from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, assigning them to the taxi squad as COVID-related absences are hitting their team hard at the moment. Bunnaman is pointless in four games this season, while Zamula could look to make his season debut if he’s elevated to the active roster.
- Goaltender Hunter Shepard is on his way up to the Washington Capitals’ taxi squad from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, according to a team release. The 26-year-old netminder does not require waivers and has split this season between the AHL and ECHL.
- Shepard is back down just a few hours later. They’ve swapped him for Zachary Fucale as the third goalie on the taxi squad.
Central Division
- The Colorado Avalanche recalled forward Mikhail Maltsev and goaltender Hunter Miska to their taxi squad, per a team tweet. Maltsev has six NHL games under his belt already this season, while Miska has struggled in both the AHL and ECHL in 2021-22.
- Defenseman Calle Rosen is back on the St. Louis Blues taxi squad, recalled from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The move comes after a pair of Blues defensemen entered COVID protocol this morning.
- The Minnesota Wild made a much-anticipated swap today, recalling forwards Marco Rossi, Matt Boldy, and Connor Dewar from the taxi squad while sending Victor Rask there in their places. It paves the way for the NHL debuts of Rossi and Boldy, the team’s two best forward prospects.
- The Nashville Predators have sent forward Thomas Novak to Milwaukee of the AHL while promoting Matt Luff from the taxi squad. Novak had been scratched in four straight games and hasn’t played since December 17th so a stint with the Admirals should get him back in playing shape while Luff has an assist in four games with the Predators this season.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings continue to shuffle Martin Frk and Jacob Moverare through their system, calling them up to the active roster from the taxi squad today. They also assigned defenseman Jordan Spence to the AHL’s Ontario Reign from the taxi squad.
- Sheldon Rempal is headed back to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, as the Vancouver Canucks moved him there from their taxi squad today. He has 20 points through 22 games in Abbotsford this year.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/05/22
Just two games on the NHL schedule this evening after a full slate last night. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers will do battle in an all-Canadian matchup, while the St. Louis Blues travel to Pittsburgh to battle the Penguins. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling:
Atlantic Division
- Ahead of their game, the Maple Leafs have sent Kyle Clifford to the taxi squad, a good sign that Auston Matthews will be ready to go. Matthews took the morning skate after initially receiving a positive COVID result on a rapid test earlier this week. After testing negative yesterday, his presence at the skate suggests that he has been cleared to return to action.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have returned Darren Raddysh to the AHL, after making his NHL debut a few days ago. Raddysh played in two games for the Lightning and failed to record a point.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Riley Barber, Luke Witkowski, and Kaden Fulcher from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies as they head west. Detroit will take on the three California teams before returning home later this month.
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Max Guenette and Lassi Thomson to the AHL, while moving Logan Shaw to the taxi squad. Thomson, 21, has played in 12 games for the Senators this season and has three points.
Metropolitan Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Cam Johnson from the taxi squad back to the minor leagues, though it’s still kind of a promotion for the netminder. Johnson had been playing in the ECHL when he got the call to the NHL taxi squad and will only be going back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for the time being. Meanwhile, the club has recalled Jake Christiansen and Liam Foudy from the AHL to the taxi squad.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Michael Sgarbossa to the taxi squad once again, after sending him down just yesterday. The veteran minor leaguer has 14 points in 15 games this season for the Hershey Bears.
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Nicolas Beaudin to the taxi squad while assigning Brett Connolly there from the active roster. Kurtis Gabriel and Alec Regula are headed back to the Rockford IceHogs, where they can take part in this weekend’s back-to-back matches.
- Matt Luff might not get a chance to play his former team tomorrow night, as the Nashville Predators have moved him back down to the taxi squad. Luff has played four games for the Predators this season after spending several years as a member of the Los Angeles Kings organization.
- After he cleared waivers, Zane McIntyre has been loaned back to the Iowa Wild. The Minnesota Wild meanwhile have recalled Andrew Hammond from the taxi squad under emergency conditions and moved Hunter Jones up to the taxi squad from the AHL.
- The Colorado Avalanche reassigned forwards Callahan Burke, Mikhail Maltsev, and goalie Hunter Miska to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles from the taxi squad today. Maltsev’s the only one of them that has NHL games under their belt this season.
Pacific Division
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled prospect Adam Raska, a 20-year-old forward that has impressed in his first year of North American pro hockey. A seventh-round pick in 2020, Raska has six points in 21 AHL games but plays a physical, bang-and-crash style that made him a preseason fan favorite.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Jacob Larsson, while sending Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Bryce Kindopp, Danny O’Regan, and Greg Pateryn to the AHL from the taxi squad. Lukas Dostal will come up from the AHL to the taxi squad for the time being.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/04/22
Eight games grace the NHL schedule this evening, as things start to get back to normal across the league. The Calgary Flames will face a shorthanded Florida Panthers team, while the defending champions try to get back in the win column against a Zach Werenski-less Blue Jackets’ squad. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- With Nikita Kucherov approaching a return, the Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Gabriel Fortier back to the AHL. Fortier, 21, has one goal in ten games for the Lightning this season, his first in the NHL.
- The Florida Panthers have assigned Aleksi Heponiemi to the taxi squad, as they prepare for action without the likes of Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, or Mason Marchment. Heponiemi, 22, has played two games for Florida this season.
Metropolitan Division
- Tarmo Reunanen has been recalled to the New York Rangers taxi squad. The team has also moved Matthew Robertson back to the AHL, without the young defenseman actually appearing in the NHL. Robertson, 20, has five points in 23 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack in his first year of professional hockey.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Aliaksei Protas from the AHL, while sending Lucas Johansen, Michael Sgarbossa, Pheonix Copley, and Alexander Alexeyev to the minor leagues. Protas has been a nice find for the Capitals so far, registering six points in 22 games just two years after dropping to the third round of the draft.
- With Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov entering COVID protocol today, the Philadelphia Flyers recalled forwards Gerald Mayhew and Max Willman as well as defenseman Cam York to the active roster from the taxi squad.
Central Division
- Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli is back with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, per the team. He didn’t get into a game during his call-up, and he’s still looking for his first NHL action, but he’s impressed with 21 points through 21 games in Tucson this year.
- The Dallas Stars have reassigned Ty Dellandrea, Rhett Gardner, Riley Tufte, and Adam Scheel from the taxi squad to the Texas Stars, giving them some extra bodies for their games this weekend.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned Martin Frk and Jacob Moverare from the AHL to the taxi squad. Moverare, despite still waiting for his first NHL opportunity, has been involved in ten transactions since the middle of December, bouncing up and down on a near-daily basis.
- The Seattle Kraken reassigned forward Kole Lind and goalie Joey Daccord to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers today, according to a team tweet. The two have combined to play seven games at the NHL level this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/03/22
There is just one game on the schedule for the NHL tonight, as the Edmonton Oilers travel to New York to try and slow down the Rangers. Edmonton is in freefall after a hot start while the Rangers are continuing to ride the outstanding goaltending of Igor Shesterkin. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- With Jake Muzzin expected to return for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Teemu Kivihalme has been moved off the taxi squad and back to the AHL. Muzzin’s return will likely bump Alex Biega back to the taxi after he played in Saturday’s game against the Senators.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Alex Barre-Boulet and Maxime Lagace to the AHL, giving the Syracuse Crunch a boost as players come off the NHL’s COVID list. Andrei Vasilevskiy made his return to the Tampa Bay crease last night, and though he showed some obvious rust, there’s no need for Lagace any longer.
Metropolitan Division
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Stefan Noesen and Alex Lyon to the AHL, moving them off the taxi squad for the time being. With the Hurricanes off until Friday, the pair can get in some time with the Chicago Wolves this week.
- Pierre-Olivier Joseph has been activated from the COVID Protocol, but not back to the NHL roster. The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned the young defender to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but he will be the next man up should a need arise on the NHL blue line.
Central Division
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Tennyson to the taxi squad, adding another experienced body to the traveling group. The Predators are headed on a three-game road trip that starts tomorrow night.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Mikhail Maltsev and Hunter Miska to the taxi squad, while sending Trent Miner back to the AHL. Maltsev, 23, has 17 points in 23 games for the Colorado Eagles this season but is still looking for his first point with the Avalanche.
- With Cam Talbot suffering an injury in the Winter Classic, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Andrew Hammond to the team’s taxi squad. Calen Addison, who was recalled to replace Jonas Brodin in the game, has also been loaned back to the taxi squad.
- Riley Tufte is getting the call, but not quite to the NHL roster. The Dallas Stars have announced that the young forward has been moved from AHL Texas to the taxi squad. The hulking forward has played in five games with Dallas this season in a fourth line role, but has also flashed some scoring ability in the minors.
Pacific Division
- Ashton Sautner and Spencer Martin have been sent back to the AHL from the Vancouver Canucks taxi squad, given the team doesn’t play again for another week.
- The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned Jan Jenik from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Jenik has suited up for three games with the ‘Yotes this season, but only for about 20 total minutes of ice time and zero points. The young forward needs some more seasoning in the minors before he can make an impact at the next level.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 01/02/22
The new year has brought with it a flurry of activity between NHL and AHL rosters. However, the top North American leagues are not alone in a noticeable uptick in transactions. Elsewhere, several other familiar names are making moves. With European leagues closing in on their postseasons prior to the stretch run in the NHL, expect these transactions to appear with greater frequency in the coming weeks, too.
- Former AHL MVP Daniel Carr has finally found some consistency in his career. The skilled forward played for four different NHL teams over the past four seasons and was never able to hold down a roster spot despite his impressive minor league numbers, especially after leaving the Montreal Canadiens. He opted to leave North America last season, inking a two-year deal with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League. Carr only played in eight games for the team in 2020-21, but was a point-per-game player all the same. This year, he has 13 points in 12 games, continuing to make a major impact albeit in limited action. Lugano has decided to reward Carr’s strong play in hopes that he can be a core piece of the team moving forward and Carr has jumped at some long-term stability in his career. The team has announced a new three-year extension for Carr, which will keep him in Switzerland through the 2024-25 season and into mid-thirties. This likely marks the end of Carr’s NHL career, but he could be a superstar in the National League through the duration of his new deal.
- When goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis left North America in 2018, it initially seemed like the right move. Gudlevskis had an excellent first season in the KHL, recording a 2.37 GAA for his hometown team, Dinamo Riga. However, the following season got off to a horrific start and Gudlevskis ended up leaving midseason to play in Germany and then split last year between Austria and Slovakia. Well, Gudlevskis finally found his stride once again in Slovakia between late last season and early this year and now he is elevating back to another top European league. Brynas IF of the SHL has announced a contract with Gudlevskis for the remainder of this season. The former Tampa Bay Lightning net minder will now have a chance to show what he can do at the top level in Sweden in hopes that it leads to another contract with a top club. At 29 and with connections still in North America, a return to the AHL and perhaps even the NHL at some point can’t be ruled out if he continues to perform. His newest gig with Brynas will tell a lot about his ability to play at an elite level.
- Yevgeni Oksentyuk is moving on from his stint in the ECHL, at least for now. The Dallas Stars prospect has played almost exclusively at the “AA” level in his first pro season in North America, but the AHL’s Texas Stars have recalled him from Idaho Steelheads. Oksentyuk, a 2020 sixth-round pick out of Belarus, has nine goals and 16 points in 17 ECHL games this season and appears ready for the next level. The undersized forward will always have to work hard to excel against bigger, stronger competition in North America, but has found success so far in the ECHL and the OHL before that and could continue to develop for the Stars.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/02/22
There are seven NHL games to be played this Sunday, post-Winter Classic and solidly into the New Year. Teams are slowly returning to business as usual as players return from COVID protocol and the number of additions to protocol and postponements begins to dwindle. There’s likely to be all sorts of roster moves today as teams take advantage of the newly-reintroduced taxi squads, and we’ll keep track of those right here.
Atlantic Division
- Per the AHL’s Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres reassigned forward Ryan MacInnis to them this morning. MacInnis was the sole player on Buffalo’s taxi squad. In his first year with the Sabres organization, he has five goals and ten assists in 24 games with Rochester.
- The Ottawa Senators recalled defenseman Max Guenette from the AHL’s Belleville Senators and promptly reassigned him to the taxi squad, according to a team tweet. The Senators had no extra defensemen with the team after Jacob Bernard-Docker and others entered COVID protocol yesterday. Guenette has two goals and five assists in 16 games with Belleville in his first professional season.
Metropolitan Division
- According to a team tweet, the Pittsburgh Penguins made four recalls from their taxi squad today. Forwards Anthony Angello, Kasper Bjorkqvist, Radim Zohorna, and goalie Louis Domingue are now on the team’s active roster for their game against the San Jose Sharks today.
- Aliaksei Protas is heading back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, per a team tweet from the Washington Capitals. Protas had six points in his first 22 NHL games this season, but as the Capitals start to look like themselves again, he’s headed back to Hershey where he has five points in eight games this season. The team also swapped Michael Sgarbossa and Lucas Johansen, sending Johansen to the taxi squad and recalling Sgarbossa to the active roster.
Central Division
- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas reports that after backing up Jordan Binnington in last night’s Winter Classic, the Blues assigned goalie Charlie Lindgren to the taxi squad today. It paves the way for Ville Husso to return from injury, who’s been out since December 7 with a lower-body injury.
- Lindgren is now back with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, along with forward Alexei Toropchenko and defenseman Calle Rosen.
- The Chicago Blackhawks recalled forwards Josiah Slavin from the taxi squad today while sending Mackenzie Entwistle and Collin Delia there, per The Athletic’s Scott Powers. Slavin will get another shot in the Blackhawks lineup after nine games earlier this year.
- Per a team tweet, the Dallas Stars are bringing up defenseman Thomas Harley and goalie Adam Scheel from the AHL’s Texas Stars to their taxi squad. Harley, the 18th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, played his first seven NHL games with the Stars earlier this season but doesn’t have a point yet. Scheel has just a .886 save percentage with Texas this season, but due to salary restrictions, the team can’t recall Anton Khudobin to the taxi squad.
- The Nashville Predators re-assigned forward Michael McCarron to the taxi squad from the active roster, per a team tweet. McCarron has just a goal in ten games.
Pacific Division
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Canadiens, Senators Make COVID Protocol Additions
3:43 pm: More bad COVID news came for the Senators, as defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker also entered protocol for them Saturday afternoon. With that, they have no extra players on the roster for tonight’s game at the moment.
10:43 am: The calendar has flipped to 2022, but the battle against Coronavirus won’t go away that easy. While the current surge may be producing far more positive results than symptomatic players, the league and its teams will continue to abide by the protocols in place, which will mean more players missing time. The first additions of the new year belong to Atlantic Division and Canadian rivals, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, both of whom are still scheduled to play on Saturday but will be short-handed.
The Senators have announced that forward Nick Paul and defenseman Dillon Heatherington have been placed in the NHL’s COVID Protocol. While Heatherington himself has been a COVID/injury replacement this year, skating in minimal minutes in nine games, Paul is a major loss for the club. The big forward is having a down year thus far compared to his past two campaigns, but still leaves a hole at center on the Sens’ second line. Ottawa has recalled Clark Bishop and Logan Shaw from the taxi squad to help fill the gap up front, while young Lassi Thomson has been promoted from AHL Belleville to add a body on the blue line.
In Montreal, the Canadiens have placed a pair of young starters in forward Jake Evans and defenseman Alexander Romanov into COVID Protocol. This makes 16 players and one coach unavailable for the Habs due to COVID, yet the team plans to proceed with their game this afternoon. Up against the salary cap, Montreal will have to stick with what they have for healthy players, which is expected to be a lineup of 11 forwards and five defensemen.